| America's future, Pierre Elliott Obama, and flatlining the economy |
| Wednesday, 08 April 2009 | |
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Thank you for your kind (and unkind) letters from the Canada, America, Ireland, Britain, and Norway. Mark reads all the letters, but especially enjoys the vicious ones. Drop a line to Mark's Mailbox and if you're chosen to be the one and only Letter of the Week you'll join our roll of winners from four Continents and receive a copy of Mark Steyn From Head To Toe. It would help if you could indicate your city or town, or, at least, your state, province or country. Failing that, your continent or hemisphere would do. For letters on The Rush Wars see Mailbox Extra. As an employee in Norway, I have 7 weeks of paid holiday per year!! Just don't know what to do with all that time... And, get this, if I don't take the time, then I get paid for it at the end of the year. It's so funny, because the Americans and Canadians who work here all take way less than the statutory 7 weeks and get a nice little bonus payment at the end of the calendar year. Whereas all the Europeans who work in the office always take the maximum 7 weeks (plus numerous "sick" days/weeks) and simply cannot understand why anyone would not take the max. There is a huge cultural difference within the office. One of the reasons why work ends so early over here (besides slothfulness) is because the schools shut down so early - schools usually close between 1:30 and 2:00 pm (they start at 8:30 am). Norway, by the way, was recently ranked second worst education system in (Western) Europe, just above Greece. So, I have transferred my four kids out of the public school and into an "IB" school, just in case they ever actually need an education... i.e. return to North America. Nevertheless, and as you say, this will become a smaller and smaller problem in the coming years, as the schools empty out (the area I live in has closed three schools in the last six years). Norway is barely hanging on in terms of demographics, but will no doubt slip down to German/Swedish/Spanish/Italian levels in due course. As for pensions, you are bang on target. By way of example, the company I work for has always had a generous pension system, which is based mostly on the state pension, plus a 25% topping up from the company. No need to invest in anything. No 410K's, no mutual funds, etc... The state takes care of everything and you just take your measly pay check each month and try to make it until next pay day. Well, well well, suddenly this January the company calls us all in for a meeting and says that Oh, and the company also reserved the right to change all of the existing Defined Benefit Plans into Defined Contribution Plans in the future if they chose to. In other words, if the Norwegian Government further erodes its contribution to the overall pension amounts (which could easily happen given current demographic rates), the company reserves the right to pull out completely. In which case those of us in the old scheme are screwed, because the "nest egg" for investment will be so small What is happening here? Well, it seems plain to me that the Government of Norway has run the numbers and realized that they will not be able to maintain the pension system "as is". They must - ironically - move to a more "American style" pension By the way, it is important to know that Norway is by far the richest country in Western Europe per capita (indeed, in the world) because of its oil revenues. So, all of this is happening in a country where there is still no technical deficit or debt, but rather a surplus budget year after year. Imagine, then, what it is like in neighbouring Sweden and Denmark, where there in no oil revenue to pad the lining of the coffin. Where the governments are running deficit after deficit. It's going to be grim. Very grim. And if you think that is bad, try Continental Europe where matters are even worse. The storm has already arrived and hard decisions are already being made and implemented. I see the headlines in the European newspapers daily. Dutch immigrants are flooding into Norway, desperate to get to a country which at least has hope for the time being. German doctors and nurses are also flooding into Norway. Even Danes and Swedes are trying to get in. The Poles and the Lithuanians are driving across the Swedish border at night and are now doing the manual labour jobs as well under the table. Even schmucks like me. I may have got here early (1994), but I'm staying on now, because it is one of the last few ships floating in Europe. Only we all know, deep down, that even this ship cannot sail forever on this course and speed. Chris,
