deflation: a fate worse than death

The latest danger the government (with the help of the media) is trumping up is the so-called 'danger' of deflation (i.e. prices falling). Deflation is bad for government, because it unravels the houses of cards and pyramid schemes that they cleverly call 'government programs' or 'investments'. With deflation, people will pay less actual dollars in taxes (because wages won't rise and prices for products with taxes on them won't rise), so it's a huge danger only for government or other entities or people that are massively in debt. With inflation, it's easy to pay back debt because dollars in the future are worth less than dollars were worth at the time you created the debt.

Don't believe the latest in a long string of scare tactics (the threat of international terrorism, the worst financial crisis since the great depression, the loss of millions of jobs if the auto industry fails, etc) that are engineered to convince you to give up more of your rights and more of your tax dollars to line the pockets of politically powerful interests.

obama pros and cons so far

I have to admit I'm surprised by some of Obama's early moves after winning the election and most of the surprises are not good ones, although the alternative most likely would have been worse.

Positive surprise:

1. His plan to give trials to all Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Score one for the Constitution and for humanity in general.

Negative surprises:

1. Wants to bail out the auto industry, which is failing because of their inability to see trends that 8-year olds could have seen coming decades ago. If he cares about renewable energy and climate change (as he says he does), let planet-destroying companies fail and the void will be easily filled.
   
2. Plans to use executive orders to reverse Bush administration executive orders. The right way to do this is with Congress passing bills and for the President to sign them. The balance of power needs to restored to prevent future Presidents from abusing power.
   
3. He believes the neo-con lie that the biggest threat to the world is international terrorism. Until we get over this nonsense, we won't be able to stop interfering in the affairs of other countries, which will perpetuate the hatred fostered during the past 60 years under both Democrat and Republican presidents (mostly Democrat, not to be partisan, but it sometimes surprises people to realize that fact).
4. The inauguration will have "free speech zones" just like the Bush administration was famous for (and profoundly criticized for). Now, there's no outrage because a good guy is in charge. Hypocrisy. I suggest the whole country be designated a free speech zone like in the good old days of 8 years ago. Oh, I forgot, we face the threat of international terrorism!
   

The litmus test for granting government new powers should be: How would you feel about granting this power to George W Bush? If you wouldn't, then don't grant it to Obama or Congress or the Judiciary, because at some point down the road, one or more of the branches may be controlled by people with no humanity. That's why the Constitution is a brilliant document that we should start following again.

[Update 3-Feb-2009: Looks like I jumped the gun as the closing of Guantanamo appears to be not only symbolic (as prisoners are just being moved to other prisons in the US), but it'll take at least a year. Nothing should be higher priority than giving falsely imprisoned people a fair trial.]