Capitalism the Unknown Ideal

It is crucial that we become educated and informed so WE can take back our nation.

COME – HEAR – LEARN – ACT
MARCH 24, NOON, BEAR LAKES COUNTRY CLUB
BEGIN – by reading Dr. Albie Baltin’s article:

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE
For People Who Think

CAPITALISM THE UNKNOWN IDEAL

Before one can decide logically whether to be either for or against Capitalism one must first examine and discover what capitalism really is.

One text book that has been in recent use, defines capitalism as an economic system based on “Laissez Faire” that came into being in the early 19th century and is based on, limited government, private property, free enterprise and a Free Market. It gives private property rights to individuals and entities (companies) and relies on self interest and market forces to coordinate economic activity. In principle, individuals decide how, what and for whom to produce. “The Dollar Votes”. Individuals are encouraged to follow their own self-interest, while market forces of supply and demand, profit and competition are relied upon to coordinate economic activity. Distribution is to each individual according to his own desires and his own ability, effort and savings to satisfy his desires. While Socialist, Communist, Marxist philosophy is “Each according to his need, not according to his deed” The big question becomes what is a need?

Most Economists tend to assume that human behavior can be accounted for by treating all individuals as rational profit-maximizers. A wrong assumption they ascribe to Adam Smith as they overlook his many departures and ignore his first book Theory of Moral Sentiments completely.

However all this is a much too simplistic an explanation of a system, that might best be described as a system based on NATURAL LAW and that in reality did not begin in the early 19th century but has actually evolved over time, since the first man made a voluntary trade of one of his own arrow-heads for a stone knife with another free man both of their own volition. The Torah in actuality describes capitalism whenever it describes how one is to act in dealing with other individuals both friend and stranger alike. In actual fact Capitalism is the Economics of the Bible and it begins describing it as soon as there are more than one Man. The first 3 men Cain, Abel and Adam each had different jobs (describing specialization and Trade)
The big danger in analyzing capitalism or anything else for that matter, is to take things out of context and misinterpret them.

Self-Interest is the most misunderstood, misinterpreted, concept relating to capitalism and is all to often used as a synonym , for Greed and Avarice , When in reality self-interest in relation to capitalism may actually amount to self restraint, or at least RATIONAL TEMPERING of the most common, if irrational, of all human impulses “self-interest“. ADAM SMITH referred to this as ‘informed self-interest’ while 200 years later AYN RAND labeled it as “enlightened self-interest“. The link of self-interest to the mutual concern for others expressed by a sales clerk “Can I help you?” or “Have a nice day” is most often overlooked or even scorned except by those who have had experience with any other economic systems, such as Fascism, Communism or experienced it in their dealings with a government agency. Yet the assumption that “each individual will always act in his own best self-interest “ is one of the cornerstones of all economic thought.

It is in the Enlightened, Informed, and intelligent pursuit of self-interest that Smith’s “Invisible Hands” comes into play. Whereby the individual in his pursuit of his own self-interest can’t help but benefit society even though that is the farthest thing from his mind at the time. Once the informed individual realizes that the best way to satisfy his own greed is to produce a better product, perform a better service, do a better job etc. and sell it at a better price, all of society can’t help but benefit.
Secondly, Once we take into account that monetary rewards are not the only form of remuneration that the individuals desire, then we can plainly see that the benefits to society are linked directly to the pursuit of self-interest by observing the plaques on the walls in every hospital, JCC or Andrew Carnegie Library etc. Upon examination we can see the even Ayn Rand was wrong when she stated that capitalism and altruism don’t mix.

Adam Smith in his “Wealth of Nations” published in 1776 also wrote “ The Theory of Moral Sentiments” the two together represent the most comprehensive description of what to day is commonly known as laissez- faire capitalism, even though he did not use either term and rather than call for the elimination of government actually predicated and called for the expansion of government.

The Wealth of Nations, focused on the analysis of the market process motivated by self-interest. It was written by one of the most admired philosophers of the enlightenment. A professor of Logic, rhetoric, jurisprudence and moral philosophy, sought to influence politicians and cause then to pursue the common good by appealing to their own self interest. Although he was concerned about the nature of moral excellence, he began by describing humanity as it really is. His project was to take man as he actually is and to make him more like what he should be, by discovering the institutions (Gov. the family, the church, the courts the community etc.) that make men tolerably decent and might make them more so, by concentrating on the social benefits of the individuals propensity towards self-love, egotism, self-interest and pride all properly channeled by social institutions to do the most GOOD for himself first which would then in turn extrapolate and expand to everybody else around him and eventually to the whole world..
Only A market economy is able to improve the standard of living, of the vast majority of the populace and can lead to universal opulence. Smith valued commercial society not only for the wealth it produced but for the character it fostered. It developed cooperative modes of behavior making men more gentle and self controlled and more likely to subordinate and temper their potentially anti-social passions to the needs of others. (In actuality Capitalism was the system that brought about and fostered the end of the 100 years war)
Smith did not even try to develop a science of economics free of moral judgments or ethical considerations. Rather He tried to bring about improvement, not through preaching, which is useless, but by designing institutions which would strengthen the incentives to act in a socially beneficial way, by bridging the gap between incentives and consequences. The best example of his philosophy is exemplified in our constitution and “The federalist Papers”, the most successful practitioners of psychological institutionalism; which pitted the passions against one another and channeled self-interest into serving the public good. Smith’s preference was for all public goods to be provided through the Market, even if government must supply the means, (vouchers) to its citizens, so that each citizen can purchase all goods and services they want through the market place.

