just a few thoughts while in exile
Tomorrow is Columbus Day proper, written about it, not much to add there.
I am formulating some ideas that I am going to pursue with some serious research, and feeling like there could actually be something to it. The concept of property rights and the erosion of them always seems to precede the failure of democracy. So, people are like, "what's the big deal? We already know that." Do we? If so, why has it gone on, taking more and more? Yeah, that.
I won't have you look to Venezuela for socialism, or rather, the nanny state. There is a much closer example, and it is a tragedy. Surprisingly enough, it also has to do with property rights. Know what I am talking about?
There is very little poverty in the US that compares to the depths that one may find on Indian Reservations. People stuck living off the federal government, which, due to neglect, and stealing property, has left many Indians destitute, and without hope. As the government and tribe hold the reservation in trust, no one individual can own land. How do you get financed to build on property that you can't use as collateral? If you think that the Department of Education, another bureaucracy that shouldn't exist, is bad overseeing districts nationwide in exchange for money, on reservations, they, through the Bureau of Indian Education, oversee DIRECTLY education on reservations.
Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, retiring after his seventh term in office, is going out much like he went in, like a lion. The man credited with destroying the completely unnecessary, and bogus Equal Rights Amendment, is roaring again, one last time. Whether it was during the Kavanaugh hearing, trolling Democrats as they agree to Unanimous Consent on 3 Circuit and 12 District court nominations, he is giving far better than he is getting. Some paid protesters harassed him at the elevators, and in his office during the Kavanaugh circus. Speaking of harassment...
One thing that I said for years as a manager within the FAA is that if everything is harassment, then nothing is. It seems that we have finally reached that apex. We have members of Congress encouraging HARASSMENT of their political opponents. Does that mean that harassment is no longer a thing? And we aren't talking about the make believe harassment, like someone saying "you look nice today" and that is all, just a greeting. we are talking about attacking people in their work place physically. At their homes physically. Credible threats due to potential votes. Yes, we want to take attacks seriously, but as Sen. Collins of Maine stated, when really stupid clownish accusations come out, it makes all of them look bad.
I said, and stand by it, Senator DiFi hurt the #metoo cause by playing the teenage rape charge after hearings had closed. Not the only one over the last few years. Duke Lacrosse team, UVA frat rape, Tawana Brawley, the recent Mean Girls recantation (fiver girls had accused a young man of sexual assault, and without any evidence, his life was destroyed, they later said it didn't happen, they just made it up, no charges on them, FYI). Was Dr. Ford assaulted? I don't know, but think probably was. And not just by some teen back in the mid 80s. She was assaulted (as usually the case) by those she trusted. The Democrat party.
Nations shouldn't be borrowing, and definitely shouldn't be handing out money during good times. And of course, I am an equal opportunity person. NO ONE should be getting welfare, or subsidies, tax credits, etc, when the economy is rolling. The stock market actions over the last few days is proof positive that no matter the economy, the one thing that people fear is interest rates going up. Why? It doesn't cost much (relatively speaking, what are a few zeros among friends) when interest rates are near zero to borrow. However, when they go up, and debt needs to be refinanced, all at once, servicing the debt becomes a huge part of the budget. That is why the market freaks. That and we have borrowed as consumers so much when rates were low, what happens when the rate on cards go up? Same.
It would be real easy to make servicing the debt the #1 budget item. Right behind are Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. Those programs are red, and will always be such. The IOUs run out in 2034 or something like that. Then what? No one will touch it. Bush #43 tried, and his efforts were serious, spending all of his political capital on that. Turns out, it really is a third rail. ZAP! No one will touch it. Too bad. What happens to those people on those programs when they are out of money? When Chile took their Social Security private, the returns that people get have elevated the median retirement income significantly.
One of the last generations to have fixed pension plans is retiring, and guess what we know about these plans? In the public sector in particular, they are in as bad and probably worse shape than Medicare or Social Security. When those plans go broke, they are turned over to the government provided pension guarantee fund, and retirees find out that they will receive a fraction of what was expected. Some states have tried some reforms so that their whole budget doesn't go to pensions, leaving unimportant things like roads, schools, and health care to survive on their own.
Did you know that Social Security payouts can be hijacked by Congress? The Fleming vs Nestor case ruled on by the Supremes demonstrated that Congress can set benefits and that you have no "right" to them. The same goes with anything the government "provides". Does that help you sleep better at night?
I am formulating some ideas that I am going to pursue with some serious research, and feeling like there could actually be something to it. The concept of property rights and the erosion of them always seems to precede the failure of democracy. So, people are like, "what's the big deal? We already know that." Do we? If so, why has it gone on, taking more and more? Yeah, that.
I won't have you look to Venezuela for socialism, or rather, the nanny state. There is a much closer example, and it is a tragedy. Surprisingly enough, it also has to do with property rights. Know what I am talking about?
There is very little poverty in the US that compares to the depths that one may find on Indian Reservations. People stuck living off the federal government, which, due to neglect, and stealing property, has left many Indians destitute, and without hope. As the government and tribe hold the reservation in trust, no one individual can own land. How do you get financed to build on property that you can't use as collateral? If you think that the Department of Education, another bureaucracy that shouldn't exist, is bad overseeing districts nationwide in exchange for money, on reservations, they, through the Bureau of Indian Education, oversee DIRECTLY education on reservations.
Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, retiring after his seventh term in office, is going out much like he went in, like a lion. The man credited with destroying the completely unnecessary, and bogus Equal Rights Amendment, is roaring again, one last time. Whether it was during the Kavanaugh hearing, trolling Democrats as they agree to Unanimous Consent on 3 Circuit and 12 District court nominations, he is giving far better than he is getting. Some paid protesters harassed him at the elevators, and in his office during the Kavanaugh circus. Speaking of harassment...
One thing that I said for years as a manager within the FAA is that if everything is harassment, then nothing is. It seems that we have finally reached that apex. We have members of Congress encouraging HARASSMENT of their political opponents. Does that mean that harassment is no longer a thing? And we aren't talking about the make believe harassment, like someone saying "you look nice today" and that is all, just a greeting. we are talking about attacking people in their work place physically. At their homes physically. Credible threats due to potential votes. Yes, we want to take attacks seriously, but as Sen. Collins of Maine stated, when really stupid clownish accusations come out, it makes all of them look bad.
I said, and stand by it, Senator DiFi hurt the #metoo cause by playing the teenage rape charge after hearings had closed. Not the only one over the last few years. Duke Lacrosse team, UVA frat rape, Tawana Brawley, the recent Mean Girls recantation (fiver girls had accused a young man of sexual assault, and without any evidence, his life was destroyed, they later said it didn't happen, they just made it up, no charges on them, FYI). Was Dr. Ford assaulted? I don't know, but think probably was. And not just by some teen back in the mid 80s. She was assaulted (as usually the case) by those she trusted. The Democrat party.
Nations shouldn't be borrowing, and definitely shouldn't be handing out money during good times. And of course, I am an equal opportunity person. NO ONE should be getting welfare, or subsidies, tax credits, etc, when the economy is rolling. The stock market actions over the last few days is proof positive that no matter the economy, the one thing that people fear is interest rates going up. Why? It doesn't cost much (relatively speaking, what are a few zeros among friends) when interest rates are near zero to borrow. However, when they go up, and debt needs to be refinanced, all at once, servicing the debt becomes a huge part of the budget. That is why the market freaks. That and we have borrowed as consumers so much when rates were low, what happens when the rate on cards go up? Same.
It would be real easy to make servicing the debt the #1 budget item. Right behind are Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. Those programs are red, and will always be such. The IOUs run out in 2034 or something like that. Then what? No one will touch it. Bush #43 tried, and his efforts were serious, spending all of his political capital on that. Turns out, it really is a third rail. ZAP! No one will touch it. Too bad. What happens to those people on those programs when they are out of money? When Chile took their Social Security private, the returns that people get have elevated the median retirement income significantly.
One of the last generations to have fixed pension plans is retiring, and guess what we know about these plans? In the public sector in particular, they are in as bad and probably worse shape than Medicare or Social Security. When those plans go broke, they are turned over to the government provided pension guarantee fund, and retirees find out that they will receive a fraction of what was expected. Some states have tried some reforms so that their whole budget doesn't go to pensions, leaving unimportant things like roads, schools, and health care to survive on their own.
Did you know that Social Security payouts can be hijacked by Congress? The Fleming vs Nestor case ruled on by the Supremes demonstrated that Congress can set benefits and that you have no "right" to them. The same goes with anything the government "provides". Does that help you sleep better at night?
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