Month: October 2009

Economics, Ethics, Media, Politics6 Comments

The Obese Lie

Podritske

You know perhaps about the theory of the “Big Lie,” where the basic idea is that if you tell a big whopper and repeat it often enough, everyone will believe you because they cannot comprehend anyone being so audacious as to offer such a story in the first place if it weren’t true. Adolf Hitler has been credited as an originator of this theory, using it effectively in propaganda efforts for the Third Reich. It was apparently discussed in Mein Kampf, but that title is not high on my reading list. George Orwell was clearly acquainted with the concept as well as … Continue reading The Obese Lie

Ethics, Foreign Policy, MediaLeave a comment

Disarming Mahmoud

Podritske

Warning: the following scenario is a parody! Pretend that you live in a largely self-sufficient rural community, consisting of a diverse group of property owners, governed by a community association. You are community minded and so you serve on its Board of Directors. Let’s further assume that the nation in which your community is located has established some degree of gun control. For the last 30 years things have been relatively peaceful in your community, though there have been disagreements and various disputes that have been settled through negotiations most of the time. However, on occasion actual physical violence has … Continue reading Disarming Mahmoud

Canada, Media, Politics, RightsLeave a comment

Not So Noble Causes

Podritske

Recent media reports of disagreement among scientists and others over whether the Earth is warming or cooling serves to illustrate what should be obvious: the debate is NOT over. To date, advocates of the theory of anthropomorphically caused global warming have selectively chosen evidentiary indicators to support what they see as an urgent political solution: international restrictions on carbon emissions. The vanguard for the cause is the film “An Inconvenient Truth,” produced by former United States Vice President Al Gore. Mr. Gore was honoured with awards from Hollywood and Oslo for his efforts. Now, along comes the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) … Continue reading Not So Noble Causes

Foreign Policy, PoliticsLeave a comment

Health Care for Terrorists

Podritske

The biggest beneficiary of the process of bringing socialized medicine to the United States health care industry may be the Iranian terror regime. The Obama administration clearly views the ramming of a health care bill through Congress, against the wishes of the majority of Americans, as a top priority. The well-financed Left associated with the Democratic Party contributed mightily to its election successes. Socialized medicine is one of the big payoffs that must be delivered to promote continued political support from Big Left. It is so important, that implementing strategy and tactics relative to the “overseas contingency operation” in Afghanistan … Continue reading Health Care for Terrorists

Ethics, Political EconomyLeave a comment

Sleight of Hand

Podritske

File this under the category of Red Herring:  “Obama: Excessive pay ‘does offend our values’”—Associated Press article on MSNBC.com, October 22, 2009 Before we parse this bit of fluff, let it be said that no one should have any sympathy for bailed-out organizations. In order to keep the “too-big-to-fail” enterprises running, the State intervened in the normal course of business and kept them alive. This is simply favouring some economic participants at the expense of the rest. It is wealth distribution and privilege bestowed by the all-powerful State. Government’s sticky fingerprints have been on the financial industry since at least … Continue reading Sleight of Hand

Media, Politics, RightsLeave a comment

No Time For Individuals

Podritske

With the unappealing headline of “Doctors courted in special interest war, “the following introductory paragraph appears in an Associated Press article on MSNBC.com: “In the special interest war over health care, the White House and congressional Democrats have the nation’s drug makers and hospitals generally on their side; the insurance industry, not so much.” The article then goes on to describe the struggle for relative privilege between the sausage makers in Congress and the American Medical Association (AMA), which claims to represent 250,000 doctors. Evidently, the lawmakers of Big Government, Big Labour and Big Business are striving to add Big Medicine to the … Continue reading No Time For Individuals

Canada, Media, PoliticsLeave a comment

Welcome, Mr. President

Podritske

Edmonton, the furthest northern city in North America with a metro area population exceeding a million, last night hosted former United States President George W. Bush. According to an Edmonton Journal article 1,950 members of that population gave the President a warm welcome, plus a standing ovation. In addition to a few leaky, opinionated comments in the article by Graham Thomson the reportage included the observation that Bush played to an appreciative audience. Attendees held tickets costing approximately $100 to $160 each and reportedly a reseller managed to fetch $500 “in the crush to get in”. Some said they were … Continue reading Welcome, Mr. President

Media, Politics2 Comments

News Story

Podritske

The thing that is so annoying and embarrassing about the President of the United States publicly criticizing Fox News Channel, aside from its being vaguely reminiscent of President Richard Nixon’s “media enemies list,” is the callous disregard and disdain implied in his view of the American people, as well as the lack of understanding it shows of the nature of man. The Obama administration, most notably through its Communications Director, Anita Dunn, has declared Fox News an “arm of the Republican Party” and castigated the news organization as being concerned more with making money than delivering news. Well, the viewers … Continue reading News Story

Art, Media, Movies, PoliticsLeave a comment

Wrong, Just Wrong

Podritske

While I personally think Al Gore is more than just wrong about the content of his award-winning film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” the producers of “Not Evil Just Wrong” have taken a supposedly higher plane, at least in naming their movie. Phelim McAleer, a self-described former liberal journalist, is the man whose line of questioning to Al Gore about factual errors in “An Inconvenient Truth” was effectively censored by his own “free press” comrades in Wisconsin. The Society of Environmental Journalists (what the hell is that?) held a conference where former Vice President Al Gore took questions from journalists. McAleer, who … Continue reading Wrong, Just Wrong

Canada, Politics4 Comments

Dress Appropriately

Podritske

On Climate “Since Al Gore released his feature-length cartoon, “An Inconvenient Truth,” in 2006, the Earth has cooled about 0.74 degree Fahrenheit, almost the same amount that the U.N.’s climate panel, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claims was gained in the entire 20th century.”–Investor’s Business Daily Editorial, ‘Nuts’ to Copenhagen, September 30, 2009 It should be noted that this relatively rapid cooling since 2006 occurred even as the economies of those countries signing on to the Kyoto Accord were severely impaired (e.g. Spain’s), and that man-made carbon emissions continued apace without any apparent negative impact on the environment … Continue reading Dress Appropriately