dagblog - Comments for "Optimistic about Change"

"Why write 200 words, when

Saladin — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 04:03:28 +0000

"Why write 200 words, when 20,000 will do just as well."

You're right! I was so inspired, I didn't bother to read past that. The Egyptions inspired me too! In fact let's have the military take over and everything will be just again. Oh, oh, but first let's make a facebook group! With a twitter thread! Forget those meanies Clinton and Obama, we can do this! Yay! And maybe we can get together and sexually assault some hot 'jewish' journalist.

Really Dan?

I haven't read you in a year and I am very sad to see your thinking has grown so flacid. A decade of Al jazeera coupled with suddenly crippling food prices are the cataylsts of the uprisings in the middle east, not some damn tweet from an arab Tomas Paine. It ain't roses overthere, we can be hopeful but lets not be foolish. I hate to borrow an overused analagy but 1989 it's not, 1848 is closer, and it might even be more like 1725 with a dash of hope thrown in.

To be honest I am not really sure what optimism you are getting out of Roubini and company, I read most of those blogs and I am just get more anger validation. But it's good to see you are happy, it's nearly springtime. And the cliche springs eternal, as it should.

(My reply is extended so I

AmericanDreamer — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:29:52 +0000

In reply to the Democrats and the

(My reply is extended so I will put it up as a separate post.)

While knowledge is power, it

Verified Atheist — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:30:29 +0000

In reply to the Democrats and the

While knowledge is power, it seems that, in general, emotions motivate. I say this as someone who is much more likely to be persuaded by a logical argument than an emotional one, or at least that's what I want to believe about myself. (But seriously, I really do think that accurately describes me.) That said, there's also a difference between being persuaded and being motivated. Logic might persuade me to vote for candidate X, but it might take something more to get me to canvas for or donate to candidate X.

the Democrats and the

artappraiser — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 20:14:17 +0000

In reply to BJ, it's entirely possible

the Democrats and the liberals analyze it to death

But but but it seems to me the blogs DanK recommended are all very much analysis. Looking at his list above, seems like less outrage and emoting, more analysis of policy and alternate policy suggestions are what makes DanK optimistic.

While I'm only vaguely familiar with the other sites, only a very occasional visitor, I've been reading Yglesias regularly for a long time, and I don't believe I've ever seen him do outrage or a "call to action" and most of the others on DanK's list seem to be very similar. One thing Yglesias certainly does not have is what Beetlejuice above calls "the fire and the rage that's been missing from the debate. " (Makes me laugh to even think of Yglesias being described that way. He may indeed have some kind of fire in his brain to be as productive as he is, but rage doesn't seem to be part of his makeup. And "fight" doesn't appear to be in his vocabulary.)

It's true that doesn't ever imply being hopelessly screwed either, he obviously thinks talking rationally and without anger about different policy ideas is a good thing to do. I don't know if anyone knows if he thinks he can change the world doing that. I like to presume he thinks knowledge is power. I do see commenters to his left bash him for that often enough, as if it is both elitist and naive ivory tower type thinking, and that outrage and anger and calls to action are what we need and the calm thoughtful Yglesias' of the world, analyzing all sides of an issue and making suggestions, are the problem.

"And yet others see things as

SleepinJeezus — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:56:31 +0000

In reply to One person who believed that

"And yet others see things as they are, and respond with 'WTF'"

Sorry, but I couldn't resist.

Absolutely GREAT comments, AD. They can never beat us if we never surrender, regardless of how weary we get. Keep the faith!

And they won't break ranks

acanuck — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:24:44 +0000

In reply to You've got the fire and the

And they won't break ranks until they start to lose. Wisconsin looks like a good time and place to fight.

You've got the fire and the

Beetlejuice — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:35:02 +0000

In reply to BJ, it's entirely possible

You've got the fire and the rage that's been missing from the debate...good to hear that! But there needs to be more people filled with rage and willing to speak out. And it has to cross the line to the other side if it is to be effective...this can't be one-sided. Perhaps there has to be an element of danger where one can lose something cherish or value just like Egypt to get the rage going. If people are beginning to feel the rage grow within them, all it will take is a single event to trip the circuit breaker. However, I still see the GOPer base in formation and marching in lock-step at the moment. Nothing will happen until they break ranks.

FWIW, Dan, while I appreciate

AmericanDreamer — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:18:55 +0000

In reply to Optimistic about Change

FWIW, Dan, while I appreciate the point about navel-gazing I have in the past found your long comments, as well as the short ones, interesting and well worth reading.

I love that last quote about

Dan Kervick — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:16:17 +0000

In reply to One person who believed that

I love that last quote about tragedy.

Thanks Dan. I read a number

miguelitoh2o — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:12:17 +0000

In reply to Some of them: Angry Bear

Thanks Dan. I read a number of those myself and will check out the ones I'm not familiar with. I suppose the fact that we're seeing people like Yves Smith being interviewed more often in the MSM nowdays is a positive sign. Still, the economic MSM is lagging way behind the blogs listed here. Still it does seem to be having a collective effect on people's understanding and attitudes. Now if we would only have some real investigations and prosecutions of someof the bad actors that helped precipitate the financial crisis it would go a long way towards restoring faith that the system isn't just designed to benefit the fat cats.