Random Rants and Revelations (the 3 R's)

A bunch of stuff: notions, thoughts, remarks, complaints - that haven't been big enough for their own posts... finally a critical mass of their own. The "tired of hearing..." section:

- I didn't watch/listen to the State of the Union address the other night, but have heard enough excerpts on the radio. I'm fairly tired of hearing the phrase "the way forward". It wasn't that insiprational when Bill Ford, Jr. used it to describe the re-structuring at Ford to try to get out of their death spiral, and it sure isn't that inspirational when Dubya says it. (side note: Ford just announced a record-breaking $12.7 Billion annual loss for 2006. Nice "way forward". Foreshadowing, anyone?)

- Fairly tired of hearing the phrase "...and just let the market sort it out" as an idea of conservatives to federal funding legislation/social programs. If you really and truly want the market to be the solution to problems, then admit to what kind of "sorting out" the "market" would do: it would never rebuild New Orleans - it would let it rot, and with the exception of oil derricks and entry to the Mississippi River, would be abandoned. "The market" would also ignore notions of standard weights and measures, and wouldn't give a hoot about truth in advertising. You think drug companies go willy-nilly these days? Think back to the days of snake-oil salesmen back before things like the USDA/FDA. The grocer with his finger on the scale would be the least of your worries when grandma is taking a mercury-laced emetic to help with 'the vapors'. Not to mention "the market" wouldn't give a shit about justice, other than to protect the banks and trading places. You think "the market" would have sorted out that slave trade back in the 1800's? Think about that next time you hear about what "the market" will or will not sort out.

- I'm definitely tired of hearing "we can't ____ our way out of ____". Whether it's "drill our way out of the looming energy crisis" (i.e. ANWAR, etc.), or "pave our way out of urban gridlock"