Jul
13
2011

Additional Income That I Don't Need

[Earn Big Money Now]

  • John Steele Gordon brings us another episode in the long-running comedy series, "This Is How These People Think".

    The example is from President Obama's Monday news conference, discussing the debt limit negotiations:

    And I do not want, and I will not accept, a deal in which I am asked to do nothing, in fact, I'm able to keep hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income that I don't need, while a parent out there who is struggling to figure out how to send their kid to college suddenly finds that they've got a couple thousand dollars less in grants or student loans.
    The thought processes are hard to untangle, but here's my attempt:

    1. I have a lot of money I don't need, and probably don't deserve;
    2. I can't conceive of any good use for it, given my goals, talents, and values.
    3. I should therefore have it taxed away by the Federal Government, which will spend it on good things in ways I'm utterly unable to do myself.
    4. And I think everyone else with this much money should be forced to do the same.
    5. And I'm willing to bring about all the dire circumstances of not raising the debt ceiling unless I get my way.

    Number 1: arguably true! Number 2: well maybe, who knows? Everything else only serves to illuminate the broken thought processes of the early-21st century American progressive, unfortunately in a position of power.

  • Of course, Obama's also been trying to scare Grandma. That's likely to be more effective than exposing your chaotic mental state to the world.

  • Kevin D. Williamson has what seems to be a pretty good idea for House Republicans:
    With the debt-ceiling negotiations apparently at something like a practical impasse, Congress should act now to pass a very narrowly tailored bill that would permit the issuance of new debt -- but only for the purpose of financing current debt service.
    Works for me.