Monday, January 9, 2017

The Race that Apparently Wasn’t Won: the US is Taking the Cold War Off Ice

After a fifty-year arm-race that was filled with battles and insurgencies filled via proxy there inevitably could only be one winner. That was the country who held the world’s reserve currency. As the US continued to flex its muscles throughout the world and especially in the oil rich middle east after the Soviet collapse, something started to change.
Russia recovered sooner than we anticipated. They wanted their seat at the table back. It now appears the US has only a table for one. 
“WE COULD DO WITH HAVING A USIA ON STEROIDS TO FIGHT THIS INFORMATION WAR [WITH RUSSIA] A LOT MORE AGGRESSIVELY THAN WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW,”
Those were the words from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as he sat before the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee last week and had the courage that so many other have been lacking and finally tell the truth.
vladimir putin time magazine 868x651 300x225 The Race that Apparently Wasnt Won: the US is Taking the Cold War Off Ice  To finally place the blame on who’s responsible for our breach of security and confidence in elections. Someone finally nailed it and highlighted our lack of manpower and resources to fend off the evil Ruskies, led by Vladimir the Impaler (Putin).
The man, if you can call him such, who ghoulishly rubs his hands in a heated frenzy at the idea of our destruction, like the bloodthirsty- cannibal – commie he is, hell bent on the destabilization of the entire west.
That’s the script anyway, right? Weird how that works. It’s a strange time we live in. A time where the government decides what questions to ask and just who to ask them to. It’s not new of course but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.
The audacity of Mr. Clapper is astonishing. First of all, for us, as Americans to collectively point the finger at another country for meddling and sabotage is laughable if it wasn’t so reprehensible and unequivocally ironic. Sadly, so much of our geopolitical makeup and stances are just this.
  • Ban other countries, sovereign states from nuclear programs; while we enhance or polish our own.
  • Publicly demand other nations to stop escalating proxy wars of aggression or support hostile nations or terror groups while we conduct and support our own of our choosing
  • Rail at other nations (and this is my favorite) to stop their currency manipulation while we fund the largest theft of wealth the world has ever seen 100 x’s over via the petrodollar fiat monopoly scheme
  • Condemn the justice or lack thereof of other nations why we operate black sites across the globe without oversight or even public record or knowledge
I could go on. And on. And on. But for the sake of clarity, structure and respect for a sensible word count – let’s get to the point. We demand another country to pay the piper for infiltrating our election while we run the largest covert and clandestine operations of anyone in the world on friends and foes alike.
Disrupt elections. Support coups. Assassinate or help aide the assassination of democratically elected leaders. Let’s say for the sake of the argument that Russia did do what they are accused of. Then I say… so what?
us russia plunging into new cold war 300x169 The Race that Apparently Wasnt Won: the US is Taking the Cold War Off Ice  Business as usual. Par for the course. When in Rome… you get the idea. Russia wouldn’t have done anything we haven’t done or will continue to do to our enemies and allies alike on a year – year, day to day & minute by minute basis.
EVEN if this was true what would have happened?  They would never have changed a vote. All they would have done was expose the dirty laundry of the DNC and its quarterback, one Hillary Clinton. And that would have been the point. She was itching for a war with Russia. And has been pushing so for years at her time as Secretary of State. She made it perfectly clear to the US populace during the debates:
“I’M GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR A NO-FLY ZONE AND SAFE HAVENS WITHIN SYRIA, NOT ONLY TO HELP PROTECT THE SYRIANS AND PREVENT THE CONSTANT OUTFLOW OF REFUGEES BUT TO, FRANKLY, GAIN SOME LEVERAGE ON BOTH THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE RUSSIANS.”
A no-fly zone initiated over another sovereign nation that you never declared war on? Where have we seen this before? Seems legitimate.
I have the direct opposite take from that of our intelligence community. One that is quite simply this, knowing what we know about Mrs Clinton if Russia didn’t intervene in some capacity to influence the election
I would assume they were either severely incompetent or awaiting a mutual destruction endgame. Why would they want a presidential candidate who is openly hostile to their standing in the world, in power of the most deadly armed forces the globe has ever seen? So, whether they hacked the emails is of insignificance to me.
Staying with this alternate reality (like the one our intelligence community and administration likes to play ie a reality without evidence) if there was any hacking shouldn’t the onus fall on the DNC? For being quite frankly, lazy, incompetent and just unappealable to the undecided voter? Seems plausible enough.
I mean it’s THEIR security that was hacked after all. If not the bumbling DNC, then who? You can’t blame another nation for doing what we (and every other nation mind you) do on a day to day basis and that is mine for data to use to said nation(s) advantage.
So then, I turn my attention to the real culprit here and that lies at the feet of our national security. Because no matter what; shouldn’t the role of national security involve ummm…. SECURITY? And if the security is breached shouldn’t we look at our security in place or lack thereof?
  • As of last year, we had over 100k people working on our behalf in the US intelligence community.
  • Just two years ago taxpayers funded and completed the NSA’s Data Center, the 1.5 billion dollar/1 million square foot facility in Utah whose sole purpose is spying and data collection.
  • In 2003 we see the creation of Homeland Security whose budget often lies anywhere in the 40-80 billion dollar range annually.
  • Let us not forget about the FBI and of course, where would we be without the CIA and its black budget. A virtual blank check from the Department of Defense for the Central Intelligence Agency and its brother and sister agencies working in the intelligence community. A budget which has been reported to be in the 50 billion dollar range
That seems like quite the defense. It would seem we have all we need to stop or thwart any mass scale, state-sponsored hacking program. Yet, James Clapper is asking for more? An INCREASE? That begs the question, could our national security really be incompetent? And this is where things go off the rails in opposite directions.
It would seem, a regional strategy to support the mujahideen in Afghanistan to defeat Russia was an end justify the means approach despite the blowback that occurred with Al Qaeda and subsequently 9-11. An unforeseen error I would surmise.
What about a strategy that has seen us embrace regime change in Iraq. A nation that was secular in an Islamic theocracy dominated middle east? To then promote nation building then abandon said nation while creating vacuums that foster groups like ISIS? Do those ends justify the means too? Was Iraq such a threat?
Or what about Libya? We participated in air support and a no-fly zone (ah there it is) in the overthrow and the removal of another secular leader in Gaddafi who grew Libya into the richest nation on the continent of Africa. To only see it fall into the hands of rebels and a climate of total deprivation and chaos.
How about secular Syria who has seen us wave the sword at for decades? Always right there to punish them by sanctions and or by proxy as the US backs the same terrorist ties that the US pinned 9-11 on. Does this seem like a sound strategy?
And then there is Iran.
If radicalization and theocracies don’t share our values then why are our intelligence community and the nation following a script that has us doing the exact opposite shaping our geopolitical landscape? That leads to only one logical answer because that is the objective. We want to destabilize the region.
su 25 frogfoot 300x200 The Race that Apparently Wasnt Won: the US is Taking the Cold War Off Ice  We want to protect the petrodollar hegemony (as Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya have all left or tried to leave the US dollar as a reserve currency). We want to control the energy in the region via pipeline deals and the players who sit in an area where ⅔’s of the world’s oil supply is derived from. All of these are true. All of these are objectives.
If Russia infiltrated the election to merely expose the neocons and hawks of the left (Clinton) they do so at the behest of the entire free world. The world that would rather not end.
So the witch hunt that’s taking place regarding Russia via our intelligence community and our mainstream “media” is the US trying to reshape the narrative. A narrative where they are back trying to dupe the public into another hail mary from the cold war playbook. However, the cold war has ended and we have the internets. We won’t be fooled again.

