There's Good News Out There

A Note of Optimism

I'm Scared

We are in trouble.

I gotta admit, the stuff I've been reading on economists blogs, such as The Big Picture and Greg Mankiw's Blog, is a bit one-sided. but I don't see much praise of these moves from anyone that understands the economy. And from my evaluation of it, this is a bad move. As Luigi Zingales put it, the government is creating a system "where profits are private, but losses are socialized." That doesn't sound like a good system to me. I love to benefit from my work. And in all honesty, the idea of not paying for the things that go wrong around me or because of me is very attractive. But I don't want others to pay for it. If it's a case of them or me, I will say me. Hence, if I'm willing to pay for my mistakes, I ask that others pay for their own. 

And more important than who pays for what is what happens when we pay for it. If I trip down the stairs and break my collar bone, rest assured, next time I'll walk down those stairs with extreme care. If I ride my bike without a helmet, crash, and get a concussion, next time I'll wear a helmet. And what encourages me? The pain. What if the pain were taken away? Well, I'd run recklessly down stairs and knock my brain around falling off the bike, and probably end up killing myself from all the injuries. The pain is a motivation to change. If we take the pain of this crash from those who are in a position to make sure it doesn't happen again, then they will not learn and we are in danger to face this again.

Of course, there is a degree to which I'll take on others losses and pains. I believe in service, in helping and loving my fellow man. I will work in soup kitchens, I will pay fast offerings, I will give time and money to help others. But that is on a personal, individual basis. I reject the government's right to force me to help others. 

And this differs from my personal willingness to serve in another way. I reject the government's right to take my money and help not the outcast and downtrodden, but the wealthy. This money is not going to help the poor. It is going to help the rich. 

We are in trouble. The capitalist system which has produced an incredibly wealthy and stable economy is being threatened by those who should protect it. But you can't trust politicians to think of the long-term. They are forced by short-term economic incentives (the need to get their constituent's vote in a month and a half) to think in the short-term. 

The market's up, but at what price?

I Like Your Thinking...

All right, now you can hear from someone who has a better idea what he's talking about:

Perhaps, It's Time to play Offense

So, here's the balanced idea. The government needs to step in to a degree. But it should do so in a way that limits the amount of our money it uses and it should let the market take care of bad business-men. Should we bail-out people who are bad at business? Does that help the economy in the long run?

More Beauracracy?

Obama wants more regulation

So, Obama wants more regulation, while McCain wants a government study. My honest opinion, as a highly educated economist (a total of 3 basic econ classes), is that the government should have as little involvement as possible. Government involvement is part of the reason we are in this mess. Granted, it's a complex issue I hardly understand. Let me say what I know, or have been told.

First, this housing crisis was one foreseen years ago. I remember walking with my dad through the frames of new houses on the edge of Simi, talking about how these house prices are being driven up not by actual demand, but by speculation. And that's exactly what it was. It was an unsustainable surge, because people simply couldn't afford to live in the houses they were getting. The supply of nice, big houses exceeded the demand.

Second, the government, in an effort to help out the mortgage market, set up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Their goal was to make it easier for people to get mortgages. The way it worked was, banks would sell people mortgages. Then Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would buy bundles of mortgages from the banks and sell them as securities to investors. So, the banks had no accountability. They simply had to get the commission. They sold mortgages to people they probably never would have sold them to if the bank had to care for the mortgage. The government helped out the mortgage market, all right.

Third, there is a natural business cycle. Over all of recorded economic history, there have been ups and downs. Sometimes everyone gets more prosperous. Sometimes everyone gets a little poorer. But time has proven, at least in the U.S., that despite every downturn, Americans have consistently gotten richer. This cycle will end as well, and the prosperous days will return.

So, eventually, as has happened several times in the past, the bubble burst. People realized that they were paying far more than the houses were worth. Something sparked someone to start selling, then others started selling. Mortgages became worthless because so many had been sold to people who couldn't pay them. The market began to unravel.

Now, is this the government's fault? No. Is it the banks? No. How about the buyers? No. Whose is it? Well, I feel everyone shares the blame. There was a lack of responsibility, long-term thought, and understanding of markets on all sides. 

The government made a move they didn't necessarily need to make. They stepped in on a market to make it more "fair." My opinion there? This should only be done very, very carefully, if ever. Despite my advanced economic understanding, this is a subject I need to study more about. I do feel, however, that if the market has driven prices up, there is a reason, and it has nothing to do with anyone taking advantage of anyone.

