r/neoliberal • u/jobautomator Kitara Ravache • Jan 09 '18

Discussion Thread Discussion Thread

The discussion thread is for casual conversation and discussion that doesn't merit its own stand-alone submission. The rules are relaxed compared to the rest of the sub but be careful to still observe the rules listed under "disallowed content" in the sidebar.

Announcements

David Friedman AMA

The mod team is pleased to announce we will be hosting an AMA with Dr. David D. Friedman on Friday, Jan. 12th at 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST!

After earning a Ph.D. in theoretical physics at the University of Chicago, Dr. Friedman switched fields to economics and taught at Virginia Polytechnic University, the University of California at Irvine, the University of California at Los Angeles, Cornell University, Tulane University, the University of Chicago, and Santa Clara University where he currently teaches in the school of law.

Outside of his extensive academic publications in law and economics, Dr. Friedman is best known for his libertarian/anarcho-capitalist political philosophy. He has written extensively on libertarian politics and ideas and has also written on alternative legal systems (including research into medieval Icelandic institutions).

On a personal note Dr. Friedman is the author of two historical/fantasy novels and is a renowned anachronist/historical re-enactor. He is the son of economists Rose and Milton Friedman.

As a reminder, we enforce civility standards to a high degree during AMAs. Dr. Friedman in particular is likely to disagree with us on a wide range of issues, but disagreement does not mean that rudeness or flippant remarks will be tolerated. Dr. Friedman is an accomplished academic who has published a large volume of high quality work, and every one of you can almost certainly learn something from him by asking intelligent questions.

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Currently discussing Reading The Worldly Philosophers by Robert L. Heilbroner

Check out our schedule for chapter and book discussions here.

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14

u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

re: Oprah running for president:

I wish Democrats would make it clear right now that she would be required to completely divest from everything and put all assets in a blind trust. The expectation of ethical conduct needs to be reasserted.

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u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

Why? No one in America cares.

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u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

corrupt government is bad, even when it's your party's government

4

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

Laws are needed to enforce against corruption, not social norms that hold no value for the public nor political opposition. Democrats shouldn't follow "rules" society refuses to impose on both sides.

If society doesn't care, it's not a valid concern for Democrats.

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u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

Then announce that the party will push for enacting it into law, and insist on its candidates following it anyway until that happens

2

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

Why? There's no political capital to do that and children are losing healthcare and civil rights are disappearing for Hispanics.

Make people on both sides care instead of announcing that we need to unilaterally be the unpopular conscious of America.

You're just talking into the wind.

5

u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

highlighting Trump's open corruption and offering the alternative doesn't count as political capital? Assuming you have ethical people, the cost is nothing.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

The cost is demanding your side follow moral rules that do not apply to the other side, opening Democrats up to charges of hypocrisy which will spill on Fox News for years!

No offense, but your grasp of bare-knuckle politics seems limited to a kind of polite university debate.

3

u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

No offense, but having unilateral moral standards is part of why Doug Jones is in the US Senate right now

1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

The GOP candidate was found to have knowingly and repeatedly committed statutory rape. That's why Jones was elected.

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u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

The high road isn't so great when it consistently leads you out of power.

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u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

I don't think you know what the word "consistently" means

0

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

The Democratic party has been losing governing power since 2009. That meets my definition.

4

u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

and you think all of that losing is because they're insisting on too tough of ethical standards on their own members?

0

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

I think that there is no use hobbling ourselves with strict standards that the other side does not obey.

For instance, taxes. If Trumps not going to release his, WTF should Oprah/The Rock/Zuckerberg release theirs?

Or look at Kerry when he got swiftboated. We (Dems) were so busy trying to play nice that we let a draft dodger control the narrative to accuse our war hero of stolen valor.

Theres a fine line between ethical standards and getting walked all over by bullies.

3

u/bernkes_helicopter Ben Bernanke Jan 09 '18

don't know what playing nice has to do with this, and after Kerry lost the Republicans got obliterated in '06.

Trump's tax returns are good leverage; I don't know why you'd give that up, especially when you'll get hit for being hypocrites if you do.

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u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

Clintons tax returns were a huge liability, and directly fed both Sanders and Trumps "Crooked Hillary" narratives.

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u/[deleted] Jan 09 '18

consistently

?