The End of the American Empire?

As horrifying as the thought may be the theory of “manifest destiny” may have been correct in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Just as the evolution of man himself perhaps the nation we built was just going to happen no matter how badly or well we managed things. After all our founding fathers really weren’t different than many other men of their time. George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson all had their own personal issues. Other people of that time could certainly have stepped into the roles those men played. History books support this understanding.

“What’s good for GM is good for America” was a mantra of big business throughout the 20^th century. General Motors (GM) was founded on September 27, 1908. Just one hundred years later the company found itself asking for government aid to stay in business. It isn’t just GM that has faced serious decline; many other companies that had been considered permanent parts of America have seen their life end or seen their fortunes fail dramatically. U.S. Steel, Circuit City, Zenith, A&P are all examples of companies that either no longer exist or are significantly dwarfed from their previous size.

Apple, Xerox, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and DuPont are examples of companies that have turned back from potential failure. Ford Motor Company has faced collapsed on more than one occasion and returned to success.

So the question asked by Jim Collins (author of How The Mighty Fall) to 12 U.S. Army generals and 12 social sector leaders was: Is America renewing its greatness or is America dangerously on the cusp of falling from great to good? The response was a great debate.

When you consider how the United States has coped with the world since 9-11-2001 it is easy to see where the nation has failed at what most of us thought about our nation. We are the only super power in the world. Russia invaded Georgia and has thumbed its nose at America. Iran and North Korea have been successfully doing what they want without regard to the American government. However, America was stunned but not defeated by the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States went forward to defeat its enemies.

No superpower nation has withstood the test of time. Is the United States riding the crest of a wave? There are many indications that this is the situation now. General Motors may be an early indicator or maybe not.

Right now we lack the FDR or Abraham Lincoln to lead the way. History has shown that a new leader will appear. I can’t believe it’s all over.

Panasonic Lumix FZ28

I read a review of this camera by a new user who claimed to have taken 1,000 pictures in just a week. Unless that writer is a professional photographer I doubt that she took so many pictures during that time period. The problem with the reviews on cameras on web sites and in magazines is that those venues rely upon camera manufacturers for advertising dollars. The consequence is that relying on the reviews is a gamble. That is the reason I subscribe to Consumer Reports (CR).

The photography/camera shops seem to take the attitude that they have some superior knowledge and if they sell the product the customer should accept their judegement about quality. The overwhelming product sold at local stores in my area seems to be Canon. The neighborhood store salesman told me its “Canon, Canon, Nikon.” No Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, or Kodak. Return policy? Forget it. You buy it, it’s yours.

Then there is Costco. Their prices aren’t too much lower than the camera shops. Their variety is limited. BUT their return policy is heavenly at 90 days.

So I watched their display case and saw the Panasonic Lumix FZ28. The reviews, real and phony were mostly outstanding. Digital Camera HQ seems like a reliable web site. I posted my review there too. At least not all cameras receive an A grade. Digital Photography Review provides detailed specifications.

In the month I have had the camera I have taken more than 50 pictures. I am delighted with the results. It’s an easy to use and handle camera that provides a 428mm telephoto lens that zooms to a 28mm wide angle. The camera offers manual controls, a large viewing screen, and weighs less than a pound.

I have a Canon A70 and bought my wife a Canon A560. I am used to their controls and so I have a learning curve for the controls but they are easy to learn.

Have You Driven One Lately?

Someone in a parking lot backed into my wife’s car. It was a perfect in line collision with the front end. No one was hurt but the damages will probably total $2,000. The rental car is a Pontiac G6. This is a car that is apppoximately the same size as a Honda Accord. I have not driven a Pontiac since 2002 when we rented a car for a drive from NYC to Virginia and back. Oh yes, I get to drive the Pontiac while my lovely wife will be using my Toyota Camry.

I have not owned an American brand car since 1990. The last was a 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass. If the G6 is an example of the new style and design all I can ask is; what have they done to the General Motors cars? The first thing I noticed is the sloping angle of the front door where it meets the windshield. The angle is very irritating. Follow that up with the short side windows and I found myself feeling enclosed in a small box with limited visibility.

My favorite resource for car ratings is Consumer Reports (CR) because they take no advertising. Since all the other automotive magazines do take advertising from the manufacturers they are not a totally reliable resource for reviews. Some would say those magazines are completely unreliable.

The only American vehicle that CR considers a top pick is the Chevrolet Avalanche. That is a four door pick up truck. The CR Automaker report card rated Ford in 12^th place Suzuki in 13^th, General Motors in 14^th, and Chrysler in 15^th place. There was a total of 15 manufacturers.

I am not surprised. I am disappointed that three of the largest auto manufacturers in the world are at or near the bottom of the pack.

Drastic Times for California

The T.E.A. parties were a harbinger of the no on taxes movement that is sweeping this nation. Californians sent that resounding message to the legislature and the governor. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger must now sit down with state lawmakers and make real decisions. It’s something that has not been done in more than a quarter century. Proposition 13 (a 1978 revision to the state constitution that limited property taxation) was passed because the legislature refused to do its job. Once again the public has to step in to send a resounding message.

The Los Angeles Times reported in an article titled “Cost-cutting ideas die in Legislature”

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger supported SB 44 to abolish the Integrated Waste Management Board and save up to $3 million a year, Denham said. The Senate Environmental Quality Committee rejected it Monday on a party-line vote.

The board has been criticized as a way station for retired lawmakers. Among its members are former legislators Sheila Kuehl, John Laird and Carole Migden; each is paid $132,000 a year.

How many other boards and departments are there, that serve no useful purpose? The State Controller’s office reports there are more than 213,000 state employees (excluding California State Universities). The questions are too easy to ask but the answers to some are difficult.

What are all of these people doing?
How many are earning over $100,000 per year?
What are the non essential departments?
Are there laws that prevent the elimination of any departments?

The Los Angeles Times editorializes that this may be the time for a state constitutional convention. The Bay Area Council of the San Francisco area is a business-sponsored, public-policy advocacy organization that is promoting the idea of such a convention. That council believes “Drastic times call for drastic measures.” These are most definitely drastic times.

A New Format for Newsweek

I am always a week or two behind in reading Newsweek. However, I do like to take a quick look at their take on the latest happenings in a world that makes printed magazines obsolete in this world of instant news. Editor Jon Meacham, “We know you already know what the new is. With original reporting and arguments, we’ll make you think in new ways.” Leafing through the May 25, 2009 edition shows some new formating and hopefully some new ways to make this publication more relevant. The format is defintely inviting. Perhaps some new participants will make this magazine more valuable.

Environmentalists Are Too Late

On March 1, 2009 I wrote about Solving the California Drought through the use of water desalination. Today’s Los Angeles Times reported that the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board has unanimously approved the project. Astonishingly there are environmentalists who oppose the project because they believe it will harm the coast. The Times report does not explain the reasoning behind the opposition.

It is interesting to note that there was little or no opposition to the over building of homes throughout California. The urbanization of Southern California was the real issue and there is still little opposition to the continuing construction of homes and businesses throught the state.