Friday, January 6, 2017

The New(ish) economy: Dirty Jobs Trump the Ivory Tower

We are all witness in this new golden age of journalism and media, the likes we have never seen before. With a video camera and an internet connection, people are etching out their own place in the world to tell truths and raise suspicion in ways we haven't seen since the days of Thomas Paine.
As more media comes online, media that isn't solely driven by profit but instead driven by passion & truth it's competing on level playing field and in some cases replacing traditional media outlets. Where no longer your platform is your advantage. And it's not just newspapers in jeopardy anymore. All traditional and mainstream media quivers with the notion they're being tuned OUT, not IN. But to be a credible witness you must pass the jury of truth.
We are that jury of truth. Words, ironically enough do matter. Thank you, leftists! And if we sit back and take everyone at face value without preconceived notions of platform and statue whose words are true and whose are incoherent nonsense may surprise you.
Today I present to you, the jury of truth, three witnesses. And the case I present to you is Jobs and the skills gap. Skills "gap," you say? This happens to be a dirty little secret for anyone that works in construction or simply travels the country enough to see there are jobs to be had; we just don't have the quality of trained people to fill them. As a small business owner myself, for me this is the biggest struggle I have growing my business. Anecdotal of course but make no mistake, across the country the skills gap is very real.
Paul Krugman, a liberal economist doesn't believe there is a skills gap. He once opined that the skill gap was in fact “a prime example of a zombie idea — an idea that should have been killed by evidence, but refuses to die”. Yes, the same Paul Krugman who blamed the weakest recovery in American history (apologist for Mr. Obama no doubt) because the government was forced to curb deficit spending. In Krugman's world, deficit spending = job creation. Without pointing out the obvious short-sidedness of this in any long term measurables, even at the zenith of optimism, in the short term… it’s a dead cat bounce at best.
“TO FIGHT THIS RECESSION THE FED NEEDS MORE THAN A SNAPBACK; IT NEEDS SOARING HOUSEHOLD SPENDING TO OFFSET MORIBUND BUSINESS INVESTMENT”
This is a man after all who believes and writes op-ed after op-ed on how the FED can cure all that ails the natural economic cycle. The FED. Not natural interest rates but the artificial rates orchestrated by the FED. Be that it may, a crooked petrol dollar fiat scheme until the bitter end, it's still of this world and a 100% human creation. Therefore you cannot escape its entropy. Inflation in this monetary system is like gravity in spacetime. You cannot travel faster than the speed of light to outrun gravity and you cannot escape the compound interest paradox regardless of how many Harvard degrees you accumulate on your wall. Paul Krugman is not a credible witness.
Donald Trump complains about jobs leaving overseas. SEIU, one of the largest unions still left and incidentally enough the largest government union in the nation announced last week it's cutting its budget by 30% because of.... President-elect Trump.
“BECAUSE THE FAR RIGHT WILL CONTROL ALL THREE BRANCHES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE WILL FACE SERIOUS THREATS TO THE ABILITY OF WORKING PEOPLE TO JOIN TOGETHER IN UNIONS,” PRESIDENT MARY KAY HENRY WROTE IN AN INTERNAL MEMO OBTAINED BY BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK.
First of all, "far right"? Trump? Trump is hardly far right but I digress. That is actually a win for Trump. Nothing to add to that. But my eyes could simply skim over this quote from President Mary Kay Henry...
“FOCUS OUR RESOURCES AND ENERGY ON THE FIGHTS THAT POSITION US TO RETAKE POWER IN 2018, 2020 AND BEYOND.”
Organized labor fighting for power in elections. Where have we seen this movie before? Circa 1933?
To his credit, Trump was the only candidate to continuously rail against NAFTA and TPP. While it’s true, the middle class has been chipped away at over the last four decades with trade being a part of that decline; it’s not the biggest culprit. That decline was in effect long before the offshoring of jobs started taking a footing. The best way to sum up the decline of the middle class and the loss of jobs overseas is simply this: It's complicated. So much so that it’s layered with layers of many competing mitigating factors. To blame it on free trade above all else is irresponsible and just plain not true.
We have seen entire sectors hollowed out while others boom. Sure, many Americans do feel left out and left behind in Middle America. And that, probably above all is what made Mr. Trump the 45th president. But that doesn’t make those people or he correct if they’re thinking to end free trade or raising tariffs will simply be the magic wand to make America great again. It might bring back some jobs but it will destroy just as much or more of existing jobs with existing families relying on them. Surely, It will make goods and services costs rise and that is no recipe to grow an economy.
Recently, Deborah Lockridge wrote a piece on free trade and quoted FedEx Chairman and CEO Fred Smith. Smith speaking to the audience at the National Council on Competitiveness Forum in mid-December warned Trump by saying this:
“WE HAVE THE BEST EXAMPLE OF PROTECTIONISM FROM OUR OWN HISTORY. THE DEVASTATING SMOOT-HAWLEY ACT OF 1930 RAISED TARIFFS ON MORE THAN 20,000 ITEMS. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO A 66% DECLINE IN WORLD TRADE FROM 1929 TO 1934. THIS MISGUIDED ACT OF CONGRESS IGNITED THE GREAT DEPRESSION.”
Does this mean raising tariffs is a bad idea? Not necessarily but raising prices on goods and services will cancel its gains out by raising prices. Government wins, consumers lose.
