Libertarians Are The True Political Moderates

[Bfgrn]

As we moved toward an ideology driven 'free market' ONLY belief economically, and away from a mixed economy, the results have been disastrous

The more and more government controls our markets, the freer you think they are, and that freedom is what is causing our market problems.

Well, apparently libertarians are not the only ones supporting legalization of drugs around here...

The reason for the collapse of our economy was a LACK of government regulations. The housing bubble and bust was caused by PRIVATE lenders and wealthy speculators.

 

[Dad2three]

Effective at what? What do you think government is for? That's the real question. For what it's worth I agree: government should be big enough to effectively perform its legitimate functions.

I think Gov't is what TJ felt it was for


"The only orthodox object of the institution of government is to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it."

Thomas Jefferson

Conservative/Libertarians, not so much...


Grove Norquist stating "I want to make government so small, I could drown it in a bathtub."

LOL, once again misinterpreting a Jefferson quote to make him sound like what you are and he isn't, Marxist.

"The property of this country is absolutely concentred in a very few hands, having revenues of from half a million of guineas a year downwards... I am conscious that an equal division of property is impracticable. But the consequences of this enormous inequality producing so much misery to the bulk of mankind, legislators cannot invent too many devices for subdividing property, only taking care to let their subdivisions go hand in hand with the natural affections of the human mind. Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions of property in geometrical progression as they rise. Whenever there is in any country, uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as a common stock for man to labor and live on."

--Thomas Jefferson



With Thomas Jefferson taking the lead in the Virginia legislature in 1777, every Revolutionary state government abolished the laws of primogeniture and entail that had served to perpetuate the concentration of inherited property. Jefferson cited Adam Smith, the hero of free market capitalists everywhere, as the source of his conviction that (as Smith wrote, and Jefferson closely echoed in his own words), "A power to dispose of estates for ever is manifestly absurd. The earth and the fulness of it belongs to every generation, and the preceding one can have no right to bind it up from posterity. Such extension of property is quite unnatural." Smith said: "There is no point more difficult to account for than the right we conceive men to have to dispose of their goods after death."

Stephen Budiansky's Liberal Curmudgeon Blog: Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and other fellow travelers






"Many of the opposition [to the new Federal Constitution] wish to take from Congress the power of internal taxation. Calculation has convinced me that this would be very mischievous." --Thomas Jefferson





"The poor who have neither property, friends, nor strength to labor, are boarded in the houses of good farmers, to whom a stipulated sum is annually paid. To those who are able to help themselves a little, or have friends from whom they derive some succor, inadequate however to their full maintenance, supplementary aids are given which enable them to live comfortably in their own houses, or in the houses of their friends. --Thomas Jefferson




"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild, and government to gain ground." - Thomas Jefferson




"The farmer will see his government supported, his children educated, and the face of this country made a paradise by the contributions of the rich alone, without his being called on to spend a cent from his earnings." Thomas Jefferson

 

[Dad2three]

As we moved toward an ideology driven 'free market' ONLY belief economically, and away from a mixed economy, the results have been disastrous

The more and more government controls our markets, the freer you think they are, and that freedom is what is causing our market problems.

Well, apparently libertarians are not the only ones supporting legalization of drugs around here...

The reason for the collapse of our economy was a LACK of government regulations. The housing bubble and bust was caused by PRIVATE lenders and wealthy speculators.

Actually, it was not lack of regulations, but WHO was in charge and who controlled the regulators. Bush was warned by the FBI starting in 2004 of an EPIDEMIC of mortgage fraud, he gutted white collar crimes by 1,800+ agents


The FBI correctly identified the epidemic of mortgage control fraud at such an early point that the financial crisis could have been averted had the Bush administration acted with even minimal competence.
'
William K. Black: The Two Documents Everyone Should Read to Better Understand the Crisis

Dubya was warned by the FBI of an "epidemic" of mortgage fraud in 2004. He gave them less resources.

