The Post Modern World and America

 

The Postmodern World and America

A Critical Review and Comment

 

The economy is going in the wrong direction.  The American economy can be made to recover relatively quickly if the right actions are taken. 

First of all a modified Keynesian approach is needed and not a bastardized Keynesian approach as taken by the current congress.  Secondly, the economy cannot recover without reducing the unemployment rate.  Employment drives the economy more than any other single factor.  It is my view that the approach taken by the Obama Administration will only create massive extended unemployment.  The disastrous results will tend to prepare the country for accepting a government managed economy; socialism.  This can only be achieved at the expense of capitalism and such massive unemployment together with a crippled manufacturing sector will undermine the capital basis of economic activity.

Lenin said that “…a socialist island in a capitalist sea…” could not survive.   He was only considering a total globalized economy in that respect.  With regards to the problems America faces today the socialist and capitalist economic paradigms cannot coexist nationally because capitalism and socialism are mutually exclusive.  Of course, we realize that America operates a mixed economy because of the regulations imposed on industry and commerce by FDA, and other regulatory agencies.  America can only realize widespread economic recovery if the following actions are Considered.  

 

1.      The massive spending on pork and non return-on-investment (ROI) spending must be massively cut.  That means funding to Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac need to be dissolved.  All funding to ACORN needs to be dissolved.  Funding to frivolous business enterprise must be eliminated; for example the $168,000.00 to the massage Parlor Critical priorities needs to be put in place but they must be economic priorities and not political priorities.  All funding must go toward military projects that employ workers and non-frivolous small business such as contract agencies for technical services and industrial support for manufacturing and research.

2.      All funding to wind energy must be eliminated and shifted to photovoltaic and passive solar development.  Focus needs to be shifted to high energy rechargeable battery development; super capacitor development; petroleum exploration, natural gas development; nuclear power station development, and high frequency generators and transformers need to be developed and optics to improve luminescence in lighting. Low energy high intensity traffic lighting; street lighting and traffic control; the efficient conversion of coal into clean fuels; the construction of petroleum refineries to produce high octane gasoline; the reduction of ethanol to 2% in petroleum to be phased out altogether in 5 years and the conversion of the production facilities to alcohol production and fermentation products.

 

3.      A major effort must be made to restore the domestic manufacturing sector.  Offshore manufacturing by American companies must be limited to 25% of their total productive capability.  Corporate taxes must be cut to an absolute minimum. Further incentives to small companies with less than 100 employees for export products needs to be put in place.  The power of unions must be limited. Union wages and benefits must not artificially exceed market prices like they have over the last century.  There should be no favoritism to a union worker because he or she is a union worker.  The employment sector must be a level playing field for all workers to seek the best market price according merit and not political favoritism. 

4.      Start up businesses should be given consideration according to the merits of their business plan for funding.  The funding must demonstrate success at predictable milestones.   Start up businesses in the area of weapons development and counter measures to combat terrorism should work closely with JIEDDO or HS or other appropriate bodies and be given access to government laboratories or other assets that will expedite the development of the proposed weapons or countermeasure project. 

a.       A nation without a strong manufacturing sector is a nation without a strong defense; it is a nation vulnerable to exploitation and invasion. Manufacturing is critical to national defense. Funding for domestic defense projects must increase.

b.      Petroleum resources are critical to national defense.  A nation that does not have ample petroleum resources cannot successfully prosecute a war of defense for either domestic security or allied security.  This is the Bodenet Thesis.  The Bodenet Thesis posits the theory that the purpose of the left wing European and American left political agenda opposing the development of domestic energy independence and domestic petroleum, which we have in abundance, is strategically intended to place severe limits on America’s ability to prosecute a war of defense or aggression in the interest of American security or the defense of Israel, Japan, South Korea or Taiwan or Philippines, to name a few of our geostrategic allies. 

5.      Medical coverage by the government is absurd.  Harry Truman was persuaded to consider socialized medicine (I believe in 1949).  He refused to pursue it because the cost of the program would have been $9,500,000,000.00 which far exceeded the national debt at the time.  That was just the cost to set it up and not including the cost to operate the program.  The government revenues to be obtained from administering socialized medicine are staggering by the time you include the pharmaceuticals, appliances, instruments like CAT scan, MRI, Ultrasound, and so on. 

a.       The left needs such a huge money supply because the only way they can sustain power is to spend enormous sums to propagandize because their ideas of socialism and communism cannot compete on merit.

