Cognitive Coup

How did our country ever come to this? We have a two party system that’s currently occupied by one big Socialist party. The proof is virtually self-evident. How did the United States let two groups of right- and left- wing nutjobs take over all three branches of the government? I realize the judiciary is supposed to be impartial, but then again, I’ve also spent time studying the Supreme Court and the impartiality is at least 40-50% bullshit.

It seems like the Republicans and Democrats are arguing that because the other party is doing exactly what the first party is doing they’re bad… or something like that. It’s so confusing, let’s hear what our leaders have to say. It all starts with a New York Times article entitled, “Obama Pledges Public Works on a Vast Scale.”

Mr. Obama’s plan, if enacted, would be in part a government-directed industrial policy, with lawmakers and administration officials picking winners and losers among private projects and raining large amounts of taxpayer money on them.

Okay, Obama wants to “[rain] large amounts of taxpayer money” on the “winners” of private projects, conveniently selected by Obama and Democratic lawmakers.

Mr. Obama and his team are working with Congressional leaders to devise a spending package that some lawmakers suggest could total $400 billion to $700 billion. Some analysts forecast even higher costs. Mr. Obama has said he would direct his team to come up with a plan to save or create 2.5 million jobs in the first two years of his administration.

I remember when $400-$700 billion was a lot of money. It was last summer, about 5 months ago.

Although Mr. Obama put not price tag on his plan, he said he would invest record amounts of money in the vast infrastructure program, which also includes work on schools, sewer systems, mass transit, electrical grids, dams and other public utilities. The green jobs would include various categories, including jobs dedicated to creating alternative fuels, windmills and solar panels; building energy efficient appliances, or installing fuel-efficient heating or cooling systems.

Obama has also said he would like to wire every house with high-speed internet. Combine that with net neutrality and that’s a proposal I can get behind. Hook me up with fiber optics and net freedom Mr. President-elect and I’ll send in that absentee ballot the day I get it. Though the Republicans have taken a different approach. One that doesn’t make any sense at all in any context because they have already shown their true colors.

President Bush and many conservative economists have opposed such large-scale government intervention in the economy because it supports enterprises that might not survive in a free market. That is the crux of the argument against a government bailout of the auto industry.

Ya! Stupid Democrats! Large-scale government intervention to support an enterprise that might not survive the free market is socialism, retards. Do you all have shit for brains?

Alan D. Viard, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, told the House Ways and Means Committee recently that public works spending should not be authorized out of the “illusory hope of job gains or economic stabilization.”

“If more money is spent on infrastructure, more workers will be employed in that sector,” Mr. Viard added. “In the long run, however, an increase in infrastructure spending requires a reduction in public or private spending for other goods and services. As a result, fewer workers are employed in other sectors of the economy.”

Thank the Lord we have conservative think tanks to inform us that spending on public works is merely an “illusory hope of job gains or economic stabilization” (emphasis added). I personally can’t believe a President would be so stupid as to think the solution to economic stabilization would be to throw money away. What kind of idiot would do that!? Clearly, according to the AEI wasting money on such a project would “result” in “fewer workers” being “employed in other sectors of the economy.” Seems like a stupid way to create jobs and save the economy.

LOL, it seems like Obama thinks that socialism is going to save capitalism. HAHAHA what an idiot!! Oh well, in other news:

US President George W. Bush said in an interview Tuesday he was forced to sacrifice free market principles to save the economy from “collapse.” “I’ve abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system” Bush told CNN television, saying he had made the decision “to make sure the economy doesn’t collapse.”

Bush’s comments reflect an extraordinary departure from his longtime advocacy for an unfettered free market, as his administration has orchestrated unprecedented government intervention in the face of a dire financial crisis.

At a G20 summit last month in Washington, Bush resisted some proposals for global financial regulation and argued free market principles still held true despite the global economic downturn.

. . .   . . .   . . .   oh. So when capitalism fails, we need socialism to revive capitalism? Didn’t the neoliberal, laissez-faire economic policies of the Washington Consensus contend that (one of) the most efficient way(s) to develop economically was through completely unfettered markets? Reduce government interference, lower and then eliminate trade barriers, rapid capital market liberalization (to allow for unfettered capital mobility), reduce government spending, and cut taxes (I don’t intend for this to be an exhaustive list) and the economy will grow in harmoniously? That’s what I thought Uncle Miltie said. Isn’t that what the Chicago School argues? Please correct me if I’m wrong, or if you want to add or subtract from my non-exhaustive list. The point is that if free market principles are supposed to result in such a robust economy why has it never worked? Ever? And why is it being abandoned now?

