Unfettered Letters

Consumer demand ended Depression

Contrary to the commonly held belief expressed by Kenneth Sessa (4/5, Letters), what ended the Great Depression was not the government spending that fueled the war effort. Although it did provide employment for millions both in the military and at home, there were still shortages and rationing throughout the war years.

The spending that ended the Great Depression was from the pent-up consumer demand that had developed during the war.

Once the soldiers started coming home, getting married, buying houses and buying cars, then the American economy rebounded and decades of real gross domestic product growth occurred.

Steve Barnes
Waverly, Kan.

Spending ended Depression

It is a widely held view that World War II marked the end of the Great Depression. During four years from 1941 through 1945, the U.S. sent more than $50 billion worth of material to the Allied Forces. In this period, factories converted from civilian to war production, men went into the armed forces, and women went to work in the factories. By 1945, we had manufactured 80,000 airplanes, 2,500 warships, countless machine guns and munitions.

Is this WWII deficit spending as a cure for the Great Depression any different from proposed deficit spending and job creation today? Except that spending today is for constructive purposes with long-term benefits, such as infrastructure, rather than destructive purposes of war.

If it ended the Great Depression, why won’t it work today?

Kenneth Sessa
Lee’s Summit

Eerily prescient words

I haven’t read Atlas Shrugged yet, but after reading the following quote from it I think I may. I can’t help but think of it as a warning about our current national political leaders, Democratic and Republican.

“When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion — when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing — when you see money flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors — when you see that men get richer by graft and pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you — when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice — you may know that your society is doomed.”
— Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged (1957)

Dan Werkowitch
Overland Park

Foreclosures are sad

As I watched the news last week concerning the foreclosure auction, I could not help but feel sorry for those individuals who had lost their homes.

It seems the local news anchors were so excited about what a great deal we could get buying these homes. Did they stop and think that perhaps the families who lost these homes were viewing the news as well?

Debra Luptak
Lee’s Summit

Put out economic fire

When I hear the critics of government spending in this time of economic crisis, I think of a house engulfed in flames and someone trying to grab the hose out of the hands of the firefighters because of a potential water shortage.

Yes, the water shortage may be a real concern, but let’s put out the fire first. We can deal with the water shortage when the bigger threat is contained.

Rebecca Brock
Kansas City, Kan.

Welcome to socialism

Do politicians read history? The causes and attempted cures for the Great Depression and today’s financial crisis are very similar. The causes of both were weak and poor banking practices and home foreclosures. The cures consist of throwing money at the problems.

Neither worked under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1937 we entered the “depression within the depression.” In 1940 the rate of unemployment was more than 15 percent. World War II saved the day.

We have bankruptcy laws. Use them. Give the economy a chance to cure itself.

Today’s approach will result in inflation and a massive tax increase for the middle class in 2010.

Welcome to socialism.

W. Waite Welker Jr.
Overland Park

I cannot understand why our lawmakers are rewarding incompetence and gambling and do not allow failing businesses to enter bankruptcy, just like any other U.S. company. Isn’t this S&L all over again?

Unfortunately, we have become a bankrupt, socialist society that relies on our government to take responsibility for our health, wealth, secondary education and even the raising of our children (just to name a few). We cannot afford to simply keep increasing taxes to pay for the entitlements of those who refuse to live within their means.

Life is about choices, and unfortunately we, as a society, are teaching our children that there are no negative consequences to those choices. Moreover, we are teaching them that if you want (not need) something badly enough, just put in on credit. No need to work hard and save. That may disqualify you from one of the thousands of entitlement programs offered by our generous representatives.

Paul Dawdy
Liberty

Make a difference

During difficult economic times, there are two ways that a city can improve its financial situation — cut expenses and increase revenue. But it takes much more than a balanced budget for a city to thrive. It takes citizens who care deeply and take action — people like Linda Callon and Mark Forsythe.

