Update from the Heartland
No.371
19.1.09 – 25.1.09
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
No.371
19.1.09 – 25.1.09
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
At noon Tuesday (12:00 EST, 20.January.2009) by the 20th Amendment to our Constitution, Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America. During his inauguration speech, he invoked the spirit of General George Washington’s prayer before crossing the Delaware River on that cold Christmas night of 1776, on the eve of the Battle of Trenton. The President said:
“America!
In the face of our common dangers,
in this winter of our hardship,
let us remember these timeless words,
with hope and virtue,
let us brave once more the icy currents,
and endure what storms may come,
let it be said by our children’s children,
that when we were tested, we refused to let the journey end,
that we did not turn back nor did we falter,
and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us,
we carried forth that great gift of freedom,
and delivered it safely to future generations.”
This Grand Republic, born from the caldron of rebellion and the quest for freedom, has entered a new phase of its glorious history. Godspeed and following winds, Mr. President. We shall do our part to help you be successful.
As Jeanne and I watched our DVR replay of the inauguration ceremony that evening, Jeanne sent to following eMail to our kids and their partners:
“I am taking a moment to tell my children how proud I am of you on this special day, for electing this president who will help change our America for a better one. Your vote is the one that made the difference. Thank you. All of you who supported this great man should be very proud.”
“Love, Mom”
As a footnote to the inauguration and associated celebrations, I recognize the historic significance to this particular transition as well as the need for the Nation to revel in the change ahead – after all, we now have the first American president who happens to have dark skin pigmentation. However, I choose to acknowledge the decision by President George W. Bush to downplay and low-key his second inauguration in deference to our military who stand in extremis during a time of war. To which, I must add the enormous stress of the current recession. I am a humble man who truly appreciates humility in any leader, and especially in our political leaders. That said, let us all look toward tomorrow and what each of us can do to help our new President be successful.
The follow-up news items:
-- I failed to make one very important observation regarding the USAirways flight 1549 ditching event last week [370]. With the minor exception of the right engine nacelle not shearing off as it was designed to do at water impact, the Airbus A-320 fulfilled its design objectives for water ditching events. As much as we praise the crew for their handling of the emergency, we should heap equal praise and congratulations on the designers of the A-320. The RAT (Ram Air Turbine) deployed properly and provided hydraulic & electrical power, with both engines inoperative, during the descent. The fuselage remained intact with no apparent structural failures. More importantly, the aircraft remained afloat even after all the emergency exits were opened. And, to my knowledge, all the emergency and ditching provisions worked as advertised. The evacuation was picture perfect, even allowing the captain to check the cabin for any stragglers before departing himself. For engineers, seeing machines perform as designed, especially in adversity, is a joyous event. Congratulations, Airbus, SAS!
-- As one of his last acts as President, George Bush commuted the prison sentences of former Border Patrol agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos. The two agents were convicted for shooting a known illegal immigrant and drug smuggler [267]. To this day, we still do not know why the government prosecuted the two men. Perhaps, once they are free, we shall begin to hear more of the story. Efforts also continue, to gain full pardons for Ramos and Compean. The prosecution of the two Border Patrol agents still stinks four years after the event and two years after their trial.
-- President Obama signed several Executive Orders (EO’s) this week. Some are almost pro forma transition directives of a new administration. Yet, some are potentially profound and fundamental departures from prior administrations, and specifically the previous administration, and could very well produce adverse unintended consequences. Obama ordered a direct and thorough review of the case against detainee Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri – al-Marri v. Pucciarelli [4CCA no. 06-7427 (2008)] [288, 346] – in and of itself not particularly dramatic. Far more significant is an Executive Order titled (not yet numbered): “Ensuring Lawful Interrogations.” Obama revoked Executive Order 13440 and has now constrained the CIA to field combat intelligence interrogation methods and techniques delineated in Army Field Manual 2 22.3 (FM 2-22.3), “Human Intelligence Collector Operations,” and FM 34-52, “Intelligence Interrogation.” The debate over what are harsh interrogation methods versus torture [126, et al] has been protracted and will continue despite the President’s Order. In essence, we have broadcast to our enemies that we intend to talk them into submission in a knife fight. This “Interrogations” EO may give us a warm, fuzzy feeling of righteousness, but it will NOT help us wage war successfully, especially against a determine enemy who has no rules or morality. War is not some academic, intelligence feel-good exercise. This is a huge and potentially far-reaching mistake. Then, on the same day, President Obama signed an EO titled (but not yet numbered): “Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities,” in which he directed the closure of the Guantánamo detention facility by 22.January.2010, and ordered those held there to be “returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country, or transferred to another United States detention facility.” Closing Guantánamo is another feel good action for those among us who remain unconvinced we are at war. Representative Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania publicly supported the President’s EO and said there are jails in his district that could handle some of the battlefield combatant detainees. Brilliant! Just what we need . . . inject a bunch of Islamo-fascist battlefield combatants into our already dysfunctional prison system; sure, why not, let’s radicalize our criminals. I understand why Obama issued these orders, and I reject these foolish, shortsighted, political parochial actions. We are not playing some intellectual, sand-table, board game. We are at war!
On 4.March.1973, a Black September plot to detonate three large car bombs in New York City was foiled. In January 1991, Khalid Duhham al-Jawary was detained at an airport in Rome for using a false, Jordanian passport. He was extradited to the United States for his complicity in the 1973 bomb plot. Al-Jawary was tried, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1993. The Islamo-fascist terrorist is due to be released on 16.February.2009, for good behavior no less (only 15 years of a 30 year sentence). Sometimes I think we are our own worst enemy.
I illuminated one of many Executive Branch orders being contemplated last fall that would protect any health care worker’s choice to deny services based on his moral objection. The Federal government’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Notice of Proposed RuleMaking (NPRM) RIN 0991-AB48 [349] prima facie says, “Department of Health and Human Services funds do not support coercive or discriminatory policies or practices in violation of federal law.” Written in the proverbial small print is a series of directives allowing health worker’s to decide what they will and will not do. I argued against the NPRM last August [349]. The rule is slated to take effect today (20.January) . . . at the last moment’s of the Bush administration. Attorneys General in seven states (Connecticut, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island) along with two family planning groups (Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association) have filed legal actions to block the NPRM from being implemented, or revoke it if the Court will not support an injunction. This is bad regulation intended to impose a conservative moral agenda by indirect means. Put simply, a health care worker’s morality is no different from my sense of integrity; my choices are to accept & perform, or resign. We need the states to be successful in court. President Obama reportedly signed an EO (not yet found) suspending the implementation of Executive Branch regulations from the prior administration. We can only hope the HHS NPRM is one of those affected regulations appropriately suspended.
