Reclaiming Robin Hood

by: tim dunkin | published: 02 03, 2012

Maybe it's just a personal idiosyncrasy, but one thing that annoys me greatly is when people draw misleading or overblown historical analogies to try to support some argument they want to make. For instance, the way some writers try to fit American history into the mold of the Roman Empire – now we're in the Imperial Era, with George Bush as our Claudius, and Obama as our Nero, mourning the lost days of the old Republic. Nevermind that the Roman Republic was an aristocratic oligarchy which was in the habit of bestowing absolute dictatorial powers onto noteworthy individuals in times of crisis, which obviously in no way resembled the early days of America. Nor that the present day circus we call a “government”, as bad as it is, in any way approaches the autocratic imperialism of the Roman Principate. Yet, the obtuse analogy persists; usually it is bandied about by Pat Buchanan's acolytes.

But I digress. One analogy that finds a lot of currency in our modern political discourse is the story of Robin Hood. You may remember the story – Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, traipsing about Sherwood Forest, robbing the rich and giving to the poor, right? The references to this story in connection with wealth redistributionary schemes hatched by Democrats are legion. “Robin Hood Tax” is a stock in trade term for the press corp, and Robin himself is lionized as a shining example for every good and decent Democrat who ever selflessly picked the pocket of a productive person to give to a lazy welfare bum sitting at home on his couch watching Jerry Springer. One would almost think that instead of wearing his traditional Lincoln green, Robin should have been decked out in deep, deep red.

There's only one snag with all of this – the analogy is completely false. If you remember the story as it actually appears in the source documents, the enemies of Robin Hood were not “the rich” in general, but two rich guys in particular – Sir Guy of Gisborne and his toadyish lackey, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Now, the reason why these two were the enemies of our selfless hero Robin (himself, in some of the older ballads, portrayed as a dispossessed noble seeking revenge for his treatment at the hands of Sir Guy) was because of the extensive levying of taxes upon the common people of Nottingham. Robin would steal the shipments of oppressively-obtained tax monies – intended to be distributed by Sir Guy (after the evil usurper King John got his cut) to all the rest of his toadyish lackeys – and return them to those from whom they had been assessed to begin with. Far from “robbing the rich to give to the poor”, Robin Hood robbed burdensome government levies as they were being transported to the treasury to be squandered by medieval bureaucrats and hangers-on, and initiated his own on-the-spot tax refund system.

In other words, folks, Robin Hood was a right-wing Republican.

There's a reason the Robin Hood story – as it actually is – resonates with conservatives. It's because we know that wealth redistribution, and the ever-increasing burden of taxation upon the productive classes needed to sustain it, are inherently unjust. The story of Robin Hood is about the righting of wrongs, bringing justice to those who have suffered seemingly unredressable injustice. What conservative hasn't secretly fantasized about putting an arrow into the overfed rump of an IRS agent while “repossessing” his bags of gold to fling back to the adoring masses of the people who make this country work?

But alas, we're not really into the archery thing anymore. Instead, we work through what is called “the legislative process,” as glacial and unsatisfying as it may be. Unfortunately, this process has largely worked against us since Reagan left office. Nevertheless, we need to remind our elected officials of the principles surrounding taxation and the use of our monies, so that if we ever do get Republicans back into full control of the government, maybe we can scare a few good years of fiscal morality out of them.

I will grant that some taxation is necessary for civil society – we have to have some way to pay for roads, the military, etc. In this sense, the low level of taxation theoretically needed to sustain these is the price we pay for the mutual security of the commonwealth envisioned by Locke. At the same time, I will state unequivocably that taxation for the purposes of wealth redistribution is theft – pure and simple. Welfare is theft. Corporate welfare is theft. Bailing out losers who took out way more mortgage than they could ever possibly afford to pay back, that's theft too.

This brings us to the moral aspect of fiscal policy. Theft is not only inconvenient (even when it's legal), it is also morally wrong. I don't just mean this in an hyperbolic sense, I mean that literally. Politicians who use the power of government to shake down the productive classes as a means of securing the perpetual support of the unproductive are guilty of violating the 8th commandment – thou shalt not steal. Further – and I've actually preached this in the course of a series of messages on the Ten Commandments – voting for someone who promises to give you goodies for nothing is ALSO a violation of this commandment. You're still stealing, even when the actual act is done by a guy with a gun and a badge on your behalf.

