(hat tip: Gateway Pundit)
The Congressional Budget Office predicts the recession will end in 2009 even without the stimulus. Actually, they're even predicting the stimulus will hurt rather than help.
So hurry up folks! Let's pass that bill soon so we can take the credit for something that would have happened anyway--unless of course the bill destroys any hope for that predicted rebound...
Monday, February 9, 2009
National Security Council Expanded
Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post has the details:
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Too soon to tell. It's a known maxim in business that "to err is human, but to really screw things up requires a committee". All I know for sure is that if this were Bush making this change there would be all sorts of protests.
President Obama plans to order a sweeping overhaul of the National Security Council, expanding its membership and increasing its authority to set strategy across a wide spectrum of international and domestic issues.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Too soon to tell. It's a known maxim in business that "to err is human, but to really screw things up requires a committee". All I know for sure is that if this were Bush making this change there would be all sorts of protests.
Pres. Obama - Insurance Salesman
MSNBC.com is running the following lead paragraph today:
Except it's not his plan. Pelosi and Reid wrote the thing, remember? So why does Obama have to work so hard to sell their plan?
I think Pelosi and Reid see Obama as a useful fall-guy. If their plan is defeated, or if it doesn't work, it'll have Obama's name and fingerprints all over it, so it'll be his poltical neck.
What gets me is that Obama is not stupid. Why is he sinking so much political capital into this?
My guess is that the Democrats--and perhaps the Republicans, too--see this issue as the battle. If the Dems win it the Republicans may be forced to roll over and sit things out for awhile. If the Republicans win it they're suddenly a party to be reckoned with again, and their minorities in Congress become less symbolic.
Both sides realize the importance of this issue. Still, it bothers me to see Obama taking the role of foot-soldier instead of general. It would be different if it were his plan, but it's not. If he's not careful he could become a lame duck before he completes his first month in office.
UPDATE:
Toby Harnden of the Telegraph has an interesting take:
Read the whole thing for additional insight on Obama's presidency and the Stimulus Bill.
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama takes to the road this week to promote his plans for reinvigorating the economy.
Except it's not his plan. Pelosi and Reid wrote the thing, remember? So why does Obama have to work so hard to sell their plan?
I think Pelosi and Reid see Obama as a useful fall-guy. If their plan is defeated, or if it doesn't work, it'll have Obama's name and fingerprints all over it, so it'll be his poltical neck.
What gets me is that Obama is not stupid. Why is he sinking so much political capital into this?
My guess is that the Democrats--and perhaps the Republicans, too--see this issue as the battle. If the Dems win it the Republicans may be forced to roll over and sit things out for awhile. If the Republicans win it they're suddenly a party to be reckoned with again, and their minorities in Congress become less symbolic.
Both sides realize the importance of this issue. Still, it bothers me to see Obama taking the role of foot-soldier instead of general. It would be different if it were his plan, but it's not. If he's not careful he could become a lame duck before he completes his first month in office.
UPDATE:
Toby Harnden of the Telegraph has an interesting take:
After a distinctly rocky start to his presidency, he has admitted he "screwed up" and is returning to one thing in his political career that he has perfected – campaigning.
...
Already, however, he is struggling, and the product he is now selling is not himself but a near-trillion-dollar economic "stimulus" package loaded with pet Democratic spending projects that has awakened slumbering Republicans in Congress and is now supported by barely a third of Americans. In between the Indiana and Florida stops, he will return to the White House for a prime-time press conference in which he will appeal directly to citizens and seek to rekindle the magic of his campaign.
Read the whole thing for additional insight on Obama's presidency and the Stimulus Bill.
No Bleeding, No Leading
Michael Totten goes to Sderot, Israel and reminds us why Israel's response to the Gaza rocket attacks was disproportionate:
So the reason why the Israeli death toll was so low is not because Hamas can't hit the broad side of a barn, or they weren't trying that hard. It's just that the Israelis are very good at hiding.
Read the entire article for a reality check on what Israelis are up against. If Americans were going through this we'd be demanding Obama pull out the nukes. Yet the world expects Israelis to sit down, shut up, and take it.
Living under Qassam and Grad rocket attack doesn't sound like much fun, but it's worse than the low body count makes it seem. Thousands of rockets have fallen on Sderot. And every rocket launched at the city triggers an air raid alert. Everyone within ear shot has fifteen seconds to run into a shelter.
Imagine sprinting for cover 5,000 times.
...
“The small number of physical casualties is not because their weapons aren't working,” he said. “The small number is because the population understands the protection guidelines. They know that they have fifteen seconds to find shelter.”
(Major Chezy Deutsch, IDF)
So the reason why the Israeli death toll was so low is not because Hamas can't hit the broad side of a barn, or they weren't trying that hard. It's just that the Israelis are very good at hiding.
Read the entire article for a reality check on what Israelis are up against. If Americans were going through this we'd be demanding Obama pull out the nukes. Yet the world expects Israelis to sit down, shut up, and take it.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Dogma Dogma Dog ma' Dog is Brown
The debate over god and religion is currently being waged on the sides of busses in London.
It started with an atheist campaign in which a sign on the sides of busses proclaimed "There's probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
Several religious groups and churches have responded with upcoming ads of their own:
"There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life."
...or...
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."
...or...
"There is a God, believe. Don't worry and enjoy your life."
What is most interesting, however, is the response from the head of the organization sponsoring the atheistic ads.
She misses the point--and her own hypocrisy. There were two prongs to the atheist's attack. The first prong, contrary to what she says, is only less dogmatic (to be truly "open" they might have said "there may be no god", whereas "probably" implies a statistical weighting that does not exist). While some religous persons might still get upset at this declaration, most would just shake their heads and move on. I'm sure most relgious people have entertained at least once the thought that there may not be a God.
No, it's the second prong that is likely to elicit objection, and is dogmatic and declaratory. It's the strong implication that religious people A) are unduly worried because of their belief in God, and B) do not enjoy their life as a result. Conversely implied is that atheists are not worried and do enjoy life. They don't seem to be leaving the door open for reason or debate on what causes this worry, even though the current economic climate, for one, seems every bit as likely a candidate.
Furthermore, what exactly is funny about calling a group of people fussy and depressed? It's only funny for people who agree with you. So the British Humanist Society ads are divisive, dogmatic, discourage reason and debate, and are intentionally insulting. Hence I also have reason to doubt Stinson's "openness...to new evidence" based on the dogmatism of her own statements.
In short, Stinson's belief seems to be "We are open-minded and clever. They are depressed, close-minded, and daft. End of discussion." She's a true humanitarian--in the culinary sense.
Now if open, respectful debate were the goal, I'd have kept the whole debate off of busses. Such advertising--on both sides--does not provide a forum for discussion. It thrusts inflammatory statements in front of people while giving them no means to respond. Other than buying an ad of their own, anyway, which excludes the average person lacking the $22,000 to splurge on legalized graffiti. This is bound to leave most people with any strong beliefs to the contrary feeling publicly attacked and helpless to respond. Neither of which is likely to endear them to one's cause or convince them to listen to you.
The BHS fired the first salvo. Stinson can defend the message of the ad all she wants, but she purposely or ignorantly fails to mention or defend the reason for the ad in the first place. What exactly were they hoping to accomplish? Funny or not, if I were to buy a bus ad that stated "People who wear red are probably covering for their own insecurity", I should not be surprised if people who like red get upset with me and ascribe uncharitable motives to my actions.
No, such unprovoked and insulting attacks (for that really is what it is) are little more than bully tactics: build camaradarie with the presumed majority who agree with you by putting down the presumed minority who do not. It is reinforcing unfair and unsubstantiated stereotypes in an attempt to establish them as truth by repetition.
So let's call a spade a spade, Stinson. You attacked a group in an attempt to demean and cow them. Your gracious support of their right to respond is both unnecessary and irrelevant. Your conceding them a right they already possess does not give you the high ground. That is only an attempt to both confirm your self-righteousness and deflect the issue.
What's more, you couldn't even support their right to a response without taking another potshot and implying that A) you won, and B) you're still right and better than they are. Why are you so insecure in your position? If you were at all secure you wouldn't have needed to buy the ads in the first place, let alone fell a need to defend them.
