PASS IT ALONG

 t. man hatter
One thing politicians, bureaucrats and elitists count on, you can bet, is how few of us take the time to investigate.

Investigate is fungible with knowledge. And like the line in the old song about "love and marriage and a horse and carriage, you can't have one without the other," they go together. In fact, they're inseparable.

Cars initially might have been called horseless carriages, but even today's cars have something called horse power. And many are judged by it. When people can count on your lack of curiosity to investigate, they hold a certain power over you.

Others hate people like billionaire fund manager Paul Singer of the recent hubbub over Argentina's default for taking the time, having the curiosity to read all the fine print. For knowing his legal rights and then standing up for them.

Ignorance may be bliss but it bears a heavy load. Being taken for granted is only one of them. Peter Lynch, the famous former fund manager who helped put the giant mutual fund company Fidelity on the investment map, said: "People spend more time researching their washing machine than they do their stocks."

That should tell us all something we need to know. When we are too busy with our own affairs to take the time to investigate, we deserve what we get. Pass it along.

That's our view. We hope you know yours.