Likewise, living your life with the expectation that other people are always going to give you things and support you, and in fact are obligated to do so, when you could jolly well provide for yourself is immoral as well. The Bible tells us in II Thessalonians 3:10,

“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

What does this mean? It means that it's GOD'S opinion that if you're a lazy good-for-nothing who refuses to work for your bread, then you deserve every hunger pang you suffer. Somehow, the “progressive,” social-gospel teaching religious leaders on the Left always seem to miss this verse. But it's right there, and it's very clear – morality includes working for a living if you are capable of doing so. Again, this would condemn the welfare state and the welfare mentality.

So you see, Robin Hood is not just an exciting adventure about right-wing Republicans in funny clothing. It's a timeless morality play about the wrongness of the government taking away from the workers, the productive, the people who make society run, and giving it to shiftless playboys and rapacious bureaucrats. Robin Hood speaks to the innate sense of right and wrong that each human being has within him or herself, before their consciences are seared with the hot iron of socialism. Opposing wealth redistribution is not just about the simple act of preserving our own possessions – it is indeed a moral and just act which we need to re-instill into our society and conservative elected officials.

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  Ricahrd Illingworth

  ROBIN HOOD Conservatism with a NB&A Twist

  A monk created pretzel logic to explain the Trinity. People talk in principles but act on interest. The abstract solution to a systemic problem has to be a network money maker that dumbfounds the rainmakers.

  Sometimes things that seem senseless make a lot of sense. The truth will set you free after we escape the wrath of the caveman. If it was not for original thinkers and defenders of original thought, we would all be living in caves. To be American, we must pragmatically question authority and presumptions from one fresh perspective after another.

  It took me awhile to figure out the Ideal Pretzel and Constitutional Republic mystery. Design Build, TSA, or Health Care with a NB&A twist is the secular Ideal Pretzel explanation. Fixing our Constitutional Republic with NB&A twist may be the best way forward after honoring our fathers.

  Win-win Versus Zero-Sum and less than Zero-sum Caveman Thinking

  There is a game called Ultimatum. You and your partner split $10. Less than $3 deals disgust and anger. The dealer has a pulpit. Ideally everyone is the dealer who gets an $8 to $10 deal by get his or her partner work for a $3 to $5. Turning $10 into $13 is a win-win systemic solution that creates good people, great outcomes, and durable trust. People spend less after seeing a happy ending. On top of turning a $3 to $5 deal into a better deal, people who are not disgusted and angry save more.

  In a win-win and zero-sum world, the three main people system issues are fear, competition, and accountability. People learn more from their mistakes than their successes. Competition leads to innovation and productivity gains. People fear displacement.

  Three out of four people are lucky. They never meet a pulpit abusing bully. Bullies are cowards are just another way to say nine out of ten people avoid conflict. When constituencies go down anti-competitive and irresponsible slippery slope, it is one narcissist re-write after another. As the frightening displacement point nears, $7-$3 deals become $6-$2, $5-$1, and $4-two bit deals. Raw deals make people unhappy and unhappy people spend more and save less.

  Horrible people can really tangle things up. Bullies can count on a lot people not paying attention. The guards are worse than the inmates. The warden is worse than the guards. The warden does not worry about the people outside the prison until the end is near. At the cusp of a tipping point, everyone lives in a silo. The present arrangement is unsustainable but what will be the new arrangement? Cavemen love so much to rewrite and erase the past that previous solutions are not understood.

  Ben Franklin was asked “What type of Government are we getting?” Ben Franklin replied “A Constitutional Republic if you can keep it.” Socrates made the original argument that the elites are no better than the common man. The Greek elites celebrated by filling Socrates cup with hemlock. Our original thinking founding fathers fared much better but cave men and women are always scheming to do away with original thought and the defenders of original thought.

  After an original thinker figures out the sun is the center of the universe, insane prophets have to collar the pope without getting collared. No one enjoys conflict. In a free and open minded society, good ideas are more likely to become a wonderful reality. Winners are perfectly content being creative hard-working people who are treated just like everyone else. If things need to change, a crazy Q has to find a way.

  Paul was all about love because Paul was the overpowering network builder. Matthew came after Paul and talked in parables. All the Gospels are based on Q. After the network is built, Q does not really care what the Matthew network comes up with. Q’s dream has already become a wonderful reality.
  
