On Friday the 13th, how appropriate, S&P cut the credit ratings of nine European nations.  Both France and Austria lost their Tripple A status.  Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia also were cut.  Italy’s two point cut gives is an anemic BBB+ rating for its debt.

But what does all this really mean?  Country’s like Italy and France have been well known to be on this road to ruin for years.  Yet only after they are suspended in mid air after jumping off the cliff does S&P feel compelled to say, “Hey, we think there might be a problem here.”?  What good are rating agencies if they are so far behind the curve that they only dare to speak up when the point of no return has been passed?

The answer to that question is a stark one – none.

In 1892 Samoa switched to the East of the Dateline because they wanted to be more associated with America. My how the times they are a changing.

Is it really our job to tell poverty striken families in backwater countries that have not yet developed that they cannot do the same things that we ourselves did in order to help progress out nation forward.  Oh, what, did you forget that child labor was once used widely to help grow the food America needed to become the super power it is today?

To make matters worse, the Department of Labor has struck again!  This time sending $13 million dollars to combat child labor, which they label “exploitive”, in Peru!  Translation of this code?  Low skilled adults who never learned a serious trade or who never cared to progressed their skills are in danger of losing their jobs to unskilled children because the jobs of these workers are that simple and mindnumbing.

“Ending exploitative child labor would have global benefits,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “This grant provides critical funding to bring us closer to that goal by providing targeted assistance to families and governments.”

Yep, “global benefits” for those unskilled boobs who thought that they could work at doing menial tasks for decades.  You know, then demanding higher and higher wages for said menial tasks every year and ultimately driving up the price of goods and serives?

This sort of policy is dangerous and quite typical of the social engineering engaged in by liberals.  It is designed to protect those that they want to protect.  And if you think that it is “the children”, you are sorely mistaken.  They don’t care about the families in Peru who need their children to work in order to put food on the table.  They care about their constituents here in America who are threatened by the reality of how pathetic their lives have become and might be threatened by having a ten year old do the job they have done for years and thought was difficult.

Now consider that we are $15 trillion in debt.  Should we send $13 million to other countries like Peru to conduct social engineering?  I know, those of you on the left say it is “only” $13 million.  But $13 million here and $10 million there and it starts to add up to some real money.  Money that could be used to solidify our own financial situation.

I am having a hard time finding this sort of expenditure being legal anywhere in my pocket Constitution.

The later depletes a nation’s military strength through over use, eventually leaving it impossible to replenish their stores of arms without crushing and oppressive confiscation of the people’s wealth. The former depletes a nation’s military strength through disuse leaving a rotting hulk of a defense that none know how to use and that when called upon has little value and is beyond disrepair.

The answer to this conundrum is simple. Fight only in just wars. There are plenty of these that arise every decade or two for evil and the enemies of liberty never cease although they may slink back into their holes from time to time.

They cited the nations prospects to grow economically, problems systemic in its banking system, the recent Dexia bailout, and the overall burden of overall Eurozone debt.

And it is only getting worse. Hmm, end of the world in December 2012? Maybe not. But maybe the end of the socialist world order that had infested the world; that might happen.

The demand however for the six billion euros worth of 10 year bonds Germany issued was weak. Germany was only able to sell 60% of he offering.

Considering how people keep saying that Germany is the keystone of the European Union, an island of sanity in a sea of failed socialism, this simply does not bode well. If people are not interested in sinking money into German debt this signals that investors are weary of the euro zone as a whole.

I personally think this is a good sign. When people are wary about giving government the means to spend beyond their means it sends a signal to the politicos that the gravy train may be nearing the end of the line. I wish more people were willing to shut off the spigots. When no one wants your debt, you have to start making hard choices and cut off the leaches.

Anyone making the claim that water hydrates will be subject to a sentence that involves jail time.

But EU policy wonks have decided that because they have authority to declare otherwise that they will in fact declare otherwise.  21 government appointed scientists in Parma made the magical decision that water no longer hydrates.

This is not the first time that the EU has acted stupidly.  And it will not be the last.  Previously the EU had tried to outlaw bendy bananas and also curvy cucumbers.  Those rules were abandoned when they became the laughing stock of the world and they were pounded and pounded with scorn.

But do you honestly expect any better from the European Union?  Come on!  These cranks actually believe socialism works!  Once you have established that baseline there is no way you could not expect them to try to overturn with a law the simple fact that water indeed hydrates.

Here is a simple primer that Mr. Cain should take to heart.

When it comes to foreign policy the US should not ignore comments by radical Islamists who say they want to blow people up. These people are serious when they say they want to do this. They should be watched and if they seen to so much as twitch a finger towards the suitcase holding the launch codes for missiles they should be shown what a real nuclear arsenal can do to some pissant, tin horned despot’s nation. You’d be surprised how quickly all other pissant, tin horned despots will sit down, shut up and rethink what is in their own best interests.

Let all enemies of the United States know clearly that we will not put US troops in harms way when we can end any threat to the United States and our allies in 30 minutes or less.

When it comes to the United States and their support of tin horned, pissant tyrants, the answer to the question is we will not do it anymore and we will let the people of those nations set their own course. If they get taken over by some radical group or party who want to shake their sabers at the US and our allies then see previous response.

We will not provide a dime of tax payer dollars to foreign countries to prop up their failed economic policies.

We will support our allies, those that share our basic beliefs, with technology which they will pay fair market value for. If attacked, unprovoked, we will defend them.

We will not tolerate countries that manipulate their currency or subsidize their exports to make them more competitive in the US marketplace than they would normally be. Countries that levy taxes on our imports will have their imports taxed as well.

We will have an ear to lend to anyone who requests our help in moving their country forward and out of despotism. However the people of that country must be first in the line of fire and on the front lines of that movement. Any treasure we spend to help them must be agreed to be repaid in full. But even though we are willing to let you plead your case, let it be known that we are war weary and not overly likely to help except in the most extreme cases.

I could go on. But that is a fairly simple primer that even a novice political candidate with conservative tendencies can figure out

There’s a deal on Greece … markets go up. Oh no! The socialist revolt against the deal, as all know they would … markets drop. Two days later there is a new deal … markets rise. Oops! That deal falls apart … markets drop. Uh oh! Now Italy is looking towards austerity … markets drop further.

Enough! This is idiocy! And it is being driven by people who know how to do nothing other than read headlines and know nothing about economics. Europe has been in financially dire straights for the better part of the last decade. Everyone who knows about economics knows this. It is time for the markets to also know this. But that will only happen when the know-nothings stop panicking and releasing chorusses of joy at headlines relating already known information which is right now so cyclical you can set your watch by it.

The fact that Europe’s known status as being terminally FUBAR is news and drives anything at this point just goes to show how many idiots there are out there. It’s screwed up over there. Accept it. Price that in to the markets.

Well, at least one atheist has broken the taboo among atheists admitting that atheism is a religion.  The story of Niko Alm from Austria is sure to enrage his fellow atheists.  For you see, the reason admitting atheism is a religion is so taboo among atheists is because they tend to run around America railing against religion in public and demanding that the government strip religion from itself.  This of course is them promoting atheism as the official position of the State which is also, unfortunately for them, promoting a religion.  Again, something they claim to be against.

See, Mr. Alm got a pasta strainer declared as “religious” headgear for himself.  Remember, Mr. Alm is an atheist.  So you get the point.  It cannot be “religious” headgear if atheism is not a religion.  Being officially now “religious” headgear for atheism, atheism is shown as a religion.

Well, I am sure that atheists will have some explanation how this doesn’t prove what it actually proves.  And in their own minds they will think that they have a point to make.