Free Markets and Choice Key to Preventing Depression

By Bill Wilson

In the face of a deteriorating economy, the liberal-left has been scurrying to assign blame for the impending disaster while offering “solutions” that would further entrench their stranglehold over America. It has become a mantra, repeated over and over from all quarters of leftist academia and media.

No better summation of the policy prescriptions from the neo-Marxists can be found than in a recent article by celebrated economist Nouriel Roubini. In “How to Prevent a Depression,” Professor Roubini lists eight steps that need to be taken on the international and national stage. While it would take a tome to respond to each of his suggestions, point number 7 does need to be addressed.

Roubini writes, “advanced economies need a medium-term plan to restore competitiveness and jobs via massive new investments in high-quality education, job training and hume-capital improvements, infrastructure and alternative/renewable energy.” Translation: massive “stimulus” that kicks borrowed money to the ivory towers of academia, union honchos, and the crony-socialists selling the snake-oil of green industry.

Let’s take each of Professor Roubini’s points one at a time and see if there is a better way to achieve the same goal.

On education, America spends billions more and more each year on a system that produces weaker and weaker results. We have built up an education-industrial complex that is sucking the life out of local and state governments. But if you accept the proposition that we need a better educated workforce then way not go a different route?

Universal education choice would cost us less than we spend now, put parents in charge of judging the end product, end the culture wars still raging in our schools and once and for all end the tyranny of organized labor in the classroom. Is this what the good Professor has in mind? Doubtful. But if he is being honest about enhancing education outcomes, there is no real alternative.

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Soros turns up in Obama's LightSquared imbroglio

By Timothy Carney

As Republican lawmakers begin to dig into the White House's cozy relationship with a startup wireless company and the wealthy Democratic donor who owns it, a new character has appeared on the story's edges: liberal superdonor, conservative bete noire and controversial investor George Soros.

Soros reportedly invested in the telecom company LightSquared through a hedge fund, and many of the nonprofits he finances have backed LightSquared in regulatory and policy disputes.
The background:

LightSquared wants to compete with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint to provide mobile broadband (for instance, email and Internet on your Blackberry or iPhone).

Harbinger Capital Partners, a hedge fund run by billionaire financier Philip Falcone, owns LightSquared, and deftly steered the company through some tricky regulatory waters (with would-be competitors AT&T and Verizon fighting him along the way) to get preliminary approval for its plan to start a high-speed broadband wireless network.

Today, LightSquared is scuffling with the global positioning satellite industry, which argues that the company's current plan would interfere with GPS signals. Air Force Gen. William Shelton, head of Space Command, testified to Congress this month that giving LightSquared the radio frequencies it is slated to get would interfere with the military's GPS needs.

Here's the potential scandal: Ahead of Shelton's testimony, White House officials nudged Shelton to go easy on LightSquared, according to Daily Beast reporter Eli Lake. Shelton reportedly said that someone (presumably in the administration) had leaked the first draft of his testimony to LightSquared -- which Falcone denies.

Another government official said the White House pushed him to downplay the GPS worries.

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Vesta Dead: Singer Vesta Williams Found Dead In Hotel Room

By Andrea Devaro on September 23rd, 2011

Singer Vesta Williams died on Thursday. She was 48-years-old.
Williams’ body was reportedly found in a Los Angeles hotel room. No cause of death has been given, and an investigation is said to be underway.

Celebrities have already taken to Twitter to express their condolences.

“Our dear sister and one of the sangiest diva’s ever, vesta williams, has passed away. I loved that sister,” actor Sinbad tweeted

“R.I.P. Ms. Vesta Williams. Wht a tremendous talent + great soul! ‘Cuz as long as I can breathe, you’ll always be the one~for me!” Kimora Lee Simmons wrote.

The Ohio-born Williams had a multi-faceted career, but was best known for her 1988 album “Vesta 4U.” The album produced multiple hits, including “Congratulations,” “Sweet, Sweet Love,” and “Once Bitten Twice Shy.”

Throughout the years the singer, who often just went by her first name, was involved in collaborations with musicians like Chaka Kahn, Anita Baker, Sting, Gladys Knight and Jermaine Jackson. She lent her voice to jingles for Baskin Robbins, Diet Coke, Revlon, Nike/Air Jordan and Exxon, and was a radio personality for a station in Dallas Ft. Worth.

