Politics What did Romney and the GOP do wrong?

Why does everyone tap dance around the question? In American history, native Americans held a view of respecting the land and taking from the land only that which was needed, maximizing every resource - they took pride in living in harmony with nature - I would say this is not greed. To the contrary, those of us who now occupy the land, initially would do stuff like all but eliminate natural buffalo herds from the plains with no regard for consequences - I would say this is greed.

This is not complicated, why is it being made out to be so complicated - in my view it is because people have false perceptions of who they are.
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I would think you would agree with me - that generally Americans are greedy capitalist pigs. I thought are disagreement would be on how we view the condition - your view that it is unfavorable, mine that it is favorable. Is my understanding on your views on this issue incorrect and perhaps has been incorrect for a long, long time?
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This is an example of what I point out to you, and it is a "you" problem. In my view capitalism and greed are good things, in the context of greed motivating people to do extra (which is a point we have not gotten to yet), it is true American consume a lot and American labor fights for compensation, I make no moral argument in this regard about good or evil - like I asked I don;t know if greed will prevent a person form getting into heaven, do you know? I have no problem with billionaires doing what they do to accumulate that kind of wealth - my problem is when they pretend to be something they are not. I clearly state these things. It is easy to understand. What typically comes from you is like "white noise" - I try to help tune you into the proper frequency, but I fail and when I get frustrated enough I move on - but my views don't change and are still clear and simple.

 

According to Ace, expecting a fair wage for my work makes me a greedy capitalist pig on par with the Hostess execs that paid themselves outrageous bonuses using their baker's pension fund. On top of that, after spending my whole paycheck on the necessities of life, I should pay a "consumption" tax on my purchases. Meanwhile, those execs should pay tax only on the small portion of their millions that they spend and bank the lion's share of it tax-free.

According to Ace, business owners and corporations have no implied social contract to support the environment in which they have been given the opportunity to thrive. Their only obligation is to maximize profits while minimizing expenditures (like wages, benefits, taxes).

 

What is a fair wage in a system based on greed? If you were employed by Buffalo Bill, on a campaign to slaughter every buffalo you see, leaving 99% of the carcass to rot - what would be a fair wage??? What percent of the profits? So, a person works for a company making billions and they want to be self-righteous when it comes to what they get paid??? Are we serious here? Or, does this confirm my premise that people hold false perceptions of who they really are.

We could set up a consumption tax that excludes consumption on the necessities of live at a threshold level. Not tax food up to a certain amount. Not tax housing up to a certain amount. Not tax heating/electric/water consumption to a certain amount. Then tax the hell out of private jets, caviar, and big yachts if it floats your boat.

B.s. - read what I write before trying to say what I believe.
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Big corporations (not small business) have too much influence, government has too much influence - the real balance would require middle-class and working poor to gain more influence. I don't like the fact that government is creating a permanent class of people dependent on government assistance - it is counter productive.
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My view is not pessimistic at all. I think the greatest strides (also some of the worst) have been made as a result of greed. The hunger for more and more is very motivating. Humans will not be satisfied until we have the entire universe under our control - we want it all! If you are an exception, fine - it may explain why you don't understand what I am saying.

 

to add insult injury, Obama just got voted Time magazine's Person of the Year.

really? theres what.. 7 billion people in the world and they cant find anyone else to give an award to?

Time names Obama person of the year | News.com.au

 

My Person of the Year would have been The Lone Shooter.

 

At work, every time we get a box of office supplies, the first thing I do is take all the pens and put them in a drawer at my desk. While some of my more socialist/fascist/statist leaning coworkers complain, what they fail to understand is that I have a healthy zest for the accumulation of capital, and that they stand only to benefit from the beneficence of my benevolent greed. When, like sows coming to the trough, they come to me for pens (I don't know why they need to write so much, but I don't ever judge them overtly) I say to them, "I know you'd all like to write down things with your pens my friends, and for a small surcharge (mainly for my overhead - believe me, my cut is obscenely small given the value of my pen distribution operation to the wider office) I will give you pens."

