Ground Zero for the Coming Anarchy

In many parts of the world, corruption is how things get done. In fact that is how the human world has functioned, on average, for many thousands of years. The modern western world of affluence, human rights, and the rule of law, is something of a glaring exception to the general flow of human history. As long as most people have ways to acquire money for bribes, the bad impact of corruption can be somewhat muted, and the good effects (things getting done) can be attributed to something else.

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Regions of the world where the people are generally impoverished are hardest hit by corruption -- since impoverished people cannot pay the bribe. 19 out of 20 of the most impoverished nations on Earth are either SubSaharan African nations, or an offshoot of SubSaharan Africa -- Haiti. Instead of their situations improving, as has been assumed by most well-meaning observers, things are actually getting worse.

The sub-Sahara is not simply an epicenter of economic failure; it is also the epicenter of a pervasive failure in what might be called human development. Poorer countries, of course, tend to suffer from poor health and education as well, and sub-Saharan Africa is by far the poorest region of the planet today. But it is not just that Africa’s health and educational profiles are much worse than for any other major region of the world; they are also markedly worse than would be predicted on the basis of the region’s woeful economic performance alone. _Source

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Besides widespread poverty, corruption, and poor infrastructure, SubSaharan African nations must also deal with a low average IQ as well as rampant tribalism. The map of African "micro-nations" reveals the problem of lack of cultural and linguistic cohesion -- which is always threatening to erupt into tribal and micro-national warfare.

And so we see the present and future unraveling of SubSaharan Africa -- ground zero for the Coming Anarchy. The reasons for this continuing unraveling are many and deep. It is a genuine "dark ages" in the making, a violent illustration of why politically correct multiculturalism is such a destructive deception, wherever practised.

Facing Africa's central problem of low average population IQ would demonstrate that problem-solvers were serious about helping Africa and its people. But that is unlikely to happen where political correctness holds sway. Those who claim to help end up hurting them the most.

Boxer: Pathetic in 1992, Still Pathetic in 2010

California is an economic basket case, but it was a demographic basket case long before it began electing an idiocracy into the state assembly, and to the national congress. Boxer is but a symptom of the California idiocracy. Unfortunately, she has helped President Obama to create a pan-American idiocracy which threatens to de-stabilise much of the advanced world. It would be best if Barbara took a long vacation from government work.

European Austerity Measures: But a Knee-Jerk Reaction?

There is no doubt that several European governments are attempting to back-pedal on their overly-generous -- but ultimately ruinous -- welfare states. From Greece to Ireland to France to the UK, European governments are attempting to stave off disaster by down-sizing government benefits and workforces, through a variety of means.

...across Europe, where the threat of a double-dip recession remains palpable, what is most surprising is not simply that governments from Germany to Greece are slashing public outlays but that the debate hinges more on how fast to do so rather than whether such substantial cuts are the right thing to do under the current circumstances. _Mish

What you don't hear from the American left these days is much acknowledgment that the Europeans are backpedaling as fast as they can. There is a reason that transportation and oil-refinery unions have been striking in France and government workers are rioting again in Greece. When Greece nearly defaulted on its national debt last year, governments got a glimpse of what would happen when the money ran out, and they began enacting some of the toughest austerity measures of the post-World War II era.

While France and Greece have grabbed the headlines - protesters setting things on fire makes a visual the media can't resist - the most important case study in austerity economics may be the United Kingdom. Taking out the carving knife, the newly elected Conservative Party government is dissecting government with a vigor not seen since Margaret Thatcher's heyday. _WaTimes

Leftism always fails, sooner or later. Any political economy that presses citizens into dependency on government for basic needs will fail, since such economies clash with basic human nature. Leftist economies are all about redistribution and government spending, but they have no clues how to generate wealth to begin with.

A look back at the perilous -- and ultimately failed -- economic transition in Russia may be helpful. Many courageous Russians attempted to create a thriving market economy out of the remains of the USSR command economy. But they were thwarted by the corrupt power-mongers who seized control of Russia's wealth. These corrupt thugs killed Russia's nascent renaissance in its nursery crib.

Once a nation's people surrenders to a thugocracy -- of whatever stripe -- it becomes very difficult to throw off the chains in order to create a market economy which creates sustainable wealth.

As for Europe, it is not clear that her leaders have learned the true lessons behind the ongoing collapse of nanny-state economies. The deep truths of human nature as they relate to economics are quite unpalatable to most politicians and would be dictators.

