Should Healthcare be Universal?
I recently went to the doctor for a shoulder injury I suffered during a recent martial arts competition, I became very disillusioned with the idea of Universal healthcare. I watched one after another 300 pound patient walk through the door. I then headed for work on the train during the mid-day. This trip further reminded me of the millions of Americans that have been unemployed for so long that the 9% unemployment rate does not contemplate them. Yet should people who do not have the opportunity or willingness to provide our society with gainful skills be provided healthcare at the expense of society?
We as humans, have “human rights”. We as Americans have the “right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. We as citizens have the right to self improvement through education for the purpose having a skill to contribute to society for a sustaining level of income.
Many of us who have chosen to not pursue the mastery of a skill that can bring us income may suffer a heavy burden of financial immobility. This group of ill prepared people struggle and wallow in their own defeat. They often times want others to carry their burden through taxation and income redistribution. Read more
Fight – Don’t let life knock you out!
Have you ever been through a very tough situation and after it was over and done, you felt stronger? You felt better about yourself due to the lesson you learned? Each day presents a situation that will either pump you up and make you feel good about yourself, or it will feel like a Mike Tyson blow to the chest and take the wind right out of you. You stagger and think to yourself “should I lay down, or
will my knees stop wobbling.
As parents, our job is to stand close to our children and make sure we reinforce and celebrate each daily success our children encounter. We also are to be there to talk to our children to point out the lessons within every defeat. We must make sure that each blow to the chest our children receive is accompanied by a discussion of what, why and how not to have that happen again. Good parenting technique balances the punishment and the lesson of encouragement. Read more
Governments vs. Tribes – Highest level of Social Contracts III
Sambura Tribe - Kenya
U.S. Capitol
Governments have been formed by man in order to control the natural and human resources of a stated geographical area. They are usually established by a very few members of a society and more times than not throughout history, have been constructed to inequitably benefit the few. Governments by nature of their creed work towards fewer and fewer Governments that manage an increasing quantity of resources; the ultimate of this ideology is Imperialism. Given this fact they tend to grow more complex as they evolve. The older the Government, the more complex it becomes.
The word tribe is an English word that is used to represent a Government that has a relatively small amount of geography, power and influence. Westerners tend to disregard any claims of sovereignty (Independence) by tribes. Tribes by nature do not quest to be the sole power of a growing geographical era or empire. Given this nature, tribes tend to grow in quantity and each limit patronage to a manageable quantity. Once a tribe grows beyond a sustainable capacity granted by the local resources, it splits. A new culture is adapted by the new tribe, creating more cultural distinctions and blood-lines than in a Governmental society that may be multicultural due to conquest. Conquest also provokes internal discrimination or stratosphering.
Roman Conquest
War for survival – Cultures that are rooted in Governmental philosophies tend to be large conquest societies that have grown by way of military dominance. They settle on land that is not theirs and force obedience of the natives (tribesmen) in an effort to grow their resources. Tribal cultures turn to war only when splitting does not resolve shortage issues. As the natural resources are diminishing, they turn to war. War is used as a last resort in both Governmental and Tribal societies. When there is no foreseeable understanding to be reached to resolve both sides quandaries amicably, war ensues. The question remains, how easy is it to get to that point. Governmental societies consider themselves “civilized” and refer to many tribal activities as “uncivilized” yet the resorting to war and barbarianism by one group more than the other is arguable. Historically tribal warfare turned more deadly and murderous once resources are overtaken by Governments. The Zulu Nation of East Africa changed the landscape of tribal warfare once they learned the concept of mass murder from the Europeans.
The nature of the Governmental society is more complex relative to Tribal societies. In order to effectively navigate in a Governmental society, an individual should be cognizant of pyramiding and stratosphering (see my article “Complex game of Chess”). The Tribal mindset has proven to be ineffective in a Governmental society. Current American Tribal mentalities can be found in concentration within inner cities and rural areas where the pursuit of upward mobility is evasive, and self destructive behavior is prevalent. Within this Governmental society we should all consider somehow moving new generations towards a healthy balance so they may effectively navigate among the masses in order to capture valuable assets that create freedom.
Obamanomics – “We the People” can solve this crisis better than any bailedout CEO
Given the reaction of businesses and households to the recent Government intervention plans, I’ve rethought the next approach. There are three options for bailout money; give to businesses, give to households or give to State governments. The next question is which businesses, households or States should receive these funds. What if we gave the American public the power to determine what companies deserves money through regular mall purchases. The power of the households at the cash register is more powerful than any ballot box.
