War has been a fact of life in The Middle East for centuries. It certainly didn’t start in this century and it probably will not end in this century. From all indications the Palestinians now seem bent on self destruction. For several years they have been poking and picking at a giant bear who has, for the most part, allowed the harassment to go on. That giant bear is of course Israel. It would appear now however that the giant bear has awakened and is about to grant the Palestinians their wish of destruction.
Gaza will be only the beginning. Iran and Syria will follow with virtual total destruction of all their major cities and what commerce they have. If Israel does it right, the whole episode will take less than a week. If you don’t think they possess the ability then you are mistaken.
The world through the august body known as The United Nations will be aghast. Condemnations will abound. Trials will no doubt be held at the World Court and Israel will probably be found guilty of all sorts of crimes. Why, you ask? Well, it would seem that for Israel to defend her territory against her enemies and to try to stop the continuing missile assault on her cities and schools, they would be committing a crime in the eyes of a part of the so-called liberal minded European world.
Iran and Syria must be punished for their participation in the scheme to eliminate Israel. Their ability to pose a threat to Israel must and will be neutered. Israel needs to end this nonsense once and for all. I would hope that Lebanon will see the only answer for them is to stay out of it and control their semi-feral populace. If they step into the fray, they will surely suffer the same humiliation as their neighbors.
So, why should we care? What difference does it make to us so many thousands of miles away? There are many reasons for us to examine. First in my view is that Israel is our ally. We were there at the beginning and we have pledged our support as an ally. That cannot be taken lightly. Secondly, if Israel is allowed to fall at the hands of the radical Muslim world we will surely suffer right along with them. This brings me to the final reason. We are the pre-imminent World power and our allies are under out protection. We need to act like the world power that we are and the world needs to understand exactly what that means. If we fail in our duty to our allies, we lose all credibility in the eyes of others. In addition if we fail to show the world that we, along with Israel, are serious in our defense of liberty and freedom, we cheat the world and deceive them into thinking that they could compete with us militarily. That just invites more death and destruction.
Our path is clear here. We give Israel any support they need whether that lies in fly-over permission of Iraq, or armaments to fill their storehouses. Our job is to clearly be there for them. It is my belief that when these would be enemies see what they face, the survivors will try to return to a peaceful life and stay out of trouble.
Will that end the conflict? No. What it might do however is to give the radicals pause. It may allow them to re-examine their thinking before they get too aggressive again.
To those among you who think my solution is too extreme, I offer this. The only way any war can truly end is for there to be a winner and a loser. That has been the case since the beginning of time and nothing has changed. We need to make sure that Israel is the winner.
Ron Scarbro January 14, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
CANADIAN HEALTH CARE, EH?
Just recently another Canadian died while waiting to travel to America for a cancer treatment that wasn’t available in Canada. This treatment was to have been paid for by their system but it took months for approvals. Unfortunately she couldn’t wait.
Some think Canada is just like America only with better beer. I have learned some facts that go with the previous story that every American needs to hear and it doesn’t have anything to do with beer.
I recently heard a story of a couple’s experience with the Canadian Health Care System that was chilling as well as enlightening.
The lady and her husband were on a cruise to Alaska and had returned to Vancouver, B. C. While in port there, he suffered a stroke. He was taken immediately to a hospital in Vancouver. As you may know Canada has a universal health care system that covers their citizens free of charge. Of course that is their citizens.
I will try to shorten this story because it was rather long. The lady’s first shock came from admittance to the emergency ward. She had to come up with six hundred dollars immediately before anything else would happen. This event happened on a Friday evening and she was unable to reach her health care insurer in the states as they were closed for the weekend. So out came her credit card and he was admitted. They were lucky, they were told, because he needed an M.R.I. and the only one in Vancouver was at this hospital and was only available on the weekend as all other citizens are scheduled during the week. Most Canadians wait up to eight or nine months for an M.R.I. His hospital room cost three thousand dollars a night. The hospital required the money up front. They didn’t care about her private insurance. Fortunately they took her credit card. His room was a four bed ward separated by a flimsy sheet with absolutely no room to even turn around. His ward mates were all women. There were no chairs to sit in and it really didn’t matter because there was not enough room to put a chair in the room anyway. In four days of hospitalization he was not bathed, until she insisted that he be cleaned up and took him out to the communal shower to clean him up herself. His sheets had not been changed. She again insisted that if necessary she would change the bed herself. They relented and finally changed the sheets. The lady knew her husband was just getting sicker being in this hospital. After much debate and discussion the medical staff finally agreed that he was healthy enough to fly. She had gotten in touch with her insurer who had convinced the hospital and the doctors that they would cover their eighty percent of the bill.
This lady also related that the place was filthy. Blood soaked cotton balls and bedding were strewn on the floor. In three days it wasn’t picked up. The hallways were littered with junk and equipment and cleaning supplies. She was assured that this was one of the finest facilities in Vancouver and was lucky they were there for her husband. She described it as a nightmare however.
