News of the Week for Dec. 2nd, 2012
Hide the Decline
Environment &
“Green Energy”
Nuclear industry looks toward smaller reactors
What energy technology is portable, powerful and prefabricated? Small modular reactors are generating buzz as federal officials co-fund a project that could transform the U.S. nuclear industry.
Fracking Showdown Approaches in Colorado
In Longmont, Colorado, voters approved a measure to ban fracking, placing their town at the forefront of heated legal and political battles over the practice.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Nevada restaurant owners on Obamacare: ‘We can’t pay for this’
Owners say health-care law’s costs hit everyone, affects entire industry
Now sick babies go on death pathway: Doctor’s haunting testimony reveals how children are put on end-of-life plan
Practice of withdrawing food and fluid by tube being used on young patients
Doctor admits starving and dehydrating ten babies to death in neonatal unit
Liverpool Care Pathway subject of independent inquiry ordered by ministers
Investigation, including child patients, will look at whether cash payments to hospitals to hit death pathway targets have influenced doctors’ decisions
War & Terror
Nuke ’em for Peace! UK lord suggests neutron bomb on Afghan-Pakistan border
Ban of President’s Indefinite Detention Powers Passes Senate
After an impassioned speech about protecting the Constitution from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in a late-night session, the upper chamber approved an amendment to protect U.S. citizens from the president’s indefinite detention powers.
National
Rep. Capito to run for West Virginia Sen. Rockefeller’s seat
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) will announce her bid for Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s seat on Monday, according to the West Virginia Metro News.
Obama Donors Got $21,000 in Government Money for Every $1 They Gave
Who says that there are no great investments anymore? Sure the Stock Market might be uneven, but while free enterprise might be going to the dogs, there’s still one solid investment. Obama (OBM) whose shares just keep rising until the bubble bursts and he runs out of Chinese money to buy off his donors with.
‘Anonymous’ takes down Texan RFID-tracking school
Activist group Anonymous, or persons using its insignia and name, claim to have taken down the website of the US schools that have made it compulsory for students to wear RFID tags.
Female Teachers give Boys Lower Marks
Texas Schools Teaching Boston Tea Party As “Terrorist Act”
Absolutely remarkable…and in Texas to boot! As I have said for years, pretty soon anyone that disagrees with Washington D.C., Federal Reserve policies and rule by TBTF Wall Street criminal banks will be labeled a “terrorist.” That is where all this is headed.
Taxing, Regulating Internet on Agenda at U.N. Conference
The U.N.’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU) holds a conference next month in which everything from new internet taxes, to new censorship rules — read “Defamation of Islam” — to new internet regulations will be in play.
From Man Who Insulted Muhammad, No Regret
Fuming for two months in a jail cell here, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula has had plenty of time to reconsider the wisdom of making “Innocence of Muslims,” his crude YouTube movie trailer depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a bloodthirsty, philandering thug.
The War on Men, The War on Women
Female teachers are, on the whole, sexist. At least according to researchers
Santorum: ‘I’m Open’ to 2016 Run
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum says he is “open” to another run for president in 2016. Santorum was asked about a possible presidential campaign Monday at THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Democrat Nevada Secretary of State Miller calls for voter ID law in Nevada
After hearing people complain that voters should show an ID before they can vote, Secretary of State Ross Miller said Tuesday he will sponsor a bill at the Legislature next year to set up a Nevada voter identification program.
Students Told to Disavow ‘American-ness, maleness, whiteness, heterosexuality’
A political science professor at Butler University asks students to disregard their “American-ness, maleness, whiteness, heterosexuality, middle-class status” when writing and speaking in the classroom – a practice the school’s arts and sciences dean defended as a way to negate students’ inherent prejudices.
The Incestuous Bleeding of the Republican Party
If money is the root of all evil, for the Republican Party evil is located on the fifth floor of 66 Canal Center Plaza, Alexandria, VA 22314.
