Tag Archives: Thomas Sowell

A One Party System

Posted by Tim on

The tyranny of political correctness is perhaps one of the biggest contributing factors to the lack of real progress for anything being done in Washington with regards to touchy issues. Not only are politicians afraid to use language that would actually describe our current situation, but by doing so they deprive low information voters (a Limbaugh term, I know) of the knowledge of just how bad things are. That same political correctness is what prevents the American people from calling our their government for what they really are – frauds.

Just recently, it has been reported that Congress, both democrats and republicans, have been working on getting themselves exempted from the rules of Obamacare. Not just members of Congress themselves, but also high ranking officials, as well as Congressional assistants. While these actions seem to prove that not only were opponents of the bill right from the beginning, that Obamacare is a train wreck, and that even democrat politicians who voted for it now agree; these actions should leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth.

When the government exempts itself from a law that most Americans still hate (and that number is growing), it says to the American people, “There are different laws for you than there are for us.” These actions show that politicians are not looking out for you, your tax dollar, or the economy. Their main objective is keeping themselves safe, regardless of whether it is morally right, or best for the country. The politicians serving in Washington DC today are not statesmen.

sowellEconomist Thomas Sowell once said, “No one will really understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems – of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind.” It is time to recognize this and throw crummy politicians our of office, and especially out of powerful positions – Speaker of the House, for instance.

While John Boehner has been trying to exempt himself from Obamacare, he still signed a budget that provided funding for it. The way to destroy Obamacare is simple – Congress has the power to defund it. John Boehner, however, is a spineless wimp, who is not concerned with doing that. He is the classic example of a Washington establishment politician, looking out for his own re-election, making sure his friends get what they want, screwing the country to get what he wants. Who could blame him. The Speaker’s salary is $223,500 a year.

I’m not into class warfare, but I feel like there is something truly wrong when a Congressman makes $174,000 a year, but the median income is $52,000, meanwhile there are completely different sets of rules for government and private citizens. What is illegal for one is perfectly fine for the other. Take for instance, pollution. While democrats have been screaming about the negative effects of an iron mine in northern Wisconsin, recently the city of Milwaukee dumped 2.1 billion gallons of untreated sewage into Lake Michigan. That is more than the BP oil spill! One thing, pollution, would be illegal for a citizen to do (yes, you can get a ticket for urinating in a lake), but its perfectly fine for the government to do. Double standard?

I really wish people would take the time to read and understand the Constitution. The Constitution was set in place for be rules for the government, not rules for the people. The Bill of Rights said to the government, “These are things you can’t touch!”. The Constitition laid out the jobs for various parts of government and said, “This is you job! Do it!”. But every year government ignores the rules we have for them, and what do we do about it? While the Congressional approval rating is at 10%, America re-elects 90% of Congress.

Politcal correctness and the insider rules for DC have crippled the voice of the American people. “Never attack your own party.” What is that garbage? No matter the party, if a politician does something wrong, we need to call them out for it. And if we need to replace them, we shouldn’t be afraid to do so. If that means removing John Boehner from office, so be it. And yes – if that means removing Paul Ryan from office, so be it. I hate to break it to you Wisconsinites, but Paul Ryan is a big government, big tax, big spending fraud. Look at his voting record – it tells a very different story than his rhetoric.

The Republican party does not stand in the way of government tyranny. Either the party must drastically change or we are left with a de facto one party system. The American people have two options – vote for more government, or vote for more government. I for one, will vote to change the Republican party, eliminating RINOs who raise taxes and grow their own power, and replacing them with people who actually share the values I have as a voter; smaller government, more liberty, less spending, lower taxes. And if my options are limited to either more government or more government, then I’ll either sit out or…. (wait for it…) go third party.

Get Rid of the Debt

Posted by Tim on

Well, I’m just about healed up at this point. My cold or flu or whatever I had is pretty much gone, and the only symptom that remains is a sore throat. Don’t let it fool you though, its pretty painful every time I swallow. Hopefully it’ll go away soon enough. If it doesn’t I’ll schedule an appointment with my doc and have him check for strep. In the meantime I’ll just take it easy, drink some warm tea, some honey, and maybe take “a little something” for the pain. I’ll write a bit too. It makes no sense to go back to sleep at this point, so I’ll just kill some time by writing.

