Does the word, ‘Pinochet’ mean anything to you?

Markets need to be healthy, and they require reasonable government regulation. Adults know this. Wing-nuts, not so much.

“Friedman and the Chicago school have done more damage to the world than all modern warfare to date.
You should probably shut up now.”

Wow, where did you learn about world history?

You are either insane or smoking something quite powerful besides the tobacco you quit. It’s ironic that you suddenly decided on your own to quit demon tobacco, that higher taxes had nothing to do with it but you think the taxes are worthwhile as long as someone else is paying them.

Bush and the Republicans ruined the American economy between 2001-2009. Even if you factor in 9/11, Bush had at least six years to leave the economy in as good a shape as he found it.

His policies failed. Republican policies failed. “Chicago School” economics failed. The job market in America is terrible right now in all fields, and I make more here than I could in the States.

High taxes aren’t much of an issue if you can’t find a decent-paying job to begin with.

Besides, wing-nuts don’t run around on shooting sprees either, which is kind of a bonus.

Different countries must have different realities. I ran a crew buiding a few houses in Japan just as thier economy went belly up 10 or 15 years back. One of the guys I built for was an American. He was around 40 and he was bummed. Building a house in Japan meant he was admitting defeat and never going back home. “They’ll proably bury me in the fucking back yard” He hated it there because he’d been seduced by the money teaching English in Japan and he felt he’d wasted his youth there and wasn’t really qualified to do anything else and couldn’t make any decent money at home.

My boy went to China following his first hitch in the service. I don’t know what Korea is like but in China it’s extremely easy for a round eye to get a job teaching English. The pay is low but it’s damn easy to get a job. He ended up quitting working for the school system that hired him. He started a private tutoring service which was highly profitable compared to his old job there. It would have been a meager wage here but was much more lucrative than his original position. He had many adventures in China, I was quite proud of him for having the guts to go have is China adventure.

Anybody would probably trade higher taxes for being able to participate in our economy rather than Korea’s but for the rest of us able to make our way here higher taxes are not that good a deal. What was it you were educated to do that you couldn’t make a go of it here in America?

Governments tend to be very poor stewards of the money that is entrusted to them. I believe it was Will Rogers who observed

“It’s a good thing we don’t get all the government we pay for”

j

Jesus Christ! We’ve seen the real world results of the economic theory you are pushing. It’s not pretty.

Yet you think it’s better to continue that failure than admit it was wrong.

You telling me that voting in Obama was a bad idea makes me grin. Because honestly, I don’t know how I can make this any clearer — I’d be happy to pay higher taxes if it meant I’d make more money while living in America. That’s kind of a happy trade-off for reality-oriented adults.

Hyper-deregulation/Chicago School economics destroyed the American economy. I’m not saying Obama’s approach has been perfect so far (he should let the American auto industry die) but at least he’s acting in the country’s interest. You can’t say that about Dick Cheney’s presidency.

Bullshit. I could have decided to continue to smoke. I chose not to. I also understand that the increased taxes go to pay for SCHIP, which I think is worthwhile.
You don’t though, I guess. Little kids should pay for their own health insurance, the deadbeats.

In the words of Bugs Bunny, “I like him. He’s silly.”

Ah yes, if only we had a flourishing economy like Chile’s in the 1970s. Sorry about all those people who went missing. Dunno where they could have got to. Oh, and the 400% inflation and 60% unemployment.

Pay close attention to gross manipulations done in the name of short term political gain by at best, clueless,at worst, criminally corrupt politicians.

Oh, I totally agree! Britain in the ’80′s. Peru, Indonesia, Venezuela, Poland, Russia, Brazil, South Africa. All examples of gross manipulations and “shocks” designed to stun the population into submission for the benefit of the rich, the corrupt, and foreign multinational corporations.

Friedman and the Chicago school have done more damage to the world than all modern warfare to date.
You should probably shut up now.

Economics is in the end, the study of human foibles bucking hard against mathmatical certainies. Sort of like a greek tragedy combined with the math homework that you didn’t get done because it was too hard, and besides you can copy off the paper of the smart homely girl who sits in front of you. Pretty predictable results.

You would be better served actually studying different schools of economic thought and follow the real word results of different theories put into practice. Pay close attention to gross manipulations done in the name of short term political gain by at best, clueless,at worst, criminally corrupt politicians.

Enjoy that good feeling of paying ever more taxes to prop up the poor decision making of an aging boomer population desperate not to lose the retirement dreams that cold hard math have shown to be a bit delusionary at best. Sucka!

Is that the economic theory that the Republicans have been using for the past 8 years?

Is so, why should we listen to it now? (Other than to learn what not to do.)

If not, how is is different? And why didn’t you argue against the Republican policies of the past 8 years previously?

Um, Milton Friedman and Allen Greenspan are economic laughing-stocks these days in light of the global meltdown. The Chicago School notion of hyper-deregulation has been proven to be both false and idiotic.

Took too many stupid pills today, didn’t you Amused Observer?

Not big enough.

But China’s decision to invest in Euros more is wise.

“So if we do have a nice bout of inflation do you suppose that your wages will rise right along with inflation? Or will those wages lag in an uncertain economy. If that happens it will be just like a big tax hike, not on our quarter million plus club, but on the lowest earners in society, Funny how that works.”

Or we do nothing, then the bottom run loses even more as the will lose their jobs and have less savings because they don’t have as much disposable income. Funny how that works.

Or we can cut taxes and hope enough of the rich are dumb enough to take a risk in an uncertainly economy to start the economy going. But that’s worse than nothing, as that’s using the tools that got us into this mess to try and fix the problem.

Maybe the lesson we should learn is to not let the people who help create this mess back in power?

You guys don’t seem to grasp the advantage a nation has when it’s currency is the defacto standard.

CS. maybe the world ought to use the currency of the soundest banking system in the world, Canada’s.

Quaker, you’re a nit picky little pacifist.

The concensus seems to be Obama Inflation good, tax the rich good, government management of large industries good, government management of banking good.

Do you supoose they will run these operations as well as say Amtrack or the Post Office? Or Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

may

So if we do have a nice bout of inflation do you suppose that your wages will rise right along with inflation? Or will those wages lag in an uncertain economy. If that happens it will be just like a big tax hike, not on our quarter million plus club, but on the lowest earners in society, Funny how that works.

i

New international currency.
New international reservecurrency.

Not the same, you know?

This is flat out wrong. This is complete shit.

Yet you continue to talk on the subject as if you were an expert.

Please stop.

Wouldn’t you if you were China?

Your arrogance is only surpassed by your ignorance.

Anyone notice the highly progressive tobacco tax recently levied.

Sure did. I’m 17 days smoke-free.