Price Gouging is Good

Price gouging is good for at least two reasons and it all has to do with supply and demand. Right now, demand is high for certain products. There’s not enough supply to meet the demand, so what do we do? Do we just cross our fingers and hope the suppliers ramp up production to meet our demand? Hope is good and we should have that, but we have more than that. What we want is supply to meet demand. How do we do that? We either increase supply or decrease demand. Price gouging does both. (It’s really market forces without governmental intervention.)

First, if we increase the price of a product, say toilet paper, the demand will decrease. Folks will think twice before hoarding those precious rolls leaving some for others that may really need it. Second, the higher prices will incentivize more production. Those toilet paper manufacturers will naturally want to supply more if they are going to make more money. As more product comes into the market, increasing supply, it will meet demand and the price will go down. 

Yes, it is emotionally satisfying to be against price gouging. But the next time you go to get some TP, ask yourself how the restrictions on price gouging are doing. Thank you, political leaders, who really only follow and rarely lead.

Why Are There Laws?

Why are there laws? What is their purpose? Are they written merely at the whim of the current government or are they based or should they be based on something more substantial? There seems to be two schools of thought today. The first would be the progressive side that would legislate everything. This group believes that the individual is not able to govern himself, so they will impose laws on society for its own good. Conversely, we are hearing from a more libertarian point of view which holds that if it does not hurt anyone, anything goes. These are the extremes and both make good points. However if one believes that laws change with the times and the opinions of those who happen to be in power, then the debate will rage on. However if you believe that laws and government is based  on something more lasting such as God and His plans for government, then opinion polls will be rendered useless. 

Laws must be based on the eternal truths of God. Those eternal truths are what makes a strong and long-lasting, well-functioning society. When a government keeps those laws either intentionally or unintentionally because God's laws are intrinsically known, it prospers. When it deviates from what it knows is right and exchanges the truth for a lie, it will fail. Most laws are moral and can, no, must be legislated based on eternal truth. Years ago when a society decayed, a stronger more stable and able society would terminate it. Today, the decay is international. There are no stronger society to "reset" what is going on. There is only global decay and eventual collapse. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. 

Are Smart Meters Bad?

Should we resist the installation of smart meters? Not so sure. Big government monitoring our every movement is upon us. Judge for yourselves.

Police Use Data Extraction Devices (DED) & Tracking Features of Smart Phones

Shown below are two articles regarding the use by law enforcement of the tracking features of your cell phone. One shows how they may see where you have been over an amount of time. The second article is even more concerning. According an ACLU news release, "several years ago, (Michigan State Police) acquired portable devices that have the potential to quickly download data from cell phones without the owner of the cellphone knowing."

Yes. We live in a world where our privacy is limited. The younger generation gives it up willingly. The older generation gives it up without even knowing it. However, the facts are clear and the pattern is clear. Authorities, whoever they may be in the future good or evil, will have the ability to track and monitor us without our knowledge. Just why do you think the President met with Google, Intel, and Apple? How about the features on phones that we think we may like including Google's Near Field Communication Plan, and Visa's march toward person to person payments? Are they beneficial in the long run? This site has reported how technology could turn cell phones into wallets. These are not isolated incidences without any connection. The pieces are falling into place. While our current governments may have nothing nefarious in mind, the track is being laid to our own Auschwitz. Look here and see how this network of technology will soon be used against us by a sole world leader. He will use it for control. He will use it to our detriment. Wake up! Look around you. Do not fall asleep to the drumbeat of normalcy. These things are not normal. They only appear to be normal to us because they are slowly happening around us and we adapt. Now is not the time for sleep, but to be active and prepare.

How police have obtained iPhone, iPad tracking logs | Privacy Inc. - CNET News: "Law enforcement agencies have known since at least last year that an iPhone or iPad surreptitiously records its owner's approximate location, and have used that geolocation data to aid criminal investigations.

