If a government that protects ordinary people is a “nanny state,” then one protecting the super-rich deserves the title of “super nanny state.” Bernanke and the Super Nanny-State

Don’t look now America, but your leaders have abandoned any pretensions to economic management. Back in ‘06 I made an unpopular prediction that the Republicans would tank in the mid terms because they ignored the household economy of middle America.

The Republicans were blindsided when rust belt states started turning against them. How could it be? The markets are booming!

You are being led by a bunch of economically illiterate dingos. Sure they gave away economic responsibility to The Fed and a bunch of corporate mates. Maybe they knows more about economics…

Great move, the corporate mates don’t give a rat’s arse about you, unless you are a shareholder. The Fed champions monetarist policy which essentially means looking after the corps, the big money. So when the Fed cuts rates it is intended to help the big boys out, the markets.

The markets aren’t the economy; the markets are a side game like poker in the parlour. Unless you manage to slip a few chips out of the pot while no one is watching the game gives nothing to the house. If you play like me it would probably take a fair bit.

So now the US is in deep shit, and despite what commentators, IMF et al try to tell you, the US is in that shit pit pretty much on their own. China and India might feel a blip, but they are in a major growth period. They have your manufacturing industries.

Australia fell into bed with these giants and is in danger of being swamped in cash, an economy stretching the bounds of growth. Europe is more complex, but has enough diversity and manufacturing to get through.

And don’t let your leaders put all the blame on the sub-prime market. That was just one element of the rampant greed encouraged by get rich quick merchants you believe are there to protect you.

It seems like old Abe was wrong on one issue, “you can fool most of the people all of the time.” But then the US has always rewarded the robber barons at the cost of the people. You are now living in the Super Nanny State.

For those of you following the Arizona debate over “Choose Life” license plates–vanity plates backed by the Arizona Choose Life coalition–the culmination was reached this week in the US 9th Circuit Court. This is the way it went down:

Back in 2002/2003 the ACL petitioned the Arizona License Plate Commission (that’s the group that decides which not-for-profit causes get to enshrine their views in metal for your rear bumper) to support a new plate with the slogan “Choose Life”. And… when the commission turned down the request, the ACL sued claiming that they’re First Amendment rights were violated.

You know what? I think that 9th Circuit 3 judge panel was probably right. If we’re going to slap stupid slogans on license plates, why not allow every cracker organization with an ax to grind to put their thoughts in your face while you’re driving? “Choose Life”? How about, uh… “Choose Choice?” (Hmmm… maybe that doesn’t work so well.)

But setting aside the strict constitutional interpretation, seems to me that the real issue is about sticking your thoughts in someone else’s face. I mean nobody ties you down and forces you to read my rantings. But America has a manic for child-bearing, and it seems that when a baby (fetus…whatever) is involved privacy, propriety, and personal space go out the window.

Here’s how it ought to go down:

“Touch my belly and draw back a stump.”

“No you can’t hold my baby!”

“It’s my god-damned choice, and I don’t need your stupid license plate to tell me otherwise!”

I read recently that Americans United for Change are going to create a fund to ensure that George Bush is ‘deprived of his legacy’. By which they mean that they want to keep buildings, bridges, highways, memorial hedge-funds, new debt-consolidation instruments, public restrooms, etc… from being named in his honor. And you know what I say to this: What an enormous waste of $8.5M!

Who the f*ck cares if idiots want to name their public works after the worst president in history? Let ’em. It’ll be a continual reminder to America of our folly in electing such a moron, not once, but…uh…well OK…once.

I mean is it any wonder that ‘ol Ronnie Rayguns reputation is starting to tarnish? Ronnie of the monumental debt burden, of the economic policies that wrecked the middle class, of the dismantling of the social safety net? Why do you think it is that he’s coming in for so much criticism these days? I’ll tell you why, because Republicans went on a naming spree after Reagan left office. Reagan is f*cking everywhere. Here’s just a selection:

• The USS Ronald Reagan (nuclear powered aircraft carrier)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) (I still can’t think of it as anything but ‘Washington National’)
• The Reagan Highway (US 14), Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88), and Freeway (CA 118)

Jeez they even want to rename the Pentagon in his honor–how appropriate is that?–and put his smiling mug on the $10 bill. Might as well just rename the country Ronnieville.

And so it could be with Bush. There’s no doubt that the 30%’ers are gonna keep pushing the tired canard of how Bush protected America, fought the t’rrorists, blah, blah, blah… So if we let them go on their own naming spree, Bush’s reputation will suffer because we’ll continually be reminded of what a monumental ass-wiping, Constitution busting, prick he was.