Political Parties' Platforms

In reading the platform of the Democrat Party one can almost laugh, or cry, at the utopain platform.

"To renew American leadership in the world, we will strengthen our common security by investing in our common humanity." Democrat Party Platform.

The Democrat Party platform, 59 pages, offers something for all dreamers and humanitarians. It promises that lower status humans will have the same status as the upper class humans. The guardians however will always have the highest status.

The Republican Platform , 67 pages, offers more fiscal restraint, something the Republicans fail to practice, and more world policing.

The Libertarian Platform , about 11 pages long, is all about individual liberty and responsibility, something most people fear.

Why do people prefer the big government of the major parties to the small government of the Libertarian Party that offers more individual freedoms? The Democrat and Republican parties try to buy votes, and there are plenty of sellers. The Libertarian party tries to sell liberty, and there are very few buyers. The failure of the Libertarian party says a lot about the character of the American voter.

Humans are social animals. They are gregarious, meaning belonging to a flock. When you are alone there are no rules. When you are in a flock there are many rules. American humans live under so many rules they are suffocating. Still they cry for more rules. Why?

Each person thinks their rules will be to their advantage. They give away their power to a government guardian, thinking this action will give them an advantage in the flock. Millions of people want their rules imposed. They fail to realize that when you voluntarily give away your power you cannot take it back. They think they will be able to get their power back every two years in an election. Their vote only transfers power to another government guardian.

"The State acquires power... and because of its insatiable lust for power it is incapable of giving up any of it. The State never abdicates." – Frank Chodorov

Charles Tolleson

Causes and Excuses for WW I

Because of entangling alliances, and big egos, 9 million died in WW I. Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia sounds like some demands made by a modern day bully.

One veteran of WW I who recently died had often said, "They died for us". I think they died for the kings, popes, and the aristocracy.

My own view of the causes of WW I, they were just excuses. Tribes just love war for some real reason. Modern humans have learned to produce their own food and desalinate water, the only animals that can do such. Still they plunder and enjoy killing their own kind. Sadism can only be detected in one animal, the human.

Humans used to practice torture in public, in the village square. Torture was made illegal in 1864 by the Geneva Conventions. It was not prohibited because after a million years humans suddenly became noble and virtuous. It was prohibited because the leaders did not want to be tortured in case of defeat or in case there was another French Revolution. Torture is now done in backrooms, not in the public square. Torture has only been prohibited for a nano second of human history. And we call humans the civilized animal.

We made dueling between individuals illegal. It's time to make dueling between states illegal. There is no reason the Gulf of Tonkin dispute could not have been solved in a court of law, and saved millions of lives, and saved billions of dollars. But, states will never give up the power and most prized possesion, the ability to make war, where a coward can pretend to be the great Commander in Chief.

Charles Tolleson


http://www.firstworldwar.com/origins/causes.htm
We'll start with the facts and work back: it may make it all the easier to understand how World War One actually happened. The events of July and early August 1914 are a classic case of "one thing led to another" - otherwise known as the treaty alliance system.

The explosive that was World War One had been long in the stockpiling; the spark was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. (Click here to view film footage of Ferdinand arriving at Sarajevo's Town Hall on 28 June 1914.)

The Surgeon General

President Obama said, "So make no mistake: The status quo on health care is no longer an option for the United States of America."

Mr. President, there is no status quo in the American health care. It is vibrant, with new drugs, and new medical devices being introduced all the time. Bio technology is changing the basics of managing diseases.

Mr. President, if you would eliminate all the rules and regulations and the government involvement in health care that protects all the players; doctors, nurses, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, etc., you would see a vibrant free market in health care. Restrictions on competition cause the status quo.

Despite the regulations in the U.S. health care industry, there remains some competition. I just returned from my dentist where I could only look in awe at the technology that has changed dental care in my lifetime.

One should admire the accomplishments and dedication to helping others of the new nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin. I do however think as surgeon general she should lose some weight. The message to the proletariat that if an educated surgeon general can be overweight, then obesity must not be a problem.

