boobus americanus (2)


 

          “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”
“If, after I depart this vale of tears, you ever remember me and have thought to please my ghost, forgive some sinner and wink your eye at a homely girl.”
“I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant.”  
All three quotes from H.L. Mencken
 
Educating the American Voter about Economics
 
            When it comes to economics, politics and your tax burden, ignorance is definitely NOT bliss. The “Great Cynic,” H.L. Mencken, spent a lot of time talking about “Boobus Americanus,” that poor sucker better known as the American Taxpayer and Voter. Why was Mencken so negative about the common American? A recent survey found that 38% of Americans think that “Cash for Clunkers” (CFC) was a great idea. Among the 43% of Americans who say CFC was definitely a bad idea, only about one in ten of these “doubters” can rationally explain why** CFC was a mistake.
            This is clearly NOT the time to be ignorant about economics and politics. Our nation needs far more educated and aware citizens to get involved in fiscally- and Constitutionally-conservative interventions in the political process, not to mentioned informed voting. 
Rajjpuut highly recommends that the voter/taxpayer who feels the need to self-educate on economics look over these brief (4-7 minutes each) videos, etc. As far as educating yourself to the dangers we face HERE and NOW . . . the best education may be these simple words, from a source unexpected by most Americans:
 
            Here’s your Rajjpuut-recommended self-education program. Look over each video or other link below -- just one per day, but view it twice back-to-back. In a very short time you will know more about economics than 95% of all Americans do. You will also be roughly five times more expert on the subject than the average member of congress has been since 1913 when they voted to give us both the Federal Reserve Bank and the Income Tax.
 
 
Happy homework . . . after the process works for you, let others know . . . .
 
Ya’all live long, strong and ornery,
Rajjpuut
 
**  Why Cash for Clunkers (CFC) was a bad idea:
 
A.     You can NOT create prosperity by destruction as the famous “Broken Window Parable” illustrates 
 
B.     A whole generation of used cars was destroyed before their times. As a consequence today the price of the average used car is between $1,800 and $1,900 more expensive than it was before CFC . . . dramatically hurting those most in need of a good used car, the lower- and lower-middle-classes.
 
C.      The auto sales charts prove that the CFC program created only a temporary “spike” in car sales which returned to the normal non-descript charted path as soon as the program was ended . . . but, meanwhile all that money that otherwise would have gone to ten thousand other places was concentrated upon the auto industry hurting the rest of the economy. The consumers’ money was merely diverted from those ten thousand places in the economy to one specific industry, auto manufacturing, the consumers’/voters’/taxpayers’ money meanwhile must, of necessity pay for this sooner or later.
 
D.     The government did not have the money it gave away. It had to borrow that money and thus increase the deficit and national debt all of which further dampens the economy and even threatens economic destruction.
 
E.     The pollution created in making a new lower-pollution car ahead of its time is far worse than letting the normal wear-down over the lifetime of the destroyed “clunkers” go on naturally.
 
F.      When you take into account the manufacturing process, hybrid cars are actually much worse environmentally than the older generation of cars. Lithium batteries and nickel use is among the most ravaging thing you can do to the environment.
 
G.     Lies told about the “success” of Cash for Clunkers will inspire more contra-productive government programs along the same lines. Notice that we still have the ethanol program which actually hurts the environment more (all sorts of hidden transportation pollution is involved) and costs the taxpayers far more than plain old gas does.
 
