Editor:

Eighty years ago this fall the stock market crashed. That was the start of the Great Depression. Today, our financial situation is not a heck a lot better than it was then. The Depression had a serious impact on democratic politics and traditional "free markets." It was portrayed as proof that "markets are inherently unstable" and "the government plays a crucial and necessary role in preventing the markets from getting worse, and in fact, adding financial stability to them."

We're hearing that same baloney from many Democrats and the liberal sectors today, including the news media. This "finger-pointing" at capitalism is absolutely misplaced! According to the recent issue of Forbes Magazine (where a lot of this information was taken), "every economic disaster in the last 100 years has its origins in bad government economic policies." I believe it.

Many people don't have a complete or an accurate understanding of how free markets work, to the extent that they are being told "markets don't work as well, and are not as predictable, as they are with government-dominated (read 'controlled') industries." Our present administration has taken some serious (and very costly) steps to saddle us with national health care, as well as to control the banking and real estate markets, and the financial services industries in general.

Many Americans are deeply disturbed by "binge spending," increased tax burdens, and general government power-grabbing. The idea that a bloated federal government can do a better job of managing our lifestyles and our financial future is an example of fiscal insanity! Liberals and the Democrat-controlled labor unions are worried that their opportunity to transform the U.S. into a form of welfare state is gradually passing. That "passing" can't happen too soon for many of us!

The most important question we need to ask ourselves is "How much damage will they do before future elections allow us to kick these jokers out of office and return America to Americans?"

GARY WELLS, Casper