Friday, October 21, 2011

Thanks, Janet and Eric: Mexican Cartels Recruiting Texas Children as "Expendable" Drug Runners

This story will literally make you sick.

Texas law enforcement officials say several Mexican drug cartels are luring youngsters as young as 11 to work in their smuggling operations.

Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told Reuters the drug gangs have a chilling name for the young Texans lured into their operations.

"They call them 'the expendables,'" he said.

McCraw said his investigators have evidence six Mexican drug gangs -- including the violent Zetas -- have "command and control centers" in Texas actively recruiting children for their operations, attracting them with what appears to be "easy money" for doing simple tasks... "Cartels would pay kids $50 just for them to move a vehicle from one position to another position, which allows the cartel to keep it under surveillance to see if law enforcement has it under surveillance," he said.

"Of course, once you're hooked up with them, there's consequences."

...This month, "we made an arrest of a 12-year-old boy who was in a stolen pickup truck with 800 pounds of marijuana," he said. "So they do recruit our kids."

...Law enforcement officers say children are less likely to be suspects than adults, are easily manipulated by relatively small sums of money, and face less severe penalties than adults if arrested.

...Last month, Texas officials released a report indicating Mexico-based drug gangs are intent on creating a "sanitary zone" on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, and are "intimidating landowners" in south Texas into allowing them to use their property as "permanent bases" for drug smuggling activity.

Say, I've got an idea: let's keep our border with Mexico wide open to allow the drug cartels free rein.

What's that? You say Eric Holder, Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama have already been doing that? Roger that.


The Five Butt-Ugliest

5. 2012 Honda Odyssey - Is it just me, or does it look like this van's rear quarter-panel just got T-boned? But maybe that's the look they were going for.

4. 2011 Nissan Cube - I'm guessing the Cube's designer was related to Salvador Dali. All that's missing is the melted clock hanging off the side.

3. 2012 Cadillac EXT - It's a pickup! No, it's a luxury SUV! No, it's a luxury pickup! Uhm, to be fair, a far better handle is the Cadillac WTF.

2. 2012 Chrysler Town and Country Minivan - 1983 called and they want their van back.

1. 2012 smart fortwo - Looking for a golf cart that's both slow and unsafe? Well, have we got a deal for you!


Images: Edmunds.com.

Unintentionally Hilarious Democrat Idiocy o' the Day

Two words I guarantee you will never, ever hear:

"President Biden".


Hat tip: L.C.

Illustrated: Inside the Obama 2008 Money-Laundering Machine

A year in advance of the momentous 2012 elections, it's worth revisiting the 2008 campaign that brought Barack Obama to power. In particular, the Obama campaign took an unprecedented series of steps to allow illegal campaign contributions and electronic money laundering.

Imagine a campaign website that intentionally turned off all credit-card security, which allowed the entry of fake names and addresses for donations. Obama's 2008 fundraising website intentionally allowed this to occur.

Imagine a campaign that accepted made-up credit-card numbers, which were probably tried one after another until valid card numbers were found. Obama's 2008 fundraising website intentionally allowed this to occur.

Or a campaign that retained forged computer addresses for its donations instead of the addresses of the real donors. Obama's 2008 fundraising website intentionally allowed this to occur.

Or a campaign that accepted untraceable prepaid cash cards that could easily have been used to evade contribution limits or mask contributor identities. Obama's 2008 fundraising website intentionally allowed this to occur.

Or a campaign that secretly shared donor lists with Project Vote and ACORN, the latter a group reportedly under a RICO investigation for multi-state vote fraud involving hundreds of thousands of fraudulent registrations and other misdeeds. Obama's 2008 fundraising operation allegedly did just that.

Now imagine hundreds of millions of dollars in undisclosed, suspect donations orchestrated by foreign nationals and other persons unknown. Obama's 2008 fundraising website intentionally allowed this sort of activity to occur.

Roughly two-thirds of Barack Obama’s record haul derived from a website that intentionally disabled all security checks that prevent basic fraud. In other words, his website facilitated crooked donations complete with fake names, phony addresses, no donation limits, untraceable cards and bogus computer addresses.

