[ExI] anti-capitalist propaganda, was: retrainability of plebeians

[Emlyn]

2009/5/4 Max More <max at maxmore.com>:
> Olga, you might want to read this:
>
> Obama's Vision Deficit:
> <http://www.reason.com/news/show/133157.html>http://www.reason.com/news/show/133157.html
>
> Max
>
>> OK, I'm biased ... but it seems to me that Obama has done more positive
>> things in 100 days than Bush did in 8 years.
>>
>> Olga

I'm not sure I understand what's so compelling about that Reason
article. Yep, Obama is doing big centralized infrastructure spending.
There's nothing wrong with that per se. The article seems to point
that out, then fail to argue the case for it being bad. It just kind
of says "Hey he's not being libertarian therefore he's terrible".

Transport: the argument seems to be "oh trains are so last century or
so". But really, isn't this an ideological squabble, between a
centralized, state controlled kind of technology (trains) and a
decentralized private industry approaches (deregulated airports,
private roads, couldn't quite understand what was being proposed there
actually). Actually I don't like trains much either, but I'd like to
see personal rapid transit systems (seems to me they could combine the
best of trains and cars if done right).

Bailout: Well there's a vexed question, to bailout or not to bailout?
Whichever way you go, people will scream at you. I can't say what's
the best approach, and I'm glad it's not my job to make those
decisions.

Centralized spending on education; again, argue the detail.

Centralized spending on "Alternative Energy", well, that stuff should
just be "Energy" by now, it's about time. I love that this is being
done. Comparing it to Jimmy Carter is meaningless to me, what's
actually bad about it?

Centralized spending on health is a really, really good idea. I don't
know how US citizens don't freak out every day, dealing with the
health system you've got. No wonder there's so much focus on getting
rich; you have to, just in case you get sick.

The national service thing, it's old fashioned conservative values
there I would have thought. Once wouldn't have been to my taste, but I
have a bit of sympathy for it.

Overall, I can't see how he hasn't been true to his campaigning. He
was never pretending to be Captain Future of the 24th century, where
we'd all get flying cars. His message was always "let's cut the crap
and get some sensible change going". Very pragmatic stuff, not going
with the left or right party lines (from outside the US, this is the
"right" or "far far right" party lines).

Really, given the shit storm that hit late in the campaign (oops we
broke the world), it's amazing that the new administration is running
so true to the original campaign vision. They've really got some
serious shit to handle.

If you want a comparison, think about how McCain might have handled
this. Or W, darwin save us all!

-- 
Emlyn

http://emlyntech.wordpress.com - coding related
http://point7.wordpress.com - ranting
http://emlynoregan.com - main site