As I’ve mentioned before, I work with a very diverse group of people. Liberals, conservatives, Christians, atheists; there’s even a gay guy. I was talking with one of the liberal atheists once and he seemed pretty confident that he knew how to solve all the problems in the world. In his mind, if he were president, he would just flip a switch and turn off all the power in the world – thereby erasing any and all debt from anyone’s record.

Now, there are a number of problems with this. First off, I should mention that this person is in there 50s, so I’m not sure they understand exactly how computers work. Just because you turn my computer off doesn’t mean that you’d erase it’s memory or clear it’s hard drive. Even if it was that simple, most businesses have some form of backup power. In the event of a blackout generators will kick on and keep everything working.

The other thing I don’t think he understands is that the president doesn’t have the power to turn off an entire country’s electricity, much less the world’s electricity. The constitution doesn’t allow for it. Not only does the president not have the power, but neither does any other branch of government. Thank God we live in a republic and not a despotat. I suppose the EPA could try to work something out, but they’d be taken to court before anything actually happened. Sorry – the president can’t do what you’d like him to do.

But let’s put all of that aside. Let’s pretend that the president somehow managed to wipe all the records of debt away; not just in America, but around the world. Well, I’m a little concerned.

I asked my friend, “So, if I’m no longer in debt to someone who loaned me $1000, then isn’t he screwed because I no longer owe him the money?”
He answered, “No, because he’s no longer in debt to someone else for that $1000. So it evens out.”

As always, there’s a huge fallacy at place hear. I’ve talked about the “zero-sum fallacy” before, and you can read up on it in Economic Facts and Fallacies by Thomas Sowell. Some people believe that there is one set amount of money in the world, and that one person can only get richer if someone else gets poorer. If this is the case, then one person can only be in debt if someone else is in debt the same amount. Well, fortunately that’s not the case.

The whole premise that one person who is in debt to someone else, and that that person is in debt the same amount to another person… oh jeez. Where do I begin? Life doesn’t work that way. If I loan someone $1000, that doesn’t mean that I took out a loan from someone else to get it. In fact, I don’t know why this would ever be the case. Therefore, wiping the record clean would in effect cost me $1000! I get screwed.

This friend is a great guy. He’s generous, funny, and caring. But he’s also a little shortsighted. Economics is such a fun area of study because you keep asking, “and then what?” My friend may equate any debt with debt from a bank, but there are people who give out personal loans as well. I know, banks are evil, but what about me? What about the little guy who gets screwed over? What about the people who live within their means who now have to take the brunt of the hurt from “magically erasing all the debt”.

This is the problem with many liberal policies. In order to “help” one person, they hurt someone else. It doesn’t have to be that way, and it shouldn’t. One responsible individual shouldn’t be forced to subsidize someone else’s irresponsible behavior. And like I said before – and then what? Because the debt is wiped clean, do you think that there will never be debt again? No, of course not. In fact, by wiping the debt clean you’re encouraging people to live in debt, because they’ll plan on it “just being erased” again. It’s a basic law of economics – what you subsidize you get more of. In this case, you’re subsidizing irresponsible behavior, and soon enough, you’ll get more of it.

I didn’t get mad at my friend. I knew from the get-go that he was a liberal who doesn’t think things through or pay attention to reality. But I did question his beliefs, and in my mind I tested how this would work out. Knowing a bit about the nature of humans and the laws of economics helps predict almost anything. Now, if only the politicians knew that. Maybe I should run for office…

Becoming a Human Library

Posted by Tim on

The weather sucks today. Not today, but the day I’m writing this. That means that tonight I’m staying inside. It’s cold and snowing outside. I don’t exactly want to drive anywhere. Not that I couldn’t if I wanted to – 4 wheel drive is a God-send. But I’ll just settle down for a night. Turn on the record player, burn a little incense, and write. Luckily I have a handful of blog ideas, so I can get a bunch of posts out of the way while I have the night off.

Earlier today my work took me to Barnes and Noble. Don’t ask why, but I had the opportunity to get paid to book shop (sort of). So while I was at B&N I took a quick look for the latest edition of Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell. Turns out they had it. The old edition I had (I think the second edition, printed in 2004) was hardly enough economic goodness for me. The new fourth edition (2011), added an extra chapter and over 200 pages! I had read the first one cover to cover, and then continued to keep it handy, reread chapters, etc. And now I have the new one… Oh, life is good.

