Political Cults

[Sonny Clark]

It's become obvious to me that we have "political cults", separated only by name and loosely woven characteristics, held together by partial truths. Many cult followers are attracted to a certain political ideology based on a handful of goals and intentions of a political party, and not necessarily the politicians that make up the party. We've labeled these cults as Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative.

Once one joins, or associates themselves with one of these cults, it becomes very difficult to persuade them to abandon it, or to disassociate themselves with it, and join one of the other cults. This in spite of changes in philosophy or agenda of the cult they presently associate themselves with. This loyalty has become lethal in terms of the well-being and socioeconomic welfare of this country. Cult against cult has become an internal war where there can be no winners. Brief moments of victory are soon followed by bitter defeat, repeating itself, and always accompanied by blame, harsh criticism, and feelings of resentment and disappointment.

This is politics in America, where there's no common ground, no mutual agreement, no "fence sitting", and no compromise. We are at war, with words and votes as weapons, and with no victory to be claimed by anyone. We are a self-destructive citizenry, disconnected, and determined to fight a losing battle. While our future remains uncertain, cults will be embedded, and thrive forever.

Your thoughts?

 

[pillars]

I think that people are almost brainwashed when it comes to politics. I am extremely centrist on most subjects, and I'm really disillusioned with both parties. I think that politics is almost controlled by dirty money from corporate America, and that the politicians are primarily working for their corporate masters, and not for us. The more they fight, the less they accomplish, and the richer some folks get. Maybe that sounds cynical, but that's pretty much what i think is happening.

 

[Sonny Clark]

I think that people are almost brainwashed when it comes to politics. I am extremely centrist on most subjects, and I'm really disillusioned with both parties. I think that politics is almost controlled by dirty money from corporate America, and that the politicians are primarily working for their corporate masters, and not for us. The more they fight, the less they accomplish, and the richer some folks get. Maybe that sounds cynical, but that's pretty much what i think is happening.

You're a 110% correct. Thanks for your response.

 

[william the wie]

I would attribute the problem to oversimplified economic models which would be an entirely different thread.

 

[Sonny Clark]

I would attribute the problem to oversimplified economic models which would be an entirely different thread.

Please post your thoughts on the subject. I would love to read your opinions.

 

[william the wie]

The standard Hicke's model is all cash flow.
The GDP model is all about real income flows.
Balance sheet models such as most famously Case-Shiller concentrate on wealth distribution.
Then there is the human capital model which is still in its infancy but PI as all get out already.

There is no serious attempt to reconcile these four accounting statements in setting economic policy. In any business you will normally be able to either see or fairly easily tease out: free cash flow, real income, the balance sheet and R&D as a percentage of headcount/investment.

Take something simple: what caused the great depression?

Well if you go to hulu and view any of the many documentaries on the 1930-39 drought that caused the 1931-9 dust bowl you can do some back of the envelop calculating and explain the Great Depression 1-3 times over. Pick up just about any scholarly economic history of the Great Depression and the drought/dust bowl will not be mentioned as a major causal factor.

The reason for that is serious asset studies were not possible until the 1964 launch of the IBM 360 and didn't begin to take off until Ibbotsen and associates was founded in 1977. And not until 1990 that Robert Shiller demonstrated the importance of the biggest asset market: real estate.

The progressive cult is based on cashflow analysis, the conservative cult is based on real income. No serious attempts have yet been attempted at compiling all national accounts much less reconciling and that is the problem.

 

[Sonny Clark]

The standard Hicke's model is all cash flow.
The GDP model is all about real income flows.
Balance sheet models such as most famously Case-Shiller concentrate on wealth distribution.
Then there is the human capital model which is still in its infancy but PI as all get out already.

There is no serious attempt to reconcile these four accounting statements in setting economic policy. In any business you will normally be able to either see or fairly easily tease out: free cash flow, real income, the balance sheet and R&D as a percentage of headcount/investment.

Take something simple: what caused the great depression?

Well if you go to hulu and view any of the many documentaries on the 1930-39 drought that caused the 1931-9 dust bowl you can do some back of the envelop calculating and explain the Great Depression 1-3 times over. Pick up just about any scholarly economic history of the Great Depression and the drought/dust bowl will not be mentioned as a major causal factor.

The reason for that is serious asset studies were not possible until the 1964 launch of the IBM 360 and didn't begin to take off until Ibbotsen and associates was founded in 1977. And not until 1990 that Robert Shiller demonstrated the importance of the biggest asset market: real estate.

The progressive cult is based on cashflow analysis, the conservative cult is based on real income. No serious attempts have yet been attempted at compiling all national accounts much less reconciling and that is the problem.

