Short end of the Stick

We think there is such a thing as a thinking democrat.  An informed democrat.  A fact based democrat.  We just find it hard to find him/her. And we are not looking for a bunch of them.  Maybe just a couple.  They may not be extinct but they sure are endangered.  We grasp why so many democrats are not informed; unthinking; ignorant of facts.  We also grasp, and this may be the killer, why they don’t want change or experimentation or even thought/analysis/the possibility of innovation and change.  It is way too scary for their simple message – blame for all things rests with the well to do; those who will not share and open up both opportunity and rewards to the disadvantaged; the victims; the downtrodden.  Best to fight to the bitter end if necessary; literally destroy rather than retreat if needed, because otherwise the well to do will take it all and leave nothing but the short end of the stick for everyone else.

About half the country, consisting mostly of new citizens as well as urban challenged citizens and unthinking, minimally informed youth – well, they buy into this propaganda even though they are well fed; incredibly well entertained; have more opportunity that any group in world history and, this could be the problem, are laden with communication devices and other forms of electronic digitalized conveniences that now occupy much of their waking hours.  Oh, one more thing about them, and this may be the killer, they are phenomenally incurious.

This last characteristic, “incuriosity”, is and should be a concern.  When anyone just buys into someone else’s “bs” the likelihood of trouble rises.  If nothing else, the young should be concerned about debt.  The oldsters have no plan much less intention to do anything about it – and we mean oldsters at both ends of the stick.  If the youth were a tad curious, they would know that you could abscond with all Warren’s wealth and toss in the wealth of the Walton’s and the Gates and all those fancy silicon valley “entrepreneurs” who provide all those digitalized electronic convenience devices – and you still  would have a giant steaming pile of debt for the kids to payoff.

So, youth of America, here’s the deal –

You can either start to focus on it – make the oldsters pay it down, or…

…you can let us keep building it as we certainly will – unrepaid debt rises as sure as that tinder app is gonna get you hooked up sometime this weekend – and try to pass it along to your kids, if you have any but, and yes we know you are not going to process this, the reason you can’t find good jobs and the reason you too have a big pile of steaming student debt – it is all traceable directly; yes all the evidence points just one place – the very government that you support when you give them your unquestioning, incurious, ignorant support.

There is no magic bullet to deal with debt.  Printing money?  Like the Fed idiots have been doing?  Never works.  Never.  Adding to debt and letting inflation reduce its burden?  Find one example of that working.  Just one.  Miracle discoveries to make it go away?  Well, no one said you were smart or curious or inclined toward doing some research and analysis.  But no, no miracles for you youngsters – just more and more debt.  You have a vote and you keep asking for the short end of the stick.  Is there an app for that?

Debt for Dopes

Please read the following words and then guess where they were printed –

“Florida Coastal (School of Law) charges nearly $45,000 a year in tuition, which, with living expenses, can lead to crushing amounts of debt for its students. Ninety-three percent of the school’s 2014 graduating class of 484 had debts and the average was almost $163,000 — a higher average than all but three law schools in the country. In short, most of Florida Coastal’s students are leaving law school with a degree they can’t use, bought with a debt they can’t repay.

If this sounds like a scam, that’s because it is. Florida Coastal, in Jacksonville, is one of six for-profit law schools in the country that have been vacuuming up hordes of young people, charging them outrageously high tuition and, after many of the students fail to become lawyers, sticking taxpayers with the tab for their loan defaults.

Yet for-profit schools are not the only offenders. A majority of American law schools, which have nonprofit status, are increasingly engaging in such behavior, and in the process threatening the future of legal education.

Why? The most significant explanation is also the simplest — free money.”

Are you thinking, some conservative “think tank?”  Maybe Fox news website?  Rush Limbaugh?

You can read the entire article at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/opinion/sunday/the-law-school-debt-crisis.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&_r=0

Some more highlights as one reads about this Obama fiasco:

·         Forty-three percent of all 2013 law school graduates did not have long-term full-time legal jobs nine months after graduation, and the numbers are only getting worse. 

·         In 2012, the average law graduate’s debt was $140,000, 59 percent higher than eight years earlier.

·          This reality has contributed to the drastic drop in law school applications since 2011, which has in turn exacerbated the problem — to maintain enrollment numbers, law schools have had to lower their admissions standards and take even more unqualified students. 

·         These students then fail to pass the bar in alarmingly high numbers — in 2014, the average score on the common portion of the test was the lowest in more than 25 years.

