All Posts Tagged With: "economic"
From Egypt To Wisconsin – Protests Were Inevitable
Form the earliest times of humans organizing into tribes the leaders were aware of simple realities: Throw a few crumbs to the masses – enough to feed their children – and you could stay in power. Deny the masses and suffer protest and eventual stripping of power. Government leaders across the globe – from Egypt […]
20Feb2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Confusing Borders, Boundaries, and the American Comfort Level
From Ohg Rea Tone: People sometimes drift into my personal space. I generally enjoy people so my personal space does not extend as far as the reach of my arm. When I shake hands I am likely to pull the other person close, look them in the eye, and measure their sincerity. The enigma of […]
26May2010 | bryan | 10 comments | Continued
The Threat of Fascism in 21st Century America
Fascism – a scary word. Most of us do not know what fascism means – we just feel certain it has something to do with a bad method of government or of economic systems. Fascism is a word like Communism or Socialism or Marxism – we don’t feel the need to understand the exact meaning […]
3May2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Does Our Economic Attitude Matter? A Hole in the Bucket.
Well, they (whoever they is) measure consumer confidence. What do you suppose that is about? Consumer confidence is a measurement of the confidence people have about their ability to sustain their life style – in a manner of speaking. The consequence of positive attitude is that people will spend their money because they have confidence that more is coming. Negative consumer confidence implies that people will not spend their money. Attitude does matter. Gratitude rhymes with attitude for a reason.
7Apr2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Does Our Economic Attitude Matter? A Hole in the Bucket. | Continued
Trust God, But Lock Your Car
The finger pointing has only just begun, and there is reason this is so. People across this country have been devastated by the collapse of our economy. The natural stages of grief have kicked in. The initial stage is denial (John McCain said the fundamentals of the economy are sound). Denial is followed quickly by […]
16Mar2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Trust God, But Lock Your Car | Continued
Obama – Spending or Investing, Big Differences
President Obama has proposed a huge federal budget. In actual adjusted dollars the budget is the largest since 1945, just as we were coming out of WWII. The Republicans are shouting and whining and crying the traditional refrain: “The Liberal are spending our money! Run for your life!” Obviously, there is much spending – but […]
26Feb2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Lincoln and Obama, Saving the Union
What is President Obama really saying about the economic stimulus package before Congress. Here is what I heard, “It is of the right scope, and addresses the right issues.” What does he mean by that? Does he agree with all of the details of the package? When Abraham Lincoln faced the Ciivil War, the most […]
6Feb2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Identity Confusion
Who am I? Sounds like something Descartes might have asked – but I am not nearly so complex a creature as Descartes. There are a few things that are certain. I know I am a father and a grandfather. But those are mere biological truths (I defer here to Descartes). But the ideal of world politics, of a world community, of being an active participant in my world – leaves me a bit confused. I am just trying to figure out if I am liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. It seems to me that the question is most often defined in terms of economics – and sometimes in terms of culture.
2Feb2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Political Parlor Games and Obama’s Oracle
The Obama Oracle predicts the need for at least 825 BILLION in additional stimulus to the economy. It seems the parlor games are in full swing. The Democrats put some dubious spending in the proposal. Things like re-sodding the lawn on the Washington Mall. The oinking could be heard across the aisle. Too much pork the Republicans cried. Not enough tax cuts was the simple refrain. Obama was listening to the poetry of the Congress. Obama chose to go to Capital Hill himself to meet with Republican leaders (Republican Leader is an official oxy moron).
28Jan2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
Redneck Gazette –
Redneck Gazette Fifth Edition Stimulating Economics Stimulating Economics Ohmydidhesayjihad We is having some trouble figuring out what we is hearing. We got us a new President hoping that he would fix the problems this country is having. We don’t know nothing about economics. We only know that we should save more than we spend. We […]
27Jan2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Redneck Gazette – | Continued
Economic Illiteracy
Illiteracy. Generally we think of this word in terms of simple reading and writing. Some have changed the phraseology to ‘functional illiteracy.’ I suppose this means that a person knows the alphabet, can discern some words, and can perhaps sign their name. People are ‘functionally illiterate’ when their comprehension of reading impairs their ability to function in a complex society. If we apply this axiom to our economy, we might easily conclude that most of us are economically functionally illiterate.
27Jan2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Packed With Pork – Economic Stimulus in Perspective
One might think that the Republicans have been on the ropes for about twenty years – judging merely from the whining coming out of Congress. That Republican Congressman Boehner talks like he and his biddies have been the standard bearers for fiscal moderation for many years. Boehner and his cohorts are claim the economic stimulus package proposed by President Obama is packed with pork.
26Jan2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
Detroit Bailout – an Ethical Conundrum
This writer has often defined self as being an economic conservative and a social liberal. Normally there is not much conflict in that ideology. I will help my neighbor as long as I don’t have to borrow money in the endeavor. I will not enable my neighbor to continue poor behavior by bailing him out […]
19Nov2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Finally, An Intellectual Moral President
Barack Obama is the President-elect. We should say that again: Barack Obama is the President-elect. It has been a long time. We in America can be proud of ourselves. Barack Obama is scholarly, educated in constitutional law, intellectually curious, a master communicator, and possesses the moral values of Ghandi, the wisdom of Solomon, and the […]
4Nov2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 15 comments | Continued
Mr. Greenspan Goes to Washington, Shock and Disbelief
Alan Greenspan goes to Washington. And this time he sounds more like Jimmy Stewart as the naive Boy Scout leader who is appointed to the Senate in the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” The Jimmy Stewart character is a Boy Scout, full of innocence, always hopeful, and believing in the honesty of others. He […]
23Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Mr. Greenspan Goes to Washington, Shock and Disbelief | Continued
Immigration – Underground Railroad
We are talking about people. Suffering people. oppressed people. Oppressed by poverty, by repressive land owners, by corporate greed, by poor health care, and by an unresponsive government. North, they are told. North to a land of opportunity. A land where they will not be subjected to the fierce drudgery of poverty. They have relatives […]
11Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 11 comments | Continued
A Personal Experience with Prejudice
The winter of 1963-64 was a rough one. I was in the eighth grade. John F. Kennedy had just been assassinated. My school was becoming integrated (the authorities sent one African American boy to our school and called it good enough). It was code (sic) outside. And my teachers did not like me. (At least, […]
20Mar2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued