<![CDATA[Common sense for complex issues - Blog]]>Mon, 25 Sep 2023 15:09:50 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Wealth inequality or ENVY?]]>Thu, 16 Jan 2014 05:24:25 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/wealth-inequality-or-envyPicture
Americans earning just $32,000 are in the worlds top 1%.

* Envy says the system is rigged, yet, 67% of the Forbes 400 richest people came from nothing,
75% of people with $30 million net worth or more are self made, only 14% is inherited.
 
* Envy says we should even out the wealth, yet, within 3 generations these fortunes "through attrition" will be returned to society.

* Envy says we should confiscate more for the good of all, yet, most fortunes are given away to charity during the owners lifetime or there after.

It seems that opportunity is there for the taking, but insecure politicians whip the masses into a hive of ENVY!

The real crime is Marriage inequality:
Among families headed by two parents, just 7.5% live in poverty.
Among families headed by a single mom, the poverty level is 34%.

Single parenting by race:
Whites - 28.6%
Hispanics - 52.5%
Blacks - 72.3%

Black married families have a poverty level of just 7%, non married black families
have a poverty level of 35.6%

This is what our President should focus on, NOT ENVY. He should start a national campaign to teach the poor to stay in school, get married, and then have kids -  in that order.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304325004579296752404877612
]]><![CDATA[The root cause of human suffering]]>Sat, 03 Aug 2013 21:05:16 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/the-root-cause-of-human-sufferingIn the most private spaces of each person's inner conscious life, a deep dissatisfaction is lurking, a nagging sense that life is somehow out of kilter, misaligned, not quite as it should be. No matter how rich or secure or successful a person may be, a fundamental dissatisfaction still persists. The reasons for that dissatisfaction are plain. Everything a human being hopes for is in some sense imperfect, disappointing, or hollow. In the end we all die, which is the ultimate disappointment. At the same time, surely there are things that every person, no matter how poor or wretched, can be sincerely grateful for. Some things bring more joy than pain, even if the joy is tinged with grief, and even if those things are lost at death. To renounce desire is not a humane response to the fundamental dissatisfaction, even if the pursuit of desire really were the cause of pain and frustration. It seems that a characteristic of all living things is that they grasp relentlessly after survival and opportunity. Paradoxically, by facing the emptiness and by surrendering completely to its inevitability, we come to deep peace and no longer suffer. Many human needs are rooted in biology. Those obviously shouldn't be denied or trivialized. Pain is a fact. We feel pain or grief from loss. Desire is part of what makes us vital. In any case, disassociating from desire can never actually relieve suffering, because the presence of pain and the lack of pleasure are not what causes suffering. First of all, pain is not necessarily a synonym for suffering. We can't deny or escape pain, but we can be free from suffering by changing how we relate to the fundamental dissatisfaction. The fundamental dissatisfaction is an unquenchable thirst that is a side effect of human cognition itself, due to being sentient in the physical world. We can conceive of a perfectly round circle or a perfectly straight line, but those never exist in the physical world. Nothing in the physical world ever lines up exactly with our inner concepts. How we respond to the experience of that misalignment is what matters. The mistake that leads to suffering is the simple delusion that the fundamental dissatisfaction can be extinguished by gaining more pleasure or feeling less pain or, in other words, by getting more of what we want. The root cause of suffering is that we unrelentingly struggle to get rid of the fundamental dissatisfaction by means of the fulfillment of our desires, and yet that dissatisfaction sticks to us as a perpetual, unanswerable craving. It can be difficult to realize that the fundamental dissatisfaction even exists, because it is veiled by our restless struggle to get rid of it. Once we realize that it exists, we're too horrified to accept that it really is unquenchable. Paradoxically, by facing the emptiness and by surrendering completely to its inevitability, we come to deep peace and no longer suffer. Pain is natural and inevitable, and all animals feel it, but the condition of suffering is unnecessary. Michael Webb, April, 2006]]><![CDATA[Profits will grow over the next 5 years.]]>Wed, 01 May 2013 04:53:07 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/profits-will-grow-over-the-next-5-yearsPicture
Don't despair my friends, the U.S. economy looks very bright over the next 5 years.
Lets look at 7 MACRO trends:
ENERGY
* The U.S. will be energy independent by 2020, and will be exporting cheap gas and coal to everyone. "That is if liberals don't get in the way", and our economy will benefit and prosper from cheap energy here at home.
Because of cheap energy, Airbus is opening a plant in Alabama. AIRBUS.....
MANUFACTURING
* Manufacturing jobs are coming back home because of cheap energy in the U.S., and dramatically increasing wages and land prices in China, and the increased cost to ship good back here from China.

