Government loan bailouts

So, now everyone wants to be bailed out of their mortgage. No one wants to take responsibility for their bad choices. "I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it". Ashleigh Brilliant.

Our leaders have created a government, along with thousands of lobbyist that has corrupted our own expectations. The 35,000 lobbyists in Washington remind be of a bunch of piglets rooting and squealing, trying to get to the mother's teats, and the mother cannot say no.

From Yahoo News- While there is little enthusiasm for government bailouts in general, voters are increasingly demanding immediate government relief as the economy ebbs.

The Fed-engineered bailout of investment banker Bear Stearns and other assistance to financial institutions has further raised expectations. To some, the $30 billion JP Morgan-Bear Stearns deal also raised a fairness issue: Should the government bail out a prestigious investment bank while doing little to address the hardships of Americans facing foreclosures on their homes, or caught in other troubled segments of the economy, such as laid-off factory workers?

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and now President Bush, have a plan to deal with the credit crisis. They all have a plan to save us! We want to be saved so we can watch American Idol, shop till we drop, and stop worrying. They are desperately trying to prevent home prices from declining so the local tax revenues will not fall. I thought they wanted affordable housing! Well, they are getting it.

With untold billions spent on 12 years of "free" government schools, AT&T cannot find 5,000 qualified people in this country to fill positions in customer service! I know, we can ask the government to come up with a plan.

The head of the top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Wednesday it was having trouble finding enough skilled workers to fill all the 5,000 customer service jobs it promised to return to the United States from India.

Some of these problems can be traced directly to government programs that contributed to the decline of the family. Families are now less dependent on each other and are more dependent on the government. Families who borrow too much money to buy a house are bailed out by the government. These families never learn risk management and how to teach the same to their children.

With governments stepping in to reward bad decisions, parents in the future will tell their children to borrow, borrow, and borrow!

I heard a man at the dog park say, in regards to the credit crisis, "We have to 'control' greed." The favorite fascist word he used is 'control'. He is filled with envy, and the desire to control others. He is a closet tyrant. He wants the government to control the greed of others. He does not know they will also control his greed!

He, and many others, thinks predatory lending was the cause of the credit crisis and something must be done.

Predatory lending does not affect the decisions of most consumers. Most borrowers only ask if they can afford the monthly payment. It does not matter if the rate is 6% or 20%. They do not think about the interest rate. With 12 years of government schooling, consumers do not understand contracts and the benefits of fiscal responsibility. The lender will have competition from the home seller, or merchant, who wants to mark the price of their goods or services as high as possible. Someone has to mark their price down, the seller, or lender, to accommodate the consumer who is buying on credit. Most consumers buying on credit will ask, can I afford the monthly payment.

The foreclosure rate on cars, 3.4 % is higher than the foreclosure rate on homes, 2%. Consumers bought a depreciating asset, cars, which the consumer could not afford. Should the government bail them out? Or should the consumer be required to buy a smaller car she can afford?

Of course the government is an enabler in predatory lending. The interest on a home mortgage is tax deductible, thus encouraging people to borrow. The government enabler wants people to buy homes so the prices of homes will rise, thus guaranteeing the government mob will get a bigger cut of the economic pie through property taxes. I call them the government mob because they produce nothing, then they confiscate a portion of our production using force and aggression.

If home prices had kept rising at the unsustainable pace, we would not hear about a credit crisis. Everyone would be happy, watching "American Idol".

Charles Tolleson

A letter to a liberal about compassion, by Denis O'Malley

On an email list, we were discussing the attempts to legislate compassion. Below is an email message sent by one of those on the list, Denis O'Malley, whose permission I have to post it here. I created the title.

Charles Tolleson

Lord Acton, “Men cannot be made good by the state, but they can easily be made bad. Morality depends on liberty.”

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A letter to a liberal about compassion
by, Denis O'Malley

How is "morality" legislated? By a Church? By law that says if you steal, your hands will be cut off, in one Country, or you'll be somebody's "bitch" in another? Anti-social behavior is always punished; the law just makes it clear and limits the punishment, so that it is equal within a jurisdiction. I don't think you can say we legislate "morality", and how can you demand " that people "act as if they care". That must have been a slip of the tongue. It's just so subjective to assume that your compassion is best, ignoring whether it produces more anti-social behavior or not. Tough love is probably more effective, and many would say it is the ultimate compassion.

