Category Archives: Government

Updated: Meaningless Musical Chairs

Democrats, Elections 2008, Government, Media, Political Philosophy, Politics, Republicans, Science

The parties are exchanging spit:

MSNBC: “Republican Sen. Arlen Specter disclosed plans Tuesday to switch parties, bringing Democrats closer to the 60-vote supermajority they need to push Barack Obama’s agenda through the Senate.”

The imagery conjured by defections, or ideological spit swapping, between Republicans and Democrats, in my mind, is of two colossal, identical amoebas occasionally allowing their semi-permeable cell walls to open and merge with a biologically compatible, primitive organism. In fact, that’s the perfect, dynamic metaphor for our two-party system.

Although dyed-in-the-wool party parrots will disagree, based on fact, reality, and policy prescriptions, the differences between the parties exist along a continuum; are quantitative, not qualitative.

As I said in “The Commie Who Controls the Economy From the Grave”:

“How much to hand out; who to hand it to; which handout makes the best use of taxpayer money; do the Big Three submit a business plan with their bailout requisitions, or not—that’s the depth of the ‘philosophical’ to-be-or-not-to-be among Republikeynsians.”

Mercer in 2006: “What we have now is a cartel, the traditional ideological differences between the political parties having been permanently blurred.”

The solution?

Mercer in 2006: “Antitrust laws ought to be deployed, not against business, but to bust this two-party monopoly, which subverts competition in government and rewards the colluding quislings with sinecures in perpetuity.”

Update: Look at the bright side. The political developments have steered Commissar Keith of MSNBC away from lamenting, night after night, the damage water boarding has wrought on Abu Zubaydah’s bladder, to speculating how Specter’s defection will help his man Obama’s agenda.

Update III (12/12/018): Swine Flu “Patient Zero” (The Swines Are AWOL)

Constitution, Drug War, Government, Healthcare, Hillary Clinton, Homeland Security, IMMIGRATION, Propaganda, War on Drugs

By the dictionary’s telling, epidemiology is “the branch of medicine that deals with the study of the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations.” During an outbreak, that necessitates tracing “Patient Zero,” the “single individual who bears the unknowing responsibility for having introduced the disease” to a certain population.

The AIDS outbreak in North American, as documented in the late Randy Shilts’ And the Band Played On, was traced to Gaetan Dugas, a dashing, promiscuous Canadian flight attendant. Dugas had had approximately 1000 sexual partners.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have posted a preliminary update as to the status of the investigation into “Human Swine Influenza.”

We are assured that, “Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with similar swine influenza viruses.”

Will the Gaetan Dugas of the Mexican swine flu outbreak be identified to the public? Somehow I doubt it.

Just the other day, passive American tokers and dopers were blamed for the fact that Mexican murderers were killing one another over drugs. Like Bush before him, Barack and Madam Hildebeest, will find a way to saddle the US for the spread of another disease.

Updated I (April 26): The Swines Are AWOL. I said it in my latest column, “To Bug Or Not To Bug Abu Zubaydah’s Cage.” You can trust the government’s untrustworthiness–always. Whether the enemy is a human or a viral invader, “America’s deracinated elites [will never fail] to elevate the interests of the enemy above those of the people.”

We accuse China of not looking out for its people, but as Drudge reports, “in Hong Kong, health officials said checks at border crossings had been stepped up and that airlines had been asked to broadcast messages on all flights coming direct from affected areas.”

“In Japan, airports tightened checks on passengers arriving from Mexico, with quarantine officials giving out face masks and using thermography imaging cameras to screen for passengers with a fever.”

Bloomberg: “Russia suspended imports of all meat from Mexico and the U.S. states of Texas, California and Kansas.”

Reuters: Even Guatemalan mask-wearing health officials “interview passengers arriving from Mexico.”

Drum Roll: “US says not testing travelers from Mexico for flu.”

Enforcing the borders and preventing a foreign invasion is perfectly within the purview of the “night-watchman state of classical-liberal theory,” in the words of the late philosopher, Robert Nozick.

Constitutionally, that is the most basic role of government.

