[maxelson]

The Two Percent Solution
Thoughts?
More info here, about halfway down the page, under the heading 2%Solution. Sorry. WMP or Real. I apologize. Deeply.
Book detail here

[Lerkfish]

hey, buddy! don't you know it makes you anti-american and communist to even be the slightest bit concerned about Bush bankrupting the country?

I mean, after all, all good conservatives are fiscally conserv....er...fiscally respons....er....fiscally......er....

[OldManMac]

What's really scary is that there are at present no viable alternatives to Dubya for 2004! The Dumbocrats are scattered to the wind, not being able to come up with any cohesiveness, instead preferring to run around like chickens, clucking "we have to get rid of him", while presenting no concrete solutions.

[boots]

Originally posted by KarlG:
What's really scary is that there are at present no viable alternatives to Dubya for 2004! The Dumbocrats are scattered to the wind, not being able to come up with any cohesiveness, instead preferring to run around like chickens, clucking "we have to get rid of him", while presenting no concrete solutions.

Amen to that!

Not a big GW fan, but it doesn't even look like I have a prospect for "protest vote" like last time. The older I get, the more disillusioned I get about the political realities of this country.

[BlackGriffen]

I dunno. I really like the good doctor and his campaign blog.

I'm also interested to see if General Wesley Clarke is going to run.

Barring that, I'll hold my nose and vote against Bush, Rove, Ashcroft, &co. If not Dean or Clarke, it'll probably be Kerry, Gephart, or Lieberman.

Tom DeLay endorsed Dean just recently in the following press release:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugarland) today condemned the comments of presidential candidate and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who said, "John Ashcroft is not a patriot," in New Hampshire yesterday.

"Howard Dean is a cruel and extremist demagogue," DeLay said.

"John Ashcroft loves America more than Howard Dean could ever know. John Ashcroft has sacrificed for his country, and devoted his life to serving it. He is as kind, generous, and patriotic a man as I've ever met. And Howard Dean is as ignorant on John Ashcroft as he is on national security."

"Howard Dean's comments are an embarrassment to the democratic process and the Democrat Party. If this cruel, loudmouth extremist is the cream of the Democrat crop, next Novembers going to make the 1984 election look like a squeaker."

BlackGriffen

[vmpaul]

Originally posted by BlackGriffen:

Tom DeLay endorsed Dean just recently in the following press release:



BlackGriffen

Wow, Dean just shot up big on my ticket. If Delay hates him that much he MUST be good.

[maxelson]

So. No actual comments on the two percent solution, then?

[boots]

Yeah, I'll comment. I don't know enough economics and/or public policy to know if this would work...the historic trend seems to indicate that it will.

Yes, it will take compromise. Painful compromise.

The neo-cons (note I don't say all republicans) have weaved such a web of fear that people seem to be eager to go along with them...especially after tragic evens like 9/11. It has become clearer to me that their goal is to break the budget to force many of the problems back on the states. That may or may not be a good idea. The way they are doing it is not, IMO, a good way to do it. I'm afraid that federalism might have been one of the first casualties of globalization. But I haven't decided if that is a bad thing or not. I guess I don't think it is.

It will take a lot to unseat the neo-cons. More and more I wish McCain had won the primary. Dean does sound like an attractive alternative, but I am waiting to see if he will last...the early front-runner rarely do. They didn't call Clinton the Come-Back Kid for nothing....

Will simply raising spending to 2% be a solution? Probably not in that simplistic a statement of plan. It would have to be spent in the right way (national single-payer healthcare -ala the AMA?). I think priorities in the budget need to be reexamined regardless of how much is spent. I'm not sure I trust that the financial resources are being used effectively. This is why I'm not sure that shifting back to a more federalist system is a bad thing.

In short, I am ignorant and can't comment intelligently. But there are my thoughts on it.

[maxelson]

Interesting to note: the idea that works hardest to please both sides of the aisle- the idea that makes sense and works to bring folks together- the one that makes more sense than any socio/economic solution I have heard yet, that solves or at least addresses and treats more ills than any other... is the one that gets NO attention. Even here.

Friend of mine is an economist. He's gone over this with a fine toothed comb. Says it is nearly perfect. It really would solve most of what it said it would- cost so much less than any tax cut or tax increase- folks would hardly feel it... gives virtually everybody what they weant. Pleases left and right...and it will never be adopted. Even if the masses vote it up. Never.

All it says to me is that there are few folks who really WANT solutions- are solutions bad for business? Must be.