Outside The Gulag

The principal difference between the Left and Right as pertains to fiscal policy is to strip money of the concept of ‘value’ and replace it with the concept of ‘rights’. The whole movement is animated by the Utopian vision of ‘collective salvation’. In most countries of the world they wouldn’t give you a plug nickel for a beggar’s carcass - dead or alive. You would nevertheless have to pay a certain sum for a freshly killed chicken. A chicken has value in that it can be eaten.

There are, of course, excesses on all sides of the argument. Why should some people be living in the lap of luxury while others are starving? And, what happens when ‘rights’ are extended to animals as some purists demand?

The logic, as always, breaks down on its fringes. The ‘rights’ advocates already find themselves on shaky ground in that what they advocate does not and has never existed (successfully). Their vision boils down to pure rhetoric. The ‘values’ people are constantly on the defensive having let the gulf between excess and need get out of hand.

The recurring question (and problem) concerning the latter is: Who would administer the standard to which we could all agree? Clearly, none of us are the same. We have different talents and are burdened with different vices. Some are creative; others are drones. Some sound compelling on the radio; some do not. Some can play basketball better than others. Should each one be treated the same – as is appropriate under the law – in fiscal matters as well?

The Leftists would concur that this is indeed their goal. It is the sum total of their Utopian vision. All they would need to implement it is the mandate and power to overturn the present system.

Even Leftist would abandon their vision if they could grasp the consequences of their quest. Their vision assumes that by exchanging a (perhaps) relatively minor part of a car’s engine, all the other parts would continue working just the same.

When Jaguar rolled out its E-Type in 1961, several publications ranked it as the most beautiful car of all time. And that it was. I remember coming out of a Chinese restaurant in New York City one night and seeing one for the first time. A sizable crowd had gathered around it. I was mesmerized.

Almost immediately, owners started complaining about the car’s Lucas (British) electrical system. Later, this issue was said to have been solved by swapping out Lucas for Bosch (German). In this case, the swap turned out for the best.

When talking economics, however, the swapping out ‘value’ for ‘rights’ does not augur well. It would likely mimic a body rejecting a transplant. ‘Value’ will always be a key component as long as human beings are allowed to make choices. ‘Rights’ can only extend to the degree that choices exist. The very logic that the Left is asking us to accept is incompatible with human experience outside of the gulag.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Genius Hairstyles

Genius has consequences. It is often regarded as heretical. Genius is thinking outside the box: If someone can think it, it usually can be done. It just needs lots of people to work out the details. Drones. The trick is coming up with the idea in the first place.

When talking about genius, Einstein immediately comes to mind. He taught us to see ourselves in a completely new way. There was nothing sinister or controversial about Einstein. He was not known for making overt political statements. Yet the politics of his day drove him to seek more fertile ground. Princeton, where he theorized and taught till his death in 1955, provided a fitting bucolic backdrop to his ever engaging harmless hairstyles.

Einstein’s research also led to the development of nuclear weapons. There is no reason to assume that this alone spurred his intellect. In fact, had he known, he would probably have aborted his research.

Facebook was born out of an infantile impulse. It quickly turned into a legitimate tool for social networking. Of late, it has been accused it of being responsible for toppling governments.

Skype is said to serve millions, including many who have relatives living abroad. It is a way to communicate over the net. Initially, the ability to see the person you were talking to was novel enough to download the program. Now, I dare say, most people using the service leave the camera turned off. A more tangible lure is that the service is free, bypassing post office queues and telephone charges. Governments are stymied. They are forever threatening to tax such services. But how is it possible to tax something that’s free?

