polifrog
It seems Romney believes only select people are deserving of liberty:
H/T Joe Guarino
Santorum has a much more rational view of abortion -- that it infringes on the rights of the unborn. Of course, as a man who understands that ObamaCare is something to worth getting angry at.
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Friday, January 27, 2012
Posts Brought to You With no Help from Drudge...
polifrog
Drudge has taken the rogue conservative establishment under his media wing. As a result I have not visited Drudge today and refuse to so going forward for an undetermined period. Considering the low turnover at Drudge, I doubt I will notice the loss.
However, I have been curious as to whether his siding with the rogue conservative establishment has had a negative impact on Drudge page views.
Despite no planing ... It has:
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Drudge has taken the rogue conservative establishment under his media wing. As a result I have not visited Drudge today and refuse to so going forward for an undetermined period. Considering the low turnover at Drudge, I doubt I will notice the loss.
However, I have been curious as to whether his siding with the rogue conservative establishment has had a negative impact on Drudge page views.
Despite no planing ... It has:
In a stunning rebuke to his hidden advocacy for liberal Republican Willard Romney yesterday, Matt Drudge's groundbreaking Drudge Report website lost two million readers yesterday.
This was after Drudge posted ten anti-Newt Gingrich stories yesterday morning, getting up to 14 later in the day. (Kristinn Tayor at FreeRepublic).
The Drudge Report saw a drop in traffic yesterday of two million hits in the wake of proprietor Matt Drudge's two-day attack on Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.
Drudge started his attack on Gingrich Wednesday evening with a banner headline accusing Gingrich of insulting former President Ronald Reagan. Drudge carried on the attack all through Thursday, at one time having fourteen anti-Newt headlines at once.
The assault on Gingrich prompted many supporters to announce they were swearing off the Drudge Report with some saying they would stop using it as their home page.
According to statistics posted by the Drudge Report, the site's hits on Wednesday, January 26, were 33, 807, 227.
Yesterday the hits, as published today on the Drudge Report, were down a full two million to 31, 802, 534.
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Sarah Palin Knows Palinization When She Sees it --- Even When Coming From the Right....
polifrog
Sara Palin on FaceBook:
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Sara Palin on FaceBook:
We have witnessed something very disturbing this week. The Republican establishment which fought Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and which continues to fight the grassroots Tea Party movement today has adopted the tactics of the left in using the media and the politics of personal destruction to attack an opponent.
...
What we saw with this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt was nothing short of Stalin-esque re-writing of history. It was Alinsky tactics at their worst.
But this whole thing isn’t really about Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney. It is about the GOP establishment vs. the Tea Party grassroots and independent Americans who are sick of the politics of personal destruction used now by both parties’ operatives with a complicit media egging it on.
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Santorum Defends the Liberty of the Unborn...
polifrog
An unborn human that child not only has a right to live, but is entitled to government protection of his or her liberty from infringement.
Via iOwnTheWorld:
But the logic is lost on Piers Morgan, as he can't see past his own prejudices.
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An unborn human that child not only has a right to live, but is entitled to government protection of his or her liberty from infringement.
Via iOwnTheWorld:
But the logic is lost on Piers Morgan, as he can't see past his own prejudices.
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Kirk Cameron: Monumental Trailer...
polifrog
Regaining our history will most definitely be a monumental task.
Warning: not for the Progressive faint of heart...
H/T Joe Guarino for the heads up on this trailer...
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Regaining our history will most definitely be a monumental task.
But as I look around, I’m left with a sinking feeling that America is losing her way. Big time. The soul of our country is sick, and history shows me we are headed for disaster if we don’t change course now.
Warning: not for the Progressive faint of heart...
H/T Joe Guarino for the heads up on this trailer...
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It is a Sad Day -- I am Linking Kos Over Anything From Our Rogue Conservative Establishment...
polifrog
Kos --- The Jed Report:
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Kos --- The Jed Report:
Today, National Review stepped it up a notch and actually claims Newt Gingrich "repeatedly insulted" Ronald Reagan.
The thing that makes these attacks so absurd is that they are being made on behalf of Mitt Romney, who wasn't a Republican when Ronald Reagan was president and specifically said in his 1994 U.S. Senate campaign that he was not seeking public office to support either Reagan or George H.W. Bush. Romney ended up getting trounced by 17 points.
Newt Gingrich, meanwhile, was busy leading Republicans to their first victory in forty years in the House. And the following year, Nancy Reagan credited him with taking up the mantle of conservatism, saying Barry Goldwater had passed it to Ronald Reagan, and that Ronald Reagan had passed it to Newt Gingrich.
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We Failed to Protect the Internet ---The SOPA Blackout was a Waste -- MegaUpload...
polifrog
Jeffery Tucker:
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Jeffery Tucker:
Last week’s violent government attack on the hugely popular site Megaupload — the U.S. government arresting Belgian citizens in New Zealand, of all places, and stealing at gunpoint servers bank accounts and property — has sent shock waves through the entire digital world.
The first shock was the realization that the gigantic protest against legislative moves (SOPA and PIPA) that would smash the Internet turned out to be superfluous. The thing everyone wanted to prevent is already here. SOPA turns out not to be the unwelcome snake in the garden of free information. The snakes have already taken over the garden and are hanging from every tree.
...
The attack on Megaupload takes all of this to a different level. This was not some wholly surreptitious, sketchy institution that was trying to get around the law. It was already becoming a legitimate service for launching careers in music and art generally. It seemed to be doing exactly what we expect in the digital age. It was reinventing an old model for new times through innovation in production, delivery and profit sharing.
As I wrote before, this was most likely why the old-line industry came after them. It was not the illegal activities, but their legal ones that made them a target. The moguls do not want change. They crushed the competition.
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The Truth is That The US Beats Europe in Rail Efficiency by Not Wasting it on the Inefficiency of Moving People......
polifrog
Our nation is more efficient and cleaner when we trust our markets. When we do not and let others convince us of our needs then we subject ourselves to the inefficiencies of personal and political bias. It is why so many believe the lie that it is more efficient to move people by rail that by other modes of transportation. We are being convinced of a lie.
Warren Meyer:
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Our nation is more efficient and cleaner when we trust our markets. When we do not and let others convince us of our needs then we subject ourselves to the inefficiencies of personal and political bias. It is why so many believe the lie that it is more efficient to move people by rail that by other modes of transportation. We are being convinced of a lie.
Warren Meyer:
The US rail system, unlike nearly every other system in the world, was built (mostly) by private individuals with private capital. It is operated privately, and runs without taxpayer subsidies. And, it is by far the greatest rail system in the world. It has by far the cheapest rates in the world (1/2 of China’s, 1/8 of Germany’s). But here is the real key: it is almost all freight.
As a percentage, far more freight moves in the US by rail (vs. truck) than almost any other country in the world. Europe and Japan are not even close. Specifically, about 40% of US freight moves by rail, vs. just 10% or so in Europe and less than 5% in Japan. As a result, far more of European and Japanese freight jams up the highways in trucks than in the United States. For example, the percentage of freight that hits the roads in Japan is nearly double that of the US.
You see, passenger rail is sexy and pretty and visible. You can build grand stations and entertain visiting dignitaries on your high-speed trains. This is why statist governments have invested so much in passenger rail — not to be more efficient, but to awe their citizens and foreign observers.
But there is little efficiency improvement in moving passengers by rail vs. other modes. Most of the energy consumed goes into hauling not the passengers themselves, but the weight of increasingly plush rail cars. Trains have to be really, really full all the time to make for a net energy savings for high-speed rail vs. cars or even planes, and they seldom are full. I had a lovely trip on the high speed rail last summer between London and Paris and back through the Chunnel — especially nice because my son and I had the rail car entirely to ourselves both ways.
The real rail efficiency comes from moving freight. As compared to passenger rail, more of the total energy budget is used moving the actual freight rather than the cars themselves. Freight is far more efficient to move by rail than by road, but only the US moves a substantial amount of its freight by rail. One reason for this is that freight and high-speed passenger traffic have a variety of problems sharing the same rails, so systems that are optimized for one tend to struggle serving the other.
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Romney Is Here to Defend ObamaCare - "It's not worth Getting Angry About"...
polifrog
It damn well is worthy of anger. And I thank Santorum for finally bringing ObamaCare, the number one issue, after countless debates, to a debate. Not even Newt seemed willing to do that.
