17 Comments

In America, a license is required for driving, to work with electricity, food handling, or even cutting hair. But nothing for voting, from what i hear citizenship is not even needed. It would be great for a required voting license, which shows one has basic understanding and agreement with the U.S. Constitution. While I'm thinking hypotheticals, this should be required for all presidential nominees. Then we would only be talking about Trump and Kennedy.

Expand full comment
Aug 5Liked by Joel Bowman

neither left nor right nor neutral. But a free thinker. That I shall be !

Expand full comment

Joel free thinker? He is that in spades.

From this treatise. as we regularly are harangued we know where he says he stands, where he sits, where he spins and where he likely wanders next, on things important, relevant, large or small.

As a good friend once commented to me when I challenged his similarly apparent opaque, opinionated, inconclusive and frustrating sincerity to debate topics ….after a swig of wine,

“ Well there you go my friend! “

As assuredly as clear as mud, to sharing his own thoughtful determinations.

Expand full comment
Aug 5Liked by Joel Bowman

I do hope that the place in which Cackles wants us to all end up equitably isn't spelled H-E-double hockey sticks.

Expand full comment

She has the best of intentions…

Expand full comment
Aug 5Liked by Joel Bowman

Thank you for mentioning Mr. Kennedy. He puts forth different ideas, including let's stop the fighting both here and abroad. Mr. Bowman, please at least acknowledge him and his stances.

Expand full comment
author

Will do. Thanks for your comment!

Expand full comment
founding

Joel, you lament, eloquently I might add, that the current front runners in America’s Presidential race are both often certain but seldom correct. Both are funded by mega-rich donors who undoubtedly think there is something in it for the fat cats. That money, obscene as it is in quantity, means that there are ONLY two choices Americans have to choose from [sorry Mr. Kennedy by even a rich VP partner cannot fund a race forever]. So it seems our choice comes to “the lesser of two evils.” You may have noticed that the previous Presidential races going back to, but not including,Carter-Reagan were of a similar ilk. Reagan belongs on Mt. Rushmore.

Personally, I feel the decline in election choices in America in all levels of government began with the cessation of teaching “Civics” in high school. Most generations after mine [old guy at 75] have at best a rudimentary level of knowledge of the US government and how it works. Even more disheartening is that many don’t care and don’t bother to vote. Not to worry; others make up for it by voting “early and often.” The raw numbers of votes cast currently is not a sign of civic enlightenment. Sadly it is just a widespread and apparently now acceptable form of cheating. So I take the position that we get what we vote in and the choice of the “lesser of two evils” may be all we can hope for. Personally, my generation bears much of the blame for this fiasco when we let the education system raise our kids, so that we could work harder to give them a “better life than we had.” A critique of the education system is best saved for another posting, but I finish with my often stated comment that we have raised a generation, nay three generations and counting, of idiots.

Expand full comment

Thanks for the George Will quote. I've told people for years that presidents cannot create prosperity, and that the boom during the Clinton years was just happenstance. The only way government could possibly create prosperity is if the executive, legislative and judicial branch all drank the Kool-aid at the same time.

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.

-Mark Twain (1866)

Expand full comment

I agree completely Joel but it seems apparent that we are heading in the direction of less freedom. We can't seem to reduce government. We can't take away politicians right to insider trade. We can't get politicians to attempt to make only citizens of the country having the right to vote. We can't even agree that drug companies and "news" purveyors shouldn't have liability protection. The news is a fiasco of propaganda owned by one party or two parties. We can't even begin to control spending or more importantly the stability of our money. The Republic and laws are conveniently ignored. Yet society seems to cherish the division. Personally I think a damn good economic collapse is the only answer. That's what it took for Argentina, 100 years.

Expand full comment

“Political ignorance helps explain Americans' perpetual disappointment with politicians generally, and presidents especially, to whom voters unrealistically attribute abilities to control events.”

~ George Will. I believe Mr Will is being a bit naive. We know that our government does not control the Deep State Events, but one side always goes along or against it as we’ve seen with Trump in 16 with the barrage of lies and accusations from day one, and with Biden with the extreme support for the destruction of America. It’s pretty obvious to anyone with a quarter brain, other than the ignorant who live for free stuff, which is now 50% of America and that will grow exponentially after this coming collapse in our economy 🤔

Expand full comment

Steve, I heard you're having health issues. Don't go the allopathic medical route route! They will mess you up big time. Contact me via my web site, contact@discourseonagape.org, the email address is on there, I would like to try and help you, if possible.

Expand full comment
founding

Steve, I believe the collapse is already here. Sorry, r

Expand full comment
founding

"Free markets, Free minds, and Free people. The revolution is in play by the small minority who are aware and have common sense.They qualify as beyond the right or left. Great essay Joel. Have a safe trip home. Richard.

Expand full comment
founding

Our near-term future comes down to this simple choice: Donny or Kammy. The Donald we know wants to be the president. The ruling cabal, however, has appointed Kammy the next President of the USA. She will run with the VP they choose; she will say what they tell her to say, when and where to say it, or they will say it for her. They will provide her with all the infrastructure necessary to get her into office and will do all the hard work of being president for her. She will say nothing extemporaneously and do all she can to protect herself from being spoken to without absolute approval from them. She will sign her name when and where they command her to sign. Within their cabal are the necessary outlets of MSM that will saturate the written words, spoken words, and visual graphics, proven by the best PR people in the world to see to it that their message will resonate emotionally with all to make them believe that their only future is with her. Then, they will fix the vote count as needed to win. After this election, you will still wonder who is running the US. You will get what you get, and you will like it. What are you going to do to stop it? Vote? (So does it matter at all what you do or don't know?)

Expand full comment

There is an abundance of ignorance, even the astute and hard working are ignorant even with discernment; there is always one variable in any decision, not know, that grievously affects outcome. It is trial and error, Pragmatism, that rules the day.

He who tries the most succeeds if he has reference to others that tried and succeeded. (education) Computers can help, AI. But it is the same old dilemma, shit in shit out.

Discipline is the mother of wisdom and self interest (delusion) is the father of lies, ignorance.

There have been many economic theories in the world, the US was a combination of fortuitous circumstances, freedom, self reliance, natural resources, all at the disposal of much of the population.

That no longer exists, and the US economy is convoluted, not Capitalism and China proves that Capitalism, given the economies of scale no longer works.

It boils down to leadership. Whitman thought the US would always produce exceptional men, no longer.

It is still the same old story of The Book of Kings, waxing strong or weak dependent on righteous men and righteous men obey God.

It always gripes me when, everyone, in lock step advances the theory of the oligarchs that free trade is a great good for Americans. These same people have moved jobs away from America, inundated the country with 80 million of illegal origins. It is like a starving kid lookin into a window filled with an abundance of food. If you do not have money, it does not matter how cheap things are.

Alexander Hamilton founded the US economy on sound money and tariffs. Since we are back at square one, sounds good to me.

Expand full comment

Free markets... free minds... and free people.

Here, here!

This Buds for you!

Expand full comment