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An Old Guy Looks at Debt

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  100% You may have noticed recently that the US has managed to grow our national debt to 38.9 TRILLION dollars. So what, you may ask. Well, for the first time in over 80 years our debt is greater than our annual GDP. Yup, not since WWII have we managed to do that. Again, you may ask so what. Well, for one thing our annual interest payment is now over one trillion dollars per year (and unlike your mortgage payment there ain’t no principle in there.) Well, how did that happen?  You tell me. Social Security costs 1.5 trillion per year (yeah, I know, there’s allegedly a trust fund somewhere that you paid into but that it is just an accounting trick now.) Medicare, another “fund” you paid into, costs 1.1 Trillion per year. (Your contributions are peanuts in relation to our pitiful healthcare system.) Medicaid? Another 600 billion. Don’t forget that our Dept of Defense , er, War also costs one trillion per year – and if our cracker jack administration gets their way it will go to...
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More Things I Think I Think

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  Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that were, and ask - what the hell happened?! A few months ago, I wrote about "things I think" and enjoyed it so much that I thought I would do some more thinking. And there is a lot to think about - but don't worry, not politics. (Okay, maybe just a little.)  There is just so much going on that is either great, frightening, or curious. Mostly, I have been thinking about "progress" or what passes for it today. Define Progress (and if it's Good)   I think about progress a lot and wonder how we know when we are making it - or maybe if it's going the other way. "Progress refers to forward movement, development, or  improvement  toward a higher state, goal, or completion." It's easy enough to identify progress in some things and if they are good e.g. healthcare, renewable energy, nicer homes, better cars, labor laws - streaming? But there are  others things , important human beha...
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Look on the Brightside - With Music (Reprised)

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I always have things I want to write about, that’s not the problem. But sometimes the things I want to write about seem  too philosophical,  too serious - or gloomy? - and I don't wish to inflict it on other folks at this time of the year. When this happens, I will occasionally go back in my "vast catalog" to find things that I have written about before that shook me out of a dreary place. I am in such a place and I have gone back and found something from 5 years ago this month that might do. In fact, given what is going on in the country today it's perfect! (Although admittedly the music is 5 yrs older.) Back then we were finally coming out of the pandemic but life still seemed to be beating  up on  us a little and apparently this idea popped into my feverish brain. I re-share now with the hope that you find it at least a little bit of an upper as it did – and does now – for us.    March 2021 Mrs Dear Leader and I each have a friend who is in hospice, frie...
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Solving Immigration

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  Dear Leader Takes on Immigration . . . (For Better or Worse)    ICE Detainees - CECOT Prison  El Salvador (of Kristi Noem picture fame) Hold on to your hats, this could be a doozy! Prelude I won’t go into how we have arrived at this crappy point in time because it’s a story we all know. It’s about a dysfunctional government that goes back many presidential administrations as it regards immigration (and a lot of other things.) Let’s just say, it is what it is. On the Horizon It is important that we to consider something else as we try to fix our current immigration woes: a  looming international humanitarian nightmare.  I  have written about this before -  and perhaps you have already thought about it too - so it shouldn't be a surprise. Like our current mess this is a  complex  and unpleasant topic b ut understanding it has great bearing on what we do in the coming years.  Modern Migrants Experts tell us that humans started migrat...
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