The American Economy in the Eyes of a Teenager

This powerful, thought-provoking post is from a very special guest blogger, my 15-year old son, Don Kyle.

The topic I would like to discuss today is the economy. In many ways it has impacted every single American today and what has been done to prevent it? Nothing!

My fellow Americans, this country was not based upon the founding principles so that the government can just spend all the money they want, or control all the companies and banks they want, and take the money from the very soul and heart of this country - the small business owners or the CEOs. No!

We must take a stand for ourselves because the fat cat democrats in the White House aren't listening. We need to show them that we won't put up with this anymore.

So Obama says he is gong to fix the economy but how? How could you possibly fix a dramatically declining economy by spending more and more money when we are running out of money?

I say to every American now that by supporting this man you might as well be a socialist or insane. Twenty or thirty years ago, they wouldn't stand for this kind of action where the people are being taxed left and right to help pay off Obama's so called perfect stimulus package.

Also, we as a country and as Americans need to consider what this will do for our kids ant their kids for future generations to come. If things keep going at a rate like this, they will be the ones paying for our mistakes. I f we put a stop to this now we might be able to save them.

I would love to keep going on about this ridiculous taxes or even the new cell phone tax but alas I haven't much time to speak but I wanted to leave you with something to inspire you and every American as a country to gain back that fighting spirit and that well overdue patriotism. I only hope that you can consider that if a 16-year old boy can be as enthusiastic as I, then maybe just maybe we can have a chance at turning this catastrophe into something amazing and that our economy will be booming just as it was in the early days.

Just remember its your kids' future and their kids. Don't make them suffer for a mistake we made. Fix it now.

To check out Donald's blog, visit....

http://bit.ly/YWa2V

Compensation Czar? How Bizarre... and Scary!

I listened in amazement to the radio broadcast the other day.

"The Obama administration has announced that Kenneth R. Feinburg will be the new Compensation Czar."

Compensation Czar?!

Did I hear that right?! It couldn't be! Not here in the 21st Century in the United States of America. No way!

And yet, the announcer said it as if this were just....normal.

Chills ran down my spine.

Did I miss something here? Am I now living in Soviet Russia?!

The term "Compensation Czar" should send chills down every American spine.

The alarm is certainly going off in my head: Danger, Will Robinson!

I am amazed that the American public is not outraged by this.

Have we become numb? Are we asleep? Not paying attention?

Is the American public convinced that "those rich people" didn't deserve what they were getting?

Do they believe that having government officials appoint someone to control the compensation of "those rich people" makes perfect sense?!

I fear it is the latter and that is what is most scary.

People - even smart people - just seem to be saying: "Oh well...I guess Obama knows what is best. He's so smart. He'll take care of everything."

I listened with amazement at the lack of discussion of this as I have gone through my business in the last couple of days.

Where is the outrage?

Where is the fear?

My fellow Americans, we are treading down a slippery slope indeed when the president of the United States - or ANY government official - can have direct influence on what ANY private American citizen earns in his or her role as an employee of ANY company.

Forget Separation of Church and State.

How about Separation of Business and State?!

The truth is that a significant reason the financial institutions and automobile industry is experiencing such financial woes is that Washington bureaucrats tried to tell the executives of these companies how to run their business in the first place.

In 1975, Ayn Rand warned us: "One of the methods used by statists to destroy capitalism consists in establishing controls that tie a given industry hand and foot, making it unable to solve its problems, then declaring that freedom has failed and stronger controls are necessary."

Indeed, government-dictated lending and union policies had a much greater negative affect on these companies than the compensation packages of a few highly paid executives.

These executives merely implemented the directives given them by government.

Now the government fat-cats come along and say "we see that you did what we TOLD YOU to do" but that didn't work. Therefore, YOU are to blame."

This is simply nonsense.

Did we all just step through the Looking Glass?

Is this country being run by a bunch of Mad Hatters?!

Wake up America!

I have no desire to live in a socialist country.

I'm scared.

I think I'll go watch Friday the 13th.

It can't be any scarier than the latest radio broadcast.

July 3-11, 2009 - Objectivist Summer Conference 2009, Boston, MA

Recent months have poignantly demonstrated the importance of philosophy in human life, as current events seem to spring directly from the pages of Atlas Shrugged. As most Americans look towards government to rescue them, ARI's conference speakers will showcase the alternative solutions offered by Rand's philosophy. Please visit the OCON 2009 Web site for complete information and to register for the conference.