Yes, I know it's been awhile, but here we go again with some midweek musings on the passing scene...



I find it increasingly amusing that Senator Hillary Clinton simultaneously tries to emphasize her toughness while playing the victim card and claiming she's being "picked on" by the others seeking the Democratic nomination.  Can you imagine Margaret Thatcher ever complaining about the other candidates being too hard on her?
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I always understand that there are issues on which intelligent and well-meaning people can disagree, but there are two issues I simply can't get my mind around the opposing side, and they ultimately are related on the margin.

The first is giving valid state drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants.  How in the world is this a good idea?!?  Unless those licenses happen to say "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT" on top, thus making it easy to deport them without resorting to racial profiling or violating the 4th and 5th Amendments, this one just makes absolutely no sense to me, and the only justification I can see for it is just pure political pandering.

The second issue that is seemingly a no-brainer is that of requiring photo identification to vote.  Few things are more sacred than a person's right to vote, and if someone else is voting illegally then that right is violated egregiously.  I understand that there is a legacy of racism in the South (and I'm sure throughout the nation) where identification requirements, poll taxes, literacy tests, and other abuses were used to keep minorities from voting; however, that's not the purpose of voter identification efforts today.  I have no problem with the state providing photo ID cards for those that can't afford them as a compromise to enacting this needed reform, and I'll even go along with the Georgia plan of going to a person's home to take the picture if a person is unable to leave (although it would beg the question of how he or she will be able to get out and vote in that case).  But let's have some security in the vote.  Let's have some integrity in the process.

Which leads me to where these issues collide:  if most states consider state-issued drivers licenses as valid forms of ID, then it means illegal immigrants receiving driver licenses have a greater chance of being able to vote... illegally of course.  Slightly less troubling (but still highly infuriating) is that a valid state identification also increases the chances of illegal immigrants getting access to government programs — i.e., access to tax money confiscated from me.

I just can't put my mind around these interconnected issues.
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We had elections here in Texas last week, and there were several ballot propositions on which to vote.  Most of them were more minutiae-esque, like getting rid of some sort of government agency dealing with animal hides (I'm not kidding).  But one of them passed that on the surface sounds like basically approving of Mom, America, and apple pie.  Proposition 15 gave the state the authority to establish $3 billion in bonds to finance cancer research.

Figures such as Lance Armstrong, a personal hero of mine who has, as a private citizen, raised countless dollars for cancer research, campaigned vigorously for the measure.  To oppose it seemed almost cruel — are you for cancer?  Against a cure?

Of course not.  But with the time, effort, and money spent in getting Prop 15 enacted, I believe a lot of worthwhile privately funded research could have been supported.  Instead, taxpayer money will be confiscated, with the likely result being grants doled out based on political alliances rather than merit, with millions spent on government overhead. 

If something like this is inevitable, I think maybe it would be better to offer some sort of a prize; how about $1 billion payable to the first team to develop a breast cancer vaccination or cure, with strict qualifications that must be met to claim the prize?  At least then the government bureaucracy would be left out of the funding, and some good old-fashioned competition and entrepreneurism would be cultivated.

Of course, the best option is for people to use their freedom of speech to try to persuade others to donate to cancer research and their freedom of association to band together with like-minded people to increase their voice.  And, of course, let's not forget the pharmaceutical companies, for whom profit is the motivator.  New cancer drugs will be developed based on a profit motive; let's keep government out of the health care business to ensure that motive stays in place.
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The Tennessee Volunteers continue their roller-coaster season, currently in the "driver's seat" to win the SEC East and win the right to be demolished by LSU in the SEC Championship game.  It appears that Phillip Fulmer has solidified his hold on the head coaching position for at least another year, barring an absolute collapse against Vanderbilt and/or Florida; however, he needs to produce an SEC championship soon.  The last Vol conference title was in 1998 — the national championship year.  The last time they were truly in the national mix was 2001 (when, incidentally, they lost to the underdog LSU in the SEC Championship Game).

The Big Orange has a young team with some exciting talent, so I suppose I'll concede another season's opportunity to Coach Fulmer.  I would say that regardless of what happens this year, he's still on the "hot seat" as far as I'm concerned.
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You had to search long and hard to find it, but there was good news from Iraq in the past week.  Apparently the troop "surge" has seen positive effects, as violence has gone down in areas where the surge was targeted.  One news report even said that al Qaeda has been driven from Baghdad altogether.  Don't hold your breath waiting to see that on the front page, however.
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If you don't watch South Park, you should.
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I wrote a few weeks ago about Aung Sang Suu Kyi, a brave woman fighting against tyranny in Burma.  Add another woman to the list of the courageous crusaders for liberty and democracy:  Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.  She's already survived one attack on her life, and there are sure to be more.  Yet knowing the risks, she returned to Pakistan.

Yes, there were charges of corruption during her tenure as Prime Minister; I have no way of knowing whether those were trumped up accusations meant to weaken her politically or valid complaints.  Every leader has her flaws, however, and whether or not she has been guilty of corruption in the past makes her no less transcendent now.
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Speaking of Pakistan, it is hard to know what exactly to think of Pakistani President Musharraf's latest crackdowns.  Is he stifling dissent, or is he moving against jihadist elements?  Are our condemnations of his actions sincere, or merely window dressing?  I feel confident there's more than meets the eye, else the words from Condoleeza Rice and President Bush would have been much more forceful.  I just get the feeling there are things that happened behind the scenes that would help explain a lot.  We may never find out the full story.
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It is stupefying to me how many so-called "conservatives" who ostensibly believe in free market capitalism are so quick to advocate isolationist policies.  It seems far too many people don't understand that economics is NOT a zero-sum game, nor are trading partners adversaries — when trade takes place without fraud or coercion, both participants "win".  Unlike in a military war, in an economic "war", each side basically punishes its own citizens rather than those of the other side, as increased taxation and increased government interference in the marketplace results in more expensive products for the consumer, less competition, less innovation, and less efficiency.
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Van Halen is coming to Houston!  Tickets go on sale December 1, and the concert itself is January 28 — 3 days after my birthday (hint, hint).  From what I've seen of the set list, they are playing classics indeed.  It is simply hard to beat those first five albums (Van Halen through 1984) and I can't wait to hear those songs live.
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The so-called "death tax" on inheritances is scheduled to be repealed completely in 2010, but based on the way the phaseout was written, it returns in full splendor in 2011.  Thus, someone dying on December 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM passes along his inheritance with no taxes, while someone
 dying 1 minute later faces a potential 55% tax (how's that for perverse incentive?).  One major proponent of a high inheritance tax is multi-gajillionaire Warren Buffett, supposedly in the name of altruism.  As anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist points out, however, Mr. Buffett has a financial stake in a high inheritance tax.

Under current tax law, life insurance payments are not considered under the inheritance tax; therefore, a higher inheritance tax incentivizes people to buy bigger life insurance policies.  Guess who has made (and continues to make) a fortune on life insurance policies...  if you said "Warren Buffett", you would be correct.  Also, high inheritance taxes result in many heirs of family-owned businesses selling the businesses to pay the tax bill.  Guess who has made (and continues to make) a fortune buying family-owned businesses at fire-sale prices then selling them for a profit...  you get the idea.