₦airaland Forum

And Lordy. . . Did you lot hear Jennifer Hudson.

Looking good and boy she can sing

Bawo. . .shattap jo. the more fans the better

plus there will be more fans to diss the abominable bears

I would usually root for the underdog in this kinda game, but I am going for the black coach in this one.

its a touchdown. This could get ugly if the cards don't score on the next possesion.

Don't want to give the steelers defence too much of a lead

lol. . . .so you know as much about Walter Payton as you do Wayne Gretzky and Eboue

Ol boy. . .you are in big problem.

You are short and you are wowo. . .

I hear those Okada people oblige suicide cases.

Locate the nearest one ASAP.

lol

ModestSam:
I guess you expect people to press on with whatever they think, be it right or wrong. That would be a stupid position to take.
Why would you just follow a leader blindly, regardless of what he is doing? You should encourage him when he tries to improve the living standard, and criticize him when he wastes our resources on useless and PR projects that wouldn't benefit the masses.
Just so you know, I'm against the CCTV projest as well, as CCTV is meant to complelement the actions of the police force on the ground, not to replace it.

Your position is perfectly understandable as is the optimistic note of most of this thread.

Just the idea that someone in government is actually making an effort, whether misguided or not is something to celebrate.

But of course thesame sense of optimism surrounded Tinapa and D. Duke, and that project is proving a white elephant at the moment sha.

At Tayo. . .I have many objections to your analysis. For one, if the market was so easy to predict, even to the barest cent, then I would be a billionaire now. It is precisely because of the randomness and unpredictability of the market, it holds prime place in free market economics. The market is the epitome of Hayek's spontaneous order. It is this unpredictability that spawned the need for a safety net in response to the inevitable downturns that afflict the market.

As per politicians, don't hate the player hate the game. Democratic practices everywhere have their virtues, but they also possess some inherent flaws. That such behaviour exists relates systemic fault rather than derive from a priori parochial individual wantonness.

When I talk about the pyramids of derivatives, I mean the penchant of those greedy bankers to slice and dice these risky loans and spread them around the world. The government is culpable insofar as this practice was overlooked, but I cannot think of any legislation that encouraged this practice. It was this slicing and dicing and the lack of transparency in the distribution of these funds amongst the banks that caused the current intractable financial crisis(exacerbated by the decision to let Lehman fail).

That is market failure full stop. And with the prophecies of doom in the papers, I think it would be foolhardy to
ever put all our eggs in the market basket

@Tayo.

LOL. . . .I still find this dissection of points somewhat of an acquired taste. My thoughts are too scrambled to be so neat and precise but I will try to reply you as succinctly as I can.

On the question you ask, ''. . . any place where economic conservatism has been freely practiced?'' Well, as at the present moment, there is no place where the sort of unfettered capitalism you propose is truly observed. But this on the other hand proves my point, it is a mirage and unrealistic to expect the kind of capitalism you want alongside the current democratic dispensation. It was a lot easier for the pre first world war economies in Europe and the States to practice this form of laissez faire economics, because the franchise was restricted either by age or gender or a bit earlier by property or wealth. The widening of the franchise to a larger population essentially meant this sort of economics was a no no. No reasonable man will vote for a party that offers him no succour in his time of need, leaving him to the vagaries of the market or the temperament of a wealthy benefactor. It was the strict adherence to this form of economics that helped to facilitate the rise of the radical politics of the interwar years, whether of the communist or fascist kind.

On your other point. . . .that politicians spend to achieve political goals. Well, tough. It is democracy. I wish politicians would aim for loftier, world changing goals, but unfortunately, that's a one way street to political suicide. A politician's only incentive is how many votes he can garner. And spending money on his constituents is one sure way to achieve his aim. Democrats choose to craft this parochial goal in social democratic garb, the republicans do so with nationalist tough talk. I guess this leads me to the issue of Reagan and his spending. I have read and re read various arguments for and against the proposition he reduced spending. Notable though, the proposition is only valid if defence spending is set aside, otherwise, the conclusion is that he is just as big a spendthrift as his predecessors and successors. All that ''Great America'' talk has to be substantiated after all. It plays well to the gallery as much as it does shoring up the national defence.

Unfortunately that gallery does not include a couple of hard up folks who took loans that exceeded their means. I disagree that this artificial demand(I am assuming it is the subprime mess you are referring to) while being the root cause of the crisis is the primary source of the crisis as it stands today. It is the pyramid scheme of derivatives built on this shaky foundation of subprime loans by bankers, bankers who were hitherto, heroes of American capitalism, creators of wealth and of course masters of the universe. Many of the bonuses which they earned, that we have discovered fraudulently, were significant proportions of the contributions to charities and good causes during the boom years. But I am even wary of the nature of some of these contributions. T. Boone Pickens, oil man extraordinnaire, donates 1 billion dollars to his alma mater, but with the proviso, the money be ploughed back into his hedge fund for him to invest.  makes you start to think of the thin line between charity and subtle tax evasion.

Mehn. . . a keynesian argument and I have been absent.

Okay now. . .let us see.

Bastage:
No it hasn't. Only the regulatory area of conservatism has been discredited. The idea of the free-market is still the best that is on offer and it is far superior to socialist economics which inevitably lead to boom and bust.

The merits of the free market I will leave for another day.

My main concern here is the idea that ''small government'' i.e a significant cut in government spending, is achievable.

[quote author=Tayo-D link=topic=226559.msg3407159#msg3407159 date=1233366625]@Davidylan,
Of course not all the blacks are there because of welfare. Many are there and supporting the Dems 'cos of perception that they care more for the Blacks than the RNC.  I say they cannot be further from the truth.  It is the this lingering perception transfered from one generation to another that makes each Party what it is today.

As for the RNC, I think they have stuck to some principles without being tactful in its expression. Conservatism, which the RNC is supposed to stand for believes in the dignity of the individual without any apologies.  It's just like your stance here on nairaland aganist Islam and its evil manifestations. Many here say you hate muslims which is simply not the case. You stand by a set of principles and expressing them atimes may seem mean to the other parties. Others have called you muslim hater for so long that they believe it.  This is the same thing that has happened to the RNC over the years. They've not tried to explain themselves but believes that their principles and core values when understood, should expressly dispel any cloud of racism that may be hanging over them.

As a black man, I will feel more comfortable with a Republican than I will with a Democrat. The RNC's values are more in line with Africans than the DNC.  Think about it.[/quote]But what principles Tayo? What are these principles that tie you to the Republican party ?

Conservatism, economic conservatism at least has been totally discredited. That it took this long for its adherents to see the light is what baffles me.
Governments simply cannot get smaller. It is impossible. Spending only goes one way, and that is up. The difference between the Democrats and Republicans is where this spending should go. All that claptrap about letting the individual spend their tax dollars. . . .hogwash.

And it is this value system that prevented the Republican government from attacking the root cause of the economic crisis. It is a lot more acceptable to bailout banks than it is to bailout homeowners who took out bad loans. It would be unfair to the many who took out good loans they said. It is un-American bla bla bla. Well, 1.6 trillion dollars later, I bet they wished they had spent few hundred billions that might have staved off this disaster.

It is no use enunciating principles that simply do not have any bearing in reality. ''Small government'' is a fallacy, and I was pleasantly shocked when prominent Fox newsanchor and ''low key voice for conservatism'' Britt Hume suggested as much. ''We keep harping on about small government'' he said, ''but from Reagan down to the Second Bush, our governments have gotten bigger not smaller. . .''

I can tell from your postings, you detest the idea of helping lazy black folks who live on handouts. From your argument, you suggest blacks support the Democrats because of the handouts they are drip fed. But the thing is, the black folks who live on handouts are the least likely to vote. They are the least politically active. It is the tax paying black folks who provide active and not simply vocal support for the Democratic party. So it is a bit patronising to suggest blacks only support the Democrats because of the handouts they are given or promised by the Democratic party.

Going with David's comments, the Republican party has become a party of the anti-intellectual, gun toting, trilby hat wearing, nascar racing folks. What might have been a neurotic perception rife amongst the black community about the Republican party has become the reality. Whether it is a self fulfilling prophecy is besides the point. It is this reality that prevents still keeps the religiosity of the black community from finding a common ground with the more religious party in American politics. That is why, blacks vote en masse for Obama in California and reject Proposition whatever on the same token.

It all boils down to a question of identity Tayo. Principles are thrown out the window as identity trumps all. Especially when those principles derive from fantasies.

so they have these communal clashes in the east too?

na wa o. .if its not ife modakeke, it is ijaw itsekiri, now this. . .

Seriously. . .it is a travesty Serena will make as much money as the Mens's champion in Sydney.
A real travesty.

I just think the ATP should simply pack it in and organise their own grandslams.

bawomolo:
doyin13 - what's up with your crystal ball, did u give up fortune telling or was ur crystal ball finally repoed 

when cat sleep. . . rat come bite im tail

na wetin e dey find

davidylan:
both the US and A opens are hard court surfaces. Nadal needs only win either of two to win slams on all surfaces.

hehehehe. . .

I have been reliably informed the US open is played on ''acrylic hard courts''
while the australian is played on straight up hard courts. 

Well. . let's just say, I don't like Nadal much. He has some kain shifty eyes 

I mean, are you guys still on this Bond v Bourne issue. . . .

The ultimate mark of respect nay awe by Ludlum himself is giving his agent
the same initials as Ian Fleming's. . . .

davidylan:
My heart says Nadal . . . with this he would have won GSs on all surfaces.
But my head says Federer .

Has Nadal won at the US Open?

Anyways. .me I jus want the Sampras record equalled and then broken.
The sooner the better.

I don't know if anyone noticed, the very taut posture Obama struck just as he was about to be announced to the crowd during his inaguration. The self confidence that seemingly came to him naturally was missing and the weight of the task ahead dawned on him. I can't think of a lonelier position than ''the president of the free world'', with solipsism as a given, and knowing the impact your decisions have not only on Americans but also to billions around the world.

Which is why it surprises why countless apply to fill the position, enduring sleepless nights, wearing plastic smiles, shaking hands with savoury and unsavoury characters alike, going cap in hand to raise money to be President. The attraction of the position might lie in what the Nixon character says in the movie Frost/Nixon. According to him, the President is above the law. The President can tap the offices of his opponents and not be called to account for it. He is all powerful, the manifestation of the Nietzchean ubermensch, and one can feel the bitterness which Nixon still felt at being cut down to the size of we mere humans.

The film is pretty good. . . Slumdog millionaire was my favourite film of last year up till I saw this film. One commentator calls it a political documentary molded in the shape of a Rocky flick, and I don't think I can come up with a better description. Sir David Frost made his name from these interviews, the man that broke Nixon, but this film seemed to suggest Frost won because Nixon wanted him to win.

Even the ubermensch need companions, and relief from the load they bear.

I sure want Fed to win the his 14th and 15th fast fast. . . .

I can't wait to see Sampras's name wiped from the record books
as the all time grand slam winner. His game was too limited to warrant
such a position.

Come on Fed son. . . .Get in there

u know what they say, wetin dey for Sokoto, e dey for shokoto.

Sisi Jinx:
I wanna see 'em too.

You can only see them from my bed

why did u bother learning spanish when Italian is so much cooler??

bawomolo:
disgusting performance by the bulls. see ya in the lottery

what ya think of AL J now ??

Bruv. . . . .

and who is this new you meant to impress.

People change to take a leap forward, i reckon u have taken
two or three backward

hehehehehehe. . . .

A-40. . .No be small thing oo

won fe pa awon mavs sha

Jesoul is gonna have a field day on ur arse

I thought the reason for drafting Rick Carlisle was to
help Mavs up their defense and intensity.

Its working a charm today

na wa oo. . .

we lost to Swansea again. . .Defending champions are out.

He should start playing Utaka and Kanu from the start na

Anyways. . .This is what one get for supporting a small town club.

what i don't understand is this deliberate attempt to link
the Igbos with Israel

Men. . .see my people sha.

Naija no dey carry last oo

It is almost traditional now, for an incoming president to make an amendment to
the abortion agenda.

Clinton did it on his first day in office, Bush within the first year of office and now
Obama has followed suit