One is a chapter 4 from a book called ” the Peoples History of the United States” it specifically deals with the environment leading up to the Declaration of Independence and the forces that led to it’s creation.

heres the link:

http://books.google.com/books?id=P8V7J5qm5-YC&dq=peoples+history+of+the+united+states&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=WYWNSuy2A6HBtwfX1rH4DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Derek,

I read the chapter you mentioned and I have a few comments. First, I am not exactly sure what it is you are wanting me to comment on from the chapter. I was only able to ready some of it because they remove a few pages because it is free. (Ex. pages 61-62 and pages (71-72)

I can assume a couple of things that you wanted me to comment on; Item one is the obvious class “wars” that were being waged between upper class and lower class colonists. This included the middle class as a sort of fence straddler that had to be swayed to one side of the fence. I understand the ideas that are put forth concerning motivations for the “revolution” from Britain and the ideas of controlling the middle class to gain control of “the people”. However I must say this “point of view” is one of perception from neighborhood you grow up in, the family origins and experiences all mold an individual into who they become. It seems as though the thoughts and ideas of this well known author, who sells 100,000 copies of this book per year, also has his own story from his own neighborhood and cultural background. My point, the view from one side of the tracks is always different from the other side of the track.

The second thing that I think you are wanting me to understand from this reading, is the similarities of the times then and now. Upper class own most everything in the country. They hold much of the wealth and power, as they did back then. I think he states that the land ownership was something like 66% owned by top 10%. What I get is this; You can never have everyman have the exact same amount of power, wealth, experience, or abilities. Someone is always going to work harder than someone else. There are always going to be people that are smarter, better thinkers, more creative and more able to do certain things. To think that everyone can be more perfectly equal is a utopian idea.

Side note; Have you ever worked for a poor man? Poor men do not employ very many people. There are going to be rich people unless you take away private ownership completely.

(Continued) However, equal opportunity is something that is in place, it just take time to balance it out. The colonists had it wrong with slavery and discrimination against women. They were flat out wrong. With that being said, those wrongs were finally made right within the last 120 years with the adaptations to our constitution. I do not disagree with that one bit. Unfortunately I do not think that you can speed up the process arbitrarily of complete equal opportunity without swinging the pendulum in the other direction where ancestors of those who made the mistakes are punished out the idea of socialist justice. This is the viewpoint I feel this chapter is written from. It is meant to show the other side of the story. Which is fine. People are supposed to be able to see both side of the story and make their own judgements.

Just as in economic ideas and theories, equilibrium can be attained by the system, if the government would do the job it is supposed to. Uphold the rules, values and principles of “good people”. Not Democrat. Not republican. Americans! That means getting the hands out of the cookie jar. Both of them!

A lot of American citizens have lost the idea of what is right! Those citizens need to be held accountable. I am all for greedy people who drive banks, business’s, etc into the ground but make billions of dollars themselves beign punished. But, you can not take the wind out of the American sail of enginiuity by strangling the business development opportunities either. Taxes can and will be the death of American business. It, unions, and yes even things like the cost of health care have killed our industrial business here in the states. We make essentially nothing here anymore. We are almost completely a service industry! This is bad. Everything is a fine balance. I have always believed that. Hopefully we can get to one, before ideals, agendas, and ridiculous people tear the country apart.

I will watch the video on health care later and comment on it. Thanks for the opportunity for a healthy debate. Sorry to give you so much to read.

Good night,
Richard

Tags: class warfare, colonists, history, independence, revolution, socialism

Full disclosure;I am registered as a republican. However I have voted democrat and do vote for the people that I think present the most honest values and principles. Unfortunately, it seems as though most politicians are nothing more than liers and cheats. I am shedding the republican tag though. I consider myself a common sense American.

The country is not democrat and republican only. There are a lot of different parties that are more in line with these beliefs. Our government will have you believe that they are the only options. This needs to change. If it does not, exactly what is happening now, will continue. Every time the other party gets in office, they will push through their so called agenda. I am tired of this. It does not focus on the true needs and wants of the American people. Government officials are not smarter than the American people. Government officials do work for us, no matter what they say.

