Aliens among us?
A theory from the country filosofer
Aliens are visiting this planet to observe how civilizations always self destruct when they advance to a certain technological level. In the galactic past nearly 99% of civilizations never evolve or advance beyond our current level of technology. There are very few civilizations that learn how to cooperate on a worldwide basis to avoid destroying each other or poisoning their planet.
It is possible that we are actually the lab-rats for the aliens. We are short lived, easy to breed, and exhibit the inherent tendency to embrace self-destruction. If we ever expect to join the real citizens of the galaxy we must demonstrate that we can indeed become truly civilized. I expect however that a few samples of our race are even now being preserved to be used in the next experiment. Very few of us have the ability to see where we are headed. The Mayans could very well be correct: December 21, 2012 might be the last day for our current civilization.
Read Larry Niven’s short story: “What can you say about chocolate-covered manhole covers?” From: All the Myriad Ways
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The recent crisis in the mortgage banking industry is a strong indicator of where a free-market economy can go if not over seen by a government with the willingness to reign in the organization that abuse the rights they have. Businesses exist to create wealth for the owners. Owners are for the most part shareholders with little actual influence on day-to-day operations of any company. At best they can vote their shares at stockholders meeting to influence policy with in the organization.
With no oversight, business can approach financial anarchy where each decision is taken with consideration of maximum profit only. Hands-off government policies promote this way of doing business. The powerful business leaders have the ear of the lawmakers and can promote their own point of view on policy legislation. We have to be careful that this is not the only view the lawmakers hear. Responsible legislation promoting diverse opinions before major votes or policy decisions is one way. Stockholders should make efforts to know where their companies are headed and public disclosure must be encouraged. True Democracy depends on an informed voter and voting stockholders must be informed.
Public interest organizations should make efforts to inform the voting stockholders and the public of views other than the business leaders’ profit-only-driven views.
Wyo_Knott
With no oversight, business can approach financial anarchy where each decision is taken with consideration of maximum profit only. Hands-off government policies promote this way of doing business. The powerful business leaders have the ear of the lawmakers and can promote their own point of view on policy legislation. We have to be careful that this is not the only view the lawmakers hear. Responsible legislation promoting diverse opinions before major votes or policy decisions is one way. Stockholders should make efforts to know where their companies are headed and public disclosure must be encouraged. True Democracy depends on an informed voter and voting stockholders must be informed.
Public interest organizations should make efforts to inform the voting stockholders and the public of views other than the business leaders’ profit-only-driven views.
Wyo_Knott
Small businesses hire the people in the lowest level of the economic structure. The person making less then $10.00 per hour does not have any income to put into economic growth. The small business owner (My definition of small business is a business with <$100000 per year net income for the owner). It is these people who most need to protection of the government to assure the businesses do not fall back on slave-like employee treatment and abuse.
Small and medium businesses have a certain responsibility to the citizens of this country who provide them with the opportunity to be business owners. The business owner with the lawn service business and three employees is out there working hard with his crew. He doesn’t need oppressive taxation but the three employees must be protected from the tendency of business men to make maximum profit at the expense of others. The influx of Mexican-born general laborers for these low-level jobs and the hesitation of the government to control this influx serves to prove the tendency toward employee abuse and the government’s intentional blindness toward it.
We have the minimal employee protections in place already. We must be sure the government has the means and the will to help when needed. The business owner can pay a small tax if his employees’ average income is below a certain level. This helps the government pay for the support for the people who cannot afford their own health insurance at the wage they’re paid. There is a wage level where the ability of a person to save a portion of his income into a 401-K plan does not exist. What if a business pays well enough that the employees as a group save a certain percentage into retirement plans? The company part of the Social Security tax could be reduced. A novel idea: rewarding businesses for being fair to employees.
Even poor people have a right to a minimal level of life. They don’t have a right to a private beach house or a 55-foot yacht but they have the same rights as the business owner to pursue these things. Keeping people in their place by underpaying them for their work could be construed as a rights violation. I do not think it is but there is a very thin line that must be patrolled by socially conscious people.
Here’s a thought: If the annual net income of a business owner exceeds ten times the average wage and benefits package of his employees he should pay a small excess profits tax. This same rule could apply to the top executives of larger companies. It is just the cost of supporting the American Government that empowers the business to exist and grow.
Wyo_Knott
Small and medium businesses have a certain responsibility to the citizens of this country who provide them with the opportunity to be business owners. The business owner with the lawn service business and three employees is out there working hard with his crew. He doesn’t need oppressive taxation but the three employees must be protected from the tendency of business men to make maximum profit at the expense of others. The influx of Mexican-born general laborers for these low-level jobs and the hesitation of the government to control this influx serves to prove the tendency toward employee abuse and the government’s intentional blindness toward it.
We have the minimal employee protections in place already. We must be sure the government has the means and the will to help when needed. The business owner can pay a small tax if his employees’ average income is below a certain level. This helps the government pay for the support for the people who cannot afford their own health insurance at the wage they’re paid. There is a wage level where the ability of a person to save a portion of his income into a 401-K plan does not exist. What if a business pays well enough that the employees as a group save a certain percentage into retirement plans? The company part of the Social Security tax could be reduced. A novel idea: rewarding businesses for being fair to employees.
Even poor people have a right to a minimal level of life. They don’t have a right to a private beach house or a 55-foot yacht but they have the same rights as the business owner to pursue these things. Keeping people in their place by underpaying them for their work could be construed as a rights violation. I do not think it is but there is a very thin line that must be patrolled by socially conscious people.
Here’s a thought: If the annual net income of a business owner exceeds ten times the average wage and benefits package of his employees he should pay a small excess profits tax. This same rule could apply to the top executives of larger companies. It is just the cost of supporting the American Government that empowers the business to exist and grow.
Wyo_Knott
Even basic statistics cannot predict how a presidential candidate will act once in office. No pre-written and rehearsed speech will reveal the candidate’s heart and soul. No thirty-second paid ad or a 15 second sound bite from a speech shines a light on the future seen by the candidate.
In the end we know less about a presidential candidate than we know about the neighbor two doors down or the upstairs apartment. Our votes reflect our opinions that have been shaped by our experiences and colored by the political ads and sound bites of news reports.
In the voting booth, to a large part, we vote our personal, recent history. If your recent experience has been some what positive you may vote for more of the same. If you have recently lived a troubled recent history you will tend to vote for a change. How you perceive the candidates position on change is the actual guide for your vote.
Wyo_knott
In the end we know less about a presidential candidate than we know about the neighbor two doors down or the upstairs apartment. Our votes reflect our opinions that have been shaped by our experiences and colored by the political ads and sound bites of news reports.
In the voting booth, to a large part, we vote our personal, recent history. If your recent experience has been some what positive you may vote for more of the same. If you have recently lived a troubled recent history you will tend to vote for a change. How you perceive the candidates position on change is the actual guide for your vote.
Wyo_knott
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