panic now if you have not yet

STATE OF CONSERVATISM

Oh no - the GOP has lost two in a row, time to re-write the Party platform, re-brand. Yes conservatism has died yet again (see also 1964, 1976, 1992 ) Now they need to moderate their message, open up the borders, bring the troops home and start spreading the wealth. America is in a state of decline - we only need to manage the downfall and welcome the East to the new throne. This is beginning to read like a script for groundhog day.

It is groundhog day. Life will always repeat until it is gotten right - right? Alot of op/eders need to sit back, relax, read up on history and take in reality for a change. Perception is what drives the masses, but reality provides feedback loops to them as well. If the Dems positions are correct (rather than just hype/hope) then it will be evidenced in real world experience. Why meet them halfway if they are whole heartily wrong? Why should the objective of the Party be to be in power? If "progress" is going to be made would it not be better to be the Party out of power when it happens? A virtuous principled opposition is more noble than a moderate me-too Party. Unreformed entitlements, government forced sub-prime lending are/were bipartisan ticking time bombs with universal health and carbon taxes to be added to the list. Why join in our Nation's destruction? When reality comes around it will collect the false prophets into the dust bin. There were these other years 1980 and 1994. Yes we can 2010!

life liberty property decimation

STATES RIGHTS

The new slave masters, as opposed to their 19th century brethren, are opposed to states rights. The depths of these socialists thoughts are revealed in their actions. For universal single payer? Fine - do it on a state-by-state basis. Whats the hold up? Certainly many states are currently socialist run. Massachusetts, California and others have beginner health socialism plans, stunted only by reality. State budgets are lacking in the key ingredient for universal coverage to take off. States don't have a green tone printing press that can create small peaces of paper with dead white aristocrats and associated numbers on them. The U.S. congress does have one of these. And thus only ridiculous ponzi schemes can be inflationaly sustained at the federal level. The new slave masters know this, and if one is going to rob the rest of humanity of the ownership of their labor, best to do it incrementally, as has happened over the last century.

The next faze will be expanding S-Chip to cover the middle class. Then offering a government alternative to private health plans that will be subsidized by participants in private plans. Then after enough people join, government will set drug prices (in a process to be called negotiating). Why is their goal universal coverage rather than better health? For beginners in economic matters a brief aside: Only a committee of the smartest can completely ruin the life of the dumbest among us worse than they could have themselves. Humans are far from perfect but at least the individual directly experiences the results of their actions and can attempt to make corrections based on this feedback loop. The committee of the smartest is isolated from these feedback loops by the nature of their eliteness. So the same type of bureaucratic structures that underestimated Saddam's weapons programs in the first gulf war and then overestimated them in the second will be adept at making health decisions for all? The same mentality that started a pension scheme for the then 50:1 worker to retiree ratio should buckle in the near future 3:1. Evidently that's where that printing press comes in.

How about a states right to opt out of federal programs? How about making these things optional and give a lump sum of cash to residents of states that do not participate? If the heavenly benefits of socialism truly do accrue, would not people be free to move to that state to experience nirvana? The new slave masters know the answer and thus their national plan. Socialism is never free. Cubans defect from their free health care when their sports teams play in the free world. The new slave masters will not tolerate a free choice.

don't ask don't tell

ENDORSMENTS

The latest ex Busher to jump ship in hopes of avoiding the upcoming Nuremberg trials is Colin Powell. With everyone rushing to the port side, capsizing may occur - right now its just a list (lisp?) Don't ask don't tell military strategy was negotiated by Powell and seen as a setback for then President Clinton. Now with the already Anointed Barrack, who has pledged to allow openly gay people to serve in the military, one wonders what capacity and influence Powell will have or if his views have changed on the matter. Powell actually has asked and told quite a bit. He personally went to Langley before the UN Security Council presentation. He asked a lot of questions and personally prepared his report. Then he told the world what it largely already suspected. In hindsight, all of the worlds intelligence proved to be wrong. Now he is seeking rehabilitation - he will get it. The new global test of acceptability is Bush hatred. You can win Nobel Prizes for Peace and Economics if you're the anti-thesis of Bush these days.

~

When the Bulls or Lakers win championships their respective citizens celebrate - what civilized society calls rioting. One wonders with the impending Victory of the Anointed if similar will occur in the spirit of the Palestinians engaged in festivities after 9-11?

UPDATE: All was calm on the western front - the fears of chaos were wrong.

forever 1929

PROGRESSIVE DOGMA

For the want-a-be muckrakers such as Thomas Frank it is always the year 1929. One pictures him playing dress up in turn-of-the-century garb or soup line attire, bringing back old period words, writing away on an old style typewriter. Yes for sure he writes on an iMac, but for sure he hates it. You know capitalism brought about the computer revolution. Perhaps he sees the internet and all the new media as a necessary interludor until he can sway back the Nation into more sustainable times.

