No Constraints on Economic Engine

Larry Kudlow

As famed economists Larry Kudlow and Steve Moore accurately point out in a recent column, "strategic tax cuts and regulatory relief after the anti-business rule-making assault by President Obama, not trade and immigration barriers, are the solution to America’s competitiveness deficit."

Rather than  penalize, say Ford, for moving a plant out of the US, Trump should aim to create domestic economic policy which makes that decision non-advantageous from profit, tax and regulatory standpoint.

As Reagan said, barriers need to be removed to release the vast economic engine of America and the entrepreneurial spirit of the American citizen for our economy to reach optimal economic efficiency.

Sadly, Obama and most who share his philosophy view America as a global oppressor, and seek to limit our prosperity, which they deem was obtained on the backs of others.  As former Obama advisor Van Jones stated, "give them the wealth."

BAHL & Steve Moore 2010

Kudlow and Stephen Moore believe, as do I, the wealth belongs to those who earned it.  We did build that, with apologies to Obama and his socialist comrade Elizabeth Warren.

Companies need to forecast levels of return on and return of investment that are competitive, and with the onslaught of regulation and taxation, not to mention the attacks on small business, America is hardly open for business.

If your goal is to reduce prosperity, innovation and invention, you have done a good job by introducing these barriers to success.  With many struggling for friction trying to better life for their families, they fall by orchestration to feel a victim to the capitalist system.

But as Ayn Rand pointed out, "They’ve adopted collectivism so fully they can’t even see themselves as individuals, only as members of a group. And by embracing this as an ideal, they’ve become accessories to their own enslavement."

Kudlow and Moore cite immigration as part of the prosperity of America, and that is very true.  Like free trade, immigration should always be sought and welcomed.  But it must be legal immigration, which is not what is going on today.

Many in the GOP establishment appreciate the immigrants, so they can employ them and increase margins on the backs of paying low skilled workers less than legal workers require.  Democrats welcome illegal immigrants with the hope of expanding their voting base.

Both are in direct violation of the principles and laws set forth in the founding of America.

Donald J. Trump

It is noted that trade, tax and immigration are independent from each other, and those illegally immigrating to America should be dealt with as the law trumps, pun intended, any potential economic or social benefit.

Donald Trump, cited in the piece, is attempting to place the issue on the front burner, where belongs before we lose our country.  A country without borders is not a country.

Trump may not have all the right answers to this problem that has escalated like crab grass for 30 years, but his efforts to find solutions to the problem should be welcomed and not criticized.  Those attacking Trump's ideas likely have an agenda that may be negatively impacted if he is successful.

Sounds good to me.  It is the Art of the Deal.

Misleading and Fraudulent Housing Data

In February of 2009, the Government Census Bureau was moved to the executive branch, most thought to deal with congressional redistricting. A byproduct was the reporting of misleading and fraudulent data.

Of note this week was the "discovery" of some real questionable activity with the reporting of the housing numbers, specifically new home sales.  Already, we have documented erroneous data with respect to how unemployment rates are calculated.  Why not extend the propaganda throughout government data?  NBC will be happy to report it.

While housing is performing in certain locations, rental rates are rising due to higher demand of folks who ordinarily would be potential home buyers, giving indication the equilibrium in these markets the incorrect measurements suggests is not real.

Most of America does not have time to sift through the bull crap to figure out what is real and what is a manipulated fabrication. Therefore, most everything goes unquestioned, and when caught and reported, the level of deception is to intricate for the average person to comprehend.

As such, we get the government we deserve, one which is diminishing liberty and freedom for all of us on a daily basis, and on a much larger scale than even those who "get it" can imagine.

"When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you–when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice–you may know that your society is doomed"  --Ayn Rand, “Atlas Shrugged”

Is FSU Target of Political Left?

It was shortly before President Obama was elected in 2008, when comments made by Michelle Obama got her yanked off the campaign trail, as these comments, if appropriately analyzed by a curious media, would pull the mask away from the blank canvas many considered Barack Obama to be and alert the nation to some of the real, hidden objectives.

Please take a listen to the following commentary from Michelle Obama while in Puerto Rico in 2008:

 

"Barack knows that we are going to have to make sacrifices; we are going to have to change our conversation, we're going to have to change our history, our traditions. We're going to have move into a different place as a nation", said Mrs. Obama.

