With the current situation in Egypt, we are witness to a political revolution that began in Tunisia and is spreading throughout the Middle East.  The people are calling for a change in leadership and leaders are deciding how to respond to those demands.  Repression of the protests is an option, albeit very unwise.  Resignation of the standing rulers is also an option as well and that is in most cases a good first step. Some folks are calling this movement a sign of end times or of impending chaos and global warfare, while others consider it chaos being caused by reckless and irresponsible protestors.

But what is actually happening and how should these events be viewed?  This is what I will share with you now.

To be quite concise, this is a wave of change signaling that millions of people around the world desire a better life and are coming of age politically.  Millions of people who lived like children in relationship to their kings and rulers are now standing up to assume responsibility for the direction and governance of their nation and their collective future.

This is a wonderful, but difficult transition.  Anyone who has children or who reflects on their childhood knows that the teenage years are usually the most difficult.  Puberty brings about physiological changes in the body while an accompanying emotional transformation also takes place.  During your teenage years you experience an intense drive to be independent, self determined, and are often quite rebellious.  You get physically stronger and begin to have your own ideas about how to lead your life. 

Often there are clashes with your parents who up to that point had full authority, responsibility and control over your life and who then find themselves being opposed, maligned, and unappreciated.  I hope you are seeing the implications of this analogy because this is precisely what is occurring and will occur around the globe.  

Millions of citizens around the world are maturing politically and asserting themselves to assume the responsibility of self governance and self determination.  Much like any teenager that no longer wants mom and dad telling them what they can or cannot do, these citzens are demanding new laws and  a new system of self governance.  They feel stronger, more independent, and self determined.  This is a healthy and natural process but it can be quite dangerous as well.

To the rulers of the world:

You have an obligation to facilitate the legitimate will of your citizens for self governance.  Transitioning toward self governance includes both redefining how the nation is governed and creating an extensive government education and training process for your citizens.  This new process has to be open and available to every citizen who is capable and qualified.  You are also obligated to share the process of how the wealth of the nation is generated and to make public the assets and wealth of the nation.  I contend that these assets should belong to the people of the nation as its collective wealth and not be held as a personal treasury. Additionally, you should accept the legitimate right of the people to evolve and mature politically and not take a hostile, violent, or repressive position against their natural political evolution.  Asumming such a position is conterproductive and unwise, and will result in your defeat; and will permanently dishonor your name in your nations history.  Be wise and patient.  Together with your citizens, set a course for transitioning the nation such that your citizens are constructively engaged in the process of learning and gradually experiencing the complete responsibility of self governance. 

To the people of the world:

Be assertive, but be peaceful and be patient.  Your greatest challenge is not your leaders.  Your greatest challenge is development!  Ousting leaders is not necessarily freedom.  True freedom comes from development.  Intellectual, emotional, economic, social, military, political, moral, and even spiritual development.  Continue developing your citizens and your nation because development is what drives progress.  Rage and anger against an autocratic ruler will likely result in violence.  To bring a peaceful end to autocratic rule, follow the example of Ghandi who used civil disobedience coupled with self reliance as the path to India’s independence.  Before tearing down your leaders ask yourself;  How self reliant is your citizenry?  If the nation is not prepared for self governance then getting rid of your leaders is like a teenager who leaves home only to find he or she is unable to feed, cloth or shelter him or herself.  Be a student of history to learn and follow how such transitions take place.

Lastly, to the nations and people of the world with the greatest experience in self governance ie. The United States: 

You have an obligation to illustrate for the people of the world how these transitions are best handled and to educate them in how to administrate and govern their own affairs.  To idly stand by watching these nations fall into escalating conflict is hypocritical and selfish.  The Unites States has an obligation to uphold the values it preaches and defines itself by, even if that means losing a few ruling friends.  The instability caused by not offering leadership in this time of global political evolution will cost the United States much more in the long run than dissappointing some leaders The United States has grown accustom to supporting.

In times such as these, history will judge The United States as either a champion of freedom and self governence or as a nation that supported such values only when it was self serving.  I suggest the nation take the high road as it has in the past and help to facilitate the legitimate aspirations of the people of the world while maintaining the peace. It is the most responsible position to take.

This is the political landscape of the world today.  I must note however that this particular blog posting did not stress the real and most vital driving force in this wave of political change which is the peoples’ desire for a better quality of life.  That desire was addressed in the previous blog posting entitled Cash is King.  Please read it. 

I ask that you share the point of view expressed in this blog posting along with the previous posting (Cash is King) with as many people as possible to reduce the fear, confusion, and pessimistic forecast that can creep into the minds of people when they are unaware.  Recognize that these events can easily sweep across the globe as the conditions which exist in Egypt, exist in many nations, and it is only by taking an accurate viewpoint and a rational course of action that we can use this moment to create a better world.