EXPLAINING THE MARKET

The First Principle is “The Propensity To Truck, Barter and Trade” one thing for another which is innate in Human Nature. So each man in effect becomes a merchant and society itself grows to what is properly called a commercial society. (this is contrary to both Classical Republican [Aristotelian] and Church principles both of which were adamantly against commerce and money lending)
The second Principle is the Division of labor (FREE TRADE) which leads to specialization and increased human productivity and makes universal opulence possible. This systematic exchange of labor and the products of labor, Smith termed The “Market”., Self-interest – leads to market exchange – leads to division of labor – leads to specialization, expertise, dexterity, – leads to inventions, – leads to greater productivity resulting in greater total real wealth. It is the capacity to exchange that sets man uniquely apart from all other species and makes him uniquely capable of great progress.

SAVINGS. Without savings there can be NO progress. It is savings which allows men to make investments in tools to increase production, using the same land and labor. (Be careful not to confuse REAL SAVINGS with Fiat money)

There is also the Theory of Unintended and Unanticipated Consequences embodied in his Invisible Hands which plays a key role. Smith compares unintended socially positive outcomes of the market to the negative unintended consequences of government failed policies, which all too often substitute good intentions for sound policy. (God’s overall plan for man is incorporated in the Invisible hands)
Real Human progress could not develop until the production of food expanded to such an extent that hunger was no longer a problem of production and large amounts of people were released from the necessity of working only to get enough food to eat and feed their family.
Real Economic progress began in a community or country only after acquiring a basic minimum of food, clothing and shelter which became nearly a universal expectation. The impulse to acquire, the pursuit of gain, the pursuit of money and of untold wealth has in and of itself nothing to do with capitalism. These pursuits existed in people from all walks of life, from beggars to kings, in all times, in every land, under every conceivable economic system, wherever the objective possibilities of bettering ones lot in life has existed, since the dawning of time. The Naive conception of capitalism should be given up once and for all because of Unbridled avarice Which is not in the least bit the equivalent to capitalism and is even less so too its spirit.

This is the first of a series of missives on Capitalism “The Unknown Ideal”

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE
Aubie Baltin CFA., CTA., CFP., Phd.
Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.
aubiebat@yahoo.com

Progressive Democrats & Neocons

Another thought provoking and informative article by our March speaker, Dr. Aubie Baltin

A MUST READ!

