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A Fancy 400 lbs
Jul 24, 2008
"The talk" is the weird e-mails from families of the pre-internet age. My parents basically just told me "Ask us if you have any questions" and handed me a box of condoms when I turned 14 IIRC. They're pretty chill.

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downout
Jul 6, 2009

niggerstink420 posted:

This is the thread for sharing personal experiences re: birds & bees.

I don't mind reading it, it's something I'll have to do someday for my own children, so any examples, failures or successes, are great to work from.

Nenonen
Oct 22, 2009

Mulla on aina kolkyt donaa taskussa

Nevvy Z posted:

What were you saying?

I mean that '5% of baby' is not very much overall, we just tend to assume that the more advanced contraception methods are fool proof. There's always a bit of a risk of pregnancy, even vasectomy can fail. If you want a guaranteed 0% of baby, get anal/oral. :a2m:

Guilty
May 3, 2003
Ask me about how people having a bad reaction to MSG makes them racist, because I've never heard of gluten sensitivity

Nenonen posted:

I mean that '5% of baby' is not very much overall, we just tend to assume that the more advanced contraception methods are fool proof. There's always a bit of a risk of pregnancy, even vasectomy can fail. If you want a guaranteed 0% of baby, get anal/oral. :a2m:

Obviously you've never had a food baby

Olanphonia
Jul 27, 2006

I'm open to suggestions~
Someone in the Political Cartoons thread posted this from his facebook news feed:



Yep.

Deuce
Jun 18, 2004
Mile High Club

Olanphonia posted:

Someone in the Political Cartoons thread posted this from his facebook news feed:



Yep.

*Not racist

Johnny Cache Hit
Oct 17, 2011
Just saw this one pop up on my news feed:



Thankfully it was reposed by a friend who proceeded to skewer it, so that was nice.

But still, :stare:

Orange Devil
Oct 1, 2010

Wullie's reign cannae smother the flames o' equality!
If Hitler gets that symbol, why doesn't Stalin get that other well known symbol, or Mussolini that much lesser known but still really quite important symbol?

babies havin rabies
Feb 24, 2006

Yeah, the swastika never meant anything to anybody, ever, before Nazi Germany.

Armyman25
Sep 6, 2005
What about Jesus and that whole cross thing?

myron cope
Apr 21, 2009

What about Prince

Orange Devil
Oct 1, 2010

Wullie's reign cannae smother the flames o' equality!
What about royal seals?

babies havin rabies
Feb 24, 2006

Don't forget the Pope!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Pope_Benedict_XVI

Dancingthroughlife
Dec 15, 2009

Will dance for cupcakes
Sigh. I asked my dad not to send me any racist junk about Obama, which thankfully saves me from about 90% of the the republican's propaganda.

What can I do about this one?
Harry Reid and the Democrats are at it again.

Despite the fact that the dangerous Stop Online Piracy (SOPA) and Protect IP Acts (PIPA) were shelved after facing vehement opposition from the American people, Congress continues to look for ways to TAX, REGULATE AND CONTROL YOUR INTERNET ACTIVITY !

Reid is pushing a super-secret cybersecurity bill straight to the Senate floor for a vote, ignoring Republicans who have asked for the opportunity to debate and markup the legislation. Reid's bill will put internet service providers and private networks under the control of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). And, if they can control it, they can tax it .

Democratics claim they have been working on cybersecurity legislation for several years...AND THEY HAVE. That, in fact, is the problem here . They told reporters Reid's cybersecurity bill "brings together a number of other bills that have already been through the committee process."

We wonder if that includes SOPA, and PIPA, two horrible pieces of legislation that were vehemently opposed by the public? Or, does it include other bills drafted behind closed doors that we know nothing about?

As with Obamacare, we may not know exactly what is in the bill until it is passed. (And, that is presumably the way Reid wants it!)

The Internet is under attack. Help save our First and Fourth Amendment rights! Please send your personalized fax to Congress right now and join the fight for internet freedom. Your voices of opposition were successful in forcing Congress to put SOPA and PIPA on hold; let's stop Harry Reid's push for his intrusive cybersecurity bill, H.R. 1981, and any attempt at internet control and taxation. YOU CAN SAVE THE INTERNET FROM ANY AND ALL GOVERNMENT CONTROL...make your voice heard now with your personalized fax!

A coalition of media advocacy groups has warned that the bill would "create unnecessary, overbroad and unwise limitations to access of information, including broad exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and jeopardize the rights of whistleblowers."

