February 15, 2009
Oh my, will the love affair with Stimulus this and Stimulus that ever stop? Will the question of “why stimulus?” ever be asked? Will inquiry on the subject of “who benefits” from stimulus ever see the light of day? Will, and I will accept just one, any talking head, politician or financial wizard take the podium and give a complete, thoughtful and coherent explanation of the overall strategy being employed?
Here’s another “curtis-ism”;
The art of controlling dialogue is best expressed by structuring the format in which the dialogue occurs: were relevant answers can be summarily voided through preventing equally relevant questions from being asked!
The Challenge & The Problem:
The challenge arises from a fundamental requirement in any problem solving scenario: Identify the Problem! However, in order to identify the Problem, one first has to overcome the most daunting challenge of all: Admit there IS a Problem!
Our greatest crisis, as a Nation, arises from the lack of interest on the part of a Public which has pathologically shown no interest in good Governance. We have, instead, deferred to a self-serving form of lethargy (“practical-detachment”). An example of this ideology is in the case where we vote for the Politician that speaks or persists on/in areas that we find personally beneficial. Sounds, on the surface, to be quite reasonable, however, what if your interests are detrimental to those of another’s inalienable rights? What if, in the course of supporting a position you find personally favorable, you open the floodgates for further arbitration on the principal of what was formerly thought of as Ideal?
(Sidebar: Should we not be converging on the concept of what’s Best versus surrendering to a concept that is a synthetic derivative of what’s Tolerable?)
How then can this be a favorable outcome? For example: The Golden Gate Bridge District is responsible for the care and maintenance of this iconic structure. If you are an Administrator or Maintenance Worker employed by the District, your position might well (likely) be in favor of abundant benefits and compensation. Makes sense, right? After all, there’s no one saying you can’t and unless the Drivers want to float their vehicles across the “Gate”, you’re the only game in town! Well, here’s the problem: In the course of satisfying your indulgences, the Bridge Tolls have to constantly be increased and money, that should otherwise be set aside for maintenance and upgrading, instead goes to benefits programs. Here’s the greater problem: The primary purpose of the “District” was the care and maintenance of the Bridge and not the funding source of an Institutionalized Entitlement Program!
When there is no condition of conscience, there is no prerequisite insisting upon it!
This is a very simply example of the systemic reality of Post-Conscious America and its adopted concept of Government. Where good Government is and has become synonymous with Entitlement Government!
What does this have to do with Stimulus Packages? Good question, even better a good answer follows! The concept of Stimulus, as used by the Government, is absolutely no different than the example presented in the previous paragraph: It is nothing more than an Institutionalized Entitlement Program! These programs Stimulate no Economic Growth as they are not designed, as evidenced by the very environment from which they are created, to accomplish or fuel Economic Growth. It is important to ALWAYS remember:
Government, when left to self-interest, advances only the favor of those Interests!
The reason the Stimulus concepts will not work and have, historically, proven to NEVER works are directly related to, just a few for now, the following:
- Government dispensing of Stimulus funds is made possible by the creation of Debt. At best, it’s a zero-sum gain, more likely, it is a total loss. Watch the results over the next 12 months, tell me I’m wrong! By the way, it’s not that I’m so right, it is more so that this approach has always been so wrong. I read and study history.
- It is most often a total loss because Government has not “economic tension” otherwise known as, performance mandate. It has no success requirement. When failure is registered, it either expands the concept to conceal the failure or it absorbs the “failure” by merging it with another concept. An example of this is Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare and, if my crystal ball is clear, this will be masked once again by Government-run Health Care.
- True and persistent economic health is created (ONLY) from a vibrant “native economy” that is engaged in “regenerative wealth creating” enterprise which requires no less then 90% (“finished”) domestic sourcing. Anything less, is a negative-regressive economic yield. This is precisely why a “service based” economy is parasitic. It creates absolutely no wealth and consumes 100% of what wealth there is, just like Government. In other words, if you put five people in a room and tell them to create economic wealth by selling each other Landscaping services, sooner or later, four people will be broke and the 5th person will be looking for another room with five more people in it to sell Landscaping services too.
- The U.S. Government vaporized the “regenerative wealth creating economy” of the Nation through various Trade Agreement, Tax and other Legislative and Judicial Actions. Accordingly, the money being spent through various Stimulus packages has no “field” in which to “sow” its seeds!
- Where the money is going, whether it be in so called “bailouts” of the Financial Markets or in to the coffers of Foreign Central Banks (to stabilize the Dollar, or try to), it will amount to absolutely no result, at least not an Economically Viable Wealth Creating one!
If the plan is to have an Economic Result that Stimulates a truly “regenerative wealth creating economy” concept, then the U.S. is going to have to restore practices that are consistent with this outcome.
The first of which is: The Feeding Frenzy Must Stop!
In all ventures gained, resistance to progress was ultimately conquered! In all ventures gained, there was always a first step!
I believe we can do better than this!!!
Curtis C. Greco, Founder
