Pompeo claims God is using Trump

Apparently, Pompeo claims God is using Trump. This is not new. Politicians have often made such bombastic claims, declaring God is on our side, or to speak on behalf of the (implied "all") People, to state the (implied "all") People have mandated it, and my favorite emotional ploy used by Obama; "It (a proposed law or regulation) just feels right!" as though per some higher authority or universal principle that remains unknown or unaccounted. The presumption and arrogance continues year after year, administration after administration, unchecked, unchallenged, well embraced by politicians' respective supporters, and if ever critiqued, only conveniently so when promulgated by the political opposition.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four...

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."

As solemnly critiqued by Winston Smith, the main character in George Orwell's book 1984. Interestingly centuries earlier, the German Lutheran theologian Johann Wigand (1523-1587) wrote...

"That twice two are four, a man may not lawfully make a doubt of it, because that manner of knowledge is graven into man's nature."

Note:
Thanks to a recent FEE article for reminding me of the Orwell quote. Often, the obvious is as brilliant as it is simple, however blurred and confounded by government's publicly funded propaganda called education.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

Bubbles and Busts, Ignorance and Arrogance

Ever since 1913, every president and congress have furthered the ever expanding government expenditures while every federal reserve chairman and board have orchestrated the ever expanding supply of the monopolized dollar (i.e. QE as of late, an euphemism for scheme). The resulting bubbles always appear as economic growth to media and people as claimed by politicians and their crony-economists, while the inevitable busts appear as policy failures by the sitting president and controlling party.

Astonishingly time after time upon each bubble, media and people will credit and praise the current administration and/or congressional majority, and upon each bust critique and blame, as though either the Democrats or Republicans are inherently different from the other. We will see the cycle played out again. Soon to bust will the post-2008 bubble as inflated by the Federal Reserve as well the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations. The blame of course will be placed in knee-jerk fashion on the current Oval Office executive Trump, while crediting Obama per the prevailing economic naivety.

There is one exception when the Harding administration didn't respond to the 1921 bust of the wartime bubble as usually done by administrations to follow (i.e. FDR and others). Instead of recapping, I cannot emphasize enough the importance to read and study this particular event starting with the recent book "The Forgotten Depression: 1921: The Crash That Cured Itself" by James Grant, a financial writer and historian. Blogs, posts, comments even editorials as well 1-line tweets, crafty soundbites, clever quotes, celebrity or political endorsements; they are no substitute to diligent, laborious reading and studying of books and papers, else you remain ignorant while arrogant.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

Federal Reserve's March 20th announcement

So much for continuing "quantitative tightening" per Federal Reserve's March 20th announcement, thus leaving little to no room for future "quantitative easing" when the current 10-year bubble busts (and it will). This is the inevitable corner the central bank and government have painted for themselves after 100+ years of playing monetary games. To be sure, every board and administration are to blame. Ergo, the money supply is expanded while government loans, subsidizes and spends, a bubble forms, then bubble busts years or decades later, so to fix the bust the money supply is expanded again while government loans, subsidizes and spends, consequently a bubble forms...and around it goes until stashes become ashes thus "we all fall down".

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

More on Human ABILITY to REASON, Human RIGHT to CONSENT - Proem & Poem No. 112

Most likely to be published later this summer of 2019, my 11th book entitled appropriately; More 100 Proems & Poems on the Peculiar Human ABILITY to REASON, Singular Human RIGHT to CONSENT & Other Neglected Matters. The following will probably be included upon further editing, and front cover a slightly modified yet appropriate version of the previous....

PROEM & POEM No. 112 - Solomon's Ecclesiastical Slip / Part 4

      Why would Solomon the sage observed so insightfully, wrote so illuminating, condemned so forthrightly, that is to have written that every man should…enjoy the good of all his labour (Ec 3:13), knowing so honestly his alter-ego Solomon the king would as before proactively tax, fine, license, toll, levy, confiscate, seize, conquer therefore plunder and more. If to discontinue, the Hebrew kingdom would have ceased to be, as existed and ruled by his father King David as well predecessor and founder King Saul. The lack of revenue, by cessation of politically forceful means, would have returned the domain to conditions that of the stateless era per book of Judges, between the conquest of Canaan per book of Joshua and the first anointed despot per first book of Samuel.

