Things that Should be Obvious

I’ve been at college for a few days now, and though I have abstained from getting into any political debates, I’ve heard a lot of nonsense, thus far. Here I will attempt to bring common sense, reason or logic (whatever you want to call it) into issues, currently lacking them in the mind of the average American.

Oil Prices aren’t a result of Speculators

This is one I find the strangest, because it's hard to believe that if Speculators could drive up the price of a commodity, one as huge as oil wouldn’t be a problem, and after they chose one with a small volume of trades, Special Interest agricultural groups would have forced legislation through putting regulations on commodity trading.

For those not familiar, ‘Speculators’ trade contracts, where they say in the future I’ll be willing to pay you X for Y, for this privilege I’ll pay you a premium of a percent of X. Basically, they cannot have an effect on oil, because they trade derivatives of its price.

Or Oil Companies

I covered this in an article already. Here’s the gist of it: there is competition in the gas industry, so there’s no way a can be up the prices just to increase their margin.

If you walked into a super store to buy shoes and they were all basically the same, but one pair was $50 while the rest were $25 the company selling the $50 shoes would go out of business pretty quickly, unless it dropped the prices. Similarly, if the shoes were all sold for $50 a new shoe company could come into the market (and would to get the profits) and undercut the rest of the industry selling his shoes for $25 a pair, this would cause the rest of the companies to drop prices.

Minimum Wage Increases Unemployment

If the government decides to raise the price each worker gets paid, employers won’t be able to hire people who could do jobs that would be worth less than this wage.

It’s easy to understand.

Taxes Always Hurt the Economy

When you tax something you’re taking it away. This means, everything it could have been used for, buying food, buying a car, investing in a company, cannot be done. Also, because of compound interest, the economy as a whole is very worse off because this money was taxed away.

Taxation is Theft

How would you answer this question: What is income tax? Here’s how I would: The government forcibly takes your money. You may not think there’s any force involved because it is just withheld from your paycheck, but try not paying your taxes and you will see force pretty quickly.

With that established how would you answer: What gives the government have the right to steal from people who live within its borders? Your answer may be: because we’re a Democracy and we voted to give it that right, but then you would be incorrect.

The US was not intended to be a Democracy and the Founding Fathers mocked this form of government. It states explicitly in the constitution that the state cannot tax the income of the people. Unfortunately about 90 years ago a new amendment was voted in to allow this theft.

‘The Poor’ is not a class

Regardless of how politicians will pander it is important to know that the poor of this country are not a class, but are actually, for the most part, an age group.

According to Thomas Sowell’s great work, Basic Economics, the income and wealth differences of this country are very biased based on age. This makes a lot of sense, when you’re young you don’t make very much money, but as you gain experience and move up you make more money, and by saving establish more wealth.

The Rich are Taxed Enough

I will never get over this. There is no logical basis for taxing the rich more than others. This is literally the equivalent to making the basketball team who is winning at halftime put weights in their shoes – it is punishment for success.

There is Military Occupation Blowback

If the US goes into the Middle East and bombs countries occupies Muslim Holy Lands and kills 500,000 women and children, the Muslims will be pissed, and the bin Ladens of the world will take advantage of this to convince the ready to go to war.

This does not, however, justify more occupation and fighting in the Middle East, the opposite actually seems more suitable.

The current situation in Iraq is a form of Socialism

Let’s look at this logically: Americans are forcibly taxed so their income can be redistributed to the Defense (yes, it is DE-fense) and companies in Iraq that are making it a ‘democracy.’

So basically the money is taken from those with the ability to earn it to give to those who need it.

I believe Karl Marx said, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”

It is a contradiction to be, “Personally against Abortion,” but ‘Pro-Choice’

Other than the fact that a life is being taken, I don’t see a reason for being against abortion, considering this, there should no choice for a woman on whether or not she can take a human life, murder is illegal.

It is also a contradiction to be Catholic and Pro-Choice

Nanci Pelosi seems to believe there has been controversy in the Catholic Church on when life begins; this is probably why her book sold less than 3,000 copies in the first two weeks.

As a Catholic I’ve never met another Catholic who is Pro-Choice. However to put to rest any of this non-sense, it says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that life should be protected from conception, and it says in the Bible that it would be better for a man spill his seed into a prostitute than on to the ground.

Government Regulations are not really ever good

Let’s look at a few things that are regulated: marijuana, alcohol to those under 21, the speed of a car, the quality of roads, the quality, speed and locations in relation to first-class mail, airports.

Here are all of those regulations that have improved the situation: .

Therefore it does not make sense to be moderate on economic issues

Either one thinks government needs to ‘help,’ or that it will make things worse, there is no issue where one can use his philosophy to change his opinion.