Canadians are outraged over statements concerning the their military by the host of Fox News’ late night program Red Eye, Greg Gutfeld.  With respect to Canadian Lieutenant-General Andrew Leslie’s recent comment that the military may require a year to recover once Canada’s mission in Afghanistan ends in 2011, Gutfeld commented: “Meaning, the Canadian military wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white Capri pants”.  He went on to suggest that the United States should invade Canada, as well as making fun of the ceremonial uniforms of the RCMP.

Canadians rarely voice their anger at anything.  We are passionate and patriotic, but not in-your-face about it.   However, his comments have sparked a furor in Canada from coast to coast.  Ordinary citizens, the government, and (rightfully so) the military themselves are outraged.  These comments were made as four Canadian soldiers were being airlifted home, bringing our total dead in Afghanistan to 116.  Gutfelds comments, along with those of his sidekick Doug Benson, were meant to be satirical and humorous.  However, many (including myself) did not get the joke.  Canadians were not happy.  Americans themselves were dumfounded.  Mr. Benson was scheduled to perform in Edmonton next month, but these shows have been cancelled due to the controversy over his comments.  Furthermore, the clubs would be unable to guarantee his personal safety.

The first question that I would ask is, “Who in the holy bloody blue hell is Greg Gutfeld?”  My second question would be, “Why do we care about the verbal diarrhea that spews out of the mouth of this drugged-up turtle?”  Our response and indignation has had the unfortunate side effect of boosting the career of this nobody and making him (somewhat) famous.  One can only hope that Andy Warhol was correct, that these are Gutfelds fifteen minutes of fame, and soon thereafter he will drift back into relative obscurity.

If Gutfeld or Benson were truly sorry for their comments, they would book themselves on a flight to Afghanistan and tour the trenches with our soldiers.  It’s easy to sit back in your big house, put your feet up on the table, smoke your big fat cigar, and tell your publicist to issue an “apology.”  If you want to make fun of brave men and women fighting overseas, you should probably spend some time in their boots.  I would wager that your outlook would change drastically.

Not that I would ever expect Fox News, the producers at Red-Eye, or Greg Gutfeld himself to read this blog, but (courtesy of the National Post and CanWest Global) below is a list of the Canadian dead in Afghanistan since 2002.

116 Canadian soldiers, one diplomat and two aid workers have been killed since the Canadian military deployed to Afghanistan in early 2002.

2009

• March 20: Master Corporal Scott Francis Vernelli, 28, and Corporal Tyler Crooks, 24, both of 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, died when they were hit by an IED while on a foot patrol in western Zahri District.  Trooper Jack Bouthillie, 20, and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes, 22, both of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, died when their armoured vehicle struck an IED in Shah Wali Khot District.

• March 8: Trooper Marc Diab, 22, of CFB Petawawa was killed and four other soldiers were wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated near an armoured vehicle during a patrol in the Shah Wali Kot District.

• March 3: Warrant Officer Dennis Raymond Brown,38, a reservist from The Lincoln and Welland Regiment, based in St. Catharines, Ont., Cpl. Dany Olivier Fortin, 29, from the 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron at 3 Wing, based in Bagotville, Que., and Cpl. Kenneth Chad O’Quinn, 24, from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, in Petawawa, Ont., were killed when an IED detonated near their armoured vehicle northwest of Kandahar in the Arghandab District.

• Jan. 31: Sapper Sean Greenfield, 25, was killed when and IED hit his armoured vehicle while driving in the Zhari district, west of Kandahar. He was with the 2 Combat Engineer Regiment based in Petawawa.

• Jan 7: Trooper Brian Richard Good, 42, a member of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group. His armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive devise, or IED. Three other soldiers were injured in the blast, which occurred around 8 a.m. in the Shahwali Kot district, about 35 kilometres north of Kandahar City.

2008

• Dec 27: Warrant Officer Gaetan Roberge, 45, of the Royal 22 Regiment but seconded to the Irish Regiment of Canada based in Sudbury and Sergeant Gegory John Kruse, 40, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment serving as a member of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group based in Petawawa are killed along with an Afghan police officer when an IED exploded in the Panjwaii district.

• Dec 26: Private Michael_Freeman, 28, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment based at CFB Petawawa, is killed by an IED when his armoured vehicle hit a bomb in the Zhari district.

• Dec. 13: Three soldiers were killed by an IED west of Kandahar City after responding to reports of people planting a suspicious object. Cpl. Thomas James Hamilton,26, Pte. John Michael Roy Curwin, 26, and Pte. Justin Peter Jones, 21, members of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment from CFB Gagetown, N.B., died.

• Dec: 5: An IED kills W.O. Robert Wilson, 38, Cpl Mark McLaren, 23, and Pte Demetrios Diplaros, 25, all members of the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment based in Petawawa, Ont. All three are from Ontario – Keswick, Peterborough and Scarborough respectively.

