Political Humor Alert

This was sent along by a high school classmate from too many years ago:

Here's a solution to all the controversy over full-body scanners at the airports:

All we need to do is develop a booth you can step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have hidden on or in your body. The explosion will be contained within the sealed booth.

This would be a win-win for everyone. There would be none of this crap about racial profiling and the device would eliminate long and expensive trials.

This is so simple it's brilliant. I can see it now: you're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion. Shortly thereafter an announcement comes over the PA system, "Attention, standby passengers! We now have a seat available on flight number...."

My first thought upon reading this was that you'd have to pay booth cleaners quite a bit. My second thought was that you could make the booth function like a self-cleaning oven, cycling after each explosion. My third thought was the existence of this booth would dissuade further "suicide underwear" bombers, so cleaning wouldn't be a big deal.

I'm not sure this is actual political humor; maybe it's quasi-political humor.

Friedman on Leverage

The New York Times' Tom Friedman writes with insight about foreign affairs, and without insight on domestic politics. His most recent column looks at the U.S. diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks and what they tell us about our lack of leverage (i.e., bargaining power) vis-a-vis the Islamic world and separately, vis-a-vis China.

Friedman makes an argument for the U.S. being less dependent on foreign oil and foreign credit. I don't know if he is right or not, but I do know he is interesting on this topic. Generally, it is better for a nation to have more, rather than less, leverage.

Public School Issues

Joel Klein has spent the last several years as Chancellor of the New York City Schools, and is now stepping down. He has written an interesting article about what he believes works, and does not work, for The Wall Street Journal. If you are interested in our public schools, it is worth your time.

I believe Klein gives too little weight to parental emphasis on education. I understand it is a variable over which he had no control, but it is still important. It probably explains much of the achievement gap between Asian and African-American students.

WaPo on Side of Truth

The Washington Post has weighed in with an editorial debunking the usual Hollywood mythmaking and left-wing rewriting of history in the film Fair Game. In this case the history being rewritten concerns the revealing of the CIA employment of Valery Plame, and the supposed influence of her husband, Joseph Wilson, in opposition to the "Iraq seeks WMDs" views of the Bush White House.

COTTonLINE doesn't often agree with editorial positions of The Washington Post, in this case we do. It is the occasional column like this that makes WaPo the nations's "newspaper of record" where The New York Times was once that paper.

Book Review

I’ve been reading a book lent to me by my brother-in-law chronicling the career of a self-described “economic hit man.” John Perkins’ biography is Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, published in 2004 by Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco. I’m reading the Plume (Penguin) paperback edition first published in 2006.

Perkins tells a good story, the story of an idealistic kid who, through almost no fault of his own, got a good education and went off to spend 3 years in Ecuador with the Peace Corps. Then, people who should have known better, hired him for his ability to go semi-native. The engineering firm sent him off to gather economic data upon which to base loan and project proposals.

Sadly for him, they didn’t want his reports to reflect the poverty and misery he found in a series of third world countries. They wanted optimistic reports which would justify big loans to pay for big projects from which their engineering firms would make big bucks. No kidding, they really wanted to make money.

In country after country these big projects enriched the few wealthy families who typically run the economy and government of a third world country. In country after country the poor didn’t benefit while their countries became enmeshed in the global economy, forced to do the bidding of the first world countries since they couldn’t pay back their loans.

Perkins blames all this on some sinister plot to form a de facto global empire of de jure independent nations, without the empire ever being out in the open. He never thinks to blame the economic structure of third world countries, which so often defeats development projects by siphoning off their earnings into the Swiss bank accounts of the few local ricos while the many pobres continue to suffer.

For example, the vice president of Afghanistan was recently caught carrying hundreds of millions of dollars into another country. He and the money were released as there was no proof he had the money illegally. Of course it was legal, and pigs can fly, too.

This book is a classical example of a square peg whining about being in a round hole, about being the wrong person in a job. Perkins would have been happy working for some NGO like CARE, the Red Cross or Save the Children. Instead he ended up working for people who wanted to make and keep money, not those who merely beg for donated money and disburse it.

I think Perkins somehow believed that development projects could be focused on the poor, the descamisados. The world doesn’t work that way. If you build a road network for a developing country, it is logical that only those who can afford at least a motorbike will be able to use it. If you build an electric power grid and generators to power it, people too poor to afford a toaster won't find it useful.

Somewhere in the book Perkins makes fun of offering a dollar a day job to someone who has none. Relate that to what is happening in China, the beginnings of labor unrest as cheap labor starts to organize. Perkins has it wrong, but it makes a good story nevertheless.

Travel Blogging IV

Dateline: Philipsburg, St. Maarten. Yesterday was Puerto Rico, today is Dutch Saint Maarten, called by the French who own the remainder, St. Martin. The other DrC and I were trying to think of all the islands where sovereignty was divided, we came up with Hispanola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), this island (St. Maarten and St. Martin), New Guinea (New Guinea and Irian Jaya), Ireland (Ireland and Northern Ireland), and Cyprus (Greek vs. Turk). We thought that was quite a lot. Can you think of any more?

It is amazing how built-up this island is, there is a house just about everywhere you could easily build one without extensive engineering work. It is mountainous and green, albeit less green than formerly according to our guide who says they now get maybe 45 inches of rain per year whereas they once got twice that. As is true on several of these islands, desalination is the major source of fresh water.

The French side tries to be tres European: 220 volt electricity, European auto tags, use the Euro currency, etc. On the other hand, Dutch St. Maarten has U.S. style auto tags, uses 110 volt current, uses the guilder (which the Netherlands no longer uses) plus the U.S. dollar, and feels more tropical North American – like American Samoa or Guam.

I was amazed that there is a entire cluster of vacation islands here, including British Anguilla, St. Barts, French/Dutch St. Maarten, etc., all within view of each other. One would not need to be much of a small boat navigator to get from one to another, island-hopping on what amounts to VFR.

Travel Blogging III

Dateline: San Juan, Puerto Rico. San Juan is probably the largest city in the Caribbean, given that construction has continued here and has been, I think, stagnant in Havana during the Castro regime. San Juan is not particularly high-rise, but spreads over considerable real estate. It is not a bad looking city, nothing of which to be ashamed. Some of it feels like a U.S. city, some like the better parts of a city in Central or South America.

Supposedly Spanish and English are the official languages here, but Spanish is certainly dominant in signage and in conversations on the street. Puerto Ricans can look like any race, except Asians are rare. There are Africans, Native Americans, Europeans, and all the various mixtures thereof; in that respect they resemble Cubans.

We didn’t have nearly enough time to explore the hilltop citadel-turned-national-park that glowers over San Juan, and didn’t see anything that was outside San Juan. Because it is a large island, Puerto Rico would be a good place to which to return, rent a car, get a nice hotel room, and spend a week poking around. I suppose the same would have been true of Cuba in the days when Americans were welcome there.

Movie Reviews

Last night we viewed the film Avatar on DVD. Imagine restaging Custer at the Little Big Horn, only in the future with aliens as Indians. The aliens are very well done, the avatar technology is interesting, and Sigourney Weaver is in danger of being typecast in space movies, in this one she plays a relatively believable scientist. All in all, a fun action movie.

The bad guys are a greedy corporation once again; doesn't Hollywood ever get tired of this theme? Why not greedy politicians or greedy scientists or physicians? Nope, it is always a company out to make a buck. Maybe Hollywood uses that theme out of guilt, for "greedy businessmen out to skim off all the money they can" is exactly what the studio heads and movie producers are.

Today we saw the new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. It is a good 'un. Turning book 7 into two films is enabling the screenwriters to include more of the book, which is good for continuity. I suspect this film holds together better for a viewer who hasn't read the book. The film is substantially faithful to the book, unlike some earlier films.

One oddity, the last film more or less ended with the Weasley's home The Burrow burning down as a result of a Death Eater attack. You'd never know it in this film as The Burrow is just fine once again. There appear to be a couple of casting changes, nothing serious.

The three main characters, Harry, Ron and Hermione, are well done in this film. Either the director was doing his job or the kids have learned their craft. The director has built into this film the hint of a more-than-platonic relationship between Harry and Hermione. It isn't in the books but I didn't find it offensive.

This film has Voldemort's nose looking good, unlike the last film where it looked like they didn't want to spend money on special effects. Of course they failed to have his fingers look long, white and spidery, and his eyes aren't red, but you can't have everything and the nose was more important.

Also with regard to special effects, the elves return in this film. Both Dobby and Kreatur(e) are very well realized, both facially and as complete little people.

A casting quibble: many of the Death Eaters whom we see gathered around a table at the palatial home of Lucius Malfoy seem too wholesome, although they try their best to act nasty.

The fellow whose body Harry takes over to infiltrate the Ministry walks like he had a dry corncob stuck in a very uncomfortable place. If this "funny walk" was supposed to suggest Harry inhabiting an unfamiliar body, it didn't work.

Travel Blogging II

Dateline: Netherlands Antilles. We've visited Aruba and Curacao, on two successive days. Aruba was too hot to enjoy, but looked much as it had a few years ago when we were there - relatively barren. Curacao was cooler and greener, and more attractive too.

Like Aruba Curacao has achieved a semi-independence from the Netherlands, local autonomy but existing under the defense/foreign affairs umbrella of the Netherlands. This status is not unlike that of the U.S. commonwealths like Puerto Rico, where we go later on this cruise.

These islands, often called the A-B-C islands (for Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), sit very close to Venezuela, Hugo Chavez's home. Most of their produce comes from Venezuela.

I suspect the ABCs need the Netherlands to keep Chavez from sweeping them into his orbit, for I'm sure Venezuela has a long-standing claim to these three offshore islands, like Argentina's claim to the Falklands (aka, las Malvinas).

Travel Blogging I

Dateline: Caribbean South of Bahamas. Day before yesterday we were taken to Sarasota beach to see the sand. I know, intellectually, that not all sand is alike because some is okay for making concrete while other sand is not. I seldom can experience that difference by touch or feel.

Sarasota sand is different and even I can feel and see that difference. It is finer, smoother, closer to powder. The signs say it is quartz-based, and washed down from the Appalachian Mountains – darned far away from here.

Did you ever notice how all malls in America look very much alike? We were in a big mall in Sarasota looking for a small item, which by the way we didn’t find, and it looked just like a big mall anywhere in the States. If there is “regionality” in shops you don’t see it in mall shops.

I suppose you might see regionality in certain merchandise if you were a detailed shopper (I’m not). Heavy-duty parkas are sold where there’s lots of snow and cold, I guess. Swim suits sold in Florida in winter, not in Maine or Minnesota until spring. These minor differences don’t show up in a cursory walk through the mall.

The little item we were looking for we finally found in the crafts section at Wal-Mart, which by design looks like Wal-Marts everywhere. Oh well, all of this reflective of a lessening of regional differences across the U.S. I suppose.

An Insight

Carol Marin, writing for the Chicago Sun Times, quotes NBC's David Gregory having an insight about President Obama - his campaign successes and presidential failures - that COTTonLINE finds helpful. Gregory says:

I think the president faces a challenge where he’s most inspirational when it’s about him, but not when it’s about you. And that I think is his fundamental challenge.

Campaigning is all about why you should select me to vote for; governing is not at all about me but about what you want and need done for you. When the topic switches from me to you, he seems to lose us.

Barack Hussein Obama has an interesting story, his "me" is interesting. However, his life story is so far out of the American mainstream story that I wonder whether he can empathize with us, and vice-versa?

Broder Disapproves

The grey eminence of the Washington press corps, David Broder, weighs in with a Washington Post column that purports to be about the retention of Jim Clyburn in the House Democrat leadership. The column is sourced from the RealClearPolitics website.

A superficial reading of Broder's column suggests it is a critique of the Democrat's increasing the number of leadership positions a minority party needs in the House. A more careful reading shows the column really is a veiled criticism of Pelosi's decision to stay on as minority leader. Broder cites with approval examples of former speakers who stepped down when their parties lost many members in an election.

Travel Blogging I

Dateline: Sarasota, Florida. There has been much talk about intrusive searches at airports, "nude" xrays and full body pat-downs. Here is an Associated Press article about the controversy from the Yahoo News website. I now have a personal interest in this issue.

At six a.m. this morning I was chosen "at random" for a full-body pat-down. A very professional TSA person explained in detail what would be done, where all would be, if not groped, at least have rubber gloved hands slid over or patted upon. He asked if I would rather have the procedure done in private, I said "no."

I ended up removing my belt and all pocket contents which had already passed the metal detector, putting them on a chair, after which I got everything covered in clothing patted down, except my stockinged feet. Trouser waistband was felt, I presume for wires or det cord.

Knowing in advance what would be done, I was mellow about it and, since I wasn't growling at him, the TSA person was very decent too. He finished up by rubbing one of their single use cotton cloth pads against his gloves, which pad was then machine tested for residues of unspecified materials. I passed the test, reassembled my personal accouterments, and boarded my plane.

Is the process intrusive? Hell, yes. Can I imagine many people being offended? Certainly. Can I envision people refusing to subject themselves to it? No question. Do I think it is "too much?" I honestly cannot say for sure. It sure wouldn't surprise me if the TSA gets a lot of pressure to back off.

This raises the whole question of how much security is too much? When do the costs exceed the benefits? Are we willing to accept some level of casualties in order not to have our lives too seriously interfered with? These are real questions and Congress is the correct forum in which to consider them.

I suspect that I will conclude, after consideration, that TSA has gone too far but I will not be cross with them. They've been told to keep us safe and they believe this is what it takes to keep underwear bombers, and the like, off our aircraft.

I wonder if it is not time to revisit the question of the costs and benefits of profiling?

Argentina and California

As readers of COTTonLINE will remember, the curious fate of Argentina is to us what Yul Brynner's King from The King and I would call "a puzzlement." They have a beautiful country, a wonderful climate, excellent soil, lots of coastline, educated people, everything a country could ask for.

