You have a real point about Phillips and religion. I think he is a more-or-less traditionalist Episcopalian and, a such, has utter distaste for "low church" anything. He doesn't "get" the Evangelical approach because , in a sense, he cannot get it. Sorta like trying to convince a polar bear to understand the worldview of a camel. Maybe not the best analogy in the world, but to make a point. Also, I think it is his sense of "fair and balanced." He hates the Democrats for one thing, this is his way to hate Republicans and feel that he is being upright and honest. Anyway, I didn't say he was perfect. But he is smart as hell and an Independent. Billy ======================================================== In a message dated 7/30/2010 9:18:29 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
I have a problem with his book "American Theocracy." We haven't gotten anywhere close to that. It belongs in the fiction section. David If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.--Mark Twain On 7/29/2010 3:56 PM, [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) wrote: "E" For my money, the best brains for the task are those of Kevin Phillips. And in ways he is a Radical Centrist. Phillips was a GOP strategist in the Nixon era, author of the very prescient "Emerging Republican Majority" of 1968, which was all about presidential politics, and basically called the next 25 years quite well But the mess of the Nixon years and general drift of the party disillusioned him He was an Anderson supporter in 76 and has remained an Indie ever since. His books, I have read several, take the approach you favor / that I think you favor. Very careful and a mix of hard criticism of both business and gvt, and obvious thankfulness for both at the same time. What appeals to me the most are his VERY well researched criticisms of the financial industry, which he says is the problem that matters most, far and away, since if that was under control we would not have the serious problems that always seem to burst on the scene just like hurricanes. He also puts most of the blame on the hollowing out of American industry on the world of finance, and was one of the few who ( in his case "approximately " ) saw the events of 2008 a couple of years ahead of time. Worth looking into ^2 Billy ======================================================= In a message dated 7/29/2010 1:09:24 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) writes: It is actually an interesting fight, where I have some sympathy (and scorn) for both sides. As you note, wild west capitalism isn't any prettier than regulatory uncertainty, and both sides love having the other to paint as "the real villain." What's truly tragic is there seem to be very few centrist voices willing to parcel out blame even-handedly... E On Jul 29, 2010, at 12:25 PM, [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) wrote: Democrats countercharge that the complaints from business leaders are overblown and misplaced. They argue Obama and his party made painful decisions to avert an economic catastrophe: bailing out the automakers, saving the banks without nationalizing them, and passing a massive stimulus package that they say wrenched the nation out of a tailspin. And they point as proof of their success to the performance of the private sector: second-quarter profits so far show big businesses are humming again, far outpacing analysts' estimates. That said, Democrats have made an attack on major industries an explicit part of their campaign message. The majority wants to make the election a choice between the two parties as opposed to what the GOP is pushing for -- a referendum on the party in power. To do that, since spring, party leaders have hammered on a contrast they hope will stick: Democrats stand up for Main Street, while the GOP champions Wall Street; Democrats are for patients and doctors, while the GOP is for insurance industry profits; Democrats want to protect small businesses in the Gulf, while the GOP protects the oil companies. Et cetera. -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community _<[email protected]>_ (mailto:[email protected]) Google Group: _http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism_ (http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism) Radical Centrism website and blog: _http://RadicalCentrism.org_ (http://radicalcentrism.org/) -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community _<[email protected]>_ (mailto:[email protected]) Google Group: _http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism_ (http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism) Radical Centrism website and blog: _http://RadicalCentrism.org_ (http://radicalcentrism.org/) -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: _http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism_ (http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism) Radical Centrism website and blog: _http://RadicalCentrism.org_ (http://radicalcentrism.org/) -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
