Bank of America retreat show limit of corporate power

(Senseiich/Wikimedia)

When Bank of America retreated from its plan to charge a $5 fee to its account holders who use debit cards, it was a victory for consumers.  Bank of America’s announcement of the fee a month ago sparked widespread anger and was a factor in the birth of the Occupier movement.

Many on the left are suspicious and angry at corporations.  A common theme among progressives is that the government is more responsive to the people because government officials are elected by and are responsible to the people.  On the other hand, this view holds that corporations are responsible only to their officers and shareholders, people whom consumers have no voice in choosing.  The Bank of America saga gives lie to this idea.

Read the rest of this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-atlanta/bank-of-america-s-retreat-shows-limits-of-corporate-power

Fourth of July genetics

What makes America different?  We are blessed with a large country, rich in natural resources, but many other countries with similar physical blessings lag behind the United States in many areas.

Throughout our short history, the United States has been a light to the world.  Our freedom, rule of law, and philosophy of equality have inspired countless other revolutions around the world.  Our statesmen penned documents that enshrined individual rights and the freedom to make your own destiny.  Our scientists and inventors sparked the Industrial Revolution.  Our businessmen turned these ideas into products and companies that raised the standard of living of the world.  Our fighting men have selflessly given their lives to protect innocents around the globe.

Why is it that one young upstart of a nation could so change the world?  Author Michael Medved points to several studies that suggest that Americans benefit genetically from the inherited traits of the immigrants who left everything to come here.  Medved points to work by Peter C. Whybrow of UCLA and John D. Gartner of Johns Hopkins University Medical School that shows that it took special people to make the journey to the New World.

For all the thousands of people that came to America to find a new life, more stayed at home.  Even during times when difficulties such as famines and persecution inspired mass migrations, most people chose to take their chances at home.  By some estimates, only two percent of the population of the Old Country would have left home to take their chances abroad (http://townhall.com/columnists/MichaelMedved/2008/05/14/respecting_-_and_recognizing_-_american_dna/page/full).

The same traits that made these future Americans leave their ancestral homes would have enabled them to succeed on the frontier and in business.  A penchant for risk taking, a willingness to work hard, optimism about the future, self confidence and willingness to take responsibility for their own success or failure were key factors in spurring immigrants to cross the oceans and were equally instrumental in helping them to build farms and businesses on the frontier.  Whybrow states that Americans possess a unique “dopamine receptor system – the pathway in the brain that figures centrally in boldness and novelty seeking” (http://townhall.com/columnists/MichaelMedved/2008/05/14/respecting_-_and_recognizing_-_american_dna/page/full).

With the establishment in the United States of free market capitalism and representative democracy, we gained political and economic systems that complemented the genetic makeup of the newly American immigrants.  A newly arrived “go-getter” could step off the boat and in very short order own a business that provided wealth and respect beyond his Old World dreams.  In contrast to the monarchical and authoritarian governments of most of the rest of the world, a second generation immigrant could hope to lead the government of his new homeland.

It is important to note that the American genetic code transcends racial and ethnic divisions.  Even though in the past American society was divided along racial and ethnic lines, from America’s earliest days people of all ethnic groups were able to become successes and contribute to our country’s greatness.  Free blacks, Chinese laborers, native Indians, and others are all part of the story of the American Spirit and members of all groups have possessed the traits of American DNA.  Over our short history, numerous groups from Irish to Catholics to Eastern Europeans have been subject to ethnic prejudices, but members of those groups have all overcome through risk-taking, hard work, and assimilation.

Further, many of today’s immigrants have the same gumption to leave home to make a better life for themselves and their families.  Whether they flee a harsh dictatorship on a flimsy raft, cross a desert  to escape economic distress, or come from the other side of the world on a ship or airplane for any of a million reasons, many possess the same traits of the immigrants of old.

Over time, this American Spirit has mostly stayed strong.  The Westward Expansion led Americans to settle their entire portion of the continent.  Americans are the only people in the world to set foot on the moon.  American companies supply the world with consumer products and American farms feed the world.  In 2009, even after the financial crash, half of the top ten companies on the Forbes 2000 list were American (http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/18/global-09_The-Global-2000_Rank.html).

