A Letter to Paul Nathan.

A reader illustrates the Faustian nature of Obama Care by offering his house gratis to admirers of The One.

Paul Nathan publishes a weekly financial newsletter (commentary and market update) to which one can subscribe by writing him at Paulnathan2000@aol.com. Recently, he included an amusing, but nonetheless insightful, email from one of his readers. I reproduce it here with permission:

"Written by an unknown author:

"I was in my neighborhood restaurant this morning and was seated behind a group of jubilant individuals celebrating the successful passing of the recent health care bill. I could not finish my breakfast. This is what ensued:

"They were a diverse group of several races and both sexes. I heard the young man exclaim, 'Isn't Obama like Jesus Christ? I mean, after all, he is healing the sick.' The young woman enthusiastically proclaimed, 'Yeah, and he does it for free. I cannot believe anyone would think that a free market would work for health care. They are all crooks and thieves and don't deserve all of that money.' Another said, 'The stupid Republicans want us all to starve to death so they can inherit all of the power. Obama should be made a Saint for what he did for those of us less fortunate.' At this, I had had enough.

"I arose from my seat, mustering all the restraint I could find, and approached their table. 'Please excuse me; may I impose upon you for one moment?' They smiled and welcomed me to the conversation. I stood at the end of their table, smiled as best I could and began an experiment.

"'I would like to give one of you my house. It will cost you no money and I will pay all of the expenses and taxes for as long as you live there. Anyone interested?' They looked at each other in astonishment. 'Why would you do something like that?' asked a young man, 'There isn't anything for free in this world.' They began to laugh at me, as they did not realize this man had just made my point. 'I am serious, I will give you my house for free, no money what so ever. Anyone interested?' In unison, a resounding 'Hell Yeah' fills the room.

"'Since there are too many of you, I will have to make a choice as to who receives this money free bargain.' I noticed an elderly couple was paying attention to the spectacle unfolding before their eyes, the old man shaking his head in apparent disgust. 'I tell you what; I will give it to the one of you most willing to obey my rules.' Again, they looked at one another, an expression of bewilderment on their faces. The perky young woman asked, 'What are the rules?' I smiled and said, 'I don't know. I have not yet defined them. However, it is a free home that I offer you.' They giggled amongst themselves, the youngest of which said, 'What an old coot. He must be crazy to give away his home. Go take your meds, old man.' I smiled and leaned into the table a bit further. 'I am serious, this is a legitimate offer.' They gaped at me for a moment.

"'Hell, I'll take it you old fool. Where are the keys?' boasted the youngest among them. 'Then I presume you accept ALL of my terms then?' I asked. The elderly couple seemed amused and entertained as they watched from the privacy of their table. 'Oh hell yeah! Where do I sign up?' I took a napkin and wrote, 'I give this man my home, without the burden of financial obligation, so long as he accepts and abides by the terms that I shall set forth upon consummation of this transaction.' I signed it and handed it to the young man who eagerly scratched out his signature. 'Where are the keys to my new house?' he asked in a mocking tone of voice. All eyes were upon us as I stepped back from the table, pulling the keys from pocket and dangling them before the excited new homeowner.

"'Now that we have entered into this binding contract, witnessed by all of your friends, I have decided upon the conditions you are obligated to adhere from this point forward. You may only live in the house for one hour a day. You will not use anything inside of the home. You will obey me without question or resistance. I expect complete loyalty and admiration for this gift I bestow upon you. You will accept my commands and wishes with enthusiasm, no matter the nature. Your morals and principles shall be as mine. You will vote as I do, think as I do and do it with blind faith. These are my terms. Here are your keys.' I reached the keys forward and the young man looked at me dumb founded.

"'Are you out of your freaking mind? Who would ever agree to those ridiculous terms?' the young man appeared irritated. 'You did when you signed this contract before reading it, understanding it and with the full knowledge that I would provide my conditions only after you committed to the agreement.' Was all I said. The elderly man chuckled as his wife tried to restrain him. I was looking at a now silenced and bewildered group of people. 'You can shove that stupid deal up you're a** old man, I want no part of it' exclaimed the now infuriated young man. 'You have committed to the contract, as witnessed by all of your friends; you cannot get out of the deal unless I agree to it. I do not intend to let you free now that I have you ensnared. I am the power you agreed to. I am the one you blindly and without thought chose to enslave yourself to. In short, I am your Master.' At this, the table of celebrating individuals became a unified group against the unfairness of the deal.

