Wow, thanks both for a very interesting diavlog. I don't always agree with McArdle, but here she has demonstrated again ( as with Michelle Goldberg previously ) an uncanny ability to cut through rhetorical talking points like a hot knife through butter.

We have the cards here in Pennsylvania, and the most Republican thoughts I have (and they are not many in number) come when I'm in line at the corner store, and I have to wait in line because my neighbor can't remember the PIN to his Access card as he's buying groceries. From the corner store. Cycle of poverty, what?!

shorter Dayo: "People who disagree with me suck."

Quoting conncarroll: shorter Dayo: "People who disagree with me suck."

Is that a Shorter for the whole diavlog? If not, dingalink plz.

The double-standard applied to Hasan (as opposed to the Tiller murderer), both before and after the act, is incredible. Many news services are still calling him the 'alleged' shooter and refusing to identify his religion, some not even using his name. The army truly seems to be clueless as to its own inability to see what was coming. Hitchens nails it: "This is not at all a matter of the usual stupid refusal of the FBI and other security services to understand an early warning even when they have detected one. It is a direct challenge to the unity and integrity of the armed services, which have been one of our society's principal organs and engines of ethnic and religious integration. A U.S. soldier who wonders about the reliability of his, let alone her, Muslim colleague is not being "Islamophobic." (A phobia is an irrational or uncontrollable fear.) If Maj. Hasan has made this understandable worry in the ranks more widespread, he has done his fanatical preacher friend the greatest possible service. But that's his fault for doing what he did, and his superiors' fault for letting him openly rehearse it for so long, not

Quoting harkin: The double-standard applied to Hasan (as opposed to the Tiller murderer), both before and after the act, is incredible. Many news services are still calling him the 'alleged' shooter ...

That is standard practice in the news biz until someone has been convicted.

Well not generally but this definitely seemed the conclusion over the Stupak amendment section.

Dayo, please. Time to retire the word optics. Try to remember that image, impression, suggestion, and appearance are also words in our vocabulary. Thanks.

Megan, there is a third possibility as to why nothing was done about Hasan before he went off and acted out his jihad. It's the same reason you won't see Islamic cartoons in the New Yorker or "edgey" jihad parodies on SNL, and it's the same reason Gen Casey is spouting off about diversity in the middle of a slaughter. The decision-makers are too cowed to speak up. They anticipate consequences from speaking up, such as getting fired or indicted, and they want to avoid those consequences. Well done Eric Holder!

Meghan totally stomped Dayo. I'm not a Libertarian like Meghan but she made Dayo's arguments look WEAK.

... this is a lot smarter than anything I heard said in this diavlog.

Megan, One more reason for you to detest Palin. When you discuss her on camera your eyes narrow and darken. Your ordinarily attractive countenance becomes like plaster, and you start to resemble a bitter gargoyle. What's next? Madonna lip-synching?

The motto of the conservative movement?:

Quoting conncarroll: "People who disagree with me suck."

Quoting bjkeefe: ... this is a lot smarter than anything I heard said in this diavlog.

As is this cartoon (via).

Quoting bjkeefe: Dayo, please. Time to retire the word optics. Try to remember that image, impression, suggestion, and appearance are also words in our vocabulary.

Thanks.

Ugh. I hate that one. It's pure MBA-speak.

I think Megan must be be relieved that this diavlog didn't air until after this Daily Show clip ran.

KSM's show trial will be the epitome of the ludicrous triumph of form over substance under the Obama/Holder regime. Another mega-dose of perverse PC logic and willful incompetence, and directly on the back of the Hasan massacre. Man, when you libs decide to dig a deep hole, you really go all out! Sorry I won't be there for social collapse.

Quoting Salt: KSM's show trial will be the epitome of the ludicrous triumph of form over substance under the Obama/Holder regime. Another mega-dose of perverse PC logic and willful incompetence, and directly on the back of the Hasan massacre. Man, when you libs decide to dig a deep hole, you really go all out! Sorry I won't be there for social collapse.

Michael Bérubé:

I have only one question

about the people who oppose a civilian trial in federal court for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other four 9/11 conspirators.

Why do they hate America?

I have a sneaking feeling that they hate us for our freedoms.

Quoting Salt: Sorry I won't be there for social collapse.

Are you dying or moving?
Being a proud American, I'll probably do the former before the latter. Even if you freaks get another shot at trashing the economy, foreign and domestic policies, and... ****light bulb**** the judicial system. Who's responsible for near social collapse, but are now getting bailed out by your contemptuous "libs"?