  Systemic problems cause a great deal of misery but the sad truth is adult bullies do better than others. It is easier let the new boss be the old boss than replace the old boss. If rainmaker replacement is the only option, art of war tactics apply. Take the moral high ground keeping in mind people talk in principle but act on interest. Divide the enemy. Make the enemy think you are near when you are far and far when you are near. Only attack when you have overwhelming numbers. Ideally win the war without a shot fired.

  The Wealth of Our Nation

  The world looks to us for leadership. In 1776, Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of the United States of America”. Auction and reverse auction bid results are perplexing yet how the win-win invisible hand works is relatively easy to understand. In a free market, a company cannot maximize their profits if the company hits more often than the dummy. Companies play innovation basketball on a diving board. Teamwork and skill is all important.

  Triple doubles, double pumps, the pick and roll, blind leaps, three second violations, travelling violations, home versus visitor’s court, backcourt shots, front court shots, shots in the lane, alley oops, defense versus offense, slam dunks, the reverse auction or auction grim reaper, step, pivot, and belly flops; the free market innovative action is non-stop. The offense plays are offensive but even simple plays are hard to run. Coach has a hard time getting the players to stop taking foolish backcourt shots! Winning basketball teams only take three desperate shots a game – max is hard play to run. More importantly, Companies do not want their players to complain about the referees and rules yet good rules and referees serve everyone’s interest.

  The rich man has a hard time getting into heaven. From the diving board step to the pivot the diving board is relatively stable. If the rich man goes to the end of the diving board, the diving board becomes unstable. Market ups and downs are not evenly distributed. When a market goes up 10%, it feels like 30% upturn from the largest company within that market. Conversely when there is a downturn, the reverse auction or auction market grim reaper either shoves the largest company off the end of the board or gives all the big boys a haircut.

  The basketball business of America is creating, keeping open, and staying on innovative free market diving boards. It is the rich man’s decision to go from the pivot to the end of the diving board. It is the rich man’s fault if the grim reaper shoves him off. When the rich man goes from the pivot to the end of the diving board, the rich man’s company doubles in size but the rich man only makes $100 instead of $80. In order to stay at the end of the diving board, the rich man has to be a hard man.

  If a free market, that generates $100 of tax revenue for the state, shrinks 20%, after a lot of creative destruction takes place on the diving board, the state generates $80 of tax revenue. During the creative destruction period, tax revenue will drop to 30 to 70% - for example $40.

  The Government referees and score keepers are always right but King James wrote the bible. The referees and score keepers cannot be allowed to pick winners and losers no matter how much they care. The “too big to fail” have nothing to lose by asking the Government for bailouts and barriers to entry. If the Government gives the “too big to fail” a $10 bailout, that bailout turns $40 into $30. Despots’ bailout out the rich man while condemning them then take over. The despot objective is to turn the diving board into a drone czar mat with bailouts and barriers.

  Bullies don’t solve problems. Bullies create and use problems to dispose of their threats - a continuous crisis. Little Barry, Larry, and Nancy sucked at basketball so everyone encouraged them to be referees and score keepers. Since it wasn’t Otto Von Bismarck’s, Karl Marx’s, William Hearst’s, Teddy Roosevelt’s, Henry Cabot Lodge’s, Woodrow Wilson’s, Vladimir Lenin’s, Sir John Keynes’, Joseph Stalin’s, Benito Mussolini’s, the Liberal Media’s, George Soros’, the hockey stick’s, Adolf Hitler’s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s, the anti-doping agencies’, Saddam Hussein’s, Jack Kennedy’s, Lyndon Baines Johnson’s, Al Gore’s, or Hillary and Bill Clinton’s fault, someone has to pay for their poor basketball skills.
  
  Along with their referees and score keepers, the despot is a better basketball player than King James. All their $7up drinking fans, score keepers, and referees turn into an unsustainable constituency. Math is not the despot’s strong suit. Power is the only thing the despot cares about.

  Wiping out the Basketball Playing Middle Class with Taxes

  When the free market prophet went to Jerusalem to celebrate a 33% to 50% Greek tax revolt, there was one temple surrounded by six towers. During a 200 years period, there were 60 Jewish tax revolts. Herod was the narcissistic Frank Lloyd Wright of his day. Even the other priests had to rubber stamp taxes.

