posted in the "Trading report" Wed Oct 13th,2010.

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Is America In Decline? 24 Statistics About The United States Economy That Are Almost Too Embarrassing To Admit

Does anyone really want to hear that America is in decline?  For decades, most of us have been raised to believe that the United States is "number one" and that anyone who doubts that fact is a "gloom and doomer" that should just pack up and move to "Russia" or "Iraq" or some other country where things are not nearly as good.  But does it do us or future generations any good to ignore the very serious signs of trouble that are erupting all around us?  The truth is that it is about time to wake up and admit how much trouble we are actually in.  The U.S. government is absolutely drowning in debt.  The entire society is absolutely drowning in debt.  We are being slaughtered in the arena of world trade, and every single month tens of billions of dollars (along with large numbers of factories and jobs) leave our shores for good.  Our infrastructure is failing, our kids are less educated and our incomes are going down.  We have serious, serious problems.  At one time, the U.S. economy was so dominant that it was not even worth talking about who was in second place.  That is no longer the case in 2010.  Our forefathers handed us the greatest economic machine in history and we have allowed it to fall apart right in front of our eyes.  A national economic crisis of historic proportions is getting worse with each passing month, and yet most of our leaders seem to be asleep at the switch.  

So is American in decline?  Well, read the statistics below and decide for yourself.  The reality is that when you start connecting the dots it gets really hard to deny what is going on.

Urgent action must be taken if things are going to be turned around.  It is time to get our heads out of the sand.  It is not guaranteed that the United States will always be the greatest economy in the world or that we will even continue to be prosperous. 

For many Americans, it will be incredibly difficult to admit that our nation has become a debt addict and an economic punching bag for the rest of the world. 

But if we are never willing to admit what the problems are, how are we ever going to come up with the solutions?

What you are about to read below is going to absolutely shock many of you.  But hopefully it will shock you enough to get you to take action.  We desperately need to change course as a nation.

The following are 24 statistics about the United States economy that are almost too embarrassing to admit....

#1 Ten years ago, the United States was ranked number one in average wealth per adult.  In 2010, the United States has fallen to seventh.

#2 The United States once had the highest proportion of young adults with post-secondary degrees in the world.  Today, the U.S. has fallen to 12th. 

#3 In the 2009 "prosperity index" published by the Legatum Institute, the United States was ranked as just the ninth most prosperous country in the world.  That was down five places from 2008.

#4 In 2001, the United States ranked fourth in the world in per capita broadband Internet use.  Today it ranks 15th.

#5 The economy of India is projected to become larger than the U.S. economy by the year 2050.

#6 One prominent economist now says that the Chinese economy will be three times larger than the U.S. economy by the year 2040.

#7 According to a new study conducted by Thompson Reuters, China could become the global leader in patent filings by next year.

#8 The United States has lost approximately 42,400 factories since 2001.  Approximately 75 percent of those factories employed at least 500 workers while they were still in operation.

#9 The United States has lost a staggering 32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.

#10 Manufacturing employment in the U.S. computer industry is actually lower in 2010 than it was in 1975.

#11 In 1959, manufacturing represented 28 percent of all U.S. economic output.  In 2008, it represented only 11.5 percent.

#12 The television manufacturing industry began in the United States.  So how many televisions are manufactured in the United States today?  According to Princeton University economist Alan S. Blinder, the grand total is zero.

#13 As of the end of 2009, less than 12 million Americans worked in manufacturing.  The last time that less than 12 million Americans were employed in manufacturing was in 1941.

#14 Back in 1980, the United States imported approximately 37 percent of  the oil that we use.  Now we import nearly 60 percent of the oil that we use.

#15 The U.S. trade deficit is running about 40 or 50 billion dollars a month in 2010.  That means that by the end of the year approximately half a trillion dollars (or more) will have left the United States for good.

#16 Between 2000 and 2009, America's trade deficit with China increased nearly 300 percent.

#17 Today, the United States spends approximately $3.90 on Chinese goods for every $1 that China spends on goods from the United States.

#18 According to a new study conducted by the Economic Policy Institute, if the U.S. trade deficit with China continues to increase at its current rate, the U.S. economy will lose over half a million jobs this year alone.

