An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Reason's Nanny of the Month
Image of the Day
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| Via Economic Freedom |
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| Via Voluntary Virtues Network |
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| Via Being Classically Liberal |
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| Via Dollar Vigilante |
Tweet of the Day
Obama: "We don't have a strategy yet" for dealing with ISIS. "Say it ain't so, Joe" Biden! Hillary Clinton snoozed through her 3 AM call.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) August 29, 2014
"If Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will.” - Obama, the man who has done nothing on the debt or entitlements.
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) August 30, 2014
With 40% approval, Obama is in denial: "the American people don’t want me just standing around waiting for Congress to get something done."
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) August 30, 2014
Don't confuse Obama's impulsiveness with principle; decisions outside the Constitution lack moral authority. http://t.co/7LcC4JmpPQ
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) August 30, 2014
"The global warming gang is like the Seventh Day Adventists who kept changing the date of the end of the world." http://t.co/2ptnRyXzNC
— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) August 30, 2014
Rant of the Day: Mike Rowe (HT LFC)THE S.W.E.A.T. PLEDGE”
(Skill & Work Ethic Aren’t Taboo)
1. I believe that I have won the greatest lottery of all time. I am alive. I walk the Earth. I live in America. Above all things, I am grateful.
2. I believe that I am entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nothing more. I also understand that “happiness” and the “pursuit of happiness” are not the same thing.
3. I believe there is no such thing as a “bad job.” I believe that all jobs are opportunities, and it’s up to me to make the best of them.
4. I do not “follow my passion.” I bring it with me. I believe that any job can be done with passion and enthusiasm.
5. I deplore debt, and do all I can to avoid it. I would rather live in a tent and eat beans than borrow money to pay for a lifestyle I can’t afford.
6. I believe that my safety is my responsibility. I understand that being in “compliance” does not necessarily mean I’m out of danger.
7. I believe the best way to distinguish myself at work is to show up early, stay late, and cheerfully volunteer for every crappy task there is.
8. I believe the most annoying sounds in the world are whining and complaining. I will never make them. If I am unhappy in my work, I will either find a new job, or find a way to be happy.
9. I believe that my education is my responsibility, and absolutely critical to my success. I am resolved to learn as much as I can from whatever source is available to me. I will never stop learning, and understand that library cards are free.
10. I believe that I am a product of my choices – not my circumstances. I will never blame anyone for my shortcomings or the challenges I face. And I will never accept the credit for something I didn’t do.
11. I understand the world is not fair, and I’m OK with that. I do not resent the success of others.
12. I believe that all people are created equal. I also believe that all people make choices. Some choose to be lazy. Some choose to sleep in. I choose to work my butt off.
On my honor, I hereby affirm the above statements to be an accurate summation of my personal worldview. I promise to live by them.
Signed_______________________________________ Dated____________________
Interesting conversation over on the wall. It was started by a guy called Jayson LaVictorie, who has posted a few thousand words about what’s wrong with America. He started with these observations, inspired apparently by my S.W.E.A.T. Pledge.
Jayson: “The 12 points are stupid. Corporate SHILLS don't want you to think (critically) of how the average worker of the United States are getting screwed over by the ultra rich! They don't want you to know that you are losing your jobs to people that are working for nothing or next to nothing! Why do they get freebies on Labor Costs, and Corporate Welfare, then bitch if the average American has to rely on Welfare? The Hypocrisy is overwhelming when it comes to the free market thought, which no one seems to follow! The free market has no room for corporate welfare!”
Hi Jayson -
Like many today, you seem to believe the poor are poor because the rich are rich. I do not share that view, not because I'm a corporate shill, but because I don’t find your arguments to be very persuasive. Name calling aside, I do not believe that I’m “shilling” for a corporation when I espouse the virtues of hard work and self-reliance. In fact, I don’t understand how anyone could argue with a straight face that such qualities should not be encouraged.
To be clear - I believe the world is a fundamentally unfair place. From what I’ve seen, it’s filled with people of unequal talents, unequal intelligence, unequal looks, unequal empathy, unequal luck, and unequal senses of humor. Some will agonize over the unfairness of all this inequity, and others will rise above their circumstances, no matter how grim. Personally, I prefer the latter group to the former. That does not mean I tolerate injustice or cruelty. I find those those qualities equally contemptible in corporations and individuals alike. But I don’t run a foundation designed to eliminate Corporate Welfare. My goals are to elevate the basic notion that hard work and personal responsibility are simple choices that we must all either reject or embrace as individuals. I believe this to be a simple truth, regardless of your race, gender, or tax-bracket.
That’s what the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge is all about. It’s not an attack on the poor or a defense of the rich - it’s an attempt to magnify the power that comes from never seeing yourself as a victim of circumstance. If you see that as a threat to your own worldview, cheer up. We live in a society where you have the freedom to rant and rave and call me all the names you wish.
