I hear there was this thing in Iowa...

[dieblucasdie]

murked 'cause I don't really want to get bogged down in this, and I *do* like Edwards, anyhow.

[Andrew_TSKS]

It's pretty telling that Paul is the only one, democrat or republican, that has any interest in talking about the economy.

never mind they're finally getting to it, let's see what they actually say

almost nothing.  what a surprise

good grief, man, what did you do, cook the ron paul kool-aid down to an off-white powdery substance and mainline it? for fuck's sake!

[Andrew_TSKS]

Edwards has pledged to raise the minimum wage to nearly $10 and put measures in to prevent inflation from eroding it.

that would be the fucking governmental killer app right there, wouldn't it? too bad that corporate interests are so heavily invested in our government at this point that such a plan wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting past congress, because fuck... if something like this had been done when minimum wage was first instituted, it would be something like $12 an hour right now.

[dieblucasdie]

You know how we could stop inflation from eroding the minimum wage?  Go on the Gold Standard.

oh god

what's

happening

to

me

[Andrew_TSKS]

blucas, you just blew my mind.

[diesel_powered]

You know how we could stop inflation from eroding the minimum wage?  Go on the Gold Standard.

I'd say it's all related to his marijuana legalization scheme, but no self-respecting pothead would ever come up with something so cockamamie.

murked 'cause I don't really want to get bogged down in this, and I *do* like Edwards, anyhow.

(Could we get an Obama/Edwards version of this?)

[Good Intentions]

I guess when I'm dead, 2002-2006 will be marked down as the years in which I was interested in electoral politics.

I'm glad it's past, then. I'm a bit worried by how enthusiastic some here seem to be about their favourite candidates. They're all just politicians. No good can come of this, and the only joy some schadenfreude as the occasional self-absorbed corrupt fuck gets blown to smithereens on a public appearance. Martyred for the benefit of my petty resentments.

[Wally]

I'm just waiting for some poor sod to read Catcher in the Rye become obsessed with Jodie Foster and start taking pot shots at the lot of them.

[andronicus]

Edwards has pledged to raise the minimum wage to nearly $10 and put measures in to prevent inflation from eroding it.

that would be the fucking governmental killer app right there, wouldn't it? too bad that corporate interests are so heavily invested in our government at this point that such a plan wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting past congress, because fuck... if something like this had been done when minimum wage was first instituted, it would be something like $12 an hour right now.

Indexing any social benefit to inflation is never going to happen, not because of corporate interests, but because politicians will no longer be able to get plaudits for voting to raise benefits.

[Babar]

http://www.whowouldtheworldelect.com/

ROFL

Somebody has been flooding Ron Paul right?

[Babar]

i'd also like to say that i have enjoyed this thread immensely and since i can't watch all those debates and all that (or vote for that matter), i will trust lptj to keep me posted on everything that goes down in the elections.

[jebreject]

I guess when I'm dead, 2002-2006 will be marked down as the years in which I was interested in electoral politics.

I'm glad it's past, then. I'm a bit worried by how enthusiastic some here seem to be about their favourite candidates. They're all just politicians. No good can come of this, and the only joy some schadenfreude as the occasional self-absorbed corrupt fuck gets blown to smithereens on a public appearance. Martyred for the benefit of my petty resentments.

Sure, I hate politicians, but I fucking hate horses too. Doesn't mean I don't like going to the track.

[jebreject]

I don't really like horses.

Or betting on them.

But there is something fascinating about American politics, and it's certainly more than just schadenfreude. Of course no good will come of it--that's part of the fun! It's a spectacle, and it's stupefying, and it's like ten ten-car pile-ups all at once, and it's sort of pervertedly beautiful for all of it.

[Mesmerize]

in the next ten years, when the democrats fail, and our economy crumbles into nothing, and our whole happy little world that we have here is turned completely upside down, RP's "regressive" policies of having money that's actually backed by something are going to look pretty fucking appealing.  but don't worry I won't bother you guys anymore with my kool-aid.

[diesel_powered]

i'd also like to say that i have enjoyed this thread immensely and since i can't watch all those debates and all that (or vote for that matter), i will trust lptj to keep me posted on everything that goes down in the elections.

LPTJ is so the new Daily Show.

[dieblucasdie]

in the next ten years, when the democrats fail, and our economy crumbles into nothing, and our whole happy little world that we have here is turned completely upside down, RP's "regressive" policies of having money that's actually backed by something are going to look pretty fucking appealing.  but don't worry I won't bother you guys anymore with my kool-aid.

dude is against the Civil Rights Act because he thinks the free market will solve racism.

I mean come on

but at least he never wrote a book with a radical Christian Reconstuctionist, so I guess +1 there

[Babar]

i was wondering, is there ANY republican on lptj?

[andronicus]

in the next ten years, when the democrats fail, and our economy crumbles into nothing, and our whole happy little world that we have here is turned completely upside down, RP's "regressive" policies of having money that's actually backed by something are going to look pretty fucking appealing.  but don't worry I won't bother you guys anymore with my kool-aid.

Every time someone says something like this I wish there were a way to guarantee that their words would be relayed to them at the appointed time in the future.

[Andrew_TSKS]

i was wondering, is there ANY republican on lptj?

we joke that dcdave is, but he's actually just more moderate than liberal, which is what most of us are. as far as i know, brian doherty and swimmy are both full-on libertarians, which makes them like a cross between republicans and anarchists, but neither of them post anywhere near regularly anymore.

[diesel_powered]

But there is something fascinating about American politics, and it's certainly more than just schadenfreude. Of course no good will come of it--that's part of the fun! It's a spectacle, and it's stupefying, and it's like ten ten-car pile-ups all at once, and it's sort of pervertedly beautiful for all of it.

This is pretty much my attraction to the whole political system. That and a heavy dose of naive idealism that something good actually might come out of this.

[Antero]

http://www.whowouldtheworldelect.com/

ROFL

Does liking Ron Paul make people incapable of anything resembling scientific/journalistic/realistic perspective?  The whole campaign seems to be nothing more than a massive objectivist circle jerk.

[diesel_powered]

Yeah, and? Look how popular Ayn Rand continues to be.

[andronicus]

To be fair, objectivism itself is a massive objectivist circle jerk. 

Being something of a connoisseur of arguing with liberals against their ideas using their own favorite social science, I have to say these ideas being given such a serious airing heartens me a bit.  Always more work to be done, I say.

[elpollodiablo]

Whatever sardonicus

[andronicus]

More like tardronicus amirite.

Oh wait, that's me.