State police aims to clarify data extraction device use: Michigan State Police says a claim by the American Civil Liberties Union that the agency has devices that can quickly download data from cell phones without the knowledge of the owner is untrue, and officials with Petoskey post say they aim to eliminate any such misconceptions.

Economic Collapse on Horizon - Video

Judge Andrew Napolitano and Glenn Beck discuss the state of affairs in the United States today in this video. Among the topics is the test facing the newly elected Republicans. The interesting part of this is whether they will stop the nation’s debt ceiling from again rising. Beck says that the consequences of not raising the debt limit would be to, in essence, destroy the economy. The complete implosion of our economy is going to happen some time. Beck indicates that this could be the trigger to that collapse much like the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act precipitated the Great Depression. Contrary to this position if the United States does not do something about the continuous flood of cheap imported goods into this country, our economy will continue its downward spiral. Increase tariffs, decrease taxes, and those that want to sell here would be encouraged to manufacture the products here. However, it is true that not raising the debt ceiling could trigger the collapse. What should be done is to cut spending, so we do not need to raise the debt ceiling.

Tough times are ahead. If the debt ceiling is again raised, it will just happen later.

Discussion in the video is also about how the Federal Reserve will help bail out the European economies. Since the FED is not part of the government and is private, it has be ability to do this although they are highly influenced by our government. Have not hear this one before, but it sounds feasible in today’s world even though the US does not have any money to bail anyone out.

Four methods to reduce debt:
1. Default
2. Raise taxes
3. Reduce spending
4. Print money

The only legitimate method is to reduce spending. However, the United States and most other countries have not been able to find the will to do this. Defaulting causes instant disaster, raising taxes can only get you so much, and printing money causes inflation. Stop spending and start making products in this country again. This is the answer to our economic problems. 

Decline is Inevitable

Entropy: Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

Our world is one in which we must work continuously against the ever present demands of constant deterioration. We mow our lawns, keep our gardens, reconcile our bank accounts always working, always struggling. If we take a break, it builds up around us like a slow tide that will soon wash us out to sea. If we wait too long to work against it, sometimes it seems as though it will completely overwhelm us. That is our nature. The college student takes a few weeks off from studying and finds that there is a great deal of work to do to catch up. The road worker neglects some of the streets in town and the entire street needs to be scrapped and an entirely new one built in its place. A society forgets it first principles and soon entropy sets in and that society is on the brink of disaster either from outside forces or from an internal decay that has set in while it rested.

History has shown that when one country is weakened, it is eventually replaced by another stronger nation that has not neglected the necessary work to stave off the decay. God. Duty. Honor. What are these? What happens when an entire world succumbs to the temptation and forgets that work needs to be done? First principles, the foundation of a country - remember what they were. Work to find them and build them back up again. Fight the decay from within and reestablish the foundation that will withstand the attacks from without.

Federal Reserve Forces Bank to Remove Christian Symbols

In this video, the Federal Reserve has forced a privately owned bank to remove all references to Christianity on its website and on its premises. Even though the Federal Reserve is not technically part of the Federal government, one could see this as one more step in that direction.

What or Who is Our god?-Eternal, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Benevolent

Are people today a-theists; oblivious to the need for a higher power in their lives? Do they live like there is no god or do they worship a god of their own making? History has shown that throughout the world and in every era, various people groups have developed systems of religion. They have worshipped nature, created things, demonic spirits, and even their own ancestors. There has always been an inherent need to have a religion; a need to explain, and consequently, to try to control the uncontrollable events that happen to us and to others.

However today, there does not appear to be this need. We go to sporting events, buy toys, and working to climb the corporate ladder. Apparently, these are adequate distractions that make the otherwise inherent need for religion unnecessary. But do we really operate without a god? Are we truly religionless? Actually, we do have a god. We may even have many gods. One of the more obvious gods is the god of self. We think about ourselves, pamper ourselves, and basically spend all our time, talent, and treasure attempting to please only ourselves. Even our acts of kindness are done in order to make ourselves feel good about ourselves. However one god that is often overlooked, but is taking more of an active role in our lives is the god of government.

