1. More On Cain’s Abortion Stance
This is a tortured apologia for Cain’s equivocating on the abortion issue. The author is projecting his own libertarian predispositions on Cain, which is probably what Cain is going for with his confounding and inarticulate attempts to clarify his position (perhaps he’s learning a thing or two from Obama’s 2008 campaign). I think Cain is trying to have it both ways, and if he thinks that abortion should be legal in all cases either at the federal or state level but that he personally does not support it he’s going to have to say that pretty explicitly, otherwise he’s going to face a backlash from somebody at some point. And I’d rather it be sooner than later so that, if he’s our nominee, he’s had plenty of time to recover prior to the general. Part of his strategy, however, may be to play to the black community, who has a disproportionately large figure of women that undergo abortions. Right or wrong, this issue is too huge to be treated with such carelessness.
2. Libertarian Cato Institute Gives Perry Tax Plan a B+
Finds the Perry flat tax falls short in the elimination of loopholes, deductions, exemptions, etc, and seeks clarification on how the optional element will work (switch back from year to year or commit for a fixed period?), whether it eliminates the double tax on interest, and a few other things. Echoes my comments from yesterday about preferring this system over Cain’s 9-9-9 plan.
3. Can The US Learn To Live With Islamism?
Great piece from Time wondering if the West can and will learn to live with Islamist democracies in the Arab world.
4. Professor A$$douche Almost Had Me…
…Until I reached the last two paragraphs.
26.10.11
Morning Extra
The Economist published an interesting rundown on changes in consumer spending during 2007-2010. Nothing earth-shattering, but there's a few noteworthy outliers:
"Processed vegetables" (I read this as canned food) - has increased in real dollars, but the jump in nominal dollars is what's really scary. We may be trying to be "healthier", but more likely I think poorer people are priced out of fresh and are switching to canned, which is also not cheap these days. Ominous.
Real spending on tobacco, as the article notes, is way down. That's good I guess. I wonder how much is health-driven, and how much is due to a spat of statewide public smoking bans in the past few years?
Spending on eating out has dropped dramatically in terms of real dollars, and interestingly in similar proportion to spending on alcohol.
Utilities/home fuel spending is way way up, reflecting higher oil prices and a stressed electrical grid, most likely.
Last tidbit: Spending on gasoline and clothing both decreased overall, but both showed parallel decreases in real and nominal spending. This indicates to me that consumption parallels price changes in an almost 1:1 manner, but that could be a red herring. I am, after all, not an economist.
"Processed vegetables" (I read this as canned food) - has increased in real dollars, but the jump in nominal dollars is what's really scary. We may be trying to be "healthier", but more likely I think poorer people are priced out of fresh and are switching to canned, which is also not cheap these days. Ominous.
Real spending on tobacco, as the article notes, is way down. That's good I guess. I wonder how much is health-driven, and how much is due to a spat of statewide public smoking bans in the past few years?
Spending on eating out has dropped dramatically in terms of real dollars, and interestingly in similar proportion to spending on alcohol.
Utilities/home fuel spending is way way up, reflecting higher oil prices and a stressed electrical grid, most likely.
Last tidbit: Spending on gasoline and clothing both decreased overall, but both showed parallel decreases in real and nominal spending. This indicates to me that consumption parallels price changes in an almost 1:1 manner, but that could be a red herring. I am, after all, not an economist.
Early Edition
1. South Dakota Social Services Is Kidnapping Children
I understand that when underprivileged folks have a microphone thrust into their face and a sympathetic ear offerred that embellishment is a common occurrence, but regardless of whether the Howes are embellishing their story for the benefit of the reporter, this situation is still totally unacceptable. Social workers unilaterally empowered to take your children away on suspicion of wrongdoing? Forget the cultural elements of this story, this is wrong no matter where it occurs. Are there families out there neglecting, abusing and exploiting their children? Absolutely there are, and that is unforgivably tragic. But empowering government bureaucrats to steal your children and bar you from accessing them without due process of law? The absolute apathy of the bureaucrats interviewed in this piece is staggering.
2. More On Tunisian Elections
I’m heartened by what I’m reading on this. A youth demographic that is suspicious of the leading Islamist party, a population jealous of its accumulated rights, and no clear majority in Parliament, meaning a coalition of secular and religious parties will be required in order to govern. The voting occurred without violence or, as far as we can tell, massive fraud.
3. Feds Targeting California Marijuana Growers
Given the way our government usually works/thinks regarding lining its pockets and increasing the breadth of its authority, I’m continually amazed that legalization of marijuana has not gotten more traction. Legalizing would afford federal and state governments an enormous source of new tax revenues, a brand new industry to regulate, and so much else. But I guess then the US attorney’s office couldn’t order private landowners to use their property in a certain way or risk losing it altogether.
I understand that when underprivileged folks have a microphone thrust into their face and a sympathetic ear offerred that embellishment is a common occurrence, but regardless of whether the Howes are embellishing their story for the benefit of the reporter, this situation is still totally unacceptable. Social workers unilaterally empowered to take your children away on suspicion of wrongdoing? Forget the cultural elements of this story, this is wrong no matter where it occurs. Are there families out there neglecting, abusing and exploiting their children? Absolutely there are, and that is unforgivably tragic. But empowering government bureaucrats to steal your children and bar you from accessing them without due process of law? The absolute apathy of the bureaucrats interviewed in this piece is staggering.
2. More On Tunisian Elections
I’m heartened by what I’m reading on this. A youth demographic that is suspicious of the leading Islamist party, a population jealous of its accumulated rights, and no clear majority in Parliament, meaning a coalition of secular and religious parties will be required in order to govern. The voting occurred without violence or, as far as we can tell, massive fraud.
3. Feds Targeting California Marijuana Growers
Given the way our government usually works/thinks regarding lining its pockets and increasing the breadth of its authority, I’m continually amazed that legalization of marijuana has not gotten more traction. Legalizing would afford federal and state governments an enormous source of new tax revenues, a brand new industry to regulate, and so much else. But I guess then the US attorney’s office couldn’t order private landowners to use their property in a certain way or risk losing it altogether.
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