Islamist Recruiters In Germany

Trigger

Just read “Salafistenszene/Einladung ins Kriegsgebiet” about young, recently converted Germans who became preachers of Islam and who have tried to recruit other young, impressible men to fight in Syria.

Using Deception

For a long time this preacher was considered to be non-violent based on his public announcements etc. However, he is alleged to have clandestinely recruited young men to fight in Syria.

Exploiting Western Charity

In the name of charity or humanitarian aid for the suffering population in Syria, this preacher is alleged to have collected money etc. for arms and so on to be used in dschihad.

John Dingell Or Why Strict Term Limits Are Overdue

Posted: 2/27/2014 Updated: 11/10/2014

Trigger

The Cato Institute just published this article “Not These Guys Again! The Case for Term Limits” about term limits.

Just read “Abgeordneter John Dingell hört auf/Ein Leben im Kongress” (Loosely translated, Representative Dingell spent his whole life in the U.S. Congress).

When Representative John Dingell retires this Labor Union friendly, leftist/progressive U.S. Representative from a bygone time will have served a total of 59 years of his life from age 29 to age 88.

Dingell Dynasty

He succeeded his father John Dingell, Sr.

We learn from this article above that Representative Dingell (D) wants his much younger wife Deborah Dingell (30 years his junior) to succeed him. Outrageous or is it an old fashioned shame!

Strict Term Limits For Every Public Servant

Representative Dingell is a recoiling example that public service should not be a lifetime occupation.

It is high time for the U.S. Constitution to be amended as follows, no public servant or public sector employee or judge is to serve more than let’s say 10 years total.

Distribution Of Idiots

No matter how you slice it there are more idiots than wise and smart people around at any given time. Thus, if you introduce strict term limits, at least the idiots can not accumulate or just stay on in politics and government as they do now in the current systems in Western countries without term limits.

Fresh Ideas

Strict term limits would offer a chance to for false ideologies or persistent biases etc. to be replaced quicker with better solutions.

Previous, Related Blogs

Here, here, and here.

Show Trial Of Credit Suisse In The U.S.

Trigger

Just read “Firmenchef Dougan als Zeuge/Credit Suisse vor US-Senat zitiert”. U.S. Senator carl Levin (D) forces the CEO of this renown Swiss bank, i.e. Brady Dougan, to appear before his Committee to give testimony.

The U.S. Is A Bully

Why cannot somebody talk sense into this zealous Senator? The world will see this as another example of a superpower exercising raw power.

If I were Brady Dougan, then I would challenge this Senator by not appearing before his committee and seeking any and every legal remedy available to defend myself.

Janet Yellen Timid And Not Confident?

Giving Testimony

I watched this morning (2/27/2014) a few minutes of her testimony before the U.S. Senate today on TV. She was grilled by imposing and cock sure Senator Chuck Schumer from New York.

I don’t know what the Senator from NY was doing. He was reading his long winded, arcane questions off a script by holding his hands in front of his forehead and not looking at her at all. He was not engaging the chairwoman. Was he just trying to run out the clock?

Yellen’s Appearance

She appeared to be meek, intimidated and not confident at all to answer Senator Schumer’s questions. Was this just a typical female tactic or is this her nature?

What did the senators notice when they interviewed her one on one during the vetting of her candidacy?

The Next Chairperson Should Not Be A Professor

As one lesson learnt here, next time we should not choose a university professor to become the next chairperson of the Fed.

A person from the financial sector with real world experiences might be better suited.

What Little Humans Know About Elephants!

Trigger

Just read article titled “The Science Is In: Elephants Are Even Smarter Than We Realized ”. Elephants scientists now figured out are much more smarter and empathetic than thought before.

Read the article! It is amazing stuff!

The Human Centric Viewpoint Got In The Way

Why was the intelligence of elephants underestimated for so long, scientists applied experiments suitable for humans or primates instead of investigating the natural strengths of the elephant.