Bringing back blue collar jobs (manufacturing) is a noble cause and one that should be positive but how that is accomplished will be messy. In a matter of a decade, we saw manufacturing slip from 20% of GDP to 5%. But how many jobs can be saved from automation? It's not like we are living a Jetsons lifestyle just yet but automation is at some point will be the next scapegoat for the declining middle class as its only a matter of time where technology is improved and even more jobs will die off. However, while bringing back jobs that were let go offshore won't save the middle class it certainly couldn't be any worse than the previous administration's stance on offshoring jobs...
"SERVICES LIKE ENGINEERING, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTION– WHICH TYPICALLY PAY HIGH WAGES – CAN NOW BE MORE EASILY TRADED ACROSS COUNTRIES. AS A RESULT, THE UNITED STATES IS POISED TO EXPAND ITS TRADE SURPLUS IN SERVICES, WHICH HAS ALREADY GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY, NEARLY TRIPLING IN SIZE SINCE 2003, TO $146 BILLION IN 2010."
So if unpacking the jobs that left will be hard what about the jobs we have here now that are going unfilled? Contrary to popular belief and the stigma that goes along with it, a college degree isn't the only pathway to a respectable and sustainable living.
Take transportation for example. This is is one sector that has been a major winner with free trade. Trucking alone has had shortages of drivers for at least a decade.
Bill Graves, former president and chief executive of the American Trucking Associations wrote about this issue last summer.
"WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THE AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS IN 2003, AMONG OUR INDUSTRY’S TOP CONCERNS WERE DIESEL COSTS, THE DRIVER SHORTAGE, INSURANCE COSTS AND SECURITY.
IN THE NEARLY 14 YEARS SINCE MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED. I THINK IF YOU SPOKE TO TRUCKING INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES TODAY, THE COST OF FUEL AND INSURANCE OR HOW BEST TO SECURE THE SUPPLY CHAIN WOULDN’T BE AT THE TOP OF THEIR PRIORITY LIST, BUT THEY’D HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE DRIVER SHORTAGE."
Driving a truck, that doesn't seem that prominent does it? But that's just it. That's the problem with perception and conditioning. We've been conditioned to scoff at these types of jobs while they go unfilled while another college graduate goes underemployed or simply unemployed.
2015 mean annual earnings of truck drivers: $43,410
2015 average earnings for college graduates is: $45,400
2015 those who’ve only completed high school: $25,900
We don't have a jobs problem here. We have a fortitude problem. So Trump, like many or most of his diatribes is tapping into a problem or sees the writing on the wall, except it's written in hieroglyphics and he only speaks in sign language. Thus, Trump isn't FIRED but he must do a better job of addressing the wage gap that already exists.
Now, may I please present to you juror #3. Mike Rowe. Yes, that Mike Rowe of the Dirty Jobs variety. He's doing his best to promote ending the skills gap with actually incentivising skilled work through his charity ProfoundlyDisconnected.
There is now a 5.6 million skills gap from everything to plumbers to masons to heavy equipment operators and everywhere else in between. This is not just some random number from Mike Rowe either. He is quoting the Department of Labor. And training for these new careers won't add to the 1 trillion (and growing) dollar boondoggle that is the student debt bubble that ominously awaits an eruption like a fiat Mt St Helens.
So yes we do have a problem with the hollowing of the middle class. People left behind from the factory that disappeared are a reality but the problem isn’t just going to be cured by a company reopening its doors via tariffs, repatriating or from idle threats. Does that mean trading jobs for tax breaks should not still be pursued? Of course not. The corporate tax rate stifles business especially small business but in the meantime, let's take the easiest route possible. It's just a matter of perception and priorities. Mike Rowe gets it. He's traveled the country and understands quite well the reality versus perception that has sacked this nation's "can do" spirit.
If we define success and working nirvana by a four-year degree with a mountain of debt attached to it (thank you subsidies) then that gap only widens. But if we reverse this pussification and get real about OUR economy we will achieve the closest we've been to full employment as we've ever been.

Friday, December 30, 2016

Angela Rye: Persona non grata

Seemed fitting enough, the title. A little HT to one of the Big O's last actions as POTUS. Expelling 35 people to only have them reinstated a month from now by your successor? Seems like President Obama is a bit of a masochist doesnt it? Potentially some pure emasculation here. He just keeps setting these softballs on a tee for Trump. First Carrier now this? But i digress and also flitting enough because this is about electoral afterbirth.

This election cycle was pure comedy gold. One one hand you had a flip flopping blowhard who gave zero's about what anyone thought of him. That was refreshing. On the other hand you had a steaming pile of bile. A posterchild for what exactly ails the country and a PC/liberal wet-dream personified. This was an entertaining shit show through and through. One of the more humorous narratives that came out of this muck was from the left and it went something like this:


'Now we can finally see racists for who they truly are'

'America was never "Great" for anyone not white'


You've all heard this. And while it may be true and in some cases i think if anything it may have emboldened people to speak their minds good, bad or indifferent. Is America really more racist? Or are we actually having conversations that we haven't had the gumption for? The truth of the matter is this - those with the "America is more racist because of Trump" narrative might actually be an admission of guilt themselves. They might not realize it but their narrative is a manifestation of their own racist tendencies. Sort of like the macho dude in high school who calls everyone faggots and is always talking about someone sucking dick. Then you find him 20 yeas later congo dancing at a gay pride event wearing chaps and a leather vest with a ball gag in his mouth, i see you Donnie!