"After a few moments of unrepeatable comments and slurs, I revealed my true intent. 'What I did to you is what this administration and congress did to you with the health care legislation. I easily suckered you in and then revealed the real cost of the bargain. Your folly was in the belief that you can have something you did not earn; that you are entitled to that which you did not earn; that you willingly allowed someone else to think for you. Your failure to research, study and inform yourself permitted reason to escape you. You have entered into a trap from which you cannot flee. Your only chance of freedom is if your new Master gives it unto you. A freedom that is given can also be taken away; therefore, it is not freedom.' With that, I tore up the napkin and placed it before the astonished young man. 'This is the nature of your new health care legislation.'

"I turned away to leave these few in thought and contemplation and was surprised by applause. The elderly gentleman, who was clearly entertained, shook my hand enthusiastically and said, 'Thank you Sir, these kids don't understand Liberty these days.' He refused to allow me to pay my bill as he said, 'You earned this one, it is an honor to pickup the tab.' I shook his hand in thanks, leaving the restaurant somewhat humbled, and sensing a glimmer of hope for my beloved country."

A Faustian bargain indeed.

Paul also posts at Kitco, the precious metals site. His most recent column, "Deflation Lifts its Ugly Head," discusses signs that point to a coming economic downturn.

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Fast of the Ninth Day.

The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem by Francesco Hayez.

For nearly 2000 years, Jews have fasted on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av (Tisha B'Av), thereby commemorating the destruction of the Temple by Roman legions in 70 A.D. Will future generations of American ex patriots similarly mark the 21^st day of March? On this black morning, such thoughts flood the mind. One recalls somber, grief-stricken Parisian faces in old news films as Hitler's Wehrmacht jackbooted into their city. As les citoyens de Paris then, so we now — adrift.

Colonel Allen West. In any tempest, there are sources of purchase, and this one is no exception. One such is Colonel Allen West, candidate for the House in Florida's 22^nd Congressional District. Colonel West's personal story is inspiring; his positions on the issues (also here), uncompromising; his spirit, indomitable. He will take the fight to the Temple's would-be despoilers.

A student of military history, West recalls the heroism of Joshua Chamberlain, a Union colonel who turned the tide at Gettysburg. Applying, his predecessor's example (see also "The Lesson of Phidippides") to our present predicament, he writes as follows:

"... As casualties mounted, water ran out, and so did ammunition. The men of the 20^th Maine Regiment felt all was lost. Chamberlain knew that if he retreated, the entire Union Army would be encircled, destroyed, and there would be nothing to prevent General Robert E Lee ... from marching south to Washington DC.

"Chamberlain then uttered the one word that would save the day ... : “Bayonets”! It was a word command [sic] never given by a Union Commander to that point, the spirit of the bayonet and the offensive initiative had always been with the Confederate forces. ...

"I say 'Bayonets' to let us all remember the story of Little Round Top [Chamberlain's position]. Let us all remember the leadership and courage of Colonel Joshua L Chamberlain. Let us all remember that regardless of how bad it may seem, we don’t quit, we don’t retreat, we don’t surrender……..WE CHARGE! That is the American spirit, that is what we all must embody in this 2010 election cycle year." [Emphasis added]

Colonel West pledges to reverse yesterday's assault on American values. His website is here; his recent address to CPAC, here, May his words, his eloquence and, above all, his fighting spirit inspire us.

[Revised 26 March, 2010. The author has no connections to Col. West or to his campaign.]

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Kill the Bill.

Michelle Bachmann et al. address Tea Partiers near the Capitol on 15 December. Click to enlarge.

In recent weeks, this site has been preoccupied with ClimateGate. This interest reflects our opinion (1) that anthropogenic warming remains an unsubstantiated hypothesis, (2) that the CRU(d) cabal's behavior, as revealed by the leaked emails, is a stain on the profession, (3) that the computer codes used by CRU(d) are sufficiently dubious to raise questions as to the reliability of at least some of the "data" on which the AGW "consensus" is based and (4) that the "solutions" being proposed to address this (non-)problem will have catastrophic socio-economic consequences.

With regard to the last, we have noted that there is a direct tie-in with health care: 'Cap and Tax' (aka 'Freeze and Starve') will wreck the world's economy, thus giving irresistible impetus to the rationing of medical services and the realization of Sarah Palin's 'death panels.' Additionally, both measures promote the Green movement's ultimate goal, which is the reduction mankind's ecological footprint via the diminution of both total numbers and per capita energy consumption. Regarding this assessment, which some would deem hyperbolic, we can only say that we have rubbed shoulders for too many years with too many environmental scientists and activists — all too often, one and the same — to believe otherwise. These people view humanity as a cancer on the planet, and we all know how one deals with malignancy.

