Krugman and Economic Theory

Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize Winner for Economics, is, unfortunately, also a liberal and when push comes to shove he applies liberal faith instead of scientific integrity. He recently accused Sen. Kyl of ignoring textbook economics when Kyl said that unemployment benefits tend to prolong unemployment. But that is exactly what Krugman and his wife said in the textbook that they wrote:

"Public policy designed to help workers who lose their jobs can lead to structural unemployment as an unintended side effect. . . . In other countries, particularly in Europe, benefits are more generous and last longer. The drawback to this generosity is that it reduces a worker's incentive to quickly find a new job. Generous unemployment benefits in some European countries are widely believed to be one of the main causes of "Eurosclerosis," the persistent high unemployment that affects a number of European countries."

It is unfortunate that a scientist like Krugman would write a book called: The Heart of a Liberal.
Is he a scientist or a liberal?

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/03/025752.php

Obama and the Muslim World

The visit of Obama to Indonesia, where he spent some time while growing up, is protested.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100305/ap_on_re_as/as_indonesia_obama

I thought that the world loved us now that Bush is gone.

Al Gore Responsible for Murder-Suicides?

An Argentina couple killed themselves and one of the children (and attempted to kill their daughter who survived 2 bullet wounds) over concerns about global warming. If civil laws allow assorted hate mongers being liable for murders committed by unknown followers, should Al Gore be criminally liable for this? Rhetorical question. (Answer, for those who don't know, is No. And neither should other speakers be liable when some listener takes their words too far.)

http://michellemalkin.com/2010/03/01/al-gore-is-not-responsible-for-those-alleged-global-warmicides/

Torture and US Law

I have always thought that the enhanced interrogation techniques appeared to be effective and legal techniques. They were drawn up by lawyers, very specific, and did not involve anymore than minimal physical trauma. To call them "torture" seems to be over-using the word, similar to calling everything racist. Now the Justice Dept has finally agreed, apparently, and will not pursue actions against the lawyers who drew up the legal justification for them and hopefully will soon stop any actions against the CIA agents who carried out the techniques as written.

This action should have been done a year ago. To call these techniques torture is to demean all those people who have really been tortured.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/rubin/244171

SodaHead dialogue

Me: "As Winston Churchill once said "Any 20 year-old who isn't a liberal doesn't have a heart, and any 40 year-old who isn't a conservative doesn't have a brain.

It is rather sad that Gen Y'ers would need a spokesman, someone to follow. I would have hoped that they would think for themselves and not be followers.

And I would urge any Gen Y type to understand that you can be a liberal personally but when it comes to public policy you should use science and think about what public policy best leads to the results that you want. Many conservatives are liberal in the traditional definition of liberal but they believe, based on study and experience, that liberal utopian public policies do not work very well.

We are spending tons of money. My generation (60 and over) are getting all the advantages while you are getting the bill. I am opposed to deficit spending not because of any personal advantage to me but because I don't want to leave a huge debt to my children and grandchildren. You are the ones most affected by the policies done today."


Reply: "The first part is bogus contardiness. Can't argue with that last part though. You kids can thank Bush when your generation has to pick up the tab for his mess."


Me: "You may want to review the Constitution, esp. Article 1, Sec 8, Powers of Congress, and compare it to Article 2, Powers of the President. Congress controls the budget. Under the 8 "Bush" budgets, the debt went from $6.2 trillion to $11.9 trillion but about half of that increase happened after Dems took over Congress. ($2.9 trillion increase in the first 6 years and $2.8 trillion increase the last 2 years.)

In 2008, the Congressional Budget Office projected a total 10 year SURPLUS of $274 billion. In 2010, the same CBO projected a 10 year deficit of $6,047 billion.

As to the first part, unfortunately many people like the definition of liberal as "generous" and "open-minded" and have trouble when applying that to public policy. Most can't handle cognitive dissonance. Of course, most people do not pick their party based on data or facts but rather on social considerations such as who their friends are. That was the underlying purpose of the posting-people need social support for their beliefs."

D'oh Canada

"VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — D'oh, Canada!

"What should have been the crowning moment of an opening ceremony years in the planning lost some of its glitter when one of the four pillars supporting the Olympic cauldron failed to rise from the floor of the stadium Friday night.

"While the four Canadian sports heroes bearing torches — hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, basketball All-Star Steve Nash, skier Nancy Greene and speedskater Catriona LeMay Doan — stood by helplessly at center stage, there was an awkward two-minute pause while flashbulbs popped and the crowd murmured in anticipation.

"The slam-bang ending went on, but LeMay Doan never got the chance to light the flame. Because of a mechanical glitch, her pillar didn't get out of the trap door that was supposed to open and release it."

There have now been 4 deaths in the long history of the Winter Olympic Games. Two of those deaths occurred during the two times that Canada hosted the games. Do they know what they are doing?

And why are they continuing the Luge competition? Why not suspend it?

Obama and Success in Iraq

On Feb 10, 2010, Vice President Joe Biden was on with Larry King. During the conversation Vice President Biden, a cut-and-runner, said that Iraq was one of the great accomplishments of the Obama Administration.

BIDEN: "Well, you’ve heard me say that for the last 10 years. I think it’s the — it’s a big country. It has nuclear weapons that are able to be deployed. It has a real significant minority of radicalized population. It is — it is not a completely functional democracy in the sense we think about it. And so it’s — it — that’s my greatest concern.

I am very optimistic about — about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You’re going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer.

You’re going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government. I spent — I’ve been there 17 times now. I go about every two months — three months. I know every one of the major players in all the segments of that society.

It’s impressed me. I’ve been impressed how they have been deciding to use the political process rather than guns to settle their differences."

Can't believe that he actually said that. Obama likes to talk about inheriting 2 wars. Prior to leaving office, Bush signed the Force Agreement with Iraq, removing the US from any active, independent, military role-we would be there to assist in Iraqi led operations. Seems that would have basically ended the war. (Although Obama violated that agreement and meddled in Iraqi sovereignty:)

http://ayfs.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/iraq-investigates-obama-administration-meetings-violated-iraqi-sovereignty-and-showed-tolerance-for-terrorists/

On a related front, it is beginning to look like the recession may have ended in July, 2009. At this point, we have had 2 quarters of growth. Now, I understand that Obama supporters are right in saying that it takes time to change direction and fix problems. But if the recession ended in July, 2009, less than 6 months after Obama took office, should he get any credit for ending it? What measures did he take to end it? I guess that the $787 billion stimulus had an impact but to this day I am hearing that hardly any of that money has been spent even now. How much of it was spent prior to July, 2009 and could this realistically have a impact that soon on the economy?