Aaron Ricks

Obama to Appoint New Fed Vice Chairman

Mar 12, 2010 at 1:24 PM

By Aaron Ricks

It has been reported that President Obama plans to appoint Janet Yellen, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, as the new Fed Vice Chairman.

She is considered one of the most 'dovish' members of the central bank's policymakers, meaning she is seen to lean toward policies that will boost growth and promote employment rather than those aimed at keeping inflation at bay.

Yep. You heard it correctly. She is willing to risk further inflation in a vain attempt to promote economic growth with a printing press.

Person

Comments (1)

"Tenthers" Fight for the Rights of States

Feb 10, 2010 at 9:37 PM

By Aaron Ricks

CNN recently reported on the states' rights movement that has been sweeping up state legislatures everywhere:

A movement has been growing over the past two years of urging states to exert their rights under the 10th Amendment. The Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, states: ' The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.'

read it

God forbid that people begin hiding behind the Constitution once more.

State Governments Have Your Baby's DNA

Feb 8, 2010 at 10:24 AM

By Aaron Ricks

This information seemed kind of obvious to me, but still it's worth reporting. Some state governments have decided to store samples of newborn DNA -- in some cases indefinitely. And only Minnesota and Texas have the necessary forms and process to destroy the DNA samples.

For all the crap the rest of the union gives to Texas (I remind you, I'm a New York elitist), I am glad the Lone Star State is an example in this regard.

Comments (3)

The Banality of Evil

Jan 6, 2010 at 9:23 PM

By Aaron Ricks

The recent controversial post written by Matt Cockerill reminds me of Hannah Arendt's "banality of evil."

From Wikipedia:

The banality of evil (as coined by Arendt) describes the thesis that the great evils in history generally, and the Holocaust in particular, were not executed by fanatics or sociopaths but rather by ordinary people who accepted the premises of their state and therefore participated with the view that their actions were normal.

Who is responsible for the death of innocents caught in the frenzy of battle? Is it the legislative and executive leaders, marching their country to war? Is it the commanding officers, giving the orders? Or what about individual soldiers, carrying out orders like they were told? We could even ask if the question that perhaps the arms manufacturers also have a responsibility for innocent deaths. Are they not all complicit in the death?

To be honest, I'm not sure. But there is a great lesson to be learned: atrocities are not usually committed by blood-crazed sociopaths. But rather individuals that give their quiet, obedient consent to the real sociopaths.

Comments (5)

Privatize World Peace?

Jan 1, 2010 at 5:26 PM

By Aaron Ricks

While surfing the interwebs (brought to you by Al Gore), I came across the latest trailer for the new Iron Man 2 movie, starring Robert Downey, Jr. Please, take the time to watch at least the first 35 seconds of the trailer.

Now, I know this blog may sound very cliché, but the trailer got me thinking:

Are organized national and supranational governments capable of bringing about the peace that they claim to support and strive for? And if not, why do supposed peace-lovers on the left continue to strive to give these warmongering governments more responsibility in civil affairs?

Instead of all-wise, government bureaucrats marching down our streets in the name of world peace, maybe what this world really needs is a Tony Stark.

Ron Paul on Larry King Tonight!

Dec 16, 2009 at 4:51 PM

By Aaron Ricks

Tune into Larry King on CNN tonight at 9 pm ET for a health care reform debate. Ron Paul will be squaring off against the congressman with what seems to have dozens of marbles jammed in his mouth, the loveable Barney Frank.

This should be a wonderful show.

health

Comments (1)

Ben Bernanke = Time's Person of the Year (?!)

Dec 16, 2009 at 1:19 PM

By Aaron Ricks

Yeah, I'm not kidding.

A bald man with a gray beard and tired eyes is sitting in his oversize Washington office, talking about the economy. He doesn't have a commanding presence. He isn't a mesmerizing speaker. He has none of the look-at-me swagger or listen-to-me charisma so common among men with oversize Washington offices. His arguments aren't partisan or ideological; they're methodical, grounded in data and the latest academic literature.

Wait. Is this article still talking about Ben Bernanke? You better believe it is. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has now been invited into a prestigious group of individuals ranging from terrible despots like Adolf Hitler (1938) and Joseph Stalin (1939 AND 1942) to freedom fighters like Ghandi (1930), Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963), and Hungarian Rebels (1956).

Oh, and George W. Bush made the cut in 2000. In conclusion, I'm just not exactly sure who Bernanke is more aligned with... Stalin or Ghandi?

thoughts

Comments (6)

Excuse me, Mr. Bernanke?

Dec 7, 2009 at 8:54 PM

By Aaron Ricks

The clearly delusional Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke claims:

I do believe we're going to get back all the money, and indeed we'll be showing for the taxpayers fairly significant extra income.

For the sake of his current employment, he better be right.

Ben throwin his money

Comments (3)

Not So Fast, Bernanke

Dec 3, 2009 at 7:37 AM

By Aaron Ricks

It seems that Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has promised to put up a roadblock to "hold" Bernanke 's reconfirmation vote from coming to the floor for a vote.

"The American people overwhelmingly voted last year for a change in our national priorities to put the interest of ordinary people ahead of the greed of Wall Street and the wealthy few..."

Awww