Maximum Wage

I read an article once advocating a maximum wage. It makes sense. He proposed capping it at a million dollars a year. I would give a little leeway--make it five million a year. Anything above that is taxed at 100%.

Now this is five mil a year from one employer. It would include bonuses, stock options, etc., but not money made from entrepreneurial efforts. If someone goes into business for him/herself and makes over $5 million in a year, it should be taxed at normal rates. Also, the tax would be on compensation from each employer. Thus Michael Jordan could make five million from the Bulls, then another five million from McDonald's, and another five million from Nike. (The fact that I don't like patronizing Nike or McDonald's has nothing to do with Michael's endorsements. I just don't like the way they do business.)

Thus, we would not have the obscene salaries paid by mega-corporations to CEO's who lose money, and even drive companies out of business through their incompetence, then get their golden parachutes and get snapped up by another company paying them super-bonuses to come work the same magic for them.

Torture and Terrorism

I can't believe I didn't post here at all in October! I have really been busy. Check out my eBay listings to see what I've been up to.

Anyway, to the subject at hand.

Research, experience, and common sense tell us that information gotten through torture is not reliable.

Look, if you torture somebody till he's ready to confess to the Crucifixion, then you can't rely on what he says. He'll say anything you want to hear, whether it's truth or fantasy.

I've read the justification for "unusual means" of information gathering by comparing our torture methods with what our POW's have gone through in this and previous wars. My response to this is, just who are we? If what our enemies do is so heinous, why do we want to emulate them? Why look to the worst dregs of human history as role models for us to follow? Aren't we Americans? Don't we set a higher standard for the world to aspire to?

Who are we, anyway?