Dear My Bank,

I consider myself honest, which means I return favors, money and widgets to their rightful owners on a regular basis.

I have a dillemma: To keep my end of a bargin with what now appears to be a group of thieves.

Like most good citizens, I have a standing credit-card debt. For some years I’ve dutifully paid what I could each month but not making much of a headway. As anybody knows, it all goes towards the interest and who knows how much I’ve paid over the last 3 to 5 years while it still appears I owe everthing I started out by owing.

Recently I noticed that “my” bank, Bank of America recieved an astonomical sum of bail-out money from the government – to which I and others pay taxes. As consolation I was told that my government did not actually take my taxes to pay the bank (because that money was spent already) they borrowed it from my neighbor’s grandchildren, as if that was any better.

I further see on TV the president of my bank walking away with bales of money in his pocket for his incompetense and the scoundrels in goverment who made the deals are rewarded also.

If I, as an individual, go to the bank I can expent no break in terms of paying a lesser rate, while at the same time the prime rate (the percentage the banks pay the government for the money) is close to zero.

I think to myself: The bank borrows at zero percent, then lends to me at – say – twenty, while I acually assume the risk and guarantee the loan.

I stop. I say to myself: Perhaps it is time to stop paying my credit-card bills, end my association with Bank of America and see what happens. There is something that is not right here, fundamentally out of ballance, and while I try to figure it out I think I think it is reasonable to stop feeding the “pig” as they say.

Undoutebly they will call me, I’m sure, and try to persuade, explain, threaten me into getting back on the bus, but since my credit-score is not worth much to begin with, what else could they do?

In the world of anything-goes-if-you-get-away-with-it it don’t want to become the enemy, but apparently one must have something the other party wants to be negotiated with. If I pay my bills on time, apparently I have nothing the bank wants.

I have heard of the legend of the squeeky wheel, but after looking long and hard for common sense my wheel has stopped turning altogether.

The party of “know”.

There are some things in life that are hard, and some that are simple.
Economics are not hard. History does show us some things very well. To have prosperity you allow people to keep what they earn. Those who do well then have the means to put others to work – Americans did that very well until the government got too big.

If the politicians indeed wanted the country to prosper they could turn everything around in 48 hours. Kennedy did it, so did Regan and it worked without a hitch. Politicians cannot all be blind to history, think it doesn’t matter, or justify economic enslavement while saying the opposite. One must assume that most of them have heard how to make a country prosperous – and they still do the opposite. If politicians say they are trying thier best – and it isn’t working – it is because they are politicains, not leders.
And that is the crux of the matter: Politicians. Not leaders. None of them in either party are anything else than politicians. They are also beurocrats, believing in beurocracy – otherwise they could not have risen through the ranks to their lofty positions. They are politicians acting as leaders.

But even if they were leaders, Americans – truthfully – are not much for leaders in the first place. They have no need, beyound national defense perhaps, for a central government. Politicians lie. We accept that. They don’t keep promises – we expect that. We keep it civil. We keep the rules. If there was anyone in Congress with some genuine testostrone producing glands they would not keep the house-rules. Given that this will be the first American generation that will leave the country worse off than they found it, and also the first generation to leave an enormous debt to their children – I would think an absolute tantrum for as long as possible would be fitting. Pounding on the podium and marching around the hall – accusing every last cockroach in the place of everything from deciet to subversion – would be appropriate behavior. I would relish, as a statesman to be dragged away by the capitol-police still spitting fury and accusations on national televison.

Let me say that I belive our nature as human beings is to prosper, and we have been duped into thinking we are raping each other and nature by doing so, that we are inherrently bad, greedy and need supervision. Most of us don’t and many find that to give is indeed to recieve, but we cannot be forced into this realization. It is in our nature, but it must be learned from life and not everyone arrives at the door at the same time. Politicians don’t trust the wisdom of life, nor understand the goodness of the people.

Honor, by the way, cannot be taken, only given.
There are things in life that are simple once you look at it, and some that go on forever.

I want to be in the party of “know”. Not the party of “no”, as some say about certain others these days. In the party of “know”. There are earthbound people no matter what group they are in. They are the salt of the family and the pepper in the soup of their communities. No one takes things too serious, but don’t faint from action either if action is needed. There ought to be just one law: Behave. Everyone knows what that means. Then have a sane judge slam the table and demand an explanation if you like. To not Behave could be punished with either a stern look or death, depending on what the judge thought he could do for the particular individual. One law: Behave. That’s all we need – everything else should only be recommendations.