The meager revenue I get allows me to purchase daily a dry, double skim cappuccino from the coffee shop down the street. It isn't like I'm even keeping their money - I'm putting it back into the economy. In fact, sometimes I buy the cappuccino when I don't even want it (I dump it out of course). Still, when I explain how my pen distribution operation benefits them via its stimulative effects on the wider economy, my coworkers simply shake their heads. Though the looks on their faces appear dismissive and contemptuous, I think the problem is that they just don't understand capitalism, and their ignorance makes them jealous of my successes.

 

Hahahaha! Love it!

 

Aceworld. Almost the same as the real world but without any doors or windows.

 

Kim Jong-Il did the world a favour this year...he gets my vote.

redux is right. The Lone Shooter has done more for gun control than anything a reactionary president would have done in the next 50 years of presidency.

On a serious note, surely there's the criteria for winning such a prestigous award isnt that you need to be a famous. Surely there's someone in the back alleys of New Delhi working their asses off in squalor who is more deserving of the award. As an outsider im yet to see the contribution Obama has made to the world in this presidency and in this year that would earn him such an award.

 

i wouldn't confuse time magazine with something that looks outward very well. even if the infotainment is present, the perspective is firmly domestic. and reactionary (in a more old-school way...you know, most definitely on its knees in front of whatever is the status quo of the moment as if that status quo had always been the status quo)

 

What is Time's honorary title of "Person of the Year" based on?

He won his own re-election.

Really, come on. Even George Bush managed to do that.

 

How about this world:

Buffalo Bill is greedy in that he slaughters herds of buffalo for profit, leaving most of the carcass to waste, all but destroying the livelihood of native Americans who depend on the buffalo. But the folks who trade with Buffalo Bill are absolved of greed because they don't actually have buffalo blood on their hands??? The power of perception over reality.

Or, here is a riddle: How does a socialist function in a capitalist economy? Oh, kinda tricky isn't it. The power of perception over reality.

Or one not related to economics:

Canadians support Bush's Iraq war, Canadians empower the US as they wage preemptive war, oh, but wait since they did not send any troops they are not complicit in what some here say was an illegal war. The power of perception.

Funny stuff - I know, I know, it me who has the problem.

Just thought of another one - Chicago teachers go on strike, causing working poor mothers to miss work and children to roam the streets, not for their benefit or personal greed given they are among the highest paid teachers in the country - they do it for the children! The power of perception.

Oh, now they just keep coming - The US federal government spends about $2 for every $1 they collect, but in their greed for power and control they won't cut spending, it will never happen - just feed the pig - feed the pig! Remember feed the pig!
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Greed! They pick the person based on who they think will sell the most magazines. All about the $$$$$, to those who think otherwise - oh, the power of perception.

 

Ace....I just want to know why you believe an economic/tax policy (supply side) benefiting the top tax payers and results in growing income inequality and a stagnant middle class is good for the economy?

 

Here is what is good for the economy - efficient allocation of resources.

If government could allocate the marginal resources in question better than the top tax payers, I could be convinced to support the tax. I think the resources in question are going to be wasted by the government. I think more and more of what the government collects is going to be needed to service the debt - not benefit the poor, not go to healthcare, not go to "investment". Pay attention to the Fed. Reserve activity - they are basically printing money to buy the federal debt the consequence of these actions is not going to be good.

We have a spending problem.

Is it your perception that we have a taxation problem and that increasing the tax rates on the top 2% is going to solve the problem?
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In real terms, living standards in this country are the best in the history of the human race - we have created real wealth - thanks to greed! Liberalism is not a hoax, the issue is with those perpetuating the the false notion of liberalism as a means to accumulate power and wealth - it is a fraud in my view. It is like the false TV evangelist preacher who defraud gullible people in need seeking some form of hope and all he does is take their money. I assume you don't think these people are real - all my imagination.