CONSUMPTION
* There are nearly 1.5 billion new middle class consumers in developing countries like China, India, Africa, and South America, and they want desperately to buy our stuff and to live our life style. Our corporations will profit handsomely by selling them our goods and their dreams. Tupperware, as one example of many "like YUM bands in China" had 2000 sales people in Indonesia in 2001 and now have 170,000....... 66% of their profit comes from developing countries. Our countries S&P 500 corporations profits will be gigantic.
AUTOMATION
* Advanced automation like robotics, voice recognition etc will decimate employment but provide ever cheaper and better quality goods. 60% of kids under 15 exclusively use smart phones to get online. Say goodbye to Dell and HP's past dominance. How long will it be until we go into a Taco Bell or McDonald and order using a Siri type devise, no human needed.
This will create more unemployment, but huge profits for corporations.
I saw a video of a BMW plant last week, 90% robots, and the humans left will soon be displaced.
3D PRINTING
* 3D printing will further lower costs and improve product quality. It is here..., right now...., and will only continue to benefit our corporations profits.
TRADE
* The U.S. will be a net exporter by 2020, shipping our cheap energy to countries who need it, and consumer goods to the 1.5 billion new consumers. The newly enlarged Panama Canal was build just for that purpose.
DEBT
* Japan can afford a 250% debt to GDP because they are a net exporter. More $$$$ are coming in than going out. The US can easily finance our 100% debt to GDP upon becoming a net exporter.
In conclusion, these unimaginable positive MACRO trends will make those who invest in front of them rich beyond their wildest dreams. These Macro trends will out-way and sideline every negative that has been projected upon our future.
IF, we as a country take advantage of them.
]]><![CDATA[Republicans and their faulty moral arithmetic]]>Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:47:53 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/republicans-and-their-faulty-moral-arithmeticPicture
The percentage of people living on a dollar a day or less has fallen 80% since 1970.
This is not a result of government manna or philanthropy, but rather global free trade, property rights, the rule of law, and entrepreneurship.

Republicans need to explain that free enterprise and capitalism created these benefits, not central planning, big government, or government largess.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324338604578326350052940798.html?KEYWORDS=Brooks
]]><![CDATA[Treasury needs a better long game]]>Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:20:07 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/treasury-needs-a-better-long-gameAs the Fed raises interest rates to normal levels "5%", our government will pay $900 billion a year more in interest, more than doubling the deficit.
This will be the tipping point since 65% of our government debt is financed using three year notes, or sub prime. Once markets sense that deficits are unsustainable, buyers will flee, like China already has.
Based on these facts, the Fed can NEVER raise interest rates no matter how much inflation it creates.
We are nearing an end to our debt binge.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/03/04/treasury_needs_a_better_long_game_117261.html]]><![CDATA[Dear Chair of the Libertarian Party,]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:24:36 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/dear-chair-of-the-libertarian-partyThe most urgent problem for our party is to be included in the national Presidential debates. Rose Perot received 18.9% of the national vote by participating in the debates.

To this end, we should pursue a different approach in achieving this goal. While our message is all important, being included in the national debates should be our most important goal.

In each Red state millions of Democrats are frustrated that their vote doesn't count. In each Blue state millions of Republicans are frustrated that their vote doesn't count. We must communicate to these voters that their vote can count, and can be used to further the debate in our country.

The Libertarian party has views that will please either political party, this should not be a difficult sell. Speak to each state, red or blue, with the portion of our platform that matters most to those disenfranchised voters. 

We must speak directly to these disenfranchised voters and tell them that they don't have to waste their vote. By donating their vote to the Libertarian party, they will help further the debate for the betterment of our country.

We should spend our parties finances "not promoting our platform" but speaking directly to these disenfranchised voters to empower them to make a difference by making their vote count.

Americans are sick and tired of national elections just being about swing states. Lets help these people MAKE THEIR VOTE COUNT, and then get into the debates, and win the presidency in the process.]]><![CDATA[The world's economic center of gravity shifts]]>Mon, 25 Feb 2013 22:48:27 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/february-25th-2013Picture
 Rapid urbanization is propelling growth across emerging markets and shifting the world’s economic balance toward the east and south. By 2025, it will create a “consumer class” with more than four billion people, up from a billion in 1990. Nearly half will live in the emerging world’s cities, which are set to inject almost $25 trillion into the global economy. Yet business leaders mostly ignore them. To learn about 440 largely obscure urban areas that will account for close to 50 percent of expected global GDP growth between 2010 and 2025, read “Unlocking the potential of emerging-market cities” (September 2012). Then browse through an interactive map to find city-specific highlights about these new economic hot spots.

