From Venezuela to Austria to the USA

In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez wants the power to rule by decree for 1 year, again.  This is how Chavez implemented a lot of his socialist agenda in the past, such as nationalizing oil fields, telecommunication networks, and electricity companies.  This guy needs to go away.


Our PC story of the day: A judge in Austria rules that a man's yodeling offended his Muslim neighbor, and thus must pay a fine.  It sounds like this story came straight out of The Onion.


And finally, in the good ol' U.S. of A., the House has voted to repeal the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy that's been in place since the Clinton administration.  It passed 250-175 and now goes on to the Senate, in which it faces a tougher crowd.

Surprise!

Well, this is a surprise: Obama has reached a tentative deal with Republicans on tax cuts.

The summary:

• Social security payroll taxes drop 2% from 6.2% to 4.2% (employee's only; employer-side stays at 6.2%).
• Estate tax is cut to 35% (0% now, set to increase automatically to 55% on Jan 1, 2011), and only to estates greater than $5 million.
• Extension of unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed for 13 months (financed by borrowing, not spending cuts).
• Allowing companies to claim deductions on 100% of most types of investments.
• Other unspecified tax breaks for students and working families.

This is one of the few moments I have to give credit to Obama.  There are some things that I don't like (unemployment benefits financed by borrowing, an estate tax that is >0%), but this is a good compromise.

Now, this is NOT a surprise: Schwarzenegger declares CA fiscal emergency. 

Goodbye freedom, hello tyranny!

I don't think any other combination of articles can make me angrier.


First: Feds are now tracking credit cards in real time.  

As a reminder and a reference, here's the fourth amendment in its entirety:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Someone please explain to me how this does not violate the fourth amendment.  I understand that "unreasonable searches" may be up for interpretation, but as I see it, tracking the purchases someone makes at a grocery store is most definitely unreasonable.


Second: The FCC is going to start regulating the internet.

This deals with the issue of net neutrality, which is incredibly complex.  This is the best explanation that I have read on it.

The article explains the issue very well, read it.

As an aside, this is a fantastic article which points out that the US is increasingly being run my thousands of regulations, not laws.


Third, and most upsetting: Car companies took secret bailout money.

Not even American ones only!! BMW and Toyota were among the recipients.  Just think about this.  We have an entity that is supposed to be independent and free from political influence and whose major job it is to control inflation.  Somehow, since 1913 when it was created, it has transformed into this behemoth that basically controls the economy.  The Fed is out of control.