Econ 101

From the Gay Patriot comes a really good lesson on economics. I'm leaving it as a embedded link because he has a good website and you should go there and read a bit.
 

Rewarding the good guys

So Sunday I'm going to give money to Starbucks in a show of support as detailed by gun bloggers everywhere but I think I'm going to pass on the political statement to the barista because Stingray brings up a couple good points. I have emailed Starbucks and will fill out a comment card Sunday when I make a 30 mile trip for a cup of coffee.

The tasters were surprised

Well this sucks for someone but evidently not for the super evil corporation. What I do know is as work has gotten slower and my paycheck has shrunk because of said work slow down I am spending more of my money on groceries from WalMart and less and less at the Co-op. At this point The Wedge or The Seward Co-op gets money for coffee, seafood and some specialty fruits and veggies that the HP Lovecraft corporation. doesn't carry. Another nice plus with this shift is I can buy ammo at the grocery store now which saves time. Life is good. 

H/T to Instapundit

Canadian Healthcare results

CBC News - Nfld. & Labrador - Danny Williams going to U.S. for heart surgery
For those who don't know Mr Williams is the premier of Labrador/ New Newfoundland.

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An email exchange on Citizens United

Identifying info has been redacted


Hey ________,
 XXXX forwarded this to me:

Greetings:
If you're looking for a concise way of capturing (the) supreme court's 
decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission how about: 
"We are all royally, hopelessly fucked for the rest of recorded time."  
It's course, I know but it really does the trick.  (from Huffington 
Report)

We may be able to mark this past week as the end of democracy.  This is 
the continuing effect of the Bush years.  If a person isn't 
occasionally depressed, on the verge of dispair, you aren't paying 
attention.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.  
Especially knowing that many of our major corporations are owned by 
Arabs, Chinese and others not citizens of America.  The oil cartel can 
buy a company and dump any amount of money into a campaign.  Sounds 
frightening doesn't it?  The cocaine cartel can too.

  My opinion:  McCain Feingold was bad law. I like our senator but he was wrong in this case and many people on both the right and left thought McCain Feingold was great as an incumbent protection law.
  The 1st amendment reads as follows: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Pretty clear isn't it?
  From that text how do you get congress can make laws barring people (in this case the owners and shareholders of a corporation) from political speech? It can be argued that corporations are not persons but the 1886 case of Santa Clara County v Southern Pacific Railroad pretty much killed that line of thought for now.  We citizens may disagree but the Supreme Court has ruled in that case and a couple others that corporations are persons in many instances under the 14th amendment.
   From Bradley Smith in an editorial in the January 22 WSJ  "Hopefully, this ruling marks an end to 20 years of jurisprudence in which the Court has provided less protection to core political speech than it has to Internet pornography, the transmission of stolen information, flag burning, commercial advertising, topless dancing, and burning a cross outside an African-American church." click on it for the rest. This ruling also allows many grassroots advocacy groups the chance to speak their piece on issues and electoral contestants as noted several times by the ACLU, hardly a bastion of conservative thought.  
  We've had some of this discussion before, you believe that more restrictive regulation of corporations and people will change behavior, I think that when people or corporations behave badly that I can then exercise my choice to not spend time with that person or buy that corporations goods. I may also use my free speech and assembly rights to encourage others to boycott said person or corporation. I also believe when people infringe on anothers civil rights that then the government should step in but not before. With the exception of slander or libel another's speech doesn't infringe upon my rights. You also have much more faith in government than I do, I have noticed those who are successful in politics are most often egoists and firmly convinced they know best for the unwashed whereas I am only convinced that they are egoists.
  In order to be free one must allow speech that you personally abhor otherwise the only difference between the USA and your favorite oligarchy is a matter of the degree of censorship. 
 

Something for Rahm and Obama to ponder

Obama’s Other Massachusetts Problem
From the Cato Institute using the CBO numbers and stats
"Our study evaluates Massachusetts’ 2006 health law, which bears a “remarkable resemblance” to the president’s plan." Just something to think about before losing a bunch more seats in "safe" democratic areas.

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Government is not the answer

What is Driving Rising Healthcare Costs? — The American, A Magazine of Ideas

Michael Moore is an asshole

Subjective Spin Doctor Michael Moore Calls Capitalism “Evil.” « Existence, Consciousness, Identity

I found a new blog with fun stuff and a nice scathing diatribe against Michael Moore. Personally I think since it appears like Mike likes so little of the US and it's ideals he should move, the constant whining is getting old.