tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post8369078692324988996..comments2024-03-28T06:22:23.961-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Sea Change or Swan Song: Part II: Deeper fundamentals of U.S. politicsDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-10968291056319317352014-11-29T07:25:22.190-08:002014-11-29T07:25:22.190-08:00Paul Shen-Brown - start here: http://amodiolab.org... Paul Shen-Brown - start here: http://amodiolab.org/publications Its a listing of one of the most active labs looking at the neuropsych correlates of ideology. While not exactly the personality aspects of it this particular article does offer a good summary of the relationship between social cognitive aspects of the person and ideology.<br />http://amodiolab.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jost-Amodio-2012.pdf<br /><br />Finally one common finding is that liberals tend to score higher than conservatives on measures of openness to new experience, for instance http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019188699900135X. <br /><br />As a more general layman's approach Chris Mooney's book The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science- and Reality is pretty good. Don't let the title fool you, he dings Democrats as much as Republicans. You can get it at Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Republican-Brain-Science-Science--Reality/dp/1118094514/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417274554&sr=1-1&keywords=chris+mooney.Larry C. Lyonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04315424229764736078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-17275197300452631092014-11-22T11:57:56.116-08:002014-11-22T11:57:56.116-08:00locumranch:
Change those rules which stand in you...locumranch:<br /><i><br />Change those rules which stand in your way; victory goes to either the rule-maker or the rule-breaker; and rule obedience is for chumps.<br /></i><br /><br />Actually, isn't it more of a prisoners' dilemma kind of thing? More people overall benefits when the rules are fairly derived and largely followed. But if society doesn't organize itself in such a way as to actively discourage rule-breaking, then yes, the rule breakers can "win" at everyone else's expense.<br /><br />As demonstrated in my favorite bit from Kurt Vonnegut's 1964 (50 years ago) book "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater":<br /><br /><i><br />When the United States of America, which was meant to be a Utopia for all, was less than a century old, Noah Rosewater and a few men like him demonstrated the folly of the Founding Fathers in one respect: those sadly recent ancestors had not made it the law of the Utopia that the wealth of each citizen should be limited. This oversight was engendered by a weak-kneed sympathy for those who loved expensive things, and by the feeling that the continent was so vast and valuable, and the population so thin and enterprising, that no thief, no matter how fast he stole, could more than mildly inconvenience anyone.<br /><br />Noah, and a few like him perceived that the continent was in fact finite, and that venal office-holders, legislators in particular, could be persuaded to toss great hunks of it up for grabs, and to toss them in such a way as to have them land where Noah and his kind were standing.<br /><br />Thus did a handful of rapacious citizens come to control all that was worth controlling in America. Thus was the savage and stupid and entirely unnecessary and humorless American class system created. Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage. And they saw that praise was reserved henceforth for those who devised means of getting paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been passed. Thus, the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went <b>bang</b> in the noonday sun.<br /><br /><b>E. pluribis unum</b> was surely an ironic motto to inscribe on the currency of this Utopia gone bust, for every grotesquely rich American represents property, privileges, and pleasures that have been deined the many. An even more instructive motto, in the light of history made by the Noah Rosewaters might be: <b>Grab much too much, or you'll get nothing at all.</b><br /></i> LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-30908300001154610382014-11-22T11:31:25.093-08:002014-11-22T11:31:25.093-08:00onwardonwardDavid Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-81515508808070036932014-11-22T10:53:04.346-08:002014-11-22T10:53:04.346-08:00After inhaling all of this second-hand optimism, I...<br />After inhaling all of this second-hand optimism, I also feel younger and healthier, possibly due to the associated pupillary dilation, short term memory loss, a distorted sense of time and the unqualified munchies for all things granola, which makes me realise that we can overcome all this red state & blue state nonsense if we pass the dutchie on the left-hand side, turn on, tune in, and LOVE each other as the cosmic conscious intended, since it worked out so well for John Lennon & his 'Imagine'.<br /><br /><br />Best<br />____<br /><br />Note to Jumper: Vote 'William H. Frist MD' for president in 2016.<br />locumranchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-52557813639000503622014-11-22T10:43:26.290-08:002014-11-22T10:43:26.290-08:00I have to say Tacitus' system is more sober th...I have to say Tacitus' system is more sober than Duncan's overestimation of engineers and doctors, although I am frustrated by politicos' lacks in these matters of science and industry.<br /><br />I sat this because of a doctor sibling, and from working in engineering and technology.<br /><br />Kerry has points but the charisma thing is not working. The swiftboating warns that bonus points for bravery are elusive.Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-21324816558558038062014-11-22T09:56:42.572-08:002014-11-22T09:56:42.572-08:00Maybe one day there'll be a conversation: &quo...Maybe one day there'll be a conversation: "Dad, do you ever find the regulatory relief you've bought a little embarrassing? You're as smart as Great Grandpa..."Tim H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-54172179641465763812014-11-22T08:05:22.085-08:002014-11-22T08:05:22.085-08:00@Falconer,
No, what we have is the best lack of g...@Falconer,<br /><br />No, what we have is the best <b>lack of</b> government that money can buy.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-80827223283127522122014-11-22T06:54:55.291-08:002014-11-22T06:54:55.291-08:00Here is the Falconer Experience Scale if you want ...Here is the Falconer Experience Scale if you want to play at home:<br /><br />Ability to raise $500 million: 30 points<br />Ability to raise $1 billion: 50 points<br /><br /><br />We have the best government money can buy...Falconernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-83747975578406792532014-11-22T02:40:22.939-08:002014-11-22T02:40:22.939-08:00and would gladly would gladly (?)