Mitt Romney's position regarding ObamaCare sorely needed this pounding and we the voters needed to see it.
It was about damn time. Thank you, Santorum.
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It damn well is worthy of anger. And I thank Santorum for finally bringing ObamaCare, the number one issue, after countless debates, to a debate. Not even Newt seemed willing to do that.
Mitt Romney's position regarding ObamaCare sorely needed this pounding and we the voters needed to see it.
It was about damn time. Thank you, Santorum.
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Mark Levin On Our Rogue Conservative Establishment...
polifrog
I was there, I saw it, I lived it. Don't lie to me about Newt:
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I was there, I saw it, I lived it. Don't lie to me about Newt:
“I’m going to tell you something. Newt Gingrich was the former Republican Speaker of the House, the first Republican Speaker of the House in almost half a century, and he was fighting the Democrats and to win the House of Representatives before most of the people writing on the Internet about him and trashing him and going with talking points from other campaigns were old enough to wipe themselves,” Levin said. “[W]e can certainly criticize Newt Gingrich, but do not count me among those who are going to destroy the man. I saw that attempt already by the hard-left Democrats led by [Michigan Rep.] David Bonior.” …
“I’m supposed to sit here, read all this crap on the Internet, listen to purported Reaganites and others tell me that he didn’t do these things?” Levin said. “I was there. I lived it. I saw it. Or let me put it this way — Newt Gingrich, if he does nothing else, did more for the conservative movement and to stop the liberal Democrats in the House of Representatives than virtually everybody today who’s criticizing him.”
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Thursday, January 26, 2012
Don't Believe Romney On ObamaCare...
polifrog
Florida Debate II, Romeny:
Politicians regularly "take action" that is never intended to bear fruit. Romney can not be trusted to kill ObamaCare. He is a firewall for the entrenched conservative elites already feeding or planning to feed off ObamaCare graft.
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Florida Debate II, Romeny:
If I were president, day one, I will take action to repeal ObamaCare.
Politicians regularly "take action" that is never intended to bear fruit. Romney can not be trusted to kill ObamaCare. He is a firewall for the entrenched conservative elites already feeding or planning to feed off ObamaCare graft.
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The Reality That is Newt Vs. The Drudge
polifrog
There is the reality of Newt:
Reagan Nat’l Security Advisor Bud McFarlane:
Reagan Economist Authur Laffer:
Reagan WH political director Jeffrey Lord:
Reagan Policy Analyst Peter Ferrara:
Reagan media consultant Richard Quinn:
Reagan’s Speechwriting Dir. Bently Elliott:
Reagan’s older son Michael Reagan:
Reagan’s beloved wife Nancy:
Then there is the Drudge:
Major H/Ts to Legal Insurrection and iOwnTheWorld.
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There is the reality of Newt:
Reagan Nat’l Security Advisor Bud McFarlane:
Reagan Economist Authur Laffer:
“The purpose of economic policy is growth, jobs, and prosperity,” supply-side founder Art Laffer told me Wednesday. As such, Laffer has endorsed Newt Gingrich and the Gingrich 15 percent flat-tax plan, which includes the 12.5 percent corporate-tax reform. “It’s nothing against the other candidates,” Laffer said. “But Newt’s plan is right, and therefore endorsing him is the right thing to do.”
Reagan WH political director Jeffrey Lord:
Quite to the contrary of the Romney message, Newt Gingrich was in fact one of Reagan's Young Lieutenants.
One of the best.
Reagan Policy Analyst Peter Ferrara:
Having served President Reagan in the White House Office of Policy Development in the early 1980s, I can say the comprehensive conservatism and breadth of this South Carolina victory speech is quintessentially Reagan.
Reagan media consultant Richard Quinn:
Richard Quinn, Huntsman's top South Carolina strategist who worked for John McCain in 2008, is endorsing Gingrich along with his son Rick, a state senator who had also endorsed Huntsman. The senior Quinn had also worked as an adviser to Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign, an aspect of his resume Gingrich may soon highlight.
Reagan’s Speechwriting Dir. Bently Elliott:
Newt Gingrich was an early foot-soldier for Ronald Reagan. He was inspired by Reagan’s charisma, convictions and leadership. He supported Reagan in 1976 and witnessed the attacks by the Ford campaign to tar Ronald Reagan, the conservative, as unstable and dangerous. Sound familiar? Newt was also among the small band of conservatives, led by Jack Kemp in the late 1970s, who saw the tremendous potential for growth in Art Laffer’s supply-side economics. When President Reagan embraced the Kemp-Roth tax cut, Newt Gingrich was on the frontlines working to pass the legislation.
Reagan’s older son Michael Reagan:
Michael Reagan, President Ronald Reagan's adopted son, has endosed the former Speaker of the House, because Gingrich, "exemplifies the conservative principles my father championed: strong national defense, lower taxes and smaller government." "Newt understands that we must reject and fundamentally change the course that Barack Obama has set for America. Newt is our only chance in 2012 to contrast a Reagan conservative with Obama's European styled socialism," Reagan wrote in a statement. Reagan describes Gingrich as having changed Washington in the 90's with his Contract with America, and the ability to do that again now.
Reagan’s beloved wife Nancy:
Then there is the Drudge:
Major H/Ts to Legal Insurrection and iOwnTheWorld.
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Why is Romney So Humble With His Moral Choice to Invest?
polifrog
Romney has been under attack for his nearly 15% tax rate, a tax rate based almost entirely on capital gains. Many citizens pay income at a higher rate that is based on income. The suggestion is that Romney is in some fashion immoral for not doing his fair share.
The reality is that the 15% he currently pays in taxes is the rate he pays in addition to what everyone else pays. Like everyone else he too suffers from income taxes, only his are in form of corporate income taxes which, as an aside, is an off shoot of viewing corporations as people. Like Buffet, much of Romney's taxes are taken at the corporate level at a rate of 35% to 40% and do not directly show up in his personal tax returns. However, they most definitely show up as lowered returns in his portfolio of investments and in his various business prospectuses. Hence, corporate taxes are reflected in his personal tax returns as lower investment income than what otherwise might have been.
But that is dry. There is a moral story here.
In this case taxes function as a penalty for a given choice. Romney made the moral choice of investing in our collective future despite the fact that he is penalized for that choice at a higher rate than he would have been had he chosen consumerism and spent his money.
Frankly, those who choose to spend their income rather than invest their income are playing an immoral game of tax avoidance, as they avoid the 15% tax on investing. Of course, not all individuals have a choice in this matter but of those who do, government sides with those who choose personal gluttony over investing in our future by punishing investment.
Thus, Romney's investments represent personal spending sacrificed for the greater good, and in a fair world his capital gains rate would be zero considering the fact that before any capital gains are realized he has paid a 35% corporate tax ... corporate taxes generated in the first instance by the very fact that he chose to invest rather than to spend.
Again, Romney has the moral high ground here, from paying more in taxes in both rate and total than most others in America to foregoing consumption in favor of investing in our communal future despite being punished for it in every instance.
And in the context of SOTU "fairness": where is the fairness in that?
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Romney has been under attack for his nearly 15% tax rate, a tax rate based almost entirely on capital gains. Many citizens pay income at a higher rate that is based on income. The suggestion is that Romney is in some fashion immoral for not doing his fair share.
The reality is that the 15% he currently pays in taxes is the rate he pays in addition to what everyone else pays. Like everyone else he too suffers from income taxes, only his are in form of corporate income taxes which, as an aside, is an off shoot of viewing corporations as people. Like Buffet, much of Romney's taxes are taken at the corporate level at a rate of 35% to 40% and do not directly show up in his personal tax returns. However, they most definitely show up as lowered returns in his portfolio of investments and in his various business prospectuses. Hence, corporate taxes are reflected in his personal tax returns as lower investment income than what otherwise might have been.
But that is dry. There is a moral story here.
In this case taxes function as a penalty for a given choice. Romney made the moral choice of investing in our collective future despite the fact that he is penalized for that choice at a higher rate than he would have been had he chosen consumerism and spent his money.
