Time for Multiple Political Parties

Posted on January 23, 2024January 23, 2024 by Ladmann

The keys to success in a capitalistic society are winning and profiting. Unfortunately, the slippery slope of winning at any cost undermines any semblance of ethics and morality. The current election and the two-party political system embellish these two fundamentals. Extremes in both parties control the election process, with no regard to reasonable service to the country.

The system is broken, and the current social media landscape attracts and rewards participants who salute the parties/tribe at the expense of truth, ethics and moral character.

Winning elections based on fear, threats of violence, lies and preventing the voting of anyone other than those belonging to your party/tribe may be efficient in the short term, but will lead to losing in the long term.

If you believe I am being extreme, explain otherwise the promotion of an individual and platform based on undermining the Republic and free elections.

Multiple parties will not be successful in our current structure. We need to create election platforms that invite and promote multiple parties and participants. [1] [2]

Time to implement Ranked Choice Voting/Proportional

Multiple Winners [3] IN our Elections.

[1] Ranked Choice Voting | Support Better Elections for California (calrcv.org).

[2] Homepage – FairVote.

[3] Drutman, Lee; Breaking The Two-Party Doom Loop, New York, Oxford University Press 2020

The Heritage Foundation Now Lacks an Ethical and Moral Premise

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Ladmann

As a life-long conservative, I agree with many of the Heritage Foundation’s objectives in significantly reducing the size and impact of the administrative state within the executive branch of the US government.

I also agree with the position that the Congress has abdicated its responsibilities in governing including both the Republican and Democratic parties. As a result, the balance of power has significantly shifted to the Executive Branch, creating severe convulsions throughout society and economy with every election.

However, the belief of Mr. Roberts [1] that Biden did not win the 2020 election, because “I think there are unknowns… Is it possible he won? Sure. But can I say definitively that he won? No.” [2], undermines his and The Heritage Foundations platform.

Providing support for Trump and his public goals of autocracy undermines the historical integrity of the Heritage Foundation and their conservative agendas.

Continuing to support autocratic and anti-democratic goals of Trump and others like him undermines your statement that “…Heritage has no influence on the outcome of the election.” [3]

You can be a conservative and still maintain an ethical and moral belief system.

[1] Current CEO of the Heritage Foundation.

[2] Inside the Heritage Foundation’s Plans for ‘Institutionalizing Trumpism’ – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

[3] Ibid.

The Administrative State Out of Control

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Ladmann

I have previously published my concerns regarding the US administrative state [1]. The amount of control over our behavior continues to increase, which decreases our amount of freedom.

The total number of pages in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as of 2021 = 188,343 [2]. The number of regulations/personal “restrictions” [3] [4] “…increased to 1,089,462 by 2022.” [5]

“…Executive agencies publish 3,000 to 4,500 new rules per year, and these regulations have a substantial impact on the American economy. Compounding the problem, courts have ratified that presidential power grab by enacting a series of judge-made rules that require federal courts to defer to the decisions of executive agencies.” [6]

[1] See my March 2018 article, “Government Regulation = Lawsuits & Loss of Freedom”.

[2] 2022_Cfr_Page_Breakdown.pdf (federalregister.gov)

[3] A new and more sophisticated measure of federal regulation, devised by economists at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, consists in counting the number of CFR “restrictions” indicated by the keywords “shall,” “must,” “may not,” “required,” and “prohibited.”

[4] Was Trump a Deregulator? | Cato Institute

[5] Ibid.; 2022_Cfr_Page_Breakdown.pdf (federalregister.gov).

[6] Opinion | Overturning ‘Chevron’ Can Help Rebalance the Constitutional Order – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

The Vote & Women; What’s Happening?

Posted on September 3, 2023 by Ladmann

” In America, justice is administered in the name of the, ‘the good people’ etc. etc.; the sovereignty residing with them.” 1

“The good treatment of their women is the surest evidence that a people can give of their civilization; and there is no nation which has more to boast of, in this respect, than the Americans.” 2

Based on the activity of the Republican Party and their minions, I am not so sure!

The Spy A Tale Of The Neutral Ground, By James Fenimore Cooper, Wiley & Halsted, 1821.
ibid.

Public Deception Exposed?

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Ladmann

Founding father John Jay noted in 1795 during a particularly divisive period in our history involving publications of false information and vicious public attacks, a belief in the American people. He stated that “the American people” had “a greater portion of information and morals than almost any other people”, and that “although they may for a time be misled and deceived, yet there is reason to expect that truth and justice cannot be long hid from their eyes.” [1]

Although Jay may be correct, it is obvious that the time under which citizens continue to believe in misconception(s) can be painfully long. The “Trump/Republican” era of misinformation and bullying continues to promote obvious un-American ideas on freedom and respect.

