As fear of economic collapse spreads, those calling themselves survivalists get listened to by more and more Americans. Ironically the hippies used to talk about survival by going back to the organic farm.
Today no one is publicly gathering potatoes and sprouts. Instead many are advocating hoarding gold which isn’t good for the money circulating, and actually in a truly desperate world, some buried bags of Raw Potatoes could be more fluid as a currency substitute than, a buried sack of Gold Coins.
Click read more for rest of article
People urging survivalist tactics could be wrong in other areas as well, but as usual only the right-wing is doing any arguing, so they keep winning the oral argument by default. Imagine 40 year ago, no earmarks and big guns being in the same package.
Today so-called survivalists not those dropping out mention that the dollar and euro are close to collapse. They urge besides guns and guard dogs a generator and a water distiller, and a hoard of prepackaged dried foods.
In a real disaster guard dogs will be shot and eaten, and no mater how big one’s gun you still need some sleep.
Why not along with one’s neighbors refill as many empty plastic bottles as possible, sprout seeds, and grow and bury potatoes. Medieval farmers had potatoes no matter how many self-appointed, tax collecting armies passed through.
In the last days of the Bush years things began collapsing, Obama chose to be a mediator, not a blamer, at first accomplishing wonders until he began to inherit the blame for things not being the way they should be.
Mayors can plant potatoes. Philadelphia (a Democratic island in a now Republican state) is particularly venerable for hard times. And now has a casino that services almost exclusively the poor. People without any money in their pocket, at all, don’t go the supermarket, and a usually honest person even if not caught might feel embarrassed to go back to the local store where they stole a peanut butter cracker. Urban gardens already encouraged by the city might start growing potatoes. Over sized pots in your windowsill or yard, will make the robbers know, despite being healthy, you likely don’t have pouches of plastic-wrapped dried food that is easy to haul away. Sidewalk grass could be gardens. The next stimulus should be stipends for urban gardens, since in an emergency they will feed the neighborhood whether they want to or not, except for the potatoes since only the planter knows when and exactly where to dig, and anyone desperate enough to randomly dig wouldn’t be in any condition to wait for any they find to cook, or bake.
Of course an intruder rather than barter could rob one of their sprouts, but since thieves tend to be lazy or totally desperate, haling away seeds and plastic storage bins is not likely instead a thief might plan to come by for more spouts later, and have to worry about the sprouts being poisoned if he pushed to hard. And as I said before potatoes are stable enough to substitute as currency.
Obama keeps preaching hope for a better world. Gore spread grim predictions while being part of an inspiring ecological campaign where individuals planted a tree, and ads glorified kids picking up litter. Churchill also inspired by talking about a grim world. Note Churchill’s inspirational book was titled, “Blood, Sweat and Tears”. President Obama stop the prosperity oriented happy talk! Like Gore, talk of the grim times ahead!
Besides predictions of a bright economic prospect repeatedly letting people down, Guantanamo not closing like Obama said he would, saps the strength of those who conclude that there is no way for ordinary folk to have their opinions heard. However, the day Obama announced plans to close Guantanamo, al Qaeda claimed a new head of al Qaeda of Yemen and Saudi Arabia, a convicted terrorist who was involved in the bombing of the Cole He earlier was granted amnesty by Yemen in return for apologizing for terrorism, and picking his own words to affirm that Prophet Mohammad doesn’t condone attacking non military targets. If the US government had exposed he was a figurehead pressured into it by al Qaeda, he could have been turned into a remotely-detonated suicide bomb. Others could be cornered as well. There is a bloodbath of Awakening Council members in Iraq of the ones refusing to make amends with al Qaeda. Obama’s problem in closing Guantanamo is not lack of will, almost anyone who was at Guantanamo could at knife point claim on the Internet to be an al Qaeda leader.
France declared war against al Qaeda in Mali building up from when it tried to rescue instead of paying ransom for French citizens held hostage. Bin Laden personally threatened to blow up the Eiffle Tower and other targets. Bin Laden is confident that victory will eventually be his since with his help the US is bankrupting itself. If Obama were to announce we are now withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and a hostage was seized some Americans would go out of their minds in anger. Conservatives. As far as showing weakness, defense spending at a bankrupting rate is a show of weakness. But it’s not yet checkmate for America.
