Rome is an "idea," The United States is also.
Parallels in the fall of the Roman empire to the possible demise of
the United States is a popular comparison. I read of multitudes of
reasons why historians, for thousands of years have found the fall of
Rome a fascinating subject.
Suffice to say, there is no one theory on the fall of the Roman Empire
that can hold up as absolute. Many valid points are hypothesized, but
no one theory has held up as "the smoking gun," even to this day.
Nonetheless, the correlation of these two Empires and the use of
"idea" when describing them is borne of the hopes and visions of our
founders.

The proclamation of the rights to all citizens that guaranteed life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness are still evolving in the USA,
234 years later. Surely, our growth and expansion has come to benefit
the nation as a whole, but at a disproportionate rate of "haves" vs
"have-nots'.

I considered the following (Wikapedia) entry as quite provocative:




Arnold J. Toynbee and James Burke
"....(the Roman) Empire could never have lasted longer than it did
without radical reforms that no Emperor could implement. The Romans
had no budgetary system and thus wasted whatever resources they had
available. The economy of the Empire was a plunder economy based on
looting existing resources rather than producing anything new. The
Empire relied on booty from conquered territories (this source of
revenue ending, of course, with the end of Roman territorial
expansion) or on a pattern of tax collection that drove small-scale
farmers into destitution (and onto a dole (welfare; aid to those in
need) that required even more exaction's upon those who could not
escape taxation), or into dependency upon a landed elite exempt from
taxation. With the cessation of tribute from conquered territories,
the full cost of their military machine had to be borne by the
citizenry.
An economy based upon slave labor precluded a middle class with buying
power. The Roman Empire produced few exportable goods. Material
innovation, whether through entrepreneurialism or technological
advancement, all but ended long before the final dissolution of the
Empire. Meanwhile the costs of military defense and the pomp of
Emperors continued. Financial needs continued to increase, but the
means of meeting them steadily eroded. In the end due to economic
failure, even the armor of soldiers deteriorated and the weaponry of
soldiers became so obsolete that the enemies of the Empire had better
armor and weapons as well as larger forces. The decrepit social order
offered so little to its subjects that many saw the barbarian invasion
as liberation from onerous obligations to the ruling class....."

The objective of the Assembly Line Party is to take care of our manufacturing industry and treat it as we see it, that is as the backbone of our economy and our society.

All else, other sectors of the economy, trade, foreign relations, welfare, health care, income, militray, conservation, community....grow, or not, from there.

Thought for the Day , April 29

As in Rome of ancient times, when it was asked, "what is Rome?" The United States too, is an Idea, one that our founding members visioned as a system of governance that gaurenteed all persons inalienable rights; the rights of freedom of expression and self determination.

In some ways, our current system is out of touch to that example. As our fore-fathers and mothers said, when seeking to establish a more perfect union, ours is a government "for the people, of the people, and by the people." Government is beholden to the citizenry of its nation. This idea must always be strictly adhered to as a noblest cause, above all self interest.

A free market, capitalist society works best when its citizens purchase the goods and services that are produced from within there economic system. The Assembly Line Party's arguement is that Cross Trickle economics is the conduit that best accomplishes this.

The ultimate cost of purchasing foreign goods or services that are not on an absolute even and fair paradigm with our own citizens right to a fair-living wage is not fiscally or fiduciarily responsible, and is not sustainable.

We must seek to establish a new paridigm between the manufacturing industry and its place in the realm of importance that it has for our entire econimic viability, as well as its place as the builder and sustaining drive behind our communities.

It does not make good, long term sense to outsource cheaper labor at the expense of eliminating domestic jobs

Thought for the Day April 28

TFTD 4/28

Variations of cross trickle economic theory is nothing new.

Henry Ford and his automobile industry began to find a place in the everyday mainstream because of the fact that he could meet a rapidly growing demand for cars with his implementation of the assembly line. Henry is the person credited with the creation of assembly line automobile manufacturing.