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I’m watching the millions of protesters in Egypt rail about the removal of their long term leader President Hosni Mubarak and I can only be reminded of the American revolution and the civil rights movement in America.  The Egyptian protest which was inspired in part by the Tunisian protest a few weeks prior, is a public expression of the discontent of the people of Egypt.  They are very dissatisfied with their government.  But why?

Listen to the rhetoric and speeches and one would conclude that it is all about politics.  They call for democracy.  They call for regime change.  They call for a change in their political process. They call for civil rights.  All of which are legitimate gripes.  However, what is it that they really want?  Well if you haven’t heard yet, I will tell you what that is; they want a better quality of life. 

President Mubarak has led the nation of Egypt as a veritable autocrat for nearly 30 years.  Other nations around the world are also led under the same type of authority.  An authority, in which a leader holds near absolute power for long periods of time and who are usually outside of or control the political process.

The American revolution was inspired by people who felt that they paid tribute or taxes to the King of England but received no benefit or value for those taxes as they were no longer residents of England and on their own in North America.  So they challenged the king and won. 

The civil rights movement in the South in America was in part for equal rights under the law and social equality, well the unjust laws were challenged and over time social equality rights were won. 

Now we see in Egypt, a country of immense historic and cultural importance as well as geopolitical value, similar cries for civil rights and an ouster of in essence, their king.  So what is it that Americans can share with Egyptians after having had both the American revolution and the civil rights movement?  If you haven’t already guessed it, it the title of my blog posting; Cash is the King! $$$$$$$$$

To the people of Egypt, what you want is a better quality of life.  This is achieved through economic development as a result of quite a few factors which include, small business activity, ingenuity, education, investment, legal fairness and freedom to earn.  These are only a few of the factors needed for economic activity.  To call for political change alone, I can tell you, will not satisfy you in the long run, even after Hosni Mubarak is no longer President.

After the civil rights movement, economics became the visible dividing line in America, because in truth, it always had been.  As a result, the people who participated in and benefited from the civil rights movement remain somewhat disssappointed to this day because after 40 years they have learned that what they actually wanted was a better quality of life and that it comes in large part from having money.

The false assumption they made is that the collective quality of life of Black Americans would improve with social equality or political change.  This is similar to the false assumption being made now in Egypt, that political change will improve the Egyptian people’s collective quality of life. 

However here is a little caveat for consideration, politics changes quality of life only to a very limited extent.  To the extent that conditions are made fair and ripe for economic development through law and government, and that investment is made in education, infrastructure, and research, then to that extent can politics actually in real terms improve it’s citizens collective quality of life.

Unfortunately here in America, many if not most people still believe improving the quality of life of people is the role of government and that quality of life is an outgrowth of the political process, democracy, and even more ludicrous, a byproduct of voting itself! 

You vote for the right person and your quality of life will improve.  The leader lottery!

Well everyone is going to have to learn together.  The protest in Egypt is but a symptom of the global economic crisis that became public in 2009-2010.  There are other countries whose citizens’ quality of life will also suffer and who may, in the coming months and years, take to the streets blaming government; but everyone will have to learn together.  It is not your voting.  It is not your leaders.  It is not your political process which determines whether or not you are satisfied with your society or govermnent.  It is your quality of life.  A better quality of life is what everyone wants and this is what we must alll learn to build and protect.  

In reality, there is one king that everyone pays homage to and his name is not Obama, or Mubarak, or Queen Elizabeth, or Castro.  The Kings name is Cash and he is the representative of our real economic activity.  And until we increase our collective real economic activity as nation of people then there will always be a political problem.  The fact is, since a better quality of life is what we we all want, then cash will remain the king. 

Thank you for reading these words. Please share with others.

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Please, if you haven’t already done so, then read the previous blog entry entitled “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”, it will provide context for what you are about to read.  In the posting, I exposed in part, through the use of a metaphor, the truth about the current healthcare reform legislation in the United States.  The hidden hand  behind the current push was revealed for my readers and to the world (if they read the blog).  And since then, credible third party verification of my assertions, was leaked and reported in the NY Times on November 14, four days after my blog entry was written. 

If you have read my previous blog entry, then you will see the significance of this article and it’s revelations. Here is an excerpt from the article from the NY Times, along with a link to the entire article.

WASHINGTON — In the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident.

E-mail messages obtained by The New York Times show that the lobbyists drafted one statement for Democrats and another for Republicans.

The lobbyists, employed by Genentech and by two Washington law firms, were remarkably successful in getting the statements printed in the Congressional Record under the names of different members of Congress.

