Red Mass Group - Recent Comments

Don't they deserve to get fleeced?

demolisher — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:28:28 GMT

For tolerating a government that does things like this, and Solyndra, and a million other similar things?

Government screwing with markets is the problem, NOT markets reacting to the perverse incentives the idiot government creates.

Re Rob: GOP Hypocrisy with Pro-Life and Pro-War

Wizard12357 — Sun, 20 May 2012 22:49:50 GMT

>> If you truly believe that a baby in utero is a human being, which I do, the only libertarian position is to outlaw abortion.

If you truly believed that a human being is a human being, which I do, the only position is to outlaw unjust wars. GOP cannot be left alone with its moral imperatives because of overreach on everything. At the heart of the GOP position is that people cannot be trusted to make their own decisions. This is why the GOP establishment must be rooted out like a cancer on America. The establishment followers will come around to the libertarian way of thinking eventually, or they will continue to bankrupt America like they've been doing since Nixon era. Its a great thing that the boomers and their notion of the GOP establishment is getting up into senior status. I suspect many notions will be changing in the next 20 years.

Pro-life is a strongly liberatrian position

Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:39:40 GMT

Libertarians strongly believe, as Milton Friedman says, the major role of government is to set up systems which protect us from direct harm done by others. That is why there are laws against murder. If you truly believe that a baby in utero is a human being, which I do, the only libertarian position is to outlaw abortion.

Perhaps more importantly

eury13 — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:25:02 GMT

How does the "small-l libertarian" wing of the party reconcile its goals with those who I would describe as religiously conservative?

Obviously there can be overlap, but it would seem that those who are staunchly opposed to government involvement in their lives would balk at laws regulating abortion, gay rights, and other social hot-button topics?

Isn't the premise behind libertarianism that everyone should be given the freedom to live their own lives and gov't should stay out of it?

THIS is the core of the RP/Liberty Movement.

Peter Porcupine — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:36:51 GMT

Right Here -

They're young and angry because of that huge debt they have to shoulder.

And they are justified in that resentment. I remember meeting these people at Small Govt. seminars run by Carla Howell - before the SoCons decided they could use them as well. They are being made responsible for debt they have little to no voice in incurring, and they blame both parties.

The GOP is missing a huge opportunity to work with these people and SHRINK THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT.

Thing that gets me

Ryan — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:52:55 GMT

is not only did he fleece RI taxpayers, he insulated himself from any market risk. He put 4 million into 38 studios to procure the loan, and immediately payed himself back with money from the loan. Any know if he payed himself regular compensation for being chairman and CEO?

So not only do the taxpayers get fleeced, but it was done with not 1 dime of risk on Shilling's part.

It's also one of my major grudges with Romney and his time at Bain. The same risk free model was used, but substitute RI taxpayer dollars with bank loans and the fed taking up "insurance payments" for pensions and retirements defaulted on.

You win some, you lose some, but when you lose you shouldn't be making a return on your investment. Thats not fiscal conservatism, nor capitalism in any definition I'm familiar with.

That said, the bank do deserve blame for approving those loans. But when Bain's subsidiaries come looking for money, and you know a loss can just be written off...

What a mess.

Suspended Campaign?

Kestrel — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:57:11 GMT

I just can't believe the hubris of some of the comments. Big tent --- Small Tent, they need to follow the leader. Oh those Paulites are trying to play dirty. Grow up -- this party has never been a big tent party. It has always been controlled by a small group which demanded that the masses fall in line and do as they are told. If you think you really ever had a choice in selecting the candidate who will run for President -- then you must be living in a dream world.

Neither Party expects or wants the people that make up the party to play a real role in the selection process. They expect you to rubber stamp their candidate and give them your money and time. They give you the roster of candidates.

We have not had a real input for into the process for decades. Occasionally they do get surprised -- but, that only happens on rare occasions.

She makes an excellent point!

CVarley — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:09:38 GMT

In what room is Elizabeth Warren a minority? Certainly no room at Harvard or in the Capitol.

DeFranco's statements should be a reminder to all of us that it isn't over until the votes are counted. I wonder if the other D candidates that dropped out are saying anything to the party elders that ordained Warren the challenger to Brown. It looks like the D party in MA may have a problem on its hands. They will have some explaining to do when Brown wins.

It's absolutely related

John Howard — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:24:08 GMT

It is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in his confirmation hearing saying that Congress has the power to prohibit something that if it were allowed to be pursued, would affect commerce among the states.

On Human Nature

The Angelic One — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:05:28 GMT

You're spot on regarding human nature, Patrick. The irony of course is that the American Revolution was grounded on a clear-eyed view of human nature while the French Revolution viewed human nature as an abstraction. Hence the success of the former & the failure of the latter in terms of creating a free yet stable society.

