The idea is still, nonetheless, ridiculous. So I was happy to see an article by Senate candidate Peter Schiff lampooning the idea of war being good for an economy (and stimulus in general) in his latest column Why Not Have Another World War. World War is key because obviously the two wars we’re fighting now “are simply too small.”

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner discusses the burdens of his position, why he felt it was necessary to bailout the financial system and the paternal role taken by the federal government:

The spirit of the season is upon us. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday at our backs, rounding out those holiday wish lists for loved ones will consume the collective American conscious. With all of these efforts brought about by the desire to bring a smile to someone’s face, the wonder and awe of the Christmas season is truly something to be thankful for. But as chestnuts are roasting on my open fire, peppermint snow mocha’s cease to leave my hand and mistletoe is strategically placed around my home, I would be remiss if I failed to do the right thing: confront the deadweight loss of Christmas.

As of today, few things would be less appealing in your portfolio then dollars. As the Federal Reserve pours liquid-ity into the economy through TARP, stimulus and bailouts, and the Federal Government runs record deficits, interest rates stay artificially low. Depressingly low. In fact, a quick surf of Bankrate.com tells me the highest yielding money market account currently available (MMA) is 1.81%, while the average yield comes in at a whopping 1.113%. (1) That means if a person has $20,000 of hard earned money stuffed away in a MMA, he or she will earn roughly $30/month in taxed income. Nice.

The prestigious Onion News Network reports President Obama has decided to cut spending, but not with stimulus dollars or TARP. Rather, Obama pulls the plug on plans to develop billion dollar dragon tank.

Said simply: the factors of production must be handled by free enterprise. The more factors of production the government seizes, the less efficient we become. Inefficiency lowers productivity, stifles competitiveness and lowers living standards.