The Dumb Masses Love Surprises

[guido911]

2 1/2 Marshalls, give or take an ounce or two...

I'm stimulated by that.

[Gaspar]

Interesting analysis by Shikha Dalmia in Forbes.

"But the problem is that President Obama believes in his own messianism too deeply for that. His goal is not to remake his party as it could be but "remake this world as it should be." In his book Dreams From My Father Obama gives the distinct impression that his gifts are too great for the smallness of our political stage. He regrets not having been born during the civil rights era when the grandness of the cause would have measured up to the grandness of his ambition. He is in search of something big that will allow him to make his mark on the world as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King did. Hence, the defeat of ObamaCare would not just be par for the course in the rough-and-tumble world of politics for him. It would be sign of his ordinariness, his mortality, and that, to him, is unendurable."

According to Shikha, healthcare reform has decomposed into an ego issue.

[Conan71]

Classic political narcissism (that's going to enrage a few I'm sure)

[Gaspar]

I've read here articles in Reason before.  She tends to hit the nail on the head.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/obamacare-health-democrats-congress-opinions-columnists-shikha-dalmia.html?boxes=opinionschannellighttop

[we vs us]

Meh.  He's trying to tackle a major structural issue (of which we have many).  If attempting a large-scale fix gets you labeled a "narcissist" or "messianic" I guess them's the breaks.

Of course, there're a lot of parties interested in maintaining the status quo, so it's probably no surprise that Forbes wouldn't be a big supporter of O's efforts.

EDIT:  Here's her first paragraph:

"Even if Democrats extract the votes to put ObamaCare over the top, it will at best be a Pyrrhic victory for them. Regardless of the outcome, this monstrosity might cost the Democrats the Congress this November, ruin the party for a long time and prematurely render Barack Obama a lame duck president for the rest of his term."

That's not biased at all, is it?

[Gaspar]

"Even if Democrats extract the votes to put ObamaCare over the top, it will at best be a Pyrrhic victory for them. Regardless of the outcome, this monstrosity might cost the Democrats the Congress this November, ruin the party for a long time and prematurely render Barack Obama a lame duck president for the rest of his term."

That's not biased at all, is it?

She never pulls punches, and yes she is bias, she's a libertarian and she has commented on the destructive actions of both parties in the past.  I would have to say that that paragraph is an accurate observation and prediction. . . But some people think I'm bias too. 

[rwarn17588]

I've read here articles in Reason before.  She tends to hit the nail on the head.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/obamacare-health-democrats-congress-opinions-columnists-shikha-dalmia.html?boxes=opinionschannellighttop

Shikma is ignoring the polls. Support for health care reform has been rising for weeks.

The Democrats will lose seats in November, but that's normal in an off-year election for the president in power. Her base prediction's sort of like saying that Kobe Bryant will score points in a game.

[Conan71]

Meh.  He's trying to tackle a major structural issue (of which we have many).  If attempting a large-scale fix gets you labeled a "narcissist" or "messianic" I guess them's the breaks.

Of course, there're a lot of parties interested in maintaining the status quo, so it's probably no surprise that Forbes wouldn't be a big supporter of O's efforts.

EDIT:  Here's her first paragraph:

"Even if Democrats extract the votes to put ObamaCare over the top, it will at best be a Pyrrhic victory for them. Regardless of the outcome, this monstrosity might cost the Democrats the Congress this November, ruin the party for a long time and prematurely render Barack Obama a lame duck president for the rest of his term."

That's not biased at all, is it?

I'd say it's an even-handed account and pretty much spot-on critique of what's happened and what will happen. 

Read further, she's got admonishment for Dems and GOPs:

"The only comic relief in the otherwise grim, yearlong ObamaCare saga has been the spectacle of progressive pundits scratching their heads to explain the bill's nose-diving popularity: Betsy McCaughey is a lying grumble whose chatter about death panels has spooked Americans; the bill is too tame for Americans who really want a public option; Democrats are just too damn nice to engage in the gutter partisan politics necessary to push their agenda through; Republicans are nay-saying obstructionists; and, my personal favorite, President Obama, arguably the most gifted orator alive, does not have the communication skills necessary to sell this bill (of goods)."

[Red Arrow]

Democrats are just too damn nice to engage in the gutter partisan politics necessary to push their agenda through;

I find that difficult to believe.

[Red Arrow]

I'm stimulated by that.

But after a short while the stimulus wears off.  Nice while it lasts though.

[Conan71]

But after a short while the stimulus wears off.  Nice while it lasts though.

Doesn't do much to create jobs either, but SIG's sure love it!

[heironymouspasparagus]

Gaspar,

The only drugs in this arena are the Republicontin and Dummycrat kook-aids being swigged by the barrel.

Less government is better....always.
Unfortunately, we haven't had any of that from any side forever.  We are a company...er, uh country...based at its most fundamental level on government intrusion.  From the very beginning.  We are a country founded by Christians who came here to escape the religious tyranny of the C of E, while imposing their own religious tyranny on the individual colonies they founded.  The European knew feudal systems and that is what we have always skirted near and are devolving toward rapidly now.

We live under a delusion of freedom, within which most never 'test' the boundaries of said freedom.  And give lip service to that freedom while intruding at every chance.  Gun control laws.  Abortion restrictions.  We even interfere with that most hallowed of "freedoms" - religious observance.  From Native American rituals, to polygamy of past orders.  And would like to do even more - listen to Pat "Kill Anyone Who Disagrees With Me" Robertson some time.

The single most "free" society the world has seen in hundreds of years - or longer - were the Native American societies that were around some time back.  That's one reason the western European settlers had to exterminate as many as they could, so that freedom of thought would not infect the settlers.  Oh, and so they could steal the land...

Economic stimulation - I equate to jobs.  Not the financial house of cards that has been allowed to re-establish itself of late.  Jobs are created by SMALL businesses (I know you already know that), so these BIG multi-billion dollar entities are pretty much worthless toward economic growth on any kind of meaningful scale.  Microsoft is classic example.  Started out small, grew like crazy, then plateaued and stagnated.  Wal-Mart is similar.  Yep, they hire many, but proportionally, have stopped growing new.  Billionaires are worthless to our economy.  Guys like you and me are critical and probably a bunch of the others here.  Maybe you can be the next Tony Roma's.  I want to grow in my field, but haven't been very successful..yet.  Have not given up - still working on it.

Business inspirations - probably the most important;
Management: Tasks, Responsibilities and Practices, by Peter Drucker.
About anything I can find by/about Warren Buffet
W. Edwards Deming

And one step further.  The hypothesis is that the second/third generation of many if not most enterprises are a total waste for the company and many times disastrous for the employees who actually built the thing to make it what it is/was.  Poster child of that thought;  Paris Hilton.

Local companies to which this might apply;
Arrow Trucking
Bed Check
F W Murphy
Centrilift
Oil Dynamics
et. al.

The "second" generation many/most times just doesn't get it.  Or doesn't care. Or whatever.  Does not deserve the "gift" that is given them.
Tax laws should be structured so that when the person who started company moves on, there is strong incentive to not sell out to outside opportunists (penalize strongly - inheritance tax levels) but let the employees have a shot at purchasing the outfit so their jobs and lives are less likely to be blasted by the "cash out" or worse, milking it to death - of the "Family".  This could have a threshold - say any company with more than 5, 10, 15 employees...pick one.

As to your drug reference;  legalize marijuana, magic mushrooms, things that grow in the ground and used in their natural state (as picked).  License and tax processed items - alcohol, commercially made cigarettes, etc.  Enhance penalties for manufacture/distribution of processed chemicals - cocaine, crack, meth, etc.  And by enhanced, I mean mandatory 5 yr prison for first time use/possession - no parole.   Mandatory 25 years, no parole for manufacture/selling - first time.  Mandatory life for second manufacturing/selling event (if 25 years didn't work, nothing will), no parole.  And just about the same for DUI, DWI, except that if there is a fatality involved with any of the events, death penalty.  Or at LEAST mandatory life with no parole.

There is a quick two minute view.  Knock yourself out.

[Gaspar]

Heron,

Not a whole lot I disagree with.  Of course your stereotypes applied to businesses such as Walmart, and Microsoft are incorrect. . .as are the stereotypes applied to the wealthy, but that's all understandable from your viewpoint.  You are correct about small businesses, and you almost go far enough to address the problem, but you trip over your need to attack the successful. You find glory in the journey, but wish to punish the achievement.

I enjoy "reading" your thought process.  You are passionate and when forced into real critical thought you engage in conclusions that are libertarian in nature.  Of course you have to pepper them with a little of the spice of liberal anger, but that's ok. 

FOTD was without hope.  When pushed into thought, he raged like a wounded animal.  You have the ability to surrender to reason. 

[Conan71]

I wondered if I was the only one who thought that came off incredibly libertarian.

[Gaspar]

Perhaps some of those in identity crisis should visit:
http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html