tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post76085955298943333..comments2024-03-27T23:12:08.917-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Sifting the skies for "others"David Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-68977078116927943612014-06-11T19:06:41.016-07:002014-06-11T19:06:41.016-07:00Like many, I value this place and assume a misunde...Like many, I value this place and assume a misunderstanding.<br /><br />Obama blew the pr with a poorly managed press conference. The POW seems a broken man. Otherwise it's the right thing.<br /><br />I think press conferences don't matter much compared to reality.Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-5418118244390906432014-06-11T17:42:48.680-07:002014-06-11T17:42:48.680-07:00Well, last tidbit for later:
http://www.commondrea...Well, last tidbit for later:<br />http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/06/11-3<br /><br />"... On a number of issues, the challenger positioned himself as an anti-corporate conservative. That does not make Brat a liberal or even a populist by most contemporary measures; nor does it make his <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/immigration-eric-cantors-primary-race/" rel="nofollow">harsh right-wing positions</a> on key issues any more noble than those same positions when they are taken by Republicans who regularly pocket checks from Wall Street interests. Brat has some ties to <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/367690/eric-cantors-challenger-right-betsy-woodruff" rel="nofollow">wealthy libertarians</a>, and he’s written about “the moral foundations in Ayn Rand”—even if he “<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/367690/eric-cantors-challenger-right-betsy-woodruff" rel="nofollow">says…he isn’t a Randian</a>.”Hank Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07521410755553979665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-90294592047059061482014-06-11T12:34:54.448-07:002014-06-11T12:34:54.448-07:00July 11 I speak at the libertarian Freedom Fest in...July 11 I speak at the libertarian Freedom Fest in Las Vegas.<br /><br />Eeep. I expect some types to be hostile, but the organizer wants someone to speak up for Adam Smith and to implicitly pull away from Randianism.<br /><br />===<br /><br />Onward to next post!David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-19620057781664518142014-06-11T12:01:52.882-07:002014-06-11T12:01:52.882-07:00but turns out Ayn Rand has a bank of her own:
htt...but turns out Ayn Rand has a bank of her own:<br /><br />http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/the-big-bank-that-blessed-brat-s-upset-of-eric-cantor-162821089.htmlHank Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07521410755553979665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-54088306487317166052014-06-11T10:46:59.182-07:002014-06-11T10:46:59.182-07:00Encouraging: a review with praise in Common Dream...Encouraging: a review with praise in Common Dreams, a self-identified "Progressive" website, for the surprise winner in Virginia's Republican primary:<br />http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/06/11-6<br /><br />"... Republican Dave Brat, a college economics professors who spoke about GOP hypocrisy and railed against Wall Street greed,, unseated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a primary challenge. (Credit: P. Kevin Morley/Times-Dispatch)“All of the investment banks, up in New York and D.C., they should have gone to jail.”<br /><br />That isn’t a quote from an Occupy Wall Street protester or Senator Elizabeth Warren. That’s a common campaign slogan repeated by Dave Brat, the Virginia college professor who scored one of the biggest political upsets in over a century by defeating Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the Republican primary last night.<br /><br />The national media is buzzing about Brat’s victory, but for all of the wrong reasons...."<br /><br />-----<br /><br />The media will talk about anything except the real problemHank Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07521410755553979665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-74856044734075796462014-06-11T09:00:44.691-07:002014-06-11T09:00:44.691-07:00@sociotard - I'm upset because we saved one ho...@sociotard - <i>I'm upset because we saved one hostage, but may have set into motion the deaths of many more.</i><br /><br />You are not taking into account the 2nd order effects on the troops. Although "leave no one behind" has not always been observed, if you sign on knowing that you may be captured and not released indefinitely, that has got to impact your decision to enlist<br /><br />I do get that young people feel indestructable (otherwise why risk being crippled or worse), so perhaps that may not be a major concern, unless it becomes common enough to start swaying minds. <br /><br /><i>in extremis</i>, your stand results in a "don't take prisoners" position. That will just lead to yet more deaths, including innocents, escalating a "tit for tat" response.Alex Tolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01556422553154817988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-32571685879345881292014-06-11T07:55:26.185-07:002014-06-11T07:55:26.185-07:00I'm all for reversing the Bergdahl POW trade a...I'm all for reversing the Bergdahl POW trade as per GOP demands, as long as we repatriate McCain to Vietnam post-hasteanonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-69856156439151172072014-06-11T06:58:23.272-07:002014-06-11T06:58:23.272-07:00@Sociotard. As others have mentioned, those indivi...@Sociotard. As others have mentioned, those individuals were Taliban. Why did al-Qaeda want them back? Because if al-Qaeda forced the U.S. to give them back, then not only did they score a victory over the Great Satan, but the Taliban would owe them one.Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-69267186325920083142014-06-11T06:43:57.801-07:002014-06-11T06:43:57.801-07:00Just noted Obama praising Australia's tough gu...Just noted Obama praising Australia's tough gun laws* in the wake of the latest school shooting.<br /><br />Smooth move: they were put in place by John Howard, Tony Abbott's political mentor. How is that going to make Abbott appear to the NRA types?<br /><br />*ie a ban on semi-automatic weapons.Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-7136190860136175232014-06-11T04:13:11.081-07:002014-06-11T04:13:11.081-07:00Duncan Cairncross:
Hmmm,
What new proposal should...Duncan Cairncross:<br /><i><br />Hmmm,<br />What new proposal should Obama come up with:<br />Zero tax on millionaires?<br />Compulsory gun ownership and carriage?<br />Pay to vote - more money = more votes?<br />Tax on alternative energy?<br />Total ban on immigrants becoming citizens?<br /></i><br /><br />You have to keep <b>1984</b> in mind. Remember, they break your mind down until you no longer take as objective truth such assertions as "Two plus two equals four." It's not that you believe the correct answer to be five, but rather that you believe the correct answer to be "Two plus two equals whatever the Party says it is."<br /><br />The fact that Limbaugh, Hannity, and company can get their base riled up over Obama <b>not</b> getting a POW freed, and then without blinking an eye, get them riled up about him <b>getting</b> that POW released--well, it's no different from the mid-sentence switch to "We've always been at war with Eastasia".<br /><br />Your cynical examples above assume that some principles, like "Don't tax millionaires" are so much a part of the right-wing mind that they couldn't possibly disagree with anyone who followed those principles, not even Obama. You are mistaken. "Support the troops" was supposed to be one of those principles, and it stood up no better that "2 + 2 = 4" did for poor Winston Smith.<br /><br />Dr Brin is correct to fear for the future of the Enlightenment when a third of the country (or so) is being conditioned not to think critically at all, but to wait for their masters' spokesmen to tell them what to be angry about.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-89377969476937655862014-06-11T01:26:15.020-07:002014-06-11T01:26:15.020-07:00Sociotard
To clarify...
