The View From Here » News and Politics

Obama's Nobel

Brian — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:32:31 +0000

I know that this topic has been and will be beaten into the ground today and for the days and weeks to come but I feel the need to get my thoughts out there. I don’t understand, in the slightest, why Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It makes no sense. Keep in mind that he was nominated not two weeks after his inauguration. He had done nothing then and still has done nothing yet to deserve such an award. I have heard people’s defenses on this and mostly they go something like this one:

“It’s an award coming near the beginning of the first term of office of a relatively young president that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all. It is an award that speaks to the promise of President Obama’s message of hope.”

-Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa

People are saying that it is because there is great hope for what he will do. So, they are admitting that he has done nothing deserving of the prize yet. Since when did we hand out awards for things not accomplished?

Do we look at students and say, “You seem like the type that will do well. Here is your A, now live up to it”? No! That doesn’t happen. We say, “You seem like the type that will do well. If you live up to that potential you will have earned an A.” Hope for an A does not mean you will get an A. You have to earn it.

Or, take Michael Phelps as an example. Leading up to the 2008 Olympics everyone said that he was projected to win each event he participated in. He won the World Swimmer of the Year Award in 03, 04, 06, and 07. What would people have said if the Olympic Committee awarded him his gold medals at the Olympic opening ceremonies, stating that he had such promise that the medals were his without competing? There would have been outrage, and rightfully so. This didn’t happen and he had to perform to earn those medals.

Neville Chamberlain went to Germany in 1938 and got a signed piece of paper (The Munich Agreement) and declared, “My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time.” There was great hopes for peace in that time too. But it didn’t happen because the promise of peace is NOT peace!

Just like the promise of a safer world is not a safer world. Obama hasn’t brought us that yet. I don’t think his policies will. But if he does, I will be the first to stand up and congratulate him. Then give him the Nobel Peace Prize. Not before.

When someone like Ronald Regan who aided in the end of the Cold War didn’t receive a Nobel Peace Prize, why should Obama get one when he hasn’t done anything yet? Please tell me if I am missing something here.

Brian

Random Posts

Keep Track of Your Government

Brian — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:16:12 +0000

I know I am not alone in my grievances with our beloved government. I hear people all the time voice their complaints and usually these conversations turn into heated venting sessions. The question I have is, if you have so many problems with the way things are (or aren’t) what are you doing about it?

Fortunately we live in a nation where dissenting views can be expressed. Actually I would say that our founders encouraged this. Our country is founded on the idea that disagreeing discourse creates an environment that fosters freedom. If only one viewpoint is expressed and no other is allowed then we no longer have this freedom. But I digress (as usual).

Back to my question: what are you doing about it? Maybe you don’t know where to start. The best place to start in my opinion is to be informed. This does not mean sitting in front of your TV and absorbing what the different news stations vomit. Go to the source. A really good source I have found is OpenCongress.org. Here you can view all of the bills that are being put before congress, watch their progress, and discuss them. You can also keep track of how our senators and house members vote. If you are looking for a good way to be informed, this is a good place to start. Where do you go to get information about your government?

If you are going to take time to complain, take time to be informed. It is your government. You keep track of it.

Brian

Possibly Related Posts:

The Health Care Reform We Need

Brian — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:55:55 +0000

With all of the talk and debate about what our government should do to reform the current health care system, I thought I would finally weigh in. I sat out for a while because I felt I needed to be well educated on the measures they are proposing before I spoke up but I realized that if I did this I was, in a way, validating that there was a need for government intervention. Our health care definitely needs reforming but I do not believe that there is any reason for our government to spend billions of dollars to do it.

Throughout the history of our nation the responsibility has always fallen to the people first. When we felt the need to be an independent nation, the people stood up and acted, more times than not giving up things that were dear to them. Even when the government passed civil rights legislation it was ultimately up to the people to rise above their prejudices. In the same way I think it is up to the people to reform health care by reforming themselves. This is the health care reform we need: take care of your health.

I watched the last season of The Biggest Loser and witnessed a man over 50 lose more than just a lot of weight. He also lost most of his physical ailments and, in turn, all of the medication that went along with them. All because he started taking care of himself, eating right and exercising regularly. I think this proves the power the individual has over our health care system. Think of the cost associated with the doctor visits and medication this man took because of self inflicted health conditions. And all this from reversing a destructive lifestyle. Think of the cost saved by being taught and living a healthy lifestyle to begin with.

