Hal Davis for Foresight Czar

Since no one else in Washington is willing, I am throwing my name in the hat to be appointed to the post of Foresight Czar. Does no one think forward or criticize decisions before they are made?

Yesterday, the FAA flew a photo op mission over Manhattan. A low altitude flyby over the Statue of Liberty, which requires a Air Force One to buzz the tower. I'm sure there were tons of unreported coffee spills in addition to all the reports of buildings being evacuated, shaken nerves at least, and basically a reminder of the last thing this country needs.





So, how many people saw this and thought that it would not be an issue? Based on how I think the Federal Government runs, I'd say at least 50 people knew about this. They say that they told local authorities, but local authorities say they weren't notified or were told on Thursday and directed not to release to the public. Why would this not be distributed to the public? What possible advantage does that give the photo opportunity? Let's get some risk analysis going in Washington. Maybe even a copy of photoshop and save the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars that this exercise cost, not to mention avoiding the general looking stupid as a government.

I guess we'll find out if it is actually possible to get fired from a government job.

Anti-Piracy Plan

I did some thinking about the best way to deter pirates from attaching US ships. Since the crews are not allowed to be armed in order to be allowed to port, I say we bookend the Gulf of Aden with the USS Bainbridge and a similar destroyer. Let a 4 or 6 man Navy SEAL team board the ships as they enter the gulf. If there's an attack, the crew attempts to stop the pirates and if the pirates board the ship, the crew hides in the engine room, per protocol. Then, the SEALs do their thing, and disembark on the other side. There's got to be about the same number of ships coming as going and I'm sure that other countries wouldn't mind giving a group of Navy Seals a ride back across if it gets too lopsided.

So, 2 ships, maybe 60 SEALs, and maybe we contract them out on the rides back across the gulf. Its pretty decent training for SEALs since this is right up their alley and I don't know how long it takes to cross, but I'd guess three to four weeks. These pirates are 14 to 25 years old, it shouldn't take long to make an impact. If Somali pirates are going to target US Ships, then its time to get proactive instead of waiting for an attack and speeding to the rescue. I guess this is still somewhat reactive, but if we're worried about the US looking like the bad guy, Shock & Awe II: The College Years, is out of the question.

Why Texas Shouldn't be Messed With

I've always been a fan of Texas. I like the fact that Texans are proud to be from Texas. I like that (allegedly) Colt McCoy's dad put a shoe-box full of Texas dirt underneath the New Mexico hospital bed when he was born so that he would be born over Texas soil. I like the fact that on Survivor: Australian Outback they let everyone bring one item and Colby brought a giant Texas flag.

I read the Russian economist's theory on the collapse of the US. Of the options available, I'd move to the the Texas Republic. It would have a good port in Houston, oil, farm land, coal, and people that love independence (and guns). I don't see Texas as being enveloped by Mexico, but protecting it borders and creating a solid Tex-Mex relationship. As much as I love Georgia, I don't think I could enjoy living in a Euro-Liberal east coast society.




So, to further my appreciation for Texas, they come out and claim their sovereignty in protest to an oppressive and unconstitutional federal government under the 10th amendment. I was wondering when someone was going to point out that the Constitution does not state that the President can fire the CEO of a major company, purchase toxic assets with taxpayer funds, or manipulate private lending practices. The states have been slowly losing power to the federal government and I suppose it is about time that they begin to claw back. The Federal government's ability to withhold federal funding pending the passage of state legislation basically makes each state subject to the will of the controlling party in Washington.

America was founded on not putting up with bullshit. It was originally inhabited by people sick of religious persecution, established by people tired of being told what to do by an oppressive and distant government, and purposely created a society where you are not stuck in the class that you are born into. Finally, somebody stepped up and said they were sick of the bullshit, luckily it is Texas and they aren't the type to be content with delegation and may actually get some action.

Untrained Dolphins Succeed Where USA Fails?

Thousands of dolphins prevent a pirate hijacking, something that America could not do. The dolphins, immune to UN Sanctions and communicating with sonar, were actually able organize a moving sand bar in order to prevent pirates in john boats from hijacking Chinese merchant ships. As far as I can tell, this is the most successful attempt to prevent a pirate attack.

Maybe I am just patriotic, but I think that the United States of America, who has the strongest Navy in the world and over 200 years of experience and thousands of years of knowledge to draw from, should be able to outperform a couple thousand dolphins who do not comprehend the consequences of their actions. Ever since they have been sailing, there have been pirates. How is it possible that pirates, with john boats, AK-47's, and maybe an RPG can hijack a huge ocean freighter? That is like me being mugged by an unarmed 5 year old girl... Everyday, unless a pack of hamsters happened to get in between us.

My Thoughts on a Rasmussen Poll

So, Rasmussen polled Americans to see what their opinion is regarding capitalism vs. socialism. Here's the results as reported in the article:

Overall
53% of Americans prefer Capitalism over Socialism.
20% of Americans prefer Socialism over Capitalism.
27% are unsure.

I don't see how you can know the difference between Capitalism and Socialism and World history and not be sure which is better.