You would think that with current technology and access to information that we could quickly ascertain the difference between truth and lie. Unfortunately, the desire for power and winning at any cost is overriding common sense.

[1] Stahr, Walter, John Jay Founding Father; Hambledon and London, New York, 2005, Pg. 337.

Gender in Sports

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

Gender in sports

“People often get confused between the terms sex and gender. Sex refers to biological differences between males and females. Gender refers to the cultural differences expected (by society / culture) of men and women according to their sex. A person’s sex does not change from birth, but their gender can.” [i]

Therefore, there are only 2 biological genders!

What a minute it is more complicated than that! “… Sexual differentiation of the genitals takes place before sexual differentiation of the brain, making it possible that they are not always congruent. …” [ii]

There could be “81 Types Of Genders & Gender Identities” [iii]

If we are no longer willing or able to discriminate on the basis of nature’s biological gender in sport, then common sense dictates that one of two options exist:

all competitive sporting events are classified in three common sense ways
- male only
- females only
- All other only
the remaining option is that all competitive sporting events allow all gender identifications to compete in the same event making no differentiation between gender.

[i] Biological Theories of Gender | Simply Psychology; Biological Theories of Gender, By Dr. Saul McLeod, published 2014

[ii] Neurobiology of gender identity and sexual orientation – PMC (nih.gov); Neurobiology of gender identity and sexual orientation; By, C. E. Roselli 2018.

[iii] 81 Types Of Genders & Gender Identities (A To Z List), By Chris Drew, PhD / April 2, 2022; https://helpfulprofessor.com/types-of-genders-list/

Police & Citizens Armed To The Hilt

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

Police Armed To The Hilt & Citizens Armed To The Hilt

For What Purpose?

The mass shootings continue happening in the USA; 229 in 2022 to date [i].

Many mass shooters are armed with military grade weapons. However, the police are likewise armed as in the military. You would think ok, we’re even.

Yet in the recent mass shooting in Uvalde Texas, both the shooter and the police were armed to the hilt. The event should have been dramatically restricted, and yet 22 died and 17 were injured, as the police failed to act.

The Texas incident draws into focus the absurd dichotomy of our national obsession with guns.

⇒We arm the police with tremendous firepower to protect us.

⇒We arm private citizens with tremendous firepower to kill us.

Irrespective of the 2nd amendment, it is obvious that we cannot rely on ourselves or our elected representatives to make constructive common-sense changes.

>>>>>> Maybe the time has come to outlaw guns <<<<<<

[i] Mass Shootings in 2022 | Gun Violence Archive

Challenging Capitalism and Liberalism

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Ladmann

Challenging Capitalism and Liberalism

There is a growing challenge to free and democratic forms of government and economically based societies. The rise of nationalism and authoritarian based rule is a result, in part, of the failure of free market systems and democracies to address the fundamental needs of their citizens. In the U.S. “… liberal governance has developed a puzzling preference for legitimating government action through processes rather than outcomes. …” [i]

According to the World Values Survey Association “…there has been a growing divergence between the prevailing values in low-income countries and high-income countries.” [ii] I believe the same divergence between prevailing values of low- and high-income citizens is occurring in the U.S.A. It is difficult to agree on basic values of life when you are excluded from the ability to fairly participate. As David Brooks notes in his recent article, “…only democracy and liberalism are based on respect for the dignity of each person…” [iii] We are not respecting the dignity of each person politically, socially and by government actions.

As a capitalist I believe in free markets, limited government, and limited regulation. I also believe that the human resources are our most important capital. We are failing to invest in our human capital. We are not creating the economic opportunities for all citizens to participate in our economy and become productive.

“…What is needed most is a change in ideas: namely, a reversal of those intellectual trends of the past 50 years or so that have brought us to the current pass….” [iv]

[i] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/29/opinion/biden-liberalism-infrastructure-building.html; What America Needs Is a Liberalism That Builds, by Ezra Klein & https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-procedure-fetish/; by Nicholas Bagley, December 7, 2021.

[ii] World Values Survey Association.

[iii] Brooks, David; Globalization Is Over. The Global Culture Wars Have Begun; NY Times, Opinion, April 8, 2022

[iv] State Capacity: What Is It, How We Lost It, And How to Get It Back, by Brink Lindsey November 2021; https://www.niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/brinkpaper.pdf