Might changing of traditions include the demise of football in America?  Without question, the game of football is under attack from the political left, all the way up to the White House.  President Obama has publicly admonished the use of the nickname Redskins by the Washington Redskins of The National Football League, and through his associates, most notably Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D:NV), have gone after Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, a republican, for both failing to bow to political pressure and for having the audacity to not support Obama and his vision of American.  The NFL remains under attack.

Fast forward to what is happening to Florida State University in college football, the currently undefeated defending national champions.  Last fall, star quarterback Jameis Winston, a redshirt freshman, was leading the Seminoles to their undefeated championship season when he was questioned about a sexual assault.

After an investigation by the state attorney, the state attorney's office found the evidence did not support charging Winston with any crime.  While many in the media were in uproar, Winston went on to win The Heisman Trophy while guiding the Seminoles to their third National Championship.

Since that time, Winston has had some lapses in maturity, walking out of a grocery store without paying for crab legs he ordered and yelling obscenities, sexual in nature which is certainly inappropriate considering the charges which considered against him, in the FSU student union.

No doubt, while Winston is stellar on field, he is at times immature off it, failing to accurately gauge the temperature outside in this era of appropriate non-tolerance of assault against women.  Although the Winston case was and is a factor, the blowup surrounding Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice, who struck his girlfriend and now wife in an elevator and who has been suspended from the NFL ever since, has been at the forefront publicly.

But has the left found Winston as a vehicle to punish political opponents, be they individuals, agencies, or even public universities? Don't laugh.  I am wondering, as I review a series of events.  Maybe you should too.

In 2008, as reported by The Tampa Bay Times, "A foundation bankrolled by Libertarian businessman Charles G. Koch has pledged $1.5 million for positions in Florida State University's economics department. In return, his representatives get to screen and sign off on any hires for a new program promoting "political economy and free enterprise."  The article references "a separate grant from BB&T (formerly run by John Allison, who is supporter of Rand philosophies) funds a course on ethics and economics in which Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is required reading. The novel, which depicts society's collapse in the wake of government encroachment on free enterprise, was recently made into a movie marketed to tea party members".

In my opinion, Atlas Shrugged, should be required reading for students within the economics department. The writings of Ayn Rand are an excellent defense of capitalism, although in my view they lack a necessary moral component.

The political left reviles the Koch Brothers, thinking anything they touch is evil.  As such, the interaction of the Koch brothers with the FSU Economics Department has stirred up plenty of controversy, with the progressive left labeling it a clandestine takeover of Florida State University.

Fact are always stubborn things, and never mind the Economics Department is still run by the many of the same folks, inclusive of the Dean of the College of Social Sciences Dr. David Rasmussen and Dr. James Gwartney, that were running things when I graduated from there in 1987. 

The department was always centered on free markets drawn upon from the Austrian economic models, and although Keynesian model coursework was engaged upon, social justice through economic policy was not deemed a logical and efficient mechanism of theory.

Not only has the debate centered upon the Economics Department, even FSU's Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science has come under fire, for the truth about climate change may derail many a progressive dream of citizen control. 

Liberal and progressive ideology is bankrolled by groups and individuals all across the nation in public universities, hiring faculty to teach these theories nationwide.  See Ward Churchill and Austan Goolsbee.

The relationship between the Koch Brothers and Florida State University recently came to a head in the form of additional attacks as the university engaged in a search for a new president with Eric Barron accepting the same position at Penn State.  Representatives from the left, inclusive of students and media outlets, lambasted FSU as John Thrasher, an alumni and republican in the state senate, became the leading candidate.  A lack of transparency, the fact he is a conservative and that he may have gotten political donations from the Koch brothers were among the reasons cited.  Facebook pages and websites, (with support from leftist organizations such as MoveOn.org), sought to force FSU to eliminate Thrasher from consideration.  At the conclusion of the rocky search, Thrasher was hired as the fifteenth president of the university.

In the background have been countless insinuations and accusations surrounding the football program, most of which was without merit. Some weeks back, four competing "sports" outlets, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, ESPN and The New York Times each released a detailed report citing transgressions on a Friday evening.  Since when do competing firms sync up for the release of a report to share eyeballs? They don't, unless there is orchestration.