In terms of today's political actors, the extremes on both Left & Right continue to view human nature in abstract terms & thus push legislation that's at odds with reality. The DRINOs (Democrats & Republicans In Name Only) cynically exploit the current system based on their respective (albeit pessimistic) view of human nature. That leaves the "sensible center" feeling marginalized, alienated from the whole process, & more likely to opt out of politics altogether.

Though not ALL conservatives/Republicans & ALL liberals/Democrats "are incredibly naive about human nature," those who are hurt their respective political movements when they fail to remind themselves as American Founding Father James Madison once did that "if men were angels, no government would be necessary."

Best Quote In That Trailer

The Angelic One — Sat, 19 May 2012 15:35:24 GMT

When Malcolm McDowell's character says "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance," he's offers the classic conservative observation usually attributed to US President Thomas Jefferson or British Statesman Edmund Burke (on liberty).

It's worse than that.

Patrick — Sat, 19 May 2012 15:12:31 GMT

Curt had a struggling business in need of money and RI was willing to give him free money. Who wouldn't take free money? It's the same thing people say about tax loopholes. Who wouldn't avail themselves of a loophole that saves them money on taxes?

That's the problem which conservatives don't recognize, is that this is how business operates. I hear over and over again how all it is that businesses want is a fair or level playing field. That's a fantasy.

We see this in other recent news with Cubs guy Tom Ricketts
http://www.dankennedy.net/2012...

A great comment on from that above link:

I know nothing about video games but I do know a little about human nature. My late father used to say that "when it's raining dollar bills, only a fool opens an umbrella".

That's the point here. Everything should proceed from a correct understanding of human nature. As that pertains to business we on the right are incredibly naive about human nature.

:-)

edfactor — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:55:56 GMT

I like it for typical campaigns and very active RTCs. I can imagine that it would be overkill for small RTCs, or minor campaigns (governor's council, etc).

I would also say that if an individual non-technical person is going to run their own campaign and not get help - they might not be able to handle all the administration. Maybe a simple Google site would be better.

Schilling Dodged The Bullet - For Now

The Angelic One — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:50:04 GMT

But I'm more concerned about what this incident says about people who identify themselves as "conservative" yet have no problem doing things that vindicate the paradigm of liberals/Democrats. Thoughtful libertarians & conservative theoreticians have offered counter-paradigms but (as yet) there doesn't seem to be any takers from either the political rank-&-file or private sector actors like Schilling. Thus the incident begs the question: does the current liberal/Democrat paradigm remain popular (judging from the election results every two years of its supporters/enablers) because it works or because it's the only game in town thanks to the validity given to it by alleged "conservatives" like Schilling?

I Agree, Gary

The Angelic One — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:35:28 GMT

"If Shilling (sp) can pull his business through on his own, more power to him."

Amen to that, dude. It's just that I would have had more respect for Schilling had he avoided the taxpayer subsidies/loan guarantees route he & his company took. I don't think in the future you'll see the kind of glowing stories about him as an entrepreneur that you currently see over people like Steve Jobs of Apple.

Schilling is now said to be pursuing private funds. Good. It's a step in the right direction.

Any businessperson would have taken the loan

roarkarchitect — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:27:01 GMT

The terms from what I can see were amazing. No bank is going to loan you money like that.

However - government should NOT do this.

What about the local gaming companies who didn't a loan - is it fair to them ?

Same as Everygreen and Solyndra.

In my own small market - a state gave 2M to a competitor - it's very hard to compete against this and you shouldn't have to.

I struggle to remember the last time a major studio even did one.

Patrick — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:21:16 GMT

Which is amazing to me when I think of how awesome games like Wing Commander were.

Seriously, look at this trailer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Luke Skywalker! Biff Tannen! Gimli!

Dumb it down a shade.

Patrick — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:07:11 GMT

Nation Builder. You like it, yes?

Good news.

Patrick — Sat, 19 May 2012 13:38:56 GMT

The check cleared.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05...

Bad news is that the success of 38 Studios depends on an MMO. And it won't be released for a year.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05...

The biggest recent MMO launch I can think of was the Star Wars MMO, and that is currently bleeding subscribers.
http://news.mmosite.com/conten...

The game did surge to around 1.7 million players, but recent numbers indicate that it lost over 400,000 of them last month. Current tallies put SWTOR's population at just 1.3 million-not too shabby when compared with other MMOs, but still a far cry from what EA and BioWare had been hoping for. 1.3 million players, assuming the game can hold for the next few months, doesn't give EA investors much hope that the $200 million budget of SWTOR was worth the gamble.

To put MMO numbers in perspective, World of Warcraft still has 10 million subscribers.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...

(BTW, EA is Curt's publisher)

Think of it this way.

Patrick — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:36:19 GMT

She's a clown. In preparation for a big debate on big issues she has donned a clown suit.