I would like to thank Warren Buffet and the 44 millionaires who signed a pledge opposing the tax-cut extension. Under Eisenhower the tax rate on the rich was 91% then though the years it went down to the thirties. As there are more and more millionaires as the economy crumbles some hope for revolution. There won’t be revolution as long as those who don’t want it can foment hate between ethic groups like they have between Hispanics and non-Hispanics. However a touch of what Cuba has the world needs, to keep the rich at bay.
For free health care people can go to Cuba. If the government would allow Americans to take 10% of their medicare, medicaid, and prescription reimbursement with them or 10% of any welfare payments with them to Cuba, Cuba would put up with the influx of sick people even if they got less than 10% of what US hospitals get. Some Social Security recipients used to retire in cheaper Mexico taking the burden off of medicare, but crime is got in the way of more retiring there. We must cut medical costs, and health care overseas can help.
Manufacturing jobs are gone, the Internet hires toward the lowest paid parts of the world, TV monitors can be watched from overseas replacing some security guards and quality control experts without union or worker actions. An exception to the economic downturn is Australia where nevertheless unemployment is extremely high.
Obama please stop talking of economic recovery any time soon, instead like al Gore and Churchill inspire hope that America continues to function.
Meanwhile if we started taking Survivalism in a collective way, and a non-combative way, our own neighborhood could survive even if many things are going wrong elsewhere in the world. The right-wing now owns the code words that used to belong to the hippies. I believe that who owns the code words is more important than most realize.
In a previous article,
http://richardkanepa.blogspot.com/2011/01/obama-vs-churchill-blood-sweat-and.html
I had more detail of ways municipalities and individuals could save costs by way of the Internet, One’s insurance company or even state welfare departments could encourage overseas operations and prescription renewal, a few have but googleing organ donor transplants soured my interest,
RichardKanePA.blogspot.com
by Richard Kane
Read more!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Obama vs Churchill, Blood, sweat and tears vs Hope
Winston Churchill rallied the British with “Blood, Sweat and Tears”. Obama is trying to rally America and the world with a rallying cry of “hope” that is hope for a better tomorrow, not hope that the West doesn’t collapse because western currency is no more, or a related disaster.
As President Obama was sworn into office, the entire financial market was freezing as borrowing money regardless of credit worthiness was becoming impossible. But Obama still campaigned on hope even after the Euro became in danger of collapse and a Western county that is booming economically, Australia nevertheless continues to have very high unemployment. This, as the tea party won a huge number of votes saying that the bailouts were just a waste of money. Since due to the tax compromise legislation, Obama can still be blamed as things go slowly downhill, there is the possibility of a simplistic solution seeking President in 2012.
I know the war against drugs, crime, and disease fizzled but I urge Obama to call for a war against the collapse of America and the West. Remember after Sputnik President Kennedy invigorated the US educational system. Education became patriotic. Now educational backwardness is expanding. Al Gore became spokesperson for saving the environment. Inspiring people with his gloomy predictions by getting them inspired with small projects like planting a tree or picking up litter, which public service ads turned into heroes.I urge, similar to planting a tree, that Obama ask individuals and corporations to hire one more person for one more hour a week. And TV and billboard ads interviewing common folk hiring their neighbor for an hour a week as doing something heroic. If it only succeeds in creating one less hour of unemployment, at least it will counteract people from falling for the idea that tax cuts for the well off stimulates jobs.
Click Read More Icon below
I have many other suggestions which I will discuss later, and hope I inspired people to post their own suggestions at the bottom. In this essay I will cover hard solutions that masquerade as easy answers like just setting a date, to get out of Afghanistan, ignoring some women in Kabul who don’t wear burkas and might want help leaving and other refugees Why not have France as a mediator between US and the Taliban? Also I will deal with Ron Paul whose idea is ending the Fed. It may be a good idea, but why are counties without a Federal Reserve Bank also hurting economically? And I’ll deal with the survivalists, going around telling their neighbors to buy a big gun and dog, and store up hoards of dried goods. If right wing survivalists are the only ones suggesting what to do in a total economic disaster then it gives them a greater ear. More guns and burying old gold coinage and bullion, interferers with money circulating and thus shrinks the job market. Instead of burying gold bullion, why not like the medieval peasants when Rome collapsed and armies march through, bury potatoes. Potatoes might become currency in instead of bullion in a total disaster.
