The Rant

Tea Party in Orange County . Some are not happy with the Governator.  

"I have watched with mild amusement this week the self-immolation of the Republican Party as it bows before the altar of Rush Limbaugh, begging for mercy, pleading for forgiveness, breathlessly seeking guidance and wisdom from The Oracle....." By why did the head of the RNC apologize to the Bloviator ?

The house is burning down. Is it a good time to be watering the grass ?   We thought we were getting someone smart, cool, above partisanship.  Instead, we get: Democrat Spending Gone Wild, Confused, weak Foreign Policy.  Do we really want to rev up the war in Afghanistan?  Haven't we built up enough debt on foreign adventures?    Instead of a careful background check, Obama received Fanboy gushing from the major media.  No wonder it  is losing audience.   In tumultuous times, can you really trust the major media to tell the truth about the Democrats and Obama?  Doubtful.  It will take a little while longer for the majority of Americans to realize they have been suckered.  Meanwhile, since Obama targeted him, Rush Limbaugh's ratings have doubled.  Good strategy by Begala and Carville.   Could this possibly be another Right Wing Conspiracy? 

I have nothing against trying to improve things.  OUr current medical system is not very rational, and could definitely use improvement.  But planners need to consider the incentives that their systems create.    For example, many critics think that the welfare for families with dependent children had the unintended consequence of breaking up families, since mothers got more money if they were single.  No one intended it, but it happened.  Economics is not particularly moral any more than physics or engineering. It is simply reality, especially with regard to human beings and their motivation.    Similarly, it seems to be inevitable that if you provide services by means of a government monopoly, since there is no competition, there is little incentive for efficiency.  Inefficient private companies go broke. Cruel, but practical.  It is nice for the Democrats that they control the government right now, but was it really wise for them to exclude the Republicans from the process of drawin...

Ah, it is so nice to dialogue with a friend about public policy.   The problem for Democrats (and those further to the left) is that most of the points made by Libertarians are simply basic economics.  Fighting basic economics is like trying to jump to the moon.  You can win for a short time, but eventually you will be pulled back to earth.   Eating the Rich. Hating the Rich. Hating Corporations.  Such passions may feel good to certain types, but it is the rich, sad to say, who own businesses, hire workers, and keep the economy afloat.   Poor people can spend government handouts, but they are unlikely to start new businesses and give much of a boost to the economy.   Competition may be annoying and force one to work hard, but monopolist enterprises run by public employees are not known for being efficient.  If the entire economy is run by government employees, we can look forward to boom times as seen in North Korea and East Germany.  As we will find out this year. 

Bob: You can take you so-called libertarian principles and shove them. You constantly quote from the Republican playbook. You like that safe Libertian position so as to be able to distance yourself when you realize stained tissue like Rush make the very arguments you make look foolish in the light of day. We radical, socialist, Marxist, left-wing, pinko, commies are so happy to have control of the HOUSE, THE SENATE AND THE WHITE HOUSE.. ...You ain't seen nothing yet. Marginal tax rates at 39%, capital gains rates at (should I say it) 20%.... Helions and tigers and bears OH MY!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and guess what...for at least the next 22 months, we commies can do what ever we want. Maybe we do something with Health Care? You better protect your precious bodily fluids. We might enact fluoridation.

Do investors think that Obama's "stimulus" plan is going to "grow" the economy?  Here is the Dow Jones Industrial Average since Obama's stimulus package passed, February 8, 2009.  (Source Google Finance) Apparently investors have some doubts.  Perhaps a plan to eat the rich may not properly motivate the rich to work hard risk their riches on new ventures.  Anyone have any other ideas? or is that it until 2010?  

The mass civil disobedience planned today in Washington over Global warming looks to be snowed out .     

     The new Democrat budget (you can't blame this one on the Republicans) contains a deficit which is a greater percentage of the GNP than any budget since WWII.   Obama forecasts optimistally that this deficit will shrink in the future by assuming that the recession will end this year and the economy will resume normal growth.        I predict that neither of these events will happen.  There is nothing in this budget to stimulate the private sector, especially to stimulate businesses which creates new jobs.   Spending money on goverment giveaways and transfer programs does nothing for the private sector            Every dollar spent by the government on programs requires a tax dollar on private enterprise. If you kill private enterprise, you kill the goose that laid the golden egg.  It has been done before. It is going to be done here.       The deficit is going to be far larger than Obama foresees.  Can Obama be so stupid economically that he does not realize this?  Or does a se...

