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August 3, 2009

The New Yorker Calls for End of States Rights

Federalism is one of the key bulwarks that have defended America from the totalitarianism we now feel tightening around our necks. So it's no surprise that the snooty statists at The New Yorker would denounce it:

If you came up with a list of obstacles to economic recovery in this country, it would include all the usual suspects — our still weak banking system, falling house prices, overindebted consumers, cautious companies. But here are fifty culprits you might not have thought of: the states. Federalism, often described as one of the great strengths of the American system, has become a serious impediment to reversing the downturn.

States allegedly prevent the beloved (by moonbats) federal government from spending stimulus money efficiently, i.e., in cities, where the moonbats tend to live. Worse yet, they prevent us from getting our power from windmills:

Even more important, federalism is getting in the way of the creation of a "smart" American power grid. This would involve turning the current hodgepodge of regional and state grids into a genuinely national grid, which would detect and respond to problems as they happen, giving users more information about and control over their electricity use, and so on. It could also dramatically reduce our dependence on oil. Wind power could eventually produce as much as twenty per cent of the energy that America consumes. The problem is that the places where most of that wind power can be generated tend to be a long way from the places where most of that power would be consumed. A new grid would enable us to get the power to where it's needed. But since nobody likes power lines running through his property, building the grid would require overriding or placating the states — and the prospects of that aren't great.

Our government is controlled by environmental extremists who won't let us build a nuclear plant or oil refinery, or for the most part even drill our own oil. But if we don't build a new national power grid, it could only be because of that pesky Constitution.

The piece ends on an ominous note:

It's a global economy. It would be helpful to have a genuinely national government.

If it's a global economy, why settle for an even more heavy-handed national government? Think how efficient our windmills would be under a one-world left-wing dictatorship.

An honest liberal would answer: One step at a time.

On a tip from Rob Banks.

Posted by Van Helsing at August 3, 2009 9:09 AM

Comments

Why stop at a simple national govt.? Let's go one step further and install a national socialist system of govt. That way we can round all the dissenters up, burn their bodies in huge ovens, and then use the heat to generate electricity. I'm sure Zero would love to change his name to Fuhrer.

Posted by: obamasux at August 3, 2009 9:50 AM

Am I the only one who feels like smacking any liberal who talks about "smart" anything? Hell's bell's they're idiots who voted for Obama, for God's sake. What would they know about "smart" anything?

Posted by: Jay Guevara at August 3, 2009 10:14 AM

The NEW YORKER is just another liberal left-wing propeganda magazine like SLIME and NEWSREEK

Posted by: SPURWING PLOVER at August 3, 2009 11:23 AM

Sorry dude but here in Oklahoma we do not need a smart grid to tell us an ice storm is about to take hanging things like limb and lines to the ground. Nor do we want to wait for a Katrina-like response from the feds. By the time they organize we have it under control. But please don't let that stop you from sending the feds money. That is what you do best.

We get by from surrounding states. We can depend on them, they can depend on us when they go through natural disasters. Don't go messing with something that isn't broke. It is your logic that is broken.

Posted by: IOpian at August 3, 2009 1:11 PM

Power from windmills? Here in Kennedy Country, the biggest opponent to windmills in Nantucket Sound is the one, the only - Ted Kennedy! He must not have got the memo that the left wants these monstrosities, not for their power of course, but for the power for the masses.

A windmill will only look good in the middle of an urban area, where the BP (beautiful people) don't live, like here. Can't have it where the yachts are moored.

Posted by: Son of Taz at August 3, 2009 2:18 PM

It's ironic that the lefties from the sixtys were all against the federal government, screaming that they stiffled freedom. But now, since in the last couple of decades they have become a major political power, they, their children and their deciples are howling for a massive national government answerable only to itself.

Just look at a few of the Liberal posters who haunt this site ("Anonymous" in the "1984" artical, for example) for proof.

Posted by: KHarn at August 3, 2009 3:32 PM

Weren't the hippies from the '60s "against the establishment?" Ironically, now they ARE "the establishment." Look at 'er grow.

Sigh... you can't fix stupidity.

Posted by: AmericanToTheCore at August 3, 2009 3:49 PM

"But since nobody likes power lines running through his property, building the grid would require overriding or placating the states."

Of course when has the federal government ever have to answer to the people.

Posted by: Third at August 3, 2009 4:11 PM

LOL Jay.

When do we get to secede?

Posted by: Nunya at August 11, 2009 11:11 AM