Let me repeat that last point. The Obama campaign's website intentionally allowed the use of fake computer addresses (known in the tech world as IP addresses). In my opinion, there is only one reason a website would allow the submission of a fake IP address: money-laundering. Logging of the true IP address would mean that the real source (including the city and country) of the contribution could be traced. Allowing a fake address to be logged instead would prevent authorities from ascertaining the true origin of the donation.

These deliberate steps permitted the Obama campaign to accept illegal co-mingled funds, illegal foreign contributions and illegal structured donations.

In 2012, I urge you to be on the look-out for this kind of diabolical rule-breaking as a desperate Democrat Party scrabbles to hold onto power.


Larwyn's Linx: ObamaCare's Broken Promises

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

ObamaCare's Broken Promises: Samuelson
While you were sleeping: Sneaky midnight-hour Senate moves: Malkin
Dem Rep. announces retirement -- then blasts Obama: GWP

Islamic Speech Police Lobby Eric Holder’s DOJ: Tatler
Trial lawyers, shakedown artists and the Obama administration: IBD
Pentagon's nightmare: $1 trillion in budget cuts: CNN

Economy

9-9-9 For Dummies: Strata-Sphere
Murders, Rapes, Falling Bridges and Phantom Jobs: DLim
Harry Reid: private sector is "doing just fine": IBD

Was Steve Jobs a closet Republican?: Stiletto
European debt crisis: Worst-case scenarios: WaPo
Avg. fed employee makes $126,000 a year: Bloomberg

Steve Jobs to Obama: “You’re headed for a one-term presidency”: Hot Air
Louisiana Bans Cash Transactions: Tatler
Squatting on Wall Street: WSJ

Occupy

Report: Occupy Oakland Devolves into “Lord of the Flies”: VS
NYC residents angry at OWS: “They are defecating on our doorsteps!”: Scoop
Occupy . . .Whatever: Cliffs

Gunrunner & Solyndra

SSI Exclusive: The 3rd Gun & "K1" -- not the same thing.: SSI
Sheriff Bebeu on Fast and Furious: "We'll Know Exactly What Barack Obama Knew": Nice Deb
Be Furious Over Operation Fast and Furious : HuffPo

Climate & Energy

Good news: EPA to begin killing jobs even before court hearing contesting their killing jobs: Tatler
Befuddled Warmist Richard Muller Declares Skeptics Should Convert to Believers!: Depot
AGW Hubris Of The Week: One Million Fewer In Fuel Poverty: Soylent Green

Media

Occupy MTV: Surber
Krugman's Not-So-Excellent Adventure: IBD
Networks Won't Admit Occupiers Want 'Socialist' Revolution: MRC

Seven Images That Will Make The Occupiers Cry: PJ Lifestyle
White House Backs Up Biden on ‘Rape and Murder’ Claims: Malkin
Biden Sticks to the Playbook: Goldberg

Many Americans Are Scared of Socialism: Cube
Rubio Rips Washington Post Story: WklyStd
Jon Stewart On GOP Reaction To Gaddafi’s Death: ‘What The F*** Is Wrong With You?’: Mediaite

World

What Gaddafi’s Death Teaches the Middle East…And Should Teach the West: BRubin
U.S. Deports Mexican Criminals, Mexico Doesn’t Like it.: PJM
Is the Occupy Movement Anti-Democratic?: Slate

Khadafy's Dead! Barry Did It! Media Celebrates!: EIB
Robin Hood vs. The Occupiers: Malkin
Muslim on Southwest flight: ‘You’re all going to die, Allahu Akbar’: Creeping

Sci-Tech

It’s Not Too Late to Learn How to Code: Jean Hsu
Apple Manager Breaks Rule, Makes 10-Year-Old Girl's Dreams Come True: Consumerist
Microsoft sees strong Office and flat Windows in quarter: CNet

Cornucopia

Teach Your Children Well: MOTUS
Obama’s Last Words To Gaddafi: Sad Hill News
Exclusive: #OWS “I am the 99%” Graphic Reveals Mastermind Behind the Movement: AllAm

Image: Flopping Aces
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Herman Cain for President


Thursday, October 20, 2011

Five Months

Before conservatives get too cocky about the prospects of booting President Subprime McDowngrade out of office in 2012, I'd like them to consider the following Gallup chart:

Just five short months ago, Barack Obama's favorability-to-unfavorability ratio was essentially the opposite of what it is today.

