When I think about the American President's office I tend to consider it in terms of the leadership qualities of the office holder.
Generally speaking, it seems we Americans tend to want things stated simply. So perhaps if we thought of presidential qualities in terms of broad leadership styles we could create some categories like, General, Diplomat, Ideologue, Idealist, Futurist, Common Sensor, Practical/Realist.
If you accept these categories add some of your own or use your own words. It seems to me that in any given 4 year period, no single leadership style would serve the office or the Union well.
You can probably see where I'm going with this. A blended leadership style, or a person with the ability to flex their style according to that which is appropriate for any given situation or set of events is perhaps the most desirable? <----- ?="upspeak" at the end of that sentence.
So, for example, we probably want a "General" leadership style on 9/11/2001. Hence, the criticisms of President Bush's hesitation in the classroom of little children when he was informed "...the nation is under attack." We tend to think of generals as being decisive and quick, not contemplative.
What leadership style did we have for the health care reform bill? What leadership style did we need?
Well, it's something for us to consider whenever we vote for someone to assume a public office.
Keep on thinkin' ........... Jack
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Citi Bank Profits
What we have allowed to happen in our country the past 24 months should make us all ashamed of ourselves.
Because we failed to adequately inform and enlighten ourselves we allowed a huge bailout of Mega Banks, AIG, the insurer, and the mortgage industry. In every case the everyday person on the street, you and me, was given the short straw. Our credit lines have been cut, our homes repossessed, and our ability to borrow money almost eliminated.
How have we become so totally complacent about what happens to us? Credit Reform? How has that helped you and I? Made some predatory lending and credit practices a little more difficult for unscrupulous lenders? Well, perhaps. But what has really been done to control the Big Banks.
You have heard of the Federal Reserve System, but do you know anything about it? Is it a federal government system. NO!! It is a privately chartered bank that is privately owned. Yes, Privately owned! It is the only privately owned bank that is allowed to print money (fiat currency). They print it for the U.S. Govt. NOT at the direction of the U.S. Govt. but when THEY feel it is right and appropriate. OR when the U.S. Govt wants to borrow money and there isn't enough currency available in the world in U.S. dollars, they print some more to cover the newly created debt (created by selling U.S. bonds, denominated in dollars to others, such as U.S. citizens in the form of savings bonds or to other governments).
Until a few years ago the Federal Reserve published a statistic called "M1". M1 was the total of all of the currency that had been printed, minus what had been destroyed by incineration due to being "worn out". It was all of the money the U.S. had; in banks, drawers, in circulation etc. BUT, a few years ago the Federal Reserve decided that "M1" was no longer relevant and stopped publishing it.
Why? I should make you research the answer but I'll go ahead and tell you. Because, if you knew that on a certain day the M1=X and then that the Federal Reserve had printed a Trillion dollars, it would be apparent to you with just simple arithmetic how much the dollar had been De Valued.
The rational for this goes back even further to before President Nixon who took the U.S. off of the Gold Standard. What that means is this: In the beginning each dollar was redeemable in gold or silver as stated on the bill itself. On the bill it said that the bill was redeemable for $1.00 worth of silver and they were called silver certificates. Well, first the federal reserve and the govt. decided that bills would NO LONGER be redeemable certificates. They would all become Federal Reserve Notes backed by the "Full faith and Credit of the United States". So what does that mean? Here's an example: You have a car I want to buy. I don't have any dollars but I take the car and give you a piece of paper, not a loan note or an I.O.U.,just a piece of paper that says that the piece of paper is worth $20,000.00 and is "Legal Tender for all debts, Public and private" and is backed by the "Full faith and credit of Jack Stevenson". Now all you do is give the piece of paper to someone else and take whatever it is you want up to the value of the piece of paper ( $20,000.00). In the early days of our nation, before 1913 under Woodrow Wilson when the federal reserve was established, banks could print their own money. But I digress.
So what we have today is Federal Reserve Notes who's actual intrinsic value is less than the paper and ink it takes to print it.
Does this all really matter, Jack? Well, only if your time horizon is longer than a few months.
Let me try and explain why? Remember, I asked if you what you knew about the Federal Reserve? Well, as I said, it is a privately owned and chartered bank exclusively used by the United States Government.