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE
For People Who Think

DANGER DANGER DANGER

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS & NEOCONS
This year, the federal deficit will total at least $1,600,000,000,000.00 ($1.6 trillion), Using GAAP accounting rules, the nation’s fiscal year 2009 deficit was roughly $9,000,000,000,000.00 ($9 trillion). This is equal to 17% of America’s total private wealth accumulated over a period of 235 years – wiped out by just one year’s worth of government deficit spending.
What these statistics mean is that it is absolutely impossible for the Government to fund its debt and deficits, even if it steals all of the nation’s private wealth. Therefore, the Government’s only solutions are either to file formal bankruptcy (outright debt repudiation and the dismantling of bankrupt government programs) or unprecedented American monetary inflation and debt monetization. If the Government chooses to inflate its way out of this fiscal catastrophe, the United States dollar will essentially become worthless. You can be absolutely certain that Dr. Bernanke is well aware of these realities, just as the Chinese schoolchildren are who, when patronized by Geithner about America’s “strong dollar,” laughed in his face.
The Government has announced that during the fiscal years from 2010 through 2019, it will create an additional $9,000,000,000,000.00 ($9 trillion) in deficits, an amount that is certain to be understated by trillions given our Government’s historic accounting practices. Furthermore, the Office of Management and Budget has reported that the United States Government will experience massive, non-stop deficits for the next 70 (SEVENTY) years.
These deficits and debts are now so gargantuan that they have become surreal abstractions that are impossible even for sophisticated financiers to begin to comprehend. The common citizen has absolutely no idea what these numbers imply for their future.
The peoples “representatives” have deliberately committed treason by selling their citizens into slavery from which they and their descendants can never escape since the debts piled onto their backs can never be repaid. Despite expensive and sophisticated brainwashing campaigns emanating from Washington, claiming that America can “grow” out of its deficits and debt, the public is waking up to the fact that it is arithmetically impossible for the country to ever pay off it’s debts as long as it stays on its present increasingly Socialist track.
Once you’ve dug yourself a hole and you want to get out, the first thing you must do is STOP DIGGING.
AMERICA’S FIFTH COLUMN
America, just like every empire that has come before it, can only be defeated from wit in. No country or group of countries can defeat America economically or militarily.
The enslavement of the American people has been orchestrated by a pernicious Master Class of Politicians from both parties, who have seized the United States by the throat. Slowly but surely, they have taken the Freest and most Successful Free Market Economic Power and, in the name of protecting the little people, transformed the country into a Socialist State to the point that it is now on the verge of Destroying Capitalism (The Goose That Lays the Golden Eggs). This Master Class is choking the nation to death as it accelerates its master plan to plunder the people’s dwindling assets on its way towards a One World Government. But their final goal cannot be achieved until they first destroy the world’s only super power. These Wannabe, Power Hungry, Communists, Master Subversive Class are comprised of politicians, the Wall Street money elite, the Federal Reserve, high-end government (including military) officials, government lobbyists and their paymasters, military suppliers and media oligarchs and our education system. The interests and mindset of the Master Class is so totally divorced from those of the average American citizen that it is utterly tone deaf and blind to the justifiable rage sweeping the nation. Its guiding ethics of greed, plunder, power, control and violence are so alien to mainstream American culture and thought that the Master Class might as well be an enemy invader. But nonetheless, the Master Class is here, it is real and it is laying waste to America. To the members of the Master Class, the people are not fellow-citizens; they are instruments of labor, servitude and profit all sold to the people in the name of equality and helping the under-privileged.
BUT it is not too late. We have three years left to set the wheels in motion to first STOP and then Reverse the last 100 years of Socialist Cancer that is destroying our country.
America’s public finances are now completely dysfunctional and chaotic. However, something far worse than debt enslavement and monetary implosion looms on the horizon: Namely, a Master Class-sponsored American dictatorship.
Throughout history, the type of situation in which America now finds itself in has been a fertile factory for tyranny. The odds of an outright overthrow of the people by the Washington and Wall Street Axis almost came into being under FDR, but fortunately for the people, he died. The fact that so few people believe an American dictatorship is possible is exactly why it is becoming more and more likely. Recent events paint an ominous picture of a Master Class that is now in total control.
• When 90% of the American people rejected the $780,000,000,000.00 ($780 billion) TARP bailout plan, the Master Class put it on a fast track and approved it anyway.
• When a clear majority of the American people said NO to a government takeover of Chrysler and GM, the Master Class poured billions of taxpayer dollars into those corporate sinkholes and then took them over anyway.
• When the people said no to multi-trillion dollar crony bailouts for the bankers and insurers whose corruption had caused global financial mayhem, the Government pledged to those elite insiders more than $13,000,000,000,000.00 ($13 trillion) of the people’s money anyway.
• When the people expressed astonishment and anger that Wall Street planned to pay itself record 2009 bonuses, all of it due to Phantom Profits coming from trillions of dollars in zero interest loans and the elimination of mark to market accounting in the midst of America’s worst-ever fiscal and financial crisis, Wall Street stuffed its pockets with unearned, undeserved, taxpayer bonus money anyway.
• When the people said no to a proposed $40,000,000,000.00 ($40 billion) bailout of AIG and its elite trading partners such as Goldman Sachs (an amount that subsequently exploded to $180,000,000,000.00+ ($180+ billion)), the Master Class went underground and covertly misappropriated taxpayer money and made the payoffs anyway.
• When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were nationalized at enormous taxpayer expense, the Government approved $6,000,000.00 individual pay packages in 2009 (150 times the average American wage) for the CEOs (friends and advisors of Obama) of both failed companies anyway.
• When a clear majority of the people said NO to nationalized health care even after being bombarded by a multi-million dollar, lie-drenched propaganda campaign, the House and Senate passed nationalized health care bills anyway in 7 days, without any of the signers having read the 2700 page Bill.
• When more than seven million American workers lost their jobs and were subsisting on unemployment benefits and food stamps; when private sector workers’ 401Ks and IRA retirement plans plummeted in value due partially to Wall Street’s market corruption (including systemic front running, flash trading, naked short selling and misinformation and other manipulations) – Government “defined benefit,” lifetime-cost-of-living-adjusted pension plans, and life time Cadillac Health Care Plans, which just like the Congressional plans became immune from the public plan despite being under funded by $2 trillion and continues to increase. Even though these very same Federal Government Employees earn DOUBLE what private sector workers earn, they were also given another round of pay and benefit increases, using a good part of the so called Stimulus money, instead of it being used to create jobs.
WE DEFY YOU
The message from the Ruling Master Class to the American people is simple and clear: Screw You !
Governments that openly defy the people are either already totalitarian or in the process of becoming so. Monetarily, the United States clearly functions as a totalitarian dictatorship already, with a Federal Reserve that operates in secrecy, creates limitless amounts of debt and currency at will, and showers trillions of dollars upon favored insiders with zero transparency or accountability whatsoever. The Federal Reserve is so shameless about its dictatorial powers that it flatly refuses to provide details about multi-trillion dollar bailouts and rescues of privileged elites, in open defiance of Congress and the people. The fact that they get away with these blatant acts of defiance demonstrates the true extent of the Master Class chokehold on America.