Perhaps therein lies the ultimate solution that Utopian new worlders have in mind: everything free. With the collapse of economies it almost seems like a given: Free services for all. Success or failure would then hinge solely on the number of subscribers; rate of activity; polls; readers; watchers; bell curves, etc. Governments, wedded to old-school money and regulation for fuel, would collapse.
Amen to that.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Pitchfork Solutions

The success of America has always been relative. This means, it could have been better. Instead, we chose worse. The genesis of our decline began with higher education and spread from there. At first it was largely well-intended. Americans took an interest in the world around them. They wanted to know about other cultures and such. America is a big country and also somewhat geographically isolated. Unlike Europeans, they never traveled much to see for themselves what was actually out there. Many with Jewish names were barred from traveling to certain places or were treated shabbily once they got there. In order to sate their curiosity they turned to universities and colleges. And academia set out to fill this need.

They imported foreign scholars. What better way to teach about other countries and cultures than to have a native do it! The foreign professors were eager to accept. It was their chance to strike a blow for the home team. Their areas of expertise were rapidly elevated to the same status that traditional academic disciplines enjoyed. (The new courses were popular and brought in the money.) But their envy-spawned hatred of America followed them like a dark shadow. They were articulate and relentless in their criticism of their new world. They were often flamboyantly colorful and charismatic. Thus they succeeded in persuading many young, formative minds to believe that Utopia was just around the corner and that America wasn’t it; that, in fact, America hindered any possible progress elsewhere. They brought foreign concepts to the fore which sounded intriguing: Islam; communism; Buddhism; Hinduism; tribalism; Zen; etc.

Revolt had been brewing since the early sixties. The young needed a way to distinguish themselves – to find new, exotic ways in which to express themselves. All the new subjects – many under the aegis of ‘critical theory’ - turned students away from serious consideration of old hat subjects that their parents knew, excelled in and, in some cases, fought for.

These were the privileged among us - those who could afford higher education – who would eventually assume prominent positions in government, media, finance, education and industry.

It is often heard that in order to move ahead a college education is indispensable. It’s become a hard and fast rule, like the Indian caste system. The elite graduates from their ivy-covered cocoons would seldom come in contact with ordinary people. They were well compensated and could well afford to isolate themselves from the unschooled. Elitism came in vogue and without any real understanding of how life unfolds at ground level, they devised ways to dictate compliance as they felt was their right.

Now that the failures of their theories are staring them full in the face, they have responded by circling the wagons. They will be turned out at the first opportunity, hopefully to be replaced by people with real-world experience. They can thank God that the rank and file is comprised mostly of decent, principled individuals who would never resort to entertain pitchfork solutions.

Animal Farm

Not much is known about North Korea these days but it may in fact mirror George Orwell’s classic “Animal Farm” to a tee. I recommend this slim volume to anyone who may be tempted to believe that central planning is the answer to all the world’s ills. All the elements and personalities of Marxist lore are uncannily brought into sharp focus in this dystopian spoof that was originally meant to bring the brutal reality of Stalinism home to the general reading public: the pigs; the useful idiots; the need for an enemy; food and health rationing; weapons development (the windmill); the re-write of history; propaganda; corruption; oppression, and more.

Many of these very same trends are rapidly developing within our own nation today. The slide into Marxism seems easy at first. Later, the mix of delusion and raw power tends to turn lethal when issues of succession are at stake. We are now seeing this in North Korea.

The West (including much of America) has already capitulated to Orwell's pigs. Barack Hussein Obama represents the closest we have ever come to tyrannical rule. You might ask yourselves, Who is Obama’s designated enemy? Who is the one, we are constantly told, that is keeping the central planners from achieving their Utopian goals? The answer is YOU.

Circling

John McCain must be defeated. He could be put up against a three-legged stool with pictures of Donald Duck on it and the stool must win. McCain represents everything that’s wrong with the Republican Party. He must not be rewarded! Better to install the most rabid Marxist in his stead. At least you’ll have someone who believes in something.

Just saw John Frankenheimer’s “The Train” (’64) today. In it the Nazis were trying to ship a load of looted art from France into Germany. The French Resistance devised an elaborate ruse to reroute the train, temporarily renaming the railway stations along the way, to make it seem - to the German escorts on board - as if they were headed to Germany when in fact they were just circling around.

