The GOP merely threatens filibuster, and the Democrats flip like fish. But the closest resemblance to an actual filibuster was Rep. Bernie Sanders' 8 1/2 hour marathon speech in objection to the tax bill. Most folks' only notion of a "filibuster" was given by Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." It would be a terrific civics lesson for the American people to see the real deal. I can't remember the last time they dragged in the cots and forced senators to attend in shifts. Perhaps the sight of Mitch "The Amphibian" McConnell reading Bible passages on C-Span while attempting to block veterans' benefits might have changed a few hearts and minds. It's too late for that now. The minority party played "chicken" with Obama over the people's welfare, and Barack blinked. The president claimed this was the best deal he could get before the new congress convenes in January, and that it was a good compromise. When the playground bully pushes you to the ground and demands your lunch money, and you give it to him, it is not a compromise, it's capitulation.
I understand that the tax fight is only over a 5 percent increase at the highest income levels, but the Republicans were willing to stop all government functions rather than compromise. Obama campaigned on the promise to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire for those making more than $250,000 annually, and though some of my best friends are rich people, does the same group that prospered the most during the past decade deserve a fresh pile of free money? My dad had a saying; "This is a great country, but the dues are expensive." There seems to be a growing number of people who believe they should somehow be exempt, agreeing with Leona Helmsley that, "Only the little people pay taxes." It's astounding that the Republicans would engage in a petty tax revolt when the nation is still in financial crisis and fighting two wars. In better days, paying taxes was often considered the height of patriotism. In the televised, Senate-Mafia hearings of 1952, when New York mob boss Frank Costello was asked by the committee to name one thing he had ever done to benefit his country, he said, "I paid my tax." Even gangsters understood how the roads get paved.
The conservatives claim tax cuts for the wealthy will help stimulate business and create jobs in the private sector, but we all know what happens to that money. It's invested in various markets, making large portfolios even larger, and allowing the super-rich to live off of their dividends and interest. While the Bush tax cuts have been in place for a decade, all the action switched over to Wall Street, creating a class of obscenely wealthy money-managers while our manufacturing base hemorrhaged jobs. Republicans have warned that unemployment compensation and welfare assistance for the poor are destroying the work ethic, but the new tax giveaway is simply welfare for the wealthy. Who needs to work hard at a stressful job when your money will work for you? The old Reagan, supply-side, trickle-down theory of economics functions most efficiently in single family estates where the natural instinct is to care for your own. Now that Obama has waved a white flag on any inheritance taxes up to five million dollars, the money no longer trickles down; it gushes like a waterfall. The deficit hawks won't fund medical assistance for 9/11 first responders because they claim it's not paid for, yet they are practically giddy to put nearly a trillion additional dollars on the tab for this tax scam.
Ever since Obama took office, his opponents have questioned his legitimacy to be president. They have called him an illegal alien, a socialist, a Marxist, a Kenyan, and a secret Muslim. But I'm beginning to think the truth may be far more frightening. I believe that Barack did not learn "anti-colonialism" from his father, like the right-wing radio blatherers say, but instead was invested with Kansas Republican values from his mother. After all, Kansas is the home of Alf Landon and Bob Dole, and that brand of conservatism must have affected Barack's single mom and grandparents. Somewhere, he was instructed to grow an Afro and assume the guise of a liberal, which facilitated his admission to Harvard and the bar, and his subsequent hiring by the University of Chicago. His work as a community organizer cemented his liberal street cred, and his "palling around with domestic terrorist" William Ayers, gave Obama a Che Guevara-like mystique. Only now, I'm beginning to see the pattern of deception in all this, and I suspect that Barack may be the most frightening type of politician of all; a stealth Republican. Dreams from his father; politics from his mother. The president promised change, yet the Bush tax cuts are about to be engraved in stone, Guantanamo is still operating, illegal wiretaps are still functioning and Bin Laden is still alive. Would an explanation be out of order, or must we read it on WikiLeaks? Obama has spent over half his life learning how to "fight the power." It's past time he learned how the power fights back.
51 comments:
You're right on Sputnik! You can be sure too, that Hillary KNOWS VERY WELL, all of the misgivings us disenfranchised lefties and progressives are feeling about our choice NOW! As for Obama, I'm beginning to think that he's the ultimate Republican Trojan Horse. Put in our midst as the Messiah (nice gift right?), and deep within his bowels, the intention of moving every policy way, way over the other guys' way! Well, live and learn.. No more votes from me. Sorry, Even Bush who fucked the saying up, "fool me once".. I'm there!
As for the tax cuts, you have to wonder.. when O says he has to cave because he cares about the American People, more than appearances, and has to do this becuase they're holding the American People hostage, why did he get GAMED to this point in the first place? He screwed up on 2 points on this issue.... Along with all the rest, he hasn't done, has caved on, has denied he campaigned on, or just conveniently forgot. As I posted earlier, McConnell said it best in his thoughts, " Goodbye Mr. Obama, it's been nice NOOING you!
z
The Big O (not Oscar Robertson) may try a back door play for 2012 and undo what he has done. One way and maybe the only way he can salvage four more years, especially when your ratings are avalanching downhill. Its that or get benched. Who is the loser?
We The People.
