Shot In The Dark - Politics and Current Events in Minnesota and Beyond

Saturday, February 16, 2002

Liberals and Defense - We talked last week (see the Archives) about liberals' exaggerated faith in "the Clinton Military". Another idea popped to mind this week along those lines.

Liberals are criticizing President Bush's defense budget, lambasting "programs left over from the Cold War", and crowing that the victory in Afghanistan proves that Mach 2 fighter jets and M1 Abrams tanks are obsolete - that "the wars of the future" will be won by intelligence and special forces and precision-guided bombs.

They say the military always trains to fight the last war. Whether that's true or not - let's ignore that for a moment - what's obvious is that liberals are even more prone to that tendency.

After Vietnam, liberals said the tank and the B-52 were obsolete. After the Gulf War, some liberals said special forces didn't hold a candle to the tank and the cruise missile! And now...the Green Beret is suddenly the measure of warfighting potential.

Well, indeed, in Afghanistan the Green Beret (and the British SAS trooper) indeed were the arbiter of victory. But who's to say the next war will be like Afghanistan? Who's to say they won't have an air force? The former USSR has been selling off its highly advanced aircraft and surface to air missiles for a decade now. Is the tank obsolete? Not when driving across the desert or the plains, where groups of special forces can't hold a candle to teams tanks and helicopters and close support aircraft.

Will we ever fight a war like that again? Well, the first thing to remember is that defense pundits are about as accurate, in the main, as TV weathermen.

posted by Mitch Berg 2/16/2002 02:55:15 PM

Friday, February 15, 2002

Reminder - if you haven't signed up for the Politalk debate on Concealed Carry reform, do. The array of contributors promises to be excellent and well-informed. And the forum - unlike some others we could name - is impartial and actually dedicated to a useful debate of the issues.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/15/2002 02:53:32 PM

OK... - This weekend, I'm really not going to post anything. Honest. I'm taking two days off. For real. No takebacks.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/15/2002 02:51:38 PM

Freedom as Commodity - Why the free market is a better answer than Speech Rationing...er, Campaign Finance Reform.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/15/2002 02:37:43 PM

French, Toast - The National Review's Victor Davis Hanson parodies the European response to our actions since September 11. Hilarious.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/15/2002 02:31:42 PM

And the Luge They Rode In On - International Olympic officials, upset about the intensely nationalistic fervor and intense security at the Salt Lake City games, are pondering never staging an Olympics in the US again.

I have also groaned, in past Olympiads, at some of the "America First" angles of the media coverage, and the boorishness of some American fans (who, on a bad day, act like Scottish soccer fans). But for Stu's sake, what does the IOC expect?

And I'm sure, as the article notes, that the fact that the IOC was punished for taking bribes in setting up this Olympic Games has nothing to do with the story...

The IOC, like the UN, is an international body we could probably do well without.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/15/2002 02:18:20 PM

Thursday, February 14, 2002

Incumbancy Protection Act Passes - John Fund, as is frequently the case, nails the Shays-Meehan bill on the head.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/14/2002 08:44:54 PM

The American Empire? - Andrew Sullivan's site is in quite a discussion about the dawning of America as an Empire. He also refers to this article by Paul Kennedy.

More to come.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/14/2002 03:44:04 PM

Happy Valentine's Day! - For the first time in 13 years, I'm not giving out any valentines! Do you have any idea how much money I'm saving?
posted by Mitch Berg 2/14/2002 02:47:58 PM

Concealed Carry Online Discussion - Politalk.com , a local political debate site, will be hosting a two-week-long debate about Minnesota's proposed Concealed Carry Reform bill. I'll be writing a piece - "Top Three Myths about Concealed Carry Reform", which will state at least part of the "pro" case. That'll also appear in the Articles page on my site.

Please sign up for the discussion - whatever side you're on - and join in.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/14/2002 02:45:52 PM

Sorry - Running a bit late today. Life calls. Bleah.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/14/2002 02:42:13 PM

Even More Shocked - Judi Dutcher throws her hat in the ring for Governor. She was a stealth democrat when she was elected State Auditor, before Jeffordsing the MN GOP. Now, she'll provide the teacher-union-coddling "alternative" to...Pawlenty?

Good thing this election isn't being decided by photogeneity, though. Although I can't imagine how else she became the State Auditor, now that we mention it.

posted by Mitch Berg 2/14/2002 02:42:07 PM

Wednesday, February 13, 2002

Promises, Promises - The stars that promised to move to Europe if President Bush won the election...haven't.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/13/2002 06:52:02 PM

Through the Past, Dankly - My archives are now available. See the menu on the right.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/13/2002 06:48:27 PM

"We Meet Again - but this time, I Have Control! - I remember all the way back to high school, hearing radical feminists saying - no, treating as an article of hope and faith, the notion that eventually we'd develop a way to fertilize an egg without needing sperm. Ergo, without needing men. In fact, many feminists, or merely anti-male men, (and more anti-male men) revelled in the idea that men would soon be irrelevant to the propagation of the species.