If there was anything gleaned from this election it wasn't race or walls or wars. It was news. How its made. Whos it made for and does it even matter if its correct? Fake news is news and news is fake news. Whos fake and whos real just depends on what flavor you like in your cup of tea. Nowhere is this more comical than CNN.

MSNBC and Fox cater to their audience. Its business. The news is isn't that important. Its not even a vehicle. Just look at the variation of ads on MSNBC and Fox. Its no different than watch a Penguins hockey game on ATT than it is watching the NBA Network. Race, class, gender, family its all been isolated bought and sold for its target market.

If i was running CNN, i would look at the business model of cable news and realize we missed the boat. We created the genre but didn't realize that people weren't tuning in for just the news. What the majority of people were tuning in for was an echo chamber. Sure, they wanted the news but they wanted it prepacked ready for consumption. CNN has no direction. Many days they appear more liberal than the Huffington Post. Most days its a free for all - like a food fight at an old folks home. Messy, slow, sad and just plain embarrassing.


Over the last few months here's some things that stood out watching the train-wreck that is CNN:


Chris Matthews roast fellow liberal Rachel Maddow on Clintons inability to appear as a viable candidate.
Van Jones refer to Trumps election as a "whitelash"
Cancel Mike Rowe's show
Still employe Erin Burnett and Fareed Zakaria
And the never ending gift that is... Angela Rye


I was sitting at a burger king a few days before Christmas (i know & not proud of it but i'm a fat boy who likes quick burgers) and I came across this nugget while consuming my 1100 calories and watching the audio-less aforementioned CNN.


"The Electoral College is problematic from its inception and something that was built upon and designed to oppress certain people,” Rye says. “It is okay for us to ask questions, particularly when we know the Electoral College was built upon a system to protect the interests of slave states.”“We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that horrible history,”12.21.16

Just a few days before that she said something similar:


"I have every issue with the Electoral College, and I have since before this election. It does not speak for me. I am not supporting a system that was built on the backs of my ancestors who were slaves. I’m not here for it. … That guy is not my president.”

Then there was this very telling interview back from July of this year on CNN...



The fact that his campaign slogan could be, "Make America Great Again," and that pains me and people who look like me to no end. The fact that he could reference something like Operation Wetback in a debate where hundreds of our Mexican brothers and sisters were killed, slaughtered, and taken out of this country because someone didn't allow them to be here anymore is exactly the problem. The last time America was great to me, Fareed, was in 2008 when he was elected President, and ever since then, we've been paying the price for that.
I think, at some point, the issue is, we have to ID -- and by that, I just mean identify -- the fact that so much of this comes from the root of racism and what racism has done to every system in this country. That is what this country was built upon -- or I should say rebuilt upon because that's not how the indigenous people intended. But when white people got here, this was a system that was built upon the systematic oppression of people of color.


Where have we seen this before? A Liberal democrat not accepting the election results. Its 2000 all over again.

She doesn't support a system that doesn't speak for her. Instead she would rather have the popular vote decide everything. The popular vote where you can concentrate on the East and West coast and win thus making everyone else nothing more than spectators. California and New York combined hold 60 million people OR roughly 20% of the population. This is the very reason we are Republic and not a Democracy. The minority thus still has a voice. If you live in Wyoming or Iowa your vote matters.

This is a women who is for people of color. Her Mexican brothers and sisters in tow. She is against the system white people built when they came here. Sorry, she said we "rebuilt upon" because that's not what indigenous people intended their country to be rebuilt (as if said people had a country before said white arrival... yeah, they did not). Remember the root of racism has infected every system in this country according to Rye. So, of course it doesn't work for her. She, a minority that doesn't think protecting state sovereignty is relevant anymore. Her sheer ignorance here would normally be astounding if it wasn't so damn predictable and TIRED.

What happens if she got what she wanted and we went to a direct democracy and the popular vote was all that mattered? What happens if white people started to vote like black people? Where 90% voted one way and that was Democrat/black? But now 90% Republican and White? Say for example in the areas that make up the very middle of the country you want to essentially disqualify from their right to vote? Then, the coasts dont matter. Now the fly over sates accumulate the power. I bet that electoral college wouldn't seem so bad then would it now?

This isn't just some political commentator. This is a race hustling pimp who was executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus. You cannot possibly make this stuff up. This is a women who does not only have no respect for our system - she loathes it. But she dont mind the money that it brings though now does she? Shes bitter and if you're white, in her eyes you're still the oppressor. In fact she called the Republican Party as much. The Republican party is a lot of things and to me, not many are good... but oppression? Nonsense. But thats just it. This isn't about politics as much as it is about vengeance. Because, if we lose the electoral college and much of the middle lose their power to voice their opinions through national elections than there is really only one American alternative. Move to the coasts. Except you might not find such a warm greeting upon your arrival from the likes of this triggered race baiting, race hustling pimp known as Angela Rye.


"All of our lives could be better. One of the most fascinating things about this election to me, Alisyn, is that Donald Trump, a real estate mogul, a developer, has talked about inner cities and never once has talked about gentrification. That would have been a good way to segue into a conversation with African-American voters that's actually productive."
Aired October 26, 2016


Thats right, good 'ol gentrification. This is a classic. This is simply a case of damned if you do and damned if you dont. But when you're entire career is built upon emotion and victimization its only a matter of time before the logic house of cards comes falling down. But hey, this is business too. Race bating crybabys bitching and moaning about "systematic oppression" that nobody suffers from today sells. White liberals eat it up more so than anyone. But everyone likes a good boogeyman. People would much rather have a scapegoat than a kick in the ass. So i get the whole angry black woman angle. Just dont expect me to take you too serious when youre attacking the very system that has been the beacon of light to the rest of the world. The West is indeed the best but im a capitalist too so #StayWoke

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Can we stop lying to ourselves?

