Category: Politics

Trying not to start the public floggings

Unimaginable

Politics

Over at Reason magazine, Ryan Bourne does a scholarly debunking of Rep. Ocasio-Horseface’s suggestion of a top marginal rate of 70% on “the rich”.  Here’s an excerpt:

The idea that the value of rich people to the rest of society rests solely on their tax contributions… is bizarre. In fact, the risk that higher tax rates might deter entrepreneurial activity by reducing the future payoff to innovation should worry us greatly.

In language designed for ordinary citizens, that thesis actually leads to a question: what if rich people (and their expensive tax attorneys) resist the idea that they and their activities are simply money sheep waiting for the government to shear them?

And quite frankly, I have another, more relevant question.  Why the fuck are we even giving any credence or time to anything that this Commie ingenue says?

Texas Hold-Outs

Gummint, Immigration

I’m not quite sure what to make of this situation:

The federal government has started surveying land along the border in Texas and announced plans to start construction next month.  Rather than surrender their land, some property owners are digging in, vowing to reject buyout offers and preparing to fight the administration in court.

Now of course this is an Associated Press report (motto:  we put the “Ass” into “Press”) so I don’t know how much credence to put into the word “some”, as written above.  How many, exactly, is “some”?  Five?  Twenty?  Five hundred?

If it’s just a few, then fuckem.  The need for a secure border is greater than their need for a couple hundred acres of (largely) semi-desert.  And if it is a small number, I’d have no problem with the wall being built right up to the property line, and have those property owners have to deal with the funneled hordes of illegals trying to gatecrash our party.  (Suggestion:  the very first time they appeal for help from, say, ICE or the Border Patrol, they get told to shut the fuck up and live with the problem they caused for themselves.)

If, however, that “some” means “lots and lots” then there’ll have to be serious negotiations.  I suspect, however, that this threat of lawsuits is simply a negotiating position (for some of them, anyway) so that Uncle Sam can pay them an inflated sum for that valuable land.

I’m often skeptical about the Gummint’s use of “eminent domain” to take private property away from the owners, but if ever there are good reasons for its use, a secure border would probably rank near the top of the list.  Lest we forget:

Building in the region is a top priority for the Department of Homeland Security because it’s the busiest area for illegal border crossings.  More than 23,000 parents and children were caught illegally crossing the border in the Rio Grande Valley in November — more than triple the number from a year earlier.

Myself, I’d hire the selfsame wall-building companies that enabled Israel to keep the hordes of Arabs from flooding their country;  that, or thousands of “smart” landmines coupled with robotic machine-gun towers.  But that’s just me.

Addendum

Politics

A little while ago, two Socialist senators (Mazie Hirono and Kamala Harris) described the Knights of Columbus as an “extremist organization” which would be funny except that the Communist cows really meant it.  In response, one of the Grand Poobahs of the K.C. responded with a lovely letter which described their past good works and future activities.

I was particularly struck by this passage:

“We wish to formally invite you all to join us for any social or charitable event.  In fact, this February we are doing the Polar Plunge to raise funds for DC Special Olympics.  You and anyone you know are more than welcome to join us either jumping in the cold water or sponsoring our team.”

…which prompted me to write a letter to Hizzoner (I’m not Catholic, I don’t know the correct appellations) Patrick O’Boyle which included this request:

Please let me know if both or either of the senators have accepted your kind offer to participate in the Polar Plunge, as I would like to get there early and attach a teeny piece of concrete to those participants’ ankles prior to their immersion.

Hey, the Catholic Church used to dunk witches, didn’t they?  As all my Readers know, I’m a great one for old traditions.  And tell me these two foul creatures don’t look like they qualify…

  

In fact, I have it on good authority that Hirono once turned someone into a newt.  (Which would explain quite a lot, actually…)

Mitt Romney: Asshole Loser

Politics

Let’s just review Trump’s achievements over the past two years, shall we?

Romney’s complaint?  “Wah wah wah he isn’t polite enough.”

Fuck you, Romney.  We tried doing it your way, you lost, and we got eight fucking years of Obama.  Now shut the fuck up, and don’t be an asshole in the Senate, you backstabbing little shit, or your worthless ass will be primaried out of office in the next election.  We already have one Susan Collins in the Senate;  don’t make it two, or you’ll be out before you can say “WTF just happened?”

Kinda Trumpy

Politics

The world needs more — a LOT more — of this:

Right-wing nationalist Jair Bolsonaro, who has vowed to crack down on political corruption, violent crime and ignite a moribund economy with deregulation and fiscal discipline, after being sworn in as Brazil’s president today.
The former Army captain and seven-term fringe congressman rode a wave of anti-establishment anger to became Brazil’s first far-right president since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian rule three decades ago.
Addressing a joint session of Congress minutes after taking the oath of office, Bolsonaro, a former Army captain and admirer of the country’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship, vowed to adhere to democratic norms.
He said his government would be guided by the promises he made to Brazilian voters fed up with graft, high levels of violent crime and a still-sputtering economy.
‘I will work tirelessly so that Brazil reaches its destiny,’ Bolsonaro said after being sworn in. ‘My vow is to strengthen Brazil’s democracy.’
On the economic front, the new leader promised to ‘create a new virtuous cycle to open markets’ and ‘carry out important structural reforms’ to shore up a yawning public deficit.

And it gets better:

Last week, the former army captain said that upon taking office he would issue a decree guaranteeing Brazilians without a criminal history the ability to possess firearms. During the campaign, Bolsonaro argued that one way to confront street crime would be to arm more citizens.
Possession of firearms is currently tightly restricted in Brazil, though drug traffickers and other criminal gangs are heavily armed with automatic weapons. Brazil is the annual world leader in total homicides – more than 63,000 in 2017 – and a majority are from firearms.
Bolsonaro has frequently argued that police who fatally shoot criminals during operations should be decorated, not prosecuted. To that end, he has said they should be shielded from prosecution, possibly by having such cases be investigated in a separate process outside the criminal justice system.
Such ideas terrify human rights groups and people who live in poor neighborhoods, where shootouts between police and traffickers often leave criminals, officers and innocent bystanders dead. Some Brazilian police forces, particularly in Rio de Janeiro, are already among the most lethal in the world.
Bolsonaro has frequently expressed adoration for U.S. President Donald Trump, and he is poised to follow him in foreign policy. He has promised to move the Brazilian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; push back on China, Brazil’s largest foreign investor; ditch regional trade treaties he thinks are bad deals for Brazil; and take a hard line on leftist governments, including that of neighboring Venezuela.

All excellent stuff.

Anyone seen his Missus, by the way?

I think he has the right perspective on just about everything.

Quote Of The Day

Politics

From Pat Buchanan:

“We are an unserious nation, engaged in trivial pursuits, in a deadly serious world.”

Read the whole article, but his comment is true in many other instances as well.  Think of Nero (the U.S.) fiddling away while Rome (the world) burns, and you’ll get the idea.