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.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Why Obama Lost The Last Debate And Will Lose The Next One, And the Next One, And The Next....

Listen carefully to this YouTube video of young Mr. Obama and see if you can make sense of it. A transcript below is provided by "edricle," the person who uploaded the video.


BEGIN TRANSCRIPT -
OBAMA: I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot. How do we pool resources at the same time as we decentralize delivery systems in ways that both foster competition, can work in the marketplace, and can foster innovation at the local level and can be tailored to particular communities.
- END TRANSCRIPT


Mr. Obama seems to be searching for some kind of "trick" which would make the concepts of "private property" and "public property" have exactly the same meaning.

When an individual's mind is incapable of comprehending the principle "A is A," then no intellectual "trick" seems impossible. Then, literally, anything goes.

The problem is, when such a mind is confronted by reality, for example, by a clear-thinking opponent in debate...blank out!!

John Galt, Atlas Shrugged:
Whatever you choose to consider, be it an object, an attribute or an action, the law of identity remains the same. A leaf cannot be a stone at the same time, it cannot be all red and all green at the same time, it cannot freeze and burn at the same time. A is A. Or, if you wish it stated in simpler language: You cannot have your cake and eat it, too.

Are you seeking to know what is wrong with the world? All the disasters that have wrecked your world, came from your leaders’ attempt to evade the fact that A is A. All the secret evil you dread to face within you and all the pain you have ever endured, came from your own attempt to evade the fact that A is A. The purpose of those who taught you to evade it, was to make you forget that Man is Man.



2 comments:

John Galt said...

Very interesting two contrasting quotes from young Obama and from
my relative. I suppose that the revelation that he "believes in
redistribution" comes as no shock to anybody by now, specially not to
those 47% that are getting re-distributed.





Bu I always wanted to
know what he means when he says that he "wants to make sure that everybody's
got a shot." How
"getting a shot" squares with any economic theory or economic growth
policy that may make everybody better off? The only conclusion is that there is
no explanation, not even inside his own mind. It is just a tool to achieve
power.

Sherman Broder said...

I think you nailed it, John.