〈In An Uncertain World> 是克林顿手下财政部长bob rubin 的回忆录。我开始读正是次贷危机发生的时候，当真一字一句敲进心里。历史的教训真就那么近！
鲁宾刚上任就赶上墨西哥货币危机。克林顿问他怎么办。他报告说：我们要是不伸手援助，道德上的责任之外，邻国大规模的经济衰退给美国来带的影响也很严重，不但出口受打击，而且非法移民数量会激增，但是我们伸手援助，也有很大可能会失败，这两百亿就白扔了。克林顿的助手说：你是说两千万吧？鲁宾说：两百亿。
鲁宾对克林顿推崇备至，称赞他理解力强，懂得概率的分析问题，而且，跟人谈话的时候，能全神贯注的倾听，他的反映能让对方知道他不但听了，而且理解了，而且非常关心你在说什么。克林顿在跟你交流的时候，能让你觉的自己是他注意力的中心，而且真正的魅力在于，此态度系出真挚，不是伪装，这时候，你就是他注意力的中心。这魅力，鲁宾说，我只在为数不多的几个人身上见过。
他又说：我经常听到克林顿的批评者说他实用主义，但他在墨西哥货币危机中的态度真非如此。一旦了解了整个形势，他决定不能在盟国有困难的时候袖手，就全力以赴。即使国会大力反对，克林顿的政治资本看似无谓的被消耗在这个问题上，也毫不退缩。
接下来的日子里，鲁宾花大量时间游说国会通过援助法案。他缺乏跟国会合作的经验，吃惊的发现这有多么困难。议员们并不了解墨西哥大规模经济衰退可能给美国带来的巨大负面影响，而自己恰恰无法在公开场合过多谈论负面影响的严重性，否则马上会加剧市场的恐慌，导致后面的援助更加难以进行。另一个难以接受的事实就是华盛顿的人身攻击，议员们公开质疑他是否有私人利益投资在墨西哥公债，或者是在试图华尔街的老朋友们从水深火热中用美国人民的税钱搭成梯子救出来。磨来磨去，法案就是通不过，他们干脆用了财政部的一笔储备金。议员们自然非常震怒。但是这场危机算是解决了。
读书笔记兼时事感想：在不确定的世界里（cont)
读书笔记兼时事感想：在不确定的世界里（cont)
Last edited by Knowing on 2007-09-13 20:08, edited 1 time in total.
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I hear this over and over and over from all kinds of people who have met Clinton in person. It's absolutely uncanny. From his best friends to an average Joe who he shakes hands with on the campaign trail, he mesmerizes people with just a look in the eye and a shade of smile, in a second or two.跟人谈话的时候，能全神贯注的倾听，他的反映能让对方知道他不但听了，而且理解了，而且非常关心你在说什么。克林顿在跟你交流的时候，能让你觉的自己是他注意力的中心，而且真正的魅力在于，此态度系出真挚，不是伪装，这时候，你就是他注意力的中心。
I seriously seriously doubt he is always 态度系出真挚，不是伪装, but apparently nobody is as convincing as he.
How fascinating though that he is married to an obviously charmless woman. She is as smart if not smarter than he. But for her warmth and charisma have to be learned and practiced, and when she applies them they look rehearsed. He's a natural "pink." She's totally "blue."
Clinton's Labor Secretary Robert Reich also has a book out ("Supercapitalism") and was actually promoting it tonight at P&P, but I didn't go. I always like listening to his commentary on Marketplace. He's a liberal but very sensible.
Are you joking? I can't believe this is the real reason that you hate Clinton. How in the world could he have predicted the consequences of 9/11? 
You can't possibly link Bill Clinton with the mess we're in now!
Do you really think Al Gore stood a chance in 2000 by being the disgraced president's second lieutenant?
You can't possibly link Bill Clinton with the mess we're in now! Do you really think Al Gore stood a chance in 2000 by being the disgraced president's second lieutenant?
I don't hate Bill Clinton, I am annoyed at him. True noone could have predicted 911, but it was obvious at the time with DNA evidence and everything, he was caught with hands in the cookie jar, and people were disgusted. Yet he did not let them vent the disgust and anger but let the scandal dragged on and on and on instead. He bacame such a negative politic liability that Al Gore had to keep distance from him during the 2000 election.
