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Tag(s): Decline; Ethics; Future; Government; Job Unemployment; Law; Law Enforcement; Lawsuits; Lawsuits Litigation; Liberty; (more...) Peace; Time; Work (less...)
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April 22, 2008 at 12:07:14

Headlined on 4/22/08:
Destroying America; One Law at a Time:

by Mike Folkerth Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Good Morning Middle America, your King of Simple News is on the air.

After I wrote the piece yesterday regarding 5,369,000 people becoming job seekers at the end of May, I picked up the newspaper and there was an article about young people finding that jobs are very elusive this year.

There are more factors than the failing economy that have led to low employment for summer jobs. Not the least of which are labor laws. As a young man, I worked for the farmers in our area for $1.00 per hour plus benefits. The benefits were lunch and an occasional jug of root beer of cold watermelon when we came in from the hay fields.

Today, the requirement of minimum wage, tax collection, liability, safety concerns and poor work ethics have nearly ruled out hiring younger people. Having a kid mow our yard exposes us to great liability. Should he or she get injured while on your property, a lawsuit is in order.

Did you check your young mower’s workers comp insurance? What about a liability policy? Did you run them through a safety course? Do you have signs up saying, “Do Not Stick Your Hand or Foot in the Lawnmower?”

I’m sure that labor laws were passed with good intention, but then my old dad use to say that the road to hell is also paved with good intentions. The point is that more laws create the need for more lawyers and fewer real jobs.

Some years back, the general aviation business was literally sued out of existence. Companies like Piper and Cessna at one time closed their doors entirely. Hundreds of thousands of people lost good jobs as the liability became too costly to manage.

These are just a couple of examples of what ails America’s Middle Class employment. Life isn’t safe and blaming others for anything and everything that goes wrong is just another nail in Middle America’s coffin. If you don’t want to get hurt, stay in the house and watch Maury, but don’t come around messin’ up my life.

At some point, sanity has to come back. Our future is in our past for the most part. Americans could and did outperform the world, until our government hijacked the bus. They don’t call ‘em lawmakers for nothing.

American’s have become bound and hogtied with laws of every shape and kind that control nearly every aspect of our personal and business lives. They drag us down and cost us time and jobs. We nearly need permission from the government to go to the bathroom without breaking a law.

How many lawyers are there in the United States? 1,143,358 at the end of 2007. So that means we need more police, more judges, more jails, and more nails in the Middle Class coffin.

“I have seen the enemy and it is us.”

“When there are too many policemen, there can be no liberty.
When there are too many soldiers, there can be no peace.
When there are too many lawyers, there can be no justice.”

Lin Yutang (1895-1976), Chinese-American writer, translator, and editor.

www.kingofsimple.com

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10 comments

I'm a 29 year old male.
TyI'm a 29 year old male.

Laws

The problem isn't laws but the failure to enforce the law. You seem to want anarchy. Free market economics and corporatism is what's destroying America. Minimum wage laws and government regulation of businesses have nothing to do with unemployment. As far as liability people and businesses must be held accountable when they cause harm to others and break the law.

by Ty (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 888 comments) on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 9:24:32 PM

Just a rock'n roll girl caught between DC and NY. Currently doing PR for a non profit called the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund.
Suzanne SmithJust a rock'n roll girl caught between DC and NY. Currently doing PR for a non profit called the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund.

I agree

with both above points of view...However, I don't think the author is asserting that anarchy is the solution, but I must say, our country does not feel so free these days. In other countries you can climb hills and volcanoes without having to sign a waiver, and I must say, it is refreshing. It's like we're a bunch of juveniles in the US that can't be trusted. Our country is over-regulated, and I blame greed. I'm not a big believer in the invisible hand of the free market at all - but why is it that we're the only country where the masses constantly proclaim we're #1, but sue one other at first opportunity? It's embarrassing. Corporations need the regulating- they never do the right thing, but I do, so would should I have to suffer. It's Greed, my friends. That's how it all started and that's what drives everything. This country is ridiculous.