Which shows how quickly public opinion can shift.

Especially with a compliant legacy media.

Hoping that Obama's failed policies will simply materialize as electoral victories for conservatives is begging for disaster. Marshal your friends, your family members and your co-workers, because 2012 is coming.


Should I be concerned that I found these in my tub last night after bathing?

In truth, these wouldn't fit in my bathtub. Holy frickin' crap.

A submarine exploring the ocean's depths recently returned with an unexpected visitor: a crablike critter that has left many readers startled and horrified...

In a posting to social bookmarking site Reddit, a deep-sea technician detailed the finding, asking the site's readers to help identify what exactly the bizarre looking creature was.

A submarine exploring the ocean's depths recently returned with an unexpected visitor: a crablike critter that has left many readers startled and horrified.

The post reads, "I work for a Sub-sea Survey Company, recently this beast came up attached to one of our ROVs. It measures a wee bit over 2.5 feet head to tail, and we expect it latched onto the ROV at roughly 8,500 feet depth. Unfortunately, the e-mail that these pictures were attached to came from a contractor, and the ship he was operating from (and therefore location) is unknown, so I can't tell you what part of the Earth this beast was living."

The pictures reveal the creature to be a giant isopod, a large crustacean that dwells in deep Atlantic and Pacific waters. This particular creature is a Bathynomus giganteus, a deep-sea scavenger that feeds on dead whales, fish and squid.

Update: Papa B: "I'd recommend seeing a dermatologist."


More Green Grift: EPA Certifies Taxpayer-Funded Luxury Electric Vehicle With Total Range of... 32 Miles

Gee, a range of 32 miles in electric mode and 20 mpg on gasoline doesn't strike me as especially... eh, helpful:

Fisker's Karma extended-range EV just received its official certification from the EPA, but the numbers aren't exactly what the company hoped for.

While Fisker had predicted a rating of 67 mpge and an all-electric range of 50 miles, the EPA disagreed, certifying the car with 52 mpge, a range of 32 miles, and 20 mpg in gasoline mode after that. Ouch.

Of course, the affordable price makes up for it:

Our tax dollars at work… a half-billion dollar loan (actually $529 million) from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a hybrid toy for the wealthy and/or celebri-licious (like Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the first customers) that, in real world driving, won’t get much better mileage than your average crossover utility vehicle. Not only that, but the cars are manufactured in Finland — that’s right, Finland – and shipped here for sale, where their purchasers will then receive a $7,500 tax credit for buying one (the “cheap” base model starts at $96,895, with the full-zoot Eco Chic model going for a bargain $108,900).

...the Federal government [was] a major financial partner in Fisker Automotive... We the taxpayers are on the hook for more than half a billion dollars, about the same amount that got loaned to Solyndra, another “green manufacturer,” before they went bankrupt. At least Solyndra was manufacturing their products in this country, providing American manufacturing jobs (if short-lived jobs), and making a product that average Americans could conceivably afford. Fisker is manufacturing these gorgeous Leonardo DiCaprio toys in Finland. And the kicker, for those of you who would still claim that the risk of half a billion tax dollars is justified by environmental gains… contrary to the company’s initial hype, the Karma will only run for thirty-two miles on its electric motors before its turbocharged gasoline engine needs to kick in (as opposed to the initial estimate of fifty miles). Once that occurs, the Karma gets about the same mileage as a Ford Explorer. Not the new Explorer, even. The older, gas-hog, body-on-frame model. We’re talking twenty miles per gallon, folks. So much for your “green investment.”

...Al Gore is on the list of customers waiting to receive their Fisker Karmas, having put in his order before the DOE signed off on the company’s half-billion dollar loan. Oh, and by the way, it just so happens that several major investors in the company are also major donors to the Democratic Party. And here’s information on John Doerr, an advisor to President Obama who is also a major investor in Fisker Automotive. Can you say, “crony capitalism?”

Oh, good.

Our children and grandchildren will pay for this green scam with interest.

I wonder how many billions have been laundered from the taxpayers to President Obama's contributors under the banner of "green jobs"?


