This month’s Schmuck and Mensch awards go to an insufferable mayor and a consummate entrepreneur and podcaster

Mayor Johnson of Chicago and Hunter Hastings are September’s recipients

Note:  If you become an annual paid subscriber, you will receive an autographed copy of my memoir. Please send me your address and I will mail you my book. 

Robert Wright’s review of my book captures the essence of my journey in America. 

“There is a right way and a wrong way, always choose the right way.”  Abraham Sabrin (1914-2001)

The September Schmuck award goes to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for filing a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai because his Honor asserts the rising thefts of vehicles is the fault of the automakers failing to install proper anti-theft devices. 

If we take the “logic” of Johnson’s lawsuit to its conclusion, he should file lawsuits against Chicagoans and tourists who leave their shopping bags in their vehicles, which are then broken in by the Windy City street predators.   

The low IQ mayor reflects the growing tide of elected officials including district attorneys who have violated their oaths of office to protect the people from lawlessness. 

The first responsibility of government is to provide “domestic tranquility,” and for the federal government to protect us from any external threats and secure our borders so we can have an orderly flow of immigrants.  If all levels of government did nothing else, we would have a limited government consistent with the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights—the right to be safe in our homes and public places and our nation ready to repel any attack.

The election of Mayor Johnson confirms H.L. Mencken’s assertion “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”   

For politicians and talking heads who clamor that our democracy is under attack by MAGA Republicans, the real attack on our country is by leftist politicians and district attorneys who do not uphold the rule of law. 

If the American people keep on electing feckless politicians, they have no one to blame but themselves for turning America into a bandit nation. 

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I am pleased to award this month’s Mensch award to Hunter Hastings.  Hunter is an author, quintessential capitalist, and podcaster.  He brings experts on business to the public via his podcasts including our discussion of healthcare earlier this year.  Two years ago we discussed booms and busts when my business cycle book was released. 

All entrepreneurs could benefit from Hunter’s business expertise and his indefatigable quest to provide everyone with enlightenment about our economy. 

In addition, Hunter is one of the most honorable individuals I have met since I attended my first economics conference nearly five decades ago.  He is without a doubt a national treasure. 

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My latest piece on the economy was published in Fortune, https://fortune.com/2023/03/27/ -2023-layoffs-tech-finance-unemployment-outlook-fed-rates-murray-sabrin/  This is an update of my 2021 forecast, https://fortune.com/2021/12/09/next-recession-heres-everything-bubble-markets-2021-2022-covid-murray-sabrin/ 

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Murray Sabrin, PhD, is emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College of New Jersey. Dr. Sabrin is considered a “public intellectual” for writing about the economy in scholarly and popular publications. His new book, The Finance of Health Care: Wellness and Innovative Approaches to Employee Medical Insurance (Business Expert Press, Oct. 24, 2022), and his other BEP publication, Navigating the Boom/Bust Cycle: An Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide (October 2021), provides decision makers with tools needed to help manage their businesses during the business cycle.  Sabrin's autobiography, From Immigrant to Public Intellectual: An American Story, was published in November, 2022.