Becky Quick and Joe Kiernan took Warren Buffett to task this morning on CNBC for his hypocritical stance on income taxation. Joe suggested, as has Governor Christie recently, that if Warren is so intent on paying more in income taxes why doesn't he write a check. Buffett's response: his writing a check would not solve our deficit problem.
Interesting answer. Neither would putting a surcharge on "millionaires and billionaires." Raising taxes on the rich would not put a dent in the deficit problem that the US faces. It doesn't matter whether just Buffett pays up or whether he is joined by his rich buddies. It won't move the needle.
So, why won't he write a check and show the way if he believes that is the "right thing to do."
Why? Because, Buffett is a hypocrite. He wants to appear to be the good guy, knowing full well that all he has to do to avoid income tax is shift his assets around and have no taxable income at all and pay no taxes whatever.
If Buffett wanted to pay more taxes, the route is obvious. As Governor Christie put it so eloquently: "shut up and write a check."
Buffett likes to hear the sound of his own voice, but he isn't about to share any of his wealth with the US taxpayer. Let others do that, says Warren!
Kiernan went on to query Buffett about his love for big government and having the government deciding winners and losers in the private economy and invest taxpayer dollars in the Solyndras of the world. What was Buffett's answer? "The US has the greatest industrial machine on the earth," said Buffett.
Buffett, like a lot of the far left, gives the free market zero credit for the US economic engine. To Buffett, the government is the be-all and end-all of American greatness. No wonder he supports Obama.
He should write a check!
Senin, 27 Februari 2012
Rabu, 22 Februari 2012
"The Rich are Bulletproof"
So spoke Meredith Whitney, bank analyst of some note this morning on CNBC. As Ms. Whitney described our current economic plight, she marched through one set of new regulations after another that are roadblocks set up to thwart the economic future of middle and lower income Americans, while noting that the rich are unaffected by all of the new Obama Regulatory regime.
Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Protection Agency are open assaults on the American middle class. It has now become much, much harder to get any kind of credit -- be it a mortgage, a home equity loan, a credit card, a pay day loan, whatever. The nanny state has decided that middle and low income Americans should take their business to the loan shark community. We've seen all of this before.
In the name of protecting middle and low income Americans, the Obama Administration has put middle America into an economic straight-jacket. Credit is the life blood of any economy, but by declaring war on those who issue credit to middle America, the Obama Administration is laying waste to the hopes and dreams of the average American.
It is a mistake to blame lenders when folks get in debt over their heads. Let people do whatever they want. People will learn. By declaring war on those who provide credit, American policy is making sure that people who need credit won't be able to get it when they need it.
This is one of the many terrible consequences of our new over-regulated economy.
Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Protection Agency are open assaults on the American middle class. It has now become much, much harder to get any kind of credit -- be it a mortgage, a home equity loan, a credit card, a pay day loan, whatever. The nanny state has decided that middle and low income Americans should take their business to the loan shark community. We've seen all of this before.
In the name of protecting middle and low income Americans, the Obama Administration has put middle America into an economic straight-jacket. Credit is the life blood of any economy, but by declaring war on those who issue credit to middle America, the Obama Administration is laying waste to the hopes and dreams of the average American.
It is a mistake to blame lenders when folks get in debt over their heads. Let people do whatever they want. People will learn. By declaring war on those who provide credit, American policy is making sure that people who need credit won't be able to get it when they need it.
This is one of the many terrible consequences of our new over-regulated economy.
Selasa, 21 Februari 2012
A Silly Deal
The Greek bailout announced overnight is ridiculous and will not avert plunging the Greek economy into chaos. It will only be a matter of a few months until this deal will create political conditions in Greece that will shake up the Eurozone. There is simply no way the Greek citizenry will abide this deal.
Meanwhile Merkel and Sarcozy will take a victory lap for nothing. Note that on the bailing side is the IMF, of which the biggest single donor is the US taxpayer. So, Obama has stepped the US into this quicksand and dragged the US taxpayer in with him.
No one wins with this outcome. But, it will look like a win to the politicians ... for a while.
The only apparent winners are the French and German banks. But, their victory is only temporary until this deal unravels as it smacks up against reality.
