ECONOMY

     Despite the antagonistic claims made by its detractors, free market Capitalism has been the most dynamic force for modern economic growth in history. It has resulted in the expansion and widespread distribution of wealth and prosperity for generation after generation as a part of the incredible American experiment. The term “crony capitalism” has gained currency (pun intended, though it is actually a misnomer) as a way for leftists to frame an attack on the system and serve as a basis to promote more direct government intervention. A more apt reference to define our current environment would be “Neo-Marxist corporatism” where there is a mutually-beneficial and value-sharing symbiotic relationship between large corporations (i.e. Big Tech, Big Pharma, Big Media, Big Bio-Ag., etc.) along with universities or research organizations and the federal government far surpassing the cautionary military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned against. This present coalition or partnership is forging a behemoth capacity to pick winners and losers in the economic sector all the while seeking to influence the perspectives and consumer behavior of the American populous.

 

     Asa Conservative, my belief is that in order to improve our economic situation from the current state of economic decay and malaise in the United States, we must: 

1. End the overtly detrimental interventionist policies of the current administration from both fiscal (vastly over-spending the taxpayers money) and monetary (over-printing dollars) policies as well as burdensome administrative regulations;

2. significantly remove the federal government and its various agencies from direct investments in and collusion with ideologically-aligned corporate interests particularly within the technology and “green” economy sectors (i.e. Solyndra under the Obama administration and Proterra under the Biden administration); and

3. promote private investment in and eliminate restrictive government measures that hinder the vast expansion of domestic energy production from all sources. The pre-pandemic economy of the Trump administration proves how policies of deregulation and low taxes underpinned by energy independence, safe communities, thriving entrepreneurial pursuits, and abundant educational and career opportunities can positively impact the lives of every American across the socio-economic spectrum and from diverse backgrounds. 

 

     The national debt as it has surpassed 34 trillion dollars is not merely unsustainable, but it is fast approaching a precariously treacherous point where making payments on mandatory programs and the interest on the national debt will undermine the nation’s ability to maintain its effective operation and fulfill its core functions. We are living with - experiencing first-hand - and feeling the negative impacts of both the decrease in the purchasing power of the dollar as well as the significant increases in the prices for food, fuel and everyday necessities as a direct result from the inflationary pressures stimulated by the passage and expenditures of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) - beyond irony to agony. The elevated Fed rate increases the borrowing costs for everyone - from the family who needs to purchase a vehicle, to the individual paying down credit cards, to the mother who can no longer afford to purchase a home because of the prohibitive interest rate, and all taxpayers (present and future) as concerning the national debt.