I am not surprised after all, anyone who disagrees with Obama, or with the Democrats is a racist, obviously.  Even Democrats who criticize Obama are racists and that is whey they disagree. 

Ok KSFO in San Francisco is red meat Right Wing radio... I don't know who listens to this out there....but did anyone listen to Grandma B. Simpson today..... She had a truly bigoted Freudian slip today about Obama.

Well I am "The Rich" if it means top 5%.  If Obama's plan calls for my cannibalization, perhaps I need to re-think my business plan.   

Listening to Obama reminded me of listening to Jimmy Carter.  Lots of fine language. Lot's of promises.  Increased benefits  for everything and everyone, and reduced taxes too!*   It would be terrific if this was all possible, but it seems to violate common sense.   Something for nothing doesn't work in the real world.  And why should the 5% who are going to be footing this entire bill risk their time and ingenuity in order to be insulted and taxed ad infinitum?  From each according to his ability to each according to his need.   *Unless you are part of the 5% highest income earners, in which case you are a greedy bastard. 

The markets reacted swiftly to the announcement that Vice President Joe Biden would oversee the implementation of the Spending Bill, dropping to lowest level since 1997.   The stock market, already in the tank, has dropped another 19.4% since election day. Obama is keeping his promise:  the market is changing.  

The founder of a New York TV station aimed at countering Muslim stereotypes, Muzzammil Hassan has been arrested for beheading his wife (pictured on left). His goal to counter Muslim stereotypes has hit a rough spot.   NOW has no comment.     

By Scott Horton Addressing a group of Mormon lawyers in Boston on Friday night Kenneth Starr charted the Republican strategy for dealing with Obama’s nominees for the Supreme Court. The Mormon Times reports: Starr pointed out, “the salience of this very enviable position, politically, for our President is brought home by the President’s own approach to the high court during his years of service as a United States senator.” He continued, “There is one historical factoid of note: He is the first president of the United States ever in our history to have participated in a Senate filibuster of a judicial nominee. Never before has that happened.” Starr cited a November article in The Washington Times about the problems Obama faces, quoting, “Senate Republicans say the president-elect’s voting record and long simmering resentments over Democrats’ treatment of President Bush’s nominees will leave Mr. Obama hard-pressed to call for bipartisan help confirming judges or even an up-or-down vote.”...

I The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea In a beautiful pea green boat,They took some honey, and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a five pound note.The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar,'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love, What a beautiful Pussy you are, You are, You are!What a beautiful Pussy you are!' II Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl! How charmingly sweet you sing!O let us be married! too long we have tarried: But what shall we do for a ring?'They sailed away, for a year and a day, To the land where the Bong-tree growsAnd there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood With a ring at the end of his nose, His nose, His nose,With a ring at the end of his nose. III 'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'So they took it away, and were married next day By the Turkey who lives on the hill.They dined on mince, and slices of ...

   Socialism means the abolition of private property.  The state ownership of the means of production.   We do not have socialism; but rather creeping fascism. The state is getting ever more involved in controlling businesses, even taking control in some instances.  Mussolini's corporate state.   But Fascism no longer refers to the real historical phenomenon. It has become an epithet to apply to anything you don't like, such as talk radio.  

More members of the Public Employees Party are calling for action to muzzle talk radio(pictured on the left).  Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York, is the latest to call for the return of the "Fairness Doctrine."    He is joining Debbie Stabenow of Michegan and Tom Harkin of Iowa who want the Federal government to monitor political speech, just like in Mother Russia.  After all, we can't trust non members of the Government Party to say what the Government wants to be said, can we?  

Obama has selected the Joker as his new Commerce secretary. The Joker has apparently decided that what the world needs now is nearly a trillion dollars in increased spending on government programs. Is this a really a good idea?   Some people think not.     Which countries in the world have the most economic growth, those with small governments (Hong Kong?) or those with giant governments (North Korea)?