Well, you have finally figured out that Obama is a bogus, empty suit but I disagree in regard to what respect that is true. To say that he is a closet Republican is laughable. Surely you jest. Obama is a dyed-in-the-wool Marxist. He is just a lousy politician because of his lack of expereince. He was not adequately vetted and the mainstream media gave him cover, because they were bound and determined to have a black President in order to atone for our past sins. He is both intelligent and eloquent, but so are any number of hustlers. And Obama IS a hustler. It takes special skills to be an effective executive and Obama has never run so much as a hot dog stand. A child who sells Kool-aide in his front yard has more executive experience. I hate to admit it, but Hillary would have been a hundred times more effective as President, mainly because she is a treacherous bitch. Politics is no place for nice guys and I do believe that Obama is a nice guy...just misguided. Hillary would gouge out the eyes of a baby to get her way. Because of this, she is an effective politician. Now, to address the rest of the bullshit. You say that extending the tax cuts gives those who suuceed in what they do a 'fresh pile of free money'. Who earned this money that you covet? Does this money belong to the government or the person who earned it? You made reference to the wicked bitch Helmsley who said that only the little people pay taxes. Are you not aware that 46% of the 'little people' pay no taxes at all? The vast majority of the taxes are paid by those in the top 10% of wage earners. How much more should they pay? Would you be happier if 90% of the people paid no tax and the upper 10% paid it all? What would you do if Atlas shrugged and all of the creative, hard-working people left this country? You leftists would waste away in your own whining squalor. We are in a financial crisis not because of a lack of taxes, but because our criminal politicians sqaunder money mainly to buy votes to stay in power. When they run out, they just squeeze the earners a little harder. You mentioned that conservatives balk at paying money to pave roads. That is bullshit. There is a proper place for government and no thinking person would begrudge paying taxes for necessary services. They balk at paying money that is unwisely and unconstitutionally spent (forgive me for mentioning the Constitution which you progressives loathe). You begrudge those who work hard to acquire wealth. Are you not aware that most of the money that the wealthy invest is lent by banks to produse more wealth and hence more tax money? Are you the least bit aware that wealth produces jobs? You mentioned the withering away of manufacturing jobs. Do you not know that this was precipitated by the Democrats (and the RINO's) pushing for the passage of NAFTA? As an aside, Bush was a big government RINO and a disaster for America in a number of ways. He had more in common with Democrats than conservative Republicans. Don't get me wrong, I am not a Republican. They suck because they pass themselves off as something that they aren't. You whine about welfare for the rich, but again, whose money is it? The same goes for inheritance. You lefties seem to think that all money belongs to the government and that the government decides how much of a cut they will allow those who earned it keep. Your comments about Obama's family influences show that in this area you know nothing. He did indeed learn anti-colonialism from his father. His mother was anyhing but a Republican or a conservative. She hated her own race and her own country. She and her parents were inveterate socialists. If you can stomach the truth read 'The Roots Of Obama's Rage' by Dinesh D'Souza. Don't just make shit up.
Well, you have finally figured out that Obama is a bogus, empty suit but I disagree in regard to what respect that is true. To say that he is a closet Republican is laughable. Surely you jest. Obama is a dyed-in-the-wool Marxist. He is just a lousy politician because of his lack of expereince. He was not adequately vetted and the mainstream media gave him cover, because they were bound and determined to have a black President in order to atone for our past sins. He is both intelligent and eloquent, but so are any number of hustlers. And Obama IS a hustler. It takes special skills to be an effective executive and Obama has never run so much as a hot dog stand. A child who sells Kool-aide in his front yard has more executive experience. I hate to admit it, but Hillary would have been a hundred times more effective as President, mainly because she is a treacherous bitch. Politics is no place for nice guys and I do believe that Obama is a nice guy...just misguided. Hillary would gouge out the eyes of a baby to get her way. Because of this, she is an effective politician. Now, to address the rest of the bullshit. You say that extending the tax cuts gives those who suuceed in what they do a 'fresh pile of free money'. Who earned this money that you covet? Does this money belong to the government or the person who earned it? You made reference to the wicked bitch Helmsley who said that only the little people pay taxes. Are you not aware that 46% of the 'little people' pay no taxes at all? The vast majority of the taxes are paid by those in the top 10% of wage earners. How much more should they pay? Would you be happier if 90% of the people paid no tax and the upper 10% paid it all? What would you do if Atlas shrugged and all of the creative, hard-working people left this country? You leftists would waste away in your own whining squalor. We are in a financial crisis not because of a lack of taxes, but because our criminal politicians sqaunder money mainly to buy votes to stay in power. When they run out, they just squeeze the earners a little harder. You mentioned that conservatives balk at paying money to pave roads. That is bullshit. There is a proper place for government and no thinking person would begrudge paying taxes for necessary services. They balk at paying money that is unwisely and unconstitutionally spent (forgive me for mentioning the Constitution which you progressives loathe). You begrudge those who work hard to acquire wealth. Are you not aware that most of the money that the wealthy invest is lent by banks to produse more wealth and hence more tax money? Are you the least bit aware that wealth produces jobs? You mentioned the withering away of manufacturing jobs. Do you not know that this was precipitated by the Democrats (and the RINO's) pushing for the passage of NAFTA? As an aside, Bush was a big government RINO and a disaster for America in a number of ways. He had more in common with Democrats than conservative Republicans. Don't get me wrong, I am not a Republican. They suck because they pass themselves off as something that they aren't. You whine about welfare for the rich, but again, whose money is it? The same goes for inheritance. You lefties seem to think that all money belongs to the government and that the government decides how much of a cut they will allow those who earned it keep. Your comments about Obama's family influences show that in this area you know nothing. He did indeed learn anti-colonialism from his father. His mother was anyhing but a Republican or a conservative. She hated her own race and her own country. She and her parents were inveterate socialists. If you can stomach the truth read 'The Roots Of Obama's Rage' by Dinesh D'Souza. Don't just make shit up.
Randy: I believe what your Dad says, the dues are expensive. And skin in the game is everything. IRS figures show 50% of earners only pay Social security/Medicare taxes. $0 in actual Income tax.
It is always easier to spend someone else's money, that said, it is very difficult to legislate fiscal morality. Point being, everyone demands government service, and benefits, with the billing for such not shared by all.