Charles Tolleson

America The Bully

I become fatigued with the panegyrics about our brave men and women in uniform. The propaganda from the U.S. Military Industrial Nation never stops singing the praises of the U.S.

U.S. military officers are ranked number 6 in approved occupations.

The new GI bill gives more rewards for the war enablers. Free education to a veteran, or their dependents. Marry me honey and you can use my GI Bill to go to college. The GI Bill reward even goes to foreign mercenaries, non U.S. citizens, who serve in the U.S. military. After one year in the military they qualify for citizenship. I wonder when we will start calling our military the U.S. Foreign Legion. It only fights in foreign countries.

Not since the War of 1812 has the United States fought an opponent of equal size.

In the Mexican American War the U.S. had a population of 20 million and Mexico had 7 million. The U.S. had 70,000 military personnel. The Mexicans had 40,000. The U.S. had officers trained at West Point. The U.S. had a navy. The U.S. had armament factories. The Mexicans had to use discarded European arms.

Even in the War for Southern Independence the United States outnumbered its opponent 2-1 in soldiers, and 2-1 in population, and the United States had much more industrial production than the Confederate States of America. President Lincoln thought the war would be a short police action. After Lincoln freed the slaves one would think it then permissible for the southern states to secede, since slavery was what the war was about. Or was it?

During World War One the United States entered the war late and the allies outnumbered their opponents. Check the map at Wikipedia showing how much Germany was outsized.

We had the same superiority at the end of World War Two. To listen to the U.S. flag worshippers one would never know the allies outnumbered the axis power by 2-1. Our ally in WW 2, Russia, alone had more soldiers than our opponents. No wonder the war only lasted 4.5 years.

After the big glorious WW II we started showing we are "The land of the free and the home of the brave" by fighting some little country named North Korea. When someone bigger than us, China, entered on the side of North Korea, we settled for a draw. Most sides always lose in a war, though many claim a victory. The best they can hope for is a draw.

After Korea we decided to show our bravery by fighting a little country called North Vietnam. Lost there.

Then we showed our bravery in 1983 when we invaded Grenada, a nation that is only 132 square miles in size.

We did an invasion of Panama. It was another big success of our bravery against another pygmy country.

And there have been other pygmy countries we have invaded. We fought these pygmy countries using our most massive military in the world; drone aircraft, spy satellites, cruise missiles, tanks, planes, etc., all against a gang who has some small arms and home made bombs, against our 15,000 pound Daisy Cutter (what a cute name for a WMD) bombs and our nuclear bombs.

Why are Americans addicted to war?   Because they never have been conquered.

I'm not sure I would call America the home of the brave. I would call America the home of the bully.

Charles Tolleson

Cash for Clunkers

The government employees just cannot say no to the automobile industry lobbyists.

(Reuters) - A $1 billion federal "Cash for Clunkers" program that pays consumers $3,500 or $4,500 in credit to swap aging gas-guzzlers for new, more fuel efficient models.The program signed into law by President Barack Obama in June offers a trade-in credit of up to $4,500 to owners of cars built since 1984, with fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less.)

The Cash for Clunkers program is another interventionist attempt to micro manage the economy to perform better. Micro managing an economy by central planners might create a temporary boost in buying one product but only at the expense of another. In the long run the economy will be impaired by the controls of the interventionists.

Like the housing bubble caused by government policies asked for by Realtors, builders, and lenders, policies that artificially inflated the price of homes, the Cash for Clunkers program is artificially inflating the real value of a new car. Someone else has to make up the $3500 the government contributes because the government does not have money it does not forcibly take from the market place.

Here is more government hubris. Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human service, said, "We know that there are systems in various parts of this country that are much higher quality day in and day out at a much lower cost, so we're trying to not only reduce costs, but tie reduced costs to higher quality."

