Right On!

It was odd to me back in 2002/2003 during the "Lets go to war against Iraq"-discussion-days that interestingly, those most for it were the ones who did not have sons of qualifying military age.  In other words, "Invading a nation that has not attacked us is a good idea for your son to go do"

I'm not sure if turnabout is fair play, but if it is then let me chant the following mantra:  "No Rescue Plan, No Bailout, Let the financial Pearl Harbor (described by Warren Buffet) begin".  We survived Pearl Harbor, and came out the stronger.

"But Tom, you have a government job, that's easy for you to say."  Yes it is.  Very easy.  In fact it's as easy for me to be for the coming reckoning than it was for those yahoos who rushed to a war that we now know has been nothing but wasteful and at best Pyrrhic.

Thank God G.W. doesn't have Congress in the Palm of his hands.

I doubted G.W.'s bull about WMD and I don't find his plea now any more credible.  He hasn't made the case, hasn't described the fallout.  I think we see a man who got our military and economy into a war we didn't need to fight , panicking now that the last 4 months of  "his economy" is crumbling.  All of this adds up to force James Buchanan out of the category of  "Worst President Ever."

The title is yours; you've earned it George.

This is an e-mail I sent to Senator Bunning, (R-KY) today.

Honorable Senator Bunning,

On my lunch hour I saw some of your questioning of Sec. Paulson and Chief Bernanke (9/23/08)

Thank you for digging about the student loans, the credit cards, and for pointing out that if this is passed, in 4 months those who conceived this intervention will be gone.

Who is going to own the houses that have collateralized these non-performing loans.  A guy like me is finding deals (not wealthy enough to buy more than one) and would hate to see those promising opportunities, now available to Americans, evaporate.

Thanks for your diligence and asking the tough questions directly!

Sincerely

All of America should applaud that we had one full week without a single American casualty in Iraq last month!  That's not today's subject, but it requires mention.

Last year my son and our girlfriends toured the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Saint Louis.  They proudly told us they are the only large American brewery left.  Miller and Coors are all foreign owned.  A Belgian brewer has offered to buy the last American brewery (Symbol BUD).

The dollar has collapsed against the Euro, hitting an all time worthlessness value of 62 Euro cents.  When the Euro first was issued one dollar bought 110 Euro cents.

America is cheap to those nations that operate on Euro dominated currencies.  The dollar has fallen against all major currencies worldwide.

Sky Telecom (South Korea Telecom) is looking at buying Sprint.  Foreigners have bought over $400 billion of U.S. assets in the last year and a half. 

Is it possible that these foreign owned entities could then shutdown many of their American operations, leaving us with an unemployment bag?  Of course it is. 

Hardcore "free trade at all costs" capitalists, mistakenly thinking themselves patriots, miss the boat and create potentially Republic-threatening environments.

Capitalism must have Nationalism wrapped around it.  Capitalism should be allowed to thrive, but not when it benefits the corporation at the expense of the nation.  

Perhaps Mad Money's Jim Cramer is correct when he tells us that we have become a "government of, by, and for the corporation." 

Hopefully McCain and Obama will address this issue.

Do you think either candidate Obama or McCain will recognize the link between the irresponsible Iraq war and the American economy?

It, more than anything else, has caused the 50% drop in value of the U.S. Dollar (against the Euro http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Euro_exchange_rate_to_USD%2C_JPY%2C_and_GBP.png) since the war started, which largely explains why gas prices have increased in America more than they have in Europe.  Then of course there's the mortgage that China and Japan hold on the U.S. government as the largest buyers of our government bonds.

All they would have to do is start selling off our bonds, flood the market, and they could very well achieve what bin Laden's purpose behind 9/11 has been all along: the destruction of the American economy.  He knows our economy is the heart that allows us to do our work.  Without our economy we aren't able to stand tall.  With over $500 billion already "invested" in Iraq, is there anyone who insists this was money well spent?

It's not inconceivable that the Euro would replace the dollar as the world currency.  Unfortunately, many still see this Iraq mess as a "clash of civilizations" and ignore the real consequences of the war between the Euro vs. the Dollar.

If you get a chance, look at the front page of the USA Today today.  http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/2008-06-30-wall-street-first-half_N.htm

And, if you get another chance, look at this wikipedia article.  It describes us well.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory

Perhaps the most ironic part is that the man who ordered the nation into this tragedy, will get to skeedaddle without an ounce of accountability held against him.  "Ain't that America.....you and me?"

If you recall several months back I wrote about my dilemma in finding a way to get my weight below 200 pounds. 

I achieved that goal.  I am  once again within the tolerance levels of the Army height and weight standards and I intend to never cross that threshold again.  So far I have lost 45 pounds and in a few weeks I will be able to say 50, or as Larry the Cable Guy says:  "I've lost 4 bowling balls!"

I thought there was something wrong with my metabolism.  I exercised, ate less, but never lost weight and just figured it was my "unique" biology.  I had my thyroid tested, but it was just fine.  I came close to thinking:  "Lord, I exercise and eat less now than ever, yet I do not lose weight so it's You tormenting me."  Came to find out it WAS me all along.  To imagine not being happy because I couldn't eat what I wanted  seemed frightful, but now to know that I can be happy without  pizza everyday, or hot wings, or prime rib is the better position.  I can eat those things.  Nothing is denied me; I just no longer look to them for meaningful happiness.

Praised is God our Lord, King of the Universe who brings forth the wine and the day.

Amen