What Henry also realized was that he'd need a workforce to keep up with demand. So Henry did an unprecedented thing at the time: he offered a $5.00 a-day wage.

People by the thousands came to Michigan for this. So many came that the the town of Dearborn, Michigan, founded in 1836 grew to become a town that his workforce would have a place that they could live and raise there families.

He actually accomplished 2 things by doing these things with his workforce, and both are great examples of cross trickle economics.

Firstly, he created a loyal workforce who were paid enough to afford the stuff they built, his cars. Secondly, a community grew, where generation after generation could afford to live and prosper.

The reverberating effect was that schools, churches, saloons, barbershops, drugstores and diners and stores sprang up, each providing services, goods and jobs.

This is exactly how cross trickle economics works today.

When I hire someone to work in my cafe, they always come in on their time off and purchase something. They bring there family, friends... They are proud to work at my cafe and want to support it.

If things go bad, as they sometimes do and I have to let them go, I never see them again. They don't come back to buy my goods and neither do their friends and family.

I may not have replaced their job with that of a foreign entity, but the similarity is the loss of the cross trickle economic system,

What cross trickle economics do you practice?

Where are the parallels in "cross trickle economics" in your world.?

TFTD April 27

The Assembly Line Party (ALP) Vision Statement

Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy. All other sectors of the economy are a derivative of manufacturing.

In a capitalist society, the proper logic of successful manufacturing is in the marketability of the goods produced. Therefore, the marktplace can be defined as the arena where the manufactured goods, and their interconnected services, are purchased.

The producer, who is the wage earner and consumer, are one -in-the-same, i.e. the "producer/consumer". The producer/consumer is the assembly line worker, the seamstress, the computer manufacturer, airplane builder, service technician, appliance manufacturer, etc.

It is in the best interest of the wage earner, who is also the producer/consumer, to purchase the goods that they produce. It is in the best interest of the business

to employ a workforce who will purchase the goods they produce and likewise, support those businesses that also subscribe to the cross-trickle economic philiosophy, (read below).

The new way of thinking is "cross-trickle economics." The ALP believes that cross trickle economics is the correct economic system that will ensure the optimum employment of our society. Therefore, we believe that laws that guarantee the right of every citizen a fair, decent wage are correct policy and good common sense.entity to employ a workforce who will purchase the goods they produce

Cross-trickle economic theory is the cycle, or relationship between the producer/consumer and employer/business entity.

Therefore, the responsibility of a government is to be the fiduciary representative of the citizenry. The mandate of laws that protect a citizen's right to earn a fair, living wage are in the best interest of the nation as a whole and should be the irrevocable premise from which all law is enacted.

Thought For The day, April 26

Howdy,

I have enclosed the letter that I sent out this past weekend as the thought for the day. I think it will go directly towards how the ALP is modeled.

W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
300 South Westnedge Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49007-4686

Good day,
My name is AJ O'Neil and I own AJ's Cafe in Ferndale , Mi. Our cafe holds the Guinness world record for the longest continuous concert. Our 288 hour non - stop "Assembly Line Concert" set the record last year as an awareness campaign to the virtues of the domestic automobile industry here in Detroit.

We held the "Second Shift Concert" earlier this year and eclipsed our existing record. Pending Guinness approval., we will hold the record at 313 hours, non-stop.

What I learned from the concert was from a "main street" perspective. I had so much real data and stories to relate to. I recently, after much consideration, started a political party. Called The Assembly Line Party (ALP) I hold this as my main vision :

The domestic manufacturing sector is the backbone of our economy. We must retain the right of every citizen to have a decent wage job.

I maintain this premise, "we are all in this together." What I have done is come up with "cross - trickle economic theory." Cross-trickle economic theory holds that the proper relationship in a capitalist society as the United States would be that of "consumer/producer to business entity."

Plainly said, the producer of a product, i.e. the automobile assembly line worker for example is also the consumer. The people who build cars also are the people who buy them. It stands as very likely that they buy the cars they build.

This is good for the producer/consumer, and good for the employer.

