The current argument that larger government impinges on rather than protects or advances individual liberties is a far cry from the ideas that fueled England’s Glorious Revolution and the American Revolution. It ignores the fact that the void created by smaller government is often not filled by “liberty.”
via Fixing Capitalism Means Taking Power Back From Business | Business | TIME.com.
Warren Buffett: “I’ve worked in an economy that rewards someone who saves the lives of others on a battlefield with a medal, rewards a great teacher with thank-you notes from parents, but rewards those who can detect the mispricing of securities with sums reaching into the billions.”
via Buffett Challenges McConnell, Republicans on Tax Policy | Swampland | TIME.com.
For a given country, do more people benefit from less free trade or more free trade. In other words, are most people better off overall if they are shielded from wage competition with countries who have very low pay structures and much lower standards of living? Or due more benefit from wide-open free trade?
Another way to look at this would be: are you better off making $40 an hour and paying more for goods/services produced locally, or better off making $20 an hour and buying cheap imported goods. I think it might just be the case that we’d be better off keeping our salaries and consumer dollars local, even with higher prices for goods/services.
via How Much are Workers to Blame for Income Inequality? – The Curious Capitalist – TIME.com.
let’s remember that capitalists without customers are out of business.
via Raise Taxes on Rich to Reward True Job Creators: Nick Hanauer – Bloomberg.
“Social Darwinism … allowed John D. Rockefeller, for example, to claim the fortune he accumulated through his giant Standard Oil Trust was “merely a survival of the fittest.” It was, he insisted “the working out of a law of nature and of God.”
Well that’s the last straw ! Take to the streets 
Peanut Butter Prices Are On The Rise – Video – KCRA Sacramento.
New rule: no military ventures without an “all veterans get a job” tax in place. This would make things simple: we all agree to be taxed more up front, or no military venture.
I think this is a much more appropriate way to honor veterans than flags and parades.
Honoring veterans – Editorials – MiamiHerald.com.
Put the elderly on ice? – CNN.com.
In a May article in The New Republic, Callahan (with co-author Sherwin B. Nuland) argues for a cease-fire in America’s “war against death,” calling on us to surrender gracefully; Americans thus “may die earlier than [is now common], but they will die better deaths.”
Short-term thinking is apparently a common theme in discussions at the Occupy Wall Street protests. See Jim Wallis’ article: ”It’s time to move from a narrowly defined shareholder economy to a stakeholder economy that includes workers, consumers, the environment , and future generations — all in our economic calculations and decision-making.”
Robert Reich THE SEVEN BIGGEST ECONOMIC LIES The President’s….
“Demagogues through history have known that big lies, repeated often enough, start being believed — unless they’re rebutted. These seven economic whoppers are just plain wrong. Make sure you know the truth – and spread it on.”
You’ve got the chairman of Merck taking home $17.9 million last year. This year Merck announces plans to boot 13,000 workers. The CEO of Bank of America takes in $10 million, and the bank announces it’s firing 30,000 workers.
Mr. Boehner said, “This administration’s insistence on raising taxes on job creators…” They aren’t creating any jobs, just stashing the profits. The response is ” we’re waiting for consumer demand.” Well there isn’t going to be any consumer demand until more people have jobs. Conclusion? Only government can kick free enterprise out of its stupor. Either by taxing those who have more than they need and finding ways to create jobs with it or using those revenues to create incentives for “job creators” to actually create some jobs. Everything I read says that taxes on the wealthy and corporations are much lower now than back in the 50s and 60s — even lower than the 90s when jobs were plentiful.
via Obama Vows Veto if Deficit Plan Has No Tax Increases – NYTimes.com.
Why do I keep seeing this nonsense about the government taking people’s money at the point of a gun? Our elected leaders put Social Security into place along with the income tax, etc etc. If you don’t like a law, get it voted out. If the majority want the law to stay, it stays. Otherwise buy your own island.
Far from being “worthless IOUs,” the investments held by the trust funds are backed by the full faith and credit of the U. S. Government. The government has always repaid Social Security, with interest. The special-issue securities are, therefore, just as safe as U.S. Savings Bonds or other financial instruments of the Federal government.
via Trust Fund FAQs.
The Entitlement State Is Morally Bankrupt – Forbes.
“…no system that treats you as other people’s servant can be called moral.” hmm, sounds pretty much like what Jesus taught.
Do Christians sometimes emphasize certain Biblical teachings and tend to ignore others? Well, yes we do. I need to do a word search but I’ll bet there are many more verses dealing with the need to be charitable towards the poor than verses discussing homosexual relations or divorce.
My current thinking on the whole “gay marriage” issue is that I will continue to vote my conscience and speak out about what the Bible has to say on the topic. Without God’s intervention it seems that the trend is towards legalizing it in more and more states. Perhaps Christians should come up with a new term…. ( to be continued )
Here is a link to the sets we’ve used over the past couple of years. Link
