To paraphrase Euripides, those whom the modern-day gods would destroy, they first give too much oil and power.
We have today two stories of oil-fueled despots in alliance. First, Iran’s Ahmadinejad’s economic illiteracy is coming home to roost:
Ahmadinejad, with his peculiar and literal belief that he has divine backing, was not inhibited by this record of prudence. With a total oil revenue in the first two years of his presidency of $120 billion (
Marcy Kaptur is an idiot.
Marcy Kaptur is an idiot.
Marcy Kaptur is an idiot.
Since Drudge broke the story of Clinton’s intern, that Newsweek had been sitting on.
Since Drudge broke the story of Clinton’s intern, that Newsweek had been sitting on.
Since Drudge broke the story of Clinton’s intern, that Newsweek had been sitting on.
Michael Shermer, who has a new book out
[Update a little after noon]
More evolutionary psychology: why the pill has reduced the need of men to marry.
I’ve often pointed out that the people who really change society are not the politicians and ideologues, but the engineers.
[Update in the afternoon]
I thin that the first article provides a good example of why, despite their irrationality, socialism and wealth redistribution schemes are so intrinsically appealing to so many, and why they won’t die out, despite their manifest empirical failures. Too many people would prefer that everyone be poor than that a lot are wealthy while a few are superwealthy. Which is sort of depressing, because it means that the ideological wars over this will go on as long as human nature remains what it is.
Jeff Manber writes that we should be inviting China to participate in the ISS program, and space in general.
I have a hard time getting worked up about it, either way. I don’t consider either NASA or China relevant to the future of space at this point, though if they actually start flying this thing, I may start to take them more seriously.
I’d love to get a transcript. I hope that Team Thompson was listening to Elmer GantryMike Huckabee’s Michigan concession speech in South Carolina, because the mendacity in it will be fodder for several campaign commercials this week. The man who wants a federal smoking ban wants government to leave us alone?
Please.
[Update]
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has reversed his position on a federal ban aimed at workplace smoking and now believes the issue should be addressed by state and local governments.
The about-face is apparent in a Huckabee campaign statement, sent to The Hill Tuesday evening in response to questions about the smoking ban proposal. It clashes with the stance Huckabee has taken during his race for the White House and with his record as governor of Arkansas, when he signed into law a measure prohibiting smoking in most indoor public places.
Must be pre-emptive against the inevitable ads in SC. Maybe they should just be pictures of flip flops…