tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post5020967208721348482..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: Burn the Land and Boil the SeaJonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-71821900278819786642011-07-29T10:27:43.138-05:002011-07-29T10:27:43.138-05:00Ok, I love me a Firefly reference too, but this is...Ok, I love me a Firefly reference too, but this is really a terrible slur on Malcolm Reynolds.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-2094378364870835622011-07-28T11:32:32.337-05:002011-07-28T11:32:32.337-05:00Anyone who references "Firefly" immediat...Anyone who references "Firefly" immediately moves to the top of my Favorite Bloggers list.Russell Saundershttp://ordinary-gentlemen.com/russellsaundersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-45330082010107091312011-07-28T08:36:45.706-05:002011-07-28T08:36:45.706-05:00massappeal - thanks for the response. No one care...massappeal - thanks for the response. No one cares about my personal preferences, but FWIW, I voted for the fellow with no managerial experience, and I like him quite a bit personally, and in part because I have little alternative, I still have high (managerial) hopes for him.<br /><br />I also didn't mean the "no management experience" comment in the context of one of those silly, Palin-esque jibes about Obama's lack of credentials. More in the context of the larger implications: <br /><br />To the extent that our economic realities may soon be unable to accomodate Grandpa's prostate treatment and Sergeant Jones' new stainless steel leg, the buck, empirically, stops at the desk of a guy who hasn't so much as had to discipline a lazy third-shifter, much less lead the impossible types of choices both a) outlined above, and b) no doubt coming soon to a city near you. <br /><br />Even though we like Obama personally, the lack of internal controls involved in putting people into these increasingly difficult jobs (President/Congress) ought to be a source of significant concern.CSHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-1262953200479836152011-07-28T08:15:20.511-05:002011-07-28T08:15:20.511-05:00@CSH Please excuse a somewhat (though not entirel...@CSH Please excuse a somewhat (though not entirely!) partisan response to your comment.<br /><br />Mr. "Never Managed Anything" has, despite the great handicap of never having been a mayor, governor or CEO, "managed" to help staunch the Great Recession, wind down the Iraq War, decapitate al-Qaeda, and preside over one of the great bursts of progressive legislation in the past century.<br /><br />P.S. As for Mr. "Slacked My Way Through Everything", well, yeah. In our defense, he had done a decent job as governor (by Texas standards) when his Svengali was a respected and talented conservative Democrat. Also, to the extent the American people had a vote in it (limited as we found out), we voted for the other guy.massappealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883213166005005577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-23897701442346185072011-07-28T08:00:38.717-05:002011-07-28T08:00:38.717-05:00Concluding that Reid's plan is better than Boe...Concluding that Reid's plan is better than Boehner's is tantamount to saying that there is no "Black Swan" risk in budget discussions. More on the black swan in a minute.<br /><br />Yesterday I pointed out that the after-battle care of the unprecedented numbers of surviving wounded veterans is a huge budgetary challenge in the years ahead. Did a quick google search; got back one NYT article...and then a bunch of military publications, saying - tellingly - this is gonna be really expensive, so get ready for a protracted fight, military folks.<br /><br />We could probably do the same type of google search for expensive care for seniors and get more or less the same pattern of results. Or technology in the military/industrial complex.<br /><br />The "Black Swan" here is not a downgrade or even, heaven forbid, Greek-style default. Its Congressional/Presidential default. Its Washington deciding that fighting all these battles is too difficult, and throwing in the budgetary towel, enjoying their view from Congress/WH as the Ship of State goes down the drain.<br /><br />If you think this black swan is impossible, keep in mind that our vaunted Presidential election system has vomited up winners the last three cycles whose resumes have summary statements saying "Slacked my way through everything" and "Never managed anything".<br /><br />The Black Swan of DC disengagement, leading to national decay, is far closer than optimists think. The Tea Partiers are nuts, generally, but their point should be well-taken by anyone, of any political stripe, who fears for the country.CSHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-86488807889966338452011-07-27T23:44:15.709-05:002011-07-27T23:44:15.709-05:00I would love if Boehner kicked Cantor into the eng...I would love if Boehner kicked Cantor into the engine of Serenity and dealt with the more reasonable flunky. But I doubt there is another one Boehner could deal with. Pelosi needs to pull an Inara and save Boehner.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15955054735802185726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-3242962371591622492011-07-27T23:12:27.521-05:002011-07-27T23:12:27.521-05:00Oooooooooooo! Shiny!Oooooooooooo! Shiny!Sister Artemisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-49904909441651979352011-07-27T19:03:26.986-05:002011-07-27T19:03:26.986-05:00I love when political bloggers make allusions to m...I love when political bloggers make allusions to movies that were staples of my childhood--Star Wars, Raiders, Ghostbusters, The Princess Bride, Spaceballs, Back to the Future, etc.<br /><br />Oh, were you saying something about the debt limit?Kylopodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06932528611103718373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-43870260356688513882011-07-27T17:57:53.739-05:002011-07-27T17:57:53.739-05:00Your blogger geek cred just skyrocketed! Well play...Your blogger geek cred just skyrocketed! Well played, sir.Ron E.noreply@blogger.com