“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Beach Burquaa Blues, Please Do not Offend The Muslims
LGF has posted a pummeling article on the Rape Sheik. It will come as no surprise to thinking persons that Ash will be sorely disappointed in the actions of the worldwide Islamic community and “Moderate” Australian Muslims.
“The Muslim community of Sydney has rallied around Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly and his vile misogynistic statements…”
“Yesterday he issued a grudging forced apology, but today he demonstrated that the apology was another lie, saying he won’t quit until the world is ‘clean of the White House.’”
“Sheik Hilaly drew cries of support during a fiery speech at Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque on Friday night, defending his contentious sermon and dismissing the controversy with a joke to two visiting overseas imams.” “‘It is a storm in a cup ... no worry, mate, in Australian,’ he told British Muslim Council chairman Abdul Jalil Sajid and Lebanese imam Sheikh Abdul Ghaffar al-Zoabi.”
This may come as a shock: the Mufti and the Australian community operate on the taxpayers’ dime.
“‘The Sheik’s refusal to apologise makes it completely inappropriate, while he remains in his current position, for his mosque or any groups associated with it to continue to receive any public funding.’”
Read the whole thing.
Oh, as to Mr. Bush’s friends the Saudis:
“The official English mouthpiece of the Saudi government is also defending the rape-supporting Mufti…”
“There’s a reason why Saudi Arabia’s ArabNews is defending Hilaly; they support his efforts to bring Dark Ages misogyny to Western society.”
“The vast majority of economists and budget analysts agree: The ship of state is on a disastrous course, and will founder on the reefs of economic disaster if nothing is done to correct it.”
"You can't solve a problem until the majority of the people believe you have a problem that needs to be solved,"
“Their basic message is this: If the United States government conducts business as usual over the next few decades, a national debt that is already $8.5 trillion could reach $46 trillion or more, adjusted for inflation.”
“And every year that nothing is done about it, Walker says, the problem grows by $2 trillion to $3 trillion.”
“Medicare already costs four times as much as it did in 1970, measured as a percentage of the nation's gross domestic product. It currently comprises 13 percent of federal spending; by 2030, the Congressional Budget Office projects it will consume nearly a quarter of the budget.”
More "Peaceful Hispanics:" --- IOP - Illegals of Peace (10-28) 11:00 PDT SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- Two UPS employees were attacked and seriously wounded in a company parking lot in South San Francisco early today, police reported.
South San Francisco Police detective Dan Wright said the two unidentified victims were drinking in an overflow parking lot at a UPS building at the corner of Gull Drive and Forbes Blvd. at around 12:47 a.m. when they became involved in a fight with a group of men.
Wright said both of the UPS employees were shot, one in the back of the head. The victims also suffered machete wounds, including severed fingers. Both were hospitalized in serious condition at San Francisco General Hospital.
Wright said the suspects, all Hispanic, fled in two cars, with at least four men to each car. The vehicles are described as a gray four-door car, possibly a Chevy Caprice, and a gray, relatively old Ford Taurus with tinted windows.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information about the incident can call the South San Francisco Police department at (650) 877-8900.
Do I understand the head of the GAO is a hysterical partisan hack? And, furthermore, he is clueless?
The sky is not falling, yet. That is the point. Even Ben Stein, or let me say Dr. Ben Stein, (American lawyer, economist, law professor, actor, comedian and former White House speechwriter -Wiki) a heretofore vocally staunch supporter of the administration, today voiced the same concerns.
Yes, the government can change the rules. In fact, the government could have changed the rules. I wonder why the government has not. Could it be that politicians know the consequence of such change, i.e. retirement from the public sector?
When last this debate was held some weeks ago, I linked to sites citing the numbers. No one was able to disprove the figures authoritatively.
If I recall correctly, $9 Trillion is owed to persons outside the US by the US governmental and private sector entities.
Sharp,
re: military retirement
You may be sure the government will first cut military benefits when the inevitable belt tightening begins in earnest. Indeed, the administration has already reneged on a number of promises made to its military personnel. Yes, the US government is like any other,
"You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all: We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational. Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!" But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot; An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please; An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!"