Exclusive First Look: New Democrat Ad Sells the Obama Jobs Bill

Hey, folks, I'm Vice President Joe Biden speaking to you today about the importance of passing President Obama's jobs bill.

As I speak to you, the President is busy traveling the country, telling folks like you about the urgency of passing this bill.

He's working tirelessly to get the message out.

Look, folks, Americans simply cannot get work without this new bill!

We need bridges and roads and bike paths. It's a big f***in' deal!

The number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S.

Jobs for cops and teachers, dues-paying cops and teachers.

In fact, if you don't support this bill, more women like this one will get raped.

So call your representative today and tell them to say "no" to Republican rape-supporters and "yes" to the Obama jobs bill.

No to rape. Yes to jobs. Paid for by the Solyndra Political Action Committee, La Raza, Obama-Biden 2012, the AFL-CIO and the Soros Foundation to Advance One World Government 'n' Stuff.


Larwyn's Linx: Occupy Wall Street (Hearts) Wall Street

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

Occupy Wall Street (Hearts) Wall Street: Coulter
CNN Blows the Lid Off ‘The Liberal Church of Herman Cain’: Driscoll
Romney's Latest Anti-Perry Ad Dishonest, Dishonorable: GWP

Report: Fed Directors Benefited From Bailouts: Exam
The GOP and RomneyCare: WSJ
Cain the Contender: RSM

Economy

5 reasons income inequality is a myth — and OWS is wrong: Pethokoukis
Envy Is the Problem: TAB
Panic stations: Bank's unanimous vote on QE bodes ill: Telegraph

Issa Blasts NLRB for withholding documents: Nice Deb
Biden: Pass Obama’s jobs bill or somebody is going to get raped: Knight
Wealth Redistributors Freak When Their Wealth Redistributed: Driscoll

A Moment of Candor From Harry Reid: Power Line
Obamacare likely to hurt less-skilled workers: Hot Air
Zbigniew Brzezinski's Enemies List: IBD

Occupy

Hey, Occupy Wall Street: What, No Anti-Obama Signs?: Elder
Anti-Semitic Teacher Filmed at OWS Fired by LAUSD: AmPower
American Nazi Party: OWS Fervor "Sweeping The Land Like a Breath of Cleansing Air!”: WZ

Gunrunner & Energygate

Energy Department Altering On-Line Press Releases About "Green" Energy Loans: Ace
Solyndra: IRS gave company individualized tax breaks: NRO
Gunwalker: The Third Gun: Owens

SSI Exclusive: OIG "investigation" a "total sham that will go on forever.": Sipsey
Napolitano on ATF Fast and Furious: "We're waiting for the Inspector General": Attkisson
Obama Energy Dept. Literally Re-writing Solyndra History; Will Media Report?: NB

Climate & Energy

EU Leak Shows Wind, Solar Energy to Double Power Bills: Instapundit
Al Gore Attempts High School Science. Hilarity Ensues: Ace
The DOE Is Acting Kremlinesque: Betsy

Media

Letter to the Republican Presidential Candidates from a Former Democrat: Simon
ABC Touts Tapper's Question to Obama on Children's Books, Spikes His Fast and Furious Query: NB
Left sees Solyndra coverage and asks, ‘Where’s Keystone?’: Politico

Obama: "I'm Enormously Proud of" Myself... "All the Choices [I've] Made Have Been Right": PunditPress
Vote For Obama Because He's Black: Thomas
A Picture Is Worth 10,000... eh... Dollars: Wizbang

The Beast That Ate the News Cycle: Instapundit
R.I.P., America’s liberal-media elite: MarketWatch
Joe Biden to Jason Mattera: 'Don't Screw Around With Me' : JWF

World

I’m Baffled. What’s He Up To?: Ledeen
Poll: Only 39% of Jewish Voters In Deep-Blue NYC Approve of Obama's Israel Policies, 55% Disapprove: WZ
Burglary arrests in San Antonio terror related?: Hot Air

Sci-Tech

Highest Paid IT Executives: CIO Insight
Uh oh: “Son of Stuxnet” now circulating online: Hot Air
F-35B: “Running When We Intended to Crawl”: DefTech

Cornucopia

Snappy Retorts Throughout History: Ace
Wednesday Night War Porn: WZ
"GAAP-uccino" - David Einhorn's Full Short Green Mountain Coffee Presentation: ZH