Horowitz seemed to be saying that anyone who thought that the stuff Obama was doing was radical and dangerous, that the messianic stuff was real and creepy, was comparing Obama to Hitler or Lenin. Finally, someone brought up the real comparison. Obama is Trudeau. I have called him Pierre Elliott Obama to anyone who would get the reference. He wants to turn America into an Southern Trudeaupia, and that's just wrong. It's not Obama Derangement Syndrome to want to prevent the American Trudeau from doing to American what the Quebecois Trudeau did to Her Majesty's Frosty Dominion. It's the best comparison I can come up with, Obama and Trudeau, and I wish more conservatives would use it. It may short-circuit some of the mealy-mouthed crap coming from guys like Frum, and may deflect ill-considered criticism coming from guys like Horowitz. Colin Mulloy A GOOD THING? SILVER LININGS "Once conservatives do that, they will find some silver linings in the first moves of the Obama administration. Through a combination of ineptitude and zeal, Obama has in two short months locked down the conservative and Republican base. On fetal stem-cell research, on borders (e-verification), on spending, on unions, on shutting down talk radio, Obama has flexed the leftist muscle so nakedly and unmistakably that there isn’t a conservative left who will vote Democratic in the next election (and there were many who did so in the last)." Isn't this the transformative zeal that you and others are pointing to? It is Mr. Obama's increasingly evident desire to remake America in his own image that spurs the warnings by conservative thinkers and that, in turn, might help defeat his wrongheaded leftism. Thanks very much for your valuable efforts on the printed page and as a Limbaugh stand-in. Jon Hill
"Beneath still waters JP Ellis A DRUG THAT MAKES YOU DREAM "I'm not present Jeff Cook TEA AND SYMPATHY “Drawn by the undertow Sean French BILLIE’S VERSION Kevin Peet HUNG UP Peter Zappa ERR… KINDA My mother had a pretty decent career as well including being "staff" at KWKH in Shreveport (the Louisiana Hayride" station and the pianist-accordionist for the Hotel Peabody in Memphis (the one with the ducks in the fountain in the lobby). Her band included Memphis legends like Pee Wee Womble, Pappy Graves and Sid Manker. Sid was coauthor and did the guitar on Raunchy. Harry Gish Re: A little hate, but mostly violence Bill Smith DON’T DISS THE UNDERLINGS Jim TECH SPEAK Tom BLOG BLOCKING John THE FILTER FILTER Alex
Nathan Lassig MARRIOTT NOT Geoff Matthews Re: If Only Soundscan turned the record industry on its ear because for the first time sales numbers were correctly represented. Let me tell you, back in the late 80's a record store was a good place to work because record company reps would make sure we had really good concert tickets, free records, etc in exchange for making sure "that new Heart album's selling real well, right?" (that's a direct quote - and I got tix to the Billy Idol show from him for responding "oh, yeah, everyone's crazy about that new Heart album") Soundscan is the reason for the rise of Nirvana and the "independent" direction music took in the early 90's. Anyway, I can go on and on - point is, Mellencamp is way off. Soundscan was the first tool that put some degree of accountability and auditability into record sales. Dan SELL OUT This was the John Cougar that skewered Bob Segar when he retired and sold his "Like a Rock" to Chevy. Mellencamp said that Segar had sold out and that if he had need the money so bad that Segar should have asked him (Mellencamp) for some. Well, "Like a Rock" had a pretty good run for Chevy and I'm sure that it made Segar much more than Mellencamp had ever intended to pay him. And when it finally was retired recently, what replaced it? A Mellencamp song. So what was that quote in your post? Oh, yes: "Of course, the artist does not want to 'sell out to The Man.' " Well in John Cougar's eyes, John Mellencamp did sell out. Hypocrite! Carey Dietz MORON MUSICIAN I can't get anyone else in this state, including my wife, to understand that he's (a) a moron, and (b) a lousy musician. So it goes. Nathan REAGONOMICS WASN’T TRICKLE DOWN Trickle down is demand-based economics. It says if you give money to the rich, they'll spend it in societally beneficial ways: investing in new factories, buying things from poorer people, etc. Trickle down assumes government is controlling the economy and argues that it should give money to the rich because they'll spend it more effectively than the poor folks. Trickle down would firmly