Legalized Gambling

Today while teaching about the Middle Ages we discussed the advent of insurance as part of a business model. One of the reasons why I consider myself a pretty good teacher is I have a way of explaining things to the students in a way they can understand by using widely known analogies. To help explain insurance I describe it as gambling. Businesses before heading out on an trade excursion would insure their goods for their value and would pay in exchange a nominal fee. If anything should happen to the goods on the way - a boat sinks, the caravan is robbed by bandits - the business would receive in cash the value of the goods lost. I apply the same idea of insurance to commonly insured things today: cars, homes, health. I also explain that we are essentially betting against ourselves. We are betting that we are going to get into a car accident, that something is going to happen to our home, or we are going to get sick. We are convinced that we cannot afford to NOT be insured if ever something should happen, and for most, that is correct. Besides that, you cannot own a house or a car without insurance. So we pay a nominal fee and hope that nothing happens. Most of the time we take precautions to prevent actually using that insurance.

But if we were to deliberately create the need to collect the insurance we would be arrested for fraud. We are forced to pay the money and then we are not even allowed to throw the game. Sure, in sports, if an athlete bets against himself and then deliberately loses that is illegal and would get the athlete in a world of trouble with their athletic association. Hence Pete Rose is still in trouble with MLB.

So here we are, forced to buy insurance, sometimes more coverage than we want (especially in the case of brand new car) and do whatever we can to prevent filing a claim while the insurance companies continue to collect the premiums and pay out far less. And when they lose on their risky ventures, when they gamble with the premiums paid to it by the insured, they get bailed out with our tax dollars! But if we lose out and something goes wrong and actually need to make a substantial claim on our insurance policy, we are punished, our rates increase and may even find ourselves dropped by the provider.

So as a citizen I am supposed to accept the double standard that an insurance company can gamble, lose, and be forgiven AND be given a bonus (assumedly for securing the bailout money from the government) while the person paying for the insurance policy can be forced to gamble, WIN, and be punished?

When else are the losers rewarded and the winners punished? (So much for capitalism or is it exactly like capitalism? I am so confused!)

Karma, Dharma and Justice

One of the funniest lines in a movie comes from the 1989 movie "Lethal Weapon 2" occurs when Sgt. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) tells the South African Consulate worker that he wants to go to South Africa to stand with his black brothers and fight against their white oppressors:

Roger Murtaugh: How you doin'?

[his handshake is ignored by the Envoy]

Consulate Envoy: I think there must be some mistake.

Roger Murtaugh: Say what?

Consulate Envoy: Listen to your friend here, he knows what he's talking about. I don't think you want to go to South Africa.

Roger Murtaugh: Why not?

Consulate Envoy: Because you're black!

Leo Getz: [to Murtaugh] You are.

Leo Getz: [to Envoy] He is.

Absolutely hilarious in its delivery, in fact, we still joke with that line today. And yet it is of course not a joke at all. When the movie was made, South Africa was dealing with the very serious question of Apartheid. It was clear that apartheid could no longer survive in South Africa (or anywhere for that matter) and the world joined forces against the racist system to help bring equality to Africans in South Africa. Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk, among other helped to pave the way for a new government in South Africa, one based on more equitable terms for people of all races. This could not have been as successful had it not been for the efforts of the individuals involved and for the support shown by the world in demanding an end to the racist system. I even remember attempts to boycott Coca-Cola because they operated in South Africa.

Today South Africa has the opportunity to stand with the world and help bring greater equality to others oppressed. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup (of Soccer), to be held in South Africa, the first held anywhere on the African Continent, world leaders in peace and many celebrities have been invited to discuss peace worldwide and the role sport can have in fostering peace.

Originally on the guest are:

Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, F.W. de Klerk, Morgan Freeman, Charlize Theron, Martti Ahtisaari, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and many others

However, the president of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, refused to sign the invitation for the Dalai Lama over concerns regarding relations with China. Currently, the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet, is living in exile, and has been since age 16. Tibet has been occupied by China since 1950 and the Dalai Lama in exile since 1959. Rumors abound of the harsh treatment of Tibetans by the Chinese government, but no official documents exist to the actual state of affairs in this Himalayan region of China.

This is South Africa's chance to stand up and put justice over politics. But without an invitiation to the Dalai Lama the peace conference is bound to fail. Already withdrawing from the conference are F.W. de Klerk and Desmond Tutu. How could a peace conference in South Africa be taken seriously without two of their most staunch supporters for peace? Some would say that it is the duty of South Africa to repay the world for the equality that the world helped them achieve. But in the very least, it is the duty of all people to see justice done. As Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in a letter from a Birmingham jail, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"SA to Host First Ever Peace Conference" (The Citizen, February 25, 2009)

"Football for Peace" (FIFA.com, February 25, 2009)

"Dalai Lama Denied Visa for South Africa Peace Conference" (CNN.com, March 23, 2009)

"South Africa Bars Dalai Lama from Peace Conference" (Yahoo!News, March 23, 2009

Gangland

It seems the Triangle is not immune to the blight of gangs and their violence. Television storylines are making headlines in the newspaper. Witnesses are being intimidated and parents of young witnesses are not allowing their children to come forward to give testimony that would surely put serious criminals behind bars. Who could blame them? Once the felon is behind bars, and the police and prosecutors are gone, who will protect them?