Frankly, those who choose to spend their income rather than invest their income are playing an immoral game of tax avoidance, as they avoid the 15% tax on investing. Of course, not all individuals have a choice in this matter but of those who do, government sides with those who choose personal gluttony over investing in our future by punishing investment.
Thus, Romney's investments represent personal spending sacrificed for the greater good, and in a fair world his capital gains rate would be zero considering the fact that before any capital gains are realized he has paid a 35% corporate tax ... corporate taxes generated in the first instance by the very fact that he chose to invest rather than to spend.
Again, Romney has the moral high ground here, from paying more in taxes in both rate and total than most others in America to foregoing consumption in favor of investing in our communal future despite being punished for it in every instance.
And in the context of SOTU "fairness": where is the fairness in that?
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No More Miller...
polifrog
Brad Miller's immoral vote in favor ObamaCare was the impetus behind my "getting involved". Now he is gone.
You're welcome.
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Brad Miller's immoral vote in favor ObamaCare was the impetus behind my "getting involved". Now he is gone.
You're welcome.
Miller has represented the 13th Congressional District which stretches across the northern counties from the Triangle to the Triad since 2002. The district includes all of Caswell and parts of Guilford and Rockingham Counties.
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
A Supreme Court Docket Primer on Uncommon Knowledge...
polifrog
Growing up I never contemplated hearing discussions in which conservatism and libertarianism were the assumption. I not only still find it refreshing, but stunning that such discussion now take place.
Via powerline:
Growing up I never contemplated hearing discussions in which conservatism and libertarianism were the assumption. I not only still find it refreshing, but stunning that such discussion now take place.
Via powerline:
Wandering Through the Political Marketplace...
polifrog
Althouse:
There is a demand for something and it ain't more liberal cowbell.
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Althouse:
Maybe Wisconsinites just like incumbents. Seriously, what's going on there? We've got Obama 8 points ahead of the supposedly kind of moderate Romney, yet the supposedly staunchly conservative Walker is beating all the potential Democratic opponents?
Looking through to the full results — PDF — it's interesting that on the right direction/wrong track question, 70% of the respondents think the country is on the wrong track (24% say "right direction"), but when the same question is asked about Wisconsin, 50% say "right direction," and 46% say "wrong track."
There is a demand for something and it ain't more liberal cowbell.
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Is Mitt Romney the Establishment's Firewall Against Bills to End ObamaCare? (Bumped)
polifrog
Updated and Bumped for the Norm Coleman quotes below from The Hill.
The Hill:
I certainly don't know if he is or not, but given the money involved with ObamaCare it is plausible to believe that many in the Republican establishment want their troughs protected from countervailing citizen desire.
At any rate the following ad from Newt does little to squelch the notion...
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Updated and Bumped for the Norm Coleman quotes below from The Hill.
The Hill:
Mitt Romney adviser Norm Coleman, a former senator from Minnesota, predicted the GOP won't repeal the Democrats' healthcare reform law even if a Republican candidate defeats President Obama this November.===================
"You will not repeal the act in its entirety, but you will see major changes, particularly if there is a Republican president," Coleman told BioCentury This Week television in an interview that aired on Sunday. "You can't whole-cloth throw it out. But you can substantially change what's been done."
I certainly don't know if he is or not, but given the money involved with ObamaCare it is plausible to believe that many in the Republican establishment want their troughs protected from countervailing citizen desire.
At any rate the following ad from Newt does little to squelch the notion...
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Most Absurd Drivel From the SOTU...
polifrog
Obama:
Is the man entirely unaware that he now a has a record?
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Obama:
I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed-- the government should do for people only what they can not do better by themselves and no more.
Is the man entirely unaware that he now a has a record?
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It Seems Obama Believes NC is Worth Battling Over...
polifrog
A bit of name dropping going on in the SOTU. Raleigh, Charlotte, CPCC.
Expect to be badgered in the coming year.
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A bit of name dropping going on in the SOTU. Raleigh, Charlotte, CPCC.
Expect to be badgered in the coming year.
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Is Mitt Romney the Establishment's Firewall Against Bills to End ObamaCare?
polifrog
I certainly don't know if he is or not, but given the money involved with ObamaCare it is plausible to believe that many in the Republican establishment want their troughs protected from countervailing citizen desire.
At any rate the following ad from Newt does little to squelch the notion...
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I certainly don't know if he is or not, but given the money involved with ObamaCare it is plausible to believe that many in the Republican establishment want their troughs protected from countervailing citizen desire.
At any rate the following ad from Newt does little to squelch the notion...
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What Newt Learned Last Night...
polifrog
Newt via The Hill:
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Newt via The Hill:
“I wish in retrospect I had protested when Brian Williams took [the crowd] out of it because I think it’s wrong,” he said. “I think he took them out of it because the media is terrified that the audience is going to side with the candidates against the media, which is what they’ve done in every debate.”
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Monday, January 23, 2012
No Nuclear Newt...
polifrog
The debate tonight in Florida was boring. NBC's imploring the audience to refrain from applause did not help matters....not that it a mattered.
The source of most, if not all, of the fun at the recent Republican debates has been Newt's willingness to take on the presumptive arbiters of morality in media. First there was Juan Williams who claimed most Americans viewed the work ethic as insulting then ABC which open a presidential debate with a question concerning accusations made by Newt's wife.
Nothing similar occurred in Florida. Newt turned it off. He could have responded with ovation garnering theatrics in response to jabs from both Santorum and Romney. He did not.
There was no nuclear Newt because there is no "volatile Newt".
Simply put Newt, with his repeated dust offs when provoked, is proving that he is a man in control.
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The debate tonight in Florida was boring. NBC's imploring the audience to refrain from applause did not help matters....not that it a mattered.
The source of most, if not all, of the fun at the recent Republican debates has been Newt's willingness to take on the presumptive arbiters of morality in media. First there was Juan Williams who claimed most Americans viewed the work ethic as insulting then ABC which open a presidential debate with a question concerning accusations made by Newt's wife.
Nothing similar occurred in Florida. Newt turned it off. He could have responded with ovation garnering theatrics in response to jabs from both Santorum and Romney. He did not.
There was no nuclear Newt because there is no "volatile Newt".
Simply put Newt, with his repeated dust offs when provoked, is proving that he is a man in control.
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Material Gains, Vanishing Leads -- Newt 41% Romney 32% Florida.....
polifrog
Rasmussen
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Rasmussen
Less than two weeks ago, Mitt Romney had a 22-point lead in Florida, but that’s ancient history in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Following his big win in South Carolina on Saturday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich now is on top in Florida by nine.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Florida Republican Primary Voters, taken Sunday evening, finds Gingrich earning 41% of the vote with Romney in second at 32%. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum runs third with 11%, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul attracts support from eight percent (8%).
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Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Conservative Base is Inserting a Spine Into the Conservative Party and Newt is a Part of That...
polifrog
American Thinker:
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American Thinker:
The math is clear. While negative ads can be effective if run in huge numbers -- as in Iowa -- what the voters are craving in the debates and on the stump is someone who can look liberals squarely in the eye and tell them why we are right and they are wrong. The American conservative base has had to put up with being called stupid, racist, greedy and unfair for decades by not only the Democrats but the vast majority of the media. The pent up frustration of these decades is magnified by the fact that George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush and John McCain would not or perhaps could not confront this.
....
The roar is passion. The roar is intensity. The roar is pent up frustration. The roar, put another way, is the national mood of conservatives. It is a roar that will demand a fighter. It will demand that those who want our votes must not cower in the face of the liberal template. If fact, it is a roar that demands that we do not accept any liberal templates.
That's why Newt has gotten all the roars, and why he has vaulted into serious contention only days after being written off. Anyone else who wants the roar should heed the lesson. The roar comes only at the expense of liberals and liberalism. You won't get the roar attacking others on the stage.
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But He Can't Bring Himself to Say Tea Party...
polifrog
Erick Erickson from email:
I tend to think of a Erick as having been absorbed by the gentry conservative contingent. This bit of truth speaks otherwise.
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Erick Erickson from email:
Newt Gingrich’s rise has a lot to do with Newt Gingrich’s debate performance. But it has just as much to do with a party base in revolt against its thought and party leaders in Washington, DC. The base is revolting because they swept the GOP back into relevance in Washington just under two years ago and they have been thanked with contempt ever since.
