Inevitability -

Last summer I met a young Manhattan real estate lawyer who assured me saying that without a doubt real estate is the best possible investment that anyone can possibly make, in fact that it's a no-brainer, you can't lose as the prices of houses will always go up.

I'm still happy living mortgage-free in my nice Brooklyn apartment.

The point being that just when you think something is inevitable, well, in my case I never forget to knock on wood.

Geroge

Posted at July 21, 2008 6:47 PM in response to Obama Not Afraid To Engage GOP On Foreign Policy

I woke up this morning to hear Obama talk about the importance of winning the War on Terror.

I guess it doesn't really make a difference who is president of this ridiculous country.

Posted at July 21, 2008 11:45 AM in response to Senator Byrd Should Take His Name Out of Obama’s Hat, Or, How Your Intolerance For a Good Roorbacking Causes Me To Endorse Senator McCain

If you think that Jews have never been bashed at the Catskills...then you have never been to the Catskills....

Posted at July 16, 2008 1:27 PM in response to Surprise...The New Yorker Cover Snafu is Just Another Obama Silver Lining

Reading the occasional TPM post complaining of a pro-Hillary bias for this website makes me understand how some of us humans can believe in conspiracy theories around most events, regardless of actual facts.

Posted at May 12, 2008 9:48 AM in response to Poll: Obama Losing West Virginia Primary By More Than Two To One

My view is that despite this past US administration, the world has been growing increasingly more generic, and I mean this in a good way - that as the continuing growth of communications - TV/Movies and especially the internet, citizens all over the world are not going to be happen with a substandard of living (to coin a phrase). There is more and more pressure for governments to be accountable to the consumerist needs of the public or else they will lose support. When you bother to listen to more about Iran than their nuculars, you will find out that their president is in trouble because of the economy.

I know it's been said before, for instance towards the end of the first age of globalization, which ended with the first world war, Norman Angell wrote a book in which he proclaimed that the world was now so interdepedent that there was really no motivation for countries to go to war anymore becuase it would cost them too much.

Perhaps he was just ahead of his time. We remain at peace with China because of the mutually beneficial economic relationship.

By the way, the exchange rate is doing what it is supposed to do, especially when there are now more choices for a reserve currency. When a country exports much less than it imports, the currency devalues, making its goods more competitive pricewise, which is what is happening, so that a reblancing takes place. I don't believe it is indicative of a loss of any sort of power, rather, an after-effect of overconsumption.

Now it's time for the Chinese to consume.

Posted at May 6, 2008 5:50 PM in response to Concert of Great Powers

Richard - here is the quote from the article that resonates to me that Clinton wants to do great things for all (including people and corporations):

She has principles, but she doesn’t believe in principled stands. She thinks that if she can get elected, she can do great things. And to get there, she’s prepared to do whatever. That certainly includes endorsing any number of meaningless-to-ridiculous ideas.

Posted at May 3, 2008 1:45 PM in response to Poll: Clinton Ahead By Seven In Indiana

Gail Collins has a good column up at the Times now. She says what I think - basically that Hillary thinks she can do great things for America if elected, and she will do anything she can to get that opportunity. Obama, on the other hand, is trying to raise the level of campaigning. She ends by saying to vote for what kind of a political process you want.

I see it as one candidate thinking that you should never underestimate the American public, and the other think you should never overestimate the American public.

Based a little on the kind of ranting we see even here, but of course much more so on a look at American political history... the question becomes to me which candidate has the right idea about the American public.

I would say that as I get older I think I get more realistic and at the same time more cynical. So put me on the overestimating side.

I would be pleasantly surprised if I were to be surprised, but I'm not counting on it.

Posted at May 3, 2008 1:50 AM in response to Poll: Clinton Ahead By Seven In Indiana

DaddyD,

I don't think that anyone is suggesting changing any rules, or even deals. Am I wrong?

Would there be a perception of such even if it has no basis in fact? If so, why?

Posted at May 3, 2008 1:22 AM in response to Poll: Clinton Ahead By Seven In Indiana

math? The role of the superdelegates is to make sure that the candidate with the best chance of winning in November gets the nod, in case no one candidate comes to the convention with enough already pledged delegates. I'm not sure the last time this has happened, but not in my memory.

I would guess that the candidate that is trending upwards at the time that the superdelegates have to choose is the one that will get the nomination. Isn't that what any of us (Democrats) would want? A Democratic president?

Posted at May 3, 2008 12:19 AM in response to Poll: Clinton Ahead By Seven In Indiana

dubious? I think that come June after all the primaries are over, the superdelegates will vote in their own best interests, which is that the next President be a Democrat.

I think that's actually the way it's supposed to be.

Posted at April 28, 2008 7:18 PM in response to AP/Ipsos: Hillary Performing Better Than Obama Against McCain