Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Dear Forest,

Once again I find your mother’s wisdom applicable to our present day situation. I watched with horror this week the mob rule of London. Thousands had taken to the streets in a destructive rant that lay waste to entire neighborhoods. Commentaries from the thugs tried to place blame on government or “the rich” but I just couldn’t help thinking about their stupidity.

Here they are in a culture that will provide food, clothing and housing whether they labor or not and yet they feel deprived.  It then occurred to me it had nothing to do with their supposed poverty. Notice most of the looting took place at consumer electronic shops not grocery stores. Book stores were untouched.This brings me back to thinking about your mother’s wisdom as expressed in “stupid is as stupid does”. What we are witnessing is a culture of the stupid. Stupid people tend to make poor judgments. There’s a ton of literature on this in the field of Behavioral Economics (Thaler, Richard H. and Hersh M. Shefrin (1981). An Economic Theory of Self-Control, Journal of Political Economy.)   Research shows lack of self control and discipline may be a major factor in crime. Irrational behavior and poor choices cause poverty.  In fact, contrary to the common claim, we find that crime contributes to poverty, not the other way around.

Can it happen here? It can and it has. We have seen these mobs recently on the streets of Philadelphia and Milwaukee, the state capitals of Wisconsin (government union members) and New Jersey (teachers' union) and in the train stations of San Francisco. These aren't protests, they are mob rule by hooligans. They demonstrate the lack of culture, the group think of these individuals. A clear demonstration of individual stupidity. 

Hoping this finds you in good health and spirits.

Your friend,

Gene

Conservative Joins the Call for Shared Sacrifice

“Shared Sacrifice” has become the mantra of the Democratic Party. The talking points pages are filled with urges to Democrats to repeat the phrase over and over. Listen to any on the left for just a moment and I promise you’ll hear it. So let me, a libertarian Republican, agree. It’s time the share in the sacrifice.

There’s a huge difference between what I see as a shared sacrifice and what those on the left support. Democrats don’t really mean sharing. What Democrats have repeatedly done is go after the same tax payers time and time again. In today’s talking points memo it means “millionaires and billionaires, corporations and corporate jet owners. In truth they’re after anyone making over $200,000 a year not just millionaires. These are the same people that already pay, in my opinion, an unfair share of taxes.

I now call upon all citizens to share and sacrifice. I would include the majority of Americans who pay zero income taxes. That’s right; 51% of Americans pay no income tax. Isn’t it time all Americans shared this sacrifice? Isn’t it time for everyone to have some skin in the game?

Note to Parents and Grandparents: Thanks for Nothing

        It is not uncommon in these times of great financial uncertainty to hear talk of passing on a huge debt burden to our children and grand children.  What is not discussed is what our predecessors have done to us. We are the children and grand children. We are now left with the burden handed to us by our parents and grandparents.

        During the recent debt reduction negotiations our President repeatedly called for a balanced approach. Of course he was referring to adding tax increases to any proposal to slow the growth of government (in Washington slowing growth is referred to as a ‘cut’). He may be right. In order to shoulder the burden heaped upon us by previous generations we will all likely have to pay higher taxes.

        Rather than think about what we might be doing to future generations let us consider for a moment what has been done to us. Previous generations of voters have stuck it to us. The chickens are coming home to roost.