For those who don't know, troglodytes are another name for cave dwellers. It's an insult to be sure, but more than an insult it points to a dark view of reality constricted as if witnessed from the mouth of a narrow cave. That's Pat. You know Pat Buchanan, the same happy go lucky Nazi wannabe who penned:
"First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known."
He's almost topped himself by railing vehemently against the Obama administration for having the audacity to engage in talks with socialist like Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua who he claims is a 'scrub stock' a term with a long racist pedigree implying inferior heritage or stock. He thinks there's a special 'DNA' in Americans that allows them to be particularly vehemently paranoid, jingoistic and stupid in almost equal measure.
"It is this part of America that does not understand how the president could sit in Trinadad and listen to the scrub stock of hemisphere trash our country--and say nothing"
Now, he actually maybe right. Maybe there is a hind quarter of America, the denizens of trailer parks, the low rent back water bars, and, naturally, the brain dead conservative pundit or two that actually thinks listening to criticism about your nation is indefensible prima facie. Furthermore, it's likely that said grouping of people are probably on the low end of the bell curve and, if we were doing what Pat does--generalizing from prejudiced opinion and racist attitudes -- we might just say something like the low rent crackers that currently make up whatever remains of the Republican party are kibbitzing about Obama listening to another head of state because they are knuckle dragging cave dwellers. We needn't pay attention to them, because, from all apparent evidence they are nothing more than scrub stock.
Of course, I'm not a racist asshole, so I won't say that, but you get my drift.
In a just world, Pat would be turned into the equivalent of media dog food for his stupidity. But this isn't a just world. This is a world where 99% of the wealth is owned by 1% of the population and that population is old and probably as dunderheaded as Pat. That's why we still see his silly racist butt on prime time television when the old boy should have been shit canned along with the Jim Crowe laws we shit canned nearly a half a century ago.
Pat, sometime I'm going to spend more than five minutes thinking about your sorry ass confederate legacy. Trust me, it's not something you should look forward to.
~DelicateMonster
Friday, April 24, 2009
What Atrios Said
Radicalizing
As Krugman says, the period leading up to the Iraq war was indeed a radicalizing experience. I think there were plenty of people like me who had a degree of faith in elite opinion, in the sensible people in nice suits, which I never will again.
And those people hate the dirty fucking hippies more than ever for the simple crime of being correct.
As Krugman says, the period leading up to the Iraq war was indeed a radicalizing experience. I think there were plenty of people like me who had a degree of faith in elite opinion, in the sensible people in nice suits, which I never will again.
And those people hate the dirty fucking hippies more than ever for the simple crime of being correct.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A Libertarian Nation vs. A Socialist Nation
or, to be this in the clarified light of day:
We've been told that the United States is on a path towards socialism, towards government control of everything, towards socialized medicine, higher taxes, and an enforced set of public moral or ethical standards which may offend some people's religious sensibilities.
There are countries like this. There are also countries quite the opposite.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the big event. In one corner, weighing in as the dreaded "European socialist", we have Sweden.
In the other corner, we have that land of absolute freedom and no taxes - Somalia.
In Sweden, between income taxes, consumption taxes, and other levies, you could end up with only 25 cents out of a dollar that you've earned.
In Somalia, whatever you make is yours.
In Sweden, health care is provided to every man, woman, and child. The care is of high quality, and while you can't just go in and demand a facelift any given day, you can choose a doctor and recieve good care quickly.
In Somalia, whatever health care you want, you can have, as long as you have the money.
In Sweden, the government has strict and complex laws regulating food and medicine. Dangerous foods are removed from the market, and food sellers must disclose what ingredients they use, and are subject to strict sanitary regulations.
In Somalia, nobody tells you what you can eat, what you can't, or what's good for you. Personal responsibility all the way - if you cared whether that meat was contaminated with E. Coli, you'd test it yourself.
In Sweden, roads are maintained by the government, clearly marked, and driving safety and courtesy laws are strictly enforced.
In Somalia, there are no taxes to build highways, no speed traps, and nobody is going to tell you how much you can drink before you drive. Personal responsibility.
In Sweden, taxes pay for local and national public safety, and all citizens are expected to participate.
In Somalia, you can pay for police if you want protection, or you can take money from those who don't pay enough for protection.
In Sweden, gasoline is expensive due to taxes. Financial incentives encourage people to drive small vehicles. Taxes fund a widespread and inexpensive public transporation system, though, so travel from one part of the country to another is fast and predictable.
In Somalia, you drive whatever you want. You can drive an 18-wheeler loaded with medical waste if you feel like it. So can your neighbor. There is no public transportation. You can pay someone to transport you, and you are free to determine whether they are competent, whether they are well-armed enough to protect you, and whether they actually deliver their passengers or simply kill them. Personal responsibility.
In Sweden, there is a large and well-funded primary and secondary education system. Education is compulsory, and every locality is expected to have schools that are safe, staffed with professional educators, and capable of graduating students prepared for a wide variety of careers.
In Somalia, if you want education, you can determine what you want, and pay someone to teach you or your children. There are no fixed cirruculum, and if you don't want your children being taught about evolution, christianity, chemistry, or math, that's entirely up to you. You'll have to negotiate the terms with whoever you choose, and enforce the agreement until completed.
In Sweden, employers treat employees as if they have a long-term interest in their financial, social, and physical well-being. If you expose your employees to danger, or hire and fire them arbitrarily to meet short-term business objectives, you will pay a steep price.
In Somalia, employees can negotiate any terms they like, as can employers. Those terms may be changed by either party at any moment, depending on who reaches their gun first.
In Sweden, there are strict limits on the ownership of firearms and their use. While the ownership rate of firearms is high, the number of deaths is very low.
