Warning, the following post contains examples of progressive viewpoints concerning economics. It displays distortions, half-truths, misconceptions, and lies that may be dangerous to free markets if implemented. They are not trained professionals.
You don’t need to travel very far these days to know that the country is in dire straits. My little sojourn downtown was very revealing (see yesterday’s post below). I mean, I knew things were bad, just not this bad.
And the worst part is, we don’t need to suffer this way when there are proven solutions that have yet to even be attempted. Allow me to elaborate.
In the process of manufacturing, when bringing a new product to market, there is a predictable chain of events. First is the idea itself, which, when finalized, moves on to the pre-production stage where blueprints are drawn and methods are devised to make the product. When production begins, more details are needed to insure an orderly flow from raw material to finished article.
If, at any point in the process, there is an error, there’s a scramble to correct it. The successful business will keep these errors to a minimum by having the right people in place to be on guard for the inevitable mistakes. They happen and can’t be completely avoided. However, experience keeps their negative impact minimal, and the wise business will always know and allow for a certain amount of unpredictability during this process.
Occasionally, a problem will arise that catches everyone by surprise. Now, the sooner this problem is recognized, the sooner it can be corrected.
The point is that the sooner a mistake is caught and corrected, the less expensive it is.
Now, I’m speaking of the normal course of events. However, sometimes the concept itself is flawed and the product is a failure. Case in point; the Ford Edsel.
All of the steps that had worked previously to create autos were followed and were successful. Except the product itself did not sell well, and became an example of what not to do.
We’re at that point in our economy; it has been regulated and designed, blueprints drawn up, reviewed and approved, and we’re witnessing the very predictable result: failure.
Those in power in Washington for the last four years, namely the progressives in Congress led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, have designed a product that the American public doesn’t want. Through their incessant imposition of new burdens and massive amounts of regulation, they’ve managed to design this grand failure of free market economics that we’re currently witnessing.
The failure of their efforts is on display everywhere you look. Empty storefronts, shuttered factories, and desolate cities stand as a mute testament to their efforts. What they have done needn’t have happened. American has been deceived, told one thing by campaigning politicians who did something else entirely once safely in office.
Their economic concept is flawed, yet they refuse to see their rather obvious mistakes. In one simple example, Keith Olbermann, spouts one of the lefts most recent economic misconceptions that the unemployed are the real job creators in America. Pajamas Media’s Alan Barton refutes this here. Do watch the whole thing.
Another of the progressive mantras (totally untrue in reality, again) is that conservatives don’t have a plan to get our economy back up and running again. We do have a plan, namely to reduce or eliminate governmental interference in the economy, but that would require those currently in office to give up their power to stifle the free market. This is why the Obama administration refuses to consider them. Witness the fight going on over keeping the Bush era tax rates.
For whatever reason, President Obama has done his best to avoid the proven methods for stimulating our economy. His entire premise is flawed, resulting in a cascade of incorrect outcomes, finally resulting in the worst economic downturn that any of us can remember. There are ways to get things going again, things like drilling for our own oil, but Obama has recently extended his unnecessary moratorium on drilling in our waters, thereby directly making our economy worse. If he were intent upon devastating our economy, would he be doing things any differently?
Finally, you’ll hear this latest lie: capitalism doesn’t work. Sorry, but that’s just plain bullshit. It’s taken years, but we’ve reached the point where governmental interference has distorted the markets so much that they’re almost incapable of operating. This is the ultimate irony, that politicians would declare capitalism a failure when it’s their actions that have caused the failure.
Our only hope at this time lies in the incoming Congress. If they heed the message that America sent this past November, they will start to reduce this size and scope of the federal government’s intrusion upon a formerly free market. They can begin by defunding the Environmental Protection Agency, the single heaviest weight currently holding our economy down. If they do as they promised, an agency-wide reevaluation of Washington’s regulatory impact would go a long way towards cutting government down to a manageable size and to start working for the people of the country.
It’s time for us to quit apologizing for capitalism, as David Limbaugh points out. At the same time, we have a lot of work to do to get Washington out of the way and let us get back on the road to prosperity once again.
It took time to get us here, it will take time to solve our problems. We can start by purging politicians who boasts of their progressivism. Their ilk is the source of our problems, their concepts are seriously flawed. Get them back to the fringes of society and keep them there.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Random Observations on a Monday
I had a chance to visit downtown this past Friday evening. I hadn’t been there in a while, preferring instead to conserve finances. I found that I’m not alone in that desire.
Downtown was a literal ghost town compared to three years ago.
Back then, the sidewalks were full of mostly youngsters sporting the latest in fashion, real or imagined. Music blared from every other door, most of it from live bands. Wide-eyed tourists, eager for a taste of the real nightlife asked for recommendations, where are the best bands/drinks/food. The local constabulary was in constant view lest the human cauldron overheat and begin to spill over into the night. Despite signs prohibiting cruising, it was the place to cruise, with ridiculously expensive vehicles pawing the pavement at speeds they were never designed for. All of us out for a good time, to see and be seen.
Not this weekend.
Having lived here for over twenty years, I’ve learned this city’s rhythm. Once, there was literally no difference in traffic: it was horrible all the time. You were as likely to encounter a traffic jam at 2:30 am as you were at 2:30 pm. Now, even on a Friday night, the roads are nearly empty. As soon as rush hour concludes, traffic subsides dramatically. The city becomes yours.
Which is fine, if you’re an introvert.
America’s party is over.
Was it that long ago that we’d find an excuse to go out on a Thursday evening? In these parts, you’d hear the rumblings of motorcycles as they headed to their favorite watering hole for bike night, the preamble to a weekends’ revelry, to warm up the old liver.
If there’s one thing that the Obama Depression has done, it’s stopped our partying.
I also had the opportunity to talk to a friend of mine who owns a bar last week. She was near tears wondering if the bar she recently bought could make it through these times. Although I tried to give her some encouragement, I’m not sure I succeeded. Times are tough all over.
Many of my friends have noticed the same thing. They all mention the same haunting phrase, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Indeed, this is the longest and worse economic downturn that many who are younger than I am have ever witnessed. I remember other recessions, but because I worked in manufacturing, I always had a job. The demand for the hardware of modern life wasn’t as prone to the natural fluctuations of a capitalistic economy. People still needed cars, and TV’s, and computers, and dishwashers, and the odds of everyone running out of money at once were remote.
However, this is a different time. While I can’t speak for the rest of the country, it appears for all the world as though nearly everyone down here is out of money. One can easily picture an old western with tumbleweeds blowing down a deserted street.
This doesn’t need to happen.
There are reasons for everything. Not to get too philosophical, but there are economic laws and principles that just can’t be ignored. When we do (and by “we,” I mean our national leaders), we do it at our peril. Moreover, when we ignore those laws and principles, we create unnecessary misery and suffering. We’ve ignored them by proxy, by electing leaders who have no understanding of our economic system.
In a strange turn of the tale, we’ve been taken advantage of by our own trusting nature. We’ve trusted our leaders to have the same sort of values and principles that we hold in our hearts. We’ve assumed that those we’ve sent to Washington to act in our place wanted the same things that we wanted for our families.