It is worth noting, nothing of material significance was found to be of consequence within these reports.

With respect to Winston, few if anyone has actually read the report surrounding the sexual assault case.  Any reasonable assessment of the facts of the case will lead the reader to easily conclude that the accuser lacks credibility.

The reports of investigators continuing to investigate Winston is simply staggering.  Recent accusations, primarily from ESPN, told a tale of Winston getting paid to sign autographs, which would make him ineligible for collegiate competition.  However, after months of stories of this action blasted all over the sports media, it is now reported that the items he supposedly autographed are fake, not actually having his signature.

Winston signs thousands of autographs, as I have personally witnessed on many an occasion.  In fact, at a baseball game FSU played at Stetson University in Deland, FL, ESPN reporter Marty Smith stood two feet away from me watching Winston sign hundreds; for free.

Recently, The New York Times released a report indicating favoritism by the Tallahassee Police Department regarding a traffic citation issued to cornerback PJ Williams.  With seemingly no action to investigate as President Obama sadly runs roughshod over our Constitution, The New York Times appears well staffed in Tallahassee, fabricating targeted news unfit to print. Guilty until proven innocent is now en vogue with the media.  FSU responded quickly and with assertion, and the story seems to have gone away.

The New York Times is agenda driven to be sure.  In the aftermath of a tragic shooting at the Strozier Library on the Florida State campus, in describing the story, The Times made reference to the issues surrounding the football team (fabricated), which has zero relevance to the actions of a disturbed individual.

ESPN continues to blatantly target FSU as well. In a recent report of talented Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota receiving a traffic ticket, it was the picture of Winston that was presented, and no, he was not involved.  This was not an error, but rather an orchestrated opportunity to tarnish FSU.

Why are all these media outlets exhausting all efforts to take down Florida State. While one could envision Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and certainly ESPN performing investigative sports reporting, I find it offensive that The New York Times cannot find enough in Washington to keep them busy without the gray lady taking up hotel rooms in Tallahassee.  I wonder who is directing their investigative action, and why?

But then again, perhaps due to the relationship between Florida State and the evil Koch brothers, we can find a logical reason these competing interests are relentless in their investigative attacks on FSU.  It appears Florida State University may be getting attacked by the political left, who gleefully employ the tactics of their mentor Saul Alinsky; achieving goals by any means necessary to punish political enemies both financially and in the court of public opinion.

No worries. Florida State University remains The Unconquered!

Atlas Strikes Big Screen

The long wait is over. Atlas Shrugged has finally made it to a big screen near you.



Amy Homes of PJTV spoke with several guests of a private showing of Atlas Shrugged Part 1 for their thoughts, including Stephen Moore of The Wall Street Journal.



I thought the assessment by Cal Thomas regarding Ayn Rand and her philosophy was spot on.

Atlas is shrugging today for sure, as we have the most oppressive anti-business administration in memory. Catch this from Freedom Works:



The Kudlow Creed bears repeating: Free Market Capitalism is the best path to prosperity. If Americans who fail to grasp this makes it to see Atlas Shrugged, perhaps they will recognize the power of individualism and entrepreneurship and choose free markets over government programs.

Who is John Galt?

Not Complicated Then or Now

Economically, Uncle Sam is in perilous time and thus socially as government seeks increasing power. While the President continues to proclaim we are on the right track, it is clear this is not so.

What has happened is an increase of governmental influences in many aspects of the economy, from regulation to increased taxation. In addition, there are plans on the drawing board, from Cap & Trade to immigration reform that create a large measure of uncertainty going forward. It is tough to invest in future endeavors with this high level of uncertainty relative to business return on and return of investment.

The playbook to create an environment of increased production is not complicated, and it is not new either.

Ayn Rand, author of the famed "Atlas Shrugged" discussed the environment with CBS News Mike Wallace where liberty versus socialism is outlined. Take a listen:



As we learn in Amity Shlaes outstanding book "The Forgotten Man", Calvin Coolidge noted in a speech in 1924 that "all liberty was individual". Coolidge and Rand, among others, were correct as liberty decreases with the erosion of individual rights.