favor Obama's policies of subsidizing auto makers or "green" technologies to create jobs. But Reaganomics was about the supply side of the equation: if you want people to produce, unleash the natural incentives of the free market. Rule #1 is reducing marginal tax rates because high marginal tax rates punish achievement and discourage productive activity. Cutting tax rates spurs economic growth regardless of whether you are reducing them for billionaires or low-end workers. And get rid of intrusive regulation that makes it harder to produce things. Eric C. Bohnet CORPORATE ROCK Vincent Flynn Re: Government health care Keith OUTSOURCING I served in the USAF for 28 years. Based solely on my own experiences, I maintain the only thing that allows the military medical system able to function is the civilian medical system that surrounds it. When the military doesn't have enough medical resources, it "outsources" its care requirements to the civilian doctors. Unfortunately, when the entire national medical system becomes socialized, that option will go away, and we'll all suffer as a result. Jeff Tschida ENFORCED SOCIALIZED MEDICINE Of course this is OK as our daughter is one of the "rich" and the poor illegal needed to be cared for. We already have forced socialized medicine in this country. If the Doc's won't treat these cases they are liable. (By the way, that liability extends till the kid is 18 years old for OB/GYN doc's.) If we just cut out serving illegals we would have significantly reduced health care costs in this country. George Hawks TAKE THE VOUCHER APPROACH Having said that, Froma has a point that there is a big difference between socialized medicine and socializing paying for the medicine. For example, the government could provide insurance vouchers that the needy person could use to pay whatever insurance provider he wants to use. There is no reason that you could not pick whatever doc/insurance company you want to use. It is true that what the insurance company will pay for will affect the doc's treatment choices but this has been true for many years. Republicans should focus on devising the best approach for extending medical support to the people who are uninsured. Those people are going to get medical insurance during Obama's presidency. The question is do we just scream about the Democrats' (inevitably) stupid plan or do we propose something that is intelligent. A voucher approach to insurance (and schools, of course) works for me. Steve Koch Re: Cry me a toxic river Ezra Marsh WHO NEEDS IT? I'm one of those types that might in the past have been asked to take some kind of deputy-undersecretary type job at the Treasury or an assistant economist for the Council of Economic Advisors (or other similar body) in a Republican administration. (Mid 40's. Professor of economics at top 15 economics department, Research done in areas that might be close enough to Treasury work ...). Mind you, I've never been asked, but I know enough people that fit this type who have been asked and are being asked now for the Obama administration. And I would advise anyone not to touch this with a ten foot pole. First, it is a pay cut. Gov't positions near the top probably pay about $150K. Not chump change, but less than anyone qualified for these jobs is currently making. Second, you either have to move your family, or say goodbye to them or a few years, visiting on the weekends and so forth. Finally, the public perception is that everyone else is doing you a favor by allowing you to have this job, as opposed to your doing everyone else a favor by taking it. Thus the press and Congress feels entitled to asking for 10 years of tax returns and scores of pages of background checks. No thanks. Government service is now unappreciated charity work and at my age, I get enough prostate exams at the doctor. (Don't use my name) MEDIOCRE ASSETS But is it any different in any successful industry? It is only when things start going bad that "probably" gains value. A recession causes companies to take a much closer look at who gets paid for what and adjust accordingly. Jim Sitlington p.s. My wife (Carol) treasures the copy of your book "America Alone" you signed for her. I appreciate the effort. INTEREST CUT I wanted to point out an unintended consequence of the "AIG" bonus law, that of course would apply to more than AIG. As this article notes, Goldman Sachs is now looking to repay the TARP money by the end of April instead of the end of the year as they initially had planned. So if they repay 8 months earlier, this alone will cost the government $200 million in net interest income on the TARP money. This