Friday Open Thread: March 26th, 2010
What’s on your minds this Friday?
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Here’s an issue we’ve been very loathe to ever address, because we’ve never liked the concept of “Board Mommas” and have always resented places like TelevisionWithoutPity.com, where they have moderators that delete comments if they aren’t filed under appropriate threads, and if people try to hijack threads and talk about various tangential things that relate to nothing at all in the article at hand.
They’re VERY strict at TWOP, which is why we never post there, despite enjoying the site as a catch-up when we don’t have access to shows we like but want to know what’s going on. It feels almost impossible to post in the correct thread over there. Is something speculation about what’s going to happen in future episodes? If it is, then is must not be in a Spoilers thread, because that’s ONLY for when you have read somewhere that something is DEFINITELY going to happen, but you must have a quotable source for it to be an OFFICIAL spoiler. If not, it’s an UNATTRIBUTABLE SPOILER, and there’s a special thread for that.
Madness.
We will never, ever, be like that.
BUT, we’ve been reviewing the feedback we received the other day when we asked what things you want to see improved in the future around here.
One of the things that came up a lot, in both that thread and the emails we’ve received on the topic, is that we allow too many thread hijackings.
Actually, unless someone says something nasty about Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, ourselves, or other people we like, we don’t block any comments and we don’t have a way to move remarks to threads that fit better…so it’s pretty much a free for all in terms of comments.
We don’t think many of you appreciate the weirdness it causes when you just randomly post a comment about something totally unrelated on a thread about another topic. For instance, just say we have a thread up about Healthcare…and then someone hijacks the comment thread and posts some BREAKING NEWS! item about something stupid that’s happened in the White House, which will only be relevant for all of two hours.
A year later, when someone’s searching for info on that Healthcare topic, and finds that thread, smack in the middle of comments is a long stretch of remarks and counter remarks about the random thing someone hijacked the thread with. It makes little sense, and is of little use to anyone at a later date.
We see a lot of remarks that start with, “sorry to hijack this thread” or “I know this is not the right place” and “O/T, but…”.
It’s taken two years to reach this point for us, but we do finally understand why TWOP and places like that are so strict. Staying on topic in a post and the subsequent comments is important. It really takes away from the discussion of a topic when people hijack threads to insert randomness.
There is an Open Thread every day.
Open Threads are 100% random.
You should not post BREAKING NEWS in threads that are not open threads, unless the breaking news is in relation to whatever topic is being discussed in another post.
Great Merciful Zeus, we hated typing those last few sentences. It’s too Board Momma for us. We don’t want to be those guys.
But, we do realize a balance needs to be struck here…the random posting of O/T things should be limited to the Open Threads. We think discussion on topics would be better, and the posts themselves would be better resources of information in the future. Chances are, if something left in Open Threads is important enough, we’ll create a thread for it of its own, based on the tips left in Open Threads.
With most BREAKING NEWS items that’s just what happens.
We’d love to hear ideas on how we can improve this area going forward — and what you personally think about Board Mommas, moderators, and this sort of thing. As we look at what we can do for the new site going forward, this is a major area we are focusing on, so that comments and interaction is an enjoyable factor for everyone.
We just wish people would stay on topic more and use the O/T less…and hate having to admit that, yes, TWOP really does have a point in doing things they way they do after all.
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Lately I’ve been becoming more outspoken with friends, family, acquaintances, and on Facebook. I used to shy away from talking politics in places that didn’t feel appropriate, but lately I’ve felt we are living in too important of times to remain silent for the sake of “feelings”.
I’ve encountered two things that I’d like folks’ input on.
First, I’ve been pretty successful at arguing with folks until they have nothing left to argue, at which point they just accuse me of fear mongering. I’m not 100% sure how to respond to this. My two tactics have been to turn it around on them and say “so you admit you’re scared that I might be right”, or to take the approach that emotion has no direct correlation on whether or not an argument is valid, and force them to address my argument rather than the emotion it engenders.
Anyone have any other suggestions/strategies on how to combat the fear monger moniker?
Second, I have noticed a very disturbing trend as of late of people becoming outwardly receptive of socialism. I’ve heard remarks like “Socialism, I’m cool with that” or “this is an interesting aspect on socialism”.
This has just started to happen in the last week. I’m wondering if anyone else has seen it, and if anyone things it might be orchestrated. Perhaps one of the strategies for 2012 is to defray the damage of the “socialist” label that will inevitably find its way to Obama by that election cycle.
I’ve started doing this too (though I took the last few days off for family stuff), and it’s been tough. I’m not a confrontational person in the slightest, and while it’s not hard for me to at least eventually see the flaws in most of the arguments being tossed my way, it does get tiring.
I think your second approach toward the fearmongering bit is a very good one, because we are at a point where whether its frightening or not is irrelevant, only if it’s correct.
As far as socialism, I’m actually working on an essay (An essay! I’m a dork.) to post on my Facebook about the two schools of thoughts on rights — are rights personal authorizations or entitlements? Are they assertions of empowerment or are they things? And how when a government takes the role of provider of things, it must abdicate the role of protector of personal authority, since to provide someone with a thing, it must first take that thing from someone else, violating the second person’s personal authority to do with their property what they will. Basically, what it boils down to is if you want the government to give you stuff, you have to hand over your autonomy to that government. You can say, “Oh, well, they’re only hosing the rich and those people deserve it,” but what’s to stop them from turning on you as well? And when — not if — that day comes, you have no recourse.
Another argument I’ve thought up against this (I play devil’s advocate with myself all the time) is if someone said, “Well, they’re only violating property rights; it doesn’t mean that they’ll violate any other rights.” Firstly, property rights aren’t exactly petty — there are no less than six different protections of them in the Bill of Rights (seven if you count the 2nd Amendment, thought that’s a very specific property right), more I think than anything else in there. Secondly, my rather crude analogy here is that’s a bit like hiring a child molester who targets boys to babysit your daughters. If the government has so little regard for one right — one that’s afforded more protection in the Constitution than any other (the only other one even close here is protections of people accused of a crime, and some of those overlap) — then I have very little inclination to trust that they won’t run roughshod over any other rights.
it’s worth noting that the original draft of the Declaration of Independence used “Property” instead of “Pursuit of Happiness”.
Ultimately, the Founders changed away from property because they were afraid the slave owners would use it to prevent slavery from every being abolished.
The lesson to take away is that the Founding Fathers felt private property was SO important, that they originally considered it tantamount to “Life” and “Liberty”, and almost left it there.
How egregious would it be if the government were to violate your life, or imprison you without cause? It would be a pretty big freaking deal…. so how come it’s not such a big deal when they violate property rights?
Contrary to what many seem to believe, property rights are more important to the poor and weak than the rich and powerful.
The rich can afford security measures to protect their property, and can easily repair or replace their property if it is damaged. The poor can’t.
The powerful and politically-connected can take insider steps to see that their property isn’t touched by various takings. The weak can’t.
It’s perfectly logical to tell a confused chump, “If you really cared about the poor and weak, you would care about property rights.” When confused chump asks you how can this be, explain.
You are so right Xana. Just look at cities being able to take poor people’s houses to build X,Y, or Z because they will make more money off taxes from X,Y,or Z than from the poor people and their houses. That is a horrible attack on property rights. They don’t do this to rich people, only to the poor that can’t defend themselves.
I’m not sure that a Socialist govt sees its job is to protect personal authority/freedom. Since its not part of the job description, it doesnt abdicate the role.
As far as the specificity of the second amendment, it was I thought designed to be the last bastion of defending all the other property rights from govt takeover.
I fear rather than fear mongering, I’m reduced to aphorisms:
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
We get the government we deserve.
It could be worse, it could be raining.
You’re right, I should have said that a socialist government forgoes the protector ideology. I was thinking about the U.S. turning into a socialist state, and that’s why I said abdicate.
Here’s what I would do.
Write ALL the possible talking points on a piece of paper. Put it in your pocket and pull it out when they make those ludicrous statements and let them know you’re well aware of the liberal b.s. and so is the world
Or on the palm of your hand. heh.
Second, put the article of Castro applauding obama yesterday, in your pocket and pull that one out. Castro?
Sadly, too many people in this country admire Castro. If I pulled out the article to show my family espousing redistribution of wealth, they would say, “See, health care is good, even Castro is for our plan.”
I posted about that on my facebook yesterday. If Castro thinks HCR reform is a good thing, we should be very afraid of it.
The enemy of America isn’t so much the marxists incharge of the WH and congress or the MSM or even hollywierd… the enemy is apathy. It’s the ones who joke when u suggest they call their congressman, the one who proclaim you of being a bit dramatic/over-reactive. Americans, through our disinterest in knowledge, have allowed the marxist to manipulate our thoughts. Hence when someone says “socialism is OK” have no idea what they are really saying.
WE ARE in trouble gang! I don’t know the answers and solutions but I do see whats going on. Am I an ‘alarmeist’?
Hell yea I am. We all should be sounding the alarms.
Wake Up Americans and wake our neighbors up too.
It’s not fearmongering if it’s actually happening, then it’s ‘truth telling’.
If the government can force you to buy a product, if it can eliminate any competition for service, then you are completely without recourse. It means that it can, quite literally, force you to buy or do, ANYTHING.
No other rights matter when free will is gone. In fact, you could say that you really don’t have any other rights other than the right to gripe about what you’re being forced to do.
Angelaisms -
So it’s just property… And how much of someone’s life was spent doing a job they didn’t like to afford that “property?” If that car or house or those dollars are stolen, taxed away, or confiscated, do you get those hours back? Property is your lover’s life saved up and stored in that ring on your finger. Running roughshod over property rights IS running roughshod over your right to your life.
Exactly.
There has been an ongoing war on property rights in this country, and it really seems like most of the people my age think of property rights as tangential rather than essential. I was in that camp for awhile myself. I think it’s all part of the “Where’s mine?” mentality that has been growing of late. I think we’d all be well-served to go back and look at that “thou shalt not covet” thing.
These people need to be educated as to the cost of socialism. For instance, health care isn’t all that cracked up it is. Last year I was checking stuff out at Babalu blog (http://babalublog.com/) and there was pictures of what it looks like in hospitals that average people use (truly awful). You might want to do research on the nomeklatura during the Soviet Union period and what kind of privileges they had that regular people didn’t and tie that in with the privileges that the Congress has (their own health care).
the best one is to talk to a Cuban about the situation in Cuba.
The young college kids truly have no idea. They even romanticize over a murderer like Che Guevera making him out to be a real hero.
The only South American hero is Bishop Oscar Romero (I think that is his name) who was assassinated as he said Mass in San Salvador.
Check out the article about the VAT tax (by Charles Krauthammer) that is coming our way.
It’s in realclearpolitics.com
I am sorry, unable to link it.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/26/the_vat_cometh_104936.html
Topic: Fear mongering.
Here is a quote from – H. L. Mencken – for you. “Most people want security in this world, not liberty.”
About 20 years ago, during Easter dinner, I was telling 10-12 family members at my table about the coming takeover of America. I was putting it on the line with facts and figures … finally … one of my sister-in-laws threw her fork down and spoke up. She said, “I know the things you are talking about are probably true. BUT – I like my life the way it is and I do NOT want to hear about the things you are talking about…so please, SHUT UP.”
Once again friend, people like their security – they do not want to think about liberty if it makes them step out of the secure box they live in.
When you speak of liberty, you are frightening them…because in their hearts they know the price of liberty…and they are not willing to pay it.
How to respond. Walk away.
That’s true.
It’s scary, but I have a feeling that is how most Germans felt in the 1930′s. Too scared to confront the communists and the nazi socailists.
Confrontation will only get you a beating.
Smart and steady resistance is the key.
Fortunately for us, even if it isn’t entirely a guarantee these days, at least we have a Constitution.
My response would have been, how are you going to like it when the next thing on the list is something that you DON’T want to do?
Then what?
I think it is orchestrated, and probably by silly college kids who have been brainwashed… ones that have never witnessed the evils of socialism
Ask those who favor the income redistribution style of government what they, persoanlly, are willing to give up so others can have more
Here’s what I did. My friend’s daughter was expressing how she welcomed socialism. I said nothing. Then, asked her if she could give me $10.00 and I would return it shortly.
She did. I have $2.00 back and said, that’s redistribution of your money – get used to it.
She didn’t like and is rethinking her statement!!!
great one, chris
Chris that is a good idea
The Right has goofed up by labeling Obama as a Socialist.
Go to: wsws.org (World Socialist Web Site) to find out what some Socialist are saying about Obama. Learn.
Obama is a puppet of political Opportunist who practice Opportunism. They will cozy up to every and any “ism” that will give them a political advantage.
Obama is not a Socialist – he is a political cameleon taking advantage of the ignorant peasants.
No. You are wrong. Obama is a Marxist.
We need to stop calling him Socialist and call him Marxist.
He was raised as a Marxist. His mother was a Marxist. His grandparents were Communists. His alleged father was a Marxist.
Other people who influenced his life were Marxists including Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn, Frank Marshall Davis, Tim Geithner and all of the people who surround him. He associated with Marxists in college. They are Marxists-Maoists.
…and you’re presumptuous.
