Going back to this discussion for a bit. I touched before on how I think it is the government's responsibility to ensure that certain tasks are done. However, it is not necessarily their job to do the work those tasks require.
For example, NASA is no longer sending shuttles to the international space station. An estimate of 1.6 billion dollars was tossed out to account for how much 1 trip with the shuttle costs to do so.
Now a privately owned craft is going to be tested to do the same job. The private carrier can hold maybe half of what the shuttle can carry, but also can make 12 trips for the same price as the one shuttle flight.
Using the most generic math, that still gives us roughly 6 equal movements from the private shuttle carrying the same amount of freight for what it costs to send one shuttle.
Even if we are even more conservative with our math and say it takes 3 private trips to equal one shuttle trip, it still gives us 3 private transfers to equal the cost of 1 shuttle transfer. The private ship is still a 300% improvement.
This serves to further exemplify that the government should be contracting the work of the country to private business instead of trying to do it themselves.
Not only can private business do it more cost effectively, more private sector jobs are created, government costs go down, and, if done right, honest competition keeps technology moving forward.
(unless of course you have one of the modern "compete in the courtroom, not in the R&D lab" corporates contracted, then nothing gets better.)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Party Games
They're on a roll now aren't they?
Obama and Boehner going on TV to point fingers and tell the people who bothered to watch them how much the "debt crisis" is the other party's fault based on what they want to do regarding this attempt at a "deal" to raise the debt limit.
Obama stated that it's the Republicans fault if things go bad because they won't stray from idealist positions on this deal. Boehner says it's the democrats fault for not ponying up enough cuts.
Both are clowns who make the whole country look absurd.
If the U.S. defaults on it's debt, it has less to do with the current round of deal making than it does the previous 10 years or so of un-controlled spending by the government by both parties.
Obama loves to try to distance himself from the current crop of problems as though he has only been involved in government politics since becoming president. He would dearly love for people to forget he was in congress long enough to vote often to increase spending with everyone else while he was a congressman, making the current problem what it is.
One thing all the political pundits and self proclaimed experts love to do is proclaim how complicated everything is. That's a boon to them that complexity. The more complex they can make things seem, the more they can try to justify the necessity of keeping people like them around.
The current round of haggling to get an agreement is not the reason the U.S. will have to default on it's debt if one can't be reached. That's just a smokescreen to cover the complete incompetence of our elected officials to handle the purse strings responsibly over recent history.
Obama and Boehner going on TV to point fingers and tell the people who bothered to watch them how much the "debt crisis" is the other party's fault based on what they want to do regarding this attempt at a "deal" to raise the debt limit.
Obama stated that it's the Republicans fault if things go bad because they won't stray from idealist positions on this deal. Boehner says it's the democrats fault for not ponying up enough cuts.
Both are clowns who make the whole country look absurd.
If the U.S. defaults on it's debt, it has less to do with the current round of deal making than it does the previous 10 years or so of un-controlled spending by the government by both parties.
Obama loves to try to distance himself from the current crop of problems as though he has only been involved in government politics since becoming president. He would dearly love for people to forget he was in congress long enough to vote often to increase spending with everyone else while he was a congressman, making the current problem what it is.
One thing all the political pundits and self proclaimed experts love to do is proclaim how complicated everything is. That's a boon to them that complexity. The more complex they can make things seem, the more they can try to justify the necessity of keeping people like them around.
The current round of haggling to get an agreement is not the reason the U.S. will have to default on it's debt if one can't be reached. That's just a smokescreen to cover the complete incompetence of our elected officials to handle the purse strings responsibly over recent history.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Here we are again
As if we needed any further evidence that a two party system fails the people miserably, we have the debt "crisis" on our hands.
What has the discourse shown us? That all the two party system can do is point fingers, ignore their own participation in the problem and produce lot's of rhetoric.
Both parties have contributed to over spending equally. Both parties have engaged in under the table deals with corporations and billionaire with social agendas.
It is way past time to end partisan politics.
Candidates should run on their own platform and impress Americans on what they can do for everyone, not what they plan to do with and for their party, whether the rest of us like it or not.
Just like the corruptive corporate tax laws that allow people to hide from personal and community responsibilities and obligations, political parties make it easy for candidates to not have to be personally responsible for the laws they propose and vote on to the people at large.
Political parties are nothing more than money raising machines working to indoctrinate people into a singular philosophy and pits folks into an "us vs them" frame of mind.