#19 American 15-year-olds do not even rank in the top half of all advanced nations when it comes to math or science literacy.

#20 Median household income in the U.S. declined from $51,726 in 2008to $50,221 in 2009.  That was the second yearly decline in a row.

#21 The United States has the third worst poverty rate among the advanced nations tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

#22 Since the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, the U.S. dollar has lostover 95 percent of its purchasing power.

#23 U.S. government spending as a percentage of GDP is now up toapproximately 36 percent.

#24 The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that U.S. government public debt will hit 716 percent of GDP by the year 2080.

Please share these statistics with as many family members and friends as you can.  It is time to get real.  It is time to admit that we have some really big problems.

America is in decline and the situation is getting worse by the day.  If we are not willing to admit how bad things really are, then we are never even going to have a chance to find the solutions that we need.

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COMMENTARY BY JAMES: Oct 13th, 2010. 

I chose the above item from my many sources, to highlight that finally they (Americans) may be coming to terms with the costs of their 30 odd years of National Corporatism and it's version of the Anglo Saxon Capitalist model, as the Global engine of growth! It failed, and I wish them well in their efforts to remodel their economy for the future. What is truly frightening for me,  is that my fellow Canadians, are very much still taking the "ostrich, head in the sand" approach to the practical economic realities of this awakening south of the border! Particularly the corporate sector, that pines for the days just passed, when massive unearned profits were easily achieved and unearned bonuses paid like clockwork!

The full effects of an American reaction to their fiscal and social crises, cannot be yet accurately forecast?  But one thing is certain, that whatever they choose to do to regain their economic stability, will have substantial repercussions for the Canadian economy! As this unfolds, we will begin to see the weakness of our political leadership here at home, and the failure of the Harper Government, to implement sensible economic plans, to protect our nation from the Tsunami of changes an overly protective and Jingoistic movement in the US political and business dynamic could have, upon our north south trade relations? 

With some spiritualistic idea that we are immune to recession, because we "lucked out" in not being particularly affected either way by the Global banking crisis. Harper and Flaherty appear to be confident, that as long as we focus our eyes upon "good" relationships with our southern neighbors, we need not worry, as Canada will continue to prosper. WAKE UP CANADA!  One thing that will for sure not survive the change, is any real effective free trade agreement!

Losing the seat at the United nations security council vote recently, together with the diplomatic mess with the UAE , as well as many of the past political positions, taken by our "dear absent leader" Mr Harper, and his fundamentalist approach to social issues, has been telling the world, that Canada is no longer the bastion of multicultural purity, and the best leader in conflict resolution, that it once was!

Additionally, every time we have a conservative government in power, for some reason they seem to want to join themselves at the hip, to the Right wing Republican party in the U.S? From Mulroney singing "When Irish Eyes are smiling' with Reagan, to Joe Clarks faux pas in the middle East, and now Harper's continuing insistence, on applying his version of puritan morality upon the world!  We are once again faced with a Canada, that is viewed by the powers of the new Global dynamic, as a puppet of the United states Interests, both domestically and worldwide!  

In this new Global economy, this is just no longer acceptable! If now is not the time for Canada to embellish it's abilities in the eyes of the world, and become a significant and self reliant leadership force in the new world, when will it ever be the right time? Canada's weight has long been under question? Now is the time to show that we have substance and weight behind our niceness as a people, and that we are an independent nation! For too many years we have been forced to swallow our national pride and subject ourselves to the whims and fancies of our southern cousins!  We benefited no doubt, but we have payed our dues in our support of their various agendas for years, even following them blindly into ill advised conflicts and disputes.  Our industries were historically suffocated at birth to assure American workers had an advantage, and in return our brightest minds were allocated slots in American schools, to educate them in the American way! Many of them never returned home with their brilliance and knowledge? What is wrong with the Canadian way for a change? I kinda like my nation and it's people. I think our schools can and do compete well with any nation?

As an analyst, I see little hope for the American economy recovering to any great degree until at least 2018 in any event. I see a long climb ahead for them. I wish them the best as I said, but does Canada, with all its sparkling newness and opportunity on the Global stage, need to sit back again, as we did last century, and wait for this American eventuality, to maybe, or maybe not occur? Where is our leadership, now that we need to move forward and claim our rightful position, amongst the strong and vibrant nations that will lead this 21st century. 

