"Change...ain't nothing stays the same"

We are watching some revolutions right now such as the internet driven demise of the newspaper industry. We will see this happen to many industries that do not react quickly enough to changing markets. Witness the "Big 3" automakers. The government is trying to prop these companies up -- we are all about to become stockholders in dinosaurs. Why? Because the UAW is getting paid off. The government was also moving to prop up newspapers -- no taxation if they became non-profit entities and did not advocate any political candidates. Only a few short years ago, it would have been unthinkable that these two industries could be headed for extinction.

I read an article in "Risk Management" magazine that spoke of this change. An example was cited of the invention of the printing press in 1500. Historians could describe life before the press and life after the press, but what about the year it was invented? It turns out this revolution was chaotic. The old stuff was getting broken faster than new stuff is put in its place.

Un-Cheney'd and ya hit the ground runnin'

Last night I started to watch the Vice President Cheney interview on the Hannity show. I couldn't watch it all the way through. He was getting softballs thrown at him by Sean. The author of the 1% Doctrine had an arrogance about him that our country's treasure could be tossed around to cover every long shot in the book. The guy who told former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill that "Reagan proved deficits don't matter" now says, now says, that there is too much spending. In accounting, you can design internal controls that make everything 100% safe. However, it will seize up the operations of your company and bankrupt it.

He and Bush bankrupted America and helped wreck the Republican party. James Carville has written a book entitled "40 More Years: How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation ". I am starting to believe it, but I just don't think they will be successful. Will the next generation eventually understand the nature of the national debt and the unfunded liabilities of pensions, social security and medicare? Will they hold these leaders accountable? Will America be the last great superpower? The Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of its corrupt system. America seems destined to do the same. The arrogance and cost of empire is more than any nation can bear. Ivan Eland wrote a book entitled "Recarving Rushmore: Ranking Presidents on Peace, Prosperity and Liberty". Eland profiles each U.S. president on the merits of his policies and whether those strategies contributed to peace, prosperity, and liberty:

The Peace Presidents

The Founders of the republic recognized that the United States had a fairly secure position against most military threats, with weak neighbors at its borders and two oceans buffering it from the world’s conflict zones. These advantages allowed the United States to stay out of most foreign wars and to avoid maintaining large standing armies in peacetime, which the Founders’ viewed as a threat to civil liberties. More recently, however, presidents have tended to abandon that foreign policy for one of overseas interventionism, a trend Eland views as counterproductive and costly.

Consistent with the Founders’ vision—and in stark contrast to rankings that often reward presidents simply because they provided “leadership” during wartime—Eland’s ranking method gives presidents credit for avoiding wars and for conducting only necessary wars of self-defense. “Presidents receive demerits for conducting wars of choice—that is, most wars in U.S. history,” Eland writes.

In the category of promoting peace, Eland gives his highest rankings to three presidents: John Tyler, Warren Harding, and Herbert Hoover. Tyler exercised restraint in dealing with an internal rebellion, a bloody Indian war, and a boundary dispute with Canada. In foreign policy, Harding was exceptional, keeping the U.S. out of the entangling alliance of the League of Nations, negotiating a separate peace with Germany, and securing the first significant arms control agreement in U.S. history. Hoover, although a proponent of U.S. interventionism abroad, showed restraint in foreign policy by avoiding sanctions and not threatening force against Japan after its invasion of Manchuria and by eschewing Wilsonian interventionism in Latin America.

Eland gives his lowest peace rankings to six presidents: James Madison (invasion of Spanish Florida, the War of 1812), James Polk (Mexican War), William McKinley (Spanish-American War), Woodrow Wilson (World War I, massive U.S. meddling overseas), Harry S Truman (Hiroshima and Nagasaki [I disagree with this one], Cold War, Korean War, interventionism in the Middle East and elsewhere, the military-industrial complex), and George W. Bush (Iraq and Afghanistan)—with John F. Kennedy (Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs, Vietnam) and Lyndon Johnson (Vietnam) tied for the second lowest rankings in the peace category.

Promoting Prosperity

The Founders of the American republic generally believed that free-market policies would lead to prosperity, and they built that nation’s economy into the largest on earth on that principle. Accordingly, although other analysts’ assessments often reward presidential activism in the economy,

Eland deducts points for activism that violated the Founders’ original ideas and rewards presidents who encouraged the private sector to resolve problems with minimal government intervention in the economy. It is crucial to keep in mind that economic performance during one administration can be determined by policies enacted by prior administrations. “Jimmy Carter experienced stagflation during his administration, which was primarily caused by LBJ and Nixon’s Vietnam War and their economic mismanagement,” Eland writes. “Yet Carter fostered economic policies that eventually led to the prosperity of the Reagan years and set a precedent for policies that led to renewed prosperity during the Clinton years.”

