You're On Your Own - Part II

 "There are no end of commentaries on the recent murders in Arizona, resulting in the usual debates. Pundits argue over whether there should be stricter gun laws, whether talk radio, the movies, or “extremism” contributed to the tragedy, and, most obtusely, what the government should do to prevent a similar incident from occurring again. What is lost is the fact that this tragedy provides yet more proof of something that has been demonstrated to Americans repeatedly over the past decade. The government cannot protect you from the harsh realities of life.  Most people are good people, most of the time. Under normal circumstances, most people would rather cooperate with their fellow human beings in order to achieve their goals rather than steal from them or kill them. However, some people, at least some of the time, do not “live and let live.” During every moment that we are alive, someone somewhere is committing a crime. Someone is experiencing hardship, whether due to their own bad judgment, laziness, or just plain bad luck. Worst of all, someone is planning to commit an act of violence. These truths are confirmed by all of human history.  What is unique about the time that we live in now is the extent to which people believe that the government can shield them from these challenges. Never has a society had such high expectations of their government to ensure their security - both personal and economic security. The early 21st century is truly a high-water mark in terms of belief in government to eliminate all risk from the game of life. Over and over, we are offered proof of how foolish this misplaced faith is."
Source: Tom Mullen (The Daily Paul)
Reading this article made me think of Hurricane Katrina and the videos of the police looting the stores with the hoodlums.

Not Without Consequences

A sad, tragic day for the country.  A lunatic swept up in the cycle decides to make a statement.  It appears that this 22 year old had issues with non-perfect English speaking people and the government.  Sorry Fox news, but once again, this guy doesn't appear to be a Muslim.  Another white, homegrown American.  Angry at 22 years old.

I thought that these comments by the Arizona sheriff were right on the mark:
"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous.  Let me just say one thing, because people tend to poo-poo this business about all the vitriol that we hear inflaming the American public by people who make a living off of doing that. That may be free speech. But it's not without consequences."

Yes, we will see consequences.

"The younger generation is awaking to the fact that their parents squandered their future."
Random Roving, January 1, 2011

"The mob will get even more angry. Beware of the angry white American man carrying the Bible."
Random Roving, January 1, 2010

"The mob is angrier than ever. The angry white American bible carrying man hasn't made his statement yet."
Random Roving, January 1, 2011
Well, like the lunatic in Austin last year, he's white and angry, but he left his bible home.

"When the tide is rising, we're happy participants, but when it lowers we seek someone other than ourselves to blame."
Random Roving, March 7, 2009

"Politicians ratings will continue to fall aligning with a continued decline in mass social mood. Incumbents beware."
Random Roving, January 1, 2010

"The mob is angrier than ever so they'll try to throw out as many incumbents as possible.  The Tea Party is still just a light version of what is to come."
Random Roving, November 2, 2010

An interesting point to note is that Giffords barely won the recent election by 4,000 votes over a Tea Party candidate.  She is a third term representative.

"The ratings fall is dead on, but a few incumbents survived.  Not for long though."
Random Roving, January 1, 2011

 The only valid point that this criminal might have made on his web postings is that our currency needs to be backed by gold.

Stayed tuned. More craziness to come.

A Sandy Update

"Four states -- California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona -- accounted for all top 20 metro foreclosure rates."
Source: Sacromento Business Journal, July 29, 2010

"Things built on 'sand' will continue to struggle: California, Dubai, Arizona, Florida, and Las Vegas. Golf courses and cities are not naturally aligned with the habitat of a desert."
Random Roving, January 1, 2010

Xenophobia At The Next Level

"Xenophobia will continue to increase. Muslims and Mexicans will continue to be the easy targets."
Random Roving - January 1, 2010

Two stories caught my ear last week both relating to the continued increase in xenophobic behavior.  As the contraction phase continues, the masses, due to fear, will tend to aggregate together based on "likeness".  Remember, the "herd" always gets closer when the predator approaches.  Anger will be directed at those that are "different".  Different could come in many forms: race, religion, politics, and many other aspects on various scales.

Arizona passed a law to arrest illegal immigrants. Belgium is attempting to pass a law to make female burkas illegal to wear.  My interest in these topics is not necessarily whether they are right or wrong, but more on the timing and alignment of mass social mood.  When the illegal immigrants were building our homes and office buildings during the "credit orgy", we didn't seem to care.  When Belgium's economy was expanding, burkas were not an issue.  We focus on different issues during expansions and contractions.  The "happy and greedy" era is over and "fear and anger" have moved to the forefront.

"The measure - set to take effect in late July or early August - would make it a crime under state law to be in the U.S. illegally. It directs state and local police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal."
Source CBS News

"Following in France’s attempted footsteps, Belgium is on its way to becoming the first country in Europe to ban the burka. A parliamentary committee agreed yesterday to outlaw the wearing of face-covering veils in public. The full Parliament will vote later this month.  Under the proposals, women could face a week in prison or a fine for wearing a veil in public."
Source: Styleite