Genentech, a subsidiary of the Swiss drug giant Roche, estimates that 42 House members picked up some of its talking points — 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats, an unusual bipartisan coup for lobbyists.”

They go on to say …”In recent years, Genentech’s political action committee and lobbyists for Roche and Genentech have made campaign contributions to many House members, including some who filed statements in the Congressional Record. And company employees have been among the hosts at fund-raisers for some of those lawmakers. But Evan L. Morris, head of Genentech’s Washington office, said, “There was no connection between the contributions and the statements.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/us/politics/15health.html?_r=2&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1258287359-Tuaqs4ii7u7V8Q2qbtpaIQ 

As I originally wrote in the previous blog entry, “The gigantic pharmaceutical companies who fund politicians stand to benefit most by expanding the number of participants in this massive, nationalized forced health insurance plan, ie drug game.” .

Now there is public evidence to support that conclusion.  The drug companies were caught red handed in
writing the dialogue for both sides (Democrat and Republican) in the debate on healthcare reform.                                                    

This clearly demonstrates that in either scenario, a Democratic oriented healthcare bill or a Republican oriented healthcare bill, the drug companies win.   Although it is affirming to have public evidence for the critical analysis I present in my blog, it is not my goal to say I told you so. 

Rather, I exposed this scheme so that in the light of truth, a rational wellness, prevention, and health care plan could be developed that would address the real needs of people without bankrupting them or the country.  Equally important, the plan would be based on people having an actual choice of whether or not to participate, not mandatory  participation and a faux choice about whether or not there is a “public option”. 

Hopefully, I can complete a short book on the subject in time to affect the current evolving healthcare debate and legislation.  But while I am working on that you can help by sharing this blog with others and continuing to keep yourself informed. 

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Late in the evening on Saturday November 7, 2009, the United States House of Representatives passed the new healthcare reform legistlation.  The bill, which has to meet approval in the United States Senate, is one of the most substantial bills ever passed in US history, in both scope and costs.  The 2,000 pages of legalese, has roughly 400,00 words and is the size of a major metropolitan city’s phone book, both yellow and white pages.   

Fortunately for everyone, House members, who are known not to read bills before taking a vote, had a whole week to read it carefully and decide.  Thank goodness they can read so fast. 

Anyhow, Am I my brother’s keeper?  These are the famous lines from the Old Testament uttered by Cain when speaking to his father about the whereabouts of his brother, Able.  Of course Cain had secretly slain his brother but kept the truth from their father.  These are also the words spoken by the character Nino Brown, a drug kingpin in the 1991 classic urban film, New Jack City.  Whenever Nino Brown wanted to reaffirm his fairness and generosity to the community and his organization, sometimes by giving away goods or help, he would ask rhetorically, ”Am I my brother’s keeper?”.  Strangely, Nino couldn’t see the impact he was having on the community.  People were strung out on drugs and increasingly poor.  His own organization was rife with corruption, but he was too blinded by greed and the bundles of cash rolling in.  What does any of this have to do with the healthcare legistlation?

Well I asked myself, where is the good in this plan?  Expanding a system that is already dysfunctional and overly expensive?  Expanding health insurance costs to everyone whether they want it or not?  Whether they can afford to pay it or not?  And the only thing that came to mind was the line, asked by Nino, ”Am I my brother’s keeper?”  It’s good politics to appear to look out for the poor and the sick.  It’s good politics to force the healthy or wealthy to pay for treatment of the sick and the poor.  But how about reducing illness thru education, good nutrition, and healthy alternatives?  How about helping the poor get jobs or raising their income at a time when inflation is rising and unemployment is at 10% and rising? Unfortunately, that isn’t the plan.

It is all about perception?  How do I look? The same Nino who sells the drugs gives away free turkeys to the community at Thanksgiving to keep up a good image.   What are we really talking about here with health care reform?  Are we really talking about helping the poor?  The same poor who are given sub standard education?  The same poor who are unemployed and underemployed?  The same poor with little to no income?  The same poor who are a majority of America’s prison population?  Or is this thanksgiving and Nino is handing out the turkeys to the poor? 

The problem with health care is largely that it isn’t about health.  It is mostly about the sale of prescription drugs and vaccines.  Massive, unconscionable amounts of toxic drugs.  Which brings me back to Nino Brown and the famous lines “Am I my brother’s keeper”?  The reality is that Nino Brown wasn’t his brother’s keeper. He sold drugs and lots of them.

The gigantic pharmaceutical companies who fund politicians stand to benefit most by expanding the number of participants in this massive, nationalized forced health insurance plan, ie drug game.  Worst of all the costs are passed on to those who are healthier and younger, who will be forced to pay for what they won’t often use.  And to those who are wealthier, through a mandatory additional 5% tax on their income.  And to unborn citizens, who will inherit the ballooning federal deficit. 

