Posted on 08/21/2012 10:32:30 AM PDT by mojito
Sometimes societies find themselves in pernicious cycles in which the perceived medicine seems worse than the known disease. The Roman satirist Juvenal lamented the ill effects of free food and free entertainment for the masses (“bread and circuses”) in part because he knew there was no remedy for the pathology in sight — and thus only a slow decline toward fiscal insolvency or riots were on the horizon. Any Roman emperor bold enough to rein in the Praetorian Guard, charge the mob for grain, and curb gladiatorial shows would earn a usurper marching on Rome from the provinces. So most did not.
[....]
We are currently mired in the slowest recovery from any recession in our modern history — and we face the same circular dilemma. A good argument could be made that President Obama’s gargantuan new health-care initiative, federal takeovers of businesses and failed subsidization of green industries, vastly expanded food stamps, unemployment insurance, and disability insurance, and “You didn’t build that business” boilerplate have ossified the private sector. Many businesses have plenty of cash, but their owners are terrified to risk much of it in hiring, buying, or expanding. This results in fewer jobs and slower growth — and again, in this squirrel cage of an economy, yet more need for entitlements.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
There's a reckoning coming, and we're due for one.
Fixed itl
Alway worth reading but I say VDH needs to flee California for E Texas. His outlook will markedly improve.
Always worth reading but I say VDH needs to flee California for E Texas. His outlook will markedly improve.
“AWD” Ping.
Oh, VDH would never say that the Republic of Texas is doomed. It just might be the savior of us all.
We’re done. Stick a fork in us.
WAD!
Agreed with your commentary—not Hanson’s. It’s not a “slowest recovery.” It’s an economic fall. We’re going through a correction for our own good and haven’t seen the best part, yet (the shedding of many regulations and highly paid, counterproductive activities). There will be smaller government.
American leaders of tomorrow have courage and ingenuity. Many will be surprised at the demographics that those leaders come from (humble for now). What we have now is a debt regime controlled by declining hard socialists on all sides, and they are gushing beside-the-point, dishonest hysteria and panic through the media.
You’ll notice that I don’t capitalize “savior,” and use it in a colloquial sense.
Living on a farm in central California watching your neighbors’ farms dry up and blow away to protect a two-inch Minnow a few hundred miles away will darken anyone’s spirit. Especially when the fish was not even helped.
Understood. I don’t judge VDH. I offer solutions, and we’d enthusiastically welcome him to Texas. He has the spirit.
We're waiting...
yep!
I stick by my tagline!
That was a great flippin article. I lost count of the home run lines.
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