by Suzanne Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 20 comments) on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 10:40:13 PM

Bia Winter is an Artist/Writer from Maine, and has been an activist and letter-writer since the 60's. In 2004 she received the Roger Baldwin Award from the Maine American Civil Liberties Union for furthering Democracy after she got a Resolution Against the USA"Patriot"Act passed in her small home town of Mount Vernon, by overwhelming show-of-hands vote at Town Meeting. She continues to Write, Activate and Cartoon for Progressive causes. Her Letters are often seen in the Baltimore Chronicle, as w...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Bia WinterBia Winter is an Artist/Writer from Maine, and has been an activist and letter-writer since the 60's. In 2004 she received the Roger Baldwin Award from the Maine American Civil Liberties Union for furthering Democracy after she got a Resolution Against the USA"Patriot"Act passed in her small home town of Mount Vernon, by overwhelming show-of-hands vote at Town Meeting. She continues to Write, Activate and Cartoon for Progressive causes. Her Letters are often seen in the Baltimore Chronicle, as w...

to see more of bio, click on member name

GREED is exactly why you NEED regulation, Suzanne

The author sounds off the same old tired Repug Canard about Laws (even as they disregard them to a criminal extent never seen before!) without even mentioning REGULATION of CORPORATIONS. (against that too, Mike?)

Ah, yes, THERE's the rub!

Surely we can see by now -Earth Day or no -what massive DE-Regulation has gotten us!

Simple, indeed. Simple minded!

by Bia Winter (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 10 diaries, 419 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 11:22:32 AM

Virginia Simson is a spiritual journalista/activist who runs a visionary planetary tutorial blogspot, www.ladybroadoak.blogspot.com as well as a blog on the uranium industry and depleted uranium at www.lowlevelradiation.blogspot.com. She feels that we must educate the young as to the real issues of the day - economics, clean energy, a drug free lifestyle, friendship and concern for the environment. We must plan for seven generations in the future. She unconditionally supports impeachment and...

to see more of bio, click on member name
ladybroadoakVirginia Simson is a spiritual journalista/activist who runs a visionary planetary tutorial blogspot, www.ladybroadoak.blogspot.com as well as a blog on the uranium industry and depleted uranium at www.lowlevelradiation.blogspot.com. She feels that we must educate the young as to the real issues of the day - economics, clean energy, a drug free lifestyle, friendship and concern for the environment. We must plan for seven generations in the future. She unconditionally supports impeachment and...

to see more of bio, click on member name

A return to the rule of law demands ..

Build up a yellow red white black global movement DEMANDING impeachment. Get out the Americocentric thinking and pay attention to the WORLD demand for justice.

Get out the word on what is really happening and make a movement to get economic sanctions against anyone supporting this bloodless coup that took over in 2000 - with the blessing of HiLAIRy Clinton who could not run herself. That great manager who is supposed to put America on track - in fact that one she PUT off track, using a voter base of dependent personalities to get her to be the RULER OF THE ENTIRE WORLD.

the way to HURT them who supportr her is sto cripple their pocketbooks. People are STILL capitulating all over themselves. (look at Ralph Nadar, folks@ GEt over your resentments, that way lies hope, real hope.)

NOT ONE MEMBER OF CONGRESS DESERVES support if they do not support that strike at this late date.

The actions of Ron Paul are absolutley disgusting and yet people KEEP GIVING THIS MAN MONEY!!

I write constantly, resolutely for impeachment - I don't get a single dime and NO support from supposedly antiwar "activists" Yet I get ignored again and again because I live in povery in exile. I know what it took to end the Vietnam war - I was there I was active even then. The biggest thing that worked was showing pictures of babies who were born with agent orange and the massive energy coming from returning troops who said ENOUGH! We never got the General Strike we were after, but we sure tried hard.

