Mann to Man

THE AMERICAN CONDITION (CARMA forum January 16, 2014) How did America get into the condition she is in today? PRELIMINARY COMMENTS FOR THE CARMA FORUM If you've ever eaten an elephant, you know it's difficult to decide where to take the first bite. Well, so it is trying to discuss a topic as broad and complex as “The American Condition.” But, let's try. Get a start for a further forums and for written articles. Let's take a broad brush look at a brief summary of how we've evolved, or devolved, POLITICALLY, CULTURALLY AND ECONOMICALLY since we became a free nation. My intentions are to offer some thoughts, not necessarily in any order, then conclude with analysis and commentary regarding our CURRENT “CONDITION” and how we arrived to it. Please interject when you wish. I intend to leave adequate time for group discussion at the end. Let's ask, “Who were we?” and “Who are we now?” The essence can be found in looking at ou...

OBAMA'S VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND FAILURE TO FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE LAWS PASSED BY CONGRESS THIS DOCUMENT DISCUSSES ELEVEN OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND FIVE BREACHES OF PUBLIC TRUST OUT OF NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF EXCEEDING THE LIMITATIONS OF EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY AS ESTABLISHED IN ARTICLE II OF THE CONSTITUTION.    Some violations and breaches of trust undoubtedly rise to a level to warrant IMPEACHMENT. However, with a strong Democrat majority in the US Senate, impeachment proceedings would surely fail. It would be a fool's errand to attempt it. Perhaps even more compelling is the fact that THE AMERICAN CONDITION IS CRITICAL, so fractured politically, so contentious and government all but totally dysfunctional that an impeachment proceeding, even if it could be brought, would be so divisive and rancorous as to have the distinct possibility, even probability, of creating it's own constitutional crisis. While many have propos...

UPDATE: GDP SHRANK 2.9% REVISED CALCULATIONS SHOW --- JUNE 27, 2014   THIS SHRINKAGE IS BEING PROMOTED BY SOME, MOSTLY APOLOGISTS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, AS A "NOT-UNEXPECTED" BLIP.  BY OTHERS AS THE BEGINNING OF CATASTROPHIC DECLINE IN THE ECONOMY. I CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE EITHER, RATHER TO THINK THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED DECLINE AS  CONSUMER CONFIDENCE DECLINES AND THE FED MORE AGGRESSIVELY REDUCES QE AND BEGINS RAISING INTEREST RATES. WE CAN EXPECT A STOCK MARKET DECLINE AS WELL,  BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS ROBERT REICH WROTE....POSTED EARLIER AND REFERRED TO ON JUNE 1 BELO W .      EARLIER REPORT ON JUNE 1, 2014 GDP SHRINKS BY 1% IN 1ST QUARTER 2014 Another report that suggests Robert Reich's commentary, previously posted and written about, is inaccurate.   From The Wall Street Journal, May 27, 2014 U.S. GDP Contracted at 1% Pace in First Quarter The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter of 2014, the late...

A NEW PARADIGM IN ELECTION INFLUENCE, A NEW ERA BEGINNING? As you read this keep in mind GETTING OUT THE VOTE, something conservative Republicans have not done effectively for many election cycles. They focus on ideological purity, even single issues or parts of issues, and refrain from voting if the candidate isn't "pure" on their issue. Ideology alone cannot win elections, getting voters out to vote does. And, we cannot govern if we don't win. Sure, it sounds trite, but it's a truism. Also, please know that, in my opinion, Brat's issues were sound conservative ones and his focus on the Virginia Republican creed was music to the ears of many of us. However it is my strong and considered belief that he beat Cantor with the constant hammering on the issue of amnesty for immigrants, all led by radio talk show hosts. (edited June 15, 2013) JAM Congressional Majority Leader Eric Cantor's loss to a conservative political neophyte, Professor David Brat, ...

