JustThinking.us

Shikha Dalmia on Resisting ObamaCare, Gandhi Style, in forbes.com, March 24:

By foisting ObamaCare on a deeply unwilling country he might have set the stage for the largest civil disobedience movement since the civil rights era, which, if it plays its cards right, could undo his legislation and his legacy. . . .

By some estimates, Uncle Sam will need to hire an additional 17,000 IRS agents or so just to enforce the coverage mandate. But even if a few million Americans simultaneously refuse to abide by it [or pay the fine], they could easily overwhelm the system. Self-rule or swaraj, Gandhi said, requires a collective understanding of the immense capacity of citizens to "regulate and control" the coercive apparatus of the state through mass nonviolent resistance.

President Obama and his fellow Democrats are counting on this resistance petering out. That could happen. But it will be a lot easier for opponents to maintain this zeal in the age of social networking. . . . After all, this issue is not just about the fate of an industry. It is about maintaining control over basic decisions about one's own life and health.

Obituaries suck.

They pretty much have to.

Who the hell has the time to give a rat's ass about some other guy's friend?

What newspaper has the column inches to give anyway? 

The man below, you couldn't do justice to in ten thousand words.

The final issue here has to do with the fact that he wouldn't want it anyway.

Gerhard preferred to "keep things quiet".

So, I'll say this much and then leave it alone.

One of the two or three most honorable men I've ever known.

Gerhard Stadler Sr.

November 10, 1927 - March 19, 2010

Gerhard Stadler, Sr., beloved husband of Isabella (nee Baumgartner). Loving father of Katharina (Werner) Linder, Gerhard Jr. and Dr. Frank (Dr. Marcia Lu). Cherished grandfather of Alexander Linder; Christian, Nicholaus and Isabella Stadler. Gerhard worked at the First National Bank of Chicago for 30 years where he became Vice President. As a world renowed expert of precious metals, he began the Precious Metals Department. He later continued his expertise as Vice President of LaSalle National Bank. For the past 15 years, he owned and operated Water Tower Precious Metals at Lakeside Bank.

Rest in peace my friend.

Ok, in the first chart below, we see the ratio of workers to beneficiaries go from 41.9 to 3.3.

Then, in the table further below, we see the tax rate move from 2% to 15.3%.

Hmmmmmmm .............

The Heritage Foundation strikes again.

That sucker dove from 41.9 to about 9 in about half a heartbeat.

From The Tax Foundation

Click anywhere below to link up to the complete chart.

I like to troll through Dr.Mark Perry's blog every week or so.

Dr. Perry is a professor at the University of Michigan, Flint Campus, School of Management.

Here's a nice table that illustrates what might be the single most profound issue with the "Social Security Trust Fund".

We are living a lot longer.

But retiring younger.

Click anywhere in the chart for Mr. Perry's fine blog, "Carpe Diem"

The result?

The solution???

You ain't gonna like it!!!

Raise the retirement age from 61 and 65 to 67 and 71.