SOMETHING THAT CAN’T GO ON FOREVER, WON’T: Michael Barone: History Suggests That Era Of Entitlements Is Nearly Over.

EUROPE: Prominent Hungarian Wants “Bestial” Gypsies Killed.

Yesterday we noted the distressing anti-immigrant policies in Greece that have led to violent treatment of foreigners. We’ve also noted how another stressed EU member – Hungary – has gone even further down the road of xenophobic extremism (see here, here, and here).

But even by Hungarian standards things are getting ugly. . . . When thinly veiled calls for mass murder are uttered by prominent political and cultural figures tied to a ruling party, and a country fails to rise up in horror and drive these wicked people to the fringes of political life, that country has gone hideously off the track. Hungarian politicians, academics, journalists, religious leaders and artists and writers need to make it plain to the world that Mr. Bayer does not speak for them.

Europe’s leaders also need to take a look at the poisonous weeds sprouting up in their garden. The hatreds that the European Union was intended to quell are returning. It is not clear that beyond muddling through and hoping vaguely for the best Europe has any idea what to do.

European political leadership is up to its usual standards.

CAN A DNA DATABASE PREVENT CRIME? Well, that’s one of the things it might do.

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LARRY LESSIG: THE PROSECUTOR AS BULLY.

Compare how Aaron Swartz was treated with how David Gregory was treated. This is precisely the kind of thing that my — now forthcoming thanks to a spate of late-holiday-season productivity — Due Process When Everything Is A Crime piece addresses. (Bumped).

CHARLIE MARTIN: 13 Weeks: Week 10 — In Which We Scheme. “Thirty pounds gone. Post-diabetic. Up next: Crossfit with PJM’s David Steinberg, alternative therapies, and plain ol’ self-esteem.”

BAD MONEY RISING:

There is, as Matthew Continetti notes, a certain irony in the idea that “an association of organizations with combined revenue of more than a billion dollars is launching a campaign to get ‘big money out of politics.’” In truth, no one wants to get money out of politics, but a lot of people want to get their opponents’ money out of politics.

This is what happened when they astroturfed the “grassroots” pressure for campaign finance “reform” last time. More here.

GAIL HERIOT: The Sad Irony of Affirmative Action.

EXECUTIVE ORDERS: The Hill: Obama faces ‘limited’ options on executive action on gun violence.

CULTURE-JAMMING: President Obama’s Sandy Hook speech turned into a pro-life video.

HARRY REID named in bribery case.

MORE ON DAVID GREGORY’S FREE PASS, AND D.C.’S LAWLESSNESS:

I’m not saying I want Gregory prosecuted. I only want people to see how unfair it is to have a law that seems ridiculous to enforce against him, when that law is used against others. And Gregory richly deserves to be slapped around on the blogs, because he’s making the argument — that’s why he was waving that thing around — that there ought to be more invasive gun laws. He wants the government to reach more deeply into the ordinary lives of private citizens, and he’s entirely reckless about what these laws would really mean to ordinary people, and it[‘]s a recklessness that thrives in the mind of someone who easily and instinctively believed — correctly! — that the law did not apply to him.

Just remember, those who are above the law are in a poor position to hide behind it. Plus, from the comments:

What the decision to not prosecute Gregory while simultaneously insisting that the magazine ban law that he violated is important means is that there is absolutely no moral component to our legal system.

The only reason to not violate the law is from a reasonable fear of getting caught if you don’t have enough juice to get out of it. This also has interesting implications for the jury system.

Let’s see how well this new way of organizing society works out.

If those who enforce the law are amoral, they can expect to exercise little in the way of moral authority. Yes, I’m talking to you, Irvin Nathan.

UPDATE: Compare David Gregory’s free pass with the prosecutorial bullying aimed at Aaron Swartz.

HYPOCRISY: Top Dems urging Obama to raise debt ceiling all voted against increase in ’06. “Declaring themselves outraged by such spending, Reid, Durbin, Schumer, and Murray all voted against raising the debt limit. So did every other Democrat — including Sen. Barack Obama. But on Friday, the four lawmakers urged now-President Obama not only to raise the ceiling but to do it in a constitutionally risky fashion by going over the head of Congress.”

IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE.

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WANT TO CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMEMBERS ABOUT GUN CONTROL? Ruger Makes It Easy.

BARACK OBAMA: Best Gun Salesman In The History Of The World! “People were crowded five deep at the tiny counter of a gun shop near Atlanta, where a pastor from Knoxville, Tenn., was among the customers who showed up in person after the store’s Web site halted sales because of low inventory. . . . December set a record for the criminal background checks performed before many gun purchases, a strong indication of a big increase in sales, according to an analysis of federal data by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun industry trade group.”

UPDATE: Reader Ron Oglesby writes from Illinois:

Stopped at the local shop in Plainfield, Illinois today. Its so crazy in there they have had to create new rules. New hours are 9am-2pm for purchases and looking at guns. 2pm-6pm for picking up ONLY. If you are not picking up you can’t come in!

They have a good selection of ammo but you can only buy 5 boxes for any given caliber and. . . When I left there were 17 people waiting to talk to a rifle sales rep and a waiting list for a 12 lane range that was in double digits!!! I have been coming to this store for 10 years and have never seen it like this. All of this in one of the most un-friendly states for guns in the US!!! Change!!!

Best gun salesman in history.

WASHINGTON, DC: America’s Porn-Watching Capital?

ANN ALTHOUSE: This gun control controversy is a real gift to Republicans. “It got them out of the morose election postmortem. Now, they’re in their zone.”

DISAPPOINTMENT WITH JACKIE CHAN. To be fair, while America isn’t “the most corrupt country in the world” now, we are making progress as fast as we can.

UPDATE: Reader Jim Addison writes: “If all you knew of the US was the Hollywood movie industry, you might think us the most corrupt country in the world, too.” Fair point! Also, Repeal The Hollywood Tax Cuts!

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PAINKILLERS ARE FOR PEOPLE WITH CLOUT: SkyDaddy Bloomberg Takes a Liking to Playing Deity. I think he’s had that liking all along.

FROM FRANK J. FLEMING, AN IDEA SO CRAZY IT JUST MIGHT WORK: Pretend Gun Control: Gun control advocates won’t know the difference if we pass laws banning a bunch of made-up things that sound scary.

For instance, I read a column in which Howard Kurtz mentioned a ban on high-magazine clips — we can certainly do without something that nonsensical. And I’ve heard the press before mention armor-piercing hollow points and plastic guns (actually, I think we already banned that made-up weapon in the ’80s). And as long as the NRA and Wayne LaPierre go apoplectic about it (“This ban on sorcerer-enchanted guns is just a slippery slope toward eliminating all witch-hexed weaponry!”), gun control proponents won’t know the difference between this and actual gun control. And this will help protect our most vulnerable people out there: politicians. Because long after the gun control advocates move on to other things, like who they want to tax next, gun owners will still be annoyed by any actual gun control legislation. One of the greatest fears politicians have is seeing an angry guy with lots of guns charging down the street, because they know he’s probably on his way to commit an act of voting.

I recommend banning phased plasma rifles in the 40-watt range. No one needs more than 25 watts for home defense.

LESLIE EASTMAN: A “social media militia” can preserve our liberties today.