An Enduring Institution, and Democracy!
Paul Hein
2012-02-08 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Some might jump to the conclusion that the world’s oldest enduring institution is prostitution, and they wouldn’t be far wrong. But in fact, the holder of the title is not prostitution, but slavery. Not only is it alive and well, but thriving.
We’ve dealt with the subject of slavery before, but what made me think of it...
I Can Do It; You Can't
Paul Hein
2012-01-30 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
President Obama was served with a subpoena to appear in an Atlanta court on January 26, to offer proof of his eligibility to be on the ballot in Georgia in the upcoming presidential election. Georgia law, as I understand it, requires that all candidates for federal office be qualified to hold the office to which they aspire.
Of course, Obama did not...
Stupidity Reigns
Paul Hein
2012-01-10 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Perhaps you saw the video clip of Bridget Brown, who is a “markets reporter” declaring that gold is not backed by anything, whereas the U.S. dollar is backed by the American government. She apparently considered this a shortcoming of the precious metal. The mind boggles.
The late Merrill Jenkins, the original Monetary Realist...
It's Magic!
Paul Hein
2012-01-03 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
I’ve always enjoyed magic. Magicians, especially those who trick us by sleight of hand, impress me with their skill. But until recently, I didn’t realize that there were two forms of magic. There is private, or voluntary, magic, and public, or compulsory, magic.
You know the private, voluntary kind. It’s generally done...
Of Dogs and Men
Paul Hein
2011-12-14 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
We have two dogs. They are both miniature poodles, pure-bred, with papers (gosh!). What I am about to reveal now may make you despise me and my dogs, but at least give me credit for honesty: our dogs are defective. I cringe to admit it, but it’s true.
A poodle, I have learned from the appropriate authorities, may be any color (...
Bad News Is Good News
Paul Hein
2011-12-05 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
The pretty TV newsperson was interviewing a doctor about the coming crisis in the funding of health care. It seems that physicians will be taking a 27% cut in reimbursements by Medicare, which will not, however, make a corresponding cut in their expenses. (Thank God I’m retired!) Can a doctor opt out of Medicare? Sure, but then he’s not...
Lemmings and Pied Pipers
Paul Hein
2011-11-16 00:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Suppose, for a minute, that several of your neighbors came to your door and presented you with a paper on which they had written, in quite formal language, their intent to build a playground for neighborhood children, and that this enterprise was to be funded by a “contribution” from you, among others. “No thanks,” you tell them....
The Oldest Institution
Paul Hein
2011-09-28 23:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
No, I’m not referring to the oldest occupation--assuming it IS the oldest. I am speaking of a social institution which must have begun when Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, and which has flourished ever since. It is slavery.
In its most obvious and elemental form (which is the only way most people think of it), it consists of...
A Rose By Any Other Name Is Still Vegetation
Paul Hein
2011-08-31 23:00
Column by Paul Hein
Exclusive to STR
Suppose you hired a landscape architect, and asked him to submit a plan to beautify your yard. He would ask you what you had in mind. “Well, how about some vegetation?” He might smile at that, or frown; but he would want you to be more specific. “What vegetation would you like?” “You know, green plants, maybe...
Let's Get It Over With
Paul Hein
2011-08-22 23:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Last June, Missouri Congressman Todd Akin made a speech in which he said that liberalism involved “hatred of God.” Needless to say, the professionally touchy were inflamed, and the Congressman was quick to issue an apology. Some local pastors weren’t satisfied with that, however, and sought a face-to-face meeting with Akin at his office....
Extortion/Bribery
Paul Hein
2011-06-28 23:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been convicted on 17 of 20 counts of extortion and other forms of corruption, centering mainly around his attempt to sell the senate seat of Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Shame on him. His behavior was typical of Illinois politicians, or even politicians in general. He should go to jail!
...
Pay? How?
Paul Hein
2011-06-05 23:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
I can’t stand it any longer. For days--weeks, even--the chatter on the TV news has dealt, almost exclusively, with the debt “crisis.” Despite the thousands of words uttered about it, none have hit the mark. The problem, as any Monetary Realist could tell you, has little or nothing to do with the way money is spent, or saved, or...
Never Volunteer
Paul Hein
2011-05-10 23:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
In the spring of 2008, Senator Harry Reid gave an interview on television in which he stated that the income tax was voluntary. His remark caused quite a stir. Google “Harry Reid and voluntary income tax,” and see for yourself. His kindest critics thought him crazy, the less charitable used the word “idiot.” If the Senator...
The Camel's Nose
Paul Hein
2011-04-04 02:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
In considering how one might overthrow the state government, I have decided the safest course is by baby-steps, so to speak. Attacking the requirement to re-new your auto license yearly is a good initial procedure. Not too controversial, and without dire consequences if unsuccessful.
