U.S. politics isolation tank

[teknight]

I don't know enough about the middle east to do much more than marvel at the resilience of the people who have been marching.

On the other hand, I think we can all learn something from a true expert on the matter:

"It’s a difficult situation, this is that 3am White House phone call and it seems for many of us trying to get that information from our leader in the White House it it seems that that call went right to um the answering machine. And nobody yet has, no body yet has explained to the American public what they know, and surely they know more than the rest of us know who it is who will be taking the place of Mubarak and I’m not real enthused about what it is that that’s being done on a national level and from DC in regards to understanding all the situation there in Egypt. And in these areas that are so volatile right now because obviously it’s not just Egypt but the other countries too where we are seeing uprisings, we know that now more than ever, we need strength and sound mind there in the White House. We need to know what it is that America stands for so we know who it is that America will stand with. And we do not have all that information yet.”

I'm sure this unimpeachable (literally) source is unmistakable to the fine minds who people this thread.

Source

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

 

[rosco rathbone]

Were you expecting something else? Sorry for the late reply, I've been keeping away.

I wasn't expecting much else, but policy is made by people running economic models based on the presumption of rationality.

 

[teknight]

I wasn't expecting much else, but policy is made by people running economic models based on the presumption of rationality.

Yeah....`Rationality gets in the picture to neatly fit into math models. It's so...fucked up. I'm getting my masters in Econ and I can't stomach homo economicus.

Alas, there's not much better out there.

Well, OK, there are Austrian Economists...but they're weird.

 

[midwestyankee]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

That's one helluva test of mental acuity, isn't it? And reading comprehension as well.

Imagine sitting down in an exam room, your little blue book neatly placed on your little writing desk and finding that the only question on your final exam in Contemporary American Politics is the above quote. And your job is to explain its significance to a non-American.

Your brain would explode.

 

[teknight]

That's one helluva test of mental acuity, isn't it? And reading comprehension as well.

Imagine sitting down in an exam room, your little blue book neatly placed on your little writing desk and finding that the only question on your final exam in Contemporary American Politics is the above quote. And your job is to explain its significance to a non-American.

Your brain would explode.

I am a non-American and I did take a bunch of reading comp. tests (I'm still amazed I passed them...it never quite feels like the questions match the text).

I find it...funny that the Prez. (be it Obama or anyone else) has a "responsibility" to disseminate news. And, of course, foreign democracy is impossible without US intervention. I mean, see Egypt 2 weeks ago...errr...


Jeebus F'in Christmas on a stick,
Why is it that politicians like this get traction?

 

[rosco rathbone]

Yeah....`Rationality gets in the picture to neatly fit into math models. It's so...fucked up. I'm getting my masters in Econ and I can't stomach homo economicus.

Alas, there's not much better out there.

Well, OK, there are Austrian Economists...but they're weird.

So you're an economist, very interesting.

I'm reading JOhn Quiggan's Zombie Economics. Rather eyeopening.

The part I'm reading now, he says that economic psychologists have a good understanding of irrational behavior at the individual level, but no one has any idea how to scale it up.

 

[midwestyankee]

So you're an economist, very interesting.

I'm reading JOhn Quiggan's Zombie Economics. Rather eyeopening.

The part I'm reading now, he says that economic psychologists have a good understanding of irrational behavior at the individual level, but no one has any idea how to scale it up.

I think that Roger Ailes may have figured that out.

 

[teknight]

So you're an economist, very interesting.

I'm reading JOhn Quiggan's Zombie Economics. Rather eyeopening.

The part I'm reading now, he says that economic psychologists have a good understanding of irrational behavior at the individual level, but no one has any idea how to scale it up.

Err, I'm more an economist in training.

It's ...absence of information that doesn't allow one to go from the individual to the masses.
There are too many factors at play when it comes to irrationality, whereas, on a macro scale, you can pick very specific things as predictors (such as news, or prices, or what have you) that "work".

Also, micro and macro have developed separately...and they don't scale up/down too well (huge generalization).

 

[rosco rathbone]

I think that Roger Ailes may have figured that out.

Thanks folks, he'll be here all night. Remember to tip your bartender.

 

[midwestyankee]

Thanks folks, he'll be here all night. Remember to tip your bartender.

I thought you'd like that one, Rosco. Now, think you can talk that redhead in the third row with the big gazongas into visiting my dressing room between shows?

 

[rosco rathbone]

I thought you'd like that one, Rosco. Now, think you can talk that redhead in the third row with the big gazongas into visiting my dressing room between shows?

Are you kiddin me? That tomato could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. I let her go backstage and you're done for the night. You owe me three sets, buster! Here have a cigar.

