We're All Socialists Now

I don't know what else I can call it but Socialism.

Paul Kengor writes in the American Spectator, "The numbers show a massive increase in government jobs created over the last five months -- 621,000, to be exact, dwarfing private-sector job growth. Those new government jobs account for a staggering 73% of overall job growth. In all, it means that 20.6 million citizens now work for government, out of 143 million people employed in America -- or one in seven Americans."

Meanwhile, at the Daily Caller, Caroline May reports, "The most recent data on SNAP participation were released Friday, and showed that 47,710,324 people were enrolled in the program in September, an increase of 607,559 from the 47,102,765 enrolled in August.

"The new numbers mean that an estimated one in 6.5 people in America were on food stamps in September."

20.6M Americans work for the government, 47.7M are on food stamps; 68.3M people.

It seems that when Democrats say, "grow the economy," what they mean is growing the size of government and the number of people dependent upon it.

Sen Warner's unanswered questions

I took the opportunity to attend Sen Warner's town hall in Fredericksburg the other night. We were not picked to ask questions, so I emailed the questions I would have liked to ask to his office.

I received a canned email response a little over a week later. Here are the questions left unanswered by his reply:

1. Your web site and Pres Obama promise that the Democrat plans to nationalize medical services will
- insure more people
- provide better service
- reduce costs

I know of only one Person Who ever distributed more than He had collected and ended up with a surplus - when Christ fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.

Neither you nor Barack Obama are Him. So, how do you really intend to finance this? Either you are being disengenous about the cost, in which case higher taxes AND higher deficits are likely; or about the services, in which case shortages, degraded care and government decisions regarding who gets what care are inevitable.

I anticipate all of the above.

2. The federal government is already involved in providing somewhere around 60% of medical services in this country via MediCare, Medicaid, Military and Veterans health care and government employees health insurance. Your statistics indicate that the current system is unsustainable. So, if the current, mostly government, system is unsustainable, why don't you think that MORE government will result in LESS sustainability? Why won't the Democrats even consider consumer-based solutions?

3. You said, "We need to control compensation." Given that you are a US Senator, I assume that by "we" you mean the US Government. Control of a producer's compensation is effectively control of his production. Do you really favor government control of the production of medical goods and services?

4. You rightly point out that our current medical insurance system is unsustainable.
Our automobile insurance system is fine.
Our Life insurance system is fine.
Our property insurance system is fine.
Our federally managed flood insurance system is broken.

Why do you prefer to reinforce proven failure by favoring federally [sic] management rather than emulating the successes of those insurance markets that do work?

5. A school teacher asked you to cite the article and section of the US Constitution that empowers you to do this. You admitted, "there is no place in the Constitution that specifically says health care.” While I admire your honesty, I do question how you can so brazenly proceed to act beyond your constitutional authority.

Bowling for a Soup Sandwich

The collapse of the US economy under the policies of the Obama administration becomes more likely. The question still remains whether the devaluation of the dollar is due to incompetence, flawed economic theory or conspiracy. Of course, it could be all 3 in various degrees. Certainly Geithner has demonstrated his incompetence. Bernacke hasn't impressed me any either; but then Greenspan has long since lost his luster and the role of the Fed today is worth questioning. The half-Keynesian on steroids policies they are following are insanity squared.

So, are they intentionally bringing on an economic collapse in order to realize their national socialist or perhaps international socialist designs, or do they just not recognize how bad that result would be? When people in their camp have publicly said that it wouldn't be a bad thing for the dollar to lose its role as international currency standard, you have to wonder when you see policies enacted that lead to that result. Debasing the currency is leading to that result.

So, are the brainiacs debasing the currency on purpose to achieve some great egalitarian socialist utopia? Are they doing it because they actually believe Paul Krugman is a genius? Or do they really have no idea what they are doing but think their actions will look good on MSNBC and CNN?

Or all 3?

Only time will tell...

Dollar Declines Most Since 1985 Plaza Accord on Fed Bond Buying

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aNdu22y30zwc&refer=worldwide

Terence Corcoran: Is this the end of America?

Posted: March 19, 2009, 7:38 PM by NP Editor

Terence Corcoran, Ben Bernanke, inflation

U.S. law-making is riddled with slapdash, incompetence and gamesmanship

By Terence Corcoran

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpcomment/archive/2009/03/19/terence-corcoran-is-this-the-end-of-america.aspx

And on the foreign policy front, the president looked foolish to everyone but European bureaucrats:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D971PVM81&show_article=1

" "It's a very constructive message," Javier Solana said at an EU summit in Brussels. "I hope that will open a new chapter in relations with Tehran."

Shame not many actual Iranians got to receive the president's holiday greeting and groveling: " It wasn't clear how many Iranians were able to see the video, which was not aired on state television in Iran on Friday. It was likely shown on Farsi-language TV stations beamed in from outside of the country, but many Iranians don't watch television in the first days of long Nowruz holiday that is normally filled with family gatherings or vacations away from home.

Iranians could see the video on the White House Web site, but other popular video sharing sites like YouTube are blocked in Iran. "

And the Iranian leadership announces it is prepared to continue to listen to the president grovel directly, as long as he doesn't bring up any of the things the US would want to discuss: " Ahmadinejad has said Iran would welcome talks with the U.S.—but only if there was mutual respect. Iranian officials say that means the U.S. needs to stop accusing Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism, charges Tehran has denied."

Maybe he should stick to insulting the handicapped.

Or maybe not:

Special Olympics bowler: I can beat the president! McConiughey, who is mentally disabled, is just the bowler for the job. He's bowled five perfect games since 2005. " The 35-year-old McConiughey has been bowling since he was 8 or 9. His advice for Obama? Practice every day." http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D971TJ1O0&show_article=1

Good advice for the bright young president. But, given his administration's performance thus far, perhaps he ought to practice statecraft and domestic policy every day until his scores there get better...