is more than the entire AIG bonus payout and is just one company. I have no inside knowledge, but I would bet that our senior management is going to want to prepay the TARP as soon as possible, too. Cary Starnal DOLLAR AMOUNTS Tim Goodfellow THE FIX IS IN Just wondering Joe Ebert BE AFRAID If this is made law - Congress will be able to destroy any company, person or entity they don't particularly like. If you thought what you went through in Canada last year was bad, just wait until Nancy decides Steynonline.com isn't helpful to the National Dialog, "Mark Steyn doesn't conform to our standards of proper discourse so any profits he makes on his endeavors, including books, columns and sales of any materials related to his writings will be taxed at 90%, and by the way here is Mr. Steyn's address -please see that he is properly castigated by the community..." Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid Gene Budd RAHM EMANUEL’S BIG BONUS Several links provided at this Free Republic thread. I'm writing you because this story seems right up your alley. Reading that NY Times article again, I noticed this timely paragraph: Mr. Emanuel’s annual salary was not especially large but his hefty paydays came from bonuses for the business he brought in , as is customary in investment banking , along with the company’s sale in 2001 to the German Dresdner Bank, which allowed him to benefit from an equity stake, as well a large retention bonus paid to him based on his prior performance. The hypocrisy is truly breathtaking. Jeanne
John Mallinckrodt MARK REPLIES: You're a professor, right? People pay for the privilege of your wisdom? So tell me by what tenured logic or law of physics do you get from my dismissal of Gerson's "hooey" to the assertion that I oppose "prewritten remarks in any form whatsoever"? Re: Healing the planet When "Messianic Jewish" (i.e. Christian Evangelical organizations that have attracted a lot of Jews) umbrella groups would have their national conventions, we'd book rooms in the same hotels and try to do outreach to the people that would talk to us despite the organizers' harassment, as well as our own outreach in the Jewish community where the convention was being held. In time, we got pretty good at advance work so eventually all of us would have some kind of speaking engagement that most of our colleagues could attend and critique. One of my co-workers told me that I delivered a great speech, but that I was even more effective speaking from the cuff. Like good improvisational jazz or jamband rock, in public speaking there has to be some structure or framework over which you can improvise. Improvising, though requires not just being articulate or glib, but also a ready grasp of the facts. Obama's problem is that he's a very smart, educated ignoramus, with little factual knowledge outside of politics and his legal field. Ronnie Schreiber PRESIDENT OBA-ME Thank you for your thoughts, writings and guest hosting on Rush et al. All of those things make me think. Herman Price Re: Earth hour Anyway, as we're waiting for the advisory, there's Chris St. F**k yapping about Earth Hour and how there are still so many of us who still don't know it's coming... it's on today... it's on tonight... it's on right now in certain parts of the world... the Australians were the first to turn their lights off, to do their share for climate change. And I'm thinking, supreme irony: I'm listening to this c**p because I'm waiting to find out about the worst winter in my recollection, and the smug little p**ck is telling me to turn my lights off for global warming. And I'm thinking, back in Communist Romania where I grew up, we used to have five Earth Hours a day, three in the morning and two at night, except they weren't optional... and that was on a good day, when the water was still running. And I'm thinking, I am so tired of this, I could almost wish it on them. Let it come, let them get what I know is in store for them, screw this, screw everything, screw my kids' future, let them grow up like I did, let them do their homework under candle light, let it all fall apart... just so I can see those retarded little smiles wiped off those retarded little faces of Weather Network anchors. Let's see how you feel, Chris St. F**k, when you wake up in the morning with no electricity and no running water because the Party says so. The Hypotrochian Transquaestiator Re: Three wheels on my Wagoner John Burtner GOVERNMENT-DESIGNED BUSES Chuck BUY A FORD INSTEAD I¹m going out to look at a new Mustang this week... Tim Williams TREE HUGGERS AS CAR BUILDERS "With almost no experience in the car business, the team's dozen core members..." "Several team members, such as Brian Deese, a 31-year-old former Obama campaign aide, are on loan from the White House's National Economic Council. Three others specialize in climate change. The rest come from agencies such as the Energy and Labor departments. Backing them up are about 30 accountants and advisers." Who better to make GM viable than tree-huggers? David Ditch