Even in the dark days of the Great Depression, when government grew on what was then an unprecedented scale, most Americans were not content to sit back and collect charity.  Thousands moved west from the Oklahoma “Dust Bowl” to seek a new life in California.  Others, who did collect from the government, were at least willing to exchange labor in groups such as the Civilian Conservation Corps for their government money.

Many worried that the American Spirit was dying in the days after Hurricane Katrina when many residents of the Gulf Coast seemed unwilling to work to better themselves and instead sat back to wait for government aid.  However this year’s oil spill, affecting much of the same region, has brought a resurgence of American ingenuity and spirit as residents of coastal towns take the initiative to protect their homes, environment, and livelihood without waiting for help or approval from the federal government or BP.

Over the years, reliance on government programs has taken its toll on the American Spirit.  Many forces have worked to slow and dampen the individualistic traits that built America.  Today, far too many Americans, rather than working for something, are being paid by the government to do nothing.  In many cases, the government even seems to prefer that its citizens do nothing.  As one pundit put it, today’s federal government is “all check and no balance” (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/06/06/all_cog_no_machine_all_check_no_balance_105863.html).  We are trading our adaptive and creative society for the illusion of risk-free prosperity.  We are resting on our laurels.

If America is to survive, not only as a nation, but as a state of mind, we will need to reclaim the American Spirit for future generations.  We can teach our children the value of calculated risk taking and hard work.  We can instill in them a desire to learn so that they make valuable contributions to our society, rather than attempting to get rich quick through movies, music or sports.  We can teach them the truth about America:  that it is a light unto the world and that much of what is good about the world is due to America’s influence.  Finally, we can teach them that what makes Americans is not our ancestry, but our American Spirit!

Happy Independence Day!

Thanks for reading, commenting, and following!

Sources:

http://townhall.com/columnists/MichaelMedved/2008/05/14/respecting_-_and_recognizing_-_american_dna/page/full

http://www.peterwhybrow.com/index.html

http://www.hypomanicedge.com/

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/18/global-09_The-Global-2000_Rank.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/06/06/all_cog_no_machine_all_check_no_balance_105863.html

July 2, 2010

Villa Rica GA

Alternatives to America

It seems like an eternity ago now. It was the 2004 presidential campaign. George W. Bush was running for re-election against Senator John Kerry in a bitter campaign. Many prominent liberals, upset at the prospect of a Bush victory, threatened to move abroad if President Bush was re-elected. Of course, President Bush was re-elected and none of the celebrities made good on their promises to relocate. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed those sentiments recently when she was asked about the possibility of Sarah Palin becoming president. Clinton said that she would “not be emigrating,” but would visit Canada “as often as I can” [1].

In the current political climate, there are looming taxes and regulation that would hamper economic freedom, as well as the possibility of new restrictions on the freedoms of speech, religion, and gun ownership. The explosive growth of the national debt and the threat of Islamic nuclear and biological terror attacks on American cities make it conceivable that the United States will not survive in its present form beyond our lifetimes. Some suggest that, as with the Pilgrims and countless immigrants from around the world, it might one day be necessary for American conservatives to flee to a new homeland where they can live in freedom and security.

The thought of becoming an American refugee made me wonder where a conservative, freedom loving American could emigrate to in the event that America ceases to be a conservative, free country. There is no shortage of viable alternatives to which Clinton and the Hollywood leftists to flee, but there are precious few beacons of liberty and economic freedom left in the world.

There are several things that an expatriated American conservative would need to look for in a host country. The ideal country would have broad economic freedom. This would include low tax rates and a small, unobtrusive government. It would value and protect the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech. The ideal candidate would also be founded upon ideals similar to those of our Founding Fathers.

A good homeland would also have to guarantee security. It would have to be large and powerful enough to deter attacks from terrorists as well as other nations. A strong economic system could be a tempting target. Security would also include the right to self-protection and safety from crime. Constitutional provisions should guarantee security and protection from the government itself.

