THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: Uncertainty Principles

In the subatomic regions of physics, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty
Principle underlies how we mere humans might perceive the
movement of the elements of matter. In simplest terms, everything
at this level is guesswork.

Several levels up the reality ladder, at human scale, uncertainty is
not considered such an inevitable condition by those who hire and fire,
buy and sell. advertise and promote, manufacture and distribute.
Yes, even for the free market there is always and ultimately some
uncertainty,, usually described as risk, but constrained by rules,
regulations, taxes, and of course, the costs of goods, labor, insurance,
transportation, advertising and research; businesses, small and large,
seek as much certainty as they can find.

In the recent and prolonged economic downturn, marked by chronic
high unemployment, a slumping real estate market in most places,
very low interest rates, and government deficits, the decisions of
business executives and other decision makers have been delayed and
altered by indecisive and conflicting actions of the executive and
legislative branches of government.

It recalls the words of Winston Churchill, speaking to the British
House of Common and the British government in the 1930s, when
he said [the government has] "decided only to be undecided, resolved
to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all powerful to be
impotent....."

The fact is that there is an enormous amount of cash and other
resources available to jump start the American economy if those
who invest and make economic decisions only knew what the rules,
regulations and tax policy would be under which they would be
able to operate in the short and intermediate term.

If the citizenry do not like the rules, regulations or tax policies which
come from the federal government, they have the option every two
and four years to change who the federal decision makers are,

The repetitive so-called falling-over-the-cliff crises depress the natural
economic cycles of the market system, distort them, and prolong the
downside. At some point, consumers, whether liberal or conservative,
Democratic or Republican, will need to insist that those who represent
them in Washington, DC decide to earn their keep.


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Copyright (c) 2013 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.