I Like The Old Puritans; The New Ones???

There have been some amazing editorials in the Wall Street Journal recently. I know the Epstein article got everyone going, but it really is a sign of our times. We are living in a new secular Puritan age, at least that is how Gerard Baker eloquently described it. 

For those of you who don’t remember who the Puritans were, they were “English Protestants in the 16^th and 17^th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices.” Eventually the term became a pejorative term identifying the group as extreme. “In current English, puritan often means against pleasure.” There is a plethora of information written about Puritans who came to the United States in the early 1600’s. The idea of Puritan hegemony “lasted about 100 years.” This time frame can be broken up into three sections: John Cotton and Richard Mather (1630-1662); Increase Mather (1162-1689); and Cotton Mather (1689-1728). 

According to historians Puritans in the early colonies were industrious, believers in Education, an education based in the Bible, and would encourage people to think for themselves, “which is the basis of Democracy.” They were considered the most literate and taught their daughters to read. They also started Harvard University.   

Many people only remember the controlling elements of early Puritanism. The Puritans believed “the state should protect and promote true religion and that religion should influence politics and social life.” They opposed Christmas celebrations as pagan, any Sunday sport or recreation, and no gambling. “Puritans condemned the sexualization of the theater and its associations with depravity and prostitution.” Anyone who has visited Salem, Massachusetts would have learned about the excesses associated with the prosecution of witches. 

Our country has moved away from those early behaviors associated with the Puritans. In fact, if any of those early Puritans visited the U.S. today, I would imagine they would be appalled at what has evolved from their early labors. The early Puritans wanted to purge evil behavior from their community. They believed in the truth of the Bible, they recognized evil behavior was sin, and they believed that God defined what sin was and they were willing to live according to that eternal standard. 

Today’s Puritans, interestingly enough, are, according to Baker, leftist progressives. I tend to agree with his premise. They are now the ones who are “extirpating sin from society.” The sin is not defined by the Bible but by their own defined leftist secular religion. And, if one does not agree with it, they will be figuratively dunked and stoned. The mob, which we have seen in full armor for four years, are not done and now are headed to new heights. 

2020 was “the year that the long process of cultural indoctrination by the left wing’s establishment merged in perfect synergy with its authoritarian instinct to order people about.” The trifecta, see my last blog, has made advocacy the great reset using COVID-19 to establish foundational despotism all across this nation. 

The politicians, academicians, journalists, and entertainers are telling us that Capitalism is racist and that the United States is racist to its core. If you don’t agree with this premise, then you will experience “an outpouring of self-lacerating racial-justice pietism.” These actions would make the Puritans seem permissive. It is almost like the new leftist puritans are telling the Puritans of the past, “you think you are judgmental, hold my beer.” Don’t get me wrong, Black Lives Matter, but I will not support the BLM organization. They have claimed to be Marxist and I cannot support that. Also, I am not saying that racism does not exist, it does and has, Therefore I will support my Black brothers and sisters in Christ, and others. 

But my favorite comment from Baker put words to what I have been thinking. “The rules of the new theocracy,” the secular theology of leftist progressives, “also dictate that absolute deference to the unchallengeable authority of our leaders must coexist with moral license for them to do as they please.” This is why Biden can say, “you ain’t black if you don’t vote for me.” This is why the press can crucify Melania Trump, but when somebody writes something negative about Jill Biden, they go crazy. The trifecta controls all of the social narrative. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. 

To add to my comments I want to draw attention to an incredible opinion piece today written by David Satter. “Soviet Politics, American Style” is an incredible expose` on the mob’s attempt to cancel anyone who is not adhering to what they think woke is. In his article Satter compares Wokeism with Marxism. He states, “It is true that Marxism is a more coherent system of thought than Wokeism. But even the intellectual hodgepodge can engender totalitarian habits if it fulfills an emotional need and becomes a device of interpretation.” The Wokeism of the left has done that.

What is really interesting is how Gorbachev warned the United States about what was going to happen to us. “We are going to do something terrible to you. We’re going to deprive you of an enemy.” Obviously, Russia is still an adversary; the recent hacking demonstrated that. But, not having an ideological enemy like the Soviet Union has sent us on a path of internal conflict. We must remember though the ideology of Marxism has never died. It is still alive and floating around the world. And many of the tactics used by the Soviet Union are still being used by the mob, even here in the United States.

First, there is “The transformation of tolerance into an ideology with its own courts, informers, and punishments, all are reminiscent of the Soviet Union.” Second, it is the now the philosophy of the news media to correct news not report it. This is similar to the Tass news service in the Soviet Union “which offered readers not news but a correct depiction of events.” Third, the Soviets were masters of liquidating academic freedom. If you were an academic in the Soviet Union, you taught what the state wanted you to teach. If anyone questioned what was being taught, a gulag was calling to them. Satter states, “The Soviet style has become a reality in the U.S. Speakers are routinely canceled on ideological grounds.” 

Last, the encouragement of our own political leaders to blow the whistle on our neighbors during the holidays, if they had too many people at their homes, is horrific. Satter states, “The Soviet Union finally counted on the readiness of people to betray even family and friends.” The story was told of Pavel Morozov (1918-32) who lived in a small village in the Soviet Union. He found out his father was helping peasants hide grain from the authorities. “Pavel walked 35 miles to the nearest town to report him to the secret police.” I wonder how many people will be calling the police on their neighbors Friday? Oh, by the way, the father was arrested, and Pavel “was stabbed to death by relatives.”

I am an old man. I have written about the things I don’t like about what is happening in our communities and will continue to. But I worry about the new mob and the soft totalitarianism. I will probably be cancelled eventually. Maybe, one day I will stand before a tribunal much like in The Dark Night Rises and will have to choose exile or die, or die by exile. 

And this is my thought for the day!

What Are People Thinking? Mamdani?

There is an idea that when we are young, we lean to more progressive/collective ideas. And as we age, we move right and become more conservative. When we are young, we don’t have anything and experience an umbrageousness towards those that do have material possessions like houses, etc.

When I was in my late teens, I had a friend who carried a little red book filled with Mao’s quotations. Whether he read this book or not, I have no idea. But, with my youthful non-conformity now forgotten, I am amazed that people like Mamdani propose to implement something in the Unted States like what they had left, thinking it will work better here? Sorry, it will never happen.

The New York Mayor candidate Mamdani is a “33 year-old Ugandan-born Indian-American,” who moved here when he was seven. He is a naturalized US citizen and holds dual citizenship, including Uganda. Now he wants to lead New York City, while “seizing the means of production,” creating government owned supermarkets, energizing rent control, and eliminating billionaires. He proposes these and other failed policies tried by socialist governments throughout modern history.

I don’t live in New York State, and no offense to those who do live there, but I cannot imagine why one would elect AOC, and this character Mamdani. AOC’s district has turned into a 3^rd world country. According to some reports it is a big flea market. Why, would you continue to vote for something like that? Now, New Yorkers have a chance to do the same to their largest city.

Mamdani, and his family (according to the WSJ), have an intense hatred for Israel. “As an assemblyman, . . .he has made denouncing Israel his priority,” which I think is problematic when many it the city he wants to govern are Jewish. Also, 62% of hate crimes in New York target Jews. If he hates Jew’s so much, how can he govern all New Yorkers? Hmm, again I ask why are people willing to vote for him?

It appears that Gen Z is willing to accept him. Remember how I said that when your young you think differently than when you are older and own things? Gen Z has been infected by the professors in the universities they have attended. What does this mean? It means that the majority of college professors in this country lean left. Some can be considered Marxist, and other just progressive.

The correct descriptor for professors who lean Marxist is neo-Marxist. The number of these individuals is about 20%, according to some articles. When we broaden that question to how many professors are liberal and how many are conservative? The number is as high as 33:1 liberal to conservative. Is it any wonder why are youth lean the way they do? I do think this is one reason Trump won the presidency. People were concerned with the impact of academia on our youth.

Mamdani is a person that these young people see as one of them. Here is another case where someone is promising free everything: busing, stronger rent-control, free childcare, and government-controlled supermarkets. I just wonder how much of this could be accomplished?

What worries me about this situation is this guy is capable. He communicates well, handsome, and loves New York City. He just may be the Socialist Donald Trump. Young people, activists, are flowing to him.

His anti-capitalist perspective though continues to be defeated throughout our country. His desire to establish government supermarkets will only lead to breadlines similar to that of the Soviet Union. John Catsimatidis writes in the WSJ, “As owner of Gristedes and D’Agostino’s – the city’s oldest and largest independent supermarket chains – I’ve spent my life keeping shelves stocked, workers employed, and families fed. That’s what capitalism does. It works. I builds.” Americans do like things that work.

I am sure there are many reasons for the decline in the population in New York State, but it is projected over the next 25 years over 2 million people will leave New York State. Due to the tax situation in New York, 30,000 New Yorkers fled the state taking $9.2 Billion in income with them. I will predict that if Mamdani wins, you will see a lot more people leave the city, and the city will continue to erode and the quality of life will continue to be reduced. Good luck New York, you’re going to need it.

And that’s my thought for the day!

Time to Write Again!

I am sitting in my office thinking about various issues facing our nation. I’ve just returned from a wonderful vacation in Ireland, having met some many wonderful people both on the tour and in the country, and now have a little time on my hands. One of the events that had the biggest impact on me was the wall of peace in Belfast. It demonstrated to me just how bad polarization can be, even in our country. I will not assume that what I write will help reduce the division, but I will be able to see the issues clearer in my own mind, which is why I write.

The question then is, what am I writing about? My blog started as an exploration of good business practices, but it has expanded into other interests that I have. Obviously, as a Christian I want to write about my faith and its impact on my life, religious practices, and politics. I tend to lean on the conservative side, and I have a Biblical worldview, in other words I interpret the world through the lens of the Bible.

Eventually, I will write about the Gen Z desire for Socialism. This is a scary proposition. I will write about the reduction of Church affiliation. I’ll be writing about liberal versus conservative Christianity. I will also discuss Liberation Theology and Christian Nationalism. Two additional topics which I think are critical today are Biblical Authority and literacy. I do think some of the problems in the Church today are related to these two issues.

Additional topics that will be discussed are political polarization, racial reconciliation, Gender, identity, immigration, and many others. I do think my understanding of these subjects need some updating. Thus, the desire to write. As scripture says, we are to be good citizens. In the United States this means a lot. We are to vote, we are to have an opinion, and we can identify those ideas that we think are wrong. Romans 13:1-7 tells us to subject to governing authorities because they are established by God. We are to pay our taxes and pay our bills. I also think we are to be politically aware, at least in the context of the United States.

Titus 3:1 tells us the same as Romans, but it adds that we are to speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling and show courtesy to all. Even though we may disagree with someone’s position we are to be kind. I will need to keep this in mind as I am writing.

I’ve been watching old videos of Ronald Reagan. Some of his jokes about Democrats are classics. Sam Donaldson asked Reagan one time, “Mr. President, in talking about the continuing recession tonight, you have blamed mistakes of the past, and you’ve blamed congress. Does any of the blame belong to you? Reagan responded, “Yes, because for many years I was a Democrat.” The response in the room to this comment was laughter. I do think we need more of this today. I hope as I write about issues it can be funny but poignant.

