Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law: A Victory For America, Democrats and for Healthcare Reformers

Before I go farther then this, I just want to give kudos to two people, Dhalia Lithwick a columnist for the Liberal Slate Magazine. Which is a magazine that along with the New Republic, is something that Liberals such as myself and many others read everyday. Called this Supreme Court ruling from day one, saying it would be upheld and I'm guessing she was following the arguments made by. Chief Justice John Roberts, who I agree sounded the most sympathetic to proponents of the Affordable Care Act from the right but I never expected that he would vote for the Individual Mandate. I thought he and Justice Kennedy would rule in favor of the Constitutionality of the rest of the bill, except for maybe the Medicaid Provision. I predicted just two days ago that the ACA would get held up, either 6-3, with both Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy voting for the ACA. The broader bill but throw out the Individual Mandate, so I and Jeff Toobin, Liberal Democrat and CNN Legal Analyst were wrong and we were both following Justice Kennedy as the Swing Vote. I'm glad I was wrong because I support the ACA as well but like a lot of Democrats would've gone farther but Dhalia Lithwick was right and Chief Justice Roberts deserves credit for that as well.

I probably rarely agree with John Roberts on anything but have respected and liked him from day one. And as a Liberal I've never seen him as terrifying, as someone who would vote to throw out basic freedoms that America has. I like him during his 2005 Supreme Court Nomination Hearings, its Justice Same Alito, that has gone along with the Unitary Executive theory that Neoconservatives have been throwing around at least since the George W. Bush Administration. That the Executive doesn't have to respond to Congress and that the Executive can override Congress and the Judiciary, if they see it in the National Interest. But what Chief Justice Roberts did today, was to stand up for the Supreme Court and Congress. That Congress writes laws and the Supreme Court's role is to review the Constitutionality of those laws. Not to rule on whether they are good policy or not, which is what he Supreme Court did today.

If you are a real Conservative and are against Judicial Activism and support Judicial Restraint. And that Congress, the Executive and Judiciary shouldn't overstep their Constitutional Authority and live within their powers. Even if you don't support the Affordable Care Act and I haven't found a single Conservative who supports it, then you should like Chief Justice Roberts decision. Where he said and I'm paraphrasing here but its not the job of the Supreme Court to save Americans from the politicians that they voted for. Thats what Judicial Restraint is about living within the authority of the Supreme Court. And now if Congress decides to, can repeal the ACA.

Associated Press: Raw Video- ‘Four Arrested in Florida Child Prostitution Ring’

Source:Associated Press- Prosecutor Katherine Fernandez Rundle and her team.

“Four men are accused of operating an underage prostitution ring that lured vulnerable foster girls into the sex trade with cell phones, gifts of clothing and attention they did not get elsewhere, authorities said Tuesday.”

From the Associated Press 

“Miami-Dade police have arrested four South Floridamen in connection with an alleged child prostitution ring that targeted teenagers in foster care.

29-year-old Eric George Earle, 30-year-old Anturrell Nathaniel Dean, 34-year-old David Zarifi and 65-year-old Willie Calvin Bivens now face felony charges for conspiracy, racketeering and unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Investigators say they recruited one teenager living in a group home, who then recruited others to have sex with men for money.”

Source:CBS Miami- 4 suspects in the case.

From CBS Miami 

Hopefully this goes without saying and if it doesn’t, you are really ignorant about me or just some type of jerk something: I’m against juvenile prostitution and I don’t see how any good person could be in favor of it, or even believe it should be legal, whether they are for it or not. But I don’t see how it’s any more of a problem than underage drinking of alcohol or smoking tobacco.

And assuming these guys are guilty of running this child prostitution ring and again at risk of stating the obvious, I don’t know if they are, they’ve only been arrested from what I’ve seen, they should and will probably get what’s coming to them. Florida doesn’t mess around with people who take advantage of juveniles or young adults, this is the State that executed serial murderer/rapist Ted Bundy in 1989.

What I would have a problem with, if these guys were arrested for running an adult prostitution ring, whether it’s made up of female or male prostitutes or pimps: we already have too many people in prison in America, who aren’t actual threats to society, in many cases. Especially thanks to the War on Drugs, a lot of our inmates are in there for using or possessing illegal narcotics. Prohibiting prostitution just adds to this problem.

Like alcohol, tobacco and yes marijuana, prostitution, if its regulated properly, is something we can live with as a country, that is prostitution for adults, if they consent it. Juveniles shouldn’t be involved with this at all. Nevada and perhaps other states as well as countries, have figured out how to live with prostitution through taxation and regulation and so can we, instead of sending people to prison and having them live at taxpayers expense.

We should allow healthy prostitutes and pimps who follow the regulations and pay their taxes from this business, stay in business and have them contribute to society with their taxes and arguably services to their customers. Rather than sending them to prison and wasting their lives and devoting more tax dollars to pay for people who are more than capable of supporting themselves.

There’s of course the argument from both the Right and Left, who support big government and will say how dangerous this would be and so-forth. But these dangers can be handled through regulation. Child prostitution of course should remain illegal, but adult prostitution is not something we should support or subsidize.

But like alcohol, tobacco, gambling and hopefully someday soon marijuana, prostitution is something we can live with, if we regulate it and tax it properly. And if people in this business violate these laws, then of course they should be arrested, tried and convicted, if found guilty. 

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Transportation Bill Is Critical for America's Productivity: Why Infrastructure Investment is Important

Infrastructure Investment use to be the most Bi Partisan thing in Congress, both in the House and Senate. Because it gave members the opportunity to bring money home to their Districts and States, to fix roads, bridges, airports, dams, schools even. As well as building new roads, bridges etc and be able to do it in a Fiscally Responsible way, because all of these projects would be paid for. Through the Gas Tax, Congress doesn't have to borrow money for to pay for these projects or even raise taxes to pay for it and its also not something that we have to rely on the Federal Government to do. All they have to do is to approve for either new projects to be created or old ones to be repaired or reformed but they wouldn't have to do the work themselves. Because Infrastructure Investment is a Public Private Partnership, these are the Federal Projects, that need to be worked on. And they would award contracts to Private Companies to do work, it gives them work to do and as a result they go out and hire new employees to do the work. Which is why Infrastructure Investment is a job creator, because it creates new work and demand that needs to be done. And give companies the work to do and they give this work to their employees, as well as hire new employees to do the work.