 
Read more…

I Tell You It Just Don’t
Make Sense, Dude/Dudette
ITEM: Violent demonstrations racked some state universities today as Californians are seeing college students riot after facing potential 80% tuition hikes just days after their courts OK’d massive tuition breaks for illegal aliens letting them attend California universities at the same rate as citizens much below the rate offered out of state students. Rajjpuut recommends all California grade school students be required to take Remedial Vocabulary courses teaching them concepts like “citizen;” “illegal”; “alien”; “free lunch;" "welfare state;" “Constitution;” “common sense;” and the like. Perhaps California might consider charging elementary and illegal alien secondary students say $5,000 per student as a way to make up the shortfall? And denying illegal aliens access to benefits targeted for U.S. and California citizens? Arizona Senator Kyl who is truly a statesman has expressed severe doubts about the adequacy of the Obama START Treaty. 2/3 majorities are required to pass any treatment.
ITEM: Obama and Holder incompetence was on parade as a terrorist defendant was acquitted of 284 charges and found guilty of one by a civilian court. By the way, Rajjpuut WOULD HOPE that civilian courts would acquit him of charges produced from evidence obtained by brutality (enhanced interrogation) . . . this is totally predictable, stateless fanatics willing to kill innocents and even to blow themselves up in WAR cannot be successfully handled like ordinary shoplifters. Terrorist Ahmed Ghailani was chosen for trial because his crime took place BEFORE 9/11; involved NO waterboarding and included such a huge amount of evidence that it was described as a "slamdunk" dry-run of the Obama-Holder insistence that terrorists should be tried in civillian courts. Consider this: Ghailani confessed twice and one cheap conviction out of 285 counts is the best Holder-Obama could get us? Holder and Obama are twin incompetents who greatly endanger this country.
Terrorist Ahmed Ghailani was chosen for trial because his crime took place BEFORE 9/11; involved NO water-boarding and included such a huge amount of evidence that it was described as a "slam-dunk" dry-run of the Obama-Holder insistence that terrorists should be tried in civilian courts. Consider this: Ghailani confessed twice and one cheap conviction out of 285 counts is the best Holder-Obama could get us? Holder and Obama are twin incompetents who greatly endanger this country.
ITEM: Texas, like California is facing the ridiculous issue of whether or not ILLEGAL aliens deserve the benefits of Americans or of the state’s own citizens. In all their vaunted political correctness the Obama administration and Democratic progressives at the federal level and individual states like California and New York have shown a shocking INability to understand the meaning of the simple word “illegal.” In Texas, meanwhile, they’re facing a curious variation of the when the Texas A&M student congress voted to disallow illegal aliens receiving in-state tuition. The fly in the ointment, their student body president vetoed the action and insufficient votes to overturn the veto allowed his decision to stand. Oh, by the way, the student body president is an illegal alien. Since this was discovered after his election many Aggie students are calling for his removal.
ITEM: Seeing the President fail to obtain meaningful results on his last three forays into foreign affairs, how confident can Americans feel about his START Treaty with Russia to reduce nuclear arms in both countries?
ITEM: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mr. Obama and the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) are willing to inconvenience and ENDANGER America’s air travelers with expensive and useless scanning devices and questionable pat downs. It has been admitted that the underwear bomber on Christmas, 2009, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DETECTED by the scanning devices. In fact PROFILING and sniffer dogs (they can each work about one hour a day only) are estimated to be about 20 times more effective . . . another Obama boondoggle brought to you courtesy of POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. The most successful and one of the least expensive security programs in the world by the Israelis is the model we should be following and that means common-sense profiling of potential Islamic terrorists is required. Israel's El Al airline has NEVER lost a plane to terrorism. They profile, they give every passenger a brief interview and some of them extensive interviewing.

ITEM: How soon they forget . . . . Americans now seem willing to pay $33.00 and upward for each share of General Motors (GM) stock available from an IPO (initial public offering). Hey, dumbsheeets, they’ve been profitable lately because the damn company has been subsidized to the tune of $14,500.00 per car. Rajjpuut’s prediction: look for GM to be selling at less than $20 a share by Jan. 15 and less than $10 a share in March $5 or less per share in 2012 and still be a poor bargain. Look for GM to be back begging for a future bailout not later than 2020. The stock market continues to fool most of the people most of the time (and most of that fooling is done by self-delusion). By the way, IPOs taken as a whole over the years prove (twelve months later) to be very poor investments. The GM IPO is expected to set a record as the largest initial public offering in history. Suicide by stock investment seems to be unusually popular any time the stock markets near recent highs. Some people can’t be trusted with any amount of money larger than a $20 bill.
ITEM: Supposedly the break-even point for American taxpayers would be reached if/when every single share of GM sold for $53 minimum. Actually, the Union’s hold over GM means that until shares sell for about $65 each there’s no hope that Americans can ever hope to see their money back. Then there’s Chrysler . . . which benefitted from bailouts twice in thirty years, Chrysler will be asking for another bailout by 2017 at the latest.
Ya'all live long, strong and ornery,
Rajjpuut
Read more…