A certain breed of human used to come to America. One who had dreams and was willing to work hard for them. Those genes are still in many Americans, but the vote is up in the air, and will America find it’s spirit? Many voters are bowling for “gimmies”. If leaders bond us with debt and taxes they are not good leaders – would you not think so in the party of “know”? There is a reason they call it a “bill”. And they’re not paying either.

Iran – bottom line:

You cannot negotiate with anyone if you don’t have a common goal.
We wish peace – they don’t.
Each time Achmajimmibob finishes a speech he recites the same prayer:
That “the 12th Imam may hasten his steps to get here”.

Unfortunately the arrival of their “Jesus” can only occur after the world’s destruction, according to the Koran.
To cause this destruction is therefore a holy and good mission, and it appears that Mr. Awkmachdingnut thinks he is the right man for the job. It further states in his holy book, that to lie to your infidel advesary is generally terrific, and the purpose of any negotiation is to gain time to better prepare for war.

It seems to me that if you wish to negotiate with someone who first and foremost wants your agony and death, you are not on a level playingfield. You are vulnerable, because you value material things, like your property, family, loved ones, perhaps life in general – while the other side welcomes death, because they think that will be their soul’s salvation. What can you offer someone who just wants you and your country, the whole planet for that matter, burned to a crisp, because they think that out of the ashes a new world will emerge with their god and minions in charge?

There is nothing to talk about. This is worse than a hungry crocodile, because the animal still has some fear. As much as I love peace, there are still moments when you realize that unless you are ready to lay down your life like a Buddha, yours and others’ freedom and right to self-determination has a price. The cost is a fight, and it is a severe cost. If you can run from a fight I see nothing wrong with that, but the Earth is round and there is nowhere to run to when your opponent is getting atomic weapons.

If I saw a mad dog in my neighbor’s land, biting his children and beasts day after day, and he did nothing to stop it – I would call the police. But if no police came and the next day arrived with the same crazed dog chasing, barking and biting everyone – I would shoot the dog with no delay. Mr. A in Iran, his religious nuts still inhabiting the 8th century could have been tossed out of office by the people of Iran, but the USA were not available to answer the call that day. It would have been a small pittance, and have looked good on us to support that revolution, but now we have this theatrical production to deal with.

We are so smart in America, there must be at least 10 great solutions to taking these guys out of power without too much fuss. It makes you wonder why we don’t. Are we just waiting for the Israelis?

The cat’s out of the bag, now where will it go?

Oh
My
Goodness.
The French president did what the translater for Kadafee did when he threw off his headphones and and screamed (in Arabic): I can’t take it anymore!!!

The French president expresses the opinion that our president is not only naive in a big way, but is egotistical and arrogant as well. He mentiones that America has until now been the leader of the free world, but it’s leader has abdicated this position. I don’t know if he used the word “weasel”, but that was the gist of it. Politics-driven, theocrat, blind, naive, egotistical and dangerous for the free world.

The French president may have his hair on fire, but he still has his pants on. He is a man who speaks his mind, and so is the Israli prime minister who was not impressed with Mr Obama at the UN – or in the White House – either.

I understand both the English prime minister, and the French president were admonished to keep the Iranian nuclear factory a secret. Mr Obama had another speech in mind about global disarmerment, and the information was not “helpful”. Wouldn’t it have been a surprising, but rewarding spectacle to have out president stand up for America (and the world) and given foreign dictators hell? Well. Not today or soon enough.

It’s becoming common knowledge in the world, that America is weak and becoming weaker by this man. I know he probably means well, I know he is trying his best, and maybe white can be black, and water become rocks, but charm alone don’t cut it.

Tell me how to live, oh bureucrat.

First it caught my attention that workers in New York were threatened with being fired if they did not get a flu-shot.
Earlier I heard that if a census worker would knock on my door I could be punished if I didn’t answer his/her questions.
It is true that if I don’t have insurance and drive a vehicle, someone has the right to confiscate to car.
Soon, I understand, I can be fined and put in jail for not purchasing credits in a government-run hospital business.

No, I say: I have the right to refuse food, drink or anything else that goes into my body.
I also have the right to NOT speak to someone – I probably have a good reason for it.
And to the insurance-issue I say: If I hurt someone by accident it does not matter if I’m driving or fishing. I will do my best to make it better, put things together and mend broken bones. That is to take responsibility of one’s actions. If I take insurance it is because I can afford it, and it is worth my piece of mind to do so. I would also note that the times I have driven with no insurance, I drove slower and paid better attention, just as I can attest that keeping the speed-limit in many places would put drivers to sleep and they would have more accidents.

I don’t want it to be government’s business to make me live a better, safer, healthier, more productive life.
Provide a common defense. That’s complicated enough.
It’s still a big world, and America is still young.

