AutoblogGreen

Spoken like a true Keynesian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keynesian_economics

Basically, a socialist tries to solve social woes by using government to supplant the free market. A libertarian believes that the government should stay out of the free market altogether. A keynesian believes that the government should manipulate the free market with a "carrot and stick" approach to get it to solve social problems.

For example, if the problem was "pollution", a socialist would take a strategy of making a bunch of specific mandates on the industry, banning it altogether, or mandating an alternative. A libertarian would rely on the industry itself to clean up the pollution on its own accord. A Keynesian would assign a cost to the pollution and use taxes, deductions, or "feebates" to make that pollution end up on the company's ledger sheet and thus have the the market figure out the best way to reduce it on its own.

Some have taken to calling this "left libertarianism", although really, the proper term is Keynsianism. Here's an analysis of one of Obama's economic policy advisors:

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/daniel_koffler/2008/01/substance_not_style.html

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Interesting. I'm glad that Obama favors energy independance, but I have to wonder why we have never talked about any of the other candidates who also favor energy independance, such as Clinton, Huckabee, Romney, McCain, and Paul.

It seems that you've developed a favorite candidate, and that's great, but this is not a political blog -- it's a blog about green automotive technology and Obama has not discussed that at all. He's talking about federal funding, and that's a diffent thing.

In fairness though, if you want to bring politics into your site, you need to show all sides, or state your bias. If you have bias towards Obama, that's fine, but state it and don't try to apear as an independant observer.

I have a bias and I have a site, and I show favorable news that relates to my bias, but it is well stated. People can take it with a grain of salt because they know where I stand.

For the record, this is a fairly new development for Obama. Clinton has discussed this issue since the start (that's not my bias.) Huckabee (yep, that's my bias,) has been talking about it for years. McCain is weakest among the group in promoting independance. Romney had a powerful stance on the side of independance as well.

It seems to be an issue that crosses party lines.

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Sure we will achieve energy independance, but all of our cars will be imported since automakers will have to compete directly with the Indian and Chinese automakers getting ready to hit our shores.

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I can't help but get angry when I see the context of Obama's speech. Other than the people at the plant who he's telling will keep their jobs due to corporate welfare, does anyone else not see right through that kind of speech as corporate socialism, or more accurately as the 1st post mentioned Keynesian??

Sorry, but I am not comfortable with having my livelihood taken from me to be given to GM. If GM doesn't figure out ways to compete in the auto business and stay afloat financially they have no business in making cars. Good intentions don't mean jack squat because the people (Obama in this case) with the good intentions always close their brains to the unintended consequences that happen afterwards. It's a bit like telling a patient to take a drug and telling them there are zero side effects when indeed all drugs have side effects.

Wreckless and irresponsible.

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I like your post meme and frank78.

Why does the govt need to help out a business like GM when the problem is internal?? GM just needs to re-configure their system then they'll be okay(which include getting rid of excessive exec like Lutz).

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It's election season. So much for change.

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Obama is for "change" if you consider that to be defined as MORE of the same.

It's like saying that decreasing the amount of an increase is a spending cut. Damn lawyers!

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We get it. A lot of you apparently don't like Barack Obama, or anything that seems like a government handout.

I'm no fan of GM, but I won't go as far as to say it's been entirely their fault that they are doing so badly. The fact is, the American health care system, among other things, are stacked against domestic car manufacturers. $1700 of the cost of every automobile goes toward paying employee health care for a domestic, versus $300 in a Japanese car.

The system is broken in the US... that combined with the incompetence and the foolish strategic positioning of domestics like GM, and you can see why they are becoming less and less competitive. Is it corporate welfare to want to keep jobs in the US? You tell me.

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You notice something about the car companies that are out-competing GM? They all come from countries with universal healthcare: Japan, Germany and South Korea! GM made a profit in practically every country *except* the US. Look at the countries where GM has profitable subsidiaries: Australia (Holden), Germany (Opel), UK (Vauxhall), again all with universal healthcare. It's simply a more efficient way to deliver healthcare.

GM also builds cars in Mexico, and they don't have universal healthcare. Do we really want to compete with Mexico for the race to the bottom?

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LaughingMan - "Is it corporate welfare to want to keep jobs in the US? You tell me."

You asked so NO, wanting to keep good paying jobs in the US is VERY patriotic!

So is Self-Reliance, Freedom, Personal Responsibility and Limited Government.

It is the out of control gov't spending on the pyramid scheme social nets coupled with building and maintaining a global US empire with OVER 499 Military bases in almost EVERY country on the planet that is forcing the Fed to issue credit out of thin air which loans to the US gov’t (our children’s children) AT INTEREST causing inflation and debt. How can any social program be a safety net when it goes bankrupt? It’s like sweet cotton candy in the rain.

You NEED to take the time learn about our fiat money system to understand why EVERYTHING costs so much while our standard of living is collapsing.

Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYZM58dulPE&feature=related

The US fiat money/perpetual debt combined with the socialist policy of regulation and redistribution is forcing the US to follow the USSR in to oblivion and our manufacturing capability to seek more competitive environment abroad.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FOLLOW THE ABOVE LINK WATCH A SHORT FILM TO LEARN ABOUT OUR MONEY.

Ron Paul is the ONLY candidate understands and has addressed this foundational problem in America. If we don’t fix this, nothing else can be fixed.

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