Unfortunately, Stinson saw, in her insecurity, a wrong that must be righted. Oh dear, oh dear! People are sad and uptight! It must be because of their belief in a god! I must save them from themselves! Quick! To the bus company! We shall win them over with a clever and carefully worded ad! Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that make Stinson the one who needs to stop worrying and just enjoy her life?
Would it have been so wrong to have the ad simply read "Don't worry! Enjoy your life while you have time!"? Leave it up to the reader to decide what it is they really shouldn't be worrying so much about. I fail to see how that would have made the ad less effective, unless it truly was meant as an attack.
And if it was meant as an attack, that doesn't speak well for humanists. We've got enough to worry about without dragging religion into it and turning us against one another. Or is she just trying to prove that humanism can be just as devisive as religion is reported to be? If so, who needs it? To quote from Star Trek, "We need no encouragement to hate humans!"
Au contraire, my dear Stinson.
It started with an atheist campaign in which a sign on the sides of busses proclaimed "There's probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
Several religious groups and churches have responded with upcoming ads of their own:
"There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life."
...or...
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."
...or...
"There is a God, believe. Don't worry and enjoy your life."
What is most interesting, however, is the response from the head of the organization sponsoring the atheistic ads.
Hanne Stinson, chief executive of the British Humanist Society, said the society supported the right of religious groups to post their messages but said the advertisements were "dogmatic and declaratory, leaving no room for reason and debate."
"Our ads were undogmatic and funny, with the addition of the 'probably' in line with the continuing openness of humanists to new evidence," she said in a statement on the British Humanist Association Web site.
She misses the point--and her own hypocrisy. There were two prongs to the atheist's attack. The first prong, contrary to what she says, is only less dogmatic (to be truly "open" they might have said "there may be no god", whereas "probably" implies a statistical weighting that does not exist). While some religous persons might still get upset at this declaration, most would just shake their heads and move on. I'm sure most relgious people have entertained at least once the thought that there may not be a God.
No, it's the second prong that is likely to elicit objection, and is dogmatic and declaratory. It's the strong implication that religious people A) are unduly worried because of their belief in God, and B) do not enjoy their life as a result. Conversely implied is that atheists are not worried and do enjoy life. They don't seem to be leaving the door open for reason or debate on what causes this worry, even though the current economic climate, for one, seems every bit as likely a candidate.
Furthermore, what exactly is funny about calling a group of people fussy and depressed? It's only funny for people who agree with you. So the British Humanist Society ads are divisive, dogmatic, discourage reason and debate, and are intentionally insulting. Hence I also have reason to doubt Stinson's "openness...to new evidence" based on the dogmatism of her own statements.
In short, Stinson's belief seems to be "We are open-minded and clever. They are depressed, close-minded, and daft. End of discussion." She's a true humanitarian--in the culinary sense.
Now if open, respectful debate were the goal, I'd have kept the whole debate off of busses. Such advertising--on both sides--does not provide a forum for discussion. It thrusts inflammatory statements in front of people while giving them no means to respond. Other than buying an ad of their own, anyway, which excludes the average person lacking the $22,000 to splurge on legalized graffiti. This is bound to leave most people with any strong beliefs to the contrary feeling publicly attacked and helpless to respond. Neither of which is likely to endear them to one's cause or convince them to listen to you.
The BHS fired the first salvo. Stinson can defend the message of the ad all she wants, but she purposely or ignorantly fails to mention or defend the reason for the ad in the first place. What exactly were they hoping to accomplish? Funny or not, if I were to buy a bus ad that stated "People who wear red are probably covering for their own insecurity", I should not be surprised if people who like red get upset with me and ascribe uncharitable motives to my actions.
No, such unprovoked and insulting attacks (for that really is what it is) are little more than bully tactics: build camaradarie with the presumed majority who agree with you by putting down the presumed minority who do not. It is reinforcing unfair and unsubstantiated stereotypes in an attempt to establish them as truth by repetition.
