1. OMG, The Earth Has Warmed For Reals
I know there are hardcore spectics out there that don’t think that warming is occurring but I think the vast majority of folks are more skeptical of the anthropogenic argument than the actual warming. “Proving” that warming is occurring or has occurred is just fine, the planet has done so many times in its history. And another thing: why would any climate scientist, given the checkered recent history of shoddy peer review and politicization, even think about deviating from the standard peer review process by doing what they have done and inviting fanfare and attention to their work prior to extensive peer review? Also, I thought this was settled science as of like 2008 or something. They’re still doing studies on this?
2. Google Gets a Gold Star
Great big gold star for Google, but while the requests they can disclose are a great thing, I’m really far more concerned about the more than 50,000 requests issued via “National Security Letter” or the other “requests” Google is forced to cooperate with thanks to the sweeping powers granted to the federal government to combat terrorism.
3. Can We Just Agree That Everyone Is Crazy?
The war over who is more anti-science continues to rage on. Kind of funny to watch. Still a plague on both their houses; religion and irrationality take many guises and can never be purged entirely from the human condition. It’s the folks who want to compel me to do something about their irrational beliefs that ought to be publicly derided.
25.10.11
Early Edition
1. Paul Raises $2.75M in Five Days
I read these articles and, while $3 million is only a fraction of the $15 million a complete chucklehead like Perry has on hand, am amazed at the fact that this figure is composed almost entirely of small donations from individuals rather than major corporations, special interests, etc. It makes one wonder what Paul would be capable of if he were to take on serious financial backers. But then I suppose he wouldn’t be Ron Paul. Unless of course those backers understood and agreed that their support would not equate to political favors in a Paul administration. But then why would they back him…
2. Steve Forbes… I Mean Rick Perry… Unveils New Tax Plan
Perry hits all the high notes of GOP fiscal rhetoric with his new plan. He’s recycling Forbes’flat federal income tax plan with some changes from the 1996 2000 GOP primaries (small wonder, considering Forbes is both advising and now officially backing Perry) and throwing in a Balanced Budget Amendment, entitlement reform, and a limitation on taxation to in-country income only. He also says the corporate income tax would first be lowered to 20%, then temporarily lowered to 5.25% as a short term measure to lure offshore investments back to the US. While I think Perry’s a dead end, this is a smart campaign move. People liked “9-9-9” because it was a slogan that kept things simple. Well, Perry’s making things even simpler with just “20”. That’s one number less than Cain! The one to cinch the nomination will be the first to reach a single digit slogan for their tax reform plan. There isn’t too much about Perry’s plan I hate, and considering it came from Forbes that makes sense. I wish it were an abolition of the current income tax and a replacement with a federal consumption tax but if I have to pick between a plan that has a flat consumption tax coupled with a personal income tax and a corporate income tax and a plan that just has a flat personal income tax and corporate income tax then I think I’ll go with the latter. The fewer and lower the taxes Americans pay the better off we are.
3. Present-Day David Brooks Continues To Wish He Could Go Back In Time and B*tch-Slap 2008 David Brooks
Brooks sees Obama’s obvious play to his base as a losing strategy for re-election, and he’s absolutely right. Even if Obama clings tenaciously to his base, he’s going to alienate independents and conservatives even further (if that’s possible) and wind up with such a narrow share of the general election vote that he’ll make Jimmy Carter look like a rock star.
I read these articles and, while $3 million is only a fraction of the $15 million a complete chucklehead like Perry has on hand, am amazed at the fact that this figure is composed almost entirely of small donations from individuals rather than major corporations, special interests, etc. It makes one wonder what Paul would be capable of if he were to take on serious financial backers. But then I suppose he wouldn’t be Ron Paul. Unless of course those backers understood and agreed that their support would not equate to political favors in a Paul administration. But then why would they back him…
2. Steve Forbes… I Mean Rick Perry… Unveils New Tax Plan
Perry hits all the high notes of GOP fiscal rhetoric with his new plan. He’s recycling Forbes’flat federal income tax plan with some changes from the 1996 2000 GOP primaries (small wonder, considering Forbes is both advising and now officially backing Perry) and throwing in a Balanced Budget Amendment, entitlement reform, and a limitation on taxation to in-country income only. He also says the corporate income tax would first be lowered to 20%, then temporarily lowered to 5.25% as a short term measure to lure offshore investments back to the US. While I think Perry’s a dead end, this is a smart campaign move. People liked “9-9-9” because it was a slogan that kept things simple. Well, Perry’s making things even simpler with just “20”. That’s one number less than Cain! The one to cinch the nomination will be the first to reach a single digit slogan for their tax reform plan. There isn’t too much about Perry’s plan I hate, and considering it came from Forbes that makes sense. I wish it were an abolition of the current income tax and a replacement with a federal consumption tax but if I have to pick between a plan that has a flat consumption tax coupled with a personal income tax and a corporate income tax and a plan that just has a flat personal income tax and corporate income tax then I think I’ll go with the latter. The fewer and lower the taxes Americans pay the better off we are.
3. Present-Day David Brooks Continues To Wish He Could Go Back In Time and B*tch-Slap 2008 David Brooks
Brooks sees Obama’s obvious play to his base as a losing strategy for re-election, and he’s absolutely right. Even if Obama clings tenaciously to his base, he’s going to alienate independents and conservatives even further (if that’s possible) and wind up with such a narrow share of the general election vote that he’ll make Jimmy Carter look like a rock star.
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