This letter is associated with the following article:
Letters
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 12:00 AM

John McCain, Internet dunce

Why the Arizona senator, who can barely Google, is not the chief that an increasingly technological world requires.

Read other letters about this article

  • Tuesday, August 12, 2008 11:49 PM

    Consistency in Analysis

    It would be nice if the author of one piece - in this case the one about Mr McCain's stand on technology and free markets - could get their analysis straight.

    Four contradictory quotes from the article:

    - McCain had to choose whether to be pro-competition or pro-big business. In most instances, he chose the latter route [...]

    - [...] Government can do no good in telecom policy. "McCain is a pure free-market ideologue," said Mark Cooper.

    - More recently, McCain has sided with the telecom industry in the network neutrality debate.

    - McCain sided against competition and opposed Markey's legislation.

    So, what is McCain, a free market ideologue, which entails competition, or a protectionist in favour of big companies, which entails being against smaller business [Mom-and-Pop] and the consumer?

    As with the completely warped political dictionary of the USA - liberal meaning leftist radical, conservative being a right-wing radical - there seems to be more than just a little confusion when it comes to economic and socio-economic debate.

    BTW, I still have to stumble upon the free market touter, who is against regulations. A necessary component of a completely free market is the fully informed participant - a phantom in the real world, only used in theoretical discussions. Only if you disregard this can you think a free market in reality should be free of regulations. Please, could people stop misapprehending Adam Smith and David Ricardo.

Most Active Letters Threads

677

Obama's exceedingly familiar justifications for escalation

The "new" approach to Afghanistan touted by White House officials seems quite old
543

The crazy, irrational beliefs of Muslims

Tom Friedman explains the real problem: stupid Muslims think the U.S. is about war and aggression.
439

The face of rotted Washington

Evan Bayh demands more debt-financed war - fought by others - while boasting that he's a stern "deficit hawk."
227

Yes, it's Obama's war now

An uninspiring speech sells a dubious policy, but progressives who feel betrayed have only themselves to blame
225

The commendably missing element from Obama's speech

There was no pretense that human rights is our goal, or the likely outcome, in escalating the war

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon