Debt Ceiling and Disaster

Dr. E. Eugene Webb

You are hearing a lot of noise about the US Debt ceiling. Most of the politicians and financial people are predicting disaster if Congress doesn't vote to raise the debt limit. Those crying the loudest are social reformers who think we can spend our way out of the current mess, and the financial/investment people who live off the interest paid on the US debt while contributing nothing in return. But recently some new voices are starting to be heard. They are pointing out that the US will not default on the debt but start moving funds around to make its debt payments. The real problem is all of those political sacred cows that won't be funded while we pay off our obligations. The liberal left, who never saw a dollar that they didn't want to spend two of, are concerned that their source of funding, borrowed money, for social boondoggles will dry up. Actually, not raising the debt limit might be good for the government. It would cause a refocusing of priorities and start to bring some reason to government spending. We've tried everything else. Its time to cut up the Federal Government credit card. Let's take a shot at fiscal responsibility. The global economy will not fail regardless of what all those mournful faces on the money talk shows say.

 

Doc.

Politicians, Public Servants, Religious Leaders and Easter

Dr. E. Eugene Webb

A little over 2,011 years ago a guy who many of us believe arrived on this earth via a miraculous birth began speaking out to the people. At the time he was just about 30 years old. At first dismissed by religious leaders as a flash in the pan, his popularity began to grow. For the next three years he would push the limits of civil and religious law. Soon, he was on the radar of not only the right wing religious leaders but also the politicians. His inner circle of twelve were not the most sophisticated of their time, but they had a charismatic feel about them.

As he moved about the countryside the number of his followers began to grow. The crowds were bigger and more fervent. The religious leaders were in a frenzy as he questioned their law and their motives. The political establishment, while reluctant to enter into what appeared to be a religious dispute, were becoming concerned. The people were uneasy and a revolt might threaten the political establishment. The religious leaders on the far right began to pressure the political elite for swift action. They wanted their old laws preserved and this perceived threat eliminated. The politicians handed the problem to a dutiful public servant who carefully reviewed the facts. Being politically correct, he found no reasons for pursuing the religious leader's desire of putting their problem to death. When the public servant offered to release him, the religious right flew into a rage chose instead a thief. The public servant, weary of the fray, released Jesus to the religious leaders who took it upon themselves to put him to death in a most insidious way. Then there were the circumstances of his resurrection. An empty tomb, reported sightings and resurgence of his movement and a promise to return.

For the next two millennia no single individual would have the effect on government, politics, religion and life itself as this one person. 2000 years later religious leaders still pressure for their way, politicians maneuver and public servants to often wash their hands of the problems. One can only image he must wonder if we have learned anything from Easter.

Who is Really Failing our Students? The Teachers or the System?

My family's experience with the Pinellas County school system, a number of years ago, left several indelible feelings with me, all negative. I had no idea the impact it had on my daughter.

It was several years after my daughter received her master's degree. She was expecting her second child, the first, a son was three, pushing four, and nearing preschool age. She called from her office in Atlanta and started the conversation with a sentence that no parent likes to hear, "I've got something I need to talk to you about". Taking a deep breath I mumbled the typical response "What's that"?

She proceeded to tell me she was giving up the career and going home to be a stay at home mom and raise her children. Pure relief on my part, but then there was this. She said "I have decided to home school my kids". "Why home school?". I Asked. I'll never forget the response. She said. "My experience in the public school system there in St. Petersburg was so bad and left such a deeply negative impression on me about school and public education, that I will never take that chance with my children."

We chatted a bit more about the socialization issue and isolation of home schoolers and the conversation ended. I remember I sat there stunned. I never had thought about how the consequences of the educational process, the business of education, might affect the student's long term view of public education. It occurred to me that this school system was failing many of its students on a number of levels. Looking at FCAT scores, dropout rates and graduation percentages it would appear not much has changed.

There are now four children in my daughter's household. Two in college, another soon to follow and the youngest well on her way. All totally home schooled. Realizing the problems with home schooling, she developed an outside the home program that now serves over 150 home schooled children providing that needed socialization and academic access to arts, music and science programs that are often difficult for home schoolers to provide. I am not particularly an advocate of home schooling. I think it can bring children as many problems as it solves. My daughter and I have had many discussions about the subject.

What happens to others who are turned off by school system? Could it be today's dropout rate is influenced as much by the parent's perception of the school system as it is the attitude of the student? The point is if the public school system in this County is so poorly run that it inspires this kind of reaction why hasn't it been fixed? How many students have dropped out or been turned off on education by what goes on as opposed to what is taught?

Those were the questions almost 30 years ago and they persist today. Why has the Pinellas County school system found it so difficult to get on track and stay there ?

Some final thoughts Sunday.

What Happened to the High Tech President?

