I’ve had two big hypotheses. . .

. . .over the past ten years that I walked away from. Now I’m walking back.

The first was that the right strategy in the Middle East was to allow their natural instincts to get the better of them and encourage them to engage each other in open warfare. This would have a number of benefits, First, if, for example, Iran and Iraq were at war, then no one would mind if we took out Iran’s nuclear facilities. The second is that if these countries were spending their resources on fighting each other, then they’d have less ability to fight us. The British used this idea effectively for quite some time.

Then I got caught up in the idealism and nationalism regarding the war in Iraq. So, I lost confidence in this idea, but in retrospect I now again think it would have been the right strategy.

The second was that, like Clinton, Obama would bring the Republicans back in power. Then I lost confidence in that idea, somewhat intimidated by the cult of personality surrounding him. Now, it’s all but certain the Republicans will win big this fall, and I now think Obama will not be able to reverse that in 2012.

First, he ideologically has no idea where the center is. So, he can’t tack there. Second, he’s just not that interested in the job. He’ll likely want to pursue a “higher” calling, like Secretary General of the UN from where he can continue to criticize Americans to a more receptive audience. Thirdly, these people aren’t really that smart. If they were they wouldn’t have had to struggle like they did to pass the health care bill, despite large majorities in both houses of Congress.

I’ve never seen an organization that appeared to be as well-run from an inside view as it appeared to be from the outside. I can’t imagine political organizations are any different.

Vindictive?

I first saw this video this afternoon (and, yes, I’m still in love with Chris Christie).

I came to the same conclusion as the author of this note. Since, apparently, I’m not the only one who thought this way, I thought I’d forward it.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/244814/how-vindictive-administration-daniel-foster

Note: It’s now pretty obvious Christie is playing to the cameras, knowing the Internet is going to pick these things up.

Master of Paradox, or just an OxyMoron?

Email Chain; Read from bottom:

My reply:

Don’t underestimate our President.

http://reason.com/archives/2009/02/25/the-two-faces-of-barack-obama

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another friend’s email:

He’s certainly more efficient than Obama. Instead of using 2 speeches to contradict himself – he just rolls it all into one.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A friend’s email:

“The jet, as well as being an ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, has a main message of peace and friendship,” said Ahmadinejad…

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100822/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_unmanned_bomber

 

 

Miscommunication?

Many folks (mostly liberal) are having a really hard time with a public of whom 24% apparently believe the President is a Muslim. They don’t understand how this could be the case because on many occasions and throughout the campaign he has been seen doing very Christian things, like going to a Christian Church in Chicago.

I wonder if this is lack of knowledge or lack of belief. To check, the pollsters should ask two questions:

1. Do you know what religion the President says he follows?
2. What religion do you believe the President follows?

This ought to clear this up a bit.

 

The Who

I really like The Who. My first introduction to them was riding in the passenger seat of my brother’s green cougar, while “Pinball Wizard” played at volumes OSHA would find unsafe.

The thing I like best about them is their music sounds best when their pissed off. Think “Behind Blue Eyes.”

I was reminded of The Who when I read this piece by Conrad Black.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/244280/obama-and-muslims-conrad-black

Oh, he’s pissed.

 

Did we say the Health Care Bill was going to save money?

Our bad.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/08/20/obamacare-proponents-running-scared/

 

Coulter’s got them hands down on this one

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=38618

Yet another. . .

. . . issue where Obama finds himself on the opposite side of the American popular (likely voter) opinion:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/toplines/national_survey_toplines/august_2010/toplines_nuclear_weapons_ii_august_8_9_2010

 

How do mediocre writers like this (Kathleen Parker) get work?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/10/AR2010081004224.html

This reads like a high school newspaper editorial.

 

Okay, why is it Economists keep getting surprised by unemployment numbers?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Surprise-rise-in-jobless-rb-3752948140.html?x=0&.v=4

Seriously. No one is going to hire anyone in this climate unless they absolutely have to.