The bigger question: When does the equation become fair or satisfactory for the electorate? Perhaps when only the very top earners are paying Income Tax? This can be accomplished by represenatation of a growing body of folks who think they also should not have to pay Income Tax, but rather the guy in the earning bracket above me can aford it, and should shoulder the burden.
to paraphrase;If not me,who? If not now,when? If not here, where? Write me in for the FAIR TAX.
Pat
Are you at all aware that it is intelligently directed effort that produces wealth? In a free society it is incumbent upon each individual through education and/or training to make of himself a marketable commodity. That is, to make something useful of himself that is of value to society. What I am about to say isn't to brag but to make a point. I grew up in the days before 'The Great Society' (which was a cruel joke). Back then, if one did not apply effort to make something of himself, he could wind up in a bad way (these days if one choses not to apply himself the government will take care of him). Because of this, I chose to apply myself and eventually was able to acquire an undergraduate degree and two master's degrees. I hated every minute of it. I did it to avoid becoming dependent. From there, I took jobs and worked for a total of 39 years and dutifully paid my taxes. I am currently pretty well fixed. According to your view am I a criminal for this? Should I have loafed and depended upon others for my livlihood and thereby become a good guy? I am one of the evil well-to-do, because of my efforts and the grace of God. Is the poverty of others the fault of the well-to-do who chose to use their resources well? You and your ilk look at these folks like they are selfish and stingy, because they don't want to pay your bills. Remember the story of the three little pigs? The practical pigs are doing well while the foolish pigs are being eaten by the wolves. Is that the fault of the practical pigs? This is largely the fault of misguided, do-gooder liberals who came up with crap like The Great Society. After spending trillions of dollars to better the lot of the poor, there are more poor than ever. This is because the liberals are ignornant of human nature. Most of their attempts to help have wound up hurting people by making them dependent. Of course this was purposely done to keep the poverty pimps in political power. This is a monstrous crime against humanity. The problem is not due to those who don't want to pay more taxes. That is the thinking of those who have been ruined by liberalism and have become perpetually dependent upon the government. Now they stamp their feet and demand that those who have a little money to pay more to perpetuate their dependency. We are dying due to a dearth of wisdom, and not for a lack of taxes.
Pat, I appeciate your wisdom. But, if you throw truth in the faces of these leftists they will go for your jugular. Those who dwell in darkness hate the light. Be careful. You make too much sense and that is not welcome on this blog.
I was just waiting for Anonymous #3 (and #4 -- he loves his own words so much he just had to post them twice) to chime in. But as soon as I got to "Obama is a Marxist" I stopped reading. It's laughable that anything to the left of Robert Welch gets labeled as Marxist nowadays. Shows how far our national political illiteracy has let us drift off course.
My personal feelings are in agreement with Sputnik's, but I thought it was interesting that far-righty Charles Krauthammerhead thought this was a big win for Obama: http://tinyurl.com/2edlj7v. I hope he's right, but I too would like to have seen the Reptilicans up there holding in their pee while they defended their positions against unemployment benefits, 9/11 first responders, etc., while bestowing more bazillions on the people most responsible for getting us into this economic mess.
A plague on all their houses.
Carey W, I hope that when you speak of the people who got us into this economic mess that you are including both elements (Democrat and Republican) of the Big Government Party which is driving us off of the financial cliff. I hope that you can bring yourself to be that honest. And, Obama may not be a classical Marxist (Marxism has morphed into a number of different subsets over the years) but he is close enough for many. At the very least he is a rabid income redistributionist (by his own admission) and that is close enough. But, so is the entirety of the Democrat Party. Calling themselves the Income Redistributionist Party would be more accurate. Look at their track record going at least as far back as FDR who surrounded himself with socialists like Harry Dexter White. A rose by any other name is still a rose. Everyone knows this but liberals.
I am going to make a copy of this latest commentary and see if I can get it posted by a newspaper columnist or maybe by Townhall.com. It is too crazy not to share with a larger audience. Obama the closet Republican. What a hoot! I hope that Sputnik said this tongue in cheek. Otherwise he is delusinal if not border line psychotic. With political commentary like this who needs Mad magazine.
Obama was caught between a rock and a hard place in regard to the tax bill. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. You know he did it kicking and screaming behind closed doors. If he had gone with his radical leftist base, he would have been wiped out in 2012. He made a calculated political gamble in the hope of being re-elected. He figured that he would do better to alienate his base than to alienate the rest of the country. As a result his approval ratings have risen. If the economy turns around he just might be re-elected. He is just faking to the right so that he and his leftist cadre can really trash the country if he is re-elected. If it results in his being re-elected, then it will have been a smart political move on his part. The only gamble is that his base may find a candidate to run against him in 2012, but I don't think that liberals would ever turn against the first black President. It is ludicrous to say that he went along with the tax bill because he is a closet Republican. He was just being pragmatic. And the tax reduction will only last for two years and then the Dems can continue their rape of the taxpayers. So, chill. You will have your day. And you will be really elated if Obama and his gang can bring the country down with a second term. Then, your utopian dreams (nightmare, actually) just might come true.
If we could just take away the freedom that those conservative bastards have then we could set up our perfect world. We could make the conservatives work and live off of them forever while we drink, do drugs, and screw. Whoopee!!
Harry Dexter White wasn't a socialist, he was a Communist. My bad.
You folks needn't get your panties in a wad. You can laugh at everything that I say and this is why. The Democrats bank on the fact that the majority of people are lazy and want something for nothing. This is very true and it is why your victory is assured. America with its lofty ideals can only be sustained by a wise, disciplined, and self-sufficient citizenry. That type of person is disappearing, therefore America is a rapidly failing experiment. It is only a matter of time before totalitarianism ensues. People must either govern themselves from within or be governed by others from without. The writing is on the wall. Just kick back and your dreams will come true, or so you think. Totalitarian rule can be a mean mother. It is just a matter of time.
