Quick hits
Bookworm on Sep 09 2009 at 10:48 am | Filed under: Uncategorized
No deep thoughts today (at least, not yet), so I’ll just piggy-back on the deep thoughts of others:
It says something about the pent-up demand for intelligent conservative thought in today’s America that conservative books cling tenaciously to the top of the best seller lists, despite the MSM’s equally resolute cold-shoulder to the books’ authors.
Say what you will about Sarah Palin (as you know, I like her), she is absolutely splendid at articulating bottom line points about both the proposed health care plan getting so much media time, and the market-based alternatives that the media is ignoring entirely. Apropos Sarah, Confederate Yankee says what we’re all thinking.
Despite a summer of strong protests and polls showing that Americans, by a significant majority, detest the Democrats’ health care plan, do I detect a strong “F*** you!” from the Democratic leaders to the American people? Otherwise, how do you interpret this, this and this?
Oh, about those people to whom the Democratic leadership is giving the finger? Lloyd Marcus gives us an up close and personal look at their angry racism. (And I know they’re racist because a liberal commenter I read on facebook said, without a scintilla of evidence, that the hostility to the president can only be because of his color. I actually agree. To the extent he’s red to the bone, I dislike him.)
What it is with Democratic leaders and their obsessive need to confess their personal practices? First it was Clinton’s underwear and now it’s the Obama’s diet. You know what? If I had a full time chef, I’d eat a healthier diet too. Go away avatar of the Nanny State. Go away!
John Stossel thinks Obama is addressing the wrong crisis. While I agree that there is no health care crisis (although Palin’s suggested market fix would be a good idea), there is an economic crisis. The only thing is that we’ve already had a taste of Obama’s idea about how to fix the economy, and it’s probably better if he keeps his attention away from it entirely.
The Marin IJ must have looked hard to find students who weren’t eye-rollingly, mind-numbingly bored by the President’s 20 minute in loco parentis lecture. The kids and parents to whom I spoke were unanimous: BOORRRINNNGG.
I’ve never been to Honduras, but I’m remarkably developing a strong affection for that little nation. In the face of the Obama’s Administration’s pro-dictatorship bullying, bullying that is backed by a huge economic stick, Honduras is standing firm. If I had any idea what protects Honduras exports, I’d go out and buy them. Honduras now joins that ranks of another democracy losing faith in and becoming hostile to America.
More than thirty years ago, I had a memorable teacher who started with antisemitic remarks, graduated to sexually explicit remarks to 13 year olds, and ended by attacking a student and throwing a movie projector out the window. He was put on fully paid leave. Five years later, he was still on fully paid leave. The situation hasn’t gotten any better, and it’s one of the reasons that, no matter how much money we throw at our school systems, they’re still bad.
If inspiration hits, I’ll write more, but this is certainly a good start if you’re looking for food for thought.
Related posts:
- Some quick hits from the Brits *UPDATED*
- When it comes to Honduras, we punish the victim
- Quick, quick picks *UPDATED*
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9 Responses to “Quick hits”
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“If inspiration hits, I’ll write more”
No need to evade, this post was quite inspirational!
“…a liberal commenter I read on facebook said, without a scintilla of evidence, that the hostility to the president can only be because of his color. I actually agree. To the extent he’s red to the bone, I dislike him.)”
Bwahahahah….perfect! I can use this!
“Say what you will about Sarah Palin (as you know, I like her), she is absolutely splendid at articulating bottom line points about both the proposed health care plan”
And that is what I believe will make her shine and eventually triumph- at the end of Obamatopia, I predict that voters will be begging for a clear speaker like Sarah Palin that can distill clarity from political clutter while hearkening to fundamental American values. She will remind us who and why we are. I noted that one of Confederate Yankee’s commentators avowed changing her opinion on the Saracuda on the basis of the WSJ article.
.”..do I detect a strong “F*** you!”
Ah, Book, you’re better than that.
90% of the dislike of Sarah Palin is based on pure snobbery.
There are lots of people who have certain things that they think are assets (Ivy League degrees, PhDs, boarding-school accents) who find it very threatening when someone succeeds in a big way *without* such assets.
Kind of like certain members of the British minor aristocracy in the 19th century when confronted with someone who made his money “in trade” and without family connections.
What does Honduras export?
“The United States is Honduras’ chief trading partner, with two-way trade in goods increasing to over $7 billion in 2006. U.S.-Honduran trade is dominated by the Honduran maquila industry, which imports yarn and textiles from the United States and exports finished articles of clothing. Other leading Honduran exports to the United States include coffee, bananas, seafood (particularly shrimp), minerals (including zinc, lead, gold, and silver), and other fruits and vegetables. Two-way trade with Honduras in 2006 was $7.4 billion, up from $7.0 billion in 2005. For 2007 through October, Honduran exports to the United States increased 6%, and U.S. exports to Honduras increased 18% when compared to the same period in 2006.” (from State Dept site)
I’m a big banana-eater, but the bunch in the kitchen right now is from Guatemala.
