Presidential Election

[John]

From a web site reader:

> I know you agree with me that the actions in the financial world
> are beyond belief, but I have come to the only reasonable
> conclusion that they are by design. All one has to do is look at
> the goals of the federal reserve and then look at their history;
> it all becomes clear. The resonance this has with generational
> theory is that these crises force self-reliance and skepticism.
> Once the self-reliance and skepticism is seen as not worth the
> effort by the descendents of those who were burned, then the whole
> process repeats.

> I was curious why there is no mention (to my knowledge) of ending
> the chaos created through the Federal Reserve/central banking?

> Please inform your readers to vote for an end to the Federal
> Reserve by voting for Chuck Baldwin and especially to vote out
> those who supported this banker bailout (ie McBama)

> Thank you for your diligence and insight.

[Witchiepoo]

From the debate with Nader, I could tell that Baldwin is a decent guy. I can't remember what about his platform I didn't like though ... maybe not enough protection for the environment or something. Oh yeah, he isn't even listed as a candidate on the California ballot either!

The two-party system sucks. We seriously need to get rid of it. Seriously.

[Matt1989]

From the debate with Nader, I could tell that Baldwin is a decent guy. I can't remember what about his platform I didn't like though ... maybe not enough protection for the environment or something. Oh yeah, he isn't even listed as a candidate on the California ballot either!

The two-party system sucks. We seriously need to get rid of it. Seriously.

You'd have to change the constitution to provide room for coalitions like they have in England.

[Witchiepoo]

You'd have to change the constitution to provide room for coalitions like they have in England.

That's in the constitution?

I think all we would really need to do is have more people brave enough to vote the bastards out of office.

[Matt1989]

You'd have to change the constitution to provide room for coalitions like they have in England.

That's in the constitution?

I think all we would really need to do is have more people brave enough to vote the bastards out of office.

Whether the founders intended it or not, the system is set up for two dominant parties, as evidenced by the coalitions within parties, not between. It's a winner take-all system that is dependent upon stability where the majority exercises great control over the minority; not to mention congressional officeholders.

If a third party does rise, it will replace one of the two existing parties.

[Witchiepoo]

It's a winner take-all system that is dependent upon stability where the majority exercises great control over the minority ...

Oh yeah ... long time since my last civics class ...

If a third party does rise, it will replace one of the two existing parties.

Well, that's no good either. So a new constitution it is! Or maybe just a bunch of amendments, like they did after the Civil War.

[mark]

Whoever wins will get the blame for the stock market crash that happens right after the general election.

The crash will have nothing to do with who won, but, hey, they're politicians.. they will place blame when things are going bad and take credit when things are going good...

If you think the market selloff so far this year was "it", that was just the pre-game show....

[John]

Whoever wins will get the blame for the stock market crash that happens right after the general election.

The crash will have nothing to do with who won, but, hey, they're politicians.. they will place blame when things are going bad and take credit when things are going good...

If you think the market selloff so far this year was "it", that was just the pre-game show....

This is going to be the most pathetically funny show after the election.

These guys are going to wear out their index fingers from pointing at each
other to fix the blame.

John

[scotths]

This is going to be the most pathetically funny show after the election.

These guys are going to wear out their index fingers from pointing at each
other to fix the blame.

I don't think it will matter. The Republicans won't have much in the way of influence, and with the youth supporting democrats by a 2:1 margin won't be back any time soon. The majority are blaming over exuberant laissez-faire economics, it is hard to pin this on the democrats when the conservatives have been running the show the past few decades. If the banks had been properly regulated they would not have been able to give out the loans they did in the past decade. The bulk of the problematic sub-prime loans had nothing to do with Fanny Mae or Freddy Mac, most were private loans loans packaged up and sold as safe insured investments. The liberals certainly didn't force the banks to do that! Regardless of whose fault it is, it needs to stop, the transactions have to be gradually unwound, loses accepted and we need to move forward and deal with the difficulties we face.

