Don't have too much fun, tonight.

I think we are cancelling Halloween at our house tonight...mostly on account of apathy. (Picture contributed by emailer. Thank you. Good stuff. It kind of reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbs comic strip where he would build his snowmen in various poses.)

October 30

1. Early voting ends tomorrow.
2. Listened to about as much of Obama's infomercial as I could stand (which wasn't much). Hopefully, he has shown enough of his "spread the wealth" mentality for the average voting American to pull the switch against him.
3. The funny thing about Obama winning (if anything about that could be funny) will be to watch him take money from those rich liberal supporters of his. I would love to see their faces when their tax rates go through the roof to support is trillion dollars worth of "special (socialist) projects."
4. the Obama/Pelosi/Reid triumvirate will not protect the country against outside invaders. (Obama and his associations are dangerous.)
5. Health scares are absolutely mortifying. Whether they are something or nothing, they can be a real drain in the soul.
6. That which does not kill us makes us stronger. (Nietzsche) (spelling error corrected by contributor...thanks)
7. The Cowboys play the Giants this weekend without Romo, and now, without Whitten. I don't know if I can look.
8. However, those Longhorns to go to Lubbock to take on the Red Raiders. That will be fun. Go Red Raiders!

Mavericks season opener tonight

Tonight is the first game of the season. They have to play the Rockets right off the bat. It looks like we are still stuck with Jason Kidd. Cuban is the only one crazy enough to trade the point guard of the future for a guy at the end of his career. I doubt if any other team would be willing to give up anything for Kidd.
However, they did announce that the Mavericks get to host the 2010 NBA All Star Game, which should bring some buckage to Dallas.

Voting

I voted today.
Early voting ends tomorrow, apparently.
If you didn't early vote, be sure to vote on Tuesday.

Stuff that happened today

October 27, 2008.

1. I finally found out that Daylight Savings Time ends next weekend so I guess we get to start driving home from work in the dark.

2. Some man stopped by the Wise County Courthouse wanting to know where he could go do his early voting. I told him I wasn't sure, but it was definitely not at the County Clerk's Office across the street. (reference earlier post about the sign)

3. It was cold this morning.

4. We are making another attempt to see the Impressionists Exhibit at the Kimbell Art Museum this week.

5. I usually like Halloween, but I don't think I have given it two thoughts this year. What's up with that?

6. Was is me or did everyone seem particularly apathetic about this day?

7. I am totally creeped out by the giant spider in my last post.

8. The people who bought all of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes are finally releasing another 4 movie set. Supposedly it is the 20th anniversary special, but I think I could have made better choices for movies than what they chose. See: http://www.mst3k.com/

7. The author of Liberally Lean just posted the same lame photo that he posts every year when the Texas Tech vs. Texas game is right around the corner...pretty girls, though. I am eager to see the Red Raiders knock those Longhorns out of the number 1 slot. The Big 12 is going to be a real rumble this season. Don't be surprised if Texas Tech ends up playing for a national championship. They have just achieved their highest football ranking in 32 years.

8. There is always alot of work to do, and guess what, there always will be.

9. Once again, I-35 southbound going through Denton was totally jammed up to a near standstill going through town up to the South Loop 288 exit. What is up with that? Are there really that many people driving south on I-35 at the end of the day. I remember with southbound was always clear. It was the northbound traffic from Dallas, Carrollton, and Lewisville that was always so bogged down.

Are you kidding me?

What in the world ever possessed me to think that I would ever want to go Australia? This is a photo that has been circulating on the internet along with a story of this gigantic spider eating a bird that has been caught in it's web. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24540399-5009760,00.html
Here is the link to the story about it. I think there are more photos.

There should not be a place in the world with bugs this big. This is like something from Robert Heinlein's Storm Troopers.

Note: the guy who found it named it "Tiger" because it got a "birdie". (okay, not so funny...maybe a little funny?)

Today

Just a few observations on a Sunday:

1. We went to the Kimbell Art Museum in FW to see the "Impressionists" Exhibit. We got there shortly after noon, and the line for tickets was 2 hours long. I couldn't believe that so many people would want to see that, and I couldn't believe that the Kimbell wasn't more prepared for an onslaught of cultured North Texans. They had one ticket counter and one line. We gave up. We are going to try again, but November 2 is the last day for the exhibit.

