More "free" money for non-producers

Well, well, well. Looky here – the government is going to hand over even more money to AIG. This is from the AP:

WASHINGTON– The government on Monday unveiled a revamped rescue package to insurance giant American International Group and will provide the troubled company with another $30 billion in taxpayer money on an "as needed" basis.

Too bad the car companies – you know, the companies who directly employ millions and millions of Americans not to mention the millions of others who are employed as suppliers to the Big Three – weren’t extended this kind of help.

The money they’ve had to grovel for is a loan that must be repaid ASAP and the government certainly wasn’t revamping any kind of “rescue package” to keep the producers of our country producing.

Now for a bit of transparency: I am opposed to the government doling out any money to anyone, be it a person or a company. I believe the economy should be allowed to run without government interference. That is awfully naïve, however, because we all know the government interferes with commerce in a bazillion ways, from taxes to laws made to encourage or hinder trade. But in the perfect little world I live in when I close my eyes, the government acts like this:

The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society.

Does that sound good to you? Maybe you’re a libertarian, too! You know, those crazy people who believe in freedom?

I digress: all this to say even though I disagree with the bailouts I wish our congressmen and women had shown they have an inkling of where wealth comes from. It comes from people making stuff. If there’s no stuff, there’s no need to insure anything and AIG won’t be needed, anyway.

Things really are bass ackwards these days.

Life in a Blue State

Surely make you lose your mind…

When I lived in Georgia I took for granted my red-state roots. My friends and family (minus my mother-in-law, bless her heart) all held similar values and voted Republican. This homogeneous mix led me to believe everyone held my values and voted the same way I did. Moving to Michigan corrected that thinking.

Over the last few weeks I have put my foot in my mouth several times. I mean, I’m careful to not talk politics with people I don’t know well; my mistake was talking politics with fellow homeschoolers, people I assumed held the same values I do. I was oh so wrong. So wrong that I have perfected the art of back-peddling. Here’s a snippet of one of my conversations:

ME: I am amazed at all the Obama signs in my neighborhood? Don’t they know what he’ll do to health care? And their paychecks? And haven’t they heard about his stand on abortion?

Fellow homeschooler (FH): I’m actually leaning towards Obama.

ME: Yes, exactly – no, wait, what? What did you say?

FH: I really like Obama’s stand on health care.

ME: Oh, absolutely, um well, I totally don’t agree with you but we both love Jesus so let’s focus on that, okay?

This happened with not one but four homeschool friends; when the last conversation occurred I was at a local Baptist church picking up Rebecca from Bible club – I thought all Baptists voted Republican. But then I remind myself I’m not in the land of the Red State anymore.

So the election is today. I am glad it’s going to be over. Well, the running part anyway. If McCain wins (which, I concede, will be a miracle but not entirely out of the question) then the struggle will be getting Republicans back to being Republicans and not simply moderately-less-spendy than the Dems. If Obama wins, well, hold on to your pocketbooks because he’s coming for them. And be prepared for activist judges on the Supreme Court, which is really my main concern.

Anyway, this election is certainly the most contentious I’ve experienced, and I am not exaggerating when I say I will do the happy dance when it’s over no matter who wins because I am sick to death of the robocalls (six yesterday) and nasty political ads that are more lies than anything of substance. Of course, I’ll be doing my jig in black of Obama wins, red if McCain pulls off a surprise victory.

When do you think a third party will emerge with a viable candidate? I wish it had been the Constitution or Libertarian parties this year. I think that’s the real change we need.