It’s the Spending Stupid!

I'm going to start posting again - and why not begin with the fiscal cliff. Stossel once again shows why he's da’man!

It’s the Spending Stupid: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/12/19/its_the_spending_stupid__116460.html

Key point:

“Ludicrous, irresponsible spending is why we're in trouble... Democrats, who believe we have a 'revenue' problem instead of a 'spending' problem, must also think they have a bartender problem, not a drinking problem."

“To succeed, the crusade to cut spending needs an ideological understanding of how unsustainable our current course is, not just a narrow appeal to short-term self-interest. People will have to see the wisdom of giving up government benefits now -- in exchange for something more abstract: a future free society in which our children won't be burdened by debt and taxes.”

Tribute to Steve Jobs

So I meant to post this many eons ago – or at least a month or two ago. In tribute to Steve Jobs here are a few quotes both from him and others about the creative process (and in my opinion how that relates to capitalism and freedom):

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life. - Steve Jobs

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. - Steve Jobs

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. - Ayn Rand

Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change. - Stephen Covey

First, make yourself a reputation for being a creative genius. Second, surround yourself with partners who are better than you are. Third, leave them to go get on with it. - David Ogilvy

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. - Richard Branson

There are two ways of being creative. One can sing and dance. Or one can create an environment in which singers and dancers flourish. - Warren G. Bennis (sorry my love of theatre and my inability to sing and dance made me ad this to the list)

Creativity & innovation is what makes Capitalism work, or perhaps it is the reverse. To have the freedom to create, succeed, fail or succeed again. To learn from those successes or failures and to profit or take responsibility for the losses.

BTW – Here is a short video on people’s reactions to when he retired:

http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1127635235001&odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cfeatured

The first person who is interviewed appears to be rather intelligent don’t you think?