      With that said, throughout history what king moral or immoral voluntarily relinquished power once acquired or inherited, without first threatened by his nobles’ swords or conquered by other kings’ armies? Nor did Solomon the king of course, although Solomon the sage noted otherwise by the pointed use of all, implying none of one’s labor should be taxed or confiscated, rather fully enjoyed by consuming, utilizing, storing, investing, bartering, selling, donating, etc. Noticeably, he did not state either conditions for or limits to enjoyment other than the simple yet quite encompassing three-letter adjective. Was the particular word a thoughtless mistake, unintentional typo (if you will), maybe drunkenly literary license even romantically philosophical consideration, oppose to temporary honesty, momentary conviction per transitory inspiration. If the latter, then the insertion of word thus assertion of thought were of such overwhelming compulsion, prompting Solomon to risk criticism upon appearing hypocritically unpredictable therefore opposition upon seeming politically vulnerable. In brief, it was not an ecclesiastical slip but empirical writ.

---

By candle in room, as well antiquities’ moon `tween ivy
Hanging mid Friday’s tomb and Sunday’s womb, timely
As eternity careens while propensities preen envy and pride
Per mosaics across antediluvian porticos brined and dried

Worshipped as oracles, holy writ, lunacy all as oppugned
Praxeologically, consistently, ethically even divinely, soon
The “why” forgotten as knowledge trite moreover ill gotten
Rights then moralities conjured while the One is trodden

Trampled too by those herded, prodded by the demigods
Awed en masse, bawds at last, legs apart along esplanades
Spread wide by roughshod clowns then despot’s jesters
Truths unsound per the Truth academically sequestered

---

Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Copyright © 2019 by D.C. Quillan Stone

Violence is simply this, and only this...

Violence is simply this, and only this; any action by any "consenting " person(s) of any character for any motive exacted upon other "dissenting" person(s) of any character for any motive.

All politics and related isms result to simply this, and only this; any action by any "consenting " person(s) of any character for any motive exacted upon other "dissenting" person(s) of any character for any motive.

Thus all actions violent and political are always preceded without exception by covetousness followed by presumption.

Individualism on the other hand results to simply this, and only this; any action by any "consenting " person(s) of any character for any motive exacted upon other "consenting" person(s) of any character for any motive. While this Ism may covet as any other (as human we all are), it does not presume to exact an action upon other(s) without their consent. In this way, Individualism is not presumptuously violent nor political.

Consequently, you and your vote are violent to others. Always! Unless of course you solely pursue rescission or abolition. If you disagree, then merely explain how your covetousness and presumption supersede the dissent of anyone else. If you can do that, then you might have to explain how you became God.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

Tulsi Gabbard, Ilhan Omar, Walter Jones, Rand Paul, Ron Paul...

From among the Democrat Party of war-hawks, including former president Obama, former secretary Clinton as well politicians currently pursuing the presidency, comes this veteran, congresswoman, and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard...

"The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela. Let the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don't want other countries to choose our leaders--so we have to stop trying to choose theirs."

"US support for Saudi Arabia’s genocidal war in Yemen must end. Over 85,000 children have died, tens of millions w/o food & water, creating worst humanitarian crisis in a generation — supported by the US and never authorized by Congress. This must end now."

"I served in a war in Iraq, a war that was launched based on lies and a war that was launched without evidence. And so the American people were duped."

"As commander-in-chief, I will work to end the new cold war, nuclear arms race and slide into nuclear war. That is why the neocon/neolib warmongers will do anything to stop me."

"We promised Libya’s dictator Gaddafi that if he gave up his nuke program, we wouldn’t overthrow him. He gave them up, and we (Obama/Clinton) blew him away. NK’s Kim won’t make the same mistake. Just another negative consequence of short-sighted regime-change war policies"

...and there are many more such quotes. Of course, fellow party members and mass media have marginalized even slandered Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for her willingness to speak the truth on foreign/war polices, just as done to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Congressman Walter Jones (recently passed), Senator Rand Paul, as well former congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul. I find it interesting when considering this motley crew of politicians of different social/economic views yet similarly against US wars, and how the left and right media including both major parties choose the same to target, marginalizing their opinions as absurd and slandering their character as questionable.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

Such is the clueless "all over the map" analysis of the economy...