People can urge their neighbors to plant weeded lots, lawns, half the community gardens could be potato patches in case thieves got the rest, community gardeners wouldn’t feel they are sitting ducks if conditions make them really need the produce, leading to a lot more community gardens.
Sprouts are healthy and if running water isn’t available a little bleach will do, even though in the long-run even a little bleach could hurt you. Thieves are more likely to ignore the seeds and plastic-covered storage containers, and since they want more later without fear of poison mixed in with the sprouts they would prefer to barter then steal. Why let the right-wing survivalist be the only one’s who keep suggesting what to do if everything falls apart?
The threat is extremely grim. Kennedy’s education is patriotic theme is gone. Students falling ever further behind in math and science. Manufacturing jobs are gone. The Internet doesn’t have unions or informal worker stoppage to make working conditions better, and hires toward the lowest paid parts of the world. Phoning, bookkeeping, some secretarial work and maybe half the security guards and quality control experts, can be replaced by TV monitors viewed from across the ocean. Adding to this is the fact that most US companies preferring to hire overseas. A disruption of the dollar could interfere with winter crops shipped from Argentina when no summer US crops were put into storage, and theoretical, if desperate thieves get in the way of food stores functioning, even worse.
Obama is a skillful negotiator. However the recent two-year tax cut extension for the well off in exchange for an economic stimulus for 13 months, instead of 13 months for both means he is slowly losing ground. Skillfully negotiating from a slowly losing bargain position.
Ron Paul, the most rational of those who scream out the danger of collapse, says our problems are caused by the Fed. I wonder what he would replace it with. He also says we have to stay out of the world’s problems. An example of what would happen if we did this is to note where this was done. President Bush decided not to attack pirates in Somalia, after Bin Laden threatened suicide-bombs if we did. Piracy got out of hand, Italy finally took charge sending out the gunboats to capture pirates. Then a US ship captain ended up in a lifeboat with pirates, after one of the passengers stabbed a pirate. The pirates phoned in their demands from the lifeboat. When it seemed they were about to kill the hostage, the US special forces shot the pirates. No one would say the US shouldn’t have saved the hostage’s life. In one incident, US paratroopers in phone contact with the crew swooped down and arrested the pirates without anyone getting hurt, far more expensive than the Italian method of fighting them. But the US then seemed to stop again. Why is America fixated on doing all or doing nothing?
If somehow the US ends its involvement in the Afghan. If while (or after) we are withdrawing from the Afghan War, a hostage incident could leave many Americans crying for blood. Bin Laden loves incidents some deadly, some with words, with a variety of countries to look important, and advertising his theories about Arab impotence, and constantly being pushed around, to become a has-been part of the world, preaching that only al Qaeda is getting in the way of constant insult of the Muslim world and of the Muslim world falling further and further behind. If the US left in a hasty non-mediated withdrawal, several women in Kabul crying about not wanting the burka, and refugee flight will be in the news, not of all the future deaths that didn’t occur.
Besides Italy, getting involved when the US didn’t, France took over the slack in what used to be French North East Africa. The US has had almost no involvement since 2004 in stopping those who swore their allegiance al Qaeda in Mali. They were making a lot of money through kidnapings and ransoms until French citizens were held and France decided to attack not pay.
Bin Laden threatened huge retaliation attacks on France, which have yet to happen. Google “France Declares War against al Qaeda”. Even if al Qaeda did destroy the Eiffel Tower, or their legislature, France wouldn’t start aiding bin Laden’s effort to bankrupt France, the way the US is aiding bin Laden’s efforts to bankrupt the US. France won’t crack down on non-al Qaeda Muslims like when the US designated Hamas a terrorist organization. And if one Sufi Muslim (very un-sufi-like) constantly called al Qaeda a death cult, France would be more conducive to letting him build a community center with a mosque in an awkward place. Most Sufis have a habit of just staying as far away from conflict as possible but Imam Rauf, who wants to build near the 9/11 site, both publicly and privately worked with the US government to counteract al Qaeda. No mater what terror attack al Qaeda pulls, France would never consider Muslims, in general, terrorists. With almost 5% of France, Islam, they know better than to react with knee jerk actions like Americans do. Perhaps the French could be the mediator between the US and the Taliban. Karzai in Afghanistan already begged the Sauds, China and Iran to mediate, why not France. I think because France has wisdom caused by experience, Obma needs to try to put France in charge of what to do in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda killed far more Sufi Muslims than al Qaeda killed Americans on 9/11. All the lives of the Awakening Council, those Sunnis that changed sides to fight with the Americans in Iraq, are in grave danger. There is no way for the US not to be involved with trying to solve the world’s problems. However, Ron Paul other than being grossly simplistic makes some sense.
