Falling Gas Prices prove, yet again, that Repub Supply-Side Economics is Bulls***.

Falling gas prices have recently created a huge demand-side boost to our economy. Millions and millions of dollars worth of boost: serious money. The increase comes from families having a few hundred extra bucks a year to spend on things other than filling their tanks. That is the free market in action, folks: consumers consuming, and by so doing creating jobs where they spend that additional money.

Classic, common-sense, evidence-based economics. People making additional purchases with the money they are saving because of lower pump prices. Demand-side economic stimulus via the private sector. Somewhere in the Afterlife, Adam Smith is shouting “See? SEE, motherf***ers? Who’s the man? I toldjaso!”

And none, repeat NONE of those falling petrol prices had Thing One to do with tax breaks for millionaires. No, oil prices are falling because of supply and demand. Once again, class, all together: “supply AND demand”. But of course, “republicans” don’t care about anything but the supply side. Because that side has all the friggin’ millionaires and billionaires that can (and do) buy Teapubbie Senators and Congresscritters.

This blog has ofttimes posted about the complete and utter failure of supply-side “economics”, and the laughable Laffer Curve that it is based upon. (Click the links, Gentle Reader, lots of supporting data to be found if you folllow the breadcrumbs.)

Once again, all of the Post-Reaganista bulls*** has been exposed, in all of its fetid, malodorous splendor. The American economy used to grow, before these dark days, because sensible adults recognized that all sides and strata of the economy are interrelated, and that we needed to manage supply and demand, the rich and the poor, and everything in between. But because of the Voodoo Wing of the “Republican” Party (and by that we mean, “the entire f***ing GOP”) focusing ONLY on the supply side, we have naught but deficts, crumbling edifices, and corruption all around us.

The positive economic effects of falling prices for the consumer prove, once again, that the Teapublican party is, as usual, completely full of s***. Almost as full of it as the idiot voters who voted for them, or failed to vote against them. But hey, enjoy the cheap gasoline while it lasts; until the Teapubbies find yet another way to steal those extra dollars away from us, and hand it back to their supply-side patrons.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Obama Recently Ordered Military Action. And We Won. You Never Heard About it, Did You?

Yes, that “weak”, “indecisive”, “mom-jeans-wearing” President of ours just ordered a military strike against Middle-Eastern terrorists.  They kicked some Libyan Rebel butt. And the news media kinda sort reported on it. Here is the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/world/middleeast/libya-oil-tanker.html?_r=0

You’ll notice this went down a week or so ago, when the airwaves were filled with Foxish, Rushish, Rightish bashing-on-the-wimpy-black-Prexy noise; small wonder that this story got minimal coverage. But contrary to the prevailing “wisdom”, our Prexy saw a threat to Libya’s democratically-elected government and ordered a military strike to save said government. Oh, and that is the same Libyan government that “Republicans” accuse Obama of being such a little nancy-boy about (hint: “Benghazi”).

So why didn’t you hear about this? A simple reason: the “news” media is largely controlled by people who hates them some Obama: http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6  So, if you heard about this at all, it was a few plaudits to to the SEALS who carried out the attack. In fact, they deserved a lot more and better coverage, as did the rest of the command and control apparatus. And yes, that includes the President, no matter what that great military expert Sarah Palin may have to say about it.

As noted before on this blog, the infotainment machine wouldn’t know real news if it bit them on the ass: http://wp.me/p2jksg-2kb  And this is but another example of that phenomenon. If you’re relying on less than, say, ten or more news sources, you are getting the Mushroom Treatment.

This writer mistrusts the corporate media, so he listens to it, and then checks a load of other sources, including foreign media outlets, and even some of the fringe whacko sites here in the USA. Nothing goes onto this blog without being subjected to the crankiest of analyses: it’s a pity that, say, Fox “News” can’t take the time to do the same.

So, please, Gentle Reader, take a few minutes and stroll around the InterTubes, to see what is going on. That is to say, what ELSE is going on that the bean-counters and Raging Righties in their Tightie Whities don’t want you to know. Today’s example: despite the lies that are being spewed, President Obama is capable of ordering swift, decisive military action (like he also did when he caught Bin Laden).

Good one, Mr. President. Way to give the terrorist scumbuckets one in the eye. Even if (or especially if) hardly anyone gives you credit for it.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Putin has succeeded. Therefore, Russia will continue to take over more of its former colonies.

Toldjaso. Russia illegally stole the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in order to increase Moscow’s wealth and influence. Lo and behold, the Russian state-controlled energy agency has taken control of gas and oil production in Crimea, thus shutting out other potential companies and countries.

