Posts tagged economics
Paul Krugman schooled by Spanish “Austrian” Economist Pedro Schwartz
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The debate between Austrian and Keynesian economic thought is one of the most important, interesting and yet largely ignored or unknown debates of our time.
To be brief, “Keynesian” economists believe that human beings are smart enough to manage an infinitely complex society, bailouts should be given to the businesses they view as valuable, and governments should be able to spend unlimited sums of money/debt on whatever the government decides.
“It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking.” ― Ron Paul
If you’re unfamiliar with the topic or enjoy seeing Keynesians get debunked in public the below video featuring Spanish “Austrian” economist Pedro Schwartz is pure gold.
Complete video here, in a mix of English and Spanish. Start around 1:00 for a good English section with back and forth dialogue between the speakers.
As a final goodie, check out this video of Senior Fellow at The Ludwig von Mises Institute, Mark Thornton outlining the incredible foresight, value and power of Austrian economics vs. the over-promising, under-delivering, fantasy of Keynesian thought.
Tony Robbins dishes on bailouts and printing money
0Robbins is an incredibly insightful and intelligent man. His logic processes and creative techniques for cognition, leadership and communication are absolutely remarkable. I did a 10-Day “Creating Lasting Change” course and found it extremely beneficial.
His thoughts on the economy are valuable. If the tough times come, they will be to our benefit and to cleanse us.
What if Democracy is bunk?
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By the brilliant Judge Napolitano via WND.com
What if you are only allowed to vote because it doesn’t make a difference? What if no matter how you vote, the elites get to have it their way? What if “one person, one vote” is just a fiction created by the government to induce your compliance? What if democracy is dangerous to personal freedom? What if democracy erodes the people’s understanding of natural rights and the foundations of government, and instead turns elections into beauty contests?
What if democracy allows the government to do anything it wants, as long as more people bother to show up at the voting booth to support it than to oppose it? What if the purpose of democracy is to convince people that they could prosper not through the creation of wealth but through theft from others? What if the only moral way to acquire wealth – aside from inheritance – is through voluntary economic activity? What if the government persuaded you that you could acquire wealth through political activity? What if economic activity included all the productive and peaceful things we do? What if political activity included all the parasitical and destructive things the government does?
What if governments were originally established to protect people’s freedom, but always turn into political and imperialist enterprises that seek to expand their power, increase their territory and heighten their control of the population? What if the idea that we need a government to take care of us is actually a fiction? What if our strength as individuals and durability as a culture are contingent not on the strength of the government but on the amount of freedom we have from the government?
What if we’re seeing civil unrest around the world precisely because government is out of control? What if the cocktail of big government and democracy brings dependence and destruction? What if big government destroys people’s motivations and democracy convinces them that the only motivation they need is to vote and go along with whatever the government does?
What if the Republican primaries we’re seeing unfold aren’t actually as democratic as they may appear to be? What if the results you have seen from the states that have voted thus far don’t match the composition of the delegates those states send to the Tampa convention this summer because the polls aren’t what counts, but what counts are the secret meetings that come after the voting? What if Joe Stalin was right when he said the most powerful person in the world is the guy who counts the votes?
What if the greatest tyrant in history lives among us? What if that tyrant always gets its way, no matter what the laws are or what the Constitution says? What if that tyrant is the majority of voters? What if the tyranny of the majority in a democracy recognizes no limits on its power?
What if the government misinforms voters so as to justify anything the government wants to do? What if the government bribes people with the money it prints? What if it gives entitlements to the poor, tax breaks to the middle class and bailouts to the rich just to keep all of us dependent upon it? What if a vibrant republic requires not just the democratic process of voting, but also informed and engaged voters who understand first principles of limited government and free-market economics, and the divine origin of natural rights?
What if we could free ourselves from the yoke of big government through a campaign of education and information and personal courage that leads to a revolutionary return to first principles? What if the establishment doesn’t want this? What if the government remains the same no matter who wins elections?
What if because of Ron Paul’s presidential campaign, because he isn’t campaigning just for votes as his competition is, because he is educating the population and winning the hearts and minds of a once free people and inspiring them to fight for their freedom once more, freedom wins? What if we can be free again? What will it take to make that happen?
Rick Santorum: adorable hypocrite
1Some facts: 1) Santorum voted to double the size/funding for the Department of Education. 2) Voted to expand medicare. 3) Voted for increased foreign aid that we cannot afford.
He’s also painfully un-hip on economics, does not grasp the free market and is in favor of bailouts: “Some quantitative easing (bailouts) made sense.” (see video).
