I really hate to do this. I consider myself someone who is pretty good at figuring out things on my own, and being at least fairly well informed about things that are happening in the world today.
But I don’t get those End the Fed people. I really don’t. I’ve always written this off as something that can safely be ignored, but it seems like a lot of these End the Fed people are glomming onto the Occupy movement, so maybe I should figure it out. But honestly, I don’t get it. There’s just something in my brain that turns off whenever Austrian Economics rears its ugly head.
And that’s something that worries me. Because the Paulites are making inroads into my generation and the one after in a big way. I remember when the Objectivists at my college were trying to recruit people to their “philosophy club.” And I remember that most people wrote them off as nuts. But things are changing. Uncertainty is driving some otherwise intelligent people into the arms of these cranky movements.
So I’m asking someone, anyone to explain it to me. I know, I should figure it out. I’ve tried. I can’t. I have limited patience for cranks. I’ve tried to figure out how to refute 9/11 truthers too. I don’t pyroclastic flows and cut steel beams and whatever other stuff they would throw out. I know that’s not the point. They’re just sowing doubt by throwing out a bunch of details that only the most dedicated debunker could follow. I don’t see how you can see video and eyewitness accounts of two planes flying into buildings and go “well, it wasn’t the planes, it must have been something else that knocked those buildings down.” My snappy response is
They went through all that trouble to blow those up, but couldn’t find a few Iraqis to board those flights?
That seems to shut them up. That’s what I would like for these End the Fed fools.
I can hear it now- “Well, if you don’t know, maybe they have a point.” Yeah, well fuck you. Life is too short to waste time with ever crazy idea that comes along. Fuck off.
These best I’ve heard so far is, “there was a Fed for years, and recessions weren’t so bad” which is convenient, because, if I remember my history correctly, there were numerous recessions in the 19th century.
Let me just state that I’m not saying the Federal Reserve has always done great things. It should be doing more to improve employment.
So if someone could explain to me what these people are trying to say, I would appreciate it. And if someone can give me a snappy comeback so I can shut them up, I would appreciate that too.