I am going to risk going back to President Bush overthrowing Saddam. Vietnam likewise overthrew Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge bloodbath in Cambodia and no one is complaining. Vietnam had no more right to do this than the US did with Saddam. But Vietnam didn’t engage in “shock and awe” and nation building. Karzai may be corrupt, but not below international standards, Obama don’t force him to look like a puppet.
The following are more suggestions that might get people thinking about getting involved in more ways than stopping the fed, or hoarding.
Since money not circulating is part of the cause of economic stagnation or downturn, one partial solution would be for the rich to be taxed less when they spend their money then when they save it. This is already part of the reasoning for some tax deductions, but it could be expanded. If some of the rich insist on working toward no taxes for the well off, rather than tax-cut extensions, it would be better to head in the direction of 100% deductions for money spent on charity or employee intensive projects. I wish Congress would junk the tax compromise bill in favor of real job stimulus tax laws.
Come on everyone join me! We are like a family riding a car with bald tires with most of the family trying not to think about it. One wanting to switch to bicycles, another to stop and stay where they are, but the rest of the family resigned to continue the drive without anyone managing to get new tires.
In case of any disaster it makes sense to store up supplies. I already mentioned potatoes and sprouts. Filling empty bottles with probably tap water is a good idea. You bury rotten potatoes in dirt buckets by the widow so a thief would know you have less tempting food storage than any still alive neighbor.
The government has announced, that in the event of a dirty bomb attack, people should stay inside or even inside their car as long a possible, rather than leave shelter. We can have some kind of survivalist training as a government stimulus program like hiring people to make the parks potato patches, and plant the sidewalk grass. As I said, for a while, potatoes could become future currency.
Now for some suggestions involving governments. Iceland is being bailed out by Europe, but it has the lowest business taxes in the world, therefore many companies make their corporate headquarters there. Raising the business tax could be made the condition for more aid. Then the US and Europe together raise the business tax to stop capital flight to where the taxes are lowest. Next the US and Europe could get together to end the loophole of offshore banking.
There were efforts with some state governments to get prescriptions filled in Canada and elsewhere. This can save a lot of money on medical costs, perhaps even individuals can get 5% kick back from insurance, or medicare if they get refills on the Internet. Maybe everyone’s second and future monthly repeated prescription purchases could be bought on the Internet and mailed, by their insurance company, medicare, and perhaps even welfare officials. Maybe insurance companies could lower the copay by getting faxes of prescriptions the doctor gave and the credit card payment of the Internet refill.
The US embargo on Cuba is hurting the US economically and the more it succeeds the more Cubans in this country send foreign aid back to their relatives in Cuba. Ending the embargo would be the right common sense image to boost the dollar’s image, even before the economic effects kick in. Some Americans took their Social Security check to Mexico where everything is cheaper and the US saved money on medicare and medicaid, but crime is getting in the way of new arrivals. Crime-free Cuba would be a perfect place to retire and no more medicare costs, and if red tape is cut, close enough for easy visits back to the US.
If the US would grant 10% of Medicare, Medicaid, SSI and welfare benefits to those going overseas, Americans in Cuba would make money from the US whenever they got sick until Cuba changed its laws to charge that amount to foreigners seeking medical care in otherwise free health care Cuba. Then the 10% adjusted up and down to the lowest point Americans would seek and get medical care overseas. Some hospitals in the US, on an experimental effort, are trying to get robots to give bedridden patients baths and to feed them, with alarms temporarily to call a human nurse if the patient starts to resist or argue with each other. It would be far more humane for sick persons to seek medical nursing care where it’s cheap rather than a future in the US where machines, not people, treat the convalescent. One way or another, a lot of money is being saved by having medical procedures done in other countries of the world, see “medical tourism” also “online pharmacies Wikipedia”, and,
medicaldiscounts.com/employers_insurance.htm
Perhaps I have stimulated others to point out ideas of their own, like all the new ideas flying around about alternative energy.
I was uneasy about thinking up a couple of suggestions that would put pharmacists out of work, but I want an open brainstorm of ideas, anything that might add to solution. So if offended any progressive please run the ideas out without them.
