There are 65 comments.

1. Member
   Arizona Patriot

   @ArizonaPatriot

   1:58 PM EDT ⋅ Sep 8, 2015

   Kate Braestrup:The primary objection to liberal-sponsored government activity is not that it seeks to provide good things for people who aren’t born with them, but that it does this so very badly. This could be because it is government. It could be because it is government enacting poor policies with bad methods. Or, maybe I just repeated myself?

   The main problem is that government intervention messes up incentives for the poor and non-poor alike, effectively penalizing the behaviors that lead to success and subsidizing the behaviors that lead to failure and disaster.  With predictable results.

   It is tragic that bad choices by parents often have terrible consequences for children.  There are some policies that I support to address this problem, such as government intervention to take away the children (in extreme cases), and some government support for education (though many public school systems work poorly; vouchers would be better).  But most government-based cures for this problem appear to be worse than the disease, and to stretch the metaphor, actually serve to spread the disease.

2. Member
   Kate Braestrup

   @GrannyDude

   1:58 PM EDT ⋅ Sep 8, 2015

   Ball Diamond Ball: A few points: it’s not only the DHS and their data habits for which the world has an opportunity to thank the US.  American dominance of the 20th century is why that century saw all the rest of those countries lift themselves, or be lifted, or booted, from poverty.  Even at the the height of the cold war, America patrolled the sea lanes, which is as close to providing a direct global subsidy to every entrepreneur regardless of location as there will ever be.  This contribution and a billion others are what made the rest possible.

   Anyway, A.P., this was what I was originally responding to. If Denmark, say, boasts of being  one of the happiest and most prosperous places on earth, it would seem that the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of the Danes themselves are insufficient to explain their success.  If patrolling the sea lanes is the equivalent of providing a direct global subsidy to the world’s entrepreneurs, why is patrolling Wall Street not doing the same thing for American entrepreneurs? Why is teaching American children to read not, in some sense, a subsidy to American writers?

3. Member
   Kate Braestrup

   @GrannyDude

   1:59 PM EDT ⋅ Sep 8, 2015

   Arizona Patriot:

   Kate Braestrup:The primary objection to liberal-sponsored government activity is not that it seeks to provide good things for people who aren’t born with them, but that it does this so very badly. This could be because it is government. It could be because it is government enacting poor policies with bad methods. Or, maybe I just repeated myself?

   The main problem is that government intervention messes up incentives for the poor and non-poor alike, effectively penalizing the behaviors that lead to success and subsidizing the behaviors that lead to failure and disaster. With predictable results.

   It is tragic that bad choices by parents often have terrible consequences for children. There are some policies that I support to address this problem, such as government intervention to take away the children (in extreme cases), and some government support for education (though many public school systems work poorly; vouchers would be better). But most government-based cures for this problem appear to be worse than the disease, and to stretch the metaphor, actually serve to spread the disease.

   Agree, A.P.!

4. Member
   Arizona Patriot

   @ArizonaPatriot

   2:55 PM EDT ⋅ Sep 8, 2015

   Kate Braestrup:

   Arizona Patriot:

   Kate Braestrup:The primary objection to liberal-sponsored government activity is not that it seeks to provide good things for people who aren’t born with them, but that it does this so very badly. This could be because it is government. It could be because it is government enacting poor policies with bad methods. Or, maybe I just repeated myself?

   The main problem is that government intervention messes up incentives for the poor and non-poor alike, effectively penalizing the behaviors that lead to success and subsidizing the behaviors that lead to failure and disaster. With predictable results.

   It is tragic that bad choices by parents often have terrible consequences for children. There are some policies that I support to address this problem, such as government intervention to take away the children (in extreme cases), and some government support for education (though many public school systems work poorly; vouchers would be better). But most government-based cures for this problem appear to be worse than the disease, and to stretch the metaphor, actually serve to spread the disease.

   Agree, A.P.!

   OK, then, Repent and vote Republican!  We’ll sink your Obama vote(s) to the ocean floor.  :)

5. Member
   Kate Braestrup

   @GrannyDude

   4:28 PM EDT ⋅ Sep 8, 2015

   Arizona Patriot:

   Kate Braestrup:

   Arizona Patriot:

   Kate Braestrup:The primary objection to liberal-sponsored government activity is not that it seeks to provide good things for people who aren’t born with them, but that it does this so very badly. This could be because it is government. It could be because it is government enacting poor policies with bad methods. Or, maybe I just repeated myself?

   The main problem is that government intervention messes up incentives for the poor and non-poor alike, effectively penalizing the behaviors that lead to success and subsidizing the behaviors that lead to failure and disaster. With predictable results.

   It is tragic that bad choices by parents often have terrible consequences for children. There are some policies that I support to address this problem, such as government intervention to take away the children (in extreme cases), and some government support for education (though many public school systems work poorly; vouchers would be better). But most government-based cures for this problem appear to be worse than the disease, and to stretch the metaphor, actually serve to spread the disease.

   Agree, A.P.!

   OK, then, Repent and vote Republican! We’ll sink your Obama vote(s) to the ocean floor. :)

   Well that’s the plan. But Trump?!?!?!?????