2. I watched "Casino Royale" again as my cigar time movie. The last segment of the movie where the girl dies in the elevator is shot in Venice. I watched as 007 ran through the streets of Venice in and around St. Mark's Square, and I thought, "I've been there, I've stood there, I've seen that view, I've been in that bank..." It was a really cool feeling.

3. The Cowboys won...thank goodness. I am very worried about this year's team.

4. I will never, ever understand women...and that will probably be my downfall.

5. I sent out a call to my writing group since I had not heard from any of them in months (at least it seems like months). They replied. We can set up a meeting.

6. I have gone back to work on the novel with renewed vigor. I think it could shape up to something good. Perhaps I may even know what it needs to spice it up a bit.

7. This Obama guy may very well be our next President. I am very afraid of this for reasons already stated, but mainly, I fear an unrestrained democratically controlled congress with the always insane Pelosi/Reid leadership team.

8. This credit crunch falls squarely on the shoulders of the democratic party during the Clinton administration. Bill Clinton lead Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac down this path, and now we and our children will pay for it forever. That is another part of the Clinton legacy.

Response to anonymous comment

An anonmymous commenter left this for the previous post.
It is meant as a shot at President Bush, I'm sure. I have also taken my shots at President Bush.

An informed citizen would watch more than Fox News. What is it called when government takes tax payers dollars and gives it to churches for "faith-based initiatives?"

Taking money from taxpayers for any reason other than a legitimate purpose of government is wrong and unconstitutional. Taking tax money for a charitable purpose or to give to a church under whatever trumped up reason is wrong. However, no one has stopped it because this is the kind of thing that liberals like. This is the gradual liberalization of the Bush presidency. This comes from listening to liberal complainers and trying to do things to appease them instead of shutting them up by doing what is right.
So...I think it wrong to give tax money to churches. I think it is wrong to give tax breaks to churches. I think the government is wrong to use tax money for any other than a real purpose of government: to defend the nation, to keep the roads and national parks, to pay government employees and other things along those lines. It is not to give endowments to the arts, to fund Planned Parenthood, to pay able bodied people who choose not to work or who have become disabled by their own drug abuse, to make charitable donations, or to subsidize any religion.
Understand?

The Forgotten Man

Obama says "spread the wealth."
But what about the people who worked hard to actually produce the wealth? What about the concept of a man living by the sweat of his own brow (instead of living off of the sweat of another man's brow)?
The guy who is coerced out of his earnings by the government is truly the forgotten man. The so-called "deserving recipients" get the press and receive the sympathy, but who sympathizes with the guy that works to take care of his family?
“They are always under the dominion of the superstition of government, and forgetting that a government produces nothing at all, they leave out of sight the first fact to be remembered in all social discussion -- that the state cannot get a cent for any man without taking it from some other man, and this latter must be a man who has produced and saved it. This latter is the Forgotten Man.”
These are the words of William Graham Sumner, brilliantly analyzed and applied to 21st century America by Amity Schlaes in her recent book, The Forgotten Man.
No economy was ever saved by taking assets from those who earned them and giving them to those who did not. Obama promises the ruin of our national economy to the point where he and the democratically controlled congress can take as much of your money as they wish for whatever purpose they deem fit.
A government produces nothing. It cannot give a dollar to anyone without taking it form someone else who actually produced the dollar.
Welfare money was money taken from earning taxpayers.
Charitable contributions in the name of the United State of America are made up of money taken from people who worked and paid taxes.
If I walk up to you, reach into your pocket, take money, and hand it to someone else that I believe "needs" it more than you, I have just committed theft, and therefore, I should be taken to jail.
If I reach into my own pocket and give money to someone else, I am committing real charity without injuring anyone else in the process.
A Congress lead by crazy people (Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid) cannot be allowed to run over the free market economy unchecked...and Obama will not keep them from continually reaching into your pocket for more and more of your earnings to support their inane programs.

The Shiloh Morning Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma...

