Rossputin.com: Rational Thinking About Our World

I made the mistake of encouraging an ultra-liberal neighbor in a political email discussion.

The most recent note he sent me is such an incredible bit of insight into the mind of the liberal "elite" (in this case, the part that works in academia) that it almost seems like a caricature even though the writer is absolutely serious.

So, here I present you, first, the note I received from my neighbor and second my response to him:

Ross,

I hope that by "outrageous government spending" you are talking about the insane military industrial complex. The war in Iraq has made war profiteers and military contractors wet dreams come true. This is and always has been the story of our corporate economy. We invade countless countries in Latin America and elsewhere, teach them torture, engender death squads, destroy unions, all at the behest of our free market. We try our best to destroy any society that decides they don't want our brain-dead economic theories, with invasions, boycotts, assassinations, dis-information, bribery, and on and on, again, all at the behest of the huge corporations which have no moral compass, only greed. A society that doesn't stand up for itself against domination by the powerful is just another empire waiting to fall from it's own un-sustainability. If the Republicans don't manage to steal another election, perhaps we can begin to move in a direction of change; perhaps we can reform the Clintonesce Democratic Party to it's supposed ideals. Our democracy has been hijacked by corporate power, almost from the start. A new deal saved the bastards from themselves once; perhaps a more sustained version will come.

As to Regonomics, I have no interest in being trickled down upon. Just give to the rich and when they think they have enough, maybe (or maybe not) you'll get some too. What garbage! What a disaster it has been for everyone except the wealthy!

Don't depend on investors to invest for the good of humanity; all but a very few invest for their own profit. They'd as soon invest in Exxon-Mobil and destroy our planet as invest in solar energy companies. This is why we should start taxing big oil into oblivion, and re-directing the subsidies to renewables. As a democracy we have every right to determine our destiny, even (especially) if it steps on the toes of the powerful. What good does 20-odd million dollars a year to some price-gouging mis-informing greed-head do for the people of the world, when the earth is rapidly becoming a toxic waste dump. See http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/07fal/alberta1.asp for one small example (there are countless, just broaden your horizons a bit). Corporations can and should be re-directed to good, and there is no reason CEOs need grab such riches; the environmental movement has shown that we there are plenty of upstanding people who can run large organizations without becoming multi-millionaires; there do exist competent people who's goal in life is to do good. You are either for the most benefit for the few, or for the most benefit for the many (Mr. Spock is for the latter). In the Jewish-Gnostic myth of Jesus, the savior says "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God". Have you ever wondered why well educated, thoughtful and progressive people (like most up here) are against the corporate/government agenda?

I think you should start looking at other theories of economics, not the ones you learn at school. Everything is tainted by greed in main-stream economics; just look more closely. Perhaps simplistic Miltonian theroies have totally replaced Keynesian theory; just follow the money.

You really should get out more.

I have to say that I was so stunned by this note that it took me a while to respond. When I did respond, here's what I said:

XXXXX,

That's just silliness.

Teaching torture for economic gain?
Stealing elections?

You're been reading too many left-wing conspiracy web sites or something.

I don't depend on investors to invest "for the good of humanity" nor do I think they should. That sort of thinking gives you the Soviet Union and Cambodia...not exactly paradigms of economic success. Economics works when there are freely-made transactions between parties who each believe they are getting value in the trade, whether it's paying money for a good or service, or receiving the money. "The good of humanity" is ultimately taken care of this way whether you believe it or not, and despite your apparent distaste for a profit motive.

And finally, your idea that the educated people are "against the government agenda" comes down to the critical flaw to the progressive movement and people who think like you: You believe that if only smart and "caring" enough people got to make all the decisions, everything would work out better. It's the worst sort of egotistical junk and it's the reason that so many places fail or don't thrive economically, because "smart people" can't make better decisions than the market.

I must say, you are really a textbook example of the sort of person I write about frequently on my blog as being truly dangerous to the well-being of the country. Really, I should "start looking at other theories of economics"??? Maybe should we also look at other theories of gravity, and whether the world if flat, and whether two plus two equals 5, which is the theory of economics that you seem to subscribe to even though not one shred of evidence supports you.

It's OK...I understand your sort of liberalism is basically your religion and I'm not going to talk you out of it. With a little luck, at least the country won't be subjected to people who think like you do, because if we are it will be the end of a growing economy, devastating to employment, and fatal to liberty. But maybe you think that's OK, as long as smart and caring people are in charge.

Ross