I bought the new one not only for myself though. I mean, I could have just went to the library and rented the new edition. The extra chapter certainly couldn’t have been worth $40. But I knew I needed a new copy of this book. Why? Because I want to loan my old one out. I’m seriously considering becoming a library. A human library. I want to acquire duplicate copies of books for the sole purpose of loaning them out to people.

I’ll put a little sticker inside the cover to identify it as mine, and I’ll make a spreadsheet to keep track of which friends have which books. I think I’ll be doing the world a service. A service that is already being done by public libraries, but I honestly don’t ever go to the library, and I don’t think many of my friends do either. (This is kind of sad, really.) I don’t rent books – I buy them. I always like to keep bookmarks in books, write in them, highlight important passages. I can’t do any of that in good conscience if I don’t own the book.

Owning a book is much better than renting. For one – you can beat it up, and write it in (kind of like Afghanis do to their Korans while in they’re prison, but that’s another story.) You can keep it as long as you live. And one thing that you can do, that I don’t do anymore, is loan them out.

I used to loan out books. But they didn’t always come back. I always felt like I made it clear that the book wasn’t a gift – I was just letting someone read it. I expected it back, but after years of disappointment, I’ve decided against loaning my books out. But that’s not right. I don’t want to let a few bad apples ruin my service for everyone. Instead, I’m going a step further. I’m purchasing extra copies of books just to loan them out. If they get stolen or lost – fine. No loss to me.

So far just two books are a part of the library – Basic Economics (Thomas Sowell) and Applied Economics (also Sowell). Applied is already rented out, and I’m eager to loan my old copy of Basic. I’d like to add Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin, and Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman to the mix soon. Then I just need to get some stickers printed up that say “This book is on loan from Tim Preuss”. You know, something like that. In any case, I’m excited to become a human library.

Everything Happens For a Reason

Posted by Tim on

It’s a simple concept – everything happens for a reason – but it’s rather difficult to grasp or really believe in. Who in their right mind could? If someone knows the reasons why we have famines, hurricanes, and genocides, please let me know. Then again, just because something happens for a reason, doesn’t mean that we will ever know that reason. Believing in something doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be able to prove it, or understand it.

I argue that the best way to come to the conclusion that everything happens for a reason is to find a small, seemingly unimportant circumstance where this happens. It can be too much for us to look at the big problems in the world and try to figure them out. Instead, look at small, relatively insignificant situations, and draw parallels.

This happened to me today. I had the day off, and I had a few errands I needed to run. I had to visit the bank, drop some mail off at the post office, buy a bunch of overpriced organic food, and visit a record store. All of these tasks went as planned, except one. The record store. Turns out they’re closed on Saturdays. Kind of weird, if you ask me. I understand being open limited hours on Saturday, or being closed on Sunday, but really? Closed on the day that I have off? Who planned that?

So, I go to the front doors of the record store, realized they were closed, and decided to visit a used book store that carries CDs and records. After driving a half hour in the opposite direction I finally arrived. Whenever I go to this store I always do a quick look through my favorite areas – politics, and economics – to see if anything jumps out at me. I’m still searching for a Walter E Williams book that no store in the Milwaukee area seems to carry. I could buy it online, but that’s not as fun.

While I was searching I found a couple of Thomas Sowell books. Unfortunately, they were two that I’d already read, and actually own. But, being the goof I am, I bought them anyways. I like to pick out gifts in advance for unknown recipients. Someday I will make someone very happy when I present them with their own copy of Basic Economics or Applied Economics. (Oh, and I found a Thelonious Monk record too – “Thelonious Alone in San Francisco”.)

I never would have found those books, and never would have been able to give them away, if the first record store had been open. At first glance, the store being closed was an inconvenience. But later in the day I realized that it actually lead me to a store where I found something else. It’s pretty petty stuff, I know. But try to apply that kind of thinking to everything in your life. Everything happens for a reason, if you believe it does.

Recommended Reading (2/4/12)

Posted by Tim on

I’ve mentioned his name to a lot of people. He’s one of my favorite authors. He’s also one of the most brilliant minds in the conservative/libertarian realm. Reading his books has allowed me to think about the underlying differences between conservatives and liberals; our views of ourselves and the world around us. His books have also given me a solid footing in economics, which I can use to access political issues without bias.

I’m of course talking about Dr Thomas Sowell. Sowell has written over 30 books, and writes a weekly column.  (Which you can view for free at Townhall.com, by the way.) He’s taught at UCLA, Cornell, and Rutgers, and is currently a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He hold a Ph.D in economics… I could go on, but let’s get to the point, no?

