May 30, 2004

T. J. Rodgers Interviewed

Let me finish up this very quiet day of posting with an interview with the always-outspoken CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, T. J. Rodger. He rips on politicians, praises the division of labor, and may be the only CEO of a big company to mention Ayn Rand. Rodgers' disgust with President Bush, I think, is a good example of what libertarian (small "l") voters are thinking:

Are you planning to vote for President Bush in November?

I haven't heard what John Kerry's got to say. I've read a lot of ugly stuff about him. I don't follow campaigns. I don't give money to them, I don't listen to them--they're a waste of time. Ordinarily, it would be a knee-jerk reaction for me to vote for an incumbent Republican, but Bush has done a bad enough job that I'll look at all the candidates and make a decision.

Based on what?

The Republicans are supposed to be a party of free trade and economic freedom. Bush has been one of the worst free-trade presidents we've had in a long time. He is a big spender who makes Bill Clinton look like a penny pincher. I doubt that I'm going to find Kerry to be a viable alternative. This year, if the Libertarians put up a non-nut, I may end up voting for a Libertarian.

"Chip off the Block"