Victor Davis Hanson: Obamafusion [Why is Wall Street Worried? — Let us count the ways]

pajamasmedia.com ^ | March 6, 2009 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Tolik]

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDM1ZWY1ZmJhOWU4MjU1NzE5YTgxYzM0MTNkNGM1ZjM=

Anatomy of Vero Possumus   [Victor Davis Hanson]

It is odd that after five weeks we can pretty much see the next four years:

1) Gorge the Beast on the home front. Shock-and-awe, "We're in the Great Depression" hysteria stuns the country into buying into what will be a multi-trillion dollar borrowing commitment. Once the desired social agenda is in place (and it is now), then there will be no alternative but to raise taxes and return wealth to its proper owners. (This is a variant of the Reagan-era "starve the beast" concept of cutting taxes, and supposedly cuts of wasteful spending follow — but a far more successful variant since taxing a few "greedy" is always easier than cutting everyone's entitlements.)

2) Carterism abroad. The al-Arabiya interview, the Hamas billion-dollar stimulus (the Chinese loan us the billion to give them,) and the Russian rebuff on Iran (no "haggling" please) sum up the Enlightenment arrogance that soaring rhetoric, stated good intentions, occasional abandonment of principle, and demonstration of caring and sensitivity can win over almost anyone. Of course, that assumes that disputes don't reflect genuinely antithetical values, but simply miscommunication and misunderstanding — or unnecessary "Manichean" world views of wrong and right. We've been here before between 1977-1980, so how it will end is no mystery. (No wonder they sent back to the owners the Churchill bust; whether the Brits send back one of Stanley Baldwin or Clement Attlee remains to be seen.)

3) The passive-aggressive style. We will get utopian rhetoric about a new ethical bar, followed by the nominations of serial tax dodgers, lobbyists, and DC insiders. We will hear sermons about a new bipartisanship, followed by comical attacks on talk radio, and deeming "unpatriotic" any who resent the ramming through of the largest increase in debt in a half-century. And there will be vero possumus oratory about a new unity and brotherhood, as serial attacks on private-jetting and Super Bowl-partying "rich" deliberately conflate the mega-rich with the small business-people and professionals who make between $250,000 and $500,000 and provide most of the nation's jobs and the nation's income tax revenue — and therefore must be both gouged and demonized in the process.

All that is left for central casting is the cardigan sweater and the fist pounding on the desk.

03/03 01:51 PM

[Tolik]

Combined ping to 2 ping lists

Victor Davis Hanson Ping !         Let me know if you want in or out. Links:    FR Index of his articles:  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson His website: http://victorhanson.com/ NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp Pajamasmedia:   http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/

Nailed It! Moral Clarity BUMP ! This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for the perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author all 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of the good stuff that is worthy of attention. You are welcome to browse the list of truly exceptional articles I pinged to lately. Updated on February 10, 2009.  on  my page. You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about). Besides this one, I keep 2 separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson and Orson Scott Card.

[ClearCase_guy]

Do Republicans offer an antithesis?

We continue to be clueless. It's how we lost in 2006. It's how Bush got pummeled. It's how McCain lost. We don't fight back and explain why Republican ideas are better.

Personally, I think that if the GOP pushed hard for the Fair Tax we'd get a lot of press, a groundswell of support, and throw a harsh light on Obama's ridiculous approach to budgeting.

[Le Chien Rouge]

“1) The proverbial Wall Street capitalists believe that, with new federal income tax rates, the removal of FICA ceilings, increases in capital gains rates, decreases in deductions, and simultaneous tax raises, not only will Obama remove incentives for innovation and productivity, but that he does not seem to care about - or perhaps appreciate - the consequences?”

During the election campaign,Obama was questioned on whether these tax hikes would help the economy.

Obama said probably not, but it is what’s FAIR.

52% agreed with him.

God help us.

[scooby321]

If you can't set the record straight you get those numbers.

0 doesn't send a bill to congress, why because he will throw the Congress under the bus when it fails.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“But is there an alternative?

Do Republicans offer an antithesis? Can they explain the Bush deficits and take responsibility for them, as well as the Republican congressional creepiness from 2002-06 (Craig, Stevens, Cunningham, Foley, etc)? And most importantly, will they offer counterproposals—a stimulus much smaller, mixtures of loan guarantees, tax cuts, and (some) public works alone, coupled with spending caps as soon as GDP growth returns? Can they articulate how the market corrected, say, in 1980-3, without our government going socialist? Can we get a plan not merely to balance the budget, but to pay off the debt? If not, legitimate criticisms of Obama fall on deaf ears without some positive alternative.”

Nails it. BUMP!

[GreyFriar]

Good info

[lonestar]

ping

[KeyLargo]

UNEMPLOYMENT FOR FEBRUARY

8.1 percent!

Looks like the country under B.O. is headed towards that of Michigan.

“The job losses across many industries pushed Michigan’s unemployment rate in January up to a quarter-century high of 11.6%. That rate marked a jump from December’s revised rate of 10.2%. The last time Michigan’s rate hit 11.6% was in May 1984.”

[Madame Dufarge]

No success, no failure, no stress, no calm—just endless existence.

Just the grayness of socialism. The symptoms are already present.

[Edgewood Pilot]

BTTT

[ProtectOurFreedom]

We don't fight back and explain why Republican ideas are better.

That is most certainly true for the vast herd of republicans -- they simply cannot articulate a vision of a stronger future based on conservative principles. Unfortunately, we need the once-in-a-generation truly great leader to break through and do that. Two come to mind - Reagan and Gingrich with the Contract with America. It was done before and let's pray to God Republicans can come to their senses and do it again.

[ClearCase_guy]

Nowadays, when someone like Palin comes on the scene, a lot of Republicans attack her. Or if Rush Limbaugh is attacked by the Democrats, the head of the RNC goes on TV and says, "You know, those Democrats have a point."

What did Palin and Limbaugh have in common? It's simple: Average people really like them. They have mass support and can attract cheering crowds.

The Republican Party needs to get its act together and stop attacking every Republican who stirs up mass support.

[nathanbedford]

In this series of articles by Victor David Hanson presented on this thread we have seen him deal with the economic implications of Obama's Marxism. It now remains to apply the same reasoning to Obama's social programs and to assess their combined impact on our liberty.

An American does not live by bread alone but by the words of the Bill of Rights.

Those words are about to be taken from him just as surely as his tax dollars. This administration threatens to censor talk radio, censor the Internet, deny workers the Australian ballot, dictate the appliances we might use, and tax our freedom of travel. It has encouraged or at least failed to discourage an ominous cult of personality which by the video evidence exploits and indoctrinates our youngest children. It has uttered plans to herd young adults into indoctrination camps. It has, both before and after the election, intimidated dissidents and targeted noncompliant media outlets. It has invaded the privacy of private citizens such as Joe The Plummer for propaganda ends. It condones the criminality of its own appointees who had cheated, for example, on their taxes while it promotes inquisitions into the political activities of the preceding administration. The administration has politicized the census for partisan purposes. It intimidates private businesses and threatens to sanction them for their spending decisions when their own personal perks have been far more profligate. They have colluded with the press in daily telephone conspiracies to propagandize the news.

On a a cultural level, as distinguished from a legal/constitution level, they have set one race against another, libeled American people- who elected an unqualified Negro President,-as cowards about race, set one class against another, stoked envy and jealousy in our midst, disincentivized striving for excellence, subsidized failure, undermined the rule of law, and lied repeatedly to the public. In virtually everything this administration has done on a legal, political, or cultural level this administration has sought to advance a plan for the radicalization of America laid down by Saul Alinsky in his book, Rules for Radicals.

The specter is not just one of economic misery but of moral and physical enslavement.

[JackOfVA]

52% agreed with him.

When 50% of the population pays zero income tax (granted some pay FICA tax, but still zero income tax) why is it surprising that someone who promises more "free stuff" starts with 50% support? The only thing missing is a Matthew Lesko advertisement asking if you have gotten your "free stuff" from President Zero yet.

Jack

[Homer_J_Simpson]

. . . at best Obama comes across as confused and herky-jerky, and at worse, clueless on the economy—as if a Chicago organizer is organizing a multi-trillion-dollar economy.

And worst yet - maybe zero's plan is working beautifully. A little ahead of schedule, even.

[FreedomPoster]

>>We don’t fight back and explain why Republican ideas are better.

The head of the RNC, Steele, didn’t even fight back when Republicans were characterized as Nazis by a CNN host.

We can’t let these things go unchallenged.

[Madame Dufarge]

An American does not live by bread alone but by the words of the Bill of Rights.

Those words are about to be taken from him just as surely as his tax dollars....

In my more optimistic moments, I'm not so sure that the taking will be quite as easy as the communists presume.

There's a foundation that's been constructed for America (eroded as it may have become) based on individual rights and liberty that's unique. And there seems to be a growing rage.

I'm hoping that there's still a Sleeping Giant just beginning to stir.

[nathanbedford]

I am trying to wake him up.