Saturday, January 10, 2009

Atlas Shrugged... Fiction?

Wayne just forwarded me this article by Stephen Moore from the Wall Street Journal. I have been sharing many of his thoughts especially throughout these last few months of economic distress, but it was simultaneously affirming and terrifying to see them in print in a major publication. Ok, I'm off to hand out copies of Atlas shrugged door-to-door ;-)

Excerpt from the article:
"In the book, these relentless wealth redistributionists and their programs are disparaged as "the looters and their laws." Every new act of government futility and stupidity carries with it a benevolent-sounding title. These include the "Anti-Greed Act" to redistribute income (sounds like Charlie Rangel's promises soak-the-rich tax bill) and the "Equalization of Opportunity Act" to prevent people from starting more than one business (to give other people a chance). My personal favorite, the "Anti Dog-Eat-Dog Act," aims to restrict cut-throat competition between firms and thus slow the wave of business bankruptcies. Why didn't Hank Paulson think of that?

These acts and edicts sound farcical, yes, but no more so than the actual events in Washington, circa 2008. We already have been served up the $700 billion "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act" and the "Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act." Now that Barack Obama is in town, he will soon sign into law with great urgency the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan." This latest Hail Mary pass will increase the federal budget (which has already expanded by $1.5 trillion in eight years under George Bush) by an additional $1 trillion -- in roughly his first 100 days in office."

Read the whole thing. And forward it to your friends.

1 comment:

Brent said...

Gaia!! I've added you to my blog. Hoping you and Wayne are doing well, and I'm smiling to have found you sharing such interesting tidbits online!