I don’t think Obama’s staff would have done the same thing if he had been speaking at a Muslim university. They wouldn’t dare cover Allah’s name, because that would probably spark world-wide protests for weeks. Remember the cartoons?

David Horowitz wrote a recent editorial (Campus Leftists Don’t Believe in Free Speech) describing some of his recent campus speaking experiences.  He talks about protests, shouting, and guards. Apparently, leftists are so threatened by his ideas that they feel compelled to deny his right to free speech.

In both cases (the Muslims and the leftists) people are treating their opponents abominably, while expecting those same opponents to treat them with the highest respect. Have the Muslims and leftists stopped to think about what life would be like if this double standard were eliminated or even reversed?

It had not occurred to me to compare Obama to Huey P. Long, but a recent article by Michael Franc did just that. wow.

I watched some of Long’s speeches in my rhetoric classes, and he was scary. I’m having a hard time thinking of words to describe how Huey P. Long made me feel. Was he evil? Power crazy? Just plain crazy?  Incredibly confused? Misguided? I can’t decide.

Anyway, now I’m remember all of those icky feelings about Long. The thought that Obama is like Huey Long is almost more than I can handle, but maybe he is. I don’t want to think about it.

We Have Chapter 11 for a Reason (WSJ Opinion page)

Wow, references to the French Revolution? I wonder where we would be if we had allowed Chapter 11 to happen a while ago? Speaking purely from my philosophical point of view, I wish we would just let the free markets do their thing.

The Obama Autoworks

I like that this piece actually mentioned the unions as playing a part in the car makers’ troubles. Why aren’t we hearing more about that? Why isn’t the nation’s anger focused on them?

Night of the Living Death Tax

Here’s the last paragraph: “In other words, by raising the estate tax in the name of fairness, Mr. Obama won’t merely bring back from the dead one of the most despised of all federal taxes, and not merely splinter many family-owned enterprises. He will also forfeit half the jobs he hopes to gain from his $787 billion stimulus bill. Maybe that’s why the news of this unwise tax increase was hidden in a footnote.”

It just seems so wrong to me that a person can work all of his life, pay taxes, and try to save money so that his family can enjoy it, but when he dies, the government swoops in an gobbles it up, and the family hardly gets any of it. That is so wrong. So. very. wrong.

[Warning: quick departure from politics coming up. You may all sigh with relief now.]

Paying in Full as the Ticket into College

This New York Times article notes that more affluent students may have an easier time getting into college. Colleges have bills to pay too, so they’re looking more closely at students’ ability to pay tuition.

This is news??? Isn’t that obvious?

[Ok, back to your regularly scheduled political issues.]

Contracts Now Seen as Being Rewritable

I was afraid of this. After the whole AIG debacle, contracts are in danger. I wonder, if contracts don’t mean anything, what will happen to our society? Isn’t the idea of honoring contracts basic to our society?

A Deafening, Partisan Silence

The major media outlets’ obvious liberal bias makes me sick. I am so tired of puff pieces about Obama’s Blackberry or his wife’s vegetable garden. I thought that kind of stuff was reserved for junior high girls obsessing about a movie star. Isn’t the news for grownups?

A Rookie President

The rest of the world doesn’t seem very impressed with Obama. Well, I’m not either.

________________

And that was all of the politics I could handle today.

“Alternative” Medicine is Mainstream by Deepak Chopra , Dean Ornish , Rustum Roy and Andrew Weil

The Opacity of Hope

Judge Obama on Performance Alone by Juan Williams

Conservatives have Answered Obama’s Call by Arthur C. Brooks

Government Spending is No Free Lunch by Robert J. Barro