As IF Times

link World shocked by U.S. execution of Troy Davis – CNN.com.

No they’re not, not unless 24 people constitutes the world.   This is the default spin of outlets such as CNN, supposedly the balanced network.   While it is a  mystery to me why Pope Benedict would care about a cop killer, it’s not a mystery as to why the other luminaries are flapping their gums.  Jimmy Carter is hardly the voice of reason on any topic, but they still trumpet his utterances as if he were some sage wise man.   Let’s look at some of the other outraged parties.

Hmm, the French foreign ministry, they of the ‘let’s bomb Libya’ brigade.  The Guardian newspaper, a notorious lefty publication also chimed in with their tsk tsks.  Apparently the severe financial crisis gripping Europe which threatens to topple governments as well as banks is not as pressing as the fate of cop killer Troy Davis according to a spokesman for the EU.  Perhaps it’s true, the Europeans are more sensitive.

Coincidentally, there was another execution at the same time of another killer, who happened to be non black , which for some reason didn’t arouse the collective attention of the world’s bleeding hearts.   I’m sure that guy felt a bit slighted at the lack of support for his plight.  It’s not clear to me why the sovereign laws of the U.S. are any of the business of other countries which are barely hanging on as nation states.

As a matter of fact, when one does some research, we find that the amount of executions carried out in the U.S. falls far behind the stats yielded by some other well known countries.  According to The International Business Times, Iran and Saudi Arabia execute more of their criminals on any given year than does the U.S.   China outnumbers everyone combined although no firm numbers are offered.  The belief is that they number in the thousands.  On the other hand, executions in those nation states can be for ‘crimes’ which we in the west would consider only iffy social behavior at worst.  For instance, sorcery is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.  Not only that, but if you’re a woman, they’ll flog you for the heinous crime of driving a car.  Teenagers are not immune to execution.  In China, you can be executed for incompetence or corruption.  !!!  Hmm.  But here in the U.S., even with 30 witnesses, people are still squeamish about executing a cop killer.

Domestically, there are headlines proclaiming that Mr. Davis’s execution was a ‘clear wake up call’ to abolish the death penalty.  Perhaps in the minds of those few who feel that no crime can be heinous enough to warrant any punishment other than strong scolding.  The fact is, capital punishment has always been the penalty for a capital crime, especially when the murder of a law officer is involved.  If not for this, there would be open season on police officers nationwide.   Who would risk their lives to protect others when their own lives are not valued and in some way protected?   In this particular case, over 30 eye witnesses testified that Mr. Davis not only shot the officer, but stood over him and shot him again while he lay helpless.  This is not an O.J. Simpson or Casey Anthony case where the evidence is mainly  “he said, she said” stuff.  These were living eye witnesses. They saw the crime being committed and they pointed him out in open court.

So in determining that the conviction may have been tainted and an innocent man executed because of questionable evidence implies that not only are the laws in error, it means that the 30 plus witnesses, many of whom were black, were also idiots and not credible.  If 30 eye witnesses finger a perp and the result is then seen as questionable, then there’s no point in proceeding with the whole charade of judicial justice as we know it.  They may as well put perps on stage and have them voted guilty or not guilty as in American Idol.

Justice should not only be blind.  These days it should also be deaf.

link Fraud case targets grants awarded by President Obama’s friend – Chicago Sun-Times.

 When little Johnny or little Suzy are asked what they want to be when they grow up, it’s likely they will give the usual expected responses.  For boys, it’s policeman, fireman, doctor etc.  For girls, it may be nurse, teacher or lawyer.  For the really starry eyed, sports star or entertainment personality will also be options.  How quaint that sounds.  Kids these days have no idea where the big money is made.  The really precocious youngsters may aspire to be investment bankers or hedge fund managers, but nobody really knows what those jobs entail at that age.  Come to think of it, it’s not really clear to me what they do and I’m almost an adult.  According to MSN.com, the list of top 10 paying careers are as follows:

 But apparently, the really high paying jobs aren’t even on the radar for most kids.  Let’s take the example of Mr. Whittaker, the person mentioned in the linked article.  His job is “executive vice president for strategic affiliations and associate dean for community-based research” – a job which pays $670,833, at least in 2009.  Now in 2011, 3 years later with COLA it’s probably a few ticks higher.  Hey, inflation affects the rich too!  Why are the teachers of today not prepping their kids for these kinds of jobs?  What kind of schooling qualifies someone to be eligible for a nearly $700,000 a year public service job?  If you read the title of his job again, it says ” associate dean”.  I’m guessing the real dean gets paid a few ticks more. The President of the United States is paid a nominal $400,000 a year.  Of course that doesn’t include a modest expense account and living allowance.   But  a person who is an assistant dean for strategic affilliations makes almost 75% more than the President.

 Makes you wonder though, would it be possible to get someone to do this obviously important job for a slightly lower salary, say $500,000? or $400,000? Or perhaps even $200,000 without materially affecting the tasks at hand?  At some point, you’d have to think that many other competent people who are also experts in “strategic affiliations and community based research” would be eligible to fill the post, saving the taxpayers some serious dough.

 Ah, but the requisite item on their resume would have to include friendship with certain politicians.  For this reason, courses should be offered at all stages of children’s education to include “friendship of potential politicians” – how to identify them, how to maintain contact and how to capitalize on them.  Clearly, this has more bearing on earning potential than a genuine skill set.  Once you gain access to this circle of people, their future livelihoods are ensured.  They will not be subject to the vagaries of the business cycle nor of any supply and demand dynamics.  Once they are in the sufficiently connected circle, it’s only a matter of finding a bank large enough to hold their regular hefty deposits. 

 This is hardly a partisan observation since this dynamic has been going on since somebody invented the idea of government.   But in this time when there are those expressing the need to have fairness in the tax system, where the “rich” have to pay more in taxes to support the infrastructure to support the  less affluent, it’s a jarring affront to common sense.  On the other hand, if you follow the logic of those in office now, why not make everyone a high paid civil servant and then hit them all with a higher tax rate?  As usual, the elegantly simple solutions are the best.