CATO notes that austerity measures in Europe have not worked up to this point, but caused a deeper recession.  The reason?  The austerity measures have been against private business and investment.  For example a tax increase on first time home buyers implemented in Italy has simply slowed down spending and investment.

So, now Italy recognizes that they need to cut spending by the government. Their new austerity package mostly focuses on cutting their government by several billions of Euros.

Here in the USA, we have also found that austere impositions against the private sector just slows down the economy.  Threat of punishment, more taxation, or regulation keeps businesses from expanding.  Such also keeps over $2 Trillion of money overseas.  Why did Apple pay less than 10% tax? By moving lots of its money overseas in legal loopholes.

Reality is, Medicare and Social Security are going bankrupt.  It is easier to fix them now, rather than wait until they go over the brink. Do we tell 80 year olds now that they cannot have a hip replacement, or do we tell their grandchildren that we cannot afford to deliver a baby or perform a life saving operation on a young person later?

Spending more money has not fixed the economy. As insistent as Paul Krugman is, the world is not going to forever lend us money to spend on everything and anything. Of course, he possibly gave the same advice to Enron. And his advice of borrowing more and more, and entering into greater and greater debt worked until everyone found out that the Emperor had no clothes, and the collapse came swiftly afterward.

It is time we return to small government and free markets.  Let’s insist our Congress and President go in this direction, or replace them.

CATO article

Here are some facts on the U.S. war on poverty. Most of these facts are taken from this paper here.

–The U.S. currently spends more than $1 trillion per year on anti-poverty programs. This is more than we spend on Defense.

–The U.S. has spent more than $15 trillion since the “war on poverty” was declared in the 1960s, yet the poverty rate is only slightly lower than it was then.

–There are 126 federal programs dedicated to the “war on poverty.”

–Spending on anti-poverty programs has skyrocketed during the Obama administration, yet the poverty rate is increasing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Book of Mormon lesson 18, Mosiah 12-17 on Abinadi’s preaching.  I compare him with Moses, and explain why the priests of Noah would quote Isaiah.

http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-of-mormon-lesson-18-god-himself.html

Read there / Comment here

This is an updated copy from one of the most popular Straight and Narrow Blog posts written at my personal blog. It has more views and heated responses than any other. Considering topics here converge on its subject, I thought it would be good to reprint.

The news at one time brought up the idea that, despite the large number of Mormons that support the current war conflicts, the members and LDS Church itself are skipping out on serving in the military. The implication is that Mormon are cowards, or worse. With so many of the recent commentaries on war and the military, they often start with Vietnam and ignore all other wars. To be fair, like most subjects the history of Mormons and the military is a complicated subject that can’t be examined in a sound bite. There are religious and cultural reasons for the diverse approach to military involvement.

Much of the attention on Mormonism these days comes from the media, hyped by Mitt Romney’s entrance into the presidential race. The focus on military matters had short attention with Mitt Romney portrayed as a Vietnam draft dodger. This would be a simple political attack if it weren’t for the way Mormons were used to create this image. He, like so many Mormons before and after him, passed on the draft for religious reasons. A mission to France kept him out of the draft and later he drew a high number at his return. Others have picked up on this and pointed to the whole idea of missions replacing military services as a way to get out of harms way.

It didn’t end with him, but has continued unabashedly by attacking his mission serving sons who some believe at least one of them should have gone to Iraq. Despite the rather badly worded way he explained it by saying his children are supporting the war by participating in his presidential run, Romney has expanded military support to include serving in a non-combat capacity at home or abroad. Many, including some conservatives, have rejected this idea believing that if you support a war then you or your children should join the military. For Mormons, that kind of a call to duty has never been clear. Read the rest of this entry »

This story in the Daily Beast is eerily similar to one posted on M* just a few months ago.

The title: “Democrats have bigger anti-Mormon problem in election than GOP has.”

The key graph:

Despite the media’s obsession with the alleged anti-Mormonism of evangelical Christians, the party with the larger anti-Mormon problem is the Democrats. According to Gallup, while only 18 percent of Republicans said they would oppose a Mormon candidate, among Democrats the figure was 27 percent. As if on cue, Montana’s Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer, last week volunteered that women would not back Romney because his father was “born on a polygamy commune in Mexico.”

To key points from your not-so-humble correspondent: 1)I and others at M* have roundly condemned, in the strongest language possible, Republican anti-Mormonism. 2)I actually think the Obama campaign has been relatively restrained in playing the anti-Mormonism card so far. I expected far worse and have been pleasantly surprised. I hope that continues. 3)There are valid reasons to oppose Romney related to his religion (many people I know just don’t trust and like people with his conservative lifestyle, and the criticize his lack of passion). I have no problem with that. What I have a problem with is disliking him because of his religion, and using it as a wedge issue, which is what the Lawrence O’Donnells and the Bill Mahers of the world do.