We need more price gouging
Submitted by Wayne on Tue, 2005-09-06 12:35.
Economics
As noted by Cato, we need more price gouging if we want to fix the gasoline issues we're facing. Basic supply and demand--too bad none of our leaders understands it.
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So this comes back to my
Submitted by Wayne on Tue, 2005-09-06 13:30.
So this comes back to my question of whether or not Americans are still capable of self-government. Are we now too stupid? I think so.
Death of democracy
Submitted by Dave on Tue, 2005-09-06 13:39.
Regarding that issue, consider this quote from Alexander Tyler:
A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can exist only until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury.
Are we there? I think so.
What New Orleans shows
Submitted by Dave on Wed, 2005-09-07 09:29.
Wayne's comments led me to think about the concept of self-government. I realized that self-government begins at the individual level. We cannot maintain a moral, righteous government if we do not have the ability to conduct our lives in that fashion. As fallen beings, we truly are incapable of this without Divine aid and blessing through the Holy Spirit. Our government has succeeded in leading us away from that blessing, and we have obliged by demonstrating quite clearly that we cannot govern ourselves on an individual level. So, the government will do it for us, by instituting a tyranny.
This column by Joseph Farah illustrates this very well.
Of course, the question of who will govern the governors is not asked, or even permitted to be asked. The system of checks and balances has proven ineffective when officials in all branches are motivated by the quest for more power. They abet, rather than impede, the goals of those in the other branches.
If we are to be subject to a tyranny, then I say, let us have a king, rather than a President, Congress, judges, and an infinite number of magistrates. With a king, we can do no worse than the tyranny we currently experience. However, a wise and moral king (should it be possible for such a person to attain such a position) would bring us a government that is much better than our present one, if only for a time.
Penn quote
Submitted by Dave on Fri, 2005-09-16 07:31.
I ran across this quote from William Penn this morning. It sums up an important aspect of self-government that the Founding Fathers clearly understood:
If men will not be governed by God, they will be ruled by tyrants.
The role of prices
Submitted by Dave on Wed, 2005-09-14 07:58.
This column by Walter Williams does a very good job of explaining the role of prices, especially in a situation where shortages exist.
Don't blame Katrina
Submitted by Dave on Thu, 2005-09-22 14:26.
In this article, Lew Rockwell very neatly sums up the government's role in the New Orleans disaster. He also discusses the role of prices in a crisis of this sort.
FEMA "helps"
Submitted by Wayne on Tue, 2006-02-07 17:00.
FEMA really got in the way of folks trying their best to help N.O. people recover.
They're not stupid, we are
Our leaders understand the consequences of price fixing all too well. They aren't the problem. The problem is the general public, which clamors for "relief" from the "gougers." The politician's priority is to maintain and increase his power, so he gives his constituents what they (stupidly) ask for. The politician knows what the consequences will be, but he doesn't mind. When the inevitable shortages occur, the people will come back to him looking for another solution, which he will be all too happy to provide.
Sometimes, we wake up just enough to do the right thing. Recall the problems (mentioned in the Cato article) with power in California back in 2000/01. These problems were directly caused by Governor Gray Davis fixing the retail prices that power companies could charge their customers. When the shortages ensued, Davis stepped in and suggested that the government take over the power industry. The people responded by ousting him from office. (I can't say I'm impressed by the fellow they put in Sacramento, but at least he hasn't fixed any prices.)
I'd also like to point out that what Governor Perdue did in Georgia was not price fixing... at least, not exactly. He said he would prosecute "gougers," but he didn't define exactly what that means. He did say that retailers could adjust prices based on what they are paying for the gasoline. If the retailers are forced to pay more for their gas, then they are allowed to raise their prices as a result. Hopefully, this will avoid the shortages that would be caused by outright price fixing. Time will tell.