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1 researchok  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 3:41:23pm

This is a must see, irrespective of political POV.

I hope CJ front pages this.

First time I've ever proposed that.

2 researchok  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 4:00:21pm

He does excoriate both parties- rationally.

3 wrenchwench  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 4:39:26pm

The term 'Ivory tower' springs to mind. He wants Obama to be defeated so the Democratic Party will move far to the left. He says it is worth the risk of military interventionism. I say it is NOT worth the risk of abortion becoming illegal, of children starving, and of Greece-level austerity and suicide for the former middle class. I think he's crazy to believe that defeating Obama is the way to turn this country farther to the left. It reminds me of people who disparage FDR for 'saving capitalism' with his New Deal programs. They would have preferred increased suffering in order to usher in socialism in America. First of all, making things worse never guarantees that things will go the way you want as a result. Secondly, it is immoral to increase suffering in a population based on that belief.

Mr. Been-at-Harvard-since-1976 will not suffer no matter which way the election goes.

4 researchok  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 4:48:11pm

re: #3 wrenchwench

He also talks about democratizing Wall St and the institutions, greater access to capital and more serious regulations.

I agree he's a genuine deal liberal, but I see him as the classical liberal variety.

5 wrenchwench  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 4:54:27pm

re: #4 researchok

He also talks about democratizing Wall St and the institutions, greater access to capital and more serious regulations.

I agree he's a genuine deal liberal, but I see him as the classical liberal variety.

I think he's a lot farther to the left than you realize.

He talks about a lot of things, many or most of them sound good, until you get to the part where he thinks we can more easily achieve those things by defeating Obama. That's where he sounds like a crazy radical.

6 researchok  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 5:36:38pm

re: #5 wrenchwench

Clearly, he has an agenda.

What surprised me was how much I actually agreed with.

Maybe I'm a closeted progressive/

//

Naw.

7 Bill Nye: People Magazine 'Sexiest Man Alive'  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 6:03:12pm

re: #6 researchok

Yes you are Research..yes you are. Take my hand and join me. ;)

8 researchok  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 6:23:11pm

re: #7 Condescending Snotty Jaun Williams Elitist

Hypnosis?

9 watching you tiny alien kittens are  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 6:46:33pm

Uhh... isn't Obama only a President? I mean the last I checked he wasn't a king or an emperor. Ivory tower "pie-in-the-sky" bullshit indeed, "Obama has sold out all of his ideals because he was unable to singlehandedly transform this country into a socialist utopia in three years...wahhh!"

WTF is this crap besides idealism raised to the level of delusionally inspired wishful thinking?

10 gwangung  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 6:51:39pm

Problem is...he's not very good at gaming out the potential outcomes. Gets fixated on his end goals and blithely assumes things will go that way without much effort and trouble.

You know who's good at gaming out potential outcomes? The better politicians. Like...Obama.

Hm.

11 Origuy  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 8:02:17pm

I believe he has dual US-Brazilian citizenship. He's run for president of Brazil twice. Maybe he was hoping for a position in the Obama administration?

12 aagcobb  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 9:20:31pm

re: #9 Tiny Alien Kitties are Watching You

Uhh... isn't Obama only a President? I mean the last I checked he wasn't a king or an emperor. Ivory tower "pie-in-the-sky" bullshit indeed, "Obama has sold out all of his ideals because he was unable to singlehandedly transform this country into a socialist utopia in three years...wahhh!"

WTF is this crap besides idealism raised to the level of delusionally inspired wishful thinking?

People like him voted for Nader in 2000 and gave us eight years of Dubya.

13 Tommy B  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 9:24:18pm

I agree with his ideals and many of criticisms of Obama, but as a strategist, this Unger guy is terrible. He seems to think that a progressive revolt against the Democratic party will lead to a leftward policy shift. Problem is, he provides no evidence or argument to support this contention.

Honestly, if "progressive" voters stayed home or voted third party, the likely outcome would be:
1) America has at least four years of a Romney presidency - including a probable minimum of two years with a compliant Republican House and Senate. They legislate, and fill any Supreme Court vacancies that arise, so as to entrench their own institutional political advantage.
2) The Democrats respond to this new environment (which will likely be friendly to Wall Street, oil drilling and military contractors but unfriendly to the financial interests of the average American) by courting more donations from the aforementioned moneyed interests so as to adequately finance their campaigns. The Democrats already do this to some extent, and the Citizens United decision has already placed additional incentives on them to go further down this path. There's no reason to think that they'd change their ways under a Romney presidency.
3) Unger and his fellow geniuses throw their hands up in exasperation, and spend the rest of their lives declaring that they tried, dammit, but they were stabbed in the back by Obama. Meanwhile, the right wing and moneyed interests cement their dominance over the American political sphere.

I don't really see how Unger's proposal is different to those who wanted to torpedo Hubert Humphrey in 1968, and ended up setting the stage for forty years of right-wing control in Washington.

14 Tommy B  Sun, Jun 17, 2012 9:30:56pm

Same statement, but shorter:
This dude is thinking like an Underpants Gnome.

1. Defeat Obama.
2. ?????
3. Profit!


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