The problem is not with the parents, their reaction is logical. The problem is not with the children who are not allowed to testify by their parents. The problem is the system. Not the criminal justice system, mind you, but with the socio-economic system. And it is not likely to get better for a while. An often ignored side-effect of economic difficulty is crime. Sure, the news is always reporting on job loss and unemployment, inflation (or deflation), gas prices, foreclosures. But not a word has been mentioned about crime rates.

As I discussed in "Get a Job" (December 13, 2005) and in "More Children Left Behind" (October 3, 2006), the problem starts at home. But let us not be too quick to blame the family. Parents often times have to make a very difficult decision - making ends meet or being more present with their children. What often times exacerbates the problem is the entire absence of a parent leaving the responsibility to fall on only one. The parent who chooses to take two jobs, work many and long hours spends little time with their children. Often times, these families can only afford to live in lower-income neighborhoods that tend to attract "bad elements." No matter how "tough" a particular child may be, he or she is still a child and still craves certain necessities. They need guidance, they need to feel like they are part of a family. And what often substitutes are gangs. In a gang, members feel a sense of belonging. They feel that they are being protected and others are watching out for them. Here one institution takes the place of another - gangs for the family.

Not enough attention is paid to the cause of the breakdown of the family. Too often society will blame the individuals, and in some cases, I would agree. But for it to be happening on such a large scale, it must be more, it must be systemic. What government should be asked to do is get to the root of the problem of the family - and it is NOT gay marriage. Why is it that so many children must be raised by a one parent home without support? Inadequate or no health care? Our economic system has been notorious through its history for leaving segments of the population behind. It has taken large movements and controversial exposes to get government to take notice. It has worked for child labor laws, for unsafe working conditions. What will it take for Congress to notice this large segment of the population that feeds the gangs with new recruits? Instead of treating the symptom, let's get to the heart of the problem, and solve it there.

Gang Threats Scare Off Witnesses (The News and Observer - newsobserver.com) March 1, 2009

Beijing Blackout

Yesterday, at 8pm Beijing time (8am EDT) the Olympic opening ceremonies took place. And here, in the United States they could not be seen on the networks that paid for the exclusive rights to broadcast the Olympics in the United States, NBC. Fortunately I had forgotten yesterday morning in the regular bustle of getting Evan ready for school, because if I had remembered to tune in I would have been angry and disappointed (as it is, I tuned in last night to catch the tape of the broadcast to be angered and disappointed that I had to listen to Bob Costas while the ceremonies were taking place). What sense does that make to delay the broadcast of the Olympic opening ceremonies by 12 hours!?!? Well to the average person who wants to watch them with the rest of the world, it make no sense. But from a business perspective and a marketing perspective, it makes plenty of sense. NBC guaranteed that the ceremonies would only be broadcast in the US at a specific time, guaranteeing a maximum number of viewers at a set time. In doing so, they could charge more for advertising during the commercial spots. It is the same adage, "Profits over People." NBC doesn't care if the citizens of the United States get to see things as they happen around the world, instead we are preempted, censored if you will, in the interests of profits. And we complain about censorship in China.

American Fans Angered by Olympic Ceremony TV Blackout (Yahoo! News)

I did not watch the entire ceremony, but what I saw was pretty impressive. The Chinese spared no expense. And the effects were spectacular!

A Crime so Monstrous

A few months ago I read heard a news story about a new book titled A Crime so Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery. After hearing the interview with the author, report E. Benjamin Skinner, I knew I had to read this book. I went out and bought it the day it hit the book stores. Listen for yourself (from the NPR program "Day to Day"):

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88102060

This book was not disappointing, well worth reading and the $25 I spent on it. This was something had never spent much time thinking about because it is not something I realized happened in such numbers. According to the author, there are more slaves in the world now than at any other time in human history. Even more astounding is that there are more slaves being brought into the United States today than there were in pre-Independence America! Today, when we talk about slavery, the first thing that usually comes to mind is sex slaves - mail order brides from eastern Europe and such. But sex slavery is a small portion of the slavery that takes place. Most slaves are laborers, either domestic or industrial, whose condition is the result of a former debt. Sometimes that debt was as small as 79 cents, and today, two generations later, the family is still working to pay off such a minuscule debt.

Today I watched a very touching movie, Trade. In this film, a boy from Mexico City, struggles to track down his 13 year old sister who was kidnapped by a sex trafficking ring. Kevin Kline, a Texas detective gets involved and and helps the boy try and find his sister. The story is pure tragedy. Will they find the girl? It doesn't matter, there is no happy ending even if they do find her. This is an on going problem in the world and the rescue of one person, as significant as it may be, is still insignificant when compared to the atrocious crimes perpetrated in the slave trade. But we know, slavery is not a new institution. It has been going on for thousands of years. At no time in human history has there been a period without slavery. And what is more, the reasons for slavery remain the same. I very much urge you to watch this movie and read this book. It will put genocide into an entirely new light - one even darker than before.