Thank you. Very informative. ( I remember the IBM 360 very well. Took up a whole room. card reader, correlater, main frame, etc. ) We've come a long way.

 

[Roadrunner]

It's become obvious to me that we have "political cults", separated only by name and loosely woven characteristics, held together by partial truths. Many cult followers are attracted to a certain political ideology based on a handful of goals and intentions of a political party, and not necessarily the politicians that make up the party. We've labeled these cults as Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative.

Once one joins, or associates themselves with one of these cults, it becomes very difficult to persuade them to abandon it, or to disassociate themselves with it, and join one of the other cults. This in spite of changes in philosophy or agenda of the cult they presently associate themselves with. This loyalty has become lethal in terms of the well-being and socioeconomic welfare of this country. Cult against cult has become an internal war where there can be no winners. Brief moments of victory are soon followed by bitter defeat, repeating itself, and always accompanied by blame, harsh criticism, and feelings of resentment and disappointment.

This is politics in America, where there's no common ground, no mutual agreement, no "fence sitting", and no compromise. We are at war, with words and votes as weapons, and with no victory to be claimed by anyone. We are a self-destructive citizenry, disconnected, and determined to fight a losing battle. While our future remains uncertain, cults will be embedded, and thrive forever.

Your thoughts?

There's cults, and there's cults.

The cult of die hard Obama supporters is the damnedest thing I have ever seen.

 

[Sonny Clark]

It's become obvious to me that we have "political cults", separated only by name and loosely woven characteristics, held together by partial truths. Many cult followers are attracted to a certain political ideology based on a handful of goals and intentions of a political party, and not necessarily the politicians that make up the party. We've labeled these cults as Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative.

Once one joins, or associates themselves with one of these cults, it becomes very difficult to persuade them to abandon it, or to disassociate themselves with it, and join one of the other cults. This in spite of changes in philosophy or agenda of the cult they presently associate themselves with. This loyalty has become lethal in terms of the well-being and socioeconomic welfare of this country. Cult against cult has become an internal war where there can be no winners. Brief moments of victory are soon followed by bitter defeat, repeating itself, and always accompanied by blame, harsh criticism, and feelings of resentment and disappointment.

This is politics in America, where there's no common ground, no mutual agreement, no "fence sitting", and no compromise. We are at war, with words and votes as weapons, and with no victory to be claimed by anyone. We are a self-destructive citizenry, disconnected, and determined to fight a losing battle. While our future remains uncertain, cults will be embedded, and thrive forever.

Your thoughts?

There's cults, and there's cults.

The cult of die hard Obama supporters is the damnedest thing I have ever seen.

It's amazing for sure. I sit back and enjoy the show. Sometimes, it's even worth the price of admission.

 

[william the wie]

What I find funny is the ranting about the 1% without specifying assets or income. While the intercept ain't the null set, it's pretty tiny. I wonder if Gates as well as Buffett fund protests against the top 1% in income?

 

[Roadrunner]

It's become obvious to me that we have "political cults", separated only by name and loosely woven characteristics, held together by partial truths. Many cult followers are attracted to a certain political ideology based on a handful of goals and intentions of a political party, and not necessarily the politicians that make up the party. We've labeled these cults as Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative.

Once one joins, or associates themselves with one of these cults, it becomes very difficult to persuade them to abandon it, or to disassociate themselves with it, and join one of the other cults. This in spite of changes in philosophy or agenda of the cult they presently associate themselves with. This loyalty has become lethal in terms of the well-being and socioeconomic welfare of this country. Cult against cult has become an internal war where there can be no winners. Brief moments of victory are soon followed by bitter defeat, repeating itself, and always accompanied by blame, harsh criticism, and feelings of resentment and disappointment.

This is politics in America, where there's no common ground, no mutual agreement, no "fence sitting", and no compromise. We are at war, with words and votes as weapons, and with no victory to be claimed by anyone. We are a self-destructive citizenry, disconnected, and determined to fight a losing battle. While our future remains uncertain, cults will be embedded, and thrive forever.

Your thoughts?

There's cults, and there's cults.

The cult of die hard Obama supporters is the damnedest thing I have ever seen.

It's amazing for sure. I sit back and enjoy the show. Sometimes, it's even worth the price of admission.

I have survived it, but I surely haven't enjoyed it. The James Taylor thing was funny though.

You have to wonder who came up with that one.

Last two years of the last few Presidents have been tough.

I don't have much faith in the economy, and the oil field layoffs have started.

Oh, and you don't think all those young bucks making $10K+ a month saved anything when times were good, do you?

Watch half a gazillion new folks show up on the welfare rolls with their kids, until the next oil boom.