“Gunpoint business deals”, we might call such operations: Russia is not doing anything irrational here. They are using military force to take control of the European energy market. Power, literally flowing from the barrel of a gun.

Yes, Putin’s Peeps are planning to commit massive human rights abuses in the area they have taken over. And yes, they are planning to swallow up more of the former Soviet Union, creating a greater Russia in the process. But there is nothing crazy about what they’re doing.

Immoral, illegal, unethical, inhuman, and despicable, yes. Loony, no. Putin and his renascent empire are acting with cold, pure, infernally logical intent as they seize land and power: power that will continue its accretion until the rest of the world punches Vladimir in the metaphorical nose and stops him.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

The Bulls*** People Say About Barack Obama

A two-post day in honor of tomorrow’s election: this post about the Prexy, the other about the man who would replace him.  Each man has said some bull*** of his own, or course.  Today, Mr. Blunt and Cranky  shall talk about the stuff  that others say about them.  So grab your nose as we dive straight into the manure pile that is political “discourse” in these degenerate times:

“Obama will take away your guns”: there is no evidence of this. No laws, no proposals, no regulations have come from the White House on this topic during Obama’s time there. This bit o’cowflop comes from the people who make and sell guns and ammo: if you’re scared that the evil Obaminator will take away your guns tomorrow, why, you’ll buy lots and lots of them today. That means big bucks for the gun industry, and less money in your pocket.

“Obama is Bad for Business”: look at the numbers from Wall Street, Congress, and any other non-partisan business metrics indicator you care to cite. The numbers tell you the truth: The past 4 years have kicked a lot of ass for corporate profits, across all sectors.

“Obama’s War on Fossil Fuels”: America is now the world’s number-two producer of oil, right behind Saudi Arabia; we have drilled for so much gas the past three years, the price has hit the floor; and coal jobs are heading back up as we develop export markets for our black gold. If there were such a war, we wouldn’t see these numbers.

“Obama’s War on Religious Freedom”: absolute codswallop. ObamNeyCare does not infringe on the religious freedoms of American citizens in any way, shape or form. It does require certain religious organizations to obey the law, but that’s church hierarchies, not the rest of us. Natch, said hierarchies are screeching like demented, meth-addicted owls; but that’s them, not us.

And so on. So far as this writer can tell, the worst thing Obama has done has been to trust a lot of people he shouldn’t have.

Mr. B & C

There is no Obama War on Coal, Gas, or Oil. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

One of the lies that is being peddled of late is an alleged Obama “War on Coal”. This is repeated for natural gas and oil, as well. The idea is that massive over-regulation by our commienazisocialistkenyanmuslimchristianhawaiianohwhatthehellcallhimeverynameinthebookandseewhatsticks President is somehow dejobbing coal miners and well drillers, causing poverty, blight, and maybe even gum disease. There’s a little problem with this scenario, however: it is not true. Not even a little bit.

It is true that coal output is down, and mining jobs are being lost (in some parts of the country). But it has nothing to do with President Obama (or Bush, or any occupant of the Oval Office): it has to do with the free market. Here’s how it works:

Due to the lightly-regulated natural gas market, lots and lots of gas wells got drilled in the past few years. So many, in fact, that the price of natural gas is lower than a politician’s moral standards. So low that lots of power plants switched from coal to gas to save money and earn bigger profits. Less coal being burned means less coal needs mined, so fewer miners are needed. That is the free market at work, and the government had almost nothing to do with it.

Gas drilling jobs are down, because the lightly-regulated market had so many gas wells drilled of late that the market price of natural gas is so low, it isn’t profitable to drill more gas wells. That is the free market at work, and the government had almost nothing to do with it.

Oil drilling jobs are up, and the United States is closing in on Saudi Arabia for the title of biggest oil producing nation in the world; because the lightly-regulated markets have created a surplus of well-drillers who used to work in the natural gas fields, along with new technologies and more available land on which to drill. Plus the price of oil is high, so it is profitable to drill. That is the free market at work, and the government had almost nothing to do with it.

In other words, the Republican ideal of a free market is responsible for the current energy market and the jobs associated therewith. The government (especially the President) cannot be blamed for the jobs that are lost, nor given credit for the jobs that are gained.

So if you’re spreading these lies about an “Obama war on fossil fuels”, STFU. If you’ve been believing the lies about an “Obama war on fossil fuels”, stop.  It’s a bunch of bulls***, like most things we hear from politicians and lobbyists.

Mr. B & C