We suffer from too much government at all levels: local, state and Federal.
Anecdotal stories of the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers acting like gauleiters abound. Permits are required for a huge numbers of activities. States impose licensing rules on numerous professions, mostly to keep out competition. And local governments use zoning and purported health and safety issues to herd and control people's activities beyond any reason.
What prompted your writer to explode after a long absence? Motivation - there are two I's in motivation.
An article in the weekly paper covering the town in which he lives described a zoning inspector acting in a rather authoritarian manner [to put the description politely] by issuing a cease and desist order to a business owner for ... selling one (1) whoopie pie.
This is not a joke, but perhaps could be an idea for a new Monty Python skit with the Spanish Inquisition.
An entire zoning board meeting was held with talk about clarifying letters, permits, and examining what it means to be a catering business vs. selling retail.
And one could wonder how a zoning inspector learned of the sale. Hmmm are there whoopie pie spies and informers around the center of the town? I suppose the prompt was a complaint from a competitor. Regulations to stifle competition is so common in America ... and it's un-American in my opinion. We should relish freedom and people live and let live.
Let's get rid of most of government at all levels. Just zero it out.
Keep only what's necessary for truly important group activities.
Let's have a new wave of freedom across the land.
Word of the Day
"Gauleiter" - noun [German] [$10] pronounces "gau - leiter" with "gau" to rhyme with "how" and "leiter" pronounced like "lighter".
Gauleiter means a head of a Nazi party administrative district.
Sentence: Why do so many government officials in America act like Gauleiters? And why do so many government police forces exist? Are we slowly losing our freedom without noticing the big changes over the decades?
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
We Need a Rebellion ...
in attitudes, not violence. Yesterday at noon I crawled out of a two month session in Tax Preparation Purgatory, having suffered many, many torments imposed on me ... and the rest of US population even if they might not realize it. It's mandatory - the government says do it, or they'll jail or even kill you (if you resist). After that annual oppression, I needed to get some rebellious entertainment last evening: I watched that great, hilarious movie of rebellion of the 1970s - Gumball Rally.
Xers - and certainly not the Y and Z generations - might not know about the experience of the 1970s in government mandates: wage & price controls, a multitude of new regulations on business and products, and "gasp" that symbol of oppression - the 55 mph national speed limit. Double nickels, it was called. I remember it well - the drive to/from Harvard to my hometown in Ohio became an interminable 16 hours versus the prior 12-13 hours.
Gumball Rally is about an illegal, unofficial cross-country auto race from New York City to Long Beach, California: no 55 mph speed limit, all means of smoky [aka highway patrol] detection permitted, the hottest cars roaring down the highway at over 120 mph all the way. The characters are wonderful, and since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, that its entire plot and many characters were copied in the 1981 hit movie, Cannonball Run and its sequels, is certainly high flattery.
In our times, the government has imposed so many insidious mandates on us that we forget that first one (in our lifetime) from another era, it seems. There are toilet mandates, soon there will be light bulb mandates. And sooner than you think, the IRS will enforce the health insurance mandate. What next ? What part of the word FREEDOM do the seigneurs in DC not understand ? As for that first mandate - "Double Nickels" - people fought it and eventually won - the 55 mph national speed limit was repealed under President Reagan.
Assert your freedom. Say to yourself every morning - I am not a number, I am a free man !
[That memorable line is from the intriguing TV show of the late 1960s - The Prisoner].
And don't just get angry - unfocused anger accomplishes nothing. And the enemies of freedom will pejoratively label mere anger as ignorant. Join the debate, use good arguments for freedom, and claim victory when the opposition resorts to ad hominem fallacies to close off debate.
Do something to save our freedom ! And it you want some humorous, motivational entertainment - watch Gumball Rally.
Markets
I will check with Krypto today to see if she has any sell orders for me - one regarding selling a bit of US stock was close last time she checked. Look for a PS here later.
Word of the Day
"Obnubliate" - verb, transitive [$100]
Obnubliate means becloud; to cloud over; obscure
Sentence: Don't let the use of ad hominem fallacies obnubliate your mind or arguments in a critical discussion or debate. Screechs of racism when one criticizes Barry's policies are truly an admission that the screecher has no rational rebuttal for you: you've won - claim victory over the point loudly and move ahead.
Xers - and certainly not the Y and Z generations - might not know about the experience of the 1970s in government mandates: wage & price controls, a multitude of new regulations on business and products, and "gasp" that symbol of oppression - the 55 mph national speed limit. Double nickels, it was called. I remember it well - the drive to/from Harvard to my hometown in Ohio became an interminable 16 hours versus the prior 12-13 hours.
Gumball Rally is about an illegal, unofficial cross-country auto race from New York City to Long Beach, California: no 55 mph speed limit, all means of smoky [aka highway patrol] detection permitted, the hottest cars roaring down the highway at over 120 mph all the way. The characters are wonderful, and since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, that its entire plot and many characters were copied in the 1981 hit movie, Cannonball Run and its sequels, is certainly high flattery.