On one hand Ms Ocasio-Cortez claims joblessness merely seems low because many are working 2 or 3 jobs. On another hand, she states joblessness appears to be growing or high per the new wave of robotics or automation. Meanwhile she indicts, America leaves the jobless to die. So which is it? Probably high but low, seemingly low but high, either depending on the convenient talking point at the moment?

Such is the clueless "all over the map" analysis of the economy by the publicly educated whether of the left or right. If the 2nd assertion is remotely accurate (as a ridiculous exercise), invention or innovation will reduce jobs for the first time in history instead of replacing some obsolete jobs with far more jobs unrealized prior. The same critique also assumes government's past interventions have nothing to do with joblessness thus more intervention is necessary economically even morally. Of course overlooked are the endless examples of jobs and companies disappearing slowly per minimum wage laws, regulations, taxes, fees, fines or suddenly per bans, prohibitions, embargoes, sanctions even subsidies, artificially low interest rates, etc. (i.e. bubbles/busts).

I would suggest to Ms Ocasio-Cortez and many other politicians of both major parties to observe economics oppose to inventing economics. And instead of blaming corporate greed coveting more money (always a weak argument anyway), first blame government greed coveting more power.

I would also say to those advocates for free markets (particularly the Republicans and Neo-Libertarians as they like to so brag) to propose nothing more than rescission than more legislation. Additional legislation, regardless the intent to fix the past, will only compound furthering the political, economical complexities and inconsistencies.

More on Human ABILITY to REASON, Human RIGHT to CONSENT - Proem & Poem No. 111

Most likely to be published later this summer of 2019, my 11th book entitled appropriately; More 100 Proems & Poems on the Peculiar Human ABILITY to REASON, Singular Human RIGHT to CONSENT & Other Neglected Matters. The following will probably be included upon further editing, and front cover a slightly modified yet appropriate version of the previous....

PROEM & POEM No. 111 - Solomon's Ecclesiastical Slip / Part 3

      So it is here the studious might grapple historically, theologically thus uncomfortably the otherwise preferably, conveniently glossed-over contrast hence conflict of one empowered versus principled, privileged versus plebian, politic versus polite, presumptuous versus pacific (or the interesting reference poor in spirit, Mt 5:3). That is to say, the contrast hence conflict unavoidably exists vacillating between potentate and prudence, presidency and probity today, further suggesting the contention between princedom and peace, of course save one (Is 9:6). So it was for Solomon the king coveting with scepter and sword versus Solomon the sage counseling with paper and pen.

      The lesson is not how Solomon’s wisdom exercised power by day upon throne amid throng, rather how Solomon’s wisdom critiqued power by night upon scroll amid solitude. He accurately observed how each man worked per self-interest therefore laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth (Pr 16:26), the logical coition of existence by exertion (see No. 107) as anciently written for in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread (Ge 3:19). Solomon also empirically, ethically discerned it was far better to get wisdom than gold (Pr 16:16), to pursue one’s own acumen over others’ possessions obtained by their labor. It is not an exaggeration to suggest he perplexed over the contrast and conflict between his political office thus presumption versus his subjects’ personal ownership thus individual prerogative. Expectedly ever present of course is the struggle like an inescapable thorn in the flesh (2 Co 12:7), when human propensity or depravity collide with epiphanic logic, consistency hence ethic per historically observable natural law since the first Adamic breath (see No. 38-42). Again, it is the boldly presumptuous even coldly violent resistance to the divine insistence as well logical persistence of the human state non-omnipresent, non-omniscient consequently non-omnipotent.

      Within this emotionally ideological struggle and painfully shifting paradigm, perhaps with defensive anger or sorrowful regret, maybe with prideful reluctance or humble necessity, Solomon placed his weighty crown at convenient end of confessional table, methodically lifted and purposefully dipped his guided quill to sagaciously ink that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour (Ec 3:13). He wrote this in full knowledge, the enormity of possible outcomes; plaguing conviction, sleepless guilt, emotionally mitigated and psychologically managed by diversion, inebriation, callousness as well inevitable questions by curious advisors, reactive expectations by observing followers, and more. For the next day, he resumed decreeing more laws, passing more judgments as well levying more taxes, confiscating more possessions even plundering more properties. He was royalty to a fault presumptuously for he or we are humanity to a fault covetously.

