I would like to know about why what I view as the real political/economic issues facing this nation are not being looked into. I am an undecided voter and curious what the candidates response is to my statements. In regards to the recent economic turn of events in this country, unfortunately, I believe the issue regarding economics and this country is not being addressed properly.
I believe that privatization of federal responsibilities is leading this country down the path of bankruptcy. Case in point, there are several military bases that are selling away or privatizing the management of the family housing that was once free to our service personnel to private contractors who are buying up the property to rent out to the same families that need them. instead of focusing on the mistakes of the war in Iraq, why are we not focusing on the mistakes being made here, now against our troops? Why is it cheaper to sell or give management rights of developed property the government already owns so that housing mismanagement in the military can be privately mishandled, look at Warner Robbins AFB for example? It leaves politicians and the Pentagon alike to be able to pass the responsibility buck to a private poorly managed firms.
Why is the security of our military installations being given to the same companies that protect our shopping malls? They can't even protect a $20 watch, so why do we give them our national security? Is the future of our military doomed to become corporate mercenaries working outside the bounds of the law by political mandate, take Blackwater Worldwide for example.
Blackwater Worldwide is a private military company that our government uses. If anything goes wrong, they are not even held accountable under the laws of the Geneva Convention. Our government can further pass the buck on human rights issues. These companies are not even being allowed to be charged for their crimes against civilians, in the name of my country. Our troops are dying for this?
Another issue I have is the fact the the required switch to HDTV comes on the predawning of the 802.22 standard which is specifications for a RWAN (Regional Wide Area Network). The future television may have the ability to not only relay your viewing habits wirelessly to whoever is going to monitor this information, but now, when I watch someone eat a hamburger on a show that I am already paying the cable company to see, I will receive a "pop up" ad relaying the closest, most delicious burgers, in my immediate area. Cable, they get paid to run the ads, we pay them to watch the ads, why is cable so expensive.
Not only that, but the inverter box or TV purchase will artificially inflate the purchasing power of America statistics. Of course there will be a boom, because if you do not participate, you will not be able to watch TV? In the words of Justice William O. Douglas,
"Big Brother in the form of an increasingly powerful government and in an increasingly powerful private sector will pile the records high with reasons why privacy should give way to national security, to law and order [...] and the like,"
which I believe is some of those reasons have the hidden agenda of profit.
I could go on and on about issues like these when it comes to our Governments economic policies. But the final problem I see is a result of the need to drive the dollar down?
I would like to know how many of our politicians actually made sizable investments in Europe, either in their stock and bond market or in the Euro itself. Every penny the dollar drops is money in another economy's pocket. I bought some Euros back when they were $.80 each, now my vacation money has almost doubled.
Free Trade? By definition it means trade that has minimum oversite by the ruling authority. All that really is doing is making our government poorer, and less likely to pay off its debts. Think about it, with out a tariff or tax, anything that is made outside the country can be brought in either legally or illegally under a different brand. Things made in countries that we do not have any trade with can now import their products to Chile, Argentina, or even China, and they ship them in.
To top it all off, it drives away the ability of the USA to have a viable economic base, considering it is now cheaper to grow an apple in Chile and ship it to my country than to go next door to the Local Apple Orchard and buy one there.
Why should the US tax payer be responsible for poorly managed Corporations? In the ideal economic model, a company that breaks even or makes a profit should be respected for responsible leadership. Instead, we have decently managed businesses closing shop because they did not make "enough" profit per year, and poorly managed companies receiving federal money to keep their poor business models from collapsing. We should not reward businesses with tax incentives for loss, those incentives should be bonuses for companies that are efficiently managed who employ United States Workers.
How is it that a business loses money even after shifting their man power to other countries that pay up to 60% less per worker? If a business collapses let it die, a more efficient company will gladly take its place.
Also, should a foreign investment groups be in control of our powerful New York Stock Exchange? NYSE and the Federal Trade Commission thinks so. One of the buffers that has kept this country economically successful is its local control. If we introduce foreign entities to that control then now we are not only dealing with the "Local American" political problems, but now the chance to have foreign groups officially be able to dictate our economic future, with or without our approval. What next? Is the NYSE going to be moved to Dubai next to Halliburton?
I believe that all financial records of all Public officials not only should be made public, but maybe, it should be a serious offense if they make money abroad because of poor business leadership here at home. It makes me wonder not so much about what foreign lobbyist's paying our politicians but where the politicians are putting their money in the first place.
In closing, I would like to quote from "King for a Day" from one of my favorite music groups XTC,
"Everyones creeping up to the money god. Putting terms where they need not to be. On stepping stones of human hearts and souls. Into the land of nothing for free."
Ok, maybe I did change a word or two, but that is how I now sing it.
No comments:
Post a Comment