obviously it is...and would gladly would gladly (?)<br /><br />obviously it is too early in the morning...Paul Shen-Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-6769613671789290772014-11-22T02:37:37.545-08:002014-11-22T02:37:37.545-08:00Dr. Brin,
Optimism is very, very healthy. It rele...Dr. Brin, <br />Optimism is very, very healthy. It releases neurotransmitters that counter the effects of stress hormones, keeping you young and healthy. Optimistic people live longer than pessimists, as a general rule, though the difference in lifespan is not enough to take them out of the gene pool, nor stop them from creating circumstances that suck the optimism out of others. Dems are often accused of being out-of-touch Polyannas, but if they are happier people for it, more power to them!<br /><br />I remember Mr. West, my 8th grade history teacher, fondly, and would gladly would gladly share that table, park bench or patch of grass. Paul Shen-Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-63515341213225770792014-11-21T22:41:19.884-08:002014-11-21T22:41:19.884-08:00Matthew I like Blue Dogs as the stakes to drive in...Matthew I like Blue Dogs as the stakes to drive into he heart of the undead were-elephant. And nothing about that has changed. <br /><br />Paul & Paul, to envision a black woman president before 2000 was seriously weird. But whoever fantacized that is welcome to sit next to me and share the optimistic love. WE live in the world where such things got pretty nicely accelerated.<br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-44239135409564010622014-11-21T17:51:52.433-08:002014-11-21T17:51:52.433-08:00In the interests of transparency, this could get i...In the interests of transparency, this could get interesting:<br />http://blogs.nature.com/news/<br />The Gates Foundation is ruling that research done on their dime must be open access by 2017. This could be very good for scientists of many stripes.<br /><br />TheMadLibrarianTheMadLibrariannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-15265478799004441502014-11-21T17:43:34.266-08:002014-11-21T17:43:34.266-08:00Tony Abbott is a Rhodes Scholar. After 4 years lea...Tony Abbott is a Rhodes Scholar. After 4 years leadership of the LNP, and his facepalm handling of the G20 Summit, I'm beginning to suspect Drakh (m'Dokh?) Keepers. Still, draw your own conclusions.Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-70413182047080747792014-11-21T17:42:25.087-08:002014-11-21T17:42:25.087-08:00Here is the Duncan Experience Scale if you want to...Here is the Duncan Experience Scale if you want to play at home:<br /><br />Elected to Congress 1 point. Elected multiple times total of 2 points<br />Senate once 1 points. Multiple times 2 points<br />Governor 3 points. Multiple times total of 4 points. (In Congress you are usually a back bencher for a while, Governor it is your baby from day one).<br />High military rank 5 point<br />Running a major government agency 2 point<br />Running a section of a major government agency (so you actually run it) 10 points<br />Significant business accomplishment 5 point (job that daddy got you, nada)<br />Working as an engineer and actually fixing things 15 points<br />Working as a technician/skilled operator 10 points <br />Working as a Doctor in general practice 15 points<br />Working as a Specialist Doctor 5 pointsDuncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-73328574831460102722014-11-21T16:31:38.015-08:002014-11-21T16:31:38.015-08:00Paul 451
To be clear, my ranking system only addr...Paul 451<br /><br />To be clear, my ranking system only addresses the narrow question of who appears to have experience that would reasonably be expected to lead to competent leadership. Exceptions abound including The Great Exception, Abe Lincoln (a paltry 1 point as a one time congressman!).<br /><br />And electability is another matter entirely. Charisma, world events, competence of advisers, you know.<br /><br />OK a few potential Republican P/VP folks by my rating system.<br /><br />I am going to skip Jeb Bush, I think that name is a non starter. Paul...seems a little out of the normal political world, perhaps another time.<br /><br />Christie: 4 points as a two time Governor. I am tempted to give a bonus point as an "opposite color" governor, Red in a Blue state, but will decline.<br /><br />Rubio: 2 points as a one time Senator<br /><br />Cruz: gets 2 points as a one time Senator. I am feeling magnanimous tonight and will give him 1 more for being a law professor for five years. Hey, Obama had that gig for four years.