Pat Schwind Presents: Strategic Edge Thursday, 07/16/2009

Ex-Cop Seymore Smith: One Man’s Struggle vs. an Unjust System; Commentary from the Az. Justice Project.

Minutes of 07/02/2009

1. Attended 07/02/2009 : Rich Woods, Gaye Cochran, Joan Walling, Mark Sordahl, Pat Schwind, Mike Kielsky, Keith Cyrnek, & our speaker Frank Rickey. That's what happens when you meet the day before the "4th" holiday begins. No Biggie.

2. Before we got started with Frank's presentation, we had a very lively discussion, primarily pertaining to the question of "Is there any real hope for saving the Republic, given the fact that America's controled by powerful evil interests?" We spent some time on the question of Congressional representation for D.C. residents, which I feel is one of the great tragedies of our system: Until the census of 1970, DC had a population greater than all but about a dozen, perhaps 15 states. So when important decisions come down to close votes in the US Senate, it's not bad enough that the average 'cracker' or rube in places like the Dakotas, Wyoming, Idaho & much of the "Greater Confederacy", has 10 to 40 times the congressional clout as someone in a "big state" like N.Y. or California, but the (mostly brown) folks in DC have NO representation whatsoever!! What a horribly flawed system!

   My libertarian friend Mike K. ignored my "fairness argument", stating that Taxation w/o Representation for DC voters is "just fine, because those people in DC are just communists who vote for the wrong stuff all the time!" Hmmm? I pointed out that his argument sounded more like Joe Stalin or Adolf Hitler, not something you'd expect from a seasnoned libertarian. I guess politics trumps principal, even for the "pro freedom & liberty" crowd.

   Frank showed 2 videos from the "Great Courses" lecture series; both by Prof. Joseph Kobylka of SMU. The first was about Henry Thoreau's philosophy on Individualism. Thoreau eventually evolved into an anarchist, & was jailed (1 night in 1841) for refusing to pay the Pol Tax, which he felt was used to feed the US war machine, which at the time meant expansion of slavery into Texas, via the Mexican War. He rejected traditional sources of authority, & was a true "patriot".

   He believed that any gov't should not be able to coerce anyone to act against their own free will. He felt gov't historically degenerated into "mob based conformity": people too often choose to simply "go along to get along". The flaw in this philosophy is that the individual's desires often conflict with society's greater good. Jefferson was also guilty of this, thinking a revolution every generation would fix the problem of the "pendelum swinging too far". Madison pointed out the impracticallity of such upheavels.

   Before the second video, we discussed the first, & home schooling. Then Frank showed "The Socialism of Orestes Brownson". This self taught writer (1803-1876) condemned liberalism for not being socialist in nature. He condemned concentrated economic power, particularly on the part of capitalists & bankers; he believed the only way for the poor & working classes to have any real chance at economic progress was thru more political freedom. His writings were part of the basis for those of Karl Marx.

   I can't get into the real detail presented in these 2 videos. If you've never checked out the "Great Courses", you should. My wife has a couple dozen CD's, which you can easily play in the car on long trips. They're great when you don't feel like "spinnin' the (radio) dial", & the scenery is booring.

3. Our next meeting is this Thursday, 07/16/2009

   Please arrive before 7:30 AM at “JIM’s CONEY ISLAND CAFE”, 1750 No. Scottsdale Rd., Tempe, at the southwest corner of Scottsdale & Cavalier, Click Here for a map, 1 block south of McKellips, ~ 1 mile north of the 202 Freeway.

   Our speaker will be Ex-Cop Seymore Smith: One Man’s Struggle vs. an Unjust System; Commentary from the Az. Justice Project.

   Bring Guests!

4. Future Speakers
   • 7/16- Ex-Cop Seymore Smith: One Man’s Struggle vs. an Unjust System; Commentary from the Az. Justice Project.

   • 7/30- Ahmad Daniels: A Black Marine's Battle for Civil Rights in the Vietnam War.

   • 8/13- MMA Fighter & Heritage Capital Consultant Mike Van Arsdale will discuss "Energy, Diamonds & Dubai", & then give a real live MMA Demonstration in the parking lot, on thick carpet. Yeah, it'll be HOT, but we can handle it.

   • 8/27- Business Guru Warren Avery on "Customer Service: Demand It & Provide It!"

   • TBD- The Holocaust: History's Greatest Genocide or Outright Hoax? Pat Schwind & hopefully a real 'expert', will debate Holocaust Denier Friedrich Paul Berg. I just need more time to get "up to speed".

   • TBD- Nuclear Power: I need a 'Greenie" to debate my good friend & nuclear engineer, Joe Napier.

5. Folks, I have accepted a position at Impact Mortgage Network. All opinions expressed in my S/E minutes are mine, not those of anyone else at Impact.

   Interest rates have come back down again; If you need any info on a Real Estate loan of any kind, just call me: Purchase, Construction, Refinance, Remodel, or lot loans. Rates are Great!! Just Call Me!! 480-250-8182.

   Finally, please pardon the "typos". I'm "finding bugs" one at a time in the new computer; one is that I thought I had "spell check" in the Web-site & Blast e-mail system. Wrong-O white boy. I'll get that handled soon. Peace.

Sincerely, Pat Schwind, MBA