German President Advocates A More Muscular Foreign Policy

Trigger

German President Joachim Gauck opened the prestigious annual Munich Security Conference with a bang. He sincerely suggested that Germany should play a more dominant role in international politics to

German news:

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/muenchner-sicherheitskonferenz-gauck-fordert-neue-deutsche-aussenpolitik-12778741.html

Following is the full text of the president’s speech:

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/gauck-rede-im-wortlaut-deutschland-muss-bereit-sein-mehr-zu-tun-12778744.html

English news:

http://www.dw.de/gauck-opens-munich-security-conference-with-call-for-more-german-engagement/a-17399048

Almost Unheard Of In Post-war German History

That a German President in the post war period would advocate a more muscular German foreign policy is almost incredible. Further, the current German President is a protestant pastor and he is from former German Democratic Republic. Latter may explain to some extent his courage to speak out.

Kudos And Support For President Gauck

I have been saying for quite some time that Germany can no longer hide behind its Nazi past to avoid international responsibility. I have also previously argued that Germany has because of its Nazi past an increased responsibility to prevent or defeat other bloody tyrants in this world.

First Reactions

If you read the online commentary to the first German language article mentioned above about the speech by the German President you will notice a lot of readers likened the him to a warmonger and many used ugly ad hominem attacks.

Why am I mentioning this, because this article is published in one of the leading newspapers of Germany and it is known as a conservative newspaper.

See here and here.

Libya And Germany’s Abstention An Abdication Of Responsibility

Background

I originally posted this blog post in late March of 2011, but withdrew it later.

Germans Do Not Live Up To Their Vow Never Again (Nie Wieder!)

If any country in this world has an obligation to come to the rescue of people who are brutally attacked by their ruthless dictator it is Germany. Instead Germany’s leader choose election year tactics over responsibility.

Germany Voted With China And Russia

It is shocking and appalling, Germany still refuses to take international Responsibility. Not only was the UN Resolution on Libya very late, but Germany voted with China and Russia. Germany is not another Switzerland. German foreign policy is still conducted by talking and money, but not by action. History waits for no one!

Germany Likely Undermined NATO Decision

Given this incredible abstention, it is quite likely that Germany also delayed decisions at NATO. Why did Germany not decide to act together with France and the UK or Italy? Was Germany complicit why the US President hesitated so long? An abstention like this is an insult to Germany’s allies.

Libya Was Absolutely Critical

The case of Libya was straightforward: A belligerent, brutal dictator with a 40 year history of mayhem using foreign mercenaries to kill his people. A dictator, who incited war in neighboring countries and abroad. A dictator who frequently trained, paid, supported and who ordered terrorist attacks.

Now Syria and Iran can continue and have nothing to fear.

German Government Failed To Sense Urgency

Given the fact that the current US President is an indecisive community organizer it was upon Germany, France or the UK to show leadership and to assure all freedom loving people of our commitment.

Immediate Resignation Of The Government Government

Mr. Westerwelle it is time to resign! Ms. Merkle it is time to resign! You have tarnished the reputation of Germany and violated your oath! These two German leaders sorely lack Zivilcourage (moral courage).

Two German presidents (the Bundespraesident and the Praesdient of the Bundesbank) have already resigned!

President Obama Why Don't You Just Quit!

My greatest political wish for the U.S. and the rest of the world.

This is the best thing President Obama can do for his legacy and for his country: He should choose to voluntarily quit his office and and for Vice President Biden to call for new elections.

History would be made instantly. Generations will talk about it.

The world will be a better place to live in!

The Black Amelia Earhart

Trigger

January 26 was Bessie Coleman’s 122th birthday. The picture on her aviation license portrays a good looking black woman with daring can do attitude.

Some Notes On A Very Unusual Woman

Why is this woman so much less known than Amelia Earhart?

Long before Josephine Baker, she traveled to Paris to become an aviator. She also got to know Mr. Anthony Fokker in the Netherlands.

She certainly had to overcome many more hurdles than Amelia Earhart to become an accomplished aviator. Her upbringing was very humble (“tenth of thirteen children to sharecroppers”).  She was never married to someone like George P. Putnam.

