I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. --
Thomas Jefferson
There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences -- P.J. O'Rourke
I find myself troubled with where the argument is centered, more than anything. All the king's men, and all the kings Rinos are lined up behind the idea that government not only belongs in the debate, they should be running the show.
Lemmee see that copy of the constitution for a minute. Gotta be a few of these laying around the capitol somewhere. Lessee, promote general welfare. Hmm. anything else? No? See, that doesn't seem like enough of a charter to take over 1/6th of the economy. In fact, you would be hard pressed to even put up so much as an aspirin dispenser on that directive alone.
So having a discussion about this bill or that bill misses the point entirely. Government has no business in this health business, and should not be acting as if they do. If you need any further proof of that, see further: Medicare
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Counting on the Census
Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three. -- Article I, section 2, US Constitution.
For many years, voluntary compliance has been falling. In anticipation of this problem, the Census Bureau has been relying on wholly owned sectors of society to propagandize for its campaign. The Sesame Street character named Count von Count is touring public schools to tell the kids to tell their parents to fill out the census, even as more than 1 million census kits have been sent to public schools around the country. Think of it as the state using children to manipulate their parents into becoming volunteers in the civic planning project. -- “The Census and Despotism” by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
I have more than a few issues with the census. Not any more than Lew Rockwell, of course (I'm a mere amateur), but I have a slightly different take. I don't necessarily oppose the census because it is an unconstitutional invasion of privacy, although I could defend that position. Here's my issue: The sheer inefficiency of our approach, coupled with the potential for abuse.
1. Many people do not want to be counted. Others insist these people should be counted anyway. Some feel these folks should be counted even if they can't be found.
The census has become another system for legalized theft. Because "direct taxes" are apportioned by the census, the opportunity for abuse is very high. As a result, we have much overcounting, and many thousands of people with Mickey-Mouse-names on our census roles. People are paid by our government and by its enemies to make up these entries.
Even if it weren't for this, paying stenographers to find people who do not want to be found can hardly be a good use of federal money, can it?
Here's The Wizer's plan:
Have anyone who wants to be counted show up in person to the county clerk's office, show ID and fill out a form for all members of the household. Anyone who does not show up, simply does not care to be catalogued in this fashion, and should be left alone.
It should be no easier to be counted as a citizen than going to the polls on election day. People who do this are the real citizens, and should be the ones counted. Those who don't care to show up are not exercising their right to be counted as citizens; and they probably have a very good reason for it. I say leave them alone.
For many years, voluntary compliance has been falling. In anticipation of this problem, the Census Bureau has been relying on wholly owned sectors of society to propagandize for its campaign. The Sesame Street character named Count von Count is touring public schools to tell the kids to tell their parents to fill out the census, even as more than 1 million census kits have been sent to public schools around the country. Think of it as the state using children to manipulate their parents into becoming volunteers in the civic planning project. -- “The Census and Despotism” by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
I have more than a few issues with the census. Not any more than Lew Rockwell, of course (I'm a mere amateur), but I have a slightly different take. I don't necessarily oppose the census because it is an unconstitutional invasion of privacy, although I could defend that position. Here's my issue: The sheer inefficiency of our approach, coupled with the potential for abuse.
1. Many people do not want to be counted. Others insist these people should be counted anyway. Some feel these folks should be counted even if they can't be found.
The census has become another system for legalized theft. Because "direct taxes" are apportioned by the census, the opportunity for abuse is very high. As a result, we have much overcounting, and many thousands of people with Mickey-Mouse-names on our census roles. People are paid by our government and by its enemies to make up these entries.
Even if it weren't for this, paying stenographers to find people who do not want to be found can hardly be a good use of federal money, can it?
Here's The Wizer's plan:
Have anyone who wants to be counted show up in person to the county clerk's office, show ID and fill out a form for all members of the household. Anyone who does not show up, simply does not care to be catalogued in this fashion, and should be left alone.
It should be no easier to be counted as a citizen than going to the polls on election day. People who do this are the real citizens, and should be the ones counted. Those who don't care to show up are not exercising their right to be counted as citizens; and they probably have a very good reason for it. I say leave them alone.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Diversity is Division
America is God's Crucible, the great Melting-Pot where all the races of Europe are melting and reforming... Germans and Frenchmen, Irishmen and Englishmen, Jews and Russians - into the Crucible with you all! God is making the American. -- Israel Zangwill
I hear that melting-pot stuff a lot, and all I can say is that we haven't melted. -- Jesse Jackson
The question invites itself. In what sense are we one nation and one people anymore? For what is a nation if not a people of a common ancestry, faith, culture and language, who worship the same God, revere the same heroes, cherish the same history, celebrate the same holidays, and share the same music, poetry, art and literature? Pat Buchanan
The article by Pat Buchanan prompted more thought about the nature of America. I grew up understanding America as a country where all people were and are created equal. All with unalienable rights, among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It seemed like everyone I met along the way had the same idea. That people should be allowed to choose their paths to happiness, and we were good with that. All our neighbors, black, white, arab, asian were like that too.