It will allow the government more secrecy, and we know that Reid's bill gives the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND CONTROL over private companies with computer systems "crucial" to national security, both physical and economic. It places more regulatory burdens on these companies, whoever the government decides they are, and it increases information sharing with the government.

Early versions of this bill gave President Obama kill-switch powers during an emergency...just like Egyptian President Mubarak exercised during the uprising last year. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), a sponsor of Reid's bill, claims that language was removed ... but we will never know, because this new version is shrouded in secrecy and they are not willing to put it on the table for hearings and markups.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, "Rather than rush into a massive bill that could have unintended consequences and may not address the problems it is supposed to, the American people would be better served by holding hearings and a markup so that members of both parties can make informed decisions about cybersecurity legislation."
Be warned, America: Barack Obama is no friend of freedom. He and his liberal buddies ARE COMING FOR US ONLINE ... so it's up to you and me, right now, to stop any and all attempts at internet data collection, censorship, monitoring and taxes.

The Internet is under attack. Help save your First and Fourth Amendment rights! Please send your personalized fax to Congress right now and join the fight for internet freedom. Your voices of opposition were successful in forcing Congress to put SOPA and PIPA on hold; let's stop Harry Reid's push for his intrusive cybersecurity bill, H.R. 1981, and any attempt at internet control and taxation. YOU CAN SAVE THE INTERNET FROM ANY AND ALL GOVERNMENT CONTROL...make your voice heard now with your personalized fax!

Government control and censorship of your online activities is still an idea that is very much alive in Congress ... and Harry Reid is its newest champion!
Ever since Obama took office, we've been fighting for internet freedom. The government is intent on getting control of the World Wide Web:


• They tried Net Neutrality, ultimately gaining the right to an internet "kill-switch," even though three federal judges told them it was unconstitutional;
• The FCC has worked diligently to increase regulations on internet activity and its members are openly hostile to First Amendment rights;
• SOPA and PIPA, which would have caused sweeping devastation to legitimate websites, were days away from passage when they were finally shelved due to overwhelming opposition from the American people ... however, Harry Reid is likely to bring back these bills by hiding them in his new cybersecurity legislation;
• H.R. 1981, one of the newest pieces of internet legislation to be debated, is a huge threat to our privacy. Under the auspices of protecting our children from pornography, it is simply a cleverly-disguised way to force online service providers to spy on your online activities and provide that information to the government . H.R. 1981 is all about data retention. It requires Internet service providers to keep DETAILED RECORDS OF your internet activity, your name, address, bank account numbers and credit card numbers.
• Recently, the United Nations announced they are looking to impose a WORLD TAX on internet users, especially on financial transactions. It is unclear how far this idea will go, but you can rest assured a plan such as this would make Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and other Democrats VERY happy!

This is an URGENT CALL TO ACTION. We fought Net Neutrality, and we fought SOPA and PIPA. We are now continuing our campaign to send thousands and thousands of faxes to Congress, urging them to OPPOSE Reid's secret cybersecurity bill, H.R. 1981, a United Nations World Tax, and any other legislation that threatens internet freedom. Help us flood Congress with your personalized faxes and tell them to protect our First and Fourth Amendments and protect free speech and free enterprise in America. Send your message to Congress right now!

If America undergoes a cyberattack, there are measures in place to protect utilities and financial institutions...Reid's latest push for regulation would include Internet service providers and PRIVATE networks ... who exactly that would be remains to be seen. The government will decide, of course.

Who will Reid and Obama decide to shut down, in the name of "national security?"

It seems like a backdoor way to get control of the internet , and a way to get SOPA language past the American people. And again...if the Democrats take government control of the Internet, they can tax it. The Internet is not a utility, like an electric company or a water company. It is an open forum of ideas and information, and so far it is off-limits to the big taxes and oppressive regulations of the Left.

But, if Harry Reid and Barack Obama get their way, it will no longer be free. Government control over private industry ... this is what Obama's entire administration has been about.

Barack Obama must be salivating at the potential control his administration could gain over your online activities, especially in an election year.

Everything you do online ... reading political blogs, checking your bank statements, purchasing products, signing up for the latest coupon offer ... everything you do online will be captured by your service provider and given to the U.S. government.

Everything you do online ... is a potentially taxable opportunity.

Everything you do online can be regulated and controlled by Obama and his big government idealogues ...

