This past week, the International Monetary Fund again lowered its global economic forecast for 2015.

The Federal Reserve had forecast the U.S. economy to grow about 4 percent near the beginning of each year for the last five years. But during each year, the Fed was forced to reduce its forecast until it got to the actual number of approximately 2 percent. Other government agencies have been making equally bad forecasts.

These mammoth errors clearly show that the forecast models the official agencies use are mis-specified and contain incorrect assumptions.

Government economic policymakers have been trying to solve a problem of too much government spending, taxing and regulation by inappropriately using monetary policy, which has not and cannot solve the fundamental problems. It is like using a hammer rather than a shovel to dig a hole.

There is only one non-destructive solution to the global econoomy's woes.

All of us think about what's going to happen in the future.  The more accurately we can estimate what is likely to happen, the more effective we can be in navigating the course ahead.

There is a downside, however. Since we can anticipate what may happen in the future, this also allows us to worry about the future. And we tend to give our imaginations more credit than they deserve.

Anticipating events to come so that we can take effective action is invaluable. But worry is a different animal; worry is what we do when we don't know what to do, when we don't have enough information, or when events are outside of our control.  Here's how to worry more effectively.

Jack's Double-D strategy - Defund and Disobey - requires positive actions to make it a reality. Here is one simple, safe, costless, and effective step that you can personally take every day:

Pay cash for all small business transactions. This empowers the recipient to decide for himself whether the Federalies deserve any part of that cash income.

This is a zero-cost zero-risk strategy for the payor. When you pay cash to a small business, you empower them to decide for themselves whether to fund the cancer that is devouring America.

This won't work when you purchase from a big business or a chain; if you purchase a case of paper at Staples, their income will be reported whether you pay by credit card, debit card, check, or cash.

The situation is entirely different when you are dealing with a small business. When you purchase a dinner at an independent small business restaurant, pay cash, both for the tip and for the meal. If you pay via plastic or check, there will be a paper trail that will require the wise owner to report the income. If you pay cash, you empower the owner (and the waitress) to defund and disobey.

The Jade Steps
Chapter Twenty-Seven:  "I Shall Cut Off Cortez's Ears!"

Over the next several weeks, the Spaniards marveled at how the Mesheeka accepted the loss of their gods.  Perhaps, they surmised, it was because the Mesheeka had been taught by their priests that if the gods were not fed the blood of human hearts, the sun would not rise and the world would collapse into darkness and chaos. 

Day after day, week after week, there were no sacrifices and the sun kept rising.  Maybe the priests were wrong.  Maybe the new gods of the strangers were more powerful than the ones of old.  Malinali heard these whispers, and did her best to encourage these thoughts among the Mesheeka.

Then one afternoon, a worried Orteguilla came to see Malinali.

"Doña Marina, I am afraid Montezuma is plotting something.  He has been having meetings in secret with several of his nobles, which I am not allowed to hear.  He keeps talking about how he must be free of his prison so he can perform the ceremonies of Tlacaxipeualiztli (tlah-kashee-pay-ooh-ah-leesh-tlee).  What does this mean?"

"It means the Aztec month of Tlacaxipeualiztli is about to begin.  Sacrifices must be made to the god Xipe so plants will grow.  Montezuma and the highest nobles must impersonate the gods in a sacred dance wearing a particular costume."

She paused, sighed, and put her hand gently on the young boy's.  "Thank you, Orteguilla, for coming to me and telling me of this.  The costume Montezuma and the nobles wear for the dance is made of human skins, flayed from the bodies of captives.  Tlacaxipeualiztli means The Flaying of Men."

Last week (5/19), Mary Anastasia O'Grady commented in the Wall Street Journal on The Pope's Embrace of Castro.

She noted that "The Holy Father is a native of 20th-century Argentina, ideologically defined by nationalism, socialism, corporatism and anti-Americanism. It wouldn't be surprising to learn that this influences his views toward the U.S. and the island 90 miles from its shores."

Yet there are many Argentines who are not so influenced and who can think for themselves.  As a life-long devout Catholic, it pains me to observe this is not the case with Francis.  As a result, he is a papal fraud. 

In matters of the cloth, good Catholics always seek a vision of Saint Peter's earthly successor as a man of goodness and spirituality -- as God's anointed emissary on earth goodwill will be done. Sadly, this is not always true.

There are many realities past where the Pope simply was neither devout in his vows nor divinely blessed to do God's will on earth for all mankind.

Today we have such a man who is radical to the traditions of the church, and instinctively biased against the teaching and strength of character of his two predecessors, Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II.