Quixotic Tales

     President Bush addressed the American people yesterday, “Without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic, and a distressing scenario would unfold,” Bush said as he worked to resurrect the unpopular bailout package. “Our entire economy is in danger.”

     I was astounded! Where has President Bush been this last week, doesn’t the White House have cable. In this case, Bush is simply a dollar short and an hour late!

     What in the world was Bush thinking? As a patriotic concerned American citizen, my personal reaction was simply, please do not interrup the television commercials to bring me anymore of the President’s speechs; and, will someone please ask Laura to tell George to shut the hell up!

     My own analysis of the national financial crisis is that it is definitely not something that deregulation or tax cuts can fix, so why involve either Bush or McCain in a resolution of the problem?

     John McCain wants to quit compaigning. I don’t blame him for no longer wanting to be President. As of today, I can’t believe that anyone, in their right mind, would want to be President of the United States of insanity.

      However, for the sake of America and my children and grandchildren, I hope someone can convince Barack Obama that he should not drop out of the campaign, too.

      Damnit, someone has to be President in January………..don’t they?

Experience has played a big factor in this 2008 Presidential election along with which candidate is best qualified for knowing what the needs are of the ordinary working man. Sen. McCain claims to have had more and better experience than Obama, including especially the years John McCain was a prisoner-of-war. Yet, never in his entire life as a Naval Officer or Senator has John McCain had to worry about his income being cut-off because of a lay-off, down-sizing, illness, injury, or having his job out-sourced. Even all those years that McCain was a prisoner of war, he was still was being paid for all that time by the U.S. Government (sometimes referred to as the tax-payers money). John McCain has never experienced life as an ordinary American working man. That’s hard to believe but it is true!

John McCain is opposed to a US government operated and funded ‘universal health care program’, yet the US government has provided for the health care of John McCain during his entire life as a US Naval Officer and Senator; also, the US government provided health care for the entire life of John McCain’s father and his grandfather, who were both US Navy Admirals. That’s hard to believe but it is true!

Sen. McCain would like to privatize the Postal Service, yet our Constitutional forefathers, people like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, created the US Postal Service because they believed communication was too important to trust to private enterprise. That’s hard to believe but it is true!

      It appears to me that America is now in ‘a period of low economic activity’.  I looked it up in the dictionary and that is the definition of a economic depression.  I know that we cannot be in an economic depression, like the Great Depression that I remember as a child, because all the political leaders have said, ‘America cannot have another Great Depression, because regulations have be put into place to prevent it’.

     But then I am old now and forget that Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and two Bushs have convinced Americans that those regulations hamper business activity and everything in America was deregulated: banks; airlines; stock market; utilities; telephones; everything.  When I was growing up, banks in Illinois could not even have branches (that has changed too).

     Guess there are not many of us left who remember that Great Depression.  But, I have decided the last couple of days that there is something to say for experience, even bad experience like living through the Great Depression.

     Now Mr. McCain, a current candidate for the Presidency, has spent his entire adult life working in a government job; he has no experience in the job market, so he doesn’t know anything about economic  depressions.  McCain is the son of an Admiral who was the son of an Admiral and for sure does not know anything about being poor or jobless.  John McCain, however, does have experience of being a prisoner of war; I am sure that was depressive, but he was getting paid all that time he was a prisoner of war, he just couldn’t spend it at the time.  I feel sorry for any person who was a prisoner of war and respect their service to their country, but being a POW did not teach them anything about economic depressions.

      One thing that really makes me mad about McCain, is that he is one of three generations of McCains who worked their entire life for the government and never had to worry about losing a job and not be able to feed the family or pay the Mortgage; yet, he wants to eliminate government workers and privatize the Post Office, Amtrack, public schools, and everything that is government run, except the U.S. Navy.

      Personally, I can’t help but believe that hose things should be government operated because I think it is in the best interest of the American people.

      Our Constitutional forefathers thought that communication was so important for the people that the government could not trust private companies with the mail.  George Washington had the Postmaster General in his cabinet.