In Somalia, you can buy whatever weapon you like. The person who wants your possessions may also buy any weapon he likes.
In Sweden, churches are treated widely as social and community organizations, allowing people to work together to solve local problems, help their neighbors, and find fellowship. Religious influence in government is very muted, but the Christian ethic of "love thy neighbor as thyself" is a core principle of government policy.
In Somalia, religious freedom is absolute. If your religion says you should kill someone, you can kill them. If someone drives by and finds you blasphemous, he can kill you. Of course, you can also kill them, if your religious conviction is such.
So, make your choice: Do you want to live in Somalia that great experiment in Libertarian philosophy? Or that crippled Socialist nation of Sweden?
Be careful, the answer is more important than you probably realize.
Somalia vs. Sweden
We've been told that the United States is on a path towards socialism, towards government control of everything, towards socialized medicine, higher taxes, and an enforced set of public moral or ethical standards which may offend some people's religious sensibilities.
There are countries like this. There are also countries quite the opposite.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the big event. In one corner, weighing in as the dreaded "European socialist", we have Sweden.
In the other corner, we have that land of absolute freedom and no taxes - Somalia.
In Sweden, between income taxes, consumption taxes, and other levies, you could end up with only 25 cents out of a dollar that you've earned.
In Somalia, whatever you make is yours.
In Sweden, health care is provided to every man, woman, and child. The care is of high quality, and while you can't just go in and demand a facelift any given day, you can choose a doctor and recieve good care quickly.
In Somalia, whatever health care you want, you can have, as long as you have the money.
In Sweden, the government has strict and complex laws regulating food and medicine. Dangerous foods are removed from the market, and food sellers must disclose what ingredients they use, and are subject to strict sanitary regulations.
In Somalia, nobody tells you what you can eat, what you can't, or what's good for you. Personal responsibility all the way - if you cared whether that meat was contaminated with E. Coli, you'd test it yourself.
In Sweden, roads are maintained by the government, clearly marked, and driving safety and courtesy laws are strictly enforced.
In Somalia, there are no taxes to build highways, no speed traps, and nobody is going to tell you how much you can drink before you drive. Personal responsibility.
In Sweden, taxes pay for local and national public safety, and all citizens are expected to participate.
In Somalia, you can pay for police if you want protection, or you can take money from those who don't pay enough for protection.
In Sweden, gasoline is expensive due to taxes. Financial incentives encourage people to drive small vehicles. Taxes fund a widespread and inexpensive public transporation system, though, so travel from one part of the country to another is fast and predictable.
In Somalia, you drive whatever you want. You can drive an 18-wheeler loaded with medical waste if you feel like it. So can your neighbor. There is no public transportation. You can pay someone to transport you, and you are free to determine whether they are competent, whether they are well-armed enough to protect you, and whether they actually deliver their passengers or simply kill them. Personal responsibility.
In Sweden, there is a large and well-funded primary and secondary education system. Education is compulsory, and every locality is expected to have schools that are safe, staffed with professional educators, and capable of graduating students prepared for a wide variety of careers.
In Somalia, if you want education, you can determine what you want, and pay someone to teach you or your children. There are no fixed cirruculum, and if you don't want your children being taught about evolution, christianity, chemistry, or math, that's entirely up to you. You'll have to negotiate the terms with whoever you choose, and enforce the agreement until completed.
In Sweden, employers treat employees as if they have a long-term interest in their financial, social, and physical well-being. If you expose your employees to danger, or hire and fire them arbitrarily to meet short-term business objectives, you will pay a steep price.
In Somalia, employees can negotiate any terms they like, as can employers. Those terms may be changed by either party at any moment, depending on who reaches their gun first.
In Sweden, there are strict limits on the ownership of firearms and their use. While the ownership rate of firearms is high, the number of deaths is very low.
In Somalia, you can buy whatever weapon you like. The person who wants your possessions may also buy any weapon he likes.
In Sweden, churches are treated widely as social and community organizations, allowing people to work together to solve local problems, help their neighbors, and find fellowship. Religious influence in government is very muted, but the Christian ethic of "love thy neighbor as thyself" is a core principle of government policy.
In Somalia, religious freedom is absolute. If your religion says you should kill someone, you can kill them. If someone drives by and finds you blasphemous, he can kill you. Of course, you can also kill them, if your religious conviction is such.
So, make your choice: Do you want to live in Somalia that great experiment in Libertarian philosophy? Or that crippled Socialist nation of Sweden?
Be careful, the answer is more important than you probably realize.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Who says print journalism is dead?
from Sun Times
To: Bill O'Reilly
From: Roger Ebert
Dear Bill: Thanks for including the Chicago Sun-Times on your exclusive list of newspapers on your "Hall of Shame." To be in an O'Reilly Hall of Fame would be a cruel blow to any newspaper. It would place us in the favor of a man who turns red and starts screaming when anyone disagrees with him. My grade-school teacher, wise Sister Nathan, would have called in your parents and recommended counseling with Father Hogben [...]
I understand you believe one of the Sun-Times misdemeanors was dropping your syndicated column. My editor informs me that "very few" readers complained about the disappearance of your column, adding, "many more complained about Nancy." I know I did. That was the famous Ernie Bushmiller comic strip in which Sluggo explained that "wow" was "mom" spelled upside-down.
Your column ran in our paper while it was owned by the right-wing polemicists Conrad Black (Baron Black of Coldharbour) and David Radler. We dropped it to save a little money after they looted the paper of millions [...]
Bill, I am concerned that you have been losing touch with reality recently. Did you really say you are more powerful than any politician?
That reminds me of the famous story about Squeaky the Chicago Mouse. It seems that Squeaky was floating on his back along the Chicago River one day. Approaching the Michigan Avenue lift bridge, he called out: Raise the bridge! I have an erection!
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