We’ve been fooled.
As I’ve pointed out previously, we have in place today a ruling elite whose value system is not the same as ours. We value honesty, integrity, truthfulness, empathy, straightforwardness, and an ability to understand reality and deal with it in a mature way.
They, obviously, don’t.
I’m somewhat optimistic that things began to change for the better in last month’s midterm elections. American’s aren’t used to imposed and structured decline. How we managed to elect to the highest office a guy who thinks America’s best days are behind her and that she should retire while still in her prime is a mystery for the ages.
Why waste a perfectly good country?
We still have in place the framework for greatness. We still have the infrastructure with which to elevate ourselves and the world, to reduce poverty and disease, to find new medical treatments and cures, to add to the quality and quantity of our short time here on God’s Earth. All that is missing is leaders who want that for everyone, who will abandon their insane lust for power that infests the halls of our Capitol.
We need to recapture the essence of our country and restore the soul of America.
I have every confidence that we will.
Downtown was a literal ghost town compared to three years ago.
Back then, the sidewalks were full of mostly youngsters sporting the latest in fashion, real or imagined. Music blared from every other door, most of it from live bands. Wide-eyed tourists, eager for a taste of the real nightlife asked for recommendations, where are the best bands/drinks/food. The local constabulary was in constant view lest the human cauldron overheat and begin to spill over into the night. Despite signs prohibiting cruising, it was the place to cruise, with ridiculously expensive vehicles pawing the pavement at speeds they were never designed for. All of us out for a good time, to see and be seen.
Not this weekend.
Having lived here for over twenty years, I’ve learned this city’s rhythm. Once, there was literally no difference in traffic: it was horrible all the time. You were as likely to encounter a traffic jam at 2:30 am as you were at 2:30 pm. Now, even on a Friday night, the roads are nearly empty. As soon as rush hour concludes, traffic subsides dramatically. The city becomes yours.
Which is fine, if you’re an introvert.
America’s party is over.
Was it that long ago that we’d find an excuse to go out on a Thursday evening? In these parts, you’d hear the rumblings of motorcycles as they headed to their favorite watering hole for bike night, the preamble to a weekends’ revelry, to warm up the old liver.
If there’s one thing that the Obama Depression has done, it’s stopped our partying.
I also had the opportunity to talk to a friend of mine who owns a bar last week. She was near tears wondering if the bar she recently bought could make it through these times. Although I tried to give her some encouragement, I’m not sure I succeeded. Times are tough all over.
Many of my friends have noticed the same thing. They all mention the same haunting phrase, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Indeed, this is the longest and worse economic downturn that many who are younger than I am have ever witnessed. I remember other recessions, but because I worked in manufacturing, I always had a job. The demand for the hardware of modern life wasn’t as prone to the natural fluctuations of a capitalistic economy. People still needed cars, and TV’s, and computers, and dishwashers, and the odds of everyone running out of money at once were remote.
However, this is a different time. While I can’t speak for the rest of the country, it appears for all the world as though nearly everyone down here is out of money. One can easily picture an old western with tumbleweeds blowing down a deserted street.
This doesn’t need to happen.
There are reasons for everything. Not to get too philosophical, but there are economic laws and principles that just can’t be ignored. When we do (and by “we,” I mean our national leaders), we do it at our peril. Moreover, when we ignore those laws and principles, we create unnecessary misery and suffering. We’ve ignored them by proxy, by electing leaders who have no understanding of our economic system.
In a strange turn of the tale, we’ve been taken advantage of by our own trusting nature. We’ve trusted our leaders to have the same sort of values and principles that we hold in our hearts. We’ve assumed that those we’ve sent to Washington to act in our place wanted the same things that we wanted for our families.
We’ve been fooled.
As I’ve pointed out previously, we have in place today a ruling elite whose value system is not the same as ours. We value honesty, integrity, truthfulness, empathy, straightforwardness, and an ability to understand reality and deal with it in a mature way.
They, obviously, don’t.
I’m somewhat optimistic that things began to change for the better in last month’s midterm elections. American’s aren’t used to imposed and structured decline. How we managed to elect to the highest office a guy who thinks America’s best days are behind her and that she should retire while still in her prime is a mystery for the ages.
Why waste a perfectly good country?
We still have in place the framework for greatness. We still have the infrastructure with which to elevate ourselves and the world, to reduce poverty and disease, to find new medical treatments and cures, to add to the quality and quantity of our short time here on God’s Earth. All that is missing is leaders who want that for everyone, who will abandon their insane lust for power that infests the halls of our Capitol.
We need to recapture the essence of our country and restore the soul of America.
I have every confidence that we will.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday Bits of Tid, Army - Navy Game Edition
It's that time of year again. The college football conference champs have been decided and the bowl bids have gone out. Auburn looks to be on their way to a national championship, at least for a while, unless something else comes out concerning Cam Newton's situation. My Crimson Tide will be playing in the Capital One Bowl down here in O'town on New Years' Day. Dear Santa, I've been a good boy all year...
But tomorrow, the Army - Navy game wraps up the season. Kickoff is at 2:30 pm. It's hard for me to pick sides in this game, as there is no real loser, IYKWIM.
Onward, toward the tid...
On this day in 1967, Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash at the age of 26. He had his first Number 1 hit a few weeks later, the R&B classic, (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay.
The overreach of this administration is negatively affecting everyone, including rock and roll bands. This link is notable not so much for the interview as much as it includes the phrase "conservative musician."
Just in time for the Holidays. A man puts $5500 in a Salvation Army Christmas kettle. As Instapundit would doubtless say, more of this, please.
This lady really, really likes fudge.
Crazed vending machine attempts to eat child.
Crazed washing machine attempts to eat child.
How not to transport a five-gallon bucket of white paint.
The horrible and tragic effects of Global Warming traps 7 inside a pub for a week.
In other Global Warming news, attendees at Cancun make a difference by signing a petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide.
Duude, you'd better leave a lot more cookies for Santa, he's gonna have the munchies.
And to get your Holidays off to a rousing start...
Shamelessly stolen from contributed by Ace of Spades HQ.
Let the Holidays begin! Y'all have a good weekend.
But tomorrow, the Army - Navy game wraps up the season. Kickoff is at 2:30 pm. It's hard for me to pick sides in this game, as there is no real loser, IYKWIM.
Onward, toward the tid...
On this day in 1967, Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash at the age of 26. He had his first Number 1 hit a few weeks later, the R&B classic, (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay.
The overreach of this administration is negatively affecting everyone, including rock and roll bands. This link is notable not so much for the interview as much as it includes the phrase "conservative musician."
Just in time for the Holidays. A man puts $5500 in a Salvation Army Christmas kettle. As Instapundit would doubtless say, more of this, please.
This lady really, really likes fudge.
Crazed vending machine attempts to eat child.
Crazed washing machine attempts to eat child.
How not to transport a five-gallon bucket of white paint.
The horrible and tragic effects of Global Warming traps 7 inside a pub for a week.
In other Global Warming news, attendees at Cancun make a difference by signing a petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide.