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (Schlossberg) withdrew from consideration on the eve of Governor Paterson’s selection to replace Senator Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton of New York, who was confirmed this week as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Caroline Kennedy had abruptly announced her interest, bumbled her flash of publicity and awkward interviews, and even more abruptly withdrew – undoubtedly a humiliating end to any political aspirations she may have held. Under his authority, New York Governor David Alexander Paterson selected and appointed U.S. Representative Kirsten Elizabeth (née Rutnik) Gillibrand, 42, of New York to replace Senator Clinton as the junior senator for New York. The beat goes on.
News from the economic front:
-- The UK banking group Royal Bank of Scotland warned that its losses for 2008 will be significantly more than forecast – £15-20B (US$22-30B). The announcement came as the UK government unveiled new extensions to its financial rescue plan, in an effort to quell rising concerns about the health of the country's banking system.
-- Chrysler and Italy's Fiat confirmed they had reached an agreement on an alliance that would give Fiat a 35% stake in the American company and joint marketing rights in exchange for access to Fiat technology, however the deal is contingent on Chrysler getting US$3B in additional government loans. Does this sound like a deal of desperation or what?
-- The Citigroup Board of Directors chose former Time-Warner chairman Richard Dean Parsons to replace Sir Winfried Franz Wilhen ‘Win’ Bischoff [361] as chairman. Last week, Citigroup posted an US$8.3B 4th Quarter net loss and unveiled a revamped recovery strategy.
-- Apple reported its profit edged up 2% in its latest quarter, while eBay reported a decline in revenue and earnings, citing global macroeconomic conditions. At least there are tiny rays of sunshine in the dark clouds over us.
-- Sony expects to be deep into the red in the fiscal year ending in March, blaming the faltering electronics business and price competition, as well as the yen's strength, as they anticipate a net loss of ¥150B (US$1.65B) and an operating loss of ¥260B (US$2.86B) for the year.
-- Housing starts declined the 6th straight month in December and brought construction to a new low, decreasing 15.5% to a seasonally adjusted 550,000 annual rate compared to the prior month.
-- New state unemployment benefit claims soared last week to match the quarter-century high reached in December, suggesting layoffs will continue unabated into this year.
-- Microsoft reported an 11% drop in quarterly net income as revenue edged up 2%, amid growth in server and entertainment software but weakness in the PC market, and announced plans to eliminate as many as 5,000 jobs (5% of their work force) over the next 18 months, including 1,400 jobs immediately, blaming the “deterioration of global economic conditions.”
-- Former Merrill Lynch chief John Alexander Thain [365] resigned from Bank of America, three weeks after the bank’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch was completed.
-- General Electric reported their 4th Quarter net income fell 44% to US$3.72B and revenue decreased to US$46.2B, as the conglomerate recorded US$1.5B in special charges.
-- Intel announced that Chairman Craig R. Barrett, 69, plans to retire as chairman at the company’s May annual stockholders’ meeting, and Board member Dr. Jane E. Shaw, PhD, will become non-executive chairman, and Paul S. Otellini will remain CEO. The company, whose microprocessors serve as the electronic brains for most of the world’s computers, has been hit hard by the economic downturn.
The Blago Scandal [365]:
-- As his impeachment trial looms in the Illinois state senate, Blago held a news conference in a lame, perverted attempt to convince himself he had done nothing wrong. He said, “The heart and soul of this has been a struggle of me against the system.” Blago also said, “Notwithstanding mistakes and errors in judgment from time to time, most of the things I've done as governor have been the right things and have been things that helped people.” The beleaguered governor had the audacity to say, “This is about raising taxes. It’s all about getting rid of me to raise taxes on people.” Is this guy delusional or what?
I have had numerous false starts in previous Updates on the topic of sex. An opinion column in our only local newspaper pushed me over the edge, forcing me to address the sensitive and often controversial topic. The article:
“Abstinence Education More than ‘Just Say No’”
by Sandy Pickert
Wichita Eagle
Published: Thursday, January 22, 2009; page 7A
http://www.kansas.com/781/story/672275.html
Ms. Pickert is the executive director of Abstinence Education, Inc., here is Wichita. She presents a reasonable and cogent argument for abstinence education as well as her contention that they also address broader elements beyond “just say no.” A number of varied articles / opinions on aspects of sex and sexuality have recently been published that help illuminate the topic for public debate.
“Like a Virgin: The Press Take On Teenage Sex -- Yes, attitudes do make a difference in behavior”
by William McGurn
Wall Street Journal – Opinion: Main Street
Published: January 6, 2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123120095259855597.html?mod=djemEditorialPage
McGrun closed with, “That, alas, is not something you're likely to read in the headlines. For when it comes to challenging the conventional wisdom on issues of sexuality, the American media suddenly become as coy as a cloistered virgin.”
“‘Joy of Sex,’ Revised From Top to Bottom”
by Monica Hesse
Washington Post
Published: Saturday, January 10, 2009; Page C01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/09/AR2009010903767.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Then, we have a series of opinion columns from Nicholas Donabet Kristof on one of his favorite topics.
“The Evil Behind the Smiles”
by Nicholas D. Kristof
New York Times
Published: December 31, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/opinion/01kristof.html?_r=1
“If This Isn’t Slavery, What Is?”
by Nicholas D. Kristof
New York Times
Published: January 3, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04kristof.html
One of these days, we shall mature as a species, or hopefully at least as a society, to recognize sex as an important part of what it is to be human, as much as eating, breathing, exercise, debate, and relationships. First and foremost, to each of us individually, sex is a private matter – personal and intimate. Our practices, wants & needs, and proclivities are not and cannot be a matter of public interest. Furthermore, our persistence in using the law to impose our values on everyone and to keep sex as some forbidden fruit to be hidden, secreted, ignored and confined to bilateral, monogamous, procreation-only, adult, religious-sanctified marriage along with our reticence to discuss sex and more importantly educate our children about healthy sexual conduct will only condemn us to the status quo and the same results, while we expect or even hope for better outcomes. Sex is as much a part of life as eating, breathing, curiosity, pleasure, fulfillment, and all the other activities and attributes that make us human. To persist with the notion that sex is some mystical endeavor that must be kept clean and pure, and thus is beyond proper public debate, will relegate us to medieval constraints. The last administration will undoubtedly claim the federally mandated Abstinence-Only Education block grant program [192, 308, et al] was simply an alternative. Yet, when it is the only funded program, the message is quite clear – indirect inducement. I am all in favor of sex education that includes abstinence as a choice – a personal, familial choice. However, making abstinence the only choice simply institutionalizes ignorance. Sex education should be no different from teaching our children to chew their food properly, to clean themselves regularly, to read, write and speak properly. Unfortunately, we have a legal code that makes parents, schools, everyone, afraid to teach children about sex and making good decisions about sex. Then, we have Nick Kristof, who perpetuates the notion that prostitution is a disgusting, contemptible activity that fosters crime and some of the worst crime – human slavery. While I join Kristof in the condemnation of any socio-economic activity that thrives and feeds upon human trafficking or enslavement, I fundamentally reject his supposition that prostitution is bad in any context. What is truly bad, wrong and disgusting is the criminal sub-culture that operates prostitution as we know it today. Thus, we criminalize a perfectly normal and natural human pursuit, or at least any portion beyond married procreation. We strive mightily to frame the law, the educational curricula of our children, and even proper public debate to pretend sex does not exist in the name of “protecting the innocence of our children,” of preserving our traditional Judeo-Christian moral values, and of protecting hapless citizens from the degradation of moral decay. In short, we try to keep our children ignorant in hopes that they will remain pure, and thus fail to give them the knowledge and teach them the skills they will need to deal with life and to make the best decisions for themselves. We simply must find the courage to shed our Puritanical and Victorian sense of propriety regarding matters sexual. Our children deserve much more than we are giving them, and they occasionally make bad choices.