      Now, thanks to Republican deregulators, I have dozens of telephone companies to choose from, but in all honesty, I don’t trust any of them; lately I discovered that my telephone company has violated my trust and allowed the current renegade President to listen to my phone conversations and read my email without a warrant, despite my Constitutional rights.  It makes me want to say, “goddamn my American government for spying on me.”  It would be unacceptable to all of today’s American Presidential candidates, for me to say that, but I’ll bet that Thomas Jefferson would agree with me.

      And, McCain and his Republicans oppose universal health care; they think it is better for profit-making companies to provide health care.  But, Aetna Medical Insureance Company let my best friend die because providing surgury for her would not be profitable for Aetna.  That is why I only trust my own health care to Kaiser Permanente health insurance company, which is a non-profit corporation provider; I chose Kaiser because it makes me feel a lot better about getting the necessary health care that I need.  I wouldn’t care if the government took over Kaiser and I’m sure that Kaiser wouldn’t care either. Based on my best friend’s experience, I am a little queasy about trusting capitalists who profit from other peoples tragic illnesses.

      Actually, I have always believed that capitalism should be another human right, that allows an American citizen to profit from their own creative ideas.  However, I never worried about socialism being bad, if that term is applied to something that is owned by the government, like schools, because it is in the best interest of the people.

      In school, we were taught that the only reason that government exists at all, is to do things  for us collectively that we cannot do for ourselves as individuals.

     But it appears that too many Americans have been brainwashed to believe that capitalism is Holy and ordained by God.  Capitalism is not ordained by God, but I have always maintained that the organized church is just another business and a big business at that.  The organized church is in the business of selling salvation; nothing in this world is free and salvation doesn’t come cheap.  I guess you could say that the organized church is a kind of an insurance company with a big overhead and people’s contributions are like insurance premiums and church membership is a hedge against spending eternity in Heaven or Hell.

      Actually, the organized church is not a bad investment in times of ‘low economic activity’; at least churches don’t go bankrupt (unless they are found guilty of child molestation).  Of course the church doesn’t offer any dividends that can feed the family or pay the mortgage.

     Hey, I have another tip for investors in this current depression; hang on to your gold teeth because gold is the only thing increasing in value today.  Heck, people don’t smile much in a depression anyway!

       Sunday, September 15, 2008, I was reading the Washington Post and found an opinion entitled, “Quit Doling Out That Bad Economy Line”. It was written by Donald Luskin. Basically, Mr. Luskin says America’s economy is fine and Barack Obama is wrong when he says we are headed for a Depression. The American economy is nothing like it was in the Great Depression, Luskin contends, and he wants people to quit saying that the American economy is bad!

      Luskin admits that he is an advisor to John McCain, but says that has nothing to do with his analysis and criticism of Obama, because McCain doesn‘t listen to him (?).

      Actually, I do not believe everything I read, however, I do read just about anything, including Mr. Luskin’s opinion piece. Being a Pragmatist, I always consider the source of the information and whether or not it has been reliable in the past.  Also, I am always intrigued by the credentials of a writer, credentials that qualifies them to be published in the Washington Post and me not to be published there.

      Mr. Luskin in the Chief Investment Officer of a Consulting Firm; I can only assume that he makes a living telling other people how to spend their money. From this, I gather that if America is in a Depression and no one has money to spend, Mr. Luskin would be out of work. Therefore, it appears to me that Luskin has a conflict of interest relative to his analysis of whether or not America is in a Depression; it would appear to be to his economic advantage to convince the American people that the economy is fine and we are indeed not headed for a Depression.

      My own research of the source indicates that Mr. Luskin was born in 1954, and all that he knows about the Great Depression of 1930, is what he has read about it (and I have no way of knowing the integrity of Mr. Luskin’s sources). My own expertise about the Great Depression comes from having lived through it. Though I was young at the time, youth can understand hunger and the angst of families who are out of work and their home is being foreclosed. As a child you can vividly experience the lack of material things and you can also recognize that it is relative unimportant to your own life, if everyone else that you know must do without the same things that are lacking in your life.