In the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s a huge amount of money was spent to avoid taxes. Most was done in the form of tax shelters. You record an album; get it on MTV or top 40 radio. The Album is then valued at 10 times cost. You as the financier of the album get to write off 10 times the cost on your taxes.
You buy an office building for 20 million. You get to depreciate the building at 10% a year and get a tax deduction on it. After 5 years you sell the building for 35 Million and the gain is a capital gain and not ordinary income.
Both cases are used to differ taxes and change the rate at which you pay. This is great for the high income earner, but is an unproductive way for the general economy. The Reagan tax cut did away with this aspect of waste in loo of lower rates.
This is why there are so many lobbyist in Washington. A simplified tax system would do away with this waste, but would put out of work a lot of Accountants, Lawyers and Lobbyist. It would make it harder for a lot of politicians to raise money, ect. ect.
Read Congressman Paul Ryan’s Road Map. And read the detail on Taxes and Social Security. Not just the highlights, but also the explanations. You have to fully understand all aspects of what is going on and not just what is put out by news reports. Regrettably in most cases Congress and the General Public forms it’s opinion based on incomplete knowledge (sound bites).
http://www.roadmap.republicans.budget.house.gov/
In 1966 Carroll Quigley, a history professor at Georgetown University, wrote a book entitled 'Tragedy and Hope'. He was in cahoots with the Anglo-American Establishment and was given permission by this cabal to reveal the fact of their existence and of their purposes which was and is to establish a world government. The reason that this permission was granted was because they knew by that time that they could not be stopped. Everything that has happened geopolitically since that time is a verification of their claim. The proponents of the nation-state have been defeated. It is just a matter of time before the plans of this establishment are fulfilled. It shouldn't take much longer. It is going to get real messy. That is why I have said that liberals are useful idiots for the super rich globalists. They are not the friends of the common man. Their humanitarian gestures are a sham. It will give me no pleasure to say I told you so when that day comes. We will all suffer. Quigley's book is over 1300 pages long. If you want to read a much shorter synopsis, read 'The Naked Capitalist' by Cleon Skousen.
You say that you generally support what the president is attempting to do to rescue this country from becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the People's Republic of China. Pray tell what would that would be? Every time that our government chooses to spend money that we don't have, money that we borrow from China, we add another link to the chain that China has around our throats. Don't you think that he could most help by becoming more fiscally responsible? How is he helping the situation by continuing to be a tax and spend liberal? Of course, the Republicans are just about as guilty. A pox upon both of the parties.
I was in my 50's before I heard someone actually admit in polite company that they were a liberal Democrat. I couldn't have been more shocked at that admission if he had said that he were a pedophile. After that I always viewed him as some sort of leper and didn't want to tarnish my reputation by being seen with him in public. I don't trust Republicans either, but I don't mind being seen with them. I am an independent with strong libertarian leanings. Some government is necessary, but generally speaking it is a pernicious evil that undermines individual liberty, confiscates private property, and squanders wealth. It is an open discussion as to which party has done more harm to America. The tragedy is that the common man who just wants to be free, to live his life, and to pursue his dreams is a political bowling pin for scoundrels called politicians who pretend to serve the public good while actually being committed to their own empowerment.
This is how far gone America is. 38states have adopted Robert Muller's World Core Curriculum. It is designed not to promote American citizens but to promote future globalists. Muller was a life-long UN operative and a big- wig within the New Age movement. In the preface to the World Core Curriculum he confesses that the basic principles for the curriculum were derived from the teachings of Alice Baily's 'spirit guide' known as DK. If you don't already know, Bailey was the heir apparent of Helena Blavatsky who wrote the 'Secret Doctrine' amongst other books. Hitler was one of Blavatsky's devotees and he derived some of his racial theories from her teachings. She and Bailey who followed her were world class occultists. Again, bear in mind that the education departments of 38 states have adopted this curriculum. The game is very close to being over.
Blavatsky and Bailey were virulently anti-Semitic and anti-Christian. They believed that Jews and Christians were impeding humanitiy's evolution and needed to be eliminated along with the other flies in humanity's gene pool referred to collectively as the 'mud races'. Hitler just started with the Jews. His eugenic plan was to continue the extermination of what he saw as as impediments to humanity's evolution. A lot of people don't know this larger story. These facts should alarm those who think that a global government will be wonderful. Once governmental power is consolidated globally, nothing will stop them. Liberals think that this global government will be run by the good guys. They are wrong, but it will soon be too late to turn around. Actually, it is already too late to turn around. Tighten your chin straps. It will soon be hard ball time.
Anonymous & Co. may laugh at or call me a Marxist, a psychotic, or a leftist, liberal, socialist, whatever, but I sensed that Obama, if elected, as I suspected he would, would be “Bill Clinton revisited.” I think that has turned out to be an accurate assessment; he does seem to be attempting to maintain his Dem label while trying to out-Republican the Republicans. He has been well indoctrinated in how to be a kowtowing politician, and is in the midst of passing his examinations with flying colors. He has never been a Marxist but seems to be working toward making it as a fascist.
At least I had the satisfaction of voting in the primary for Dennis Kucinich, a progressive with integrity who tirelessly stands, win or lose, for lasting values and constitutionality of government in his role as a legislator.
I hope some of our “blamers of all things liberal” had a nice little nap after fainting dead away after that last statement. Feel refreshed?
Let me raise a more important issue speaking to why we who comment on this blog see things in such conflicting ways. There is some logic to all that is said from both sides. At the root of the conflict is the way one sees the world, how it works, and the values and attitudes it inspires.
Most people have come to accept the scientific materialist/consumerism world view, whether religious or not. In this world view it is basically money that matters: who has it, how much, what one imagines it endows one with, and how it empowers one and makes one “happy.” The values that stem from this are not lasting but ephemeral, any peace, contentment, or happiness is always short-lived. It fosters, and even prizes, competitiveness, rivalries, conflicts, and wars. It also tends to suggest that the age-old virtues are for suckers and fools, and the practice of the age-old vices “wise” as they lead to financial and other ephemeral rewards.