The Power of Good

During a time of profound evil, it is easy to focus on the bad and forget about the good. The Holocaust of World War II was one such time. While Hitler and his Nazi sympathizers were performing horrendous acts of brutality against minorities, such as Jews, gypsies, and homosexuals, to name a few, there were still some people who recognized the evil and did what they could to battle it.

I was made aware of the bold and courageous acts of Sir Nicholas Winton during a workshop about the Holocaust and Genocide. Nicholas Winton was a stock broker in England before WWII. Despite the depression his job provided him with a certain degree of wealth. In December 1938, Winton left for a skiing trip in Switzerland, which he never made. Instead, during his stop in Prague, he found refugees by the thousands, all homeless ahead of the Nazi "invasion" of Czechoslovakia. Instead of ignoring the issue as "someone else's problem," he took charge and set to work straight away to rescue as many children as possible from the terrible tragedy that was unfolding. By the time Germany invaded Poland in September, 1939 marking the beginning of WWII, Winton had rescued 669 children. He packed up all his work, for there was nothing else he could do, joined the RAF (Royal Air Force) and served his country. This chapter in his life was closed.

More than 40 years later, his wife stumbled across a steamer trunk in the attic. Upon opening it, she discovered pictures, scrapbooks, documents, official stamps of both Great Britain and Nazi Germany. What she unlocked was the chapter of Winton's life that he had all but forgotten about. When asked about these items, he simply dismissed it as something he felt he needed to do at the time and then it was done.

But it is not done. Winton's efforts in rescuing these 669 children has resulted in thousands of people today who can thank him for their life - the children and grand children of those saved from the holocaust. The video(which I own), The Power of Good, is an incredible documentary about Nicholas Winton and his work to save the Jewish children of Prague before World War II. At the website, you can view a 6 minute clip of the one hour video. It tells about Winton, now 98, and his work and dedication. About how he was honored decades later for work that he felt was necessary, that he undertook, not for recognition, but just to do good.

The Power of Good: The Nicholas Winton Story
Nicholas Winton, Rescuer of Jews

This week, Irene Sendler, another individual who did immense good during this time of evil, passed away. She was also 98. She smuggled 2,500 children out of Nazi-occupied Warsaw, at great risk to her own life. At times, her own life was in danger, especially after she was arrested for being a Jewish sympathizer. She was repeatedly tortured and beaten to give up the names of others involved in the operation. She did not give up any names and was rescued by way of a bribe and, undeterred, continued her work, but under a different name.

A Pole Who Saved 2,500 Jews, Dies
Polish Holocaust Hero Dies at Age 98

It is amazing how we overlook the good and focus on the bad. We become so preoccupied by the evil that we sometimes fail to recognize the efforts of people who step up in those desperate times. These are only two people who helped, but how many countless others go unrecognized?

Gas Tax Takes a Holiday

18 - that is amount (in cents) of the federal gas tax per gallon.

16 - that is the number of gallons of gasoline my minivan holds.

2.88 - the amount of money I stand to save on every COMPLETE fill-up of my gas tank.

15 - the number of weeks, and consequently, the number of times I will fill-up (once per week), during the federal gas tax holiday.

43.20 - the amount of money I will save from the federal gas tax holiday.

Ah, what a relief. I will save nearly $45 dollars this summer is the federal gas tax is suspended from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Essentially, almost one "free" tank of gas, assuming the price does not continue to rise, which, unfortunately, it is certain to do. Is this really worth it? What can a consumer do with the extra $11 per month? What could the government do with the extra $11 per month per car on the road? What the consumer is overlooking is the fact that the federal government uses that money to dole out to states in order to have projects to build and repair national highways. Without that money roads will be in worse shape nd jobs will be lost. No thank you. I do not mind paying $11 per month per car (I have 2 cars, so $22 per month) if it will help the economy, if it will keep hundreds (many thousands?) of people in my state employed and keep roads in a somewhat decent condition. Is that a liberal idea? I don't think so, it is a smart idea.

What is more, the presidential hopefuls have sounded off on this issue of a federal gas tax holiday: McCain in favor, Clinton in favor, Obama opposed. I know that this is a single issue but I see it as more. To me, this is symbolic of the way each of these candidates will serve as our Chief Executive. The average perosn who does not take the time to actually consider the minimal impact of the 18 cent tax holiday will think that this is a wonderful idea, "hey, wow, it will lower gas prices!" But isn't that the way Washington has worked for decades (maybe even longer)? "Let's make the people we are helping them with this little thing while we hoodwink them with something else." It is their position in this type of maneuver that makes me believe that Barack Obama will be a different president. I believe that he will not play as many games with the people and actually work more for the average person. I believe that he will accept that the American citizen is intelligent enough to see through the Washington games and so not play them. Some argue that he does not possess the experience as a McCain and a Clinton. Maybe not, but maybe that can be an advantage. We have had YEARS of the same self-serving, Washington, politics beginning with as far back as I can remember, and maybe even farther (with the exception of perhaps of Jimmy Carter whose unwillingness to play along with the Washington status quo killed his chances at reelection).