Confusing the Free Market

By the government artificially sustaining failing companies that are "too big to fail" they are confusing the free market. Failing companies encourage company leadership to make hard changes and investors to consider new (and better) companies. By allowing companies like GM to continue to operate despite the failing in the free market, you confuse investors. Some that would remove their investment and give it to a growing company to fuel it's good choices will leave their investment (or worse invest more) in companies that SHOULD fail, thereby enabling their bad choices. This creates a double hit on competitors because it removes risk from the failing company while increasing it for their legitimate competitors. It also forces competitors to become investors in the very companies that compete with them, with no hope of a return on their forced investment (in the form of higher taxes).

Government can't create jobs (unless they are government jobs that actually drain the economy). The government can't insure fairness. The government can't bail-out or rescue industries. The government doesn't produce revenue, it consumes it.

The bottom line is that the government has no business being involved in the free market. The market is self balancing and when you have the federal government trying to help, it just creates a pendulum affect.

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

'Stop trying to frighten the American people'

President Barack Obama told House Republican leaders to "stop trying to frighten the American people" even as he and Democrats said they see a possibility for bipartisan cooperation on job creation legislation.
See this article

It seems to me that anytime somebody disagrees with the President they have evil intensions according to...the White House. There is no way anyone could have a legitimate disagreement or a valid point that is contrary to Obama's. If you disagree with an Obama revelation you will get a either the arrogant condescension of "You just don't get it you poor ignorant person." or the instant over polarized "If you are against our Jobs bill you must WANT people to be unemployed so you can take advantage of them!"


The Obama Political Machine is so very obvious at this point:

1. Claim a mandate on the issue since you mentioned it when running for office.
2. Use "crisis" at least 10 times any time you speak to the media.
3. Label anyone who asks for clarification on potential problems with your solution as evil or ignorant (or both).
4. Give well read speeches saying things like, "Let me be clear", "The time is now", and "bipartisan", while spinning the issue, wasting time with lots of meetings that exclude those (evil or ignorant) Republicans.
5. Blitz the morning shows talking about "Don't let those Republicans scare you, we are getting it done." (except for FoxNews...they are evil and ignorant...not "real news").
6. Claim this is our only chance to tackle this issue for a generation (we may never make this offer again....CALL NOW!).
7. Claim to have fixed some problem that you blame on the Bush administration (whether you actually did or not).
8. Have a town hall meeting and solve a personal crisis for a person in the audience using the power of the president.
9. Have a beer summit.
10. Take a vacation after the legislation has passed and don't sign it until you are good and ready.
    

It looks like Hope and Change were code words for Fear and Manipulation. If this administration wants to stop the American people from being afraid they should start with themselves.

 

Nothing is sacred anymore

From a FoxNew.com article:

The video ad, "Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman," takes authentic dialogue from CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" and dubs it on top of the cartoon classic, changing well-known "Frosty" scenes to contain suggestions that the snowman and his friends visit a "strip club."

"The ad introduces children to the idea of strippers and pornography," Raezler told FoxNews.com. "The people in charge obviously thought this was funny, but the question they should ask themselves is if this is appropriate, not if it's funny."


Raezler said the advertisement is another example of popular culture "pushing the envelope" on everything.


"It's sexing up Frosty," she said. "It really drives home the idea that nothing is sacred anymore."

I can see how this would be a simple mistake to make. Those of us who grew up with these cartoons could laugh at a frosty that grew up too. I don't mean to downplay promoting lewd behavior, or the thoughtlessness of doing so in a way that may attract the attention of children, but I imagine that CBS already does that in many ways. It is one thing to have shows that are "adult" in nature, but another thing to attract children's attention to the adult ideas. I think it was foolish, but sacrilege?

To me, this shows how ignorant we have become about what is "sacred". Frosty the snowman? Are you kidding me? The innocence of our children, that is sacred. God's truth, that is sacred. The gift of salvation through Jesus that we celebrate this time of year, THAT is sacred. We have exchanged the positions of the nostalgic and the sacred. We have elevated entertainment to a position well beyond its value. We have demoted a celebration of the gift of grace to the undeserving to a white elephant gift exchange and our bi-annual appearance at church.

OK, maybe I am getting a little deep and fervent, but there is a good point here somewhere! The press is always eager to latch onto a scoop about somebody being offended by somebody else. Conservatives and liberals both take their turns spinning things into more than they are to server their agenda. Why don't we let Frosty be the fond memory he is for many of us, but remember he is not sacred in the least. There is something sacred about Christmas, I would encourage you to seek it out in earnest.

Protecting vs. Providing Welfare

I do not know the guy speaking, but the sentiment of his speech I agree with. Specifically that our federal government is not responsible for providing a result, or specific quality of life, but rather to avoid impeding our ability to pursue the best opportunities we can find.

I predict that some will be upset by his reference to class warfare, fixing bayonets and charging. For a little perspective understand that many work very hard, take calculated risks (which is hard work if done correctly), and put our families through hardships in order to pursue, and hopefully profit, from opportunities we discover. It is very offensive to us when, after we have done all of this and finally reaping the fruit of our efforts, our gain is stolen from us and given to others. Taking from my family what we have worked to obtain and giving it to somebody else, no matter how needy they are, is wrong, always. I believe that it is important to help others, and I do. However, government bureaucrats and politicians seeking to buy votes from the entitlement minded masses are not likely to be efficient, effective, or unbiased in their efforts to "help".