One further thought: this site and others quite rightly disdain EU socialism. We would do well to consider our own sorry state of galloping socialism overtaking the United States. And the fault is entirely bipartisan.
It seems to that the only problem with social security program is that all the surplus is used to fund general expenditures. If the surplus were used to purchase non-government equities, that would be one huge source of capital and maybe force some re-thinking on government spending.
There seems to be an assumption that grow is a given, whether more or less dynamic, but the trend line will remain positive to infinity. It is not so. To insist otherwise IS static analysis. With the Baby Boom entering the retirement zone in 2008, any deviation from the rosy scenario will prove catastrophic.
If the US must continue the socialist trend, evidenced by Mr. Bush's having pushed through Medicare C, Mr. Bush et al had better have a foolproof plan for funding the welfare state. That plan had better be better than the ever evolving foreign policy plans of late.
re: "A hint for the non-practitioners of the dismal science. Whenever anyone breathlessly references the ownership (Chinese, Japanese, asshole next door) of the debt as being relevent, take a breath, understand that you're reading either a partisan, or an inexpert, analysis of the subject." ___Rufus
Rufus, did I misunderstand.
re: I think Stein has some guilt complex concerning our troops. He wants to raise taxes on the rich to give them more.
Sharp,
Interesting take you have. It's a pity that some of that guilt complex hasn't rubbed off on the administration and the DoD. I note that as each former stalwart Republican luminary deserts the administration’s foundering ship, he is demonized. That will help the Party regroup, I’ll bet.
Outsourcing is not always what it appears. Moreover, to who are jobs outsourced. Take care what you wish for. For a classic case of government competence with reference to hiring and contracting, I refer you to none other than Michelle Malkin:
Why could not surplus ss funds be used to fund municipal, local state and federal infrastructure bonds? That would make everyone happy, unions, wall street and take spending off of capital budgets up and down the line?
Let's say you wanted to create a new federal highway system exclusively for trucks. The SS system would purchase the bonds and receive bond payments form use fees on the highway sytem?
From the founding of the Republic, beginning with Alexander Hamilton, Americans have understood the leverage gained from OPM. Debt, per se, is not the culprit. Government policy is. As earlier stated the policy formulation is bipartisan. Almost every depression or recession suffered by the US has resulted from governmental malfeasance. Unless it is assumed that human nature has radically evolved recently, at some point the US will again take a hit.
Given that debt owed to non-Americans is about 1/2 GDP, there is the danger that the US could find itself in the same position of the Weimar government during the hyper-inflation. Recall, prior to the bottom falling out of the German economy, German debt instruments were golden. But nothing is static and nothing goes up forever. By the way, it is here that a currency manipulator like George Soros could hurt the US.
Again, the sky is not falling, yet. Neither the GAO nor Ben Stein is claiming otherwise. However, unless plans are constructed to handle the huge draw on government services coming soon, there will be a crash. Even the US Navy understands the drain on resources coming with the retirement of the Baby Boomers and is, therefore, reducing the projected size of the fleet.
I stand corrected. You make an excellent point as to cost benefit. My argument is with what I believe the ad hoc nature of confronting the Baby Boom bulge, which strikes me as irrational.
I earned my spurs. My spouse still wears her's. She will deploy. We have dear friends now deployed. We have lost friends. I think we have done our part. How about you?
The jobs are tough. That is why very few people have the stomach for them. The recall of those troops from Alaska was inexcusable. If you think it was tough on Mr. Rumsfeld, consider what it did to the troops and dependents. No matter how badly Mr. Rumsfeld may have felt, he will not be killed or maimed on the battlefields of Iraq. He is, therefore, a fortunate man. Moreover, had my top guys in the field left me holding my pecker in my hand, they would find themselves fly fishing. There is no lack of talent and courage among junior officers in the O-3 through O-5 brackets. Eisenhower, Bradley, Patten, and Lemay among many others, fell within that range at the beginning of WWII.
I was unclear. The $9 Trillion includes all debt. When I spoke of German debt instruments I should have been clearer. That said, the German collapse began not with government debt, but with private debt. The Weimar's response to redemption was the cause of the hyper-inflation.
You cannot believe that a foreign ownership of US government debt, representing even 1/4 GDP, is a healthy proposition. A sly fellow like Soros, perhaps in conjunction with some disgruntled government holding US dollars in reserve could begin a cascade. He has done so before, admittedly on a much smaller scale.
The US is blessed with great troops. If those leading were of the same caliber, any controversy about Iraq would have ended some years ago. Our troops know there is no substitute for victory.
It is the job of commanders in the field to have a handle on what is happening in their areas of responsibility. They failed, and not for the first time. Following the standard pattern of the administration, no one was held responsible.
I have always respected Mr. Rumsfeld. He was an invaluable beckon when the country needed one. In my opinion, his time is past. It is not personal.
It has been known for decades that the retirement of the Boomers would stress the system. Neither party, whether in Congress or within the Executive has been willing to go out on a limb to educate the public and take the steps necessary to mitigate what will be traumatic, under the best conditions. Again, the failures have been bipartisan.
The Boomers have caused difficulties through every cycle of their maturation. "Hello, I'm Allen, and I'm a Baby Boomer."
Until recently deployments were generally for 4 - 6 months. Some served longer, depending on MOS. The most recent batch out of here will be downrange one year. The reality is that one cannot predict, and one learns when the orders arrive.
American productivity is without peer. No one comes close. Also, American use of capital is unsurpassed, hence, the inflow of foreign investment both to the market and the purchase of debt.
re: poverty
Yeah, strange isn't it. It is perceptual. For those feeling especially poor, a trip south of the border would be educational.
Ben Stein is a wealthy, privileged man. This is not my opinion, it is his biography. Stein came from a wealthy, privileged family. He is also a Jew, who has over the past decade become more and more publicly observant, i.e. Orthodox.
An observant Jew is required, as an article of faith, to practice Tikun Olam. Loosely translated, this means the bettering or perfecting of the world. Essentially, the observant Jew must try daily to make the world a better place. The wealthier and more privileged the individual, the more he is expected to give.
Stein has repeatedly spoken of his blessings; blessings made possible by the sacrifices of generations of American warriors. Ben sees these troops as his avenue to Tikun Olam. It is a mistake to think he is motivated by quilt; rather, within the tradition of Orthodox Judaism, he is motivated by a sense of commitment to the betterment of man.
Welcome to the fray. Despite our nitpicking (that would never be me) you will find nearly everyone here a patriot. Our disagreements speak to methods, but not to outcome. Everyone of us wants to see our country assume her rightful place of honor in the world.
Deuce,
ReplyDeleteProof positive that a picture is worth a thousand words; although the few words in the captions are a dagger through the heart.
we need as I always have said ridicule, yes it is I, Pork Rinds For Allah!
ReplyDeleteWe need to publish millions of cartoons..
We need to create "arab women strippers and their great tits" on blogs and offer free downloads to both the world and the islamic people
We need to study the British and the use of Opium and copy it to cause drug addiction to rise in islamic world.
We need to send 300,000,000 copies of "Our Bodies, Our Selves" to all the islamic women of the world.
just a suggestion
LGF has posted a pummeling article on the Rape Sheik. It will come as no surprise to thinking persons that Ash will be sorely disappointed in the actions of the worldwide Islamic community and “Moderate” Australian Muslims.
ReplyDeleteRape-Supporting Sheikh: No One Can Sack Me
“The Muslim community of Sydney has rallied around Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly and his vile misogynistic statements…”
“Yesterday he issued a grudging forced apology, but today he demonstrated that the apology was another lie, saying he won’t quit until the world is ‘clean of the White House.’”
“Sheik Hilaly drew cries of support during a fiery speech at Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque on Friday night, defending his contentious sermon and dismissing the controversy with a joke to two visiting overseas imams.”
“‘It is a storm in a cup ... no worry, mate, in Australian,’ he told British Muslim Council chairman Abdul Jalil Sajid and Lebanese imam Sheikh Abdul Ghaffar al-Zoabi.”
This may come as a shock: the Mufti and the Australian community operate on the taxpayers’ dime.
“‘The Sheik’s refusal to apologise makes it completely inappropriate, while he remains in his current position, for his mosque or any groups associated with it to continue to receive any public funding.’”
Read the whole thing.
Oh, as to Mr. Bush’s friends the Saudis:
“The official English mouthpiece of the Saudi government is also defending the rape-supporting Mufti…”
“There’s a reason why Saudi Arabia’s ArabNews is defending Hilaly; they support his efforts to bring Dark Ages misogyny to Western society.”
Ash, read it and weep.
rufus,
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
To get a different take on the problems facing the administration and the DoD’s much postponed modernization, see
ReplyDeleteGAO Chief Warns Economic Disaster Looms
“The vast majority of economists and budget analysts agree: The ship of state is on a disastrous course, and will founder on the reefs of economic disaster if nothing is done to correct it.”
"You can't solve a problem until the majority of the people believe you have a problem that needs to be solved,"
“Their basic message is this: If the United States government conducts business as usual over the next few decades, a national debt that is already $8.5 trillion could reach $46 trillion or more, adjusted for inflation.”
“And every year that nothing is done about it, Walker says, the problem grows by $2 trillion to $3 trillion.”
“Medicare already costs four times as much as it did in 1970, measured as a percentage of the nation's gross domestic product. It currently comprises 13 percent of federal spending; by 2030, the Congressional Budget Office projects it will consume nearly a quarter of the budget.”
More "Peaceful Hispanics:"
ReplyDelete---
IOP - Illegals of Peace
(10-28) 11:00 PDT SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO -- Two UPS employees were attacked and seriously wounded in a company parking lot in South San Francisco early today, police reported.
South San Francisco Police detective Dan Wright said the two unidentified victims were drinking in an overflow parking lot at a UPS building at the corner of Gull Drive and Forbes Blvd. at around 12:47 a.m. when they became involved in a fight with a group of men.
Wright said both of the UPS employees were shot, one in the back of the head. The victims also suffered machete wounds, including severed fingers. Both were hospitalized in serious condition at San Francisco General Hospital.
Wright said the suspects, all Hispanic, fled in two cars, with at least four men to each car. The vehicles are described as a gray four-door car, possibly a Chevy Caprice, and a gray, relatively old Ford Taurus with tinted windows.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information about the incident can call the South San Francisco Police department at (650) 877-8900.
Do I understand the head of the GAO is a hysterical partisan hack? And, furthermore, he is clueless?
ReplyDeleteThe sky is not falling, yet. That is the point. Even Ben Stein, or let me say Dr. Ben Stein, (American lawyer, economist, law professor, actor, comedian and former White House speechwriter -Wiki) a heretofore vocally staunch supporter of the administration, today voiced the same concerns.
Yes, the government can change the rules. In fact, the government could have changed the rules. I wonder why the government has not. Could it be that politicians know the consequence of such change, i.e. retirement from the public sector?
When last this debate was held some weeks ago, I linked to sites citing the numbers. No one was able to disprove the figures authoritatively.
ReplyDeleteIf I recall correctly, $9 Trillion is owed to persons outside the US by the US governmental and private sector entities.
Sharp,
re: military retirement
You may be sure the government will first cut military benefits when the inevitable belt tightening begins in earnest. Indeed, the administration has already reneged on a number of promises made to its military personnel. Yes, the US government is like any other,
"You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!"
Tommy
One further thought: this site and others quite rightly disdain EU socialism. We would do well to consider our own sorry state of galloping socialism overtaking the United States. And the fault is entirely bipartisan.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to that the only problem with social security program is that all the surplus is used to fund general expenditures. If the surplus were used to purchase non-government equities, that would be one huge source of capital and maybe force some re-thinking on government spending.
ReplyDeleteRufus, what is the argument against social security surplus funds being used to purchase equities? Too much money. defacto government control?
ReplyDeletere: static analysis
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be an assumption that grow is a given, whether more or less dynamic, but the trend line will remain positive to infinity. It is not so. To insist otherwise IS static analysis. With the Baby Boom entering the retirement zone in 2008, any deviation from the rosy scenario will prove catastrophic.
If the US must continue the socialist trend, evidenced by Mr. Bush's having pushed through Medicare C, Mr. Bush et al had better have a foolproof plan for funding the welfare state. That plan had better be better than the ever evolving foreign policy plans of late.
re: "A hint for the non-practitioners of the dismal science. Whenever anyone breathlessly references the ownership (Chinese, Japanese, asshole next door) of the debt as being relevent, take a breath, understand that you're reading either a partisan, or an inexpert, analysis of the subject."
___Rufus
Rufus, did I misunderstand.
re: I think Stein has some guilt complex concerning our troops. He wants to raise taxes on the rich to give them more.
Sharp,
Interesting take you have. It's a pity that some of that guilt complex hasn't rubbed off on the administration and the DoD. I note that as each former stalwart Republican luminary deserts the administration’s foundering ship, he is demonized. That will help the Party regroup, I’ll bet.
Outsourcing is not always what it appears. Moreover, to who are jobs outsourced. Take care what you wish for. For a classic case of government competence with reference to hiring and contracting, I refer you to none other than Michelle Malkin:
The fake boarding pass generator
Link
If social security owns genuine US debt, does it receive interest payments and does it trade the bonds?
ReplyDeleteWhy could not surplus ss funds be used to fund municipal, local state and federal infrastructure bonds? That would make everyone happy, unions, wall street and take spending off of capital budgets up and down the line?
ReplyDeleteLet's say you wanted to create a new federal highway system exclusively for trucks. The SS system would purchase the bonds and receive bond payments form use fees on the highway sytem?
ReplyDeleteFrom the founding of the Republic, beginning with Alexander Hamilton, Americans have understood the leverage gained from OPM. Debt, per se, is not the culprit. Government policy is. As earlier stated the policy formulation is bipartisan. Almost every depression or recession suffered by the US has resulted from governmental malfeasance. Unless it is assumed that human nature has radically evolved recently, at some point the US will again take a hit.
ReplyDeleteGiven that debt owed to non-Americans is about 1/2 GDP, there is the danger that the US could find itself in the same position of the Weimar government during the hyper-inflation. Recall, prior to the bottom falling out of the German economy, German debt instruments were golden. But nothing is static and nothing goes up forever. By the way, it is here that a currency manipulator like George Soros could hurt the US.
Again, the sky is not falling, yet. Neither the GAO nor Ben Stein is claiming otherwise. However, unless plans are constructed to handle the huge draw on government services coming soon, there will be a crash. Even the US Navy understands the drain on resources coming with the retirement of the Baby Boomers and is, therefore, reducing the projected size of the fleet.
rufus,
ReplyDeletere: Plan D
I stand corrected. You make an excellent point as to cost benefit. My argument is with what I believe the ad hoc nature of confronting the Baby Boom bulge, which strikes me as irrational.
sharp,
ReplyDeletere: sniping from the sidelines
I earned my spurs. My spouse still wears her's. She will deploy. We have dear friends now deployed. We have lost friends. I think we have done our part. How about you?
The jobs are tough. That is why very few people have the stomach for them. The recall of those troops from Alaska was inexcusable. If you think it was tough on Mr. Rumsfeld, consider what it did to the troops and dependents. No matter how badly Mr. Rumsfeld may have felt, he will not be killed or maimed on the battlefields of Iraq. He is, therefore, a fortunate man. Moreover, had my top guys in the field left me holding my pecker in my hand, they would find themselves fly fishing. There is no lack of talent and courage among junior officers in the O-3 through O-5 brackets. Eisenhower, Bradley, Patten, and Lemay among many others, fell within that range at the beginning of WWII.
I guess the government could always capitalize the debt anyway.
