Economic Crisis: Blame Capitalism or Politicians

Politicians often find scapegoats for America's economic woes. It is rare - if ever - that they point the finger at themselves. Yet, the basic cause of the current severe economic problem lies in the machinations of government.

It is clear to even a casual observer that Congress has abused its power to tax and spend. It has taxed success to subsidize failure. It has purchased votes by enacting an unending stream of entitlement programs, financed by taxation, foreign debt and a progressive degradation of the U.S. paper dollar.

This cynical boosting of consumption at the expense of production has resulted in the American consumer now accounting for some 70 percent of United States GDP. By consuming three times what it produces, America has become the largest debtor in history. The Administration now forecasts annual deficits of trillions of dollars for the next decade. This is all the direct responsibility of Congress...

No, this crisis is not a failure of capitalism, but the result of a sustained attack upon our capitalist system. If we allow it to be used as a pretext for more government control, we will endure a 'lost decade' like the 1990s in Japan.

To avoid this fate, taxes must be lowered, especially corporate rates. Instead, we are increasing taxes on businesses and individuals. The government must cease its corporate bailouts which subsidize failure at the expense of success. Instead, we are now giving away money not just to failing giants, but to reward those with less efficient vehicles - when they didn't even ask for it...

It takes years to dissect the myriad ways in which the federal government cripples the economy. After all, politicians spend most of their time obscuring their true intent. Do your own research if you have the time and interest, but at the very least, do not uncritically accept the party line. Capitalism is to blame for the government's financial crisis like a house is to blame for an arsonist setting it aflame.

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My thoughts: The problems the economy facces will never be solved until politicians are more concerned with peace and prosperity than power and popularity.