All Things in Moderation

Morning Non-Report Open Thread 05/07/13

15 Responses

1. 

   markinaustin, on May 7, 2013 at 8:34 am said:

   While I favor gun regulation within the confines of the 2dA that would eventually lead to helping law enforcement solve gun crimes and that might have some fringe benefit, as yet totally unknown, I consider the gun debate a distraction of little import.

   While I have no problem with SSM and would vote for it in the lege if I were in the lege, I consider the debate a minor matter.

   While I want to know what happened at Benghazi and why the disinformation cloud persisted, I consider it a distraction of little import, one ultimately lost in the gummint’s continuing need for secrecy above all else, since WW2; probably of really no concern. Except for the oft pointed out need for secrecy above all else.

   Perhaps I am getting bored by the stories that repeat and repeat in my ear.

   I am interested in Syria. I think we have no national security interest at stake there. I think it is Russia’s problem. It is their warm water naval base at stake. Why do we give a shit about Syria? Humanitarian reasons? Is that what is driving McC?

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2. 

   Fairlington Blade, on May 7, 2013 at 9:03 am said:

   I’ll take a stab at Syria. As they say in real estate, it’s about location location location. Borders Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Isreal, Lebanon. Primary source of weapons to Hezbollah with the potential to proliferate chemical weapons. And to quote Tom Lehrer (regarding proliferation),

   Egypt’s gonna get one too, just to use on you know who
   So Isreal’s getting tense, wants one for self defense
   The Lord’s our shepherd, so says the Psalm,
   But just in case, we’re gonna get a bomb

   As for McCain, he’s a serial intervener. Anybody remember his driving foreign policy effort in 2008? He wanted to get the U.S. involved in Georgia. As of 2010, still does. Pushed for early intervention in Libya. Now it’s Syria (ignoring the prospect of direct conflict with Russia). I wonder how close he would get us to direct conflict with Russia. He’s rather selective. No interest in intervening in central Africa.

   I suspect the greatest strategic danger we face is on the other side of the international date line. Events between China and its neighbors are extremely worrisome. Not to mention continued Chinese attacks on American computer networks. China scares the shit out of me as it manages the transition.

   ßß

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   • 

     markinaustin, on May 7, 2013 at 9:47 am said:

     BB, I’ll buy into Syria when Turkey is threatened – NATO, and all that.

     McC is just being McC, then.

     I agree with you about our primary concern being China. However, I see some good stuff there – they just froze relations with NK’s central bank. I am guessing that is big pressure for the right reasons. The NPR story on their IT thefts was pretty tough to listen to without thinking this is a new kind of warfare, of course.

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3. 

   Fairlington Blade, on May 7, 2013 at 10:54 am said:

   You needn’t think it’s a new kind of warfare, it is. Mind you, I would call China the 21st century extension of a mercantilist nation. Let’s hope that the US doesn’t turn into a nativist nation. That way lies Japan.

   ßß

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4. 

   jnc4p, on May 7, 2013 at 12:11 pm said:

   The problem with the exchange economics identified:

   Ezekiel Emanuel: Health-Care Exchanges Will Need the Young Invincibles
   Massachusetts’s marketing campaign included TV ads during Boston Red Sox games
   to recruit young males.
   By EZEKIEL J. EMANUEL
   May 6, 2013, 9:39 p.m. ET
   …

   “Here is the specific problem: Insurance companies worry that young people, especially young men, already think they are invincible, and they are bewildered about the health-care reform in general and exchanges in particular. They may tune out, forego purchasing health insurance and opt to pay a penalty instead when their taxes come due.

   The consequence would be a disproportionate number of older and sicker people purchasing insurance, which will raise insurance premiums and, in turn, discourage more people from enrolling. This reluctance to enroll would damage a key aspect of reform.”

   And the proposed solution:

   “Fortunately, there are solutions. First, young people believe in President Obama.”

   http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324326504578467560106322692.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

   All their cost assumptions are really just wishful thinking.

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5. 

   Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 7, 2013 at 1:10 pm said:

   That’s their strategy? Red Sox game advertisements?

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6. 

   Michigoose, on May 7, 2013 at 2:10 pm said:

   That’s their strategy? Red Sox game advertisements?

   And what about states without MLB? SOL?

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7. 

   yellojkt, on May 7, 2013 at 2:27 pm said:

   I had a Syrian coworker in the 80s who would regularly harangue me about the evils of the expansionist Zionists running Israel. He would then entirely unironically explain how Jordan, Lebanon, and the West Bank all really belonged rightfully to Syria.

   His lectures led me to develop the High Water Mark Theory of Middle East territorial claims. Every country has in their mind the greatest territorial limit of their ancestral home and they all overlap incredibly. It’s why there are constant turf wars.

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8. 

   Michigoose, on May 7, 2013 at 2:56 pm said:

   It’s why there are constant turf wars.

   Simple. Use the borders under Alexander the Great.

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   • 

     yellojkt, on May 7, 2013 at 3:05 pm said:

     In which case, Macedonia is now the richest country on Earth.

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9. 

   Michigoose, on May 7, 2013 at 3:09 pm said:

   Yep. And think of how many Macedonians there are!

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10. 

    jnc4p, on May 7, 2013 at 5:07 pm said:

    The Romans sorted all this out, then the natives had to go screw it up again.

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11. 

    Michigoose, on May 7, 2013 at 6:59 pm said:

    That just about made me spit out wine, jnc!

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12. 

    Troll McWingnut or George, whichever, on May 7, 2013 at 7:31 pm said:

    What if it turns out more guns results in less gun crime?

    http://hotair.com/archives/2013/05/07/two-new-studies-gun-crime-has-dropped-dramatically-over-last-20-years-and-most-americans-have-no-idea/

    Should there still be a drive to reduce the number of guns?

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13. 

    novahockey, on May 8, 2013 at 12:05 pm said:

    “reduce the number of guns”

    that assume gun control is about reducing violent crime. I don’t think it is.

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