19. November 2011 by Publius.

In fact, these protesters making the claim that they represent 99% of the people is about the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. 54% of Americans own stock. While 1.5% of Americans belong to the National Rifle Association, between 35% to 50% own a gun. 20% of Americans smoke tobacco. 40% of high school seniors have used marijuana.

The only point I am trying to make is that this country is not 99% anything. You have to twist divisions out of all rationality to imply that kind of unity. 99% of Americans have eaten a tomato. The difference between that (imaginary) statistic and the claim of the 99ers is that eating a tomato is a binary event. Each person  either has eaten a tomato, or has not. Group membership is clear - perhaps there is a market for t-shirt makers here. Economic level, however, is a spectrum. There is no significant difference between someone in the top 1% of income earners and those in the top 2%, or top 5%. This whole thing is just a rhetorical tool used by hate mongers to imply some sort of justified class warfare. It’s baloney.

This movement is being orchestrated online. The advocates claim this as proof of democratization (note to self: a topic for another column), it is, rather, proof of their idiocy. How do people with smart phones and computers justify themselves as downtrodden? Neither is a necessity of life, neither is a right. These people are among the world’s elite - put there by the system they condemn.

And if they want to complain about inequality, I submit that there is a greater difference between the elite and the not-s0-elite under socialism than under capitalism. And, under socialism, the stratification is far more rigid than under capitalism.

Posted in economics, Politics | No Comments »

2. November 2011 by Publius.

Here is is, an entire year before the election, and I’m bored already.

Oh, I know how important it is, and I know how complicated the issues
are, but the rhetoric is just… so… flaming… stupid.

Obama keeps spouting Keynesian economic drivel while emasculating Congress
and gutting the Constitution. I realize that Executive Orders have been abused
long before Obama took office, but he is using them in new and innovative ways
to completely gut the checks and balances that were supposed to prevent this
type of power grab.

Of course, it’s not his fault alone. Congress is doing it’s best to help him.
The Super-Committee that is supposed to reduce spending, when the Congress cannot
(And does anyone seriously believe it stands a chance of working?) is the ultimate
abrogation of their authority - and they did it volunarily!

Maybe it’s not boredom, maybe it’s anger and frustration.

Posted in Politics | No Comments »