A Few Good Things

This is semi-interesting, in that very brief and pithy Forbes sort of way: The Average American: 1967 And Today. But I’m gonna call “bullshit,” right off the bat:

Mr. and Mrs. Median's $46,326 in annual income is 32% more than their mid-'60s counterparts, even when adjusted for inflation, and 13% more than those at the median in the economic boom year of 1985. And thanks to ballooning real estate values, average household net worth has increased even faster. The typical American household has a net worth of $465,970, up 83% from 1965, 60% from 1985 and 35% from 1995. (emphasis mine)

“Net worth,” means “assets minus liabilities.” I find it impossible—not difficult, impossible—to believe the typical American household has a net worth over $450,000.00. That’s bullshit, pure and simple. Still and even, the article is interesting for some of the demographic pictures it draws.

The fact is that in real terms, the Medians are doing great. Mr. Median makes 25% more than his father did 30 years ago, even after holding for inflation. Mrs. Median is a lot more likely to work in the professional ranks than her mom was, and to be paid about three times as much doing so. And though she still makes only 77% of what her male counterparts earn, this is up from 33% in 1965. They dote on the same number of children (two), but waited longer to have them, until both careers are well under way. They also pay less tax to the federal government and have 8% more purchasing power than they did 20 years ago, including 5.7% more than they had just ten years ago.

We’ve come a long way, Baby!

John Yoo has written a good op-ed in the WSJ on the Detainee and Military Commissions bill the President signed into law yesterday. Excerpts:

Until the Supreme Court began trying to make war policy, the writ of habeas corpus had never been understood to benefit enemy prisoners in war. The U.S. held millions of POWs during World War II, with none permitted to use our civilian courts (except for a few cases of U.S. citizens captured fighting for the Axis). Even after hostilities ended, the justices turned away lawsuits by enemy prisoners seeking to challenge their detention. In Johnson v. Eisentrager, the court held that it would not hear habeas claims brought by alien enemy prisoners held outside the U.S., and refused to interpret the Geneva Conventions to give new rights in civilian court against the government. In the case of Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, the court refrained from reviewing the operations of military commissions.

In Hamdan, the court moved to sweep aside decades of law and practice so as to forge a grand new role for the courts to open their doors to enemy war prisoners. Led by John Paul Stevens and abetted by Anthony Kennedy, the majority ignored or creatively misread the court's World War II precedents. The approach catered to the legal academy, whose tastes run to swashbuckling assertions of judicial supremacy and radical innovations, rather than hewing to wise but boring precedents.

[…]

This time, Congress and the president did not take the court's power grab lying down. They told the courts, in effect, to get out of the war on terror, stripped them of habeas jurisdiction over alien enemy combatants, and said there was nothing wrong with the military commissions. It is the first time since the New Deal that Congress had so completely divested the courts of power over a category of cases. It is also the first time since the Civil War that Congress saw fit to narrow the court's habeas powers in wartime because it disagreed with its decisions.

Since we here at EIP always attempt to be fair and balanced, here’s a link to an opposing viewpoint. Marty Lederman writes an extensive rebuttal to Professor Yoo’s op-ed, which may or may not interest you. Mr. Lederman is one of those folks who believe terrorists deserve the protection afforded by the Geneva Conventions and should enjoy access to US courts. I think he’s as wrong as two boys holding hands, but you may not. (hat tip to The Volokh Conspiracy for the Lederman link.)

It seems like I stumble upon the good things in life quite by accident most of the time. Such was the case when I came upon one of only four Starbucks Hear Music coffeehouses while in San Antonio. I was making my way up Crockett Street on the way back to the hotel last Thursday evening and was passing by a Starbucks store. I idly glanced in the window and saw lots and lots of CD bins, something out of the ordinary for your average Starbucks. I went in. And was amazed.

A clerk came over and asked if I had ever been in the store before. “No,” sez I. “Well, let me explain,” sez he. And he gave me the dirt: You can sit yourself down at a computer terminal and search Starbucks’ music database for any title that comes into your mind. If and when you find the album/CD you’re looking for, you can then slip on a set of headphones and listen to the entire CD, free of charge. Not snippets of songs, not “selected” tracks, but the entire album. Let’s say you like what you hear. You can go to the CD bins, pick it out and buy it. Ooops! They’re out of stock! Not a problem, The friendly Starbucks clerk will burn you a CD right there on the spot (from their on-line music archive) and sell it to you…and the artist gets credit for the sale. What a freakin’ concept! Needless to say, I could spend hours in a store like that.

Alas, time was short that evening. I was waiting for Buck to call after his banquet and we were going to go out and spend our last night on the town, so I had to get back to the hotel. I bought some new music (the latest Dylan album [Modern Times], a two-disc Dylan set from the 1975 Rolling Thunder tour, and a Sonny Landreth album) and walked out. But, oh do I ever wish I had access to that Hear Music store…

And continuing on the music theme… That Rolling Thunder set has been in the CD changer since I got back from San Antonio, and wow, is it ever good! Here’s the track list:

Disc One

1. Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
2. It Ain't Me, Babe
3. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
4. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
5. Romance In Durango
6. Isis
7. Mr. Tambourine Man
8. Simple Twist Of Fate
9. Blowin' In The Wind
10. Mama, You Been On My Mind

Disc Two

1. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
2. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
3. Tangled Up In Blue
4. The Water Is Wide
5. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
6. Oh, Sister
7. Hurricane
8. One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below)
9. Sara
10. Just Like A Woman

1975 just might have been the best year of my life. I turned 30, was living in Tokyo, and was traveling all over the Pacific Rim, having the time of my life. I also met and fell in love with TSMP that Fall…who was a big Dylan fan, once upon a time (she still may be, I dunno). So, all these tunes I’ve been listening to this week bring back some astounding memories. And they’re ALL good.

Today’s Pic: On the Kennebec River - Bath, Maine. June, 2005.