Day: June 10, 2014

Ten Essential Economic Truths Progressives Need to Learn

Came across this article. I think #2 is the one that incenses me the most.

1) Government cannot create wealth, jobs, or income. Because government has to take money from somebody before it can spend it, there is no economic gain from anything the government does.

2) Income inequality does not affect the economy.

3) Low wages are not corporate exploitation. In a free country, people voluntarily accept employment, so all workers believe their current job to be the best choice from among their opportunity set.

4) Environmental over-regulation is a regressive tax that falls hardest on the poor.

5) Education is not a public good.

6) High CEO pay is no worse than high pay to athletes or movie stars.

7) Consumer spending is not what drives the economy.

8) When government provides things for free, they will end up being low quality, cost more than they should, and may disappear when most needed

9) Government cannot correct cosmic injustice.

10) There is no such thing as a free lunch.

H/t Lawrence

Metal Tuesday – Star One – Cassandra Complex

In the long tradition of selecting songs that are currently buzzing through my head, this week’s Metal Tuesday is Star One’s “Cassandra Complex.” This one rides the hard rock/metal line, and I keep expecting it to be on an 80’s animated movie soundtrack. It also keeps repeating in my mind.

Lyrics:

You are a beautiful woman in a beautiful world
but your world is gonna die
I have seen the human race
drop dead in the blink of an eye

You created this dream out of bits and pieces
filed away in your mind
you’re caught inside a fantasy
but we’ll find the truth inside

You gotta hear me out, though you wouldn’t understand
I came back to the past
I have come to save our world
time’s up, so we better move fast

I want to help you deal with the rage you feel
it’s still not too late
you created your own world
but it’s starting to disintegrate!

Cassandra complex, everlasting scream
we can change the future but we can’t change the past
Cassandra complex, ever-changing dream
we can shape the present but we can’t make it last

I think you may be right, I’m insane after all
this is all in my mind
I just want to stay here with you
leave the bad dream behind

No, I remember you now, guess I’ve always known
yes, it was me in your dream
I won’t accept that we cannot change
the dark future you have seen!

Cassandra complex, everlasting scream
we can change the future but we can’t change the past
Cassandra complex, ever-changing dream
we can shape the present but we can’t make it last

The planet is dying, pollution of sea and air
the people denying the death of the atmosphere
The planet is crying, the rape of ecology
the people relying on the rise of technology
and now they have to die!

Cassandra complex, everlasting scream
we can change the future but we can’t change the past
Cassandra complex, ever-changing dream
we can shape the present but we can’t make it last