JoshWilson.org

(it’ll be worse. Sorry.)

Here’s what bothers me - if (when) Eric deCarbonnel’s and the rest of the contrarian economists are proven right, they will continue to be ignored. How bad does it really need to get before people start to believe that we are in big trouble, that Obama will not be able to save us, that the worth of our money isn’t important, and that government isn’t the answer (but freedom, the market, and personal responsibility are)?

There you have Canadian health care in a nutshell. After all, you can’t expect a G-7 economy of only 30 million people to be able to offer the same level of neonatal intensive care coverage as a town of 50,000 in remote, rural Montana. And let’s face it, there’s nothing an expectant mom likes more on the day of delivery than 300 miles in a bumpy twin prop over the Rockies.

Everyone knows that socialized health care means you wait and wait and wait—six months for an MRI, a year for a hip replacement, and so on. But here is the absolute logical reductio of a government monopoly in health care: the ten month waiting list for the maternity ward.

via teamforty.com

In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

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Excerpt from: The Life of Colonel David Crockett by Edward Sylvester Ellis

Several years ago I was one evening standing on the steps of the Capitol with some members of Congress, when our attention was attracted by a great light over Georgetown. It was evidently a large fire. We jumped into a hack and drove over as fast as we could. In spite of all that could be done, many houses were burned and many families made houseless, and besides, some of them had lost all but the clothes they had on. The weather was very cold, and when I saw so many children suffering, I felt that something ought to be done for them. The next morning a bill was introduced appropriating $20,000 for their relief. We put aside all other business and rushed it through as soon as it could be done. Read more»

When offered the choice between a warmonger who’s a reluctant socialist, and a socialist who’s a reluctant warmonger, I’m going to choose “neither” every time.

via Mises.org

Fannie Mae provides backing to mortgage banks, more or less encouraging them to make bad loans. Fannie Mae makes subsidized loans to mortgage companies when they are short of cash. Freddie Mac is a government mortgage bank that sells mortgages without the usual worry of making a profit, given its taxpayer backing. The government has taken over these two losing mortgage banks, and losses will be paid by taxpayers.

My take: there are two good reasons to buy a house - 1) To live there for a long time or 2) To rent it to other people. If you fall into one of these categories, it doesn’t really matter whether the price of your home goes up or down. What does matter is making sure you can afford to make the mortgage payments before you buy it. That’s also your lender’s obligation to their depositors (and an obligation that has been abdicated).

And, by the way, since when is everyone entitled to own a home? Owning property is a right, yes, but only in the sense that the ability to do so can’t be infringed upon; not in the sense that the ability to do so must be provided for.

via yourmonkeycalled

I’m really posting this as a reminder to me, however feel free to enjoy. Also, your monkey called. Go visit.

30 Seconds of Pillowdrome from Scott Simpson on Vimeo.

Opened for The Bittersweets tonight in Manitou Springs