... Unless concerned voters like you continue this fight to protect freedom. It's clear: THEY AREN'T GOING TO BACK DOWN unless We, the People give them no other choice!

Help save your First and Fourth Amendment rights! Please send your personalized fax to Congress right now and join the fight for internet freedom. Your voices of opposition were successful in forcing Congress to put SOPA and PIPA on hold; let's stop Harry Reid's push for his intrusive cybersecurity bill, H.R. 1981, and any attempt at internet control and taxation. YOU CAN SAVE THE INTERNET FROM ANY AND ALL GOVERNMENT CONTROL...make your voice heard now with your personalized fax!

Nevermind the problems with Obama's campaign having access to your personal information...IMAGINE how unsafe it will be to have all your critical data - including financial information - housed in one big government database. If a hacker managed to get into this goldmine your identity and your security would be destroyed.

This is how well our bureaucrats have protected information since June of last year:


• The United States Senate was hacked at least twice
• The FBI was hacked more than once
• The CIA was hit with a distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack
• And the big one, of course, was the Wikileaks scandal

These are the same agencies who want to be able to control YOUR data and protect YOU from a cyberattack .

Do we really want the government monitoring what we do online? Do we want them to have access to our most personal information? Do we want them spying on law-abiding citizens in the name of "protecting" us? Do we want them TAXING our online activities? Do we want them to have the ability to SHUT DOWN THE INTERNET?

Of course not! Let's put a stop to this madness right now. Send your personalized faxes to Congress and tell them to keep their hands off the Internet and demand they preserve our First and Fourth Amendment freedoms!

If Obama has his way, THE GOVERNMENT will have control over your Internet identity, control over the Internet itself, AND CONTROL over the way you access it. They can use this control for whatever purposes suit them .

...and a myriad of NEW INTERNET TAXES will suit them perfectly as they struggle to fund their socialist agenda!

Every citizen in America should be involved in this fight. We cannot allow our freedoms to vanish under this administration.

Don't let Harry Reid get away with shoving more bad legislation down our throats ... legislation that has been drafted in secrecy and quickly put up for vote without Republican input!

All of these regulations relating to your internet activity are part of a larger effort by the Obama administration to exert power and speech restrictions over the entirety of the Internet, what you can see when you are on it, and how you access it.

The assault on the internet is all part of Obama's culture of control . We absolutely must protest this, or we will wake up one day to find our freedoms completely eroded and we will not be able to get them back.




Thank you for helping to save the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Conservative Action Alerts
https://www.conservativeactionalerts.com

It is imperative that we fight the forces of a police state and keep the Internet free from government control! If any of these freedom-killing initiatives pass, they will open up a host of new regulations for the internet and endanger our free speech rights. JOIN this fight for freedom and FAX CONGRESS NOW and tell them to stand up for our First and Fourth Amendment rights!

You can also CLICK HERE to send a FREE message directly to YOUR U.S. Representative and Senators!

Conservative Action Alerts (CAA) is a media outlet protected by the first amendment and that support for our efforts is not tax-deductible. Diener Consultants, Inc., 17388 Nature Walk Trail, Suite No. 301, Parker, CO 80134

-------------------------------------------------------------

My dad gets all his info from Fox News and Paul Harvey. He rants about Obama and the gas prices and when I confront him about it with facts about Obama and the gas prices (like US oil production has gone up every year Obama's been office) he just sputters and claims that they're all liars. But he refuses to see that voting for Obama is the lesser evil. Sorry about the e/n stuff, what can I do about this email in particular.

angrytech
Jun 26, 2009
Point out that Republicans pushed through the Patriot Act when they had a majority, which does a lot more to destroy privacy online than SOPA would have.

babies havin rabies
Feb 24, 2006

Dancingthroughlife posted:

what can I do about this email in particular.

Honestly I wouldn't do anything. You will never be able to argue effectively against lies to a person who has a habit of poisoning the well when confronted with evidence against their beliefs. Also, SOPA/PIPA/other Federal attempts to control the Internet in the name of entertainment industry profits are indeed terrible and the fact that some Democrats promote either is an awful embarrassment.

At the most I'd point out that there are Republicans who support this crap as well. Most of my conservative friends understand that this isn't at all a partisan issue.

Push El Burrito
May 9, 2006

Soiled Meat

babies havin rabies posted:

Honestly I wouldn't do anything. You will never be able to argue effectively against lies to a person who has a habit of poisoning the well when confronted with evidence against their beliefs. Also, SOPA/PIPA/other Federal attempts to control the Internet in the name of entertainment industry profits are indeed terrible and the fact that some Democrats promote either is an awful embarrassment.

