“We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times.” —George Washington
Showing posts with label Rumbler Required Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rumbler Required Reading. Show all posts
Sharing some goodies from my never ending stack-o-stuff:
Barbarians on the Thames: The always eloquent Theodore Dalrymple dispenses with the silliness of attempts at liberal explanations (income inequality!) for the rioting in England this past summer...a lot of these lessons can be applied here.
Mid-summer stroll in olde London towne.
I am generally not a fan of 60 Minutes - but if you missed this episode, you missed a sad but critical piece of our problems in Washington:
A lot of that material came from this book:
I am working through it right now - have to keep the blood pressure meds up, so I'll get back to you.
Illinois: State of Embarrassment - Joel Kotkin's analysis of the underlying problem with Barack Obama...it's the culture of Chicago politics. This short piece lays it out in excruciating detail. But hey, at least Blogo got sentenced!
The Dangers of Democracy: An excellent piece to hand to those who want to gush about the "Arab spring." Bottom line - we got it way wrong in Iran 30 years ago...we almost certainly have it wrong in Egypt, Libya, Yemen....
Democracy for Mohammed and a few of his friends...
A few things that have come across my desk need to be shared.
1. Obama by the Numbers - brilliant, fact based look at the Bamster and what he has wrought.
2. Cheer up: In my line of work, I spend a lot of time with entrepreneurs, bankers and finance types. There is desperation out there right now, but also a sense that a new day will be dawning. The feeling is if we can hold on till November, 2012, there will be a new day. Victor Davis Hanson captures that feeling spot on: "The Coming Post-Obama Renaissance."
4. What do they want?? You are going to have to promise me you will put the coffee cup down before clicking on the next link. The silliness of the Occupy Wall Street crowd is finally spelled out in their "Manifesto:" Declaration of the Occupation of New York City. It's all the usual Soros-fed communist clap-trap from "poisoning our food" to "torture" and "student loan enslavement." Quick private note to you OWS types:
Dear Maggot Infested Women's Studies Major,
Instead of taking up sidewalk space with your stupid signs, iPhones and video cameras, how about picking up the phone and calling your parents to thank them for the fact that you were able to attend a college. Instead of yelling at Wall Street types who are trying to create wealth so that you will actually have a job one day, how about heading to Washington and yelling at the real criminals - the Obama administration and the Democrats that got us in this mess. You live in the freest, most wonderful country in the world and you want us to be like Cuba or the USSR in the 1970's? You troglodytes are wasting the tax revenue of the city of New York with your insouciant childish behavior. You fools really believe that in a communist state you would end up on top? Hah! You are what Lenin called "useful idiots." Grow up, go back to Mom's basement, get a shower and get a job.
Lovingly, Rumbler
5. History lesson: Here are a few images of our future if OWS type folks have their way:
This has been one of those weeks that you get to Friday and you really wish it were Saturday already. Between Obambarrasment at the United Nations to the GOP "debate," from the Solyndra scandal that would have brought impeachment charges to a Republican president to yet another Congressional CR to keep the government moving it's been exhausting. All this going on with the back drop of Europe crumbling and the stock market cratering...oh, and did I mention that a satellite might fall out of the sky?
But don't worry - if the satellite does fall and do damage to you, you can rely on America's lawyers to help! Ever wonder how a case gets to the Supreme Court? Take a look:
I've just about finished my stack of articles relating to the tenth year anniversary of 9/11. I know I mentioned one in last week's Feed Bag, allow me to present two more to you. The first is from il miglior fabro, Victor Davis Hanson: The Ripples of 9/11. His wrap up paragraph is like a good Scotch, just swirl it around and sniff:
The common denominator in these ten years? American life under its hypercritical, volatile, and mercurial democracy proves resilient; the Islamic terrorists and their authoritarian sponsors who would destroy it do not. And even after a decade of acrimony, partisan rancor, and stasis, Americans continue to be horrified—and angry—over those who were murdered on September 11. We’ve done our best for ten years to ensure that it cannot happen again.
Makes you feel a teensy bit better in this madcap time, doesn't it?
Intellectually, we have refused to face the fact that we are at war and should act to end it quickly. Morally, we have denied all principles except one: moral goodness means self-sacrifice. Psychologically, we lack confidence in our efficacy, and have murdered our self-esteem by leaping into the quicksand of sacrifice. Politically, we are at perpetual war, because to win decisively would be an act of self-interest—and that is the one action we dare not take.
Finally, to round out your weekend reading, you really should put this in your "stack of stuff:" "Nathan Glazer's Warning." As a real estate practitioner, I see a lot of effort to practice sociology by site planning. Mr. Glazer warned us a long time ago where the road of best intentions heads.