I’m a big banana-eater
which got me thinking, who is behaving like a banana republic now.
*Gasp* You like Sarah Palin? What would Mr. Bookworm say?
You should probably stay in the closet on this one, Book.
I noted that one of Confederate Yankee’s commentators avowed changing her opinion on the Saracuda on the basis of the WSJ article.
Americans like winners. It doesn’t matter how much they dislike Sarah Palin. When she is the one offering them the only slice of bread that they have seen in 3 days, you bet they’ll support her.
Human nature is what it is. That is the nature of POWER. It is very useful. It’s something everybody that wants to protect what they love needs: Strength and Power.
Book, I heard a report that universities received more money in research grants and other entitlement programs than they get from student tuition.
On Another note, here is Grim Beorn on the Republican party.
My thoughts on the situation are these:
1) The Republicans have spent the last thirty years being the party of the American Ordinary. I mean by this that they were the party of the middle class, and the lower-upper class and upper-lower class. They were the party of people who held jobs or owned small businesses. They were the party the married, of parents, and homeowners.
The Democrats have spent the same period being — at the national level — the party that composed all the various dissidents from that ordinary. This includes both those who wanted it and felt they couldn’t achieve it and those who never wanted it; both the under-educated and underachiving, but also the uncommonly educated and tremendously rich or famous; both those who feel trapped beneath it and those who feel too good to condescend to it. This includes special interests like unions (of the first sort), and trial lawyers (of the second); as well as racial and ethnic minorities, and sexual objectors.
2) That is why, by the way, the Democrats constantly feel they are in danger of being portrayed as unpatriotic or un-American. The Republicans are the party of the kind of central American myth, the thing most people want even if they don’t have it: a marriage, kids, a house, a car, a picket fence, a strong military, a simple patriotism. The national Democratic party, as the party of objectors to this national consensus, is always in danger of saying something that appears to be against Mom and Apple Pie.
3) The Republicans are having as much trouble as they are today because the ethnic mix of the country has undermined this Ordinary compromise. If you re-project the 2008 election according to the 1980s ethnic mix, McCain wins handily — even in a wave, anti-Republican year.
4) The long-term Republican strategy has to be to redefine this “American ordinary.” I think they will best do it by becoming a more overtly Christian party, but less Protestant and more simply, ardently Christian. If they can become the party of Catholics — and especially of Hispanic Catholics — they will restore their comfortable position at the center of the national political dynamic.
5) The Democrats can capture that position instead if they are able to redefine “American ordinary” away from its traditional roots. To some degree, multiculturalism is their ally in this because it makes them appear friendly to new immigrants, who are by default ethnic minorities. To some degree, it works against them because it sets their constituents against each other. A good example: the Democratic party’s current strength is based on an absolute lock on the black vote; but increasingly Hispanics are coming into conflict with black Americans.
Insofar as you continue to encourage people to think of themselves as “black” or “Hispanic,” then, you mantain these friction points. But you have to redefine the normal, ordinary idea about what it means to be American so that it doesn’t include middle-class-ness as we currently understand it. An ordinary American should be… a union member, perhaps. A college professor.
But not, you know, Joe the Plumber. Or Sarah Palin. Or anyone who shares their basic sentiments.
Grim | 09.07.09 – 10:49 pm | #
BOORRRINNNGG, as were the quotes.
The odd (not really) was the absence of quotes from high school students. You really never hear about a 4th grade or 8th grader dropping out (unless they’re pregnant). Somehow, I just cannot fathom a bunch of high school aged kids, running out of the building at the end of the day, hands held high towards the sky and breathlessly saying, I’ve be saved, I now see the light.
It certainly will be interesting to see if the drop out rate changes by the end of O’s first term.
“That’s not how the unions see it. A principal of a Queens public school told Brill that Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, “would protect a dead body in the classroom. That’s her job.”
What’s the difference between Unions and Communism – tenure for one and a dacha for the other.
To piggyback on the post by David Foster:
U.S. Dept of State site.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1922.htm
And as a bonus question, who does the site list as the current president of Honduras? No peeking!
All of you gentle readers already knew the answer.
President–Jose Manuel “Mel” ZELAYA Rosales
Interesting how they didn’t do that for Diem or the Shah of Iran or the President of Georgia.
I guess once you have power, you can use it to enrich your big fat, mass murder wannabe dictators and stalins.