Steve's Thoughts III

-  Most folks were surprised when they learned that 44 made it to Baghdad (secretly) during his recent trip.  I, on the other hand would have been surprised if he didn't go.  After learning that Turkey (the country just north of Iraq for you Obama voters) was on 44's itinerary, I  thought to he would play hoops instead of visiting the troops.  After all, he passed up a great opportunity to visit wounded heroes at Ramstein choosing instead to play hoops during his visit to Germany when he was all over Europe apologizing for America.  His excuse?  The DoD didn't let him bring the press with him.

-  I read a story about an increase in home sales and a decline in the number of people paying their mortgage.  I wonder if the former has anything to do with anything other than the drop in prices and if the latter has anything to do with the government talking about bailing out "homeowners".

- Why did 44 bow to a Saudi king?  This guy wouldn't shake my wife nor my sisters' hands?  The White House is calling it a "double handshake to a shorter man".  Riiiiiiiight.

-  What is actually happening when tariffs are levied on imports?  What is happening is the government doesn't like the decisions neither you nor I make as consumers.  So what they do is make an import look less attractive to you by raising the price via the tariff.  That way, the government can help you make the "correct" choice.  

-  Trade deficits ARE NOT A BAD THING!  Before I say why, let me say that I love American goods built by Americans.  If ABC widget is made in America and XYZ widget is made in China and are almost identical or near perfect substitutes, I go with the American good.  If not, I go with the latter.  For instance, I prefer an Apple computer made in China rather than a Dell made in Texas.  Now to the explanation on deficits....  A pediatrician that visits a restaurant bi-weekly with his family and spends about $100 per week is likely to carry a trade deficit with the owner of the restaurant.  The restaurant owner (married, no kids) has his own doctor and doesn't have a need for a pediatrician so he has a trade surplus with the pediatrician.  He does however have a trade deficit with his own health care provider who does not visit his restaurant.  It is no different at a micro level as it is at a macro level between nations.  Still disagree?  Think about this...  How many products or services do you provide your grocer?  Your tailor?  Your mechanic?  Chances are you buy more from him/her than he/she buys from you.  Are you better off or worse off because of these transactions you make with these folks?

-  I know how 44 can increase tax revenue without raising taxes.  How about open up some more cabinet positions and submit some nominations.  He or she will likely have to pay some back taxes he/she owes to get the nod from the Senate.  So far he's raised $6,400 (Hilda Solis), $128,000 (Tom Daschle), $7,000 (Kathleen Sebelius), $30,000 (Tim Geithner) and $1,000 (White House "Performance Czar" Nancy Killefer).   

 

Steve's Thoughts II

Here are some things I've been thinking about and some of my favorite quotes.  Lately I've been busy with school and spending time with family.  

- Obama did not write his inaugural address like everyone is saying he did.  "Why?" you ask?  There was at least one mistake in the first minute of it.  The 44th POTUS was not the 44th American to take the oath of office ("Oaf of office" if you ask Diane Feinstein) like he said in his speech.  He was the 43rd American to take the oaf.  Grover Cleveland was President #22 and #24.  Maybe his speech writer should stop posing with cut outs of the SOS and take a history lesson or five.  The POTUS is too perfect to have written this speech.  It would have been flawless had he written it himself. 

- We ought to thank God that government isn't efficient in doing its job.

- There are four ways to spend money according to the great economist Milton Friedman; 

(Category 1)  You can spend your money on yourself.  You care about how much you spend and what you get for that amount.  

(Category 2) You can spend your money on someone else.  You care about how much you spend but you don't care as much about what you get for what you spend since you're going to give it to someone else.  Of course, you want to get the recipient something he/she will like and appreciate.  If you really care about the giving the recipient something they will value, you give the recipient cash (turning your category 2 spending into category 1 for him/her).  

(Category 3)  You can spend someone else's money on yourself.  You don't care about price but you care about value or what you get for the money. For example, you go to lunch paid for by the company.   You don't care how much the lunch costs but you care about getting "bang for your buck".  

(Category 4)  You can spend someone else's money on yet another person.  You don't care about how much you spend nor what you get for the money you spend.  

The last two categories are the least desirable (as far as efficiency is concerned) and are the two ways government spends money.

- Are the people who work and are who are not earning a "living wage" still living?

- If we disagree with the Dalai Bama's policy and administration, we are told by many of his water carriers in the news that we are unpatriotic, racist and that we should give him a chance.  I hope for nothing but the personal best for him and his family.  I do not hope he succeeds in implementing his policies.  In other words, I support the President, I just don't support the mission.

- "I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration, somehow you're not patriotic and we should stand up and say, "WE ARE AMERICANS AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEBATE AND DISAGREE WITH ANY ADMINISTRATION!!""  Hillary Clinton in 2005

- Speaking of her, when she runs into a diplomatic problem, will she seek the advice of the POTUS 44 or the former POTUS 42?

- In a recent news story I read, someone said that a few searches on Google causes the same amount of CO2 "as boiling a kettle" and is harmful to our environment.  Maybe we should blame the inventor of the internet? 

- I don't know what took 43 so long to commute the sentences of Campean and Ramos.  I believe he should have pardoned them long ago.

- Why isn't it a big deal for Geithner not paying his income tax?  He says it was an oversight and that his accountant caught it and brought it to his attention.  This is coming from the only man the administration believes that understands TARP (their words, not mine)?  Maybe the Senate should confirm Geithner's accountant to head the Treasury Dept.  Seems to me like he knows more about taxes than the guy Obama is nominating to be in charge of the IRS. 

- Why is it A's business what B pays C?

- "Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country"  JFK.  "A free man and woman doesn't HAVE to ask either but will likely and VOLUNTARILY ask and answer the latter if the country is great enough and worth serving."  SGG

-  I spoke to a Democrat friend today and he told me that the world will open its doors back to us now that we have a new Democrat POTUS and POTUS himself says we can't sacrifice our ideals for safety.  I asked him  "Who's doors were open to us when we were being bombed at the WTC in '93?  Kobar Towers in '96?  Embassies in '98?  Cole in '00?.  I'll take safety any day of the week."

- If you ask me what is the one thing that gets the most and best things done for a society as a whole, I say it is "greed".  Adam Smith says  "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages."  In other words, New Yorkers have steaks in the stores during the winter not because some cattle farmer in Texas loves New Yorkers but rather he loves himself and those depending on him/her.  If the New Yorker depended on the Texan loving him instead, I'm afraid he wouldn't have steaks in the winter, spring, summer and fall.

- I call for a timetable and exit strategy on the Wars on Drugs, Poverty and Hunger.  

- "We've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?"  Ronald Reagan on Jan 20  1981

Steve's Thoughts I

- "The first lesson of economics is scarcity:  There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it.  The first lesson in politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics" Thomas Sowell

- There is no such thing as a "living constitution".  When we've decided to give lawyers in black robes the ability to make laws instead of interpreting the law, we've in a sense, rendered our constitution useless.

- It's still amazing how some folks see the "three-fifths compromise" as a pro-slavery clause in the constitution.

- How is it that we can't afford to pay for health care as private individuals paying directly, but we can somehow afford it by giving the same money to the government to pay for it along with a large agency to administer it?

- Maybe Billary will keep 44 from being "irresponsible and frankly naive".  At least her new boss will have to get through her before sitting across the table from Comrades Chavez, Castro, Castro, Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong "Mentally" Il. 

- Our 44th president will be our first black president.  He will also be our 44th white president.

- I'll be ready for "Change" on January 20, 2009 at 12:01.