The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Gun Control and the Politics of Ignorance

Posted on | January 3, 2013 | 18 Comments

“Senator Feinstein’s latest attack on the Second Amendment relies entirely on public ignorance of firearms and their legitimate uses,” writes William A. Levinson in an American Thinker article answering the question, “Why Does Anybody Need a 30-Round Magazine?”

It’s important to consider worst-case scenarios: Suppose that you found yourself in a conflict with multiple assailants, each armed with 9-mm pistols, each with a magazine capacity of 10 shots. In that situation, a 30-round magazine gives you equal firepower (without reloading) to three attackers. You may not be able to imagine such situations, but sometimes the unimaginable happens, and who is Dianne Feinstein to tell other people what precautions they are permitted to take?

The Politics of Ignorance is what enraged me so much about the so-called “assault weapons” ban that Feinstein supported in 1994. Repeat after me: A semi-automatic rifle is not an “assault weapon.”

Feinstein and her allies in the Clinton administration were exploiting public ignorance. They had polls and focus-group information showing that “soccer moms” — suburban middle-class white women, a key “swing” constituency that Democrats sought to win over — supported restrictive measures against guns, in large part because of (arguably racist) fears about inner-city drug gangs.

Despite headline-making incidents like the Oklahoma City bombing and the Long Island commuter-train massacre, the political impetus behind the law (officially titled the “Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994”) really had nothing to do militias or mass-shooting sprees, and everything to do with fears of the criminal violence associated with the crack cocaine epidemic.

Ultimately, of course, the crime problems of the 1980s and ’90s were “solved” by a drastic increase in incarceration rates due to mandatory sentencing laws (especially for drug offenses) and so-called “three strikes” laws, as well as improvements in law-enforcement tactics and private security. The widespread use of video surveillance at retail venues and advances in DNA testing, to mention just two examples, have not only helped police solve more crimes, but also have a significant deterrent effect, because would-be criminals know the greater risks of apprehension.

The Feinstein-backed “assault weapons” ban was classic Clinton-era pandering: A largely cosmetic response to media-hyped hysteria, producing a law that did not actually ban anything — existing weapons were not outlawed, but merely the manufacture or importation of such weapons — and the prohibited weapons were only superficially different from weapons that remained fully legal.

That idiotic law expired in 2004, thank God, but gun-control advocates continue relying on appeals to ignorance, particularly when talking about the so-called “gun show loophole.” What this rhetoric is about is trying to inhibit the private re-sale of weapons, thus depriving gun owners of the full economic value of their assets.

Many millions of Americans own guns and these are actually economic investments, as firearms tend to retain value. There is a ready market for antique and collectible guns. A model 1911 Colt .45 semi-automatic pistol can sell for more than $1,000. And so the family gun cabinet represents a real financial asset to the owner — if he is permitted to re-sell them.

However, when liberals talk about “closing the gun-show loophole,” what they actually mean is requiring these private gun owners to run background checks on purchasers, just like federally licensed gun dealers. This would impose an all-but-prohibitive restriction on the private seller — how much would compliance cost? — and thus makes it practically impossible for him to reap the full value of his asset. True, he could sell his guns to a licensed dealer, or place them for sale on consignment with such a dealer, but in the process he would lose not only the price difference between wholesale (what the dealer pays the seller) and retail (what is paid by the dealer’s customer), but also the convenience of being able to sell the gun himself.

There are millions of guns owned by individuals in this country that have been re-sold over and over — from one private citizen to another — without any licensed dealer being involved in the transactions since the day they were first sold, brand-new. If your brother-in-law admires your Winchester .30-06 or your Mossberg 12-gauge and offers you a fair price for it, you can sell it to him.

You could sell your guns at your next garage sale, if you wanted to, and why not? It’s your gun, isn’t it? It’s a free country, isn’t it?

Well, not if Dianne Feinstein gets her way.

 

 


Category: Constitution, Crime

Green Energy Underpants Gnomes

Posted on | January 3, 2013 | 10 Comments

An item at Doug Ross’s blog inspired this business plan:

  1. Raise big bucks for Obama’s campaign.
  2. Start a “green energy” company.
  3. Get an Energy Department grant.
  4. Profit!
Category: Environmentalism

Should Hagiography Wait Until The Subject Has, Regrettably, Passed?

Posted on | January 3, 2013 | 6 Comments

by Smitty

Maybe Tina Brown was literarily spoofed by someone wanting her to appear the demented love child of Andrew Sullivan and Rachel Maddow:

The idea of losing Hillary has seemed especially unbearable at this political moment. It’s as if she has become, literally, the ship of state. She stands for maturity, tenacity, and self-discipline at a time when everyone else in Washington seems to be, in more senses than one, going off a cliff—a parade of bickering, blustering, small-balled hacks bollixing up the nation’s business. She’s a caring executive too, and that takes its own emotional toll. What a disgrace that John Bolton and his goaty Republican ilk accused Her Magnificence of inventing a concussion to get out of testifying at the Benghazi hearings. Bolton is not fit to wipe her floor with his mustache.

This blog must double down on its unwavering stance regarding the physical condition of this storied civil servant:

And, indeed, Hillary has exited the hospital building. Let’s hope she chills out in Hawaii with the Preshizzle and doesn’t get too stressed about matters.

via Kaus

Update: linked by EBL

Category: Hillary Clinton

Subsidized Stupidity

Posted on | January 3, 2013 | 15 Comments

Woman tries to buy iPad with her food stamp EBT card:

Weekly Vice via Fox Nation:

Tracy Browning, a 38-year-old Louisville woman, was jailed after she allegedly tried to purchase several iPads with a food stamp card, then fled to another location where she tried to make the same transaction.
According to Louisville police, Browning went to the Valley Station Walmart and tried to purchase two iPads with an Electronic Benefit Transfer card. When the transaction was denied, she assaulted a store clerk, pushed another employee to the ground and fled from the store with the merchandise.
Investigators say Browning went to another Walmart in the area a short time later and again attempted to buy several iPads with an EBT card. She was apprehended at the scene while attempting to flee with the merchandise.

We’re subsidizing stupidity and, as everyone who has studied economics knows, when you subsidize something, you get more of it.

Category: Crime

LIVE AT FIVE: 01.03.13

Posted on | January 3, 2013 | 6 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
House Refuses To Take Up Sandy Relief

NJ Governor Chris Christie

Christie, NJ congressmen blast Boehner for delay in vote

SecState Clinton Discharged From Hospital
Docs confident she’ll make full recovery from clot

Workers’ Taxes To Increase Despite Fiscal Cliff Deal
Social Security payroll tax cut expires; rate goes back to 6.2%



POLITICS
Coming Out Swinging? Scott Brown Questions Markey’s Residency

Ex-Senator Scott Brown v. Congressman Ed Markey for Kerry’s seat?

“You got Ed Markey: Does he even live here? You’ve got to check the travel records. Now I’ve come back and forth every weekend, almost for three years, and I see, you know, most of the delegation. I have never seen Ed on the airplane, ever.”
Related: Stephen Lynch Mulls Run, Could Take On Markey In Primary

Obama, Homeland Security Sidestep Congress On Immigration Again

Illinois Legislators Take Up Gay Marriage

Journal-News Outs Gun Owners, Sparks Retaliation, Hires Armed Guards

Obama Signs $633 Billion Defense Bill Despite Vow To Veto

The Ten Weirdest Parts Of The Fiscal Cliff Bill



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Brent Hits 11-Month High On Fiscal Cliff Deal, PRC Data: NYMEX $93.87, Brent $112.70
Avis Buying Zipcar To Kick-Start Growth
Stock Market Up; So Are Your Taxes
Starbucks To Open First Vietnamese Store Next Month
Bank of America Closes Above $12 Amid Market Gains
Fiscal Cliff Euphoria Fades As Investor Caution Returns
Apple Says Do Not Disturb Bug Will Fix Itself
Ubuntu’s Phone OS Is Nothing Without Hardware
Microsoft Buys R2 Studios To Boost XBox
Polarois To Open Fotobar Stores To Print Pix From Phones
Microsoft’s “Major Nelson” Counts Down To E3 2013
Hyundai Adopts Google Maps, Begins The Apple v. Google Car Wars