<br /><br />Jindahl: huh. 7 points. Multi term congressman and two time governor of LA. I had not recalled that he was also a Rhodes scholar and had been accepted to both Harvard Med and Yale Law schools. Looks dopey. Isn't.<br /><br />Walker: Hometown favorite. 4 points as two time governor. <br /><br />Here is the Tacitan Experience Scale if you want to play at home:<br /><br />Elected to Congress 1 point. Elected multiple times total of 3 points<br />Senate once 2 points. Multiple times 4 points<br />Governor 3 points. Multiple times total of 4 points. (In Congress you are usually a back bencher for a while, Governor it is your baby from day one).<br />High military rank 1 point<br />Running a major government agency 1 point<br />Significant business accomplishment 1 point (job that daddy got you, nada)<br /><br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-68297277595542706662014-11-21T16:22:50.881-08:002014-11-21T16:22:50.881-08:00Matthew,
I didn't mean that Hillary would pick...Matthew,<br />I didn't mean that Hillary would pick an older white male. I mean her campaign will counter-program, they won't pick another older white woman. So as much as you might like Warren, she'd have to win the Presidential nomination in her own right.<br /><br />In the 2008 election she might have picked an older white male, as Obama did, to balance the "risk" voting for the first female President and her perceived lack of experience. Today, she's the older, white, establishment candidate, so she'd pick someone younger, "safe" minority (say Hispanic), probably male, and from a swing state. I have no idea how close she can get to that with the current Dem make-up.Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-21432179349122900512014-11-21T16:08:28.150-08:002014-11-21T16:08:28.150-08:003D-Printed globe: http://3dprint.com/26236/great-g...3D-Printed globe: <a href="http://3dprint.com/26236/great-globe-3d-print-earth/" rel="nofollow">http://3dprint.com/26236/great-globe-3d-print-earth/</a><br /><br />1:100,000 scale. So about 126m/420ft high. Made up of 10.5 million pieces.<br /><br />The interesting thing isn't that they are building a giant painted sphere. It's that the surface features will be printed to scale. Mt Everest will stick out 40mm (1.6inches) further than "sea level". The Grand Canyon will be up to an inch deep in places, and up to a foot wide.<br /><br />[Of course, being textured plastic, it'll look like crap within a month or two, and be impossible to clean. But props for effort.]Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-81645566250843548292014-11-21T15:36:14.269-08:002014-11-21T15:36:14.269-08:00Clinton's choice in VP will come down to "...Clinton's choice in VP will come down to "what excites the base," not "what will bring in older, white males." Lessons learned from this past midterm. <br /><br />Now, I DON'T want Hillary to be the nominee. She was inept at her SecState position, plus she brings Bill as baggage, plus she is way, way too close to Wall Street. But everyone thinks it is her turn (how is that for a reversal of the parties? The Dems taking turns, and the Repubs doing the whole "fall in love" routine?) I think the Dems are going to go very populist in 2016, though. And Warren is the face of liberal populism. Hillary won't like being upstaged by her VP nom, but she'll hold her nose to get the base fired up. <br /><br />What is deeply needed for her ticket is a populist liberal firebrand, preferably from some minority. Too bad the bench is so empty. <br /><br />Webb will never get a chance, btw. He is far too identified with the Blue Dogs, and that little exercise in centrist wish-fulfillment has run its' course. David may like the Blue Dogs, but pretty much no one else in America did. matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42254149538937991102014-11-21T15:06:05.944-08:002014-11-21T15:06:05.944-08:00Paul451,
It is with some sadness that I have to ag...Paul451,<br />It is with some sadness that I have to agree with you on the Clinton/Warren ticket. When I was in junior high, many eons ago, there was a history teacher who swore that by the year 2000 the U.S. would have a female president, and that she would be African-American. Those Polyanna glasses came off a long time ago.Paul Shen-Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-61551904230870340332014-11-21T14:50:30.995-08:002014-11-21T14:50:30.995-08:00Tacitus2,
