<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title><![CDATA[Comments for entry "Stimulus by Leadership" at Dilbert.com Blog]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/222]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Regular thoughts and updates from Dilbert.com]]></description>
<language><![CDATA[en-us]]></language>
<generator><![CDATA[VPI.Net MyBlogAbout]]></generator>
<managingEditor><![CDATA[]]></managingEditor>
<webMaster><![CDATA[]]></webMaster>
<ttl><![CDATA[5]]></ttl>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from scoonbug]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/22164]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;channel=s&amp;hl=en&amp;q=shopping 9/11&amp;btnG=Google Search

Hmmm... Bush told New Yorkers to go shopping after 9/11, and the press was pretty negative.  So I don't think it would be wise for Obama to do that, either.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[SunAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/22164]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from BryanK]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20577]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[What would stop Obama from asking the citizens to contribute in these ways?

An assassination by any or all powerful lobbies of rich people.

Unlike you, other rich people are not content in just having everything they could possibly want (things-wise). No, they are still miserable unless they know the other  (at least) 90% of people are barely scraping by or worse. That makes them even richer. If that's not true, why do you think they work so tirelessly on becoming more rich and further deepening the gap between rich and the poor?

Why do you think this crisis took place? Why they still took hefty bonuses although their companies were to declare bankruptcy? 

All they have to pretend now is that they were stupid and insensitive and start buying all the stocks cheaper than ever...

You already predicted all that (and more) in your books and comics. 
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[MonAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20577]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from lorihigham]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20546]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Hmmmm, I don't necessarily agree with all of Obama's views on the issues, although I do consider him to be likeable as a person.  However, I find it interesting all of the times this section says &quot;if Obama asked the people to....&quot;  I really think Obama has been cut an awful lot of slack compared to any other past president, in people wanting him to succeed (whether that is for better or worse)....]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[SunPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20546]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from KevinKunreuther]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20505]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[@ staceyorman

Yes, it would be fantastic if we (the United States of America) could emulate Denmark, a small peninsula country in northern Europe bordering the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, with a population of just over five and a half million people, who surrender a little less than half of their paychecks to taxes which fund a plethora of government services that have little or no corruption and operate with complete transparency.

 I can see the states of Washington and Oregon doing this, I wouldn't be too surprised about Minnesota, I can imagine even a good part of New England and even South Carolina taking such tentative steps. But the entire nation at once? This is something the individual states have to do for themselves instead of relying on a Congress and or a President to agreeing on something even approaching the Danish model to satisfy all parties, until it is way, way, way too late. Now is the perfect opportunity for individual states to take matters into their own hands. Those state governments which prove unable to meet the challenge should be voted out and replaced with individuals who hopefully have the drive, the imagination, the competence and the wherewithal to implement such long range beneficial plans to its citizens, and hopefully be a beacon for other states and perhaps the nation as a whole to emulate.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[SatPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20505]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from Leora]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20425]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[That's why so many people ran out and bought duct tape to combat terrorism.  It was such a huge fear with nothing concrete the average individual could do about it, so when some talking head suggested duct tape to cover your windows in the event of a nuclear strike, millions of rolls of duct tape were purchased.  It didn't matter that it was essentially useless, it was something to do instead of nothing.

Make it something simple and inexpensive to solve something huge and frightening, and the average Joe will do it.  

Recycling is a good example--doesn't cost you anything except a few cents' worth of water to rinse your cans, but makes you feel like you're saving the planet.

Speaking of which, time to go rinse my cans in the hot tub.

]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[FriPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20425]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from WATYF]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20376]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Scott... I remember when your hypotheticals were actually interesting and thought provoking. :oP

No amount of &quot;talk&quot; in the world can subvert market forces. An economy built on debt and the over-expansion of credit *will* collapse eventually. No President (Republican or Democrat) can talk that out of existence.

And market shifts don't happen by &quot;talk&quot; or &quot;patriotic thoughts&quot;. They happen by competition and innovation.... something the gov't is only good at suppressing... not creating.

