Hard News: Unreasonable people vote
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Energy = money.
Quite literally.
Look *up* - nah. Look down? Nah.
Admire? Nah. -
Quite an inspirational fellow, on many levels.
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Just not so much of late. And probably best viewed, as such, from a distance.
I'd love to have his energy.
Odd word to use.
A lump of coal will probably have as much "energy". -
Just not so much of late. And probably best viewed, as such, from a distance.
We'll see. I'll most likely view from my favorite seat, smack bang in the middle.
Energy = money
Yes, it's fantastic substance. It converts to so many things. I wish I had more, it's a literally universal currency.
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The wobbly middle, not a good place to sit.
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ETA: Islander my "peculiar malice" includes taking your last in good faith. Would have saved me some distress if you'd said that in the first place. I've learned the hard way that it's no use going off at people when the failure has been mine to clearly and effectively say when I meant to.
Craig - I didn't take Islander's remark as a particularly loaded comment.
At the risk of being offensively presumptuous, I guess having mental unwellness casually used as a putdown -- or shaming language that (intentionally or not) can be read as stigmatising mental or emotionally unwellness -- strikes a different tone when you're living with manic depression/bipolar disorder and been advised to "keep taking your pills". (Well, I do Kiwibogger. Your point?) I do it as much as anyone; hell, I did it on this very thread. Michelle Bachmann isn't mad - she's worse: A cold, calculating liar, who is eye-rollingly casual with basic matters of fact when it gets in the way of her political agenda.
The one interview I've seen with Peter Jackson (on Campbell Live), he was obviously extremely angry -- whether you think he had just cause is another argument. Barely coherent, IMHO. Lost his mind or symptomatic of emotional/psychological "problems"? Well, perhaps we should leave that to the professionals, and all be a little more sensitive in the language we choose.
ETA: Just as Islander herself has challenged me to be more mindful of thoughtless, confining labels I put on people who don't fit into my reflexive gender/sexuality taxonomy.
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The wobbly middle, not a good place to sit.
I call it the sweet spot, especially if you want to see all the effects.
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Unfortunately this is not a movie.
And the FX well, when you get to my age your've seen 'em all before.Yes, I know, we are educated, and like to think we are all unique and different (and we are in a lot of ways) and I'd hate to "rain on anyone's parade" (enough qualification for you).
The sameness or false dichotomy is becoming oppressive.
Not that I really care, I probably have a lot less years on this planet than you, I've tried but change just doesnt come quickly, not with this many people on a rock. And our leaders full of flowery language and not much else. Our future "leaders" are trained via pseudo warfare or ball games. Or with the SAS now it seems.
We need to fight for a future, not just squabble over who gets what and who's getting in our way, and if you miss out. Well its probably 'cause your useless and no good anyway.And we insist on raising buffoons with motormouths onto a pedestal.
In my blacker moods ...well that enough for now. -
Unfortunately this is not a movie.
No, it's a mixed metaphor, although kind of fitting.
And the FX well, when you get to my age your've seen 'em all before.
I like to think I can still be surprised. It's happened dozens of times in the last decade, I can't think why it couldn't continue.
In my blacker moods ...well that enough for now.
Seems so. A general disaffection with political leadership can cast a shadow on everything, whether warranted or not. But each case should stand on its own merits. Any other path leads inevitably to worse places.
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I've kind of lost the thread here but I would like to share the below with you. I've just discovered kiwipolitico, through Public Address I might add, and I like it.
I think a rational and clear thinking exposition is always cheering. And all is never lost.
http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2010/10/squandering-political-opportunity/
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It's a nice summary of a position, Cecilia. I'm still inclined more to think that turning America in a progressive direction was just a huge ask, and Obama did what he could with only a moderate hand of cards. Yes, he will be punished for reforming health care, but it's quite possible that, and the gradual withdrawal from Iraq, will be lasting goods that came from his time in the White House. Kiwipolitico does not spell out what the
starkly differentiated their (relatively, given that it is in the US) progressive and pro-active approaches to the nation’s woes"
are that they would have chosen - I think tackling health care was pretty damned stark.
My 2c is that America's greatest challenge is to come to grips with the end of the Cold War. The time when political dominance came from projection of military might is approaching its end, and they are bankrupting themselves trying to hold on to it.