Obama's War Against Private Sector Jobs

As the economy suffers this employment migraine, its causes come into sharper focus. Instead of providing relief, President Obama and his party have aggravated an already grim employment picture. _WS

Obama's personal character has not developed at all since he was a young radical, sitting at his mother's knee. As long as he is allowed to strut and prance upon the public stage, posturing like a brain-dead peacock, he will continue to do so. He will learn nothing from his failures, as he has learned less than nothing from his successes. His zombie followers have found their perfect role model.

Americans want a president that brings the country together, a leader who tries to unify, not divide. But, instead, Obama serves up fiery, campaign-like speeches fingering business leaders as boardroom bogeymen, not job creators. _WS

On the Road to George Soros' America: 42 million and Rising

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About 42 million Americans now subsist on food stamps, with a continued substantial rise as the Obama Pelosi regime continues to pursue its Soros-backed agenda. But Ms. Pelosi tells us that food stamps are a sign of prosperity. Should we believe her?

At a press conference in her home town of San Francisco, Pelosi explained that the program’s multiplier effect –the amount of money generated in the local economy as the result of the subsidy– far exceeds the nearly $60 billion spent this year by the federal government and is a sure-fire way to stimulate the economy. For every dollar a person receives in food stamps, Pelosi said that $1.79 is put back into the economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture cites an even higher figure of $1.84.

“It is the biggest bang for the buck when you do food stamps and unemployment insurance. The biggest bang for the buck,” she said.

New Obama/Pelosi plan for our economy: Put EVERYONE on food stamps and unemployment and watch the multiplier effect turn this thing around.

Let’s have the government spend $2 trillion on food stamps and we’ll get back $3.68 trillion. We’ll all be rich. Why haven’t we been doing this all along? _BigGovernment

It is a strange sort of logic that drives these fools in their quest toward universal government dependency -- for the little people, that is. A queer type of entitlement mentality pervades the ruling classes, the ones who know what is best for you.

If Americans ever do get involved in politics again -- as was intended by the founding fathers -- a lot of the members of the ruling class will have a lot of 'splainin' to do.

Unrest In Europe as Pampered Pets Demand Treats

The people of Europe -- particularly public employees -- are accustomed to being kept by the state -- rather like pampered pets. But times are changing. The population of European taxpayers is shrinking. Crime is rising as third world immigrants with no love for Europe are filling the schools, the birthing wards, and the prisons. For Europeans to riot in response the government austerity measures -- at a time like this -- is like a pampered poodle pooping on the furniture to get its way. Very bad form.

In 35 countries for which data exists, nearly 40 per cent of jobseekers have been without work for more than one year, running risks of demoralisation and mental health problems, and young people were disproportionately hit by unemployment.

It noted that social unrest related to the crisis has been reported in at least 25 countries, including some recovering emerging economies.

This week riot police were on the streets as protesters in Spain, Belgium, Italy and Greece demonstrated against tough austerity measures. _Telegraph

Just wait until half or more of Europe's cities are populated by third world immigrants and their progeny. Europeans will then learn what rioting is all about.

Obama's Nasty Pet Pigs Pollute Nation's Capital

The great gathering of socialist pigs came to Washington for a group whine, and when they left, piles of their trash remained behind -- dropped and scattered everywhere. This is in contrast with a recent rally by anti-Obama groups, who left the DC mall in pristine condition. Some political animals are humans, others -- Obama's -- are pigs. I understand bedbugs are making a comeback in government offices and residencies in DC as well.

There appeared to be just one person cleaning up when TheDC was there Sunday. In the southeast corner by the National World War II Memorial, he was shoving trash into a long-handled dustpan with a single broom.

He said he was a subcontractor for the city and while the gentleman didn’t wish to be named, he probably wouldn’t mind being called ‘Hercules.’ When approached by TheDC, Hercules was immediately and noticeably grumpy.

Hercules said he had been cleaning up the area around the Memorial since 6 a.m. and expected to be there for “at least” 12 hours.

“They should have planned more,” he said. “There should have been a clean-up crew.”

Hercules said he also helped clean-up after Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally and as a result he was in good position to judge the cleanliness of the respective rally protesters. Not only was the “Restoring Honor” rally tidier, according to Hercules, but the “One Nation” rally downright dirty.

“I was at the other one too,” he said. “So I’ve seen both. I know the difference.”