      Reality, according to Luskin, is that the US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.3 percent in the last quarter. Unemployment figures are up, Luskin admits but “None of this, however, is the cause for depression . . .”

     With all due respects, whether unemployment is the cause or effect of depression, if you just happen to be the person unemployed with no potential for employment to support your family and your home is being foreclosed, as far as those unemployed workers are concerned, we in a depression.

     Mr. Luskin condemns and belittles Barack Obama’s contention that the percentage of home foreclosures today is the greatest since the Great Depression because “there is no consistent data on foreclosures going all the way back to the Depression”. Mr. Luskin’s nasty criticism of Sen. Obama’s statement does not ring true to me, when I read that over one million homes in America are in foreclosure and I discover that my neighbors are moving out the their houses and leaving them because they owe more for their home than it is worth. There is a sinking feeling in my stomach, when I wonder if perhaps my neighbors were reading Mr. Luskin’s economic advice when they purchased their homes.

     Monday, the day after Mr. Luskin’s opinion appeared in the Washington Post, the headlines of the newspaper read, “Markets Tumble on Wall Street Shakeup”.

     “Stocks plunge in early trading on Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and takeover of Merrill Lynch: repercussions are felt around the world.” Normally, I consider the Washington Post news a reliable source; they have a long record of being right. Personally, I feel a Depression coming on.

     When American citizens read that Russia has invaded Georgia, do they think that Russian tanks have entered the city limits of Atlanta?

     It is not that Americans are stupid.  Americans are not stupid!  Ignorant, yes for good reason perhaps, but not stupid.

      If Americans cannot tell the difference between the American State Georgia and the sovereign nation of Georgia that was previously a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics it is because (1) they have never been informed and/or (2) it was not important to know the difference.  Now perhaps, Americans should know the difference; however, it just might be in the interests of the Neocon Bush Regime that Americans remain ignorant of the Caucus nation, Georgia.

     At least the American media appears to keep facts about the nation Georgia from the American public and the media usually does what the Bush Administration decides serves their best interests.  The American media is self-censored to avoid the wrath of President Bush or corporate advertisers whose interests are served by the President and his policy.  President Bush is a very vindictive President who destroys the character of those who disagree with his policy (like Valerie Plame Wilson).  And, President Bush’s allies, virtually all of Corporate America, tend to withdraw their advertising from media who buck their benefactor President’s will.

      Therefore, the media no longer serves the interests of American voters by keeping them informed, because the media is in business for only one reason and that is to make a profit and profits come from corporate adversising.  In America, the press in no longer is the Fourth Estate.

      The only Freedom of the Press in America today, is the freedom of the press to spin the news to preserve their profits from corporate advertising.

      The nation Georgia and the Caucus Region immediately south of Russia, is sitting on the largest untapped deposits of oil known at the present time.  Of course, it is no secret that the American President, George Bush, loves oil more than anythinng else in the world and is more than willing to sacrifice the blood of American soldiers in wars fought for the right to control oil production.

      Georgia and Russia have a common border and some ethnic regions on that border are in dispute. Recently, Georgia provoked Russia into invading that nation over issues involving their disputed border.

     When invaded, Georgia appealed to President Bush for help.  President Bush has for years been desperately trying to gain influence in Georgia, in an attempt to get control of the oil production there.  Of course, since Georgia is on the Russian border and was originally a part of the old USSR, Russia considers Georgia to be within ist own sphere of interest.

     President Bush’s reaction to the invasion was to WARN Russia and DEMAND Russia withdraw from Georgia.  When Russia ignored President Bush’s threats, President Bush indicated he would find a way to punish Russia for the invasion of Georgia.

