Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Conservative Ragnarok
Can it be?The Doom of the Conservative Pundits.
How long before Malkin enters the fray?
Conservatives will fight
and kill each other,
Reagan’s children
will defile kinship.
It is harsh in the blogworld,
whoredom rife
—an axe age, a sword age
—shields are riven—
a wind age, a wolf age—
before the blogworld goes headlong.
No pundit will have
mercy on another.
and kill each other,
Reagan’s children
will defile kinship.
It is harsh in the blogworld,
whoredom rife
—an axe age, a sword age
—shields are riven—
a wind age, a wolf age—
before the blogworld goes headlong.
No pundit will have
mercy on another.
// posted by Matoko Kusanagi @ 8:28 PM 
Comments:
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OMG since when is the blogosphere, the conservative universe? Storm in a teacup.
FWIW I don't read any of the people you referenced in this post on a regular basis.
That's because I'm an econocentric, China-firster, secular conservative.
Otherwise, as Han Solo said in Empire Strikes Back:
"Laugh it up fuzzball". ;)
FWIW I don't read any of the people you referenced in this post on a regular basis.
That's because I'm an econocentric, China-firster, secular conservative.
Otherwise, as Han Solo said in Empire Strikes Back:
"Laugh it up fuzzball". ;)
Well, Charles is no longer a conservative. He's gone over to the Dark Side of being a knee-jerk Obama supporter. He's viciously and unfairly attacked the Tea Party protesters, Limbaugh, even Reynolds.
He's not a con or lib he just attaches himself to whomever is President and becomes their shill; he seems to have an authority fetish.
Plus, he never showed an affinity for conservative social or economic policies. It was always "this is what the President wants and if you disagree you are a dirty, unamerican dog."
He's not a con or lib he just attaches himself to whomever is President and becomes their shill; he seems to have an authority fetish.
Plus, he never showed an affinity for conservative social or economic policies. It was always "this is what the President wants and if you disagree you are a dirty, unamerican dog."
Shams,
IMHO if you really want to follow serious conservative thought, that which influences the right at government level, you out to pay more attention to the think tanks and neocon central.
IMHO if you really want to follow serious conservative thought, that which influences the right at government level, you out to pay more attention to the think tanks and neocon central.
Europe is facing a strange crisis over collapsing natural gas prices.
If the pundits are right and the price collapse is permanent, (due to technological change) then IMHO sooner or later the Russians will have to accomodate to market reality.
After all, the US import market has already collapsed. If China also starts to bring large amounts of unconventional gas to market in the next couple of years, then all the surplus gas in the world will flow to Europe.
It's fascinating how a price revolution affects even those who are not directly involved, due to arbitrage and the law of one price.
If the pundits are right and the price collapse is permanent, (due to technological change) then IMHO sooner or later the Russians will have to accomodate to market reality.
After all, the US import market has already collapsed. If China also starts to bring large amounts of unconventional gas to market in the next couple of years, then all the surplus gas in the world will flow to Europe.
It's fascinating how a price revolution affects even those who are not directly involved, due to arbitrage and the law of one price.
Keid,
any thoughts on how Brazil's oil find will change things? Will we be able to flip-off the desert savages in KSA or will it be used to fund marxist revolutionary activities in the Americas?
any thoughts on how Brazil's oil find will change things? Will we be able to flip-off the desert savages in KSA or will it be used to fund marxist revolutionary activities in the Americas?
My understanding of the Brazilian find is that it is in very deep water - 6000 meters - and below salt.
It is pushing the envelope for technology, so extraction could be a slow and expensive business.
Nevertheless it could help to soften the decline curve in the post-peak years.
OTOH the new fracturing technology with horizontal drilling could possibly increase our recovery of oil from old oilfields as well. So it all helps to ease the pain.
This video explains the tech:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEmadgNz9vI
It is pushing the envelope for technology, so extraction could be a slow and expensive business.
Nevertheless it could help to soften the decline curve in the post-peak years.
OTOH the new fracturing technology with horizontal drilling could possibly increase our recovery of oil from old oilfields as well. So it all helps to ease the pain.