Now we have winter soliders whose voices were lost to the MSM but they are available to be heard. We have IAVA.org exposing the homelessness and abuses and releasing the number of those actually harmed in Irak (the du numbers are not fully known yet, btw)

So lets show people the pictures of 9 year old prostitutes working Syria to be breadwinners . victims of Saudi rich guys in bars. Let's show people pictures of orphanages in Baghdad orpaniges, and the du babies in Afghanistan. This is no time to "make nice".

And the general strike day, the url information to appoint a special prosecutor should be given out, just as I posted it, here on OpEd News.

The IMPORTANT information contains the international laws that apply that can help us build a rainbow coaltion. We need environmentalists, those who are losing them homes, people sick of racism, all human rights activists, people who have been living in fear of a war in Iran, or Syria, people who are truly sickened by the genocide in Gaza, children who want a future, those opposing the truly toxic Texas fence ..

Forget Keith Olbermann. write and demand he cover the general strike and demands impeachment himelf!! then support him. Write Jonathan Turley.

red, white, brown, yellow and ALL global citizens involved - it really is a matter of now or never as who knows what it next. To depend on the Democratic part at this late stage of the game would be laughable if it were not so tragic. THERE IS NO LEADERSHIP THERE. The attic of the democratic party where the progressive believe hope can be had is NOT ENOUGH. Too late, Jose.

When someone attacks the US or tortures a US soldier the US cycnic has only themselves to blame .. no more finger pointing at everyone in the BuZh adminstration; it's a culture condoning TORTURE of every living thing on this planet if you just cuddle yourself with PHONEY CNN news. A brief real veiw of what is happening globally that economic stimulus checks can not buy moral responsibility in an insane world.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_ladybroa_080411_we_al_l_need_to_be_o.htm

Put the entire thing on CDROMS, hand it around -- this is important information. Get your neighbors involved, take it to churches what ever you NEED to do, not what you WANT to do - -that way lays DYSFUNCTION.

I have been around long enough on this planet to see that SEXISM, systemic SEXISM is still around and florishing and I get totally ignored here on a supposedly progressive site.

But for the sake of me, my sons, my grandchildren, I am appearling to everyone who reads this thread. Read that information, dispense it, sign my global citizens petition and pass it around!

It is absolutely disappointing to see how few signed my petition, a real heart breaker and IT SHOULD NOT BE SO.

And lastly, write th ICC yourselves, tell them of your complaints. Also call the ACLU and tell them not one more penny and no membership until they release their impeachment brochure. FOR SHAME! they add to people's cyncicism, they are NOT doing the right thing.

Our motto should be DO THE RIGHT THING - and it should go right across the board and bring people together at last. That means THEY do the right thing as WE do the right thing.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/genera_ladybroa_080215_special_prosecutor_i.htm

ave posted are difficult to access - so here is a direct link to my articles on Blackwater -

http://ladybroadoak.blogspot.com/search/label/Blackwater

And I specifically refer you to this item:

http://ladybroadoak.blogspot.com/2008/01/blackwater-legal-remedy-recommendation.htm

Immediate Appointment of Special Prosecutor

As a result of the expected pardons, a special prosecutor should be appointed immediately

Commencement of Impeachment Proceedings

As a result of the expected pardons, on the day after the November elections, the House of Representatives should impeach George W. Bush and Richard “Dick” Cheney for high crimes -- torture -- violating the following statutes, among others:

18 USC 3231
18 USC Sections 2340-2340A
18 USC 2441

Please note the strategic importance of simply presenting the impeachment to members of the House with no hearings and an immediate vote on the day after the November elections. There is no reason for hearings or delay, since George W. Bush has admitted the criminal act that is the basis of the impeachment.

International Crimes Not Subject to Pardon Power

It is worth pointing out that torture violations of the Law of War and international treaties are not subject to the Presidential pardon power. We will see these individuals on trial in the Hague for their publicly confessed war crimes.

