Stella gears up for school. Teacher sends back comment she is a pleasure and makes teaching worthwhile.
I was told Blake's hard hat picture did not come through.
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Sent by friend, fellow bocce partner and memo reader:
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U.S. falls again in Cato's Human Freedom Index!
Once a large, complex and bloated government begins to spiral downward it is both hard to reverse course and often takes radical effort(s.) Why? Because sheer size, like a battle ship is hard to turn around, citizen dependency creates vested interest blocks that are not prone to renounce their 'entitlements' and politicians are not susceptible to voting to have their own ox gored!
Whether you agree with Trump or believe he has the answers he remains a magnet for the disaffected who, up to now, have not been successful in their efforts to bring about desired change.
The Tea Party tried and had some effect within the Republican Party but were vilified by the liberal press and media because they threatened their interests and were successfully attacked and demonized by the Demwits for being radical because they wanted to return to implementation of our Constitution.
Carly Fiorina is correct when she states the 2016 election will be between Social Radicals and those who favor the individual. Sanders and Clinton want to expand government, make citizens bend to increasing regulations and restrictions on their freedoms whereas most of the Republican candidates want to restrain government, expand the rights of individuals and return to a closer connection with Constitutional precepts.
The problem has been that even when professed conservative Republicans win they have failed to execute because they are captives of vested interest funding. Again, Trump has been able to distance himself from this phenomenon increasing his appeal.(See 1 below.)
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I had the distinct privilege of introducing Buddy Carter, my Rep. in Congress, today at a Town Hall Meeting. I am posting his own e mail he sent out to his constituents.
After his presentation, he entertained questions and they ran the gamut of views.
One of the questioners was a former Rabbi whose sympathies lie with the Palestinians and another woman was decidedly in favor of Iran and another seemed more or less anti-Israel. Buddy listened and said he would avail himself of the other side's views, the pro Iran Treaty side, but was deeply disturbed by the current terms of the proposed Deal.
Obviously there were questions in support of Buddy's view that it was a bad deal.
I would not have his job for any amount of money.
Prior to the meeting Buddy was kind enough to have lunch with me and we engaged in a broad ranging discussion on a variety of topics.
When I introduced him I made it clear that:
a) He had proven he was very diligent in reaching out, b) was approachable and listened , c) had built a great staff from all evidence and d)was committed to supporting the historically strong and long relationship between Israel and America.
I also told the audience I had not supported Buddy in the general election but was supporting him now. (See 2 below.)
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In my last memo to discuss my views on the market, I expressed my concerns about deflation and that the market still seemed to have more downside. I have not changed my view but now that the market has sold off a good bit that must be taken into one's view of how far down does it go.
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Dick------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1)
We’re #20! U.S. Sinks Again in Cato’s Human Freedom Index |
Cato Institute has published its annual Human Freedom Index, ranking 152 countries in the world according to the level of liberty enjoyed by its citizens, and once again, the U.S. fell in the rankings from the previous year.
Standing 17th in 2014, the U.S. now occupies the 20th spot, reflecting deteriorating economic freedom and a drop in adherence to the rule of law.
Other criteria used in the rankings:
The index published here presents a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 76 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas:Rule of Law
Security and Safety
Movement
Religion
Association, Assembly, and Civil Society
Expression
Relationships
Size of Government
Legal System and Property Rights
Access to Sound Money
Freedom to Trade Internationally
Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business
The U.S. rank has been declining since 2000 as the war on terror, the war on drugs, and a weakening of property rights have taken their toll on liberty in America.
My co-author Tanja Porcnik and I look at 76 indicators in 152 countries to capture the degree to which people are free to engage in voluntary exchange and enjoy major liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and association. We also include measures on freedom of movement, women’s freedoms, safety and security, and rule of law. We use data from 2008 to 2012, the most recent year for which sufficient data is available.Hong Kong and Switzerland top the rankings, followed in order by Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, and Canada. The United States ranks in 20th place, below the United Kingdom (9) and Chile (18). Other countries rank as follows: Singapore (43), India (75), Russia (111), China (132), Venezuela (144), and Zimbabwe (149).The United States fell from 17th place in 2008 to 20th place in 2012. The decline reflects a long-term drop in every category of economic freedom and in its rule of law indicators. The U.S. performance is worrisome and shows that the United States can no longer claim to be the leading bastion of liberty in the world. In addition to the expansion of the regulatory state and drop in economic freedom, the war on terror, the war on drugs, and the erosion of property rights due to greater use of eminent domain all likely have contributed to the U.S. decline.We do not measure democracy in the index, though we consider it important. Indeed, we find a strong relationship between human freedom and democracy, a link that merits further study. As such, Hong Kong is an outlier in our index. Its high ranking is due to its traditionally strong rule of law, and high levels of both personal and economic freedom, something that all advocates of freedom, including democracy advocates, should seek to protect. The danger there is that China’s efforts to limit democracy will lead to increasing interference in the territory’s institutions—including on the independence of its legal system and the freedom of its press—which will reduce its overall freedom.
