Generosity from the White House

by Don Boudreaux on April 3, 2009

in Frenetic Fiddling

Here’s a letter that I sent earlier this week to Barack Obama:

30 March 2009

Mr. Barack Obama
President, Executive Branch
United States Government
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. Obama:

On your website today you write that “my administration will offer General Motors adequate working capital to continue operations for the next 60 days.”  Because you’re a man of your word and you choose your words carefully, I trust that you mean here that you and the public servants in your administration will personally pony up the working capital for G.M.

That is, like, soooo cool!!

I’m psyched that an American president and his administration finally will help a struggling company by digging into their own pockets!  Thank you, thank you, thank you for breaking with the
capitalist/GOP/”free-market-fundamentalist” tradition of forcing me and other taxpayers to shovel money into the bank accounts of giant multinational corporations.  Thanks for risking only wealth that is your own, rather than following the prescription of lazy-fairies like Milton Friedman who (I learned in my sociology classes and from reading Naomi Klein) believed that innocent taxpayers should be forced to serve Big Multinational Corporations.

I’m so inspired that you and your White House teammates will give G.M. the bucks it needs – give them from your own private funds rather than take them from from taxpayers!  That’s just, like, so progressive!  What a change!  I believe in it!

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux

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  • Don Boudreaux

    Mr. Mulis,


    Wonderful!


    Don

  • Jim M

    Dear Mr. President:




    I've got this 95 Dodge Dakota. I think I've got an extended warranty on it. Anyway, there's this funny noise in the right front of my car. It gets worse when I make a left hand turn, What could it be?




    Second question: Do you have an opening next Thursday? I’m off work that day. I could bring it in right at 8:00AM and leave it all day. BTW, do you guys have loaner cars in case you have to order parts and keep it overnight?




    Finally, do I bring to the White House or would it be better to drop it off at the State Department? I hear there’s some foxy old chick over there who really knows her stuff, mechanically speaking.




    Just give me a call back and leave a voicemail. I really feel like having the government in the car business is just about the best thing to ever happen to me. Thanks.




    Jim Mulis

  • Hewitt

    Don, this was delicious. Kudos.

  • Matt

    I didn't know Don Boudreaux was a sarcastic 16 year old girl.




    Quite enjoyable.

  • SteveO

    Good chuckle.


    I felt like Don was channeling Mike Munger here.


    Speaking of which, if anyone is paying attention, I'm long overdue for another hilarious episode of the Mike n' Russ show. There's been so much that's gone on since the last time they checked in. I would love to just hear a free wheeling free-for-all between Mike, Russ, and Don. That would be a good episode.


    More levity and laughter is needed. All the laughter and punchlines are from the "liberals". Conservatives are barking moonbats, and libertarians are so damn serious with their pipe clenched in their teeth. I absolutely crack up at every episode of the Mike n' Russ show. I would love for a lot more EconTalk episodes along those lines. Loosen up guys, I'm drowning out here in misery and I could use some lightened up laughter from some sane people on the same page.

  • vidyohs

    Trumpit,


    Cool!

  • Methinks

    Land! Bread! Peace! Workers of the world, UNITE!


    /thought I'd dust off the 'ole propaganda. Looks like I'm going to be needing it again.

  • I think he managed to be a caricature of himself. That can't be easy.

  • LowcountryJoe

    Attention in the store; can we have a clean-up for that spill on isle 12 please.

  • MnM

    Hmmm...


    Sam, maybe the reverse is true and it's their stupidity that makes them hate.

  • Some people (T) persuade me that hatred makes them stupid.

  • MnM

    I'm with Doug. Let's not feed the trolls.

  • Wow, that letter makes me feel all hopey-changey.

  • vikingvista

    April Fool's was 2 days ago.

  • geoih

    Quote from TrUmPiT: "Just like cigarettes, the combustion engine should be outlawed."