Adding insult to injury, the party and thought leaders now try to foist on the base a milquetoast moderate from Massachusetts. Newt Gingrich can thank Mitt Romney and more for the second look he is getting. Base hostility will now be exacerbated by Mitt Romney’s backers now undoubtedly making a conscious effort to prop up Rick Santorum to shut down Newt Gingrich.
I tend to think of a Erick as having been absorbed by the gentry conservative contingent. This bit of truth speaks otherwise.
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Newt Takes On Obama Over Keystone Pipeline...
polifrog
Newt:
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Newt:
I want America to become so energy independent that no American president ever again bows to the Saudi king.
...
An American president who can create a Chinese-Canadian partnership is truly a danger to this country.
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Saturday, January 21, 2012
Too Much of a Good Thing...
polifrog
Tatler:
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Tatler:
One other thing. Romney annoyed people in South Carolina. His robo calls, from the vaunted “organization,” annoyed voters to no end. I watched someone get 5 calls in one night, many from Chris Christie. Another person is getting them in Germany in the middle of the night on her cell phone. Sometimes organization and money backfires.
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It's Newt ... Has The Tea Party Finally Found Their Candidate?
polifrog
Well, they have in SC...
AP:
As for who the The Party will support in subsequent states ... who knows. After this past week they only have four to choose from and Buddy Roemer.
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Well, they have in SC...
AP:
Newt Gingrich stormed toward an upset over Mitt Romney Saturday night in the South Carolina primary.
That's according to exit polls, which showed the former House speaker ahead of the former Massachusetts governor overall. Gingrich was leading by a wide margin among the state's conservatives, tea party supporters and born-again Christians.
As for who the The Party will support in subsequent states ... who knows. After this past week they only have four to choose from and Buddy Roemer.
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First Democrats Break the System Then They Nationalize it...
polifrog
Gonzalo:
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Gonzalo:
And when you break it down per person per year? The French spend less than one-sixth what the United States spends—yet live longer, and have a lower infant mortality rate
These are the facts—and they are undisputed.
So! One of two things is going on: Either the French—as a people—are simply better than Americans; made of finer stuff; simply superior physical specimens.
Or . . .
Big Pharma, Big Med and Big Insurance are stealing from the American people every last bit of money they can get their hands on, while the Federal government refuses—out of incompetence, stupidity or corruption—to do anything about this rampant, blatant theft.
Too harsh, you say? Well, next time you go bankrupt from your medical bills, tell me again if I’m being too harsh. Because if you go bankrupt in America, there’s a 60% chance it will be because of medical bills. And if you do go bankrupt because of medical expenses? There’s a 40% chance you actually did have medical insurance—yet went bankrupt anyway! (Source here)
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Friday, January 20, 2012
No Delay for NC Primary...
polifrog
In a turn of good news for NC influence in national matters...
PilotOnline:
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In a turn of good news for NC influence in national matters...
PilotOnline:
A three-judge panel has refused to delay North Carolina's May 8 primary while a court considers a lawsuit over Republican-drawn boundaries for legislative and congressional districts.
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SOPA and PIPA Fail for Now...
polifrog
And they fail with no help from the party of the people actually, you know, listening to and responding to the citizenry.
Even Reid only managed a begrudging punt.
As was the case with ObamaCare, only one party has shown it is responsive to the concerns of the citizenry while the other proves again and again it is bound by corporate coin.
out
And they fail with no help from the party of the people actually, you know, listening to and responding to the citizenry.
Even Reid only managed a begrudging punt.
“In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT I.P. Act,” Reid said in a statement.
As was the case with ObamaCare, only one party has shown it is responsive to the concerns of the citizenry while the other proves again and again it is bound by corporate coin.
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Thursday, January 19, 2012
SC Primary Roundup...
polifrog
Three polls put Newt ahead of Romney in SC:
Rick Perry drops out and gives his support to Newt.
A recount finds that Romney lost in Iowa and that Santorum won by around 30 votes. Unfortunately for Santorum the result was that Romney was able to steel valuable momentum from him coming out of Iowa. This should weaken Romney, albeit immeasurably, in SC, but then Romney's supposed win in SC was immeasurable as well.
All good news for Newt, right? Nah.
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Three polls put Newt ahead of Romney in SC:
- Insider Advantage .......Newt 32, Romney 29
- Rasmussen..................Newt 33, Romney 31
- PPP..............................Newt 34, Romney 28
Rick Perry drops out and gives his support to Newt.
A recount finds that Romney lost in Iowa and that Santorum won by around 30 votes. Unfortunately for Santorum the result was that Romney was able to steel valuable momentum from him coming out of Iowa. This should weaken Romney, albeit immeasurably, in SC, but then Romney's supposed win in SC was immeasurable as well.
All good news for Newt, right? Nah.
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SOPA, PIPA Prove Republicans Hear the People While Democrats Hear Only Industry Coin...
polifrog
What has the fallout from yesterday's anti SOPA and PIPA push been?
Ars Technica:
Unsurprising.
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What has the fallout from yesterday's anti SOPA and PIPA push been?
Ars Technica:
The newly-opposed Senators are skewed strongly to the Republican side of the aisle. An Ars Technica survey of Senators' positions on PIPA turned up only two Democrats, Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who announced their opposition on Wednesday. The other 11 Senators who announced their opposition on Wednesday were all Republicans. These 13 join a handful of others, including Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), who have already announced their opposition.
Unsurprising.
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012
SC Poll - Insider Advantage - Newt 32%, Romney 29%...
polifrog
This puts Newt and Romney within the margin of error for the lead, Newt edge.
SavannaNow:
It would be interesting if the Tea Party were to coalesce behind Newt despite Beck's vehement disapproval.
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This puts Newt and Romney within the margin of error for the lead, Newt edge.
SavannaNow:
Gingrich reversed the momentum of Mitt Romney who had an expanding lead in the same poll Sunday night.
Gingrich’s 32 percent to Romney’s 29 puts the two inside the poll’s 3.8 percent margin of error, but the 11-point lead Romney held in the Sunday evening survey has evaporated.
It would be interesting if the Tea Party were to coalesce behind Newt despite Beck's vehement disapproval.
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Corporations Challenge SOPA Under the Good Graces of Citizens United...
polifrog
So, where is the 'no free speech for corporations' crowd during this moment when Google and the like are doing the heavy lifting against SOPA?
Are they duplicitous bastards or bastards without vision?
I'd wager that the answer is both...
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So, where is the 'no free speech for corporations' crowd during this moment when Google and the like are doing the heavy lifting against SOPA?
Are they duplicitous bastards or bastards without vision?
I'd wager that the answer is both...
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Where Were the SOPA Haters During ObamaCare?
polifrog
I believe the failure of SOPA is that there were too few free items raining toward the masses to garner needed support. The crafters of SOPA seem to have forgotten that it is much easier for the citizenry to trade away liberty when free stuff comes their way in return.
The lack of liberal support for SOPA relative to their generous support for ObamaCare suggests that there wasn't enough of a payoff to cover the liberty lost to win their liberal support.
Being that SOPA is likely to return in some form, I think it wise to consider how much free stuff might be required to turn liberal SOPA hate into something that resembles their ObamaCare love.
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I believe the failure of SOPA is that there were too few free items raining toward the masses to garner needed support. The crafters of SOPA seem to have forgotten that it is much easier for the citizenry to trade away liberty when free stuff comes their way in return.
The lack of liberal support for SOPA relative to their generous support for ObamaCare suggests that there wasn't enough of a payoff to cover the liberty lost to win their liberal support.
Being that SOPA is likely to return in some form, I think it wise to consider how much free stuff might be required to turn liberal SOPA hate into something that resembles their ObamaCare love.
out
Is Bureaucracy Your Friend?
polifrog
This defender of bureaucrats would like you to think so,
United Liberty
Okay, whatever...
Santelli calls for consistancy from the Googles and the Wikis of the world straight through to ObamaCare.
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This defender of bureaucrats would like you to think so,
The MPAA selected Dodd as its new head lobbyist chairman and CEO last year. Now Dodd is taking aim at Wikipedia, Google, and other websites involved in today’s protest against the SOPA/PIPA internet censorship legislation pending in Congress:
“It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today. It’s a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests.”
United Liberty
Okay, whatever...
