Saturday, December 10, 2022

D.L. Gardner: Costs & Consequences of Big Government

I like a lot of things Ronald Reagan said during his two terms in the White House. “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.’” He also said, “I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.”


Well, evidently the American people needed to be reminded again, and thus elected Joe Biden as president. Shortly after winning the election, one of President Obama’s aides recalled his observation of Biden: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to (screw) things up.” Poor Mr. Biden has been behind the eight-ball since beginning his White House tour.


As long as we’re talking Presidential quotes, we may as well remember one of the most prescient sayings ever voiced by a president inside the White House. According to Jared Kushner in his book, “Breaking History,” President Trump replied to Anthony Fauci’s arguments for lockdowns to “flatten the curve,” saying, “I’m not going to preside over the funeral of the greatest country in the world.” 


Dr. Fauci’s response to Trump’s resolve to save America from the “cure” for COVID was, “I just do medical advice. I don’t think about things like the economy and the secondary impacts.”


Let’s just say President Trump presided over some very bad decisions based on “the science” at the beginning of the pandemic, and President Biden has been earnestly trying to answer the question, “How much worse can the government’s response to the pandemic be?”


Our two-party system has spent well over $6 trillion in the name of fighting COVID. What are the consequences of borrowing $6 trillion to fight an otherwise flu-like pandemic? Closing down businesses, schools, large venue gatherings, i.e. “super spreaders,” and all enterprises and associations deemed “nonessential” like churches has had economic repercussions that will take years to reconcile. 


Inflation from January 2021 to today increased average American household spending more than $700 per month. Inflation will cost the same household nearly $9,000 more over the next year. And, don’t forget the CDC urged hospitals and other health centers to close services for elective screenings and surgeries. How many patients suffered from preventable but undetected conditions. Hospitals and health centers themselves suffered financially, as well as the professionals who worked there. 


Then the mandates began devastating ranks of employees who refused to be injected with an “emergency vaccine” with unknown adverse consequences including death. We’ll continue to reap those consequences for years if not decades to come. 


What else happens when the government shuts down the economy? Supply chains shut down. Consumer goods disappear from store shelves. Manufactured parts are hard to find and harder to ship. 


Yes, but unemployment is low … at least that’s what the government tells us. If that’s true, then why are the labor participation and worker-population rates so low? Many working women have dropped out of the work force because they’ve not found childcare for their children. Many 20-somethings have just moved back home and gone on unemployment.


How many ways have our children suffered? How have school lockdowns, masks, and mandates affected them mentally and emotionally? What are the costs and consequences of big government? 


Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicated columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at PJandMe2@gmail.com.

18 comments:

Don Drane said...

I like the article and agree with most all of it. But, on this statement he is wrong: "Many 20-somethings have just moved back home and gone on unemployment".

20-somethings (nor anybody else) who move back home, unless laid off and otherwise qualified, don't get to draw unemployment insurance. I'm surprised this man doesn't know that.

Anonymous said...

"In earnings calls, executives detailed how even as demand and profits rose post-vaccine, they passed on most or all inflationary costs to customers via price increases, and some took the opportunity to add more on top. Margins – the share of sales converted into profits – also improved for the majority of the companies analyzed by the Guardian.

Economists who reviewed the data say it’s more evidence of a clear reality:
Consumers are taking a financial hit as companies and shareholders profit or are largely shielded.

It’s obvious that corporations are trying to pass on any form of short-term pain they might be feeling … and that’s serving the top, wealthiest class instead of those in need of fair wages or products that are affordable."

DL is just a country bumpkin mouthpiece to regurgitate the drivel put out by Limousine Liberals and RINOs/LiberaLtarians who serve Wall Street, not Main Street.

There's a LOT DL conveniently doesn't know among basic facts.

Like how Big GubMint has passed on trillions in Corporate Welfare to the Already Filthy Rich, and neither he, nor RINO Roger or of course Wall Street's best friend Chucky Schumer objected.

