RENT-SEEKING:  THE RENTAL INCOME FLOWING TO LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES THAT WE ALLOW TO BE CAPTURED PRIVATELY, DESPITE IT BEING OWED EQUALLY TO ALL INDIVIDUALS (AND THEREFORE THE NATURAL SOURCE OF REVENUE) 

Foundations are set up by rent-seekers to blame anything or anyone for being the main political stumbling block.  Anything or anyone, that is, except the main culprit, private rent-seeking in the public’s assets.

By definition, rent-seekers have the money to be able to do this; their foundations have the funds to pay very high emoluments, so they’re extremely influential in disguising the practice of rent-seeking – to the extent that most people don’t even understand the term.

The major political parties are completely under their thrall: they won’t oppose rent-seeking for fear of retribution.

But sometimes rent-seekers go too far in setting up their stooges and having a laugh at our expense:-

George Dubbya Bush Quotes from Wikipedia

General

• “They misunderestimated me.”^[9] — Bentonville, Arkansas; November 6, 2000
• “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.”^[10] — Saginaw, Michigan; September 29, 2000
• “There’s an old saying in Tennessee—I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, ‘Fool me once, shame on…shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.'”^[11] — Nashville, Tennessee; September 17, 2002
• “Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.”^[12] — Poplar Bluff, Missouri; September 6, 2004
• “I’m going to put people in my place, so when the history of this administration is written at least there’s an authoritarian voice saying exactly what happened.”^[13] (Announcing he would write a book about “the 12 toughest decisions” he had to make. Presumably “authoritative” was intended.)
• “See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.”^[14][15]
• “I’ll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office.” —President George W. Bush, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008^[16][17]

Foreign affairs

• “I’m the commander, see. I don’t need to explain — I do not need to explain why I say things. That’s the interesting thing about being the President. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don’t feel like I owe anybody an explanation.”^[18]
• “Yesterday, you made note of my—the lack of my talent when it came to dancing. But nevertheless, I want you to know I danced with joy. And no question Liberia has gone through very difficult times”- Speaking with the president of Liberia, Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 2008 ^[19]
• “This is still a dangerous world. It’s a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mental losses.” (missile launches?)^[20]
• “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”^[14][21]
• “I’m telling you there’s an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That’s the reality of the world. And I wish him all the very best.” —Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009^[22]
• “Well, I mean that a defeat in Iraq will embolden the enemy and will provide the enemy – more opportunity to train, plan, to attack us. That’s what I mean. There – it’s – you know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror.”^[23]
• “I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we’re really talking about peace.”^[24]
• “See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don’t attack each other. Free nations don’t develop weapons of mass destruction.”^[25]

Economics

• “You bet I cut the taxes at the top. That encourages entrepreneurship. What we Republicans should stand for is growth in the economy. We ought to make the pie higher.”^[20]
• In January 2000, just before the New Hampshire primary, Bush challenged the members of the Nashua Chamber of Commerce to imagine themselves as a single mother “working hard to put food on your family.”^[20]
• “You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn’t it? I mean, that is fantastic that you’re doing that.” – Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005^[26][27]

Education

• “Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?”^[4] — Florence, South Carolina; January 11, 2000
• “You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.”^[14][26]
• “As yesterday’s positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured.”^[28]