Finance and Free Markets

A very interesting piece in the New Yorker explores the way that finance has begun to swallow up capitalism, sucking money, talent, and bailouts into its orbit, while doing a mediocre job at its most socially beneficial function:  raising capital for productive enterprises.  Increasingly, big banks engage in trading for clients and themselves through the [...]

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Not Getting It

Thomas Friedman has gone from being a cheerleader for globalism to a cheerleader for un-American, command-and-control industrial policy of the type enjoyed recently by China and, less successfully, the Japan, Mexico, and Brazil of yesteryear.  What he does not understand and is completely dishonest about is the widespread American rejection of the measures undertaken by [...]

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The Rebirth of the Nonaligned Movement

Obama seems strangely aloof from America’s historical allies in Europe.  He bows to Saudi Kings while snubbing British and Russian Prime Ministers alike.  And now he has taken a major step, endorsing the inclusion of India as a permanent member (with veto power) on the United Nations’ Security Council.  Why would this be in America’s [...]

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Obama’s Post-Election Rhetoric

I’ve thought for a long time that Obama’s rhetoric has some serious problems.  Earlier in the campaign, he was cajoling his supporters to work for him.   He has insulted middle America, suggesting it is fearful or racist at different times.  In dealing with Congress, he has been imperious and unwilling to adjust his tone and policies [...]

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Web Round Up

Sorry kids, it’s been a busy week (out in the non-blogging world), but I found a few interesting things to share. Lying Eyes had a nice piece on the limits of markets. Jonah Goldberg notes that the taboos on criticizing Obama (and his manifest arrogance) are becoming the stuff of ordinary observation.  This breaking of [...]

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Obama: Bad War Leader

I was perusing the Washington Post’s excerpts of Bob Woodward’s new book on Obama’s decision temporarily to add 30,000 troops to the Afghanistan campaign.  A few things are rather striking to me, and they reveal Obama’s defects as a leader. First, Obama is completely ambivalent about the mission and the troop increase in Afghanistan.  This [...]

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Lions Led by Donkeys

That’s what they used to say about World War I:  you had armies of lions led by donkies.  In Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s clear that the grand strategy–democratic nation-building in the Muslim world–will do little to make us safer from terrorism and requires an impossible tutelage of proud, xenophobic Muslims by secularized America and its [...]

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You Are Disappointing Dear Leader

Obama is starting to lose it. Most politicians are more than a bit narcissistic.  You have to really believe in yourself to run for office, and no one has been drafted to run, Cincinnatus-like, since the age of Andrew Jackson.  That said, moderately narcissistic men can also be great leaders through balancing qualities such as [...]

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Obama’s Malaise

Obama is getting beaten up by core supporters, his lies are crumbling, his half-hearted war leadership has been exposed, and his lack of political skills and instincts is more and more apparent. Why is this so surprising?  His campaign was a big lie; the media participated in myth-making and didn’t do their job, from checking [...]

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A Free Country?

One thing we sometimes forget is that the most important means of social control in communist regimes was the power over your job; if you offended the communist leadership, you could be fired.  It turns out the NJ Transit Authority employee who burned a Koran near the WTC site was fired.  The stated reason, “violating his [...]

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President’s Latest Public Relations Debacle

Obama has stepped into an unnecessary public relations disaster, once again.  Last summer, he got involved in the Officer Crowley and Professor Gates event, and ended up permanently alienating many people who saw him transform from the post-racial healer into an old school, race-hustling politician.  He acted like a bully, and it was very clear [...]

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Obama’s Iraq Policy

I read (but did not watch) the President’s speech on Iraq.  Of all the things he has done as President, stopping our mindless “stay the course” approach in Iraq has been something I generally approve.  I also think it’s a testament to his relative moderation on foreign policy that our withdrawal has been orderly.  I [...]

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The Victory Mosque and Obama

Obama, like former President Bush, defends the religious freedom for Muslim Americans to insult the rest of us, just as he is willing to defend the honor of Islam itself.  But this is an unpopular stance.  Most Americans have heard the anti-American cheers, seen the strange practices, and become fed up with the murderous triumphalism [...]

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Spreading the Wealth

Obama may be looking at a big giveaway on the eve of this fall’s elections:  mass reduction of outstanding principal debt on upside down homes. While I am averse by nature to big government interventions, this one has more to recommend than the earlier bank bailouts.  After all, homeowners are probably, on the whole, net [...]

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The Funniest Guy in America

I was a little bereft of blog inspiration this morning when I saw this op-ed by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner:   “Welcome to the Recovery.” Hahahaha! I seriously do not think I’ve seen anyone nearly so incompetent, overpromoted, and out of touch with reality until, well, until the last time I took a serious look at [...]

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