All the News That's Fit to be Tied

I have an axe to grind, but unlike the New York Times, I freely admit it.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Our Blacks are Better than Theirs

Once again the intellectual antics of politics provides us with what can be called by some a "teachable moment." A moment where both sides, if that's the right term, can learn valuable lessons. In an interview, which I watched after the fact, witticist author, Ann Coulter, apparently referred to conservative blacks as "ours," apparently outraging even many conservative blacks. Cornell West may well be calling for her head tomorrow, putting himself in the unusual position of defending black men like Clarence Thomas, Herman Cain and Thomas Sowell, all the while lamenting over the legacy of slavery that so many blacks, in his view, cannot escape from. @Right_of_Black on Twitter said "Did Ann Coulter say "our blacks are so much better than their blacks” ? Will someone tell this woman black folks aren't commodities?! hrmpf!" @carlamitch also on Twitter said "Our blacks are better than their blacks" do I even need to comment on this Ann Coulter quote? Does this mean we're back on the plantation?" Finally @i_EAT_nerds said "Someone needs to tell Ann Coulter white people don't own us anymore." These tweets were retweeted by the wonderful @arlenearmy, who I follow along with @dphaw and @theblacksphere to name a few. I am almost positive that Ann Coulter did not mean this the way it was received, but I will let her apologize for herself. But it does demonstrate that the ghost of slavery lives on even in the purest hearts. My own tweet was "Not to defend Coulter, but it never surprises me how easily minorities are offended," and was the inspiration for this column.

Monday, October 24, 2011

The Dirty Little Secret about Underwater Mortgages

It's almost always the things the media doesn't tell you that are vitally important and the current discussion about the President's bill to help underwater homeowners is one of those. The President's bill is designed to help refinance the mortgages of homeowners who are not in foreclosure and are current or not far behind in their payments. The dirty little secret about this is that if you are current in your payments and you can maintain them it doesn't matter if your home is "underwater." It only matters if you want to borrow on your home or if you want to sell. If you do not want to do either or both you can wait out the market, and even though it may take some time to recover eventually your home and the real estate market will recover. If you want to borrow in the current economic climate you should reconsider, as you should if you want to sell. This is not a great selling environment. People who are going to lose their homes due to foreclosure will not be helped by this bill. People who have to move will not be helped by this bill. The only thing that can help them is a recovering real estate market and this President is doing little to help that; and that is the dirty little secret.

Wind and Solar will Double Energy Costs

Do you think your gas and electric bills are too low? Do you think you should pay more for gas or diesel? Well if you’re a supporter of wind and solar energy you can count on paying higher prices. According a new report obtained by the Financial Times, the European Commission is reporting that wind and solar energy will double the cost of power bills for European consumers. Further the report indicates that as the share of wind and solar power rises in the energy mix the higher prices will continue to climb. The report also exposes the real goal of the alternative energy movement. The goal is to get force European and American consumers to use less energy by raising prices and increasing taxes. It is already apparent that the developing world (China, India and Malaysia) will reject this strategy. We must force the Congress to stop the EPA war on fossil fuel or we will be priced out of our homes and cars.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Did Obama Kill the Golden Goose?

The economy is in the tank, the banks have been forced into a corner, and the government is picking winners and losers in many industries. Is it time to ask "Did Obama killed the goose?" If your wondering which goose, it's the one that laid the golden egg; America. Never before in the history of the world has one nation (I suppose some would argue Rome) done so much for the world at a large. In both war and peace America has outshone, outperformed, and outdone every nation past and present. America has created more or bought more of everything there is. You name it and we have either built it or bought it when somebody else made it. America's capitalist economy is the envy of the world because it has made Americans the richest people in the world. In addition to American firms, nearly half the countries in the world rely on American consumption of their goods to maintain their own standard of living. As American's have become less wealthy for whatever the reason (housing crisis, job loss, or reduced income) the world has felt the repercussions. America was the home of the world's biggest consumers, but it has become the country that killed the goose who laid the golden egg. Can we get another?