This is exactly the ruse employed by the Obama administration. The series of disastrous policies which have been rammed through since he’s been in office are the stations, named in such a way as to make us believe we’re on our way to Utopia. As soon as the train passes, the wraps are removed to reveal our true direction. The film’s narrative tension is heightened when we realize that it’s dictated by the clock. It is nearing the end of the war. The Allies are on their way. Will they be in time to save Paul Labiche (Burt Lancaster) and is precious cargo?

Today we too are circling. We are helplessly captive under the Democrat onslaught. I heard on the news just yesterday that Republicans successfully stopped legislation to extend unemployment benefits. I have news for you: Republicans do not have the votes to stop anything. If it was stopped, it’s Democrats who did it.

Republicans will have to tolerate misfits like JD in office like the Dems tolerate unfunny comedian Al Franken and most of his ignorant Marxist cabal. For those looking out the window, we’re just passing the town of “Financial Regulations Overhaul”. After the train has passed, the wraps will come off and the sign will read: “Obama Power Grab# (take your pick)”.

A Day At The Beach

We have hit another wall. For as long as I can remember, we've been living in the greatest country on earth - the envy of the world. What is the fabled destination of every third-world denizen who's spinning his wheels in the mud of oppression, corruption, racism, and crony capitalism? It's where the streets are said to be paved with gold; where dollars and opportunity beckon soft and ripe like low-hanging fruit. So, they plan for the journey across the several seas. They sharpen their useful skills as to have something to trade when they arrive. And sure enough, they make a life for themselves and write home about it, inspiring others to undertake the journey as well.

It's half a life's work to make that journey. Sometimes, it's not all that easy - that tearing away of the heart from the (home) land. Sometimes they have to settle for their children reaching the top; the children conceived and spawned in the fecund new soil of America.

But where are those already here supposed to go? How do they exercise their hopes, their egos, their wits, impatience, their skills? They're already here, in the greatest place on earth. They take their luck for granted. They too look for new angles to satisfy their intellectual prowess. They too see what’s good in America - but to them it’s a wall. It can’t be moved.

They become politicians, journalists, muckrakers. They look for inspiration overseas. They light fires – small fires at first. Then they graduate to buildings, institutions. They run to the rescue, hoping to be heroes.

Ego. They start to meddle - rearrange things that can’t be rearranged; things that can’t be put back – like diabetes. Now they have a cause. They make new rules. They seek control. They deny themselves meat; they wear hair shirts – ego again. The more they meddle, the worse it gets. They’re overwhelmed.

Then they read somewhere that the path to Utopia must start with revolution. Things are already coming unhinged. They’ve had a part in its unhinging. Ego again. Now, the tearing down becomes a path. They reward and praise each other for essentially nothing – for kicking down the sand castle that’s taken Janie half the morning to build. We’ll have our revolution, by God! We’re tearing it all down. We’re doing something after all.

Riot Act

It's possible that Obama was read the riot act while in China. He might well have been told that he can't just take his ball and go home; that there are others still out there who are entitled to play. “America can't just be permitted to retreat behind some smoldering economic ruin just because it happens to please the Utopian academics of that country; just because someone claims to have discovered the Holy Grail that would create some socio-economic arrangement that has never been seen before.

“No thank you, Mr. (American) President. By the way, how did you ever manage to get elected? Surely the whole country couldn't be as loony and bitter as you are? Go back there and fix what your administration has already wrecked. While we recognize that the some of the problems stem from what you inherited, there's no denying that, since you’ve been in office, you've made everything many times worse. Now, you've put us all at risk.

“Remember, we own you as we own your debt. We could demand our money back at any time. We know what you're doing: driving the dollar down, so we will be left holding the bag. Well, it won't work. We'll come over (if we have to) and claim your land; your women; your resources; the labor of your people - until we feel we have fair value in return for all that we've already invested there.

“And, by the way, don't even think of making any noise about Taiwan, Tibet, Pakistan, Africa or any other place in which we decide to exert our (admittedly) pernicious influence. China is a big country; we've got way too many people; we desperately need to expand. …and right now, we find, you’re in our way."