Ground Zero for the Coming Anarchy

In many parts of the world, corruption is how things get done. In fact that is how the human world has functioned, on average, for many thousands of years. The modern western world of affluence, human rights, and the rule of law, is something of a glaring exception to the general flow of human history. As long as most people have ways to acquire money for bribes, the bad impact of corruption can be somewhat muted, and the good effects (things getting done) can be attributed to something else.

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Regions of the world where the people are generally impoverished are hardest hit by corruption -- since impoverished people cannot pay the bribe. 19 out of 20 of the most impoverished nations on Earth are either SubSaharan African nations, or an offshoot of SubSaharan Africa -- Haiti. Instead of their situations improving, as has been assumed by most well-meaning observers, things are actually getting worse.

The sub-Sahara is not simply an epicenter of economic failure; it is also the epicenter of a pervasive failure in what might be called human development. Poorer countries, of course, tend to suffer from poor health and education as well, and sub-Saharan Africa is by far the poorest region of the planet today. But it is not just that Africa’s health and educational profiles are much worse than for any other major region of the world; they are also markedly worse than would be predicted on the basis of the region’s woeful economic performance alone. _Source

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Besides widespread poverty, corruption, and poor infrastructure, SubSaharan African nations must also deal with a low average IQ as well as rampant tribalism. The map of African "micro-nations" reveals the problem of lack of cultural and linguistic cohesion -- which is always threatening to erupt into tribal and micro-national warfare.

And so we see the present and future unraveling of SubSaharan Africa -- ground zero for the Coming Anarchy. The reasons for this continuing unraveling are many and deep. It is a genuine "dark ages" in the making, a violent illustration of why politically correct multiculturalism is such a destructive deception, wherever practised.

Facing Africa's central problem of low average population IQ would demonstrate that problem-solvers were serious about helping Africa and its people. But that is unlikely to happen where political correctness holds sway. Those who claim to help end up hurting them the most.

Boxer: Pathetic in 1992, Still Pathetic in 2010

California is an economic basket case, but it was a demographic basket case long before it began electing an idiocracy into the state assembly, and to the national congress. Boxer is but a symptom of the California idiocracy. Unfortunately, she has helped President Obama to create a pan-American idiocracy which threatens to de-stabilise much of the advanced world. It would be best if Barbara took a long vacation from government work.

European Austerity Measures: But a Knee-Jerk Reaction?

There is no doubt that several European governments are attempting to back-pedal on their overly-generous -- but ultimately ruinous -- welfare states. From Greece to Ireland to France to the UK, European governments are attempting to stave off disaster by down-sizing government benefits and workforces, through a variety of means.

...across Europe, where the threat of a double-dip recession remains palpable, what is most surprising is not simply that governments from Germany to Greece are slashing public outlays but that the debate hinges more on how fast to do so rather than whether such substantial cuts are the right thing to do under the current circumstances. _Mish

What you don't hear from the American left these days is much acknowledgment that the Europeans are backpedaling as fast as they can. There is a reason that transportation and oil-refinery unions have been striking in France and government workers are rioting again in Greece. When Greece nearly defaulted on its national debt last year, governments got a glimpse of what would happen when the money ran out, and they began enacting some of the toughest austerity measures of the post-World War II era.

While France and Greece have grabbed the headlines - protesters setting things on fire makes a visual the media can't resist - the most important case study in austerity economics may be the United Kingdom. Taking out the carving knife, the newly elected Conservative Party government is dissecting government with a vigor not seen since Margaret Thatcher's heyday. _WaTimes

Leftism always fails, sooner or later. Any political economy that presses citizens into dependency on government for basic needs will fail, since such economies clash with basic human nature. Leftist economies are all about redistribution and government spending, but they have no clues how to generate wealth to begin with.

A look back at the perilous -- and ultimately failed -- economic transition in Russia may be helpful. Many courageous Russians attempted to create a thriving market economy out of the remains of the USSR command economy. But they were thwarted by the corrupt power-mongers who seized control of Russia's wealth. These corrupt thugs killed Russia's nascent renaissance in its nursery crib.

Once a nation's people surrenders to a thugocracy -- of whatever stripe -- it becomes very difficult to throw off the chains in order to create a market economy which creates sustainable wealth.

As for Europe, it is not clear that her leaders have learned the true lessons behind the ongoing collapse of nanny-state economies. The deep truths of human nature as they relate to economics are quite unpalatable to most politicians and would be dictators.

Obama's War Against Private Sector Jobs

As the economy suffers this employment migraine, its causes come into sharper focus. Instead of providing relief, President Obama and his party have aggravated an already grim employment picture. _WS

Obama's personal character has not developed at all since he was a young radical, sitting at his mother's knee. As long as he is allowed to strut and prance upon the public stage, posturing like a brain-dead peacock, he will continue to do so. He will learn nothing from his failures, as he has learned less than nothing from his successes. His zombie followers have found their perfect role model.

