War Against Israel

Much of the international media is engaged in deliberate incitement against Israel and is sparking violence against world Jewry even in places thousands of miles from the conflict on the ground in Gaza. In Denmark, two Jews are wounded in an attack, a Toulouse, France synagogue is damaged by arson, Jews face street confrontations across Europe and none of these recent victims has any suasion over or responsibility for IDF actions. They are bearing the brunt of absolutely collective punishments of the innocent who just happen to share the same faith as the beleaguered Israelis. Last night, I watched a female BBC anchor berate the Israeli Ambassador to the UN in an inquisition that would surely have pleased Torquemada. This scree was issued by someone who is either a Jew hater or a fool who does not recognize that war is an inherently violent enterprise. Every Hamas rocket launched at Israel is intended to kill. Kassams are not symbolic. The British suffered under Nazi bombing during World War II. Should Arthur "Bomber" Harris have aimed for a proportional response or should he have done whatever was necessary to defeat Germany? In the event, the bombing campaign mounted by the Royal Air Force was much more deadly and destructive than what the Luftwaffe had wrought. An objective analysis of IDF conduct throughout the history of the Israeli state reveals exemplary conduct, and this action of self-defense in Gaza is certainly necessary and has been orchestrated as much as is possible to minimize Palestinian suffering.

The Biggest Lies

A false sense of prosperity was created and fed by government programs, government-sponsored entities including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Sallie Mae. These organizations with the ready assistance, indeed complicity of loan officers, mortgage brokers, and realtors generated loans that saddled some students with backbreaking debt, sold the hapless homes that they could not afford (sometimes even committing fraud by telling them to overstate their actual income levels to make the numbers work so the home loans could be generated), encouraging both education and mortgage debt that could only be justified by the whim of government and manipulation of the Federal Tax Code. The arbitrary decision of government to make home ownership a virtue now has millions foreclosed on, facing foreclosure, or upside down in their homes (they now owe more on the house than it is worth). Government manipulation fed this predicament and there was never any virtue in ownership per se as leasing a home or renting an apartment was certainly never a vice. People changed their behavior often deliberately earning less than they could have so they would not find themselves facing bracket-creep, mandatory alternative minimum Federal income tax, or would not forfeit their eligibility for student loans or other government programs by earning too much. This is a perverse disincentive to force people at government caprice that may be amended at any time to have to structure their lives to limit their own success so that their mother may enter a nursing home or their daughter attend a college. Under Obama's planned economy, the public can only anticipate more such life-shaping exploitation by those claiming to be trying to help.

Blagojevich Fumbles Opportunity

I was deeply distressed when I heard disgraced Illinois Governor Blagojevich had made his appointment to serve the remainder of President-elect Obama's US Senate term. I heard the announcement on radio and feared he had offered Plaxico Burress the position. What a relief that he actually selected former state Attorney General Roland Burris to the seat. The troubled New York wide receiver would not be much of a catch as a Senator but is hardly more of a slap in the face to the nation than anyone payola Rod might try to appoint.

Mayhem in Minnesota

Not so funny man Al Franken is poised to take, not win the Minnesota US Senate seat he lost in November. The Democrats like to tabulate vote totals, manufactured, manipulated, or otherwise until they have a lead, then stop. By "count every vote", Democrats of course mean except the military ballots they seek to suppress and in this case, votes that went for Norm Coleman were routinely thrown out over the slightest pretext. Oops, this voter filled in his ballot completely rather than making an X. This voter went for Coleman, so this is clearly a spoiled ballot and must be discarded. A scribble counts for Franken but a precisely directed vote doesn't tally for moderate Coleman. Add in the felons whose suffrage was not restored, the aliens who voted illegally, the dead people still on the rolls who managed to get up and vote, the ACORN balloteers, nonexistent or voting multiple times, and the double votes counted by the election board and it's a wonder the final totals were even close. We theoretically have a two party system, not one party and a punching bag.

Broken Grecian Urn

I awoke this morning to the BBC headline of "Wedgwood to seek administration". One of the most prestigious collectibles in the world is forced into receivership as even the wealthy cut back. There is optimism though that the company which also makes Waterford crystal and Royal Doulton will soon find a buyer. Perhaps, a Saudi prince is a pottery lover. I guess I'll have to forgo the second Ferrari. I could swear my Churchill toby had a tear in his eye this morning.

Clean Up Crew

Politicians have long sought to build an ossuary for integrity. Washington is a maternity ward of corruption, an incubator of graft, and the place ideals come to die. There is a cynic born in DC every minute. Grow the government a couple of trillion dollars and you never know what could fall into some one's pocket in Congress or the administration. And talk about oversight, an SEC investigator just rushed into his office to say he thinks Robert Vesco may be dirty. In a decade, Madoff may appear on their radar. As pappy used to say, "with all that money flying around, someones bound to catch some."

Tax Cuts Work

Obama has proposed $310 billion in tax cuts. Depending on what other taxes and fees he raises, and if he allows the Bush tax cuts to lapse or actually passes legislation to curtail them even sooner, the cuts have a chance to stimulate the economy. The amount is relatively modest considering the recent surge of Federal bailout spending, but it sure beats a 300 billion dollar tax increase. Then again, massively growing government with 600,000 new Federal hires, raising taxes on the high net worth individuals who own businesses and do most of the job creation in the private sector, and saddling industry with burdensome regulation may negate any benefit the tax cut could create.