The Economy

I have been, along with the rest of the country, concerned about the current economic situation.  I've made some attempts to understand the situation, and here are my thoughts so far.

I've lived in a socialist country-- the Netherlands (aka Holland).  Although people are people wherever you go, there are some clear differences between life in the Netherlands vs the US, caused by differences in government.

In the Netherlands people rely on the government to provide for most of their needs.  While this may seem lovely and charitable in a Robin Hood sort of way, the reality is that they have a disincentive to work.  Trying to find a plumber when your bathroom is spouting water can be a huge challenge.  Why?  After earning a certain amount each year, the rest is taxed 100%.  By the end of the year, most workers have earned all they are allowed to keep, so why work anymore?  For the common good?  Yeah, right.

If you need to go to the doctor, you have one choice only-- the doctor the government has assigned to your neighborhood.  (Think public schools in the US.  You go where you are assigned.)  Charming idea-- neighborhood doctors.  But what if the guy assigned to your neighborhood barely passed medical school? Oh well.  And since doctors are paid by the government a set salary, they have no incentive to actually cure anyone, no need to attract patients.  Whether you get better or not, they are paid the same.  And since their clients are assigned to them, nice bedside manners are completely optional.  (It may seem they are in the US, too.  But at least we have choices.  If Dr. One is a total jerk, we can go see Dr. Two.)  

So what does all this have to do with the US economy?

Well, I happen to believe that the government should govern.  Not run our lives.  Because I think things run more smoothly when the bureaucrats keep their paws out of the stew.  I don't want the government taking control of our companies, our money, and our lives any more than they already have.  In fact, if they'd back off a bit, I'd be thrilled.

If all this has been caused by debt-- families unable to pay their mountains of debt, homes going into foreclosure, companies failing because of too much debt-- then why would we want to pass this all along to our government?  If families, mortgage holders, and huge Wall Street companies can fall from excess debt, then so can governments.  And, flawed as it may be, I am rather partial to the US government.  I really don't want them to collapse financially.  And I really don't want to set a precedent for the government owning, and bailing out, private companies.  (Go ahead, say the precedent has already been set.  But if we've made a mistake in the past, does that mean we should keep making it?)

I'm relieved the $700 billion deal didn't go through.  To be honest, I'm disgusted with Bush's repeated grabs for more power.  An unnecessary war, NCLB, and now the government soaking up debt for private companies-- this has got to stop.  I think the $700B deal is an attempt to stop the economy from failing on his watch-- "Just patch things together long enough for me to get out of office, and then let them collapse."  We, as individuals, companies, and a country, have made some bad choices, and now we are facing the consequences of our actions. 

Rebecca

-who does, btw, support a resolution to the situation in Iraq.  We can't just destroy another government and an entire country and then go home.  We have to help clean up.