TheBurningPlatform.com » Economy » SOCIALISM DEFINED

TheBurningPlatform.com » Economy » SOCIALISM DEFINED:

SOCIALISM DEFINED

"Below is a blurb from the recent weekly newsletter put out by David Galand at Casey Research. It explains very simply why all of Obama's plans will fail. It explains why our country is failing. It is so simple, yet extremely smart people refuse to see the facts."

"An economics professor said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, okay, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little... The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased, as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings, and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

I don’t think it can be any simpler than that..."

Thanks to James Quinn for the post!

In Cyberweapons Race, Questions Linger Over U.S. Offensive Capability - Series - NYTimes.com

In Cyberweapons Race, Questions Linger Over U.S. Offensive Capability - Series - NYTimes.com

The prospects of cyberwar are chilling. But the U.S. seems to fully understand the threat even though we may not yet have settled on the policies to guide our actions.

In any event, we seem to be devoting the necessary resources to both the offensive and defensive measures to successfully engage any enemy.

This is a non-stop effort. I certainly hope the very best minds are targeted at this endeavor. But think of the awesome risk we create when we have key people who know extraordinary details of this necessarily top-secret work. How can we ever insure the loyalty of our cyber geniuses? The very best minds tend to be quirky at best and potentially vulnerable to the lures on the enemy. Will we isolate them as did the British who created a top secret, highly successful code-breaking cadre in WWII?

“The fortress model simply will not work for cyber,” said one senior military officer who has been deeply engaged in the debate for several years. “Someone will always get in.”

That thinking has led to a debate over whether lessons learned in the nuclear age — from the days of “mutually assured destruction” — apply to cyberwar.

"...But in cyberwar, it is hard to know where to strike back, or even who the attacker might be. Others have argued for borrowing a page from Mr. Bush’s pre-emption doctrine by going into foreign computers to destroy malicious software before it is unleashed into the world’s digital bloodstream. But that could amount to an act of war, and many argue it is a losing game, because the United States is more dependent on a constantly running Internet system than many of its potential adversaries, and therefore could suffer more damage in a counterattack.

In a report scheduled to be released Wednesday, the National Research Council will argue that although an offensive cybercapability is an important asset for the United States, the nation is lacking a clear strategy, and secrecy surrounding preparations has hindered national debate, according to several people familiar with the report.

The advent of Internet attacks — especially those suspected of being directed by nations, not hackers — has given rise to a new term inside the Pentagon and the National Security Agency: “hybrid warfare....”

It describes a conflict in which attacks through the Internet can be launched as a warning shot — or to pave the way for a traditional attack.

Swine Flu: Current Status and Worst Case Scenario -- Seeking Alpha

Swine Flu: Current Status and Worst Case Scenario -- Seeking Alpha:

Here's one of the best descriptions of what we know now about the "Mexican Swine Flu" written by a physician at Seeking Alpha.

"...sometimes totally new viruses emerge: new combinations of swine, avian, and human influenza viruses. When this occurs, as is the case now, no previous vaccine or previous infection will afford any protection from the new virus. The 'Swine Flu' virus now spreading around the globe is a unique and novel combination of swine, bird, and human viruses.

Unlike SARS, which was an avian virus with relatively low human to human transmission, this new virus appears to readily transmit between humans. Fortunately, except in Mexico, this new virus has, so far, produced a relatively mild case of the flu. There is only one report of a hospitalization in the U.S., but no serious illness. Also, no increase in ER visits has been noted, which the CDC and local health departments monitor closely.

Fortunately, researchers report that this new virus does respond to Relenza (GSK) and Tamiflu (RHHBY.PK and GILD), the two anti-viral compounds that are readily available and in mass production. That's the good news, so far. A new virus that has produced a mild case of the flu outside of Mexico, but, does transmit easily from person to person."

Apple Said to Be in Talks to Sell IPhone for Verizon - NYTimes.com

Apple Said to Be in Talks to Sell IPhone for Verizon - NYTimes.com:

It's only a matter of time until Verizon has an iPhone or a very close facsimile. It makes more sense to me that Verizon's discussions with Apple are for an iPhone to jump start Verizon's new LTE 4G network which will begin rolling out on the new UHF frequencies acquired in the FCC auction last year.

The LTE technology will also be used by AT&T in its new 4G network. Apple stands to win by allowing both Verizon and AT&T to sell an LTE iPhone.

In either event, iPhone on CDMA or LTE, I'll be a customer.

"...In a recently quarterly conference call with investors, Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, cast some doubt on the prospect of an imminent deal with Verizon. He said that Apple was wary of building a phone for a network using C.D.M.A. technology — which Verizon’s current network uses — because, Mr. Cook said, the C.D.M.A. infrastructure may have a short life span.

Verizon, however, is moving to a new network in 2010 that would not rely on C.D.M.A technology. Verizon has said previously that even as it deploys its new network, it plans to retain its C.D.M.A. network for a time to transmit voice communications.

The person who had been briefed on discussions between Verizon and Apple said that it was not out of the question that Apple could build an iPhone for the current network..."

Captain Phillips Welcome Picnic

I attended the celebration picnic today at Mills Riverside Park in Jericho, VT for the public welcome-home by the community. It was very well attended on a gorgeous April day.

The politicians, Congressman Welch, Chuck Ross, Senator Leahy's Vermont chief-of-staff, and Gov. Jim Douglas were thankfully brief and gave appropriate gifts including American flags flown over the nation's and state's capitols, resolutions by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and other appropriate items, including a six-pack of LaBatt's Blue!

The whole affair was well organized, low key and Vermont-appropriate, showing respect for Richard's and the family's privacy.

I am a friend of his mother-in-law Catherine Coggio, who lives in Richmond.

Here's the notice:

Picnic to Honor Captain Richard Phillips

This Saturday there will be a community picnic at Mills Riverside Park to Honor Captain Richard Phillips. This will be an afternoon to show our appreciation for Captain Phillips' selflessness and bravery and to give the Phillips' family an opportunity to thank all community members for our prayers and positive thoughts during their difficult ordeal.

When: Saturday, April 25th, 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM, Mills Riverside Park. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy an afternoon of music and fun to honor Captain Phillips. A program will begin at 1:00pm with remarks from Representative Bill Frank, Congressman Peter Welch, Senator Bernie Sanders, Chuck Ross from Senator Leahy's office, Governor Jim Douglas and Richard & Andrea Phillips.

Live music will begin immediately after the remarks from Bobby Hackney's a cappela group, The Audio Journal with Jeff Wynne & Erik Urch and Tammy Fletcher and The Disciples.

This is a day for a community celebration. The Phillips family will not be giving interviews or answering questions from the press after the formal program. Gov. Douglas and Rep. Frank will field their requests.

Come celebrate and show Captain Phillips and his family how proud we are of him.

Op-Ed Contributor - Small-Town Big Spending - NYTimes.com

Tom Brokaw - Small-Town Big Spending - NYTimes.com

Brokaw recommends revamping the structure of legacy institutions such as towns, counties, colleges, etc., as the economy 'resets' (GE CEO Immelt's words) so as to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

I'm inclined to agree that fundamental changes, particularly in government, are needed. But immediately I'm brought up short by the reality that there is no way to absorb all the jobs that would disappear from these tax-supported employers if the change happened quickly.

On further reflection, we have built ourselves into a box with ever higher taxes to support ever more 'needs' and more government employees to manage the programs to meet those needs. Well-meaning politicians want to meet these 'needs' of the people which creates increasing dependency on government by these needy people. This dependency is then fostered and leveraged by 'advocates' to persuade politicians to increase, never to reduce, the programs. This translates into yet more spending and taxes.

Now comes the recession and the wailing increases. The wailers include both those that cannot afford to lose the services they have and from taxpayers (40% of people pay no income taxes and many receive tax credits) who are no longer willing to pay (or burden their grandchildren with) increasing taxes when they see their own private sector jobs at risk in a failing economy.

While Brokaw's idea has intellectual merit, the forces arrayed against such fundamental local and regional change are enormous because the people in these public sector jobs much prefer the less risky nature of their livelihood. Such changes can happen, but only incrementally over a generation or two.

So where do we go from here? The answer is clearly a far healthier economy with motivated people doing useful work that will gradually improve our condition. Meanwhile, plans should be afoot to reduce the size of government. If you believe that's on the near term horizon, there's a bridge in NYC you may want to buy.

In NY State Pension Inquiry, a Scandal Snowballs - NYTimes.com

The formula is simple enough and quite predictable:

Big Money + Greedy Public Officials + Ethics-challenged Money Managers = CORRUPTION

Is there no integrity left in the system? Can we trust no one on Wall Street or in Big Government to do the right thing? Is there any wonder that citizens do not trust the power structure?

Despite TeamObama's transparency doctrine, watch down the road 2-3 years for this same sort of corruption as the $ trillions flow out of government into the economy.

We saw it in Connecticut, California, Illinois, now New York. It's likely prevalent elsewhere, too. I trust Vermont's State Treasurer, Auditor of Accounts and Attorney General are watching Vermont's pension funds and their management, and VSAC, too.

