Big Ticket Diary, Pt. II

Sept. 16--How Sane, Integrated Foreign/Military Policies will Save Us $$$




Bringing our troops home is, unfortunately, the endgame rather than the beginning; there will need to be redeployment of units from Iraq toward the Afghan-Pakistan theater, especially the border area. NATO forces from major heroin-consuming nations (other than the US) will need to take on the task of working with the Afghan government to reduce opium production.

Diplomacy will become a tool for saving us money. By making an accommodation, then working closely in coordination with the Pakistani elected government, an Obama administration will move to close off the lawless border areas, then go on the attack. There is a successful outcome that one can envision which would bring an end to the central leadership of Al Qaeda, though splinter cells could survive and make sporadic attacks for some time in some countries. The threat of terrorism will never go away, not when excessive violent capabilities are so easily possessed.

Rather than antagonizing the Russians, challenging their manhood, and provoking a Cold War sequel, Obama will show he can listen and act. The folly of efforts to increase Russian encirclement with NATO members will end, and another means will be developed which can give former Soviet republics the chance to resist Russian bullying. A mutual trade-and-support association of some kind, focused initially on energy deliverables.


Sept. 15--It's gone beyond "Tax the Bushites!"
though that is still part of the economic game plan. Without mortgages, the American economy as we know it will implode. And mortgages have gotten really, really hard to get.

It's all about bureaucracy and CYA now, for the banks. There's a feeling that extensive loan documentation will save them. So they stall and drag you along, then pull out at the last minute. Blue Balls Banking!

From lawsuits, maybe, but there's nothing in this world that can save them if home values continue to drop and homeowners get squeezed too much. Most often, this occurs through a combination of, on the one hand, circumstances beyond their control, like divorce, medical bills, or loss of job, but on the other, some things they could have controlled, like spending beyond their means.

There is an analogy from the family microeconomy and its problems to our nation, the Federal debt, and public policy. I like what Ed Schultz is saying, that America has to start paying its bills. He's talking about trade deficit and the resulting growth in our foreign indebtedness--and don't think our creditors abroad aren't watching this fiasco on Wall Street!--but I am more interested in our current accounts at home, for now and for our future.

We need to rebalance our investment toward domestic policy goals. What this means is cutting back on GWOT expenditures--slicing and dicing Homeland Security would be a good start, followed immediately by extensive military weapons systems reductions.