JJG Journal

This from a recent Slate article…very true:

America has slid back again into its own special brand of terrorism-derangement syndrome. Each time this condition recurs, it presents with more acute and puzzling symptoms. . . . Moreover, each time Republicans go to their terrorism crazy-place, they go just a little bit farther than they did the last time, so that things that made us feel safe last year make us feel vulnerable today. . . . In short, what was once tough on terror is now soft on terror. And each...Continue Reading »

With the 2010 income tax season fast approaching why not have a look how our wise Government spends those hard-earned tax dollars? Here the big picture:

Let’s see…about 45% of each tax dollar goes to the Military. Not bad. Good thing our wise...Continue Reading »

Been reading Les Leopold’s recent book “The looting of America” in which the author beautifully lays out how a deregulated capitalist financial system inevitably leads to boom-and-bust cycles. The book provides great historical perspective and is recommended for everyone interested in the workings of financial markets.

In the...Continue Reading »

Short and sweet excerpt from his excellent column on the Huff-Post:

“The truth is that our government is geared to expanded war while disdaining or utterly neglecting the opportunities through non-military approaches. Those are viewed as soft, naïve, and “for them,” while war is viewed as hardheaded and “for us.” The tragedy is that war is breaking our economy and society, while attention to economic development and poverty reduction...Continue Reading »

Am pretty unhappy about our (the U.S. ) open-ended military engagement in Afghanistan. Predict it’s going to be a boondoggle that will sink many domestic investment projects simply because there won’t be any money left over. Obama’s ridiculous statement that U.S. troops will start withdrawing from that country in Summer of 2011 is insincere, at best. During lunch break today I found this succinct analysis by Tom...Continue Reading »

but in science we have a way of deciding whose theory about the world around us is closer to the truth: It’s called the Scientific Method whose hallmark is the comparison of predictions to the actually observed results. So if you have a World View that consistently predicts events that conflict with actually observed facts on the ground you need to discard or modify that World View. Thus if, for example, you predict that you can overthrow the government of a nation militarily, that you will in fact be welcomed...Continue Reading »

Conflict resolution starts with an understanding of what motivates both parties. According to President Obama, the U.S. motivation in Afghanistan is “National Security”. He closed his address on 1 December 2009 at West Point with this:

…So, no, I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan…President Obama, 1 December 2009 at West Point.

During his speech the President conflated Al Qaeda (of which there are less than 100 in Afghanistan at...Continue Reading »

The above refers to the so-called Financial Sector in our economy. By Financial Sector I mean Banks and other lending and trading institutions and the Stock markets whose sole purpose is to efficiently aid the flow of capital within society. Efficient allocation of capital and resources is important for the production of good and services that improve the lives of all citizens within an industrial society. Today, the welfare of the Banks is of paramount importance to our government. Big Banks must not fail, but it is ok for the U.S. car manufacturing sector to go down. There is a revolving door...Continue Reading »

Old enough to remember the Iran-Contra scandal? You’ll enjoy this clip…wait until the end….

For obvious reasons, apart from children and the mentally retarded no one watches commercial TV anymore. My son told me he tried to watch “Borat” on commercial TV once, but due to FAA censorship it was a completely different movie than the original. I can well believe that. Some good material is broadcast via commercial TV but if you are going to sit through hours of commercials to catch minutes of your favorite show, you desperately need a life or brain. Best show on commercial TV at this point has to be the Jon Stewart Show. This clip is particularly funny