“Above the Law: Unlawful Executive Authorizations Regarding Detainee Treatment, Secret Renditions, Domestic Spying and Claims to Unchecked Executive Power,” Jordan J. Paust, Utah Law Review, 2007, Number 2, Pages 345 to 419

Article available free at: click here not let CONgress vote one more penny towards WAR until they appoint a special prosecutor - whey should your hard earned dollars support THEM.

ThinK; They are all riding in Limos, while your relatives are going homeless to fund this INSANE and DELUSIONAL war. They are polluting YOUR skies with chemtrails, feeing you GM foods, asking you to stay IN DENIAL.

I posted the first link to the ILWU strike . the feds are all over them as racketters !! Why is the DoJ paying for THAT instead of going after the gubbermint? Why is John Yoo not charged with crimes? Why was Valerie Plame outted and no justice has been served?

Call up members of the National Lawyers Guild in your town, get them to hand out information with in the malls, SERIOUSLY. Now ist NOT the time for cycnicism and excuses.

Please sign this now to show her WE MEAN BUSINESS!!

http://www.petitiononline.com/everyman/petition.html

To: U.S. House of Representatives Online Petition to Remove Pelosi as Speaker of the House of Representatives by Scott Creighton

My OWN global petition demands signatories now!!

Here is the link:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/global-people-for-the-impeachment-of-richard-cheney

There is NO REASON to fear signing this now: The mainstream media has now turned the momentum in our favor!!

And please don't put online petitions DOWN, they are IMPORTANT educational tools -and the Feds hate them, trust me.

Take all this and make appointments with your state's attorney general and tell them .. we will get rid of you if you don't uphold your oath of office.

The NLG should be visiting California's AG very shortly over the John Yoo issue.

STAY TUNED, stay up, stay on their case. STay focussed; my best advice.

The Bilderbergers meet in June, the crazies in government are trying to get sweet trade deals for themselves, the torturers aren't punished, the nation is on it's knees and you say SITUATION HOPELESS. Don't buy it.

Think global, think local act out against the regime as best you can.

All I can do is put out pamphlets . and I do it on a very skinny dime but I do it everyday, so can you. This is the fight of a life time. Rage, rage against the dieing of the light! DO THE RIGHT THING.

by ladybroadoak (38 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 391 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 3:42:05 AM

Mike Folkerth is the author of "The Biggest Lie Ever Believed" and is not your run-of-the-mill author of finance and economics.

The former real estate broker, developer, private real estate fund manager, auctioneer, Alaskan bush pilot, restaurateur, U.S. Navy veteran, heavy equipment operator, taxi cab driver, fishing guide, horse packer and few jobs too embarrassing to mention, writes from experience and plain common sense.

Mike’s humorous systems of “Mikeronomics” ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Mike FolkerthMike Folkerth is the author of "The Biggest Lie Ever Believed" and is not your run-of-the-mill author of finance and economics.

The former real estate broker, developer, private real estate fund manager, auctioneer, Alaskan bush pilot, restaurateur, U.S. Navy veteran, heavy equipment operator, taxi cab driver, fishing guide, horse packer and few jobs too embarrassing to mention, writes from experience and plain common sense.

Mike’s humorous systems of “Mikeronomics” ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Suzanne

You are correct, I don't suggest anarchy, but Ty always writes a nasty gram on my pieces.

Not long ago I wrote an article in which I pointed out that In 1927, Ryan Aircraft designed and built the "Spirit of St.Louis" in 60 days. Charles Lindbergh, with minimal testing, flew the Spirit non stop from New York to Paris.

In 1942, in 8 months and 11 days, the Army Corps of Engineers built 1543 miles of the most difficult road ever attempted on earth. We know it today as the "Alaskan Highway," or the "Alcan."

Why can't we do this today? Laws, government oversight, permits and testing requirements and the list goes on.

We are so over regulated that doing business in the U.S. suffers as our employment sheds those regulations by going off shore.

