Herd Control

Rulers love crises. Never let a good crisis go to waste. I think Rahm Emanuel said that most recently, although it's an old, old strategy started who knows when, probably by an ad man.

Marketers employ the crisis strategy almost as good as government. It goes something like this:

Have you just lost your job? Kids in college to pay for? About to lose your house? Work from home in your pajamas and quadruple your yearly income in less than 60 days! Call 555-555-5555 and start your new future now!

A crisis is the easiest way to steer a crowd. If you can stir up the same fear in enough people, they'll go the direction you want them. Here's how it works.

Crisis - Major lenders overextend credit to too many relativists. The relativists decide at the first bump in their financial road a new truth is in order. "We don't actually have to repay our creditors," is the new truth.

The overextended creditors are major players controlling trillions of dollars of loans. Of course the only thing backing up all that money is the promise to pay it back by the relativists who no longer feel that's a good reality for them. Companies implode.

Solution - Government steps in and says something drastic must be done NOW or it will be too late. A hand wringing populace caves, even though they know the government solution will most likely bankrupt their grandchildren.

Expediency trumps rule of law. We are now ruled by:

The Idea of the Moment.

In America the current Idea of the Moment defines the role of government as providing security in as many areas of an individuals life as possible. The problem here, according to the Constitution of the United States of America, the proper role of government is to stay as far out of an individual's personal life as possible. Therefore, the Idea of The Moment is diametrically apposed to the rule of law in America. But so what? We're all relativists, and the rule of law is too cement like for the progress of evolutionary civilization.

That's it!

A law can't be universally true if evolution is true.

It's all perfectly clear to me now.

INSURANCE FOR ALL FOR EVERYTHING

Why do we have insurance? We have homeowner's insurance, car insurance, health insurance, mortgage insurance, flood insurance, etc.

It's interesting how much money we pay to keep from paying when disaster strikes. I've probably paid enough in insurance premiums on my autos over the last 35 years to buy several new cars, yet I've never filed a claim. I'm in the hole on car insurance, yet it's mandated by the state so too bad, so sad.

I've paid enough in health insurance to die of at least one catastrophic illness so far. I've not received near the benefits for what I have paid for. That's the reward I get for being healthy...so far.

Home owner's insurance is relatively cheap compared to these others, but still no claims, so I'm in the hole there too.

I'm just one unlucky guy. All this insurance for what?

We buy insurance out of fear. We are afraid of illness, afraid of car accidents, afraid of our house burning down, etc. I'm afraid of my kitchen sink backing up too. I wonder if I could get some plumbing insurance. Peace of Mind sure cost a lot of money!


What if there were no such thing as insurance?

Here's how I envision a NO INSURANCE WORLD.

First of all, things would be cheaper because there would be no middle men - or should I say - middle persons. There would be no insurance company that has to make a profit for investors, no insurance company employees to be paid, no insurance company agents that hawk the products.

Second of all, things would be cheaper because you can't charge people more than what they can actually pay. How many times have you heard someone say, "I don't care how much it cost. Insurance is going to pay for it."? Well, if suddenly you did have to pay for it, I bet you'd be a whole lot more careful.

Now I do believe in charging what the market will bear. I own a small business and I like to make as much as I can, but there are these nasty trouble makers out there called competitors who keep me from charging too much.

So, thirdly, free market competition would work in favor of consumers.

And, I've always wondered how it would be if a doctor actually had to fill out a bill and hand it to you face to face. I doubt if they even know how much they charge. And what about guarantees? Have you ever heard of a doctor guaranteeing their service? Under a free market, free of insurance, you would have lower prices and guarantees. I guarantee it.

HUGE PROBLEM

We could rid ourselves of all this insurance nonsense if only we would act in mass. All we would have to do is opt out of every kind of insurance all at the same time. I would hazard a guess that the cost of all the things we buy insurance for would drop by at least half immediately. The problem is, the mass of Western humanity thinks Safety from everything is a God given right. And if you don't believe in God, Safety is a State given right.