However, if the employer decides that they are going to opt for a cheaper labor workforce in a foreign country at the expense of the domestic producer, they not only replace the worker, they have disrupted the cross-trickle economic system that reverberates all the way through our economy.

(Please see www.assemblylineparty.blogspot.com)

My request to you is this: Do you have the ability to scientifically calculate the relationship that a proper cross-trickle economic relationship has with regards to the strength (or detriment) to our economy and our employment?

Can you assist me in this?

Most kindly yours,
AJ O'Neil
AJ's cafe
240 w. 9 Mile Rd.
Ferndale, Mi. 48220
248.399.3946
ajsmusiccafe.com
ajamesoneil@gmail.com

Thought For The Day, April 25

Thought for the Day: April 25

Happy Sunday. For me, this has always been the day of reflection, rest

and family. I miss those days! I don't get them too much since a cafe

became my kid. Oh well, I aim to get back to that way of living. I

think it's very important. Anyhow, I'll be brief. I want to touch on

what I see as a "people's lobbyist."

Over 300 million of us could call ourselves citizens of the UnitedStates.

A " people's lobbyist is beholden to all of them, first and foremost. That includes all people of every race, gender, age and persuasion. It includes families, single people, people of color, and differing sexual identities. It includes every socioeconomic a political ideology, from the far left, to the far right. How can the Assembly Line Party please them all?

Obviously, we can't. But I do believe that we must have a platform and a charter which is as universally encompassing as we can be.

I have no doubt that today's politicians would in fact also call themselves "peoples lobbyist's" in there essence. They may not choose the same wording, but I'm sure that today's politicians love our country as much as anyone, and believe that they look out for the best interest of the people , as a whole.

The reality however, is that elections and re-elections mandate a schedule and itinerary which mandates a constituency. In truth, the ALP would have to be convincing in the same way. Convincing people across all "party" line that the ALP serves in the best interest of evryone is the challenge.

So, the overriding statement/ vision is this:

"The ALP believes that Manufacturing is the backbone of the economy and that cross-trickle economics (consumer/producer -- business entity relationship) is the new way of thinking.

A. Rights and safeguards have got to favor the ability of every citizen to have a fair living wage, as set forth in our original premise (see April 19 TFTD).

B. The reverberating effect on the entrepreneur, business entity, and corporation is the correct relationship that exists between the workers and the bosses; i.e. "cross-trickle economics."

Taken this ideal into account, it is my stance that the efforts and ideals of the ALP are favorable to all sides of the political ideological spectrum. The Left is given equal importance to the Right, and the Right, given equal importance to the left.

.

This premise has the ability to erase and erode core and fundamental differences in the 2 existing political parties that have been ingrained in the minds of politicians for generations.

We must, for the sake of our entire country never forget to begin from the simple truth that we are all Americans, firstly and foremost.

"We are all in this together."

Thought for the day, April, 24

Ok, I see from yesterday's post that further explanation is required with regard to "cross-trickle" economics.

I maintain that an export, save for the food and medical requirements of the global neighborhood be treated as a luxury. Example: My country is ergonomically sensitive and advanced to a point where millions of new vehicles need to be retrofitted to the roads that we drive to satisfy our transportation requirements.


My whole country needs the next generation of cars and we simply can't produce them fast enough. This implies that my country's manufacturing sector is at full employment and it will be the case for years to come.


A foreign land wants to go to work for us. The quality and all other aspects, fair competition, fair labor laws and such are equal to that of our country.


I say , hell yeah we can hire them! All the requirements of this are met. The mother country and our workforce have been given "peoples lobbyist" treatment. We revisit this agreement in one year. If all holds the same, we remain at full employment and the demand is still needed, we renew our "temporary foreign worker lease."


Here is another scenario. Our country is humming along. Our auto companies feel that they can compete with autos in another country. Or the foreign country wants to hire "us" to fill a need. We remain at full employment, so the best scenario for the auto company is to set up shop across the border and make the cars in the country where the demand is.