FBI saw threat of loan crisis - Los Angeles Times

Shockingly, the FBI clearly makes the case for the need to combat mortgage fraud in 2005, the height of the housing crisis:

Financial Crimes Report to the Public 2005

FBI ? Financial Crimes Report 2005

The Bush Rubber Stamp Congress ignored the obvious and extremely detailed and well reported crime spree by the FBI.

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION and CONGRESS stripped the White Collar Crime divisions of money and manpower.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/washington/19fbi.html?pagewanted=all

DUBYA FOUGHT ALL 50 STATE AG'S IN 2003, INVOKING A CIVIL WAR ERA RULE SAYING FEDS RULE ON "PREDATORY" LENDERS!


Later in 2004 Dubya allowed the leverage rules to go from 12-1 to 35-1+ which flooded the market with cheap money!


More here


http://www.usmessageboard.com/economy/362889-facts-on-dubya-s-great-recession.html

 

[Bfgrn]

I think Gov't is what TJ felt it was for


"The only orthodox object of the institution of government is to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it."

Thomas Jefferson

Conservative/Libertarians, not so much...


Grove Norquist stating "I want to make government so small, I could drown it in a bathtub."

LOL, once again misinterpreting a Jefferson quote to make him sound like what you are and he isn't, Marxist.

"The property of this country is absolutely concentred in a very few hands, having revenues of from half a million of guineas a year downwards... I am conscious that an equal division of property is impracticable. But the consequences of this enormous inequality producing so much misery to the bulk of mankind, legislators cannot invent too many devices for subdividing property, only taking care to let their subdivisions go hand in hand with the natural affections of the human mind. Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions of property in geometrical progression as they rise. Whenever there is in any country, uncultivated lands and unemployed poor, it is clear that the laws of property have been so far extended as to violate natural right. The earth is given as a common stock for man to labor and live on."

--Thomas Jefferson



With Thomas Jefferson taking the lead in the Virginia legislature in 1777, every Revolutionary state government abolished the laws of primogeniture and entail that had served to perpetuate the concentration of inherited property. Jefferson cited Adam Smith, the hero of free market capitalists everywhere, as the source of his conviction that (as Smith wrote, and Jefferson closely echoed in his own words), "A power to dispose of estates for ever is manifestly absurd. The earth and the fulness of it belongs to every generation, and the preceding one can have no right to bind it up from posterity. Such extension of property is quite unnatural." Smith said: "There is no point more difficult to account for than the right we conceive men to have to dispose of their goods after death."

Stephen Budiansky's Liberal Curmudgeon Blog: Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and other fellow travelers






"Many of the opposition [to the new Federal Constitution] wish to take from Congress the power of internal taxation. Calculation has convinced me that this would be very mischievous." --Thomas Jefferson





"The poor who have neither property, friends, nor strength to labor, are boarded in the houses of good farmers, to whom a stipulated sum is annually paid. To those who are able to help themselves a little, or have friends from whom they derive some succor, inadequate however to their full maintenance, supplementary aids are given which enable them to live comfortably in their own houses, or in the houses of their friends. --Thomas Jefferson




"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild, and government to gain ground." - Thomas Jefferson




"The farmer will see his government supported, his children educated, and the face of this country made a paradise by the contributions of the rich alone, without his being called on to spend a cent from his earnings." Thomas Jefferson

One great liberal quoting another great liberal succinctly defined the role of the President of the United States:

"Harry Truman once said, 'There are 14 or 15 million Americans who have the resources to have representatives in Washington to protect their interests, and that the interests of the great mass of the other people - the 150 or 160 million - is the responsibility of the president of the United States, and I propose to fulfill it.'"
President John F. Kennedy

 

[Dad2three]

As we moved toward an ideology driven 'free market' ONLY belief economically, and away from a mixed economy, the results have been disastrous

The more and more government controls our markets, the freer you think they are, and that freedom is what is causing our market problems.

Well, apparently libertarians are not the only ones supporting legalization of drugs around here...