Image: Green Mountains - "Don't Be That Idiot"
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Michele Bachmann for President

QOTD: "We still don’t know:

• who came up with Operation Fast and Furious;
• the identities of the Justice, Homeland Security, State, and Treasury officials that approved the operation;
• why the acting DOJ inspector general has not recused herself from the DOJ investigation considering her past legal work with Eric Holder, a seemingly clear conflict of interest;
• how four cabinet-level agencies could run a high risk, low chance of success operation without the White House approving and monitoring the operation;
• why officials running the plot felt compelled to “dirty up” an ATF agent by forcing him to use taxpayer dollars to buy six Draco pistols and to deliver them personally to cartel weapons smugglers in hopes his involvement would keep him from testifying;
• why the agencies involved refuse to answer direct questions from congressmen and senators who have asked whether there were gunwalking programs in other states.

It appears that the primary mission of Eric Holder’s Department of Justice is to insulate President Obama’s political appointees from the consequences of their actions, and to obstruct the pursuit of justice by Congress as much as possible." --Bob Owens

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Awesome news: GM now using taxpayer dollars to award teachers "Green Educator" prizes consisting of unsellable Chevy Volts

Looking for an unholy alliance between the climate change scam, the teachers' unions and Government Motors?

Well, Sweet Fancy Moses, we've got it -- all on the taxpayers' dime, mind you (remember, GM still owes taxpayers roughly $40 billion):

A local science teacher has passed his knowledge on to students, and now General Motors is passing an award on to him.

Officials from GM's Genesee County plants handed out the award, and with it, the keys to one of the greenest cars around...

...It was a big surprise for Beecher biology teacher Don Hammond.

The car is a bonus to the Chevrolet "Green Educator of the Year award," a new award focusing on environmental education.

"Students, the next generation of adults coming up, need to understand that they do need to take that to heart and try and make a difference," said Hammond. "So being environmental stewards and learning about social justice and those kinds of things as young adults. That's really what it's all about."

Great. That's just what young scientists must learn to succeed in the cutthroat global competition: "social justice".

What a freaking disaster.


Germany and the End of the Euro

A commenter ("AbelCatalyst") on ZeroHedge offers the following theory concerning Germany and the Euro:

The following “Black Swan” theory is quite plausible, yet, very few have really discussed it because it feels too “out there,” which makes it the perfect Black Swan event.

The Black Swan Theory: Germany is about to go back to the Mark and there are overwhelmingly compelling reasons for Germany to do so:

1. Germany has a ton of debt, close to 80% of GDP, which they can inflate away without experiencing the chaos of hyperinflation

As in the US and most developed countries, the only way the debt is going away is either by default or inflation. Germany has a very unique opportunity as they can inflate away their debt and not experience the consequences of hyperinflation. Think about this for a moment. If Germany drops out of the Euro, then that currency goes into a death spiral while the Mark increases in value. All of their debt is in Euros so they can say bye-bye to their mountain of debt almost immediately. This is a unique opportunity for Germany at a very critical moment in time. It may not be wise to underestimate the power of self preservation. This is why German continues to appear to play nice, but is doing absolutely nothing (see German Endgame below).

2. Germany is deathly afraid of hyperinflation, but knows it needs inflation to wipe out it’s debt

As with almost every other developed country, inflation is needed, but the consequences are severe and civil unrest would surly follow. Most countries are between a rock and a hard place – no painless solution exists. However, Germany has the perfect solution looking them in the face. They can experience all the benefits of hyperinflation, while pushing the pain onto their neighbors. Again, this is a situation that is unique only to Germany because they are singlehandedly holding up the Euro while having all their debt in Euros. The pull to go back to the Mark must feel incredibly tempting, and I’m not sure they can resist.

3. Germany MUST keep their AAA rating

If Germany stays with the Euro they will lose their AAA rating, and their current debt will become totally unmanageable (just like every other developed nation). The difference is Germany has the unique opportunity to print Marks and inflate their debt away with virtually no negative consequences.

