[FoRK] Demonizing the hedge funds...

[Jeff Bone]

On Apr 18, 2008, at 11:46 AM, Tom Higgins wrote:

> Wait, your going out on a limb here to announce that the pendulum is
> going to swing back now?

Tom, Tom, Tom...  you're absolutely right.  The only surprise here is  
those who seem to think it won't.

What blows my mind is that folks like highly intelligent, former- 
libertarian Russell are apparently going to let themselves be FOOLED  
into helping push the pendulum back to the left at least as far as  
it's swung to the right 'lo these 8 years.  Just as there was a huge  
crowd of folks that voted for crypto-fascist Bush on the theories that  
he was some kind of moderate and / or actually good on self defense  
who woke up sometime in early 2005 and said "what the fuck have we  
done?" --- there's going to be an equal and opposite reaction on the  
part of those hoodwinked into supporting crypto-socialist Obama should  
he be elected.  (Well, except, Obama's approval rating will probably  
*never* be as low as Bush's, I fear, because in their heart-of-hearts  
the unwashed masses are much more socialist than they are fascist.)

While everybody else is busy trying to tell me how much I'm  
overreacting / extrapolating / whatever, I find it comforting that you  
at least see this as merely the natural political mechanics in  
action.  That doesn't reduce the gravity of the situation, though;   
the extrema of the pendulum swing are harmful no matter which side.   
Nor is the obviousness of this dynamic going to soften the surprise in  
store for those who are today disputing my claims, should those claims  
eventually prove true.

$0.02,

jb