The "This is funny now that we know what happened" Time Machine

[Paul Kemp]

I feel like there has been a lot of reviewing old predictions and prognostications recently so this may be an amusing thread.

Start it off with this gem:

Pardon my language, but I think we're phucked.

Context obviously.

Also, Morden brought this one up recently:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=21735.0

Please share any good ones you may come across in your Atlas travels.

[Paul Kemp]

There's that hilarious thread Kevin made where he was quitting the forum because it was full of hacks that thought Obama would get between 300 and 350 electoral votes.

Oh god I forgot about Kevin.

[Paul Kemp]

Excellent contributions! I can't believe I didn't think of the infamous mypalfish when I started this thread.

[Paul Kemp]

On Larry King Live, Feb 14, when asked about the Vice Presidential nomination, McCain replied that the most important qualification for his Vice President will be the one who is most qualified to take his place as President.

Sounds like Romney to me.

Thoughts on McCain's comments?

[Paul Kemp]

I remember the false idea that some had for some reason that Palin was some sort of moderate libertarian governor.

[Paul Kemp]

Bump in light of this:

2006: This was the era when Moderate Heroism was in vogue and many Democrats thought that John McCain would be the next Teddy Roosevelt or some sh*t and would win in 2008 in a landslide against Hillary Clinton, who the nation would see for the super liberal bitter hack she was.

Enough said.

Though to be fair, there were also those who thought that Mark Warner would win in 2008.  So yeah there's that.

This thread is fun in retrospect:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=39456.0

[Paul Kemp]

To be fair, wasn't this kind of true? He did have the caveat that unless all of Romney's opponents self destructed, which did happen.

It being true (although I'm not sure it is) has nothing to do with whether it is funny or not in hindsight.

[Paul Kemp]

Revolutionary War (really should be called the American War of Independence)

Quasi-War (probably should have declared War on France and had a legit war in this case)

War of 1812 (not a great outcome for us, but hey, had to stop the British from impressing our sailors)

Mexican War (This pretty much sums up why I think we had to do something in this instance)

American Civil War (self-explanatory)

World War I (Germany interfering in Latin American affairs, plus U-boat warfare)

World War II (self-explanatory)

Korean War (North Korea launched a war of aggression against the South, so we had to intervene  and drive them out of the country)

Vietnam War (The rationale was good (prevent the Indochinese version of Kim Il Sung from taking over all of Vietnam), but the execution, not so much. Even so, Vietnam is a war I would have supported simply because it was in the context of our larger Cold War efforts against communism)

Operation Just Cause

First Gulf War (same basic issue as Korea)

Bosnian War

Kosovo War

Afghan War (again, rationale was correct, but everything that followed...not so much. We should have gotten the hell out of there after we nixed OBL)

Operation Unified Protector (Libya)

- I'm a lot more hawkish than the average Democrat. That's not to say I'm a neocon, but it's also not to say that I'm a dove and think that all wars are without exception bad. I am a realist and believe that yes, war can be a tool for creating peace and establishing justice just as easily as it can be a tool to create more violence, instability, and chaos. Obama intervening in Libya is something that I probably personally would not have done were I in his shoes, but it's proven to be the right decision and something that I think he deserves credit for. The War in Iraq...not so much. It was completely unrequited and stupid from the start. I am for using military force to stop aggression and in self defense. Everything else should be thought of on a case-by-case basis.
- I think that we should eliminate corporate taxation and/or tax corporate cash stockpiles instead to encourage investment. I'm also in favor of a Value Added Tax, provided that it means we have exemptions for food, clothing, medicine, and education. I think that regressive taxation is easier done than progressive taxation, though I favor the latter; I think that social insurance programs should be entirely mostly financed by payroll taxation, however.
- I think conscription is preferable to an all volunteer military.
- I am totally opposed to any form of gun control at any level.
- There's nothing wrong with using what fossil fuels we have while we transition to cleaner sources of energy. I'm down with clean coal and the Keystone XL pipeline, along with expanding offshore drilling (but not drilling in ANWR) and exploiting our massive reserves of natural gas. I am also a HUGE fan of nuclear power.
- I am opposed to affirmative action.
- I think guest worker programs are immoral in a country with 8.5 8.2% unemployment and that they need to be ended until we're operating at something *close* to full employment again. I believe that we need to reform our immigration system to encourage high-skilled, high-wage workers rather than low-wage workers.
- I'm completely fine with the Interstate Highway System and would love to see serious expansion and revitalization efforts therein.
- I'm alright with school choice so long as it's confined to public schools only.
- I think that liberals exaggerate the threat of climatic change. Yes, it's going to be a bitch to live through. No, it's not going to wipe out the human race. Chill out.

Correcting the record, and then adding some more.

- I do not think we should legalize every controlled substance known to man. Cannabis should be made legal and treated as we treat alcohol, but I draw the line there. This is not to say that I support the 'War on Drugs', rather that I am in favor of adopting harm reduction strategies to combat the drug problem in the United States, and requiring rehabilitation, rather than prison time, for addicts.
- The military budget should not be unilaterally cut, rather scaled down in certain areas and ramped up in others. I think we should cut ground forces (but not until the economy is producing enough jobs to make up from the losses) and expand capabilities for space and cyber warfare.
- I am not opposed to the use of drone warfare. If anything, I'm whole-heartedly supportive of the use of drones and would like to see the Air Force mostly automated within my lifetime.
- I am totally in favor of GM foods.
- I am opposed to 'Cap and Trade' and 'Carbon Taxation' because of the negative effects they will have on the poorest Americans with regard to paying energy bills. If anything, we should subsidize the hell out of clean energy, rather than trying to rig markets in favor of energy that isn't as efficient, such as solar. I highly favor transitioning away from oil and coal towards natural gas and (eventually) nuclear power.
- Big business is ten times more efficient and often better for their workforce than are small businesses. Plus, big business is more likely to recognize and work with a union within their plant, shop, factory, etc. Basically, big business > small business in terms of just about everything.
- Anti-trust law has outlived it's usefulness in the 21st Century. We should allow the formation of industrial combines on the condition that these combines allow for unionization and center their production in the United States.
- Corporate welfare needs to be expanded, not eliminated.
- I favor agriculture subsidies.
- I do not favor traditional welfare programs. Rather, I favor the unemployed being put directly to work by the government or being given an education to get a better job at some point in the future, rather than just sitting around and collecting from the public dole.
- I think Bradley Manning is a traitor and reaps whatever he sowed.

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