Reading 7/3/2013

If George Zimmerman Is Found Not Guilty, Can The American People Handle It? « TheTradingReport.

I suspect some rioting will take place if he’s found innocent.

The growing public acceptance of same-sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana are signs of that the idea of the government minding its own business — in most things — is gaining credence with the public.

via The Libertarian States of America.

And it has a map! #mapgeek

A Gallup poll has found that Obama’s Perceived Honesty, Crisis Management Key to Approval.

So there’s that.

And it’s a poll so <shrug>.

JONATHAN ALTER: There is already very little [illegal immigration] right now, if you look at statistics.

via Chris Matthews: “Republicans Don’t Like Illegal Immigration” And Democrats “Believe In Illegal Immigration” | RealClearPolitics.

Matthews’ quote is, as media is wont to do, a broad brush that attempts to polarize. One group is one side of the issue, the other group is the other side of the issue. It’s what draws viewers and henceforth sells advertising.

Although MSNBC doesn’t seem to be doing that well…

Cartoon of the day 2011-07-18

The McConnell Plan

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., offered a new plan to allow the president to demand up to $2.4 trillion in new borrowing authority by the summer of next year in three separate submissions.

via McConnell: Give Obama New Powers on Debt Limit.

You can find the details here.

Basically it

allows the president to demand up to $2.4 trillion in new borrowing authority by the summer of next year in three separate submissions.

House and Senate could disallow these requests in 15 days and the president could veto any “disallowals.”

The Heritage Foundation argues against it. The Wall Street Journal seems to like it. Zogby says voters will blame the president.

Republicans had already been called out by The Economist:

IN THREE weeks, if there is no political deal, the American government will go into default. Not, one must pray, on its sovereign debt. But the country will have to stop paying someone: perhaps pensioners, or government suppliers, or soldiers. That would be damaging enough at a time of economic fragility. And the longer such a default went on, the greater the risk of provoking a genuine bond crisis would become.

The Journal op/ed sees what’s happening:

Mr. Obama is trying to present Republicans with a Hobson’s choice: Either repudiate their campaign pledge by raising taxes, or take the blame for any economic turmoil and government shutdown as the U.S. nears a debt default. In the former case Mr. Obama takes the tax issue off the table and demoralizes the tea party for 2012, and in the latter he makes Republicans share the blame for 9.2% unemployment.

The McConnell Plan avoids both of these.

It may work…

Political Cartoon of the day 2011-07-11

Not so sure how true this is now…

Amplify’d from theweek.com

See more at theweek.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a17kt3

Political Cartoon of the day 2011-07-09

Amplify’d from theweek.com

See more at theweek.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a17bqa

Barack Obama = George III?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did a great service by printing the Declaration of Independence in Sunday’s Crossroads (Too bad they didn’t put it on the web site, but you can read it here.).

That got me to thinking about today. You hear bits and pieces, here and there about how we may need armed insurrection to save this country from the socialists/Marxists/Fascists. Because you know, the declaration makes that statement at the beginning:

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. [Emphasis mine]

Justification for armed insurrection, no?

I think not.

Why?

First, look at what Jefferson wrote. He says two things that I think are different from the present day. One, “Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes” and two, “a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism.”

This implies serious stuff and long time line, something we have not yet reached here (and frankly doubt we will reach).

Many of my conservative friends will differ, which is, of course, their perrogative.

But as I compare today with 1776, I see no comparison even though some do.