Heck, this guy lobbies for more Restaurant Welfare, Farm Welfare, Big Law Welfare, and so on.

Totally disingenuous.

Anonymous said...

“Heck, this guy lobbies for more Restaurant Welfare, Farm Welfare, Big Law Welfare, and so on.”, would you give a link to verify that statement?

Anonymous said...

1:21: Inflation is not "short-term pain". For that to be the case there would have to be an equal deflation. I don't believe that's happened in my 60 years.

With a 10% profit margin a $100 item earns $10 in profit. With 10% inflation that same item sells for $110 and earns $11. It still earns 10%. Due to inflation the previous year's $10 profit is equal to the current year's $11 profit. There is no giant conspiracy of elites trying to stick it to Main Street.

It is always funny to hear someone who does not know what they are talking about (1:21) complain about someone (DL) who is making valid points.

Anonymous said...

Local FBI office seaking weasels to volunteer to rat out their neighbors for domestic terrorism, like attending PTA meetings, protesting abortion clinics, opining that democrats cheat votes or chanting "Let's go Brandon" at games.

The name of this crew of informers is something like: "FBI Citizen Academy". Don't know if graduates of this weasel academy get badges and whistles.

Anonymous said...

Gardner knows less about government than most people know about neurosurgery.

Anonymous said...

What is big law welfare?

Anonymous said...

Over 1 million people died in the US from Covid. It was not flu like. Gardner criticizes the government, but doesn’t identify alternatives that would have resulted in fewer deaths. Typical Gardner BS.

Anonymous said...

9:07 - Are you sure about that 1 million statistic. Our president said it was 100 million.

Anonymous said...

I doubt DL would be here if those before him hadn't be required to get a smallpox shot, been quarantined for TB , leprosy and polio and yellow fever....all by "big government".
I continue to be appalled that DL et.al. never bother to look at what happens economically after a pandemic that kills off 1 million "consumers" and kills or incapacitates workers.
I also love the hypocrisy that those who love home schooling think being schooled at home damaged children.
The damage is poor parenting or being too poor...the latter deserves the help catching up.
But those who could make sure their children completed and understood their classwork, that arranged creative video contact with their children's friends,that found outdoor activies for the family in and out of the home, found their children didn't lose a step, academically or socially.
They even went to church on Sunday in their living room, either with a computer or TV screen handy.
Some of you, like DL, have a cup half full and bitch about it rather than think, adjust and adapt to reality.

Anonymous said...

"What is Big Law Welfare?????" Dang, the rubes of Jerkson speak up. Son, YOU pay hella lot more taxes than you should because of the limitless "tax breaks" for the Rich. It's NOT just the 10 BILLION DOLLARS in Mississippi Farm Welfare, brought to you by lawyers and lobbyists.

Lawyers get Tax Breaks, too. (Imagine that, I serve on K Street or at a Hill law firm and get fabulously rich via tax breaks, too- hard to believe huh). Here's one example to spoon feed the middle class LiberaLtarians, just on Big Law economics (they don't seem to realize DL is an AG (Big Farm) ECONOMICS guy who knows Exactly what Farm Welfare is):

" Big Trouble For Biglaw Partners From 'Tax Reform'
The proposed tax bill hurts partners and helps associates -- who'd have thunk it?
by David Lat
December 15, 2017 at 6:42 PM
45Shares

The other day, on my way into the office, I bumped into a friend who’s a Biglaw partner here in New York — and who’s very, very upset. The cause of his ire? So-called “tax reform.”

The conventional wisdom about the Republican tax plan that was released tonight in final form and likely to get passed by Congress next week is that it’s “regressive” — i.e., that it benefits the rich more than the less rich. And that’s generally true, but with some important caveats — especially for Biglaw partners.

On the whole, partners of large law firms are pretty rich. In 2016, the average profits per partner at an Am Law 100 firm hit almost $1.7 million, and average PPP for “Second Hundred” firms, those ranked #101-#200 by revenue, clocked in at almost $750,000. Reasonable minds can disagree over what constitutes rich, but most folks — especially “ordinary Americans” — would view someone earning $750,000 or more as “rich.”

