The Political Establishment and the Press? |
| Blooker Comments - Public Officials | |||
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The Suppression of Sound Economics  It is rather easy to criticize the political establishment. A glance at our current economic situation informs you that something fishy is going on. It is apparent that our beloved politicians have bamboozled us. Their policies of tax, spend and regulate ... policies presented as beneficial to the masses ... are reaping their ugly consequences ... the consequences of economic collapse.If you have watched shows such as "60 Minutes" and "20/20" (thank God for John Stossel), or even read the National Enquirer, you would think the press is proficient at revealing corruption and wrongdoing. The question I have is, why didn't they get a whiff of the bad economics the political establishment was foisting on its hapless constituents? Could it be most *reporters are ignorant of the basic laws of economics and are unwittingly paving the way for the collapse of our economic system? *For the sake of simplicity, the concepts press and reporters are interchangeable in this article. Correct Economic Theory The school of economics that predicted our current economic crisis is the Austrian School of Economics. Its trade cycle theory, as elaborated by Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard and F.A. Hayek, thoroughly explains our current economic crisis. It demonstrates that every artificial boom must end in a bust. Austrian economists practice the Real McCoy of economic reasoning called Praxeology. Praxeology is the science of human action and its better-known part economics. It starts its reasoning from a general premise that is known to be true and reasons to a particular instance of that premise. It is a deductive science. Now let me ask you, have you heard of the Austrian School of Economics? Are you familiar with Praxeology? Probably not. Why haven't members of the press informed you about correct economic reasoning? Will government ripoffs continue because you are unaware that sound economic reasoning proves that all government interference with voluntary exchanges worsens the situation? The Power of Ignoring All celebrities, except maybe politicians and religious leaders, prefer that reporters handle news stories concerning them in the following ways. First Choice: They present the celebrity in a favorable light. Most celebrities enjoy someone elevating their ego. It is human nature to prefer to be the recipient of adulation and positive statements. When you possess the overwhelming support of the press, life can seem quite blissful. Second Choice: The press presents the celebrity in an unfavorable light. It is reporting scandalous stories concerning the celebrity's behavior and actions. The stories may be true, they may be half-truths or downright lies. His or her reputation is on the line. The celebrity is probably dismayed by all of this negative attention but it is far preferable than the death sentence of the third alternative. Please Not This Choice: The press ignores the celebrity. What could possibly be worse for a celebrity than to be ignored. When the buying public banishes a celebrity to the graveyard of has-beens, his career is all but over. The press follows suit by ignoring him. The Political Establishment and the Press Ignore the Opposition The most effective way for the press to guarantee that nobody challenges the political establishment is to ignore all opposition ... act as if it doesn't exist ... effectively restricting the political games to its card carrying members. A perfect example of this is our most recent election. Besides the firmly entrenched Democratic Party and Republican Party, two other prominent parties were on the ballot ... the Libertarian Party and the Green Party. Who were their presidential candidates? Why weren't they included in the debates? Is it possible they may have revealed some important information to the voters ... information exposing the political establishment for the fraud that it is? Once enough people understand Praxeology, the science of human action, they will demand an end to all government intervention in the marketplace. Of course this doesn't bode well for altruists, do-gooders, world-improvers and politicians. The public would no longer depend on these groups of people to "solve" all of their problems. They would become self-reliant individualists. They wouldn't need politicians "helping" them by extracting their money through taxes and inflation. Many members of the press are intellectuals who love molding public opinion. If enough people became independent thinkers who molded their own lives, the services of these intellectuals would no longer be desired. Is it any wonder that the political establishment and many members of the press are bedfellows? They depend on each other. The political establishment needs the press to continually brainwash the masses into accepting the liberty violating system of government interventionism. And members of the press need the political establishment to retain their position of resident intellectuals. Conclusion In all fairness to members of the press, I don't believe the vast majority of them are purposely seeking the destruction of the American Way of Life. Except for some hardcore socialists and absolute moralists, most seem to be decent human beings. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for most politicians. However, that doesn't excuse their ignorance of sound economic reasoning. And it doesn't exonerate them for ignoring the only school of economics that used correct economic theory to predict our current crisis ... the Austrian School of Economics. About Robert A. Meyer Robert A. Meyer has been investigating and studying economics, philosophy, psychology and metaphysics for 30 years. For almost 20 years he has been involved in meditation practices to expand his power of reason and help him reach higher states of awareness. He also acquired a deeper understanding of human nature from his sales career. He is owner of The Libertarian Way website .
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