"Whats wrong with Kansas?" he asks. Well mr Frank, nothing. Whats wrong with you? This is a nation of values not class. Hard working poor people don't resent rich people if they earned what they've got and have similar values of work ethic, country, and faith. Something in the ten commandments about coveting neighborly things, has got him all hysterical that people don't vote for their "economic self interest" in his words. Ok mr Frank, the voters who voted for Regan and not stagflation are proles in your book. What an abstract concept and quite counter-intuitive for the progressive mind to comprehend. Coveting is the vise of the lazy, anti-american, and faithless.

So now that reality has been suspended from the muckrakers mind, its not hard to see how he thinks the whole so-called "worst economic crises sense 1929", gets up and running. It was not government implied backing of Fannie/Freddie, it was deregulation. It's not congressional pressure to offer home loans to poor credit people, it was the people on John McCain's campaign bus. Its not that Capitalism's laws were not practiced correctly, its that it is intellectually bankrupt. Ok mr Frank, how did that new deal work out? Oh, It made it worse? You mean that government intervention caused a small rise and then a second more prolonged collapse? How can that be?

Back to the present. If congress passes the bail-out, no doubt all the Washington and New York insiders will be high fiving each other. I plan to stay 100 miles from any David Broder articles. But one can be sure that with every bail out, markets will be distorted and risks will be improperly assigned yet again. How about a true populist stance Mr Frank, NO-BAIL-OUT!! But then of course the commanding heights won't be transferred to Government... i mean government acting for the little guy right? Freedom a zero sum game?

sex ed for vise presidents

SCHOOL ISSUES

Well it appears that Sarah Palin did not fake her pregnancy to cover for her 17 year old daughter. Unless her daughter is pregnant again. I don't know how the math works out, but the last baby was in April and now she is supposedly five months pregnant..... You know how those small town families are - clingy.

In regards over Palin's support for abstinence sex education - the pundits are missing two points.

A: Much is made of Palin's stance on sex education in the schools but I have not heard if her daughter actually attended an abstinence only school. If the argument is made that kids need sex education in school to counter their wacky religious parents, then can't it be said that a program is needed for former vise presidential candidates too? John Edwards should look into that.

B: This is yet another issue that should be decided by the family unit, not government. Parents should get to choose which school they send their kids to, and schools should compete for students by offering diverse curriculums. Almost all school controversies will go away if this were the case.

In regards to Palin's perfectly beautiful baby son Trek, lets hope, as seems to be the case, that Palin uses the issue to promote acceptance and not "science" funding for the "cure". Also she should make it a campaign issue, that most doctors recommend abortion to parents of prenatally detected health issues. That would contrast with Obama's present vote on infanticide - neglecting babies born alive after a failed abortion on Illinois legislative committee (but that type of decision is above his pay grade.) Say what you want about Bush, but a promotion of a Culture of Life will stand on the correct side of history. Similar from the Palin family: "Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives.
We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed"

obama endorsement

ELECTION 08

Me the editor(s) of this blog formerly endorse Illinois Senator Barrak Obama for President of the United States. As you may have heard: the war in Iraq is lost, transatlantic relations are in taters, the Bush economy is in the worst recession since the 1930's, and ocean levels are rising. Mr. Obama has a long established record for bringing about change, restoring hope in the future and transcending race, politics, and reason. Given the hyper-hyperventilation of the present times, only one candidate is uniquely qualified to quell, whats left of civilization and earth post-Bush. It is this editors view that McCain would be an unprecedented third term for the failed Bush/Rove policies. Senator Obama pledges to raise taxes on the Rich, "redeploy" from Iraq, and expand healthcare to all. Also, Global warming will be stopped in its tracks with no new oil drilling, and windfall profit taxes on oil companies will help bring down the cost of gasoline.

Amid the New Politics fad, brings Ross Douthart and Reihan Salam's excellent new book about how to re-brand the GOP. You see, what Sam's Club republicans really want is a New Deal government intervening in their lives so they don't screw it up (government has a near perfect track record). The secret to electoral success is to become Socialist Lite. It could have just as easily been written by the editors of The New Republic. Given the impending (dogmatic) trouncing of Conservatism (it dies forever every 15 years) this book should be read as a satire. Clearly it is not a serious roadmap relevant to reality - perception and emotion do not make it true.

Just as the current sky is falling crisis plays out in Humanities imagination, that common foe of utopia is lurking around the corner: REALITY. The Camelot/Great Society fizzled to stagflation reality. Humans are ultimately stupid, myself included. Somehow the scientific method has failed in the social sciences. Markets/evolution are anti- scientific method and therefore wise - transferring information. But that does not stop people with the Audacity of Hope to wish in the impossible. Time is always on the side of the Realists providing the feedback loops that reveal true Knowledge and correct ignorance. The present illusionary fantasy can be brought to its knees only by the election of the Obama messiah, and thus the world will learn how to breath again.

gold in ied

RULE OF LAW

Finally some sanity. The Supreme wisdom of 5 people but echoed by many with a D in front of their names, and implied D's in front of their names - as in the case of journalists, has been presented to the Benighted. Terrorists finally get their day in court - show the corpse - er wait (the people the terrorists blew up?) Strange is it not, how the Supremes bring foreign law into the US or extend Constitutional Law outside our Nations borders and citizens, whichever suits their fancy - almost like they are making it up as they go along. Now, Now, their vision is quite consistent, its just not consistent with the Declaration of Independence, or US Constitution, or the Founding Fathers, nor Natural Law theory. Its a unique elixir of Marxism, Fabianism, Progressivism, and Pacifism. It is definitely not the rule of law. 65 senators approved the law of military tribunals that Kennedy the swinger threw out. Presidents conduct wars with oversight from Congress - except in the US where apparently there are now black robed generals. Now the military should take no prisoners...

In the glory days of the cold war, the US and Soviets faced off every 4 years in the Olympic games - except the boycott years. The Long War - the popular moniker for the war on terror - does not have the pizazz that the cold war did. Where is the space race between us and Al-Qaeda? Why no missile gaps or missile crisis or sputniks? Al-Qaeda, newly liberated from Guantanamo, needs an Olympic Team - we know they have been training!

why is slate stupid

COMMENTARY

A reply to Jacob Leibenluft and this article in Slate Magazine on why Missouri gas is the lowest average price in the nation. Well Missouri gas supposedly is cheaper because of a State law requiring a 10% ethanol blend (E10) with regular gasoline. If this were true then why wouldn't more gas stations in other states sell this blend voluntarily to have a lower fuel price than the competition? Also we are informed in the article that Missouri does not have any oil refineries. But OIL Barges going up and down the Mississippi and Missouri rivers are also part of keeping GAS prices low. So how does just the presence of this OIL keep prices down without REFINERIES that convert OIL to GAS? The fact is Ethanol is highly subsidised - 50 cents a gallon in direct tax subsidies but also tax credits for new cars and business modifications. These are market distortions. Witness food prices increasing world wide partly blamed on corn-for-fuel instead of corn-for-food and livestock feed. Also ethanol has only 70% of the energy that gasoline has per gallon. So E10 would get 3% less miles per gallon. In the new Progressive Missouri at cheaper $3.90/gal E10 in a 30 mpg car you would pay $13.39 to go 100 miles. Compare this to $13.33 with gasoline at nationally higher $4/gal. That's a cost of 6 cents more for the cheaper priced ethanol blend. Evidently the self titled Slate "explainer: Answers to your questions about the news" needs to explain why they can't explain simple math and basic economics. Maybe Slant Magazine would be a more apt title.

condeming consensus

THE MEDIA

Well - its official now. Bush is the worst president in the history of civilization. Every one who leaves the administration writes a critical tell all - probably hedging for a plea bargain at the upcoming Nuremberg Trials no doubt. Weather it is Move On or, NYT op/ed's dem talking points, leftist documentaries, third world dictators, and now former insiders, the rhetoric is interestingly similar (a single truth and a blow to deconstructivist?!?) Could they all be reading from the same (post modern) script? Is the Media Establishment, and the Political Establishment all walking in lockstep as an overcompensation for their being "hoodwinked" before the war? How did this president get reelected by a majority of the popular vote - a first since 1988? How did John Kerry loose when it was known before the election there was not any WMD? (Oh yeah he was swiftboated) Ah..... , Groupthink! (Say it to the tune of Freak Out - the disco song) It feels so wonderfully uplifting to form a consensus, reasonably wondering where it is that the heard wanders. Oh look! On the horizon - the Messiah - I think I'm going to faint!! He can see dead people (addressing fallen soldiers in the audience on Memorial day). Quayle can't spell Idaho's major agricultural product. Obama thinks there are 57 US States!! I'm sure the heard of independent minds is all over that.

who will tell mr friedman

COMMENTATY

A reply to Thomas L. Friedman's Who will tell the people?.

