Quote of the Day
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.
Albert Einstein
Time To Rethink NATO And Our Participation
Retiring DoD Secretary Bob Gates points out an inconvenient truth to our NATO allies: despite an aggregate GDP in the EU higher than the US, the US pays roughly 3 times the percentage of GDP for defense spending. Of the NATO members that are participating in the Afghan or Libyan campaigns, the US is paying a disproportionate amount of blood and treasure--up to three-quarters of the costs while participating allies pick and choose how their troops are deployed, leaving the lion's share for the US. Even in a limited engagement like the Libyan campaign, at best a modestly challenging mission, over just a few weeks, our allies are finding themselves running short on military supplies and having to rely on the US to replenish them.
Perhaps the Europeans believe that mitigating unrest in northern Africa, the Middle East or Gulf Region, just a sea away or Turkey (no longer under a secular government) bordering their southeast flank is less relevant to their own interests than the United States, oceans away. I think there is moral hazard in the US guaranteeing European security, no matter how irresponsible they are in continuing to underinvest on defense in their own behalf. It's becoming clearer what America gets from this alliance: the bills.
I am one of a growing number of libertarian-conservatives: we are increasingly demanding for our government to run more efficiently across the board, with real shared sacrifice and real budget cuts, including the sacred cows of entitlements and defense. The days of nation building and indefinite commitments to remote locales of dubious strategic value are over: so are blank checks to our European allies.
Petraeus For President? I Don't Think So...
I see that there is a grassroots effort to try to draft Gen. Petraeus for President. First of all, this is a moot point because Petraeus has already given a Shermanesque response (" I will not accept if nominated and wil not serve if elected") in a Meet the Press interview last summer. Second, whereas key generals have ably served as President (e.g., Washington, Grant, and Eisenhower), leadership in the political arena is different; the challenges we face involve difficult, perhaps unprecedented ones, with chronic entitlement problems, tepid domestic economic growth to pay for ongoing massive operational deficits. We have already seen civil unrest sweep across Europe over the past year in response to long-overdue austerity measures. Even in the northern midwest, we have seen public union unrest and partisan legislator walkouts over modest, long overdue reforms. Although it's nice to believe that the success of Petraeus's anti-insurgency strategy in Iraq might be transferable within the context of American politics, I think there's much to be said for accountable executive experience, more experience on domestic/economics issues and a track record across a broad spectrum of issues.
Is there room for someone with military/foreign policy expertise to balance a national ticket? Yes. I have thought that Colin Powell or Condi Rice would perfectly complement Mitt Romney's strong experience as an executive in both the private and public sectors; the same holds true of Tim Pawlenty. David Petraeus could also fill that role.
President Obama Trying To Use Trade Pacts
As Bargaining Chips For Tax and Spend?
Thumbs DOWN, DOWN, DOWN!
I've been counting to 10 before writing a commentary on this topic because to me, it's so utterly revealing to the President's crass partisan politics and fundamental ignorance of basic economics. The President wants to use trade pacts with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea as political bargaining chips with the GOP-controlled House, in particular, unemployment compensation extensions.
This is blatantly a payoff to Obama's crony union interests. Unions generally prefer protectionist policies which protect unsustainable labor costs; failing to do that, they try to co-opt the trade pact itself by whiteboxing labor policies of the other nation. Generally, economists agree that the preponderance of evidence is in favor of free trade. More efficient producers of goods and services across parties of a treaty are able to expand, and consumers from either country gain by no longer being forced to subsidize crony capitalist interests. In particular, lower-income people are de facto being cruelly taxed by the relevant manipulation of the supply/demand curve by policymakers.
There is moral hazard and unintended consequences by the Democrats trying to further extend unprecedented levels of unemployment compensation for up to 2 years. It may well be, for instance, defer a decision to relocate to places where work is available. We've seen a number of anecdotal stories, e.g., where Washington state apple growers have had to apply for foreign workers because people can make more off unemployment than full-time picking apples.
Obama wants to use win-win trade pacts that help the American consumer get more from his or her money as bargaining chips to get more morally corruptible extensions in unemployment compensation? I don't think so...
Harmonic History: Part 2
Political Humor
"Los Angeles has passed a bill to remove all the red light traffic cameras around the city. We're not like rest of the country. We don't need your stinkin' traffic cameras, just like we don't need your clean air, your human decency, your real breasts..." - Craig Ferguson
[I think something got lost in the translation of why Amsterdam wants to protect privacy in red light districts...]
President Obama said yesterday that he's not concerned about a double dip recession. He's more concerned that the recovery is not creating enough jobs. Do you know what you call a recovery that isn't creating enough jobs? A recession. - Jay Leno
[Well, businesses were still convalescing from the economic tsunami when Obama decided that the time was right to present them with the ObamaCare bill (and the bills for trillions more in spending) and the private sector had a relapse. Unfortunately, the election of Obama and the 111th Congress was not covered under preexisting conditions...]
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
Chicago/Peter Cetera, "One Good Woman" (live). Probably my favorite Peter Cetera solo hit. (I need to learn to skate: Jamie Salé is a gorgeous, adorable skater...) I've loved the orchestral backdrops for yesterday's "The Glory of Love" and this song...