On the downside of this week’s historic events, perennial, uber-Right, talking head, Rush Limbaugh said, “I hope he [Obama] fails.” Limbaugh was regurgitating his conservative social, economic and political opinions. Yet, his choice of words could not be a more graphic demonstration of the corrosively divisive, ideological, partisan politics. Limbaugh is against the President because the President does not agree with him. Just because ideological, uber-Left liberals mindlessly condemned anything President Bush did, does not make the inverse any more acceptable. I did not agree with many things President Bush did, and I will not agree with some, maybe even many, things President Obama is going to do, but I want Barack Obama to be successful. We, the People, need him to be successful. Let us not allow our disagreement over one issue or another to distract us from strengthening this Grand Republic. Rush Limbaugh is as wrong as wrong can be, and it is Limbaugh who must fail . . . oh wait, except he does not do anything productive other than flap his gums. We need constructive debate, not acidic contrarianism. John McCain and Sarah Palin seem to have taken a far more conciliatory position and offered their support for President Obama. Perhaps, Limbaugh should follow their lead.
Comments and contributions from Update no.370:
“The systematic and ill-advised destruction of the corporate jet industry, while bailing out the big guy, is but one example of rewarding A, while hoping for B. Small business fuels more job creation than the big guys lately and they are taking it on the chin. While I appreciate at some level the attempts by our government to manage the crisis, I do not believe that anyone in government is as smart as "the invisible hand" of a free society. The bailout did not save us and another bailout will not save us. The freedom to fail will save us as it always has in America, but only if we are free to pursue success.”
My response:
Here, here! Yet, my concern lays with the potential collapse of the entire financial system and the knock-on destructive effects. If we are prepared for 25% unemployment or higher, then we can say let the chips fall where they may. We are not talking about the failure of this business or that, but rather a broad, deep recession or even depression. Therein lies the rub.
. . . round two:
“I reject the fear of depression consequences whenever it emerges in my thinking, because it leads to bad decisions like the bailout. Government managing the economy to this degree is flawed. It presumes they know what they are doing. So far I don't see any evidence of it in this crisis. If we look at history, some people believe that Roosevelt prolonged the depression with government intervention and we only recovered due to the aftermath of WWII. While I'm not sure about that historical muse, I am sure that I have little confidence that there are market geniuses running the government now, or coming in tomorrow after the inauguration.
“We shall see...”
. . . my response to round two:
Well said!
I am not, never have been, and never will be an advocate for Government intervention. Yet, the government’s place in our society is to protect the public good. In this instance, the USG failed its responsibility. I recognize that some suggest and perhaps even believe that Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal prolonged the Great Depression. I am not one of those. There are elements of the New Deal legislation that I strongly disagree with and believe caused more injury than they resolved. Regardless, Roosevelt did what had to be done, to restore confidence in the American economy. History may record actions taken by the Bush administration caused more damage than they helped, but at least they tried to bolster confidence in a faltering economy. We shall see how history does record this time.
. . . round three:
“We shall continue to debate the bailout for years to come I suspect. It did not work and another bailout may do more harm than good. Of course, I could be wrong, and I'd like to be wrong. Regardless, I'd rather trust the "invisible hand" than leave the future to those who do not know not what they do. In this mess I sense no one does. Maybe we will get lucky in the short run. In the long run the odds are good we will recover and, perhaps, be stronger for it. But, the pain getting there will be intense. Let's hope we weather it well and not lose our patience. Now is not the time to make stupid mistakes. It is time for reasonable heads to prevail.”
. . . my response to round three:
Yes, we shall continue to debate the economic recovery along with so many other socio-political issues of our day.
So much of our life and society is directly and primarily dependent upon confidence – our driving rules, our laws, our relationships and our economy. Our confidence has been shaken, and we are not spending as we normally do. All of us are more reserved and cautious. Millions of citizens are losing their jobs as a consequence.
We, the People, employ the military, police and firefighters to protect us. We have rules – laws – intended to order our society to ensure our freedom to choose our particular “Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness,” and to provide equal protection under the law to each an every citizen. Just as we have rules for living together, we also need rules for banking and investment, those with whom we entrust our money. The USG failed in that responsibility and duty. The marketplace cannot be an anarchistic, techno-enhanced, version of the Wild, Wild West.
Bernie Madoff and all the other greed-mongers ran rampant on Wall Street with far less scrutiny than we receive driving down the highway or boarding a commercial airplane. That failure must change.
. . . round four:
“Agreed on the anarchy danger and well said. I'm all for laws that make sense. I'm also for enforcing them to the letter. It is the lack of enforcement where we failed miserably. The SEC had Madoff in their hands years ago and turned their heads the other way or did sloppy word. Even so, government bailouts are not the answer in my view because it assumes once again that they know what they are doing. I see little evidence of it so far, but I do see more sloppy work. But, we'll see how it goes. Set the laws, enforce the laws, and let the "invisible hand" do the job. That is a rule-governed free society in my view.”
. . . my response to round four:
Absolutely, lack of enforcement of existing law remains a big failure of previous administrations, and we shall see if this administration can find the chutzpah to carry out their enforcement responsibilities.
I’m sure you recall the financial criteria we had to meet when we bought our first houses. As I recall, our mortgage could not exceed 38% of our gross income, and our total debt (which we had to disclose) could not exceed something like 45%, or some such. Those lending constraints (otherwise known as qualifications) began to disappear with Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) [PL 95-128; 12.10.1977] [356]. Congress began pushing government lenders (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc.) to lower their standards to allow low income citizens get into the booming residential real estate market. We got a big warning slap-in-the-face with the Savings & Loan crisis of the late 80’s, but we failed to heed the warning signs. Then, the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 deregulation [PL 106-102; AKA Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; 12.11.1999] [353] pulled out all the stops constraining hedge fund and financial derivative traders (AKA institutionalized gambling with inadequate reserves). We received more warning signs, i.e., Barings, PLC (26.2.1995); Enron (2.12.2001); Société Générale, SA (21.1.2008); plus, the various professional warnings regarding Madoff Investment Securities, LLC (from 1992 to 2008), et al; we continued to ignore the warning signs. Alan Greenspan’s repeated “irrational exuberance” public statements gave us clues.