...is a fantastic place to spend a weekend. We just got back from there, and I can't say enough nice things about it. It is fairly isolated from the town. At night, the only sounds to be heard are the cattle mooing in the darkness. It was extremely peaceful. Plus, the food was wonderful. Linda and Bob are extremely gracious hosts. Linda is a fabulous cook. By far, this was the best Bed and Breakfast I have ever experienced. We had tickets to the Gary Allan concert at the Winstar Casino. The show was okay, but Cindy likes country music far more than I do. The best part of the weekend was our stay in Ardmore. It was a very nice weekend getaway.

I love this sign...

...in front of the Wise County Clerk's Office.
It's saying, "we want you to vote, but you can't vote here."
Anyway, you can't miss it; it dominates the intersection of Walnut and Trinity on the square in Decatur. What a great sign.

News Story on Strahan Trial

This is the story that appeared in the Wise County Messenger on October 12, 2008, after the Strahan trial in Decatur.

WCMessenger.com News Headlines
Strahan receives 4 life sentences
By Chris Butler
Published Sunday, October 12, 2008

A Newark man was sentenced to four life sentences Thursday after a Wise County jury found him guilty on four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Johnny Strahan, 40, was also found guilty on seven charges of possession of child pornography and sentenced to 10 years on each count.In both cases, jurors gave Strahan the maximum punishment allowed under the law. District Judge John Fostel ordered the sentences be stacked rather than run concurrent. Strahan will have to serve at least 30 years for each life sentence. In all, Strahan, who has been jailed since April of 2007, will have to serve 144 years before he would be eligible for parole, District Attorney Jana Jones said.The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for about an hour before announcing the guilty verdicts.

The trial began Tuesday, with Strahan issuing a plea of not guilty to each charge. He told Fostel that he did not want to testify on his own behalf. TestimonyA 14-year-old girl testified that she was living with her maternal grandparents at the time Strahan sexually abused her on multiple occasions. According to the arrest affidavit in the case, the girl said she was abused since around the age of 9. Strahan was an older family member who was also living at the house. The girl became emotional during her testimony and her eyes sometimes faced the floor as she talked about him.She didn't tell anyone in her family about the abuse because she said she was afraid. She said in her testimony that she often saw Strahan act aggressive with other people, and she feared he would hit her if she told anyone what was happening. She also witnessed Strahan looking at child porn on his computer, according to her testimony. The girl eventually told a neighbor about the abuse. The neighbor said she immediately called the authorities.

The girl's biological mother testified that she left the girl and her other daughter, now 17, with their maternal grandparents in Newark because she suffered from bipolar disorder and couldn't care for her children. She also said that she once had a sexual relationship with Strahan while she was married to another man, only a few weeks before she learned she was pregnant with her younger daughter. She said the 14-year-old girl resembles Strahan, adding he is probably her biological father, although she isn't positive.

Prosecutors also introduced seven pieces of evidence of child pornography. Investigator Brian Norris said he conducted a search of Strahan's room and found several computers and pornographic material. He found a Bowie-type knife under the mattress. Norris collected a computer as evidence.John Day, with the Secret Service North Texas Electronic Crimes Task Force, said he found 1,050 images on the hard drive of Strahan's computer, and he guessed about 900 images contained child pornography.

Jurors were then shown the seven images from a projector onto a screen. Panels were placed in the windows of the doors entering the courtroom as to not offend anyone passing by in the hallway, prosecutors said.

Closing Arguments
In closing arguments, defense attorney Bill Ray told jurors that prosecuting attorneys Paige McCormick and Kevin Henry didn't prove that Strahan was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of any of the charges.

"No one proved that John Strahan was the only person who had access to (his) room," Ray said. "There were six or seven people living in that house at the time. Sure, we have a little girl here who looks like her life has fallen apart, but that doesn't prove anything." Henry, however, said that Ray's closing arguments were "unbelievably hard to listen to." "What else can you say when you represent one of the biggest perverts in Wise County?" said Henry. "He is one of the lowest forms of perversion. Witness after witness told us that he always keeps the door to his bedroom locked. "Nevertheless, I can't prove to you that gremlins from the Kremlin didn't come in to that room and put those pics on that computer," he continued. "I would ask you to use your common sense." Henry went on to describe Strahan's bedroom as "a chamber of horrors."

