General Grant and Mark Twain, Greenbacks versus "Solid Money"

Accounting Money and Credit Money

The General purpose of money is to enable trade by creating a currency as a common unit of account that allows agreed on measures of value so that people can more easily exchange goods and services. Where it gets tricky hinges on the question how do you regulate the value of that currency so that it measures the value of commodity and services in a stable manner. Whether a currency is based on "commodity money" (Gold, silver by weight and purity), "fiat money", or accounting money (credits and debits/ mostly debt money); this presents an issues of sovereignty. Without sovereign money, currencies fall into the hands of bankers and speculators, grifters and frauds. When sovereignty over currency is in the hands of a Privateering Central Bank; The same. The People of the world need sovereignty over their currenies in actually sound hands. When money is available in an unsound manner, it;

.... falls into the hands of privateers:

• Money loses it's value as an accurate measure of transactions and relative value.
• It loses connection to the commodities that are supposed to back that value.
• Those with control over that currency speculate with their possessions.
• When they do some get very rich, in money terms, and...
• Suddenly part or all of the currency loses its collateral
• And everyone else gets very poor.

Tricky Politicians Privateers and Land Value

Picture captured from Wikipedia Article

We like to think of our current governmental dysfunction as something new. But it's not. What is going on now is actually the continuation of issues and troubles that have plagued this country since it's beginning. This post refers to Henry George Junior's biography of his father [https://www.questia.com/library/338293/the-life-of-henry-george], which I was able to put a PDF version on my nook, my computer and even my cell phone, so I can read it at my leisure. The book is excellent. Henry George's son was a good son. What he writes about the electoral politics of the 1870's and 1880's could be said about today.

When I first ran into Henry George I found him captivating. But most of what was quoted from him turned out to be from highly edited derivative works, except progress and poverty which makes perfect sense.

Revisionism as a Way of Life

A few weeks ago I thought to try to open up a dialogue with a Baltimore Pundit, whose name escapes me but who is a doctrinaire conservative. I shared an article on the extended Lincoln/Douglas debates that won him the Presidency in 1860, and he rejected my argument as "revisionist." I would have laughed but he was serious. His comment made me realize that when dealing with Cons, I mean conservatives, one is dealing with iron clad myths. It really doesn't matter whether they are objectively true or not, once they become dogma, revision of one's opinions, understanding, even appreciation of facts, is "revisionism." That ancient conflation of the hebrew Herem (proscribed) with the greek Heresis (choice), that gave us the word Heresy, is a gift that keeps on giving. One can't argue with facts, I thought.

As long as "revisionism" is a slur, and revising one's theories is anathema. Then science is in trouble and the world will continue to be in trouble. Science doesn't move through merely "new discoveries" but through verification and validation. A Scientist is simply an honest person. One doesn't take an a-priori dogma and look for facts to justify it, if one is an honest person. But if one has dogma or an a-priori belief, one does just that. Revisionism becomes heresy. Choice becomes a crime. And facts are decided by what authorities say the facts are. Thus the ancient roots of fascism are found in dogmatic belief.

I'm proud to be a revisionist. I'll be revising my own ideas til the day I die. If I'm lucky I'll see the gates of heaven and St. Peter will tell me I was wrong on a few things. But I'd rather be wrong based on facts, than assert I'm right based on dogma. Dogmas are often lies and delusions so old, they are asserted as doctrine and forced into belief systems despite the dysfunctional consequences. You'd think people would learn from experience. But dogmatic people don't.

Further Reading:

http://holtesthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/11/lincoln-marxist.html

Cooper Union Address: https://www.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyculture/aboutcooper.htm

*** since this is the park service and the GOP revanchists will probably take these pages down at some point. I saved copies

We Gave the Russian's Oligarchs. Now they are giving back

When the Berlin Wall fell, cadres of mostly Republican, Pirates descended on Russia to "help" them privateer on "reforming" the Soviet System. They didn't really reform anything. What they did was pretty much sell all the assets of the country off to the highest bidders, who were usually connected and savvy former KGB agents, Party leaders, or simply savvy local pirates. The result was that the standard of living of the country fell, access to healthcare, jobs even food dropped. But a few people got immensely wealthy, either by successfully seizing Turf (Properties) or using their connections to be first in line for properties. American Carpetbaggers also got wealthy "helping" the Russians. All those people have now come home to loot US.

We "helped" the Russians transform themselves into a Kakistocracy. Now they are returning the favor.

For more on this: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/24/opinion/following-the-russian-money.html

The Tiger Prowls

I wrote this in 2011 by hand. Posted it in 2012 on facebook. This article from the Washington Post on Robin Williams brought me back to the poem. Before my wife died. Most of what was in it, I thought, was referring to other inmates in the first circle of hell. One in particular was a man struggling to find the money to keep his wife alive. But no, the Tiger was coming for my wife. Since then the Tiger keeps taking members of my family, immediate and extended. If ACA goes away, the tiger will take more people than before.

The Tiger prowls my corridors I hear her sobbing in the front row Does the Tiger argue with God? If we are meant to find a peaceful world Why did He create the Tiger?

Inspired by real life and this article in the Post:http://www.washingtonpost.com/…/2…/04/21/AFGGtLEF_story.html

Rules for Survival -- Masha Gessen

Masha Gessen is warning people that we need to follow 6 basic rules if we want to survive the totalitarian regime that is installing itself in our country:

In My own Words

 

1. Autocrats Mean their Nasty Business

2. Appearances of Normality are a Trap

3. The establishment can't save Us

4. Outrage is necessary - They will Gaslight!

5. Compromise only fails with authoritarians.

6. This too will pass (maybe). Tyrants fail.

Like an Aging Wine

My Dad was like an aging wine Doing the right thing all of the time I hear about corruption I hear about evil But when I think of my father I think only virtue   My father was like an aging wine Getting better and wiser all of the time I hear about evil I hear about injustice I hear about crime But my Dad was a hero All of the time

RIP

His business was facts

Engineering real virtue

He left the world better

For all that he did

No games, nothing underhanded

What you saw is what you got.

 

No better man, no finer man

Could ever anyone find

He grew wiser.

He grew stronger

Like a fine aging wine

 

Never a complaint

Never a whine

He sailed the seas of life

Steady in calm, or stormy winds.

In this universe he was the best

I suppose the ineffable one took a sip

 

He woke up quietly this morning

Not to disturb Mom

He made his hot chocolate

And set it by his chair.

But before he could drink it

The ineffable one took him.

My father was like a fine wine

Aging sweeter all the time.

When the ineffable one saw it was his time.

The Creator of Space and Time, took a sip.

 

Christopher H. Holte, March 4, 2017