Jayson: "I can't find the original Face Book page I saw it on. Anyways, I remember reading it and thinking oh, great the guy from Dirty Jobs has a great idea on how to bring jobs back to this country. I clicked on to the posting and then I get this 12 points list. What a let down. It pretty much blames you and only you on why there are only a few jobs for everyone to scramble to get, and feed their family with."
First of all, I realize it’s disappointing to be told that you are responsible for your own happiness, but if you need comfort Jayson, look around - you’ll find it everywhere. The country is full of programs and organizations that reflect your belief that other people are responsible for whatever difficulties you might face in life. Personally, I find that philosophy to be the opposite of empowering.Facebook Corner
Secondly, I didn’t write The SWEAT Pledge to create jobs - I wrote it because we currently have nearly four million available jobs that for whatever reason, people don’t seem to want. I talk with evil CEO’s every week who are looking to hire people that are willing to learn a truly useful trade. I assure you Jayson, the jobs are there. Maybe they’re not your idea of a dream job. Some require retraining and long hours. Others require relocating and hard work. But the jobs are real, and the opportunities to advance far better than most people realize. My scholarship fund was designed to encourage and reward people who are willing to get the necessary training to do those jobs. The SWEAT Pledge is there to differentiate mikeroweWORKS scholarships from those programs that only reward scholastic achievement, athleticism, talent, or need. I wish to reward something different. I wish to reward work ethic. That’s what I’m trying to encourage. If you believe that’s stupid, I guess I’ll just have to find a way to live with your opinion.
Jayson: "A free market economy is a market-based economy where prices for goods and services are set freely by the forces of supply and demand and are allowed to reach their point of equilibrium without intervention by government policy, and it typically entails support for highly competitive markets and private ownership of productive enterprises."
And where exactly, do you suppose this “free market” exists? Cleveland? Dallas? Los Angeles? Please. The economy is GLOBAL, Jayson. We compete with China, Germany, South Korea, and about 200 other countries that don’t give a damn about your definition of a market economy circa 1950. Wake up, man. You’re worried about corporate welfare? Fine. Me too. But do you understand that these corporations are competing with corporations in other countries that set their tariffs and trade policies and currency valuations and working standards with absolutely no concern for ours? You can blame the corporate welfare all day long, and rage against injustice and hypocrisy till you’re hoarse. But if you really want to see manufacturing return to this country, you might want to reserve some invective for the American consumer, who has made it crystal clear that the origin of a widget no longer matters. And you might want to think about what it’s going to take to fill four million jobs currently available. I humbly suggest the answer will involve the kind of work ethic embodied in my stupid Pledge.
Also - speaking of free markets, let me explain what’s happening with The mikeroweWORKS Scholarship Fund. I sell SWEAT Pledges (and all sorts of other stuff) to raise money for said fund. I also shake money out of evil corporations. Then, I then give that money away every to a particular type of person. So far, we’ve awarded millions. But - to be absolutely clear - we discriminate. And we do so without apology. Not regarding gender, or color, or weight, or looks, or intelligence, or star sign. We discriminate with respect to your willingness to work hard and learn a useful skill. I’d rather reward the right attitude, then subsidize the cost of a chip on the shoulder. To those people who have refused to sign the Pledge, I say "fine. No harm, no foul. Go find another, less discriminating b-list celebrity with a pile of money to give away. Or, better yet - go start your own Scholarship Fund, and administer the funds in whatever way you see fit."
And that's what I'll say to you - with respect. Seriously - why not form The Jayson LaVictorie College Fund? You could raise your own money from like-minded friends, and then write your own Pledge - one that absolves the applicant from any measure of personal responsibility. Think about it. A simple creed that helps you identify those special Americans who believe their best opportunity for success in life lies firmly in the hands of the government, the kindness of strangers, the generosity of their parents, or the munificence of the village. Anyone but the individual themselves.
Of course, if you go that way - you better have a robust endowment. You'll have applicants lined up for miles...
Mike
(IPI). Illinois’ active legislators will each cost the state budget about $180,000 next year.
What kind of perverse system reinforces the rent-seeking professional politician?
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| Courtesy of the original artist via IPI |
Not sure if I still understand completely. The US is against a worldwide tax system because they can make more money by basing corps in those countries with low taxes? Who's pushing for a global tax system?
No, the US has a worldwide tax system. What that means is if you make a dollar in Thailand after paying Thai business taxes, the US thinks you owe money to them, even though it provided no services for that income. http://www.liftamericacoalition.org/territorial-and-worldwide-tax-systems-in-the-oecd/
If I understand correctly, the US (and who else... EU/NATO) is pushing a global financial system with little corporate tax by placing corps in countries with low tax rates, avoiding their profits from taxation here in US. BK moving is an example of that. Still not understanding the political cartoon though. Also, Ronald would you enlighten us? What is to be done...why are we still losing the fight to protecting public rights, is what they're doing legal?
