Up with Chris Hayes 10/8/2011 -- Vacating the Free Market

I have to hand it to Chris Hayes, he's going ballistically Left as he started his program this morning with Naomi Klein and Van Jones, and while Jones is still spinning for his old boss, Klein was straightforward regarding her progressive ideology, and she slammed Obama for not going to the mat for the cause, although I don't know what more she thinks Obama could have done without the power of dictator -- I feel as if he's tried as hard as he can to implement the progressive agenda, and now he has to get reelected to finish the job. Even though I disgree with just about everything coming from Klein's brain, I respect her courage.

 I actually agree with Jones, Klein, and all the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protesters who protest government/corporate enmeshment -- however, I don't agree with their ironic call for more government intervention. I suppose what Klein, Jones and others are saying is they want a State that really, really places controls on corporations and manages the economy, though not for the benefit of favorite corporations but, rather, for the middle class and the poor. If they could be clearer about this point and how that can be accomplished, I'd have more respect.

Later on the show, PBS's Maria Hinojosa and The Washington Examiner's Tim Carney, the token Center-Right guest, also joined the conversation which during the first hour centered on OWS. Carney missed several opportunities to carry the free market ball further, but he was either drowned out by snark or he just doesn't believe in radical changes that would make a free market possible.

OWS was presented as a more advanced version of the Tea Party, a democratic effort to empower the people. I see an effort here to co-opt the TP movement, then change the direction leftward. The conversation moved to the problem of student loan debt. The question was why were banks bailed out, yet no government action has been taken to bail out students drowning in debt. The panel agreed that government has been complicit, along with society, in pushing kids to get college degrees, and now that they have degrees, they're drowning in debt and can't find jobs. Chris and the gang were careful not to present solutions, as have the OWS protesters been reluctant to show their hands when it comes to what they want government to do. The implication are pretty clear, though.

There were allusions to more control over banks, but what these controls entail is not clear. The implication regarding student debt is that students need a bailout, and they need jobs. I don't know what type of degrees these students have who can't find jobs, and many on the Right have suggested that the degrees are not in engineering and science, but rather mostly useless degrees in art, philosophy or social  work, or something less marketable in the global economy.

A problem with Haye's show is that he and his guests bring up problem after problem, but very few of the problems are given much honest scrutiny unless it's a slamdunk case against the Right -- effects aren't traced backwards to causes -- so the moral rhetoric is specious, The problems as presented by Chris and his guests appear to be morally reprehensible, but when you think for a moment and consider the nuances, many of the problems can be traced back to government intervention, unintended consequences, then more government intervention to deal with the consequences, then more unintended consequences, on and on.

A recurring tactic used by the Leftists on Haye's show is to divert criticism against the Left by saying the Right does it too. When Solydra was brought up, the defense was that Southern Company has also received subsidies, but since Southern Company is supported by rightwing, southern politicians, the Right doesn't see this as a problem. They showed a clip of a representative from the South, Gingrey, claiming that Southern Company is an established company that became successful on its own, and that Solyndra is a rsiky company that requires subsidies to exist. This is where Carney had a chance to end this specious argument -- end all subsidies to all private companies and allow the free market to work.

It's impossible to address all the issues brought up on Haye's show, and this appears to be a tactic on the Left -- bombard opponents with issue after issue, making moral claims, and when one claim is attacked for lack of clarity, add ten more moral claims. The left is attempting to overload the system so that a general zeitgeist is formed which makes a general statement that capitalism has oppressed the middle class and the poor and while government has been complicit, now mobilization of the people should demand the creation of the government and system necessary to achieve social justice. Within this general statement are a thousand unexamined issues and false assumptions. Emotion and politically correct morality are overwhelming reason and the slow process of intellectual explication. Haye's show follows his rapid fire style through the use of uzi-issues fired non-stop. Reason and comprehensive intellectual investigation of unsubstantiated claims are the victims. The OWS protesters are using the same tactic -- thousands of complaints but very little reasonable study of cause and effect. Except, as I said, when the situation is a slam-dunk case against Republican hypocrisy, then the time is taken to study cause and effect so that it's clear Republicans are in the wrong.

A much better approach, and one Carney attempted to implement at times, is to move past Right and Left and trace the effect of government/corporate enmeshment back to original causes, and realise that in doing so both Democrats and Republicans will be found guilty. Hayes said the OWS movement is claiming to rise above Left and Right, and I sincerely hope this is true, but the real question is whether they will rise above statism and begin searching for private solutions. In order to achieve real empowerment of the people, dependence on the State has to be broken, but so far all indications point toward more statism not less. I get the impression that the Left wants the State to regulate  corporations disliked by Left, but still support and subsidize correct business interests, like businesses in the green energy industry. If the OWS is about creating a State preferred by the Left, while violating the rights of everyone not on board with the progressive agenda, then it's just a form of direct democracy which will destroy America. If the OWS movement really wants to empower of the private sector, then I'm all for it.