At various times Argentina has been predicted to be the next superpower. Instead they have done poorly; they continue to shoot themselves in the foot. What is wrong? In a word, politics. In two words, Peronist politics. The CIA ranks Argentina 63rd among nations in Gross Domestic Product per capita.

What does all this have to do with California, the fate of which is much on our minds lately? Only that, like Argentina, California seemed to have everything going for it. And in recent years, like Argentina, California's messed up politics are taking a near-paradise and turning it into a mess. In both, the unions 'own' the government and in both the unions' interests have proved to be unhelpful.

Argentina finds the situation they are in is one from which they cannot extricate themselves. I hope California isn't similarly trapped in quicksand. Here is another article about California's situation, from Forbes.

Equal Pay for Unequal Work

June O'Neill, a professor of economics for Baruch College, writes a critique of the Paycheck Fairness Act for The Wall Street Journal. This act, which has passed the House and is being considered in the Senate, attempts to legislate equal pay for men and women, regardless of whether their contributions to the firm are equal.

The bill's sponsors base its need on a claim that women earn only 77% of what men earn. O'Neill finds they aren't comparing equally job-committed individuals, since "full-time men work 8%-10% more hours per week than full-time women." Then she says some obvious things that are not at all politically correct, for example:

The gender gap shrinks to between 8% and 0% when the study incorporates measures such as work experience, career breaks and part-time work.

The most important source of the gender wage gap is that women assume greater responsibility for child-rearing than men.

Women often seek flexible work schedules, less stressful work environments, and other conditions compatible with meeting the demands of family responsibilities. Those come at a price—namely, lower wages.

In addition to child-rearing, I'd guess women take more responsibility for the care of elderly relatives, too. And for all of these reasons a number of women are less available for business travel, often a job requirement.

Just sayin'.

Eat Your Spinach

President Obama, during and immediately after his campaign in 2008, was hailed as the greatest presidential communicator since the fabled Ronald Reagan. Two years later he blames the 2010 Democrat debacle on a failure to communicate effectively. Something is wrong here.

What is wrong is his diagnosis of the 2010 problem. The sales pitch wasn't the problem, the problem was the product Democrats were pitching. It is much harder to sell folks something they don't want, even if you believe they should want it. "Eat your spinach" has always been a hard sell.

It will always be easier to get reelected if a party can show that it has been working hard on exactly what the voters want, rather than on what the party believes the voters should want. Democrats did the latter.

Democrats are the mommy party, Republicans are the daddy party. The problem with being the "mommy party" is that your mother will always treat you like a child, however old you are. In 2010 the voters told the Democrats, in effect: "Mom, give it a rest!"

BTW, I like spinach. On the other hand, an admonition to "eat your Brussels sprouts" I would reject.

More on Climate Change

A researcher in eastern Europe claims to see a relationship between shrinking sea ice in the arctic and colder winters in the northern hemisphere. He sees this as a part of global warming. Who knows, he may be correct. Go here to see the Reuters article.

Diplomatic Air Guitar

Bret Stephens, writes a column for The Wall Street Journal. Here he is talking about the Obama foreign policy and how it tries to be like that of Europe, which Stephens describes as singularly ineffective:

The foreign policy of the European Union, and that of most of its constituent states, amounts to a kind of diplomatic air guitar: furious motion, considerable imagination, but neither sound nor effect. When a European leader issues a stern demarche toward, say, Burma or Russia, nobody notices. And nobody cares.

Nobody notices, nobody cares...why would you want to imitate that?

Weird Science

Here is an article from the journal Nature News that claims scientists have turned knowledge into energy on a nano scale. Perhaps they have succeeded, I am not qualified to judge.

At the end of the article they ask if there are not already examples of this in existence that we've not recognized as such. What occurred to me was the example of a sailing ship tacking upwind.

What enables shipbuilders and sailors to move a large, heavy object (a ship) into the wind is knowledge. The wind does its level best to move the ship downwind, but the lore of the sea (aka knowledge) enables the shipbuilders to build a vessel that sailors using more knowledge can tack into the wind, albeit slowly and with effort.

To me this seems much like the example in the article, on a macro scale. What say you?

Object Lesson

Yesterday TLC showed the first episode of "Sarah Palin's Alaska," which I have not seen. Here is a review of that episode from The Boston Herald by an alleged former supporter who claims Palin has "jumped the shark" with this series, and turned her off.

I've read other reactions that claim the concept is brilliant politics, as well as decent TV. For example this piece in the CNN Politics website. Time will tell who is right.

I write to make another point, namely that more exposure isn't always positive. It is not true that the more people see of you, the more they like you.

I think Barack Obama demonstrates this can happen. He has been seriously over-exposed; many people who enjoyed watching him in 2008 won't watch him today.

Until now, Palin has seemed aware of this problem, "rationing" her appearances.