This article earlier disappeared from this personal blog of mine, richardkanepa.blogspot.com/2010/12/obama-vs-churchill-blood-sweat-
and.html
which may mean that right-wing hackers don’t like it, I was uneasy about thinking up a couple of suggestions that put pharmacists out of work, but I want an open brainstorm of ideas, anything that might ad to solution. So if offended any progressive please run the ideas out without them. Anyway if you like it please make a hard copy in case it disappears again, and if someone actually knows the phone number at google blogspot to talk to I would appreciate it being posted. Anyway if you like it please make a hard copy in case it disappears again, and if someone actually knows the phone number at google blogspot to talk to I would appreciate it being posted.
Post your own suggestions here or post this to sites of those making other suggestions,
Link to articles on the subject might also be posted on the comment section, alternet.org/world/149173/the_american_empire_is_collapsing,_and_americans_will_be_the_last_to_know
By Richard Kane
RichardKanePA.blogspot.com
Read more!
As President Obama was sworn into office, the entire financial market was freezing as borrowing money regardless of credit worthiness was becoming impossible. But Obama still campaigned on hope even after the Euro became in danger of collapse and a Western county that is booming economically, Australia nevertheless continues to have very high unemployment. This, as the tea party won a huge number of votes saying that the bailouts were just a waste of money. Since due to the tax compromise legislation, Obama can still be blamed as things go slowly downhill, there is the possibility of a simplistic solution seeking President in 2012.
I know the war against drugs, crime, and disease fizzled but I urge Obama to call for a war against the collapse of America and the West. Remember after Sputnik President Kennedy invigorated the US educational system. Education became patriotic. Now educational backwardness is expanding. Al Gore became spokesperson for saving the environment. Inspiring people with his gloomy predictions by getting them inspired with small projects like planting a tree or picking up litter, which public service ads turned into heroes.I urge, similar to planting a tree, that Obama ask individuals and corporations to hire one more person for one more hour a week. And TV and billboard ads interviewing common folk hiring their neighbor for an hour a week as doing something heroic. If it only succeeds in creating one less hour of unemployment, at least it will counteract people from falling for the idea that tax cuts for the well off stimulates jobs.
Click Read More Icon below
I have many other suggestions which I will discuss later, and hope I inspired people to post their own suggestions at the bottom. In this essay I will cover hard solutions that masquerade as easy answers like just setting a date, to get out of Afghanistan, ignoring some women in Kabul who don’t wear burkas and might want help leaving and other refugees Why not have France as a mediator between US and the Taliban? Also I will deal with Ron Paul whose idea is ending the Fed. It may be a good idea, but why are counties without a Federal Reserve Bank also hurting economically? And I’ll deal with the survivalists, going around telling their neighbors to buy a big gun and dog, and store up hoards of dried goods. If right wing survivalists are the only ones suggesting what to do in a total economic disaster then it gives them a greater ear. More guns and burying old gold coinage and bullion, interferers with money circulating and thus shrinks the job market. Instead of burying gold bullion, why not like the medieval peasants when Rome collapsed and armies march through, bury potatoes. Potatoes might become currency in instead of bullion in a total disaster.
People can urge their neighbors to plant weeded lots, lawns, half the community gardens could be potato patches in case thieves got the rest, community gardeners wouldn’t feel they are sitting ducks if conditions make them really need the produce, leading to a lot more community gardens.
Sprouts are healthy and if running water isn’t available a little bleach will do, even though in the long-run even a little bleach could hurt you. Thieves are more likely to ignore the seeds and plastic-covered storage containers, and since they want more later without fear of poison mixed in with the sprouts they would prefer to barter then steal. Why let the right-wing survivalist be the only one’s who keep suggesting what to do if everything falls apart?
The threat is extremely grim. Kennedy’s education is patriotic theme is gone. Students falling ever further behind in math and science. Manufacturing jobs are gone. The Internet doesn’t have unions or informal worker stoppage to make working conditions better, and hires toward the lowest paid parts of the world. Phoning, bookkeeping, some secretarial work and maybe half the security guards and quality control experts, can be replaced by TV monitors viewed from across the ocean. Adding to this is the fact that most US companies preferring to hire overseas. A disruption of the dollar could interfere with winter crops shipped from Argentina when no summer US crops were put into storage, and theoretical, if desperate thieves get in the way of food stores functioning, even worse.