Americans want a president that brings the country together, a leader who tries to unify, not divide. But, instead, Obama serves up fiery, campaign-like speeches fingering business leaders as boardroom bogeymen, not job creators. _WS

On the Road to George Soros' America: 42 million and Rising

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About 42 million Americans now subsist on food stamps, with a continued substantial rise as the Obama Pelosi regime continues to pursue its Soros-backed agenda. But Ms. Pelosi tells us that food stamps are a sign of prosperity. Should we believe her?

At a press conference in her home town of San Francisco, Pelosi explained that the program’s multiplier effect –the amount of money generated in the local economy as the result of the subsidy– far exceeds the nearly $60 billion spent this year by the federal government and is a sure-fire way to stimulate the economy. For every dollar a person receives in food stamps, Pelosi said that $1.79 is put back into the economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture cites an even higher figure of $1.84.

“It is the biggest bang for the buck when you do food stamps and unemployment insurance. The biggest bang for the buck,” she said.

New Obama/Pelosi plan for our economy: Put EVERYONE on food stamps and unemployment and watch the multiplier effect turn this thing around.

Let’s have the government spend $2 trillion on food stamps and we’ll get back $3.68 trillion. We’ll all be rich. Why haven’t we been doing this all along? _BigGovernment

It is a strange sort of logic that drives these fools in their quest toward universal government dependency -- for the little people, that is. A queer type of entitlement mentality pervades the ruling classes, the ones who know what is best for you.

If Americans ever do get involved in politics again -- as was intended by the founding fathers -- a lot of the members of the ruling class will have a lot of 'splainin' to do.

Unrest In Europe as Pampered Pets Demand Treats

The people of Europe -- particularly public employees -- are accustomed to being kept by the state -- rather like pampered pets. But times are changing. The population of European taxpayers is shrinking. Crime is rising as third world immigrants with no love for Europe are filling the schools, the birthing wards, and the prisons. For Europeans to riot in response the government austerity measures -- at a time like this -- is like a pampered poodle pooping on the furniture to get its way. Very bad form.

In 35 countries for which data exists, nearly 40 per cent of jobseekers have been without work for more than one year, running risks of demoralisation and mental health problems, and young people were disproportionately hit by unemployment.

It noted that social unrest related to the crisis has been reported in at least 25 countries, including some recovering emerging economies.

This week riot police were on the streets as protesters in Spain, Belgium, Italy and Greece demonstrated against tough austerity measures. _Telegraph

Just wait until half or more of Europe's cities are populated by third world immigrants and their progeny. Europeans will then learn what rioting is all about.

Obama's Nasty Pet Pigs Pollute Nation's Capital

The great gathering of socialist pigs came to Washington for a group whine, and when they left, piles of their trash remained behind -- dropped and scattered everywhere. This is in contrast with a recent rally by anti-Obama groups, who left the DC mall in pristine condition. Some political animals are humans, others -- Obama's -- are pigs. I understand bedbugs are making a comeback in government offices and residencies in DC as well.

There appeared to be just one person cleaning up when TheDC was there Sunday. In the southeast corner by the National World War II Memorial, he was shoving trash into a long-handled dustpan with a single broom.

He said he was a subcontractor for the city and while the gentleman didn’t wish to be named, he probably wouldn’t mind being called ‘Hercules.’ When approached by TheDC, Hercules was immediately and noticeably grumpy.

Hercules said he had been cleaning up the area around the Memorial since 6 a.m. and expected to be there for “at least” 12 hours.

“They should have planned more,” he said. “There should have been a clean-up crew.”

Hercules said he also helped clean-up after Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally and as a result he was in good position to judge the cleanliness of the respective rally protesters. Not only was the “Restoring Honor” rally tidier, according to Hercules, but the “One Nation” rally downright dirty.

“I was at the other one too,” he said. “So I’ve seen both. I know the difference.”

“This group” just didn’t get it, he continued. “Let’s just say: I’m in a bad mood.”

On a visit to Washington with her daughter, California resident Pam Hewitt didn’t think much of the protestors who left their droppings all over the Mall.

“People … have the freedom of the speech and to assemble and all that, but to leave this much trash behind is just disrespectful,” she said.

Neither Flo McAfee nor Andrea Alford, representatives of the “One Nation” rally, were available for comment on Sunday — despite numerous attempts. The environmentally-friendly Sierra Club, one of the sponsors of the rally, could not be reached for comment either. _DailyCaller

All of this is not really surprising, since we have seen the same contrast between the aftermath of duelling rallies before. Something about Obama that simply attracts pigs.