tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post7434630315040425573..comments2023-11-02T06:28:23.104-07:00Comments on ... and now for something completely different.: Republican Cartoonish Behaviordbackdadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10700991588554336491noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-20104820140541741932007-04-10T17:49:00.000-07:002007-04-10T17:49:00.000-07:00Scott, I'm just saying that I might be a little ou...Scott, I'm just saying that I might be a little outside of my element trying to argue the merits of a president that I was not even around to see. Too much of my evidence would be anecdotal. And a lot of presidents that were not viewed positively during their time in office are viewed better now (and vice-versa). But I'd definitely be interested to know who you thought was a good president and I'll try to argue to the best of what I do know.<BR/><BR/><I>"Well, those that start useless wars automatically rank lower than those who don't."</I> -- Unfortunately, I'm not sure that anyone in the last 60 years hasn't started one. Maybe Ford? lol. I don't think he started any wars.dbackdadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10700991588554336491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-37223147018002049982007-04-10T14:27:00.000-07:002007-04-10T14:27:00.000-07:00I'm not even going go there and try to argue the m...<I>I'm not even going go there and try to argue the merits of presidents way before either of our lifetimes. Neither of us are even close to qualifying.</I><BR/><BR/>Well it is, of course, your discussion to that's fine, but I must say that's a bit surprising coming from you.<BR/><BR/><I>though I'm afraid to know who you thinka good president is</I><BR/><BR/>Well, those that start useless wars automatically rank lower than those who don't.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06748025048481866622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-44112092763056079332007-04-10T09:52:00.000-07:002007-04-10T09:52:00.000-07:00Agreed. There's also certain things that I believ...Agreed. There's also certain things that I believe should not be run 'for profit'. Social services, education, health care - those are all common good services that should be run for the benefit of all, not the exclusion of those who cannot afford them. It turns my stomach when I read about things like the Breast Cancer bill requiring insurance companies to cover in-patient mastectomies being turned down in congress (hopefully it will pass this time). Just because it's not profitable to keep a woman overnight for observation doesn't mean it's also in her best medical interests. Doctors, not pencil-pushers or FDA and pharmaceutical lackies should be deciding what is in the best interests of their patients.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17129109937230440481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-9464175295449226012007-04-09T15:42:00.000-07:002007-04-09T15:42:00.000-07:00Scott, I'm not even going go there and try to argu...Scott, I'm not even going go there and try to argue the merits of presidents (though I'm afraid to know who you thinka good president is) way before either of our lifetimes. Neither of us are even close to qualifying. But neither is John Bolton. I didn't bring up the point to compare presidents. I did it to illustrate one of the primary character flaws of Bolton: complete and utter certainty in the face of abslutely zero knowledge.<BR/><BR/>Laura said, <I>"There are certain things, like enforcement of basic rights for all people, that must be done on a governmental scale"</I> -- I completely agree. There is such a thing as the "common good". Society and industry, when left to their own devices, will not always work for the betterment of all. Without regulation, we'd have child labor, monopolies, meat wouldn't be inspected, pollution would be worse than it already is, etc. Obviously, there should be some limits (check out the "nanny state" discussion <A HREF="https://www2.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=10830858&postID=8153660116974081066" REL="nofollow">here</A>). Despite what idealists on either side think, a great society is not one with a "pure" economic/social/political system. The perfect society learns the correct balance of both capitalistic and socialist elements. We'll truly make progress when those idealists don't automatically cringe and rebel when they hear the words "socialism" or "capitalism".dbackdadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10700991588554336491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-84397607522790458442007-04-09T10:05:00.000-07:002007-04-09T10:05:00.000-07:00""I'm not a big-game hunter. I've made that very c...""I'm not a big-game hunter. I've made that very clear," he said. "I've always been a rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints, if you will."<BR/><BR/>Cuz there's nothing more manly than shooting small animals for sport. That makes me want to rip an man's clothes off on the spot!<BR/><BR/>I've always been a believer in government as caretaker. There are certain things, like enforcement of basic rights for all people, that must be done on a governmental scale. I also think that the basic measure of a society is how well it cares for its poorest, most vulnerable populations.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17129109937230440481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-30061617597619323132007-04-08T14:49:00.000-07:002007-04-08T14:49:00.000-07:00Mitt Romney grew up in Michigan and only went hunt...Mitt Romney grew up in Michigan and only went hunting ONCE as a kid? How disgusting! What a disgrace! No wonder he fled for the east coast! Too embarrased to stay in Michigan!Great White Bear,https://www.blogger.com/profile/15597810156093389369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-59498374286951862072007-04-07T13:16:00.000-07:002007-04-07T13:16:00.000-07:00Um, well, he's not he worst president ever, Wilson...Um, well, he's not he worst president ever, Wilson, FDR, and Truman give him a real run for his money there, but certainly he's in the top 5. <BR/><BR/>He's the father of federal corporate welfare in America. He vastly increased the size of the Federal Government in his brief tenure and squashed the constitution and the only stop against Federal tyranny left; State rights. He surely had no regard for the separation of powers.<BR/><BR/>He also pointlessly sacrificed 600,000 American lives, and shut down newspapers in the North who called him on it. He also illegally suspended the writ of habeas corpus to perform mass arrests of detractors who wanted a peaceful resolution to the Civil War. When the Chief Justice called him on that he issued a warrant for his arrest. Yeah, he really "listened" to his rivals, what a crock.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06748025048481866622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-62789733053813386452007-04-07T11:40:00.000-07:002007-04-07T11:40:00.000-07:00What?! Scott--you're going to have to qualify that...What?! Scott--you're going to have to qualify that statement about Abe Lincoln.Sadie Louhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362158642491145353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10882105.post-35295503974923146162007-04-07T11:30:00.000-07:002007-04-07T11:30:00.000-07:00I've never understood the Right's obsession with h...I've never understood the Right's obsession with hunting. Guns are for shooting politicians, not animals.<BR/><BR/>It's always funny to watch the Left and Right argue who is a GOOD president like Abe Lincoln. As long as he's the measuring stick for good presidency we're all screwed.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06748025048481866622noreply@blogger.com