Category: Politics

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The Rules….

Recently while my brother was visiting we started comparing notes about “Rules”.

We were both raised with rules and consequences. You know… you violate the rules and there are consequences.

Both of us at one point or another jumped off the roof of the family home. And for just a few seconds we did in fact defy the law (rule) of gravity! For a few milliseconds we enjoyed the thrill of being weightless, then came the consequences as we crashed down arms and legs flailing to the neatly manicured St. Augustine lawn.

As children, human body design allows for a certain amount of ill chosen activities. Most parents know that kids bounce surprisingly well. Jumping off a roof is in fact quite survivable when you’re 8 to 12.

It’s all about the landing… I could probably survive a similar leap today but I don’t think it would have the same thrill, (I’m Flying!) Today it would be more about (I’m Falling, now what is that terminal velocity equation… Splat!)

We won’t even get into my experimentation with gunpowder and certain chemicals from my chemistry set… Suffice it to say… my eyebrows eventually grew back.

I mention these ill chosen activities because they taught me a lot about rules / laws. These lessons formed the basis for a large part of my life philosophy. Well, these, and other lessons taught by the unique sound of my fathers belt as at arced toward my miscreant bottom. The lesson, simply put was “Obey the rules and bad shit doesn’t happen to you”.

Flash forward 35 years or so and I’m sitting with my brother in a restaurant. We’re witnessing some altercation happening out on the street and both of us reach the same conclusion about who was wrong and who was right. We turned back to our beers and pretty much said at the same time;

Why does it feel like we’re the only people still following the rules?

This lead to a discussion about the rules in general since apparently most rules have changed, and we missed the  memo.

Both of us will follow the rules.  This is particularly relevant in our workplaces.

For example.

In his workplace there was a rule that said no magazines or reading material was to be at various posts within the workplace (Think security). So he accepts this policy (rule) and then goes to his post. Lo and behold there is a substantial collection of reading material. As he cycles through other posts during the day he notes that reading material is abundant.

For folk like us, This creates a conflict.

Either all the rules are valid or none of the rules are valid.

We shouldn’t have to guess which of the rules our employer is going to enforce and which they’re going to let slide. If you’re not going to enforce a rule then remove it from the rule book and lets all move on.

When he questioned his superiors about the reading material he was labeled a Troublemaker. It set him up for all kinds of petty harassment and punishment by his peers. He wasn’t trying to make trouble, he simply wanted to know if the rule was actually enforced (apparently not), selectively enforced (low seniority couldn’t read, high seniority could), or enforced only when someone was watching.

Rather than actually answering his question, his supervisors just created a miserable work environment.

The creation of shitty work environments is all too common these days, especially among small minded, insecure, weak willed bosses. It’s less risky to their petty empire than an actual discussion and has no consequences other than to make the person they don’t like seek other employment.

When did the “Rules apply to others… not me” mindset become the norm?

All of us as children have that mindset. We are supposed to grow out of it.

Yet with each passing year evidence that we are in fact not growing out of it becomes more and more abundant. 
Recently there was the wonderful example of humanity at it’s worst in a McDonalds on the East Coast. A woman goes off and slaps a cashier because he needs to follow procedure and verify her $50 dollar bill. 
There are a number of things wrong with this scenario. First of all what kind of moron pays for a happy meal with a $50 bill? Given that you are in a position where you are the moron paying for your happy meal with a fifty, what part of the vendor is going to verify the bill escapes you? 
Then when an employee is obviously following procedure… where the hell do you get the idea that it’s OK for you to slap that employee?

But this bitch goes one further she climbs across the counter to pursue the employee who HAS retreated from her onslaught.
This is where things get really strange. The male employee being human grabs a pipe and starts beating the shit out of this crazed bitch.

I could have seen him punching her lights out but the pipe is over the top. The fact that he keeps smacking her after she’s down looks kinda bad too. On balance we can’t really see what’s happening behind the counter for all we know she’s trying to hit him with something she’s found.
Oh how proud the parents of these people must be! 21st Century homo sapiens to fresh out of the caves in less than 60 seconds!
All of them should have been taken to jail or better yet, a manners re-education camp complete with electroshock.
These people followed the rule of the jungle, not the rules of polite society and that’s the point!
Rules exist and are enforced by peer pressure within a society so that we don’t go back to the caves. But rules ONLY work when there is a homogenous society. 


