Not a Normal Party
Posted: July 5th, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: general | Tags: tumblrizeDavid Brooks sums up my view of today’s Republican Party perfectly:
That’s because the Republican Party may no longer be a normal party. Over the past few years, it has been infected by a faction that is more of a psychological protest than a practical, governing alternative. The members of this movement do not accept the logic of compromise, no matter how sweet the terms. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch in order to cut government by a foot, they will say no. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch to cut government by a yard, they will still say no. The members of this movement do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities. A thousand impartial experts may tell them that a default on the debt would have calamitous effects, far worse than raising tax revenues a bit. But the members of this movement refuse to believe it.
…
If the debt ceiling talks fail, independents voters will see that Democrats were willing to compromise but Republicans were not. If responsible Republicans don’t take control, independents will conclude that Republican fanaticism caused this default. They will conclude that Republicans are not fit to govern.
And they will be right.
Not a Normal Party
Posted: July 5th, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: politicsDavid Brooks sums up my view of today’s Republican Party perfectly:
That’s because the Republican Party may no longer be a normal party. Over the past few years, it has been infected by a faction that is more of a psychological protest than a practical, governing alternative. The members of this movement do not accept the logic of compromise, no matter how sweet the terms. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch in order to cut government by a foot, they will say no. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch to cut government by a yard, they will still say no. The members of this movement do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities. A thousand impartial experts may tell them that a default on the debt would have calamitous effects, far worse than raising tax revenues a bit. But the members of this movement refuse to believe it. … If the debt ceiling talks fail, independents voters will see that Democrats were willing to compromise but Republicans were not. If responsible Republicans don’t take control, independents will conclude that Republican fanaticism caused this default. They will conclude that Republicans are not fit to govern. And they will be right.
Keyboard Maestro
Posted: June 29th, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: general | Tags: tumblrizeOne great tool I’ve recently begun using on my Mac is Keyboard Maestro. Keyboard Maestro is a macro program that allows you to create all sorts of keyboard shortcuts. It has really helped automate a lot of the things that I do everyday on my Mac, such as move files, create new email messages, and open and close programs. It is definitely a “geeks” tool, but well worth it if you find yourself doing many of the same things everyday on your Mac.
Keyboard Maestro
Posted: June 29th, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: macDo Nothing!
Posted: June 23rd, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: general | Tags: tumblrizeInteresting tidbit from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office – if Congress does nothing and follows the laws currently on the books, meaning Bush tax cuts expire when scheduled and Obamacare is fully implemented, our country’s long-term debt problem stabilizes. If the GOP gets its way and the Bush tax cuts are extended and Obamacare is repealed, the debt explodes.
This was in the CBO’s long-term budget outlook.
Do Nothing!
Posted: June 23rd, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: politicsCurrent iPhone Home Screen
Posted: June 16th, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: general | Tags: tumblrize
“Our Fiscal Problems Did Not Begin in 2010″
Posted: April 19th, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: general | Tags: tumblrizeEzra Klein makes a great point about the current debate in Washington on the debt and deficits:
But there’s a game Republicans are playing in which they try to deny any responsibility for the ongoing deficits in order to a) hurt the Democrats politically and b) leverage the debt ceiling vote to gain various policy concessions. The reality, however, is they had a big hand in the drivers of our debt…
Check out the whole thing here. The chart is very telling.
“Our Fiscal Problems Did Not Begin in 2010″
Posted: April 19th, 2011 | Author: bryanng | Filed under: general | Tags: tumblrizeEzra Klein makes a great point about the current debate in Washington on the debt and deficits:
But there’s a game Republicans are playing in which they try to deny any responsibility for the ongoing deficits in order to a) hurt the Democrats politically and b) leverage the debt ceiling vote to gain various policy concessions. The reality, however, is they had a big hand in the drivers of our debt…
Check out the whole thing here. The chart is very telling.