We live in an amazing time of American History. Our challenges are large and the time for solving these problems is running out.
“When you find yourself in debt, stop spending,” may become the battle cry of the young. Most jobs created this year are part time, average family income is falling and companies are not hiring; it may, indeed, be a time to stop “investing” in government.
Our most important issue is the economy. Our first step must involve growing a worthwhile job market. Once people are working and able to support their families, we can get back to the pressing social issues and their resolution.
When President Barack Obama took office there was a financial crisis and the new president’s solutions revolved around the same failed Keynesian theories used by former President Carter. The new president urged government “investing” huge sums of money, increasing taxes and demanding the wealthy pay their fair share. Many noticed these were the same prescriptions which doomed the American economy under President Jimmy Carter.
Two major financial crises faced by presidents occurred by following ideas championed by John M. Keynes and his The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money. I would argue the ideas presented by Mr. Keynes have twice proven to be ineffective in saving an economy. Big government, deficit spending and central planning are proven failures which can only be defended by those whose professional careers are tied to these failed ideas.
Having tasted failure, it is time to try a proven method which would involve getting the Government out of our faces. We don’t need more regulation, we don’t need higher taxes and we don’t need the government picking winners and losers.
If you are paying more than 40% of your income to taxes, you are not free, you are an employee of the government. Government permission to open a small business taking more than 30 days means you are not free, you are a captive of a nanny state. If the government can close down a child’s lemonade stand for lack of a license, you are not free, you are hostage to an out of control government. If the argument is to protect the poor and middle class, who always suffer the most from these policies, are we to conclude incompetence or intent?
Our economic malaise can be fixed within two years. Cut the Federal Budget, reduce Federal Taxes, roll back EPA regulations to 1-1-2000, Roll back bureaucratic regulations enacted since 1-1-2000, and offer a two-year amnesty on all corporate funds in offshore accounts.
We risk losing an entire generation of American kids who are saddled with huge college costs and reduced opportunities for any but part-time jobs. The poor are being seduced with government programs which will prevent them the opportunities of success. We are in a spending hole, shouldn't we try something different?
