Fellow monkeys, I've had some random thoughts that I'd like to open to comments. Feel free to reply to one or more than one.
Traders and investors are amongst the most Machiavellian people in the world. I once read on this forum that the trader should not respect any specific strategy for the principles that back it up, but rather only for the results that it gets.
The governments impact on the economy has waned supposedly because of a lack of confidence in business. However, the government has not changed its approach, as shown in the recent stimulus-light "jobs plan." This seems to suggest that Obama cares less about the real world, and real people, and more about his vision.
People in Chicago and other cities that make it difficult to own hand guns, where there are mobs of young blacks attacking white people based on their race, are living in the shadow of crime, with the unspoken acknowledgement that they are victims of fear, violence and social impotence. Yet few seem willing to resist.
The Mormon church imposes a tithe of 10% on its members. They are amongst the nicest and best people I have ever met, but I can't figure out why they have such faith in their leaders. The bible warned the jews from wanting to instate a king amongst themselves because the king would require a 10% tithe.
The Japanese people work more doggedly, and provide results that are more consistently excellent than could have ever been hoped for by the leaders of any communist nation, while being exploited enormously.
The openness and virtues of our society are what make it most vulnerable to attack, and they are the things we must be most dogged in our protection of.