Now, it seems the tables are turned - science could apparently develop an artificial womb, rendering women redundant for purposes of procreation. Suddenly, it seems that not only can we create babies without women, but the technology to do so is advancing faster than that which would obsolete the male of the species.

And - read the article - the same knuckle-dragging fasco-feminists that were rejoicing in the imminent redundancy of the male, are suddenly having paranoid dreams of "the elimination of females". According to test organizer Dr Scott Gelfand, of Oklahoma State University:
'Some feminists even say artificial wombs mean men could eliminate women from the planet and still perpetuate our species.

The battle of the sexes has left the trenches of Flanders, and now resembles the attack on the Death Star...
posted by Mitch Berg 2/13/2002 03:34:29 PM

My Predictions - As I predicted, the Personal Protection Act is on rocky ground - but only ever-so slightly. The Star Tribune continues to astound with its relatively balanced coverage, by the way. The bill may be back - but I think next year's the charm.

Conrad DeFiebre wrote an excellent story about the de facto existence of "Shall Issue" outstate, and the rank bias in the metro area.

Here's a question for you metro-area anti-carry advocates: proposals for concealed-carry reform are always answered with a lot of vagaries, none more vague than "it'll decivilize society".

Please, someone, anyone: provide me with an example of this mysterious, unquantifiable de-civilization from any of the 28 states that have adopted "shall issue" laws in the last 20 years. I'll give you space on this page to present your opinion, if you can just show me an example.

You have your opportunity. I doubt anyone can use it - because no such example exists. The whole idea is an attempt to put a sociological patina on what is essentially prejudice born of fear.

This debate will continue.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/13/2002 06:39:04 AM

Tuesday, February 12, 2002

The Foul-Mouthed Sandy Pappas is hard at work in St. Paul, making Minnesota safer for illegal immigrants, orphanage-bashers, big porkbarrel projects and the teachers' union - but making it a crime to talk on your cell phone in your car.

We get the government we deserve. I hate to think we're this bad, though.

posted by Mitch Berg 2/12/2002 08:17:30 AM

Speech Rationing Moves Forward - the Shays/Meehan Speech Rationing bill (aka "Campaign Finance Reform") may come to a vote in the House today. Call your congressperson.

This is the most cynical bill of goods I can recall anyone trying to sell me. Any group that isn't in tight with the media - think the NRA, R-Kids (or any father's rights group), any prolife group, CCRN of Minnesota...and if you don't agree with them, think of any left-of-center group that doesn't have a massive lobbying presence.

Speech rationing must go.

posted by Mitch Berg 2/12/2002 07:59:30 AM

Good Sign, Bad Sign? - In these days of creeping war, terror alerts and economic stress, it's so good that America's most vacuous diversion is going to be back.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/12/2002 07:49:54 AM

Fortune Favors the Innocuous- The United Nations has banned child soldiers.
"The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, and campaigners, will mark the treaty's enforcement with a special ceremony in the grounds of the UN's European headquarters in Geneva"
says the BBC.

One wonders if the "enforcement" will ever be carried out outside the "grounds of the UN's...European headquarters".

Laws don't keep children out of the army. Prosperity, and an end to chickenspittle dictatorships, just might.

posted by Mitch Berg 2/12/2002 01:19:58 AM

Fortune Favors the Blunt - When Ronald Reagan gave his definitive speech at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, his advisors were shaking in their shoes. Yet he pressed ahead - and the message got across, and history changed sooner than any of us had any right to expect.

Well, like clockwork, Tom Daschle is criticizing the President for the turn of phrase "axis of evil". Yet, in a BBC piece I heard today, it seems the Iranian moderates are taking their cue, and have been at least somewhat emboldened by the President's bluntness.

Has there ever been a less inspiring leader than Tom Daschle?

posted by Mitch Berg 2/12/2002 01:16:28 AM

Monday, February 11, 2002

Public Campaign Financing - The notion of making elections "fairer" by financing them with tax dollars keeps popping up.

John Fund addresses this issue in this week's Opinion Journal.

The supporters' notion is that elections will be fairer and more equitable if the taxpayer picks up the tab. The opponents note that it will further entrench incumbents, further exaggerate the role of our biased media, and freeze out groups (like the NRA or, on the other side, anti-globalism groups) that don't have enough clout with the mainstream press to get their positions fairly and impartially heard.