SPORTS
Louisville Upsets Florida, Wins Sugar Bowl 33-23

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater warming up before the game

Teddy Bridgewater leads the #21 Cardinals to victory past stunned Gators


 Ravens’ Ray Lewis To Retire After Playoffs

NHL Talks To Resume Today With Mediator Present

Nyets Snap Thunder’s Home Win Streak; Durant Ejected

Bills To Interview Oregon’s Chip Kelly

Heat Rally To Beat Mavs In OT, 119-109

#7 Syracuse Beats Rutgers, Boeheim Passes Bobby Knight With Win #903

Hornets Still Struggling, Fall To Rockets 104-92

Black Caps Lambasted For Cape Town “Shambles”



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Patti Page Dead At 85

Clara Ann Fowler, 1927-2013, RIP

Most successful female singer of the 1950s, best known for “Tennessee Waltz” and “(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window”

Dead Papparazzo Absolutely Convinced Bieber Was Toking

Unspeakable Armenian’s Paternity De Jure

Julianne Hough Claims She Was Abused As A Child

Jennifer Lawrence On How Acting Is Stupid

Sofia Vergara’s Fiance Thrown Out Of Miami Hot Spot


Ke$ha Plays For Both Teams, IYKWIMAITYD

Did Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Get Married On Christmas?

Holiday Box Office: “Django” Almost Catches “Hobbit” On New Year’s Day

So Much For A Quiet New Year’s Eve, Eh Lindsay?

Russell Crowe Responds to Adam Lambert’s “Les Miz” Slam



FOREIGNERS
India Rape Suspects Face Murder Charges
Pakistani Officials Credit Missile Strike With Six Kills Including Mullah Nazir
UN Estimates Over 60K Killed In Syrian Fighting
ROK Press Receives Great Successor’s Speech With Cynicism
Venezuela Unsettled By Silence Regarding Chavez
President Of Central African Republic Fires Son From Defense Minister Post; Army Chief Also Sacked As Rebels Continue Advance
Google CEO To Visit North Korea
Pressure Builds To Nix Gift Of Tanks, Fighters To Egypt



BLOGS & STUFF
Protein Wisdom: “Why The Obama Tax Hikes Have Only Just Begun”
Belmont Club: Till Grendel Come To Heorot
Sister Toldjah: Why Was The Senate’s Sandy Bill Larded Up With Unrelated Pork?
Breitbart: Enough Republicans Willing To Dump Boehner
Power Line: Up Next, Attacking The Filibuster
National Review: Limiting The Damage
Atlas Shrugs: Leftist Jihadist Media Nexus
Newsmax: GOP Braces For Next Fight Over Debt Ceiling
NewsBusters: Krugman Says Obama May Go Down In History As The Wimp Who Threw It All Away
Gateway Pundit: Obama Says Fiscal Cliff Bill Will Reduce Deficit (Deal Adds $4 Trillion To Deficit)
Jihad Watch: Muslims Brutally Beat American Jewish Student In Venice
Hot Air: Democratic Rep On Cliff Deal – No Worries, Your Unemployment Check Is In The Mail
Doug Powers: After Warning Congress About Spending, Obama Heads Back To Hawaii

Category: Live at Five

Tina Brown’s Mysterious Career: How Much Is That Zeitgeist in the Window?

Posted on | January 2, 2013 | 48 Comments

Cheap easy-to-use digital self-publishing software has made many things obsolete, including overpaid magazine editors who once allegedly had an inerrant instinct for finding The Next New Thing:

Audaciously drawing grand (and almost completely unsupportable) conclusions from small things. Carnival barking in print form. Everything’s the Most Important, the Latest, the Best. News You Can Use; Is Your Hair-Dryer Giving You Brain Cancer? Tune in next paragraph to find out. . . .
I guess it turned out that Tina Brown didn’t have a skill so much as she had an inclination, and it turned out many thousands of other people had the same inclination, and the same level of skill. Her One Great Big Trick — making splashy but daffy claims about What It All Means — turned out to be a pretty small trick, easily duplicated.

That’s from Ace of Spades, who’s probably getting tired of me grabbing his good ideas and then yammering on forever like I’ve made some kind of glorious discovery, seeing as how this is the second time today I’ve run that predictable play. But if you run off-tackle left on first down and gain six yards, what the hell? Run off-tackle left on second down, and keep running it as long as you’re still gaining good yardage.

Stick with what works, and force the defense to adjust, then hit them with something new — a play-action pass that starts out looking like off-tackle left — to take advantage of their adjustment. Otherwise . . . off-tackle left.

The meta-analytic point I’m trying to make is that nothing is so fresh and original that it can’t grow stale, or be replaced by imitations. If you are no longer having success producing the same thing you were producing 10 or 15 years ago, consider the possibility that you have failed to adjust efficiently to changes in the market.

So, back to Tina Brown: Was she ever really all that? Or was it the case that Tina Brown developed an exaggerated prestige as a magazine editor based on misperceptions that she deliberately exploited in order to enhance her image as Queen of the Zeitgeist?

What is Tina Brown’s great skill? I would argue that it is her ability to persuade rich people to lose money. Lots and lots of money. More than two years ago, when the “Newsbeast” merger was announced, I pointed out this trait and made a prediction:

Looking through the history of Ms. Brown’s career — Tatler, Vanity Fair, New Yorker, Talk . . . .
The investors can expect to lose a crapload of cash in the process. The New Yorker reportedly lost $42 million in three years (1995-97) under Ms. Brown’s editorship. Talk lost an impressive $80 million during its two-year existence. Whatever else you might say about Tina Brown, she’s undeniably brilliant at convincing investors to lose money on her projects.

How many people can run a business that loses $42 million in three years, then convince someone to back them on a new project that loses $80 million in two years? And if you’ve got that kind of money to throw around — “Here, Tina, go lose us $20 million a year” — you can buy yourself an awful lot of prestige, e.g., two tables at the White House Correspondents Dinner and an after-party to die for.

With $20 million a year to throw away on a Web site, one of the things you can do with that money is hire a roomful of publicists to promote the idea that you’re an innovative genius.

Maybe, once upon a time, Tina Brown really did have something fresh and original, but her reputation as the magazine “It Girl” was always a very expensive product, one she purchased with other people’s money.

Nice work, if you can get it. But there are lots of smart people who lack Tina Brown’s knack for talking rich people out of their money, and it’s a crying shame they can’t afford a roomful of publicists to promote their reputations as innovative geniuses.

That’s why I promote Ace of Spades for free. It’s the least I can do, considering how much of his stuff I steal every day.

ACE OF SPADES
If Blogging Were Astrophysics,
He’d Be as Famous as Stephen Hawking

UPDATE: Brace yourselves for emetic news:

Andrew Sullivan raises over $100,000
for ad-free blog in first six hours
Shortly after announcing that he would be leaving The Daily Beast and moving to a purely subscription-based business model, blogger Andrew Sullivan says he has seen “amazing” results. “We’re well into the six figures,” he tells TechCrunch. Sullivan estimates that in the roughly half-day since he made his announcement, about a third of the people who paid for a subscription to The Dish have given more than the $19.99 per year minimum

I’d stick my head in the oven, but our oven is electric . . .




 

UPDATE II: Let any independent conservative blogger try to answer this question: “What the hell is it with liberals and the ‘more money than sense’ factor?”