“Coleman became not only the first African-American woman to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, and the first American of any gender or ethnicity to do so, but the first African-American woman to earn an aviation pilot's license.”

She obtained her international aviation license about two years earlier than Amelia Earhart (“June 15, 1921”).

Several man helped her more or less in her career as an aviator: “No black U.S. aviator would train her either. Robert S. Abbott, founder and publisher of the Chicago Defender, encouraged her to study abroad. Coleman received financial backing from a banker named Jesse Binga and the Defender.” Jesse Binga was a black, very successful banker, a story by itself for another time.

She became a barnstorming stunt flier on air shows.

She died too young at age 34 in 1926.

Previous, Relevant Blog Posts

See here.

The Return Of Government Centralised Energy Planning

Trigger

See this paper titled “From Nationalisation to State Control – The Return of Centralised Energy Planning”

Takeaway

The author of the above mentioned paper limits himself to reporting about the situation in Great Britain.

However, similar disturbing trends are observable, e.g., in the U.S. and Germany.

Socialism is dead, long live Socialism. Autocrats/authoritarians still outnumber friends of liberty.

Contrasting News About China This Week

Trigger

Here are the two news articles:

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/asien/milliardenvermoegen-in-steueroasen-pekings-peinlich-entbloesste-machtelite-12763732.html

Here is an english article by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/millionen-internetnutzer-umgelenkt-chinas-zensoren-tricksen-sich-selbst-aus-12764079.html

Here is an English article.

Top Leaders Of Communist Party Secretly Own Billions Abroad

Please read the English article above for details. Kleptocracy and communism goes hand in hand.

Thanks To God Censors Are Not Perfect

It appears this week the Great Firewall built by Chinese censors suffered a huge embarrassment when 100th of millions of Chinese Internet users were redirected to websites not approved by the Communists.

As has occurred many times before in history we have a cat and mouse game going on between censors and citizens. In the end citizens outwit and win!

Individual freedom is irrepressible! :-)

How Big Government Co-Opted Charities

Apologies To Mr. James Piereson

I could not come up with a more suitable title for his article published 7/18/2013 on the Opinion Page of the Wall Street Journal. Here is the source of this blog. His article is highly recommendable. He is among other things the President and a trustee of the William E. Simon Foundation.

Be warned it is a shocking article! :-)

A Primer

The above article is very long. Thus, let me try to summarize the salient points here (Emphasis added).

1. “For much of U.S. history, nonprofits have operated as a check on government by providing private avenues to serve the public interest. Unfortunately, American charities—and more broadly, the entire nonprofit sector—have become a creature of big government.”
2. “For decades, the U.S. government has administered research, welfare, housing and educational programs through a system of grants to ... not-for-profit advocacy groups. In the past 50 years, federal spending has exploded 36-fold, to about $3.6 trillion in 2012 from $100 billion in 1962. Meantime, the number of federal civilian employees has expanded modestly in comparison—to 2.8 million in 2011 from 2.5 million in 1962. The reason the federal government can increase its spending without adding many employees is because it subcontracts so many of its functions to ostensibly private institutions. This system has gradually turned much of the not-for-profit sector into a junior partner in administering the welfare state.”
3. “The publication Giving USA, which tracks charitable spending, reports that the government now supplies one-third of all funds raised by not-for-profit organizations. Major research universities, hospitals and health centers could not survive without large allocations from the federal government, and are among the largest recipients of federal grants and contracts.”
4. “If we leave out the large sums these institutions receive, the nonprofit sector still got $215 billion in 2010 in government grants and contracts. These funds were directed primarily to advocacy groups, social service organizations and non academic research institutions.”
5. “Many political groups that lobby for increased government spending are major recipients of government grants. AARP, which lobbied mightily on behalf of the Affordable Care Act, has a tax-exempt foundation that received $97 million (or 82% of its revenues) in government grants in 2009.
6. According to the website www.USASpending.gov, the National Urban League received $16 million in 2012 and the National Council of La Raza, which lobbies on behalf of immigration reform and other issues important to Hispanics, got more than $8 million in 2010 in grants from various government departments and agencies. La Raza recently won a $100,000 grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for a public-relations campaign called "Engaging the Latino Community as Only NASA Can."”
7. “Planned Parenthood, also an influential advocate for government spending, received more than $25 million in federal grants in 2012. This list could be expanded many times. Often these well-connected organizations win several grants per year from different federal departments and agencies.
8. Religious organizations also receive large infusions of federal funds. Catholic Charities USA receives more than half of its funding each year ($554 million in 2010) from federal grants. In 2012, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops received $63 million, and World Vision, an evangelical relief organization, received $57 million in federal grants.”
9. “ Instead, they [government money dependent non profits] form one of the more powerful lobbying forces in Washington for increasing government spending, especially spending on tax-exempt groups.”
10. “The cozy relationship between nonprofits and the government should make us question the value of the charitable deduction in an era of expanding government. The original purpose of the deduction was to encourage charitable giving based on the belief that strong voluntary associations would reduce the need for government support. It no longer serves that purpose, given that private charities have become advocates for bigger government.”