Linda Callon is an activist on the city’s West Side. She mobilized an effort to improve the neighborhood sprayground by adding shade so the children could enjoy the park all summer.

Mark Forsythe, a former neighborhood president, learned that an electric car company was looking to relocate, and he contacted the city’s Economic Development Corporation. Because of his initiative, an electric car plant is being built that will employ 200 people.

Look around and imagine what you might be able to accomplish. If we are going to weather this economic storm, we all need to be part of the solution.

Jan Marcason
Kansas City Council, Fourth District, in-district
Kansas City

Condom switch lacks common sense

After reading the article “Move to cheap condoms threatens American jobs; The U.S. will switch to Chinese products to distribute in poor countries, putting 300 out of work at an Alabama factory” (3/23. A-1), I was left speechless. Just maybe if the government would have cut out the middle man, the domestic price would be competitive. Now we’ve decided it is OK to add 300 jobs to Alabama’s and the nation’s growing unemployment rolls.

Here’s a thought. Shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development and let the feds feel some of our pain. We can use that budget money to support those 300 soon-to-be-unemployed workers in Eufaula, Ala.

Tom Klingner
Roeland Park

Wealth of reasons for ‘socialism’

Brad Seitter (3/14, Letters) states that freedom is the right to choose and that this and this alone is democracy. Any government-run program offers only a single choice and is therefore detrimental to democracy. This so-called freedom should not mix with any social programs, since they are not at all compatible.

I can’t imagine what kind of country we would be without Social Security, public libraries, public schools, interstates and all the other social programs we have in place that make our country great. If necessary, I would defend our great country, such as it is right now, without hesitation.

I would not defend Mr. Seitter’s narrow definition of freedom. I would not pick up a weapon to defend greed.
Michael L. Smith
Olathe

Europe is a democracy, yet they choose to spend their tax money differently than we do. Thus they are labeled socialists. Europe relies on capitalism as an economic system, as do we, and we will continue to do so. They are free like us. Brad Seitter claims that democracy and socialism are opposites and always will be. To the contrary, they coexist quite nicely.

Under his definition of socialism, our country is a socialistic nation. Here are some examples of “socialism”: public education, libraries, universities, fire and police protection and the very infrastructure our businesses rely on such as roads, railways, utilities and communications, Heck, even our beloved armed forces are paid for in this way. I also would much rather visit a national or state park than some rich guy’s 500,000-acre ranch.

I just don’t understand why adding health insurance and coverage to all of our citizens takes freedom away. How is that a bad thing?

John Seeley
Independence

Who hates socialistic behavior the most?

Your grandparents on Medicare or Medicaid?

Your retired parents receiving Social Security?

Your cousin on the farm receiving government subsidies?

Your brilliant sister doing medical research supported by government grants?

Your neighbors in the state that just received government disaster relief?

Your bridge-building buddies whose paychecks come from matching government funds?

Your favorite teacher, who works in a school system that receives government money?

Your college-bound nieces and nephews who received government-backed student loans?

Your entrepreneurial brother, who’s received a government-backed Small Business Administration loan?

Your favorite politician, who has received government-matching campaign funds?

You, the parent of beautiful children whose health is protected by government-funded agencies?
Perhaps the winner should give the money back. I mean, this spreading the wealth has got to stop.

Larry Leeds
Roeland Park

Don’t blame Dems for mortgage mess

Regarding the letter “Blame Democrats for mortgage mess” (3/17), I refer readers to the article “Freddie Mac paid for ‘stealth’ effort.” (10/20/08, A-6). The subtitle says it all: “Mortgage giant’s money arranged for a GOP consulting firm to kill a regulatory bill.”

Chuck Hagel, a Republican, failed to get Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (a fellow Republican) to call for a vote on “effective regulatory reform legislation.” Little did Sen. Hagel know DCI, a Republican consulting firm, was paid $2 million to kill any potential legislation.

All this happened in 2005. The blame stops here.

Katherine Berger
Overland Park