Friday, October 5, 2012

Alan Simpson gives an example of how NOT to advocate collective action in a democracy

He bitches like a prissy, tin-eared drama queen thusly:

"I get so damn sick and tired of listening to the little guy, the vulnerable, the veteran  I am a veteran, and the seniors and this and this and the meanwhile this country is headed for second-class status while everybody just babbles into the vapor"

OK, so I think there is something to be said for budget-hawk centrism.

But in a democracy you don't say "I get so damn sick of listening to the little guy".

You say "we all sink or swim together - the little guy, the vulnerable, and the powerful - and we've gotta really focus on the problems that face us as a country and solve them before it's too late".

Because if you take out the little guy, what exactly is the point of looking out for "the country"? It's not the same country with the little guy and the vulnerable out of the discussion.

9 comments:

  1. Did you seriously just call someone else a drama queen after you wrote an entire post about how Steve Horowitz was hurting your feelings by not being as nice to you as usual?

    Talk about tin-eared.

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    Replies
    1. ???

      Name me the post.

      I have a feeling, like most anonymous commenters, you are ranting about things your own imagination has cooked up.

      Delete
    2. http://factsandotherstubbornthings.blogspot.com/2012/09/you-might-be-steve-horwitz.html

      Here you complain about Steve "insulting" you by favorably quoting Bob Murphy.

      You cut off comments to the post because you were "just venting".

      But you couldn't leave it alone, so you even "vented" about Horowitz not being nice any more over Coordination Problem in the Barro post.
      http://www.coordinationproblem.org/2012/09/josh-barro-still-doesnt-get-it.html

      Maybe you were "venting" in a manly non-cry-baby way? If imagining that such a thing exists make you feel better, fine. But it still sounded like a little girl with a scrapped knee to me.

      Delete
    3. Oh that? He was being a douche and I said so in a funny way!

      Welcome to the internet, Anonymous.

      Now stop commenting anonymously.

      Delete
    4. Aside from that instance, I have said that Steve (seemed to) used to respect me and he hasn't seemed to lately - that's a legitimate concern for a young scholar. It's important to have experienced scholars that respect your work. So that's not really whining - it's a legitimate thing for me to be concerned about.

      But if Steve goes off the rails in a particular instance and I jokingly point it out, that's just how the internet works anonymous.

      Delete
  2. The poor dehumanize the rich by putting them on a pedestal, the rich dehumanize the poor by putting them beneath discussion.

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  3. Daniel, I like how J. Bradford deLong put it:

    We all have a shared interest in collective prosperity and full employment.

    We are the 100%.

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  4. "Simpson Bowles" just became toxic.

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All anonymous comments will be deleted. Consistent pseudonyms are fine.