SAR #14237

“It is no longer possible … to believe in the original dogma of democracy,” WalterLippman

Whistling Past The Graveyard: President and Chief Cheerleader Barack Obama says that the cynics are wrong and envious of the United States because “Nobody else can do what we do.” Eavesdrop on everybody. Invade countries at will. Export financial disaster. Kill people anywhere at a moment's notice, by drone or professional thugs. He also thinks the US is indispensable; a lot of people would like to test that claim by dispensing with Washington and the Pentagon for a few years. In his defense, presiding over the end of empire is a bitch.

Selfie: “The recovery in the euro area remains uniformly weak.” ECB President Mario Draghi, publicly confessing what everybody already knew: Austerity has not worked. Following up, JPMorgan advises investors to curb their enthusiasm, suspecting difficulties (sic) ahead.

With Friends Like These... The Saudis are calling for all Arab nations to form closer ties with Israel and to abandon Hamas. Is this one of those Sunni/Shia things, or something important?

One and Done: A lot of attention has been paid to the suggestion from pediatricians that middle and high schools start later, at least after 8:30 am. Sorry, anything that messes with the school bus schedule simply isn't going to happen.

Following The Script: American hedge funds and a complicit federal judge are sending the Argentinean peso to record lows and forcing an economic crisis on the country. Qui bono?

Have It Our Way: Burger King is doing a Walgreen's and moving to Canada to dodge taxes. With luck the US customer response will be the same and they, like Walgreen's, will have second thoughts. Or at least ask for the fries.

Goose, Gander & Hubris: Obama has authorized the US military to conduct aerial surveillance over Syria in preparation for air strikes against ISIS. Syria is not amused. But the US responds with shock and amazement that the UAE and Egypt flew air strikes in Libya. Remember when invading or bombing another country was an act of war? Remember when starting a war was Congress' responsibility? Nah, you're not that old.

Now It Can Be Told: The National Bureau of Economic Research has finally done the math and shown that what we all knew was true all along has been true all along: the US has been losing jobs to China for a decade or more and US workers' pay has declined due to the direct competition from cheaper Chinese labor. Go global trade!

What Could Go Wrong? About 100 Indian nationals who may have been exposed to Ebola in Liberia are scheduled to arrive in Mumbai – the India's second largest city. Sounds like a plan.

Smoke, Fire? Reports claim that the LAPD is refusing to provide information concerning the deaths of two black men earlier this month. Fill in the blanks.

Math Minors: About half of US parents think they can begin saving for their offspring's college education when little Johnny is a freshman in high school. They also think little Johnny is going to be President one day, too. 
 
Matriculation: Hawaii is purportedly the best place for women, Wyoming the worst – after the average college campus.