James Sharp

Athletic Shoes and Capitalism

A brouhaha has erupted this week over the Nike shoe company's release of a twenty-first century version of the wildly-popular "Air Jordan" athletic shoes.

Choosing Sides

With the first of the nation's primaries looming, we find ourselves, as one electorate, faced with a choice regarding the economic direction of our country. For three years now, we have seen President Obama and the Democrats spend our nation into the abyss to an even greater extent than did the Bush administration. Just when you thought that our spending problem could get no worse, Obama - with the people's blessing – has managed to kick it into warp drive a la Captain Kirk. With our nation's debt having eclipsed the fifteen trillion dollar mark, we could use Buzz Lightyear's tag-line and say, "To infinity and beyond!"

How Many Individual Mandates?

Ever since Congressional Democrats rammed the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) down the collective throats of the American people and it was signed into law by President Obama in early-2010, the most contentious aspect of it has been the individual mandate provision. This is the portion of the law that requires every American to carry some form of health insurance. It is the individual mandate around which most of the constitutional challenges to the law are centered. The argument concerns the limits of the government’s authority to force citizens to purchase any kind of product – specifically, health insurance.

A Debt Crisis or a Liberalism Crisis?

As the year 2011 draws to a close, it seems that, if there was one word that has defined this year, that word would be "DEBT". Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with the word, Local governments are finding themselves mired in debt as a result of their free-wheeling spending during the late-1990's and early 2000's and the reductions in ad valorem tax receipts that have resulted from the bursting of the real estate bubble. Most states are facing debt crises; especially those that have historically been led by liberals - states such as California, New York, and Illinois. We need not even mention (but we will) the nation's $15 trillion debt - a sum that boggles the mind of those capable of comprehending the magnitude thereof and one that carries little meaning to the rest.

Let It Burn

I profess to be neither an economist nor a political science expert. But after watching the campaign for the presidency for the past four months or so, the cynic in me wonders if the Republican Party and conservatives might not be better off throwing in the towel now and letting President Obama have the second term that he and his supporters so desperately want.

Occupy Wall Street Job Fair???

This morning (Wednesday the 19th) on Fox & Friends on the Fox News Channel, host Brian Kilmeade interviewed Chery Casone of the Fox Business Network. Ms. Casone presented information regarding several large corporations that are presently hiring. They included Kraft, AT&T, Pepsico, and ADT.

Of Cold Medicines and Economic Stimuli

President Obama’s jobs bill has been in the news a great deal since he first presented it to the nation nearly a month ago. The Democrats have been touting it as the latest miracle to jump-start our sagging economy. It is the government's latest attempt to reduce the unemployment rate which has been stuck at 9.1 percent for three consecutive months and has not been below 8.8 percent since April of 2009. Most Americans – at least conservative ones – are looking at the plan with a great deal of skepticism, especially after having seen nearly a trillion of our hard-earned tax dollars (or, more accurately, borrowed Chinese dollars) being squandered on a seemingly-endless assortment of insane pet projects benefiting a ridiculously small percentage of Americans (think: Solyndra). Yet the president is still traipsing around the country demanding that Congress, “…pass this bill right now.”

The “Wills” Versus the “Will Nots”

President Obama, since his inauguration, has fueled the fire of class warfare by insisting that wealthy Americans pay "their fair share". The frequency with which he alludes to this - either verbatim or indirectly - in his campaign speeches is as comical as it is predictable.

Presidential Placebo

A placebo is a pharmacologically inert substance – generally in the form of a tablet – that is given to a medical patient either for the patient’s mental benefit or in lieu of an actual drug when testing the effectiveness of a pharmaceutical. Often times, the placebo is a sugar pill; the patient believes that he or she is being given an actual medication and, in some cases, said patient realizes relief from the symptoms of his or her affliction.

A Tea Party State of Mind

The recent election of Republican Bob Turner to the 9th Congressional District seat in New York represents a pivotal event in American politics in the second decade of the 21st century. We are nearly three years into the presidency of Barack Obama and, it seems, the electorate has grown less and less enamored with the far-left policies of the Democrat agenda in general and the Obama presidency in particular. The significance of this election is evidenced by the fact that Democrats have held this seat in Congress for nearly ninety years.

What’s In a Name? – The New Tea Party Moniker

What’s in a name? That rhetorical question has been asked throughout the ages. For instance, the name of an organization is often the key to determining the success of said organization. Take, for example, Waste Management. This corporation has been phenomenally successful hauling and disposing of trash and garbage.

The Politics of Envy

The concept of sin is nearly as old as time itself. Just about every religion includes basic tenets concerning man’s treatment of his fellow human beings. In Judeo-Christian doctrine, The Ten Commandments are mentioned in the Book of Exodus – the second book of the Bible. The Tenth Commandment is the one that deals with envy.

America’s Crisis of Math

A great percentage of news in 2011 has been devoted to America’s spending deficits and debt crisis – specifically the recent battle to raise the country’s debt limit. And rightly so. It could be argued – and many economists make the argument – that the fiscal crisis that we are facing will cripple the nation economically. It could further be argued – and IS by many – that this is already taking place. The immensity of our nation’s debt really does boggle the mind. It is simply not possible for the average person to envision or comprehend the magnitude of a number that ends with twelve zeroes (a trillion), let alone fifteen times that number.

The Economic Buffalo Theory

The "Buffalo Theory" is a concept that was made popular by John Ratzenberger's character, Cliff Clavin, on the 1982-1993 television series "Cheers".

What Political Color Are You?

These days, a great deal is being said about the ever-increasing political polarization the United States. We have seen this taking shape for a number of years now; for decades, it could be argued. One might say that it began in the 1930’s as the social programs of President Franklin Roosevelt were unveiled. We could certainly look at the 1960’s and see this beginning to evolve as the free-love, progressive, hippie movement began to take root. Those aging hippies are now in their 60’s and 70’s and many are in positions of power both in government and in business.

Barack Hussein Spicoli

Most people who grew up in the 1980s are familiar with the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Fast Times was a coming-of-age movie for the Bon Jovi generation. It took place in Southern California, centered around a group of teenagers, and dealt with a variety of teen issues such as drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll.

The Human Nature of Government

We have all experienced the pleasure of receiving a windfall in terms of money in our pockets. It may have been that quarter that your dad (or, perhaps, the Tooth Fairy) gave you when you were a kid. Who cannot recall the thrill of running down to the local Woolworth’s with that shiny quarter looking for a way to spend it? Later in life, perhaps you received a nice Christmas bonus. But, boy, doesn’t it feel good to have an extra infusion of cash, no matter how much or what the circumstances? Just a couple of years ago, the federal government gave most of us (even those that pay no income taxes) a nice little stimulus check.

The Morality of Debt

Most of the news in the mainstream media lately has been devoted to Washington DC and the argument between Congress and the president over the debt ceiling increase. The Democrats insist that the country will crash and burn if we do not increase the nation’s capacity to borrow money. The Republicans are refusing to budge on the subject of increasing taxes and are attempting to tie any increase in the debt limit to a corresponding reduction in spending. Liberals counter that we simply cannot survive as a nation unless we continue borrowing at least 44 cents out of every dollar that we spend. Or, in other words, unless we spend more, borrow more, and tax more.

What Liberals Fear the Most

Most of the stories in the mainstream media lately have centered around the nation's encroachment upon the current mandated debt ceiling. This political hot potato has been tossed back-and-forth countless times with no one willing or able to get a handle on it. Most of the rhetoric coming from the left - President Obama, in particular - has come in the form of fear-mongering and demagoguery.

Obama’s Economic Alchemy

Over the centuries, in his quest for riches, man has tried various and sundry means in an attempt to “get rich quick”. It is an inherent trait of man to attempt to achieve as much wealth as possible through as little effort as possible. Take, for example, the science of alchemy which dates back possibly as far as ancient Egypt and was a driving force during the Middle Ages. Alchemy was a quest to discover the means by which base metals such as lead could be changed – or transmuted – into gold or silver. According to historians, alchemists were motivated more by the quest for scientific knowledge and spiritual enrichment than by profit since alchemy was heavily rooted in philosophy and religion.