Health Care "Reform"--Obama's Smoot Hawley

Students of economics know that the Great Depression was not caused by stock market speculation or free market excesses it was caused by the severely protectionist legislation of the Hoover Administration manifested in the Smoot Hawley tariff. Hoover, despite objections from over 1,000 economists and hundreds of corporate executives, encouraged the lawmakers to pass the legislation. Smoot Hawley was a knee jerk response to a troubled U.S. economy, troubled in part because of economic policies put in place by Hoover.

In short Smoot Hawley was the wrong legislation for the wrong reason at exactly the wrong time.

Herbert Hoover was a brilliant and accomplished man. He studied geology and engineering at Stanford, worked in mining all over the world, was appointed by Wilson during WWI as U.S. Food Administrator, served as Commerce Secretary under Harding and Coolidge. He was so accomplished that according to Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man, prior to turning thirty, "the newspapers reported he was the best-paid man of his generation (29)."

He had a fine mind, but he his instincts were wrong on economic policy and he didn't listen to the experts. He was supremely confident in his abilities. He was described by novelist Sherwood Anderson as having the face of a man who "had never known failure." A dangerous dangerous confidence. The kind of confidence that pushes aside self doubt, that places too much value on oneself, the kind of confidence that is unable to walk away from the precipice.

And that kind of confidence caused the Great Depression, the greatest economic disaster in modern history.

Fast forward to health care "reform" in 2010. President Obama is no Hoover. For one thing he hasn't a single, tangible accomplishment to point to. He is not experienced in business, we know nothing of his education background, and rather than having a face that "had never known failure," his face reflects petulance, arrogance and a stubborn determination to get his way despite the limits of the Constitution and will of the American people. But even more disturbing, this president's policies will be disastrous. Deficit spending unrivaled by any president in our history. Tax rates scheduled to sky rocket in 2011 with already sustainably high unemployment and a moribund economy. A massive redistribution of wealth that will not only not create wealth, but will disable the private sector for a generation.

This Administration knows at the core their policies won't work. That is why they lie about them. They simply refuse to face the facts. Obama is convinced if he says so, it will be so. As misguided as Hoover's Smoot Hawley policy, as potentially devastating, is health care "reform" and every major policy Obama is championing.

Including cap-and-trade and immigration. These policies are wrong-headed. They will cause economic hardship on millions of Americans. But mostly, they are simply un-American.

Holden on Health Care, I'm Not Kidding

In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, old Holden Caulfied, after pulling one over on an elevator boy, and all, confesses, "It's funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to."

Old Holden may have had something there. I'm not kidding.

Enter the Democrats and their absolutely clear-as-a-bell health care bill. No really, just ask Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who explained to a crowd last night that the bill wasn't even mandatory. You knew that right? I mean that was clear to you and all, to quote my friend, Holden.

Let me help clarify. Obama tells us not to worry because we can keep our health care. He also tells us that abortion will not be part of the bill. Nancy Pelosi tells us if we don't comply with the bill we will go to jail. Then she tells us we have to pass the bill to find out what's in the bill. That woman kills me.

Bart Stupak won't vote for the bill with abortion funding in it, then votes for it. I hate when people do that. When they tell you they won't do something and then do it anyway, he gives me a royal pain.

The CBO tells us by spending about one trillion dollars we will actually reduce the deficit. I am not as smart as these Washington intellectuals, I'm just not, so I'll just take their word for it. Except I recently heard that the calculation was based on ten years of increased taxes and only about 7 years of "benefits." That depresses me it really does.

The president tells us 47 million Americans are uninsured, then he corrects it to 42 million then the number moves to 30 something million until we settle on 30 million and honestly I don't know what number they're using any more. He is lying like a madman, I am not kidding. But it doesn't really matter because we are adding coverage for everyone without any decline in service. I'll just take their word since it's way above my head and I am getting depressed just thinking about it.

I am one of those people that just can't keep track of all the details. I'm not smart like that. They got me so confused, I'm running in circles like a madman. I guess I am just going to do what they tell me. Or maybe I won't. These guys give me a pain.

I am not kidding.

They Just Don't Like Us, The Media Elite, I Mean

In high school, I had a gym teacher who didn't like me (imagine that) and whenever she would reprimand me for talking she would say, "I can always hear your voice above all the others." I don't have a particularly loud voice or even a distinguishable voice, but because she didn't like me she heard everything I said. She could pick my voice out of a crowd because I irritated her, I made her crazy. She once told me I was too happy, I am guessing she was a democrat...but I digress.

The First Amendment to the Constitution (you remember the Constitution even if the President and Congress don't) guarantees freedom of the press. So would someone please tell the press? Tell them they are free to pursue the truth, tell them they don't have to carry the water for Nancy Pelosi and Harry and Reid and Barry Soetoro or whatever name he goes by now...In fact, that is a good idea, why not tell them we would like to know a little more about the man who sits in the Oval Office and rejects our Constitution in pursuit of his leftist agenda.

In an Administration filled with scandal, starting with Tim Geithner's tax evasion and Safe Schools Czar, Kevin Jennings past promotion of homosexuality in schools--why not spelling and arithmetic, I wonder--to self-proclaimed communist Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones to Vice President (really?) Joe Biden who, when he isn't plagiarizing says the darnedest things: No Joe, it is not Vice Presidential to drop the F-bomb over the microphone. Or anywhere for that matter. Why is it then that all I could find yesterday on CNN was discussion over whether or not Head of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele should resign over a subordinate's expense reimbursement for a provocative and highly inappropriate outing?

Why? Because the media, like my high school gym teacher didn't like me, doesn't like Republicans. Especially black ones.

Don't get me wrong, I am not defending Michael Steele, I am arguing against a media that so is partisan, so invested in the Left's agenda, they have compromised our freedom.

The Founder's counted on a free press to keep government honest by keeping the people informed. Someone needs to tell the media it is not about who you like, it's about presenting the facts--on BOTH sides--and letting the people decide.