gdp's Comments

KCRG : Locke Announces $30 Million for Flood Recovery | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Wea

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:56:33 +0000

Good point. Government invests based on political calculus versus economic calculus and sound economic reasoning. http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-42674-Cedar-Ra...

KCRG : Locke Announces $30 Million for Flood Recovery | KCRG-TV9 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Wea

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 23:55:05 +0000

exactly right. I wrote a reply to this reporting in which the news should have asked the real questions of opportunity cost. http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-42674-Cedar-Ra...

Big Government : Freedom Alliance Responds to Allegations Against Sean Hannity

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:39:42 +0000

Interesting response from Freedom Alliance. I really don't have a dog in this fight at all other than wanting corruptioin and misuse of funds examined for all of those who have contributed to this charity (of which I have never participated). I believe spotlight is the best disinfectant and would like to have the Freedom Alliance explain why so little of what is raised does not go to those the charity says it directly benefits. While any charity will have administrative costs, etc.... this seems beyone egregious. Hopefully, Freedom Alliance and Sean's company will illuminate a full audit of the amount spent in addition to the amount of money RAISED. I understand how charities can be highjacked sometimes (see Wyclef Jean's reputations with this Haiti Relief group) having volunteered for an organization in college and it's best to follow the money as they say. This is an interesting story I think deserves attention based on the facts and not using smear tactics. We all know who is good at doing that.

Liberty Maven : What Constitution are the Tea Partiers Using?

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 23:32:05 +0000

I have a lot of empathy for what you are saying a feel the exact same way. I'm apart of a 912 group (lots of Tea Party folks) and have taken a similar approach since some of these folks will never listen to reason (of Jeffersonian non-intervention), while we are able to win over those who take an objective approach to foreign policy. Ron Paul made excellent points about the "cost" that we must consider even if you are a saber-rattle-war-hawk fella. That math doesn't add up. So, if we're going to be talking about fiscal responsibility, we need to be honest across the board. I feel the letters of marque are a better way to fight unconventional warfare since we are bleeding money with our military empire. Good stuff. God Bless.

Liberty Maven : What Constitution are the Tea Partiers Using?

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 16:59:21 +0000

Excellent article matt! It resonates with what I wrote earlier this year about war powers enumerated under the Constitution (http://andykatherman.blogspot.com/2010/01/constit... We can't pick and choose when to follow the Constitution. We must live and breathe it no matter what if we want to be taken seriously as lovers of liberty. Our founders knew why the power to declare war or issue letters of marque was NOT something to be given out lightly or put in the hands of the Executive branch.

Big Government : Happy Stimulus Day! One Year's Worth of Waste

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:50:32 +0000

One time rebate style checks (under both Obama and Bush) will never create jobs and anyone that only talks about tax cuts alone does not understand the economy. These 2 things do help: 1) tax cut at the MARGINS (payroll, capital gains, income taxes, corporate, etc) and 2) a cut on spending and government constraints on capital formation.

Tenth Amendment Center Blog : A Question for Glenn Beck on Global Warming and Conspiracy

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:11:21 +0000

Great post MIchael. I watch and listen to Glenn Beck quite often. There are times when I really like what he is saying since he's one of the only mainstream pundits who has that "it" factor to sense things that don't seem or smell right. But, then he has these weird reactions to things that I just don't get. If someone asked me about the 9-11 thing, I'd probably give a similar answer that Medina did. Al-Qaeda Muslims flew planes into the buildings and the pentagon and killed 3K people and billions in capital/property, but there is some weird stuff that doesn't add up with what appears to be odd cover up. According to Beck, I must be a raving lunatic because I don't have all of the facts nor do I really care. For whatever reason, there are a few round pegs that don't go into square holes. Beck is flat wrong on this and he's entitled to his opinion, but going around just saying "she's a truther" is complete ridiculous.

Big Journalism : Overnight Sarah Palin/Tea Party Thread

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 01:52:02 +0000

You are absolutely right about debt. What I want to know is exactly what "sacred cows" she or anyone else is going to cut. We have a half a trillion dollar payment on the debt this year. This interest payment on the national debt is larger than the entire budget back in the 1990s. That's disgusting. We need people to be honest and cut HUGE chuncks out of government. I'm not talking little bits here and there. I'm talking entire departments, farm subsidies, etc. I've written more about this in my blog: http://andykatherman.blogspot.com/2010/02/guns-or...

