Steve, the quote has the main idea at the end, which you left off: “…and then expect everyone else to bail you out.” That’s what the article is about, personal responsibility as the basis of civic virtue.

Given what you’ve demonstrated by your use of the quote in this context, I take it you’re aware of the logical conclusion. The difference between conservatives and progressives is that when an irresponsible risk goes bad, a Republican takes responsibility and bears the consequences, while a Democrat demands to be bailed out. Naturally this will have to be done by confiscating wealth from the productive.

In his essay Our World-Historical Gamble Lee Harris makes a case that may be as compelling, but that requires a lengthier exposition because there are fewer familiar elements. He carries it off with one of the most important essays of the last two decades.

I strongly encourage Mr. Miller to do the same, spending some time on such questions as how we reward or punish the civic virtue that we need to keep our civilization alive. Such an extended essay could be a major contribution to our current, vital debate.

Forgot to put the address . . .

You can also take my pop culture quiz from yesterday, which I posted because I was so depressed by the news of the day that I needed a break . . .

If they foreclose…you will anyway. In lower property values.

Fact: No one lives in their own private utopia of self-reliance and discipline. We live in an interconnected society where the actions of our neighbors affect our own fortunes.

We can deny it…or deal with it. I recommend we do the latter.

The less money us “producers” give to the OBAMANATION the BETTER.

Halt the economy in its tracks.

I’m going shotgun.

See ya.

After careful consideration I’m convinced you won’t/can’t get it. Storytime.

Jack and Jill save for years. They have $20,000. They want a home of their own.

They buy a modest ranch house for $100,000 and put their $20,000 on it as the down payment. That means they have a mortgage of $80,000.

Months go by. Jack and Jill are happy and paying their mortgage.

Housing values plummet. Their house is now worth $60,000.

Their mortgage is bigger than their house value. (The big number is the mortgage. The little number is the house value.)

Jack and Jill’s credit score goes down the tubes.

Jack and Jill can’t get a loan. They may not be able to buy a car. They may not have credit on their cards any more (if they have any.)

You: It’s their fault. They’re irresponsible.

Me: WTF?

What part of “housing values are declining” are you having trouble understanding?

If the housing prices continue to decline by as much as another 5%, the number of hardworking people WHO ARE AS OF RIGHT NOW PAYING THEIR BILLS AND BEING RESPONSIBLE will almost double the original 10 million to 20 million ‘at risk’ homes: they too will be upside down. It won’t pay them to stay. They’d be better off handing the keys to the banks.

How do you intend to spin your “personal responsibility” argument at that point? By then it would be able to generate enough scrotal torsion alone to sterilise an elephant.

Liberals always want to talk about feelings – never the realities of life.

If you think I’m a liberal then you have serious cognition difficulties. You seemingly can’t grasp the idea that non-ideological thinking can even exist.

Everyone is to blame…lets not let the Right off the hook too soon!

Jack