Response to “Tell me Moore, Dr. Paulâ€Â
The article published on Wednesday concerning the views of Ron Paul on the Federal Reserve is most disturbing. I would like to remind the author of that article that the Federal Reserve is there for a reason.
It was created in 1913 to address the economic uncertainty inherent to the capitalist system. The author points out that the goal of the Federal Reserve was, “to stabilize the currency and prevent the economy from fluctuating from astronomical highs to devastating lows.â€Â He then proceeds to argue the purchasing power of the dollar in 1913 as opposed to 2009. His argument does not hold water when you look at the fact that prices and wages have kept in line compared to 1913.
He continues on to point to recessions that have occurred since the Federal Reserve was created, believing that such existence of economic downturns defeats the purpose of the Federal Reserve. However, if you looked at a chart showing the growth (and decline) of the Gross Domestic Product from the 1950s to the present (when the Fed was able to detach itself completely from politics and buy and sell bonds in an open market) you would see relative stability compared to the early half of the 20th century.
As for the bill in the House regarding that the Federal Reserve be beholden to Congress, that is the worst idea ever because the idea of the Federal Reserve is to have it be independent from the political process so that it can make economically healthy decisions. Furthermore, the author̢۪s implication that we are a Marxist economy is nothing more than empty right-wing rhetoric. We are a mixed economy like the rest of the civilized industrial world. Learn to live in it!
Christopher Turley
Downtown key to city success
A city is a reflection of the downtown it maintains. Where is Fresno̢۪s downtown? The diversity seen in this city is unmatched within the rest of the United States of America. At one point Fresno had the tallest building in all of California. What does this say about where we came from? That Fulton Street was one of the most happening places around. Since then we have fallen to stereotypical stigmas and rumors of our downtown.
Recently, a movement has started to fix our downtown, to revitalize the districts and bring the city back inward. With the recession, this is the perfect time. Many people question or argue about what needs to be done to accomplish this, but there is only one thing truly missing from our revitalization efforts. Our city needs pride.
There are landowners creating new projects, historic buildings accomplishing new purpose, and great festivals occurring every month. Until our populace takes pride in what our city has to offer, until our citizens quit turning farmland into strip malls, our downtown will remain a vacant memory of what Fresno once was.
We can bring the fun back to downtown. Yet no one knows how to get the word to the public. None of us know how to tell Fresno that our downtown is safe, fun and unique. Let̢۪s educate our fellow neighbors of the opportunity, history and good times to be had in Fresno̢۪s historic downtown.
Andrew J. Madden
tjrichmond • Oct 20, 2009 at 11:34 am
Wow, I love how a discussion of the issues is completely impossible for some people, and any attempt at doing so resorts to name calling. I would expect this kind of behavior on an AOL or Yahoo message board, but not from a university where students are supposed to be learning how to make reasonable arguments.
And I’d have to say that America is a mixed economy. I’m not an economist, but the very idea of there being a private and public sector seems to imply a blending of capitalism and socialism. One example would be to look at the education system, where there are both private and public schools. Business is largely based on a free market system, while Medicare is government run . Of course, there are caveats to this, especially when considering the regulation of business by Congress, a broad power that is found in the constitution (see section 8 of article 1 Commerce Clause). But I would be willing to listen to somebody who claims America is strictly capitalist, or strictly socialist. However, in most cases, such simplified binary representations of the world never reflect how things actually are. And such a way of thinking usually leads to conflict instead of problem solving.
Now c’mon people, lets really have a discussion here.
tjrichmond • Oct 20, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Wow, I love how a discussion of the issues is completely impossible for some people, and any attempt at doing so resorts to name calling. I would expect this kind of behavior on an AOL or Yahoo message board, but not from a university where students are supposed to be learning how to make reasonable arguments.
And I’d have to say that America is a mixed economy. I’m not an economist, but the very idea of there being a private and public sector seems to imply a blending of capitalism and socialism. One example would be to look at the education system, where there are both private and public schools. Business is largely based on a free market system, while Medicare is government run . Of course, there are caveats to this, especially when considering the regulation of business by Congress, a broad power that is found in the constitution (see section 8 of article 1 Commerce Clause). But I would be willing to listen to somebody who claims America is strictly capitalist, or strictly socialist. However, in most cases, such simplified binary representations of the world never reflect how things actually are. And such a way of thinking usually leads to conflict instead of problem solving.
Now c’mon people, lets really have a discussion here.
Wesley Warker • Oct 19, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Ugggh, brown pride, take that awful ‘la raza’ crap outta here. I saw you in the mask during the lucha libre during the Fresno Fair. Take some legit classes on this campus instead of the Chicano studies fall semester’s Introduction to Reconquista 152 and Aztlan Graduate Survey 200A and B. This county belongs to the US of A. Nobody forces you to stay here. The Mexican-American war is OVER, partner!!!!
Wesley Warker • Oct 19, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Ugggh, brown pride, take that awful ‘la raza’ crap outta here. I saw you in the mask during the lucha libre during the Fresno Fair. Take some legit classes on this campus instead of the Chicano studies fall semester’s Introduction to Reconquista 152 and Aztlan Graduate Survey 200A and B. This county belongs to the US of A. Nobody forces you to stay here. The Mexican-American war is OVER, partner!!!!
Brown Pride • Oct 19, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Christopher Turley what are you talking about? There is no such thing as a mixed economy here!! there is only the Capitalist economy which has brainwashed you to think we are mixed. You think the Federal Reserve is something great? you obviosly havent been to very many countries where the Federal Reserve has raped the economies of the southern hemisphere which includes the continents of Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
Brown Pride • Oct 19, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Christopher Turley what are you talking about? There is no such thing as a mixed economy here!! there is only the Capitalist economy which has brainwashed you to think we are mixed. You think the Federal Reserve is something great? you obviosly havent been to very many countries where the Federal Reserve has raped the economies of the southern hemisphere which includes the continents of Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.