It’s not that ironic, Reagan gave the Mujahideen Stinger missiles in the proxy war against the USSR when Bin Laden was our buddy. He also built up Saddam Hussein with chemical and biological weapons materials (which worked on the Kurds just as well as the Iranians). I’m sure the warlords look fondly on Reagan and Bush I, that was the heyday of murderous fun!
The marijuana market just hasn’t been the same since Californians started to “legally” grow their own supply. They’ve even joined the UFCW union! Even the Mexican smugglers are feeeling the pinch, and are starting to offer BOGO deals to new Arizona customers.
Shaking down the locals for protection money isn’t exactly “taxing” them, since, unlike here, they get fair value for their contributions. Substitue “Washington” for “Kabul” and Akbari’s statement becomes understandable. Anyway, it’s refreshing to know that drug dealers - shrewd capilitalists - believe in Laffer-ish supply-side economics.
More political allegory from GT. Akbari’s dilemma is like the dilemma of our Senate forced to make an unpalatable choice between unemployment or the deficit.
Liberals (like Havoc!) want to raise taxes on the wealthy and conservatives (like Akbari) want to cut benefits.
Of course Reagan raised taxes numerous times but that doesn’t seem to matter since it is always all about perception. The ACORN scandal was real, but not as some think it was real. The tapes were edited and ACORN was exonerated at trial. But that doesn’t matter right? If FOX says something is true then it must be true.
montessori, was ACORN acquitted of voter registration fraud in 2 different states? no, but the perception is that it doesn’t matter. Don’t even try to defend ACORN as anything other than a partisan political operation. If MSNBC and CNN ignore something that’s true, then it must be false, right?
Reagan did go back and close up some of the loopholes his tax cuts created, restoring about 1/3 of business taxes. Reaganomics reduced tax RATES but increased federal tax RECEIPTS an average of 8.2% per year. At the same time, federal spending grew an average of 7.1% per year. Real median family income grew by $4,000 during the Reagan period after experiencing no growth in the pre-Reagan years; it experienced a loss of almost $1,500 in the post-Reagan years.
If that’s being irresponsible, then we need more irresponsibility in Washington. On the other hand, the increase in revenues under Reagan did lead to a massive increase in spending, even when those revenues went down later, resulting in huge deficits. It’s the overspending that’s the real irresponsibility, and Reagan owns his role in creating the glutonous entitlement attitude we have mushroomed even further today.
I remember Charlie Gibson (ABC) being asked about the ACORN scandal unfolding at the time and he answered that this was the first he had heard of it. That said it all about the reliability of traditional news sources.
An informed person today cannot self-rightously block out any news source. I read the NY Times and watch both Fox (there’s no better news program anywhere than Bret Baier’s) and CNBC later. Between the 3, it’s interesting what they each choose to ignore, but to ignore the flip side of what we personally believe is to remain blissfully and deliberately ignorant.
First, if you live in the United States you have the right to belong to a partisan political group. A political partisan group has the right to exist whether you support ACORN, the GOP or any other “political partisan group.” Second, ACORN was also supported by George Bush. http://politicalcorrection.org/factcheck/20090500009
Third, the GOP has had plenty of ethical violations of its own. The difference is that no one in the GOP ever seems to own them even while they are trying to blame the other side. Meanwhile, plenty of liberals are more than willing to form a circle and shoot at each other. This is the only reason the GOP ever wins anything. They are far more disciplined even though they are vastly outnumbered.
That’s just because all the goose-stepping lessons have taken better for them, Montessorite. Very good analysis. Hardly trite at all. You don’t listen to us very much , do you? :-)
Ironically, Clinton and Reagan both demonstrated the Laffer Curve by doing what each other would do, regarding one particular tax: capital gains. Ronnie raised rates, lowered revenues. Slick Willie got dragged into signing a rate cut, brought in extra revenues.
Perhaps Akbar could hire Uncle Duke to consult on economic development.