Conservatives are not just Republicans. I have met Libertarians, Independents, Constitutionalists and even Democrats who are conservative. Conservative people are not the types to “take to the streets”. But we are doing it. This should make people think about why a more conservative person would take time out of their busy schedule to do something that is completely out of their norm. Personally I can tell that I have never been to a protest of any type until this year. I am standing up now because of stupid politicians in Washington and around the country who are doing nothing more than a glorified pissing contest. Their are holding their ground on their “party ideals” and that is it. The problem is that they are not paying attention to their history.

If you look at our history, government oppression is the reason this country came to be. When King George was taxing the colonials to the point of them having almost nothing to grow, invest, and save with, changes had to be made. My fear, is that the power that people get so addicted to, can infuriate people on both sides of the current arguments to push them to extremes. Frustrations commonly build up with people on the left side as well. None are immune to extremists. Just look at some of the people in our history like Mr. Ayers. Yes, there are extremists on the right also, who feel that the future of our country could come to an armed struggle. I will not say that all these people are nut jobs because they see the extreme possibilities. Which are exactly that, possibilities. Some of those people are nut jobs, but not all. Most will not admit it, but have wondered if this could actually be a real possibility. It has happened countless times, in countless countries over centuries. This is not a bad thing. To think that someone won’t do something stupid on either side of an argument is naive. However, this does  mean that the arguments made by people on the same side of an issue are all like this. There has to be a realization that people are different and have their own thoughts and there are also always going to be nut jobs that do stupid things.

People need to start looking at things from a realistic perspective and stop the “Status quo” argument. I do not want the same system that is obviously broken to stay in place. However, using health care as an example, I like mine and want to keep it. I should be able to. Fix what is broken. I do agree with Glenn Beck that Common Sense needs to return to Washington and all politicians. They need to become individuals who listen to their constituents again. I am tired of always seeing a Democrat and a Republican arguing on tv. All people need to be represented.

I am a concerned American who happens to be conservative. I am also open to debate in an appropriate manner. If you have comments, leave them, but do not belittle me. Have an open discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqMKK8AoLCw

Tags: nationalized health care, Obama care

“I decided not to get the health insurance. That’s working out for me because I’m able to save that extra money and give it to my family members and use it on myself. Senator Cardin, I want to know are you going to tell me an individual…that I have to buy health care or else you’re going to fine me $2,500 every year I don’t get it? Our founding fathers assured us we have a Bill of Rights and I want to see you uphold that,” Broadus said in an increasingly emotional voice and to scattered applause.

People are finally starting to understand that if this the government succeeds in socializing health care then they are going to lose some very basic freedoms, like being able to decide what to spend their own money on.

Another basic right we are going to lose? How about the right to live for as long as we can fight tooth and nail for? Section 1233 of HR 3200 (AKA the House Democrat’s Health Care Bill) goes as far as to require doctors and patients to talk every 5 years about the best ways to spend their remaining years (hospices, living wills, etc).  Why do we want a Government Bureaucracy involved in that?  Are we going to call it the Ministry of Life?

People are starting to get it, people like Mr Broadus who has made a choice to not have health care insurance but has been told by the government ‘we know better than you, trust us’.

No thank you, I’ll trust myself.

Tags: democrats, government, healthcare, Obama, obamacare

This is one mistake that happens often. People confuse the “Stock markets” and other “markets” with the real economy. Most people associate them hand in hand. The price of an item in the markets can be determined by the occurrences in the economy, and the economy can be adversely affected by the extreme actions of the markets. In other words, they can affect each other, but the Economy is much larger than just the markets. The markets are actually, in a way, an indicator of the economy, but not the true nature of the economy.

For example company A has been doing great and now has a ton of profits. An investor might see this as an opportunity to make money by assuming that other people will also see this and want part of the action. This is where Supply and Demand come into play. Demand for involvement in that companies profits drives the price up. So if most companies are doing well, then it is safe to say that the economy is doing well. This is also true in the opposite direction. Large market firms generally can cause huge shifts in positive and negative movement. Much more than the individual.

The easiest thing we can do, is to look at the indicators to see where they tell us we are going. Some indicators include orders for durable goods, orders for plant and equipment, new housing starts, change in raw material prices, corporate profits and share prices, business formation and failures, and money supply (M2) (Business Dictionary)

If you look at the current indicator statistics, you will see that it is a mixed bag of ups and downs. Before the late 2008 decline, all indicators were headed in a positive direction. Things have slowed! some items are moving positive, while others are moving more negative. Some of the volatility has gone away, which is a sign of a stabilization of some sort, but there is a question as to how long. That seems to be another question that is anyone’s guess.

So, is the economy getting better? The only truthful answer is that the economy has slowed it’s decline. It is not such a steep fall to the bottom of the ravine. We have reached some sort of plateau or flattened area where there is optimism that we will turn the economy around sooner that later. But there is some concern how all the current administrative changes will affect the natural movements of the cyclical economic trends. Can a true equilibrium be set? Not by this opinion. Natural forces are at work, and they are much more powerful than those of humans who think they are all powerful.

Personally, I am forecasting that we have a long way to go before things get anywhere close to normal again. Housing prices are going to remain low for some time in many areas, jobless claims will remain high, total unemployment rate (a lagging indicator) might slow but will remain high and continue to climb for some time, Big ticket purchases are going to be made by those with the means without credit backing this includes durable goods, there will be some more business failures and merges or acquisitions, interest rates will have to begin to increase by the end of the year and our dollar is going to continue to get devalued adding to an inflationary situation sometime in the next year to three years.

One final note; Unemployment is now at 9.5% Nationwide. The average amount of time that people are staying on unemployment has gone from 15.9 weeks (Just under 4 months) to 24.5 weeks (6 and a half months) (Bureau of Labor and Statistics). This is also trending up to longer periods of time on unemployment which means companies are not hiring people back quickly.

Tags: economics, markets, supply and demand

It appears that Democrats in Washington have finished their all day discussions about Climate Control. It appears that Business, then consumers are going to pay the price for this program. (Wall Street Journal)

     For those of you who do not understand what cap and trade is, it is a credit system. This system allows companies to buy carbon credits. The idea with the program is 2 fold. First it will not allow companies to just pollute the environment to whatever extent they feel unless they have extremely deep pockets. This plan also is supposed to allow the United States to set the example for the rest of the globe.

     The credits can be purchased or possibly traded between companies to allow companies to adjust based on their own companies profiles. The main thing about this program is that it will force companies that are using systems that are polluting our environment to change their procedures. To change procedures is not as easy as some might think. In some industries it might not be as easy as just purchasing new equipment. Some industries might need all new plants. This could potentially allow some companies to look for cheaper alternatives including taking their companies offshore. Most developing nations are not using this cap and trade idea, so costs will be less expensive for them there then here in the U.S.. This is why so many jobs have been outsourced, Same principal, but on a larger scale.

     The second part of this program is that it could potentially instigate a world wide change to be more environmentally friendly. Countries like India, China, and other countries may or may not follow this idea. This might be the time for those developing countries to soar like we had over the past 2 decades economically.

     There are a lot of unknowns to this system. How the bills are laid out and the guidelines will determine how it changes business here in the U.S.

    Most think that this program is going to increase the costs to U.S. Companies. This could be passed on to the consumer in the way of higher prices. We will not know for sure. The news will have to start coming in before we know for sure, unless we use some common sense now.

     Common sense says that companies are going to do what is less expensive and easiest for them. Most companies do not have border loyalties. They will go wherever they can to make the most money. Check out the report from The Heritage Foundation on why we need to stay away from Climate change bills.