      Since the war has been resolved, President Bush sent humanitarian aid to Georgia on a US warship into the Black Sea; a warship is not ordinarily associated with humanitarian aid.  Historically, the Black Sea is a very sensitive area to the Russians; it is in their sphere of influence and their ships only warm water access to the world. The behavior of President Bush (and consequently America), by sending a warship into the Black Sea, would historically be considered warlike behavior.

     The reaction by President Bush to the Georgia incident, comes immediately following President Bush’s announcemet that America is placing American war missiles in Poland which also shares a common border with Russia; this move by President Bush provoked a crisis with Russia similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis that occurred during the Kennedy Administration.  Russia condemed this warlike action by America (President Bush) and it is still to be resolved.

      Oddly enough, Russia shares a border with one of the United States, Alaska, and yet Russia does not appear to enjoy the same neighborly consideration from the United States that Canada and Mexico enjoy.  Russia has actually done nothing to provoke America, since the end of the Cold War, except to compete with America for influence in the oil production in the Caucus.  It seems owever, that Russian competition for oil is the primary issue for President Bush’s warlike policy toward Russia today.  The question is, do all Americans approve of these warlike policies toward Russia; are Americans aware that they are provoking war with Russia?

      Some Americans believe that the war against Afghanistan was totally unnecessary for America to apprehend the terrorist bin Laden who was based there, since that effort failed miserably. Those same Americans feel that the war against Afghanistan was more to rid that nation of the Taliban dominent government, which opposed an oil pipeline being built by an American company across Afghanistan to get Caucus oil from Georgia to a warm water port.  It just happens to be that the American Vice President, Dick Cheney, was previously CEO of the American company building that oil pipeline and there would appear to be some possibility of a conflict of interst involved.

      Actually, the sovereign nation of Afghanistan was not responsible for the terrorist attack on America, Septemember eleventh in 2001, and the terrorist bin Laden has long departed from Afghanistan. However, America continues to occupy Afghanistan, seven years after the American invasion.  Oil does seem to have some bearing on America’s Afghan policy.

      Because many Americans are totally unaware of the issues involving the nation of Georgia, it would appear that President Bush’s warlike warnings to Russia and Bush’s threats to punish Russia was never meant for American ears; many Americans appear to be totally ignorant of the issues involving the nation of Georgia, America, and Russia.  Not too many Americans could tell you exactly where Georgia is on a map.

      Americans need to be aware however, that their President (for the next four months) sounds and acts very much like he is threatening another war about oil, this time with Russia.  All Americans need to have Georgia on their minds.

Update Note: September 11, 2008, Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska and candidate for Vice President of the United States was asked if she would go to war with Russia over the Georgia incident and she is quoted as saying, “And we’ve got to keep an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading a smaller democratic country (the nation Georgia), unprovoked, is unacceptable.”

       Russia maintains that there is justifiable evidence that Georgia in a border dispute provoked the invasion by Russia.

      Asked if she would go to war with Russia if Georgia had been a member of NATO (Georgia has applied for entry into NATO), Palin replied, “Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you’re going to be expected to be called upon and help.”

       Palin was asked if she agreed with Bush’s doctrine enunciated just before the Iraq invasion and Palin did not know what Bush’s doctrine was. The interviewer described the doctrine as ‘anticipatory self-defense’; actually it is preemptive war, which is a violation of International Law. Palin responded, “I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell bent on destroying our nation.” Evidently, Palin had not heard of weapons of mass destruction or that Saddam was NOT responsible for 9/11.

      If elected, Palin would be a heart-beat away from the Presidency of John McCain, who at 72 would be the oldest person elected to the Presidency of the USA.

News: John McCain says that if elected President, he will appoint a Democrat to his cabinet.

Commentary: So, Joe Lieberman will be Secretary of State.

. . . . . 

News: Bush takes control of Freddie May and Fannie May Mortgage Companies.

Commentary: And President Bush wants to privatize Social Security?

 . . . . .

News: Woodward’s book says President Bush ignored Joint Chiefs of Staff and instead followed the military advise from Neocon think tank, American Enterprise Institute.