---

Father, forgive thence forget, for often humanity resents
The whetstone your Divinity as well History represents
Besetting the haughty mind, renting the gluttonous heart
Tormenting the boldly depraved by Truth’s fierce darts

Startled as harts per Hunter of souls, Hound of Heaven
Thus shade of His Hand outstretched, dynamic deafened
Law invisible, ever indivisible, an ineludible principle
Politically despised, privately prized; Consent immemorial

Prerogatives headstrong against Presumptions prolonged
The former cyclically outdone by the latter’s plainsong
Till last sustainable rung then flung to ground the schemes
Victims’ dreams too, as such catastrophes usually teem

O the wailing and gnashing of teeth upon Pride’s fall
The inevitable crumbling of all Isms’ truculent kraals
Yet amid the prod-marked people rise the demi-saviors
As flesh revered thus propensity for covetous behavior

---

Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Copyright © 2019 by D.C. Quillan Stone

The dead should not rule the living.

"And yet we have what purports, or professes, or is claimed, to be a contract—the Constitution—made eighty years ago, by men who are now all dead, and who never had any power to bind us, but which (it is claimed) has nevertheless bound three generations of men, consisting of many millions, and which (it is claimed) will be binding upon all the millions that are to come; but which nobody ever signed, sealed, delivered, witnessed, or acknowledged; and which few persons, compared with the whole number that are claimed to be bound by it, have ever read, or even seen, or ever will read, or see."

Lysander Spooner (1808-1887)

It is interesting how conditioned, propagandized we've become, no longer such concepts are discussed beyond few classrooms glossing over it. The ethical dilemma raised by Spooner is as monumental as it is marginalized or completely unattended. Thomas Jefferson stated similarly and quite wisely, "The dead should not rule the living." although in contrast he egregiously supported a flawed constitution, expanding government powers into perpetuity, powers he later used and abused to unilaterally broaden executive limits (i.e. Louisiana Purchase).

Why do we allow dead legislators, and the laws they imposed 50, 100, even 200 years ago, to continue ruling us from their graves. Certainly without reconvening for any sort of confirmation, we do not at least question in public debates. Instead, we apathetically allow as well proactively support additional legislation, compounding further the legalities already complex thus inconsistent, unwittingly shackling, chaining and pillorying ourselves and descendants.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

MMT = More Monetary Trickery

The existence of any monetary policy (trickery or scheme) first requires monetary monopoly so to force upon the entire citizenry some form of currency devaluation disguised as something else for the benefit of the politically privileged few. An arrangement rarely questioned economically, certainly not ethically, and quite necessary for all the various Isms regarded by politicians and supporters.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

One in public office as politic and polite?

One in public office as politic and polite? Given the first characteristic's inherent power, privilege thus unavoidable presumption, I contend the second incompatibly impossible.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

Predictably, uniform education results to...

Predictably, uniform education results to uniform thinking. Astonishingly, most are unaware.

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).

99 versus 1

Is it any less violent for the 99 to kill, enslave and/or rob the 1 versus the 1 to kill, enslave and/or rob the 99?

Is it any less presumptuous for the 99 to impose or intrude upon the 1 versus the 1 to impose or intrude upon the 99?

Is it any less unethical for the consenting 99 to disregard the dissenting 1 versus the consenting 1 to disregard the dissenting 99?

Is it any less tyrannical for the 99 to democratically rule the 1 versus the 1 to autocratically rule the 99?

To logically thus consistently broaden the context, are any of the aforementioned more or less unethical if matters are preferential sexuality versus personal property, communal activity versus individual undertaking, others' priority versus another's liberty, perceived safety versus actual privacy and so on per innumerable comparisons?

To theologically trouble the waters further, did not Christ expressed by parable a consistent emphasis upon the 1 lost then found with the 99 in fold (Lk 15:1-7, see note)?

Note:
Biblical references are often used to justify Socialism even Communism, of course such attempts sidesteps the not-so-obscure historical fact. As a minister once instructively yet naively stated to me, "Well, you know, what was actually practiced in the book of Acts was Communism." Satirically I reminded, "Except for the subtle difference between voluntary charity and communal living per a commonly shared ideology versus enforced confiscation and communal existence per a commonly imposed policy."

Come let us Reason (Is 1:18). Peace is always a Choice (Mt 5:9).
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath (2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23).