I wonder if they have done the study showing how much of a higher percentage of a family budget is spent by low income families on such items as soft drinks (non-diet), fast food and other evils. Banning foie gras is relatively easy as it effects very few people. Banning the Big Mac or Whopper Extra Value Meals, super/biggie sized with a full sugar soft drink is going to have far further reach and will prove to be a truly regressive tax.

Sound the battle cry! They can have my Coke when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

Well said! We are in for an interesting ride in the next 4-8 years, one that I am not necessarily looking forward to. I would, in a perfect world, prefer to have civil debate(s) over how our country should be run and how to move forward, but the proposals that will be put in front of the American people are going to be very DEBATABLE. Couple that with the current state of politics and political discourse and you’ll see it get VERY contenscious. Buckle up!

Another quick hit – when our politicians and media talk about other countries taking over industries it is “nationalization,” which is a generally reviled term. When the US Government (both sides of the aisle) talks about taking a “partial ownership stake” in businesses it is seen as a “bailout” and dutifully reported as such by the media on both sides. Let’s call it what it is – a partial nationalization of “key” or “strategic” industries. Welcome to the European Social Capitalism model…

Enjoy the snow people, Milwaukee seems to not be able to do all that well compared other area cities at cleaning that up as well…

I would not be surprised at all to see that Hoover’s legacy (such as it was) has taken a hit given all the recent economic turmoil. This being due to the enormous volume of reporting reminding us of how Hoover oversaw the beginning of the Great Depression and then mishandled the response (at least in the narrative popular today.)

You are right to praise Bush for the fact that there hasn’t been another terrorist attack. If, however, there is another attack 5, 10, 20 years from now that can be traced in even the most tenuous way to Al Qaeda, its remnants, or some offshoot or splinter group I wouldn’t at all be surprised for coverage to focus on Bush’s inability to kill or capture bin Laden at Tora Bora, or anywhere else. In such a case, I can see opinions of Bush being revised downward based on current events, similar to the Hoover situation outlined above.

I think this is a topic that could use some more discussion and am looking forward to your future post with your thoughts.

What does that mean? I could assume but I think that’s been done already. Heaven forbid we duplicate our efforts.