I have had an extraordinary few days, which have left me both exhausted and, unexpectedly*, extremely proud of my country. Those who know what I've been doing will, I suppose, be able to work out what I mean.
Back to cooking this weekend. It's time to celebrate!
* obviously, I mean unexpectedly proud in the sense that what I was doing isn't usually connected to feelings of spontaneous patriotism - not that I am surprised that I am proud of my country, which I always am.
9/18/2009
9/14/2009
Leadership personalities
In my other life as a fanatical (American) football fan, I've spent the last 15 years moping about the condition of my beloved Washington football team. They don't really look any better this year, and part of the reason might be their cool as ice head coach, Jim Zorn.
I'm not in the NFL, but I do work in highest pressure end of a high pressure industry. Though we're mostly flabby, white and balding, lawyers at my firm have some similarities in terms of competitiveness and drive to professional athletes, and the dynamics of a litigation team or deal team are not so different than a sports team. I can tell you that all my colleagues much prefer to work for straightforward people who will tell you what you did wrong and what they preferred rather than passive aggressive people who give half hearted praise. Yeah, the former are usually enormous jerks on a personal level, but this is business, and at least you know where you stand and how to improve.
I wonder if that's one of the problems in Washington.
I'm not in the NFL, but I do work in highest pressure end of a high pressure industry. Though we're mostly flabby, white and balding, lawyers at my firm have some similarities in terms of competitiveness and drive to professional athletes, and the dynamics of a litigation team or deal team are not so different than a sports team. I can tell you that all my colleagues much prefer to work for straightforward people who will tell you what you did wrong and what they preferred rather than passive aggressive people who give half hearted praise. Yeah, the former are usually enormous jerks on a personal level, but this is business, and at least you know where you stand and how to improve.
I wonder if that's one of the problems in Washington.
9/07/2009
Sushi of Gari Omakase
We recently enjoyed an omakase dinner at Sushi of Gari here in New York. I cannot remember all the things that we had, as it was somewhat of a feast, but am sure that we had sushi of lobster, shrimp, black bass, snapper, tuna (o-toro), normal tuna, salmon, horse mackerel, eel and several other fish, and also a delicious cooked oyster. Each sushi was topped with Gari's increasingly wild sauces - the salmon's signature tomato sauce, a tofu whip, dried seaweed, etc. Magnificent. Omakase is a bad (or at least, expensive) habit to acquire.
I could have done with a little more informative jabber from the chef, but we are newbies, and I suppose don't rate that quite yet.
9/06/2009
Arepas?
I'm in the middle of settling down in my new apartment, so things are in a bit of an uproar here. While sorting through my bags of flours (I never thought I'd say this, but I need those glass canisters one gets at places like Crate & Barrel) I found some cornmeal. I combined that with a couple of ears of leftover corn to make pseudo-arepas: 1/2 cup of cornmeal mixed with warm milk and butter, with corn and chilis folded in. I fried them in a pan with a little oil and topped them with omelette.
9/03/2009
Crescat Kitchen
My friend, Will B. is back blogging, this time about food. He asks and discusses the new-world question of whether cookbooks are dead in the world of internet recipe compendiums.
There is no doubt to me that cookbook are compendium of recipes are largely dead, or dying, at least outside baking. But technique books, although some of them are disguised as "food p$rn", are alive and well. For example, both the Alinea cookbook and Thomas Keller's Under Pressure, although both are stuffed full of highly airbrushed art, are also major contributions by pioneers of an important cooking style. They are studied, pored over and mimicked by professional cooks across the country. They are the avenues through which the cutting edge is transformed into the quotidian.
In other words, if you're eating sous vide short ribs in your local upscale restaurant in Oklahoma City, say, it's either because the cook there did a stage at Per Se (or the equivalent) or because they read and studied Under Pressure. That kind of cookbook simply isn't in competition with epicurious.
There is no doubt to me that cookbook are compendium of recipes are largely dead, or dying, at least outside baking. But technique books, although some of them are disguised as "food p$rn", are alive and well. For example, both the Alinea cookbook and Thomas Keller's Under Pressure, although both are stuffed full of highly airbrushed art, are also major contributions by pioneers of an important cooking style. They are studied, pored over and mimicked by professional cooks across the country. They are the avenues through which the cutting edge is transformed into the quotidian.
In other words, if you're eating sous vide short ribs in your local upscale restaurant in Oklahoma City, say, it's either because the cook there did a stage at Per Se (or the equivalent) or because they read and studied Under Pressure. That kind of cookbook simply isn't in competition with epicurious.