But, personal responsibility is too scary, too adult like. So... I think I'll lobby for some plumbing insurance. After all, I'm a plumber. I'll be able to charge more if insurance is going to pay for it anyway. And you won't have to take care of your plumbing. Insurance will pay for it when it breaks. I'll buy some stock in the Plumbing Insurance Company of America, and we'll all be happy.

Follow the Money

I was watching C-Span this morning at the fitness center. Low and behold, my very own congressman Phil Gingrey, representing the 11th district in Georgia was on speaking about health care. Phil is a doctor so he knows a lot about health care, but I think he's pretty ignorant about who actually pays for it.

In all the talk and controversy over health care and who should provide it and who should pay for it and who should get it, I never hear anyone talk about where does the money come from...ultimately.

It's like a magician's trick. We marvel at the trick, but the magician never reveals how he does it.

The ultimate universal "free" health care plan proposes employers pay for it and government administrates it. But it doesn't really matter the proposition. Ultimately, the trick is performed the same way every time. The trick is on the consumer. He pays for it.

Here's how the trick is performed. Let's say the employer/business/corporation/government/whatever is required to provide health care for his workers/citizens and their families regardless of whether they are full time, part time, laid off, retired or fired. This cost $X more than previously. The company makes widgets that cost the consumer $5. Now with the increase in health care cost to the business, widgets will cost $7. Now who's paying for the "free" health care?

I don't think anyone really gets this since I've never heard anyone else say it except maybe Neal Boortz. The only ones who get it are business owners and maybe they're too afraid to say it, so they put up a big stink about how it's hurting their business and they can't afford it and all the while the price of widgets keeps going up.

It's a Catch 22 though, because everyone is a consumer and everyone eventually needs a new widget, so everyone is paying for "free" heath care. Tanstaafl!

It's amazing to me people don't figure this out for themselves, but I guess it shouldn't surprise me. Government schools don't teach logic, critical thinking or reasoning. Neither does TV.

Ask Your Representatives the Right Questions

Town hall meetings, special event barbecues, county precinct monthly meetings, are great venues to meet and talk to your political representatives. During election years, you'll get to meet a lot of them. You should get out and meet them. It's at least as entertaining as going to a movie, or can be, if...you ask the right questions.

The wrong kind of questions deal with current event issues. Why? The answers are too predictable. Politicians and candidates know and review these kinds of questions and their responses are generally canned, feel good, "I know what you want to hear so here's my perfect answer," type of statements. When you walk away, you feel good, but later realize you still don't KNOW that person or exactly WHAT they stand for.

So, what type of questions should you ask. Ask questions that get to their core beliefs. Open ended questions. Philosophical questions. Questions that will expose their character. And most importantly, questions that reveal any nuggets of wisdom. Questions that test their foresightedness.

Here's some examples of good questions.

What is the primary role of government?
What is your highest duty as a representative?
What is the difference between a politician and a statesman?
Who is responsible for the education of my children?

The answers to these types of questions will give you the answer to their response of any current event issue.

Principle Behavior

Show me a politician who governs by principle and then you can trust his behavior.

Show me a politician who knows what is a principle.

A principle is a timeless fundamental truth. Oh, I'm sorry. I used that word. You know what it is. "Fundamental." If someone believes in fundamentals, they're a radical, a fanatic. You know, like a Christian or something.

I mean, who believes in basic foundational truths? That's so...cement sounding. How can we come up with new truth if we believe in that? It's better to just lift a wet finger to the wind and jump in front of the crowd and call yourself a leader. Do a focus group. Take a poll. It's charisma that counts. As long as it feels good.

For heaven's sake. It's not necessary to read anything, especially anything classical.

The theme in today's politics is: "Vote for me - I'll keep you Safe. I'll keep you Secure. I'll keep you Well. I'll take care of you. I'll guarantee you a job, an education, health care, a home, retirement. Just one itty bitty thing. I need a little more of your money and oh yeah, another pinch of liberty."