And this is just one area. Think of all the sexual diseases and abortions (and the costs associated with them) that could be avoided by implementing good sexual health practices. Or the cost that could be saved by people not smoking. The list goes on and on.

We live in a society that promotes free choice, but with that choice comes responsibility. When we make decisions that adversely affect our health, we don’t need the government to step in and indirectly support those decisions. That is what a nationalized health care system does. It says, “You can make all the bad decisions you want and the person who made good decisions (and can still work) will pay for them.”

We don’t need government intervention. We need people who are concerned enough that they will stand up, think about their future, and make decisions that will have a positive effect on their health. It seems that we are all about a healthy planet these days but we can’t take ownership of our own health. Think of the cost saving that would occur if we would just learn to exercise some self control. Take care of your own health and you will take care of the growing health care system problem.

Brian

Possibly Related Posts:

To Nationalize or Not to Nationalize

Brian — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:31:28 +0000

Quick question:

{democracy:7}

Please try to summarize your reasons for your vote in the comments. Thanks for your input.

Brian

Possibly Related Posts:

Bright Spots in the Gloomy Doom

Brian — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:08:29 +0000

What is with all of the junk going on these days? It isn’t enough that our economy is trying to tank. Now we have a potential pandemic of some pig virus. One party is about to have a free pass to do what they want in the Senate (please note that I don’t think it a good thing for either party to have this kind of weight to throw around). Our government is passing out money hand over fist to companies that have proven that they shouldn’t be in business and to banks who made bad loans (notice that both of these situations were encouraged by our beloved government, perhaps with good intentions but that is never enough). Everywhere we look there seems to be gloomy doom. Where are the bright spots?

Bright Spot #1: Time to Buy

The real solution to the economic problems we face is not the government. It is the people. The consumer. As prices drop opportunity develops. When housing prices fall, people will begin to buy. When stock prices fall, people will begin to buy. This encourages more investment so money will flow back into the system and things will turn around.

Bright Spot #2: Scale Back

I am sure we have all heard the phrase “tighten your belt” these days. This is not necessarily a bad thing. What is wrong with at slimmer and trimmer nation? That is much better than a fat, slobby one We have let our consumerist behaviors get out of hand. Debt has become the way we do business. Look where that got us. Now is a great time to learn what it means to “live within your means”. Spend less than you bring in. Learn what things are most necessary and important to you and cut out the fat. Get into a healthier lifestyle.

Bright Spot #3: Reinvent Responsibility

With jobs disappearing and people having to turn from all the many things that distract we are in a position to face reality. If you are out of a job, don’t rely on the government to support you. Support yourself. Don’t wait for someone to do it for you. Innovate. Take that idea in the back of your head and turn it into reality. Pay attention to the world around you and figure out what you can do to make it better.

Bright Spot #4: Where is your Trust?

When the things that we trust the most fail it tends to make us question why we trusted them in the first place and reevaluate what we do trust. Who would have thought that the mighty American economy could tumble like it has? Who could have predicted the outbreak of a disease that would cause the panic it has? Panic is the response to a situation in which something we thought infallible fails. It shakes us to our core and causes us to look around and wonder what we can trust. It reminds us that we are indeed not in control. We need something to hold on to. And our economy should not be that thing, or our health. The only thing we can trust is the God who created this world and holds it together.

What are the bright spots that you see?

Brian

Possibly Related Posts:

Where does it stop?

Brian — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:23:45 +0000

So here we are. Our government is handing out billions of dollars to banks, the auto industry, and other major financial institutions attempting to shore up weaknesses in our financial system and economy. Now they are taking a company (GM) that is not government owned and forcing the CEO to step down and the company to reorganize. Not only are they being forced to reorganize they are having to merge with a foreign auto maker.

As far as I know, this has never happened (please correct me if I am wrong with specific examples) so we are treading in completely new water. In my opinion the government should not be intervening in the market. If the company deserves to fail it will fail.

I will not disagree that the failure of GM would hurt. It would. But aren’t we reaping what we sow? As a country we have lived in a way that should not have been. Everyone is out for themselves with no thought for the future or those around them. Obviously there are people who were not living like this, but as a whole it fits. Our pride and comfort blinded us to the fact that a time like this could even come.

We had two paths in front of us. One would lead to some tough(er) times but the basics of our economy would remain and we would rebuild. The other would lead in a direction that we have never been before: more government control than ever before. It seems we are walking down the second path.