Debt for dopes.  Stupid people getting free money to do something unneeded for which they are eminently unqualified.  Lawyers are today’s “self-esteem” momma boys.  Surrounded by recognition, awards and good grades unless the school has opted out of traditional grading schemes, but unable to tie their shoe laces much less represent or defend a client.  Obama wants to let his people go – free them from jail. Well, he has the legal program to accomplish his objective – cram the court system with nincompoops who are incapable of providing a good defense so that the appellate courts can throw out their convictions on the basis of “ineffective assistance of counsel.”

Meanwhile if you are a taxpayer, America’s one true endangered species, you are paying for this.

Corruption in America…and why you never hear about it

There are two levels of corruption in America.

1.    Low/mid level, and

2.    Large scale

America is blessed with an abundance of both.

 

Low or mid level corruption is the stuff of human nature.  Either through “enticement” or simple “extortion” and force – we humans love corruption.  The chance to make a buck off someone who controls, owns or otherwise can influence something.  At the personal level people make little corrupt deals all the time.  Move up to an organization or a larger gathering, such as a union or a corporation; school district or government council or some such opportunistic group and the dollars involved become significant.

Just a week ago we were treated to one more low/mid level corruption deal in Chicago.  The boy mayor finds a crooked administrator who he “vetted” and tells his handpicked school board to hire her.  She gets a big paycheck, but not enough for her so she promptly enters into a “no-bid” contract with a huge kickback.  She is so ignorant that she actually documents the transaction – leaves an electronic trail.  Who hired this ignorant, corrupt “public servant?”  Corrupt mayor; corrupt school board; corrupt contracting businesses.  We call this common, low/mid level corruption.

In certain places, on our fair earth, all these characters would be summarily gone.  We mean, literally, gone.  Particularly in certain Asian as well as Islamic cultures, this form of petty corruption results in a death sentence – summarily delivered.  No appeals; no extended court and other legal shenanigans – just like the queen of hearts – off with their heads (or maybe a bullet to reduce the mess.)

Here in America, we have a different system of “justice” or resolution.  If you have the power, and the attorneys, as well as the support of larger scale corruption (we will get to that in a minute) you skate.  Live to corrupt someone or something tomorrow.  America does not believe in swift and permanent resolution to corruption – unless you are powerless and the popular sentiment is overwhelmingly against you.

On to large scale corruption (LSC) – it is worthy of its own category.  It costs everyone a ton of money.  Not just a few hundred thousand here and there; or the occasional $20+ million dollar Chicago deal described above.  No, LSC in America cost billions of dollars.  Hundreds of billions of dollars.  Trillions.  Every citizen pays.

Almost always it involves the following cast of characters:

·         A large political party – say, the democrats or the republicans

·         A large organization – say a teachers union or several government employee unions (unions love LSC) 

·         Large business also loves a corrupt opportunity – usually their favorite is elimination of competition.  Nothing like controlling a wide open commercial situation to charge more and deliver less (think of a cable TV company or beer company.)

With few exceptions, LSC has these characteristics:

·         Legality.  Not moral legality; real litigation proof legality.  They get government to legalize their situation.  That is the needed component of LSC – you can’t go to jail or get your head chopped off (figuratively of course in America) because your are operating within the law.

·         Characterized as a public good.  It is anything but – the scheme is never in the public good but it is presented in such fashion as to appear to benefit those who must pay for it.  Lies.

·         Never allow the public a direct voice or vote to stop it.  Because they might.  LSC operators always find ways, legal mumbo jumbo, to not let the people become organized to put an end to LSC.

·         LSC is a Ponzi scheme; it must continue to expand to survive.  LSC depends on finding new sources of funding because the money coming in is not invested for the future – it is distributed; spent; gone today.  There is no public or future good associated with LSC.

·         Charge more and deliver less – every time.

·         Intimidation – worthy of its own essay.  There are so many ways to intimidate – from simple silence, fear and shame all the way to false indictments, broken bones and strange disappearances/eliminations.

·         Debt.  You can’t have LSC (see Ponzi reference above) unless you can borrow; create debt.  Lots of debt.  Yes, those hundreds of billions of dollars of LSC quickly add up to trillions of dollars of debt (see running tally at top right of page).

·         Difficult to stop.  Actually, impossible to stop.  LSC must kill itself.  Also, worthy of its own essay (see reform characteristic below).

