Stupid Gov Tricks

I’ve been keeping an eye out for news from Belarus in the wake of the bombing. As is typical of our media, now that the bleeding is over, their eyes have mostly turned elsewhere. Having Belarusian friends provides more of an insider’s view—as does the experience of Lobo and the snolfs, freshly returned from a visit to that part of the world. The contrasts between the situations—and people—of that country and this are rich in irony.

I should have seen this coming—I’ve been pissing and moaning about how technology is destroying food quality, and while that can happen, technology can also improve some things.

Most of the regulars here already know that the Senate’s version of the food fascism bill, alternatively known as S.B. 510, was passed yesterday. According to the sources I follow on this issue, a few issues stand in the way of it becoming law—more than the usual reconciliation with the House version, which was passed some time ago. Some see hope in that; but I don’t ... since the general idea has gotten congressional approval, I expect some sort of food tyranny will become the law within the next year or two. I don’t like it one bit, but am inured to it. Anyway, that isn’t what I want to focus on at the moment.

It turns out that federal taxes often inflict a double cut upon us, according to an op–ed in the Wall Street Journal. Although politicians promise to apply the additional sum to reducing the U.S. deficit, that never seems to happen.

I’ve debated talking about this news item for a few days; it’s the kind of thing I don’t want to feature much (if at all) any more ... yet the story is so outrageous that I cannot get it out of my head. The seductive allure of power in the financial sector and the short–sighted hubris of local politics combine, to appalling effect.

In Costa Rica, as in many other places, this year is a census year. I intend to do everything possible to avoid being counted.

My experience with the census started in 1970, when my parents received "the long form" (for lack of a better name). I recall my father feeling important because "they" wanted to know all about him. I saw the form and felt creeped out. It asked things like how many bathrooms in the house, how many TVs you owned, etc. I remember thinking that this was none of their business.

Anyone who thinks the USSA gov—and govs the world around—don’t massage their statistics in some way must have a photo of themselves in the dictionary under “naïve”. Of late, some knowledgeable folks have been looking with suspicion at the unemployment figures, and with very good reason.

But for those of us who aren’t interested in the intricacies of the birth–death model, a video has been made to help sort out how our beneficent state currently defines “unemployed”:

(Or, watch it at YouTube if you prefer)

This is quite accurate, including the statistic cited at the end. At least as far as gov numbers go ...

As I have noted before Costa Rica is not a Libertarian paradise. Despite that I felt it was pretty good place for those who want a great deal of effective freedom. I am no longer sure about this position.

Finally getting to the long promised story of my trip to California. You were warned. [grin]

It all started months ago when my sister sent me tickets for the airfare. She'd always wanted to do that, but I'd never before agreed to fly... but I had a 2 1/2 year old grandson I'd never seen, and wanted badly to reconnect with my two sons, so I bit the proverbial bullet and accepted.

I recently saw this video interview of Bill Maher by Olbermann where Maher explains why he is criticizing Obama. Basically it is because Obama is not socialist enough. Specifically he criticized Obama's statement that he was not out to install a government health care system. Maher said "... why not, maybe our health care situation in this country would be as good as Costa Rica's or Morocco's" (at about 4:00 into the video).

plus c’est la même chose.

That’s the claim of a recent Economist article, titled The Ungovernable State. While I agree with the author(s) somewhat (not knowing the details of California’s constitution nor governance systems, I’m trusting that the information in the article is at least nominally accurate), at a fundamental level California is not alone.

To be blunt about it, the real problems aren’t the burst bubbles in the home mortgage market, in credit default swaps (CDS), in commercial real estate, nor in credit. It’s the systemic fraud masquerading as government policy that encouraged too much of the risky behavior that allowed bubbles to begin in the first place.

If so, don’t get too cheerful—it isn’t the kind of lawlessness we twel– 21 would like to see.

So, somehow the other day I ended up at Thomas.loc.gov—in case anyone reading is unfamiliar with it, that’s the part of the online Library of Congress where federal legislation is warehoused (it’s named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, which I rather doubt he’d find much of an honor). The link went to an expired version of some bill, so I spent a bit of time trying to track down the current crapola. Dunno that I ever got there, though ... what I saw while wading through the muck was quite off-putting.