• Sept 7: Sgt. Prescott (Scott) Shipway, 36, was killed by an IED just days away from completing his second tour of Afghanistan and on the same day the federal election is called. Shipway, a section commander with 2nd battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based out of Winnipeg, was killed in the Panjwaii district. He is from Saskatchewan.

• Sept. 3: Corporals Andrew (Drew) Grenon, 23, of Windsor, Ont., and Mike Seggie, 21, of Winnipeg and Pte. Chad Horn, 21, of Calgary, infantrymen with the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry from CFB Shilo, where killed in a Taliban ambush. Five other soldiers were injured in the attack.

• Aug. 20: Three combat engineers attached to 2nd Battalion Batallion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton are killed by an IED in Zhari district. Sgt. Shawn Eades, 34, of Hamilton, Ont., Cpl. Dustin Roy Robert Joseph Wasden,25, of the Spiritwood, Sask., area, and Sapper Stephan John Stock, 25, of Campbell River, B.C. A fourth soldier was seriously injured.

• Aug. 13: Jacqueline Kirk and Shirley Case, who were in Afghanistan with the International Rescue Committee, died in Afghanistan’s Logar province after the car they were riding in was ambushed. Kirk, 40, was a dual British-Canadian citizen from Outremont, Que. Case, 30, was from Williams Lake, B.C.

• Aug. 11: Master Cpl. Erin Doyle, 32, of Kamloops, B.C., an Edmonton-based soldier of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was killed in a firefight in Panjwaii district.

• Aug. 9: Master Cpl. Josh Roberts, 29, a native of Saskatchewan and a member of 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man., died during a firefight involving a private security company in the Zhari district, west of Kandahar City. The death is under investigation.

• July 18: Cpl. James Hayward Arnal of Winnipeg, an infantryman with 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was rushed from the patrol in the volatile Panjwaii district to Kandahar Airfield, where he died from his injuries sustained from an IED.

• July 5: Pte. Colin William Wilmot, a medic with 1 Field Ambulance and attached to 2nd Battalion Batallion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry from Edmonton, stepped on an IED while on foot patrol in the Panjwaii district.

• July 4: Cpl Brendan Anthony Downey died at Camp Mirage in an undisclosed country in the Arabian Peninsula of non-combat injuries. He was in his quarters at the time. Downey, 36, was a military police officer with 17 Wing Detachment, Dundurn, Sask.

• June 7: Capt. Jonathan Sutherland Snyder, a member of 1 Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton, died after falling into a well while on a security patrol in the Zhari district.

• June 3: Capt. Richard Leary, 32, was killed when his patrol came under small arms fire while on foot patrol west of Kandahar City. Leary, “Stevo” to his friends, and a member of 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was based at CFB Shilo, Man.

• May 6: Cpl. Michael Starker of the 15 Field Ambulance was fatally wounded during a foot patrol in the Pashmul region of the Afghanistan’s Zhari district. Starker, 36, was a Calgary paramedic on his second tour in Afghanistan. He was part of a civil-military co-operation unit that did outreach in local villages. Another soldier, who was not identified, was wounded in the incident.

• April 4: Pte. Terry John Street, of Surrey, B.C., and based with 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Shilo, Man., was killed when his armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device to the southwest of Kandahar City.

• March 16: Sgt. Jason Boyes of Napanee, Ont., based with 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Shilo, Man., was killed when he steps on a buried explosive device while on foot patrol in the Zangabad region in Panjwaii District.

• March 11: Bombardier Jeremie Ouellet, 22, of Matane, Que., died in his quarters at Kandahar Airfield. He was with the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. His death is under investigation by the National Investigative Service.

• March 2: Trooper Michael Yuki Hayakaze, 25, of Edmonton was killed by an IED just days before his tour was scheduled to end. He was in a vehicle about 45 kilometres west of the Kandahar base. He was a member of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians).

• Jan. 23: Sapper Etienne Gonthier, 21, of St-George-de-Beauce, Que., and based with 5e Regiment du genie de combat in Val Cartier, Que. was killed and two others wounded in an incident involving a roadside bomb.

• Jan. 15: Trooper Richard Renaud from Alma, Que., was killed and a second Canadian soldier was injured when their armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb Tuesday in Kandahar’s Zhari district. Renaud, 26, of the 12eme Regiment blinde du Canada in Valcartier, Que., and three other soldiers were on a routine patrol in the Arghandab region, about 10 Kilometres north of Kandahar City, when their Coyote reconnaissance vehicle struck the improvised explosive device.

• Jan. 6: Cpl. Eric Labbe, 31, of Rimouski, Que., and Warrant Officer Hani Massouh died when their light armoured vehicle rolled over in Zhari district.

2007

• Dec. 30: Jonathan Dion, 27, a gunner from Val d’Or, Que., died and four others were injured after their armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Zhari district.

• Nov. 17: Cpl. Nicholas Raymond Beauchamp, of the 5th Field Ambulance, and Pte. Michel Levesque, of the Royal 22nd Regiment, both based in Valcartier, Que., were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their LAV-III armoured vehicle in Zhari district.

