Thursday, December 1, 2011

Just saw Pete Peterson working out at my gym!



I've been working out right next to him for all these years and didn't even realize it. Time to discuss some MMT!

Fielding suggestions for conversation openers.

13 comments:

mike norman said...

Ha! No contest!! Guy's 84.

beowulf said...

No no no, ease into it. Old people love talking about the olden days.

You know, Pete was a Nixon WH aide who was at Camp David when President Nixon closed the gold window.
http://books.google.com/books?id=s8DgzZol5poC&pg=PA250&lpg=PA250&dq#v

Peterson was worried then that the US would run out of gold, apparently he's still worried even his boss fixed that problem 40 years ago.

Anonymous said...

haha very sad you feel a need to mention this.

btw, Peter Schiff was right if you're still in denial

senexx said...

Hey you're Pete Peterson aren't you?
Then you can launch into the monetary conversation from any direction you prefer

Matt Franko said...

Hey don't worry Mr Peterson no problem, I'll spot you on the bench press....

Anonymous said...

What was Peter Schiff right about Anonymous?
He's been predicting treasury bubble for ten years now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kmtfDoxro8&feature=player_embedded

Happy anniversary Peter!

I don't think you are going to convince this guy of anything Mike.
Even if he would understand, he is never going to admit It. MMT could be not so easy to understand even for open minded people.
May be It's best with guys like him to pull It and not push It. Just ask some loaded questions perhaps.
It doesn't pay to argue with stupid people as you can probably see by Peter Schiff cult members following you.

beowulf said...

To broaden it to conversation with any existing deficit hawk, I was thinking today its easier to change the subject than to change anyone's minds.
Instead of disagreeing about the national debt, suggest a way the govt can stop borrowing and paying interest on its own money to the Federal Reserve. Its damn near impossible to convince anyone that their long-held beliefs (the national debt is bad!) are erroneous.
So give them something new to consider that doesn't contradict anything they already believe-- the term for that, I believe is, "an open mind". I can't stress enough how big a hook the debt service issue provides, so I'll just direct you to this Heritage Foundation chart--
http://www.heritage.org/budgetchartbook/charts/2011/entitlements-consume-economy-600.jpg

Anonymous said...

How about randomly, without him seeing it coming: "You know what I say... (leave a awkward pause) ...lower everybody's taxes AND (emphasis on and) increase government spending!" Hopefully he'll try to brush you off with somethign about the defcit and national debt, and it is then that you teach him some MMT 101. Like?

Anonymous said...

Ok. maybe beowolf is right. new thought: maybe MMT people need to read, and employ, the teaching in The Art of War. agree/disagree?

beowulf said...

"maybe MMT people need to read, and employ, the teaching in The Art of War. agree/disagree?"

Starting with Frank Luntz is a good start. :o)
http://mikenormaneconomics.blogspot.com/2011/12/frank-luntz-and-new-gop-talking-points.html

Anonymous said...

Do Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson work out at the same gym?

dilo said...

Mike,

If it's too difficult getting him to have at least an open mind about MMT, maybe you can try to get him to become a deficit dove instead? That's not ideal, but it would certainly be an improvement from where he is right now (a deficit hawk).

Calgacus said...

Peterson? - I don't think he needs to be taught MMT. He's a true deficit terrorist & knows it already. I think that he knows everything he says is a lie. He just likes the results of the lies.