  The 2012 Democratic platform mentioned Obama 200 times and forgot about God. The Obama bomb blast replaced the Jackass. In 2008, Mr. Obama told everyone these are the way things are, this is how things should be, and I will fulfill all your dreams without explaining how things should be. Mr. Obama bible is “Rules for Radicals”. Saul wrote the book to honor the “I’ll be whomever you want me to be” and “I am the only adult in room” infuriating devil. The last four years have been an Orwellian nightmare.

  Sir Richard Illingworth stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Sir Richard Illingworth was the tax collecting Baron of Exchequer. The black plague came. The lost sheep did not know what to do. Sir Richard challenged the Sheriff of Nottingham to duel. There is a new Sheriff in town. Herman Cain and Sir Richard spread their flat tax and limited government seed everywhere.

  Our founding fathers wrote our Constitution during the French Revolution. Queen Nancy Pelosi thought giving the poor unemployment cake was a well thought out economic stimulus. The government referees and score keepers are tax free nobility. The $7up drinking tax free poor people and nobility increased the load on the basketball play middle class. The French middle class decided “if you ain’t got no money, take your punk ass home” so get the hell out of our way. Referee and score keeper heads started to roll.

  Charles Adams, an international tax attorney and historian, wrote two books on taxes. Once tax rates rise above the disgust and anger point, the expected extra tax revenue never shows up. If the rich and poor are not paying taxes, the middle class has to pay a much higher tax rate. The knock on democracy is the noble bullies and poor minions target the basketball playing middle class. If the referees and score keepers don’t pick winners and losers or give anyone a free ride, a flat tax system or a tax system that never disgusts and angers makes sense. A flat tax system is part of our Constitution.

  We Built It and Love to have the Government Work

  During the Elizabethan age, Queen Elizabeth (the most notable descendent of Cain and Robin in the Hood) took England from an indebted backwater to the dominate world power. King Phillip of Spain and Sir John Keynes did not bust her Fredrick Von Hayek and capitalist pirates. Our founding fathers recreated the virgin Queen’s public corporations but what Queen Elizabeth and her public corporations were all about has been forgotten.

  Queen Elizabeth wanted everyone to love her and loved to give. Unlike most despots, she realized that she had to take to give. The English loved her because the English loved to give after they had plenty. Queen Elizabeth’s public corporations were a means to put a bloat bureaucracy through a Church basket strainer. If the taxpaying parishioners thought a project or bureaucracy was of no use then no money went into the collection basket.

  By separating what government needed to do and what everyone wanted done, she was able to lower the base flat tax rate. The fat cats, at the end of the diving board, can have everyone love them by putting more money in the collection basket. With the junk out of the system, the government pumps ran smoothly and the control valves worked. We all want to be loved and respected. King Phillip lost before he showed up because the love of the people of England had for their original thinking Queen and each other.

  We Straighten Things Out Before. We can do it again

  It is the 1812 bicentennial. Our country is being attacked by Washington. Washington will survive being cut down to size by the defenders of original thought. The British can help out along with a bunch of other creditors. General Washington created guerilla warfare and was our first President. The original Constitutional Republic idea was John Adams’ and he was the second President. Thomas Jefferson was an original thinker who bought half the United States for a song as the third President. Lincoln was another original thinker. The 14th Amendment marked the end of the Civil War and the beginning of a worldwide end of 13,000 years of slavery.

  In many ways, our Revolution was revolt against the British Wall Street. Between the Elizabethan age and 1776, British systemic problem loving corporate lawyers change the nature of British public corporations. In 1886, American systemic problem loving corporate lawyers used the 14th Amendment turn benign small government public corporations into narcissistic public corporations. Twenty years later Mr. Vanderbilt had nine dollars for every one Bill Gates’ dollar. Carnegie or Rockefeller had more money or a little less.

  95% of the 14th Amendment court decisions have to do with what type of person is Ronald McDonald. The Ronald McDonalds of the post-1886 corporate world are mandated to monopolize economic diving boards. The easiest way to constipate an economic diving board is by getting the score keepers and referees to pick winners and losers. Soon after 1886, there has been an unholy relationship between Washington and Wall Street.