Government is:

Omnipotent -All powerful
The government is able to create. It is able to create jobs and wealth and health for all of it citizens at all times.

Omniscient-All knowing
The government is expected to know when tragedy is about to happen. President Bush should have known that 911 was about to happen, so he could prevent it. He was also supposed to know that the stock market was going to crash in 2008, so he could prevent it.

Omnipresent-Everywhere
The government is expected to be everywhere at all times. The government was supposed to be in New Orleans moments after the hurricane Katrina hit. It should be everywhere there is a need at all times.

Benevolence
The government is expected to be kind to all its citizens at all times. Even those who commit heinous crimes are to be treated kindly. Those on “death row” are put to death in a “humane” way. It also takes several years for them to reach their end which is supposed to be more just.

Eternal
The government is expected to be eternal. People today do not know their history. We think we are unlike other people in other times where governments have risen and fallen. Since we live in the (post) modern era, a change in government would be unthinkable. Even a change in border due to war is unthinkable. For example, it has been over 40 years that Israel has taken over the “occupied territory” of the “west bank”. How many years does a country need to occupy territory before it is accepted as being theirs? The United States took land from the original inhabitants over 200 years ago. It is now accepted as being the United States, but there are still those who say it should never have happened; that somehow the United States should not be geographically be the United States.

As time goes on and more of us come to depend on government for our food and our income, our shelter and all of our needs and wants, government will become more and more of our god. Our expectations will increase and when our god does not satisfy, we change the makeup of the government, so our needs and wants will be met.

See this video to illustrate:

Global Economic Collapse

These are headlines from just today. They were not accumulated over a period of time. Anybody see a pattern here? Looks like a total collapse of the entire globe’s economy is immanent. A perfect situation for a “strong man”/messiah to take over and make things right again. Watch for this from the left and the right.
****
Obama’s answer to a deflated economy: buy more of your own debt. Has any other economy prospered by buying its own debt? As I have said before, we need to make things. Export more, import less. Look at the tags on the products you buy and buy from America!

Bloomberg: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the economy is barely expanding at a sustainable pace and that it’s possible the Fed may expand bond purchases beyond the $600 billion announced last month to spur growth.

This commission had some pretty hard solutions. Most of them need to be implemented, but that will take a long-term approach that today’s politicians do not have. I doubt many of the recommendations will be passed.

The Economist: When Barack Obama created his deficit commission Kent Conrad, a Democratic senator named to the commission, gave it no more than 10% odds of success. And indeed, today just 11 of its 18 members voted for the deficit-reduction proposal tabled by its two chairmen this week, falling short of the 14 required for the full Congress to vote on it.

TheHill.com: The Dodd-Frank financial reform law provides a new way forward for managing the financial system, but tough steps still need to be taken to get the nation's fiscal house in order, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman Sheila Bair said in a speech. Speaking before the Consumer Federation of America, Bair acknowledged the financial overhaul has created some unsettling uncertainty, but changes were needed to avoid future crises.

The Telegraph: The International Monetary Fund has called on the EU authorities to boost their rescue fund and step up bond purchases to insure against a fresh financial crisis in the eurozone periphery.

           

“The recovery could still stay the course, but this scenario could now easily be derailed by the renewed financial market turmoil,” the IMF says in a report for eurozone finance ministers today, according to Reuters. “The sovereign and financial market storm affecting the periphery constitutes a severe downside risk.”

http://tinyurl.com/635le3k

The Sliding Scale of Morality and Law

1 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

If our laws and our morals as a society are not grounded in something that does not change, then what we believe to be acceptable at one time will certainly change over time. Anyone can see this as they reflect on those activities that were prohibited years ago. It is the same concept when one hears that we should be led by the “first principles” when referring to the constitution of the United States. The founders of this country believed that if we strayed too far from these first principles, the state of the union would be in jeopardy. Equally, our Creator has dictated that if we stray from His First Principles, we too, as as society and individually, are in jeopardy.

