The greed during the Reagan years was a better form of greed than what we see today

[Stinky The Clown]

My recollection is that more than a few middle class people were able to directly participate in the orgy at the trough and personally benefited. Unlike today when only the very rich are getting richer; it skipped right over those middle class who made it to millionaire status.

The only consistency has been the utter disdain with which those at the bottom have been met.

[RainDog]

1. bullshit. he gutted unions, talked up tax cuts, made it "reasonable" to be an asshole

Reagan was the beginning of the end of reasonable discourse in American politics, as far as economics was concerned. he is responsible for arming the taliban. he is responsible for GUTTING environmental protections.

His administration was horrible. the only thing he did that was decent was to raise taxes on the rich (while pretending he wasn't because that showed all his rhetoric was nothing but lies.

Reagan was a piece of shit on a plate for blue collar America. They ate it up.

[madokie]

3. And the last few years he didn't even know what was going on

reagan was only a mouthpiece for the powers to be which were some of the same people in the bush1 and 2 cabinets. dick the cheney is the dark one of the bunch and he had been working toward where he got to in '00 since his days with the nixon wh.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Man, talk about missing the point

The comparison may have been a bridge too far for you ...... sigh.

Okay, here's the joke's punchline explanation:

These days, the only beneficiaries of greed are the uber rich and the uber connected ....... banksters, insurance company execs, etc. No little guys.

The point is, we are becoming MORE distant from the top than ever.

But you go ahead ..... lecture me about how bad St Ronnie was .... as if I don't know.

[RainDog]

9. I am pissed off. sometimes it's hard to find the humor in horror

pardon me.

however, your idea that "trickle down" did anything other than piss on people is still wrong.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Where did I say anything good about trickle down?

The entire post was irony. Did it *really* need a :sarcasm: thingie?


Okay ..... I dunno why I'm bothering, but maybe this will help you:

There was not one word of literal seriousness in the post. Although all of it was intended as metaphorical truth.

[RainDog]

12. what's the metaphorical truth in your post?

please illuminate my mind.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. No .... its too closed

Just forget it.

Kerist, you act as if you're thicker than a fucking post.

Patience, Grasshopper. Soon Miyagi will enlighten you. But not until you have demonstrated your readiness.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TYtL3iq-5_8/SFlvyzNxULI/AAAAAAAABS8/0HxIf8VEOY8/s320/mr+miyagi.jpg

[RainDog]

17. you really have no point to make, grasshopper n/t

[C_Lawyer09]

20. Then, let me pose this question to you, rocket scientist

What is the engine that has driven and is driving third world economies into the second world? I will respond this evening if you are drawing a blank. There is nothing inherently wrong with supply side economics. I say this, because it is not the free market which is allowing egregious differences between worker and CEO salaries, from 40x to 574x in a period of thirty years. For example, it is not the fault of supply side(trickle down)economics, that we are missing 100b worth of corporate revenue annually. It also isn't indicative of why our current tax code punishes the lower-middle class, while providing huge loop holes to corporations. One overlooked problem is that a powerful government doesn't equal an efficient government. 22-24k per Cash for Clunkers vehicle? Putting off debt, or shifting solvency doesn't make economic sense. Let me finish with this question. Is it possible for the government to explain specifically where tax dollars go? In other words, can you(or anybody)say that your tax dollars paid for a drone aircraft that killed some Afghan villagers? If you answer no, would you concede there is a systemic problem?

[C_Lawyer09]

6. You need to stop bloviating and take a History Lesson break

Rather than incessantly blather about the evils of one human being, it might be helpful to step back for a moment and figure out whom and what entities were the catalyst for the mortgage backed securities tornado. Now, while lowering of interest rates was key to the explosion, the "I want lots of something, for little or nothing" mentality that had become what investors, and traders at places like Bear-Stearns and Goldman-Sucks were expecting. Doing business in the established pattern for reasonable profit had become de' classe. Standard and Poor, and other ratings agencies just poured legitimacy and fuel on the fire when they stamped the securities with A plus ratings, thereby showing the not far from junk bond investments as safe. I've noticed several on du have a problem with figuring out complexities without conveniently pulling out the blame thrower and finding a convenient whipping boy. Let me finish by illuminating you in regard to current foreign policy and its basis. "The Containment Doctrine" put forth by Carter NSA, Zbigniew Brzezinski. Gutting EPA, and union protections, as well as cutting funds to Department of the Interior, and Environmental Protection Agency, now that was all Reagan. Classifying ketchup as a vegetable....

[RainDog]

11. the s&l changes were the product of republicans in the 1980s

and that set the stage for the current financial mess. I well remember a BANKER talking to me about how those changes were going to create financial havoc and, oops, it certainly did, with republicans being the beneficiary of a tax bailout by Americans who work for their money.

the repeal of the G-S was part of Clinton's giveaway to republicans.

so, there's more than enough blame to go around, but, yes, Reagan was a shit stain on the ass of America.

[Stinky The Clown]

19. Wow ... you actually understand

So maybe your blathering on with your chin stuck out and the chip on your shoulder is aimed at me personally?

Ya think, Rainy?

[lapfog_1]

2. The dot-com boom

was a trigger. The old "upper class" (built on empires of media, energy, retail, etc) just hated the silicon valley nerds cashing in millions and billions. Those nerds weren't from the "right" families, didn't belong to the "right" fraternities and attend the "right" universities. They hated them. And they were jealous. Insanely jealous.

Hence the Enron scheme to extort billions from California by manipulating the energy supply.

[MNDemNY]

4. Yes, that was a flaw back then, but it has been fixed, now.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. It sure as shit has.

[treestar]

8. OMG, you may succeed in turning me into a Republican

What "orgy at the trough?" You are as bad as a Repuke just in reverse. Some people do some work for their money. The middle class works for what they get. Even the rich might do some work! Or do something to organize things so there is work for others!

You're just handing the repukes their talking points. Giving them proof they are right.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. You made snot run out of my nose

The greed during the Reagan years was far more egalitarian than it is today.

Where did I say no one works for their money?

Do you WANT to fight? Cuz manufacturing things to be outraged about is so unnecessary these days; there's lots of REAL shit about which to be outraged.

:eyes:

[treestar]

14. It's not always greed

Now the middle class isn't greedy enough?

As if all resources are just there, and the rich are taking too much and used to share it with the middle class.

No, it's action, ideas, work, etc.

[RainDog]

16. maybe the whole point is that people think you're full of shit

to claim that Reagan helped the middle class is to ignore the economic trajectory of his administration.

as I noted above, Reagan LIED about his tax cut policy while he was FORCED to raise taxes because republican economic policies are bullshit. they were then and they are now.

when his economic guy, Stockman, came out with a book that noted the whole point of Reagan's economic policies were to bankrupt the govt, maybe you were otherwise occupied.

the greed was not more egalitarian. instead, the internets did not have the range they do today to illustrate the negative economic effects of his policies.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. I didn't claim that reagan helped the middle class

I **am** saying that mindless followers like YOU do.