Another report that suggests Robert Reich's commentary, previously posted and written about, is inaccurate.   From The Wall Street Journal, May 27, 2014 U.S. GDP Contracted at 1% Pace in First Quarter The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter of 2014, the latest stumble for a recovery that has struggled to find its footing since the recession ended almost five years ago. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced across the economy, contracted at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.0% in the first three months of the year, the Commerce Department said Thursday. It was the first time economic output contracted since the first quarter of 2011, when it declined at a 1.3% pace. See More Coverage »

ROBERT REIC H -- INEPT ECONOMIC PREDICTIONS OR COVERING FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HIS DYSFUNCTIONAL ECONOMIC ADVISERS? Recently, Robert Reich issued the statement below published as a meme in a Face Book group in which I'm a participant. Innocent people, who want to trust his advice because of his “status,” bought into his theory. I dissented because his opinion made no sense, was even a reversal of normal economic consequences of corporate actions. I even pondered if Reich was setting up a straw man for coming unfavorable economic news to protect President Obama and his economic advisers, whom I've long viewed as dysfunctional. The economic news of the last few days strongly suggest the latter. Reports today are that the GDP retracted 1% in the last quarter. There were indicators that this was coming. If some of us laymen saw it, why did Reich not know it? The recent retail sector reports are strong indicators of a downturn also. Did Reich not know this? Did h...

  With the president continuing to demonstrate profound mismanagement in the newest case, the VA scandal, it's time to post this piece again. His performance was predictable. Please read and respond. Much more is needed than the "president" saying he is "mad as hell" (again). I suppose he means angry, but maybe he is mad. I'm surely angry! Enough mismanagement already! From Wednesday, May 1, 2013 OBAMA -- INEPT OR DELIBERATELY DESTROYING TRADITIONAL AMERICA THIS ARTICLE DEFINES PRESIDENT OBAMA'S LACK OF QUALIFICATIONS AND HIS MANAGEMENT STYLE SOME SAY “AMERICA HAS BECOME TOO COMPLEX  TO MANAGE.” I REJECT THAT EMPHATICALLY. RATHER WE ARE ELECTING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO MANAGE HER. PRESIDENT OBAMA EPITOMIZES THIS DILEMMA. Since he was first elected president with no accountable job performance, no notable qualifications and with much of his background unknown, many have speculated that Mr. Obama is an operative ...

IRS IMPERSONATOR ALLEGES MONEY OWED AND FRAUD Perpetrator calls, identifies self as an IRS fraud investigator, alleges that account has been audited, much money owed, advises not to ask questions until he finishes explaining the charge of fraud. They had tried to deliver a “package” to our home and nobody to accept it. I said, bring it again. He said he couldn't … time expired. Inexplicable, but we still were not sure of a scam. I interrupted. He asked, “Don't you want to know how much you owe.” Advised me we owed a load of money from 2008-2009. Told him that was strange. In 2009 the IRS voluntarily refunded me several thousand dollars for for a filing error. Tenor changed. He advised bank accounts, credit cards, house (everything but pets and debt) would be taken over. I said, “I suppose I could resolve this by giving you a credit card number, right? He hesitated. I said, “you're a fraud, a scam, right.” He said “an officer will be at your door within and...

ETHANOL AND OTHER BIO-FUELS ARE MISTAKES AT BEST AND RUSES AT WORST On May 16, 2012, I posted here "Ethanol -- The Worst Mandate Ever Gets Worse" expressing long-held knowledge, from data, known chemistry and personal driving experience, that ethanol has, not only no positive effect, but is negative in efficiency and to the environment. In the news this week, reports of this ineffectiveness is finally being acknowledged. Other bio-fuels are of the same ineffectiveness, a subject on which I have had battles of words with politicians and environmentalists (redundant) for years on this issue, not only ethanol but other bio-fuels. The only bio-fuel that makes sense to me is reclaimed oils, such as cooking oils for diesels. Please search my blog post title above in the search block at top left of the blog page that opens the blog. It is far more informative from knowledge of chemistry, experience using ethanol and observation of the effects of ethanol in N. America.  The ...

ORIGIN OF THE 97% "CONSENSUS OF SCIENTISTS" ON GLOBAL WARMING  (references added at end on o3/24/2013) The highly promoted mantra that a 97% "consensus of scientists" proves global warming is a critical issue and, even more importantly, is man-made is improperly arrived at and, hence, is invalid. Scientific conclusions and  laws are arrived at not by consensus but from indisputable data and information arrived at by proper use of the "Scientific Method" and statistics. Both were ignored in coming to the "97% consensus" conclusion. It is all but inarguable that politicians co-opted science and "scientists" and both politicized and commercialized the issue called "global warming." With much criticism of the lack of data to prove "global warming, more emphasis now is on "climate change." How was the "97% consensus of scientists derived?" Mr. Roland (Keith) Sadler gives the following explan...