I am so thrilled that Jimmy Carter could be elected to his second term, even though it took almost 30 years for it to happen. But perhaps more importantly such reelection is historic. I am so delighted to be alive for this second term since I was not alive for his first. When is a rogue nation, perhaps Iran once again, going to take our citizens hostage for over a year? How long until the 20% interest rates return? When are the 70% tax rates going to make their return to boost this struggling economy? How long until the inflation rate it back up to 16%?

What do Jimmy Carter circa 1976 and Barack Obama circa 2008 have in common? Carter had and Obama has a complete lack of knowledge of international relations and the economy. The ignorance on both fronts is frightening, especially with such hateful countries that would like nothing more than to see us crumble. Domestically things could be just as grim with the utter lack of knowledge that Obama has on economic issues. I have taken two economics classes and I know more than he does. 

Obama got to where he is today based on the platform of being against the Iraqi War. Congratulations! Being so anti-war, he was also against the troop reinforcement and he was dead wrong on that. He rose to fame based on this one aspect, without having much knowledge of it, and managed to get his party’s nomination. But then the war started going well, too well to be an anti-war candidate. You know when you don’t hear anything about the Iraqi War for a month or two that things must better. Luckily for Obama, however, the economy tanked because of, in part, the subprime mortgage mess that the Democrats earnestly supported because everyone needs a house. Then Obama became a pseudo resident expert on the economy. And for some reason the ignorant Americans who are completely brain dead economically found their messiah.

Can anyone point me to an example in history where redistribution created new wealth and a better society? Certainly it didn’t go so well in Communist Russia. The last time I checked Cuba didn’t have the fastest growing economy in the world, or this hemisphere for that matter. I also want to see an example of how increasing taxes on the “rich” has previously made the middle class better. From the logical standpoint, doing so will create fewer jobs, raise prices, and be more of an incentive to drive jobs overseas. Sure the “middle class” might get a “tax cut” but it will do nothing for the economy. It won’t create new jobs, expand businesses, innovate, or even be extra cash in your wallet when prices increase. Why will they increase? A business will not absorb a tax increase and lose money; they will fire people, not hire people, raise prices, or any combination or all of the three. 

That’s something else Obama fails to realize. He claims he wants to give “tax cuts” to companies that don’t ship jobs overseas. Ironically, jobs are shipped overseas because of the astronomical tax rates they would otherwise have to endure here in America. A 40% combined corporate tax rate doesn’t help business, that’s for sure. The 40% is the current rate, who knows what it will go up to once Obama takes charge. All the European countries have lower rates, even the socialist welfare states like Sweden.   Is it too much to ask for our politicians to have knowledge of the basics of economics? The matters seem so simple and straight forward, but, in general, the policies of one party do not support the principles of economics and the policies of the other party do.

Just like after Jimmy Carter left this country in shambles, I hope someone is ready and able to rise up in four years and lead us back to security and safety, prosperity and growth, respected and feared. The prospects are not looking so well right now, but four years is a lot of time for something to happen.  After four years of being operated by someone with absolutely no experience in operating or running any type of business or other entity where money had to be earned and bills had to be paid, this country will need change. Perhaps it won’t be hard to find someone that can, again, deliver us from evil, the evil of our foreign affairs policies, or lack there of, and asinine economic policies that have been tried before, and have failed each time.

Will the law be changed so Jimmy Carter can run for a third term?