Creamed Corn and Lamb
I managed to escape the office early for the first time in a while, and ran home for some late summer feasting. I made creamed corn inspired by this post on Bitten, and added some lamb spiked heavily with smoked paprika on top (I just threw the lamb under our toaster oven broiler until a pink medium). I made the creamed corn with milk, as I had no cream, and enriched it further with a little lower fat soy spread (shame, I know, but that's what I had on hand - one cannot be too picky with the first dinner at home in a few weeks).
8/21/2009
Life is rollin' over me
I am dealing with multiple mini-crises (moving to a new place, uncooperative landlord, wedding plans, work, and a short weekend vacation) and just haven't cooked very much. Last weekend, I did make turbot with wine sauce, and we ate a quite good epoisses cheese of which I have some good pictures, but I haven't had the mental energy to get them onto the blog.
So instead of food, let's post this excerpt from a New York Times article from the late 19th century, describing an armenian wedding. As I tell my friends, this really hasn't changed very much:
"There followed a distressingly long church services, during parts of which the bride and bridegroom, sometimes standing, sometimes kneeling, were tied together with a golden chain . . . facing one another, and so closely that their faces almost touched, both casting their eyes to the ground, the poor bridegroom looking exceedingly sheepish . . . All the time the two were yoked together the best man held between them very close to their faces a little silver crucifix . . . ."
So instead of food, let's post this excerpt from a New York Times article from the late 19th century, describing an armenian wedding. As I tell my friends, this really hasn't changed very much:
"There followed a distressingly long church services, during parts of which the bride and bridegroom, sometimes standing, sometimes kneeling, were tied together with a golden chain . . . facing one another, and so closely that their faces almost touched, both casting their eyes to the ground, the poor bridegroom looking exceedingly sheepish . . . All the time the two were yoked together the best man held between them very close to their faces a little silver crucifix . . . ."
8/12/2009
Spendthrifts
I've seen this working paper on the attraction between spendthrifts and tightwads in the blogosphere today. I haven't read it yet, but thinking about my own life, my fiancee and I are actually pretty similar in terms of our spending habits. If I was forced to label ourselves, I would say we were either "selective spendthrifts" or "tightwads by reason of pickiness", which is to say that we are usually very thrifty, except that we will deploy very large sums of money for stuff we think highly valuable.
The trick is that the list of things we think are highly valuable is small, so, for example, I end up wearing a mix of dress shoes so expensive I'm ashamed to mention them and shoes I bought used off e-bay, whereas someone less odd would nix the former and just buy a bunch of new, reasonably priced, Allen Edmonds.
The trick is that the list of things we think are highly valuable is small, so, for example, I end up wearing a mix of dress shoes so expensive I'm ashamed to mention them and shoes I bought used off e-bay, whereas someone less odd would nix the former and just buy a bunch of new, reasonably priced, Allen Edmonds.
8/10/2009
Trinidad Sour
We were recently at Dutch Kills here in Astoria to soak away some woes. We met bartender Guiseppe Gonzalez, who made me his own creation, the Trinidad Sour (I'll give you a hundred bucks if you can guess the base spirit in that, he said. The answer? Angostura bitters!) Just delicious, and entirely unexpected.
8/05/2009
Odd interview
I only now noticed this odd interview by Ezra Klein, which Megan McCardle has dealt with. But I wanted to point out the underlined sentence below. Apparently, drug companies are bad because they have administrative costs and such. Unlike their chief competitors, universit . . . Oh. Wait. (see p. 33 for the punch line).
"You occasionally hear that a national health-care system would have a devastating impact on medical innovation -- and particularly on drug research. As the thinking goes, the system would save money, but in saving money, it would reduce profits for drug manufacturers, which would reduce the incentives for innovation. Is this worth worrying about?
No, it isn't. . . . There are a couple reasons that this is a specious argument. One is that according to their filings with the SEC, the drug companies only spend about 15 cents of every dollar on research and development. That's compared to more than 30 cents in administration and marketing and more than 20 cents on shareholder equity. As an investment in R&D, I think any venture capitalist would say a company spending 15 percent on research is not a robust innovation engine".
"You occasionally hear that a national health-care system would have a devastating impact on medical innovation -- and particularly on drug research. As the thinking goes, the system would save money, but in saving money, it would reduce profits for drug manufacturers, which would reduce the incentives for innovation. Is this worth worrying about?
