Commerce? Not bad.
by Jon on Nov.21, 2008, under Babble, Politics
No time for an in depth post but I just heard Obama’s looking at Richardson for Commerce Secretary. So that’s a bit of good news. Not as good as giving him foreign policy, but it is another strong area for him from a left-libertarian perspective, him being known as a market-oriented sort but not a market-worshipping ideologue.
4 comments for this entry:
November 22nd, 2008 on 9:49 pm
ONE good appointment (which should properly have been to SecState) does not offset a bunch already of BAD ones. Hillary for Sec State is like Kissinger, and Albright, and … damn near every other one! The War Party is safe in its lair … but neither of really expected anything else, or did we John?
November 23rd, 2008 on 10:14 am
Oh no, even if Richardson had gotten SOS, hell even if he’d gotten President, I have no illusions that American Imperialism is in danger. The powers that be aren’t going to let that happen. I thought this video very effectively shows how our choices are manipulated. The only way we could ever make the kind of radical changes you and I would like would take such an enormous groundswell of public sentiment that it completely overwhelms the machine.
And frankly, I don’t think that will ever happen. Partly because first there’s a large segment of the population that knowingly and unrepentantly supports the status quo, and below that, the majority mass that has to be swayed is too easily manipulated and distracted.
So I think the only thing that’s going to end American Imperialism is when we’re forced to accept the end of the American Empire. Which might come one of two ways — one, if a world coalition of countries that hate us come together, kick our collective asses, and start to impose their will on us for a change, or two, if China, Russia, et al simply continue to grow in power and influence until we’re simply diplomatically forced into accepting our place as merely one part of a world order, a world government in effect if not in name.
And while the independent, secessionist, and anarchist streaks of libertarianism all have valid complaints about the latter, it seems an infinitely lesser evil than the former. And I do think that, even with Hillary, Obama and the Democrats are more likely to lead us to the latter while the Republicans with their cowboy obstinacy and diplomatic indelicacy would more likely lead us to the former.
November 23rd, 2008 on 10:25 am
Also on the subject of Obama’s appointments, I find some agreement with David Brooks here — while his picks have left a lot to be desired from both liberal and libertarian ideological perspectives, he really does seem to be doing a good job from the competence angle. And that alone is an enormous “change” over what we’ve had.
November 26th, 2008 on 6:59 pm
I agree about the “competence” increase … as well as about the reality of the situation (too many vested interests, too many sheeple).
As for how the empire falls, I am still holding out hope that the revolution can be (mostly) bloodless, and we regain our communities and our neighborhoods and our lives, and return to the task of the American experiment … I’d like to see at least some signs before I transition to my next spiritual form.