Update III (12/12/018): Finally, a real and honest doctor, Jane Orient, looks at the diseases, many deadly like Polio, coming into the USA with the migrant caravan invasion. But it’s worth it, right? For our values:

Update II: Swine Flu "Patient Zero" (The Swines Are AWOL)

Constitution, Drug War, Government, Healthcare, Hillary Clinton, Homeland Security, IMMIGRATION, Propaganda, War on Drugs

By the dictionary’s telling, epidemiology is “the branch of medicine that deals with the study of the causes, distribution, and control of disease in populations.” During an outbreak, that necessitates tracing “Patient Zero,” the “single individual who bears the unknowing responsibility for having introduced the disease” to a certain population.

The AIDS outbreak in North American, as documented in the late Randy Shilts’ And the Band Played On, was traced to Gaetan Dugas, a dashing, promiscuous Canadian flight attendant. Dugas had had approximately 1000 sexual partners.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have posted a preliminary update as to the status of the investigation into “Human Swine Influenza.”

We are assured that, “Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with similar swine influenza viruses.”

Will the Gaetan Dugas of the Mexican swine flu outbreak be identified to the public? Somehow I doubt it.

Just the other day, passive American tokers and dopers were blamed for the fact that Mexican murderers were killing one another over drugs. Like Bush before him, Barack and Madam Hildebeest, will find a way to saddle the US for the spread of another disease.

Updated I (April 26): The Swines Are AWOL. I said it in my latest column, “To Bug Or Not To Bug Abu Zubaydah’s Cage.” You can trust the government’s untrustworthiness–always. Whether the enemy is a human or a viral invader, “America’s deracinated elites [will never fail] to elevate the interests of the enemy above those of the people.”

We accuse China of not looking out for its people, but as Drudge reports, “in Hong Kong, health officials said checks at border crossings had been stepped up and that airlines had been asked to broadcast messages on all flights coming direct from affected areas.”

“In Japan, airports tightened checks on passengers arriving from Mexico, with quarantine officials giving out face masks and using thermography imaging cameras to screen for passengers with a fever.”

Bloomberg: “Russia suspended imports of all meat from Mexico and the U.S. states of Texas, California and Kansas.”

Reuters: Even Guatemalan mask-wearing health officials “interview passengers arriving from Mexico.”

Drum Roll: “US says not testing travelers from Mexico for flu.”

Enforcing the borders and preventing a foreign invasion is perfectly within the purview of the “night-watchman state of classical-liberal theory,” in the words of the late philosopher, Robert Nozick.

Constitutionally, that is the most basic role of government.

Updated: The Guy Really Doesn’t Get Econ 101

Barack Obama, Business, Debt, Democrats, Economy, Government

State-enforced egalitarianism in borrowing and lending has been a key component in the economic meltdown. But Barry the Bolshevik is intent on preventing any market corrections from taking place.

Financial institutions are attempting to reverse lending socialism. That means charging clients commensurate with the risk they pose to their lenders. Or not lending to the risky. Increases in late fees and in interest rates on existing balances, as well as requiring greater disclosure—these are all necessary, and to be expected, if a correction is to occur, one that incentivizes savings and solvency.

But not if Obama can help it. At Obama’s behest,

Both the House and Senate are considering a credit card “bill of rights” to limit the ability of credit-card companies to raise interest rates on existing balances and to require greater disclosure.

“These practices need to be stopped. … They cannot continue to use and do practices that are unfair to people,” Rep. Carol Maloney, D-NY, told CBS News.

Readers discuss “Survival On the Road To Serfdom.”

Update (April 25): The federal Frankenstein’s latest folly caught Peter Schiff’s attention, and is the subject of his latest column (great minds…). Writes Schiff:

“The bottom line is that credit card lending is a very risky business. The debts are unsecured and the probability of default is high, meaning big losses should borrowers choose not to pay. In addition, should a borrower file for bankruptcy, credit card debt is often the first to be discharged. Given the risks, interest rates need to be very high to keep lenders in business.

One way to keep a lid on rates for those who do pay is for lenders to weed out those most likely to default. This can be accomplished through higher rates. Not only does this discourage riskier borrowers from taking on more debt, but it gives lenders a bigger cushion to absorb losses. However, by interfering with card issuers’ attempts to better price risk and limit losses, the government will reduce credit availability.”