This is quite acceptable to the ALP. It is an investment, an entrepreneurial venture is a healthy thing for a company to do, having met the requirements of the well being of the domestic workforce.


Where the ALP takes issue, is the foreign workers retaining jobs to produce (manufacture) goods which are consumed by us when we are NOT at full employment. The reasoning behind the foreign workforce is now, not about a fiduciary, "cross-trickle" economic theory, rather it is one about maximizing profit and essentially greed.


Sure there are some issues that need to be worked through, but there can be no doubt as to what the motivation is behind what the ALP is advocating...


Brother Brian has a great idea. I think we can put together a "flow chart" with some data and actual visual effect to show how "cross trickle economic theory" works.!!

My stance: ALP-ers are "peoples lobbyists." Cynicism aside, we really have got to come from there. If "cross trickle economics" is the backbone of our platform, then we shall build a charter on this as our premise. Without manufacturing, whether it cars, software components, shoes, garden tools....we would have no cross trickle economics. We must advocate a strong consumer/producer-business entity relationship. Where I see things, it is in the best interest of everyone.

It's why Henry Ford, pioneer of the modern automobile assembly line had a $5 workday in the early 1900's. It was so the people he hired could ultimately buy his stuff.!

Thought for the Day, April 23

No corporate entity should be able to outsource and or hire cheaper labor from another country without regard to the welfare of its citizenry. There should be ample protections for this, mandated by laws of our country and obvious to the laws of common sense.

All economics is in its essence "cross-trickle." "Cross-trickle economics" is defined (by me) as the relationship of producer / consumer to business entity, who are, in essence one-in-the same.

The main obstacles to full and fluid cross-trickle economics and its correct function are greed and corruption on the business entity side , (which is where "Trickle down economics" fails) along with apathy and ignorance on the producer/consumer side (which the ALP vows to do something about!)

The ingredients of greed and corruption lead to breaches in the fiduciary responsibilities of corporations (business entities) with regard to fair treatment of the workforce. Think about that, the workforce is the consumer/producer! We really are in this together.

Government, in its role, must represent and advocate this relationship as the fiduciary representative.


A fiduciary is someone who has undertaken to act for and on behalf of someone else, for a given matter of importance or circumstance, which gives rise to a relationship of trust and confidence. This should be an oath of every political office holder, in literal, as it applies to the citizenry sense. The Assembly Line Party advocates a "people's lobbyist." stance. If lobbyists are a fact of life in politics, then so be it. All ALP-ers vow to take the role of people's lobbyist from the moment they are sworn into office.

"Cross-trickle economics" is a competitive, market- oriented, capitalist foundation and system that serves the best interest of entrepreneurialism as well as being patriotic and morally correct.

In the cyclical realm of worker and consumer, what sense does it make to outsource jobs and eliminate a worker for the relative cost saving measure of hiring cheaper labor in a foreign country? A company may save in the initial investment of cheaper labor, but they have lost a member of the workforce, a consumer/producer... (a customer), and reverberating, "trickling" losses of other customers. We really are in this together.

A world economy need not be threatened by cross-trickle economic theory. A healthy nation at full employment is more apt to responsibly sell and purchase goods and services across its borders.


Cross-trickle economics promotes a healthy economy and a healthy economy promotes a contented society. It is in this coalition and cooperation that a society flourishes and grows, healthily and harmoniously. Cross trickle economics is the economic platform on which the ALP stands.

The Assembly Line Party believes that this must be our first train of thought: If you buy stuff made by us, we will have work. It is as simple as that.

Thought for the Day. April 22.

Back in January of '09 a BBC reporter came into AJ's Cafe to do a
story of "the little cafe that could." The buzz leading up to our epic,
Guinness world record. 288 hour non-stop "Assembly Line Concert" was
attracting attention all over the globe.

The reporter lamented to me, off the record that she wished there was
an AJ;s cafe in her home town odf Liverpool, England. "We dont make
anything anymore, she said. All we do is service work now. Everything
you buy in my country comes from somewhere else."