Duude, you'd better leave a lot more cookies for Santa, he's gonna have the munchies.
And to get your Holidays off to a rousing start...
Let the Holidays begin! Y'all have a good weekend.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Economic Madness Writ Large - The Current Tax Debates
If it weren’t so serious, the implosion of the hard-core left (otherwise known as Obama’s base) would be rather amusing. I’m talking about the debate surrounding the President’s compromise on the extension of the Bush tax cuts. It seems that a deal has been reached that has managed to piss off just about everyone.
Everyone in Washington, that is.
The interesting part is, the issue that has their knickers in a twist is exactly what should have happened two years ago. Our corporate tax rates are the highest among developed nations, and this is greatly harming our ability to compete in the global marketplace. There is an economic axiom, known by all except those inside the Washington Beltway who craft our economic policies, that if you want less of something, tax it heavily.
Even more intriguing is the fact that simple, proven, economic principles aren’t well known, nor it appears, comprehended by our ruling elite. There can be no doubt that the past four years of a Congress led by progressives have resulted in economic catastrophe for the country. For a short list, click here.
As I’ve chronicled, there are very sound reasons for our economic plight, none of which need to happen. We could be free from this recession if only we had the proper people in place in Washington who knew what the rest of the country already knows about finances. Despite what the elites tell you, economics is a simple science: if you’ve ever balanced your checkbook, then you know more about economics than Timothy Geithner and Ben Bernanke combined.
And Nancy Pelosi, who thinks that unemployment insurance payments stimulate the economy. Sorry, Nan, you couldn’t be more wrong. UI is merely a placeholder until a real job comes along. I don’t know anyone who would rather be collecting unemployment when they could make far more money with a real job.
The disconnect with reality in Washington is breathtaking.
In addition to the needless confusion about what to do to kickstart the economy, there is another wrinkle of this debate that should concern you – class warfare.
Doesn’t it strike you as rather odd that a group of millionaires should want you to be angry with millionaires? Why? What did a millionaire ever do to harm you? Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t find a scintilla of logic in that argument. What I do find is psychosis, namely the psychosis of power, willing to divide a nation along economic lines to achieve it.
It wasn’t always like this. There once was a time when we aspired to greatness in America. Someone would create a better mousetrap and the world would beat a path to the mousetrap makers’ door, cash in hand. Every American wanted to become rich, every American had the opportunity to become rich. We still do, but there has been a movement, closely tied to the political left, that has poisoned this once-great idea. It’s become so entrenched in Washington, said so often in sound bites, that it’s starting to affect the rest of the nation. That poison is called class envy. It’s practitioners, well versed in their own foibles, project their problems onto the innocent in an effort to appear perfect in their own eyes.
This has led to the perversion that mistakenly thinks that everyone should be equal instead of having equal opportunities to excel. Note how this runs counter to their professed belief in diversity. We should all celebrate diversity, however when it comes to recognizing that people have diverse abilities, and thus will have diverse outcomes given the same circumstances, they all of a sudden demand equality.
That, gentle readers, is psychosis.
And we’re seeing psychosis writ large in this debate on maintaining the Bush tax rates. Millionaires on the left criticizing the moneyed in our society, the very thing that allows these elites to run for office. There aren’t many working folk running for office, due primarily to the constraints of money: they are too busy providing for their families.
Let’s stop for a moment and use their twisted logic:
1. They want us to hate the rich because they are somehow evil.
2. They are rich.
3. Yet, they don’t want us to hate them.
4. ?
In fact, the opposite is true – the ruling elite wish us to become disengaged from politics so we can leave everything to them. They balk at any efforts to reduce their power or restrain them in any way. Hell, they won’t even subject themselves to the laws that they create for the rest of us.
Folks, in case you haven’t noticed, we can’t keep going on like this. Not and keep our freedom and prosperity.
We must restore sanity to our government. We started to do that in the mid-term elections. We must insure that this is the last gasp of progressivism in our nation. Like an exorcism, all of the evil comes spewing out at the last, right before the evil spirit's death and things get back to normal for the victim.
We must eliminate the mental illness of political liberalism if we are to survive.
Everyone in Washington, that is.
The interesting part is, the issue that has their knickers in a twist is exactly what should have happened two years ago. Our corporate tax rates are the highest among developed nations, and this is greatly harming our ability to compete in the global marketplace. There is an economic axiom, known by all except those inside the Washington Beltway who craft our economic policies, that if you want less of something, tax it heavily.
Even more intriguing is the fact that simple, proven, economic principles aren’t well known, nor it appears, comprehended by our ruling elite. There can be no doubt that the past four years of a Congress led by progressives have resulted in economic catastrophe for the country. For a short list, click here.
As I’ve chronicled, there are very sound reasons for our economic plight, none of which need to happen. We could be free from this recession if only we had the proper people in place in Washington who knew what the rest of the country already knows about finances. Despite what the elites tell you, economics is a simple science: if you’ve ever balanced your checkbook, then you know more about economics than Timothy Geithner and Ben Bernanke combined.
And Nancy Pelosi, who thinks that unemployment insurance payments stimulate the economy. Sorry, Nan, you couldn’t be more wrong. UI is merely a placeholder until a real job comes along. I don’t know anyone who would rather be collecting unemployment when they could make far more money with a real job.
The disconnect with reality in Washington is breathtaking.
In addition to the needless confusion about what to do to kickstart the economy, there is another wrinkle of this debate that should concern you – class warfare.
Doesn’t it strike you as rather odd that a group of millionaires should want you to be angry with millionaires? Why? What did a millionaire ever do to harm you? Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t find a scintilla of logic in that argument. What I do find is psychosis, namely the psychosis of power, willing to divide a nation along economic lines to achieve it.
It wasn’t always like this. There once was a time when we aspired to greatness in America. Someone would create a better mousetrap and the world would beat a path to the mousetrap makers’ door, cash in hand. Every American wanted to become rich, every American had the opportunity to become rich. We still do, but there has been a movement, closely tied to the political left, that has poisoned this once-great idea. It’s become so entrenched in Washington, said so often in sound bites, that it’s starting to affect the rest of the nation. That poison is called class envy. It’s practitioners, well versed in their own foibles, project their problems onto the innocent in an effort to appear perfect in their own eyes.
This has led to the perversion that mistakenly thinks that everyone should be equal instead of having equal opportunities to excel. Note how this runs counter to their professed belief in diversity. We should all celebrate diversity, however when it comes to recognizing that people have diverse abilities, and thus will have diverse outcomes given the same circumstances, they all of a sudden demand equality.
That, gentle readers, is psychosis.
And we’re seeing psychosis writ large in this debate on maintaining the Bush tax rates. Millionaires on the left criticizing the moneyed in our society, the very thing that allows these elites to run for office. There aren’t many working folk running for office, due primarily to the constraints of money: they are too busy providing for their families.
Let’s stop for a moment and use their twisted logic:
1. They want us to hate the rich because they are somehow evil.
2. They are rich.
3. Yet, they don’t want us to hate them.
4. ?
In fact, the opposite is true – the ruling elite wish us to become disengaged from politics so we can leave everything to them. They balk at any efforts to reduce their power or restrain them in any way. Hell, they won’t even subject themselves to the laws that they create for the rest of us.