Kennedy Airport is an interesting thing Mr Friedman brought up. So it is degrading because of Iraq/Bush and not because it is managed by the port authority of NewYork/New Jersey. Not because of the Democratic city council of NYC, not because of the Democratic controlled legislatures of New York and New Jersey, nor their Democrat governors, not because of the Labor Unions of New York City. And the election of Barrack Obama a politician from the notorious Chicago Political Machine will fix all this?!

Great powers are defined by the size and growth potential of their economies, not by their lavish tax payer spending on "infrastructure" and "science research." (Castro and Chavez tried/trying that socialist approach) And the U.S. military is funded on just a fraction of total GDP and yet it surpasses the rest of the world combined. The US already spends more on infrastructure via discretionary spending than it does on military.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:U.S._Federal_Spending_-_FY_2006.png

Friedman is just reciting the stereotypical Liberal Anti-American Mantra. The last time I checked people are lining up around the world to live here and very few Americans are leaving! That measure is not measured by Friedman, nor does he point out that other countries peg their currency to the US dollar to artificially boost their exports to us. They do this by buying US Treasuries, which leads to the so called foreign debt.

Notice how big Purposes is identified by Friedman as important in addition to big profits in the last paragraph and how that undercuts his opening. In the opening he decries international Nation Building and implies the losses to the treasury to pay for Iraq. Then he cites a German Rail station midway. This is logically incoherent. If the US did not occupy Germany after ww2, if the US did not force elections on the defeated third reicht, if the US did not invest in European Defense during the Cold war, would that pristine rail-station be there today? If we pull out of Iraq now how would they get that pristine rail station that Mr Friedman thinks defines national greatness? (A logical argument could have been made before the war - Given that the war did happen what is best to do now) Also how is spreading Democracy not a big Purpose. That would seem to be more important than human cloning of stem cells or what ever Mr Friedman fears is being exiled to Asia and India.

One last note from the text: "the Asian values of our parents’ generation — work hard, study, save, invest, live within your means — have given way to subprime values: You can have the American dream — a house — with no money down and no payments for two years.”

Any simple analysis reveals that the Republican message is work hard, study, save, invest, live within your means. It is the Democrats who say “You can have the American dream — a house — with no money down and no payments for two years.” with their refusal to increase personal responsibility through reform welfare, social security, health-care. It is Democrats who tell voters they can have it all and they will only tax the Rich.

Yet Mr. Friedman has declared who he is going to vote for.

the time for debate is over

DIVISIVE POLITICS

What is this bring the country together united belamy? If everyone agrees on a public policy that does not make it good public policy. If by disagreeing with a policy against a super-majority of people, does that make one unpatriotic (or divisive to use the parlance of the Dems)? Well lets trot out some mobs, er... unity governments from the 20th century to present. Oh the National Socialist party of Germany comes to mind, lets see, the Bolshevik revolution, FDR during depression and war, and Bush/republican congress spending. Some would call these super-majorities of unity produced some terrible policy. Other unity movements have been better, such as: for-the-most-part unified US foreign policy during the cold war, the bipartisan Regan tax cuts, and the overthrow of the Taliban. So what is a way of delegating government power to control which policies go through and which are stopped? Well for starters compromise is overrated often producing the worst of evils rather than the lessor. Candidates whose appeal for unity (other than the standard stump BS) are really calling for a mass conversion to either their point of view or a belittling of legitimate differences of opinion. Given that reasonable differences of opinion will always exist and given that political opponents will always think that all reasonable people have to think alike... - It is almost like we need a written governing law to protect peoples natural rights against the mobs of unity (conformity), something we could call a Constitution. In this document could be put provisions to protect against rapid change wrought by group-think, and a separation of government powers - limiting government. This separation of powers could be among federal and local levels, maybe called federalism, and division of government into different branches with "checks and balances of power." That way a legitimate process would allow for a maximization of policies to reflect peoples different values and facilitate coexistence, by allowing them to participate in shaping/changing those values rather than Judicial/doctoral fiat taking that away (See some decision circa 1973). So it would be wise for people to resist calls for the sheep of the world to unite!

throw out the rules

PRIMARIES

Those poor souls in Florida and Michigan being disenfranchised and all - what a shame. It's almost enough to make them want to follow the party rules. Of course if the rules were followed they would not be victims and victimhood is quite a badge of honor. (Can you believe those evil people who chuckle and say rules are rules). Not to mention all the home owners sucker punched by the greed infested home mortgage lenders. Like homeowners should be required to sign something before they agree to low introductory rates. Gotta love the Dems for their hybrid populism mixed with elitism. Winner take all is for social darwin Republicans. The Dem primary system is much more coddling. Delegates are appointed on roughly the proportional popular vote, so it is quite fair. Then after all the proles vote their benighted wits, Nitsche overmen (superdelegates) get to vote - to correct their party members - point them to the true wisdom that is theirs. I know this sounds like disenfranchisement - but remember victimhood is a badge of honor. Just a little more coercion and utopia will be upon us!

