RedStateEclectic

Not Contained in the Instructions

A solution to a problem not ordained by the forces supposed to ordain solutions does not count as a solution. Sounds like the conclusion of a student of Soviet politics.

Here at RSE, we attempt to pay attention also to those valid perspectives on the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that unfortunately do not find their way into the journalistic mainstream. In the process, we seem to discover:

The inherent

(a) inability of bureaucracies to cope with significant challenges and threats effectively, and

(b) the need to dramatise these threats in such a manner that iso-centric (based on one source) i.e. bureaucratic solutions appear absolutely compelling

can be combined in an efficient way, marketing-wise:

make a bureaucracy look good and indispensably needed by giving it the right to shape a challenge so that it mirrors the bizarre world of the red tape, including the right to rule out sensible and feasible solutions (whose incidence would prove the expendability, indeed the harmfulness of that bureaucracy.

I only wonder, how serious are the allegations that one gathers from this remarkable article available from the Financial Post:

Why does neither the U.S. government nor U.S. energy companies have on hand the cleanup technology available in Europe? Ironically, the superior European technology runs afoul of U.S. environmental rules. The voracious Dutch vessels, for example, continuously suck up vast quantities of oily water, extract most of the oil and then spit overboard vast quantities of nearly oil-free water. Nearly oil-free isn't good enough for the U.S. regulators, who have a standard of 15 parts per million -- if water isn't at least 99.9985% pure, it may not be returned to the Gulf of Mexico.

The author of the article concludes:

Then again, perhaps he should not be all that perplexed at the American tolerance for turning an accident into a catastrophe. When the Exxon Valdez oil tanker accident occurred off the coast of Alaska in 1989, a Dutch team with clean-up equipment flew in to Anchorage airport to offer their help. To their amazement, they were rebuffed and told to go home with their equipment. The Exxon Valdez became the biggest oil spill disaster in U.S. history--until the BP Gulf spill.

Three Years Ago

Where were you three years ago today?  I was here:

What a day that was!

Whether Ron Paul runs for President in 2012 or not, the fire he lit can’t be stopped, as long as we remember the hope we felt that day.  Get involved—not just on the Internet!  Our liberty doesn’t depend on Ron Paul running—our liberty depends on US taking up the fight.

LLE

Claude Frédéric Bastiat (30 June 1801 – 24 December 1850)

Thanks to our co-blogger Eric Parks, I have become aware of Frédéric Bastiat some time ago (mind you, half a century after I was born, to be more precise).

In the words of Sheldon Richman, Bastiat dedicated himself to

the cause of understanding society, prosperity, and liberty. In a series of brief essays and pamphlets, and a treatise on political economy, Bastiat taught, contra Rousseau, that there is a natural harmonious order to the social world, an order that emanates from the free exchange between human beings driven to satisfy unlimited wants with limited resources. The result is a steady progress in the material well-being of all. Interference with that freedom, and with its corollaries, property and competition, he wrote, leaves people poorer as well as oppressed. This is so because interference bars individuals from the creative action they otherwise would have engaged in. The fruits of the creativity thus forgone are "what is not seen" in any act of intervention.

Via Cafe Hayek, I came across Richman's overview of Bastiat's life and work, from which the above quote stems.

Also see Ce qu'on voit ...

Take Back America?

There are some things that just defy understanding for me….

As a C4L State Coordinator, I sometimes get things in the mail that I’m not really expecting (so far, nothing too dangerous).  At Christmas time, a really nice book showed up, with an engraved brass book plate thanking me for my work.  It was a bit puzzling at first, but then other state coordinators started e-mailing back and forth, asking if anyone knew where these things came from—apparently the publisher or editor was a fan of the C4L and decided to send them out to the Coordinators.  Really sharp looking “coffee table book.”

Today, along with some things that I’d ordered in anticipation of our vacation, a rather heavy box, originating in Florida, was left by the UPS driver.  I couldn’t remember anything that I’d ordered that would fit in a box like that and weigh so much, so without concern for white powder, I took my handy-dandy Swiss Army knife, and opened the box.  In it were bumper stickers—bumper stickers that I’m 99.9% sure I didn’t order—although they are very sharp looking (I tried to scan it, but could only capture part of it):

I’m not sure who sent these to me, and I’m not really sure how many there are—although if I were guessing, I’d have to say 500-1000—the box was packed tight.

The C4L Coordinator group hasn’t jumped on this yet—so I don’t know if it’s just me (and if so, why?), or whether others have gotten this.  And what’s the purpose?  I am sympathetic to the sentiment, but is this in some way promoting something that I might or might not agree with (e.g., Dick Morris’ new book is coming out in the next few days with the title “Take Back America”).  Or is it just some patriot who figures that the C4L will be out and about this summer—4th of July events, County Fairs, etc.—and that this would be something that people might like?

Hmmm.

A Plan for Immigration Reform

Not quite 2 weeks ago, Gov. Gary Johnson was in Lincoln, promoting his Our America Initiative.  A number of things were discussed, but, in spite of the fact that he must have known that immigration was a radioactive topic, he brought it up himself on a couple of occasions throughout the weekend—and took hits from some in attendance for what were viewed as his “soft” views on the subject.

Today, I note that perhaps the discussions were part of an idea refining process for Gov. Johnson, as his 6 point plan for “Effective Immigration Reform” was unveiled today. The key points:

1. Establish real and cost-effective border security.

• Continue to encourage and allow legal immigration.

• Support current border deterrents and security measures, with an understanding of the low cost benefit analysis of these methods.

2. Create a temporary guest worker program that makes sense.

•  Expand and streamline a market based temporary guest worker program.

•  Enact an application and tracking procedure for guest workers, such as an e-verify system. Procedures must be quick, simple and efficient in providing documentation information, and must meet the needs of both employers and willing workers.

• Require guest workers to not only pay income taxes, but provide proof of adequate health care coverage through insurance, secured savings programs, bonds, or a combination thereof.

• Allow spouses and dependents to enter the U.S. with guest workers, but only with proof of adequate health coverage and subject to the same background checks and health requirements.

3. Impose meaningful enforcement of immigration laws.

• Establish procedures and devote the resources to actually identify illegal immigrants and deport them.  Implement a “one strike, you’re out” policy toward illegal immigrants with regard to future eligibility for guest worker programs.

• Impose and enforce sanctions and fines for noncompliance with immigration laws by employers that are sufficiently costly, ensuring that the risks simply are not worth the rewards.

4. Enact a reality-based process for current illegal workers to earn legal status.

• Allow a two-year grace period during which illegal immigrants already in the U.S. can come forward, pay any taxes owed, provide proof of consistent employment, pass a criminal background check, and apply for guest worker status.

5. Reduce border crime.

• Address the root cause of most border crime by legalizing marijuana, thereby removing 70% of the current cross-border illegal drug trade and replacing cartel and prohibition-related violence with legal, regulated and nonviolent commerce.

6. Achieve a better working relationship with Mexico.

• Stimulate cross-border investment through a robust, above-board and legal guest worker program.

• Strengthen the Mexican government by dramatically weakening the cartels through the legalization of marijuana.

• Aggressively negotiate mutually beneficial agreements with Mexico regarding such issues as funds transfers, taxation of income earned in the U.S. by guest workers, and deportation and incarceration of Mexican nationals arrested in the United States.

It will be interesting to see whether this proposal is able to to assuage some of the fears that he’s WAY too soft on immigration, or whether it will just reinforce that view.

LLE

How Will The Dems Hang On?

There’s been plenty of talk ‘round here about the 1/4 of Americans, labeled as republicans, kicking booty and “taking back” both houses of the corrupting, corrosive, bicameral beast. What stands in their way is the other one-fourth of group-thinking Americans who believe that their answers to life’s problems should allow for their continuing presence as a slight majority: the democrats.

The blues have their work cut out for them in some respects but they still have some trump cards. First and foremost, the main stream media can be relied upon to talk things up as November draws nigh. For starters, they will attack any threatening outsiders religiously and relentlessly. Rand Paul will be target numero uno.  He will be the representation of all the nasty things those republicans will do once in office. This will force other republican candidates to drop some of their libertarian rhetoric for a more socialist-conservative message. Not much of a stretch for most of them.

Also, whatever the blue team thinks will be effective will be ceaselessly drummed into the national psyche. What theme will work? Bad times, possibly. After all, who is known for representing the little guy when the chips are down? If Mr. and Mrs. America think that hard times are to become harder still, the blue team may have the advantage there.

With regards to the war, there is now a schedule in place, politically designed for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to commence in July of 2011. This helps the democrats as they go home to pitch their agenda to their patient and believing faction of peaceniks. It also happens far enough from the 2012 election to give the president some wiggle room.

Finally, this brings me to the perpetual plume of oil spewing forth from the Gulf. Which side of the two-party system is synonymous with big oil? With memories of the awful republican reign still engrained, will the citizenry risk their very environment to the red team when the blue team seems so much more enlightened in this regard? Look for BP to be bloodied up to the hilt over the next four months.

All in all, the democrats might suffer less than expected, and the biggest reason for this may be the lack of trustworthiness on behalf of republicans. We’ve been down this road before and the red team failed to deliver. While some conservative pundits and pols have professed to seeing the small-government light, they remain a minority in many senses. What is important is how those in power act when they have it, not how much they promise when they want it.

VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV - CNN.com

A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to dangerous viruses like hepatitis and HIV.

John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently mailed letters to 1,812 veterans telling them they could contract hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after visiting the medical center for dental work, said Rep. Russ Carnahan.

Carnahan said Tuesday he is calling for a investigation into the issue and has sent a letter to President Obama about it.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," said Carnahan, a Democrat from Missouri. "No veteran who has served and risked their life for this great nation should have to worry about their personal safety when receiving much needed healthcare services from a Veterans Administration hospital."

The issue stems from a failure to clean dental instruments properly, the hospital told CNN affiliate KSDK.

via www.cnn.com

Brought to you by the people who want to take over the health care of EVERYONE. Feel better now?

“Liberty” (Just Because)

New saliva test ‘can detect various cancers’

The researchers analysed saliva samples of 215 people, including cancer patients, and identified 54 substances whose presence can be used to detect the disease, Keio University said in a statement released Monday.

By further analysing the substances, the test detected 99 percent of pancreatic cancer cases, 95 percent of breast cancer and 80 percent of oral cancer cases among those taking part, it said.

The cancer test using the technology would take half a day at the longest, the researchers said.

via rawstory.com

Seems to me like this is something that ought to be looked at--if we're concerned about early testing.

17.6%

That looks to be the equilibrium point for government spending to have a productive economy.