Life in Prison
After returning the guilty verdicts, jurors next had to decide Strahan's punishment: life in prison. During the punishment phase, the 17-year-old girl testified that Strahan began sexually abusing her when she was 11 years old, several years before he began abusing her younger sister. She also testified that he forced her to wear red thong panties when he molested her. Law enforcement officials later found those panties underneath Strahan's mattress.

Aggravated sexual assault is a first degree felony, and possession of child pornography is a third degree felony.

Copyright 2008 Wise County MessengerPO Box 149, 115 South Trinity, Decatur, Texas 76234
940-627-5987 FAX 940-627-1004 www.wcmessenger.com webmaster@wcmessenger.com

Have I underestimated my Congressman?

Could it be that I underestimated the resolve of my Congressman against the rising tide of socialism at the hands of the liberals and democrats?
In my earlier letter, I asked him, point-blank, whether or not he voted for the Economic bail out bill.
In this letter, he responds that he voted against it both times. Good man!
As long as he stands against Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank, and the new liberalized President Bush, he has my vote.

Dear Mr. Henry:

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R.1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act that recently passed the US House of Representatives. I appreciate hearing from you on this very important matter.

As you may know, the Secretary of Treasury, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Congressional leadership, President Bush, and various financial experts, asked Congress for decisive action to prevent dangerous harm to our nation's economy. The situation presented to Congress included failures in our credit markets, extreme bank vulnerability, and a threatened economic depression. In response, the United States Senate passed H.R. 1424 on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 by a 75-24 vote. H.R. 1424 then passed the House of Representatives on Friday, October 03, 2008 by a 263-171 vote. The nearly $800 billion package was rushed through the House of Representatives in a little over a week and did not adequately protect tax payers from Wall Street liability or address the causes of this market failure, for those reasons, I voted against the emergency rescue package on Monday, September 29, and again on Friday, October 3.

In my view, legislative time would have been better spent shoring up systems designed to protect the American middle class. This bill did not do enough to protect Oak Street and Elm Street despite the endless references to the impact on Wall Street and Main Street. H.R. 1424 gives the Department of Treasury the authority to borrow money from foreign banks to appease the foreign banks that lost money investing in our housing market, this is wrong. With this vote, Congress gave up the ability to control these funds and acted without appropriate oversight to protect the taxpayer. We responded to questionable investing with questionable spending of tax payer funds. Wall Street is made up of a well paid, sophisticated group of institutional investors who are well aware of the risks and benefits of investing. Wall Street must repay the good faith provided by tax payers by picking up the tab that resulted from unsound investment vehicles tied to the housing market.

Although I disagreed with the emergency financial package, I am dedicated to working towards results. Congress has a responsibility to fix the cause and hold those responsible for this situation accountable for their actions. We have a duty to protect American taxpayers from more debt, higher taxes, and untold risk due to market failures or our legislative response. Ultimately, the government entities responsible for regulatory authority over financial markets never exercised the proper oversight over complex 21st century financial instruments. The Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in need of systemic changes to the way they do business and our federal programs need improved flexibility to better avoid risk and respond to crisis.

While Congress debated the large spending package, federal agencies took the opportunity to embrace steps recommended by Members of Congress. I am grateful the Securities Exchange Commission acted to end short selling stock without actually possessing it; and modifications to ensure "fair value accounting" within banking institutions. I also defend the important steps that are being made at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; your money is safer today because of their continued response. I am encouraged by these steps that protect American assets from financial risk, and I look forward to recommending more changes in the future.

Congress was given a small window of time to consider this very expensive program and as a result, it will carry long-term financial implications that must continue to receive scrutiny. This government action was not right, it was heavy handed, and we were right to question the government's ability to intervene and the tax payer's right to object to payment. As we move forward, I will continue to keep you informed of my progress and I hope you will continue to support my efforts to protect your financial assets, and your freedom from government intervention. "Too big to fail" is a phrase our government should use only once and only when looking in the mirror.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess, M.D.

