Review & Outlook: The New Lackluster - WSJ.com

Review & Outlook: The New Lackluster - WSJ.com

Some less than educated but highly politicized liberal wrote:

"History does not support your assertion that less government = higher prosperity.

If that were the case, then Somalia, with no government would be the most prosperous country on earth.

In the US in the 1960's and 1970's - one average working person could support a family with a house and car
That was with a lot of government vs. today.

The real difference is more one-way trade agreements & global labor arbitrage = less prosperity for the average American."

In response:

Ah, but do some math and check the percent of GDP taken by government!

Also, since the liberal education reforms and teachers unions have throttled and despoiled the educational system, the US now has a less-educated workforce (according to recent articles) than back a generation or more back.

And, if we have even more skilled and aggressive economic competitors, then, like with any business, one would think we would want to invest more in the economy to stay competitive. But no, not in liberal thinking. Instead, the US has said no cutbacks to expenditure programs like Medicaid and Medicare. These are consumption - not investments.

As for "less prosperity for the average American", Americans were told back in the 1960's and 70's to recognize that their outsized demand for the world's resources were something they should pay attention to. Now that other countries are demanding access to and a greater (more equal) sharing of those resources, many Americans may not like what this means (i.e. a change in US living standards); but, sadly, the politicians of the day (read; Obama, et al) haven't a clue (or choose to ignore) the basic economics.

Where are positive policies? Even a village idiot can see where liberal policies lead. But, as the old saying goes - "it's the blind leading the blind"; and, as Mark Twain would say, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."