Law & Business | Professor Bainbridge I want my students to understand that successful transactional lawyers build their practice by adding value to their clients’ transactions. Instead of thinking like Kingsfield, I want them to learn where the value in a given transaction comes from and how they might add even more value to the deal.
The Tank on National Review Online Is there anyone who thinks for a second that any of the NATO members would have risen to the occasion to defend a newly admitted Georgia against "mighty Russia"?
The20Corner20on20National20Review20Online Obama20on20Social20Security2020205BRamesh20Ponnuru5D0D0A0D0AAndrew20Biggs20does20an20excellent20job20of20dissecting20Obamas20rhetoric20on20the20issue.20Bottom20line3A20Obama20takes20the20top20marginal20tax20rate20to20a20level20it20hasnt20been20at20for20more20than202020years2C20and20for20the20trouble20he20fills201520percent20of20Social20Securitys20shortfall.20If20the20programs20problems20are20as20trifling20as20Obama20makes20them20out20to20be2C20why20does20he20whiff20on20the20solution3F0D0A0D0ABiggs20also20has20a20nice20answer20to20a20bogus20statistic3A0D0A0D0A20202020Sen.20Obama20says2C2022Social20Security20has20lifted20millions20of20seniors20and20their20families20out20of20poverty.20Without20it2C20nearly205020percent20of20seniors20would20live20below20the20poverty20line.220D0A0D0A20202020This20is20a20common20talking20point2C20but20lets20be20clear20on20what20it20means3A20if20we20forced20people20to20pay20Social20Security20taxes20all20their20lives20but20didnt20pay20them20any20benefits2C20yes2C20nearly205020percent20of20seniors20would20live20below20the20poverty20line.20But20this20is20a20silly20standard.20If20we20were20truly2022without2220Social20Security2C20we20would20also20be20without20Social20Security20taxes2C20which20individuals20could20then20save20on20their20own20for20retirement.20So20the20better20question20would20be2C2022Without20Social20Security20taxes20and20benefits2C20what20would20the20poverty20rate20among20seniors20be3F2220The20answer20is2C20about20the20same20as20the20current20rate.20
Obama on Social Security [Ramesh Ponnuru]
Andrew Biggs does an excellent job of dissecting Obama’s rhetoric on the issue. Bottom line: Obama takes the top marginal tax rate to a level it hasn’t been at for more than 20 years, and for the trouble he fills 15 percent of Social Security’s shortfall. If the program’s problems are as trifling as Obama makes them out to be, why does he whiff on the solution?
Biggs also has a nice answer to a bogus statistic:
Sen. Obama says, "Social Security has lifted millions of seniors and their families out of poverty. Without it, nearly 50 percent of seniors would live below the poverty line."
This is a common talking point, but let’s be clear on what it means: if we forced people to pay Social Security taxes all their lives but didn’t pay them any benefits, yes, nearly 50 percent of seniors would live below the poverty line. But this is a silly standard. If we were truly "without" Social Security, we would also be without Social Security taxes, which individuals could then save on their own for retirement. So the better question would be, "Without Social Security taxes and benefits, what would the poverty rate among seniors be?" The answer is, about the same as the current rate.
How to buy a new car and not get screwed - Boing Boing summary: 1. take your time, 2 weekends at least. 2. get your own financing from your bank. 3. get competitive bids from multiple dealers for FINAL price, with mfr warranty 4. walk out if deal changes. they are still trying to screw you. 5. don’t buy anything else from the dealer, just the car.
This crisis illustrates, redundantly, the paralysis of the United Nations regarding major powers, hence regarding major events, and the fictitiousness of the European Union regarding foreign policy. Does this disturb Obama’s serenity about the efficacy of diplomacy? Obama’s second statement about the crisis, in which he tardily acknowledged Russia’s invasion, underscored the folly of his first, which echoed the Bush administration’s initial evenhandedness. "Now," said Obama, "is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint."John McCain, the "life is real, life is earnest" candidate, says he has looked into Putin’s eyes and seen "a K, a G and a B." But McCain owes the thug thanks, as does America’s electorate. Putin has abruptly pulled the presidential campaign up from preoccupation with plumbing the shallows of John Edwards and wondering what "catharsis" is "owed" to disappointed Clintonites.
McCain, who has called upon Russia "to immediately and unconditionally . . . withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory," favors expelling Russia from the Group of Eight, and organizing a league of democracies to act where the United Nations is impotent, which is whenever the subject is important. But Georgia, whose desire for NATO membership had U.S. support, is not in NATO because some prospective members of McCain’s league of democracies, e.g., Germany, thought that starting membership talks with Georgia would complicate the project of propitiating Russia. NATO is scheduled to review the question of Georgia’s membership in December. Where now do Obama and McCain stand?
Commentary » Blog Archive » Philip Giraldi and Doug Feith Philip Giraldi and Doug Feith