Our "Dear leader" instead is focused upon playing divisive policies in Ottawa and Quebec, and using archaic leverages and methods of hate politics, that he surely must have learned from his luncheons in New York with the punditry at FOX broadcasting.(The experts on goebbels like rightist propaganda)! Mr Harper is well remembered in my younger days for his remarks that,  "this Canada, is a second class socialist state" . I have news for Mr Harper, better a Canadian socialist state, than an American Socialist Corporations puppet! It also is not a nation to be easily fooled, by jingoistic propaganda from the diseased minds of  the FOX punditry or the Websites such as  "Canada Free press" and their ideologues, that espouse American right wing extremist fundamentalist tenets, as if they are Canadian values. Canadians know they are not!

That we need leadership is clear, but we also need conservative economic and fiscally responsible government. I therefore respectfully suggest to Mr Ignatieff (or his successor), that he focus on these matters as a platform to establish a basis for a change in Government, that Canadians can truly believe in! The majority of Canadians will support this I believe and "now is the time for Change" (to quote an American Leader)?


James M. Convey 

 
For additional material on this theme, refer to my website (Canadas weight 1 and 2) www.jamesconvey.com

 

  The rise of the 'ordinary' elite

In America, the end of meritocracy will come about slowly.
 
By Anne Applebaum

Oct 12th,2010 

This article is a very narrowly contrived piece. It has left out so many factors as relates to the real definition of "elitist" in the modern era. The fact is that the only elitists that now 'do not' have the interests of the nation and it's people uppermost in their minds, are the corporate, "accumulate at all costs" socialist elites, who still continue to grasp at every opportunity, to take the nation back to the times of the old boy network of power and control! 

That other successful citizens "perceived" as elites by Ms Applebaum, are in fact ordinary Americans who are intellectually deserving of their positions. Having achieved them through hard work, diligence and the American way of natural selection.  Rather than being "born to the manor" and silver spooned the rights to the positions of power in the democracy, that is the United States. This is in and of itself, a refreshing change! And a welcome and ongoing metamorphosis within the American political dynamic. 

It is a new political "stage play" that is still in act 1. The corporatists with their libertarian and right wing extremist factions, continue however to strive and to pay for and pine for, that same narrow minded autocracy, that was always there to be controlled. Provided you could buy it through underhanded lobbying techniques, as well as now through the supreme court? This lady journalist would prefer it seems, and sides with this old style cadre of elitists, that have taken the country into the pit of darkness, and have no intention of relinquishing their stranglehold control on their version of the  political processes of the nation, through which they became rich! That is if they can do anything to prevent it? Any lie or any act, justifies the means it seems for these people!

Hopefully their chosen candidate puppets, will be shunned by the American voter in this coming midterm election. And the people will realize that the change that is in the wind, will take some time, to clean out the cobwebs of the old ineffective ways in the halls of Washington! Now is not the time however, to reinstate these charlatans from the extreme right, who want an autocratic America, controlled only by the rich and the few! To step backwards would be a disaster and stop the progress that has begun, toward a new and better America, both politically and economically!

I must here quote President Barack Obama, and his plea not to "give the keys to the car of state, back to those that ran it into the ditch in the first place!" I am sure when the American people reach the ballot box in November, they will make the only proper choice. And that is to bar the door to any return to a hedonistic and corporate elitism, in control of the American body politic. Any other choice makes no sense, again either politically or economically.

 

James M. Convey

Senior Analyst AYIKO Group GmbH

Subject: The American political scene......A conservative conundrum?....a Canadian perspective.

The political climate, as the American populace moves toward exercising their mandate in November, can best be described as "confused". It appears that the lunatics have taken over the asylum, on many fronts? On the right, the tea party seems to have gained an upper hand in steering the party of Lincoln. In God knows what direction, but certainly not in a direction that can be called socially conservative?  On the left, the sitting administration appears not to have achieved enough to satisfy their bases agenda for "change they can believe in", as was the accepted purpose of electing President Obama. And so they appear ready to abandon him and not vote at all in November?... Curious case of pouting?

