Comments on: No Ezra, The Deficit Isn’t A Distraction: It’s A Subterfuge http://wallstreetpit.com/9937-no-ezra-the-deficit-isnt-a-distraction-its-a-subterfuge Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:13:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Daniel Habtemariam http://wallstreetpit.com/9937-no-ezra-the-deficit-isnt-a-distraction-its-a-subterfuge#comment-59356 Daniel Habtemariam Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:12:56 +0000 http://wallstreetpit.com/?p=9937#comment-59356 What gets me is that this strategy works, notably in rural America and the Midwest. Cultural and historic trends have led most liberals to live in concentrated areas on the coasts, leaving the middle of the country (with disproportionately more power in the Senate) to get their news from Rush Limbaugh and the TV personalities at Fox News. And so naturally, amidst a barrage of complex and interconnected ideas, these people look for one they can understand (deficits) and latch onto it as though their pride depended on it, which at this point, it does. It becomes an interesting social/psychological manifestation of the importance of team loyalty. And it really works. I live in Boston, a liberal city, and attended a town-hall event just 8 miles south of the city, and I couldn't believe how many people there were spitting out lies and exaggerations and going on to tearfully/emotionally defend them to the "T". I think the difference between Gingrich obstructing Clinton and present-day Republicans obstructing Obama is that now we've been able to fight the lies and misinformation using the Internet. Most other factors are about the same--the lobbyists are still there, the ad campaigns are out there, the mainstream media is still reluctant to fact-check--but all things considered, we're probably winning the Internet war, which has serious implications for young voters. What gets me is that this strategy works, notably in rural America and the Midwest.

Cultural and historic trends have led most liberals to live in concentrated areas on the coasts, leaving the middle of the country (with disproportionately more power in the Senate) to get their news from Rush Limbaugh and the TV personalities at Fox News.

And so naturally, amidst a barrage of complex and interconnected ideas, these people look for one they can understand (deficits) and latch onto it as though their pride depended on it, which at this point, it does. It becomes an interesting social/psychological manifestation of the importance of team loyalty. And it really works. I live in Boston, a liberal city, and attended a town-hall event just 8 miles south of the city, and I couldn’t believe how many people there were spitting out lies and exaggerations and going on to tearfully/emotionally defend them to the “T”.

I think the difference between Gingrich obstructing Clinton and present-day Republicans obstructing Obama is that now we’ve been able to fight the lies and misinformation using the Internet. Most other factors are about the same–the lobbyists are still there, the ad campaigns are out there, the mainstream media is still reluctant to fact-check–but all things considered, we’re probably winning the Internet war, which has serious implications for young voters.

]]> By: slowsmile http://wallstreetpit.com/9937-no-ezra-the-deficit-isnt-a-distraction-its-a-subterfuge#comment-58664 slowsmile Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:59:24 +0000 http://wallstreetpit.com/?p=9937#comment-58664 This article is very funny. I've written a similar article, with completely the opposite view. Which is that the currently raging health care debate is both a diversion and a distraction from the financial crisis. I've said this because the so-called Health Care Bill is a foregone conclusion and has already been written and decided. Here is my evidence and reasoning: http://slowsmile.hypocrisy.com/2009/08/28/the-democratic-process-wolves-lambs-and-the-art-of-distraction/ This article is very funny. I’ve written a similar article, with completely the opposite view. Which is that the currently raging health care debate is both a diversion and a distraction from the financial crisis. I’ve said this because the so-called Health Care Bill is a foregone conclusion and has already been written and decided.

Here is my evidence and reasoning:

http://slowsmile.hypocrisy.com/2009/08/28/the-democratic-process-wolves-lambs-and-the-art-of-distraction/

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