So let's call a spade a spade, Stinson. You attacked a group in an attempt to demean and cow them. Your gracious support of their right to respond is both unnecessary and irrelevant. Your conceding them a right they already possess does not give you the high ground. That is only an attempt to both confirm your self-righteousness and deflect the issue.
What's more, you couldn't even support their right to a response without taking another potshot and implying that A) you won, and B) you're still right and better than they are. Why are you so insecure in your position? If you were at all secure you wouldn't have needed to buy the ads in the first place, let alone fell a need to defend them.
Unfortunately, Stinson saw, in her insecurity, a wrong that must be righted. Oh dear, oh dear! People are sad and uptight! It must be because of their belief in a god! I must save them from themselves! Quick! To the bus company! We shall win them over with a clever and carefully worded ad! Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that make Stinson the one who needs to stop worrying and just enjoy her life?
Would it have been so wrong to have the ad simply read "Don't worry! Enjoy your life while you have time!"? Leave it up to the reader to decide what it is they really shouldn't be worrying so much about. I fail to see how that would have made the ad less effective, unless it truly was meant as an attack.
And if it was meant as an attack, that doesn't speak well for humanists. We've got enough to worry about without dragging religion into it and turning us against one another. Or is she just trying to prove that humanism can be just as devisive as religion is reported to be? If so, who needs it? To quote from Star Trek, "We need no encouragement to hate humans!"
Au contraire, my dear Stinson.
We Have Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself
Fear sells. We all know that. Salesmen especially. I've had salesman after salesman, selling vitamins to vacuums, use fear to peddle their product. Our environment is poisonous, and our food is losing its nutrition value. We need super-vitamins to survive. There are dustmites everywhere, and they'll kill you! Buy our vacuums. When people don't already have a need for something, create that need. Fear sells.
So what do you do if you're the candidate of hope and you've got a major expenditure to sell? Drop the hope, pump up the fear:
The lead story on MSNBC.com today is jobs: Worst Job Loss Since '74. Meanwhile the Dow is up 174 points. Wall Street has taken a nasty beating, so I don't know why they would be unduly optimistic at this point. But if you look over the last six months you'll see the markets have largely flattened out. We're bouncing around between 8000 and 9000. We've spent about four months in that range now. This would seem to suggest a bottom.
In short, things may be poised to start getting better. So act now, before the Democrats lose this golden opportunity! Pay no attention to the good news coming in. Things are BAD! Trust us on this! We're the politicians that, through our economic ineptitude, brought you this recession in the first place! We KNOW what we're talking about (this time)!
I've said it before. Now could very well be the time for our leaders to boldly stand up and do nothing!
So what do you do if you're the candidate of hope and you've got a major expenditure to sell? Drop the hope, pump up the fear:
"A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe."
-- President Obama, Feb. 4.
Catastrophe, mind you. So much for the president who in his inaugural address two weeks earlier declared "we have chosen hope over fear." Until, that is, you need fear to pass a bill. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post)
The lead story on MSNBC.com today is jobs: Worst Job Loss Since '74. Meanwhile the Dow is up 174 points. Wall Street has taken a nasty beating, so I don't know why they would be unduly optimistic at this point. But if you look over the last six months you'll see the markets have largely flattened out. We're bouncing around between 8000 and 9000. We've spent about four months in that range now. This would seem to suggest a bottom.
In short, things may be poised to start getting better. So act now, before the Democrats lose this golden opportunity! Pay no attention to the good news coming in. Things are BAD! Trust us on this! We're the politicians that, through our economic ineptitude, brought you this recession in the first place! We KNOW what we're talking about (this time)!
I've said it before. Now could very well be the time for our leaders to boldly stand up and do nothing!
I Can't Afford To Take That Job
Here's an angle on the economy I hadn't considered: Because of the housing bubble, people can't afford to move to where the work is.
More than one hundred thousand Americans have just lost their jobs. According to psychologists who study happiness, that is the most miserable experience many people will ever endure. Getting back to work is the best medicine. For thousands of workers and their families, getting back to work means packing up and heading to a new gig in a new town. But many will find it difficult even to consider a move. Because it's tough to sell a house you could never really afford in a town now bleeding jobs.
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