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I may disagree with you ideologically, sir; but in this case I couldn't agree more. I have that same, er, problem. (insert nerdly emoticon here) Nice to know we agree on something.
PS - Don't forget the Romans!
Of course we can't forget the Romans, and Tacitus is quite possibly one of those I most admired.
I'll let you in on a little hint. A good number of my arguments and perspectives are ones I may or may not hold but I argue in their favor simply because they are unpopular. It is easy to debate a subject in which 90% of folks agree with you on, but the same cannot be said for the contrary. Besides, I sometimes just enjoy the debate more than the question.
Your son's sentiments are echoed in my daily life quite regularly.
I am always hearing people say things like "oh, we're just too busy" in response to questions like, why don't you watch the news? real news like Jim Leher, not the local new/entertainment program, and why don't you read the newspaper beyond the sports page? or pick up a newsweek? and why don't you talk to your kids about these things? and show them that stuff is not that important. Learning and thinking and being productive citizens, that is what's really important, lead by example.
Being too busy is not a good reason, it's just an easy excuse to account for their apathy when it comes to the issues that are effecting our daily lives and the lives of future generations, complaining is easy, action is difficult.
Hey did you see American Idol last night? Now that is really important!
Most of you are familiar with Robert Shiller and the Shiller Case Housing Index. Schiller calle the dot com bust and has been right on target with the housing meltdown. He is the guru of modern economics to many. He is one of the if not the leading Behavior Finance/Economics thinker and is the American probably most capable of turning are economy around for the long haul. He is not very optimistic at this point. Obama has a number of his leading followers on his economic team. The question is will/would he listen and does it include Shiller. Shiller would be excellent to eventually succeed Bernanke. I would like to know from Obama where he stands with his advisors and will he listen to them and will he seek counsel from Shiller. It is obvious that Obama has read and been advised on Shiller you can hear it in some of his talking points. The question I want to know is Shiller on board with Obama or is Obama just reading his works and talking to those who know him well. Shiller is the change we need, I want to know if that is the change Obama is talking about. I can't figure out the other two other then to assume they will drag out the same old moneterist and it will be status quo.
Most of you are familiar with Robert Shiller and the Shiller Case Housing Index. Schiller calle the dot com bust and has been right on target with the housing meltdown. He is the guru of modern economics to many. He is one of the if not the leading Behavior Finance/Economics thinker and is the American probably most capable of turning are economy around for the long haul. He is not very optimistic at this point. Obama has a number of his leading followers on his economic team. The question is will/would he listen and does it include Shiller. Shiller would be excellent to eventually succeed Bernanke. I would like to know from Obama where he stands with his advisors and will he listen to them and will he seek counsel from Shiller. It is obvious that Obama has read and been advised on Shiller you can hear it in some of his talking points. The question I want to know is Shiller on board with Obama or is Obama just reading his works and talking to those who know him well. Shiller is the change we need, I want to know if that is the change Obama is talking about. I can't figure out the other two other then to assume they will drag out the same old moneterist and it will be status quo.
One thing you can say about Obama - he clearly loves to think outside the box and is most comfortable with those who are experts and can do just that. I think it's a safe bet that he has had some personal discussions. I believe Obama is playing politics more than we like to admit and that once he's in office the changes he intends to make will be dramatic and swift. He doesn't like to wait, it's obvious, and someone who analyzes problems and addresses them the way he has, will be a 180 degree turn from what we have seen for decades. This will be the most interesting trip of our time.
In the mean time - your son is correct - we're screwed. Housing is the backbone of this nation and if we don't figure it out......I repeat........
Thomas Friedman and Robert Shiller are the two most brilliant and right on authors/thinkers of this generation. If any of you have not read the World is Flat a History of the 21st century you need do so. Friedman writes for the New York times and is simply brilliant when it comes to foreign affairs. Any candidate who has them telling them what to do has my vote. It is obvious to me that Obama has read Friedman. I would hope he is listening to him first hand as you can tell he has been influenced by. Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times "Foreign Affairs" columnist and author of "The World Is Flat
He also wrote the Lexus and the Olive Tree. I have heard him speak and when he finished I said I want that man for President. It was several years ago but you must read The World is Flat.
Had a lengthy half hour discussion with my son. While he does not post in here he is actively following the campaign. We are both seeing that dispite the fact it is now May 22 and we as a nation have issues that threaten our very way of life we:
Can't have serious conversations on the issues.