The recession that we are entering is not a drill, this is the real thing. Thanks for the comment.

by Mike Folkerth (120 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 566 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 7:38:52 AM

i am a former teacher of 30 years with a history and political science major.I started getting politically active when Ronnie Regan ended my social security hopes for teahers
liberalsrocki am a former teacher of 30 years with a history and political science major.I started getting politically active when Ronnie Regan ended my social security hopes for teahers

folkerth stinks

protectecting lifes from abuse and harm is not overregulation it is pure greed that motivates getting rid of regulations.In the old days when a worker lost an arm or leg or died from poiseness vapor in a factory it was his or her tough luck and it happened with frequency,if you know anything about our history.He lies the companies are going overseas because of regulations costing money.Tfhe companies are going overseas becuase they can pay slave wages in other countries and get away with it.If you want to bring back slavery then Folkerth is a good man to listen to a laisse faire Republican hack

by liberalsrock (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 128 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 9:08:38 AM

liberals rock

You totally missed the point of this piece and if you have followed my writing or had read my book, you would certainly not make these unjust comments.

For instance, the title of Chapter 10 in my book is, "People or Profits?" where I expose and condemn our current practices. I have constantly championed the Middle Class.

But if you believe that the most litigated society in the world makes for a work environment that is conducive to a prosperous nation, you are dead wrong.

The root of our decay cannot and will not be reversed with the passage of additional laws. The entrepreneurial spirit that made this country great, has been robbed by just such practices.

by Mike Folkerth (120 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 566 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 9:48:21 AM

Bia Winter

I can appreciate your concern for those who you see as victims. However, your approach to correcting such ills, displays a total misunderstanding of even the basic premise of my article.

You cannot legislate behavior; continually attempting to do so has resulted in the largest prison population in the world and an economy that is sliding to depression status.

by Mike Folkerth (120 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 566 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 11:52:50 AM

*****************************************************

Thomas Bonsell is a former newspaper editor (in Oregon, New York and Colorado) United States Air Force cryptanalyst and National Security Agency intelligence agent. He became one of American journalism's leading constitutional experts through years of study at Georgetown University Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., and tries (without much success) to be patient with people who argue endlessly on su...

to see more of bio, click on member name
tabonsell*****************************************************

Thomas Bonsell is a former newspaper editor (in Oregon, New York and Colorado) United States Air Force cryptanalyst and National Security Agency intelligence agent. He became one of American journalism's leading constitutional experts through years of study at Georgetown University Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., and tries (without much success) to be patient with people who argue endlessly on su...

to see more of bio, click on member name

LITIGATION IS YOUR SALVATION

You make two assumptions that are wrong. You say:

"But if you believe that the most litigated society in the world makes for a work environment that is conducive to a prosperous nation, you are dead wrong."

and:

"You cannot litigate behavior."

First off use litigation to reduce litigation, but that requires understanding the United States Constitution.

Article I, Section 8, paragraph 18, says laws are to be "necessary and proper." If you know of a labor law that is worthless and does nothing, it is not "necessary." If you know of a law that hurts business with no redeeming features, it is not "proper." So use the right of litigation to get any federal judge in the United States to set aside those laws as "unconstitutional." Since corporations have huge legal departments, there would be no additional cost to them to have the laws negated. Just bitching about laws and litigation does no good.

Laws are not intended to control behavior by litigation; they are created to give governments authority to punish people who misbehave or take actions the societies disapprove of.

PS: Litigation by Ralph Nader got many dangerous vehicles off the road and led to superior automobiles of today.

by tabonsell (29 articles, 0 quicklinks, 24 diaries, 263 comments) on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 5:16:17 PM

So..

So why didn't you make that distinction. Mike?

No, I haven't read your book... haven't had time yet, but when you post here you can't just assume everyone has read it, or wonder why people might question your argument if you leave out the most important point: we all deserve to have LAWS to regulate the big corporations and big money interests who will, GUARANTEED!, roll right over the little guy if they are NOT regulated.

Be clearer, not "Simple", or expect the flack, especially on this site!

by Bia Winter (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 10 diaries, 419 comments) on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 5:11:51 AM