Chris Christie Leaned on Short-Term Budget Fixes

“Louisiana: New Governor Finds Growing Shortfall” The departing governor, Bobby Jindal, a Republican who mounted a failed presidential bid, refused to support anything he considered a net tax increase and leaned on short-term budget fixes.

How about this campaign epitaph for another who would prove to be a miserable steward of our economy?

Chris Christie a Republican who mounted a failed presidential bid, refused to support anything he considered a net tax increase and leaned on short-term budget fixes.

Trump's Appeal is to Losers

According to Nate Cohn's article in the New York Times: "Trump's Strongest Supporter: A Certain Kind of Democrat" fits a familiar pattern of a map of the tendency toward racism by region, according to measures like the prevalence of Google searches for racial slurs and racist jokes, or scores on implicit association tests. But it’s not racism that is the defining characteristic of Trump's appeal, it’s losers in life.  Losers tend to shortcut analyses of circumstance with easy answers based on distrust, of which racism is a particularly virulent form. That Ted Cruz another winner in life, seeks this support is the height of hypocrisy.

The Mathematical Paradox That Destroys The Argument For NSA Surveillance

An excellent article in the Police State Daily.

G.O.P.: The Cake Eater's Party

From The Atlantic "Great Republican Revolt" by David Frum:  White Middle Americans express heavy mistrust of every institution in American society: not only government, but corporations, unions, even the political party they typically vote for—the Republican Party of Romney, Ryan, and McConnell, which they despise as a sad crew of weaklings and sellouts. They are pissed off.  Actually pissed off more because they are lied to about opportunity and being better off while the G.O.P. establishment is run by self serving tax dodgers worthy of Marie Antoinette's comment about the poor, "let them eat cake."

Celebrating Victory Over ISIS, Iraqi Leader Looks to Next Battles

Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi's crowing will make Daesh more dangerous.  Also talking of future conquests is reckless for a leader intent on keeping one country yet is without an inclusive and moderate body politic.

Unfortunately for Bernie a “willingness to trust each other” can not be Legislated

As might be expected from boosters whose job it is to promote economic growth and talk up the Twin Cities’ appeal, many Itasca participants express confidence that their project could be replicated elsewhere. Mr. Campbell, though, is less sure.

“My answer is maybe,” he said. “There’s a unique willingness to trust each other here. It’s kind of in our blood.”

Trust fuels the delivery of the public good in commerce and society. It’s what separates Libertarians who trusts the spontaneous self organizing character of markets to the Authoritarian distrust of human nature.  It’s a north south thing from which the generalisation that harsh winter climate breeds a survival characteristic for saving and sharing. On the other hand plentiful food and a moderate climate year round never develops these trusting traits. It’s what allows Northern Europe’s socialism to provide the public good efficiently where on the other hand an easy life in Southern Europe diverts much of the good to corruption.

An apolitical description of a successful society is one that provides the maximum public good with the assets at hand.  Adam Smith’s market economy is the best example but not the only one.  Bernie Sanders has an enthusiasm for “Nordic Socialism” which is a self developed mix of market and communal solutions which apparently works well in Scandinavia.  Here in “Nordic” Minnesota; Itasca, the Twin Cities communal business effort, is an example of a spontaneous local effort but unfortunately for Bernie a “willingness to trust each other” can not be legislated.       

Our Foreign Policy's Incoherence Comes by Equating Military with Political Power

Obama’s ‘Boot on the Ground’: Special Forces is an example, air power is another, of our reliance on military action with little thought given to what happens after. In the multi-ethnic Middle East where allegiance is to a tribe rather than a nation our foreign policy should shelve its obsession with the dysfunctional political status quo and let states such as Syria and Iraq split apart. With that change in focus The State Department ought to develop a boots on the ground team that identifies and funds tribal leaders directly, much like General Petraeus did during the surge in Iraq.  And finally the Obama Administration ought to require a functioning political union built up and ready to populate a target region before the military is set on its mission of conquest.

Just as this was written a new headline appeared in the New York Times online: Iraqi Forces Retake Center of Ramadi from ISIS with a very telling comment: Dr. Luizard predicted that if Sunni leaders in Anbar Province and other Sunni-majority areas of Iraq were not granted legitimate autonomy, the Islamic State would make a comeback. “The Islamic State continues to make a better offer to the people it controls than the Baghdad government — whose return is the greatest fear of most inhabitants,” he said of the Sunnis of Anbar Province.