Folks, in case you haven’t noticed, we can’t keep going on like this. Not and keep our freedom and prosperity.
We must restore sanity to our government. We started to do that in the mid-term elections. We must insure that this is the last gasp of progressivism in our nation. Like an exorcism, all of the evil comes spewing out at the last, right before the evil spirit's death and things get back to normal for the victim.
We must eliminate the mental illness of political liberalism if we are to survive.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Our Economy’s Only Hope - Reviving Manufacturing in America
Today is a mournful day. Something precious died on this date. Not John Lennon, although his untimely death robbed the world of a great artist. No, something far more valuable was killed unnecessarily: the future of America’s prosperity. Today marks the day that the North American Free Trade Act was signed by President Bill Clinton.
This bill, more than any other single piece of legislation, is to blame for our current economic woes, for its signing was the beginning of our national decline. Almost all of the high unemployment and record levels of poverty that we’re currently enduring can point to this day as its genesis. Even worse is the political attitude that brought this horrible bill into being: that America can give away it’s prosperity to other nations (wealth redistribution, as it’s otherwise known) without negatively affecting her.
We now know that is impossible.
So, what can we do about this mistake? Well, first we must acknowledge that we made one. While this will prove a daunting task for the political elite, the average American already knows it. The millions of Americans currently out of work certainly know that something is wrong. An entire sector of the economy is gone, some say never to return.
A generation of Americans can recall when their fathers and mothers had “factory jobs” that put them through college. However, all they can do is remember. Now, those same parents have nothing to do because we’ve needlessly eliminated a formerly vibrant sector of the economy.
I have some very unpleasant memories of this day in 1993. Within a week, I was laid off as the owners of the manufacturing plant where I worked announced that they were relocating to Mexico. What a lovely present to receive right before the Holidays! Some 45 people lost their jobs, and for what? To enrich another country? Really?
The questions we all had back then were, “If Mexico wants industry, why don’t they do it themselves? Why have we been sold out by our own government? If they can make products so much cheaper, why aren’t they already doing so?”
Why, indeed?
Have we not shown the world how to do things for their own benefit by now? As the world’s oldest republic, have we not demonstrated through our actions and our national will that any country can succeed if their people are free? Why give our wealth away when there is no need to do so? Cannot other nations duplicate our success, therefore elevating their people and subsequently, mankind, on their own?
This sort of “soft bigotry of low expectations” is extremely condescending and has no place among adults, specifically those in charge of entire countries. To live in the mature world, we must demand that same maturity from others. Who wants to be treated like a child, especially on the world stage? No one that I would care to deal with, how about you?
It’s curious to note that those who advocate the notion of diversity somehow don’t think that it’s necessary in the job market. Oh, yeah, they want a diversity of the workforce, but how about addressing the natural diversity in people’s abilities. Why restrict our economy, when, if true diversity is the goal, we shouldn’t have it in the job market. Not everyone is cut out for college. That doesn’t mean that they are less intelligent than anyone else is. This may come as a shock to the political elites, but there are many Americans who are smart enough to go to college, but would rather work with their hands.
If you wish to become a machinist, for example, there’s a lot that you need to know in order to do your job. You need to know physics, metallurgy, geometry, and trigonometry and also have excellent communication skills in order to maintain an orderly flow of information in the workplace. These skills can also be learned in college, but in manufacturing, there is the added reward of tangibility; you can hold your work in your hand. Many times, you can understand that you’ve just helped someone else to make their life a little easier. You’ve made money and helped someone else in the process.
What’s not to like?
While those of us who were in manufacturing and now aren’t know what has been lost, others are just now waking up to the facts. Articles like this and this are sadly heartening, for, if enough people recognize that we’ve done a disservice to the nation by willfully abandoning a productive economic sector, we can reverse course and begin to make products in America once more.
This will doubtless require that we drag the ruling elite along, kicking and screaming. They must overcome their natural tendency to denigrate those of us who wish to work with our hands. Failing that, we need to replace them with others who recognize the value that our manufacturing sector once provided. They must also ignore the cries of nationalism and protectionism that will be hurled at them from others who would rather steal than work.
We must take control of our destiny again and show the world how it’s done.
Let’s get serious about diversifying our economy and set our sights on restoring our manufacturing base. It was once the foundation of our country and can be again.
This bill, more than any other single piece of legislation, is to blame for our current economic woes, for its signing was the beginning of our national decline. Almost all of the high unemployment and record levels of poverty that we’re currently enduring can point to this day as its genesis. Even worse is the political attitude that brought this horrible bill into being: that America can give away it’s prosperity to other nations (wealth redistribution, as it’s otherwise known) without negatively affecting her.
We now know that is impossible.
So, what can we do about this mistake? Well, first we must acknowledge that we made one. While this will prove a daunting task for the political elite, the average American already knows it. The millions of Americans currently out of work certainly know that something is wrong. An entire sector of the economy is gone, some say never to return.
A generation of Americans can recall when their fathers and mothers had “factory jobs” that put them through college. However, all they can do is remember. Now, those same parents have nothing to do because we’ve needlessly eliminated a formerly vibrant sector of the economy.
I have some very unpleasant memories of this day in 1993. Within a week, I was laid off as the owners of the manufacturing plant where I worked announced that they were relocating to Mexico. What a lovely present to receive right before the Holidays! Some 45 people lost their jobs, and for what? To enrich another country? Really?
The questions we all had back then were, “If Mexico wants industry, why don’t they do it themselves? Why have we been sold out by our own government? If they can make products so much cheaper, why aren’t they already doing so?”
Why, indeed?
Have we not shown the world how to do things for their own benefit by now? As the world’s oldest republic, have we not demonstrated through our actions and our national will that any country can succeed if their people are free? Why give our wealth away when there is no need to do so? Cannot other nations duplicate our success, therefore elevating their people and subsequently, mankind, on their own?
This sort of “soft bigotry of low expectations” is extremely condescending and has no place among adults, specifically those in charge of entire countries. To live in the mature world, we must demand that same maturity from others. Who wants to be treated like a child, especially on the world stage? No one that I would care to deal with, how about you?
It’s curious to note that those who advocate the notion of diversity somehow don’t think that it’s necessary in the job market. Oh, yeah, they want a diversity of the workforce, but how about addressing the natural diversity in people’s abilities. Why restrict our economy, when, if true diversity is the goal, we shouldn’t have it in the job market. Not everyone is cut out for college. That doesn’t mean that they are less intelligent than anyone else is. This may come as a shock to the political elites, but there are many Americans who are smart enough to go to college, but would rather work with their hands.
If you wish to become a machinist, for example, there’s a lot that you need to know in order to do your job. You need to know physics, metallurgy, geometry, and trigonometry and also have excellent communication skills in order to maintain an orderly flow of information in the workplace. These skills can also be learned in college, but in manufacturing, there is the added reward of tangibility; you can hold your work in your hand. Many times, you can understand that you’ve just helped someone else to make their life a little easier. You’ve made money and helped someone else in the process.
What’s not to like?
