Today's Links of Interest

Jon Stewart and the Burden of History. This gets a bit personal for my tastes, but it's an interesting take.

Saddam: What We Now Know. As I've said before, he didn't have stockpiles of WMDs, but he had programs to develop them and he provided extensive support for terrorist organizations.

Fast and Furious: Whistle-blowers Allege Corruption, Cartel Ties:

Two former law enforcement officers allege that they cannot get anyone to investigate allegations that the Mexican drug cartels have corrupted U.S. law officers and politicians in the El Paso border region.

Your State University Doesn't Want You (it wants foreign and out of state students who pay out-of-state tuition)


Tea Party, Liberals Play Nice at Harvard (There's a Harvard Law Tea Party!)


Symposium on Deregulating the Legal Profession


The World Will Be More Crowded - With Old People


Gallup Says Americans Express Historic Negativity Toward U.S. Government. Two points of interest:

• Americans believe, on average, that the federal government wastes 51 cents of every tax dollar, similar to a year ago, but up significantly from 46 cents a decade ago and from an average 43 cents three decades ago.

• 49% of Americans believe the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens. In 2003, less than a third (30%) believed this.

Rasmussen Reports Says Only 17% Say U.S. Government Has Consent of the Governed

Today's Links of Interest

Popular Mechanics: How to Make Your Own Apps reviews two pieces of app-making software, Google App Inventor for Android and GameSalad for iPhone's, iPads, etc.

Michael J. Totten reviews The Devil's Double, a movie based on the true story of Uday Hussein's body double.

Here's the trailer:

Gary S. Becker, Nobel Prize-winning economist: The Great Recession and Government Failure

Just a taste:

The origins of the financial crisis and the Great Recession are widely attributed to "market failure." This refers primarily to the bad loans and excessive risks taken on by banks in the quest to expand their profits. The "Chicago School of Economics" came under sustained attacks from the media and the academy for its analysis of the efficacy of competitive markets. Capitalism itself as a way to organize an economy was widely criticized and said to be in need of radical alteration.

Although many banks did perform poorly, government behavior also contributed to and prolonged the crisis. The Federal Reserve kept interest rates artificially low in the years leading up to the crisis. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two quasi-government institutions, used strong backing from influential members of Congress to encourage irresponsible mortgages that required little down payment, as well as low interest rates for households with poor credit and low and erratic incomes. Regulators who could have reined in banks instead became cheerleaders for the banks.

This recession might well have been a deep one even with good government policies, but "government failure" added greatly to its length and severity, including its continuation to the present.

Update - Some more links of interest:

Arthur Herman: The Ultimate Stimulus? World War Two and Economic Growth. Herman challenges the idea that WWII brought us out of the Depression, noting data that shows the increase in government spending came at the expense of private spending. Also, he points out that the economic boom of the '50s came only with a massive reduction in government spending.

Nigel Warburton on Introductions to Philosophy

Lawrence O'Donnell Takes on Condoleezza Rice

http://moelane.com/2011/05/06/lawrence-odonnell-had-32-teeth/

This interview reinforces the idea that those on opposite sides of whether or not we should have invaded Iraq inhabit two different worlds.

Edit: Here's the same video on NewsBusters with a transcript below, and a tad bit of commentary.

N.B. I was surprised to really notice for the first time that Rice's given name has two Zs in it. According to Wikipedia, the name comes from the Italian musical term, con dolcezza, 'with sweetness.' This is quite appropriate as, in addition to her academic, business, and political achievements, she is also a concert pianist. (Self-fulfilling prophecy of a kind?) And, while she can be tenacious (as in the O'Donnell interview), she does come across with a touch of sweetness.

Here is one of her pages at Stanford. Her book, Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family, looks pretty interesting. Love her or hate her, Rice is a fascinating person for anyone who appreciates people as people.