I think that 50% of the population do not know the difference, straight up. So, about half of those people picked 'unsure' and the other folks just picked one.

So, assuming that half of the people that don't know the difference voted for capitalism and socialism equally, the recalibrated poll comes out like this:

Filtered Poll
41% prefer Capitalism
9% prefer Socialism
50% don't know the difference

I like to think this is much closer to reality.

A Tax Increase I Kind of Agree With

Well, just to show that I'm not completely anti-everything, here's something the government is doing that I kind of agree with. This month the federal excise tax on cigarettes will nearly double, from 62 cents to $1.01. This is a huge increase and is probably necessary due to a decrease in tax revenue based on a decrease in cigarette sales. Instead of cutting the programs funded by this tax, government increases taxes.

You would think that I'd be against this because I don't want the government telling me what to do. But I'll tell you what makes this different that me being forced to wear my seat belt. Smoking doesn't merely affect the smoker and it could legitimately be argued that it infringes on the inalienable rights of others. If you believe in second hand smoking, which I consider more believable than stopping global warming, then there's a right to life issue. In my unending pursuit of happiness, I avoid making my clothes and hair smell like a trashcan, so there's two of the big three. I'd also say that 10% of the time my asthma kicks in, its because of a whiff of cigarette smoke.

In addition, I would consider smoking to be a luxury, so a sort of luxury tax is in order. Its just ironic that there's a higher percentage of low income smokers, so this is essentially a luxury tax on the poor. So, I like this for two reasons.

First, since poor people (and illegal immigrants) pay little or no income tax, at least the government can collect some from these groups. This is the same reason I like the lottery. I get to scratch off lottery tickets when I want to, maybe win some money, but I got to go to college for free and Georgia schools have benefited largely due to voluntary taxation through the lottery. You don't have to play the lottery and you don't have to buy cigarettes, but I'm betting if you are hooked on one, then you are hooked on the other.

Second, since poor people (and illegal immigrants) rely on social welfare programs to pay medical bills. The resulting reduction in smoking (or increase in revenue) may save on federal health costs in the long run. If you smoke a pack-a-day for a year, that $365 isn't going to go far when its time for lung cancer treatment. But, if your disposable income stays the same and you cut the number of cigs, then you may actually see some reduction in healthcare costs.

While I think it is a mistake to significantly raise a tax on an industry in this economic environment, the tobacco industry has been a punching bag for the government for years. Also, it isn't taxation without representation since they've got their lobbyists and the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia got to vote which represent 93% of tobacco farms in the US and 20% of the Senate and 12% of the house.

As an aside, I can't wait for federal healthcare. Eventually the federal government will tax everything bad for you that I love(chocolate, alcohol, laziness, etc) because they will have a reason to. Maybe that is just my paranoid republican coming out, but investing in the banking industry has allowed them to think they can dictate salaries and hire and fire employees. When they control healthcare costs, who knows what 'rights' will be granted to the government. But that's a whole different story.

Some People Actually Want the Government to Do Everything

Michael Moore thinks that Obama's firing of GM's CEO is a brilliant move. Why? Because Obama can do no wrong. He talks about how getting fired from GM has ruined people's lives. Well, guess what Michael, companies don't fire good employees unless they have to. So, you get fired because you have a drinking problem, a drug problem, aren't performing well enough to deserve a demotion, or it is not in the company's interest to retain you. This is especially true if you manage to get fired and you are a member of a union. GM, like all other companies, is not in the business of providing jobs or making cars, they are in the business of making money. Does the CEO make more than everyone else, yes he does. Whether CEO's deserve the amount they make is up to the opinion of the company. If a promotion doesn't bring rewards, why should anyone strive to improve and take on more responsibility?

Obama has set a dangerous precedent by effectively firing employees at a private company. In 4 or 8 years, there will be a new president and now he has to determine the cabinet members to help run the country and who he will employ at GM, AIG, and whichever other companies Obama decides to envelope into his administration. Companies cannot change directions every 4 or 8 years and expect to be profitable. I guess it is fortunate that the Federal Government is in the business of handing out money with no intention of making a profit. What government program makes you think that the Federal government can run GM better than General Motors?

Michael Moore sat in on a Senate Finance Committee regarding bailout funds given to banks. He had to leave because he was pissed that the banks wouldn't tell the 'overseers' where the money had gone. Guess what, if you give someone money and then ask them what happened to it after they spent it, you failed as an overseer. If I give a bum five dollars and turn my back, I should expect him to use the money as he pleases. Even though he and I both know the best way to use the money, I wouldn't expect it to happen. I'd be an idiot to be angry when he refuses to tell me he bought a fifth of McCormick's. But if I walk him into a KFC and tell him the best way to spend his money is to get 5 KFC Buffalo Chicken Snackers and a water, then I am overseeing how he spends the money.

The worst part about this is that there are a lot of people that think like this. Thank God the government is there to step in and straighten out these corrupt kings of corporation. Jeez. Right now the mortgage industry, auto industry, insurance industry, and the federal government are all in cahoots. Once they get a hold of the healthcare industry they will corner the market on sketchy, underhanded industries.