Government Allows Wind Turbines To Kill Birds And Bats

Trigger

See e.g. this article titled “Killing Wildlife In the Name of Climate Change/Testimony by Robert Bryce, Senior Fellow”.

Just in case you did not know that wind energy farms are allowed to kill flying animals and endangered species (e.g. bald eagle) with impunity thanks to the federal government.

No Comment!

This article and many others about this subject speak for themselves!

Do I and others sense a double standard here? You bet!

Legalize The Sale Of Ivory

Trigger

I have recently read a few articles that suggested doing this. I hope to add references/links to these articles later.

Current System Of Prohibition

Strict prohibition of any hunting or sale of ivory from elephants or rhinoceros etc. has been the predominant approach to the conservation of ivory. Or is it the sale of mammoth tusks from Siberia?

Has this regime stopped poaching or sale of ivory? No!

Has it significantly reduced poaching? Doubtful!

Please do not get me wrong! Poaching should remain a despicable crime. Poachers and their enablers should be punished harshly.

Pros

As they say when you cannot beat them join them! :-)

The legalization of ivory sales would have a number of benefits:

1. Reduction in the price of ivory, thus reducing the incentive for poachers etc.
2. Husbandry and care of any species that grow ivory for commercial purposes
3. More research of ivory growing species
4. More animals available for entertainment etc.
5. More protection for ivory growing species in the wild and in parks

IRS Self Employment Tax Misnomer

Trigger

While preparing my tax return for 2013, I could not help myself but to write this blog post.

If you are not sure what I am talking about, then check out following IRS documents:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sse.pdf

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sse.pdf

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p334/ch10.html

What An Humbug!

This tax is anything but a self employment tax. It is the Social Security payroll tax (12.4%) plus Medicare tax (2.9%). So as a sole proprietor I have to pay both the employer and the employee portion of the Social Security payroll tax adding up to 12.4%.

Big Government Fools Its Citizens For Too Long A Time

It is outrageous that employees pay only half the Social Security payroll tax in the U.S. as well as in e.g. Germany. This is a great deception and a great fiction implemented by big government to fool its citizens.

Famous Quotes About Government

Posted: 2/21/2014  Updated: 9/29/2016, 4/13/2015

Update Of 9/29/2016

But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.

James Madison

The Federalist No. 51

February 6, 1788

Update Of 4/13/15

How could I forget to add Frederic Bastiat:

“The State is the great fiction through which everyone endeavours to live at the expense of everyone else.”

(The State in Journal des débats (1848) par. 5.20)

Original & Updated

1. “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one”
   (Thomas Paine, 1776, Common Sense)
2. That government is best which governs least!
   (Source in question)

These two principles should be taught and explained to all children of the world!

The United States was founded on these principles, but has long since abandoned them!

What Do Frankfurt Am Main And Rome Have In Common?

Birthplace And Favorite Destination

Frankfurt am Main, Germany is my birthplace. Rome, Italy is one of my favorite travel destinations among the capitals of Western Europe.

Election Of Kings

Both cities are known for being places where kings were elected. In Frankfurt nobles were choosing the next king. In Rome during the Roman Kingdom period, the people elected the next king.

Both Cities Are At A Major River

But this is not all, both cities lie at a critical ford across the river. Frankfurt is even named after the ford of the Franks. Some say population is destiny, but geography is influential too.

Obamacare Employer Mandate Is Unconstitutional

Welcome To The United Socialist States Of America!

That Obamacare with its three mandates, i.e. individual, employer, and insurance, were passed by the U.S. Congress is a troubling sign of the times. The Soviet Union is long dead, long live socialism in the United States. 

This employer mandate as well as the other two Obamacare mandates are as unconstitutional as Social Security or Medicare!

As an immigrant to this country I am still stunned how something like this could ever happen.

President Obama’s Unconstitutional Unilateralism

It is very telling that the President does not faithfully execute the law of the land as he has sworn to do so, but to single handedly change the law as he sees fit without consent or consulting the U.S. Congress.

Thus, the U.S. President meets an unconstitutional law with unconstitutional actions.

