THE DALY SHOW

Folks, Time To Choose

This is a posting over at JohnDalyLive about the economic choice you need to make for our leaders.

Thanksgiving Story

My wife Teri told me this story on the eve of Thanksgiving.  Teri, as many of you know, is an exclusive personal trainer with her own business Daly Workout.  She also teaches a couple of group classes for the Las Vegas Atheltic Club.  This story happened right after one of those classes.

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 26, 2009) — So Teri finishes her group class and notices that two women in the class are talking very warmly.  One of the women was from Iran; the other from Israel.  They’ve lived here for a number of years and each still have the accents of their homelands.  But apparently not the animosity.

Teri watched as both of them spoke in another language as friends.  Then they wished each other “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Only in America,” Teri said to me as she recounted the story on Thanksgiving morning.

It is something to think about — on the positive side — as we go through this recession and we find it hard for countries to find common grounds for peace.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Conference On Global and Green Economy

I am emceeing a big event in Las Vegas November 17 and 18 at the Las Vegas Hilton.  Here’s a video to explain it all.  If you’re looking to jump start your business in this new economy and go green, this is the place to start.  You will also have a chance to network with companies from around the United States and around the world while also being a part of the International Congress of Business Professionals.  I was enticed by their strong educational programs that will train and re-train workers and executives in this new world.  I’ve written many times here that the economy went through a tectonic shift in the past two years.  Those who understand it and are educated to navigate the wreckage and the opportunities will thrive in the next few years.  I think this is one place to start.

FactCheck Confirms Portion Of My Book

This is a posting about one of the most untruthful emails you will ever read.  I guarantee some of you have received it.  The sad part is this: if those people who read it and believe it had read my book there would be no controversy.  FactCheck confirms what I wrote four years ago.  It’s in this posting here on JohnDalyLive.

Paine Tea Bag Revolt Video Not So Revolting

I just posted a political commentary at JohnDalyLive about a video with an actor playing Thomas Paine.  It’s not bad.  I have some problems with it.  Tell me your thoughts.

Another Weapon of Mass Distortion. This Time About Oil

In my book, I refer to the blast emails with false news information as weapons of mass distortion.  Here’s a story on JohnDalyLive about one that seems to pop up when the price of gas goes up.  Again, if the email cannot source the information and if the writer does not identify him or herself, then you can assume it’s someone trying to influence you on just one side — or the false side — of the story.  Special thanks to my buddy Mike Maddux, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers who gave me the heads up. 

Billy Bitumen And Your Chance To Save And Pave The World

This is a posting from JohnDalyConsulting about one of the ventures I’m working with.  It’s also about my buddy Bill Bailey and how he might just help save the world’s economy and environment one road at a time.  There is a business and investment opportunity for a green technology that is having a lot of economic stimulus dollars steered its way.

US Dissolves. Russian Hope or American Lesson?

This is a posting about a Russian analyst who believes the United States will not exist by 2010 and will be broken up into various parts owned by other countries. Sure, it’s silly stuff. But let’s look at the underlying reasons for such a prediction – while looking at ourselves.

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 3, 2009) – According to Igor Panarin, in two years I’ll be living here in Las Vegas under the government of the Peoples Republic of China.

Panarin is a Russian academic who has predicted that the United States would dissolve into four different countries and be run by other countries.

For example, the Northeast and parts of the Midwest would be part of the European Union. (Would that mean easier access to Amsterdam?)

The northern plains would be Canadian. (Think of how much better the NHL would be with fewer teams. And Canada almost certainly wins the gold medal in the winter Olympics.)

The Republic of Texas would be part of Mexico. (And this will bring one of the bloodiest civil wars of all time. Bush and Cheney would be the new el Presidentes, getting what they’ve wanted all along: controlling all oil reserves and declaring war on a group of people who are clearly evil — the drug traffickers.)

And folks like me in the Far West would be under China. (I can see us Las Vegans thinking that the gaming industry will prosper greatly. But I doubt our comrades in Idaho are going to be passive when it comes to the Chinese.)

And, here’s the best: Russia would get Alaska back. (Wouldn’t that be justice for Sarah Palin? If she’s still governor, she would be taking orders from Vlad Putin.)

Surely, this is silly stuff. Panarin is trained by the Kremlin so there is plenty of Russian wishful thinking. It makes me realize that Russian intelligence is as out of whack as ours was before 9/11.

I emailed the article to my friend, John Alexander, a PhD who consults for U.S. Special Forces. He wrote back: “While we have some significant problems, I suspect he (Panarin) is pretty far off base.”

Panarin really doesn’t appear (notice I said “doesn’t appear”) to “get” Americans. And I’d bet he never saw Casablanca. Remember the Nazi, Major Strasser. He asks Rick about German forces marching into New York City. Rick replies, “Well there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn’t advise you to try to invade.” The same holds true today whether it’s Baltimore, Miami, LA, or Boise.

Apparently Panarin thinks Americans and Russians are alike. A Washington Post article offers some good counter-balance to Panarin. The article quotes Thomas Baerwald, an investigator in a project called “Beyond Borders” and past president of the Association of American Geographers. He compares Americans to the citizens who were living under the former Soviet Union.

“We constantly were corrected when we tried to use the term ‘Soviets’ as a catch-all phrase for residents of the U.S.S.R.,” Baerwald says. “People firmly told us that they were Russians or Lithuanians or Estonians or Ukrainians or other terms that identified a region or subregion that described their own geographical identity. In contrast, if you ask U.S. residents what term describes who they are, an enormous majority will reply ‘I am an American.’ Even in those places where regional loyalties are especially strong, such as Texas, loyalties to the U.S. are far greater than they are to states or regions.

Still, Panarin’s predictions resonate. He hits home in a slightly unsettling way. No one in America would have heard of Panarin if the Wall Street Journal didn’t publish a front-page story on his findings and the Russian media frenzy following him. Ironically, it is still the most read article on the Wall Street Journal online. Don’t negate this.

So, someone is obviously giving Panarin an ounce of “what if?”

And it’s for good reason, too. We are in a financial mess that most of us can’t figure out. We see our leaders – namely the supposedly smarts ones like Paulson and Bernanke – scratching their heads. President Obama has to put together a team that is non-partisan; in other words, they really have to work since going to Washington isn’t a perk anymore but a responsibility as a citizen of this country. He’s really serious and that scares us.

I’ve written about a possible Armageddon here. I still say you need to keep cash on reserve for 2009 and be prepared to protect yourself and your loved ones. Too often, I hear from friends – wealthy friends – who don’t sleep at night wondering if their fortunes are going to be wiped out.

We also hear from pundits, sure they seem extreme, who say we’re printing so much money that we will have devalued the dollar to nothing, leading us to a regional currency called the Amero that will include Mexico and Canada. Others say our debt is owned by China, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai: if we default, then they own us. Hey we trashed the analysts a few years ago who said we are headed for a housing collapse. Who wouldn’t at least listen to these new theories?

However, before you run for the hills with shot-guns and survivalist supplies or you start trying to speak a foreign language to get acquainted with your new oppressors or lawmakers, let me assure you I’m only making a point here. We’re not going to disintegrate.

However, Panarin’s theory is partially right. And this is the lesson we need to take from the theories of this Russian.

We have disintegrated as a country. We have strayed from our ideals. Am I condemning America? No, we suffered through 9/11 and its effects are far deeper than we imagined. As a result, we have, at times, stopped being the America we once were.

When President Bush and VP Cheney point to their enduring achievement, it’s that we were not attacked again on American soil after 9/11. They’re right. But they’re wrong, too. As a result of that goal, which we all clung to, we became a different country. We invaded Iraq. We told the rest of the world, “You’re either with us or against us.” We became a black and white country; we never saw the gray. Our leaders sounded like Fascists. We acted like Fascists, torturing to allegedly stop torture.

Am I condemning this out-going Administration? Not totally. I was not in their shoes. I don’t know what they faced. However in hindsight, they responded like frightened old men. They headed to the bunkers and failed to lead.

There’s a good book. It’s called, The Idea That Is America: Keeping Faith With Our Values In A Dangerous World. It’s written by Anne-Marie Slaughter.

She points out that America is currently in a state of trying to seek power as an end in itself and as a result the world looks at us as ignorant, immoral, and incompetent imperialists.

Slaughter also points out that these values are the foundation of our country: liberty, democracy, equality, justice, tolerance, humility and faith. She points out how we have failed to live up to them.

What we show the rest of the world too often is Madison Avenue, rich and loud American entertainers, sports figures, and business executives who are the extremist minority of America. For instance, we never questioned Bernie Madoff because he was exceedingly wealthy, but that was the reason we should have questioned him.

The world sees the lavish Super Bowl half-time show but is never taught the intricacies or beauties of the football game. I don’t know about you, but I have barely seen any Super Bowl half-time show.

One of the consequences of losing our real values is this economic downturn. This is my take, not necessarily Slaughter’s. We offered plenty of liberty to certain interest groups who had money and pull with our elected leaders while failing to create equality – especially in business. Our founding fathers were worried about “human fallacies” so they gave us a system of checks and balances. This Bush Administration and some Democrats in power discarded those values – especially the checks on greed in business.