Since when is the government in the quality control business? Is there anything the government mob will not claim is their function? The more functions they claim, the more money we have to give them to carry out those functions. They benefit more than we do by all the powers they assume. All those mob employees get good pay, perks, and early retirement with pensions that are better than we producers.

A mob operates by force.

Charles Tolleson

Obesity

CNBC.com, July 8, 2009 "Obesity among US adults continues to rise according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control. The report says that obesity prevalence is 25 percent or higher in 32 states."



We all know obesity increases the cost of health care. ("Studies show Medicare spends anywhere from $1,400 to $6,000 more annually on health care for an obese senior than for the non-obese.")

Obesity also affects the young people. Look at the enclosed photo and compare that to your high school senior class picture. I did. In my high school senior picture of 1953 there was not one obese student, nor was there any obese teachers. We ate deep fried foods and drank plenty of sugared ice tea, and ate homemade pies and cakes with a lot of sugar.

I believe people consumed more calories then than now. They just burned them off by working.

Some want to blame genes for our obesity problems. There were no obese people on the Bataan Death March. Nor did you see obese people who survived Auschwitz.

Could government policies of providing food stamps to people who sit at home all day have anything to do with their obesity?

Could reduced lunch prices at senior centers have anything to do with seniors being obese?
(LUNCH AT THE SENIOR CENTER: If you are able to be out and about, you may consider driving or taking the Senior Van to the Senior Center for lunch. Lunch is served daily, Monday through Friday at 11:45 am. Cost is a suggested donation of $2.00 if over 60 and $4.00 if under 60. Please call by noon the two days prior for your reservation at 508.839.9242. It is a hot, nutritious meal and, guess what, you don’t have to cook or spend a fortune! Come socialize and enjoy. Each week we give away a free lunch. Our Meal Site Manager is Karen Kosiba! She is a bright and cheerful gal with lots of new ideas.)

Could farm subsidies of corn products that make unhealthy snacks cheaper instead of subsidizing fruits and vegetables be a cause of obesity. Nah. The God government does no wrong.

Gluttony is one of our vices. I've written before that if the world was all one happy race and one government, most of us would gorge ourselves to death, after expecting the government to save us.

Charles Tolleson

U.S. Federal Government Net Worth

Last night I watched Ben Wattenberg and his guests discussing the U.S. debt. Ken Fisher says the Federal Government has an excellent debt to equity ratio and should borrow more! He says the U.S. government has $110 TRILLION in assets and owes $50 TRILLION for a net worth of some $60 TRILLION. All those post offices, laboratories, roads, parks, schools, golf courses, ATC, printing companies, etc., all add up. And those government assets compete with an advantage over private companies. Still, I slept well knowing our financial house was in good shape.

This net worth of the Federal Government does not include the assets of the state and local governments. State and local governments have; schools, playgrounds, recreation centers, transportation buses, garbage collection, hospitals, zoos, etc.,all that compete with the private sector.

Compare the Federal Government net worth of $60 trillion to the net worth of the private citizens.

"The Federal Reserve reported Thursday that household net worth fell to $50.38 trillion in the January-March quarter, the lowest level since the third quarter of 2004. The first-quarter figure marked a decline of 2.6 percent, or $1.33 trillion, from the final quarter of 2008."

On top of the government's competition against many private businesses, the government did not buy most of their property. They do not have a bill of sale for all the acres of land they own, nor for the off shore drilling rights they lease. No, the Federal Government confiscated, legally plundered, to get many of their assets.

So, the Federal Government has more net worth than its citizens. AND, that is not counting the net worth of the State and Local Governments.

There will be no secession movement. None of the States will give up many of those federal assets. If all 50 states seceded the mob in Washington, D.C. would own many of those federal assets and live a life of luxury. They could even afford to keep their mercenary army to protect their assets. Some assets like airspace and off shore water would become state assets if states seceded.

Who are the aristocrats and who are the proletarians? The government mob is living at the expense of the proletarians. The proletarians are under the illusion that they are the aristocrats. There are many Government God worshippers among both the aristocrats and proletarians who think it is best if the goverment mob owns more assets than the workers. The peasants of Europe used to think it was fine that the Catholic Church owned more property than the peasants.

