I'm a very efficient man. I don't like to waste time. And the reason I don't like to waste time is because I know I'm going to die. You only have a certain amount of seconds on this planet and if I can convey a concept quickly without much dialouge or ballyhoo, then so be it. I save myself time and my readers time.
So the concept (the quick concept) I want to convey to you is the theories of Thomas Malthus, an economist who specialized in the field of "limits." His particular specialty in this field was predicting the doom of man due to humans' ability to produce enough food to feed the population. He predicted, much like the fruit fly experiment we all did in high school, that we would produce enough food to cause a burst in population which would only be doomed to starvation as we produced beyond our means of nutritional support.
He was proven wrong in that advances in farming technology yielded more crops per acre that ever previously imagined possible and made starvation (at least in civilized countries) a thing of the past.
However, Malthus is not dead in that his theories will apply to our most recent economic crisis. Not so much in the way of farmers being able to produce enough crops to feed the nation, but rather producers producing enough wealth to feed the parasites.
In light of the record amount of debt the US has accumulated, along with the welfare bum, suburbanite princess entitlement mentality, subprime deadbeats, mortgage brokers, Madoff's, and oh, and this whole minor recession thing, I think we are at a turning point where a critical mass of the population is dependent. I know the term "dependent" is not an inciting nor exciting term, but it should be, because it means those who are "dependent" rely, or as I cynically, yet truthfully like to say, parasite upon others.
If you are dependent, then that means you're not independent. It means by default you rely on other people to carry your dead, fat weight in this economy (just like Caroline Kennedy). And whereas Malthus' concern was food production, mine is just pure simple economic production.
Though I have not run the figures, the macro-figures being posted about bailouts, as well as our cornerstone institutions showing themselves to be nothing more than parasites upon the masses, I think that there literally is not enough producers in this country to produce enough wealth to support all the people in the nation. And given the recent election of Barack Obama and his forever increasing amounts of stimulus spending, it not only convinces me the country is not serious (nor educated enough) about getting out of this recession, as much as they are about getting theirs and transferring as much wealth to themselves off this dead rotting carcass known as America. The only question I ask "where is all this money going to come from?"
Of course I ask myself the question rhetorically.
Socialists in congress combined with comrade Obama have eliminated any incentive to excel and produce the wealth necessary to bail out this economy (and I mean really bailout as in REAL economic production, not just transferring money and calling it a bailout, I mean like our problems would be over bailout). Obama and his socialist democrat ilk have done nothing more than promise to transfer wealth from one group of people to another to bribe the recipients into voting for them. Ergo, no real consideration has ever been given to how to actually increase the production of wealth as much as it has been to use a transference of existing (and dwindling) wealth for political purposes. Of course there are obvious shortcomings of this politicking;
1. With taxes going up on the rich (or as I like to say the "productive" or "employers") what incentive will the have to invest/create jobs here.
2. With wealth transfers what incentive with the burgeoning recipients have to get off their lazy, fat welfare asses and produce some kind of wealth (let alone enough to support them?)
I'm sorry folks. I know you like to believe that "America will always pull through." Or that if you "pray enough" God will save America like he always has. Sadly, the truth is nobody puts this country ahead of themselves and when you have a certain "critical percentage" of the population nothing more than a bunch of whinny, self-entitled, spoiled brat "Barack save me now" socialist parasites, your country is doomed.
Malthus will be vindicated. The trick is to not be around when it happens.
The question is... where to move to?
ReplyDeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteBut you're "preaching to the choir".
So, what do we do about it?
Let me start with a few suggestions, then every one add theirs.
1) That we encourage our family members, friends and neighbors to become producers.
2) That the Captain's message here get passed around the web.
3) Strongly oppose every action of those in power to worsen the problem. Like the backlash that blocked the amnesty bill, every expansion of government entitlements should be vigorously opposed. Put your elected officials' number on speed-dial.
Unfortunately, I'm afraid all is lost. We should have been rolling back the Great Society programs and the FDR New Deal programs during the Bush administration, instead they added to it. Furthermore with the Democrats firmly in control of everything, the Republicans still looking for a spine and the GOP still acting like Democrats-lite, I'm afraid it's all over until the next revolution.
Now that is the good stuff that got me reading this site in the first place - great post, I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. That is the kind of analysis and insight that got me reading your blog in the first place. It also sold a copy of your book.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the current political development is a natural result of having our countries ruled by unrestricted democracies. By unrestricted I mean that voters and politicians are able to behave irresponsible without facing any penalization. As that famous saying goes, a democracy lasts until people realize that they can vote themselves money out of the treasury.
