I'm not saying that everything coming out of Garrett's interview with Bernanke is not worth considering only because of his party affiliation. I am saying that from my perspective his agenda sucks, so I am judging him by his group, as far as that goes. These are people who know how to twist facts, take what people say out of context, and interrupt them before they can verbalize a rational reply (Bill O'Reilly could teach Garrett a thing or two!~) To see what I mean, just watch Fox Noise, the most popular news program in the world. They REALLY know how to use emotional, ad hominem attacks and straw man arguments!~)
As for wasteful spending by the government, BOTH political parties engage in wasteful spending, BUT they have different priorities. One party wastes money on administrating entitlements and the other on the defense industry bureaucracy. On the other hand, much of corporate spending (of stockholder profits) is targeted for rewarding the executives, which they don't consider wasteful. After all, it is their job to increase profits, no matter how it affects, the environment, job creation, etc. One of the jobs of the corporate elite is to protect their destructive priorities to waste the environment. Therefore, in order to recruit mainstream, gawd fearing, true blue Americans to their Tea Party cause, they question whether Obama is really American (those thinly veiled racist, viral e-mails) label health care as a further descent into socialism (but not defense spending) and taking our government back, from those lazy, welfare parasites (some truth to that!~). Change is always scary for traditional fundamentalist conservatives. They fight it by promulgating good old fashioned family values. They nationalize patriotism, preach that (in the bible) marriage is only for opposite sexes, etc. They advocate a gun in every holster, fear and hatred of "The Other" (non whites) and good old greed for the NEW American dream (not for that house, anymore, but to be good little units of consumption!~) These industrialist capitalists capitalized on Marxist divisions how to make the transition from an agrarian to an industrial society and made sure the monopolists controlled the means of production. They blamed undocumented workers for taking away American jobs while hiring them to clean their homes, etc. Turns out Marx was right about a lot of things; too bad his standard bearers are only human and susceptible to demagoguery and corruption, like everyone else. Some of the progress for human rights is being reversed, but pendulum swings are part of the process of change. Two steps forward, one step back. I expect the Republicans will stage a temporary comeback, and the Tea Party will elect some nut jobs, but they will be ridiculed and laughed at by 2012. That may be Obama's plan. I don't agree that Social Security and Medicare are untouchable; reform is needed in billing for sure so insurance fraud is stringently prosecuted, pharmaceutical companies are held to reasonable profit margins, and preventive care is practiced, etc. By the time today's young reach retirement age they will inherit a reformed system that is cost effective and age-equitable. Right now AARP is one of those systems that is feeding off the status quo; they are also a business. I paid more pre-inflation dollars into Social Security than I will be getting out of it, but I'm OK with that; I lived in a time when wages were decent and was able to set some aside because I knew what was coming. It didn't take that much foresight to figure out world population would quadruple in my lifetime, so I lived like a monk, worked two jobs, bought 40 acres of land and own my home outright. Good thing I have Social Security because my annuities, 401Ks, mutual funds, and pension plans are in the tank. I will continue to live like a monk and hold off retirement til I'm 70, so my Social Security will double, hopefully enough to meet inflation. Unfortunately I won't be leaving anything to my sons as I plan to liquidate everything and set up a trust for Alcor. I just hope it isn't just another scam and there isn't a complete collapse of civilization so the electricity isn't turned off!~) Jon M _______________________________________________ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com