Free Market for Dummies

Steve Jobs Channeling Ayn Rand

Copy and paste....copy and paste....copy and paste....

August 25, 2011
Thank You, Steve Jobs
Paul Hsieh, MD

Steve Jobs' resignation as CEO of Apple has spawned a flurry of commentary and well wishes.

One of the best responses was this set of "Steve Jobs's Best Quotes" published by the Wall Street Journal. There are several gems in this collection, but one really stood out for me:

When you're a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you're not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You'll know it's there, so you're going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.

This kind of integrity helped him create products that added so much value to the lives of his customers.

This kind of integrity helped him take a company on the verge of extinction in 1997 and turn into one of the biggest success stories of the 21st century.

This kind of integrity underlies all the great creators and innovators throughout human history, whether they be artists, scientists, or businessmen -- a willingness to follow their own vision of what's right for their own purposes.

Or in Jobs' own words:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said of Steve Jobs, "I think Atlas Shrugged was one of his guides in life".

So in the spirit of Atlas Shrugged, I'd like to thank you, Steve Jobs, for all the value you've added to my life. I know you did it for yourself, not for me -- and it is for that I thank you.

[Paul Hsieh is a physician in practice in the south Denver metro area.]

Another American Thinker blog post...from here.

A Reason for Hope?

How Europeans Invented the Modern World.

(It's a wonder American Thinker isn't afraid to even print those words in that order..
....oh....the RACISM of it all!)

What's most interesting to me is the following sentence at the very end of the article:

"Thus the world was transformed -- not by philosophers, scientists, or politicians, but by engineers, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs."

Since there is nothing less practical or able to deal directly with the material world as it really is than a Progressive, and since they are over-represented in exactly those areas that are less successful in actually "transforming" worlds: philosophy, science, politics, academia, media, and almost not represented at all in those fields that have proven to be the most effective in transforming the world: engineers, craftsmen and entrepreneurs....I am filled with something like hope.

Nice for a change.

The Gunslinger

Denny's Scores!

One of my all time favorite commercials. This guy is the bomb.

"Listen, coffee and milk foam is not a meal. No offense, Mr. Chino, I'm not a fan of your beverages, but I sure do love your pants. Thank you, and good morning."

I laugh out loud everytime.

Shut up. I'm easily amused.

Who you gonna call?

Break the Matrix's Tom Mullen has a suggestion.

Make Obama Watch Ghostbusters

And after reading his essay...it makes perfect sense.

The Gunslinger, EOTIS
Para Bellum

Drug Companies "Agree".....?

What does this mean?

Why are private companies agreeing to spend BILLIONS of dollars to advance government policies?

What, exactly did they agree to, and what thug tactics did Øbama use to get them to agree?

Or...is this just another of ZerØ's lies?

Why in the world should pharmaceutical companies be expected to spend any money beyond producing and selling drugs?

And doesn't this really mean that the companies have agreed to lose money?

Who would do that....and why?

If they have done so, I guarantee you, they were threatened by the criminals in the White House; rank extortion.

We need to stop these thugs ....seriously.... we need to stop them now!

The Gunslinger

Suicide and Abuse

I suppose this was to be expected. Paul Starobin in his Divided We Stand essay did suggest that smallness in business as well as in nations is desirable for both freedom and profit.

But it is galling for any of us who have defended the free market...and business.

Of course, this is the very definition of fascism. Big business in bed with big government.

It seems we have two choices for any hope of a continuation of the life we have come to expect as Americans:

1) An underground, black/free market economy

2) Secession, which will automatically draw the entrepreneurs, the motivated, the risk-takers, the innovators, the inventors, and all "big business's" competition...the true capitalists, to the New American Republic—oh...and anybody who uses energy...and the best doctors.

The (OUSA) Old United States of America will be begging to borrow billions from us within 5 years. And we'll answer, "I don't think so, your credit sucks."

Just sayin'..

The Gunslinger

Hopey Changey the Little Green Car

Free Market Random Defense

I just had a random thought.

Even if you believe that capitalists are "greedy", it is absolutely true that government is capricious—because of the various and conflicting political agendas of politicians.

In an economic system, one of the most important things is knowing what the rules are...and what they will be in the future.

So...it's better to be able to count on the consistent "greed" of capitalists than try to operate in an atmosphere of insecurity caused by the capricious whims of a succession of conflicting interventions and rule changes imposed by government intervention or control of the economy.

The Gunslinger

Government Stimulus

This is an argument that failed to move democrats in Congress. But it's still a good one to learn. It's just nice to be clear on the issues...and it's good to be armed when the next Liberal moron tries to defend the Oboobery called "stimulus" government spending.

"Government stimulus bills are based on the idea that feeding new money into the economy will increase demand, and thus production. But where does government get this money? Congress doesn't have its own stash. Every dollar it injects into the economy must first be taxed or borrowed out of the economy. No new spending power is created. It's merely redistributed from one group of people to another."

