Comments on: The Poor Man’s Friend

By: DLS

DLS — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:54:18 +0000

Just ask yourself if you believe the economy is really getting better, as some (primarily on Wall Street) are claiming.

I've seen one (1) “NOW HIRING” sign in my part of Detroit metro so far. New and empty older buildings remain unoccupied, and shops that have closed have almost all not re-opened. (One has, but it was a change of ownership and company.)

By: DLS

DLS — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:50:17 +0000

Pierre Trudeau, a vague figure? ??? Is the history at the time of his ascension also vague?

(Ask the Western provinces what they thought of the New Energy Policy, to name one historical example among many, and not even a big example, but one that everyone should know.)

By: JeffersonDavis

JeffersonDavis — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:18:05 +0000

Once again, MSF, we have an accord.

I love it when serious debate leads to concrete solutions.

By: TheMagicalSkyFather

TheMagicalSkyFather — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:02:02 +0000

I actually agree with you again though I would ad lowering their taxes while raising the middle or lower classes taxes is not only unacceptable its unworkable with the current economy. If the top ever begins to trickle instead of just promising it I would back that shift though, its just that stones do not turn into money for me to hand to the fed no matter how hard I squeeze them. This is actually the reason I switched from a moderate to a lefty position over the last few years. I kept hearing “learn how to fish” while they ignored it took time to learn to fish and how do they feed themselves until then and of course the thorny question of “so if we keep importing fishermen from all over the world why would our people want to plop down 20-60k to learn a skill that will pay half what it does now when they get out of school?” For me the only valid answer is not only anti-trust enforcement but melting of all corps that are not functioning purely in the interest of the citizenry in this country which was the original intent.

By: JeffersonDavis

JeffersonDavis — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:45:22 +0000

You have a valid point, Don. Corporatocracy has done that in the job market. (I love that word). The anti-trust option is still out there for many of them. That always seems to help, until deregulation takes us back down the same path. It worked in the past for both Dems and Repubs. But to slam corporations with taxes is not the answer. That will only be pushed to the consumer, as it always does.

Bring it back down to managable “fish companies” and we will see a better time teaching individuals to fish.

By: JeffersonDavis

JeffersonDavis — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:42:13 +0000

I absolutely support re-education of the unemployed, and re-education of those that may soon get displaced by the new “Green Energy” initiative.

By: TheMagicalSkyFather

TheMagicalSkyFather — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:37:32 +0000

So you support government training and re-education of the unemployed, that is something we can both agree on. Do not give them fish, give them access and that access is through education.

By: Don Quijote

Don Quijote — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:25:22 +0000

You can either give a poor man a fish so he can eat for a day OR teach him to fish so he can eat his entire life. I am a proponent for the latter.

To continue with your analogy…

That assumes that there are any fish left in the water, unfortunately the trawlers have gone through raked up all the fishes and in the process destroyed the environment, unless somebody bans trawlers, put limits on the size of the catch and start a process of restoring the environment and start restoring the fish population, there will be no point in learning how to fish…

By: JeffersonDavis

JeffersonDavis — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:10:07 +0000

I agree with you, J.

I think what we may disagree about his HOW to be the poor man's friend.
You can either give a poor man a fish so he can eat for a day OR teach him to fish so he can eat his entire life. I am a proponent for the latter.

By: JSpencer

JSpencer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:07:14 +0000

Nailed it! The difference between talk and walk couldn't be more painfully obvious. This isn't about class warfare or envy of the rich, or any of that idiotic, kneejerk rhetoric. This is about the backbone of America, the people who have traditionally worked hard and played by the rules, the people who built this country and defended it, getting sidelined and shafted. Welcome to 21st century plutocracy.