George Will Eschews Steroids, Entitlements, Optimism

As I gobbled down my free lunch today, I enjoyed hearing columnist, author and commentator George Will condemn the notions of entitlement, the current stimulus plan and looking on the bright side of things.
“Pessimism has its pleasures,” George Will told the crowd attending today’s National Center for Policy Analysis lecture series at the Grand Hall in Union Station in Dallas. While the accoustics were so bad I could hear about 70% of what Will said, I gather he generally disdains government, liberals and government. For more details of what Will said, go ahead and jump.

Will was in prime form today, scatter shooting about everything from ‘roids to The Great Depression:
— To kick off his discussion, Will said he was instructed by the fire marshal to tell the crowd that in the event of a fire, the crowd should stay seated and await a federal bailout.
— When a member of the crowd asked Will, an avid baseball buff, to speak about the newest admission of steroid use by former Texas Ranger Alex Rodriguez, he launched the following quote:
“The Texas Rangers clubhouse was one of the worst of all,” said Will. He said a combination of shame and fines outweighing benefits would be helpful in ending the use of steroids in Major League Baseball.
— President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan repeats the errors of FDR’s New Deal. World War II effectively ended the Great Depression, he said.
— The previous attempt to bail out the economy was also botched, including saving GMAC, which is now offering five-year, 0% car loans to people who probably can’t afford them: “This is the American dream: You can drive away from your foreclosed home in a subprime car,” Will said.
— The entitlement mentality – that everyone should own a home, have a car, not fail in business etc. – is leading the country to its problems.
— If health care problems triggered by risky behavior (such as a lack of exercise that can bring about Type 2 diabetes) were taken out of the equation, there would be no health-care crisis.
— “Pessimism has its pleasures,” confessed Will, adding that most often, pessimists are right, and when they’re not, they’re pleasantly surprised. Will said that most Americans remain resilient, while  skeptical of Washington’s claims that it will improve their lives.