Here’s what “we” think about that…
Posted on Jun 22, 2009 - 8:25pm by Marshall J. Gruskin in Trucking
Greeting drivers. Today I wish to discuss “common distinctions that are commonly drawn between various dimensions of economics – that being positive economics and normative economics or between economic theory and applied economics or between mainstream economics – more "orthodox" dealing with the rationality-individualism-equilibrium nexus and heterodox economics – more "radical" dealing with the institutions-history-social structure nexus.”
No, no I don’t. I hate economics. It’s really boring. I don’t want to talk about it – I don’t want to read about – I don’t want to think about it. Discussing “it” whether you know what you’re talking about or not (typically the case) makes everybody’s eyes glaze over. Experienced drivers learn to stay far away from other drivers who talk (or write) about economics, politics, their experiences as a Special Forces – Ranger in Vietnam and tires.
And what the heck is all this stuff about conservative women? Believe me Ann Coulter and her wealthy friends don’t need any of your help. She has plenty of $400/hr attorneys making sure she is as safe and snug as a bug in a rug. And who cares? Spend more time worrying about the folks that can’t afford food or health insurance. Defend those people without the Rush Limbaugh – Sean Hannity rhetoric. Anyhoo – I’m here at the KW dealer in beautiful Green Bay, WI. And, I did a little test. There were about six hot, sweaty – not to happy to be here - drivers waiting for their trucks to be serviced. Two drivers wives were present as well. Survey time.
I’ve done this twice before with the same result. No one is “on” Twitter or Facebook. One driver asked if “that’s” like YouTube, which his daughter loves. Two drivers still can’t afford cell phones. One driver still listens to his prized possession of cassettes. No one has an IPhone or a Blackberry. Only one couple had a laptop in their truck. No internet service unless they’re at a Flying J. One driver’s boss gives him an old pager ($5/wk pay deduction) when he needs him to call in. “How many of you care about conservative women?”, I ask. Blank faces. Why is this moron asking me this question. OK, OK – next question. “What about Obama’s economic policies?” Slight confusion in the crowd. Boring is the prevailing look on their faces. 1 McCain voter, 1 Huckabee. 2 didn’t vote, 1 wanted Ron Paul – the other 3 Obama. Their overwhelming concern? Simple – more freight!
One driver – the Special Forces – Ranger from the Vietnam era (McCain voter) who knows everything about EVERYTHING including tires starts. I know his kind. If I don’t stop him now he will go on for hours winding himself up tighter and tighter like a Swiss coo-coo clock. Why if I don’t do something, he might – oh no! – BLOG about it. God helps us all. One driver knows the deal and runs to the bathroom. Another leaves to check on his truck. We never get to hear the consensus to the Obama economics question. Just as well.
Get real. These drivers don’t care about economics, Obama, conservative women, the media, Twitter or Facebook. They’re existing paycheck to paycheck. One driver and his wife didn’t have enough money for dinner. If anyone is to blame for that it isn’t the Democrats – it’s the Democrats AND the Republicans and everyone else that has no idea what greedy moron they’re electing to represent them be it liberal ,conservative, independent or libertarian. And guess what – only two drivers had any health insurance. One driver cashed in his 40lK to survive another six months on the road.
And bottom line, through all the fog of all this useless boring jibber jabber, I have yet to read about one damn good solution from any of these pontificating brilliant know-it-all drivers – oh excuse me, conservative non-degreed professors of economics and political theory. Sure throw – how do you put it – oh yeah – Hussein out. What do we do then? Put McCain in office? What about you? You take over the job. And we’ll all watch you fall all over yourself along with everyone else in office right now – Republicans and Democrats. And that my friends is REAL life on the road. Go Twitter that!
Photo credits: www.flickr.com/photos/vegasrob/2433395950/,http://bitsblog.florack.us/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/180px-ann_coulter_tv.jpg, http://www.everythreeweekly.com/pictures/stories/1017.jpg, http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/eduwonkette/upload/2008/03/20prof600.1a.jpg – and – the boring stuff from a Wikipedia search of “economic theory.”
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very well put. Succint and to the point.
We are so entrenched in our current system, it doesn’t matter who is in office. We need to make more stuff in America. But everyone wants the cheapest price. If the Republicans are so great with the economy, this didn’t happen overnight. You can blame the Dems in congress, but they weren’t the only ones there and there was a Rep President. The republicans have outsourced and insourced us to death in the name of free enterprise and the market. And I’m just getting started.
There are plenty of solutions and plenty of talk about solutions, but the R’s had their chance and blew it and we’re supposed to trust them to fix it? Plenty of blame to go around.
Lately, politics is like economics, blah, blah, blah, boring, can’t do nothing about it, what’s for dinner, let’s go twitter because that’s all I can afford. So don’t go too far off the deep end trying to find a solution.
We laugh and talk about something else to keep my mind off what I already know and am completely fed up with.