As we watch the "debt crisis" talks, we see the ridiculousness of how both these parties have failed the American public at large by engaging in shenanigans, cronyism, pork barrel spending and self entitlement.
Neither wants to accept responsibility for the situation yet both have have equal involvement for getting us to this point.
For the betterment of all the people in this country, political parties, just like corporate status, must go.
Oh, and if you plan to give the old "the ends justify the means" arguments to try to justify the presence of either corporations or political parties, that boat doesn't float either.
What has the discourse shown us? That all the two party system can do is point fingers, ignore their own participation in the problem and produce lot's of rhetoric.
Both parties have contributed to over spending equally. Both parties have engaged in under the table deals with corporations and billionaire with social agendas.
It is way past time to end partisan politics.
Candidates should run on their own platform and impress Americans on what they can do for everyone, not what they plan to do with and for their party, whether the rest of us like it or not.
Just like the corruptive corporate tax laws that allow people to hide from personal and community responsibilities and obligations, political parties make it easy for candidates to not have to be personally responsible for the laws they propose and vote on to the people at large.
Political parties are nothing more than money raising machines working to indoctrinate people into a singular philosophy and pits folks into an "us vs them" frame of mind.
As we watch the "debt crisis" talks, we see the ridiculousness of how both these parties have failed the American public at large by engaging in shenanigans, cronyism, pork barrel spending and self entitlement.
Neither wants to accept responsibility for the situation yet both have have equal involvement for getting us to this point.
For the betterment of all the people in this country, political parties, just like corporate status, must go.
Oh, and if you plan to give the old "the ends justify the means" arguments to try to justify the presence of either corporations or political parties, that boat doesn't float either.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
What exactly is the governments job
Let's get back to basics. Fundamental tasks that are crucial to any society that need to be initiated, maintained and secured by a government entity.
From the get go, I just gave the basic tenets of government in that last sentence.
To initiate, maintain and secure....what on behalf of the people. Note here that I did not say that it is necessarily the governments job to actually "do" these things, but that it is their task to make sure that it gets done.
I say, first and foremost is infrastructure. We need transportation, communications, the means of conducting commerce and defense.
Transportation - Rail lines, shipping lanes, airways, roads, waterways, etc... If it is a means of travel by which cargo and people are transported within this society, it is the governments responsibility to make sure it is built, maintained and secured for ALL citizens.
Communications - By wire, radio signal, satellite signal, or any other means of communicating within the boundaries of this society, it is the governments responsibility to make sure it is built, maintained and secured for ALL citizens.
Conducting commerce - People within our society need to be able to trade, barter, buy and sell in order to make a living for themselves and their families. The ability and core tools for doing so should be one of the the governments main concerns and it is the governments responsibility to make sure it is built, maintained and secured for ALL citizens.
Defense - I should think this is pretty obvious, but look what happens when we let the government think for itself. First and foremost, it is the physical borders and property within that must be defended at all times against any invader. Up to and including those that would come from within. Our military and defense mechanisms have absolutely no business whatsoever intervening in the affairs of other countries except to repel attacks from them upon our land or citizenry.
Of course, I am an independent. I believe without a doubt that political parties are detrimental, if not actually treacherous, to the governing of this country. Our elected officials should not be beholden to ANY group or party that does not have the interests of every American or state citizen or local citizen at their forefront.
I believe that partisan politics has disrupted the ability of the government from effectively doing it's job and focusing on these core responsibilities.
We need to get back on task and focus on the core needs of this country.
From the get go, I just gave the basic tenets of government in that last sentence.
To initiate, maintain and secure....what on behalf of the people. Note here that I did not say that it is necessarily the governments job to actually "do" these things, but that it is their task to make sure that it gets done.
I say, first and foremost is infrastructure. We need transportation, communications, the means of conducting commerce and defense.
Transportation - Rail lines, shipping lanes, airways, roads, waterways, etc... If it is a means of travel by which cargo and people are transported within this society, it is the governments responsibility to make sure it is built, maintained and secured for ALL citizens.
Communications - By wire, radio signal, satellite signal, or any other means of communicating within the boundaries of this society, it is the governments responsibility to make sure it is built, maintained and secured for ALL citizens.
Conducting commerce - People within our society need to be able to trade, barter, buy and sell in order to make a living for themselves and their families. The ability and core tools for doing so should be one of the the governments main concerns and it is the governments responsibility to make sure it is built, maintained and secured for ALL citizens.
