FEEDBACK

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 482

Last week’s 2 Paragraphs column entitled “The Biggest Threat to our Country” received a great deal of feedback.* Thank you all, because the entire purpose of this column is to promote thought and discussion. So I thought you would be interested in reading and thinking about three of those responses. Here they are, and are forwarded to you with the senders’ express permission:

I. Allan L. Dollison, Esq.

I would add, for modern times, that the Soviet Union spent itself into oblivion primarily in an arms race (maybe Truman should have listened to Dr. Oppenheimer) and other expansionary Foreign Policy exploits (Afghanistan comes to mind). So, although many would like to believe it was Reagan’s tough talk that did in the “Evil Empire,” it actually was good old fashioned economics that really sealed the deal.

I, like yourself, have read and written much about our budgetary problems, and would add ‘lack of political courage’ or the inability to speak straight to the voters about the tough decisions that need to be made, as a real problem. (Thank you Allan!)

II. Sid Spinak, started with a story entitled “The Night Watchman,” which is:

Once upon a time, the government had a vast scrapyard in the middle of a desert. But Congress then said that someone may steal from it at night. So they created a night watchman position.

Then Congress asked how could the watchman do his job without instruction? So they created a planning department and hired two people, one to write the instructions, and one to do time studies.

Then Congress asked how it could know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly? So they created a Quality Control Department and hired two people to do the studies and to write reports.

Then Congress asked how are these people were going to get paid? So they created two positions: and hired a time keeper and a payroll officer.

Then Congress asked who would be accountable for all of these people? So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.

Then later Congress noticed that we have had this command in operation for one year and we are $918,000 over budget, so we must cut back. So they laid off the night watchman!

Then Sid asked for people to let that story sink in, and followed up by equating that story with the establishment of the Department of Energy during the Carter administration. Does anyone remember the reason why that department was established, Sid asked? Anybody? The Department of Energy was instituted on August 4, 1977 for the purpose of lessening our dependence upon foreign oil!!

So now, 46 years later, the budget for this “necessary” department is at $242 billion per year! It has 16,000 federal employees and approximately 100,000 contract employees. And look at the results! When the DoE was created our oil consumption from foreign imports was 30 percent. But today it is 70 percent! How is that for good results?

So we must understand that now the federal government in a similar fashion now largely controls our Banking System, Health Care and the Auto Industry. And guess what those results for those systems will be? (Good thoughts! Thank you Sid!)

III. Asaf Fulks

Bravo Jim! I agree on the problem, but demanding that government act in a fiscally responsible manner is not the solution. As long as the government is allowed to simply print its way out of any debt, this dilemma will not be resolved.

The solution is to end the Fed and back the dollar 100% by a finite commodity like gold or Bitcoin. Then we should force the federal government to fund its endeavors without using our historically ever-increasing taxation. Likewise, we need to end fractional reserve banking. A system of money created through debt is a house of cards that always fails, and the average citizens who act responsibly and save dollars are the ones hit the hardest. And the Fed is not there to bail them out like it does with major financial institutions. Look what’s happening with Japan now!

Besides dramatically reducing the size of the federal government, another more creative idea is to pass a law that if government officials are unable to deliver a balanced budget they all get thrown out of office and are ineligible for reelection. That should get the message across! But I confess that it may be too little too late as the interest payments on our national debt are set to exceed defense budget spending and are continuing to grow – to nearly a trillion dollars per year. This is unsustainable and the only way out appears to be through inflation and increased taxation.

We are headed for a socialist/totalitarian US. Is it too late for a Johnson/Gray administration? (Thank you Asaf!)

  • For those of you who did not read last week’s column, here it is again for your convenience:

In my view, the most dangerous threat to our safety and security is not the possibility of being invaded by another country, terrorist actions by any of the world’s radical elements, climate change or even nuclear war. Instead, the greatest threat facing the safety of our country is a weak national economy. Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and the Ottoman Empire were really not conquered by external forces. Instead, they overspent themselves to death and their economy imploded. That is a major lesson in history, and the Government of the United States of America has not learned that lesson. All unproductive expenditures of the federal government must be eliminated, and Congress should not be allowed during peacetime to spend any money unless it designates where that money will come from. These are matters of our nation’s security!

How can this be done? Well, we as taxpayers and voters must demand that our government return to financial responsibility — in every respect, big and small. For example, I received a really expensive brochure “Report to the District” from my congressman some years ago – naturally prepared at taxpayer expense. (You probably have received some of those as well.) Okay, fine, all congressional representatives do it. But that is no excuse. It had to have cost a lot of taxpayer money. So I sent him a letter and suggested that, if such a report was necessary at all, it be provided in the form of a simple and inexpensive letter. To his credit he wrote back personally and said that I would never again see such a mailing from him. (I took this as a positive sign, but maybe that means that I was simply taken off his mailing list.)

Fundamentally, it is up to us all to monitor all of our government’s spending. Every line item in our federal budget must be scrutinized as publicly as possible and the size of the federal bureaucracy must be reduced. This will materially reduce government spending. People must understand that government does not itself produce wealth. Instead it detracts from it by taking wealth from others. We can and must do better. We can regain our economic strength without withdrawing from our military and other obligations. But we must have a change in thinking and a change in approach. And it begins with us. You and I must cause that change to take place, for our Great Nation’s security!

Confession for the week: Two friends of mine can’t count calories, and they have the figures to prove it.

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.) Superior Court of Orange County, California 2012 Libertarian Candidate for Vice President

Please listen to our radio show entitled All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray as we discuss timely ssues and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches. The series has concluded, but you can still hear any edition On Demand at https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/3883. And, by the way, these 2 Paragraphs columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com. Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty. In addition, my new book with the same title as my radio show is now available at Amazon.com., as is my wife Grace’s and my new novel centered about School Choice entitled 2030 KIDS: We are the Rising Heroes of the Planet. Please read and discuss them with your friends, and send in a review.