Displaying 421 To 450 Of 732 Comments I do not watch TV, except for some sports. I read some blogs – but not many; but, mostly I read books ( heaven forfend!). I only know what people tell me most commentators say and write. I only read a couple of commentators for insight. Others I read to gauge how much damage they may be doing, or trying to do. The left, from the start of the left, at many times and places, had had a history of turning on itself; feuds, splits, doctinal disputes, etc. This pattern is repeating itself, here and now. Conservatives have had a tendency to stick together. Basically, I am watching to see how this plays out. I think that the USA has some major adjustments to make; and, it will be long and it will be hard. » Posted By agrippa On August 6, 2011 @ 8:45 pm I have come to the conclusion that elements of the “left” – and I say “left” with reservations – have taken leave of their senses. I do not know the rationale; I do not need to know it. All that I need to do is observe the behavior. And, proceed as indicated. » Posted By agrippa On August 6, 2011 @ 8:30 pm They will not let it go. Those people will have a little rest and be back at it a fairly short time from now. Count on it. And, the left, as it done has throughout its’ history and all over the world, continue to engage in internal feuds and backbiting. And defeat themselves. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 6:21 pm emerald and adlib – As for the stimulus, what I thought needed to be done – a program to actually create jobs, similar to WPA – was not done. Of course, that is a heterodox pov; realistically, it was not going to be done. Sad, but true. Obama did protect SS and Medicare. He does know how to frame an argument in negotiations. Basically, those other people – aka GOP – cannot do that. We must never lose sight of that fact that we have elections every two years. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 11:09 am It has to be kept in mind just exactly difficult it is for a legislative body – any legislative body – to come to grips with a serious issue that it takes up. The 111rh and 112th are examples of that. The root cause of all this is the inablity of Congress to pass a strong stimulus. The other legislation passed proved problematic; but, the economy was, and is, number one. Democrats protested by staying home. This is not unusual; it has happened int USA before and in other countries: people protest by staying home. The 112th is no better if not worse. The GOP is controlled by the Southern Faction and the Whiggish Faction is weak or pretty much extinct. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 9:34 am Well, the GOP won in Nov 2010. And, the GOP faction that is now in the ascendant is the Southern Faction – aka “Dixiecrats” or “Tea Party”. Boehner has to ride that horse. At the end of the day, that is a matter for the GOP to handle. Elections have consequences. We have to live withem until the next election – Nov 2012. And, Congress writes laws. The President does not. Many people, including members of the commentariat seem to overlook that. But, many of them enjoy nagging; they consider their duty to nag and complain. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 9:25 am Well, this was Round One. The “tea party” – actually the RW faction of the GOP or the Southern faction of the GOP – is on a mission. So, they are not about to quit. It is the dominant faction in the GOP right now and people like Boehner and Mitchell have little leverage. The ones with leverage are the people who vote. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 5:07 am adlib, those groups are about the same: Both wil burn out in time. The issue is the amount of time that will take. » Posted By agrippa On August 5, 2011 @ 4:01 pm Anyone who falls for that, deserves what he gets. » Posted By agrippa On August 5, 2011 @ 3:56 pm The TV pundits holler and jump up and down becuse most of their viewers are furriners. Hollering helps the furriners understand English. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 5:16 am Bay Har is the mexican way Bare is true Texan. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 5:14 am yes texliberal. There is a lot of fear and anger. That may be a root cause of most of this fighting. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 8:58 pm I am not. Born 1945 in and reared in MI. Moved to TX in 2005. Parents moved to MI from SC in 1934. MI is not TX. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 8:51 pm I do not have a clear reading on what is going on. The amount of energy being expended is too much for the stated problem. That leads me to think that the stated problem is not, in fact, the actual problem. The stated problem is being substitituted for the actual point at issue. I am not clear on what the real bone of contention actually is. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 8:46 pm There is little difference: both believe in : “the worse, the better”. If you fly far enough west, you are in the far east. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 3:29 pm Obama Derangement Syndrome. If it does not make sense, I do not beleive it. I am interested in the facts of the matter. I am interested in a cogent and logical analysis analysis of context, motivation and intention. This analysis should be fact based. I have no interested in a pundit who waves his arems in the air and hollers “O My God”. That disqualifies most of the commentariat. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 2:28 pm Coming To Terms With Reality: One Man’s Trip Through the Graveyard We Call Politics It is good to have a perspective and understand that most countries, most of the time, are badly governed. And, that should not be a surprise. If you read political history, you should see that politicians, who are, after all, mere mortals are making these judgments. They are as subject to folly as any other mortal. The Roman Republic became an empire through a violent political crisis that lasted, at least, 30 years. The root cause was the failure of a city state government [ an oligarchy composed of a couple of dozen noble families] to govern an empire that was acquired by war. The US Civil War arose from a crisis – called an “irrepressible conflict” by one political actor at the time – that lasted, at least 15 years. There are few great lessons to learn from history. But one of them is that it is a march of folly made by mere mortals who are faced wth difficult choices in diffucult times. Those difficult times are caused by decisions made by men of a prior generation, who had no idea what they setting in motion. There are times when there are no good judgements. Whatever you decide, it will turn out badly. 2011 is one of those times. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 5:24 pm I voted for Hubert Humphrey in 1968. I have not changed. The political culture has changed. Back in those day we argued over issues, such as VietNam and Civil Rights. Now, we have this. » Posted By agrippa On July 27, 2011 @ 9:52 am President Obama: Both Parties Have a Responsibility to Solve this Problem The GOP is in no mood to either negotiate or cooperate. I do not really need to know why that is; whether it is the ardor of the tea party, or plain old political hardball. They will not do either one easily or soon. Prepare for drama. This will not end soon. » Posted By agrippa On July 26, 2011 @ 4:57 am The Strategy of Terrorism Government “We had to destroy the village in order to save it”. We will have to wait and see how it works out. » Posted By agrippa On July 25, 2011 @ 8:34 pm funksands, I agree. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jul/25/us-debt-crisis-triple-a-danger People overseas are starting to get nervous. » Posted By agrippa On July 25, 2011 @ 9:36 am It is a long time until Nov 2012. I wonder how long the political class can sustain this. They may get tired. Unless, of course, they enjoy it. I live in Texas; which is a one party state – Republican. Very few actually pay any attention; they just believe whatever they are told. I really do not know how all this is playing out in competitive states. » Posted By agrippa On July 25, 2011 @ 8:39 am I agree with what everyone has written. This is not over by any means, however this debt ceiling matter works out. On the matter of race, we have a lot of “unfinished business”. This is difficult to separate from the anger and fear that is mostly caused by the recession and the failed GWB Administration. » Posted By agrippa On July 28, 2011 @ 4:26 pm A song dedicated to Cenk:
» Posted By agrippa On July 22, 2011 @ 10:36 am It will be very difficult to talk sense into those radicals; they are on a mission to sort out Washington with willful disregard for the consequences. That leaves two options: Those people were voted into office; elections have consequences. » Posted By agrippa On July 21, 2011 @ 7:11 am It is a suicide squad all right. There are consequences that none of them would care anything about if they knew about them. The USA is an empire in decline; it has been ever since our enemy – the USSR – was taken away from us. A credit default would accelerate that decline. » Posted By agrippa On July 21, 2011 @ 7:06 am Those tea party people are on a mission to get things sorted out once and for all. I do not know that will work out; I see will see come Aug 2; and, Nov 2012. I, certainly, do not know how the voting public – only half the voting age public – will react. Elections have consequences. The people who vote Democratic did not vote Republican. They did not vote. Perhaps in Nov 2012, they will vote. » Posted By agrippa On July 20, 2011 @ 11:08 am lol! » Posted By agrippa On July 19, 2011 @ 11:13 am From “On Cataline” by Julius Caesar: It becomes all men, Conscript Fathers, who deliberate on dubious matters, to be influenced neither by hatred, affection, anger, nor pity. The mind, when such feelings obstruct its view, cannot easily see what is right; nor has any human being consulted, at the same moment, his passions and his interest. When the mind is freely exerted, its reasoning is sound; but passion, if it gain possession of it, becomes its tyrant, and reason is powerless. This applies to today. Just as it applied then. » Posted By agrippa On July 16, 2011 @ 1:20 pm My view is that Bachmann will crash and burn. Her shtick cannot hold up. I do not know if we have seen the GOP nominee yet; but, of those we have seen, Romney looks better than any of the rest. » Posted By agrippa On July 15, 2011 @ 10:37 amComments Posted By agrippa
The books that I read have footnotes and I read the footnotes to see if the writer is cooking the data.
They are on a mission to sort out Washington. When you chop wood, you make chips.
Tax cuts to alleviate a recession are, virtually, an act of faith. Effectiveness of those cuts is never looked into. I don’t fault Obama for accepting the conventional wisdom believed by nearly everyone. FDR did that in 1936/37.
if you go far enough west, you are in the far east.
people do need someone to blame.
If it does not make sense, I do not do it.
That is the pov of the GOP nihilists.
I wonder what the GOP in Congress thinks they are doing. It is almost as if they actually want a default. Do they intend to provoke a default and then blame the Democrats?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/24/us-debt-crisis-stock-markets
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jul/24/vince-cable-us-debt-rightwing-nutters?intcmp=239
Racial prejudice is still with us. Race does a lot to do with this.
invoke the 14th Amendment; or, allow the default.
One of them: if the USA defaults, one consequence may be the US dollar no longer being the world’s reserve currency. Oil, for example, would no longer be priced in dollars.
Another more difficult to assess consequence: The USA would lose most of the status/prestige that remains. The USA can no longer be relied upon as a rational actor in international affairs.
Or, perhaps, they do not care.
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