Below is a listing of those state statutes that are repealed or were put into law years ago and are being completely ignored today:

Sunday Liquor Sales (MCL 436.2114 Selling, giving away, furnishing, or buying alcoholic liquor or spirits on Sunday): Just repealed for the want of more money. See my post on my other site here. It used to be restricted on Sunday morning from 2:00am to 12:00 noon.

Abortion: MCL 750.14 Administering drugs, etc., with intent to procure miscarriage—Any person who shall wilfully administer to any pregnant woman any medicine, drug, substance or thing whatever, or shall employ any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of any such woman, unless the same shall have been necessary to preserve the life of such woman, shall be guilty of a felony, and in case the death of such pregnant woman be thereby produced, the offense shall be deemed manslaughter.MCL 750.90g(b) That a live infant partially outside his or her mother is neither a fetus nor potential life, but is a person.

Adultery: MCL 750.30 Punishment—Any person who shall commit adultery shall be guilty of a felony; and when the crime is committed between a married woman and a man who is unmarried, the man shall be guilty of adultery, and liable to the same punishment.

Advertising relating to sexual diseases: MCL 750.34 A person who advertises ... the treating or curing of venereal diseases, the restoration of “lost manhood” or “lost vitality or vigor”, or advertises in any manner that he or she is a specialist in diseases of the sexual organs, or diseases caused by sexual vice or masturbation, or in any diseases of like cause, or shall advertise in any manner any medicine, drug, compound, appliance, or any means whatever whereby sexual diseases of men or women may be cured or relieved, or miscarriage or abortion produced, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000.00.

Blasphemy: MCL 750.102 Any person who shall wilfully blaspheme the holy name of God, by cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cursing and Swearing: MCL 750.103 Any person who has arrived at the age of discretion, who shall profanely curse or damn or swear by the name of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. No such prosecution shall be sustained unless it shall be commenced within 5 days after the commission of such offense.

Homosexuality/Sodomy: MCL 750.158 Any person who shall commit the abominable and detestable crime against nature either with mankind or with any animal shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison not more than 15 years, or if such person was at the time of the said offense a sexually delinquent person, may be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for an indeterminate term, the minimum of which shall be 1 day and the maximum of which shall be life. MCL 750.159 In any prosecution for sodomy, it shall not be necessary to prove emission, and any sexual penetration, however slight, shall be deemed sufficient to complete the crime specified in the next preceding section.

Desertion of Spouse: MCL 750.161 (1) A person who deserts and abandons his or her spouse or deserts and abandons his or her children under 17 years of age, without providing necessary and proper shelter, food, care, and clothing for them, and a person who being of sufficient ability fails, neglects, or refuses to provide necessary and proper shelter, food, care, and clothing for his or her spouse or his or her children under 17 years of age, is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not less than 1 year and not more than 3 years, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than 3 months and not more than 1 year.

Fortune Telling (repealed 1993): MCL 750.267-270 Repealed. 1993, Act 282, Eff. Apr. 1, 1994.
267 Fortune telling by cards, etc., for gain - Any person who shall pretend for money or gain, to predict future events by cards, tokens, trances, the inspection of the hands or the conformation of the skull of any person, mind reading so-called, or by consulting the movements of the heavenly bodies, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Gambling: MCL 750.301 Any person or his or her agent or employee who, directly or indirectly, takes, receives, or accepts from any person any money or valuable thing with the agreement, understanding or allegation that any money or valuable thing will be paid or delivered to any person where the payment or delivery is alleged to be or will be contingent upon the result of any race, contest, or game or upon the happening of any event not known by the parties to be certain, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000.00.

