Vast Write Wing - March 2009

[lwoolley]

Mr. Wooley,

I have the greatest respect for Soldiers and Police officers. They
have a job that places them in life dealing problems everyday. But
I disagree with your assments of their duties and responsiblites,
especially police officers. Their duty is not to protect and serve.
Their duties and responsiblites are o enforce the laws of the cities,
countys and state.

In the case of this idiot cop that detained the family in time of
an emergency, should be fired. To many times unqualified police
officers run the streets of our cities.

In the case of the four police officers that were killed last week
by a paroled scumbag, he got just what he needed, DEAD. The parole
board that let the scum out of jail should be fired and put in jail.

Mike from Odessa, Texas

[lwoolley]

There is nothing wrong with being an entrepreneur, making money and living the American Dream. However, "greed" is how the Bernie Madoffs of the world come to be. Besides that, I never heard you "compassionate conservatives" (an oxymoron) say anything when wealth was being "distributed" to those who didn't really need it the last eight years - especially during wartime - which is unprecedented.
Kevin

[lwoolley]

Your definition of greed (as seeking a profit) is quite wrong - both socialogically and from a christian perspective. Taking your definition and the rest of the opinion to its conclusion, you are providing the justification for Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, the Mafia, and Piracy.

Seeking a profit is a noble venture - it is looking for the results of our labors. Most people who do that know about limits and will not take food from the mouths of starving children.

However, greed knows no limits. It is that lack of limits that marks greed over the simple seeking a profit. It is because of how destructive that lack of limits is why Greed is listed as one of the "seven deadly sins".

The difference between Capitalism and Piracy is business ethics. Their business ethics is why Warren Buffet is praised and Ken Lay reviled.

David Randolph

[lwoolley]

Wall Street? My dear,

poor attempt at condescenion -- I’m not your dear

you need to take a look at your own
government. The corruption at Freddie and Fannie was rampant.

And was anything done during Bush’s administration to actually curb their corruption?

May
still be. Government forced the sub-prime crisis by forcing banks to
make loans to the poor. Now, our greedy little prez is engorging
government at your and my expense. If you read my article, you know
how I define greed

The way it reads in the DMN is thus: “Raines profited from a corrupt government spoils system devoid of honesty and ethics…” and you definitely don’t tie that to a definition of greed. and stated that it must be tempered with honesty
and ethics.

Those two things are sadly missing in government.

Amen to that. For too long the Bush administration tip-toed around honesty and ethics. Clinton, too. But about ramping up debt (think Iraq War) and ignoring Wall Street excesses, your Republican friends are a large part of Washington greed as defined by Webster.

[lwoolley]

Greed: How much should we tolerate? (Topic of the Day)
9:45 AM Fri, Mar 27, 2009 | Permalink
Keven Ann Willey/Editor Bio | E-mail | Suggest a blog topic
Great commentary package on our Viewpoints this morning featuring Lynn Woolley and James Oliphant entitled "How much greed should the public tolerate?"

Woolley, a Texas talk show host, takes the rather un-PC view that greed is endemic to human nature, regardless of government system or political party, and seeks to underscore Milton Friedman's point: "The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests."

I rather agree. The issue is what sort of parameters/incentives to "put around" it to both reflect the realities of human nature and to bring out the best of human nature.

Oliphant of the Chicago Tribune rattles off a litany of examples of greed that we encounter every day - including fees we pay various companies for processing our bill payments and having to fork over $1 for water on certain airline flights.

I could add other examples, from having to pay a "processing fee" for a set of checks in order to access my own checking account to paying for the privilege of scooting in and out of the airport (without parking) simply to pick up an arriving passenger.

(At what point are such things examples of "greed" and at what point are they legitimate costs of doing business?)

Today's Topic of the Day is two-fold (please answer only after you've read both the op-ed columns to which I've linked):
• Are you more in the Phil Donahue or Milton Friedman camp when it comes to greed and the human condition? Please tell us why.
• What's the most egregious example of "everyday greed" you've come across lately?

[lwoolley]

Lynn Woolley Viewpoint of March 27.........

Mr. Woolley believes that greed is the engine that runs capitalism and defines it as "the desire to make a profit." I differ with his definition. Greed is generally considered a vice and is viewed as the pursuit of personal gain usually at the expense of others. To think that capitalism is based on the latter definition is a rather cynical position that all people are motivated by selfishness. Capitalism should involve pursuit of self-interest and personal gain within legal and ethical boundaries. Greed, corruption and recklessness occur when those boundaries are not observed. That is the weak spot of capitalism. An obvious example is the manufacturer that knowingly continues to market a defective product that is unsafe and can cause harm. Self-interest must always be balanced with the public interest. Mr. Woolley thinks excessive government is the root cause of our problems. Nevertheless, imposition of government controls and restraints is required to protect the public from the small minority who will not observe the aforementioned boundaries. Admittedly, it is a delicate balancing act with the risk of inhibiting economic activity and adding compliance costs to those who are already playing by the rules.. However, it is generally accepted that a lack of government oversight was a major factor in our current economic crisis. In summary, there's no question that capitalism is the best system yet devised, but it sure ain't perfect.