What is truly disgusting about this hypocrisy is this, from the NYTimes article:

“Mr. Bush and other Republicans have resisted such an approach [public works] in part out of concern for the already soaring federal budget deficit, which could easily hit $1 trillion this year. Borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars today to try to fix the economy, they argue will leave a huge bill for the next generation.”

This is true. I like this type of thinking, but it doesn’t seem to explain this Bloomberg article from December 12th:

The Federal Reserve refused a request by Bloomberg News to disclose the recipients of more than $2 trillion of emergency loans from U.S. taxpayers and the assets the central bank is accepting as collateral.Bloomberg filed suit Nov. 7 under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act requesting details about the terms of 11 Fed lending programs, most created during the deepest financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The Fed responded Dec. 8, saying it’s allowed to withhold internal memos as well as information about trade secrets and commercial information. The institution confirmed that a records search found 231 pages of documents pertaining to some of the requests.

“If they told us what they held, we would know the potential losses that the government may take and that’s what they don’t want us to know,” said Carlos Mendez, a senior managing director at New York-based ICP Capital LLC, which oversees $22 billion in assets.

So we’re concerned about Obama’s $400-$700 billion public works project (even though our infrastructure is virtually collapsing) when the Treasury is refusing to tell us where $2 trillion dollars went after Congress authorized it to spend up to $700 billion in troubled assets? And I’m supposed to be more focused on the federal budget deficit that could reach $1 trillion instead? But, aren’t Republicans fiscal conservatives? Doesn’t the Republican party believe in a balanced budget? (I realize that during a recession a country must run a deficit and operate as though the country were “fully” employed, because tax revenue drops and other things happen that I’m sure an economist could explain but I can’t). How did we reach $1 trillion? Or was it all the lies about WMDs in Iraq, ties between al-Qaeda and Saddam, and the smoking gun in a form of a mushroom cloud that caused such levels of debt. It makes sense that destroying and sorta rebuilding a country could be costly, especially when the Coalitional Provision Authority loots up to $9 billion alone from the reconstruction effort in a little over a year.

What drives me crazy is that both sides are hypocrites, idiots, and I’m sick of the shit. I’m tired of Republicans saying stupid shit like this simulated conversation that actually occurred in real life:

R: We should turn the Middle East into a glass desert.

Me: Haven’t heard that before. It’s kinda not funny anymore. It was only funny when it was original and hippies gave you stupid looks for saying it.

R: No, I’m serious. Fuck em. Let’s just nuke that whole fucking region.

Real life. I thought it was a joke but some people actually believe that’s the solution. Even worse:

Me: Hmm… I hope everything works out between India and Pakistan. It’d be pretty messed up if they ended up going to war, what with them being nuclear powers and all.

R: Really?

Me: Ya.

R: What’s the number one problem facing the world today?

Me: Overpopulation.

R: How many people are in India and Pakistan?

Me: 1.3 billion, conservatively.

R: That’s true. . . so would it really be so bad?

Me: Yes, it would.

If Republicans spent as much time thinking about human rights and social justice as they do pissing and moaning about A-rabs and niggers the world might be a better place. On the other hand, if Democrats spend as much time thinking about economics as they do nothingness the world might also be a better place. Case in point:

D: I’m voting for Obama. Guys like my boss not only own their business but the strip mall the business is located in and all sorts of other properties. Tax those people and spread that around!

Me: Interesting.

D: I invented a new [food item]. It’s so bomb. I should sell the idea back to my boss any make millions. I don’t even know what I would do with all that but it would be so cool to have that much money.

Me: Ya, you could pay a ton in taxes on it and that money could be used to better society.

D: I think that’s illegal or something.

Me: Probably.

And there it is. Republicans are stupid assholes and Democrats are just plain stupid. Why can’t the rest of us ever band together and create a third party? Nevermind, I know the answer to that and I’m sure you do to. But it sucks!!!