It is clear to anyone who has studied the financial crisis of 2008 that the private sector’s drive for short-term profit was behind it


Low interest rates fueled an apparent boom

Asset managers sought new ways to make money

The credit rating agencies gave their blessing

Fund managers didn’t do their homework

Derivatives were unregulated

The SEC loosened capital requirements: In 2004

The federal government overrode anti-predatory state laws. In 2004


Compensation schemes encouraged gambling: Wall Street’s compensation system was—and still is—based on short-term performance, all upside and no downside




Wall Street became “creative”: The demand for higher-yielding paper led Wall Street to begin bundling mortgages. The highest yielding were subprime mortgages. This market was dominated by non-bank originators exempt from most regulations.


Private sector lenders fed the demand

Financial gadgets milked the market

Commercial banks jumped in

Derivatives exploded uncontrollably

The boom and bust went global




Lest We Forget: Why We Had A Financial Crisis - Forbes

 

[dblack]

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing.

On the contrary. Our distrust of centralizing regulatory authority is based on the opposite observation, that people will, all too often, serve their own interest at the expense others. It's pure folly to hand to them the power to control markets coercively.

 

[Bfgrn]

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing.

On the contrary. Our distrust of centralizing regulatory authority is based on the opposite observation, that people will, all too often, serve their own interest at the expense others. It's pure folly to hand to them the power to control markets coercively.

As we CLEARLY witnessed during the financial collapse "people will, all too often, serve their own interest at the expense others"

Private corporations and wealthy investors were the "people" who served their own interest. And WE THE PEOPLE were the "others".

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Libertarians will get a little attention in 2016 when we find out they get about 1% of the GOP vote and the GOP will appease the lunatics enough that they'll show up and vote for the "lesser of two evils". That's what Ron Paul does. He rallies the base. The Libertarian party is the evil yet retarded step brother of the republicans.

I personally don't find that you're not smart enough to grasp free markets, man enough to support yourself or generous enough to give your own money to charity persuasive in any way that I need to dumb down my views and join the ignorant masses that are so manipulated by liberal lawyers.

No I get free markets. You don't understand that there is no such thing as a free market. Read this then we'll talk.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

I think we have established that Libertarians aren't the true moderates. They are extremists and anarchists. The middle class and poor ones mean well because it sounds good on paper but there is no truly free market. Government makes the rules. Without rules/referees what kind of game would it be between the rich and the poor/middle class? The middle class will be GONE my brother. Even if I was rich enough to benefit from Libertarian ways I wouldn't want society to work that way. You libertarians while you mean well are also very ignorant about the value of government until you need it. I can't tell you how many people I knew who were Republicans when Clinton was in office and when Bush sent all the jobs overseas, not only did they file for unemployment, they filed for extensions when they found that no it's not that easy to find a job in a wrecked economy. And guess what? None of them was willing to flip burgers. That wouldn't even make their car payments, the arrogant bastards. One of them went to another state and still couldn't find a job and had to come crawling back to work at his daddy's company. What a hypocrite and loser he is, just like the rest of you. You would vote for a Libertarian and then when you are broke and old you wouldn't have social security. You think your lousy 401K is going to be there? Your healthcare costs would eat all that up.

YOU don't understand reality. Don't tell me I don't understand free markets you brainwashed little shit. Think you would benefit from winner take all survival of the fittest every man for himself society? Go move on an island or to a red state at least. Separate but equal. You in Kenhicky and me in Michigan. Only thing is we got to get this Snyder bum out of office first. Michigan although it votes every 4 years for Democrats the stupid masses don't show up to midterms.

You are wrong, there are actual free markets out there, and they prove you wrong.

 

[Antares]

Clearly, there are those who still do not know what libertarianism means. They just throw any ol' horse shit at the wall and hope something sticks.

Like all Utopian delusions, Libertarianism is a fairy tale

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing. There are currently very few regulations on burning coal in China....the result is a high-level emergency and health crisis that has the Chinese government scrambling to put together legislation that can be enforced BY GOVERNMENT.


