<p>
I’d figured you’d looped it for continuous play:)</p>
<p>FS,</p>
<p>Seems to me that when it comes to the tone one takes on the internet, safety results not from anonymity, but from distance. If I strike up a conversation with a stranger on an airplane, I’m less likely to be snide and dismissive, whether or not we know each other’s names.</p>
<p>As for publishing my name, I wouldn’t really care if I didn’t know for a fact that many students in the school where I teach frequent this site quite often, and I’d just as soon keep my social and political opinions to myself when it comes to my students.</p>
<p>I’ll take that as a, yes (by the way, I’m pretty sure Dartmouth’s President Wright knows me…claims he does). Quite a few on cc know me…even met quite a few on campus–dozens.</p>
<p>But you’re not teaching them. Again, it’s not the regulars on the Parents Forum I worry about; it’s the students in my school who could stumble upon it somehow. I consider it unprofessional to broadcast my political views lest students of different persuasions feel uncomfortable. It’s not good pedagogy.</p>
<p>I agree, nonetheless, your original comment–I believe directed to me–seemed inappropriate, at least as it applies to my posts. I’m pretty honest and open about my views and myself, I don’t hide behind a monitor…ever.</p>
<p>CGM, which are those companies? I know one that has finally started to report income for its work in Iraq. </p>
<p>If I ever were to offer employment, I’ll sure look you up for sub-contracting work, now that I know that you consider gross operating income before corporate expenses and taxes of 3.7% to be beyond your wildest dreams.</p>
<p>See the latest Form 8K on file at <a href=“http://biz.yahoo.com/e/051026/hal8-k.html[/url]”>Yahoo Finance - Stock Market Live, Quotes, Business & Finance News;
<p>“Halliburtons Iraq-related work contributed approximately $1.2 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2005 and $44 million of operating income, or a 3.7% margin, before corporate expenses and taxes.” </p>
<p>Ka-ching! Ka-ching!</p>
<p>“I’d just as soon keep my social and political opinions to myself when it comes to my students.”</p>
<p>Is that truly possible? And is it ethical? Should your students not know where you stand on social and political issues or should the parents not know to whom they entrust the fragile and malleable minds of their children? </p>
<p>Does the “Phantom Professor” not ring a bell here?</p>
<p>Xiggi, it just shows us that Haliburton is run about as efficiently as the government.</p>
<p>Tomoorrow is the conference call for 4th quarter earnings.</p>
<p>I think I will pass.</p>
<p>David Lesar–an outstanding UW alum. Keep up the good work. The Business School needs a new building soon.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Xiggi - I am a democrat, and I am a liberal. And you don’t know snot about what I “think” I stand for, or, for that matter, what I do stand for. How can you be sure that your knowledge of “democrats and liberals” is any better than the “knowledge” of the people who confidently asserted that WMD’s had been discovered in Iraq: a cartoon version of reality powered by uncritical repetition of selected views of the world pushed by the same sources? </p>
<p>I became a liberal after years of living in the world and watching how things actually happen and what works to make things better. Not “works” as in “snap your fingers and all problems are solved” but “work” as in day after day, slow improvement in the overall quality of more people’s lives. Undramatic. Not really a great source for snappy one-liners. Actually pretty boring. But over the long haul, things in our country have gotten better over time when we’ve followed a “liberal” philosophy. Among the crazy “lofty ideas” liberals have foisted on America: Social Security. Desegregation. Medicare. Anti-discrimination laws. Child labor regulations. Progressive taxation. Minimum wage. You may think that some of those things are bad. But would you want to live in a nation where none of those things existed? If not, thank those idle and hypocritical “liberals” for fighting for them - against strenuous opposition from the same right wing which is now funding such media as Fox, CNS and the Dartmouth Review.</p>
<p>Sure, there are lots on annoying, lightweight, me-too leftists who don’t know spit from Spinoza out there who mindlessly parrot the leftist line. But for every one of those lightweight leftists there’s a lightweight right wing parrot - here on CC, just like everywhere else. </p>
<p>You don’t know “democrats and liberals” - you just know the stereotype.</p>
<p>Kluge good.</p>
<p>Kluge, which national or state democratic candidates do you support?</p>
<p>FS,
I don’t think you’re at all cowardly; in fact, just the opposite. I was just pointing out a moment when I felt you were patronizing when you didn’t really need to be. Just a question of tone–that’s all. And, yes, I’m guilty, too, as we all are online from time to time. I suppose it’s a small price to pay for the intelligence and wit to be found here, and, for that, I thank you.</p>
<p>“You don’t know “democrats and liberals” - you just know the stereotype.”</p>
<p>Kluge, I assume you missed my qualifying “more or less.” However, do YOU know THIS non-liberal any more than I would know you? When it comes to conservatives, all I read on this board are fancy elaborations of stereotypes. </p>