In our times, the government has imposed so many insidious mandates on us that we forget that first one (in our lifetime) from another era, it seems. There are toilet mandates, soon there will be light bulb mandates. And sooner than you think, the IRS will enforce the health insurance mandate. What next ? What part of the word FREEDOM do the seigneurs in DC not understand ? As for that first mandate - "Double Nickels" - people fought it and eventually won - the 55 mph national speed limit was repealed under President Reagan.
Assert your freedom. Say to yourself every morning - I am not a number, I am a free man !
[That memorable line is from the intriguing TV show of the late 1960s - The Prisoner].
And don't just get angry - unfocused anger accomplishes nothing. And the enemies of freedom will pejoratively label mere anger as ignorant. Join the debate, use good arguments for freedom, and claim victory when the opposition resorts to ad hominem fallacies to close off debate.
Do something to save our freedom ! And it you want some humorous, motivational entertainment - watch Gumball Rally.
Markets
I will check with Krypto today to see if she has any sell orders for me - one regarding selling a bit of US stock was close last time she checked. Look for a PS here later.
Word of the Day
"Obnubliate" - verb, transitive [$100]
Obnubliate means becloud; to cloud over; obscure
Sentence: Don't let the use of ad hominem fallacies obnubliate your mind or arguments in a critical discussion or debate. Screechs of racism when one criticizes Barry's policies are truly an admission that the screecher has no rational rebuttal for you: you've won - claim victory over the point loudly and move ahead.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Whither Now ?
The jobs number came in quite good, as this blog had expected. Friday was volatile as the initial rally brought out selling on the news. I was part of that selling, letting all my speculative positions go on the morning rip up. At some point, however, I think that real buyers will move cash into the market as their confidence in the economy must now be much better. I would not be surprised as a modest rally, but the major resistance at S&P 1200 looms large. Many early buyers will likely sell there, or near there.
The risk-reward is now not what my speculative juices need. I will wait in cash for better long prices lower, or short sales higher.
Long term, two major problems loom: ObamaCare and climate change regulations. Both can create major stagnation as they will divert huge resources to non-productive ends. Instead of investing for growth, business will be forced to spend more money to make the same things. This did happen in the 1970s. That period also saw inflation rise due to central bank errors. Whether the Fed makes errors, time will tell.
I've climbed off the bull elephant and now will wait in the shade for a new trend to develop.
Book of the Week
The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution by Alex Storzinski. This superb book is a biography of Thaddeus Kosciuszko, covering both his heroic deeds in the American Revolution as the chief of engineers for the American army and in his native Poland, where he led two revolutions for freedom. [Note: the 'sz' in his name is pronounced 'sh'.] The extremely well written book uses extensive original Polish source and American source material. Koscuiszko was truly devoted to freedom for all, even more so than American founding father Thomas Jefferson. Koscuiszko left his entire revolutionary war pay in trust to Jefferson, who was a personal friend, to use to buy freedom for slaves in America. He also led early efforts to free serfs in Poland, and the revolutionary constitution of May 3, 1791 is commemorated in the great Polish epic poem, Pan Taddeus.
I enjoyed the details in the book - letters preserved actual conversation in summary. Koscuiszko had personal contract with Franklin, Washington, Gates, and Greene, all authentic heroes of American Independence. I had not known the details of Koscuisko's crucial role in the Battle of Saratoga, which turned the tide and made American freedom assured as long as the nation could hold out. Without Koscuisko's engineering skill preparing the American defenses, that battle could have been lost.
Also, the book's details of his leadership roles in the revolutions in Poland against Russia and Prussia, as well as Napoleon's double dealings were fascinating. Eastern Europe is now an important part of NATO and the EU. Understanding the history of that region and its people's multi-century struggles for freedom is crucial for bridging the huge cultural gap. Kosciuszko is true pillar of strength for freedom - a hero of both America and Poland. This book should be read now by anyone serious about history.
I recommend this book highly. It is best available at Polonia Bookstore (where I purchased my copy) as http://www.polonia.com/ [Don't be intimidated by the Polish language - type 'Koscuiszko' into the site's search box and you'll see the book in the results. Or you can find it on http://www.amazon.com/
Word of the Day
"Numinous" - adjective [$10]
Numinous means 1. indicating a presence of divinity; 2. spiritual; 3. awe-inspiring.
Sentence: The opening ceremony to the Copenhagen conference on climate change tried to put a numinous glow onto its affairs, but perhaps simply added more proof that the entire affair is like a convention of a mass movement: money and power rule by a clique. Freedom of the common man and his prosperity is at serious risk there.
The risk-reward is now not what my speculative juices need. I will wait in cash for better long prices lower, or short sales higher.
Long term, two major problems loom: ObamaCare and climate change regulations. Both can create major stagnation as they will divert huge resources to non-productive ends. Instead of investing for growth, business will be forced to spend more money to make the same things. This did happen in the 1970s. That period also saw inflation rise due to central bank errors. Whether the Fed makes errors, time will tell.
I've climbed off the bull elephant and now will wait in the shade for a new trend to develop.
