dagblog - Comments for "These Things Suck. And a link to the livestreaming of the Catfood Commission Presser"

Trouble with that theory is

we are stardust — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:38:46 +0000

In reply to So the 2012 Obama strategy is

Trouble with that theory is that if the economy deteriorates even more, and jobless rates rise, as most sane economists predict, Obama won't have a prayer, and he'd be primaried, though opinions differ about it being from the left or the right.

And if from the Right, I'd guess it will be because the more fervent War Hawks have their way even further. (Iran, Yemen, Pakistan, who knows?) But that thought is possibly fallacious, since I've been reading perhaps too much on the wars and foreign policy than is good for me in my current brain-state. At the very least, I think the Dems might choose a general as Veep candidate.

Replace Geithner? Cripes; we don't even know who Obama will appoint to replace Summers yet; though the floating names are all big bank and business ones. Melissa Bean to head the CFPB? Did she even lose yet? Her website says they won't even count the remaining 4,000 ballots until later in the month. What's up with THAT?

IF, and it's a big IF, Obama is getting what he wants in terms of policy and outcomes in the financial sector, and endorses ANY cuts to social programs, and keeps extending the wars and de facto wars, I think a lot of his supporters are going to start challenging his Democratic credentials, though they/we should have by now, anyway, IMO.

We have to remember that the Catfood Commission is Obama's baby, and that Simpson and Bowles held the Bad-cop presser while Obama was out of the country, and without advising the White House ahead of time has great meaning, and one possibility is that he created a MOnster he couldn't control, and the other is that their report suits his agenda of leading with the horrific, then negotiating cuts to some level he can sell as sane.

There doesn't seem to be any front on which there isn't panic, demagoguery, lying, obfuscation, conspiracy, and confusion, whether on the domestic front, currency, trade, or tax policy and finance. I don't see where rational thinking or explanation prevails soon. And as I said, it may just be because I am feeling so outside of the mainstream once again, but centrist Dem patience ain't gonna get us even close to where we need to get, and the passionate arguments we need to save the non-2% of Americans in the short run, let alone the long one.

The argument about tax breaks

Oxy Mora — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:16:41 +0000

In reply to LOL! But look at the

The argument about tax breaks for the rich has been badly framed. It's not about what their role is, we know they are whores, so we are simply discussing price. And they are not all that good at what they do so why overpay them?

So the 2012 Obama strategy is

Oxy Mora — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:05:48 +0000

In reply to Amen, Sleepin. I'm not

So the 2012 Obama strategy is to cave in now, then blame Republicans. "See, we did it their way again and loook what happened, no jobs. We need real change this time."

Thanks for that ref. I'm

Oxy Mora — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:57:32 +0000

In reply to Another thing that sucks: Tim

Thanks for that ref. I'm trying to imagine the downside of cashiering Geithner and can't think of one. What's odd to me is that the rabble themselves aren't calling for his head to roll, like Boehner was doing a while back.

Amen, Sleepin. I'm not

Ramona — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:37:08 +0000

In reply to I am the first to admit that

Amen, Sleepin. I'm not seeing many jobs for day laborers anymore, either. But, hey, all it takes are tax cuts for everybody. You'll see. The jobs will be back.

I suppose you're wondering why those tax cuts for the top 2 percent didn't create jobs in the last decade? That's the trouble with you people. You think too much. You ask too many questions. That's why everybody hates liberals.

I am the first to admit that

SleepinJeezus — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:04:39 +0000

In reply to LOL! But look at the

I am the first to admit that I am one liberal who is undoubtedly a little thick in the head. After all - from a macro sense - I just can't quite wrap my arms around the idea that we "human resources" must make sacrifices like surrendering our social safety nets (SS, Medicare, pensions, unemployment compensation, etc.), and reduce our wages, and accept a steady decline in our standard of living, and work longer hours - all in support of the growth and overall health of the economy. We all want a vibrant economy, don't we? Well, don't we?

I guess I find something missing in that argument.

But who knows? If we would all just take our places as day laborers, sitting on a park bench sucking cheap wine out of a brown paper bag, we might just get the best goddam economy you ever saw! Wouldn't THAT be grand!

LOL! But look at the

we are stardust — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:32:37 +0000

In reply to Another thing that sucks: Tim

LOL! But look at the comments below; most seem to have the fingers of blame pointed in sorta skewed directions: George Soros killing capitalism, etc., and calling the shots; TARP as all-Obama, 'Stimulus all going to UNION jobs', turning the country 'socialist', la la la. And you might not get one of them to agree that upper incomes HAVE to pay more taxes. That buggery about the wealthy creating jobs hasn't been discredited yet. It's an easy theory to tell and thus believe I guess.

Since Americans have no royalty, we seem to adore the splendor of our faux royals, and tend to believe that they became wealthy, they deserve to be, and don't owe America nuttin'. It's pretty hard to get some 'liberals' even to understand how tax policy and government spending promoted that accrual of wealth. Odd.

When Erick son of Erick is

kgb999 — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 07:50:51 +0000

In reply to Another thing that sucks: Tim

When Erick son of Erick is both concise and spot on ... you KNOW stuff is sucky.

Another thing that sucks: Tim

Watt Childress — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 07:12:17 +0000

In reply to LOL! Too much time, son!

Another thing that sucks: Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary. Here's a concise spot-on post on the subject from the editor of redstate.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/11/10/why-does-tim-geithner-still-hav...

Oxy, the last chart the

we are stardust — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 03:01:10 +0000

In reply to Ah, Oxyme-dear; can i come

Oxy, the last chart the Generals presented with a timeline for Afghanistan had three possible scenarios graphed; it was obvious to all which was the preferred one: the timeline sorta stretched out past 2020, and got a little wobbly. At that point, the remaining troops may have been 60,000+, but don't trust my crap memory. Too many reasons to stay, inclusing Silk Roads, Pipelines, Bases and more Gigantic Bases, a huge new prison complex and airport. Some journalists say that Bagram is a major city now, though all military, and is ample evidence that we ain't leavin'.

So Obama is in India, trying to placate them over 'terrorists' in Pakistan, more drone strikes there making more enemies. Can't think what our foreign policy amounts to in Iran or Af/Pak; it seems so incoherent. And so immoral, which is the part we too often skirt around in our eagerness to justify pre-emptive wars and the continuation of same, I think.