Comments on: 2006 Jackass Of The Year: George Allen http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/ Refunds Cheerfully Given To All Who Disagree Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:00:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Diggers Realm http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-188356 Diggers Realm Sat, 06 Jan 2007 10:11:55 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-188356 <strong>Around The Blogosphere And Open Trackback #37: Server Outage Edition</strong> The "Server Outage" edition in the continuing saga of interesting and thought provoking news from around the web. After this weeks server outage I'm going to roundup some stories I, and you, may have missed. This is a long one... Around The Blogosphere And Open Trackback #37: Server Outage Edition

The “Server Outage” edition in the continuing saga of interesting and thought provoking news from around the web. After this weeks server outage I’m going to roundup some stories I, and you, may have missed. This is a long one…

]]> By: peter http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184710 peter Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:50:27 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184710 I think the Democrats are split on the free trade-protectionist issue -- and more generally between Robert Rubin economics and Lou Dobbs economics -- hopefully they will coalesce around the former and njot the latter -- I think the Democrats are split on the free trade-protectionist issue — and more generally between Robert Rubin economics and Lou Dobbs economics — hopefully they will coalesce around the former and njot the latter –

]]> By: Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » Congratulations To Jon Henke http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184707 Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » Congratulations To Jon Henke Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:42:37 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184707 [...] Those of you who read my piece lamenting the bungled George Allen campaign may recall I singled out the hiring of Jon Henke as a notable exception.  Apparently I’m not the only one who feels that way, as Jon has just been named the New Media Director for the Republican Communications Office in the Senate.  [...] [...] Those of you who read my piece lamenting the bungled George Allen campaign may recall I singled out the hiring of Jon Henke as a notable exception.  Apparently I’m not the only one who feels that way, as Jon has just been named the New Media Director for the Republican Communications Office in the Senate.  [...]

]]> By: Mark http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184703 Mark Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:34:02 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184703 Peter, I didn't say 'Democrats' were against free trade. I said James Webb and Sherrod Brown, among others, are...and they quite transparently fit the bill...Bill Clinton was pretty good on the economy, but that's the past. Look at the present, and your favored party is not coming off nearly as well... Peter, I didn’t say ‘Democrats’ were against free trade. I said James Webb and Sherrod Brown, among others, are…and they quite transparently fit the bill…Bill Clinton was pretty good on the economy, but that’s the past. Look at the present, and your favored party is not coming off nearly as well…

]]> By: peter http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184702 peter Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:28:12 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184702 I'm not arguing for protectionism -- only making the point that capitalism and managed trade co-exist here and elsewhere. I lived in Hong Kong when it was still a British colony -- at that time, it was the premier example of laissez-faire capitalism, and had a robust and growing economy. I'm for free trade all the way: the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. Also, implying that the Democrats are against free trade and Republicans are for it is inaccurate, although there are a lot of troubling remarks made by the current freshman class in Congress. Most of the examples I cited were not protected (or were protected to a far less degree) during the Clinton Presidency than since Bush assumed office. Even the Wall Street Journal cheered Clinton's free trade policy. I think that the Clinton-Rubin economic policies are the surest way to grow our economy and the world economy. I’m not arguing for protectionism — only making the point that capitalism and managed trade co-exist here and elsewhere. I lived in Hong Kong when it was still a British colony — at that time, it was the premier example of laissez-faire capitalism, and had a robust and growing economy. I’m for free trade all the way: the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers.

Also, implying that the Democrats are against free trade and Republicans are for it is inaccurate, although there are a lot of troubling remarks made by the current freshman class in Congress. Most of the examples I cited were not protected (or were protected to a far less degree) during the Clinton Presidency than since Bush assumed office. Even the Wall Street Journal cheered Clinton’s free trade policy. I think that the Clinton-Rubin economic policies are the surest way to grow our economy and the world economy.

