How an Obama Voter sees Thanksgiving Dinner

I had to come downstairs from my study to post this in order to keep from screaming.....

 

I am grading exams (always a miserable experience) this week.  This particular exam involves supply and demand analysis.

 

Essay question #3 asked my students to grapically illustrate and explain what the market for turkeys will look like this month and whether or not it would make sense for the federal government to impose a national lottery on turkeys so that "everyone could enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner."

 

Of course, many of you know that when government uses "non-price rationing" like a waiting list, waiting line or lottery, this causes two simple laws to kick in.  The first is called the law of demand.  Pushing down prices causes quantity demanded to increase.  The second is called the law of supply.  Pushing down prices causes suppliers to reduce their quantity supplied.  The result, of course, is a shortage and black markets. 

 

So, what did one student think about a turkey lottery?  Here is her answer, word for word, with no editing...

 

"I think it would make sense for the federal government to create a national lottery for turkeys simply because, the holiday is to really give thanks on what you have but not everyone could receive, some people didn't have the time to go to the store, or didn't have the money.  If the government were to do such a thing I think pigs will fly, for them to make sure every family receives a turkey or have, some kind of drawing so that someone or more than one could win.  It would make sense for them to do it because everyone deserves to eat, and be thankful for life, but you can put a strain on the market for turkeys.  Supply will be up but numbers of buyers will decrease, which makes prices decrease, but can cause for demand to increase because prices have decreased."

 

As I now go back upstairs to continue grading I am truly thankful that I live in a country where I am not expected to grade exams while I am eating my Thanksgiving dinner.

 

 

Republicans must embrace concepts they hate - like evolution

What follows is my Op-Ed piece in today's Orlando Sentinel.  Enjoy...

As a registered Libertarian, I do not often find myself voting for Republicans in presidential races. I do, though, often scratch my head and wonder why the Republican Party seems determined to arrive on the political endangered-species list.

I will confess that on Tuesday, for the first time in 12 years, I voted for the GOP to run the country. I am, after all, a free-market economist, and President Obama has not represented anything close to a belief in, or understanding of, simple freshman-level economics.

What Obama does understand — all too clearly — is that America has changed, and with it, the political landscape. The president perfectly unfolded an even larger tent to cover the folks the Republicans scare away.

Let's look at it.

First and foremost, there is the idiotic stance Republicans have taken on the issue of immigration. When will they ever learn how to do math? It is simple. Hispanics now make up 13 percent of the country and, for the first time ever, accounted for 10 percent of the voters.

The GOP keeps thinking, "OK, Hispanics are largely family-oriented Catholics who oppose abortion, so we should be attractive to them."

No, Hispanics are human beings who want jobs and opportunities to take care of their families. They have decided that they cannot do this in their native lands, so they rationally head for America — legally and illegally.

When Hispanics see how mean-spirited many Republicans and tea party folks are about their arrival in America, they naturally conclude that the Democrats will create a more favorable environment from which they can economically flourish.

Second, America has changed socially faster than Republicans can comprehend.

The country cares less and less about gay people getting married. Americans are not that bent out of shape over children born to single mothers. Abortion rights are popular as is the notion of legalized marijuana.

Moreover, when Republicans scream about national defense, the nation largely yawns. In essence, the voters told Republicans, "Osama is dead, and we aren't too concerned about the safety of Israel, but we do not have a job."

Finally, there is the long-awaited arrival of what we economists call the tipping point. The fiscal tipping point is when 50 percent of a population no longer pays income taxes, and 50 percent receive some form of taxpayer benefits every month.

Once a nation arrives at those key points, it becomes virtually impossible to get people excited about tax cuts or spending reductions.

We are now at the famous 47 percent mark on taxes and just more than 44 percent of Americans receive money from the forced confiscation of other people's money.

Yet, with all of this in front of them, Mitt Romney and other Republicans continued to talk about the self-deportation of Hispanics, the threat we face from Iran and tax cuts.

It is time for members of the Grand Old Party to wake up and embrace another concept they hate: That is Darwin's theory of evolution.

The political ecosystem has radically changed in our nation. If conservatives do not adapt to this change, they will face extinction in election after election.

Toward that end, I suggest some simple, common-sense modifications to their platform. Embrace immigration, shy away from radical proposals to the social-welfare network, and stop talking so much about social issues. This will be hard for them, I know.

Losing elections is harder. Isn't it?

America's new National Anthem

As a post-script to my last blog entry I thought I would offer up a suggestion for a new national anthem for the United States of America.  Here it is.....

Perfect, right?

America Deserves Barack Obama: Republicans are Facing Extinction

As I am writing this, the country is in the process of re-electing Barack Obama as President of our dying republic.

 

Now is a good time to let you know that I will be taking a break from my blog for awhile.  Like many of you, this election season has been very stressful for me and I could use some time to decompress.

 

Before I go, I would like to point out two immutable facts concerning what has just happened in America.

 

First, we need to establish a clear picture of just who voted for Barack Obama.  Then, we need to understand why the Republican party is now officially on the endangered species list.

 

Obama voters:

 

1.  Hispanic-Americans who were turned off by the Republican view of immigration.  Hispanics are the fastest-growing group of Americans.  Hispanics made up ten percent of the national vote for the first time and killed Romney in Florida, Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina.

 

2. Young female voters who want to reserve the right to end the life of the unborn.  The Republican platform scares them.

3.  African-Americans who, according to The Wall Street Journal supported Mr. Obama with 97% of their votes.  In 2008 Mr. Obama won 95% of the African-American vote.  It is very much worth noting that African-American unemployment is higher now than in 2008.  It is not real clear exactly what Mr. Obama did to give black people a clearer path to good jobs over the past four years, but it did not matter to 97% of black voters.

 

4. Public sector unions.  This means public school teachers and other folks (not as much police officers) like utility workers, firefighters and more.  These folks want the right to retire young and live off of budget-busting pensions with no regard to the taxpayers who they think owe them something just because they chose to teach young people or put out fires.

 

5. Private sector unions.  What overpaid, underproductive member of our nation's unions would ever want to see a right to work-type businessman running our country.  Just because Toyota produces better cars than General Motors with non-union, less-expensive labor this does not mean we should adopt this model for other industries, does it?  I mean, why mess up a system where union workers in the Northest and upper Midwest can demand ever increasing pay and pensions and health care benefits even if it is no good for their companies or the nation?

6. Welfare recipients. During his first four years, Obama made it easier to collect food stamps, public housing assistance and 99 weeks of unemployment benefits. Fewer Americans are looking for work than at any time in the last several decades. Bastiat was right when he said, "In our natural state, man seeks to avoid pain and will live at the expense of someone else if he can." People on welfare see Obama as their collector of private property from the bank accounts of the greedy rich. This includes an inordinate number of women. 40% of American babies are born with no dad around. To these women, President Obama is the financial daddy to their offspring

 

7. Over-educated liberals.  Listen, I work with people like this.  The latte-drinking, New York Times reading elitists who have all the economic common sense of a tree stump.  These people actually drive nice cars, eat good food and wear nice clothes without a clue as to where these items come from.  They think that government is wonderful and that there should be more of it even though everything they own comes from the private sector. 

 

8.  The elderly who don't care much about their posterity.  I hear older Americans say, "I am just getting back what I paid in" when it comes to Social Security and Medicare.  Hogwash.  Many empirical studies prove that today's seniors, in less than five years on average, get back all of their taxes, adjusted for inflation, in retirement and health care benefits.  Everything after that is simply a transfer from their children and grandchildren.  Transfer is another word for welfare, which another word for stolen property.

 

9.  Young people with limited life experience and even more limited brain power.  Look, when you are 18 you are naturally pretty dumb as to how life works.  You have lived with Mommy and Daddy for 99% of your life so you are used to a form of government providing you with security.  You don't own much property, pay little to no taxes, do not own a business, do not have a mortgage or kids, etc.  Therefore, when some slick, American Idol candidate like Barack Obama asks for you vote in a smooth voice and radiant smile, you get really excited because he makes you feel good.  Then, when he does nothing to help your chances of having a job for the last four years, since all you do is text, mess around on Facebook and play videogames, you still do not have enough sense to figure out that the pretty guy with no economic knowledge whatsoever is still not going to help you for the next four years.

 

10. Crony capitalists.  Farmers, alternative energy companies and other companies that line their pockets with taxpayer dollars are also Obama voters.  Why should someone who picked corn farming vote for Romney, who might tell them, "Hey, sometimes it does not rain."  Why would a windmill company in Iowa tell its workers to vote for Romney after Romney says that if wind is a great source of energy, windmill companies don't need subsidies.  As more and more companies line the halls of Washington, D.C. to get your money, they won't want to see a real capitalist elected.

 

11.  Special interest groups who want special considerations, or money.  Gay people want government to leave them alone if they decide to engage in something they call marriage.  Global warming alarmists want government to push us towards wind-powered bicycles.  Drug addicts want an expansion in Supplemental Security Income.  Add to this group animal rights activists, rich actors and actresses, assorted athletes and Warren Buffett and you have the perfect ingredient for Obama's re-election.

 

12.  The ignorant, lazy masses. Ben Franklin said that the moment voters realize that they can vote for themselves money from the public treasury, it would "herald the end of the Republic".   Our country has simply decided that we want to live off of one another.  We want freedom without responsibility.  We do not care about the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, the meaning of true liberty and we do not understand economics and what it takes to make an economy grow.  We envy those who have worked hard and demand their property through legalized plunder.  We demand fairness without caring about unfair acts imposed on our fellowman.  We have, in short, become a nation of ignorant, selfish individuals who could care less about what our nation was supposed to be.

 

Now for the part on why the Republican party is facing extinction.

 

See 1-12 above.

 

 

America's Destiny?

A former student emailed me with a link to the following 1 minute clip on Youtube.  If you are an undecided voter, watch this clip before you vote.  If you are thinking about not voting, watch this, then vote.  If you know others who are undecided, or apathetic, have them watch this, then encourage them to vote.

Will Evangelical Christians help Destroy America's Future?

In the past several weeks I have spoken to, or heard others speak about many people in the Christian community who do not plan to vote tomorrow because, in their words, "Mitt Romney is not a Christian" or because, "God is in control and whomever he wants in office he will put there."

 

Just in case there are any of you out there reading this - or know people who might be interested in reading this - who share the aforementioned sentiments, I would like to say one thing to you if I may be so bold...

 

You are making a big mistake.  A mistake so big that you could help destroy the very liberty that God wants all of us to enjoy.

 

Please go back and check your Bibles.  God wants us to be happy, free and prosperous while we are on this Earth.  He does not desire for us to live under growing tyranny, taxation and liberty-stifling rules.  The Bible is filled with verses that make this quite clear. 

 

If you do not vote because you think Mormons belong to a cult or because God does not care you are condemning your posterity, our posterity, to a future where the chains of big government will be riveted to their wallets, their choices and their pursuit of happiness.

 

Debate all you want about whether Mormons are "real Christians".  I know many Mormons from my years in the classroom and I find them to be exceedingly humble, kind, loving and great believers in human liberty and dignity.  They also tell me that they are Christians.  From the fruit I see in their lives and from my own ignorance of their faith, who am I to tell them they are not? 

 

Mitt Romney spent many of his years in mission work and ministry.  Barack Obama, a Christian according to him, spent his youth doing things that were far from mission work and ministry.  So did the evangelical Christian, George W. Bush.

 

Bush, with his unconstitutional wars and Obama with his unconsitutional socialism, strayed far from Christian principles while serving under an oath that said they had to defend our Constitution.  They even swore to God they would do it before killing 100,000 innocent Iraqis and forcing all of us to adhere to liberty-violating health care laws, taxes and regulations.

 

For my money, Mitt Romney is what he says he is.  I think he would govern in a manner consistent with his faith, which at this point I trust more than Mr. Obama's beliefs in what God would have him do.

 

If you Christians out there really care about our nation - a nation formed by mostly Christians who knew about sacrifice and honor and real liberty - you will get up tomorrow and go vote for a government that respects our rights to life, liberty and private property and you will vote in a way that ends 12 years of Republican and Democratic soft tyranny.

 

Don't blow it now....the stakes are too high.

Why must so many Republicans be so stupid?

While having my morning cup of coffee with my local newspaper in hand, I read today where many conservative commentators have called New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie, "Judas Christie".  Rush Limbaugh called Christie "fat and a fool".

 

That is pretty harsh - if these folks were talking about Democrat governor Chris Christie.

 

The problem is Christie is a Republican.

 

The dustup that has led to criticism of Governor Christie (a leading supporter of Mitt Romney) is over his reaction to President Obama's early "handling" of the post-Hurricane Sandy disaster.

 

Christie has been very complementary of the president, saying, "I cannot thank him enough..." while being seen warmly accepting Mr. Obama in hard-hit New Jersey.

 

Could you Republicans please tell me why so many of you must be so mean, heartless and stupid?

 

For crying out loud, one of the worst storms in our nation's history has left the Northeastern U.S. in serious trouble and all you can do is ride the governor New Jersey for being grateful to President Obama?  Do you people realize what this makes you - and other Republicans look like?  Did you know that human beings - including undecided voters - are emotional creatures and might be (will be) offended by your heartless display of partisan politics?  Rush Limbaugh...if you are reading this... do you really think you have helped Mitt Romney by saying such moronic things?

 

I have said for many years that Republicans just don't get it when it comes to relating to people on a level that common sense suggests - and decency demands - they should.  Ronald Reagan excluded (he had a huge, giving, gracious and bipartisan heart), Republicans these days more often than not come off as mean-spirited Scrooges.

 

I have a suggestion for you nitwits out there.  First, shut up.  Let the President show up in hiking boots with this disaster out there to deal with.  Sure, it helps President Obama look presidential and might help his vote total.  So what.  He is supposed to show that he cares and is expected to show leadership in the aftermath if this storm.

 

Second, have a brain and realize that Governor Christie needs to be nice to Mr. Obama since Mr. Obama holds the FEMA checkbook.  Should Mr. Christie (a politician, remember?????) show New Jersey residents that he cares more about shunning a Democrat president than he cares about helping them? 

 

Third, if you care about Mitt Romney you will let Governor Christie continue to show that some Republicans are nice guys who can be polite to Democrats.  This is helpful to your party and your cause.

 

Fourth, shut up.