Why corporate America is suffocating Americans...

        The simple answer to that is "Because we let it!"  That's right, I'm blaming Americans for the mess we're in.  We have lost our sense of community and allowed ourselves to be trained for total dependence on the government to solve all of our problems.  In the old days, when people had REAL social interaction, and actually CARED about things, they got together and DID something about it.  Strikes, sit-ins, demonstrations...these are how we used to express our dissatisfaction with the way we were being treated.  Now we sit down and write our Congressmen (and women).  That's great that you want your representative to know what's going on, but our government wasn't designed to get you out of your house payment because you weren't thorough enough in reading the mortgage before signing it.  It wasn't designed to prevent your bank from charging you overdraft fees when you spent money you didn't have.  Our capitalist system, the one liberals bemoan for being so bloated and for having too much control over the government was designed to respond to the demands of the consumers.  NEWSFLASH!  We created this situation when we made it a habit of turning to the government to regulate the economy.

        So what is the solution?  In this day and age, with people lacking that strong personal interconnection that used to be a basic component of American communities, it's hard to start a movement.  It's even harder to make people aware of the movement.  The days of strikes and demonstrations may be over, but we have entered the age of E-Revolution.  Over the next few weeks I will be writing a series of articles proposing an effective alternative to handing control of our economy over to the government.  Please stay tuned, and whether you're a conservative or liberal, libertarian or Republican, you will be impressed and excited about a system I propose that will allow the American PEOPLE to regain control of this country and create our OWN destinies, without relying upon the government to clean up our messes.

Taking time to remember American Heroes

                Americans have a rich tradition of giving their lives for worthy causes.  Though we may not always agree with the politics that lead to our involvement in conflicts which cost American soldiers their lives, we take pride in commemorating the sacrifices made by our men and women in service.  This weekend, as I attempt to lose myself in appreciation for the mothers and fathers who sent their little boys and girls off to protect the freedoms we all enjoy, I can’t help being reminded of the figures who unduly occupy important positions in our history.

                One such fraud is Christopher Columbus.  Not that Christopher Columbus himself wasn’t a brilliant seaman and politician, but the fact of the matter remains; Christopher Columbus never ONCE set foot on the continent of North America.  In 1492 Columbus’ first voyage landed him on the island now known as Haiti.  Subsequent voyages across the Atlantic resulted in a thorough exploration of the Bahamas, Cuba, Central America, and even the northern most areas of South America.  Columbus indeed made important discoveries and unprecedented headway in the effort to expand Spain’s presence in the New World, but is this really enough to warrant a national holiday in a country where he never set foot?  What about a Leif Ericson day?  Maybe a commemoration of the struggles of Native Americans, or the involuntary sacrifices made by dislocated Africans who propelled this great nation through its stages of infancy by the literal sweat on their backs?  Christopher Columbus was indeed a significant figure in history, but as we remember those who gave their lives for our country, let’s take the time to include some figures who have not always enjoyed the memorable positions they deserve.

Keep capitalism alive...and WELL!

I wanted today’s post to be a bit lighter than has been my current trend.  In light of the current economic circumstances I find it hard to hold myself to that goal.  There is an alarming trend in this country of solving everything with laws.  The most recent ban of happy meals in San Francisco, is only just a reminder of this trend.

America was founded on an economic system that is based on competition and consumer choice.  Companies are responsible for offering products and services at prices consumers feel justify their use.  We buy what we feel offers a value comparable to the benefit provided.  This is how American consumers decide which companies succeed and which ones fail.  In theory this works, and in practice, when implemented without interference from government sources, it can be quite a success.  Then we are confronted with the monstrosity of corporate America.

In conversation with family members and classmates, I was alarmed to find that many people view large corporations as monopolies.  Even more distressing, though, was the expression of an overall feeling of inefficacy with regards to establishing a voice within the structure of corporate America.  Companies have gotten so large these days we honestly feel like there is nothing we can do but take what they have to offer and try to feel good about it.  No wonder there are so many rules governing business in our country today.  In spite of the looming monstrosity that is our government today, we have come to feel it is somehow more responsive to our consumer needs than the businesses that fill these needs.  This is an appalling trend and must be stopped.

In the coming months I will be proposing a solution that I believe will put the power back where it belongs, in the hands of the consumer.  Please join me in recognizing that, while monopolies may not be as commonplace as many believe, corporations have gone a long way toward placing their profit margins outside the perceived reach of the American public.  Let’s put an end to this madness.  Please leave a comment letting me know, on a scale of 1 to 10, how you feel large corporations (At&t, Tmobile, Geico, Wal-mart, Cable One, etc…) respond to the needs and desires of consumers both prospective and existing.  You can respond with two numbers or a single composite of how you perceive corporations respond to consumers, with 1 being not very responsive and 10 being very responsive.  Thank you.

McDonald's ban a step towards socialism?

                The headlines in the news today: San Francisco outlaws Happy Meals.  Okay, they didn’t exactly OUTLAW them.  What lawmakers did do is tell McDonald’s they can’t sell meals with toys unless they meet certain nutritional requirements.  Seriously?  A law to prevent kids from getting fat?  I guess parents really just can’t say no anymore.

                Get ahold of yourselves parents.  Just because your kids want a burger and fries doesn’t mean you have to stop and buy one…every day!  The real problem with this law is not that McDonald’s can no longer sell Happy Meals.  I’m all for that, in fact I would go a step further and shut the whole chain down.  The problem is that this is not our government’s place.  They may not have the balls to come right out and say it, but they may as well…people who make laws like this actually THINK that people are not smart enough to make the right decisions.  That’s right, I said it.  Lawmakers who feel it is their calling to constantly overstep the boundary between policy and control are really telling us we’re stupid.  We can’t be trusted with our own health and safety.  And the people who vote for these ordinances are agreeing. 

