Why Most Men Vote Republican

[luckydevil]

Are you arguing that increased government spending doesn't kick start the economy?

It can at times, in the short term anyway, but with potentially devasting long term consequences. In reality, it's artificial growth (to quote Hayek).

I suggest you read Hazlitt Economics in one Lesson” (does a much better job of explaining it than I could)

http://jim.com/econ/contents.html (it’s free)

The depression occured in large part because there was no social safety (government) net in place to preserve buying power for people as unemployment grew. As people lost jobs, they couldn't spend, companies made less, and more people lost jobs. Rinse repeat. It's why we have unemployment benefits today, to stop a down economy from becoming another great depression.

There was a safety net (obviously it was expanded a great deal under FDR). In fact, Hoover laid much of the ground work for the New Deal (he had a mini New Deal of his own). Many New Dealers gave a great deal of credit to Hoover. People tend to forget that FDR campaigned on a limited government platform (in response to Hoover policies).

How the great depression happen is a good question, now there is some serious debate on how it happened.

I think there were many causes.

1. trade policy

2. Stock Market crash of 1929

3. bad fed policy ( increasingly sympathetic of the malinvestment theory- the Austrian Business Cycle Theory - this is not a mainstream position)

We had depressions in the past before the New Deal (1907 and 1920- the two that were right before the great depression). The 1907 and 1920 depressions were short term (lasted only a year). What was the federal government response to both of them? Not a damn thing (that tends to be more often than not the right policy)

[chomerics]

No coincidence I’m sure as you wouldn’t want to put a picture of “hands like feet” next to an Ashley Judd would you?

Is that Coultier's new Soiux name/:laugh: just like Chumanni Tatonka wachi, she would be nata huki in Lakhota Sioux :laugh:

[fuji869]

You will get no argument from me!

[Destino]

We had depressions in the past before the New Deal (1907 and 1920- the two that were right before the great depression). The 1907 and 1920 depressions were short term (lasted only a year). What was the federal government response to both of them? Not a damn thing (that tends to be more often than not the right policy)

Lucky I understand that you don't like government to get involved, but we can't have anymore depressions. Notice they've become a thing of history books since the great one? Why haven't we had one since? Social safety nets and other measures have worked. Social nets make sure that down economies don't snowball by keeping money in the hands of the consumer.

Economists can argue for government doing nothing until they are blue in the face. Until it's them starving to death it's all just hot air. A bad economic situation for a longer time is better IMO then an absolute horrific economic period that last a little less.

[luckydevil]

Lucky I understand that you don't like government to get involved, but we can't "have" anymore depressions. Notice they've become a thing of history books since the great one? Social safety nets work, they make sure that down economies don't snowball by keeping money in the hands of the consumer. The government has become very good at putting response systems in place to prevent disaster.

Economists can argue for government doing nothing until they are blue in the face. Until it's them starving to death it's all just hot air. A bad economic situation for a longer time is better IMO then an absolute horrific economic period that last a little less. Certain conditions aren't acceptable in the modern world.

I guess that's your way of saying I got nothing to add, so I disagree. One would think that the 70's destroyed Keynesian thinking, I guess not. But hey we haven’t had any economic problems after the depression, right?

I guess, Japan economic problems does not bother you, or decades of Europe economic stagnation……………..

But hey whatever.

[chomerics]

It can at times, in the short term anyway, but with potentially devasting long term consequences. In reality, it's artificial growth (to quote Hayek).

I suggest you read Hazlitt Economics in one Lesson” (does a much better job of explaining it than I could)

http://jim.com/econ/contents.html (it’s free)

Great link Lucky, pretty good stuff in there.

I assume you read Freakonomics, Levitt writes in a similar style in terms of discussing the hidden costs of everything, and why everything is not always as it seems. If you haven't read it, I would definately suggest reading it it's right up your alley.

[luckydevil]

I assume you read Freakonomics, Levitt writes in a similar style in terms of discussing the hidden costs of everything, and why everything is not always as it seems. If you haven't read it, I would definately suggest reading it it's right up your alley.

Yep, pretty good read

[LApunkrocker72]

I'm a lifelong Democrat and plan to stay that way. Our country has taken a disturbing turn right since GWB took office.

GWB is the worst president our country has ever had. Look at his track record! A war in Iraq that is being fought just to increase our oil supply, and poor response to Hurricane Katrina, just for starters.

Our country needs more people like Michael Moore and Al Franken to speak out against this country's current fascist administration.

[dreamingwolf]

I'm a lifelong Democrat and plan to stay that way. Our country has taken a disturbing turn right since GWB took office.

This is priceless. A life long democrat openly admitting that he is pissed that our country is going right

[dfitzo53]

I'm a lifelong Democrat and plan to stay that way. Our country has taken a disturbing turn right since GWB took office.

GWB is the worst president our country has ever had. Look at his track record! A war in Iraq that is being fought just to increase our oil supply, and poor response to Hurricane Katrina, just for starters.

Our country needs more people like Michael Moore and Al Franken to speak out against this country's current fascist administration.

If you read enough of the political threads in which I take part, I think you'll find I lean noticably to the left. Michael Moore is not what this country needs. Bowling for Columbine's Oscar should be revoked.

[dreamingwolf]

If you read enough of the political threads in which I take part, I think you'll find I lean noticably to the left. Michael Moore is not what this country needs. Bowling for Columbine's Oscar should be revoked.

god I wish people like you could take back the democrats, so my party would be forced to come back center

[Winslowalrob]

I guess that's your way of saying I got nothing to add, so I disagree. One would think that the 70's destroyed Keynesian thinking, I guess not. But hey we haven’t had any economic problems after the depression, right?

I guess, Japan economic problems does not bother you, or decades of Europe economic stagnation……………..

But hey whatever.

While you said a ton of interesting stuff, I will start here and recommend you read The Age of Extremes as well. The crucial aspect of Keynesian economics, something that is lost on most people today, was that the Great Depression had a horror unknown to the great majority of industrialized citizens of the world; unemployment. There have been depressions for centuries (and some would argue for millenia), and do not forget about the 1870s (what would have qualified as the Great Depression if not for '29). However, that did not stop the march of "liberal" economic policy (I will probably be mistakenly called out on this but you know what I mean) until the late 20s onward, when three competing systems were vying for the economic hearts and minds of the globe; Kenysian economics, Nazism, and Sovietism. For a variety of reasons a bunch of countries adopted Keynes, and while it is not perfect, it worked quite decently until Nixon took the US off the gold standard. Perhaps you are a fan of neoclassical economics, perhaps not, but the funny thing about economics is that the empircal evidence rarely coincides with common sense (often at the error of common sense), and the period of widest acceptance in Keynes (I would say from the mid-30s until the late 60s) was also a period of explosive economic growth in every concievable category (not just money, as Hazlitt argues). Not to say this is because of Keynes, but I do not see the policy or the philosophy as having recieved a mortal blow from which it will never recover.

I agree with you, there have been tons of depressions, and in all likelyhood they will keep on coming. The early 80s were TERRIBLE for a lot of people, but we managed to pull out of it. It is a testament to the world of international finance that the shocks of depressions are no longer as catostraphic or as far reaching as before World War II.

Hazlitt says some good stuff, but he is kind of hypocritical in accusing a lot of ecominists of looking at the world only in the abstract or in the short term. He kind of does the same thing. His counters to the the TVA were somewhat lacking, at least I thought so.

While the standing conservative party has evolved, I still see fundamental simmiliarties between it and any other United States or European conservative party over the past two-hundreed years. One could make the argument that the conservative party has not, in fact, changed. Perhaps it is a difference of definition though. Anyone that talks about Burke could know more about the history of conservative parties than I do, after all.

[DCRunner]

Some more Democratic dogs. I'd say top dogs.

How about Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Connelly?

Laura Ingraham and Ann Coulter? Mon dieu! They're not only dogs (don't be fooled by the overprocessed, bleached hair) but they are nasty, mean spirited women who would shrivel your balls.

[i have no idea what I am doing so I have no idea if any pics will post. But here I am - a very straight female posting female pinups - what have you guys done to me? And who turned this funny thread into a serious discussion?]

Are you still vomiting kevinkein?

Edited to say I can't believe this worked!

[jrockster21]

Very nice, DCRunner!! :applause:

[Whiskey17]

JFK wasnt a liberal,he was a democrat.Big difference.

You may want to do a little research on that one. JFK gave a speech at the 1960 Democratic Convention on what liberalism really meant and why he was proud to be one.

[Spaceman Spiff]

My goodness...a simple joke turns into the typical tailgate liberal vs conservative crapola that goes round and round day after day on here. alas, i shouldn't be suprised.

[dfitzo53]

My goodness...a simple joke turns into the typical tailgate liberal vs conservative crapola that goes round and round day after day on here. alas, i shouldn't be suprised.

Despite the fact that did post a wholly political comment, I was thinking the same thing.

[rictus58]

some more republican women

Kim Alexis

Mary Carey

Shandi Finnessey-Miss USA 2004.

[Burgold]

Remember in the 1980's when the Republicans upheld Margaret Thatcher as their pin-up girl. All those Conservatives drooling over her in a thong bikinni.

[Sweet Sassy Molassy]

Dude you don't know what you're talking about. Look at Helen Thomas, I'd hit it.

[Mr. Nostril]

If you read enough of the political threads in which I take part, I think you'll find I lean noticably to the left. Michael Moore is not what this country needs. Bowling for Columbine's Oscar should be revoked.

I think Bowling for Columbine is the perfect candidate for the dishonor of having an oscar. Oscars are always for awful films that manipulate people. Cases in point: Ordinary People won in 1980 over Raging Bull. Forest Gump won in 1994 over Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction.

The movies that should have their oscars taken away are Return of the King, Amadeus, and Annie Hall.

Here's the problem with Michael Moore. I don't care about politics, but care a great deal about movies, and he's a ****ty filmmaker.

[rictus58]

I try to put this thread back on topic and people still debate. Whats the deal with that?

[Burgold]

Dude you don't know what you're talking about. Look at Helen Thomas, I'd hit it.

Yeah, the eighties were a strange time. The pay per view mud wrestling match between Helen Thomas and Margaret Thatcher set an all time record. One of the great bipartisan spectacles ever. I remember Rush sitting in the front row screaming, "I like it dirty!" Poor Jimmy Carter was in the nose bleeds trying to cover his eyes and a young Bill Clinton and G. W. Bush were doing jello shooters in the concessions area.

[Destino]

You may want to do a little research on that one. JFK gave a speech at the 1960 Democratic Convention on what liberalism really meant and why he was proud to be one.

There was no research done to begin with, all he's doing a repeating what the GOP leaders have sent down the line.

[riggins44]

:laugh: :laugh: ...this is too funny. A simple joke turns out a serious political debate.