Fred Neary

Carrollton, TX

[lwoolley]

china cant make their small cars fast enough,why cant chrysler and gmc sell small cars to china?dont make sence.
Bill
Temple

[lwoolley]

Re: Obama on TV constantly.

Boy! Are you living in “LaLa-Looney Land” or what? Sure sounds like it from your comedy-tary.

Let’s see now. Obama makes promises during the campaign – and then does what he says he would do when he’s elected. And you and the “Gang of Gripers” don’t like people who do what they say they promise to do.

Seems like the American people have left your R-Wingers in the dust and are moving forward. You’re completely clueless.

LS

[lwoolley]

lynn ;
the question to ask these new inventors/entrepeneurs is this: did you attend private or public schools?

from deep in the heart of the
llano estacado

[lwoolley]

Lynn,

I have been tuned into you for a long time and not once have I heard Robert suggest a policy or an ideology that he thinks will work. All he does is criticizing. He offers no substance. We need to either paint or allow these libs to paint themselves into a corner and ask them specific questions regarding ideology and policy, not politics. There is a lack of premise to their dribble. GODS SPEED,



MOE (Temple)

[lwoolley]

Robert said we cut college programs to fund the war in Iraq. I'd love to hear of one program we cut for the war. I know it didn't happen.

Your response about your personal struggle to finish college was priceless. Liberals always think those who have somehow took it from those that do not. Everyone has the same opportunity. Everyone. Well...Lynn, you and I, being white males, may be discriminated againts, but that's OK it seems. I have persoanlly been told not to apply for a fireman positoon because they were only looking for black women.

Another good response to him is that we are spend more each year on illegal immigration than we spend on the war on terror, but we never hear the libs complaining about spending too much on illegals.

Here's a link to the data.

http://chiggers.blogspot.com/2008/03/il ... -than.html

I LOVE YOUR SHOW

Kenny

[lwoolley]

Lynn:

The Republican party is finished as we currently know it. History has already written the ending. The last election was just like Custer's Last Stand. McCain is like Custer, stupid and charging head long into a no win situation. The soldiers were naive and followed Custer to their death (just like the decision makers in the Republican Party). The Indians were like the Democrats. They took no prisoners. The only salvation is that the Indians eventually did loose the war, but the soldiers that finally won did not win with the old leaders making the decisions because their scalps were blowing in the wind.

The only current salvation for the Republican Party is to do the following:

1. Vote out most of the current Republicans in Congress, especially old dogs like McCain and sometime Republicans like Snow, Collins, and Specter.

2. Elect new, loudly vocal conservative Governors and members of Congress with the attitude of Palin and Jendal.

3. Become an attack dog party against all Democrats at every level. No compromises and no prisoners. This has to be done by talk radio and the Internet. The main stream media is a dead dog that will not help.

4. Grow a young, vocal leader that has the mentality of General Patton. There is not one now in the Republican Party, so they need to get out and find one that has no baggage, and build a protective team around him or her.

5. Attack, attack, and attack Obama and the Democrat members of Congress at every possible level and at every possible opportunity.

Look at the 2010 election like a Texas State Championship Football game. There is no tomorrow, so you give it all you have by hitting as hard as possible as often as possible and hope your opponent can not get up.

Mike in Odessa

[lwoolley]

Surely many of you are aware of Daniel Hannan, British MEP ,who stood up
in parliament last week & made mince meat out of his prime minister's
spendthrift policies. One after another he denounced Prim minister Brown's
socialist methods of dealing w/ the economy.It's on You tube
He's a hero in america, making the round of conservative talk shows
and appearing on Hannity Tv.He's as big a conservative celebrity as Dr Bob Basso ,the Thos Paine imitator, AND He's admitted to having backed .....OBAMA!!(That doesn't mean he backs him now)

Do you now wonder how all the Republicans that i've claimed were backing
Obama ,did exactly that? Republicans are confused people who're mainly
led by a sense of independence that Kathleen parker of national Review
another Obama voter,proclaimed after she & christopher Buckley
admitted voting for Obama.She bragged that conservatives are independent
people ...and that very sense had led her to vote for obama.
For Democrats,who are knee-jerk socialists,following the party line
as a matter of rote, is a given that they don't even question
Thus we had 95% of black voters going Democrat

This is a reality we must deal with. Conservatives are more divided,more stubborn than Democrats,who easily fall back on their knee-jerk
collectivism...w/ no 'conscience"...to confuse them



Al, Lemon Grove

[lwoolley]

If there is a position to the right of you, I am it. I listen to your program regularly and almost always agree with you. When I don't agree, the difference is minimal. However, I really got riled at you last Friday, I believe it was, when you came out against red light cameras.

Two points:

You probably never have had a beloved family member or friend killed by a red light runner.

Those exorbitant windfall profits cities realize from the fines represent an exorbitant number of red light runners.

Frankly, I'm for whatever it takes to reduce the number of those drivers who drive so irresponsibly. Also, I've wondered why I see you picking your nose at red light cameras!

Pat

[lwoolley]

A number of years ago Eddie Childes had a solgn I"m Mad. Its seems to be as good or bettter for the way our contury is beeing run.

Johnney