What the words 'Government' and 'Economy' really mean: You Living Your Life

What's become most interesting to me in the last few days, is that the Coronavirus is now providing a backdrop for people to see the actual meaning of two words which have become so used and abused in our daily lives as to become either nearly meaningless, or to be assumed to mean something else entirely, to us. Those two words are:

• Economics 
• Government

Americans, and perhaps especially surprising to the people of California, are coming to realize that the word 'Economy', which has become such a sterile and despised term, actually means:

• You and your ability to live your life.

, and that it is most often used as a euphemism to distract you from realizing that.

People are discovering that those actions and activities which are extremely essential to providing the means and ability to live their lives, and to take care of their family, friends, interests and all of their material needs, have been deemed 'unessential', and that they themselves are being made to seem paltry and 'selfish' to their fellows, by means of that same term: 'the economy'.

People are also discovering that the entity which most misuses and abuses the term of 'the economy' in an effort to desensitize you towards it, for their own benefit and gain, is: Government.

What people are coming to discover, is that what government actually does, and especially under the cover of that term they'd prefer to remain as meaningless to people as possible, 'the economy', is to use its power to forcibly prevent you from taking a large number of those actions that you think are extremely essential and important to your life, and to do so with little or no reasonable justification for its exerting its power over you, in areas ranging from going to church, to gathering with friends, to supplies you can get at the store, going to the beach, or in whether or not you can go to work to enable your doing everything else.

There's much more involved here to give some serious thought to, but first and foremost I hope that people will now take especial notice that 'The Economy' refers to everything you do in your life and in your relations to your fellows, and that what results from how well or poorly the Government uses its power to uphold (or abuse) your ability to do what you need to do to live your life, is: The Economy.

I'll say that again: What we refer to as 'The Economy', is what results from how well or poorly your government upholds and defends your individual rights.

I'll also point out, once again, that the 19th Century pro-regressive 'Progressive' academic field of 'Economics', was created to conceal that truth, by replacing the field which had been very focused on making that clear: Political Economy.

However accurate or flawed that predictions for the Coronavirus have been, it is a highly infectious, potentially debilitating or even fatal virus, and those saying either that it's the new Black Death, or of little more concern than the common cold or flu, are likely either cranks, opportunists, or people who don't give much thought to what they say. It's important that we remember that as we began to become aware of the examples of China, Iran, France and Italy, it was apparent that there was reasonable cause for concern that our equipment, personnel, and facilities would be overwhelmed if the virus were to hit America in a similar fashion as it did 'over there'. With that in mind, our federal, state and local governments advising of 'Social Distancing' measures, was justifiable (even if many states and localities interpretations and implementations of that policy, were unjustifiable) actions to follow in order to 'flatten the curve'. Today, by the reports I've seen, even in severe hot-spots such as New York City, that curve has been 'flattened' - we have the equipment, personnel and facilities to handle infectious outbreaks.

At this point in time, the potential of a vaccine, or even of easily available tests, are still out of reach. Without discounting the threat of the disease, and without discounting the need for people to behave responsibly around those most vulnerable to it, the curve has been flattened, and it's no longer justifiable for any of our governments to prevent people en masse from going about their lives - some previously unthought of measures may still be warranted, but restraining people from their lives, is now a greater emergency, than the emergency that the virus itself poses to us.

But what people are slowly discovering, thankfully, is that the far more clear and present danger to all of our lives right now, is our not giving our thought and attention to what these terms of 'The Economy' and 'Government' mean, and mean to our lives.

Lets cure that!

Stimulating Social Distancing: $2 Trillion for Govt to 'Help you!' /sarc

Just in case you thought that our Govt was thinking about helping you with their $2 Trillion Stimulus Package, here's some fun facts. There are about 330 million people in America, but lets round that up 20 mil to a nice even 350 million, just to allow for errors, or, ya know, respirators & such. If we gave $1,200.00 to all of them, that'd add up to $420 Billion dollars... which would still leave $1.5 Trillion bucks for Govt to 'Help you!' with. And since there are (counting every conceivable variation) approx, at last count, 3.25 million businesses in America, if we divided up the remainder between them, that'd mean making available $48,615 for every business out there. Perhaps we might want to shift that around, based on whether a business has 1 employee, or 500, but... you get the drift.

In case you missed it, that is not what your Govt is proposing to do with this $2 Trillion dollars in stimulus (or the other $4 trillion they've earmarked in the wings).

Nope. But the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts got $35 million. 'Migrants and Refugee Assistance' 'get' (read govt agencies & helpers will 'distribute') $350 million. Unions got something even more worthwhile than money, they got the power to unionize a boatload more businesses. And lots more money is 'spread around' to lots more institutions that your Govt would rather help out than, ya know, you, your health, or your business.

I dunno about you, but I'm really interested in practicing some 'social distancing' right now. Have a nice day.

P.S. Just ignore the fact that there is no $2 Trillion dollars to distribute, let alone another $4 Trillion to earmark, because, ya know, that'd just make things more difficult

DESE: Facilitating the control of your education

Show Me MO Shame!
I spent two days last week in our state capital of Jefferson City, becoming a member of one of the work groups tasked with rewriting our states educational curriculum standards over the course of the next year. While I was there I learned a nice lesson in self governance, and the consequences of its abandonment, a lesson that was willingly taught by DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). Their lesson was very instructive, in one part teaching how to use chaos to control the sale, and in the other part how it is just as important what you do not to do, and not allow to be done, as is what you offer to and intend to do.

If you want to understand this lesson yourself, as well as how you and your children's education is being sold down the river by it, then there are five key issues that need to be addressed:

1. Why do we have work groups to write our curriculum standards.
2. Were the work groups convened with an eye towards success.
3. If not, why.
4. What does DESE need for a win.
5. What does Missouri need for a win.

1) The issue here is that the state of Missouri recently passed a law, HB1490, to undertake the significant task of rewriting our educational curriculum standards.The sole reason why this law was passed, was because of DESE's ham-fisted and incompetent attempts over the last several years to roll-out their pet Common Core standards by steam rolling them over any and all questions, debates, and opposition. That behavior infuriated both parents and teachers alike and caused the Missouri Legislature, Left and Right, to pass HB1490 into law, stating that our curriculum standards will be written by representatives from across the state of Missouri, selected from experienced teaching professionals and parents selected by Missouri's Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate Pro Tempore.

2) To successfully lead large numbers of people, departments, divisions and other entities who may have either no history of working together, or worse, a history of working poorly together, there's a common practice to follow. To getting all members working towards a unified goal, the formula would be to,

• Kick it off by gathering all parties together in one place for a launch meeting,
• giving leaders from the various stake holders involved an opportunity to set the general tone and key points for the project;
• clarify your project's purpose and getting understanding and buy in from the various departments and people involved.
• let participants know who they'll be working with and making them aware of any slots yet to be filled,
• establish clear channels for coordinating efforts and preserving communication between the several groups,
• informing all of who will be attending meetings, who to contact with questions,

, and so forth.