Banks made a big mistake. There were no short-term incentives to control who got mortgages, but they are now experiencing the long-term ones. Rest assured, no matter what the government does, banks and businesses will learn from the mistakes of their failed competitors and set their own regulations. It makes good business sense.

And of course, there is us - the consumers. It was consumers who began the speculating and bought things that they couldn't afford. Ok, maybe not you and I, but many people not too different from us. What this comes down to is simple advice that we have been told by parents, teachers, advisors, and even our modern-day prophet - don't buy what you can't afford. Stay out of debt. Homes are wise investments, but you have to be able to at least pay the interest rate. Spending money wisely would probably solve a lot of problems in today's economy.

The financial market is reeling. It is in the low part of the business cycle. Hopefully it doesn't get worse. But it will get better. And I don't think the government is going to get it better. I don't think my tax dollars are going to save anyone's butt. My hard work will save mine. And it will be the hard work of the average American that gets us out of this mess. Each man, working for his wage, for his personal profit. That is the solution. If we work hard enough to provide for ourselves, not only will we personally make money, but we will produce something. That thing which we produce is what we pass on to the next generation. It is what they will build off of to be far more prosperous than us. But if we sit on our butts and try to make money off others, then it will fall apart. Someone somewhere has to produce. Someone has to seek profit through their honest hard work. If no one does, then it falls apart.

So, what is my solution? Well, I have a lot to learn in my field. There is a lot I don't understand. But I don't think the government should do too much. They should do something. While the business cycle always has and always will exist, it hasn't been nearly as bad since the Great Depression, when the government began stepping in. But limited involvement is important. The simple reason is, I feel, because of the lack of information the government has. They don't understand the complex economy. No one does. So if they try to control it, it will be like building levees around New Orleans - doomed to failure. They can affect it, but they have to accept the fact that collapses such as these are inevitable - just like hurricanes. Of course, one big difference is that while people can't cause hurricanes, government regulations can actually cause economic problems. So, both McCain and Obama must be very wary of where they step. I'm sure they both seek a better economy. The fact is, it's very difficult to tell how to bring that about and impossible to force it. I think McCain's more cautious and careful approach is better because it won't accomplish much straight away. The slower it takes the government to step in, the better.

In the meantime, don't let your investments rely entirely on the stock market.

The Winds of Change

I think the nature of my blog might begin to change soon. I decided I want people to read my blog. People tend to be more interested in reading about other people's lives than they are in reading about politics and economics. Not that i won't write about those things - that's part of who I am. But there will be updates on my life here. Soon...

The War We Wage

I have just returned home from the front lines of a war against ignorance and darkness. I spent two years doing all I could to bring the light I enjoy into the lives of others. I came home to find that the frontline extends to not only my home nation or state, but into my very community, home, and heart. Satan is relentlessly attacking and his efforts are accelerating. As new media tools come into play, there is no longer a sideline. The line has been drawn and the people of the world are taking sides. Whether it be on the topic of marriage or family or temples or truth, there are constant battles around us. Today I continue by battle for truth and light.

Mormons Exposed - Famous Mormons and Mormon Beliefs

Home Sweet Home

Well, I made it home. After 2 years in Sydney, it's a little strange to be back. It's nice, though. I can do things like watch tv, get on the internet, and sleep in. I'm enjoying it a little now. The next step is to figure out a bit of a schedule so I can still get stuff done. How weird to be home...

Sum of All Fears

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | US claims it is 'ready' for Korean missile test

One thing I have yet to see any newspaper report is exactly how far 9300 miles is. A quick estimate using Google Earth showed me something that convinced my North Korea should not have nuclear weapons or long-range missiles. A range of 9300 miles cover all of Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and the northeern part of South America. By all means, take this weapon away from them!

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | US claims it is 'ready' for Korean missile test

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | US claims it is 'ready' for Korean missile test

One thing I have yet to see any newspaper report is exactly how far 9300 miles is. A quick estimate using Google Earth showed me something that convinced my North Korea should not have nuclear weapons or long-range missiles. A range of 9300 miles cover all of Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and the northeern part of South America. By all means, take this weapon away from them!

Maggie Gallagher on Mitt Romney and Gay Marriage on National Review Online

Maggie Gallagher on Mitt Romney and Gay Marriage on National Review Online

Mitt Romney has the argument I've been looking for and slowly developing for 3 years. Marriage is about the children, not the adults. Here it is! Ac lear argument about the real issue at stake. I don't need to say much. Mitt Romney says it all.