While walking down this second path our government is attempting to extend it’s hand to the failing newspaper industry. If this happens what will stop them from doing exactly what they have done with GM, forcing reorganization to align with what the government thinks is a good business model? Do we really want state-run media? I don’t. I don’t even want state-run GM. Where does it stop? We don’t need the government to engage. We need the people to reengage.

Please tell me if you think I am wrong and why. I want to hear other viewpoints.

I can’t help but end this post with an encouragement. The Lord knows exactly what is going on here. This is no surprise to Him and He is working it for His glory. Trust in this! May this time in our history draw more people to Jesus. May we see Him as our Savior and not our things, economy, or nation.

Brian

Random Posts

AIG Bonuses

Brian — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:28:54 +0000

As one of the millions of witnesses to our economy’s collapse, I have been watching with great interest what is happening with the bailouts. The one I am referencing here is the original 800 billion that our government handed out (on the peoples behalf, because it is our money and our government) to various financial institutions including banks and insurance companies. Part of this money went to AIG and, if you have been watching headlines recently, you will note that AIG paid out some bonuses to certain employees.

I am going to be honest here. When I first heard this I was not very happy with AIG. These people are paying bonuses out of the money that we had to give them to stay afloat because they ran their business poorly. They shouldn’t be able to do this. They should be using that money to make sure their company stays in business because someone decided they were too much an important part of our system to fail. Wait a minute. Who decided that? Well, if I am going to give money out of my pocket to help a person who has a track record of being financially irresponsible….. Wait a minute. I wouldn’t do that. This is when my thinking changed on it.

It’s a good thing I had a third party (our beloved government) first, decide what companies are worthy to be bailed out, and second, give said obviously inept company (it needed to be bailed out) money for them to do the same thing they did before: be inept with it. I realized that who I was unhappy with was our government.

This brings me to the bonuses. One thing that is not getting covered by most media outlets is that these bonus payouts are a part of contracts that employees have with the company from before the bailouts. If the company did not pay it initially or took it back from the employee they could be sued and punitive damages could be assessed against the company. The short of it is that AIG is going about their business as normal. They are making sure their contracts are upheld. I am not arguing whether or not these contracts are good for the company or not. We bailed them out so that they could stay in business to do whatever is so vital to our system that we could not allow them to fail. That is what they are doing.

Why would we expect them to do something different with this money when it was given to them without any strings attached?

Now our government officials are making a show, saying that we need to get that money back by any legal means necessary because it’s the taxpayer’s money. I know, this sounds very good. But there is no legal means to get this money back. It was paid out by contract. So the governments call to “get the money back” is really meaningless. So here we are, going round and round in a never ending and pointless debate.

All of this brings me back to something I have been saying for a long time. If a company fails, it fails. If it can’t stay afloat because of mismanagement then it doesn’t deserve to stay afloat. By definition, when we bailout a company we are saying that it can’t sustain itself. And then, as a result, we get into the argument above. We bailed them out so that they could continue business. This is exactly what AIG is doing (payout out bonuses by contract) and the government and media, and thus the people are in a wad about it.

The government should not be in the business of deciding what companies should or should not exist in our system. By bailing some out, they are doing exactly that. Instead we should be letting the companies survive that are surviving and letting the companies die that are dying.

This may not be the most comfortable in the moment. It may hurt for a while but we will come out stronger for it. What we are doing now is essentially putting a Band-Aid on a gushing wound. It may appear to stop the bleeding but it is still bleeding underneath. That Band-Aid won’t stay on for long and when it comes off the wound will be infected and we will have more of a problem.

What we need to be doing is letting the market correct itself. We are living in an economy inflated by debt. It got too heavy for itself and is correcting. We need to let go of our immediate comfort and look toward a future that belongs to our children.

Update:

Well, our government acted before I could get this posted so here is a quick update.

The short of it is (if this passes the Senate – it will) that bonuses paid to any employees would be taxed at a 90% rate if that employee makes more than $250,000 per year and their company received 5 billion or more money from the TARP program (bailout money). Our president had this to say about it:

“Today’s vote rightly reflects the outrage that so many feel over the lavish bonuses that AIG provided its employees at the expense of the taxpayers who have kept this failed company afloat. I look forward to receiving a final product that will serve as a strong signal to the executives who run these firms that such compensation will not be tolerated.”