4. The benefit of being in the Euro is quickly coming to a close

Germany has been the number one beneficiary of the Euro as they let PIIGS nations borrow at low rates to buy their exports. While Germany’s exports and economy has done well, the catalyst for growth has been debt. This is the same for all developed, debtor nations; however, Germany has a very unique exit strategy. As it relates to this theory, many of the benefits to being in the Euro is quickly diminishing, which makes Germany’s exit from the Euro far more compelling at the present time.

The Endgame for Germany

The Endgame is easy for Germany. The Euro needs to fall apart before they can make their move so they’re just sitting back and waiting patiently for the opportunity. If Greece goes bankrupt and the dominoes begin to fall, watch for Germany to go back to the Mark.

The strategy is obvious: Germany simply appears to be supporting the Euro as aggressively as possible without taking any actual action. Does this sound familiar? Float roomers, suck up to the French, agree to bailouts as long as there is a long list of strings, have their high court subtly undermine Germany’s participation in bailouts, and sit back and wait for the collapse. It’s important to understand that it is in Germany’s best interest for the Euro to fall apart because they will end up with the strongest currency with virtually no debt.

I’m not sure why people have not seen this, but it seems fairly obvious. Each country will ultimately act in their own best interest when the SHTF and this will be the best option for Germany – is there any doubt? What country in such a unique situation would not do the same? Do you think the US would do this if presented with the opportunity? You bet they would!

If you look at all the evidence through the lens of this Black Swan Theory, then all the recent actions (or lack thereof) begin to make perfect sense! And as a final note, a recent very credible source said that Germany is already in the process of printing Marks!

When it comes to the tangled spaghetti-wiring that is the Eurozone, the concept of an "orderly default" strikes me as an oxymoron.


The Five Best-Looking Rear Ends






Images via Edmunds.com.

Another classic from James Taranto

Uncle Ben points us to this gem:

If you don't laugh out loud at this New York Post report, you have no heart:

Occupy Wall Street protesters said yesterday that packs of brazen crooks within their ranks have been robbing their fellow demonstrators blind, making off with pricey cameras, phones and laptops--and even a hefty bundle of donated cash and food.

"Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment," said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.

"I had my Mac stolen--that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone. Last night, our entire [kitchen] budget for the day was stolen, so the first thing I had to do was . . . get the message out to our supporters that we needed food!"


Oh heavens no! Krugman's Army has been infiltrated by people who don't believe in property rights!

Or, to paraphrase Ed Driscoll: "Wealth Redistributors Freak When Their Wealth Redistributed!"


Just Two More of the Filthy One Percent

The "99 percent versus the one percent" may make for a good populist slogan but it has no basis in fact.

Five separate studies by liberal economists reveal that "income inequality is a myth."

In fact, no less a leftist icon than Jason Furman -- deputy director of President Obama's National Economic Council -- wrote in 2006 that every segment of American society has become wealthier since the Reagan revolution.

Remember when even upper-middle class families worried about staying on a long distance call for too long? When flying was an expensive luxury? When only a minority of the population had central air conditioning, dishwashers, and color televisions? When no one had DVD players, iPods, or digital cameras? And when most Americans owned a car that broke down frequently, guzzled fuel, spewed foul smelling pollution, and didn’t have any of the now virtually standard items like air conditioning or tape/CD players?

Free enterprise, the market system and -- dare I say it -- capitalism -- have created the most magnificent society ever seen on the face of the Earth.

But put all of the studies and common sense aside (easy for the Occupy Wall Streeters, to be sure) -- and simply consider two of Obama's hated "one percent".

Twelve years ago, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were students at Stanford. They were then members of Obama's oppressed "poor". Page grew up in this house, hardly the lap of luxury.

Less than ten years later, Page and Brin were worth a combined $36 billion as the founders of Google.

What the Left's economic illiterates can't or won't understand is that wealth disparity is wonderful. It allowed Page and Brin to invent, innovate, and construct a radically wonderful company from whole cloth, employing tens of thousands and producing thousands of other millionaires. Many of these new millionaires invested, spent, created other new companies without having their money stolen by the government and delivered to their political cronies (*cough* Solyndra *cough*).

Now, of course, Brin and Page are among the vile "rich" -- to be demonized as somehow oppressing the poor.

But if you take more money from the business owners, you get less venture capital, less investment, less business growth and -- ultimately -- fewer jobs.

