Displaying 601 To 630 Of 732 Comments BREAKING NEWS: Osama Bin Laden Dead Yes, this administration is handling Pakistan very well. » Posted By agrippa On May 2, 2011 @ 3:37 pm It makes sense to me that OBL would be hiding in the big city. I suspect that some persons in the Pakistani ISI helped him hide. It does not make sense to me for OBL to be hiding in ” cave in the bush”. Too hard to conceal him there. The big city is far better. » Posted By agrippa On May 2, 2011 @ 7:55 am Yup, many of those GOP people do not like blacks getting educated and doing well. Keynes v. Hayek pretty well describes the main argument in Economics. In the USA, the arguments put forward by Hayek are the basic orthodoxy. This orthodoxy is a main cause of our inability to solve economic problems. It looks like that Crawford critter has a problem with difficult questions. » Posted By agrippa On April 30, 2011 @ 6:51 am Trojana Huffington: Queen of Progressives? no. If you want to rad a real progressive’s work, read Barbara Ehrenreich. » Posted By agrippa On April 29, 2011 @ 3:06 pm I guess that makes me a lousy american. I do not do any of that. » Posted By agrippa On April 29, 2011 @ 3:17 pm The USA is very diverse; much more diverse than most other countries. As I said elsewhere, the USA probably has people living the USA who are from, or are, descended form, most of the different groups in the world. Whether or not people accept it is their affair. That is the reality of life in the USA. » Posted By agrippa On April 29, 2011 @ 3:16 pm In 1900, Europe was on top of the world; mighty Europe. Then came 1914; goodbye to all that. It had to be learned again: 1939. The second time, 60 million died. Americans did not want to get involved in either war. With good reason. 1945 was zero hour for Europe; Europe had to put itself back together after trying to destroy itself twice. Perhaps, Europe has learned something. In many cases they have. But, not all. When I was working, I had, on several occaisions, to go to Europe on business. There were a few uncultured Europeans who made fatuous remarks about Americans. Most had the good sense to be gracious. I ignored the remarks; there was no good to be done by having any response. Silence made my point. The USA is not “exceptional”. It is, in some ways, fortunate. So is Europe, “fortunate”. In 1945, Europe had the opprtunity to start over. It did fairly well. » Posted By agrippa On April 29, 2011 @ 2:19 pm I say that there is no such thing as a “real american”. I say that question come from the fact that the USA is very diverse. I expect that nearly every ethnic/language group in the world has people of that ancestry living here. Plus, religions. The USA is unique in other ways: the two oceans give us a physical separation from the rest of the world. The diversity and sectionalism of the USA also led to the constitution; the differing interests of the regions and states had to be negotiated at the convention. We are not a country with one nationality; or one ethnic group; or one religious group. That is not going to change, and the people who are uncomfortable with that fact of life – will have to live with it as best they can. The natives – who were living here when the Europeans got here – got a raw deal. » Posted By agrippa On April 29, 2011 @ 10:33 am Medicine has no buisness being a business. Medicine is a matter of life and death. The profit motive has its’ place; but, not in medicine. That does not mean that you are careless with money. I am, mostly, a socialist as well; or, more accurately, a conventional social democrat in the European way. » Posted By agrippa On April 28, 2011 @ 9:39 am Pocketwatch, that is the normal ‘cost plus’ system, and medicine is a business. That, I think, is the main problem in reforming medical care; it has no business being a business. And, we will not a grip on prices until we get away from that model. » Posted By agrippa On April 28, 2011 @ 8:43 am This fatuous birth certificate business is “very interesting, but stupid”. The problem is not with medicare. The problem is the cost – the prices that are paid – of medical care. Medicine is a business that is very profitable. It is very profitable because the vendor – doctora and hospitals – are selling a vitally necessary product to customers, AKA patients. The costs are, in fact, out of control. They are out of control because everyone on the sales side has no reason to manage them. They are fully aware that the customer – the “patient” is sick and is no position to influence much of anything. The costs of medicine can be controlled. But, those who drive the process have no incentive to do so. » Posted By agrippa On April 28, 2011 @ 7:20 am Is Donald Trump a Stalking Horse? I am about half decided to credit the state of the GOP to GWB. Eight years of that fool dragged down the party and drove away most of the talent. That administration is one the GOP and much of the country want to forget. I am not at all sure of the reasons for Nov 2010; I think that it was the recession and what the Dems did not do about it. I think that the WH turned over running the campaign to the party. That should not happen again. It looks like the GOP wants to return the favor. The GOP is overplaying/misplaying their hand in washington and in several states. This circus of GOPers running and not running is becoming a black joke. They may realize that no one can beat Obama. The key is Congress. The Democrats must regain the House and enlarge their caucus in the Senate. Then, pass effective legislation. » Posted By agrippa On April 27, 2011 @ 2:15 pm I do not think that Obama is an ideologue. I think that he is a conventional social liberal. In economics/politics, I think that he is practical and wants to do what is possible to improve matters. That means that he will incur the displeasure of anyone to the left or right of him. The right calls him a “socialist”; the left calss him a “corporatist”. Also, he has to deal with the political class as he finds it. There is not much talent in that group. » Posted By agrippa On April 27, 2011 @ 10:58 am Basically, I agree. I do not need to know which one it was. » Posted By agrippa On April 27, 2011 @ 10:52 am Good stuff today. Now, the USA has “come back to the field”; the advatages from the good fortune are gone. There is a negative side to this fortunate isolation: an insularity fully equal to the famous insularity of the British ( “wogs begin at Calais”). This insularity leads to a kind of willed ignorance and arrogance. » Posted By agrippa On April 27, 2011 @ 10:48 am