If they were a failed company what makes President Obama and our congress think that they would do something different than they did before? Personally I don’t want to save a failed company. But I didn’t get do decide what to do with the money. Obama also added this:

“But just as outrageous is the culture that these bonuses are a symptom of, that [has] existed for far too long; a situation where excess greed, excess compensation, excess risk-taking have all made us vulnerable and left us holding the bag.”

You might say that you don’t disagree with that last statement. I even agree with most of it. What I don’t agree with is their solution: more government. Mr. President, more government is not the solution to greed. In fact more government is part of what caused this whole mess. You cannot legislate morality. I can’t say that I agree with the pay scale that some people have. We do live in a greedy, selfish, and opulent society But I also can’t say that I agree with the way our government is handling it.

These “greedy” executives are a product and a part of the society that we all are. Everyone is on the look out for what they can get from whoever (hello entitlement system). So you could say that these people are a reflection of all of us, just with access to more money. So instead of pointing a finger look first at yourself. If our society as a whole changes (this starts with the individual) then maybe we have a shot at changing how those in leadership positions act.

Brian

Random Posts

Obama's Stimulus Isn't Stimulating

Brian — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:22:37 +0000

How long would it take you to count to 1 trillion? Longer than you have to be alive. If you received 1 dollar per second it would take 32,000 years for you to get to 1 trillion. Research by the Family Research Council has estimated that we could pave the entire US interstate system with 23.5 karat gold with 1 trillion dollars.

$1,000,000,000,000

That is a big number no matter how you look at it. The question then is what does our wonderful government plan to do with this money. I have already discussed where they are getting this money (from you) and that more debt is not the cure for a debt problem. But regardless of what I think and the rest of the American people think our magnanimous president and congress are bent on passing this thing. But why listen to us? It’s only our money.

So that begs the question, is it really going to have the effect that they are telling us it will? One definition of stimulus is, “That which excites or produces a temporary increase of vital action”. By the way our elected officials are talking it would seem that this is what they want it to do. How can this thing have such an effect if they are only spending 3% of it this year and another13% of it next year. So by the time half of Obama’s term is over only 16% will be spent to “stimulate” the economy. (This is according to Congressional Budget Office) Where is the rest of it going and when?

A couple things that I have heard are included in it are a butterfly park and a disc golf course. Why? Doesn’t sound like stimulus to me. On top of all of this our Treasury Department is considering pumping billions more into the financial institutions. This is not the change we need. In fact it is no change at all.

We have years of heavy government spending behind us and apparently we have years ahead of us as well. This is not a change. This is more of the same corrupt and disconnected government we have had in place for a while now.

I did not vote for Obama, but when he won I did have at least some hope. It was the kind of hope you experience at the beginning of a new year. You have a clean slate, a new chance to do things differently. And then you find out that you still have to deal with the same old stuff from last year.

In closing, I think that this spending bill is not a stimulus. It is a type of redistribution of wealth. Please read the CBO’s cost estimate. In the short term I think we will see some positive effects as people feel more confident and there is a shot of money into the system. But it will not last and as time goes on we will see that this stimulus package was really just another step toward bankrupting our children and grandchildren. Government taking actions like this is not the road to change. Real change will only occur when we as citizens change ourselves and our habits.

Brian

Random Posts

Where does all that bail out money go?

Brian — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:31:23 +0000

I recently wrote about where the bail out money comes from, now I want to show you where some of it went. Apparently the former CEO of Merril Lynch (he was fired) spent 1.2 million dollars to redecorate his office. I think this punctuates just how out of touch many people in these high positions are. If your company is reporting billions in losses you don’t get to go out and spend cash like that. Oh, wait! The government will be there to bail you out. Rubbish!

Brian

Random Posts

Blessings of a Bloodless Change of Power

Brian — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:20:42 +0000

Another day gone and a new president in the White House. Despite all of the people out there praising or criticizing our new president he is in office and no one died to get him there. This is one of the most amazing things to me about the way our system of government works. For all of the things I think can and should change about our country, this is a beautiful moment that many of us take for granted. What a wonderful country we live in where blood is not required for the change of power.

On a related note I want to take a moment to encourage those of us who may not agree with our new president on every issue. It seems that there are many who will fight everything he does based solely on the fact that it is he who does it. On the other side of the coin, there are others who will get behind everything he does because he supports it. Please don’t be either of those people. You will never agree with everyone on everything and a president is just another part of that “everyone”.