Unfortunately as a conservative myself I have, here in Canada, increasingly felt the "heel of the oppressor" on my head for years now, and not from any socialist or other political threat, but more so from the unseemly arrival and maturation of "The Corporation", as the only real identifiable ideology, of both the American and Global political state at present? With the advent of the U.S. Supreme court's ruling, on the corporation as a citizen, having equal rights to the individual in that country, I believe we are seeing a new, politically emboldened and out of control corporate dynamic, flexing their new muscle in this years US midterm election process.  Even more able now to affect the normally secure, free choice mechanisms of any democratic society. Their encroachment upon the political debate and it's temper within the United States, has already been successful and has driven wedges of anger and hatred, between the usually definable schism lines, and the normal healthy ebb and flow of the accepted political debating realities, that have always been the long drawn out (to us outsiders) American political circus.  

Their need (The Corporation) is of course always to assure themselves of control of the legislative process, regardless of the party or ideology in power. Their techniques are apparently to divide, splinter and thereby conquer and control the debate at any costs. Since politics in the US has inevitably always been a "local" matter, this new corporate dynamic, with it's singular agenda of "control of the process at any cost" is forcing national agendas into state and local politics, in a way that cannot be healthy for the future of the country (or any country) as a whole? This new unreasonable factor, has dissembled the once real expectation of a properly functioning democratic debate and dynamic! It is to me the greatest internal threat that the United states or any nation faces, and of course there is seemingly little attention being payed to this conspiratorial agenda, given the breadth of their (corporations) already considerable power.

It is what amazes me particularly about the American right wing today? That they would continue to fight, to entrench and support a model of "socialist" economic corporatism, ignoring the obvious evidence of it's underlying failings, which failed economic principles leaves over 90% of their own community, in such a highly vulnerable financial place? They are after all the party, that "historically' stood for the values that originated the "Republic", and the rights of the individual to the pursuit of health, wealth and happiness etc.

Today instead, they seem to stand for the rights of the new Lords and Ladies of the corporate elite in American society! They excuse their excesses and hedonism and deflect blame in every direction, except from where it truly arose? I should stress that in my definitions, "elite" are not the middle class, or even the upper middle class, but are that tiny group who can and do buy, the political conscience of a nation, and turn it to their own position and profit. If the society fails them, they simply move on to the next best option.........in this most modern case, probably China and India.

It is obscene, but the truth is that the very people who should fight this model of this socialist behemoth, that threatens freedom and free market principles, are the biggest continuing supporters of these parasites, who are in effect robbing them blind! The greatest con game on the planet! The sad truth is that when these parasites grow weary, and they always do eventually, and in particular when they find greener fields of higher profits to plough, they won't even stay around to turn out the lights.................(see mine @ http://www.jamesconvey.com/uploads/3/3/8/3/3383644/conspiracyofthecorporations.pdf

My only question now remains, what has happened to the conservative ethic in this new ideological debate? I cannot become a "tea partier" or an extremist on either fringe, neither here nor in the U.S! I believe from afar that Sarah Palin is an unqualified idiot. I think Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and other pundits of cable news need therapy badly. I don't even wish to think about Ms Christine O'DonnelI or Ms Sharon Angle sitting in any house, other than their own. I think Barney Frank should retire. I believe Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are both out of their depth.  And so I huddle in the cold grey north, in the centre politically ...... I think?

The centre however remains the place where one is attacked unmercifully, even here in Canada, as being unreasonably left or right, depending upon the lunatic that chooses you as a target, for not siding with them or their lunatic ideas! The bottom line is of course, that there is no proper place outside for anyone, if you believe as I do, since the corporations are so clearly in control of the agenda of both sides! Quite a conundrum! Canada's future can be also as unpredictable as that of the United States, if we become complacent in the face of any similar corporate attempts, to decrease the freedom of the individual and their access to an entrepreneurial opportunity, within a healthy and sustainable capitalist dynamic! Be forewarned Canada!