These guys were not &quo...Sociotard<br /><br />To clarify...<br /><br />These guys were not "Al Qaeda" <br /><br />They were Taliban - its spelled different!<br /><br />They were part of a government that was overthrown by the USA<br /><br />Their associates (also not Al Qaeda) were the ones holding the POW<br /><br /> Duncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-39018078344816363362014-06-10T23:03:17.655-07:002014-06-10T23:03:17.655-07:00To clarify:
I do not support threats against Berg...To clarify:<br /><br />I do not support threats against Bergdahl's family, or even necessarily against Bergdahl himself, except insofar as he should probably face Courts Martial.<br /><br />This is Obama's fault, and Obama who should feel the wrath of Congress.<br /><br />Yes, these five were not terrorists themselves, but they were wanted by a group of terrorists. <b>Why would Al Qaeda want them back if not because they thought it would further their goal of attacking the US and its allies?</b><br /><br />I'm upset because we saved one hostage, but may have set into motion the deaths of many more.sociotardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11697154298087412934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-54949807097606918672014-06-10T20:42:34.648-07:002014-06-10T20:42:34.648-07:00David said
"Tacitus makes some excellent poi...David said<br /><br />"Tacitus makes some excellent points. There are many ways in which Obama has handled his very difficult situation (an insane opposition party that is hell bent to ruin him, even if it means dragging America down to do it) with nowhere near the political acumen we had hoped for. He is trying to placate in a sumo situation when jiu jitsu is called-for."<br /><br />Some examples??<br /><br />From here it looks like he has been playing chess and seeing several moves ahead of his opposition<br /><br /><br /><br />Duncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-91825799312616241122014-06-10T20:39:38.179-07:002014-06-10T20:39:38.179-07:00Jerry Pournelle is very Republican but doesn't...Jerry Pournelle is very Republican but doesn't always talk politics, when he's talking about other things it's worth one's time to pay attention.Tim H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-62800526742790841652014-06-10T20:34:30.873-07:002014-06-10T20:34:30.873-07:00Tacitus makes some excellent points. There are ma...Tacitus makes some excellent points. There are many ways in which Obama has handled his very difficult situation (an insane opposition party that is hell bent to ruin him, even if it means dragging America down to do it) with nowhere near the political acumen we had hoped for. He is trying to placate in a sumo situation when jiu jitsu is called-for.<br /><br />BTW AWOL is not desertion. He appears to have gone walkabout between active missions and stupidly got caught.<br /><br />In any event, if Tacitus truly was representative, we'd soon be negotiating like adults in the US again. Alas, the adult conservatives suffer from ostrich disease. They are unable to lift their heads and see that 80% of their side has gone completely loco.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22924366675077766952014-06-10T20:10:46.543-07:002014-06-10T20:10:46.543-07:00Duncan,
"What new proposal should Obama come ...Duncan,<br /><i>"What new proposal should Obama come up with:"<br />Zero tax on millionaires?"</i><br /><br />Zero?! These are the job creators, they should be getting <i>paid</i> for the service they are providing! Obama is weak on jobs!<br /><br /><i>"Compulsory gun ownership and carriage?"</i><br /><br />Compulsory? Typical socialism. Obama wants to arm "urban thugs" and "gang bangers" to use as his own personal army against decent *cough*white*cough* Americans! This is step one. Revelations, people, Revelations!<br /><br /><i>"Pay to vote - more money = more votes?"</i><br /><br />Obama wants to buy elections. "Free money! Free money!" It's the only way he can get people to vote for him!<br /><br /><i>"Tax on alternative energy?"</i><br /><br />Obama's pro-tax agenda is already obvious for all to see! Now he's taxing <i>sunlight</i>! <br /><br /><i>"Total ban on immigrants becoming citizens?"</i><br /><br />Just a ban? Why not deporting them? Because Obama wants to <i>keep</i> them from assimilating. It's part of the so-called "multi-cultural" agenda. Anyone who can't qualify for citizenship should get out! And that includes Obama!Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-63984921665604095522014-06-10T20:06:17.022-07:002014-06-10T20:06:17.022-07:00Hi Paul
