Freedom To Succeed

This ad, from Thomas Peterffy, tells his story of growing up in Communist Hungary and the threats he see's to America's future coming from within:


(h/t Ted Cruz's facebook)

On the Bible and Just Economic Policy

"Or unto governments, as unto them are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well." 1 Peter 2:14

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all mean are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happieness.  -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men..." United States' Declaration of Independence

"It is perfectly kosher to ask God for money.  If you are comfortable with prayer, go ahead and include a request for prosperity in your prayers.  What you are really asking for is for is the opportunity to serve your fellow human beings....  You can't earn an honest living without pleasing others." Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Thou Shall Prosper, p. 28/33

Yesterday, our pastor gave a sermon that touched on the Biblical precepts for a just civil government.  It included the passage from 1 Peter quoted above.  That got me thinking about bailouts, regulatory policy, and taxation.

According to 1 Peter, the purpose of civil government is to punish evildoers and praise those that do well.  Over the past five (or 100) years, our government has done the opposite.  Since 2007 (or 1913), our government has bailed out the evil and punished the good.

Small and medium scale entrepreneurs are both the lifeblood of our economy and the glue that holds our society together.  Unfortunately, these are the people who the late Bush/Obama administrations have hurt most.  Meanwhile, those firms large enough to afford a large presence in Washington have profited handsomely.

Consider the following examples:

• Bailouts -- I don't want to dwell on this topic, because it's infuriating.  Suffice to say that the one thing that automotive unions, green-energy boondoggles, health insurance companies, public sector unions, and Wall St. banks have in common is a large presence in Washington.  Meanwhile, small businesses are shutting down in near record numbers.

• Regulatory Policy -- There are plenty of examples of capricious regulation enriching the already powerful while impoverishing the entrepreneurial; EPA abuse and Obamacare get the most press.  I, however, want to focus on the 2010 financial reform act, commonly known as Dodd-Frank.  The Dodd-Frank law made too big to fail banks bigger than ever, with more risk than ever, and an implicit bailout guarantee.  That same law, meanwhile, will drive smaller banks banks out of business.  In other words, our government has rewarded the banks that did the most evil with a de facto cartel.

• Taxation -- Much like the bailouts and regulatory abuses discussed above, our tax code punishes righteous entrepreneurs while rewarding those who can afford a Washington presence.

This is not a complete list; I could write a book on this topic, but Sen. Rand Paul already did so.

(Sidenote: A very similar phenomenon exists in the realm of National Security.)

As 1 Peter makes clear, the purpose of government is to praise the righteous and punish evildoers.  As a practical matter, that means protecting our rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, then getting the heck out of the way.  Unfortunately, our current government does the opposite.  That's why we need to dramatically reduce the size, power, and spending of the Federal government, which will free entrepreneurs while making the big boy's Washington connections less valuable.  In addition to being common sense, these policies are grounded in solid Biblical truth.

UPS Echoes Mitt: You DID Build That!!!

Wow, this new commercial from UPS kicks rear:


(h/t Sunshine State Sarah)

EXCLUSIVE: Governor Rick Perry on Facebook's Collapsing Stock Price!!!

Governor Rick Perry released the following statement exclusively to Cahnman's Musings:

What is 'Don't-Want-Troublism'

Don't-Want-Troublism -- A condition, primarily effecting American Christians and Small Business Owners who, in the face of government assaults on their faith and businesses, refrain from acting in their own defense (to say nothing of going on offense to roll back previous assaults) because they're afraid to start or find politics seedy.

GBTV: The Third Coast

GBTV: The Third Coast

Mission Statement: To celebrate, encourage, and fortify those kids who reject national decline and who are willing to do the work necessary to reverse it.

How: Following Seven Texans under 30 through a dream summer on South Padre Island, TX where, unlike a certain other beach-themed reality show, they actually accomplish something.

Why: We need to inspire twenty-somethings to act like their best selves, instead of excusing them at their worst. Everyone is subject to internal struggles between good and evil; GBTV’s task is to encourage the former while downplaying the latter. Most kids want to do the right thing, but no one has shown them how.

Episode Structure: Each episode will feature the kids actually accomplishing something while simultaneously illustrating some quasi-political aspect of why America is so screwed up; to the extent that these kids drink and party, it’s to celebrate a job well done, NOT as the central plot element of the episode.

Sample themes:
- How to Pursue Your Dreams
- How Marxists Use Sex as Mind Control
- Teaching Young Kids the Constitution
- Starting a Business and Regulatory Compliance
- Crisis Pregnancy
- Designing a Self-Education Platform
- Border Security and Service Project for Brian Terry’s Family

Character Guidelines: These kids are going to be action-oriented, classy, hardcore, outrageous, and responsible. They will all have goals backed by plans on which they’re taking action. They’ll occupy various locations on the partying and promiscuity continnums, but none will be defined by these parts of their lives.

Character Archetypes:
- Hot, Blonde, Texas Alpha-Female (UT co-ed)
- Colt McCoy meets Scotty McCreary
- Charmingly Outrageous Right-Wing Rocker/Stoner
- A Minister’s Daughter
- A Black Dude; Iraq Veteran
- A Miranda Lambert
- An Entreprenneurial Homemaker