Great Quote

This has got to be the most concise definition of democracy ever:   "Two wolves and a lamb, voting on what's for dinner".  

I'm not sure I fall all the way into the libertarian camp, but I'm generally fiscally conservative but socially liberal, and a big fan of laissez faire policies:   the government has no business interjecting itself into the affairs of private individuals.   Personal responsibility is one of the cornerstones of American society, and a large part of what's made the country great.   With rising dependence on centralized government's 'largesse' (aka:   redistribution of wealth), I see the influence of the concept of personal responsibility dwindling to a dangerously low level.

Now I read that 51% of American households pay no federal taxes at all, yet they have a right to vote.   Why does it come as no surprise that these people think they deserve annual raises as well, at the expense of productive citizens?

Crazy Indiana

The Indiana Supreme Court recently found that citizens have no right to resist the unlawful entry of police officers.   The majority opines it's better to simply cooperate, and sort in all out in court after the fact.   This turns ruling turns centuries of Constitutional law and common law on its head;   there's always been an assumption of innocence in the American system.   No more.

It'd be easy to dismiss this as local craziness that'll (hopefully!) be overturned by the US Supreme Court, but one fact is worth noting:   the Justice writing the majority opinion was Mitch Daniels' hand-picked appointee, Justice Steven David.   This reflects badly on Daniels, who's not yet decided if he'll run for President in 2012.   Although once Justice David was confirmed, Daniels' influence was limited, this was such a left-field ruling that it calls Daniels' judgement into question as well.

Not entirely relevant, but worth quoting anyway, regarding Daniels' wife running off and leaving their four daughters to marry another man, then returning to remarry Daniels: "While one can't reasonably hold his wife's past behavior against the man, the hard fact is that Americans tend to prefer leaders who are alpha adulterers like Kennedy and Clinton to beta cuckolds."

Word.

Treasury to tap pensions to help fund government

Surely this is a sign that the Obama administration has admitted fiscal defeat;   that their "budget-slashing proposal" was a hoax, and that the President's real agenda is the dismantling of the United States, piece by piece.

I'm astounded Obama has managed to avoid impeachment so far.  

Iran building rocket bases in Venezuela

Why would Iran need rocket bases in Venezuela?   Chavez clearly cares nothing for his own people, but surely this will end badly for Venezuela.   And hopefully the world community can agree it's in no-one's interest that Iran exert its violent influence anywhere, much less outside its own geographic hemisphere.

Rather reminiscent of the Cuban missile crisis of '61.   Except then we had a real President.

Trillion Dollar TARP Costs US 500,000 jobs

What a surprise.  According to a recent study by two respected economists, Obama's trillion dollar TARP boondoggle cost the US 500,000 jobs.  As if that weren't bad enough, the study shows that TARP added 450,000 state and local government jobs (was there really a need for even more government employees?), while killing roughly a million private-sector jobs.   


TARP was meant to stimulate the economy, and nudge it back into a healthy, growing trend.   It comes as no surprise to many of us that it's had the opposite effect.   One could be forgive for thinking Obama does this deliberately.

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain...

Trying to drum up some attention for this here blog thingy, so Technorati would like me to mention QM5JCH858T67 .

Aging and Curmudgeonliness

My Mother will turn 81 shortly.   She lives by herself, smokes copiously, adamantly refuses to see a doctor for anything, and seems to be getting by OK.    She's always sweet and agreeable, as most folks of that generation are, but I'm always astounded at her staunch refusal to let a doctor look at her.   There's definitely something going on with her posture;   she's often bent over about 40 degrees, and walks with a limp.   I only see her every year or so, and of course the decline is more noticeable with each visit.

She's a grownup though, so I'm loathe to 'tell her what to do';    I can only suggest and cajole.

Obama snubs Texas

I questioned the accuracy of this news story when I saw it, but unfortunately it seems to be true:   President Obama sent help to Mexico to aid in their battle against a 386 square mile wildfire, while snubbing Texas' request for help with wildfires damaging 2.5 million acres (roughly 39,000 square miles).   I have yet to see him rationalize this bizarre decision, but it's of a piece with many of his other anti-American decisions:    suing the state of Arizona for daring to attempt to keep US borders secure, making the Gulf of Mexico off-limits to US oil drilling, his anti-Israel attitude, etc.  

Whatever disagreements Obama has with Texas' Governor Perry, he should pretend for a moment that he knows how to act presidential, momentarily lay aside his zeal for Chicago-style political thuggery, and do what's right.

Employment

Voter-mandated budget cuts loom here in the Netherlands, and of course arts organizations are screaming bloody murder.   In the course of decades, orchestras here have "managed to survive" on 85% of their operating costs supplied via government subsidies, both local and national.   This level of subsidy has allowed them to program music that nobody wanted to hear, as ticket sales were never a concern.    As a result, arts management has become an entitled elite, answering to no-one . . . 'til now.    Of course, those who would cut these budgets are referred to as "barbarians" and "philistines";   the idea that the public should decide what they're willing to pay for is an odious concept for those in the ivory tower.  It's the most entertaining kind of class-warfare.   

Fiscal ideology aside, I have a personal interest in this as well.    Should the band go bankrupt, I'd get a handsome payout, allowing me the freedom to move away from this God-forsaken country.    And from a very petty standpoint, I wouldn't mind seeing an employer that's treated me badly since day one be shuttered.

Kickoff!

Here's my kickoff post.  

I'm from the US, and living overseas these last 22 years(!) has been a trying experience in every conceivable way.   I'm bound to vent about this here, but also about what I see happening in my home country;  it's becoming unrecognizable before my very eyes (and not in a good way, either...).

I was born in Illinois, grew up in Texas, and lived in New York City for a number of years.  I'm a musician, and moved to the Netherlands in 1989 with my (then) wife to start a family.    I'm gainfully employed in an orchestra here, but it's not been a good experience (more on this later).   I've got three great kids who are a great joy to me, and was remarried three years ago.   I'm hoping to move back to the States in the foreseeable future.

Likely topics for future posts:   expat experiences, US politics, petty grievances, and maybe some good stuff, too.   Stay tuned;   I'm bound to get better at this.