Perhaps, now that the Bush-Obama economy is still sputtering, job-killing, and larded with favors like too-big-to-jail it is time for everyone to admit the Chicago School of Economics is mostly wishful thinking directed at the comfortable.
Is there an example of a country penny-pinching its way out of a liquidity trap? Greek austerity efforts aren't helping, and in fact seem to be applying downward pressure to Germany's economy.
President Obama either enjoys comforting the comfortable, or else is caught in the headlights of the on-rushing economy.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The art of lying
Crude lying is simply making false statements. This type of lying falls flat or is quickly rejected. The secret to sophisticated lying, or sophistry, is making false statements that your audience wishes to believe is true.
The converse of this thought is true as well. Upton Sinclair put it like this, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it." In other words, it can be just as difficult to spread Truth as it is to spread lies.
When I look at the modern GOP, and specifically the Tea Party element, I see people that believe you don't need taxes to balance a budget, and that people left to their own vices will create a stable society. The first belief leans on the cheapskate in all of us, and the second belief in the inflated opinion of our own self worth.
When I look at the modern Democratic party, and specifically the "centrist democrats", I see people that believe you don't need Justice to have a good society, and that jobs will come when the tycoon class is properly coddled. The first belief is rooted in the desire for campaign contributions and the second belief is rooted in the desire for campaign contributions.
There is an old saying that you can't share wisdom and it isn't accurate. It is more accurate to say that wisdom is easy to share but easier to ignore.
I fear we are ignoring too much wisdom these days to last for much longer.
The converse of this thought is true as well. Upton Sinclair put it like this, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it." In other words, it can be just as difficult to spread Truth as it is to spread lies.
When I look at the modern GOP, and specifically the Tea Party element, I see people that believe you don't need taxes to balance a budget, and that people left to their own vices will create a stable society. The first belief leans on the cheapskate in all of us, and the second belief in the inflated opinion of our own self worth.
When I look at the modern Democratic party, and specifically the "centrist democrats", I see people that believe you don't need Justice to have a good society, and that jobs will come when the tycoon class is properly coddled. The first belief is rooted in the desire for campaign contributions and the second belief is rooted in the desire for campaign contributions.
There is an old saying that you can't share wisdom and it isn't accurate. It is more accurate to say that wisdom is easy to share but easier to ignore.
I fear we are ignoring too much wisdom these days to last for much longer.
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