Every single Government entitlement program in the United States is bankrupt. This includes Social Security ($17,500,000,000,000.00 under funded; $17.5 trillion); Medicare Part A ($36,700,000,000,000.00 under funded; $36.7 trillion); Medicare Part B ($37,000,000,000,000.00 under funded; $37 trillion); Medicare Part D ($15,600,000,000,000 under funded; $15.6 trillion), Government and military pensions ($2,000,000,000,000 under funded; $2 trillion), Food Stamps (current under funding difficult to measure because the number of recipients is exploding; hundreds of billions under funded versus original projections); and the list goes on. The above under funding amounts are NET of projected tax receipts over the next 50 years. But the current Recession has invalidated virtually all long-term budget and tax receipt assumptions, meaning that the true under funded amounts are now greater than current projections.
Far more cause for alarm than these mind boggling numbers is the casual indifference with which the politicians are now making the country’s irreparable fiscal circumstances even worse.
The Nationalized health care program, which will cost at least $2 trillion more over the next ten years, is being crammed down America’s throat by a bankrupt Government that does not have the money today and will not have the money tomorrow to pay for it.
“Cap and Trade” is a multi-trillion dollar tax scam being foisted onto the American public without a legitimate debate or popular referendum. You might be surprised to learn that “Climate Revenues” are already included in the federal budget, starting with $79,000,000,000.00 ($79 billion) in fiscal year 2012 (after the Presidential election). During fiscal years 2012 through 2019, the Government expects to collect $646,000,000,000.00 ($646 billion) in “Climate Revenues,” a completely new tax category that will not be paid only by the rich, but by every single person who uses energy directly or indirectly. Have any of your elected so-called Representatives told the public that? These “Climate Revenues” are based on junk science, lies and hysteria, and have been pimped by greed-diseased parasites who seek to make billions from operating and manipulating the Cap and Trade “marketplace.” Favored elitists such as Hank Paulson, Al Gore, General Electric, Goldman Sachs and Amoco among others, have positioned themselves to profit from the nation’s upcoming Cap and Trade tax misery and economic debilitation.
The reality is that the giant Ponzi scheme called the United States of America is (like Madoff) running out of money and the rest of the world’s savings. Every Ponzi scheme requires ever increasing amounts of NEW money to be constantly poured into the top of the funnel in order to keep the Ponzi Scheme going. If the Washington and Wall Street Axis were not legally able to create and distribute counterfeit American money, while stealing most of the rest of the world’s savings, the Ponzi scheme would have collapsed a long time ago. Trillions of new, out-of-thin-air, printing-press and electronic “dollars” have bought the Axis additional time, but new sources of revenue must immediately be found to keep the scam alive. Congress is fully aware of this reality. Outright tax increases would be bad politics during a Recession that is morphing into a Depression and also bad for 2010 re-election campaigns, so they cannot be implemented. Therefore, Congress continues to advance the Health Care and Cap and Trade agendas, which are nothing but Taxation Trojan Horses festooned in righteousness and sanctimony despite overwhelming popular opposition.
If the nationalized Health Care program is passed, subterfuge revenues and fees will kick in immediately in 2010, whereas costs will not begin to accrue until 2013-2015 and later (again after the 2012 election). The Government plans to spend the revenues immediately to forestall a total fiscal collapse.
Nationalized Health Care has absolutely nothing to do with health care; it has to do with creating an immediate revenue stream to help fix the current Government funding crisis as well as a massive grab for control of 17% of the American Economy. Similarly, Cap and Trade has nothing to do with fixing the environment. It, too, is nothing more than a massive tax increase similarly designed to address the Government’s epic funding shortfall, with thick slices of pork thrown in for privileged insiders and deceitful propagandists like the bloated “Father of the Internet” and now “Savior of the World,” Al Gore.
GOLD
On April 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, an Obama hero, outlawed Gold ownership overnight by signing Executive Order 6102, which gave the people three and one-half weeks to surrender all privately-owned bullion to the Government for a price of $20.67 per ounce. On January 30, 1934, nine months after collecting the people’s Gold, Roosevelt devalued the dollar 69% overnight, by raising the Gold price from $20.67 to $35.00 per ounce.
Since its founding in 1913, the Federal Reserve has devalued the dollar by 98%+ thanks to endless money printing and debt creation, a corrosive and impoverishing process that is now accelerating. In the past year, the Fed has engineered $20+ trillion in bailouts, subsidies and guarantees for well-connected and lucky scavengers and opportunists, an amount equal to roughly 40% of the total private wealth created in this country since its inception. All because a few elitist Government man-gods, with an almost perfect record of error and failure, have deemed in their imperial wisdom that it shall be so. The citizens, whose hard-earned wealth is being systematically destroyed by this continual, government-decreed monetary debasement were never invited to the debate or given a say, which is par for the course for dictatorships. This massive de facto devaluation now hangs over the people’s wealth like a great monetary Sword of Damocles.
Conceptually, whether it is a 50% overnight devaluation as in Venezuela, 69% overnight devaluation in the United States, 98% devaluation in America over time or a 99% overnight devaluation in North Korea – what is the difference? The fact is there is no difference; monetary debasements are all the same. In each and every case, the people’s wealth is stolen via Government edict, while the people stand by helplessly in shock.
FOR WHOM DOES THE BELL TOLL?
A foreign “them” or a domestic us? Who is to say that you will not be told tomorrow morning that, effective immediately, in accordance with some perversely named mandate such as the “American Monetary Security, Wealth Preservation and Terrorism Prevention Act,” enacted by emergency for “the safety of the nation and the financial well being of the citizens,” all existing currency and bank balances will be redenominated in “New Dollars,” at a conversion rate of 1 new for every 100 old currency units? Would this not simply be another almost predictable act of defiance toward the American people by the Ruling Class? And if that happened, do you honestly believe that the Ruling Class would not have been alerted in advance and allowed to make special preparations for itself ahead of the devaluation? Do you think they intend to go down on the same ship as the people they are supposed to serve? If such a currency devaluation were announced, what could you do about it? March on Washington? But how would you get there if your money had just been wiped out and nobody would accept your Dollars anyway?
Of course UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE and its adherents have been working at protecting themselves for over 7 years now. While others lost as much as 50% of the value of their IRAs, Pensions, and 401Ks, the average return for all subscribers was over 38%; a good part of which has been tucked away in One Ounce Gold Coins purchased for CASH, beginning at $300/oz all the way up to $1000/oz. It is still not too late to start protecting your financial positions, but you must begin acting soon and the best way of starting is by subscribing to Uncommon Common Sense today.
Protecting your financial assets is not enough – your Patriotic Duty is to become politically involved now and protect yourself and family by protecting your country. It is the solemn duty of every citizen, according to the 2nd Amendment to protect his own country. You may be too old or infirmed to take up arms, but you are never too old or feeble to VOTE, which is the most powerful weapon that exists. GET POLITICALLY INVOLVED NOW, before it is too late.