I was shocked at Pournelle because he was...Hi Paul<br /><br />I was shocked at Pournelle because he was such a big "military" guy<br /><br />I thought that "Bring them all back" would have been written down his spine like a stick of rock<br /><br />On the deserter theme - which is irrelevant<br />Troops are not prisoners - they are not chained to their base when not on duty<br />There is at least one story that he had asked (and been given) permission to leave the base<br />In which case he was not even AOLDuncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-67436595318547531742014-06-10T19:59:07.982-07:002014-06-10T19:59:07.982-07:00Duncan,
"Jerry Pournelle's site
Even he&q...Duncan,<br /><i>"Jerry Pournelle's site<br />Even he"</i><br /><br />Errr, "even"? I'd be shocked if Pournelle wasn't. Most "libertarians" went full retard when Obama was elected. David is unusual in recognising the sheer scale of the danger from the Right.Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-35841829055610106342014-06-10T19:57:00.703-07:002014-06-10T19:57:00.703-07:00"It's not that "this serviceman"..."It's not that "this serviceman" isn't woth "that price". Rather, it is that there is nothing too low for Republicans to stoop to in order to embarrass or attack President Obama.<br /><br />The specific thing literally doesn't matter."<br /><br />Hmmm,<br />What new proposal should Obama come up with:<br />Zero tax on millionaires?<br />Compulsory gun ownership and carriage?<br />Pay to vote - more money = more votes?<br />Tax on alternative energy?<br />Total ban on immigrants becoming citizens?<br /><br /><br /><br /> Duncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-47567434735840845622014-06-10T19:29:53.951-07:002014-06-10T19:29:53.951-07:00Tacitus2:
Duncan, have I threatened this individu...Tacitus2:<br /><i><br />Duncan, have I threatened this individual? Or anyone? The "messy" part is whether he in fact was a deserter.<br /></i><br />It does disappoint, however, that you are disproportianately outraged by the president's politics and disproportionately not outraged at the brownshirt mentality.<br /><br /><i><br />LarryH I do hold McCain in higher regard than most.<br /></i><br /><br />I used to as well, but he lost me around the Sarah Palin era. I do hold out some hope that he deliberately sabotaged his own election rather than inflict Palin on the world.<br /><br />But can you deny his actual flip-flops on Libya and on trading five Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl? I'm not talking about what-if's, but about things he actually said he was in favor of until President Obama did them, at which point they became bad ideas.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-15768638120844568712014-06-10T19:23:06.419-07:002014-06-10T19:23:06.419-07:00@Duncan,
You miss the point.
It's not that &...@Duncan,<br /><br />You miss the point.<br /><br />It's not that "this serviceman" isn't woth "that price". Rather, it is that there is nothing too low for Republicans to stoop to in order to embarrass or attack President Obama.<br /><br />The specific thing literally doesn't matter.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37214305036700108742014-06-10T19:22:50.852-07:002014-06-10T19:22:50.852-07:00Duncan, have I threatened this individual? Or any...Duncan, have I threatened this individual? Or anyone? The "messy" part is whether he in fact was a deserter. There were a few similar loose ends in Vietnam. But I withhold judgement.<br /><br />LarryH I do hold McCain in higher regard than most.<br />And I would be delighted to give you my lengthy thoughts on Wisconsin politics at such time as they seem of general interest. Or at a pub next time I pass through Chicago!<br /><br />Now, enough politics.<br /><br />Until another day.<br /><br />Tacitus Tacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-78579123224153212722014-06-10T18:55:28.319-07:002014-06-10T18:55:28.319-07:00Tacitus said
"The deal is of debateable mer...Tacitus said <br /><br />"The deal is of debateable merit."<br /><br />Here is where we differ,<br /><br />The aim is to get your POW back,<br /><br />This is not a "Deal" where you are looking to make a profit<br /><br />The "Deal" was made when you accepted a serviceman with the expectation that<br />"Nobody will be left behind"<br /><br />Even if you decide that <br />"This serviceman" is not worth "that price" <br />How does that get you to threatening him and his family???Duncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22128910695350746532014-06-10T18:46:38.409-07:002014-06-10T18:46:38.409-07:00Tacitus2:
LarryHart, I do not identify myself as ...Tacitus2:<br /><i><br />LarryHart, I do not identify myself as a lone conservative. Not in Wisconsin anyways. <br /></i><br /><br />I meant you seem to identify yourself as a lone conservative <b>here</b>.<br /><br /><i><br />It is unfortunate that the issue of public employee unions has become so divisive. We usually get along fairly well here.<br /></i><br /><br />There's a good example of where local politics comes into things. I live a few hundred miles south of you, but have very little idea of how that particular issue plays in Wisconsin.<br /><br /><i><br />The Bergdahl deal. Supposedly "Homeland" is Barack Obama's favorite show. Creepy, messy life imitating lousy art.<br /></i><br /><br />Having avoided most tv for twelve years (one daughter ago), I have no idea what this reference means. I can kinda/sorta guess by the context, but it carries no resonance.<br /><br /><i><br />The deal is of debateable merit. I think reasonable people could ponder this long and hard, hold their noses and do it. The politics of it were awful. How much effort would it have been to have John McCain, a man who can relate to messy POW issues, over for a cup of coffee and discuss this? <br /></i><br /><br />I agree the politics was messy.<br /><br />I disagree that McCain--who <b>advocated</b> exactly this type of prisoner exchange before it happened, just as he was <b>for</b> going into Libya before the president did it--would have done anything other than bash the president afterwards, even for something he agreed to in private.<br /><br />Suppose Bergdahl had been left to die in Taliban hands? What do you think McCain, Sean Hannity, and that ilk would be saying about President Obama? I'd imagine the word "impeachment" would be front and center. "How DARE he leave one brave American soldier to the enemy?" See why Democrats, Obama in particular, have to do whatever they were going to do anyway, no matter what the Republicans say?<br /><i><br />There is this old concept that when you save a man's life you are responsible for all that he later does. That applies to Sgt Bergdahl and all five of the Taliban. <br /></i><br /><br />I am awfully confused. The war is winding down. Just what did you (or you too, sociotard) expect was going to happen after hostilities ceased? We'd keep their prisoners forever, and have them keep ours?<br /><br /><i><br />Like most conservatives, real ones not straw men, I generally support the president in matters of war and peace. <br /></i><br /><br />I'm not even arguing about supporting the president. The reaction has gone way beyond the simple "Do you agree or disagree with Obama?" Demonizing a serviceman and physically threatening his family and home town is a bridge too far in the service <b>of</b> anti-Obama politics. The particular end does not come close to justifying the means.<br /><br /><i>t lets just say it aloud, Obama is not a competent chief executive.<br /></i><br /><br />Having worked in the private sector for 25 years, I've actually seen worse from CEOs, putting the lie to the meme that "government" is incompetent while "business" by definition has to know what it's doing.<br /><br />But fine, we can say that out loud. If we can also say out loud that the national Republicans and their media lapdogs are Nazi brownshirts.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-74476535916859781762014-06-10T18:20:40.547-07:002014-06-10T18:20:40.547-07:00Well alright then, if Brin himself is going off to...Well alright then, if Brin himself is going off topic.<br /><br />LarryHart, I do not identify myself as a lone conservative. Not in Wisconsin anyways. Allowing for the reality that conservative and liberal mean different things here than in Alabama or in California, the state is probably split about 55/45. It is unfortunate that the issue of public employee unions has become so divisive. We usually get along fairly well here.<br /><br />The Bergdahl deal. Supposedly "Homeland" is Barack Obama's favorite show. Creepy, messy life imitating lousy art.<br /><br />The deal is of debateable merit. I think reasonable people could ponder this long and hard, hold their noses and do it. The politics of it were awful. How much effort would it have been to have John McCain, a man who can relate to messy POW issues, over for a cup of coffee and discuss this? Hell, that would count as congressional consultation in my book. And a press conference with the frankly odd parents...who thought that was a good plan? For his many faults W did things quietly. He made a lot of hospital visits, no press coverage allowed. The way this was, sorry for the choice of words here, pimped, made it look like a futile attempt to deflect deserved grief over the VA nonsense and other foreign policy screw ups.<br /><br />There is this old concept that when you save a man's life you are responsible for all that he later does. That applies to Sgt Bergdahl and all five of the Taliban. <br /><br />Like most conservatives, real ones not straw men, I generally support the president in matters of war and peace. <br /><br />But lets just say it aloud, Obama is not a competent chief executive.<br /><br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com