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Population Stabilization Yes, Economic Equalization No!

I am always annoyed when doom and gloomers shame Americans over the way we live. Here is an example of this from a recent letter to the SB Newspress: “If everyone [Americans] consumed like the average Cuban, we would have room for more people.”

So let me see if I understand, the way to free up space on our planet is for Americans to agree to a self-induced lifestyle of poverty? What international authority should force this loony-left medicine down our throat, the United Nations, the European Union, OPEC, the World Trade Organization? Moreover, which policy prescription should we employ; confiscatory taxation; collectivization; mandatory abortions or all of the above?

I have a better idea, let us remove any existing barriers to our nation’s economic growth potential by fully unleashing the animal spirits in the U.S. economy, to increase everyone’s standard of living, including the unfortunate souls who are forced to live in Cuba.

Only America can lead the world to a brighter future with a larger economic pie, because only America has the democratic capitalist institutions of free enterprise; private property; and the rule of law essential to do the job. The last thing Americans should do is imitate how Cubans live.

The sentiment below, albeit woefully ignorant, is not that far removed from the mentality that permeates the halls of power today. This is especially true as it relates to our nation’s foreign policy.

Indeed, condemning America for being too prosperous is the economic equivalent of blaming the Jews for all the wars going on around the world. America takes, uses, and therefore never gives or produces is how this twisted logic goes. However, is this true? The answer is an unequivocal NO.

Consider:

1. At the end of World War II, America poured billions of dollars into rebuilding the devastated economies of Japan, Germany and Great Britain. Were it not for America’s generosity, there would not be a European Union today with its $11 trillion in annual purchasing power.

2. In the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s, America stared down an evil empire and broke the back of soviet-style communism. As a result, hundreds of millions of children, around the world, go to bed at night without SS-18’s aimed at their pillows, including those living in America’s “blue” states and those living in Canada, Germany and France as well.

3. Innovative American companies lead most of the world in technological advances, especially in computers; software; medicine; aerospace; motor vehicles; telecommunications; and electronics. Yes, America consumes natural resources, but we also produce the stuff people need and want abundantly. In fact, America out produces the world in the production of steel, lumber, plastic, agriculture, food-processing, chemicals, consumer goods and a cornucopia of petroleum based products.

4. The United States economy, with a labor force of 149 million people, generates over $12.3 trillion dollars in GDP (annual purchasing power) with an unemployment rate of only 4.5%. This is the greatest story never told. This compares to $12.1 trillion for the entire European Union, which has a labor force of 218 million people, and an unemployment rate over 10%.

5. America, in spite of the constant ad hominem’s and political posturing by Member state’s so-called diplomats, contributes over 25% of the United Nations biannual budget. If there were no United States, there would be no United Nations.

When natural disasters occur around the world, America does most of the heavy lifting in terms of economic and logistical relief efforts. America consumes, but we are also the most generous society on the planet. Americans give to charity at far higher levels than people in other developed nations do. In fact, three times as much as the British, four times as much as the French, and seven times as much as the Germans according to Arthur C. Brooks, Associate Professor of Public Administration at Syracuse University.

With respect to the tired chant about America representing 5% of the population, while consuming 20% of the world’s resources, and therefore austerity measures are in order, let me say there is a profound difference between the pursuit of population stabilization and economic equalization. One is a legitimate policy goal designed to protect the integrity of a sovereign nation’s public infrastructure and institutions, i.e., transportation systems, public schools, hospitals, etc. The other is pessimism writ-large based on a Malthusian world view that looks at the planet and the global economy as a zero-sum game; if someone is winning, then someone else must be losing.

Such an attitude is not only misguided and uninformed; it is prima facia anti-American piffle.

About the Author

The author is a member of the Carpinteria City Council, Carpinteria is a coastal city located in Santa Barbara County, California.
Contact at: jaarmendariz@cox.net

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