]]><![CDATA[Cancer be gone.......]]>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:12:49 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/cancer-be-gonePicture
"Who is Dr. Johanna Budwig?

Dr. Johanna Budwig is one of Germany's top biochemists as well one of the best cancer researchers throughout all of Europe. Born in 1908 and lived to be 95. She has been nominated seven times for the Nobel Prize. Dr. Budwig is also a published author, holds a Ph.D. in Natural Science, and is one of the greatest authorities on diet and its relation to health and well-being. To say that she is a highly intelligent, learned and accomplished scientist would be the understatement of the year!

Dr. Budwig's views on "good" versus "bad" fats:

Nowadays, if you want to know the difference between "good" and "bad" fats, just make a quick trip to your local bookstore or health food market. Books and magazine articles abound on which fats we should be eating, and which ones we should avoid. We are becoming more familiar with unusual sounding terms like "hydrogenated" and "polyunsaturated," and if asked, you could probably even give a reasonable definition of an "essential fatty acid."

Not surprisingly, however, Dr. Johanna Budwig was way ahead of the game. Over 50 years ago Dr. Budwig lectured on the connection between "bad" fats, like hydrogenated margarines, and illness, as well as, the importance of essential fatty acids. In a speech that she delivered on November 2, 1959 in Zurich, Switzerland, Dr. Budwig said,

(**) "Without these fatty acids, the respiratory enzymes cannot function and the person suffocates, even when he is given oxygen-rich air. A deficiency in these highly unsaturated fatty-acids impairs many vital functions. First of all, it decreases the person's supply of available oxygen. We cannot survive without air and food; nor can we survive without these fatty acids. That has been proven long ago."

Clearly, Dr. Budwig understood the connection between diet and health. She recognized that with the advent and popularity of hydrogenated and overprocessed oils came an increase in the rates of several serious illnesses. She realized that the way foods are now processed eliminates virtually all of the essential fatty acids. So, Dr. Budwig decided to focus her career on finding the dietary solution or cure to the list of diseases that affect so many people in the world.

Dr. Budwig's extensive research:

(**) Dr. Budwig has spent a lot of time in her career studying the blood of cancer patients. In fact, one of her observations came about after 30 years of painstaking research. Dr. Budwig noticed that people who were seriously ill with cancer always had low levels of two specific substances in their blood: phosphatides and lipoproteins. She also observed that in healthy, cancer-free people, these two compounds were present in normal amounts that were sufficient for good health.

(**) Additionally, Dr. Budwig found that cancer patients typically had an odd greenish-yellow substance in their blood, instead of normal amounts of hemoglobin. She realized that this discovery undoubtedly explained why cancer patients are so often weak and suffering from anemia. Dr. Budwig also discovered that in general, blood that comes from a healthy person contains far greater levels of Omega 3 essential fatty acids than blood samples taken from someone who is ill.

From her research, Dr. Budwig realized that her theories connecting diet and health were absolutely correct. She theorized that if just the right combination of nutrients were introduced to cancer patients, perhaps the unusual greenish-yellow gunk would go away and healthy red blood cells would return. She began to test her hypothesis on cancer patients, involving a combination of organic flaxseed oil and quark, a dairy product common in Germany that is very similar to cottage cheese.

Why flaxseed oil?

Dr. Budwig chose organic flaxseed oil because it is the richest source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, as well as being well-tolerated by most people and easily assimilated. She opted to mix the oil with quark because of its high levels of sulfurated protein (cottage cheese contains similar amounts, as does yogurt or skim milk). She knew from her extensive studies that this type of healthy oil requires a sulfurated protein in order for it to be utilized in the body. Specifically, when the protein combined with the oil, Dr. Budwig discovered that the flaxseed oil would actually become water soluble, meaning that it would be absorbed more easily. Taking flaxseed oil without the sulfurated protein found in quark, cottage cheese or yogurt is not inherently harmful, but in order to achieve results like Dr. Budwig a combination of the oil and protein is necessary.

Amazingly, Dr. Budwig found that after only three short months on her flaxseed oil-quark combination, cancer patients began to improve. Tumors shrunk in size, patients' strength returned, and further blood analysis showed that the infamous greenish-yellow substance did indeed go away. Phosphatide and lipoprotein levels returned to normal, and red blood cell amounts were once again at healthy amounts. She was even able to help the patients whose doctors had told to "go home and die." Clearly, Dr. Budwig had hit on something big in the world of cancer research!