Sometime between Christmas and New Years we all will have many conversations with many different types of people that make up our American families. Some you look forward to. Some pass the time. Some you cant escape and others always end up with someone rolling their eyes at the very same time looking for the nearest conversational exit. Fortunately my wives family is small and mine is somewhat splintered, so the people I do see - I happen to enjoy their company. I guess afterall divorce does have its perks.

Of all the people i speak to, if there is one divide... its politics. From old Reagan democrats to Fox news conservatives to young bleeding hearts (read inexperienced and ill-informed) to tenured professors to a few (maybe 1-2 at most) like myself: libertarian leaning - conservative - ultra pro west - sarcastic pricks. By and large everyone is respectful but you know who's who and you know who's buttons are where and over time just how to push them.

Now, after two paragraphs some of you were probably going to end up saying "why the need for the family history, say what you got to say and let me get back to my dungeons and dragons" because skimming through two paragraphs is taxing for the modern over stimulated mind. I get that. Hence why i took the time to preempt that. The setup matters. Your ability to relate to said setup will only further enhance your ability to process and retain the moral or crux of the story. So, for that you're welcome.

Of all these different people the men i grew up riffing with the most also happen to be two people i probably admire the most (step father and maternal grandfather). They also happen to be quintessential Fox News Republicans. My step father will tell you he voted for a Libertarian once (John Anderson circa 1980) and my grandfather will tell you he does not care what gay men do. And although these things are probably true these two men are also anti-democrats. They hated Clinton as much as they laud Rush Limbaugh. They laugh and snicker at Al Gore (still) and loathe Obama but not because he was Black but because he was Blue. As in Democrat. These were men who worked in the same blue collar companies for 40+ years each. They're as honorable as they are honest. But sometimes they dont have time for facts. And facts Trump EVERYTHING.

And that is my point.

If we are going to have political opinions and make them a bedrock for or a reflection of our moral compass, well then we had better get them right.

If you say in the middle of a conversion when we are verbally high fivin' over HER defeat last month "Obama doubled the National Debt in just 8 years" and i rebuttal that with a simple; "well yeah, but Bush did too, so what does that mean?". It means dont wave me off and walk away.




It means ask me to cite it. As i offered to. Please, by all means, test me or anyone presenting you with facts that chip away at our culture. By that culture i mean a pro west conservative leaning culture. Do it here, amongst family and like minded people as opposed to out there with people that need to be countered. Many of those same people who are waiting for you to do the same so they can label you a Racist, Xenophobic, Islamophobic, Misogynistic, Transphobe, Genderphobe, a Phobephobe or a Phobephobeaphobian. And BOOM. Discussion ends and you've lost in the court of PC Public opinion. Being a conservative or a ProWesterian' does not absolve us from mistakes. The worst thing we can do is ignore those mistakes & pretend they dont exist and carry on a jaded self serving mantra of willful ignorance. That's not us. We're not liberals. We can be betterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.


Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Si Senor

Welcome to the end of the world. Where reality is stranger than fiction. Where a reality TV star is actually leading polls for the office for the President of the United States in September before an election year. I know we're circling the drain but evidently the puddle is shallower than I've casually perceived.

So much has been made of Donald Trumps bombastic rhetoric that's short on execution and long on hyperbole. Anyone can talk. And this clown never stops.

Of all the empty promises and hallow words there lies (pun most definitely applicable here) no bigger fugazy than his illegal immigration reform. His words here.

Much has been made about Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates support for expanding the H-1b Visa Program. Trump thinks the program should be reduced and instead filled with "the number of black, Hispanic and female workers in Silicon Valley who have been passed over in favor of the H-1B program". So, instead of allowing a corporation to hire whom they want based on the most qualified they must be forced to fill their positions from a dumb down American pool first. American company's forced to hire not the best man/women for the job but the most qualified man/woman Americans for the job. Small government and affirmative action don't jive.

There is the E-Verify program Trump touts to screen legal employees. This program would cost small businesses 2.7 billion to comply according to Bloomberg. Not to mention,  the killing of agriculture; as ending illegal immigration alone wont pick the corn. It still has to be done by people and who does it and how long does it take to get them? Crops don't wait for red tape. There is also the loss of tax revenue implementing this mandated system across the board. According to Bloomberg, this would be around 17 billion in lost revenue for the government. and more importantly there is this... E-Verify would become a defacto National ID system. How can this be the opinion of a small government minded individual?

How in the world does he "impound remittances" of  "illegals" ? Legal Americans of foreign decent send remittances as well. How does this work? Confiscating all and then sifting through the legal and illegal ones? Does anyone trust the government to handle this task efficiently ? Whats next, sorting through their mail too? And this is how this cat funds the Great Wall of Mexico?


Then there is the numbers.

Sites like this advocate the illegals as a drain on the economy. One where illegals cost California alone 21 Billion in wasted tax dollars. Now subtract that from the 130 Billion that Undocumented immigrants alone contribute to California's GDP – a figure greater than the entire GDP of Nevada – or AT&T’s total revenues. Or, you could say 17 Billion more than all the states COMBINED deficit due to illegal immigration. 

What about Social Security? What about the 1-Trillion illegals have contributed to that ponzi scheme that they wont even participate in? Talk about a screw job. Those wars in Iraq and Afghanistan you liked so much? Paid for by the sweat of wetback Mexican laborers. That 2010 Tax Credit from the Hope and Change savior? You rember that 34 dollars dont you? Paid for by fruit picking, lawn mowing Mexicants. Who helped pay for that balanced budget string you got in the 90's by Jizzy and Newt? You know it.

Then there is this from the Right leaning American Action Forum on what taking the 11+ million illegal aliens out of the country and workforce would look like:

  • Take about 20 years and cost the government between $400 billion and $600 billion
  • Real GDP would drop by nearly $1.6 trillion and the policy would shave 5.7 percent off economic growth
  • Not inlcuding the cost of: constructing new courts, prisons, and other buildings that might be needed to process and detain millions of immigrants.

There is also tripling the border patrol. Again, not a small government position.

Last but not least. Above the idiocy. Above the flip flopping. Above the total empty hot air this guy spouts out there is one fundamental flaw with his logic and it has nothing with him being a big government whore. Its life.

