Big earners better start earning a lot more

if they're going to have to pay for the president's plans . 'Cuz right now they don't make enough to do the trick.

Exactly

How long can a system that punishes virtue and rewards greed and profligacy flourish?

Minnesota considers lowering the drinking age to 18

I can't imagine this passing, but I'm in favor.

When I grew up in Tennessee the drinking age was 21. Nevertheless we really didn't have much trouble getting our hands on alcohol. Now I have 4 kids. Our oldest is nineteen and as far as I can tell he never had much trouble getting his hands on alcohol, either. They were actually - at least most of the time - more responsible than we were in high school. They usually had designated drivers.

Of course, that's beside the point. The fact is that I think the drinking age should be lower - lower even than 18, for that matter, and the bill has a provision for 16 year-old's accompanied by their parents (curious about enforcement of parents bit). This makes sense to me.

While they're at it maybe they can raise the legal limit back to 1.0 and quit pandering to the neo-prohibitionists.

Preach it, brother

Victor David Hanson channels the Battered American.

Republicans want to invade privacy

I don't like the sound of this .

Second City politics goes to Washington

Stimulus bill provides built in protection from inspection . (via Instapundit )

Good news

for a change . :-)

Some interesting and positive notes on recent tech discoveries and achievements.

CATO institute disects government spending as economic stimulus

Those who fail to learn from history  ...

It is finished ...

Favre  retires.

Milton Friedman v. Phil Donahue

No contest .

"The only cases in which the masses have escaped from the kind of grinding poverty you're talking about ... are where they have had capitalism and largely free trade. "

Don't bother me with the law, we're trying to get stuff done

I get the idea that the new president has an elastic idea of legality .

Jerry Pournelle on the 'stimulous' and inevitable nature of government

(sorry for the long excerpt - it's from here )

 

The bad news is that the "stimulus" bill, which is the largest appropriations bill in the history of the world, is still on track for passage. It nationalizes a lot of the economy, and once those steps are taken, the Iron Law of Bureaucracy will see to it that the institutions created by it will remain. Forever. I have a few more words on that over in mail.

The tax cut provision of the "stimulus bill" seem aimed at solidifying party control: most of it is transfer payments to people who don't now pay taxes. In the US 40% don't pay federal taxes. If any large number of those are given money as transfer payments they will learn to rely on them. At which point they will be motivated to vote. And community organizers will see that they do vote. Now understand: many of those who get negative income taxes do necessary work and they aren't very well paid. The question becomes, is that a federal problem, and should it be dealt with by transfer payments? Because once this is instituted, it's going to be pretty permanent. Those affected by it will be mobilized to defend it, and it will mean more to them than it does to those opposed. So it goes.

It does look as if we are going to have a sea change, a fundamental change in the relationship between the United States and its people. There was such a change during Roosevelt's time, when Washington went from being a small town in Maryland to the Capital of a Federalized United States. There sill be another, I think, now.

The President and the media

Is the honeymoon over ?

Are markets up

in reaction to the presidents appointments. Maybe investors are interpreting the appointments as an indication that payment of taxes will be optional going forward.