Obama is a skillful negotiator. However the recent two-year tax cut extension for the well off in exchange for an economic stimulus for 13 months, instead of 13 months for both means he is slowly losing ground. Skillfully negotiating from a slowly losing bargain position.
Ron Paul, the most rational of those who scream out the danger of collapse, says our problems are caused by the Fed. I wonder what he would replace it with. He also says we have to stay out of the world’s problems. An example of what would happen if we did this is to note where this was done. President Bush decided not to attack pirates in Somalia, after Bin Laden threatened suicide-bombs if we did. Piracy got out of hand, Italy finally took charge sending out the gunboats to capture pirates. Then a US ship captain ended up in a lifeboat with pirates, after one of the passengers stabbed a pirate. The pirates phoned in their demands from the lifeboat. When it seemed they were about to kill the hostage, the US special forces shot the pirates. No one would say the US shouldn’t have saved the hostage’s life. In one incident, US paratroopers in phone contact with the crew swooped down and arrested the pirates without anyone getting hurt, far more expensive than the Italian method of fighting them. But the US then seemed to stop again. Why is America fixated on doing all or doing nothing?
If somehow the US ends its involvement in the Afghan. If while (or after) we are withdrawing from the Afghan War, a hostage incident could leave many Americans crying for blood. Bin Laden loves incidents some deadly, some with words, with a variety of countries to look important, and advertising his theories about Arab impotence, and constantly being pushed around, to become a has-been part of the world, preaching that only al Qaeda is getting in the way of constant insult of the Muslim world and of the Muslim world falling further and further behind. If the US left in a hasty non-mediated withdrawal, several women in Kabul crying about not wanting the burka, and refugee flight will be in the news, not of all the future deaths that didn’t occur.
Besides Italy, getting involved when the US didn’t, France took over the slack in what used to be French North East Africa. The US has had almost no involvement since 2004 in stopping those who swore their allegiance al Qaeda in Mali. They were making a lot of money through kidnapings and ransoms until French citizens were held and France decided to attack not pay.
Bin Laden threatened huge retaliation attacks on France, which have yet to happen. Google “France Declares War against al Qaeda”. Even if al Qaeda did destroy the Eiffel Tower, or their legislature, France wouldn’t start aiding bin Laden’s effort to bankrupt France, the way the US is aiding bin Laden’s efforts to bankrupt the US. France won’t crack down on non-al Qaeda Muslims like when the US designated Hamas a terrorist organization. And if one Sufi Muslim (very un-sufi-like) constantly called al Qaeda a death cult, France would be more conducive to letting him build a community center with a mosque in an awkward place. Most Sufis have a habit of just staying as far away from conflict as possible but Imam Rauf, who wants to build near the 9/11 site, both publicly and privately worked with the US government to counteract al Qaeda. No mater what terror attack al Qaeda pulls, France would never consider Muslims, in general, terrorists. With almost 5% of France, Islam, they know better than to react with knee jerk actions like Americans do. Perhaps the French could be the mediator between the US and the Taliban. Karzai in Afghanistan already begged the Sauds, China and Iran to mediate, why not France. I think because France has wisdom caused by experience, Obma needs to try to put France in charge of what to do in Afghanistan.
Al Qaeda killed far more Sufi Muslims than al Qaeda killed Americans on 9/11. All the lives of the Awakening Council, those Sunnis that changed sides to fight with the Americans in Iraq, are in grave danger. There is no way for the US not to be involved with trying to solve the world’s problems. However, Ron Paul other than being grossly simplistic makes some sense.
I am going to risk going back to President Bush overthrowing Saddam. Vietnam likewise overthrew Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge bloodbath in Cambodia and no one is complaining. Vietnam had no more right to do this than the US did with Saddam. But Vietnam didn’t engage in “shock and awe” and nation building. Karzai may be corrupt, but not below international standards, Obama don’t force him to look like a puppet.
The following are more suggestions that might get people thinking about getting involved in more ways than stopping the fed, or hoarding.
Since money not circulating is part of the cause of economic stagnation or downturn, one partial solution would be for the rich to be taxed less when they spend their money then when they save it. This is already part of the reasoning for some tax deductions, but it could be expanded. If some of the rich insist on working toward no taxes for the well off, rather than tax-cut extensions, it would be better to head in the direction of 100% deductions for money spent on charity or employee intensive projects. I wish Congress would junk the tax compromise bill in favor of real job stimulus tax laws.
