Is Ted Cruz Satan? Discuss.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Peter Thiel on the NSA:

I read the interview with Thiel. The word sociopath sprang to mind.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...-its-evil.html

eta: also, http://marginalrevolution.com/margin...rubergate.html

Re the New York article.

Since people know so little about public policy in general and health-care policy in particular, they tend to have incoherent views. In health care and other areas, they want to enjoy generous benefits while paying low taxes and don’t know enough details to reconcile those irreconcilable preferences.

That's not stupid. That's being unrealistic and overly-demanding - pushing a system to give you what you want in the short term without giving a shit about how you're damaging its long term stability. That's being selfish. People all over the world get paid loads of money for behaving in exactly that fashion every day, particularly on Wall Street.

Gruber’s error here is that, by describing this as “stupidity” rather than a “lack of knowledge,” he moves from lamenting an unfortunate problem both parties must work around to condescending to the public in an unattractive way.

This is crap. Gruber's statement can be taken two ways:

1. Voters were so stupid we snuck a tax past them by calling it a mandate;
2. Voters are so stupid they would have rejected the ACA if we admitted it involved a tax increase and wealth transfer because they don't understand that we need to raise taxes to give them what they want.

As to 1, if he's saying that, I agree. And I like his candor. As to 2, see my bit above on why "selfish" and "stupid" are not synonyms.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Gruber's statement can be taken two ways:

1. Voters were so stupid we snuck a tax past them by calling it a mandate;
2. Voters are so stupid they would have rejected the ACA if we admitted it involved a tax increase and wealth transfer because they don't understand that we need to raise taxes to give them what they want.

As to 1, if he's saying that, I agree. And I like his candor. As to 2, see my bit above on why "selfish" and "stupid" are not synonyms.

I think Gruber was saying 1., but I think the stupidity is on Congress's part, and in the way that CBO scoring takes on outsize importance.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Since this is the Ted Cruz thread, any thoughts on Ted's opposition to Net Neutrality, aka, Obamacare for the Internet?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Since this is the Ted Cruz thread, any thoughts on Ted's opposition to Net Neutrality, aka, Obamacare for the Internet?

Cruz is in the Kardashian Bucket. As a rule, without fail, always look away.

No, you don't have to listen to him because he's a politician whose decisions can impact your life. He's a sociopathic attention hound who's painted himself into a corner and is being systematically marginalized by his own party. He looks a lot like Joe McCarthy and will probably wind up in exactly the same place. (Let's hope he develops a drinking habit as lethal as his doppelganger's along the way... the sooner the Earth is rid of Ted Cruz, the better.)

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Cruz is in the Kardashian Bucket. As a rule, without fail, always look away.

No, you don't have to listen to him because he's a politician whose decisions can impact your life. He's a sociopathic attention hound who's painted himself into a corner and is being systematically marginalized by his own party. He looks a lot like Joe McCarthy and will probably wind up in exactly the same place. (Let's hope he develops a drinking habit as lethal as his doppelganger's along the way... the sooner the Earth is rid of Ted Cruz, the better.)

So you don't think he's the future of the Republican party? Does this mean you like Jeb Bush or Rand Paul for the next standard bearer?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

So you don't think he's the future of the Republican party? Does this mean you like Jeb Bush or Rand Paul for the next standard bearer?

Perhaps I'm naive, but Rand Paul seems sincere in his desire to clean up the justice system and end the War on Minoriti-- er, I mean, the War on Drugs. He has so far been using elegant logic to refute the "Tough on Crime" asshole wing of the GOP, and the Private Prison lobby. That and his "Pare down the Empire" position on foreign policy? Fuck yes. Even though he'd likely lose, I'd go down on principle voting for that package.

I could stomach Jeb because he is a moderate. But that'd be the ultimate "meh" vote.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Since this is the Ted Cruz thread, any thoughts on Ted's opposition to Net Neutrality, aka, Obamacare for the Internet?

Net Neutrality is a classic libertarian position. Either he is: (i) too stupid to grasp the principle at stake; or (ii) he's giving up any pretense and letting the world know he's a dirty whore who can be bought.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Cruz is in the Kardashian Bucket. As a rule, without fail, always look away.

No, you don't have to listen to him because he's a politician whose decisions can impact your life. He's a sociopathic attention hound who's painted himself into a corner and is being systematically marginalized by his own party. He looks a lot like Joe McCarthy and will probably wind up in exactly the same place. (Let's hope he develops a drinking habit as lethal as his doppelganger's along the way... the sooner the Earth is rid of Ted Cruz, the better.)

From your mouth to God's ear.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Net Neutrality is a classic libertarian position. Either he is: (i) too stupid to grasp the principle at stake; or (ii) he's giving up any pretense and letting the world know he's a dirty whore who can be bought.

Or, (3), he's adopted the core GOP position of "If Obama wants it, we're against it."

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

Net Neutrality is a classic libertarian position. Either he is: (i) too stupid to grasp the principle at stake; or (ii) he's giving up any pretense and letting the world know he's a dirty whore who can be bought.

I think there are a lot of libertarians who view net neutrality as a government intrusion. Why should ISPs be required to sell to anyone? That's kind of like telling people they have to serve anyone who shows up at their lunch counter.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Perhaps I'm naive, but Rand Paul seems sincere in his desire to clean up the justice system and end the War on Minoriti-- er, I mean, the War on Drugs. He has so far been using elegant logic to refute the "Tough on Crime" asshole wing of the GOP, and the Private Prison lobby. That and his "Pare down the Empire" position on foreign policy? Fuck yes. Even though he'd likely lose, I'd go down on principle voting for that package.

I could stomach Jeb because he is a moderate. But that'd be the ultimate "meh" vote.

FYI, Paul's past statements have been anti-net-neutrality, more in line with Cruz's position (though without the idiotic phrasing of the Tedster).

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I could stomach Jeb because he is a moderate. But that'd be the ultimate "meh" vote.

"Not W and not a Clinton" does not exactly seem inspiring.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

You can call a man who refuses to have his taxes increased a lot of things. Stupid isn't one of them.

Incorrect. See: Kansas.

TM

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

"Not W and not a Clinton" does not exactly seem inspiring.

Come now. He's also not Romney.