Have a great weekend...don't forget your aluminum foil hats to protect yourself from the satellite!
I've been busy these past few weeks, but have been keeping up with my reading and via Twitter, trying to keep you abreast of important events too - please hit the "follow" button over there to keep yourself up to speed. Anyhow, after a two week absence, here is the latest edition of the "Friday Feed Bag:"
Like many of you I spent part of this past Sunday reflecting on where we have come in a decade since the Twin Towers fell. I was actually flying back Sunday morning and was in the terminal at BWI at 8:46 when they requested a moment of silence in honor of the victims of 9/11. I was sipping a cup of coffee, waiting for my flight and reading an excellent piece over at the City Journal titled "The Vanished Skyline."
On my last trip to New York, I was impressed by the progress on the new WTC Tower, and the developer, Larry Silverstein, deserves enormous credit for his patience. But we need to be honest and realize what was lost and cannot be replaced. I remember being on the roof of Tower 1 in 1984 and feeling how the building actually swayed in the wind. This graceful and powerful building symbolized and her sister symbolized American presence, stability and power. On a recent documentary about the building of the new WTC tower, I heard the architect describe how the reflective surfaces of the building would make the building appear to look like the original towers when approached from different angles. Neat? You bet...but it's an optical illusion. I pray that our country hasn't become an optical illusion for what it once was.
The always insightful Joel Kotkin has a masterful analysis of the Obama administration titled "The Crisis of the Gentry Presidency." For all the accusations made at the Republicans for being slaves of the well-heeled, they are chumps compared to the circles that Obama swims in. The emerging scandal behind the Solyndra funding is Exhibit A for Kotkin's theory.
Hat tip American Thinker
I had Rush on in the background a bit ago and the discussion about Obama's narcissism reminded me to go back and dig up this article I had saved in my "Read it Later" file: "Barack Obama's Emotional State of Mind." Here's a pull from the column:
As Mr. Obama is increasingly overwhelmed by events, as he and his presidency shrink before our eyes, his worst tendencies are being exacerbated, his narcissism further exposed, his anger at an unaccommodating world more pronounced. A man of supreme self-regard is watching things crumble before his eyes. He is obviously not well equipped to process any of this. It is enough for one to feel, if only for a moment, some pity for Mr. Obama.
Gagging through, err watching Obama's speech to the joint session of the House and Senate last week to announce his latest fantasy about job creation, I reached the conclusion that he has reached Jimmy Carter status - no one listens or cares, they just want him to go away. Stephen Moore over at the Wall Street Journal chronicles the promises and the lack of delivery in a fine piece this morning: "The Obama Promise Then and Now."
Hey, speaking of Solyndra and the abuse of taxpayers, take a look at this outrage:
The rest of us are just trying to move along, but it ain't easy. Remember the old "Misery Index" from the Jimmuh Carter days? It's baaack! Investor's Business Daily has a succinct piece this morning: "Living Miserably."Here's the graphic if you aren't miserable enough already:
OK, no fair for me to leave you for the weekend in a foul mood - be of good cheer:
Been a crazy week here in Rumblerville and blogging has not been at the front of the line. It happens. That doesn't mean that I haven't been paying attention. Today's Feed Bag has a broad selection for your weekend reading on the key issues - I hope to hole up in the next few days to share some deeper thoughts on some of these, but until then, here's some good stuff:
SUBJECT: The shrinking presidency. Some time ago I posted this picture - take a moment and let it sink in:
There's some little bitty guy behind the Resolute Desk...this is a theme that we've been on since the junior Senator from Illinois was running for the Democrat nomination in 2007...there's no "there there." Several good pieces pick up on that theme:
And it appears that the rest of the folks are catching on:
SUBJECT: London Riots. This is what liberalism begets and I am not alone in the fear that it this type of behavior is coming across the pond to us. It does us no good when we have "leadership" that constantly urges class divisions - excoriating the productive for not giving their "fair share." We are seeing outbreaks in expected places like Philadelphia and unexpected places like the Wisconsin State Fair. Who is doing this and why?
SUBJECT: Market Crash. What do you get when you combine a hard left President with ideological rigor, several pieces of legislation that vastly expand government oversight intrusion into every aspect of your life, a Congress that refuses to accept that an agenda that favors growth and reduces dependence is the only way to save the economy? Well, you get this:
Of course we got downgraded! We deserved it! Are we more credit worthy than France, which has a AAA rating? Sure, but the numbers are so damned huge and scary, it would be irresponsible to not send a signal to the world that the US of frickin' A needs to get their house in order. What does President Downgrade do? Go out and make a speech about how "millionaires and billionaires" need to pay their fair share. You know what else you inherited from Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama?? A AAA Credit Rating!