“This group” just didn’t get it, he continued. “Let’s just say: I’m in a bad mood.”

On a visit to Washington with her daughter, California resident Pam Hewitt didn’t think much of the protestors who left their droppings all over the Mall.

“People … have the freedom of the speech and to assemble and all that, but to leave this much trash behind is just disrespectful,” she said.

Neither Flo McAfee nor Andrea Alford, representatives of the “One Nation” rally, were available for comment on Sunday — despite numerous attempts. The environmentally-friendly Sierra Club, one of the sponsors of the rally, could not be reached for comment either. _DailyCaller

All of this is not really surprising, since we have seen the same contrast between the aftermath of duelling rallies before. Something about Obama that simply attracts pigs.

Castro to Obama: "How Do You Like Me Now?"

Fidel Castro has finally come out and admitted that his revolution was a failure. And his brother Raul follows up on that admission by announcing the downsizing of the top-heavy communist government of Cuba by 500,000 government jobs! It is a sad day for Latin communism, and for the heroic revolution that failed.

Consider this comment from a knowledgeable Cuban critic who was asked if the country's brand of socialism, created by Fidel Castro after his 1959 revolution, could be of use in other countries: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore." That remark would have gotten him in trouble with authorities, if his name were not Fidel Castro.

There may yet be admirers of Cuban communism in certain precincts of Berkeley or Cambridge, but it's hard to find them in Havana. The 84-year-old Fidel (who later said he didn't mean to say that) has turned control over to brother Raul, whose faith in the shining power of Marxism-Leninism has also dried up.

This week, the regime said it will dismiss 500,000 people from government jobs, which account for 84 percent of the work force. Reflecting ruefully on the perils of sheltered bureaucracy, Raul Castro declared recently, "We have to erase forever the notion that Cuba is the only country in the world where one can live without working."

...Roger Noriega, a researcher at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington, notes that before communism arrived, Cuba "was one of the most prosperous and egalitarian societies of the Americas." His colleague Nicholas Eberstadt has documented that pre-Castro Cuba had a high rate of literacy and a life expectancy surpassing that in Spain, Greece, and Portugal.

Instead of accelerating development, Castro has hindered it. In 1980, living standards in Chile were double those in Cuba. Thanks to bold free-market reforms implemented in Chile but not Cuba, the average Chilean's income now appears to be four times higher than the average Cuban's.

...But even economic failures and political tyranny have been not enough to deprive Castro of Western admirers. On a 2000 visit to Havana, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan asserted, "Castro's regime has set an example we can all learn from." His lieutenant Che Guevara has been endlessly romanticized. Movie director Oliver Stone once marveled of Fidel, "I'm totally awed by his ability to survive and maintain a strong moral presence."

Cubans may differ. About 1.5 million of them have fled since Castro arrived, many in rickety boats that put their lives in peril. And the government, for some reason, doesn't let ordinary citizens decide if it remains in power.

That's the grisly fate of modern Cubans. Communism is dead, and they're shackled to the corpse. _ReasonMag

Norteamericanos may feel the same way about Obama. His brain is dead, but they are shackled to his corpse.

Don't Cry for Me, Obamanistas!

An Argentinian Photo Album

When the leader of the world's superpower consciously embarks on a mission to destroy the integrity of his nation's economic and political infrastructure, one should understand the perversely tragic aspects of the situation. Mr. Obama's dreams of conquest over the evils of the colonial western world are near their climax. It is unfortunate that he lacks the insight into his own motivations, and that he fails to see the parallels between his own suicidally quixotic quest, and the many similar futile quests of leftist justice over the past century and more.

20 years after the collapse of Soviet Eastern Europe, and as Chavez' Venezuela falters and Castro is acknowledging the failure of his own revolution, Mr. Obama has just begun to institute his own revolution of destruction against the Great Satan of the Islamists, and the bane of leftists around the world.

Although it is still the world's superpower military hegemon and the economic anchor of the world's economy, the steep upward trajectory of the US government's debt was already a cause of concern even before Mr. Obama was elected. But Obama has increased the acceleration of economic doom by an order of magnitude -- and in so many ways that it is impossible not to suspect that it is an intentional agenda of destruction. The Obama Pelosi regime has made sure that there is no political way out of the quagmire, despite the worst the Tea Party may try to achieve to restore constitutional government.