At the most I'd point out that there are Republicans who support this crap as well. Most of my conservative friends understand that this isn't at all a partisan issue.

Point out that a Republican introduced SOPA, while a Democrat introduced PIPA.

Amused to Death
Aug 10, 2009

google "The Night Witches", and prepare for :stare:

THE GAYEST POSTER posted:

Point out that a Republican introduced SOPA, while a Democrat introduced PIPA.

And that Obama threatened to veto it.

Sarion
Dec 24, 2003

I didn't read all of it, but my response would involve:

1) Any Bill that starts with H.R. is a House of Representatives bill, Reid can't do anything with HR1981. But if it really scares your dad, John Boehner the Republican Speaker of the House can refuse to bring it up for a vote, so no problem!

2) S.1308 is the Senate equivalent of H.R.1981. It was introduced by Senator Orinn Hatch; H.R. 1981 was introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith. Both are Republicans.

3) H.R. 1981 deals with harsher penalties for people who buy child pornograghy online, and increased protections for child witnesses. It has nothing to do with taxing the things you do online.

Why does your dad love internet child pornography so much, hmm?

Dancingthroughlife
Dec 15, 2009

Will dance for cupcakes
Thanks guys! Oh god! ^^^ :cry:
Yeah it prolly won't make a difference but I have to try.

Fuckt Tupp
Apr 19, 2007

Science

Sarion posted:


3) H.R. 1981 deals with harsher penalties for people who buy child pornograghy online, and increased protections for child witnesses. It has nothing to do with taxing the things you do online.

Why does your dad love internet child pornography so much, hmm?

You are buying into the naming scheme. This doesn't have much to do with child porn, and while it doesn't involve taxes it does erode privacy.

ISPs are going to be forced to store information on all of its users for Government access. The guy is at least worried about this stuff, even if his facts are wrong. Seems like he would be easier to talk sense into because he identifies the problem, just not always the source.

Sarion
Dec 24, 2003

Internet Webguy posted:

You are buying into the naming scheme. This doesn't have much to do with child porn, and while it doesn't involve taxes it does erode privacy.

ISPs are going to be forced to store information on all of its users for Government access. The guy is at least worried about this stuff, even if his facts are wrong. Seems like he would be easier to talk sense into because he identifies the problem, just not always the source.

No, I actually read the bill, not just the name. It's like 14 pages, giant font and spacing. Sections 2,3, and 7-11 all deal with child pornography in some way; whether it's harsher penalties for pornographers, purchasers, protections for child witnesses, etc. Only Sections 4-6 deal with ISPs, and Sections 5 and 6 are basically protections for the ISPs. Section 4 is the part you're talking about. In particular, Clause (a):

H.R.1981 Section 4(a) posted:

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2703 of title 18, United
13 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
14 ‘‘(h) RETENTION OF CERTAIN RECORDS.—
15 ‘‘(1) A commercial provider of an electronic com-
16 munication service shall retain for a period of at least
17 one year a log of the temporarily assigned network
18 addresses the provider assigns to a subscriber to or
19 customer of such service that enables the identification
20 of the corresponding customer or subscriber informa-
21 tion under subsection (c)(2) of this section.

It doesn't log where you go, or what you do. Only the temporarily assigned network addresses given to you by your ISP. Which, if they're investigating a child pornography site, could be cross referenced to see who has been accessing it. But it could potentially be used for other things, like seeing who's been going to any other site. So yes, there are privacy concerns there. But it's not anything close to SOPA or PIPA, or remotely close to what the crazy fucks at "Conservative Action Alerts" described it as.

And that's really the main point. Dancingthroughlife's dad was being led to believe that a bill that is almost exclusively about cracking down on child pornography was about Obama trying to control your internet access, tax your internet activity, and get a giant internet kill-switch. But now he can link him to the bill (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c112:2:./temp/~c112I01PR8::) and say, "Look dad, the bill they're talking about is a Republican bill about cracking down on Child Porn. You cannot trust those guys."

You could get into the nitty gritty about the potential hazards of Section 4(a) becoming law. But it doesn't matter because this bill won't ever actually pass the House and Senate. What does matter is convincing the guy to not trust those emails.

Olanphonia
Jul 27, 2006

I'm open to suggestions~

Deuce posted:

*Not racist

I can't imagine a scenario where anyone would try to say "not racist, though" after posting that image.

