Author Archives: Commentary about the Blue Marble

Crypto Currency Fantasy

10 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in Bitcoin

≈ Leave a comment

            How this internet fantasy is called money and has some worth is beyond me. Intelligent people have been told that Blockchain programs cannot be invaded by a hacker and stolen or wiped out. It isn’t backed by anything. A national currency is backed by a government like the United States or Venezuela. The currency for the USA is solid and used around the world as if it’s gold. On the other hand, Venezuela’s money makes good toilet paper because of rampant inflation but it is still real.

            It seems like a new crypto currency is invented every week. Bitcoin is the most famous and therefore the most trafficked by criminals. It can go up thousands of dollars in a day or down thousands. It has gone over 45,000 dollars and dropped to 30,000 dollars in a few weeks. What did the person have when the Bitcoin lost a third of its “value” — still nothing!

            There are thousands of solid investments that require no conning to get someone to invest. There are probably as many crooked or extremely risky ones that greed compels us to try and Crypto Currency is one. Buying air reminds me of the Dutch Tulip futures when a bulb had a fantastic value and went to nothing in hours. Will Crypto Currency become the great or even greater example of greed and fantasy?

Higher Taxes

05 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by in U.S. Taxes

≈ Leave a comment

            Why do people vote against raising taxes on someone whose yearly income is 500, 600 or more on their income? Most if not all of those super rich make their money from someone else’s labor by reducing the number of workers. Some of these people make one or two hundred million a year, yet lower middle class people who make 40 to 50,000 are against taxing those billionaires more than they are taxed.

            In covering all the bases, the Congress raises the taxes and puts in so many loopholes and ways to dodge paying any tax that the higher rate is meaningless. That’s how the super rich get away with seemingly higher rates than the middle class but pay less, sometimes zero!             During the greatest growth period in this country, taxes were twice what they are today. Reducing taxes sounds great but it is actually counter-productive. Interest rates are much more important to a thriving economy. An example is Reagan’s economic plan. When he took over, the prime rate was high and got higher so Reagan reduced taxes by 30 percent. The budget bled red ink. Interest rates were reduced but the economy didn’t respond much. When the rates on the rich were increased the economy took off. It sounds odd, but it is economic history.

Decision Time

05 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by in Conflict

≈ Leave a comment

            The world is becoming more complicated every day and it just got a log worse. Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi have openly met and promised to keep the West from interfering in their affairs. Both countries are planning to use force to take control of another country. Putin has over a hundred thousand troops and equipment just over the border from the Ukraine. Xi is threatening to invade Taiwan.

            Why should we care about either country? Why should we lose an American life over the independence of either country? Is our national reputation and promises worth supporting them when they are in danger or are we only an ally when there is no danger? We, as a nation, need to make that decision in the next few weeks. The choice is to be a paper tiger or an active friend and ally.

            The decisions must be made soon because I think both invasions are being planned to occur together. Putin wants to keep NATO out of it by cutting off their natural gas for heating their homes, so he needs to act while it is cold. Xi needs to act while we are so dependent on Taiwan’s chip factories. Without those chips, our economy could implode. Once they get control of or destroy those factories they can control our policies and economy.             Don’t be guided by Russian or Chinese lies and misinformation any more. Get off the internet and look at a world globe using the brain you have and not what Xi and Putin tell you to think! Quit believing the Big Lies!

Not My Responsibility

05 Wednesday Jan 2022

Posted by in Coronavirus

≈ Leave a comment

            I pay more for my house insurance than I should because the company pays to repair or replace houses destroyed by hurricanes and floods in the South. They also are paying for the 3,600 buildings in the Kentucky tornadoes and the thousands burned in the Western fires.

            If someone’s buildings are in a river flood plain they pay special flood insurance for the right to get any insurance. If I drive certain vehicles or drive in a dangerous area, my insurance will be more than other people’s.

            Basic insurance is a pool of people who try to compensate those people in the pool who have property damaged. The same applies to those in health pools. So many of those in that pool will get sick and the cost is spread among all those in the pool. Some of those in the pool will pay more because they will be more unhealthy than the average person in the pool. Smokers and others who have unhealthy habits need to pay more to compensate the pool for their foolishness. (their personal choices).

            Several smart politicians and companies have decided to charge more for insurance if pool members haven’t had their Covid 19 shots. The expenses for members who haven’t been vaccinated can easily go into hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. The other members should not have to pay for their choices. Some people have suggested $50.00 per month additional charge. I think it is a great idea. Is it right for a company, a government, or me to pay someone else’s hospital bills when they had a chance to get their shots for free?

Extortion

03 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in President Trump

≈ Leave a comment

            Ex-President Trump’s legal expenses for things he did before he was President are being paid by the Republican National Committee. These problems may extend back to when he was a Democrat. As of the end of November, they total over 1.6 million.

            Did the RNC decide to pay for his legal bills out of the kindness of their hearts or because they are afraid of his threats to start his own party? When he wanted his, his kids, and his sycophants travel expenses paid by the RNC, they buckled and put them on a credit line.

            The legal term for what Trump is doing is called extortion. He has been getting away with extortion all of his business life. He has become an expert at extorting to get his way. His four years as President is a good example. Until more people publicly stand up to him, the longer and more dictatorial he will become. He wants to become President for life with control over the legislatures such as Putin and Xi have in Russia and China.

            This will happen until others like Kinzinger and Cheney stand up to him. American is supposed to be controlled by “We the People,” and not by “He says.”

