James Sharp

Capitalism versus “Greenism”

Over the course of the past several decades, the world has become much more energy-conscious. This trend actually began in the mid-1970's during the first energy crisis in the U.S. which was brought about by the Arab Oil Embargo. As Americans watched the cost of energy in general, and gasoline in particular, skyrocket, they rushed to find ways to stave off the siphoning of money from their wallets. Other, less-severe energy crises since then have served to make Americans more aware of their energy consumption. The federal government's mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards is evidence of the government mandating personal behavior of citizens in the name of conservation.

A Diet for Government

This country’s immense debt has been the subject of a great many news stories of late and politicians on both sides of the aisle have attempted to state their case. Conservatives want to make drastic cuts to entitlement programs while liberals want to maintain the status quo with regard to spending and merely increase taxes in the misguided belief that this will fund the aforementioned spending.



Thoughts on Collective Bargaining

First off, let it be known that I am neither a psychologist nor a labor expert. However, I have spent thirty-five years in the workforce and I have been both a manager and a subordinate. Over the years, I have worked with literally hundreds of individuals whom I observed and from whom I have been able to draw certain conclusions. I have, in my opinion, acquired sufficient experience to be able to present a valid point-of-view with respect to worker performance and behavior.

Are You Stoned or a Liberal?

Back in the 1970s, with marijuana’s popularity, a commonly-heard expression was, “Are you stoned or stupid?” It was a veiled reference to marijuana’s tendency to make the individual under its influence appear stupid. Which explains why it is called “dope”?

Another Plea to Allen West

Back in late-February, I sent a letter (via fax) to Congressman Allen West (R-FL) asking that he consider running for president in 2012. In my opinion, Col. West is the only Republican that generates any excitement at all – at least as far as I am concerned. The political pundits on television are touting Mitt Romney as the front-runner. Obviously, I would pick Romney over Obama (I would pick Mickey Mouse over Obama) but I honestly believe that Romney will end up being another John McCain. I do not see the fire and the passion in Romney. And I believe that Obama will end up cleaning Romney's clock, so to speak. Don't even TALK to me about Palin. She has two chances and one of them is "slim".

What WERE They Thinking?

What kind of legacy are we - the current citizens of the United states - leaving for future generations? How will we be viewed by those citizens fifty or one hundred years or more down the road? I cannot help but think that they will look upon what we have done to the country and ask, "What WERE they thinking?"

Can Conservatives Defeat Indifference?

Although the presidential election of 2012 is still eighteen months away, potential candidates are already posturing. Of course, President Obama has not stopped campaigning since his victory over John McCain in 2008. He recently announced that he has kicked off his re-election campaign for 2012 and the Democrat moneymaking machine has already been fired up. Several Republican contenders have announced their plans to run and, even though Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump have announced that they are not running, others seem to be preparing to enter the race.

Chronicles of a Tea Party Animal

I consider myself a typical conservative American and I have been active in the Tea Party movement since shortly after President Obama's inauguration in early-2009. I like to describe myself as a “Tea Party animal”.

Honey, I Blew Up the Debt Ceiling

My wife went on a week-long cruise recently with a few of her girlfriends. She had a wonderful time. While she was gone, I decided to have some fun myself so I went on a spending spree. Boy – was it fun! I bought a new Ford Mustang which I had been wanting for quite some time. I had also wanted a boat for many years so I went out and bought myself a 32-foot Donzi.

“The Democrats Have Been Good to Me”

The story you are about to read is true. The names have been changed to protect the author: The wife and I had a visit recently from a member of the family whom we shall call "Cousin Johnnie". Cousin Johnnie hails from a heavily-democratic northeastern state. It had been a number of years since we had seen Cousin Johnnie so we had a great deal of catching-up to do during his visit.

The New Obama Paradigm

We the people have certainly come a long way since President Obama was inaugurated a little over two years ago. In January of 2009, the nation was at the precipice; or experiencing, as Obama and others referred to it, “…the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression.” True. Things were bad and getting worse. But let us take a little bit of a retrospective and look back upon where we’ve been and how far we’ve come under twenty-six months of Obama.

America needs Allen West

Last week, I sat down at the computer, and proceeded to write the following letter to Congressman Allen West (R-FL). As I stated in my letter to Colonel West, I have been a fan of his for quite some time now. There are a number of terrific speeches by Col. West on the internet, specifically the clip of him speaking in late-2009 at the Revolution in Ft. Lauderdale (I just learned that the Revolution is a concert venue - but it is an apropos name). Go to YouTube and search “West Revolution”. Look for the six-minute clip. In my opinion, it is impossible to watch Col. West speak and not be moved and motivated to do something.

Is Your Wallet Screaming “Inflation”?

I would like to start off by stressing the fact that I am NOT an economist. I am a “working Joe” that gets up and goes to work every day – as I have for thirty-five years – in order to pay my bills and feed my family. I do not profess to be an expert. However, I do know what my wallet is telling me – and it isn’t telling me anything good. I need not mention what we are seeing at the gas pump these days. The price of a gallon of gasoline has skyrocketed (in my home state of Florida) from just over $1.50 per gallon at the end of the Bush administration to close to $3.50 for that same gallon today.

Problem Children of the Indian Ocean

For centuries, pirates have held a certain mystique and have been portrayed as folk heroes. They have been referred to as swashbucklers and buccaneers and even have a professional team named for them. They have been romanticized in literature and in the movies by the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series of books and subsequent films to say nothing about the Walt Disney World ride in Florida.

A Legacy of Debt

Most folks in middle age can remember receiving, as a child, an allowance from their parents. If you grew up in the 1960s or ‘70s as I did, you probably got a quarter a week, perhaps fifty cents. By the late ‘70s, due to inflation (or earlier if your parents had a lot of money), you probably got a dollar. Typically, kids had to do at least a minimal amount of chores, such as making their beds or taking out the trash, in order to earn their stipend.

Uncle, Obama!

When we were kids, my older brother and I would watch professional wrestling and then have our own wrestling matches. My brother, being four years older and a good bit bigger than I, would always manage to get me into some sort of a hold that would result in my conceding defeat with a loud cry of, “UNCLE!” One of his favorite holds was the “hammerlock”. For those of you unfamiliar with wrestling, a hammerlock involves pulling your opponents arm behind his back and exerting upward force on the wrist forcing the hand up toward the shoulder blade. It can be very painful and one could, no doubt, break someone’s arm by applying too much upward force (no broken bones for me, fortunately).

“Let There Be RIGHT”

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. And He created man. And God gave man freewill, a sense of morality, initiative, ambition, and other characteristics essential to survival in a barren world. These characteristics allowed man not just to survive, but to flourish. And flourish he did, not just as individuals but for the “greater good”. Man cared not just for himself but he provided for his family and, when possible, for the less-able.

Marketing Conservatism

Since the early days of commerce, marketing has played a crucial role in helping companies to get their products into the hands of targeted groups of customers. Being able to define such potential customers and then delivering a message that makes members of that group want to purchase a product or service is the essence of marketing. One could look at the early 20th century and the manner in which the Lionel Train Company marketed its product to young boys and see effective marketing at work.