Baron Von Moneypants

Apparently, I'm not the only one who sees the irony in Mr. Bush's leaving behind his "first instincts." Jon Stewart says it funnier though.

Blabbings of a Part Time Political-Economic Dilettante

Posturing is more important than delivering. Positioning is more important than content. Perception is more important than clarity. Emotion is more important than definition. I’m not complaining about this. I think this is pretty much just what the political weather is made of, especially in a national campaign. It is no use to complain about the weather. The best you can do is dress for it.

All of the above is just as true, if not more so regarding news about the national economy.

What ARE the fundamentals of our economy? Something tells me that securitized mortgage equities are not fundamental. Something tells me that the equities market in general is not fundamental. Influential certainly. But not fundamental. Could economic fundamentals have more to do with things like taking raw materials, adding value to them and selling them at a profit? Like manufacturing for instance. Aside from not being able to borrow money to run their businesses (which is admittedly no small thing) how are the makers of real goods faring these days? Fundamentally sound? The PTPED wants to know.

GWB has got to be pretty discouraged. This whole debacle is what he will be remembered for.

Many formerly Free market ideologues seem to have turned into lifeboat socialists. Suddenly why do all these once rabid free market people look like Christian Scientist parents praying over their dying child. Imagine a CS practitioner of many years suddenly standing up and shouting "Give the kid some antibiotics, for crying out loud!"

If these fair weather free marketeers were true to their ideals, they would admit that this is a natural market correction and must be allowed to run it’s course. Of course, it might kill the child, but that’s natural and that’s how free markets operate. I’m sure there are people out there like that, but I don’t hear them. I'm probably not looking hard enough. Probably because if they are out there, I don't really care. I'm not a total free market freak myself.

On the other hand, I’m not sure that all those people who believe that the only way to go is a heart/lung/liver/kidney transplant, with a complete resection of the intestines, have too much going for them either.