dagblog - Comments for "Dear Barack"

I've delayed responding to

Doctor Cleveland — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 18:34:45 +0000

In reply to I doubt anyone is capable of

I've delayed responding to this in order to make sure I responded politely.

As I read your comment, you take me to task for oversimplifying, and then tell me that no leftist government has ever made major changes in the economy. And you provide a list of leftists attempts at ecpnomic restructuring that leaves out the New Deal.

I'll leave my response at that.

Ezra Klein for today's

artappraiser — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:32:00 +0000

In reply to Dear Barack

Ezra Klein for today's Washington Post:

2) Obama is better at the inside game than the outside game. Sarah Palin likes to ask the president "how that hopey-changey stuff" is going. The answer, it seems, is that the changey stuff is going well, but the hopey stuff is proving more troublesome. Obama might have campaigned in 2008 as the inspirational newcomer who had no patience for the broken ways of Washington, but he has governed like a Washington veteran with little patience for inspired outsiders. In health-care reform, in the stimulus, in financial regulation and in the tax-cut deal, Obama has been a tough negotiator able to move his agenda through a gridlocked Congress - but he has not been able to enthuse Democrats or inspire popular support for his initiatives. He has been prickly when questioned about it.

Imagined New Yorker cartoon

AmericanDreamer — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:35:05 +0000

In reply to Dear Barack

Imagined New Yorker cartoon depicts two retired politicians a few decades from now huddled to protect themselves from some semi-permanent, global climate-change inflicted storm, where (James Hansen's book is titled Storms of My Grandchildren) one says to the other: "You know, George, back then I thought we were being pragmatic."

Good post, spot on in its comments on the bastardized use of the term "pragmatic" in the tragically cramped politics of our day.

I objected to his press

Flavius — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:41:21 +0000

In reply to It's exactly the presidency

I objected to his press conference: both the content, I don't attack your supporters. And the tone, querolous. Harry had it right: if you can't stand the heat , get out of the kitchen.

But I liked the deal Biden cut.

It's exactly the presidency

Desidering — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:21:31 +0000

In reply to Dear Barack

It's exactly the presidency Obama wanted - he sways to the right, flogs the left, and accepts no blame. Who knows, might even get himself re-elected.

I suppose AOBTW was flip.

Flavius — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:43:00 +0000

In reply to I suppose incrementalism is

I suppose AOBTW was flip. Let's try it the long way. The world wasn't created yesterday. The economic system we have was arrived at after lots of incremental changes . I wish it were better and would like to make it better but I don't think that can happen with sweeping across the board changes.

I agree that the criticisms above were specific. My suggestion is what we need is not specific criticisms but specific suggestions.

Here's one. Drastically change the US labor laws to reverse the 70 yeas of restrictions imposed since Landrum Griffin in the 40s- that's right , the 40s. It's not just tax policy which has skewed income distribution, even more it's been the inability of Unions to obtain a fair day's pay for the now mostly ununionized work force.

Here's another. Then impose tariffs so that Capital can't evade the need to pay US workers, by buying from China instead.This country is large enough and spans enough climate zones to be essentially self sufficient ,trading for the few thngs we can't provide for ourselves.

AOBTW bring home the troops stationed in 100 countries and let them join the work force making things for ouselves.

As to Obama I profoundly disagree.He's just arranged for the necessary second half of the stimulus. The price he had to pay was to protect the maximum incremental tax rate for those earning over $200K. For two years. Which is not in itself a depressant on the economy. But in exchange for that arguably wasteful tax expenditure of $160 Bn he got $700 Bn of vitally necessary stimulus.

When the history of his administration is written we'll see that this was the point where he finally got it right.

I suppose incrementalism is

SleepinBJeeberz — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:34:15 +0000

In reply to I doubt anyone is capable of

I suppose incrementalism is about as good an excuse for inept and ineffective leadership as anything else we've been offered. Barack Obama: The Incremental President. Do you reckon he gets the whole act together before the end of his term? OABTW your OABTW is quite insulting to those who have leveled very specific and withering criticism of this poseur who would be a leader. But I suppose discounting any criticisms with such a flip comment makes these failures palatable, in an incremental sort of way.

I doubt anyone is capable of

Flavius — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 02:36:00 +0000

In reply to Dear Barack

I doubt anyone is capable of planning a major change in the economy. I won't wave the bloody shirt of the Communists- even the talented ,motivated post war UK Labour Government couldn't.

And certainly no one is capable of implementing one. The most that we reasonably can expect of Barack or anyone is incremental improvements.

Save the mental effort you're expending castigating him for something that can't be done.

That doesn't mean we should let him off scot free. Do the hard work of identifying those key incremental changes that are both possible and far reaching. Campaign for those. Keep his nose to that grindstone.

AOBTW , be specific.

the lede on the NPR report

SleepinBJeeberz — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:53:10 +0000

In reply to Dear Barack

the lede on the NPR report tonight mentioned the WH was "pulling out all the stops" to get the Dems onboard with his Republican tax cuts. Never mind the obvious question about his absence as an advocate for the Dem position in the run-up to this vote. What's done is done. But for now, I think the appropriate response is to invite Obama to a meeting to see if we can work out a compromise. 0;)

I think a closer analogy

Elusive Trope — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:26:28 +0000

In reply to Anytime there is radical

I think a closer analogy would be some serious addiction treatment. The surgery analogy tends to leave the impression that 1) Obama would in near total control of the outcome while the patient is put under during the operation and 2) the effort would be done in a singular sweep of activity. The reality is that 1) the patient would have to be an active participant in the treatment, and there are many of them, some of who are not exactly thrilled to be doing it and 2) it is a long term process that will have many days where it may not seem that things are getting better. In fact, there will days when things will seem to be much worse.

Part of my point is basically America is coming in for their addiction, they want to get clean, but they don't want to suffer. They want to be on the other side of the tunnel from the start. They don't want have to go through the detox process. They don't want to have to look at the wreckage that the have left behind in their wake as a result of their addiction. They don't want have to go through the long difficult process of making amends nor look at their internal wounds and demons. That is if they are even willing to admit they personally have a problem.

In such a case, Obama the therapist asks, knowing the patients are not going to be able to do the hard work to get clean and sober, instead asks what short-term goals want to be achieved. "Find a job you say. I think we can work with that."