As to health care, a recent article in Politico about the latest Tea Party rally contra the legislation in statu nascendi is hopeful. A majority of Americans are dead set against it. Sooner or later, their voices will be heard.

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A Letter from Phil.

It's been more than a decade since my old buddy, Phil, was expelled from one of the Ivies, sad to say, for "mooning" the chaplain's wife. After 'the incident' and a failed attempt at therapy, Phil drifted west where he attended law school and discovered that he could support himself nicely promoting "of course, it's legal" investment schemes. Occasionally, we correspond — which fact I mention by way of introducing the following account, recently received, of a town hall meeting in southern Arizona.

Before proceeding, a little more about Phil to give context to his remarks:

• Phil's favorite word is "excess;" his preferred expression for evidencing enthusiasm, "Whoa, excess!" sometimes reduced to "Whoa!" delivered in a cadenced baritone and a Nashville accent.


• He is deeply attached to crudities, which affection remains pretty much what it was in college.


• He hates universities, generally, their speech codes, in particular, the latter because they limit 'freedom of expression', which is how he views 'the incident'.


• He also hates 'controlling people': professors, therapists of all sorts and especially psychiatrists, the latter, because, in the course of the counseling noted above, he 'was shot down in flames' by a 'bodaceous lady shrink'.


• Ever partial to gluttony, Phil has recently slimmed down to a svelte 290 pounds — 'all muscle.'


• Despite a respectable income, he doesn't pay much in the way of taxes.


• His disdain for pyramid schemes (see below) is, shall we say, selective.


• Phil rarely walks, preferring instead his souped-up 1951 Imperial — 'built like a tank' — that guzzles 2-3 gallons per mile in traffic, but 'makes up for it on the road'. Also, 'the fillies love it'.


• Phil now counts himself a member of the TEA party movement; will it survive the encounter?

And now, to Phil's recent epistle. As always, edits (most for the sake of decorum), clarifications, etc., in square brackets.

"Hey T. A. -

We were pretty rude last night. Excess! Giffords, [Representative, D. Az.], Carmona [former Surgeon General] and two pro-Obama Care plants — a Ph.D and a shrink — took some major [unprintable]. [Unprintable]s deserved it; crooks; liars. 'Fire 'em all!' I said; audience loved it. Too bad I can't go into politics. [Unprintable] [unprintable]s 'd start digging around! [Good thing; Phil would go straight to the top.] Anyway, I had fun. [Phil always has fun.] Finally got [illegible] back for my tax dollars [see above]. Of course, they could have given us eggs and tomatoes; raised some major dinero, chipped away at those unfunded liabilities. Whoa! Rotten tomatoes priced by size; better, by target: 5 bucks for Likins [former President of the state university], $10 for Carmona; $25, for Giffords. Me, I'd pay $100 for Carmona. Condescending S.O.B. [the original was more colorful], says we need a "health maintenance system" with folks like him tell [sic] us what to eat, when to drive, what to say. [Unprintable] thought police! 'Course universities do that already; [unprintable]. Likins rates a hundred bucks too. [Phil, being Phil, would, of course, arrange for the unfortunate gentleman to pay him for the privilege of being pelted.] Anyway, it won't save jack; just give the [unprintable]s more [unprintable] control, more [unprintable] power. Line their pockets too. [Unprintable]! Rationing my [unprintable] you know what! And they're gonna make it worse — [unprintable] green facists! Cap 'n trade my [unprintable]-[unprintable] [unprintable]! We need nuclear! Jane Fonda — [unprintable] [unprintable]! Old [folks] don't know [what's in their own interest]!

"Whoa! We could raise money for the TEA Party! — put on a "Take Back America Faire." Get some volunteers; give them masks; put 'em in the stocks or over a dunk tank. OK, maybe not volunteers, someone could get hurt. How about dummies? Oops, that gets us back to politicians; (Get it? politicians, dummies!) should of said mannequins. (Ha! Ha!) What do you think? If you go in with me, we could split things down the middle [Translation: I could foot the expenses; Phil would handle the profits.]

"Hope you've worked off some of that jelly roll, not sitting around like you used to. [He should talk!] Anyone reading that blog of yours yet? Bet no one's seen it [Sigh!]. Still think you should call it 'T & A'; come up better in Google that way. Skip the 'Speaker' part — sounds like you're peddling woofers and tweeters.

