George Rebane
A correspondent brought my attention to an excellent article (‘On the Urgency of Restructuring Bank and Mortgage Debt, and of Abandoning Toxic Asset Purchases’) by John Hussman of Hussman Funds about what’s not going on in Washington but should be. Hussman’s bottom line is that “(t)here is far too little debate about alternative responses to this crisis.” This dissertation is worth wading through to get an understanding of what could and should be but isn’t in the national debate on fashioning an effective response to the current financial crisis which by no means is over.
The Wearin' of the Tea - Today I dutifully pinned a ‘plain old vanilla’ Lipton tea bag under the Old Glory pin on my lapel, and wore it to the Rotary's Student Speech Contest luncheon this noon at the Nevada City Elks Club – it’ll be on there through Tax Day. The only response that I got was someone informing me ‘did you know you have a teabag stuck on your lapel?’ Perhaps everyone else already knew about the National Tea Party demonstrations scheduled at the country’s state houses for 15 April 2009. Jo Ann and I are planning on being on the bus from Broad Street to Sacramento that morning, clutching our hand-made signs. We’ve never been to a demonstration in our lives, and the way this one was publicized by the county’s Republicans, it doesn’t look promising – their email announcement has the wrong phone number with no follow-up correction. Maybe the other counties are doing better, but I suspect it just goes to show you that conservatives are no good at putting together a big hoot n’ holler on some sidewalk. The liberals can do one of those in a second, even with their brain tied up behind their back. [update] The correct number to call for making your bus reservation is 530-265-9478.
Ruminations - 18mar2009 (21mar09 update)
George Rebane
This little video of Rep Corrine Brown on the floor of the House was sent by a correspondent asking ‘how do these people get elected?’. The direct and probably correct answer is that we send to Washington people who are reflections of ourselves – a frightening commentary indeed when we consider the makeup of that crowd.
Can’t get the guns from us fast enough? - then go after the ammo. The Sierra Bravos on Capitol Hill have a new tack on removing 2nd amendment rights - make ammo hard to get. How about just doing it above board and passing a gun ban law that makes plain the Left’s agenda? More here.
When Help Does Harm.
Dead Aid by black African Dambisa Moyo is the latest entry on the growing pile of compelling evidence that Africa has not benefited from the thousands of aid programs. It joins ex-World Bank economist William Easterly (The White Man’s Burden – Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest have done So Much Ill and So Little Good) and others in a condemning assessment of the harm we have been doing overseas with government and private sector projects. I believe it is a reflection of the same effect we have had in our land with the launch of social engineering programs that destroyed minority families, and the ongoing corporate welfare programs that destroy the ability of businesses to compete in open markets. Disagreeing with Dambisa Moyo’s analysis puts one in the awkward position of concluding that there is something seminal in the make-up of black societies that prevents them from forming governments beneficial to their people. More on a closer-to-home example here.
[21mar09 update] Today the WSJ published a synopsis of Dead Aid in an article by Dambisa Moyo. Here is the link for those who want to read the short form.
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