Friday, October 30, 2009

The guys at Powerline on the return of Zelaya:

"It is perfectly fitting that the signal diplomatic triumph of President Obama's first year in office is the restoration to power of the lawfully deposed Honduran thug and friend of Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega and Hugh Chavez. It is inimical to the national interest of the United States. it is a setback for the supporters of democracy in the beleaguered country of Honduras. And it is a defeat for those who believe in the rule of law. It is, in other words, a triumph of "smart diplomacy."   ... Link


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6896536.ece

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The 'Iran Problem' ...

The 'Iran Problem' is discussed on "Uncommon Knowledge". Victor David Hanson (in part 4 of a 5 part series) describes the current administrations preferred relationship with Israel. He says the Obama administration ...

"wants to be neutral in the way that Europe is toward Israel."
One could argue that much of Europe is something other than neutral toward Israel, but Hanson's point remains.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Pelosi puts lipstick on the pig ...

Presenting, the shiny new (but the same) 'competitive' option.

"When people think of the public option, public is being misrepresented, that this is being paid for with their public dollars." -Nancy Pelosi

Riiiiiiiight ... Since when has the US government operated any program at a profit? The US Postal Service? The government provided the USPS with a monopoly, and still they can't break even. Amtrak? No, not close. Still looking for a truly self-funded government-run program.

Here is a tip, Nancy... If you want to introduce competition to the health care market, remove the regulations that currently prevent the market from behaving competitively. Specifically, allow health insurance providers to sell insurance across state lines.

The idea that the Obama adminstration and Congress are even remotely interested in creating a more 'competitive' marketplace is laughable. They might label it as such to sell what they are pushing, but I, for one, ain't buying it ... Dang - maybe I don't have a choice.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Krauthammer, as always,

is right on the money with this.  Thank goodness we're not still saddled with W's stupidity.  He lacked the nuance to pull off the gaffes strategic diplomacy with which Obama has dazzled Putin, among others (Iran, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria).

But hey, we know Obama is willing to deal roughly with those who leave him no option: Honduras, Israel, Canada, the UK, Poland, the Ukraine..

Remember when the Dems were concerned about the military?

Neither do I, but they used to pretend better than this.  Taking funds out of the military budget to fund a memorial to Ted Kennedy?  It's beyond parody, as is the fact that they're not even embarrassed about it.

Of course, in fairness, this theft appears to be a bipartisan effort...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

There is at least 1 thing government is good at ... growing.

"From the founding of the Republic to 1929, spending by governments at all levels, federal, state, and local never exceeded 12 percent of the national income except in time of major war, and two-thirds of that was state and local spending. Federal spending typically amounted to 3 percent or less of the national income. Since 1933 government spending has never been less than 20 percent of national income and is now over 40 percent and two-thirds of that is spending by the federal government."
--From Milton Friedman's book "Free to Choose"

That was in 1980. In 2008, government spending accounted for about 45% of the national income.  And today? I'm afraid to learn the answer when the current administration gets done with it.

1930s revisited..

Chicago Tribune 1934



not to beat a dead horse, er.. dog, but

didn't the NFL just give us a taste of football's moral compass?

A timely message from ... 1937?

In 1937, in response to FDR's New Deal, US Senator Josiah Bailey co-authored a document that came to be known as the "Conservative Manifesto".

The points of the document ring as true today as they did in 1937. But who among the current republican leadership could communicate a message like this to the American people?

The following are the ten points of the Conservative Manifesto (1937), as described by the New York Times:


  1. Immediate revision of taxes on capital gains and undistributed profits in order to free investment funds.
  2. Reduced expenditures to achieve a balanced budget, and thus, to still fears deterring business expansion.
  3. An end to coercion and violence in relations between capital and labor.
  4. Opposition to "unnecessary" government competition with private enterprise.
  5. Recognition that private investment and enterprise require a reasonable profit.
  6. Safeguarding the collateral upon which credit rests.
  7. Reduction of taxes, or if this proved impossible at the moment, firm assurance of no further increases.
  8. Maintenance of state rights, home rule, and local self-government, except where proved definitely inadequate.
  9. Economical and non-political relief to unemployed with maximum local responsibility.
  10. Reliance upon the American form of government and the American system of enterprise.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

i guess i didn't realize

that we had agreed to impose morality tests on would-be nfl franchisees? is the corollary that all of the owners up to now have passed this test?

shouldn't the libs mourn this kind of stuff as well? the behavior here is the kind of mccarthyism the left complains of ceaselessly, but without actual cause.

limbaugh should say "screw 'em" and buy the team alone.
 
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