Meanwhile Merkel and Sarcozy will take a victory lap for nothing. Note that on the bailing side is the IMF, of which the biggest single donor is the US taxpayer. So, Obama has stepped the US into this quicksand and dragged the US taxpayer in with him.
No one wins with this outcome. But, it will look like a win to the politicians ... for a while.
The only apparent winners are the French and German banks. But, their victory is only temporary until this deal unravels as it smacks up against reality.
Sabtu, 18 Februari 2012
Myopia Reigns
A "Greek Deal" will be cheered by stock markets as taking the Greek issue off the table. But, does it? Will Greece honor the severe austerity embodied in any Greek deal? Not likely.
Politicians love situations like this. A patchwork solution that makes the long run problems far, far worse than simply ignoring the problem and letting nature takes it's course.
Greece needs a "workout," not a debt expansion and extension and austerity.
The Eurozone needs policies that promote economic growth and economic opportunity. European politicians are supporting policies that do the opposite. Default is not a bad thing. "Extend and pretend" is not a policy. It is a cop-out.
What is needed are two things: 1) a recognition that the high levels of debt in the Eurozone are not only unsustainable, they are unpayable; 2) the absurd "protection" and "entitlement" programs that characterize the European welfare model are inconsistent with economic growth and economic opportunity.
But, in the short run, the Tim Geithner mentality will reign, no doubt. A Greek deal is reminiscent of the famous "Emporer Has No Clothes" story. For a while, it works, but it has no chance of working in the long run.
None of this will matter for long as the Greeks will not live up to the austerity programs forced upon them by their politicians. The bailout will simply buy time for the present disastrous economic policies to continue unabated until discussion begins about the next bailout that Greece will need.
Politicians love situations like this. A patchwork solution that makes the long run problems far, far worse than simply ignoring the problem and letting nature takes it's course.
Greece needs a "workout," not a debt expansion and extension and austerity.
The Eurozone needs policies that promote economic growth and economic opportunity. European politicians are supporting policies that do the opposite. Default is not a bad thing. "Extend and pretend" is not a policy. It is a cop-out.
What is needed are two things: 1) a recognition that the high levels of debt in the Eurozone are not only unsustainable, they are unpayable; 2) the absurd "protection" and "entitlement" programs that characterize the European welfare model are inconsistent with economic growth and economic opportunity.
But, in the short run, the Tim Geithner mentality will reign, no doubt. A Greek deal is reminiscent of the famous "Emporer Has No Clothes" story. For a while, it works, but it has no chance of working in the long run.
None of this will matter for long as the Greeks will not live up to the austerity programs forced upon them by their politicians. The bailout will simply buy time for the present disastrous economic policies to continue unabated until discussion begins about the next bailout that Greece will need.
Kamis, 16 Februari 2012
Hopelessness for the Young in Europe
The New York Times has an excellent article today detailing the plight of youth in England. But, English youth are better off then the rest of European youth. Staggeringly high levels of youth unemployment, reaching 50 percent in some Eurozone countries, are creating a generation of drifting, aimless young Britons and Europeans with no economic future.
This is the natural outcome of government policies that guarantee the good life. The good life has to be paid for. The youth are victims of all of this. By making it virtually impossible to fire anyone, Europe has guaranteed mainly that no one wants to hire any young people. Why? If they don't work out, you can't fire them. So, why hire them in the first place?
Those who thought that the European model was the way to go or that every country in the world can "afford" health care for all of its citizens (and other "affordable" things that government can do), should take a good hard look at Europe today. It is a catastrophe and it is simply a question of numbers.
Economic recovery won't even do the trick given the arithmetic of the welfare state. But, economic recovery is not in the cards with government policies like this.
Take a hard look. This is America's future playing out before our eyes. It is easy to promise, and, for a while, it works. But, eventually massive debt and kicking the can down the road leads to economic chaos and disaster. Europe is paying the price for policies that keep the free market from working. The US is next up on this stage.
This is the natural outcome of government policies that guarantee the good life. The good life has to be paid for. The youth are victims of all of this. By making it virtually impossible to fire anyone, Europe has guaranteed mainly that no one wants to hire any young people. Why? If they don't work out, you can't fire them. So, why hire them in the first place?