We no longer have a homogenous society
I’m not talking about skin color here, or religion, or class. I’m talking about the fracturing of our society at a fundamental level. Ask any two people on the street about any set of rules and you’ll get different answers about which rules they’re going to obey.That’s a very different picture from 35 years ago.
We’ve become a society where people obsess over the tiniest of slights. You’d expect polite behavior, but in fact our society has focused so intensely on the minutiae that we have simply lost sight of the bigger issues. 
It’s no longer about if something is racist or sexist, we’ve broken it down to, “is something more racist or sexist against one group over another?” completely losing sight of the fact that racist or sexist behavior is in general bad.
We all need to step back think about the big picture concepts.
Don’t lie
Don’t steal
Don’t mistreat people regardless of their sex, color, sexuality, or whatever
Obey laws
Don’t cut in line
Be polite to each other
Treat everyone with respect and acknowledge their right to their opinion even if it differs from yours.
Apply all rules equally to everyone no exceptions


Why can’t we do this?
I think it goes back to a simple change in our thinking.
We used to all be Americans.
Now we’re Asian Americans, African, Americans, Pacific Islanders, Hispanic Americans, Muslim Americans, [Insert Ethnicity Here] Americans. We’ve even broken it down to sexual preference, now you can be an [Alphabet Soup] American.
What point does this serve except to draw distinctions based on our differences instead of our commonalities? 
We are all here in America because we were either born here OR because we CHOSE to come here.

Regardless of how we came to be here OR WHEN, at some point, someone in our family decided that being an American was better than being what they were. (Even African Americans have a choice about where they live. If they feel that they can’t get past the injustice in America they have a choice to leave. That, by the way is a choice we all have.) 

It’s well past time for us to put aside where our families came from and embrace being American again.
That doesn’t mean that we have to forget our traditions, it does mean that we need to find a way forward. It means that we all have to hammer out a new set of rules that we as a society agree to, and will follow. It means that we accept responsibility for ourselves and our fellow Americans and once again take pride in our unique ability to be a melting pot where the best of Humanity, not the worst is on display.
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Another WTF?

I just saw a report about a couple that was needing to renegotiate their home mortgage.

They’re falling behind on their payments.

They’re New Yorkers and their house payment is about 3K a month. I know NY is expensive and I’ve heard of much higher payments on the left coast.

So while the house payment is higher than I’d be comfortable paying I don’t think it’s out of line for an average American Family these days.

If both people are working and they’re not extravagant about their expenditures, then this is a snap shot of “Normal Americans” these days.

The other way these folks are average is that the Husband has been layed off and hasn’t been able to find another job.

So they attended an event by invitation sponsored by the Federal Government that connects Americans in trouble with the banks and seeks to facilitate loan renegotiation under an Obama program.

They were denied a renegotiation.

Why?

Because the wife made too much money!

So let’s recap, Wife Employed, Husband unemployed, behind on bills, behind on mortgage.

The couple wants to honor their debts, & keep their house but they’re NOT eligible to take advantage of a Government sponsored program that would allow them to simply renegotiate their mortgage…

BECAUSE THEY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY?


WTF?


Isn’t it enough that they’re in serious trouble?

I so totally don’t get it. The banks and the government would rather see a decent hard working couple who’s having a rough patch get foreclosed on, have their credit destroyed, and end up homeless than to take action….

Who does this serve? It sure as hell isn’t “We The People“

This is what Occupy Wall Street should be bitching about!

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Another example of the fallacy of Domestic Partnership

An article from an Ann Arbor news source reports that UofM may lose a percentage of it’s teaching staff if a stupid bill is signed into law.

The bill in question was proposed by Republican Rep. Dave Agema in an effort to save Michigan some money

His justification is;

“It is not the responsibility of taxpayers to support the roommates and unmarried partners of public employees,” Agema said in a statement. “Providing benefits in this way is not the role of the state, especially when tax dollars are in short supply and there are critical programs being affected by the decrease in revenue.”

It appears the representative is saying, If marriage between two consenting adults was permitted then he wouldn’t have introduced this bill

This law, if passed will also cut benefits for the children of domestic partners who are currently covered.

I love the hypocrisy.

