Unemployment to stay high until 2017

[mtnlaurel]

The best way to do that is to take the uncertainty out of the market. That means stop looking at legislation as a means to an end.

Legislation is definitely part of the equation, otherwise companies would save money and send all the lobbyists on K Street home.

[Rogar]

Well, I enjoyed the Heinlein quote. I think I'm going to have to post it on refrigerator and think about it. Thanks Alan.

[Alan]

The emails I got, Alan..... (o.k. I was engaging in a bit of hyperbole, as there were only three of them, all within the last few days), quote Heinlein and link to this piece:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/...-american.html

I'm sure you agree with this thinking.....I definitely do not.

If I were to disenfranchise any group of voters, (which I would not do), personally, I'd dump the selfish, grasping, no matter how much they have it isn't enough people who will keep on piling up shekels in excess of what any human being could spend in ten lifetimes, while denying health care, education and a decent life to their fellow citizens. Those folks wouldn't be missed at all in my perfect world. YMMV and I'm sure it does.

I'm not sure how well-to-do people are denying their fellow citizens health care, education and a decent life. Wealth is not zero-sum. To paraphrase P.J. O'Rourke, wealth is not like a pizza, where if I have too many slices, you have to eat the box.

But, as long as we're being hyperbolic, might as well do it up good.

[iris lily]

"I think there is much to be said for only allowing net contributor's to vote."

Who the hell gets to decide who the "contributors" are? I suspect we'd have very different definitions.

A flat tax fixes that, everyone contributes. Everyone has skin in the tax me game.

[Mangano's Gold]

If we step outside the bounds of identity politics.....

The irony is delicious. Perhaps you yourself are a victim of your own demography, without realizing it?

White - check
High School full of pickup trucks and guns - check
Christian - check

Likely votes Republican.

[JaneV2.0]

"A flat tax fixes that, everyone contributes. Everyone has skin in the tax me game."

I'd be happy with some kind of value-added tax, especially if it were designed in some way to discourage off-shoring jobs. If paying taxes makes me a "contributor," I'm a veritable contributing fool.

[Alan]

The irony is delicious. Perhaps you yourself are a victim of your own demography, without realizing it?

White - check
High School full of pickup trucks and guns - check
Christian - check

Likely votes Republican.

Yes, I am a white male and I identify with Christianity but consider myself a secular humanist, not because I have anything against religion, I'm just not capable of the level of faith required to believe in things I can't see. When I was in high school in the late 60s, early 70's, it wasn't at all unusual to see gun racks and shotguns in pickup trucks but I'm not sure what that says about me, perhaps you could explain. I also vote my values and beliefs, which have nothing to do with race or religion, which automatically excludes much of the Democrat party and it's favored issues.

That said, it seems to me that the true irony is that the mere mention of identity politics brings out such a perfect example attempting to suggest a parallel not in evidence. Or maybe I'm missing something?

[Gregg]

As long as we're throwing Heinlein quotes around...

"Political tags, such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth, are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."

I lean conservative because I believe that to be more closely aligned with the latter.

[Zigzagman]

As long as we're throwing Heinlein quotes around...

"Political tags, such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth, are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."

I lean conservative because I believe that to be more closely aligned with the latter.

Religion is probably the greatest controlling mechanism on the planet. I think that was it's original intent.

Peace

[creaker]

As long as we're throwing Heinlein quotes around...

"Political tags, such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth, are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."

I lean conservative because I believe that to be more closely aligned with the latter.

But that contradicts the content of the quote - conservative was specifically one of the "political tags" mentioned, along with liberal and the others. I've seen a lot conservative rhetoric that involves controlling people.