What are the Republicans offering? Amazingly more tax cuts for wealthy Americans! Less regulation? More people in the private health care market? When we elected Reagan taxes were high (75% was the top rate! now Obama wants to raise it to 39% from 35%), businesses were over-regulated, to some extent I think the conservatives had a point! Now we've lowered taxes, removed the regulation and many great things have come of it. The 90's tech boom for instance. Amazing collective action in the 30's-60's took us from the great depression to the moon. Individual action since then took us from room sized computers to pocket sized computer far more powerful and capable of communicating instantly anywhere around the world!

The point is not that Reagan was wrong, the point is that allowing such freedom economically led to much destruction of our infrastructure as it was pulled this way and that to support what people desired. We've now pushed it to the breaking point. To be clear I'm not angry, I realize this is a part of how the cycle works.... I just want our country to get to work rebuilding. We need to build a new infrastructure around the new technology and ideas we have and are developing. That is the only way out, the only way forward. People right now for the most part see the democrats as interested in doing this, not the republicans. It is time for collective civic action again...


This is what I think we will see from the democrats starting this January...

• Lower Taxes for the middle class and small business. Small energy and environmental businesses I think will play a strong role in this crisis.
• Funding for research dealing with the underlying energy crisis. Solve this and our need for oil from the middle east goes away and we have technology to export to the rest of the world. Energy is power in this 21st century world!
• Energy related jobs as well as jobs rebuilding other infrastructure elements.
• A new focus on alternative transportation options. We've greatly neglected our medium distance transportation options, instead over-relying on cars and planes when a fast train would be the most desirable. If they existed people would use them.
• A reasonable effort to balance economic and environmental concerns. The left and right have been fighting too much and mostly talking past each other on these issues. This needs to stop!
• An attempt to rebuild alliances around the world, if there is a crisis war we will certainly need alliances if we want to survive!

[JimZ]

scotths wrote

This is what I think we will see from the democrats starting this January...

Lower Taxes for the middle class and small business. Small energy and environmental businesses I think will play a strong role in this crisis.

Man, I don't know what you are smoking, but if "The One" wins tomorrow you are in for a very rude awakening. If you think Obama is going to drop taxes then I think you also should expect to see the Pope getting drunk at a local bar. Obama is a Marxists. Marxists DON'T lower taxes - in fact he thinks it's "selfish" for people to NOT want to pay taxes. I do agree energy and environmental business will play a role in this crisis - because they will be in crisis. Obama is on record with his willingness to banckrupt the coal industry.

Funding for research dealing with the underlying energy crisis. Solve this and our need for oil from the middle east goes away and we have technology to export to the rest of the world. Energy is power in this 21st century world!

Agreed we need new sources - but the idea that all this is going to change within about 10 years (that's the timetable needed for Obama's fantasy-world to work) is crazy. It will take 10 years just to create an infrastructure ONCE a new solution is found. Obama intends to throw all the current industries "under the bus" (along with his Grandmother, I suppose). So we're in for a decade of pain just from this misguided idea alone.

Energy related jobs as well as jobs rebuilding other infrastructure elements.

I agree as long as you add the following words to the end of this sentence "will be obliterated".

A new focus on alternative transportation options. We've greatly neglected our medium distance transportation options, instead over-relying on cars and planes when a fast train would be the most desirable. If they existed people would use them.

By the time Obama is done I suspect horse and buggy or walking will be the new alternative.

A reasonable effort to balance economic and environmental concerns. The left and right have been fighting too much and mostly talking past each other on these issues. This needs to stop!

Congress is now outlawing lightbulbs (even as I write that sentence I shake my head in dis-belief). Instead they tell us to use flourescents. A scientific study of flourescents has found that when you break one of them and it falls onto a rug, the contents (THAT would be MERCURY) remains toxic in the carpet and can only be removed by cutting out the contaminated section of the carpet. Yes, with government solutions like this we ALL can sleep easier at night.

An attempt to rebuild alliances around the world, if there is a crisis war we will certainly need alliances if we want to survive!

So let's start by turning tail and waving the flag of surrender in Iraq. As much as I dislike that war, I dislike turning tail even more - NEVER a good signal to your enemies.

And of course Obama in his spare time will: (1) part the Red Sea, (2) usher in peace on Earth, goodwill towards man...yada yada yada.

I have two words...buyers remorse...