I don't want to sound partisan here but be factual, thanks to the Tea Party, thats all changed. Because they've brought in sort of a Libertarian attitude across the board when it comes to the Federal Government as far as spending. Except for of course the Defense Budget, that they came to Congress to cut the Federal Government, not continue to do anything thats been done in the past. Because thats how it was done in the past and they came to Congress to reform Washington, even cut things that actually work like Infrastructure Investment and that they are going to fight Democrats on every issue. Even things that use to be as simple and as easy to pass as Infrastructure Investment, which again is paid for, its actually a net plus to the economy and would help with the Federal Debt and Deficit. Because it creates work and jobs that must be done across the country.

The Infrastructure Investment process needs to be reformed and made better, not gutted I would like to see a system. That gets Congress and the Administration out of it as far as them having to improve it, for these projects to be done and bring in the Private Sector even more but as an investor as well. Which is what we would get with a National Infrastructure Bank or Corporation, that would be Non Profit, Self Financed, owned by the Federal Government. Just run independently of them with the Federal Government serving as regulators instead. And we could avoid a lot of these partisan fights in the future.

"Court Decision 'takes Teeth' Out of Ariz. Law": Big Win for the US Constitution

Supporters of Comprehensive Immigration Reform such as myself and lots and lots of other Liberals and Democrats. Have gotten two big victories in just the last ten days on Immigration Reform, President Obama making the Dream Act a part of his Administration's policy ten days ago. And of course the US Supreme Court tossing out 3-4 previsions of the 2010 Arizona Immigration Law or SB1070, that would've allowed Arizona Law Enforcement to arrest people they suspect are Illegal Immigrants. What they will be allowed to do however, is notify Federal Law Enforcement of people they suspect are Illegal Immigrants, as President Obama has said this whole case just reinforces the need for Comprehension Immigration Reform in the United States. A law that would prevent Illegal Immigration in the first place but also deals with the 10-15M Illegal Immigrants that are already here but who aren't criminals. And producing not taking from the country, people who are net producers, not net takers. Not going to happen in 2012, in a General Election with both the White House and Congress at stake but gives supporters of Comprehensive Immigration Reform something to run on.

As I blogged ten days ago, that the Obama Administration has had three years to put a plan on the table. Send a bill to Congress and hasn't gotten around to doing that and calculated that it was too big of a lift politically, especially for vulnerable Democrats. So when I hear the President give speeches about it, I have to take it with at least one grain of salt and have a hard time taking it seriously. And question whether he's actually serious about it but this election I believe will determine the future of Immigration Reform. If the President is reelected with a Republican House and a Democratic Senate, probably not much will happen in the next Congress. If Mitt Romney is elected President with a Republican Congress, the Republican House at least will try to pass a security only Immigration Reform bill. Which they probably won't be able to get out of the Senate, even if it passes the House. If the President is reelected with a Democratic Congress, hopefully they'll at least try to pass a comprehensive bill.

A good victory for the Obama Administration today winning on 3-4 previsions of SB1070. But as a result we are going to hear more talk about the need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. But thats all it will be, because Democrats aren't ready for that big of a lift and the Republican House are only interested in a security only bill. That does nothing to deal with the 10-15M Illegal Immigrants in the country who aren't criminals.

A&E: Biography- Serial Murderer John Wayne Gacy

This piece was originally posted at FRS Daily Press: A&E: Biography- Serial Murderer John Wayne Gacy

With some serial murderers I think what could they have been if they didn’t enjoy murdering people and weren’t serial murderers, how much could they’ve accomplished in life, if they weren’t serial murderers, with their ability to hide who they really are, maybe they could’ve had careers as actors or something. Take John Wayne Gacy who was both a serial murderer and a child molester, who enjoyed murdering people, but also having sex with adolescent boys, young men even. But in his public life, he was a successful small businessman who was very popular in his Illinois town and considering a career in politics.

John Gacy was being recruited to run for public office, but who was also another serial murderer who had a rough childhood. Bad father like Henry Lucas, but the difference between Gacy and Lucas, is that John Gacy was very intelligent, well-educated and successful in his professional life. Unlike Henry Lucas who didn’t have a professional life, who wasn’t well-educated, who didn’t even finish junior high and wasn’t intelligent. Perhaps borderline retarded and was a drifter, moving from small town to small town, picking up work wherever he could find it. And at one point even living in a chicken coop.

John Gacy is responsible for murdering and raping at least twenty people. Some of them very young men, adolescents, because that’s who he was attracted who. He wasn’t a homosexual, but a Bisexual, who was attracted to women and very young men. Who’s probably not missed by anyone other than his very close relatives. John Gacy getting the Death Penalty is not a tragedy. One less serial murderer off the streets, one less bisexual rapist that young male inmates have to worry about dealing with in prison. But his life was tragic because this was a very intelligent and productive man, family man. Who in his public life was very productive and successful. And died in his early fifties in 1992, because of the Death Penalty, because of the person he was in his private life.

You take the private side out John Gacy’s personality out of him, you are talking about someone who might have been Governor of Illinois or ended up in Congress. Gacy dying the way he did wasn’t tragic, but the private life that he did live, with all the people who hurt and murdered was tragic and what he could’ve been, that he never achieved. Because of the fact that he was a serial murderer is tragic. And represents someone who had he decided not be a serial murderer, perhaps could’ve had a career as an actor, because of his ability to live the lives of two people.

Robert C. Bonner on the Mexican Election & Drug War: The Costs of the Mexican-American War on Drugs

The United Mexican States, better known as Mexico at least in America, is a very fascinating country to me. Because its a huge country of 120M, eighth or ninth largest country in the World, with all of the resources that a large country needs to be to be a Developed Nation in the World. Yet in 2012, its still a Third World country or at best a 2nd World country, thats vastly underperformed considering all the resources it has. Mexico has a large Middle Class, perhaps half of the country, yet there are Mexican States that resemble El Salvador or Cuba as far as its Living Standards. And there are still hundreds of thousands of Mexicans each year fleeing their homeland for the United States. For a better life even though Mexico basically has everything it needs, to develop those underdeveloped parts of this large country, that has a two thousand mile border with America. Its not the country of Mexico or its people, besides its Organize Crime like in the War on Drugs thats holding down this country, that has like eighth or ninth largest economy in the World, this is not Cuba or Haiti, its a large industrialized country, with a large economy and with a lot of promise. But the things that were holding Mexico back ten years ago, are the things holding it back today.

