Sunday, January 30, 2011
Obama Will Lose the 2012 Election Most Likely
Yves Smith has a great post that shows $8 out of every $10 stimulus dollars goes overseas because of bad American economic policies. There will not be any decent job creation or relief from high unemployment until corporations' legal incentives are altered by lawmakers so that it's more profitable for them to create American jobs than Chinese jobs. It turns out that Apple's iPhone contributes $2 billion dollars to the annual trade deficit. Apple could move the production to America and still make 50% profit on their product, but they make more profits by making everything in China.
Some Democrats are waking up to these uncomfortable facts, but Obama is not. His choices in people and policies show that he's pro-corporate. But pro-corporate is not pro-Main Street. The wealth to the CEOs and executives will not trickle down to the average American worker because that form of American job creation is gone due to free trade agreements allowing the outsourcing of jobs and manufacturing. With R&D migrating overseas as well, the only innovation will come from government sponsored research via NIH, DOE, and DOD. Ideas know no boundaries and manufacturers go where the production costs are lowest unless other factors raise those costs. Germany has figured out a solution. Other countries have as well. The solutions aren't painful except to those who won't be as richly compensated as they are now. But, those people are already wealthy and set for life. Why is selfishness praised and rewarded these days by our own leaders covertly and overtly? Selfishness, that one desire or need, undermines just about every human endeavor or system sooner or later. We've seen this play out in 1987 and in 2007-2008 in real estate and banks. We've seen it play out in 2000 with the telecoms and Enron. The difference is that no one has been punished this time around for bad behavior and breaking the law. Such cynical, brave men who hide behind banks and corporations while they loot and steal with impunity leaving chaos in their wake while the majority of our leaders turn a blind eye.
The problem is that we are all in this together. If we don't take care of one another, the country will fall into ruin. I, for one, do not want to see these United States become a banana republic.
Some Democrats are waking up to these uncomfortable facts, but Obama is not. His choices in people and policies show that he's pro-corporate. But pro-corporate is not pro-Main Street. The wealth to the CEOs and executives will not trickle down to the average American worker because that form of American job creation is gone due to free trade agreements allowing the outsourcing of jobs and manufacturing. With R&D migrating overseas as well, the only innovation will come from government sponsored research via NIH, DOE, and DOD. Ideas know no boundaries and manufacturers go where the production costs are lowest unless other factors raise those costs. Germany has figured out a solution. Other countries have as well. The solutions aren't painful except to those who won't be as richly compensated as they are now. But, those people are already wealthy and set for life. Why is selfishness praised and rewarded these days by our own leaders covertly and overtly? Selfishness, that one desire or need, undermines just about every human endeavor or system sooner or later. We've seen this play out in 1987 and in 2007-2008 in real estate and banks. We've seen it play out in 2000 with the telecoms and Enron. The difference is that no one has been punished this time around for bad behavior and breaking the law. Such cynical, brave men who hide behind banks and corporations while they loot and steal with impunity leaving chaos in their wake while the majority of our leaders turn a blind eye.
The problem is that we are all in this together. If we don't take care of one another, the country will fall into ruin. I, for one, do not want to see these United States become a banana republic.
Labels: nake capitalism looting decline hypocrisy
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Tucson
I am not going to comment about the Tucson shooting that happened yesterday. What concerns me is if it becomes a trend to kill Democrats who oppose Republican or Tea Party policies. Hopefully, this is a single tragic event and not the start of Democrat hunting season. The woman who was shot was not a liberal, but a conservative. But, she was obviously shot because she was a Democrat. It's a miracle that she survived. It's sad, tragic, and stupid, and my condolences to the survivors and witnesses. Let's hope that assassination will not become a fad or fashion here like it is in some failed states and banana republics.
Labels: assassination Tucson
Sunday, January 02, 2011
DailyZen Quote of the Day
Do not be concerned with who is
wise and who is stupid.
Do not discriminate the
sharp from the dull.
To practice whole-heartedly
is the true endeavor of the way.
Practice-realization is not
defiled with specialness;
it is a matter for every day.
- Dogen (1200-1253)
wise and who is stupid.
Do not discriminate the
sharp from the dull.
To practice whole-heartedly
is the true endeavor of the way.
Practice-realization is not
defiled with specialness;
it is a matter for every day.
- Dogen (1200-1253)