James M. Convey

 

  Dear Reader, 

Some of you will have read my posting about "Solar roadways" (please visit the archive to retrieve" I am pleased to have received this bulletin this morning from the ecomagination challenge) Congatulations to "SOLAR ROADWAYS"  who have won the $50,000 reward in this contest.  I LOVE ENTREPRENEURS! I thank those of you who took the time to vote for them.

james 

 
Subject: New Ecomagination Challenge blog entry; Solar Roadways Shifts into Drive with First Challenge Award

Reply-To: GEChallenge@brightidea.com

Solar Roadways Shifts into Drive with First Challenge Award
Post author: BI Administrator

The Challenge community has spoken, and today we’re excited to announce that Sagle, Idaho-based Solar Roadways received the highest number of Challenge community votes and will receive the $50,000 award. 

A brainchild of Scott and Julie Brusaw, the unique concept to make roads out of recyclable solar panels instantly caught the attention of the Challenge community.  This award marks the first winner of the Challenge, which has attracted more than 3,500 ideas. More than 74,000 people have used the platform to vote and comment, and we are encouraged by the passion around collectively trying to solve big energy challenges. 

The voting process was monitored throughout this Challenge by GE and BrightIdea, a leader in online innovation platforms.  Based on the Challenge terms and conditions, votes in violation of these terms were removed and considered ineligible. 

Congratulations again to Solar Roadways and thanks to the entire Challenge community for your active engagement.  Stay tuned for news on the announcement of our Innovation Award winners in early November. 

  CORPORATE CRYBABIES.

 

A short time ago I posted an essay relating to the "stall" presently being experienced in economic growth and job creation, called " The conspiracy of corporations" (http://www.jamesconvey.com/uploads/3/3/8/3/3383644/conspiracyofthecorporations.pdf) 

It was gratifying to see that so many others agreed with me, and that their articles and essays found their way into the public view, through websites and blogs etc. What is not surprising this week, is the appearance of the "official corporate" backlash against this view of corporate incompetence, as expounded by the major media outlets and in news papers countrywide. 

From Karlsgaard at Forbes magazine, to the wall street financial punditry, and even here in Canada, in the bastion of the business press that is the Globe and Mail. All offer up the same resounding excuses for the lack of investment and entrepreneurial activity, by our leading lights of industry? All seemingly with the same opinion, From New York to London to Toronto etc, that there is insufficient motivation and a lack of sufficient stability and security, to cause them to dip into their massive pools of reserve capital, or to risk investment into the present economic environment in the West? What is wrong with these people, and what I ask you is wrong with this picture? Even our Canadian government sits by, with seemingly few plans to initiate domestic advantage of this new Global dynamic, while major international Asian interests vie for control of Canada's life blood industries and raw material availability? It boggles the mind how asleep they are to the realities of Global expansion? 

Their plethora of excuses are nothing more than a load of "horsepucky" ! As I posited in my previous essay, opportunities abound everywhere one looks, both domestically and overseas!  The main reason for their lack of spirit can be defined in many ways. It may well lie in the discomfort they are now feeling, that they are confronted with challenging dynamics and a Global economy, which they did not believe would ever arise, and for which realities they are ill equipped to accept and profit from? That they are not prepared for these new challenges, is the only clear and singularly legitimate reason for their cowardly reticence. It certainly is not due to lack of challenging enterprises and new sources of growth and yes profit!

This incompetence is troubling! But more so are their entrenched ideological beliefs, that they must own and or control the government dynamic to assure their futures? That is where their emphasis is focused upon presently and seemingly exclusively, rather than where it should be attentive! That is to invest and create jobs and growth domestically, from the glaring and exciting challenges that confront each nation and particularly the U.S.? The opportunities to reengineer an efficient economic dynamic at home, that will meet the demands of a new sustainable society, and it's desires to protect the environment, the quality of life and the extension of the life of humanity on the planet! The neglected Infrastructure and transportation dynamic alone, is only a couple of sectors full of such opportunity for profit and growth?

How are those for challenges and opportunities just to begin with? From new technologies of all kinds, that are being discovered in laboratories all over the western hemisphere, that require capital investment and research funding, to reengineering their own corporations and creating more efficient industries, that can flexibly react to the changing needs of the growing populations, that are entering this new consumer dynamic. The rethinking of that very consumer dynamic, and the eradication of the "throw away" and built in obsolescence approach of the current methodology. To find new paths to profitability and growth, with a more vibrant economy, inclusive of the "Human equation" as its most important pillar of consistent growth!