An exemplar of this could be the article in the Wall Street Journal today discussing how Walmart beats a government grocery store. Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City, wants to socialize all means of production including grocery stores. Richard Sexton ably describes how Walmart would be much more efficient than a government owned store and the deadweight loss that would be attained with the price ceilings associated with that scenario. I think we see the effects of our higher ed situation and the many professors who are Marxist. I saw this even in a Christ-centered educational system.

This is an attempt to re-energize my expression via Word Press. I hope I can keep it going. I do think I am motivated this time.

And that’s my thought for the day!

The Columbian Newspaper

Today I thought I’d write about our local newspaper, The Columbian. It was first published in 1890 as a four page daily. What I find interesting its original purpose was to counter a local Republican newpaper “The Independent.” The Campbell family of Vancouver have owned the paper since 1921. As of 2022 it has a circulation of 48,078. I have taken the Columbian, off and on, since first moving here in 1977. I have chosen to do this because I wanted to support a local newspaper. But I have to say, I am to the point where I am ready to let it go.

I had a pastor friend a few years back that was constantly being attacked by the Columbian. I am not too sure why the paper chose to attack him, but it could have something to do with the paper being called fish wrap. I always thought that was funny. I do know that the Columbian did a hit job on two county commissioners a few years back. I was even caught up in the discussion and wrote about it in my blog. But, today I am almost ready to say enough. My reasons for this are varied, but I think serious enough to warrant switching to another local paper like the Reflector.

The editor in chief for the Columbian has written several times about how hard it is for local newspapers in this current market. Ad budgets are shrinking, inflation and rising costs, and a lack of innovation are often cited as a problem. One of the biggest issues involve the internet. “The US has lost more than 2,500 newspapers since 2005 and 43,000 journalists.” Northwestern University has predicted that by the end of 2024 a third of all newspapers will close. I do think that is really sad, but with the advance of news stories online it is hard to compete with instant news. To cut costs, the Columbian has reduced its page count, much of its sports reporting is a day behind, and most of us have read the information days before the Columbian actually reports something. It is doing everything it can to continue to exist.

The question then, is why do I want to give it up? I mean, the only reason I read it now is for the comic page and the local sports. But, what are my reasons for wanting to say enough? First reason, is the editorial page. Most of their editorials lean to the left and all pretty much say the same thing. Trump is bad, conservatives are garbage, and Harris is the best thing since sliced bread. I quit reading Greg Jayne years ago. I’ve tried several times to read his opinion but found it not worth the digital space it was allotted.

I know this is my opinion. I know I can always stop getting my digital copy of the daily newspaper. But, I am trying to support local news. The other editorialists, even the guy from Seattle, are all left of center not giving counterpoints to the common vibe of the paper. They used to carry several strong conservative voices but those voices have been replaced with a common group think perspective.

Some of my favorites, George Will and Jay Ambrose, have not seen the light of day at the Columbian for a long time. I’d love to see an editorial from John Stossel, or even Thomas Sowell. But I don’t think that will ever happen. Even the reporting listed on the digital pages are skewed in a manner that makes light of conservative values.

Probably one of my biggest problems with the Columbian now is how it reported the recent election. They always say their recommendations are just that, and they even recommended some conservatives like Stephanie McClintock, but, I read the paper every day but never saw any final tallies. They just wrote about how great Bob Ferguson is, never reporting anything contrary to his and Inslee’s point of view.

So, what do I do? Do I stop paying $25 per month to get the newspaper? Switch to the Reflector? Or maybe I go completely rogue and just get my news from ClarkCountyToday.com? I’m not sure. I am used to getting the Columbian. My wife said just he other day she missed getting a paper copy of the newspaper. She liked the ads, etc. I told her those days are gone. Do I ignore the obvious bias of the Columbian, which includes what letters to the editor they publish? Or do I just continue to get angry when I read the opinions of my neighbors?

Clark County used to be a red part of the state of Washington. It is now solidly blue. Why have we changed? Between 2018 and 2022 10,775 people have moved from Oregon to Clark County. I am sure they have brought their politics with them. Other folks are moving here from Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. There has been a lot of reporting about how people are moving out of California because of the high level of taxes and continued progressive excesses. I can only hope the folks that have moved here don’t want to Californicate Clark County. They have already done that to Seattle.

Well, for now I’ll keep getting the Columbian and offset its obvious fish wrap perspectives with the solid reporting of the Wall Street Journal. At least for now.

And that is my thought for the day!

What is the Job of the Church?

As I am sitting at the desk in my office looking out the window, I am amazed at just how beautiful it can be in the Pacific Northwest. It is sunny 44 degrees, a little frost still on the grass, just a perfect day in December. I woke up this morning ready to teach my classes, feeling grateful to be alive. It has been a good morning. Last Saturday I tried to get one of my son’s to go see Bonhoeffer at the theater, but he was busy that day. I think next Saturday we will go see it. The movie is based on Eric Metaxas’ biography on said German theologian. The book itself was an excellent read and I am looking forward to seeing the movie.

I am currently reading Metaxas’ book entitled “Letter to the American Church.” The author wrote this book because he “was convinced the American Church is at an impossibly – and almost unbearably – important inflection point.” To emphasize this point, the author compares the Church in the United States to the German Church in the 1930’s. Metaxas describes the German Church as “silent in the face of evil.” With the rise of the Nazi religion during the 30’s the 12,000 pastors did not stand together against the evil personified in Hitler and his minions.

After making his point about the split of the 12,000 pastors in Germany, Metaxas argued that America plays a central role in the world, a role that has been supported by the Churches in this country. The author states, “So if America is in any way exceptional, it has nothing to do with the blood that runs through American veins and everything to do with the blood shed for us on Calvary, and the extent to which we have acknowledge this.” I’m not sure about the American exceptionalism, but I do see the role of the United States as central economically and politically in the world, and our blessing is connected with the sovereignty of God’s work in this country to help us “hold the torch of liberty for all the world.”

President Abraham Lincoln once said “that we in America were God’s almost chosen people.” I thought that was an interesting comment. Although I found this fascinating, we must never forget that we are a nation of fallen people that need the redemption offered through Christ. We are not special, but our country has been blessed with a responsibility that is “grave and fearsome.” But the Church has an even more important role, that is to stand against evil in this world. As I have been working through this book by Metaxas, I have enjoyed the many strong points the author makes. I have thought through aspects of my life that need to change because I have fallen into some of the traps of the evil one. But I also see that just like the German Church of the 1930’s the Church in the United States has choices to make.

The German Church refused to stand collectively agains the rise of the Nazi Party. The question for us, is have we done the same thing? Metaxas identifies some of the ideas that are eroding the moral fiber of our country. Critical Race Theory, radical transgender queer theory, and pro-abortion ideologies are “anti-God and anti-human.” Each of these categories of topics are considered atheistic Marxist ideology, which are attempting to undermine the Judeo-Christian foundation of our country’s systems.

With the election of Donald Trump, many would say that progressive Marxist ideology has been stopped, but the fact of the matter is all this has done is driven the leviathan of anti-Christ ideology underground. The desire to undermine God’s plan for the world will never go away until that day we see Satan and his angels thrown into the lake of fire. It is only then that the battle will be done.As Ephesians 5:13-17 states, “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, Awake, O Sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Look carefully. then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

The lessons of history are before us, I hope and pray that we see the failure of the past and decide not to do the very same thing.

And that is my thought for the day!

Instead of Boys Being Boys; Its Politicians Being Politicians

Oh my, there is a lot going on in our country right now. Canadian leaders having dinner in Mar-A-Lago, Mexican Presidents, making deals with the incoming President, a missing Vice President, and a sitting President making the case for his being the worst President in US history. The phrase I keep hearing is 40 days, and then things change. But, politicians are politicians and they have an amazing ability to mess things up. Hopefully, the current President won’t mess things up even worse than they are.

I was thinking about what is a politician. The definition is “a person who is active in party politics.” That doesn’t seem too bad. Another part of the definition is “a person who holds a political office.” That doesn’t seem too bad either. The last part of the definition is “a person who seeks to gain power or advancement within an organization in ways that are generally disapproved.” I’ve worked with a few of those over my career, some were pretty bad and some did this for the good of the organization. The definition politician seems to be separated by a large chasm from the reality of what is the real politician today.

Whenever I think of a politician I think of someone who speaks out of both sides of his/her mouth. They say something today, truly believing it, but say the exact opposite tomorrow, still truly believing it. Politicians, you gotta love em! I have been mulling over some of the more famous quotes from the past about politicians. Charles de Gaulle once said, “politics is too serious a matter to be left to politicians.” Will Rogers, who always had a witty anecdote said, “everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and their politicians as a joke.” I could go on because there are a plethora of comments about politics and politicians. Generally, the comments are fairly negative.

I don’t think we need to look very deep for examples of political actions that reinforce the negative stereotypes of politicians. The recent election we endured was filled with negative adds that were half true at best. In the past we have endured the political hypocrisy of Nixon (Agnew), Bill Clinton, and Gary Hart. There individuals who have lived in my era.

Richard Nixon in 1972 won his second term as President by a landslide. He took 60.7% of the popular vote carrying 49 states. He received 520 electoral votes, while George McGovern received 17 and just 37.5% of the poplar vote. If anyone could say they’d had a mandate it was Nixon. But, two years later his Vice President, Spiro T. Agnew, had resigned due to a bribery scandal, and he resigned due to the Watergate scandal. After Agnew resigned Gerald Ford became Vice President. After Nixon resigned Ford would become the only President in American history to be President without being elected.

Then there was Bill Clinton, who for 18 months “did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.” He would be impeached in the House, but acquitted in the Senate. He was held in contempt of court for giving misleading testimony about Paula Jones, but like teflon this slide right off of him, leading to a very successful second term as President.

Gary Hart was a very popular candidate for the Democrats in 1988. The thought was he would have probably defeated Vice President Bush. However, there were some questions about his sexual appetites. He would famously tell the news media to “follow me around. I don’t care. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead. They’d be very bored.” Then came the event where Gary Hart, on the ship Monkey Business, actually got caught with Donna Rice sitting on his lap. His hypocrisy cost him any chance of becoming President. This lead to the first Bush Presidency in 1988. With Hart’s disqualification Michael Dukakis ended up running for the Democrats. Bush would devastate the Democrats by winning 426 of the 538 electoral votes and winning the popular vote by “just under eight points.”

And now we have Joe Biden. On Sunday the big guy pardoned his son who had been convicted for tax evasion and gun charges. Hunter was going to receive a lengthy prison sentence, but that is now, as Joey on Friends would say, “a moo point.” The one thing that Biden said he would not do is what he ended up doing. He pardoned his son for “crimes he has committed or may have committed or taken part in.” That is a pretty broad pardon.

Obviously, Trump says he had predicted this was going to happen calling the pardon “an abuse and miscarriage of Justice.” Republican James Comer described this as Biden and his family not willing to be accountable. Even the Democrats see this as a problem. “Colorado Governor Jared Polis, said the president put his family ahead of the country and set a bad precedent that could be abused by later presidents.” A Greg Stanton, Democrat from Arizona, said he respected Biden but he got this one wrong. “This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”

It is easy for me to point fingers at all of these politicians, because I am so perfect. Haha, I don’t think so, I’ve made my mistakes and hopefully have taken responsibility for my actions. But politicians, wow they are another breed of person. I hope after this four year cycle, now that Trump can’t run anymore, and Harris has been discredited by Democratic donors, that maybe we’ll get some high quality statespersons. Ones that can lead our country back to the high ground.

Say what you will about Reagan he could tell a good story. I heard this one the other day. He and Walter Mondale were debating and an issue came up about age. Reagan said that he would not hold the youth and inexperience against Mondale. Everyone laughed even Mondale. An amazing time in our past that just maybe we’ll go back too.

And that is my thought for the day!

The Good and the Bad

I feel like I have been through a severe snow storm that lasted for weeks. The storm has passed and now the sun is shining, and Spring has sprung. It appears after struggling with Pneumonia and Covid I have gotten healthy. At least I’m at 90% recovery. I worked out today, first time in a while, and I am looking forward to playing some golf next week. My cough has subsided for the most part, and I have energy again. All I can say is thank you God for the health you have given me. Now I can only pray for the same thing for the world.

My blogging activity has slowed with my health, but now I am truly alive again and really want to write more. And, there is a lot to write about, both good and bad. First, for some of the good. Matt Gaetz is gone. Although I have never met this person, I could just tell he would not be someone I would like. It appears most of the Republicans did not like him either. His dropping out of the confirmation race for Attorney General and being replaced with Pam Bondi seems to have made several people in the know very happy. If she”refocuses the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again,” then I will be happy.

A bad situation involves the international criminal court. According to the WSJ, the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, and Yoav Gallant, former Israeli Defense Minister over the war in Gaza. I do find it interesting that the U.S. is not a party of the Rome Statute, “which puts countries under the ICC’s jurisdiction.” Therefore, if these gentlemen were in the U.S. they would not be arrested, but if they were in Europe, Ireland, Latin America, the Netherlands, Canada, South Korea and Australia they would be arrested. There seems to be a rising stream of anti-semitism throughout the world. Hmm, very interesting.

Another bad thing involves Vladimir Putin and Ukraine. “Ukraine used the Army Tactical Missile System” for the first time after Biden approved using U.S. missiles to attack Russia. In response to the use of long-range Western weapons, Putin fired “an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons at Ukraine for the first time.” This new weapon had greater range and speed than previously used equipment. This action was a warning to the West to not escalate the conflict. The poor people that live in this region, when will this conflict end?

I’d like to finish with something that I think is good. I am a huge proponent of school choice. If rich people can choose where their kids go to school, why can’t poor people? Jason Riley wrote about this on Wednesday. The metrics associated with public education is bleak. “Two-thirds of American children are unable to read with proficiency,” but they are well versed on trans rights, the debunked 1619 project, pornographic books, and taught that “math is racist, standardized tests are biased, and objectivity and hard work are traits of white supremacy.”

The Department of Education was initiated during the Carter Presidency. Now it appears Trump wants to eliminate it due to the redundancy of its charter. I’m not sure yet whether I agree with this because we obviously have problems with education in the U.S. I do think, however, I like who he has nominated to lead the Department of Education. Linda McMahon will have the job of “sending education back to the States.” She has stated that she supports school choice (which I agree with), tougher accountability, and local oversight in education. Seem reasonable to me.

Whether McMahon can shut down “the 4,425 employee department” is still in thr air, but as a leader of. the WWE, she just might have the fortitude needed to fight leftist ideology in our education system. Hmm, maybe we can turn this country around and put it on a better path? We’ll see!

And that is my thought for the day!

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

After two bouts with pneumonia and a bout with COVID I’m ready to get better. I’m in the restricted breathing stage, but hopefully it will go by quickly. Today is a good day to write, it is wet outside and I completed grading for my classes. and it is now dark.

What I’m writing about today is not about Trump. Although, I do start out by mentioning him, but its only tangential. He is nominating his cabinet. For the most part I’ve liked the choices. Trump’s goal is “realign the balance of power among Washington’s major institutions so that more authority flows from the White House.” At least according to Aaron Zitner and Siobhan Hughes in today’s Wall Street Journal.

Peggy Noonan mentioned the first wave of nominees in her editorial. She describes some of the initial nominations as grown-up players who have political histories. Susie Wiles, chief of staff; Elise Stefanik, as Ambassador to the United Nations; and Marco Rubio, as secretary of state. Since the initial announcements there are some interesting nominations that may have a bit more of a problem to be confirmed. Culture warriors, disruptive congressmen, and other “misfit toys” may be an attempt to shake things up. I’m not Trump, but we will see. The two, however, that I am really interested in are Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

These gentlemen will oversee The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. “It will have no official status. It won’t be part of the government.” It’s goal is to advise Trump on which agencies are not efficiently run. Some examples are given my Holman Jenkins today in the WSJ. “Joe Biden’s green energy scheme is a bet on an economic misunderstanding; subsidizing energy consumption, even when green doesn’t reduce carbon emissions; it increases energy consumption.” Other examples, include FDR’s Social Security Program and Obama Care, both of which are very expensive. The green thing may have cuts, Trump has promised not to cut Social Security, but we’ll see, and Obama Care has become entrenched. Regardless, it seems like there will be a plethora of items that are inefficient in our government and be improved.

Jenkins supports his argument by identifying three sociological books dealing with societal collapse. Joseph Tainter in his book, “The Collapse of Complex Societies,” focuses on the political collapses of complex societies in the focused disciplines of economics, art and literature. The second book was far less interesting than an article that Jonathan Rauch wrote in 1995 with William Peterson. “Demosclerosis: The Silent Killer of American Government,” for the Foundation for Economic Education. Demosclerosis “is a clever word to describe the process or spreading mushrooming of special-interest organizations who gather virtually every affected and disaffected voter into groups and counter groups, who pressure Congress and state legislatures to do their bidding or else.” The third reference is Mancur Olsen’s “The Rise and Decline of Nations.” This is another take on how small groups can undermine broader prosperity. Jenkins used these books to support his point that Musk and Vivak Ramaswamy, will not be just looking to find “nickels and dimes” to reduce the deficit. Their goal will be much more philosophical. “The real fight is to protect entrepreneurialism and its unappreciated concomitant, free speech, in those parts of the economy where they still survive.

When I first heard about Musk and Ramaswamy looking into government efficiency I immediately thought of a book that appeared in 1993. Reinventing Government was a book that captivated a President to the point he asked his Vice President to research how government could better relate to the people. Al Gore would initiate the U.S. Government Reform Initiative to make the “U.S. Government work better, cost less, and get results Americans care about.” It looks like the endeavor was a failure. “That’s because two succeeding administrations picked up only the components that fit their style. ..the public’s respect for government, polls show, has trended nowhere but down.”

I will be curious to see if DOGE will go back and find documentation about Reinventing Government. Richard Rubin, another Wall Street Journal reporter, writes about what could be done. “Virtually everyone agrees there is waste and inefficiency in the federal government, which employs more than two million people and spends more than $6 trillion annually. Getting agreement on what is wasteful and how to eliminate it is another story.” Reducing regulations, shrinking federal bureaucracy, and restructuring agencies will be a pretty big job. Musk said he thinks they can get $2 trillion in savings, but we don’t know if it’s annually or over four years. No matter which one it is, this will be a big job.

This is one of those government events I want to keep an eye on. Musk promises high levels of transparency, but I do think his biggest opposition won’t be Trump, but the Senators and Congress people who like to spend other people’s money. Those are the one’s who are addicted to the power of spending.

And thats my thought for the day!

Thoughts on the Election!

Another election has come and gone. At least, most of it. The Senate currently has 53 Republicans and 45 Democrats. Two more seats need to be settled. The Republicans have flipped the Senate. The House currently sits at 209 Republicans and 197 Democrats. A few more decisions are coming. The Republicans are confident they will control the House and the Senate. Should be interesting.

The Presidency was settled very quickly. By Wednesday morning we knew that Trump had been elected the 47th President. Until Trump, the only other President to be elected, lose, and then re-elected four years later, was Grover Cleveland in 1892. Trump currently has 72,837,490 votes, while Kamala has 68,202,914 votes. Trump has 295 electoral votes and Harris 226. All the talk about not knowing for weeks went out the window. Depending on what side of the aisle you identify with, you are either elated or depressed.

One friend on Facebook said that Obi Wan regrets the the Jedi Order has fallen as has the republic. Another friend compared the situation to the Last Jedi, where the New Order of Biden/Harris has been destroyed by the rebellion. It’s kind of amazing how we can fit situations into our beliefs, or how we see reality. Gary Randall on his program this week shared a scenario where Harris was at a Church and they were laying hands on her, praying in faith that she would be elected President. On the other side you have Greg Laurie praying for Trump to be President. Two sets of Christians praying for different outcomes. But here we are, 49% of our country are depressed, and 51% are happy. I have no answer as to who’s prayer was higher on God’s priority list.

The initial stock market reaction was favorable, the Dow by itself gained 1500 points. I looked at my investments this morning and there was significant growth. The Federal Reserve just cut interest rates by a quarter point. CNN described it as awkward with Trump recently elected. Interesting developments.

I would think that people on the depressed left side are wondering how Joy and vibe failed against a convicted felon? I can only give you my opinion on this matter because I cannot answer this for 72 million plus people, but as the famous saying says “its the economy stupid.” I do think the biggest reason Trump was elected was the increase costs people were faced with. Biden is an extremely unpopular President. I have not liked Biden since the Clarence Thomas faisco, when he was eventually confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. And now, over half the country agrees with me.

However, I do think there are many other reasons why Harris lost, and its not sexism. Daniel Henninger did a great job identifying these additional problems with the Democratic Party message. I think one of the biggest issues was the alignment of the Democratic Party with the News Media, Social Media, and Celebrities. All of the energy from this alignment was poured into destroying Donald Trump and his followers. Deplorables, garbage, if you don’t vote for me you ain’t black, are all phrases thrown out and echoed ad nauseam by the News Media. Hitler, Nazi’s, and Fascists were all mentioned over and over again. I think people just got tired of hearing this.

Add to the above, the constant lawfare used against Trump. The Democrats, “poured all their psychic energies into Trump. Democrats took their eyes off the American people for the past four years.” In other words, the Democrats focused on destroying a man, instead of governing a country. Open borders, men in women’s bathrooms, and trying to force people to buy cars they don’t want are attempts at governing, but we did not want those types of solutions.

People got tired of Walter Biden, sorry Joe Biden (I am thinking of Jeff Dunham’s puppet) and his angry grimace. Trump asked the question, are you better off now after four years of Biden, or do you want a change. Black, Hispanic, and younger white men voters heard this and decided no we aren’t better off. Henninger makes a very interesting point about this voting block, “When they looked at Donald Trump, did they see a 2017 cut in corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%, derided by Ms. Harris as a give away to billionaires? No, they saw something they liked and admired, an unapologetic fat cat, a guy who looks like the personification of wealth created by private effort rather than yet another government check in the mail.”

This vote has given the Republicans, as of this writing two of the three branches of government. The third, the House, may be also be won by the Republicans. But, now comes the hard part. To ensure this change is resilient there will need to be a government that truly is for the people. This means all people in the United States. Trump has been given a second chance, what he does with this is critical for the country. If he becomes vindictive and goes after those who wronged him, we will be in for a long four years and the Republicans will lose the House or Senate during the midterms. But, if Trump really tries what he said he would do which is govern all of the United States, which means compromise, then maybe the Republicans will hold onto the opportunity to lead.