Big Journalism : Overnight Sarah Palin/Tea Party Thread

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 01:39:04 +0000

Good points. I'm not going to vote for anyone unless they tell me exactly HOW they are going to cut gov't by more than 20-30%. I'm talking about taking and cutting entire Federal departments, farm subsidies, regulations, federal grants, the welfare/warfare state, etc. Social Security and Medicare are going to eating the deficit alive here very shortly since there never was any "trust fund". It's been busted and draining the Treasury for sometime and we need to be honest of figuring out how to reform it. We need to have leaders to tell entire voting blocks "NO". It's very hard to get elected when you have to do this. Unless Sarah Palin (or anyone else) takes on these sacred cows, she's not going to get my support or my vote for that matter.

Big Journalism : Overnight Sarah Palin/Tea Party Thread

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 01:33:22 +0000

Sadly, while I believe in cutting taxes at the margins so as to encourage capital formation, no President or Congress should be creating jobs. Their jobs are laid out in Article I (Congress) and Article II (President). Tax cuts themselves do not create jobs although they do lead to usually more tax receipts to the Treasury (as seen by the Laffer Curve) and a growing economy (usually). Regardless of tax policy, government needs to shrink by all levels (and yes this means the Military). We are in too many countries playing super nanny. We're going to go bankrupt here if we don't reduce the deficits here in the next 5 years. As much as I like Reagan, we need to be realistic with the problems we face as we're likely to be England circa WWI.

Big Journalism : Overnight Sarah Palin/Tea Party Thread

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 01:26:14 +0000

I really want some substance and not any of this sound byte policy (seen that enough from our current President). If people like Palin want to criticize spending, I need to hear WHERE the cuts are going to come from. The interest on our debt will be approaching half a trillion dollars. We will need to start cutting entire discretionary departments AND take on some sacred cows to remain solvent. I want someone with integrity and honesty to get up and speak to THAT end. And, if we are going to be stirring up wars for the next 10 years (something I do not support), we are going to need even MORE cuts in other areas to fund this leviathan of a government.

Big Journalism : Overnight Sarah Palin/Tea Party Thread

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 01:24:30 +0000

I agree with you in the content and substance department. I need laser free market like economic polices guided in principled theory (see "Broken Window Fallacy") on how we won't default on our debts as a nation.

Big Hollywood : James Cameron: 'Avatar' is a 'Tribute' to Marines -- PLUS: What the Sequels Might Look Like

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:14:53 +0000

? help me out a little on your point bugs... . obviously avatar is fantasy

Big Government : Stimulus Wasted and Most Americans Know It

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:03:14 +0000

I'm sorry but the entire stimulus idea was going to be a colossal failure based on the laws of economics (look up the "Broken Window" fallacy by Bastiat or austrian economics). The gov't cannot centrally plan the economy and know where to spend or "pour" scarce capital into the private sector. The entire stimulus theory is all based on flawed Keynesian economics that failed in the 30s and 70s. All of the "jobs created or saved" are complete red herrings ("seen") and distractions from what is "unseen" in the amount of new businesses that were not created, expanded, or pursued. Sadly, tax cuts (alone) would not have done much job creation since the amount of de-leveraging and liquidation of malinvestment has not been realized. If massive tax cuts were issued WITH equal amounts of federal spending cuts, then that might have lead to a real and genuine recovery by now. However, now we are caught in this Keynesian malaise with the gov't threatening new industries and sectors each day. I fear that we are heading towards a possible default as a nation if spending is not cut dramatically in the next 3-4 years.

Big Government : Scott Brown Win Is a Victory For Bush Foreign Policy, Defeat For Ron Paul Isolationism

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:00:28 +0000

I'll have to add those my ever growing list of books to read. I would also argue that Islam is often highly coupled with cultural/geographic traditions with different interpretations of what defines a "good muslim". Obviously, this has similarities of how different doctrines of Christianity define grace and living in grace. As a Catholic, we recognize "santifying grace" as well as the call to live a "life in grace". Other denominations disagree with this and focus more on the evangelizing aspect. Anyway, I also think many of the wars between rivaling religions has roots in property right disputes and that cannot be ignored. One of Bin Laden's main beefs with Saudi Arabia was the presence of foreign occupiers in his home land. I agree with you in that it's a complex ideology that is not easily put into one homogenous cookie cutter description.

Big Government : Scott Brown Win Is a Victory For Bush Foreign Policy, Defeat For Ron Paul Isolationism

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:44:13 +0000

There is no denying a movement of thought where many folks basically want to remove/eliminate Islam (as if it's one homogenous religion) since it's inherently bad. And, when people talk about the "war on terror", there is basic what I'd call "code language" inferring that the only way to defeat this type of evil is to defeat the religion itself. I'm not one of those folks and it doesn't sound like you are either. But, i'm sure there are many people who do belive that anyone practicing a form of Islam is condemmed or something to that effect. I personally am a devout Catholic and do not believe Islam as truth even though Christianity, Judaism, and Islam sprouted from the same tree of Abraham. So, I hope that provides a little more context to my thoughts above.

Big Hollywood : James Cameron: 'Avatar' is a 'Tribute' to Marines -- PLUS: What the Sequels Might Look Like

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:31:04 +0000

Here's the thing. The military isn't just an entity all to itself. The military serves at the behest of our foreign policy directorate. If anything, i think the movie highlights the power, responsibility, and consequences of using force and aggression. Military is a broad sword and not a surgical scalpel. Any sovereign entity's military should be used to preserve and protect liberty, freedom, and property rights and not to violate the natural rights of others unless it is in the act of self defense (hence the self evident truth of the 2nd amendment). I know it's uncomfortable for the "human/americans" to be on the wrong side of this concept in Avatar, but sometimes it does and has happened throughout the course of history. This not a "blame America" excuse, rather reality that sometimes we have made mistakes as have other countries. I personally don't agree with 90% of Cameron's politics and think he goes over the top allegorically in his movies. My personal take on Avatar: http://bit.ly/5QTZAp

Big Government : Scott Brown Win Is a Victory For Bush Foreign Policy, Defeat For Ron Paul Isolationism

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:32:35 +0000

If we are going to go to war (like declare war on Al-Qaeda which I would favor), then we need to have Congress vote on it. We have not formally declared war since WWII. People now a days just think "oh declaring war is just a formality". Well, I disagree with that and so would the founders. The purpose of declaring war is significant since it put everyone on the same page (sort of an "all in" if you will) to back a cause with a finite goal/end. If war is declared, then people are going to be required to sacrifice and surrender massive amounts of liberties (taxes/levies/price controls/rationing) for the cause of war (like we did in WWII). The other option (as defined in Article I Section 8) is to issue Letters of Marque and Reprisal to private contractors/citizens (maybe like bounty hunters) to seek out and eliminate those who have attacked the US or our citizens private property (like Airlines for example).

Big Government : Scott Brown Win Is a Victory For Bush Foreign Policy, Defeat For Ron Paul Isolationism

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:18:17 +0000

If you'd like to provide me with some good readings or sources that you feel I'd enjoy, I'd be happy to hear them. Most of my post collegiate (self) education dating back to the last few years has been on austrian economics, liberty, and history (those are my passions). I have not read the Qur'an, but I think it would be a good thing to do. I have listened to some really good interviews with people who have studied the Qur'an and the controversial parts. One of my main theories about the motivations of militant islam is that our being in over 150 countries and threatens their sovereignty and stirs up trouble. Thus, I argue it's a bit naive to think stomping around in other countries backyard will not have consequences. I agree with a strict construction of the Constitution with Congress having the power to decalre war and issues letters of marque or reprisal. This perpetual war on terror is the health of the state and is unsustainable. We need to think differently in terms of National Defense or it's going to bankrupt us. That's my premise which I believe should hold some water.

Big Government : Scott Brown Win Is a Victory For Bush Foreign Policy, Defeat For Ron Paul Isolationism

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:01:43 +0000

First, I'd rather not get into a name calling event here. So, please do me a favor and save your breath if you want to belittle me or anyone else who may not share your exact philosophy since it doesn't do either of us any good. I'm glad to hear that we both know people of Islam and I will retract my presumption that I thought you had not met one. I've gotten into a lot of discussions with people who have never met a Muslim and many of their positions seems rather prejudiced. So, that is where I'm coming from. I will admit that I don't know everything and to think otherwise would be naive (as I'm sure you would agree). And, just because I have read a few books doesn't make me an expert on Islam or the radical elements of it. If you're just going to go off the premise that you know more than everyone else, what's the point of discussing these things?