I am approaching the end of my own journey on this planet. But if an older man like myself can get excited about the state of the world, why are these cretins sitting on their fat ass bonus loaded jobs, making excuses for this, perceived only by them. environment of fear. While their own people and neighbors are spiraling into poverty and despair? Better yet, why do they still have their jobs? Perhaps they need to be reengineered themselves?  

It is time for these people to understand and re-learn the meaning of commitment and accountability and the pursuit of excellence. That once was that backbone philosophy of the entrepreneurs that built the world! Get some guts you miserable charlatans! It is time to stop whining and start earning those bonuses babies! And for you in the press and media that keep making "Faux" excuses and offering up deflecting blame possibilities, that these people can fall back upon, to continue to give them reason for hesitancy and fear and for perhaps the very ultimate destruction of their own country's vibrancy. You should be ashamed! It is better that their feet be held to the fires of accountability! You mirror and support their cowardice in your presentations!  The press has also sold out to the special interests it seems?

I think it is perhaps time for a windfall tax regime to arise, and strike at those corporations and Banks that are "sitting upon their cash laurels" and excusing their way toward taking a holiday from doing the nations business, while their country's people and industries sink into ignominy from this lethargy and cowardice! This is what government should be for!

 " Then indecision brings its own delays, And days are lost lamenting over lost days. 
 Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute; What you can do, or dream you can do, begin it; 
 Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."  

John Anster from "Faust"

James M. Convey

 

 

 

The Proof Is In The Numbers: America Is Getting Poorer

By Michael Snyder on September 30, 2010 (Google for access to the original article).

"My response to this article and as posted to his comment page."

Most of the statistics etc shown are true or close. He doesn't however spend sufficient time in his rant in developing a solution, nor in accrediting proper responsibility? He even takes a swipe at the "socialist"left, as if their agenda for a balancing of the wealth dynamic, is somehow unworthy of attention? Believe me the "party of business" on the right, the Republicans, have had more than their fair share of culpability in this dissembling of the American dream, since the advent of the "unfettered and free" marketplace of the trickle down lunacy, that began with Reagan! 

He makes merely a suggestion, that we should "not" focus on the disparity between the rich and the rest of us? After all, it isn't their fault that the country is in such a mess? This is where he and I would part company as regards a conclusion and a philosophy for a solution to this debacle. I do "Blame" that small % or "UBER rich", that has had all the advantages for over 30 years. That group which did focus on breaking the power of Unions, deregulating banking and trade protocols, manipulating currency markets, etc. applying speculative gambling to all facets of trading, and as the rule in the marketplace! "Dumbing down" the school curriculums of the institutions of higher learning, so that they produced only serfs to serve their agenda of a socialist corporate model of capitalism.

See mine.( http://www.jamesconvey.com/1/post/2010/09/the-conspiracy-of-the-corporations.html )
Controlling, through their lobbyists, the electoral processes at all levels. This is the reality of the "military industrial complex", as highlighted by a then retiring president Eisenhower some 50 years ago! The neocon philosophy! Additionally the Global marketplace that he condemns so readily, as being anti American all of a sudden, has also served the agendas of these multi faceted multinationals. They are not society friendly institutions! They function for only one thing, "profit"! And which profits shall only be disbursed and controlled by that select few, that are fortunate enough to be amongst this cadre of self serving, socialist style, corporate executive suites. Additionally the Global market is the only hope for the salvation of the U.S economy for the future, and if he is suggesting a trade protectionism surge domestically, then he doesn't have a clue about practical reality in economics.

All manner of things that caused this worldwide recession, were directly resultant from the self serving agenda of the mega corporations! To maintain their control of the capitalist system to their own favor, and not the favor of the society that housed them! Besides, if he doesn't believe that America is bereft of common decency at these % levels of hedonistic disparity, then he is a fool! My many reports and essays on economic matters have been highlighting these facts for many years now! This report of his is a little late to the game, and indicates that he is just now beginning to awaken, to the cruel reality that is the American version of the Anglo saxon capitalist model.