No, it isn't. . . . There are a couple reasons that this is a specious argument. One is that according to their filings with the SEC, the drug companies only spend about 15 cents of every dollar on research and development. That's compared to more than 30 cents in administration and marketing and more than 20 cents on shareholder equity. As an investment in R&D, I think any venture capitalist would say a company spending 15 percent on research is not a robust innovation engine".
8/04/2009
kidnapping
I don't know whether it is right to negotiate with the North Koreans or not, but didn't we just teach the world that if you want a visit from a very high level American emissary, you just need to kidnap a couple of Americans? I'm very puzzled.
8/03/2009
Quick bites
We had some friends over this weekend. I made margaritas, and two kinds of quick bites, before we adjourned to Astoria favorite Agnanti for some killer greek food.
Mini Crab Cakes - I used some claw crab meat from Wholefoods, to which I added lemon zest, parsley, salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, and a few whole wheat bread crumbs from a leftover breakfast toast. I dipped them in egg and breaded them in panko bread crumbs I had put through the food processor. I fried in a little olive oil, and then warmed up at party time in the toaster oven. Each little cake was topped with tartare (store bought mayonnaise, cornichons, salt-cured capers, and lemon) and a little piece of chive.
Gougeres - This is so easy, though I prefer choux in an eclair. Put a cup of water in a pan. Melt 4 tb of butter in the water at the boil, and add a little salt. Pour 4-4.25 ounces of flour (a cup, in other words) into the water all at once, pull off the heat, and stir enthusiastically. Put back on the heat, and dry the resulting dough. What you're trying to achieve is a soft, pretty oily dough that doesn't stick to your hands when you squeeze it. Dry the dough until it leaves a film on the bottom of the pan. Then let cool a little, and beat in 4 eggs one at a time until you have something that looks like mayonnaise. At this point, at flavoring - I used a lot of cheese and dijon mustard. Pipe into little balls, top with egg wash, and cook at 375 until golden brown.
Mini Crab Cakes - I used some claw crab meat from Wholefoods, to which I added lemon zest, parsley, salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, and a few whole wheat bread crumbs from a leftover breakfast toast. I dipped them in egg and breaded them in panko bread crumbs I had put through the food processor. I fried in a little olive oil, and then warmed up at party time in the toaster oven. Each little cake was topped with tartare (store bought mayonnaise, cornichons, salt-cured capers, and lemon) and a little piece of chive.
Gougeres - This is so easy, though I prefer choux in an eclair. Put a cup of water in a pan. Melt 4 tb of butter in the water at the boil, and add a little salt. Pour 4-4.25 ounces of flour (a cup, in other words) into the water all at once, pull off the heat, and stir enthusiastically. Put back on the heat, and dry the resulting dough. What you're trying to achieve is a soft, pretty oily dough that doesn't stick to your hands when you squeeze it. Dry the dough until it leaves a film on the bottom of the pan. Then let cool a little, and beat in 4 eggs one at a time until you have something that looks like mayonnaise. At this point, at flavoring - I used a lot of cheese and dijon mustard. Pipe into little balls, top with egg wash, and cook at 375 until golden brown.
Allegretti
We had not been to a proper restaurant in some time, due mostly to the fact that I have been pretty busy. So on Saturday night, we visited Allegretti, the eponymous two star restaurant of Alain Allegretti, who immigrated to New York from Alain Ducasse's magisterial Louis XV in Monaco. We thought it was terrific - I could not have been reminded more of our meal at Hostellerie Berard last August in the South of France, just after we got engaged. The brief notes I posted on egullet follow:
We went last night as well, based on recommendations from here. A few observations before getting to food. The dining room was *empty*. So empty that I asked one of the staff what was going on. He said that they had only 14 reservations for last night (Saturday) but were expecting 70-80 on both Monday and Tuesday, an odd quirk of traffic he attributed to the fact that their core customer spends August weekends sunning themselves in the Hamptons. Take that for what you will. I also noticed that the tables no longer sported the "crisp white linens" Bruni half-mocked in his review. I wonder whether that is an intentional nod towards the mood.
In terms of what we ate, we intended to have the prix fixe, but it didn't really speak to me. I would have been happy with the striped bass that was on offer as a main course, but wanted neither a ricotta tart or either starter. So we went off into the carte. Happily this was a good choice.