A good place to start looking might be the Index of Economic Freedom [2]. This list ranks 179 world countries on the basis of how free their economic systems are. The United States now ranks as “mostly free” instead of “free” and is at the number eight position on the list… just behind Canada (Clinton’s choice!). Hong Kong and Singapore are the top two countries in the world with respect to having free economies. They are followed by Australia and New Zealand at three and four. Two European countries, Ireland and Switzerland placed fifth and sixth. Behind the US, Denmark and Chile round out the top ten. Of the top ten, only Switzerland and New Zealand became more free last year. The US became less free by the largest margin of the top ten countries.

It is important to note that this list includes only economic freedoms. Additionally, both Hong Kong and Singapore are rated only “partly free” by Freedom House [8].

Additionally, Australia and Canada have very restrictive gun control laws [3, 4]. Although some states and cities in the US all but ban guns, after the Supreme Court’s Heller decision, the trend here is toward more freedom. Both countries also have politically correct laws that restrict freedom of speech [5]. It might be illegal, or at least a tort, to write a blog condemning Islamic terrorism or to speak out against gay marriage. The US has some laws against hate crimes that chill free speech and leftist special interest groups have been known to harass and intimidate people that they don’t agree with, but by and large, speech is still free in the US.

I would rule out Hong Kong because of its proximity to the People’s Republic of (Red) China. It is actually now a part of China, although it remains politically separate. Similarly, Singapore is too small to defend itself without outside help (which would presumably come from the US or Australia). Likewise, Ireland and New Zealand would be dependent upon other nations in an emergency.

Switzerland is an interesting option. Nestled in the Alps, the Swiss have a long tradition of independence and financial freedom. Throughout both world wars, the Swiss maintained an armed neutrality while other nations were gobbled up around them. Swiss independence is largely due to its well-trained civilian militia (as well as its utility as a money launderer for despotic regimes such as the Nazis). Nevertheless, Switzerland could not withstand a determined foe indefinitely and gun ownership for citizens not in the militia is heavily restricted [6]. Plus, an American moving to Switzerland would most likely have to learn German.

What about other countries not in the top ten? Macedonia (56) and Montenegro (68) both made dramatic gains, but were still far enough down the list to be listed as only moderately free. The Caribbean has beautiful scenery and a laid-back lifestyle, but none of these island nations even crack the top twenty on the freedom index. The Middle East, Asia and Africa hold very few countries that could be considered free and prosperous.

Mexico is not far from home and Mexican food is popular in the US. It might not take a lot of dollars to live very well there, but they only rank moderately free at number 41. Most of the factors in the rankings are improving in Mexico, but there are other factors to consider as well. Even though Spanish is easy to learn, Mexico is undergoing on a crisis with drug cartels and corruption. This is seen through its dismal 89th place finish on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index [7].

Interestingly enough, many of the top finishers on the Index of Economic Freedom also did well on the Corruption Perceptions Index. New Zealand placed first on the CPI. Denmark, Singapore, Switzerland, Australia, and Canada were also in the top ten for both lists. The United States placed 18th.

Another country that many conservatives are drawn to is Israel. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It is listed as “free” on the Freedom House Map of Freedom [8] even though liberal activists do not consider it as such. In reality, Arab Israelis have almost exactly the same rights as Jewish Israelis and freedom of religion is respected in spite of the fact that many of them may not be loyal to the country. Israel ranked 32 on the CPI and 44 on the economic freedom index. Israel’s gun laws are restrictive [9] , perhaps out of necessity due to the proximity of millions of people who want to kill as many Jews and Israelis as possible. According to George Gilder’s The Israel Test [10], Israel is moving to an even freer capitalist economy, which will hopefully lead to increased transparency and freedom. Nevertheless, Israel is remarkably free and prosperous for a nation that is under almost constant attack.

Israel is also relatively secure. Suicide bombings and terror attacks have declined since the construction of a defensive wall. The combined forces of its Arab neighbors have been unable to conquer it since 1948. The next test will likely come soon as Iran grows closer to developing a nuclear weapon.

With respect to religious freedom, most nations that score well on the economic freedom index and the CPI also seem to do well with religion. According to Voice of the Martyrs [11], most religiously restrictive nations are found in the Muslim world and communist nations such as Cuba, China, and Vietnam. The United States is still one of the most Christian nations in the world however, since many of the other Christian nations have forsaken their religious heritage.