Read the entire article here: Why Spending Stimulus Plans Fail

Oh....and join the Heritage Foundation. You can always find the truth and clarity there on all important issues of the day. It's even tax deductible....for now.

The Gunslinger

Freedom to Tyranny

"All of Obama's economic policies thus far are designed to drive America into full embrace of socialism. His chief means for this transformation: inflation. He is attempting to inflate the currency through two primary means: intense deficit spending, and pushing up production costs through union subsidization. In order to make these measures politically palatable, he cites FDR as an example of good deficit spending; he cites the credit crunch as an excuse for inflationary monetary policy; and he recommends unionization in order to boost wages. It's a beautiful strategy for purposefully trashing capitalism, all the while blaming capitalism for its own downfall. John Maynard Keynes, the liberal economist who championed government intervention during recessions, recognized Obama's inflationary strategy for what it is: 'Lenin is said to have declared that the best way to destroy the capitalist system was to debauch the currency,' said Keynes. 'Lenin was certainly right. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose.' Obama pursues inflation -- government devaluation of the currency -- with the zeal of the newly converted. His deficit spending will be financed either through higher taxes or through inflation. Obama says he will push higher taxes -- after all, he wants to appease the Chinese, who don't want their U.S. securities paid off with inflated dollars. But covertly, Obama fully intends on inflating the currency to pay of the massive deficit he has shoved through Congress. ... It's the same tried and true policy that created the Great Depression."

--columnist Ben Shapiro

A Hope and a Prayer

The Financial Post has a few words about the current financial/monetary situation.

Congress, this administration and the Fed have pushed us over a cliff...and all we can hope is that by some miracle, someone has put a net above the jagged rocks at the bottom of the ravine.

I sure hope there's a God that still thinks America is worth saving. 'Cause that's the only way we're getting out of this.

The Gunslinger

'Bam's Outrage

Oh my. Our Dear Leader is upset because AIG paid its employees.

The government willy-nilly and completely irresponsibly, passed out billions in "free" money to AIG (et al)—because it was "too big to fail"—without any accountability, strings, rules or requirements...and now they're acting outraged because AIG did what it does.

It buys and sells stuff. And it pays their salesmen for doing so—and how well they do it. And part of that pay is "bonuses" determined by contracts between itself and those employees.

Sorry Barney, Sorry Obie. I'm not engaging in your Class Warfare. I'm not going for your "be envious and angry at people who make more money than you do". I'm not going for your despicable attempt to turn American against American....citizen against citizen...while you, the government, which is totally responsible for this mess, and whose "solution" continues to make everything worse...now want to shift the blame onto the private sector, so you can play-act the outraged victim...and pretend with unmitigated gall, that you are speaking for ME.

You. Do. Not.

The Gunslinger

They Really Are That Stupid

This just cracked me up.

From Patriot Post who picked it up from James Taranto, at the Wall Street Journal, who was quoting the New York Times....who was the source of the original stupidity...naturally.

"From the New York Times: 'The local food movement has been all about buying seasonal food from nearby farmers. Now, thanks to the Web, it is expanding to include far-away farmers too. A new start-up, Foodzie, is an online farmers market where small, artisan food producers and growers can sell their products. Foodies in Florida, say, can order raw, handcrafted pepperjack cheese from Traver, Calif., or organic, fair-trade coffee truffles from Boulder, Colo.'

What a great idea! And why not take it one step further? Farmers could band together and form large organizations -- call them 'corporations' -- to grow and distribute mass quantities of food. Retail operations could be set up in every town; they would be sort of super farmers markets, or 'supermarkets' for short. Soon everyone everywhere would be able to buy local food from all over the world!" --The Wall Street Journal's James Taranto

But, James, then they'd be evil...

The Gunslinger

Free Market Solution

John Stossel has a nice, easy to understand analysis of the current "bailout" nonsense:

"Jim Rogers, the successful investor and author, puts it well: 'Why are we bailing out Citibank? Why are 300 million Americans having to pay for Citibank's mistakes? The way the system is supposed to work [is this]: People fail. And then the competent people take over the assets from the failed people, and then you start again with a new stronger base. What we're doing this time is ... taking the assets from the competent people, giving them to the incompetent people, and saying, "OK, now you can compete with the competent people." So everybody's weakened: The whole nation is weakened, the whole economy is weakened. That's not the way it's supposed to work.' "

Duh. The. Free. Market.

If only we had some way to educate the public in America so they would know these things! Yes, that's what we need, a system of education, so all citizens would have the basic information and knowledge to understand the issues, and make informed decisions. And so those citizens elected to govern would have at least rudimentary understanding of, say, the Constitution, and economics...

...what a Great Idea. Maybe we should call it....PUBLIC EDUCATION.

