Remember that Nike left the U.S. because we buy their products at high volume, BUT the government taxes them extremely high and kills them with fees upon fees and more fees. Many different departments of government, not just federal taxes. Nike produces elsewhere because it's cheaper. They didn't leave to intentionally hurt our economy. If the US govt was more respectable, their taxes would be more favorable and they would create less waste and spend money more wisely (like a business would).

http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dil...

I think not having regular sex is the root of all evil.

that is because government and crony capitalists share power. Laws and Regulations are often the bad result of those kinds of relationships. Also, laws that have unintended consequences because politicians are not smart businessmen or special interests are the foundation. For example-something as innocuous sounding as FASB rules. you know, let's make sure we are all under the same accounting standards. seems reasonable. There is not one business that operates according to FASB. Now instead of one set of books, companies have at least two or more. One that is compliant with regulation reporting and one that is instructive for the business to make ongoing concern decisions. The FASB com pliancy costs US businesses billions-and not one of those dollars help them in their business affairs. Sarbanes Oxley. Passed under GWB, basically took the US from having the most companies in the world go public per year down to 7th or 8. Companies stay private due to compliance cost and risk. That is bad for every small company in the US. and larger companies not going public here? They chose to do it abroad. Much to the delight of Singapore and Great Britain.
I will agree with you that it doesn't take a brilliant banker to receive printed dollars at 0% interest and charge 2%. Would that all businesses have such an easy opportunity to aid in the destruction of the US currency.

I don't think the government should be overseeing the economy. But I believe regulation is needed to keep the capitalists honest. I've read Atlas Shrugged twice and just finished the first two parts of the movie, and there's no way I'd condone laws passed in the make believe world of Ayn Rand. We don't have those kinds of rules. If anything, business was allowed to run a muck and do whatever they damn well pleased. That's why we had the two greatest financial crisis in the last 30 years under Republican Presidents. The savings and loan crisis under Reagan and the banking and home loan crisis under Bush. The House and Senate were controlled by Republicans for the first six years of the GW Bush presidency. They also controlled both houses of Congress for the last six years of the Clinton Administration. They filibuster legislation that might actually help the economy.

Actually, the government did not force banks to make bad loans. They made them of their own choosing. All the government did was encourage them to make more loans to qualified people, who were being ignored because they were minorities or had never owned a home before. The banks were not forced to ignore bad credit and to give loans to people who could not afford to pay them back. They did that of their own choosing. I got a loan during that time and Chase ran me through the mill before giving me a loan. I don't blame the banks as much as I blame the loan brokers who brokered the loans, took their money, and ran.

The mistake the government made is that they guaranteed the banks money if they went broke. And of course, anyone who knows anything about government, knows the rules are made by those with the gold. You know the saying, "He who has the gold makes the rules." So any rules made by the government are there to help the rich and not the middle class or the poor.

The conservatives don't want anyone telling them what to do, but sure don't mind telling everyone else what to do.

Lastly, I did not say money was the root of all evil. I said it is greed. There are many wealthy people who do good with their money.

It has been pretty well accepted that the last financial crisis was the result of banks being forced by government into making home loans to people that could not afford to pay the mortgage. When those banks were then on the verge of collapse, they were recapitalized via tax money. It's more accurate to say the last financial crisis was the result of government meddling.

Assuming you accept the premise that government ought to be overseeing the economy, do you really think they have the brains to do this? Or that they will manage it without any bias to themselves or their friends? The fact of the matter is what you want is what we already have. We have a federal reserve whose entire mission is to keep inflation/unemployment/gdp within certain parameters. How's that been working out?

I find it ironic that I grew up in a country that was in a cold war with the Soviet Union and during those years I kept seeing examples of how superior the American economy was to theirs. In their centrally managed economy, one had to wait in line for bread, most people did not own cars, and they couldn't even grow enough food to feed their people - they had to buy grain every year from us.

Now that the USSR has gone into the dustbin, we have people in this very country arguing that what we need is more government control of the economy.

Do you own a business, dukerone?

Money is not the root of all evil. Greed and the desire for power is the root of all evil. The last financial crisis was the result of little or no government oversight. A diesel truck will blow up without a governor on it. The economy is the same. It needs to be within reason of course.

Entrepreneurs should be encouraged and rewarded for what they do, but just like they used to talk about benevolent dictators we need benevolent capitalists who are patriots and not just out for themselves. Nike produces products in other countries and still charges a fortune for their shoes. They could build them here and charge the same amount and make a little less profit. A little less greed would be helpful to everyone involved.

I bet Scott would have never guessed his post would meander into a bass players' discussion. lol
that's just the kind of crowd we are

Nope. I'm not a big Rush fan and so far no one else has mention them. Mostly we play Stones, CCR, Joe Walsh, Muddy Waters, ZZ Top, George Thorogood etc.

Cool to know a fellow bass guitar player. Got Rush? If you can't play YYZ and Force Ten, then you're just like the rest of us. :)

Perfect! If I still actively played in bands, I'd do that, too. Instead I ordered one to pin on my new pea coat. I also grabbed one of the "Official Atlas Shrugged Part II Promotional T-shirt". At $4.95, I couldn't pass it up.

great!

GREAT idea! The sign of a producer!

I have 1 pin and will order a couple more today. The one I have will be put on my bass guitar strap so I can proudly display it while producing.