Obama's plan does amount to an elaborate revolution and bloodless coup against the constitutional political and economic protections put in place over 2 centuries ago. The energy starvation aspects of the Obama Pelosi regime alone are enough to destroy the private sector eventually, but the hidden malignant aspects of Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank act -- among many other new regulations, provisions, and laws -- will accelerate the destruction beyond the comprehension of those who think in simple political and economic terms. And so it goes without end -- an ambitious coup against the "negative aspects" of the US Constitution. Because Mr. Obama's genius cannot be constrained by such an ancient document of restraint.

And so it comes down to insurrection. But a bloodless coup does not require a bloody insurrection to counter it. In fact, Americans should not even want the America that existed before Obama's election -- although Obama Pelosi has made many Americans look back with nostalgia to pre-OP times.

What kind of insurrection will it take to bring about a constitutional government with equal protections under the law and abundant opportunities for expanding the economy?

A comment on a previous article -- which mentioned voluntary alteration of tax compliance by citizens -- contains the beginning of an idea which needs to be expanded and transformed. But governments cannot go on indefinitely spending more than they receive. The government printing press contains the ink of its own destruction, as the Perons of Argentina and other tyrannical populists throughout history have learned to their regret.

More on the peaceful insurrection later.

Previously published at Al Fin

Tea Party in St. Louis

The US Tea Party movement is a coalition of citizen's groups from across the nation. The main common thread running through the different organisations is the desire to see a smaller, less grasping, less dictatorial government -- running on a much smaller budget.

Not coincidentally, that is the type of government that the founding fathers attempted to set up in the beginning of the nation.

Leftist political groups can see the deep groundswell of support behind these movements, and working through the national media cartel have attempted to distort and caricature the image of the Tea Party groups.

We will know in November how well they succeeded, or how badly they have failed.

Motorcycle Plus Guns? Taliban as Young Man's Fantasy

Source H/T ReverseSpins

If you join the Taliban you can ride motorcycles, shoot guns, and if you get killed you go straight to paradise to be served in every way by 72 pure virgins of your Koran-fevered dreams. If you are a young man growing up in dirt-poor, war-ravaged Afghanistan, looking for adventure -- what are you going to do? The Taliban effort is well funded by outside Islamic funding agencies. Iran is an important provider of resources.

KABUL -- At least five Iranian companies in Afghanistan's capital are using their offices covertly to finance Taliban militants in provinces near Kabul, according to a Sunday Times investigation.

Afghan intelligence and Taliban sources have told the newspaper that the firms, set up in the past six months, provide cash for a network of district Taliban treasurers to pay battlefield expenses and bonuses for killing the enemy and destroying their vehicles.

The Iranian companies win contracts to supply materials and logistics to Afghans involved in reconstruction. The money often comes in the form of aid from foreign donors.

Profits are transferred through poorly regulated Afghan banks — including Kabul Bank, which is partly owned by President Hamid Karzai’s brother Mahmood — to Tehran and Dubai.

From these countries, the money returns to Afghanistan through the informal Islamic banking system known as hawala to be dispersed to the Taliban. _Source

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The huge "youth bulge" seen in the population pyramid of Afghanistan -- and several other dirt-poor Islamic and third world countries -- suggests that the Islamic wars of Asia and Africa will be "forever wars", at least through most of this century. Demography is destiny in many ways.

What Will It Take to Get the US Economy Going Again?

We are deep in the death-throes of a dead cat economy. It will bounce when dropped hard, but gravity always wins. Here are 10 reasons why this "dead cat" recovery of sorts is not sustainable:

1. Although the jobs report beat expectations, job growth is nowhere near the level we need to maintain employment; let alone fuel real job growth.
2. Furthermore, the U6 unemployment is 16.7%; the highest since April. In addition, the direction of job growth is down. July had private sector jobs added was 107,000; August had only 67,000 jobs added.
3. The direction of GDP is also down from over 5% in Q42009 to 3.7% in Q12010 to 1.6% in Q42010
4. The projected job growth in 2011 keeps coming down as well. Latest consensus is 1.8% from 2.3%
5. Health care premiums charged to workers are going up as result of Obamacare, and will start to be deducted out of worker’s paychecks. This is hardly a good thing for consumer spending or confidence
6. The capital of Pennsylvania just missed a bond payment and is considering bankruptcy. The last thing the economy needs is turmoil in the municipal bond market
7. The Mariner rig fire will likely prevent any quick end to the administration’s job killing drilling moratorium in the Gulf. Having highly paid oil workers sit idle is hardly what the Gulf economy needs right now
8. Retailers continue to have to resort to discounting to move merchandise according to the recent retail sales report. This is not good for margins, and a poor indicator of consumer confidence
9. The peak of Federal stimulus spending has now passed and its contribution to anemic GDP growth will lessen in the quarters ahead
10. Potential crises overseas continue to roil just below the surface
a. The overheated property sector bubble in China could very well pop by the end of the year
b. Ireland is a disaster and could be next European country to need help from the ECB
c. The financial system in Afghanistan is on verge of collapse due to a massive fraud and a run on its third largest bank. _SeekingAlpha