You see, drones, what's important is not wealth disparity, it's income mobility. That is, the ability to move between economic classes is what makes America unique.

Of the top ten wealthiest members of the Forbes 400, six are self-made billionaires.

But apparently this is too difficult for the economic illiterates behind Occupy Wall Street. They want the rich to become poorer, so they'll invest less, spend less and hire fewer people.

In fact, I'd call the OWS crowd dumber than a bag of hammers, but that unfairly impugns the usefulness of hammers.


Larwyn's Linx: Obama's “Mini” Jobs Bill: a $35 Billion Union Bailout

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

Obama's “Mini” Jobs Bill: a $35 Billion Union Bailout: Malkin
Clark Clifford Republicans: Lord
Obama Fundraising Redux: Campaign Stimulus?: Patterico

Ennui on Wall Street: Dewey
The Three Phases of Civil Unrest: Big Peace
My New Hero Shuts Down Wind Farm: Soylent Green

Drunkblogging Tonight’s GOP Debate: Vodkapundit
Analysis Of CNN’s Nevada Debate: The Winners And Losers: RWN
Debate Score: Perry for the Win: Tatler

Occupy

Occupy Events Nationwide Marred by Assault Reports: VS
Marxist Mobocracy: Times
Occupy LA: Kooks and Commies and Creeps, Oh My: Zombie

World’s most ineffectual revolutionary recruiter: Zombie
Felon armed with rifle arrested at Occupy Seattle: GWP
Are You Smarter Than a Wall Street Occupier?: NYMag

Economy

Headed to Disaster: Treasury Report on FY 2011 Deficit: VirtRep
Wall Street Protesters Are Half Right: Stossel
Obama and the OWS Protesters: Regan

Pitting Us Against Each Other: RWN
Gov. Brown puts unions ahead of citizens, again: UnionWatch
European Banks Vow $1 Trillion Shrinkage: Bloomberg

Gunrunner & Energygate

The Media's Green Whitewash: Bozell
‘Fast & Furious’: How botched operation spawned fatal results: Times
DOJ Accuses Issa of 'Mischaracterizing' Evidence in Probe of Operation Fast and Furious: Fox

Media

Obama: My opponents fail to lead while I am in power: Times
A State-Sponsored Revolution: Winter Soldier
Dour Denninger Dumps on Yours Truly — and Pajamas Media: Blumer

Herman Cain: Runaway Slave: Marcus
Fake signatures may mean Obama didn't actually qualify in Indiana in '08: SBTrib
Sums Things Up Nicely: Wizbang

World

Iranians Win 4,453 ‘Diversity Visa’ Applications to Immigrate to U.S.: Bruce
Houston Hyatt Place Hotel caves to Islamic supremacist intimidation, cancels Pamela Geller event: JihadWatch
The Moral Vertigo of Ban Ki-Moon: PJM

A "Must See" Heart Wrenching Video of Moral Deterioration in China: Mish (Caution: Graphic)
Pro-Israel Activists Take on SJP at Columbia University: NoisyRm
More Trouble in France: Mayotte Riots: PJM

Sci-Tech

Google Encrypts Search to Thwart Wi-Fi Hackers: Wired
Dropbox Raises $250M In Funding, Boasts 45 Million Users: Crunch
Three killer deals on 1st-gen iPads: CNet

Cornucopia

Occupy the White House 2012: We’re Not Leaving: MOTUS
Obamacare's a Trap!: Modicum of Insanity
Where's my certified letter? My telephone conversation from hell with a postal supervisor: Marathon

Image: Zero Hedge
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Michele Bachmann for President

QOTD: "Italy and Spain together have just under €2.5 trillion worth of general government debt outstanding. Tradable Spanish and Italian sovereign debt alone amounts to €2.1 trillion. Adding Greece, Ireland and Portugal raises general government debt to €3.1 trillion and tradable government debt to €2.6 trillion. Adding Belgium would raise these totals to €3.5 trillion and €2.9 trillion. In the perhaps unlikely case that France would need sovereign debt insurance, targeting the stocks rather than the flows would require taking care of €5.1 trillion of gross sovereign debt or €4.3 trillion of tradable government debt.

These numbers are beyond the size of even the most optimistic estimates of the most audacious of rescue umbrellas." --Tyler Durden