Comments on: Leaking Like A Sieve, Running On Empty http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/ Like Kryptonite To Stupid Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:30:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Hedley http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120434 Hedley Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:09:01 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120434 z_adura, excuse me for thinking that you were one of the liberal idiots around here who thinks their shit doesn't stink. Clearly you recognize that it stinks just as bad. z_adura, excuse me for thinking that you were one of the liberal idiots around here who thinks their shit doesn’t stink. Clearly you recognize that it stinks just as bad.

]]> By: Zython http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120431 Zython Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:35:20 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120431 <i>Book recommendation: “The Plot Against America”, by Philip Roth, from a couple of years ago. It posits a win by Lindbergh against Roosevelt in 1940 in a kind of “what-if-history” kind of way. Pretty chilling.</i> A similar book (a what if of Roosevelt actually getting assassinated in Miami) would be Man in the High Castle. <i>z_adura, so essentially you are playing, “my party can beat up your party.”</i> No, but my ideology can beat up your ideology. Book recommendation: “The Plot Against America”, by Philip Roth, from a couple of years ago. It posits a win by Lindbergh against Roosevelt in 1940 in a kind of “what-if-history” kind of way. Pretty chilling.

A similar book (a what if of Roosevelt actually getting assassinated in Miami) would be Man in the High Castle.

z_adura, so essentially you are playing, “my party can beat up your party.”

No, but my ideology can beat up your ideology.

]]> By: z_adura http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120430 z_adura Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:26:07 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120430 Hedley, excuse me for falsely thinking you were one of the conservative idiots around here who can see more than black and white. You are clearly not. Hedley, excuse me for falsely thinking you were one of the conservative idiots around here who can see more than black and white. You are clearly not.

]]> By: Hedley http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120426 Hedley Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:33:04 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120426 z_adura, so essentially you are playing, "my party can beat up your party." You are right though, imprisoning Japanese-Americans was no big deal. And those Jews trying to get in? Who needs more Jews, right? z_adura, so essentially you are playing, “my party can beat up your party.” You are right though, imprisoning Japanese-Americans was no big deal. And those Jews trying to get in? Who needs more Jews, right?

]]> By: z_adura http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120420 z_adura Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:07:38 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120420 Hedley, you are missing my point. Republicans actions/inactions were MORE reprehensible in WWII, significantly so. There is a difference between shoplifting and grand theft auto even though they are both property crimes. Hedley, you are missing my point. Republicans actions/inactions were MORE reprehensible in WWII, significantly so. There is a difference between shoplifting and grand theft auto even though they are both property crimes.

]]> By: Hedley http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120418 Hedley Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:10:57 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120418 z_adura, you are missing my point. I am in no way defending the actions or the inactions of the Republicans during WWII. Merely, I am saying that the actions and inactions of the Democrats were at least equally reprehensible. z_adura, you are missing my point. I am in no way defending the actions or the inactions of the Republicans during WWII. Merely, I am saying that the actions and inactions of the Democrats were at least equally reprehensible.

]]> By: z_adura http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120372 z_adura Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:48:51 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120372 Hedley, not to put a fine point on this, but there is a bit of false equivalence in your statements. It was the Republicans in World War II who opposed action against Germany, because many of them supported Hitler, or at least the idea of Hitler. Likewise, it was not the Republicans who opposed Japanese internment, it was a division inside the Democratic party. Republicans are not always wrong but they were from about 1929-1953. Eisenhower was actually a pretty honorable guy, but he isn't exactly revered by today's Republican party. Hedley, not to put a fine point on this, but there is a bit of false equivalence in your statements. It was the Republicans in World War II who opposed action against Germany, because many of them supported Hitler, or at least the idea of Hitler. Likewise, it was not the Republicans who opposed Japanese internment, it was a division inside the Democratic party. Republicans are not always wrong but they were from about 1929-1953. Eisenhower was actually a pretty honorable guy, but he isn’t exactly revered by today’s Republican party.

]]> By: Bruce Henry http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120359 Bruce Henry Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:43:30 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120359 Book recommendation: "The Plot Against America", by Philip Roth, from a couple of years ago. It posits a win by Lindbergh against Roosevelt in 1940 in a kind of "what-if-history" kind of way. Pretty chilling. Book recommendation: “The Plot Against America”, by Philip Roth, from a couple of years ago. It posits a win by Lindbergh against Roosevelt in 1940 in a kind of “what-if-history” kind of way. Pretty chilling.

]]> By: Hedley http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120358 Hedley Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:41:26 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120358 z_adura, I didn't say the Republicans' actions were honorable, just that the Democrats had their own equally reprehensible actions. z_adura, I didn’t say the Republicans’ actions were honorable, just that the Democrats had their own equally reprehensible actions.