Who Are The Tea Party Activists?

Did you know that:

•A large number are politically involved for the first time. 47 percent of activists surveyed said that they were “uninvolved” or “rarely involved” in politics before their participation in Tea Party groups.
•When asked which issues were “very important” to them, 92 percent said “budget,” 85 percent said “economy,” and 80 percent said “defense.”
•No respondents listed social issues as an “important direction” for the movement.
•86 percent oppose the formation of a third-party.
•90 percent cited “to stand up for my beliefs” when characterizing their initial reason for involvement.
•62 percent identified as Republicans, 28 percent as Independents, 10 percent as “Tea Party”

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The Early Adopters includes a survey of Tea Party activists from around the country, and an analysis of Tea Party leaders’ business cards to examine their use of color, word-choice, and self-described role. Watch the video, read the findings, and see what you can learn about these activists.

Click Here To See the Full Report

Wanted – Republican College Student in need of a $500 Scholarship

Do you know a student who could benefit from a $500 scholarship.

writing papers for sociology

? 

Apply for our Anne Roberts Memorial Scholarship  to be presented in May 2010.

Deadline to return the application is May 1 . 

The scholarship is available for Palm Beach County  Republican undergraduate or graduate  students with minimum of 3.0 GPA.

Click here to see the application.   Instructions appear at the bottom of the application.

RCPB members celebrate the 1 yr anniversary of South Florida 912

 Several members of our club also are members of the South Florida 912 Project. Last Sunday, the group celebrated its one-year anniversary with a return visit to McKenna’s in Greenacres. Carol Hurst did volunteer duty at the sign-in tables and also got the names of political candidates who wanted to speak. Melissa Andrews brought flyers about our Right Night at the Movies showing of the Tea Party: The Documentary Film.  Delia Garcia took photos and the one shown here was a group photo of RCPB members attending.  We got to hear from several of the candidates and a good time was had by all.

GOP Leader Michael Steele Debuts Commericial in WPB

GOP Chairman, Michael Steele, hosted a Press Conference this morning in West Palm Beach and launched a 5 city advertising fundraising campaign. The guests included five RCPB members. Click Here for the Palm Beach Post article

Political Parties of Florida

The following table lists the “minor” political parties (SOE terminology, not mine) that are registered with the Supervisor of Elections. Some have websites and can be found to obviously lean left or right. Others are harder to discern. This will be useful information as we engage the voters on behalf of our candidates as call sheets typically identify a person’s party identification.

If anyone has knowledge about these parties and what they stand for, please comment.

Abbreviation	Party Name	Leans
AFP	America First Party of Florida
AIP	America’s Independent Party of Florida	Right
APF	American Party of Florida	Right
AMP	American Patriot Party
ARP	American Reform Party of Florida	Right
BRS	British Reformed Sectarian Party	Right
CHR	The Christian Party
CPF	Constitution Party of Florida	Right
ECO	Ecology Party of Florida	Left
FAP	Faith & Patience Inc. N.P.G.G.
FVP	Family Values Party
FWP	Florida Whig Party	Right
GRE	Green Party of Florida, Inc.	Left
IDF	Independent Democrats of Florida
IDP	Independence Party of Florida	Right
INT	Independent Party of Florida
LIB	Libertarian Party of Florida	Right
MOD	The Moderate Party
OBJ	Objectivist Party of Florida
POS	Possibility Party
PRL	Progressive Libertarian Party	Right
PRO	Prohibition Party
PSL	Party for Socialism and Liberation – Florida	Left
REF	Reform Party	Right
RFP	Real Food Party of the United States of America
SPA	Surfers Party of America
SPF	Socialist Party of Florida
SWP	Florida Socialist Workers Party
TEA	Tea Party
TLP	Term Limits for the United States Congress Party
TVP	Twelve Visions Party of Florida
UNI	Unity08
VET	Veterans Party of America

Letter To Editor: Term Limits

Published: Palm Beach Post
Term Limits continues to be debated, even after an overwhelming public support with our County Commission and WPB Mayor by public vote.

Term limits have been placed on 15 state legislatures, eight of the ten largest cities in America adopted term limits for their city councils and/or mayor, and 37 states place term limits on their constitutional officers.

American politicians, special interests and lobbyists continue to combat term limits, as they know term limits force out career politicians who are more concerned with their own gain than the interests of the American people.

I want to keep the pressure on the movement to preserve West Palm Beach Term Limits. Charter review, sure… Term Limit modification – no thanks!

The Florida Legislature is in Session. Research bills yourself!

The Florida Legislature is in session. See session dates here.

The House and Senate websites both have good search features to allow you to find bills by number, but the Senate website is a little more cluttered – so I’ll use the House website for a short primer:

Let’s say you want to find all bills with the word ‘immigration’ in them. On the House website cover page, click on Search Bill Text tab at the top, leave the chamber as House, and type in the word immigration and click on ‘GO’. The site will bring up all the bills in the House containing the word and the latest status of the bill, the sponsor, the bill number, etc. You can click on the bill title for more information. From that same page you can select House, Senate or Both to get all bills with the text you wish to find. You can also find all bills by number, type, sponsor and some other criteria.

You don’t have to rely on the Palm Beach Post or the Sun-Sentinel to follow what’s going on. Do your own research on the topics that you’re interested in!

Feel free to comment with questions if you need help in finding something.

