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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Our Woman in Hong Kong

Posted by Charles Mudede on Wed, Sep 23, 2009 at 10:59 AM

HONG KONG, China (CNN) — Sarah Palin touched on a host of topics — including Reaganomics, China and human rights, Tibet, the Asian and U.S. economies, family and moose in Alaska — as she delivered a speech to investors Wednesday in Hong Kong, according to audience members.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate was the keynote speaker at the 16th CLSA Investors' Forum, in what was billed as her first speech outside North America. She recently stepped down as Alaska's governor.

Her 90-minute address, which was closed to the media, was heard by 1,100 people, according to CLSA head of communications Simone Wheeler.

Listening to Palin talk about economics and international relations for 90 minutes! 90 minutes! Each minute a full packet of pain.

WSJ reports that she even mentioned, dig this, Milton Friedman:

Now even Milton Friedman, he recognized that the free market is truly free when there is a level playing field for all participants, and good financial regulations aim to provide the transparency that we need to ensure the level playing field does exist, but we need not, we need to make sure that this regulatory reform that we’re talking about is aimed at the problems on Wall Street and won’t attack Main Street.

90 minutes of this pain that is pure because it is none other than Palin!

Comments (15) RSS

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Milton Friedman has destroyed more national economies than any other man in history.

That's how good he is.

If you like pure evil.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on September 23, 2009 at 11:08 AM

A room full of "investors" listening to Sarah Palin talk about economics?

Perhaps they'd be interested in the Ponzi scheme I'm starting?

Posted by shabadoo on September 23, 2009 at 11:09 AM

Proof that markets are not rational: Palin was allegedly paid $300k for this speech.

Posted by Julie in Eugene on September 23, 2009 at 11:19 AM

I'm waiting for the backlash across the south following Palin's badmouthing of the president in a foreign country. How dare she? And then the nude photo on the cover of Entertainment Weekly to follow.

Posted by smade on September 23, 2009 at 11:24 AM

i read a piece (it was either in the Economist or Wall Street Journal) that said that this conference is known for its entertaining keynotes. the theory was that they hired her for a laugh.

Posted by ironymaiden on September 23, 2009 at 11:25 AM

Interesting that she was eager to talk to foreign investors, but missed the Values Voters Summit. I guess we can tell where her values begin and end: The Almighty Dollar!

Posted by Cracker Jack on September 23, 2009 at 11:26 AM

Yeah, I think they were making fun of her: http://www.businessinsider.com/sara-pali…

Posted by care bear on September 23, 2009 at 11:30 AM

Assuming that there were non-English speakers in the audience, I just want you to take a moment to imagine what those packets of pain were like for the interpreter assigned to simultaneously translating, for example, Palinese into Cantonese...

Posted by jw36 on September 23, 2009 at 11:36 AM

Uh, not to derail the fun here, but the Friedman bit was the only piece that was completely incoherent. She appears to have got herself an honest to god speech writer, and for this we must all be very, very afraid.

Posted by Juan on September 23, 2009 at 11:37 AM

@5 and 7,

Phew. That's a relief. I was thinking, are these people handling my mutual funds!?!

Posted by keshmeshi on September 23, 2009 at 11:37 AM

@8, your comment is pure gold.

Posted by Charles Mudede on September 23, 2009 at 12:01 PM

Oh for fuck's sake ... Now she can tout her "international experience".

Posted by Mahtli69 on September 23, 2009 at 12:04 PM

Sarah P. says that she wants to know
Why she's given half her life, to people she hates now.
Sarah P. says when answering the phone: "What country shall I say is calling from across the world?"

But she's not afraid to die, the people all call her Alaska
Between worlds so the people ask her 'cause it's all in her mind
It's all in her mind

Sarah P. says that she wants to know
Why it is though she's the door She can't be the room

Sarah P. says but doesn't hang up the phone
"What sea shell she is calling from across the world?"

But she's not afraid to die, the people all call her Alaska
Between worlds so the people ask her 'cause it's all in her mind
It's all in her mind

She asks you is it good or bad
It's such an icy feeling it's so cold in Alaska,
it's so cold in Alaska, it's so cold in Alaska.

(with apologies to The Velvet Underground)

Posted by emma's bee on September 23, 2009 at 4:20 PM

@4
Howard Johnson is right!

How dare she criticize our LEADER from in FURRIN COUNTRY?

(zombie eyes on)
We must... support our president... in a time.. of war...
(zombie eyes off)

It just occured to me today, 20% of our nation lives in Rock Ridge.

Oh, how I fear this is a long march, a Nixonian revenge/comeback... I'm sure Bill Kristol's whispering the legend of Tricky Dick in her ear about all this... all you need to do is learn to dress up the same vile ideology inside better, less babbly speeches...

RMN was an intellectual giant in comparison. Ugh.

Posted by CP on September 23, 2009 at 6:53 PM

@1
Will, I'm no economics expert, but the impression I've been getting from Krugman's blog is that today's true believers in the Cult of Magic Hand are now going beyond things Friedman said, just like they've cherry picked Adam Smith over the years.

Posted by CP on September 23, 2009 at 8:51 PM