Come on everyone join me! We are like a family riding a car with bald tires with most of the family trying not to think about it. One wanting to switch to bicycles, another to stop and stay where they are, but the rest of the family resigned to continue the drive without anyone managing to get new tires.
In case of any disaster it makes sense to store up supplies. I already mentioned potatoes and sprouts. Filling empty bottles with probably tap water is a good idea. You bury rotten potatoes in dirt buckets by the widow so a thief would know you have less tempting food storage than any still alive neighbor.
The government has announced, that in the event of a dirty bomb attack, people should stay inside or even inside their car as long a possible, rather than leave shelter. We can have some kind of survivalist training as a government stimulus program like hiring people to make the parks potato patches, and plant the sidewalk grass. As I said, for a while, potatoes could become future currency.
Now for some suggestions involving governments. Iceland is being bailed out by Europe, but it has the lowest business taxes in the world, therefore many companies make their corporate headquarters there. Raising the business tax could be made the condition for more aid. Then the US and Europe together raise the business tax to stop capital flight to where the taxes are lowest. Next the US and Europe could get together to end the loophole of offshore banking.
There were efforts with some state governments to get prescriptions filled in Canada and elsewhere. This can save a lot of money on medical costs, perhaps even individuals can get 5% kick back from insurance, or medicare if they get refills on the Internet. Maybe everyone’s second and future monthly repeated prescription purchases could be bought on the Internet and mailed, by their insurance company, medicare, and perhaps even welfare officials. Maybe insurance companies could lower the copay by getting faxes of prescriptions the doctor gave and the credit card payment of the Internet refill.
The US embargo on Cuba is hurting the US economically and the more it succeeds the more Cubans in this country send foreign aid back to their relatives in Cuba. Ending the embargo would be the right common sense image to boost the dollar’s image, even before the economic effects kick in. Some Americans took their Social Security check to Mexico where everything is cheaper and the US saved money on medicare and medicaid, but crime is getting in the way of new arrivals. Crime-free Cuba would be a perfect place to retire and no more medicare costs, and if red tape is cut, close enough for easy visits back to the US.
If the US would grant 10% of Medicare, Medicaid, SSI and welfare benefits to those going overseas, Americans in Cuba would make money from the US whenever they got sick until Cuba changed its laws to charge that amount to foreigners seeking medical care in otherwise free health care Cuba. Then the 10% adjusted up and down to the lowest point Americans would seek and get medical care overseas. Some hospitals in the US, on an experimental effort, are trying to get robots to give bedridden patients baths and to feed them, with alarms temporarily to call a human nurse if the patient starts to resist or argue with each other. It would be far more humane for sick persons to seek medical nursing care where it’s cheap rather than a future in the US where machines, not people, treat the convalescent. One way or another, a lot of money is being saved by having medical procedures done in other countries of the world, see “medical tourism” also “online pharmacies Wikipedia”, and,
medicaldiscounts.com/employers_insurance.htm
Perhaps I have stimulated others to point out ideas of their own, like all the new ideas flying around about alternative energy.
I was uneasy about thinking up a couple of suggestions that would put pharmacists out of work, but I want an open brainstorm of ideas, anything that might add to solution. So if offended any progressive please run the ideas out without them.
This article earlier disappeared from this personal blog of mine, richardkanepa.blogspot.com/2010/12/obama-vs-churchill-blood-sweat-
and.html
which may mean that right-wing hackers don’t like it, I was uneasy about thinking up a couple of suggestions that put pharmacists out of work, but I want an open brainstorm of ideas, anything that might ad to solution. So if offended any progressive please run the ideas out without them. Anyway if you like it please make a hard copy in case it disappears again, and if someone actually knows the phone number at google blogspot to talk to I would appreciate it being posted. Anyway if you like it please make a hard copy in case it disappears again, and if someone actually knows the phone number at google blogspot to talk to I would appreciate it being posted.
Post your own suggestions here or post this to sites of those making other suggestions,
Link to articles on the subject might also be posted on the comment section, alternet.org/world/149173/the_american_empire_is_collapsing,_and_americans_will_be_the_last_to_know
By Richard Kane
RichardKanePA.blogspot.com
Read more!
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