As time went by, I would find discontinuities in this simple landscape. I find for example that my right to pray in school, my right to pledge allegiance to this country in the venue of my choice, and even my right to call out a liar in the chambers of congress are challenged. Somewhere along the way people came along to poison the land with their ideas of conflict and oppression. Those who would restrict my rights are now all around us, indeed may even outnumber us. These are not Americans, nor do they want anyone else to be.
Whereas Americans respect the rights of other individuals to live their lives, those who would require others to buy health insurance, or to subsidize cars for their neighbors, can not rationally be referred to as Americans, except by virtue of their birth certificates (if that).
We invite immigrants to share in our freedoms every day and in large numbers. We only ask that they respect our laws, respect our institutions, and respect our fellow citizens. We have no problem if people want to celebrate a 1966 manufactured holiday called Kwanzaa, even though its intent was to undermine and marginalize Christmas. Go, have your party, but let us have ours, too.
We don't really mind if people speak their native tongue in their own homes; but only those who would keep them from being Americans would suggest that they be taught their primary studies in any language but English.
We celebrate diversity. What does that mean? We celebrate black people, white people, asian-americans, arab americans, jews, syrians, austrians and australians. It's a good thing. Polish people are proud, and with good reason. So it is with those whose heritage is important to them.
So why is everybody here? I will tell you. Everybody is here because it is the best place in the world for everybody to be. We want people to have the blessings of this society, yet we ensure that they are forever locked out by calling attention to their differences. Can we celebrate diversity without fomenting division? Perhaps not.
Diversity is Division.
Instead of arab americans, why aren't we just americans. Instead of african-americans, why not simply americans? Does any american wish he were back in africa? As irish americans or german americans, do we wish we were back in Ireland or Germany? Do we have one foot in each country? No, we choose and have chosen to be Americans. Why do we need special categories for people? It only emphasizes how we are different. Not how we are the same.
Only our similarities can define us as a nation. Fortunately, those similarities are vast, and the most important one is we love freedom. We share the belief that this is the best culture in the world of which to be a part. What more unification do we need than that?
If we don't start thinking about our "sames" instead of our "differences", people will continue touse it to divide us. They will say that the antidote to Bush is Obama (cue laugh track). They will say that government has to create equal results, because equal opportunity doesn't work. Americans, easy enough to spot, know this is not true.
And at some point, we need to talk about what's right for Americans. Not what's right for democrats or republicans. Not what's right for socialists or libertarians. Not what's right for progressives or conservatives, rich or poor, belly button in or belly button out. It's time to reject the politics of division, of race, of ethnicity, of ideology, of all kinds. It's time to rise up for what's right for Hoosiers, for Michiganders, for Americans.
It is what brings us all together here.
I hear that melting-pot stuff a lot, and all I can say is that we haven't melted. -- Jesse Jackson
The question invites itself. In what sense are we one nation and one people anymore? For what is a nation if not a people of a common ancestry, faith, culture and language, who worship the same God, revere the same heroes, cherish the same history, celebrate the same holidays, and share the same music, poetry, art and literature? Pat Buchanan
The article by Pat Buchanan prompted more thought about the nature of America. I grew up understanding America as a country where all people were and are created equal. All with unalienable rights, among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It seemed like everyone I met along the way had the same idea. That people should be allowed to choose their paths to happiness, and we were good with that. All our neighbors, black, white, arab, asian were like that too.
As time went by, I would find discontinuities in this simple landscape. I find for example that my right to pray in school, my right to pledge allegiance to this country in the venue of my choice, and even my right to call out a liar in the chambers of congress are challenged. Somewhere along the way people came along to poison the land with their ideas of conflict and oppression. Those who would restrict my rights are now all around us, indeed may even outnumber us. These are not Americans, nor do they want anyone else to be.
Whereas Americans respect the rights of other individuals to live their lives, those who would require others to buy health insurance, or to subsidize cars for their neighbors, can not rationally be referred to as Americans, except by virtue of their birth certificates (if that).
We invite immigrants to share in our freedoms every day and in large numbers. We only ask that they respect our laws, respect our institutions, and respect our fellow citizens. We have no problem if people want to celebrate a 1966 manufactured holiday called Kwanzaa, even though its intent was to undermine and marginalize Christmas. Go, have your party, but let us have ours, too.
