Herman Cain: It's Your Fault if You're Unemployed

[Svartalf]

CES, am I to understand that according to you, and the laissez faireist neocons, a small state, free rein business kind of society would leave the common people in peace, free from labor camps?

You do remember how working conditions in factories used to be before the unions ended up having to use tactics that were as strong armed as the bosses' to get their demands heard?
You haven't forgotten of the time when company towns, say, around mines, or industrial complexes, were essentially labor camps run by the bosses to ensure a captive labor pool and that as much of their expenses as possible actually came back to them as house rents and purchases in the company stores? Not to mention the practice of keeping the workers in perpetual debt so they had to remain?

[Coito ergo sum]

Western Europe, Canada, Australia. Basically everywhere that is neither the US or the 3rd world (not that the US isn't close to being 3rd world nowadays.)

I see you have fallen for the latest left wing talking point.

And, what is that?

That there is no such thing as a liberal or a left wing in the US, and that anyone calling himself that, like Obama, in the US really is at best center-right.

[Seth]

This looks like a fun hobby. What do you think Seth

I've got an elephant's foot from my grandpa's expedition in 1946. Had a lion skin, but it got decrepit and moldy so I tossed it, along with an equally decrepit world-record Kodiak bear pelt. Still have some zebra hides and a nice full-curl Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep he shot in British Columbia in 1924.

I'd love to go hunting in Africa, but it's not likely now, too expensive.

[Coito ergo sum]

CES, am I to understand that according to you, and the laissez faireist neocons, a small state, free rein business kind of society would leave the common people in peace, free from labor camps?

Considering that today, we are free from labor camps, yes. I am relatively comfortable with a regulated economy and a constitutionally limited republic. I think there are some areas where we are overregulated, but, that's the breaks in a republic. We don't all get everything we want, including me.

You do remember how working conditions in factories used to be before the unions ended up having to use tactics that were as strong armed as the bosses' to get their demands heard?

Child Labor Laws were more instrumental in changing that than unions, although unions did do their part. Union shops used to be among the offenders, employing children.

You haven't forgotten of the time when company towns, say, around mines, or industrial complexes, were essentially labor camps run by the bosses to ensure a captive labor pool and that as much of their expenses as possible actually came back to them as house rents and purchases in the company stores? Not to mention the practice of keeping the workers in perpetual debt so they had to remain?

I'm not advocating that we do away with laws restricting company towns, and whatnot. Whatever gave you that idea? Just because I don't consider capitalism to be a great evil that must be destroyed, and just because I don't buy into the notion that Obama is a center-right conservative, doesn't mean I want 8 year olds to work the mines and be paid in company script.

[Seth]

CES, am I to understand that according to you, and the laissez faireist neocons, a small state, free rein business kind of society would leave the common people in peace, free from labor camps?

You do remember how working conditions in factories used to be before the unions ended up having to use tactics that were as strong armed as the bosses' to get their demands heard?
You haven't forgotten of the time when company towns, say, around mines, or industrial complexes, were essentially labor camps run by the bosses to ensure a captive labor pool and that as much of their expenses as possible actually came back to them as house rents and purchases in the company stores? Not to mention the practice of keeping the workers in perpetual debt so they had to remain?

That was then, this is now. Now we have OSHA and the EEOC and a host of other federal, state and local regulatory agencies and bookshelves full of regulations that look after the health and safety of workers.

[PsychoSerenity]

just because I don't buy into the notion that Obama is a center-right conservative,

You think Obama is left wing? The political compass says otherwise, like with our New Labour here, - though I've yet to hear much from the apparently "red" ed, to know whether he has the intention or ability to take the party back in the direction of its roots.

[Ronja]

Western Europe, Canada, Australia. Basically everywhere that is neither the US or the 3rd world (not that the US isn't close to being 3rd world nowadays.)

I see you have fallen for the latest left wing talking point.

And, what is that?

That there is no such thing as a liberal or a left wing in the US, and that anyone calling himself that, like Obama, in the US really is at best center-right.

Hmm, as PS already indicated, try comparing
http://www.politicalcompass.org/usstate ... x=on&ut=on
to e.g.
http://www.politicalcompass.org/ireland2011

Would have uploaded the pictures here, too, but the extension php is not allowed.

Found one pic from the same source, though, in this thread: http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1493 The US looks pretty right-leaning on this international 2-dimensional scale.

[Seth]

Western Europe, Canada, Australia. Basically everywhere that is neither the US or the 3rd world (not that the US isn't close to being 3rd world nowadays.)

I see you have fallen for the latest left wing talking point.

And, what is that?

That there is no such thing as a liberal or a left wing in the US, and that anyone calling himself that, like Obama, in the US really is at best center-right.

Hmm, as PS already indicated, try comparing

to e.g.


Would have uploaded the pictures here, too, but the extension php is not allowed.

Found one pic from the same source, though, in this thread: http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1493 The US looks pretty right-leaning on this international 2-dimensional scale.

This falsely presumes that the "political compass" itself is objective and neutral, which is highly unlikely. GIGO.

[MattShizzle]

I can't remember exactly what I got on the political compass but it was -9.8-something on the economic and -7.-something on the authoritarian scale.

[Coito ergo sum]

I can't remember exactly what I got on the political compass but it was -9.8-something on the economic and -7.-something on the authoritarian scale.

I wound up negative 5 toward the bottom, and negative 2 toward the left.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Economy grew 2.5 pct. in Q3 as consumers rebound

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. economy grew modestly over the summer after nearly stalling in the first six months of the year, lifted by stronger consumer spending and greater business investment.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that the economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the July-September quarter. That's the stronger growth in a year and nearly double the 1.3 percent growth in the April-June quarter. It's also a vast improvement over the anemic 0.9 percent growth for the entire first half of the year.

While 2.5 percent growth is enough to ease recession fears, it's far below what's needed to lower painfully high unemployment, which has been near 9 percent for the past two years. Analysts project similar growth for the October-December quarter.

Nonetheless, the report on U.S. gross domestic product, or GDP, sketched a more optimistic picture for an economy that only two months ago seemed destined for another recession. And it was delivered on the same day that European leaders announced a deal that marked a turning point in their two-year debt crisis.

Stocks surged on the European deal and maintained their gains after the report on U.S. growth was released.

AP - Full Article

[Schneibster]

it's Mrs. Lak's home.

There is that. The Schneibsteress likes Monterey.

[Schneibster]

Actually, I'd rather DESTROY Wall Street than simply occupy it.

You'd kill two billion people. They'd starve. Some of them live in countries that have nuclear weapons.

Just sayin'.

[Schneibster]

Dang, Mai beat me to it!

I would also like to hear what "the latest left wing talking point" (in the US, I presume) is.

I'm ashamed. As a lefty I should know what it is.

You can't possibly know what they think the latest left wing talking point is. They made it up. They're the flacks.

[maiforpeace]

Dang, Mai beat me to it!

I would also like to hear what "the latest left wing talking point" (in the US, I presume) is.

I'm ashamed. As a lefty I should know what it is.

You can't possibly know what they think the latest left wing talking point is. They made it up. They're the flacks.

I should have put one of after my . CES and I are old friends.