http://www.kff.org/medicare/upload/8179.pdf The Paul Ryan health care plan. It will transform/destroy the entire system » Posted By agrippa On April 26, 2011 @ 11:48 am “benevolent dictator” is a contradiction in terms. I see no benevolence in Snyder. I do see the punishment of enemies; and, perhaps, the rewarding of friends. If the game is played to the end, local government in MI will mean next to nothing. » Posted By agrippa On April 25, 2011 @ 3:11 pm That is what the Governor is trying to be – “benevolent dictator”. That is pretty clear. » Posted By agrippa On April 25, 2011 @ 2:03 pm I will have to see what the voters allow. They may get away with it. Greed makes you stupid. And, many people will never admit that they were fools through being greedy. » Posted By agrippa On April 25, 2011 @ 1:55 pm The progressive/liberal budget alternative is not on the table beacuse it makes sense. Which is the same reason that people like krugman are ignored. There comes a time when you have to make sense; or, there will be a time when you may wish that you did make sense, because you are living as best you can with the consequences of having been a fool. The GOP is up to so much mischief nowadays that it is hard to keep track of it all. It seems that many in the GOP have a sort of “agenda” or “plan”; and intend to press on regardless as we may not have much time. Or, they may be nihilists; they just want to wreck the place. If you look at the state level, I think that you can see their notion of “ideal governing”: the states of the old Confederacy. Weak governor; weak legislatures; very little prosperity; high poverty rates. The old south is a place where you see real rural poverty, in addition to urban poverty. » Posted By agrippa On April 25, 2011 @ 6:40 am The View From the Left Hemisphere of the Universe Science is, essentially, a matter of fact and logic. That is, observation and inference. There is a place where that stops. Then, it is a matter of “We do not know”. There is nothing amiss, in and of itself, about ‘we do not know”. Science is, also, done by fallible and mortal humans. Not all are scientific; nor, do they wish to be. I regard the scientific method to be an effective of way of asking about “is”. It is not so effective in asking about other matters. » Posted By agrippa On April 24, 2011 @ 7:11 am This is an excellent site for news and comment; I read it every day. I, also, read the Guardian and Independent every day. The Economist is correct. The tax systen is disorganized and inefficient and getting it sorted out will be a big help. And, it is quite unnecessary to have the defense establishment that we have; the cold war is long over and more cuts would be quite logical. » Posted By agrippa On April 22, 2011 @ 8:33 am Adonai, I agree. people do have to come to it on their own. » Posted By agrippa On April 20, 2011 @ 5:50 pm Adonai, the Democratic party is weak. It lacks courage ( political and moral), discipline and organization. It is weak on the idea side as well. The party is in dire need of new people. I have no problem with Obama; he was given a “bad brief” and has argued it well. But, his party is a cipher. » Posted By agrippa On April 20, 2011 @ 3:04 pm choicelady: hear hear » Posted By agrippa On April 20, 2011 @ 2:57 pm Adonai, I am in a permanent minority; virtually, a sect of one: a social democrat of the european sort. People like me are never at the table in the USA. The USA has three parties: GOP, Democrat, and “I do not care”. There is no mandate to do anything and no working majority to do anything. What else do expect out of american politics when a near majority know nothing and care less? Very little good is going to be done until all other options have been exhausted, owing to that fact alone. Most countries, most of the time, are badly governed. History is mostly a march of folly. Fact of life, and the USA is very little different from most other countries in the amount of folly. » Posted By agrippa On April 20, 2011 @ 2:50 pm You may be correct. We, as a culture, may have ADD. I do know that few people know very much about government, politics or policy. Few have bothered to learn and few devote very much time and energy to these matters. And, see how few actually vote. And, see how few are actually politically active. The so called “news media” does not report. It never did do an excellent job; but, now, it is much worse. What this means is that we get a government that is foolish and corrupt. » Posted By agrippa On April 20, 2011 @ 11:18 am For the MI GOP the main target is the city of Detroit. Benton Harbor is to see how their system will work. At the end of the day, it is about moral values. It is very important to see to it that those values come front and center. Part of that is pointing the harm that the GOP is capable of doing. And, will do, if they are able. » Posted By agrippa On April 20, 2011 @ 11:29 am choicelady: hear! hear! » Posted By agrippa On April 19, 2011 @ 11:23 am cher, that explanation is possible. That, or “punishing your enemies”. People have been known to wreck themselves trying to do that. There are recalls in motion which can stop him, whatever is driving the behavior. If the recalls, succeed, it may have a chilling effect upon other erstwhile bargain basement mussolinis. » Posted By agrippa On April 19, 2011 @ 11:21 amComments Posted By agrippa
Credit Clinton and Obama for that.
Head and shoulders above Huffington. Huffington is a cipher.
This distingushes the USA from most of the rest of the world.
This makes some people pretty uncomfortable.
The ACA is an attempt to reform the system while keeping it intact. Being a curmudgeon, I call it “tinkering and dithering”.
Those people, either with premeditation with malice aforethought or wanton negligence, allowed the attacks to take place.
The article on american excetionalism was interesting; I came to the conclusion long ago that the USA was fortunate, not exceptional. The first fortunate thing, I think, is that the USA was colonized by the British and we inherited much of their ideas. Another is being isolated by two oceans. We ddid not live next door to our eneomies.
Politicians are not in the habit of actually disclosing intentions. Assuming that they have intentions that are worthy of the name “intentions”. So, I am not sure where he is trying to go. He may not know.
Eliminate local government and run everythng from state government.
They are nihilists whose main moral value is: “reward your friends; punish your enemies”.
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