They have no answer to Chinese capitalism, the starkest proof of both the effectiveness and the moral bankruptcy of the extreme right ideology. Marx was right, ultimately, that control of the means of production is where real political power resides, and the American grip on it is is slipping away.
That's probably inevitable, to be honest, and no bad thing. It is a bit scary, the gradual shift of power away from what had the run of things through my whole life, but I don't consider the age of American rule to have been especially enlightened. I am glad that they assured the end of European and Japanese fascism, but that was quite some time ago now, and it's not like they were the only ones doing their bit.
Since then, the global separation of First and Third world, necessary for the cheap exploitation of primary resources, has been enforced with massive violence, when simple economic dominance was not enough. But the most important primary resource of all, labour, simply can't be held onto in this kind of climate, it moves to the cheapest place, redistributing the power. Industrial action in the First World simply forces this - whilst still making perfect sense within that world. So First World labour becomes steadily less competitive, and ultimately kills itself, except so far as non-relocatable services are concerned (in which the First World tends to be the best - education being a good example). Also rising concerns about sustainability and pollution take their toll. Eventually primary production disappears from the First World altogether. Which means that they become nice places to live, but not anywhere near as wealthy and powerful as they once were.
The consequence for those parts of the Third World that have managed some form of political stability (usually through highly repressive means) is that they get to partake of the industrial revolution, without having to invent it. Their control of primary production will steadily rise, until they are totally self-sufficient, and the rest of the world has to buy it all from them. They can't fail to seize more control in the long run. But there still is quite a long way to go.
Basically I see a steady redistribution of power and wealth taking place. The Third World will get more of it, which means less for the First World. Which means harder times for those of us in the First World. It's a hard idea to get used to because we are not accustomed to seeing our wealth in the context of the poverty of the rest of the world, and can delude ourselves into thinking we had a winning formula that could have become universal, rather than simply having seized a bigger piece of the pie than everyone else long before we were even born.
</end first epic general waffly thought in 3 years that I haven't deleted on account of too many sweeping generalizations>
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Yes, he will be punished for reforming health care
He? And what were the 535 members of Congress doing through all this - sneaking cigs and braiding each others hair in the cloak rooms?
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He? And what were the 535 members of Congress doing through all this - sneaking cigs and braiding each others hair in the cloak rooms?
I don't say others won't be punished, he's just the front man. Of course responsibility for the state of American politics is distributed right across their elites, and into their general population. That's really what I'm saying - he was never Superman. But that doesn't mean he hasn't done anything good. Just being an alternative to the warmongering Republicans for 4 years is a massive good all by itself. I expect Americans can't see this very clearly, maybe they never will.
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He? And what were the 535 members of Congress doing through all this - sneaking cigs and braiding each others hair in the cloak rooms?
Making a goddam mess of the debate from what I recall. Which goes to show that the punishment doesn't necessarily target the criminal.
I think Obama will be re-elected. Two years from now the stimulus and the passage of time will have kicked the economy into solid growth, out of Iraq, possibly out of Afghanistan. There will be a bit of a realisation that in one term fixing the three biggest horrors of the Bush presidency isn't too bad a job.
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Two years from now the stimulus and the passage of time will have kicked the economy into solid growth
Admirable optimism. I actually think it's going to take much, much longer. It might not even happen at all. I don't think they can spend their way out of this recession.
There will be a bit of a realisation that in one term fixing the three biggest horrors of the Bush presidency isn't too bad a job.
Word. I don't even recall him promising to fix the recession, other than shoring up the massive hemorrhage of 2 foreign occupations. That he chucked in health reform was remarkable, IMHO.
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I actually think it's going to take much, much longer. It might not even happen at all. I don't think they can spend their way out of this recession.
I think the stimulus stops the bleeding.
Time heals the actual recession - it's a boom and bust system, eventually it works it's way out of bust if you do a half-decent job of managing it.
I'm not saying fantastic growth, just that the economy will look significantly better in comparison to when he took over. Enough to put it up at the top of your record when you run again.
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They have no answer to Chinese capitalism, the starkest proof of both the effectiveness and the moral bankruptcy of the extreme right ideology.
Great response Ben
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I like to think I can still be surprised. It's happened dozens of times in the last decade, I can't think why it couldn't continue.
Hey don't grab all the pleasure for yourself. Cause now I have to play catch up. People always surprise me sometimes not in a good way, sometimes in astoundingly positive ways. But I love this planet, and everything on it. And I want generations after me to do the same. Till its heat death whenever that is. Mebbe some descendants will watch it from space - well not of mine 'cause I wont be having any thanks very much for asking. But someones.
The Third World will get more of it, which means less for the First World. Which means harder times for those of us in the First World. It's a hard idea to get used to because we are not accustomed to seeing our wealth in the context of the poverty of the rest of the world, and can delude ourselves into thinking we had a winning formula that could have become universal, rather than simply having seized a bigger piece of the pie than everyone else long before we were even born.
This was apparent oooooh, about 40 years ago. And many in a generation put their hand up to say 'Hey we'll take the hit'. But their parents weren't about to let their children become urchins - or so they thought. The echo back - as it was never verbalised - was 'bloody ungrateful little sods, we fought and died for this so you bloody well better keep on with it'.
But I wish I could live to see you succeed where others have failed.
Ah the optimism of youth, you have my support, for what its worth.Now the Third world will just take what it wants, and if the developed world suffers. They'll just say "Them the breaks" or whatever those sayings are in other cultures.
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'bloody ungrateful little sods, we fought and died for this so you bloody well better keep on with it'.
Man on train: Don't take that tone with me, young man. I fought the war for your sort.
Ringo: I bet you're sorry you won.A Hard Day's Night (1964)
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Time heals the actual recession - it's a boom and bust system, eventually it works it's way out of bust if you do a half-decent job of managing it.
It's worked before. But we haven't had a recession like this in my lifetime. I actually think it's indicative of broken fundamental value in the First World economies that property speculation has outperformed the stockmarket over a ten year period. Basically, they're not competitive.
This was apparent oooooh, about 40 years ago.
Heh, or longer, depending which prophet you read.
But I love this planet, and everything on it.
I like quite a lot of it, but I lack perspective, being earthbound.
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Boom and bust explainers and people who like to riff on how stocks will always outperform all other (less productive) forms of investment in the long run would do well to check out the Nikkei index every now and then.
In late 1989 it reached a peak of over 39,000 points. Last Friday it closed at 9,722.66 points. This is the long term trend.
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But the stock market is a bit different than the economy, and Nikkei pretty different than the US.
I'm not saying it will happen automatically. Incompetence caused the current situation, so incompetence can sure keep it going. But half-decent economic management will eventually see the US economy return to some growth as companies who had to overhack to survive start to re-hire (that's just happened in the last quarter), and weaker companies all die off (except those bits that the government thought were too big to fail) freeing up market space for others.
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Indeed Gio. Even the Dow hasn't done what they used to say it would always do, right before it stopped doing it.
@Kyle, I think the main thing that will happen is a readjustment of basic greed. If Americans learn to spend less, they might realize that it's not the end of the world, that the rest of the planet has been happily doing it forever.
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If Americans learn to spend less, they might realize that it's not the end of the world, that the rest of the planet has been happily doing it forever.
The merit of the global financial system that recently went off a cliff was said to be that the way it facilitated consumer debt would give people in developing countries a place to invest their savings; and let the people of developed countries keep on buying consumer products. It was perfect, apparently.
But she'll be a hard sell to the Americans. I'm sometimes struck by the expectation of impeccably liberal visitors from the US that every indoor space will be adjusted to a just-so temperature through the use of electricity. I'm not meaning this to be mean -- they were good people -- but there was an assumption of being able to control the environment at will.
OTOH, we New Zealanders could learn a lot about keeping homes warm from the northern hemisphere.
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Heh, or longer, depending which prophet you read.
Now you should know I dont go in for that stuff 'cos I weened myself off it. Pity I cant say the same about other folk.
And just cos I can.... "dont you get fresh with me young man!"
I lack perspective, being earthbound.
Easily solved, when your ready!
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My 2c is that America's greatest challenge is to come to grips with the end of the Cold War. The time when political dominance came from projection of military might is approaching its end, and they are bankrupting themselves trying to hold on to it.
Vaguely reminiscent of the British League of Empire Loyalists 50-60 years ago, and the lame-duck handling of the Suez Crisis. Trying to hold the Empire together, even though WW2 had rendered it an unaffordable luxury.
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