I am not wrong. Obama is a puppet of political Opportunists who practice Opportunism … they will allow you to label them whatever “ism” you want to stick on them.
ozzieaussie and MinervaMama . . . you’re both right. Marxists are political Opportunists because they know people would never, ever stand for it if they found out what Marxism really means, so they have to sneak it in by any means necessary.
To Lola LB
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
His background was very marxist. His mother was a marxist and in his own book he describes his desires to institute socialism. In his own words. Just because he is not admitting it or just because he does not do EVERYTHING the far-left socialists want him to do (yet) does not mean he is not a socialist. His entire staff is full of far-left radicals from the 60s who are admitted socialists or members of the socialist party (Democratic Society). Imagine the chaos it would cause in the streets of this country if he just said “Hey..I’m a socialist and I’m taking over the country”. If he did that it would be a day I would not want to be in the U.S.
He is changing law and has been changing the law for the year he has been in office. If he continues to change the law to increase his power or institute ways of going AROUND the law to get more power there is not a lot we can do. He is already bypassing the senate and his Czars are more powerful than the legislative branch. He has made very clear his intentions.
He was a constitutional lawyer. He knows EXACTLY what he is doing.
Bev is correct but I would go a little bit further and actually stick to using the word “Marxist” instead of Socialist.
Socialist is the soft option. He is not taking the soft option.
He is trying to take industry by stealth. The stealing from the shareholders of GMH and Chrysler is a forewarning of what he will try. The court system was so terribly wrong to give that a pass.
Of course there is more to come. At this point it is hard to figure whether it is the fascism form of Marxism or another form that he will adopt… but he is Marxist.
On top of that the man who is bankrolling the takeover is George Soros.
I totally agree!!(and yes, he’s a Marxist…from each according to his work ethic, to each according to his bad choices). But, the Right really screwed up on that one. He’s NOT a socialist and single-payer health care nations are not socialist. The Left has jumped into that word, and the argument becomes about how it’s not socialism, and not about the issues. The “death panels” and “unplugging Grandma” are similar things that the Left grabs on to “literally” to mock us.
I’m on Hannity’s board, and there is a 20 yo conservative who just joined, asking how to answer his college friends. The other kids see socialism as a good thing too, and it’s the liberal indoctrination in our schools that caused it. I’m old enough to remember when the USSR was our enemy and we had air raid drills in school. These kids know a ‘sympathetic’ Russia, who is suffering and splintered. Hitler is an isolated madman who dropped from the sky in 1940..they don’t know the 1930′s hope and change Hitler. Same with Castro..he’s an old man with cancer who lives in a paradise.
“The other kids see socialism as a good thing too…”
This is what really bothers me. Some young people don’t realize the negative effects of socialism.
They don’t see that it decimates the middle class.
My daughter came home yesterday and said her economics teacher was showing Michael Moore’s SICKO movie and was giving a questionnaire afterwards about the benefits of the Cuban healthcare system and how capitalism destroyed the US healthcare system. I was so alarmed I cried. I called the school this morning and made it VERY CLEAR that my daughter would NOT be exposed to this zealot. My 17-year-old son has been brainwashed and gets very angry with me if I explain to him the effects of socialism. My daughter I can save…My 17-year-old is brainwashed. Thank goodness my older sons have common sense. But it’s scary that our children are being targeted.
Bev, your daughter’s economics teacher? ECONOMICS?
Get that girl some Milton Friedman stat! (Capitalism & Freedom is especially good)
Some Thomas Sowell wouldn’t hurt, either (my experience is that Sowell’s writing is more concrete than Friedman’s, so Sowell might be more appropriate for a high-schooler).
These books won’t help her pass her course (if her instructor is in love with Michael Moore), but they will give her a sound grasp of basic economics — which is why she took the course, right?
“they don’t know the 1930′s hope and change Hitler.”
That’s the best analogy I’ve ever heard!
You might also get some of Walter Williams’ books; He writes outstanding, understandable essays on economics and politics. My teen even reads him. His articles are available on line at http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams1.asp
FWIW … I work with college kids. An astonishing number have parents who do *everything* for them. The parents have good intentions, I believe, but they have trained their kids that they have no responsiblities and if they truly want it, someone will hand it to them. So it’s somewhat natural for them to view the government as an extension of their parents.
He called me a little while ago. He said he wants to show both sides. I didn’t completely buy his story…he was saying what he wanted me to hear I think but I made it very clear to him that I would not find any political ideology acceptable in my daughter’s best interest. He said he just wanted to show the kids how other countries run their healthcare and I was like…”By using a propaganda movie about socialism???” I’m not going to make a big bru-ha-ha over it but he knows my views now.
Don’t buy his story, Bev. Healthy skepticism is good.
But here’s my experience as the daughter of a very politically-active mom (for which I’m mostly grateful, btw): don’t make more waves than you know have to.
There comes a point where, rather than confronting an intransigent teacher directly, you’re better off monitoring your daughter’s subject matter and (if you’re daughter’s an intelligent and quick reader) giving your daughter alternative POVs through extracurricular books and columns.
True, it sucks for everyone else’s kids if the teacher keeps up with the same old shtick, but at least your daughter is spared.
And, if you’ve gotta make waves, it’s easier to do it with like-minded parents (as many as possible) rather than going it alone.
Of my mom’s kids, one turned left partly because he couldn’t stand the social ostracism and elite disdain of having such a vocal mama. Weak of him, but humanity is full of weakness.
PS: Parents’ views are still the best long-run predictor of their children’s views, so there’s always hope.
People are underestimating Vladmir Putin
Bev,
expose you daughter to Hayek as well as Milton Friedman.
Moore’s “Sicko” is a documentary built upon lies.
What I would suggest is that you do some surfing and find out what you can from real Cubans what the Cuban health system is really like.
There is a Cuban who was on MTV and he exposed the truth about the cockroaches in the peoples’ hospitals. There are no ambulances. The really sick get taken to hospital in wheelbarrows. They have to bring their own bedding and fans. On top of that the hospitals are unsanitary.
Corporatist
AKA: Fascist
The enigma known as Obama is completely pliable and able to slither into many political molds, which is why he is so valuable to his handlers.
I think many do not realize that Corporatism/Fascism and Communism were the two main branches of the socialist movement (remember the “National Socialist” in “Nazi”?).
I wouldn’t call Dr U a Nazi, since Nazis remembered much more for the Holocaust than they are for their other (socialist) policies. But it is accurate to call Dr U a corporatist (which many will wrongly assume means pro-corporations, so you’ve got to make sure they understand what the term means) or a fascist. Which is a kind of socialist.
Also, remember the states of the EU describe themselves as social-democracies. By which they mean socialist democracies, or some hybrid of socialism and democracy.
So I think it’s fair to describe a leadership bent on turning our country into a social-democracy (when we already have democracy) as a socialist.
As always, if you want a confused chump to learn from you and not think you’re just name-calling, it’s best to have the opportunity to explain what the terminology you’re using really means. If you don’t get that chance to explain, the confused chump has no reason to not tune you out.
re:fear mongering
After a year of govenment by anecdote (a parade of letters in place of facts) it seems that fear mongering is the current style of persuasion on the left. Sometimes it helps to have a few brief articles you can share with people to make your point. Suggestions: http://www.jpands.org/vol13no1/larson.pdf
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams031010.php3
1. When they accuse you of “fear mongering”, simply point out that those words always become the “talking point” of those who can no longer defend their position. Try to make them own up to that (good luck, I know!)
2. Have a handy dandy definition of socialism memorized or nearby, and then ask them: is this what you truly belive. An example:
Socialism is an economic system in which all the means of production and distribution are wholly owned and controlled by the state. The government takes all the crucial decisions…
At one point I had a very short 6-point list of the basic tenets (mostly because I had an uber-socialistic friend). She was slobberingly hyper because I told her she was a socialist and I was ‘badmouthing’ her. I sent her the list and said if she couldn’t stand the label, perhaps she needed to change her beliefs. I got silence in return.
believe… type much? nah…
I see socialism as a form of slavery;
so, if you hear people say, “I’m cool with that,” you could say, “Oh, I didn’t know you are FOR (or Pro) Slavery!”
I’m sure you’ll get their attention hearing the word, “slavery”, which is a familiar word to most Americans.
This is the one I use. I ask them to define slavery and when they do I correlate their answer to what is going on. You should see the look on their face! Then they want to talk about something else.
Excellent article on Politico might help.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35028.html
“Center-right candidates must keep this national debate focused at the 30,000-foot level, on the attributes of America’s exceptionalism — which a consistent majority of Americans embrace.
This means a government with limited powers derived from the consent of its free citizens; a Supreme Court that adheres strictly to the Constitution; and a country in which the important decisions in life are the province of self-reliant individuals, families, churches and private charities — in that order — and in which reliance on government is the absolute last resort.”
I have noticed this in the past 30 days or so, and see it more every day on many forums I follow, not to mention what MSNBC host are saying. I think these people have been waiting for the op to to come into the open and know that we have a Socialist in the WH they fell they can safely come out and speak in the open
Here’s one point to bring up. Socialistic gov’ts dictate how much an employer can pay their employees regardless of the size of the company. Ask them if they think it’s fair that the government could block them from getting a raise for hard work and if that were the case, what would be the incentive to work hard?
On FB, there are two types of trolls spewing ‘socialism is OK’…
Angry young men between the ages of 14 and 24 (still living at home, or in college etc…not working).
OR, Eurotrash– just miserable people in general. Occaisionally you get a ‘normal’ person posting (mid range age with a job).
I am friends with 2 guys from high school and they are HUGE Obot supporters. They are both 42 years old and lean to the Eurotrash idealogy.
One of the BEST things I have seen so far is a video called “The Revolutionary Holocaust – Live Free or Die”. It shows what happens when a government becomes socialist, communist or marxist. It explains what each is, the philosophy behind them, and how they are related.
The video explains how the first step toward total government control is to get rid of corporations and businesses and get people dependent on government for healthcare, jobs, food, housing, etc. Then, to lessen the burden of the “non-producers” (those using government benefits, the social outcasts, the infirm, the handicapped) the government “frees” itself by simply killing off thousands, and in Mao’s case millions, of people.
I watched it just last night. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. It is chilling. It looks at Hitler, Marx, Stalin, Mao, and Che Guevera (who should NEVER be celebrated as a fashion icon.) The video is narrated by Glen Beck. You can find it here:
http://usataxpayer.org/view.asp?Get=obamafail&Raw=Beck/pllivefreeordie.xml
When they tell me I’m “fear mongering”, I bring up global warming and the claim that “people are dying without health care”. Then I ask them who is fear mongering.
I think that one of the reasons that you have seen this trend of people saying “socialism isn’t so bad”, or “a little socialism is good for the ‘less fortunate’”, is because obama has been called a socialist so much by people who were aware enough to see what he’s all about from the beginning; and rather than argue against that, he and his cabal have decided that it’s easier to downplay the evils of a socialist system and tout all of the “free stuff” that people supposedly get under socialism. And there are a lot of people who buy into it, because they never stop to consider what must be surrendered to the state in exchange for womb to tomb nanny-care.
I don’t believe, however, that d’ohbama is a socialist. I believe that he is a full-blown marxist/communist; dedicated to the eventual destruction of America as an independent state. And no matter what you try to call it; socialism/fascism/communitarianism/communism/etc., it all amounts to the same thing: becoming a serf rather than remaining a free individual. A subject rather than a citizen.
I agree that he is a full blown Marxist/Communist.
Forget about what is written in the ghost written book “Dreams of my father”, there are lies in that book. Listen instead to those who have come forward and who know the real person.
I read the comments by one of those people recently. This man was a committed Marxist at the time he met a young Utopia. His comment is that the man was firmly committed, and what he had to say was enlightening.
The man is a Communist.
On my mind is getting involved locally and identifying special elections and candidates around the country to support.
Here is an Orlando new item on one of the flip votes who held a telephone townhall, Rep. Suzanne Kosmas. All the comments below it are negative except for one booster who calls her ‘Senator Kosmas.’ Uh yeah.
http://wdbo.com/localnews/2010/03/kosmas-gets-an-earful-during-a.html
Speaking of special elections…
http://biggovernment.com/elynch/2010/03/25/the-first-referendum-on-nationalized-healthcare-is-in-congressional-district-fl-19/
So glad you brought up this topic: “But, we do realize a balance needs to be struck here…the random posting of O/T things should be limited to the Open Threads.”
Whenever I am reading a thread and someone writes OT – I scroll right past it and do not read it. The whole point of reading people’s comments, was to see what they think about the topic you posted. I hate Off Topic posts!
So glad you are addressing them today.
I think you made a start today, by giving your advise today on putting this OT posts in the Open Threads area.
As far as moderators go, I don’t have an opinion on that.
I’ve noticed that most of the off-topic posts seemed to be with the thread that is at the top of the page. That thread usually seems to be where most of conversation is. It might help if more threads can be seen when you pull up the website. People do not seem to be scrolling down very far on the page.
HaHa! Board Mama; I thought my sister and I were the only ones who quit posting at TWoP because of their very strict and ridiculous rules. Actually, I don’t even go there to read any more since they are also very very Leftist.