 

[william the wie]

That does seem likely.

 

[Seawytch]

It's more tribal than cult-like.

 

[Siete]

It's become obvious to me that we have "political cults", separated only by name and loosely woven characteristics, held together by partial truths. Many cult followers are attracted to a certain political ideology based on a handful of goals and intentions of a political party, and not necessarily the politicians that make up the party. We've labeled these cults as Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative.

Once one joins, or associates themselves with one of these cults, it becomes very difficult to persuade them to abandon it, or to disassociate themselves with it, and join one of the other cults. This in spite of changes in philosophy or agenda of the cult they presently associate themselves with. This loyalty has become lethal in terms of the well-being and socioeconomic welfare of this country. Cult against cult has become an internal war where there can be no winners. Brief moments of victory are soon followed by bitter defeat, repeating itself, and always accompanied by blame, harsh criticism, and feelings of resentment and disappointment.

This is politics in America, where there's no common ground, no mutual agreement, no "fence sitting", and no compromise. We are at war, with words and votes as weapons, and with no victory to be claimed by anyone. We are a self-destructive citizenry, disconnected, and determined to fight a losing battle. While our future remains uncertain, cults will be embedded, and thrive forever.

Your thoughts?

There's cults, and there's cults.

The cult of die hard Obama supporters is the damnedest thing I have ever seen.

yeah, the anti Obama RW cult is different how?

I've NEVER voted for the man and RW's constantly remind me how I support him. Idiots just like you.

 

[Roadrunner]

It's become obvious to me that we have "political cults", separated only by name and loosely woven characteristics, held together by partial truths. Many cult followers are attracted to a certain political ideology based on a handful of goals and intentions of a political party, and not necessarily the politicians that make up the party. We've labeled these cults as Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative.

Once one joins, or associates themselves with one of these cults, it becomes very difficult to persuade them to abandon it, or to disassociate themselves with it, and join one of the other cults. This in spite of changes in philosophy or agenda of the cult they presently associate themselves with. This loyalty has become lethal in terms of the well-being and socioeconomic welfare of this country. Cult against cult has become an internal war where there can be no winners. Brief moments of victory are soon followed by bitter defeat, repeating itself, and always accompanied by blame, harsh criticism, and feelings of resentment and disappointment.

This is politics in America, where there's no common ground, no mutual agreement, no "fence sitting", and no compromise. We are at war, with words and votes as weapons, and with no victory to be claimed by anyone. We are a self-destructive citizenry, disconnected, and determined to fight a losing battle. While our future remains uncertain, cults will be embedded, and thrive forever.

Your thoughts?

There's cults, and there's cults.

The cult of die hard Obama supporters is the damnedest thing I have ever seen.

yeah, the anti Obama RW cult is different how?

I've NEVER voted for the man and RW's constantly remind me how I support him. Idiots just like you.

I doubt I ever accused you of being an Obama supporter.

I never even noticed you until now.

 

[william the wie]

What is forgotten is that Hillary was the other choice in 2008 and Romney in 2012. Let's face it Obama is the best that ever happened to the GOP.

 

[Siete]

It's become obvious to me that we have "political cults", separated only by name and loosely woven characteristics, held together by partial truths. Many cult followers are attracted to a certain political ideology based on a handful of goals and intentions of a political party, and not necessarily the politicians that make up the party. We've labeled these cults as Democrat, Republican, Liberal, and Conservative.

Once one joins, or associates themselves with one of these cults, it becomes very difficult to persuade them to abandon it, or to disassociate themselves with it, and join one of the other cults. This in spite of changes in philosophy or agenda of the cult they presently associate themselves with. This loyalty has become lethal in terms of the well-being and socioeconomic welfare of this country. Cult against cult has become an internal war where there can be no winners. Brief moments of victory are soon followed by bitter defeat, repeating itself, and always accompanied by blame, harsh criticism, and feelings of resentment and disappointment.

This is politics in America, where there's no common ground, no mutual agreement, no "fence sitting", and no compromise. We are at war, with words and votes as weapons, and with no victory to be claimed by anyone. We are a self-destructive citizenry, disconnected, and determined to fight a losing battle. While our future remains uncertain, cults will be embedded, and thrive forever.

Your thoughts?

There's cults, and there's cults.

The cult of die hard Obama supporters is the damnedest thing I have ever seen.

yeah, the anti Obama RW cult is different how?

I've NEVER voted for the man and RW's constantly remind me how I support him. Idiots just like you.

I doubt I ever accused you of being an Obama supporter.

I never even noticed you until now.

Thank the Lord. Please continue to spare me your ignorance.