"One does wonder why the Democrats see nothing coming, ever."
-Always being civil is a tough job, jack!
I also think it is a little tougher to be trying to work with a variety of stakeholders... other Democrats... versus the simple Republican approach of "greed is good." Nobody even bothers with accusing Dick Cheney with being a hypocrite any more... they know where his black heart lies. George Bush is ignored until his latest fuck up... but Dems get the blame.
They have to run everything past their overpaid worthless consultants first.
"No one could have anticipated ..."
The new mantra of the United States Government, both parties and the bureaucracy.
All human beings have some degree of foresight in them, otherwise driving and picking stocks would be even more adventurous than they already are. Having a clear idea of what may be around the next corner is important.
We would be better served by dissolving the entire present government and holding new elections, ones in whch incumbency is not permitted and being a lobbyist is punishable by being staked out on an anthill.
Maybe then we'll have some clear-minded thinkers in the government who can at least anticipate what's around the bend.
L&L--are the Democrats' consultants merely worthless? I have wondered for a while now if the Rethuglicans are paying the Dem consultants under the table to give bad advice. 
All human beings have some degree of foresight in them, otherwise driving and picking stocks would be even more adventurous than they already are. Having a clear idea of what may be around the next corner is important.
I've been aware of these structural problems in the economy for three years now, and that's positively behind the curve!
I have wondered for a while now if the Rethuglicans are paying the Dem consultants under the table to give bad advice.
[readjusting tinfoil hat] Or maybe the Dems are "taking a dive". [/RTH]
everyone has seen this coming, and Steve was in the forefront, it was one of the most impressive things that he did on his blog
but the answer to seemingly inexplicable silence of the Democrats is obvious, they believe in the same market oriented, neoliberal policies as the Republicans, they just argue over methods
or, have people forgotten NAFTA, GATT and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment? all Clinton era measures (the MAI failed)
in this instance, to do anything about this crisis would require them to abandon the legacy of Greenspan's "pass the punch bowl" operation of the Federal Reserve for the benefit of brokerage houses
or, to put it differently, they would have to act as if people are more important than markets, and that's pretty implausible
so, it's a pretty safe assumption that they would not be doing anything much different than what
Barnacke has been doing the last couple of days, opening the discount window for the benefit of global financial institutions
I guess we should be glad Sean hasn't found us yet. He'd be here gloating. (And he would be doing so well deservedly, IMHO.)
I think recent events have pretty much solidified certain basic realities that many of us (up til now) have steadfastly refused to admit: the Dem "leadership" isn't stupid. They know perfectly well what they're doing, and their supposed incomptence is just a mask for complicity. Their cowardice/weakness/stupidity is just a smokescreen. And it's been an effective one for a wide variety of reasons, not least of which is there is genuine cowardice, stupidity and weakness mixed into the ass-kissing relationship they share with their good buddies, the Republicans.
It's not an equal relationship by any stretch of the imagination; As we've seen, the Rethugs feel free to turn on the Dems at a moment's notice, but the Dems always remain loyal to the fuckers for their own twisted, selfish reasons. Occasionally, some self-aggrandizing windbag like Joe Biden will talk a good game, but it's only hot air and never amounts to anything.
With their record so far, the Democrats are making the British Tories look like a competent opposition party.
Well, I think it's something a bit different. I think that the Democratic Economic Establishment sees things in terms of GDP and productivity and profit and average income and all this other big macro lovely stuff.
It's a big huge set of blinders.
If you are the bringer of bad news you also made it happen according to the political rules of today. It is something that is rarely ever talked about but is implicit in every GOP action over the past dozen years. That is, it is all a matter of what you think of it.
Propaganda can save us from bad economies, fucked up military occupations, and vast corruption. It is the founding principle of Fox News. As long as we don't think there is a problem, then there is not a problem and anyone who tells differently is a traitor which deserves to be shot.
Karmakin: I'm not sure our views are conradictory. What you say is a big part of the problem, and, in my view, invariably occurs when you dehumanize and depoltiicize the operation of the economy
after all, when you start thinking about people and what will happen to them, things just get so messy
These days, it's ALL about the CYA politiking...
I don't think the parties are the same, or the dems are complicit, and I don't think it is just the leadership... I am seeing the same fight up and down the ladder. In our own state party the top blue crust is just set in their ways, unable to accept the changing world and still waiting somehow for things to get back to the way they were before. (sound familiar) they are not stupid, they are just afraid and clinging- it is some kind of political senile dementia, And It doesn't have to do with age, but with acceptance and time in the system as it is and has been- no realization that things might be changing...
Wengler makes a good point at 1:44.
Unless that Bushevik staffer was just pulling Ron Suskind's leg, the hard right literally believes that the "power of positive thinking" can override objective facts.
We are being [mis]ruled by fantasists.
"Only DFH traitors say there's an iceberg ahead. Real patriots trust in the Captain."
And that mighty roar you are hearing is the rest of the world laughing until they piss themselves. 
"We are being [mis]ruled by fantasists.
"Only DFH traitors say there's an iceberg ahead. Real patriots trust in the Captain."
And that mighty roar you are hearing is the rest of the world laughing until they piss themselves.
Goddamn...but that's well said.
Thanx, LM. 
If you are the bringer of bad news you also made it happen according to the political rules of today.
What he said. Exactly who gets the credit for saying 'oh, by the way, those interest-only mortgages that are letting people on $20k/year household net buy houses? they're fucked'?
In strict political terms, there's no upside to telling the American public that the shit's coming down.
It's the reason why Ken Pollack and Bill Kristol will never go hungry.
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