Santelli calls for consistancy from the Googles and the Wikis of the world straight through to ObamaCare.
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Witness the Power Of a Fully Operational Supernational Socialist Bubble Collapsing ...
polifrog
Theodore Dalrymple--
On Belgium:
On Ireland:
On Greece:
On Germany:
On Europe:
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Theodore Dalrymple--
On Belgium:
Belgium’s inability to form a central government would not matter so much if the country did not need to reduce its public spending. Though Belgium is the largest per-capita exporter of goods and services in the world and has healthy private savings, it also has a large and growing public debt—nearly 100 percent of GDP—and an annual budget deficit of more than 5 percent. With growth negligible and government bond yields rising in a currency (the euro) that the Belgians cannot inflate, retrenchment is essential, but the Walloons and the Flemish cannot agree on how to do it. The Walloons want higher taxes to maintain the current arrangements; the Flemish want lower taxes and reduced spending to promote long-term growth. The result is a stalemate. Wallonia and Flanders are like a married couple who no longer can live together but find divorce impossible because of difficulties over the settlement.
On Ireland:
Yet when the crisis hit and the government had to cut public-sector salaries drastically and pursue other austerity measures—friends of mine who live in Ireland have lost a fifth to a quarter of their wages—hardly a word of complaint ensued. Most people seemed to understand that the seven fat—indeed, grossly obese—years simply had to be followed by the seven lean. The relation of the previous excess to the present hardship was obvious to everyone, and the population sought no scapegoats, even if, correctly, it blamed the politicians and bankers more than it blamed itself.
The Irish did take the first opportunity to vote the government out of office; Fianna Fáil, the dominant political party since Irish independence in 1921, found itself humiliated at the polls. But in recognizing the painful fact that the guilt of others does not constitute one’s own innocence, the Irish set the world an example. Since the crash, successive Irish governments have had the determination to fight to retain their low corporate tax, called “predatory” by the other Europeans. (It is symptomatic of Europe’s sickness that refraining from government seizure of money is now deemed by its political class to be predation.) The Irish economy may thus be poised for a quicker recovery.
On Greece:
Greece was another matter. The government, also relying on euro-based good credit, borrowed simply to bolster its public sector. When this differently constructed pyramid collapsed, the population’s chief object became warding off change—ensuring, that is, that it continued to receive more than it earned and consume more than it produced. Yes, the government was corrupt; yes, foreign bankers lent irresponsibly. But did Greeks really not know that tax evasion was standard practice in their country, and by no means only among the elite; that much of the employment in the public sector was bogus make-work; that retirement conditions superior to those in Germany were unearned and unsustainable; and that their political and administrative class was composed of liars and cheats? Blaming the Germans—the Nazi stereotype emerged quickly, once European subsidies were reduced—became a convenient way to avoid self-examination.
On Germany:
For a time, the euro did seem to serve German interests, allowing countries to buy German goods that they might not otherwise have been able to buy. Meanwhile, Germany, with a determination not shown by other European countries, reduced payroll taxes and barely increased wages, having previously established a powerful manufacturing base. Savings rose, and Germany became the China of Europe. Now it has the problem of what to do with its trade surplus, larger than the trade deficits of France, Italy, and Spain combined.
On Europe:
In short, the incontinent spending of many European governments, which awarded whole populations unearned benefits at the expense of generations to come, has—along with a megalomaniacal currency union—produced a crisis not merely economic but social, political, and even civilizational. The European Union that was supposed to put an end to war on the continent has resuscitated antagonisms that might end in bellicosity, if not in outright war. And the European Project stands revealed as what any sensible person could have seen it always was: something akin to the construction of a massive, post-Tito Yugoslavia.
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Tuesday, January 17, 2012
There is no free in liberty...
polifrog
The Tragic Humor of Utopianists:
(H/T) International Liberty
There is no free,
Only liberty.
Heh.
Googled "There is no free, in liberty", "There is no free in liberty" as well as "There is no free, only liberty" and got no results in each case. Seems unlikely, but I suppose they're mine.
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The Tragic Humor of Utopianists:
(H/T) International Liberty
There is no free,
Only liberty.
Heh.
Googled "There is no free, in liberty", "There is no free in liberty" as well as "There is no free, only liberty" and got no results in each case. Seems unlikely, but I suppose they're mine.
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Rent Controls - Kelo...
Rent control is a foreign concept to me, but then to a lesser extent so was the question that lead to the Kelo decision.
The Supreme Court may soon decide the constitutionality of rent controls in New York City.
New York Post:
Harmon’s arguments are compelling. Consider: The Fifth Amendment says that nobody can be “deprived of . . . property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.”
Rent regulations deprive Harmon of his property. These laws aren’t like zoning laws, under which Harmon wouldn’t be able to build a munitions factory on his home, a perfectly reasonable restriction. Instead, Harmon can’t use much of his own property for any purpose. He’s a trespasser in his own brownstone. If he doesn’t want to renew a tenant’s lease, it’s tough luck. In fact, Harmon has spent $30,000 in fees trying — so far unsuccessfully — to vacate one apartment so that his grandchild can live there. Because tenants in the two other regulated apartments are (like Harmon) older than 62, if he wants “their” space, he has to find them similar apartments at the same or lower price in the same neighborhood.
The fact that Harmon must renew leases over and over is a violation, too, of the Constitution’s contracts clause. Rent regulation compels Harmon to sign his name to a piece of paper every year, whether he wants to or not.
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Monday, January 16, 2012
Increasing Revenue Via Increasing Debt Without First Increasing Productivity...
polifrog
I believe it is important to note the difference between an increase in productive capacity and an increase in revenue. The additional job would serve to increase revenue by way of increased productivity.
What is the government parallel to increasing revenue by way of increasing productivity? There isn't one. Increasing taxes lowers productivity while having questionable revenue results. And while increasing revenue by way of debt is does unquestionably raise revenue, it does leave us with a diminished future.
And, of course, in the end the fellow gets his increase in revenue without first doing the hard work of increasing productivity.
No education or home for the little girl...
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I believe it is important to note the difference between an increase in productive capacity and an increase in revenue. The additional job would serve to increase revenue by way of increased productivity.
What is the government parallel to increasing revenue by way of increasing productivity? There isn't one. Increasing taxes lowers productivity while having questionable revenue results. And while increasing revenue by way of debt is does unquestionably raise revenue, it does leave us with a diminished future.
And, of course, in the end the fellow gets his increase in revenue without first doing the hard work of increasing productivity.
No education or home for the little girl...
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On An Appropriate Day to Remember Those Racist Democrats...
polifrog
HolyCoast:
(Below) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s meeting with Vice President Richard Nixon in 1957. They met on Capitol Hill for a discussion of ways to overcome Democrat opposition to the Republican civil rights agenda.
The power of myth is best exposed by truth.
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HolyCoast:
Yes, he was a registered Republican who led most of his battles against Democrat politicians in the South - governors, mayors, and sheriffs, Democrats all, who tried to stop blacks from enjoying the full benefits of their citizenship in the United States. Democrats were the party of racism and segregation in those days...and still are today if you look at how their policies have destroyed the black family and minority neighborhoods. It's not Republicans trying to keep black families dependent on the government.H/T Via Politics et al
(Below) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s meeting with Vice President Richard Nixon in 1957. They met on Capitol Hill for a discussion of ways to overcome Democrat opposition to the Republican civil rights agenda.
The power of myth is best exposed by truth.
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On That Debt...
polifrog
At least some of Krugman's fans have questions or one...
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At least some of Krugman's fans have questions or one...
So that brings us to our big question for Prof. Krugman:
Why isn't today fundamentally different from post-World War 2 in key ways that make the comforting post-WW2 analogy flawed?
Namely:
If Prof. Krugman can explain why none of these differences matter, we'll be more persuaded that the U.S. won't be completely screwed by its huge debt load.
- Today there are massive consumer debts that didn't exist after World War 2
- Today there are massive European debts that didn't exist after World War 2
- Today there is massive global manufacturing over-capacity, whereas after WW2 much of the world's capacity had been destroyed (and needed to be rebuilt)
- Today, there are (fewer) massive lending programs like the Marshall Plan with which we loaned customers money with which to buy our products (Admittedly, the Fed and ECB are trying their damndest, but as you point out, they're pushing on a string).
In the meantime, although we support the idea of a huge infrastructure spending program, we're worried.
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Paul Krugman's (Alan Krueger's) Sleight of Hand In Denying Intergenerational Income Mobility...
polifrog
So, how does one argue with a drab statistic that we can all wrap our minds around like 80% of millionaires being first generation as a measure of America's high degree of intergenerational income mobility? Or, for that matter, its inverse - the 1 in 18 chance an individual from a non millionaire family has of becoming a millionaire?
How does one deny this sort of data?
Paul Krugman:
Misdirection -- Don't count the number of 1st generation millionaires and compare that to the total. Look, instead, at how a parent's higher income affects, not their children's income, but their children's expected income and then compare that to the "Gini Coefficient", a measure of inequality, and call the result a measure of intergenerational income mobility or immobility.
So what does a measure of "how much a 1 percent rise in your father’s income affects your expected income" really show?
It shows how much children benefit (relative to their peers) from wealthy parentage. It ignores that those children may be less wealthy than their parents, and that their children may be less wealthy than them -- the real question of intergenerational income mobility.
Knowing that Krueger measures, not intergenerational changes in wealth, but the degree to which children benefit relative to their peers from wealthy parentage, if we turn to the linked chart that compares nations we see that children benefit less from parentage in generally more statist countries (listed low/left on the chart) and benefit more from parentage in generally less statist nations (listed high/right on the graph).
Krugman says more about statist governments breaking the bonds of family than it does about intergenerational income of which it says nothing.
H/T Andrew Brod
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So, how does one argue with a drab statistic that we can all wrap our minds around like 80% of millionaires being first generation as a measure of America's high degree of intergenerational income mobility? Or, for that matter, its inverse - the 1 in 18 chance an individual from a non millionaire family has of becoming a millionaire?
How does one deny this sort of data?
Paul Krugman:
Below is what he dubs the Great Gatsby Curve. On the horizontal axis is the Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality. On the vertical axis is the intergenerational elasticity of income — how much a 1 percent rise in your father’s income affects your expected income; the higher this number, the lower is social mobility.
Misdirection -- Don't count the number of 1st generation millionaires and compare that to the total. Look, instead, at how a parent's higher income affects, not their children's income, but their children's expected income and then compare that to the "Gini Coefficient", a measure of inequality, and call the result a measure of intergenerational income mobility or immobility.
So what does a measure of "how much a 1 percent rise in your father’s income affects your expected income" really show?
It shows how much children benefit (relative to their peers) from wealthy parentage. It ignores that those children may be less wealthy than their parents, and that their children may be less wealthy than them -- the real question of intergenerational income mobility.
Knowing that Krueger measures, not intergenerational changes in wealth, but the degree to which children benefit relative to their peers from wealthy parentage, if we turn to the linked chart that compares nations we see that children benefit less from parentage in generally more statist countries (listed low/left on the chart) and benefit more from parentage in generally less statist nations (listed high/right on the graph).
Krugman says more about statist governments breaking the bonds of family than it does about intergenerational income of which it says nothing.
H/T Andrew Brod
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Saturday, January 14, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Froma Harrop ...................... Holy Irony...
polifrog
Practicing "civil" incivility Froma Harrop accuses the civil of "incivility".
ouch
Practicing "civil" incivility Froma Harrop accuses the civil of "incivility".
ouch
That Problematic Euro...
polifrog
Malcolm Berko
:
That socialist good life bubble is collapsing, but it looked right appealing there for a while.
Go to work.
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Malcolm Berko
:
: There are about 500 million people living in the 17 European Union (EU) nations, and together they’re responsible for a 2011 gross domestic product (GDP) of $16.8 trillion. The population of the U.S. is about 350 million and our 2011 GDP will be (give or take a few million) $16.2 trillion.
So, basically, the U.S. worker is 50 percent more productive than the working population of the EU. The combined 2011 GDP of the world is $74 billion, and the EU is responsible for 23 percent of the GDP of the world.
That socialist good life bubble is collapsing, but it looked right appealing there for a while.
Go to work.
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Asking the Wrong Question -- An Obama Path to Victory...
polifrog
Perhaps the better question to ask than "where would Ron Paul be in the absence of the other non Romney choices?" is to ask:
What would be the state of the election absent Ron Paul?
Could he be doing to the Republican primaries what it is feared he would do during the election if he were to run as an independent?
First a moderate Republican wins the nomination due to Ron Paul the Republican, then Obama wins the election due to Ron Paul the Independent.
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Perhaps the better question to ask than "where would Ron Paul be in the absence of the other non Romney choices?" is to ask:
What would be the state of the election absent Ron Paul?
Could he be doing to the Republican primaries what it is feared he would do during the election if he were to run as an independent?
First a moderate Republican wins the nomination due to Ron Paul the Republican, then Obama wins the election due to Ron Paul the Independent.
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Mixed On Paul...
polifrog
Reason:
I have wondered how much of the Obama vote Paul may steal relative to the Republican vote he may loose.
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Reason:
If the question of electability against Obama is ever dealt with using actual data rather than the oft-heard assertion “everyone knows there is no way Ron Paul could beat Obama,” the campaign could point out that Paul gets more independents than Obama right now in a one-to-one matchup, and that he’s in a statistical tie with the mighty Romney against Obama as well. And a small percentage of progressives who care about war and civil liberties above income redistribution might come Paul’s way against Obama as well, making him potentially stronger than any other Republican candidate.
I have wondered how much of the Obama vote Paul may steal relative to the Republican vote he may loose.
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Is Ron Paul Becoming the "Not Romney" Choice?
polifrog
This poll (Jan 4-5 and Jan 11-12) of SC has some interesting results:
This poll (Jan 4-5 and Jan 11-12) of SC has some interesting results:
- Ron Paul has surged relative to Santorum, Paul taking around as much as Santorum has lost.
- It is a three-way race between Paul, Romney, and Gingrich; Romney leading Gingrich by 4 and Paul by 9.
- Independents prefer Paul to Romney.
- Romney has more independent support that Gingrich
- The Tea Party supports Gingrich the most followed by Romney then Paul but the differences are minor.
- Huntsman polls so little as to be out.
- Gingrich runs away with the evangelical vote.
- Evangelicals have the strength of heightened voting unity relative to the Tea Party.
As long as the Tea Party is divided it will have no influence.
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
Why Liberals Resent the American Struggle...
polifrog
BurtPrelutski:
To feel a sense of gratitude for the struggles born by our forebearers in attaining the liberty freely granted us increases the moral difficulty of trading it away for trinkets. It is much easier for a people to trade liberty in exchange for the glass beads of government handouts when they first devalue that which they give up.
Thus, it is serves all those liberals, progressives and run-of-the-mill Democrats to resent the American struggle.
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BurtPrelutski:
I can’t pretend to understand those on the Left. I don’t know why they think the way they do. Once I was being interviewed on a radio show and the host asked me if I was proud to be an American. I shocked him, and even myself a little, when I said I wasn’t. I told him that I was proud of my various grandparents, proud that they had the gumption to make their way across a continent and an ocean to get here. But what did I have to be proud of? I was simply handed a gift. I was just lucky. I won the big lottery. I got to be born an American. What I can’t fathom is why all those liberals, progressives and run-of-the-mill Democrats, don’t seem to share my sense of gratitude, harboring only resentment.
To feel a sense of gratitude for the struggles born by our forebearers in attaining the liberty freely granted us increases the moral difficulty of trading it away for trinkets. It is much easier for a people to trade liberty in exchange for the glass beads of government handouts when they first devalue that which they give up.
Thus, it is serves all those liberals, progressives and run-of-the-mill Democrats to resent the American struggle.
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Our Dali Market -- Whiskey and TIPS...
polifrog
Whiskey and Gunpowder:
Well after the 2008 crash began, but well before it ended, I transferred a large percentage of my Roth IRA savings into TIPS. At the time it seemed to me that actions taken by our government would eventually, though not immediately, prove inflationary while my immediate concern was capital preservation. TIPS seemed to cover both concerns.
It is clear now that they did. However the the future now is as unclear as it was when I shifted into TIPS. I will likely stay put for some time, as these things generally play out slow until they do not.