Commentary: As President Bush proclaimed, he is the ‘decider’!

     Well, I have been in Europe now for more than a month and I am thoroughly enjoying missing the total involvement in the American Presidential Election process. I just finished watching the news, here in Switzerland. Today, it covered the Republican Convention.

      Besides German, French, and Italian broadcasts, I can watch three TV news channels here, in English: CNN (European version and bad), BBC (British version and not enough US news), and Aljazeera News in English, which is the best of the three and certainly better and more impartial than either Fox or CNN in the USA.  Aljazeera just finished covering the Republican Convention on TV, using American journalists and commentators (one a former US Army officer); they were very impartial, intelligent, and informative.  Why does all of this embarrass me?

      Well, I have finally come to the conclusion that the Republican convention must have really been bad, since all the important participants chose to go to a hurricane instead, and it wasn’t even a very good hurricane.

      But hey, to me comedy is the only real source of energy in life and Sarah Palin has provided great comedic therapy for this otherwise, disgusting Presidential campaign.  Of course, I wouldn’t want to have to vote for her since she is a little more sinister and evil politically than Attila the Hun, but I think she would be a fantastic person to hang out and have a drink with: a gun toting beauty queen, an ex-professional fisherman, and a totally ruthless politician.  I am looking forward to her and Maureen Dowd going at each other; I wouldn’t take bets.

     Possibly, Sarah Palin and McCain can take their Abbot and Costello show on the road and win a lot of votes; they really do spell relief for all those poor Bush supporters (especially GOP athletic supporters, Sarah was also once a sports broadcaster).

     However, I can’t believe that those damn nasty Republicans chose good ol’ Sarah for McCain’s Vice and then wouldn’t tell her what a Vice President does every day; I think that is extremely unfair, to Sarah.

     It is interesting, from a Constitutionl point of view, how the St. Paul Police are man-handling protesters and journalist at the Republican Convention; I assume that President Bush has given the St. Paul Police permission to use ‘waterboarding’ on prisoners!  I read with concern, the story of St. Paul Police using an old decrepit warehouse as a holding area for protesters and the fact that it has no rest-rooms.  Those prisoners might welcome ‘waterboarding’ after being held for a long period of time in a run-down warehouse without rest rooms.

      Of course, I was proud of Obama coming out and stating that families of candidates, particularly children, were off limits to Democrats who were campaigning.  But then, the Democrats don’t really have to say anything about candidates families; the Republicans are the ones doing all the talking to defend Sarah Palin’s selection and they seem more adept at campaigning for the Democrats than the Democrats do, just by defending Sarah and her family.  Personally, I don’t think they need to be defended!

      But holy moley, claiming that Sarah Palin is well informed on foreign matters because her state is next door to Russia?  What a stroke of genius!  That is just about as intellectually brilliant as the McCain campaign can get?  However, everyone must remember that McCain was a prisoner of war in Viet Nam and therefore qualified to explain Palin’s qualifications; it all falls into place!

      (I certainly don’t want to be disrespectful of John McCain, whom I respect, but if I had a preference, I would prefer to have a candidate who did NOT get shot down and was NOT taken prisoner.  But, that is just my personal preference.)

      Actually, I am enjoying being in Switzerland during this idiotic political campaign. I am able to check on the insanity in America, by going on the Internet, and I don’t have to subject myself to continuous pathetic and biased American TV and newspaper coverage.  I cannot think of one American news reporter or commentator that I can truly respect, today.  Lord, Lord, I do miss Walter Cronkite.

      There is one thing that Americans have yet to learn and that is that Hitler did not have to censor German news media; they censored themselves to keep from earning Hitler’s ire.  George Bush is the recipient of the same kind of American news self-censoring; the Bush regime is exceedingly vindictive and powerful.   Rove and Cheney are masters of character assassination (just ask Valerie Plame or Scott McClellan).  That is the one great advantage of looking at America from the outside (Europe), you can see how truth is kept from the American people by the American media.

       God bless America!