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What we are hardly ever told about the country is that it has been for 300 years the scene of a bitter civil war, says Christopher Booker
An American perspective is that the same could be said about the fratricidal wars that represented Europe for over the same long period of time. Now Central and Western Europe have enjoyed the longest period of peace since the Roman Empire at the expense of the American taxpayer for over fifty years.
Very, very long editorial, just the first paragraphs here. You'd think the answer to the posed question would be obvious.
By Shah Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahman
the sapling that the ppolice have nibbled on even slightly neither blooms nor does it ever bear fruit. The saliva of the police is poisoned. I know a young man who was as intelligent and educated as he was good natured. He did emerge, albeit wounded, from the hands of the police. But now driven insane in his youth, he is spending his life at the Baharampur insane asylum.- Chhoto Boro Rabindranath Tagore
Tagore was well aware of the saga of the police, it was his good luck that never allowed him to come into contact with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) the hybrid of the policee and the army. If he had, he would have realized that these days if one falls into the hands of this species, one need not go through the hassle of ending up in an insane asylum. Instead one may get a one-way ticket and go directly to the afterworld.
Nevertheless, the quotation from Rabindranath Tagore allows us to infer that there is not much difference in qualitative terms between the police of the British Raj and the modern police of the âdemocratically elected government. The nature of both is similar as are their activities. In fact, it is often heard that our modern police force uses the same 303 rifles that the British police used. The railway system, the judiciary and others including the police system - are the processes which we have acccepted from the British in absolute good faith. Hence, reformations in this field have been scarce. Their uniform may have been changed, perhaps weapons other than the 303 rifles have been added to their repertoire, a canine force has been added; but their nature remains as it was in the past. Complemented by illimitable corruption, it has perhaps been possible to deal with the movement of the opposition party by using this force, but the law and order situation could not be kept in control. Thus, these special arrangements are necessary with the escalation in public discontent, and when the opposition makes law and order an issue in their campaign. The army arises as a liberating force, and the police, Ansar and BDR appear with them. The sum of these parts is the Rapid Action Battalion or RAB.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/07/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
If they arrested the criminals and put them through the courts, the courts would just put them right back on the street. Not surprising that the RAB appeared.
Once the envy of the other 49 states, California has become the measure of failure. Historically a trend-setter, once again, as California goes, so may go the nation.
The Pew Center on the States recently completed an extensive study of the 50 state governments and found California in the worst straits, but also discovered nine other states have joined us in a condition of "fiscal peril."
"The same pressures that drove the Golden State toward fiscal disaster are wreaking havoc in a number of states, with potentially damaging consequences for the entire country," concluded the study, "Beyond California: States in Fiscal Peril."
Those states Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin share many of California's maladies. Some, the study found, suffer from economies that disproportionately rely on particular industries, such as housing in Florida or auto manufacturing in Michigan. California, Illinois and New Jersey repeatedly have used borrowing or accounting schemes to put off tough budget decisions. Like California, Arizona, Florida, Nevada and Oregon are restricted in raising taxes or cutting spending because of voter initiatives and constitutional restraints, Pew noted.
"The recession put almost all states in a bind," the study observed, "but California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin have a history of persistent shortfalls."
The Pew study was based on data up to July 31 of this year and bluntly forecasted "states' fiscal conditions are widely expected to worsen even when the national economy starts to recover." Indeed, that seems to be the case. Unemployment in California was 11.7 percent and nationally 9.2 percent as of the study's completion, the study reported. In the scant months since, California's jobless rate has risen to 12.5 percent in November, and the national rate has hit 10.2 percent.
Pew evaluated joblessness, foreclosures, declining tax revenue, budget shortfalls, poor money-management and legal obstacles to raising taxes and passing budgets, like California's two-thirds majority requirement. Huge public-employee pension and health care liabilities weren't even among the factors considered, which, particularly in California's case, threaten to bring over time absolutely crippling debts in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
In short, as dark as Pew's outlook seems, it may get much worse, particularly in California.
The Pew authors said their study was "not framed as a case for more federal stimulus," although the Center included calls by some economists for more "help" for the states from Washington.