]]> By: Mark http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184530 Mark Mon, 01 Jan 2007 19:48:53 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184530 Well, look at what it does to American industry where it does exist - how are the airlines doing? The U.S. steel industry? Textiles? How about the auto industry? It is exactly those areas where 'fair trade' predominates that have shriveled to the point of extinction... Well, look at what it does to American industry where it does exist – how are the airlines doing? The U.S. steel industry? Textiles? How about the auto industry?

It is exactly those areas where ‘fair trade’ predominates that have shriveled to the point of extinction…

]]> By: peter http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184526 peter Mon, 01 Jan 2007 19:26:44 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184526 We protect the domestic steel, agricultural, sugar, cotton, airline, media, textile, and defense industries from foreign competition, either through tariffs or restricting foreign access to these industries -- we protect American companies from being acquired by foreign companies (e.g., Unocal) -- would you say that capitalism and "fair trade" co-exist in America? We protect the domestic steel, agricultural, sugar, cotton, airline, media, textile, and defense industries from foreign competition, either through tariffs or restricting foreign access to these industries — we protect American companies from being acquired by foreign companies (e.g., Unocal) — would you say that capitalism and “fair trade” co-exist in America?

]]> By: Mark http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184523 Mark Mon, 01 Jan 2007 19:17:06 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184523 Yes, indeed, you could have a socialist country where the means of production are not owned by the state - we call it Europe. If you want to believe that capitalism and 'fair trade' can co-exist, that's of course your prerogative, but it won't fly in these quarters... Yes, indeed, you could have a socialist country where the means of production are not owned by the state – we call it Europe.

If you want to believe that capitalism and ‘fair trade’ can co-exist, that’s of course your prerogative, but it won’t fly in these quarters…

]]> By: peter http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-184400 peter Mon, 01 Jan 2007 16:42:35 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-184400 Wikipedia splits it down the middle: "As an economic system, socialism is often associated with state, community or worker ownership of the means of production." So presumably you could have a socialist country which does not own the means of production, and I stand corrected. You could also have a socialist country which is a devout practitioner of free trade. My point was that there is no intrinsic connection between socialism and being for or against free trade. As for equalizing outcomes: there is a distinction between equalizing outcomes (e.g., socialism) and equalizing opportunity (e.g., universal access to free education). I'm not aware of anything Webb has said advocating equal outcomes for everyone, regardless of ability or effort. Calling for a change in the tax code to increase rates on high incomes may or may not be a good idea, but it is not socialist. In the 1940's and 1950's, the top marginal tax rate was 91%. I'm not sure that anyone would consider the Truman or Eisenhower administrations to be hotbeds of socialism. Wikipedia splits it down the middle: “As an economic system, socialism is often associated with state, community or worker ownership of the means of production.”

So presumably you could have a socialist country which does not own the means of production, and I stand corrected.

You could also have a socialist country which is a devout practitioner of free trade. My point was that there is no intrinsic connection between socialism and being for or against free trade.

As for equalizing outcomes: there is a distinction between equalizing outcomes (e.g., socialism) and equalizing opportunity (e.g., universal access to free education). I’m not aware of anything Webb has said advocating equal outcomes for everyone, regardless of ability or effort.

Calling for a change in the tax code to increase rates on high incomes may or may not be a good idea, but it is not socialist. In the 1940′s and 1950′s, the top marginal tax rate was 91%. I’m not sure that anyone would consider the Truman or Eisenhower administrations to be hotbeds of socialism.

]]> By: Mark http://informedspeculation.com/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/comment-page-1/#comment-183848 Mark Mon, 01 Jan 2007 07:08:12 +0000 http://decision08.net/2006/12/31/2006-jackass-of-the-year-george-allen/#comment-183848 I don't agree with that description...that's communism...socialism is predicated on government attempting to equalize outcomes, and that's just what Webb is all about... I don’t agree with that description…that’s communism…socialism is predicated on government attempting to equalize outcomes, and that’s just what Webb is all about…

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