As a Christian I am to honor my leaders and pray for them. That doesn’t mean that I will bow to our presidents every whim. That isn’t honoring at all. I am not going to back down on the things I believe are right but I will share them in a respectful and constructive way. If my view is not the one that is ultimately used I will move on to the next opportunity to influence my nation without bitterness about the past.

Also as a Christian, I believe that God has put our new president in office. If I do not honor him then ultimately I am not honoring Him. This might be a tough time for people who share my views but remember that your faith is in Jesus Christ, not in the president of a nation of sinful people or in the nation itself.

How blessed we are to live in a time and place that we can have dissenting views, vote what we believe, and change who is in power without the loss of life. I pray that it will stay this way.

Brian

Random Posts

Where does that bail out money come from?

Brian — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:40:35 +0000

With all of the bail outs (read hand outs) from the federal government going on these days I thought it would be prudent to look at where the money for these comes from. Let’s be clear on something first. The government is not an engine of wealth. They can create money but money does not always equal wealth. So, the government recently approved an 800 Billion dollar bailout of the financial system. Where did this money come from?

They could raise this money several different ways. The first would be to print more money or inject money into the system. This comes from the government right? Well, initially it would seem that way but when they put new money into the economy it causes inflation. In other words, if you were holding a dollar in your hand when the government does this, your dollar would be worth less, therefore it can buy less. So really, that money is coming out of your pocket.

The second might be issuing government bonds that they would eventually repay. This seems nice. The government gets money from you promising you the money back plus some interest. The problem arises when the government takes this money and uses it in a way that does not produce income (like giving it to states so that the states can hand it out via social welfare). Where is the government going to get the money to pay you back then. Oh wait, they can print more money, and that comes from you too. Can’t win for losing!

The third way might be to raise taxes. This is actually income for the government. The only problem with that income is that it comes from your pocket. So in this case they are taking money directly out of your pocket and spending it the way they see fit.

So, any way you slice it, the money the government is using to bail out our financial system, our auto industry, and possibly some of our states is coming from your pocket.

This would be like me going out and running up a huge credit card tab and then coming to your house and taking money out of your wallet. Then going to your neighbors house and doing the same thing. And after going to enough houses I would have enough to pay my bill. Obviously I can’t afford everything I want myself. You would probably tell me that I need to learn to cut my spending and do a better job of budgeting.

Is this how you would want your money spent?

Brian

Random Posts

We Live in a Burning House

Brian — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:28:01 +0000

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”

–George Bernard Shaw

Here we are, on the verge of financial collapse as a nation. The government is attempting to shore up weaknesses in our economy. Billions are flowing from Washington to these financial institutions. Where does it stop? The auto makers have their hands out now as well as several states. Because of the current atmosphere in America, one of consumerism and selfism, these measures may help in the short term. But the long term looks even worse now. We have long spent more than we bring in. Our economy rests on a large cloud of debt. Unsustainable debt.

Here is an analogy I thought of while in the shower. (The shower, by the way, is a great place to think.) Let’s imagine that a large house is burning. The fire started on the bottom floor and the supports that hold up the floors above it are weakening because of the flames. There are people on the top story and they are oblivious to the fire consuming the structure below them. Firefighters show up. The people, noticing the fire, yell down to the firefighters to save the house before everything they own burns. The firefighters job is to put out the flames but they do something unexpected. Instead of pulling out hoses to fight the fire or helping the people in the burning house, they pull out large wooden columns and rush into the house. They begin to systematically put these columns up to support the structure that is already incredibly weakened and burning. They come back outside and marvel at their handy-work. They have successfully propped the structure up, ensuring that it stands for a little longer allowing the people up above to feel that their house is safe. But not for long. All the firefighters have done is add more fuel to the fire. As the wooden columns begin to burn the fire becomes more intense and the house goes up in flames and collapses in an even more grandiose way than it would have if the columns had not been added.

You cannot shore up an economy that is burning up with debt by adding more debt.

We have in place a government that is doing exactly what the firefighters in the story are doing and we have a nation full of people who don’t want their possessions to burn. The quote above says it all. We have elected a government that we deserve; one that will make sure we are comfortable a little longer but will burn in the end. Think of it like an earthquake. As tectonic plates catch on each other pressure starts building. The longer the release of pressure is delayed the greater the destructive force will be. Once our nation has financially stretched itself too far it will break. Putting off that break will only add to the pressure and the earthquake will be even more destructive.