6.      The efficacy of a government managed economy is a myth; it is a Marxist atavism based on the outmoded metaphysical discourse Das Kapital, which relies on Ricardo and Malthus.  Adam Smith in his 1776 publication of “An Enquiry into the Causes and the Nature of the Wealth of Nations” (The Wealth of Nations) successfully refuted the ideas of Ricardo, especially with regards to “The Law of Iron Wages.”  Marxism is an atavism.  Socialism puts money in the hands of bureaucrats and capitalism puts money into the hands of the people.  It is the people spending money and not the government that drives return on investment economic endeavor. The people and not the government are the real economic stimulus.

7.      John Maynard Keynes left his indelible finger print on American economics, especially with his publication in 1936 of Employment, Interest and Money.  Certainly the Federal Reserve has been influenced by neo-Keynesianism as many politicians have also. 

8.      It is worth reading the entire collection of Keynes’ works. The current Administration’s economic hybrid (Marxist ideas and selective Keynesian views) is not compatible with capitalism or a free market supply and demand economy. It will only create a government machine for that will for all practical purposes usher in the elements of a command economy, which is exactly what the intention of congressional members in the Democratic Party leadership propose. Such a transformation will undermine the capitalist infrastructure and capitalism will collapse upon the command paradigm.    

9.      The concept of injecting money into the economy and lowering interest to free up the money supply and generalized Keynesian theory is viable only under strict circumstances but it is not a universal axiom of economics.  The problem for the current congress is essentially derived from a misunderstanding of the Failures of FDR economics by positing them as successes.  Like the FDR Administration, the economy (influenced by Keynes) was made the dependent variable of political theory.   This rests on the ideas of Karl Marx, principally in Das Kapital in the left wing of congress.   

10.  Hegel said that the only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history…my words, Hegel’s meaning.  History has shown that a government managed economy does not work.  From history we can look at the Soviet Union and China without even considering the lesser failures. 

11.  While both Russia and China clearly demonstrate the benefits and functional efficacy of capitalism over socialism, China is perhaps the best illustration of the advantages of capitalism.  When Deng Xiao Ping took over from Mao Ze Dong, Deng transformed China by moving from a socialist command economic structure to a capital based market economy; although the influence of Li Pong was still present.  Hu Jintao has continued to move toward capitalization of the economy, and realizing the importance of manufacturing he has promoted privatized means of production as originally established by Deng Xiao Ping.  China as a primary manufacturing resource for America is an ill conceived idea based on the reordering of global economics intended to support a new world order under a central planning authority. This is not in the interests of America or in the interests of humanity.

Geostrategic alliances

12.  The current congress suffers from an extraordinary paucity of diplomatic acumen and a vast lack of understanding of geostrategic and geopolitical alliances.  Successful practices have been abandoned in the last half decade. The recent proposal to abrogate the Monroe Doctrine is only one example of the trend toward diminishing USA security.

13.  Our geostrategic network of alliances should begin with the Middle East.  Israel and not Palestinians is paramount among our strategic allies in the Middle East.  Our ties to Israel should be strengthening and not weakening as they are under the present congress.  American national security depends in large measure upon Israel.  Because Jimmy Carter eliminated 80% of the field agents in one command we grew more dependent on the Mossad for Middle East intelligence.  The criticism of the lack of reliable intelligence regarding WMD in Iraq is ironic because the Carter Administration undermined our intelligence in the region by firing the field agents. The Obama anti Israeli posture, moreover, has soured Binyamin Netanyahu and compromised our standing with the Mossad.  The anti-Israeli posture of the current administration will cost us dearly and will translate into the loss of many American lives and American property.  

14.  America has not pursued a policy to cement our relations with Jordan.  The late King Hussein of Jordan was a direct descendent of Muhammad, which brought a certain prestige and credibility to Jordan, and Jordan has played a leadership role in the past.  It was Jordan under the late King Hussein that the Palestinians were expelled for their radical ideas and behavior.  That needs to be understood when assessing Jordan’s position on terrorism. 

15.  Jordan does not favor a weak US position towards Iran.  The Obama Administration’s reluctance to support strong sanctions against Iran will not endear Jordan.  Jordan is a key to our Middle East political hegemony and can play a key role in Iraqi political stability.  Jordan has proved to be our ally in the war on terrorism.  Jordan is the ideal nation to compensate for the political vacuum now being filled by Iran.  But the Obama Doctrine of appeasement is unwisely distancing Jordan and Israel is now looking towards Russia for security.