Pay to breathe.

Since the health-care debate is still roaring, I keep thinking about it.

Now, they say it is only fair to demand by law for everyone to pay to have health-insurance. “If you can afford it, you must get it or be fined $10,000 and/or go to jail for a year” some say. “We must get everybody on-board, or it won’t work”.

First, it seems we are being told to trust Western Medicine beyond life itself, because there will be no room for alternative methodologies. We must all sign on to one way, and one way only, of going through life. One is presumed in debt to society simply by being born. There will be standards for treatment of every condition – based solely on the oppinions of the Surgeon General.

Once government takes on the responsibility to keep us healthy, it will escalate telling us how to live. Seat-belts mandetory laws were just the beginning. Trans-fatty foods, sodas, cigarettes and who knows what else will be taxed in order to “protect us”, and save money down the line.

Fine, you may say. We can all use being more healthy, slow down, use less resources and it will cut the cost of health-care – it’s OK if the government tells us how to eat, work, think and live.

Better build a lot more prisons. I will not pay someone to be my master, and I don’t think I’m alone in my thinking. How I treat my body is my own responsibility and I will not hand it over to a system that cannot even make it’s trains run on time.

Health Care

“Government” has no money of its own. If I get health-care for “free”, someone is being forced to pay for it. It is not my “right” to demand someone else to pay for my personal trouble.

In a successful society it may be a natural impulse, a privilege, perhaps noblesse oblige to help the sick and elderly, but the more it is demanded the less a society is free.

We keep sliding from “privilege” to “right”. 200 years ago there were no “human rights”. Humans simply lived and died as best they could. We (Americans, actually) invented human rights, such as being allowed to live, seek freedom and pursue happiness – this made sense and proved to be a terrific foundation for a new country, but it did not put the burden of one individual on another. Thinking healthcare is a “right” does.

Life does not come with guarantees. Life may seem unfair, and some of us may see it as our duty, or way of paying back to help others. This gives meaning to life on a personal basis, because we choose to do so freely. If it is demanded by society, indeed expected and punished if we don’t – there will be no natural balance of a free society, only a tug-of-war between those who get and want more, and those who are taken from and want their freedom back.

There are solutions to hunger, disease, violence, even the summer blues – but it cannot be anyone’s “right” to take something from another to fix it. Not in America.

Human Rights

In a free society I have the right to breathe in and breathe out.
I do not expect anyone to breathe for me.

I have the right to exist, but I do not expect anyone to defend me.

In a free society I choose what goes in my body, including food, drink, smoke or injections, but I am still accountable for my actions. If I make poor choices and harm myself, I don’t expect anyone to fix me up.

In a free society I have to right to speak the truth as I see it,
but I do not expect anyone to listen.

In a free society I do not have to answer questions, and what I do in the privacy of my home is my business – unless I am doing harm to others.

Although I hold these rights to be “self-evident”, many have died for them to exist, but I do not expect others to defend my “rights”. It is simply the measure of a free society that these rights exist. If not – it is not a free society.

Abort abort…

Abortion is a big issue to many.
In my humble oppinion, it is a deep human issue that can not be solved by any law made by politicians.

Rove v. Wade was a mistake because the federal government took charge of an issue that should have been left up to the states. I doubt the the “right to life..” passage in the Constitution was made to include life before birth, it would have been a surprise to the founding fathers. We count the age of a human being from the moment they are born. Abortion was not included as a constitutional issue, and should have remained a human issue and not a legal – or political one.

My feeling is that it would make sense that each of us have complete right to what happens inside our body. That is the way nature, the Universe, or God, designed it. Therefore – in my book – a woman, is the only one who may decide what happens to the life growing inside her, because it is still part of her body’s sovereign domain.

If she elects to abort in 3rd trimester, it would be tragic, and many of us would do everything we could to persuade her otherwise, but even if some would call it murder, the desicion is up to her. She will have to live with that desicion, and deal with it for the rest of her life, but she should not be procecuted by society. It is a deep human issue, not the business of the law.

The discussion of when life begins will always be interesting, but for a long time we have measured a life to begin at the moment of birth. When a baby starts to breathe it becomes an individual and has full rights to life from that moment.

It is up to the family, the community, those who care – to find good solutions. A government can never understand that a problem is always an opportunity for human growth.

Making Sense

Making sense seems like a no-brainer, but it seems this idea is frowned upon in certain circles. Neverminding that, I will venture to propose in nut-shell form, a forum for topics that seem to stir many in opposite directions. I will propose what makes sense to me, and if anyone cares to read, I am open for challenges.

First topic: Human Rights.