tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post4367632195025764626..comments2023-06-16T08:04:01.263-05:00Comments on Answered Prayers for Owen Meany: Kool-Aid for Allsusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-13479081182455545332009-04-01T09:02:00.000-05:002009-04-01T09:02:00.000-05:00Robert, I'm over my head with the economic aspects...Robert, I'm over my head with the economic aspects of this discussion, so I'll bow out gracefully here.<BR/><BR/>I laughed when I read the last part of your comment, though. I think the evangelicals are probably at home with their heads well...in the place they like to keep them. And I also thought of this article. <BR/><BR/><BR/>http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0310/p09s01-coop.htmlsusanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-74635381887034484382009-04-01T09:01:00.000-05:002009-04-01T09:01:00.000-05:00Robert, I'm over my head with the economic aspects...Robert, I'm over my head with the economic aspects of this discussion, so I'll bow out gracefully here.<BR/><BR/>I laughed when I read the last part of your comment, though. I think the evangelicals are probably at home with their heads well...in the place they like to keep them. And I also thought of this article. <BR/><BR/><BR/>http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0310/p09s01-coop.htmlsusanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-68626402455566024832009-03-31T10:20:00.000-05:002009-03-31T10:20:00.000-05:00I heard from him this morning (Santelli). His quo...I heard from him this morning (Santelli). His quote of the day: "Shouldn't we preserve Americans constitutional right to fail?" Hes one of the few editors on CNBC that has a brain.<BR/><BR/>Geither's criticism is unjust. Granted, he and Bernanke are attached at the teet of Keynesian economics (Keynes was a homosexual, so I've cleaned this phrase up a bit). When Ron Paul questioned them the other day, it was apparent that they weren't about to loosen from their basic ideologies.<BR/><BR/>Where are the evangelicals in all this? Something tells me that we haven't taught a whole lot about the connection between economics and theology. ...particularly that short term suffering leads to sanctification.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02185649468646640812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-84561058085674143842009-03-31T08:16:00.000-05:002009-03-31T08:16:00.000-05:00There are no clubs for non-conformists! And there ...There are no clubs for non-conformists! And there is no crying in baseball.<BR/><BR/>Robert, he's right, though. I really don't have a complete grasp on the situation. But I'm in good company because neither does our President or Tim Geithner or anyone else in a position to fix anything apparently. <BR/><BR/>And if anyone who actually does know anything criticizes the President, he or she might well get a scary shout out from the W.H. (not Waffle House) press secretary just like Rick Santelli did. (Notice you haven't heard from him in a while.)susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-83358121551410697552009-03-30T15:32:00.000-05:002009-03-30T15:32:00.000-05:00I agree with you more than David. Those forces yo...I agree with you more than David. Those forces you mention contribute to things like real estate inflation in an exponential way. The harbinger of death, Alan Greenspan, and our elected officials decided it would be OK to lend money in a way that is terribly bad stewardship by lowering the interest rate to almost nothing. This created over inflation in the housing market and wall street because of excess leveraging (margin accounts) and fostered unrealistic expectations in the growth of capital. So, if anyone should get the blame its Washington. But, who elected these people? <BR/><BR/>These people know what the hell they are talking about:<BR/><BR/>http://peterschiffchannel.blogspot.com/<BR/>http://www.garynorth.com<BR/>http://www.campaignforliberty.com/<BR/><BR/>God is gracious, God is just, God punishes sin... The One and The Many.<BR/><BR/>Micro economics, macro economics.<BR/><BR/>Saving wealth is an act of obedience (both at a corporate level and an individual one). However, what is missing in the post enlightenment west, is that fiscal stewardship actually bleeds over into moral stewardship (since how you handle money is in fact a moral act). The oneness of reality dictates that fiscal responsibility leads to other kinds of responsibility. There are studies out there we could never do like: the correlation of debt to teenage pregnancy or health care costs to video games consoles sold or tax base to hours of American Idol watched. We all (Christians) know that moral bankruptcy is expensive (cultural bankruptcy is moral bankruptcy).