The things that are holding back Mexico, are two things that I see, corruption and crime, especially as it relates to the War on Drugs and America plays a role in this as well. And no I'm no part of the blame America crowd but Americans addiction to Illegal Narcotics and what both America and Mexico have done to combat it. Essentially treating addicts like criminals, where they don't get the help they need, just fuels the War on Drugs more on both sides of the border. Because the more American and Mexican customers there are for Mexican Narcotics or whether they come from Columbia, the more need there is to produce and import those narcotics. The cheaper they are to buy and produce because of how high the demand there is as well. The more people in Mexico that get in the business, especially Organize Gangs and the need for them to protect their turf. Buying off Public Officials and murdering ones they see as threats to their business.

If America Mexico were to end the War on Drugs, stop locking people up for using, possessing and being addicted to narcotics. Instead get the addicts the help that they need at their expense, decriminalize simple possession of heroin, cocaine and meth and instead have those people pay fines instead. Legalize, regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol and tobacco, you would see a lot of these Organize Gangs go out of business. Because people rather buy marijuana legally, then go to jail for it and market for heroin, cocaine and meth would dry up. Because there would no longer be enough addicts to keep those business's in business.

Drug Talk and Parenting, the New Rules: How Coloradans are Looking at Marijuana

I like how this one Colorado Mother is looking at marijuana, from a practical point of view and being realistic, which is similar to how parents look at alcohol and tobacco. That they want their kids to use good judgement about that and not go along with things just because they are popular. But that they should do what's right for them, realizing they can't stop their kids from drinking or smoking, whether its tobacco or marijuana. Short of locking their kids in their rooms until they are 21 or something and risk being arrested for Child Abuse or something. But that these are the facts and consequences that come with using marijuana and even if you do use it, be responsible with it. Treat it like alcohol or tobacco, don't overindulge, don't drive or use heavy equipment while you are high, if you get high, the Mother of this Colorado teenage girl. I believe and again the only thing I know about her, is what I saw in this video but she seems, again based on what I saw and heard, has a Real World approach. To how she talks about narcotics with her daughter, which is the approach we should be taking with all of our kids. These drugs are out there, I can't stop you from using them but I can inform you about the consequences of using them.

This is what I hope Colorado, Washington State, Connecticut and perhaps other States decide this November. Which is what California failed to decide in 2010 and has been on a Big Government march ever since, that penalizing, even criminalizing people for how they live their own lives. Is simply stupid because of how big a waste it is, California has a huge debt and deficit, as well as the largest Prison Population in the Unites States and a lot of their inmates are confined, because of something to do with the War on Drugs. This War is not only stupid but we simply can't afford it anymore, we have too many people in prison, that aren't threats to anyone. That could be productive people on the outside, if they get the opportunity to do so. People on the right who are always railing against Big Government, because they see it as a threat to Freedom. Should be against the War on Drugs for the same reason.

This Colorado Mother is taking a Real World approach to marijuana, which is the same approach, she taken to alcohol. She doesn't believe she can stop her daughter from using these drugs and doesn't want to see her arrested for using them and perhaps if anything expects her daughter. To at least experiment with alcohol and perhaps even marijuana. So she wants her daughter to have all of the facts about there, before considering using them.

AP Sources: "Immunity Offered to Some Immigrants": President Obama Unilaterally Puts in The Dream Act

President Obama announced today that his Administration will stop deporting Undocumented Immigrants who were brought to this country. By their parents who had no choice but to come to America and have grown up and in some cases only know America and don't have any memories of the country that they were born in. Who meet certain standards, they don't have a Criminal Record, they are in school or are working or are serving in the United States Military. So his Administration can concentrate its resources on, well criminals, Illegal Immigrants and others who are actual criminals, gangsters, narcotics dealers and others. People who represent a threat to this country whether they are immigrants or not and if these criminals are immigrants, they will be deported. I'll get to the politics of this later but President Obama said three years ago that he wants a Comprehensive Immigration Reform Law, he got close to passing the Dream Act out of Congress in late 2010. But was blocked by Senate Republicans, when Democrats still controlled both the House and Senate, so this is not a new position for the President.

Now to the politics, again President Obama is already on the record as saying that he's in favor of the Dream Act, which is what this order essentially is. But he doesn't expect to get a bill from Congress, especially with a Republican House, to say President Obama has been "soft on immigration', would be bogus, because he's already deported more Illegal Immigrants at this point of his Presidency. Then President George W. Bush or has deported more then President Bush in his entire Presidency, which is one reason why Latinos aren't crazy about President Obama. Even though they approve him over Mitt Romney by 61-27% according to CNN but that doesn't mean they'll show up to vote and the President knows he has to have Latino voters voting for him overwhelmingly and showing up to vote. He needs a big turnout of Latinos and for them to vote for him overwhelmingly, similar to the turnout in 2008.

So of course politics has something to do with President Obama's decision today but to his credit, he's had this position before and is already on record. As supporting the Dream Act and this should help him with Latinos, especially as Mitt Romney tries to campaign for them on Economic Policy. Free Enterprise etc, a message that plays well with Latinos, where a lot of them now run Small Business's.

Secretary Hillary Clinton: 'Delivers Remarks on Syria'

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks on Syria following the meeting of the Action Group on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland on June 30, 2012...  

From the U.S. Department of State

Source:U.S. Department of State- Secretary Hillary R. Clinton.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said that the Obama Administration’s strategy involving Syria, is very clear. And said in a way that almost sounded sarcastic. As if she’s shocked that no one else understands it and then she laid out why she believes this strategy (if you want to call it that) by laying out what sounded like goals: "We want to see the bloodshed in Syria to end, we want the Assad Regime to stop terrorizing its people. We want the Syrian people to be able to build a future for themselves." Well, that’s great, but unless you are part of the Syrian Regime, or some other type of authoritarian, who doesn’t believe in those goals, of course you believe in human rights for everybody.

That’s like saying you believe in democracy, the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, the American flag, apple pie and all the rest of the things that Americans tend to love. Good luck finding someone in this country who disagrees with any of those things. 