A New Contract With America

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE
For People Who think

FREEDOM

A NEW CONTRACT WITH AMERICA

You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

There is the seed of freedom that exists in every individual. It was inevitable that one day someone would eventually make use of this truth. They were our nation’s founders and with the help of God, came up with the most perfect Constitution. But in Man’s subconscious never ending desire for power, politicians have been trying to change it ever since.

The seed of freedom lies dormant most of the time within the subconscious of Man as long as he thinks that there is no danger of him loosing his freedom. He may not notice it at first as it begins to slip away, but when it finally begins to look like its loss might soon affect him directly, slowly but surely that fear of his loss of freedom begins to stir. Man must make that discovery for himself and hopefully he does so before it’s too late for him to take action, as the inherent nature of self is forever seeking to express itself in terms of freedom or power.

The TEA PARTIES have demonstrated that the FEAR of the potential loss of freedom has been awakened and only requires some leadership to channel Man’s fear into constructive action. Show him a way how he can hang onto his freedom and his way of life and the Tsunami created will be unstoppable.

NOW is the time to channel this desire for freedom before it’s too late to stop the Fascist Tidal Wave that is cresting upon us – at the ballot box and without the necessity of taking up arms. But by 2012, if we the march towards Fascism is not reversed it will be too late.

WE MUST STOP THIS TIDAL WAVE OF FASCISM NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE TO BE REVERSED WITHOUT THE USE OF GUNS.

CONTRACT WITH AMERICA: 2010 & 2012

The Corner Stones of this new platform must rest upon a foundation of Capitalism and universal, non-controversial truths that all Americans can embrace.

Before proceeding, let me point out one crucial salient fact: The demographics of the advanced countries, such as all of the 31 states of Europe including England, Russia, Canada and especially Japan are such that their birth rates cannot sustain their country and especially their culture. The USA has been exempt thus far because of our huge immigration (legal or otherwise). The average birthrate necessary to sustain a country is 2.1 children per family. The average in all the countries mentioned above ranges between 0.9 in Japan and 1.8 in France. The birthrate of Moslems is over 8. There are over 50 million Moslems in Europe and by 2030-50, all of Europe, Russia and Canada will be Moslem countries under Sharia Law, without firing a shot. To date, only the USA is exempt from this threat because of Hispanic immigration.

Hispanics, unlike Moslems, do not want to overthrow the American Government or it’s culture. They all come here to become Americans just like every other massive wave of immigrants who have come before them. Take notice that by far the great majority of Hispanics are Religious Christians and inherently Conservatives who believe in the Christian work ethic. They are the fastest growing community in the USA and will soon become the largest of all communities. If we drive the Hispanics into the arms of the Democrats, the Republican party is not only doomed, but it will die out completely as fringe, independent Conservative groups spread out to take their place with no chance of gaining any more political power than the Libertarians have now. With these facts in mind, let’s see if we can come up with a platform that can pull off a Reagan and Gingrich like sweep in 2010 and 2012

IMMIGRATION & ENGLISH

It can continue to be the Republican and Conservative’s Achilles Heal or we can make it our greatest ASSET. All we have to do is face the facts and get realistic. If there is one thing in this world that does not need protection from, it is the English language. Every Chinese child must learn English as a second language. Only in the USA is a second language not mandatory. English is the universal language of Science and Business and does not need protection. Like every other mass immigrant culture, by the second or third generation at the latest, they all learn English and speak it predominately and take their rightful place in America as AMERICANS. They are not plotting to change our Laws or overturn our culture.

IMMIGRATION REFORM

We can’t even water-board a known Terrorist and they must be Morandized, so there is no way that the USA can hunt down, arrest and deport 20 million people. Take that inflammatory kind of talk off the table. But that does not mean that there is nothing that should and can be done.

#1 We must tighten security at all our borders so that we know and control who comes into our country. First and foremost this is necessary for National security purposes. This is a stand that would resonate with the whole country including Hispanics, most of whom are already citizens and are paying more than their share for supporting illegal immigration.

#2 Draw up a 5 to 7 year program towards citizenship that includes learning English, learning and passing a test about our Constitution and system of Government (Civics) and swearing allegiance to our Country, Culture of Individual Freedom and our Flag.

#3 Quadruple (or more) the size of our Immigration and Naturalization Service so that the legal Immigration as well as the Deportation Process can be accelerated and thus reduce the need for illegal immigration. With a birthrate of only 1.8, we need immigration in order to survive and support our country, culture and ever increasing numbers of seniors. Of equal importance, we must monitor all foreign students so that we know where they live, what schools they are attending and the grades they achieve. We could have stopped the 9/11 bombers had we been making sure students were really students.

#4 Only American Citizens are entitled to the full protection of our Constitution and Courts. Terrorists and all illegal aliens have no constitutional rights except for those that we decide to grant them. We need strict enforcement of our laws so that if any non-American with less than 10 years residency is convicted of a felony, they are automatically deported. All non-citizen gang members wearing their gang tattoos is sufficient evidence of criminal intent and enough reason for deportation. Three strikes and you’re out – If you are a non-legal resident and you are convicted of 3 crimes, you are deported. It is ridiculous to spend $75,000/year keeping non-citizens in our jail and who knows how much money hunting them down, arresting and trying them over and over again, while providing them with free legal representation.

The way immigration is handled is a major problem, but if handled properly, it can be one of our major solutions. Similar to the advantage that adoption has over birthing your own children, you can choose who you adopt. We can choose who we let into our country. After all, it is our country and there are more willing applicants than we can possibly accept. We Choose, Not Them. We also establish fair quotas and requirements that would be beyond reproach, especially by Hispanics. European immigration is not a solution to our birth rate problem.

