I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating.
Sophocles
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Guest Post Comment: Kansas Gov. Brownback Looking at Privatization of Public Sector Pensions
This website is attracting the comments of socialist or left-libertarian crackpot economic illiterates. Anyone blaming the 2008 tsunami on Wall Street confuses symptoms with causes. It goes beyond the scope of this comment to educate trolls, but you have to start with dysfunctional monetary and fiscal policy that promoted malinvestment in the real estate market and GSE's using the federal government's guarantee in selling sliced-and-diced mortgage backed securities, including those with little or no collateral. Also note that banking has been one of the heaviest regulated industries; it's like the troll has never heard of regulatory capture. The other troll is incoherent, somehow linking overdue government reform to class warfare propaganda. Actually the Gini coefficient has been relatively flat since the Clinton era, and let me point out artificially low interest rates favor those with financial assets.
As for privatization, it's the right way to go, of course. Anyone gambling on the promises of incompetent political whores is a fool. I agree that the state needs to get distributions under control and like a 401K conversion mechanism with lump sum accrued benefits rolled into the plan. I think employees should be empowered to choose an annuity alternative. As for the privatization proposal, the devil is in the details--contributions and distributions. We can't simply exchange one Ponzi scheme for another, say if as in Illinois, you have thousands of retirees getting distributions above the median household income.
82-Year-Old Women and Obama
I found the following email recently copied-and-pasted into Facebook and has been republished in several conservative blogs this month. I checked Snopes which often debunks forwarded emails and did not pull up a match, but a Google search references a similar email in 2010 (e.g., see here); this version has been updated to reflect more recent election results:
One 82-year-old lady loves Obama and she may have a very good point. She says that Obama is amazing, and is rebuilding the American dream! She gives us an entirely new slant on the "amazing" job Obama is doing, and she says that she will thank God for the President. Keep reading for her additional comments and an explanation. When discussing Obama, she says:Facebook Corner
1. Obama destroyed the Clinton Political Machine, driving a stake through the heart of Hillary’s presidential aspirations - something no Republican was ever able to do.
2. Obama killed off the Kennedy Dynasty - no more Kennedys trolling Washington looking for booze and women wanting rides home.
3. Obama is destroying the Democratic Party before our eyes! Dennis Moore had never lost a race. Evan Bayh had never lost a race. Byron Dorgan had never lost a race. Harry Reid - soon to be GONE! These are just a handful of the Democrats whose political careers Obama has destroyed. By the end of 2016 dozens more will be gone. Just think, in December of 2008 the Democrats were on the rise. In the previous two election cycles, they picked up 14 Senate seats and 52 House seats. The press was touting the death of the Conservative Movement and the Republican Party. However, in just one year, Obama put a stop to all of this and has given the House and the Senate back to the Republicans.
4. Obama has completely exposed liberals and progressives for what they are. Sadly, every generation seems to need to re-learn the lesson on why they should never actually put liberals in charge. Obama is bringing home the lesson very well: Liberals tax, borrow and spend. Liberals won't bring themselves to protect America. Liberals want to take over the economy. Liberals think they know what is best for everyone. Liberals are not happy until they are running YOUR life.
5. Obama has brought more Americans back to conservatism than anyone since Reagan. In one year, he has rejuvenated the Conservative Movement and brought out to the streets millions of freedom loving Americans. Name one other time when you saw your friends and neighbors this interested in taking back America!
6. Obama, with his "amazing leadership," has sparked the greatest period of sales of firearms and ammunition this country has seen. Law abiding citizens have rallied and have provided a "stimulus" to the sporting goods field while other industries have failed, faded, or moved off-shore.
7. In all honesty, one year ago I was more afraid than I have been in my life. Not afraid of the economy, but afraid of the direction our country was going. I thought, Americans have forgotten what this country is all about. My neighbors and friends, even strangers, have proved to me that my lack of confidence in the greatness and wisdom of the American people has been flat wrong.
8. When the American people wake up, no smooth talking teleprompter reader can fool them! Barack Obama has served to wake up these great Americans! Again, I want to say: "Thank you, Barack Obama!" After all, this is exactly the kind of hope and change we desperately needed!!
9. He made Jimmy Carter happy since Jimmy is no longer the worse president we've ever had.
10. "There is nowhere, in this Universe, where one can run nor hide, in order to get away from one's own wrong doing!" -- a simple footnote, from the Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation
The very idea of scapegoating a fusion libertarian politician who never said or implied the use of violence against law enforcement is pathetic. In fact, Congressional Democrats have expressed similar concerns over police militarization. For example, Martin Luther King preached nonviolence means to achieve racial justice. Murderers are responsible for their own actions; scapegoating others implies otherwise.
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of the original artist via IPI |
Vince Guaraldi Trio, "Christmastime is Here"