You call it "compassion", and feel good about it. Feeling good is the beginning and end of all Liberal thinking, unfortunately. As rational, scientifically-trained people, we have an obligation to judge the results of our acts and laws. If you can't find an example greater than 1 in 100 of success with "compassion" that "enables" behavior that is self-destructive and injurious to society, how can more of the same be justified? Honest evaluation of the results of your dogma and acts won't always make you "feel good". Once you realize that when your actions produce good and healthy results, you will again "feel good", and justly so.

Compassion of the Left is tolerance to an extreme, which I equate to a mutant suicidal gene within any species. I'm not against compassion, as long as it is voluntary. You, Pete, want to make it mandatory, whether it works or not. That's not real liberal thinking; it is fascist in its nature and effect, IMO. Don't you see that? There is a great deal of arrogance in believing our opinion is so right that it must be forcefully implemented, and anyone who questions that opinion is a bigot or worse. Historically, the Left has preferred and supported fascism until it destroyed or burned them badly. That is my argument against "compassion".

Denis

Qualifications for; President, Congress and Governors

In Plato's "Republic", the question is put to Socrates, "Who will guard the guardians?" Plato's answer to this is that "We must tell the guardians a noble lie. The noble lie will inform them that they are better than those they serve and it is therefore their responsibility to guard and protect those lesser than themselves. We will instill in them a distaste for power or privilege, they will rule because they believe it right, not because they desire it."

If Socrates lived longer he might have realized Lord Acton's dictum that "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

So how do we elect guardians, or statesmen as Socrates advocated? Personally I do not think there is any class fit to rule me. My thoughts aside, most people believe leaders are necessary for order and survival. With this perceived necessity, I have some suggestions about qualifications for people to serve as President, Governor, Senator and Representative.

I think each member of congress and the president should be required to serve in some capacity in the military or coast guard.

I think each member of congress and the president should have owned and operated a for profit business with at least 5 employees, and the business should have been profitable for 5 years out of 7 years.

Each member of congress and the president must certify they have read 200 books that were published 50 years earlier than when read .

Currently members of the House of Representatives must be 25 years old, the Senate, 30, and the President must be 35. I think these ages are too young. The minimum age for any president or member of congress should be 65.

Term limits will apply. Any leader that is over 70 will be required to pass an annual physical measuring cognitive skills.

By raising the age of our leaders we will inhibit some of the passions and callowness of youth. A 65 year old leader will have experienced many lies and betrayals. One who is older is less likely to be a dreamer, and more likely to be a realist.

I'm not saying wisdom comes automatically with age. By requiring candidates to be readers, military veterans, and business owners, we will have a better chance our leaders understand society and human behavior better than when they were young.

Some of the human vices nature puts on animals will diminish in old age. In old age fewer people are distracted by youthful desires to mate.

One last requirement for the president, governors, and members of congress to make them think of the country first. They all must take a vow of poverty.

Bilbo Baggins

"Expelling tawdry bauble and pontification comes with ease.” Rich Tolleson

Why soldiers commit war crimes

After World War II the Nuremberg Trials convicted 18 of 21 Nazis for war crimes. Eleven were hanged. Why so few prosecutions of so many who participated in the crimes against civilians alone? It took thousands of Nazis to carry out the extermination of millions of Jews.

In the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam, (Image) American soldiers killed innocent children. Yet only one officer, Lt. William Calley, was convicted of a crime. He served 3 1/2 years in prison. After the army Calley managed a jewelry store.

Why would the public buy jewelry from him? Because they wanted future young warriors to know war was chaotic and stressful and the public could forgive the young warriors for committing a crime in the stress and fog of war. They will not forgive young men who run away from the draft and refuse to fight in an unnecessary war.

"Everyone in my family was killed in the My Lai massacre — my mother, my father, my brother and three sisters," said Tuyet, who was 8 years old at the time. "They threw me into a ditch full of dead bodies. I was covered with blood and brains." (Do Thi Tuyet on the 40th anniversary of My Lai). Why did only one soldier serve only 3 1/2 years in prison for these horrors?

On May 5, 1863, Clement Vallandigham, a former Ohio Congressman, was arrested by a company of troops. He was taken to General Burnside's Cincinnati headquarters, tried by a military court, denied a writ of habeas corpus, and sentenced to 2 years' confinement in a military prison. Why were none of these soldiers prosecuted for a crime?

Soldiers protected the tyrant Joseph Stalin. Nothing was done to them. In fact, there is a memorial to their service.

