[1]Welcome one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ‘sphere; The Bitsblog Nightly Ramble
This is the Flatlander Edition.
Let’s see.-
Market tanking. Check.
Government growing. Check.
Industry failing. Check.
Our government bound and determined to alienate us from our long standing freinds and allies in the world. Check.
Nothing new on the horizon. Check.
Remakrable territory, this flat land. You can drive for miles, and not see anything encouraging. And soon, Obama will restrict your ability to drive, too. Ah, well, let’s get to the list.
- Flubs? Well, no, this is how they roll… An amusing comment from Camile Paglia [2]:
Heads should be rolling at the White House for the embarrassing series of flubs that have overshadowed President Obama’s first seven weeks in office and given the scattered, demoralized Republicans a huge boost toward regrouping and resurrection.
And yes, I know David’s already mentioned this, but…. Frankly, I don’t view it as overshadowing his first seven weeks in office so much as defining his presdiency. She suggests it’s all the staff’s fault. But wait… are we not to think that a new president surrounds himself with people like minded to himself? Seems to me she’s stilla true believer not willing to admit the water walker really isn’t so much after all. Face it; All of these ‘flubs’ as Paglia calls them, are driven by the qualities of liberal politics… and particularly, the Chicago style of liberal politics Obama was steeped in. Add a generous dash of Soros money and Clintonista muscle, and I suspect what we see right now, is what we get, and that he’s not going to be any better than this for the next four years. Once we admit that to ourselves, we can start moving toward minimizing the damage he will cause us. And in reality, that’s our best course, right now.
- Another Milestone: Has it really been five years since the Madrid Bombings [3]? (BBCT:Glenn [4])
[5]Facing the reality of it: Well, look, Billy, we all have that reaction [6]. But, you know what? That shock to the system is a function of what you yourself pointed out [7]the other day. Frankly, I’m amazed you didn’t mention the connection… so I will:
“3) When opposite basic principles are clearly and openly defined, it works to the advantage of the rational side; when they are not clearly defined, but are hidden or evaded, it works to the advantage of the irrational side.”
(“The Anatomy Of Compromise” – Ayn Rand, from The Objectivist Newsletter, January, 1964, re-printed in “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”, 1967, part II, “Current State”)
The round concept of a trillion dollars is only partially understood, because most people never encounter it, first hand… and therefore by definition it is never clearly defined in their minds. I suspect that were more exposed to such matters, there’d be a lot less division on the political aspects of this nonsense.
- The “They do it too” defense: Yes, I noted the story from Alabama [8], where twelve have so far been identified as having been shot by someone pushed over the edge. And yes, of course, it’s tragic. But as Joyner points out, don’t be misled into thinking this is a particularly American phenom, made possible only by our supposedly lax gun laws. He points to a fairly similar incident in Germany [9], this morning.
- Note to the Q&O guys: Sorry about that [10]. No fault to you guys…. but I gotta tell ya…There’s only so much beligerant ignorance I’ll put up with before I respond. Too bad I was responding from my Palm Pilot… the editing errors kinda dilute the venom in my response. Oh, well. It’s what it is.
- Nanny state Yep. It’s here. [11]
- The answer the White House will never take: Hey, Barry; Wanna help the auto industry? Take China’s example, and cut taxes [12]. Doesn’t it seem strange to see Communist China understanding financial reality better than the American left?
- Anybody down there? Speaking of China, yes, I’ve been watching the story with the confrontation at sea with the Chinese. My take yesterday at OTB [13]that they were hiding something, turns out to have been spot on.
[14]Shoes for industry! Shoes for the dead! Someone chucked a shoe at Ahmadinejad? Apparently so. [15] Funny how the Dinosaurs haven’t touched the story. I guess it’s only worthwhile if you can use such stories as a shot at Bush.- Where is it now? Where is the promise Obama made about a veto for anything with earmarks attached to it? The bill he will have signed [16], by the time you read this, will break that promise, some 8000 times [17]. So, will we hear ‘Obama lied and the Economy died’ from the left? Yeah, I doubt it, too.
- No, thanks: If you want a measurement of how badly our financial institutions need government ‘help’, perhap the best measurement is the number who upon looking at the required bad business practices attached to it, say they want to return the money. [18]
- What it is and what it’s not: So Madoff gets a ride up the river [19]. Fine by me. His wife, too, far as I’m concerned. But let’s understand; This is not, as some have claimed, a lack of regulation. Were it that, he’d still be a free man. Clearly, this is a lack of integrity, which is something which regulation cannot help. Matter of fact I’d argue that the more regulation there is, the more those with a lack of integrity like it. Think I’m kidding? Have a look at the number of Obama appointees who are all strongly in support of big government, who turned out to be tax cheats or something, and had to thereby withdraw their names. Geithner, for example. A tax cheat of the first order, swearing he’s going to go all out against tax cheats. Tell you anything?
- Parting shot: Jonah had a nice column yesterday [20].