To top it off he’s a meddling do-gooder who thinks that good behavior and morality are the result of good laws, not inspiration from God, strong character or even will power: “Individuals can’t go it alone. There is no society that I’m aware of where we have had radical individualism and succeeds as a culture.” (again, in the vid).
One candidate has true differentiation. One candidate understands our economy and has an amazing track record of predicting the future of the world, one candidate has the most support from the troops because he understand’s the primary drivers of terrorism and is a veteran himself.
I rest my case, for the day.
Free-market government?
1Ask any “conservative” what they think about the free market and you are guaranteed a passionate, powerful and precise speech about its advantages; perhaps along with some crying, devotional poetry and acoustic guitar playing.
But ask that same “average conservative” man or woman what they think about anarchy and you’re going to see the clouds gather above them and lighting strike from their eyeballs as they attempt to exorcise these chaotic demons of anarchy from you by extreme measures.
How do we reconcile these two thought patterns? Conservatives want (read: worship) competition in business, but abhor it entirely in government.
“Waaait a minute, Jack—I hate anarchy not competition! Competition ensures that monopolies don’t take hold and prevent the government from picking winners and losers! It’s the pinnacle of a free society!!!”
Oh really John Q. Public? Then why do you give the government a monopoly on the use of force, taxation and law enforcement? Has our government been a purified stalwart of freedom, justice and equality or have they been proven to be woefully corrupt, prone to selling out legislative favors to the highest bidders and even when caught red-handed in major crimes, constantly use their monopolies to protect themselves from criminal prosecution?
Given that the heartfelt reaction to this idea is “What about the poor people? Do you hate them too?!” No, I love them—and you too–let’s look at what would happen to poor people (and a handful of other classic government services) in a free society and how this truly free society without government monopolies on force would easily replace ineffective government services, drastically lower costs to society and provide a much higher quality of service. Check out the below vid from youtuber AnCapChase for a fascinating presentation on this:
Exceptional presentation by Peter Schiff
0I’ve seen a pile of Schiff vids (if you haven’t seen it, “Peter Schiff was right” is a must-see) and this is the the best from start to finish that I’ve seen.
With power, clarity and clever, entertaining insights Schiff details why Americans enjoyed incredible success during the late 19th and early 20th centuries but is now in a very difficult situation.
His biggest home run in the video is him accurately calling the real estate bubble’s coming explosion…in 2006!
Did I really just interview G. Edward Griffin?
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Are you pissed off about the bailouts?
Feeling the sting of inflation and higher gas, food and energy prices?
These are the tough questions that need to be addressed now so we can find the authentic answers and the empowering solutions that will free us as a people from the clutches of “the powers that be” in our world today.
From the conspiratorial history of The Federal Reserve, to strange reality of chemtrails, to population control measures in society and so much more we cross a galaxy of important issues for our time and our prosperity as a people.
If you think politics is boring, annoying, or a waste of time, and you’d rather be fishing, drinking a beer, smoking a joint or some other short term joy I am called to implore you to examine your surroundings, your economy, and your world to confront the difficult issues and decide for yourself if there are threats to these pleasures you cherish.
Are you a fighter? Look at your knuckles, do they have scars? Are you proud of them? Now is the time for men with strong hands and hot hearts. Now is the time for brave women with fire in their eyes and fierce love in their chests.
Do you think life is getting more or less difficult for most people? Is it more or less difficult for you?
The chances are it’s getting harder, more frustrating, and more challenging by the minute with the walls of our injured society drawing closer.
So, do you plan on doing something about it? Will you sacrifice your children to the beasts growing in the wilderness beyond your sight? Or will you fight, arm yourself with knowledge and seek guidance?
This is a major focus of Mr. Griffin and myself. How can we affect change and bring about a better future for ourselves and our loved ones? What can be done to stop the madness we see around ourselves?!
No matter your proposed solution, take action! Start a blog or a twitter account, goto a protest, shake a hand, be a voice, stand tall, look the devil in the eye and don’t blink when he smolders and sneers at you in all of his wicked glory. Be empowered. Be brave. Pray your knees off and stay diligently focused on God’s will and do spend every drop of sweat you have in your heart to co-create a better future for mankind.
It’s a honor to bring this information to you and a I treasure every reader of this blog. If you find the information valuable please spread it to you social networks, mailing lists and word of mouth to your friends. We have a fight on our hands; God-willing we will win. God-willing we will prosper and thrive in the coming days of change, the coming days of glory.