Defense - I should think this is pretty obvious, but look what happens when we let the government think for itself. First and foremost, it is the physical borders and property within that must be defended at all times against any invader. Up to and including those that would come from within. Our military and defense mechanisms have absolutely no business whatsoever intervening in the affairs of other countries except to repel attacks from them upon our land or citizenry.
Of course, I am an independent. I believe without a doubt that political parties are detrimental, if not actually treacherous, to the governing of this country. Our elected officials should not be beholden to ANY group or party that does not have the interests of every American or state citizen or local citizen at their forefront.
I believe that partisan politics has disrupted the ability of the government from effectively doing it's job and focusing on these core responsibilities.
We need to get back on task and focus on the core needs of this country.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Is it "American" to Celebrate Independence Day?
Now obviously, most intelligent people are going to look at a question like that and say "What a stupid question.." and in most cases, I would agree with them.
The real question here has more to do with how one celebrates Independence Day.
There are those who say that the typical cookout/picnic and lighting off of sometimes hundreds and thousands of dollars of fireworks is not what Independence Day is all about.
Some would suggest a somber reading of the Declaration of Independence and/or the U.S. Constitution would be more fitting. They might be right.
Some might suggest that a moment of silence or even a group "prayer" would be appropriate to remember the soldiers and others spanning from the "Founding Fathers (and Mothers) to those on the forefront today.
I am here to suggest that the picnic and fireworks, regardless of how over-blown and gaudy, really are the "reason for the season".
Every time American citizens feel safe enough and confident enough to go out in public and be relaxed, argue about the latest nonsense in local, state and federal government, give the kids some sparklers and such. All of these thing are truly special things that are worth celebrating.
My friends, the very fact that we feel comfortable enough that terrorists aren't going to stop us from hanging our flags out in public and making a noisy display of ourselves, that is a "real" celebration of independence.
Every time we don't even have to think about what if some local bureaucrat wanted what we had and just showed up with police or soldiers to take it, we are celebrating independence.
Any time Uncle Whoever can knock back a six pack and stand up to tell the whole world what he thinks of some politician or government policy without worrying about being dragged off immediately or in the middle of the night sometime soon because of it, we are indeed celebrating independence.
Certainly, we have more somber, grandiose ways we could be celebrating our independence. Those are just as fine and expected too.
True independence, real independence, is in the little things.
It's in the ability to wear your politics on your sleeve if you want to.
It's in the off the cuff decision we make to make that last minute stop at the fireworks stand and spend an extra twenty bucks for the cookout that night.
It's in the ability to even feel safe enough, secure enough to have a cookout that night.
It's in the not even thinking about things like not being able to have a cookout because of gestapos or terrorists or strict authoritarian laws.
We do those things because we are free to do so.
We celebrate because we can.
The real question here has more to do with how one celebrates Independence Day.
There are those who say that the typical cookout/picnic and lighting off of sometimes hundreds and thousands of dollars of fireworks is not what Independence Day is all about.
Some would suggest a somber reading of the Declaration of Independence and/or the U.S. Constitution would be more fitting. They might be right.
Some might suggest that a moment of silence or even a group "prayer" would be appropriate to remember the soldiers and others spanning from the "Founding Fathers (and Mothers) to those on the forefront today.
I am here to suggest that the picnic and fireworks, regardless of how over-blown and gaudy, really are the "reason for the season".
Every time American citizens feel safe enough and confident enough to go out in public and be relaxed, argue about the latest nonsense in local, state and federal government, give the kids some sparklers and such. All of these thing are truly special things that are worth celebrating.
My friends, the very fact that we feel comfortable enough that terrorists aren't going to stop us from hanging our flags out in public and making a noisy display of ourselves, that is a "real" celebration of independence.
Every time we don't even have to think about what if some local bureaucrat wanted what we had and just showed up with police or soldiers to take it, we are celebrating independence.
Any time Uncle Whoever can knock back a six pack and stand up to tell the whole world what he thinks of some politician or government policy without worrying about being dragged off immediately or in the middle of the night sometime soon because of it, we are indeed celebrating independence.
Certainly, we have more somber, grandiose ways we could be celebrating our independence. Those are just as fine and expected too.
True independence, real independence, is in the little things.
It's in the ability to wear your politics on your sleeve if you want to.
It's in the off the cuff decision we make to make that last minute stop at the fireworks stand and spend an extra twenty bucks for the cookout that night.
It's in the ability to even feel safe enough, secure enough to have a cookout that night.
It's in the not even thinking about things like not being able to have a cookout because of gestapos or terrorists or strict authoritarian laws.
We do those things because we are free to do so.
We celebrate because we can.
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