Realpolitik – DNC-Consulting

What We Are Witnessing – What We Can Do!

Angry Grizzly Bear The US Senate passed the non-infrastructure bill, loaded with everything but infrastructure initiatives and a bloated price tag that is not paid for, which will increase inflation and the National Deficit. The US Senate is on its way to passing a $3.5 Trillion spending spree, again no accountability, no restraints, not paid for, balloons the government, and robs freedoms and liberties from every American. Did you know all legislation that spends money is supposed to originate in the US House of Representatives?

Long ago, a couple of legislators crammed down some rules that allowed for spending bills to originate in the US Senate, as long as the US House of Representatives got the legislation, eventually, and voted for that legislation. Generally under immense pressure from the upper house and the special interest groups lobbying for the lower house to “just go along.” All of which is legal but unconstitutional, but allowed as legislative chicanery called “doing business in Washington.”

Tired of Politikal-Gimmickry yet? I am!

My wife brought up an interesting question regarding the now resigned Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, “Will he be prosecuted?” I do not know, and from the headlines, I cannot tell. Worse, it is not apparent if a deal was struck to compensate the victims from the New York taxpayers and avoid accountability if Gov. Cuomo left before electioneering could begin to hinder Democratic efforts to keep the office in New York. Tell me, how can private industry have significant penalties for even a suspicion of sexual impropriety, but government elected officials can weasel out of accountability time after time if you are in the appropriate political party? Angry Wet Chicken

Speaking of Ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo, his anti-apology/resignation speech was the worst kind of political skullduggery since Anthony Weiner was disgraced for sexual impropriety. If Chicago is the land of pay-for-play politics, then New York must be for sexual impropriety politicians, beginning with William Jefferson and Hillary Clinton!

Tired of Politikal-Gimmickry yet? I am!

Can someone tell me how and why YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other Social Media companies, private companies, can block content and customers? First, the companies take money to be news outlets and media giants, obtaining tax breaks and special benefits for being tech giants and other prime companies for the government. Then, they squawk they have the right to silence content, isolate content providers, shame politicians, and spout political beliefs like private companies while receiving public funds. The IRS came down hard on churches in the 2020 election cycle for having 501 C status and being mouthpieces for political speech; how is this not the same principle with social media companies? Why aren’t social media companies forced to either maintain neutrality or stop receiving preferential treatment from the government?

Tired of Legal and Politikal-Gimmickry yet? I am!

Exclamation Mark Let’s talk about scientific facts for a moment, and if you like, feel free to look up the corresponding research. I am not a medical professional, epidemiologist, virologist, or chemist; however, I can read a research paper, and this is what I have found. One of the reasons it is so difficult to vaccinate against viral infections is the ever-changing viral infection itself. Essentially, the virus mutates a lot, and these generational mutations tend to keep a vaccine from working effectively against a virus for very long. The only sure-fire way to protect a population against a viral infection is to allow the people to experience the viral infection and build herd immunity.

The Delta-Variant of the Sars-COV-2 (COVID-19) viral infection is essentially a fizzle. Vaccinated people are catching this mutation, spreading it, and then complaining, “But I got vaccinated.” However, the fizzle is that the virus has mutated into a half-life in a previous mutation, and the Delta-Variant is a half-life again of the previous half-life. This is why the Delta-Variant will make you sick but not keep you sick, and the antibodies your body builds against Sars-COV-2 are actually beneficial in the long run. Having said all this, do you think the media will report this information; do not bet the farm, Lucy! Will, the government, relinquish control; hold your horses, Mack! Totalitarianism has broken out, and reigning in these out-of-control bureaucrats and power-hungry politicians will take a lot more than the half-life deaths of Sars-COV-2. Anton Ego

I am a person of action; I do not take kindly to being told to sit down and wait or shut up and stand still! Never have been; in fact, learning patience has been one of my biggest challenges and hardest lessons, and I still fail gloriously DAILY! Worse, I see the danger and the emergency, and I desperately feel the need to take action immediately! It makes me good in the trenches but not very good in the stadium. Here are my thoughts on taking action now; agree or disagree, take action NOW! We can talk about the problems later!