We need policemen & prosecutors for Wall Street and the banking system. For reasons I know not, our regulators have ceased to function. I am not advocating for a bigger “invisible hand,” and I do fear an overreaction by Congress in the wake of this debacle . . . just as they overreacted with the Church Committee after Watergate, the FBI exposé, and Vietnam. I hope we can find a rationale solution.
. . . round five:
“Agreed and well said. I readily admit that the ‘invisible hand’ metaphor is a bit unnerving when we have to rely on the notion that when people pursue their own self-interests in a free market, they will help their communities in the process. At some level bad people will take advantage to a degree that has to be squashed. Madoff took advantage, was not squashed, and now sits in luxury. He is a symptom of people turning their heads. So, not only do we need police and prosecutors to pursue the bad guys, we need regulators to do their jobs and uphold the laws already on the books. They failed miserably over the past few years.
“All that said, I will resist a change direction to become a social economy like France, England, Sweden, and so forth. If those nations have it right, why are we still the strongest nation on earth? None of them are and one could argue that they morphed into what we see now to compensate for losing their power. The belief that government can manage the economy is fatally flawed. Government can protect the nation from our enemies, pass laws, regulate as needed, and enforce those laws. But, to engage as a partner in the economy does not mean printing more money resulting in devaluing the money already in the market. It only takes 3rd grade arithmetic to figure out that is a path to destruction. And, that is the path we are taking with the bailouts. I am willing to trust the market ‘invisible hand’ if government does what our forefathers wisely outlined long ago. Beyond that, they stink when it comes to market acumen. May they get it right in time to prevent a cataclysmic meltdown of the USA.
“All our enemies in the terrorist camp have to do right now is stand by and wait for us to either blow it, or get it right.
“I vote for right...”
. . . my response to round five:
Spot on, my brother!
Adam Smith was a good observer and a prophetic thinker, but there is a huge difference between 1776 and 2009, not least of which is the speed of life. Things happen very fast today, which means mistakes, errors or greed can be and often are amplified by orders of magnitude. Without checks & balances, enforcement of regulation, it is far too easy for a bad person or group to take advantage of others.
Another contribution:
“I skimmed through your last update and thought you must have been in a wild debate with some islamo-terrorists regarding Israel's invasion of Gaza, based on the characterization of your opponent by some of your readers. But today I went back and read the debate which you posted in your no.369 and realized the opponent was me!
“It is quite odd to be an invisible presence in cyberspace and have labels pasted on you by people you don't know and who don't know you. A supporter of Hamas, and by extension, Hezbollah? And worse, anti-Semite?
“My disgust with the lack of concern for the slaughter of nearly 1400 people trapped in a walled compound is no more or less than any human being's horror at what the Nazis did to the Warsaw Ghetto Jews. The fog of war clouded the international reaction to that as it has in our present times.
“The unspeakable horror of the effects of a suicide bomber, some fool dressed up in TNT, is no less gut-wrenching than the video of what a UAV did to a UN school, or a crowded market place.
“I cited Jewish writers, Jimmy Carter, Canadian reporters, none of whom are Hamas, don't support Hamas, and are not self-hating Jews, nor anti-Semitic. If people who support Israel's aggression, suppression, invasion, or whatever word one applies to it, can not see the hypocrisy in turning a blind dry eye to the slaughter in Gaza, then I don't care what they call me, for they are unreachable as human beings. This is not the fog of war. This is an international crisis. I suspect some of your readers have never heard of Raoul Wallenberg, one of my heroes and an example for all people who are not blinded by fanaticism, whether it is Zionist, or Islamic, or Christian.”
My reply:
Passions are strong on all sides of virtually every issue – no less the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the Islamo-fascist issue, and so many others. We need the debate, and I try very hard to walk a fine, delicate line of moderation to foster a vigorous public debate on all topics including some of our most sensitive renditions.
For many years now, I have admired your courage, forthrightness and willingness to express your opinions in a clear, articulate manner. There are those in this forum (as in the public at large) who agree with you and disagree with you. We (you and I) have not always agreed on one issue or another, however we argue with respect for each other’s opinions, and that is healthy. As one contributor noted, others are not so restrained or constrained.
I do not and cannot use the word ‘slaughter’ regarding what Hamas has done to the Gazan Palestinians. Hamas has long chosen a path of violence to achieve their objectives; “You live by the sword, you die by the sword.” I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in any conflict, and I believe most folks are equally saddened. We disagree on the genesis and purpose of the current confrontation, now in tenuous cease-fire. As I have suggested before, looking backward serves little purpose in situations like these. Further, none of us should be surprised that some folks respond to our words prima facie; after all, as you note, they do not know you, or you them. I have more history, and I am able to place words into better context, which is the basis of my responses in last week’s Update. Yet, these often polarized exchanges with the Press, politicos, and within this forum should surprise no one when one position or another is taken with no apparent effort to seek balance. To even intimate that Hamas and the Gazan Palestinians are innocent victims of naked, hegemonic, Israeli aggressive will garner reaction from those not so inclined.
A different contribution:
“I somehow just do not understand hatred of one group for another so abiding as does exist between Palestinians and Jews. I believe the hatred itself is one way---the Palestinians hate the Jews.
“‘Sully’ did good. Not many could have handled that situation, and even he, I expect, had a bit of luck riding with him.
“I am glad Bush Jr. is gone. But I do worry about Obama. I think he is sincere and wants to do a good job, but he faces immense problems. We shall see.
“Specialist Rivera? Leavenworth! Regardless of her motherhood.
“Madoff should be shot at dawn. But he won't be. Nor will he spend a lot of time in jail. Certainly not in a ‘hard-time’ jail. Plus----he is no youngster.”
My response:
The parochial intolerance of the revealed religions seems to be a product an inherent, violent, protectionist phase. Unfortunately, Islam is in that phase. The Mullahs have been stirring up all this damnable jihadi crap for several decades. And, the hapless Palestinians are the unfortunate dupes of megalomaniacal agents. I still believe that Palestinians are no different from any other people – Americans, Russians, Chinese, all human beings.
‘Sully’ did a bang up job; and, as you well know . . . better lucky than good.
Barack has made some pretty impressive early moves and has done some unusual, maybe even extraordinary, early actions. We need to pay attention and watch. I think he is making a mistake by closing Guantánamo and restricting intelligence interrogation techniques; but, we will survive.
Deserters must pay their debt to society for their mistake. I trust Specialist Rivera will pay hers.
