Reality Mirrors Fiction - A Political Nightmare

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal references one of the best libertarian books of all time. The book was written by Ayn Rand who immigrated to the U.S. from Russia in the early 1950's.

Rand's book, Atlas Shrugged, is reviled by liberals and revered by every non-liberal that reads it. The book poses a simple hypothesis. What happens to society when government attempts to control the markets?

Throughout the book those that are successful continue to produce. They find ways around the government barriers set up to 'level' the playing field. The world is divided into the producer and two other categories.

The other groups are those that do nothing and those that identify opportunity to use the government rules as a tool to line their own pockets. (Sounds eerily familiar, it's just like what is going on with our government and economy today doesn't it.)

Ayn Rand used her unique insight and experience from communist Russia to build a captivating and realistic story of what happens when governments attempt to control incomes and what happens when the producers and innovators in society finally give up and throw in the towel.

This book is no easy read. At over 1,000 pages most people will not even attempt to read it. However, when surveyed, a majority of people who have read it said it was one of the most influential books in their lives. It rated second only to the bible.

I would posit that it should be mandatory reading for every high school senior prior to graduation! If you haven't read the book I encourage you to do so.

If you aren't going to read under any circumstance I implore you to at least read the great Wall Street Journal commentary about the book. Here is the link to the WSF article: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=44251878044&h=z8mMm&u=lH3EK

Let's Be Frank

Al Franken is the winner? The man with the a 34% approval rating the day of the election and the man with just a 28% poll numbers today is being certified as a new senator?

It appears that our politicians have now perfected the legal technique of sueing for election. It started long ago in the hot bed of politcal corruption that is Chicago politics.

Sueing for election was taken to new hieghts by Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, then again by John Kerry in 2004. It appears that the lessons learned about how to count hanging chads and how to 'locate' those lost and uncounted votes has been perfected.

Norm Coleman had a 225 vote victory out over 3,000,000 votes. This proves that EVERY vote counts .... But wait .... with the new system of suing for election every vote may not count anymore, some votes may actually count twice!

Reports show that some votes may have been counted twice for Al Franken while legitimate votes for Coleman were tossed by high priced, high power attorneys hired from seed money given to the Franken campaign from George Soros and Hollywood elites.

As a matter of fact, more than 25% of Frankens campaign coffers were filled with funds flowing from out of state sources. Some reports show that a lot of his fund raising was done in California... Draw your own conlusion from that.

Here's what I think: The electorate doesn't count any more. Everyone might as well skip the election. Let's just let anyone that wants to be a senator go out and hire a legal team and then the person with the shiftiest attorney that can manipulate the law and the judges wins.

At least I'll get to sleep in on election day! What a farse!

The Big Swing

If you are political junky or a news hound then right now you are in heaven! The drama that is unfolding before us with this election is amazing. Most people don't see the nuances but, being one of those with their head buried in the news everyday, I for one can tell you, you are watching history at it's finest.

First the Dems make history by nominating a black man to be their nominee for the highest office in the land and in a thoughtful and masterful stroke, they make it official on the anniversary of MLK's I Have a Dream speech. John McCain puts out a classy add the same night expressing his congratulations and good wishes. (I don't care whose side you are on, that's class!)

Counter punch! The next day, The Straight Talk Express nominates a woman to be Vice Pres. Only the second time this has ever happened and the first time for the republican party. He does this on the 100th anniversary of Women's Suffrage Day, masterful! Then in a class move, Barak Obama makes a highly publicised phone call to the new V.P. nominee to wish her luck.

Sounds like a unifying moment for our country and our politics right? Just wait!

The following day Obama and Biden are hammering McCain trying to paint him as another W, but that will be tough to do. It looks nasty until McCain one-ups them by playing to the 'next' Katrina like disaster in New Orleans. Now we have a little game of One Upsmanship going on.

Very interesting, to watch how these candidates consistently get one over on each other. Now even the weather can be used for political gain! It's going to be a very interesting couple of months. Don't you agree?

Trademarking the word 'Olympic' ??? What?

China is up to new tricks for the Olympics. Lets' forget the fact that the world, in love with this communist nation, is willing to send their athletes to compete in one of the most polluted major cities in the world at the risk of injuring their health.

Forgive the fact that the lake where certain water sport events will be performed is so polluted that the military was called in to clean up a huge algae bloom. Let's not even consider the fact that this nation has some of the most egregious human rights violation in world history.

Now......get this......the Chinese Olympic committee is threatening to sue anyone or any company that uses the word 'Olympics' during the Olympics without their express written permission. So, this communist nation is employing a little good old fashioned capitalism and trying garner a little extra coin for their coffers by licensing the word ..... the word Olympics.

I thought the Olympics was supposed to bring the world together and make us all feel as one and help us to understand each other. Seems the Chinese just see this as a huge money making and publicity gathering event.

I've never agreed with those that have called for boycotts of the games, but you know, that idea is looking better to me know. But of course I'm not all that bright so maybe I'm looking at this all wrong. I guess this means there will be no sand flee Olympics this year. (click the link above to see a news report)