The Real Culture War Is Over Capitalism
This is refreshing:
Voices in the media, academia, and the government will dismiss this ethical populism as a fringe movement — maybe even dangerous extremism. In truth, free markets, limited government, and entrepreneurship are still a majoritarian taste. In March 2009, the Pew Research Center asked people if we are better off ‘in a free market economy even though there may be severe ups and downs from time to time.’ Fully 70% agreed, versus 20% who disagreed.”
Condi Rice defends enhanced interrogation as "legal" and "right" | FP Passport
Here’s former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice defending the Bush administration:
And I’ll tell you something. Unless you were there in a position of responsibility after September 11th, you cannot possibly imagine the dilemmas that you faced in trying to protect Americans. And I know a lot of people are second-guessing now, but let me tell you what the second-guessing that would really have hurt me — if the second-guessing had been about 3,000 more Americans dying because we didn’t do everything we could to protect them.If you were there in a position of authority, and watched Americans jump out of 80-story buildings because these murderous tyrants went after innocent people, then you were determined to do anything that you could that was legal to prevent that from happening again. And so I think people do understand that.
We may not like everything we’re hearing now, but she certainly makes a valid point.
Where did all the bailout money go?
The Christian Science Monitor says the federal government has committed $11.3 trillion to recovery efforts. It’s spent about $3 trillion so far.
I’ve not heard anything close to that number before. They have a nice graphic and a breakdown of how they came up with that number. To be fair, much of it will only come due if disaster strikes. For instance, the Federal Reserve will actually make as much as $1.8 trillion when some of its 90-day loan notes come due.
Still, the federal government is spending a whole lot of money that we don’t have.
Medicare Part D shows market-based solutions work
Good editorial in the AJC this morning on Medicare Part D, the prescription drug plan created during the Bush administration. It’s an approach to government spending I’d like to see more of:
Consider Medicare Part D. This prescription drug benefit for seniors has a huge price tag, but by allowing the market to set prices, Part D has actually reduced costs and improved services for seniors.Under Part D, seniors select a prescription drug plan offered by a private insurer. The federal government subsidizes these plans, and insurers compete to offer seniors the best deal. Competition among insurers drives down costs to enrollees and provides them with multiple choices so that they can pick a plan that suits their medical needs and budget.
Medicare Part D stands out as a rare success among the scores of bloated, inefficient government programs we encounter on a daily basis. It has managed to deliver great service to its beneficiaries — at a fraction of the projected cost to taxpayers.
The Congressional Budget Office put the original 10-year price tag of the program at a whopping $634 billion. Premiums for a standard plan were projected to be $44 by 2009.
CBO recently revised its 10-year estimate of Part D’s cost down to $395 billion. And today, standard plan premiums are $28 — 37 percent less than anticipated.
When businesses compete, it tends to bring prices down. Perhaps we should keep this in mind while discussing plans to nationalize our health care system and have one payer — the federal government.
$2 Deluxe Hugs
Free hugs are awesome, so $2 hugs must be fantastic!
I never posted the photos of my Free Hug campaign in the Wiscasset, Maine July 4th Parade last year. Will get them up soon.
Obama plane’s NYC flyover
I’d heard that a presidential plane’s unannounced, extremely low flyover of NYC caused some people to panic. But didn’t really get it until I watched this amatuer video:
Curse tablet
Check out the entry for curse tablet in Wikipedia. A history professor in San Diego cleaned it up as project for students. That’s one well-written Wikipedia entry — and an example of great teaching.
Truth
Everyone’s attempt to be good – every attempt to construct happy relationships and thriving societies – starts with two questions: How do I tell right from wrong? And how do I tell truth from falsehood?”
– Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, “Truth“
Red Sox 5, Yankees 4
Ah, the joys of Red Sox fandom:
BOSTON — The Yankees were about to get away with it, about to escape Fenway Park with a victory despite leaving runners on base all night. There were two outs in the ninth inning and Mariano Rivera was holding a two-run lead. What could go wrong?A lot, as it turned out, and not just because Jason Bay pulverized a Rivera fastball for a game-tying home run. And not just because the Red Sox won, 5-4, on an 11th-inning homer by Kevin Youkilis off Damaso Marte.
The night was a fiasco for the Yankees for those reasons and more.
Today’s game is on Fox at 4 p.m. and then Sunday Night baseball tomorrow night.