Goals aren’t the same as a strategy. Goals are what you want to accomplish. A strategy is the plan to achieve those goals. Something that Secretary Clinton understands, the Obama Administration has goals when it comes to Syria, but hasn’t shown much in any strategy to achieve those goals.

The good news is that President Obama and his national security team, seems to at least be preparing to put all options on the table, as they relate to Syria. According to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, the Defense Department is looking into what it would cost to back the Syrian rebels. What type of military President Assad has, what type of resistance that they could put up, as far as planes, weapons, etc that they could use. Not only against the Syrian rebels, but how they could respond to a coalition force. If a coalition force was put together, if NATO and the Arab League were to get involved to protect the Syrian rebels, as they take the fight to the Assad security forces.

A no fly zone, over a country of twenty-million people, which is what Syria is, about the size of Iraq physically, not quite as big. A No Fly Zone should be the last option we go to as far as getting involved in Syria, but the fact that they are even looking at that, tells me the Pentagon is preparing to get involved. Goals are great to have: "This is what we want to accomplish." But that’s just the first step. Without a strategy to layout how your plan in accomplishing those goals, you are going to come up short. You’ll end up trying a bunch of different things, without putting much thought into them. Essentially flipping a coin to see what works and what doesn’t and end up flying in a dark and hope you don’t crash into anything. 

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The Aging Prisoner Boom: Picturing Our Elderly Behind Bars: How To Treat our Elderly Inmates

I do believe that Prison Inmates who committed horrible crimes and are convicted and given Life Sentences should never be free again. Murderers, Serial Rapists, Terrorists, White Collar criminals like the Bernie Madoff's of the World, who commit such horrible crimes against the economy. That leave thousands if not millions of people bankrupt and will never see that money again and are left in financial ruin, just to use as examples. But there are ways of doing things and ways not to do things, punishment yes but when we sentenced people to life sentences, the State essentially takes responsibility for the well being of these people. And basically has an obligation to look after their well being, I'm not saying we should let lifers out of prison because they are old or for any other reasons. Other then getting their sentences overturned but we have an obligation as a society to make sure they get the care that they need and also an obligation to Tax Payers. To see that they get the care that they need, in the most Cost Effective way possible.

This is just one of the reasons why I'm in favor of putting inmates to school and work, so they are productive in prison. Whether they are serving a two year sentence or a life sentence and most of these reasons are practical. So they can produce and cover their Living Expenses while in prison, send money home and to their victims but also especially if they are serving sentences. That will keep them in prison to their senior years or are serving life, so they can put money away, to cover their Living Expenses as old people. Sorta like Medicare or a pension plan for inmates that they would pay into, that would be matched by their employer, while in prison. So Tax Payers don't get stuck with the bill of having to cover the Healthcare of people who never worked for a living and we could finance something like this, by returning Prison Industries back to our Corrections System.

Again I'm not talking about releasing lifers just because they are old or for any other reason, other then being found innocent. But setting up a Healthcare System in prison, Senior Homes for inmates, that would be financed by the Prison Healthcare System, that the inmates would pay into themselves. Saving precious Tax Revenue for other priorities in government that are already underfunded.

Associated Press: Raw Video- Mitt Romney: ‘To Small Businesses: ‘Add More Jobs’

Source:Associated Press- Governor Mitt Romney (Republican, Massachusetts) and Governor Rick Snyder (Republican, Michigan) campaigning in Michigan.

“Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a small business roundtable in Frankenmuth, Mich. Tuesday morning. The state is his final stop on a five-day, six-state Midwestern tour. Earlier he said he thinks Michigan is a state he can win.” 

From the Associated Press

Telling someone to hire people, won’t create jobs. Mitt Romney and Barack Obama says it’s time to hire new employees: “Well, just because of that alone, we are going to start hiring more people right way, because they know with their vast experience in running small business’s on how best to run our business’s, then we the people who are keeping these business’s, well in business”. It doesn’t work that way. What creates jobs in either small or big business, is the need to hire new employees. It’s as simple as that.

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama waving their magic economic wands, won’t get small business’s to hire more people right now if profits are down or flat or you are worried about just staying in business. Perhaps trying to figure out how to obtain a loan, just to stay in business. You aren’t going to look for way to increase your payroll, if anything you are going to look for ways to cut payroll, to save money.

Small business’s aren’t hiring right now, because economic growth is low, job growth is also low because of weak economic growth now three years into the economic recovery from the Great Recession of 2008-09. Economic growth is low because consumer demand is low. Consumer demand is low, because people simply aren’t spending money right now.

If reading any of this makes you dizzy, I completely understand. I’m dizzy just from writing it. Americans are spending just to meet their basic needs and are struggling just to do that. One reason why it’s a bad time to pass tax hikes. Sorry Socialists, tax hikes and tax increases are not always a good thing a cure to any disease, economic or otherwise. But all these things in the economy are linked together and are holding our economy down. So the way to create jobs and get small business’s to start hiring again, is by giving them more customers. Give them more demand so they need more employees to meet the new consumer demand.

You don’t create new jobs by making small businesses jobs tougher by taking more of their money from them to feed Uncle Sam, who needs a diet anyway. The way you create more jobs, is to create more demand and need for new workers. That is how we get the economy going again. Sounds simple, now we need policies to encourage that. So first, let’s not pass tax hikes right now, the payroll tax or anything else. Consumers need that money in their pockets and for jobs to be created, they need to spend that money.

One way to do that is to create jobs for small business like with infrastructure investment, passing an infrastructure bill out of Congress in the hundreds of billions of dollars over two years. By giving construction companies more work to do, they’ll end up needing new employees to do that work, which will create more and new jobs, hiring unemployed construction workers.

Economics 101: to create new jobs, you first need to work and business to do. These people will now have some money to spend with their new jobs and would add to our consumer spending, which will lead to new consumer demand, which will lead to new economic growth, which will lead to more job growth.

All of these things are linked together and when they are all doing well, like just as little as 5-6 years ago or in the 1990s economic and job growth are high. But when they are down, our whole economy as far as consumer demand, consumer spending, economic and job growth are all down. Which is the situation right now. So to fix these problems we need to encourage people to spend money again. You don’t fix the economy with politician’s saying: “Now it’s time to hire for the good of the country!” Business’s need good reasons to hire that will help their business’s first. 