Just so I don't leave you suicidal, let's look at the upside. I tend to be of good cheer in the belief that this is the high-watermark of liberalism. I am not alone:
OK, so the Dow's sunk over 200 to start the day and it's hotter than the hinges of hell outside with humidity so thick you have to shovel a path through it for the dog to go to the potty, but hey, here in Rumbleville, we are going to have a happy day. Today we are going to share upbeat, optimistic viewpoints that you really need to read to gird your loins for the scrap that lies ahead.
There is something to the old adage that the darkest hour is just before dawn. Jeffrey Lord over at the American Spectator picks up on that theme with a splendid piece titled "American Tipping Point." He picks up on the Guadalcanal theme I blogged about on Tuesday and carries it forward with a comprehensive history of the conservative movement. He boldly asserts that:
An epidemic of conservatism is sweeping America. And thanks to the Tea Party, yesterday disgracefully accused of terrorism by Vice President Biden (he the vice president in an administration terrified of calling real terrorists terrorists -- seriously!), the country will never be the same again.
I think he's right, but I do think it is a race against time. Symptomatic of our ascendency is the downright meanness of the left. They can't win on ideas so they bludgeon with hatred - or they do, as a former FB "friend" of mine did when he got smoked in a kerfuffle with me in public over Obamacare, they de-friend you and block you from their wall. It's the electronic version of covering over one's ears and yelling "I can't hear you" as loud as you can. Childish. But liberal to the core, reacting on feelings rather than intellect.
I was not happy with the Wall Street Journal last week - their childish swipes at the Tea Party "hobbits" and their almost panicky push for a deal to be made were unseemly for an otherwise noble and reliable newspaper. But this morning's version brought an excellent piece from Dan Henninger in his Wonderland column: "Obama's Deal With The Debt Devil." Henninger makes the point that it is Obama's ill fate that has him at the point in history when the money is running out:
Alas, cruel history. Three years into their presidency, they find themselves trapped in the twilight years of the welfare state. They enacted a fourth entitlement obligation and an upward spending path at precisely the moment history turned against their ideas.
Canada is dismantling its' welfare state and their economy is taking off...Europe is watching it crumble into ruins. We are not too late...yet. But the race really is on - as a commenter pointed out on here the other day "50% who pay taxes and 50% who don't...with 70% receiving some kind of Federal subsidy" - can we turn the ship of state away from entitlement addiction to the self-reliance that built this great nation?
How about this view: "The Real 'Uniters' Are The Tea Party Patriots." That's Investors Business Daily's take and you have to agree that the debate has shifted away from "gimme" to "how can we afford it."
Just the facts ma'am.
There's a bit of the "this is the best we can do" argument in this next piece, but the author raises some very valid observations: "Boehner's Half a Loaf Deal Better Than Nothing." The column pulls out another piece of World War II history which is how Churchill helped the United States military ultimately prevail in the battle for Europe...worth the read!
Finally, even as Obama's EPA charges forward to regulate the air that we breath out, a consensus is emerging in the American public that the "scientists" behind Global Warming are perpetuating a hoax and lying to us. In a Rasmussen Poll released last week, they found that "69% say it's likely that scientists have falsified global warming research." We are winning the war with facts...we'll cede the feelings high ground to the loons, let us all be Sergeant Friday's: "just the facts ma'am."
Finally, here's something we can all smile about - over the past couple of weeks the split hasn't moved below -15 and has been as high as -21:
There is so much material right now on so many different fronts. We've all been consumed with the debt debate debacle, that we have forgotten all those other areas of Obama success. Here are a couple:
But why pick on Greece - after all, there's still Italy, Spain and Portugal: "Italy and Spain Add to Debt Woes." Who wouldn't want their sovereign bonds at 7%?
Sic semper medius consilium! (Thus always to central plans.) The analogies between the central planning aspect of Obamacare and the Chinese HSR system are legion. They are trying to run a shiny new system over aging tracks with inadequate safety control over a geography that may/or may not want it...but doesn't have any say...just like the Chinese rail system!
We're good - just chillaxin!
Say, while we are bragging about our ESP on what happens, I had also posted a piece about how wonderful our forests are doing because of the CO2 and that increasingly, scientists see raised levels of CO2 as a pretty good thing...contrary to the global warmers. Guess what? They busted another one! First it was East Anglia and all the phony data points with the resulting "Climategate" scandal. Well, remember how the polar bears were all going to drown? Guess not - turns out the "scientist" who dreamed that one up...lied. He's on administrative leave...from the government...which means he will probably still be able to retire with a cushy pension. Liberals must just hate it when facts get in their way.