We "Conservatives" will tell you a child is not a fetus. We will tell you the child shouldn't be punished for the mothers lack of morals. Funny how fast we flip the script when talking about illegal immigration. All of a sudden those babies don't hold the same value. Funny how politics can be used to promote morality and in the same breathe use politics to discredit the very morality that was justified originally when its doesn't fit an agenda. So instead of babies... they are anchor babies. As if that title denies them the very protection we so vehemently defend all unborn life with.

So if you want to feel patriotic, light a firework, shoot a gun - sing the star spangled banner with your dick in one hand and an American flag in the other... but whatever you do, don't espouse to ideas that essentially cut your nose off in spite of your face. Illegals aliens, undocumented workers or whatever PC term we are using these days are a boon to this economy. It keeps costs down and that provides a strapped middle class with much need savings. Its like having a slice of China in a field near you.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Chuck Spinney had it right.

Yesterday the Congressional/Senatorial Military Industrial Complex announced the plans to add ten more ships to the Navy's fleet over the next four years to help keep fighting the good fight on behalf of the "global force for good ". The DOD will commission someone to build these ships and is currently "vetting" the potential shipbuilders. The odds on favorite to "win the bid" is Bath Iron Works out of Maine, a subsidiary of General Dynamics. But I thought it was Mittens Romney that was going to be the new savior for the Navy and the Military Industrial Congressional Complex?

General Dynamics, is one of the largest defense contractors in the world. This is the same General Dynamics that was in the news about a month ago for an "accounting glitch" involving 900 million dollars worth of Stryker replacement parts. This doesnt include the no-bid $1.5 billion Stryker maintenance contract the Army has with General Dynamics that has the Army over-spending by some 300+ million dollars.

But, hey, welcome to the Iron Triangle.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/03/31/187297/dod-inspector-general-finds-900.html#.UYgBZ8prjfa#storylink=cpy



This 2:27 minute local Bath, Maine news report, back from February of this year, gives a great example of how the Iron Triangle works and it pertains to this topic. Here you have both Senators, a Republican (Susan Collins) and Independent (Angus King) from the state of Maine, "working hand in glove" to get congress to pass a new defense budget. Here you also have union leadership talking about preserving jobs, hoping for a new defense budget. You have the president of BIW, proclaiming: "if nothing changes, it could lead to more job layoffs in the years ahead".

What you have here is organized labor and industry in unison with elected bureaucrats, all with one voice. That voice is clearly aimed at congress. Could it be because of the 5000+ jobs at stake in their districts/town? Or could it be all of them having their pockets lined with the billions at stake with the Department of Defense? General Dyanmics will surly profit from building ten new destroyers. Organized labor gets to keep their scalps. Last but not least, Susan Collins gets to keep her whore-master, General Dynamic, fat and happy, for ther investment into her campaign.

Here is a little something about Susan Collins we should know first:

Voted NO on investigating contract awards in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Nov 2005)



Interesting? You would assume someone who is on both Senate committees of Appropriations and Armed Forces, would want some type of transparency into contract/rewards, wouldn't you? Now, here are some of her earmarks...



$20,000,000  High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle Repair 


 $6,000,000  General Dynamics/Saco Defense: MK47 Mod 0 Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher

   $3,200,000    General Dynamics/Saco Defense (Collins) General Dynamics Armaments and Technical Products (Leahy, Snowe): Lightweight Caliber .50 Machine Gun 


Care to guess her top fundraiser over the last six years? 

ContributorTotalIndivsPACs
General Dynamics$89,750$48,250$41,500
Raytheon Co$65,801$16,801$49,000
Blue Cross/Blue Shield$52,000$3,000$49,000
Marriott International$51,500$36,500$15,000
National Assn of Postmasters$49,000$0$49,000


Maybe its just all a coincidence? Maybe a unicorn will ride in and butter my ass and feed my lollipops in a sea of poppies? One thing that stood out to me in that video was a statement by Angus King:

"Its embarrassing..... ah... that or government has put people in this position because of the inability of people to work together."

Its embarrassing we have put a defense contractor in this position because the Iron Triangle's red tape isn't moving fast enough? Insert hilarious laughter here. I'm not pointing out anything that isn't obvious. Sure, we have corruption. We all know that but this isn't corruption as much as it is everyday business in the US of A. Where common sense and the statesmen has been assassinated and replaced by pimps with out of touch - bloated budgets (read Defense) who are running nothing more than a jobs program for the public while sanctioning nothing short of mercenary work to its soldiers. All the while the "elected" officials play the part of Mary Magdalan... nothing but a whore hiding behind an illusion.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Deafening silence

I seen the movie '42' last night. Very well done. Just a damn good movie, all across the board. Before bed, I started the tedious task of organizing the accumulated bookmarks on my Firefox browser. I like to to do this at least a few times a month just to keep things from getting out of hand and overwhelming. Being it was from the comfort of my bed, I knew I could muster every last ounce of energy out of myself before it was vanquished by the sandman. When I woke up and as I sat down at the table, I immediately came across this article.

Being it was early, without my bearings yet or maybe it was the coffee that wasn't even 1/3 of the way into the brewing process, I was really caught off guard. It was from March 22nd. This article was about the murder of a 13-month old baby-boy form Georgia inside his stroller.  


De'Marquise Elkins, a 17-year old black male along with another minor accomplice attempted what was said to be a random robbery. Getting nothing from the woman, they shot her and then turned the .22 caliber pistol on and shot her baby in the face, as he lay sleeping in his stroller just a few blocks from their home. This was AFTER telling the woman beforehand that they were going to kill her son.

Mr Elkins, with his "Thug Life" tattoo across his chest and a tear-drop tattooed in the corner of his eye (usually a gang symbol for a completed murder) awaits his fate in a jail cell in Georgia. The 13 month old, who never got to spoke his first words has no luxury of awaiting a trial. His parents, meanwhile, will live in some sort of a prison for the rest of their lives. His mother, second guessing what she could have done differently. Maybe if she only had some money? His father, what if he was there? What if he didn't go to work that day? 