THE CROWN FAMILY The billionaire Crown family of Chicago (owners of Aspen Ski Corp, a large % of General Dynamics Corp, board representation at GD and JP Morgan Chase bank, and who knows what else) were/are big supporters of Obama. So I think we can expect Crown to benefit immensely over the next several years due to their access to the One. How much of the toxic bank assets that prove to be worth a fortune as time goes by do you think they will take down? In how many other ways will their coziness pay off? Love your contributions to NR, etc. Bob Hoinghaus Re: Change of wind I can't walk my dog on a state beach. I have to buy liquor from the state. My property taxes are higher than in SF. We have a small business and so taxed at the state level corporate tax -- we pay more Rob Re: The Death of England and The Death of England (cont) "Freedom is the absolute right to starve to death if you fail to plant enough corn." I've never found one to beat it. Regards, use as you wish, Mary McLemore “DONCASTER” DON’T HURT THE PERPS Mark Fitzgerald OFF DUTY, OFF LIMITS The translation is awful but, hey, it's automatic. I'm a Spanish computer nerd and journalist, and I've edited translations of your articles for Libertad Digital. Never an easy job, because your writings are very creative with the English language, so to speak. But the results were great enough to feel rewarded. Daniel Rodríguez Herrera STIFF UPPER LIPS NO MORE I always remembered the English by their "It's just a Flesh Wound" motto, maybe not any more....... Zach JUST AN EXCUSE? Eugene M Rooney, Manager
The first police arrived within minutes of the calls for help, and as I understand it did move into the school and bring out some wounded, but then the SWAT team arrived, cordoned off the building, and hours after the shooters had killed themselves, finally entered the building to aid those bleeding to death. I'd rather have a lone police officer with some guts come to my aid than a highly trained SWAT team from the sounds of it. David M. Hall C S LEWIS PREDICTED THIS On the "death of England," C.S. Lewis called this one. Perfectly. Back in 1943... Lyfordiii NOT YET COMMON IN THE US Michael James Barton Steve THE LAST BRAVE BRITS I think you called your mention of Tigwe's gastronomic experiment "a practical solution to big government." Perhaps there's a lesson in there, somewhere, for the present time. Let me think what it might be . . . Anyway, lest you think that Dad is or was the most eccentric or interesting member of my family (I'm excluding 87-year old Aunty Pat and Uncle Arthur, who will be 102 this July), I offer you this small piece from the BBC detailing the epic Battle of the Droitwich Wheelie Bins and featuring my 97-year old Aunty Jenny Mapson and my sister Mandy Boswell. Just thought that you should know that not all residents of the sceptre'd isle have succumbed, and that there are still a few holding up the side. I'm proud to say that most of them seem to be members of my family. Louise Zbozny Re: Knock-knock, it’s the gag police Conor Casby, a 35-year-old school teacher and hitherto unknown artist, sneaked into Dublin's two most prestigious art galleries, the Royal Hibernian Academy and the National Gallery, where he hung these unflattering portraits of "Biffo" as he is known, in the nude, complete with knickers, bogroll and moobs, in an act which is the reverse of an art robbery. They remained there for some hours until staff removed them. That evening, RTÉ, Ireland's version of the BBC, ran a jocular item on the main evening news, adding that the Taoiseach "was not thought to have sat for the portraits". All hell broke loose. The crimes which Gardaí have been instructed to investigate comprise, incredibly and mysteriously, indecency, incitement to hatred and criminal damage (by hammering a nail into a gallery wall), for which Mr Cosby potentially faces imprisonment. He, meanwhile, plans to auction the paintings for charity, the bounder. Strangely, Mr Cowen - who is no, er, oil painting - is regularly lampooned via cartoons but never seems to raise a rumpus. Nevertheless, hailing from County Offaly, the generously proportioned gentleman is doing everything he can to warrant his wonderful nickname, Biffo (Big Ignorant F***er From Offaly). What we really need is an Irish Human Rights Commission to properly punish Mr Casby, RTÉ and the rest of the media for their unwarranted displays of disrespect for their betters. I heard your Jennifer Lynch and Barbara Hall may shortly become available so you may wish to put forward their names. Tony Allwright Re: The upside down family tree Laura Lee Donoho INCENTIVIZING THE LEAST ABLE As it turns out, the tax credit for having children is reduced with increasing income. "So, the super rich can certainly afford their children" you might suggest. Well, I'm certainly not super rich. My income of about $120K is above the nations average and I'm thankful for my lot in life but I hardly qualify as wealthy nor do my children and I live a lavish lifestyle. Nonetheless, my net tax credit was reduced to $100 for the 3 children I claim as exemptions. Additionally, I paid $73 in alternative minimum taxes. Apparently, without any off-shore holdings and with only home mortgage and real estate taxes as significant deductions, I must be exploiting some "loop-hole" and not paying my fair share save the AMT. I suspect we'll soon be seeing the upside-down tree here too. The tax incentives will play a part for some. Why on earth would a responsible government only incentivize those least able to afford children to have them? I suppose some idiot liberal would suggest that the credit is the government's means to being charitable but I would counter that giving money back that was withheld at gun point is hardly charity to begin with! Thanks for your work, I always enjoy reading it. Even if it reminds me of the horrible path the current administration is taking, I'm hopeful that the path to correction is being illuminated. Jerry Boyenga Re: Brits to change succession rules? John J. Vecchione, Esq. Re: America Alone THE FLAG OF ISLAM ON DOWNING STREET “'Since then our brothers in Bethnal Green, Whitechapel and other places have had eight or nine children each. Eight children here, ten children, 15 children. There must be at least six million people. 'It may be by pure conversion that Britain will become an Islamic state. We may never need to conquer it from the outside.' Chaudary also said during the 'debate' on whether the West had 'learned the lessons of 9/11' that Britain would eventually be ruled by Sharia law, adding: 'The flag of Islam will rise over Downing Street.'” Warm-monger NOT TONIGHT DEAR, I HAVE A NEW VIDEO GAME BROKEN CHINA Aaron ER, NO Liza Toombs MARK REPLIES: Absolutely wrong. Why would even the NPR tossers say such a thing? On the night of 9/11, Norwegian Muslims cheered outside Oslo City Hall. And no-one objected to them so doing. Does that sound like a culture that permits no immigration? BULLSHIT ADVERTISING Michael Naughton MARK REPLIES: Er, well, because I have to make a living. Especially these days. You say "other wise [sic] your articles are pretty good reading". Gee, thanks. That and $4.95 will get me a decaf latte. Still, if you're dissatisfied with the service you're getting, you could always cancel your subscription. Oh, and what you call "bullshit advertising" is our current promotion of Ezra Levant's Shakedown. The success of this book will ameliorate the six-figure legal bills Ezra has run up defending fundamental rights too few of his fellow Canadians seem to value these days. I know what Ezra's doing in the cause of liberty. It's less clear to me what you, Michael Naughton, are doing. So in the "bullshit" stakes your letter comes way ahead of Ezra's book. Maybe you'd be happier with public radio. No "bullshit advertising" there, right? THE SOUND OF EUROPE Mathieu Lalonde CHUNKY LAST WORD M.C. Perry MARK REPLIES: Gotcha. You don't listen to Rush or Rush's guest hosts in case you "get sick". So instead you go to a website where someone who dislikes Rush and Rush's guest hosts as much as you but, unlike you, gets paid by George Soros to listen every day provides hour-by-hour play-by-play commentary (without the commentary). And then after reading a "print-out" of one such hour you excitedly Google around until you find an e-mail address for the guest host, so you can tell him he's "wrong" and "sickening" and a "hate-filled" wolfman, and then you send off the e-mail but not before requesting that he doesn't publish your name, which request you apparently expect the "sickening", "hate-filled" wolfman to honor. But I'm the one with the "pitiful life". Oooo-kay. See you next time I'm on! And happy listening! Or happy email responding to the transcript of the non-listening!
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