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I Support President Obama's Stimulus Package

America's economy needs a shot-in-the-arm - right now. I'm all for free enterprise. For all its flaws, it is far superior to any alternative. Free enterprise has and will continue to make America the wealthiest nation in the history of the world.

One of the biggest flaws of free enterprise is its tendency to create boom-and-bust cycles. When times are good, optimism reigns supreme. Everyone is sure that things can only get better. Consumers consume, investors invest, businesses hire additional workers and increase production. This is what happened in the late 1990's. In Silicon Valley, as an extreme example, companies speculated on an exponential growth in demand for computers, internet bandwidth, and electronic gadgets of all kinds. No one was without a job, and the salaries of even entry-level engineers were bid up to astronomical levels.

Then bust hits. Goods have been over produced, and begin to pile up in warehouses. Companies stop hiring, then they start laying off. Investors stop investing, and then attempt to convert their investments into cash. Laid-off workers stop consuming. The news media screams "Depression." Pessimism - fear actually - takes hold of the nation's emotions. That's America's situation today - fear rules, and few see good times returning quickly.

The solution to the boom-and-bust nature of the free enterprise system is for government to cool the economy when economic enthusiasm surpasses reality - such as in the late 1990's, and to stimulate the economy when pessimism strikes and American's become afraid to produce, hire workers, invest, and consume. Now is a time for our government to stimulate America's economy.

Critics raise the cry of creating inflation, "counterfeiting" money, and socialism. These arguments are badly timed. 1998 would have been a great time to argue for increased taxes to dampen an over-stimulated economy and build a war chest for hard times - such as today's recession. There will again be times when unrealistic optimism reigns in America, and an unsustainable boom needs to be moderated. That will again be a time to raise taxes to dampen the boom and rebuild the reserves.

It is always difficult to imagine times being different than they are today. Even though the cycles of boom and bust are fully predictable - if with irregular timing, people's emotions get caught up in the feeling that times will always remain good - or will always remain bad, whichever they are today.

America's government needs to spend more than it receives in bad times, and tax more than it spends in good times.

Jonathan's Ezine-articles

Where there is no accusation of "fault," there can be no anger - jlh

Where there is no accusation of "fault," there can be no anger.
- jonathan lockwood huie

When I get angry, I am always angry AT someone - perhaps my friend or spouse, perhaps a stranger, perhaps the nameless "they" - "those people at the bank wronged me," perhaps God, or perhaps myself. In any case, when I get angry, I want to find someone to be "responsible" for what happened.

My window breaks. I want to know WHO broke my window. Who threw the rock, or who built the defective window, or who didn't prevent the hurricane or meteorite. America's penchant for filing law suits, along with untold misery, is built upon pandering to our instinct to blame someone whenever life doesn't occur as we prefer.

Life just happens - enjoy it anyway.

How do you want to be remembered? Live life full out - Begin today - jlh

How do you want to be remembered? Live life full out - Begin today.
- jonathan lockwood huie

What do you want written on your tombstone? Inspired people? Good friend? Loving spouse and parent? Or, worked late at the office? What you do TODAY is what others will remember. Make today count.

You do not need anyone's permission to be your true self - jlh

You do not need anyone's permission to be your true self.
- jonathan lockwood huie

NO ONE has been granted the authority to tell me how my life should be lived. I answer only to myself and to Spirit - whatever that means to me.

Please accept this photo as representing all self-proclaimed authorities. It is not my intention to single out any particular religion, gender or race.

Where There is Love, Nothing is Missing - a Parable - jonathan lockwood huie

The businessman looked around the vacation villa in Puerto Vallarta.  Plain, but clean and well furnished.  A good place to grab a few days away from his failing business and troubled marriage.  He had brought a large supply of sleeping pills and had requested several bottles of Tequila to be brought to his room.  Perhaps he could at least drown a few of his worries.
     He watched as the housekeeper stocked the villa's kitchen - frozen dinners, some dry cereal, and thankfully, four large bottles of liquor - they had paid careful attention to his unusual requests.  The frozen dinners would be easy - he could focus on his lonely drinking, and lose himself.
     Jim noticed the housekeeper's slow movements, the stoop in her shoulders, the stubby yellowed teeth.  It was somehow comforting to see that other people could be even worse off than he was.  Even with his company troubles and impending divorce, Jim was sure he could always find the money to keep his teeth whitened and in good repair - even find the money for the hair transplant he had promised himself.  He shivered a little, just thinking about those teeth.
     The woman shuffled over to him.  "Senor, you not look happy.  TV dinner not good.  I am Maria, I cook.  I bring you real food."
     "OK, OK."  Jim didn't want to talk with anyone, and certainly not with this woman.  Besides, a taco might be better than microwave food - if it showed up on his table.


The bustling in the kitchen brought Jim out of the depths of his hangover.  It hadn't been a really big night - less than a whole bottle of booze, and none of the sleeping pills - he might want to take those all at once.  Still, he felt really lousy, and resented the intrusion.  The bedside clock showed 12:30 as Maria opened the curtains and sunlight poured in.
     The enticing smells of spicy meat and corn filled the villa.  Maria stood over him, offering a plate of tamales.  "Senor, eat.  You feel better."
     Jim reached for one, took a hesitant bite, and relaxed a little.  Before he knew it, the heaping plate was almost empty.
     Maria moved the nearly empty plate to the kitchen counter.  "You were hungry.  Get a nice hot bath.  I come back," and she moved toward the door.
     "How much do I owe you," Jim called out, remembering her apparent poverty.
     "Nothing.  My gift.  You were hungry," and she was gone.


The next afternoon, Chiles Rellenos appeared.  Jim had drunk less the second night, and was even more appreciative of the good food.  Again, Maria would not accept payment.  "I have money.  You must need money, please take it," Jim almost pleaded.
     Maria replied, "I am rich.  Please come to my home tonight.  I will show you.  I come back at seven."


At exactly 7 PM, there was a knock on the door.  Jim followed Maria into the warm twilight.  They walked silently through the tourist area, then turned sharply down an alley.  They emerged into a neighborhood of partially finished stucco dwellings.  Iron reinforcing rods spiked the tops of the unfinished verticals.  Plastic sheeting substituted for glass in the unfinished windows.  Maria led Jim to one of the unfinished stairways and began to climb.
     Opening a door on the fourth floor, Maria smiled at Jim and beckoned him to enter.  The walls and floor were bare except for small rugs and weavings that combined bright reds, oranges, and yellows.  A small sofa and a few chairs lined the walls, one of which honored an oversized Madonna-with-child picture featuring a dark-skinned Mary.  The small room was dominated by a long plank table covered with food and surrounded by a dozen happy-looking eaters of all shapes and ages - newborns to nineties.  The delicious smells welcomed Jim.
     Near tears, Jim turned to Maria to thank her, but words didn't form.
     Leading Jim to the table, Maria introduced him to her family, saying, "I am rich.  I have my family.  Where there is love, nothing is missing.  My family is now your family."