WATYF]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[FriAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20376]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from steventhethorn]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20323]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Those are great ideas.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20323]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from language]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20304]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[@TreeRol 

i understand where you are coming from. i disagree with you on a very deep level though.

financial decision making is a subset of absolute liberty. they are inseparable.

when govt takes your money, they are then obligated to make sure your outcome works for you. that is not liberty, that is dependence on the state. i don't mind people believing in socialism so much, its the arrogant blindness for them to pretend they simultaneously believe in equality and freedom AND socialism.

freedom to use your earnings as you wish is most definitely a part of the superset called liberty.

giving govt your money and demanding they fix your life is not equality either, that is separation of labor and an assumption that some are smarter than others. that is nowhere near equality. our society is quietly marginalizing the opinions and wishes of those without doctorates.

see what happens if you refuse cancer treatment (western medicine) for your child. you end up in jail. that is not equality, and it sure as heII is not liberty.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20304]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from another]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20279]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[solar panels... or thermal energy

the planet has enough (that we have discovered so far) to supply us for 40,000 years]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20279]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from orwell]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20249]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[This is an obamanation by obama nation.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20249]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from orwell]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20245]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I hate referencing other posts but Verni is spot on.  4 packs of cigs a day for everyone would certainly clean house for social security.  U would drive up hospice care but save lots of medicare  medicaid as well.

Not siding against pro-choice but Ms Pelosi's comment that more birth control/abortions would give the welfare roles a little relief falls into the same category.  Sounds like she wants to kill that hotbed of horatio alger stories.

Sounds a little like Clockwork  Orange, social engineering with unintended consequences needs a little thought. (Personally I think someone should have just snapped his neck when when he was laid up at the end of the movie instead of giving him a big settlement and reversing his operant conditioning.)

]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20245]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from trippy64]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20219]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Your suggestions do not accomplish what Obama is after. He doesn't want to solve problems, he wants the appearance of solving problems. He wants to push as much power to Washington as possible, and keep socialists in power forever, or until our government collapses, whichever comes first. And as the induhviduals have been able to prove, they will cheer gleefully as they willfully give over power to tyranny.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20219]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from acoward]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20215]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[In my state (NY) at least, power companies are already required to buy back excess power from their customers.
The power meter runs backwards.  (Really!)
Solar panels are still not a good investment for most people, though, when you add up the total cost of ownership.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20215]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from KevinKunreuther]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20213]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[@gargamel9

Deciphering your writing and thought process is troublesome. But, your posting is very wrong.
One, while millions of westerners die of diseases associated with bad diet and inactivity, millions and millions more are living long, if unhealthy lives, sustained by western health care, living well into their eighties. The current baby boomer seniors will be around for another forty years, not like a hundred years ago where most people never lived past their early sixties. We'll probably even have a record number of centenarians.

The West has been exporting its culture and other crap to The East for over fifty years. I know. I've been over there. I lived over there.And a lot of people are very upset about this cultural invasion because it is so infectious and irresistible. It takes over their own culture and causes the kids (who used to be respectful) to drive their parents and grandparents nuts. That's one reason (not THE reason) why four airplanes got hijacked one September morn. 

So GO BACK TO YOUR HASH PIPE, BRUNO!



]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20213]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from MOGGYCAT]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20212]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Well Scott, this is a great concept, and a radical one.  The role (as it seems to me) of Governements is to encourage and foster a sense of dependency in its citizens.  Anarchy is a dirty word in politics and yet what it means is self rule.  So what your are proposing is a system of anarchy, a dismantling of the power of the state, something perhaps akin to the Native Indian Traditions of collective decision making and collective action, based on everyone's input. 

We live under the illusion that our Government's 'take care of us'.  This nurtures a sense of powerless.  So you see the implications of your ideas are very profound indeed. 

]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20212]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from gargamel9]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20210]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[I had a similar idea two weeks ago. Its based on that cool sly movie, and what Canada did during the banning of alcohol in the mid twenties on the states. It still a work in progress as I still need to figure out how to eliminate work related stress. I admit is not a brand new idea, but as Mr. Scott says its either impossible or it would never work so..But still it passed my: why all my world saving ideas when applied to me doesnt sound so good.. test so there it goes..

It went like this, if a president were to force by law that no products that cause cancer or many other illnesses related to the food you consume (that are clearly bad for your health and everybody know it) and create cars that went permanently on autodrive at low speeds..I mean he would be the one guy that saved millions of lives. In the western Hemisphere we dont die from wars or terrorism or dictatorships..we die of too much freedom for our own good(the socialist scheme I know). But the truth is that we know we do things that are bad for us, knowingly or not, and we still do them. We can be like children with no tutors, but that produces more deaths than all other causes combined and that can be ignored. 
 Too much lying in the sofa watching tv and eating fat and carbs, too little exercise, car accidents and stress. They all combined produce millions of deaths. 

Mixed together they produce Im willing to bet more death than all the wars in which some western country has being involved. But Im sure the guy that solved this by decree would be considered the biggest fascist since adolf and the guy that destroyed millions of works, money for big companies and destroyed freedom. Which takes me to the big dilemma of my glorious plan to save millions of lives, how do you count the lives you save to put them on balance to state that somebody was a good politician.

