A look at 2012

George Rebane

[This is the transcript of my regular KVMR commentary that was broadcast on 30 December 2011.  The KVMR website has podcasts of this and previous editions of these commentaries.]

As we prepare to ring in 2012, I am reminded that governments at all levels have been busy taking away more of my freedoms and restricting what I can buy or build - all for my own protection, of course.  And as a Californian, I am doubly blessed because my state is the country’s leader in protecting its citizens from every form of harm imaginable, including overworking.  That benefit it provides by driving out companies, inhibiting new start-up businesses, and generally making the hiring of full-time employees as difficult as possible – in short, the business of Sacramento is eliminating business in California.

Starting this Sunday morning a whole slew of new laws and regulations will hit us.  With regard to hiring, except in a few special cases, it will be illegal for an employer to check on the credit rating of an applicant.  Checking credit ratings of new hires for positions of responsibility has always been important as a measure of the employee’s ability to manage personal affairs, and his propensity to focus on the new job instead of worrying about how to pay or avoid outstanding bills.  The state has decided that this is no longer necessary nor permitted, employers can go suck an egg.

In 2012 we are also going to criminalize parents for continuing to let their six and seven-year-old children ride normally in cars.  California has now determined that the little darlings will have to be strapped into larger size booster seats until they are eight years old.  The kids are already screaming, and the parents are weighing the alternative of paying a fine of at least $475 and getting a point on their driving record; look for jailing these criminals in the coming years.

These little samples come from a pile of new laws that cover every aspect of our home and workplace lives.  You can go on line and find dozens of websites documenting California’s crazy laws.  The upshot of it all is that California now enjoys the bottom of the pile status in America for granting personal liberties, and providing a business climate that generates wealth.  And all this is happening in a state that is already tens of billions of dollars in debt, and has unfunded liabilities that exceed a half trillion dollars.

How did this come about?  The answer to that is easy.  We have the greatest intelligence inequality in our voter population.  Everyone has been focusing on income inequality, but it’s the overwhelming excess of stupid voters that will turn the economic tide every time.  And the exodus of the brighter bulbs in the bunch promises to increase the fraction of idiots sent to Sacramento with every passing election.

This is all of a piece as California voted to assign all of our 55 electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.  This guarantees that the tipping point has been passed as far as America’s electoral college is concerned.  While the law may be unconstitutional, in the interval it will guarantee the runaway condition that eventually destroys all national democracies – the dummies will always vote for what the progressives call a ‘fair redistribution of wealth’.

Speaking of political leanings, 2012 will see a new Obama enter the electioneering fray as an unabashed Teddy Roosevelt progressive.   As did Teddy a hundred years ago in his famous 1910 Osawatomie speech, so did Barack Hussein in his 2011 Osawatomie speech.  Both men stepped way to the left, and declared that government by an expert elite is the most enlightened way forward.  Teddy was the first president to finger wealth as predatory, and Barack is right in lockstep with that notion.

In 2012 Obama will now openly forsake the center, and marshal his leftwing under the banner of ‘fairness’.  In Osawatomie he declared the creed of his progressive nationalism, saying that “we are greater together when everyone engages in fair play, and everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody does their fair share.”  And government will make all things fair through its authority, programs, and regulation.

Other than such certainties, 2012 still promises to be a year of exciting surprises for us all.

My name is Rebane, and I also expand on these and other themes in my Union columns, and on georgerebane.com where the transcript of this commentary appears.  These opinions are not necessarily shared by KVMR.  Happy New Year.

Comments

[billy T]

Dr. Rebane, accurate conclusions as usual. I see a conflict brewing with the views of us espousing local control. Didn't the current mayor of Nevada City fly off to OWS and came back with the local control/local change/local sustainability mantra? The left lives and dies by Big Government as the solution to all our problems. Sometimes they come up with solutions to problems I was not even aware I have, but mostly their solutions via Big Brother are worse than the status quo. If one lives by a Democratic controlled legislature (read: lawmakers), then one must accept that they know best. Didn't the Governor just put the squelch on RDAs? Didn't the Great State of California put mula intended for local schools in its own coin purse? If you carry the worship of Big Brother to its logical conclusion, then you come up with Stalin, Mao, Castro, and that insane guy who looked like a middle aged woman in N Korea, may he rot in hell. And all this is for the good of the little people? Van Jones is right. There has to be a violent overthrow of the way things are, just as a violent overthrow was necessary for Castro, the Ayatollahs, Stalin, Mao so they can achieve total power. Those in power cannot resist the insatiable impulses for more power. They are never satisfied. Like the man who worries about his well running dry, they draw water than can never quench their thirst. If one lives by Big Brother, then one must die for Big Brother.

[George Rebane]

billyT 944pm - Yes, the former Nevada City mayor Reinette Senum did travel to NYC to visit and imbibe the glories of OWS. I believe she came back with all kinds of good ideas of which I am sure we'll hear soon.

[Brad Croul]

Those pesky insurance lobbyists along with car seat manufacturers (probably an offshoot of defense contractors familiar with MIl Spec mind set) are, I suspect, to blame for car seat regulations. They weaned the current crop of little shavers on car seats. Now, they want keep them in the restraints during the years kids are growing out of their clothes (and car seats) every six months.

[Douglas Keachie]

Our subs and space program are facing competition and besting/overpowering, and you are worried about the moves of a do gooder lady who wants to help the homeless?

NY Times sez:

"In recent years, China has also sought to build a military capacity in keeping with its economic might, expanding its submarine fleet and, this year, testing its first aircraft carrier, a refurbished Soviet model. Under the new space plan, it would vastly expand its version of a Global Positioning System, which would have military as well as civilian uses. "

Make enough robotic sonar searching craft that surface and recharge via sunlight, and no part of the ocean will be safe for our defense/deterrent missiles. With automated factories, they could churn them out like toasters.

[George Rebane]

DougK 114pm - not sure I understand your point with respect to my commentary.

[billy T]

Dr. Rebane, I found a new California law I can support 100%. Starting today, you cannot park your vehicle or electric go cart or Volt at an EV-1 charging station UNLESS you are actually charging your car. Makes sense. I think the Miner's Foundry and Nevada City should install about 40 more of those charging spaces. That would be cool watching all the shoppers driving around in circles looking for a place to park, lol. See it as the point of diminishing returns. In a related bit of New Year's cheer, the Fisker auto manufacturer which received a 1/2 billion clams from us taxpayers announced it was recalling ALL of its high priced luxury hybrid cars. Yep, recalling all (the grand total) of 50 cars it has sold in the US for over 100k each. Seems they catch fire. Now, what would happen if the eco-friendly car caught fire at an EV-1 charging station? Wonder if it would burn back down the grid all the way to the coal fired plant. Just amusing myself this fine beautiful morning. Happy New Year. Second verse same as the first.

[billy T]

In a totally unrelated bit of news about California's new laws, the Ford Electric Fusion (or whatever it is called) goes further on a charge than the Chevy VOLT, takes less time to recharge, and costs less. Wonder why we never hear about that? Could it be that Ford did not receive any Troubled Asset (TARP) money or did not get bailed out by Prime Minister Obama or did not let our Minister of Transportation fire its CEO? Or maybe, just maybe, Ford has a better idea.

[Todd Juvinall]

I reviewed the Croul public record and he seems to be part of the 1%. What a hoot!