Self-interest lies at the root of the misery in this world.
Surely all readers of this blog have read philosophies that speak in terms of viewing the world quite differently, more idealistically, in search of lasting values, true self-fulfillment, and real freedom. Some philosophers speak about it, some poets inspire it in their readers, and a few Teachers and Masters of Life reveal it in those ready to learn and experience it. That is why this world view is not widely embraced.
Self-sacrificing love and selfless service lie at the root of real happiness.
Anonymous & Co. may laugh at or call me a Marxist, a psychotic, or a leftist, liberal, socialist, whatever, but I sensed that Obama, if elected, as I suspected he would, would be “Bill Clinton revisited.” I think that has turned out to be an accurate assessment; he does seem to be attempting to maintain his Dem label while trying to out-Republican the Republicans. He has been well indoctrinated in how to be a kowtowing politician, and is in the midst of passing his examinations with flying colors. He has never been a Marxist but seems to be working toward making it as a fascist.
At least I had the satisfaction of voting in the primary for Dennis Kucinich, a progressive with integrity who tirelessly stands, win or lose, for lasting values and constitutionality of government in his role as a legislator.
I hope some of our “blamers of all things liberal” had a nice little nap after fainting dead away after that last statement. Feel refreshed? I will resume in an additional post.
Let me raise a more important issue speaking to why we who comment on this blog see things in such conflicting ways. There is some logic to all that is said from both sides. At the root of the conflict is the way one sees the world, how it works, and the values and attitudes it inspires.
Most people have come to accept the scientific materialist/consumerism world view, whether religious or not. In this world view it is basically money that matters: who has it, how much, what one imagines it endows one with, and how it empowers one and makes one “happy.” The values that stem from this are not lasting but ephemeral, any peace, contentment, or happiness is always short-lived. It fosters, and even prizes, competitiveness, rivalries, conflicts, and wars. It also tends to suggest that the age-old virtues are for suckers and fools, and the practice of the age-old vices “wise” as they lead to financial and other ephemeral rewards.
Self-interest lies at the root of the misery in this world.
Surely all readers of this blog have read philosophies that speak in terms of viewing the world quite differently, more idealistically, in search of lasting values, true self-fulfillment, and real freedom. Some philosophers speak about it, some poets inspire it in their readers, and a few Teachers and Masters of Life reveal it in those ready to learn and experience it. That is why this world view is not widely embraced.
Self-sacrificing love and selfless service lie at the root of real happiness.
Performs,self-sacrificing love and selfless service may lie at the root of true happiness, but I have serious doubts that even you live up to this high standard...well, maybe in your own mind. Most of the people that I know who speak like this get high off of reading books that speak of these things, but I question how many of them actually live up to this high standard. Most are self-deceived mind-trippers. I believe that some have attained to this level of spirituality, but most are well-meaning blowers of smoke. Human nature (self-centeredness) is tough to overcome. Some do attain to Christ-consciousness, but they are as rare as hen's teeth. I spent years as a seeker and 99% of my cohorts failed miserably. The best most could attain to was a level of general good-naturedness which was easily defeated in times of extreme stress. Most self-assumed saints cave under extreme duress. It is easy to talk a good game when everything is going your way. It is a different thing when you are cold, naked, and starving to give the last morsel of your food to a total stranger. Ever heard of a 'Monday morning quarterback'? Again, a few do attain to the level of which you spoke, but most are self-deceived, and tough experience eventually shows them up for what they really are...human after all.
Alright, let's quit calling Obama a socialist and start calling him something that he has admitted to being, and that is an income re-distributionist. Can we all agree on something that he has admitted to being? And I wouldn't quibble with those who call him a fascist. I don't think that that is what he is by nature. If that is the case, it may be due to the influence of the powerful forces that he immersed himself in when he assumed the job of president. You can take this to the bank, when you hang with the people at the top of the wealth/power pyramid, you swim with sharks. The average person will never know the challenges and danger that these people have to deal with. It is literally deadly. The best intentioned of men may morph into something that is not to their liking under these circumstances. Why do you think so many people go into public service and change into something completely different than when they started? Don't cast the first stone to quickly without having walked in their shoes.
Performs, here is why the people on this blog see things in such conflicting ways. Some believe that our Creator endowed us with certain inalienable rights. Man is not the giver of these rights, the Creator is. These rights exist like gravity. They are part of natural law as bestowed by nature's God, and are not to be over ridden by man. Governments exist solely to preserve these inalienable rights. On the other hand and generally speaking, progressives do not believe this. Most of them do not believe in God. So to their way of thinking, if there is no God then man must assume this role. They believe that man is the giver of rights. If man can give them, then man can take them away. This is why progressivism tends toward the despotic. They believe that a nation should be ruled not by 'we the people' under God, but by a cadre of humanist elitists. It is humanism on steroids. They don't believe that the common man is capable of self rule, but must be controlled by the elitists in every respect of their lives. Gregg said something like 'take them by the scruff of the neck and drag them to what is 'right'. This sentiment is typical of elitists. They believe that elitism, if unimpeded, will eventually create a utopia. They believe that man is capable of infinite perfectibility through humanistic means. In other words that man by his own efforts can overcome his own human nature. Evolution is their key principle. Many of them believe that each man is a latent 'god' awaiting the coronation of his inherent divinity. This philosophical divide is insurmountable. It is darkness versus light. As we become divorced from the Constitution, tyranny is inevitable. An elitist would say that a certain amount of tyranny is simply good government. In regard to tyranny being good government, ask those who suffered under Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Pol Pot, et al if tyranny is preferable. As long as progressives have their way the worst is yet to come. The depredations of the despots that were mentioned were local in nature. Someday these depredations will be global. The horror will be unimaginable. Freedom is hanging by its fingertips. When it is gone, we will find ourselves living on Prison Planet. The global elitists who run the show from behind the scenes know all of this full well, because they will be the wardens. There is no arguing this. Reality will be the judge. Time will tell.
crowdicscommionocHow we got here:
"If the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of this land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end".