Don’t be put off by the term “overthrow....
A Journey of a Thousand Miles
Paul Hein
2011-03-23 02:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Yes, it starts with a single step. That’s so obvious that it’s easily overlooked, but it’s worth considering when confronted with the realities of life today--especially if what you’re confronted with are the growing challenges to your life, liberty, and property.
In shaking off the rule of George III, the...
Keep the Home Fires Burning
Paul Hein
2011-03-09 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
As the economy collapses, and civilization disintegrates, increasing numbers of people are becoming aware of the corrupt, vicious, and arrogantly stupid nature of government—especially the federal government--and its role in the dissolution.
But wait! Do we really want to believe that government is the problem? Keep in mind...
The Money Ceiling
Paul Hein
2011-02-21 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
4th place in the "Odious Debt" essay contest
Coincident with the swearing in of the newly elected Congressmen is the impending end of the present debt ceiling. It is a topic of much discussion, with various pundits weighing in with this or that recommendation. Universally, they deplore the necessity of raising the ceiling, but...
Psychology Rules!
Paul Hein
2011-02-03 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
By coincidence, I recently watched two television programs in the same evening that, upon reflection, said a great deal about society. One was a documentary about the President’s airplane, “On Board Air Force One.” I had seen it before, but it seemed worth a second look.
The other was “Downton Abbey,” a sort...
Ah, Sweet Mystery of...Taxation
Paul Hein
2011-01-24 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Does anyone really understand taxation? For that matter, does anyone really understand anything?
Well, of course, there are many people who understand--really know the truth about--many things. Still, it seems that, regarding taxes, there is a degree of ignorance that surpasses that of the general level of ignorance!
If, for...
Rights--and Wrongs
Paul Hein
2011-01-10 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
In a letter written in 1816 to Francis Gilmer, Thomas Jefferson set forth his idea of a proper government:
Our legislators are not sufficiently apprized of the rightful limits of their power; that their true office is to declare and enforce only our natural rights . . . and to take none of them from us. No man has a natural right to commit...
Some Christmas Reflections for Our Rulers
Paul Hein
2010-12-23 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Dear Missouri Legislators, Administrators, Adjudicators, and various other employees:
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! At this time of year, one’s thoughts turn toward giving, and it occurs to me that I have been remiss in expressing to you, my rulers, my appreciation of what you have given me, over these many years of my long...
Laughing Terrorists
Paul Hein
2010-12-15 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Do terrorists have a sense of humor? If not, perhaps that’s what makes them so terrible. But if they do, how they must be laughing!
Their use of box-cutters on 9/11 resulted in heightened security for anything sharp--even such things as nail clippers and nail files. Not surprising, of course, although slightly ridiculous. It did...
All-Purpose Platitudes
Paul Hein
2010-12-02 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
During the pre-election propagandizing, I heard enough platitudes to last me a lifetime, but it hasn’t ceased with the cessation of voting. Now the president, seeking to make the best of a bad (for him) situation, is giving us still more, but they’re the old familiar, tried-and-true blatherskite we’ve come to know and despise...
The Housing Froth
Paul Hein
2010-11-17 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Complacency about the egregious defects in our monetary system continues to mystify me. If you bought an expensive watch that gained an hour each day, would you shrug it off because the minutes advanced every time the seconds reached 60? Or if you wore a size nine shoe, and bought a new pair plainly and clearly marked “nine” that...
Walks and Talks
Paul Hein
2010-11-08 03:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
I enjoy taking the dog for a walk, although he probably enjoys it more. These Fall mornings the fresh air is bracing, and the chance to be alone with my thoughts is welcome. I’ll even grudgingly admit that the exercise might be beneficial, although I’m not convinced of that. It’s meeting other walkers that pleases me most...
It Never Stops!
Paul Hein
2010-10-28 02:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
As a younger man, I had plenty of patients, but little patience; and my meager supply is diminishing with age.
Elections are particularly annoying, with the same inane platitudes voiced over and over again, until I wonder how the public, even as numbed and dumbed as it is, can stand it.
There is, for example, the incessant...
Just Say No!
Paul Hein
2010-10-19 02:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
It is interesting to read what St. Augustine had to say about what we now call government:
A gang is a group of men under the command of a leader, bound by a compact of association, in which the plunder is divided according to an agreed convention. If this villainy wins so many recruits from the ranks of the demoralized that it acquires...
Going Down With the Ship
Paul Hein
2010-10-05 02:00
Column by Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
In 1939, a movie entitled “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” made its debut, to critical acclaim. It was the story of an idealistic young man who went to Washington to fight corruption and cronyism.
One of the first things our young Congressman did, however, was to propose a government purchase of some land in his own state, for a...