From An Employer’s Perspective

Why should an employer be forced or incentivized by government to provide any health insurance for his or her employees? Only socialists come up with ideas like that to misuse employers in this way.

It should be completely left in the employer’s discretion whether any or what kind of health insurance is offered to employees or not. There should be no government interference or incentives! This the founders & framers would probably like very much!

From The Citizen’s Perspective

I want my own private health insurance offered by a free market for me and my wife without any or the least possible interference of government.

I do not want my employer to provide me with some kind of health insurance. I want to choose and keep my own health insurance for as long as I like.

Previous, Related Blog Posts

Here, here, and here.

A Prayer For Animals Used In Experimentation

Introduction

A tribute to guinea pigs and other laboratory animals! W should be very thankful to these animals!

Of course, I disagree with animal rights activists, especially the fanatic kind, to prohibit all and any animal experimentation.

I believe, researchers have over the past decades tried hard to reduce the number of animals subjected to experimentation. However, still millions of animals die or suffer each year in the name of science and medical research to the benefit of humanity but also to the benefit of animals.

It is only a matter of time that humans will develop computer or biological models or other means to to avoid or supplant animal experimentation and end animal suffering. I would bet that within the next 25 years, humans will be able to reduce or largely eliminate animal experiments or animals will have to suffer little or not at all.

Prayer

Every human ought to be very grateful to each of the animals that suffer or die each day so that we humans can learn more about life and health.

We all pray that researchers make fast progress finding viable alternatives to animal experimentation or to reduce suffering of animals. We pray that our political leaders support this progress as best as they can.

We are all God’s creatures on this planet! We need to respect one another!

Under Armour A Drag For U.S. Speed Skaters At Winter Olympic Games

Blaming Game

The American sports clothing and accessories company was blamed this week for the poor performance of top U.S. speed skaters at the Sochi Olympic Games. Here is the company’s response.

The company sponsored the team and provided the suits, which were reported to have never before been tested in a competitive situation. This by itself is an incredible circumstance.

Why did the U.S. team not bring along the old suits just in case as was reported this had been done before in a similar situation.

Do Suits Make All The Difference?

Does this indeed mean that among the the top dozen or more athletes in this sport worldwide only the one wins who has some kind of external benefit like a suit? Or the one who is doped better than the rest?

Top Athletes Are Actually Only Average

By implication based on the above discussion this would mean that the top athletes are the best in their sport but they are only average.

Superathletes

If top athletes are only average, then this makes it even more relevant to look for truly outstanding superathletes like Mark Spitz or Michael Jordan or Lance Armstrong and so many others.

Martial Consequences Of The American Civil War

Posted: 2/19/2014 Updated: 2/18/2015

Prologue

I usually do not like to entertain speculation about the course history would have taken, but I will make an exception here.

The American Civil War fought under president Abraham Lincoln were a watershed event in U.S. history in many respects.

Brush With Imperialism

In the late 19th century one could argue that the U.S. engaged in expansionism or imperialism (I do not like latter, ideological, loaded term very much) when it was involved in the Spanish American War of 1898 (Cuba, Theodore Roosevelt); Philippine-American War (1899–1902).

At a speech in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far", which was a cornerstone of diplomacy during his presidency (source).

The Rebuilding of the Navy 1882-1898.

The push for the Panama Canal in 1903-04. The story behind the Panama Canal is worth a separate blog post.

The Great White Fleet event of 1907.

Entering World War I

I would argue it was not necessary for the U.S. to enter into World War I as they did. It would probably have sufficed to remain on the side lines and to provide weapons and money to allies. This was a war between roughly equal European powers.

What Is The Point?

In short: The unnecessary American Civil War was a consequential turning point in many respects.

Had the U.S. not previously engaged in a all out devastating Civil War where perhaps as many as 1 million people died, the U.S. would not have been battle hardened and less sensitive to death anymore  to engage like other European powers in all kinds of wars for no good reason.

Previous, Related Blog Posts

Here with references to other, previous blogs.