From: curt@ekhadafi.austin.ibm.com (Curt Finch 903 2F021 curt@aixwiz.austin.ibm.com 512-838-2806)
Newsgroups: austin.politics
Subject: Re: Investment or Consumption?  Which helps the economy more?
Keywords: Bush's proposal
Date: 2 Oct 92 14:29:27 GMT
Distribution: austin
Organization: IBM AWD, Austin

Response from John Strong:
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That was pretty funny. Here's a conciliatory response (Why not?)
Please post it for me.

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% >= Investment is worthless without consumer spending.  (What am I investing
% >= in, after all?  I'm investing in a company's ability to sell products
% >= and services.)  But, as I said above, I was talking about a quick jolt
% >= to the economy, and I believe consumer spending is the way to achieve
% >= that.
% >
% >Boy this sure is smart!  Reminds me of Lyndon Larouche's philosophy,
% >that insane facist goofball that - thank God - is in prison somewhere
% >right this moment (he was just *too* smart - the evil authorities had
% >to put him in jail before he "reformed" the system).  Mr. Larouche
% >believes that there are no intrinsic limits to economic growth
% >whatsoever: just evil bankers deliberately holding us back for
% >unspecified reasons.  The *only* problem, according to Lyndon, is that
% >people just don't *spend* enough.  My God! How simple!  All we need to
% >do is increase our ravenous greed for more conspicuous consumption, and
% >*presto!* wealth is created out of thin air!  The quaint notion that
% >there are limits to the growth of an economy and stimulus beyond those
% >limits creates *extremely* destructive inflation is just another
% >bankers' lie.  You know, I'm so so thankful that there are so many many
% >geniuses in the world like Lyndon who aren't in league with the evil
% >banker-capitalist conspiracy. I feel so much safer.
% 
% John,
% 
% I read this and first thought that you were trying to argue w/Charlie's
% contention that investment is useless w/o consumer spending.  I had to
% read it again to realize that you were trying to make a completely
% different point.  John, what was the point of this entire article?  Was
% it to communicate, educate, perhaps persuade?  Or was it an excuse to
% show the world what a high and mighty man of education and wisdom you
% are?  If your intent was to communicate, then next time lay off the
% sarcasm - you don't do it very well.  If you intended to display your
% education and wisdom, well, it didn't work either.

Brendan, I am sorry that I annoyed you. Just think: here I am, ridden
with insecurities, desperately trying to win peoples' approval by vain
(and vane) attempts to prove that I am high, mighty, and educated, and
you come along and expose my motives!! :-) Caught me, you rascal you!
Well, self-knowledge is good for the soul. I'll add this list of crimes
to some of my other failings (I'm a terrible tight-wad, for instance).

Brendan, I think you're overreacting. There are some things that are
simply beneath argument, and on such occasions humor is in order. Now,
I hasten to add that it is important not to lose sight of the fact that
one's opponent is a human being. I don't want to *glory* in the humiliation
of my ennemies. But I do like to glory in the demolition of illogic and
foolishness (maintaining concern for the dignity of the person). Perhaps
my remarks showed contempt for my opponent and not just his ideas. Even
though you didn't say so explicitly, I sense that perhaps that accounts
for your annoyance. If so, then I make note of your comments (really!)
and will attempt to internalize them. Here's a proverb for you:

	A rebuke impresses a man of discernment
	More than a hundred lashes a fool.

On the *other* hand, if you *agree* with Mr. Richter's idea that by
buying stock in Texaco one doesn't affect the price of the stock, or
that Texaco (and the economy) doesn't benefit, then I have no sympathy
at all with your hurt feelings, because in that case your sense of
injury comes from not being able to separate your ego from your ideas.
If by assaulting foolish ideas I have wounded your ego, then I have
done you a service, because an ego investment in ideas like that is
a pretty bad (and unhealthy) investment.

% Wouldn't it have been much simpler to say point blank, "This won't work
% because I believe that the U.S. economy has reached a limit and no
% matter what we do, we're stuck. etc..."  Then you could explain why you
% thought that we had reached a limit.  So much simpler and you wouldn't
% be making such a fool of yourself in the bargain.  You might even find
% that other's agree w/you.

Good point. I didn't explain too much, did I? This fool's hat is off
to you.

% Brendan
% -- 
% Brendan B. Boerner		Phone: 512/346-8380
% Internet: bboerner@novell.com	MHS: bboerner@novell
% Please use ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ if replying by mail.



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Above was all from John Strong



-- 
--
curt@aixwiz.austin.ibm.com (Curt L. Finch) | AIX NFS/NIS Field Quality 
My views are unrelated to those of IBM     |        Austin, TX
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