Madoff will undoubtedly declare his innocence and do everything possible to stretch out his trial date as long as he possibly can . . . maybe even until he dies of natural causes.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
At noon Tuesday (12:00 EST, 20.January.2009) by the 20th Amendment to our Constitution, Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America. During his inauguration speech, he invoked the spirit of General George Washington’s prayer before crossing the Delaware River on that cold Christmas night of 1776, on the eve of the Battle of Trenton. The President said:
“America!
In the face of our common dangers,
in this winter of our hardship,
let us remember these timeless words,
with hope and virtue,
let us brave once more the icy currents,
and endure what storms may come,
let it be said by our children’s children,
that when we were tested, we refused to let the journey end,
that we did not turn back nor did we falter,
and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us,
we carried forth that great gift of freedom,
and delivered it safely to future generations.”
This Grand Republic, born from the caldron of rebellion and the quest for freedom, has entered a new phase of its glorious history. Godspeed and following winds, Mr. President. We shall do our part to help you be successful.
As Jeanne and I watched our DVR replay of the inauguration ceremony that evening, Jeanne sent to following eMail to our kids and their partners:
“I am taking a moment to tell my children how proud I am of you on this special day, for electing this president who will help change our America for a better one. Your vote is the one that made the difference. Thank you. All of you who supported this great man should be very proud.”
“Love, Mom”
As a footnote to the inauguration and associated celebrations, I recognize the historic significance to this particular transition as well as the need for the Nation to revel in the change ahead – after all, we now have the first American president who happens to have dark skin pigmentation. However, I choose to acknowledge the decision by President George W. Bush to downplay and low-key his second inauguration in deference to our military who stand in extremis during a time of war. To which, I must add the enormous stress of the current recession. I am a humble man who truly appreciates humility in any leader, and especially in our political leaders. That said, let us all look toward tomorrow and what each of us can do to help our new President be successful.
The follow-up news items:
-- I failed to make one very important observation regarding the USAirways flight 1549 ditching event last week [370]. With the minor exception of the right engine nacelle not shearing off as it was designed to do at water impact, the Airbus A-320 fulfilled its design objectives for water ditching events. As much as we praise the crew for their handling of the emergency, we should heap equal praise and congratulations on the designers of the A-320. The RAT (Ram Air Turbine) deployed properly and provided hydraulic & electrical power, with both engines inoperative, during the descent. The fuselage remained intact with no apparent structural failures. More importantly, the aircraft remained afloat even after all the emergency exits were opened. And, to my knowledge, all the emergency and ditching provisions worked as advertised. The evacuation was picture perfect, even allowing the captain to check the cabin for any stragglers before departing himself. For engineers, seeing machines perform as designed, especially in adversity, is a joyous event. Congratulations, Airbus, SAS!
-- As one of his last acts as President, George Bush commuted the prison sentences of former Border Patrol agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos. The two agents were convicted for shooting a known illegal immigrant and drug smuggler [267]. To this day, we still do not know why the government prosecuted the two men. Perhaps, once they are free, we shall begin to hear more of the story. Efforts also continue, to gain full pardons for Ramos and Compean. The prosecution of the two Border Patrol agents still stinks four years after the event and two years after their trial.
-- President Obama signed several Executive Orders (EO’s) this week. Some are almost pro forma transition directives of a new administration. Yet, some are potentially profound and fundamental departures from prior administrations, and specifically the previous administration, and could very well produce adverse unintended consequences. Obama ordered a direct and thorough review of the case against detainee Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri – al-Marri v. Pucciarelli [4CCA no. 06-7427 (2008)] [288, 346] – in and of itself not particularly dramatic. Far more significant is an Executive Order titled (not yet numbered): “Ensuring Lawful Interrogations.” Obama revoked Executive Order 13440 and has now constrained the CIA to field combat intelligence interrogation methods and techniques delineated in Army Field Manual 2 22.3 (FM 2-22.3), “Human Intelligence Collector Operations,” and FM 34-52, “Intelligence Interrogation.” The debate over what are harsh interrogation methods versus torture [126, et al] has been protracted and will continue despite the President’s Order. In essence, we have broadcast to our enemies that we intend to talk them into submission in a knife fight. This “Interrogations” EO may give us a warm, fuzzy feeling of righteousness, but it will NOT help us wage war successfully, especially against a determine enemy who has no rules or morality. War is not some academic, intelligence feel-good exercise. This is a huge and potentially far-reaching mistake. Then, on the same day, President Obama signed an EO titled (but not yet numbered): “Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities,” in which he directed the closure of the Guantánamo detention facility by 22.January.2010, and ordered those held there to be “returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country, or transferred to another United States detention facility.” Closing Guantánamo is another feel good action for those among us who remain unconvinced we are at war. Representative Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania publicly supported the President’s EO and said there are jails in his district that could handle some of the battlefield combatant detainees. Brilliant! Just what we need . . . inject a bunch of Islamo-fascist battlefield combatants into our already dysfunctional prison system; sure, why not, let’s radicalize our criminals. I understand why Obama issued these orders, and I reject these foolish, shortsighted, political parochial actions. We are not playing some intellectual, sand-table, board game. We are at war!
On 4.March.1973, a Black September plot to detonate three large car bombs in New York City was foiled. In January 1991, Khalid Duhham al-Jawary was detained at an airport in Rome for using a false, Jordanian passport. He was extradited to the United States for his complicity in the 1973 bomb plot. Al-Jawary was tried, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1993. The Islamo-fascist terrorist is due to be released on 16.February.2009, for good behavior no less (only 15 years of a 30 year sentence). Sometimes I think we are our own worst enemy.
I illuminated one of many Executive Branch orders being contemplated last fall that would protect any health care worker’s choice to deny services based on his moral objection. The Federal government’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Notice of Proposed RuleMaking (NPRM) RIN 0991-AB48 [349] prima facie says, “Department of Health and Human Services funds do not support coercive or discriminatory policies or practices in violation of federal law.” Written in the proverbial small print is a series of directives allowing health worker’s to decide what they will and will not do. I argued against the NPRM last August [349]. The rule is slated to take effect today (20.January) . . . at the last moment’s of the Bush administration. Attorneys General in seven states (Connecticut, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island) along with two family planning groups (Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association) have filed legal actions to block the NPRM from being implemented, or revoke it if the Court will not support an injunction. This is bad regulation intended to impose a conservative moral agenda by indirect means. Put simply, a health care worker’s morality is no different from my sense of integrity; my choices are to accept & perform, or resign. We need the states to be successful in court. President Obama reportedly signed an EO (not yet found) suspending the implementation of Executive Branch regulations from the prior administration. We can only hope the HHS NPRM is one of those affected regulations appropriately suspended.