• Sept. 25: Cpl Nathan Hornburg, 24, of the Kings Own Calgary Regiment, was killed by mortar fire while trying to repair the track of a Leopard tank during an operation in the Panjwaii district.

• Aug. 29: Maj. Raymond Ruckpaul, serving at the NATO coalition headquarters in Kabul, died after being found shot in his room. ISAF and Canadian officials have said they had not ruled out suicide, homicide or accident as the cause of death. Ruckpaul was an armoured officer based at the NATO Allied Land Component Command Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. His hometown and other details have not been released.

• Aug. 22: Two Canadian soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier of 2nd Battalion Batallion, Royal 22nd Regiment, based in Valcartier, Que., and Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne, a member of Fifth Ambulance de campagne, also based in Valcartier, died when the vehicle they were in struck a suspected mine, approximately 50 kilometres west of Kandahar City during Operation EAGLE EYE. An Afghan interpreter was also killed and a third soldier and two Radio Canada journalists were injured.

• Aug. 19: Pte. Simon Longtin, 23, died when the LAV-III armoured vehicle he was travelling in struck an improvised explosive device.

• July 4: Six Canadian soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle. The dead are Capt. Matthew Johnathan Dawe, Cpl. Cole Bartsch, Cpl. Jordan Anderson and Pte. Lane Watkins, all of 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Master-Cpl. Colin Bason, a reservist from The Royal Westminster Regiment and Capt. Jefferson Clifford Francis of 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery based in Shilo Man.

• June 20: Three soldiers from 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, died when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Sgt. Christos Karigiannis, Cpl. Stephen Bouzane, 26, and Pte. Joel Wiebe, 22 were on a re-supply mission, travelling between two checkpoints in an open, all-terrain vehicle, not an armoured vehicle.

• June 11: Trooper Darryl Caswell, 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Dragoons, was killed by a roadside bomb that blew up near the vehicle he was travelling in, while on patrol about 40 minutes north of Kandahar city. He was part of a resupply mission.

• May 30: Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede, a combat cameraman, died when an American helicopter he was aboard crashed in Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand province, reportedly after being shot at by Taliban fighters. Priede was from CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick.

• May 25: Cpl. Matthew McCully, a signals operator from 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, based at Petawawa, Ont., was killed while on foot patrol and another soldier was injured when a roadside bomb exploded near them during a major operation to clear out Taliban. The soldier, a member of the mentorship and liaison team, is believed to have stepped on an improvised explosive device.

• April 18: Master Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer, 25, a special forces member, died from injuries sustained in an accidental fall from a communications tower in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It is the first death of a special forces member while on duty in Afghanistan.

• April 11: Master Cpl. Allan Stewart, 30, and Trooper Patrick Pentland, 23, were killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan. Both men were members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons based at CFB Petawawa, Ont.

• April 8: Six Canadian soldiers died in southern Afghanistan as a result of injuries sustained when the vehicle they were travelling in hit an explosive device. Sgt. Donald Lucas, Cpl. Aaron E. Williams, Cpl. Brent Poland, Pte. Kevin Vincent Kennedy, Pte. David Robert Greenslade, 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Gagetown, N.B. were killed in the blast. Cpl. Christopher Paul Stannix, a reservist from the Princess Louise Fusiliers, based in Halifax, also died. One other soldier was seriously injured.

• March 6: Cpl. Kevin Megeney, 25, a reservist from Stellarton, N.S., died in an accidental shooting. He was shot through the chest and left lung. Megeney went to Afghanistan in the fall as a volunteer with 1st Batallion, Nova Scotia Highlanders Militia.

2006

• Nov. 27: Two Canadian soldiers were killed on the outskirts of Kandahar when a suicide car bomber attacked a convoy of military vehicles. Cpl. Albert Storm, 36, of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, 46, from Bouctouche, N.B., were members of the Royal Canadian Regiment based in Petawawa, Ont. They were in an armoured personnel carrier that had just left the Kandahar Airfield base when a vehicle approached and detonated explosives.

• Oct. 14: Sgt. Darcy Tedford and Pte. Blake Williamson from 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment in Petawawa, Ont., were killed and three others wounded after troops in Kandahar province came under attack by Taliban insurgents wielding rocket propelled grenades and mortars, according to media reports. The troops were trying to build a road in the region when the ambush attack occurred.

• Oct. 7: Trooper Mark Andrew Wilson, a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons of Petawawa, Ont., died after a roadside bomb or IED exploded under a Nyala armoured vehicle. Wilson was a gunner in the Nyala vehicle. The blast occurred in the Pashmul region of Afghanistan.

• Oct. 3: Cpl. Robert Thomas James Mitchell and Sgt. Craig Paul Gillam were killed in an attack in southern Afghanistan as they worked to clear a route for a future road construction project. Both were members of the Petawawa, Ont.-based Royal Canadian Dragoons.

• Sept. 29:_Pte. Josh Klukie was killed by an improvised explosive device while he was conducting a foot patrol in a farm field in the Panjwaii district. Klukie, of Thunder Bay, Ont., was serving in the First Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment.