Federal Court in Nevada Upholds Marriage Law
In the wake of the Ninth Circuit’s decision striking down Proposition 8, Lambda Legal sued the State of Nevada alleging the state’s marriage amendment was a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Yesterday, the trial court issued a decision rejecting the claim and upholding Nevada’s law.
New Presidential Memorandum: “National Insider Threat Policy” – What is Obama So Afraid Of?
I saw this memo on the official whitehouse.gov website the other day, but I was traveling and never had a chance to post it. I figured it would be too late by now, yet I am still not seeing it being widely discussed. It implies that the Obama Administration may be very worried about the truth getting out about all of their crimes, potentially via leaks from high places. Read it for yourself, but the language is pretty clear.
Video: Staten Island Hurricane Recovery Meeting Erupts in Rage
Mike Rounds announces bid for U.S. Senate in 2014
Economy
& Taxes
Yes, you can balance the budget without raising taxes
There is simply is no way around it: Your taxes are going up on New Year’s Day. Whether you are a wealthy individual who is about to be hit by President Obama’s tax hike on the rich, or one of the millions of working Americans whose payroll taxes will rise, you are about to see government take more from your paycheck. The only question is how much more it will take.
Morgan Stanley’s Doom Scenario: Major Recession in 2013
The global economy is likely to be stuck in the “twilight zone” of sluggish growth in 2013, Morgan Stanley has warned, but if policymakers fail to act, it could get a lot worse.
Minor tax revenues nosedive in Nevada
State revenue from so-called “minor” tax sources is expected to drop by about 35 percent for the 2013-15 budget period, according to a technical advisory committee of legislative and local government officials that met Monday.
Dallas Fed Manufacturing Business Index falls unexpectedly to -2.8 in November
Do You Live In A Death Spiral State?
Thinking about buying a house? Or a municipal bond? Be careful where you put your capital. Don’t put it in a state at high risk of a fiscal tailspin.
When Work Is Punished: The Tragedy Of America’s Welfare State
Penny and Nickel Coins to be Phased Out in 2013
Earlier this week Canada announced that they would be phasing out their penny coin. On the heels of the Canadian announcement, U.S. Treasury Secretary, Tim Giethner stated in a press conference today that the U.S. Mint will remove the penny and nickel coins from circulation, starting early in January 2013.
1 Percent of Households Will Pay 80 Percent of California’s Income Taxes
This is a problem that can only be solved with higher taxes, union ownership of government and illegal immigration. And by solved, I mean empty the state of everyone who earns a living without working for the government and speaks English which will turn California into a place that Greece favorably compares itself to.
Lucy with the Football…
Inside the talks: Fiscal framework emerges
The Showdown Begins: Calpers Sues Bankrupt City
The showdown between bankrupt San Bernardino and the Calpers pension fund we discussed last month is now underway
Let’s Have A Depression Now
The United States is more than four years into its form of economic purgatory. The government pronounced the recession over in June of 2009. That announcement does not conform with reality or even subsequent government suspect data
Middle Class Net-Worth Collapses to 1969 Levels
The angle of a just-released New York University study is, of course, that ole’ left-wing canard known as “income inequality,” but the findings are still useful in drawing other conclusions, and not ones that are very pleasant. Is America now a bigger version of Chicago, where Democrats and the media have so expertly rigged the electoral game that even as their policies fail they’re able to stay in power?
Durbin: We’re Not Really Serious About Cutting Spending
Most parties to the “fiscal cliff” negotiations employ a rhetorical veneer about the importance of compromise from both sides. They riff off Obama’s “balanced approach” talking point and stress that “everything is on the table.” Of course, it isn’t really true, but its what the media and pundits expect of “serious” people negotiating as adults. So, Dick Durbin at least scores some points for honesty when he sought to take entitlement spending off the “fiscal cliff” table.
100% Plus Taxation Still Key To Permanent Dem Majority
I have written several times about the implicit marginal rate which makes it economically irrational for a poor or lower-middle class wage earner to make more money because of the loss of government benefits the higher income incurs.
Two-thirds of millionaires left Britain to avoid 50p tax rate
Almost two-thirds of the country’s million-pound earners disappeared from Britain after the introduction of the 50p top rate of tax, figures have disclosed.
