Kill the Porkulus!
Posted on 02/06/2009 9:27:25 AM PST by AJKauf
The history of economic progress throughout the world provides irrefutable evidence that the economic well-being of ordinary citizens is closely correlated to the relative degree of freedom in markets and the relative lack of government planning and spending. To argue that government direction and allocation of resources will produce better results is to ignore history and the general understanding of how markets function.
Let us put aside why politicians and various intellectuals prefer to have government allocate these resources and otherwise try to direct our lives in intrusive ways. It should be obvious to all that, from an economic standpoint, the cost of government intervention in the marketplace always comes at too high a price.
Is it too much to hope, at this time, to prove Kipling wrong and stop this ill-advised and headlong rush into massive government spending programs before our “Fool’s bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire”?..
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
“Porkulus” is the term being bandied about.
The “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska was held up as an example of “pork”. But it didn’t make a patch on what is now being demanded and rushed into law.
By the way, the “bridge to nowhere” was not built.
“‘Economic Stimulus’ Is Essentially a Fraud”
*****************
But...everyone knows that...don’t they....they do don’t they???
THis is what I don’t understand about this bill to increase spending (as Obama put it).
Within the bill are items which, we as taxpayers, have been paying for since forever: example, planting grass, furnishing the White House, moving government offices from one building to another building.
THese things have been done over and over again.
What we really need now, is NOT a long list of things which we are going to pay for ANYWAY — but a list of things to get the economy moving - generate a demand for jobs, etc.
Do we not have any leaders who can tell the difference?
BTW, what happened to the count as far as how many times a thread has been viewed, and how many replies.
I really liked that feature and hate it if Jim has dropped it. Seems like he tried to drop this once before, and we members complained.
Can anyone enlighten me on this?
Of course, of course. The writer is correct. What he underestimates is the desire for power, which is stronger than the desire for material wealth. The elites in our society - the academics, the professional politicians, the attorneys, the media - have joined forces to gain power, and in the old-fashioned style of kings and tyrants, they can get what they want through coercion and force. The interesting twist on this in the United States is that the elites have to convince enough of the population to believe that the elites will share the loot with them. In the bargin, the population being served provides support and cover for the elites.
All this reminds of the brotherhood of thieves. As long as the loot is plentiful, and everyone shares common selfish goals, there’s no problem. When the loot runs out, though, that brotherhood evaporates and is replaced by brutality.
My only hope is that when this kind of scheme finally collapses, we’ll return to the ideals of limited government and individual liberty. We’ll see.
Unfortunately there are many on welfare and also huge numbers that work for the various branches of the government ... Which like it to expand. Distraction and misdirection works.
The opinion of government is the more government does in programs the better.
The Republicans should jump on that message TODAY! by telling the American public that...
"THIS IS THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE ON STEROIDS"
... 2 things(bridge to nowhere/steroids)the media loving masses are familiar with because the media repeated them at nauseum
...perhaps then the sheeple "might" actually get it.
(shame really that today's public obviously has to have pictures painted for them to understand...thank you television for creating a society of manipulated mush-minded morons).
To quote Pat from the comments on the Pajamas media ... blog ...
“Economic “stimulus” is not “essentially a fraud.” It is armed robbery.”
Sounds right to me.
Keynesianism (”stimulus”) gave us the U.S. Depression for a decade, and the Japanese the “lost” decade of the ‘90s.
Keynesianism “stimulus” fails every time it is tried.
You cannot steal from the private sector, burn huge fractions on public waste, and end up with more.
Permanent marginal income and capital gains tax cuts work every time they are tried. Examples abound.
I got flamed for condemning Keynes here. The ‘stimulus’ policy only kicks the can down the road. Now the can is full of cement. This is gonna hurt!
A Debt crisis (public and Private debt exceeding 3.5X National GDP) will not be corrected by more debt.
“In the end we’re all dead!”
There is one plain and simple truth about all economies and budgets: you CANNOT borrow your way out of debt!!!!!
It doesn't just kick the can down the road, because this is money that has to be borrowed from somewhere, this is massive debt being kicked down the road, at a cost several times more than the amount borrowed.
And to top it all off, it's all welfare spending, government workers, eg teachers, which is revenue negative.
This ONE trillion is going to cost the future taxpayrs about 20 trillion by the time it gets paid off (like the last 13 trillion got paid off? HA!)
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