“Dear Gary.

“I just wanted your mailbox not to be empty, but I have no parting shots to take. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the Biblical view presented in W&G today. I have no faith in this government or the leader right now. I am not scared, yet, but am really wondering what will happen to our country in four years. I remember being a kid and loving JFK so very much as that charismatic president, romanticized and publicized. I wonder if my parents were thinking what I am thinking today about the condition of the country.

“I am living in Slovakia at the moment and surrounded by the after affects of total Socialism. When the town loudspeaker came on today and the voice droned on about whatever and the music played a little, I was reminded of 20 years ago and wondered what the voice said then– surely not just the current events of the town. People here–the older ones–do miss communism. They are confused, scared, and riding some very bumpy waves of economic downturn as bad or worse than in the States. But like us, they just get up and go to work the next day–if they have a job–and don’t know what they can possibly do to change anything. Their elections come up soon–next week, I think, and the talk I hear is that the two top choices are not great, but the other better choices have no chance to win, so many will vote for the lesser of two evils. It’s just a little country–2/3 the size of Iowa, my home. But it is all these citizens have. Husbands have gone off to another land to work–France, Spain, Germany–leaving wives and children to fend for themselves as well as they can. It’s sad and I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for us, too. I think the ocean- erupting volcano yesterday is a good parody of what is boiling under our surface.

“I’ll be home in late April, in time for sunshine and warmth of spring, sorry to be missing the hope that hopefully blooms here in this land of concrete high-rises. I wish to get a taste of it before I have to go. It’s been a long, hard winter. I wonder how different home will be–my friends and relatives have been warning me of the depressed (oppressed) economy and that I will notice the changes though I have only been away for two months–since two days after Obama took office.

“At any rate, thanks for the newsletters. I do read them fairly often. Lost my socks on some small stocks upon advice from someone awhile ago- -can’t even remember who. I am not the only sockless person, though, and my investments were small–it was a challenge. I taught “Easy come; easy go” to my English learning class last week. How true. Taxation breaks the back of the people–here people pay 19% across the board on every purchase, but everyone has health insurance! What a deal.

“Thanks again. I think Bill Jenkins is my kind of guy. You are, too, for publishing him and taking a stand. By the way, I visited Auschwitz last weekend.”
Thank you very much for writing in with that.

And thank you all for filling up my mailbox. Keep ‘em coming!

“What bothers me most and what socialists fail to understand, is that a so-called right to free food, free housing, free education, free medicine, or free anything means those who work automatically have the ‘right’ to pay for it. Even worse is that the cost is greater because of the government handling fee for taking and disbursing.”
Nothing to add to that.

And finally! A dissatisfied reader! “Too much rant, where is the information for the independent investor or is it all just a prelude to another ‘Buy My Newsletter Here.’”

Dear Shooters, your Whiskey editors work very hard to bring you our carefully considered macroeconomic analysis for free every day. We have very good actionable ideas and we’re sure they’re all worth good money. We suppose we could give those away for free, too, but then we’d have absolutely no income…and before too long we’d be cold and dead. Then you wouldn’t even get the free stuff.

Regards,

Gary Gibson
Managing Editor, Whiskey & Gunpowder