"A hesitant America, disengaging from its commitments and uncertain as to its role, will inspire disillusion among its allies and confidence on the part of its adversaries. A strong, self-confident America will help create the conditions for its own security and that of its allies and friends."
A. John Bolton, 2009
B. Ronald Reagan, 1980
C. Michelle Bachmann, 2011
D. Barack Obama, 2008
E. Jordan, Taylor, and Associates in "American National Security"; a text book published shortly after the end of the Carter presidency, 1981
The answer is E. I just threw D in there for fun. But it illustrates the fact that Obama's foreign policy is rivaling Jimmy Carter's for ineptitude and damage to American security. And the fact that all of the grown ups in the room today seem to be members of the Republican party.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thomas Friedman is Flat
Thomas Friedman's new book, "That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back" is the wrong answer to the question everyone is asking. Andrew Ferguson saves the rest of us the trouble of reading the book with his review in the WSJ.
I'm happy to say that I have saved myself the trouble of reading Freidman's earlier books. In the realm of public policy, the conventional wisdom is always conventional but seldom wise. History hasn't ended, the world isn't flat, there is nothing wrong with Kansas and the "Arab Spring" has shown itself to be a false spring as a blizzard of Islamist anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism has blown across the Middle East. I occasionally encounter Friedman in an interview or article and I am consistently unimpressed by his and narrow opinions - tediously commonplace for someone who is styled as an opinion leader.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Couldn't have said it better myself
"To the degree the press neglected its function as watchdog and turned cupbearer to a Styrofoam demigod, it is a partner in the flaws and failures of what is turning out to be one of the most miserable performances in the modern history of the American presidency."
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/09/17/rex-murphy-the-medias-love-affair-with-a-disastrous-president/
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/09/17/rex-murphy-the-medias-love-affair-with-a-disastrous-president/
Monday, September 12, 2011
Austerity
Federal fiscal austerity does not equal national austerity. I hear Statists and other Leftists complaining that the economy cannot withstand the sort of cuts to federal spending that conservatives recommend. What the economy needs, they claim is more federal spending. The economy cannot withstand austerity when demand is already weak.
Well, the federal government spends VAST amounts of money. But it doesn't spend all of the money. Thank God. And if the federal government did start to roll back its overspending, most people probably wouldn't notice very much - at first. A bunch of government employees, service contractors and suppliers of consumables would take a hit when they had to go find honest work elsewhere at a competitive wage. State and city governments would have to re-evaluate the services the provide and the employee benefits they dispose.
But the national economy would trundle on as these temporary disruptions worked themselves out. However, at the same time, businesses and entrepreneurs would realize they have re-gained some economic freedom and would seize the opportunity to expand or to launch a business.
I suspect that federal austerity does equal national prosperity.
We tried the other way and it didn't work, let's try this.
Well, the federal government spends VAST amounts of money. But it doesn't spend all of the money. Thank God. And if the federal government did start to roll back its overspending, most people probably wouldn't notice very much - at first. A bunch of government employees, service contractors and suppliers of consumables would take a hit when they had to go find honest work elsewhere at a competitive wage. State and city governments would have to re-evaluate the services the provide and the employee benefits they dispose.
But the national economy would trundle on as these temporary disruptions worked themselves out. However, at the same time, businesses and entrepreneurs would realize they have re-gained some economic freedom and would seize the opportunity to expand or to launch a business.
I suspect that federal austerity does equal national prosperity.
We tried the other way and it didn't work, let's try this.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Green Names
This article in the Philadelphia Inquirer isn't remarkable because of the silly things Eco-loons say or because there is any chance they won't line up like zombies in a brain laboratory for Obama in 2010. It is because of the names they were stuck with:
"It’s sort of premature to say what we’re going to do in the elections today," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, the League of Conservation Voters’s senior vice president for government affairs. “I think obviously the administration has done some great things. But there’s also been some real disappointments, and today’s ozone announcement is at the top of the list."
Other groups were livid.
"This is a new low for President Obama," said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. "He sold out public health and environmental protection to appease polluters.”"
"It’s sort of premature to say what we’re going to do in the elections today," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, the League of Conservation Voters’s senior vice president for government affairs. “I think obviously the administration has done some great things. But there’s also been some real disappointments, and today’s ozone announcement is at the top of the list."
Other groups were livid.
"This is a new low for President Obama," said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. "He sold out public health and environmental protection to appease polluters.”"
C-SPAN Seminar Calls of the Week
Seems like this week's C-Span seminar caller talking point, in advance of the president's speech, is that small business people are not complaining about taxes or regulations. They are, according to these callers, talking about demand.
Spurious, no doubt. The fact that I've heard the same argument, almost verbatim, from at least 3 callers in the course of 1 week, is curious in itself.
The most generous explanation I can think of is that it is perfectly natural to ask your barber or grocer or what have you, "how's business?" The most reasonable answer during the current undeclared recession is, "Terrible. No one is spending any money. Too many of my customers are looking for work." It would be unnatural to answer that question with, "Regulations are strangling my ability to grow my business and high taxes are keeping me from hiring more workers." Both answers are very likely true, but the first one is the most likely answer to the question.
But I see little reason to be generous. Today's caller said that the folks he was talking to complained about a lack of 'demand'. Now, unless they are suffering from a lack of demand for Keynesian economists, the word "demand' is an unnatural word in that context. But it is the exact right word if you are building an argument for more federal 'stimulus' spending. So, I suspect it was made up.
Spurious, no doubt. The fact that I've heard the same argument, almost verbatim, from at least 3 callers in the course of 1 week, is curious in itself.
The most generous explanation I can think of is that it is perfectly natural to ask your barber or grocer or what have you, "how's business?" The most reasonable answer during the current undeclared recession is, "Terrible. No one is spending any money. Too many of my customers are looking for work." It would be unnatural to answer that question with, "Regulations are strangling my ability to grow my business and high taxes are keeping me from hiring more workers." Both answers are very likely true, but the first one is the most likely answer to the question.
But I see little reason to be generous. Today's caller said that the folks he was talking to complained about a lack of 'demand'. Now, unless they are suffering from a lack of demand for Keynesian economists, the word "demand' is an unnatural word in that context. But it is the exact right word if you are building an argument for more federal 'stimulus' spending. So, I suspect it was made up.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
What Sort of Idiot Hires Idiots?
UPDATE:
Half of the country recognizes that the government wastes half the money it takes from us.
"Most Americans think the federal government wastes more than half of the tax dollars it collects, according to a recent Gallup Poll.
On average, the guesstimate of waste is 51 cents of every dollar, the highest level going back at least 32 years that Gallup has been asking the question."
What kind of idiots are we?
Half of the country thinks the previous president was an idiot.
Half of the country thinks the current president is an idiot.
Over 3/4s of the country thinks the Congress is full of idiot.
Why do we give so much power and money to a bunch of idiots?
Half of the country recognizes that the government wastes half the money it takes from us.
"Most Americans think the federal government wastes more than half of the tax dollars it collects, according to a recent Gallup Poll.
On average, the guesstimate of waste is 51 cents of every dollar, the highest level going back at least 32 years that Gallup has been asking the question."
What kind of idiots are we?
Half of the country thinks the previous president was an idiot.
Half of the country thinks the current president is an idiot.
Over 3/4s of the country thinks the Congress is full of idiot.
Why do we give so much power and money to a bunch of idiots?
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