Wealth comes from healthy trade and growth within the private sector. If your government is intent to murder the private sector, it is also murdering the future wealth of your nation. That is where the US stands, 19 months after electing the Obama Pelosi regime.

Distilled Demographics: Birth Rate

PRB
This video will explain why the nurseries, kindergartens, and schools of the affluent world are becoming a bit under-populated.

In Europe you may find most nursery cribs occupied by children of third world immigrants. This wave of immigrant children will pass through the schools, and into the prison population almost before you know it. So even though crime rates in Europe are bound to soar -- relatively speaking -- the social welfare programs and skilled occupations will suffer for the lack of highly intelligent and well trained workers in the workforce.

In the US these low-performing, high crime rate immigrants are coming largely from Mexico and Central America. Canada is experiencing somewhat less of an effect due to the buffer of the US between Canada and Latin America. Even so, Canada is becoming far more diverse over time, demographically, due to immigration from East and South Asia, as well as the third world -- and Europe. But a higher proportion of Canada's immigrants are well-educated and well into their middle adult years, and less prolific at child-bearing.

The US was the beneficiary of immigration from high-IQ countries in Europe and East Asia during its 19th and early 20th century expansion. But since the radicalisation of US immigration policy -- encouraging immigration from low IQ countries -- the US is beginning to experience the negative side of immigration.

Distilled Demographics: The Population Pyramid

PRB
The populations of some countries are shrinking at the same time that the populations of others are shooting into the stratosphere.

Watch the video for some elementary concepts in population change. You should begin to get an idea of why Japan and Europe are shrinking so quickly, while much of the third world is exploding out of all containment.

The shrinking countries are becoming a burgeoning crisis, mainly because the countries which are shrinking the most quickly are some of the most affluent and generous -- in terms of foreign aid and international peacekeeping.

Very few will miss the belligerence of Russia when the Russians are gone, of course, but Europeans have been an important part of the glue that has held the world community together. Without Europe, much of the third world could easily explode into perpetual violence.

Debt and Demography as Destiny: Emerging Markets Not Immune

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Many analysts are predicting that the emerging markets (BRICs etc) will own the 21st century, due to a superior budget balance, with far less debt than the more developed nations. But these analysts may be omitting some of the most important elements in their analyses.

Already in the decade before the 2008–2009 economic crisis, a number of factors favored considerably faster economic growth in the emerging market economies than in the industrialized countries. In contrast to the slow-growing and aging populations in the industrialized countries, emerging market economies are characterized by younger and faster growing populations. At the same time, savings rates in non-Japan Asia have considerably exceeded those in the G-7, while the emerging market economies are taking full advantage of the potential to grow rapidly through simply catching up technologically to the industrialized countries.

In the years immediately ahead, one must expect that the emerging market economies will retain many of the advantages that have favored their rapid growth in the recent past. There is now every reason to expect that these advantages will be amplified by the sounder public finances that characterize the emerging market economies. And there is also every reason to expect that, as they become even more important in the global economy, the emerging markets will become increasingly more vocal in pressing their case for their representation in international economic organizations like the International Monetary Fund to more fairly reflect their relative importance. _American

The author above rightly contrasts the prospects of "slow-growing and aging populations" with those of "younger and faster growing populations." And yet he forgets to look at another aspect of demography: intelligence. If the population average IQ is below 90, the long-term prospects for that country are not good -- unless it possesses a high-IQ market dominant minority.

So, looking at the author's "circle of favour" above, one would have to cross off South Africa. One would also have to cast a jaundiced eye at Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, and Turkey -- all with average population IQs below 90. The future of those nations depends in large part upon how they choose to treat their market-dominant minorities, and how they deal with internal violence and corruption.

Although it is immensely wealthy in terms of minerals and energy, Russia, also, must be ejected from the "circle of favour," due to its collapsing demographics combined with its ominous trends back toward a Soviet-style centralisation of power, and reversion to tyranny.

China's economic miracle has been based almost entirely upon exports to Europe and North America. As those export markets have cooled, China has attempted to create internal markets out of nothing, building huge empty cities, apartment complexes, and shopping malls. As all of that wasted wealth (on top of the wasteful and corrupt state-owned enterprises) takes its toll on the nation's economy, economic stresses will likely lead to additional catastrophic decision-making by central planners.

South Korea and Taiwan score well economically, and on average population IQ. Both nations are, however, sitting under significant military threats from close neighbors. In addition, both nations are prone to the same demographic shrinkage that most affluent nations are prone to.

The US is being stripped for salvage by its ruling class. Only a significant re-revolution and return to constitutional ideals -- and a savage disciplining and down-sizing of governments at all levels -- can save the US from its designed dismantling. The US is likely to be dismantled, in other words.

After it becomes clear to the rest of the world that the US under Obama Pelosi is truly becoming a "paper tiger", significant shifting of alliances may well occur. But stability is not likely, until the human technological infrastructure evolves.

Thomas Sowell on His New Book "Dismantling America"

Sowell is one of the most incisive observers of the decay and decline of the American experiment. It is crucial for ordinary Americans to understand the dynamic process of intentional dismantling and decay of 230 year old constitutional protections.

The ideas behind the constitution were ingenious compromises between libertarianism and authoritarianism, but for those ideas to survive they require a substrate of knowledgeable and wise humans of basic competency. Unfortunately, that substrate has declined. It is declined to the point that a government of the size of the modern day US cannot be maintained, and will necessarily self-destruct.

US Government Debt: Going Up?

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What is responsible for the disastrous buildup of US government debt? In a word, corruption. Everyone wants a piece of the wealth. But these criminals are stealing from unborn generations, as you can clearly see from the graphic above.

There will be a huge price to be paid for the foolish whimsy of American voters in 2006 and 2008. Elections have consequences.

Notice how the defense budget has been going down.

So what has been driving up the deficit and the debt? Fixed entitlements, plus financial bailouts to special interests, piled on top of more financial bailouts to special interests.

If you think the end of this story will be fine and happy, you may want to take up skydiving without a parachute, or deep sea diving using cyanide gas breathing apparatus.

Will Obama Be Forever Known as the Unemployment President?

Unemployment numbers have risen to their highest level in almost a year.

But America is full of government and government workers. And even if government incompetence destroys the private sector and all its jobs, the government will still be there to help you.

There are 90,000 governments within the US! While not all of them can print money, the one that does print money is standing behind the other governments -- as long as their workers are unionised!

Mr. Obama has been good for unionised government workers. Of course, the public sector unions donated to Obama's campaign and participated in "get out the vote" efforts for Obama. What's a little corruption between friends?

If the governments of the US are not prepared to cut wages for government workers -- unionised or not -- there is not a chance in hell that they will survive the long run.

You need to start finding places to safeguard your assets where none of the governments can find them.

Liberals vs Conservatives: Psychology's Modern Morality

video via Who is John Galt
This TED talk is from Jonathan Haidt, a psychology professor and morality researcher at the University of Virginia. It is useful as a type of "out of the mind" view of human morality, and how human minds may be innately attracted to one pole or another, and how a mind might be primed toward one strange attractor or another.

Your blog host has traveled a path that has wound its way through conservative, liberal, libertarian, socialist, eastern philosophy of detachment, pacifist anarchist, and several other moral and quasi-moral perspectives on reality.

Freedom of beliefs and religion is paramount, as long as the religion focuses on the spiritual and does not delve into political or economic control too much.

A religion that attempts to enforce morality, politics, economics, and the rest of existence for everyone in the world, is not truly a religion, but is a totalitarian philosophy -- a system of enslavement of body and mind.

But a system of morality that is incapable of providing individuals and societies with the will to defend themselves against an onslaught of hostile outsiders, is useless or worse.

As to the middle ground, that is often determined by the stage of history that a society is passing through at the moment. Get back to me on that.

Gimme You' Money!

Obamanomics has Failed

Obama's Economic Quagmire

As Goes California, so Goes America

The world does not work the way politicians, journalists, ivy league professors, and university textbooks think it does. To understand the real world, the tenured clowns would need to ditch tenure and get out in the thick of things and experience reality.

Like that's gonna happen.