When they finally arrived back home in the U.S. he was immediately taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with pneumonia and other respiratory ailments as well as the stroke. It took months for him to begin his recovery and is doing well today.
So what is the message here? For sure they have better beer and theirs is a beautiful country, but that’s where it ends. Their socialized medical system is a joke for the Canadians as well as anyone else who happens to fall ill there. This lady related that even though they were only fifty miles from America, they were truly in a foreign country. She hastened to add that this was just their experience however and may not be everybody’s. There is a reason though why Canadians, who can afford it, come here for medical care.
Another message is if you travel to a foreign country, carry trip insurance. Whether you are fifty miles from America or five thousand, the rules are different and like it or not it is their rules that apply.
A final message is just this. I believe some sort of universal health care is coming to America. Is this what we want? Can we do it better? We should be careful what we wish for. It may turn out to be something we truly don’t want.
Ron Scarbro January 3, 2009
Some think Canada is just like America only with better beer. I have learned some facts that go with the previous story that every American needs to hear and it doesn’t have anything to do with beer.
I recently heard a story of a couple’s experience with the Canadian Health Care System that was chilling as well as enlightening.
The lady and her husband were on a cruise to Alaska and had returned to Vancouver, B. C. While in port there, he suffered a stroke. He was taken immediately to a hospital in Vancouver. As you may know Canada has a universal health care system that covers their citizens free of charge. Of course that is their citizens.
I will try to shorten this story because it was rather long. The lady’s first shock came from admittance to the emergency ward. She had to come up with six hundred dollars immediately before anything else would happen. This event happened on a Friday evening and she was unable to reach her health care insurer in the states as they were closed for the weekend. So out came her credit card and he was admitted. They were lucky, they were told, because he needed an M.R.I. and the only one in Vancouver was at this hospital and was only available on the weekend as all other citizens are scheduled during the week. Most Canadians wait up to eight or nine months for an M.R.I. His hospital room cost three thousand dollars a night. The hospital required the money up front. They didn’t care about her private insurance. Fortunately they took her credit card. His room was a four bed ward separated by a flimsy sheet with absolutely no room to even turn around. His ward mates were all women. There were no chairs to sit in and it really didn’t matter because there was not enough room to put a chair in the room anyway. In four days of hospitalization he was not bathed, until she insisted that he be cleaned up and took him out to the communal shower to clean him up herself. His sheets had not been changed. She again insisted that if necessary she would change the bed herself. They relented and finally changed the sheets. The lady knew her husband was just getting sicker being in this hospital. After much debate and discussion the medical staff finally agreed that he was healthy enough to fly. She had gotten in touch with her insurer who had convinced the hospital and the doctors that they would cover their eighty percent of the bill.
This lady also related that the place was filthy. Blood soaked cotton balls and bedding were strewn on the floor. In three days it wasn’t picked up. The hallways were littered with junk and equipment and cleaning supplies. She was assured that this was one of the finest facilities in Vancouver and was lucky they were there for her husband. She described it as a nightmare however.
When they finally arrived back home in the U.S. he was immediately taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with pneumonia and other respiratory ailments as well as the stroke. It took months for him to begin his recovery and is doing well today.
So what is the message here? For sure they have better beer and theirs is a beautiful country, but that’s where it ends. Their socialized medical system is a joke for the Canadians as well as anyone else who happens to fall ill there. This lady related that even though they were only fifty miles from America, they were truly in a foreign country. She hastened to add that this was just their experience however and may not be everybody’s. There is a reason though why Canadians, who can afford it, come here for medical care.
Another message is if you travel to a foreign country, carry trip insurance. Whether you are fifty miles from America or five thousand, the rules are different and like it or not it is their rules that apply.
A final message is just this. I believe some sort of universal health care is coming to America. Is this what we want? Can we do it better? We should be careful what we wish for. It may turn out to be something we truly don’t want.
Ron Scarbro January 3, 2009
Friday, December 12, 2008
CORRUPTION AND POLITICS
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Democrat, is learning a huge lesson and is probably going to learn a great deal more as time goes forward. The first lesson is that if you are in politics somebody is probably taping everything you say and do. There are no unopened mikes. There are no secrets. Lest you think I am going to pick on the democrats, no way. The ink is not even dry on the conviction papers of Ted Stevens, Republican, Alaska. Corruption is not exclusive to any particular political party. Corruption pervades the entire political system.
A few years back when legislation was proposed to “get the money out of politics”, I wondered then, who is kidding whom? We were told that good people are corrupted by all the money that is floating around. Nonsense. You cannot corrupt good people with money or anything else. Corrupt people are just looking for ways to steal more money. It is a question of which came first. Will Rogers said back in the 30s that we have the best congress money can buy. Apparently nothing has changed.
We have learned over the past few days that the seat of Senator Obama was for sale to the highest bidder. We were further told that one young congressman had offered $500,000.00 for that job. What? Why would anyone pay that kind of money for a job that pays $165,200.00 a year and it is only a temporary appointment at that. What do you suppose the young congressman was intending to do in that job? Protect the Constitution, promote the general welfare, protect the people of America, any of the above? Call me crazy but I think he might just have had a different thought in mind. Something like stealing millions for himself personally and insuring his seat for many years to come. Well he got caught and also is in trouble with the prosecutors.
William Jefferson, Democrat, Louisiana, was caught by a hurricane with some $90,000.00 in his freezer that was allegedly a bribe from an outfit trying to put up a TV station. He will go to trial next year. He was defeated for re-election, but just barely.
I am sure that with proper investigation I could come up with many more examples, but I think you get my point. The question is can we do anything about this mess? Can we change the system that seems so totally bankrupt?
I have a few thoughts that would appear on the surface to be revolutionary but may deserve closer examination.
I think the money comes from the act of re-election. People buy influence in order to promote their causes, personal or otherwise, by contributing to campaigns. Some would call it freedom of speech. I call it bribery.
You want to get the money out of politics? It really is simple. Make a new rule. No one can be re-elected for any office, period. That would end seniority in the Congress. Our Legislators would then be citizen law makers for a term and then go back to their normal lives. Secondly, anyone caught taking any money or gifts for any reason while running for office or while serving would be sent to prison for life. To whom much is given, much is expected. Next I would disband the Senate. We need this group of millionaires like we need a hole in the head. Let them get a real job. That exclusive club has long since outlived its usefulness.
Those who feel the need to contribute to campaigns could continue to do so. The money would be put in a pot and equally divided among individuals of any party that could prove their viability for the office they were seeking. Probably by petition or something like that. How much money do you suppose would flow if there was no way of determining who would receive it at the time it was contributed?
I can hear you now. Ron you’ve gone over the edge. You’re crazy. Okay, you are probably right. But, we don’t have to take this from our so-called leaders. This country and its government belongs to us the people.
So, short of the revolutionary changes that were proposed earlier, maybe a more workable solution might be this. I propose a chain scream. A loud, long scream that can be heard from coast to coast. Let these clowns hear from you and all your friends. Don’t let them think for a moment that it is business as usual. As Bill Cosby used to say to his kids, I brought you into this world and I can take you out. Our legislators need to know they work for us. We are the only special interest they need to concern themselves with. I understand that this is just a small act but the longest journey begins with one small step.
I know this will not solve the problem, but it might just be a good beginning.
Ron Scarbro December 12, 2008
A few years back when legislation was proposed to “get the money out of politics”, I wondered then, who is kidding whom? We were told that good people are corrupted by all the money that is floating around. Nonsense. You cannot corrupt good people with money or anything else. Corrupt people are just looking for ways to steal more money. It is a question of which came first. Will Rogers said back in the 30s that we have the best congress money can buy. Apparently nothing has changed.
We have learned over the past few days that the seat of Senator Obama was for sale to the highest bidder. We were further told that one young congressman had offered $500,000.00 for that job. What? Why would anyone pay that kind of money for a job that pays $165,200.00 a year and it is only a temporary appointment at that. What do you suppose the young congressman was intending to do in that job? Protect the Constitution, promote the general welfare, protect the people of America, any of the above? Call me crazy but I think he might just have had a different thought in mind. Something like stealing millions for himself personally and insuring his seat for many years to come. Well he got caught and also is in trouble with the prosecutors.
William Jefferson, Democrat, Louisiana, was caught by a hurricane with some $90,000.00 in his freezer that was allegedly a bribe from an outfit trying to put up a TV station. He will go to trial next year. He was defeated for re-election, but just barely.
I am sure that with proper investigation I could come up with many more examples, but I think you get my point. The question is can we do anything about this mess? Can we change the system that seems so totally bankrupt?
I have a few thoughts that would appear on the surface to be revolutionary but may deserve closer examination.
I think the money comes from the act of re-election. People buy influence in order to promote their causes, personal or otherwise, by contributing to campaigns. Some would call it freedom of speech. I call it bribery.
You want to get the money out of politics? It really is simple. Make a new rule. No one can be re-elected for any office, period. That would end seniority in the Congress. Our Legislators would then be citizen law makers for a term and then go back to their normal lives. Secondly, anyone caught taking any money or gifts for any reason while running for office or while serving would be sent to prison for life. To whom much is given, much is expected. Next I would disband the Senate. We need this group of millionaires like we need a hole in the head. Let them get a real job. That exclusive club has long since outlived its usefulness.
Those who feel the need to contribute to campaigns could continue to do so. The money would be put in a pot and equally divided among individuals of any party that could prove their viability for the office they were seeking. Probably by petition or something like that. How much money do you suppose would flow if there was no way of determining who would receive it at the time it was contributed?
I can hear you now. Ron you’ve gone over the edge. You’re crazy. Okay, you are probably right. But, we don’t have to take this from our so-called leaders. This country and its government belongs to us the people.
So, short of the revolutionary changes that were proposed earlier, maybe a more workable solution might be this. I propose a chain scream. A loud, long scream that can be heard from coast to coast. Let these clowns hear from you and all your friends. Don’t let them think for a moment that it is business as usual. As Bill Cosby used to say to his kids, I brought you into this world and I can take you out. Our legislators need to know they work for us. We are the only special interest they need to concern themselves with. I understand that this is just a small act but the longest journey begins with one small step.
I know this will not solve the problem, but it might just be a good beginning.
Ron Scarbro December 12, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
ORENTHAL JAMES SIMPSON
Again this will be something of a departure from my normal essay. This subject is not political nor is it financial. No, it is none of those things. This is a personal thing with me.
I followed O.J. when he was at USC. I watched with awe his prowess as a runner of the football. I watched as he then moved up to the NFL. Of course with the initials O.J. he acquired the nickname “the Juice”. For years I thought no one would ever compare as a runner. He would seem to explode through the secondary and no one could catch him. Toward the end of his career he was sought out for movie roles and television commercials. Remember the airport runs for some car rental company I think. I only remember O.J. not what he was pitching.
Then one day, I was fishing at a lake in central Washington, the news reported his ex-wife’s murder and that of a young man who was bringing her glasses home from a restaurant. I, along with I suppose the world, was shocked. O.J. was in Chicago it was reported.
I won’t bore you with a rehashing of the details that followed, the investigation, the attempted arrest, and of course the infamous slow car chase in the white Bronco. Then came the trial. Ah yes, the trial. A.K.A the trial of the century. I watched virtually every minute of the trial.
No person of reasonable intelligence given the testimony and evidence presented at trial could find any verdict but guilty. Guilty of murder. There was never any doubt. He not only murdered his ex-wife and the young man, Ron Goldman, but he did it viciously and with his own children upstairs asleep in their beds.
The jury found another way. O.J.’s legal team figured out a way to nullify the jury and thus subvert the justice system. This cold blooded killer was then released back on a society that for the most part didn’t seem to care.
Most of you know the rest of the story, how he went looking for the real killers on the golf course. He had minor scrapes with the local law enforcement in Florida, but for the most part he stayed out of trouble.
Then the inevitable happened. His arrogance got the best of him. He decided that he was going to retrieve what he said was his property from some so-called memorabilia dealers. To insure his success, he called together a group of thugs with guns and stormed the room and took possession of this memorabilia. Sadly for this moron, everything was on tape. Everything was recorded. O.J. was arrested along with his co-conspirators. Most of his thug friends took the prosecutor up on his offer to turn states evidence and confess. They got reduced sentences.
O.J.’s arrogance once again got in the way. He probably thought, “Hey, I got away with murder, this should be no sweat.” He was wrong. This time the jury found him guilty on all counts. Last Friday he was sentenced to thirty three years in prison. He won’t even be eligible for parole for nine years.
You may wonder how this is personal to me. It is because I was so greatly disillusioned by the trial of the century. I watched as a media star with money, along with the help of his (dream team high dollar) lawyers, made a mockery of the police department of Los Angeles, the Judicial System of Los Angeles County, and the entire jury process. Not only was I disillusioned but I lost confidence in the judicial system. I frankly haven’t gotten over it yet and probably never will.
But, here’s what I know now. This arrogant murderer will probably never again breathe free air. He will be warehoused in a cage for the rest of his miserable life. It is my hope that he sees his dead victim’s bloody faces every time he tries to close his eyes.
Now the media circus is over. The main clown is in prison. I also hope the media just forgets that O.J. ever lived or became a star. That is what I intend to do.
Ron Scarbro December 6, 2008
I followed O.J. when he was at USC. I watched with awe his prowess as a runner of the football. I watched as he then moved up to the NFL. Of course with the initials O.J. he acquired the nickname “the Juice”. For years I thought no one would ever compare as a runner. He would seem to explode through the secondary and no one could catch him. Toward the end of his career he was sought out for movie roles and television commercials. Remember the airport runs for some car rental company I think. I only remember O.J. not what he was pitching.
Then one day, I was fishing at a lake in central Washington, the news reported his ex-wife’s murder and that of a young man who was bringing her glasses home from a restaurant. I, along with I suppose the world, was shocked. O.J. was in Chicago it was reported.
I won’t bore you with a rehashing of the details that followed, the investigation, the attempted arrest, and of course the infamous slow car chase in the white Bronco. Then came the trial. Ah yes, the trial. A.K.A the trial of the century. I watched virtually every minute of the trial.
No person of reasonable intelligence given the testimony and evidence presented at trial could find any verdict but guilty. Guilty of murder. There was never any doubt. He not only murdered his ex-wife and the young man, Ron Goldman, but he did it viciously and with his own children upstairs asleep in their beds.
The jury found another way. O.J.’s legal team figured out a way to nullify the jury and thus subvert the justice system. This cold blooded killer was then released back on a society that for the most part didn’t seem to care.
Most of you know the rest of the story, how he went looking for the real killers on the golf course. He had minor scrapes with the local law enforcement in Florida, but for the most part he stayed out of trouble.
Then the inevitable happened. His arrogance got the best of him. He decided that he was going to retrieve what he said was his property from some so-called memorabilia dealers. To insure his success, he called together a group of thugs with guns and stormed the room and took possession of this memorabilia. Sadly for this moron, everything was on tape. Everything was recorded. O.J. was arrested along with his co-conspirators. Most of his thug friends took the prosecutor up on his offer to turn states evidence and confess. They got reduced sentences.
O.J.’s arrogance once again got in the way. He probably thought, “Hey, I got away with murder, this should be no sweat.” He was wrong. This time the jury found him guilty on all counts. Last Friday he was sentenced to thirty three years in prison. He won’t even be eligible for parole for nine years.
You may wonder how this is personal to me. It is because I was so greatly disillusioned by the trial of the century. I watched as a media star with money, along with the help of his (dream team high dollar) lawyers, made a mockery of the police department of Los Angeles, the Judicial System of Los Angeles County, and the entire jury process. Not only was I disillusioned but I lost confidence in the judicial system. I frankly haven’t gotten over it yet and probably never will.
But, here’s what I know now. This arrogant murderer will probably never again breathe free air. He will be warehoused in a cage for the rest of his miserable life. It is my hope that he sees his dead victim’s bloody faces every time he tries to close his eyes.
Now the media circus is over. The main clown is in prison. I also hope the media just forgets that O.J. ever lived or became a star. That is what I intend to do.
Ron Scarbro December 6, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
TOO BIG TO FAIL
Too big to fail. How many times have you heard this lately? Lehman Brothers, A.I.G. Insurance, and now the auto makers specifically General Motors. Lehman represented all the banking business in the country. AIG represented all the insurance. Of course the auto makers represent millions of our workers. We have been told that all the surrounding support companies will go down if the auto makers fail. They are all just too big to fail.
My aim in this essay is to ask the question, too big to fail or just too big? I think it is a fair question. Have we as a country come to rely too much on a few businesses to support this economy? I don’t fault the businesses for growing. I fault some of the decisions during that growth, but that is another essay. No, this is about our putting too many eggs in too few baskets.
Here are a few other examples of what I’m talking about. We are now hearing that gasoline tax receipts are at such a low that highway improvement projects will have to be curtailed. What did the powers that be think was going to happen when gasoline hit $4.00 a gallon? There has been a natural cutting back in the use of gasoline. We will either have to find other sources of funding these projects or reduce our expectations for a time.
When the auto makers were going strong, they probably felt that they were invincible. They negotiated contracts with the UAW that put themselves and their unions in real jeopardy. Now those chickens have come home to roost. In previous writings I have commented on how the auto makers have borrowed the future buyers out of the market and now have fewer and fewer potential customers. They and their unions are going to have to reduce their expectations for a while.
How about the banks? They have shelved good judgment in favor of huge short term profits and they now are seeing the only possible result of that lapse in judgment, delinquencies and foreclosures. What else could they have been thinking? Is it in the best interest for we the people to now take on their potential losses so that they can continue with their excesses?
Consider the plight of BWM Inc. This is not to be confused with BMW Inc. That would of course be Bavarian Motor Works. No, I’m talking about Buggy Whip Makers Inc. Imagine if you will the buggy whip makers going before Congress and begging for a bailout. Further imagine that such a bailout had been granted. We would now have warehouses filled to the rafters with buggy whips. The horseless carriage eliminated the need for buggy whips. Those makers of buggy whips had to figure out another business strategy to stay alive or they perished. Keeping them alive served no purpose to the country as a whole. I wonder how the buggy whip makers would have traveled to Washington to ask for the bailout. Oh how the mind wanders.
During prohibition several beer makers resorted to soft drinks to stay alive. They probably knew down deep that their problem was temporary and they just needed a strategy to keep going until America came to its senses.
I remember many years ago when I was given my first management assignment. My supervisor told me that management was the process of making decisions. If you make more right than you do wrong you will be successful. Nothing has changed in business.
So what are we to think of these latest events? Sadly in my view we have no choice but to continue to bailout the businesses in question. But, and this is a huge but, with restrictions. Restrictions in executive compensation, restrictions in executive retreats, restrictions in executive travel, and finally restrictions in union contract negotiation. It can no longer be business as usual. Those agencies whose job it is to audit banks must get serious about their jobs. Boards of Directors in companies must hold their executives feet to the fire. Unions must get real in their demands. They gain nothing for their members if their demands put companies in jeopardy. Finally Members of Congress must take a long look at their allegiances. Their only special interest is the American people. It is past time for them to start acting like it.
We as a country are not too big to fail, but we might get too big for our britches so we have to get smarter. We the people have to expect better from those we employ to guard the hen house.
Ron Scarbro November 28, 2008
My aim in this essay is to ask the question, too big to fail or just too big? I think it is a fair question. Have we as a country come to rely too much on a few businesses to support this economy? I don’t fault the businesses for growing. I fault some of the decisions during that growth, but that is another essay. No, this is about our putting too many eggs in too few baskets.
Here are a few other examples of what I’m talking about. We are now hearing that gasoline tax receipts are at such a low that highway improvement projects will have to be curtailed. What did the powers that be think was going to happen when gasoline hit $4.00 a gallon? There has been a natural cutting back in the use of gasoline. We will either have to find other sources of funding these projects or reduce our expectations for a time.
When the auto makers were going strong, they probably felt that they were invincible. They negotiated contracts with the UAW that put themselves and their unions in real jeopardy. Now those chickens have come home to roost. In previous writings I have commented on how the auto makers have borrowed the future buyers out of the market and now have fewer and fewer potential customers. They and their unions are going to have to reduce their expectations for a while.
How about the banks? They have shelved good judgment in favor of huge short term profits and they now are seeing the only possible result of that lapse in judgment, delinquencies and foreclosures. What else could they have been thinking? Is it in the best interest for we the people to now take on their potential losses so that they can continue with their excesses?
Consider the plight of BWM Inc. This is not to be confused with BMW Inc. That would of course be Bavarian Motor Works. No, I’m talking about Buggy Whip Makers Inc. Imagine if you will the buggy whip makers going before Congress and begging for a bailout. Further imagine that such a bailout had been granted. We would now have warehouses filled to the rafters with buggy whips. The horseless carriage eliminated the need for buggy whips. Those makers of buggy whips had to figure out another business strategy to stay alive or they perished. Keeping them alive served no purpose to the country as a whole. I wonder how the buggy whip makers would have traveled to Washington to ask for the bailout. Oh how the mind wanders.
During prohibition several beer makers resorted to soft drinks to stay alive. They probably knew down deep that their problem was temporary and they just needed a strategy to keep going until America came to its senses.
I remember many years ago when I was given my first management assignment. My supervisor told me that management was the process of making decisions. If you make more right than you do wrong you will be successful. Nothing has changed in business.
So what are we to think of these latest events? Sadly in my view we have no choice but to continue to bailout the businesses in question. But, and this is a huge but, with restrictions. Restrictions in executive compensation, restrictions in executive retreats, restrictions in executive travel, and finally restrictions in union contract negotiation. It can no longer be business as usual. Those agencies whose job it is to audit banks must get serious about their jobs. Boards of Directors in companies must hold their executives feet to the fire. Unions must get real in their demands. They gain nothing for their members if their demands put companies in jeopardy. Finally Members of Congress must take a long look at their allegiances. Their only special interest is the American people. It is past time for them to start acting like it.
We as a country are not too big to fail, but we might get too big for our britches so we have to get smarter. We the people have to expect better from those we employ to guard the hen house.
Ron Scarbro November 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
EXPERT FINANCIAL ANALYST
I have decided to apply for the job of “expert financial analyst”. It seems to be a job for which I am uniquely qualified. I have no formal degrees from any prestigious universities. I don’t have many years of experience studying these matters. I don’t even have a bunch of letters after my name. What I do have however is an opinion and from all indications, it is as good as, if not better than, most I have seen or heard these past few years.
Consider if you will just last week, job numbers came out and they were in fact dismal. I don’t know about you but I sorta figured they would be dismal. The experts were astounded. They were surprised. What? Were they looking at the same news I was looking at these past few days or were they looking at something else? What kind of moron would be surprised to see an increase in the unemployment numbers?
Our financial markets have been distressed for this past year. The banking system has stepped into problems that will take years to get out of. The automobile manufacturers have made poor business decisions that they may not be able to recover from. The current financial experts say “Well nobody saw that coming”. If nobody saw that coming, why on earth do we need these experts?
As of Friday’s close of the stock market, you could buy a share of each of the big three auto maker’s stock for less than a trip to Starbucks. But nobody saw this coming. What is your financial advisor saying to you? Did he warn you of the rapid and dramatic downturn in the market? Did he tell you of the problems of the banking and auto industry? My guess is that he did not. My guess is that it was as much a surprise to him as it was to all the other “experts”. Exactly where does their expertise lie? What are you and I paying for when we employ a financial advisor? I wonder what the job pays?
That got me to thinking, Hell I can do that. I have time on my hands. I don’t have much else going on right now. Apparently you really don’t have to know very much. It seems to me all I have to do is add “expert” after my name. Who could doubt my qualifications? Who could question my prognostications? If they did, I could just say, “well nobody saw that coming”. It works for the Wall Street experts so it must be legal. It could work for me.
