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Thomas Sowell: Politicians in Wonderland
FrontPage Magazine ^ | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 02/02/2010 10:51:24 AM PST by Michael van der Galien

There was a recent flap because three different members of the Obama administration, on three different Sunday television talk shows, gave three widely differing estimates of how many jobs the president has created.

That should not have been surprising, except as a sign of political sloppiness in not getting their stories together beforehand. They were simply doing what Barack Obama himself does — namely, just pulling numbers out of thin air. However, being more skilled at creating illusions, the president does it with more of an air of certainty, as if he has gone around and counted the new jobs himself.

The big question that seldom— if ever— gets asked in the mainstream media is whether these are a net increase in jobs. Since the only resources that the government has are the resources it takes from the private sector, using those resources to create jobs means reducing the resources available to create jobs in the private sector.

So long as most people do not look beyond superficial appearances, politicians can get away with playing Santa Claus on all sorts of issues, while leaving havoc in their wake— such as growing unemployment, despite all the jobs being “created.”

Whatever position people take on health care reform, there seems to be a bipartisan consensus— usually a sign of mushy thinking— that it is a good idea for the government to force insurance companies to insure people whom politicians want them to insure, and to insure them for things that politicians think should be insured. Contrary to what politicians expect us to do, let’s stop and think.

(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemag.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Philosophy
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1 posted on 02/02/2010 10:51:24 AM PST by Michael van der Galien
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To: Michael van der Galien

Don’t you realize that Obama’s budget proposal is a “historic” attempt to control spending? He talks as if the budget has been cut. Its like he knows the media will report it as if its true.

And they likely will.


2 posted on 02/02/2010 10:56:39 AM PST by GeronL (http://tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)
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To: Michael van der Galien

62% of all statistics are made up on the spot!


3 posted on 02/02/2010 10:58:32 AM PST by brownsfan (The average American: Uninformed, and unconcerned.)
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To: brownsfan
I thought that it was more like 87%.

That's what I heard anecdotally, anyway.

4 posted on 02/02/2010 11:15:21 AM PST by wbill
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To: wbill

5 posted on 02/02/2010 11:32:54 AM PST by camerongood210
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