First courses: We had the Taste of Nice and the Octopus a la plancha. While the Taste of Nice is perhaps a little overwrought in the sense that I'm not sure I want six different preparations on a plate, each item was delicious. I especially enjoyed the pissaladiere loaf, which I had never seen before, and the squash blossoms. As for the stuffed red pepper, my only comment is that Allegretti must keep a squadron of Armenian grandmothers imprisoned in the back, as it tasted exactly like my own grandmother's dolma.The octopus was presented as a single long tentacle, lightly dusted with pimenton and served with potatoes. There's not much to say about it, other than that I found it terrific. Tender, well seasoned. Just a very enjoyable dish.
Main Course: Black and White taglietelle with seafood: I had been wanting the seafood soup as a first course, but ended up with the octopus. But the black and white taglietelle with shellfish was a noble substitute, as it replicated much of the flavors one would expect in such a soup - certainly fennel and a little spice creeping around the edges. The shrimp dotting the pasta were perhaps the best cooked shrimp I have ever enjoyed - just this side of wobbly. Cod with Crispy mussels: This was seafood cookery every bit the equal of Le Bernardin. The cod was barely opaque, skin crisp, and the saffron sauce gave the whole thing some needed flavor. As for the crispy mussels, I am sure there was some sort of sweet spice in the breading (clove?), which imbued the whole thing with a sort of North African flair.
Dessert: We shared the peach frangipane. A classic dough, excellent peaches, and a delicious peach gelato. Yes, as others have said, perhaps not a $10 dessert, but I didn't care.We also had cocktails before the meal. Many thumbs up to the Cucumber sling, a refreshing summer drink involving muddled cucumbers, lime, cilantro (!) and mint with 2 oz of Hendrick's gin. Not quite what you'd get at one of the big cocktail lounges, but very nice nonetheless.
We went last night as well, based on recommendations from here. A few observations before getting to food. The dining room was *empty*. So empty that I asked one of the staff what was going on. He said that they had only 14 reservations for last night (Saturday) but were expecting 70-80 on both Monday and Tuesday, an odd quirk of traffic he attributed to the fact that their core customer spends August weekends sunning themselves in the Hamptons. Take that for what you will. I also noticed that the tables no longer sported the "crisp white linens" Bruni half-mocked in his review. I wonder whether that is an intentional nod towards the mood.
In terms of what we ate, we intended to have the prix fixe, but it didn't really speak to me. I would have been happy with the striped bass that was on offer as a main course, but wanted neither a ricotta tart or either starter. So we went off into the carte. Happily this was a good choice.
First courses: We had the Taste of Nice and the Octopus a la plancha. While the Taste of Nice is perhaps a little overwrought in the sense that I'm not sure I want six different preparations on a plate, each item was delicious. I especially enjoyed the pissaladiere loaf, which I had never seen before, and the squash blossoms. As for the stuffed red pepper, my only comment is that Allegretti must keep a squadron of Armenian grandmothers imprisoned in the back, as it tasted exactly like my own grandmother's dolma.The octopus was presented as a single long tentacle, lightly dusted with pimenton and served with potatoes. There's not much to say about it, other than that I found it terrific. Tender, well seasoned. Just a very enjoyable dish.
Main Course: Black and White taglietelle with seafood: I had been wanting the seafood soup as a first course, but ended up with the octopus. But the black and white taglietelle with shellfish was a noble substitute, as it replicated much of the flavors one would expect in such a soup - certainly fennel and a little spice creeping around the edges. The shrimp dotting the pasta were perhaps the best cooked shrimp I have ever enjoyed - just this side of wobbly. Cod with Crispy mussels: This was seafood cookery every bit the equal of Le Bernardin. The cod was barely opaque, skin crisp, and the saffron sauce gave the whole thing some needed flavor. As for the crispy mussels, I am sure there was some sort of sweet spice in the breading (clove?), which imbued the whole thing with a sort of North African flair.
Dessert: We shared the peach frangipane. A classic dough, excellent peaches, and a delicious peach gelato. Yes, as others have said, perhaps not a $10 dessert, but I didn't care.We also had cocktails before the meal. Many thumbs up to the Cucumber sling, a refreshing summer drink involving muddled cucumbers, lime, cilantro (!) and mint with 2 oz of Hendrick's gin. Not quite what you'd get at one of the big cocktail lounges, but very nice nonetheless.
7/30/2009
Buried
I am buried under a lot of work and other things, but what is the (food world) uproar about this study about? Organic food is no healthier than other food, supposedly. But the way I read it is that the study shows that organic food has no more nutrients than other food.
Did anyone ever think the point of organic food is that it has more nutrients? I thought the point was that the food was not layered with pesticides, and that occasionally it tasted better. But the way I see it, the study discussed neither of those issues.