Quoting Handle: Who's responsible for near social collapse, but are now getting bailed out by your contemptuous "libs"?
You're not by any chance refering to Fannie/Freddie, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines et. al.? The liberal Goldman Sachs duo of Robert Rubin and John Corzine, perhaps? One of the most ridiculous canards of all time is that Wall Street is conservative. Wall Street is about as conservative as the Ivy League.
Quoting Handle: Are you dying or moving?
I should be more gracious about the Clintons, having rolled out at the top of one of the longest property bull markets in history with a massive capital gain, catch this, tax free! It feels awkward to say this, but, thank you Bill Clinton, for making property gains tax exempt in further service of the great bubble.
Quoting Handle: Being a proud American, I'll probably do the former before the latter. Even if you freaks get another shot at trashing the economy, foreign and domestic policies, and... ****light bulb**** the judicial system.
Whatever, pal. If you like riding a position all the way to zero, the market needs people like you, too. America was founded by people who moved to find a better way of life based on

Quoting conncarroll: shorter Dayo: "People who disagree with me suck."

btw I completely agree with her on that sentiment. Some people have beliefs that are so off and discordant with my own sense of things it's almost enough to make you want to grab them by the shoulders and shake them like one of those paint mixers at home depot. And in Dayos defense, I think she has a much higher capacity to recognize this aspect of her thinking than say Michelle Goldberg (with enough prodding at least, that latter is a piece of work).
The trick is realizing the only person on this earth that will ever have a perfect sense of things, is me. After that, it is easier to forgive the flawed decisions of others. The whole point of arguing is to try and get others closer to perfection (i.e. whatever my view happens to be).
So you see guys, I am only trying to make you all better!

Quoting BJ: Why do they hate America?
I have a sneaking feeling that they hate us for our freedoms. You mean, for example, freedom of speech? Gone. Hasan proved that with his little power point experiment. How could you prove more patently that freedom of speech is gone if you can give a lecture about killing infidels in the army and nobody says boo? It's exactly like the Danish cartoons, except worse because this time he proved that army has been fully cowed as well. Meanwhile, Obama grovels in Tokyo, and for what? He could at least save that for Beijing. Now it won't mean anything when he does it in Beijing.

Quoting Salt: How could you prove more patently that freedom of speech is gone if you can give a lecture about killing infidels in the army and nobody says boo?

Umm...you want to argue that this demonstrates an excess of freedom of speech. Your point is that Hasan should have been punished or marked in some way for his speech. You're saying that the Army should abridge freedom of speech. And, of course, you're too late, because the Army already does do this. I think you might not be very bright, but let's try this little test to settle the matter: is this protected speech?

Quoting Salt: Quoting Handle: Who's responsible for near social collapse, but are now getting bailed out by your contemptuous "libs"?
You're not by any chance refering to Fannie/Freddie, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines et. al.? The liberal Goldman Sachs duo of Robert Rubin and John Corzine, perhaps? One of the most ridiculous canards of all time is that Wall Street is conservative. Wall Street is about as conservative as the Ivy League.

No.

Quoting Salt: Quoting Handle: Are you dying or moving?
I should be more gracious about the Clintons, having rolled out at the top of one of the longest property bull markets in history with a massive capital gain, catch this, tax free! It feels awkward to say this, but, thank you Bill Clinton, for making property gains tax exempt in further service of the great bubble.

Bullshit.

Quoting Salt: Quoting Handle: Being a proud American, I'll probably do the former before the latter. Even if you freaks get another shot at trashing the economy, foreign and domestic policies, and... ****light bulb**** the judicial system.
Whatever, pal. If you like riding a position all the way to zero, the market needs people like you, too. America was founded by people who moved to find a better way of life based on

Me: 84:18 of this. It's unconstitutional. It's unconscionable. It's cruel and unusual. Or it's all too usual, but still cruel. God: Well, don't watch it all. Navigate away. Me: I did. Itzik Basman (not to be confused with Itzik Basman)

Quoting basman: Me: 84:18 of this. It's unconstitutional. It's unconscionable. It's cruel and unusual. Or it's all too usual, but still cruel.

God: Well, don't watch it all. Navigate away.

Me: I did.

Itzik Basman (not to be confused with Itzik Basman)

Would breaking it into two parts have helped?

Quoting handle: No. Bullshit.Hyperbolic bullshit.hint: watch a different channel I admire your brevity, but you haven't persuaded me. We'll see which of us two is surprised by the course of history in coming months.

Quoting Salt: Quoting handle: No. Bullshit.Hyperbolic bullshit.hint: watch a different channel

I admire your brevity, but you haven't persuaded me. We'll see which of us two is surprised by the course of history in coming months.

Put some predictions in the table Salt. Let's see how unsurprising the future will be from your perspective. Please - prognosticate.