16.   Kuwait is another geostrategic ally with which to cement stronger relations.  Kuwait is a strategic petroleum producer and borders Saudi Arabia separated from Iran only by the Persian Gulf; a mere 56 kilometers.  But a strategic buffer zone nonetheless.  Listening posts in Kuwait would provide strategic intelligence with regards to Iran and Saudi Arabia.  Kuwait could serve as an effective station for intelligence gathering given the proper equipment and personnel.  A stronger US presence in Kuwait does not have to be publicized. 

17.  Yemen is a country of special interest.  Our interest is in the Al Qaeda training camps; especially in light of the “Panty Bomber’s” recent training, but also because Al Qaeda has an interest in training camps there.

18.  Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan all border Afghanistan and Taliban are likely making good use of the borders since our rules of engagement prevent our military to engage the enemy or follow the enemy once the enemy has terminated the hostility.  Our military rules of engagement must be changed to allow pursuing the enemy and capturing or killing the enemy. 

  

19.  WAR IN AFGHANISTAN:  The rules of engagement must be replaced immediately with rules that allow NATO forces to pursue Taliban terrorists after they have broken off engagement and are retreating to the border sanctuary.  As long as we cannot pursue them and capture or kill them they will have the military and political advantage. Our presence in that case has no useful purpose for USA security. The enemy will have no incentive to surrender and we will lose in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.  All financial support for Taliban would-be defectors must be terminated immediately.  

 

20.  The only reward for a Taliban that decides not to participate in the hostilities should be his life; nothing else.  Iran should be held accountable for IED determined to be supplied by Iranian sources.  Strong banking actions should be taken and Iranian funds should be frozen for as long as they supply IED to Taliban and other terrorists.  Repeated disregard by Iran must result in freezing assets indefinitely and protests to China and Russia should be sent for their indirect support of Iranian production and distribution of IED. 

21.  The present  ill-conceived rhetoric against Pakistan has only further alienated Pakistan.  But the blame for ignoring Pakistan goes back further than the present Administration.  This congress' rhetoric has mimicked the trend by administrations over decades.  The lack of enthusiastic support for Bhutto was simply bad foreign policy founded on strategic and political ignorance.  The present Administration has absolutely no understanding whatsoever of sable international diplomacy aimed at national security and hegemony.  This present policy is underwritten by a congress focused on transforming the USA into a global union member and not on national defense and domestic prosperity.  That doctrine will not help America to be safe or prosperous. 

22.  IRAQ­     The relevant historical aspects of the Iran-Iraq war are essential to understanding the course of action to be taken today with respect to the Middle East embroilments.  First one needs to recall the intensity of the Cold War during the seventies.  Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was friendly to the USA and allowed listening posts to be installed in Iran and staffed with operators.  The purpose of the listening posts was to monitor soviet activities and to detect possible aggressive motives.  The Soviets were determined to remove the listening posts and intrigued with the Ayatollah Khomeini to organize riots to undermine the Shah. 

The Shah had  allowed women to attend the University and did not institute Shariah law.  The Shah exiled the Ayatollah, whereupon the Ayatollah took up residence in Paris and proceeded to coordinate the rioting from there.  At the same time the Ayatollah ordered subversives to enter Iraq with the purpose of undermining the Baath regime under Saddam Hussein in order to foment revolution there.  

The Ayatollah and his associated radicals had designs on ushering in the Islamic revolution and Sharia Law in Iran and intrigued in Iraq toward the same end. Jimmy Carter became involved and the Carter Administration helped to facilitate the Islamic Revolution that ushered in the “reign of terror” under the Ayatollah Khomeini.  But the Saddam Hussein Administration in Iraq was well informed by a network of agents. The Revolution succeeded in Iran but not in Iraq.  The same strategy of inciting riots as a spring board for revolution was expected to be successful in Iraq but instead it resulted in horrible war between Iraq and Iran.  If the USA did not intervene on behalf of Iraq, Iran would have successfully won the war and created the Iraqi Revolution in Iraq and in Kuwait also. 

IRAQ Today
The Iranian intrigue in Iraq today is intended to resume the revolutionary designs of 1979.  The realization of an Iranian revolution in Iraq is so fraught with dangerous consequences for the free world that it must not be allowed to occur.   Saddam Hussein understood more than the Carter Administration that the Ayatollah was not content to limit his revolutionary zeal to Iran but had global ambitions towards world domination under Sharia Law.

Consider the geostrategic importance of Iraq with its military, its industrial and technological infrastructure and its geostrategic location.  Consider Kuwait with its petroleum and refineries, and Saudi Arabia with its petroleum reserves and airport and distribution infrastructure.  To the east consider Pakistan with its nuclear capability and access to India.  Then consider Afghanistan with its vast area and strategic location to Pakistan and Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.  To the north of these countries lies Kazakhstan.  Iran has plans to purchase purified uranium from Kazakhstan.