We find just the opposite is called for. The problem will only be aggravated by bailing out states like California that repeatedly have used poor judgment in relying disproportionately on cyclical industries, and that have borrowed excessively or employed accounting gimmicks rather than making tough decisions about which activities to stop doing, or do less of. Providing more federal billions, which come from the same taxpayers these states already have abused, is a circuitous way of further bleeding taxpayers rather than cutting back years of over-spending that created the "persistent shortfalls."
The "too big to fail" approach to fiscal management is merely more of the same poison that made these states so economically ill. Rather than more of the same, it's time for California and other "states in fiscal peril" to become fiscally responsible.
#1
"The recession put almost all states in a bind," the study observed, "but California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin have a history of persistent shortfalls."
Certainly something for the pattern detection crowd to ponder, at least for a few seconds.
#2
Huge public-employee pension and health care liabilities weren't even among the factors considered
WTF?
OK, so a "study" of CA's fiscal sit-rep is even worth looking at if it doesn't factor in, uh, one of the largest problems wrecking the state. Gotcha. Sort of like attempting to model and forecast global average temperature without considering, uh, the SUN. Oh, wait .....
Once again, the disappearance of anything resembling a press is key here. Ask most Kahleefornians, about the fiscal problem, and they'll robotically mention something about Prop 13. Not a clue as to how to measure fiscal burden in an apples-to-apples fashion over time (state spending and taxes per capita, state employee headcount per capita, rates of increase, etc.). Not. A. Clue. Of course, they are rarely taught or encouraged to think for themselves, and then they're fed this nonsense about revenue restrictions.
This is absolutely characteristic of the broader collapse of national common sense and astonishing level of ignorance or misunderstanding (again, mostly attributable to the lack of a professional, intelligent, serious press). A friend back in NY reporrts that many in his circle robotically list Prop 13 as a major cause of fiscal troubles here. When he corrects them by pointing out that CA has seen a gigantic increase in revenue - by every measure -since '78, they just sit there not knowing what to think.
#3
there's a petition floating for signatures to get an initiative on the CA ballot next year - to switch the State legislature to part-time (like Texas) and cut their pay in half; both in order to get rid of professional pols and to minimize the damage they do with their mischief. (If you're in CA and want to circulate it just note it has to print out on legal size paper)
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/07/2009 12:45 Comments ||
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#4
Put illegals in the mix and California's budget has the glide profile of a brick.
#1
From the article: the Fed is not only allowing insolvent zombie banks to repay TARP funds before the worst of the credit crisis is past, but the independent central bank is engaged in a massive act of accounting fraud to prop up prices for illiquid securities and thereby help banks avoid another round of year-end write downs, the banks the Fed supposedly regulates.
#2
Whatever happened to the "mark to market" rules of Basal II?
That along with the CRA was one of the major triggers of the crash of real estate prices, along with the take over by Soros and friends of the risk rating process.
#2
Steve Den Beste's "USS Clueless" site was one of my daily reads back in the day when he was writing regularly on current affairs. Glad to see he hasn't lost his touch.
Posted by: Mike ||
12/07/2009 17:04 Comments ||
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#3
I miss USS Clueless and Belmont Club. Belmont Club is still working as part of Pajama Media but it feels different somehow.
#4
There should be some sort of rule that Steven has to write something every other day at least.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/07/2009 17:21 Comments ||
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#5
Rule #2: no one should e-mail or post nit-picky criticisms of his posts. That (along with his health issues, I gather) drove him from serious blogging.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/07/2009 18:08 Comments ||
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#6
An excellent and insightful piece by one of our best. I miss him still: even though he was a secular materialist, he was gravious enough to recognize the Deistic materialists, of which I count myself one.
Seems to me the teleologist liberals he speaks of are actually lazy buddhists: they have bought into the buddhist idea that the world is an illusion generated by one's mind, but rather than engage in exercises to escape the illusion, they figure they can manipulate the illusion to make it more hospitable.
#7
I still remember his short, but thoughtful answer when I emailed him a question about something he wrote. (Can't remember what the subject was, but I was impressed that he took the time to clarify his point.)
I miss USS Clueless....and if Mr DenBeste is reading this, I hope that he is feeling much better than he did a few years ago.