 If you make your country go to war, you can easily track down the number of people killed on the war and blame it on the politician in question, but when you save the lives of thousands of people by doing something good, like the plan that Bush did for national health on the early 90ies..that is never taken into account to say somebody was a good president or not. Not even by their own supporters. Lives saved are really hard to track down. 

Being healthy but out of work is clearly be the downside of my plan. So just so we wouldnt need to destroy all that factories of death, we could still sell sugary and fat crap products to the other hemisphere, so we keep our jobs and they get fat (which is what everybody wants on those parts). With the mega reduction on health costs and pharmaceuticals that would compensate for the extra low margins of selling fat crap to hungry third worlders. There wouldnt be enough overpricing of products that cost way much less to produce multimillionaires CEOs and VPs from big companies but I for one wont complain about that.    

Now, if people would work for a small salary and thus wouldnt be able to buy a ton of defective and unhealthy crap but will in return stay healthy, live better and longer, and help the hungry worldâ€¦now thats what I would really like to see.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20210]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from ryan_blumenow]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20209]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[There are two problems economically with this idea: firstly, the free-rider problem. As patriotic as many people are, many individuals would rather wait for someone else to do his bit and then reap the benefits with none of the costs. So some would do their patriotic duty, but others would feel patriotic with the new policies but actually do nothing to support them. Secondly, the tragedy of the commons - with so many people using what little effect can be generated by those swayed sufficiently by patriotism, the effects get diluted and we might even end up in a worse situation than before. Besides, there is another problem: what if the campaign is unsuccessful? Then Obama has lost credibility.]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[ThuAMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20209]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from KevinKunreuther]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20205]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Supposing President Obama were to make any or all of these requests of the American people, it is a safe bet that only s*o*m*e people would seriously follow through. What effect this would have on the economy would sadly be immeasurable, but perhaps there would be some overall vague psychological benefit, perhaps a morale booster of sorts, that'd be good for short term.
But instead of President Obama making these requests, a joint press conference is held and this announcement is made by Sanjay Gupta (the Surgeon General designate)and Timothy Geithner. Now how many people would listen and take this advice to heart?
Let's jiggle things up again: let's change the platform to an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the appeal is made by none other Scott Adams and backed up Oprah's usual plethora of medical and financial &quot;experts&quot; and an appearance by First Lady Michelle Obama. How effective would this appeal be to rejiggering the economy and making m*o*s*t Americans more health conscious and actually healthier than previous generations?

Personally, I believe in a three prong attack, but that's my Neptunian nature: do all three in space of week, and the whole thing will be on the front cover of news magazines, discussed to death on local and national news, people will actually try to *D*O* something instead of passively watching. Fat people will be considered unpatriotic (that's going to be awfully unfair, but them's the breaks), fast food will actually become healthy food, Coke and Pepsi will be as despised and socially unacceptable as much as cigarettes (is Obama still sneaking a smoke now and again?).

I still think the government should give everyone in the USA seven thousand smackeroos each, to spend on whatever they want (no penalties against people with outstanding student loans or other liens by government, everyone has got to participate).  Everyone who receives their seven thou, should be encouraged (not mandated) to buy at least one share of GM stock through stockbroker of their choice. GM's value rises, stockbrokers' get thousands of new clients and starts visiting Starbucks again, Starbucks issues bonuses and raises to employees, who buy more crap at WALMART*. Voila, the economy starts chugging again!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20205]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from GregBecerra]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20204]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[That's just ridiculous. Do you know how hard it would then be to launder money from public to private equity? No, it's much easier to have scared and unhealthy citizens who are unable to keep track of where their money is going. It's much more efficient to simply name a piece of legislation something like &quot;Keep Americans Alive&quot; and then let them grow roots into their sofas. If people started getting up and doing something, well they might just start doing something.

~Greg http://gregbecerra.blogspot.com/
]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20204]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Comment  from AM04]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20202]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Hi Scott,

Cool Idea,

I think all of us will love to see Scott as next President!!!!

Scott, I think it isnt such a bad idea -maybe your next blog could be an eassy titled &quot;If I were the president of USA&quot;!!

I think most americans would be laughing all the times under Scott's presidency - and naturally healthcare costs would come down!!]]></description>
<pubDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rthth]]></pubDate>
<guid isPermaLink="false"><![CDATA[http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/20202]]></guid>
</item>
<pubDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rstst]]></pubDate>
<lastBuildDate><![CDATA[WedPMPSTE_Rstst]]></lastBuildDate></channel></rss>