ReplyDeleteThe reason for this is that economically optimal decisions are not in the short-term interest of the majority of voters, and our democracy is only focused on short-term results (since we elect every 2 or 4 years). Thereby our democracies exhibit exactly the same failure that has been attributed to shareholder-value optimizing companies.
Malthus will be vindicated. The trick is to not be around when it happens
This trick is difficult to pull off, as practically the whole world is engaging in those crappy socialist policies now. :-(
I don't mind all those dependent types out there, but I'm really frustrated that the "13th Amendment" thing keeps me from helping them in the way they deserve.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree 100 percent, Thomas Malthus has much to still teach all of us, including Socialist whiners, craven Democrats, wingnut Republicans, deluded Libertarians, Capitalist Nazi's (heh,heh - National Socialism?), Stalinist hippies and Beatnik Trotskists. Yes, and parasites, symbionts and commensals, too.
ReplyDeleteExcept for the unnessary ad hominim editorializing, this was a very good post... Jane, you ignorant slut!
Hugs 'n kisses.
Cap,
ReplyDeleteBehing the power curve here, but I wanted to chime in on this Return of Malthus post.
I can't find a thing to disagree with. However I do think that if things are as bad as you say, then the RATIONAL thing to do is "try to transfer as much wealth from the bloating carrion" into your own personal account.
To answer the queston "where to move to?" it's not a matter of Physical mobility...(unless you have a hyperdrive and can make to Rigel). It's a matter of SOCIAL mobility.
Look at South America...the upper class and the lower class exist in the same city, but have radically different lives and futures. Look at Manhattan for that matter. Wall Street power brokers just a short jog from crack hos and homeless junkies.
Look Cap, if we are moving towards a South American model of society/government...with a huge dirt poor, dumb as dirt, uneducated and unemployable working class, and a small powerful elete at the top...well then my job is to do my darndest to make sure that my kids are in the educated power elete. I need to make sure that I move as far upward as I can while social mobility is still possible. If the Barbarians really are at, or inside, the gates...and all really is lost, then the best possible move is to grab all you can on the way to the evacuation site.
If I want my grandbabies born in a hospital and not an abandoned warehouse somewhere, if I want my daughter to go to medical school and not become a street hooker, then I need to make darn sure that they (and to a lesser extent myself) get into the upper class.
There are certian positions that and professions that survive revolutions. The Military may guard breadlines, but they NEVER stand in them. Doctors allways find a way to get fed. Political connections never hurt either.
So Cap, with all due respect, give the people that are looting from the bloated corpse some credit. Maybe the cow was dead when they found it, maybe it wasn't but it sure as heck's dead now, so the smart move isn't to waste your time on CPR...it's to carve out all the steak you can before the wolves get here.
Cappy,
ReplyDeleteHere is my take on this 'not enough to go around ala fruit fly scenario."
When people are "unwilling" or unable to produce enough to take feed themselves, they simply resort to cannibalism IE eat the rich.
When there are no more rich left to eat, then they eat each other.
This is playing out in our economy where to unmotivated are dining on the motivate with Barry Hussein Obama as Head Waiter.
At least fruit flies allow themselves the dignity of quietly starving to death without gnawing on each other as the end approaches.
And the end is approaching.
I can hear the gnawing.
And now for the bad news...
ReplyDeleteAnd now for the bad news....
ReplyDeleteAnd now for the bad news....
ReplyDeleteJust a note here from Calgary.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to observe the ultimate decay of a population reliant on socialism and the nanny state, look no further than the Native Reserve system here in Canada. Thumbed under by Tribal Chiefs who control all the Federal largesse, Natives live in utter despair, children sniffing gasoline, (since model glue was prohibitted), alcoholism, rapes, incest, the absolute epitome of a people with no purpose in life. All the while the Leftards wring their hands, throw more money at them and can not comprehend the destruction they wrought. And so they and their culture atrophy. But the Social-Leftoids are right. If we bury them in enough "care", they tend to self-destruct.
This lady Obamateur gave the house to, I'll wager within 3 years there is nothing left of it.
I agree 100%. There was a reason only property owners were allowed to vote, in the early Republic. The idea was that people that pay the tax bill, would decide how to spend their own money. Today the people that receive tax money, have more political power, then a regular voting tax payer. Does anyone really believe agricultural subsidies will ever be reduced?
ReplyDelete