SAR #10249

SAR 10249

Our problem is that the Koch brothers do not think they have enough money.

Veto:  BP has vetoed the drilling reform bill that passed the House earlier this year, explaining that if they were not allowed to drill in the Gulf, there would be no money for bribing politicians making reparation payments.

Cat/Bag:  As Christina Romer stepped down as chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers she acknowledged that she had no idea how bad the economic collapse would be, doesn't understand what went wrong and that the stimulus response to the collapse was inadequate.  This'll look good on her resumé.

Plotline:  In the cold waters off the Scottish coast, a Russian attack submarine lies in wait to track a Trident sub as it departs the Faslane navel base...  Cold War novel or news report from yesterday?

Clarification:  Let's try this one more time.  There is only so much oil and we've used up most of it.  While the US gets by by importing from Canada and Mexico, eventually we'll have to import it from outer space and that's not going to work real well.  If we still are dependent on oil when that day arrives, things like eating will become problematic.

Table Manners:  It is clear we overreacted to 9/11. Al Qaeda got lucky that one time, but has not been a serious threat since – if it was then.  Yes, they intended (and still intend) to do us great harm.  But stuffing firecrackers in your crotch is not going to bring down the empire. We over-reacted.  We almost always over-react.  It entertains the voters, increases the defense budget, and makes us feel important.

Clarification, Please:  We we are warned that “among the future consequences of not fixing our national problems will likely be an increase in social unrest and an increase in crime.”   Please define “national problems”.

Big Wheel Keeps on Turnin'   Morgan Stanley says that sovereign defaults are something between plausible and inevitable.  The question is not whether countries will renege on their promises, but rather which of their promises they will renege on first.

Take-Home Test:  How much of a cut in our living standards are we willing to undergo in order to cut emissions enough to make our survival likely?

Essay Question:  What harm would befall the United States if we actually decided, against all odds, to close the 800 or so military bases we have scattered around the world?  Whose army can invade us?  Who has the Air Force to attack us?  Who has the Navy to bring the fight to our shores?  Who are we scared of?