Why not go into Syria?

Now for something completely different...

The thought struck me as I was listening to the President tonight that maybe the answer isn't to extend the Bush Tax Cuts, or to extend them for the Middle class while raising taxes on the "Rich", or raising it for everyone, or eliminating the IRS... maybe the answer isn't something that the Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, or even the Tea Party have been pitching...

The Bush tax cuts were created in a different time, the economy was burning through the value it had created during the Dotcom expansion using the home equity bubble as a lever. We needed people to return the money they had extracted from their homes and businesses into the goods and services to keep the economy running at red line for a while longer. The Bush tax policies were perfect for keeping people spending.

Today is a different time, like a teenager with a trust fund, we've spent most of the value we have created over the past 20 years and have a terrible hangover (our's is from Debt this time). So do we need the same tax policy as the one designed to keep a red hot economy red hot? Maybe not...

I'm thinking what we need is to restructure the tax cuts for the wealthy, giving them bigger incentives for each person they hire. Hire more people, get more tax breaks, we bribe them to get off the fence and back into the economy. To offset the bill, we need to boost taxes slightly on the middle class. The combination of these two approaches would result in more middle class people paying slightly more taxes (and less unemployed suckling from the public tit). The increased number of middle class working people would pay much of the cost of Government. If you want a balanced budget, you need to address entitlements, but that's a different discussion.

The punch line is that as more people produce value into the economy (work), the economy would start to grow, businesses would start to grow, the rich would get richer (sorry, I know it's popular to dislike the rich folk these days), the middle class would get bigger, and the unemployed would have the opportunities for work.

If anyone is still reading this please shoot me your comments...

The Dead Weather - Blue Blood Blues (Live from Third Man Records)

Sometimes you just can't get a base riff out of your head.

Political Crack

The first might have been to much, the second was way too much and now congress is talking about a third stimulus package!

Unbelievable

Transparency in Government IT

I've been looking around the Federal IT Dashboard, with some familiarity of a few of the programs addressed at the site. The site seemed to give a reasonable evaluation of the programs. By clicking on the various bars this web site allows anyone to drill into the programs that make up that portion of the portfolio. You can see the cost and schedule evaluation of each program as well as an evaluation of the program's risk.

I imagine that after the Christmas Terrorist attempt things will be changing on these charts for the Department of Homeland Security. Especially in the TSA's secure flight initiative which is currently rated green on the main page and yellow on the details.  The information supporting the previous statement has been taken off line, so here's a view of the IT dashboard for your reading pleasure.

And then what?

After a day at the beach a man was on his way back to his car when he passed a beggar sitting quietly on boardwalk. Concerned for the beggars well being, the man said “Sir, let me teach you to fish”

The beggar said “And then what?”

The man said “ Then you can have fish for dinner.”

The beggar said “And then what?”

The man said “Then you can continue to fish, maybe catch a fish to eat and one to sell so you can have some money.”

The beggar said “And then what?”

The man said “If you have a skill that you can use to make money, then you can have a job. With a job you can buy things like a car and a house.”

The beggar said “And then what?”

The man said “You can eventually retire, and spend your days relaxing on the beach”

The beggar finally said “I spend my days relaxing on the beach now, so why would I want to learn to fish!”

The man walked away.

Terrorist Trials in New York

Not so much a post, but rather a question...

Image via Wikipedia

In U.S. Courts a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty. All of the our investigative procedures (evidence collection...), arrest procedures (Miranda... ), and court procedures are focused on preserving this legal perspective. How can a war criminal be seized outside of our boarders, by people who are not trained in the intricacies of our legal system (non-law enforcement types) put together a case that will hold up in a U.S. criminal court?

How will the 9/11 bombers get a fair trial in New York? Who will be on the Jury? Do these criminals have peers in New York (I hope not)? If the U.S. puts these individuals on trial with a pre-determined outcome as is being indicated by Mr Holder, will this be a legitimate court or a kangaroo court?