As IF Times

link Illinois Failures Go Nationwide Under Obama – IBD – Investors.com.

An eye opening article to some, but the issues are well known to those who follow these kinds of things.  When I am roped into a conversation which veers towards American politics, invariably I am surrounded by those who still believe that the Obama team has what it takes to turn the U.S. economy around.  It’s often a waste of time to have them point out ANY and I mean ANY policies implemented since election that have been effective in reviving the U.S. economy.

What’s interesting is that now, 2 years after election when policies clearly are pushing the U.S. deeper into all kinds of long term messes, the retorts have changed to profess that  time is what is needed to allow initiatives to work out.  While Canadians may be excused for naivete and adherence to ideological tenets, Americans should know better and this is not just partisan opinion.  The writer, Shlafly, clearly shows the results of what years of mismanagement and misguided policies can do to a region.

“…Illinois was the stomping ground for years for Obama, his top advisers Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod, and his appointees such as Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. After they promoted themselves to Washington to run the country, other Obama associates who didn’t make the cut continued to run Illinois into the ground, as the Illinois unemployment rate jumped from less than 5% to nearly 11%…”

and,

“…Under years of Democratic leadership, Illinois has refused to honor its obligations, cut spending or trim its shockingly large deficit, which at $12 billion per year approaches nearly half its budget. As a result, Illinois’ credit rating has been downgraded and it pays a massive amount in interest on its loans…”

People have the unique opportunity to peer into the future like Ebeneezer Scrooge and can see the Ghost of What Will Be if this star studded team of ideologues is allowed to run the entire nation the way they’ve run Illinois for the past generation.  But to many ideologues, it’s as if none of this matters and this curious aspect of human psychology is fascinating as it is infuriating.  It’s as if reality is an abstract notion that only affects other people.  We’ve all heard of Stockholm syndrome ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome )wherein the hostages grow to identify and sympathize with their captors during  captivity.  It looks like this phenomenon is occurring on a massive scale but which future historians will dub Illinois Syndrome.

Or perhaps, it’s as simple as people just want to believe. Many years ago, one of the classic films of all time, The Music Man, featured Robert Preston playing the role of the con man who went from town to town selling dreams of musical talent to kids.  The underlying theme was  the boundless optimism of small town America and their faith in their fellow man.  Of course this was set during a much simpler time in America, but the boundless sense of faith in public figures still exists today despite well founded cynicism. 

It’d be a shame to see people’s good nature taken advantage of.

link NAACP passes resolution blasting Tea Party ‘racism’ – CNN.com.

Really?  And this motion is meant to impress or influence whom? For those who are members of the NAACP, the motion has significance because it reaffirms the views of those who are members.  Sort of like frat boys affirming their interest in large breasts.  Outside of their membership, it’s doubtful that this motion will have any kind of impact at all on America.  Why is that?  Because the group has proved itself to be an irrelevant organization.  National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  It even sounds like a relic of the 1800’s.  Any organization which dismisses the improvements to society in the area of race relations over the past hundred years is one that deserves to be ignored by the mainstream.  From noble beginnings, the NAACP has morphed into a group solely interested in making racial mountains out of molehills. 

If they have not noticed, many of the most influential top paid entertainers in America are black including of course Oprah.  Most of the top paid atheletes are black.  Also, in case no one noticed, the holder of the highest office in the land including many in his cabinet are people of color or black.  The struggle for equality ended long ago.  The only impediments to ‘colored’ people advancing in their lives are themselves.  If anything, the deck is stacked in favour of many minorities in the guise of affirmative action programs at school admissions and job postings.  The struggle to survive and get ahead is the same for everyone.

So if the playing surface is equal for all Americans, where is the need to push one race over another?  What many fail to grasp is that in a free society, one is free to fail as well as to succeed.  Not every failure is a product of overt racial bias.  To hear the racism slander hurled at the Tea Party probably induces eye rolling for most people rather than elicit any feelings of sympathy.  The Tea Party, in a knee jerk defensive response, denies the racism label and so the media jumps on the ‘conflict’.  The fact of the matter is, black people make egregious mistakes as well as non black people.  Incompetence is an equal opportunity characteristic. If Terrell Owens is criticized for dropping an easy pass, it’s not racism, it’s because he’s a dufus.  If the president enforces policies that are ill advised, he also is guilty of dufusness. There is no free pass when you screw up a country just because one happens to be of color. 

There’s a classic Seinfeld episode in which a dentist converts to Judaism and begins to tell self depricating Jewish Jokes.  Jerry Seinfeld tells him the dentist’s jokes are offensive.  The dentist replies that it’s ok, he’s Jewish.  Seinfeld responds the jokes are offensive to him as a comedian.  The NAACP may wish to change their mandate to the National Association for the Advancement of Competent People.  Boy do we need that.