About This Blog

Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) was the greatest economist of my time. His greatest works can be accessed here at no charge.

Mises believed that property, freedom and peace are and should be the hallmarks of a satisfying and prosperous society. I agree. Mises proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the prospect for general and individual prosperity is maximized, indeed, is only possible, if the principle of private property reigns supreme. What's yours is yours. What's mine is mine. When the line between yours and mine is smudged, the door to conflict opens. Without freedom (individual liberty of action) the principle of private property is neutered and the free market, which is the child of property and freedom and the mother of prosperity and satisfaction, cannot exist. Peace is the goal of a prosperous and satisfying society of free individuals, not peace which is purchased by submission to the enemies of property and freedom, but peace which results from the unyielding defense of these principles against all who challenge them.

In this blog I measure American society against the metrics of property, freedom and peace.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Let's Face It: George Clooney Is Just Dim; YOU And I Are The Absolute Morons


This is George Clooney.

George Clooney is a popular, Hollywood actor, producer and writer. His net worth is reported to be $160-million.

Good for George. I respect an individual's success in the free market.

George Clooney is also a social activist. He advocates for gay rights. He wants "to stop and prevent mass atrocities" throughout the world, most especially in the Sudan and in Darfur.

Good for George. It's a free country. I'm against mass atrocities too.




George Clooney is also a political activist. He is wildly progressive and liberal. He supported Barack Obama in 2008 and is working to reelect Barack Obama in 2012. Both in 2008 and in 2012 he donated the maximum amounts allowed by the law to Obama's campaigns. He has also donated in-kind services to Obama, such as the use of his house. He is regularly pictured in the news media in conference with President Obama. Apparently, his donations have captured the President's ear. Just the other day he raised $15-million for Obama's campaign through one PAC or another. He's probably raised two or three times that amount for Obama and leftist PAC's in the last six years.

Bad for George. This is how we know he is "dim." But it's still a free country, even for dim bulbs.


These are Republicans, sitting in convention in 2008. They oppose Obama's politics, his social and economic policies and virtually everything he stands for and has done as President. They want with all their hearts to defeat Obama in 2012. They raise and donate millions to defeat the President.

Everyday I read political blogs written by committed conservatives who despise progressive/liberal/leftist social and economic policies. I am also such a blogger. My fellow bloggers and I would give our eye teeth to defeat Obama in 2012. Many of us also donate our hard-earned cash to that effort.

Last year George Clooney produced, directed, wrote and starred in a film called: The Ides of March. Ironically, in the film Clooney plays a naive political idealist who is disillusioned when the Presidential candidate he's working for turns out to be a pompous, lying, hypocritical, backstabbing, demagogic, political whore. The film grossed about $41-million dollars (USA) for Clooney and friends. Also last year Clooney starred in a film called: The Descendents. That film grossed about $83-million (USA). 

$124-million for two films. Not bad. I saw both films. They were very bad. Tickets for my wife and I cost me about $40. I figure in the last 10 years I've spent maybe $300-$400 bucks on films George Clooney had a hand in making. My wife's probably spent two or three times that much!

Clooney is a popular Hollywood figure. I assume many, many of my Republican and conservative friends and bloggers have contributed similar amounts to Clooney's Hollywood empire over the years. Be honest, folks. Republicans and conservatives go to movies too!

What are we thinking? By day we rail against Obama's reelection with heartfelt and intelligent rants. By night we stupidly give our hard-earned cash to George Clooney, so he can, in turn, give it to Obama's reelection campaign!


Folks, this is YOU and ME...

 Ludwig von Mises, Economic Policy, p. 9–10:
It is not the Hollywood film corporation that pays the wages of a movie star; it is the people who pay admission to the movies. And it is not the entrepreneurs of a boxing match who pay the enormous demands of the prize fighters; it is the people who pay admission to the fight.

3 comments:

LD Jackson said...

Great post, Sherman. Great point about how some of us are helping finance Obama's reelection campaign by visiting the movie theater.

When it comes right down to it, the liberals are fond of boycotts. They get in a big way of not using the products and/or services of a particular business. All because they don't like their politics. Maybe it's time we used a play out of their playbook.

Sherman Broder said...

Thanks, Larry. It is a high compliment coming from someone I respect.

I'm not usually into boycotts. But when a "celebrity" wears his politics on his shirtsleeve, or uses his celebrity to make my life more difficult, then I will refuse to patronize him.

I'll warn you, however. Your wife may not be on the same page with this. Mine isn't. She loves the movies and, I think, likes George Clooney...his acting, that is.

Still, she is learning to sacrifice for the cause of liberty. ;)

LD Jackson said...

Trust me, my wife and I are on the same page. We don't even own a TV, much less go to the movies.