Ugly Q3 GDP Confirms Personal Consumption Collapsing; Headline “Growth” Driven By Government, Inventory Accumulation
One glance at today’s second read of Q3 GDP may leave some with the false impression that the US economy is soaring, because after sliding to 1.3% in Q2, and after a preliminary read of 2.0% in the first Q3 estimate, today’s print, which missed estimates of a 2.8% print, did nonetheless rise to 2.7%.
Recession Hits World’s Oldest Profession
‘Fiscal Cliff’ Could Put Millions of Taxpayers Into ‘AMT Shock’
One of the key questions lurking in the “fiscal cliff” talks — though well below the public’s radar — is what happens to the alternative minimum tax — or AMT.
Domino’s: Obamacare Requires 34 Million Pizza Nutrition Signs
New Obamacare regulations will force pizza chains like Domino’s to post up to 34 million nutrition signs in its stores — one for every pizza combination the company makes.
Congress looks at doing away with the $1 bill
American consumers have shown about as much appetite for the $1 coin as kids do their spinach. They may not know what’s best for them either. Congressional auditors say doing away with dollar bills entirely and replacing them with dollar coins could save taxpayers some $4.4 billion over the next 30 years.
French Socialist in Mittal Row: We’re Just Doing What Obama Does
The French politician who said Indian steel company ArcelorMittal should leave the country has told CNBC that his government is only acting like U.S. President Barack Obama.
Krauthammer On Fiscal Cliff Negotiations: “Republicans Ought To Simply Walk Away”
International
Did Cambodia’s first lady mock Obama with a ‘greeting that’s meant for servants?’
European Disintegration: Animal Prostitution
If you ever wondered what lies at the bottom of the slippery slope, go to Germany. There, you will find Europe’s modern moral and cultural bankruptcy on open display. There, you can visit one of many “erotic zoos” and partake in sex with animals for a price.
In a historic victory, a Christian demoted at work after writing on Facebook that he opposed gay marriage in church tells how his battle has come at a terrible price
Adrian Smith was demoted after writing on Facebook that gay marriage was ‘an equality too far’
As a devout Christian, Adrian Smith was disturbed to read a report that gay marriages may be permitted in church.
Leveson urges new independent regulator for UK press
The British press should have an independent regulator, underpinned by law, and with the power to fine, Judge Brian Leveson recommended Thursday in a long-awaited report sparked by a phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid.
Muslim Brotherhood ‘paying gangs to go out and rape women and beat men protesting in Egypt’ as thousands of demonstrators pour on to the streets
Activists claim there have been nearly 20 attacks in the last 10 days
Country has seen rise in mob sex attacks on protestors in the last year
Demonstrators in Tahrir Square yesterday protested against a draft constitution approved by allies of President Morsi
Muslim Brotherhood today marched in support of the president
Egypt court sentences 8 to death over prophet film
An Egyptian court convicted in absentia Wednesday seven Egyptian Coptic Christians and a Florida-based American pastor, sentencing them to death on charges linked to an anti-Islam film that had sparked riots in parts of the Muslim world.
United Nations upgrades Palestine’s status
The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelming Thursday to recognize Palestine as a “non-member observer state” at the United Nations, delivering a stinging defeat to American and Israeli efforts to block the Palestinian bid.
Disputed articles in Egypt’s draft constitution
An Islamist-dominated panel is voting on Egypt’s draft constitution, the country’s first charter after the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. The draft largely reflects the conservative vision of the Islamists, with articles that rights activists, liberals and Christians fear will lead to restrictions on the rights of women and minorities and civil liberties in general.
Omissions of certain articles, such as bans on slavery or promises to adhere to international rights treaties, were equally worrying to critics of the new draft, who pulled out from the panel before the vote.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Battling Bone Metastasis, Report Says
Venezuela President Hugo Chávez is now battling bone metastasis from his pelvic cancer, according to a report by Spanish newspaper ABC. Citing an unnamed intelligence source, ABC’s Washington correspondent Emil J. Blasco says there has been a recurrence and spread of the tumor, which was detected in a test performed on a trip to Havana just after the elections on October 7.
