I was listening to NPR on my trip to Norfolk two weeks ago. I heard two different talk shows where people were all for bailing out governments. Then I saw a stat that over the pst year or quarter or some time period, the economy has been contracting in every sector, but government is growing at 7%...The NPR people figured that we need to bail out government so more people don't lose their jobs...
How are we supposed to pay for expanded government when we are in a contracting economy. This makes about as much sense as wanting to hire civil servants do infrastructure projects, when there are perfectly capable civil engineering and contracting companies who can do just that, and probably more efficiently.
I highly recommend some courses in economics or maybe just basic balancing of check books at the local community college...
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
More Book Reports...
I have been out of town and tied up at work, but flying coast to coast has given me some time to read. Besides the Robert Baer book, Sleeping with the Devil, I read two books on my last trip.
The Shack is the story of a guy living in the Northwest who goes camping one weekend and his daughter is abducted and killed. As they track the killer, they find a shack in the woods in a very remote area with her bloody dress in it. A few years later, the man recieves a note from what appears to be God, requesting that he come back to the Shack for a weekend. While there, he has an experience with God to help lift his burden and move on in life. Very good and probably very helpful for people with a loss and anger at God.
Once an Arafat Man by Tass Saada is the story of a man who was once a PLO fighter, sniper, and driver for Arafat. This book is his testimony and story of his conversion to Christianity and his belief in Christiainity being the way to reconciliation in the Middle East. I saw him speak at my church a few weeks ago, and he described the relationship and history of the factions in the Middle East, which essentially comes from Genesis where Sarah forces Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness. The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael, but they are essentially cousins to the Jews, and God loves them as much as any. Interesting perspecitve and a pretty fascinating person with a very amazing conversion.
Now I am onto Epicenter, by Joel C. Rosenberg...more interesting predictions on the Middle East, based in Ezekiel...
The Shack is the story of a guy living in the Northwest who goes camping one weekend and his daughter is abducted and killed. As they track the killer, they find a shack in the woods in a very remote area with her bloody dress in it. A few years later, the man recieves a note from what appears to be God, requesting that he come back to the Shack for a weekend. While there, he has an experience with God to help lift his burden and move on in life. Very good and probably very helpful for people with a loss and anger at God.
Once an Arafat Man by Tass Saada is the story of a man who was once a PLO fighter, sniper, and driver for Arafat. This book is his testimony and story of his conversion to Christianity and his belief in Christiainity being the way to reconciliation in the Middle East. I saw him speak at my church a few weeks ago, and he described the relationship and history of the factions in the Middle East, which essentially comes from Genesis where Sarah forces Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness. The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael, but they are essentially cousins to the Jews, and God loves them as much as any. Interesting perspecitve and a pretty fascinating person with a very amazing conversion.
Now I am onto Epicenter, by Joel C. Rosenberg...more interesting predictions on the Middle East, based in Ezekiel...
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Potential Obama Hangover
http://www.victorhanson.com/articles/hanson110708.html
A very smart man and professor at USNA...Victor Hansen identifies the potential hangover to come and what conservatives need to do, starting today for the next election.
A very smart man and professor at USNA...Victor Hansen identifies the potential hangover to come and what conservatives need to do, starting today for the next election.
The Devil We Know
I just read a very interesting book by Robert Baer about Iran.
http://www.amazon.com/Devil-We-Know-Dealing-Superpower/dp/0307408647/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226123565&sr=8-1
Baer was the author of See No Evil, and Sleeping With the Devil that were the inspiration for Syriana, and he himself, as an ex-CIA operative was teh basis for Clooney's character.
While in the CIA, Baer spent quite a bit of time trying to link Iran to various terrorist acts and kidnappings, especially of the CIA station chief in Beirut, which makes it all the more interesting that in his new book, he is basically calling for the US to get over our past with Iran and move into making them more responsible for the goings on in the Middle East. As he puts it, they are already expanding their empire from Lebanon through Syria, Kurdistan, and southern Iraq. This is not so different from Thomas P.M. Barnett's suggestion in his book Blueprint for Action, which a central theme is bringing regional powers to the global table and forcing them to be responsible for controling their areas. I think the detente with Iran is probably one of the things that has kept Barnett's second book from being as successful as his first, but for Iran, Baer I think lays out a good starting point with a 10 point plan for engagement and quid pro quo with Iran. (I will list them if anyone wants, or you can read the book!)