1. 1. Start right now, calling the US House of Representatives and DEMANDING in the strongest language possible that your elected representatives refuse the boondoggles being passed in the US Senate right now!
  2. New Yorkers, you are some of the toughest people in the world; show it! Put your backs up, put your mouths in gear, and DEMAND that Governor Cuomo be held accountable, in a court of law, for the crimes for which he is accused. Guilty or not, these accusations need to be settled in a courtroom. Not a pressbox, not a media-feeding frenzy, but by a jury trial! Force the truth!
  3. America, lead the world in throwing off the totalitarianism that is killing representative government across the globe! From the mayors to the governors to the US President, it is time to end the farrago called COVID and throw the bums OUT! Yes, this includes the MEDIA! The politicians’ lapdog needs to be held accountable for spreading half-truths, lies, and falsehoods for personal power, and rightly so. When discussing the media’s role in spreading and fanning the flames of COVID, we include social media and hold these tech companies responsible for their roles. Nobody is “Too Big To Fail!”
  4. If the elected officials, including judges, refuse to listen to you, begin the recall procedures! Refuse your consent to be governed! You own the power of and the keys to the government, and it is past time for the government to begin fearing us, the electorate!

As the politicians take the rest of August off, lets us remind them who is in charge. Turn off your TV. Turn off your Cable. Turn off your social media. Call, text, email, and visit their town halls, demand an audience with the elected officials. Get heard!

© 2021 M. Dave Salisbury
All Rights Reserved
The images used herein were obtained in the public domain; this author holds no copyright to the images displayed.

Sales Tax Holiday’s – Pure Politikal-Gimmickry

Angry Grizzly Bear Until I moved to New Mexico, I had never heard of a “Sales Tax Holiday.” As a kid, I learned about rebates from an economist who defined rebates as money that did not have to be charged, which pays for a program to give some money back after the purchase concludes. However, rarely are rebates actual cash returns, but get “built” into the price to sell the product. Consider all the gimmicks and rebates involved in selling a car, and you know the truth and deceptiveness of rebates. Sales tax holidays are one of the biggest scams perpetrated in 17-different U.S. states, and it is time to rip the bandage off this festering wound and apply some sunshine disinfectant!

What is Politics?

Politics is too often a word with so much baggage; people become confused and stop listening after hearing the word politics. According to Webster:

As a Noun, “the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.”

- “The activities of governments concerning the political relations between countries.”
- “The academic study of government and the state.”
- “Activities within an organization that is aimed at improving someone’s status or position and are typically considered to be devious or divisive.”
- “A particular set of political beliefs or principles.”
- “The assumptions or principles relating to or inherent in a sphere, theory, or thing, especially when concerned with power and status in a society.”

As a Verb, politic/s is derogatory and is defined as “engaging in political activities.”

Knowledge Check! From Old French Politique “political,” Latin from Greek Politikos, and Politẽs “citizen” and Polis “city.” Thus, we have described the term politics in all its glory and inhumanity. Is the term more understood?

Politics is a descriptive tool used to identify certain human activities where power is sought, and devious means and divisive gestures are employed to obtain that power. Every action tied to securing power through devious means and divisive gestures is politics or political, which means derogatory. For those needing more, derogatory is “showing a critical or disrespectful attitude.” Thus, at the root, politicians by their very name and nature are derogatory towards those who elect them into power.

What is Realpolitik?

Bobblehead Doll Realpolitik is politics or diplomacy based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors, rather than explicit ideological notions or moral and ethical premises. For a long time, the American public has witnessed the same political gamesmanship (realpolitik) in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency. All because those in power have intentionally blurred the line between a Republic and a Democracy to stay in control. Never does realpolitik benefit the rule of law or provide equality as a primary and fundamental governance position.

Sales Taxes

Use the link on Sales Taxes to appreciate progressive and regressive taxes more fully. The sales tax sits at the highest pinnacle for regression of all the progressive ideas needing to be eliminated. Consider this, in states with the highest sales taxes, the sales tax is a reversed pyramid scheme where the final consumer winds up paying taxes on business-to-business transactions, dynamically increasing the price of the final goods or services delivered. Gravy Train 3

From an article on sales taxes by the Tax Foundation, we find the following important information:

“Narrow sales tax bases reduce collections, but more importantly, they make the tax less neutral and less economically efficient. Many states exempt certain goods (like groceries or clothing) from the sales tax for political reasons, excluding many consumer services (such as dry cleaning, haircuts, or tax preparation) largely by historical accident. Most states instituted their sales taxes during the Great Depression, when services made up a much smaller portion of the economy. Since then, the portion of total U.S. personal consumption dedicated to services has grown significantly, while the purchase of goods has declined. This trend has contributed to the erosion of states’ sales tax bases over time, an unintentional base narrowing that puts upward pressure on sales tax rates.”