As a thread-hijacker, I apologize. I just thought we were going with the flow, more or less. But, okey-dokey, I can do on-topic if I must. (Although it’s hard because I have a very random brain).
Excellent point and I’ve thought of that before.
Maybe, instead of posting the entire essay on the Home Page, just a couple of ‘teaser’ paragraphs with a link to “More…”
That way many articles would be displayed with only a brief scroll.
Great idea! Have “threads” within “threads” for OTs.
Perhaps we could unofficially peer-moderated, which is to say that regular readers, when we see a threadjacking, suggest they move it to the Open Thread and that others do not reply.
Nothing official, just a little group cat-herding.
We can do that. And as you are building a new platform, you might want to see if you can get the authority to move comment posts. That may take a platform that is more “forum” based than “blog” based, but it’s worth looking into.
“A year later, when someone’s searching for info on that Healthcare topic…”
Who exactly is going to be searching for Healthcare comments a year from now? Our executioners?
Honestly, if the pols have their way, a year from now we will all be in political prison, breaking rocks, and being reprogrammed to follow the state.
Here’s a list of Black Republicans running for Congress:
http://dailycaller.com/2010/03/25/obama-inspires-black-politicians-to-seek-office-%E2%80%94-as-republican-candidates/
Looks like one of them is running for my district . . . he seems very solid.
I was just about to post that! LOL
Looks like Jesse Jackson, Jr. is about to get himself an OPPONENT this time:
http://www.isaachayesforcongress.com/index.htm
woohoo!
Isaac Hayes?? Oy..someone’s momma never guessed he’d run for office, huh? PS..he sounds great!!
Sheesh…I’m behind schedule and still on my first coffee, so be gentle, but when I read ‘Isaac Hayes’ I thought WTF?
Chef’s DEAD!
Inserting coffee IV now…
LOL, “Isaac Hayes” is the kind of name of either a Simpsons/South Park character or a Dallas Cowboys WR or DB from the ’70′s. Whomever he is, he prolly plays the sax too.
Have you seen the latest polls being passed around yesterday that Mitt Romney is the one most likely to beat Obama?
This seems most unlikely. Romney has the debacle of Mittcare under his belt and in most ways seems like a lighter version of McCain. I can’t help but feel that this is the leftist media attempt to start gaming the race in favor of Obama.
I think what has me most disappointed is that on mainstream conservative blogs many comments were in staunch support of Romney and his Mittcare. So republicans are in favor of socialized medicine when the candidate that brings it to them has an ‘r’ after their name?
~G
I saw the result of one of the polls. Someone called “Anybody” had just as much chance to win as Mitt Romney!!
It could be that people are coming around to the idea that “anybody” would be better, including Romney!!
I think lots of people respect Romney because of his financial resume.
I like Romney. I know HB does not but I like him. I am looking for someone who gives me a sense of security and who I feel has control but shows respect to ALL sides. He does that for me. This partisan divide is just too much. It is pushing the country into dangerous territory. I think Obama is the most partisan president I have seen in my life time.
Bev, but what about RomneyCare? It was like a mini prelude to ObamaCare.
I don’t know if I can vote for Romney if he doesn’t repent of RomneyCare.
Now, Mitch Daniels might be cucumber-and-mayonnaise, too, but at least his Healthy Indiana worked.
There’s never going to be a person who I agree with on every issue. I am looking for leadership and strength. Reagan made me feel safe. He was in charge. He made both sides behave. He compromised. He did what he had to do for the good of the country. He shut down the far right and the far left when they got out of control. I want somebody who is like that and I see those traits in Romney although I don’t agree always with his decisions.
I used to HATE the Clintons…I despised them. I am so scared of Obama and the progressives that the thought of Clinton being in charge again brings me to tears. I don’t think the Clintons would destroy our country for political power or gain. If they broke away from the progressive crowd to gain control of this atmosphere I would vote for them. I could never imagine myself saying those words. But that is how scared I am for our country. So right now I am just looking for that strength.
If Romney runs and you don’t vote for him, Obama will win.
Is that what you want?
I didn’t like McCain that much but even being a Democrat, I voted for him.
It was more a vote AGAINST Obama. Sometimes you have to look at it that way.
Oh, no, I’d definitely choose Romney in the general election, if it came to that, but I’m wishfully hoping it won’t come to that, is all
ROMNEY!? He’d be the answer to Utopia’s prayers!
They’d beat him like a red-headed stepchild!
2012 will be the most important election in our lifetime and it’s time to get serious.
“Off with the old…On with the new!”
Go, Sarah! Go, Michele!
I do agree there are more exciting candidates than Romney.
I think Romney paired with someone like Bachman or Palin would be good.
I will vote for the Republican that can win. It’s too early to decide right now. We will see who emerges with that momentum. I want to see who emerges with the most strength.
Go Sarah Michelle Gellar? Hell, she can slay vampires….
I don’t want Mitt either, but I think
*some* conservatives are in favor of a single-payer health care AT THE STATE LEVEL if it’s the voter’s choice. Not federal. I don’t want it(but I live in NJ, our insurance premiums are among the highest in the land, along with CA and MA. Catastrophic plans are illegal, so there aren’t any cheap plans available)but state’s rights is a big conservative issue.
There are several people on my “radar screen”(of course, so was Mark Sanford, so what do I know?). Mike Pence, Rand Paul, and Peter Schiff.
I can’t see single-payer at the state level being solvent, myself. One thing the pro-nationalized-single-payer crowd is right about is that spreading it out over the whole nation at least widens the risk pool (thankful for small favors, eh?).
Won’t be any catastrophic plans available in a single-payer state, either.
Well, if they would get rid of the anti anti-trust rules and open the borders of their states, they could actually join with several others and set a formula for the taxes, etc. and create a single-payer, multi-state pool.
I would pray that we could do the more free-market approach here in WV but considering how the Dems have had a lock on our state for the last 80 years, I doubt they would do that.
I like Mitt too. He was my candidate of choice in the last election. But I do not believe, at this point, that he is the candidate that can be sold to independents. You cannot win the election without getting the majority of the independent vote.
I agree with Hillbuzz that the media chooses who the Republican candidate is. They are not about to give a Paul Ryan or a Michelle Bachmann air time because these ARE the type of candidates that attract independents. Sarah is a different story – she commands her own air time and the left hatred of her only has themselves to blame for that. The media marginalizes Sarah by running skewed polls that show her running almost dead last in Republican match-ups. No one wants to support a loser – and the media knows that.
I also agree with HillBuzz that the media picks the candidate they want Obama to run against. I honestly believe that choosing Romney would be a gift to the Obama camp.
I know that there’s this old hat philosophy to pick the republican candidate that is most moderate so that they’ll have the best cross overall appeal. We all saw how well that worked out with McCain.
Romney is perhaps even less electable then McCain due to whatever preconceived notions and prejudices abound about Mormonism.
Not to mention Romneycare…
I just don’t think there’s anyway that Romney incites the turn out of crucial Independent voters and likely he’d offend the more conservative people of the GOP.
I just don’t think he’s a winner.
~G
I agree with the assessment on Romney. He would be slaughtered by O.
And don’t forget Bob Dole, another moderate who lost.
I tend to think that the candidate to take back America is entirely on the radar yet. What do you think of a military man like Petreaus running for office?
Don’t leave out General Petraeus. Rumor has it that he is thinking of running. His leadership skills with Sarah’s common sense would be wonderful. I think a Patreaus/Palin ticket would kick ass!
We don’t know anything about Petraus’ political leanings. He could be another Colin Powell, for all we know.
To be honest, I’m wary of top brass military for office – they are too “politician” by nature because you have to be that way to reach the top.
I just heard McChrystal saying that they need to allow sharia law in Afghanistan to “help” bring law and order. WTF??? Does this guy even understand what sharia law does to women (and gays)?
McChrystal is – supposedly – highly respected in the Special Operations community, because he’s studied counterinsurgency warfare so much and become “the Pro from Dover” on the subject.
But one thing to remember: Though he’s sent a LOT of men into harm’s way, on a lot of missions that turned out just fine – McChrystal HAS NEVER BEEN IN COMBAT!! EVER! And as a veteran of the SpecOps community, I know what we thought of people like that in Vietnam. They’re “ticket-punchers”, whose sole purpose in life is to be promoted. And they’re usually very concerned with political correctness to an amazing and unhealthy degree.
I usually take anything McC says with a grain of salt.
If McChrystal said that then he is selling out the people of Afghanistan.
Everyone seems to forget the terror of the Taliban. The people were glad to see the end of the Taliban rule… at least in Karachi.
I wonder about those polls… You have to check to see who they actually polled – registered voters? Adults? If it’s just adults, it doesn’t hold much water. Plus, what is the percentage of party affiliation they polled? 43% Democrat and 22% Republican with a smattering of Independents? That’s imbalanced.
Also, progressives like to say they’re Republican on polls and opt to choose the weakest GOP candidate to skew the percentages and sway opinion to that candidate.
I find it hard to believe that more support Romney (and subsequently Romneycare) over Palin, when Romney can’t even muster a full crowd at a book signing. Something’s not adding up.
H/T to Manly’s Republic for directing me to http://www.recallcongressnow.org. Here’s some info from the recall site:
Action States
Citizens of the following states may be able to take immediate action to recall elected Federal officials. Click your state to find out how.
* Colorado
* Louisiana
* Michigan
* Montana
* New Jersey
* North Dakota
* Oregon
* Washington
* Wisconsin
Toyotas Aren’t the Only Things Getting Recalled This Year
(3/17/10) — “On Tuesday, the New Jersey Court of Appeals cleared the way for the recall of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) [aka Sen. La Raza--garlic] to proceed. New Jersey is one of nine states whose constitutions provide broad language with regard to recalling “all, every, any” elected official. This decision could severely endanger the 11 other sitting Senators (all Democrats) in those states, who are not up for re-election this year but could be subject to citizen recall efforts. The American Civil Rights Union filed an amicus brief in this case, which landed in court when the former N.J. Secretary of State denied the approval of a recall petition by several Tea Party groups, declaring that its state constitution was unconstitutional.” Click here for the full story from Townhall.com.
Here’s the link to the full story on Townhall.com:
http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnArmor/2010/03/16/toyotas_arent_the_only_thing_being_recalled_this_year
Thanks Garlic! I posted that last night on a couple of threads from yesterday. OOPPSSS Sorry Boyz…specially after reading your post this morning. Just thought it was very important information to get out to as many people as possible.
I think our Boyz addressed this issue in the best way possible. No offense taken here at all. It makes perfect sense for us not to do that anymore.
Hi, Michelle: Don’t know why, but I’m having a mental block and can’t grok your response to me.
I haven’t had the time to read much of the site, so not sure if I made a faux pas or upset anyone with my original post. And I apologize if I stepped on your toes by posting the info. Sorry!!!!!!
garlic, you just made my day! Oh goody! I hope there is a recall for Udall! Anyone know if they are collecting signatures on any of these scoundrels yet?
The info on the site seems inconclusive to me:
http://www.recallcongressnow.org/colorado.php#news
I e-mailed Recall Congress Now, asking for specifics about my state, NJ, and they wrote back with the info. They also forwarded my e-mail to the group leader and cc’d her on their response to me.
Good luck!
Glen Ford at BAR is further left than I, but he brings it here:
http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/obama-inside-man-greatest-heist-history
“The times we are now living through will be remembered as the period when finance capital definitively captured and totally subordinated the American state, so that it could be systematically looted.”
To follow on some comments from yesterday -
this is why I think a martial law decree is highly unlikely. The Wall street masters will not allow it.
Although on the other hand it is true that the only 20 c administrations who interred citizens or restricted free speech were Democrat:
FDR and Woodrow Wilson
interred – s/b interned.
“interred” is an oddly appropriate typo, though.
yeah – talk about a freudian slip
Just an FYI for your arsenals when the Left starts feigning outrage over the “unprecedented vitriol” against their precious heroes who brought us healthcare(insert rolling eyes here).
Take a gander at the anti-Bush rallies, right here in the USA. I don’t recall any arrests or whining about security.
http://www.binscorner.com/pages/d/death-threats-against-bush-at-protests-i.html
Be prepared though…their answer is “well, he deserved it”.
When I first heard the fantasy racism charges the other night, I didn’t believe them for a second. It seemed like agitprop pure and simple.
Then I had the thought that our side should take this weapon away from them. The next massive rally should be a sit-in or a silent march the way MLK used to do, or Gandhi.
Imagine hundreds of thousands of citizens gathered silently, or praying according to one’s proclivity. There could be groups praying the Rosary, some groups doing Buddhist chants, who knows maybe there’s some Falun Gong Tea Partiers out there.
And the climactic event of the rally would be all the Tea Partiers singing: We Shall Overcome.
They are constantly bringing up racism, but yet they have no qualms about calling tea partiers, tea baggers. I think a lot of tea partiers would be offended and yet it does not stop them.
The RNC has GOT to get out in front of this. They’ve just been countering it lightly. They need to STRONGLY condemn this racism crap NOW. I firmly believe they are trying to provoke a state of emergency so they can shut down Fox and talk radio.