TERM LIMITS

POWER CORRUPTS AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTLY.
No better proof of that is watching our Congress in action. Ninety-eight percent get re-elected, even though as a group they have an approval rating that is 1/3 of what Bush’s was at his worst, tells us that the Elections are not acting as term limits. Once in office, they build power bases and fiefdoms that breed corruption. They in turn allow power bases to grow within the Government’s bureaucracy that result in laws being made by non-elected fringe extremist groups. (EPA)

In 1994, Term Limits was Gingrich’s centerpiece of his Contract with America and it should be ours as well, especially since its popularity has been handed to us on a platter by the arrogance and complete disregard for the will of the people. This is demonstrated by the out of control, reckless spending of our current Congress and President, as well as by the Immigration Policy that we, the people, had to defeat.

We must eliminate the 3 rules of Government: “Get Re-elected, Get Re-elected, Get Re-elected.” Then and only then can we expect our legislators to vote their own conscience since they would no longer have to act against their own “best self interest”. It is the only way to drastically reduce the money going into politics. Why? Because since there would be no chance for re-election, money donors would have no hold over one term elected or appointed officials (like Bernanke).
NOTE: Under Term Limits, not one cent would or could be raised while in office.

EDUCATION

Education is part of every political party’s platform: But the results never change – our education system just keeps getting bigger and worse.

Our platform will be different. It will truly be focused on children by centering it on radical change. The simple truth being that you cannot fix a system (Socialist, Centrally Planned and Controlled) that is designed to fail from the outset. The USA spends about 50% more per student than the rest of the developed countries and yet we have the worst system.

The new system would be centered on VOUCHERS, a free market capitalist solution, which will not cost one cent more than we are now spending. It begins with the elimination of 95% of the Federal Department of Education. All the money now controlled by them would be allocated in the form of vouchers to the Parents, to be paid to the school of their choice (public, private or home schooled) with one proviso: Should the student fail, the money will be forfeited back to the parent in the form of a voucher, to be used only for remedial summer education. This would be a cause that every parent (Black and Hispanics in particular), whose kids go to a failing school, would get behind. Without 95%+ of the Black and Hispanic votes, the Democrats would be doomed to defeat. But more importantly, a competitive system based on capitalistic principles of profit, competition and free choice would work. Our freedom and country’s best protection is an educated populace – we are in a world wide competition.

Let the public schools lose a few million or so students and see how fast they improve and start to compete with the private schools. After all, they have the advantage of a huge infrastructure and State Government money. Let those capitalistic competition juices start to flow and we all know what will happen. The teachers are not stupid, give them a choice and it won’t be long before they get rid of or change the structure of their Unions and eliminate all the incompetent teachers and stupid work rules that the Unions now protect. Their jobs would be at stake. The 5% left of our Federal Education Department would be used to monitor the final exams, which would determine whether or not the schools get to keep the voucher money. We can get around the no money for Religious Institutions by giving the money directly to the people who, in turn, can then choose the school of their choice.

A UNIVERSAL SUNSHINE LAW

To control spending and reduce the size of government, every perpetual spending Bill must be reviewed to make sure it’s meeting its intended goals and objectives. Each program will require a 51% vote of approval by the House and a 60% vote of approval by the Senate in order for funding to continue. That is the only way to get rid of billions in wasteful spending and more importantly, to make sure we are getting our money’s worth. Instead of just talking about Waste, Fraud and Abuse, we will actually have a concrete plan to do something about it.
NOTE: Congress will be so busy reviewing existing laws they won’t have time to create more damage.

JOB CREATION – THE FREE MARKET CAPITALIST WAY

a) INFRASTRUCTURE: Rebuild our Interstate Highways and Bridges by turning them into TOLL roads and bridges and putting them up for tender. They would get rebuilt in the quickest and least expensive way possible, while not using one nickel of Government money. As a matter of fact, it would bring money into the Government to help pay down its debt by way of the tenders. It would also save money by eliminating the Government’s need for maintaining the roads and bridges, while still keeping control over the tolls. One million plus new jobs would be created, virtually overnight, especially when the states and cities see how well it works without the requirement of Government money, As a matter of fact, they would actually make money from selling the licenses. How many jobs would that create? A Million or More?
NOTE: Auctioning off existing bridges and roads would be a good way of bringing money into the Government (Federal, State and Local) to help pay down their debt.

b) NUCLEAR POWER CONSTRUCTION: Auction off permits to build nuclear facilities on existing and closed Military Bases, thus facilitating their permitting and getting around NIMBY problems. How many construction jobs would that create without any Government money being used? 300,000 to 500,000 to start?

c) Drill, Drill, Drill:
The USA has the world’s largest, untapped reserves along our shores and waters along our northern borders, which are about to be drilled by foreign nations. We have 300 million vehicles on the road and 250,000 service stations and there is no feasible way to replace all of that within 25 years, even if we had the money and all the necessary technology already existed. In the meantime, we can defeat all our major enemies, like Chavez, the mid-eastern tyrants, Putin and most of all, Iran.

