Right-wing populism

[Tony]

Yeah, Tony. You're being manipulated. Who has ever actually, REALLY tried to take your guns away? No one, of course. You can have them for all I care. You're being filled with the fear of those Awful Gun-Registering Leftists so you'll think everything we say is automatically wrong.

Wake up, buddy! It's a shell game.

Ok, you didnt even address my point, in fact you completely missed my point. The question about constitutional rights was a side point.

Care to try again?


btw. still smokin tha green?

 

[Zero]

No one has drawn any of these conclusions or connections but you. Bush never said deficits will magically disappear, and no one has blamed them on gay marriage.

It's hardly the republicans' fault that you can't differentiate between multiple issues, nor that you see phantom connections between unrelated policy matters.

And let me tell you what I consider "pie in the sky" policies:

Universal and government-controlled health care, based on the idea that Big Brother knows best.

Judicial fiat trumping legislative prerogatives, based on the idea that individual judges have more right to shape our nation than the voters do.

Surrendering US sovereignty to a mismanaged organization like the UN, based on the idea that the whole brotherhood of man is just itching to give peace a chance.

I could go on, but I hope you get the picture.

I see the picture as being a combination of a lack of sense of humor on your part(for all I know, Bush plans on sending the deficit to Mars...), and a reliance on catchphrase instead of reason. For instance, a nationalized health care program, IMO, would work on a sound economic principle, which Republicans seem to love; buying in bulk saves money. Allowing judges to follow the law is an ideal situation, even when you don't much like the particular law in question(like the Constitution, much hated among far-right radicals{except for #2, which is worshipped like a god}) And, of course, while the UN may not be perfect, American sovereignty, IMO, only exists within our borders, and there has to be some form of cooperation between nations that is not based on how many nukes you have.

 

[Sundog]

Ok, you didnt even address my point, in fact you completely missed my point. The question about constitutional rights was a side point.

Care to try again?


btw. still smokin tha green?

Of course it's important to stand up for a Constitutional right that you see as essential. My point is simply that you are being manipulated into thinking it's far more under attack than it really is.

Who, me?

I don't count on the left to empower me, I am self-empowered...

 

[Luke T.]

I see the picture as being a combination of a lack of sense of humor on your part(for all I know, Bush plans on sending the deficit to Mars...), and a reliance on catchphrase instead of reason. For instance, a nationalized health care program, IMO, would work on a sound economic principle, which Republicans seem to love; buying in bulk saves money. Allowing judges to follow the law is an ideal situation, even when you don't much like the particular law in question(like the Constitution, much hated among far-right radicals{except for #2, which is worshipped like a god}) And, of course, while the UN may not be perfect, American sovereignty, IMO, only exists within our borders, and there has to be some form of cooperation between nations that is not based on how many nukes you have.

Who is going to pay for nationalized health care? And when you buy in bulk, you are getting the cheap stuff. In other words, you get what you pay for.

The UN is a Confederation. We used to be a Confederation, too. Didn't work out. Too many cross-purposes.

 

[Tony]

Of course it's important to stand up for a Constitutional right that you see as essential. My point is simply that you are being manipulated into thinking it's far more under attack than it really is.

Perhaps, but not to the point where I think everything the "left" says is wrong. Not even close, in fact I agree with the "left" frequently, it's just a few major and important issues (to me at least) that I am in agreement with the "right".

Are you going to address my other, more important point?

The biggest lie that MOST politicians perpetrate, which you have bought, is that they actually care about empowering you. Do you honestly think "left-wing" politicians care about getting you power and money anymore than "right-wing" politicians?

Who, me?

Yes you.

 

[Chaos]

Let me fix that for you:

"The powers-that-be love to keep people fired up about phony issues so they won't notice the Big Lie: that THEY aren't getting any of that power and money, it's the fat cats at the top of the ladder."

A brilliant tactic indeed, why democracies fail, and why our republic is in troubling -- perhaps fatal -- times. Do you predict fascism or socialism for the US?

I agree.

And, in case you are interested, I predict either fascism or a theocracy, or maybe a mix of both. There´s NO chance America will ever be anything even approaching socialist.


Edited to add:
By the way, Cain, I like Comic Sans MS. But you should switch to a darker shade of blue.

 

[Sundog]

Are you going to address my other, more important point?

The biggest lie that MOST politicians perpetrate, which you have bought, is that they actually care about empowering you. Do you honestly think "left-wing" politicians care about getting you power and money anymore than "right-wing" politicians?