What do we do?

Brian

Random Posts

Senate Passes Bailout

Brian — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:27:08 +0000

The Senate passed the $700 billion bailout plan yesterday in an attempt to put pressure on the House. Message to the House members who voted against it the first time:

Please don’t approve this bill just because they attached a few things that you want. Stick to the reasons you voted against is in the first place. If a bill comes before you with twenty things that you want and one that you are diametrically opposed to you shouldn’t vote for it.

I suppose this is as good a time as any for another poll. Let me know what you think. Give me a comment and tell me why.

{democracy:6}

Click here to read the news story covering this.

Brian

Random Posts

The Bailout Fails…..Once

Brian — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:43:56 +0000

Yesterday, as I am sure most of you are aware, the planned bailout of the financial system failed in the House of Representatives. This was a surprise to me. I expected most of the people in our government to see government as the answer to this problem. I am very happy that they voted in accordance with what their constituents asked of them. Apparently a majority of Republicans and close to a majority of Democrats voted against it. I applaud them. And now we are about to get round two.

The Senate is getting another verison of the bill ready with some “sweetners” (read bribes) in it for those who voted against it. If they voted against the bailout out of principle then it will fail again. If those who voted against it now vote for it based on a few additions then they don’t deserve to be in office. I can’t think of anything they could add that would make this bailout worth voting for. It is a bribe, plain and simple.

I guess the question now is, will it fail a second time and, if it does, how many times will our Congress attempt to pass this thing?

Click here to read an article that details out some of these “sweeteners”.

Brian

Random Posts

To Bail or Not to Bail

Brian — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:25:35 +0000

As the government draws closer to finalizing plans to bail out (read prop up) the financial system there is no shortage of commentators talking about it. I have already joined the fray but I will again briefly. I have heard several people saying that, as conservatives, they think people should have to bear the responsibility for their actions. I agree with this. If banks have given out loans that were to risky, they should have to bear the consequence that comes with that risk (good or bad). If people take out loans that allow them to live above their means they must also bear the consequences of those choices. Maybe they will be more careful next time. Happiness is not a right. It will be pursued but it is not guaranteed. If the government has allowed and encouraged these things to happen people should reconsider who they elect and what role government should play in these matters.

The same commentators who espoused personal responsibility, in the next breath said that they understood why this bailout must happen. What they are really saying is that if the bailout does not happen then their way of life will have to change and they don’t want that.

I am of the opinion that when we bear responsibility for our actions, even if it means that we fall flat on our face for a time, we will rise a better person for it. When we have to face something hard it makes us stronger. If a child totals their first car, driving recklessly, and then their parents pay off the loan on that car and buy them a new one, what did that child learn? If, instead, the child must save up money for the first car then he is less likely to be careless with it. We take care of what we care for. If we have no reason to care for it (because someone else will take care of it) then we will wreck it again and again.

I have to admit that I don’t want my life to change because of this. We could have gotten a much larger house than we did. We could have credit card debt. We could live paycheck to paycheck and not save for the future. But we have made choices not to do those things. I am not a part of the problem as far as these things are concerned. But if our country has to fall on its financial face in order for my kids and grandkids to have a more responsible country overall then so be it. If we prop things up now the fall will be so much harder at a later time.

We are living during a brief time in history when a stable life is possible. Change is the norm, not stability. We can’t hold on to stable thinking that change will never come. If we do, when change does come, it will be so much harder.

A bail out now means that our lives will continue as “normal” for the most part. If we don’t bail out our financial system we will probably fall into some hard times but people will learn a valuable lesson. I doubt the latter will happen. Remember this, a bail out does not fix the hole in the ship. The ship has to be fixed or else we will continue to find ourselves with pail in hand, tossing water overboard.

