Bits and Pieces, Again!

What is Alibaba? Or who?

Well it is both. Alibaba is a Chinese company that performs retail/commercial activity similar to Amazon in America. It offers products and services over the internet and sells such for later delivery to the consumer.

Alibaba is also a person or persons. They are the owners and management of the organization. They are controversial because their vision sparked major business activity that excited both the investment and consumer markets. Two problems resulted.

First was overheated stock prices that grew exponentially and then collapsed. Complaints were leveled against the organization and its management team as blame was sought for swings in Alibaba’s stock price.

Second, so many goods in China are thought to be counterfeit. Knockoffs of luxury brands or chic goods become common. High prices were paid for cheap goods. Fraud charges followed.

So Alibaba is rooted in many controversies. Which are accurate reflections of fact and which are not remain as primary topics of discussion in the global community. Time will sort this all out. Meanwhile, buyer beware! All was not smooth with Amazon in their early years, either.

Red Tape Run Amok?

This is the continuing theories of conspiracy in every facet of our lives. Someone is stalking someone else to gain power, notoriety, money or some other thing. One firm attempts to undercut another so they gain market share and stock value. Government ‘partners’ work with a favored supplier to eliminate a competitor. Government regulations are manipulated to provide leverage to accomplish this skullduggery.

Ah! Red tape the problem? Or the fear of conspiracy the primary element? When so many people observe government by pocketbook they lose faith that the main objective of regulation is to protect the common good of the public. Complaints about red tape being an obstacle are often heard. When examined, however, there is another story.

Product safety standards and regulations are in place to protect the public, not the manufacturer or seller. Financial market regulations are there to protect the users of those markets so they get what they expected to get from the representations offered. In such environments crooks and scam artists have a harder time stealing from the unsuspecting. Still such crimes are committed; this circumstance is reason enough for the regulations and more so. Not less.

Setting public policy is difficult. So many players imagine being harmed by policy and regulation. If they would take the time to learn why the policy or regulation is in place, they might better compete fairly in the long run. If they are the honest players they have nothing to fear.

Presidential Candidates

At least in republican circles it appears that all members of the party are running for president in 2016! Every stripe of conservative is represented. Each sort of kook is also running for the ballot. Just think! Every issue you can possibly think of is represented. And for each, the negative perspective is the dominant theme. Anti gay, anti abortion, anti equal marriage, anti religion, anti business, anti regulation, anti, anti, anti.

The Party of NO! is at its game.

Word has it that republicans are so unpopular that they are not attracting new blood to the party sufficient to replace all the party elders who are dying. Well then! Perhaps this is a self limiting problem?

I’d like to think American voters are People of YES! What are the possibilities our nation can pursue for the good of mankind? How well will we all participate in the global community? So much possibility beckons our attention and energy.

It is stunning that republicans have gained a modicum of power simply by saying NO! I wonder what America and the world community would gain if more of us simply responded by saying YES!?

Biker Gangs and Murder

I should add Texas, too! Biker gangs exist throughout America but can you think of any state more prone to this weird development? And with guns, no less. Let’s have a meeting at Twin Peaks restaurant/club and discuss our differences in the restrooms with guns and knives. We’ll just make our point emphatically.

And nine people died. 18 were wounded, many critically. 147 were arrested. Lordy! Only in Texas? I don’t know, but I can’t imagine this taking place in Illinois, New York or Florida. Even California with all that desert acreage. Police powers are well organized there and I doubt the Waco event would repeat in the other jurisdictions. Well, maybe Arkansas and Louisiana, and maybe Alabama and Mississippi, too?

And serious motorcyclists wonder why the public wonders if all bikers aren't the same? And gun controls. Why are bikers operating their cycles fully armed? What’s with that reality?

Enough for one day! These four topics will do nicely.

May 21, 2015