Incest (repealed 1974 and 1999): MCL 750.333 Any person who is within the degree of consanguinity with another within which marriages are prohibited or declared by law to be incestuous and void...and shall marry such other person, or shall commit adultery or fornication with such other person, shall be guilt of a felony.

Lewd and lascivious cohabitation and gross lewdness: MCL 750.335 Any man or woman, not being married to each other, who lewdly and lasciviously associates and cohabits together, and any man or woman, married or unmarried, who is guilty of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or a fine of not more than $1,000.00. No prosecution shall be commenced under this section after 1 year from the time of committing the offense.

Women and children; improper language in presence: MCL 750.337 Any person who shall use any indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Gross indecency; between male persons: MCL 750.338 Any male person who, in public or in private, commits or is a party to the commission of or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of any act of gross indecency with another male person shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years, or by a fine of not more than $2,500.00, or if such person was at the time of the said offense a sexually delinquent person, may be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for an indeterminate term, the minimum of which shall be 1 day and the maximum of which shall be life.

Gross indecency; female persons: MCL 750.338a Any female person who, in public or in private, commits or is a party to the commission of, or any person who procures or attempts to procure the commission by any female person of any act of gross indecency with another female person shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years, or by a fine of not more than $2,500.00, or if such person was at the time of the said offense a sexually delinquent person, may be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for an indeterminate term, the minimum of which shall be 1 day and the maximum of which shall be life.

Gross indecency; between male and female persons: MCL 750.338b Any male person who, in public or in private, commits or is a party to the commission of any act of gross indecency with a female person shall be guilty of a felony, punishable as provided in this section. Any female person who, in public or in private, commits or is a party to the commission of any act of gross indecency with a male person shall be guilty of a felony punishable as provided in this section. Any person who procures or attempts to procure the commission of any act of gross indecency by and between any male person and any female person shall be guilty of a felony punishable as provided in this section. Any person convicted of a felony as provided in this section shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years, or by a fine of not more than $2,500.00, or if such person was at the time of the said offense a sexually delinquent person, may be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for an indeterminate term, the minimum of which shall be 1 day and the maximum of which shall be life.

Obscene, sadistic, or masochistic literature; recording or image, penalty for sale, transmutation, or possession: MCL 750.343a Repealed. 1957, Act 265, Imd. Eff. June 13, 1957.
Any person who knowingly either sells, lends, gives away, distributes, shows or transmutes or offers either to sell, lend, give away, distribute, show or transmute, or advertise in any manner, or who otherwise knowingly offers for either loan, gift, sale or distribution, any obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent, sadistic or masochistic book magazine, pamphlet, newspaper, story paper, writing, paper, phonograph record, picture, drawing, photograph, motion picture film, figure, image, wire or tape recording or any written,printed or recorded matter of an indecent character which may or may not require mechanical or other means to be transmuted into auditory, visual or sensory representations of such character, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 1 year or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment. MCL 750.343b The test to be applied in cases under section 343a of this act shall not be whether sexual desires or sexually improper thoughts would be aroused in those comprising a particular segment of the community, the young, the immature or the highly prudish, or would leave another segment, the scientific or highly educated or the so-call worldly wise and sophisticated, indifferent and unmoved. But such test shall be the effect of the book, picture or other subject to complaint considered as a whole, not upon any particular class, but upon all those whom it is likely to reach, that is, its impact upon the average person in the community. The book, picture or other subject of complaint must be judged as a whole in its entire context, not by considering detached or separate portions only, and by the standards of common conscience of the community of the contemporary period of the violation charged.

Seduction: MCL 750.532 Any man who shall seduce and debauch any unmarried woman shall be guilty of a felony

Penal Code

Communist Control Law - Public Act 117 of 1952 - Repealed

Why has this law been repealed? Are communists now good for our country? At one time, this "fifth column" was actively expelled from government positions and influence. Today, we elect leaders that prescribe to many of their ideologies. We may have waited too long to reverse course and protect our nation.