When the Democrats retook Congress in 2006, incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promised the "to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history." So how's that promise working out? Let's start with four developments from the last week:
» Over the weekend, it was revealed that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., had nominated his girlfriend to be a U.S. attorney in his home state. Baucus is a driving force behind the drive to adopt Obamacare in the Senate.
» On Friday, it was reported that the House Ethics Committee had opened an investigation of Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Staffers on Thompson's committee say he tried to regulate the credit card industry -- outside his panel's legislative purview -- to extort campaign donations from the companies facing regulation.
» Pelosi promised to make congressional office expendiavailable on the Internet. Concurrent with the appearance of the new Web site detailing the information, the amount of information previously available to the public has been significantly restricted. Pelosi then claimed falsely that this was a victory for transparency.
» Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Diane Feinstein, D-Cal., offered an amendment to a new press shield law that provides legal protections only to professional journalists employed by established mainstream media -- a blatant attempt to curb independent, often blog-based reporting like that of Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe in their hidden-camera expose of ACORN.
Does that sound honest, open and ethical to you? And this is just what happened in the past week. Many other Democratic scandals remain unresolved.
Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., is still head of the House Ways and Means Committee -- which writes the nation's tax laws -- despite millions of dollars' worth of admitted tax evasion. And it's been exactly 500 days since Sen. Chris Dodd, D-C chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, promised to release the mortgage paperwork for his Capitol Hill town house. Dodd got a sweetheart mortgage deal from the CEO of failed subprime lender Countrywide he was supposed to be overseeing. That's just two more examples.
In 2006, when the Democrats were returned to power by voters, corruption among Republican leaders such as Reps. Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney and Mark Foley was understandably a major issue.
Democrats successfully argued in the campaign that GOP corruption was enough to turn over the reigns of power to a different party. If held to their own standards, what will Democrats' argument for remaining in power be in 2010?
#1
Nice idea but it's poorly thought out. As presented it would be utilized, by a Congress & an Administration such as those we have now, to complete the transition to socialism. If, indeed, we're not there already.
E.g., want to collapse the badly damaged remnants of the private sector? Just note the new Constitutional mandate that every citizen be afforded the same gold-plated health care & retirement packages we bestow upon members of Congress.
A much better idea, though one not fully formed, would be to prohibit the cumulative cost of government (to include all direct & indirect taxation, cost of regulatory compliance, lost productivity due to regulation, etc.) at all levels (federal, state & local) from exceeding a predetermined threshold; say 10% of the exclusively private sector GDP.
#2
...and you better put in that any recalculation of the formula or method of data collection has a built in 4 year wait period between the change implementation and its effect on the collection level of any derived taxes. Otherwise, they'll cook the books every year.
#3
If you are gonna have a new Amendment make it a balanced Budget Amendment. (1) Include in that amendment a sunset clause that all laws must be reevaluated and revoted into law on a set basis to clear out old, stupid, non-functioning laws and to keep Congress too busy to pass a lot of new stupid, non-functioning laws. (2) Also include in that amendment something preventing riders and other pork that is habitually attached to otherwise well meaning laws. If you can't get it passed on the laws own merits it doesn't belong as a Federal Law.
#5
Precisely the problem P2K though I do favor something of the sort despite the massive potential for abuse.
Conceptually the problem is, of course, the runaway cost and scope of the federal government comprising its nearly unchecked ability to spend, borrow, tax & regulate. Rjschwarz is hitting the same idea from a different and narrower angle as are most from the political center to the right that I've seen calling for some sort of new Constitutional Amendment.
Whatever form it takes and however it's done it's far past time for a new Amendment slashing the size, cost & reach of the federal government and restoring the competition among states and localities as to what sort of tax & regulatory policies are most effective.
#6
how about an amendment that you only get to vote if you've paid income taxes in the year before the vote
Posted by: lord garth ||
12/07/2009 13:14 Comments ||
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#7
Poll tax! Poll Tax! Racist! Er, Taxist! Err... whatever
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
12/07/2009 13:24 Comments ||
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#8
How about an amendment putting a time limit (aka sunset law) on all legislation so that no bill can have effect after 5 years without a re-authorization. Also, if an exception needs to be made then the exception must be voted on separately and pass by 2/3.