What are the unintended consequences of central planning? Well, the Obamacare legislation is certainly demonstrating one of them: slaughter of private sector jobs. While correlation is not causation, the one-to-one relationship between the passage of Obamacare and the death of the private sector in America is inescapable. Frankly, all the fluff and feather flying in Washington over the precious debt ceiling is just that - the Boehner plan, if it passes today is DOA in the Senate and the White House - but to me, the larger issue in the wonderful paradise of "compromise," (which is Democrat speak for "do it our way, or else") is the fact that a brand new entitlement program that has already demonstrated it's ability to shackle an economy, is not on the table. This is a fight worth having if you are a Republican, but apparently one they insist on shying away from.
But, hey, we have ridden this pony before! Government overreach in the 1930's perpetuated the Great Depression. Even some left-leaning pubs like The Atlantic are starting to get the message: "Repeal the Democrats Complex and Expensive Legislation." Here's the money quote from that short piece:
This is not the first time we have faced intractable unemployment. The same thing occurred during the New Deal, when employment, which had averaged 6 percent during the 1920s, never dropped below 14 percent until the US began to prepare for war. The reason, I believe, was business uncertainty in the 1930s because of constantly shifting government policies and a well-founded fear of costly and adverse government action. That is what is afflicting us today.
Switching gears, the Left is going apoplectic to call the Norwegian madman, who murdered innocent people, a "Christian." It's very simple - Christians don't spend their waking hours figuring out how to pack cars with explosives and kill children - period. I always find it ironic that the same people who want to label Breivik a "Christian" would never put "Muslim" and "Major Nadal Hissan" in the same sentance. But that's to be expected from the sere wasteland of liberal thought. Anyhow, a real threat outside of Al Queda does exist and it is the "lone wolf" kook. Jared Loughner, Timothy McVey and Anders Breivak provide glaring evidence that evil is alive and well and lurks in the minds of people we might otherwise call "normal." Here's a good sober write-up on the attack from Stratfor: "Norway Lessons from a Successful Lone Wolf Attacker."
The veneer of civilization is alarmingly thin. The good Pope's words deserve profound reflection. Sadly, however, we must remain vigilant: "AWOL Soldier Arrested Near Ft Hood." Notice, there's no mention of Msr. Nassar being a "muslim." When CARE and Muslim Imams the world over begin expressing outrage at this type of individual, and when our own media stops the charade, we can begin to make progress towards some kind of rapprochement with the Islamic faith...until then, vigilance.
The local weatherman is describing it as "hazy hot." Heat index pushing 105F is just plain "hot," and is unacceptable except in the middle of the Summer. Oh wait, it is the middle of the summer - guess we'll just have to deal with it.
Say, speaking of global warming, remember when CO2 was an awful thing? So awful that Obama's EPA has stepped into regulate it? Well, it turns out that the forests of the world are growing faster and absorbing all the CO2 we miserable humans can put out. The net effect is that CO2 levels are stabilizing - the earth is getting greener, not browner. Aww, but who cares about "facts" when you have a "cause?"
One of the other liberal mythologies I take issue with is the notion that the United States needs to look more like Europe; we need to evolve into neat little hamlets connected by high-speed rail with a highly developed public transport system that everyone who wasn't walking or riding a bike would use. It's a nice picture, but like so many Liberal panaceas, it is devoid of reality. Let's start with HSR or "high speed rail." Obama came to office pledging billions for a national system of high speed rail. Well, after the local union thugs got done siphoning off the funds and the reality of actually building such a system came to play - it turns out the concept is on life support. Here's a good thoughtful analysis of what happened: "Let's Face It, High Speed Rail Is Dead." Please understand that I would love to have an HSR system in place - I have fond memories of riding trains in Europe and in the Orient...there was a time when Nashville had a rail line that I could jump on to get to my grandmother's house, but we have to be realistic about our priorities and build a system from density to density where the economics work. Liberals get all misty eyed about Chinese five year plans to build more HSR than anyone on earth, but that's what centralized control does. The end result will probably be unsafe and economically disastrous...but the trains sure look shiny right now!
Speaking of liberal mythologies and central planning, guess what yesterday way? Why it was the one year anniversary of the Dodd-Frank Bill!! Hurray!! That's when two of the politicians most responsible for the financial meltdown rammed through 2,300 pages of legislation that will create some 30,000 pages of REGULATION that has left financial firms in uncertain limbo and the economy gasping on its knees. Of course passage of Obamacare only helped the situation. "Helped" if your goal is to wreck the greatest economy on earth. Heritage has a great write up on this wonderful event" "Unhappy Anniversaries President Obama."
