Kerby Anderson
The U.S. dollar has lost half of its purchasing power in just the last 30 years. Put another way, that means that one dollar today can only buy 50 cents worth of goods and services compared to the 1990s. In less than a single generation, the dollars in your wallet or purse can only buy half as much.
Once you understand that depressing statistic, you can also begin to see why the wealth gap in this country is increasing. If you have your wealth sitting in cash (bank accounts, checking accounts, etc.), you are losing ground. However, if you have your wealth in investments (stocks, housing, land, etc.), you are doing much better.
Thirty years ago, a dollar would allow you to buy two apples. Today, a dollar will only allow you to buy one apple. By contrast, if you use that dollar (and many others with it) to buy stock, the value of the stock is worth twice as much because it takes twice as many dollars to purchase it.
This problem isn’t just affecting young Americans who would like to buy a house. It is also affecting seniors who put their savings in pensions and retirement plans. They are becoming aware that the money they set aside in their retirement plans has not kept up with inflation and there won’t be enough for them because of the dollar’s declining value.
This simple illustration helps focus on the real problem facing America in the future. The dollar is broken simply because more and more of it is being printed each year. Yes, we can lower the cost of living some by increasing energy production. Yes, protecting American markets will provide more jobs for the American people.
But we need to fix the money. Until we do so, the problem I just illustrated will be worse for the American consumer.

Kerby Anderson
Last week, six states voted on pot initiatives, and more are certain to come in the next election. In previous commentaries, I have noted that the push for legalization of marijuana has come at a time when we know more about the dangers of cannabis than we knew a few decades ago. In a recent Breakpoint commentary, John Stonestreet concludes that “The Pot Experiment Has Been a Disaster.” It has been a disaster, for many reasons.
The first reason is potency. Ann Colter’s recent column reminds us that “It’s Not Your Father’s Pot Anymore.” When I was growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, the kids around me were using marijuana that had about 2-3 percent THC. Today the marijuana sold at cannabis dispensaries can have 15-25 percent THC. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that about 30 percent of cannabis users will become addicted, especially if they start before age 18.
Health and safety are another reason. Just look at the statistics from states that have participated in this rushed social experiment to legalize marijuana. Increases in car crashes along with property crimes and violent crimes followed legalization. In Colorado (the first state to legalize recreational marijuana), marijuana DUIs increased. And 40 percent of stoned drivers were under the age of 18.
A third reason is mental health. I received lots of pushback the first time I did a radio program with a guest documenting the link between marijuana use and schizophrenia. That shouldn’t even be controversial now, since there is a new study from Denmark that found that 30 percent of schizophrenia cases could be linked to marijuana use.
Each year more states are legalizing marijuana. But just because cannabis is becoming legal doesn’t mean it is a good policy for individuals or for society.