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The Revenge of Wen Jiabao

April 4, 2012 in current events by redhatrob | No comments

“The father’s a hero, the son’s a brave lad; the father’s a reactionary, the son’s a bastard.”

You cannot begin to grasp current events in China unless you know at least some of the history of the last 65 years. From the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, through the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, the Gang of Four, the One Child Policy, Deng Xiao Ping (and his cat), to Tienanmen Square there has been a never-ending conflict within the ruling class in China.

The world is catching a few glimpses right now of one of the more interesting episodes.

Anyone interested in China and foreign policy should read John Garnaut’s thoughtful and well-researched report below:

The Revenge of Wen Jiabao – By John Garnaut | Foreign Policy.

Incidentally, the opening quote is one of the slogans from the Cultural Revolution. One’s status in China was highly dependent (if not completely determined) by one’s ancestry - in a perverse, marxist way. If your parents were middle class, you were evil. If your parents were peasants, you were good.

Would Jesus support Obamacare?

April 2, 2012 in 2012 Election, current events, National Politics by redhatrob | No comments

A response to the tired and tortured canards of the religious left.

a sample:

“Jesus’ values” had nothing to do with what the state was supposed to do for the poor or disadvantaged. They were about what you and your religious community were to do for the poor. “Jesus’ values” were the ethics of the Kingdom, and had to do, not with generalized principles for good conduct, but for the way His disciples were to live their lives in obedience to God. Getting the government to “perform the corporal works of mercy” is a way of shifting the burden from one’s own shoulders to those of the state, and to the polity as a whole, but Jesus never expected that non-disciples would follow His commands or do His works.

Very much worth your while to read…

David Fischler dissects Anthony Stevens-Arroyo’s distortions of the Bible and Theology in the Washington Post.

a hat tip to StandFirmInFaith.com

Tags: Obamacare

Why Is Gasoline Consumption Tanking?

February 11, 2012 in current events, Economy by redhatrob | 1 comment

This is the scariest economic chart I’ve seen in quite a while.

I am convinced that the latest unemployment numbers misrepresent the current state of the economy. There has been a large decrease in the number of people “in the labor force” (self-reported, estimated via survey data). The number of people employed is at historic lows. The number of people under-employed is at a historic high. The number of people who have become discouraged and are no longer looking for work is at a historic high.

And now, there is this alarming report on gasoline consumption.

I suspect the mainstream media will be using the word “unexpectedly” in the next few months.

A large tip of the hat and a referral for a thorough discussion to Charles Hugh Smith and his blog at www.oftwominds.com -> Why Is Gasoline Consumption Tanking?.