  Fredrick Von Hayek and Sir John Keynes did not like each other. Keynesian economic theory has never worked but is a fan favorite of despots. When a despot devalues a country’s currency, the despot rips off hard working citizens and pisses off all the other countries that borrowed the despot money. Easy credit is another way despots imprison people.

  Conservatives want everyone to know how despots operate. Fredrick Von Hayek called conservatives liberals in “The Road to Serfdom”. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Progressives are power seeking gerbils on a “you deserve a layup” and “there needs to be a law against that” treadmill – the nonstop lying, cronyism, and continuous crisis management is unbelievable. In times of need, Constitutional Republicans are called upon to save the day.

  Are free markets perfect? No but the fixes are easy to implement. Systemic problem loving constituencies are necessary evils that must be contained. Ronald Reagan rightly felt that government was the problem and the business of America was business just like our original thinking founding fathers and Calvin Coolidge. Ronald Reagan, the lifeguard, was a lifesaver who opened up the economic diving board but failed to reduce the size of the federal government. Thanks to cave men and women, there will always be work to be done.

  Democratic Design Community Tyranny

  My hard feeling for Democrats stems from the adoption of ASHRAE 62.89 (ventilation recommendations) and 90.1(energy recommendations) into code. How and why a democratic Governor and the design community screwed up an energy saving program that worked. A screwed up and extremely difficult to straighten out National Building Code, primarily because of fire code interpretation, being shoved down everyone’s throat. The lack of Design Professional Licensing Law ramifications associated with the 1995 Architect Institute of America (AIA) contract forms. A galvanizing institutional experience and related original idea lead to a difficult uncovering a 100 year criminal relationship between progressives and the independent designer community.

  On Design Build projects, the contractor does the design and installation. On Design Bid Build projects, independent designers do the design and contractors do the installation. In terms of splitting $10, the Design Build argument is a difficult win-win argument. The Design Bid Build argument is an easy zero-sum argument. Traditionally, the independent designer community and Design Bid Build project delivery system has dominated the institutional market.

  In the Garden of Eden, people would always do a good job of evaluating competing Design Build proposals and contractors. Outside the Garden, Noah was the first Design Build contractor. God choose Noah because Noah was a man of integrity. God did not want to leave the fate of mankind to the low bidder. After God flooded the earth, God vowed to not to do so again. In one of 60 tax revolts over 200 years, a Jewish Design Build contractor went to Jerusalem celebrate a previous 33% to 50% Greek tax revolt. There was one Temple surrounded by six towers. Even the other independent designers had to rubber stamp taxes. Herod was the Frank Lloyd Wright of his day and taxes were too damn high. The uppity Design Build contractor got nailed to a cross. A few years later, most everything Herod built got trashed.

  Since there is not going to be any divine intervention, a lot of Design Build contractors cannot imagine Design Build domination of the institutional market. Conversely, the independent designer community takes the institutional market for granted. Every once in 150 years or so, the institutional market is up for grabs. A political correct and institutional friendly Design Build variation that consistently out-performs is the elusive Holy Grail.

  The AIA was formed in 1857. The first AIA rule was a cockamamie “no design build” rule and AIA contracts had instant creditability. The “no design build” rule was parlayed into a failed attempt to monopolize the design by the independent designer community during the progressive 1900-1920 period. Frank Lloyd Wright was a narcissist who was never a state licensed design professional. The design community celebrated his death with a “give credit where due is due” rule. The other Priests did not like paying rubber stamp taxes.

  The cockamamie “no design build” rule prevented the Design Build Priests from paying rubber stamp taxes for close to 140 years. The design community involvement in design build projects is the foundation of design professional licensing laws. If independent designers are leading Design Build projects, design professional licensing laws are a joke.

  The design community monopolized the institutional market during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s failed dictatorship. Difficulties managing system design and cost growth risk lead to design community collision. Nixon’s Department of Justice brought an anti-trust case against the National Society of Professional Engineers. The case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in the Carter’s Department of Justice favor. In the 1979, the AIA got rid of the “no design build” rule.

  It wasn’t until 1995 (Clinton) that the design community took the lead on Design Build projects. The 2005 AIA contract forms were so one-sided that for first time in more than 100 years, AIA contract forms have competition. Since 2007, ConsesusDOCS has done extremely well in the private construction market. Now it is time to take the institutional market away from the despotic design community and keep it.