When religion is thrown into the mix, a surprise contender becomes South Korea. Approximately one quarter to one third of South Koreans are Christian and constitute the largest religious demographic in the country [12, 13]. South Korea also rates as “free” by Freedom House, 31st in economic freedom, and 39th in corruption perceptions. On the down side, their closest neighbor is North Korea. North Korea, of course, is a starving communist state run by a madman who has nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. And as for the gun laws, don’t even ask.

A fine point that is often missed is that many or most of the countries rated as free, do not have the constitutional protections that we enjoy in the United States. Their freedoms are deemed to be granted by the government as opposed to our belief that we all men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. What the government grants, the government can take away.

We are left with the conclusion that the United States is a unique blend of freedom and security. The precise mixture has not been replicated anywhere else on earth. Perhaps this explains why novelist Ayn Rand was forced to have the capitalists of Atlas Shrugged create Galt’s Gulch as a secret refuge for freedom as opposed to fleeing abroad.

We also must realize that if we lose American freedom there is no other place on earth where we can find the unique mix of American freedom. As Abraham Lincoln wrote, “we shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth” [14]. With a return to the principles of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution, we can survive this crisis and, as Ronald Reagan said, “With our eyes fixed on the future, but recognizing the realities of today…we will achieve our destiny to be as a shining city on a hill for all mankind to see” [15].

Sources:
1. http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2010/02/16/hillary-clinton-wouldnt-flee-to-canada-if-sarah-palin-was-president/
2. http://www.heritage.org/index/Ranking.aspx
3. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1736501,00.html
4. http://www.canadianlawsite.ca/gunlaws.htm
5. http://www.religioustolerance.org/auspeech.htm
6. http://www.guninformation.org/
7. http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/cpi_2009_table
8. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2009
9. http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/israel-firearms.htm
10. http://www.american.com/archive/2009/july/capitalism-jewish-achievement-and-the-israel-test
11. http://www.persecution.com/public/restrictednations.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51
12. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0307/p14s01-lire.html
13. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ks.html
14. http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln78.html
15. http://the-right-side.com/ronaldreaganquotes.htm

Chicago IL
February 16, 2009

The Enemies Within

It hasn’t been long since Major Nidal Malik Hasan became the most recent jihadist to launch a terror attack on US soil. The unique thing about Major Hasan’s attack, in which he murdered 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas was that he was not only a US army officer, he was a US citizen who was born and raised in the United States. Prior to Major Hasan’s attack, terrorist attacks in the US were primarily carried out by foreign terrorists.

The weeks since the Fort Hood attack have brought the discovery of more American jihadists within the United States. A developing story involves the Somali-American communities in Seattle and Minneapolis. Over the past few years, numerous Somali-American men have disappeared from their homes without a trace. At least three of these men have been turned up dead in Somalia. One of these men, Shirwa Ahmed of Minneapolis, gained the dubious distinction of becoming the first American suicide bomber when he detonated a car packed with explosives in front of the Ethiopian embassy in Somaliland on October 29, 2008, killing 20 people.

The FBI believes that the Somali men are leaving the US to train as terrorists and wage jihad. Some, like Ahmed, ended up in Somalia with al-Shabaab (“the youth”), an al Qaeda affiliated group fighting the Ethiopian presence in Somalia. A second Somali-American is believed to have carried out a suicide bombing against African Union peacekeepers in Somalia on September 15, 200, killing twenty-one.

Another American, David Coleman Headley of Chicago, was recently arrested on charges that he was a spy for the Lashkar, a Pakistani terror group. Headley, whose original name is Daood Gilani, is of Pakistani descent and spent his early childhood in Pakistan. Along with Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani businessman, Headley is accused of helping to plan an attack on a Danish newspaper that published cartoons about Mohammed and helping to coordinate the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India that killed more than 160 people.

Finally a group of five American college students from Washington were arrested in Pakistan in early December 2009 as they tried to make contact with Pakistani terrorist groups. The families of the men became concerned after discovering a farewell video in which they stated the need to defend Muslims. A Pakistani report states they “were of the opinion that a jihad must be waged against the infidels for the atrocities committed by them against Muslims around the world” [cnn]. The men had previously tried to contact terror groups through internet sites such as Facebook and Youtube.