We don't really mind if people speak their native tongue in their own homes; but only those who would keep them from being Americans would suggest that they be taught their primary studies in any language but English.
We celebrate diversity. What does that mean? We celebrate black people, white people, asian-americans, arab americans, jews, syrians, austrians and australians. It's a good thing. Polish people are proud, and with good reason. So it is with those whose heritage is important to them.
So why is everybody here? I will tell you. Everybody is here because it is the best place in the world for everybody to be. We want people to have the blessings of this society, yet we ensure that they are forever locked out by calling attention to their differences. Can we celebrate diversity without fomenting division? Perhaps not.
Diversity is Division.
Instead of arab americans, why aren't we just americans. Instead of african-americans, why not simply americans? Does any american wish he were back in africa? As irish americans or german americans, do we wish we were back in Ireland or Germany? Do we have one foot in each country? No, we choose and have chosen to be Americans. Why do we need special categories for people? It only emphasizes how we are different. Not how we are the same.
Only our similarities can define us as a nation. Fortunately, those similarities are vast, and the most important one is we love freedom. We share the belief that this is the best culture in the world of which to be a part. What more unification do we need than that?
If we don't start thinking about our "sames" instead of our "differences", people will continue touse it to divide us. They will say that the antidote to Bush is Obama (cue laugh track). They will say that government has to create equal results, because equal opportunity doesn't work. Americans, easy enough to spot, know this is not true.
And at some point, we need to talk about what's right for Americans. Not what's right for democrats or republicans. Not what's right for socialists or libertarians. Not what's right for progressives or conservatives, rich or poor, belly button in or belly button out. It's time to reject the politics of division, of race, of ethnicity, of ideology, of all kinds. It's time to rise up for what's right for Hoosiers, for Michiganders, for Americans.
It is what brings us all together here.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Next Man Up
If you see a snake, just kill it - don't appoint a committee on snakes. --
Ross Perot
Eagles don't flock, you have to find them one at a time.
Ross Perot
The latest polls confirm what many of us have known since November; that people did not get "what they voted for". More importantly, it is now more obvious that simply voting for the other guy doesn't get the job done either.
Your Wizer believes this opens up an opportunity for someone to demonstrate a difference and earn the country's elective support.
I heard a radio host talk yesterday about Bush's numbers were low, and in the course of the discussion compared them to Obama's sinking ratings. He did miss the point of the low Bush numbers. It had more to do with the ineptness of compassionate conservatism and misguided nation building than matters directly related to the war, but it started the portion of my brain that deals with hindsight.
My point is that people wanted the alternative to Bush, and were horrified to learn ever since then what that meant. Surely there is room for more than two interpretations of the future; especially when these two were so darned similar. The Bush Obama Recession continues. Meanwhile, some rather good systems are left untried. For example: Capitalism, we should try that. Rugged individualism. That would be a good system. Federalism, when properly applied. Constitutionalism would work. Even Anarchy is better than what we have now. What we have now goes by many names, but by my reckoning it is pretty close to National Socialism.
I think if someone were to stand up and defend the constitution, he'd have better than a Ross Perot's chance at being elected.
Ross Perot
Eagles don't flock, you have to find them one at a time.
Ross Perot
The latest polls confirm what many of us have known since November; that people did not get "what they voted for". More importantly, it is now more obvious that simply voting for the other guy doesn't get the job done either.
Your Wizer believes this opens up an opportunity for someone to demonstrate a difference and earn the country's elective support.
I heard a radio host talk yesterday about Bush's numbers were low, and in the course of the discussion compared them to Obama's sinking ratings. He did miss the point of the low Bush numbers. It had more to do with the ineptness of compassionate conservatism and misguided nation building than matters directly related to the war, but it started the portion of my brain that deals with hindsight.
My point is that people wanted the alternative to Bush, and were horrified to learn ever since then what that meant. Surely there is room for more than two interpretations of the future; especially when these two were so darned similar. The Bush Obama Recession continues. Meanwhile, some rather good systems are left untried. For example: Capitalism, we should try that. Rugged individualism. That would be a good system. Federalism, when properly applied. Constitutionalism would work. Even Anarchy is better than what we have now. What we have now goes by many names, but by my reckoning it is pretty close to National Socialism.