I think when these idiots come home and pretend to have Town Hall meetings, we should all go and turn our backs to them. It’s very difficult to blather to backsides.
In addition, stand there in utter SILENCE. Not a sound.
Code Pink was actually putting ads on Muslim websites encouraging terrorists to kidnap Bush and Cheney…a couple of months ago!!! The leader was actually having meetings with Obama (she was on the list of visitors) and when they questioned Gibbs about it he was like (Oh..that’s not her..it’s a different person with the same name).
That was alarming to me. How can they get away with that? Isn’t that illegal? Or is it only illegal when a conservative does something wrong?
Code Pink co-founder and Democrat activist Jodie Evans and President Barack Obama, Oct. 15, 2009.
It’s only illegal when a conservative does it. Apparently only liberals are allowed to protest.
Has anyone ever come across a list of specific examples where leftists accused conservatives of serious attacks, only to find out that such acts were carried out by the leftists themselves? I have heard of several, but I’m looking for this info using some one-stop shopping.
Michelle Malkin did a nice primer on this topic.
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/03/26/how-the-left-fakes-the-hate-a-primer/
Perfect. This is what I was looking for.
I tried to insert rolling eyes there, but I think my computer must be tilted. Sorry. *ducks under desk to find them.*
Quite possibly you may have heard the President tell the Republicans and those who are opposed to the health care bill to “Bring it on”, yesterday while he was in Iowa. I cannot even begin to describe the feelings that brought up in me. The only good news was that there were only hundreds of people at the rally for him in Iowa City yesterday. Not the thousands they would have hoped for.
Also for those who live in the First Congressional District of Iowa please check out http://www.BenLange.com He is a true conservative and I cannot hardly wait for him to replace Bruce Braley in the fall!
That was so arrogant! His attitude and actions are what has caused a lot of the violence. Wasn’t he the one who told his supporters to ‘get in their faces’ during the election? It wasn’t the Right beating people up, standing outside the polls on Election Day in Black Panther garb and carrying billy clubs. After a day of non-stop news about violence, threats, etc…he says “bring it on”? He should have used the air time to call for calm…kinda like he did when the Fort Hood massacre happened. Where were the comments to not jump to conclusions and to not hurt innocents as this was one isolated man? Nope..the Right is a large group of dangerous people just one synapse away from taking down a post office, and btw, Beck and Rush told them to do it. Arrrrghhhh!!!
We have a bratty bully as POTUS, not an adult.
Bratty bully is a perfect description.
Barry also is a coward and makes arrogant comments when he knows he is protected.
Do you not think that his attitude and actions are meant to provoke anger and violence?
Absolutely he is. He is telling his union thugs and Black Panthers to gear up.
Please, no board mommas or moderators!
We will be good:)
I have benn guilty once in awhile of posting something OT buy I usually try to go to the Open Thread. Every now and then, Word Press has blocked the Hillbuzz boys until early evening or late in the day in order to post an Open Thread for that day. I have then posted on the thread where a conversation is happening instead of waiting until the Open Thread is started. I think others do that too.
I enjoy this site because we are all patriots and love America and we all have similar goals. It feels safe here to state your feelings and not have to worry about viscious trolls attacking you. Tell us your rules as you did and we will be good. Please no moderators.
Yeah, sometimes I have guiltily justified straying from the T because the Open Thread for the day isn’t up yet.
I like no moderators too, so I’ll behave myself better.
I too try to post off-topic threads to the Open Thread, but as you said – sometimes they don’t show up until later in the day.
The Blog format of Word Press doesn’t allow people to start their own threads. There is another option to go with a format the likes of VBulletin that has a forum section. The blogs would be posted and then comments can be made in the Forums and “members” can start their own thread. But – this is very hard to moderate and probably would end up being a giant headache for the Boyz and take time away from their important work.
So yes! We’ll be good! Promise!
I sometimes have had trouble finding the open thread. It’s either buried or not up yet.
I think the first thing that could go up each day would be the open thread. Then there will be a catch-all ready to go.
Here is another idea (Greta uses it):
How about an icon that indicates Open Thread so that it stands out and is easy to find.
This is on my mind:
While the hills echo with false cries of racism, hatred of Jews is becoming more and more acceptable and intense.
The Left has always had a special animus toward Jews. They have now joined with the forces of the Koran to see through the vision of National Socialism.
The extraordinary history of these extraordinary people is inextricably bound with the fate of the West, of freedom and equality before the law.
If the West fails to defend the Jewish people, the West is betraying itself.
And here’s what I don’t understand — why does the Jewish community generally support the Democratic Party?
I don’t understand either why the Jewish support the progressives who really don’t like them. Drudge has an article up about how O snubbed Netanyahu (sp?) and left him sitting there while HE went and ate dinner. ( Could someone please link the article as I am a computer dunce?)
This O- boy-man is so classless. Is it considered treason to write to Mr. Netanyahu and tell him that O does not speak for how we lowly citizens feel about Israel?
Could it be some type of “self-hatred”?
Fox News had an article but I found an even better one from the Times Online (thank you Brits once again for your journalism skills!). You can find it here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7076431.ece
And by the way, I have NEVER EVER heard of anything so LOW CLASS in my life. Dr. Utopia is beyond embarrassing to American citizens.
Here’s the article at Gateway Pundit:
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/03/obama-refuses-to-dine-with-jewish-leader/
Don’t discount the number of black people who also hate Jewish people. Some even believe that Jews are played a large part in black slavery.
I got into an argument with a now former friend because he believed this as well as not believing that Jews were held as slaves by the Egyptians. He did say that if it did happen then they probably deserved it.
He also went with the old standby of not believing in the Holocaust but if it did happen, they probably deserved it.
Despite all of not to closeted hatred, many Jewish people will actually suck up to the very black people who hate them. Makes no sense to me.
Day by Day cartoon about what the Democrats and media are up to:
http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/
I’m am sooooooo guilty of the randomness. I’m sorry…I thought very now and then everybody could use a little Whitney:)
Hi crystal! I was thinking of you this week while reading posts at GP.
)
Hi, Crystal. Long time, no see.
I am guilty of doing that. When I come to the website I look for the most recent comments. Usually the conversation progresses throughout the day and changes based on the events of the day. So the conversation changes. I never look at a thread based on topic…I’m looking for the most recent conversation. I had no idea that was irritating people and I apologize. Actually, when I click on a topic I scroll to the last comment and move my way up. I guess just like Facebook or a chat room I’m looking for the most up-to-date conversation.
I am EXTREMELY passionate about this country. I am from a military family of sorts and I can be over-passionate I know so if I get over-zealous and post too much please feel free to tell me to shut up.
I am very concerned about this country. I remember when I became a young adult and Ronald Reagan came into office we were reading “The sky is falling!…The Soviets are going to take over the country!..We have to do something or the communists will rule the world!” Whenever one side takes control the other side does this. And they truly believe every word they say. And most of it might actually be true. A lot of it is blown out of proportion to benefit whatever side the issue is about. However, our country is at a crossroads right now and people are extremely passionate. Me included. There is a lot of alarming news.
I like how people come here and post video and articles they are reading on other sites to keep everyone up to date. So maybe a “Current news–Right now” thread of sorts would keep everyone on topic. I have noticed sometimes you seem to pick out of the ongoing conversation the things you want us to be alerted to or topics you want to highlight. Especially when there are big things happening on the news…it seems everyone gravitates to that first thread to post their comments. I know I do. There are times when something happens in the news I will come here and find the most recent conversation…see who is there and then will talk to them privately.
But I will be more cognizant of the thread title. I apologize if I get overly-excited.
I like the idea of a ‘right now’ thread that remains at the top every day. I don’t think I am alone in that if I come across something throughout the day that is worth sharing elsewhere THIS is the site I first come to to share. The open thread each day sort of works….but you normally have some thoughts attached to that each day which always seems to me is the ‘topic’ you are generating chatter about. I do agree though that random posts about this or that right in the middle is distracting, although I am sometimes guilty of it myself. I’ll do better!
Victoria Jackson just called obama a communist on Fox
So what about this new home loan program?? For those who owe more than their house is worth?? Every day a new “plan” wasting more money this country doesn’t have..
She calls him a communist all the time. I cannot find it right now, but she even has a song up in YouTube called “There’s a communist in the WH”.
On another note, I do not understand all of this “wealth distribution”. We have a friend that sleeps, maybe 4 hours a day and he is up working seven days a week, sometimes has to get up at 3:00 in the am to be on a conference call on the other side of the world, be on the call for about one hour, make notes about what the call was about, get back to sleep for a couple of hours and then get up again to work normal hours (normal for him is 8am-10pm). Then he is expected to give part of the money that he has worked and sacrificed for to someone that sleeps until noon and has a part time job, if that? I do not think that is fair.
How about being fair to the people who started with nothing and break their backs 7 days a week?!
We have a family originally from Korea (now US citizens)down the street who work themselves to the bone to run their store. They deserve to keep the fruits of their labor. They never take a day off; not even holidays.
Also, my ex-bosses started their own company in their GARAGE. They live and breathe their business. Why should they be punished?
It’s not just about punishing success and money. It’s about punishing hard work.
Here’s the communist in the white house video. (Hopefully I did this right!)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWi182CMJY8&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Your comments about OT stuff and thread issues are right on and, once again, Essential Hillbuzz in character.
It seems that your open threads/What’s On Your Mind have worked well, and maybe adding a couple of more Targeted Topic areas like that (as you suggest, Breaking News) would help.
Once there are 2-4 predictable streams of thought available that are clearcut, I would imagine most of your commenters would work at keeping the edges clean. (You could even have one called I’ve HADIT!)
I think another dynamic that’s at work is this: for the last 12-16 months, the majority of folks who frequent your site (and others like it) and who are genuinely trying to respond to political reality, instead of just reacting truly have been experiencing one new panic-high and anxiety-producing “I’ve got to get a grip on what’s happening”…everybody’s living on the growing edge with mental, emotional and intellectual fire whistles in a way most of us haven’t in our lifetime. So, all in all, considering that your threads are pretty well un-moderated, I think it’s been good.
Another principle I learned from my systems manager 35 years ago…when you’re working on a system of any kind, usually going for 100% perfection is not worth it. The last 5% is going to cost you more in effort and energy than it’s worth.
Don’t ratchet up your expectations of the threads, the site or your goals too much. What you are and what you contribute by just showing up and holding open house every day is a pretty significant contribution to the vox populi. Principle from backpacking years: There’s no point in starting a hike at a faster pace than you can maintain.
Something I don’t think I’ve ever seen on any site: is there any way to give the commenter the right/opportunity to delete their own comments (later on)? That would give the opportunity for self-correctives among the commenters…of course, I suppose that would require registration.
Being able to delete comments would be good sometimes…there have been times that I have posted something that wasn’t what I meant to post (like the wrong link, etc.) and wished I could delete it.
Yes, you are right: There are many more folks “living on the edge,” trying to get a handle on life, scared for their lives. This is all brought to us by Dr. Utopia.
When you add normal personal worries and challenges to the Utpoian mess, I believe some will start to break and not just bend. It is very unfortunate that the piece of filth we call POTUS is allowed to do this to people. Wait . . . “very unfortunate” sounds too nice. It is a tragedy!
Honestly, since this is a political board with high Troll potential, moderators are needed….. simply because they’re trying to paint us with the “they’re all mean and crazy haters!” brush and a troll can post a lot of stuff or get a flame war going. Mostly they can disrupt a board.
As far as thread highjackings— If you have a ‘chat’ forum or thread, that might help a bit with the “I didn’t know where else to post this.”
I know from experience that there will always be posters who post something in the wrong place (I just move the post to the right forum) or hijack a thread out of enthusiasm (I’ve lifted the entire high jack and made it its own thread).
A board without moderators sounds nice, but in reality, it’s like anything in life, you need adults in charge.
OH! And the other thing that’s on my mind—
A question– if liberal friend on FB is snotty with you on a political thread (posted by a mutual conservative friend). It was clear she was mocking us…
Do you keep them or defriend them?
I can’t help you with the FB question – but I am wondering – how is the snake?
Snake (s) are fine… Got an offer for 2 more when I was in the dentist office yesterday.
I could hijack now with the story of my animal rights vegan baby brother and the snake in the crawlspace.
I don’t think it would be a hijack since this is an open thread. If you feel like relating the story I’d like to hear it and probably there are other friends of nature on this board.
OK… My Honduran Milk Snake got out the first week of December and vanished. I’ve had it happen before (with other snakes) and found them later under or behind something, so I wasn’t too concerned. Plus the house is coldish so I was pretty sure she was in semi-hibernation.
Mid-January my baby brother came for a week… (commune living, rides a bike, animal rights vegan, is in DC all the time protesting something— BUT he’s the hardest worker and best handiman I know and he’s my best friend).
He was fixing the floor where a leak rotted out a corner…. and he’d ripped out a 4×4 section open to the crawl space.
I’m in another part of the house and I hear “E! There’s a snake down here!” And sure enough, it’s the Honduran, frantic to get up where it’s warmer and has greater food potential.