The Emperor's Clothes
Paul Hein
2010-09-09 02:00
By Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
Having, by sheer good fortune, escaped any formal training in economics, I often feel like the little boy who observed that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes. “Shush,” I’m told. “You don’t know anything about it. It’s too complicated for you to understand.”
Well, maybe so. Despite that,...
Public vs. Private
Paul Hein
2010-07-19 02:00
By Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
The two terms have always confused me. In general, public means the people considered as a whole, the populace, the citizenry, etc. Private, on the other hand, refers to particular individuals. So public ownership means ownership by everyone, which is a bewildering concept, to say the least. Private ownership, on the other hand, is...
Where Have They Been?
Paul Hein
2010-06-15 02:00
By Paul Hein.
Exclusive to STR
It would be difficult to watch television news for more than five minutes without some mention of the debt “crisis.” Economists are interviewed, and express deep concern about the fact that Uncle Sam is printing money at an unprecedented rate. And, yes, they are very worried about this mountain of debt, and how it can be paid....
Monetized Debt
Paul Hein
2010-06-14 02:00
Exclusive to STR
The TV anchor--anchorette?--was interviewing her financial guru, who had just pointed out that the rapid growth of debt, if graphed, would be a virtually vertical line. Nothing like it had ever happened before in American history--at least not in living memory.
“How did we get in this mess?” anchorette asked. “How are we ever going to pay this debt...
Economics for Dummies
Paul Hein
2010-03-15 02:00
Exclusive to STR
I don’t want to deceive you: I am not going to present a sort of Economics 101 for the benefit of the economically illiterate. In fact, I am myself among that number, never having studied economics. What I am suggesting is that, in the current financial crisis, economics is, in my opinion, somewhat irrelevant. It may be dumb to think that there is an economic solution to...
The Revolution Might Begin WHERE?
Paul Hein
2009-12-13 16:00
Exclusive to STR
Valley Park . That's Valley Park , Missouri . It's a little town of about 6,500 souls, located only a few miles from where I'm typing these words, in St. Louis County . I've been there many times, and never expected to find it in national news.
What made it--briefly--newsworthy is a law passed by the Valley Park government. Yes, like every hamlet, village, town, city, or...
A Non-Lawyer Looks at the Law
Paul Hein
2009-12-03 16:00
Exclusive to STR
I can safely assume you will not recoil in astonishment if I tell you I have not read all 2,000 pages of the latest health care bill. Like you, I know only what I've heard and seen in the media, and on the Internet.
For instance, I understand that firms will be required by the proposed law to provide health insurance for their employees, and individuals who decide not to purchase...
The Irrelevance of Government
Paul Hein
2009-11-05 16:00
Exclusive to STR
It is amusing to listen to our rulers arguing for, or against, the administration's 'health care' scheme. (I put health care in quotation marks because the plan has nothing to do with health care, which existed LONG before politicians became involved with it. It has to do with taxation and regulation, i.e., government!) We are solemnly warned, by the proponents of the plan, that...
Disunited We Stand
Paul Hein
2009-10-26 16:00
Exclusive to STR
The radio was playing in the background, but when I heard the words ' Middle East peace process,' it got my attention. Evidently something had happened in that part of the world that might endanger the 'peace process,' or something to that effect. It was that two-word phrase that set me thinking: how long has this 'process' been ongoing? I don't know, exactly, but certainly a...
Legitimacy
Paul Hein
2009-09-07 15:00
Exclusive to STR
There are, I suspect, many people who confuse America --this beautiful and bounteous land with which we are blessed--with the United States , that corporation calling itself the government, which owns and operates it through its front men, those windbags in Washington . That's a shame, because one's natural love for the country rubs off on the United States, so to speak, tending...
What Took So Long?
Paul Hein
2009-08-23 15:00
Exclusive to STR
The public reaction to President Obama's health care program is at the same time pleasing, disappointing, and puzzling.
But before we get into that, let's clear up something: Health is a right. It's something inherent in your very life, and no one can intentionally deprive you of it without seriously wronging you. But health care is no such thing. Care, of any kind, is provided...
Even Steven
Paul Hein
2008-07-29 15:00
Exclusive to STR
July 30, 2008
As the economy predictably crumbles, bankruptcies and business closings will increase, and businesses and individuals will find themselves in financial straits, with little hope of economic salvation. Many families are in danger of losing their homes, and there seems little, short of a miracle, that can be done about it.
It seems to me that this isn't necessary,...
NoFly Takes Off!
Paul Hein
2003-02-23 16:00
The headlines are grim: At American Airline's St. Louis hub, departing flights are down from 361 to 226. Fliers have 58 destinations to choose from, compared to 82 in 2000. One hundred and thirty four big jets serve the city, down from 193. As you read these headlines, you undoubtedly remember my thoughtful presentation of a solution to the economic plight of the airlines a couple of years ago:...
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