Trump has two really good examples of leadership that he could emulate. Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich were able to work together and create longest economic expansion in US history. During Clinton’s second term, 1998-2001, he and the House, led by Gingrich, created four years of balanced budgets with surpluses. Hmm, a flawed man, Clinton, was able to work with another flawed man, Gingrich, to lower the national debt. Just maybe, another flawed man could do the same.

The second example is Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill. The New Yorker, on March 28, 2017, wrote about “Can Donald Trump learn from Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill?” After fifteen months of being at odds, Reagan decided to visit O’Neill on Capital Hill. Reagan was “pursuing his conservative agenda,” and “O’Neill had done everything he could to resist.” However, they decided they needed to work together for the good of the country, and the rest is history.

The question now, “can Mr. Trump govern in a second term more successfully than he did in the first?” He has the Senate, which means he’ll be able to confirm those 4,000 positions more efficiently than the first time. But, he needs to do a better job choosing his people. I do think Trump knows this, at least he has said he understands. The bottom line is, he needs to govern and he needs to lead. This will be the long term strategy, and beneficial for the country. If he does this then what we’ve lost over the last four years will be gained.

Biden was supposed to be the great unifier. At least that is what he promised. But, that is not what happened. This country after four years is more divided than ever. Trump now has a second chance, I hope he doesn’t waste it. I hope he proves Ms. AOC wrong as she warns of a very scary time ahead. I’ve never liked that bartender.

And that is my thought for the day!

Why Am I Worrried About this Election?

Today is October 28th and we are getting very close to the election. There is a lot of crazy stuff going on. This morning in my local paper they talked about an incendiary device used on a ballot collection box on the east side of town. Anyone who placed their ballot in that box yesterday will need to request a new ballot due to the fire inside the container. Pretty sad when something like that happens.

Then we have the candidates themselves doing crazy things. At a Harris rally, someone cried out in the crowd Jesus is Lord. Harris immediately remarked to this person that they are at the wrong rally. Then there is the Trump statue that popped in downtown Portland out of nowhere. No one is claiming that they placed it there, but It was immediately decapitated. Then there is the woman who screamed at a toddler at a Harris rally, shocking the father who was watching his child. Crazy stuff.

Our country is polarized. I think it is as close to 50/50 as it can be, which means whoever becomes president will probably have a House or a Senate that will be on the other side of the fence. Eventually these politicians will need to figure out how to get things done. Maybe they should read how Reagan and Tip O’Neill were able to lead this country through a difficult time.

As I read the WSJ this morning, I thought about my reasons for the way I vote. One article I read discussed how “America is Having a Panic Attack Over the Election.” Another article discussed how the Supreme Court’s future is on the ballot. Court packing has been discussed for months now. I am not necessarily panicking but I am concerned about court packing.

I have already voted, so after reading these articles this morning I thought about why I voted the way I did. First, as a Christian I have Biblical worldview. This means that I will interpret the world by the values I see in the Bible as right and wrong. You may not agree with me on that, or you may even attempt to bring up supposed contradictions, but the fact is it is my true north measurement. I realize that no politician is perfectly align with these values, so I picked and chose those that I felt were closest to my true north.

Second, I voted for certain people because of the fear I have about problems that I see that could happen if progressives are elected. Andy Kessler in his article, “Can You Handle Four More Years,” articulates those fears that I have much better than I can. Politicians have said they want these things and I see them as detrimental to our financial security as a country. As a professor that teaches Economics I see how some of these issues can lead to an under performing economy.

With the current level of national debt of $35T, the biggest problem I see is what Kessler calls, never-ending spending. Housing subsidies, Child tax credits, startup loans, and on and on. More promises means more spending. Eventually, we’ve got to get this under control, but politicians cry for more taxes because they keep running out of other people’s money.

A favorite “misdirection” progressives have about our economy is the need for price controls. This ultimately leads to a centrally planned economy. “Soviet supermarkets had price controls and bare shelves.” Market that are efficient, responding to changing dynamics of the economy is the best path to economic vitality. Maybe, progressives need to look at how they spend money and the subsequent inflation to determine what caused the rising prices.

Increased taxation. Progressives have proposed the highest federal tax rates to be about 39.6%. Added to this is any state taxes, California is at 13.3%, and almost half of your hard earned money is going to the government. Kessler states, “Progressives even want to tax unrealized gains for those making over $100 million.” It will never stop there. If they get those proposed taxes, they will go for your unrealized gain too.

In Economics we talk about what happens to an Economy when it has high government intervention. There is an index number that measures how free an economy is. The Heritage Foundation created the Index of Economic freedom years ago. This index number reflects how free an economy is based on its Property Rights, Government Integrity, Judicial Effectiveness, Tax Burden, Government Spending, Fiscal Health, Business Freedom, Labor Freedom, Monetary Freedom, Trade Freedom, Investment Freedom, and Financial Freedom. Currently, the United States is ranked 25th in the world. Countries like Estonia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic have higher economic freedom than we do. In 2008 the Unites States was number seven on the list of countries. In 2012 it dropped to 10th place, and now we are in 25th place. With “440 federal agencies that mangle favored industries like autos,” there is no doubt as to why our economic freedom has diminished. Kessler describes Tim Walz as “Bernie Sanders in hunting gear.” Progressive intervention in the free market will kill innovation, and destroy future incentive.

Another of my favorite problems involves federal housing control. We see this public housing being pushed in our city. The city council pushes for low income housing, and they build these soviet styled communal apartments. Progressives want to build three million new homes, which knowing the government it will be communal apartments. And we know how well public housing works in the large cities like New York and Chicago.

