It looks like investors have had enough of the anti-free market, interventionist policies from the federal government. The information is tucked inside Rasmussen’s new polling about the generic congressional ballot.
My interest and concern is about the nose dive of the stock market we’ve experienced over the past two months. The stock market, after all, is an indicator of how investors view the future. The politics will naturally follow from the policies adopted by elected officials and candidates. Interventionist policy started last fall with the Bush administration. Republicans are not off the hook for this damaging intervention in the economy. Clearly, big government policies are accelerating at warp speed under Obama’s Democratic administration.
From Rasmussen:
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 41% said they would vote for their district’s Republican candidate while 39% would choose the Democrat.
Investors now favor Republicans by a 46% to 36% margin, while non-investors would vote Democratic by a 45% to 33% margin.
Freedom and free markets are clearly under assault. John Locke Foundation President John Hood has a very insightful piece in the Winter 2009 issue of The Insider. In “The Uncertain Future of Capitalism,” Hood offers advice to defenders of liberty about how to navigate the times and why freedom is vital around the world. Here’s a sample:
First and foremost, we should reject the notion that the definition of freedom is a cultural construct. Apologists for modern-day socialists, fascists, Islamists, and petty dictators would have us think so. They employ terms such as “freedom†and “democracy†in Orwellian fashion, suggesting that using the power of government to coerce private individuals or rig elections can advance real freedom or democracy by reducing the power or resources of “undesirable†elements (be they religious minorities, corporate executives, or opposition figures of all stripes).
Don’t be fooled. Freedom is not an arbitrary concept or term. It does not change its meaning from continent to continent, country to country, or culture to culture. While there is plenty of room to debate specifics and measures, its basic elements are unmistakable. Freedom means the ability of human beings to interact with each other without interference by thugs with guns. Freedom is sustained where governments protect individual rights to life, liberty, and property—both those of their citizens and of foreign visitors and investors—and limit their role to providing true public goods, operating an effective system of courts to resolve disputes, and combating truly fraudulent behavior through well-defined and effectively enforced rules of disclosure.
Another way to fight back against the assault on freedom and free markets is to join with like-minded people in your community. The Locke Foundation’s new Freedom Clubs are an excellent way to get started on making sure your voice is heard. There are 7 clubs across North Carolina.