Repealed 1978 Michigan MCL 752.321 The legislature hereby finds and declares that there are present in the state of Michigan subversive groups and elements, particularly of the communist party and certain of its affiliated organizations, which have infiltrated into both private and public employment and into the public schools of the state. The consequence of any such infiltration in the public schools is that subversive propaganda can be disseminated among children of tender years by those who teach them and to whom the children look for guidance, authority and leadership...The legislature finds that such dissemination of propaganda may be and frequently is sufficiently subtle to escape detection in the classroom. It is difficult, therefore, to measure the menace of such infiltration in the schools by conduct in the classroom. The legislature further finds and declares that in order to protect the children and our state institutions from such subversive influence it is essential that the communist party and its affiliated organizations, from obtaining or retaining employment in the public schools or sate financed positions, be vigorously enforced. The legislature deplores the failure heretofore to prevent such infiltration which threatens dangerously to become a commonplace in our schools and institutions.

Not only have the communist/socialist ideologies become commonplace, but they have virtually taken over.

Glenn Beck on George Soros, The Puppet Master-Video

In this video, Glenn Beck summarized three nights of reviewing the actions and motives of George Soros whom Beck calls the "Puppet Master". Beck gives compelling evidence of Soros' hand in felling four governments from around the world include crashing the English Sterling.

Next on Soros' list, according to Beck, is the United States. If it is not Soros, the evidence points to at least someone or some group attempting to reduce the influence and power of the United States. Take a look and judge for yourself. The video is 18 minutes, but it is very interesting.

Sunday Liquor Sales

In the State of Michigan, our legislature recently passed a new law making it legal to sell liquor in the early morning on Sundays - for a price. Formerly, it was illegal to sell liquor on Sunday between 2am and 12 noon. In a deal with the Devil, Michigan will now allow those vendors who pay a fee to make these sales. This marks the ending of what formally was a Christian society. Most “Blue Laws, laws prohibiting business activity on Sunday, have already been stricken from the books in order to obtain more profits for business allowing us all to have more fun on what was formally considered by most to be the Lord’s Day.

Now, thanks to our new “values”, we are able to shop and drink and have all sorts of fun distracting ourselves with the flashy lovers of our time instead of being in church worshiping our Lord and Creator. When will it end? I do not know. Unfortunately I know how it will end.

North Carolina Constitution of 1776

This truth is self-evident: the United States was founded by Christians for Christians. The founders had no intention of other religions being treated in the same fashion as Christianity. Freedom of religion was was established so that no denomination would have supremacy over another denomination as it had in Europe. 

Section 32. "That no person who shall deny the being of God, or the truth of the Protestant religion, or the divine authority of either the Old or New Testaments, or who shall hold religious principles incompatible with the freedom and safety of the State, shall be capable of holding any office, or place of trust or profit, in the civil department, within this State."

A listing of other State Constitutions that clearly articulate the Christian religion can be found here.

Cary Jay Vaughn

Delaware Constitution of 1776

http://tinyurl.com/286hxh4 
Art. 22. Every person who shall be chosen a member of either house, or appointed to any office or place of trust, before taking his seat, or entering upon the execution of his office, shall take the following oath, or affirmation, if conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, to wit: "I, A B, will bear true allegiance to the Delaware State, submit to its constitution and laws, and do no act wittingly whereby the freedom thereof may be prejudiced." And also make and subscribe the following declaration, to wit: "I, A B, do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration." And all officers shall also take an oath of office.

Constitution of Massachusetts 1780

CHAPTER II.--EXECUTIVE POWER

Section I,--Governor

Art. II. The governor shall be chosen annually; and no person shall be eligible to this office, unless, at the time of his election, he shall have been an inhabitant of this commonwealth for seven years next preceding; and unless he shall, at the same time, be seized, in his own right, of a freehold, within the commonwealth, of the value of one thousand pounds; and unless he shall declare himself to be of the Christian religion.