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Learning from Lieberman
Commented Dec 21, 2009 at 16:53:25 in Politics
“Funny how rare it is for a progressive representative to lead the national news. The spotlight gives the likes of Lieberman clout.”
The Long Overdue Debate
Commented Dec 18, 2009 at 01:36:55 in Politics
“I think this debate has been going on all along and has evolved as the bills have evolved. I think that this debate has encompassed more pertinent aspects of health care and narrowed as Congress moved closer to its goal. What is disheartening is that this debate and these debaters have always been on a remote stage well off to the periphery of the main stage. The main stage has been dominated by scatologicalist aping learning for a credulous audience. This seems to me to be the nature of American politics. I want so desperately for it to change.”
The Long Overdue Debate
Commented Dec 18, 2009 at 01:03:23 in Politics
“If digital communications are such a great thing, why aren't our politicans behaving any differently? When Congress starts showing a lot of new faces marching to a different drummer, then I'll believe that digital communications have made a difference.”
With The Rise of Social Media, No Privacy for Tiger Woods
Commented Dec 17, 2009 at 01:31:29 in Technology
“This whole affair reminds me that you no longer see Ford Broncos on the road.”
Getting Real: Ten Myths Behind Progressive Support for the Senate Health Bill
Commented Dec 17, 2009 at 00:54:21 in Politics
“I think the biggest threat of not passing a bill is that it will be years if not decades before an opportunity rolls around again. Until the players change, it is a fantasy to think that starting over will result in something better if this fails. That said, I'm counting on the public's displeasure when the final details are released and the Administration is given the law to implement. Heads will roll. The trick will be to make sure that Republicans are not absolved from responsibility in the mess and that Republican heads roll, too. Better for progressives and liberals to start screaming about the "donut holes" now and get the public stirred up. Better to have Congress know that what they've done isn't good enough rather than that they can't do anything.”
Patriot86 replied on Dec 17, 2009 at 01:37:42
“the Dems own this bill a very very bad bill that only a GOP could love...it has everything in it including a lovely little gift that allows them to move to a state with little oversight on health care and sell across state lines ...since health care is regulated at the state level and this bill has no regulation
Curbing Big Banks: Draw the Damn Line
Commented Dec 16, 2009 at 23:34:40 in Business
“This is a work in progress. The election of Obama and Democratic majorities in both House and Senate is no guarantee that we are going to get the things we want. What we have gotten, though, is a Congress that is doing what Congress is suppose to do: go about the messy business of creating laws. That the laws are not doing what we need them to do is evidence that further tinkering with Congress at the individual membership level is required. If our government is to work, voters and elected officials need to understand that there are no "safe" seats; work for the commons must come first. And regarding this task voters must asked themselves whether they are one of the failures we lament of our school system.”
hp blogger Robert L. Borosage replied on Dec 17, 2009 at 09:27:17
“Agree totally. The grotesqueries of the legislative process have been demoralizing over the last months. But that is no reason to throw in flag and give up in disgust.
We haven't had this opportunity for reform since the 60s. The president has put big issues on the table that must be addressed -- health care, energy, financial reform, jobs. This mobilizes the most powerful corporate lobbies -- and they've been pretty much having their way, aided and abetted by a Republican opposition betting on failure.
Now the question is whether we give up in disgust or double down. Hold the legislators accountable. Demand more of the White House and keep pushing.”
We haven't had this opportunity for reform since the 60s. The president has put big issues on the table that must be addressed -- health care, energy, financial reform, jobs. This mobilizes the most powerful corporate lobbies -- and they've been pretty much having their way, aided and abetted by a Republican opposition betting on failure.
Now the question is whether we give up in disgust or double down. Hold the legislators accountable. Demand more of the White House and keep pushing.”
Curbing Big Banks: Draw the Damn Line
Commented Dec 16, 2009 at 23:11:43 in Business
“Money buys advertisements, pollsters, robocalls, canvassers, etc. all of which to try to influence the voter. But, ultimately, it is the voter who pulls the lever. So long as the voter is easily flummoxed, disengaged, disinterested it won't matter where the money comes from. People have to understand that democracy--even representative democracy--takes some work. It is not good enough to vote your fears, anxieties, prejudices, desires, joys. You have to engage the issues of the day and make sure your representative engages them, too.”
fourbrrl replied on Dec 18, 2009 at 08:01:52
“the voter does "pull the lever" but one needs to research what goes on inside the "magic machine"”
Curbing Big Banks: Draw the Damn Line
Commented Dec 16, 2009 at 22:48:32 in Business
“"put foot to ass of regressives and obstructionists whose antics are bleeding and destroying the country and the lives of the American people"
That's our job. Obama, the Democrats and the regressive obstructionist all work for us. We need to tell the obstructionist that we are on to their game and we've had enough. If the Republicans and blue dogs lose in the next election, the message will be clear that we want reform. What are needed are reform minded candidates in those districts and states expanding and reframing the local conversation in the matters of interest, challenging the orthodoxy and received wisdom. Mitch McConnell and company are betting that failure will restore the Republicans to power. We have to kill that notion and show all of them that failure is not a party issue.”
That's our job. Obama, the Democrats and the regressive obstructionist all work for us. We need to tell the obstructionist that we are on to their game and we've had enough. If the Republicans and blue dogs lose in the next election, the message will be clear that we want reform. What are needed are reform minded candidates in those districts and states expanding and reframing the local conversation in the matters of interest, challenging the orthodoxy and received wisdom. Mitch McConnell and company are betting that failure will restore the Republicans to power. We have to kill that notion and show all of them that failure is not a party issue.”
Evangelicals, Israel, and the End of the World
Commented Dec 14, 2009 at 18:38:50 in World
“Really? Tell it to the aboriginals of what we now call South America. Those Spandards were definitely not evangelicals.”
Evangelicals, Israel, and the End of the World
Commented Dec 14, 2009 at 18:20:25 in World
“I just read that in one of the Gospels, but I don't remember if it was Luke or Mark.”
Evangelicals, Israel, and the End of the World
Commented Dec 14, 2009 at 18:16:13 in World
“I think what you are trying to say is that there are stripes of Evangelicals. That is true. I believe that, technically, evangelicals includes Methodist, Bapistist, Congressionalist and other sects that broke off from the Catholic Church to follow an extraordinary leader. The piece highlights Evangelicals with fundamentalist, radical beliefs without making distinctions. Nonetheless, I think the piece is right to spotlight this fundamentalist trend and to draw parallels with fundamentalist of other religious systems. The dangers are real enough as we are often quick to point out by pointing at the Taliban and fundamental Muslims. Fundamental Christians are no less dangerous.”
You're a Student of History, And I'm Not
Commented Dec 14, 2009 at 17:36:24 in Media
“Actually, it was Reagan whom they called the teflon President.
Maybe the fact that we have a President who is capable of handling such questions and even invites them should be a reason to rejoice. The real concern is whether the Media and, ultimately, the audience is capable participating in the conversation the President is inviting.”
Maybe the fact that we have a President who is capable of handling such questions and even invites them should be a reason to rejoice. The real concern is whether the Media and, ultimately, the audience is capable participating in the conversation the President is inviting.”
byla replied on Dec 14, 2009 at 20:07:07
“Right, Clinton was Slick Willy.”
You're a Student of History, And I'm Not
Commented Dec 14, 2009 at 17:24:59 in Media
“So we should get out just as we did after the Soviets left after having helped frustrate the Soviet attempts to do what "we say we stand for" now? Giving the cold shoulder to insignificant countries seems to be the standard American practice. Maybe the history we need to learn is not "Afghanistan the Graveyard of Foreign Powers" but "America the Self-Servi
Harry Shearer replied on Dec 14, 2009 at 21:38:00
“Let's face facts: if Obama doesn't withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 2012, he's a one-term President. We will leave, the only question is how soon? The Afghans will be left to their fate soon enough, which is why the current flurry of troops is not only misguided but cruel.”
Contradictory Republicans Still Flummoxed By Medicare
Commented Dec 13, 2009 at 19:13:13 in Politics
“The United States of Republicans. If somebody isn't making a profit, God's against it.”
Contradictory Republicans Still Flummoxed By Medicare
Commented Dec 13, 2009 at 19:06:57 in Politics
“It is a fools errand, but you've got to start somewhere. We are currently stuck in a pattern that is making a few people rich and squeezing the rest of us. That pattern has gotten to the breaking point. Something has to change.”
Boys Gone Wild: The Mine's Bigger Than Yours Market
Commented Dec 10, 2009 at 19:58:27 in Business
“Hmmmm, so why has Kraft launched a hostile takeover bid for Cadbury? Does Kraft really need the extra money or market share?
Also alpha females are just as competitive and destructive as alpha males, they just have different methods and spheres of influence. Nevertheless, your last point of "nurturing talent and building enduring value with cultures of trust and teamwork" is worth heeding.”
Also alpha females are just as competitive and destructive as alpha males, they just have different methods and spheres of influence. Nevertheless, your last point of "nurturing talent and building enduring value with cultures of trust and teamwork" is worth heeding.”
Why Do the Smartest Women Have the Toughest Time Dating?
Commented Dec 07, 2009 at 21:33:11 in Living
“"An engineer might want to date a more verbal English professor, or example."
I doubt that. Engineering--at least in America--is a different mentality. Relationships build on common interest.”
I doubt that. Engineering--at least in America--is a different mentality. Relationships build on common interest.”
aliasvivian replied on Dec 07, 2009 at 22:53:10
“My boyfriend is a structural engineer. I'm a creative director and writer. Most of the other engineers he knows are with very verbal women. Opposites attract... which is why smart women often have blue-collar dude fantasies.”
Bringing Down Three False Gods
Commented Dec 07, 2009 at 19:19:26 in Living
“I think it is much too early to suggest that America is changing. We may be in a period of retrenchment but the core values in question stretch back to the first settlers. Throughout our history there have been periods of re-evaluation such as the Great Depression. But lessons learned during those times were lost in the following periods of prosperity such as the 50s and 60s. I find it curious that there is so much anamosity about expanding the social safety net as happened during the 30s. You would think people would agree on the universal value of such programs after 70 years.”
DownerCow replied on Dec 07, 2009 at 20:14:23
“I fear that today's American has a stronger sense of entitlement than a pioneer's value system. Bears in the wilderness are smaller, leaner and less violent towards humans than those that feed out of campground trash bins. I predict more bullying than generosity when the free ride ends. Throw our easy accessibility to guns into the mix, and it gets ugly fast.”
The Economic Reality That No One Wants to Talk About
Commented Dec 06, 2009 at 15:44:57 in Business
“Professor Reich, you've mentioned outsourcing and innovation as sources of permanent job lost but you haven't addressed mergers and acquisitions and the millions of jobs that have been permanently lost due to redundancy. M&As have become a huge part of the economy and I don't think you can seriously speak to the structural changes that have occured without taking them into account. I suspect that M&As have been good for padding the profit margins of the acquiring company (once it has hacked away the business and employees it doesn't want) but has been a disaster for the overall economy (locally and globally).
Ultimately, the economy depends not on what the government does or does not do but how business behaves. When business leaders think that economy is principally about making profit, they will compartmentalize to drive everything to that end. But economy is envirnoment. Everyone of us draws our sustenance from it. Our business and political leaders need to understand that there is more importance in economy than just profit.”
Ultimately, the economy depends not on what the government does or does not do but how business behaves. When business leaders think that economy is principally about making profit, they will compartmentalize to drive everything to that end. But economy is envirnoment. Everyone of us draws our sustenance from it. Our business and political leaders need to understand that there is more importance in economy than just profit.”
The Economic Reality That No One Wants to Talk About
Commented Dec 06, 2009 at 14:58:28 in Business
“I disagree that the US does not need the unemployed workers it currently has. Not all of the jobs that have been lost over the past few decades have been lost to software innovation or outsourcing. Employeers have been primarily focused on saving money and many jobs that have been cut have not been replaced in any form. The result has often been longer hours and more stress for remaining employees. The result has been temporary workers staying in positions as temps for years. The result has been customer dissatisfaction that is accepted because there aren't any trustworthy alternatives. As long as the notion of profit centers drives the business model, high levels of unemployment will be acceptable.”
Barack Obama's War: 10 Key Things To Know
Commented Dec 04, 2009 at 18:40:10 in World
“We like to pat ourselves on the back for "winning" the Cold War, and here the assumption is that Afghanistan was the linchpin in the fall of the Soviet Union. I think this is hubris. I don't think America's influence in the demise of the Soviet Union is as great as we like to think. The fact that we abandoned Afghanistan after promoting and funding fundamentalist hate and providing deadly weapons doesn't speak well of us either. We have a problem in the area stemming from our behavior. Turning away would only re-enforce the notion that we don't give a d..n about anyone but ourselves.”
ThruSpaceAndTime replied on Dec 04, 2009 at 20:04:09
“"Turning away would only re-enforce the notion that we don't give a d..n about anyone but ourselves.
You arrive at why I am torn on the decision to escalate in terms of footprint made by number of boots on the ground. I would love to know that my country actually helped another nation help itself (potential for that in the president’s decision – maybe), but then there is the history of my country to contend with...wit
You arrive at why I am torn on the decision to escalate in terms of footprint made by number of boots on the ground. I would love to know that my country actually helped another nation help itself (potential for that in the president’s decision – maybe), but then there is the history of my country to contend with...wit
Struggling For The Soul Of Religion: Why The Parliament Of The World's Religions Matters
Commented Dec 04, 2009 at 14:09:50 in Living
“Very well spoken!”
Wall Street Compensation and Accountability Gone Off The Rails
Commented Dec 02, 2009 at 15:48:03 in Business
“It's the talent. The more you pay, the bigger the talent. You get what you pay for.”
cecebo replied on Dec 03, 2009 at 13:02:54
“You're kidding, right? I think you mean, the more you pay, the more unhinged greed and evil -and I will admit, smarts- you get for your dollar.”
How We Should Really Be Viewing Afghanistan
Commented Dec 02, 2009 at 15:27:24 in World
“"Still, why hasn't this info been laid out clearly in the media during Obama's decision process?"
That's a very good question. I suspect the answer is that we in America don't have the patience for nuts and bolts history. If it doesn't entertain us, have a clear good and bad guy we aren't interested. And if it threatens to sully our self image, we are especially hostle.”
That's a very good question. I suspect the answer is that we in America don't have the patience for nuts and bolts history. If it doesn't entertain us, have a clear good and bad guy we aren't interested. And if it threatens to sully our self image, we are especially hostle.”
bbrecht replied on Dec 02, 2009 at 16:11:50
“Yes and in fact, it just raises more questions-- like why are we supporting the government in Pakistan..
The Uproar Over New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
Commented Dec 02, 2009 at 14:59:22 in Living
“What we need is a new health movement period. One that is not only not beholden to the profit motive but also not beholden to gender, sexual and identity politics. We need a health movement dedicated to good health in all of its manifestations: physical, emotional, pyschic; private and collective.”
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