September 2009 Archives

Evoking Nixon's 'Silent Majority' to inspire a tax payer's union might have worked if Root anticipated the Tea Party protests that have popped up in the last six months. It's clear that Root didn't have a clue about this spontaneous uprising during what was likely the final revisions of the book. In fact, he claims that these noble wealth makers (which include 'married-with-children' folks as opposed to those dual income no children types) are simply too occupied with their own success. " We don't waste our time marching, complaining, or protesting (p.155)."

Of course, come last July 4th when the Tea Party protests were in full bloom we find Wayne taking the stage just prior to neo-con lapdog Michele Malkin at a very large protest in Dallas. No true politician can turn down an adoring crowd, even the anti-politician. This chapter seems like a lame filler before the solution section and it shows again with the strained, invented acronyms and automatic claims of socialism attributed to Obama. Once again the nature of taxation isn't approached so much as the levels thereof. No mention of the wars that got us into the mess, only the upcoming vilification of the 'rich' (p.155) by Obama.

For each issue question that Eric complains about, I issue this blanket retort now instead of repeating it for each issue: if you think you can state the issue in 35 characters or less, and in a way that is useful for LP outreach, and do so in a way that is more fair or insightful than the way I did it, then let's see your 35 characters. And if instead you think there's no way to use 10 or 20 short questions to get a rough idea of which standard political label applies to someone, then your complaints are better directed to The Advocates, not to me.

Fair enough. It only occurred to me later that Holtz was the creator of the current test that I criticized. And I guess my ultimate point is that injecting 20 questions from any ideology might create an unfair or misdirected result. I've never been a big fan of this test. Keep giving the test all you want wherever you want.

My Google alerts let's me know when my name pops up somewhere and apparently my critique of Brian Holtz's version of the World's smallest political quiz has him a bit miffed.

You can't leave comments on Brian's website, but I'm sure he'll find this and is welcome to leave his here.

With the exception of the obviously inspired chapter title, I actually found myself identifying with this chapter in a moment of weakness. As someone who has lived in the extended shadow of New York's Capital Region (and the other side of the River) hardly a day goes by without the reminder that those who work for the state are made men, or women as the case may be and the saying goes. Big fat pensions, sick and vacation time, the contrast to my own entrepreneurial existence, often present a stark contrast in philosophy and life style.

Like Wayne, I have also worked on holidays, extended after hours and sometimes even sick. I recall spending the last days in a business location dismantling the operation with a head cold that would have sidelined a state worker for a week. I was so happy to be free of the local bureaucracy's control after years of struggle, it was almost a joy. The extra lawn mowing in the summer, fixing the heating and air conditioning units in the facility are experiences that I imagine Root doesn't actually do, but the persistence and struggle is common amongst the self-employed and business owners.

This is the follow from the last, from Strock again . . .

Where's this going ? I'm on numerous lists of activists and get a flood of stuff that doesn't necessarily strike me as necessary or pertinent. I got the first one about a week ago and didn't think much about it, typical local smug columnist stuff. But the second piece sort of struck home because he mentions the LP. In an upcoming piece that I'll put up at the Examiner, I'll push back a bit on Mr. Strock.

Second letter after the jump . . . .

This is a reproduction of a recent piece by Schenectady Gazette columnist Carl Strock regarding some of the recent health care town halls. I need a spot to link to for an upcoming Examiner article about the second piece that I actually want to comment on.

I'll leave it all for after the jump . . . stay tuned.

I guess my only real question about this chapter would be that if Root had until May of 2009 to edit his book, why would he still make the claim that the Big 3 automakers all sought bailouts. I was under the impression that Ford did not. The reason why this is important is because the central claim that Root is making is that unions crippled these automakers and made them go bankrupt. If Ford didn't go bankrupt then there is plenty of room to dispute the notion that unions were the key point of failure.

The other dubious claim in this chapter is that the bailout money would be better spent on "small businesses struggling to survive (p.130)". It's not at all certain that such bailouts would be fundamentally better and certainly the synonymous claim to "Get government out of the way (p.129)" doesn't follow. While having no fundamental problem with the idea that small businesses contribute a lot to the free market, suggesting that the opportunity cost of bailing out large corporations in favor of those small businesses is not a real market solution. While he's on track with the notion of business failure as healthy by-products of the free market, to simultaneously suggest that one group deserves it rather than the other is schizophrenic at best. Seeing that Dr. Lynch made it to the margins of p.132 with a 'good' also finding the notion of attempting to find the next Apple or Microsoft through government funding as acceptable, I'm beginning to wonder who understands true free markets anymore.