I worry about the desire of progressives to create collectives. They want a strong partnership with unions. Unions create higher pay, resulting in higher prices, resulting in lower demand. Public unions have negotiated huge pensions that cities can’t pay. Eventually the can cannot be kicked down the road, we have to deal with these problems.

But, I think Kessler really ends his article with my biggest concern. “Progressives say they’re capitalists, but there’s always what I call the big but. Joe Biden: I’m a capitalist. But pay your fair share. Barack Obama: I’m a capitalist. But. . .an area we need to look at is how much our healthcare spending is going toward the recond breaking profits earned by the drug and healthcare industry. Kamala Harris: I’m a capitalist, but I believe an active partnership between government and the private sector is one of the most effective ways to fully unlock economic opportunity.”

Reading the above words from the big three of progressivism, I immediately thought of the scene in Rush Hour where Carter tells Lee, “Can you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?” The progressives what to create the collective. They want to move the economy from the invisible hand of Adam Smith to the GOSPLAN of the Soviet Union. The central board supervised the planned economy of the Soviet Union according to economic outcomes mandated by the Communist Party. You know they say that 90% of what we worry about never happens. I hope in this case this saying is correct.

And that is my thought for the day!

Lessons on Life from Boeing and an MBA

On a beautiful sunny, but cold day, I have become a little pensive. I am turning 74 next month, and if the average life expectancy for a male in America is truly 78, then I’ve lived 95% of my life, leaving me left with about 5% to be lived. Sobering to say the least. These words almost seem morbid, but as I mentioned I am pondering existence and the future. We have an upcoming election, so please get out and vote. Then there are the wars and rumor of wars and the breakdown of Biblical morality that always gives me a little acidity in my stomach. But today, the thoughtfulness is coming from two articles in the Wall Street Journal. One mentions the Boeing strike and the other deals with the increase in M.B.A. enrollment across the nation. Both articles led me to write about my experience and why I chose to go the path I did.

Last week I wrote about the Boeing strike and stated that it will be interesting to see what the rank and file will do with the latest company contract offer. It appears, “Boeing’s largest union rejected the new labor deal Wednesday.” The vote was 64% against the new proposed contract. The new proposal offered a 35% wage increase, a larger ratification bonus of $7,000, and the reinstatement of yearly bonuses. Another fact, “Boeing would have increased company 401k contributions, including a one-time payment of $5,000 to all workers’ retirement accounts.” I am thinking with the increased bonuses and the additional funds going into one’s 401k that it could make up for the lost pension, but I have not run the numbers. I do think a quote from one of the employees Vaughn Johnson, could give a hint at what the rank and file are thinking. “It’s the first real offer from the company.” Maybe, they are hoping for more? I don’t know, something to think about.

Reading about this strike takes me back in my mind to the early 90’s. I had just gone through my second strike with Boeing, 1977 and 1989, and said to myself, it is time to make a change. I need to go back to school and finish my four-year degree. This would give me options that could keep me from going through another strike. I really did not enjoy those events. By 1994, I finished my Bachelors’ degree in business administration and immediately was promoted into management, and never went through another strike from the union side, only from the management side.

I found out during my under-graduate academic experience that I liked the environment. I enjoyed studying business, and organizations specifically, and as a manager I found I enjoyed managing organizations. Eventually, due to the various pressures encountered as a manager, I decided that if I wanted to stay a manager I should continue my academic pursuits. In other words upgrade my skills. This led me to work toward an M.B.A. As I read the second article in the WSJ, I concluded this is similar to what I experienced in 1995 through 1997.

Ray A. Smith wrote the article in question “Applications to M.B.A Programs Soar.” There is a nice picture of the Harvard Business School Building at the beginning of the article. I stood in the very same spot when we were visiting our grand daughter in Boston a few years ago. The article starts, “Workers frustrated by an extended cool-down in the white-collar job market, are applying to business school not seen in years.” This increased desire to get an M.B.A. has resulted in a 32% increase in Business school applications. The reasons for this increase are similar to why I pursued an M.B.A, a student wrote, “my goal is to develop new skills to make myself more valuable.” Another student would give a little different reason, “I wasn’t sure if my job was going to be redundant, so I wanted to go back to school to gain a broader network, just in case.”

I pursued an advances degree for similar reasons as the current students. I wanted to better prepare myself for my career at Boeing. The work environment at Boeing was changing, and I wanted to make myself more marketable. Today individuals are seeing a need to make themselves more marketable in a competitive and changing work environment. Whether its AI, or outsourcing of managerial work, today’s white-collar worker is faced with lower hiring rates than the past. In 2022 “the downturn that began with tech workers has spread to other sectors.” Major white collar employers were laying off thousands of workers. To better prepare themselves for the higher paying jobs, people are going back to school to get those skills needed for the more complication work environment.

I do think there is a lesson from these two articles. First, Boeing employees are looking to restore something they lost in 2014. The current Boeing accrued pension-plan liability is $6.1 billion. If the union is able to get the pension restored “according to Bank America analysts, the cost to Boeing would be $1.6 billion annually.” This will never happen, so I think the lesson for the rank and file Boeing employee is to stop looking back and look to the future. Use this new contract to better prepare for the future, especially the 401k, and not focus on the past.

Second, the lesson from the M.B.A. folks is one needs to take care of themself. Instead of relying on a company to provide you with what you need for the future, take responsibility for your own sklill development. Take advantage of whatever is available to you to provide you with the needed skills for a successful career. The Boeing Company paid for my Bachelors, two masters, one an M.B.A. and the other a a masters of Art, and a PhD. Those degrees helped me to develop a pretty successful career of 30 years at Boeing and 27 years as a Business Professor. Not too bad.

And that is my thought for the day!