Williams had several acting roles. She played the recurring role of Monica, Jackie Harry’s best friend, on the hit show “Sister, Sister,” and played saloon singer Vera in Mario Van Peebles 1993 film “Posse.” In addition to her role in “Posse,” Williams wrote and performed two songs—”Ride For Your Life” and “Tell Me—for the film.

According to her website she was currently in the studio working on material for her next project

When basketball returns, let’s make these changes – NBA.com

USA Today When basketball returns, let's make these changes NBA.com Our sports world isn't better off with the NBA and the union fighting over money for nine or 10 months. It's a better world if the Lakers and Heat are fighting over the Lawrence O'Brien trophy in 10 months. Yes, there's nothing to be gained if the NBA … The NBA Cancels 43 Preseason Games New York Times NBA cancels 43 preseason games Boston Globe NBA Saturday: Agents Poaching During Lockout? HoopsWorld Los Angeles Times – Orlando Sentinel all 1,140 news articles

Abbas rejects int'l peace blueprint

Globe and Mail

Abbas rejects int'l peace blueprint CBS News Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) UNITED NATIONS — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strongly suggested Saturday that he would reject … PM: I'm the one who will establish peace between 2 statesJerusalem Post 'Quartet's integrity compromised over peace talks' blueprint'Ynetnews Netanyahu ready to accept Quartet plan -Telegraph.co.uk -Los Angeles Times all 5,063 news articles »

Libya NTC faces credibility test at Gaddafi strongholds

Libya’s new government said it had tightened its grip on oasis towns which sided with Muammar Gaddafi, but faced a tough fight to take two remaining strongholds loyal to the ousted leader and bolster its credibility.

Forces of the National Transitional Council said they controlled a string of desert towns in Libya’s deep south, although they said Gaddafi loyalists were still holding out in pockets of at least one oasis.

So far they have failed to take the two much larger loyalist strongholds far to the north, Bani Walid and Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, in a series of chaotic offensives which have raised questions about the NTC’s ability to control the country.

A fighter for Libya’s interim government helping desperate residents flee Muammar Gaddafi ‘s hometown was killed on Friday and a packed family car was destroyed when pro-Gaddafi  forces fired on their convoy, a local commander said.

One month to the day since Gaddafi ‘s compound fell to rebels in Tripoli, the campaign to take Sirte and the fugitive ex-Libyan leader’s other remaining bastion of Bani Walid was on hold for another day.
Asked why National Transitional Council fighters were delaying a final assault on Sirte, commander Osama Muttawa Swehly said ‘we’re trying to get the families out.

‘We are averaging between 400 to 500 cars a day. We are basically trying to starve the Gaddafi  forces)out.’

He said reports from inside the city are that there is no electricity, the water is cut off, shops are closed and people are running out of food.

‘We are giving the families every chance to get out. Once that stream turns into a trickle then stops, then it will be time to act. We don’t want victory at any cost.’

One resident, Malik Mohammed Ferjani, left with about 40 relatives in a seven-car convoy on Friday, saying he was on a Gaddafi  hit list.

‘People are being executed by Gaddafi  soldiers,’ Ferjani said. ‘Gaddafi  soldiers have a list of 500 names; my name is on that list.’

The family decided to flee ‘after they fired three rockets at my house this morning,’ he said.
He was speaking at a field hospital 50 kilometres west of Sirte, where NTC officials were searching cars coming from the city before allowing them to proceed.

The officials said that, by midday, 385 people had come through.

When rebel fighters stormed and captured Gaddafi ‘s Bab al-Aziziya headquarters on August 23, they found no trace of the strongman, who has since made several broadcasts claiming he is still in Libya.

While the country’s new authorities do not know where he is, they are focused on taking the coastal city of Sirte and the desert redoubt of Bani Walid, two places where some think he might be.

Following fierce resistance by defenders, Gaddafi  spokesman Mussa Ibrahim called on Friday for continued resolve against ‘agents and traitors.’

Speaking on Damascus-based Arrai television from an unknown location, he also denounced what he called ‘genocide’ by NATO and its ‘Libyan agents’ and criticised the world community for ‘inaction.’

News source: The daily new age