The final message about bailouts is understood, but do we have to get there via a faulty route ?

Subtitle: A Toxic Brew of Big Government, Big Bureacracy, Big Unions, and Lots of Lawyers !

I was mildly surprised by this chapter. It begins with silly acronyms that Root makes up (ABC - After Bush Celebration) and actually transcends the expectation that the title of the chapter will follow from WR's inevitable bombastic self-immolation. Aside from the boogeyman like spectre he has continually created from his evocation of Obama thus far, he manages a decent critique of the problem of lawyers in business and government (p.122-124).

Of course it comes back to the whole issue of current policies and big bad Obama, but for this very short chapter it seems almost acceptable and without the whole I'm Wayne to save the day mentality. Maybe when talking about huge egos of others, it simply better not to exhibit your own.

Subtitle: Why California Leads the Nation in Deficit, Debt and Out-Migration

I was born in California. I visit family there every couple of years and I always have a great time. I can recount tales of Fremont, Steinbeck and Bukowski. Between Hollywood and the general world culture leading type of things that emerge from that space on the planet, you'd think that starting a chapter about California would give an author a myriad of devices, anecdotes or launch points that would be equally attuned to a modern hip political culture potentially emerging. Instead we get a contorted play on an old Mamas and Papas song (California Dreaming, not Dream btw) and a lame anti-communist dig to start things out. I'm beginning to think I'm the anti-root. After all I'm a former Californian turned successful New Yorker. Root's a former New Yorker turned away from California.

The best insight that we get from Root in this chapter is the claim that his failed business pumped sixty million into the overall economy despite failing sometime this year. While I understand this as a fellow businessman and appreciate the candid manner in which Root portrays this, the rest of the chapter isn't even good Californication. If anything, it gives the term nightmare a bad name because it doesn't evoke any real horror or imagery that we don't already know about or can somehow be morbidly attracted to. looking at any deeper level of the crisis out there does not happen in this chapter. Rather we are brought a long a litany of spending and budget boondoggles that feels like we're suddenly in the Hotel California.

Note to readers: the photo is for those with a subtle irony . . .

Subtitle: Why we need a Small Business Owner in the White House

Calling Wayne Root a credible business owner is like thinking Eddie Haskel was a credible altar boy. They each might able to pull it off with gullible voters or Mrs. Cleaver, but the rest of us are just laughing. Setting aside the dubious nature of what Root refers to as his business, the hilarity of his approach is certainly not something done on a conscious basis. The author becomes so enamored with his own self, experience and illusions of grander, as to make Lyndon Larouche seem almost credible in so much as his followers actually take to the streets with his message. It's never clear how Root will mobolize the disparate legions of small business heroes.

A perfect example (p.98):

"I believe that my life has been the perfect preparation for running the greatest economy in the world."

This statement alone belies a great ignorance about economies and prepares a good libertarians defense to any future candidacy. You see by this statement alone, Root has become just like his anti-self Obama, in so much as he figures it may actually be the job of the President of the United States to run the economy. Nothing could be farther from the truth and any which way that Root twists it afterwards is meaningless when placed in stark contrast to such a simplistic sentence, which was actually published. Any meaning or purpose in the chapter is rendered inert and useless from a libertarian perspective whether you are the most ardent of Austrians or just one of those milquetoast moderates who get their panties in a bunch about their credible minarchy.

Showing America How It's Done !

Thus begins the second part of the book entitled, " Let's Talk Money and Politics "

To hear Root talk about the Nevada economic and political model we should all move there in order to enjoy no income, business, inheritance or capital gains tax. Never mind the fact that over 80% of the vast desert that is Nevada is owned by the Federal government and has been ranked as the most dangerous state for five years running . . is it fair to mention Area 51 and all the bloody nukes (over a 1000) they've tested there ?

Of course if quality of life was simply measured by the lack of involvement in one's finances by the government or the lack of water, Nevada may well be the place to be. The reality is that Nevada has always somewhat of a political punching bag between its initial formation to benefit Lincoln's second election, to its current distinction of housing Sin City. Trying to apply Nevada's marginally libertarian-like laws and taxation policies to the rest of the country would be like trying to get parents to let their kids watch more TV and eat sugary foods. They may ultimately do it anyway, but getting the fussy policy movers to even consider is tantamount to heresy.