22 thoughts on ““I’m Starting To Think It’s Time To Panic””

  1. How many times must we hear the “…if you’re in a deep hole, STOP digging…” analogy, BEFORE someone, ANYONE, wearing a CinC hat GETS IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????? Bush was bad enough, but Obama really thinks he can spend us into wealth.

    The One was on the tube this morning and actually said fuel prices have gone down because of his plans, or some such drivel. (I may have missed the end of it while I was screaming at the TV and scaring the $h** outta the dog)

    Really, WHERE?

    If he’s that clueless, and uninformed, he certainly isn’t going to get the rest of the economy back on track. And if it’s an information issue, I wonder if he isn’t being MISinformed. I’ve questioned all along is he just a puppet. At a minimum, he’s a stuffed shirt. But is there someone’s hand in the back of that stuffed shirt running the show?

    I feel that, because Obama just doesn’t seem to have a clue. And after two years, most of us would be scratching our heads and asking if it wasn’t time for a CHANGE. Thinking adults just don’t keep digging, as the hole gets deeper when they want OUT of the hole.

    What’s that whole adage about, repeating the same actions over and over, expecting a different outcome? Insanity, as I recall, is what they call that?

  2. It’s worth noting just how badly the administration’s projections have failed. They had deficits this year that are over 2009 projections by almost 5% of GDP. In other words, this is the third year purely under Obama, it still is well over a trillion dollars, and the error in their projections/empty promises alone is well over a long term sustainable deficit. The periods in the past century that were worse (for US federal deficit as percent of GDP) were the two world wars.

    To be blunt, this president is not at all serious about the US’s future. I tire of hearing about the need for “Sputnik moments” when we have a great maw devouring the US’s wealth.

  5. Der Schtumpy Says:

    “If he’s that clueless, and uninformed, he certainly isn’t going to get the rest of the economy back on track. And if it’s an information issue, I wonder if he isn’t being MISinformed. I’ve questioned all along is he just a puppet. At a minimum, he’s a stuffed shirt. But is there someone’s hand in the back of that stuffed shirt running the show?”

    There’s another possibility and that is that he likes what’s happening but, of course, cannot actually SAY that. So he comes up with lots of hand waving. For example, maybe he likes solidfying the increases of the past two years with his ‘freezes”. But he can’t come out and say,

    “Well you know I like the fact we were able to fatten up these programs with huge increases in cash, and as you all know, once a program is begun and larded up, it’s tough to make cuts. So I’ll call for a freeze which sounds nice but whose side effect is to set the program and it’s high cash infusions in stone.”

    Contradicting/incredulous comments are what you get when the speaker can’t reveal what he/she truly thinks. And they get away with it without skeptical news organizations.

  6. I did read they are planning to cut $2.5 billion from heating subsidies for people during “extreme weather”. I don’t understand how people can’t figure out how to stay warm in modern America. The Native Americans did it for thousands of years, without all the crap lying around this country now. With $2.5 billion, you could buy dozens blankets for all the poor people in America–but that would probably be too permanent of a solution.

  8. I’m waiting for Paul Krugman to weigh in on the budget, but he’s probably off penning a piece that links Middle East instability to the fact that pork prices have jumped 56% in the past 18 months, forcing the regions Muslims to cut back from 3 slices of morning bacon to 2.

  9. Pity McArdle didn’t think about this before she pulled the switch for Obama in November 2008. Like it wasn’t already obvious that the guy was clueless on matters economic and fiscal.

    She’s a nice gal, very bright, but McArdle is a little too inclined to believe her own bullshit sometimes. And…perhaps a little too inclined to want to be liked by the New York/Beltway “smart people” among whom she now lives and works. Too bad. I quite liked Jane Galt.

  10. And from Argentina comes more evidence that Obama is a foreign policy disaster.

    WSJ link

    They’re holding the cargo of a USAF C-117, apparently just because they think Obama dissed them.

  11. Here’s an example, from the AP story, of the Obama Administration’s proposed cuts in the face of a $1.7 trillion dollar deficit this year:

    The State Department said it expected to save $5.3 million over the next three years by painting the roofs of its embassies and other offices in a heat-reflecting, energy-saving white color. And the U.S. Agency for International Development projected hundreds of thousands in savings by reducing the font size in its documents to reduce paper usage.