Responsibility?

BBC NEWS | Europe | Fears of Poland's gay community

"I want to live in a country which respects human rights."

Ever heard of human responsibility? The liberals in support of gay marriage go off about human rights, but they ignore the fact that along with these rights come responsiblities. Or they do not recognize which responsibilities are necessary to preserve any human society. I can understand the anger against those who threaten homosexuals. That's a righteous anger against those who simply hate. but there is a failure to recognize that there are those who hate the action because it does not promote the continuance of the human race. It promotes sheer self-indulgence, nothing else.

There is a lumping together of those who oppose homosexuals and those who oppose homosexuality. There is a difference it is an important one. Homosexuality is a deviant behavior. It is a sickness. It causes to people to seek happiness in something that, ultimately, will not bring it to them. But this does not mean we need to hate them. They are making a mistake, but hating them will not save anything.

It's like alcoholism. I know someone who was an alcoholic. He struggled with it greatly. It was a deviant behavior that was ruining his chances of a happy life. But his family didn't give up on him. They recognized that there was a difference between the man and the problem. They knew that this man, after you got past the alcohol, was good. His family continued to love him and help him. This doesn't mean they accepted the problem. Loving him and rejecting the problem was possible and necessary. Eventually, he overcame the problem. He is no longer an alcoholic and today is a great man.

We need to look at homosexuality the same way. We can't just reject those who struggle with the problem. We can and need to love them. But this does not mean we accept the problem. It is still a problem. So, we love the person and do our best to help them overcome this challenge. This deviance is not a central part of their personality, their essence, their soul. it can be taken away and they will still be a whole person. In fact, they will be overcoming something that was holding them back.

The great crime of homosexuality is that it focuses a person on themself. It is all about fulfilling their own desires. That is why I believe the only time and place for sex is after marriage. At this point, it's no longer about the individuals involved. It's about the couple. Or, at the least, it is a great deal more likely. Many will point out that many get divorce, have affairs, or simply do not wait until marriage. But that's not the point. Giving up on loyal heterosexual marriage simply because not everyone met its requirements is stupid. The fualt isn't in the institution. It's in humankind. We fall short of the ideal. And destroying the ideal simply because not everyone can meet it doesn't solve the problem. it makes it worse. Now no one has anything to strive for. The rules and bounds that kept society in check, that limited teenage pregnancy, the spread of STDS. fatherless children, divorce, etc. have been abandoned beause they didn't work perfectly, because they were to restrictive. People ignored their true purpose and called it meaningless tradition based on the desire for rich men to gain power over others. And today we see the results. I can lay, with confidence, a great deal of the problems of today's world at the feet of liberals who sought greater freedom, ignoring consequences.

I want human rights, but let's remember that along with every right comes responsibility and consequence.

Family

So, I was thinking about what we need to do to preserve this nation. Considering my audience, I probably don't have to explain what I mean. It's fairly clear that we're falling apart. So what's the solution? Well, I don't have one for many issues. Especially for things like Iraq, Iran, oil, nuclear weapons, Hugo Chavez, etc. Those are big questions that I don't know enough about, though I continually learn more about them and hope, someday, to have some ideas.

There is something more basic that needs to be done, though. All of those things, they're outside forces. They are all partially controlled or entirely controlled by other nations or forces that we can't control, no matter how hard we try. They present a danger and we need to do something, but we're limited in what we can do. And, most importantly, they are not the greatest threat.

The biggest threat, the most basic, is within our own society. It's the fabric that binds this nation together, that binds any nation together. It's the foundation upon which all communities, from the smallest neighborhood to the greatest nation, are built on. Once again, considering my audience, you know what I'm talking about. The family.

Our society is falling apart. I don't need to list what's happening. We all know it. We've seen it, we've experienced it. It's affected me deeply. Thankfully, I don't face any of the problems, but I've seen one of my closest friends struggle with the results of a shattered family. It's not easy and it's not pretty. He's in good shape now, but he will forever be changed by his experiences.

We don't want this. It causes too much pain. I hate it. I hate watching my friends struggle with divorced parents. I hate watching friends sleeping around. I hate watching friends lose brothers and sisters to drugs, alcohol, and whatever else is out there. I hate the excess of so much that is damaging this world. I hate the lack of everything this world needs.

What we need is a strong family for every person, for every child. Sure it's idealistic. So what? A 4.0 is idealistic. I bit more achievable, but idealistic. It's the ideal of every student. Those that don't strive for it, don't get it. Those who do, may not get it either. But are they worse off for trying? Usually, no, if they didn't sacrifice more important things for it. So, the ideal is a benefit. It is our goal and what we will strive for. Settling for anything less is failure.

So, the beginning? Strengthen marriage. You can't do much with any family without a good mother and father. That's right, mother and father. That's your only option. Mother and father. Anything else has nothing to do with the kids and is a selfish union for the sake of the ones entering into it. Anything else defies what is natural, good, and sacred. Here is the main reason that a Federal Marriage Amendment is a good idea. It strengthens marriage. Because of the wording of the amendment, some have expressed fears that any relationship between two people besides marriage will be discouraged. Ask any quality sociologist if this is a bad thing.

This is a great start. It is a reminder that marriage is about more than just two people being in love. Anybody can fall in love. That's easy. It's also easy to fall out of love. There really isn't a lot to it, alone. What makes it significant is when there is a commitment, a covenant between the two that fall in love. Then, there is something that will last. The commitment plus the love unite to create something that will last, in society, for all time and, in the church, for all eternity.

What this society has forgotten is the commitment part. They're all about falling in love. People fall in love left and right. And there's no discrimination in what they fall in love with. And as a result, we have millions of lonely, broken hearts, with painful ties that don't just affect the lives of the poor, disillusioned lovers, but also the children they conceived and the other lovers they betrayed and...well, you get the picture. It's not a desirable world.

So, this amendment can help remind the nation of the commitment. Define marriage officially. A lot of people complain, "well, there's not mention of marriage in the constitution." Well, duh. That's because up until the 1960's, people had enough common sense to know what marriage was. And then the experimenting started, walls that never should have been torn down were torn down, and the resulting flood washed away the firm definition of marriage that has existed for all of human history, with some notable exceptions (mostly notable because every society that allowed exceptions collapsed shortly after). So, with that public definition gone, we need to write it down more firmly than just in the public consensus. It needs to be in stone. Well, on paper and in computers. But, something tangible which cannot be violated. Namely, the Constitution.

Once we have this definition, we can move on. But, that's for another post. I hope you enjoyed my rambling. I just kind of laid out the thoughts as they came to me. Hope it makes sense.

A Sign of the Times

Read these two links:

http://www.religiouscoalitionformarriage.org/

http://lds.org/newsroom/showrelease/0,15503,3881-1-23448,00.html

I'm pretty sure everyone who reads is a member of the church and will most likely hear on Sunday what these links say. I just want to add my emphasis, though. Write your senators. You have no idea the effect of a few, hand-written letters in the politics of this nation. Though one of my views is that representatives should vote with their own convictions of what is right, perhaps they lack the courage to vote their own will, if they think their constituents don't back them.

Maybe our letters won't make a difference. But, maybe they will. Maybe our senators have been blinded by the media onslaught against marriage. Maybe all they need is a few voices in support of what is right and they will awaken to the truth. Maybe our letters will make the difference in a vote that will change the course of this nation for all of history.

And have no doubt that it will. What the Congress of the United States of America decides about marriage will affect the future of this world. It will affect, for better or for worse, our futures, the future of our children, and the future of every child in this world. Have no doubt that if this amendment is not passed, marriage will continue crumble in this country. Have no doubt that as marriage crumbles in this land, the beacon to all the world, the city on a hill, it will crumble around the world. Families will fall apart, children will grow up, in the words of Ma Joad in Grapes of Wrath, "wild, like animals." Without reteaching this nation what marriage is, there is no hope for this world.

Write your senators and play your part in the flow of history, help restore this nation to a place where people can look to for hope, inspiration and refuge. Remind our senators that freedom and liberty, safety and security is not about us, it's about our children and the future of the human race.

Me, as seen through DOM and Dune

I've been thinking the last few days about me. It may seem a little self-centered, but since I'm stuck for eternity as me, there are a few questions I need to answer. Well, more accurately, there are questions that need asking and I need to figure out which questions these are.

One thing I've particularly noticed is a love of reading things on the net. I love to explore sites with information. For example, yesterday when I got home from class I thought about something that I had heard about during the day called the Dominion of Melchizedek. It intrigued me and I proceeded to find out all I could about it.

