As it gets closer to the election and I listen to both candidates I have so many questions. Here are some of them. Comment away.
What can the president possibly do or control to fix the economy? He doesn’t have the ability to arbitrarily lower gas prices. Isn’t the slow down in the economy partially a result of too many lenders giving home loans to people who really couldn’t afford to buy one? And isn’t that a result of our national disease of “I want what I want no matter what”? Wouldn’t a leader be the one to help us understand that we have to fundamentally change the way we look at consuming?
Isn’t a part of the free market system the fact that companies and businesses go out of business when they have bad products, or charge too much or too little, or just make stupid financial decisions? Why should the government bail them out? How is that a free market?
Honestly, what can either candidate REALLY do to “fix the economy?”
P.S. Okay I don’t really any other way to do this. To the unknown commenter who tried to help me see that “my world is very small” - I don’t really know what that means or what you meant by it. Comment again and let me know more of what you mean.
7 comments:
It is very simple, OH! maybe not
for someone who lives in such a small world
by the way a FREE ECONOMY will not
work in the real world - but then
that is not where you live.
I find if hard to believe any politician can do anything about the economy, gas prices, terrorism or any of the other hundred issues they’ll have to address. Why? Because just like people buying houses, selling oil, or giving out loans they are only looking out for themselves. When I hear a politician say something to the effect of “they are looking out for middle class Americans” I turn the channel. Trust me; they are only looking out for themselves. Why I’m I so sure of that? Because that’s what I do. We all do it. Unfortunately it’s human nature to look out for a number one. I’m I proud of the fact I’m that way? Of course not! I try every day to put others ahead of myself. But I really like ME, so it’s hard to do. I’ve often thought about going into politics. I think government could use some plan old average citizens, as opposed to professional politicians. But I could never lower myself to constantly lie to thousands of people to get what I want. So no, neither presidential candidate can really do anything about the economy. Because they are just as self centered and selfish as the rest of us.
I think Kelley hit the nail on the head. It reminded me of one of Jesus' parables and what the rich man said when faced with an over-abundant crop: "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods." We've all been building bigger barns to store all of the stuff we've accumulated, when in the final analysis none of it will last--not the stuff, not the barns, and not even our earthly selves. A politician who would really state the truth--that our human nature and greed is the root cause of the problem--wouldn't stand a chance of getting elected dogcatcher, much less president. We each need to be accountable for our actions and accept the consequences, while at the same time extending grace to those who haven't been accountable and can't afford the consequences.
I don't think anyone can "fix" the economy. But here is another way to look at it from my P31 devotion this morning... What difference can one make? In a world of over 6 billion people, what can one do? In Jesus’ three years of ministry on this earth, thousands followed Him. Thousands needed Him. Out of the thousands Jesus ministered to, one mattered …
the one waiting at the pool of Bethesda .
the one leper who was healed.
the one woman at the well.
the one whose son died.
the one who touched the hem of His garment.
the one whose demon was cast out.
the one whose sight was restored.
One matters. One can also make a difference. One has power.
For me I choose the candidate that has shown in his life that he will make the choice to sacrifice for the "one's" his path comes across knowing that these "one's" can also make a difference in someone else's life. It is about where his "heart" is that matters when the bigger problems arise and his character will be shown.
"Think about it" where is your example of a failed free economy. It's not the USA since we don't have a free economy. I admit that I don't know all the examples of attempts at a free economy. Of the examples I know about they have never been able to withstand government interference. Is that why they don't work in the real world because we can't keep the politicians out?
There are however many instances of the collapse of centralized economies. The Soviet Union being the most notable. However, living in Europe is no great thing economically either. With tax rates up to 65 percent in some countries you are required to "love" your government or go to jail.
There are two enemies of the free markets. First, you have commandment number 9. Do not covet. Greed is one of the spoilers. It makes a CEO of say a company like Fannie Mae pay himself 100 million dollars while cooking the books. The next is commandment number 10. Do not envy. This is the one that makes all the less talented or less motivated people band together to punish the successful. Both of these enemies of the free market lead us down the path to socialism. Maybe that is why God thought up commandments 9 and 10. Those were his only real regulations of what could only be described as the earliest free market economy.
No President has enough far reaching power at this point to control the private sector, but we are heading in that direction. I used to be really frightened by that, but then I remembered that there has never been a President elected that came as a surprise to God. I have to trust that God knows what He is doing and that He did choose world leaders throughout scripture from many nations to fulfill His purposes.
In the end it seems to me as Christians we need to be wise stewards, generous givers, and remember that God ultimately owns it all and it is He who will supply our needs (Phillipians 4:19).
Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Bobby Mcferrin paraphrased Jesus when he said, "Don't Worry, Be Happy."
The only thing that a President or Presidential Candidate can do about the economy is complain about it, just like the rest of us. If you look at history, the economy is really very simple to understand: You make widgets. Everybody wants a widget. You sell bunches of widgets. You sell loads and loads of widgets. Then everybody's got a widget. They don't need widgets, but really like the one(s) they have. SO, they stop buying widgets. You fill up your warehouse with widgets. You have no more space for widgets. You have no alternative but to lay the widget makers off from work. NOW widget makers can't buy other stuff. Money get tight because everybody has all they need and all the workers are out of work. So you wait. The widgets that people have break or wear out. They love the widgets, so they buy more. The warehouse is empty. People want widgets. You call your workers back, or hire new workers since the other widget makers have hired your old widget makers. Everybody is making widgets as fast as they can. Everybody is working who wants to work. The economy booms! OH! I left out the effect that the President has. He buys a widget or two himself (or herself as the case may be) thereby encouraging the economy. NOTE: He didn't buy widgets when the "depression" hit. He already had three.
Now, he can make things worse by paying people not to work, or getting congress to increase the minimum wage. By doing those things, all that is done is to devalue the currency and negatively impact foreign trade. Of course, the Chinese can buy widgets less expensively if our money is devalued, but that eventually just make things worse here when widget makers want to buy American flags made in China and find them too expensive.
Regarding lenders and borrowers. If you make a bad loan. You know it's bad and the person who borrowed the money knew it was bad, because he couldn't afford it. So when the loan isn't paid, instead of making people responsible for there own action, we bale them out "for the good of the country". (Yeah, right.) And we reinforce inappropriate behavior. How many parents do you know who teach their children. "Now be sorry; don't work and you will be rewarded by the goverment." Well, probably very few. However, if you work hard, pay your bills, save your money and become disabled, you will qualify for Social Security Disability on the first day of the month following being unemployed, with an acceptable disability. In only two years, you will get Medicare, which pays for 80% of certain medical expenses AFTER you pay a deductable! HOWEVER, if you never work, you have no intention of working, you owe everybody in town and have never saved a dime and become disabled, YOU get SSI the first day that your disablilty is determined AND
Now, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Post a Comment