Wait, gently caress yes I can. The old, "it's just a picture, you're the one who said the monkey is Obama. Maybe it's you who's the real racist" :smug:

RagnarokAngel
Oct 5, 2006

Black Magic Extraordinaire

Olanphonia posted:

I can't imagine a scenario where anyone would try to say "not racist, though" after posting that image.

Wait, gently caress yes I can. The old, "it's just a picture, you're the one who said the monkey is Obama. Maybe it's you who's the real racist" :smug:

I've heard a lot of people try and pull the "but he DOES look like a monkey I mean look at his ears!" thing.

Salvor_Hardin
Sep 13, 2005

I want to go protest.
Nap Ghost

RagnarokAngel posted:

I've heard a lot of people try and pull the "but he DOES look like a monkey I mean look at his ears!" thing.

"Bush was compared to a monkey all the time!"

CCrew
Nov 5, 2007

My roommate is about as big a libertarian as you could imagine. He strongly believes in going back on the gold standard, that the fair tax would be the best thing ever, and that states rights would be beneficial to everyone. After a discussion with him, I pointed out that Austrian economics is not taught as widely (and barely at all) as Keynesian. On top of that, I pointed out the gold standard was one of the major reasons we were able to get out of the great depression, and that a flat tax would unfairly favor the wealthy. He told me he'd have a conversation with his brother (Who has a masters in economics), and let me know how he sees the situation. This was the response:

quote:

ME: Hey BROTHER, I have been following Ron Paul a lot and he always brings up Austrian economics. As I understand they do not teach austrian economics in universities anymore and only teach keynsian economics. Do you know anything about austrian economics or have any opinions on it? I have done some reading but it's not exactly clear. Another question is your opinion on a gold standard. Maybe not exactly gold, but at least the idea of backing up the money with something to prevent money from being printed with no consequences. I have read pros and cons of it and it seems like the only bad part of a gold standard is starting it. Once you get passed the initial 'shock' of changing monetary policy I have read a lot of good things about it. thoughts?

BROTHER: Part of being an economist is never giving a straight answer. Also, I'm stretching my memory here as the last time I studied these schools was in 2009. Grad school was all math.

That being said, personally I do not agree that universities teach Keynesian Economics as their primary school of thought. I have only had one class where we talked about Keynesian Economics. All I remember about it is that it focuses of output of economic goods. Beyond that, I forgot most of the implications. Many people say our government follows Keynes today. I suppose this is true in that our government is spending tons of money to keep the economy afloat. In my opinion, government spending tons of money is not optimal. However, our economy is dependent on consumption. Since no one is willing to consume, the gov must step up to the plate. Lots of big companies are sitting on loads of cash not doing anything. This is because they are nervous. Everyone criticizes the gov and Obama of spending too much. Obviously this is true. But our lives may become much more difficult if the gov was eliminated. This is really because our economy is built on consumption. A lot of the problem we are in today is because the US consumed too much while Asia loaned us way too much money.

Most economics in school is Neo-Classical Economics. This is your typical supply/demand curve which generate prices and quantities. This was the balls of what I was taught in school. Of course, I went to USF for undergrad and grad so it could just be a USF thing. However, I knew a kid from UF and his experience was quite similar. In my opinion this would be the primary.

To my knowledge, the Austrian School is more strict with the free market. Government and the central bank can do no good. In fact, they cause the business cycles and the bubbles we see in various sectors of the economy. One of the good things about this school is that they don't rely on mathematical models. They use deductive reasoning to figure out what is best. In grad school we used mathematical models to figure out everything. While it looks fancy I don't think that is the correct way to approach problems. Economists assume everyone is homogeneous and all rational. That is a bunch of crap. There cannot be one formula to a problem that all people subscribe too.

Yes I think we should be on a gold standard. That being said, the quick growth in our economy and standards of living could have been because we left the gold standard. Leaving the gold standard lowered the risk of entrepreneurship and investment. For example, if you were on the gold standard, would you be able to go to college right now? No. You don't make enough money to pay your bills and go to school congruently. Consequently, you would probably never get your education (or it would take 20 years). You take loans out today to get your education. Then you pay them back in the future with interest. The bank is better off as they made more money and you are better off as you have your degree and become more valuable in the workforce. So by leaving the gold standard both you and the bank become better off. [This example is not taken literally. Obviously you can still make loans with the bank while both are on the gold standard. My point is that it is just more difficult because there is not as much "fat" in the system.]