If we just had that, everything would okay.

I say we get on that.

The Gunslinger

Mortgage Meltdown = The Truth

Here's the definitive explanation of the reasons for the Mortgage Meltdown.

For your reference...when you find yourself faced with idiots who want to blame Conservatives and the Free Market, and perversely suggest that Socialism and Obama will make it all better.

Save your valuable breath. Print this out and make them read it.

I'm always thinking of you...

The Gunslinger

Share This...Everywhere!

And go here, for more great videos like Burning Down The House.

The Gunslinger

Fearful, Inescapable Logic

The question of why all the bailouts are not working to stimulate the economy can be summed up in one idea: Market Fears of Socialism.

Investors Business Daily clarifies in Investors' Real Fear: A Socialist Tsunami

And here's more from American Thinker: Obamanomics

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Which is, of course, why the Government stooges don't get it. Thinking is not their strong suit.

And it portends worse and worse for the future. The IBD forecast is based on Obie & the Democrats socialist agenda, and a Media that will do anything to advance it. We're looking at hard times if Obama is elected. I honestly don't see a way out.

Without the engine of the free-market, without oil, without innovation and investment, our future looks bleak indeed.

You cannot have a free society without a free market. They are mutually dependent.

I hope we can pull this one out. Whichever way it turns out, it will be the tipping point...into freedom or into serfdom.

We have been warned.

The Gunslinger

The Bowyer Bailout Alternative

Let's try fixing the Free Market by making it...uh, I don't know...free!

I know, it's a tough concept to intellectualize. Everyone knows that injecting more government intervention, controls, regulations, management, decision-making, price/salary caps, and taxes frees up the market much faster.

But just maybe, for once, we might want to consider an alternative.

"Abolish the Community Reinvestment Act. Forcing banks to make minority loans is the original sin out of which came the Subprime mortgage industry. Let banks decide where to loan; that's their job. Leave identity politics out of our credit system.

Do all of the above and I'm not at all sure that any bailout would still be needed. Before we subsidize these institutions, let's stop the things we are already doing to collapse them. Back to Hippocrates: First of all, do no harm."

The Gunslinger

Don't Let Them Fool You

The latest bailout is supposed to stop the imminent crash.

Why do we want to stop it?

To save our system? To save the country? To save our way of life? To save our American Heritage? To save our prosperity and financial institutions? To preserve the precious Free Market Capitalism—the greatest engine of prosperity in the history of man?

Problem: The bailout, especially as enacted by this Congress results in Socialism. The "solution" doesn't solve the problem. It's a doctor telling you that the only way to "save" you is to kill you.

What exactly is this "saving"?

What this will accomplish is putting the government in charge of our financial markets. Which means...putting them in charge of everything.

Well, everything that requires money, or credit, or loans.

And what does government do? Control, regulate, manage.

It was government that got us here in the first place.

It was not the "free market" that encouraged bankers to give loans to people incapable of repaying them. It was government interference and mandates in the mortgage industry that started this avalanche. Excuse me if I don't want the same assholes telling me how to fix it....insisting that they are the only ones who can.

Under "free market" conditions, no banker will loan money to someone who can't pay it back. It is only when the government forces him to, and then guarantees the bad loans—with taxpayers' (OUR) money.

"Government is not the solution. Government is the problem." Sound familiar?

If we go ahead with this bailout we end up with Socialism. The government—who caused this financial crisis—ends up in charge of the financial market. Forever. When's the last time government got its filthy hands on anything, and then let it go?

This isn't even creeping Socialism. This is in-your-face, all at once, free-market destroying, overnight power grab, instant Socialism.

We wake up tomorrow in a Brave New World.

Let it crash and burn. And then let the free market loose to clean up the mess. Let's not repeat the disaster created by FDR, and drag a crash into a full blown, decade long Great Depression...by letting government (control, regulation manage, tax) suffocate any chance of recovery.

As Al Gore is fond of saying: "The Debate is Over!" It has been proved without exception that the Free Market without government's invariably incompetent interference, is the fastest, best engine of recovery and prosperity. It creates competition, lower prices, innovation, solutions.

Big gobbling government, run by Liberal Socialists with Utopian agendas to "fix" the world caused this meltdown. Letting them destroy the Free Market is not the solution.

If things go according to government plan—which is always to grab more and more power...bailing us out of this crisis will only insure that we never again have a real Free Market and the prosperity it generates. We will end up with something like the staggering, stagnating economies of Europe with all of their attendant problems.

So, let's pass on this "solution" that requires we kill the Free Market in order to "save" it.

Politicians who interfere with the Free Market should lose their jobs. Greedy financiers who profited on bad loans by knowingly pawning them off on others should lose their money. People who bought houses they couldn't afford should lose them.

Lesson learned.

The Gunslinger

UPDATE: How about we consider some options? This might be a good start.
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