Thoughts on politics, economics, life and creative works from the author including poetry
Friday, July 7, 2017
Fighting Austerity Through Fixing the Central Bank
The International Monetary Mess
If we understand what is going on we can address our problems and those of the rest of the world. The Website "Against Austerity" goes into these subjects fairly well. So rather than repeat I'll critique some of their points.
"Alexander Hamilton, the architect of America’s First National Bank, proved that a national debt, if not excessive, is a great advantage to a modern nation. A sustained economic recovery requires a source of credit which can be neither zombie banks nor the federal budget." [AgainstAusterity]
Against Austerity probably didn't know that Franklin did an even better job of making a case for Government issued accounting money (in his day paper money). Franklin showed that simply issuing paper money that could be used to pay taxes and against tax receipts could boost local economies. Alexander Hamilton was actually not as hot on that idea as Franklin had been. The authors should have cited Franklin.
Post Keynesianism as a Way Forward
Post Keynesianism Versus Kakistocracy
We have a whole generation of struggling young people. Some of whom have turned to leftist revolution as an alternative. Others of whom have adopted the ultimate symbol of the lucky loser in Donald Trump. Both groups seem to want to just "burn it down." They are frustrated because our economic system is frustrating. Jobs are disappearing. Monopolies are buying out ma and pa or simply putting them out of business. And ruthless capitalism seems to be joyfully converting itself into kakistocracy. Schumpeters Creative destruction stops being creative the moment people stop creating. Hoarding creates liquidity traps. We have a system that is only serving some of us!
None of this is necessary!
We can participate in our own creation. The world does not have to decline.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
National Health Service as Part of the National Militia System
Health Care Service and the Militia
We currently have shortages of Doctors and health care service in much of the country, while we have a surplus of people needing healthcare. This at the same time as some folks flock to what seem like high paying specialties of healthcare because they are more lucrative, and these jobs concentrate where people with wealth live. The result is that much of the country (urban poor and rural poor) are neglected. This reflects "bad constitution" of our healthcare service and Utility.
Public Healthcare is, and should be treated as a strategic public utility vital to the National Security. We've dealt with this before. We treated healthcare as a utility until privateers sold us the bright idea (but costly) that freebooting competition could somehow reign in costs and that running healthcare companies at a profit was a sane idea. It is possible to standup a healthcare service that meets the needs and traditions of our country by associating that service with the national guard and principles derived from militia and voluntary service.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Restoring the First Amendment means restoring a Free Press
Restoring Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression
We need to restore a Free Press!
It seems that when the constitution prohibited the Congress and Federal Government from establishing a Religion or infringing on Freedom of the Press, speech, or assembly, they neglected to prohibit private corporate governments from doing so. Thus the courts have been letting businesses usurp those rights, while denying them to employees and stakeholders. Corrupt courts have been letting them do this since the Santa Clara Decision by privileging Corporate "personhood" over the personhood of the chattel persons working for them. Unconstitutional Government policies in the name of "free[booting] enterprise" have led to the disappearance of local newspapers, local news coverage and the consolidation of local radio, Cable and TV under concentrated ownership. This has led to a press that is controlled in much of the country, especially in rural areas and small towns.
To fix this we need to re-establish a Free Press as envisioned by Benjamin Franklin and the authors of the Constitution. A Free press is part of democracy. A controlled press is part of oppression.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Implementing A Second Bill of Rights
It takes a movement!
Everyone in the United States is unhappy with what is going on in our country. We are fighting Grifters, Opportunists and Privateers seeking to recreate oligarchy along the lines of what dominated the country during the Gilded Age and Antebellum age. To do that they've relied on denying our individual rights by giving those rights to artificial persons as governing Agencies. To defeat them we need to sweep decent people into office and defeat the grifters, oligarchs and pirates who are trying to subvert the democratic and commonwealth features of our Federated Republic. To accomplish both, we need leadership from below, from inside our Democratic party and also from outside the party. We don't need a violent revolution, we need a Second Bill of Rights. To get that we need an electoral revolution an an engaged electorate. We can take lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King, and should support people like the Reverend Dr. Barber, who is following in his footsteps.
Utility versus the pirates
People who see business as opportunity to loot, and competition as about economic warfare, are pirates not legitimate businessmen. And when they get their hands on monopolies and vital goods, they call that "privatization" but it really is privateering; guaranteed fortunes for the few versus pain and suffering for the many. We need to eliminate piracy from our economy. That starts with identifying it for what it is.