Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Equality of Misery.

Paul Krugman is the Sad Sack of the New York Times' opinion page. In one of his recent columns he laments the American expression of freedom in on-demand personal transportation. He tells us now the Great Reckoning has arrived for such audacious behavioir. He yearns for a more European style of living for Americans: the citizenry concentrated in cities, where cars are nearly extinct and trains and buses are the principal modes of travel for the citizenry. Quoth Paul: "I have seen the future and it works...if we’re heading for a prolonged era of scarce, expensive oil, Americans will face increasingly strong incentives to start living like Europeans — maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of our lives." Do the citizens ever leave their ghettos and see Yellowstone? Perhaps with permission from Commisariat for Transportation? But is it really necessary? Can't they just take the virtual tour in 3D-HDTV?

It's a pathetic vision that Sad Sack has for America as "Oceania", and it's very telling about how the Dystopians like Krugman and the Obamaniacs view America: so much unessential and antiquated expressions of personal liberty that lead to social and economic inefficiencies and threaten the Equality of Life. The Hard-Core Dystopians believe we have approached the limits of upward development of our society; we must now face that fact and manage society to create an equality of joy and misery among the citizenry...with more misery than joy as time passes. So stop grieving for long-gone freedoms and pass the Soylent Green and turn on the Obama Worship Hour.

Perhaps we should solve the problems of fueling personal transportation without restricting it. We're not sure that the Dystopians would like such an outcome, because they either don't recognize or accept how the American expression of life is different from that of the Old World.

The phrase "I have seen the future, and it works" was first uttered by Lincoln Steffens, an American journalist and an enthusiast for the Bolshevik Revolution, upon his return from the Soviet Union in 1921. Paul Krugman has brought this statement back from the dead, hoping for a different outcome. Let the dead rest, Paul.
Government, the Market-Wrecker.

We've discussed how Uncle Sugar Daddy's "Ethanol Initiative" has caused chaos in the grain markets while providing no competitive relief to increasing gasoline prices. The current Farm Bill is an even larger example of the catastrophic results when the government manipulates markets. The New York Times analyzes the current bill, and the inescapable conclusion is that once Government starts handing money out in subsidies (in this case cash payments to farmers), it becomes permanent, regardless of market conditions. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, the champion of the continued payouts to the farmers, admits that the political pressure to continue the handouts is insurmountable, while fact that grain prices are at record highs now appears to be irrelevant.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Big Oil on the Hill.

The nation's oil companies are being summoned by the Congerscritters to explain why the shareholders (read you and me) should keep their risk rewards, and why the Gummint shouldn't shake them down for a lot of it. Congers could put it to such productive use; for example, another $200B+ farm bill.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Is Belief a Poor Sell?

If one goes to the home page of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America home page, and try to find the name "Jesus Christ" - you will get just one hit for "Jesus", mentioning the title of this year's youth assembly "Jesus, Justice, and Jazz". Going to the "What We Believe" page, one notices a deemphasis on God and Christ - there is more on "Social Issues", "Church and Society", and "Stewardship and Money". Any substantial mention of Jesus Christ is buried deep down in the doctrinal creed pages, past the "What We Believe" page.

What gives? Why is ELCA trying to hide belief in Jesus Christ? Have ELCA's image consultants recommended downplaying the "God and Jesus stuff" in favor of social justice and humanitarian themes?
The Ron Paul Update.

(cue - Wagner's Ride of the Valkuries)

Ron Paul's presidential campaign is, for all intents and purposes, dead. So what is happening to the gazillions of dollars that Herr Doktor Paul raised? Does he have any plans to give it back? A recent visit to the Paulian Website did not uncover a "I don't have a snowball's chance, here's your money back", press release. It's ironic for a guy who is on a jihad about government spending on foolish endeavours that he doesn't train that critical eye on the guy he sees shaving every morning.
Ron Paul Secret Society Members, set your decoder pin to G14 and be sure to watch for the next Ron Paul update. And be sure to drink your Ovaltine!