Category Archives: Political Commentary

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Biden’s Human-Rights Blunder

5 Comments

Kirsten Powers says that it’s even worse than it seems:

This was an appalling statement coming from an American leader. What’s next? Will he say he isn’t “second-guessing” and “fully understands” that women are stoned for adultery in Iran?

I wish I couldn’t imagine him doing exactly that.

When various Republican presidential candidates blasted Biden for the statement, NPR’s blog ran a story titled “Biden’s Comment on China’s One-Child Policy Spurs Anti-Abortion Ire.” This really misses the point. The media predictably frame this issue as “pro-choice vs. pro-life” when in fact it is a major human-rights issue. In particular, it’s a women’s-rights issue, which makes the silence from feminists and liberals about Biden’s comment particularly disturbing.

The left, and particularly the feminist left, view everything through the crazy prism of absolute abortion rights.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Twitter

…becomes racist:

Obama’s Midwest tour last week prompted more criticism and ridicule than support on Twitter, according to this week’s Hill Hexagon. …

An analysis of Twitter traffic by Crimson Hexagon over the days of the tour showed that 72 percent of the opinions expressed were negative, while 22 percent were neutral and only 6 percent were favorable.

Among the negative comments, 21 percent were generally negative toward Obama, 17 percent called it a campaign stunt, 15 percent complained about taxpayers picking up the tab, 12 percent offered derisive names for the tour — similar to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s “Magical Misery Tour” — and 6 percent complained that he was not in Washington working.

I mean, what other explanation could there be?

Business, Economics, Education, Political Commentary

Is Higher Education Worth It?

2 Comments

A lot of it isn’t:

These estimates of high lifetime earnings levels make a common error: They assume that the current generation is going to get the same financial benefit from college that people did who graduated 40 years ago.

But things are different today. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 70% of all high school graduates go on to college — compared with 45% in 1960.

Then, only the brightest and best-prepared students attended college and the schools offered academically rigorous courses that prepared students for the future.

Now even middling high-schoolers attend college — and often learn very little. Then they enter a job market where a bachelor’s degree is relatively common — and must compete against many others for the same jobs.

Overpriced and underperforming, combined with government subsidies: thus are bubbles made.

Business, Economics, Education, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Jumping The Broken Windows Shark

22 Comments

OK, so according to Paul Krugman, Alderaan should be the richest planet in the galaxy:

People on twitter might be joking, but in all seriousness, we would see a bigger boost in spending and hence economic growth if the earthquake had done more damage.

Well, if he means that if Washington had been destroyed, as I (jokingly) suggested (and some anticipated) earlier, he might have a point, but I doubt that’s what he means. I really think he’s serious.

[Wednesday morning update]

Krugman is claiming that he didn’t write it, and it was a case of identity theft.

[Update a few minutes later]

The identity thief ‘fesses up.

General, Political Commentary

A DC Earthquake?

13 Comments

I’m seeing lots of tweets from DC folks.

Actually, while I have a lot of friends there, a Richter 10 would solve a lot of the country’s problems.

Seriously, there’s a lot of old unreinforced colonial masonry there. A good shake could do a lot of damage in Old Town Alexandria, and the district as well.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Wow, a 5.8 in Virginia, a few tens of miles from DC. Pentagon and Capitol being evacuated.

[Update a few minutes later]

Apparently people are reporting it from New England, including a Fox reporter in Martha’s Vineyard. Here’s a Free Republic thread, with a report from Cleveland. Instapundit has a report that they didn’t actually evacuate the Pentagon, but that some rapidly exited on their own. It’s been declared safe now.

[Update a few minutes later]

Hmmm…Obama is out of town, can’t blame him. Must be Bush’s fault.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Looking at the map, it’s just east of Charlottesville, toward Richmond. Let’s hope it’s not a foreshock.

Even if it’s not, it could still be a bad week. Irene seems to be targeting the same area, with an arrival this coming weekend.

[Update a couple minutes later]

I’ve heard that cells are jammed. Folks, text, don’t talk. That will free up bandwidth for the first responders.

[Update]

No, it’s not too soon. Quake humor: “Krugman says it wasn’t big enough.” Hey, didn’t I say that, up above? Stopped clock, I guess.

Also, social media is faster than seismic waves.

[Update a few minutes later]

See what I meant about unreinforced masonry? “The historic Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington has cracks in the interior walls by the earthquake.”

That’s the red stone “castle” on the mall, the original Smithsonian Building and now its headquarters. A bigger shake, closer to the DC area, would do a lot of damage, because it’s not designed for earthquakes (even the new buildings). East coasters are way too complacent about this. They think that because it hasn’t happened in their lifetimes, that it can’t happen.

[Bumped]