The Little Sisters Of The Poor

This non profit organization was recently all over the news, because of Obama Care.

I have blogged here about their huge mistake to accept lots of federal funding from Medicare.

What To Do About It?

Unfortunately, the author of the above article does not really have much to offer in this article.

From a small, limited government perspective, the solution is simple: government shall not fund any non-profits involved in welfare or health care. If there is any funding it should require a minimum of 75% of all votes in both houses of the U.S. Congress.

How Phoenix Wastes Tax Payer Money

Reopening Of the Echo Canyon Recreation Area

Yesterday (Saturday, 1/25/2014), I visited for the first time this great park at Camelback Mountain in Phoenix since it recently reopened after a several months long construction project to enlarge the parking lot.

The park was busy like a theme park. The main trail was crowded.

Two Park Rangers With Two SUVs Were Present

I do not know what the city of Phoenix paid for the project, but the city did not use current technology like a sensors at the parking lot and a digital display at the entrance of the park to automatically indicate whether the parking lot is full or not.

Instead two park rangers spend hours at the access area to post a white plastic reading “Lot Full” and field questions. The other park ranger would constantly circle up and down between park entrance and parking lot in his SUV. Too bad, I forgot to take a picture. Is this cheaper or is this a waste!

Before the project there were usually no park rangers present.

The Demagoguery Of Inequality Destructs Civil Society

Posted: 1/26/2014 Updated: 9/13/2014

Trigger

Just read articles about a recent Oxfam International study “Rigged rules mean economic growth increasingly “winner takes all” for rich elites all over world” dated 1/20/2014.

The subject of an alleged inequality or better demagoguery of inequality is rehashed on a daily basis by so sophisticated people or our so called intellectual elite.

Here is a recommendable article about this subject “Selling Envy/How governments promote the worst in us to redistribute wealth”.

The Bible And Civil Society

The Ten Commandments demand that you do not covet thy neighbor’s wife nor property. The ancient and universal Golden Rule rules.

I would argue that these two principles alone, i.e. thou shalt not covet and the Golden Rule, are the most fundamental principles of any civil society. You may want to add strict non violence.

John Stuart Mill in On Liberty about envy: “that most anti-social and odious of all passions, envy”.

Civil Societies rise and fall or perish if these two principles are abandoned.

The Great Recession And Its Scapegoats

With the Great Recession our elected politicians have been very busy trying to find and blame scapegoats, but not themselves, for massive government failure.

Insufficient economic growth breeds resentment against those who are still successful.

Big government (high taxes, over regulation, too many entitlements) has and still continues to smother economic growth, which would provide more opportunities for more people to improve their lives.

U.S. President Obama Is A Dangerous Populist

Or is he a demagogue?

U.S. President Barack Obama appears to be poised to exploit the ideology of inequality as his main talking point in the mid-term elections of 2014. As if there is something odorous about people who made money during or before the Great Recession.

U.S. President Obama is one of the worst offenders. The community organizers is economically illiterate and he is an enemy of business.

He is the latest incarnation of a U.S. President who is far removed from his predecessor U.S. President Calvin Coolidge perhaps one of the last U.S. presidents who understood that the business of free and responsible individuals in a free America is business not big government.

For any U.S. President to engage in such petty populism is a disgrace to the world.

Conclusion

More economic growth, free trade and free markets, more competition, and foremost less government!

More self-made millionaires!