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Goal: Reduce Violent Crime in Maryland: Targeting Real Criminals Instead of People who aren't

The number one priority especially for a State Government, is Public Safety, without that we don't have anything else. Nothing else is possible, thats a fundamental value that only Anarchists could disagree with, the question is how do we do that and what do we mean by Public Safety. To Liberals such as myself, as well as Libertarians, Public Safety is about preventing and then punishing people when they harm innocent people. First trying to prevent these crimes from happening in he future but when they do, which of course they do happen, then catch and punish those criminals, of course after they are convicted. We do have Constitutional Rights and Rule of Law, catch and punish rapists, murderers, Sexual Abusers, Child Abusers, robbers, batterers, people who actually represent a threat to society. And must be put away for the protection of society, Drug Offenders and I'm not talking about Narcotics Dealers, don't qualify under this, they represent the same threat to society as do alcoholics. But we don't arrest and lock people up for being alcoholics, only crimes they commit relating to alcohol but you could be user of Illegal Narcotics, just a user not an addict and simply be arrested and locked up for it.

Not every crime thats committed, whether its in Maryland or somewhere else, deserves a Prison Sentence to go along with that. Things like possessing marijuana, to use as an example or shoplifters, we don't need to lock up these people in prison, there are smarter more effective ways of dealing with these offenses. Then to lock people up in prison and with an approach like this we can save our valuable prison space, for he people I mentioned earlier, real criminals who actually represent a threat to society. And we have some things that we call crimes, that don't need to be crimes at all, marijuana would be an excellent example of that, Maryland just recently legalized Organize Gambling. So we now have Maryland Casinos, so one less Minor Offense that Maryland Law Enforcement has to worry about. So what we should do is protect people from the harm of others, not try to protect people from themselves.

Law Enforcement and Corrections System would be a hell of a lot more effective and efficient, if we just catch, convict, lock up and house the people that need to be there. As well as give the people who need to be locked up, the opportunity to turn their lives around, so when they do get out. They have legitimate skills that they can turn to and not have to go back to crime and not have to return to prison.

The Onion: Behind The Pen- Nanny State, Ninny State

This piece was originally posted at FRS Daily Press: The Onion: Behind The Pen- Nanny State, Ninny State

The guy narrating this video sounds like a pervert. Perhaps how Jerry Sandusky sounds in private or how some of these religious fundamentalists sound in private. The people who bash homosexuals and believe homosexuality should be outlawed. But he does make a valid point of what a nanny state looks like. "Don't bother to think for yourself and to take care of yourself, because we Progressive-Humanists will do that for you. And not only that, but when you do things that are considered unhealthy, we'll punish you for hurting yourself. So you don't do that in the future."

This whole nanny state episode is a self-inflicted wound that Progressive-Humanists have done to themselves. By trying to outlaw large soda drinks in New York. And they have their brand new hero in Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Who I guess has replaced Karl Marx in leading the charge and have opened up themselves to satires like this and I referring to this video by The Onion. Whether it's outlawing plastic bags in Los Angeles or trying to outlaw tobacco or hate speech, because they are worried about people's feelings getting hurt, well people that agree with them. They add to the notion that Progressives want to control people's lives.

I'm not trying to make the case that Progressives have a monopoly when it comes to the nanny state, because they certainly do not. And that Neoconservatives are completely innocent when it comes to the nanny state. They are both guilty when it comes to the nanny state, but for different reasons. And why they are on the fringe in American politics and both have anti-views when it comes to individual freedom, but go about it differently. Neoconservatives are nanny statists when it comes to things like censorship, pornography, political speech they disagree with, homosexuality.Women's place in the world, what people can wear in public, etc and unfortunately I could go on. But I trust you have other things you want to do with your lives then to hear this indefinite list.

But Progressive nanny statists have been in the news more lately with the soda ban. And have just fueled the stereotype that they want to control how Americans live their own lives. That they don't trust Americans to be able to make basic fundamental decisions with their own lives. Like what to drink. Or when it comes to hate speech, right-wing radio, Fox News, the "Fairness Doctrine" or what we can eat and drink. Progressives feed the notion that they want to control Americans lives. That if Americans don't look at the world exactly the way they do and live their lives they way they do, that there's something wrong with them that Uncle Sammy or another jurisdiction has to fix that by outlawing whatever they feel needs to be fixed. That they are so bored with their lives and don't have enough to do themselves, that they have to try to live the lives of others.

The Onion: Video: Report: High Unemployment Linked to One Man With 42,000 Jobs: Who Says America Has Weak Job Growth?

This post was originally posted at FRS Daily Press on Blogger

No wonder we have so much unemployment in this country. Jim Smith lets call him (for lack of a last name) has 42K jobs. You know to be honest with you, I have a hard time believing that one person could manage 42K jobs. I mean he would have to be Superman on steroids. A man with 14-21 thousand clones to pull this off, even making Mitt Romney jealous of all the clones he has. Perhaps Jim borrowed some of his clones from Mitt. He would have to be the worst workaholic imaginable. Someone who never sleeps, perhaps always on caffeine picking up a caffeine addiction while working at Starbucks and running another Starbucks. 

Jim Smith with  that  caffeine addiction, to be able to fly planes on the weekend, while he's air traffic controlling other planes in another city, at the same time. Flying from New York to St. Louis, while landing planes in Miami. His kids probably don't remember the last time they've seen him. His wife or several of his wives, (perhaps he's Mormon) ladies he's met on 2000 of his jobs, have already filed missing person reports. But the problem that police have, no not that they ran out of coffee and doughnuts, Jim gave them a new supply, while working at Dunkin Doughnuts. The problem that police have is that they don't know which Jim Smith to look for. 

How do you track someone down with 42K jobs? Not only that, but how do you track down someone with 42K jobs named Jim Smith. You look up that name in a phonebook and you see 1K guys with that name and then maybe you say. "Well how many guys named Jim Smith with 42K jobs?" Well only one if any, but I'm skeptical that one guy could have all of those jobs. I know what you are thinking to be skeptical of that there is a guy with 42K jobs, would be like trying to believe that Mitt Romney is unemployed, or Barack Obama is a Socialist or Santa Clause doesn't really exist. 