  The Ideal Pretzel or Design Build with a NB&A Twist

  Three in a certain way works for pulpit systems. For example our Constitutional Republic that Mr. Obama and Democrats have not respected for more than four years.

  The Ideal project delivery system or Design Build with a NB&A Twist follows the path of the pretzel and creates a triangle. If the institutional pope keeps score and rewards Design Build success forward, the pope creates a continuously improving loop. The smallest metropolitan area, state, or region within a Novation, Building, and Advise (NB&A) win-win loop justly wins in terms of true design professionals and margins thus creating advocates for a new world order.

  Every project delivery system is a leap of faith. Out the Garden of Eden it is all odds and probability. The institutional pope can hire Galileo to validate there is Ideal Pretzel leap of faith. If elite Design Build contractors make more than 30% of their Ideal Pretzel front court shots at Design Bid Build 20% hit rate margins then the institutional pope is getting better than a $7 deal and the successful contractor is getting better than $3 deal.

  Whether Galileo finds there to be a leap of Ideal Pretzel leap depends on designer variance. The best basketball players aren’t consulting referees with unquestionable judgment. The best players only hit half their shots. Priests, politicians, and bureaucrats can explain the worst to first 15% saving to the taxpaying parishioners. Everyone can enjoy the Design Build with NB&A twist delivery system by celebrating their home teams.

  On the surface the Ideal Pretzel seems cockamamie just like the “no design build” rule. The NB&A Buck Company decides to build a building in Milwaukee ((B)uilding). The facilitator starts by paying a Design Build Bull from Chicago to put together a complete Design Build proposal without travel costs included ((N)ovation). The Milwaukee area Design Build contractors are instructed to meet or beat the Novation Design Build contractor’s proposal. The facilitator’s next step is to hire a Minneapolis Design Build contractor ((A)dvise) to help the NB&A Buck Company make the best Design Build decision. Second place is the first place loser so at least one Buck wants to beat the Timberwolves.

  ABA is a bamboozler. For close to 140 years, the AIA agreed. NB&A is the Ideal Pretzel key. Setting up a Design Build Contracting NB&A will take time because of all the new relationships and the monies involved. Naturally everything will have to be written up in politically correct erudite.

  Thanks to a reverse campaign (smaller is better), the Ideal Pretzel travelled from 25 red state legislatures to the National Conference of State Legislators. The National Conference of State Legislators contacted the Construction Industry Institute (CII). Professors from the four project delivery universities are involved (Washington, Texas, Berkeley, and Penn State). A CII abstract entitled: Starting from Starch: A New Project Delivery Paradigm has been written.

  The three main people system issues are fear, competition, and accountability. Systemic solutions create good people, great outcomes, and durable trust. The Ideal Pretzel is the new basis of the Capital Project Delivery System. Along with the Traditional Design Build Bid, Traditional Design Build, ConsesusDOCS’s Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) system, and Design Build with a Texas Twist, the package will replace institutional project delivery and design professional cynicism with optimism.

  Innovation is folly of the elite until the masses revolt. Designer variance is the key to the Design Build and Pretzel argument. One of the ways the design community has with codes. The creation of Design Build Contracting NB&A would also be a means to reward codes requirements to make sure codes do not prevent innovation. Paul is network building and will keep on building.

  Health Care with NB&A TWIST and Much More

  The Pope will never say “do not offer anyone less than a $3 deal” but if that is the way the win-win Holy Spirit works so what. If we know how reverse auction market gravity works and know how human nature gravity works, lets design. Thanks to MRI machines, a sub-society see if a system works before everyone learns the hard way.

  Worst case, in project delivery terms, our Health Care system is time and material monopoly with a lot of externalization. Rather than solving problems, problems are extended for maximum reimbursement. How would the Pretzel work in that situation?

  The first step is divide the monopoly or 100 people bureaucracy into teams. The rich man can’t go to heaven and the most stable part of the diving board is the pivot. In a five bidder market, seven teams of 11, a team of seven, a team of four, three, two teams of two, and five one man teams would be the free market way to divide 100 people. The seven teams of 11 are all at the pivot. The monopoly or 100 people bureaucracy would quickly turn into a 70 person league, a commissioner, and the quality and cost of the services provided would dramatically improve. Inefficiencies will be all the coaches’ problem rather than the corrupt Government’s problem.

