Should ideology be based on faith or facts?

Question

For example, cons believe that supply side economics works better then Keynesian economics. They believe this as gospel truth, as it if were written in stone. They think the mere explanation of how it is suppose to work is proof enough.

That is not proof. It is faith / rhetoric without facts.

THESE ARE FACTS

I got the real GDP stats from the Bureau of Economic Analyses. I took the percent increase over 4 year intervals. I then ranked them from best to worst. Out of (((18))) 4 year intervals, the supply siders Reagan and Bush Jr ranked 8th, 12th, and 16th.

1 FDR (44') 74.69%
2 FDR (36') 34.62%
3 LBJ (68') 21.81%
4 TRUMAN (52') 21.00%
5 JFK (64') 19.86%
6 FDR (40') 19.32%
7 CLINTON (00') 17.87%
8 REAGAN (88') 15.98%
9 CARTER (80') 13.67%
10 CLINTON (96')13.53%
11 IKE(56') 13.45%
12 REAGAN (84') 12.63%
13 NIXON (72') 12.38%
14 IKE (60') 10.91%
15 FORD (76') 10.62%
16 BUSH JR (04')9.03%
17 BUSH SR (92')8.81%
18 TRUMAN (48') -9.04%

http://www.bea.gov/national/xls/gdplev.xls

EXAMPLE CALCULATION

1996, 8,328.90 inflation adjusted billions of dollars
2000, 9,817.00 inflation adjusted billions of dollars

PERCENT CHANGE = (9817.0/8328.9 - 1.0)*100.0 = 17.87%

Answer 1

Facts because facts and reason are the cornerstones of our enlightened society.
We must be vigilant and not let conservatives and other reactionaries lead us back to a new dark age

Answer 2

You have left out a very important detail to all those admirable statistics.
Since 1952, 55 years, we have had three one term democrat (Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter) Presidents and one two term guy (Clinton)
After each democrat has made a mess of the economy by employing socialist/Marxist economic thery to American Capitalism, we overwhelmingly reject any more of this stuff and a Republican takes over and fixes it.
Even dumb little Bushie had to suffer the Clinton recession of 2000-2002 and climbed right out with his taxcut despite 9/11.
I guess its time for a new socialist demo to screw things up so we, the American people can have the opportunity to learn the hard way...once again.
Its not faith, just the facts as applied to economics via historic cycles.

Answer 3

LOL. How many times can you post this crap?

The error in your argument, as always, is your assumption that:

1) ALL Republicans subscribe to supply side economic models, and ALL Democrats subscribe to Keynes.

2) The economic model for each administration can be labeled either/or, with no gray area.

In defense of your ludicrous claim, please explain how:

1) the two purest examples of Keynesian economics, the 1930's, and the mid-1960's through the mid- 1970's, produced two of the most economically volatile periods,

whereas

2) the purest SSE time period (since ~1980) has been a period of relatively low inflation, strong expansions, and mild and infrequent contractions.

Answer 4

Wow, how rare a real argument with real data. Let's take it all in and enjoy the rare pleasures of actual debate........

Unfortunately there are those who will use valid data to prove their side correct too.

Faith is for religion fact is for anything not pertaining to religion. Although there may be some influence of faith an religion on other things and visa versa generally it is true.

Answer 5

I think you have posted this info 10 times at least, and every time I say the same thing. Reagan and Bush Jr. have had to clean up the messes of their predecessor, much like Clinton and Carter have had the benefits from theirs.

Answer 6

So you base everything on GDP growth??
FDR - WAR Footing , not to mention that unemployment was close to 20%

Answer 7

facts. pure facts.

faith is an admittance of not HAVING the facts!