The Progressives' Sleight of Hand

In the nineteenth century, "progress" meant technological and economic progress. Whig economists like Henry Carey believed in progress and were optimistic as opposed to the pessimism of Malthus and the Manchester school. However, by "progress" Carey meant technological and economic progress. He did not see politics as important. The idea that progress ought to occur through the political system was introduced in the late nineteenth century in several ways. First, the Mugwumps argued that rationalization of public administration through Civil Service laws meant progress. Populists argued that large scale industry must be broken up by government edict. Americans such as Henry Carter Adams, Richard T. Ely and John R. Commons, educated in Germany began to argue for social democratic intervention. Thus, the Progressives identified progress with governmental reform. Which is more important: breakthrough technologies and better management methods that increase wealth, or government policies that rationalize government operations and redistribute wealth? The Progressives seem to not have realized that there was a trade off. In particular, the policies that implement redistribution and regulation forestall entrepreneurship because their costs rest most heavily on small business entrepreneurs. The result is that the Progressives adopted an anti-progressive attitude toward technological and market progress, which was carried forward through the New Deal. The twentieth century saw a slowing of technological progress because of monetary, regulatory and redistributive reforms of the Progressive and New Deal era.

Suspicions About Obama Birth Certificate Grow

Thelma from Florida has written the following snail mail letter to my West Shokan PO Box. Her suggestion is that some good Republican in Hawaii go to all the hospitals in Honolulu to see if Obama's birth certificate can be found, and also to investigate Kenyan records. An interesting idea. Anyone up for a Hawaiian vacation in August? Or a trip to Kenya?

>Dear Sir:

I enjoyed reading your blog about your attempts to obtain Barack Hussein Obama's birth certificate.

Since Obama has dual citizenship, might it be possible to obtain information about his place of birth from Kenya records?

And Stanley Ann Dunham was on Mercer Island visiting friends with an approximately month old Obama in August 1961. The friend states that Dunham was on her way from Hawaii to visit Barack, Sr. at Harvard. But Barack Sr. didn't go to Harvard until 1963 (or late '62?) Is it possible to check records in Vancouver, Canada to determine if Dunham might have hidden out with friends in Canada while pregnant and had the child there?

At least one hospital in Honolulu that Wikipedia claims Obama was born in can find no record of his birth. Could records be checked in all hospitals in Honolulu?

I appreciate your efforts in attempting to obtain the birth certificate

Sincerely,

Thelma

E-Mail From Reader: No Response from Hawaii Health Department

>Good afternoon.

I have been following the small drama surrounding Mr. Obama’s birth certificate.

The whole affair is odd. As a parent, I have to supply our schools with official, notarized, and authentic birth certificates for each of my children to attend school. So I write, pay my fee, and a few weeks later… viola! No big deal for me, so why such a fuss and all the foot dragging on Mr. Obama’s part?

Have you received any response yet from Hawaii? It has been a month.

--Jim

Dear Jim: The Hawaii Health Department has an odd interpretation of social responsibility. On the one hand, it views the records of a major party presidential candidate as confidential despite a Hawaii open records policy. On the other, when I contacted them, Director Chiyome L. Fukino's and Communications Officer Janice Okubo's response has been to clam up.

ContrairiMairi Demands Illinois Election Board Investigate Obama

ContrairiMarie of Illinois has written the following letter to Dan White, Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Elections.


>Dan White, Executive Director
Illinois Board of Elections
1020 S. Spring St.
Springfield, Illinois 62704

Dear Mr. White,

I am writing to respectfully demand the Board investigate the qualifications of Barack H. Obama. In light of the Certificate of Live Birth posted at the Campaign's internet site, I feel there needs to be a full investigation of his citizenship status. Illinois statutes require that he be a citizen, and I challenge that his claim is valid. The Certificate posted has been altered. The certificate number has been removed. The document states clearly, that any alteration of it makes it invalid. I believe that removal of the certificate number does alter the document, thereby rendering it invalid.

It is the duty of the Board to insure that all legal guidelines and qualifications of any candidate running for office in this State are adhered to. He is our State Senator. That is far too important a position to leave in a questionable state. He must be required to make public, a legal documentation of his citizenship status. It also now is stated that he holds citizenship in two other countries that do not recognize dual citizenship with the United States. I am also respectfully challenging that his ownership of citizenship in either of those countries negates his U.S citizenship. If he is in fact holding multiple passports issued by countries that do not recognize dual citizenship, his American citizenship cannot be valid.
It is imperative that the residents of this State are being represented by persons who meet all the legal qualifications as set forth by Illinois law. You cannot expect that we should be governed by laws passed by someone breaking the law. Please send verification with documented proof of his status to me at the address listed.

Sincerely,

ContrairiMairi