Quoting AEM: Put some predictions in the table Salt. Let's see how unsurprising the future will be from your perspective. I don't really make predictions. I search around for the smartest, most qualified people I can find and I listen to what they have to say. I look for some type of track-record of success that doesn't include sucking up to lefty professors (one of the easiest things in the world) or sucking $ out of lefty philanthropies. Anyway, the smartest people I listen to can't determine whether our future is Latin America-style hyperinflation or Great Depression-style deflation. Possibly one, then the other. This type of economic insecurity will probably have geopolitical ramifications, meaning different opportunists around the world will try to take advantage of the disorder to launch their own projects. If there is peace and stability in the world, the row won't want to hold dollars because the supply is growing so rapidly. If there is chaos and war, the $ might look like a better relative bet, so it's hard to know where to put your money except maybe currencies like the Australian $ and the Loonie. Currently, money printing has revived stock markets and asset

Quoting Salt: Quoting AEM: Put some predictions in the table Salt. Let's see how unsurprising the future will be from your perspective.

I don't really make predictions. I search around for the smartest, most qualified people I can find and I listen to what they have to say. I look for some type of track-record of success that doesn't include sucking up to lefty professors (one of the easiest things in the world) or sucking $ out of lefty philanthropies. Anyway, the smartest people I listen to can't determine whether our future is Latin America-style hyperinflation or Great Depression-style deflation. Possibly one, then the other. This type of economic insecurity will probably have geopolitical ramifications, meaning different opportunists around the world will try to take advantage of the disorder to launch their own projects. If there is peace and stability in the world, the row won't want to hold dollars because the supply is growing so rapidly. If there is chaos and war, the $ might look like a better relative bet, so it's hard to know where to put your money except maybe currencies like the Australian $ and the Loonie. Currently, money printing has revived stock markets and asset

Quoting AEM: How about sucking money out of righty think tanks? Do any of the smartest people work for AEI or CEI, or have professorships at Pepperdine? It sounds like you think the sky is falling. I think that counts as a prediction. The DOW is up around 40% since its nadir a year ago, the housing market has shown some signs of stabilizing, the rate of increase in the number of unemployed has fallen, the value of the dollar is currently mitigating problems with trade imbalance. Maybe we'll eventually see a bit of inflation eat some of the debt. It could have been worse. Obviously, where it concerns markets, the smartest people run actual money. I'm not naming names, so do your own research. "Sky is falling"? Pretty much, yes. "DOW is up around 40%"? Correct. It has been a bigger rally than I expected, but so what? Japan had a handful of 50% rallies throughout the 90s, allthewhile trending down. Can't say I really concur with your comments on housing and unemployment. You can pick data points on either side short-term, I still believe long term trends are negative. "$ mititgating problems with trade imbalance . . . inflation eating some of debt"? Take a break from your rose-tinted bong-water. Messing with

Quoting Salt: Quoting handle: No. Bullshit.Hyperbolic bullshit.hint: watch a different channel

I admire your brevity, but you haven't persuaded me. We'll see which of us two is surprised by the course of history in coming months.

I admire your generous admiration, but last years talking points combined with this years sudden paranoia of government isn't what I would call substantive (hence the "substantive" response), and is stereotypical of someone who could never be convinced by anyone telling them anything but what they wanted to hear. The only reason I wasted the few key strokes I did on your post was to provide subtle inspiration use the "quote" button and start cutting and pasting hypertext protocol, so the thread doesn't get so messy. I'd have come right out and said that, but I think it's a little condescending, plus I don't have the time or inclination to write up a tutorial, should you need one. I know I'm a little weird in that I have no problem calling bullshit on tired, over-posted, and effectively refuted rhetoric, while not wanting you to feel bad about technical issues.. maybe because I'm a tech who is hungry for new and constructive perspectives.
But I guess there will always be

With regard to the discussion of the treatment of terrorism as a law enforcement issue or as a war, I would like to mention that the people who are to being held at Guantanamo are note covered by the Geneva Conventions. However, the Geneva Conventions require that those who are suspected of conduct which would disqualify them from the protection afforded detainees be afforded a trial by the nation harmed. Importantly, the Conventions require that this trial be conducted by a competent tribunal normally established for that purpose. In other words, no special tribunals created simply to try these particular individuals. Sounds like military commissions are not consistent with this provision, right? So how should they be tried? Obviously, the AG seems to think that where appropriate, they should be tried in civilian courts. Ms. McArdle argues that such a trial is a show trial because the DOJ has stated that they would not have brought the case if they did not think they could get a conviction. Isn't that what a prosecutor should do? Should a prosecutor proceed with any criminal case if they don't think they can get

it would be nice if you would take the time to use the reply button so those of us with lesser intelligence can actually try and follow the thread without having to jump all over the place.

is it just my sick sense of humor?