In State Pension Inquiry, a Scandal Snowballs - NYTimes.com

Remembering America Online - Osnos

Osnos provides a concise history of the unfolding and folding of online and other technology titans. In the old days a DoJ monopoly lawsuit (ATT, IBM, MICROSOFT) was the leveler. Considering the outcomes and subsequent revamping, various M&A activity, etc., gave us better companies and far more innovation....all driven by technology's unrelenting pressure.

Today's print media and advertising industry is under similar siege, but not by government. "Do no evil" Google is the culprit du jour, painted gray, if not black, by newspapers and the news business for taking away their revenue. The last thing Eric Schmidt wants to wade through is an antitrust morass triggered by his growing dominance in search. No wonder he has played so nicely for a long time with now-President Obama.

Curious by omission, Amazon is a huge content distribution player and will become even more important. I'm surprised the newspapers have not attempted to get in bed with them for distribution (Kindle, billing systems, customer base, etc.) Amazon and the newspapers together could mount a credible challenge to Google for advertising dollars.

Of interest, way back when I was at NYNEX in the InfoLook days, a local newspaper publisher was frightened to death that the telephone company was about to eat his newspapers' lunch. We had many vibrant discussions. He was so worried about this camel's nose in the 'information services' tent that he became active with Vermont regulators to restrict the fledgling experimental pre-internet InfoLook online service.

Now, 15 years later, Google, originating in a Stanford dorm room from bright students then in their early teens in InfoLook days, has become one of the most powerful arbiters of internet content activity nearly 100% funded from the advertising revenue that so worried our local publisher.

It's all about the metadata!

Transformation of Medicine and Biotechnology

We are making that inexorable move toward medicine informed by biotechnology and enabled by a common (hopefully), sharable, individual, digital medical record. This is the so-called third revolution in biotechnology and medicine following the description of DNA by Watson and Crick 50 years ago and the identification of the human genome 10 years ago.

The Economist describes it all in this story ending with:

"The coming convergence of biology and engineering will be led by information technologies, which in medicine means the digitisation of medical records and the establishment of an intelligent network for sharing those records. That essential reform will enable many other big technological changes to be introduced.

Just as important, it can make that information available to the patients too, empowering them to play a bigger part in managing their own health affairs. This is controversial, and with good reason. Many doctors, and some patients, reckon they lack the knowledge to make informed decisions. But patients actually know a great deal about many diseases, especially chronic ones like diabetes and heart problems with which they often live for many years. The best way to deal with those is for individuals to take more responsibility for their own health and prevent problems before they require costly hospital visits. That means putting electronic health records directly into patients’ hands"

Op-Ed Columnist - In the Age of Pirates - NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Columnist - In the Age of Pirates - NYTimes.com

Thomas Friedman is quick to deliver opinions, but comes up short on solutions. In fact, the problems in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and North Korea seem intractable. While not saying it outright, he is critical of TeamObama's foreign policy, which at this point is only a continuation of Bush foreign policy with a few overtures to problematic regimes like Iran and Cuba.

To be fair, there are no easy answers and the same GS career diplomats are working on these intractable problems. Thomas seems to be saying that military pressure may be a better solution...without quite recommending it.

Meanwhile Defense Secretary Gates says that the Somali piracy problem can only be solved 'on the ground.' He even hints, as others have at nation-building.

[WSJ 4/14/09: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that despite the successful rescue of an American merchant captain Sunday, piracy off the coast of Somalia will flourish until a stable government is established in Mogadishu.

Mr. Gates said poverty and rampant criminality in Somalia make piracy an attractive option for local youths, and problems there are "probably going to get worse."

Robert Gates

"There is no purely military solution to it," Mr. Gates said in an address to the Marine Corps War College in Quantico, Va. "There's really no way in my view to control it unless you get something on land that begins to change the equation for these kids.""]

What? rebuild another nation? Not likely! It's obvious we (the world) have no viable answer.

The world is full of rogues and bastards in addition to the RITS (Radical Islamic Terrorists) and RATS (Radical Arab Terrorists). BTW, I note with great humor the foolish new terms of art adopted by TeamObama for the war on terror/terrorism [this from WAPO 4/4/09: "SECRETARY OF STATE Hillary Rodham Clinton recently confirmed that the Obama administration has dropped the phrase "global war on terror." She didn't say why. "I think that speaks for itself. Obviously," was her elaboration...].

TeamObama seems to think they can soften the hearts of the Muslim world by describing reality in different words. Nonsense!