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (Schlossberg) withdrew from consideration on the eve of Governor Paterson’s selection to replace Senator Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton of New York, who was confirmed this week as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Caroline Kennedy had abruptly announced her interest, bumbled her flash of publicity and awkward interviews, and even more abruptly withdrew – undoubtedly a humiliating end to any political aspirations she may have held. Under his authority, New York Governor David Alexander Paterson selected and appointed U.S. Representative Kirsten Elizabeth (née Rutnik) Gillibrand, 42, of New York to replace Senator Clinton as the junior senator for New York. The beat goes on.
News from the economic front:
-- The UK banking group Royal Bank of Scotland warned that its losses for 2008 will be significantly more than forecast – £15-20B (US$22-30B). The announcement came as the UK government unveiled new extensions to its financial rescue plan, in an effort to quell rising concerns about the health of the country's banking system.
-- Chrysler and Italy's Fiat confirmed they had reached an agreement on an alliance that would give Fiat a 35% stake in the American company and joint marketing rights in exchange for access to Fiat technology, however the deal is contingent on Chrysler getting US$3B in additional government loans. Does this sound like a deal of desperation or what?
-- The Citigroup Board of Directors chose former Time-Warner chairman Richard Dean Parsons to replace Sir Winfried Franz Wilhen ‘Win’ Bischoff [361] as chairman. Last week, Citigroup posted an US$8.3B 4th Quarter net loss and unveiled a revamped recovery strategy.
-- Apple reported its profit edged up 2% in its latest quarter, while eBay reported a decline in revenue and earnings, citing global macroeconomic conditions. At least there are tiny rays of sunshine in the dark clouds over us.
-- Sony expects to be deep into the red in the fiscal year ending in March, blaming the faltering electronics business and price competition, as well as the yen's strength, as they anticipate a net loss of ¥150B (US$1.65B) and an operating loss of ¥260B (US$2.86B) for the year.
-- Housing starts declined the 6th straight month in December and brought construction to a new low, decreasing 15.5% to a seasonally adjusted 550,000 annual rate compared to the prior month.
-- New state unemployment benefit claims soared last week to match the quarter-century high reached in December, suggesting layoffs will continue unabated into this year.
-- Microsoft reported an 11% drop in quarterly net income as revenue edged up 2%, amid growth in server and entertainment software but weakness in the PC market, and announced plans to eliminate as many as 5,000 jobs (5% of their work force) over the next 18 months, including 1,400 jobs immediately, blaming the “deterioration of global economic conditions.”
-- Former Merrill Lynch chief John Alexander Thain [365] resigned from Bank of America, three weeks after the bank’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch was completed.
-- General Electric reported their 4th Quarter net income fell 44% to US$3.72B and revenue decreased to US$46.2B, as the conglomerate recorded US$1.5B in special charges.
-- Intel announced that Chairman Craig R. Barrett, 69, plans to retire as chairman at the company’s May annual stockholders’ meeting, and Board member Dr. Jane E. Shaw, PhD, will become non-executive chairman, and Paul S. Otellini will remain CEO. The company, whose microprocessors serve as the electronic brains for most of the world’s computers, has been hit hard by the economic downturn.
The Blago Scandal [365]:
-- As his impeachment trial looms in the Illinois state senate, Blago held a news conference in a lame, perverted attempt to convince himself he had done nothing wrong. He said, “The heart and soul of this has been a struggle of me against the system.” Blago also said, “Notwithstanding mistakes and errors in judgment from time to time, most of the things I've done as governor have been the right things and have been things that helped people.” The beleaguered governor had the audacity to say, “This is about raising taxes. It’s all about getting rid of me to raise taxes on people.” Is this guy delusional or what?
I have had numerous false starts in previous Updates on the topic of sex. An opinion column in our only local newspaper pushed me over the edge, forcing me to address the sensitive and often controversial topic. The article:
“Abstinence Education More than ‘Just Say No’”
by Sandy Pickert
Wichita Eagle
Published: Thursday, January 22, 2009; page 7A
http://www.kansas.com/781/story/672275.html
Ms. Pickert is the executive director of Abstinence Education, Inc., here is Wichita. She presents a reasonable and cogent argument for abstinence education as well as her contention that they also address broader elements beyond “just say no.” A number of varied articles / opinions on aspects of sex and sexuality have recently been published that help illuminate the topic for public debate.
“Like a Virgin: The Press Take On Teenage Sex -- Yes, attitudes do make a difference in behavior”
by William McGurn
Wall Street Journal – Opinion: Main Street
Published: January 6, 2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123120095259855597.html?mod=djemEditorialPage
McGrun closed with, “That, alas, is not something you're likely to read in the headlines. For when it comes to challenging the conventional wisdom on issues of sexuality, the American media suddenly become as coy as a cloistered virgin.”
“‘Joy of Sex,’ Revised From Top to Bottom”
by Monica Hesse
Washington Post
Published: Saturday, January 10, 2009; Page C01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/09/AR2009010903767.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Then, we have a series of opinion columns from Nicholas Donabet Kristof on one of his favorite topics.
“The Evil Behind the Smiles”
by Nicholas D. Kristof
New York Times
Published: December 31, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/opinion/01kristof.html?_r=1
“If This Isn’t Slavery, What Is?”
by Nicholas D. Kristof
New York Times
Published: January 3, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04kristof.html
One of these days, we shall mature as a species, or hopefully at least as a society, to recognize sex as an important part of what it is to be human, as much as eating, breathing, exercise, debate, and relationships. First and foremost, to each of us individually, sex is a private matter – personal and intimate. Our practices, wants & needs, and proclivities are not and cannot be a matter of public interest. Furthermore, our persistence in using the law to impose our values on everyone and to keep sex as some forbidden fruit to be hidden, secreted, ignored and confined to bilateral, monogamous, procreation-only, adult, religious-sanctified marriage along with our reticence to discuss sex and more importantly educate our children about healthy sexual conduct will only condemn us to the status quo and the same results, while we expect or even hope for better outcomes. Sex is as much a part of life as eating, breathing, curiosity, pleasure, fulfillment, and all the other activities and attributes that make us human. To persist with the notion that sex is some mystical endeavor that must be kept clean and pure, and thus is beyond proper public debate, will relegate us to medieval constraints. The last administration will undoubtedly claim the federally mandated Abstinence-Only Education block grant program [192, 308, et al] was simply an alternative. Yet, when it is the only funded program, the message is quite clear – indirect inducement. I am all in favor of sex education that includes abstinence as a choice – a personal, familial choice. However, making abstinence the only choice simply institutionalizes ignorance. Sex education should be no different from teaching our children to chew their food properly, to clean themselves regularly, to read, write and speak properly. Unfortunately, we have a legal code that makes parents, schools, everyone, afraid to teach children about sex and making good decisions about sex. Then, we have Nick Kristof, who perpetuates the notion that prostitution is a disgusting, contemptible activity that fosters crime and some of the worst crime – human slavery. While I join Kristof in the condemnation of any socio-economic activity that thrives and feeds upon human trafficking or enslavement, I fundamentally reject his supposition that prostitution is bad in any context. What is truly bad, wrong and disgusting is the criminal sub-culture that operates prostitution as we know it today. Thus, we criminalize a perfectly normal and natural human pursuit, or at least any portion beyond married procreation. We strive mightily to frame the law, the educational curricula of our children, and even proper public debate to pretend sex does not exist in the name of “protecting the innocence of our children,” of preserving our traditional Judeo-Christian moral values, and of protecting hapless citizens from the degradation of moral decay. In short, we try to keep our children ignorant in hopes that they will remain pure, and thus fail to give them the knowledge and teach them the skills they will need to deal with life and to make the best decisions for themselves. We simply must find the courage to shed our Puritanical and Victorian sense of propriety regarding matters sexual. Our children deserve much more than we are giving them, and they occasionally make bad choices.