"Phil"

Good old Phil. He gets to the point, albeit in a "Philish" sort of way. As always, I took the bait and did some digging. Here is a more conventional statement of his argument:

1. The looming crisis in health care is driven by demographics. An aging population, consequential to the post-war baby boom and the subsequent decline in the birth rate to less than pre-war levels, necessitates a greater per capita burden on those who work, even if the goal is only to maintain services at their current levels. Carmona, Emanuel, et al. want to compensate by curbing expenditures — by forcing people to live healthier lives, in which regard I share Phil's skepticism, and by government-enforced rationing. Likins, if one judges by his other enthusiasms, doubtless agrees.
   


2. The inevitable result is Sarah Palin's "death panels," from which we can only be saved by increasing per capita productivity.
   


3. Giffords supports cap and trade, for which she recently voted, and opposes domestic drilling, nuclear power, etc. She voted against H.R. 6566 back in 2008. This is a surefire strategy for reducing per capita productivity, which means more rationing, more death panels, etc. So, when Giffords says that she wants to improve the nation's health care — well, that's not quite accurate. Some, will see an improvement, or, at least, be able to stop using the ER in lieu of a PCP. But for the majority, those already insured, the result will be diminished, probably greatly diminished, services. As for the near-elderly, their future is bleak. Review boards will substitute hospice care, sometimes appropriately, sometimes not, for treatment. A single payer system — inevitable if there's a public option — will prevent people from "wasting" their savings on expensive procedures, and a jacked up (Sheesh! I'm starting to sound like Phil) inheritance tax will guarantee that the money saved is used for the greater good, i.e., that it goes to the government.
   


4. Whatever comes of this, one can be sure that the likes of Carmona and Giffords will never themselves face the prospect of health care truncated by communitarian concerns.

Phil's right. They're liars for sure; hypocrites, too.
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Trigonometry.

“The study of angles and of the angular relationships of planar and three-dimensional figures ... .” Mathworld.

“ … sure wish folks could ever, ever understand that we ALL could learn so much from someone like Trig — I know he needs me, but I need him even more ... the world needs more "Trigs", not fewer.” Sarah Palin. 3 July, 2009 [Emphasis added].

So there’s trigonometry and trig functions (above, left), and then there’s Trig, the little boy with Down’s Syndrome. Ubiquitous math phobia notwithstanding, most would agree that the first two are useful. What about 21^st chromosome trisomics? At least among their mothers, the majority view is thumbs down; most are aborted. That’s what makes Palin’s observation so remarkable and, to this author, himself the parent of a special needs child, so very genuine. Her critics, most of them not having had the experience, can hardly be expected to appreciate the plusses. What they do understand, albeit in many cases but vaguely, is that caring for a “special needs” child is difficult, time consuming and expensive.

It's also parenting for life. In the usual sense, most of these children do not grow up; conventionally, they do not fledge. Their bodies mature, of course – often abnormally and typically with a raft of attendant medical issues, the treatment of which is complicated by the underlying disorder. But intellectually, emotionally and behaviorally, they remain forever young. What waits after Mom and Dad is not the independence of adulthood, with its sundry trials and triumphs, but an existence at best sheltered, more often, neglectful, at worst, abusive. Indeed, when I first saw Sarah, having just delivered the best speech of the political season and holding her son, I could only wonder if she had any real idea as to what she was in for.

That uncertainty was set to rest by the remark quoted above. Like other parents who put their developmentally disabled child first and let the rest sort itself out, Sarah Palin understands that children like Trig bring purpose to life in ways that are both unique and uniquely fulfilling. Like Sarah, my son needs me, even as I need him. But unlike Sarah, no “rendezvous with destiny” looms in my future. You think the Palinophobes [emphasis on the second syllable] don’t sense that such an encounter awaits in hers? Of course, they do. It is the taproot of their rage; the prospect that appalls. Sarah will fight and triumph, God willing, for her son, and, in that victory, secure the future for us all.

Some say that the time evolution of complex systems is marked by unexpected twists and turns; others that the Lord works in ways mysterious. Take your pick. Trig is Sarah’s bow of burning gold; her arrows and her spear; her chariot of fire. With apologies to the spirit of Wm. Blake for changes (square brackets) to the original:

"[She] will not cease from Mental Fight,

Nor shall [her] Sword sleep in [her] hand:

Till we have built Jerusalem,

In [this, our great] & pleasant Land."

Surprisingly, there’s a path that leads from trig, the branch of mathematics, to Trig, the child. Along the way, there are stops at demography, mathematical optimization and medical ethics. Having followed it, we may better understand the tumult of August, 2009. [To be continued].

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