tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14192095.post5097443653890250049..comments2024-02-07T02:14:50.146-08:00Comments on Dogwalk Musings: Independent Thinking!Mari Meehanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09322012728807169863noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14192095.post-72715910094676250912009-07-06T05:04:15.913-07:002009-07-06T05:04:15.913-07:00I am so appreciative of your blog, which I only ha...I am so appreciative of your blog, which I only happened to stumble upon during a web search for information about a book I am creating about this very topic - thinking independently. I find myself in agreement with everything you said in this latest post (considering I nearly always find something to disagree with in just about every opinion this must be some kind of miracle). <br /><br />As to the comments about the mess and it beginning in the Clinton years, CU is correct. However, it was the congress fueled by right wing moralists chasing after the Clinton "cigar" nonsense and ignoring their job (which is to keep an eye on all things economic) that got us where we are in part. Bush and company then proceeded to make it all the more of a mess. <br /><br />I would also suggest you are incorrect about your comments in relation to those who say ""I didn't hear the Republicans complain about the economy during the Bush years" to be disingenuous and immature." While such comments are surely an over-simplification of the facts, even you are suggesting that the dems (Obama) are worse and making more of a mess. So far, we cannot be sure. But at the very least - though I dislike Obama very much - they are using much of the methods that FDR and co. used to get us out of the depression (which they did by early 1937 only to see the great recession which ended near the end of 1938 - NO, the war did NOT get us out of the depression, folks). <br /><br />And I would also point out that so far, things are NO WHERE near as bad as they were during the depression. Check the figures. Unemployment was a whopping 25%. Yes, the # value for the debt is greater, but if you adjust the dollars to 1933 standards, it is nothing to shout about.Tom Loweryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01754738924271638351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14192095.post-23694944423614320012009-06-12T14:24:01.926-07:002009-06-12T14:24:01.926-07:00Linda, I respect your frame of reference. But the...Linda, I respect your frame of reference. But the economic mess we find ourselves faced with today, began during the Clinton years. A Democratic president and Congress. It was then that Congress threatened Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into the disasterous loans that started the ball rolling down the slippery slope to todays chaos. And the Republicans screamed bloody murder. Not much good when you are in the monority. In the 6 months of the Obama regime things have gone from bad to disasterous...for generations to come. His budget projections were just empty words and, accoridng to the facts, things are over 3 times worse than when he took office. So who else can we blame? His plan for medical care is a disaster in the making. If it weren't so frightening, his "economic stimulus" plans would be laughable in their naivete. As I read in an article by a very astute and intellingent woman, this man never so much as managed a Dairy Queen. And now he is running this country...directly into the ground! I find that the constant Democratic mantra, to divert attention and responsibility, "I didn't hear the Republicans complain about the economy during the Bush years" to be disingenuous and immature.<br /><br />I am sorry to read that someone as obviously intelligent as you could never vote for a Republican (on the federal level). A lifelong Republican from belief, I have with maturity, become an independent moderate. I have on several occassions voted Democratic when I believed that was the best candidate. However not, thank goodness, Obama. CUAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14192095.post-51298906047965546882009-06-11T20:49:21.722-07:002009-06-11T20:49:21.722-07:00Good post. I also find the independent numbers int...Good post. I also find the independent numbers interesting. At one point I thought about switching but decided I was too much a Democrat to do that. I can't imagine ever voting Republican in anything other than local offices.<br /><br />I also find it encouraging people are voting independent because I think it does mean they're thinking.<br /><br />I won't criticize this administration on economics yet because I don't think they were expecting that firecracker to be on their plate. If the Republicans know so much now why didn't they speak up while they were in office with a majority congress for six years? I can't believe all this mess came as a shock to them. I don't know that anybody knows what to do with this economy.<br /><br />In 1968 the pendulem had swung too far to the left and social unrest sent the pendulem swinging back to the right. Now it appears its swung too far to the right and is starting to swing back to the left. It doesn't swing rapidly but rather takes years. We'll see how long it takes Democrats to screw up and send it back to the right.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11586429675286969340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14192095.post-47042033535231185622009-06-11T19:47:44.583-07:002009-06-11T19:47:44.583-07:00"More socially liberal and more fiscally cons..."More socially liberal and more fiscally conservative": Yup, that's me. Now have to find a party that matches. This will have to be one of the two existing partys as third partys just do not work in this country.John Dwyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12553580300468286202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14192095.post-37859705843420794122009-06-11T14:09:56.755-07:002009-06-11T14:09:56.755-07:00Those of us over 60 are begining to wonder if we w...Those of us over 60 are begining to wonder if we will ever see the changes in our lifetime. We know the government gears work so very slowly for the common man/woman. <br />While we shake our heads as these changes keep coming, and hope it will have the good results they promise... will we get to see it? <br />I hope so...Word Tosserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03519547102435672497noreply@blogger.com