I always hated playing musical chairs.
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Whiskey and Gunpowder:
Market participants have so successfully been conditioned to believe in state bonds as safe assets that when some sovereigns go into fiscal meltdown it only serves as reason to buy even more bonds of the sovereigns that are still standing, even though their fiscal outlook isn’t much better. While the fate of Greek and Italian bonds should have cast serious doubt over the long-term prospect for Bunds, Gilts and Treasuries, it only propelled them to new all-time highs. Strange world.
Well after the 2008 crash began, but well before it ended, I transferred a large percentage of my Roth IRA savings into TIPS. At the time it seemed to me that actions taken by our government would eventually, though not immediately, prove inflationary while my immediate concern was capital preservation. TIPS seemed to cover both concerns.
It is clear now that they did. However the the future now is as unclear as it was when I shifted into TIPS. I will likely stay put for some time, as these things generally play out slow until they do not.
I always hated playing musical chairs.
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150 Years On, Different Players, Same War -- Further Lost...
polifrog
Coyote Blog quotes Bastiat:
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Coyote Blog quotes Bastiat:
But, by an inference as false as it is unjust, do you know what the economists are now accused of? When we oppose subsidies, we are charged with opposing the very thing that it was proposed to subsidize and of being the enemies of all kinds of activity, because we want these activities to be voluntary and to seek their proper reward in themselves. Thus, if we ask that the state not intervene, by taxation, in religious matters, we are atheists. If we ask that the state not intervene, by taxation, in education, then we hate enlightenment. If we say that the state should not give, by taxation, an artificial value to land or to some branch of industry, then we are the enemies of property and of labor. If we think that the state should not subsidize artists, we are barbarians who judge the arts useless.
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Fec's Alter Ego? Unlikely.
polifrog
After a couple of stints believing Faite to be Fec's alter ego, (not a difficult thing to believe) I believe I am catching on to the unpleasant Vie Auto Faite's intent.
Despite the apparent freshness of the site or any sense that it will be reciprocated, I have added Vie Auto Faite to my blogrole for my personal clicking convenience.
Update:
It appears someone is guilty of ... linking.
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After a couple of stints believing Faite to be Fec's alter ego, (not a difficult thing to believe) I believe I am catching on to the unpleasant Vie Auto Faite's intent.
Despite the apparent freshness of the site or any sense that it will be reciprocated, I have added Vie Auto Faite to my blogrole for my personal clicking convenience.
Update:
It appears someone is guilty of ... linking.
out
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Senate Preparing for Minority Status...
polifrog
WSJ:
This points to either the weakness of the current Democrat controlled Senate or a Senate that sees itself as a soon to be minority.
Given the recent Obama-Pelosi-Reid style of governance which indicates a willingness by the Senate to govern beyond convention, I lean toward the latter.
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WSJ:
It does not matter, constitutionally, that congressional Republicans have abused their authority by refusing to confirm qualified nominees—just as congressional Democrats did in the previous administration. Governance in a divided system is by nature frustrating. But the president cannot use unconstitutional means to combat political shenanigans. If the filibuster is a problem, the Senate majority has power to eliminate or weaken it, by an amendment to Senate Rule 22. They just need to be aware that the same rules will apply to them if and when they return to minority status and wish to use the filibuster to obstruct Republican appointments and policies.
This points to either the weakness of the current Democrat controlled Senate or a Senate that sees itself as a soon to be minority.
Given the recent Obama-Pelosi-Reid style of governance which indicates a willingness by the Senate to govern beyond convention, I lean toward the latter.
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Monday, January 9, 2012
Fearing and Loathing Another Obama Emaculation ...
polifrog
USN:
When you're a looser every board is a steel beam.
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USN:
In our New Year's poll, when asked what news event they fear most about 2012, Americans by a margin of two-to-one said Obama's reelection. Only 16 percent said they fear the Democrat won't win a second term, while 33 percent said they fear four more years.
When you're a looser every board is a steel beam.
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Iron Lady...
polifrog
Maggie:
No surprises from the movie industry these days.
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Maggie:
In short, it is clear that Mrs. T and her politics were repugnant to the writers and producers, who are using Streep's fabulous talents in one of the more effective hatchet jobs (fortunately, the hatchet was so blunt the agenda is obvious to all).
No surprises from the movie industry these days.
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Sunday, January 8, 2012
Double High Chumpism...
polifrog
TWS:
Poor deluded acolyte of academia, Fec.
Where are all the benevolent tyrants? There are none, just as there is no "double high". There are only those who use piety as a pretense for non pious rule.
That piety may come in different forms, such as religious piety (theocracy) or duty bound piety (atheocracy). Whereas the former’s power is circumscribed by the religion that empowers those who rule via a religious citizenry, the latter enjoys no such restraint, as duty bound piety is piety toward self.
The truer danger, then, is the atheocratic regime which is bounded by no wrong. History points to this. Pick your theocracy then pick your athocracy and compare the suffering under each. Based on sheer number of dead no theocracy can match the accomplishments of the atheocratic regimes of China, Russia, Nazi Germany, or N. Korea.
Does that make a theocracy desirable? No. But it is preferable to the atheocratic rejection of all religion.
There is a third way.
It is one that requires no false piety, as it is a choice that does not adopt a single religion for empowerment and it is a choice that does not reject all religion leaving only self in the form of duty from which rule is empowered.
That third way is the inclusion of all the various religions or the lack thereof as legitimate voices informing a representative democracy.
Our nation originally chose option three, but unfortunately that third way requires a degree of tolerance the intolerant atheists among us find intolerable and it is they who are slowly forcing us toward the greatest threat to liberty, an atheocracy.
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TWS:
Lots of cultural writing these days, in books and magazines and newspapers, relies on the so-called Chump Effect. The Effect is defined by its discoverer, me, as the eagerness of laymen and journalists to swallow whole the claims made by social scientists. Entire journalistic enterprises, whole books from cover to cover, would simply collapse into dust if even a smidgen of skepticism were summoned whenever we read that “scientists say” or “a new study finds” or “research shows” or “data suggest.” Most such claims of social science, we would soon find, fall into one of three categories: the trivial, the dubious, or the flatly untrue.TWS
Poor deluded acolyte of academia, Fec.
Where are all the benevolent tyrants? There are none, just as there is no "double high". There are only those who use piety as a pretense for non pious rule.
That piety may come in different forms, such as religious piety (theocracy) or duty bound piety (atheocracy). Whereas the former’s power is circumscribed by the religion that empowers those who rule via a religious citizenry, the latter enjoys no such restraint, as duty bound piety is piety toward self.
The truer danger, then, is the atheocratic regime which is bounded by no wrong. History points to this. Pick your theocracy then pick your athocracy and compare the suffering under each. Based on sheer number of dead no theocracy can match the accomplishments of the atheocratic regimes of China, Russia, Nazi Germany, or N. Korea.
Does that make a theocracy desirable? No. But it is preferable to the atheocratic rejection of all religion.
There is a third way.
It is one that requires no false piety, as it is a choice that does not adopt a single religion for empowerment and it is a choice that does not reject all religion leaving only self in the form of duty from which rule is empowered.
That third way is the inclusion of all the various religions or the lack thereof as legitimate voices informing a representative democracy.
Our nation originally chose option three, but unfortunately that third way requires a degree of tolerance the intolerant atheists among us find intolerable and it is they who are slowly forcing us toward the greatest threat to liberty, an atheocracy.
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Thursday, January 5, 2012
Nosy Critiquing Big Government Liberals Should Stay Out of the Grieving Process...
polifrog
In response to Creepy Colmes' critique of the Santorum family's personal choices regarding grief Santorum had this to say:
H/T Guarino.
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In response to Creepy Colmes' critique of the Santorum family's personal choices regarding grief Santorum had this to say:
Santorum recounted this story to the crowd, choking up as he did so, explaining that "we brought [Gabriel's body] home so our children could see him" — that it was important for them to "know they had a brother." As Karen, who was standing a few feet away from her husband, listened to him talk, she began to weep and blurted out, "This is just so inappropriate." Santorum held back his own tears, building to a ringing chastisement of Colmes and others who criticized their actions. "To some who don't recognize the dignity of all human life, who see it as a blob of tissue that should be discarded and disposed of, [what we did] is somehow weird," he said. "Recognizing the humanity of your son is somehow weird, somehow odd, and should be subject to ridicule."Yet it continues via Eugene Robinson.