Where we are going:
"Man divorced from God is DESTINED to create a hell of Earth".
Soothsayer, Gregg got what he said about grabbing folks by the neck and dragging them to do the will of the elites from the demonic Bill Maher.
St. Paul, here is one for you...'Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it'. Also, there is the admonition about building on sand. The house of cards called America is about to come crashing down. I hope that you are prepared.
Saint Paul, your attitude is a very common trick of the limiting ego-mind. It says, although it seems it all could be true, it is so very rare, impossibly difficult, attempting would likely result in failure. “I’m no Mother Theresa or Dali Llama, and even they might not be themselves.” “I’m not perfect. I’m human.”
Following one’s conscience, one’s heart, one’s highest princple, spiritual master, Lord, Whatever does not require perfect execution. Failure is the most important part of learning love. All that is required is sincerity, resolve, patience, and enthusiasm at times.
Performs, I would not advise anyone to quit trying to live up to the highest. I was just addressing the fact that I have known many spiritual frauds in my life who spoke with flowery words only to have circumstance reveal the truth of their spiritual state. One indication is putting their money and their time and energy where their mouth is. Lots of do-gooders talk a good game, but reveal a stingy heart when it comes to giving. Ask Al Gore. It should be obvious that I wasn't referring to you. I don't know you from Shinola.
I used to ask my Dad why there were so many "nuts" in the world. He replied that "there weren't that many, theyu just got around a lot".. By his reckoning, I'd say they all landed on this blog. Man, there's a bunch of constipated fuckers on this page. Might be that there are just a couple though, using different monikers. Refugees from the priesthood, 8th grade English teachers, and a few who are certifiable, but just haven't been caught yet. Get yourselves some lives assholes!... You know who you are.......
z
Z, get an eduaction and then we will talk.
I wonder we "nuts" think of this fellow perception?
from Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins p xii
“Some would blame our current problems on an organized conspiracy. I wish it were so simple. Members of a conspiracy can be rooted out and brought to justice. This system, however, is fueled by something far more dangerous than conspiracy. It is driven not by a small band of men but by a concept that has become accepted as gospel: the idea that all economic growth benefits humankind and that the greater the growth, the more widespread the benefits. This belief also has a corollary: that those people who excel at stoking the fires of economic growth should be exalted and rewarded, while those born at the fringes are available for exploitation.
“The concept is of course, erroneous. We know that in many countries economic growth benefits only a small potion of the population and may in fact result in increasingly desperate circumstances for the majority. This effect is reinforced by the corollary belief that the captains of industry who drive this system should enjoy a special status, a belief that is the root of many of our current problems and is perhaps also the reason why conspiracy theories abound. When men and women are rewarded for greed, greed becomes a corrupting motivator. When we equate the gluttonous consumption of the earth's resources with a status approaching sainthood, when we teach our children to emulate people who live unbalanced lives, and when we define huge sections of the population as subservient to an elite minority, we ask for trouble. And we get it.”
No argument here. The uber-wealthy pull the stings that will eventually enslave us. But, a poor man never hired anyone. It is still true that wealth creates jobs. The job creating wealth of the small business man that does most of the creation of new jobs is one thing. The dangerous type of wealth is that which manipulates governments and finances regimes. There are different orders of wealth. One type of wealth is productive, the other type is destructive and will eventually destroy freedom and private property. That is the type of wealth and power that I have been alluding to in the past. The 'wealthy' guy who makes $250,000 a year and hires 15 people is not the problem. We need those people for employment purposes.
I noticed that the scale in the illustration for this commentary shows the imbalance between the 'advantaged' and the 'disadvantaged'. I have known very, very few of the 'advantaged' who have inherited their wealth. More than 99% of those who eventually became 'advantaged' were average, middle class Joes and Janes who applied themselves to their studies and then worked hard for whatever they got. Apparently this constitutes high crime in the eyes of the leftists...'How dare some apply themselves and work hard to get ahead. How unfair'. Most of the 'disadvantaged' that I have known were those who squandered their opportunities and had an aversion to work and responsibility. Like the Steve Miller song 'Living in the USA' says, 'I'd rather play'. Your political opinions are childish and beneath contempt...'You are stingy, because you won't give me some of what you earned while I was being a fuck up'. The only people who take your views seriously are other losers. But, I guess if I had been a bum I would agree with you.
We are witnessing the incremental institution of a corporatist, scientific dictatorship driven by a group of people that may be collectively called coercive utopians. Simply stated, the goal is to control every aspect of each individual's behavior and to confiscate all private property for the sake of the collective. It may more simply be called Communism. Check out Agenda 21 and ask yourself what type of political system would be necessary to enforce such a plan. Man, that is going to be sooo much better than those silly notions called individual freedom and private property which are the source of social inequities and environmental degradation. And, when the state owns everything and gives everyone their parcel, that will put an end to the travesty of the 'advantaged' and the 'disadvantaged'. It will be so much fun riding everywhere on bicycles while wearing black pajamas. Everyone will be just like everyone else. Our names will be an unpronouncible UPC code.
Typical liberal:
"Who will wipe my wittle booty after I make poo-poo? I shouldn't be expected to do that for myself. Shuwy someone from the government will come to my aide. Obama, come wipe me!!"
Typical non-liberal:
"Why don't we go to namby-pamby land to see if we can find someone to wipe your f-ing ass for you you lazy incompetent jack wagon. Or, maybe the government will start a new Bureau of Ass Wiping as part of the Second Bill of Rights".