Soldiers protected the tyrant Mao Te-tung. Nothing was done to them.

Why do we tolerate the cruelty done by thousands of soldiers against innocent civilians? Why do we ignore their participations in these criminal acts and instead build monuments to them?

We pay homage to obedient soldiers and court-martial soldiers like 1st Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada who refused to deploy to Iraq because he thought the war was illegal. We fire senior officers like Admiral William Fallon who thinks a war with Iran would be foolish. The saying, "The worst rise to the top" must be true.

I think our loyalty to obedient soldiers has to do with the fear that is innate in the animal specie. We humans band together for safety and protection. We want our warrior class to be brave and devoted to our safety. We want them to be brutal. Better someone else is killed innocently than risk my own death. We do not want our warriors to be timid and disobeying orders. We want them to charge and kill. http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/

Each culture will praise and pretend their warriors are the most noble and virtuous. Each culture will fill their soldiers with emoluments. All of this is to keep the warriors loyal and obedient.

We band together for self preservation and protection against plunderers. When we become strong enough, we become plunderers.

By not punishing the soldiers who are criminals, justice is left undone. There remains a hunger by the victims for revenge. -

"I and the public know,
What all school children learn,
Those to whom evils done,
Do evil in return". W. H. Auden

This quote by Auden makes me think of the thousands of Nazi soldiers who helped kill millions of Jews. Only 21 Nazis were prosecuted! The Jews have been abused for centuries. Are the Jews in Israel trying to get revenge against the world for a thousand years of antisemitism? The Jews must feel like justice has never been served. They will take it out on someone, anyone. The Jews have nuclear weapons. Will revenge become their master? What will the Jewish avengers ask of their warriors? Warriors who seek glory, even in death and criminal acts. Warriors whose duty is not to ask why, but whose duty is to do or die.

Charles Tolleson

Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred."Forward, the Light Brigade! "Charge for the guns!" he said: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade! "Was there a man dismay'd? Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had blunder'd: Their's not to make reply, Their's not to reason why, Their's but to do and die: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare, Flash'd as they turn'd in air, Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wonder'd: Plunged in the battery-smoke Right thro' the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reel'd from the sabre stroke Shatter'd and sunder'd. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well Came thro' the jaws of Death Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Honor the charge they made, Honor the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred.

"The Charge of the Light Brigrade", by Alred Tennyson was based on a true event. The Charge of the Light Brigade was a disastrous cavalry charge led by Lord Cardigan during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_of_the_Light_Brigade

Case dropped against Haditha defendant
By ALLISON HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer March 28, 2008

The Marine Corps dropped charges and gave full immunity Friday to a serviceman who was accused of involuntary manslaughter in a squad's killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in 2005.

The case against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 26, of Edmond, Okla., was dismissed as jury selection was about to begin for his court-martial. The government has been seeking Tatum's testimony against the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn.

Prosecutors say Wuterich directed the assault immediately after a roadside bomb killed one Marine and wounded two others in a convoy. Wuterich and another Marine shot five men nearby before the squad leader ordered his men to clear homes with grenades and gunfire, killing unarmed civilians.

In February, Tatum received an order to testify against Wuterich and an unrequested immunity order that said anything to which he testified would not be used against him in his court-martial. On Friday, a new immunity order was issued, along with the dismissal of charges.

"Lance Cpl. Tatum will testify truthfully if called as a witness," said his attorney, Jack Zimmerman.

Tatum was relieved by the news and considered it an affirmation of his contention that he and his squadmates responded to a perceived threat as they had been trained to do, Zimmerman said.

"It has been a very happy morning," he said.

Tatum was the third enlisted Marine to have all charges dismissed.
Four enlisted Marines were initially charged with murder and four officers were charged with failing to investigate the deaths. Over time the case has shrunk, including removal of all murder charges.

The highest-ranking defendant is Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani of Rangely, Colo., commander of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at the time of the Nov. 19, 2005, Haditha killings. He is the highest-ranking officer to face a combat-related court-martial since the Vietnam War and is scheduled to face court-martial in April.

Chessani, accused of dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order, has said he didn't order a formal investigation because he believed the deaths resulted from lawful combat.

His attorney said Tatum's dismissal gave additional credence to Chessani's claims.

"This is a house of cards, and it's all falling apart now," said Brian Rooney.
In addition to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Tatum had been charged with reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.

Zimmerman said there was no agreement with the government before the dismissal.

"Absolutely, there is no deal," he said.

