Author: Andrew Sullivan

It Gets Better: David Cameron

Dan Savage is overjoyed:

[T]his is the leader of the Conservative Party in the UK. Try to picture a Republican politician making an [It Gets Better Project] video—not one that I'm aware of has—much less the leader of the GOP.

But:

David Cameron isn't the first straight politician who has told bullied LGBT kids to go to their parents for support. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi—practically every straight politician who's made an IGBP video has said the same thing: go and ask mom and dad for help.

Between twenty and forty percent of homeless teenagers are LGBT kids and most of these homeless LGBT kids were thrown out of their homes when they came out or were outed to their families. It would be wonderful if all LGBT kids were lucky enough to have parents as supportive as Constance McMillen's are or as mine became. But all too often mom and dad are bullies too—they're usually the chief bullies, the worst bullies, the ones who do the most damage. (For an example of the bullying gay kids endure at the hands of their parents, check this out.)

Bullied LGBT kids should be encouraged to reach out, to find help, to seek support. But that support, sadly, can't always be found at home.

If All Else Fails …

Simon Johnson peers past the Irish fiscal crisis to the Euro-collapse ahead:

Europe could place a call to Beijing to find out if China would like to commit some of its $2.6 trillion in reserves to keep European creditors whole. This would be an enormous opportunity for China to vault to a leading global role. Perhaps it was a good idea to place Min Zhu, a top Bank of China official, in a senior position at the IMF.

If China offered to recapitalize the IMF, become the largest shareholder, and move the organization to Beijing (according to the Articles of Agreement, the IMF’s headquarters should be in the capital of the largest shareholder), wouldn’t that make for an interesting chess game?

“It’s Completely Non-Political” Ctd

A reader writes:

Everyone is aware that grizzly bears are considered a threatened species in the lower-48 and are subject to Big Government protections, right?

In 1975, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the grizzly bear as a threatened species in the Lower 48 States under the Endangered Species Act, placing the species under federal protection. […] In 1981, the Service hired a grizzly bear recovery coordinator to direct recovery efforts and to coordinate all agency efforts on research and management of grizzly bears in the lower 48 States.  Recovery of the grizzly bear covers four states and two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regions.

Another writes:

Self-sufficient my ass – Alaska is the greatest recipient of federal aid dollars on a per capita basis of any state in the country. I bet Sarah, Todd and all their brood sure don’t hesitate to cash those oil extrication checks when they get them in the mail.

What Commissions Are For

Bernstein's rule of thumb:

These sort of commissions can do two things.  They can give cover to something that people want to do but don't want to take credit (or responsibility) for.  The classic example for that were the base closing commissions.  And they can give cover for people who don't want to do anything, but don't want to take credit (or responsibility) for that.  

He says that the deficit commission has achieved the latter.