[lbo-talk] A little ray of sunshine

[Alan Rudy]

So, you're saying the piece isn't spin?  Or are you saying that Leonhardt's
argument (translated) that Obama is actually a compassionate conservative
response to the lack of compassion in Bush/Reagan (who "went too far" down
the right road) is a ray of light? Or are you saying that Leonhardt's
implicit claim that the Obama only appeared to be flailing about for a
sstrategy for 12 months when, actually, he was strategically playing a
pragmatic game to level the socioeconomic playing field is right.  Or are
you saying that Larry Summers is, and his buddies are, someone/s anyone
should trust?
After reading the Piven/Cloward exchange it seems to me that one almost sure
consequence of this bill - whether or not there is a concerted push on the
left to enrol everyone and their cousins - is a deep intensification of
fiscal crisis at the state, city and local level, a consequence that will
only exacerbate inequality.  Pretty much everywhere in the country - with
the possible exception of TX where they don't believe in this stuff anyway -
state, city and local fiscal crises are playing themselves out on the backs
of the poor, the incarcerated, children, the elderly, the built environment
and external nature... if the health insurance reform bill that Summers and
Obama can now count as their contribution to major social legislation does
all the good stuff proponents say it will but exacerbates fiscal crises
below the federal level across the country, how much is it actually likely
to do to address social inequality?
Or have I completely misunderstood your one-line response?  Which I do
sometimes... if so, mea culpa.

On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:21 AM, Max Sawicky <sawicky at verizon.net> wrote:


> If saying made it so, this would be a damning critique.
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:08 AM, Alan Rudy <alan.rudy at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Largely spin, there's certainly an attempt to show that there's a ray
> here.
> > My sense is that if Obama and his admin actually had the goals Leonhardt
> > attributes to them they'd have played this game very very differently.
> > Last, I don't trust much of anything from someone who has semi-regular
> > casual conversations with Larry Summers.
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 9:25 AM, Max Sawicky <sawicky at verizon.net>
> wrote:
> >
> >> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/business/24leonhardt.html?hp
> >> ___________________________________
> >> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > *********************************************************
> > Alan P. Rudy
> > Dept. Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
> > Central Michigan University
> > 124 Anspach Hall
> > Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
> > 517-881-6319
> > ___________________________________
> > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
> >
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>

-- 
*********************************************************
Alan P. Rudy
Dept. Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Central Michigan University
124 Anspach Hall
Mt Pleasant, MI 48858
517-881-6319