Discouraging Growth

Has there ever been a country in the history of countries that has had politicians encouraging DECREASED growth? I'm not talking about current liberal European countries...I'm thinking about historical governments.



Watching Ed Driscoll's latest broadcast, that is the only thing I could think.

What other country has political elites trying to encourage higher gas prices?

What other country's government sought to "slow the economy" as Bill Clinton suggested we needed to do last year?

When did it become popular to downplay success and discourage achievement?

It's completely foreign to me that we should stop trying to achieve greatness. It's illogical to me, as Tom Brokaw suggested to the then President Elect, that the government should force gas prices back up to $4 even when the market has brought them down to $2. I suppose Tom can afford $4 with no problem, but the rest of us need to be able to fill our tanks for that horrible "$20 a tank" he scoffs.

I was exchanging comments on a blog that I enjoy ... the post was discussing the recent "stimulus" and the tax increase for those making more than $250k. Of course, my comments come from the idea that government should get out of the way. Whereas another commenter disagreed with me and thought that those making $250k or more "owe society" and should pay more taxes.

We clearly and fundamentally disagree. If government got out of the way, doing only its basic duties (infrastructure, military, police), I believe that the American spirit would lift everyone up...though innovation, private charities, and small business. I believe that government is a hindrance - that it tries to control and crush the spirit of adventure that many Americans have.

Obama is trying to bring more government to the "rescue" of our economy. Sadly, it is not going to work. If the economy starts to recover it will be in SPITE of his experiments with economics.

The liberal and political elite (I know there are so called conservatives in power who are more concerned with hanging on to power than being the voice of those they represent) seem to have no clue. I hope that those of us resisting will help spread the message that we are NOT all Socialists, as Newsweek proclaimed.