What should the middle class and those who aspire to a modest living be expecting in the coming new year? What will the “comfort class” (corporate, media, political, professional) offer those who, suffer, feel anxious. or are getting angry? Plant closings, off shoring of still more jobs, false hope, shame, propaganda, more credit, or will simply ignoring do it? These seem likely. Might there be any opportunities offered for meeting one’s needs, for feeling secure, for sharing in the prosperity? These are doubtful. Don’t even think about a raise, for the only one forthcoming will be an arrogant raise of the middle finger saluting the “losers” of the rat race. Or as one observer calls it the “not see” salute.
The safety net has become a hammock. All you hear from the dependent class is, 'What will others give me or do for me?'. This disease used to be the mindset of the underclass, but has now spread throughout society. I have actually had students who slept everyday, would not turn in a single assignmant, fail every test, and then become enraged that they were not given a passing grade...the fruit of the safety net, something for nothing society. The most appalling thing about today's public school classrooms, other than the grossly uncivil behavior, is the pandemic lack of putting forth effort in regard to acquiring an education. There is a general air of passivity and laziness that I attribute to 'safety net consciousness'. Why put forth effort when others in the collective will provide me with my basic needs. This type of thinking was held to a bare minimum before the creation of today's welfare state. And the band plays on...more and more and more entitlements, subsidies, hand-outs ad nauseum, and the liberals squeal, 'More, More, dig deeper in your pockets and give us more. What you call your money is actually ours and we want it now!!' And, unbelievably our enabling governmental leaders agree and keep growing the dependent class. This is how the Democrats plan on staying in power. Someone has said that the Dems bank on the fact that a majority of the people are lazy and want something for nothing and, unfortunately, they are right. The fact that the Dems cater to this state of affairs is de-humanizing and a crime against the human spirit. It takes a certain type of character to sustain a thriving , healthy civilization, and we are rapidly running out of that type of character. We will join the third world by mid-century. And then who will take care of the dependent class? They will be crawling through the windows of the few who have managed to acquire anything. Squalor, poverty, crime, and chaos will be the legacy of the socialists. But, the day will be 'saved' by the totalitarians who will come in to clean up the mess and then create a global prison. And this is NOT an accident. We will have proved that we can't handle freedom and have to be forced under duress to do the 'right' things. This scenario has been developing on steroids since 'The Great Society' and is growing exponentially now. It shouldn't take too much longer for this house of cards to collapse.
Laziness, sloth, is indeed a sin. It is a human weakness we have all succumb to now again. No one is born lazy, nor are there near as many folks as Watcher suggests that are chronically or criminally lazy as to be virtually the reason for the downfall of humanity. There are many other sins much more deadly in my opinion.
This writer prewsents what I take to be a more accurate vision of what is taking place in the world today.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/2011_a_brave_new_dystopia_20101227/?ln
Laziness is one factor. Another factor is the sense that you will be taken care of by others no matter what you do. This is one of the problems with 'the collective'. Back in commune days, 10% did most of the work and generated most of the income for the commune and it was the single biggest reason that the experiment failed. It is also why socialism is doomed. Who gives a shit when others pay the bills? Some have called this 'safety net consciousness'. Generally speaking, much more effort was expended in getting an education 40years and more ago, and I suspect that this includes job performance as well. Before 'The Great Society' there was a real chance that if you did not perform, then you could wind up in big trouble. But, no more. It is almost impossible to be fired from a government job these days and I could tell you some unbelievable tales in this regard. You are right, though. It is a long list of sins that causes a civilization to decline. But laziness and dependency are big factors. Others can be lumped under the general heading of a loss of integrity. The so-called leaders of this country provide an extensive testimony to the problem that a lack of integrity presents and this includes both parties. It upsets me that so few conservatives are aware of how much damage George W. Bush and his father wrought upon America. He was either a snake or an incompetent dumbass who was jerked around by his advisors.
I realize that everyone is not going to agree with me! I recently praised the Philadelphia Eagles for giving Michael Vick a 2nd chance & my dog Bo pissed on my leg & besides that the Minnasota Vikings unmercifully blitzed Vick so vicioiusly that he left the field as if he was on the wrong side of a dog fi.fi..fi..forget about it! But Randy! Et Tu, Brute? If I can give Vick a 2nd chance...can't you give me another chance.....after all ...allz I'm trying to do is get re-elected sooooooooooooooo I can bring some significant change to this great country of ours!
Watcher, the notion of seeing “dependency” as some kind of vice strikes me as off. There has never been a soul born who lived a life that was not, at various times and in various ways, dependent upon others. Isn’t helping others in need, in fact, one of the more fulfilling human experiences?
The whole “rugged individualism” concept is a source of false values. It probably stems in part from the misunderstood (and I think misquoted) Darwinian “survival of the fittest.” It tends to create cynicism, cutthroat competition, greed and avarice. It does the opposite of fostering tolerance, patience, understanding, kindness, generosity, and contentment.
The attitude that you think of as dependency, I understand to be a sense of entitlement. When one becomes habituated to this sense, it allows one’s self-interest and wanting to be given free rein--never a good thing. It pulls us apart and puts us at odds with one another creating conflicts, rivalries and wars.
Examples happened to appear in the paper today. From 4 different letter writers:
These execs, of course, represent the out-of-control greed of corporate America. Sickly cynical as they are, they yet provide an instance of education - on how the most crass of business interests have taken over all of institutional America.
It is outrageous, immoral and a disgusting demonstration of greed that UC executives earning a quarter of a million feel that they are entitled to more.
If UC executives value their own self-interest that much more than the health of the institution they ostensibly serve, they cannot possibly be the best people for the job.
