I just read this morning that anti-war Congresswoman Nancy Boyda, who walked out of a hearing that reported overwhelming success with the surge in Iraq, has now been appointed deputy assistant secretary of defense for manpower and personnel issues at the Pentagon. W.T.F. I’m kinda doubting that she’s willfully suspended her disbelief, yanno? Who’s next? A bin Laden as Terrorism Czar? A tax cheat heading up Treasury? Oh…wait. Thanks. I’ll stop now before I really get going.

I saw tons of people like that in corporate land, back ‘way back when. ‘Twas scary how people with zero common sense but lots of letters after their name were promoted time and time again…
.-= Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach´s last blog ..#1 way to make money online with CommentLuv longterm – Part 2 =-.

I have always felt that where I am is because of me, and not what someone else (gov) has done, or not done.
.-= Jim Gaudet´s last blog ..American Express and Chase reporting lower delinquencies and charge-offs =-.

Hi Cath – I don’t think you can teach someone to educate themselves on matters unless there is a vested interest in their doing so. The women who arrive at a church for a handout in designer jeans were willfully ignorant. In my opinion, there is no excuse for ignorance because you’re so comfortable it makes you intellectually lazy. I view these times as exciting because of the opportunities to innovate and create. Thank you.

Hi Kathy – Pete and I agreed that you went to town on this one! Where to begin, indeed! The sense that the government is making it up as it goes along has never been greater. When we have deposed gurus such as Greenspan admitting they don’t understand what went wrong, well, what more can you say except, “Thanks, Al! Glad you’ve still got the house and Andrea, and that you can still eat at Le Cirque!”

This all goes back to the need that politicians have to do “Something,” as I said above. Unfortunately, the megalomania appears to rule the day. One needs only to look at Pelosi and her latest manifestations of the “millionaire’s tax” to realize the elevator doesn’t go to the top floor. And health care legislation isn’t about Obama? Please. You’d think he’d listen to Hillary, who already tried that one. I’ve got a bridge that spans the River Hubris they all can bumble across after they pay me for it, with a history book on the other side. It is no secret that great leaders are students of history. Unfortunately with this crowd it seems we have a scant few, if any.

The only way one can circumvent forced competition with the government is to refuse to compete. We see the seeds of this refusal in the recent reversal of the dealership closures. Suddenly, when we wield the clue bat and threaten incumbents with job loss, we get action that repeals stupid intervention. All of a sudden eliminating Main Street jobs in car dealerships isn’t such a bright idea after all, especially when we’re hovering close to the 10% unemployment mark on a national basis.

I read yesterday that unemployment may reach 20% in Michigan, my home state. Currently it’s in the low teens. These numbers are misleadingly low, because they do not include the chronically unemployed who have left the search.

What is the answer to this? You know I’m going to say good old fashioned entrepreneurialism! I’ve been evangelizing it for years, as have you. Only when we work for ourselves are we truly free.

Turning to entrepreneurship would mean the former employee would have to assume greater risks and pay for health, life and disability insurance. What kind of independent health insurance benefit program would ensue if the self-employed would lobby effectively? Why hasn’t this been done? Oh….we’re too busy actually WORKING! Accepting nanny benefits from the state or our employers ensures we remain enslaved to the “other.” Thanks.

Hi Lori – You are right! Our personal sphere of influence and the interactions we make within that sphere will always provide the most meaning. Choose relationships over things, and close-knit circles over the masses. I believe that politicians in particular do not make this choice, narcissists preferring more grandeur as they do. This creates more distance or warping in their personal relationships. How else do we explain the bizarre behaviors of many? I can’t wait to see your next post on narcissism and how we can guard against the toxicity. Thanks.

I was one of those hapless college brats who majored in economics back in the 1980′s. I’ll admit, I learned a LOT more about business in the following 4 years of working in advertising than I did in the “hallowed ivy covered halls of learning.” However, I wouldn’t say those classes in economic theory were wasted – instead they were seeds that have flourished and grown over the years.

Unfortunately, I see the current “thinking” at the top as an overwhelming sense that “We the People” aren’t smart enough to find our asses with both hands. I’ve been watching with horror at some of the proposals that have come out of Washington lately and frankly there isn’t any news that doesn’t frighten me.

I’m feeling like Will Ferrell’s character Mugatu in Zoolander where he screams, “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!!!” His outburst was over how Ben Stiller’s singular facial expression was being defined as several different “signature” looks… while mine is outrage over the proposed “fixes” the government has in store for problems that are best worked out in a free market.

Anyone who wants a history lesson AND a lesson in how “top down” management of the economy doesn’t work just needs to study Johnson’s handling of the economy back in the 1960′s. Am I the only one who studied and wrote papers on the phenomenon known as STAGFLATION?
Stagflation was the result of “top down” management style that gave us the unheard of phenomenon of high inflation AND high unemployment. (Prior to the 1970′s – when STAGFLATION occurred – you chose your poison – either high inflation OR high unemployment. Suddenly, thanks to excessive government intervention – we got BOTH!)

Of course, the American Economy is like a huge ocean liner – it’s so large that it doesn’t turn on a dime. The economic policies enacted by Johnson didn’t make their full impact until Nixon’s presidency. Policies enacted by Ronald Reagan didn’t gain full “steam” until late in Bush I’s presidency. It’s like a there’s a huge delay button on the actions of the government in the economy – the changes we make today don’t take effect until several months – even quarters – down the road.

In other words, we’re currently reaping seeds we’ve previously sown. Seeing some of the seeds our current “country’s management team” are planting scares me to death. Government control of the financial sector?

Read the definition for “government” at the economist.com!! In there, is the phrase: “Since the 1950s, there has been growing evidence that government intervention can also be flawed, and can often impose even greater costs on an economy than market failure.”

HELLO!?!?! Can our current mangement team not read a basic definition at a free website?

We know what happens when we stick tab A in slot B? We’ve tried this stuff before – although we’ve never allowed the government to actually BUY stock in a poorly run business.

BTW – There’s already a “real” crisis around the securities issued to banks as a result of the “bail out”. How do the banks repay this money? OOPS!! We don’t know. Jim Cramer of Mad Money is advocating selling them like T-bills in the open market… but this means the government is becoming a business – a competitor!!! ACK!!!

Sorry to go on and on. This is why my family won’t allow me to watch television anymore!!!
.-= Kathy | Virtual Impax´s last blog ..Social Media: It’s a Moral Imperative =-.

It’s shocking to hear about the type of people Patricia describes. Hopefully this will have taught them to educate themselves a bit better in things that truly matter.

Somehow we forgot this, or we were distracted, more likely, by the glitter that those at the top have held before us like a carrot.

Without us, they – the self-proclaimed monarchy – are nothing. Many of them would not know how to pump their own gas, for instance (I’m laughing to myself as I remember Oprah trying to figure out how to put gas in her car when she and Gayle did that special a couple of years ago!)

It’s kind of a John Galt thing, but we don’t all need to run away to make it happen. We can just start making it happen, right here, right now.

Rebuild, and make those at the top redundant. If they want to offshore our manufacturing, then we go smaller scale. Provide better quality products and impossibly great service that cannot be done in a factory far away.

We have so many opportunities if we only open our eyes.
.-= Brett Legree´s last blog ..the rocking chair. =-.