Our problems stretch across so many industries because of the rapid business 
growth. Businesses are currently bigger than U.S. households can support with cash or credit. As long as households were spending beyond their cash holding, due to increasing property values, businesses grew. Now if the government supports the current business model of over heated overhead to stave off layoffs, we will not fix the problem, just delay the inevitable shrinkage. Especially given the fact that the American people need to take a financial management course that emphasizes the killing only what you can eat and saving a strong nest-egg.
People are not spending money due to fear of lay offs, hence the consumer sentiment index is lower than it has been in its 41 year history. Unlike Reaganomics of the 1980′s, which gave concessions to the wealthy and businesses in order to give them a greater ability to provide jobs, Obamanomics is a term created by political pundits that places the concessions with the majority of the American middle class. Instead of top down politics, Obamanomics contemplates a bottom up approach where the vast majority of Americans are empowered to create their own opportunity as opposed to waiting on the slave owners to have money left over from yacht and personal jet purchases to throw us a bone. $400 billion should go directly to households… Read more
Economics 2009 – What to expect
Within the first quarter we will inaugurate the first African American President. He gets to jump right in to a brewing pit of fire snakes. The biggest economic shake up of the first quarter of ’09 will be the bankruptcies of many major retailers; this will have a ripple effect on the lower middle class who depend on such service jobs. Christmas sales were not a savior as they are normally.
I have been sickened to my stomach at the rapid pace of retail outlet openings over the past 3 years. Read more
The Economic crisis of 2008
What should Congress do? What shall President Elect Obama do? Should we bail out this industry, how about that industry? I must say, as an Economist I have many opinions but I’ve been reluctant to post them on my blog due to the fact that I think opinions are like noses and a. holes, ever body has one. I believe the choices are quite obvious once all the data is compiled. The problems are that each solution has losers that will fight against that solution. People always vote their interest over the interest of the nation. So if unemployment drops to 1%, is that good? Yes it’s great for the nation, but it sucks majorly if you are part of the 1% who are unemployed.
Auto industry:
I’d suggest giving a set amount of loans to Ford and GM. Restrict the use of funds to salaries of lower management and below employees. This will build an additional incentive for the labor union to compromise on salaries and layoff numbers. Those decision will shape how far the government loans will stretch. Everyone from the assembly line workers to the CEO were all overpaid at the big three. Instead of being more efficient and developing innovation that consumers can appreciate, they were busy paying each other. That must stop in order to be positioned as a viable option for the American auto consumer. Despite their international sales and fleet sales to government agencies, they still are unable to muster a profit. Read more
Rhetorical Economic Cycle & The Lotto-ball distributor theory
by: Jermaine Harris
Assurance Financial Foundation
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Are you ready for a new beginning?
During the recent wild fires that swept through three separate areas of Southern California, the news was open for business 24/7. Emily and John Jordan are both in their late 50’s and were looking forward to retirement. 2008 has not been nice to the Jordan’s; it actually has been down right cruel. Just a short week ago the Jordan’s huddled around their kitchen table in their Yorba Linda home contemplating selling there home due the collapse of their investment portfolio. They quickly discounted that idea when Mr. Jordan reminded Emily that the value of their home was not anything to be depended on.
On Sunday morning the Jordan’s lost their home to what they called a great big firey monster. With a news reporters oversized microphone in their face, they answer one of the many stupid questions posed, “What are we going to do?, we are going to start a new beginning.”
We in America have tussled with crisis after crisis as of lately. We’ve chosen sides, we voted, debated and worried. Often we reserve worry for ourselves without serious consideration for those who are less fortunate than us, even though our fortune is luck that can be burned to an unrecognizable crisp. With the wave of Democratic voting, I believe that America may be finally maturing into the Country that the world needs to emulate. The kind of place where family means everything, profit is second to neighbor and community. A place where concern for others blanket a wide geographical, economic and sociological area. We will get there, we are getting there. No one knows the distance, no one knows the amount of backsliding in our future, but for right now God is slapping us in the face and screaming “Wake Up!” as in the final scene of Spike Lee’s “School Daze”.
Our material wealth means nothing, our greed, discontent and disrespect for the Earth and all it’s people is catching up to us. When you are left with only the clothes on your back, you must eventually wipe your eyes and say, thank God I’m alive.
Like the Jordan’s, can you wake up with nothing and say “we are going to start a new beginning”?