 

[midwestyankee]

Are you kiddin me? That tomato could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. I let her go backstage and you're done for the night. You owe me three sets, buster! Here have a cigar.

Unfortunately, my trailer hitch hasn't had any chrome in decades. Nice stogie, though.

 

[rosco rathbone]

http://www.thenation.com/article/158282/how-build-progressive-tea-party

 

[JMohegan]

http://www.thenation.com/article/158282/how-build-progressive-tea-party

Ha. Dream on, Nation. As long as most Americans are self-sedated with lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous voyeurism, self-delusional à la Joe the Plumber, and unwilling to educate themselves on complex issues, then things will never change.



"So what if my tax dollars help build a luxury stadium to host sporting events I can't afford to attend? I can watch on my big screen TV!"

+

"Of course we shouldn't raise taxes on rich people. When my big break comes, that could be me one day!"

+

"It's a lot easier to just blame irresponsible homeowners, and focus my ire accordingly, than to read up on the arcane workings of our financial system."

=

What we've got today.

 

[rosco rathbone]

http://www.salon.com/news/wikileaks/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2011/02/11/campaigns

 

[Daddy2mylilgirl]

The Egyptian people have spoken!

The revolution WILL be televised.

 

[midwestyankee]

The Egyptian people have spoken!

The revolution WILL be televised.

The next six months over there will be very, very interesting. No telling how the power sharing will shake out and if the protesters' desires will be served in a satisfactory way.

 

[Netzach]

The next six months over there will be very, very interesting. No telling how the power sharing will shake out and if the protesters' desires will be served in a satisfactory way.

I think this could be very interesting and have a lot of global traction.

As for Egypt I'm as optimistic as I've ever been. I don't think this is a population aching to embrace any kind of religious fanaticism, I think it's one with a lot of legitimate beefs with America on a policy basis. As in "thanks for the death squads, assholes." They SAW Iran get bait and switched though - I don't think they're going to go for "anything but Murabak." I don't think anyone is looking to install an ayatollah like dictator.

The question is going to be what role the military is going to play and when/if it will step down when needed.

This could be the moment people start to get pissed.

And when pissed spreads to China it's going to be very very very bad.

And maybe bad enough to make the 1 percent of people who are really happy here sit up and get scared because the guns will finally be pointing the right way.

 

[teknight]

I think this could be very interesting and have a lot of global traction.

This could be the moment people start to get pissed.

And when pissed spreads to China it's going to be very very very bad.

And maybe bad enough to make the 1 percent of people who are really happy here sit up and get scared because the guns will finally be pointing the right way.

That'd be scary... but exciting to watch.
And, they've been pissed on China for a long time- in Tibet as well as the Uighurs out West.

 

[Netzach]

That'd be scary... but exciting to watch.
And, they've been pissed on China for a long time- in Tibet as well as the Uighurs out West.

Yes, but I think it could get very large and very emboldened. Based on money more than ideology or identity maybe.

 

[Netzach]

Also, I don't think Egypt would be doing this if Tunisia hadn't first.

 

[Netzach]

But the bottom line is this: I think we're seeing the painful and turbulent throes of actual democracy, supposedly this thing we love, beginning to try to be born and reborn.

Prognosis: it's going to be bad before it gets better, but it's going to be better. Like a baby coming out hardly breathing and red and with a compressed head and everyone goes "ew" but its mother.

 

[teknight]

Who are the Rep. frontrunners for prez?

I'm asking 'cause someone shared this article about Huckabee. His book is just conservative word salad, but, OMFG, the level of common discourse is stupefying.

 

[Netzach]

Who are the Rep. frontrunners for prez?

I'm asking 'cause someone shared this article about Huckabee. His book is just conservative word salad, but, OMFG, the level of common discourse is stupefying.

I don't think anyone can really answer that question.

But informally we have Huckabee - the cherubic friendly avuncular face of bigotry, Mitt Romney who they decided wasn't socially conservative enough and even other fundie wackjobs worry about a Mormon president, so McCain was it. Romney was probably closest to the nom from McCain if I remember right. And then there's Tim Pawlenty. The guy who brought my state this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-35W_Mississippi_River_bridge

so he might be the perfect candidate to manage national resources in the coming lib-right paradise.

He's about as compelling as processed cheese also, and won't satisfy the Jesus contingents because he never started actively talking to God and hating gays with fervor till gearing up for the run.

It's funny to me - the right has finally caught up with the leaderless divided goofiness of the left. Have fun.

 

[Netzach]

Rosco, how do you like Madison? What's your read?

I figured you'd be on this union battle thing.