tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post115380283949980284..comments2023-10-26T01:59:40.483-07:00Comments on The Dividist Papers: Divided Government - QandO Q&Amwhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11181222537529037359noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-1154541769518064432006-08-02T11:02:00.000-07:002006-08-02T11:02:00.000-07:00"Liberal Capitalist" Hmph. I guess I could add tha...<I>"Liberal Capitalist"</I> <BR/><BR/>Hmph. I guess I could add that to my ever expanding profile: "Social liberal, fiscal conservative, deficit hawk, Reagan Democrat, libertarian leaning independent, <I>Liberal Capitalist</I>.<BR/><BR/>This label thing is getting complex. <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://politicalcompass.org/" REL="nofollow"> This test</A> pegs me as right leaning moderate Libertarian.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.self-gov.org/quiz.html " REL="nofollow"> This test</A> pegs me as a left leaning Libertarian. <BR/><BR/>While <A HREF="http://www.mises.org/quiz.asp?QuizID=4 " REL="nofollow"> this test</A> pegs me as a subscriber to the Chicago School of economics (Milton Friedman). <BR/><BR/>I guess I should add that too:"Social liberal, fiscal conservative, deficit hawk, Reagan Democrat, libertarian leaning independent, <I>Liberal Capitalist - Chicago School of economics</I>.<BR/><BR/>Blogger does not give me enough characters in my profile. <BR/><BR/>-------<BR/><BR/>You seem to want to understand why divided government works to restrain spending growth in terms of changing the nature of Republicans or Democrats.<BR/><BR/>It does not change their nature, and it does not require either party to <I>"shimmy to the right"</I> to have the effect oc rstraining the growth of spending. The effect is a consequence of neither party in majority control - with Dems still being Dems and Reps still being Reps. The pols don't change their stripes, but the effect happens anyway. I don't know why. Professors write books about it. I just know it is a documented historical empirical fact, and that basis is good enough for me to support it. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the comment. - mwmwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11181222537529037359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-1154495151508027122006-08-01T22:05:00.000-07:002006-08-01T22:05:00.000-07:00Oh by the way, you do know you are Liberal Capital...Oh by the way, you do know you are Liberal Capitalist, right?<BR/><BR/>=8^]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26542777.post-1154494961125801492006-08-01T22:02:00.000-07:002006-08-01T22:02:00.000-07:00Oooh! You quoted me!Dude, look, you've definitely ...Oooh! You quoted me!<BR/><BR/>Dude, look, you've definitely convinced me that you're convinced. And I'm also completely convinced of your sincerity, and I tend to give the benefit of the doubt to sincerity.<BR/><BR/>But about the Republicans, I don't see how handing them an electoral defeat will convince them to shimmy back over to limited government. The last forty years has been about both parties moving toward the middle, but when it comes to the size of government, it's the Republicans that have done all the moving, and it's all been in the exact opposite direction that we want it to go. Bush and the current Congressional delegation are exhibits A and B.<BR/><BR/>And the Democrats have a really big problem: for the most part, they simply aren't capitalists. They cling ferociously to the belief that government power is the end all be all. They've long since found they're magic hammer, and we're they're nails. When the Republicans lurch leftward on social spending, the Dems reflexively double-down. What we wind up with in the end is a one-way ratchet effect from both major parties towards Kudzu-like goverment.<BR/><BR/>And don't try too hard to convince me. I live in Austin, the Santa Monica of TX, and my Congressman is the incumbent Lloyd Doggett, Democrat. He's a big unreformed leftie, and he's going to win big, again, with probably 60% of the vote, so getting me to vote for him won't add much to your mission.<BR/><BR/>But hey, rock on with your bad self. I could be completely wrong.<BR/><BR/>yours/<BR/>peterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com