Comments on: It’s Official, We’re Living in France Now

By: Jim Collins

Jim Collins — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:58:34 +0000

The more things CHANGE the more they remain the same. I’m getting a big laugh out of the majority of the people that I know who voted for Obama. They seem to all have that deer in the headlights look. I just hope the country can survive the next four years.

By: rxc

rxc — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:16:15 +0000

Someone (A Brit, I think) made this comment to me a few weeks ago, about the difference between the French and Americans:

“In France, the government fears its citizens, while in the US, the citizens fear their government.” I think this is why you/we see the govt hear(in France) backing down in the face of every demonstration or demand. And probably why the gun sales in the US spiked when it became apparent that Obama was going to become president.

By: Link

Link — Sun, 10 May 2009 20:22:28 +0000

I don’t know from France, really … but my sense is that they’ve always had a strong state centered in Paris, with people mostly knowing their place. There’s a university-based pecking order that is theoretically open to all but really serves to maintain the status quo. The French have a strong culture and national pride — race–based — which all enjoy.

If so, I don’t know that this model fits Americans. It’s not that we’re better … just that we’re different. A few years of sluggish growth, no innovation, and our youth languishing with decreasing prospects — we’ll be ready to rebel. Am I right?

By: Mesa Econoguy

Mesa Econoguy — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:56:25 +0000

Way on down...

By: Sameer Parekh

Sameer Parekh — Fri, 08 May 2009 23:11:41 +0000

Stan– there’s more to building a helicopter than labor costs.

By: Dr. T

Dr. T — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:26:21 +0000

I would give Mark Seecof’s rebuttal more credence if it weren’t for the fact that California, for many years, has done everything possible to increase illegal immigration from Mexico. Many California cities have ordered police officers not to check immigration status or green cards when they arrest criminals. Banks are banned from checking immigration status of loan and mortgage applicants. People known to be illegal immigrants are not turned in to the INS and are not deported. Tax payers in other states should not be footing the bill for California’s illegal immigrant laxities.

By: Evil Red Scandi

Evil Red Scandi — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:50:38 +0000

Well, does that mean our food is going to improve? And that we all have to start sitting in cafes drinking tiny cups of coffee while chain-smoking? ‘Cause I’m only down with the food part.

By: stan

stan — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:07:21 +0000

$835 million spent this year to support 800 jobs?!!

Ummmm. A million per job sounds a bit on the high side, no? Wouldn’t it be great if there existed a journalist with enough competence to ask a few questions of Rep. Hinchey?

Oh, well.

By: Fay

Fay — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:05:14 +0000

I just think it’s funny how all the fiscal conservatives keep coming out of the woodwork now that there’s a Democrat and a Democratic Congress doing the spending. Except funny is not exactly the right word.

By: Mark Seecof

Mark Seecof — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:08:43 +0000

I too scoff at Obama’s so-called budget cuts. But I think you are wrong to mock Feinstein for objecting to Obama’s plan to cut Federal reimbursement to States to imprison illegal aliens. I realize you are a brainless open-borders advocate. But the prison costs at issue here are not for immigration enforcement. Rather, the funds are to pay for imprisoning illegal aliens convicted of ordinary felonies such as burglary, rape, robbery, and murder. If the aliens in question had been prevented from entering the US (as the law requires) then they would not have been committing their crimes in the US. If they were deported as the law requires then they would not be taking up space in State prisons. Those criminal aliens really are a Federal responsibility– States don’t have the authority to exclude or deport them, and responsibility is the converse of authority.

Indeed, the only reason Obama wants to cut illegal-alien-prison-cost-funding (instead of cutting something truly wasteful like the entire Department of Education) is to prompt States to release criminal aliens early so they can do even more harm to the country.