Charles Tolleson

Utopias, CA Budget, & Flag Idolatry Day

July 4, 2009

Utopias

There have been many community experiments with trying to develop the perfect place. Many socialist experiments have been tried in America.

For thousands of years large and small tribes have practiced communism. Communities with private property rights, the right to one's production, usually prosper more.

Despite poor people living longer, healthier, and more comfortable lives than past kings lived, we humans are never satisfied. We still yearn for utopia, that place were liberals and conservatives can be civil to each other, where food and doctors grow on trees, and God's mistakes are corrected.

One such attempt to build a better communist place is Twin Oaks Intentional Community. Twin Oaks has survived since 1967. Some members have left voluntarily and some have been expelled.

Despite over 40 years of existences this central planned heaven on earth only has 105 members!

Happy Flag Idolatry Day!

On this 4th of July 2009 we will hear the usually panegyrics about how great is our country. It reminds me of a bunch of high schools cheerleaders, Rah! Rah! Our team is better than your team.

These panegyrics usually end with, "God bless America". Why so selfish? Why don't they say, "God bless the whole world"?

California Budget

California spends over $53 billion dollars per year on government schools; adult education, special ed, k-12, and higher education.

If they just shut down the K-12 schools for one year the state would end up with a $15 billion dollar surplus.

Retired airline pilots, retired military, and retired teachers could volunteer to teach for a year. No license should be required to be a teacher. Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, became a teacher at age 18, without a college degree. Isabele Paterson became a writer and editor with only two years of formal education. The rest of her education was obtained without licensed teachers and government schools.

California spends over $8,000 per student per year. If the State gave a $5,000 voucher to each parent to use for their child's education the budget problem would be solved. A stay at home parent with two children would add eight children to her daily tasks of teaching children to read in her family room. Ten students each with a $5,000 voucher would equal to $50,000 per year, for 182 short days of work. Retired teachers and many other unemployed professionals would jump at the opportunity to teach their specialty.

Regular teachers could rent a classroom from the current school districts and have a class of 20 students. This would bring the teacher $100,000 per year. She could pay the school district $25,000 per year for the use of the classroom and still have $75,000 for her work!

The good teachers would be in high demand. Good teachers might have 50 students, or more, in their class, thus earning $250,000 per year, minus classroom rent.

If the State wanted to reduce the cost of education they could do most teaching on YouTube. Currently it is illegal to video record a class being taught in the government schools. If it was on YouTube, parents could see propaganda the State is teaching the children.

Charles Tolleson

Vehicle Miles Driven

President Barack Obama's fuel economy standards, which mandate that all new vehicles average 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, will only increase the average vehicle miles traveled, (VMT). As cars become more fuel efficient people will travel more. This will increase road maintenance cost and prevent a more rapid decline in the highway fatality rate.

("The fatality rate (fatalities per 100 million VMT) on the Nation’s highways continues to decline. In 2006, the fatality rate reached 1.41, which is a historical low. Although the fatality rate is declining, there were still 42,642 fatalities in 2006.")

Nor does this mean less imported oil as people drive more.

What will get people of the roads, reducing the costs of roads, and save lives, and use less fuel, will be costs of fuel. We should reduce income taxes and raise taxes on gasoline.

An increase in gasoline taxes would likely move people to public transportation, car pooling, and move them closer to work.

Charles Tolleson
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics;

In January 2008, Americans drove a total of 226 billion miles. VMT peaks in summer and is lowest in winter.

A steady increase in VMT has been observed over the last several decades. According to the Wall Street Journal, "from 1977 to 2001, the number of miles driven every year by Americans rose by 151% -- about five times faster than the growth in population” [4].

Arguably more important than fuel efficiency, Vehicle-Miles Traveled directly affects gas consumption, emissions, and traffic patterns.

Highway VMT dropped from 2007 to 2008 due to high gas prices.