Category Archives: Political Commentary

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Four Ways

6 Comments

…that Congress caused the financial crisis. And they seem determined to continue (completely leaving Fannie and Freddie out of the new legislation).

[Update a while later]

Some thoughts on popping bubbles and the demonization of short sellers by clueless politicians.

[Update mid afternoon]

Don’t know what happened to the second link above — it was working when I put it up.

Meanwhile, Matt Welch points out that we are out of money. Or more precisely, we are out of other peoples’ money, which is, as Lady Thatcher famously pointed out the point at which socialism quits working.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

Where Is My Critique?

89 Comments

You know, the essay I wrote at The New Atlantis last summer has been up for many months now, and I have never seen anyone critique it, with the exception of an idiotic attempt by Mark Whittington. I’ve received nothing but praise for the most part (which is why I wish more people would read it). The editor has also told me that he received no letters to the editor objecting to it. Is anyone aware of a serious, informed critical review? If there are none, I suspect that one of the reasons why is that I circulated drafts of it among a lot of smart people in the process of writing it.

The reason I ask is because I’m in the process of working up a book proposal, and I want to hone it, if there are any serious and useful issues with it, because a lot of the book will be based on it. And of course, people will be reviewing drafts of the book as well.

[Saturday morning update]

I’m not looking for suggestions for improvement (I have no plans to rewrite it or republish anywhere else). I’m looking for things that people think I actually got wrong.

Political Commentary

Too Late For Me

18 Comments

Arizona is going to end its speeding camera program. I didn’t even know they had one, until I got a notice in the mail a few days ago with a picture of me at the wheel, on my way back from Space Access in Phoenix last month. Seventy one in a sixty zone.

I wonder how hard these are to challenge? With conventional tickets, you can demand a trial, and to see the calibration records on the radar, and such, and often win. Of course, being out of state, that would be a PITA.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

Some Sanity From Jay Barbree

21 Comments

He has a surprisingly (for him — considering what an Ares koolaid drinker he’s been over the past few years) calm and objective assessment of the state of the new plan. I don’t know whether he’s right or not, but it’s politically plausible, for the near term. If we have to waste a few billion continuing to pretend to develop an Ares-based heavy lifter for a few years to keep the Florida rice bowls full, I can live with that, as long as the orbital technology funding doesn’t get starved for it. I’m still hoping that eventually, and before we sink too much money in that money pit, we’ll realize that we don’t need it. As for lunar landings and bases, there’s also plenty of time to change peoples’ minds on that. Everything planned for the deep-space missions will support it, and all we’ll need is a lander (which Masten and Armadillo, not to mention Blue Origin, are developing prototypes of now). If a fueling depot is established at L-1, that’s a natural time to decide whether to use it as a staging point for lunar surface activities.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary

The LA Times Non-Endorsement

8 Comments

I found this line of their editorial decision to vote “present” in the primaries interesting:

On the Democratic side, we find that we’re no fans of incumbent Barbara Boxer. She displays less intellectual firepower or leadership than she could.

Why do they say this? What possesses them to imagine that she’s capable of any better? She is haughty and arrogant, with much to be modest about. And the following sentences were interesting as well:

We appreciate the challenge brought by Robert “Mickey” Kaus, even though he’s not a realistic contender, because he asks pertinent questions about Boxer’s “lockstep liberalism” on labor, immigration and other matters. But we can’t endorse him, because he gives no indication that he would step up to the job and away from his Democratic-gadfly persona.

So they’re saying that if he’d taken his campaign more seriously, acted like he was actually trying to win, and wanted to go to Washington, they would have endorsed him? After everything he’s said about them? I wonder if that’s really true.

Any regrets, Mickey?