January 14 , 2008
Perspective on Real Estate
Time may be measured as BNH (before New Hampshire) and ANH (After New Hampshire). The Presidential election seems like an interminable journey to select the next President. Wars and elections seem to have become a contest between those who are confused by the media and those who just get sick and tired of the media's arrogance. FOX is a giant, getting larger each year. CNN, the other giant, redefines truth around the world. I am tired of them both!
I got a kick out of the shockwave that hit after Clinton won what she was supposed to lose. Then the “explanations”—read rationalizations—which were spun out of myth, conjecture and self-deception. By the end of the first week in February, we can expect record-setting rationalizations!
The Economist cover story (1/12 to 1/18) shows each of the main candidates "As Up In The Air; The Game After New Hampshire". I watched a brilliant black man/author speaking on blacks and whites as he defined them and concluded that black men define themselves, especially after they become intellectuals, categorize other black men like Bill Cosby, and generally make any white man cry,“I surrender”, by the end of their appearance or column.
Reasoning and rationalization are very close brothers as humans who have been deprived for many decades try to agree on reasons they are treated like scum. Racism is often poorly defined and many times unreasonable, but it remains a disease looking for a miracle cure.
Business Week (Jan 21), in true arrogance of knowing everything there is to know, tells all about “The Economics Driving the Youth Vote”. Kids are all the same. They reject wisdom of their elders, especially their parents; they discover the truth in their search for what occupies the space between their ears. They really do not have any true knowledge until they reach adulthood—somewhere between 25 and 55. And if they become politically active, adulthood eludes them until way past 65—alive or dead!
The know-how’s have discovered that young people are preoccupied with earning a living (jobs), health insurance, student loans and credit card debt. Well that makes sense as economics always dominates young peoples’ goals and necessities unless they are bums, which is more a condition rather than a goal.
Bill Gates said farewell to Microsoft as he told us that he would focus on connecting people. Every word I’ve read about his thinking has been marvelously lucid as if he were alive, rich and well. You have to be taught how to be a philanthropist and Gates and his wife were taught very well!
Comparing the two magazine covers: the politician’s job is to get elected; the successful rich person must comprehend the need of his fellow human. One must understand how to hire a staff of professional spinners and the other must spin the magic of richdom. Media is a game of pretend that you “know” with enough arrogance that you yourself believe it. When a group of them gather together as talking heads, you know that they are not great listeners (unless they are interviewed by the marvelous Bill Moyer).
My conclusion is that we are nowhere near heading off a Recession, yet. And the first expressions that this could be the largest recession since the Great Depression grows. Housing is crippled and hasn’t approached its bottom or how much the median pricing will fall by its end.
CEO’s are vastly overpaid no matter how poorly they have led. Boards are in conflict as they like what they receive for overpaying their Chairs. Leaders are too often led rather than leading.
Bush is approaching Herbert Hoover as being the wrong leader just when a strong leader is necessary to get this Republic out of its free-fall!
As I read the comments of the candidates, I believe that there is a difference between males and females that is as vast as Adam and Eve. The male makes fun of a female shedding tears and the female wonders why a male won’t shed more for fellow men (except in battle). This is deeper than mere racism. The Clinton/Obama difference is a great example of this. The white/black issue is also vast, as minorities don’t want to be the lowest on the totem. They won’t tolerate this yet wonder whether it could be true. I’ve spoken to black psychiatrists about this and they agree that self-hatred emanates from this.
srg