I think if someone were to stand up and defend the constitution, he'd have better than a Ross Perot's chance at being elected.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
RIP Ted Kennedy
We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction. -- Edward Kennedy
It's now clear that from the very moment President Bush took office, Iraq was his highest priority as unfinished business from the first Bush Administration. His agenda was clear: find a rationale to get rid of Saddam. -- Edward Kennedy
He (Kennedy) was good company. Excellent company. I think I'm going to miss him more than I can say. -- John McCain
Ted was a big government liberal which as you know by now is the worst possible kind. I was trying to chart this week how he came to be such a communist weinie from what was a fairly normal political juggernaut. It wasn't the influence of his brothers, because as near as I can determine, JFKs conservatism and RFKs law and order persona did not translate to Teddy's world.
Maybe at some level Teddy reached the point where he needed redemption, and went to the chapel of the New York Times to get his religion.
Ever since then (and to borrow the terminology of Bostonians) he had a wicked bad voting record. He was a hypocrite, even by modern Washington standards. His manipulation of the senate succession process in 2004 and attempt to do so again in 2009 is the last final evidence of this.
Teddy's biggest triumph was in compromising people like Bush, McCain, and Hatch. He took a bunch of false progressive premises and found one sucker after another on the so-called right to act as a co-signer. The trouble is we are all now saddled with the payment book from these "bipartisan boondoggles".
RIP Teddy. You gamed the system, and the people of Massachusetts about as completely as it can be done.
It's now clear that from the very moment President Bush took office, Iraq was his highest priority as unfinished business from the first Bush Administration. His agenda was clear: find a rationale to get rid of Saddam. -- Edward Kennedy
He (Kennedy) was good company. Excellent company. I think I'm going to miss him more than I can say. -- John McCain
Ted was a big government liberal which as you know by now is the worst possible kind. I was trying to chart this week how he came to be such a communist weinie from what was a fairly normal political juggernaut. It wasn't the influence of his brothers, because as near as I can determine, JFKs conservatism and RFKs law and order persona did not translate to Teddy's world.
Maybe at some level Teddy reached the point where he needed redemption, and went to the chapel of the New York Times to get his religion.
Ever since then (and to borrow the terminology of Bostonians) he had a wicked bad voting record. He was a hypocrite, even by modern Washington standards. His manipulation of the senate succession process in 2004 and attempt to do so again in 2009 is the last final evidence of this.
Teddy's biggest triumph was in compromising people like Bush, McCain, and Hatch. He took a bunch of false progressive premises and found one sucker after another on the so-called right to act as a co-signer. The trouble is we are all now saddled with the payment book from these "bipartisan boondoggles".
RIP Teddy. You gamed the system, and the people of Massachusetts about as completely as it can be done.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Market Intervention and Unintended Consequences.
Beware the greedy hand of government, thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry. — Thomas Paine
Depressions and mass unemployment are not caused by the free market but by government interference in the economy. – Ludwig von Mises
The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem. – Milton Friedman
Let's examine the Cash for Clunkers program, shall we?
A billion dollars to "retire" 250,000 so-called clunkers. Another 2-3 billion on the way.
Our government creates the conditions under which the automotive industry is nearly bankrupted; forks over a bunch of money to own the car companies. Then needs to do their own "incentive plans". It's presented as important legislation, and applauded by every lawmaker in Michigan.
As usual, there are some unintended consequences.
First, they previously created a great deal of pent up demand by sucking all the capital flow out of the markets, causing everybody to delay their next vehicle purchas another year.
Then, with this program, they cause 250,000 perfectly functional cars to be physically removed from the market. Who does this help? People who were looking for one more reason to buy a car now. Let's say their trade was worth $2000. They get 3500 for it instead. Okay, a net gain of 1500 dollars.
But guess what? Now there's $2000 car that won't go to auction, and won't be available for another buyer... perhaps a student leaving for his first semester away at school. His parents now have to pay an inflated rate. Since there are no $2000 cars (due to the government scrap program), They are forced to bid up the price of any available $2000 dollar cars.
So the government has very clearly picked a winner (new car buyer), and a loser (entry level used car buyer). For every "winner" the government picks, they have to pick losers.
Another winner: The new car dealer.
Another loser. The used car dealer. Remember, a lot of these guys WERE new car dealers until this year. Now they have to tie up more capital bidding up what few used cars actually make it to auction.
Who else wins? The vehicle manufacturers. Some car plants will run a few more weeks than they might have this fall.
Who else loses? The spare parts business - - all these decommissioned cars no longer available for scrap value.
Finally, I wonder if anyone keeps track of the resources and energy necessary to build a new car vs. the cost of the gasoline to drive the old one for another year.
I for one am very tired of the government picking winners and losers, because it eventually makes losers out of all of us.
