Thursday, December 13, 2007

Is it a "Rational Expectation" that he'll buy me dinner?










That's economics humor, by the way...

So, if plans work out, I'll be meeting up with a long-lost college roommate in New York City next weekend.
Me: For all I know, you were a volunteer to get GW Bush re-elected, and we'll have nothing to talk about!
Him: Don't worry -- I'm still left-leaning, though fiscally conservative. I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about.
Frankly, this does make me worry -- just a little. Whenever I hear someone defined as JUST fiscally conservative, I wonder: What the fuck in Jesus's-wealth-redistribution-loving name does that mean? Does it mean someone believes:

  • Welfare benefits are only for the lazy who don't actualize sufficient "personal responsibility"?

  • That businesses "in the long run" will hew to ethical standards that are a priority for a majority of the population in which they conduct commerce, thus making governmental regulation an unnecessary tampering with "the marketplace"?

  • In "trickle-down" or "rising tide" economics?
What do you think? And should I avoid this topic and presidential politics entirely during this reunion after a 13-year hiatus?

7 comments:

LadrĂ³n de Basura (a.k.a. Junk Thief) said...

I tend to lead such conversations with my admiration of Kucinich just to see where thing go from there.

m00nchild said...

You don't want my opinion on the subject. I've ended friendships on account of the extreme political polarization gripping this country.

I just can't afford to hone the knives of another conservative as I'm clearly not going to convince them much of anything.

This would be ok if we still had a oeprating social contract or a shared belief in the Common Good. But that has withered over the past 30 years.

Good luck, tho. I always bring up politics. If just to drive away those who cannot handle it.

Stash said...

It means he's a libertarian, which is the politics de jour of the moment.

Never mind that libertarianism is a broad umbrella that has it's own range of spectrum across the board. Most libertarians you'll meet on the internet seem to be of the rightward leaning-I think Ayn Rand is a goddess garden variety.

*gag*

They probably think Ron Paul is too.

Anyway.

I'm sure you'll not bring up politics. That's always a conversation killer.

Salty Miss Jill said...

As long as someone is open-minded and explains themselves and their beliefs and how they have arrived at their opinions, there is always something to learn.

Is this guy a homo? A Republican homo? What's next, Jewish nazis?

Joe said...

Mm, my guess is that he's really not a card-carrying Republican, just one of those homos who has strong feelings about casheesh.

BigAssBelle said...

so how did it go? i am curious. i used to describe myself as a fiscal conservative.

in my mind, that meant that we should pay our national bills, not incur insane debt, help those who needed help, take in enough $$ in taxes to fund the government, cut waste, not social programs, fund education, social security, medical care.

i don't think that's what most people mean by fiscal conservative, so i kind of quit saying it.

ugh. the ayn rand people. i want to hurt them.

Anonymous said...

Fiscal conservatives don't have to be republitards.

It can be as simple as, he believes we should spend no more than we're taking in, which would be a delightful viewpoint in just about ANYone. Especially in government.