This video explains the tech:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEmadgNz9vI
The worshipped Hell-striker Thor,
with the aid of the Elf,
Slew the wood-calves of the subterranean refuge
from Elf-World's gleam with his hammer "Easy-crusher" [Mjölnir].
The Norwegians of the Lister of the falcon-lair
were unable to harm
the firmly supportive shortener
of the lifespan of the men of the rock-king.
Thorsdrapa
Eilífr Goðrúnarson (ca. 1000)
with the aid of the Elf,
Slew the wood-calves of the subterranean refuge
from Elf-World's gleam with his hammer "Easy-crusher" [Mjölnir].
The Norwegians of the Lister of the falcon-lair
were unable to harm
the firmly supportive shortener
of the lifespan of the men of the rock-king.
Thorsdrapa
Eilífr Goðrúnarson (ca. 1000)
BTW, I just watched that TEDTalk again, the one I linked above, about supercomputing the brain.
The graphics are amazing and very thought provoking.
If you haven't watched it I strongly recommend it.
The graphics are amazing and very thought provoking.
If you haven't watched it I strongly recommend it.
If I had to think of one reason why USA might be finished as a world power, this would be it.
Not surprising, but very worrying.
Hypothetical Question:
What happens when US-born scientists and engineers also start emmigrating to Asia?
- Reverse brain drain on steroids?
Not surprising, but very worrying.
Hypothetical Question:
What happens when US-born scientists and engineers also start emmigrating to Asia?
- Reverse brain drain on steroids?
The funny thing about Charles Johnson is that he put the james Earl Ray quote falsely attributed to Rush up on his site. When people pointed out it was false his response was "There will be no retraction. The quote is disputed, but it has not been proven false." and if you pointed out that he's acting just like Dan Rather and raising the exact same argument Charles used to mock Rather for it's "I'll ban you"
Charles is a sad, pathetic Obamabot now.
Sad...
Charles is a sad, pathetic Obamabot now.
Sad...
Shams,
Broad money MZM conitinues to suggest a weak growth trend. (Federal Reserve PDF File)
The decline in bank credit seems to be the dominant factor, as far as I can see.
So, I believe, at this stage deflation remains a bigger problem for the new Administration than inflation.
I think it is happening because their main policy focus is on fiscal, rather than monetary stimulation. And the fiscal stimulus is being applied to prop up disfunctional parts of the economy. i.e. They are mainly softening the decline, rather than starting new initiatives.
This is in contrast to China, where fiscal stimulation is being used to create massive new infrastructure expansion in the rural heartland. Chinese policy is aimed at expanding new domestic markets, to offset the decline in exports.
I believe, the unimaginativeness of current US policy is its major weakness. It is reactive rather than proactive. The psychology is dominated by bailouts as far as the eye can see. US policy seems totally captured by maintaining established interests - Wall Street, favored unions, powerful lobbies, the usual suspects.
The sheer conservatism and unimaginativeness of the Democrats is amazing to behold.
Are you sure it is the Republicans who are the conservative party in America? LOL.
Broad money MZM conitinues to suggest a weak growth trend. (Federal Reserve PDF File)
The decline in bank credit seems to be the dominant factor, as far as I can see.
So, I believe, at this stage deflation remains a bigger problem for the new Administration than inflation.
I think it is happening because their main policy focus is on fiscal, rather than monetary stimulation. And the fiscal stimulus is being applied to prop up disfunctional parts of the economy. i.e. They are mainly softening the decline, rather than starting new initiatives.
This is in contrast to China, where fiscal stimulation is being used to create massive new infrastructure expansion in the rural heartland. Chinese policy is aimed at expanding new domestic markets, to offset the decline in exports.
I believe, the unimaginativeness of current US policy is its major weakness. It is reactive rather than proactive. The psychology is dominated by bailouts as far as the eye can see. US policy seems totally captured by maintaining established interests - Wall Street, favored unions, powerful lobbies, the usual suspects.
The sheer conservatism and unimaginativeness of the Democrats is amazing to behold.
Are you sure it is the Republicans who are the conservative party in America? LOL.
Even if you disagree with Christopher Hitchens, the guy is an awesome public speaker.
