Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.
Henry David Thoreau
Obama and the Drone Incident: A Brief Note
I've not been commenting much on foreign policy lately, but I've made multiple critical references over the past few weeks about Obama's qualitative leap forward in expanding the use of drones over an expanding area from Africa to the Middle East. What exactly were the lessons learned from the UBL operation earlier this year where a helicopter, with sensitive technology, crashed and was left behind, with an angry Pakistan, kept in the dark about the operation, in no mood to do any favors for the Obama Administration in terms of returning the damaged property? I know--let's run drone flights over Iran, a country with which the US has constantly been at odds over the past thirty-odd years. (Presumably drone flights provide some information not possible with satellites overhead...) Did this Administration weigh the risks of flying sensitive military technology over unfriendly territory? And now the President of the United States is seen groveling before the Iranian theocracy for our damaged drone back? Pathetic!
The House Payroll Tax Holiday Extension? Thumbs DOWN!
I have already repeated my objections against the House passing an extension of the payroll tax holiday, the most important of which the holiday is little more than a revamped version of a stimulus tax cut/rebate. I do not have a problem with the concept of a payroll tax cut--but if you're going to do a cut, make it permanent and make necessary adjustments to benefits so the program remains solvent on an ongoing basis.
The House did pass a version of the payroll tax holiday, which I did expect because the House Republicans felt it was politically impossible to let the Democrats run next fall claiming they were in favor of a middle-class tax cut but the Republicans weren't. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a vote on the House bill because apparently certain House conservatives stuck in a variation of drug testing for unemployment benefits; this is an obvious twist on a concept that Florida Governor Rick Scott favors regarding drug testing of welfare recipients and which a judge has put on hold, citing potential constitutional issues.
This is an example of where the libertarian side of my politics comes into play. Both liberals and conservatives have an interest in compelling the behavior of others consistent with their value systems. At the heart of it, many, if not most, conservatives distrust what people receiving transfer payments (e.g., welfare checks or unemployment checks) are doing with the money and seek to impose restrictions over access to these payments.
In part, this has to do with anecdotal evidence such as when a California state audit found nearly $2M in welfare checks being cashed at casino ATM's. There is a suspicion that people cannot be trusted to control themselves and squander precious taxpayer funds on socially undesirable things (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.) I do have moral hazard concerns about transfer payments and lax government controls over spending in general, but at the same time, I do not believe in a double standard that citizens receiving government benefits surrender their individual liberties to Big Government.
I see this controversial use of drug tests as unduly expensive, arbitrary, judgmental and presumptuous, based on dubious empirical evidence, and a clear violation in intent of the Bill of Rights (e.g., the general principle behind the Fourth Amendment). [I'm sure the lab testing industry must love how this government windfall affects their bottom line.] We see the same type of thinking in abusive TSA infringements on privacy rights where law-and-order conservatives are willing to throw individual rights, including privacy and human dignity under the bus.
We pro-liberty conservatives do not believe that people will always do the right thing. But we reject all forms of paternalism, whether from liberals or conservatives, since the "cure" (the deprivation of liberty) outweighs any marginal benefits accruing from coercive activities.
An Excellent Introduction to Libertarian Thinking
I saw Dr. Tibor Machan's essay Libertarianism in One Lesson in a recent issue of The Daily Bell, which has a free daily email subscription. It does a good job of explaining, for example, the reasoning behind my opposition to drug test qualifications for pubic programs, even though I personally oppose (and have never engaged in) transactions or use of illicit drugs.
Political Humor
A Funny Romney Joke:
- "The case for Newt is that he's nothing like that guy who used to be governor of Massachusetts. The case for Romney is very similar." - National Review
"Rick Perry said there were eight supreme court justices instead of nine. But, in his defense, he did know there were only three judges on 'Dancing With the Stars.'" - Jay Leno
[Well, he had bet Romney $10,000 that Tom Delay would win...
The worst part of the Supreme Court gaffe was getting a fellow-up call from Herman Cain, whom kept repeating, "9-9-9!"]
War has broken out in major geekdom between die-hard Star Trek fans and the Star Wars Force. We haven't seen this much excitement since Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker first appeared on the Maury Povich show. Of course, I can still remember Mom banning us kids from watching the Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold" because she objected to the belly dance scene. (Of course, I was still at the "girls have cooties" age...) First of all, let me point out to William Shatner that Captain James T. Kirk would have been the first man in the galaxy to hit on Princess Leia. George Takei plays the ambiguously gay diplomat whom encourages the two to make love, not war, and point out they have a common enemy. No, not vampires: the people who disparage the SyFy Channel. For George's next assignment: I suggest brokering an agreement between Grover Norquist and Barack Obama, and in his spare time he can settle the Middle East...
Musical Interlude: Nostalgic/Instrumental Christmas
"Go Tell It On The Mountain", Mahalia Jackson. The Queen of Gospel's voice was a gift from God, and I consider this brilliant signature performance definitive. I think I first sang this song in middle school, and we may have covered it in high school choir. I'm a fan of black Gospel choirs; I love the inspired use of choirs, e.g., backing Neil Diamond's version of "Morning Has Broken" or Foreigner's brilliant "I Want To Know What Love Is".
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
o'er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light
The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed our Savior's birth.
Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn
US Navy Band (instrumental; nice jazzy arrangement, recent appearance at the DAR Constitution Hall). The last time I went there, my beautiful, talented niece was playing with Augustana College (South Dakota) in a concert there. (The Navy Band is also talented.)
Blind Boys of Alabama. WOW! This performance by an extraordinarily talented group of male singers just blows me away.
Vanessa Williams. (Medley with "Mary Had a Baby") The brilliant pop music producer David Foster is behind this arrangement featuring the vocals of the multi-talented Ms. Williams. (Who can forget "Colors of the Wind" or (Sigh! Don't you just lose yourself in those gorgeous blue/green eyes?) "Save the Best for Last"?)
