"...things can't get worse." Someone needs to buy them a ticket to Detroit.

The problem is insoluble. California is doomed to die. Then perhaps some smart, ruthless, hardworking people will build it up again. First all the parasites need to be shed. We're at a point recognized by many philosophers. "...when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader—the barbarians enter Rome." — Robert A. Heinlein "

He pulled money out of his own pocket? He's no (big-D) Democrat, he's a conservative and if anything a little-d democrat. There's been a great deal of talk about the divide between country club Republicans and the rest of the party. This article reminds us of the historic divide in the D party. This election will highlight the similarities between the non-elite Dems and non-country club Reps. It's the elite Dems bad luck to be the ones about to suffer the consequences of the over-reach by party elites from both sides of the aisle. If Reps come back in behaving the same way, they'll be next.

"I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur."

Did I miss something? Has Hirohito been causing trouble? Again?

In other words, Obama has trouble with victory because it means crushing the enemy and ensuring decades of peace and prosperity once they understand you mean business.

Gee, how much better to send a weak-a##ed signal of equivocation, uncertainty, and fecklessness.

Interesting, but wrong on several counts. First, Christians have ALWAYS been persecuted and never eliminated in spite of it. You don't have it rough. Try practicing in Asia (China, NKorea, etc). Second, you failed to mention the one true evangelical religion of 2010--Islam. I suspect, given the touchiness of the practitioners, they will still practice openly even in 2050. So, at least one religion will still be around. Finally, if religion is to be saved against the onslaught you mention, then MLK may not be the best role model. Time to beat your plowshares into swords.

Dr Sowell, I think there may be an error in your reasoning based on an assumption in your first paragraph. When you say, "Barack Obama has gotten a substantial segment of the population to believe that he can add millions of people to the government-insured rolls without increasing the already record-breaking federal deficit," I think this is wrong. It assumes that he had to convince "millions." I believe that those millions did not actually need to be convinced. They don't pay any part of the bill meaning that for them there is a free lunch. Why wouldn't they favor his program? I think most of the argument is between groups that DO pay the bills. Too bad their votes don't count twice since they're actually paying for two in many cases.