Daily Archives: February 4, 2013

2 posts
Info Dump

Shut Up, Ron

Ron Paul can be a smart man at times. There are times I can really get behind some of his ideas. Then there are times like this:

I’m sure there will be some backpedaling from his supporters about “context” or something, but this is just Ron for you. He’s got his internally consistent ideology, and he sticks with it, even when that means doing some truly cringeworthy things.

I’m sure this is some extension of his disdain for what he sees as foreign adventurism.  However, there’s a wide gulf between criticizing a policy and castigating people who’ve put their lives on the line for us. Somebody needs to grab Uncle Ron by the elbow and quietly usher him off the stage at this point.

Civil Rights

The New York Problem

Tomorrow, we’ll hear all about the ad Michael Bloomberg paid to air during the Super Bowl. It was a typically manipulative affair narrated by children over a faltering version of “America the Beautiful.” The only point made was that the NRA once supported instant background checks, and that those checks should be expanded to cover all firearms sales.

The omissions are what interest me. Gone from their argument is the call to ban military-pattern rifles and limit magazine capacity. Weren’t these the very things they said we needed to do to prevent tragedies like Sandy Hook from happening again? Apparently, those supposedly dire issues have been sidelined for the sake of political expediency.

Perhaps they’re noticing their diminishing relevance in the public consciousness. Circling the wagons around one specific issue may seem like a sound move, but it’s too late.

Case in point: last month, Governor Cuomo strongarmed a bill through the legislature that will leave New Yorkers virtually disarmed, and he did it without giving them any chance to register their opposition or concerns.

Continued...