Easter editorial: America needs to wake up

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Editor's note: The following editorial was written by Press-Register Publisher Howard Bronson Jr.

On this Easter, let's all sit back and look at where we've come from, where we are today and where we're going in the future and, hopefully, get back to our roots and ask for God's help in directing us through these stormy times.

For the past century, America has been the guardian and protector of freedom around the world. We have sacrificed blood and treasure to save Europe twice. We have freed the people of Bosnia. We have freed the people of Iraq. We have stood up against totalitarianism in Vietnam, and stood down the Soviet empire during the Cold War.

We are currently involved in a war on terror that was brought upon us because radical militants in the name of al-Qaida decided that we are the devil incarnate and need to be wiped off the face of the Earth.

We are the most generous country on the face of the Earth -- not only to our own people in remarkable charitable giving, but in an abundance of charity around the world through our foreign aid. We have been the economic engine of the world that has provided not only for the United States the greatest prosperity in the history of the universe, but the greatest growth and prosperity of any land.

We are currently at the most dangerous time in the history of this country. We have rogue states with missiles and nuclear devices that can threaten the world, and our response is to cut back our missile defense.

We have an economic downturn in this country brought on by politicians who are not motivated by the good of the country, but by their greed to be re-elected. Their behavior is just short of treason. Does anyone remember Karl Marx said that we would destroy ourselves from within?

Our economic troubles were brought on by a political class that, in order to buy votes, decided everybody should have a home whether they could afford it or not. It was a nice sentiment, but one that could only lead to a housing bubble when the bills came due. The result has been the collapse of the housing market and the economic downturn.

Now we have an administration whose dream is to install every social program that any liberal has ever dreamed of into our American way of life -- the same programs that have socialized and stagnated Europe's economy for years. The cost of these programs, as analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office, would take the sum of all the deficits run by all of the presidents up to this current time, and double it.

The game plan for this administration is clear: Institute all of these social welfare programs, run up a tremendous debt and then let inflation pay down that debt with our savings.

The net result will be that all the people who have worked, been responsible and saved will lose everything that they have accumulated. Taxes on our children and grandchildren will have to be so high to maintain these programs that the standard of living in this country will have to go down.

We are on the verge of possibly destroying the greatest experiment in democracy, free enterprise and wealth creation the world has ever known.

If ever there was a time to ask for God's help and direction, it's now. We need to pray for leaders who will step forward, tell the American people the truth and not just what they want to hear, consistently stand up to the lies that are told by others and be prepared to take the criticism that will surely come, but remain steadfast because they know that they are doing the right thing for the common good -- not only for this country, but for the world.

Once I was done reading it, I read it again--still in shock.  All I could think of was all the angry locals screaming "Amen!"  I decided I needed to write a response.  They probably won't publish it.  But they've published my letters before, so I thought it was my responsibility.  I want to share with the Cafe Community what I wrote.  At least here, I know my work won't be cast aside as liberal bullshit.

Mr. Bronson,

This morning I read your editorial.  I take issue with the two central premises and the conclusion.  Premise 1: The administration's game plan is to "run up tremendous debt and then let inflation pay down that debt with our savings."  You misconstrue the purpose.  Have you seen the unemployment numbers?  We are near 9% right now, and that only takes into account those who report themselves as unemployed to the federal government.  That ignores those who have given up looking for work, those who are under worked--wanting to work more, and those who simply have not officially claimed themselves jobless. 

What you neglect is that free market principles assume full employment.  Without full employment, concepts like 'debt', 'savings', and 'inflation' are worthless.  If unemployment continues to grow, then the customer will continue to withdraw.  If the customer continues to withdraw then more and more businesses will be unable to maintain their employee's wages.  This degeneration produces a cycle which--if not attacked by tremendous force--will spell the end of our social fabric.  Inflation ought not be your primary concern.  If unemployment spirals out of control, then it is deflation which you ought to fear.  As demand for goods and services becomes more and more unaffordable, businesses will be forced to lower prices further and further.  The result will be a supply of goods and services worth near nothing.  Government spending, therefore, is an absolute necessity.  You may disagree with the way in which the administration is spending--and that is fair, but that they are spending unprecedented amounts is quite rational.

Premise 2: "the net result will be that all the people who have worked, been responsible and saved will lose everything that they have accumulated."  Again, you assume that inflation is the great threat.  You must remember that the great threat--because of unemployment--is deflation.  If the government does not spend unprecedented amounts, then the value of all our goods and services will plummet.  If that happens, then everything all the people have accumulated will be worthless anyway!

Conclusion: "pray for leaders who will step forward, tell the American people the truth and not just what they want to hear."  Well then let me start.  The law of supply and demand is the foundation of free market theory.  When demand drops to dangerous levels, the market drops to dangerous levels.  The most rational option, then, is to supply demand.  And the federal government is the only entity which can do that right now.  Once unemployment is under control, then entrepreneurship can retake the helm.  But until that time, the federal government has to take the wheel.

Michael B. Hill