By: Dr. E. Eugene Webb

All during the election campaign we saw Candidate Obama with an I phone. He held it embraced it and used it. He probably did as much for the I phone as all the advertising. The campaign Tweeted, Face Booked and used every social media opportunity to communicate with donors, campaign workers and citizens. What happened? I haven't seen Obama lately with anything that resembles an I-Phone, I-Pad, Droid or anything else high tech for that matter. Security? Leaks? What's up? Does any one else at senior level Tweet? Hillary?, ……

When a revolution in Egypt, then Libya and all through out the mid east an maybe even in China is all but fomented by social media the High Tech Prez is no where to be seen. Scared and wounded by WIKI Leaks, cautioned at every turn about possible ramifications it seems like Obama has crawled into the political equivalent of a radio wave proof screen room. It looks like old time politics have slowly replaced the tech savvy staff that got the President elected.

Like it or not social media are pushing the envelope and becoming the thread that weaves the global culture together. Maybe the President of the United states should not be Tweeting or responding on Face Book, but then when an entire society rises up in the call of freedom and risks everything using social media as the primary method of communication and motivation then just maybe he should.

20th Century Diplomacy Tackles a 21st Century Global Crisis

By: Dr. E. Eugene Webb

In case you haven’t noticed Governments all over the globe are playing catch up in the current Egyptian Libyan revolutions. All governments, including the Obama administration, are proceeding with dealing with these modern day revolutions like they would have in 1980. While the news media continually report that these revolutions are being fueled by the internet, social media and the ability to rapidly communicate, the political elite chooses to meet in closed door sessions evaluate with committees and fly around the world to talk. Meantime people are dying, oil prices are going through the roof and almost every leader in the major capitals of the free world has a puzzled look on their face.

Today the oil companies, oil speculators and every one else with their finger in the oil pie are watching in real time and making their decisions based on instantaneous information. One can only guess that big oil has operatives on the ground in every one of these crisis areas reporting moment by moment what is going on. How is it that gas prices rise within hours of events occurring? Simple, Big oil and the commodities markets are not waiting for the US government or anyone else to make a decision they are going on the facts from the ground in real time.

Political correctness, diplomatic protocol, and respect for the borders of a tyrant are no longer the guiding principals for decision making. It is just possible that the Obama administration is missing the launching of an all out war on the US economy by the petro rich, a petro jihad, that is using all of the modern tools of communication to quickly manipulate the one force that can sink the current US economic recovery. Moammar Gadhafi is a madman. We have known that for several decades. But in the interest of diplomacy and Big Oil we have coddled this tyrant and now we are reaping the rewards of our actions. Obama seems stumped. His economic recovery may be oozing way in a flood of oil price increases, yet he is reluctant to step and lead. Let’s start talking about nationalizing the oil industry, fixing oil prices, taking Big oil out of the equation. The president of Exon says $4.00/gal oil won’t hurt the US economy. Certainly not his economy as Exon will likely post the biggest profits in its history. $4.00/gal gas will sink Obama’s presidency if the economy slips back over the edge.

We look to the UN, long for partners to help us so we can share the responsibility for action, talk and talk and talk while the US economy is bleeding at the rate of 1 billion dollars for each 1 cent in gasoline price increase. On the ground in Libya people are dying from bombings inflicted by their own government while our Secretary of Defense bemoans even the thought of a no fly zone. The Secretary of State wrings her hands, the UN drones on while people who long for some hint of freedom are murdered by a madman. Sounds more like the late 1930s when another madman ruled than the twenty first century with all of its technology.


Doc

Who Really Benefits When Oil Prices Go Up

Dr. E. Eugene Webb

Here we are once again, political upheaval in the mid east and immediately gas prices in the US take off. The question remains why? The answer is unmitigated greed. There is no shortage of oil. It is very unlikely there will be a shortage of oil. Believe me, if it looks like oil supplies are seriously threatened you will see all of the UN mumbo jumbo thrown out the window and the major oil consuming countries will move in politically and yes militarily to keep the black juice flowing. Why then is uncertainty the reason for rapid and unjustified increases in consumer prices. Answer same as above GREED. Everyone in the supply chain sees a chance to make a lot of money really fast based on fear not the reality of the cost of oil.

As long as oil trades on the open market as a commodity, speculators will use these events to artificially inflate oil prices for their own profit. Oil does not cost one penny more to produce today that it did three weeks ago. The pipe line is full and there is plenty of refined product. You might think all of this increase flows back to the oil sheik in his tent, but not so. Most of it ends up as profit for the Big Oil and the speculators who drive the futures market. Watch Big Oil’s profit reports in the next few quarters and futures divisions of the major brokerage houses. They will continue to sky rocket. Big oil loves all of this chaos. They are the ones who profit the most.

Given the strategic importance of oil to all economies, it is time put the futures traders who suck billions out of the economy, while adding no real value, out of the oil business. Oil producing and oil consuming nations need to take oil out of the futures trading market, establish a global crude oil management system and fix crude oil prices to a unique currency made up of a combination of the Euro, Dollar and Yen. Nothing would do more to stabilize the global economy and give emerging nations economic and political stability.

Doc