No, you're flat out wrong. Burger King will continue to pay the same high US taxes on US income under either system. The inversion simply means under Canada's territorial tax system, Uncle Sam can't steal money on international operations. What Uncle Sam should do is lower or eliminate (preferably) corporate taxes across the board and relinquish tax claims elsewhere.
The cartoon is ridiculing Obama's self-serving claims of "economic patriotism" and "corporate deserters". There's an implicit accounting reference here. Laws generally allow you to deduct expenses like taxes paid abroad; what if, say, Japanese taxes were higher than US taxes? Do you get a US tax credit? No. But by maintaining artificially high tax rates, it thinks it has a right to tax profits elsewhere as if the profits were earned in the state. It's an economically clueless, counterproductive policy.
If all big business/corporations move out of the US, that would decrease our countries overall wealth and world standing. If that continues we will become a "ghost town". Maybe this is done on purpose, to spread the wealth?
No, inversions are being done because the US has refused to abandon its obsolete worldwide (vs. territorial) tax system. It doesn't mean that US investment is going away; however, globally noncompetitive US tax rates are a significant barrier to foreign corporate investment or expansion in the US.
The blame for BK, Walgreens, et al belongs with congress that created the laws that encourage companies to leave the country. Change the laws, and you'll stop the undesirable behavior.
Economically illiterate troll! The US is one of a vanishing number of countries still clinging to a worldwide vs. territorial tax system. And we are not even talking about globally noncompetitive tax rates that serve as a barrier to increased US investment. Burger King isn't going out of business in the US; it's simply acting in the best interests of its stakeholders to keep legal plunderers like Obama off foreign operations subject to their own local taxes.
Anyone with a modicum of Economics 101 knows that we should eliminate corporate income taxes, period. It's perverse to tax productivity.
(Jeffrey Tucker). Uh oh, it's getting ever more expensive to give up your citizenship. Discrimination against the poor! http://globalnews.ca/news/1532175/want-to-get-rid-of-u-s-citizenship-fee-just-quadrupled-to-2350/
Hotel California: "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave..."
(Citizens Against Government Waste). A new law that provides the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with $5 billion plans to help the agency hire additional health care professionals and increase salaries of VA employees to "make them more competitive with those in private practice and at universities."
Although the law itself allows veterans to seek medical care outside of VA facilities, is the additional $5 billion being allocated to create a recruitment program a good use of taxpayer money? SHARE your thoughts below!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/va-is-looking-for-a-few-good-doctors-and-nurses/2014/08/28/731c9556-2ed9-11e4-994d-202962a9150c_story.html?wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1
I oppose any government empire building. I agree that the government, whose meddling activities in the affairs of other countries has cost us immeasurable blood and treasure, should pick up the costs of those personal sacrifices, but I believe that the private sector can treat relevant veterans cheaper, better and more conveniently than a self-serving, misallocated, Procrustean federal bureaucracy. We need to privatize veteran care.
(Cato Institute). "While free marketers may be tempted to welcome legislation that allows ridesharing companies to operate, it is worth keeping in mind that as local lawmakers across the country try to regulate rideshare companies, there is a risk of regulatory capture and...a risk of ridesharing companies eventually using legislation to their advantage to stifle competition as technology continues to advance."
If I have to purchase commercial insurance for limo service so should gitney or Uber drivers. DoT physical, car inspection and background checks. Level playing field. Your personal auto insurance does not cover commercial use.
This is a pathetic, predictable, defensive cronyist, anti-competitive rant. In fact, I believe that the companies provide commercial liability insurance during ride sharing services, cleanliness of the vehicle and customer feedback are key considerations. What the cronyists try to do is to impose more Draconian conditions.
What we see is more innovations (e.g., car seat service and food delivery) than the dinosaur taxicab industry has provided in decades of self-serving operations.
(LifeSiteNews). German homeschoolers regain custody of children, vow to stay and fight for freedom
The idea that Germany can trump parental responsibility for the education of their own children in favor of State-dominated "education"/indoctrination is an abomination.
(IPI). Have you ever wondered why you can’t buy food on the street in Chicago?
Wonder no more — it’s Illegal to sell any prepared foods from a street cart in Chicago.
(responding to a sarcastic response by one of the resident IPI trolls)You confuse nativism with conservatives. True conservatives embrace the free market and the hard work ethic. As for the predictable Koch brother bashing, are you really that pathetic and predictable a "progressive" whore?
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of Henry Payne via Reason |
Billy Joel, "Hey Girl". A rare Joel remake (he also did "All Shook Up", which I recently covered). This was, according to Wikipedia which I often reference in chart histories, Joel's last major hit (on the adult contemporary charts) and marks the end of this series. Next up: Petula Clark.
