Just More Stuff

Via Lex, an interesting counter-point to the Left’s newest end-the-war meme: “It’s ruining the economy.” Hogwash, sez Larry Kudlow:

Surprise, surprise. Having failed to puncture Gen. David Petraeus' story about great improvements on the ground in Iraq, liberals now say the cost of the Iraq war has somehow undermined the economy — even caused the current slowdown. What complete nonsense.

First point: The United States has spent roughly $750 billion for the five-year war. Sure, that's a lot of money. But the total cost works out to 1 percent of the $63 trillion GDP over that time. It's minuscule.

But here's the real question we should ask: What is the cost of freedom? While the Left refuses to acknowledge it, the U.S. homeland has not been attacked since Sept. 11, 2001. Right there is a big economic plus. Since President Bush went on the offensive and took the battle to Iraq, al Qaeda and other extremist terrorist groups have been utterly routed by U.S. forces. Tying the jihadists down on their home turf, and keeping them from mounting another coordinated attack on the United States, have benefited our economy incalculably.

Then again, the antiwar forces might want to recall John F. Kennedy's Inaugural address, in which he called on Americans to "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to ensure the survival and the success of liberty."

Do these folks actually think 1 percent of GDP is too large a price, too heavy a burden? I sure hope not.

I’ve noticed the “cost of war,” in purely economic terms, has been getting a lot of press these days. There seems to be a coherent and immaculately orchestrated campaign to convince the American public that we cannot afford this war, to the tune of “a depression ain’t far away if we continue as we’ve begun”…or, in other words, if we finish what we started.

About which: predictable. “If at first you don’t succeed,” and all that. Somehow I get the feeling this gambit isn’t going to work, either. No matter what the Left thinks, Americans just don’t have a taste for defeat. Especially when we’re winning.

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Your hockey update… I watched the most wretched play-off game I’ve seen in quite a while last evening. It’s not often one sees a team…in the play-offs!… melt down quite like Minnesota did last night.

DENVER (AP) -No fluke finish to this one. No overtime, either. But plenty of punches and penalties.

Jose Theodore stopped 24 of 25 shots and the Colorado Avalanche used a three-goal first-period to rout the Minnesota Wild 5-1 on Tuesday night, tying their first-round playoff series at two games each.

The first three games of the series - as well as the last two when these two teams met in the 2003 playoffs - all went into overtime and ended in 3-2 scores.

The series goes back to Minnesota for Game 5 on Thursday night, and it should be interesting - this game featured a whole lot of fighting, including some fisticuffs after the final horn sounded.

Minnesota had an astounding 111 minutes of penalty time, 24 by Derek Boogaard, who was ejected, and 35 by Stephane Veilleux, who received a 10-minute misconduct that was assessed at game's end.

Colorado had 43 minutes of penalty time on a dozen infractions - the Wild were whistled 26 times.

26 penalties! Twenty-freakin’-six, on just one of the teams! The upshot of it all was the game lasted as long as the previous game that went 11 minutes into overtime, and that’s counting the “regulation” intermission in the between the third and overtime periods in Tuesday’s game. Here’s a screenshot of the penalties:

(click for larger. Graphic from NHL.com)

Note there were eight misconducts handed out, six to Minnesota. This is the sort of game that gives hockey a bad name amongst the uninitiated. Not that some of it wasn’t interesting… there were moments. I can’t imagine just what the HELL was going through Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire’s mind, and why he didn’t put a stop to it. Here’s Lemaire:

"I couldn't wait until that game gets over," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. "I knew there was nothing to do. It was getting ugly, the guys were frustrated. The more they got frustrated, the more we got penalties. Guys were talking on the bench, we got bench penalties, it never stopped."

Lemaire was right on one count: it never stopped. I believe he could have put an end to it, had he so desired. But here we are… the series is all tied up at two apiece and the next game is in Minnesota. This will be verrry interesting.

In other play-off news… Anaheim avoided going down 0-3 in their series against the Stars, winning last evening by a score of 4-2 (and Phlegmmy was there). Philadelphia took a 2-1 lead in their series…which looks like it just might be over in five games. Washington looked pretty bad... dismal, even. San Jose tied up its series with Calgary in what looked like the best game of the day, what with San Jose winning the game with eight seconds left on the clock. I would have MUCH preferred watching the Calgary – San Jose game yesterday, all things considered. Here’s Joe Thornton’s winning goal in Calgary last night:

I don’t have a dog in this fight, except for the fact the Wings might get Calgary in the next round should the Flames win. I’m leaning pretty heavily towards Calgary, though. Don’t ask why…

Tonight it’s Game Four for the Wings and the Preds… which begins in about three and a half hours or so. You know where I’ll be at that time, Gentle Reader. Parked in front of the teevee, beer and popcorn at hand.