1. "It's the Chinese, Stupid" Democrats bashing China. Apparently they'd like Americans to pay far more for various products.
Representative Sample: When times are tough in your district, find someone else to blame. With U.S. midterm election campaigns now in high gear, the boogeyman of choice in regions with high unemployment and sluggish manufacturing is -- unsurprisingly -- China. And with President Barack Obama struggling to cajole an apathetic base, Democrats have been playing the red-menace card more than their Republican opponents.
2. "Ayaan Hirsi Ali Speaks Out" Excerpts and links to an interesting interview.
Representative Sample: the idea that American citizens would be forced to change their identity and go underground for fear that they may be killed for merely criticizing a religion is “outrageous” in the modern world in which we are supposed to be living.
3. "What’s the Spirit of the Bayonet?" Training for war means training to kill.
Representative Sample: Never is military training so profoundly, terrifyingly, emotionally violent as during bayonet training. When 200 men scream “KILL, KILL, KILL!” and charge plywood targets it feels a bit insane. Rifles are broken as bayonets are pounded through plywood targets. Men literally froth at the mouth. It is ritualistic warrior blood lust.
4. "What’s Really the Bigger Deal?" Burning Korans or schools?
Representative Sample: It's a cartoon.
5. "Government Mail: U.S. Post Office Is Broke" The amazing feat of going broke while enjoying a total monopoly on first-class mail.
Representative Sample: I wonder what the price of gas would be if it were produced by a government agency? Despite raising prices far faster than the rate of inflation, the Post Office still cannot operate profitably. In fact, it has operated at a deficit for years and is now out of cash.
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You can't really compare the post office to any other nationalized industry. First off, the post office is not designed to make money. It's job is to provide mailing services to everyone in the country, six days a week. Profit comes second.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, going broke while running first class mail really isn't that impressive. Mail volume has decreased by 22%, but the post office can't shrink its size to match, what with the whole having to provide service to everybody thing.
"First off, the post office is not designed to make money. It's job is to provide mailing services to everyone in the country, six days a week. Profit comes second. "
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's a business that operates in violation of normal market rules. That's kind of the point.
"Furthermore, going broke while running first class mail really isn't that impressive. Mail volume has decreased by 22%, but the post office can't shrink its size to match"
Actually it could if it didn't have huge numbers of people who are immune from being laid off. As mail volume shrinks and automation increases, far less people are needed to provide the same services. I actually had a part-time job with the post office at one point and heard this right from the source.
The post office isn't a business. A business operates only to make money, while the post office operates with the intent of providing public service.
ReplyDeleteAnd source for you second claim?
"The post office isn't a business. A business operates only to make money, while the post office operates with the intent of providing public service. "
ReplyDeleteNonsense. In case you haven't noticed, we get charged for postal services, just like any business. And as the article I linked pointed out, it has increased it's rates sharply compared to other industries. It tries to operate as a business. That's why it advertises, tries to come up with new products such as flat rate boxes, etc. It But its costs are sky high.
The need for less people in the post office because of automation is a fact not a claim. There is no need for the same number of mail handlers that there used to be. Post office labor issues are also well-known.
Here's just one of many articles about the post office and its 80% labor cost and union demands.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704187204575102243491164702.html