In the category of promoting prosperity, Eland gives his highest rankings to John Tyler, Martin Van Buren, and Rutherford B. Hayes. Tyler supported a sound policy of limiting the growth of the money supply, and generally opposed high tariffs, a national bank, and federal welfare to the states. Van Buren showed proper restraint during an economic crisis and worked toward limiting federal and executive power. Hayes returned the United States to the anti-inflationary gold standard (which helped pull the economy out of a recession), restored the nation’s credit, and kept federal troops out of a violent labor dispute.

Eland gives his lowest prosperity rankings to two presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt (the New Deal, wartime expansion of the state) and Lyndon Johnson (the Great Society and other federal programs). Closely behind are William McKinley (new taxes, favoritism for select businesses, progressivism), Woodrow Wilson (Federal Reserve System, Federal Trade Commission, renewed antitrust activism, groundwork for expanded government), and Harry S Truman (Fair Deal, intervention in labor disputes, increased economic intervention).

Preserving Liberty

Many presidents have expanded the executive branch beyond what the Founders envisioned. This inflation of presidential power has distorted the original system of checks and balances at the expense of the legislative branches of government and has resulted in the imperial presidency and the erosion of U.S. citizens’ liberties.

“Presidents often claim that they are preserving liberty while, at the same time, they are taking actions to subvert it,” writes Eland.

Eland ranks George Washington as the best president in the category of preserving liberty, with John Tyler and Grover Cleveland tied for second place. Although Washington expanded executive power beyond what the Constitution envisioned, he also limited presidential powers in crucial ways, stepped down after two terms, and ensured the survival of the new constitutional system. Tyler favored limited government but fought members of his own party on this principle—thereby torpedoing his chances for a second term. Cleveland pursued benevolent policies toward Native Americans, including trying to protect land in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) from white settlers, giving them U.S. citizenship, and doling out reservation land for individual Indians to farm under the Dawes Act.

Eland gives his lowest rankings in the liberty category to Woodrow Wilson (National Guard encroachment, Espionage and Sedition Acts), with Thomas Jefferson (Embargo Act, Indian policy) ranked second lowest. Tied for third lowest place are John Adams (Alien and Sedition Acts), James Polk (land grab, Indian and black war casualties), William McKinley (suppressed freedoms abroad), Ronald Reagan (Iran Contra scandal, signing statements [some disagreement here]), and George W. Bush (expanded executive power, erosion of civil liberties).

Readers will be intrigued to discover why, of the four men given exalted representations on Mount Rushmore, only Washington deserves the honor. They will learn why Teddy Roosevelt has been overrated; why Jefferson hypocritically violated his lofty rhetoric of liberty; and why Lincoln provoked a civil war that achieved far less than believed. Readers will uncover why some presidents are rated much higher than the conventional wisdom—for example, Warren Harding—and some rank much lower—for example, Harry Truman.

There is more at http://www.independent.org/store/book_detail.asp?bookID=77

Why I’m mad at the Republican Party

The doubling of the deficit from 2001 to 2008.

This country went from a deficit of $5.6 Trillion to $10 Trillion in eight years. Bush’s tax cuts were a good idea in 2001 and 2002. We avoided a recession; however, they should have been rescinded in 2003 after the recession was over. According to Keynesian Economics – the government deficit spends during a recession and runs surpluses during the boom. (Although Milton Friedman said, “There is nothing more permanent than a temporary government program”.)

The Iraqi War.

The war was started on the flimsiest of excuses – an allegation of “yellow cake” being purchased by Saddam Hussein in Nigeria. (This is not unlike the Gulf of Tonkin incident that triggered the expansion of the Viet Nam War.) It was justified by the 1% Doctrine – if there is a one percent chance that WMD’s were in Iraq then war wasn’t optional, it was necessary. Secondly, war was waged, but it was not paid for. We did not raise taxes, they were cut instead.

Tax cuts.

How can we have tax cuts? We have already been taxed by deficit spending, we just haven’t paid them yet. As Milton Friedman once noted, "Deficits are just a poor way of taxing".


Republican Congress Majority Style (2001 to 2006 ).

The party of the Contract with America, smaller government and fiscal responsibility became the Democratic Party II – spend, spend, spend. The Republican Congress spent it and Bush didn’t veto anything his fellow Republicans cooked up.

Republican Congress Minority Style (2006-?)

Oh, now the budget spends too much, borrows too much and taxes too much. Where the hell were these guys from 2001 to 2006? Now the Republicans are the voice of fiscal responsibility? What happened to the Republican Congresses of 1995, 1997 and 1999?


Presidential Candidates.

