The stories liberals tell

Pittsburgh Live ^ | Dec. 12, 2004 | Colin McNickle

[conservativecorner]

There are two sides to every story. Unfortunately, the stories liberals usually tell are fairy tales masquerading as history or the cleverest fear-mongering and double-talk designed to preserve, protect and defend collectivism. To wit:

In a Thursday letter to the editor of The Washington Post, Philip B. Lacovara of Tucson, Ariz., writes that the Schwinn bicycle he received as a child in 1992 "was a symbol of a better America, since outsourced to countries with poor working conditions."

Ah, yes, the "good 'ol days." Which the ever-sharp Donald Boudreaux, chairman of the economics department at George Mason University, seized upon to offer a tutorial that he shared with me:

[Redbob]

"The unemployment rate in 1992 was 7.5 percent; today it's 5.4 percent. Total industrial production is 17.5 percent higher today than in 1992. Real per-capita income in 1992 was about $28,000; today it's about $37,000 -- nearly a third higher. And since 1992, infant mortality has fallen about 11 percent and life expectancy at birth has risen by nearly two years. America's prosperity was high in 1992; it's even higher today."

Thee point of the article.

[carumba]

To me the good ole days where when Schwin had the 'Stingray' bicycle with the banana seat.

[marlon]

OhhhhYeahhhh!!!

[sandbar]

You know what? I watched Born on the Fourth of July last night for the first time since joining Free Republic and the whole Kerry Vietnam/lies crap and I ended up getting disgusted and talking to the TV. "What a load of crap!"

Not that Vets didn't get treated crummy, I have two fathers who are Vietnam Vets, but the anti-Republican angle was sooo obvious. After I told my husband that this was the same guy who did Alexander, the Gay he just rolled his eyes and changed the channel.

[L98Fiero]

In a Thursday letter to the editor of The Washington Post, Philip B. Lacovara of Tucson, Ariz., writes that the Schwinn bicycle he received as a child in 1992 "was a symbol of a better America, since outsourced to countries with poor working conditions."

Being a former cyclist and bicycle-guy, this analogy struck me as funny. First, the guy's bike, unless it was top-of-the-line, was make in Tiawan. Second, Schwinn, bless it's heart, has been in dire straits since the '80's, having been bought and sold several times. They refused to pursue mountian biking and paid dearly. Don't get me started on the Bow-flex.

[YankeeGirl]

Don't forget the "monkey" handle bars! Mine was purple.

That was my first "new" bike, a communion or confirmation gift. My real first bike was fished out of the Bronx River by my grandfather (RIP) and cleaned and painted. My mother hated it and was annoyed at her father. I was thrilled to have any bike.

Makes me realize just how spoiled my kids are!

[Atlanta Conservative]

McNickle wants to make fun of liberals. He does so by taking a Washington Post Letter to the Editor (registration required) out of context. This letter is in response to an article A Rough Ride for Schwinn Bicycle (registration also required).

I don't want to go into all of the reasons that Conservatives should oppose NAFTA, but I will make the following comments.

• The article is based on a fallacy called Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc. Just because the economy has improved since 1992 doesn't mean that it was because of NAFTA. It may have been despite NAFTA.
• Measuring the quality of life for Americans using economic statistics is very difficult. I could just easily produce several statistics that show how things have gotten worse since 1992.
• The account deficits which are one of the catalysts of the free fall of the dollar have been fueled by NAFTA. If the dollar ceases to be the reserve currency of choice of other nations then we're going to see an economic downturn that will cause people to look fondly upon the days of 1992 or 2004. Take your pick. America's policies are putting at risk the dollar's role as the world's dominant international currency .

I don't know whether McNickle is a hack or good writer on a bad day, but I didn't want this stuff to go unchallenged.

[Chi-townChief]

You beat me to it. My wife and I bought a couple of Schwinn ten-speeds in '81 or '82 and both were made in Taiwan.

[mallardx]

Check those out on Ebay - they are bringing tremendous prices! I used to have a purple stingray with a "racing slick" back tire. I loved that bike. My friend had a 3-speed one with the shifter on the crosstube.

[aimhigh]

Just because the economy has improved since 1992 doesn't mean that it was because of NAFTA. It may have been despite NAFTA.

You are of course referring to Nafta which was signed by the Clinton Adminstration.

[kahoutek]

Imagine that.......a 12 year old pining for the good old days.

[bowzer313]

"If the dollar ceases to be the reserve currency of choice of other nations then we're going to see an economic downturn that will cause people to look fondly upon the days of 1992 or 2004."

It is a fact that economic prognosticators have been predicting dire consequences for the US economy whenever any competitor nation or group of nations rises out of their self-imposed economic dismal swamps for a short period of time. The fact remains, however, that ever since the end of WWII the US Dollar has been the reserve currency of choice for the world. Why? Because the US has been, and continues to be, the last bastion of whatever free market economics and the rule of law there is in the world. Given the state of our world today, with every other competitor nation (Russia, China, Japan) or group of nations (the EU, South America) fully in the grip of socialism/communism/fascism, let's finally wake up and recognize that the US Dollar is likely to remain in its position of pre-eminance for the foreseeable future. Particularly now that the US has achieved a global economic and military dominance unseen in the history of the planet!

[Atlanta Conservative]

Your arguments are valid, bowser313, but here is the crux of the problem. How long would you continue to loan a company money, if you were getting paid back 70-80 cents on the dollar. That is precisely what foreign central banks are experiencing. They are purchasing treasury obligations and when those obligations mature, they are paid back, but in dollars that are worth less in their currency.

Don't confuse opposition to NAFTA with protectionism. NAFTA has nothing to do with fair trade.

And yes, aimhigh, it was Clinton who pushed through NAFTA.

bowser313 wrote: "Particularly now that the US has achieved a global economic ... dominance unseen in the history of the planet!" I wish I could share your enthusiasm, but we're 11 Trillion dollars in debt to foreign countries. That doesn't constitute dominance to me.

[Zacs Mom]

lol.......

"...that the Schwinn bicycle he received as a child in 1992"

just reading that line made me feel really old ~ I think my bathrobe robe was probably bought in 1992! ;^)

It reminded me of the time my 10 year old nephew asked me who my favorite baseball player was.....then he quickly added, "I don't mean ones from the olden days ~ I mean of ones playing now that I would know!"

[noblejones]

>>
Don't forget the "monkey" handle bars! Mine was purple.

Makes me realize just how spoiled my kids are!
<<

Man, I LOVED my Stingray. Did yours have the seat with all of the sparkle flakes in it? Ah, 70's style.

Bless your grandad -- that's a pretty cool thing to do.

[IamConservative]

"Man, I LOVED my Stingray."

Seen the new ones? Orange County Choppers helped design them. Look cool, but don't look really functional..

[noblejones]

>>
Seen the new ones? Orange County Choppers helped design them. Look cool, but don't look really functional.
<<

I heard about that an am curious. But remakes are seldom as good as the original. We'll have to see.