Had Bill Clinton resigned, had Al Gore become president in 1998 or even 1999, Gore would not have been the disgraced president's second lieutenant. He would have been the president running for relection. The whole scandal would have been put behind, and Gore could have won.
And Al Gore would have made a great president too! Oh well, anyone else looks great at the moment anyway.
Had Bill Clinton resigned, had Al Gore become president in 1998 or even 1999, Gore would not have been the disgraced president's second lieutenant. He would have been the president running for relection. The whole scandal would have been put behind, and Gore could have won.
And Al Gore would have made a great president too! Oh well, anyone else looks great at the moment anyway.
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Xiao K ah, you are such a New Yorker. 
You New Yorkers have no idea how American politics work, even as Jon Stewart laughs at the ignorant celebrities in LA-LA land.
Stepping down is the equivalent of admitting doing something wrong and admitting that he had committed a crime. That's a lot more serious than offending the morality and fidelity of upstanding American citizens. Only Nixon stepped down to avoid an impeachment. In politics, you gotta keep a thick skin like Senator Craig -- "I am NOT, and have NEVER been, gay." The people love the tough "resolve" and firm (wide?) "stance" of their politicians. They hate wimps and "flip-floppers" more than evil monsters.
I wonder if you're just annoyed at him because he is such a shameless womanizer.
Jon Stewart will host next year's Oscar Ceremony again. I guess these masochistic Hollywood people can't get enough of his jabs at them.
You New Yorkers have no idea how American politics work, even as Jon Stewart laughs at the ignorant celebrities in LA-LA land. Stepping down is the equivalent of admitting doing something wrong and admitting that he had committed a crime. That's a lot more serious than offending the morality and fidelity of upstanding American citizens. Only Nixon stepped down to avoid an impeachment. In politics, you gotta keep a thick skin like Senator Craig -- "I am NOT, and have NEVER been, gay." The people love the tough "resolve" and firm (wide?) "stance" of their politicians. They hate wimps and "flip-floppers" more than evil monsters.
I wonder if you're just annoyed at him because he is such a shameless womanizer.
Jon Stewart will host next year's Oscar Ceremony again. I guess these masochistic Hollywood people can't get enough of his jabs at them.
I completely disagree. Around that time was the height of the Conservative hysteria (TM) that had been building from a few decades and campaigned by the neo-Cons with ever more urgency after they tasted political victory in 1994 (congressional elections when Republican Party took majority in both house after decades in the minority). The neo-Con agenda had been working the public and media for years. Clinton's sex scandal only "confirmed" their propaganda that Democrats are a bunch of home-wreckers and Republicans stand for family values and moral superiority. Nobody could escape the relentless smear.it would have so much better for the Al Gore and rest of democratic party, because Clinton would have taken all the blame
Funny how the social and political climate changed in 10 odd years. Republican leaders have amply proven their family values, as demonstrated by Ted Haggart, Larry Craig, and ... all those middle-aged white men whom I can't tell one from another. And worse for them, American people are even less forgiving of gays than they are of unfaithful husbands.
Oh, What Clinton did was truly offensive to the majority of the voters, and it was not a smear. To the extend that Neo-con restlessly exploited it, it was shameless. But what do you expect from them? As a politician, Clinton should have done the damage control better by "sincerely apologize and take responsibility" instead of denying uselessly. The reality was conservative hysteria was all time high, and he were caught with his hands in the cookie jar, what was the best way to handle the scandle? It was gross that neo-cons used Clinton's mistake in private life to attack him, but it was his private life, not even the most imaginative politic enemy could have attacked Gore on Clinton's affair and lies.
Now we disagree on if Clinton's appology would have helped damage control. I believed it would have. Larry Craig got caught and the whole Republican party worked to force him out against his own wish to avoid more news coverage, and a couple of weeks later it is now already out of the news.
Now we disagree on if Clinton's appology would have helped damage control. I believed it would have. Larry Craig got caught and the whole Republican party worked to force him out against his own wish to avoid more news coverage, and a couple of weeks later it is now already out of the news.
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