Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to Ah, screw him.

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Robert — (archived)

Yeah, I liked Frank's attempt too.

I think you've gone a little over the top with Nixon (but that's what we like about you, Bowser). Maybe I have a little more faith in the checks-and-balances that would counter the "madman with nukes" scenario. Also, Nixon's neuroses were focused more on individual domestic political "enemies" than international competitors. His work with China is pretty solid evidence that he was capable of clear thinking in the geopolitical arena.

There are insights to be gained studying Nixon. He's infamous among conservatives for betraying their ideology by instituting wage-and-price controls, and for sponsoring follow-on programs to LBJ's Great Society. It occurs to me from his example that politics in a democracy inherently favor liberal solutions. According to conservative dogma, the solution to most problems, particularly economic ones, is to just have patience and wait for the "invisible hand" to miraculously set things right. But a politician can't afford to wait past the next election, and so the system naturally pushes in the direction of intervention, of visibly "doing something" to satisfy the voters.

It's interesting to posit an alternate universe in which Presidents serve a single six-year term--would they tend to be more conservative because of that?

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