The prevalent thought at the time seemed to be " what was a little,
non-corporate, mom and pop cafe trying to accomplish in bringing
together so many to sing a loooong concert as an awareness to the
virtues of supporting corporate giants, the Detroit auto industry?

This is what I said and say "We are all in this together." Just as the
auto giants here in my hometown of Detroit are the backbone, not just
of our economy, but of our communities, our very way of life, so too
are we, and collectively our communities, with our own individual
micro-economies, the backbone of the corporate engines.

You have an "assembly line" economic system whether you live in
Detroit or Des Moines, Dallas or Dayton. And it all works when we buy
the stuff we make. That is automobiles here in Detroit. Around the
country we call this the manufacturing sector.

What drives your economy?. What is the backbone of how churches,
schools, drugstores,barbershops, clinics, salons, bars, lawn
maintenance companies, homes, construction.... little cafes. I
gaurentee, much of this evolved from, and exists because of the
manufacturing industry in your area.

"We're all in this together."

Thought For The Day, April 21

The ALP believes, "Let the exorbitant corporate salaries reign supreme." After all, a capitalist society needn't fret about government controls on this issue. (God forbid, we lose all that brain power to another country.)

That said however, the ALP wants big business to support the institution of a "displaced or dissolved worker fund" This is a matching contribution, made by both the executive and the corporation which would go into an escrow account, to be paid to displaced workers. This fund must be kept in a non-interest bearing account and can not be used for investment purposes under any circumstances, lest a vote by the labor board or its equal, approved by a vote from the workers.

This is how the fund would accrue:

These funds could be used to offset unemployment taxes and help to
dissuade companies from letting people go. It would also provide a
safety net to a worker without the average tax payer assuming as much
of these costs.

I doubt anyone making a salary of this amount would go hungry.

"We're all in this together"

Today's thought 4/20/10

Here is a thought.
A capitalist society such as we have in the United States is effective when the cycle of consumer to producer, producer to consumer is running, well like an assembly line.

Hypothetical: Jane works on the line at a domestic, Detroit auto maker at the Hamtramyk , Michigan plant. She loves her job and is a loyal employee. She, her husband, her friends, her neighbors and so on all support Jane by way of purchasing vehicles from where she works. It is simple. She produces, she and her network of friends and family consume.

But the auto maker decides that it is less expensive to take Jane's production job here in Detroit and move it to a plant in Mexico, where labor is cheaper. Jane's job, and those of the rest of her co-workers, are phased out.

Jane is sad, disgruntled and angry. She, along with her family and friends are not only displaced, they pull out of the producer to consumer cycle that has been the engine of success for the auto company, as well as Jane and, extending even further, her community.

A relative short term savings in labor cost with the auto companies decision has now become a frieght train of lost sales, lest the newly formed employee sector in Mexico is prepaed and willing to become the replacement.

This is happening all over the country.

"We're all in this together."

FIX:
Outside multinational decisions with regard to labor can only be negotiated when we are domestically at FULL EMPLOYMENT. Under full employent domestiocally, these agreements can be made on a ONE YEAR LEASE , with options for renewal, based on DOMESTIC FULL EMPLOYMENT.

The Assembly Line Party, 4/19/10

I have an idea; What if I, we started a political party. Let's base it on this premise, "We're all in this together." Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian or Tea Bagger, we can all agree on this. We are one country and we serve our country best when we can move past political infighting which creates stagnation and is not in anyones best interest.

The Assembly Line Party (ALP) will have as its foundation these ideals:

1. As a duly elected representative of our country, all office holders are "peoples lobbyest" and can not be beholden to any other interest. The interest of the people that have elected us are of paramount importance.

2. The right of every citizen to a fair and decent wage and the right to fair and decent health care are inalienable. That is not negotiable and must supercede any multinational interest.

That is a start. I have a much more comprehensive platform written, but lets not get ahead too far. I want to hear what you think.