The political news is so bad these days, it’s depressing even to consider it, not to mention putting finger to keyboard. Laugh if you will about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton going to Moscow with a mislabeled “reset” gag gift, but behind that buffoonery lies the implicit assumption that we somehow have apologies to make to an increasingly autocratic Kremlin that tolerates the murder of whatever journalists are not under the government thumb, is attempting to sabotage our efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and neutralize an existential threat in Iran, uses the oil weapon against our allies in Western Europe and feels free to launch invasions on the soil of former vassal states that have the temerity to seek their own way in the world.
At home, the president speaks of an “inherited” economic crisis as a justification for the kind of social spending and intrusion of government into the public sphere that hasn’t been seen since, well: Ever. The same man who promised us “change” in Washington outsourced his economic agenda to those notable outsiders and change agents Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. The folks at the wheel at Treasury seem ill-adapted to the task and everywhere, everyone seems intent on “just doing something” without quite knowing what to do. Which, while it may be a recipe for movement cannot rationally be classified as progress.
The bloom may be coming off the rose, and maybe Tapscott is right and a new political alignment may indeed be forthcoming, but even so, by then trillions will have been added to the national debt. Having thrust itself into the private sector, the high tide of government is fiercely resistant to any kind of retrenchment – the tide just keeps rising and rising.
Even if the Republican party manages some kind of comeback, it’s far from clear to me that the party’s mavens truly understand that it wasn’t all George W. Bush’s fault that they got trounced in two consecutive elections, but that when offered a choice between corrupt big government and equally corrupt big government light, most people failed to see the difference in that distinction. In any case, having wretchedly guided the domestic economy when they had their chance at the helm, it’s equally far from clear that the Republicans are anything but content sitting on the sidelines saying “No” without offering a plausible, positive alternative. Because while it’s not enough to state what you’re against and you have to actually be for something to inspire the electorate, when you’re out of ideas – and have rejected the old ones – at least there’s an element of job security in it, albeit as an impotent member of a permanent minority.
Your host is, temperamentally, a irrepressible optimist of the “we’ll muddle through somehow” line.
He’s just finding it hard to put that suit on, these days. Might have to go play golf instead.
It is a lovely day outside.
“everywhere, everyone seems intent on “just doing something” without quite knowing what to do. ”
I’m stocking up on Ammo and other good items for barter,as I see a strong possibility for hyper-inflation and a general economic meltdown.
It may be heartening to some of us who pay attention that a few pundits are waking up to the ugly truth, but out there in the land where people believe what they hear and read in the media, everything the Obama administration is doing is going splendidly, except that those dratted Republicans are so obstructive that they are continuing to drive down the economy!
This morning on NPR (which I cannot avoid as my spouse loves it) the host questioned “analyst” Dan Schorr about whther Obama might not be “over-extended” in trying to make so many changes so fast, to which Dan responded that he was impressed at Obama’s ability to keep so many balls in the air at once!
Dan Schorr – burning the NPR brand to the waterline all by himself! God love ‘em, as our VP would say!
I have found that the “kick” to the shoulder of 12 gauge rounds, fired at defenceless clay targets, or even rows of helpless cans and bottles certainly works to eliminate stress. Plastic milk jugs filled with water and red food colouring are also somehow enriching when they explode.
Follow that up with a pint of bourbon and an hour in the hot tub, and life is again tolerable for a few hours…
unkawill/
Best barter item? Bags of silver dimes.
Tremendous flexibility for all items large & small. Stocked up on mine early under the Carter Admin when silver was around 3,50/0z.
Heh,
My dad, another sailor, taught me a useful trick with a roll of dimes. Place one in the center of your neckerchief before you roll it up. Then, put a small rubber band on each side to hold it in place, or sew it in place.
If you get into a tight spot, you just grab aholt of the square knot, pull it up over your head, and you have a wicked blackjack. Afterwards, you have a roll of dimes to use in the payphone to call for help.
respects,
“It’s a lovely day outside.”
