Posts from — November 2004

First it was “nuk-u-ler”, then “Eye-rak”, and now “kash-ay”. They are just trying to be annoying. The “e” at the end of “cache” is silent; the word is pronounced “kash”.

It’s bad enough coming from young GIs, but some of the embedded reporters are starting to do it. I would suggest a dictionary, but if you can’t pronounce the word, it is unlikely you can find it in a dictionary.

In an apparent attempt to emulate his role model, Herbert Hoover, George W. Bush has had money for a Presidential yacht included in the omnibus spending package that the lame duck Congress is attempting to pass.

Hoover took trips in the Presidential yacht in an attempt to improve the morale of Americans weathering the Depression. It wasn’t a notably successful plan.

Somehow this conjures up the picture of the Roman emperor Nero plucking at the strings of a lyre while a conflagration rages through the city of Rome.

1. Eliminate the income cap on Social Security taxes, maintain the cap on benefits and the retirement age, and stop using these taxes to finance the deficit.
2. As originally stated in the Constitutional amendment, all income is the same, without regard to the source.
1. Capital gains to be taxed during the year in which they are converted to cash and become income with the original cost to be adjusted for inflation before determining taxable gain.
2. Businesses will only be permitted to deduct the direct costs of producing a product or service with an emphasis on direct.
3. There is only one type of filer and two forms: one for wage-only filers and one for all others.
4. The only exemption is the first $15,000 on which no income tax is paid and that is indexed to inflation.
5. Beginning at $15,001 the rate is 15% and is incremented by 1% at every additional $25,000 beginning at $40,001 up to $515,000, with rate remaining constant above that. All levels are indexed on inflation.
6. All surpluses are to be used to reduce the National Debt and replace the money from the Social Security trust fund. After that debt is paid off, the rates are to be adjusted downward to reflect the decrease in expenses. The tax rate should be tied to the budget, so that excess spending results in an automatic tax increase to cover the needed funding, unless overridden by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress and approval of the President.

The deficits of the American government are soaking up investment capital from all over the world and depressing global economic development. The value of the dollar has been plunging against other currencies because of the rabid borrowing and this cannot continue forever. It cost $940 to buy 1,000 euros in 2001, today it would cost $1,300.

The savings rate is at rock bottom because the interest rate on savings doesn’t even cover inflation. The Dow-Jones Industrial Average has barely gotten back up to where it was four years ago. You save and invest money for increased wealth, not to watch it disappear. Real estate is the only investment that’s appreciating which a prime factor in rising house prices. If there was something worth investing in, Microsoft wouldn’t be sitting on tens of billions in cash, they would be investing it.

Insurance rates are climbing for all types of insurance because the companies aren’t making any money on their investments.

Even the demented Alan Greenspan has figured it out. We are in trouble and it is Bush’s fault. Every action this government has taken is leading the US and the world to an economic melt down.

Sartorially I’ve been blue most of my life. Denim has been the consistent theme in the beginning and end, with “air force blue”, “police blue”, and blue button-down shirts in between.

Politically I spent the 20th century as an independent, voting for the individual, rather than the party. I was interested in fiscal responsibility, avoiding foreign involvements, energy independence, environmental sensitivity, and incremental increases in the quality of life for everyone: fairly conservative values, nothing extreme.

As a true believer in capitalism, I have always been leery of corporations as they are a basic violation of the capitalistic ideal. People forget that the muscle in the “invisible hand” that guides the free market is risk and the sole purpose of a corporation is to reduce risk. I oppose the imposition of litigation caps for the same reason, the reduction of risk. I am deeply offended that people can lead large businesses to disaster and walk away with fortunes.

Many of today’s business leaders spend their time watching the stock market instead of the market in which their companies compete. If the leadership of a company spends more time worrying about the opinions of Wall Street wonks than the opinions of customers, the company is in trouble. When a company is in good shape, the stock will rise because of the company’s increasing value.

When I was forced to choose a party affiliation I naturally chose the Democratic Party, the party of small business and economic growth, the party that understands the threat that corporations pose to capitalism and the free market.

The Republicans support corporations with special exemptions, subsidies, and give-aways. They are the party that supports reducing the risks for corporations and transferring the cost to small business and the consumer.

The current Republican Party has eliminated the possibility of splitting your ballot by enforcing ideological orthodoxy on all members. Any member who attempts to take an independent stand is subjected to the Rovian Inquisition and risks their career and livelihood for even minor deviations from the Party Line.

When I wore “air force blue”, I was a Russian linguist and intelligence analyst. I spent eight years fighting the “Red Menace” of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. I read a lot of their propaganda and am familiar with its construction and tone. Now, when I had hoped to slide gracefully towards a quiet retirement, I must again sharpen the sword of democracy to battle the “Red Menace” of the Republican Party.

The Constitution of the Soviet Union was as, or more, democratic than the Constitution of the United States, but that didn’t stop Stalin. When his back was against the wall because of Hitler’s invasion, Stalin played the ultimate political cards: patriotism and religion. G-d and Country!”, the rallying cry of every politician who wants to justify dictatorial power.