Another “Big Lie” Exposed

03 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in Big Lie, Putin

≈ Leave a comment

            The “Big Lie” about Putin not helping Trump in the 2016 election is being expanded, exposed, and confirmed by some Russian cybersecurity people. Ilya Sachkov, founder of groups-1B wanted to expand its business outside Russia so he worked for the U.S. and other counties’ intelligence agencies. He is being held by the FSB (KGB’s new name) for treason. Group 1B reported to the FBI that the GBU (Russia’s military intelligence) and FSB both hacked the Democratic National Committee’s computers and gave the information to Wikileaks to be make public. How much other interference has to be rediscovered since Trump’s appointee’s shut down the investigations?

            We already knew the GRU was involved and twelve of the GRU people are indicted and will be tried if they leave Russia. The Swiss have Vladislav Klyushin in maximum security until he can be expedited here for insider trading. He founded another cybersecurity and was a close insider to Putin and should know Russia’s entire involvement into Putin’s plan to put Trump into the White House. Klyushin’s company, M13, handled all the media monitoring services for the Kremlin, defense ministry and other agencies and would know their involvement. One of his senior workers, Ivan Yermakov, is one of the twelve indicted Russians. Klyushin is being kept in maximum security to keep Putin’s hit teams from killing him. He would probably know what was discussed during the secret Trump-Putin and Trump-Russian Ambassador meetings and what Putin might have over Trump.

Global Economic Conflicts

03 Monday Jan 2022

Posted by in America

≈ Leave a comment

            There are lots of advantages to the global economy because international trade is needed for a viable world economy. We import lots of needed things and a huge pile of junk we could do without.

            The huge problem with a global economy is how easy a country can be blackmailed or extorted. Take the Ukraine as a current example. Russia is the prime supplier for natural gas for Germany and much of Europe. If Russia invades Ukraine, can we move enough LNG in tankers to make up for Russia cutting off supplies? Of course Russia could quit selling oil driving the cost up to prices never seen before.

            Let’s say we have a problem with China invading Taiwan where much of the world’s computer chips are made. Imagine no cars, refrigerators, or any other high tech devices needing a chip. In a few years new chip plants here will make America self sufficient in chips. Very rare earths we never heard of are used to make steel and aluminum better and many other things usable. We can’t do without those earths now or in the future.

            Among the things both countries need from us is food. Our farmers supply millions of tons of grain and meat which would be very difficult to replace.  China’s economy would be destroyed even more than ours since whole regions are based on exporting things to America.

            Conflicts occurring within a global economy are a two-edged sword. Both get hurt badly.

Déjà Vu

30 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Hitler Redux

≈ Leave a comment

            Adolph Hitler inspired, led, and directed the activities of the Brown Shirts. They did marches, and intimidated people in local, state and federal governments. They were the original anti-Jewish arm of Hitler’s Big Lie that the Jews had caused Germany’s capitulation ending World War I and other lies. Later when he gained power, Hitler had the Black Shirts kill all the Brown Shirt leadership in an effort to clean up his image.

            Think the Proud Boys and their brown and yellow uniforms are following the Brown Shirts? They thought they were acting on behalf of Trump in their activities. When Trump was asked about the militias he said “Stand back and stand by.” He talked them into the insurrection. When Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boy’s Leader, was arrested before January 6 and those arrested afterwards because of their insurrection, Trump didn’t do anything. Trump’s Black Shirts are dressed in “Civies” quietly going to Republican groups and some radical groups to incite them to do anti-democratic, not party, efforts to restrict or overthrow voting results they don’t agree with. That was Brown and Black Shirt work under Hitler.

            Millions believed Hitler’s Big Lies – A Nazi invention – even after 1945. Some people are easily duped and aren’t easily able to see they were lied to and duped. Today’s militias are following the same path. The FBI needs to shut them down while they number in a few thousand before they become millions of sucker’s, becoming Oath Keepers, Three percenters, or some other radical militias.

Natural Immunity

30 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by in Coronavirus

≈ Leave a comment

            Some Republican states and misguided people in other states believe natural immunity instead of vaccines and masks are the answer to ending the virus. For most diseases getting it once and surviving means the victim is protected from getting it again. Covid 19 is not one of those diseases.

            Half of my nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren are not vaccinated. Some have had it and have since been vaccinated having learned their lesson. One great grand daughter and husband figured they were protected so they didn’t get shots. Their first episode was like a bad flu. Their second was a very bad flu with long haul symptoms. They still haven’t gotten the shots because of some lies they read on the internet. All of those who are not vaccinated believe those lies and have chosen to not get their shots risking another more serious infection and serious long haul complications.

            Republican governors who tell their people to depend on natural immunity instead of mandating shots should remember – dead believers can’t vote for you. Using your people to do another Big Lie means you don’t care about them.

Don’t Need Bullets

29 Wednesday Dec 2021

Posted by in Big Lie

≈ Leave a comment

            Wrestling, Astrologers, Fortune Tellers, the Big Lie, Covid stories and lies, internet sites and Fox News stories are all complete fiction designed to suck gullible people into a silo or a state of compliance to that particular line of thinking.

            Americans are not the only suckers who fall for these stories and lies. Social media makes billions from allowing lies to dominate their sites. The bigger the lie the more gullible people buy into lies and deceit to shape their opinions. This is one reason people have fallen into silos and an anarchist mentality.

            Who is responsible for much of this problem? Some is home grown anarchists but we now know that Putin and Xi have told their cyber groups to create social division in the United States and other democracies. They have lit the fuse to destroy democracy and replace it with authoritarian governments like theirs.

            How to combat gullibility is with facts but in America’s situation facts are dismissed in the deluge of anti-science and anti-government hysteria. Putin and Xi don’t allow freedom of press in their countries and any anti-government posts are immediately removed and the person posting it arrested. In some countries, they might never be heard of again. Democracies have free press so we are fertile ground for Putin and Xi to destroy us without using Khrushchev’s bullet.