• Sept. 18: Four soldiers were killed when a suicide bomber riding a bicycle detonated explosives in the Panjwaii area. Cpl. Shane Keating, Cpl. Keith Morley and Pte. David Byers, 22, all members of 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry from Shilo, Man., and Cpl. Glen Arnold, a member of 2 Field Ambulance, from Petawawa, Ont., were killed in the attack that wounded several others.

• Sept. 4: Pte. Mark Anthony Graham, a member of 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., killed and dozens of others wounded in a friendly fire incident involving an American A-10 Warthog aircraft. Graham was a Canadian Olympic team member in 1992, when he raced as a member of the 4 x 400 metre relay team.

• Sept. 3: Four Canadian soldiers — Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Sgt. Shane Stachnik and Pte. William Jonathan James Cushley, all based at CFB Petawawa, west of Ottawa, were killed as insurgents disabled multiple Canadian vehicles with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Nine other Canadians were wounded in the fighting that killed an estimated 200 Taliban members.

• Aug. 22: Canadian Cpl. David Braun, a recently arrived soldier with 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was killed by a suicide bomber outside the gates of Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City. The soldier, in his 20s, was a native of Raymore, Sask. Three other Canadian soldiers were injured in the afternoon attack.

• Aug. 11: Cpl. Andrew James Eykelenboom died during an attack by a suicide bomber on a Canadian convoy that was resupplying a forward fire base south of Kandahar near the border with Pakistan. A medic with the 1st Field Ambulance based in Edmonton, he was in his mid 20s and had been in the Canadian Forces for four years.

• Aug. 9: Master Cpl. Jeffrey Scott Walsh, based out of Shilo, Man., with 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was shot in a friendly fire incident, just days after arriving in Kandahar to begin his tour of duty. He arrived in Kandahar less than a week earlier.

• Aug. 5: Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt of the Edmonton-based Loyal Edmonton Regiment was killed when a G-Wagon making a supply run collided with a civilian truck. Three other Loyal Edmonton Regiment soldiers were also injured in the crash: Cpl. Jared Gagnon of Sherwood Park, Cpl. Ashley Van Leeuwen of St. Paul and Pte. Adam Keen of Edmonton.

• Aug. 3: Cpl. Christopher Jonathan Reid, based in Edmonton with the 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was killed in a roadside bomb attack. Later the same day, Sgt. Vaughn Ingram, Cpl. Bryce Jeffrey Keller and Pte. Kevin Dallaire were killed by a rocket-propelled grenade as they took on militants around an abandoned school near Pashmul. Six other Canadian soldiers were injured in the attack.

• July 22: A suicide bomber blew himself up in Kandahar, killing two Canadian soldiers and wounding eight more; the slain soldiers were Cpl. Francisco Gomez, an anti-armour specialist from the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, who was driving the Bison armoured vehicle targeted by the bomber’s vehicle, and Cpl. Jason Patrick Warren of the Black Watch in Montreal.

• July 9: Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca, a reservist_with the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., was killed as Canadian military and Afghan security forces were pushing through an area west of Kandahar City that had been a hotbed of Taliban activity.

• May 17: Capt. Nichola Goddard, a combat engineer with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and Canada’s first female combat death, was killed during battle against Taliban forces in the Panjwaii region, 24 kilometres west of Kandahar.

• April 22: Four soldiers were killed when their armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb near Gombad, north of Kandahar. They were Cpl. Matthew Dinning, stationed at Petawawa, Ont.; Bombardier Myles Mansell, based in Victoria; Lieut. William Turner, stationed in Edmonton, and Cpl. Randy Payne of CFB Wainwright, Alta.

• March 28-29: Pte. Robert Costall was killed in a firefight with Taliban insurgents in the desert north of Kandahar. A U.S. soldier and a number of Afghan troops also died and three Canadians were wounded. Costall was a member of 1st Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton. An American inquiry, made public in the summer of 2007, determined Costall was killed by friendly fire.

• March 5: Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., succumbed to injuries suffered in the LAV III crash on March 2 in Afghanistan. Wilson died in hospital in Germany.

• March 2: Cpl. Paul Davis died and six others were injured when their LAV III collided with a civilian taxi just west of Kandahar during a routine patrol. The soldiers were with 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

• Jan. 15: Diplomat Glyn Berry was killed and three soldiers injured by a suicide bomber in Kandahar. They were patrolling in a G Wagon.

2005:

• Nov. 24: Pte. Braun Scott Woodfield, Royal Canadian Regiment, was killed in a traffic accident involving his light-armoured vehicle (LAV III) northeast of Kandahar. Three others soldiers suffered serious injuries.

2004:

• Jan. 27: Cpl. Jamie Murphy died and three soldiers were injured by a suicide bomber while patrolling near Camp Julien in an Iltis jeep. All were members of the Royal Canadian Regiment.

2003:

• Oct. 2: Sgt. Robert Alan Short and Cpl. Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger were killed and three others injured when their Iltis jeep struck a roadside bomb outside Camp Julien near Kabul. They were from 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment.

