Entrepreneur Driven Education Reform

I trust Minerva is only the tip of the iceberg for entrepreneur driven education reform. The exiting institutions are overpriced and underperform, creating great opportunities for new players, who think outside the box. For example: Why should it take 4 years to earn a BS in electrical engineering. Fast learners using an interactive digital curriculum may finish at their own speed, may be in 1 or 2 years. May be Bill Gates and Steve Jobs would have earned a degree, if they were able to proceed at their own pace. Being held back by the slow learners is a serious shortcoming of the outdated lecture format.

Economic Freedom in the World

The data is in. If we apply logic, we can end the argument. The data compiled for over 140 countries in both, the "2010 Index of Economic Freedom" by the Heritage Foundation and the "2010 Economic Freedom in the World" report by the Frasier Institute, clearly show that economic growth and per capita income increases and poverty decreases with Economic Freedom. The reports also show why some poor countries remain poor and others improve.

It seems the Robin Hood or Socialist idea is emotionally very attractive and economists touting Socialism of one form or an other are politically motivated.

Snowden and the NSA

Our image abroad has been hurt by our immense data collection worldwide, not by Snowden getting asylum in Russia. Our data collection activities receive more attention in foreign news media than here at home. In Germany the NSA is compared to the STASI (State Security Police in East Germany).

The Military/Industrial Complex (MIC) now feels threatened by Snoden's disclosures. The MIC has most of Congress, Democrat & Republicans alike, and the mainstream media in their pocket. This is evidenced by the House Leadership clamp down on the popular Amash amendment to CISPA. As the the distrust of government rises, the MIC will clamp down more & more on our personal and economic freedom.

I hope the Republican Leadership's support for the NSA program will backfire.

America Land of Liberty?

We take claim to be the worlds beacon of liberty, while we spy on our citizens, use government agencies (i.e. IRS) to go after political enemies, forfeit private property without a trial, authorize the President to suspend Habeas Corpus and use SWAT teems to break into peoples homes.  It does not help being #18 on the latest Frasier Institute "Economic Freedom in The World" report right after Qatar.

Our Economic Decline

We should look in our own backyard for the reason our economy is hardly growing any longer. Our social engineers have have caused the slowdown by diverting money previously re-invested in the economy, into financing failed social programs. Rather than helping people to get a good education, become independent and earn their own living, these wise guys enslave them on Uncle Sam's Plantation.

Lets not forgot to mention that power hungry politicians have grabbed the power away from businessmen and entrepreneurs and put them into a regulation straight jacket.

A farmer, who consumes most of his harvest (of course he has an urgent need for the crop) and does not reinvest enough of the seeds into the next crop will gradually produce less and less. Of course for a while, he can borrow seeds from another well managed farm, but that does not reverse the downtrend.

The "Government by the People" Dilemma

The first priority of incumbent, power hungry politicians is to get re-elected.  So they have rigged the system to remain in power forever.  And rather than think, many voters vote their feelings, making the political TV ads highly effective.  The money for the TV ads is provided by special interest groups (PACs), who in turn control the politicians.  Meanwhile, the voter have little power to change the rigged system and have to wait till the power hunger of the political class results in self destruction, taking the rest of us with them on the road to hell.

Libertarians voting for their own candidate

It is certainly true that Gary Johnson may Obama get reelected. This however is not Gary Johnson's fault. Its the fault of an electoral system that amplifies the power of the majority at the expense of political minorities. We have seen the results, a dictatorship if the majority, when one party controls everything and conversely, government disfunction when control is split. 

A system akin to the European one would allow for coalitions and if the Libertarian Party won 5%, it could work together with the Republicans and retire Obama. Our system achieves the exact opposite.and may get Obama reelected.

Of course the two parties like it that way. They don't even want to listen to minority opinions. The RNC changed party rules retroactively to keep Ron Paul from having a greater voice at the convention. So we are stuck in a system that suppresses political minorities. That in it self may contribute to the eventual demise of the great American Idea - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.