·         One other thing about LSC – it requires so many participants – so many enablers – you don’t get laws passed and bureaucracies established to oversee LSC – and judges to figure out a way to ignore basic law and say, “looks good to me” and editorial writers to say, “this may be a problem but we see some good in it.”  You get the idea – LSC is by definition, a conspiracy – pigs with lipstick.

·         Reform it?  We can’t think of any example of self imposed reformation of LSC. You might think Eliot Ness did but he didn’t – Capone was small potatoes.   LSC must kill itself.  It is a long and painful process.

So there you have it – some say our government is in turmoil because the two major parties cannot compromise.  Others say it is due to the collapse of federalism – leave people alone in their local and state communities; limit federal government – no such thing as one size fits all.  Some point to the forced cultural agenda of the progressive liberal socialist far left on the center and right center of the country.  Vote buying with public monies.  Or the wide open border policy while unemployment rolls expand geometrically.  We agree that all these reasons play a role in our decline but if you seek the main reason, the principal cause of our decline – it is corruption.  Simple human greed on the largest scale imaginable and the debt needed to finance it.

Most of us have no idea how much LSC is going on in America this very minute.  Best not to think about it.  Best to be fearful; afraid to even bring it up.  It takes real courage to face LSC.  Ask Bruce Rauner – he lives it every day.  Barack Obama?  Never did one thing in his entire life to face LSC.  He and Hillary (and Bill) thrive off it.  They are not alone.  Know this - wherever politicians, bureaucrats and "public servants" get rich you have an abundance of LSC.

European American Day

Today we celebrate us – those of us who trace our ancestry to the vast subcontinent known as Europe.  Did you know that Europe is the world’s #1 economy?  Biggest GDP of all.  That’s a fact.  Most trade.  And quite the long list of accomplishments.   We intend to focus on their many accomplishments – both at home and here in America.    So, let’s proceed.  Here are just a few things that our European ancestors have brought to all of us – all homo sapiens:

1.     Engineering.  This capability to think and study and analyze darn near everything.  Here, at home, we call it “Yankee ingenuity.”  Almost everything we do, eat, travel on, study, wear and live in comes down to “engineering.”  No, the Europeans did not have a monopoly on “engineering” but we cannot come up with even one area of study that they did not examine.  If you’re interested, here is a paper done by Bruce Seely, Michigan Technical University, about Europeans and “engineering.”  http://upcommons.upc.edu/bitstream/handle/2099/685/european_contribuiton.pdf?sequence=1

2.     In 1959, historian Arthur Schlesinger, published an article in “The Atlantic” entitled – “Our Ten Contributions to Civilization.”  Here a few of them:

a.    The right of revolution – this one still doesn’t exist in many lands

b.    Federalism – this most important of all theories of government and the one that Democrats are so intent on burying

c.    The status of women.  Sorry, Hillary, you are oh-so very late to the cause

d.    Philanthropy

e.    You can read them all at: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1959/03/our-ten-contributions-to-civilization/305144/

3.    Mathematics

4.    Printing

5.    Electricity – no they didn’t create it – they simply harnessed it; used it, everywhere

6.    Language – Communication – Philosophy  

7.    Power:

a.    Mechanical

b.    Electrical

c.    Atomic

8.    Freedoms aplenty

9.    Rights, too many to list

10. Obligation and Responsibility.  These human characteristics which make it work.

We heard some wish to call this day, European American Day (we know, it’s really Columbus Day), indigenous people’s day.  St. Paul, Minnesota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Portland, Oregon to name a few are leading the effort.

So be it.  We doubt that too many European Americans will take to the streets to protest. But those who choose this alternative could well be advised to celebrate with great reserve less their actions acknowledge that almost anything they do, say, eat, drink, transport on, wear, live in or otherwise touch, consume or even think about much less speak or write about on this day – was discovered or advanced; refined or made universally available with the direct help of Europeans.

Thank you all you Europeans; yes, even you who stayed at home.  But a special thanks to all you Europeans who made the trip.  We like what you have done and the fruits of your brilliance and efforts.  We particularly like that you made the trip because that’s why we are.  In the good old US of A.   Thank you.

Innovation + Application = Progress

Here are the world’s top ten most innovative schools, compiled by Reuters:

1.    Stanford

2.    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

3.    Harvard

4.    University of Washington

5.    University of Michigan

6.    Northwestern University

7.    University of Texas

8.    University of Wisconsin

9.    University of Pennsylvania

10. Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology 

Here is what we found interesting about the top 10:

·         Nine of the top 10 schools – American

·         Of the nine, five are private schools

·         Four are state funded systems:

o   Washington

o   Michigan

o   Texas

o   Wisconsin

·         Three eastern schools, all private

·         Three Midwest universities: Michigan, Wisconsin and Northwestern – private

·         Two west coast schools – no public California school in top 10 

Can we learn anything from this compilation?  What does this mean? 

Be suspicious, very suspicious of those who preach all good comes from government.   Socialism is the new “trick or treat” offered as an offset; an improvement on capitalism.  At least according to the top three Democrat politicians – Obama, Hillary and Bernie.  We ask of them – show us.  Show us where socialism advances the human condition.  Show us where socialism improves the economics of the middle class.  Stop talking – show us. 

But the fact is, the list contains 100 schools – only one is based in a socialist/communist country.   Of the top 50, 33 are American.  4 –  South Korea, 4 – Japan and 8 –  Europe. There is only one school coming from the well populated socialist/communist bloc –  #72, Tsinghua University, China.  Not one from Africa or India or Russia.  Or South America.  Not one.  Not one from a government owned and/or controlled economy. 

Why do we publish this list?  Well, it is actually based on something measurable which in these days of government issued facts and figures routinely manipulated by politicians, bureaucrats and our media –  we call them the “Hollywood media,” is quite an accomplishment.  How did Reuters determine which are the top innovative colleges and universities?  It looked at published research and patent filings.  Here is how they put it – 

“So how can potential partners, investors, faculty and students know if an institution is really transforming science and technology and impacting the global economy? 

To answer that question, Reuters set out to find and rank the world's top 100 innovative universities empirically, building a methodology that employs 10 different metrics. The criteria focused on academic papers, which indicate basic research performed at a university, and patent filings, which point to an institution's interest in protecting and commercializing its discoveries.” 

It is easy to say – business doesn’t create jobs, government ownership/control is the answer.  It is not possible to find any demonstrable evidence to support these words.  The demonstrable evidence is 99% behind capitalism; the marketplace; free enterprise and competition.  But heck, if you are uninformed and ignorant, why not socialism?

Source, as well as the complete listings, go to:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/idUSL1N11K16Q20150915

The Right to Inherit Debt

Yesterday we posted an essay about our rights and consequences and obligations.  Today we bring it to specificity – real life here in our American backyard – the right to inherit debt – which simply means the right to repay an obligation for which the obligor receives nothing; did nothing to incur.

We bring you Rahm Emanuel and his bright "new course" for all taxpaying Chicagoans.     Mayor Rahm, democrat overseer of the insolvent city of Chicago, in a very recent press release (we have added some comments and questions):

Office of the Mayor

City of Chicago

For immediate release

September 22, 2015 

·         To address the amended 2015 Police and Fire pension payment, the property tax levy would be raised by

o   $318 million in 2015

o   $109 million in 2016

o   $  53 million in 2017

o   $  63 million in 2018

o   That’s a total of $ 543 million every year thereafter

o   Over one half of one billion dollars every year forever and ever until bankruptcy

o   Plus of course whatever else they add on later, and

o   Plus of course whatever the other “city” taxing bodies add to their tax levies, and

o   Plus of course whatever happens to the valuations, etc., etc., etc.

·         What do the citizen taxpayers get for this largesse?

·         Well normal answers of course would probably include things such as:

o   More cops, firemen, ambulances

o   More roads, services, schools

o   Or just better roads, services and schools

o   Maybe a tax cut to encourage more business/jobs and

o   Maybe, more citizens will move in

·         But no, none of that.  There will be no “more” of anything

·         Why?

·         Because here is the reason for the $ 543 million increase

o    “…we will build on our progress in charting a new course for Chicago’s future and secure the retirements of our police and firefighters…”

·         You mean all that money does nothing for the people who are paying it?

·         Yes, it is all going to people who are not “on the job.”  They are all “off the job.”  And even if they were “on the job” it wouldn’t matter much would it – there would still not be one mile of new road built  or maintained; not one bridge built or rebuilt; not even one square of concrete sidewalk built or repaired; not one new school!

·         Not one thing comes to those who pay – they are getting nothing for something and that something is going to cost them at least $543 million per year, forever and ever and ever 

Emanuel, has done nothing, NOT ONE THING, to reform the city, to eliminate pension costs going forward with a defined contribution plan and mandatory social security contributions that most all of us live with; nothing to make the city schools a draw for those now forced to evacuate to the suburbs and nothing to eliminate taxes, fees and regulations on businesses to say nothing about endless, oppressive costs on residents. 

$543 million and current taxpayers get NOTHING.  Or, as our fundamental requires – pay as you go – do not burden today’s taxpayers with yesterdays obligations.  This simple long standing legal concept – pay off your debts at death needs to be written in every law in every governmental entity statute book in America.  Debts and obligations get paid; they do not pass to future generations.  Instead today's politicians have given us all the right to inherit debt.

If you wish to read this nonsense firsthand, please go to:  http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/mayor/Press%20Room/Press%20Releases/2015/September/09.22.15.pdf

Bill of Rights and Consequences and Obligations

This thing about rights keeps growing and growing.   In the US of A, we lead the way – we have more darn rights today than anytime:

·         Right to vote, even if you can’t read or write or speak the native tongue

·         Right to wear your pants low and your underpants high (cool, man)

·         Right to all sorts of free stuff:

o   Food – your very own SNAP “credit card” so it looks like it’s your money

o   Rent – nice digs, on the house (get it?)

o   Health care – of course you don’t have to pay the doctor, nurses, hospital

o   Drugs – whatever you need, don’t concern yourself with cost

o   Money – don’t earn any?  Just file for a “earned income tax credit”

o   Education – of course, it’s your path to the dream

o   Booze – you bet.  Money is fungible; there’s always money for booze

·         Right to marry a same sex person – it’s as normal as nature

·         Right to big paychecks, benefits and bigger pensions. If  you are a “public servant”

·         Right to an attorney and nice jailers

·         Right to come here uninvited, stay and then demand/complain

·         Right to abort your inconvenient pregnancy, and get someone else to pay for it

·         Right to get free birth control  - pills, condoms, etc.

·         And the right to not use them!

·         Right to not move.  Can’t find a job?  Go on the dole – no need to move to find work 

·         Right to do almost anything in the name of your religion; well some religions

·         Right to not work at any job that threatens your self esteem 

Every time America adds to its growing list of rights, one other thing happens – debt.  There is not enough tax money to pay for all these rights.  So everyone runs deficits and as these deficits accumulate, debt rises.  It’s a right.  Yes, debt is a right. 

Rights produce really nifty consequences.  In fact, the consequences become rights unto themselves.  Here are a few:

·         Debt, as mentioned, top of the list

·         Laziness is a close second

·         Irresponsibility, right up there with laziness

·         Obesity and stupidity – strong hold on fourth and fifth place

·         Unemployment – no one talks about this one but who wants to hire the above?

·         Oh, there is one other consequence, a pretty big one

o   Corruption.  You want to corrupt an entire nation?  Load it up with rights!

Even though these are consequences; today, they are also our rights!  We have the right to be fat, stupid, uneducated, unemployable and lazy.  And our government has the right to be corrupt.

There is one other right and it is a real beauty.  It is the right to not have to discuss, talk about or tolerate any one else discussing, debating or drawing attention to the consequence of all our rights.  Think about it – someone, say a republican because the democrats own the right to not debate; not face any questions about anything; and most certainly not engage in informed reporting and analysis of the consequences listed above – any citizen who wishes to address these rights and the growing list of consequences is shut down.  They are called names such as:

·         Homophobe

·         Islamaphobe (Dr. Carson just got a belly full of this one)

·         1%’er

·         Racist

·         Xenophobe

·         Transphobe (new one)

·         Anti-Semite

·         Genderist

·         Sectarianism (look it up)

·         Etc.

TheFundamentals entire raison d’être (reason for being) is captured simply and thusly:

deficits = debt = destruction

What feeds our deficits and builds debt are our rights.  We have darn near every right under the sun except the right (actually it would be an obligation) to repay our debt.  We don’t focus on obligations do we?  We are big on rights; accept the consequences without question or debate; and ignore obligations.  Rights without obligations are infantile – childish – just plain silly.  The founders gave us a "bill of rights" - actually it was just a list of limits on government.  Today there are no limits on government.  It is now unmanageable and it overwhelms us with debt.  But there is no "obligation" to repay this "consequence." 

What good are "rights" and their "consequences" without "obligations"?  What value do "rights" have when we ignore or pretend that they don't come with "obligations"?