People around the world love us for our love of freedom. According to the Kauffman Foundation, over 66% of US Citizens would see"reducing legal barriers and red tape for new business development.." than bailouts as a response to the economic crisis.
Of course the government is doing more regulations and more bailouts, but it is wonderful to hear the American people by a wide margin prefer freedom and starting businesses to bailouts.
The problem of course is the 1/3rd who turn to government to solve their problems. This economic crisis would end if we were freer to start businesses and freer from pointless interference (like taxes that cost more to collect than the money collected, and calling sand a "hazardous material.")
We lack the freedom to get out of this mess, and those responsible will avoid any responsibility. A bad combination. WE've ahad a rach of people shooting up places becuase they "recently lost their job." What if these people had been free to start their own businesses? But I am encouraged, if we were to cut back on rules and regs, the american people would step ion and do their part to rebuild this economy.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Why They Love America
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Lord Lloyd Webber Says Enough
The man behind Cats says too many people are stealing music online, and Britain is losing its leadership in music and entertainment. He wonders:
“The question that occurs to me is whether, in 10 years time, Britain will be a place that the Beatles could have emerged from,” he says.
It was govt control of radio and monopolies from copyrights gone amuck that allowed the Beatles to emerge. When the payola scandal hit the United States in the 1960, the decades old payoff system to get records on the air was broken and and a window opened allowing English bands and black music finally had a chance to get some air time.
Payola is probably back in a more subtle form. Lloyd Webber is rich of the system, so he would defend it, wouldn't he? While he has been hogging airwaves and getting rich, we have been denied unexperienced good music that cannot make it on the air.
If we got rid of copyrights and monopolies, people like Mick Jagger and Lloyd Webber would have to sing for their supper, work for a living. And countless others would get a chance to work for a living too.
Paul McCartney had no idea he made money from airplay until his CPA told him he was a millionaire. It's not the money that motivates artists. How many "yesterdays" are out there that we will never hear because Lord Lloyd Webber hogs the airwaves?
Nick Checks IN ON Exchange Rates
Hi John,
How vulnerable is the import/exporter to loss of value of the dollar? Do you recommend buying gold?
Thanks,
Nick
Currency fluctuations are a factor. Since we trade in frequency, not in volume, we manage the risk. If one small shipment gets hammered, we adjust prices on the next shipment... I'd say gold is a good part of any diversified portfolio. I have reason to be weighted into gold, but last year when I hedged the falling market with short-selling the govt outlawed it for the few weeks it would have mattered. I suspect when gold matters, they will steal it as they did in the last economic crisis... 1934.
But, importers were allowed an exception to the ban on owning gold to settle international payments.
Our economic crisis is caused by a critical mass of money that is not backed by wealth. We "printed" more money than there is warranted by goods and services and infrastructure, etc. the only defense right now is to trade something. Provide a value, make it tangible in goods and services, and trade it using the medium of exchange (money). Repeat as necessary.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Free Market Justice
After the Bush administration failed to protect us from another attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11, I advised forgiveness on the listserv that pre-existed this blog. Like all of my good ideas, I stole that one, in this case from Mother Teresa. M. Teresa advised "forgiveness" in the light of the Bopal disaster in the 1980's, an outrageous criminal act.
What if we responded to 9-11 with forgiveness, and offered to sit with the perpetrators with a 2 part agenda.
1. Why?
2. Immunity from prosecution if any perpetrator could prove any participation.
Free market justice. We would end up with a better explanation than "they hate our freedom" and we would know who did it. We'd get enough info on those who refuse to repent to prosecute them for their crimes.
Those criminal who were given immunity would be hard pressed to pull anything else off, since they would be watched closely. How many of them, in light of forgiveness, would truly repent?
Just alternative thinking...
John
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
IBM Patents Outsourcing
Now this is pretty weird... IBM has taken all of the factors is considers in outsourcing (the same as anyone else) and sought a patent on the process. Atrrrgghh.. IBM was doing so well by open-sourcing its patent, then it takes ten steps back by seeking the worst kind of patent, somethng everyone already knows and uses.
People are outraged that IBM has routinized the process and are demanding action... but look at one of the factors: "minimum head count to qualify for incentives." That is to say, government incentives... I suspect teh patent is full of government intervention exploitation factors. I'll say it again, if the government got out of subsidies and the kinds of restrictions that violate propoerty rights, manufacturing would come back home.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Treasury Plan Will Work
I've been kicking this idea around and I see Mish Shedlock has hit the same note.
I have a slightly different take, to wit:
"Their" system failed, for which they should be dismissed and those who know better take over. "they" (the powers that be) would rather rule in ruins than serve in peace.
"They" have enough control in media and politics to convince enough people extreme measure need to be taken. In essence these measures are a violation of the constitution, so they are lawless.
The measures will pass the losses created by the banks and institions, Wall Street, onto taxpayers present and future.
The banks and institutions include foreign holders of the debts, China, Japan, Germany, Britain. We have been sold down the river, by people who are being propped up by their arrangements with foreign governments. USA will be reduced, but the powers that be will remain. Hillary Clinton will have red carpets, Obama will have 500 person entourages, Geithner will have whatever he wants, you'll have to learn to do without.
Knowing full well their system failed, they will construct a new system with the debt holders overseas, and we will be told we made history. This is the point of the present G20 meetings. We will not notice responsibility has been avoided, the rule of law is gone, and there will always be someone worse off than us.
Lent is a good time for prayer and fasting to overcome evil.
Former Communists Want Gold Standard
China and Russia are pushing for gold to be reintroduced to check excess government spending, and of course USA is against it. To any degree money is based on gold is good, but since it is unlikely USA has any left, the government will be obliged to seize citizens gold, again. Sigh, There is no protection from this government.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Entertaining Interactive Trade Map
The US Department of Commerce has put up a rather entertaining internative international trade map at http://tse.export.gov/. Check it out.