Friedman’s economic policies do not, as you assert, “allow the conditions for the mass looting of the country’s wealth”. While the lassiaz-faire aspect of his theories I cannot agree with, the fact is we’ve never had laissez-faire. The tragedies you speak of are the failures of the rule of law. GAAP, the FEC, and law enforcement exist for a reason. If they are not followed and used, you cannot go blame the economic system. Any system can be corrupted.

And whoa, there are so many faulty premises in Klein’s book I don’t know where to start. Let’s just say you don’t ‘implement’ (force) capitalism as Klein asserts. The very word ‘implement’ should clue anyone into the fact that she probably never read Friedman. She is talking about imperialism. And she completely ignores a whole world of history and evidence that is contrary to her thesis.

No. You will never convince me Keynes is the way to go. Krugman is in fact a neo-Keynesian, which is a new animal altogether. (He owes way more to Friedman than he does to Keynes.) I’m OK with that animal, as long as it doesn’t get too big.

Naomi Klein, “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism”.

Under the Friedman free market economy — it was the middle class that took a beating — most were forced into poverty. Friedman was anti-union and anti-middle class. What his economic system did was to allow the conditions for the mass looting of the country’s wealth for pennies on the dollar.

Bolivia, Argentina, South Africa, South Korea, these are victims of Disaster Capitalism and the Chicago School of Economics. Many of 0-zero’s economic advisers are from that nasty School of Economics.

Friedman isn’t a saint — he was just a mean person who had a theory which has been disproved numerous times and his economic boys keep trying to redo his crap to find the magic formula. Won’t happen because too many humans are greedy and only care about stealing more money from the hardworking middle class.

Your problems finding a job seem to be typical — unfortunately. Somewhere I saw the statistics that more women have lost their jobs during the bush economic downturn and are having a harder time finding employment than men.

“Women — shut up and stay in your place” seems to be the underlying message of the Obamacrats. What’s shameful is that the “big” women’s organization have fallen silent.

NOW can go to hell.

I’d like to say I care about this, but I don’t really. Gupta seems to be doing a good job at CNN, but CNN “ain’t what it used to be.” Seems to me the surgeon general job is mainly bully pulpit, but at least Gupta wouldn’t have to sit for makeup every day. Wonder, though, if he’d choose to wear the uniform?

On GMA this morning, it was said he might have a part in formulating the new health care plans, under Daschle.

I remember a CNN report he did on the subject, it was my impression he, like most others in his circle, failed to understand the greater dynamic, and how it impacts the consumer (for some of us, it’s not even access to insurance; it’s the cost of medical care WITH insurance. I suppose when one’s income is in the mid six figures, this isn’t a concern. Many democratic Ivy Leaguers never really had to struggle to pay the bills, same with their parents, therefore their knowledge of what ordinary people face is lacking. From my perspective, it affects their ability to create realistic, workable, policy, bad policy affecting the ability of America, and Americans, to thrive. Hence, the cycle continues. Hillary Clinton, OTOH, is an example of a politician ABLE to understand what the majority of us must negotiate to make ends meet).

Not good news, but then, I really wasn’t expecting anything, same with the economic planning, Obama is not really employing people capable of understanding and addressing the problems in an integrated manner. To me, he hasn’t addressed or broken with Cheney’s kooky supply side thinking.

I disagree with the author about Spitzer, though, I do think he’s worth listening to, a command of subject matter few have.

As for the women over 50, forget it. They should just get out of the way. I’ve been unemployed since August, and nobody wants to hire older women.

Our governor is cutting over $700 million from the Indiana budget. Schools are crying because they said there is inflation etc, they need more money. But I have not heard one word from them about trying to cut any expenses. NOT A WORD. City was crying too until they seen they had no choice.

It’s pretty easy to raise taxes. But when the taxes come from property tax and people are losing their homes and not paying property tax, that’s a problem. When people have local income tax taken out of their checks but lose their jobs, there is no local income tax and that’s a problem. When the state collects excise tax at the license branch from car sales but no one is buying a car, that’s a problem. Get your friggin’ hand out of the cookie jar and do what you’re supposed to do and that is be a good steward of tax dollars and an honest representative of the people.

I don’t know about other school systems, but in my city test scores are horrendous and there is no accountability for the students or administration. I don’t know about the teachers but the superintendent and other staff are overpaid and waste tax dollars.

An inane example of our overemphasis of sports not education:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/magazine/28russert-t.html?_r=2

I know a talented young woman who was studying to be a middle school teacher. She was constantly derided because “she wouldn’t make any money in teaching”. She said no one ever said they admired her for giving up $$ in order to do an imortant job.