La-La land

From Richard Fernandez at PJ Media:

In the other Western hemisphere state of the union speech, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro,  while acknowledging that his government had no money, nevertheless promised to provide more “free” services for everyone.  Free school stipends, free housing. No cutbacks to social welfare. How would the bankrupt state pay for it?  He said , that while “oil will never cost $100 again but God will provide. Venezuela will never do without.”

“God will provide.” Which only goes to show that Marxists aren’t really what people evolve into after they lose their religion. On the contrary religion is what Marxists get after they lose their shirt. But never mind the shirt. There’s a bright future ahead for everyone – and all of it paid for with other people’s money. Free! free! free!

This isn't doubling down...it's out and out desperation.  But notice how Fernandez mentions that wonderful panacea....OPM.

From El Pais come these words:

The president turned his annual report into an electoral campaign pitch. During his almost three-hour speech, he attacked his adversaries and claimed to be the victim of a plot that seeks to topple his government and take advantage of dejected … voters during this election year. …

Starting February 1, the government will increase the minimum wage and pensions by 15 percent. It also plans to more than double the meager scholarships university students receive. … also promised to build 400,000 public housing units. The measures fall under the government’s social investment program.

It's all a plot.  And how do we cure this economic disaster?  Why by even more of what got us there.

We hear this here in America.  The reason the stimulus didn't have the major impact Obama promised wasn't because an artificial stimulus doesn't work...it's because it wasn't big enough.  Obamacare isn't a success because....it doesn't go far enough.  And amazingly, there are hundreds of millions who think that way.  If only the government wasn't constrained by such old-fashioned concepts as the Constitution and the rule of law.

Have we lost sight of reality?