Congress wants our opinion on the requested auto industry bailout.

DOES THE AUTO INDUSTRY NEED A BAILOUT?
The big three automakers say they need $25 billion in emergency short-term loans to avoid bankruptcy. Opponents say we shouldn’t reward poor management. Some in Congress say if we do provide loans we need to attach conditions such as environmental regulations or management changes. Tell Congress and President George W. Bush what you think.

(congress.org)

I Oppose the $25 Billion Emergency Loans

If you do not oppose it, then you can find the link to not oppose on your own. 🙂

This is what I told Congress:

I oppose the $25 billion in emergency loans to the auto industry because:

1) The government should not be involved in the economy. The economy is an ecosystem. When the government tries to force it’s will upon the economy, the economy suffers. Much of the economic ailments we currently endure are unwelcome side effects, if not direct results, of government intervention.

2) The economy demands survival of the fittest. If corporations have no fear of failure then they have no accountability. If they have no accountability then they will feel free to continue to make bad decisions and roll in their ill-gotten profits, while the populace suffers.

3) Economic bail-outs are a bad thing in general. The price of bad choices and failure will be paid. There is no way around it. Either those who make the bad decisions will pay it or we will pay it. If we bail them out, they will learn nothing, and we will pay the price. That is not justice, nor is it merciful to either party.

The free market is only a free market if it is not tampered with by the higher powers (ie governments). A free market has natural laws and natural consequences. If market members are not held liable for their actions, the free market breaks. If a business of any size is in trouble financially, it needs to be allowed to flounder and suffer. It is only through this trauma that it will either grow stronger or die. If some greater power intervenes, that business is ruined, and “we the people” pay the price.

Remember the story of the little bird, growing in the egg. At a certain time the bird no longer needs the egg and so it decides to try and break free of the egg. A helpful human with the best of intentions sees the little bird in it’s seemingly helpless and fatal plight. The human thinks it sad that the bird should suffer so needlessly. So it carefully breaks the egg and frees the bird from captivity. Soon after the bird dies, unable to muster the strength and will necessary to survive.

The nature of economics is the same as the nature of the bird. If businesses are not allowed to suffer then they will not grow. If businesses are not allowed to die, they will instead become a burden on society. A business by definition, should never be a burden on a society, but instead an asset.

A government should be the only business that we allow to become a burden on our society, and a very limited one at that.

If the auto industry, or any other industry (eg banks), is suffering and even dying, then they need to suffer and even die. Either they will learn the lessons they need in order to live, or they will die and leave room for a new industry. A business needs to be accountable to the consumer. If they do not please the consumer, the consumer walks and they business dies. This accountability engenders innovation.

The same goes for raising children, or even raising adults. If we are not allowed to suffer and experience trials and pains, how can we ever be expected to grow and enrich ourselves. Tribulation breeds success. The dole breeds laziness, selfishness and greed.

I beg anyone to differ with me. I would love to hear other sides to this issue.

If you are not on the mailing list for the Congress action alert mailing list, I would suggest you register. It is a very easy way to make your voice heard by those we have elected to govern our country. If you do not use your voice, the voices that Congress does hear may be ones that you do not agree with. The choice is your. Act, or be acted upon.