Book of the Week
The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution by Alex Storzinski. This superb book is a biography of Thaddeus Kosciuszko, covering both his heroic deeds in the American Revolution as the chief of engineers for the American army and in his native Poland, where he led two revolutions for freedom. [Note: the 'sz' in his name is pronounced 'sh'.] The extremely well written book uses extensive original Polish source and American source material. Koscuiszko was truly devoted to freedom for all, even more so than American founding father Thomas Jefferson. Koscuiszko left his entire revolutionary war pay in trust to Jefferson, who was a personal friend, to use to buy freedom for slaves in America. He also led early efforts to free serfs in Poland, and the revolutionary constitution of May 3, 1791 is commemorated in the great Polish epic poem, Pan Taddeus.
I enjoyed the details in the book - letters preserved actual conversation in summary. Koscuiszko had personal contract with Franklin, Washington, Gates, and Greene, all authentic heroes of American Independence. I had not known the details of Koscuisko's crucial role in the Battle of Saratoga, which turned the tide and made American freedom assured as long as the nation could hold out. Without Koscuisko's engineering skill preparing the American defenses, that battle could have been lost.
Also, the book's details of his leadership roles in the revolutions in Poland against Russia and Prussia, as well as Napoleon's double dealings were fascinating. Eastern Europe is now an important part of NATO and the EU. Understanding the history of that region and its people's multi-century struggles for freedom is crucial for bridging the huge cultural gap. Kosciuszko is true pillar of strength for freedom - a hero of both America and Poland. This book should be read now by anyone serious about history.
I recommend this book highly. It is best available at Polonia Bookstore (where I purchased my copy) as http://www.polonia.com/ [Don't be intimidated by the Polish language - type 'Koscuiszko' into the site's search box and you'll see the book in the results. Or you can find it on http://www.amazon.com/
Word of the Day
"Numinous" - adjective [$10]
Numinous means 1. indicating a presence of divinity; 2. spiritual; 3. awe-inspiring.
Sentence: The opening ceremony to the Copenhagen conference on climate change tried to put a numinous glow onto its affairs, but perhaps simply added more proof that the entire affair is like a convention of a mass movement: money and power rule by a clique. Freedom of the common man and his prosperity is at serious risk there.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Armistice Day - Veterans Day
Today is the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I. Reading Le Monde this morning, it is quite clear that today is a much larger event in France & Britain than in the US. Numerous major public commemorations include the leaders of both nations and issues of old injustices are raised. The history of World War I in both Europe and the US has much to teach modern man. If you ever get a chance, watch the DVDs that show the history of World War I. Much good footage exists and the events are far enough in the past that true history can be seen, without the influence of politics.
In the US, one element that is missed is that many personal and political liberties were crushed as the US entered World War I. Freedom of speech and the press was massive curtailed. People were fired, jailed or deported for expressing dissent. Supreme Court decisions legitimized that oppression. So while the propaganda machine touted a war to "Make the World Safe for Democracy", at home the same machine was crushing personal freedom. This is certainly not well known.
Those old Supreme Court decisions were not overturned until the 1950s and 1960s.
Markets
The significance of the China stimulus was brushed aside. That plan was real news and a quite bullish event.
American Express to become a bank. Sighhhh ...
I guess finance will now return to the old ways. CFOs will again match liabilities with assets as the god of the markets is now obviously not always around to make money rain from the sky.
Many ship building contracts are being cancelled. So over time that will make current ships more valuable. If the shipping companies can survive current conditions, they will be worth much more ... IFF the world survives..
Actions
Doing nothing. I have money to invest, but am waiting as I practice "time diversification".
Word of the Day
"Vidette" - noun [$10] = "vedette"
Vidette means 1. a small naval launch used for scouting; 2. a mounted sentry in advance of the outposts of an army.
Sentence: Hiding in the bunkers, I wonder if investors will miss noticing the videttes of the next great bull market ?
In the US, one element that is missed is that many personal and political liberties were crushed as the US entered World War I. Freedom of speech and the press was massive curtailed. People were fired, jailed or deported for expressing dissent. Supreme Court decisions legitimized that oppression. So while the propaganda machine touted a war to "Make the World Safe for Democracy", at home the same machine was crushing personal freedom. This is certainly not well known.
Those old Supreme Court decisions were not overturned until the 1950s and 1960s.
Markets
The significance of the China stimulus was brushed aside. That plan was real news and a quite bullish event.
American Express to become a bank. Sighhhh ...
I guess finance will now return to the old ways. CFOs will again match liabilities with assets as the god of the markets is now obviously not always around to make money rain from the sky.
Many ship building contracts are being cancelled. So over time that will make current ships more valuable. If the shipping companies can survive current conditions, they will be worth much more ... IFF the world survives..
Actions
Doing nothing. I have money to invest, but am waiting as I practice "time diversification".
Word of the Day
"Vidette" - noun [$10] = "vedette"
Vidette means 1. a small naval launch used for scouting; 2. a mounted sentry in advance of the outposts of an army.
Sentence: Hiding in the bunkers, I wonder if investors will miss noticing the videttes of the next great bull market ?
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