Comments on: Holman Jenkins: “lost decade” or lost mind? http://www.wordyard.com/2008/12/26/holman-jenkins-lost-decade-or-lost-mind/ Technology, politics, culture Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:24:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Scott Carpenter http://www.wordyard.com/2008/12/26/holman-jenkins-lost-decade-or-lost-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-6248 Scott Carpenter Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:15:56 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1750#comment-6248 <i>'Don’t</i> ever <i>sully your analysis by asking how it was that your business-driven prosperity “blew up” in the first place.'</i> I thought the reason for the blow-up was obvious. Anti-business liberal elites and the liberal media did this. Somehow. (Maybe because of welfare? And unfairly making Bush look like an unrepentant dunderhead, thereby undercutting his brilliant policies?) The <i>only</i> way we can prove that the Republican party has all the answers is if we give them complete, unrestrained power for a period of say, 10 years. Maybe 20 to be sure. Imagine the prosperity then! ‘Don’t ever sully your analysis by asking how it was that your business-driven prosperity “blew up” in the first place.’

I thought the reason for the blow-up was obvious. Anti-business liberal elites and the liberal media did this. Somehow. (Maybe because of welfare? And unfairly making Bush look like an unrepentant dunderhead, thereby undercutting his brilliant policies?) The only way we can prove that the Republican party has all the answers is if we give them complete, unrestrained power for a period of say, 10 years. Maybe 20 to be sure. Imagine the prosperity then!

]]> By: Carlos http://www.wordyard.com/2008/12/26/holman-jenkins-lost-decade-or-lost-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-6201 Carlos Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:43:17 +0000 http://www.wordyard.com/?p=1750#comment-6201 If there is one thing that defines the right-wing mentality, it is faith. They believe what they believe regardless of any and all evidence to the contrary. This applies equally to their economic beliefs as to their religious beliefs. Even though it seems that every conservative administration ends in economic disaster, even though prosperity withers when their policies are followed, their faith in their policies are unshaken and unshakable. The unfortunate thing is that the faith conservatives put into their ideas means that they spout them very convincingly, and their unwavering commitment can look strong and resolute. The more nuanced, evidence-based approach can look weak and vacillating in contrast. "It depends" is the correct answer in the vast majority of situations, but it is emotionally unsatisfying. The challenge for people who care about the health of the country is to develop the rhetorical tools to show these ideas for the frauds they are, to find a way to permanently commit them to the trashbin of history. If there is one thing that defines the right-wing mentality, it is faith. They believe what they believe regardless of any and all evidence to the contrary. This applies equally to their economic beliefs as to their religious beliefs. Even though it seems that every conservative administration ends in economic disaster, even though prosperity withers when their policies are followed, their faith in their policies are unshaken and unshakable.

The unfortunate thing is that the faith conservatives put into their ideas means that they spout them very convincingly, and their unwavering commitment can look strong and resolute. The more nuanced, evidence-based approach can look weak and vacillating in contrast. “It depends” is the correct answer in the vast majority of situations, but it is emotionally unsatisfying. The challenge for people who care about the health of the country is to develop the rhetorical tools to show these ideas for the frauds they are, to find a way to permanently commit them to the trashbin of history.

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