Hat tip Michael Ramirez, IBD
In the same vein - we posted Steve Wynn's rant the other day - here's another businessman weighing in - Bernie Marcus, who co-founded Home Depot, tells it like it is: "Obama Is Choking The Recovery."
I love the TED series of talks - if you are not familiar with them, Google yourself some and sit back and enjoy. I'm going to close out today's edition with a TED talk from Eric Daniels at the Clemson Institute for the Study of Free Markets...the moral case for free markets:
Obama and Biden rejoice over their "excellent" strategy
Il maestro, Victor Davis Hanson weighs in on the Libyan affair: "A Dumb and Dumber War." This amid news that we, they, NATO, well somebody is meeting with the Libyan gov'ment, representatives, rebels?, somebody to sign a truce, discuss settlement, play Clue, do something...so it's all good, right? The nice thing about the VDH piece is that when you take the sweep of any event that this administration has talked about from closing Guantanamo to starving Gramma by withholding her social security check, they have done nothing. Zip zero nada butkus. The two things you could argue they have accomplished are a big part of the reason we're in the sticky wicket we find ourselves: Dodd Frank Financial "Reform" and the budget devouring beast, Obamacare.
Former Treasury Department big, Emil Henry, has a concise piece in the WaStreJo this AM (my attempt at text/Twitter shortening of the Wall Street Journal) titled "America's Debt Ceiling Opportunity," He cites the report "USA, Inc." - a report we have discussed in these pages before - that is a bi-partisan effort to look at the Federal Government's finances as a business would. You wouldn't buy shares in this firm - here's their 2010 summary:
For example, if Congress had submitted fiscal year 2010 financial reports of our country in a fashion similar to a corporation, the U.S. would show a negative net worth of $44 trillion, an operating loss of $817 billion, and $1.3 trillion of negative cash flow.
Reminds me of the scene in the movie "Dave:"
The way out of this morass is growth. As Henry points out in his article - 5% growth and we are home-free. We've been averaging just north of 2.5% for the last 20 years, so we've got some room to give. But when you consider the other places growth could occur, a stable and prosperous United States is not that bad. As we've discussed here before, we don't believe in the Chinese miracle over the long haul. Europe? Done. Africa? Good luck. Japan? Done. Some good prospects in the Asian/South Pacific markets, but security is a big concern. So, the point is, the US of A is not a bad place to invest money. IF you would get the Washington bureaucrats out of the picture. OR, we could settle for some more of that good old malaise. That's what Michael Spence, over at the Economist fears is in the mix: "America the Sclerotic." OK, Michael, we're a little lot overweight and we have a bigger and bigger chunk of our population that has gotten fat and lazy (and believes it is owed to them!) on the Federal teat...but don't count us out yet. This could well be capital's chant in the coming years:
Cut, Cap and Balance is headed for a vote today. The adults in Washington continue to try to lead - sadly, the petulant Obama will probably veto it, so it is only symbolic. But hey - he continues to be popular:
Let's lead off our Friday Feed Bag with some great perspective provided by Dr. Krauthammer: "Regime Change May Be Needed To Cut The Deficit." The good doctor is saying, far more eloquently than me, what I said yesterday: Call his bluff! This nonsensical "if not now, when?" gauntlet thrown down by Obama is lunacy. Why not when he was in the Senate, when he voted against the debt ceiling increase?
Speaking of the debt. Here's a quick question - True or False - the debt ceiling will be reached on August 2? Like me, you probably quickly answered "True." That would be wrong. The actual debt ceiling was reached on May 15. "WTF? WTFF????" I hear you cry. That's right...and the world did not end, Grandma isn't eating the wallpaper to stay alive... The Tax Cheat Treasury Secretary instituted a policy known as "DISP" or "Debt Issuance Suspension Period." How's he been paying the bills? Easy - by raiding government pension funds. Read all about it over at Casey Report's Daily Dispatch: "The Despicable DC Looters."
This just in: "Obama says 80% of Public Sold on Tax Cuts." This guys is starting to scare me. It's not good to have someone that lives in a fantasy world this close to the nuclear buttons. Here's a poll from Rasmussen just yesterday: "55% OPPOSE Tax Hikes As Part of Settlement." If this guy's support keeps eroding we might see a presser like this in the near future:
On vacation recently, I re-read Bill Whittle's excellent essay, "The Iceberg." It's over a year old now but still astonishingly accurate. I'm with him on this theory - the Titanic would have survived if she had rammed the iceberg or if she had missed it entirely. The worst case scenario was the late attempt to miss which sliced open enough of her hull that too many compartments filled. Looking at this debt ceiling kabuki dance, I say "Full speed ahead!"