Florida is a mess, with among the highest number of home foreclosures in the nation. GOP Senatorial candidate Marco Rubio, in delivering the weekly GOP address, demonstrates his understanding today of the steps necessary to begin the process of securing the future of our exceptional country.



Many on the left, the same crowd that incorrectly blames Wall Street for the current economic crisis, are angry that Wall Street is not "participating" in the initiated programs aimed at helping the economy recover. The GOP is labeled the party of "no" for blocking governmental action, which is false since the Democrats, until the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, held a super majority. The GOP could go white water rafting and it would be of no consequence.

I support those in the GOP and those on the corner of Wall & Broad for not supporting most of the initiatives set forth by the administration to thwart the crisis, as they all take power away from the individual and give it the government, allowing the elitist politicians, who think they know better than you, to control and govern our lives. Obamacare is a classic example of this.

Free market capitalism remains the best path to prosperity, and the sooner we all recognize this and move away from a nanny state thought process, the sooner a real summer of recovery can begin.

Languishing Among Looters

The events of 2009 were economically horrible as free market capitalism was assaulted on a frequent basis. Throw in a corrupt government with increasing involvement in the economy and you are living Ayn Rand's classic, Atlas Shrugged. The number of those now looting off the government with our money is staggering.

I have chronicled the rise in popularity of Ayn Rand on the blog over the last year HERE, HERE and HERE.

CNBC's Larry Kudlow visits with Jerry Bowyer and Don Luskin regarding Ayn Rand's legacy. Although Rand was an Atheist, Christians can indeed adopt great portions of this philosophy and do so. Take a listen:



As Kudlow states in his Kudlow Creed, Free Market Capitalism is the best path to prosperity. The sooner we change course and get back to this creed the better we all will be.

Going Galt

Ran across this story on the popularity of Ayn Rand on Reason TV, who is having a week long perspective on Ayn Rand, and found it interesting. Please see the piece:



It a subject I have written about before and the ever growing popularity of Ayn Rand and her classic Atlas Shrugged was addressed in a recent column by Wall Street Journal Senior Economic Writer Steve Moore.

For the uninitiated, the moral of the story is simply this: Politicians invariably respond to crises -- that in most cases they themselves created -- by spawning new government programs, laws and regulations. These, in turn, generate more havoc and poverty, which inspires the politicians to create more programs . . . and the downward spiral repeats itself until the productive sectors of the economy collapse under the collective weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness, equality and do-goodism says Moore.

It is no wonder, with leeches coming from everywhere including our own government, that entrepreneurs and capitalists across the fruited plain are attending every tea party possible.

Moore's column, written in January, and the 5o year old classic itself, are incredibly relevant to the goings on today and they demands your immediate attention. The fundamental transformation of our country is fully engaged by the progressives and the time remaining to thwart these economic imbeciles is running out! Go Galt!

"The Strike"

The fallout from the financial crisis has left many of us unhinged as economic truths we subscribe to have been violated all over the place. President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff designate Rahm Emanuel opined he did not want the current finacial crisis to "go to waste" as he signaled that it represented an opportunity for massive governmental intrusion into the private sector and the lives of our citizens for our benefit.

It is clear that the hope and change mindset entering Washington strongly feels that government should be further dictating the commerce of the private sector through new programs and regulation. Wall Street Journal senior economics writer and editorial board member Steve Moore reflected back to the Ayn Rand novel Atlas Shrugged in his recent column in the WSJ 'Atlas Shrugged': From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years and suggests the fictional tale is becoming fact, and this is not a welcomed development.

Moore is right on target drawing on the similarities of recent governmental actions and those forecasted to emerge and/or expand to the goings on, or "lunacy", in the classic novel.

Most, if not all, of the current issues we are dealing with were due to poorly constructed governmental influence, from the housing crisis to the lack of a sensible energy policy. Now, as Rahm Emanual indicated, more governmental programs will be initiated and thus will be doomed to create even more issues down the road.

I wonder if the non productive leeches John Galt speaks of in the book are representative of the same folks who do not pay taxes that are primed to get money back from the government in Obama's stimulus package. Recall Peggy Joseph?

This ain't gonna work, and for a preview, just grab the 1000 page classic and have at it. Too long for you, read Moore's column.