While those of us who were in manufacturing and now aren’t know what has been lost, others are just now waking up to the facts. Articles like this and this are sadly heartening, for, if enough people recognize that we’ve done a disservice to the nation by willfully abandoning a productive economic sector, we can reverse course and begin to make products in America once more.
This will doubtless require that we drag the ruling elite along, kicking and screaming. They must overcome their natural tendency to denigrate those of us who wish to work with our hands. Failing that, we need to replace them with others who recognize the value that our manufacturing sector once provided. They must also ignore the cries of nationalism and protectionism that will be hurled at them from others who would rather steal than work.
We must take control of our destiny again and show the world how it’s done.
Let’s get serious about diversifying our economy and set our sights on restoring our manufacturing base. It was once the foundation of our country and can be again.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Dems Flunk Econ 101
The reaction by the left to President Obama’s deal to extend the Bush tax cuts has been predictably bad. His base is sorely disappointed that he didn’t fight to increase taxes and their posts prove it. Another thing they prove is that those on the left are economic illiterates.
I am amazed by the comments in forums about Obama maintaining our current tax rates and extending UE benefits for another 13 months. Check them out here and here. The level of misunderstanding of basic economics is astounding.
In our free market economy, each new mandate is a burden on business. It imposes a cost on the business that the average employee never sees, but is paid anyway. Yet this basic economic law is lost on them. Also lost on them are the basics of wealth generation. Check out this quote from none other than Nancy Pelosi concerning the impact of unemployment benefits:
How can she dictate national economic policy correctly if she fails to understand the basics of a free market economy? Oh, wait, our current unemployment rate of 9.8% is proof enough that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Remarkably so, this woman is allegedly worth a great deal of money.
There are some on the right who aren’t too up on economic theory, either. Check out this comment from Foxnews.com’s Bradley Blakeman concerning the debate over Obama’s recent deal to keep our current tax rates:
“Republicans believe?” We’re not talking beliefs here. We’re talking about economic laws and what happens under a repressive structure of government that is openly hostile to the creation of wealth.
Washington is the main reason our economy is in the sorry shape it's in today. Too many rules, regulations, and high tax rates have finally caught up to us, resulting in the closest thing to a depression that most of us have witnessed in our lifetime. There is a root cause for our current situation: the Community Reinvestment Act. This single piece of legislation forced banks to make loans to those who were bad credit risks and could not otherwise afford a home. Under the penalty of law, banks started losing money, which they attempted to bundle into other financial packages to offset this new federal requirement. And it worked for a while, right up until the presidential election of 2008. That’s when the excrement struck the air-moving device and our economy tumbled into the deepest recession in modern American history. We’re still in it because of the economic ignorance of those we’ve managed to elect to high office in Washington.
We can't keep putting restrictions on the "evil rich" and expect to maintain our economic power, it's that simple. Yet, we keep on voting for economically illiterate politicians who know nothing about how our free market economy works. In addition, those same politicians cater to their left-wing base, which insists upon punishing those in society that provide us with the money to maintain our way of life. The same way of life that is the envy of the world, the same way of life that has people from far away lining up to become Americans.
If you're still confused as to how this works and your eyes glaze over when the talk comes to economics, mathematics, percentages and tax rates, watch this video from Lee Doran entitled "Bar Stool Economics" (courtesy of The Right Scoop.com) and glaze no more.
If we want to keep our good paying jobs, we need to start electing pols with real-world experience. There is a reason why we're suffering needlessly under Obamanomics: he and his advisors have no experience in the business world and have never run a business. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for a while, but their continued insistence upon more and more federal intrusion into our daily lives is hurting our ability to do business and generate wealth.
Also, don't buy into the class warfare that the Dems are always spouting. It takes a certain type of psychosis for a rich person in Congress to divide Americans along economic lines. Don't you want to be rich someday too?
If you side with them and you later become rich, how do you think you'll be treated?
I am amazed by the comments in forums about Obama maintaining our current tax rates and extending UE benefits for another 13 months. Check them out here and here. The level of misunderstanding of basic economics is astounding.
In our free market economy, each new mandate is a burden on business. It imposes a cost on the business that the average employee never sees, but is paid anyway. Yet this basic economic law is lost on them. Also lost on them are the basics of wealth generation. Check out this quote from none other than Nancy Pelosi concerning the impact of unemployment benefits:
"...Unemployment insurance returns $2 to the economy for every $1 spent," said Pelosi last week. "This is money that is needed by families to buy necessities, to heat their homes... and immediately injects demand into the economy, creating jobs."Now, I’m not sure where to start on her statement other than to say that every word of it is wrong, including the “and’s” and “the’s.”
How can she dictate national economic policy correctly if she fails to understand the basics of a free market economy? Oh, wait, our current unemployment rate of 9.8% is proof enough that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Remarkably so, this woman is allegedly worth a great deal of money.
There are some on the right who aren’t too up on economic theory, either. Check out this comment from Foxnews.com’s Bradley Blakeman concerning the debate over Obama’s recent deal to keep our current tax rates:
“Republicans believe that the way to get people back to work is by incentivizing the private sector not penalizing them and paying citizens to be idle and unproductive.”
“Republicans believe?” We’re not talking beliefs here. We’re talking about economic laws and what happens under a repressive structure of government that is openly hostile to the creation of wealth.
Washington is the main reason our economy is in the sorry shape it's in today. Too many rules, regulations, and high tax rates have finally caught up to us, resulting in the closest thing to a depression that most of us have witnessed in our lifetime. There is a root cause for our current situation: the Community Reinvestment Act. This single piece of legislation forced banks to make loans to those who were bad credit risks and could not otherwise afford a home. Under the penalty of law, banks started losing money, which they attempted to bundle into other financial packages to offset this new federal requirement. And it worked for a while, right up until the presidential election of 2008. That’s when the excrement struck the air-moving device and our economy tumbled into the deepest recession in modern American history. We’re still in it because of the economic ignorance of those we’ve managed to elect to high office in Washington.
We can't keep putting restrictions on the "evil rich" and expect to maintain our economic power, it's that simple. Yet, we keep on voting for economically illiterate politicians who know nothing about how our free market economy works. In addition, those same politicians cater to their left-wing base, which insists upon punishing those in society that provide us with the money to maintain our way of life. The same way of life that is the envy of the world, the same way of life that has people from far away lining up to become Americans.
If you're still confused as to how this works and your eyes glaze over when the talk comes to economics, mathematics, percentages and tax rates, watch this video from Lee Doran entitled "Bar Stool Economics" (courtesy of The Right Scoop.com) and glaze no more.
If we want to keep our good paying jobs, we need to start electing pols with real-world experience. There is a reason why we're suffering needlessly under Obamanomics: he and his advisors have no experience in the business world and have never run a business. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for a while, but their continued insistence upon more and more federal intrusion into our daily lives is hurting our ability to do business and generate wealth.
Also, don't buy into the class warfare that the Dems are always spouting. It takes a certain type of psychosis for a rich person in Congress to divide Americans along economic lines. Don't you want to be rich someday too?
If you side with them and you later become rich, how do you think you'll be treated?