See Bubba? It's not just Jared Kushner or Chelsea's hubby who gets government tax expenditures (tax breaks, Corporate Welfare).

It's Big Law, too. See how easy it is to learn? DL proposed to object in 2017 to the Trump 2018 budget. Why? Cutting Farm Welfare Subsidies. He then was silent when that was, of course, cut by Wicker, Grassley and Dems Stabenow and Schumer.

Learn. Read. Challenge right AND Left wing money grubbers and extremists.

Anonymous said...

There were plenty of alternative treatments that were demonized by the government health agencies. The simple fact no treatments were used until the ventilator stage resulted in many unnecessary deaths.

I, was blessed to have a physician that cared about my health, and didn't follow the nonsense propaganda put out by those government agencies.

Anonymous said...

On the other hand, "alternative" treatments that have now been studied have been shown to be ineffective yet are still pushed by quacks. Example, Z Pak.

A doctor at a local Baptist clinic is still prescribing this for Covid, 2 years later. Last week. Fact.

Here's the American Academy of Family Physicians statement on Z Pak for Covid:

"Azithromycin (Zithromax) is the most consistently studied antibiotic for use in treating patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus; it does not improve mortality after 28 days or affect the clinical course for hospitalized adults with COVID-19."

It's one thing to be a skeptic, especially when it's a new disease. It's another to continue to ignore things that have data over a longer period.

CDC was politicized, along with the FBI, Dept of Defense, and DOJ, no doubt. But family physicians are not, in general. Yet some of our "good ole boy" docs have fallen for Bull.

So, since there's wiggle room for "less serious" cases, he still provides a placebo at best and a factor to increase antibiotic resistance and with side effects. Strong ones in the case of patients with the GI problems associated with Omicron. Pain with no benefit, cuz stupid.

Not taking medical advice from Ag Econ instructors or FaceBook epidemiologists or dope smoking steroid using podcasters. CDC ain't a part of that either.

You can be conservative, an ACTUAL conservative, and still use your brain.

Anonymous said...

Area man thinks he has things figured out.

553 words and he's still searching for the frequency that will reveal his grand unified theory!

Anonymous said...

You can also think you have it all figured out, and not know a damn thing. I posted something similar on an article when COVID-19 was ending the human race. I had it, tested positive for it, at least that's what I was told.

I know this body of mine, and I was on my way to being sick with something I have never had before. I e-mailed a copy of my positive test to my doctor. He promptly sent in two prescriptions to a Walgreens. One of those prescriptions was a Z-pack, the other was Ivermectin.

Those two drugs combined knocked that covid down. The fever that had begun to rage, that fever that no drug over the counter would faze, was soon down. I'm not the only one this was done for, they had similar results.

I'm elderly, diabetic, with heart issues. I was a prime candidate for a stay in the hospital on a ventilator, never to come out alive. GOD, give me a physician, that considered my health above the policies of the federal health agencies.

You sound like that rat tail cheese eater that lurked on this board, trying to spread fear, and the lies about the protection of masks.

You can tell your pompous, self-righteous remarks to someone else, I know what worked for me.

Anonymous said...

It's nice to know you cared enough to count the words. I'm sure the author appreciated that.

Anonymous said...

Ivermectin and four belly shots (two days after diagnosis) kicked Covid's ass for me.

I still take 5mg Prednisone (that's what a Zpac is) daily as a result of complications from two Moderna shots a year and a half ago. Will I ever take a booster? Not unless you tie me down and gag me.

Anonymous said...

I’m still amazed that there are still a lot of people who STILL believe the CDC and Fauci and think that inflation and our economic problems were caused by COVID, and not the government response to COVID. This is prime evidence that most people do not understand economics. You cannot shut down all commerce and create massive amounts of paper money and not reap the consequences. And don’t forget Trump is to blame for going along with that crap. He still hasn’t apologized for pushing the death shots.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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