So, as little Antonio Santiago rest in peace, where's the outcry been? Where is the Rainbow Push Coalition? Where is Jesse Jackson? A minority, a 13- month old boy gunned down in his stroller while he slept at point blank range by a couple of self-described "thugs" or at least those are the words one chose to brand his body with. Its been 42 days since the 21st of March. Not a peep.

Could it be because he has a white mother? Or because he has a Spanish last name and a Latino for a father? If it was a black baby, it would be a crime that these guns are on the street. It would be the gun makers fault. Or the states fault for not having tougher gun laws, I see you Chicago!! Because I'm 100% sure a background check could keep a gun out of these kids hands. Oh wait, they didn't buy the gun? Well, pull me up a chair!

Had this been reversed? And the thugs where white and the baby black? Well hell, you would have seen Jesse and Co do everything in their power to bring attention to the, his situation. The collective re-parting of the Red sea wouldn't be enough

Forty-two days and crickets from the race hustling pimps that call themselves the "black leadership". I know I have had plenty to say about this racist pig, Jesse Jackson. Am I beating a dead horse with this issue of hypocrisy? You bet your ass I am. Until this liar is called out for what he is and dismissed from the public lexicon by the black community, he claims to represent; I'm going to keep on pointing out their double standard - PC- hogwash every chance I get.

Jackie Robinson is a hero for all people but for black folks in particular and rightfully so. What he did was groundbreaking and uplifting. What Jesse Jackson does now is stale, contrived, racist and divisive. If we are to be asphyxiated by political correctness then its high time this man is stripped of his sub-prime fifteen- minutes and breathe the pillow himself.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Unfettered socialism meets its maker @ 2:45 EST tommorow...





As Bayern Munich plays the second leg of the semifinals of Champions League tommorow (2:45 EST) at Barcelona, the match is much more than just two storied franchises battling it our for European supremacy, at least to me anyway. Because this game paints an ironic tale of two nations of complete opposite fates. So much so, that the only commonality is found on the pitch.

Europe, as a whole is much more socialist than we are here in the states, contrary to what the folks like Bill O’Reilly or Sean Ins'anity might suggest otherwise. With that being said, the degree of socialism in Europe is about as narrow as the O-Man’s 2,000 word healthcare bill that still to this remains unread. Germany and Spain mark the extremes of this as both are from opposite ends of the socialism spectrum.

Sure, Germany has its socialist state calling card with its "free" health care, its "free" schooling and higher taxes. There are the laws in place where boards of directors have to contain labor representation. There are also restrictions on what jobs can and can’t be outsourced. Nobody is going to confuse Germany with being Anarcho-Capitalists, that is for certain.

Interestingly enough however, Germany is more US than it is European in terms of production. According to the CIA World Factbook, Germany is the second highest exporter in the world behind only China. This includes world renowned brand names such as: BMW, Porsche, adidis, Volkswagen, Merck, Siemens, BASF, Allianz, Deutsche, Bayer, Daimler and SAP just to name a few.

Outside of banking, what does Spain actually build? Sure BBVA is a gigantic bank but if the world is being funded, floated and sunk in fiat currency its no surprise those nations that rely on bubbles will feel the pain. The nations that produce the most tangible goods are the least affected.

This week, Spain’s unemployment reached 27%. To say that is staggering would be an understatement. Germany meanwhile, has unemployment of around five percent. As far as Germany is concerned, there is no recovery. How can you recover from something if there is no illness? 


So when Bayern-Munich invades Barcelona tommorow afternoon, with its bigger/stronger/faster athletes, the tale of two socialism's will not be lost on me. The German team, actually named for a German company, is an emerging  super-power. This team represents a nation of innovation, fiscal restraint and a strong work ethic. The Spanish side is team that was the standard of futbol for years on the decline. It also represents a nation where people would rather sip cappuccinos in a café or bistro than work. Much like the expected outcome today on the pitch, Germany and their form of socialism wins out. Hard work and innovation always do.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Liberal economic policy, the catalysis for our destruction



Back in February, NSA Director General Keith Alexander called cyber-espionagethe greatest transfer of wealth in history.” Symantec (SYMC), a Fortune-500 security software company has said the cost of intellectual property theft for U.S. economy is around $250 billion a year.

No question, that’s a chunk of change and maybe that’s why (sic) SOPA is so important?

Now, while I’m not in the NSA and I don’t have the stripes of a General, much less anyone in the intelligence community, I do however possess something that is awfully lacking in DC these days… common sense. This caught my eye last night. Its a post on the blog for Pew Research posted on 4-23:

A Rise in Wealth for the Wealthy; Declines for the Lower 93%





Common sense would tell you that the greatest transfer in wealth in our history doesn’t lie in some computer laden sweat shop in Nepal or China. And no, its doesn't lie in these last three years among the rich nor is this an attempt to wage "class warfare". No, the greatest transfer of wealth has been a slow drip in the form of decades. It also lies at the doorstep of every American. Because the greatest transfer of wealth has been the systematic liquidation of the middle class.  

If you read this blog on a somewhat regular basis you know this seems to be a repeated topic. Earlier this year, we had the laugher that was the "fiscal" "cliff". More recently, back on April 3rd, it was in large part centered on the influx of women working and the struggle even with two incomes to stay afloat in the middle class. As I pointed out then, as I do now, even with two incomes, the middle class has shrunk for four consecutive decades.

Today I want to center on a broader topic and that is the American public’s transition from a conservative saver- to a liberal spender. 

All across the US, the transition has taken place and its starts out with even the youngest of Americans. The piggy bank has been replaced by a cell phone and a data plan. The savings bond has now become an X-Box. College savings account has been earmarked as a vacation or a mortgage payment. Most people don’t want to live on top of each other so they move out to the suburbs to escape the crime and crumbling schools. Since both parents are working and commuting most need two cars. And the beat goes on.

I left off one segment of the population when it comes to consumption for a reason and that is the retired, older generation. Those that grew up in and around the time of the great depression have an appreciation for conservative economic principals if not on merit it was simply out of necessity. They fought in the wars and were the foundation for not only the middle class but were the trailblazers of the greatest economic expansion in world history. 