At full speed, rudder amidships this would have been avoided.
Speaking of reading - I just loaded this book into my kindle app:
Here's why: "Blaming Women For the Infantilization of Men." Count me in among the crowd that is sick of seeing anorexic looking metrosexual types sipping pink colored cocktails...we need some more masculinity in our midst...hell, just look at the girly president we've ended up with. But I am also in favor of strong women, and gals, it ain't your fault. We've got some 'splaining to do as men...I'll let you know if there any answers in this new book.
Your lad has been misbehaving in his job at the Senate. He seems to have forgotten what the American people want. What they do not want is Barack Obama and his policies. Why does young Mitch want to allow him to continue to wreck the economy?
All the best,
The American People
And note - this is Gallup - not known for pro-Republican slants.
Point is, Republicans have the wind at their backs. Unlike Obama who thinks this is some kind of a poker game - "Don't make me call my bluff, Eric" - and is more focused on what this does to his reelection chances than making any real progress, the Republicans HAVE presented a budget, HAVE offered compromises and have got butkus in return. (Sidebar - wouldn't you love to play poker with a guy that threatens to call his own bluff?? Toss them chips on the table, cowboy!)
The latest Dem ploy has been to fill the airwaves with reminders that even Republican saints like Ronald Reagan raised taxes. Exactly. In each of those instances, he agreed to tax increases in exchange for spending cuts. The problem was the majority of the cuts were on the out years and never materialized. Sound familiar? This is the old rope-a-dope Democrat tactic that the idiot Republicans have fallen for over and over again. Obama is so childish and petulant (and I might add, spoiled) that he can't understand why the current crop in the negotiating room won't go along.
Dan Henninger has a great piece over at the Wall Street Journal this morning. It is an accounting of a recent lecture delivered by Robert Lucas, the 1995 Nobel winner in Economics. Lucas has been looking at historical trends and the lines that fit our current situation the best are in the 1930's. The common threads?
What discomfits him is the similarities in the policy choices that accompanied both delayed recoveries. By 1934, the Depression's banking crisis had been resolved, "yet full recovery was still seven years away," he said in the Milliman lecture. GDP stayed more than 10% below trend. "Why?" The answer, he says, was growth-suppressing policies, such as the Smoot-Hawley tariff, cartelization, unionization and, "most important but hardest to measure, FDR's demonization of business.
And FDR didn't have corporate jets to kick around back then. Here's a cartoon from the Chicago Tribune in 1934...deja vu all over again?
Ahh, how history repeats itself!
Of course one of the endearing features of the American landscape created by FDR is Social Security. Remember how all that money we paid in was going to be put in one of Al Gore's safe and secure lock-boxes? Oops! Obama, in what the New York Times described as an "fatherly moment," said that seniors might not get their Social Security checks if Republicans don't agree to a tax hike. That's some parenting! "Kids, things are little tight, either take some more money from our neighbor or Grandma gets it." But, as Investors Business Daily points out - he has publicly stated what every sentient person has known all along. Social Security is one giant ponzi scheme - Bernie Madoff would have been so proud! THERE IS NO MONEY THERE. Lord knows you wouldn't want to have privatized the program years ago... jeopardize the lock box! Read the whole point here: "Obama Exposes Social Security's Big Lie."
Changing subjects...I'm a dog person. Don't mind kitties in the 'hood if they are doing nice things like killing ground squirrels that tunnel under the foundation. Round here, the coyotes have been keeping the cat population at bay though forcing your humble Rumbler into a trap and relocate program for the cute little varmints - the ground squirrels, I mean. (Dear Liberal Readers, Please note that I use a humane trapping system - they leave well fed are unhurt. They are relocated to a bucolic public park about 6 miles away to live in peace. I do this because I believe in heaven and hell and I don't want to face the dude with the pitch fork because I was mean to one of God's creatures.) But back to the cats. What's a liberal do when they run out of things to worry about or get all frustrated and nasty because we won't let them control our lives? Find NEW things to worry about! Here's one:
While Obama and Boehner do the Kabuki Death Dance over raising the debt, the boys over at the United Nations are demanding $76 TRILLION from the "developed" world be given to the "developing" world for "green technology." I thought I was reading the Onion when I first heard about this, but in the words of Madeline Kahn in "Blazing Saddles:" "It's twoo, it's twoo: "UN DEMANDS $76 TRILLION FOR GREEN TECHNOLOGY."
