Oh’s Zany World

Government control?

Wealth Care not Health Care

Don’t like the idea of government sticking its nose into your health? There is a group out there that agrees with you! And they are hopping mad! They like you firmly believe that if people don’t have and can’t afford health care, it is their fault and that God hates them.

Like you one of the things they believe is that if you can’t afford to go to the doctor, that it should not be a problem as bandages and ibuprofen are cheap. So what is the issue?

As to death panels by the government their belief is that their companies decide that issue well enough on their own and the government should not get in the way of death panels for profit.

As to rationing health care they firmly believe it is their job to do that.

And like the right, they believe that socialism must be stopped and so they propose that we stop Medicare and even VA benefits.

And of course they believe that nothing says freedom like denying claims for health care.

I would say that if their belief’s can be summed up in just a few words, it would be this:

If We ain’t broke don’t fix it!

Do these folks sound like you kind of folk? If so join them. Their web url is:

www.BillionairesforWealthCare.com

I know I am!

A Billionaire for Wealth Care signing off.

OH

© 2009

Why Government spending limits fail?

I can honestly say I have never met a Republican that has seen a handout they did not like, if they could get it!

OH

Copyright 2009

Whatever Happened to America?

I received a email with a lot of old WWII posters in it. They were pretty cool from an historical point of view.

Here is the original letter with it:

 I wonder whatever happened to this kind of thinking?

I got a lump in my throat when I read this. I “grew up” 

thinking patriotism, it is the AMERICAN way! I am glad

to see that somebody saved them.

Then followed a bunch of pictures.

Then this:

These were our parents. What in God’s name have we let happen?

I guess we are the last generation to see, or even remember anything like these? Whatever happened?  Political correctness (or “re-education”) happened, lack of God’s name happened, lack of personal responsibility happened, lack of personal integrity and honesty happened, lack of respect and loyalty to our country happened, lack of being an American happened.

What follows is my answer to the letter:

I guess we are the last generation to see, or even remember anything like these?

Wow how old are you? Like 77?

Most Americans are 2 to 4 generations from these posters. The oldest baby boomer is really not old enough to remember this as they would have been born some time between 1944 and 1948 with the last boomers being born in 1960 to 1964 (depending on who you want to believe.

Whatever happened? 

Time happened!

 Political correctness (or “re-education”) happened, lack of God’s name happened, lack of personal responsibility happened, lack of personal integrity and honesty happened, lack of respect and loyalty to our country happened, lack of being an American happened.
 

What happened? Yeah, “re-education” happened. We forgot about the Nuremberg Trials. We forgot that freedom extends to even these that disagree with us! Think the McCarthy Hearings. The fact that we are suppose to care about the poor. That money was to be gotten morally.

How can we have respect and loyalty for a country that fails to follow what they have said was good. When that, which they in international courts said was right is not followed by them.

Yeah, personal integrity and honesty was shown to be wrong!

These of the older the baby boomers that I as one of the youngest baby boomers have  followed into the brave new future have taught me that it is not good to be honest and poor. That instead of being poor, it is better to be rich or at least well off and dishonest.

They have taught me that I should sell drugs and trash music and movies to the young people in order to snare their minds so that I may sell even more trash to them in order to become even wealthier. And that is the just and honest thing to do. We call it capitalism at its best!

They have taught me that it is right to lie to get what I want.

That it is alright to go to war to get what I want. And that in order to get and have a society of young people ready to go to war that I need to sell them violent death affirming video games and music and movies to prepare their mind to kill animals (anything not us) and what’s really cool I can get richer doing it!

By teaching me these things, the older boomers have taught me that “personal integrity and honesty” are whatever will make me richer and make me more liked by rich people like me.

If you really want to blame someone look in the mirror and ask yourself what is true? What do I believe? How do I act on what I believe? Are the two in agreement?

What do you believe?

OH

Copyright 2009 

Capitalism VS the Government?

Capitalism vs. the Government

I believe in Capitalism when I think I can get ahead of the other guy.

I believe in Government controls when I think the other guy might get unfairly ahead of me.

Can I have it both ways and still be a Capitalist?

OH

Copyright 2009

How Little can you feed a Working Mule?

A cheapskate farmer wanted to see how little he could get by feeding his plow mule. Each week he’d feed it a little less. One day in town, a neighbor asked the farmer, how the experiment was going. The farmer replied that he wasn’t able to finish the experiment. “Just about the time I got the dern thing living on nothin’ it went and died on me.”

Guess that maybe that was too little?

OH

Copyright 2009

Bankers have always been a Problem?

Freedom of expression?

If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for
people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

– Noam Chomsky

What do you think?

Oh

Copyright 2009

Free Money for the Big Boys?

Reading the news this morning, I read this:

The attack by lawmakers on AIG pay has provoked renewed complaints from some financial company executives that federal involvement in business decisions is making it difficult for struggling firms to return to profitability. In particular, executives say they need to offer bonuses to keep and motivate their most valuable employees and are already seeing an exodus of talent.

