Trump v. The Federal Reserve

There have been many stories this week about the battle between President Trump and The Federal Reserve about the direction of the US economy.  Some appear to stay somewhat neutral.  Most take the side of either the President or the Reserve.  However, it is hard to find any which ask the real question.

Why is either trying to control the economy?

The United States Constitution gives Congress the power "... To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standards of weights and measures;..."  Notice that it puts this power with the Congress and not the president or The Federal Reserve.  It also says nothing about using this power to manipulate the economy.  Neither President Trump nor The Federal Reserve should be trying to manipulate the economy.  If branch of government should, it may be Congress under the Commerce Clause, but most would argue that is not the intent of that clause.  Government agencies being involved in the economy inevitably ends to certain political interests benefiting to the loss of everyone else.

Two things should happen, but probably won't.

Congress should take back the power of creating money.

Beyond the function of providing security and a rule of law, government should get out of the practice of trying to control the economy.

The Real Russian Hacking Problem

Yesterday's headline from the Los Angeles Times web site read 12 Russians indicted in hacking of Clinton's campaign and computers handling voter registration .  That Russia could be considered to influence the election by hacking into private Democratic Party and Clinton emails shows a major flaw in the United States election system.

The flaw is not that the Russians could hack the Democratic National Committee.  The flaw is that the Democratic National Committee has so much power that trying to affect the workings of the committee is considered as affecting the election.

Neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party should be the quasi-governmental entities which they have become today.  The Russians getting access to data from either of these organizations should have about as much effect as somebody accidentally running over a campaign sign.  The way to accomplish this is to have a healthy choice of candidates on the ballot.  Not just a Republican and a Democrat, but also independent candidates and candidates from several other parties.

The real hacking of the election is not that the Russians got information from the Democratic National Committee.  The real hacking is that the Republicans and Democrats have rigged the election system in such a way that it matters.  When are the offending Democratic and Republican Party officials going to be indicted?

Kelo Case Comes to the Big Screen

"Little Pink House" is a movie about Susette Kelo, the Kelo in Kelo v. New London.  She bought her first house, a little pink one, in 1997.  Then the New London Development Corporation decided it would be better to take her Connecticut home and give it the the Pfizer pharmaceutical company.  Kelo took her case all the way to the US Supreme Court but lost.  The court ruled that New London had an interest in taking her property because they could charge Pfizer more for property tax.

This movie should be shown in every classroom to illustrate the need to combat runaway local government and disdain for property rights in the United States.  Although not released nationally, you can find a list of show times at this web site  Watch Little Pink House

Here is the official trailer.