New Year Resolutions

Dean Baker gives Us somewhat of a Rant which should be read. The basic fault with his viewpoint lies in the fact All who write on economics have an agenda, even if they profess to have none–may actually believe they don’t. His presentation of a New Year’s List, though, makes me imagine I should provide one of my own. What can be dumber than provision of a List which must actually devolve into a cite of One’s own failures.

New Year Resolutions:
1) Actually read all the economic Papers which I should–only trouble being I have a problem with my Eyes, and the bright lights of the Computer bother me after successive hours on it.

2) Hold firm in my belief that most economic institutions survive because of their inherent success; and the crises reported continually are only the hook of Journalists; the existence of actual threat would lead to alteration of institutional operation.

3) Understand that American medical practice is among the worst in the World, simply because the Cost brings a failure of medical provision. There is Private provision of medical health care elsewhere in the World, but it is much cheaper than in the United States, simply because there exists the alternative of Public Health Care.

4) Realize that the Market resolves almost all economic issues. Discussion of those economic issues rarely provides Solutions to economic problems, and rising Standards of Living suggest that the self-same economic problems were and will never be that catastrophic.

5) Explain to Readers that the problems of the World arise because of demographics, not because of economic issues. We have an Ageing population, We have an increasing population, and We have an more Consumption-oriented population. We need greater control of Our Social agenda, not Our economic agenda.

I could continue with another five resolutions, but my Readership is probably getting as bored as myself. The main point to be communicated lay in statement that almost no economic progress will be achieved in the United States economy, until American health care Costs reduce to the average of other nations, somewhere in the range of Resource allocation as existed here before the advent of Medicare. This is not to say such Programs are totally at fault; it is simply to say We must control the Rent-Seekers. Otherwise, except for an overuse of Energy, the economy is in fairly good shape (don’t get me started on financial paper Inflation, and it’s destruction of real economic incentives). lgl