The negative impact of the elderly on growth

This chart from Japan on the net GDP impact of the elderly on GDP growth is fascinating.
I think we all know this intuitively but to see it laid out crystallizes the issue.  One reason to try to reengage older people in the work force and of course to raise the age for access to Social Security and Medicare substantially.

Before it eats us alive.

The Euros are bailing! The Euros are bailing!

Time was when every rationalization of greater government spending and Keynesian pump drowning had a European example to back it up:  "well.....well, the French do it and they're smart!" or some such.  No more.  Jonah Goldberg describes how the Europeans have abandoned that old time religion and how they somehow have failed to copy Paul Krugman on the change.  I like Goldberg's style - wouldn't necessarily want him babysitting my kids, but style-wise he's a bit of all right.

I finally read Steve Spruiell's excellent magazine piece on Paul Krugman. One passage in particular caught my eye: 

Krugman's claim that the stimulus should have been bigger is consistent with his view that for every macroeconomic problem there is a correct answer that it is within the power of one man to calculate. Not only is such a claim unfalsifiable, but our experience with fiscal stimulus indicates that this particular form of voodoo economics simply steals demand from the future and leaves us worse off in the long run. Krugman urges us to ignore that history: He argues that real fiscal stimulus has been tried only once in recent memory, when massive government borrowing during World War II pulled America out of the Depression. But there are many competing explanations for the post-war boom -- too many to allow us to gamble our prosperity on a World War II-sized stimulus on the chance that the Keynesian view is right this time.

This raises a number of points, gripes, grievances, and, well, the dead. Not literally, of course. But not quite figuratively either. Let me take another lithium pill and start again. It raises the issue of John Maynard Keynes, who is dead, literally, and apparently figuratively in Europe. So says the New York Times, which ran an intellectual obit for Keynesianism just this week.

This is more devastating to Krugman & Co. than I think anyone really appreciates.

First of all, liberals like Krugman routinely argue that the Europeans are smarter than us. Not smarter than Krugman per se, because according to Krugman no one is smarter than Krugman. Even imagining such a thing is like asking if God can make a boulder so heavy he can't lift it, which itself is problematic for the obvious reason that Krugman resents the suggestion he isn't God. But liberals generally love to press their noses up against the glass of the social-democratic candy store that is Europe. Oh, the deliciously high taxes! The mouth-wateringly rich vacation times! The succulently egalitarian socialized medicine. The subsidized cheese that smells like urine and tastes like you wish it could be. The state-funded black-and-white movies with no discernible narrative that make insecure people feel smart for understanding and twisted people feel normal by being sexually aroused at all the right parts.

Well, suddenly Europe's breaking up with us, and not over some cowboy war in the Middle East for "democracy" or American "national security" (please note: those are sarcastic air-quotes). Europe is saying they disagree with the New York Times op-ed page! Cognitive dissonance like this might just make MSNBC watchers explode like mice when subjected to music by the Ramones.

But it's not the best part. Krugman, Brad DeLong, and other voluptuaries of Keynes don't merely insist they are right. They insist that people who disagree with them are incredibly stupid or dishonest or both. Suddenly, the smarty-pants Europeans these guys always used as exhibit A in their case for spending money like a New Jersey Turnpike official on crack are testifying for the Tea Partiers. How inconvenient!

The next time some Krugman-worshipping yutz tells you how stupid you are about for opposing another kabillion-dollar boondoggle, you can just say, "Hey, hold on a second. I'm just agreeing with the French, the Germans, and the British. Why are you so provincial in your American exceptionalism?"

The Death of Principled Liberalism

It's painful to watch something self destruct, even if you disapprove of some of what it stands for.  Jim Geraghty calls the tape:

The Los Angeles Times summarizes the wild events of Thursday: "As NPR weathered a storm of criticism Thursday for its decision to fire news analyst Juan Williams for his comments about Muslims, Fox News moved aggressively to turn the controversy to its advantage by signing Williams to an expanded role at the cable news network. Fox News Chief Executive Roger Ailes handed Williams a new three-year contract Thursday morning, in a deal that amounts to nearly $2 million, a considerable bump up from his previous salary, the Tribune Washington Bureau has learned. The Fox News contributor will now appear exclusively and more frequently on the cable news network and have a regular column on FoxNews.com. 'Juan has been a staunch defender of liberal viewpoints since his tenure began at Fox News in 1997,' Ailes said in a statement, adding a jab at NPR: 'He's an honest man whose freedom of speech is protected by Fox News on a daily basis.'" You expect the next line to be, "Nyah nyah nyah." John Steele Gordon, writing at Contentions, observes, "NPR states that Williams was fired because what he said on The O'Reilly Factor was 'inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a News Analyst with NPR.' OK. But then these comments that Nina Totenberg made 15 years ago about the late Jesse Helms must have been consistent with them, because she still works for NPR. So let's recap. Admitting to feeling a whiff of fear at the sight of ethnically dressed Muslims on a plane he's about to fly on, a fear Williams himself thinks is irrational but no less real for that, is beyond the pale. At the same time, effectively calling upon God to strike down with AIDS someone Totenberg disagrees with is hunky-dory with NPR. So, apparently, is calling upon God to have one of that man's innocent grandchildren develop AIDS so that the grandfather could suffer. The grandchild's suffering, I guess, would just be collateral damage in a worthy cause. The death of a once-great political movement -- American liberalism -- sure is painful to watch." Oh, it's not that painful. In the Corner, Brian Bolduc offers more of Nina Totenberg's greatest hits. Also in the Corner, a spotlight on a minor but symbolically significant legislative fight to come next year, I'll bet: the effort to defund NPR. House GOP Leader John Boehner comments exclusively on the Juan Williams firing to NRO: "'We need to face facts -- our government is broke,' Boehner tells us. 'Washington is borrowing 37 cents of every dollar it spends from our kids and grandkids. Given that, I think it's reasonable to ask why Congress is spending taxpayers' money to support a left-wing radio network -- and in the wake of Juan Williams' firing, it's clearer than ever that's what NPR is.'" Fox News late-night host and NR cruiser Greg Gutfeld: "So, NPR canned Juan Williams. If you aren't familiar with NPR, simply imagine yourself, on a bus, sitting next to Judd Hirsch."

Oh look, the massive amount of cop home invasion is paying dividends!

CHANGE: “Home invasions by people disguised as law enforcement seem to happen more and more these days.” If you could be confident that a real police officer wouldn’t break down your door, it would be less of an issue . . . .

Somebody breaks into your house, they should be at their own risk. They get hurt . . . too bad. You get hurt — they get charged with assault, or murder, and also pay damages with no sovereign immunity. No, this isn’t the law. But it should be.

This is why we want to nationalize the healthcare market too

Fannie and Freddie may need another 215 billion.  Compassion in action, gang.

The Republicans suck. That's why they're going to win huge in November

Frank J. Fleming:  Brilliant on the money.  Money dialog:

AMERICANS: “So, the economy is pretty bad and there’s high employment. You think you can do something about that?”

DEMOCRATS AND OBAMA: “We can spend a trillion dollars we don’t have on pork and stuff.”

AMERICANS: “No … that’s not what we want. We’d really like you not to do that.”

DEMOCRATS: “You’re stupid. We’re doing it anyway.”

AMERICANS: “That’s not going to help us get jobs!”

DEMOCRATS: “Sure it will; millions of them … though they may be invisible. You’ll have to trust us they exist. And guess what else we’ll do: We’ll create a giant new government program to take over health care.”

AMERICANS: “That has nothing to do with jobs!”

DEMOCRATS: “We don’t care about that anymore. We really want a giant new health care program. We’re sure you’ll love it.”

AMERICANS: “Don’t pass that bill. You hear me? Absolutely do not pass that bill.”

DEMOCRATS: “Believe me; you’ll love it. It has … well, I don’t know what exactly is in the bill, but we’re sure it’s great.”

AMERICANS: “Listen to me: DO. NOT. PASS. THAT. BILL.”

DEMOCRATS: “You’re not the boss of me! We’re doing it anyway!”

AMERICANS: “Look what you did! Now the economy is way worse, we’re even deeper in debt, and we have a bunch of new laws we don’t want!”

DEMOCRATS: “You’re racist.”

AMERICANS: “Wha … How is that racist?”

DEMOCRATS: “Now you’re getting violent! Stop being violent and racist, you ignorant hillbillies! And remember to vote Democrat in November.”

So the Democrats sucked. But not just plain old, usual politician sucked, but epic levels of suck where it’s hard to find an analogue in human history that conveys the same level of suckitude. It was sheer incompetence plus arrogance — and those things do not complement each other well. We’re talking sucking that distorts time and space like a black hole.

It’s Godzilla-smashing-through-a-city level of suck — but a really patronizing Godzilla who says you’re just too stupid and hateful to see all the buildings he’s saved or created as he smashes everything apart. Or, to use Obama’s favorite analogy, you have a car stuck in ditch, so you call the mechanic, but the only tool he brings with him is a sledgehammer. And then he smashes your car to pieces and charges you $100,000 for his service. Finally, he calls you racist for complaining. Obama and the Democrats have been so awful, it’s hard for the human brain to even comprehend.

By contrast NPR by firing Juan Williams is at the "center" of American Opinion

They got there by sucking off of the public teat for half a century or so. Imagine that, permanent childlike dependence, never needing to please listeners or advertisers leads to infantile behavior.  Wow. More here.

Andrew Klavan explains the election

Must see...internet TV, gang.

well this is fascinating

H/T Instapundit

HORMONES: “A study claims sex hormones in the contraceptive Pill bring out the green-eyed monster, making a woman more possessive and more likely to fret about her husband or boyfriend’s fidelity.” “It seems that women, and perhaps pharmaceutical providers, are not fully aware of the range of potential psychological side-effects associated with pill use and more specifically brand choice.” Well, the Pill mimics pregnancy, and there’s solid evolutionary reason for a pregnant women to be more possessive.

So what's "National" or "Public" about it?

Soros funds lefty reporting at our "National"  "Public" Radio Network.  Not our 'Public Radio', of course:  theirs.

Roseann-Rosannadanna Land

LOW TESTOSTERONE increases heart death risk? And high Testosterone increases Angry Husband death risk.


Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  Damn.

Why is the elite hated? They're stupid - Noemie Emory

Here's the money graf:
As the Ivy League grew more diverse demographically, it became more conformist in attitude–and more estranged from the country at large. Goldberg is right, but he omits the real reason this “elite” is resented: because it is so often wrong.
Saying the Berlin Wall fell when the world “stood as one” is na?ve and delusional. Thinking a man will be a great leader because of one speech, two books, and the crease in his pants is a sign of poor judgment.

Ignoring mass protests, plunging polls, and three huge shocks at the polls is willful stupidity. Thinking one can pass a bill that impacts everyone against the will of most of country without courting a backlash is nothing short of inane.

When this backlash occurs, it is dense beyond words to claim that this stems from a fear of “the other” (meaning non-whites and immigrants) while these rebels strive to elect blacks to the House in South Carolina and Florida, Hispanics to the Senate in Florida, Hispanics to the governors’ mansions in New Mexico and Nevada, and to elect the daughter of Indian immigrants to the state house in South Carolina, home of secession and massive resistance, where the far right gave twice as many votes to black conservative Tim Scott as to one of Strom Thurmond’s sons.

There are words to describe this, but “bright” is not one of them. This meritocracy has created an “elite” without merit. In everyone’s eyes but its own.


Read the whole thing.

Law School Truth? I had no idea.

There's sweet-funny, silly funny and mean funny. This is mean funny - but it is about lawyers so it just about has to be.  Worth a gander, gang:

Left Jurisprudence in a Nutshell

The Constitution stands for things that are good. The things that we want are good. Therefore, the Constitution stands for what we want. QED. 

The most important piece of reality that the above thought process lacks is an understanding of personal sin.  It's only when we understand not only our fallability but our depravity - our deep and abiding selfishness - that we recognize the need for law that transcends us and our self serving tendencies.

Read the whole thing.

H/T Instapundit

Another reason to hate Texas: They've created almost all the jobs in the last 5 years

The other obvious point is that aside from anomalous Delaware, the other 8 states with net job growth are all deep, deep red ones.  Hmm, must be a dirty Tea Party conspiracy.  Oops, technically, Washington at 0 percent is on the list.  One blue state that didn't destroy jobs over the last five years.  Wow.

Mike Gerson: Obama, the Intellectual Snob

I think that Gerson hits the nail on the head when he describes Barack Obama as an 'Intellectual Snob' who disdains the common man as 'irrational' and driven by 'fear' and warped by 'stress'.  As Gerson points out:

The neocortical presidency destroys the possibility of political dialogue. What could Obama possibly learn from voters who are embittered, confused and dominated by subconscious evolutionary fears? They have nothing to teach, nothing to offer to the superior mind. Instead of engaging in debate, Obama resorts to reductionism, explaining his opponents away.

It is remarkably stupid and (dare I say it) 'irrational' of a political leader to disdain the people whose votes he relies on for his status and power.  But it appears that our First Law Lecturer is both.

Don't know much about....well anything.

Liberals mock Palin for correctly citing that the Tea Party occurred in 1773.  Well when your history is Marxist, the story of a Tax Revolt necessarily must be edited out.

The future will by dominated by "Damned Dirty Apes" or will be shiny. Whatever.

Shiny future here.  BS future here.  Both fun.

It's not Illegal Immigrants, nor is it undocumented workers, now it's "New Americans"

 War is peace, hate is love and illegals are 'new'.  The question is this just rhetoric or is he really that deluded?  Hat tip Geraghty.

Examiner columnist Gregory Kane calls our attention to a sneak preview of the Big New Buzzword of 2011: "Did I hear Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, D, right during his second debate with former Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich? Did O'Malley call illegal immigrants 'new Americans'? Good thing I recorded that debate on a DVD. I replayed it Saturday night, and O'Malley's exact quote was this, part of his response to a question about illegal immigration. 'There is this nativism rising up and this desire to blame new Americans for the problems in our economy.' Yeah, he said it. And Ehrlich was quick to pounce on the gaffe. 'If somebody breaks in my house, is that a new member of my family that night?'"

Our First Conspiracy Theorist

Althouse:  "The idea that the Chamber of Commerce is ruining America sounds like something a nutty conspiracy theorist would say"

Precisely.