Republicans like this will trot out the “We have to protect the Children” argument as long as it’s against same sex marriage. But in back room deals they’ll cut benefits to those same children without any twinge from their conscience.

This highlights again how Domestic Partnership is NOT the same as marriage, and demonstrates why same sex marriage must be made legal in this country. The only way for gay men and women to have parity in their rights is through marriage.

Everyone in this country must have equal rights or none of us will.

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Wow, Herman Cain is uhhh interesting…

I doubt he’s going to be elected.

In an interview on TV this morning, he asked the American people to “look up the history” of planned parenthood.

Uhhh Americans having to do research? Not likely!

But since he is an “Un-Politician” he may carry the day in a few more weeks in the polls.

I think Mr. Cain is sincere in his desire to do the best for the country.

How do you define “best for the country”?

That’s where Mr. Cain is going to lose his momentum.

Like all the Republican candidates vying for position, he’s pandering to an “Ultra” Conservative segment of the American people.

The problem is, the Republicans perceive this segment to be much larger than it really is. This very conservative segment is in reality just very vocal.

The average Joe in America isn’t into telling everyone else how to live.

Average people just want to have a job, raise their kids, pay their mortgages, and not have their backs broken by taxes. They also want medical care that doesn’t rape them and the ability to take a vacation from time to time.

Why is it so hard for politicians to figure out?

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I’ve been watching “Occupy Wall Street” with interest

 

I’ve said several times that I thought the business world was loaded with people that behaved in what could be described as a treasonous manner. I suppose that my suggestion about having them shot by a firing squad after their trials was a bit over the top.

It’s been interesting to watch the Occupy Wall Street crowd try to describe their beliefs. Depending on who is asked you’ll get a different answer about why they’re occupying anything.

There is always a person saying that the rich don’t pay enough taxes.

I don’t think these folks have really thought their argument through, here’s an example why;

I once had a conversation about Obamacare with a gentleman educated at MIT. I’m paraphrasing here, his opinion was that the rich had more than enough to pay for everyone else’s Obamacare and that the government should just take their money via higher taxes. When I asked what happens when His income bracket was considered “RICH” and his money was being taken? He responded that there’d be another discussion then.

I pointed out that he was advocating what I understood was socialism in it’s worst form. And that the “Rich” had more than enough resources to simply leave the country. Even if the rich didn’t leave, the system that he was advocating was certainly going to act as a disincentive for anyone working hard to become rich.

I did enjoy pointing out that this persons beloved Lakers had a disproportionately large number of very wealthy individuals. The conversation cooled after that.

My point is, that all too often “The Rich” has become a code word for White Republicans. Herman Cain being the notable exception, however he does fit the “Rich” category. It’s going to be tough to get cooperation out of any group of people who feel that they’re being singled out and essentially punished because of their success.

The other major group seems to be more on point

This group seems to be demanding accountability from the financial community.

The question is what kind of accountability? I think it’s safe to assume that the Obscene Bonuses will not be paid back and the cash is safely in a Cayman numbered account.

So what are we as a nation wanting?

This is where it all falls down. Without some clear points and the ability to articulate those points it won’t take long before Occupy Wall Street is viewed as a bunch of disenfranchised, unemployed “have-not” rabble.

Once that happens the moment will be lost and the changes OWS organizers were after will be lost in the chaos of water cannons, tear gas, and flying bricks and bottles.

I hope the OWS folks understand this and have some kind of plan.

In my desire to be helpful, I’ve come up with a list of demands.

No more offshoring of Consumer Financial business. 

This includes ALL transactions, record keeping, bill payment, collection, in short anything that puts The private data of Americans in the hands of foreign nationals.

Lets face it, right from the get go this is obviously a bad idea. My fax machine is deluged with calls, some from Indian cell phones trying to collect on loans that have been paid off for decades. I can only imagine what that would be like if I actually had past due bills.

If you want a chilling thought, realize that if these folks have your phone number they probably also have old account numbers, addresses, and possibly social security numbers. In short they have everything necessary to create a false identity.

Now think about some entrepreneurial soul in the Philippines or India who frankly doesn’t understand how damaging it is to have their identity stolen, selling a nice packet of your information for $25 a pop to a criminal… If that doesn’t make your sphincter tighten I don’t know what will.

