Ross Judson: PersonalNotes about life.(Untitled)- January 19, 2004 Secret Identity. I've just posted a number of the things I've written over at The Ministry Of Minor Perfidy, where I've been writing lately...you might want to check that out if you want to stay current, or read things written by better writers than me.http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a464 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 The True Cost of Iraq Brad DeLong highlights a Tom Friedman column that advocates immediately moving into the Israeli-Palestinian situation and forcing Israel's withdrawl. Let's put a few facts down: First, we spend around $200 Billion and 500 soldier's lives so we can capture Saddam Hussein (there doesn't seem to be any other reason for the war, that was given before the war, that's held up). Second, we spend aroun $4 Billion a year on aid for Israel, mostly in the form of military aid.Third,..http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a463 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 Bush Tax Increases It strikes me that Bush's Administration has done a magnificently bad job of managing government spending. Republicans can crow all they like about tax rates and so forth; yes, there are a few Americans who are paying significantly less federal tax under this President. Most people's tax burdens are pretty much unchanged. What has changed, dramatically, are the outlays.Bush's war of choice in Iraq is costing every American taxpayer thousands of dollars, personally. That's...http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a462 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 Being Female in the New Iraq Riverbend has some critical reading on the subject...what, exactly, does our New Iraq have in store for her Let's keep in mind that she's already lost her job because of fundamentalism. What freedom is she going to lose nextIt is not "OK" for the US to allow the religious nutjobs over there to set up any kind of stupid Sharia law system. It is utterly unacceptable to have these alternate, binding courts. Sure, apparently you can use this secondary court system only..http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a461 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 Mandatory Minimums The wheels of American Justice, just turn and turn...assuming you can get a trial, of course (the SC has yet to weight in on the issue of whether the government really needs to give you a trial at all).Somebody please explain to me how Andrew Fastow gets ten years for destroying the financial futures of tens of thousands of people by lying and stealing from the public, while a Young woman gets twelve years for being a "part" of a crime she didn't even know was taking...http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a460 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 WMDs Dean rants a bit about how the Left in this country wouldn't be satisfied if we found thousands of tons of Anthrax. Apparently the discovery of a few old shells with mustard gas in them satisfies him, in terms of "going to war 'cause of WMDs".Do five seconds of research on the internet on Mustard Gas, and you discover that it isn't a weapon of mass destruction. With a lethality level of around 1% on the battlefield, it just doesn't fit the bill. Of course, if you're a Bush apologist who...http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a459 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 The Unlocked Box Daniel Gross covers ground that, I seem to recall, we've covered here before.Old folks is gettin' older. Payroll taxes is risin'. Income taxes is goin' down. Why, pray tell, did we give the richest 1% of this country a massive tax cut Why, they were going to invest it, right But we gave them an income tax reduction. Not an investment tax reduction. If they invest the money, long term, they were already getting a different, lower tax rate.So why did we give a tax break on income.http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a458 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 Jane Galt Can't Add Or if she can, she chooses to do it only with special, made-up numbers! See Jane obfuscate.50 comments on that article and not ONE person has bothered to go to the IRS web site and look up the actual data OK, maybe some of them have. Links follow.It occurs to me that perhaps Jane ought to have done at least that before invoking the all-magic, all-powerful "he's lying" spell, usable by all sides in all political battles.I've found reasonably complete information, in the form..http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a456 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 More Job Losses The Bush economic juggernaut continues to roll right over everyone not directly connected to the GOP gravy train. See this WashPost article for reference.So what happened last month All the GDP growth produced...1000 jobs in December. Meanwhile, another 300,000 people stopped looking for work. So while the unemployment rate has "fallen", the far more important employment to population ratio is getting worse and worse.We'll have to see what happens over the next few months. Weak..http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a457 (Untitled)- January 19, 2004 USS Clueless - Consistent resolve Den Beste is a good writer, and I certainly wouldn't want to get into any kind of intellectual pissing match with him; I wouldn't last long.But."For thirty years we've been told that patriotism was shameful. " " For thirty years we've been pelted with the message that there was nothing about America that justified any pride." What the hell is he talking about "Pelted" with this message By who Most of the time Some of the timeBe honest. Exactly how much of the...http://www.soletta.com/categories/personal/2004/01/19.html#a455 |