The Federal Reserve is owned by it's "Member" banks. The member banks are the largest banks in the United States that you can think of and name and some you can't name. And who owns THESE banks? Names like Rockefeller, Mellon, Rothchild, etc.
Now do you feel really good and warm inside when you read that Citi Bank, a bank that WE, the U.S. Taxpayer, bailed out and partially owns has made a huge almost record quarterly profit? Is Citi extending your credit? NO. Are they assisting you in renegotiating your home loan? NO. Are they making it easier for you to buy a car from one of the auto makers we also bailed out? NO. Is the value of their stock share price going up substantially? NO, not over the last one, three or five years.
So how are those executive boys doing? Not too badly, check it out.
I don't know who your inclined to look at as a political candidate, but I'm looking mostly at NON-Career candidates. Independents and tea party seem to be the best bet in that category. But I believe WE should run for public office.
Because we failed to adequately inform and enlighten ourselves we allowed a huge bailout of Mega Banks, AIG, the insurer, and the mortgage industry. In every case the everyday person on the street, you and me, was given the short straw. Our credit lines have been cut, our homes repossessed, and our ability to borrow money almost eliminated.
How have we become so totally complacent about what happens to us? Credit Reform? How has that helped you and I? Made some predatory lending and credit practices a little more difficult for unscrupulous lenders? Well, perhaps. But what has really been done to control the Big Banks.
You have heard of the Federal Reserve System, but do you know anything about it? Is it a federal government system. NO!! It is a privately chartered bank that is privately owned. Yes, Privately owned! It is the only privately owned bank that is allowed to print money (fiat currency). They print it for the U.S. Govt. NOT at the direction of the U.S. Govt. but when THEY feel it is right and appropriate. OR when the U.S. Govt wants to borrow money and there isn't enough currency available in the world in U.S. dollars, they print some more to cover the newly created debt (created by selling U.S. bonds, denominated in dollars to others, such as U.S. citizens in the form of savings bonds or to other governments).
Until a few years ago the Federal Reserve published a statistic called "M1". M1 was the total of all of the currency that had been printed, minus what had been destroyed by incineration due to being "worn out". It was all of the money the U.S. had; in banks, drawers, in circulation etc. BUT, a few years ago the Federal Reserve decided that "M1" was no longer relevant and stopped publishing it.
Why? I should make you research the answer but I'll go ahead and tell you. Because, if you knew that on a certain day the M1=X and then that the Federal Reserve had printed a Trillion dollars, it would be apparent to you with just simple arithmetic how much the dollar had been De Valued.
The rational for this goes back even further to before President Nixon who took the U.S. off of the Gold Standard. What that means is this: In the beginning each dollar was redeemable in gold or silver as stated on the bill itself. On the bill it said that the bill was redeemable for $1.00 worth of silver and they were called silver certificates. Well, first the federal reserve and the govt. decided that bills would NO LONGER be redeemable certificates. They would all become Federal Reserve Notes backed by the "Full faith and Credit of the United States". So what does that mean? Here's an example: You have a car I want to buy. I don't have any dollars but I take the car and give you a piece of paper, not a loan note or an I.O.U.,just a piece of paper that says that the piece of paper is worth $20,000.00 and is "Legal Tender for all debts, Public and private" and is backed by the "Full faith and credit of Jack Stevenson". Now all you do is give the piece of paper to someone else and take whatever it is you want up to the value of the piece of paper ( $20,000.00). In the early days of our nation, before 1913 under Woodrow Wilson when the federal reserve was established, banks could print their own money. But I digress.
So what we have today is Federal Reserve Notes who's actual intrinsic value is less than the paper and ink it takes to print it.
Does this all really matter, Jack? Well, only if your time horizon is longer than a few months.
Let me try and explain why? Remember, I asked if you what you knew about the Federal Reserve? Well, as I said, it is a privately owned and chartered bank exclusively used by the United States Government.
The Federal Reserve is owned by it's "Member" banks. The member banks are the largest banks in the United States that you can think of and name and some you can't name. And who owns THESE banks? Names like Rockefeller, Mellon, Rothchild, etc.
Now do you feel really good and warm inside when you read that Citi Bank, a bank that WE, the U.S. Taxpayer, bailed out and partially owns has made a huge almost record quarterly profit? Is Citi extending your credit? NO. Are they assisting you in renegotiating your home loan? NO. Are they making it easier for you to buy a car from one of the auto makers we also bailed out? NO. Is the value of their stock share price going up substantially? NO, not over the last one, three or five years.