Well call me crazy then, but I don't believe it to begin with. I have this weird suspicion that this story was made up by Onion News and I know what you are thinking. That Onion News reports more facts than Fox News. Well thats true, but if Mitt Romney is unemployed, than anything is possible. I mean who says that President Obama's economic policies aren't working, 42K jobs were created for one man alone. 

With that type of Job Growth, we can create so many jobs, that we won't have enough unemployed workers and then we won't need as big as a safety net. Which of course would drive Progressives crazy to the point where they would come up with policies to layoff more workers, but wouldn't that be a nice problem to have. 

Mitt Romney's Economic Plan: Layoff More Public Workers Because People Need Jobs: Public Workers Are Also People

After having one of the worst if not worst weeks so far in 2012 for President Obama, bad Jobs Report, looks like Economic Growth may be declining. President Clinton makes two gaffes, one about the Tax Cuts, suggesting that President Obama should raise them before the elections and then making a statement that could've been made by the Devil himself. From the perspective of Democrats, saying that Mitt Romney is qualified to be President of the United States. President Obama gets out raised by Mitt Romney in May by a whopping 16M$, Wisconsin Democrats lose the recall last Tuesday. President Obama has a horrible misstatement on Friday, first the Private Sector is doing well, then its doing fine. A real George H.W. Bush moment, his Secretary of Commerce gets implicated in a Car Accident, I mean when it rains, its a hurricane for Democrats last week. But here's some sunshine, its name is Mitt Romney, a year round Christmas Gift, the man who can't shut up and go even a few days without making gaffes. He's addicted to gaffes like Green Bay is addicted to football, he can't help himself, he has a tendency to say what he really believes and then feels the need the next day. To correct himself by saying what he didn't mean to say, if that makes any sense.

Governor Romney over the weekend when he was giving a Campaign Speech, was criticizing the President for being in favor. Of giving States and Locals aide to be able to hire additional Public Workers and not have to layoff additional Public Workers, people and yes they are people as well. Workers like teachers, firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers, saying that President Obama is in favor of more government and then in the next sentence he says, that we don't need more government. We need to help people who who are out of work, get jobs not increase the size of government, what Governor Romney doesn't seem to be aware of, which is strange because he's an Ex Governor. Who had to run a State Administration and supervise State Workers, what Governor Romney doesn't seem to understand that is, that Public Workers are people to and they also need work to do and there are things that we simple need them to do.

The Private Sector doing well and fine statement is President Obama's George H.W. Bush out of touch moment and hopefully the last one he has. He might not be able to afford another moment like that but saying that we don't need to hire additional firefighters, teachers and Law Enforcement Officers. People who are unemployed and could fill these jobs, that we need to help people instead, is Mitt Romney's George H.W. Bush out of touch moment and Democrats need to pounce on this.

Diego Torres: Video: NFL Films: NFL 1967-NFL Championship-Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers: Ice Bowl Highlights

This post was originally posted at FRS Daily Press

When I think of great football games, I don’t think of great shootouts, like the New York Jets beating the Miami Dolphins back in 1986, something like 52-49, the shootout of shootouts. With quarterbacks Dan Marino and Ken O’Brien trading touchdown passes, good game, entertaining game, of course, but not one of the best games of all-time. No, a great game is generally not played by two teams that can’t stop each other, where the team that has the ball last, wins or can’t score against each other. And it’s generally a mistake rather than a great play that decides the game.

Great games are generally played between two great teams, where both teams have good or great offenses and defenses. And the team that wins, is the team that executes or prepares better and perhaps gets a few more breaks. Thats what the 1967 NFL Championship, better known as the Ice Bowl represents. Two very good teams on both sides of the ball, both playing a great game. I mean think about it, the 1967 NFL Championship played in Green Bay, Wisconsin, not Milwaukee, but Green Bay.

Take football and freezing weather away from Green Bay, nobody outside of the country has ever heard of Green Bay. Actually take the Packers out of Green Bay, nobody outside of Green Bay has ever heard of Green Bay. But they have the Packers and they have Lambeau Field, the New York Yankees of the NFL and most famous and best stadium in the NFL. There’s nothing that better represents the NFL than the Packers and Lambeau Field, with all of its Hall of Famers and championships.

The Packers won the first two Super Bowls, so there was no better place to be, to play this game and weather was part of it. The ultimate of football weather, zero degrees at halftime, windchill probably -20, a skating rink for a football field. Playing a very good and up incoming team, from the biggest city or 2nd biggest city in the South, the Dallas Cowboys.

What made the Ice Bowl great, were the great players who played in, the Hall of Famers and Pro Bowlers who played for both teams. QB Don Meredith, WR Bob Hayes, DT Bob Lilly for the Cowboys, QB Bart Starr, OT Forrest Gregg, OG Jerry Kramer, DE Willy Davis and others for the Packers. I means these teams had to be this great, just to show up to play this game and represent why this is the best bad weather football game of all time.

Lambeau Field

FYI: A&E's The World's Most Notorious Serial Killer- Ted Bundy

This piece was originally posted at FRS Daily Press: FYI: A&E's The World's Most Notorious Serial Killer- Ted Bundy

When I think of people who would fall into the category, of what could’ve been, as far as people who could’ve been very successful in life, the ultimate underachievers, Ted Bundy would definitely be on that list. There are plenty of athletes who would make that list. Baseball players like Darryl Strawberry, who was a five-tool player, whose career was shortened due to drug addiction. Jose Canseco would be on that list as well. Not so much drug addiction, except for perhaps steroids. But someone who wasn’t very disciplined as an athlete or a person.

Football players like RB Eric Dickerson and this might be hard to believe, because he’s in the Hall of Fame. But he could’ve and perhaps should’ve gone down as the best running back of all time. Perhaps the most talented RB of all-time, but never made it to that level. And then you look at politicians, like Richard Nixon, without his paranoia, would’ve gone down as one of the best American president’s ever, especially on Foreign Policy. And then you can also look at serial murderers and Ted Bundy would be at the top of my list.

