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, February 19, 2016

Weasel Alert!

This article tells me all I need to know: The ugly art of Trump’s deals: A businesswoman reveals how she finally got Donald to pay his bills.

His projects are blazoned with brassy Trump logos, a number of which my sign company subsidized over the years — not intentionally, but that’s how it works: Among contractors, Trump is famous for not paying his bills.

His underlings drag you out, then singyou a song: “We’ve got staff attorneys; you pay by the hour. We can afford to fight. You can’t. Be a good guy. You’ll make it up on the next job!

Famous last words! I've heard them a million times. It's the inverse of "We'll make it up on volume." The bully and the fool personified.

Lobbing back reactions left me plenty of bandwidth to contemplate the oxymoron — literally, “sharp-dull” — that defines the man. He can’t see past his own aura, yet folks scramble to lard him with loot. What does he have? A black-hole force field that bends light. Solipsism as charisma.

Arrogant jerks are a dime a dozen. You don't do business with them. You do business for them. You have to sell a little bit of your soul to get involved with them. They know that. They're happy to take it...with a smile or a laugh.

He dismissed me: “Clerks take care of that.”
I've heard that line a few times as well. Jags are always above the details...like paying their bills. You don't work for a celebrity weasel for money...you work for the privilege of basking in his aura...or the slim hope that he'll bless you with a seat on his star ship.

Deals to a conman are never win-win. They're win-lose. And the pipsqueaks never win.

Incredible. There I am, thinking he’s called me in to discuss my unpaid bills, and he’s looking to generate more. “You want me to drop everything and fly to Vegas on my own dime?”

So brazen. So typical of the conman. Stun the mark by kicking the larcenous sting up a notch: "It's not about you. It's not about anyone else. It's about me. I'm selling you down the river. Why resent it? Be grateful. Enjoy the ride!"

When confronted by a weasel, honest men don't walk away. They run!