The two values we need to concentrate on are humility and faith. As powerful and as smart as we Americans are, we don’t have all the answers. We need input from other countries. We also need to say every now and then to the world, “We screwed the pooch.” The War in Iraq and the economic downturn would be two good places to start.

Subconsciously, we Americans know this. That’s why we voted the way we did in November. That’s why some forward thinking people like Newt Gingrich, now in the minority, are telling the GOP to start being a party of ideas, not whining obstructionists.

I think Obama will at least give us a humble face to the rest of the world. We’ll see how long that lasts when he faces the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Surely, we need to stand with Israel, but we also need to make sure that the power of the Israeli military doesn’t create more conflict among the down-trodden Palestinians. It’s in our interest – and Israel’s – to have a prosperous Palestine.

And our faith. We’ve lost a lot of faith – thanks to religion. Slaughter points out that many of our religious institutions divide us rather than including some of the good secular themes such as tolerance. And the secularists are just as much to blame (maybe me too) by automatically dismissing all of the overly religious as stupid or intolerant.

So, don’t read Panarin — and his theories of Russian wishful thinking — with disdain. No, read it with some humility and faith, and then take away something to make America stronger.

Bush To Cheney: “Hey, Moe”

This is a posting about a leaked report on the reconstruction of Iraq. The report is evidence that President Bush will go down as one of the worst presidents in our history and we Americans can truly be a dumb lot that allowed our nation to become weaker.

LAS VEGAS, NV (December 14, 2008) – A Republican friend told me at lunch a short while ago that he felt sorry for President Bush because so many bad things happened to him while he was in the White House. “Clinton had it much easier,” he said.

I didn’t know where to start without making my friend seem like an idiot. It was one of those conversations I knew would not end in any agreement since he had his facts that were not my facts. So, I kept quiet.

However, a study that will be published in February will give me plenty of fodder for anyone else who thinks our out-going president was a victim of circumstances.

Clearly, this president was doing the work of three men: Moe, Larry, and Curly. (Maybe the President was Larry while Cheney was Moe and Rumsfeld was Curly.)

Either way, the difference between the original Stooges and the ones in this Administration: things didn’t turn out so good for America’s stooges. And it’s not funny.

The report is entitled, “Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience.” It was compiled by the Office of Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. The initial draft was leaked the New York Times. But before you go all right-wing whacko on this, know this: the leader of this office and the author of the report is Stuart Bowen, Jr., a Republican lawyer.

The report concludes that we were not prepared for the reconstruction effort and the Iraqis are far worse because of our failed efforts. That’s after $117 billion were spent – including $50 billion of direct taxpayer money.

What’s worse is the money was spent for political reasons – to get George W. Bush re-elected to a second term.

When the Office of Management and Budget balked at the American occupation authority’s abrupt request for about $20 billion in new reconstruction money in August 2003, a veteran Republican lobbyist working for the authority made a bluntly partisan appeal to Joshua B. Bolten, then the O.M.B. director and now the White House chief of staff. “To delay getting our funds would be a political disaster for the President,” wrote the lobbyist, Tom C. Korologos. “His election will hang for a large part on show of progress in Iraq and without the funding this year, progress will grind to a halt.” With administration backing, Congress allocated the money later that year.

This is Nixon-type stuff. I guess Iraq will smack of Vietnam.

There are plenty of implications if this report gains traction. (So far, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post have not picked up the story. If anyone catches it elsewhere, let me know.)

First, it raises questions about our future efforts in Afghanistan. President-elect Obama wants to send more troops into that region to hunt down bin Laden and wipe out the Taliban. You have to wonder if the surge in Iraq can be replicated in the nomadic terrain of Afghanistan.

Second, the report makes us realize how impotent we are militarily and diplomatically overseas. We have the bombs, but not much else. Certainly the success of the surge in Iraq has taught us how to tame and work with a population to control an insurgency. But do we really have the resources to be doing this often? I don’t think so.

Granted, I contend that one of the reasons we went into Iraq was to gather intelligence on the world’s Islamic terrorists – that threatened another 9/11. Tactically, it made sense. We provoked all the world’s jihadists to come to Iraq so we could figure out who they were. And, it seems, we did a good job of killing of a number of their heads. But politically and diplomatically, it was a failure. We actually created more terrorists: young men with no education and no work who are angry at us. And morally, it was reprehensible. We provoked a war in a country to help with our intelligence aims. And I won’t even mention the oil.

The third implication is the transparency of government contractors. Although Blackwater is not cited in the Times story, it is clear the amount of money wasted and funneled to companies like that will be more scrutinized.