Baby Brother is stock still and the only thing he says is “Is it poisonous!” I was SO tempted to say “Deadly!” But I didn’t.
Well, I ASSUMED that since he’ was in DC yelling about animal cruelty, he’d be a snap to help me get her up in the house. I grab a pillow case and hand it to him…. Telling him to hold it open as wide as he can, she’s not happy so it wasn’t going to be an easy transfer. I lie on the floor to reach in the crawl space and I hear a muttered “I’m going to see D (Other brother next door) for while.”
Pillow case hits the floor and he’s out the door before I can look up.
It was a job to get her by myself, but I did…. then called him to let him know he could come back…. and he admitted he hated snakes and didn’t want to be around them.
I gave him heck about it the rest of his stay— seems some animals ARE more equal than others!
I guess snakes are a hard sell even to animal lovers!
Your brother deserved the ragging. Milk snakes are cute — though the pattern’s a lot like a coral snake, I guess.
I defriended someone because I frequently post things on FB and every time I said something she would counter it with liberal attacks. She even replied to another friend I was talking to, someone she did not even KNOW with a smart-aleck counter. I warned her twice and then blocked her.
Thanks! This person butted into an all conservative thread with a snotty “Ohhhh! Conspiracy theories are so funny!”
Again, typical– stays at home, works part time at the MAC Counter in the mall…. doesn’t have much of a clue about the real world. Much of her liberalism is based on rebelling from her super conservative Cuban family.
Bev:
Good for you. Liberals need to learn manners.
What I’m seeing is conservatives posting a status comment, then their conservative friends joining the discussion. THEN, in comes the token liberal friend with snotty remarks and all hell breaks loose.
I don’t know what the solution is, though it’s very annoying when the instigator of the thread goes silent, so here you are feeling like “OK, is this person their mother-sister-Boss”?
The other thing I’ve seen is the post just get deleted. Anyhow, I’m debating about what to do— it’s clear she isn’t a ‘friend’ however, I don’t want her to know she got on my nerves either.
I blocked my “friend” so she could not see my posts. That took care of it. I go on facebook mostly to goof around and have fun but most of my friends are conservative so we inevitably talk about the current events. I don’t like fighting and bickering. I have a niece who is far left and she and I came to an agreement early that we’re family…we love eachother…politics is not more important than family…and neither of us will ever change our views so fighting about politics accomplishes nothing. So we ignore eachother’s comments.
Stupid question, maybe, but how do you un-friend someone on FB, and do they know you’ve done it, or can you make it invisible?
I started my FB acct to keep tabs on my fellow college/music-group alumnae and academics I’ve interned with. My “friends” there aren’t necessarily my friends — they are however a network that might help me with job opportunities, and so I keep my acct apolitical.
But there’s one or two uber-lefties that I may want to un-friend as a precaution, if I can do it in a way that no one notices.
You go to their page and on the left (I think it’s the left – either that or the bottom) you’ll find a defriend link.
Be careful though. I defriended a lib (a friend of my mom’s) and she went PSYCHO on my family.
If you “defriend them”, you can’t possibly ever convince them. “Defriend” sounds like something “they” want us to do, just to prove their point.
defriend and BLOCK…lol. She was a friend I grew up with and I realized after a few days that there was a reason we weren’t still friends…lol.
If you move your mouse over to the right of the person’s name, you can just “Hide” the person. That’s what I do. Some I’ve done for political reasons, one woman went on and on and on about a situation in her kids’ school. Every day a new post about it, rallying friends to the cause. Since I live a good 1,000 miles away, I wasn’t going to make phone calls or whatever to the school district. She rarely posted about anything else, so I just hid her.
I’ve done the same! Later, I can ‘unhde’ them if I want to chat, ask questions or catch up on what they’re doing. But for now, I’ves streamlined my daily group to news and conservative groups and friends.
I must be the only person standing who does not have a FB page/registration/whatever it’s called.
What, exactly, do you get out of it? I’m quite serious.
My nephew and his wife are constantly nagging me to sign up, because they would actually DIE without FB. However, something is causing me to resist.
Maybe because I’m a rather ‘private’ person.
Persuade me…please…pro’s/con’s?
you’re not the only one. *raises hand*
I like to keep as low a profile online as possible. Ever since social networking started, employers have been using the sites as a tool to collect info on a job candidate. Now I hear that law enforcement is scanning the social sites, ostensibly in the conduct of a criminal investigation. That’s fine, but suppose they want to set somebody up?
I always shied away from online banking as well, but paying credit cards online is so easy. I have dedicated one account to online payments so that if the firewall is breached I only have to do clean-up in one aisle, so to speak.
I am a very private person too. My kids and my neices and nephews are on FB all the time and post many pictures and things about their lives that I would not otherwise be able to keep up with. I did not put a picture up for my avatar and I only provided the basics when I signed up. If I have a message to send, I do it on the send a message link on the left hand side to keep it private. I don’t like writing on the wall as it’s called there. Since we are spread out all over and rarely see each other, it is just a way to keep up. I am a fan of Sarah, Glenn, Mike Pence, etc. so you get updates from them too. Even my husband reads FB just to see what’s going on.
About 2 weeks ago I created a facebook page. Then I kept getting request HS people to be friends. I didn’t like these people 30 yrs ago so I feel no need to be their FB friend. Honestly, I don’t get FB.
Why am on on FB?
A. I’m in touch with all my relatives, my friends from elementary school and past & present friends.
B. My interest/hobby friends are a huge chunk, and we keep each other updated on upcoming workshops, performances etc as well as being emotinoal support for one another.
C. My conservative buds are on there from various forums….interestingly enough groups A and B flow into group C also. Which has caused a lot of natural networking to occur.
D. Sarah Palin, Fred Thomspon, Mark Levin, Michelle Malkin, my favorite authors, my favorite TV shows, Scott Brown, and other public-political figures have FB pages that they post to regularly.
I can catch up on everything I need to in one log on….. from who’s dancing where when, updates on a sick friend and the latest news.
Thanks for all the feedback, guys!!
HillBuzzers are the best!
I can certainly see the advantages, but for me, I think I’ll hold off for now.
Bijou, I feel the same way about FB, but want to keep in touch and network so I don’t use my surname, just my first and middle name, because I don’t trust FB (who I’m told is run by liberals) keeping my privacy.
I don’t have a Facebook account or MySpace or Twitter. Don’t have ‘em, don’t want ‘em. I don’t IM or use my cell phone much either. Why?
#1) Because I am a VERY private person and the thought of anyone reading my messages or personal information absolutely creeps me out. I’ve learned you can google a name and go right to someone’s FB page. Uh-Uh. NOT for me.
#2) I’ve seen too many people who seem to be addicted (there is no other word for it) to Facebook, Twitter, etc. and spend the bulk of their time on it. It’s really sad.
#3) I have to much other stuff to do.
#4) I don’t like being that technology dependent.
I have all of the above but that’s to keep abreast of all that’s going on. Actually, I almost never go to the myspace acc’t, but I check FB and Twitter everyday.
Those who are on all the time are probably playing Farmville. Apparently, it’s a very popular thing coz a lot of my r/l friends are addicted to it.
“Do you keep them or defriend them?”
It depends on who they are to you. I recently defriended a number of people on FB because of pro-HCR posts. They were people I didn’t know in real life and only barely knew online.
On the the other hand, there were several other moms I know in “real life” posting pro-HCR and very critical of anyone anti-HCR that I didn’t defriend because I have to deal with these people on a day to day basis in my real life. Instead I just ignore them on FB.
I see the point about staying on topic within a thread. And I appreciate the suggestion of using the “Open Thread” area each day for random discussion. I like that.
Were it posssible, it would be great if the four or five major topics (and the open thread) could have headers to click on at the top of the page each day. I think some folks want to read the latest and figure down-page items aren’t being discussed any more.
That is a design issue pertaining to the site. And perhaps the current page design on Word Press doesn’t allow for the kind of thing I am suggesting.
Hillbuzz is one of three top favorite sites for me. Thanks, Boyz! You guys are wonderful.
Depending on the board style, unread posts and threads are highlighted, that way, when you log on, you can catch up.
I feel I miss so much at times, especially when there are 3 topics and all are getting lots of posts.
Yes, you’re right. Site design could potentially be helpful with helping people send comments in the right direction. I’ve seen pages where the titles and beginning blurbs of the last 5 or 6 posts are shown in little boxes on the homes page. I don’t know. Something to consider.
OT, but I like cereal!
BREAKING NEWS: Washington is getting a little big.And I have to go to the bathroom. (Someone please call CNN>)
Don’t know if this has been mentioned…is it possible to have a chat board? There is one at Team Sarah site and it is fun to chat in real time…
Oh great – even more to distract me from work! =D
What’s on my mind today? My kids have spring break next week. That means I’ll have a whole week to deprogram them.
(Just kidding – for the most part, I’m pretty pleased with the education they are getting, but we’ll be going on some field trips to museums so they can see REAL American history).
You’re funny. I conveniently leave rooms with talk radio playing on the radio, so even if I can’t hear it, my kids have it in their heads like white noise. Am I bad?
Heck no!
My daughter LOVES to argue with libs in class – and she’s only 12! I truly hope that as she’s growing, she’ll remain conservative.
I have found that sometimes when I’m reading something, or listening to talk radio, whatever, I’m not really paying attention but my daughter is. She’ll bring it up a while later, asking me what “this” meant, and I won’t even remember hearing about it on the radio. She’ll have to remind me.
Here is a little fun amid all the serious discussions going on here:
The Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
Here are the winners:
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus: A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxicaton: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
11. Karmageddon: It’s like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.
12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
14. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
15. Arachnoleptic Fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.
16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
17. Caterpallor ( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.
Here’s one for ya:
Debeat : Corporeal recourse for bullies when civil debate just isn’t getting their point across fast enough.
Thanx Lwelsh. I need to laugh.
I personally don’t have a problem with the O/Ts and other stuff(except for when I want to refer back to it and can’t find it … LOL). My librarian nature wants to catalog everything!
But I think as you continue to grow, some moderation will become necessary just to keep some order!
Guilty as charged —I am one of those O/T people … anyway, here’s something interesting … David Frum let go from AEI, the think tank. This guy frequently attacks Palin, he is David Brook’s “evil” twin … he blamed the Obamacare debacle on Republicans! How pathetic. I have had it with these Vichy Republicans, who just want “less” socialism …
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/25/AR2010032502336.html?hpid=topnews
Good! DLTDHYOTWO, you Frumcrumb!
OH. so now its Ssrah Palins fault.
Hmmm… didnt see that coming.
http://wcbstv.com/local/white.powder.anthony.2.1590058.html
Some Democrats charged Republican Sarah Palin with throwing gas on the flames.
Palin tweeted her followers, saying: “Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: ‘Don’t Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!’”
Palin also used her Web site to target 20 House Democrats who voted yes on health care. There was a map with gunsights on the districts.
They are trying to isolate, marginalize the tea party. Label them racist…and Obama is prokoking it.
Have you seen the scary twitter threats against the Palins? I wish Sarah had already announced so they could get Secret Service protection.
http://patterico.com/2010/03/25/leftist-issues-death-threats-to-palin-and-family-on-twitter/
OMG.
That is scary.
What website are they talking about? I thought she just had her FB and Twitter feeds.
obama’s list to accomplish to socialize this country is on par….
to have complete control of it’s people you have to kneecap and destroy the middle class—and he just accomplished that with the “health care” bill
the next is to attack religion–now being the catholics…you cannot have a socialist country unless you destroy faith–there can be no higher authority than the government—
shazam…
I just hope people are reading up on HOW countries (like in Europe) were slowly eaten up by these communists….and they did it in stages—they threw carrots (like heathcare) to tease and woe—all the while leading them to “Slaughter” RULE…
communist do not care about the means—they only care about the end—the end being–”I WON”, the end being “Most people don’t care about the procress”—we need to start caring and learning about the process and kick them all out this election year—it is our last chance for freedom—and Hillbuzz is a great place to learn how behind the scenes of the dems are—Thank You Hillbuzz—–
RE Facebook: I have some very conservative friends ~like me~ who post on FB. There are also some liberals who post on the topics also. I get very heated in debate with them. My problem is when I see them later, I feel funny and not sure how to respond, because I genuinely like them and I don’t want political stuff to get in the way of our friendship. Anyone else have that problem? I don’t want to isolate myself with just conservative friends.
I would ignore it, and not bring it up if you want to stay friends with them. That’s what I do, unless they bring it up,then I think you have to say something. No one, a friend no less, should attack you for your political opinions. This is America last time I checked.
If they truly treasure your friendship they will let it go.
I don’t have any debates, but I can tell who of my family and friends that voted for all this and are still for it because it is obvious they are genuinely afraid of me and are nervous wrecks around me. This blows me away because they have always known me as nothing but a giver and loving and know I am truly a love-your-enemy-through-action kind of person. Plus, all they know, because no discussions have taken place is that I would not vote for Obama and one time I mentioned they might want to watch Glenn Beck the week he was exposing Van Jones. Even that mention was without any input from me one way or another. For all they know, based on limited conversations, I think like they do. The fear they have of me is so real I just want to hug them and comfort them. Sure makes me wonder what they are involved in since even an overdose of mainstream media on the evils of ‘teabaggers’ could not produce such fear of those that love them.
