An Economy Built On Waste

-- by Micheal

It was not AIG or Fannie Mae that were "too big", such that their failure would bring down the economy. It was our Waste Game consumerism. Wasteful consumerism failed this past winter and, sure enough, it caused the global economy to tank. Intentional waste employed millions (millions,) of people. Without that waste, our economy collapsed.

Waste was the great and grand engine that drove our entire national boom and bubble economy. Consume consume consume. Don't save. Waste. Buy more. That's what keeps people employed. In fact, people NOT spending wastefully on stuff they didn't need, is blamed for delaying the recovery. Naughty un-american savers. Waste! Spend!

A perfect example of the Waste Doctrine was the "Cash for Clunkers" program. The government bribed people into wasting resources (destroyed cars with years of service remaining) to boost the auto industry. People were paid to waste. Sure, that minivan might have another 100,000 miles in it, but destroy it now!. Buy a new one. It will save American jobs. Intentional waste -- a perfect vignette of our Waste Doctrine economy.

Imagine if such "clunkers" programs were applied to the surplus in the housing market. Burn a million older homes in order to 'encourage' people to buy up those empty new ones. It will create jobs. Shred half your wardrobe. Buy new clothes. Garment workers need you too.

This isn't increased productivity. It isn't even supplying "demand." Sustainable demand must have a foundation in need, not whim. Whims evaporate quickly.

This became abundantly clear when fear (of pay cuts and job loss, etc.) prompted Americans to stop playing the Stupid Consumer Waste Game and save some money for an anticipated rainy day. The old car still ran fine, so put off buying a new one. The old toaster still toasted. Why buy a new one? The TV seemed big enough last year (and was only a year old), so why buy a newer bigger one?

Late last year, American consumers temporarily stopped playing the Waste Game and our economy collapsed. It wasn't Lehman Brothers that "failed". It was the mindless american consumer who failed to keep consuming mindlessly. Now that economic indicators are sounding better, the pundits and government trumpets are trying to encourage us to play the game again. Waste, spend, waste, buy.

If we learned nothing from the "Great Recession", we will be back playing the Waste Game and the Recovery will be quick. If we've learned prudence and caution, the Recovery will long and slow.

The question going forward: Do we really want an economy that depends on stupidity?

“I’m baaaack”. After what had to be medically the most horrendous year of my life, the funeral parlor has been taken off speed dial and all canes have been broken in half and thrown in the trash. Now is the time for “A conservative take on life, politics and more” as stated in IMHO’s headline banner.

Ron's ruminations

By Ron Dupuis

“Obama lied, Otis died”.: At a joint session of Congress last week President Obama in an effort to bolster his case for the thousand page health care bill (which no member of Congress has read by the way) spoke of Otis Raddatz who died as a result of being un-ceremoniously dropped from his health insurance plan because of a paper work snafu concerning a prior medical condition. The facts are Mr. Raddatz was dropped from his insurer, re-instated through the efforts of the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and continued his treatment for another four years. The old Communist manifesto comes into play here. “The end justifies the means”. Liberals will say and do anything to achieve their “end.”.

Déjà vu all over again; Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For me, the years have not diminished the memories of chasing the Viet Cong through the jungle right up to the border of Cambodia where we were not allowed to cross. There they would reorganize, regroup, and plan a strategy for their next operation against us.

Currently our young hero’s in the military are fighting a war where the enemy engages them in a conflict causing as much chaos and loss of life as possible, then slips into safe regions of Pakistan where the American military are not allowed to go. There our enemy reorganize, regroup, and plan a strategy for their next operation against us.
This is not only absolute insanity; it has caused me to rethink my position on the war.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and crazy Dan White. Many conservatives think that Speaker Pelosi’s recent comments concerning violence of the seventies is an accusation directed toward tea baggers and town hall forum participant who speak out against President Obama’s ten thousand page health care plan. Nothing could be further from the truth. The violence Speaker “Botox” is referring too was committed by crazy Dan White, a liberal Democrat San Francisco Supervisor who decided he new better than other duly elected officials as to how the city should be run. Speaker “Botox” is slyly creating a defense for the violence that has been, and will continue, against anyone and everyone of the “domestic terrorist” who speak out against President Obama’s policies.

President Jimmy “You’re a racist” Carter. According to President Carter, opposition to President Obama’s ten thousand page (which no member of Congress has read) health care plan is racially motivated. This is coming from a President who gave away the Panama Canal, had mortgage rates at 20% because of his failed economic policies, and concocted a botched rescue mission in Iran to caused the death of American military hero’s .
Will somebody please check this feeble octogenarian for dementia?

Health care and income tax

By Ron Dupuis

"One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it.”
Ronald Reagan, 1961 before ever running for office

Senator "Teddy" Kennedy and the liberal left wing of the Democratic party have been trying to pass some sort of socialized medicine program for half a century. For over half a century the American people have rejected it. Now the torch has been passed to President Obama, Senator Harry Reid, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The problem is that the American public who question such a program have been labeled "domestic terrorist" by the current administration. There are two points here worth mentioning. One is that President Obama, Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi have a complete disdain for anyone who has the temerity to oppose them and their programs. The second is the Ronald Reagan was right way back in 1961.
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New Hampshire Rumors
State Representative Susan Almy (D) Chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, along with Speaker Terie Norelli have organized a secret summit to consider changes in the State tax laws. Conclusion; there WILL be an income tax proposel in the next legislative session. You can take that to the bank. The question is whether Gov. Lynch will veto it. Stay tuned.