2002:

• April 18: Sgt. Marc Leger, Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, Pte. Richard Green and Pte. Nathan Smith were killed by friendly fire when an American fighter jet dropped a laser-guided 225-kilogram bomb on the soldiers during a training exercise near Kandahar. All served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

AIG is in a lot of trouble right now.  Despite borrowing billions from the Federal Government (making them 80% Government owned), the company paid out $165 million dollars in bonuses, mostly to employees who were responsible for the collapse of the company.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  Total bonuses for the financial unit could reach up to $450 million.  The total bonuses for the company itself is projected to be as high as 1.2 billion.

The response of the U.S. Government was swift.  Today they passed legislation taxing 90% of these bonuses to employees making $250,000 per year who work for any company that has received over five billion in bailout money.

While I applaud the action, I do not agree with the methodology used.  Last month, a provision banning all bonuses was stripped out of the stimulus bill by the Democrats.  Why did they do this, then when the public backlash over the AIG bonuses reached their lofty ears they rushed this bill through?  Sadly, this is another example of partisan politics currently being played in the Government.  This economic crisis is the worst since the Great Depression and everyone has to work together for the benefit of the country.

The current CEO of AIG, Edward Liddy, is working at the behest of the Government for $1.00 per year.  This is commendable, but he was brought in to change the corporate culture at AIG as much as to turn the struggling company around.  His credentials are impressive.  He is the former president, CEO and Chairman of Allstate Insurance.  Unfortunately, he is old-school blood and know only how things were done, not necessarily how things should be done.

In October 2008, he defended a $440,000 corporate retreat by stating to Congress that these retreats “are standard practice in our industry.”  He also defended the bonuses prior to asking the recipients to return them by saying that the employees are entilted to them and AIG could face legal reprecussions should they not honor their contractual obligations.  Fair enough, but when a company loses 61.7 billion dollars in a quarter, how do you justify a bonus payment to anybody?

To quote the late Owen Hart, “Enough is enough and it’s time for a change!” 

Andrew “Test” Martin was found dead in his condo in Florida yesterday.  The cause is still to be determined.  He was 33.  Sadly his death is another statistic added to the many wrestlers that have died prematurely.

It’s been dragged through the media, it’s been run through Congress, and it still happens.  Why are all these young men (and the occasional woman) in the professional wrestling industry passing away, many of whom do not live to see their 40th birthday.

Some effort will be required, but I am going to put together a list of all the questionable deaths in the world of professional wrestling.  Those that could have possibly been prevented if the wrestlers had not been abusing drugs, been a victim of an accident, or were in a questionable mental state. 

It is sad to think that those people who make this profession a career choice (and are successful at it) may not live long enough to enjoy the money they make.  Of course, I am referring to the performers on the upper echelon of the food chain.  Those working the smaller promotions do not make much money at all.  They do it for the love of the sport, not to pad their retirement fund.

I just finished reading the latest offering from Stephen King.  Duma Key is about a man, Edgar Freemantle, who was involved in a serious accident.  To further his rehabilitation, he moves to Duma Key, Florida, where he discovers he has a serious talent for painting.  However, his ability to paint is manipulated by Perse, an undead creature looking to escape her watery grave.  It is up to Edgar and his friends to stop Perse from escaping, no matter the personal cost.

The book was enjoyable, but the story could have lost about 500 pages.  King’s novels are typically long and as usual, it take a few hundred pages to get into the book.  His best writings are those that are kept short, in my experience.  In so saying, I have not read all of his books yet.  I will have to acquire a couple of the longer ones (Such as It or The Talisman) which will allow me to judge his writings with better authority.

It was with some amusement that I read in the news this morning that Chrysler will pull out of Canada completely unless they receive government bailout money, among other concessions.  For a company already in a lot of trouble, this is a very aggressive and arrogant statement to make.  It gives the impression that they are doing Canadians a favour by continuing their presence here.

It is no secret that the entire auto industry is suffering.  Costs are up, and sales are at their lowest point in thirty years.  The big three’s stock has plummeted to nearly worthless levels.  These companies are in serious trouble, on both sides of the border.

Chrysler’s vice-chairman and President, Tom LaSorda, has stated that Chrysler’s Canadian operating costs are approximately $20.00 more per man-hour than their competitors, Toyota or Honda.  He wants relief from taxes as well as 2.7 billion dollars from the provincial and federals governments.  To turn this around, because their costs are so high, they want Joe Taxpayer to subsidize their company?

This is the same company that spent over a hundred thousand dollars three months ago to place an ad in the Wall Street Journal thanking the American public for “investing” in Chrysler.  Wasting money like this is just another shining example of how poorly run the car companies are.  If you are going to spend advertising money, why not spend it to sell cars, not on stupid ads that do not even promote your product?

My personal opinion is to let the car companies fend for themselves.  No government loans, no bailout money.  No wasting taxpayer dollars.  It goes back to the simple law of supply and demand.  People need cars.  If one of the big three die, there will be more demand for the remaining two.  When the industry rebounds, these two companies will be stronger.  If they all die, new companies will spring up.  Chances are these new companies will not have nut fitters making $40.00 an hour.

