"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

We're billions of dollars further in debt (trillions?) and the economy is still stagnant. TARP, the stimulus bill, massive debts our children and grandchildren will have to pay .. and what has this all brought us? Banks aren't lending, businesses aren't hiring - let along expanding - and consumers aren't buying. Oh, to be sure, the malls are crowded. Turn up the thermostats and see how long that lasts. Those aren't shoppers, they're just your neighbors trying to stay cool while watching the latest absurd teen fashion and freak shows.

Do what the initials SNAFU mean? That word was...]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 There's a lot of talk in Washington about yet another so-called "stimulus"� package. If the next one is anything like the last one it will simply be a mechanism for taking money away from people who aren't spending it the way politicians would like, and transferring it to people who will. Our soon-to-be ruler feels like adding some grandiose public works projects (raking leaves in a National Forest) to the list.

Let's break away from these political stimulus ideas for a few minutes and study an absolutely brilliant idea from Texas Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert. Now Louie hasn't been around the halls of congress all that much (just three years) so he is not...]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 What in the world is going on here?

You've seen the headlines, and you heard of the failures and buyouts. Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, AIG; all big names and all in big trouble. Then those mysterious quasi-government agencies with names like Freddie and Fannie become wards of the state and you learn that you and your fellow taxpayers are potentially on the hook for tens of billions of dollars. At the end of the week Washington Mutual is looking for a buyer, and you start to wonder about the security of your own bank and your own savings account. Let's change that ad copy to WaMu -- boo hoo.

Somewhere in the back of your mind you understand that this is all...]]> Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500