Ya know, in a cowboy hat Duke woudl look a lot like Havoc. You could still tell them apart by blood alcohol content, and overall sanity (and Duke’s lack thereof).
Reagan changed all of our lives and not for the better. Remember Iran-Contra – but of course, he never knew a thing because he was already suffering from Alzheimer’s. And then there was PATCO which has made the friendly skies less & less friendly every year since. His greed was contageous and we are still suffering the consequences 30 years later.
ksoskins over 14 years ago
You’re right; only a leftist would be against opium distribution as a finding source. Clearly they should be planting marijuana instead.
SuperGriz over 14 years ago
Afghani hash…yum…
Hugh B. Hayve over 14 years ago
Yeah, my eyes are getting red, just thinking about it.
Ushindi over 14 years ago
Well, I know I like corned BEEF hash, but AFGHANI hash? Is it good with fried eggs?
SuperGriz over 14 years ago
Ushindi,
Alice B. Toklas had a lovely recipe for hash brownies.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/880/alice-b-toklas-brownies-the-recipe
Potrzebie over 14 years ago
The irony is a Warlord referring to Raygun.
Spamgaard over 14 years ago
Hey Potrzebie,
It’s not that ironic, Reagan gave the Mujahideen Stinger missiles in the proxy war against the USSR when Bin Laden was our buddy. He also built up Saddam Hussein with chemical and biological weapons materials (which worked on the Kurds just as well as the Iranians). I’m sure the warlords look fondly on Reagan and Bush I, that was the heyday of murderous fun!
freeholder1 over 14 years ago
Hey, after Iran kept the hostages for him, Ronnie OWED them. Fortunately, Nancy could remember that he owed them or we’d have been in big trouble.
Nemesys over 14 years ago
The marijuana market just hasn’t been the same since Californians started to “legally” grow their own supply. They’ve even joined the UFCW union! Even the Mexican smugglers are feeeling the pinch, and are starting to offer BOGO deals to new Arizona customers.
Shaking down the locals for protection money isn’t exactly “taxing” them, since, unlike here, they get fair value for their contributions. Substitue “Washington” for “Kabul” and Akbari’s statement becomes understandable. Anyway, it’s refreshing to know that drug dealers - shrewd capilitalists - believe in Laffer-ish supply-side economics.
freeholder1 over 14 years ago
Ah, Sheik, that rainbow of green and gold and red and…So many colors and so little time to develop a really good medical reason to sample them.
If you can be dying of cancer, they’ll give you all the opium (morphine) you want, just don’t have any fun with it.
cdhaley over 14 years ago
More political allegory from GT. Akbari’s dilemma is like the dilemma of our Senate forced to make an unpalatable choice between unemployment or the deficit.
Liberals (like Havoc!) want to raise taxes on the wealthy and conservatives (like Akbari) want to cut benefits.
See David Leonhardt’s piece in today’s NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/business/economy/02leonhardt.html?ref=business
Nemesys over 14 years ago
Off Topic Alert!
Telephone conversation overheard at the Gore residence two weeks ago:
“I swear, if he blames his erectile disfunction on global warming one more time….”
asa4ever over 14 years ago
Turkish hash when I was stationed there. I think I was stationed there.
montessoriteacher over 14 years ago
You stay classy Nemesys.
ajsteinhardt over 14 years ago
The real irony being that Reagan raised taxes SIX times during his reign.
puddleglum1066 over 14 years ago
Nemesys: did you mean “Electile Dysfunction”?
See: http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/P/7/electile.jpg
mjlew01 over 14 years ago
Reagan raised taxes AFTER he cut them irresponsibly
montessoriteacher over 14 years ago
Of course Reagan raised taxes numerous times but that doesn’t seem to matter since it is always all about perception. The ACORN scandal was real, but not as some think it was real. The tapes were edited and ACORN was exonerated at trial. But that doesn’t matter right? If FOX says something is true then it must be true.
