Black Holes of Political Thought
Ted Bunn at Berkeley advises that with regard to astronomy a black hole is: a region of space that has so much mass concentrated in it that there is no way for a nearby object to escape its gravitational pull.In the political universe I posit that a black hole of political thought is one that does not allow a cogent thought to escape it mass of vacuous cogitation. (No arguments here debating the difference between no thought and empty thought, the result is the same.) Below the fold are some recent examples that lead me to believe that the number and intensity of political black holes is increasing. The identity of the thinkers associated with the thoughts below are reserved to the end.
Example 1:
Mandated universal coverage is the only way to ensure that most Americans will be covered.
Example 2:
We stand ready in the heartland and across this country, to join forces
with peace-loving nations across the globe and to fight the war against
terrorists, wherever they may strike. But our capable and dedicated
soldiers can't solve the political disputes where they are, and can't
focus on the real enemies elsewhere.
Example 3:
Under any plausible standard of review, a legislature's choice to limit the
citizenry to rifles, shotguns and other weapons less likely to augment
urban violence need not, and should not, be viewed as an
unconstitutional abridgment of the right of the people to keep or bear
arms.
Example 4:
The future of agricultural policy is not about "assistance", it is about rendering services to society, be it in terms of food security, the environment or the social development of rural areas. So intensive farming is not the only choice for the future; several agricultural models can coexist. It is viable economics to cater to and invest in high end products, which are inevitably linked to the diversity of regional identities and produce.
Example 5:
My task now is to get us to the end of the quota system in 2015 with as few bumps in the road as possible. My proposal of a quota increase of 2% would give producers valuable extra freedom and is fully justified by market conditions. In a strong global market for dairy produce, it should not only be producers outside Europe that get to lick the cream.
Authors:
Example 1: John Edwards, former candidate for President
Example 2: Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of Kansas
Example 3: Laurence Tribe, Harvard Law Professor
Example 4: Michel Barnier, Minister of Agriculture, Paris
Example 5: Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Brussels
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