Quoting piscivorous: it would be nice if you would take the time to use the reply button so those of us with lesser intelligence can actually try and follow the thread without having to jump all over the place.

Thanks, you make a more digestible point than I did earlier.

Quoting handle: I know I'm a little weird in that I have no problem calling bullshit on tired, over-posted, and effectively refuted rhetoric, while not wanting you to feel bad about technical issues.. maybe because I'm a tech who is hungry for new and constructive perspectives. Call bullshit all you want, I'm serenaded every morning by the real estate profits I earned violating the CW of people like yourself. "Effectively refuted"? You mean last year's postings about Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, that lot. That trend is strong and only gaining momentum! Need an updated list? Skip to conclusions Gates, Van Jones, Acorn, Chairman Anita Dunn, Maj Hasan powerpoint pc debacle, Eric Holder indicting the CIA, Gitmo trials in Manhattan. That trend is money in the bank. It compounds monthly. I love to visit the bank. Quoting handle: In other words, most of us haven't booked one way tickets to French Guiana just yet. French Guiana is a ludicrous choice for an example. You need to travel more.

Quoting Salt:
Call bullshit all you want, I'm serenaded every morning by the real estate profits I earned violating the CW of people like yourself.

Pardon my ignorance but whats a CW? Does it hurt when violated? I kept my tax free equity on 4 houses I fixed up mostly by myself over 10 years and never overextended on my investment properties because I couldn't afford to get caught when the inevitable happened.

Quoting Salt: "Effectively refuted"? You mean last year's postings about Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, that lot. That trend is strong and only gaining momentum! Need an updated list? Skip to conclusions Gates, Van Jones, Acorn, Chairman Anita Dunn, Maj Hasan powerpoint pc debacle, Eric Holder indicting the CIA, Gitmo trials in Manhattan. That trend is money in the bank. It compounds monthly. I love to visit the bank.

Point taken... there's no expiration date on talking points, they just snowball... shitball?
Let me know what happens when you try to cash out your account. I don't see a huge balance of political capital.

Quoting Salt: French Guiana is a ludicrous choice for an example. You need to travel more.

It's an inappropriate attempt at a humorous reference to "The Peoples Temple" incident of 1978 that happened there. The joke is they moved and they

OOOOps My bad... I meant Guyana, not French Guiana... explains why you didn't get it.... doh!

Quoting handle: Pardon my ignorance but whats a CW? Does it hurt when violated?
Conventional Wisdom.
Quoting handle: I kept my tax free equity on 4 houses I fixed up mostly by myself over 10 years and never overextended on my investment properties because I couldn't afford to get caught when the inevitable happened.
Okay! A capitalist, good for you.
Quoting handle: Fact is I just got back from DC and 2 weeks in the UK and in my misspent youth went on 3 world tours enjoying royal treatment by concert promoters in Europe, and Asia
Great! Have you ever seen that thing Brits do when they're taking the piss out of someone and that person massively overreacts and starts getting way too personal. . . you know, like the bassmasters do when they hook a largemouth on the Bass Channel?

Salt - don't let the door hit your ass, etc. etc. Good riddance.

Jonestown jokes. Clever.

Quoting Salt: I put all my money in Gold Quoting Salt: Did I mention that I own a goldmine? Quoting Salt: Here is a picture of my mine: Quoting Salt: Suckers!

Quoting Salt: Jonestown jokes. Clever.

I thought so.. till I got the particulars wrong. You have to give me credit for avoiding the obvious koolaid comment.
I guess this means you are staying for a while. I was just trying to imagine how large the snowball will get in 7 years. Then you will have to try and hide it in order to attract the non-fear-anger based electorate. Good luck to you sir!

Quoting Salt: taking the piss out of someone

Please clarify. One thing I did witness was the Tory PM candidate promising to supply their troops in Afghanistan with the equipment they need to win the war.
(no mention of US involvement). Then the incumbent Labor PM sent an additional 500 guys!

"Taking the piss" aka "winding you up". As in goading someone like Michelle Goldberg into making ridiculous assertions comparing Dreams From My Father to War and Peace.

Quoting Salt: "Taking the piss" aka "winding you up".

Gotcha! Thanks for the "reply".
Soooo.. you are "taking the piss" out of just about everyone here by ignoring the "quote' and "reply" buttons...you must be in stiches... well done!

Quoting Salt: As in goading someone like Michelle Goldberg into making ridiculous assertions comparing Dreams From My Father to War and Peace.

I agree, that is a bit of a stretch, like saying Palin "wrote a book".

Enjoyed the diavlog, but Megan, who I really like, needs to get better at taking turns.