Here he is at a recent Festival of Dangerous Ideas at Sydney Opera House, giving a public lecture and then answering questions from Tony Jones.
ABC is our lefty government station. The usual secular lefty crowd clearly loves him. Of course I do too.
Here he is at a recent Festival of Dangerous Ideas at Sydney Opera House, giving a public lecture and then answering questions from Tony Jones.
ABC is our lefty government station. The usual secular lefty crowd clearly loves him. Of course I do too.
Keid,
Hitchens is great; but he is despised by our "progressive" lefty crowd here in the states.
You see, when he was savaging Christianity, Judaism, etc he was great (according to them). Once he turned his jaundiced eye on Islam and started making even the most mild but thoroughly fact-based criticism of Muhammadism he became a "racist", a "Islamophobe"; not deserving of being accepted in civil society.
It's great that the Aussie left still listen to him; but I guess you Muslim population hasn't exploited your Politically correct, guilt-tripping leftists to the hilt.
Hitchens is great; but he is despised by our "progressive" lefty crowd here in the states.
You see, when he was savaging Christianity, Judaism, etc he was great (according to them). Once he turned his jaundiced eye on Islam and started making even the most mild but thoroughly fact-based criticism of Muhammadism he became a "racist", a "Islamophobe"; not deserving of being accepted in civil society.
It's great that the Aussie left still listen to him; but I guess you Muslim population hasn't exploited your Politically correct, guilt-tripping leftists to the hilt.
It's probably a relic of ongoing Marxist influence in academia, (and public broadcasting), that a significant part of the left remains deeply, radically atheist.
They (and I) would almost certainly oppose any singling-out of Islam though. Philosophically, I have no more reason to oppose Islam than any of the other "Abrahamic" faiths. Because of my understanding that it is "faith" itself that is the real problem for the rational mind.
They (and I) would almost certainly oppose any singling-out of Islam though. Philosophically, I have no more reason to oppose Islam than any of the other "Abrahamic" faiths. Because of my understanding that it is "faith" itself that is the real problem for the rational mind.
They (and I) would almost certainly oppose any singling-out of Islam though.
That isn't happening. Oh, sure, you have religious Jews and Christians attacking Islam, but that's just a natural outgrowth of religious belief. Heck Islam considers Jews to be Traitors to Allah (since they killed and didn't listen to his prophets) and Christians to be silly little idiots who worship a prophet as God; and don't forget that Muhammed himself considered Crucifixes as part of the "pre-islamic ignorance" that must be destroyed.
But a singling out of Islam for criticism and mockery? Not happening. In fact, the opposite is happening.
Many American atheists, who I respect if they go after ALL religions with the same criticism, criticize Christianity, Judaism, heck even Buddhism but refuse to say a bad thing against Islam.
This might be simple fear. Fear of ostracism by the PC crowd they run with or fear of violence from the world's most violent religion. But I think it also has an element that both traditional leftism and Islam share: that of a tribal, pre-modern, anti-western, anti-individual world view.
That isn't happening. Oh, sure, you have religious Jews and Christians attacking Islam, but that's just a natural outgrowth of religious belief. Heck Islam considers Jews to be Traitors to Allah (since they killed and didn't listen to his prophets) and Christians to be silly little idiots who worship a prophet as God; and don't forget that Muhammed himself considered Crucifixes as part of the "pre-islamic ignorance" that must be destroyed.
But a singling out of Islam for criticism and mockery? Not happening. In fact, the opposite is happening.
Many American atheists, who I respect if they go after ALL religions with the same criticism, criticize Christianity, Judaism, heck even Buddhism but refuse to say a bad thing against Islam.
This might be simple fear. Fear of ostracism by the PC crowd they run with or fear of violence from the world's most violent religion. But I think it also has an element that both traditional leftism and Islam share: that of a tribal, pre-modern, anti-western, anti-individual world view.
For myself, I insist that my objections to so-called "Abrahamic" religion are general and philosophical.
The Cosmos is all that is,
or ever was,
or ever will be.
- Carl Sagan.
The Cosmos is all that is,
or ever was,
or ever will be.
- Carl Sagan.
Of course you all remember Boston Dynamics? The cool crowd that brought us the Big Dog quadrapedal robot for the military that wowed us with its lifelike movement. Even over ice and snow?
Guess what? They've now got a bipedal version.
Personally, I'm waiting for the ballet-dancing version.
Not to mention the kangaroo version.
Seriously though. This is the future of the military - Don'tya think? Remotely Piloted Battle Droids?
Guess what? They've now got a bipedal version.
Personally, I'm waiting for the ballet-dancing version.
Not to mention the kangaroo version.
Seriously though. This is the future of the military - Don'tya think? Remotely Piloted Battle Droids?
It's also the future of space exploration, industrialization, and colonization IMHO.
Remotely Piloted Astrodroids on the Moon. Less than 3 seconds round-trip signal-delay.
Also applications for amputees, paraplegics etc.
Maybe in exoskeleton form for heavy lifting and carrying.
Remotely Piloted Astrodroids on the Moon. Less than 3 seconds round-trip signal-delay.
Also applications for amputees, paraplegics etc.
Maybe in exoskeleton form for heavy lifting and carrying.
Dangit, Keid,
You gotta be on the ball on everything? I saw that and quickly came over here to post it.
But, notice the change vs. time: it's very small (+/-3%). The country hasn't changed; the country is still center-right and do not favor Obama's (and Bush's) left-leaning fiscal policies.
I predict that we're seeing the end of the Democrat era which started in '06 and a start of a GOP-libertarian era. Remember, in '06 people handed the congress to Pelosi and Reid because of the GOP's problems with corruption, wasteful spending and massive, black-hole-like programs (Iraq war). Times all that by at least a factor of four and you have the Obama era on a good day.
People will flock to the non-Demo candidates in '10 and '12. But, if by some chance (the GOP just acts dumb or Obama follows his ideological allies (Chavez and Zelaya) and cheats the system(likely) people will respond by putting the Dems out to pasture for a generation at least.
Kristol is somewhat right "Damn, it's good to be a rightie"
You gotta be on the ball on everything? I saw that and quickly came over here to post it.
But, notice the change vs. time: it's very small (+/-3%). The country hasn't changed; the country is still center-right and do not favor Obama's (and Bush's) left-leaning fiscal policies.
I predict that we're seeing the end of the Democrat era which started in '06 and a start of a GOP-libertarian era. Remember, in '06 people handed the congress to Pelosi and Reid because of the GOP's problems with corruption, wasteful spending and massive, black-hole-like programs (Iraq war). Times all that by at least a factor of four and you have the Obama era on a good day.
People will flock to the non-Demo candidates in '10 and '12. But, if by some chance (the GOP just acts dumb or Obama follows his ideological allies (Chavez and Zelaya) and cheats the system(likely) people will respond by putting the Dems out to pasture for a generation at least.
Kristol is somewhat right "Damn, it's good to be a rightie"
"You gotta be on the ball on everything?"
Sorry Scorpius, we're in different timezones. I'm currently UTC(GMT)+10Hrs.
We haven't heard from our hostess for a couple of weeks. I'm starting to wonder if Blogger's blocked her account again?
Sorry Scorpius, we're in different timezones. I'm currently UTC(GMT)+10Hrs.
We haven't heard from our hostess for a couple of weeks. I'm starting to wonder if Blogger's blocked her account again?
Shams,
Even if you don't care for Spengler at Asia Times. IMHO, his alter ego David Goldman is a very fine financial analyst.
Here he analyses in detail exactly how the Administration's policies work.
The bailouts for the Too Big To Fail cronies, together with the Zero Interest Rate Policy that gives free funding to the banks; while exploding federal deficits allow the banks to invest their free funds in endless risk-free Treasuries. This starves small businesses of funds.
Cap and Trade, and other hidden and agenda taxes squeeze from the other end.
The end result of this meddling is the liquidation of the middle class - the exploding unemployment is the symptom - at the expense of big government, big business, big banks, big unions..... cronies.
The rich and the well-connected are protected. The middle-class are reduced to debt-slavery and bankruptcy. The poor and newly-poor become dependants of the welfare system and its ever-spreading bureaucracy.
The ONLY solution to this is free-market liberalism. Let the deserve-to-lose, losers fail. Let the market choose the efficient winners - not the meddling government.
There is nothing "progressive" here, Shams.
Even if you don't care for Spengler at Asia Times. IMHO, his alter ego David Goldman is a very fine financial analyst.
Here he analyses in detail exactly how the Administration's policies work.
The bailouts for the Too Big To Fail cronies, together with the Zero Interest Rate Policy that gives free funding to the banks; while exploding federal deficits allow the banks to invest their free funds in endless risk-free Treasuries. This starves small businesses of funds.
Cap and Trade, and other hidden and agenda taxes squeeze from the other end.
The end result of this meddling is the liquidation of the middle class - the exploding unemployment is the symptom - at the expense of big government, big business, big banks, big unions..... cronies.
The rich and the well-connected are protected. The middle-class are reduced to debt-slavery and bankruptcy. The poor and newly-poor become dependants of the welfare system and its ever-spreading bureaucracy.
The ONLY solution to this is free-market liberalism. Let the deserve-to-lose, losers fail. Let the market choose the efficient winners - not the meddling government.
There is nothing "progressive" here, Shams.
Keid,
You sound a lot like a calm, controlled, non-"circus clown" Glenn Beck when you talk about the liquidation of the middle class in favor of big business, big union, and big gov cronies (and big military, big enviro, etc). Kidding.
But, despite being a whore for ratings, Beck is correct about a lot.
You sound a lot like a calm, controlled, non-"circus clown" Glenn Beck when you talk about the liquidation of the middle class in favor of big business, big union, and big gov cronies (and big military, big enviro, etc). Kidding.
But, despite being a whore for ratings, Beck is correct about a lot.
Scorpius,
I have only seen short clips of Glen Beck on YouTube.
The logic is unassailable. If you are bailing out the banksters. The trillions are coming from somewhere.
The functional parts of the economy are being sacrificed to bail out the disfunctional. It is a bottomless pit.
I have only seen short clips of Glen Beck on YouTube.
The logic is unassailable. If you are bailing out the banksters. The trillions are coming from somewhere.
The functional parts of the economy are being sacrificed to bail out the disfunctional. It is a bottomless pit.
Well, the stimulus produced its desired pop in the advanced US-GDP data.
Government spending increased at 7.9%, more than twice the rate of the broader economy.
Half of the production increase came from one program.
So let no-one ever doubt that massive stimulus works. Short-term. If you are one of the lucky ones to benefit from the stimulus.
Government spending increased at 7.9%, more than twice the rate of the broader economy.
Half of the production increase came from one program.
So let no-one ever doubt that massive stimulus works. Short-term. If you are one of the lucky ones to benefit from the stimulus.
That should read:
"Real federal government consumption expenditures and gross investment increased 7.9 percent in the third quarter, compared with an increase of 11.4 percent in the second".
(BEA PDF file)
That's still running at twice the rate of increase in the broader economy.
"Real federal government consumption expenditures and gross investment increased 7.9 percent in the third quarter, compared with an increase of 11.4 percent in the second".
(BEA PDF file)
That's still running at twice the rate of increase in the broader economy.
You know I've been thinking.
Maybe I should go back to calling you Matoko.
It's not really the same as the one-and-only Motoko Kusanagi - Now that I know that there is a difference between the two names.
Maybe I could maintain the distinction in my mind.
I could try anyway. See how it goes. ;)
Maybe I should go back to calling you Matoko.
It's not really the same as the one-and-only Motoko Kusanagi - Now that I know that there is a difference between the two names.
Maybe I could maintain the distinction in my mind.
I could try anyway. See how it goes. ;)
Matoko.
The flag is still there.
I so badly want mankind to go back and industrialize it. It's the quickest way to prep Space for human colonization.
We don't even need to send many people for a while, just VR.Robots.
Mankind's growing robotics technology is the ideal tool to hugely leverage human capabilities in Space.
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The flag is still there.
I so badly want mankind to go back and industrialize it. It's the quickest way to prep Space for human colonization.
We don't even need to send many people for a while, just VR.Robots.
Mankind's growing robotics technology is the ideal tool to hugely leverage human capabilities in Space.
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