dagblog - Comments for "American Democracy - Not Dead Yet"

Strange bedfellows

Resistance — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 21:11:53 +0000

In reply to It's an interesting point,

Strange bedfellows

Democrats working with Tea Party against Obama's trade ...

Well said. I wonder how the

moat — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 21:02:32 +0000

In reply to It's an interesting point,

Well said. I wonder how the lack of clarity about self interest will involve the matter of parties sticking to a principle as discussed in the latter part of your interview with Blackmon.

La Follette surely knew which end of the butter knife to grab.

It's an interesting point,

Michael Wolraich — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 14:56:00 +0000

In reply to The Yglesias argument devotes

It's an interesting point, and I've been mulling it over. I think the relationship between money and ideology was more straightforward in the old days. Northerners championed tariffs because high tariffs benefited northern industry. Southerners defended slavery because they had a slave economy. Big city bosses fought civil service reform because their patronage machines depended on the spoils system. There were exceptions of course, e.g. pro-slavery white sharecroppers, but I think in general, people had a better sense of which side of their bread was buttered, and they attached more importance to the buttering.

Now it's not always so clear. Who gains financially by banning abortion or same-sex marriage? Even the economic ideological differences are sometimes topsy-turvy with low-income states calling for tax reductions and benefit cuts. And then there are weird internal factions, such as when the Chamber of Commerce battled Heritage over the debt ceiling.

The Yglesias argument devotes

moat — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 02:32:27 +0000

In reply to American Democracy - Not Dead Yet

The Yglesias argument devotes all of its energy toward processes of legislation but doesn't give even the smallest nod toward the general agreement that money is made the way it is made.

The previous arguments about tariffs directly involved the question about who got some money or not.

Against that background, the Yglesias argument works against itself. Claiming the ideological, as such, is a new frontier not explored by other people ignores why all the previous ideologies had so much to do with who got what.

The new spoils system?

Resistance — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 00:32:24 +0000

In reply to Another comparison would be

The new spoils system?

Edited to add workable link

First on CNN: Feds prepare criminal corruption charges against Senator Bob Menendez

Not Lazy you peaked my

Resistance — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 21:49:06 +0000

In reply to I get lazy.

Not Lazy you peaked my curiosity and I wanted to share my findings.

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY - NOT DEAD

Resistance — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 21:11:46 +0000

In reply to American Democracy - Not Dead Yet

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY - NOT DEAD ……..YET

So don't fret too much. Yes, American democracy is in crisis, but it has survived worse.

We failed to heed the warning signs and have gone too far off of the path.

"I'm afraid we're all going to have to drink Kool-Aid." As said by George Stephonopolous in the 1993 film, "The War Room

MULTIPLE WARNING SIGNS IGNORED

1.3 Political parties

1.6 Credit and government borrowing

I get lazy.

Richard Day — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 20:52:12 +0000

In reply to 7 billion + and counting

I get lazy.

Great link on the population/Malthus calculations and history.

No, regs are needed to avoid pestilence.

I need money, I need oil, I need profits regardless of 'run off' or friendly fire.

But that is my opinion.

At any rate, this is a great, great link.

7 billion + and counting

Resistance — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 20:31:33 +0000

In reply to This hits me right now, in

7 billion + and counting

http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

With ever- increasing population growth, can we provide enough food for everyone?

Are restrictive regulations going to lead to starvation in America?

http://www.agweb.com/

In the Upper right hand corner “Search our site” Type in EPA

Even more prominent, I would

Michael Wolraich — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 20:22:18 +0000

In reply to Another comparison would be

Even more prominent, I would say. Some historians argue that the civil war was really fought over tariff policy. I don't buy that, but it was certainly an incredibly divisive issue. The reform of the spoils system was similarly divisive but less partisan. Both parties had reform factions. I can't think of similar examples today that are so divisive within the parties.