  Whether the pretzel makes sense depends on physician variance. There are procedures and health problems that have a great deal of variance and procedure and health problems that have very little variance. Part by part the pretzel can be used to reform health care.

  The Construction and Health Care industries constitute 35% to 50% of the economy. If the Pretzel reduces costs 5%, that is a compounding boost to our country. If the Pretzel works for health care and the construction industry, why can’t it be used to reduce the size of Government while improving outcomes. The pretzel will create innovative desire to solve health problems and many more problems. The pretzel will probably work much better than advertised.

  REPAYING HOMAGE TO THE QUEEN and FREDRICK VON HAYEK

  Thanks to how Adam Smith’s diving boards work, greed and success is good for 10 to 60 years (step to pivot) depending upon market size. How the end of the diving board works is something the Government cannot and should not be concerned with. Bailouts and barrier to entry are stupid! People swim to the side of the pool and get back in line. After the enough people are knocked off the board, profits and tax revenue return. Innovation is non-stop in a free market.

  Everyone loves to give after they have plenty. A flat tax and simple tax system will save the private industry money and they will have more to give when the collection basket is passed around. Our founding fathers had to recreate Elizabethan public corporations and so can our leaders to limit the size of Government. There is nothing wrong with taxpaying parishioners putting the Federal Government through a church strainer by delegating which parts of Government get they tax dollars percentage wise – a wonderful way to vote. Money spent complying with a complex tax code, that picks winners and losers, is money a society throws away – keep it simple stupid!

  Tort Reform Pretzel Style

  Mr. Obama’s only private sector experience was in the legal profession as a plaintiff lawyer. The legal profession is the classic example of a zero-sum systemic problem loving constituency. Corporate lawyers change the nature of public corporations with a far fetched argument to increase market share and it worked. One monster created another monster that does not believe in win-win solutions.

  In every case, the plaintiff is the bully and the defendant is called upon to be morally courageous. A bunch of anti-doping agencies assumed Lance Armstrong was guilty by association. After passing 500 drug tests, Lance Armstrong gave up. The cave losers declared victory by association.

  Plaintiff lawyers and loser run bureaucracies are can be troublesome cave men and women. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty but pragmatically mandating individual lawyers can only make as much as a plaintiff lawyer as the lawyer already made defending people like Lance Armstrong would benefit our country.

  Plaintiff lawyers donate more to campaigns than all the other constituencies because they know that should not be able to donate at all. The relationship that service unions have with Democrats is unholy and must come to an end.

  All sorrow is personal and most crimes are crimes of passion. What originally made the United States different was pragmatism and original thought. If a man or woman files for divorce, no child support from the defendant. How the assets are divided should be based upon W-2 earnings and child care costs. Child care costs are dependent on the quantity and the ages of children during the length of the marriage. If one party hires a lawyer and the other chooses not to, then both have to decide on one lawyer to handle the divorce. Divorce lawyers will not like this arrangement but they are creating too much misery. An original thinker does not know if such an arrangement makes more sense but if it does, than it serves a society or sub-society to adopt it.

  SHARED SUCCESS VERSUS A SHARED pile of dirt

  The referee is always right but the referee is not in the starting line-up. If everyone is a whistle blowing superstar referee because Government is only thing we are all part of, who is going pay all the cave dwellers. It is the 1812 Bicenniatial. Mr. Obama and half of Washington need to be sent on a premetant vacation to the dysfuctional third world.

  After a good well refereed game on a level court, the players love to give after they have plenty. In a win-win and zero-sum world, the three main people system issues are fear, competition, and accountability. People learn more from their mistakes than their successes. Competition leads to innovation and productivity gains. People fear displacement. Systemic problems create bad apples, lousy outcomes, and train wrecks. Systemic solutions create good people, great outcomes, and durable trust.

  Ideally everyone is the dealer who gets an $8 to $10 deal by get his or her partner work for a $3 to $5. Turning $10 into $13 is a win-win systemic solution. People spend less after seeing a happy ending. On top of turning a $3 to $5 deal into a better deal, people who are not disgusted and angry save more.

  Systemic problems can be solved and we can do it. Our founding fathers were win-win original thinkers. After honoring our fathers, we can do them many more better with our original thoughts. The recipe for success is not a mystery.

  
  

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