This should be a Republican litmus test. You listening, Bill Cooper?
posted by Mitch Berg 2/11/2002 03:56:55 PM

Dispatches from the Drug War - the Pioneer Press' Ruben Rosario notes that many states are finally seeing the fiscal and moral light, and abolishing mandatory minimum sentences, especially for first drug offenses.

The conservative case for ending the "Drug War" (and getting tough on real crimes), coming soon.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/11/2002 03:23:00 PM

Old Minnesota, meet New Minnesota? - Minnesota is, of course, the home of Minnesota Nice, a euphemism for "The closest America gets to a Swedish cradle-to-grave social welfare state".

It's possible that we may be facing a referendum on that image.

This fall Minnesotans will be electing a Senator and a Governor. The Senate race is likely between current senior Senator Paul Wellstone, and popular former St. Paul governor Norm Coleman.

As of this weekend, the race is a dead heat, according to the Strib. Now, Wellstone has won this race twice, more or less easily. But some of us maintain Minnesota is growing more conservative, and is doing it sooner rather than later.

Coleman's hardly a prime example of a conservative - which may be the point, here. He's "conservative-lite", sort of like George W. Bush. Will Norm, coming off a great but subsidy-laden eight years in St. Paul, be the candidate to start weaning the Minnesota voter off the nannystate? Four years ago, Coleman came in second behind fluke Jesse Ventura, garnering more votes than DFL candidate Skip Humphrey. Ventura himself won on a message that resonated with at least as many conservatives (rationalize and lower license tab fees, advocate concealed carry reform) as liberals (cozying up to the teachers union, being a mouthpiece for Tim Penny and Dean Barkley).

I know. It's a poll, taken nine months before the election, and likely spun to make Wellstone look like an underdog. But the election is going to be an interesting one.

Cheetos for thought.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/11/2002 07:53:36 AM

Sunday, February 10, 2002

Pick Your Sources Carefully - The DFL website is currently leading with an article about New York Times economics pundit Paul Krugman, warning about "more Enrons". The tale, told in the DFL website's customary fratboy smirk, cautions people that noted NY Times economist Paul Krugman is warning everyone that we could be facing more Enrons, thanks to the big, bad Republicans.

What is not noted - perhaps because the DFL website staff is unaware of it? - is that Paul Krugman contributed to the Enron problem, through fairly blatant conflict of interest.

Paul Krugman was on Enron's payroll! Krugman was on a "board of advisors", composed of media figures from around the business. In exchange for $50,000 a year, he spent a day or two a year confabbing with Enron executives. Since he was exposed on Andrew Sullivan's website, he has seemed unable to get his story straight. Even liberal columnist Maureen Dodd is onto Krugman, while Howard Kurtz ably notes the conflict of interest involved. Even Krugman seems to realize there's a problem, albeit not in any way that sticks to him...:

It's worth noting that Sullivan also caught conservatives Bill Kristol and Peggy Noonan in conflicts of interest, after having served Enron in some capacity or other (Kristol on the same board as Krugman, Noonan as a glorified marketing-communications writer). However, neither of them is a New York Times Economics Correspondent, charged trying to report fairly about economic issues, and uncovering problems like Enron's!

Note to DFL webmaster - you might want to check your sources...
posted by Mitch Berg 2/10/2002 09:49:27 PM

Forces in Afghanistan - Here, from the excellent defense site Global Security.org, is the list of the troops we have in or around Afghanistan. Read my post on the subject from Friday. Notice the number of units with "special" in their titles. Then notice the numbers - men, ships, planes - involved in the units.

Compare this with the half-million men and 100,000 vehicles sent to the Persian Gulf ten years ago - that we couldn't send now if we tried. Then talk about the Clinton Military.

More to come.
posted by Mitch Berg 2/10/2002 09:32:19 PM

What we really meant... - I'm not one of those conservatives that gets off on holding liberals up to their endless predilection for rewriting history - especially as it regards their own gaping mistakes in appraising the world around them.

But I do like to point you to conservatives that do get off on that. Yesterday, I cited Dinesh D'Souza's exposition of liberal revisionism about Reagan and the Cold War (1987: "The Soviets are here to stay". 1992: "WE knew the USSR was doomed all along").

Today: Ann Coulter bites a chunk out of Maureen Dowd. Before 9/11, Dowd exulted in how "out of touch" Bush's cabinet was. Today...well, you get the picture.

posted by Mitch Berg 2/10/2002 02:24:26 AM

Berg's Law of Liberal Iraq Commentary:

In attacking the reasons for war, no liberal commentator is capable of addressing more than one of the justifications at a time; to do so would introduce a context in which their argument can not survive