There are plenty of criminals and serial murderers who are pure evil, who bring nothing to the table, from a positive sense. Richard Ramirez the Night Stalker comes to mind. And then there are serial murderers who are a mix bag of good and evil. Take away the evil side and they could’ve been very productive in life. Ted Bundy would be at the top of my list. But serial murderers like John Wayne Gacy, who when he wasn’t murdering people, was a very successful business and family man. Who was considering a career in Illinois politics and could’ve gotten elected and been successful at that. Ted Bundy went to college and was studying to become a lawyer.

Bundy was a law student and even represented himself in court, during his murder trials. Murder trials, because he’s connected to at least twenty murders that we know of and there may be more. The evil side of Ted Bundy, was one of the worst people we’ve ever seen, one of the most successful serial murderers that we know of. As far as the amount of people he murdered and murdered all young women, most of them college students. So he could rape them, then murder them and then keep them as his possessions. So he can come back to them. Thats how he satisfied his sexual desires and is someone who had to be stopped, because he would’ve killed more.

President "Obama: Europe Must Act to Stem Economic Crisis: Why America Must Act as well

With all do respect to President Obama, the Private Sector in America is not "in good shape", we are not growing very well economically and we are not creating many jobs. Roughly 200K jobs combine the last two months and the jobs that we created in March and April, the reports there seemed optimistic now and have been downgraded. The 2nd Quarter Economic Growth Report is do next month, if we have another bad Jobs Report for June, to go along with April and May, that could be a signal. That Economic Growth could fall from the First Quarter of mediocre 2.2%, the "Great Recession" is over but we are not recovering fast enough, to get past it and get back to being a healthy economy again. Where we were in 2006 and parts of 2007, which was 5-6 years ago, the last time we had a strong economy in America, we are starting to look like the 1970s economically, where we aren't hit with once recession. But with several, one after the other, with periods of weak Economic and Job Growth, followed by another recession, this is not where the country wants to be obviously but especially not where a President wants to be in a year where he's up for reelection.

The economy is starting to hurt President Obama even more and he knows this, which is why he tried to get ahead of a weak Jobs Report for May last Friday. Before he got stuck with all the blame but its also hurting him with his fundraising where Mitt Romney out raised him by 16M$ last month, thats just for one month. The more the country is talking about a bad economy and he's talking about a bad economy, who's to blame and all of that, which is why the President needs to move past the Washington Blame Game. So to speak and lay out what he plans to do to try to fix the economy, this is what I want to do, this is what I've been trying to do, this is what we need to do, this is how we can put all of these Construction and Manufacturing Workers back to work. But I can't do it all by myself and I have a Republican House that wants to go back to the Bush Years and the policies that put us where we are.

The more President Obama says things like the economy is healthy or the Private Sector is in good shape. The more he risks sounding like Herbert Hoover, Gerry Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush, all Presidents that sounded like they were out of touch and struggled to communicate with average people. He has to tell them that he knows the country is struggling and that he has a plan to fix it.

Grand Opening of Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover, MD: Freedom of Choice Expanding in Maryland

A couple of weeks ago the Maryland Legislature signed into law Tax Hikes, including a Middle Class Tax Hike, to help close its Budget Deficit. As well as to avoid Budget Cuts, you gotta to know something about Maryland, great State to live in for lots of reasons, I wouldn't prefer to live anywhere else. But we are already one of the highest taxed States in The Union. Our Income Tax is already around 10% and thats to go along with Property Taxes, Sales Taxes, Local Taxes and of course all of the Federal Taxes that we have to pay. We are also one of the wealthiest States in the Union, with an economy larger then a lot of countries, including The State of Israel. With a Per Capita Income more then twice the National Average and with the best Public Education in America. As well as an excellent State University System, including College Park but there's a point for even Marylanders. Where taxes can become too high and they look to live somewhere else but we still need to fund what the State Government need to do. Infrastructure, Law Enforcement etc but do it in a way, that doesn't harm Economic and Job Growth and keeps Maryland Dollars in the State.

Maryland is also nicknamed the Free State, so is my blog, so if you are going to have a nickname like that, then you should live up to it. And actually be a Free State, Maryland took another step towards that with Same Sex Marriage back in March and we've taken another step with that with Maryland Casinos, including slots at Maryland Races. All of these things bring in money to Maryland that needs it, money that would otherwise go to West Virginia, Delaware or New Jersey all States that have Organize Gambling. The Maryland Legislature understands this at least to a certain extent and attempted to expand Maryland Casinos last month and failed. No one is forcing Marylanders to gamble or people from out of State to come to Maryland to gamble, just giving Marylanders and others the power to decide that for themselves. And the ones who deicide to gamble in Maryland, will be spending money in Maryland, not in other States.

The Free State of Maryland just got a little Freer today with the opening of the Hanover Casino, money that people will be spending in Hanover, Maryland. Money that Hanover will be able to tax, as well as the State itself, Tax Revenue that could be spent on Deficit Reduction. Public Education, Infrastructure Investment, Law Enforcement, keeping other Maryland Taxes down and keeping more money in the State.

Associated Press: Matt Friedman- 'Syria: US, European Diplomats No Longer Welcome'

Source:Associated Press- Bashar Al-Asasd: Baathist President of Syria.

"Syria barred a string of U.S. and European diplomats Tuesday, saying they were "no longer welcome" as the country plunged into its most profound international isolation in decades." 

From Associated Press

It’s a good thing that both America and Europe are pulling their diplomats out of Syria for diplomatic as well as for security reasons. Looks like the Assad Regime is preparing for war, as they should be if they want to stay in power. And of course they do and be the most authoritarian regime in the Mideast. This government is worst than the Islāmic Republic of Iran, which is an Islāmic theocracy, that of course is sexist towards women. President Assad is not interested in being President of Syria, that’s just his title. He’s interested in ruling over his people. Which is different.

The Assad Regime is more of a terrorist organization than a government. It’s more of a police state, than a government. They will allow you to live in what they claim is their country for a price: that you do exactly what they want you to do, you live under their code of conduct and live up to what they believe a Syrian should be. And the West looks like is finally waking up to that and the Syrian people are finally fed up about that and are literally now fighting back about it and it’s only a question of whether the Arab League and the West are going to help them fight back.

I wrote two blog posts last week arguing that the United States needs to stand for the Syrian people. Not calling for an invasion of Syria. No one in their right mind is, but there are other ways to assist people fighting for their freedom, without invading their country and risk killing innocent people. It could even happen short of a no fly zone, with things like military aid, weapons, food, humanitarian relief, blockades, preventing money from leaving the Assad Regime. And going to the Assad Regime, along with other sources, things we should’ve been doing for months.

We could be empowering the Syrian rebels to take the fight to the Assad Regime, but without doing it for them. Telling them that if they want their freedom, they have to go take it from President Assad. The old guard so to speak, is not going to go down without a fight, as we saw in Libya and of course as we are seeing in Syria. 

It’s good that the United States and Europe are pulling their diplomats out of Syria, to prevent them from going through any possible future violence. And this might be a sign of what’s to come, that the Syrian rebels are ready, or are preparing to go on the offense. Hopefully with the backing from the West and we will be able to eliminate another authoritarian regime in the Mideast. 

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The Onion: Week in Review- The Week in What Didn't Happen, This Time Not From Fox News

Desperate to be President of The United States

The Onion: Week in Review- The Week in What Didn't Happen, This Time Not From Fox News

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced today that he will clone himself again, to make himself look like a women. Along with undergoing plastic surgery to make that happen, to better reconnect with female voters. But canceled those plans, after being told by Neoconservative Republicans that they wouldn't vote for a women for President. The ironic part of this, that a lot of those voters are women as well. In a press release from the Romney Campaign, they announced that already managing four clones, Conservative Mitt, Liberal Mitt, Moderate Mitt and Neoconservative Mitt, would be too much to handle. To go along with a Female Mitt.

Also in the news, Vice President Jill Biden  announced that Mitt Romney was more qualified to be President of the United States, than himself. But in the next sentenced announced that Mitt would make a worst President than George W. Bush. Apparently Vice President Biden forgot to take his medication. His wife Jill Biden announced that her husband is back home in bed now. And will only be allowed to leave the house, with tape wrapped around his mouth, to prevent him from speaking.

The day in what didn't happen and again this time not from Fox News, who are all on vacation this week. Back in court once again to deal with lawsuits filed against them by Democrats who are suing them for libel, for being called Un-American. That lawsuit filed by the President of the United States himself. Who they claimed is actually the President of the United Mexican States, after seeing President Obama in Mexico City. At an Organization of American States meeting. More details about that lawsuit as they don't come out in the future. But Fox News released a statement saying that they will be back next week, with a special report on the accuracy of birth certificates for everyone born in Hawaii since 1945. Not just Barack Obama.

Hewad Patman: 'Che Guevara True Story'

Source:Hewad Patman- The Che Guevara Story.

“Argentinian doctor; joined Castro in Mexico in 1954; a leader of the 1956-59 Cuban Revolution. Che served as president of Cuba’s national bank and as Cuba’s minister of industry in the period immediately following the Cuban Revolution.

Towards the end of his formal affiliation with the Cuban government, Che came to implicitly criticize Soviet bureacracy. His positions put him at odds with the party line of the Cuban CP. In 1965, Che realized that the defence of the Cuban revolution and the creation of revolutions abroad were naturally not always in sync, and this ultimately led to his resignation and his return to revolutionary work abroad.

During Che’s subsequent revolutionary campaigns, he wrote his Message to the Tricontinental (1967) in which he openly criticized the Soviet Union; claiming that the Northern hemisphere of the world, both the Soviet Union and the US, exploited the Southern hemisphere of the world. He strongly supported the Vietnamese Revolution, and urged his comrades in South America to create “many vietnams”.

In 1965 Che left Cuba to set up guerrilla forces first in the Congo and then later in Bolivia, where he was ultimately captured and killed in October 1967. Accounts of his execution have varied over the years, but many contemprary accounts indicate some degree of collaboration between Bolivia’s government troops and the United States CIA.

Guevara developed a theory of primacy of military struggle, in particular concept of guerilla foquismo. Many of Che’s theories regarding guerilla tactics are articulated in his 1961 work “Guerilla Warfare.”

From Hewad Patman 

“From his famous motorcycle trips to his historic role in the Cuban Revolution, Argentinean revolutionary Che Guevara is profiled in a documentary produced to explore the life of the man whose visage has become an iconic symbol of hard left politics.

This man, who ordered the execution of countless human beings while in charge of the notorious La Cabaña prison in Havana, who terrorized Cuban society and who denied freedom to thousands of citizens whom he considered “deviants” or “anti-revolutionaries” can never be accepted as a hero, martyr or — the shock of it — a saint.

Its a good documentary in the fact that it brings to light other people in the revolution, and it has this kind of new way of presenting the man, with lots of hard guitar in the background to make him seem “radical” i guess. Jon Anderson the author of one of the best bio’s on him is interviewed many times, also there are interviews with American soldiers who fought in the revolution,which is very interesting to get to see them. Overall it is one of the better documentaries.”

Source:Top Documentary Films- on Che Guevara.

From Top Documentary Films

Imagine had these socialist revolutionaries in Latin America, like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were inspired by Socialists in Scandinavia, Britain, France, Germany, and others, and not being inspired by Socialists in Russia and China, where countries like Cuba, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and others, how well they could be doing economically today. And how much influence they would have in the world today and not just in Latin America.

Had these revolutionaries followed the Brazilian model, a social democratic republic, that’s emerging as a world Power, that’s now energy independent, instead of following Russia, China, this beautiful region, deep in natural resources, as well as people, instead of all these nations being developing nations today, maybe they look like the European Union. Maybe they are all economically independent, not dependent on foreign aid. But instead giving out foreign aid. Maybe they have a Latin Union that represents their economic and security interests in the world.

Had Latin America developed an economic system, that promotes public education, that everyone has access to, not just the wealthy, that promotes public infrastructure, healthcare, that people who can take care of themselves should be expected to do that and that the state helps the people who can’t, which is the direction that Cuba is trying to move to right now, Latin America would probably be part of the developed world today. Instead of a collection of emerging countries.

Brazil will be a developed nation, perhaps within ten years from now. Mexico could and should be, but have corruption and crime issues that are holding them back. But a lot of these other countries are really struggling. Like Central America, Venezuela, Bolivia and others.

The Brazilian model is what the rest of Latin America should look at. Which is democratic socialism, which is a large private sector, but with a public that can defend and govern the country. And also help people who fall through the cracks of capitalism. Rather than trying to design an economic system where you put all the power in the state and make the people dependent on the state for their survival. 

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