How Employment and Economic Growth are Hindered by Politics

America, meanwhile, is settling down to a presidential election. On the one hand is a candidate who seems to have no firm convictions and no real ideas about how to move the country out of its post-crisis funk. On the other hand, is…well…the same thing.

As usual, the candidates are disappointing. But politics is a tawdry profession that invites hustlers and hollow men. No matter what kind of system you think you have, it is always the same. It is always dominated by the same fellow — grasping, status-hungry, ambitious… He is a world improver…a bully…a scold…a power-broker… He is a fixer…and a user. He uses the power of the government — that is, the power to force people to do what you want, at the point of a gun if necessary — to fix himself, his friends, and, he often believes, the entire world. At best, the politician is a conniving opportunist. At worst, he’s a madman or a mass-murderer.

Bill Bonner has some thoughts on the candidates, politics and the economy.

The Receding Tide

The Soviet Union had an admirable constitution, and paid no attention to it. America heads rapidly in the same direction. 

In America, the Constitution is largely and increasingly ignored by the government. Constitutionally the three branches of government are co-equal, but in practice the Supreme Court is of little consequence and Congress is the action arm of a corporate oligarchy. Constitutionally Congress must declare war, but now the president sends combat troops wherever he pleases and Congress reads about it in the Washington Post. The president can order citizens murdered, ignore habeas corpus, monitor and store email. The government can search you at will with no pretense of probable cause. Third World.

Fred Reed compares corruption in the US to Third World countries and notices more than a few alarming similarities - the US is just better at hiding it from the citizens.

...We had the pleasure yesterday of doing a gig with the remarkable Marshall Tucker, now in his 89th year.  It was an ice cream "sociable" at a high rise senior residence in our town.

   Marshall has been blind all his life but has never let it slow him down very much.  If the name sounds familiar it's because a rock band some years ago came across his calling card on a piano he had just tuned in Spartanburg, SC. Thereupon they called themselves "The Marshall Tucker Band," and the rest - as they say - is history.  

   Using a little hand-held linear PCM device we recorded Marshal singing "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" to his own accompaniment.  He later complained of having a raspy throat. . .but we thought he sounded fantastic.  You can hear the recording here.  

We have noticed a few loyal followers are still checking this pitifully maintained blog and we are preparing to resurface to vent our frustrations with the political establishment. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this rendition of a very special recording brought to us by wrisley.com

Different or Same Old Same Old?

What if both parties just want power and are willing to have young people fight meaningless wars in order to enhance that power? What if both parties continue to fight the war on drugs just to give bureaucrats and cops bigger budgets and more jobs? 

What if government policies didn't change when government's leaders did? What if no matter who won an election, government stayed the same? What if government was really a revolving door of political hacks, bent on exploiting the people while they're in charge?
What if both parties supported welfare, war, debt, bailouts and big government? What if the rhetoric that candidates displayed on the campaign trail was dumped after electoral victory?

Which of the Republican candidates will stand for freedom and oppose big government after the election? Who? If you did not not say Ron Paul, you should reconsider the questions posed by Andrew Napolitano.