The Frankish Reich

Do you care to explain?

A dying breed - the centrist. Nice to have at least one around these parts. I voted for Gary Johnson too. But I live in a safe blue state so it was more about making my own tiny little point that I didn’t like either major candidate. Horseshoe theory again. The two extremes are merging!

If you're referring to the recent fiasco of the Libertarian Party convention, well, yes. I am glad that the so-called Left-Libertarian faction prevailed, since the Right-Libertarian side has sadly been overtaken by Trump-style nationalism. So I'm a small l libertarian.

Who will speak for the Picts? https://www.causewaycoastalroute.com/the-picts#:~:text=The native Britons%2C the Picts,Tara%2C Co.

On that one, I'm in the lower right quadrant. But more toward the center than the extremes. A guess that a moderate libertarian? Both tests strike me as useful. I like the WSJ one because I feel that what separates me most from a lot of other posters here - posters who may be ostensibly "libertarian" too - is the WSJ's pessimism/optimism axis. I have college age kids and I work with a number of Gen Z'ers, and I just see a generation coming up that is far more practical, far less identity-obsessed in general than the slightly older young adults. So I can't help but be optimistic. Me: Economic Left/Right: 2.0 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.36 So, @Tommy Callahan, are we mostly arguing at the margins? In other words, a whole lot more similar than different. Again, I ascribe that to the optimism/pessimism thing.

https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/election-2024-quiz-poll-ideology-7533f46b (by the way, that little "You?" dot on the tweet isn't me) I hope it works for those who aren't subscribers. Poli Sci talk: surveys identify 3 major cleavages in the American electorate: - views on the economy (basically "hands off" vs. more government intervention) - views on social issues (all that stuff the dominates the thread-creation industry here on PPP) - views on civic issues (a lot of these is really an optimism vs. pessimism about the future) Where I fall: "You are a libertarian. Libertarians share some traits with conservatives and some with liberals. They are economically conservative but socially left-leaning." That strikes me as a little bit shallow, but generally on target. Basically I am for less economic regulation in general (but I have come to recognize the need for some kind of health care safety net), more social freedom (but not as far as law enforcement/crime goes), and I'm generally very optimistic about the future. It kind of ignores your position on the U.S. role in global affairs, but I guess the idea is that that really doesn't serve as a powerful motivation for today's voters. I have a good idea about where many of you will fit on the spectrum (unfortunately, I can't find an easy way to paste where I am on the dot plot), but take the test and confirm or negate my priors ...

Now read the article and get back to me.

Well played. And yes, that would be really good advice for Hunter ...

I do find these things interesting, just in (as you said) a fun fact kind of way. But I also know that the nominal price of something really tells me nothing. I do agree that huge deficits are a problem. I think we started on the right path in the Clinton years, then quickly abandoned all common sense thereafter.

Thank you. I will now respect that God's teachings; I will turn the other cheek. Render onto Caesar what is Caesar's. Pay your damn taxes and go to church.

I'm slipping. Lack of quality control. I promise to do better. Glad you caught that yourself lest I think you're the kind of person who thinks "collaborate" and "corroborate" are the same word.

Markets up sharply on news of Hunter Biden conviction.

This sounds like a fine plan for our resident Trumpistas, you know, the people who worship the guy who lives in hotels and hasn't driven a car in at least half a century.

No, I don't think it is. But again: it's easy to focus on the margins - competitive adult athletes testing the limits of what it means to have a "women's" competition or league. By generally honoring Pride Month I don't necessarily subscribe to every part of a political agenda, any more than I subscribe to Nation of Islam philosophy just because they also march in the MLK parade.

Thanks for the warning. Sometimes those rainbow intersections pop up overnight. Oooh, you are responding to me again. So glad to see that. You might want to just scroll past those posts that quote me. Maybe you can ask SDS to see if he can include a new "ignore block quotes from certain posters" function. I'm afraid I triggered you again. Or is it just your perpetual state of High Dudgeon?

In other words, people were spoiled by the COVID money giveaways, the work-from-home schedules, etc. As economist Scott Sumner put it: There’s always a price to pay for unsustainable good times, and thus I expect the public’s mood to turn sour in the fall and winter, even as employment recovers—indeed because employment recovers. Someone has to do all those crappy jobs. That's the best explanation I've seen so far for why the economy is very strong by any objective measure, yet people say it's bad. It's been the shocking zap back into the ordinary sucky work world.

Can I just drink a gay beer instead? There seem to be a lot of them now.

Wouldn't the timing suggest that Armenia thinks Russia is particularly weak at this moment (being engaged in their stupid war in Ukraine) and that they seized the opportunity to assert more independence?

Yes, some of Hunter's deals. And absolutely Hunter is a scumbag and a disgrace to America. But that smoking gun type evidence of Joe Biden probably profiting from Hunter's deals? That was all 2017 and 2018.

Think about honoring and even celebrating the progress we have made in America, and the role of all of us regardless of sex/gender in making that happen. I don't see the need to honor and celebrate every black American, but Black History Month is still important.

When he was a private citizen. Just like the other guy.

He just posted exactly the same thing. Now he posts it again, copy/pasting from the embedded tweet. My point was that it was a stupid waste of time that has more to do with JD Vance running to be Trump's VP than with anything else. Which he doesn't refute. Such is the nature of the discourse with a fool. Oh, and don't forget:

3.4% YOY now. The Fed decided some time ago, based on really nothing, that it would target 2 percent. Inflation rates during some notable boom times: Reagan years: 1983: 3.8 1984 (the famous landslide Reagan win): 3.9 Clinton years: 1994: 2.7 1995: 2.5 1996 (Clinton easily reelected): 3.3

There's nothing like running for Vice President in America. It'll make you brag about shooting your puppy. It'll make you kowtow to a creep you once thought was utterly unqualified. It'll make you propose waste of time legislation that won't get anywhere other than on one of your press releases.

I'll give YOU till the end of the month to recognize the difference between respecting people regardless of sex/gender and endorsing absolutely every decision of people who are not in your situation.