PhoneBoy Says

Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.), who gives his departing interns copies of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged," told me today that the response to President Obama's economic policies reminded him of what happened in the 52-year-old novel.

"People are starting to feel like we're living through the scenario that happened in ‘Atlas Shrugged,'" said Campbell. "The achievers, the people who create all the things that benefit the rest of us, are going on strike. I'm seeing, at a small level, a kind of protest from the people who create jobs, the people who create wealth, who are pulling back from their ambitions because they see how they'll be punished for them."

via washingtonindependent.com

Who is John Galt?

via Osfoora for iPhone

Yes, it's a long trip from Israel, but I'm used to it now. However, the whole security process at Ben Gurion seems a bit easier now. Even the Passport Control now wishes you a "Safe Journey."

In any case, I've made it back to the US. Still have a ways to go, but the longest part is over…

The Leonardo City Tower is not located in the most picturesque part of Israel. Nor am I located on the side of the hotel with the best view. That said, here's a picture or two from the window of my hotel room.

A great interview of Adam Curry by Jason Calacanis.

In September, 1796 George Washington, with a quill feather pen while sitting in his study, wrote a farewell address to the American people. A draft of the letter was initially started in 1792 after the end of his first term in office, but as the newly formed republic began fragmenting and dividing into Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, President Washington was coaxed into serving another term (and he ran unopposed) in the hopes that he could hold this union together.

The address was later revised in 1796 with the help of Alexander Hamilton. It warned of the grave dangers associated with a representative government being divided into a partisan political process. This is what the only president who was never identified by a party wrote about partisan politics:

"It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration….agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one….against another….it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption…thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."

I don't know about you, but reading that sends chills up my spine.

via zeropartypolitics.com

Sounds like the current state of affairs alright. And it sounds like the "perfect union" was doomed right from the start, unfortunately.

There is no equality," [Rush] Limbaugh said on his [nationally syndicated] radio show. "You cannot guarantee that any two people will end up the same. And you can't legislate it, and you can't make it happen. You can try, under the guise of fairness and so forth, but some people are self-starters, and some people are born lazy. Some people are born victims. Some people are just born to be slaves.

via rawstory.com

I'm sure this is going to generate some controversy, especially given who this and what he said. The comments on this post were particularly vicious. That said, I think I can explain what he was trying to say in non-offensive terms.

Life is like a soccer game. Some people are really good at it, either through natural talent or because of years of hard work to improve their game. Some people play ok. Others can't play (due to physical condition). Others, even if they could play, don't like soccer and will never play. Some just like to watch. Others prefer a different sport entirely. Some don't like sports at all.

Trying to legislate equality in life is about as ridiculous as the idea that everyone can play soccer well, or even wants to for that matter. Not everyone is playing the same game or looking for the same result. Legislating that kind of equality is doomed to fail. See the USSR or Greece for recent examples of this.

With Indiana unemployment rate at 10.1% one might think that jobs that pay more than double the minimum wage would be in demand. Actually, such jobs are in demand, but ironically not from some of those who have them.

via globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Here's the economics of this one: GM wants to shut down a stamping plant in Indianapolis sometime next year unless they can sell it to someone. In this case, there was buyer who would have purchased the plant on the condition that the workers would accept a lower salary--in some cases up to a 47% decrease.

So let me get this straight: in an economy where there are 5 unemployed people for every unfilled job, instead of voting to guarantee yourself a job (albeit at a lower salary), you vote to shut it down. Smart, UAW members, real smart.

Labor unions had their time and place. Now is not it.

I actually started in Seattle today (or rather yesterday) but they didn't have the cool map on a screen in front of me like they did on the Tel Aviv flight.