I also got my October edition of Imprimus from Hillsdale College this week with a speech by Michael Ledeen who essentially comes up with a lot of similar points to Baer, but is more interested in taking it to them now and making them submit to US power.
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis.asp
Baer thinks such a move is unsustainable, while Ledeen probably would call Baer's idea surrender to Iran. I don't know that Baer would characterize it that way, but it is interesting to think that if there in no way to win a war, maybe the best idea is to negotiate a most best arrangement. The other difference in these two opinions, is that Baer claims that Iran has given up on terrorism, is/has transformed Hezbollah into a military force to operating against the Israeli military, and has essentially become what could be considered a rational actor. Problem I see is that Baer maybe one of the few people able to read these tea leaves.
http://www.amazon.com/Devil-We-Know-Dealing-Superpower/dp/0307408647/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226123565&sr=8-1
Baer was the author of See No Evil, and Sleeping With the Devil that were the inspiration for Syriana, and he himself, as an ex-CIA operative was teh basis for Clooney's character.
While in the CIA, Baer spent quite a bit of time trying to link Iran to various terrorist acts and kidnappings, especially of the CIA station chief in Beirut, which makes it all the more interesting that in his new book, he is basically calling for the US to get over our past with Iran and move into making them more responsible for the goings on in the Middle East. As he puts it, they are already expanding their empire from Lebanon through Syria, Kurdistan, and southern Iraq. This is not so different from Thomas P.M. Barnett's suggestion in his book Blueprint for Action, which a central theme is bringing regional powers to the global table and forcing them to be responsible for controling their areas. I think the detente with Iran is probably one of the things that has kept Barnett's second book from being as successful as his first, but for Iran, Baer I think lays out a good starting point with a 10 point plan for engagement and quid pro quo with Iran. (I will list them if anyone wants, or you can read the book!)
I also got my October edition of Imprimus from Hillsdale College this week with a speech by Michael Ledeen who essentially comes up with a lot of similar points to Baer, but is more interested in taking it to them now and making them submit to US power.
http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis.asp
Baer thinks such a move is unsustainable, while Ledeen probably would call Baer's idea surrender to Iran. I don't know that Baer would characterize it that way, but it is interesting to think that if there in no way to win a war, maybe the best idea is to negotiate a most best arrangement. The other difference in these two opinions, is that Baer claims that Iran has given up on terrorism, is/has transformed Hezbollah into a military force to operating against the Israeli military, and has essentially become what could be considered a rational actor. Problem I see is that Baer maybe one of the few people able to read these tea leaves.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Obama Victorious
I remain skeptical that Obama will live up to the dreams and promises that he has put forward during this campaign. However, I think it is an obviously outstanding thing that an African American has been elected as President of the United States. I hope that Obama can be a great president, and prove the conservatives wrong. I pray that he can put aside his partisan feelings and history of liberal ideals and move to the center to acheive things that the majority of Americans will believe in. I pray that he will not cater to Pelosi, Reed, and their special interests. I hope he will be an independent voice.
My vote for McCain was based on my perception that he would be the least risky candidate. If he failed as President, I didn't think it would be so bad as if Obama failed us. On the otherhand, McCain probably cannot take us as far and bring in the change of the guard from the Boomers to GenX, Y, and Beyond that Obama potentially can do. Obama says he can improve our stature in the world, and bring the US back to a leadership position to protect our national interests. I am rooting for him to be successful, and I will pray for him to be successful.
What could have been is no more, it is now up to Barack Hussein Obama to lead us out of economic crisis, complete the wars to satisfaction, and return the US to a leadership position in the world. Personally, I hope that his advisors and cabinet will be made up of leaders from both parties, and that he will place the interests of the USA above the interests of reelection, the Democrat party, and the new special interests chomping at the bit to take over Washington, DC.
My vote for McCain was based on my perception that he would be the least risky candidate. If he failed as President, I didn't think it would be so bad as if Obama failed us. On the otherhand, McCain probably cannot take us as far and bring in the change of the guard from the Boomers to GenX, Y, and Beyond that Obama potentially can do. Obama says he can improve our stature in the world, and bring the US back to a leadership position to protect our national interests. I am rooting for him to be successful, and I will pray for him to be successful.
What could have been is no more, it is now up to Barack Hussein Obama to lead us out of economic crisis, complete the wars to satisfaction, and return the US to a leadership position in the world. Personally, I hope that his advisors and cabinet will be made up of leaders from both parties, and that he will place the interests of the USA above the interests of reelection, the Democrat party, and the new special interests chomping at the bit to take over Washington, DC.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)