]]> By: z_adura http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120357 z_adura Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:34:42 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120357 Hedley, Roosevelt, a Democrat, signed EO 9066, which resulted in Japanese internment, but it was the liver-lillied Eleanor Roosevelt, the ACLU and religious left-leaning liberals who opposed it, not the righteous Republican party, which was toying with fascism at the time. Hedley, Roosevelt, a Democrat, signed EO 9066, which resulted in Japanese internment, but it was the liver-lillied Eleanor Roosevelt, the ACLU and religious left-leaning liberals who opposed it, not the righteous Republican party, which was toying with fascism at the time.

]]> By: Hedley http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120349 Hedley Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:57:13 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120349 z_adura, lets not forget the marvelous actions of the Democrats during WWII. Turning away a boatload of Jewish refugees and imprisoning Japanese-American citizens are not exactly actions to be proud of. Where was the intellectual backbone of the Democratic party during those catastrophically wrong actions? Bottom line, both party has its share of idiots. z_adura, lets not forget the marvelous actions of the Democrats during WWII. Turning away a boatload of Jewish refugees and imprisoning Japanese-American citizens are not exactly actions to be proud of. Where was the intellectual backbone of the Democratic party during those catastrophically wrong actions?

Bottom line, both party has its share of idiots.

]]> By: Repack Rider http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120330 Repack Rider Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:19:25 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120330 Hey, I grew up in Mill Valley. My mom still lives there. Hey, I grew up in Mill Valley. My mom still lives there.

]]> By: z_adura http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120287 z_adura Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:23:17 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120287 PG, TRA '86 is not without criticism, even from a conservative economic perspective. For the first time, home mortgage debt was favored to credit card and other personal debt. It is no surprise that in leaner times, middle class home owners began using their home equity as a credit card. All market interventions create distortions, even those with the best intentions. PG, TRA ’86 is not without criticism, even from a conservative economic perspective. For the first time, home mortgage debt was favored to credit card and other personal debt. It is no surprise that in leaner times, middle class home owners began using their home equity as a credit card. All market interventions create distortions, even those with the best intentions.

]]> By: Duros Hussein 62 http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120277 Duros Hussein 62 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:50:45 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120277 BTW, just thought I'd add this for the mouth-breathers in the house. http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=12129 <blockquote>Re “Politics of Attack” (editorial, Oct. 8) and “Obama and ’60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths” (front page, Oct. 4): As the lead federal prosecutor of the Weathermen in the 1970s (I was then chief of the criminal division in the Eastern District of Michigan and took over the Weathermen prosecution in 1972), I am amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to William Ayers’s terrorist activities 40 years ago when Mr. Obama was, as he has noted, just a child. Although I dearly wanted to obtain convictions against all the Weathermen, including Bill Ayers, I am very pleased to learn that he has become a responsible citizen. Because Senator Obama recently served on a board of a charitable organization with Mr. Ayers cannot possibly link the senator to acts perpetrated by Mr. Ayers so many years ago. I do take issue with the statement in your news article that the Weathermen indictment was dismissed because of “prosecutorial misconduct.” It was dismissed because of illegal activities, including wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions, initiated by John N. Mitchell, attorney general at that time, and W. Mark Felt, an F.B.I. assistant director. William C. Ibershof Mill Valley, Calif., Oct. 8, 2008</blockquote> Shorter: STFU, already. BTW, just thought I’d add this for the mouth-breathers in the house.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=12129

Re “Politics of Attack” (editorial, Oct. 8) and “Obama and ’60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths” (front page, Oct. 4):

As the lead federal prosecutor of the Weathermen in the 1970s (I was then chief of the criminal division in the Eastern District of Michigan and took over the Weathermen prosecution in 1972), I am amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to William Ayers’s terrorist activities 40 years ago when Mr. Obama was, as he has noted, just a child.

Although I dearly wanted to obtain convictions against all the Weathermen, including Bill Ayers, I am very pleased to learn that he has become a responsible citizen.

Because Senator Obama recently served on a board of a charitable organization with Mr. Ayers cannot possibly link the senator to acts perpetrated by Mr. Ayers so many years ago.

I do take issue with the statement in your news article that the Weathermen indictment was dismissed because of “prosecutorial misconduct.” It was dismissed because of illegal activities, including wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions, initiated by John N. Mitchell, attorney general at that time, and W. Mark Felt, an F.B.I. assistant director.

William C. Ibershof

Mill Valley, Calif., Oct. 8, 2008

Shorter: STFU, already.

]]> By: Quaker in a Basement http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120270 Quaker in a Basement Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:30:10 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120270 <em>the 1986 tax reform ended up being a pretty good move by the Republican White House </em> Buh...buh...but PG! You can't expect today's Republicans to admit that St. Reagan ever <em>raised</em> taxes, do you? the 1986 tax reform ended up being a pretty good move by the Republican White House

Buh…buh…but PG! You can’t expect today’s Republicans to admit that St. Reagan ever raised taxes, do you?