First I learned that whoever ran the DOM had gone to the trouble to make a website with several links and a "constitution." They had a fancy seal at the top of the main website and the constitution copied many ideas from the U.S., with a few tweaks from the political and ideological leanings of whoever wrote it. From reading that constitution, I learned that they liked the U.S. system of government, or at least the appearance of it. Their personal tweaks concentrated all power into the hands of 24 men, who made all the laws and chose the president of the DOM. So, I had a feeling they wanted the appearance of democracy, but wanted the power to be concentrated in a few hands. Kind of like most European nations. I also learned that these guys didn't understand, first, economics, and second, the cost of running a government. They banned taxes (except an "inflationary tax," interpret that as you may).

Next I discovered a link to the "Melchizedek Bible." From here I read their introduction, which included a biography about the "translators" of the MB, who also happened to be the founders of the DOM. This was the fun part. It turns out the translators and founders are two men who have spent a great deal of their time in jail and in court, mainly on things related to schemes to make money. This biography kept saying there was no proof to any of the convictions, however, never were they jailed without going to trial, and every trial they had "wrongly" convicted the "innocent" men. Why they put so much obviously condemning information on this page, I don't know. They never explain exactly how two innocent men can be wrongly convicted so many times and they never explain how these men's schemes were legal.

I didn't bother finishing this "introduction" and went straight to the MB, their modern-day translation of the King James Bible. It was a joke. Literally, it made me laugh. They just made up their own meanings for what the Bible said, turning it into a laughable attempt to provide legitimacy to their crime-filled lives.

Finished with this website and its attempt to turn this absurd criminal tale into a story of misunderstood "prophets" stuck in a corrupt nation, I went to the web. I quickly discovered that the DOM was well known by the US government - as an attempt to legitimize phony schemes to fool people out of their money. My favorite story is of a man sold loans in Texas from an agency licensed by the DOM and funded by a bank licensed by the DOM and a University he had founded in Louisiana. The bank, of course, had no assets and neither did the university. Also, his company was never registered to make loans in Texas. Somehow he managed to get thousands of dollars from people, though. Amazing.

Anyway, this whole journey took a couple hours and thinking about it later, I think it's interesting that I invested so much time reading about this fake country. Really, I find many aspects of what I read fascinating, though I won't write any more here, out of respect for those of you who would like to return to your normal lives. But I have a thirst for knowledge and not just any knowledge. I know there is a specific type....I'm just trying to figure out what type it is. I like to read about countries, ideologies, corporations and the effects they have around the world. I like to see the trends of people and nations. Not trends as in fashion trends and who their favorite celebrity is, though in certain cases that may factor in, but...well, perhaps an example would be best.

Let's take religion. Religion shapes nations and nations shape religions. That is a trend I would love to explore. Think about the United States. Each trend is obvious. We are shaped by Christianity, specifically, Protestant Christianity. Look at the debates over prayer and Bible study in public schools. But at the same time, we have shaped Protestant Christianity. Evangelism is largely a US phenomenon. And commerce also factors into the equation.

A book that may define me is Dune. I've read a few books exploring how religion, politics, and economics intertwine, and this one has been definitive to me. It tells of a man who goes far beyond being a popular hero, but shapes the future of the entire universe. The hero, Paul Atreides, begins as a political figure. He is the son of a powerful Duke in the future Empire of man. But he and his father quickly become economic figures when they are given control of Arrakis, the economic center of the universe, as it is the sole source of spice, the stuff that allows interplanetary travel. Following an attack and defeat by a rival house, Paul is chased into the desert and becomes a religious figure. The book focuses all these factors onto this single man, in the process, allowing an exploration of how these forces interact.

Ok, anyway, I'm just babbling now. If anyone is still reading, I'm impressed. Maybe I'll continue this later, but for now, I need to do homework.

Redemption

WanderingScribe

This is not a typical story. A woman finds herself homeless and jobless, living out of her car at the edge of some woods near London. Barely scraping enough together to feed herself, she walks into a public library to check her e-mail and decides to start a blog. Within a few months, she has readers around the world and is interviewed by BBC. Now she has a home and a book deal. Besides it being a fascinating story, her blog is a great read, thanks to her ability to write. That book deal is not just because of her sudden fame. Read it and, as she suggests, start from the beginning, as it is a story about her life and, as with any proper story, will have the greatest impact if you start from the beginning.