Reminds me of the story told about one of the Generals of the German General Staff, having been ordered to attack Russia in the teeth of a beginning winter and being told that it would be impossible to produce enough fur-lined winter boots in time for the offensive who, upon being advised of that fact, idly, fatalistically, mused out loud to no one in particular: “Well, perhaps we will have a mild winter this year….”
Lex, you’ve pretty much summed up my feelings, though I’m of course much more prone to pessimism.
Golf sounds like a good idea. It’s cold out there, though!
AW1Tim,
Doesn’t the pint of bourbon and an HOUR in the hottub make you $#!Tfaced? No wonder you can tolerate life for a few hours-
you can’t remember it!
Best,
geo6
I think that by the time this administration and congress has had just two years of displacing the private sector with government monopolies and 4-yr plans, the national economy will have been taken down a road that will be exceptionally hard to backtrack. This president knows exactly what he is doing. The Manchurian Candidate has his eye and agenda transfixed on making the US just another Euro-socialist nation, and once the percentage of voters who are non-taxpayers exceeds 50% it will be Katie-bar-the-door.
Bread and Circuses are in our future.
Nope. But I fear that a replay of the French Revolution may be coming.
Consider…we have a political elite that pays no taxes, is vastly wealthy, is utterly disconnected from the lot of the common man, and despises the professional class utterly.
Add an economic crisis, and you have France in 1789…or America today.
Yes and Marie, er, uh, I mean, Michelle Obama serving up Mushroom Rissotto at a local soup kitchen.
A new suit of tar & feathers, donated by the plebians and presented gratis to many of the higher officials might well be in fashion come the spring.
I recommend the latest Wretchard posting:
http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/03/07/an-disaster-waiting-to-happen/
Money quote from the Telegraph:
A well-connected Washington figure, who is close to members of Mr Obama’s inner circle, expressed concern that Mr Obama had failed so far to “even fake an interest in foreign policy”.
and be sure to read the comments.
As I said to my department head Thursday afternoon, “screw this, let’s go flying!” Alas, Avgas is still over $5 a gallon around these parts and his plane eats it at 15 gal/hr.
Virgil,
I served under carter at the start of my enlistment. I much preferred President Reagan as my CInC.
Woud’a, coud’a ,shoud’a, on the silver coinage, alas, tis to late. However, nickles are worth 35% more than the face value in metal content, at present.
I’ve hoarded canned goods, generators,hand tools of all types, with an eye towards pioneering and construction, plus an extensive library of how-to books.
“A people get the government that they deserve.” If so, then I must have been a right bastard in a previous life.
It remains astounding that at a crucial point in our nations (world’s) history, we have elected a bunch of socialistic morons as our government. Right-now they’re engaged in hard-left social-engineering and financial Pilot-Induced Oscillations (PIOs) in the thought that doing something (however stupid and ill-advised) is better than to be perceived to be doing nothing.
We’ll be hitting the “RESET” button before this thing is over. Our “leaders” already have the OVERCHARGE lever hard-over.
I stumbled upon “jimtherealtor” from Lileks’ blog; a good insight into the real estate mess.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHh2V1qPZFY&feature=related
Check out the rest of the videos on his channel, they’re pretty entertaining.
Tried the golf thing to forget the country’s troubles this morning; sad to say, my golf game is in worse shape than the country. May try bourbon and a hot tub in a day or so. I see a long, miserable four years ahead of us.
My brother in law built a cabin in the Canadian Rockies for relaxing vacations. Very easy to convert to a keep or redoubt. Big basement for cold storage, pretty good fields of fire
We will have one shot at this in 2010. If the Republicans don’t take back one house or increase their Senate compliment Obama and the Dems will insure the changes are close to permanent.
You’re right, Lex. Americans want to stand “For something.” I just hope we’ll have the chance in four years. Muddle muddle muddle…
[...] Lex isn’t exactly optimistic about the near-future. He does a better job of putting those thoughts onto the keyboard than I can. [...]