This comes from an article titled “AIG firestorm raises alarm for firms,” on MSNBC.     

I do agree that the government should not be trying to change the terms of the money after they have given the money. However I do find it quite madding that they believe that they somehow have the right to believe that they should be able to get and spend federal money as they want and that they need to pay big fat bonuses to keep their “most valuable employees.” Perhaps, I am missing something? But isn’t this federal money going to companies that are supposed to be going under? If it is going to companies that are most likely to go under, it seems to me that either these, “most valuable employees” will be out of a job soon anyway with out federal money. Or that perhaps they are not as important to the business that they are believed to be.

As I said, I do not believe that the Government should be changing the rules after they have given the money to these firms already. But I do think that they should restrict uses that the money can be spent on, in the future. Also they should restrict payout outs of bonuses and of pay for so many years after the monies have been given. And also spell whatever other restrictions there will be on how the monies can be spent.  Then the companies will have a have a choice of either taking the monies with restrictions or not. I can’t help but wonder just how many would put their hands in their pockets and refuse the money with the restrictions? I would think that most would take the money because they would sooner have something then have nothing.

But perhaps a more real question should be this:

If as a country we say, we are a free enterprise (read that capitalist) country. Why are we looking for the government to help the economy get going again?

Shouldn’t the peoples and the companies that claim that they don’t believe in government intervention be out, their making their voices heard, that they want no government interventions, they are willing to risk and even willing to live though a major depression. That they are willing to take the lack of work, the starvation, the violence and the general chaos that goes with an economy falling apart. That they, are willing to go, though it and risk that their government and economic system will come out the other side in tact. I guess that deep down they really only believe in free enterprise when they have everything going their way?

Or maybe closer to the truth is that most people have not given any thought to what is really happening?

Perhaps it is time to either take over and make the failing firms national or leave them fail and work out how to survive on the other side?

Until then, hope you have an enough wood and food to last until times get better.

Pessimistic about the future,

OH

Copyright 2009                    

The Ponzi Master My Hero!

The Ponzi Master My Hero!

What can one say about this man?  This one man, Bernard Madoff?  Surely, one would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated, hardworking man that truly loves his work then Bernard Madoff?  He worked so hard for so many years and made so many people happy about their investments with him.  Could there be anywhere a better example of what it means to be a good capitalist?  Doesn’t it just warm your little pea pickin’ heart? And glad to live in a country where one is free to engage in free enterprise and capitalism?

But alas, all is not good, in this grand and wonderful capitalist country of ours, on Thursday, March 12, 2009 Bernard Madoff is expected to guilty in US District Court to a number of  alleged crimes that he supposedly committed, among which are securities, investment adviser, mail and wire frauds. Also money laundering, the making false statements and perjury.  He is accused of making a false filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, theft from an Employee Benefit Plan and two counts of international money laundering.  11 counts in all! Information from MSNBC  News.

He has according to reports taken somewhere between 64 and 170 billion US Dollars. Though that may include amounts that were not really took but were promised to people in the form of interest and etcetera. So in reality it may be quite a bit less.

The consensus is there are quite a few rich people that would like to see him put away for a long time.  This is what is so confusing to me! I mean as a unabashed bleeding heart liberal I tend to believe that Bernard Madoff should be sitting in jail for quite sometime.  Though to me, he represents all that conservatives’ hail as good and so if I was to pick a modern man to represent capitalism in all its might and glory it would be him!

It really seems strange to me that these people that are always condemning bleeding heart liberals like me for desiring too many laws to restrict businesses, even though it is so that they have to deal honestly with others. And for the most part complain that the US Securities and Exchange Commission is over rated and should not have the power that it has. And also that people should be able to look out for themselves. Well this is what I hear! Or am I misunderstanding what I hear? 

It is these very same people, that supposedly lost so much money, that are going to go to court to ask a judge to be very hard on this great capitalist Bernard Madoff. I mean so what if they lost their life savings? Isn’t that what capitalism is about? To make a buck however is needed?  Caveat emptor!  Let the buyer beware! 

It is beyond my finite understanding how people, that are, so, into free enterprise and so capitalistic in their beliefs and their dealings with others. That they should desire to be protected beyond the protections which they believe should be extended to others.  Yet I somehow I don’t find that I can believe that one of these supposed victims will stand up before the government prosecutor and the judge and say:

Ladies and Gentleman, I brought into these business ideas of Mr. Bernard Madoff.  I did not think it though and did not look into it well enough.  All I seen was the dollar signs in front of my eyes.  So I did not and could not expect that this was may be a scam, even though I should have known.  Therefore Ladies and Gentleman in honor of this great free enterprise and capitalist system which I so cherish, I am asking that you do the only thing that would make sense and stop this silly process of persecuting this honorable man. And give back to him, his dignity and his honor.  Thank you for your ear this day.

As a confused bleeding heart liberal, I would see this as the only course that a true economic conservative that believes in free enterprise and capitalism could take in good faith.  Yet I do not believe that will happen. Or am I being to pessimistic?

Satirely yours,

OH

Copyright 2009