    These are not serious people.

  12. As I recall, when “Il Dufe” got elected, I posted here: “Two words: precious metals.” Maybe I was overly optimistic and should have added food stockpiles and a home arsenal.

  13. Perhaps democracy isn’t such a good system after all. I never would have believed we’d get to such a point. Obama has been no surprise at all since day one. The fact that they can support their daily blunders and not get called on it from every quarter is amazing. When the day comes and it all falls apart I expect geniuses to tell us what we already knew. But where are those geniuses now?

    The rot is near total.

  14. The Founders knew perfectly well that democracy doesn’t work, which is why they tried to avoid it, creating a constitutional republic instead. Democracies are effectively mob rule, and inevitably collapse into some form of dictatorship.

    Originally only white male property owners could vote, since it was thought that they were the most sober and reasonable people. The franchise has steadily been extended, first to white males generally, then to black males, then to women. Now there is good reason to believe that illegal aliens are being allowed to vote in some places. Today we are a nearly pure democracy, with entirely predictable results.

    Once we reach the point where 51% of the population can vote themselves the wealth and property of the other 49%, it’s all over. I am convinced that continuation of the universal franchise will doom us. Some way must be found to restrict the franchise to only productive people. I don’t care whether it’s restricted to property owners, married people, or military veterans à la Heinlein, but something along those lines must be done.

    One idea I’ve had is that for people who are eligible for government assistance, that they be given the choice of receiving the assistance or having the right to vote. Not both. In the case of Social Security, recipients could vote up to the point where their benefits exceed the amount of their contributions. After that point they would have to choose.

    This wouldn’t completely solve the problem but it would be a start.

  15. One idea I’ve had is that for people who are eligible for government assistance, that they be given the choice of receiving the assistance or having the right to vote.

    I’m probably one of the most radical supporters of freedom there is, but I see no problem with the idea that if people want government assistance then they must relinquish their freedom. They could have their freedom back at any time, but would have to support themselves. In the meantime, they don’t get to choose their occupation or lifestyle.

  17. OK, I’ll play devils advocate on the franchise issue. Are you gentlemen saying, ANYONE who gets a check from Uncle Sam, shouldn’t vote?
    .
    Would that include you or your parents while getting a monthly SS Check at retirement? How about those of us who worked for years and became disabled and have no choice of working now? How about guys coming home from Iraq or Afghanistan unable to work who are getting checks? How about those who served in the military, got out OK and THEN afterward became disabled for whatever reason?
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    I agree with the idea of contribution for franchise, but contributing TODAY to vote TODAY is a little narrow IMHO. There are many of us who contributed for years, or our entire adult lifetime who now get a check. Our system is set up such that it’s hard to contribute enough to cover a personal disability possibility with savings or insurance AND pay our taxes and FICA. I know, I tried at one point for several years to do just that.
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    If you like cheap food, used cars and small apts in bad parts of town, it’s doable. But your kids probably won’t care for it.
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    As someone who did not own property for part of my adult life, that seems a better system. Even those who can’t work can and do become property owners.
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    I think taking a Civics Test is a good idea. Most people could study for and take a test. Pass the test, get a Voter Registration Card. Same for running for office. (That alone would keep most liberals out of the system of voting or running for office)
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    Gregg,
    I thought of that too. But I held off saying it, because, to me at least, it borders on setting up the country for disaster, ruin and dissolution. And if he’s doing that on purpose, it is treasonous and I’ve said much about Obama, but I hope it’s not outright treason on his part, so I held off accusing him.

  18. As I recall, when “Il Dufe” got elected, I posted here: “Two words: precious metals.” Maybe I was overly optimistic and should have added food stockpiles and a home arsenal.

    Alcohol, tobacco and firearms.

  19. I think taking a Civics Test is a good idea. Most people could study for and take a test. Pass the test, get a Voter Registration Card. Same for running for office. (That alone would keep most liberals out of the system of voting or running for office)

    My wife is a naturalized US citizen. She had to pass a test on civics knowledge to become a citizen and get the right to vote. I helped her study for the test. The questions were pretty basic for anyone who could pass a reasonable high school civics class. I wonder how many native born Americans could pass the test today given the poor quality of civics education. Hell, I wonder how many members of Congress (or the White House) could pass the test.

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