Member of Congress

Added Dr. Laura's Blog to "My Blog List"

As a general rule, my favorite things are things that make sense to me. This includes people or things I understand because we have congruent thought processes. I like Dr. Laura for her reading on right and wrong.
There is right and there is wrong, and if it isn't right, then it's wrong. When you compromise, you settle for being wrong because you move away from what is right.
Anyway, I added Dr. Laura's blog to "My Blog List" on my blog page. It already is listed as one of my favorites. Her radio show tends to get a bit tedious, but I truly enjoy her writings.

CSI Miami

I enjoy CSI Miami for a couple of reasons. I think that the Miami show is more dramatic and showy than the Vegas version with William Petersen.

Above is "Calleigh", one of the investigators on the show. The female characters are way more attractive than the female characters in Vegas.

It is fun to watch Caruso try to make "Horatio Cain" a cool characther. You just have to watch him to see that he has tapped into some kind of acting formula. Notice how he turns kind of sideways and talks into his shoulder when he is delivering a line.

Caruso's problem is that he is in Miami, and therefore, has juxtaposed his characther against James "Sonny" Crocket, probably the coolest guy ever on television. (See: Miami Vice, all 5 seasons)

New Inquiry/Letter to my Congressman

To The Honorable Michael C. Burgess:
Dr. Burgess,
Did you vote in favor of the "Bail Out" Bill that recently passed Congress and was signed by the President?
I heard many news and radio broadcasts trying to convince the American people that this was critical to the survival of the economy of our nation. After President Bush signed the bill, some Congressmen (Senators and Represetatives) are now telling us that the impact will be long delayed. I also hear about a flagging stock market because of a lack of faith in the ability of the bail out bill to save the economy after all. My fear is that we just encumbered our future and our children's future for nothing other than a grandstand play by a Congress with a very low approval rating.
I also want to thank you for your past responses to my inquiries.
Kevin L. Henry

WTF!?! Romo out for 4 weeks?

Romo has a broken finger on his throwing hand? He will be out for 4 weeks? If that is true, he won't be any good in 4 weeks. His hand will be messed up until next season. They will have to depend on Brad Johnson, the quarterback of the 2002 Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is 40 years old, but old backups have done the job before (recall Earl Morral who started all 14 games for the 1968 Baltimore Colts in leading them to the Super Bowl).
This is very bad for the Cowboys this season.

Highway 380 this morning

Highway 380 is still blocked up with the construction. I think I will consider an alternate route into Decatur. How long is this nonsense supposed to go on?

Trial this week in Decatur

I was in trial this week in Wise County. The end result was 4 life sentences and 7 ten year sentences. It was a tough battle, and the defense attorney was very good at his job. I learned alot about forensic computer examination and evidence retrieval. It was a very interesting case. That is why I had no entries in my blog this week. This job is picking up the pace. I have a nonjury trial next week that I have to get ready for now. Also, we may have to try a case in Jack County at the end of the month. Wow.

Highway 380

Here we are driving back from Decatur to Denton this afternoon. The DOT has it closed down to one lane for a long stretch, so their solution is to take turns stopping traffic each way. As a result, the traffic is backed up for miles in each direction. The trip is taking twice as long as it should. I took this picture trying to depict the line of westbound vehicles just sitting there while we went by.
It makes you wonder if this really is the best solution they can come up with.

I loved being in Paris

Above is a photo of me in front of the Louvre. I didn't get to see enough of that place alone.

I took this picture of the Eiffel Tower as we walked by on the way to dinner on the last evening.

They took a photo of me on the last night of the tour in Paris. I want to go back and just spend a week or two in Paris.

Could I have dog like this?

...instead of these three moronic animals I am stuck with?

I got a new car

Relax, guys. The payments are the same as the Nissan Sentra. That car just wasn't cool enough for me. Seriously though, I really enjoy driving this one around. I have never had a sports car before.

Congressman Burgess responded to my last letter.

Dear Mr. Henry:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the emergency financial package that continues to be debated in the House of Representatives. I appreciate hearing from you on this very important matter.

Congress was only given a small window of time to consider a very expensive program with long term financial implications. It was not right, it was heavy handed, and we were correct to question the bill before the House. We must determine the government's ability to intervene and the taxpayer's right to object to payment. Congress must shape this compromise to focus on taxpayer protections without losing sight of this opportunity to reorganize and upgrade our regulatory barriers. In doing so, we will encourage a system more adaptable to 21st century financial markets and more protective of tax payer exposure.

This will require major surgery to excise this financial cancer from our system. Just as importantly, we need to provide the preventive medicine to stop any future occurrence of this dire situation.

Legislative time must be spent shoring up systems designed to protect American consumers. First and foremost, modifications to ensure fair value accounting within banking institutions such that mortgage backed securities that continue to have value are not arbitrarily deemed to be without worth. Additional provisions should included an increase in FDIC protection; an end to "naked" short selling (short selling stock without actually possessing it); and modifications to ensure "fair value accounting" within banking institutions; and finally by telling Wall Street to pick up the tab that resulted from reckless speculative investments tied to the housing market.

Let us remember some of the lessons from prior economic difficulties and consider reinstituting flexibility within the FDIC that help provide troubled banks additional backing if they do appear to be ultimately viable. Congress should approve a "net worth certificate" similar to what was enacted in the 1980s for the savings and loan industry. This action resolved $100 billion insolvency in the saving banks for a total cost of less than $2 billion. The FDIC should purchase net worth certificates in troubled banks that the FDIC determines can be viable if give more time.
Although I disagreed with the emergency package in its current form, I do believe Congress has a responsibility to act and act swiftly. Regulations can only be effective if the regulators do their job. Unfortunately the government entities responsible for regulatory authority over financial markets never exercised the proper oversight. These are complex 21st century financial instruments that require compulsive adherence to existing regulation. Since they were not up to the task, taxpayers are faced with the moral hazard of bailing out a well paid, sophisticated group of institutional investors who were well aware of the risks and benefits of investing.

This process is far from concluded. Once a legitimate compromise is offered that limits the expense, fixes the problem, and restores accountability to the system, I will be ready to offer my support. "Too big to fail" is a phrase our government should use only once and only when looking in the mirror.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.
Sincerely,
Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress
I think I need to call b***s*** on this one Congressman because I see where the bail out bill passed.
I have seen several calls for the entire Congress to be overhauled if this bill passes. I think that is an excellent idea. Our current Congress is mired in scratching the backs of one another and Washington establishment instead of taking care of us, the American citizen.

Alcee Hastings and Obama

Did any of you read the opinion column by Susan Estrich (aka Susan Estrogen) in the Denton Record Chronicle this morning? I generally don't care for Hillary Clinton's former shoe polishers and butt kissers. However, her column appears in the Saturday DRC right next to Ann Coulter's, so I will have a glance the column from the Clinton minion.
Today, I really enjoyed her attack on Obama.
We know so much about Obama already, such as the incredible amount of money donated to him by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and his crazy racist preacher, and his crazy racist wife.
Now, I find out about Alcee Hastings. The former federal judge impeached by the Democratically controlled Congress for accepting a bribe of $150,000 for going easy on a defendant is a case in his court. He was also terminated from his federal bench. So, what did the Democratic voters of Florida do? They elected this crook to Congress.
Now, Senator Obama embraces this man as a great ally and supporter.
Do you seriously want someone with such poor judgment sitting as our highest exective?
If he embraces people like this, will he really protect us?
He has already gone across Europe condemning the American Troops as murderers of civilians.
If this Obama guy gets elected, I will truly lose faith in the American voter.

Well, they went ahead and did it...

The Bail Out Bill passed.
The United States Senate passed it, and the House passed it the next day.
Our "stalwart" Republicans in Congress buckled.
I have had great respect for President Bush during the course of his administration, but even that is slipping away in light of his desire to embrace the liberal, socialistic cure for everything.
They have taked money from our pockets and slipped into someone else's.
This is not the business of government.
The Roman Empire, which lasted far longer than the United States of America has so far, was felled by the willingness of the government to slip into a socialistic welfare state. People were encouraged to leave their farm land and come into the walls of the city where the government would pay them and see to their needs.
More and more, what was once private business is becoming nationalized.
Of course the mortage lenders want this; it is a huge influx of cash and capital into their ledgers.
Are there not billionaires out there who would see this as a chance to pick up some commercial debt paper cheap? Why can't the private sector bail itself out?
We don't have to wait for Obama to make us a socialist state; we are doing it to ourselves.