Government also exists to take care of and protect its citizens against other citizens. Purist Randian philosophy is just the Law of the Jungle in a tie and a coat.

The greatest failure of the Progressive philosophy is that it seeks to impose it's belief that it knows better than the common man what is best for that man.

The Progressive simply cannot get over the fact that the "common man" laughs at him and his delusions of self importance.

 

[Bfgrn]

I personally don't find that you're not smart enough to grasp free markets, man enough to support yourself or generous enough to give your own money to charity persuasive in any way that I need to dumb down my views and join the ignorant masses that are so manipulated by liberal lawyers.

No I get free markets. You don't understand that there is no such thing as a free market. Read this then we'll talk.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

I think we have established that Libertarians aren't the true moderates. They are extremists and anarchists. The middle class and poor ones mean well because it sounds good on paper but there is no truly free market. Government makes the rules. Without rules/referees what kind of game would it be between the rich and the poor/middle class? The middle class will be GONE my brother. Even if I was rich enough to benefit from Libertarian ways I wouldn't want society to work that way. You libertarians while you mean well are also very ignorant about the value of government until you need it. I can't tell you how many people I knew who were Republicans when Clinton was in office and when Bush sent all the jobs overseas, not only did they file for unemployment, they filed for extensions when they found that no it's not that easy to find a job in a wrecked economy. And guess what? None of them was willing to flip burgers. That wouldn't even make their car payments, the arrogant bastards. One of them went to another state and still couldn't find a job and had to come crawling back to work at his daddy's company. What a hypocrite and loser he is, just like the rest of you. You would vote for a Libertarian and then when you are broke and old you wouldn't have social security. You think your lousy 401K is going to be there? Your healthcare costs would eat all that up.

YOU don't understand reality. Don't tell me I don't understand free markets you brainwashed little shit. Think you would benefit from winner take all survival of the fittest every man for himself society? Go move on an island or to a red state at least. Separate but equal. You in Kenhicky and me in Michigan. Only thing is we got to get this Snyder bum out of office first. Michigan although it votes every 4 years for Democrats the stupid masses don't show up to midterms.

You are wrong, there are actual free markets out there, and they prove you wrong.

MYTH ALERT!

A "free market" doesn't exist. There is no such thing. All markets are constructed. Think of the stock exchange. It has rules. The WTO [World Trade Organization] has 900 pages of regulations. The bond market has all kinds of regulations and commissions to make sure those regulations carried out. Every market has rules.

 

[Bfgrn]

Clearly, there are those who still do not know what libertarianism means. They just throw any ol' horse shit at the wall and hope something sticks.

Like all Utopian delusions, Libertarianism is a fairy tale

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing. There are currently very few regulations on burning coal in China....the result is a high-level emergency and health crisis that has the Chinese government scrambling to put together legislation that can be enforced BY GOVERNMENT.


Government also exists to take care of and protect its citizens against other citizens. Purist Randian philosophy is just the Law of the Jungle in a tie and a coat.

The greatest failure of the Progressive philosophy is that it seeks to impose it's belief that it knows better than the common man what is best for that man.

The Progressive simply cannot get over the fact that the "common man" laughs at him and his delusions of self importance.

And the right wants impose what they have ALWAYS tried to impose throughout human history.

An aristocracy...

