A Libertarian Viewpoint
This post was written by Ricky, a long time Left & Right Politics reader. We’re happy to share his thoughts here.
As a libertarian, I feel that there is much to be done for America, particularly with regard to the central banking industry and the corporate welfare that we have been promoting with all of the big-bank bailouts. It is alarming to think that as a country we will accept the fact that we could let our government spend more than $100 billion to save companies that are using practices that do not work. This simply has taught the banks that they are too big to fail and that they can never do wrong and will always be propped up.
What does this tell them about how they should conduct their business? It tells them that they don’t need to change any policy and can participate in any business that reaps the fastest short term benefits imaginable. Companies that function on a short term profit model will always fail if they are not going to be considering what kind of incentives exist for the employees. The incentives need to be for rewarding long term growth options and not simply what looks the best for one year’s balance sheet.
If it weren’t alarming enough that we are subsidizing one set of the economy, we are currently planning on taxing another side of the economy by imposing artificial cap and trade incentives to actually not produce anything! A cap and trade law designed to limit carbon emissions to attempt to address the “global warming” that is being plastered across newspapers and media to distract from the serious issues affecting our economy. If there is in fact a global warming problem, companies will be jumping at the opportunity to create a solution as soon as it becomes economical for them to do so; not based on punishing them for their industry but rewarding them for their creativity in solving a problem.
The reason why there aren’t any companies at the moment addressing this issue is that it has not been sufficiently proven to be an economical detriment to our society yet the sentiment is that something must be done and it will be our industries that take the hit while our over-seas competition gets the advantage of unimpeded production. Lastly, the issue of the drug war that is costing our country billions in prosecution has done nothing but create criminals out of people that are doing something that has no victims except themselves. While many of the problems with drugs are societal involving addiction and poverty, the violence that is associated with the illegal trade would be quickly nullified if we were to legalize drugs.
As a stepping stone, the simple legalization of marijuana, a non addictive substance with less harmful side effects than alcohol, and free up millions in resources that could be used to reduce tax burdens on small businesses and actually create taxable industry within the united states by licensing marijuana growers, distributors, and retailers.