To give you an advanced picture of my abilities, I am going to make some astounding predictions. Are you ready? First, I do not believe that all of America’s great companies are going to go out of business. I believe going forward that there will continue to be a need for food, clothing, housing, transportation, medicine, and technology. While it is true that 6.5% of our people are currently unemployed, 93.5% are working. While 2% of mortgages are in trouble, 98% are not. The people who inhabit this country are not going to disappear and neither are their needs and wants. Secondly, the financial markets will improve and do so dramatically when investors, (traders), come to realize this fact. As has been the case in the past, markets recover. Yes it will take some time, but, as a wise man once told me, “What’s time to a hog eating corn?”
Some of you who read this will say “Ron, sometimes you can be so sarcastic. How can you be this optimistic?” I could be wrong. I could miss by a mile and the whole country will go into the toilet. If that happens, I’ll just put on my expert’s hat and say, “Hey, nobody saw that coming?”
Ron Scarbro November 23, 2008
Consider if you will just last week, job numbers came out and they were in fact dismal. I don’t know about you but I sorta figured they would be dismal. The experts were astounded. They were surprised. What? Were they looking at the same news I was looking at these past few days or were they looking at something else? What kind of moron would be surprised to see an increase in the unemployment numbers?
Our financial markets have been distressed for this past year. The banking system has stepped into problems that will take years to get out of. The automobile manufacturers have made poor business decisions that they may not be able to recover from. The current financial experts say “Well nobody saw that coming”. If nobody saw that coming, why on earth do we need these experts?
As of Friday’s close of the stock market, you could buy a share of each of the big three auto maker’s stock for less than a trip to Starbucks. But nobody saw this coming. What is your financial advisor saying to you? Did he warn you of the rapid and dramatic downturn in the market? Did he tell you of the problems of the banking and auto industry? My guess is that he did not. My guess is that it was as much a surprise to him as it was to all the other “experts”. Exactly where does their expertise lie? What are you and I paying for when we employ a financial advisor? I wonder what the job pays?
That got me to thinking, Hell I can do that. I have time on my hands. I don’t have much else going on right now. Apparently you really don’t have to know very much. It seems to me all I have to do is add “expert” after my name. Who could doubt my qualifications? Who could question my prognostications? If they did, I could just say, “well nobody saw that coming”. It works for the Wall Street experts so it must be legal. It could work for me.
To give you an advanced picture of my abilities, I am going to make some astounding predictions. Are you ready? First, I do not believe that all of America’s great companies are going to go out of business. I believe going forward that there will continue to be a need for food, clothing, housing, transportation, medicine, and technology. While it is true that 6.5% of our people are currently unemployed, 93.5% are working. While 2% of mortgages are in trouble, 98% are not. The people who inhabit this country are not going to disappear and neither are their needs and wants. Secondly, the financial markets will improve and do so dramatically when investors, (traders), come to realize this fact. As has been the case in the past, markets recover. Yes it will take some time, but, as a wise man once told me, “What’s time to a hog eating corn?”
Some of you who read this will say “Ron, sometimes you can be so sarcastic. How can you be this optimistic?” I could be wrong. I could miss by a mile and the whole country will go into the toilet. If that happens, I’ll just put on my expert’s hat and say, “Hey, nobody saw that coming?”
Ron Scarbro November 23, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
WHAT WE NEED FOR A SECURE FUTURE
The following are some thoughts that, if implemented, would bring about a real change. That’s a word we’ve heard a lot lately. Consider with me these ideas.
First and foremost is this country’s practice of waging limited war. War by its definition is an unlimited exercise. Armies, by their nature, are forces of destruction, not nation builders. I therefore propose the following. America will only go to war when she decides to win quickly and decisively. Our forces are superior in every regard. We should never have to put boots on the ground. We have the ability to, from a perch in this country, send all out destruction to any corner of the world. Within minutes, we could, if we chose, eliminate any country or army or war making facility in the world. To go into these backward countries and fight street to street is allowing our enemy to dictate the rules of engagement. We should instead just eliminate the streets and anyone who happens to live on them. But Ron, you say, that could kill thousands of people. My question would then be, “what is the difference between limiting your killing to a few hundred or a few thousand”? Truman had to make the decision to bomb Japan killing thousands in order to prevent the killing of many thousands more. Such is often the nature of war. This country has proven time after time that she has no stomach for prolonged war. Our wars are lost not on the battlefield but here in this country with the assistance of an ultra liberal media with way too much influence. People who commit treason should be arrested and treated like the criminals they are.