Now – while I’m in such a generous mood, some simple advice for the “poor” car companies.  Profit is made by manufacturing products at a price that people want to purchase them for and then producing them for less than you are selling them for.  Mark Cuban said it best, “Instead of determining the right cost structure for your company by working backwards from the salaries of hourly employees and how they compare to foreign owned competitors, how about doing what every successful business does  ? Figure out what cars consumers want, and how much they need to sell for.   Once you can establish the right selling point that will actually encourage people to buy cars, THEN work backwards to the cost structure you need in order to sell cars at that price point.”

I was talking to a friend of mine and the subject of music came up.  We agreed that there seems to be a dearth of new music that would qualify as decent.  I’ve noticed this for awhile, and how the entire music industry seems to have changed.

My tastes are very divergent.  I do prefer heavy metal, but I listen to a wide range of material (to qualify this, heavy metal is very different than grunge metal or thrash metal.  I like to be able to hear the singers voice).  To that end, I have found some bands across the pond that I enjoy a lot.  To name a few, Hammerfall, EdGuy, and Helloween.  In my search, I came across a little known German band called LaFee.

Their lead singer, Christina Klein, is stunning.  They only have a couple of albums out so far, and both are in German.  I do not understand this language.  It is said that music can transcend any language barrier and I have found this to be true.  The band is somewhat of a pop band, yet throughout most of their songs a heavy guitar rift is present.

I have listened to their third album, Jetzt Erst Recht, a couple of times now.  It has gone gold in Austria and Germany, and I know why.  It is progressive rock, much like Dream Theater with a female vocalist.  I think this band has an excellent future ahead of them.

It’s in the books.  Quinton “Rampage” Jackson won a unanimous decision over The Dean of Mean, Keith Jardine.  Jackson dropped him a couple of times with his dynamite-loaded fists, but Jardine was resilient and kept popping back up.  This sets up a match between the champ, Rashad Evans, and Jackson.  The trash talking has already begun. 

Shane Carwin continued to roll as he dropped Gabriel Gonzanga in their heavyweight matchup.  Gonzaga actually had Carwin rocked, and on the ground where he could work his magic, but he could not get the job done.  I did not think Carwin looked especially dominating despite the early knockout, however.  He was tagged by Gonzage first, who is not a noted striker.

Knockout of the night had to go to Matt Hamill.  Hamill, who is deaf, dealt a crushing leg kick to the head of Mark Munoz.  Munoz crumpled like a wet paper bag and left the octagon in a neck brace.  Hamill is a wrestler who prior to being on The Ultimate Fighter has no striking experience.  He has really evolved as a fighter.

Spring training has started and most of the Major League Baseball players are back in the fold with their teams.  There are still some big name players that are unsigned, and baseball is blaming it on the economy?

Stop!  What!?!?!?  Have they lost their bloody minds?

Yes, the economy is in a downturn.  It has yet to impact Major League Baseball, however.  Salaries are at their highest ever, and attendance across the board is up.  Baseball is booming, do not be fooled.  The average major league salary is in the neighborhood of three million dollars per season.  That’s a lot of coinage, and the owners must be doing well to be able to afford to pay out those high salaries.

If the owners were losing money they would not be handing out these big dollar contracts.  It’s simple economics.  They make money via merchandise and ticket sales, but also television contracts and the playoffs.  The bigger money teams complain about having to revenue share with the smaller market teams, but everyone is profitable in the end.

So – don’t shed any tears when owners and players are both crying poor.

I have been meaning to post my follow up to “A look at the economy…Part One” for awhile now, but I was holding off to see what President Obama would do upon entering office.  It would appear now that we have our answer.  His response to the economic crisis impacts many of the ideas that I have, and have read online.  It is my theory that economic recovery must take place on many different fronts, not just one.  Relying on the government to solve the problems will not work.  The burden is on each and every one of us to contribute to a healthy economy.

President Obama has signed into law an economic stimulus package that is valued somewhere in the neighborhood of 790 billion dollars.  This package is designed to create jobs by investing in public infrastructure projects.  This is the largest measure ever passed, be it in the United States or the world.  The impact will not be felt immediately, but gradually.  People who are sitting by hoping things immediately get better shall be sorely disappointed.  The economy unfortunately does not work in such a manner.  As I mentioned in my previous article, the economy is a system of highs and lows.  Due to the fact that we are in a deep low, getting out will simply take longer.

This bill is only one small part of the equation, however.  When a government spends excessive amounts of money, they create a deficit.  Known as the Keynesian Effect, this spending increases income which in turn should increase consumer spending.  This in turn requires businesses to produce more goods and offer more services (known as the multiplier effect).  Consumer optimism about the economic situation is raised, and that leads to an upturn in spending.  The side effect of this, besides going into debt, is that the risk of inflation is greater.