These folks really are their brother’s keeper, only not by choice, by force.  I’m sure Nino, who only had an aparment complex (The Carter) on lock down, would be envious of this operation, which locks down the entire United States. Wow! 

Are there any benefits to the national health insurance plan? Sure, if it was made available by choice. If it was actually affordable.  But to compel participation?  That is wrong, even if it comes with the distribution of the ”free insurance” for the poor.  And look, it is right around Thanksgiving.  Am I my brother’s keeper?

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Here is an open letter I wrote to President Obama when he first took office, but never got around to sending it.  For what it is worth, I share it with you now.

Dear President Obama,

Congratulations on a well run, improbable, yet successful campaign for President of The United States.  I along with millions of others have been inspired and transformed by your victory.

Now the difficult part has begun.  You have been handed a US economy, which is in far worst shape than people can imagine, the equivalent of stage 4 cancer.  The condition of the US financial system and economy is the result of years of abuses, poor decision making, selfishness, greed, payoffs, and deregulation.  Now you are responsible for it.  A little unfair, but you did run for office. So here are some friendly reminders to help in the process of delineating a course of action. 

When I was a child my parents took me on a field trip to Washington DC and one stop during that trip was to the US Mint.  There I saw millions of dollars being printed on these huge sheets of paper.  Over the years that image confused me because I always wondered why we couldn’t just print money to give financial help to the poor and to create jobs for the poor and unemployed.  Later I learned that printing money without production or real economic activity eventually lowers the value of the currency.  I learned that more cash in circulation drives up the prices of everything and hence the dollar is worth less.  Commonly referred to as inflation. 

This is most evident in Zimbabwe, where things are so out of hand that they actually put in circulation a 50 billion dollar bill, each of which is less than 1 US dollar. Outrageous. 

Unfortunately, we are on that course now.  Several nations have experienced economic collapse, notably Iceland and Bulgaria, and Greece is a few days from economic collapse. What can America do to avoid an economic collapse?

Here are some guiding principles and since I am not an economist, your team can translate these principles into detailed action steps and policy.

1.  Do not insure bad business deals. You can’t entangle the government in bad private investments. Whether banks, companies, or mortgages you can’t devalue the currency & remaining financial solvency of the entire federal government to protect the investments of a few very wealthy people.  This means less bailouts of failed entities and more new entities. Create new banks & credit unions, new companies, & new industries. Don’t hand out free cash, which ultimately enslaves future generations to protect what was essentially bad business.  Despite the cries, of doom and gloom, commerce will not cease without bailouts.

2.   Protect American commerce.  If you can’t stop US companies from moving overseas then maybe you should consider imposing tariffs on all manufactured products imported to the US or require some sort of profit sharing with the US or its companies thru a distribution fee, or licensing fee. In other words find some way to make foreign manufacturers pay to sell their goods in the US, even if it is done thru US companies.  China does this shamelessly.  I went there and saw it first hand.  We need production and markets.  We can’t simply be easy access markets only.

3. Invest in and expand new and emerging industries and technology.  We have to create new jobs, new industries, and new markets.  New markets are key. Someone has to really pay for what is created or rendered as a service. The federal government can’t be the only one’s writing checks because that will not last. If the tax base is not expanded through expanding commerce, then the Federal government is printing cash that is essentially as unreal as the credit swaps and derivatives that triggered the crisis.  Which means Wall Street will have shifted its financial problem on the Federal government and tax payers.

4.  Help the American people directly.  Try to insulate the American people by creating more tax incentives, reducing the tax burdens, providing more small business loans, providing money for re education, re-training and for college loans.  This will prime the well for future prosperity and transition the workforce into sustainable jobs.

5. Control the evolution of the economy. Put in place a new regulatory team that understands and follows the fundamentals of economics. Increase production and productivity. Make capital available. Invest in infrastructure. Invest in technology. Invest in people. Limit tax increases, particularly on small businesses. Restrict and regulate the “creation” of imaginary cash (credit swaps, IOUs, derivatives, etc)

6.  Realize you can’t please everyone.  In the end, people are fickle.  They are quick to blame and slow to take responsibility.  Don’t fall for the trap of trying to satisfy everyone because you could wind up pleasing no one. Consider all the options. Consider the consequences. And set the course. Also don’t fall for the trap of trying to accomplish too much to prove yourself. This is still people pleasing in another face.

These are early recommendations, but as your first term evolves, rest assured things will morph into a new and quite possibly more challenging reality.  Keep the faith, maintain your well being, and simply do the best you can.  May God bless you with safety and success.

Thank you for your example, sincerity, and dedication to the people of the Untied States and the world

Sincerely your friend,

Michael Billion

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