The Bosque Boys

Imports from China are in the news again with the restrictions on tire imports. Rather than write about the specifics of trade and tires, I want to consider trade and national security.

Liberty, or independence, means the ability to practice self-government. Dependency restricts self-government because external pressures may force decisions to be made that otherwise would not have been chosen. Dependency also includes reliance upon others for the necessities of life.

Nations which wish to govern themselves, in their own best interests, cannot afford to become completely dependent upon other nations for the basic necessities of life.

For example, a nation must try to be self-sufficient in food production, otherwise it can be put under lethel pressure by other nations.

But what of other goods?

Energy certainly. Steel. And probably also others such as plastics, electronics, and machine tools.

And if war comes, as it has again and again in history?

In the industrial age, production capacity usually has won wars. In the Civil War Northern industrial power combined with political will to insure victory. In WW1 the U.S. supplied the Allies with the means to wage war prior to our official entry. During WW2 a key decision was made to outproduce our enemies, and to fight accordingly, for example on a broad front in Europe. The Cold War was brought to an end, in part, when the U.S. began an arms buildup supported by our large economy that the U.S.S.R. did not have the economic base to match.

In a modern war perhaps having a GM to convert production to trucks and tanks is not as critical as in WW2. But what of electronics, the nerves and senses and even brains of today's weapons? Can we afford, at some future date, to have our electronics production all outsourced to Malasia and China?

Trade is a national security issue.

Norman Podhoretz raises the question in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

He suggests an answer by observing that non-observant Jews are the most likely to vote Democrat, while those few Jews who are Republican tend to be Orthodox. In other words, an inverse relationship between religious practice and support for Democrats. Therefore, he suggests, modern liberalism may function as a religion for "secular" Jews.

A similar observation may be made for Roman Catholics. Those who attend mass infrequently are more likely to vote Democrat.

The increasing official openness to gay and lesbian clergy in the Episcopal Church continues to produce fallout. The latest group to leave are nuns, almost an entire order, who have moved into Roman Catholicism.

Most Americans probably are not aware that the Anglican Church has celibate, ascetic religious orders both of men and of women. Mostly dating from the 19th century, and never as important as in Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy, Anglican orders have nevertheless done significant work.

Equality of the masses never really worked out anyway.

Chinese millionaire buys world's most expensive dog.

Which raises the question: what to call China's present economic/political system. I vote for mature fascism, but perhaps Western categories are not the best in this case.

Initial Reaction to the Speech:

Very good. Not perfect--but a home run, nevertheless.

The tearjerker Kennedy reference was gratuitous--but the punchline was vintage Obama and a reminder that this guy is still plenty potent. Obama delivered in the final moments in a big way. He is a money player. We underestimate him at our own peril.

The faux conciliation and bipartisanship was disingenuous and continues to grow very thin--but it is still reasonably effective. The mainstream media will report the President's willingness to work with the opposition--and, when it doesn't happen, the MSM will dutifully report Republican bad faith.

Yelling at the President from the floor made me very uncomfortable. On one hand, it represents a lack of respect for this inexperienced politician who suddenly seems vulnerable. On the other hand, this demonstration of incivility could very easily break against Republicans and generate sympathy for the President. This is the President!!!

Low point: when he said he would be the last president to deal with health care. I was stunned. Does he really believe he will craft a solution that solves the problem in perpetuity? Or is he predicting that he will be the last president of the United States?

Bottom Line: Republicans have enjoyed a fairly carefree summer in which we dreamed big dreams about reasserting our former dominance--now school is back in session. The President is back--and he looks ready to rumble.

Information from the Pew Forum, including names and brief information on board members.

On Feb. 5, 2009, two weeks after taking office, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The new office retains the basic administrative structure of President George W. Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The central White House office and satellite offices in 12 government agencies work together to encourage partnerships between the government and religious and community groups for the delivery of social services.

The White House office, led by executive director Joshua DuBois, has identified four primary goals:

”Connecting faith-based and community groups to economic recovery;
”Promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation;
”Encouraging responsible fatherhood and healthy families;
”Reducing unintended pregnancies and the need for abortions, strengthening maternal and child health, and encouraging adoptions

As parents of an alumnus, we receive the Trinity University (San Antonio) magazine. In the recent issue the Economics faculty offered some thoughts I want to share.

The deficit keeps eating up money that otherwise goes into private investment. That means the capital stock is not going to grow. And if capital stock doesn't grow, then productivity doesn't grow, and that in turn means our standard of living is going to be much lower than it would be otherwise. Roger Spencer

A year from now we'll start hearing about the jobless recovery. Employment is always a lagging indicator, and especially so at this time. Once we start growing again, we have some fiscal time bombs: Medicare, the prescription benefit program, and Social Security, pretty much in that order. Jorge Gonzales

Politicians will say they believe that the capitalist system is the best system. But the truth is politicians do not have full faith in free enterprise and in the capitalist system. They believe they need to meddle; they believe that government needs to intervene in all things. Philip Cooley.

I can't find the magazine online to link to the full article. Here is the Trinity website, a school I am happy with as the parent.

A while back I did some posts on Distributism. In a nutshell, Distributism is an economic/social theory that advocates keeping the "means of production", to borrow a phrase, as widely distributed as possible. Such a position is not Socialist, since government does not plan and manage the economy, nor Capitalist, since concentration of means in individual hands is not allowed.

Tocq has provided this link to an interesting essay that challenges the assumption that Distributist economics could not work in the modern world.

I try to live like a Distributist-favoring smaller independent businesses over chains; and have belonged to coops, but still have doubts that a modern economy can operate in this fashion.

I am currently on medical leave from my church. My thyroid punked out and I am trying to get my hormone levels adjusted through medication. Bummer. But, I am feeling better. Today I used this opportunity to visit another church.

I attended a Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Lawton. If I were a "church shopper" I would go back for several reasons.

One is the hospitality. There were the usual greeters at the door, handing out bulletins and introducing themselves. Good hospitality, but not exceptional. I took a seat near the front--three rows back, to lesson the odds of sitting in someone's favorite pew. A woman sat in the pew in front of me, turned around, introduced herself, and chatted briefly. Better hospitality. As the service started a couple with 3 or 4 children sat down in the same pew as I. When the first hymn was announced, I reached into the rack on the back of the seat in front of me. There were two kinds of books--hymnals and psalters. The boy sitting next to me, perhaps 10, pointed to a hymnal and quietly said "This one." Best hospitality.

I am comfortable visiting strange churches, and enjoy the experience. Most people are uncomfortable going into a strange church. For many, the decision to return or not will be made not on the basis of the doctrine preached, or the meangingfulness of the music, but on the hospitality experienced.

For those of you who are church members--be hospitable.

The need for energy independence is illustrated once again.

Lockerbie bomber released as part of deal for oil, according to news reports. Story.

Any country which must import energy, or food, can be subjected to tremendous pressure.