On the downside of this week’s historic events, perennial, uber-Right, talking head, Rush Limbaugh said, “I hope he [Obama] fails.” Limbaugh was regurgitating his conservative social, economic and political opinions. Yet, his choice of words could not be a more graphic demonstration of the corrosively divisive, ideological, partisan politics. Limbaugh is against the President because the President does not agree with him. Just because ideological, uber-Left liberals mindlessly condemned anything President Bush did, does not make the inverse any more acceptable. I did not agree with many things President Bush did, and I will not agree with some, maybe even many, things President Obama is going to do, but I want Barack Obama to be successful. We, the People, need him to be successful. Let us not allow our disagreement over one issue or another to distract us from strengthening this Grand Republic. Rush Limbaugh is as wrong as wrong can be, and it is Limbaugh who must fail . . . oh wait, except he does not do anything productive other than flap his gums. We need constructive debate, not acidic contrarianism. John McCain and Sarah Palin seem to have taken a far more conciliatory position and offered their support for President Obama. Perhaps, Limbaugh should follow their lead.
Comments and contributions from Update no.370:
“The systematic and ill-advised destruction of the corporate jet industry, while bailing out the big guy, is but one example of rewarding A, while hoping for B. Small business fuels more job creation than the big guys lately and they are taking it on the chin. While I appreciate at some level the attempts by our government to manage the crisis, I do not believe that anyone in government is as smart as "the invisible hand" of a free society. The bailout did not save us and another bailout will not save us. The freedom to fail will save us as it always has in America, but only if we are free to pursue success.”
My response:
Here, here! Yet, my concern lays with the potential collapse of the entire financial system and the knock-on destructive effects. If we are prepared for 25% unemployment or higher, then we can say let the chips fall where they may. We are not talking about the failure of this business or that, but rather a broad, deep recession or even depression. Therein lies the rub.
. . . round two:
“I reject the fear of depression consequences whenever it emerges in my thinking, because it leads to bad decisions like the bailout. Government managing the economy to this degree is flawed. It presumes they know what they are doing. So far I don't see any evidence of it in this crisis. If we look at history, some people believe that Roosevelt prolonged the depression with government intervention and we only recovered due to the aftermath of WWII. While I'm not sure about that historical muse, I am sure that I have little confidence that there are market geniuses running the government now, or coming in tomorrow after the inauguration.
“We shall see...”
. . . my response to round two:
Well said!
I am not, never have been, and never will be an advocate for Government intervention. Yet, the government’s place in our society is to protect the public good. In this instance, the USG failed its responsibility. I recognize that some suggest and perhaps even believe that Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal prolonged the Great Depression. I am not one of those. There are elements of the New Deal legislation that I strongly disagree with and believe caused more injury than they resolved. Regardless, Roosevelt did what had to be done, to restore confidence in the American economy. History may record actions taken by the Bush administration caused more damage than they helped, but at least they tried to bolster confidence in a faltering economy. We shall see how history does record this time.
. . . round three:
“We shall continue to debate the bailout for years to come I suspect. It did not work and another bailout may do more harm than good. Of course, I could be wrong, and I'd like to be wrong. Regardless, I'd rather trust the "invisible hand" than leave the future to those who do not know not what they do. In this mess I sense no one does. Maybe we will get lucky in the short run. In the long run the odds are good we will recover and, perhaps, be stronger for it. But, the pain getting there will be intense. Let's hope we weather it well and not lose our patience. Now is not the time to make stupid mistakes. It is time for reasonable heads to prevail.”
. . . my response to round three:
Yes, we shall continue to debate the economic recovery along with so many other socio-political issues of our day.
So much of our life and society is directly and primarily dependent upon confidence – our driving rules, our laws, our relationships and our economy. Our confidence has been shaken, and we are not spending as we normally do. All of us are more reserved and cautious. Millions of citizens are losing their jobs as a consequence.
We, the People, employ the military, police and firefighters to protect us. We have rules – laws – intended to order our society to ensure our freedom to choose our particular “Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness,” and to provide equal protection under the law to each an every citizen. Just as we have rules for living together, we also need rules for banking and investment, those with whom we entrust our money. The USG failed in that responsibility and duty. The marketplace cannot be an anarchistic, techno-enhanced, version of the Wild, Wild West.
Bernie Madoff and all the other greed-mongers ran rampant on Wall Street with far less scrutiny than we receive driving down the highway or boarding a commercial airplane. That failure must change.
. . . round four:
“Agreed on the anarchy danger and well said. I'm all for laws that make sense. I'm also for enforcing them to the letter. It is the lack of enforcement where we failed miserably. The SEC had Madoff in their hands years ago and turned their heads the other way or did sloppy word. Even so, government bailouts are not the answer in my view because it assumes once again that they know what they are doing. I see little evidence of it so far, but I do see more sloppy work. But, we'll see how it goes. Set the laws, enforce the laws, and let the "invisible hand" do the job. That is a rule-governed free society in my view.”
. . . my response to round four:
Absolutely, lack of enforcement of existing law remains a big failure of previous administrations, and we shall see if this administration can find the chutzpah to carry out their enforcement responsibilities.
I’m sure you recall the financial criteria we had to meet when we bought our first houses. As I recall, our mortgage could not exceed 38% of our gross income, and our total debt (which we had to disclose) could not exceed something like 45%, or some such. Those lending constraints (otherwise known as qualifications) began to disappear with Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) [PL 95-128; 12.10.1977] [356]. Congress began pushing government lenders (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc.) to lower their standards to allow low income citizens get into the booming residential real estate market. We got a big warning slap-in-the-face with the Savings & Loan crisis of the late 80’s, but we failed to heed the warning signs. Then, the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 deregulation [PL 106-102; AKA Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; 12.11.1999] [353] pulled out all the stops constraining hedge fund and financial derivative traders (AKA institutionalized gambling with inadequate reserves). We received more warning signs, i.e., Barings, PLC (26.2.1995); Enron (2.12.2001); Société Générale, SA (21.1.2008); plus, the various professional warnings regarding Madoff Investment Securities, LLC (from 1992 to 2008), et al; we continued to ignore the warning signs. Alan Greenspan’s repeated “irrational exuberance” public statements gave us clues.
