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01-16-2012, 11:28 PM

Schmidt
Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 1058

Reference: The Daily Beast, January 16, 2012: Andrew Sullivan: How Obama's Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics

I recommend Andrew Sullivan's article, but I'll just extract the final paragraph:

If I sound biased, that’s because I am. Biased toward the actual record, not the spin; biased toward a president who has conducted himself with grace and calm under incredible pressure, who has had to manage crises not seen since the Second World War and the Depression, and who as yet has not had a single significant scandal to his name. “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle,” George Orwell once wrote. What I see in front of my nose is a president whose character, record, and promise remain as grotesquely underappreciated now as they were absurdly hyped in 2008. And I feel confident that sooner rather than later, the American people will come to see his first term from the same calm, sane perspective. And decide to finish what they started.

Amen.

01-18-2012, 10:51 AM

tyler89
Not Selected
Posts: 5

Very good read. Recommend this one too. Everyone angry with Obamas record should read, think again and maybe be a little more relaxed afterwards.

01-18-2012, 11:25 AM

CARLITOS BAM-BAM
Dallas, TX
Posts: 897

Sorry, I am not moved. Although I use to think like Sullivan. But I don't know what moderate liberalism is, aside from what others say it is.

Fact is Obama has undermined his own so called "preferred" positions....and entrenched Republican resistance against his administration, while pushing allies away with heated rhetoric (i.e., hippie punching).

To be sure, it is better than the Republican alternatives, but that's not good enough.

01-18-2012, 11:38 AM

CARLITOS BAM-BAM
Dallas, TX
Posts: 897

Again though, I applaud the president when he does right, and I will hammer the shit out of him when he does wrong. No Kings.

01-18-2012, 11:46 AM

CARLITOS BAM-BAM
Dallas, TX
Posts: 897

Here's Bill Black, on Dec. 30 over @ NEP:

President Obama Negotiates our Formal Surrender to Crony Capitalism – and the Nation Yawns

My money says that Andrew Sullivan has not even looked at the issues raised by the UMKC blog roll and the Deficit Owl/MMT school.

Most Americans have never even heard of them.

P.S. My MMT missive is still coming. almost done though.

01-22-2012, 11:54 AM

Schmidt
Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 1058

Kaboom, I'm still thinking about your other post [not sure what you have done with the formatting on it...only bolding and italics are allowed...plus links] but I will compile my thoughts on that long post shortly.

On Andrew Sullivan, yes few people have heard of him, but that doesn't mean his views aren't respected by those of us that do read his stuff. And to be fair, he has in the past been highly critical of Obama on a range issues...as he admits that. He may not be an economist, but I read him because he does provide a pragmatist perspective rather than an ideological one.

However, even fewer people have heard of Bill Black and MMT. The MMTers, those like you that are true scholars of MMT, probably represent less than 0.00001 percent of the population. That's not to say you are not right...it's just that you have an immense uphill battle if you want to get the American population on board. And when you start talking the economist jargon of capital account balances you'll lose a lot more people...yes the "nation yawns." Nevertheless, Bill Black's New Economic Perspectives website has a wealth of information that I am still reading and thinking about. I'm slow...and at times I have to keep from yawning.

Having said that, there is much about MMT that is indeed applicable (and currently being applied) to today's economic environment. You won't find too much disagreement with the MMTers and respected economists like Paul Krugman on things like the austerity budgets being proposed by Libertarians and Republicans...or the need for more government stimulus spending when private capital is in short supply. It's just that when you put the MMT label and language on things, then people tend to tune out.

I think Dick Cheney might have been an MMT advocate, but he would never put that label on his sleeve...nor would Barack Obama. It is just too politically charged in this current environment.

Just a few comments on your post...I'll save the rest for your MMT Summit.

01-22-2012, 02:24 PM

CARLITOS BAM-BAM
Dallas, TX
Posts: 897

Yeah, Paul Krugman is looking more and more like an MMT convert everyday now.

Cheney was about MMT for EVIL.

Bush administration still had to justify their tax-cuts as deficit neutral/reduction, and they never created a deficit large enough to push the domestic private sector into surplus.

Point about sectoral balances is not to just keep the private sector out of Ponzi. If tax cuts for the rich could do it, they still will not encourage new production and consumption. There are many ways to appropriately balance sectoral account balances, not all of them will restore aggregate demand.

American people still don't know just how far the toxicity and criminality of Wall Street has gone. Liar's loans destroyed our economy, and overwhelmingly, it was the lenders who put the lie in liar's loans! Borrower's can't inflate the appraisal value of their homes to get a bigger LTV ratio! They don't know what magic number they need to fraudulently write in as income in order for the lender to hit bonus targets.

All of this stuff just added to the explosion when the game of musical chairs finally stopped due to ever increasing shortfalls in aggregate demand.

None of this has to do with the government's affordability mission. Fannie and Freddie were criminal control frauds that bought subprime paper that they knew was garbage for the same reason all the investment banks did: it was a guaranteed way for CEOs and controlling officers to make a ton of money destroying their own companies and defrauding investors.

Hopefully, you'll read a lot of Bill Black. There's a whole lot more to the story and the details are even more horrific.

This is why I am out in the streets with radicals in rebellion. Normal channels of public input are co-opted. Occupy is the Resistance.

P.S. I'm not in agreement with most of the opposition to the NDAA. I've read the bill, the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and 2009, and the AUMF 2001.
Taken together, along with POTUS' signing statement, it is pretty clear American citizens cannot be detained indefinitely, but those on an active battlefield, facilitating attacks on American soil, who the government cannot physically arrest, can be shot dead in their sights. The Constitution is not a Suicide Pact. I'm for protesting the defense bill for the sake of Bradley Manning and against Guantanamo, and for the fact that members of the House and Senate have said they would like to see Americans connected to terrorism held without trial.

I don't know what happen to the MMT post. I tried editing it, and everything went haywire.
I'm re-editing and will re-post.

01-23-2012, 10:40 AM

Cracam
Not Selected
Posts: 63

Obama's long game may not come to fruition if his short game is like the following:
“Senate Approves Bill That Legalizes Sodomy and Bestiality in U.S. Military”
by cnsnews.com - Pete Winn
December 2nd, 2011

Senate on Thursday evening voted 93-7 to approve a defense authorization bill that includes a provision which not only repeals the military law on sodomy, it also repeals the military ban on sex with animals--or bestiality.

OUCH...

01-31-2012, 10:47 PM

RealityForever
Chicago, IL
Posts: 1

Disappointing is to see the black hero of American politics, Mr. Obama, reforming not only the USA military but also the nation culture to Sodomy. If the USA, under Obama, gets bully by other nations, the motives are in our democrats folly. Yet, republicans follies are just as bad. The voters are confused because now we have no better of two evils available to make a political choice. When Congress is going to have a day of reckoning of the horrible stink of USA politics? Posibly, When China and Russia with all members of the United Nations get together to just bomb the evil out of America. China now seems to be leading the bullying, and others will follow. The word right and constitution intoxicates the presidency really bad.

02-01-2012, 10:29 PM

CARLITOS BAM-BAM
Dallas, TX
Posts: 897

Enough with the cryptic comments and the blah, blah, blah from the troll wing.

02-01-2012, 11:38 PM

Schmidt
Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 1058

Democrats want to talk about jobs for middle class workers and what to do about income inequality.

Republicans want to talk about the evils of gay marriage, sodomy, banning birth control, banning abortion, defunding Planned Parenthood, controlling women's bodies, putting God into the classroom, teaching creationism in public schools, bombing Iran, building a fence across the border, deporting undocumented workers, fearing Muslims, Obama's birth certificate, Michelle's back side, replacing janitors with 11 year old kids, food stamps for welfare queens, Obama's teleprompter, hyping voter fraud, and lowering taxes for the rich...but never never anything about creating jobs.

02-02-2012, 09:10 AM

CARLITOS BAM-BAM
Dallas, TX
Posts: 897

Yeah, the lack of vegetables in their diets is giving them dementia.

02-07-2012, 07:00 PM

libertycitizen
Magalia, CA

Account Frozen

Posts: 112

Dear EL PREZIDENTE KABOOM, Why do you call us trolls? I may not agree with many people on this forum but I respect their right to voice their opinion and I do not think it is right to call us names.

02-07-2012, 07:08 PM

sugarbaire
Lenoir City, TN
Posts: 3

Remember Obama's quote: "I concentrated on the economy from day one." What a liar...he concentrated on Health Care that no one wanted from day one...but always remember Obama's famous quote..."If it's bad news, it's Bush's fault!" Remember we all have to sacrifice except Obama who can take a vacation every three weeks!

02-07-2012, 07:10 PM

sugarbaire
Lenoir City, TN
Posts: 3

All right...let's open the borders...terrorists now know where to come in to the U.S. without being stopped!
Yes, I believe 9-11 was an inside job...Obama was in on the plan!

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