Category: Uncategorized

Obama vs. Obama on whether Egypt is an ally.

Barack Obama, 2012:

Egypt is neither an ally nor an enemy of the United States, President Barack Obama said Wednesday in the wake of a violent protest at the US embassy in Cairo.

“I don’t think that we would consider them an ally, but we don’t consider them an enemy,” Obama said in excerpts of an interview with Telemundo aired by MSNBC.

Barack Obama, 2011:

Sunlen Miller and Kirit Radia report: President Obama today reiterated that Egypt is an ally of the United States and that the he’s “always said” to President Hosni Mubarak that reform, both politically and economically, is essential for Egypt.

“Egypt’s been an ally of ours on a lot of critical issues,” Obama said from the White House this afternoon, “President Mubarak has been very helpful on a range of tough issues in the Middle East. But I’ve always said to him that making sure that they are moving forward on reform — political reform, economic reform — is absolutely critical to the long-term well being of Egypt.”

Continue reading Obama vs. Obama on whether Egypt is an ally.

#rsrh QotD, Close But Not Quite edition.

This is interesting, but one quibble:

3. Americans like money. In the UK it’s considered gauche to want stuff. When we look at Mitt Romney on his jet ski we think, “How vulgar,” or “He should donate his jet ski to the poor.” When an American sees Romney having fun on the lake, they think, “Man, I’d love a jet ski.” For evidence, consider our very different attitudes towards inheritance/estate taxes. In the UK we regard them as a just way of redistributing money. In the US, a clear majority see them as legal theft. Even though few Americans make enough money to end up paying the estate tax, many hope that someday they will. Not only do Americans lack our jealously of other people’s jet skis, but they live in optimism that they will eventually own their own pair. It’s called the American Dream, and it’s why the Left’s message on taxes has never been wildly popular.

(Via @sissywillis)

…which is if you have a few grand handy and really want a jet ski, you can pick up one used.  So it’s not so much ‘optimism’ as it is ‘expectation.’  At least, it is when we have Presidents in office who have a clue about how to grow the economy.

Moe Lane

#rsrh Chick-fil-A calls cops on… the Media.

And that says it all, doesn’t it? I’m still traveling, so no immediate link; but let me note to folks out there that the story is pretty darn symbolic. When it comes to a topic like, say, gay issues, you end up with an amazingly (if you just read the papers) broad spectrum of opinion among the Right. It can, in fact, range from actual support (hi!) through general tolerance and from there to personal disapproval and go from there to active political resistance. In other words… our actual reaction to the issue varies.

But we all f*cking despise the Media.

#rsrh Unemployment up to 8.3%. Because Obama won’t fix the economy.

Good news? Larger number of jobs gained than usual. Bad news? 163K jobs isn’t actually ‘good.’ Really worse news? Unemployment ticked up to 8.3%.

As was just said on Twitter by Lori Zeganto (and I’m sorry that I can’t link to it directly, via this platform): that 8.3% unemployment? Barack Obama built that for you.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

#RSRH The rules do change.

As this picture shows:


It’s not that I had my picture taken with Ted Cruz, who will be most likely the next Senator from Texas; it’s that we live in a world now where soon-to-be-Senators can get that way via alternate, non-traditional, yet very legitimate paths. Which is neat.

(pause)

I don’t know why I’m looking down, though: no, wait, I do. Ethyl alcohol.

Moe Lane

PS: Yes, that *is* getting to be a notable mustache. Thank you for noticing.

:utterly bored tone: Bad Illinois cigarette smugglers. *Bad*.

No biscuit.

With Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois taxes all included, smokers now pay $4.66 a pack in taxes in Chicago. That’s the second-highest cigarette tax in the nation, trailing only New York City at $5.85. People looking to make quick cash don’t need to travel far to buy cheap cigarettes. Indiana’s tax is just $0.995 a pack, and Missouri’s tax is the lowest in the country at just $0.17. [Illinois Department of Revenue head investigator John] Chambers says cigarette smuggling is now as lucrative as drug smuggling, with much lower penalties.

Which is what they’re no doubt angling to change, largely because the point of raising cigarette taxes in the first place was to give the state of Illinois more revenue to waste. Instead, they’ve initiated a new generation of Illinois residents into the ancient and esoteric mysteries of the Gentlemen.  Brilliant move there, Illinois.  No, really: smuggling is one of those necessary professions that civilization doesn’t want to admit is necessary, mostly because it’s most necessary in those situations where civilization has temporarily broken down.  Keeping the skill set alive is probably for the best. Continue reading :utterly bored tone: Bad Illinois cigarette smugglers. *Bad*.