As I am a fairly fiscal conservative personally, free-spending during a recession goes against my grain.  The reason that I do not agree with it is that it is merely a stop-gap solution.  It does not fix the problem long-term; it only plugs the holes for the short-term.  Rumor has it that the Obama administration is considering another stimulus bill in excess of one trillion dollars.  Despite its status as the world’s largest corporation, even the United States Government has limits.  At what point do they run out of money?
One must also consider what some of the money is earmarked for, and whether or not these are appropriate purchases.  Some fringe examples are as follows:

• $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.  (If the art was marketable, people would buy it!)
• $4+ billion to ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).  (How will this group stimulate the economy measurably?)
• $650 million for digital-TV coupons. (Whoever is in charge of this department should be fired for completely underestimating their budget.)
• $90 million towards digital conversion education of “vulnerable populations” (in addition to the aforementioned $650 million, and what has already been spent).  (Hey dummy, you need a digital converter box or your TV will no longer work!  No more Pro Wrestling or NASCAR!)
• $4.2 billion for “neighborhood stabilization activities.” (What in the blue hell is this?)
• $300 million to combat violence against women.  (This is why we have the police, no?)

The United States pulled itself out of the Great Depression by investing in the assembly line and road work.  Additionally, they had the added economic benefit of being drawn into World War II.  This increased employment dramatically by allowing women to join the work force (as many men were in the military fighting).  This is what President Obama is trying to emulate.

To promote a healthy economy over the long term, there are a number of other factors that must be addressed.  To add a disclaimer, please bear in mind that I am not an economist, an accountant, or a financial advisor.  I am merely an average guy who has spent a couple of months reading about economic principles.  The suggestions that I have cultivated within the paragraphs below should be applied simultaneously.  One or two may improve the economic outlook, but would certainly not fix the greater problem.

The easiest problems to rectify first are internal.  Unemployment insurance and welfare are a burden upon the government and the taxpayer.  The system allows for far too much freeloading, and there is no return on the monies allocated to claimants.  This system should be altered to a workfare system.  This system would provide the same amount of funds to any claimant, but would require their participation in education and skills enhancement programs.  It would also put greater emphasis on job placement, and provide financial incentives to potential employers.

These programs would increase the number of skilled workers within the country, and decrease the amount of people on the system.  These programs would cost the government significantly more in the short term than the programs currently in place, but the long-term benefits would overshadow the cost. 

These programs should be setup as a no-interest, no-payment loan to the individual.  However, to have the loan completely forgiven, those who go through the program would be required to work a certain amount of years within the country.  This would insure that the country reaps the benefits of the taxpayer-funded education that was invested in the individual.

Secondly, a far greater emphasis needs to be placed on small business.  Mark Cuban said it best.  “Entrepreneurs who start and run small businesses will be the propellant in this economy.”  Mark Cuban is an entrepreneur.  He is considered the father of High Definition (he founded HDNet in 2001), and he is the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks.  His current net worth is 2.3 billion dollars.  He has started and sold his fair share of companies.

Funding should be made available to individuals with new and innovative ideas that employ people and can be profitable within a short period of time.  Not every idea is good, but every idea is worth listening to.  To his credit, Mark Cuban has put his money where his mouth is.  Please see the links below for his list of rules, and take a look at the responses that he has received.

http://blogmaverick.com/2009/02/09/the-mark-cuban-stimulus-plan-open-source-funding/
http://blogmaverick.com/2009/02/17/the-stimulus-plan-update/

His rules are strict, and some are controversial by some peoples standards (such as publicly posting business plans and the theft of ideas).  However, it is his money, and he is a businessman.  In as much as he wants to help small businesses, he sure does not want to do so at a loss!  That would be counterproductive.

The government should follow Mr. Cuban’s example.  They could use virtually the same rules, and do it on a much larger scale.  The key to doing so would be turnaround time and a streamlined process.  Typically, getting anything out of the U.S. Small Business Administration is difficult, confusing, and time consuming.  This leads to frustration and people abandoning their ideas.  This would have to change.

This branch of the government should be able to operate with close to zero loss, as it would be setup to run much like a venture capital corporation, and more.  Once a prospective entrepreneur submits a business plan, it is reviewed by knowledgeable peers to determine if it has merit, and what the operational costs will be.  Profit and loss are also discussed, as well as how the government gets a return on their investment.  I should clarify here that the intention of the government is not to make money off of entrepreneurs, but rather provide them with the necessary capital to either take their business to the next level or get one off the ground.

Additionally, it should be clarified that it is not the government’s job to prop up failing businesses (I am referring to the bailout bill here, not the stimulus package).  We have a free market economy and a capitalist society, and we should let that run its course.  When companies fail, new ones will take their place.  It’s the law of supply and demand.

Companies such as Chrysler, GM are failing due to their mismanagement.  Propping them up with federal monies (i.e., taxpayer dollars) does not fix the problem.  The simple fact is that there will always be a demand for cars.  If these companies shut down, new ones will take their place.  If they want to succeed, then they should do what every successful business does.  They have to develop products to be sold at a price that people want to purchase them for, and then they have to manufacture them for less than they are selling them for.