If Bush had been able to pass an all out drilling program, we could not have done much about it because all available drilling rigs had already been contracted for. But right now, because of the worldwide Recession and the temporary drop in the demand for oil, we have a golden reprieve. We can now get all the drilling rigs we need to start a massive drilling program so that within 5 to 7 years, we would be pumping a minimum of 5 million additional barrels/day of our own oil. At $70/bbl., that comes to over $120 billion year, year in and year out. That is money that we would no longer be paying to foreigners. What would that do to our Trade Deficit and Balance of Payments Deficit? Plus, how much of that money would be going to our own Government in the form of taxes and royalties not to mention income taxes on all those high paying oil related jobs. And don’t forget corporate income taxes. If that new oil also dropped the price of oil, it would bankrupt Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. What would that do to Iran’s nuclear plans and all terrorist funding? With proper free market incentives, we would then have the time and money to develop alternate sources of energy. Since our energy needs, during a normal expanding economy, grows at 3% per year compounded, we will need all the energy we can get our hands on, especially if we don’t want to live under the threat of continuous brown outs.

NOTE: If we do not start drilling quickly, the window will close and at the first signs of economic recovery we will be back to $140 oil and above. In point of fact, the increases may have already started.

NOTE: China is already attempting to lock up all the oil and gas it can get its hands on all over the world, including Canada and the North Slope. Are we going to just sit and watch our country come under the thumb of China and Russia?

INCOME TAX REFORM

Income Tax Reform is the platform upon which we can build to solve our two main, long term problems of Social Security and Medicare. Trade and Budget Deficits get taken care of without lifting a finger in the normal course of our rejuvenated Free Market Economy.

Institute 20% Consumption Tax based on the Fair Tax Principle that would include a $10,000 per adult and $5,000 per child Negative Income Tax* for everyone earning $75,000 or less (a family of four gets $30,000). Apart from fairness, this is also a prerequisite to permanently solving our Social Security and Healthcare problems as well. In addition, it would go a long way to reducing the size of government by rationalizing a great many welfare programs.

* Negative Income Tax: Since more than 50 million people pay no income tax at all and everyone will now be paying the equivalent of a 20% Sales Tax on all purchases with absolutely NO exemptions or deductions. In the name of fairness and in lieu of creating additional welfare programs, the Government would mail out checks of $10,000 to all adults with social security numbers earning less than $75,000 and $5,000 to children under 18 years old.

HEALTH CARE REFORM

First and foremost, every healthcare provider must post a Menu of Services outside their door in plain sight, just like restaurants do. It must show a comprehensive cost for all services, which would also include a breakdown of specific services. Consumers could then just walk down the hall of a Medical Building and compare costs and services. The same would hold true for hospitals. We can’t expect an individual, who is sick, to start negotiating with his MD, even if he could get in to see him for that purpose. We would soon see who is cheaper, non-profit or for profit services. All individuals, including foreigners, would now pay the same for all services whether they are insured or not. Many people could now afford to self insure.

To encourage people to shop for services, we would replace our current system with a Medical Savings Account Plan and a very minimal Government paid Catastrophic Insurance plan that has a $15,000 annual deduction per person. The first $15,000 or $40,000 for a family would be paid out of their own pocket; the third party payer problem would then be eliminated. Since the first $15,000 that would be paid would be out of pocket money in their Medical Savings account, not only will the consumer shop around, but he will no longer demand tests and services that are not necessary. Every person would be mandated to contribute $2000/year out of their $10,000 negative income tax into their medical savings account, ($8,000/year for a family of 4 $5000 catastrophic Insurance) that would be invested in 6% zero coupon savings bonds and could be cashed and used for their own and family’s health care only. Upon death, any remaining money would go to their heirs. The plan would naturally by design be portable and each individual could buy private insurance plans, with all the bells and whistles they want to pay for, instead of the Government’s miniscule plan. This would drastically reduce Corporate Employee costs and raise salaries. It would also eliminate any corporate discrimination against older employees since they would no longer cost the company anything for age related benefits. This would drastically shift the Country’s Production Possibility Curve to the right and raise the entire country’s standard of living.

SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM

If an individual, starting at 18, put $1,000 per year out of his $10,000 Negative Income Tax Rebate into an 8% zero coupon savings bond that matures at age 70, that would amount to well over $500,000. Within 50 years, the Government and companies would be completely out of the Pension and Health Care Business. In the process, poverty would be eliminated in America within 50 years as this money would also be passed on to the heirs upon the individual’s death. This is something that the 45 year Socialist War on Poverty and $12 trillion could not do.

By combining the Health Care and Social Security plans, a family of four would contribute $10,000 to their Health Care and Retirement out of a total Negative Income Tax of $30,000. This would leave the family a $20,000 base on which to build, thus eliminating the necessity of most welfare programs (except for special situations), while eliminating poverty in America forever. There are many other benefits, but I don’t want to confuse the issue now.

CORPORATE INCOME TAX REDUCTION

Reduce the Corporate Income Tax Rate to 25%, in conjunction with a 100% write-off on all investments, beginning in January 2010 to last for 7 years. Please consider that 35% of nothing is nothing, but 25% of something ends up being a lot more revenue to the Government. That, in conjunction with the elimination of the burden of healthcare and pensions (see proposals for Income Tax. Healthcare and Social Security reform), would make US companies the most competitive in the world by far. We would become the world’s first country of choice to start new companies and build new plants. This would create an easy 10 million jobs over the next 7 years. Outsourcing would now become something that other countries would have to worry about. We could say goodbye to unemployment and start looking for more qualified immigrants to fill all the millions of jobs that would open up.

That, my friends, is a CAPITALISTIC game plan to rebuild our country and reclaim our rightful place as number ONE in the world.

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE
Aubie Baltin CFA, CTA. CFP. PhD (Economics)

Post your questions.
Answers will be given at the March 24, noon meeting.

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