On Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:18:26 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:

That's all fine and good and certainly simplifies things. But it doesn't
help when trying to learn from history and past mistakes when trying to
avoid the same. I really don't think the analogy of a ship's captain's
actions and responsibility in a single incident (as romantic and traditional
as it is) compares with long term policies of a POTUS, the influence of
which extend well beyond their time in office. Nobody "finishes" the job.

Agreed, but they at least set a course. The reason I keep it simple
is that's what works for me. Sometimes you have to look through the
complexities at the simple values that have held true - mostly - for
ages. That's really a form of conservatism. Values like thrift, do
unto others, hard work, etc, etc. You've heard them.
A few things about past history.
1. No matter how many times you say "those who fail to heed history
are doomed to repeat it," people fail to heed it.
2. A lot of these macro-economic issues aren't hardly related to past
history. The creation of history in this regard is happening all the
time. Global economy and banking, capital going to global labor
markets, the suppression of national interests by globalists, etc.
This is an ever-changing sea. The so called economic "experts"
got us where we are, and they're still living in the recent past, as
I've suggested before regarding thinking we can long exist as
independent men without producing the goods we consume.
There's a guy, Bernake(sp?) I think, who is an "expert" on the Great
Depression, and that is said to make him a good candidate for some
post or another. News Flash! THIS IS NOT 1933.
3. Reagan, the Bushes, and Clinton had little to do with any economic
success during their terms. They just try to take credit when the
dice don't come up craps. Despite his so-called "good" economy,
what happened during the Clinton admin has also led us here.

Reagan inherited high inflation, a **** poor economy and a recession. Say
what you will, but he led us out of it through some smart maneuvering and
enabling of business. The old "he spent us into debt" seems moot
now-a-days.

The only thing I remember about Carter, nice guy that he is and all, was
that he also inherited a ****-poor economy from Ford. It turns out his
policies to invigorate the economy led to even higher inflation and interest
rates which eventually led to the "Reagan" Recession. I remember it well
because I left the Navy in 1977 and got a rude awakening over the following
few years about the cost of living and the "security" of civilian jobs.

As I said, for a portion of Reagan's admin we had the highest
employment since the great depression. And I recall a pretty good
downturn during Bush I, so I guess he inherited that from Reagan.
I don't buy that kind of thinking, because, as I said, it just gets
into political mud-slinging.
I'll just go with making the current skipper responsible for the ship
of state, and let the "historians" sort out the past.
We all remember what had an impact on us personally.
Besides being in Reagan's terrible job market, during that time I went
back 14 years in wages to keep my family fed. Got a job running
packaging machines.
A QC guy there I lunched with was about to lose his house if Reagan
wouldn't "pardon" the PATCO strikers so he could go back to work as an
AT controller at O'Hare. He had at least 10 years doing that.
His career.
I was already back in IT when I read the old glad-handing-with-the
rich-and-famous fart Ronnie decided to be a petty **** and bar the
strikers for life.
That's another memory of Ronnie I have. Kick a guy when he's down.
Sorry, I'm not one to admire most politicians, especially Reagan.
Never bought the "Star Wars Killed the Soviets" either.
VCR, the Polish Pope, other communications advances bringing in
Western culture and lifestyle, and the natural life span of the
unworkable commie system did that.
When Ford made the mistake of saying east Europe wasn't dominated by
the Soviets during a debate with Carter, he wasn't far off in one
sense. Since my wife's family was in Poland I already knew the Poles
and others were not "dominated" in their minds.
As recently as '75 a poly-sci professor of mine harped on the too-true
fact that the Soviets had NEVER changed internal policy due to outside
pressures. A couple years later Carter pressured them into letting
Jews emigrate, and when I saw that happen, it sent a shock through me.
The Soviets were finally coming undone.
Afghanistan helped them along too.
Reagan was a spectator.
Of course, since I like to keep it simple, I may be entirely wrong
about all this. We all have our own lenses.

--Vic