Brian

Random Posts

Joe Biden on the question of Life

Brian — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:48:54 +0000

I found this quote from Joe Biden over on a blog by Albert Mohler. I recommend reading the article there discussing the following quote from Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for Vice President. He was asked what he would say if Barak Obama asked him when life begins. This is what he said:

“I’d say, “Look, I know when it begins for me.” It’s a personal and private issue. For me, as a Roman Catholic, I’m prepared to accept the teachings of my church. But let me tell you. There are an awful lot of people of great confessional faiths-Protestants, Jews, Muslims and others-who have a different view. They believe in God as strongly as I do. They’re intensely as religious as I am religious. They believe in their faith and they believe in human life, and they have differing views as to when life-I’m prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception. But that is my judgment. For me to impose that judgment on everyone else who is equally and maybe even more devout than I am seems to me is inappropriate in a pluralistic society. And I know you get the push back, “Well, what about fascism?” Everybody, you know, you going to say fascism’s all right? Fascism isn’t a matter of faith. No decent religious person thinks fascism is a good idea.”

I think that this quite a scary statement. How can you have a private conviction about murder? This would be like a politician during the days of debate about slavery saying, “Slavery is a personal and private issue to me. I personally believe that slavery is wrong but I can’t force that belief on someone else. There are many people out there who are as devout or more devout than I am who have a different view about slavery than I do. It would be inappropriate in a pluralistic society to stand up for what I believe.” This is not an issue to ride the fence. What do you think and why?

Brian

Random Posts

Entertainment?

Brian — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:17:42 +0000

I found this on the front page of Google News. I have but one question. What makes this Entertainment news? None of the people involved in this story are involved in the entertainment industry. The next thing you know these two kids will be offered a reality show. This is not entertainment, people! It’s sad. And ridiculous.

Brian

Random Posts

Sarah Palin

Brian — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:55:33 +0000

As soon as the name Sarah Palin was off the lips of John McCain (probably before) the media and other groups immediately went to work. At first it was just to announce the news of a running mate for John McCain but that only lasted a couple of hours. She got some initial good press but then things started taking a turn for the worse. I honestly don’t know if I could run for public office for this reason. It is not that I have anything particularly horrible in my past. It is that things will be taken out of context or just plain made up to be sensational or intentionally degrading. Anything that can be found that has a negative connotation or can be slanted that way will come out. There must be files kept on anyone and everyone so that when they need to be trashed they can be. At least this is what it seems like.

I keep track of news through the internet. I don’t watch news on TV. One of the avenues I look at is Digg, a social bookmarking site. When I started watching this site it was mainly a tech news site but now it has grown to encompass all kinds of news. This kind of website does not produce news on its own, it brings news from around the web to one place. Within a couple hours of the announcement of Sarah Palin being the VP nominee there were already stories flying on Digg about rumors of this and that and many other negative things. It is especially disconcerting when aim is taken at a candidates family and not their politics.

I am sure everyone has their baggage but when that is all you hear about then you aren’t getting an accurate picture of the person in question. But unfortunately we don’t have too many options to get our news from. We get a version that is filtered through a certain viewpoint and we have to make sense of it from there.

I think this is as good a reason as any to put up a poll. If you vote leave me a comment and let me know why you think what you think.

{democracy:5}

Brian

Random Posts

What would America look like if…..

Brian — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:34:37 +0000

I think that this is a very important question to ask going into election season. What would American look like if Barack Obama was president? What would it look like if John McCain was president? To be completely honest I can’t say that I am really excited about either option. Our choices are limited to two politicians who will say whatever their audience wants to hear. Why can’t we get someone who will say what they think no matter what the media reaction is? But I digress.

Not being excited about either option aside, I have to make a decision come November. So do you. I am not going to sit here and tell you what I think. You need to think for yourself. What will this country of ours look like in four years?

Another important question that I don’t think has been answered by either candidate is, “as president, how will you go about protecting and preserving the Constitution?” This is, after all one of the primary calls on the president but I don’t think I have heard either candidate answer this question. What this really boils down to is, “how do you view the Constitution? Is it a living document that changes according to who is interpreting it or is it the firm foundation from which we build our future?” I think that this is a more relevant question in terms of where we will be, not just in four years, but in fifty, which is where our sights should be set. There are important questions regarding the now, to be sure, but most of how we get there depends on how we view the Constitution.

So, tell me, what do you think the country will look like in four years with either Obama or McCain elected president?

Brian

Random Posts

Oil Toil Shmoil

Brian — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:01:11 +0000

Big news today! Exxon has reported a huge profit numbers for the reporting period. It is somewhere around 11 billion. That is a lot of money. So bring out all of the people who don’t like the big oil companies. The questions are flying. “Is this too much?” Here is another number for you. That 11 billion is only an 8.47% profit margin. That is correct. For every dollar the company brings in 91.53% is spent to bring in the product they sell. They make a little over 8 cents on every dollar. Just so you know, 8.47% is on the low side of profit margins made by corporations in the United States or anywhere in the world.