In fact, after over 10 years of clinical research, Dr. Budwig's combination of 2 tablespoons of organic flaxseed oil combined with one quarter cup of cottage cheese has been used successfully in Europe to treat a variety of diseases in addition to cancer, including arteriosclerosis, eczema, stomach and intestinal disorders, arthritis, and strokes.

After reading about Dr. Budwig's numerous successes with flaxseed oil, many other scientists became interested in studying its many benefits. A great number of studies have looked at flaxseed oil's ability to help with a variety of serious diseases and health conditions, and the results have been impressive. In fact, you would be hard pressed to come up with a reason not to supplement with flaxseed oil. You owe it to yourself and your health to at least give it a try. After all, Dr. Budwig is approaching the century mark in age and she has been eating flaxseed oil combined with quark for years! Just think of what it could do for you, your health, and your longevity!

References:

Budwig, Dr. Johanna, Flax Oil as a True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer, and Other Diseases, 1992, pages 5-59

Various internet sources"

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the read. It is not as technical as a lot of articles I've seen, but it is a great primer on the benefits of this simple food combination. Used in conjunction with the diet she recommends, it is a significant cancer-fighter in its own right, and is at the heart of Bill Henderson's anti-cancer program.

]]><![CDATA[3D Printing]]>Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:04:34 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/february-14th-2013Picture
My take away from the 3D printing show and conference:

28 years ago the first 3D part was printed......, 2013 will be the break out year for 3D printing. The industry is on a growth trajectory that is exponential not linear. President Obama even mentioned 3D printing in his State Of The Union address.

3D printing is being used in all facets of design and industry. Just this week 3D printing was used to print stem cells. It is used to create everything from concrete blocks for construction to foods like chocolate. The medical industry is a big user of 3D printing. Metal parts are being created and implanted outside of the United States, but will soon follow here. Materials from concrete to titanium are being used in the process.

Manufacturing;
At this point, 3D parts are being used at two extremes of manufacturing, short runs of high quality parts, the likes that are found in the Boeing's 787. The F18 has 90 3D parts in it, and 900 are planned for the F38.
The other end of the spectrum is short run customized products like hearing aids. The VP of DDD claims that a good share of hearing aids are being printed by 3D because each one is customized to the individuals ear.
Jim Kor the creator of the environmental car the Urbee.com, plans to build the Urbee 2 entirely with 3D printed parts.
Manufacturing is becoming more customized every day, and current 3D printing technologies will expand into that environment. 3D printers in the very near future will bring costs down to complete with long run manufacturing.

Design;
Design is unleashed and unconstrained from the barriers and restrictions of traditional manufacturing, allowing products to be designed and tested in hours instead of weeks and months, and for a few hundred dollars instead of thousands. Designs can now be created without the concerns of traditional manufacturing......, parts can be constructed in ways unthinkable in the past, making for lighter, stronger and better products.

This industry is just pushing out into the awareness of the layman and early investors will be rewarded. The two largest 3D companies are DDD and SSYS.
]]><![CDATA[People work to eat, so what happens if you give them food?]]>Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:51:40 GMThttp://commonsense4complexissues.com/blog/people-work-to-eat-so-what-happens-if-you-give-them-foodPicture
70% of U.S. GDP comes from the labor of human beings. The labor participation rate in the U.S. is the lowest since 1981, only 63.6% of possible workers are working.

So, where have many of the workers gone?

Food Stamps
In 2000 there were 17 million people on food stamps
By 2007 there were 26 million people on food stamps
By 2012 there are 47.5 million people on food stamps

S.S. Disability Payments
In 1990 there were 2.9 million people on S.S. Disability
By 2000 there were 5 million people on S.S. Disability
By 2005 there were 6.5 million people on S.S. Disability
By 2012 there are 8.6 million people on S.S. Disability

Pell Grants
In 2000 3.8 million young people received Pell grants
By 2005 5.2 million young people received Pell grants
By 2008 6.2 million young people received Pell grants
By 2012 9.7 million young people received Pell grants

Unemployment benefits
Unemployment benefits were established in the 1930's to provide a short term, temporary, helping hand to folks who lost their job.
In the 1930's the unemployed received 26 weeks of benefits
By 2012 the unemployed receive 99 weeks of benefits

This doesn't even touch on Welfare. If you pay people to stay at home, many will do so rather than to seek employment.
This is why the U.S. economy is stagnant and will stay stagnant.



Great article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324461604578193141690993174.html
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