We could also tack on something to sunset all existing legislation too.
#9
Add to that Garth that you have to get off your fat ass every 4 years and go down (in person - unless you are physically unable to do so) and re-register to vote - with positive, photo, proof of citizenship.
#10
How about an amendment putting a time limit (aka sunset law) on all legislation so that no bill can have effect after 5 years without a re-authorization.
I like the idea but as a result we'd get one omnibus bill every session reauthorizing everything in one fell swoop. The political horse-trading would be such that it would pretty much guarantee business-as-usual in DC.
And if it didn't Congress could merely slough off the more difficult / politically dangerous things to regulatory agencies just as they do now. See e.g., the EPA's recent decision on CO2 regulation; that would be political suicide for many politicians but since a regulatory agency did it there's no one to blame. And anyone voting to dissolve the EPA would be run out of town on a rail as someone who hates children & the poor (who are always, of course, the victims).
A couple of conceptual ideas I've always liked are: 1) a complete small-business exemption from federal laws & regulations; and 2) a consumer opt-out provision allowing a separate class of goods & services to be offered free of regulatory & legal perils, just allow the businesses and consumers to make their own informed decisions and offer these goods & services alongside the government-approved variety.
#12
the EPA's recent decision on CO2 regulation; that would be political suicide for many politicians but since a regulatory agency did it there's no one to blame Congress is still to blame for CO2 regulation. I guess only after the electorate feels a sufficient amount of pain & bestirs itself to think a little bit (as opposed to emote) about environmental regulation, will that situation change. I have some hope for my pain-leading-to-change paradigm.
#13
I have some hope for my pain-leading-to-change paradigm.
Perceived pain is what got us the Congress and Administration we're presently saddled with so I'd say your paradigm is perfectly workable with the obvious caveats.
#1
For reasons inexplicable, prosecutors opted not to call upon Dr. MacDonell to testify in the case; therefore, he was never able to share with the court something new he had learned about the case â something vital that prosecutors had not shared with him.
If the prosecutors withheld said information from the defense, then it is grounds for both for a new trial and misconduct charges brought against the prosecutors.
#2
Ok so this is like a war right, I mean real bullets and really bad guys dressed as bad guys right? and like we send in the Army SEALS and like the bad guys dont stop so he like hits him in the tummy and now all three of them go to court because like thats not how you do it. I mean its not like the guy burned those blackwater guys alive right? So like now this air froce ranger shoots some AQ guy in the head and gets 20 years, I mean, like come on, The SOCOM game rule are simple, kill the bad guys, save the good guys, Oh, wait, my bad, this is not the game SOCOM? This is real? I mean like the SEAL punched a guy that burned 4 men alive on a bridge and they are going to jail? That just sucks dude! And this whole Ranger going to jail for shooting a bad guy, what a bummer.
How 9/10 of America views this news....
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/07/2009 17:40 Comments ||
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#3
Given the evident determination of military lawyers to stab the warfighters in the back at every opportunity, the fact that military mortuaries aren't clogged to overflowing with JAG pukes who got fragged in the field speaks volumes about the uncompromising self-discipline and professionalism exercised by real soldiers.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
12/07/2009 20:09 Comments ||
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#4
#3 Given the evident determination of military lawyers to stab the warfighters in the back at every opportunity, the fact that military mortuaries aren't clogged to overflowing with JAG pukes who got fragged in the field speaks volumes about the uncompromising self-discipline and professionalism exercised by real soldiers.
#6
The 60's peaceniks who are now running DC, especially those in the White House, got their panties in a wad when the Seals killed the three Somalis holding a ship captain hostage several months ago. They've been gunning for our military ever since.
Posted by: Boss Snomotle8280 ||
12/07/2009 20:51 Comments ||
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#3
The pic is from one of Tod Browning's best films, "Freaks" (1927). His other films include the screen classic, "Dracula" and the less often shown, "The Unknown" - also definitely worth seeing!
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
When the Democrats retook Congress in 2006, incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promised the "to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history." So how's that promise working out? Let's start with four developments from the last week:
