The Whip, July 10, 2010

Want Economic Stimulus? Don’t Build a Sports Stadium! [*1] — It’s hard to decide what’s the bigger scam: public ‘light rail’ mass transit, new stadiums, health care “reform,” “stimulus,” or “green industries.” Each of them has just about as much objective scientific support behind them–i.e. very, very little–to suggest that they will actually do what their proponents say they will do. All represent the triumph of Hoping Real Hard over actual reality.

Two words shoot all of these down when these Good Ideas come into contact with the Real World: Opportunity Cost.

Lack of jobs increasingly blamed on uncertainty created by Obama’s policies[*2]

Rasmussen: Investor confidence hits 2010 low [*3] — Nobody–especially smaller businesses–are going to do much of anything until they have an idea how much more the Democrats are going to try to hurt them via taxes and regulations. Which may mean no significant recovery until Palin defeats Obama in November, 2012.

Video: New Black Panther Party President Admits Voter Intimidation [*4] — Evidence:

Racists. And not with five A’s, either. The real thing, this time. Imagine a white supremicist movement leader standing up and talking like this. Try to imagine it. Then try to imaging that guy and his organization NOT getting the legal cluebat upside the head. Dave Weigel’s intolerable and unforgivable sin [*5]

Any Conservative Schism May Not Be What You Think [*6] — In any broad-based movement (as the current liberty renaissance is) disagreements between various factions and interest groups are to be expected. This isn’t “schism.” This is “debate.” A concept foreign to the authoritarians of the left. (And yes, all of the left is authoritarian, in case you’re in any doubt about my usage of the term “left”.)

Just Because You Can Force An Issue Doesn’t Mean You Can Solve It [*7]

http://reason.com/blog/2010/07/09/just-because-you-can-force-an [*8] — Personally, I think that state nullification of federal law should be seriously considered as a Constitutional amendment . . . something like if three fifths (or even a simple majority) of all legislatures vote to veto any Federal legislation, within eighteen months of its adoption as Federal Law, it will be overturned AND Congress will be prohibited from considering legislation on the topic for some significant period of time–either through the subsequent Congress, or through the subsequent Presidential term–would be a useful restoration of the principle of federalism.

Illinois – “let them eat cake” [*9]

Cap-and-Trade Would Hammer Economy, Job Creation [*10]

Penn Jillette Explains It All at Bigthink.com [*11]

Small businesses “losing their steam” [*12]

The Government From Boeing [*13] — When corporations stop being competitive, free-enterprise entities and start depending on–and influencing–public policy, then both the corporation and the government they’re trying to influence have become Too Big To Persist.

Why Sarah Palin May Save America [*14]

55 Percent of Likely Voters Find ‘Socialist’ an Accurate Label of Obama? [*15]

The Cost of a Seat at the Table [*16]

Pity the Poor Keynesians [*17]

Get Ready for Donald Berwick to Run Your Health Care [*18]

Those New Black Panthers Can’t Catch A Break [*19]

The Palin Doctrine [*20]

The Voters Are Catching On [*21]

Tomorrow Belongs To Me [*22]

The 24 Types of Authoritarians [*23]

Raising Arizona [*24] — Garbage in, garbage out . . .

Forget Dave Weigel — the Real Issues Are the ‘JournoList,’ MSM Groupthink, Transparency, and Advocacy Masquerading As Journalism [*25]

MEMO TO MILBANK: You’re a head behind the facts on Arizona border decapitations [*26] — Apparently, some Washington Post journalists seem to think that executing people by cutting off their heads is an occasion for humor.

I’d like to see Dana Milbank explain his humor to Daniel Pearl’s family.
Broadcast viewership hits record low [*27]

Green Economics and the Void of Desire [*28] — Yes, a re-post. Go read it.