Thought and Freedom

I have been trying to pinpoint it for a while. What do you call a government that does not eliminate the markets, but instead simply controls the markets with an iron fist?

At first look, one might say we are just “regulating” capitalism. Sarbanes-Oxley is a prime example of this. While the law makes some tough regulations and requirements, it does not try to direct the flow and direction of the businesses themselves. Sarbanes-Oxley is simply an example of regulating capitalism. Whether or not you agree with the law, one could not conclude that this law is in itself a rejection of capitalism.

On the other hand, recent actions by the financial and regulatory bodies, as well as actions by the United States congress and president have been looking a lot more like socialism than capitalism. The request by the Obama administration for congress to give the treasury secratary the power to sieze companies that are “in the national interest.”

So what do you call a system of government where the government does not directly oppose free markets but instead seeks to control the players in free markets, and when necessary, take over companies in the name of national interest?

This question has been on my mind off and on for a while now. We always talk about communism/socialism, and we always talk about capitalism. We learn that most governments fit into these molds. France = Socialist, China = Communist, Australia = Capitalist…

But, some behaviors of government do not really fit the mold. For example, Benito Mussolini’s Italy showed tendancies of socialism, but also chose not to eliminate the appearance of the free markets.

What Mussolini’s government embraced was a type of government known as Fascism. According to Mussolini:

The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State…

…The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question cannot be the individual, but the State alone.

The proposed and instituted policies of the U.S.  are more similar to Mussolini’s government than the Communism of the Soviets or the Socialism of the French.

Sheldon Richman’s article on Fascism in the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics gives a good description of the Fascist aspect of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal:

In the United States, beginning in 1933, the constellation of government interventions known as the New Deal had features suggestive of the corporate state. The National Industrial Recovery Act created code authorities and codes of practice that governed all aspects of manufacturing and commerce. The National Labor Relations Act made the federal government the final arbiter in labor issues. The Agricultural Adjustment Act introduced central planning to farming. The object was to reduce competition and output in order to keep prices and incomes of particular groups from falling during the Great Depression.

It is a matter of controversy whether President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal was directly influenced by fascist economic policies. Mussolini praised the New Deal as “boldly . . . interventionist in the field of economics,” and Roosevelt complimented Mussolini for his “honest purpose of restoring Italy” and acknowledged that he kept “in fairly close touch with that admirable Italian gentleman.” Also, Hugh Johnson, head of the National Recovery Administration, was known to carry a copy of Raffaello Viglione’s pro-Mussolini book, The Corporate State, with him, presented a copy to Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, and, on retirement, paid tribute to the Italian dictator.

Most of the New Deal is still in existence today. The current economic crisis has been a catalyst for further fascization of the U.S. economy. When congress decided to bail out certain companies, but reject others in the same industries, it crossed a line. When President Obama ordered Rick Wagoner out of General Motors, the U.S. government crossed a line.

Jessica and I had a great time this weekend in Two Harbors, MN. This town of about 3,500 people is located just a little North of Duluth along the shore of Lake Superior.

Day 1

We left on Friday evening, and drove straight through until just before 11pm.

We had reserved a “normal” hotel room with two queen beds. Upon arriving at the AmericInn in Two Harbors, we asked the attendent at the desk if they had any of the King Suites with whirlpools remaining. She said that they did, and that it would cost $15 per night more. I just said “oh that much?” and did not say anything else. After a moment of silence, she said that we could have the King Suite at no additional charge! (Thanks Dave Ramsey for your tips on negotiating a sale).

Day 2

We got up at about 8:30 the next morning at ate a delicious breakfast compliments of the hotel! They had a waffle making station, along with bagels, doughnuts, fruit and more (all free). This sure beats the Embassy Suites I stayed at last June where it was $13 for a small breakfast!

After breakfast, we explored Two Harbors. What an amazing town.

Our first stop was at “Sweet Peas“. This store was simple on the outside, but great on the inside. I could not believe the great deals on gift items in this place. If you need to decorate a north woods cabin, or just want some souvenirs, stop here first. You will likely find all you need and more.

Next, we went down to Agate Bay. As the name implies, this is one of the two bays in Two Harbors. The other bay is Burlingtin Bay. We walked a long way out onto the ice of the bay while we were there. (As a side note, I learned that Agate Bay is actually deeper than the harbor in Duluth, which makes it all the more scary that we were walking on it.)

I took the opportunity to make fun of Man vs. Wild’s Bear Grylls. I love the show,  and if you have ever seen it, you will understand this video:

After touring Two Harbors, we went up the North Shore, and ate at “The Rustic Inn and Cafe” in Castle Danger. The food was great, but this was certainly not a very quick eat. It took a while to get our food, and we were starting to regret that we wasted precious hours of daylight at a sit-down restaurant. For dessert, we had some of their famous pie. It was a huge piece that was enough for the both of us.

Jessica and I headed up to Gooseberry Falls State Park. On our way to the visitor center, we encountered several deer. They were working on stealing food from the bird feeders and only seemed a little worried that we could practically reach out and touch them.

At the recommendation of a park ranger, we started out on a loop that runs along some of the major waterfalls of the park. We stuck to the snowshow trails as she suggested. There were a couple times that I made a slight deviation from the path, and I quicly learned that the unpacked snow is very, let me repeat… VERY deep.

You get a false sense of security walking along snow packed hard by snow shoes. Sometimes I would step off the path to get a better picture, and end up past my knees in snow. Off the main path, the terrain is rugged, just what you would expect on the edge of the Sawtooth Mountains.

After our hike in Gooseberry, we went a little further Northeast to Split Rock Lighthouse. Sunset was at 5:05 pm that day, giving us about 45 minutes to enjoy the famous lighthouse. Since we were not planning on major hikes, this was an easy thing to do. We took some great pictures, and saw an amazing start of a sunset on Lake Superior.

There are really too many pictures to post here, so if you want some amazing pictures of the entire trip, check out here and here.

We then headed back to Two Harbors for a relaxing time at Culver’s. Then went back to our hotel for a swim in the pool and some time in the Sauna.

Day 3

On Sunday, we had a much more relaxed day. We returned to Sweet Peas and bought some decorations for our house (someday we will put them in a cabin that we would like to own!).

Jessica got some Iced Coffee from McDonald’s to start her day on a caffeinated note, and we set out for Duluth. We traveled partially on the express highway 61, then jumped on the scenic route near the French River. We stopped briefly to admire the awesome scenery at the mouth of the river.

We kept heading Southwest along the shorline until we hit Duluth. Jessica and I had planned on eating at the Burger King near Canal Park (it was the first place we ate after getting married), however, they recently knocked it down to make room for a bigger hotel next door. So we took off toward the famous Grandma’s Saloon and Grill.

After stopping at Grandma’s, we stopped in downtown Duluth to look at the Duluth Pack store and a surplus store. Then we left for home.

Summary

All in all, it was a wonderful trip. We had a lot of fun, and can’t wait to get back up in the area. Fortunately, we will be heading up North of Duluth to stay in a cabin on Pequawyan Lake with our family in a couple weeks.

Jessica and I are very excited to watch “24″ Season Seven tonight.

We became big fans of the TV series while we were in college. We would rent an entire season at a time from our school’s video rental place. They let you keep movies over Christmas break. So we could rent whole seasons of 24, Alias, and other shows, and watch all 16 hours of the season over our break.

Whenever we would bring home a season of 24, we would keep saying, “one more episode, then we will go to bed.” This usuall meant that we would stay up half the night watching Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) blow the snot out of terrorists.

I think that 24 is especially entertaining because it really challenges the viewers to think outside the box. Jack is continuously put in impossible situations where he must choose between two or more choices that are shunned by society, discouraged by political powers, or otherwise detrimental to his well-being.

The show’s writers also have no qualms about killing off key characters. This makes it into a suspense filled drama where you never know who might need to be watching their back. In fact, Newsday columnist Raymond J. Keating estimates Jack has directly or indirectly killed 167 people in the first six seasons.

Last season was a little bit duller, with not as much suspense as the previous seasons. Some website are claiming that Jack Bauer was brainwashed this season by the liberal agenda. I guess we will see what happens. I hope they stick with the old character that has made the show so popular.

The show starts tonight (January 11, 2009) at 7pm central time on Fox. They are doing a two hour premier today, followed by a two hour show tomorrow. After that, it will be the traditional one hour episode a week on Mondays at 7pm.

I cannot believe how much it costs to heat your house. Last month, our bill almost doubled. I suppose that comes with the unseasonably cold temperatures.

Jessica and I were talking about the price difference between propane (like we had at our old house) and natural gas (like we have at our new house.

Our initial thought was that it should be about the same. But after doing some research, we found that there is a pretty big difference between propane and natural gas.

In order to figure out the cost of propane verses natural gas, I did the following:

1. I first needed to determine an appropriate conversion between gallons of propane and therms of natural gas. I found a website that listed a rough approximation between therms and gallons of propane:
   “100 cubic feet (1 CCF) of natural gas is very nearly 1 therm (0.95 – 1.05, typically, depending on gas analysis). 1 gallon of LPG is about 0.91 therm. (91000 BTU).”
2. After determining that 1 gallon of Propane = 0.91 therms, I calculated how much one therm equals by doing the by dividing 1 gallon of propane by 0.91 therms. This gives me the solution that 1 Therm = 1.1 Gallons of propane.
3. Then I looked at our propane and natural gas bills to determine the unit prices for each. For propane, this is $1.49 per gallon. For natural gas, it is $0.80 a therm.
4. Next I determined a standard measurement to base our calculations on. I chose therms. Since 1 therm = 1.1 Gallons of Propane, we will take 1.1 gallons of propane times $1.49. This will give us an equivalent to the price per therm.
   1.1 * $1.49 = $1.63
5. We can conclude that, at current market prices (January 1, 2009), natural gas is much cheaper. Currently, $0.80 of natural gas would cost you $1.63 if it was bought in propane.

