What am I thankful for? The free market…
Why I personally like the free
market? Uh, duh.I love economic freedom!
Who doesn’t? It defines us Americans and
adds to the flavor of our culture. We’re an experiment in the making! Many
attempts to a free country and free market were tried but usually resulted in
people being concerned with things like income inequality while forgetting
their opportunities. Nothing brings a
country and its people out of poverty and increases their standard of living
across all income levels than a free-market. What about the role of government?
Of course government has a role! Of course there are plenty of things I appreciate that it does. Of course I appreciate how it protects my borders, provides me with plenty of free books, roads for me to drive on, bridges to help me cross the many waterways in the country, etc; Of course I appreciate that the government helps those in dire need with financial help, of whatever kind. I appreciate that. Knowing very well that my hard-earned tax dollars are going to a good cause eases my mind. This could only be achieved from a free market. No other way is it possible to provide for the poor or downtrodden than a free market….that could create such tax revenue. Taxing more may not be the answer. Maybe this is why Sweden has been ever-changing it’s economy since the 1990’s? Yeah! There are going from their Capitalist-hybrid-centrally planned economy into something with a lot less government involvement, an emphasis on lowering taxes and drastic spending cuts.
Of course government has a role! Of course there are plenty of things I appreciate that it does. Of course I appreciate how it protects my borders, provides me with plenty of free books, roads for me to drive on, bridges to help me cross the many waterways in the country, etc; Of course I appreciate that the government helps those in dire need with financial help, of whatever kind. I appreciate that. Knowing very well that my hard-earned tax dollars are going to a good cause eases my mind. This could only be achieved from a free market. No other way is it possible to provide for the poor or downtrodden than a free market….that could create such tax revenue. Taxing more may not be the answer. Maybe this is why Sweden has been ever-changing it’s economy since the 1990’s? Yeah! There are going from their Capitalist-hybrid-centrally planned economy into something with a lot less government involvement, an emphasis on lowering taxes and drastic spending cuts.
So, if you really care about the poor, the downtrodden, the
“lower” class citizens, then why note vote for officials that advocate and make
policies in this direction? Democrats and Republicans alike typically advocate
for an emphasis on the free market (what I mean deregulating certain sectors of
the economy or getting rid of subsidies, like the housing market!) but many
politicians are guilty of pushing for policies to help the poor, unbeknownst to
them their policies will have a negative effect on the poor… in the long run.
Good initiative but bad judgment. A lot of these “quick”
fixes make people worse off, though sometimes are beneficial to the country as
a whole. The new deal had many things that were great ideas…some not so much. Another story. Another time.
Which brings me into my next topic: what caused the
financial crisis. Or should I say government intervention crisis? Everyone
needs a home to live in. I’m pretty sure it’s a necessity for any species to
have some form of shelter. Animals
pretty much have choices that are based off of their surroundings but what
about people? We have choices, too. Sometimes, those choices may be dictated (you
heard me!) by policies introduced indirectly from various forms of government.
It couldn’t hurt to have the government help people out when
they need a house. I can see why. I wouldn’t want to live in an apartment
again…I can’t get an ounce of sleep with people and their obnoxious
obscenities! If my family was large I would probably have to move into a house
to at least have enough space. In fact, an amazing statistic of our country is that
our fellow citizens in the lowest income quintile actually have more living
space and amenities than middle class citizens of most other nations. Yes.
Not the best, but a good start compared to most other nations.
But what about a house? Should the government help people
get a house, or at least help them get loans for one? I think not. This is
where the government attempts to intervene a little too much, in my eyes. This
is especially true when politicians or government employees gave quotas to
certain large banks. Government sponsored banks, mind you.
Read up on the Community Reinvestment Act, Fannie Mae,
Freddie Mac, Barney Frank and how many politicians (of both parties, mind you)
are at fault for our current economic situation.
If it truly was a free market, the government would not have
intervened and by doing so, created an artificial housing bubble… I can’t think
of who is more evil. The people that invested into that market or those that
allowed it to happen. Note: this would have not happened in a free (er) market.
Nobody would have had the assurance of having their loans insured from the
federal government.
I care about people who are need, I just think the
government’s role should be minimal and temporary so it doesn’t suck any
resources from the private sector… See
what happened last time when the government stepped in, and got their little
hands dirty? What income level do you
think was hurt the most by the financial crisis? Certainly not the rich….