 

[sealybobo]

No I get free markets. You don't understand that there is no such thing as a free market. Read this then we'll talk.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

I think we have established that Libertarians aren't the true moderates. They are extremists and anarchists. The middle class and poor ones mean well because it sounds good on paper but there is no truly free market. Government makes the rules. Without rules/referees what kind of game would it be between the rich and the poor/middle class? The middle class will be GONE my brother. Even if I was rich enough to benefit from Libertarian ways I wouldn't want society to work that way. You libertarians while you mean well are also very ignorant about the value of government until you need it. I can't tell you how many people I knew who were Republicans when Clinton was in office and when Bush sent all the jobs overseas, not only did they file for unemployment, they filed for extensions when they found that no it's not that easy to find a job in a wrecked economy. And guess what? None of them was willing to flip burgers. That wouldn't even make their car payments, the arrogant bastards. One of them went to another state and still couldn't find a job and had to come crawling back to work at his daddy's company. What a hypocrite and loser he is, just like the rest of you. You would vote for a Libertarian and then when you are broke and old you wouldn't have social security. You think your lousy 401K is going to be there? Your healthcare costs would eat all that up.

YOU don't understand reality. Don't tell me I don't understand free markets you brainwashed little shit. Think you would benefit from winner take all survival of the fittest every man for himself society? Go move on an island or to a red state at least. Separate but equal. You in Kenhicky and me in Michigan. Only thing is we got to get this Snyder bum out of office first. Michigan although it votes every 4 years for Democrats the stupid masses don't show up to midterms.

You are wrong, there are actual free markets out there, and they prove you wrong.

MYTH ALERT!

A "free market" doesn't exist. There is no such thing. All markets are constructed. Think of the stock exchange. It has rules. The WTO [World Trade Organization] has 900 pages of regulations. The bond market has all kinds of regulations and commissions to make sure those regulations carried out. Every market has rules.

I've tried to show them but they won't read anything that isn't produced by rush, fox or a right wing think tank.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

 

[dblack]

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing.

On the contrary. Our distrust of centralizing regulatory authority is based on the opposite observation, that people will, all too often, serve their own interest at the expense others. It's pure folly to hand to them the power to control markets coercively.

As we CLEARLY witnessed during the financial collapse "people will, all too often, serve their own interest at the expense others"

Private corporations and wealthy investors were the "people" who served their own interest. And WE THE PEOPLE were the "others".

Indeed. Which is why its foolhardy to give them coercive control over their markets.

 

[sealybobo]

Clearly, there are those who still do not know what libertarianism means. They just throw any ol' horse shit at the wall and hope something sticks.

Like all Utopian delusions, Libertarianism is a fairy tale

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing. There are currently very few regulations on burning coal in China....the result is a high-level emergency and health crisis that has the Chinese government scrambling to put together legislation that can be enforced BY GOVERNMENT.


Government also exists to take care of and protect its citizens against other citizens. Purist Randian philosophy is just the Law of the Jungle in a tie and a coat.

The greatest failure of the Progressive philosophy is that it seeks to impose it's belief that it knows better than the common man what is best for that man.

The Progressive simply cannot get over the fact that the "common man" laughs at him and his delusions of self importance.

Oh shut the fuck up you cock sucker.

You could say the same thing about the conservative, fascist, libertarian or tea bagger philosophies you dumb son of a bitch.

The conservative can't get over the fact he's getting old and the world is changing and the republican party is not the same party his grandfather was a member of.

And "the common man" agrees with us on almost every issue. Perfect example is Obamacare. They might not like Obamacare because the corporate media has been brainwashing them to think its bad but ask those same people about the specific aspects of the ACA and they like everything they hear.

You must be happy its a midterm. You guys always win midterms because voter turn out is always low in midterms. Enjoy the House and Senate for 2 years IF you take the Senate. Depends on if people show up. Historically they don't. That's why repugs love low voter turn out. They only win when voter turn out is low. Bush didn't win he stole it. And even if he did "win" he didn't win the popular vote.

 

[Antares]

Like all Utopian delusions, Libertarianism is a fairy tale

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing. There are currently very few regulations on burning coal in China....the result is a high-level emergency and health crisis that has the Chinese government scrambling to put together legislation that can be enforced BY GOVERNMENT.


Government also exists to take care of and protect its citizens against other citizens. Purist Randian philosophy is just the Law of the Jungle in a tie and a coat.

The greatest failure of the Progressive philosophy is that it seeks to impose it's belief that it knows better than the common man what is best for that man.

The Progressive simply cannot get over the fact that the "common man" laughs at him and his delusions of self importance.

Oh shut the fuck up you cock sucker.

You could say the same thing about the conservative, fascist, libertarian or tea bagger philosophies you dumb son of a bitch.

The conservative can't get over the fact he's getting old and the world is changing and the republican party is not the same party his grandfather was a member of.

And "the common man" agrees with us on almost every issue. Perfect example is Obamacare. They might not like Obamacare because the corporate media has been brainwashing them to think its bad but ask those same people about the specific aspects of the ACA and they like everything they hear.

You must be happy its a midterm. You guys always win midterms because voter turn out is always low in midterms. Enjoy the House and Senate for 2 years IF you take the Senate. Depends on if people show up. Historically they don't. That's why repugs love low voter turn out. They only win when voter turn out is low. Bush didn't win he stole it. And even if he did "win" he didn't win the popular vote.

Ain't you just the baddest if the internet badasses

You will lose the Senate in November, deal with it.

They don't like the ACA because it is shit, go ahead and argue with me about it, Health Insurance is what I do boy.

You count on everyone being as stupid as you are, they aren't.

The plans are worse, more expensive and the public hates them.

The loss ratios are through the roof, you are about to see double digit increases AGAIN.

 

[eagle1462010]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bJckUdDi_o]Ron Pauls Urgent Warning! The Collapse Of The Dollar - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Antares]

Like all Utopian delusions, Libertarianism is a fairy tale

The greatest failure in the Libertarian, Tea Party, and Republican Party philosophy is this absurd notion that getting rid of regulations and restrictions of government on business....people, human beings, will always do the right thing. There are currently very few regulations on burning coal in China....the result is a high-level emergency and health crisis that has the Chinese government scrambling to put together legislation that can be enforced BY GOVERNMENT.


Government also exists to take care of and protect its citizens against other citizens. Purist Randian philosophy is just the Law of the Jungle in a tie and a coat.

The greatest failure of the Progressive philosophy is that it seeks to impose it's belief that it knows better than the common man what is best for that man.

The Progressive simply cannot get over the fact that the "common man" laughs at him and his delusions of self importance.

And the right wants impose what they have ALWAYS tried to impose throughout human history.

An aristocracy...

LOL, you clearly aren't paying attention the Boi King is imposing the aristocracy as you type.

 

[dblack]

The greatest failure of the Progressive philosophy is that it seeks to impose it's belief that it knows better than the common man what is best for that man.

The Progressive simply cannot get over the fact that the "common man" laughs at him and his delusions of self importance.

Oh shut the fuck up you cock sucker.

Tasting your own medicine can be foul.

 

[Antares]

The greatest failure of the Progressive philosophy is that it seeks to impose it's belief that it knows better than the common man what is best for that man.

The Progressive simply cannot get over the fact that the "common man" laughs at him and his delusions of self importance.

Oh shut the fuck up you cock sucker.

Tasting your own medicine can be foul.

Bobo is jus another angry Black Chile.

 

[Bfgrn]

On the contrary. Our distrust of centralizing regulatory authority is based on the opposite observation, that people will, all too often, serve their own interest at the expense others. It's pure folly to hand to them the power to control markets coercively.

As we CLEARLY witnessed during the financial collapse "people will, all too often, serve their own interest at the expense others"

Private corporations and wealthy investors were the "people" who served their own interest. And WE THE PEOPLE were the "others".

Indeed. Which is why its foolhardy to give them coercive control over their markets.

The lenders who caused the collapse were OUTSIDE of government 'control'

More than 84 percent of the subprime mortgages in 2006 were issued by private lending institutions.

Private firms made nearly 83 percent of the subprime loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers that year.

Only one of the top 25 subprime lenders in 2006 was directly subject to the housing law that's being lambasted by conservative critics.


Read more here: Private sector loans, not Fannie or Freddie, triggered crisis | Economics | McClatchy DC