Sober Up

We SHOULD be able to agree - on many things.

Alright, let me not get carried away… We should be able to agree on SOME thing.

One thing?

It occurs to me - if we started there - with things (one thing) where we should be able to agree,

well then, maybe; just maybe - we might find our way back to decency and even perhaps - - - better.

A better time and a better place.

Let us be “Better Again”.

Make America Better. (MAB)

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Money, it does not have to be the root of all evil; but like anything, if we have an addiction, when too much is never enough (addiction - too much of anything); then we’ve got problems Houston.

Major malfunctions. Crash and burns.

Do we need an intervention America? Do you have a problem (with money) America?

I’ll raise my hand, be the boy talking to the Emperor (with no clothes).

Hi everyone, my name is Scott. I’m an American.

We do; yes we do have a mutual (American, we’re all Americans) problem with money.

We spend too much. We spend on the wrong things, for the wrong reasons.

We chase money. We print it. We create proxies for it.

We act irresponsibly with it - and worst of all - - -

Our politics and politicians, the people who we elect to represent and hopefully lead us,

Those very people are awash in it (money). They are for sale. They are on the take.

Greed and money.

The things that we all want (a little “bank”), if we don’t control ourselves (discipline), then we become slaves to those things.

Food, alcohol, drugs, and yes - money also, all can become addictive (addictions).

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Just one of the money problems we have America, just one…

Politicians trading stocks - IMO - it should NOT be a thing.

That includes families and friends and relatives of our elected officials. IMO (in my opinion), none of these people should be anywhere near stocks and bonds and commodities and crypto currencies that sit anywhere close to rules and regulations and government business (the people’s work) that our elected officials deal in; that they impact and influence.

When you’re doing the people’s work, no stock trading for you elected man, elected woman. Give it all a rest, your money and your investments, put them aside while you are doing - the people’s work.

After you are done working for the people, AFTER your time serving your fellow citizens is over - sure, have at it. Go work your portfolio, your 31 flavors of wealth.

Cash in after you’re off the clock. Have at it.

But keep your hands clean, while you’re doing the people’s work.

Like a sanitary score for a local restaurant, keep the place clean. (Is that too much to ask?)

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I don’t know how we might put that (pols trading on inside the house information) horse, back in the barn; but if we are to start making our way to “better” (Make America Better),

this is just one of the things that needs to be raised high on our (mutual) To - Do - List.

End Pols from trading on inside information,

and really - stop all the trading (while you’re serving US(a)) - holding office -

Elected by US(a) - We The People.

You were elected to do our business, not to serve yourselves.

Do THE PEOPLE’s business.

Hands off the inside information. At least wait until you’re out of office to do your trading.

How about that for a place to begin, a place to start -

To - Make America Better (MAB)?

No stock trading while you hold public office - POTUS to Dog Catcher. Got it?

Want to trade stocks and bonds and oil and crypto boys and girls? Get another job. Choose another path. Don’t run for political office.

Hands off all “the shiny things” while you do the people’s work.

Can we (all) agree on that?

Something? Anything anymore? (A place to start to unravel this mess?)

>>>>>

I was going to make a list of the top stock trading Pols, toss bitcoin trades and anything else you can think of to trade onto the list.

Beanie Babies, Pokemon cards, Labubu… Geeze Louise!!!

It’s not worth my time to make the list of Pols and their family and friends and pets who trade on inside (the people’s work) information;

addicts feeding at the trough.

R and D alike, trust me;

They ALL do it.

(They ARE NOT all the same. But almost all of them feed at the trough. Some more. Some less.)

Still…

It’s wrong. It needs to stop. We need to sober up.

I don’t know how. But I do know - if we are to MAB - it needs to stop. At least we have to try and rein this shit in.

Don’t let “the perfect be the enemy of the good”.

Because we can never get to perfect, that’s not an excuse to never try to do better; to aim for the good.

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That said, here’s an example of how absurd this Political Insider stock trading game has become.

Pols can and they do (currently) trade stocks, frequently -

I’m not sure how much for fun -

I am sure it is for profit.

A whole lot of Pols with a whole lot of money and inside the big houses info, doing things that you and I can’t do - trading on insider information. (A rigged game.)

And (I don’t really mean this) - - - but my ugly cynicism gets the better of me sometimes and tells me

If you can’t beat them -

Join them.

(And of course - you and I, even if we wanted to - we can’t join them - unless you want to run for office - and win.)

Members of congress can and do trade in stocks - and they are required to report their trades (although I’m not sure how many of them comply with the rules. It seems like rules, for some people, have become optional these days).

But here’s the catch, they are required (if they are so inclined, to follow rules) and report their trades some X number of days, AFTER they’ve made their trade.

If we tried to follow - we would always be behind on “their take” / their trade. We would be late to the game.

And still, with the genius and innovation of the financial markets, we can still try - monkey see, monkey do - to grab some crumbs that the big apes might leave behind.

The financial markets have created ETFs (exchange traded funds) to follow the trades of the Rs and the Ds, people we have elected to public office,

to supposedly do our work; to represent our interest, supposedly…

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Hey… Monkey see, monkey do. It’s how kids really learn, right?

(And down and down we go.)

These ETFs charge high expense ratios; 0.73% and 0.75% compared to some low-cost S&P 500 and other index funds that charge a low, low, low 0.03%

Take a look-see if you want to, at these two (monkey see - monkey do) ETFs, tickers:

GOP

and,

NANC

I’m not going to elaborate. Look them up. Look them up and weep. (Buy them and try and grab some crumbs if you want to.)

And then - dry your eyes - sober up - - - and do something.

Do something to at least begin to MAB - Make America Better

Scott out

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PHOTO:

That’s my Grandpa, my Mom’s Dad - June 1920.

My Grandparents didn’t drink. Teetotalers, the most sober (not to mention kind and thoughtful) people I have ever known.

My Mom used to think that my Grandpa put too much mayonnaise on his ham sandwich.

That’s probably the only addiction my Grandpa ever had. Too much mayonnaise.

You’re talking to me tonight, Grandpa.

I miss you Grandpa.