Dan the Conservative: Archive

I’ll take Squashed’s tranche of this on the secondary market—because he doesn’t know a good deal when he sees one. And if Zombie Cuddle or Jasen Comstock have buyer’s remorse, I’ll consider snatching up their slices as well. Bachmann has a great chance of at least coming in second in the Republican primary. She’s got a huge amount of evangelical support.

I think the leftist haters assume that just because they despise the evangelical world it somehow doesn’t vote. That’s why they were so confused at Bush’s election.

Additionally, these lefty men seem to consistently underestimate women. Sure, they’re all for women who agree with them—but as soon as a woman dares to disagree with them, the misogyny comes out. Fortunately, much of the Republican base doesn’t share this loathing of powerful, unappologetically conservative women.

Yes, there’s a chance that Bachmann will have a tough bid. Things happen to campaigns. Things happen to candidates—particularly ones who so many people want so badly to smear. Maybe the left will get what it wants. Maybe Bachmann will bow out gracefully if its clear she’s not going to win and another candidate (Paul) will keep getting a trickle of support that ultimately eclipses her like Huckabee eclipsed Romney. But I would give Bachmann a pretty good chance of coming in second.

Jul 21, 20119 notes

“The PwC report, “The New Gold Rush: Prospectors Are Hoping To Mine Opportunities From the Health Care Industry,” notes that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the biggest opening for new health care businesses since Medicare was enacted in 1965.” —

Wait, you mean the Job Killing Healthcare Bill? (via Health Care called the new “gold rush”)

Remember the Bobs from Office Space? Downsizing creates jobs for innovators like the Bobs. But that doesn’t mean that the whole point of it isn’t to kill jobs.

Jul 5, 20112 notes

Fireworks, Burn Bans and Common Sense

zachvaughn:

I responded to Alex’s post comments about firework’s bans earlier, and he has responded to my ask:

Until a fire that damages other people’s properties is started, there is no crime committed. The government shouldn’t be able to say, “we’re going to stop you from doing something because you might hurt others.”

People’s homes have already burned and millions in property has been damaged across the state (Source). The drought conditions in the state are beyond severe (Source). Prior to the period in which firework sales are allowed, there have been multiple fires across this state, some of them caused by something as small as a cigarette butt. Given the conditions and the previous fires, local governments have instituted burn bans, which cover everything from burning garbage to fireworks (key word: fire, which does not go well with droughts). This isn’t a question of might (and if one searches Texas newspapers, you can find many stories where fireworks have lead to fires, when conditions were less severe), but when. The damage is very real. It’s not a ridiculous hypothetical like your slippery slope argument.

I’ve got to go with Zach on this one. As much as I’m creeped out by government paternalism, half the point of the government is to stop activity that is going to hurt people. For example, I am not permitted to build car bombs and park them in crowded places, even if I’m willing to sign something swearing that my intentions are benevolent. We take preemptive action to prevent harmful activity all the time. I’m also not allowed to set up an archery range in front of a playground, even if I’m insistent I can hit the straw bale instead of the children pretty much all the time.

One of the core rules of conservativism, as I see it, is “Stupid things done with great intentions are still stupid.” I suppose I could add that my brand of conservativism differs from the libertarians in that I also believe that stupid things done for principled reasons are still stupid. Refusing to support a temporary burn ban when a significant portion of the country is literally on fire constitutes a stupid thing.

Jul 1, 20111 note

#Politics

Dan the Conservative

July 2011

3 posts