It’s Friday, January 08, 2010 and yes, we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday.
There is a story, probably an urban legend in that I can find no specific attribution, but here goes.
One of the many commercial ventures undertaken by PT Barnum was a fish cannery. One year, all they could get was white salmon. Since everyone knows that salmon is pink, no one would buy it. So, he orders new labels printed up that included: “Guaranteed to not turn pink in the can.”
He sold every can.
The next season, they couldn’t get any white salmon, only pink. Barnum then ordered labels saying “No bleach was used in processing.”
Again, he sold every can.
The point of this tale is that anyone can be made to buy anything providing the packaging is right. This is how political candidates are sold to the public these days. This is how we wound up with a president with (in my not at all humble opinion) zero qualifications for the job. It didn’t hurt one bit that most media outlets were actively involved in campaigning for him.
If what I think is true, we’re about to see a fundamental shift in the democratic party. The first step of course will be to suspend the tax, tax, tax and spend, spend, spend, spend behaviors. The underlying philosophy will be there, only the practices will be temporarily halted. We’re gonna see massive (but very much temporary) tax relief for the middle class as well as for small to medium size businesses. To offset the lost revenues, the lavish spending will be pushed out, past the field of view of the voter.
Like the healthcare reform bill. Even if passed today, there won’t be any substantive changes until FY 2012. If you’re like me, 2012 might as well be 2112 in terms of worrying about things. We tend to look at most, a year down the road. 2012 is just outside that threshold.
There are things the economy responds quickly to and things that take a while to have an impact. The fastest way to get things rolling again is to let people (businesses too) keep more of their earnings. If the democrats enact just the right amount and type of tax relief, people (businesses too) are gonna spend that dough just about a quick as they get it. Sure, there will be some uncertainty and many folks will just sock it away on the chance that the benefit is temporary. Others will spend that dough for the very same reason.
If what I’m thinking is true, once this healthcare “reform” thing is signed, the focus will turn to the economy and jobs. Here’s where it gets tricky and where the packaging is the linchpin. Cutting taxes and reducing spending are conservative goals. The liberals will have to find a way to convince us that no bleach was used in processing this salmon (We bought up all the white salmon during the last election) and that looking out for the middle class is what the democratic party has always been about.
This upcoming jobs “stimulus” bill will be proof that I’m right or wrong. If it comes out as just another deficit swelling handouts to entities that don’t need it and don’t really create the kind of jobs we need to get things rolling again, then I’m wrong. If the bill contains huge tax relief for the people and companies that produce the goods and services we need a lot of, then I’m right.
These next few months in politics are going to be perhaps the most interesting in our lifetime. Will the democrats decide that they’re all done come the midterms and spend the next few months cramming their agenda through, or will they repackage in hopes of staying in power past the midterm elections?
If I’m right, the republicans have got a tough row to hoe. There’s just not any way they can vote against tax relief and voting for it will hand bales of political hay to the democrats who will undoubtedly crow about how even the republicans agree that this is the way to go.
Fasten your seatbelts and have more than a few huge grains of salt hard by.
In other news, I have just GOT to get me an updated dictionary. In a press conference about the attempted Christmas Day terror attack, Obama said,(rightfully so) that this wasn’t the failure of any one individual or agency, but rather a “systemic failure across organizations and agencies.”
Earlier in the week, he promised to hold accountable anyone responsible for the failures that led to a terrorist getting on a US-bond aircraft with explosives. So we have a systemic failure, no one has been fired (or brought up on charges) so it looks like the definition of “accountable” has changed.
This guy paid cash for an international flight and checked no baggage. Am I to understand that NO ONE was at fault for not ordering a body cavity search?
At least the president did acknowledge that we’re at war. But again, my definition of “war” does not match what we’re doing these days. War isn’t some passive activity. It requires at least two active participants. Sitting on our butts, waiting to get attacked again isn’t war. I wouldn’t so much mind getting my ass kicked if I’m in a fight, but I damn sure ain’t gonna just stand there and take a beating.
But that seems to be the approach Obama wants to take. So again, my definition of “at war” seems to be at least as out of date as “accountability.”
Obama also went out of his way to point out most Muslims don’t support Al Qeada. Most Baptist don’t support Al Qeada either. The last four terrorist attacks on US soil weren’t committed by Baptist. They were committed by Muslims. Sorry, mister president, but that dog won’t hunt. It doesn’t matter if Muslims support or don’t support Al Qeada. Just like it doesn’t matter if they support the Dallas Cowboys or not. My point is that everyone who’s attacked us in the past few years has been Muslim. I think therefore that maybe a little more scrutiny is in order.
But this is the part I really don’t understand. This guy attempted an act of terrorism, but instead of a military tribunal (remember, how we’re at war and all) he’s been read his rights, provided legal counsel and is being arraigned in a civilian court.
This guy didn’t stick up a liquor store. He tried to murder 300 people. He’s got the right to remain silent? This guy gets the same due process as a mugger? Again, my definition of “at war” must be way the hell off the mark.
In other news, it looks like we’re making an early day of it today. Despite getting zero smooches, Lynnette has succeeded in giving me her stinking cold. So rather than infect my other co-workers, I’ll get a bit of a jump start on the weekend. Maybe I’ll go do a bit or rabbit hunting before it gets bad.
Should be a nice weekend, with no sub-zero crap and no snow forecasts. I still think I’ll spend as much of it as I can engaged in varying degrees of sloth. Everyone please be safe and be good to each other.
I might add to this later, but I probably wouldn’t count on it.