We can't focus on evaluating the candidates and their positions on the isssues.
We focus on topics that don't translate into implemented policy.
Intellectualism for some is seen as a sin.
Being finacially secure is seen at times to be less admirable then being on the age of personal financial failure.
We shout headlines and don't discuss facts across the board.
Many voters don't read first, think and then articulate.
Clinging to the 20th century for many is of greater value then understanding the dynamics of the 21st century and challenging the candidates on their understanding of a changing paradigm.
Etc
He was quite able to sum our lengthy conversation up in two words.
WE'RE SCREWED
Ok, so I'll ponder you this, if we are screwed now, when weren't we ever screwed?
Trying to apply Keynes and Malthus to the 21st century and their new and or continuing relevance. Is Malthus about to be proven right then we are really screwed.
Can Kenysian economics still prevail?
The consequences of the global environment killing millions is very real regardless of the cause. It may be man or it may be natural but it is what it is. So yes we have been in difficult times before but now we may be royally screwed.
Thaler is a advisor to Obama. Voters need to know who he is, what he thinks and embrace or reject Obama on their read. This is the he is talking about and you need to decide if you buy into it or not.
Had a lengthy half hour discussion with my son. While he does not post in here he is actively following the campaign. We are both seeing that dispite the fact it is now May 22 and we as a nation have issues that threaten our very way of life we:
Can't have serious conversations on the issues.
We can't focus on evaluating the candidates and their positions on the isssues.
We focus on topics that don't translate into implemented policy.
Intellectualism for some is seen as a sin.
Being finacially secure is seen at times to be less admirable then being on the age of personal financial failure.
We shout headlines and don't discuss facts across the board.
Many voters don't read first, think and then articulate.
Clinging to the 20th century for many is of greater value then understanding the dynamics of the 21st century and challenging the candidates on their understanding of a changing paradigm.
Etc
He was quite able to sum our lengthy conversation up in two words.
WE'RE SCREWED
I would imagine that in order to better understand where we are, we might consider where we started from in order to see how far we have traveled. So where does it all start, how do or did we end up today where many of the things you mentioned are a fact of life?
Where does anything start, if not our parents and the never ending chain of passed tradition, learned behavior and the transition from one set of social mores to the next. Each subsequent generation rebelling from the previous. In the case of today, we are seeing the transition from the boomers to the (whatever they call themselves) From a generation of free love, stick it to the man, peace not war, harmony, etc... Oddly most of these folks grew up to be fine Republicans, accountants, hedge fund brokers etc...
The children of this generation are product of the sum of the experiences of the previous. My opinion is that the sum ended up being, "self".
Something else occurred though, while no one seemed to be watching. We began to take the one thing that is the very foundational and critical aspect of an enlightened or high ordered society and its continuation and we ignored it completely. Education. We began to teach our children what to think instead of how to think. Things like logic, critical thinking and argument and even things like civics, the arts which stimulate an entirely different type of learning were all cast aside in favor of the cookie cutter. As though we could surmise the value of a persons understanding and ability by a tests with mere addition, spelling, and the memorization of a hand full of historical dates.
In between the boomers and today we also adopted this notion that the world must be nice. It is seen as impolite to disagree. It is impolite to bring up contentious and inflammatory topics for fear of offending one group or another. This egalitarianism combined with the hope that a Nirvanian Utopia would exist if we could just buy the world a coke. It is reminiscent of that old Star Trek episode with the two Kirk's. One was the assertive, aggressive, brutish and domineering type while the other was kind, gentle, passive and submissive. I noticed that most people identified with the latter version of Kirk because he was nice and kind. Truth is, both are needed and it is a balance between these things that completes the man and to deny either will lead to ruin. Can we be honest with ourselves to see something for what it is and then have the courage to say it?
Ask yourself, how hard is it for each of us to change a single fundamental aspect of ourselves, even with a great deal of self analysis. If we have believed our entire lives that the sky was green and one day we come to find that new evidence proves that it is in fact blue, how hard is it for each of us to accept such a change in a fundamental belief. Then ask yourself, what chance do you honestly think you will have in then changing the mind of another? Probably very little. Then ask, which is easier to convey such thoughts and assertions to, those who are ignorant either by lack of exposure or indifference, or to those who wish to know, then the choice is obvious.
The easiest thing to do is say we are screwed and we may be, who is to say. The hard thing to do is act.
Of course you could also just view this as either being a Shepard among fools or just another number on a spread sheet.
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