Eric Holder, US Attorney General, on Too Big to Jail

Let's get a bit deep again and consider the future meaning of Holder's statement. In a recent video he stated that Too Big to Jail is a wrongheaded theory that banks and other financial firms that are highly interconnected will never be criminally prosecuted due to their size. 

Cynics might chuckle at Holder's view as either lie or doublespeak. Certainly the facts would seem to confirm their view since none have been charged with a crime. Also it is late in the game. Not only has the crime festered since 2007-8 but Holder is about ready to exit.

But what if the statement is genuine? How? Assume no difference between theory and practice, i.e. that it is always possible to read politics, speech or acts, as text. Then Holder's statement is the accusation and it has melded into the blogosphere and been disseminated to others listening (less cynical listeners) will assume the guilt of Wall Street. That is bound to constrain their future actions.

Why? The post-Mandeville days when commerce could be deemed good, clean, and virtuous become then more difficult to sustain. Slightly more anyway. 

Ukraine and the May 2014 Clash of Democracies

May will see two momentous elections for two decisions. One election on the 11th will be for the liberation of E. Ukraine. The other, two weeks later, will decide upon a new leadership for the State of Ukraine. Is this what Kant envisioned regarding perpetual peace when he claimed that democracies do not clash? But Kant was a modern. In a postmodern field, where everything possible can happen simultaneously, (quantum-ness) tensions are ever-present not only between the old democracy and dictatorship binary.

Ukraine's present history may point the way to a new form of democracy as electionism.  

Wooing Jobs...Should Texans celebrate?

It seems without any doubt. Getting jobs to your citizens is a good thing. See here: But what is overlooked is the importance of your market. California does not have to woo jobs. It has 40 million great consumers. CA can call the shots with any potential employer. No tax breaks need be offered. Freeze them out of your market otherwise (what do you think the European Union is for? to welcome anyone to trade or to set trade in advantageous ways???). Compared to CA, TX has less consumers. But they too are valuable. TX also does not need to offer tax breaks to corporations. Texans are squandering their power.

Will Russia send peacekeepers to Ukraine?

Some might think that something has to give before late May since that is when elections will be held. And that leadership will have more legitimacy. It could happen if things get ugly. But I think that Russia will play the long game. They have a lot of levers. No need to overplay a strong hand if you are winning already. Nationalism in a postmodern age be it Russian or Ukrainian depends solely upon production of it. It has to be stoked, energized, and focused. That is not easy to sustain when there are so many other messages floating around, big and small.

Ukraine's Blue Revolution

Interesting...we are witnessing at long last the dissassociation of liberty versus democracy. They are not the same thing, despite what thinkers of liberal democracy beleive. The Orange revolution rung in democracy as election and rule by the numerous. Ukraine's Blue revolution is about liberation, not necessarily as far reaching as what happened in Crimea, but certainly pushing the practical limits of the concept. (Yes, Russia and NATO will each try to take advantage of the situation but that is another matter from witnessing the philsophical distinction). At the least, a Ukrainian confederation will create new market niches...

United States to substitute Israel with Iran

You heard it here second and here first... Imagine a Near East region with rivalries and where America's closest allies despise each other and the differences are profound as when Palestinian liberation is championed by one and not the other. Sound familiar? It's today and yesterday. Well, this scenario does not change whether Israel or Iran fits the USA alliance slot! Due to oil, the US will never leave the Near East alone. But the question of which ally would be better is intriguing. If you tally the costs and benefits, you might be surprised at the result. In a postmodern era, where differences abound and (digitized) morphing of one thing into another is snap, trading Israel for Iran is theoretically possible. But what about the Iranian hostage crisis?...well what about Israel and the USS Liberty?

dollar versus bitcoin

Postmodernism is about thinking politically without references. So comparing the currencies of bitcoin (which lacks a reference source) and the dollar (supported by the US) is a contrast of pomo and modern strategy. Bitcoin (recently forced into the reference zone by the IRS which said it is not a currency) is clearly pomo and should not be expected to hold steady. The dollar should. But bitcoin may have the advantage. Why? The US and world must use the dollar a lot...for oil and everything. Its steadiness of value depends on that. Should that slow, expect bitcoin to become more distinctive and popular.