Barry...

Barry,

Sorry for the delayed response. I have been busy lately. I have a sarcastic tone and I don’t think my rebut is going to be welcoming. So before I start to respond, I would like to genuinely commend you on the effort. I received your attempt at my proposal graciously. You were the only person (out of 350+) to actually take the challenge. You were 1 of 10 to respond with a rational argument and 1 of the only 2 of these folks to do so publicly. Kudos.

Unfortunately, your five “changes” do not meet the criteria, but indeed a tremendous effort (explanations as to why will come in rebut). Sorry to disappoint, but the standard I keep is extremely high and frankly your five “changes” are weak and do not qualify. In light of your effort and passion, I will consider the donation to charity.

- jay

The Rebut

"adventurous period of pseudo-rebellion"

Foremost, I am a legit rebel and I would be honored to have a chance to prove it to you. You can come down, up, or over to NC and I’ll spit in your face, push you around, break out your car windows, or whatever you require as verification. Moving on…

All in all, your comments are whinny, pathetic, and clichéd. Like most liberals you fail to make any argument or explanation for your world view: that is, an explanation as to why the rich owe the poor money and why it is the job of a few hundred privileged, elite government bureaucrats to oversee this process. You merely try to imply my argument is flawed because I have wealthy parents. (I respond to this below.)

You make no mention of the feasibility of your view or the lack thereof. Nor do you make acknowledgement of its failure in every country where it has been attempted. More specifically, you make no note or acknowledgement that this has been the goal of the welfare state in the US for 70+ years with no success. You make no note or acknowledgement that this has been the goal of many nations for 70+ years with no success and additionally with brutal results in countries where this idea is taken to the extreme (the USSR, China, and Cuba).

You make no note that the United Kingdom, the USA, Australia, and Japan—i.e., the countries with the least socialism, have the highest standard of living, the fewest “poor”, and experience the most freedom of all countries past and present.

YOU MAKE NO ARGUMENT.

I assume you ignore this to hide your true motivation: that is, you fear the successful in life and you have no shame in exploiting the hapless and downtrodden as an excuse for you to punish the successful.

Also, if rich people did actually “loathe” poor people, poor people wouldn’t have a shot in life. The rich would sweep them away. As an example, why would the rich offer the poor so much charity? The US gives billions of dollars a year in charity. If they hated poor people, why wouldn’t they just gather them in a prison camp and keep them there to waste away? This is what liberals do. They manipulate the poor in a quest for power. In order to get a wider voting class, liberals promise poor people the riches of other men. In reality, they string the poor along with inefficient government programs—forcing them into a life of squalor and filth in government sponsored projects and ghettos.

As for my background…

I’m from a small, middle class beach town in southeast NC. My parents, like all parents, supported me as much as they could. There were many parents who could not have given nearly as much as my parents did to me; and there were many parents that could give a lot more.

The most support my parents gave me was the lesson that I would one day have to pay my own way…that it was my responsibility, not that of Barack Obama and whinny liberals like you to take it from someone richer than me to allow me a life of, by your own words, “shrunken responsibility”. They taught me to be confident, to think for myself, and not to follow the crowd. They taught me to be a good person and to care about other people…to fight for their freedom. They extended this to all people, not just poor ones.

In simple terms, you overestimated your assumption. Had your estimation been accurate though, it would not have proven any point. You still would have not argued against my point, which is this: it is possible to live happily on a small income if one finds joy in their hobbies (running, surfing, playing music) and joy in time with friends and family. I added that with creativity you can even decorate your house and find a stylish wardrobe. With strong character virtues, you can attract a desirable mate.

A better way to state your argument would have been “having access to wealth eases the burden of having a small income”. A point with which I sort of agree, but this is merely an ancillary point—not one to found an entire political system.

Judging my actual situation I think your argument is definitely wrong. In my case, I had access to some wealth in my teenage and college years. However I had no guarantee of wealth in the future. If you live for 4 – 6 years on $15,000, this is still all you have. Just because you were rich before and could be rich after doesn’t change the fact that you are living without many material products and that you must find a way to enjoy life without modern material comforts. If someone bent your finger back until it snapped, it would hurt. The fact that it did not hurt before and would one day heel and not hurt again would not change the feeling of your finger cracking. Human psychology is a present-tense consciousness. To be happy, one must typically find joy in the moment.