H/T Guarino.
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So, Why Doesn't the Senate Recess?
polifrog
It would be awfully convenient for Obama if it did.
Heritage has the answer:
So, yeah. We have constitutional law professor, an academic, for a President who naturally believes himself above that which he studies; in this case the Constitution.
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It would be awfully convenient for Obama if it did.
Heritage has the answer:
The Constitution, in Article I, section 5, plainly states that neither house of Congress can recess for more than three days without the consent of the other house. The House of Representatives did not consent to a Senate recess of more than three days at the end of last year, and so the Senate—consistent with the requirements of the Constitution—is having pro forma sessions every few days. In short, Congress is still in session, and no one in Congress is saying (or can reasonably say) otherwise. It does not matter a wit that most Members of Congress are not in town voting on legislation, because ending a session of Congress requires the passage of a formal resolution, which never occurred.
So, yeah. We have constitutional law professor, an academic, for a President who naturally believes himself above that which he studies; in this case the Constitution.
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When One Branch Feels it is the First Among Equals....
polifrog
Recess appointments are made when the senate is in recess. Obama's recent appointments were, made when the senate was not in recess.
Therefore the appointments of Richard Cordray and others are simply appointments made without the consent of the senate.
And that makes Obama's move an unconstitutional power grab from the representatives of we the people.
No nuance here.
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Recess appointments are made when the senate is in recess. Obama's recent appointments were, made when the senate was not in recess.
Therefore the appointments of Richard Cordray and others are simply appointments made without the consent of the senate.
And that makes Obama's move an unconstitutional power grab from the representatives of we the people.
No nuance here.
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Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Santorum Has Upset the Apple Cart With Iowa...
polifrog
98% in ... Santorum ahead by 5 Tea Party votes.
Santorum seems to have earned the Tea Party edge in Iowa...
Time to coalesce folks.
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98% in ... Santorum ahead by 5 Tea Party votes.
Santorum seems to have earned the Tea Party edge in Iowa...
Time to coalesce folks.
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Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Creepy Alan Colms Inadvertently Stumps For Santorum...
polifrog
Santorum responds to Alan Colm's judgmental attack.
ABC:
And Santorum also responds on Hannity:
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Santorum responds to Alan Colm's judgmental attack.
ABC:
In a Fox News interview on Monday, Colmes characterized Santorum’s decision to bring the deceased child home an example of “some of the crazy things he’s said and done.”
But in Iowa this afternoon, Santorum explained that it was important for his other children to “know they had a brother.”
Santorum’s wife, Karen, who was at the event and listened to her husband talk about the experience, began to weep.
“It’s just so inappropriate,” she said as tears streamed from her eyes.
...
“Get a load of some of the crazy things he’s said and done, like taking his two-hour-old baby when it died right after child birth home and played with it so that his other children would know that the child was real,” the liberal pundit said in a Fox News interview.
And Santorum also responds on Hannity:
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A Couple of Polls Indicating Where Tea Party Support May Have Been and Where it May Currently Be...
polifrog
Only three of the candidates have greater Tea Party support than rejection and they are Bachman, Gingrich, and Santorum. Of those three Santorum garners 23% of Tea Party respondents, Newt 18%, Bachman 15%.
Furthermore, Santorum's base is top tier, nearly tying with the bases of Paul and Romney, neither of which have Tea Party support in excess of Tea party rejection.
Santorum seems to be the strongest of the Tea Party candidates at the moment .
PPP:
And for reference there is this older poll by CNN/ORC:
Tea Pty Tea Pty Tea Pty
Total Support Neutral Oppose
----- ------- ------- -------
Bachmann 22% 27% 17% N/A
Gingrich 12% 11% 13% N/A
Huntsman 3% 1% 4% N/A
Paul 25% 25% 22% N/A
Perry 9% 6% 14% N/A
Romney 12% 14% 10% N/A
Santorum 3% 3% 4% N/A
Someone else 1% * 1% N/A
None/no one 7% 5% 9% N/A
No opinion 7% 7% 6% N/A
Sampling Error +/-4.5 +/-6.5 +/-7.5
* percentage less than 1%
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Only three of the candidates have greater Tea Party support than rejection and they are Bachman, Gingrich, and Santorum. Of those three Santorum garners 23% of Tea Party respondents, Newt 18%, Bachman 15%.
Furthermore, Santorum's base is top tier, nearly tying with the bases of Paul and Romney, neither of which have Tea Party support in excess of Tea party rejection.
Santorum seems to be the strongest of the Tea Party candidates at the moment .
PPP:
And for reference there is this older poll by CNN/ORC:
Tea Pty Tea Pty Tea Pty
Total Support Neutral Oppose
----- ------- ------- -------
Bachmann 22% 27% 17% N/A
Gingrich 12% 11% 13% N/A
Huntsman 3% 1% 4% N/A
Paul 25% 25% 22% N/A
Perry 9% 6% 14% N/A
Romney 12% 14% 10% N/A
Santorum 3% 3% 4% N/A
Someone else 1% * 1% N/A
None/no one 7% 5% 9% N/A
No opinion 7% 7% 6% N/A
Sampling Error +/-4.5 +/-6.5 +/-7.5
* percentage less than 1%
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Monday, January 2, 2012
Final PPP Iowa Poll: Paul 20%, Romney 19%, Santorum 18%...
polifrog
Is the Tea Party coalescing around Santorum?
There is definitely a Santorum Surge at the cost of all the front runners.
PPP:
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Is the Tea Party coalescing around Santorum?
There is definitely a Santorum Surge at the cost of all the front runners.
PPP:
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Sunday, January 1, 2012
Jon Stewart Pokes the Rotten Side of Atheism -- Activist Atheism ...
polifrog
If they were truly atheists, they would not care...
... of course they are not atheists; they are the apostles of an atheocracy and they are ushering in the exclusionist atheocratic state that is to replace our all inclusive secular state.
Oh, they call themselves secularists and atheists, but how is the rejection of all religion from the public square with only fervent atheists remaining any different from the establishment of one religion to the exclusion of all others? Each is the state adoption of a particular set of beliefs which include the rejection of all others.
That is not representative democracy.
These are the friends of none but the state.
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If they were truly atheists, they would not care...
... of course they are not atheists; they are the apostles of an atheocracy and they are ushering in the exclusionist atheocratic state that is to replace our all inclusive secular state.
Oh, they call themselves secularists and atheists, but how is the rejection of all religion from the public square with only fervent atheists remaining any different from the establishment of one religion to the exclusion of all others? Each is the state adoption of a particular set of beliefs which include the rejection of all others.
That is not representative democracy.
These are the friends of none but the state.
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A Carnival -- An Embarrassment -- A Sideshow -- An Amusement at Best --- Does Not a Movement Make...
polifrog
Another from Maggie...
When that five seconds of fame stares you in the face it is best to have more than a deficit of preparation at hand...
There is a 1% and they're idiots.
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Another from Maggie...
When that five seconds of fame stares you in the face it is best to have more than a deficit of preparation at hand...
There is a 1% and they're idiots.
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Of Cronies and Crone...
polifrog
Chrystia Freeland:
and concludes:
So, all the protestors were wrong in protesting crony capitalism and keeping the cronies around is just fine so as long as they swept under the wing of ever larger governance...
That makes you yourself a crony, ma'am... or a crone.
What we need is the limited governance of the past that offered less graft on which crony capitalism thrives. What we need is capitalism.
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Chrystia Freeland:
But there was a common thread to the uprisings and a common reason why the elites were taken by surprise. The unifying complaint is crony capitalism.
and concludes:
But most of today’s troubled market democracies don’t need a revolution to sweep away their cronies. What they do need is a new version of capitalism, designed for the 21st century. That is what the world’s protesters, in their different ways, are all asking for. Here’s hoping that 2012 provides some politicians with some answers.
So, all the protestors were wrong in protesting crony capitalism and keeping the cronies around is just fine so as long as they swept under the wing of ever larger governance...
That makes you yourself a crony, ma'am... or a crone.
What we need is the limited governance of the past that offered less graft on which crony capitalism thrives. What we need is capitalism.
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