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Archive for June, 2009

The Potemkin Presidency meets a moment of sanity in The New York Times (with an observation from Hilaire Belloc and an admonition from Friedrich Hayek)

By Roger Kimball | June 29th, 2009

Let me start with the observation from Hilaire Belloc. In his book The Servile State, Belloc writes that “The control of the production of wealth is the control of human life itself.”
I rather doubt that President Obama or any of his inner circle is a student of Hilaire Belloc. But they have demonstrated again and [...]

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A “green” economy vs. a productive economy, or how America became a third-world country with first-world feelings of moral superiority

By Roger Kimball | June 27th, 2009

The House of Representatives just took a large step towards refashioning the United State into a Third World economy with first world self-regard. The so-called “cap and trade” (”cap and tax” to its opponents) bill, sponsored by Henry Waxman and Edward Markey (remember those names, voters), squeaked by 219-212. (The roll call is here: check [...]

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Nightmare on Main Street, in which we think about some really big numbers

By Roger Kimball | June 26th, 2009

“One of the great follies in legislative history.” That’s how John Hinderaker at Powerline describes the bait-and-switch — I mean the cap and trade — bill that is due to be voted on in the House of, er, Representatives imminently.
As with the 1000-page non-stimulating stimulus bill that Obama shoved down your throat mere days after [...]

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