Tatum, who has been assigned to administrative duties, has extended his enlistment for an additional six months in order to remain available as a witness for the remaining scheduled courts-martial, Zimmerman said.

Camp Pendleton spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson said the dismissal was signed by Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, who currently oversees the Haditha prosecutions. The decision to refer Tatum's case to court-martial was made by Helland's predecessor, Lt. Gen. James Mattis, who overrode a finding that prosecutors didn't present enough evidence to prosecute Tatum.

Wuterich is the only enlisted man still facing prosecution. He faces nine counts of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and obstruction of justice. There is no date set for his court-martial.

Wuterich's civilian defense attorney, Neal Puckett, contended that the Tatum dismissal showed the government has a poor case against his client.

"I think it's a further demonstration of how weak the government's case has become. Of the four Marines who fired weapons that day, only one still faces charges," Puckett said.

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

New Muslim and Catholic Fatwas

“To be an atheist requires an infinitely greater measure of faith than to receive all the great truths which atheism would deny” Joseph Addison, 1672-1719


Muslim scholars are meeting in Turkey to rewrite the Koran. They want to delete some things that may not have been said by Mohammad. Why did they wait this long?

So, now the Muslims are trying to rewrite the Koran to bring it into the modern world. Good. Sounds like a modern day Nicene Creed in the making. Maybe Muslim women will be allowed to drive a car.

Just read where some Islamic leader issued a "Fatwa" about a behavior. So many Fatwas to follow, where does one begin?

Now Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church have issued some new Christian "Fatwas". Imagine, polluting is now a sin. And so is genetic engineering. Should we just sit by and live with God's mistakes?

Another new sin mentioned in the Catholic Fatwa is "causing social injustice". That last one will cover anything. There will be a lot of confessing in the future.

It appears the Church's socialism is showing. Political correctness has infected religion. They also change with the wind. They will do anything to keep their memberships and dues. Between 2000 and 2008, over 1200 Catholic schools in the U.S. closed. Sex scandals have plagued the Catholic Church. The new political correctness will help recruit and keep members.

Here are the new sins for the Catholics. --"Polluting, genetic engineering, obscene riches, taking drugs, abortion, pedophilia and causing social injustice. The original seven deadly sins defined by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century were: pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and sloth".

I just hope the new sins do not become laws, like Blue laws prohibiting work on Sunday because it was a sin. The church wanted one day per week to brainwash their members and collect donations.

Other sins mentioned in the bible, torah, and koran are often forced into laws upon people who are not members of a church.

Charles Tolleson
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Turkish scholars aim to modernize Islam's Hadith
By Yigal Schleifer Tue Mar 11,

For centuries, the Hadith – a collection of the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad – has guided Muslims in their daily lives and served as a basis for Islamic jurisprudence, offering direction on everything from hygiene to war.
The Hadith deals with events that took place some 1,400 years ago, but an ambitious Turkish project is aiming to reinterpret them to create a collection addressing modern-day concerns and stripping out elements that many theologians say contradict the Koran and Muhammad's teachings.

Observers here say the project is part of a continuing effort by a growing segment of Turkish society to reconcile faith and modernity – a struggle being played out among Muslims worldwide, from African immigrants in Paris to young Arabs in Saudi Arabia.

Many Islamic scholars even say that parts of the Hadith have been falsely attributed to Muhammad and that while many Hadith interpretations may have applied in the early Islamic period, particularly regarding women and Islam's relation to other religions, they deserve a new look.

"There have been things that people say the prophet did or said which conflict with the Koran," says Ismail Hakki Unal, head of the Hadith department at Ankara University's divinity school, where the Hadith project is centered and is increasingly known as a hotbed of liberal Islamic thinking. "The Koran is our basic guide. Anything that conflicts with that, we are trying to eliminate."

As an example, Mr. Unal mentions Hadith-based interpretations that say it is forbidden to teach women to read or write, or that they are of "lesser mind and faith."

"The issue of women being of lesser mind and faith was something that was accepted in those days without any argument, but it is not today, which is one of the reasons that we are trying to eliminate it," he says. "We are saying that this is not in line with how the prophet lived and the Koran itself, so it cannot be accepted."

The Predator Attacks

Lt. Mary Yossarian showed up for her usual early 0500 shift. Lt. Yossarian flies the military's Predator, a UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. She flies it from a safe place in air-conditioned comfort at an undisclosed location.

Today's shift involved targeting a terrorist suspect. The predator is unmanned, but not unarmed. It carries two deadly Hellfire missiles that can be launched with pinpoint accuracy by Mary Yossarian, from her safe haven, thousands of miles from her target.

As her shifts progresses, Mary follows the Iraqi countryside from the camera on the Predator. Soon she is directed to target a residential home where a terrorist "suspect" is located. It is noon time and the suspect is home for lunch with his wife and kids.

The radio chatter becomes animated and very professional.

"Suspect target is locked on".

"Roger, standby by while we get approval for attack".

"Predator 1, cleared for attack".

"Confirm, Predator 1 cleared for attack".

"Repeat, Predator 1, cleared for attack"

"Roger, Predator 1 cleared for attack".

Whoosh--------------BOOM!!

"Good Kill! Good Kill!"

Col Cathcart, Lt Yossarain's commanding officer enters the room and congratulates Lt Yossarian. "Lt Yossarian, well done. I'm giving you a letter of commendation for you bravery, dedication, and sacrifice to your country in an effort to protect our freedoms. God bless America".

After a long day and the early show for work, Lt Mary Yossarian arrives home exhausted. She falls asleep watching "American Idol" and fails to see the winner.

Bilbo Baggins

Prisoners of the government schools

"The believer is happy. The doubter is wise". Irish proverb

Home schooling in California is declared illegal. If you home school your child you have to set up a private school. http://www.pji.org/resources/news/focusdetails.cfm?ID=PR080305a

A judge, quoting from an earlier court decision wrote, “A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,”

The government in most states require children to attend the government schools until the child is 16 years old. Recently 26 states have raised the "permissible drop out" age to 17 or 18.

California is facing a budget crisis. It cannot educate the 6.3 million students in K-12 with 48 billion dollars each year, or over $7600 per student. It certainly cannot handle another 160,000 students who are now home schooled. In order to solve the budget crisis, California should encourage and make home schooling easier. It should provide free computers and Internet access to stay at home parents of school age children. California should provide an online learning site. By this, and offering each home schooling parent $1000 per student, the state could save billions.

Some people never give up on seeing Plato's dream of having the state take the children and raise them. The states select the books and subjects the school prisoners must learn. The states, by forcing children to attend the government schools, will insure the states get to indoctrinate the citizens into allegiance to the state. "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all.

The state will also be insured of a steady supply of customers for their product. This will always justify raising taxes, "For the children". The state bus drivers, janitors, counselors, nurses, administrators, education colleges, and teachers will all lobby the state to use force and aggression on parents and young people to supply them with a supply of customers. Then the same aggressors will force the producers of society to pay the state aggressors for their services. The available use of force and aggression guarantees the state employees do not have to provide a quality service.

If I had children in government schools today I would advise them to attend classes regularly and learn as much as they could. I would advise them to read everything they could get their eyes on. I would advise them to never stop learning. I would advise them to read, Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau, 1849. http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil.html

Then I would tell them to be pleasant and non violent in the schools. I would tell them to do their homework to learn, but, never turn in any homework. I would tell them to fail every test they take in school. I would tell them to never raise their hand in class. When asked a question by the teacher, always say, "I refuse to answer that question because I am a prisoner here".

When asked why he did not do his homework I would advise him to answer, "Slavery is illegal. I refuse to do work demands of the state. The state does not own me. I own myself".

Then watch the wildfire spread among the young government school prisoners who have access to the Internet.

Charles Tolleson

United States has the highest incarceration rate

“In this definition is contained the answer to the question as to what gives men the power to establish laws. What gives them the power to establish laws is the same thing which secures obedience to them - organized violence.” Leo Tolstoy

http://tinyurl.com/3xlf7p The news story from AP shows the United States has the highest jail incarceration rate in the world. This from a country whose politicians, the same ones who enact the laws that cause the highest incarceration rate in the world, and from a country with the constant iteration that the citizens of the United States live in the freest country in the world.

Why does the United States have the highest incarceration rate in the world? Simply put, it is government policies.

A federal government that creates laws that are over 69,000 pages long is a government that is not about freedom, but about control. http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/ Add to the federal register thousands of state and local laws and you can see why all of us are potential criminals.

Here is a story about a crime, "Material Support". Be careful. Be very careful. You may be providing "Material Support" for a crime, which if convicted can get you a long prison sentence, and add to the incarceration rate of the land of the free and home of the brave. http://tinyurl.com/27wvvw

Charles Tolleson