No, of course not. But it's quite clear which party is in the pocket of the rich and powerful at this particular point in history. At least so it seems to me.

 

[Zero]

Who is going to pay for nationalized health care? And when you buy in bulk, you are getting the cheap stuff. In other words, you get what you pay for.

The UN is a Confederation. We used to be a Confederation, too. Didn't work out. Too many cross-purposes.

We are ALREADY paying for it, in case you missed the memo...isn't it time we paid for it more efficiently? You know, instead of just scrapping the system, and leaving people to get sick and have no access to health care, we used some of that good old-fashioned Republican fiscal responsibility stuff to make it work the best way it can?

 

[Tony]

No, of course not. But it's quite clear which party is in the pocket of the rich and powerful at this particular point in history. At least so it seems to me.

BOTH are. On the face on if, it seems like the "right" is, but if you follow the money, it's apparent BOTH parties are sucking the cock of big and powerful special interests.

 

[Luke T.]

No, of course not. But it's quite clear which party is in the pocket of the rich and powerful at this particular point in history. At least so it seems to me.

Yeah. Me, too.

With some of his largest donations for the quarter coming from Microsoft ($20,313), IBM ($14,387) and Compaq ($8,247), Dean showed he does not only raise money on the Internet but from Internet-related companies.

The top career patron to Dean's campaign continues to be Time Warner ($73,000) and University of California ($45,000). Dean, whose drop in the polls and fundraising took place after his disclosures, also received large contributions from financial services contributors like Citigroup ($10,280), Morgan Stanley Dean Witter ($8,796) and UBS AG ($8,781) late in 2003.

Kerry's largest donor in the quarter was the personal-injury law firm of Heard, Robins, Cloud, Lubel & Greenwood LLP ($28,000). In fact, law firms made up half of Kerry's top ten career patrons, including his top donor Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, which employ's Kerry's brother and has donated $232,736. Other firms include Hale and Dorr LLP ($129,858) and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom ($125,550).

Trial lawyers accounted for six of the largest 10 donors to Sen. Edwards for the quarter and make up eight of his top 10 career patrons. The other two are Steven Bing ($907,000) and Goldman Sachs Group ($174,350). Interestingly, Edwards' second largest donor during the second quarter was his own campaign workers, who donated more than $11,000.

It's both sides.

 

[Zero]

No, of course not. But it's quite clear which party is in the pocket of the rich and powerful at this particular point in history. At least so it seems to me.

Well, one more so than the other, but it is a matter of degree, isn't it?

 

[Sundog]

Well, one more so than the other, but it is a matter of degree, isn't it?

Of course. It isn't a zero-sum game. But in the end, you have to pick a side to put your money on.

 

[Sundog]

Yeah. Me, too.






It's both sides.

Pretty ironic when you add the numbers up. Are you unaware that contributions to Bush dwarf all the Democrats put together? Can you honestly state that you believe both parties are equally beholden to Big Business?

 

[hammegk]

Let me help again. It's "core constituencies" rather than "Big Business", or most basically greed and lust for power.

 

[Sundog]

Let me help again. It's "core constituencies" rather than "Big Business", or most basically greed and lust for power.

The right's core constituencies worry me a lot more than the left's. We all know the left isn't organized enough to abuse power TOO much.

 

[Tony]

The right's core constituencies worry me a lot more than the left's. We all know the left isn't organized enough to abuse power TOO much.

Don't mistake incompetence for altruism.

 

[hammegk]

Hmmph. I don't classify the NEA as right-wing. PACs in general? George Soros in particular? The Kennedies? MacCaullife" Bil-Hil?

At least Exxon, GM, & Wal-Mart admit they want to make money and retain power.

 

[Sundog]

Don't mistake incompetence for altruism.

LOL good one!

That's going in my sig line.

 

[Sundog]

Hmmph. I don't classify the NEA as right-wing. PACs in general? George Soros in particular? The Kennedies? MacCaullife" Bil-Hil?

Aw c'mon, Hammy. When was the last time we all worried about the NEA having too much power in Washington? When has even the most paranoid Republican lost sleep because the Kennedys exerted too much control over their lives?

I'm not worried about these groups; I'm worried about our government being in the pockets of big business... and you conservatives, our guardians who should be screaming bloody murder about corruption of government, just watching it happen because they are, after all, your core constituency.

 

[Luke T.]

When was the last time we all worried about the NEA having too much power in Washington?

I worry about the NEA all the time. I really do. They are destroying our educational system. A bad teacher with tenure is immovable.