So how are those executive boys doing? Not too badly, check it out.
I don't know who your inclined to look at as a political candidate, but I'm looking mostly at NON-Career candidates. Independents and tea party seem to be the best bet in that category. But I believe WE should run for public office.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
हस थे उनितेद स्टातेस लोस्ट आईटी'स अबिलिटी तो दरें बिग dreamm
Have we lost our ability to dream big dreams? I wonder. Our founders had big dreams of creating a new kind of system of governance.
We fought wars to maintain that system and then even had a great Civil War to challenge it's basic tenets.
We endured several great economic setbacks, the Panic and the Depression.
We fought to help our "brothers in arms" who loved freedom and liberty to save their way of life during WWII.
When I was growing up in the 50's and 60's my country had big dreams of home ownership for anyone who wanted to work for it, for education that would allow us to move our country forward intellectually and economically, dreams of nurturing our democratic way of life in all the places where people wanted it, dreams of eliminating totalitarian regimes wherever they oppressed the citizens of a country, and dreams of sending men to the moon.
We created an "Industrial Giant" to win World War II and kept growing it to defeat totalitarianism. We created something that was the "wonder" of the world.
We have always been a county with dreams and goals. Do we have a common dream and goal as a country today?
I, for one, don't feel it. But tell me if I'm mistaken. Tell me what our common dream is, what is our common goal? I know I could come up with some that I like and probably so could you, but is there something out there that I'm not seeing, not feeling that we all share as a common goal/dream?
You tell me.
We fought wars to maintain that system and then even had a great Civil War to challenge it's basic tenets.
We endured several great economic setbacks, the Panic and the Depression.
We fought to help our "brothers in arms" who loved freedom and liberty to save their way of life during WWII.
When I was growing up in the 50's and 60's my country had big dreams of home ownership for anyone who wanted to work for it, for education that would allow us to move our country forward intellectually and economically, dreams of nurturing our democratic way of life in all the places where people wanted it, dreams of eliminating totalitarian regimes wherever they oppressed the citizens of a country, and dreams of sending men to the moon.
We created an "Industrial Giant" to win World War II and kept growing it to defeat totalitarianism. We created something that was the "wonder" of the world.
We have always been a county with dreams and goals. Do we have a common dream and goal as a country today?
I, for one, don't feel it. But tell me if I'm mistaken. Tell me what our common dream is, what is our common goal? I know I could come up with some that I like and probably so could you, but is there something out there that I'm not seeing, not feeling that we all share as a common goal/dream?
You tell me.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Penal Colony/Jail
Back when "Devil's Island" was created we didn't have the long distance air planes we have now. What's wrong with my idea for the US to buy an island in the Pacific and put "the worst of the worst" there without guards etc. but provide some shelter, and airlift and drop basic supplies from time to time? The inhabitants could sort out their own problems and order their little "society" however they want it. Satellites could monitor the population and the escapees could be airlifted some anvils for ballast on their raft. Just a thought, but I don't really see the down-side from an economic point of view.
Friday, April 2, 2010
AIG Exec. Not Criminally Liable
Ok, fair enough. And I will NEVER advocate another law. But how 'bout this? file civil suits against the guy and the others like him for being a)too stupid to hold his position b) too greedy to be allowed to keep any of the money and c)get points for being a BAD EXAMPLE.
Just my thoughts, his mother prolly loves him.
Just my thoughts, his mother prolly loves him.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
What do I mean when I use the phrase " the lowest common denominator"?
I use the phrase to mean, making a decision or "rule/law" for ALL based on the behavior of a FEW.
EX: Three children in class are loud, disruptive and inciting the entire class to misbehave. Therefore the ENTIRE class is kept inside at recess instead of just those inciting the misbehavior.
Some people drink irresponsibly, therefore the WHOLE COUNTY must be dry.
I use the phrase to mean, making a decision or "rule/law" for ALL based on the behavior of a FEW.
EX: Three children in class are loud, disruptive and inciting the entire class to misbehave. Therefore the ENTIRE class is kept inside at recess instead of just those inciting the misbehavior.
Some people drink irresponsibly, therefore the WHOLE COUNTY must be dry.
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