Random Thought
"My country, right or wrong" is like saying "My mother, drunk or sober." That's Chesterton, paraphrased.
I was reminded of it when I saw this quote during my evening surf last night: "[Nationalism is] a set of beliefs taught to each generation in which the Motherland or the Fatherland is an object of veneration and becomes a burning cause for which one becomes willing to kill the children of other Motherlands or Fatherlands."-- Howard Zinn, historian and author.
Patriotism, yes. Nationalism, no. The difference between nationalism and patriotism is the difference between Washington and Hitler.
Blame Game
Twenty-five people to blame for the financial crisis, courtesy of the leftists at Time, but it's not a bad list (I'm just surprised they didn't put Adam Smith on it):
1. Angelo Mozilo
2. Phil Gramm
3. Alan Greenspan
4. Chris Cox
5. American Consumers
6. Hank Paulson
7. Joe Cassano
8. Ian McCarthy
9. Frank Raines
10. Kathleen Corbet
11. Dick Fuld
12. Marion and Herb Sandler
13. Bill Clinton
14. George W. Bush
15. Stan O'Neal
16. Wen Jiabao
17. David Lereah
18. John Devaney
19. Bernie Madoff
20. Lew Ranieri
21. Burton Jablin
22. Fred Goodwin
23. Sandy Weill
24. David Oddsson
25. Jimmy Cayne
Gold Corner
Marc Faber likes gold. But Marc Faber sees a situation in which gold could fall to $800 an ounce. I'd be pretty stoked if that happened. If it does, grab whatever you can.
Moron of the Month
The award goes to Natalie Portman. I don't even know much about her, but Pam Meister leaves no doubt that Portman is as stupid as she is pretty. (Yes, I know she graduated from Harvard. Doesn't matter.)
