American Madness

Intelligent Criticism in the Service of a Better Nation




Have a Wonderful Summer Children!

Posted by Joel Friedlander on | June 8, 2010 | 2 Comments

In an essay of no more than 500 words discuss two of the following:

a.  Is Barak Obama really a Democrat?  In your essay, discuss foreign affairs, economics, equality of opportunity, progressive taxation, immigration reform, and social equality.

b.  Should the United States continue its support of the State of Israel?  In your essay discuss democracy, the Palestinian Question, the West Bank and Gaza, and any reasons for either continuing support or terminating same.

c.  Will integrating Gays and Lesbians fully into the Military adversely affect small unit cohesion?  In your essay discuss the American experience and the experiences of other countries military in connection with this issue.

d.  Should the term of service of a United States Supreme Court Justice be limited to 15 years?
In your essay discuss intellectual capacity, Altzheimers Disease, Dementia, Originalism, and logic.

e.  Should the United States go to a Parliamentary System as regards “Going to the Country,” when the party in power is unable to get legislation passed?  In your essay, discuss the benefits and liabilities of such a change.

Have a Wonderful Summer, read a lot of fiction, drink moderately, dance, sing, and play.  See you soon!

Palestinian “Humanitarian” Organizers Induce Predictable Response

Posted by Jason Ihle on | May 31, 2010 | 4 Comments

And the world falls into line just as their cynical behavior called for.

The humanitarian aid flotilla, while attempting to “bring aid” to the poor Palestinians in Gaza, engaged in live fire action with the Israeli military. Early reports are saying at least 10 people were killed.

According to the NY Times, some of the activists opened fire on the Israeli soldiers, who returned fire.

“That is a lie,” said Greta Berlin, a leader of the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement, speaking by telephone from Cyprus. She said it was inconceivable that the civilian passengers on board would have been “waiting up to fire on the Israeli military, with all its might.”

The thing is, I think it’s absolutely conceivable that civilian passengers would open fire on the Israeli military. Having the return fire of the “Israeli military, with all its might” is exactly what they were hoping for. Like the flotilla itself, which is hardly about its trumped up “humanitarian” mission, it’s a cynical ploy to engage the Israeli government in action that will be viewed the world over as further proof of the blood libel. Read more

You said it, sista

Posted by Josh Friedlander on | May 27, 2010 | Click to Comment

Re: Obama Is From Mars, Wall Street Is From Venus

Heilrmann writes a great political piece here, but he betrays the general ignorance on the cause of the financial crisis that infects the media. Wall Street did not cause this problem. It may have exacerbated it, but this mess started in Washington and got accelerated on Main Street. Wall Street behaved like any business: it gave the people what they wanted. You want a cheap loan to speculate on housing? Done! You want to give poor people who can’t afford to own a way to get homes so Democrats and Republicans can claim credit for high homeownership? Done! Want us to find a way to help state pension funds make money while the Fed kept rates so low that there was no way they were going to meet their actuarial requirements? Hey, done on that too! Sure, the Street did stupid things. Lehman buying commercial real estate at the top of the market was dumb. AIG not setting aside capital for CDS was stupid. But the Street is getting vilified for giving everybody what they asked for. And the fact that the President and the Congress are focusing all their efforts on the private sector while Fannie and Freddie are not being touched shows us that the Administration is not “standing between the bankers and the pitchforks”. Obama has betrayed himself to be a narrow, left wing ideologue whose worldview cannot accept government’s complicity in the leverage binge we just went through. And in reality, by spending at a pace that makes Bush look responsible, he is setting us up for the ultimate disaster, the downgrade of US Treasuries. And I am sure Obama & Co. will try to blame the Street for that too.

Food Labels for Morons

Posted by Jason Ihle on | May 24, 2010 | 7 Comments

Cross posted at Mostly Movies.

File this one under “More Unnecessary Government Regulation”:

According to a New York Times article, the American Academy of Pediatrics is urging the FDA to require labels on foods that are choking hazards for small children.

I realize that I’m going to come across looking like I’m not interested in protecting kids because what harm could there possibly be in alerting people to potential dangers? If it saves only a handful or even just one child’s life, isn’t it worth it?

Perhaps not. With the growing list of required food labels we’re slowly approaching the point where companies won’t have any space on their packaging for their brand. Ingredients listings and nutritional content have been there my whole life and I see the necessity of those two things. But then you throw in the allergy warnings that have to be plastered onto any food that might have been handled by a person who eats nuts because our society has become so ridiculously paranoid about food allergies and you begin to see the absurdity. Read more

Telling you so…

Posted by Josh Friedlander on | May 9, 2010 | Click to Comment

We’re within a few months of the U.S. economy reeling back into recession/depression because all the current great feeling has been driven by a government debt-fueled reflation. Prepare for the worst.

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