Monday, December 6, 2010
An Open Letter to the Incoming Congress
Dear Members of the 112th Congress,
Allow me to be among the first Americans to welcome you to your new job. Congratulations to you. You have a unique job in all the world. Your decisions will have a direct effect upon millions of your fellow citizens for years to come. The opportunity for you is literally boundless. You may be able to lift America from the depths of malaise and incompetence that we’ve suffered under for the past four years during the reign of Nancy Pelosi and her progressive minions.
While there are many important issues facing the country, perhaps none is as important as solving our economic problems. We have them primarily because we’ve allowed the federal government to become far too big and unmanageable. The imposition of an increasing number of federal regulations, rules and taxes have created an environment that is hostile towards business and damaging to the country. The results are all around us – there are record numbers of Americans on food stamps and record numbers of Americans living in poverty. This is the legacy of progressivism, a legacy that is unbecoming the free people of this great country.
Our current economic problems will not be solved quickly. However, you can take steps to minimize the negative effects of too much government by following a few simple principles. First, understand that Americans need good, high-quality jobs. Our way of life is dependent upon creating an atmosphere that fosters the creation of a rich diversity of job options. The move towards a global economy has been an abject failure that has resulted in the massive export of good American jobs overseas. It is time to recognize the value in manufacturing American products for Americans. We can and should be constructing our own cars, computers and washing machines here in America. By not doing so, we are limiting our potential for growth and prosperity unnecessarily. By rejuvenating our manufacturing base, we will once again provide good jobs for a larger number of Americans.
Second, also understand that we need abundant and inexpensive sources of energy. The current regulatory environment is artificially restricting our ability to create these sources for no reason. Our way of life depends upon the wise utilization of our God-given natural resources, but our own government, aided by radical, far-left environmental groups, is preventing us from doing so. Much needed, new sources of power using proven, safe technology are under attack from these groups who are stifling our ability to have efficient energy supplies. Despite being unelected to any office, environmental groups are dictating national energy policy with no regard to the negative effects of their rules. Laboring under the false theory of “man-made climate change,” these groups are damaging our national interests. By standing in the way of proven sources of energy, these groups also bear a great responsibility for the current state of our economy. It is the hope of a nation that you will greatly diminish the harmful influence these fringe organizations currently impose on the construction of new oil refineries and nuclear power plants and you will encourage a return to an energy policy that adequately addresses the needs of a growing nation and a vibrant economy.
Finally, let me impress upon you the importance of conducting your affairs in Washington with the highest legal and moral standards. Let your actions always be guided by the knowledge that what you do has a direct effect on every American. Place yourself in the shoes of your fellow citizens when considering any issue. Guide your actions in a way that will bring honor and respect to our government. Never let there be any question that you are doing your very best to improve the lives of everyone in America.
In conclusion, it is with the best wishes of success that I welcome you to your new station. May it be filled with good things for you, your staff, and your country. May God Bless you and the United States.
Sincerely,
BackwardsBoy
Allow me to be among the first Americans to welcome you to your new job. Congratulations to you. You have a unique job in all the world. Your decisions will have a direct effect upon millions of your fellow citizens for years to come. The opportunity for you is literally boundless. You may be able to lift America from the depths of malaise and incompetence that we’ve suffered under for the past four years during the reign of Nancy Pelosi and her progressive minions.
While there are many important issues facing the country, perhaps none is as important as solving our economic problems. We have them primarily because we’ve allowed the federal government to become far too big and unmanageable. The imposition of an increasing number of federal regulations, rules and taxes have created an environment that is hostile towards business and damaging to the country. The results are all around us – there are record numbers of Americans on food stamps and record numbers of Americans living in poverty. This is the legacy of progressivism, a legacy that is unbecoming the free people of this great country.
Our current economic problems will not be solved quickly. However, you can take steps to minimize the negative effects of too much government by following a few simple principles. First, understand that Americans need good, high-quality jobs. Our way of life is dependent upon creating an atmosphere that fosters the creation of a rich diversity of job options. The move towards a global economy has been an abject failure that has resulted in the massive export of good American jobs overseas. It is time to recognize the value in manufacturing American products for Americans. We can and should be constructing our own cars, computers and washing machines here in America. By not doing so, we are limiting our potential for growth and prosperity unnecessarily. By rejuvenating our manufacturing base, we will once again provide good jobs for a larger number of Americans.
Second, also understand that we need abundant and inexpensive sources of energy. The current regulatory environment is artificially restricting our ability to create these sources for no reason. Our way of life depends upon the wise utilization of our God-given natural resources, but our own government, aided by radical, far-left environmental groups, is preventing us from doing so. Much needed, new sources of power using proven, safe technology are under attack from these groups who are stifling our ability to have efficient energy supplies. Despite being unelected to any office, environmental groups are dictating national energy policy with no regard to the negative effects of their rules. Laboring under the false theory of “man-made climate change,” these groups are damaging our national interests. By standing in the way of proven sources of energy, these groups also bear a great responsibility for the current state of our economy. It is the hope of a nation that you will greatly diminish the harmful influence these fringe organizations currently impose on the construction of new oil refineries and nuclear power plants and you will encourage a return to an energy policy that adequately addresses the needs of a growing nation and a vibrant economy.
Finally, let me impress upon you the importance of conducting your affairs in Washington with the highest legal and moral standards. Let your actions always be guided by the knowledge that what you do has a direct effect on every American. Place yourself in the shoes of your fellow citizens when considering any issue. Guide your actions in a way that will bring honor and respect to our government. Never let there be any question that you are doing your very best to improve the lives of everyone in America.
In conclusion, it is with the best wishes of success that I welcome you to your new station. May it be filled with good things for you, your staff, and your country. May God Bless you and the United States.
Sincerely,
BackwardsBoy
Friday, December 3, 2010
Friday Bits of Tid, SEC Championship Edition
Auburn takes on South Carolina for all the marbles in the SEC Championship game tomorrow. As much as it pains me to type it, War Eagle!
And now, after weeks of delay, the post you've all been waiting for, (drum roll, please)
ta da!
Friday Bit of Tid!
Thank you very much. Please hold your applause or we'll never get through this.
On this day in 1979, the last Pacer limped off the assembly line. Eventually, the American Motors Company would too.
This would be the perfect Christmas gift for, um, somebody. Lee Harvey Oswald's coffin. Assassin not included.
Give me back my boobehs. A German man who paid for his girlfriends' *ahem* enhancements, wants them back after she reneged on her agreement to stay with him for a year.
How Guinness keeps us entertained between pints. World Record Day.
It's beginning to eel a lot like Christmas. And no, that's not a typo.
Duude, like, do you need any drugs?
Remember when folks used to paint themselves into a corner? Consider this an upgrade.
Alotta Felina II
Today's edition is brought to you by the Miss TSA Pinup Calendar. Order yours today. Operators are standing by...
Have a good'un, y'all.
And now, after weeks of delay, the post you've all been waiting for, (drum roll, please)
ta da!
Friday Bit of Tid!
Thank you very much. Please hold your applause or we'll never get through this.
On this day in 1979, the last Pacer limped off the assembly line. Eventually, the American Motors Company would too.
This would be the perfect Christmas gift for, um, somebody. Lee Harvey Oswald's coffin. Assassin not included.
Give me back my boobehs. A German man who paid for his girlfriends' *ahem* enhancements, wants them back after she reneged on her agreement to stay with him for a year.
How Guinness keeps us entertained between pints. World Record Day.
It's beginning to eel a lot like Christmas. And no, that's not a typo.
Duude, like, do you need any drugs?
Remember when folks used to paint themselves into a corner? Consider this an upgrade.
Alotta Felina II
Today's edition is brought to you by the Miss TSA Pinup Calendar. Order yours today. Operators are standing by...
Thursday, December 2, 2010
President Obama Seeks to Prolong the Great Recession
If you had any doubt that this administration is actively promoting and encouraging the downfall of the nation, yesterday’s announcement that the moratorium on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico will be continued should erase that doubt. In a reversal of announced policy, an unnamed spokesman yesterday said the Obama administration would not consider any new drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, putting the area off-limits to oil exploration until 2022.
Thanks a lot, Mr. President.
Thank you for placing the needs of an extreme, misguided special interest group ahead of the needs of the country. I’m certain that the families of the now-unemployed oil workers whose lives are being destroyed by your stupid decision will think that you did the right thing. And the many other manufacturing workers who support the industry will thank you in a few months when they find themselves signing up for their unemployment checks, you know, the ones that will be far less than their past wages, and then only for a limited time.
You just gave many families a wonderful Christmas gift: financial ruin.
Thanks a lot, Mr. President.
Leave it up to the most unqualified president ever to purposely ruin our economy. When we need jobs, he makes sure they disappear. Where we need economic activity and increased energy supplies, he insures that we have neither. There can no longer be any question that this man’s decisions are harming the country.
That’s progress. Hope and Change we all can believe in.
Let’s pause for a moment and think of what we could and should be having for an energy policy, shall we?
First, we must, I stress must realize that there is no such thing as man-made global warming, climate change, or any other such nonsense. We cannot proceed any longer laboring under that myth – it was never true to begin with. It has only been used to stifle energy innovation and creativity in addition to providing a convenient excuse to drastically reduce our standard of living for no good reason.
Modern life consists of technology which is largely dependent upon energy. We pretty much owe our position as the world’s largest economy on our technical prowess. History proves that our technological innovation began shortly after the widespread utilization of electricity. For a small thought experiment, think of where we would be if we didn’t have cheap electricity. I’ll wait while you hop in the WABAK machine.
Good, you’re back.
So you understand that our way of life depends upon cheap, abundant energy supplies, which also provide jobs for those who produce and maintain the infrastructure. It’s all good. We get cheap energy, which frees up our time to be able to innovate and experiment, extends our life span so we can spend more time with our loved ones, and provides us with a high standard of living that the world has never seen before.
And, if you’ve been paying attention for the past few decades or so, you also know there are people who want to take this away from you.
Ask yourself why this is.
Why would anyone in their right mind want to reduce our standard of living? Who in their right mind would want us to return to the past, a past where simple daily hygiene was a luxury and medical practices consisted of bloodletting?
Yet, this is what some people consider “progress.”
I present to you one of those people.
Now that we need no longer labor under the hoax of “global warming,” there is no reason for us to restrict our energy supplies. None. Yet, our president is determined to do just that.
We could be increasing our exploration for oil. We could be building new nuclear power plants (after we reopen the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal facility). We could be increasing economic activity instead of reducing it. This would help us to recover from this Great Recession by creating jobs and wealth and by keeping energy prices low.
But we have a president who doesn’t want that for the country and is doing his best to make sure that we don’t have it. His decision to shut off vast areas of our Gulf to oil drilling is shortsighted, uneducated, ill-informed, and frankly, un-American. He intends to diminish this country greatly by employing what Al-Qaeda recently called “Operation Hemorrhage,” a series of small wounds that would amount to death by a thousand cuts. His ultimate goal is to inflict as much economic damage as possible upon innocent Americans whose only crime is wanting to provide for themselves and their families.
What have we done to ourselves?
Thanks a lot, Mr. President.
Thank you for placing the needs of an extreme, misguided special interest group ahead of the needs of the country. I’m certain that the families of the now-unemployed oil workers whose lives are being destroyed by your stupid decision will think that you did the right thing. And the many other manufacturing workers who support the industry will thank you in a few months when they find themselves signing up for their unemployment checks, you know, the ones that will be far less than their past wages, and then only for a limited time.
You just gave many families a wonderful Christmas gift: financial ruin.
Thanks a lot, Mr. President.
Leave it up to the most unqualified president ever to purposely ruin our economy. When we need jobs, he makes sure they disappear. Where we need economic activity and increased energy supplies, he insures that we have neither. There can no longer be any question that this man’s decisions are harming the country.
That’s progress. Hope and Change we all can believe in.
Let’s pause for a moment and think of what we could and should be having for an energy policy, shall we?
First, we must, I stress must realize that there is no such thing as man-made global warming, climate change, or any other such nonsense. We cannot proceed any longer laboring under that myth – it was never true to begin with. It has only been used to stifle energy innovation and creativity in addition to providing a convenient excuse to drastically reduce our standard of living for no good reason.
Modern life consists of technology which is largely dependent upon energy. We pretty much owe our position as the world’s largest economy on our technical prowess. History proves that our technological innovation began shortly after the widespread utilization of electricity. For a small thought experiment, think of where we would be if we didn’t have cheap electricity. I’ll wait while you hop in the WABAK machine.
Good, you’re back.
So you understand that our way of life depends upon cheap, abundant energy supplies, which also provide jobs for those who produce and maintain the infrastructure. It’s all good. We get cheap energy, which frees up our time to be able to innovate and experiment, extends our life span so we can spend more time with our loved ones, and provides us with a high standard of living that the world has never seen before.
And, if you’ve been paying attention for the past few decades or so, you also know there are people who want to take this away from you.
Ask yourself why this is.
Why would anyone in their right mind want to reduce our standard of living? Who in their right mind would want us to return to the past, a past where simple daily hygiene was a luxury and medical practices consisted of bloodletting?
Yet, this is what some people consider “progress.”
I present to you one of those people.
Now that we need no longer labor under the hoax of “global warming,” there is no reason for us to restrict our energy supplies. None. Yet, our president is determined to do just that.
We could be increasing our exploration for oil. We could be building new nuclear power plants (after we reopen the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal facility). We could be increasing economic activity instead of reducing it. This would help us to recover from this Great Recession by creating jobs and wealth and by keeping energy prices low.
But we have a president who doesn’t want that for the country and is doing his best to make sure that we don’t have it. His decision to shut off vast areas of our Gulf to oil drilling is shortsighted, uneducated, ill-informed, and frankly, un-American. He intends to diminish this country greatly by employing what Al-Qaeda recently called “Operation Hemorrhage,” a series of small wounds that would amount to death by a thousand cuts. His ultimate goal is to inflict as much economic damage as possible upon innocent Americans whose only crime is wanting to provide for themselves and their families.
