LGP Political Discussion Thread

[Geezer]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01 ... ng-reform/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
No conflict of inteest here either.

[doublem]

Why is this country a joke? Seriously?

[Guinness]

Sorry, slappy. Don' be disappoin'.

No worries -- I am glad you did it. And like I said in the initial post with the link, I know it is imperfect and you can take issue with the phrasing of most every question. But it is a fun exercise. You and bh are my closest ideological cousins.

sup cuz?

[Guinness]

Sorry man, it wasn't supposed to be mean at all. Failed attempt at humor, I guess it came out wrong. Bad day.

I agree with you about the questions, but it's just a "game" I guess. I don't think anyone was surprised by the "scores" presented here. I mean, we pretty much knew where I'd end up and where the regular contributors to this thread would end up, didn't we?

Indeed.

No worries - I'm sure I just misread the tone.

[Guinness]

Only government can create monopolies, anyway.

Really? What did the government do to create Ma Bell?

Can't say as though I know enough about that particular saga to comment, I'm afraid. I'll look into it. I'm searching for a video on how free-market monopolies inevitably fail, and how they can only be sustained with the help of government intervention...

The only government involvement that I can see leading to the Bell monopoly lies in patent protection (the 1913 Kingsbury agreement simply recognized the monopoly that already existed; it didn't create a new monopoly for Bell). What's your position on intellectual property rights (not, as far as I know, a settled issue across the libertarian spectrum)?

Very interesting topic - I've done some reading at mises.org lately on IP and it seems that the majority opinion there is opposed to the concept. They make a very good case against it, I think. On the face of it, I would have to say I agree.

[slappybrown]

Only government can create monopolies, anyway.

Really? What did the government do to create Ma Bell?

Can't say as though I know enough about that particular saga to comment, I'm afraid. I'll look into it. I'm searching for a video on how free-market monopolies inevitably fail, and how they can only be sustained with the help of government intervention...

The only government involvement that I can see leading to the Bell monopoly lies in patent protection (the 1913 Kingsbury agreement simply recognized the monopoly that already existed; it didn't create a new monopoly for Bell). What's your position on intellectual property rights (not, as far as I know, a settled issue across the libertarian spectrum)?

Very interesting topic - I've done some reading at mises.org lately on IP and it seems that the majority opinion there is opposed to the concept. They make a very good case against it, I think. On the face of it, I would have to say I agree.

Personally, I think IP regimes are very necessary.

[Geezer]

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... 8&soc=0.21" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last time I took this is was slightly moe to the right and slightly more libertarian. I don't know how you copy this so the graph shows in your post.

[eddysnake]

Geithner's NY Fed Told AIG To Withhold Investor Payouts Info

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/201 ... d_aig.html

Getting pretty ugly, you think Geithner should resign?

[doublem]

Getting pretty ugly, you think Geithner should resign?

Yes, please, for the love of god, resign Tim, you have already done enough damage.

[doublem]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10008/1026771-84.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I thought the rescission was over?

[shafnutz05]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10008/1026771-84.stm

I thought the rescission was over?

Do you remember about 4 months ago when all of those brilliant economic minds from the Ivy Leagues proclaimed proudly that the "Worst of the recession was over"? That there would be no double-dip recession, that the stimulus bill had "done its job" to help stave off a deeper recession? I thought it was a load of crap then, and I was convinced long before the December unemployment data. That market increase you saw last year? A meaningless rise caused by an artificial injection of fake money into the market. Prepare for Recession II: Judgment Day.

[eddysnake]

looks like Geithner is going to have to lie in court now...

Timothy Geithner was asked to testify in Congress about the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s efforts to limit American International Group Inc.’s disclosures of bailout payments to banks as President Barack Obama defended his Treasury secretary.

The hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will probably occur the week of Jan. 18, according to a statement from Chairman Edolphus Towns, a New York Democrat. E-mails obtained by Congress include requests from the New York Fed in 2008, when Geithner led the regulator, that the insurer withhold documents from public filings about payments to banks that retired credit-default swaps.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... wBQQ&pos=2

[shafnutz05]

I hope Geithner's complete lack of competence isn't surprising anyone. The man cheated on his income taxes and it was never reported during his confirmation hearings. Then again, much like Charlie Rangel and William Jefferson prove, tax fraud is not really a hot button issue for the party-in-charge, unless it's by one of us.

[eddysnake]

I hope Geithner's complete lack of competence isn't surprising anyone. The man cheated on his income taxes and it was never reported during his confirmation hearings. Then again, much like Charlie Rangel and William Jefferson prove, tax fraud is not really a hot button issue for the party-in-charge, unless it's by one of us.

Never a surprise, but I'm a little surprised this story isn't more talked about, instead we have to hear about models texts that may hold the clue to a murder!

[doublem]

The question is why would people think that Little Timmy could or would be able fix Wall Street when he was one of the people that helped it get that way? He is just another in the long line of friends to the owners.

[cs6687]

Why is this country a joke? Seriously?

Liberals.

[doublem]

Why is this country a joke? Seriously?

Liberals.

Conservatives?

[slappybrown]

Why is this country a joke? Seriously?

Liberals.

I like you. It's not just that you're simple, but that you are aggressively simple.

[shafnutz05]

Why is this country a joke? Seriously?

Liberals.

Don't forget the spineless Republicans that run on conservative principles, get elected, and then become spineless weak-kneed cowards after they are elected. You know, like the ones that got us into this mess.

[Sarcastic]

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -6.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.38



You know, I used to be a Republitard. Then GW took office. And now look at me. I'm a Demonrat.

[HomerPenguin]

Personally, I think IP regimes are very necessary.

I'm not sure where I stand on them; there are good cases to be made for and against. IP rights are a big incentive to develop new technologies, medicines, etc., but I think the exclusivity periods are too long and the ability to effectively renew them (by making relatively minor changes to the product) is too easy. The developer of new technology or medicine probably ought to get enough exclusivity time to get rolling in the market, but not enough time to become so established that you squelch any future competition.

[HomerPenguin]

Why is this country a joke? Seriously?

Liberals.

No, it's the Vogons.

[slappybrown]

Personally, I think IP regimes are very necessary.

I'm not sure where I stand on them; there are good cases to be made for and against. IP rights are a big incentive to develop new technologies, medicines, etc., but I think the exclusivity periods are too long and the ability to effectively renew them (by making relatively minor changes to the product) is too easy. The developer of new technology or medicine probably ought to get enough exclusivity time to get rolling in the market, but not enough time to become so established that you squelch any future competition.

Well it sounds like you are for IP protection, just perhaps with more limited scope than currently exists.

[Corvidae]

I took that alignment thingy and I was directly on the horizontal line and leading very far to the left. I was pretty surprised, as I always considered myself a moderate with a slight right lean.

[wallflower]

I took that quiz thing but closed out and didn't save it. I really hated how a lot of the statements/questions were worded but, then again, I did it pretty quickly.

Mine looked pretty similar to Guinness.