I don’t think that there could be any song that is more appropriate this Christmas than “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” For the seventh Christmas in a row, our nation, and the world, is wrapped into a struggle that has forever changed our lives.The fight against the Islamic Jihad, had spread from the Middle East, Somalia, and Indonesia, to New York, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. As our nation reacted to the atrocities at home, we mobilized for war against Al Queda, and those who preached the destruction of the west.

Our soldiers began fighting back the enemies of the free world. Our allies were attacked in Spain, Britain, and more. With courage, we stayed in the fight, knowing that a better world could be made, if we prevail.

After seven Christmases of war, many have given up hope. They have proclaimed that the Wrong have indeed prevailed. Hope has given way to despair. It is easy to believe that there will never be peace again.

It was nearly a century and a half ago that a man, by the name of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, felt as many feel today. He began to write a poem, that would describe his journey from despair to hope.

To understand the context of this poem, you must understand the time and situation of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He was a man with scars on the inside and out.

Just three years before, he had tried to rescue his wife as she burned alive after her dress caught fire by a candle. His face was so charred from the fire, that he could not attend his own wife’s funeral.

At the time of this writing, Longfellow’s own nation was in the midst of the greatest struggle it had ever faced. The civil war was in it’s darkest moments and the states were anything but united. Men fought and killed their own brothers and fathers. The tensions between the north and the south created an emotional chasm that appeared as though it would never be bridged.

Longfellow lived at a time when peace may have been desired, but peace was not visible, not even on the horizon.

In the midst of this dark time, Longfellow cried out in his writing:

“There is no peace on earth, for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men. “

This was in the context of a struggle that looked as though it had no end. Many believed that wrong would prevail, and the the Right would fail. They only saw death in the future. Though they believed their cause was just, they had no faith, because they could see no victory.

Longfellow was then reminded that there is hope. With a burst of the bells he was reminded that

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, good will to men.”

With those timeless words, came encouragement, not just to Longfellow or the people of his time, but to the entire human race. We are reminded that there will be struggles and we will face circumstances that we see as all but lost, but in the end, the Right will prevail.

Take heart, our struggles here at home, and those of insurmountable proportions around the world, will be victorious. The wrong shall fail, the right will prevail, with the result being peace on earth and good will toward all men!

Merry Christmas!

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

This should get Michael Moore thinking (can he do that?). Anyway, I thought this video by Fred Thompson was hilarious!

Well, Fred’s got my vote!

Summer is over and we are quickly heading towards Thanksgiving. With that season upon us, it is never too early to begin looking for those perfect gifts for friends and loved ones.

This list will give some of the best and most sought after gifts. It will also give some gift ideas for guys who have everything. And by the way, use this list to buy yourself a gift while your at it!

Over the next few week, these

Digital Photo Keychain

It’s no secret, but digital cameras are in. Most people have one (or 2, 0r 3, etc.). Now that he has a digital camera, make his pictures more mobile.

A digital photo keychain is very cool and very convenient. You can show the latest holiday photos to coworkers, or save those funny pictures from that practical joke that was played on your friend.

It’s a great ice breaker as well. When other people see an electronic gadget that they don’t have, it makes for a great conversation starter!

Digital photo keychains range in price from $19.99 on up.

It has been said that most programmers and gamers run off of Mt. Dew and Jolt Cola. Caffeine has been an “essential” part of computers since the beginning. Why do you think computer languages are even named after it (Java).

Recently, scientists have discovered a way to insert caffeine into baked foods. They had previously failed due to the bitter taste it produces, but recently succeeded in creating caffeinated food without the bitterness.

So, maybe we will see caffeinated pizza or doughnuts become the  fuel of choice for computer users someday!

Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday dear Jessica. Happy Birthday to You!

Today, my wife turns 24 years old. I just wanted to dedicate this day’s posts to her.

So Jessica, I hope your day was filled with happy memories, and that you had a wonderful weekend. You are so special to me and I will love you forever.

Hope your 24th birthday turns out to be a great one!!!!!

Happy birthday sweetie!

Would you believe that the famous TV Series “Get Smart” will be released in entirety on DVD. Unfortunately, Time Life books has decided to wait an entire year until the collection comes out.

The Get Smart Collection will include all of the 138 episodes of this great show. It will also include interview of the cast, bloopers and introductions to every episode by Agent 99.

The catch is that the entire 25 DVD collection will set you back $199.96.

For those of you who have never seen get smart, I am sorry. You missed out on possible one of the greatest, and funniest, shows of the 20th century. Agent 86 was an agent for CONTROL. He worked constantly to ensure that KAOS could never be successful.

Smart always had the latest technologies for his James Bond type job. Here is a short list of some of the great technologies he used:

• The Cone of Silence
• Fingernail Phone
• Shoe Phone
• Closet of Silence – Used when the cone of silence has been rented out to the CIA
• Violin Gun
• Silent Machine Gun

.

The list goes on and on, WouldYouBelieve.com has done a great job of compiling a complete listing of gadgets that were used on Get Smart.