Those who do not understand the radical world view of radical Islam should not be directing foreign policy.  Jimmy Carter’s ignorance of foreign policy brought about the fall of the Shah of Iran, the rise of radical Islam, the Iran – Iraq war and the scourge of world terrorism.  The current Administration's foreign policy unless checked will usher in the destruction of Israel and the most ambitious global terrorism campaign conceivable with the specter of nuclear terror haunting every nation across the globe.   

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES IN ASIA

23.  Eisenhower made an unfortunate decision to withdraw air support to the French when the French were winning the war on the Viet Cong.  The French military directed the war and not the politicians at home.  But the withdrawal of American air support was a disaster and the French suffered greatly from having a battle strategy compromised by a major resource from an ally that failed to show up; American air support.   Here we see again how a decision made by an American president can have such enormous ramifications.  As a result, the Vietnam war became a liability for the U. S. A. We cannot afford to have another major foreign policy disaster. The present foreign policy dominated by the politically left congress is courting the disaster of a conflict of major proportions.

24.  Japan   The present Administration needs to get back to basics and shift the concentration from China to Japan.  China is not our pacific rim allay; Japan is.  The fact is that the American military and the Japanese military have tightened cooperation over the last couple of decades.  Furthermore, a large part of our military electronics depends entirely on Japan.  Japan’s remilitarization has been and should continue to be to our advantage. 

The recent Agreement of Cooperation between China and Russia may not technically spell out a military compact but the fact that China has been investing billions of money from America in Russia for High Tech Weapons development. This suggests at least a military component to their cooperation.    China and Russia have been able to dictate their terms because the US policy has been broken under decades of politically left control. 

25.  The current administration is undermining what little influence the US has retained by way of economic stability.  But even economic stability is not a basis for a global position.  China bases their global hegemony on her military and so does Russia.  The fantasy of uniting the world in peace and harmony on the basis of demilitarizing is pure nonsense.  Scrapping a global consortium for a global union is perhaps remotely possible in the very distant future but for the next couple of centuries it is only a fantasy. 

26.  South Korea is a critical part of American security and global and economic security.  Talk of pulling American troops out of South Korea is a disingenuous approach to US and S. Korean relations.  Japan and South Korea are critical to security in the pacific.  More emphasis on economic cooperation with South Korea and less with China must be considered.

27.  Taiwan is also a strategic US allay and because of diplomatic failures beginning with George Herbert Walker Bush and continuing right up to Obama our influence has weakened and our vulnerability has increased.  More emphasis on technology and economic cooperation needs to be developed with Taiwan and less with China.  China needs to understand the MFN is not a gift.  MFN needs to be an asset in out hegemony accounting.  

28.  Indonesia has a large Islamic population, which opens up an opportunity for US influence in opposing radical Islamic activity.  One of the major problems with our hegemony in Indonesia and other Asian nations is that the current Administration has presented the USA as an arrogant and selfish nation that he personally will be remedied by demilitarization.  A nation does not build relations and extend its hegemony by admitting that it is arrogant, particularly when is not the case promoted by a political anti-American sentiment of the far left. 

29.  The Philippines is and has long been a geostrategic allay.  Our naval bases in the Philippines are critical.  The idea of shrinking our military and closing foreign bases is absurd given the tension and potential for global conflict that exists today.  In any global conflict, however much we hope otherwise, it is not only prudent but essential that America is prepared at all times.  America cannot afford to risk being conquered by another nation.  America must continue to maintain a foreign military presence in geostrategic locations.

30.  The demilitarization by the current Administration has created a power vacuum which has ushered in a major realignment of the strategic balance of power.  This has moved the world c loser to hostile tensions and major military expansion in Asia.

31.  Indo China:  Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand represent a new opportunity for America to extend its hegemony.  Japan has developed industry in Thailand and can be a useful ally in helping to rebuild an American presence in Thailand.  Thailand is a strategic area with respect to international security.  Black market weapons trading in Thailand has historically been a major activity.  It is essential to global security that these black market trades are disabled.

In summary, the US has lost its way while trudging along the path to global economic unification.  Prosperity either domestically or internationally can only be achieved in a free world.  The globalization towards which America is headed will undermine both freedom and prosperity.  The many will suffer at the hands of the few.  The ideological advances by the current Administration and congress must be countered with tried and true methods of free government, free society and free market economics.  The world order must be constructed as a consortium of autonomous nations rather that a global union.