My next suggestion has to do with illegal immigration. As of this writing we are approaching seven percent unemployment. How many American’s jobs are currently being held by illegals? My suggestion is simple. Arrest any employer who knowingly hires and retains an illegal. Arrest any agency employee who makes available welfare aid to any illegal. Arrest any city or church official who attempts to provide sanctuary to these illegal aliens. The result will be that illegal aliens will deport themselves when they find no job or free handout. At the same time this government must make available to employers and providers systems whereby individuals can be checked out to determine their citizenship. By the way, legal immigration should be encouraged and welcomed.
My next suggestion has to do with elections. We absolutely must verify the veracity of voters at the polls. No picture ID, no vote. You have to have picture ID to cash a check, welfare or other, to check out a CD from Blockbuster, or for most business done in this country. The only reason we don’t have this ID requirement at the polls is one particular political party has stopped it. They don’t want an honest election because they know that would have a bad result for them.
I now want to address the treatment of veterans and members of active duty military. The military is our champion. They alone stand between us and anyone in the rest of the world who would wish to defeat our system and our people. No expense should be spared in the medical treatment of our veterans or any active duty member. VA hospitals should be state of the art in every sense. They should be staffed with the best doctors and nurses medicine has to offer. Military hospitals should be the best in the world. These are our warriors. They deserve the absolute best money can buy. Anything less is a travesty.
Senior citizens have a life long contract with the government. That includes both Medicare and Social Security. This contract is inviolate. Anything and everything necessary must be done to insure the health of these systems. If government chooses to include non-senior citizens in this program, they absolutely must provide the necessary funding for those inclusions.
These are but a few of the thoughts I have recently had concerning the future of America. No doubt changes need to be made, but only those changes for the better. As time goes by I intend to offer commentary on the success and yes the failures of the new administration. I’m pretty sure that President-elect Obama is not sitting around waiting for my thoughts, oh well. For him to have a successful presidency, however, I and people like me will have to be considered. I have nothing but best wishes for his success because his success will be America’s success.
Ron Scarbro November 12, 2008
First and foremost is this country’s practice of waging limited war. War by its definition is an unlimited exercise. Armies, by their nature, are forces of destruction, not nation builders. I therefore propose the following. America will only go to war when she decides to win quickly and decisively. Our forces are superior in every regard. We should never have to put boots on the ground. We have the ability to, from a perch in this country, send all out destruction to any corner of the world. Within minutes, we could, if we chose, eliminate any country or army or war making facility in the world. To go into these backward countries and fight street to street is allowing our enemy to dictate the rules of engagement. We should instead just eliminate the streets and anyone who happens to live on them. But Ron, you say, that could kill thousands of people. My question would then be, “what is the difference between limiting your killing to a few hundred or a few thousand”? Truman had to make the decision to bomb Japan killing thousands in order to prevent the killing of many thousands more. Such is often the nature of war. This country has proven time after time that she has no stomach for prolonged war. Our wars are lost not on the battlefield but here in this country with the assistance of an ultra liberal media with way too much influence. People who commit treason should be arrested and treated like the criminals they are.
My next suggestion has to do with illegal immigration. As of this writing we are approaching seven percent unemployment. How many American’s jobs are currently being held by illegals? My suggestion is simple. Arrest any employer who knowingly hires and retains an illegal. Arrest any agency employee who makes available welfare aid to any illegal. Arrest any city or church official who attempts to provide sanctuary to these illegal aliens. The result will be that illegal aliens will deport themselves when they find no job or free handout. At the same time this government must make available to employers and providers systems whereby individuals can be checked out to determine their citizenship. By the way, legal immigration should be encouraged and welcomed.
My next suggestion has to do with elections. We absolutely must verify the veracity of voters at the polls. No picture ID, no vote. You have to have picture ID to cash a check, welfare or other, to check out a CD from Blockbuster, or for most business done in this country. The only reason we don’t have this ID requirement at the polls is one particular political party has stopped it. They don’t want an honest election because they know that would have a bad result for them.
I now want to address the treatment of veterans and members of active duty military. The military is our champion. They alone stand between us and anyone in the rest of the world who would wish to defeat our system and our people. No expense should be spared in the medical treatment of our veterans or any active duty member. VA hospitals should be state of the art in every sense. They should be staffed with the best doctors and nurses medicine has to offer. Military hospitals should be the best in the world. These are our warriors. They deserve the absolute best money can buy. Anything less is a travesty.
Senior citizens have a life long contract with the government. That includes both Medicare and Social Security. This contract is inviolate. Anything and everything necessary must be done to insure the health of these systems. If government chooses to include non-senior citizens in this program, they absolutely must provide the necessary funding for those inclusions.
These are but a few of the thoughts I have recently had concerning the future of America. No doubt changes need to be made, but only those changes for the better. As time goes by I intend to offer commentary on the success and yes the failures of the new administration. I’m pretty sure that President-elect Obama is not sitting around waiting for my thoughts, oh well. For him to have a successful presidency, however, I and people like me will have to be considered. I have nothing but best wishes for his success because his success will be America’s success.
Ron Scarbro November 12, 2008
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