freedom from reality

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

FDR promoted freedom from want. As if such a goal could be achieved. Across the whole of human history, suffering has existed and its a safe bet will always exist. The line between dreamers who push the envelope and the madman's fantasy world is very hard to discern. The politics of meaning of the day during the Fascist Roosevelt years, has not been undone to this day. Its often said who doesnt deserve a good life - as though all freewill is removed from the people and replaced by sovereign policy makers. But unlucky stuff has to happen - how could it not based on simple probability. Material wants can only be obtained by self efficacy. If it is being provided by another source (other than family, friends, mutual self-interested business transactions) it is tainted with blood. Every child in america deserves a good upbringing but its not going to happen no matter how hard the village tries. There will always be some outlier - the receiver of misfortune - and the more powerful government is made to fight Murphy's law the more people will subcome to it. Be it education, healthcare, living wages the result is always the same ("I just want you to know how sorry we are that things got so [messed] up with us and Mr. Wallace. We got into this thing with the best intentions and I never... "). Legitimate government is only comprised to protect an individuals abstract rights, not to be a giant make a wish foundation for their wants.

what is mine can be yours

TAXES

The personal income tax code is largely immoral. Properly put the IRS as an entity is not immoral itself, being inert, but rather the majority of congress that passed the laws and the president who signed the laws. It is immoral to take income and redistribute it to politically embraced majorities. That is what happens in this Nation. The middle class majority has instituted a progressive income tax that taxes the minority rich too much. These taxes are then spent on all kinds of benefits to the middle class and the poor. This is stealing and it is wrong. (For all the anti-war fanatics - think if the actual costs of war were passed to all equally not just the rich) If one held a gun to the head of a wealthy person, took their watch and gave it to some hobo under a bridge, that would also be wrong. The difference is that in the first instance it is the law and in the second it is against the law. Yes some populist / progressive "reformers" properly amended the constitution for the 16th time a ways back. That only permits the Federal government to collect income taxes - it does not force it to. Virtue is having the power to do wrong, even a popular defense for doing wrong, yet showing the fortitude to resist earthly temptation (aka being politicaly popular / PC). Mike Huckabee may be a smooth talking, Bible thumping, gadfly from Hope, but goddamnit - he is right about eliminating unequal tax on income and going to taxing consumption!

maverick for whom

PRIMARIES

All right, All right - McCain is not ideal. He buys the global warming bonanza, incumbent campaign protection, thinks bloody non-state murderers deserve Geneva rights, and has voted against tax cuts. He is a Teddy Roosevelt progressive. OK. But on the defining issues of the day and into the early 21st century he is correct (global warming will hopefully fizzle away within the next decade or two). He is correct in fighting IslamoFascism (water-boarding aside) and correct on entitlement reform. Who is better qualified to deal with foes Iran and North Korea not to mention pseudo friends Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Ok, his gang of 14 participation was humbling to the GOP but also a Machiavellian move. He proved to be a soothsayer in early opposition to Rumsfield. He has called for a troop increase in Iraq from the getgo, so on foreign issues he will be solid. Domestically, presidents lasting impact is mostly budgetary and judicial. On budget he is a deficit hawk as opposed to an anti-tax stalwart. Both have their merits. On judicial there may be his one wild card - we need more of Clarence Thomas and less of Steven Breyer. But who among all those claiming they will not vote or worse, those claiming to vote Dem, will not be affected if the nominees are the Clintons? In the fall debates with Hilary waxing on about universal (coercion) coverage, and McCain's response - who will leave our Senator from Goldwater's seat alone in his defenses? Of course if its Barrack all bets are off.

the hip city

METROPOLITAN

The hip city has quite a buzz about it. It is the place where people want to live - or at least like the idea that they live there. They may not participate in all the aspects of the hip city that make it hip - yet they pleasure in reciting facts of its hipness to others - living in blandness yet fainting grittiness. All of the hip cities bonds get passed to subsidise progressiveness. This ever increasing tax burden makes the hip city less habitual (habitable) for those poor folks that provide all the grittiness. Before one knows it, with all the smart growth, the loft apartments, the light rail and all - the hip city has outstripped its hipness. It becomes a mecca for wanta-be hipsters, all authentics have long departed with the restraints on growth and affordability. This takes quite a while to accomplish and all the city ratings are too high at the peak of the moment, that the silent coup is long past when the music stops.