Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:51
Subject: Re:No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Maybe government should be viewed as a positive structure vs a problem or a solution.Anonymous wrote:Gingrich becoming Speaker in 1995. I worked in Congress before and after & 1995 is when everything became crazy demagoguery with no interest in even the basic requirements of functional government. It was the conclusion of three decades of Republican demagoguery, and after it worked, their party leaders continue to choose and frame policies based only on how well they incite anti-government anger.
Reagan did say that government was not the solution. That government was the problem.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:50
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Anonymous wrote:Not according to some liberals. They felt he wasn't combative enough in terms of gun control, immigration reform, etc . Who's trying to rewrite history here? No matter what Obama clearly had the best interests of the majority of Americans at heart. Not so today. Obama didn't add to dysfunction but he certainly tried to fix it ham handed so be it. The current administration, not so much.Anonymous wrote:2008: Obama was THE most liberal senator in the senate. Don't try to rewrite history.
I don't care. You are trying to rewrite history. He was THE most liberal senator in 2008, period.
"No matter what Obama clearly had the best interests of the majority of Americans at heart." No, he had the best interests of his voting block at heart.
He worked to get his constituency freebies (and obamaphones), at the expense of others. He was a community organizer, FFS. He, Axelrod, Jarrett, Holder and the other morons at 1600 played divide and conquer politics. He perfected it. An "us vs. them" proposition. There in NO disputing that.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:45
Subject: Re:No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Gingrich becoming Speaker in 1995. I worked in Congress before and after & 1995 is when everything became crazy demagoguery with no interest in even the basic requirements of functional government. It was the conclusion of three decades of Republican demagoguery, and after it worked, their party leaders continue to choose and frame policies based only on how well they incite anti-government anger.
Reagan did say that government was not the solution. That government was the problem.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:45
Subject: Re:No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
So how do protect worker's rights in a global economy? Blue collar has changed from using your hands to pick vegetables or man a cash register to basically collecting data if you are trained to do so. And yet conservatives push back on minimum wage reform, public and further education. Let's take some of the $ out of the military industrial complex (not all just some) and figure out how to train in STEM sciences?Anonymous wrote:And were unions truly bad or rendered obsolete due to capitalism run amok?
Good question. There were definitely union corruption stories. But unions also hindered competition in a global economy. I think it was more of the latter than the former in hindsight. Unions had brought significant benefits to workers over the years.
Pensions went away and federal government came up with IRA and 401K accounts as the answer. It now turns out that this was a colossal failure for workers. Many will never retire or will retire in poverty.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:41
Subject: Re:No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Anecdotally, unions were seen as destroying the auto industry, making the Japanese and European cars seem more attractive than the Ford/GM models.
Of course, the afore mentioned oil shocks contributed to the desirability of more efficient cars, but the American companies missed the board completely in the late 1970's to mid 1980's. No, the Pacer didn't count as being efficient, particularly compared to the Golf or Civic.
The foreign cars were superior in other ways as well. American engineering and design was lacking compared to the Japanese and European cars. The unions were not responsible for the destruction of the American auto business. There were plenty of people who would have bought an American car at that time even if the price had been a bit higher IF the car had been comparable. American cars were not comparable. They got lazy and assumed they would always be on top.
My parents NEVER bought a foreign car because they were from the greatest generation (WW2 vet) and there is no way they would ever, ever buy a Japanese car over an American car. Many people were like that.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:39
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Anonymous wrote:And were unions truly bad or rendered obsolete due to capitalism run amok?
I think they went on strike too many times -- often against the public's interest. Now they're down to what - 10% of the workforce?
And how sympathetic is public opinion towards them now?
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:38
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Gingrich becoming Speaker in 1995. I worked in Congress before and after & 1995 is when everything became crazy demagoguery with no interest in even the basic requirements of functional government. It was the conclusion of three decades of Republican demagoguery, and after it worked, their party leaders continue to choose and frame policies based only on how well they incite anti-government anger.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:32
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Anecdotally, unions were seen as destroying the auto industry, making the Japanese and European cars seem more attractive than the Ford/GM models.
Of course, the afore mentioned oil shocks contributed to the desirability of more efficient cars, but the American companies missed the board completely in the late 1970's to mid 1980's. No, the Pacer didn't count as being efficient, particularly compared to the Golf or Civic.
Of course, the afore mentioned oil shocks contributed to the desirability of more efficient cars, but the American companies missed the board completely in the late 1970's to mid 1980's. No, the Pacer didn't count as being efficient, particularly compared to the Golf or Civic.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:30
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
^Now workers are pretty angry as they see what has happened. Reagan also said (when he was campaigning) he was going to reduce the federal deficit, but he only increased it. That was disillusioning for workers. And it's clear now that the wealthy class has always been looking out for itself and the worker has not had a voice in government.
Trump said he would help these people.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:27
Subject: Re:No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
And were unions truly bad or rendered obsolete due to capitalism run amok?
Good question. There were definitely union corruption stories. But unions also hindered competition in a global economy. I think it was more of the latter than the former in hindsight. Unions had brought significant benefits to workers over the years.
Pensions went away and federal government came up with IRA and 401K accounts as the answer. It now turns out that this was a colossal failure for workers. Many will never retire or will retire in poverty.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:22
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
^ Yes, I believe there will be a turn towards more progressive.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:21
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
And were unions truly bad or rendered obsolete due to capitalism run amok?
Anonymous
07/04/2017 15:07
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
More progressive and less combative?Anonymous wrote:
I think some major changes started happening during Reagan's term. These were changes in how people viewed the economy . . . unions were suddenly "bad" and it seemed like we realized that globalism was inevitable. Nixon had already opened us up to China (and China was changing) and we had gone through the "oil crisis" under Carter. I believe the whole idea of IRA accounts started under Reagan . . . the idea that you would be saving for your own retirement and that pensions would be a thing of the past. The mindset of the American people began to change to one of less community and more individualism. I honestly think this has mentality has divided us more and more and helped cause the crash of 2008. People are now realizing that we either work together to solve problems or we divide ourselves.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 14:53
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
I think some major changes started happening during Reagan's term. These were changes in how people viewed the economy . . . unions were suddenly "bad" and it seemed like we realized that globalism was inevitable. Nixon had already opened us up to China (and China was changing) and we had gone through the "oil crisis" under Carter. I believe the whole idea of IRA accounts started under Reagan . . . the idea that you would be saving for your own retirement and that pensions would be a thing of the past. The mindset of the American people began to change to one of less community and more individualism. I honestly think this has mentality has divided us more and more and helped cause the crash of 2008. People are now realizing that we either work together to solve problems or we divide ourselves.
Anonymous
07/04/2017 14:39
Subject: No Matter Who You Are Tell Me When You Think Our Current Form of Government Became Dysfunctional?
Not according to some liberals. They felt he wasn't combative enough in terms of gun control, immigration reform, etc . Who's trying to rewrite history here? No matter what Obama clearly had the best interests of the majority of Americans at heart. Not so today. Obama didn't add to dysfunction but he certainly tried to fix it ham handed so be it. The current administration, not so much.Anonymous wrote:2008: Obama was THE most liberal senator in the senate. Don't try to rewrite history.