STILLBlog

I'll go out on a limb here.

The economic zeitgeist is probably impenetrable, but I'll give it a shot. America is the only country I know of where its citizens run up monstrous private debts and triple mortgages, then complain about the state the economy is in. WE must take fiscal responsibility for ourselves. And the government, I think, needs to impose caps on prices and spending. We have allowed our runaway tank to drastically affect the world, and we must put an end to this. Obama's loan relief is a great idea, but we must realize this treats symptomology. The cause is out-of-control prices. Our paper currency is practically valueless. And we must take control of this train wreck.

So: back to the gold standard. Have our currency actually backed by something substantial, so that there are finite limits imposed on inflation and deflation. Find the instances everywhere costs are out of control, and stage a series of regulatory Congressional sessions that will culminate in the reining-in of spending practices across the board.

I don't mean across the board cuts, as McCain proposes. I mean across the board regulations.  I believe government is responsible to the people and must guide us - but not by spending more. By enacting fair controls.

A recent conversation with a colleague (a claims adjuster) underscores my point. I told him the real problem with health care costs is the preposterous salaries of health care providers.  He agreed to a point - but added that providers have to deal with the rising cost of malpractice insurance - which indicts the insurance industry and as always, lawyers. Further, he cited the costs of machinery and technology and real estate.... More indictments. They in turn are sure to blame their own bogeymen.

Another example: when I lived in Alaska (ah, it makes sense now, eh?) I was struck by exorbitantly high everything was. Even paper and lumber and products made from same. But why? Well, the mill owners had to be able to afford the new cars that were being shipped in from Seattle, and the car dealers wanted to afford the vacations out to Ketchikan to see if they really should lobby for the Bridge to Nowhere, and the Ketchikan fisherman wanted to be able to afford the newest video game designed in part by Alaskan geeks but with parts manufactured in San Francisco.... and so on.

Prices rise in this country because we want them to. I know that sounds simplistic, but truly, this is the reason. At least that's why they start to rise - then, when they spiral out of control, we disavow any responsibility and cry out to the Heavens - or Washington - for monetary relief, in the form of more spending programs.

We should even consider monetary deflation. Take a zero or two from the value of our bills. (Hey, it continues to work for Poland.)

I want to remind everyone that FDR provided relief by putting people to work, creating jobs, and not just handing out wads of cash. We must not only create jobs for people, and encourage the creation of jobs (jobs here on American land, and not overseas), we must create a mindset of national fiscal responsibility. To cite FDR again, he rose to the challenge of the times by leading his country into doing something bold, something heroic.

The time for boldness has come again.