    Where do you plan on getting all that electricity? Do you have a plan for converting all that farming equipment over to electricity (all the electricity that you can't produce anyway)? What about ships and airplanes?


    You be sure to let us know how you like living as a caveman when this happens. All us modern people will be driving away and protecting ourselves with our modern guns.


  • Doug Stevens

    Stephen, don't feed the trolls.

  • Stephen

    Wow


    Trumpit is truly terrifying. At least he shows us what real dangers lurk.


    At least he finally admits that he hates freedom.

  • TrUmPiT

    Just like cigarettes, the combustion engine should be outlawed. Cigarettes cause cancer in the user and in people in the vicinity of the prick, inconsiderate smokers. The combustion engine spews environmental pollutants into the air, and is killing the planet for life as we know and cherish it. We should refuse to do business as usual with any country that continues to use the combustion engine just as we should refuse to do business with a Nazi Germany that kills millions of people out of racism or other evil motivation. That would put the auto industry out of business worldwide until a viable alternative, like fully electric cars, are available. The natural, if abrupt, death of the U.S. auto industry would be a great start in the right direction. Why would anybody or any governmental body try to interfere with what is a good and positive thing in the long run. It's sheer foolishness. Walk, swim, skateboard, rollerskate, or ride horseback to work until we get the mass transit or electric cars of the future NOW that we need. Or alternately stop having babies in excess of the planets carrying capacity. Seven billion and counting humans is an obsenity and should be outlawed right along with the combustion engine. I'm combusting with anger as I type. My raising blood pressure and pulse is a result of human stupidty and folly. Your bullshit freedom to do as you please without concern for your fellow man or the well-being of the planet is pure selfishness, greed, and insanity. I demand a lobotomy for the whole bunch of you Hayekian turds! Never mind, you already think like you've had one.

  • MattT

    Don,


    I really enjoy Cafe Hayek and its usually insightful posts, but i think your letter to Obama is pointless and immature. I wish you would stick to genuine analysis of current events (which you and Russ are great at doing) and avoid the bashing game.

  • Hammer

    Great letter, though perhaps it could have been played a little more straight for better effect. Switching from your normal well reasoned and clear prose to your immitation of a lefty Californite is somewhat jarring. :)


    Still, I believe the proper term to describe this is "ROFLCOPTER". "LOLERSKATES" would also suffice :)

  • Greg Webb

    Don, I loved your letter! It is hilarious!

  • Gary

    I believe the correct term here is "Lollerskates" or something of that nature.


    In any case, this posy brought a wide grin to my face.

  • Phil

    So you think the professor will get an IRS audit or be put on a terrorist watch list?

  • *keeled over in laughter*


    Nice.

  • Brandon

    Well said!

  • It's great to see that Change and Hope have finally succeeded in penetrating even your shields of cynicism and sarcasm. Or something like that.

  • William

    I love it. I surely do hope someone at the White House things it really is from some middle schooler.

  • Jame Howe

    Outstanding letter!

  • LowcountryJoe

    I love that letter. I love the sarcasm, the message, the delivery, all of it.


    Don, you're on fire -- probably internally, too; I can only imagine this is what's provoked you to come out swinging. Maybe you are channeling the hit-'em-out prowess of Manny on a tear.

  • Don,

    Where to begin? First, I needed the humor. The world has gotten just a bit weird, and scary.


    Second, the saying that keeps repeating in my head is "We are all Venezuelans now."

  • MnM

    For some reason, while reading this letter, I saw Kyle giving his "I've really learned something" speech at the end of an episode of South Park. XD

  • The kind of change you can believe in, indeed. From now on, there's only our take home pay and Obama's administration stash, which he will generously use to help the unfortunates, from the homeless in New York to the clueless in Detroit.

  • vidyohs

    Those men in the arriving in the big black SUVs, wearing dark suits, with plugs in their left ears, Don, they aren't there to congratulate you on a fine letter.

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