ReplyDeleterufus,
ReplyDeleteI was unclear. The $9 Trillion includes all debt. When I spoke of German debt instruments I should have been clearer. That said, the German collapse began not with government debt, but with private debt. The Weimar's response to redemption was the cause of the hyper-inflation.
You cannot believe that a foreign ownership of US government debt, representing even 1/4 GDP, is a healthy proposition. A sly fellow like Soros, perhaps in conjunction with some disgruntled government holding US dollars in reserve could begin a cascade. He has done so before, admittedly on a much smaller scale.
rufus,
ReplyDeletere: deployment
She was up for October. That has now been moved to the first of the year.
fufus,
ReplyDeletere: reenlistment
The US is blessed with great troops. If those leading were of the same caliber, any controversy about Iraq would have ended some years ago. Our troops know there is no substitute for victory.
It is the job of commanders in the field to have a handle on what is happening in their areas of responsibility. They failed, and not for the first time. Following the standard pattern of the administration, no one was held responsible.
I have always respected Mr. Rumsfeld. He was an invaluable beckon when the country needed one. In my opinion, his time is past. It is not personal.
rufus,
ReplyDeleteSorry about "fufus". Too many thumbs, I guess.
It has been known for decades that the retirement of the Boomers would stress the system. Neither party, whether in Congress or within the Executive has been willing to go out on a limb to educate the public and take the steps necessary to mitigate what will be traumatic, under the best conditions. Again, the failures have been bipartisan.
ReplyDeleteThe Boomers have caused difficulties through every cycle of their maturation. "Hello, I'm Allen, and I'm a Baby Boomer."
rufus,
ReplyDeletere: Weimar
As time would prove, Weimar was not well thought out. Politics, you know.
Debt made the Weimar Republic vulnerable to dislocation. Furthermore, the political partisanship was toxic. (Does that sound familiar?)
rufus,
ReplyDeletere: USAF deployment length
Good question.
Until recently deployments were generally for 4 - 6 months. Some served longer, depending on MOS. The most recent batch out of here will be downrange one year. The reality is that one cannot predict, and one learns when the orders arrive.
rufus,
ReplyDeletere: productivity
American productivity is without peer. No one comes close. Also, American use of capital is unsurpassed, hence, the inflow of foreign investment both to the market and the purchase of debt.
re: poverty
Yeah, strange isn't it. It is perceptual. For those feeling especially poor, a trip south of the border would be educational.
rufus,
ReplyDeletere: Weimar again
Makes one thankful that Mr. Reagan denied Mr. Carter a second term. Bringing in Mr. Greenspan was one of the best ideas ever made.
Sharp,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the thoughtful reply.
While the Dems are into the "chicken hawk" red herring, some Republicans will try to shut off debate with the accusation of gratuitous sniping.
I'm all for free-for-all. It has been my pleasure to learn all sorts of things from the most unlikely sources.
I have enjoyed reading and thinking about your posts. Please continue to contribute. We will yet save the world. ;-)
sharp,
ReplyDeletere: Ben Stein
Ben Stein is a wealthy, privileged man. This is not my opinion, it is his biography. Stein came from a wealthy, privileged family. He is also a Jew, who has over the past decade become more and more publicly observant, i.e. Orthodox.
An observant Jew is required, as an article of faith, to practice Tikun Olam. Loosely translated, this means the bettering or perfecting of the world. Essentially, the observant Jew must try daily to make the world a better place. The wealthier and more privileged the individual, the more he is expected to give.
Stein has repeatedly spoken of his blessings; blessings made possible by the sacrifices of generations of American warriors. Ben sees these troops as his avenue to Tikun Olam. It is a mistake to think he is motivated by quilt; rather, within the tradition of Orthodox Judaism, he is motivated by a sense of commitment to the betterment of man.
sharp,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the fray. Despite our nitpicking (that would never be me) you will find nearly everyone here a patriot. Our disagreements speak to methods, but not to outcome. Everyone of us wants to see our country assume her rightful place of honor in the world.