We need policemen & prosecutors for Wall Street and the banking system. For reasons I know not, our regulators have ceased to function. I am not advocating for a bigger “invisible hand,” and I do fear an overreaction by Congress in the wake of this debacle . . . just as they overreacted with the Church Committee after Watergate, the FBI exposé, and Vietnam. I hope we can find a rationale solution.
. . . round five:
“Agreed and well said. I readily admit that the ‘invisible hand’ metaphor is a bit unnerving when we have to rely on the notion that when people pursue their own self-interests in a free market, they will help their communities in the process. At some level bad people will take advantage to a degree that has to be squashed. Madoff took advantage, was not squashed, and now sits in luxury. He is a symptom of people turning their heads. So, not only do we need police and prosecutors to pursue the bad guys, we need regulators to do their jobs and uphold the laws already on the books. They failed miserably over the past few years.
“All that said, I will resist a change direction to become a social economy like France, England, Sweden, and so forth. If those nations have it right, why are we still the strongest nation on earth? None of them are and one could argue that they morphed into what we see now to compensate for losing their power. The belief that government can manage the economy is fatally flawed. Government can protect the nation from our enemies, pass laws, regulate as needed, and enforce those laws. But, to engage as a partner in the economy does not mean printing more money resulting in devaluing the money already in the market. It only takes 3rd grade arithmetic to figure out that is a path to destruction. And, that is the path we are taking with the bailouts. I am willing to trust the market ‘invisible hand’ if government does what our forefathers wisely outlined long ago. Beyond that, they stink when it comes to market acumen. May they get it right in time to prevent a cataclysmic meltdown of the USA.
“All our enemies in the terrorist camp have to do right now is stand by and wait for us to either blow it, or get it right.
“I vote for right...”
. . . my response to round five:
Spot on, my brother!
Adam Smith was a good observer and a prophetic thinker, but there is a huge difference between 1776 and 2009, not least of which is the speed of life. Things happen very fast today, which means mistakes, errors or greed can be and often are amplified by orders of magnitude. Without checks & balances, enforcement of regulation, it is far too easy for a bad person or group to take advantage of others.
Another contribution:
“I skimmed through your last update and thought you must have been in a wild debate with some islamo-terrorists regarding Israel's invasion of Gaza, based on the characterization of your opponent by some of your readers. But today I went back and read the debate which you posted in your no.369 and realized the opponent was me!
“It is quite odd to be an invisible presence in cyberspace and have labels pasted on you by people you don't know and who don't know you. A supporter of Hamas, and by extension, Hezbollah? And worse, anti-Semite?
“My disgust with the lack of concern for the slaughter of nearly 1400 people trapped in a walled compound is no more or less than any human being's horror at what the Nazis did to the Warsaw Ghetto Jews. The fog of war clouded the international reaction to that as it has in our present times.
“The unspeakable horror of the effects of a suicide bomber, some fool dressed up in TNT, is no less gut-wrenching than the video of what a UAV did to a UN school, or a crowded market place.
“I cited Jewish writers, Jimmy Carter, Canadian reporters, none of whom are Hamas, don't support Hamas, and are not self-hating Jews, nor anti-Semitic. If people who support Israel's aggression, suppression, invasion, or whatever word one applies to it, can not see the hypocrisy in turning a blind dry eye to the slaughter in Gaza, then I don't care what they call me, for they are unreachable as human beings. This is not the fog of war. This is an international crisis. I suspect some of your readers have never heard of Raoul Wallenberg, one of my heroes and an example for all people who are not blinded by fanaticism, whether it is Zionist, or Islamic, or Christian.”
My reply:
Passions are strong on all sides of virtually every issue – no less the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the Islamo-fascist issue, and so many others. We need the debate, and I try very hard to walk a fine, delicate line of moderation to foster a vigorous public debate on all topics including some of our most sensitive renditions.
For many years now, I have admired your courage, forthrightness and willingness to express your opinions in a clear, articulate manner. There are those in this forum (as in the public at large) who agree with you and disagree with you. We (you and I) have not always agreed on one issue or another, however we argue with respect for each other’s opinions, and that is healthy. As one contributor noted, others are not so restrained or constrained.
I do not and cannot use the word ‘slaughter’ regarding what Hamas has done to the Gazan Palestinians. Hamas has long chosen a path of violence to achieve their objectives; “You live by the sword, you die by the sword.” I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in any conflict, and I believe most folks are equally saddened. We disagree on the genesis and purpose of the current confrontation, now in tenuous cease-fire. As I have suggested before, looking backward serves little purpose in situations like these. Further, none of us should be surprised that some folks respond to our words prima facie; after all, as you note, they do not know you, or you them. I have more history, and I am able to place words into better context, which is the basis of my responses in last week’s Update. Yet, these often polarized exchanges with the Press, politicos, and within this forum should surprise no one when one position or another is taken with no apparent effort to seek balance. To even intimate that Hamas and the Gazan Palestinians are innocent victims of naked, hegemonic, Israeli aggressive will garner reaction from those not so inclined.
A different contribution:
“I somehow just do not understand hatred of one group for another so abiding as does exist between Palestinians and Jews. I believe the hatred itself is one way---the Palestinians hate the Jews.
“‘Sully’ did good. Not many could have handled that situation, and even he, I expect, had a bit of luck riding with him.
“I am glad Bush Jr. is gone. But I do worry about Obama. I think he is sincere and wants to do a good job, but he faces immense problems. We shall see.
“Specialist Rivera? Leavenworth! Regardless of her motherhood.
“Madoff should be shot at dawn. But he won't be. Nor will he spend a lot of time in jail. Certainly not in a ‘hard-time’ jail. Plus----he is no youngster.”
My response:
The parochial intolerance of the revealed religions seems to be a product an inherent, violent, protectionist phase. Unfortunately, Islam is in that phase. The Mullahs have been stirring up all this damnable jihadi crap for several decades. And, the hapless Palestinians are the unfortunate dupes of megalomaniacal agents. I still believe that Palestinians are no different from any other people – Americans, Russians, Chinese, all human beings.
‘Sully’ did a bang up job; and, as you well know . . . better lucky than good.
Barack has made some pretty impressive early moves and has done some unusual, maybe even extraordinary, early actions. We need to pay attention and watch. I think he is making a mistake by closing Guantánamo and restricting intelligence interrogation techniques; but, we will survive.
Deserters must pay their debt to society for their mistake. I trust Specialist Rivera will pay hers.
Madoff will undoubtedly declare his innocence and do everything possible to stretch out his trial date as long as he possibly can . . . maybe even until he dies of natural causes.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
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