Topics I Should Blog About...

Even in a time of year when the news cycle slows a little bit, there's plenty happening in the world. Here are a few thoughts on several news items. They probably deserve a fuller treatment then these short paragraphs.

Health Care...The legislative sausage machine is in full gear in the U.S. Senate crafting some sort of bill. I should research it and have a comment, shouldn't I? However, info on what is really in the bill is scarce. I just wish they would stop, toss the whole thing out and write something simple that is 20 pages long instead of 2,000. There needs to be a change, a real change in the way health care in the United States is delivered and paid for. I'm not sure the right questions are being asked right now.

Wayne Cauthen's ouster...By dint of a power play this November, Mayor Mark Funkhouser managed to get rid of the city manager he wanted gone a year and a half ago. Some people are upset including half the City Council and a few Black clergy. Noticeably absent is any real upset by the citizens of Kansas City, both Black and White. The city has not been working very well in many ways and is $60 million in debt. New blood makes a lot of sense to the man on the street.

The email hacking and climate change...It bugs me to see anyone mess with the results of a scientific study. The results are the results. If the results don't match the hypothesis, you reevaluate the hypothesis. You don't bend the results to fit your precious ideas. (That goes for you too Big Pharma.) Is there climate change that is related to activities of humanity? That is still a question that we are not sure of the answer to. However, that uncertainty does not mean that we do not treat the earth with respect, demonstrating the stewardship we were charged to do by God. (see Genesis 1:28-29. When you are to "rule" and are "given" something, you are to respect it and treat it well.) Using the threat of "catastrophic climate change" in a political way in order to stop capitalism, dismantle democracy and freedom, impose your ideas on the population and redistribute wealth autocratically is flat out wrong.

The national debt...Government spending has to be reigned in and reduced, without a doubt. It is always hard, because no one wants their sacred cow gored in the process. Meantime, there are a lot of doomsayers who are telling people to store food, and buy gold because their paper money will become worthless. It makes decision making for normal folks like me very hard. And the idea of food riots, looting and general lawlessness is the stuff of nightmares. Should I believe that this sort of thing will happen and make special preparations?

Continuing problems with high unemployment...The manufacturing base of the United States gets smaller and smaller--I don't like it, being dependent on others to make stuff for us--I guess that's just me. Those jobs went overseas to other countries where wages are lower and regulation looser--jobs in electronic and appliance manufacturing, and textiles for example. Sometimes, the quest for profit does not benefit society as a whole. I can't stand it that my mortgage company has farmed out their customer service overseas (probably to India, from the accents.). High taxes and tight credit make it unlikely that most employers will hire. Regulation of all kinds of industry continues to increase. The government does not seem inclined to change these conditions much.

The government's role in general...It certainly was something I questioned when the government got involved in GM, Chrysler and the banks. What happened was clearly not the same as the loan that Chrysler got in the late '70s to keep going. Not just those sort-of-nationalizations, but the continuing increase in regulation. Government has not been small since Teddy Roosevelt and the size increase has continued with FDR, LBJ, etc. We are fooling our selves if we think we can ever get back to pure "small government" like before T. Roosevelt. I also think the country's attitude has changed with regard to helping people who need help; if you read about the the state of things in the 19th century, it was pretty much sink or swim for each person. The only help was from church or family. We don't let people sink any more. That has to be factored in when thinking about the role of government. However, I don't want the United States to turn into Venezuela; Mr. Chavez has taken a perfectly good country, and basically ran it into the ground, turning it into a dictatorship, without real freedom.

Well, it wasn't in depth, but it's there. Maybe it'll be helpful to you. It was helpful to me just to put these basic thoughts in print. Thanks for reading along.