So what is going on in the world today?
A look at the news headlines on the Google news page shows a variety of topics to choose from. Under the top stories we see “It’s still “the economy, stupid” in Pennsylvania”. Well duh. The economy has always mattered. It will always matter. People are concerned about their welfare and of those they know. The funny thing is that the politicians seldom make things better and most often make things worse. This coming election is a fight for the biggest socialist and their promises to take over and run your life because you haven’t been doing a very good job of it. Just look what you say about how things are when they take a poll. It is obvious you need help, and they are just the ones to provide it. So is it just the economy? It is never just one thing but a combination of things. The attention span of the media and the intelligence of the average audience has sunk to the point where they can only handle one flashing light at a time.
“An Earthquake Rattles the Midwest” Indiana got hit with a 5.2 earthquake. I hope that no one was injured and that the damages were minimal. Natural disasters have a way of waking us to our surroundings and to extending a helping hand to our fellow neighbors. It is amazing how many earthquakes of various sizes occur every day. One story that caught my eye recently talked of a large number of earthquakes group about 100 miles off the Oregon coast. Scientist were puzzled and a vessel was sent to observe the area. Our world is an amazing place and continues to change on a daily basis. It is so vast and complex. I am amused sometimes at the arrogance of man when in comparison.
“Jimmy Carter meets Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal” I oft times wonder why we put so much praise on some people. I was joking with someone the other day that I wondered if Jimmy Carter is broke and needs money so he went to the Middle East to stir up some controversy and discontent with the hopes that he could again broker some peace and earn a million dollar Nobel Peace Prize. There was a rumor about Israel refusing to offer security for his visit because of his planned meeting with Hamas. They say they weren’t asked. Don’t know which is true. My thought on his travels is 1.) I hope it is not on U.S. taxpayers backs (though I know as a former president he has personnel security and his pension) and 2.) Since he is no longer an official representative of the government he is traveling as a private citizen and as such it is totally up to the receiving people/government/nations to decide whether or not to give him the time of day and 3.) It was his peace deal an US taxpayer funding (that continues to this day) that helped create the situation we and they are in today and continues to shape the problems we will face tomorrow. I don’t believe he is really making things any better. I do hope that his intentions are at least good.
“John McCain releases his tax returns – but not hers” so what. How many of you have actually seen it? I have seen the press release for it and I have seen the stories that report the portions they want to on it but have not actually seen it. The same goes for the other candidates in this run. I have seen past one from various presidents and McCain’s 2006 is on file at his web site. And as for not seeing her return, it really doesn't matter. Your really pretty much just see what they want you too see.
There is another web site that has the presidential tax forms on file, just Google to find the link. The two biggest points that I always see when looking at them is 1.) they make way more money than I do, and 2.) they are much better at giving away taxpayers money than they are at giving away their own. One thing I like to do is see what percentage of their money they gave to charity. For most people, the law of tithing is one tenth of your increase. McCain’s 2006 return does have a healthy deduction for charity and a large portion of it is carryover from previous years but in looking at the schedule it is hard to tell what it is going to since it is listed as miscellaneous.
At this level it is not uncommon to set p your own charities to promote your own causes. I am not saying that is what he is doing I am just saying that at this level of income the rules are different and those that are in that category will take advantage of them. This search for real equality in taxation is why I am working on the Nef Tax Plan. Look for it soon.
It is interesting to note that he was hit with the alternative minimum tax in 2006. Kind of makes you think there would be some incentive to correct that problem in legal land.
”Putin tells press he ‘likes all Russian women’” and he means to prove it. There have been rumors that the Russian president was going to divorce is wife and marry 24 year old gymnast Alina Kabayeva. He is now denying it. True or not why do we get caught up in all this nonsense? Personnel life and public life overlap to the point that they become one and the same for the famous of the world, but why do we get caught up in it all? The importance lies in the fact that this is an indication of character and that gives it relevance to the public figure. People are people and should be given the benefit of the doubt as often as possible but there are some things that are telling about the integrity of the individual. Public figures, and by that I mean government officials, should be of the best character and most upstanding of individuals. They work under the trust of the people. If that trust is jeopardized on personal matters, what is there to prevent the trust of the community from also being abused. Though this example is coming from abroad, and some may say that they have different standards, (I remember a time when they use to make excuses for many European leaders to have a mistress because that was there standard) we have also had a fair share of political shenanigans here. I say we should hold our public servants to at least as high a standard as we ourselves hold. I hope you are holding the bar rather high.
“Dockers refuse to unload China arms shipment for Zimbabwe”. This is one of those headlines that you hope is not misleading like so many are. A quick read seems to indicate that it is what it indicates. China is shipping arms to Zimbabwe through the South African port at Durban. The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union are refusing to unload the cargo. On top of that the country is refusing to grant the transit permit needed. How often do we just go about doing our job without concern for the moral implications? For most of us, there are no moral implications to be had and one should be glad if that is the case. Some are not aware of the actual affects of their work and are just doing their jobs the best they know how such as the dock worker that is just loading and unloading containers without the knowledge of what is in those containers. But if you were confronted with a situation that made you stop and think, would you be willing to make a stand? Do you make a stand for the small things you see in your daily life?
“Stolen laptop had data on 16000 Buffalo State students”. Everyone is concerned about stolen identity. It is a valid concern. Instead of trying to make all the noise about avoiding the theft and protecting your identity, why not focus on the victims’ rights and start seriously going after the perpetrators. Fraud is a crime that doesn’t happen by accident. It is deliberate. It is unacceptable. To make the victim pay twice for their loss is also unacceptable. Those that commit these crimes should be relentlessly pursued and punished vigorously. I feel the same way for all thieves and vandals. Their actions are deliberate and they should pay the consequences for their actions.
Well, that is enough for now. Focusing on too much news in a single sitting is not good for a person.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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