Beckbytes – Arguing With Idiots About Capitalism II

Mulder

From Glenn Beck’s new book Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government comes this clip about privatization corporatization.

A.D.D. Moment – New Zealand corporatized their postal service in 1987. As Cornell professor Richard Geddes notes, that change “led to improvements in efficiency, a 40% reduction in the system’s workforce, a doubling in labor productivity, a decrease in the cost of sending a letter and a decrease in the price of a basic stamp.” And they did it all without impacting service in either rural or urban communities.

Is CBC Gunning For The Tories Already?

Mulder

Below is an email sent from CBC Radio Ottawa to community associations all over the area. The bias is quite clear when you read the sections I have bolded below.

Hi everyone,
I’m an associate producer with the CBC here in Ottawa.

We are doing some research in anticipation of a possible federal election this fall.

The reason I am contacting community organizations is to find people with real life issues and stories that may be directly affected by whatever changes occur after a federal election.

To give you an example: if you know of someone in your neighbourhood or community who is struggling to find work, who is living off employment insurance or someone who didn’t qualify under the existing rules. Maybe you have a friend or relative who is dealing with legal issues and wanting or needing something to change under federal law. Perhaps you know of someone who is trying to bring family members into Canada from their home country and having trouble making their way through the refugee and immigration system. Or maybe you know of someone who is hoping to make a new life here but is running into obstacles such as having credentials recognized by Canadian institutions.

There are often stories like these that happen in our very own neighbourhoods.

We are interested in hearing these stories – maybe it’s even something that you yourself are dealing with, living through right now…

If so, please reply to this email and tell me about it.

We are striving to make election coverage about more than polls and percentages.

Community-minded people like you can help us do that.

I look forward to speaking (or emailing) with you!

Best
(Name Removed)
Associate Producer
CBC Radio Ottawa

In every one of the sections bolded above, the request is for issues that are currently negative but might be discussion points or election issues. The implicit but clear point is that they are looking for situations that are negative under the current (Conservative) government. No where does it ask for issues that are currently positive and might be in jeopardy should the current (Conservative) government fall.

Some may say this is inadvertent, but I think the bias is pretty clear.

Beckbytes: Arguing With Idiots About Capitalism

Mulder

From Glenn Beck’s new book Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government comes this gem on how capitalism performs when compared to socialistic government programs.

Profits=Progress: In January 2006, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin announced 314 new public projects as part of his rebuilding effort after Katrina. Over two and a half years later, just six of them were complete. Conversely, Wal-Mart had 126 of their stores damaged in the hurricane; 110 of them were up and running within ten days.

Why Does ACORN Exist?

Mulder

Tonight’s episode of Glenn Beck’s show had some very important statistics about ACORN in light of the recent video being released of ACORN employees breaking the law.

Number of times ACORN story was mentioned on FOX News in the past 30 hours: 19
Number of times ACORN story was mentioned on CNN in the past 30 hours: 3
Number of times ACORN story was mentioned on MSNBC in the past 30 hours: 0
Number of times ACORN story was mentioned on ABC in the past 30 hours: 9
Number of times ACORN story was mentioned on CBC in the past 30 hours: 0
Number of times ACORN story was mentioned on NBC in the past 30 hours: 0
Number of ACORN workers fired since story aired: 2
Number of fraudulent voter registrations ACORN admitted to in the 2008 election cycle: 400,000
Number of states where ACORN is under investigation: 14
Number of ACORN workers arrested for voter fraud: 50
Number of cases that resulted in guilty pleas: 30
Amount of taxpayer dollars ACORN has received since 1994: $53,000,000
And the kicker…
Amount of federal tax dollars ACORN is eligibile to receive in the stimulus package: $8,500,000,000 (thats 8.5 BILLION)

But wait, there’s more:

Number of Republicans calling for investigations into ACORN: 67
Number of Democrats calling for investigations into ACORN: 2 (but one was Arlen Spectre who has since become a Democrat and the other was John Conyers who withdrew his request) so the real number is ZERO!!!

Those last two bullets are why America is OfficiallyScrewed.

Now you know why I was so angry when I saw that ACORN is growing in Canada.

OS Bookshelf: A Slobbering Love Affair by Bernard Goldberg

Mulder

The 2008 U.S. presidential election was an extreme example of the bias that exists in the mainstream media. Bernard (Bernie) Goldberg exposes the statistics in his book A Slobbering Love Affair: The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media

Goldberg has a very easy to read writing style. It almost reads as if he dictated his book and had it transcribed from a verbal analysis.

Many democrats and liberals deny the existence of the media bias but the numbers Goldberg presents are clear:

In 2008, a study by Investor’s Business Daily put the campaign donation ratio of journalists at more than 11 to 1 in favour to Democrats.
……
In 2007, the Pew Research Center found there were four self-identified liberal journalists for every one conservative.

But the bias is not limited to Americans. It exists on our side of the border as well. When addressing the subject of PDS, or Palin Derangement Syndrome, Goldberg points out this gem:

…PDS also turned up in Canada. Heather Mallick, a college profesor, summed up the feelings of millions of American liberals in one elegant sentence, which was part of a piece she wrote on the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s website. Palin, said Ms. Mallick, “added nothing to the ticket that the Republicans didn’t already have sewn up, the white trash vote.”

For the style and the statistical content, I am giving this book 8 screws out of 10.

Mini ScrewMini ScrewMini ScrewMini ScrewMini ScrewMini ScrewMini ScrewMini Screw

Monty Python's Life Of Michael and The Search For The Holy Grail

Mulder

Michael Ignatieff reminds me of Sir Galahad in Monty Python’s Holy Grail when he gets to the Bridge of Death.

Bridgekeeper: Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.
Sir Michael of Ignatieff: Ask me the questions, bridgekeeper. I am not afraid.
Bridgekeeper: What… is your name?
Sir Michael of Ignatieff: My name is Sir Michael of Ignatieff.
Bridgekeeper: What… is your quest?
Sir Michael of Ignatieff: To become Prime Minister of Canada.
Bridgekeeper: Would you create a coalition with socialists and separatists?
Sir Michael of Ignatieff: Yes…err No!!!

To view the actual Monty Python scene, visit this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b4bGAoVR7g

The Mathematics of Politics

Mulder

I may have iterated this story before but a few years ago my son was asking what the difference between the political parties really is. Knowing that at his age a long drawn out response would simply bore him to death and turn his interest level way down, I gave him the following explanation which I believe still stands today.

Everyone pays taxes and those taxes go to wards paying for some of the things it makes sense to pay for together. All parties agree that some money is needed to do these things.

But let’s say you make $10 an hour at your job.

The Conservative Party would take $3 of that money and let you decide how you want to spend the remaining $7.

The Liberal Party would take $4 and let you decide on how to spend the other $6.

And the NDP would take $6 of that money and leave you with only $4 to spend the way you want.

In my opinion, this is a valuable math lesson for all of us.

Michael Ignatieff Ads Add Up To A Subtle Insult

Mulder

Michael Ignatieff has new ads out. Let’s do some math.

FROM THE AD

Hi, I’m Michael Ignatieff. Wherever I have worked, I have met Canadians that are the best the world has to offer.

plus

FACT: Michael Ignatieff worked outside of Canada for 34 straight years.

equals

Michael Ignatieff thinks the best Canadians that the world has to offer live outside of Canada.

What does that make those of us who live in Canada? Chopped Liver?

h/t “A Step To The Right” (on hiatus)