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austerity measures narrowly avoided

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,249
7,695
It's a can't-win situation. Go on vacation (how many days was GWB at the White House vs. at Crawford, anyway?) and get slammed for being tone deaf. Live frugally and wear a cardigan a la Carter and get slammed for not being presidential enough.
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
All the differences between the two parties you perceive are largely superficial. :thumb:
Yeah, that whole Austrian vs Keynesian economics thing, they're actually the same. Also, both parties agree on social policies, entitlement programs, religion in government, environmental protection, corporate governance and military intervention in foreign countries...

:rolleyes:

But hey, the black guy took a vacation, and the WHITE GUY DID TOO!! See, they're identical. Must be so easy to live in a world where you can just put your head in the sand and pretend that you don't have to do any work to discern *what* the differences are between the two parties...
 

heavy metal

Monkey
Mar 31, 2011
193
4
HI
But hey, the black guy took a vacation, and the WHITE GUY DID TOO!! See, they're identical. Must be so easy to live in a world where you can just put your head in the sand and pretend that you don't have to do any work to discern *what* the differences are between the two parties...
That was never my assertion.

Yeah, that whole Austrian vs Keynesian economics thing, they're actually the same. Also, both parties agree on social policies, entitlement programs, religion in government, environmental protection, corporate governance and military intervention in foreign countries...
Obama presided over the greatest upward transfer of wealth in American history. There was hardly anything progessive about the bailout at all. This is just one example of how some of the most critical actions of elected officials in our time are in direct conflict with their touted ideologies, cognitive dissonance and disjointed policy is the rule of the day.

All these philosophies supposedly held by the various candidates are ideological and seldom see practical implementation once elected. Thus, they serve more use as political branding during the campaigning process and less as actual governing ideologies.

The two party system as it exists today is more about selling the candidates than implementing real policy objectives effectively. It's a big egotistical pissing match veiled in stale rhetoric and ideological propaganda.

This creates an atmosphere where the government is overly politicized and stagnant, suffering from a severe dislocation between ideological propaganda and real world governing efficacy.

I'm probably just overly cynical, but I don't think a vote for either two counts for anything tangible in the real world.
 
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dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
And yet despite the one timing error, it was pretty much spot on.... "even a blind squirrel finds a nut" is the phrase I'm looking for...
I prefer "even a stopped clock is right twice a day", but there still wasn't one shred of actual evidence of the similarity of candidates in his post. You might not agree with what Obama has done (or presided over, since the teabaggers and the people who elected them bear sh!t-tons of responsibility for the recent government actions), but if you think that we would be in exactly the same position under McCain/GOP/etc, you're beyond delusional. I'll say it again, point to where the Democratic and GOP candidates are similar on Keynesian/Austrian economics, social social policies, entitlement programs, religion in government, environmental protection, corporate governance and military intervention in foreign countries... Platitudes and generalities don't cut it here in P&WN.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
I prefer "even a stopped clock is right twice a day", but there still wasn't one shred of actual evidence of the similarity of candidates in his post. You might not agree with what Obama has done (or presided over, since the teabaggers and the people who elected them bear sh!t-tons of responsibility for the recent government actions), but if you think that we would be in exactly the same position under McCain/GOP/etc, you're beyond delusional. I'll say it again, point to where the Democratic and GOP candidates are similar on Keynesian/Austrian economics, social social policies, entitlement programs, religion in government, environmental protection, corporate governance and military intervention in foreign countries... Platitudes and generalities don't cut it here in P&WN.
I was more agreeing with the assertion that a majority of politicians are in it for themselves and disagree with the "other side" simply to disagree. Sorry I didn't make that clear. I believe that we are in a much better place with Obama than with anyone else who was on the ballot.

If I start getting too involved I'll end up going all Wisconsin....

:D
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
I was thinking of this thread when reading an article on how the (reviled) tea party is weilding undue influence in the GOP presidential debates. All I could think of was "you're sick of the fact that your party's candidate doesn't match your views closely enough? Work at the grass-roots level to ensure that the candidate is better. " It's a stark contrast to the whining on here by people who claim that there's no difference between Obama and the GOP.