The first book I read by Sowell was the most influential for me – Basic Economics: A Citizens Guide to the Economy. I was recommended the book, and I sped to a local used bookstore to see if they had it. Low and behold they did – for $5. I snatched it up, and I haven’t seen another Sowell book at that store since. Interesting…

Basic Economics goes over the basics. Big surprise. No,  really. It talks about things like the roles of prices, the role of profits (and losses), and international trade. Sowell spells out the facts. There are rules of economics, and disobeying them leads to damaging, yet predictable, outcomes. For each issue Sowell lists examples. Not just examples in modern America, but examples from around the world, and from centuries past.

For instance, price controls always lead to the same thing. If prices are set artificially low, then you end up with shortages. This is why rent control laws in New York and San Francisco have actually decreased the number of apartments available, thereby forcing people into homelessness. No new landlords open apartments, because they aren’t allowed to raise prices. Cities with rent control laws ironically have higher homelessness rates than those without.

Basic Economics is a must read for anyone who wants to gain a handle on economics or politics. Understanding a few simple laws is crucial to being able to decipher reality from Looney Tune bull. Keep this one on your top shelf for constant reference. Like I said, it’s a must.

Conservative Self Education

Posted by Tim on

I received a pretty cool compliment late last year. While I can’t remember exactly what it was, it was along the lines of, “I feel smarter after I hang out with you.” Nice thing to say, right? We only hung out once, and it was just 3 people sitting at a hookah bar, talking political theory, economics, and theology. I guess I surprise people – talking about stuff like that – cause I’m a gooney looking fellow with a bad haircut, tattoos, and big muscles.

Anyways, I thought it was kind of funny that I made this person feel smarter even though she’s going to medical school, and I only have a high school diploma (which is pretty useless considering I went to an American public school where the standards are more lax than Jamie Lee Curtis’ bowels after she gorges on Activia yogurt). So where did I learn to impress college kids with my intellect without having any letters after my name? It’s called self education.

I don’t know how many people realize this, but there are these places called libraries where you can go and read books, watch movies, surf the internet, and listen to music. Most of the stuff at the library you can even take home with you… for FREE! I know, right? Pretty sweet deal. And there’s one in almost every town. So, with all the resources given to you for free at the library here are a few things to expose yourself to if you want to brush up on your Timism.

1. Read books by people from different eras – for politics this means the modern works of Thomas Sowell, David Limbaugh, and Milton Friedman, the not-so-long ago works of Friedrich Hayek, and the old stuff from guys like Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, and John Locke.

Rush Limbaugh2. Get a magazine or newspaper subscription for your bathroom. Sometimes it’s the only place quiet enough to read, so you might as well stock it with some good stuff – perhaps American Rifleman (for all you 2nd amendment guys) or the Wallstreet Journal.

3. Use the internet for more than Facebook and porn. There are loads of information out there. Visit sites like Townhall.com or CNSNews.com. If you want to be even more proactive you could set Fox News as your home page. Imagine that – wake up and check your email and inadvertently have to look at Bill O’Reilly’s ugly mug or Ron Paul’s fake eyebrows.

4. Listen to talk radio. I’m blessed with a stellar lineup for talk radio. I don’t have to switch stations to hear the best – Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Belling, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin. The only one I wish I could hear that I can’t would be Dennis Prager. Your brain and patriotism will grow in leaps and bounds by listening to El Rushbo alone.

There – that’s a good start. Hop to it and get your learning on without spending a dime.

VIDEO: Brilliance – Thomas Sowell

Posted by Tim on

A few years ago, I was in the studio with one of the recording engineers I regularly work with. Being the super-conservative that he is, he often gets in arguments with the people he records. Over the years I guess he just thought it helpful to keep an econ book handy at all times, and now it’s a mainstay in the studio. I picked up my own copy, and since then, the author has become a favorite of mine. The book is “Basic Economics” by Thomas Sowell. Since reading the first Sowell book, I’ve read plenty of others – all of them amazing.

It’s surprising to me how many of my conservative friends had never heard of Thomas Sowell before I brought him up. This Christmas I bought a stack of “Black Rednecks and White Liberals” and gave them out to friends as gifts. I’m sure I missed a few people, and of course, there are still a lot of people out there who don’t know Thomas Sowell. So, without further ado – go ahead, watch the video, and bask in his brilliance. Enjoy!