<BR/><BR/>Luckily, once it gets really bad, our government and economy can look to the church to learn how to spend/save its money wisely... right?<BR/><BR/>"We have met the enemy and he is us."Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02185649468646640812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-45357828125693012302009-03-30T14:19:00.000-05:002009-03-30T14:19:00.000-05:00I think you're right. But what really made me wan...I think you're right. <BR/><BR/>But what really made me want to comment was your response to House where you explained that you don't like Wendell Berry because "he just seems so popular right now and I'm a little put off by that." This is why I don't like Wendell Berry, either. Maybe we can form a club for people who don't like Wendell Berry because he's too popular!<BR/><BR/>"Too popular" is why a friend of mine didn't like Rick Springfield's top-40 music in 1983. Based solely on that data point, I'd say Wendell Berry's future isn't looking too bright. <BR/><BR/>Aren't irrational prejudices fun, as long as no one gets hurt?Under The Mountainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17304509978107330361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-59996337056945782022009-03-30T11:07:00.000-05:002009-03-30T11:07:00.000-05:00Oh and BTW, David said that he doesn't really agre...Oh and BTW, David said that he doesn't really agree with my appraisal here. He says you can't put all the blame on anyone because it was a Perfect Storm of sorts. <BR/><BR/>So, yeah.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-49630733736995635492009-03-30T11:03:00.000-05:002009-03-30T11:03:00.000-05:00Obama is trying to make Europe follow suit with th...Obama is trying to make Europe follow suit with their own gigantic stimulus packages, but Europe is telling him to stick it. That's pretty much the take I got from the Economist. <BR/><BR/>Maybe Europeans are more than nice suits and smelly cheese after all. :-)susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-73233650945683530482009-03-30T10:17:00.000-05:002009-03-30T10:17:00.000-05:00Hey Su, I saw this article and it made me think of...Hey Su, I saw this article and it made me think of your two most recent blog posts: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/world/europe/30merkel.htmlCharlenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15406883373895335480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-58732846472486690012009-03-29T19:02:00.000-05:002009-03-29T19:02:00.000-05:00Sara, you should look at David's blog. He is much ...Sara, you should look at David's blog. He is much more scientific in his appraisal, but I'm not sure he's posted his thoughts yet. <BR/><BR/>I'm glad you think this is a not-so-terrible estimation of the situation. It is so much more complex than lay-people (or Congress apparently) can really wrap their brains around. Me included.<BR/><BR/>S.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-58367318701057588402009-03-29T10:08:00.000-05:002009-03-29T10:08:00.000-05:00This was very good. I wish I could link to it for ...This was very good. I wish I could link to it for any students / reporters who ask me what happened.<BR/>In a word, "Word." <BR/>Also, I am a fan of some of WB's stuff, but I am wary of his views of trade. I won't say more, because all I know was told to me by a WB convert, and not from my own reading of his stuff. <BR/><BR/>- the econ profsaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-4109933403111626132009-03-28T13:59:00.000-05:002009-03-28T13:59:00.000-05:00It's weird, because I've read a lot of W.B's poetr...It's weird, because I've read a lot of W.B's poetry and I have written probably more than 100 pages about it, but I don't really consider myself a fan of his prose. I probably would be, but he just seems so popular right now and I'm a little put off by that. (And part of that is the professional urge I have to explore things that other people have ignored. And part of that is just a deep-seated prideful aversion to the bandwagon.) I imagine that in the next few years I'll get over myself. <BR/><BR/>I'm shaping up a prospectus that deals with "southern agriculturalism" to say it poorly, and he'll probably show up somewhere.<BR/><BR/>I hope everything with your house goes well. Stressful times. I've been thinking about you.susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930119917473280929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27471053.post-51011547218017244162009-03-28T13:15:00.000-05:002009-03-28T13:15:00.000-05:00I love this. I need to read more Wendell Berry be...I love this. I need to read more Wendell Berry because every time I see something like this I understand everything I ever knew. I'm guessing you dig Wendell like your rose garden.Househttp://ourlifefromscratch.comnoreply@blogger.com