Here are the top 25:
1. Hong Kong
2. Switzerland
3. Finland
4. Denmark
5. New Zealand
6. Canada
7. Australia
8. Ireland
9. United Kingdom
10. Sweden
11. Norway
12. Austria
12. Germany
14. Iceland
14. Netherlands
16. Malta
17. Luxembourg
18. Chile
19. Mauritius
And then finally..
20. United States
Just after the U.S.,
21. Czech Republic
22. Estonia
22. Belgium
24. Taiwan
25. Portugal
The U.S. is tumbling toward banana republic status. And what will our ranking be next year? The EPA is readying thousands upon thousands of pages of new regulations for the oil and gas industry, the waste disposal industry, not to mention new IRS and HHS Obamacare regs coming all the time.
When you have an administration, a Congress, and a Supreme Court that treat the Constitution so shabbily, the rule of law suffers and freedoms fought for over many generations gradually erode and disappear.
This is our fate unless we can turn it around — and do it quickly.
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2)
| FROM OUR NATION’S CAPITOL – ISRAEL EDITION |
| Last week, I traveled on a mission with the American Israel Educational Foundation to Israel with several other Members of Congress as the Obama Administration attempts to finalize an agreement on the Iranian nuclear deal. While in Israel, I learned of the serious ramifications this deal could have on the only democracy in the Middle East, and our own national security, and so much more. I hope you will take a few moments to read this special edition of From Our Nation’s Capitolchronicling my time in Israel. Monday, August 10, 2015: After arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel, yesterday afternoon, we traveled to Jerusalem where we are staying and were honored last night to hear from Daniel Shapiro, the United States Ambassador to Israel. While we are here to learn of the many challenges facing Israel and better understand the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, the topic on everyone’s mind is, of course, the Iran nuclear deal. As would be expected of an appointee of the current administration, Ambassador Shapiro is in favor of approval of the deal and laid out his case for support as well as answering questions about the proposal. We waste no time this morning as we head to one of the hotbeds of activity in this volatile region, the Gaza Strip in Southern Israel, where we visit a kibbutz in Kfar Aza.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015: This morning we are honored to be the guests of the Honorable Reuven Rivlin, President of the State of Israel, at his residence. Although the position of President in Israeli politics is largely a ceremonial one, the President does play a very important role in helping to choose the Prime Minister when the majority party is elected.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015: We begin our day with a briefing from Major General (Ret.) Amos Yadlin, who is the Director of the Institute for National Security Studies and Former Head of IDF Intelligence. He spoke on the Iran nuclear deal and the threat that it posed to Israel and the Middle East. Afterwards, we headed to the Prime Minister’s office where we met for two hours with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Thursday, August 13, 2015: We are traveling to Northern Israel this morning and along the way our tour guide points out various historical sites as well as sites of political significance. Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world, comparable in size to New Jersey, with a population around 8 million. Half of Israel’s population and infrastructure are in a 60 mile strip between the West Bank and the Mediterranean Sea with one point in the middle of the country less than 9 miles wide. Our first stop is at Alfei Menashe in the Western Bank where a stunning view gives us the opportunity to see how close the neighborhoods of different religions are located. Our next stop is at Kochav HaYam located on the Mediterranean Sea where we have a briefing from Ari Scacher who is the Iron Dome Systems project manager.
Friday, August 14, 2015: Our first stop this morning is to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, called by many the most studied and read speech of any religion in history. Next, we went to St. Peter’s Church in Capernaum where archaeologists believe that Peter’s home was also located. Our guide, who is also an archaeologist, referred to this as one of the greatest Christian finds in history. St. Peter’s Church is where Jesus was preaching and performing miracles when a paralyzed man was lowered through the roof for Jesus to heal. Capernaum is often referred to as Jesus’ home away from home. Following this, we went to the Yardemit Baptismal site on the Jordan River where Amy and I, along with others in our group, took part in a baptismal ceremony. Although we have both been baptized before, this was a very special ceremony for both of us to be baptized in the same river that Jesus was baptized. After this special and emotional experience we head back to Jerusalem where we will be celebrating the Sabbathtonight with a Jewish family. Shortly after dusk, along with eight other members of our group, Amy and I were welcomed to the home of Linda and Gil Troy and their family to have a traditional Sabbath eve dinner. We sang traditional Jewish songs, participated in various toasts and prayed traditional Jewish prayers along with the Troys and their children as they explained the meaning of each ritual. During our meal we learned of their life in Israel and their love of their homeland. Saturday, August 15, 2015: Today is our last day in Israel, so we start the day early in order to try and pack in as much as we can. We begin by heading to Masada National Park which is located on the Dead Sea. Masada is the site of the last stand of the Jews in Israel after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in 70 AD.
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