Why the disconnection between generations? Does the American public deserve the blame for this? How many times have you heard people use American’s obsession with consumption and “keeping up with the Joneses” as a defense for the economic plight of the country? I’m not going to write this in defense of American consumption. There is no question our habits are, in large part, a component of this destruction, but how much?  

How much weight in this destruction of the middle class needs to be laid at the feet of complicity and conditioning via the FED & its bankers, its congress, lobbyists and otherwise big business interests?

There have always been rich and poor. There have always been success and failure. This is the reality of what makes our system so successful. This is what has made as the beacon of light to the world. Hard work will always pay off. Save your money, be frugal and you too can walk the path that leads you to the American dream. Somewhere along the way this path was hijacked. 

The timing says it all. Ever since the early 70’s, America has changed. We know that is when women started entering the workforce in droves. This was also the same time of the “Nixon Shock” which ended Bretton Woods. This, severing the dollar from gold, as we entered the fiat currency phase full force. It was also the start of Americans shifting discretionary income from savings to consumption. All of this coincided with the beginning of the decline for the middle class.



What’s the common denominator in this decline and destruction?

Here’s an exchange back from 1941 that says its all. Marriner Eccles was the Governor of the Federal Reserve System. He was giving testimony before the House Committee on Banking and Currency, which was headed by Congressman Wright Patman. Mr Patman was asking how the FED got the money to buy bonds:

"Eccles: We created it.
Patman: Out of what?
Eccles: Out of the right to issue credit money.
Patman: And there is nothing behind it, is there, except our government's credit?
Eccles: That is what our money system is. If there were no debts in our money system, there wouldn't be any money."

When someone or a government (under this system) goes into debt, three elements are automatically triggered. The principal you borrowed of course must be paid back. The interest rate you have to pay back for borrowing the money and the inflation that comes with the newly created money (that is debt) that eats away at the existing money supply.  

I have pointed out before what would happen if we ever returned to the interest rates of the early late 70’s to early 80’s. We would see our annual national debt interest payment be in the trillions. Now, that would be a real fiscal cliff. But that’s not going to happen, and because the interest rates stay low, the money supply (debt) will continue to pile up. And since we know the FED’s stance on inflation (helicopter and all) its only natural to assume inflation will always eat away at our wallets. As time goes on it nips at the heels, dragging those on the edge of the class into the class of the dreaded “working poor”. Thus the decline in wealth for almost everyone despite having two incomes is to be expected.

It doesn’t take an economist to figure this out.

Now this is the part where the writer gives his opinion of how to fix the problem he or she presents. That would be the perfect way to end an article where you point out problems to close it with a solution... except I don’t have a solution.

Yesterday, I went to bankrate.com to check out the current rates and here is what I found:

Money Market Accounts and Savings Accounts rates are below one percent with most being under .70%. A six-month CD will fetch you anywhere from .50-.88%. These are less than one-percent. You can’t even get a five-year CD over 1.75% and that’s even including Jumbo CD’s (100k or more).

I said before the average American has to carry some blame but how much blame can you lay on someone that is conditioned to spend while being discouraged to save? How can the average American save for his children’s college when the price of tuition has increased over 500% since 1985? 



But buy a car? Zero percent interest. 
Need new furniture made of cardboard and plastic? Zero percent interest and no payments for four years. 
Buy a house? 3% interest and you only need 3% down. 

I wonder what the average person is going to do.

What is the alternative, save anyway, right? Buy gold & silver and I would agree (as I do the very same thing) but if everyone did this deflation would come calling. It doesn’t matter if you or I like it, the truth of the matter is - debt is money and money is debt, just like the FED chairman said. Remember, a deflationary death spiral is much swifter than an inflationary death spiral. That is not going to be allowed to happen. Gold suppression anyone? Hint: its happening right now.

As you can see and surly already know, it doesn’t pay to save conventional routes that don’t take a financial adviser like our grandparents did. This is why, people today will not live as well as their parents... its all catching up to us. 

The only alternative is to funnel your money into Wall Street and spend, spend and spend some more. Any instruments that can yield you a decent return in a savings or investment all lead to Wall Street. Where did those gains made over the last two years occur? This isn’t about class warfare or the 99% or in this case the ninety-three percent; this is about the choice to be frugal and fiscally conservative like those before us that built this country and how that choice simply doesn’t exist. That choice has been robbed by banksters and it would be hysterically ironic if it wasn't so sad. So spend and slave on, the world economy is counting on you.

Monday, April 22, 2013

My 'Earth Day' message

I have four messages for Earth day. I would like to present them to you. First my message:

Everyone should demand clean air, soil and water. Do what you can do to make yours this way and respect your neighbors right to the very same. Businesses should also follow this simple premise. Taxing them into oblivion doesnt work because we know that taxes, in the end, just get passed down to the consumers in the form of higher costs. We need to start taking individual responsibility seriously. At every level. The environment would be clean as a whistle if this was the case. However, do what you can do first before you worry about someone else, our bees and trees depend on it. Let me borrow a quote from Ross Perot of all people.


"The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river."

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Lyrics from TooL's first full length album 1993's:  Undertow - Disgustipated

And the angel of the lord came unto me, snatching me up from my place of slumber.
And took me on high, and higher still until we moved to the spaces betwixt the air itself.
And he brought me into a vast farmlands of our own midwest.
And as we descended, cries of impending doom rose from the soil.
One thousand, nay a million voices full of fear.
And terror possesed me then.
And I begged,
"Angel of the Lord, what are these tortured screams?"
And the angel said unto me,
"These are the cries of the carrots, the cries of the carrots!
You see, Reverend Maynard, tomorrow is harvest day and to them it is the holocaust."
And I sprang from my slumber drenched in sweat like the tears of one million terrified brothers and roared,
"Hear me now, I have seen the light!
They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul!
Damn you!
Let the rabbits wear glasses!
Save our brothers!"
Can I get an amen?
Can I get a hallelujah?
Thank you Jesus.
Life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on........

This is necessary
Life feeds on life.

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Happy Earth day!