All of the above is me talking as an economist. Now I will talk as a casual observer of the human race.

Leaving the gold standard was a mistake because people are GREEDY. No one has respect for anyone else. Everyone is willing to screw others to gain their personal interests. Banks and people have taken out loans they cannot afford. We are all in credit card debt. Everyone is stretched just to get food on their plate. The rich don't care because they own the capital and the profits they produce (Carl Marx). Eventually everything will come full circle and the bill will be due.

Remember the go-quads? Think of the economy as the engine. The gold standard would be the governor. Removing the gold standard allows the engine to run at high RPM's. So the economy grows quickly but will eventually blow up. With the gold standard in place, the economy grows slowly but never gets out of control.

So yes, the gold standard and the Austrian Schools are great. The problem is we have dug a hole. A big one. And no one knows how to get out without implementing some sort of austerity. No one will be elected with that as their agenda.


ME:That's really interesting. Me and some of my friends have been arguing over gold standard and some of the things ron paul talks about so I figured you might have better insight than I would. So what your saying is that the idea of a gold standard and working towards austrian economics would be beneficial for us if we hadn't built up such a problem with dept and printing money but since were in this hole implementing something like that would be pretty detrimental? Or at the least would be hard to predict what would happen, whereas if we stay with what were doing we kinda know what to expect. Also if a gold standard was implemented wouldn't the rest of the world have to do that? or at least the major trading countries?


BROTHER:Ya. Pretty much the gold standard is great but really wouldn't work today with the debt we have accumulated. If it was implemented our standards of living would decrease tremendously. Our current solution is to throw more money at the problem. In my opinion this is just delaying the inevitable. However, I think most of us would welcome the delay.

It's important to remember though that leaving the gold standard has played a large role in the increase in our standards of living over the past couple decades. It helped foster new technology and entrepreneurship. We could still get to where we are today if we maintained the gold standard but it would have taken longer.

That's a good question regarding if the world would need to convert to the gold standard in unity. To be honest I really don't know. I would imagine it's not necessary...but it would certainly help. Imagine two countries X and Y. X is on the gold standard while Y is not. A part of me thinks that the value of Y's currency would decline since X's currency is actually backed by something. On the other hand, country Y may have more leverage since they can manipulate their currency easily. Then there would be a mess with exchange rates. So to be honest I really don't know.

That's the problem with economics. It's a social science. Not science.

It basically boils down to him saying, "Keynesian uses models, I think its dumb to apply math to economics".

(Edited names)

Z-Magic
Feb 19, 2011

They talk about the people and the proletariat, I talk about the suckers and the mugs - it's the same thing. They have their five-year plans, so have I.

CCrew posted:

My roommate is about as big a libertarian as you could imagine. He strongly believes in going back on the gold standard, that the fair tax would be the best thing ever, and that states rights would be beneficial to everyone. After a discussion with him, I pointed out that Austrian economics is not taught as widely (and barely at all) as Keynesian. On top of that, I pointed out the gold standard was one of the major reasons we were able to get out of the great depression, and that a flat tax would unfairly favor the wealthy. He told me he'd have a conversation with his brother (Who has a masters in economics), and let me know how he sees the situation. This was the response:


It basically boils down to him saying, "Keynesian uses models, I think its dumb to apply math to economics".

(Edited names)

Who is Carl Marx?

Also

quote:

Remember the go-quads? Think of the economy as the engine. The gold standard would be the governor. Removing the gold standard allows the engine to run at high RPM's. So the economy grows quickly but will eventually blow up. With the gold standard in place, the economy grows slowly but never gets out of control.

Wasn't the USA on the Gold Standard when the Great Depression happened?

babies havin rabies
Feb 24, 2006

CCrew posted:

It basically boils down to him saying, "Keynesian uses models, I think its dumb to apply math to economics".

Nothing wrong with that. Mathematical models, as he said, infer that everybody in the market is acting perfectly rationally and sometimes even with perfect information. That's a pretty apt criticism about how economics are taught in most schools, I think (not an economist).

Z-Magic posted:

Who is Carl Marx?

He means Karl Marx. Karl and Carl are equivilant.

