Presidential op ed: genuine?
I almost thought President Obama’s op ed piece in the Washington Post was an internet hoax, it seemed so ill-advised for reasons explained here:
President Obama signed an op-ed this morning in the Washington Post, and it’s a quick hit that would have been better left unwritten. In it, he overpromises results from a bill that hasn’t been finalized and is still having amendments added in the Senate as I write this. But he says the stimulus bill will be “swift, bold and wise enough for us to climb out of this crisis.” How does he know that? Maybe it will, but none of us really knows yet what is going to happen.
The president promises more than a fix for housing, jobs and banks-he guarantees massive government involvement in many sectors of our economy-from energy to healthcare to schools to access to the internet. He goes on to promise “unprecedented transparency and accountability, so Americans know where their tax dollars are going and how they are being spent.” That’s a big deal if he can deliver it. We’ve been waiting for that for years.
The president would have been wise to invite the loyal opposition to join him in supporting the bill, or at least to acknowledge that reasonable minds can disagree on the road to compromise. But instead, he rejects criticism of the stimulus plan and reminds readers that his side won. He seems to blame Republicans for everything causing our country to fall apart. . . .
Anyone opposing the current stimulus package is engaging in “old ideological battles,” “narrow partisanship,” “bad habits,” and “the same old partisan gridlock that stands in the way of action,” he writes. I guess that includes not only the House Republicans, but economic experts Martin Feldstein and Alice Rivlin, the other 250 economists who have publicly stated their reservations.
Most of Washington is engaged in a battle of ideas, for the first time in a long time, about the meaning of capitalism and free markets and government intervention. The future of our economy is at stake, and the president would have been better off not engaging in overblown rhetoric and name-calling on the op-ed page. He came across as partisan and strident about the future, instead of inclusive and thoughtful. Someone else should have signed that op-ed.
I’m particularly disturbed by the president’s alarmist tone, appeal to crowd hysteria, and the pervasive feeling of extortion in the piece, but then i am always wary when a charismatic leader is able to whip up the masses to blindly follow using the carrot of prosperity and the stick of castrophe. See, e.g., fascist leaders of the 20th century and most recently the current Iraq war which, like G.W. Bush, was extremely popular at the time. But now I’m just fighting fear mongering with fear mongering.
Glass ceilings are called that because they’re hard to see
Glass ceilings are typically easier to feel than to see, but here is some rare footage of a glass ceiling in its natural habitat — the business world. Under the headline “CBS executive asks: How do you want to be remembered?” CBS television exec (and female) Terry Wood discusses what lessons business executives can learn about personal branding from television personalities:
Q: OK, what about business executives who have achieved success? What can they learn from TV personalities?
A: TV personalities draw the audience in by commanding the screen and making you want to watch. A good leader does the same thing: inspires you, draws you into the process. Leaders must face their audiences, not sit in their offices. They have to be bold and step out there and lead and get people excited about working for them.
Q: Surely, you don’t recommend that executives take time in the middle of the day to watch Judge Judy or Dr. Phil?
A: The way those personalities connect, I think a lot of leaders in business could learn from it. Leaders have to cut to the chase and make their points, so I think they can learn from watching these celebrities. Many do. If they aren’t able to watch on their DVRs, their wives certainly tell them about it.
Did you see the glass ceiling invoked? In this case it is the suggestion that leaders of business are all straight males with wives who stay home watching daytime television. Terry Wood is apparently ranked no. 32 among Hollywood Reporter‘s 100 most powerful women in entertainment, ahead of Tina Fey, Rachael Ray, Tyra Banks and Miley Cyrus, and she seems to want to stay there — even if it means pulling up the businesswoman ladder behind her that she herself climbed up.
Spitzer (of all people) calls for transparency
And he’s right, of course (all irony aside). Read here.
Frenchies try to shame us again
Although most effervescent wine in the United States is known as Champagne, the French Champagne cartel is trying to convince the American public that true Champagne is only produced in the French region of Champagne.
The Office of Champagne USA has launched an online and print advertising campaign called ‘Unmask the Truth’, aimed at asking consumers to support name protection.
The United States passed a law in 2006 prohibiting the future use of the label Champagne for wines made outside the Champagne region, but allowed those currently using the term Champagne to continue. Not good enough for the French. They’re calling for those similarly outraged to speak out and sign a petition.
Regarding the probable success of the Champagne campaign, Sharon Castillo, head of the Office of Champagne said:
We are optimistic, but do not expect results overnight. American consumers are increasingly demanding accurate wine labels and we stand with them.
Really? American consumers are demanding that Champagne only come from one tiny little region in France? I doubt that. Next thing you know, the Germans will be on our case about hamburgers and frankfurters. What’s next? White Russians only from Russia? Peking duck only from Bejing? Not likely. The French may have pouted their way into getting Champagne recognized as a legitimate mark in the European Union, but this is America: land of the free, home of the brave. I think the only “concession” Americans would consider regarding Champagne is labeling ours “American Champagne.” After all, there is some precedent – right, American Indians?
Lawyers/economists rain on homeless parade
The Los Angeles Times reports on a new portable home for the homeless:
Until a few weeks ago, he dozed on a thin mattress in the open air. Now he beds down in a snug mobile shelter called an EDAR (short for Everyone Deserves a Roof), a covered contraption that looks like the offspring of a shopping cart and a pop-up camper.
“This is one of the greatest damn gifts you could ever give to anybody,” he says.
Lawyers spoil the party:
Meanwhile, lawyers are sorting out legal issues. Will municipal codes allow users to park their units anywhere? What about constitutional questions and not-in-my-backyard complaints?
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law, said police fear the units could constitute dwellings where inhabitants would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. In that scenario, police would need warrants to search EDARs, which could become havens for drug use or prostitution. Chemerinsky maintains that cities could allow the units in designated public places as long as users consented to be searched, much like travelers entering an airport.
Anticipating the economics argument:
Does the EDAR enable homelessness by making it more bearable? No, he insists. “Why is the EDAR not regressive?” he said. “Because it is not nearly as good as a shelter bed. There’s no pretense it’s as good as permanent or temporary brick-and-mortar housing.” But it is, he says, “infinitely better than a damp cardboard box.”
Actually, EDAR would encourage homelessness at the margins because it improves the quality of homeless life without increasing the costs. Who would ever choose homelessness just because of EDAR? People already “choose” homelessness (although many arguably do not) because it is better than their other alternatives: whatever would be considered one step above homelessness. Because EDAR increases the value of homelessness without increasing the costs, we would expect some people one step above homelessness to go fully homeless. The argument about EDAR not being as good as a shelter bed ignores its selling points – independence, portability, and a feeling of ownership.
Just because EDAR enables homelessness does not make it undesirable. If EDAR enables child prostitutes living with their pimps to leave that lifestyle and become “homeless” living in an EDAR, we might feel fine about that. Also there is no indication that just because EDAR may incentivize people one step above homelessness (child prostitutes) to become fully homeless, it would likewise incentivize people two steps above homelessness (child runaways) to become one step above homeless (child prostitutes). So EDAR would only increase the number of fully homeless, not increase the number of people at risk to homelessness.
Yes, Hussein is his middle name
I’m just flabbergasted. Even from CNN, which is so ridiculously left, it makes me (admittedly left-leaning myself) queasy, has this clip on their front page today.
Someone, please, anyone, let me know why this is still an issue.
Blagojevich Blogging
Ever since it broke, the Blagojevich story has been weighing heavily on my heart. It’s not the corruption that bothers me. Blagojevich was right when he said that a Senate seat is “an [expletive] valuable thing,” (especially these days, when the government is throwing about hundreds of billions of dollars like a Macy’s parade Santa throwing out candies), and wanting to capitalize on valuable things is human nature. That’s not to condone it, but the basic impulse is understandable. Besides, it’s Illinois. People would become confused and frightened if the politicians didn’t steal. There’d be human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria!
The corruption is distasteful, but to me it’s not the scariest thing about the story. The scary thing about the story is the fact that Governor Blagojevich was so bad at crime. When you know that you are the target of a corruption investigation, you should not openly plan criminal conspiracies over the phone or in your office. When picking a target to shake down, you should pick easier targets than President-Elect Obama, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. Anyone who’s watched The Sopranos or The Wire should be able to figure this stuff out. I don’t like the fact that a state governor, who should be a relatively sophisticated and saavy lawbreaker, doesn’t bother to take the precautions that two-bit coke dealers know to take. If a man can’t even solicit a bribe properly, how can we expect him to manage an entire state government?
Good news for mattress factories
Investors buy U.S. debt at zero yield:
In the market equivalent of shoveling cash under the mattress, hordes of buyers were so eager on Tuesday to park money in the world’s safest investment, United States government debt, that they agreed to accept a zero percent rate of return.
Investors accepted the zero percent rate in the government’s auction Tuesday of $30 billion worth of short-term securities that mature in four weeks. Demand was so great even for no return that the government could have sold four times as much.
The news sent a sobering signal: in these troubled economic times, when people have lost vast amounts on stocks, bonds and real estate, making an investment that offers security but no gain is tantamount to coming out ahead.
“The last time this happened was the Great Depression, when people are willing to accept no return on their money, or possibly even a negative return,” said Edward Yardeni, an independent analyst. “If people are so busy during the day just protecting the cash they have, it’s not a good sign.”
Many investors are seeking safety because they believe that the economy is in its worst recession since the Depression. Rather than inflation, which was a worry for some a few months ago, many are now worried about deflation, or falling prices.
“That group of investors has to invest in something,” said Max Bublitz, chief strategist at SCM Advisors. “They don’t have the luxury of saying, ‘I will stick it in the mattress.’ “
Whoa.
Humor and Embarassment
There’s a heated discussion occurring online surrounding President-Elect Obama’s citizenship, and unfortunately it’s not got the attention of the mass media. For me, it only speaks to the alarming trend that I noted as I was working in the Obama HQ, answering calls from around the world – that people really do have obsessive qualities. It’s perhaps the funniest conspiracy theory that I have heard in a while, though the feeling of humor quickly turns to one of embarassment…
I had a conversation with one caller during the campaign who wanted proof of Obama’s birth by means of his birth certificate. I directed him to our fact check page, on which a scanned version of the legitimate document was posted. He then said, well if Obama’s father isn’t American, than neither is Obama. I corrected him on that fact, as well as pointed out that even if Obama was born outside of the country, he would still be considered a citizen because his mother was a citizen. He not only said he thinks that is absolutely wrong, but that even if it were the law, McCain would have an exception because he was born to military parents. I again corrected him and stated that our nation does not have a special class of citizenry for the military. That although definite exception has existed historically, under the law, our citizens are equal… and the conversation turned downright silly. I even had to make a comparison – we may not like that the speed limit is 55mph and that it’s our right as Americans to speak out against it, but we still must conform to that law. This gentleman agreed, but still thought that in Obama’s case, regardless of the law, he should not be allowed to run for office.
Yes, embarassment… For those that just don’t quite get it.
Thankfully the Supreme Court is not taking part in this discussion.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/supreme-court-rejects-appeal-over-obamas-citizenship/
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