Read-A-Thon (May)

I not sure what happened to April. I don't think I successful read any books. I just finished a book last night so I will share some thoughts on it while it is fresh in my mind.

No They Can't: Why Government Fails but Individuals Succeed by John Stossel

So I have to go on the record and say I have always liked John Stossel. You might even say I have had a crush on him. He was the man going against the flow and speaking his mind amidst typical media people who kind of acted like he is the crazy fellow they should try to hush hush. "Ah yes that's nice, good reporting but we don't really buy it." That is the impression I always got from Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs from their show 20/20.

That could be why I liked him. What he said made sense, and he sounded like my dad.

Having been without a TV or cable for almost 2 years I had no idea Stossel was no longer with 20/20. He now works for Fox News and has his own show there. It sounds as though he is really happy with his environment. No unions to worry about, no co-workers blatantly poo, pooing him, no higher ups saying you can't do this or say that. He has some freedom and that's is what a Libertarian like him really wants.

I have heard the term Libertarian before but I never really delved into what exactly that looks like. Presidential candidate Ron Paul is really a Libertarian running as Republican and during debates much of what he said sounded sensible but some sounded a little unnerving. After reading, No They Can't I definitely understand what Ron Paul is driving at and what Libertarians want. They want freedom. They actually want more freedom than a conservative like myself wants - which surprised me.

Libertarians want bare bones Federal government, they want the government to just do the things the Constitution lays out for them, postal system, defense, coining money and handful of other things. The list does not include providing housing, arts, NPR, subsidies for trains, farm and everything else that can't survive on its own, education, nation building in other countries, or healthcare. Some of this stuff is the state's responsibility and some of it yours or mine - the individual.

He made such good points about why everything the government touches ends up wasted, more expensive, failing and not the best that it could be. But if it were left up to individuals who are more motivated to come up with a better, more efficient and more cost effective way to do it things would be so much better - like our tax bills and our nation's deficit!

He touches on "Green" energy, chemicals in foods, education system, drugs, the cost of wars.
I don't like to hear talk of cutting defense spending because after all that's one of the few things Federal Government is supposed to do, but John cites case after case of flagrant, disgusting waste of our tax dollars that it almost makes me think the government needs a bunch of stay at home moms trying to survive on 1 salary to get a hold of the budget and tackle it like a woman crazy with nesting and due any day.
Case in point: "Uncle Sam" sent over 12 Billion in $100 bills to Iraq - no one can tell you where that money has gone. Vanished. That pisses me off.

Government run Education was a good chapter as well. Not really anything I haven't heard before thanks to  Waiting for Superman and having worked in public schools for several years. We dump tax money into public schools and they still fail. No amount of money is going to fix the failing schools or children until administration can fire bad or poor performing teachers and give raises to the exceptional teachers. Blame the teacher's union for that one. Warm bodies who pay dues is all they care about, not providing our kids with the best teachers. Believe me I have seen those teachers who should have been kicked to the curb. Instead they were coddled and moved around so they poor abilities effected less kids. Or they just stayed put and made more kids cry year after year.

Entitlements- The whole Social Security / Medicare thing is just a mess and the unsustainability will crush us.
Here is a quote that really got me, " Few of us realize, though, that most of us get back up to three times what we paid in, (SS&Medi.) and that our selfish sense of entitlement will ruin America much faster than foreign aid, subsidies for NPR, or foreign wars ever will." (p. 283) Did you hear that Baby Boomers!?

As a Libertarian, Stossel believes illegal drugs should be legal. True freedom gives the adult the opportunity to smoke pot if they want to or need it to combat chemotherapy side effects. Seeing these things legalized -as conservative and a Christian- aren't so good in my eyes and yet he made valid points to support his stance. He is pretty convincing...

Libertarians want freedom, that translates into free trade, capitalism, and letting the market make the necessary changes to protect people, and make them prosperous and keeping Government out. If this country did it with gusto no one could stop us! We will need to do something soon though because the American taxpayer can't keep up with the spending. Bankruptcy - it isn't a matter of if it is a matter of when.

I'll tell you, understanding the mind of a Libertarian will force me to look at the issues with a fresh perspective. How much freedom do I really want?

So get out to the library or your bookstore of choice and check this book out. What's really nice about the lay out is its broken down into bite-size pieces lasting a page or 2 as he looks at "What Intuition Tempts Us to Believe" and "What Reality Taught Me" making it a good book for busy people!