Where has he been all these years. Making profits no doubt and blithely ignoring the corporate 'coup detat' that has been unfolding in America before his very eyes. He wants to blindly blame the "governments" for the disasters. The governments unfortunately, are the only institutions remaining that can still effect the outcome of this debacle!  Only they, through their mandate from the people, can dismantle this hegemony of greed and return a balance of equivalency, to the opportunity dynamics for a vibrant, entrepreneurial driven economy, and a way back to sustainable productivity and a resurgence of a middle class, if he still believes in democracy ?

That is only "if" of course, we do not constantly return a government bought and paid for by special interests as has been the case for most of the last 30 years! Unfortunately that looks as though it could again happen in these upcoming midterms in November, and with a slate of seemingly mentally unbalanced people ready to take the reins of power on behalf of these wealthy backers! I believe the American people deserve better than this shower of extremists, that have suddenly emerged as the leaders in waiting, of a new America geared toward self destruction, if they should receive the peoples mandate. 

What happened to sensible conservatism in the American body politic? They are in for a very rough ride indeed!


James M. Convey

Senior Analyst, 

Ayiko Group GmbH

Date: September 28, 2010 1:17:47 PM PDT (CA)

To: Mike Foil

Subject: Re: Comment on "Brushfires of Spiritual Freedom ", (Canada Free press), By Mike Foil (Google available)

Thank you Mike for reaching out. I am afraid my feelings regarding Theism and the damage done to mankind and to our progress as humans, by all and sundry religions, and their continuing bedevilment of human intellectual and scientific progress, will not allow for any such simplistic solution, as hearing another version of the same story, and which is basically more of the same mystical approaches to the human condition, all be it no doubt, that from your son the pastor, it may be somewhat kinder and more well intentioned?  

I should point out that I have a firm and intense belief in the existence of  "GOD". However I am not arrogant enough to believe that I or mankind are sufficiently evolved, to claim any real understanding of what an intimacy with that deity would be, should be, or could be?  I also have a well informed and highly developed sense of admiration, for the great philosophers and those "spiritually aware" people, that have come before and have left their mark upon the belief systems of the entirety of humanity, for better or for worse! They certainly understood communication models and the human condition very well....:-)

This includes the great and lesser prophets of all theisms,  Christ, Buddha, Vishnu, Mohammed, etc. Of course one could also mention other saintly figures, in this litany of humanity, that purportedly had direct linkage with the creator and were acting at his behest! Some honorable, but most were charlatans, as history has borne out. That the overriding messages for life, after all this time, are still simple statutes of faith, in almost every religion without exception, such as the basic 10 commandments of the Judeo Christian traditions? Why do we need to then nurture such diversity within theistic communities, as to the belief in such simplistic and historically refined tenets, which have, throughout all debate, remained as the basic tenets of human decency. This diversity remaining the key to the conflicts amongst all mankind to this very day? Even purported messages from the records of all these so called prophets, carry the same basic intent, as to how to maintain a sufficient degree of honesty and integrity within the human dynamic. Simple and concise laws of decency? 

These tenets that rule the "religious" amongst us, are of course simply their interpretations down throughout history, of some oneness between mankind and this "GOD" figure? All of the so called miracles aside, they never ever have, nor ever will be able, to offer anything other than a 'blind faith', as to the proof of the existence of this divine link? Each claiming their own rightness, as to that definition and as a consequence, driving schisms of hatred between individuals and all of the communities of man.  

That GOD may or may not have a hand in our mechanisms of living choices as a species on this planet, is a matter still of furious debate. I believe he is a little too busy for such a direct diversion of his time. It is a rather expansive galactic territory he oversees after all? That this is so, evidences for me at this stage of my life, that to continue to argue about something that does or perhaps does not exist, is a debate amongst fools? One understands as one nears his end that the questions, most assuredly, will soon be answered and GOD's will shall unfold accordingly. 

I do know that the historical and current human carnage caused by "religion" is self evident, and the benefit to mankind of the existence of so many different interpretative theologies, all claiming the ownership of such simple truths, is of dubious benefit at best? I shall visit your sons site and I thank you again for your efforts to reach out.

With respect....James M. Convey