I think most are just in denial.
Their fear, based on your descriptions of yourself, are irrational.
You cannot hug away a mental disorder.
I have dear friends who are George Bush haters, one because she is hopelessly Leftoid, and the other more of a liberal leaning Indie. Friend One and her husband helped me tremendously at a really horrible time in my life, I always send them gifts and money on their wedding anniversary because I’ll always remember the support they gave me when I was down.
But we never talk politics.
Friend Two is a little more amenable to really short, cryptic “discussions” maybe because her siblings are pretty conservative, and she got used to it growing up. But neither of us intentionally brings up politics, again – we have been through a lot together and have assisted each other at crunch times.
We just focus on what we share in common.
What good is a friend who you can’t be yourself around?
there’s many different facets to any individual’s personality. For instance, on more than one occasion, I have been known to behave like Queen Bitch (with a capital “B”) from Helltown. Neither of the friends mentioned above have seen me behaving in that manner, ergo I will never “be myself” 100% when I am around them. Why put them through it?
Another aspect of my personality is that English is not my first language. I have never spoken my native language with either of these friends, since they are English speakers only. I can’t be myself the way I can with my family members, because I wouldn’t be able to communicate with these friends.
I drop little hints with my liberal “rellies” about this health care by saying things like, “So… Do you think you’re going to change your deductions to prepare for the healthcare taxes?” One of them is a house flipper, so I say, “So….Did you fit the house with all of the environmental mandates, so the new owners can’t come after you later?” That’s right. Drop the bomb and walk away. Let them think.
I love it.
I try to keep my topics apolitical but usually I don’t. With my liberal friends I must seem schizophrenic because I’ll post a rant and then go to their page and say “HEY…the weather is great isn’t it?” lol.
LOL
Pretty much all of my FB friends are low-information theatre types, who post all sorts of leftist crazy. Ignore and avoid, this is what I do. And I don’t post conservative things myself. I hate fighting with liberals — you never get anywhere.
Never say anything online that you wouldn’t say in the same company in person. In fact, you should be *more* careful online because you don’t have body language to help keep things friendly.
I have a lot of liberal friends that I can only talk to online (college friends who now live far away). For us, what has worked well is to keep most conversations targeted on helping us understand each other. That way, the goal is not to convince each other, with a “winner” and a “loser” (and no one wants to be the “loser”), but to make sure that we can each see where the other person is coming from. Benefits: we can all be “winners,” we end up being better, closer friends than we were before, and points are still brought up that can cause any of us to reconsider our positions — there’s probably actually an increased chance of convincing someone of your point this way, since the points you bring up are brought up in a non-threatening manner, in a “this is what convinced me” context rather than a “you should be convinced by this!” context. Comments like, “Can you at least see how this could make sense to me?” can help turn a conversation in this direction and keep the debate from getting too heated.
Make sense?
NOW Fox News starts calling it the ‘Health Care Overhaul’ and not ‘HC Reform’. A little late, eh?
Everone has to watch this. It’s priceless. Comparing Republican women to democrat women.
Class, confidence, self-assurance, high self esteem, brains, etc…compared to….?
I’ll let you fill in the blank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXzrUztyd1Y
To all the women out there – Which side would you prefer to be classified???
I would like to be classified as a “lady” but it kind of annoys me that this based on looks. Women who are not “hot” are worthwhile people, ya know.
Well, I did a web page once of smokin’ hot conservative guys. Got lost when I changed servers…but…
Wimmen like to too at cute stuff too.
You’re missing the entire point. liberal women are very hateful and unhappy people. Name 5 that you can trust the truth when they claim to be happy.
Happy people don’t hate
Did you notice piglosi has 2 different color eyes? Clone?
Who’s at :45 -:48? She looks like my mom (in her prime)
the lady at :45 is an attorney on law and order. not sure if she’s still on the show
Angie Harmon?
This is pretty funny, but I do notice that the Republican women are all of reproductive age, and then the Dems are post menopausal, so you’ve got the Repubs being young and the Dems being old. Perhaps there should be a video where everyone’s the same age. Because the current video is young and foxy = Repub and hot! And old and ugly = Dem. It’s not a great comparison.
That’s not true a few repubs are over 50 and even one is over 60.
AND a couple dems are pre-menapausal. Sorry -
One of the reasons all the democratic women pre-menopausal look like a truck ran them over and then threw it in reverse just to make sure they got them is because…they hate SO much and for no reason. They just hate people, hate themselves and their faces/bodies show the unhappiness within.
I never realized liberals were so unhappy and hateful people
Garafalo’s in there, she still cycles -presumably. I didn’t recognize half the Republicans, and was really surprised that Trump’s daughter is conservative. Kathy Ireland’s pic is from when she was a young hottie, though most likely she’s still a fox.
Kathy Irealnd is still gorgeous.
She was on dancing with the stars.. last season or the season before.
Geesh.. the woman is aging damn well.
Donald Trump is usually rallying on the conservative side. He is the model capitalist. He surely does not want the country to fall to socialism.
Julia, nice try, but you’re wrong.
Michele Bachmann is smokin’ hot and she’s 54, as is Bo Derek.
Not to mention that Condi is 56.
Age no longer has much to do with who’s hot.
e.g right now, Esquire has a contest for ‘Who’s the sexiest woman alive’ and (I hope you’re sitting down, because) the hands-down leader is Helen Mirren and she’s 63!
I agree. And all things being equal, none of the Repub pics were doctored, and many of the Dem ones were.
Just keep it fair and balanced (and preferably, speaking for myself, Hillary-free on a Hillary-based site). I would never post something here that demeaned Sarah Palin.
Just saying.
But yeah, we get the point: Repub women pretty, Dems (and former Dems) not, especially if we have wildly curly hair, regardless of whether we’re angry and hypocritical.
garlic, I aplogize if you took it personal. You misread all the posts. No one said “democratics” we said “liberal women.” big difference BIG
Thanks, Chris! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!
Nearly regurgitated my breakfast when Helen Thomas showed up, though.
Yikes…should come with a ‘Graphic content’ warning!
Being on the far left takes its toll.
Angry, consumed by envy, hateful, chip-on-shoulder, greedy, power hungry, etc…
Who the let the dogs out! lol
Hey Hillbuzz, wouldn’t it be sensible to compare the fashion sense of Michelle Obama versus the fashion sense of Condaleesa Rice?
It is completely true that young people think Marxism and socialism is really cool. When I was a young person, I also thought maybe these things were not so bad, although I didn’t really know what they were. But I was young and had student loans, issues with health insurance, etc., not a lot of job prospects, graduated during a big recession, and I looked at my European friends who had free health care, and not a lot of student loans if any, (free government tuition, etc.,) and I thought, geez this is a big drag. if only I lived in europe with my European friends and could have all of this free stuff and get six weeks vacation. This is how young people think. It was only until much later when I had been working for many many years that I was grateful to be in the United States. I would look around and look at my lazy co-workers who were going nowhere because of their own laziness and bad choices and (even though they infuriated me because we were all paid the same, even though they did nothing) I was so grateful that if I worked hard I could go back to school, or start a business or do anything and have a interesting life because I lived in the U.S.A. where there is opportunity if you bust your backside.
But I do indeed remember my tiresome college years and post college years, and how Che Guevara and all of these dopey sixties people were completely lionized and how capitalism was the scourge of evil, even though only wealthy people could afford to send their kids to this extremely expensive university. I mean, when everyone’s broke the expensive liberal arts colleges will go out of business, because no one can afford to send their kid there, and then all of those dopey sixties professors will lose their jobs and everything. (Have they thought of this? Killing the goose that lays golden eggs. however this is another topic).
Someone needs to write something about what Marxism actually is and what the effects are so that people can find out. We’ve been so spoiled here, nobody really knows what it is, and a lot of young people think it’s kewl!
A lot of it is simply rebelling from your parents. If they are X then you must be Y.
Julia, we must have gone to the same school. However, I learned my lesson after voting for Carter. Voting for him cost me 3 raises, gas rationing, our small town hero missing out on the olympics, a devastatingly bad economy, embarrassment associated with his foreign affairs, and double digit inflation. It takes losing something or having to give up something personal or important for the self-serving to mentally comprehend a bad deal. Obama will be a real eye-opener to his supporters when it hits their pocket book.
The Carter era brought alcoholism to my father. It’s interesting to me how many posts on FB speak of wine. “Is 2:00 too early to start drinking?” or “I foresee a lot of drinking in my future”. And my friends are not of college age. Stress is taking its toll.
My grandfather always said, “it’s noon somewhere in the world” so if he needed a drink, he just poured one. I’m beginning to see his reasoning. Also, I’m very sorry that happened to your father. I know a lot of people that fell on hard times during the Carter years. Very disheartening to see it happening again.
Thanks ajl. Those were dark times. A mentor, that got me thru those times, told me I was gaining strength for the future. She could not have been more correct.
I used to be a liberal Democrat and I voted for Bill Clinton in 92. I learned my lesson when my boss told me he would have to cut my hours to part time because he was worried that he’d have to provide me with health care if Clinton’s health care initiative would pass.
It hit me like a ton of bricks, that there are consequences for voting for “freebies” like that. I sure grew up in a hurry afterwards.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/scott-brown-sarah-palin-john-mccain-lead-republican/story?id=10207965 Sarah and McHottie lead the charge!
Hi KT…gmta…I posted the same link at about the same time
Look down thread…
This kind of stuff stinks.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/25/condom-sent-to-democrat-who-voted-for-health-care-bill/?fbid=1vJmMdgDjUb
(Hangs head) I am one of the guilty, OT people. Sorry…didn’t think of the long term (read search engine) effects of posting the daily screw ups of the Obots on the ‘top’ thread. Could ‘Daily Thread,’ ‘Breaking,’ or ‘Chat’ be a page icon on the top (where your contact info/Mineral City/Boystown pages are?). With the idiocy of the Dear (collective) Leaders a ‘spot’ for quick, real time commentary would keep it off the other threads (which I promise I will do) yet give a chance to post about the dumba$$ move de jour.
All that said…our own, SENATOR Hottie McAwesome is calling ‘out’ Barky (bigtime) on the ‘Rahm it down out throats’ HealthCare Bill. From Drudge:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/scott-brown-sarah-palin-john-mccain-lead-republican/story?id=10207965
Its a tiny article BUT give me great HOPE!!! that Senator Brown will NOT, as Sarah Palin says, ‘be a dead fish and go with the flow.’
Hillboyz: I have been trying to think of a way to bring down MSM and I wonder if you guys think we should take a page out of the HB playbook? We probably can’t go after the big network players; they have too much money and don’t really care about our opinions, but what if we go after the local stations? Start putting pressure on them and the local advertisers. I know that the affiliate stations are powerful enough to change a lot of things. It would take a very sustained, long-term effort on our part, but I am sick of the MSM treating the 12% of the population as though it is the majority and treating the rest of us like we are evil.
I agree with that. We do need focus on the media. They control what information we get about the government. Once we lose control of the media we’re done. And they know that.
Maybe a two-pronged attack? Carrot/stick approach. Point out how successful FOX is compared to the others that have a left-wing slant. Explain that it would help their numbers if they were to allow more conservative veiws?
They keep pandering to the 12% anyway. Somebody is giving them money. I wonder if George Soros would know the answer to that question.
Yes, but at least 72% of us not liberal or progressives. Which gives us a lot of power if we can consolidate that and put pressure on the local markets. Not the national, the local ones. If even 51% become active we can make a difference. Some of the affiliates are just puppets but others are probably just going with what they think is the mainstream (since that’s what they have been brainwashed to believe).
Somehow I think they are doing a good job of that themselves. Even our local NBC news affiliate is in trouble because of their skewed coverage on local issues.
Hottie McAwesome brings it home on GMA
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/scott-brown-sarah-palin-john-mccain-lead-republican/story?id=10207965
Tell it like it is Scott!
On ABC at that!
Not just another pretty face.
Ahem….er…is it hot in here?
And here is one more thing that is on my mind…(the link is from last week…but the ‘Keynote Speech’ is tonite.)
Bill ‘Why he was just a guy that lived in my neighborhood’ Ayers will be giving the Keynote (Communist Propaganda) Speech at the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Education tonight. Cop killing; bomb planting; self professed ‘guilty as hell and free as a bird’ Bill Ayers will be speaking at graduate level, School of Education function.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_671976.html
Of course, Universities are places for the discussion and discourse of ideas…yada yada, blah, blah. Glenn Beck was too ‘incindiary’ for another Pittsburgh School (Duquesne) last year; Ann Coulter causes mayham in Ottawa…but the be-earringed, decrepite hippie is welcomed (here) with open arms.
I have one son who goes to Pitt (a comp sci major…but it gives ME message board access)…then next son (HS sophmore) lining up for college wants to go (G-D please let it happen) to West Point.
Point of my ramblings, parents…PLEASE visit the webpages of your kids colleges; see what ‘events’ your tuition (or debt load in loans) is covering. And speak out!!! I have met (on Pitt pages) dozens of kindred spirits…this WONT happen HERE again!!!
Comments on Mitt Romney and the MA healthcare is making me post this… from my MPA paper written last August, … [MA] had to somehow replace matching federal intergovernmental transfers funds that until this time it had been qualifying for using phantom funds (Gruber, 2008).
In other words, MA was applying for government grants with “matching funds” over and over using the same “matching funds.” Eventually this caught up with them and they were forced to do something to address their state’s Medicare responsibilities. Result? Massachusetts healthcare.
The ol’ robbing from Peter to pay Paul. I think this sounds a lot like the US budgeting practices too. In my mind I see a game of musical chairs and each chair is a budget item… pretty soon something in the budget is going to need funding but its chair is already gone.
Get ready, folks.
The VAT Cometh
This massive new entitlement needs a cash cow.
As the night follows the day, the VAT cometh.
With the passage of Obamacare, which created a vast new middle-class entitlement, a national sales tax of the kind almost universal in Europe is inevitable.
We are now $8 trillion in debt. The Congressional Budget Office projects that another $12 trillion will be added over the next decade. Obamacare, when stripped of its budgetary gimmicks — the unfunded $200 billion–plus doctor fix, the double-counting of Medicare cuts, the ten-six sleight-of-hand (counting ten years of revenue and only six years of outflows) — is, at minimum, a $2 trillion new entitlement.
Krauthammer continues: http://article.nationalreview.com/429359/the-vat-cometh/charles-krauthammer
Next up is amnesty.
Well worth your time…
Will America Break Up?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/25/will-america-break-up/comments/
President Obama is splintering America. The passage of Obamacare was a historic victory for liberal governance. Yet, its true cost may be that it triggers the eventual breakup of the country.
Mr. Obama has achieved what his liberal predecessors – Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bill Clinton – could only dream of: nationalized health care. Obamacare signifies the government take-over of one-sixth of the U.S. economy. It has dealt a mortal blow to traditional America. We are now a European-style socialist welfare state. The inevitable permanent tax hikes, massive public bureaucracy and liberal ruling elites will stifle competition and initiative.
Republicans vow to repeal Obamacare. Their past record, however, leaves many conservatives rightly skeptical. Since FDR’s New Deal, Big-Government liberalism has been on the march – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Education. The Republican Party has been unable to roll back the tide of statism. In fact, under Richard Nixon and both George Bushes, Great Society Republicans have been complicit in erecting a nanny state.
Socialism is the road to economic ruin and fiscal bankruptcy. It subverts democracy, threatening the very future of our constitutional republic. Socialist states degenerate into some form of autocracy or technocratic neo-feudalism, whereby the productive class is taxed and exploited to sustain a growing dependent class. Factions are pitted against each other; groups vie for handouts at the expense of their fellow citizens. The bonds of economic union and national solidarity slowly dissolve.
“Thedemocracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not,” warned Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson was right: Redistributionist welfare policies are undermining our democracy. The resentments in America are growing. Tea Partiers believe that their government no longer represents their interests or values. The heartland is becoming dangerously alienated from the political class, whom it feels has betrayed them.
Obamacare may be the last straw. It strips away fundamental economic liberties, empowering the federal government to de facto nationalize everyone’s body by controlling our health. Americans are compelled – upon pain of penalty and eventual imprisonment – to purchase insurance.
Moreover, the law codifies the federal funding of abortion. Taxpayer dollars will be used to subsidize the murder of innocent life. Hence, Mr. Obama has violated the social compact: He has abrogated the conscience of pro-lifers, making them tacitly complicit in the slaughter of the unborn. Obamacare is a radical assault upon fundamental religious freedoms.
The Obama revolution threatens to tear America apart. This has happened before. Slavery eventually triggered the Civil War between the industrial North and the agrarian South. Abortion is the slavery of our time – the denying of basic human rights to an entire category of people.
The bitter debate over Obamacare has exposed the country’s profound divisions. We are no longer one nation or one people. Rather, there are now two Americas: one conservative, the other liberal. Increasingly, we no longer just disagree but we despise each other.
Our disagreements encompass everything – politics, morality, culture and history. We no longer share a unifying essence or common values. One half of America believes abortion is an abomination; the other half considers any attempt to repeal it as oppressive and sexist. One half opposes homosexual unions because it elevates immoral and unnatural behavior to the sacred status of marriage; the other half supports it as an extension of civil rights. One half reviles Mr. Obama’s socialist agenda, viewing it as the destruction of capitalism and our constitutional government; the other half embraces it as the culmination of social justice and economic equality. One half reveres America’s heroes – Christopher Columbus, George Washington, James Madison, Davy Crockett – and its glorious history; the other half is ashamed of its past, seeing it as characterized by racism, imperialism and chauvinism.
Ultimately, a country is not simply its geographical borders with the people inside of it. It is something more – and deeper. A nation must share a common heritage, language, culture, faith and myths. Once upon a time, Americans celebrated the same heroes, sang the same patriotic songs, read the same history and literature, and gloried in its exceptional nature: a city upon a hill, with liberty and freedom for all. It was understood that, for all of our different ethnic and religious backgrounds, America is a product of English and Christian civilization. Those days are long gone.
Instead, we are going the way our Founding Fathers warned us against: increasing balkanization and sectionalism. A constitutional republic – unlike an empire – is only as strong as its national cohesion. It is based not on imperial coercion but civic consent. Mr. Obama is recklessly pulling at the strings of unity, further polarizing us.
In confronting Obamacare, state sovereignty, states’ rights and state nullification of federal laws are being asserted. This is what happened in the 1830s and 1840s. They are the signs of growing political anarchy and social frustration – people can only be pushed so far. Mr. Obama’s drive for a socialist super-state threatens America’s very existence. As Jefferson warned about slavery, it is time we start ringing the “fire bell in the night.”
“Things fall apart; the center cannot hold,” wrote William Butler Yeats. “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”
Conservatives will not be passive in this onslaught on all our core values. Mr. Obama’s true legacy may be that he divides us deeper than ever before – unless he abandons his revolutionary project.
Excellent article.. The writer hit the nail on the head. Obama’s “revolutionary project” is literally DESTROYING our country.
How do we go about ringing the “fire bell in the night”?
What’s on my mind is I’m mad as hell at the way Utopia spat in Bibi Netanyahu’s face yesteray!
Disgusting behaviour which makes the country look absolutely weak to the world. OH…speaking of which, coincidentally, yesterday Russia announced that they have a nuclear disarmament treaty! Yep, they did it all by themselves.
Now…Obama has no choice but to go along with it, because after all, this was one of his bigass, blowhard ideas.
The Russians are playing him like a violin.
But, wait! There’s more! The Lightbringer announced yesterday that 7.5 Billion US tax dollars will be going to Pockystahn for non-military aid!
Yep, that’s Pakistan, one of the most corrupt bunch of thugs this side of Washington, DC.
I could just heave.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/bam_triple_diplo_whammy_day_QF1zmGPlLy4ZwXZcoCFIEI
What measures are in place to keep the the 7.5 billion dollars out of the hands of terrorists? My gut says this is like handing a gun to a seedy character, begging him not to shoot you.
It’s dangerous. It is a green light to the radical muslim groups to attack Israel…and Obama knows this.
http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2010/03/its-3-am-and-prime-minister-of-israel.html#comments
Today I’m thinking about Israel and how Utopia treats Bibi with such disrespect. Obama left the Prime Minster in the White House and went to a private dinner the other day. I can’t believe how crass this is, I wouldn’t do that in my home to someone I hated.
His mama didn’t raise him right. Trash is trash.
I think it’s safe to say that his mama didn’t raise him at all.
BREAKING NEWS — *I* think your “last few sentences” were just fine. (And this is on-topic) ;->
Interesting article on Clyburn playing the race card now, and against the Clintons in 2008:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/03/025927.php
This a$$hat is from my state. He’s an old time race hustler and bigot. He’s never seen an entitlement that doesn’t give him an orgasm.
He can barely speak English, and he’s thoroughly grotesque. Dems found him useful, but he comes with a very high price tag that the rest of us will pay for.
Why does South Carolina keep voting for Lindsey Grahamnesty?
I don’t know except that there are more ‘liberal’ types who support him. We have a lot of people who have retired here from up North. They always bring their problems with them.
DeMint is our other Senator, and he’s been doing yeoman’s work for conservatives while Lindsay simply plays games.
To be fair, Graham has said repeatedly that the manner in which Obamacare was rammed through will have the consequence that amnesty will not go through the Senate. (Probably the same will hold true for Cap and Tax.)
If any Republican senator provides the vote to break a filibuster against either bill, that person will have to be defeated just as surely as we have to remove the Dems from office.
My greatest concern regarding Graham at this point is his bizarre idee fixe of closing Gitmo.
BREAKING NEWS: A North Korean sub struck a South Korean vessel with a torpedo. Many sailors dead.
Holy cow.
Dammit! How much did Obama give the NorK’s for this little distraction?
Holy jumping up and down, Martha.
I was just listeing to local talk radio here in Indy.
Brad Ellsworth (d-congressman) is vying for Evan Bayh’s seat… once Brad Ellsworth voted YES on the healthcare bill.. Evan Bayh transferred a million dollars to him.
I hope you guys spread the word and make sure Ellsworth goes down on fire!! fire all of them dems
Did you guys see Jason Materra on Hannity? What a GREAT guy…he’s a self proclaimed “Rush Baby” and he’s very talented. Check him out. He’s on FB too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdtFWCrCh0s
and he’s cute, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWQAQAWjA7U&NR=1
Another great Jason Materra moment.
I have a friend who was born in Venezuela, her family came here when she was ten. The rest of her family made a lot of money there but left about ten years ago when they saw the writing on the wall.
The last time my friend went back to visit buddies, she said the place was an absolute shithole. Mangy dogs roaming the streets, people driving old banged up beaters. Except for the people with a little money who live behind locked gates.
Another Venezuelan friend who married an American, has been here for a dozen years or so. The reports coming back from her parents are increasingly gloomy. She is trying hard bring her folks to the States.
And these clowns in the video are so happy that Hugo Chavez is now “going for the food”.
It really is scary isn’t it? And Obama is not disproving any socialist charges. He just said “I looked outside and didn’t seen any astroid”. As a leader he should be saying things to calm people down and comfort those who are afraid and instead he is prodding them to conduct violence. The writing is on the wall.
Today, as the consequences of enacting Obaminablecare are still sinking in — coupled with rumination over the unguarded statements of e.g. Dingell and Baucus about its rationale — I’m feeling considerable trepidation.
Offset by major irritation at that sap over at Hot Air for playing up that ridiculous anti-Palin opinon poll. Does he not realize the damage to his own credibility when he shows that can be so easily played?
And by boiling rage when I read how Netanyahu was treated at the White House. Left alone in a room while O went to have dinner and invited to think things over! (I do hope that Palin makes an issue of this treatment in her public remarks in Arizona and Nevada.)
When oh when is Netanyahu and his government going to deal with the Iranian nuclear program in a definitive manner? Hoping that ours is going to do anything about it is a fool’s errand.
On my mind this morning is taxes. We make less than the $250,000 level that Obama claims haven’t had any tax increases. Our income remained almost the same as last year, but the amount we have to pay in taxes this year is higher this year than last year. This proves the no new taxes line to be a lie.
Same here Lynx. Last year we got a tad back – this year we made less (because of pay decreases re: the economy)money and OWE. Nothing at all, as far as withholding rates, changed – but the total difference amounted to about $1500.00.
They redid the tax tables with the IRS last year. They are witholding more wtihout telling anyone officially. You will get it back if it’s due you.
However, the Bush tax cuts expire at some point this year and that will be an automatic massive jump in taxes, without them having to legislate anything.
Then you add whatever happens with our premiums and the insurance companies as a response to this legislation. They can do whatever they want to, to us.
Then you add the tax on medical devices, at 2.3%. This is everything in hospitals from equipment to bandaids. There are also many over the counter items, including tampons and condoms.
All of this before you get any tax increase from the healthcare bill. We get a VAT or Cap & tax and it’s all over but our crying.
Check out a timeline of when the major items in the Democrats’ health care bill go into effect.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/thf_media/2010/pdf/timeline_chart.pdf
If the individual mandate doesn’t kick in until 2014 none of the current state suits protesting the mandate can be heard until its actually in effect.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9cyGproZGQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Thomas Woods : States Can Nullify Unconstitutional Federal Laws!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9cyGproZGQ
WOW, the judge has all the answers as to what we can and will do. Let’s roll!!!
On my mind: The aggressive smearing of millions of Americans. Every single person in the forefront of politics in this country experiences some amount of threat. Now they’re not only publicizing theirs– and only theirs– but making up charges and applying the smear to anyone who opposes them.
How is it that the media doesn’t even cover the left wing violence and vitriol, yet the following was seen as “free speech” and citizens simply voicing dissent?
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS GREAT COMPILATION. Scroll, scroll, scroll the pictures to get the full effect. http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=621#photos
Rep Cantor claims his office was shot at. He won’t release any voicemails from his office.
After investigating, it appears that it was a stray bullet that hit the window.
Why won’t Cantor release the tapes?