How can a person tell that sales tax schemes create inequitable tax bases:

“Curiously, a policy expressly designed to inject progressivity into sales taxes—an exemption for groceries—largely fails to accomplish its purpose. Studies suggest that the exclusion of groceries beyond the necessary exemption for food purchased using SNAP or WIC does not favor lower earners.”

What is a Sales Tax Holiday?

Lemmings 2 Simply put, a sales tax holiday is a day, usually just a single day when the government allows you to purchase goods and services without paying a sales tax on the receipt. However, all the other sales taxes are still built into the cost of the good or service; just on this special day, the final receipt sales tax is not charged. Sales tax holidays are one of the most inefficient and ineffective methods of “sharing unanticipated government money surpluses with the taxpaying public.”

How do we know sales tax holidays are a gimmick, are ineffective and inefficient, and are nothing but the practice of realpolitik? In 2017, the Federal Reserve researched and found that sales tax holidays only shift normal patterns of purchases, not spurring economic growth, not increasing sales, just moving sales to a holiday to see a minor benefit on regularly planned purchases. What’s worse, sales tax holidays discriminate unequally, making taxpayers the fool.

Tax Scheme 2 For example, Florida in 2021 held a “Freedom Week” where camping supplies and outdoor hobby supplies were tax-exempt. As a disabled person, I cannot camp. As an empty nester, there are not many outdoor hobbies for myself and my retired spouse to enjoy where we need supplies. Thus, people like myself and my spouse would not benefit from “Freedom Week.” The same goes for tax-exempt school supplies; not having children in school, we do not benefit from a sales tax holiday as kids prepare to go back to school.

Worse, those in the lowest income brackets, guess what, they do not benefit from sales tax holidays either! Just like in the example above regarding the sales tax “exemption for groceries—largely fails to accomplish its purpose and does not favor lower-income earners. Hence the politikal-gimmickry of sales tax holidays. If your circumstances do not allow you to participate in the sales tax holiday on the exact day (or days) provided by your state, you lose, and the politicians could care less.

Janelle Cammenga, writing for The Tax Foundation, makes the following case:

“Sales tax holidays are political gimmicks that distract from genuine, permanent tax relief. Sales tax holidays are free marketing for businesses to advertise for a 4-7% discount on products. If a state must offer a “holiday” from its tax system, it is implicit that the tax system is uncompetitive. If policymakers want to save money for consumers, they should work to reduce the sales tax rate year-round.”

Tax Burden I agree, mightily, sales taxes are progressive, which makes them a poor tax, to begin with. Adding sales tax holidays make a sales tax worse! Yet, they are sold to the public as if they were the best thing since sliced white bread. While it may be true that taxes are the cost of society, there are better ways to collect taxes, and there are infinitely better ways to spend taxpayer dollars than the profligate waste we see happening daily!

© 2021 M. Dave Salisbury
All Rights Reserved
The images used herein were obtained in the public domain; this author holds no copyright to the images displayed.

Democracy vs. Republic – American Governance

Please note: A republican method of governance does not mean everyone belongs to and votes the “Republican Party” ticket. Nor, does the democratic governance method mean everyone adhering belongs to the “Democratic Party” ticket. The political party is not the style of governance, and this is the first distinction that must be realized. No political party deserves your support, unless they espouse, and live, what you want them to espouse and live. America has had good and poor elected officials from both major political parties. America has even changed major political parties; and this is a good thing!

The Duty of Americans Too often people are confusing democracy, democratic governance, and the American Republic. Talking heads in the media get this wrong all the time. Hollywood has never gotten the distinction correct, ever. But, this ignorance might be by design as Hollywood has always been a breeding ground for disinformation, propaganda, and elitist posturing. Regardless of the political party, or lack of political party, every American citizen should be able to recognize Democracy from Republican styles of governance. The following uses real events to help distinguish the line.