Morning Joe 10/5/2011 -- Systemic failure

On Morning Joe, Mika went solo as Joe Scarborough was out for the day. I have to say, Mika did a good job, and the absence of Scarborough's rodeo clown act was a welcomed relief. The guests were Howard Dean, Michael Steele, Harold Ford, Ezra Klein, David Gregory and Chuck Todd -- a real balanced panel. Counting Willie Geist, Barnicle and Mika, it was 9 to 1 Left to Right, and Steele is in the Center, so he doesn't really count. The topic lately has been the Republican campaign for the party's nomination in 2012, and the differences in ideology between the two parties. You'd think that in order to present a good analysis, Morning Joe producers would have someone on the program who represents opposition to the status quo, but, instead, they have political hacks like Howard Dean. You don't have to wonder what Dean said -- Go, Obama, Go -- Yay, Obama! Dean might be the worlds most obnoxious cheerleader.

When the discussion came around to deadlock in congress, Klein said it's not a lack of leadership, but rather a problem with the system. I agree, but not in the way Klein means it. Klein wants to do away with the filibuster and allow a 51% majority to reign supreme. I believe that we need limited government and a free market -- these are two very different visions of the role of government, yet it's not discussed, and that's because Morning Joe and other Laft-leaning media don't present the limited government view -- they reduce the idea to obstructionism with Republicans framed as a party that only wants low taxes and to defeat Obama even if it hurts the country.

Much was made by Klein and a few others about Ben Bernanke's warning the "recovery" could stall if action is not taken, and that this is not time to try to cut our way to recovery. This is another slam on Republicans -- that all they want to do is slash government when pople need government help the most. I can't speak for Republicans, and I'm not a Republican, but there are ideas contrary to the Democrats' stimulus/jobs plan. One idea is to get government out of the way and create an economic environment that is friendly to investment. The world is looking for a place to invest money -- that place could be America if government would stop blocking the way. The irony in all this is that government is the biggest obstructionist -- they got us into this economic mess through intervention and cronyism, and now they are blocking all attempts to get us out of the mess, and they're making the mess a bigger mess.

Of course, there was a lot of talk from the Morning Joe crew regarding Chris Christie. I've never understood the hoopla surrounding Christie, but he made a good decision by refusing to run for President. The Left would have destroyed him in no time, and the Right would have been dissatisfied with Christie's liberal leanings. We need a radical free marketer, someone who understands economics. I do like Christies' position that we need to get out of the mideast, but Christie is a government man, even though he's inexperienced in government work, and we don't need government men. We need a President who represents the private sector, the American people, not someone who "gets things done" in DC. DC has done enough, thank you. Christie is a natural for government work, and I can see why establishment types like him -- he's upfront and he'll work across the aisle to make things happen, but this isn't the time for that type of President. We need to change directions and go toward a free and vibrant private sector sans government shackles.

The Republican race is interesting, but the obssession with the presdiential race on Morning Joe is troublesome, especially when we have so many serious issues facing the nation, such as the European crisis, Solyndra and Fast and Furious, and even the Occupying Wall Street nonsense needs to be exposed. There are widespread efforts on the Left to release government from all limitations in order to destroy capitalism and production at the highest levels, which results in the destruction of small and medium size businesses. This effort to destroy capitalism should be exposed and analyzed with intelligence. Yes, crony capitalism and State capitalism are perversions of capitalism, but the Left would preserve these perversions when they are in power and destroy the capitalism of a free market which is our only hope for recovery and economic expansion.

Up with Chris Hayes 10/2/2011-- Leftist heaven

Hayes has died and gone to Leftist heaven, and you can see it in his excitement over having a forum to let his progressive light shine. 90% of the show is Hayes-talk, and he can get in a lot words, most of them unintelligible.

I can sum up the show by saying the Left is good and the Right is evil. Reihan Salam is the token person from the center-right, but how is Salam anything but an ordinary modern liberal? It's amazing to watch this show because it reveals how the left talks to each other. It's a bizarre world where no one can see their own bias while accusing the other side of bias -- it's strangely humorous.

They have discussed the Occupying Wall Street crowd as if this is representative of unrest and dissatisfaction among America's young people, but the mindset of these young people is limited to a relatively few Americans. No one on the Left puts this group under the microscope like they did the Tea Party, but commentators like Glenn Beck are playing back their words. They have some very far-Left, radical ideas about how a small group of fanatics can control the rest of us. There's no need to worry, because they can't do but so much harm. The problem is those who support these fanatics and use them as tools for a bigger Game.

Up with Chris Hayes 10/1/2011 -- Direct democracy

So, what did we learn today gang? We learned that Chris Hayes, his Nation buds and other really cool Leftists think that the occupying Wall Street circus of direct democracy is, like, awesome. Let's not mistake the Wall Street movement with a free market of ideas -- these crazy kids want their passions enforced. Of course, there's little danger in this happening. The passions of the young, unemployed Leftists beating drums on Wall Street are just the opening act for elite control over the economy. The elite aren't on Wall Street beating drums and dancing in their underwear -- they're making bigger plans, and if the plans ever materialize, these kids on Wall Street will be the first to experience suppression. Useful idiots don't get to set the rules.

Ideas are powerful, and the confused anti-capitalist ideas of the 40s, 50s, 60s have finally made their way into the mushy heads of enough young people through a process of devolution, so that now the chaos of passion and rage creates a delusional demand for direct democracy. The kids are just having fun, playing Che on Wall Street, 21st century style. They don't have jobs, so they need something to do. It's the media coverage like on Haye's show that turns the stomach and makes one wonder how we got to this place again -- and now they've even given up on ideology in favor of whatever enters the brain at the moment. Welcome to the Left in 2011 -- they want stuff and they want it now.