He does not think it’s appropriate to use these tapes as political tools to recruit people…which is what the Democrats are doing. They are using this as a distraction and as a way to get money. He said he is against that.
I think he said that he has not made public the threats he gets because it just encourages others to do things to get the publicity.
Are the tapes related to the shooting?
225 days until election day.
This is what we need on the site – a countdown thingy that shows days, hours, minutes until the November elections!
I was looking over at hotair.com about the Netanyahu debacle the other day..I tend to agree with these two:
“I am sure some great minds have already attempted this but I just have to clear my conscience..
1) Obama spent some of his childhood in muslim countries.
2) Obama sends the people of Iran a message of hope.
3) Obama thumbs his nose as Israel.
4) Obama doesn’t have a church he goes to regularly.
Is Obama a closet muslim? I am starting to think that is really the case. Otherwise how does one explain his lack of protocol and rudeness when it comes to Israeli concerns.
Rndguy on March 26, 2010 at 7:28 AM
I’m done being hesitant to say he’s a closet Muslim. I now have few doubts about it.
Like someone on this thread said, Muslims will not eat with Jews. (Is this all Muslims or just the radical ones, like Obama?)
Explains why amongst all the disrespect he showed to Netanyahu, not eating dinner with him was included.
Elisa on March 26, 2010 at 11:13 AM”
I’ve heard him called the Ultimate Sleeper Cell.
I think having some sort of forums type organization will help with the off topic comments. Forums would make it easier to find the topic you wanted to comment on and the Open Thread of the day could be made a sticky at the top of the forum. Having both run and moderated for other peoples forums, I do think you will need moderators. Getting people to help you moderate the forums will help free up your time to do what you do best. Namely, writing entertaining and thought provoking stories.
So, now the Obama administration is going to require some mortgage services providers to reduce principals on underwater mortgages!!! While I feel for people who are losing their homes, what about those of us who have been RESPONSIBLE with our money????? My husband and I saved our money for over 10 years to be able t…o buy a house we could afford!!!! Where is my BAILOUT????
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-obama-mortgages27-2010mar27,0,6966492.story
Not to mention the fact that propping them up (A) hasn’t worked so far and (B) is very expensive to the country and (C) has also propped up the real estate business artificially. If the prices were allowed to fall and stabilize, this would be helpful to the economy. More people would be buying.
there is so much anger in the country that ANY repub could win the next election!
my gut tells me it will be romney..i would like to see cheney as prez..he’d get us back to basics!
I don’t think Cheney has a chance, not with the association with Pres. Bush. He’s too old and has heart problems anyway, though I love the guy. Liz however… she’d be great!
But I’m still for Sarah. She is the only one out there with a record of reform, which is what we need!
At this point, even Newt Gingrich is looking good to me!!! My new motto, anyone but a democrat!
Thing is, the open thread oftentimes is ignored if there are three or more threads above it. If you sticky the open thread at the top of the page, then posting breaking news will matter. If you don’t, then it could be relegated to ‘why bother posting it, no one is going to read it anyway’.
I think think that if you’re going to have a more structured rule system here, then you need more structure in the format to support it.
JMO
See..that was my problem. I feel like if I post here now nobody will see it because there’s other threads ahead of it =)
EXACTLY!!!
And a lot of the joy of going here (secondary to the pleasure of reading the days posts) is feeling like we are in a conversation … with each other and with the Boyz.
So if we’re being good little webkids and talking to ourselves in the room where we’re supposed to talk, and everyone else is in the new room that just opened up, then we just get sad and stop talking.
I like it to be organic. I *enjoy* the little treasures of stuff in the comments. Because it’s honestly hardly ever REALLY random on here — it’s not like we’re posting about poptarts. It all relates back somehow.
If the post is on something that will stay relevant enough for people to go search for it a year later, you can believe everyone will say what they think about it AND whatever breaking news pops up.
I can see stepping in and nudging us back on topic if we get personal about something or on the few occasions when we really do just start to talk about our Aunt Wanda or that recipe we saw in aon Paula Deen, but otherwise, I think it’s nice to let the conversation happen.
I would support a “right now” thread… but people would still all be talking on one thread, pretty much, and it wouldn’t be that one.
I think, if we want to be this structured, it’s got to be a forum. Then things really ARE threads and not long, long blocks of comments (which I just totally added to.)
Points for getting Paula Deen and Aunt Wanda in as search terms (and poptarts.)
Yeah…It’s not as spontaneous is it?
Okay I came here because I had a thought…lol.
You know I think after seeing the way Obama treated the Israeli prime minister I know why Hillary looked like a total wreck this past week. What Obama did is unacceptable. I bet our allies are FUMING. He put a target on Israel and he KNOWS it.
Another thought…We are likely headed toward a Watergate situation here. If the Dems are stupid enough to get their people to attack other dems to frame the tea party and get caught….GAME OVER.
I’m reading you, Bev.
I agree about the Israel thing. I mean, on the one hand, we were supposed to be displeased with the guy.
On the other hand, that was BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD foreign relations.
Funny how the guy who was supposed to make the world love us is SO. BAD. at that.
You see, though, guys, how we are the only people commenting here and we are making a point to do it? This thread is going to die with the topic.
I vote to have a forum so topics will bump up when you comment.
I think he knows exactly what he’s doing. I think he’s got a whole staff of people telling him what to do and I think he’s going to get us in a hell of a lot of trouble.
They can’t be this stupid. They are either going to do something to prevent us from winning in the next election or they are going to prevent an election altogether. There is a breaking point. He can’t continue to provoke and manipulate in this manner unchecked.
Is the 2000 block of Halsted in Boystown? I was just addressing an invitation to a young couple I know who live in Chicago, and thought this may be the street that you mention so often.
We need to have faith and pray that there are people in high places who would come together to stop this situation.
There’s a few people I’ve noticed who have gone silent on both sides…and I think those are the people who will save our country.
I am not buying it that ACORN closed its doors and so are now gone. They already opened under a new name, Community International (something something) and have been operating for a while under something other than ACORN. People like Bertha Lewis who wish to scam and deceive the public do not go away. I am sure Obama will find a way to use their thuggery skills in a new fashion. Perhaps he will hire them as the 16,000 new police IRS agents to oversee, threaten and fine Americans to buy insurance.
Yeah…in 6 months people will say “Oh ACORN is gone…” and it is not true.
Ryan in NY Times
Repeal Obamacare
http://tinyurl.com/ychwk54
I have been thinking about the 2008 (s)election and I am coming more and more to the conclusion it was completely rigged.
No one can tell me the repubs didn’t know what Squat was planning, including McCain.
For that matter, you can’t tell me the dims didn’t know, either, including HRC.
Yet they let him steal the POTUS position.
Why?
Many of us here had that gnawing in the pit of our stomachs about squat during the primaries and I think that’s one reason we fought so hard for HRC – we instinctively knew what the alternative would be.
You can’t tell me that professional pols didn’t have the same instincts plus all the facts they needed to bring him down.
Why didn’t someone, anyone step up and stop him?
We all know that admin is brilliant and there are a lot of really smart posters here but despite appearances to the contrary there are brilliant political strategists as well.
No one said a word.
Both McCain and HRC had many opportunities to stop him but neither one dared. Why?
By refusing to stop him when they could have they may have doomed the entire country.
This is on their heads – both dims and repubs.
We were sacrificed. For what? For who?
The endless race baiting has been the last straw for me. It reminds me so much of several incidents during my teaching career in mostly black neighborhoods.
Black parents would set up white teachers with charges of racism against their kids and then launch lawsuits, usually argued by white liberal lawyers, and try to shake down school districts.
Naturally, this put the fear of the almighty dollar in the heads of superintendents and boards of educations everywhere and so everyone looked the other way as kids got more and more out of control and the tools to discipline them were stripped away out of fear of racial accusations.
It was a scam.
Toward the end of my teaching career rich white Americorps types would infiltrate the schools for a few years and tout the black race-baiters charges of social injustice, further poisoning the teaching setting.
That’s exactly what I see happening in the US.
And still I wonder why it’s being allowed to happen.
Anyone have any answers?
Anyone have any suggestions for stopping it?
http://www.wkrg.com/national/article/cop_car_chomping_canine/811527/Mar-26-2010_6-01-am/
I love this story. Winston just had a bad day.
OMG!
Can we contract with Winston to rip the bumpers off of some of the congress critters?
Better yet;
Could we hand out these sentences to them?
‘A judge ruled Winston must go to obedience classes and wear a tag labeling him as a “potentially dangerous dog”.
SARACUDA is TEARING.IT.UP. in Arizona…WoooHooo!!!!
Notice how Sarah’s the headliner, now?
JM is getting what he deserves. He pussyfooted around Squat during the primaries and essentially threw the race to him.
Sarah, OYOH, never compromised her beliefs.
But she is also saying we need experienced statesmen to help guide us thru the murk to get things done…and that is true. I trust her judgment.
Squat has no reverence for western European history, culture or accomplishments.
His inspiration isn’t found among the pillars of western civilization whether from Greece, Rome or England.
He has no respect for this country’s founders, for the genius’s of music, writing, science.
He would like to wipe the earth free of the memory of anything and anyone not from his narrow hateful nasty worldview.
Although he may not be Muslim he has a jihadist mentality.
For him the “infidel” is anyone not raised on black liberation theology and Saul alinsky methodology.
He is at war with us the way jihadists are at war with us in every way except physical suicide.
And he won’t stop until the America we love has ceased to exist.
He does not share American values, heroes, memories or pride.
The National Anthem should be replaced.
Israel is no longer a valuable ally but an enemy.
The bust of Winston Churchill is sent back to England.
I am heartsick.
“The Republicans aren’t the party of no…they are the party of HELL NO!” Sarah Palin….Boy that’s a bumper sticker if I heard one.
Interesting reading:
Change is Coming: Five Ways Jesus Christ Will Change Government Forever
by Howard Davis
http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn80/jesus-christ-change-government.htm
Remember Van Jones, who almost was an Obama green-energy Czar? He applauded the day after 9/11 because he felt America got what it deserved. People that that do not go away, and he is resurfacing again.
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/klein-czar-wars-former-obama-czar-wants-to-transform-american-economy-van-jones-partnered-with-group-that-has-history-of-violence-and-sabotage/
Yeah…Glenn Beck keeps telling everybody that. He hasn’t gone away…he’s just not putting up his shoes at the WH but he’s still a player.
Democrats Issue Death Threats Against Sarah Palin & Eric Cantor
Some Tweets are listed on
http://citizenpalin4president.blogspot.com/2010/03/democrats-issue-death-threats-against.html
examples:
THe street gangs of america can take on the teabaggers and Palin. TP is callin 4 war just shoot any TP associates and family MS13 BITCHES!
and this:
I cant wait till someone serious hurt that bitch Palin or one of her children soon she out of control!
and this:
@Oplis the ppl of color have been wait n 4 no one can agree on history so suggest the Palin plan let roll!ms13 will take care of that bitch
For some reason this one seems particularly ominous:
Does anyone have that alaskan address 4 the Palins?
A question regarding socialism if you all don’t mind (and please forgive me as I truly don’t think I understand what socialism is).
When I see friends on Facebook complain about Obama being a socialist, other people come on with comments like “well then you don’t want the police either” or “you don’t want the firefighters” or “don’t drive on any roads either” – stuff like that.
How do you respond to that? To me, that’s not socialism. Socialism, to me is when the government takes over production, but when I see friends state that (I’m too timid to get into those conversations), the libs go back to the talking points I just mentioned.
Can someone explain this to me? Thanks!
Those things are constitutional. Even our Founding Fathers knew there were some things that the government should be involved in—roads, (state/federal), police/fire (state/city) and of course the defense of the country. Those aren’t takeovers. Most of those are necessary for the protection of private property. That’s the only real place for the government and what set our country apart from the others.
Heh. We need a *correction* button. “Even our Founding Fathers knew.. ” sounds exactly wrong. I mean, they realized that the government has it’s place. A very tiny, miniscule place in the way our country should be run.
When over 50% of the gross national product is owned and controlled by the government that is socialism. Simply put…when the government makes more money because of its size than the private industry. Our government is becoming dependent on itself for money. There are less of us making money. The government is taking all the money and distributing it to us in the form of entitlements. So instead of you being able to go out and become rich making something or doing something they are going to tell you what you can make, where you will work, where you will live, how much you can have…and they will take away your rights to oppose that they are doing “for the greater good”.
I read, yesterday, that with O-care, our debet is projected to be 90% of our GDP by 2020!
HB I don’t know how you read all these posts and then you have to filter through the comments in moderation dissecting troll droppings. It’s a good thing there’s five of you. I don’t know how you would do it.
Thumbs up regarding pointing out that random stuff should really go into open threads. (Don’t think of it as a rule, more of a guideline.) And as regards to board moderators, I only ask that there be some easy way to tell who’s a moderator, it makes everything so much simpler then.
Boyz, I got this from Brad Thor’s FB page and would love to see your take on it. I say it is Treason…what say you?
http://bigjournalism.com/bthor/2010/03/26/is-a-d-o-d-insider-leaking-classified-information-to-cnn/