]]> By: Duros Hussein 62 http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120267 Duros Hussein 62 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:24:00 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120267 <i>Duros, I do believe that there have been principled Republican positions. They were right about the Soviet Union. They were right about slavery.</i> Well, that's 2, PG's got one. so yeah, not a complete wash-out. Duros, I do believe that there have been principled Republican positions. They were right about the Soviet Union. They were right about slavery.

Well, that’s 2, PG’s got one. so yeah, not a complete wash-out.

]]> By: PG http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120264 PG Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:43:11 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120264 z_adura, I agree that a healthy opposition is vital to our country. For example, I still haven't seen a good argument in favor of card check and I wish Obama would talk to McGovern and reconsider his position. If true conservatives let themselves be drowned out by the populist nitwits (as Christopher Buckley says WFB put it, "I've spent my entire life time separating the Right from the kooks," WFB being famous for expelling the Birchers), then all conservatism will become irrelevant and there will be no check on OUR side's kooks. The trouble is that McCain is becoming one of those populist nitwits, with his proposals for having shareholders have direct, binding votes, not just on executive compensation but how much the corporation should spend on R&D (thus gutting the corporate law separation between ownership and control that has served us reasonably well for the last few centuries). Or his proposal to have a legal prohibition on paying executives of the troubled finance companies more than $400k a year (because the way to attract new talent to a troubled company that will need leaders to work 18 hour days, 7 days a week is to institute wage controls). As screwed up as many of Reagan's ideas were, the 1986 tax reform ended up being a pretty good move by the Republican White House and Democratic Congress that simplified the code, eliminated loopholes and brought down tax rates without reducing revenues. Unfortunately, McCain doesn't belong to that version of conservatism. The GOP needs to recapture its sanity for the good of this country. z_adura,

I agree that a healthy opposition is vital to our country. For example, I still haven’t seen a good argument in favor of card check and I wish Obama would talk to McGovern and reconsider his position. If true conservatives let themselves be drowned out by the populist nitwits (as Christopher Buckley says WFB put it, “I’ve spent my entire life time separating the Right from the kooks,” WFB being famous for expelling the Birchers), then all conservatism will become irrelevant and there will be no check on OUR side’s kooks.

The trouble is that McCain is becoming one of those populist nitwits, with his proposals for having shareholders have direct, binding votes, not just on executive compensation but how much the corporation should spend on R&D (thus gutting the corporate law separation between ownership and control that has served us reasonably well for the last few centuries). Or his proposal to have a legal prohibition on paying executives of the troubled finance companies more than $400k a year (because the way to attract new talent to a troubled company that will need leaders to work 18 hour days, 7 days a week is to institute wage controls).

As screwed up as many of Reagan’s ideas were, the 1986 tax reform ended up being a pretty good move by the Republican White House and Democratic Congress that simplified the code, eliminated loopholes and brought down tax rates without reducing revenues. Unfortunately, McCain doesn’t belong to that version of conservatism. The GOP needs to recapture its sanity for the good of this country.

]]> By: z_adura http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120260 z_adura Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:27:28 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120260 Duros, I do believe that there have been principled Republican positions. They were right about the Soviet Union. They were right about slavery. I used to consider myself a Republican, but find the current variety looks a heck of a lot more like Southern Democrats circa 1957. Duros, I do believe that there have been principled Republican positions. They were right about the Soviet Union. They were right about slavery. I used to consider myself a Republican, but find the current variety looks a heck of a lot more like Southern Democrats circa 1957.

]]> By: Duros Hussein 62 http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120238 Duros Hussein 62 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:58:15 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120238 <i>I keep waiting for JM to put up a hand and say “No, no none of that, that’s not what we’re about.”</i> He'd get booed off the stage. Occasionally, z? You're being kind. I keep waiting for JM to put up a hand and say “No, no none of that, that’s not what we’re about.”

He’d get booed off the stage.

Occasionally, z? You’re being kind.

]]> By: z_adura http://www.oliverwillis.com/2008/10/10/leaking-like-a-sieve-running-on-empty/#comment-120214 z_adura Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:39:23 +0000 http://www.oliverwillis.com/?p=10311#comment-120214 Hedley, I do think that this is important. The Republican party is an important institution in America that has occasionally been catastrophically wrong. For example, non-intervention in WWII or opposition to the New Deal. These have been moments when the intellectual backbone of the party took over and redirected their vision. Now is the time to begin redefining the mission. Do you want to be the party of Religious fanatics and dirtbags? I hope not. This is why it matters. Hedley, I do think that this is important. The Republican party is an important institution in America that has occasionally been catastrophically wrong. For example, non-intervention in WWII or opposition to the New Deal. These have been moments when the intellectual backbone of the party took over and redirected their vision. Now is the time to begin redefining the mission. Do you want to be the party of Religious fanatics and dirtbags? I hope not.

This is why it matters.

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