To a few of your specific points…

Now, I don’t know you, but based on your piece that has a considerable resemblance to a GOP talking points memo, I’d guess you’re voting for that ‘other’ one.

Yes, I did. But not because McCain doesn’t suck. He just doesn’t suck as bad as Obama.

“rather they be CEOs making $10 million that democrats hate”Sarcasm or not, could you come up with a more cliché generalization?

No. This is a great generalization.

I don’t want even get started down this rabbit trail but have you even heard of Warren Buffett?

I have and what does he have to do with anything? And why don’t you want to even get started? And why is the trail rabbit? Like most liberals, you make no argument and think that emotionally charged words and a little name dropping will suffice for an actual argument. Warren Buffet is the ultimate socialist businessman. He was the son of an already wealthy Ivy League graduate. He made his money investing in mostly government regulated industries (insurance, textiles, etc). It’s obvious that he wants to keep a government reign on the economy…he is afraid to compete in an open market.

Just a guess, but you sound like one of the over-privileged types who chose that previous lifestyle, shirking responsibility for a period of time simply because you COULD.

You disparage your own argument by admitting that the lifestyle of one making 15-20K is one of “shrunken responsibility” and that one would openly “chose” to live like this. If the responsibilities are light, this is all the money one deserves to make.

You probably had an above-average education that you knew you could rely on at a point in the future when you decided to grow up.

Not above-average at all. I think I had a mere average education--I went to a small public school in a small town and a second tier state college. But according to your argument, “Our education system is pitiful compared to other developed countries.” So...I guess I only had a pitiful education to rely on.

You probably didn’t have any sick/disabled family members to care for. You probably didn’t have any debt or creditors to worry about because of previously mentioned assumed parental units.

I am, indeed, debt free. However, about four years ago I owed about $30K total. I paid it off myself…that is myself with the assistance of capitalism.

FIY, no one forces you into debt. People get themselves in debt by wanting more than they can afford. I have no sympathy for these people. And of the people I know in debt, they don’t want my sympathy and would find it condescending if I offered it.

...while staying one foot ahead of bankruptcy and facing rising costs on virtually EVERYTHING.

It is our mixed economy that causes the rising costs. That is, it is the system for which you argue that is the blame. Capitalism keeps prices low. This is a widely accepted benefit of capitalism (even among socialists).

Your apparent condescension to those that lack your good fortune reminds me of the comedy of Stephen Colbert who said on one occasion (paraphrased) “All America needs is more bootstrap-salesmen.” I would guess you don’t know too many poor people, because the few that I know don’t happily choose to be poor.

I know several poor people. How many poor people do you know?

“Well I want to know what he will change because I think America is great as it is.”Really? Have you spent ANY time abroad?

Yes I have. A lot actually. The foreigners I know seem to like me very much. Then again, the ones I know are mostly female and I have quite a mojo so it might not be fair to compare my personal experiences.

As for foreigners in general. Most of them are grossly under educated about American life and their attitude is shaped not by first-hand accounts, but by the American media and celebrities who teach these people to hate the US. That is, these foreigners are actually obsessed with American culture and are desperately trying to fit in and this is the manner in which they have learned how from our own magazine culture; our own celebrity culture. Barry, this is probably the first time you’ve gotten to be a role model. Congratulations!! They are actually trying to copy you!!

I have verified this (not the part about you) many times in many places. Further, millions of foreigners pour into our country to live and to vacation every WEEK. We have the highest % of travelers from abroad and the highest % of immigrants. Just because you have the support of the newspaper on this one, doesn’t mean you have the support of the facts and numbers. As a special caveat, did you know that most Europeans supported the war in Iraq until the American and British media came out against it?

My anticipated changes, in order of likelihood that I assigned:

1. Raise the national fuel mpg standard. I am not aware of what it is currently; I believe it’s in the low 20’s. I expect an Obama administration will raise it by approximately 5mpg. The potential positive results should be obvious enough: reduced oil consumption and reduced carbon emissions.

This is weak, but I’ll count this. You should know, though, if this were to happen, it would hurt poor people the most. Increasing mph output is expensive for automakers and these costs would show up in car prices. Rich people would be able to afford the transition—poor people would not. Also, a forced mph hike would most likely increase fuel emissions and increase consumption. Why? Because this would essentially make traveling by car cheaper (because a tank of guess would get you farther) and people would drive more.