Opinion
Too much education makes people economically dumb
I’m not boasting when I say that I move in very rarefied circles. It’s a fact that became glaringly obvious to me today when I started reaching out to legal colleagues via LinkedIn. I’m launching a new business enterprise, and those connections will be useful.
Most-Racial America
Antiwhite bigotry goes mainstream.
A Primer for Rich Donors Who Got Taken to the Cleaners by Republican Consultants
When consultants told rich donors who were funding them that they were not making money off the Super PAC’s that the rich idiots . . . er . . . donors funded, they were being honest. They probably were not.
Learning from the Election
Victor Davis Hanson
The Rise of Faux Diversity
Should skin color be a determining factor in college admissions?
Norquist: New, Larger ‘Tea Party Second Wave’ Coming
“We are about to have a Tea Party second wave that will dwarf the first wave and that is because while ‘spend too much’ brought the Tea Party into existence, we’re about to walk into ‘spend too much, regulate too much, and tax too much,’ all together. It’s going to be a perfect storm of annoying government behavior, which is devastating to the economy, and I think the small business community which is particularly hit by Obama’s tax increases are going to lead the fight bigger, stronger, tougher than the last Tea Party.”
The Culture in Kitchens
There are four clear threats to the modern family and possibly civilization at large; cell phones, video games, the internet, and junk food. We allow the first three because they are cheaper than tutors, private schools, and nannies. Indeed, games and gadgets support a kind of electronic autism where neither parent nor child speaks to each other until the latter is old enough to drive. With junk food the threat is more complicated; a fusion of chemistry and culture. In combination, internet social networks and poor diets seem to be conspiring to produce a generation of pudgy, lazy mutes with short attention spans.
Reality Has Consequences
The world no longer makes sense to most people over forty years of age. Much of what we thought was true is now denied. What to us is obviously false (or at least always was) is now accepted as being true.
Common Sense After A Close Election
“Now let’s pull up our socks, wipe our noses and get back in this fight.”
After listening to ten days of hand wringing and doom saying from the usual suspects that Republicans must abandon our principles if we are to survive, we need a little of Mark Twain’s common sense. I suggest we all take it to heart.
THE ASIAN VOTE AND THE GOP: LESSONS FROM NEVADA
Asian Americans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the nation, and the Republican Party is losing them. From 2008 to 2012, the Asian American voting population grew by a full percentage point nationwide. This diverse group of voters were reliable Republicans only twenty years ago, but have become increasingly Democratic. In 1992, George H.W. Bush won 55 percent of the Asian American vote to Bill Clinton’s 31 percent. This November Barack Obama took 73 percent of the Asian American vote to Mitt Romney’s 26 percent.
A question of identity
The nation-state is shrinking to just a flag, some sports teams and a pile of debts
“The hour has come to exercise our right to self-rule,” says Artur Mas, Catalonia’s president, sounding like a 19th-century statue of a nationalist hero on horseback. Catalans vote on Sunday in what amounts to a referendum on independence from Spain. Scots are galloping down the same road: they vote on independence in 2014. And Flemish nationalists won big last month in Belgian local elections that you may have missed. If these characters get their way, the map of western Europe will undergo its first changes since Ireland became independent in 1922.
Target: Old White Men
While modern society prides itself on being unbiased, it’s no exception to the rule that every age has its fashionable prejudices — and unfashionable people. Among the latter today are white men, and the closer they are to “dead white male” status, to use a favored leftist descriptive, the greater the disdain in which they’re held.
Colleges and the Tyranny of Good Intentions
Affirmative action and a war on free speech have taken a toll on higher education.
What does Peace in Europe mean to EU? Farage-Nobel Prize Remix
Can the Republican Party Avoid the Fate of the Whigs?
If present trends continue, the Republicans will likely soon fall out of political viability; and the Grand Old Party will be the Grand Defunct Party. They are well on their way to becoming the 21st Century incarnation of the Whigs.