Did anyone ever think the point of organic food is that it has more nutrients? I thought the point was that the food was not layered with pesticides, and that occasionally it tasted better. But the way I see it, the study discussed neither of those issues.
7/21/2009
Non-original thoughts on health-care
Reading through Ezra Klein's morning discussion on health-care raises what to me is the fundamental problem with the left-wing health-care argument. (See, I'm fair to Klein. He might know less than nothing about food, but health care he seems to understand something about, and I do not).
So Klein says that the goal is to reduce national health care expenditures - what I understand as the aggregate spending on health care in the entire country, public and private. And the way to do this, I understand him to believe, is to use so-called "public option" to reduce costs. Fine.
As others have observed, I assume that Klein does not think it is a good idea to organize other parts of our economy in this way. After all, you can make exactly the same arguments about car production, and yet no one would say that we should reduce our national expenditure on cars by having government produce standardized cars with lower, negotiated prices. I recognize that smart people have constructed arguments about why the health care market is different, but I confess I do not completely understand them. But the left argument is dependent on the truth of this proposition.
Even granting the proposition, the bottom line really is that I do not believe there is an appreciable surplus of real waste in private sector healthcare as opposed to the public sector. I suspect, though cannot prove, that the reason national health care expenditures are lower in other countries are a combination of much lower compensation for health care professionals, lower drug costs, much less extraordinary care, and lower creature comforts in hospitals. I would assume an honest liberal would say all those things are true and are the proper cost for ensuring health care for all. Beware anyone who does not grant the truth of those propositions.
I think the left has to face up to the fact that getting universality of coverage and lower aggregate costs means persuading people who already have insurance to accept worse service or higher costs for their current level of service. I don't think they have done this forthrightly.
So Klein says that the goal is to reduce national health care expenditures - what I understand as the aggregate spending on health care in the entire country, public and private. And the way to do this, I understand him to believe, is to use so-called "public option" to reduce costs. Fine.
As others have observed, I assume that Klein does not think it is a good idea to organize other parts of our economy in this way. After all, you can make exactly the same arguments about car production, and yet no one would say that we should reduce our national expenditure on cars by having government produce standardized cars with lower, negotiated prices. I recognize that smart people have constructed arguments about why the health care market is different, but I confess I do not completely understand them. But the left argument is dependent on the truth of this proposition.
Even granting the proposition, the bottom line really is that I do not believe there is an appreciable surplus of real waste in private sector healthcare as opposed to the public sector. I suspect, though cannot prove, that the reason national health care expenditures are lower in other countries are a combination of much lower compensation for health care professionals, lower drug costs, much less extraordinary care, and lower creature comforts in hospitals. I would assume an honest liberal would say all those things are true and are the proper cost for ensuring health care for all. Beware anyone who does not grant the truth of those propositions.
I think the left has to face up to the fact that getting universality of coverage and lower aggregate costs means persuading people who already have insurance to accept worse service or higher costs for their current level of service. I don't think they have done this forthrightly.
7/20/2009
Still busy
The topic of the U.S. Senate and its undemocratic nature (and more specifically, whether that undemocratic nature is a problem) is usually the bailiwich of Professor Levinson at Balkinization, but I wanted to flag a recent decision by the highest German court effectively delaying German ratification of the Lisbon treaty, a much maligned bit of legislation designed to further bind Europe together.
I haven't had the time to read the document entirely, and it is in a stilted translation of assuredly already stilted legal German. Nonetheless, I found the the following of some interest. The German court held that the Lisbon treaty as it was currently constituted violated the Basic Law. Why? Because a single German representative in the European parliament represented far more people than his or her colleague in Malta or Sweden or any smaller country:
"According to the Draft decision, a Member of the European Parliament elected in France would represent approximately 857,000 citizens of the Union and thus as many as a Member elected in Germany, who represents approximately 857,000 as well. In contrast, a Member of the European Parliament elected in Luxembourg would, however, only represent approximately 83,000 Luxembourg citizens of the Union, i.e. a tenth of them, in the case of Malta, it would be approximately 67,000, or only roughly a twelfth of them."
But is this always a violation of general democratic principles? No, said the German court. Just in a representative chamber of government:
"In federal states, such marked imbalances are, as a general rule, only tolerated for the second chamber existing beside Parliament; in Germany and Austria, the second chamber is the Bundesrat, in Australia, Belgium and the United States of America, it is the Senate".
The Court's decision implies all kinds of interesting things, but, alas, I must run. Perhaps later.
