George Rebane
Historian Francis Fukuyama recently interviewed technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, venture capitalist, futurist, and PayPal founder Peter Thiel about government and current technology advances. One of the salient points Thiel made about our government is that “we should debate whether it should be decentralized or centralized, but what the United States has today is an extremely big government, a quasi-socialist government, but without a five-year plan, with no plan whatsoever.” Planning is hard, and generating a reliable plan is demonstrably impossible when undertaken by government bureaucrats. Although there have been a few successes when technologists have been the planners for technology projects. In any case, why would Thiel call our government “quasi-socialist”, hmmm? (Here is the entire American Interest interview.)
This morning’s dose from National Propaganda Radio on Obamacare was a real doozy. Legal analyst and correspondent Nina Totenberg was on a panel reviewing the healthcare law now argued in SCOTUS. She helpfully pointed out that the universal healthcare insurance mandate was necessary to keep the “freeloaders” from getting more than their deserts at the expense of those who pay taxes and insurance premiums. A moment later she explained the additional benefit in Obamacare that provides for government subsidizing the premiums of those considered too indigent to make their own payments. Apparently progressives are immune to such logical lateral accelerations (now also called ‘pivots’) since no one on the panel evinced any audible pain or discomfort.
I should also point out that on that NPR segment, no one could be found with a criticism of that landmark legislation.
Finally, here’s a bit of clarification from Clark and Dawe on the concept of ‘quantitative easing’ that has now crept into the lexicon of that small minority still tracking current events with the goal of finding some light at the end of any of the tunnels comprising the rabbit warren of geo-economics. This YouTube video is guaranteed to draw a chuckle from those who have been attempting to decipher the august pronouncements of The Bernank.
[27mar12 update] Jeff Ackerman writes a long overdue piece – 'Dose of reality for Nevada City' – in today’s Union (unfortunately it’s paywalled). In it he shines a bright light on Nevada City, one of our county’s looniest locales that the local lefties have been trying to destroy as a tourist destination and feasible business environment for local merchants. It seems that in this go-around the person who is intending to deliver the next body blow to our historic and quaint town is none other than one of its leading citizens and former mayor Ms Reinette ‘Happy Havoc’ Senum.
Reinette is doing her part for world socialism by coordinating with the national occupiers to “create economic havoc” on 1 May (the international collectivists’ May Day) by calling for a general strike by Nevada City residents. The city is already in dire straits after years of fiscal and public policy mismanagement, and now it is asked to again kick itself in the butt with another stupid show of solidarity with movements designed to end America as we know it. Does anyone see any common ground with people like these?
rebanesruminations.com 
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