<p>If my positions are built on stereotypes, correct me! If my examples are not reflective of what is happening out there, correct me! </p>
<p>I am only interested in contributing to make this world a better place, but I do not care about the party of allegiance of whomever opposes changes. If that includes battling the forms that fit stereotypes, so be it. If that includes supporting democrats, I am all in favor of it. </p>
<p>So, show me where the effective democrats are hanging out! I know just a few!</p>
<p>“Among the crazy “lofty ideas” liberals have foisted on America: Social Security. Desegregation. Medicare. Anti-discrimination laws. Child labor regulations. Progressive taxation. Minimum wage. You may think that some of those things are bad.”</p>
<p>A few days, I returned DS’ questionaire. Except for the blind application of minimum wages, I am in favor of every one of your listed items. </p>
<p>What would you assume I’d think ill of them?</p>
<p>Now, tell me why the Long Beach stevedores went on strike? Why the unions think they should fight Costco? Please tell me again how many minutes in a year someone such as Pelosi spends on your list of issues?</p>
<p>Xiggi, in case you missed this… do Claremont professors lean to the left?</p>
<p>Your examples are not reflective of what is happening. However, Larry Kudlow would be proud.</p>
<p>Dstark, I mentioned in the past that the faculty and student body at McKenna closely mimics the US political image. When it comes to the entire Claremont Colleges, the pendulum swings a bit more to the left. </p>
<p>It ain’t Wheaton nor Berkeley.</p>
<p>Xiggi - I wouldn’t presume to know all of your opinions - you’re young, and smart, and still putting an effort into figuring out the world - all good things, and all tending to make your opinions less predictable than those of older guys like me. As to which things I thought you might not approve of - I suspected minimum wage, wasn’t sure about progressive taxation. And if I can make one point, let it be this: it isn’t about personalities, or micro-issues. I’d probably rather sit down with a glass of [insert favorite beverage] with Driver or FountainSiren than with some “liberal” posters here, but that doesn’t mean that I think the positions they tout - or the way they tout them - are necessarily a good thing. (Okay, I don’t.) Nor do I necessarily think that a particular position taken by any particular democrat, or the DNC, or any particular group of democrats or people associated with the Demo party are necessarily “right”, just because they’re “on my side.” (I thought a lot of what was perceived as “political” with regard to the Shakespeare essay mentioned above had nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with a mindless need to express support for “our side” in the endless battle of us v. them. Politics as spectator sport.) Conversely, it’s easy to react against something that seems wrong, or someone whose motives or reasoning seem suspect, and run without reflection to the opposite of whatever they stand for. Easy, and wrong. As to the Long Beach stevadores - I don’t know diddly about it. But I’ll look it up and get back ot you. </p>
<p>Xiggi - Pelosi doesn’t have to spend much time on those issues - right now anyway - because now that those battles against the right have been won, and the nation has had time to look at the results, no one is attacking them (yet) because to all but the tin foil hat crowd they are an unimpeachable success - on an economic as well as moral basis. </p>
<p>What politicians can you name who are working on the equivalent of those issues today? I should clarify: what conservative politician do you think is working on an issue which is the equivalent of those issues in terms of the positive impact it might have in the future for your generation?</p>
<p>dstark: I’m generally disappointed with all politicians. They all owe their positions of prominence to somebody, and that somebody is always somebody with money. Under our current system of politics a bright, idealistic, right-thinking person can only get elected to national office by selling themselves to one interest or another. The one positive impression I am carrying around right now is of John Edwards - and that is based pretty much entirely on his “Two Americas” speech. To me, he is hitting on the one truly significant issue facing our nation today, while the rest of the politicos are sitting in the sandbox, throwing sand at each other, crying “Did too!”, “Did not!” But I probably did get out of bed on the wrong side this morning…</p>
<p>Xiggi, you are very pro-business.</p>
<p>You are in favor of a minimum wage, but you are not in favor of increasing the minimum wage.</p>
<p>You say you are for progressive taxation, but you don’t want to tax capital gains, dividends, interest or inheritance. </p>
<p>Xiggi, business people are just people. No better or worse than lower class working people or middle class working people. They don’t deserve bigger breaks. If they do well, guess what? They make money. They don’t need more money from tax breaks. If they do well, they make more money than the average working person. </p>
<p>This is a question that Robert Reich asked and that I have been thinking about for a long time. </p>
<p>If the GDP doubled in 20 years, with the top 10% of the population getting 90% of the increase and the bottom 90% of the population getting the rest, would you be in favor of this?</p>
<p>dstark good too.</p>