Depressions and mass unemployment are not caused by the free market but by government interference in the economy. – Ludwig von Mises
The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem. – Milton Friedman
Let's examine the Cash for Clunkers program, shall we?
A billion dollars to "retire" 250,000 so-called clunkers. Another 2-3 billion on the way.
Our government creates the conditions under which the automotive industry is nearly bankrupted; forks over a bunch of money to own the car companies. Then needs to do their own "incentive plans". It's presented as important legislation, and applauded by every lawmaker in Michigan.
As usual, there are some unintended consequences.
First, they previously created a great deal of pent up demand by sucking all the capital flow out of the markets, causing everybody to delay their next vehicle purchas another year.
Then, with this program, they cause 250,000 perfectly functional cars to be physically removed from the market. Who does this help? People who were looking for one more reason to buy a car now. Let's say their trade was worth $2000. They get 3500 for it instead. Okay, a net gain of 1500 dollars.
But guess what? Now there's $2000 car that won't go to auction, and won't be available for another buyer... perhaps a student leaving for his first semester away at school. His parents now have to pay an inflated rate. Since there are no $2000 cars (due to the government scrap program), They are forced to bid up the price of any available $2000 dollar cars.
So the government has very clearly picked a winner (new car buyer), and a loser (entry level used car buyer). For every "winner" the government picks, they have to pick losers.
Another winner: The new car dealer.
Another loser. The used car dealer. Remember, a lot of these guys WERE new car dealers until this year. Now they have to tie up more capital bidding up what few used cars actually make it to auction.
Who else wins? The vehicle manufacturers. Some car plants will run a few more weeks than they might have this fall.
Who else loses? The spare parts business - - all these decommissioned cars no longer available for scrap value.
Finally, I wonder if anyone keeps track of the resources and energy necessary to build a new car vs. the cost of the gasoline to drive the old one for another year.
I for one am very tired of the government picking winners and losers, because it eventually makes losers out of all of us.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Happy Trails, Sarah Palin
So much success, and Alaska there is much good in store further down the road, but to reach it we must value and live the optimistic pioneering spirit that made this state proud and free, and we can resist enslavement to big central government that crushes hope and opportunity. Be wary of accepting government largess. It doesn't come free and often, accepting it takes away everything that is free, melting into Washington's powerful "care-taking" arms will just suck incentive to work hard and chart our own course right out of us, and that not only contributes to an unstable economy and dizzying national debt, but it does make us less free. -- Sarah Palin
I don't know what she's thinking, but she's getting a lot of advice on what to do next. Here's my suggestion to Sarah: Convince Alaskans to secede from the union, and run for President of the Independent Republic of Alaska.
I don't know what she's thinking, but she's getting a lot of advice on what to do next. Here's my suggestion to Sarah: Convince Alaskans to secede from the union, and run for President of the Independent Republic of Alaska.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
What's the Big Hurry? (reprise)
"This is what the debate in Congress is all about: whether we'll keep talking and tinkering and letting this problem fester as more families and businesses go under and more Americans lose their coverage; Or whether we'll seize this opportunity -- one we might not have again for generations -- and finally pass health insurance reform this year, in 2009." -- Barry H. Obama in his weekly radio and internet speech
"Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!" -- Admiral David Glasgow Farragut
I've noticed that Barry's always in a big hurry. It seems like every idea he comes up with is tagged with this high urgency. 2009 or bust. Hurry up and pass it.
In What's the Big Hurry , I pointed out that he exhorted people to vote before election day. It was clear that time would not work in his advantage, as more and more regular people (like Joe the Plumber) uncovered his true intentions.
So, he gets elected, and he needs to rush through a big spending package, take over the banks and car companies, slam the credit card issuers, cap the student loan paybacks, add a massive new energy tax and now take over 1/6th of our economy with Obamacare.
On this latter point, a CBO Report surfaced that shows how this plan will not work. Maybe it's time we read one of these bills.
Never mind the facts. Full speed ahead!
"Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!" -- Admiral David Glasgow Farragut
I've noticed that Barry's always in a big hurry. It seems like every idea he comes up with is tagged with this high urgency. 2009 or bust. Hurry up and pass it.
In What's the Big Hurry , I pointed out that he exhorted people to vote before election day. It was clear that time would not work in his advantage, as more and more regular people (like Joe the Plumber) uncovered his true intentions.
So, he gets elected, and he needs to rush through a big spending package, take over the banks and car companies, slam the credit card issuers, cap the student loan paybacks, add a massive new energy tax and now take over 1/6th of our economy with Obamacare.
On this latter point, a CBO Report surfaced that shows how this plan will not work. Maybe it's time we read one of these bills.
Never mind the facts. Full speed ahead!
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