All the Mortgage Lenders Have to take a Haircut on their outstanding loans

We all know that a lot of property was way overvalued. I once looked at a $400,000.00 one bedroom condo, with no parking in a less than great area in San Jose. It was a “Fixer-upper” in that there were no fixtures in the bathroom and drywall walls were missing. At the time I busted up laughing at the realtor and told her she had a great sense of humor. She didn’t get it, and  I didn’t buy the condo. That kind of money could buy me a 4 column antebellum mansion in the South with a ton of land. For me living in San Jose just wasn’t worth it.

Part of the housing market implosion was caused by folks being told they could “Flip” their housing investment and trade up. That led in part to the overheating of the housing market and an unrealistic valuation of the worth of homes. The Mortgage Lenders themselves and their insane lending practices just kept fueling the bloat.

Come on folks… when does it make sense that you can buy a house with less documentation than you need to buy a car?

Those poor lending practices were just a way for the banks to obtain property that artificially inflated their net worth on paper.

Most of the lenders knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the “No Documentation” loans were probably going to default. The bankers were hoping to “Flip” the loans at face value before they got stuck with the default. It was a game of musical chairs…

Well now the music has stopped and the banks aren’t victims… They were players. It’s time for them to pay up.

The average American family who didn’t use their homes like an ATM shouldn’t have to pay the price for bad banking and those folks that did.

We should demand that mortgage lenders, lower the interest rates of all outstanding mortgage rates to 2% or less, cut the values of the mortgages to what the properties are really worth, stop all foreclosures, and make the mortgage lenders put all the foreclosed homes in their inventories back on the market.

Where possible, any displaced families should be offered their homes back under the new terms.

Bring Jobs back to this country

There was a sound bite on the news the other day. This lady in North Carolina made a comment like; “They put those people to work in China by putting all of us out of work.”

She makes a great observation. What kind of jobs are there for Americans now?

The President has advocated Trade schools and certificate programs in lieu of college diplomas.

We can’t all be Lawyers, Financiers, Politicians, Doctors, or information workers. The latter category being outsourced so fast it makes your head spin.

So what other professions do we have?

We do little heavy manufacturing these days compared to the past. Many of our steel plants are shuttered, our Auto industry has been under siege for decades. There are very few consumer electronic manufacturers here anymore. There is virtually no textile manufacturing here. Mechanics and repair professions are still in demand. Most of these positions have traditionally been filled by Trade school graduates.

Where does this leave those who have been displaced by outsourcing?

Unemployed!

So why not demand companies bring the jobs home?

The answer almost always is that American workers are too expensive. Really? I know I’d take less money if the other choice was unemployment. Of course the worker taking less money also means that taxes have to be lower. The cost of goods and services have to be proportionately lower and there’s the problem.

No one knows how to make that happen.

There’s a sense of “Fairness” in our country. There’s a belief that everything should be fair and if we bring these jobs home there are going to be people that are still making 100K a year and there will be people that only make 15K a year. This class disparity is considered unfair, (even though it exists today and always has.) folks LIFE is inherently unfair! Get over it.

Bring the jobs home. Put people to work, and let the free market economy sort it out. We know that free market economies work because of the housing market debacle.

Houses became overinflated because lenders were making obscenely large sums available. Now housing prices are falling because people can’t get loans for obscene amounts anymore. People that bought high or leveraged the shit out of their homes are screwed. But housing prices are falling and “Correcting” to a more realistic value.

The same is true of steak, corn, chicken, turkey, internet, electricity, or whatever. If lots of people turn off their internet or Cable TV because it’s too expensive, the cost will drop. Folks will buy chicken instead of steak, if the cost of steak is too high. More people will learn to actually cook instead of relying on pre-prepared nukeit meals. or eating out. Maybe it will be a twofer, the prices will be lower and we’ll get a nuclear family again…

My point is, that keeping jobs offshore because you’re worried that the American worker won’t work for less is stupid when you have so many workers unemployed in the first place.

We should have faith in our economy, and we should nurture that economy by putting our people to work instead of folks in third world cesspools that fucking hate our guts anyway.

So there, you OWS people. You’ve got a simple list of 3 demands and you’re welcome to use them. Hopefully you’ll wake up and realize that simply occupying anyplace without a reasonably well articulated point isn’t actually helping.

You’re just killing the grass under your tent.