Month: May 2009

Media1 Comment

Getting With the Times

Podritske

Today, I bought my last copy of The New York Times. Where I got my Sunday paper, which I’ve purchased weekly for several years now, the price is going up another 20 percent next week to $6.00. The weekday editions are also going up to $2.00 from the current $1.25. The combination of rising prices over the last several years (about 200 percent) and the political bias of this publication have finally closed my wallet for good. I have watched The New York Times become less objective editorially over the years, but I’ve always comforted myself somewhat by the fact that it hired … Continue reading Getting With the Times

Economics, Government, Political Economy, PoliticsLeave a comment

Once, When You Were Free

Podritske

“Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Will some political candidate in 2012 be repeating presidential candidate Ronald Reagan’s query of 32 years earlier? If the consequences of vastly increased national government spending today are mitigated by a temporary economic recovery in time for the campaign season, the question may not get asked. People have short attention spans when it comes to interpreting the results—both short and long term, seen and unseen—of government actions. This flaw is a result of the failure to think in terms of principles, which enables you to make current value judgments and … Continue reading Once, When You Were Free

Law, Politics1 Comment

Rags to Robes

Podritske

In the apparently awful, corrupt or “unfair” country that Barack Obama wants to “change” into some sort of neo-fascist Italian or European socialist utopia, a Hispanic woman aged 54 has been nominated by him to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States. Could Sonia Sotomayor have achieved such stature in say, any other country? Notably, Sotomayor rose from a poor background in the Bronx projects where her uneducated, laborer father died when she was only 9 years old. She studied at Princeton University and graduated Yale Law. Not bad for such an awful country to allow such a … Continue reading Rags to Robes

Ethics, Foreign Policy, Government, PoliticsLeave a comment

Talk to the Wind

Podritske

The crackpot-led regime of North Korea has apparently conducted another nuclear blast on May 25 to coincide neatly with Memorial Day observations in the United States. I’m sure it is just a coincidence. Predictably, President Obama and other national leaders will condemn the “tests” and a lot of rhetoric will flow from the usual sources, but nothing will be done. The “Dear Leader” will continue to plan the launch of his rogue state’s phallic symbols and try to increase nuclear strike capability to intimidate the rest of the world. The upcoming election in Lebanon on June 7 may see the rise of a … Continue reading Talk to the Wind

Ethics, Foreign Policy, Government, Political Economy, PoliticsLeave a comment

Madam Speaker: “Put Your Best Face Forward”

Podritske

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is off to China leading a Congressional delegation visiting from May 24-31. Will the pomp and circumstance and her apparent intent to focus on winning allies in the battle against “climate change” be enough to make everyone forget about her allegations levied against the CIA recently? Her outlandish accusations are unlikely to be forgotten by the folks at the CIA, or of course by opposition critics. Pelosi is also known for making critical remarks against the Chinese regime relative to human rights issues and with the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4th, will … Continue reading Madam Speaker: “Put Your Best Face Forward”

Economics, Government, Political Economy, Politics2 Comments

Behind the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’

Podritske

Did you get a “stimulus check”? How about one of those thousands of new government jobs created within the last few months? Are you a member of the United Auto Workers and through your pension fund a proud owner of the Chrysler Corporation? Are you looking forward to something similar in the General Motors “restructuring”? Perhaps, like Steve Rattner, the auto industry “czar” and advisor to the Treasury Secretary Geithner, you have received special dispensation and relaxation of zoning constraints on Martha’s Vineyard to build a $15 Million house. Have you mistakenly borrowed too much on your mortgage within the last few years … Continue reading Behind the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’

Economics, Ethics, Government, Political Economy, PoliticsLeave a comment

California Standards

Podritske

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California is pleased that President Obama has so quickly placed the nation on the same standard footing as the once great state of California with respect to emission standards. This notion was tried with President Bush in the previous administration, who vetoed the idea. I have some personal experience with the impact of California’s impediments to life on earth. In 1991 I moved to California for work reasons. I like to drive so I took my 1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 which had already accumulated over 100,000 miles on the odometer. As I said, I like to … Continue reading California Standards

Ethics, Foreign Policy, Government, Political Economy, Politics1 Comment

Netanyahu and Obama

Podritske

Israel and United States officially meet again (yawn) to discuss Mid-East politics. Each is represented by recently installed leaders, though “Bibi” has been Prime Minister of Israel in the past. Mr. Netanyahu was also much reviled by the “leftist” fellow-travelers of Barack Obama if I recall anything about his previous tenure. The fractured political condition of Israel, essentially a mixed political economy with limited concepts of individual rights, is about as far down the socialist path as perhaps President Obama aspires for the United States. Benjamin Netanyahu however, is viewed as a “right wing” politician with a fairly no-nonsense approach to … Continue reading Netanyahu and Obama

Economics, Government, Political Economy, Politics1 Comment

New ‘Hot Air’ Standards

Podritske

The New York Times reports that the Obama administration is set to announce new national fuel emission standards. According to the article, the combining of stringent California standards with the so-called CAFE standards enforced elsewhere in the country will have a beneficial impact. John Broder writes: “As a result, cars and light trucks sold in the United States will be roughly 30 percent cleaner and more fuel-efficient by 2016.” Why not, if all it takes is an edict from the government, make the cars and light trucks sold in the United States say 50 percent cleaner and get 100 miles per gallon … Continue reading New ‘Hot Air’ Standards

Ethics, Government, Political Economy, PoliticsLeave a comment

Nancy Pelosi and George Washington

Podritske

Speaker Pelosi is in some deep muck professionally, and her designer shoes are not up to the job of getting through it. Even a good pair of muck boots will not protect her from the onslaught. The only question is will she stay on as Speaker with the continuing distraction of her questionable ethics, or will the scandal become so awkward for the Democrats and President Obama that she’ll be urged by some senior members privately to simply step down. Politicians of course lie all of the time, so that is not the issue. The issue is that Speaker Pelosi … Continue reading Nancy Pelosi and George Washington