What have we done to ourselves?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Here's Real Progress - Rep. Lewis Pledges to Strip EPA Funds
This is what we voted for.
You may have noticed a trend in recent years. Unelected bureaucrats have steadily increased their power far beyond the original intent of their positions until we have entire departments of our government pursuing a radical agenda that directly opposes the best interests of the nation.
I speak specifically of the Environmental Protection Agency. The same agency that is currently responsible for the needless agricultural shutdown of the former cornucopia of California's Central Valley because of an insignificant bait fish. This action, along with many others that defy common sense, are responsible for the inability to utilize our God-given resources to benefit the country and its people.
Our own government is working against us. How has this happened?
In a way, we only have ourselves to blame. We haven't done our duty in informing ourselves about the goings-on in Washington, busy as we are working and raising our families. We trusted unscrupulous politicians to act in our stead, politicians who said one thing on the campaign trail and then did something completely different when they were elected to office. It only took us two generations before we caught on to the deception, but when we did, we managed to begin the process of removing said lying pols, most noticeably in this most recent election.
Now the work begins for those we elected. We sent an unmistakable message to the "progressives" in Washington that their vision for the country of an ever-increasing federal intrusion into our lives was about to stop.
Case in point: California Representative Jerry Lewis has vowed to strip funding for the EPA. Granted, he's grandstanding just a bit in a bid to chair the House Appropriations Committee. But it appears that his heart is in the right place and that he heard the peoples' message to Washington loudly and clearly on November 2. Specifically, he's looking to stop the agency from circumventing Congress, and us, by imposing many of the provisions of the failed Cap-and-Trade energy tax. The EPA has indicated that it intends to start regulating greenhouse gases in January, thus bypassing Congress and the will of the people who are starting to fully recognize the harm this agency is doing to our national interests.
This is good news. We're starting to get our own government back under control. We should expect no less than a responsive government that's able to handle the problems of modern life in a mature and knowledgeable way while still advancing the national interests, in this case the need for cheap energy.
There are far too many radical environmentalists (many in high places) who mistakenly think that we must roll back our dependence on so-called "fossil fuels" because of an erroneous theory that has yet to be proven. These people want us to pursue some fantastical new "green technology" that is supposed to reduce our dependence on foreign oil in the name of the now-discredited "man-made global warming" theory.
Notice how these ecological fanatics ignore the one proven technology that could provide us with inexpensive energy with very little pollution - nuclear power. There is a reason that we haven't built a new nuclear plant in over thirty years and it's the radical environmentalists (and their lawyer enablers) who have constructed the legal and regulatory roadblocks. All made possible by a couple of badly written and horribly executed federal laws.
This entire environmental charade is based on a lie. And we know it.
We should be thankful that the ClimateGate emails were finally brought to light, curiously, no thanks to WikiLeaks. As an aside, if Julian Assange were so interested in bringing truth to the masses and uncovering corruption, why wasn't he instrumental in making those emails public? Huh, Julian? Where were you when you could have done the planet a real favor by uncovering a massive hoax, one that has cost us untold trillions of dollars for no reason other than a crisis manufactured for political purposes?
I'm digressing again. Sorry.
Representative Lewis is to be applauded for his intention to defund the EPA. This should be merely the beginning of the dismantling of Washington bureaus who are standing in the way of America's greatness by prohibiting the utilization of our natural resources. Granted, we should be judicious in our use of these resources and not return to the excesses that created the need for an EPA in the first place. No one wants to see rivers on fire again. But we've learned a lot and corrected our mistakes, something that radical environmentalists refuse to acknowledge.
We can and should be harvesting the things Given to us in a responsible way.
Kudos to Representative Lewis. Don't stop now.
You may have noticed a trend in recent years. Unelected bureaucrats have steadily increased their power far beyond the original intent of their positions until we have entire departments of our government pursuing a radical agenda that directly opposes the best interests of the nation.
I speak specifically of the Environmental Protection Agency. The same agency that is currently responsible for the needless agricultural shutdown of the former cornucopia of California's Central Valley because of an insignificant bait fish. This action, along with many others that defy common sense, are responsible for the inability to utilize our God-given resources to benefit the country and its people.
Our own government is working against us. How has this happened?
In a way, we only have ourselves to blame. We haven't done our duty in informing ourselves about the goings-on in Washington, busy as we are working and raising our families. We trusted unscrupulous politicians to act in our stead, politicians who said one thing on the campaign trail and then did something completely different when they were elected to office. It only took us two generations before we caught on to the deception, but when we did, we managed to begin the process of removing said lying pols, most noticeably in this most recent election.
Now the work begins for those we elected. We sent an unmistakable message to the "progressives" in Washington that their vision for the country of an ever-increasing federal intrusion into our lives was about to stop.
Case in point: California Representative Jerry Lewis has vowed to strip funding for the EPA. Granted, he's grandstanding just a bit in a bid to chair the House Appropriations Committee. But it appears that his heart is in the right place and that he heard the peoples' message to Washington loudly and clearly on November 2. Specifically, he's looking to stop the agency from circumventing Congress, and us, by imposing many of the provisions of the failed Cap-and-Trade energy tax. The EPA has indicated that it intends to start regulating greenhouse gases in January, thus bypassing Congress and the will of the people who are starting to fully recognize the harm this agency is doing to our national interests.
This is good news. We're starting to get our own government back under control. We should expect no less than a responsive government that's able to handle the problems of modern life in a mature and knowledgeable way while still advancing the national interests, in this case the need for cheap energy.
There are far too many radical environmentalists (many in high places) who mistakenly think that we must roll back our dependence on so-called "fossil fuels" because of an erroneous theory that has yet to be proven. These people want us to pursue some fantastical new "green technology" that is supposed to reduce our dependence on foreign oil in the name of the now-discredited "man-made global warming" theory.
Notice how these ecological fanatics ignore the one proven technology that could provide us with inexpensive energy with very little pollution - nuclear power. There is a reason that we haven't built a new nuclear plant in over thirty years and it's the radical environmentalists (and their lawyer enablers) who have constructed the legal and regulatory roadblocks. All made possible by a couple of badly written and horribly executed federal laws.
This entire environmental charade is based on a lie. And we know it.
We should be thankful that the ClimateGate emails were finally brought to light, curiously, no thanks to WikiLeaks. As an aside, if Julian Assange were so interested in bringing truth to the masses and uncovering corruption, why wasn't he instrumental in making those emails public? Huh, Julian? Where were you when you could have done the planet a real favor by uncovering a massive hoax, one that has cost us untold trillions of dollars for no reason other than a crisis manufactured for political purposes?
I'm digressing again. Sorry.
Representative Lewis is to be applauded for his intention to defund the EPA. This should be merely the beginning of the dismantling of Washington bureaus who are standing in the way of America's greatness by prohibiting the utilization of our natural resources. Granted, we should be judicious in our use of these resources and not return to the excesses that created the need for an EPA in the first place. No one wants to see rivers on fire again. But we've learned a lot and corrected our mistakes, something that radical environmentalists refuse to acknowledge.
We can and should be harvesting the things Given to us in a responsible way.
Kudos to Representative Lewis. Don't stop now.
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