Those who thought that the European model was the way to go or that every country in the world can "afford" health care for all of its citizens (and other "affordable" things that government can do), should take a good hard look at Europe today. It is a catastrophe and it is simply a question of numbers.
Economic recovery won't even do the trick given the arithmetic of the welfare state. But, economic recovery is not in the cards with government policies like this.
Take a hard look. This is America's future playing out before our eyes. It is easy to promise, and, for a while, it works. But, eventually massive debt and kicking the can down the road leads to economic chaos and disaster. Europe is paying the price for policies that keep the free market from working. The US is next up on this stage.
Romney on China
President Obama is likely to be re-elected by default. Mitt Romney, the most likely Republican nominee has penned an article on China in today's Wall Street Journal that is an embarrassment to good sense. Far from appreciating the significance of a China that has turned hard in the direction of free markets and away from the communist model, Romney has once again given voice to the know-nothing crowd.
Blaming China for American economic weakness guarantees that Romney really doesn't understand why the American economy is faltering. America's problems have nothing whatever to do with China and pretending that it does eliminates the possibility of promoting the necessary reforms to get the US economy back on track.
It becomes increasingly more difficult to see any real difference between Romney and Obama. That favors the re-election of the President.
Blaming China for American economic weakness guarantees that Romney really doesn't understand why the American economy is faltering. America's problems have nothing whatever to do with China and pretending that it does eliminates the possibility of promoting the necessary reforms to get the US economy back on track.
It becomes increasingly more difficult to see any real difference between Romney and Obama. That favors the re-election of the President.
Rabu, 15 Februari 2012
Fair and Balanced Trade with China
Once again, President Obama has shown a lack of understanding of the simplest of economic fundamentals. Yesterday he reiterated his argument that Chinese trade policy is what causes our balance of payments problems. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The problem that the US has is that we have no domestic savings, but we do spend a significant amount on investment (plant and equipment spending, for example). Where do the funds come from to fund our domestic investment, since every beginning economics student understands that savings must equal investment?
If we don't save, then we must "import" savings from other countries. China has a private savings rate that exceeds, by some estimates, forty percent. Since China has an excess of savings and we have a dearth of savings, Chinese savings are "imported" to the US. This is the balance of payments problem, not some issue with currency valuation or Chinese import controls.
No amount of China bashing will ever reduce the massive US balance of payments deficit. Only if Chinese domestic savings collapses or if the US increases its own savings rate will the balance of payments move toward zero.
It is worth noting that all of Obama's economic proposals actually encourage Americans to save less not more by promising to take care of their health care, mortgage problems, old age, ad infinitim. Why save? Big government will come to your rescue.
Their are good reasons why China should get rid of import controls and let their currency freely fluctuate in value, but nothing China could do, short of lowering their domestic savings rate, can move the needle on the US balance of payments problem. We created that problem by our own policies that encourage people to save as little as possible.
Obama is not the only one who seems not to understand this issue. Add Romney, Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump, Tim Geithner, etc., to the list of folks that don't understand this simplest of issues.
The problem that the US has is that we have no domestic savings, but we do spend a significant amount on investment (plant and equipment spending, for example). Where do the funds come from to fund our domestic investment, since every beginning economics student understands that savings must equal investment?
If we don't save, then we must "import" savings from other countries. China has a private savings rate that exceeds, by some estimates, forty percent. Since China has an excess of savings and we have a dearth of savings, Chinese savings are "imported" to the US. This is the balance of payments problem, not some issue with currency valuation or Chinese import controls.
No amount of China bashing will ever reduce the massive US balance of payments deficit. Only if Chinese domestic savings collapses or if the US increases its own savings rate will the balance of payments move toward zero.
It is worth noting that all of Obama's economic proposals actually encourage Americans to save less not more by promising to take care of their health care, mortgage problems, old age, ad infinitim. Why save? Big government will come to your rescue.
Their are good reasons why China should get rid of import controls and let their currency freely fluctuate in value, but nothing China could do, short of lowering their domestic savings rate, can move the needle on the US balance of payments problem. We created that problem by our own policies that encourage people to save as little as possible.
Obama is not the only one who seems not to understand this issue. Add Romney, Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump, Tim Geithner, etc., to the list of folks that don't understand this simplest of issues.
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