Fourth, the report will help the Republican Party regain its core beliefs. The GOP is – and should be — the party of business. It’s not just the party of big business. It’s the party of all businesses. And the main businesses that run this country are small businesses. And when you realize what this Administration has done to those business principles and the demise of the Republican Party, you can bet the business Republicans will be back in power soon – without the religious zealots and the near-fascist neo-cons.

And fifth: hopefully the report will show Democrats how power can corrupt and weaken our nation.

Mumbai Implications And Age of American Survivalist

This is a posting that looks at the attacks in India and what it means for us here in America. Prepare for the American Age of the Survivalist.

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 27, 2008) – Just this week I wrote this about President-elect Obama and the economic crisis we all face.

Besides the domestic details, we also don’t know what effect foreign affairs will have on the budget. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are still a drag and we’re not pulling out anytime soon. And who knows what else will happen.

What else might have just happened.

It’s not a coincidence that the attacks occurred as Americans celebrated a holiday; most of us are still watching on TV as I write this. That’s what I’m doing this Thanksgiving Weekend.

It’s also no coincidence that the attacks happened during our transition of presidential power.

And when you consider that Americans and Brits were targeted by the terrorists, you understand that the terrorists – whether they’re al Qaeda or some splinter group – that the best time to attack is during a financial crisis. Dictators like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini came to power during the Depression.

But there is far more to think about – like nuclear war.

Remember that India and Pakistan are nuclear powers on each other’s borders and they hate each other. Reports say the terrorists who were captured appeared to be Pakistani.

Stratfor offers a sobering look ahead. If it appears that Pakistan, some of its terrorist citizens, or its secret police are involved (and it does appear that way), then it will force India’s government to react with force to reassure the masses in India. That means these two could be on the brink of war.

That will mean more troops from America and NATO. In addition to Obama’s goal to send more troops to Afghanistan, you have to wonder where will the money come from when you consider the hundreds of billions (really trillions) created for the financial crisis.

Don’t think this will be the economic equivalent of World War II. Yes, some argue that the Second World War was the real economic stimulus that pulled us out of The Great Depression. Do we want that? Not in the nuclear age.

What does the attack on Mumbai mean for all of us here?

This kind of attack – more coordinated than 9/11 and the British and Spain train attacks — could always happen here. So, our guard will be up. That’s more American money spent on security – not mortgages and car loans.

I think these attacks and the impending and enduring financial crisis will lead to a new era. No, it’s not the era of liberal government. It will be the era of the American Survivalist.

I don’t think the end of this financial crisis is near. The new $800 billion stimulus yesterday for car and home loans will only cover a small portion of people who have equity in their homes and a solid job. For so many more who are upside down on their homes and without jobs, that money will never reach them. As a result, the American consumer cannot jump-start the American and the worldwide economy. That will lead to even more bankruptcies and further job losses.

Add to that, the terrorist guerilla groups know their efforts also cause economic havoc. The World Trade Center was not only a military target but a symbolic target for Osama bin Laden. The 9/11 attacks helped force us away from an age of economic stability and budget surpluses into an era of deficit spending on the sporadic war on terror. I used to stand in long lines at the airport and here people curse bin Laden. Now we’re paying for it directly out of our pockets and out of our homes.

As more people here in America become more pessimistic about the future, they will begin fortifying their homes with food, guns, and cash. That mentality is already the foundation of many folks – God-fearing and law abiding folks, I might add – out here in the Western U.S. We will not only fear our enemies outside the U.S., but our neighbors who will be so desperate for food and shelter.

Let me pile on the gloom even more. My good friend, John Alexander PhD, an expert on non-lethal warfare and a strategist on world affairs, told me at lunch this week that the next new hot spot will be The Sudan – on the border of Darfur. It’s simple, he says. There’s plenty of oil there. And there will be fights between northern Sudanese who are Muslim who want the oil in South Sudan which is occupied by African Christians.

We are truly connected to the rest of the world more than ever. For many of us, we might have a tendency to retract within ourselves.

As I re-read this, I am amazed at my pessimism and fear for our country. Why am I seeing these facts and events in this dark light?

There are a few reasons. My parents lived through the Depression. It had a monumental effect on my Dad. He died in 1984, but his recollections still speak to me. My grandfather was a prominent doctor. Yet during the Depression, my Dad told me, Grandpa would have a day of patient visits and have only a head of cabbage to show for it.

Maybe I’m looking back romantically and nostalgically. Maybe I think this is our time to show our strength like that generation – the Greatest Generation during World War II as Tom Brokaw writes. It toughened those folks.

Maybe I’ve watched too much of the now-cancelled HBO series Carnivale or I’ve read and remembered too much of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.

My advice: be on alert; and protect yourself and those you love. It’s going to be tough. But let me add this that was at the end of an email signature I received this week. It reads: