Tag Archives: public complacency

The Cruelty of Economic Policy

Posted on by
Reply

The Cruelty of Economic Policy
By James Quillian, Economist, Political Analyst & Teacher of Natural Law

There’s a special kind of cruelty in modern economic policy, and it isn’t found in the fine print of legislation or the footnotes of a Federal Reserve report. The real cruelty is in the management of public sentiment — the quiet, steady shaping of what folks are allowed to see, hear, and think.

Why manage public sentiment? Why not manage the sentiment of billionaires and the one‑percent crowd? Well now, that’s a good one. You might as well ask a rancher why he doesn’t put blinders on himself instead of the horses.

Continue reading →

Calling It What It Is

Posted on by
Reply

Calling It What It Is

James Quillian, Economist, Political Analyst, Natural Law

Every so often, a country drifts so far from its own description that the polite thing to do is stop repeating the label. America still calls itself a republic, but that word has become more of a sentimental keepsake than an operating description. We keep it around the way families keep an old photograph on the mantle — not because it reflects the present, but because it reminds us of what we once were.

A republic is supposed to be a system where the people are in charge and the government works for them. That’s the definition. But definitions don’t govern anything. Function does. And if you look at how power actually behaves in Washington, you’ll notice something uncomfortable: the people who are supposed to be in charge aren’t, and the people who are supposed to be working for them aren’t doing much of that either.

Continue reading →