It's What's Said and Unsaid, Deal or No Deal, Thing

Dear America,

first things first --

let me give a big shout out to Mike Gonzales of The Heritage Foundation for seconding my emotion in motion of yesterday -- and summarizing, allow me to share this:

"The exchange with Mr. Medvedev, lastly, only deepens and validates two already extant and related narratives about our President: one is that he harbors views that are inimical to the American people and only come out in unguarded moments. An example of that is when he said in San Francisco four years ago that Americans cling to their religion and guns bitterly when they’re afraid of the future. The other narrative is that the President will be unshackled once (and if) he is re-elected, and will put in place a plan far more radical than he is letting on in public at the moment."

things just aren't what they appear these days -- almost never.


No longer can we pretend that anyone really means what they say, can we?

When you have the highest example of the land being led by a president who makes arms deals and missile defense concessions under the dark of night, or quite the contrary -- via the live mic -- who can you trust?

-- And Another Thing --

Back to Buffet for just a moment (in part because I was just talking about him with someone just yesterday)...
have you heard about his outrage to pay more in taxes...yeah, it's true...even after bending the president's ear -- for months now -- just to make him (and guys like him) pay more than their fair share.

...we can't even begin to make this stuff up...

So to quickly, and ever so briefly, set the scene:

"the government contends, NetJets owners should be required to pay transportation taxes on two fronts - a levy on the fees for putting the plane in the air and another levy on the fees for maintenance."

...makes the whole conversation even more funny when you consider it is having to do with PRIVATE jets in the first place...but yes, sometimes I do act like I'm twelve...

while the Wide World of Buffet says:

"Mr. Buffett's companies say that if the government really wants to collect the tax, it shouldn't send the bill to them; it should send the bill directly to the thousands of plane owners. [that's really cool...think about it...the rich man sticking it to the other rich man]

NetJets, in a court filing, argues that 'the ticket tax was not intended to apply to private aircraft owners and the fees they pay to maintain and operate their aircraft. Unlike a commercial or charter passenger, an owner owns the aircraft that is providing the transportation, and thus an owner transports himself when he flies on his own aircraft, even if he pays others to assist him in maintaining and operating the aircraft'"

So Buffet is griping about paying a tax -- a transportation tax, to be specific -- for operating a business that revolves around transporting people to and from by plane (and not just any old two-seater, make that an Airstream of one kind or another with a little something something).

Now, Buffet has got a point; for what the government is asking for right now is not a tax as of right now.  The tax law needs to be changed to allow for the "fractional" owners (like a timeshare ownership) to be considered a fully taxable entity, and like any other airline ticket, taxed at the same rate at the time of usage.

But let's be real  -- as we all know -- in a free market -- as the corporate tax rate goes, so goes the consumer's.  All cost of regulations and taxation (and any other day to day expenditure in the cost of doing of business) is passed on to the one who chooses -- of their free will -- to buy, to use, to partake.  It's how the world works; and for a long time, did so rather successfully.

We need to stop for just a moment and recognize that it isn't just about Buffet making gobs of money and flying around on his private jet and eating lunch with the president and complaining about the evil, free market capitalists that we are. For that would be a two-faced -- open faced -- bear sandwich with a side of bull.

What Buffet stands for (or shall I say, USED to stand for...now that he's sitting down with a bib wrapped around his necktie eating cheese-steaks with the 99%) IS for ALL of the consumption and taxation and transportation and motion in play just because of his capitalistic, free-enterprising vision.

We have all become tight with his secretary's story -- oh poor, poor dear...getting taxes taken out of her itty bitty paycheck.  aw....and then look at Buffet, jetting around all over the place complaining about how much money he has made and how awful it is not paying "his fair share."   (Flash forward to 'NetJets Buffet', and say what?  as we quickly digress)  

But the thing is -- his secretary is just one of hundreds, thousands even, touched by the points of light of Warren Buffet. [Not to mention, how do you compute an income tax if, say, a guy makes a "salary" of a dollar a year -- which is quite common among the big guns...At that level, it's called creative genius meets up with corporate earnings meets up with a totally different set of rules, loopholes, and advantages] 

Because just maybe the guy who puts up the risk and investment and liability, creates something we might think of as a priceless commodity:   lots and lots of JOBS. 

Berkshire-Hathaway, NetJets -- every entity under the umbrella of All Things Buffet -- hires people and sells something.  Not only does it hire people, it buys stuff.  Not only does it buy stuff, but the stuff requires people to make more stuff so Buffet, and people like Buffet, can buy more of it.  And while people make stuff, most people get thirsty, and hungry, and eventually have to buy something to quench their thirst and feed their hunger.  And eventually, people get tired making things (anything from widgets to kindergärtners to everything in between)  for eight-ten hours a day, with benefits and sometimes a pension, and have to go home...you know, to rest. This requires a ride home -- by train, by car, by bus, by bike, by plane; and leads to a place called home.  A home may consist of a family -- pets, children, spouse, or butterfly collection; while it could look like an apartment, a home in the suburbs, a mansion, or just a room. and so on and so on.

The reality is, we are making it harder and harder to create private, free market jobs in America, provided by a Buffet, or by anybody else.

Our lives are connected to each other intimately; one thing feeds into another.  The business of commerce and consumption never sleeps in a free market -- as it should!   For it all works even when we are sleeping!

AND it's not just about the business of Buffet -- it is also about his conscience, along with the hearts and minds of all who are employed under him.  For with every action in big business, you also find the opportunity for re-action within the greater community; the feeding of the hungry -- the caring for of the down and out -- gets played out in turn, from simple follow through of the right thing to do...privately...out of the goodness and charity of one's heart.

Not a charity or foundation on the planet can succeed without good conscience -- and individuals with money -- feeding into its income stream, through the gift of time, money and/or stuff (all donations gladly accepted).

Warren Buffet made an empire upon the principles and values of the American Free Market, respective of the laws of capitalism and charity and taxation, and should be the one leading the nation in America's defense -- hardly the contrary!   As clearly,  'All things Buffet' was made in America; and it's the kind of thing that naturally leads to a feeding frenzy.  It should be a good thing all the way around.

But instead of symbolically kissing the cook, he is cursing her (america); and that is simply un-American, in and of itself  [so check and double check, if you will -- I am not calling HIM un-American -- I am calling out his actions as un-American -- there's a difference. He is not a bad person, he's just behaving like a bad capitalist and a lousy guest].


And speaking of really bad capitalists  --

What a president says when he thinks no one else is listening speaks volumes.  I can't get my mind off this.

BUT -- just imagine it --
 secret meetings and clandestine deals between Buffet, Medvedev, SEIU, Soros, AFL-CIO, Ahmadinejad, Karzai, Mubarek, the Muslim Brotherhood, Solyndra, GM, GE, CAIR, socialist.com, communist.com,
...need we say more....reeks with corruption and impropriety of the brand  -- a name grown by long standing good reputation under the label of US of A.

After the USA - Russia gaffe -- all we are left with is a sea of questions. It is unsettling, unnerving and feeds into a night of tossing and turning [but let's have another big shout out to the one who collected the feathers -- which made the pillow, brought to market, and placed on a shelf for Target to sell to me, in hopes that I might sleep like a baby]

At times like these, does it really matter where we call home, how can anyone sleep at all?

pass me the melatonin and have a nice day..

Make it a Good Day, G