Formula for the Day
GDP=C+I+G+(X-M)
That’s gross domestic product equals consumption plus investment plus government expenditures plus exports minus imports.
Simple simple simple.
Rand’s particular intellectual contribution, the thing that makes her so popular and so American, is the way she managed to mass market elitism — to convince so many people, especially young people, that they could be geniuses without being in any concrete way distinguished. Or, rather, that they could distinguish themselves by the ardor of their commitment to Rand’s teaching. The very form of her novels makes the same point: they are as cartoonish and sexed-up as any best seller, yet they are constantly suggesting that the reader who appreciates them is one of the elect.
For Rusty
from marginal rev: Most of what you do is for expressive value anyway, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about voting, if indeed you vote. The people who think they are being instrumentally rational by not voting are probably deceiving themselves more. They are actually engaged in an even less transparent form of expressive behavior (protest against the voting system) and yet cloaking that behavior under the guise of instrumental rationality. The best arguments against voting are simply if you either don’t like voting or if you don’t know which candidate is better. High-status people hardly ever offer the latter justification, even though the split of opinions among high-status people suggests that not all high-status people can in fact know which candidate is better.
In other words, both voting and not voting are motivated by the thought that you are better than other people. I am glad that we have an entire day devoted to this very important concept.
My favorite memory from last night was high-fiving an old black woman driving by in a beat up 1980s Toyota Celica.
We just happened to be in the same place at the same time but were very glad to see each other.
I had a lump in my throat.
Can’t remember if this dashbaord widget still works, but here it goes.
Boobies.
Testing Tumblr Dashboard widget…
Response: Leadership and Compassion Forum
I originally criticized this event because I felt the questions were ‘soft.’ However I forgot that this wasn’t a debate meant to show us the candidates’ pros and cons, but a Forum meant to give the candidates a chance to tell us who they are.
I feel this event was a sign of progress. Ever since the presidential debates came under the control of the parties and not the bi-partisan League of Women voters, I feel the debates have been quite useless in telling us what the candidates think on the issues. Maybe a forum or debate system such as this will be more informative to voters. Instead of three general debates, the candidates meet with the various interest groups of the day and we see what the candidates say to them. Naturally the responses given will be more specific and nuanced than the robotic debates. The current presidential selection system is based on voters going to the website of the candidates to get informed on their policies. Since no one actually does that what we get is a popularity contest and honestly, who gives a crap about personality? The candidates policy goals will affect me, I don’t have to hang out with them.
But since personality is a major factor in choosing our president, what did I learn about McCain and Obama that I didn’t already know?
One, Obama is still as nuanced as he was during the primary debates. We see a person who is equivocal before making a final decision. It reinforces in me the sense that he is a consensus builder first and foremost, and that is exactly the perception McCain is trying to dismantle.
Two, For all of the pundits’ opining that evangelicals are luke-warm to McCain, I call bullshit. Obama’s bookish answers lulled the audience to a conciliatory applause. McCain had quick gut answers that got the crowd hooting. The evangelical vote is going to still vote Republican because they’re too ill-informed to care about anything other abortion and gay-marriage.
Three, McCain’s mantra of the night was ‘to selflessly serve a higher goal.’ Anyone else think he was trying to tap into the evangelicals subconscious with that? Obama’s mantra of working together and team work shows me how he approaches organized religious life differently.
Four, Obama sounded naturally uneasy about the abortion question. Which some will see as finagling the answer or wishy-washyness. I see it as a great display of character because I want to see what makes a presidential hopeful squirm. I want to know what values someone weighs in making a decision. I don’t trust someone who avoids complex moral issues i.e. anyone that can be described as ‘a staunch ______.’
Five, McCain said he visited New Orleans after the Katrina hit. He used this event to showcase his support of faith-based aide funding and for criticizing the government response. Yet I question his priorities given that he was enjoying his birthday cake as Katrina was happening and then showed up in New Orleans. I expect my public servents to skip their birthdays since they claim to care about us so much. The government response sucked because the Republican party believes government services should be as crippled as possible. Elected officials have to put the fire under the ass of government service providers to get them to work, not use them as their whipping boy.
Six, Rick Warren is a nice guy.
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