Monthly Archives: August 2011

Tripoli Bloodbath

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Now that the rebels have taken over the capital, they have now engaged in the routing up and killing anyone they suspect of being a former Gadhafi loyalist – particularly sub-Saharan Africans.Instead of working to unite a new country, it looks like the rebels have instead resorting to the very barbaric tactics that Gadhafi himself utilized (although I am not sure if Gadhafi was ever involved in ethnic cleansing like the rebels are engaging in Tripoli). The bodies piling up in the streets of Tripoli have both Gadhafi and the rebels to blame, but now it is the rebel’s Trans National Councils responsibility to ensure order in the former capital. NATO, which was crucial in overthrowing Gadhafi, should also play a role in the way new Libya is set up and governed – It would be a monumental failure for Libya’s new government to be more oppressive than Gadhafi’s.

Gadhafi left behind him in Tripoli the charred corpses of those he tortured and executed, and it is well he is now out of power. According to Randall and Owen (2011), regime troops killed over 50 people and burned them in a warehouse – two of the dead were soldiers who refused to carry out the order.

Reference:

“Rebels Settle Scores in Libyan Capital.” The Independent. Web. 27 Aug. 2011. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/rebels-settle-scores-in-libyan-capital-2344671.html>.

Randall, David, and Jonathan Owen. “Charred Remains of Massacre Victims Found in Tripoli.” The Independent. Web. 27 Aug. 2011. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/charred-remains-of-massacre-victims-found-in-tripoli-2345251.html>.

Steve Jobs – Success

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Steve Jobs, the co-founder (along with Steve Wozniak and less known Ronald Wayne) and as of yesterday the CEO of Apple computer (AAPL), is the quintessential image of modern success. Born to Syrian and American parents who put him up for adoption and subsequently being adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, Steve grew up in Mountain View (the base of Google) and went to high school in Cupertino (the base of Apple). Steve dropped out of college after one semester, and audited classes while sleeping in friend’s dorms. He collected coke cans for money and ate for free at a local Hindu temple. He started attending computer club meetings, and worked for Atari. Eventually Jobs along with the other men previously mentioned started Apple in 1976. In 1985 a man Jobs hired relieved Jobs of his position…

Having being kicked out of the company he started, Jobs went on to buy Lucasfilm’s ‘Graphics Group’ which he renamed ‘Pixar’ which was responsible for Toy story and virtually all 3D Disney movies. In 1996 Apple bought out a company Jobs founded called NeXT, which was a creator of high performance computer systems (similar to Alienware). Jobs later reemerged as CEO and led Apple’s ascension into greatness. Under Job’s leadership Apple went on to produce the highly successful iPod, iPhone, iPad, and experienced higher demand for Mac desktop and laptop systems. Jobs started an orphan, college dropout, and LSD user and emerged as one of the most well known CEOs of our time even though the past years he has been plagued by pancreatic cancer.

I hope the best for Mr Jobs.

The Freedom Candidate

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To all supporters of the Constitution, do not be swayed by Fox News, who is ignoring Ron Paul because he’s not a tool for special interests. Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin are NOT the real deal. The “Tea Party” is a tool created by the media to pigeonhole Libertarians into following 2nd or 3rd rate candidates while ignoring the candidate who started the entire movement against interventionism and insane spending – Ron Paul. I will be voting for Ron Paul regardless of what the media purports to be the Libertarian’s ‘best chance’. Ron Paul statistically tied Bachmann, yet is being ignored by every major news organization.

On the Subject of Democrats Blaming Tea Party for Credit Rating Downgrade

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I find it mildly hilarious that democrats are blaming the Tea Party for the credit downgrade… Overspending by Democrats and neoconservative Republicans has caused debt that has spiraled to extraordinary heights resulting in the need to raise the debt ceiling multiple times. Furthermore, I also see the credit rating downgrade by the S&P which may result in economic damage as nothing new. The S&P was one of the key players which led to the economic distress starting in 2007 based on faulty inflated ratings of mortgage-backed securities. Regarding whether the US is currently credit worthy, I believe the answer to that question is yes absolutely. The US has the largest economy and largest military to protect that economy in the world, in the past few years it has wasted trillions in wars thousands of miles away topped with paying off corrupt governments that harbor our number 1 enemy. If we can get our act together and reduce needless spending on destruction while improving domestic infrastructure and reducing restrictions and taxes on businesses I can see a recovery in order. Don’t blame the problem solvers for the result of a problem built by a tainted two party system that has had no respect for fiscal policy.

The democrats who have shifted the blame to the Tea Party include but are not limited to John Kerry and former Obama adviser David Axelrod, who have called the recent credit rating downgrade by the S&P to be the “tea party downgrade”. As an American interested in the long term livelihood of the United States as a sovereign nation, I support the spending cuts achieved primarily upon the stubbornness of the Tea Party to cave into political bullying and threats of major news organizations along with the Treasury Secretary’s unsubstantiated claims of economic ruin should the debt limit be exceeded. Right now, Democrats should focus instead on their party’s 2008 election promises that have never come to fruition. Bringing troops back from Afghanistan, for example, is something that will save the United States billions of dollars. The cost of the Afghanistan war in 2010 alone was 106.6 billion dollars, and it is estimated that this year we will spend 122 billion dollars [1].

References:

1.”Annual Costs of the War in Afghanistan | COSTOFWAR.COM.” Cost of War to the United States | COSTOFWAR.COM. Web. 07 Aug. 2011. <http://costofwar.com/en/publications/2011/annual-costs-war-afghanistan/>.

Why the American Economy Falters

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The reason behind the faltering United States economy is outsourcing. The outsourcing option allows US businesses to bypass the stringent employment laws set by the Federal and State government regarding child labor, minimum wages, overtime pay, and the collection of employment safety. If other countries had such laws in place, their wages would be much higher than they are now and the benefits of outsourcing would be reduced. Outsourcing has increased the income gap in the United States (see below). In 2010, the top 20% earned 49.4% of the nation’s income. The bottom 15% earned just 3.4%. The basis for this problem stems from the lack of jobs for uneducated workers, while outsourcing exacerbates the problem yet is quite profitable given the set of circumstances. Add to the list of regulations on business the high corporate income tax rate of 35% (China has a tax rate of 25%, Singapore 17%, Russia 17%, and Bahamas 0%) then we have a problem. While the United States still claims champion status regarding intellectual property and technological advances, these ideas are often brought to other countries along with the ideas and brainpower. It’s hard to fault those who have chosen to outsource, since business is business and sadly the last one to outsource usually the one that goes out of business.