Here we go again. The last five decades of government interference in the marketplace produced the1950s and 60s dollar devaluation, the1970s recessionary inflation, the1980s boom and bust, and today’s financial uncertainty, falling dollar, resulting inflation.
Political interference continues to be the problem—not the solution. The natural law of economics will eventually overrule political decree.
"The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to get the most feathers with the least hissing" ___Jean Baptiste Colbert
The Democrat Party of today wishes to pluck us with higher taxes to support massive government programs—supposedly at someone else’s expense. In doing so, purchasing power is transferred from the producing private sector to the consuming non-productive public sector. Meanwhile, today’s Republican Party has proceeded to pluck us with massive deficits and resulting depreciating currency. The goose realizes it is losing feathers. But does not know why. So come election time, the goose keeps running back and forth between big tax Democrats and big government Republicans, only to be plucked even more.
Federal funds are monies taken either through taxation from one citizen to benefit another, or through increasing the money supply and stealing from every citizen through inflation. Using government force to take money from one citizen to economically benefit another is thievery. When this happens, envy and looting replace the values of saving, hard work, and self-discipline. The federal government’s constitutional mandate is to protect us from an external threat and to insure equal administration of justice, not to perpetuate a spirit of envy and looting.
Not all Democrat and Republican politicians are guilty. Far too many, however, are. Federal deficits continue to escalate at an alarming rate. The U.S. money supply is expanding far faster than goods and services. Overseas money markets once again are flooded with U.S. dollars, dollars continuing to decrease in purchasing power. The more political interference, the more capital markets at home and abroad will oscillate between high expectation and sudden disappointment.
Where is our economy heading? Economists and financial analysts are akin to sages of old who based their predictions on reading chicken entrails. Everyone looks at the same facts and figures, then come up with different predictions. Chicken Little "the sky is falling"economists and media pundits warn of a coming deflationary collapse and depression. Other Chicken Littles warn of hyperinflation and economic chaos.
The sky is not falling—yet. It is not too late. Our economy is still strong. We cannot, however, maintain a free and prosperous America on secularism’s self indulgence and false promise of comfort without labor. Flying helicopters across the country and scattering bundles of dollars over shopping malls like bundles of hay will not solve social or economic ills. Nor will political parties and political candidates advocating sending each American $600—or $6,000.
A free and prosperous America can only be built and maintained on the Judeo-Christian values of saving, hard work, and self-discipline.
Yes, America’s economy is still strong. But will it remain so? There are questions. Shall we trust in political parties and their candidates to supply all our need? Or, will we trust in a living God to supply all our need? During good times or bad, where will we put our trust?
___________ Michael E. Odell
"Right is right, even if nobody does it. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong about it."
____ G. K. Chesterton