On a side note, I do support finding more efficient alternative fuels and even ways of making oil more efficient. I just don’t like the way we are going about it. We don’t need a shove from the government. When there is a need in the market it will be filled. I am confident of that. Government needs to keep their fingers out of economics and let it work. They tend only to mess it up anyway. Ethanol is a great example. Prices of corn are sky high and they are now finding that this alternative fuel is less efficient and more polluting than gas. But our government got behind it because it was “alternative”. Sorry, back to the show.

Now 11 billion is a huge sum of money but their revenue of over 138 billion is an astronomical number. Consider with me where that other 127 billion goes. It is paid to contracting companies, to employees, to manufactures, and spent all kinds of ways to produce their product. In other words it goes into the economy. This is not a bad thing. Consider also with me why their revenues are so high. Maybe it is because the produce a product that everyone uses multiple times a day. From the gas in your car to the plastic bags you use to put your sandwich in and everywhere else in between, we use petroleum products all the time. Since their product is so widely used it would make sense that they have large numbers to show for it.

People all across the globe use petroleum products so it makes sense that they have large revenue and profit numbers. What else factors into this? Sure the high price of oil factors into it but we will get to that in a second. The business side also plays a large role. The way they run their business is key. How efficient a business are they? Do they make efforts to cut out the fat? Even with oil prices high if they ran their business inefficiently they could easily lose that 8.47% profit margin.

Now to the high oil prices which there is someone new to blame everyday for. Is it the oil company’s fault? Is it the speculators? Is it the Saudi’s? The list goes on. If oil companies are controlling the level of production then it could be their fault. But who put the restrictions on building new refineries? Congress. From the numbers I have seen our domestic refineries are running at capacity. Who is keeping the oil companies from drilling in places that would produce more supply? Congress maybe?

Now to the speculators. Very simply, speculators are like gamblers in a casino with slightly better odds because they have information to base the gambles they make on. Speculators look at the conditions around them and guess if a commodity will go up or down based on market conditions, supply, demand, laws. Right now, the congresses general treatment of oil companies has been hostile (one of the reasons we are even discussing this. Windfall profit tax anyone?) If the government is being hostile towards any industry I would say that it would be harder to produce this commodity so supply shrinks and prices go up. Basic economics. The speculators are not to blame.

Are other countries holding back on us to keep the prices high. Probably so which points to the fact that we need to be as energy independent as we can be (and not just in petroleum products by the way) In a free market prices will fluctuate based on market conditions. If the oil companies were controlling the price of oil don’t you think their profit margin would be a little better than 8.47%? I do.

Next topic: the windfall profits tax that is being discussed. This is ridiculous, plain and simple. Have we really swung that far toward socialism that we need to take from one (who earned the profit) and give to another (who did not)? I hope not. This scares me a bit. Why are we not talking like this when it comes to our entertainment industry? The Dark Knight (one of my favorite movies by the way) has pulled in close to 400 million while it only cost around 180 million to make. How high a profit margin is that? What about the millions we pay our professional athletes? Oh, and another news topic of the day. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have pictures of their new born to be featured in People magazine, that they sold for 14 million dollars. Why are we not talking about these items as well? Why do these people make so much money? Because that is what the market says that they be paid no matter what I think of it (I don’t like it, if you were wondering. I think good teachers should be paid more.).

If people are willing to pay 14 million for baby pictures that is their business. All of the profit margins mentioned above are all much higher than 8.47%. If Exxon cheated to make their meager profit percentage then take it away. That just means that they are bad cheaters and don’t deserve it anyway. But at least the oil companies are providing us with a product other than being distracted from real life long enough that we start criticizing blindly those who provide a large part of said life it to us. And they are making a much lower profit margin than the rest so maybe, just to be fair, we should give them some of The Dark Knights profits. (Please read the sarcasm in that last statement) I know that energy is a large topic these days and it needs to be talked about, so why can’t we talk about something that will actually make a difference? Finding new and inventive ways to sink the oil companies will not solve our problem.

In closing, I don’t think the government has a problem with people making money. I just think government has a problem if they aren’t in some kind of control of that money. So they do their best to be in control. Just a thought, and a scary one to boot. (Oh, and I don’t apologize for ranting. It felt good.)

Brian