With all that is going on in America and in the world that has impact our lives and the futures of our children, it is not surprising that a lot of news passes under the radar, sort of speak. Sometimes I have to wonder if there is a conspiracy within the MSM to keep some news under the radar because they don’t want the world to know just how outrageously stupid Americans can be at times.
We have come to expect people in government to do stupid things. In fact that is the norm and it is not just an American phenomena. Two of today’s stories have to do with government. But, we generally tend to think that the people in charge of major corporations would likely be very smart people. The first story today will prove that this theory doesn’t always hold up.
China Dupes General Motors Again
From a recent American Thinker article we learn
It’s déjà vu all over again! GM again caves to Chinese pressure. In September it was the electric car. In April it was the Cadillac.
Allow me to explain what is going on. To do business in China, like many socialist countries, a foreign company like General Motors must have a cinese partner. In this case, the Chinese partner is a company that goes by the accrmym of SAIC. But, not only does GM have to take on a Chinese partner, they are required by the Chinese government to share all of their technology with the partner. And, what does SAIC do with that shared technology? Well, they go off and build a wholly owned factory of their own and produce a clone to compete directly with General Motors.
Can somebody explain to me how this is good business for General Motors? I ask that question because here is what is going to happen. In exchange for some short-term profits (maybe), GM is going to give up its technology and eventually they are going to lose their market share to SAIC’s other company and SAIC will probably end up the proud 100% owner of the factory that GM built with its capital. I have to wonder if GM’s US partner, the US Government, has had a hand in these decisions. Whatever, it looks pretty stupid to me.
Abuse of Government Freebies
Here is a government freeby program that I had no idea it existed. Bid you know that the FCC (I tried without success to find out when this program started) has a program called Lifeline for low-income folks to have phone service? Bruce McQuain at Questions and Observation has this story. The FCC Lifeline program was originally to provide low-income people with landline phone service in case there were emergencies that needed to be reported. Later on the program was extended to provide free cell phones and even free smart phones. Here is a quote from Arkansas’ Republican Congressman Tim Griffin
“People are not only getting [one free cell phone], they’re getting multiples. There are reports of people getting 10, 20, 30 — just routinely getting more than one, selling them, storing them up, whatever,” Griffin said
This freeby program is costing taxpayer about $1 billion per year. You see, although government people are stupid , poor people are not so stupid. These phones come with 100 minutes or more of free use. So, what happens? A poor person goes to a participating store and they get their free smart phone. Then they go to another and another participating store and get more phones. They use up their free minutes and sell the phones and start the process al over again. So, Mr. McQuain has a question for you
…Ever wonder what that line on your bill that says “universal service fund” was all about? Well, this is what it’s about. Your government giving away cell phones with no apparent accountability and you paying for them.
Yup! We always pay for government stupidity, don’t we?
A Nanny Never Sleeps
I swear these people stay up nights divining problems that government must solve by creating another law. This low flying news also comes to us thanks to Bruce McQuain at Questions and Observations. The Nanny in question is a Kathy Webb, a state Representative from Arkansas. She thinks frying hamburgers is dangerous to the environment.
Webb has submitted Interim Study Proposal 2011-201, an act “to declare an emergency” over the alleged crisis. Frying hamburgers is now The People’s Business of the Highest Order.
Webb’s bill claims food grease presents an emergency risk of sewer overflows that threatens the environment. “It is in the public interest to establish a Fat, Oil, and Grease Advisory Committee to study the recommended measures to better ensure that the collection, transportation, disposal, and recycling of fat, oil, and grease are done in a manner that is protective of the environment,” reads the bill.
And, there is more
According to the bill, the state will appoint a 14 (!) member committee “with adequate staff and facilities” to study the frying-pan-grease emergency and recommend legislation, enforcement, and other emergency government action to fight food grease. Even after such action, the committee and its “adequate staff and facilities” will perpetually exist, convene, and soak up taxpayer resources.
Bruce has a response that is much better than anything I could come up with
Because that’s what government does. It appoints “Grease Czars”, enthrones them in perpetuity “with adequate staff and facilities” and then wastes taxpayer money trying to enforce unenforceable laws passed by morons.
Yeah, stupid is as stupid does. Stupid is a commodity that we never seem to run short of.
Well, that’s what I’m thinking. What are your thoughts?
Asylum Watch 
I think you’ve nailed a few prime example of why we are intellectually, morally and financially bankrupt.
Exactly! What is really scary is this is just a “few” examples.
Extremely entertaining, Jim.
As far as “stupid goes”, you have your work cut out for you. The supply is infinite and growing.
It is actually the only growing industry. Do you know if there is a futures market where we can invest in it?
I think the derivatives market has that covered, John.
Good answer; it does not let you ‘make’ money because of ‘stupid’, but at least it ‘protects’ you against it.
Might as well, because if I go long on ‘stupid’ I would have to vote Democrat this November.
I don’t think the mainstream media is smart enough to be part of a conspiracy. More than likely, they are just manipulated by folks.
GM and China…
Its of interest to note that GM sells lots of cars in China. That is what made it the world’s largest automaker again by numbers of cars sold.
However, Fortune just published that Ford is the 5th most profitable company in the US and GM comes in at 20th. Ford made about 2.5 times what GM did. The high Chinese tariffs are probably responsible for GM’s lower profits despite selling many, many more cars.
Cell Phones for low Income…
All government programs start out well intentioned before they go haywire.
A Nanny Never Sleeps…
See cell phone comment. lol!!!
Way to go, Ford!
Foolishness truly knows no bounds. All of these politicians and bureaucrats would benefit hugely from spending a month shadowing an average stay at home mom.
Geez, that would teach them a thing or two!
It seems to me that a lot of the ideas for freebies had good intentions. Then, the government ran with the ball and sank into abuse — the taxpayers being the ones getting abused, of course.
Maybe it all comes down to utopianism?
You would think they could learn from past similar mistakes; but not our guys and gals.
Reblogged this on That Mr. G Guy's Blog and commented:
The asininity just never ceases to amaze me.
What is sad, Mike, is that these things are so common nobody gets upset anymore.
America did vote for Obama in 2008. I think that alone shows us how stupid Americans can be. But you are right, there is no shortage of stupid things happening within our government, and we are all going to pay for them.
The bigger the government gets, the worse it will be.
Just think of how great it will be once the government runs everything!
Just unbelievable, and you know what makes this sort of stupidity worse, it’s the arrogant way the government will respond to any queries or criticism of it.
Free cell phones, heavens above, can we please get rid of that useless, empty suit in the white house and get a tea party minded president in to starve this bureaucratic beast. America and the west cannot afford not to.