CCrew
Nov 5, 2007

Since it seems relevant, this was my response:

quote:

He makes a good point that economics is not scientific. I think I philosophically disagree with your brother while simultaneously agreeing with his points. For example, I'd say an expanding but unstable economy is preferable to a slowly expanding but stable economy. Not saying I think it's ideal, but in my view instability allows for a faster reaction to market changes. Responsible lending leads to more access to currency, and an opportunity to expand business, with the added risk of going bankrupt and not paying back your debt. That the funny thing about debt in general, it's not ideal, but it's still what we built our "superpower" status on.

As for Keynesian vs Austrian, I didn't expect colleges to spend more than a couple of classes on either, so just one doesn't surprise me. (Just like I only take one class on writing compilers). I guess i misspoke when I talked about this, I know primarily supply/demand etc is taught. But like I said, I philosophically disagree that having a system backed by mathematic models is a bad thing. Both theories are simplifications, and both are based on logical deductions. I subscribe to Keynesian ideas basically because they are able to create models that predict trends well.

He did a very good job of both agreeing and disagreeing with both of us simultaneously XD. I'd be interested to hear his views on fair tax as well while you're discussing with him.

I'm not claiming to be an economist, or the guy with all the answers. It's really just my personal view that if you have two theories, and one happens to have mathematical evidence and examples of how it has been successful in the past, you should put more weight on the one with the evidence/modeling. To me, if you can provide some semblance of proof to why your particular economic theory has been correct in the past, it's worth exploring more both academically and politically.

And Z-Magic, yes the US was on the gold standard. From what I've read however, countries economic recovery after the great depression has been linked to the time it took them to leave the gold standard. The ability to quickly print more money to stimulate the economy was one of the driving forces that took many countries out of the slump. No, I do not have any links handy and do not remember where I read this, so take it with a grain of salt. I had the article handy when discussing it with my roommate however (Over a month ago).

CCrew fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Feb 27, 2012

babies havin rabies
Feb 24, 2006

CCrew posted:

fair tax

This caught my eye because in your previous post you mentioned 'flat tax'. FairTax and a flat tax are two very different things. A flat tax means eliminating progressive taxation in favor of one income tax rate, for example everybody would be taxed 10% of their income. This appeals to people because it seems "more fair", but in reality it is a regressive tax due to the marginal utility of money. $4,000 is a lot more significant to somebody with the income of $40,000 than $40,000 is to somebody who makes $400,000.

FairTax is a proposal to completely eliminate personal and corporate income tax in favor of, essentially, a Federal sales tax. Families under the poverty line would get monthly "prebates", essentially regular tax refunds. FairTax is inherently regressive for the same reason as a flat tax and would be disastrous in a consumption economy. This sales tax would have to be a ridiculous amount to be effective, something like 25-30%. This tax would only be on products purchased at point-of-sale for personal consumption, not on products produced as inputs for manufacturing i.e. a Value-Added Tax.

Herman Cain's 999 Plan is a combination of the two, combining the worst aspects of both.

babies havin rabies fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Feb 27, 2012

Sarion
Dec 24, 2003

CCrew posted:

And Z-Magic, yes the US was on the gold standard. From what I've read however, countries economic recovery after the great depression has been linked to the time it took them to leave the gold standard. The ability to quickly print more money to stimulate the economy was one of the driving forces that took many countries out of the slump. No, I do not have any links handy and do not remember where I read this, so take it with a grain of salt. I had the article handy when discussing it with my roommate however (Over a month ago).

http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2005/12/the_gold_standa.html

This isn't the most reliable source ever, but it gives a good summary of why the Gold Standard screwed countries that kept to it during the Great Depression and includes graphs showing the growth of different countries at the time. As you pointed out, the average growth rate of all countries that dumped the Gold Standard in 1931 was much better than the US (1933) or the countries that moved off it even later than the US (who did even worse than us).

Herman Merman
Jul 6, 2008

CCrew posted:

He told me he'd have a conversation with his brother (Who has a masters in economics), and let me know how he sees the situation. This was the response:
Your friend's brother is a pretty bad economist.

Also just to make sure you know what you're talking about, Austrian economics is a tiny fringe movement within the field of economics, whereas Keynesianism is squarely in the mainstream. There's really no comparing the two. The only reason you've even heard about Austrians is because they have a weird cult-like following amongst internet neckbeards and other libertarians.

