Friday, December 19, 2008—Despite a day and a half lost to the recent ice storm—no, we’re not complaining, we got off light—we published on schedule today. And so, in our annoying fashion, we’re posting here our paper of two weeks ago.
In our Fortnightly Rant of Vol. 253, No. 5, published December 5, we tried to put into perspective the then-recent news that federal bank regulators working for the Bush administration had proposed tighter restrictions on mortgages way back in 2005, but were brushed aside in the usual frenzy to let the market do whatever the hell it wants, and worry about how it turns out later. It was another great victory for free market ideology, one we can all be proud of as we hover around fires in old oil barrels, warming our hands over fires stoked with debris from foreclosed McMansions.
Our News Briefs section kicks off with a look at those cute little SeaSmurfs. On, wait—you don’t think armed soldiers on the streets of America are cute? Say, what kind of Ba’athist pinko are you, anyway?