Speaking of Madeline Kahn, maybe the Republicans should adopt her attitude in dealing with Obama on this debt deal. I mean if you heard the presser he had yesterday, it's beginning to sound like "Ground Hog Day" in the White House. Boehner and the boys have to be tired:
Short piece on the cost of regulation over at Investor's Business this morning: "Less Regulation = More Jobs." If you don't read the whole article - remember the money line:
Federal regulations cost the economy more than $1.75 trillion in 2008, about 14% of the size of the economy.
To understand how massive that is, consider that the regulatory burden for each U.S. household is more than $15,000 a year while private health care spending per household is $10,500 annually.
That was in 2008, BEFORE the on-going implementation of Dodd-Frank and the disaster of Obamacare. Speaking of that - Obama and the parrot Dems keep yelling that the Republicans should "compromise" and "bend" on taxes. Really? How come Obamacare is not allowed into the discussion when it is an estimated $14 TRILLION torpedo aimed at the centerline of the U.S. economy?
Look, Obama and his minions have already raised taxes...how soon we forget: Taxes Upon Taxes Upon Taxes. No tax ever created a job.
For all the caterwauling in Washington over the debt, in 50 state capitols, the Governors and legislators are trying to figure out how to address a collective $112 Billion dollar debt - without the ability to print money. New Geography has a comprehensive report on their efforts that is worth a browse: "Enterprising States: Recovery and Renewal." The states are the laboratory of our republic and some like Texas and Tennessee are being innovative and forward-thinking while some, like California, are dying. The whole report is available from the U.S. Chamber by clicking the picture below:
Slowly digging out from the usual pile of e-mails and detritus that accumulates when you leave your post for a week. Today's collection for you is a little eclectic, but hopefully, as in all of our Good Feed columns, nourishing and informative!
The continuing economic recess - err, depression, has more unintended consequences than Liberals have ideas on how to spend your money. One sad reality is the impact on the less fortunate. One group, particularly hard hit, ironically supported Obama overwhelmingly in the '08 Election. They are paying the price: "The Disappearing Black Middle Class."
The "black mascot of the Wall Street oligarchs." -Cornell West
So, the economy is tanking, the market is plummeting, unemployment is 450 bps above where you said it would be at this time, what do you do? Go to Disney World? NO! Get more regulations on the sale of guns, of course! Obama's team of behind the scenes czars are quietly wreaking havoc on free markets and free people. Here, the Daily Beast (I am sure they published this to try to shore up the base on the Left) discusses what Barry and the Boys are doing to make it harder for you to protect your home: Obama's Quiet Guns Crackdown.
We posted a piece yesterday about political vision and will - The Audacity of Mediocrity - two pieces overlap and reinforce some of my humble assertions. First, the Heritage Association's Morning Bell Piece this morning reminds us that we don't have to go the way of Europe - even though that IS the vision of the liberal effete elite - from John Kerry (did you know he served in Vietnam?) to our current boy president. Great piece worthy of the read: America the Europe of the West.
The second checkpoint reinforces my assertion of the need for a strong Navy: "The Necessity of U.S. Naval Power." We are down to 286 combatant ships in the fleet give or take a few. This is less than half of the Navy that Ronald Reagan had built. When I was active duty in Msr. Carter's Navy, the number was just north of 300. No space shuttles and a shrinking Navy make for a very bad duet if some bad guys come up on your dance card.
Trust me - we need these guys!
Switching subjects entirely on you - here's a great piece on the state of our educational system and a potential remedy: "Grading the Teachers." It is a discussion on value added teacher evaluations. This is important...we can't all aspire to be dependent recipients of Obama's largesse! OK, let's rock out of here with a little Pink Floyd reminiscence:
There's been some fun defining of liberals in the past few days...Missouri Congressman Todd Akin stated bluntly that "at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God..." Which of course led to howls from HuffPo and other organs of the left for him to apologize!! How dare he! I would assert that liberals are, by nature, bullies. They can't win arguments with the facts, so they resort to intimidation and innuendo. One popular meme is that you don't "care" enough if you don't like your taxes being raised - quickly followed up with images of starving children or old people being chucked off a cliff in a wheelchair. Fortunately, there is a growing chorus of conservatives who arent' going to take it any more. At the speartip of this movement is Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, who had the following exchange:
We are in the same boat here - we pay property taxes in Davidson County, but choose to send them to private schools instead - shudder, religious ones at that! But the reality is that the bulk of our County schools are moribund brainwash tanks who encourage their graduates to attend leaky liberal colleges and major in "women's studies" and "africana."