                What we really need to do is pull our heads out of…well our TV’s of course, and pay more attention to the world around us.  Including our health.  And our finances.  And every other facet of our lives that the government seeks to control.  Because when we yield that control we begin a slide down the slippery slope towards socialism.  That’s right I said it: cities attempting to control what we eat is only the most recent progression towards socialist control that is the bent of liberalism in America today.  Look back at the Obama-care snafu of this time last year and it’s obvious…certain people in important leadership positions don’t care what popular opinion is, they just want control.

                Whether you’re conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, or Independent, the facts are still the same.  We cannot afford to continue giving up our liberties in this manner.  Not only is it a trespass on our personal freedom, it represents an expansion of government, the pattern of which has led us down the path to insolvency we currently find ourselves on.  China is buying up our debt because they have to in order to keep their own economy afloat.  But who’s to say what happens once they own a majority interest?  Red state will take on a completely different context.  Wake up America.

Hallelujah REJECT CALL!

        I recently discovered my new android phone has one of the most useful features ever introduced to mobile devices: REJECT CALL. Some day I hope to be able to offer payments to all of the creditors that call to harrass me. Or file bankruptcy (which at this point seems more likely). Until that day I can simply add the phone numbers of all the people who call me repeatedly demanding that I extract blood from the proverbial turnip to this list. Offering them the 32 cents I can dig out of my couch cushions doesn't seem to get them off my back, nor does telling them I simply can't pay. They'll call back tomorrow assuming I've won the lottery or a wealthy relative has died. No such luck.

        With this amazing new REJECT CALL feature, not only have my shoulder muscles stopped knotting up from dread each time the phone rings, I no longer have to be bothered with sifting through the dozens of innane voicemails to listen to the 17 rejections from employers I applied at. This is surely a gift from God! Now if I could just convince the IRS to stop sending me letters every month demanding money. I make $12thousand a year guys, and since you work for my government maybe you could stop circling me like vultures? Oh well, they're on my reject list and the letters don't bother me while I'm at school or standing in line at the local welfare office. The media keeps telling me we're headed out of the recession so certainly it must be so. No? Well at least there's food stamps. Amen.

Global Economics: Fair or Foul?

        Agricultural subisidies are not only bad news for US taxpayers, they are also crippling to the economies of third world countries who don't need the foot of the global money lending establishment forcing their heads under water. The policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have not only crippled the economies of struggling companies, they have put money in the hands of dangerous regimes who use a poorly designed system to advance their own agendas.

        Because of American agricultural subsidies, the products of farmers here in the United States are sold in foreign markets for less than they cost to produce. Though agricultural subsidies have existed in the United States for decades, during the Reagan administration the efforts of the IMF and World Bank combined with domestic policies to push local farmers in third world countries out of their own markets. In order for these countries to generate income they needed to pay back loans, it was necessary to export more products than they imported. Since import tariffs were discouraged by the policies enforced by international lending institutions, the only way third world countries were able to discourage the purchase of foreign goods was to lower the incomes of consumers. This was accomplished by severely depreciating local currencies.

        As if the system of subsidies and tariff restrictions wasn't hurtful enough, international policy is full of double standards. Policies adopted in the US are disallowed in other countries and subsidized products specifically target foreign competitors to insure our hegemony in the global economy. American participation in the global economy has not only been hurtful to third world competitors, it has undermined the quality of life of domestic employees. By its design, the United States' entrance in the world market shipped millions of well-paid positions over seas. This action was aimed at the disollution of labor unions here in America, which it has largely accomplished. A predictable side-effect, however, has been that the gap between American upper-class earners and the lower and middle-class continues to grow. This system perpetuates itself because those who are in charge of it profit from it the most and have no motivation to change the way the world functions.

        Economists concern themselves mainly with efficiency. In an economic mindset, moral dilemmas carry substantially less weight than the creation of an international system that relies on relative gains. Because one country can produce X amount of product "A" cheaper than another country, argue economists, it should concentrate on producing only product "A". This system works, to an extent, but is obviously undermined by government subsidies that allow products of one country to compete artificially with those of another. Probably a country cannot expect to produce all of the consumer goods it needs, but in minimizing reliance on foreign goods, it increases the quality of life of its own workers and insures the solvency of its economic structure long into the future.

How does this thing work again?

I know what you're thinking: Ooh...college girls. Yeah I'm sure they're just waitin' in line for a mid thirties, broke ass ex-construction worker. Besides, my wife is nearly 7 years younger than me and is just about all I can handle (in more ways than one). No, I really did go back to school to get ahead in life. No, really.
Which brings me to my first huge realization about the whole thing: my brain doesn't function the way it used to. If you could get inside my head and watch my brain work I'm pretty sure you would see poofs of dust and cobwebs swirling. If you've ever caught yourself mid-sentence trying to remember what you were saying, or find the most basic words suddenly elude you, then you know what I mean. Three hours later it suddenly comes to you: the word was "before". Really? That was the word I spent minutes trying to remember? If this sounds ridiculous you're not there...YET! I say yet because everyone inevitably experiences this embarassing phenomenon. There's no escaping it! You're getting older and eventually it will happen to you. The only comfort is in knowing that the "young punks" who seem so eloquent today will someday be standing in your shoes. Or maybe not, but you gotta' think that to get through it.