People there have taken to the streets to show their outrage at the government and it’s actions. Blatant disregard for what the people truly want and supposed rigged result to the presidential vote have people in the streets continually. I seem to recall a a couple of days in April when some here in the U.S did the same thing.

     How long did you stand outside? How dedicated were you? Personally I went to 2 demonstrations on the first day and 1 a few days later. All of which were a few hours at most. Not really saying much when compared to the Iranians who are protesting.

     The vote in Iran took place almost 2 weeks ago and they are still protesting. Are we not willing to suffer a bit to get what we want, our voices to be heard! I think that the Iranian people are showing an amazing amount of fortitude in the demonstrations they are taking part in now. I may not be the government, but they have my full support.

     I hope it works out for them, although I am fearful it will not. Examples like this, tend to dash any hopes normal people can change what goes on in the powerful government. Look what the demonstrators have been through to this point. They are receiving little consolation. Good luck to the people of Iran who have the bravery to stand up peacefully to the government.

     Check out the history of Iran. It is long and interesting. Foxnews is covering the Iran story continually. The leaders in Iran say “No” to new vote.

Tags: independenceinexhile, iran

Gerald Walpin - Former Americorps Inspector General

Well that is what happened to the Inspector General for Americaorps Wednesday. He refused to give his resignation and demanded to know why he was being required to give one. Thursday, President Obama fired Gerald Walpin. When President Obama was asked the reason publicly by the press, he stated that Gerald Walpin was so “confused” and “disoriented” that there was reason to question “his capacity to serve.” (Foxnews).

Important point to note is that the president did not follow his own law. Yes, Obama ignored a law that he co-authored and signed into law that requires a 30 day notice to the individual inspector and the Congress before being allowed to fire them. Why is this law good. Inspector Generals are independant so that their integrity in matters of inspecting crooked individuals can be maintained.  The underlying fact is that this inspector was investigating one of the president’s friends.  Mr. Johnson was a major contributor to the Obama campaign and personal friend. The investigation was authorized by Americorps, and it was found that the friend, Mr. Johnson, had illegally used more than 1 million dollars in funding that was to be used for Americorps agenda’s, for things such as washing his personal car!

Coincidence? You be the judge. This seems like thuggery to me. If you stand for principles and values, you have to go! One by one they are getting rid of the people who oppose them and can help keep this country on the right road. 

Mr. Walpin was given a test that they give to “disoriented” people to determine their level of sanity and orientation. He passed perfectly. Imagine that.

Tags: americorps, fired inspector general, foxnews, gerald walpin, Obama

Think they are scared now?

Think they are scared now?

Tags: cartoon, glenn beck, Obama, rob smith

“The extent of the fraud is proportional to the violent reaction,” [blank] said Tuesday. “It is a tragedy, but it is not negative to have a real-opinion movement that tries to break its chains.”

“If Ahmadinejad has really made progress since the last election and if he really represents two thirds of the electorate… why has this violence erupted?” asked the [blank] leader.

(from PressTv)

And another said

My understanding is, is that the Iranian government says that they are going to look into irregularities that have taken place.  We weren’t on the ground, we did not have observers there, we did not have international observers on hand, so I can’t state definitively one way or another what happened with respect to the election.  But what I can say is that there appears to be a sense on the part of people who were so hopeful and so engaged and so committed to democracy who now feel betrayed.  And I think it’s important that, moving forward, whatever investigations take place are done in a way that is not resulting in bloodshed and is not resulting in people being stifled in expressing their views.

Give up?  The first was the French President Sarkozy and the Second was the President of the United States.  Never in my life did I think that I think I would be telling another nation to go look at the French for inspiration as opposed to the Leader of the Free World.

The president seems to think that the goons that stole the election will investigate and … what exactly? I didn’t have observers on the ground either but I have a pretty good idea of what happened.

Mr. Obama likes to throw Reagan around a lot, why not follow this example (here and here)

The people of Poland are giving us an imperishable example of courage and devotion to the values of freedom in the face of relentless opposition.

Tags: election, iran, Obama, reagan, sakozy