The American Spectator

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Going for Broke

3.10.08 @ 12:01AM

DUE DILIGENCE
Re: Peter Ferrara's Is This What Our Economy Needs?:

The answer to the question posed by Peter Ferrara in the title to his article, "Is This What Our Economy Needs?" is a resounding NO! The HilBama economic programs are little more than the warmed-over, moldy old policies of the New Deal.

For anyone interested to find out what really happened, I highly recommend FDR's Folly: How Roosevelt and His New Deal Prolonged the Great Depression by Jim Powell. The subtitle says it all.
-- Gretchen L. Chellson
Alexandria, Virginia

Mr. Ferrara correctly predicts major problems for the economy should either of the putative Democrat candidates be elected this November. But, seriously, am I expected to therefore conclude that the solution is to elect a Republican candidate who advocates much of the same things? When McCain admits his ignorance of basic economics, as he has done, and asserts that he needs to study the subject in preparation for his ascendancy to the most powerful office on earth, this speaks volumes about what the future holds for this country. At age 72, one would assume that this man has already become familiar with economic theory and has positions that he has acquired and holds based on his life-long research. It is beyond pathetic that a candidate has to "crib" for the American presidency.

The record shows that McCain is driven by the same Marxist economic foundation and its modern "green" derivative that drives the Democrats. Any votes he might have made otherwise during his terms as Senator were mere political calculations, not matters of principle. Even now, his claims concerning extending the Bush tax cuts and reversing himself on illegal immigration is not to be believed. McCain is a bald-faced liar. How on earth can anyone claim to know that this guy would do anything other than what he has already done, which is do everything in his power to destroy governmental adherence to the U.S. Constitution and create an American socialist state. I will never vote for McCain. Regardless of who wins this November, this nation will be shaken to its core in a way not experienced since the War Between the States.
-- Harry Hill

Mr. Ferrara certainly has done the diligence on the economic disaster that will be the Obama or the Clinton administration. It is terrifying to contemplate what either of these two socialists will do to the country which is already struggling from overregulation and over taxation, however, there are many Americans who have not tumbled to the fact that these twin torpedoes are the agents that are sinking our ship.

For those who have not yet seen the light that Mr. Ferrara shines on the subject, I would suggest that they take a look at the economic history of the state of Michigan. No need to go back too far because it was not too far in the past that Michigan was one of the most economically prosperous states in the union. All one need do is look back just fifty years to see what has happened to this once prosperous place. Certainly the several oil crises of the last forty years have had much to do with the tragedy that Michigan's economy has become, but high priced oil is only one ingredient in the poisonous stew that is the economy of Michigan. Other factors such as vain attempts to drill in ANWR and off shore for oil, the blockade manned by the green morons against construction of new refineries, rapacious union demands and work rules, ever increasing taxation of manufacturing facilities by the tax and spend liberals now running the state, rampant crime in cities going unchecked until the normal citizens escape to the suburbs, and certainly some corporate greed by some of the big shots in the auto industry have combined to turn Michigan into a gigantic off ramp onto which businesses and individual families alike are jumping in droves.

This is what socialism does to prosperity. It is not a pretty picture, and it is a picture that is the same wherever it is tried. This is what our country will look like after the next Democratic administration and congress get through with it. Perhaps electing Clinton or Obama to the presidency is, in reality, a good thing. I guess it depends upon whether or not one believes that a society can come back from the economic winter that is socialism. I fervently hope that this next Democratic shock wave will awaken enough centrists to save the country, and on my good days, I believe that it will be so. However, God help me on my bad days!
-- Joseph Baum
Garrettsville, Ohio

Mr. Ferrara needs to wake up and smell the coffee. A substantial number of Americans are more than ready to embrace Nanny State government. They believe the country "owes" them something-for-nothing, even if that "something" is the largesse confiscated from their fellow Americans.

Have these unabashed Takers become a majority? We'll see in November.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

SHOW ME THE NUMBERS
Re: Nicole Russell's Purpose Driven Progressive:

Interesting thesis. To make it fly, you'd need data showing Huckabee voters casting their ballots because of the "progressive" elements of his politics.

Maybe it's there, but the Huckabee voices I heard were talking about the issues where Huckabee was inside the "conservative evangelical" mainstream -- or they weren't talking issues at all, they were identifying with a fellow evangelical, especially against the likes of McCain, whose past actions and rhetoric suggested he had no use for them.
-- Brad Bettin
Melbourne, Florida

Has Nicole Russell read the Bible's hundreds of passages about poverty and hunger? I don't think it's the government's job to alleviate these problems, but I sincerely question the familiarity of the author with her topic. Saying issues of poverty, peace and the environment aren't Biblical issues does a disservice to the scope of the Bible, methinks.

And contrary to what Ms. Russell and hundreds of others have written, Huckabee's so-called "nanny-state" tendencies have been grossly exaggerated. Yes, they are there in all their unfortunate glory at times, but his problems in this regard are certainly no worse than those of our current president.

Letter to the Editor

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