Herman Merman
Jul 6, 2008

babies havin rabies posted:

A flat tax means eliminating progressive taxation in favor of one income tax rate, for example everybody would be taxed 10% of their income. This appeals to people because it seems "more fair", but in reality it is a regressive tax due to the marginal utility of money.
This is not given btw, it all depends on whether the tax system also includes transfer payments. It's quite possible to make the effective tax rate progressive even with a flat tax. (Of course then you'll run into trouble because the marginal tax rate will be pretty steep for low income earners, so in practice you're better off with a progressive system anyway.)

babies havin rabies posted:

This sales tax would have to be a ridiculous amount to be effective, something like 25-30%.
:ssh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_value_added_tax#VAT_rates

babies havin rabies
Feb 24, 2006


Isn't there quite a bit of difference between a point-of-sales tax and a value-added tax from the consumer's perspective? On second though, maybe there isn't when you consider most of those costs would be pushed directly onto the consumer in either case.

Mr Ice Cream Glove
Apr 22, 2007

This came with a picture of World Trade Center in flames

quote:


One Pissed off Canadian Housewife
This is very good PLEASE read....

Thought you might like to read this letter
to the editor. Ever notice how some people
just seem to know how to write a letter?


This one surely does!


This was written by a Canadian woman, but oh how
it also applies to the U.S.A., U.K. and Australia .


THIS ONE PACKS A FIRM PUNCH

Written by a housewife in New Brunswick , to
her local newspaper. This is one ticked off lady...


"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was
it or was it not, started by Islamic people who
brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001
and have continually threatened to do so since?


Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered
that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from
the capitol of the USA and in a field in Pennsylvania ?


Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

Do you think I care about four U. S. Marines urinating on some dead Taliban insurgents?

And I'm supposed to care that a few Taliban were
claiming to be tortured by a justice system of a
nation they are fighting against in a brutal Insurgency.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle
East, start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere belief
of which, is a crime punishable by beheading in Afghanistan .


I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are
sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head, while Berg
screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.


I'll care when the cowardly so-called insurgents
in Afghanistan , come out and fight like men,
instead of disrespecting their own religion by
hiding in Mosques and behind women and children.


I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow
themselves up in search of Nirvana, care about the
innocent children within range of their suicide Bombs.


I'll care when the Canadian media stops pretending that
their freedom of Speech on stories, is more important than
the lives of the soldiers on the ground or their families waiting
at home, to hear about them when something happens.


In the meantime, when I hear a story about a
CANADIAN soldier roughing up an Insurgent
terrorist to obtain information, know this:

I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the
head when he is told not to move because he
might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:


I don't care. Shoot him again.


When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food, that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe, in your heart of hearts:

I don't care.


And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes
it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.'
Well, Jimmy Crack Corn you guessed it.


I don't care!!


If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to
all your E-mail Friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to
the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!


If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete
button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't
complain when more atrocities committed by radical
Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:


Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering, if
during their life on earth, they made a difference in
the world. But, the Soldiers don't have that problem.

I have another quote that I would like to
share AND...I hope you forward All this.


One last thought for the day:


Only five defining forces have ever offered to die for you:


1. Jesus Christ


2. The British Soldier.


3. The Canadian Soldier.


4. The US Soldier, and


5. The Australian Soldier


One died for your soul,
the other four, for you and your children's Freedom.




YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON,
AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET!

Dameius
Apr 3, 2006
You shouldn't put too much focus on the Great Depression when talking about economic recoveries while under the gold standard because we have the 19th century boom/bust cycles (with the most useful examples coming from the latter half of the century) to show how economies can easily overheat, explode and recover. That isn't to say the Great Depression should be ignored by any means but since it seems like you can have a pretty rational and intelligent conversation with this guy and by proxy his brother, look into those cycles as well -the Panic of 1893 in particular.

Push El Burrito
May 9, 2006

Soiled Meat
I want that list to include every country from Operation Enduring Freedom.

quote:

Only fifty-nine defining forces have ever offered to die for you

jojoinnit
Dec 13, 2010

Strength and speed, that's why you're a special agent.
I remember when it was just "Jesus Christ and the American Soldier" :corsair:

When did we start including the Brits, Aussies and Canucks in our Holy Triumvirate?

Loving Life Partner
Apr 17, 2003
I like the "I'm consumed with bloodlust and vengeance and I don't care", not only admitting it, but reveling in it.

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Shimrra Jamaane
Aug 10, 2007

Obscure to all except those well-versed in Yuuzhan Vong lore.
This just in, Muslims believe in Nirvana.

And "Jimmy Crack Corn"? Really? Does anyone really talk like this?

Shimrra Jamaane fucked around with this message at 19:09 on Feb 27, 2012

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