It is generally not good form to give a visiting head of state a present of one's used clothing or shoes; Bush doesn't even wear a size 10. (If al-Zeida had done the same to Saddam Hussein, Hussein probably would have decided that al-Zeida can make do without his feet as well.) But Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino suffered a black eye in the aftermath. I suggest that Mr. al-Zeida stay clear of Ms. Perino. A lot of American women love their high-heeled shoes, and they can get their point across to the target audience.
More seriously, al-Zeida has lost the right to be considered a professional; a journalist reports the story: he doesn't become the story. Once again, President Bush has demonstrated his characteristic class and humor in dealing with the unconscionable, unprovoked attacks by self-important, publicity-seeking, sophomoric vassals of the liberal elite. Al-Zeida should reflect on the fact that America did not invent preexisting, internal conflicts among the Iraqi people. To suggest that tragic loss of life and property in collateral damages during the invasion and occupation is comparable to Hussein's unprovoked wars against his neighbors and heinous crimes against humanity in the intentional murder and maiming of many innocent, defenseless Iraqi citizens reveals the one-sided, disingenuous nature of his so-called analysis.
Energy and Car Czars?
One need look no further for evidence of Barack Obama's gross incompetence on economic matters than, as the price of a barrel of oil continued to decline to $33/barrel last week, Obama's theme continued to be that our green energy industry constitutes a material source of new jobs for an economic recovery from this ongoing recession. First of all, Mr. Obama, do you understand that alternative energy is a substitute for fossil-based fuels and numerous economists have already pointed out that higher prices are needed? That recessionary effects have already cut the consumption of oil (that's why the price is declining)? And guess what the American people will think if you give them a "stimulus check", but they end up spending that and then some on increased energy prices? Second, we have trading partners, e.g., China and India, whom are graduating something like ten times the number of engineers that we do.
The market has a way of picking winners and losers without relying on Obama's so-called experts. Higher energy prices resulting from paternalistic, counterproductive energy policies is a pernicious form of implicit regressive taxation. What Obama should do, if he really wants alternative energy to be viable, is to remove barriers to entry, loosen the regulatory strangehold on business, and cut uncompetitive business taxes.
The same thing holds true for an auto czar; when the Obama presidency has essentially been bought and paid for by special interest union leadership, how does the government think it's better able to judge the American consumer than the Big Three have?
Stimulus Plans
Obama has to be very careful that he doesn't try to reinvent the failed Hoover approach. If 80% of the first stimulus did not make it into the economy, we have to be very careful. Already Obama's support for an automaker rescue has other parts of the economy arguing for "their fair share". I continue to argue that what we need is not another neo-Keynesian version of economic policy but a pro-growth policy, marked by lower capital gains to reflect a more proper balance between risk and reward.