Where are the Presidential Candidates? Why do we get the Bob Doles and the John McCains (and in retrospect W)? Outside of Eisenhower and Reagan, we got Nixon, Ford, HW Bush, Dole, W Bush and McCain.

We have met the enemy and them is us.

Obama's diplomacy

I think that it is OK now to approach Cuba and talk to Chavez of Venezuela. The U.S. Cuban policy has run its course and the Castros will soon be gone from the scene. We could influence the transition if we are engaged. I never was comfortable with this country being in bed with Batista. The Bay of Pigs was a ill conceived fiasco. Chavez is a rabblerouser, but I hardly think Obama shaking his hand confers any new status to him. Hopefully, the days of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" foreign policy is drawing to a close. The Republicans would do well not to cling to failed policies.

There's always more to the story...

Tragedy befell a Middletown family on Saturday, but what really happened?

From the Associated Press 4/19/09:
"MIDDLETOWN, Md. – A Maryland man who killed his wife and three children before fatally shooting himself left behind five notes, including an apology to family members and hints that he suffered from psychiatric problems, authorities said. The local sheriff said there were also signs that the family had financial problems."

Not included in the story:

The Maryland man was Christopher Wood. The wife, Francie Billotti-Wood, had a blog on this service. She made some pertinent entries since starting the blog in 2006. The Wood family lived in Jacksonsville, Florida until late 2008. Her blog indicates that a decision had been made for her and the three kids to move to Middletown, MD. She thought it would be best if the children were around family and friends. Francie was from Middletown. Her parents still live there. She graduated from Middletown HS in 1994 and Hood College in 1998.

A blog entry from 12/028/2006:

Well, we got back on Tuesday after spending the Holiday in MD with family and friends. I really miss MD. I am trying to find my husband a job back there now. Part of the reason I think I am over Jacksonville. Is I am tired of the same- Jacksonville is very same. Same weather (it was 82 yesterday and yes it was DEC. 1 but that could have had easily been May 1), most of the people you meet same, same routine, same sh**, different day.

I hate same. Anyone who knows me knows I love change...the essence of change, the excitement of change. I get bored easily. I think this is the longest time I have ever lived in the same place since becoming an adult. I used to change apartments every year when the lease was up. I guess some of the only things I have that are the same are my dear friends from home. I like that they are the same...I don't want that to change at all.

A blog entry from 06/06/2007:

I went to MD over Memorial Day weekend and miss it and my friends and family. I loved seeing my girl friends' children. I loved the idea of their kids all growing up together. I want that for my children- Okay enough boo hoo sob story for me. Chris says in about 3 years...For me to stop spending so much money and we can move :) So I guess I just have to be patient... I WANT TO GO NOW!

A blog entry from 05/11/2008:

The Chris and Francie Wood family is moving from Jacksonville FL. The way things look now 1/7th of the Chris and Francie Wood family will be living in NJ and working there. The other 6/7ths of the Chris and Francie Wood family will be living near family in MD. And while we will miss the help and silliness of the other 1/7th while he is at work during the week, we think it is best for the other 6/7ths of us to be surrounded by friends and family in a place we are comfortable and happy....And Daisy (one of their dogs) will probably stop eating and be depressed b/c she won't be living full time with (her boyfriend I mean) Chris.

The husband, Christopher Wood, worked at CSX, the railroad company, as an accountant and was transferring to a job with more responsibilities in New Jersey.

He (her son Chandler) doesn't do change well but neither does Chris. Chris is trying to adjust but he is having a hard time with the new job which makes him more of a major player at work. More of a mover and a shaker. Which neither he would ever volunteer to be. While the change Chandler is going through I worry somewhat about the change Chris is experiencing I embrace. He needed to be out of his comfort zone for a while. It is currently causing him stress which in turn causes me stress but in a good way. And he sees that this move is for the best. I know he worries that the kids won't grow up right next to their grand parents and that he is travelling may keep him away from them too much...But I think we should focus on Quality over Quantity.

Her last blog entry on 04/01/09:

I am thinking that Chris and I will never agree on a new house to buy.

Apparently, he had been just coming home on weekends. The personal and financial stress certainly must have increased. The family was in Maryland, he was in New Jersey. Maybe he didn't want to leave Florida, but she wanted change. They couldn't agree on the purchase of a new house. If Wood was outside of his comfort zone and he had underlying psychological problems, he could have snapped. I wonder if it could have been like Captain Jeffrey MacDonald? From the news reports, no one had heard from Francie since Thursday evening. She didn't drop her kids off at school on Friday. Her father became concerned and went to the house on Saturday morning and discovered the gruesome scene. Wood could have been in the house all along with the bodies until he decided to take his life.