The prescriptions of John Maynard Keynes have been controversial since his time: the idea of deficit spending for “priming the pump,” the idea of the “paradox of thrift,” and others that seemed to go contrary to traditional financial virtues. Many […]
Federal Government
This President Triangulates the Debt
Obama has been willing, in his desperation, to reform Social Security. Like Clinton and Welfare Reform. Maybe the Republicans forced him to it, but you could say the same of Clinton. And maybe only Obama could have taken on Social […]
Who is tossing whom over a cliff?
This column by Chris Laureys of New Jersey is one of the best I’ve ever seen on the distortions of our current welfare state. Related: “Who is tossing whom over a cliff?” by Chris Laureys at USAToday.com
Identification Cards Required to Leave the State
Some rather interesting requirements imposed for flying. It declares, “If you plan to fly out of the state, federal regulations mandate that all adult passengers (ages 18+) must provide a valid state or federal photo ID that includes the passenger’s […]
Once Again, the Laffer Curve Curves
Michael Barone, whom I usually respect, confuses, like most Republicans, the issue about tax rates. Yes, when Kennedy cut the top rate from 90% to 70%, federal revenues did actually go up. And when Reagan cut the top rate to […]
The Courage Factor
The Economist on Obama’s general lack of courage. He campaigned on ‘audacity’ and ‘we can’ but it looks like we don’t. Remember you heard it first here on Blue Kennel. I hadn’t quite thought of ‘allergy to antithesis’ in terms of […]
Obama’s Oxymoron: Government Innovation
A former Oxy student’s oxymoron. Sorry, I couldn’t resist that. (For the uninformed reader: Oxy is the common abbreviation for Occidental College, which both our current President and I attended at different times.) Related: “Obama’s Oxymoron: Government Innovation” by Debra […]
Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic finds…
Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic finds something actually positive in Schwarzenegger’s legacy. An achievement on Ambinder’s part. Read: “Judgement Day” by Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic
Back to the Nineties
The current election results are making us remember 1994, when also, under a Democratic President, and with health care issues in the air, the Republicans won control of the U S House of Representatives. I’m concerned with social issues, and […]
Who Are All These People on the Ballot?
Ballots nowadays are crowded with all kinds of names that one has never heard of, for offices one has never heard of. Originally the reason for all this was that these small local offices were closer to “the people” than […]