2. In connection with No. 1, but I believe a change worthy to list separately I expect an Obama administration to provide subsidies/other financial incentives to motor companies that require research/new equipment for the manufacture of more efficient vehicles and alternate energy vehicles. The positive results that this change could bring include job creation, or at the very least a decline/hault to the layoffs currently taking place in the industry.

No. This doesn’t count at all and I’m almost laughing out loud this is so ridiculous. You think that the government providing R & D funds to automakers is a change? Wake up. The auto industry is one of the most heavily subsidized industries in the country and has been under every administration (for many types of projects: fuel efficiency, road safety, labor regulation, many more). This is well documented and I recommend picking up any book on the industry or even any basic economics text to see this is not a change. This is business as usual. However, under the recommendation of Derrick, I suggest reading “Basic Economics” by Thomas Sowell.

3. Raise taxes on upper class –There is a tandem proposed tax-break for middle class citizens that is often mentioned as well, but I’ll focus on the tax increase since that’s all the Republicans want to talk about. A positive effect would include a move towards balancing the budget, or at least reducing the deficit, thereby reducing the amount of money we’re borrowing from countries like China – not exactly our closest buddies.

This is ridiculous. I actually am laughing out loud at this one. Raising taxes on the rich is not a change and it’s not positive. You honestly think raising taxes on the upper class is change? Read a little history bro. A change backwards doesn’t count as a change.

Further, even if it were a “new” change, it’s not positive. Did you know that when tax rates are high on the rich the government actually brings in less tax revenue? The goal of raising taxes on the rich is so that the government can lower taxes on the poor. However it brings in a net decrease to the budget. This is a widely excepted view. And fyi, we don’t borrow much money at all from China (or any countries like them). Of our entire outstanding debt, less than 25% is owed to foreign countries—of which China is a subsequent fraction (but it is the second highest foreign country). Check out the Treasury Bulletin (http://fms.treas.gov/bulletin/index.html).

4. Reduce size of Gitmo – I expect an Obama administration to bring to trial and release at least a handful of those incarcerated. I additionally expect an independent investigation of alleged torture practices combined with a released statement/conference where the administration forcefully condemns torture. The direct effects from such actions will be difficult/impossible to measure, especially in the short-run, but I would expect a softening of international resentment towards us. It would – and should be – the first of many steps towards reconciliation with the international community.

Well I think it is time, not Obama that would do this. Meaning, this is the obvious future of Gitmo. A McCain administration would have done the same. I really don’t see how this is “change” outside of being the standard “what to do next”. BUT, I’ll give it to you.

5. Increased funding of faith-based initiatives – If there’s one thing that’s been apparent from Obama’s words and actions, it is his commitment to his faith and the role that should play in helping the community. I don’t think I can get specific on this one, and I don’t think I should have to. The GOP attempted to present a false argument that Obama would reduce funding to faith-based initiatives in hopes of rallying their religious “right” base (an oxymoron if there ever was one). I argue that he will increase them. Specifics shouldn’t be necessary if the previous argument was the opposite. I’ll admit I don’t know a lot about said initiatives, but I would assume that potential positive effects include: more homeless people fed and more after-school programs for troubled kids. If you want that quantified better, find someone with a crystal ball. I’ll accept any improvement and will continue to demand more if feasible.

What?

This is so weird and non-specific that I don’t know how to respond. I’ll give it to you though.

In Sum

You’re 3 out of 5 (with 1 being weak and 4 and 5 being really weak) and that’s not going to cut it.

Also…
To your question “You just pass on what you hear and read in magazines and the television.”So, if I’m to read the implicit allegation here that printed and broadcast mediums are relatively worthless, how are we to obtain knowledge? Osmosis? Superior genetics?

No. You left out an option: You’re supposed to think for yourself…and decide for yourself. Once you hear it broadcasted or read, it’s your responsibility to reflect on it--not just drink the cool-aid.

I doubt few people making time to read your rant (such as yourself?) are experts on any of those topics, but sadly, it doesn’t take much knowledge of those subjects to claim a higher competency than the current president (or the Republican vying to succeed him).

Blah, blah, blah. Oh it’s the president’s fault for everything. And fyi, I made this “rant” and emailed a link to about 30 people and over 400 have read it. So… someone, including you, is taking the time.