I haven't had the time to read the document entirely, and it is in a stilted translation of assuredly already stilted legal German. Nonetheless, I found the the following of some interest. The German court held that the Lisbon treaty as it was currently constituted violated the Basic Law. Why? Because a single German representative in the European parliament represented far more people than his or her colleague in Malta or Sweden or any smaller country:
"According to the Draft decision, a Member of the European Parliament elected in France would represent approximately 857,000 citizens of the Union and thus as many as a Member elected in Germany, who represents approximately 857,000 as well. In contrast, a Member of the European Parliament elected in Luxembourg would, however, only represent approximately 83,000 Luxembourg citizens of the Union, i.e. a tenth of them, in the case of Malta, it would be approximately 67,000, or only roughly a twelfth of them."
But is this always a violation of general democratic principles? No, said the German court. Just in a representative chamber of government:
"In federal states, such marked imbalances are, as a general rule, only tolerated for the second chamber existing beside Parliament; in Germany and Austria, the second chamber is the Bundesrat, in Australia, Belgium and the United States of America, it is the Senate".
The Court's decision implies all kinds of interesting things, but, alas, I must run. Perhaps later.
7/15/2009
Taxes
Do people really think the proposed 45% tax rate on the wealthy will be the last tax increase? Hey, "middle" class (i.e., everyone else) - your turn is coming.
7/14/2009
I am delaying things
In an effort to delay my weekend's food blogging (I made my version of Jean-George's caviar egg and turbot with Chateau Chalon sauce) I note today this article about the plight of adjunct professors at universities.
I note it because the situation perfectly illustrates my point about European social democracy, below. It is very pleasant, in some ways, for the winners of the system, to be either a tenured professor or an employed European. Both people are almost impossible to fire, have many benefits, etc.
But woe to those who aspire to one of those two classes.
I note it because the situation perfectly illustrates my point about European social democracy, below. It is very pleasant, in some ways, for the winners of the system, to be either a tenured professor or an employed European. Both people are almost impossible to fire, have many benefits, etc.
But woe to those who aspire to one of those two classes.
7/09/2009
Ok, you win
I am reading David Kessler's, The End of Overeating, which describes how the food industry exploits biological reality by relying on fat, salt and sugar to encourage overeating (or, at least, that is the message so far).
The odd thing is that I find the book impossible to read, because Kessler's descriptions of the fat, salt and sugar, even though his descriptions touch on things I don't eat (like mass produced snack cakes) cause my mouth to water so much that I find myself distracted and searching for a mass produced snack cake. This is a little startling. So, point taken, Mr. Kessler.
The odd thing is that I find the book impossible to read, because Kessler's descriptions of the fat, salt and sugar, even though his descriptions touch on things I don't eat (like mass produced snack cakes) cause my mouth to water so much that I find myself distracted and searching for a mass produced snack cake. This is a little startling. So, point taken, Mr. Kessler.
7/07/2009
A note on social democracy
For some reason, my republican cohorts have decided that the way to oppose President Obama is to describe various parades of horribles that will occur if he gets his way, many of which have something to do with Europe. See this overwrought example.
The problem with these is that they are false. In fact, life in Europe is very pleasant. For many people, far more pleasant than here. You are taken care of in sickness. Holidays are long and leisour-ous. Children are valued by the state. Jobs, if you have them, are secure. Retirements are less plagued by worry. Obama clearly intends to import some of these ideas, and people are going to like them.
Not recognizing that second point is going to land us conservatives in trouble. People like the welfare state. They are wrong to do so, maybe, and I think America has the balance between individual autonomy and the state's leviathan more right than does Europe. But the idea that our people will revolt when given Obama's welfare state is just wrong. They are going to like it and ask for more, to our detriment. Our counterattack has to recognize the superficial attractions of that model.
The problem with these is that they are false. In fact, life in Europe is very pleasant. For many people, far more pleasant than here. You are taken care of in sickness. Holidays are long and leisour-ous. Children are valued by the state. Jobs, if you have them, are secure. Retirements are less plagued by worry. Obama clearly intends to import some of these ideas, and people are going to like them.
Not recognizing that second point is going to land us conservatives in trouble. People like the welfare state. They are wrong to do so, maybe, and I think America has the balance between individual autonomy and the state's leviathan more right than does Europe. But the idea that our people will revolt when given Obama's welfare state is just wrong. They are going to like it and ask for more, to our detriment. Our counterattack has to recognize the superficial attractions of that model.
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