Californians need to collectively protest the avarice and greed of these UC officials. With the state so horribly in debt, their sense of entitlement is nothing short of obscene. To what sort of "code of ethics" do these 36 executives subscribe? Clearly, they don't know, or care, that most working people have no pensions anymore. This list of three dozen names constitutes a list of shame.
I was speaking of the willful creation of a dependent class by politicians who then procure votes from this dependent class so that they can remain in power. Our politicians have been doing this for many years now and this has created a large, passive, dependent, under-educated class....sometimes referred to as 'sheeple'. The collective will only be strenghened as the individuals who make up the collective are strengthened and NOT the other way around. When the individual is minimalized in the name of the collective, he tends to become weak and dependent and the health of the collective is affected negatively. And, you are right about a certain class of the wealthy. They are motivated by greed, but like I said before it is the global uber-wealthy that we have to worry about. This is the class which influences entire governments for their own benefit. The type who make a very good living while employing others are not the problem. Without them we would all be living in poverty. Who do you think generates the wealth that provides the jobs that produces the taxes? I am not able to educate you on this blog. Do some study in regard to substantial things, and less in regard to the poetic fluff that you tend to spout. Socialism has been and is being used by the uber-wealthy to undermine the world's middle classes, which are basically the employers in free societies, in order to usher in totalitarianism which they will head up. This is deadly serious, but the garden variety of unthinking socialists are hung up on their silly notions of a utopia and do not see the real danger. If you insist on being one of these, then so be it. The progression from freedom to socialism to totalitarianism has happened before and is happening again before our very eyes. We are on the proverbial slippery slope. Read F.A. Hyek's 'The Road To Serfdom' or 'The Fatal Deceit' if you want to know more. Even these books and others like them won't faze the hard-core Marxists, though. Socialism is a ploy of freedom destroying despots. It has happened over and over again throughout history and it is coming to America. Tighten your chin straps, babe. As of yet we have had very little experience with bondage and horror. There is something called the 'normalcy bias' which erroneously tells us that things will always stay within the norm. This is a deadly malady. The Germans also thought everything was cool until it was too late.
On the other hand, totalitarians bank on the fact that the average man will misuse his freedom to his detriment and to the detriment of the larger society. An individaul must either govern himself from within, or be governed by others from without. If a society has a preponerance of weak, undisciplined, dependent people, then in time, totalitarian rule is inevitable. Freedom may be a failed experiment. There is no way of getting around the fact that we reap what we sow. If we wind up being enslaved, then we will be getting what we deserve. Maintaining a free society requires hard work both from within as well as without. This is where laziness, self-indulgence, and dependency are deadly to freedom. Totalitarianism can't overtake a wise, vigilant, sober, responsible, disciplined people. If there are enough people like this, that is.
The 'fatal conceit' of socialism results from the erroneous idea that man is able to shape the world around him according to his wishes (from Hyek). In a free society this is like herding cats. This is why the socialist utopia can only hope to be achieved by the complete subjugation of the people. A planned political and economic society runs counter to the human spirit. This is why it is doomed to failure and can in the end produce only chaos, bondage, and misery."...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom", 2 Cor. 3:17. And the obverse is true as well...where the Spirit of the Lord is absent, there is bondage. This is why the Marxists insist upon the removal of all true religion before their diabolical plan can be implemented.
Having said all of that, the collectivists will win the earthly battle because of human nature, but not the war. The final note hasn't been played yet. It should be a duzey. Wish you guys well.
“I am not able to educate you on this blog. Do some study in regard to substantial things, and less in regard to the poetic fluff that you tend to spout.” The nature of the world is that what proves to be substantial for one man is judged poetic fluff by another man. I have to admit that I see what you deem substantial as a rather perverse fear of “socialism” that can only ever remain in the hands of control freaks and never be a society’s practical, cooperative sharing of resources. Check out Denmark and other European nations for citizen’s happy to with a great deal their employment of socialism.
“This is where laziness, self-indulgence, and dependency are deadly to freedom. Totalitarianism can't overtake a wise, vigilant, sober, responsible, disciplined people. If there are enough people like this, that is.” This is an example of an “either/or” pattern of thinking. The problem is that there exist NO people or even a single person that ever avoided any of these qualities at some point in their life. “And/both” thinking is less divisive and more realistic. It fosters tolerance and forbearance. It allows for each to do their best at the stage of awareness, understanding, and maturity where they happen to be. I think we can agree that trying to conquer or control others (cat herding), although an exceedingly popular pastime is not apt to have any long term success. Better one conquer one’s self, for every small step in that pursuit reveals a gift adding to the peace and plenty The Lord is ever ready to give and patiently awaits all to Receive.
Evidently, talk gets us no where. A harsh awakening is brewing. Reality will be the final arbiter, not words. Naiveity is what got the three foolish pigs in trouble. They had a faulty understanding of evil, which progressives don't even believe in. It is too late for parsing words. The Germans thought that everything was just peachy until the knock on the door. The real show is just beginning. Good luck. And, by the way, history is not static. The fact that some countries can make socialism work for a while means nothing, because the Plan is still unfolding, but go back to sleep.
I just watched a children’s cartoon version of the Three Little Pigs story, and I see the lessons differently. The three were not all foolish. The straw and stick user pigs were impatient, wanted a house and wanted to maximize their time for having fun. They accused their brother of wasting time and energy by using bricks, while they went the cheaper route at the expense of caution and safety [reminds me of the exploits of Big Biz]. The wise and patient brick builder pig sacrificed his fun time in order to create a safe environment.
In this version, the two pigs whose houses get blown down escape [not getting eaten as in other versions] ending up at the wise brothers home. Not only was he wiser than his immature brothers, but he was, also, generous and forgiving of their weaknesses. He saw that his responsibility was to protect his family, not to be judgmental toward them or see to their punishment.
Yeah, but it is damn hard to outrun karma. It is an exacting mother. It doesn't give a shit about psycho-babble.
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