Thou Shalt Not Steal

(The following is not so much of a well thought-out structured argument as it is a rant.)

I am thoroughly convinced that all our economic problems stem from a very specific moral problem.

We think it's OK to steal.

And so we elect a bunch of sleazy crooks to congress to steal money from other people and give it to us. Or give it to people who we think need more.

Social security, Medicare, welfare... it's all stealing. It's taking by force money from those who have more and GIVING it to those who have less. It's what Barak Obama calls "Spreading the wealth around." It's really nothing other than stealing. We elect people to steal from the rich on our behalf and give the money to those who have less. And we convince ourselves that it isn't stealing.

Do you know what caused the housing and banking crisis?

It wasn't giant rich greedy corporations going hog-wild. It was politicians stealing from them.

Politicians reasoned that it wasn't fair that some Americans couldn't afford a house because banks wouldn't lend anything to them (they were risky individuals with terrible credit scores). So the government put regulations on the banks, telling them they couldn't just turn people away. Starting with Jimmy Carter, and escalating with Bill Clinton, the government FORCED banks to loan money to people who couldn't possibly pay them back. In other words, the government STOLE money from the "rich, greedy, heartless" banks and gave it to the "poor, oppressed, victimized" individuals with rotten credit scores. As a result, we had a housing bubble that blew and burst, and banks that lost all their money. The politicians basically forced them into it.

And, when the dust settled, the same politicians blamed the banks entirely, and washed their hands from the mess they created.

What a bunch of rotten thieves.

But you know what? Most Americans still agree with the politicians. "It's all the fault of the rich greedy banks going hog-wild."

No, it's not. It's the fault of every American who supported the policies of redistributing wealth, demonizing rich people and giving hand-outs to the poor. It's the fault of every American who voted for politicians based on how much that politician could steal for him.

There. My rant's done. A more clearly thought-out argument will come later.