A democracy, at its most basic level, can be described and defined by the control of an organization by the majority of its members. A simple majority is all it takes to gain the high ground and punish the loser. A simple majority is if 100 people gather in a room, they need 51 to agree to support a single idea. Democracies are full of simple majorities who then try to proclaim a moral high ground, and then attempt to extrapolate the single simple majority into a system of keeping the simple majority.

A republic begins with the philosophy and doctrine that embraces equality between its members as the ideal in governance. Recognizing that today’s majority is tomorrow’s minority, rules provide equality between people, and all titles are transitory. A republic is messy; equality in treatment under the law allows for every person to have the same opportunity because their inalienable rights have provided them with eternal potential to become anything they desire. This is especially true when a person desires through their actions, attitudes, and behaviors, which is not desired by the rest of the society, provided the individual does not break the law. However, laws are not changed to outlaw behaviors, curb ideas, or infringe upon inalienable rights as laid out and codified in the Bill of Rights.

Lady Justice For example, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) – Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), recently sent a report regarding an investigation of Peter Shelby, the previous VA Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration (HR&A), who steered a $5 million contract for the benefit of individuals with whom he had a personal relationship. This is a prime example of democracy in action. The person in charge had to pay for the simple majority that kept him in power. Consider the following direct consequences of Mr. Shelby’s actions.

“The contract … included talent assessment services for evaluating whether to hire or promote candidates. When the contract concluded in August 2019, it became evident that VA had purchased services far in excess of what it could use. VA used only 232 of the 17,000 one-year training licenses it purchased for $3.8 million and VA received no value whatsoever for the talent assessment services because required privacy and security certifications were not obtained.”

Mr. Shelby was allowed to resign when he discovered he was about to be fired from Government service. Thus, he keeps all his retirement, all his Federal benefits, and the money gained from his ill-gotten ventures. In many countries around the world, these actions are considered, “Realpolitik.” Realpolitik is politics or diplomacy based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors, rather than explicit ideological notions or moral and ethical premises. In America, Mr. Shelby’s actions are illegal and should have been punished accordingly.

Government Largess 3 The American Public has witnessed the same political gamesmanship (realpolitik) in the US House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency, for a long time. All because, the line between a Republic and a Democracy has been intentionally blurred by those in power, to stay in power. Never does realpolitik benefit the rule of law, or provide equality as a basic and fundamental position of governance. Bringing into the conversation the critical quality of genetic behavior and the exponential growth of behavior from one generation to the next. If Mr. Shelby’s actions can be traced upwards through the behavior of elected officials; how many more unethical behaviors are hiding inside the government workforce waiting for their opportunity to practice realpolitik at the expense of the veterans, taxpayers, and citizenry of America?

Genetic behavioral growth is witnessed when a congressional member is allowed to bend an ethical rule in the name of politics so the simple majority can be sustained. The next generations are the governors and state legislatures who then replicate and advance that unethical behavior to one that is blatantly illegal, but not “really bad.” Extramarital affairs, drug use or abuse, alcohol abuse, spouse abuse, homosexuality, etc., are all not “really bad,” laws that are regularly shattered and overlooked to maintain the simple majority. This then leads employees of governments to act in a looser and more illegal or unethical manner, stealing the public money, misusing government tools and supplies, or in the case of Peter Shelby, forming a relationship and then steering a $5 Million-dollar contract to the entity that most benefits him.

Behavior-Change In a republic, those in power recognize the genetic nature of their behavior, understand that any lapses in good judgment are dangerous, and work to live in a manner that first allows for equality among all. Even if they must tell another person no. Consider how much corruption is in Washington, D.C., and every state capital in America, all because the simple majority has lured good people into acting against their principles, against the Republican form of American governance, and against the law established and maintained by the people, for the people, and of the people. The simple majority will always, to maintain power, refuse to say no, set boundaries, and live by rules and laws. The republican form of government lives by nothing else but the rules and the laws because equality only occurs under the rule of law.

Notice something important, the first rule of realpolitik is to disconnect the equality of everyone for the power of ruling. Just as in the book “1984” we see some are more equal than others; which is an extension of democracy. Then, realpolitik disconnects explicit notions of morality and ethics from actions and behaviors. Thus, equality is the first casualty in the hostile takeover of democracy.

Consider labor unions for a moment. Disney produced the movie, “Invincible,” or the story of Vince Papale and the NFL Eagles. In the movie, there is a union striking, and one sign is made clear, “Striking is DEMOCRACY IN ACTION” [emphasis in original]. The truth in this lie is that strikes are selfish, and represents democracy perfectly. But, the strike is not democracy in action, the labor union is democracy in action as a legal “pyramid scheme.” The strike of a labor union, along with all the other work slowdowns, bureaucracies, and other silly games played to thwart republic governance are but tools of democratic leaders to exercise their power.

Religious Thought The labor union spouts a lot of good democratic styled speeches; but acts like thugs, for the benefit of the elected few, at the cost of the dues-paying members. Proving that democracy is the last thing a labor union wants as the labor union remains a Marxist method of governance. Take any labor union, anywhere in the world, and you will find the elected officials living large on the backs, sweat, and labor of the dues-paying members. The fewest of the few long-term dues-paying members will be provided benefits and a lifestyle to be desired, but never obtained, even though the dues have been paid, the labor performed, and the sacrifices made. The Wall Street Journal has covered the loss of benefits paid for through dues payments, and while the Wall Street Journal does it’s best to keep the union out of the picture, it is not the company’s filing lawsuits, but the unions.

Always, the same principle determines the separation between democracy and republican governance, equality under the law. The solution is not found in more government programs to “level the playing field,” which is a democratic principle that has never worked! The solution is found in less government. Equality under the law is not found in government force; but, in less government potential to exercise that force. In the 1980s President Reagan was heralded for his nationalizing of the air traffic controllers; thus, ending a strike of the national air traffic controllers. But, the air traffic controllers still have the same inequalities, same problems, and the same issues as experienced under the air traffic control unions. Nothing changed fundamentally, and this overreach of government, “for public safety,” has kept the air traffic controller in bondage. Sure, the cage is nicer, but the cage is still a cage; only now, there is no possible way of escaping the cage. The same is true of railroad workers, teachers, and so many other employees kept under a labor union’s thumb, or government mandate.

In a democracy, it is perfectly acceptable to maintain the simple majority through nefarious means and ends. Whereas in a republic, the equality that keeps everyone equally refuses the nefarious types every society produces from having a purchase hold to establish themselves. Consider the violence that has rocked America since May 2020. Consider also, all the violence that has shocked and dismayed America since the Watts Riots in 1965. The Watts Riots are a perfect template reflecting the problems of democracy.

The media, and many people in government including most of the judicial branch, allowed personal anger over issues to become a violent outpouring, where the victim was the community and not the actual target of the violence. People acted in a selfish manner, with a total lack of self-control, and the community of Watts burned to the ground. The land is barren, dreams destroyed and lives ruined. Since the Watts Riots, the community has reached out for more democratic solutions, as if this was not the reason the Watts Riots happened in the first place. Fast forward from 1965, and every riot since has been glorified for their anger levels, because this helps feed the democratic solutions, keeping people unequal, refusing people their eternal potential, and denying inalienable rights to maintain power and authority.

America, we need to stop the lies that democracy is the “American Way.” Superman was correct, “Truth and Justice” are the American Way, which is the Republican manner of governance. America was established upon the fundamental principle that ALL are first equal under the law. Sure, we have not always lived up to the ideal; but, we are human. Our humanness is allowing us to falter, not fail. We fail the great American Republic every time we allow a democratic solution that forces people onto unequal terms. We stumble, we fall, when we forget that equality is precious and considering all to have the same equality means allowing people to suffer consequences of attitudes and behaviors.

President Adams When one person can be supported in their immorality because of their money (Jackson, Kennedy, Epstein, Clinton, Weinstein, etc.) when others are punished for the same crimes (pedophiles, murderers, thieves, rapists, etc.) we have a democracy. When all, regardless of money, titles, political power, etc. are held to the same laws and legal standards the great American Republic survives and gains strength. To rebuild the American Republic, we must first cleanse the inward vessel, removing from public office all those who refuse the blessings and work of a republic for the ease and captivity of a democracy.

The author holds no claims for the art used herein, the pictures were obtained in the public domain, and the intellectual property belongs to those who created the pictures.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davesalisbury/

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