How do the suggested Republican nominees...Tacitus2,<br />How do the suggested Republican nominees compare on your scale?<br /><br />David brings up charisma as an issue in Presidential electability. Obama clearly had it in spades during the two campaigns, as did Bush II (making himself the "American Everyman" in spite of his origins.)<br /><br />Warren has huge charismatic appeal to the left. Much as blunt-as-a-hammer Christie has on the right. But how well can they cross lines?<br /><br />None of the Congressional leadership of either party seems particularly charismatic, IMO. I don't know enough about Governors and lesser Congress-critters, though. Any Americans want to rank likability/electability of possible contenders <i>without regard to their actual suitability as President</i>?<br /><br />It would be nice to see the Republicans pull out something beyond the same-same names (Jeb Bush, Christie, Rubio, Cruz, and the three Pauls (plus, god forbid, Romney/Huckabee/Santorum/Perry again)).<br /><br />How about a Portman/Carson ticket?<br /><br />Matthew,<br />Re: Clinton/Warren 2016.<br /><br />Although your reasoning is sound, I don't think Hilary's team would select a second woman as VP. Like Obama chose an older white establishment male to balance the young, black man rather than offer the role to Hilary.Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-13401210328399829602014-11-21T13:08:30.411-08:002014-11-21T13:08:30.411-08:00I think you have the top of the Dem ticket wrong, ...I think you have the top of the Dem ticket wrong, David. Warren's advancement into the ranks of the Democratic leadership last week (special ambassador to liberals or some such) was a way to buy her off of a run at president in 2016. No, Warren will break your string of "qualified" Democrat VP candidates. <br /><br />She will be Hillary's VP candidate, in a nod to excite the liberal base. Excitement will be needed because Bernie Sanders will be the "run to left" opponent to Hillary in the primaries. Bernie forces Hillary to the left in the primaries. Elizabeth gets the left base back into the campaign after Hillary trounces Bernie. <br /><br />Two women at the top of the Dem's ticket in 2016. Take that, Republicans. <br /><br />matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58102654932971502412014-11-21T11:57:19.612-08:002014-11-21T11:57:19.612-08:00Tacitus, I wish Webb were more charismatic. He ki...Tacitus, I wish Webb were more charismatic. He kinda gives an off-putting vibe to some folks. But yes, without a scintilla of doubt, he belongs way up there!David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77430742362808273272014-11-21T11:56:30.743-08:002014-11-21T11:56:30.743-08:00locum is utterly wedged. When I ask a fellow citiz...locum is utterly wedged. When I ask a fellow citizen to step up and use what he has, in defense of a civilization that has been very good to him, that is not crawling "supplication." It is asking that excess wealth be recycled to productive ends.<br /><br />Gates and Buffett have declared "raise our taxes!" They have committed to give half their wealth to philanthropic causes. There are few better ways for a rich dude to prove they are still on our side.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-73156558032966105482014-11-21T11:53:03.008-08:002014-11-21T11:53:03.008-08:00combinatorialimplosion your summary is spot-on. Ge... combinatorialimplosion your summary is spot-on. Gen Schwarzkopf begged for 48 hours to secure Basra and the major Shiite zones and then to give them a no-fly zone, as we were already doing for the Kurds. The result would have been genuine "kisses and flowers" and an arab wing of shiism that was pro-western and grateful...<br /><br />...and not pro-iranian and biliously hateful toward us, as they are now, after we betrayed them and allowed Saddam to murder hundreds of thousands<br />leaving the survivors to 12 years of brutality under that monster.<br /><br />It takes some real doing for me to hate a man more than I despise W. But his dad managed the trick.David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-8430845055139065392014-11-21T09:52:35.872-08:002014-11-21T09:52:35.872-08:00The difference between MSNBC and Fox is that Fox t...The difference between MSNBC and Fox is that Fox truly believes in what they're selling. Nobody in their right mind could call 3 hours of Joe Scarborough every morning being liberal. <br /><br />That also doesn't mention the fact that MSNBC is deeply vulnerable to the "both sides" meme that pervades television news, where no matter what disaster or destruction the Republicans affect the country with, many will go out of the way to mention "washington gridlock" or "extremists on the left and the right." <br /><br />NYT's David Brooks is the high priest of this technique, every column of his includes the idea.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com