MisngNOLA over 14 years ago
montessori, was ACORN acquitted of voter registration fraud in 2 different states? no, but the perception is that it doesn’t matter. Don’t even try to defend ACORN as anything other than a partisan political operation. If MSNBC and CNN ignore something that’s true, then it must be false, right?
jeanne1212 over 14 years ago
As one who is still waiting for it to “trickle down”… this one is really F U N N Y !!!
Nemesys over 14 years ago
Reagan did go back and close up some of the loopholes his tax cuts created, restoring about 1/3 of business taxes. Reaganomics reduced tax RATES but increased federal tax RECEIPTS an average of 8.2% per year. At the same time, federal spending grew an average of 7.1% per year. Real median family income grew by $4,000 during the Reagan period after experiencing no growth in the pre-Reagan years; it experienced a loss of almost $1,500 in the post-Reagan years.
If that’s being irresponsible, then we need more irresponsibility in Washington. On the other hand, the increase in revenues under Reagan did lead to a massive increase in spending, even when those revenues went down later, resulting in huge deficits. It’s the overspending that’s the real irresponsibility, and Reagan owns his role in creating the glutonous entitlement attitude we have mushroomed even further today.
Nemesys over 14 years ago
I remember Charlie Gibson (ABC) being asked about the ACORN scandal unfolding at the time and he answered that this was the first he had heard of it. That said it all about the reliability of traditional news sources.
An informed person today cannot self-rightously block out any news source. I read the NY Times and watch both Fox (there’s no better news program anywhere than Bret Baier’s) and CNBC later. Between the 3, it’s interesting what they each choose to ignore, but to ignore the flip side of what we personally believe is to remain blissfully and deliberately ignorant.
txmystic over 14 years ago
Hey, can we get back to talking about opiated hash?
txmystic over 14 years ago
It occurs to me that if marijuana and hashish were legalized, Whole Foods would make a fortune on fairly-traded organic Afghan imports!
saw4fire over 14 years ago
Trudeau just missed the answer:
Legalize drugs and tax them!
It worked with booze.
montessoriteacher over 14 years ago
First, if you live in the United States you have the right to belong to a partisan political group. A political partisan group has the right to exist whether you support ACORN, the GOP or any other “political partisan group.” Second, ACORN was also supported by George Bush. http://politicalcorrection.org/factcheck/20090500009 Third, the GOP has had plenty of ethical violations of its own. The difference is that no one in the GOP ever seems to own them even while they are trying to blame the other side. Meanwhile, plenty of liberals are more than willing to form a circle and shoot at each other. This is the only reason the GOP ever wins anything. They are far more disciplined even though they are vastly outnumbered.
montessoriteacher over 14 years ago
Politics is always part of our lives whether we are talking about taxes, drugs, whatever.
freeholder1 over 14 years ago
That’s just because all the goose-stepping lessons have taken better for them, Montessorite. Very good analysis. Hardly trite at all. You don’t listen to us very much , do you? :-)
AKHenderson Premium Member over 14 years ago
Ironically, Clinton and Reagan both demonstrated the Laffer Curve by doing what each other would do, regarding one particular tax: capital gains. Ronnie raised rates, lowered revenues. Slick Willie got dragged into signing a rate cut, brought in extra revenues.
Perhaps Akbar could hire Uncle Duke to consult on economic development.
Ya know, in a cowboy hat Duke woudl look a lot like Havoc. You could still tell them apart by blood alcohol content, and overall sanity (and Duke’s lack thereof).
FriscoLou over 14 years ago
Havoc and Jeff are the proteges of these cats.
http://bit.ly/9z6fxL
click on the pics. to read the info.
lindz.coop Premium Member over 14 years ago
Reagan changed all of our lives and not for the better. Remember Iran-Contra – but of course, he never knew a thing because he was already suffering from Alzheimer’s. And then there was PATCO which has made the friendly skies less & less friendly every year since. His greed was contageous and we are still suffering the consequences 30 years later.