Sullivan said he wasn’t sure how many subscribers at a base rate of $19.99 a year he would need to make the enterprise work long-term; the blog not only consists of him, but seven staffers. (Reuters’ Felix Salmon estimates that he’ll need to earn $750,000 a year to keep the operation running.)
“To tell you the truth I’m not entirely sure, because the price point has more or less been blown through by about a third of our subscribers. About a third of them are paying more than we asked for,” he said, adding that the largest individual subscription thus far was for $10,000.

TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS? A blog with a staff of seven? Hot Air went for years with a staff of three.

If any right-wing billionaires want to know why liberals dominate the media, I’d be willing to explain it to them for, say, $8 million or so.

 

Category: Ace of Spades, Journalism

Obama ‘Has Brought Us to Our Knees. He Is Lowering Our Standard of Living.’

Posted on | January 2, 2013 | 13 Comments

Jennifer Stefano of Americans for Prosperity was a guest today on Neil Cavuto’s show, and she wasn’t pulling her punches:

“The president has lied on a number of issues. He promised not to raise taxes on the middle-class — he raised taxes on us today. . . . If any of us are stupid enough to go do work and collect a paycheck and not take from the government? We are now paying more to the government. . . .
“The president said he would fundamentally transform America. He has. He has brought us to our knees. He is lowering our standard of living. He is deliberately doing the fiscal initiatives that will hurt and cripple us. . . . This is a long dark period we are going into for America and I would like to say positive things because i am an optimist but it is hard. This is going to hammer us. We are going to be hammered.”

You can follow Jennifer Stefano on Twitter and also be sure to follow her AFP colleague Katy Abram — these ladies know how to fight!

Category: Barack Obama, Budget, Taxes, Tea Party

Ted Cruz Vows to Lead Opposition to Dianne Feinstein’s Gun-Grab Bill

Posted on | January 2, 2013 | 28 Comments

Incoming Texas Sen. Ted Cruz vowed Wednesday to “speak out loudly” against anti-gun legislation proposed by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and supported by President Obama.

Cruz said it was “wrong, cynical and misguided” for liberals to “exploit” this month’s shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, as an excuse to promote legislation that he denounced as “unconstitutional.” The Texas Republican told a conference call of bloggers and journalists that the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the “right to keep and bear arms” is an “integral part of the Bill of Rights.”

Just two days after the Dec. 14 shooting that killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary, Feinstein said on NBC’s Meet the Press that she would introduce a bill to “ban the sale, the transfer, the transportation and the possession” of certain semi-automatic weapons, as well as of “big clips, drums or strips of more than 10 bullets.” Feinstein was a leading proponent of the so-called “assault weapons ban” that Congress and then-President Clinton enacted in 1994, but which expired in 2004.

Cruz said Feinstein’s bill would “create a national firearms registry,” a measure he denounced as having historically been a prelude to the confiscation of firearms. He said “everyone was horrified” by the Newtown massacre, but said he would oppose “misguided policy” such Feinstein’s proposal that he said would in effect strip citizens of their gun ownership rights.

Strongly backed by the Tea Party movement, Cruz was elected by a landslide margin in Texas after winning a hard-fought GOP primary, and is viewed as a rising star among conservative Republicans. He said the GOP “got clobbered” in this year’s election because they did “a singularly poor job” of articulating their party’s core principles.

Cruz said those who are writing the Tea Party’s “obituary” are mistaken, and predicted a “strong year” for the GOP in 2004 if “Republicans stand for principle” — something he said they failed to do in recent budget negotations with President Obama.

Cruz called the “fiscal cliff” legislation that Congress passed yesterday “a really lousy deal” and said he “would have voted no” on the bill if he had been in office. “It was a mistake for Republicans to be complicit” in raising taxes, Cruz said, adding that the deal “did nothing to solve the problem” of a “federal budget [that] is out of control.”

 


Category: Constitution, Senate, Texas
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