Here's another Governor speaking out with the truth -Bob McDonnell from Virginia laying out the case that the Republican governors are doing the heavy lifting. This effort will add credence to the Presidential and other conservative candidates come next November.
Can I say "Elephant in the Room" when referring to the spendthrift addiction of our political class? Our boy President goes on the air today to chastise us, the American people, for not giving enough to government. There's some logic for you - the problem that got us where we are today was government spending. The solution? Take more away from the people so the spending can continue. The sad reality is that there is spending that needs to occur in this country - a lot of which was supposed to come from the "stimulus" and "TARP." According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the state of our infrastructure in the United States earns us a "D," with $2.2 Trillion needed just to get us up to an acceptable standard. The problem is that the functions that government is supposed to be involved in per the Constitution like defense and infrastructure, get crowded out with "feel good" programs that should be handled by the states, local municipalities and civic organizations and churches. The indisputable chain of logic goes like this:
1. Compassion leads to...
2. Funding leads to...
3. Dependence which leads to...
4. Power over the dependent which leads to...
5. More funding, expanded benefits and greater dependence which leads to...
6. Greater power, less freedom, provider making decisions for the dependent...
7. The non-dependent give up more and more of what they earn to provide for the dependent BUT
8. It is never enough. The powerful take what they need or are finally removed from office.
We are at Step 8 in the process right now. Eudora Welty said it succinctly: "Compassion leads to the gas chamber."
I apologize for not giving you a meaty Friday Feed Bag. The duties of fatherhood had me on a round trip to Atlanta this Friday last. Over the next two weeks, we will be on the road as well. We will be heading up through the "Breadbasket of the Confederacy" (the Shenandoah Valley) to points close to New York. We shall be returning via our old haunts in D.C. I encourage you to subscribe to the Twitter feed - a new feature here on the Rumbler Report, from where I am able with a few thumb-strokes to provide thoughts and links to the events of the day. A poor substitute for the Feed, but perhaps some gruel to see you through these next couple of weeks.
Let's start off with a review of the Law of Unintended (but to be expected) Consequences. As we discussed last week, our boy President has decided upon the Goldilocks solution in Afghanistan. As the Wall Street Journal points out, this has led all the other "allies" to re-evaluate their positions: "The Crush at the Afghan Exits." Wherein France, Poland, and the British are bugging out. Reminds one of that scene from Monty Python's "Holy Grail:"
In a telling piece, "Planned Parenthood Takes On The States," we learn of the efforts of the Obama administration to keep the lifeline of funding up to the Planned Parenthood abortion mill. They are doing it the old fashioned liberal way: in the courts. If you can't win in the realm of public opinion, SUE. One of the tremendous upshots of the election last November is that the citizens of the various states (all 57 of 'em, Barry!) have begun taking their governments back. We are seeing main stream American thought at the state capitols - exactly the way our Republic was supposed to work. The wise old gnomes in Washington will have none of that though - see you in Court. The reality is that there is no rational, nor moral reason for the taxpayers of the United States to prop up this vile institution.
Hot button item with me as I prepare to stroke the checks for the next round of college tuition and fees for middle Rumblespawn, is the incredible appreciation of tuition costs. I find it intriguing that liberals in our government go ga-ga over increases in gasoline prices with shouts of "gouging" and angry shaking of pitchforks and policy, but remain mum over college costs. Mind you - I WANT them to remain mum - their involvement could only make a bad thing worse. Creepy thing is the Feds have taken over all the student loan programs now... will they tell us what to study next?
More to the point, however, is the question of whether everyone in fact needs a college degree. I question the utility of a BA from NoName U when, in fact, it is little more than a glorified high school diploma from NoName HS where the faculty was too afraid to flunk or discipline students. I would be very much in favor of a system of trade schools that focused intensively on life skills that would ensure gainful employment. Some authors across the pond are re-examining the role of colleges in their economies and offer some instructive insights in "Hollowing Out The Ivory Tower."
It has been said that the veneer of civilization can be frighteningly thin. OK, I added the "frighteningly" part, but witnessing the mob behavior from Peoria ("Kill All The White People") to Philadelphia ("Editor Attacked by Mob") to Chicago ("Chicago's Violent Flash Mobs") leaves one feeling a little uneasy. The premise of Anne Coulter's new book "Demonic," is that liberals work in mobs to achieve their aims, an assertion that is hard to refute. Is it possible, however, that we are missing the point? That what is really at work here is tribalism; that as civilization decays, we fall back into tribal units? An excellent review of the book by Robin Fox, "The Tribal Imagination: Civilization and the Savage Mind," summarizes that point.
Well at least Obama finally has a financial plan for the future of our nation:
