It’s no secret that the major platform that both candidates are running on is the economy.  Things like abortion, crime, and even the war in Iraq are taking a back seat to this one issue.  The American people are feeling it in their wallets, and when that happens, as sad as it may be, nothing else really matters.

So here is where this leaves us.  Both candidates are promising to fix this and both candidates are saying some pretty stupid stuff as to how that is going to be done.  In other words, they are lying about how they are going to fix it and my question is, how can we continue to fall prey to the lies of the candidates and their pundits that tell them?  This is how.  The majority of American’s are uneducated when it comes to basic economic policies.  Both sides of the isle know this, so they make promises that they know they can’t keep, but also know that you don’t understand and probably never will. 

Let me sight two examples from each candidate and expose them as the lies they are.

Obama says he will raise taxes on the rich and cut taxes on the poor and middle class.  Sounds good, but think about this.  In a free market economy, when you raise taxes on big companies and the rich (who by the way create the majority of jobs in this country), who do you think pays for those taxes?  The rich? The big companies? Those who, according to Obama, make over $250,000.00 per year?  On paper maybe, but in reality it’s the middle class, because the big companies pass that “savings” right on to you - the spender - with higher prices and inferior products.  Who pays?  You and I do and the rich get richer and we remain right were we are.  But it sounds good and sexy to promise tax cuts in that way, and since it’s the middle class that always votes in the president, they tell these lies and we believe them.

McCain says that he will crack down on banks and investment firms with new regulations and such.  Their version of fixing the trouble we are in...more regulation.  The truth however is this.  When the government bails out companies and over regulates any industry, who do you think pays for that?  The government?  No, you and I do.  They may say that they’re are doing it without raising taxes, and again on paper it may look this way.  However, where do you think the money comes from?  How about this...they just print more.  That sounds good and even reasonable, but when a government prints more money, it weakens the dollar and once again, the big businesses, who have to keep their share holders happy at all costs, pass that “savings “ right on to you and I and the prices for things like food, clothes, and other necessary good jumps up exponentially.  This is called inflation, which in reality is a back tax that the middle class and the poor have to pay for.

What it the answer?  You have to let the market seek it’s own level.  In other words, the free market system has a self corrector.  It’s called supply and demand.  This is when prices and competition dictate where things go and how much things cost, and not the government.  Yes, letting it run it’s course hurts, produce economic slowdown, perhaps even a recession, but in the long run, it will correct itself much quicker than if the government steps in to take care of things through either raising taxes or over regulation.

I believe that out of all the market economies of the world, i.e. socialism, marxism, capitalism, etc., the free market system is the one that works the best and we must trust it.  Is it perfect?  Absolutely not, a perfect market doesn’t exist in a fallen world.  But it is the one that works best on the human principles that govern this universe and we would be much better to let it work itself out.

Here’s my advice.  Don’t take any candidates promises too seriously.  They are making them based on one thing, getting elected.  Don’t buy into the lies of “change,” especially when the change can’t be articulated.  Instead, go and educate yourself on things like basic economics and decide for yourself which candidate is going to produce as closely to the plumb line as possible.  In the end, that is the best choice to make.