Archive for the ‘opinion/news’ Category

I have deliberately avoided saying what Mark Steyn has said…

Posted: November 9, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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…because I was afraid that the left would figure it out but he has let the cat out of the bag:

Right now, they can trade anything — abortion, death panels, whatever. The trick is to plant the seed and let the ratchet effect of Big Government take care of the rest. I said on Rush’s show on Friday that if Barack Obama had been Bill Clinton he’d have woken up on Wednesday morning and begun triangulating. Instead, Obama woke up and figured that he needed more fierce urgency, and right now. The short-term hit in 2010 is worth it for the long-term benefits: Obscure congressmen will be just as happy as obscure ambassadors or obscure chairmen of obscure agencies. And the prize of permanent irreversible statist annexation merits the risk: Governmentalized “health care” puts us on the fast track to Euro-sclerosis and redefines the relationship between citizen and state in ways that make genuine conservative politics all but impossible. (emphasis mine)

This is my greatest fear, once it is in play it will NOT be repealed, it will Never be repealed and when the democrats have the votes they will tweak it over and over.

This is why it must be killed now! If it isn’t it will never die but our freedom’s will.

Morning Joe Cho Abortion position? What Abortion position?

Posted: November 9, 2009 by datechguy in catholic, internet/free speech, opinion/news
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Morning Joe is talking about Anh Cho talking about his district and stressing it over and over again.

Not a word about his position on Abortion or the fact that without the Stupak amendment he wouldn’t support it.

I suspect the game plan is to stress the district and keep Cho off the air for fear that he will bring up the Abortion business.

Interesting to note that Vanden huevel of the nation declined to say if she would support the bill in its current form if it comes to a final vote. Maybe we should ask her about the Berlin wall business?

Update: I second Quin Hillyer:

Ronald Reagan understood that sometimes local issues prevail. He played the game brilliantly. Remember that to pass one of his big initiatives — either the Reagan-Kemp-Roth tax cut or the major Gramm-Latta spending cuts, I can’t remember which — it was Reagan’s willingness to horse-trade that led Democratic then-Rep. John Breaux of Louisiana to boast about some protection he got for the sugar cane industry. Asked if his vote had been for sale, Breaux cracked: “No, of course it isn’t for sale, but it is for rent!”

What Cao did was nowhere near as cynical as that; but conservatives loved it when Breaux did it, because it brought him to Reagan’s side on a key vote.

But again, ALL ALONG, for months, Cao had said his line in the sand was abortion financing, and openly said he would likely vote for a bill that blocked such financing. In short, he did the honorable thing by saying where he stood and sticking with it. No, of course I don’t like his vote. But give the man a break: He’s an honorable, incredibly hard-working, inspirational young representative who is doing his darnedest to do a good job in a district ordinarily incredibly hostile to conservatives and Republicans of all stripes.

Cho and Dede are night and day. By all means lets fight and kill the bill if we can but I’ll take any victory on Abortion that I can get. Cho is one of the reasons we have that victory.

A classic example of the traits of Sullivan’s Syndrome aka Bloggers Alzheimer’s

Posted: November 9, 2009 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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You might recall in my dissertation on Bloggers Alzheimer’s I said the following:

Like regular Alzheimer patients some brief periods of lucidity may emerge (re Iran) but when exposed to the “external threat” again (re: Palin) the syndrome re-asserts itself. And the patient will often make an object of adoration of any opponent of the external threat.

Andrew proves both points, the first to his credit:

I’ve noticed a few right-of-center blogs complaining of double standards on the left, in the denunciations of extremist rhetoric and imagery of the Tea Party marches. Ed Driscoll has a good point. The extremes of the anti-war left before Iraq were every bit as inflammatory and loopy as the Tea Partiers today. Now, they were opposing a war that turned out to be a catastrophe for all involved, while the Tea Partiers are just opposing the working poor having a chance to buy health insurance. But if Godwin’s Law is the point, many (but not all) on the left currently do not have a leg to stand on.

Full marks to Sullivan for backing up Ed Driscoll and others who have not thrown the left’s marches down the memory hole.

Those brief moments of lucidity are precious to those who deal with Bloggers Alzheimer’s and it is welcome, but when the trigger returns so does the disease:

Some remaining questions: When exactly did Todd find out about the pregnancy? And when did he discover that his son had Down Syndrome? Or were those two pieces of news delivered simultaneously? Why did the Palins make no attempt to prepare their other children for Trig’s special needs when they had so long to do so? Why on earth did Palin believe that the mere fact of her pregnancy would elicit criticism and disdain – “Oh, the criticism that I knew was coming” – when it would obviously actually redound to her credit as a working mom and governor?

I’m taking a risk with this link and quote but I’m an old hand with Sullivan’s syndrome so don’t try this at home, remember the warning:

No current treatment is known for Sullivan’s syndrome but readers are advised to avoid prolonged exposure to the subject as the syndrome can spread to the point where the infected person can become the trigger for the syndrome in others.

So be careful.

And you know when slavery was abolished Southern Plantation owners had it tough too

Posted: November 9, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
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I would take it as Axiomatic that there are some advantages to dictatorship or absolute Monarchy, decisions and reactions are faster, the rules are simpler, (fail to follow them and you die or if you have an enlightened absolute exiled) Generally crime and punishment are more direct (see Saudi Arabia) and if you are one who is favored by the dictator or Monarch you are likely living pretty.

That being the case it doesn’t surprise me to read this article at the Guardian lamenting the death of East Germany:

Of course, unification brought with it the freedom to travel the world and, for some, more material wealth, but it also brought social breakdown, widespread unemployment, blacklisting, a crass materialism and an “elbow society” as well as a demonisation of the country I lived in and helped shape. Despite the advantages, for many it was more a disaster than a celebratory event.

This could have been written by any of our Castro loving left today, and they would justify it any sympathize with it. Just as they said that people were better in Iraq when Saddam was there or how it would be ok to let the Taliban have Afghanistan again.

They make a small currency of freedom since they take it for granted, but lets play a game. Lets say instead this was written by a white south African decrying the end or apartheid or a Plantation owner in 1870.

Our friends on the left would be (rightly) outraged at this idea yet as I look at the memeorandumlink I see a few blogs on the right but no outrage from the left.

Bill Jacobson says it best

What is remarkable about the philosophy of putting economic security over individual liberty is that it is such standard left-wing fare. And it sounds so familiar lately.

Ms. de la Motte should not be so sad. She could have a fine future ahead of her in Washington, D.C

Let me be blunt, this woman is either deluded or evil and I sure hope it is the former. She would press the button in that new movie to get the million bucks and as one of the elites she did. Her comfort was purchased with the lives and blood of her countrymen no differently than the slaves of the south or the oppressed of South Africa.

Learn from her or be prepared to repeat her mistake.

Update: The Anchoress as always finds the right way to put it:

I’m thinking Bruni de la Motte would not have much liked the “asocial” Ulrike Poppe. Possibly Bruni de la Motte would have reported her for not being happy that her life was being so efficiently managed for her.

If she doesn’t write for a living she should.

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