Topic: John Stossel Does The SOTU

[trapeze]

Has Barack Obama learned nothing in three years? Last night, during his State of the Union address, he promised “a blueprint for an economy.” But economies are crushed by blueprints. An economy is really nothing more than people participating in an unfathomably complex spontaneous network of exchanges aimed at improving their material circumstances. It can’t even be diagrammed, much less planned. And any attempt at it will come to grief.

Politicians like Obama believe they are the best judges of how we should conduct our lives. Of course a word like “blueprint” would occur to the president. He, like most who want his job, aspires to be the architect of a new society.

But we who love our lives and our freedom say: No, thanks. We need no social architect. We need liberty under law. That’s it.

Obama — and most Republicans are no different — doesn’t understand the real liberal revolution that transformed civilization. The crux of that revolution is that law should define general visible rules of just conduct, applicable to all, with no eye to particular outcomes. In other words, as Nobel laureate F.A. Hayek taught, the only “purpose” of law is to enable us all to pursue our individual purposes in peace.

If Obama really wanted, as he says, a society in which “everybody gets a fair shot,” he would work to shrink government so that the sphere of freedom could expand. Instead, he expands government and raises taxes on wealthier people, as though giving politicians more money were a way to make society better. Instead, the interventionist state rigs the game on behalf of special interests.

What should Obama have said in his speech? Here’s what I wish he’d said:

Click here to read Stossel's version of the SOTU.

[Libertas]

A bit Ronulan in foreign policy/defense, but still a damn sight better n' what we got!  And he makes many fine points.  But here we go with individualism and individual rights and liberty, totally diametrically opposed to Obama thinking!

[ToddF]

I think we could stand to pull out of Europe.  Maybe even Japan.

[Libertas]

I think we could stand to pull out of Europe.  Maybe even Japan.

I can see a case for that, but not on a cut & run model.  Japan can take on more of her own defense, but I see a vital need to keep close military ties that can be put into treaty form and continued basing rights in Yokasuka for our forward deployed fleet as well as air rights for hopping planes/transports in the Asia theater.  Europe is fully capable of fending for itself, but again, continued basing rights with England, Spain & Italy for our ships and planes makes strategic sense.  Paul seems to think we can just pull out lock stock & barrel from everywhere overnight and sleep soundly without a care in the world!

[BigAlSouth]

Russia is not the threat she was 50 years ago. Draw down in Europe makes sense. But Japan? Heavens no. The Chicoms saw us as a political enemy 50 years ago and now we are the greatest threat to their economic model. (Can one imagine the effect of a depression in China? A billion #Occupy Bejing, that's what.) We leave Japan and Korea and China fills the void.

[Libertas]

I think a fully suported South Korea could survive without our troops there, like Japan I would want ports and airstrips to use, the Nork's best ally is China so they can't fart without clearing it with Beijing first, and China (unless she were really nuts) would not act against South Korea without incurring a lot of hurt.  I think the ChiCom's have the idea that South Korea and Japan could be made moot, once they complete their "string of pearls" I think they feel they'll be in a better military and economic position with the US.  The primary thrust of this new cold war is ecnomic, their military moves cannot hide their intent.  They intend to be the biggest fish in the pacific basin and plan on extending their political and economic influence as far and as wide as they can, and pressuring the west (especially the US) every step of the way in their march toward global dominance.  The ChiCom's are thinking and acting long term, while the rest of the world is caught up in minute-to-minute brush fires.

[ToddF]

They know the war now is economic.  They also know they now have the US by the balls, no matter what we do.  We aren't going to project jack s**t, if our economy is in collapse.

[Sectionhand]

Stymie calls it a "blueprint" . Lenin and Stalin called them "Five Year Plans" . They came every five years and each one was worse than the last .

[Damn_Lucky]

Stymie calls it a "blueprint" . Lenin and Stalin called them "Five Year Plans" . They came every five years and each one was worse than the last .

Ding Ding...........We have a Winner!