Together with Major Hasan, these discoveries show a disturbing trend. They show that American Muslims are increasingly vulnerable to radicalization. In the past, this sort of radicalization has been seen in the Muslim communities of Europe, but has been rare in the US.

The cases have several factors in common. First, the terrorists in all cases come from a Muslim background. All were American citizens. Some were native born, while others immigrated and became citizens later in life. Additionally, a common theme among many of the jihadists is that their friends viewed them as normal Americans and could not believe their association with terror groups.

It appears that the radicalization can be traced to local mosques and religious awakenings. It has been revealed that Major Hasan attended the same Virginia mosque as two of the 9/11 terrorists. Shirwa Ahmed and the other Somalis typically disappear after becoming involved in local mosques. David Headley became heavily involved in Islam after a series of drug arrests in the 1990s and moved to an area of Chicago known for Muslim immigrants. He attended a local mosque with Rana there. Finally, the Washington Five were all members of a youth program at a mosque in Alexandria, Virginia.

While not nearly all Muslim-Americans are at risk for radicalization, we do have to realize that out of the 1-2 million Muslims in America, there could well be thousands who are quietly becoming radicalized via radical internet websites or local mosques. In 2007, Pew Research polled Muslim Americans and found that five percent of American Muslims had a favorable view of al Qaeda. A further 27 percent responded that they did not know or refused to answer the question (Inside the Revolution, p. 144). Further, when asked if suicide bombings against civilian targets were ever justified, thirteen percent indicated that suicide bombings were justified “sometimes (7 percent), often (1 percent), or rarely but not never (5 percent).” An additional nine percent refused to answer the question. The numbers increase for Muslims between 18 and 29 years old. These younger Muslims also tend to be more radical and more religiously observant.

Estimates of the total Muslim population of the United States vary widely, but approximately 1.5 million seems to be an accepted figure [adherents.com]. This means that as many as 75,000 Muslim Americans have a favorable view of al Qaeda and a further 405,000 are unsure or refuse to answer. Additionally, some 195,000 Muslim Americans believe that suicide bombings against civilian targets are justifiable with an additional 135,000 refusing to answer. Other polls show that these percentages are even higher in other countries.

It would be very easy for homegrown terror cells to form and train via the internet and launch terror attacks on their fellow Americans. Timothy McVeigh, the original World Trade Center bombers, and the DC Sniper illustrate how easy it is to use common items for terrorist attacks. Stolen or legally purchased firearms or bombs created from common items with an internet instruction manual could wreak havoc in numerous cities and small towns around the country. Dozens of small-scale attacks scattered around the country would maximize terror.

The good news is that the silent majority of Americans of Muslim faith is beginning to show more support for the US government. In the case of the Washington Five, their families alerted the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization that has often been believed to be an apologist for terrorist groups. In this case, CAIR referred the families to the FBI.

Many, probably most, American Muslims do not share the radical desire for a worldwide Islamic caliphate. They have no desire to live under Sharia Law. They do not want to see suicide bombings and terror attacks become commonplace in the United States.

These arrests underscore the importance of establishing and maintaining close ties between the law enforcement community and the Muslim communities. Counter-terror and law enforcement must become aware of what is happening within the walls of mosques around the country. Likewise, steps should be taken to monitor or shut down websites that recruit and indoctrinate young Muslims into terror groups. The threat is real and cannot be ignored. Neither can the threat be countered without the help of loyal American Muslims.
Sources:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704517504574589841594836308.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/09/23/somalia.bombing.american/index.html
http://www.startribune.com/local/44231707.html?elr=KArksUUUU
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126057977267688241.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEADNewsCollection
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_deceptive-answers-at-the-airport-led-to-david-headley-s-arrest_1321788
http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/david_headley_feet_in_the_east_and_west.php
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579888,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/11/pakistan.americans.profiles/index.html?eref=time_us
http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_islam_usa.html
Rosenberg, Joel C. Inside the Revolution. Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, IL. 2009