The next step would be to rectify the trade deficit.  In 2006, the United States had a trade deficit of 817.3 billion dollars.  In simple terms this means that the United States purchased goods and services totaling 817.3 billion dollars more than other countries purchased from them.  Without rectifying the trade deficit, the economic stimulus plan will be worthless.

The raw numbers are staggering.  The United States borrows three billion dollars a day to cover the interest on its debt.  The debt burden as a proportion of GDP is around 350%.  This means that the debt is three and a half times the total output of the economy.  The trade deficit with China is almost 500 million dollars a day.  China has dollar denominated reserves of approximately 1.5 trillion dollars.  In total, the United States owes Asia over two trillion dollars.  At the current rate, it will be three trillion dollars within a few years. 

In a strong growth economy, a reasonable trade deficit is not a problem.  When it reaches almost a trillion dollars in a given year, however, there is serious cause for concern.  The goods being manufactured in your country are not being purchased, causing factories to outsource labor to foreign markets, or being shut down completely.  This in turn leads to higher unemployment and a lower GDP.

Most corporations exist to make money for their shareholders.  They are not charities, and are generally motivated by profit.  Their objective is to generate as much revenue as possible while minimizing expenses.  It is capitalism at its best.  Once that concept is clearly understood, you can see why they choose to outsource labor to countries such as Mexico and China.  The average American worker will earn approximately $20.00 per hour.  The average Chinese worker will earn $0.20 cents per hour.  Multiply that cost over thousands of employees, and the cost differential becomes very evident.

In addition to the labor, certain foreign governments also subsidize the material used by native companies to manufacture goods.  Due to the fact that this is not done by governments in a free-market economy such as ours, it offers a competitive advantage to foreign made product.  This competitive advantage is supposed to be negated by tariffs on imported goods, yet often it is still not enough.

One cannot blindly sit back and place the cause of the trade deficit onto the shoulders of corporate America, however.  Consumers also share the blame as they often look for the lowest possible prices.  If you have two identical products, one manufactured in the United States and another manufactured in China, and the Chinese product is 20% cheaper, which one will you buy?  A tariff is designed to negate the cost differential, yet oftentimes it does not work.

To balance the trade deficit, the existing tariff system should be replaced.  In 2003, Warren Buffet, the billionaire investor and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, proposed a system known as Import Certificates in order to avoid the economic crash that he foresaw on America’s horizon.  The plan would be phased in over five years, with the exception of oil, which would be ten years.

The way the plan works is simple.  For every dollar that is exported from the United States, an import certificate for the equivalent amount is issued to the exporter.  The import certificate entitles the bearer to import an equivalent amount of product into the United States.  Given that we are in a free-market economy, the exporters could sell these certificates to the highest bidder which would allow them to import their goods.

For example, if the United States exports $500 billion worth of goods, then $500 billion worth of import certificates would be issued during that time frame.  If $1 trillion worth of import certificates are desired by importers, they would have to bid and compete over the available supply.  This would allow the exporters to make additional money, while it would cost importers additional funds to import their products.  If the United States was to run a trade surplus, there would be more import certificates available than desired, which would result in free trade.

This brings us to two questions.  What would happen if foreign countries that hold exceptional dollar reserves unleash them upon the market, and would they consider doing so?  While conventional wisdom may suggest that by doing so they would cripple the U.S. economy completely, it is unlikely that they would do so.  If they did such a thing, they would in effect be cutting their own throats because their investments would become worthless.  With respect to China, if they were to flood the market it would result in a loss of approximately 5% of their own GDP.  The ancient truth is that when the debt is large enough, it’s the debtor who has the power, not the creditor.

The final stage of the process is monetary reform.  As I mentioned in Part One, the large banks have created a system by which fractional reserve banking is the norm.  Fractional reserve banking allows the banks to essentially create money out of nothing.  The government borrows this money and pays the banks back with interest.  Those interest payments alone in 2007 totaled $465 billion, which was 17% of the U.S. budget that year.

The net effect of eliminating both fractional reserve banking and the national debt would put an end to the up-and-down activity of the U.S. economy.  It would also remove private lenders (such as banks, or the Federal Reserve for that matter) from being able to influence policy decisions.  Many people are unaware that such institutions such as the Federal Reserve, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund are all private corporations.  Due to the existing laws (Primarily the Federal Reserve Act of December 23rd, 1913), these corporations are able to report record profits because they are able to create their own money, and then charge interest on it!

The solution is to eliminate fractional reserve banking by requiring banks to increase their reserves on deposits to 100% over the course of a given period.  Simultaneously, to provide the necessary funds for this increase, the government would issue new “certificates of value” in sufficient quantity to pay off the debt.  The government would dispose of the Federal Reserve Notes as they are returned.

There would be no net increase to the money supply due to the fact that both of these actions cancel one another out.  It would cause neither inflation nor deflation.

All of these actions would result in economic stability. As the United States of America is the only superpower left (and that’s precarious at best), the world economy would stabilize as well. Other governments would see the wisdom of the policies enacted, and would likely attempt to emulate them.