HERE'S AN EXCERPT FROM FRANK RICH'S EXCELLENT OP-ED PIECE THIS AM IN THE NY TIMES:
"Even were the public still in the mood for fiery invective about family values, the G.O.P. has long since lost any authority to lead the charge. The current Democratic president and his family are exemplars of precisely the Eisenhower-era squareness — albeit refurbished by feminism — that the Republicans often preached but rarely practiced. Obama actually walks the walk. Contrast Obama with the Republican party’s star attraction, Rush Limbaugh, whose history of drug dependency and tangled marital history make him a walking stereotype of self-indulgence. Indeed, the two top candidates for leader of the post-Bush G.O.P, Rush and Newt, have six marriages between them. The party that once declared war on unmarried welfare moms, homosexual 'recruiters' and Bill Clinton’s private life has been rebranded by Mark Foley, Larry Craig, David Vitter and the irrepressible Palins. Even before the economy tanked, Americans had more faith in medical researchers using discarded embryos to battle Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s than in Washington politicians making ad hoc medical decisions for Terri Schiavo."
Today's Family Quotes
"Our experiences with our parents set us up to expect abuse from authority figures."
Robert Burney (author of "Codependency Recovery: Wounded Souls Dancing in the Light")
“People talk about 'dysfunctional families'; I've never seen any other kind”
Sue Grafton
“Friends are God's way of apologizing to us for our families.”
Anonymous
Robert Burney (author of "Codependency Recovery: Wounded Souls Dancing in the Light")
“People talk about 'dysfunctional families'; I've never seen any other kind”
Sue Grafton
“Friends are God's way of apologizing to us for our families.”
Anonymous
Today's Moron Quote
"You know what, I don't have any problem taking his head sticking it underwater and scaring the living daylights out of him and making him think we're drowning him... and I'm a Christian."
Sean Hannity.
And what did the actual man upon whom Christianity is supposedly based say, Sean?
"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Jesus (Luke 6:27-31)
Hmm, I can see where there's room for waterboarding in there, can't you?!
Sean Hannity.
And what did the actual man upon whom Christianity is supposedly based say, Sean?
"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Jesus (Luke 6:27-31)
Hmm, I can see where there's room for waterboarding in there, can't you?!
Today's Quote
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
(from the gospel of Thomas)
(from the gospel of Thomas)
REPOST: "DO IT... OR DON'T!"
You haven't had really good sex, or any sex at all, in months, years, maybe, whether you may be single or in a steady relationship or a long-term marriage. Your finances are a mess, maybe even a disaster, or... they're not, you're solvent, but still, your work life is ungratifying creatively. You're over-weight, out of shape, having trouble sleeping, feeling old before your time, maybe, or succumbing to the insidious indoctrinations of the medical profession about the indignities of aging and the betrayals of nature. Anti-depressants, high blood pressure medication, Viagra, Ambien in your medicine cabinet? Medicine cabinet? What the fuck?! You have a medicine cabinet?! How did this happen? Some part of you knows this isn't right. Right? Your mind doesn't feel this resigned, this lacking in desire, this irrelevant to the rest of human life, old, for Christ's sake!
Some part of you feels vibrant, engaged, passionate, desiring to contribute. Yet, you are sinking into despair and lethargy and apathy. You're broke, or broken, or close to it. You can't get up or get it up! How is this possible? How did this happen??
Well, ask yourself this - are you commited to doing whatever it takes to open up your inner channels to the fullness of life? Are you willing to turn over every stone in your mental and emotional self to find the negative intentions, stubborn childish wishes and willful attitudes lurking there? Can you admit that being happy, free, healthy, wealthy and wise are not as important to you as being "right," playing it "safe" and being in "control." That your pride rules over all?
Well, having it all, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, are indeed our inalienable rights as human beings, but it's a state you have to strive to arrive to. We live in a plane of intense heaviness here on Earth, yet it's a place of potentially great acceleration.
Here's the good news, folks - having a great life, fulfilled in love and work, with a sound mind and body is not only possible, but it is the way it's meant to be for us. But here's the hard truth - there's no short cuts, no end runs, no cheating, faking it, or half-stepping. You've got to reveal yourself - to yourself, and then to someone else. And then, go further and further until there's no corner of your inner life that's hidden and in the dark. Do it. Or don't, but if you don't, don't complain.
Some part of you feels vibrant, engaged, passionate, desiring to contribute. Yet, you are sinking into despair and lethargy and apathy. You're broke, or broken, or close to it. You can't get up or get it up! How is this possible? How did this happen??
Well, ask yourself this - are you commited to doing whatever it takes to open up your inner channels to the fullness of life? Are you willing to turn over every stone in your mental and emotional self to find the negative intentions, stubborn childish wishes and willful attitudes lurking there? Can you admit that being happy, free, healthy, wealthy and wise are not as important to you as being "right," playing it "safe" and being in "control." That your pride rules over all?
Well, having it all, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, are indeed our inalienable rights as human beings, but it's a state you have to strive to arrive to. We live in a plane of intense heaviness here on Earth, yet it's a place of potentially great acceleration.
Here's the good news, folks - having a great life, fulfilled in love and work, with a sound mind and body is not only possible, but it is the way it's meant to be for us. But here's the hard truth - there's no short cuts, no end runs, no cheating, faking it, or half-stepping. You've got to reveal yourself - to yourself, and then to someone else. And then, go further and further until there's no corner of your inner life that's hidden and in the dark. Do it. Or don't, but if you don't, don't complain.
Today's Quote
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman
Howard Thurman
Repost: "The Superstition of Pessimism"
"If I believe in the positive, I will be disappointed, and I may chase it away by my very belief in it. I dare not believe in the good. It may not happen. It may be smarter to believe that nothing good can happen to me, that I cannot ever change, that I cannot ever grow out of my obstructions."
Do any of you have that little nugget lurking in your subconscious? Well, here's a real gold nugget for you - the Pathwork Guide lecture called: "The Superstition of Pessimism."
You may actually believe that there's some emotional safety in this kind of inner game - "If I expect the worst, I won't be disappointed." However, as the Guide warns us:
"Denying the positive and believing in the worst to appease the gods, as it were, is destructive. You do not know the power of such thoughts. There is no playing with such power without grave consequences. There is no such game that does not have a grave effect. The power of this game needs to be made conscious."
That last part is of the utmost importance. I tell many people, regularly, that making something conscious does a lot. As long as something is unconscious, it will exert power over you. Once something is brought into the light of awareness, it already begins to lose its grip and strength. And mind you, I'm not talking about superimposing a false or exaggerated optimistic attitude over an underlying negative attitude. That will do no good at all. And it's not necessary.
Here's the Guide:
"The courage to believe in positive life unfoldment can very easily be confused with wishful thinking. There is a subtle and yet very distinct difference between wishful thinking and a virile faith in the positive. You all indulge very easily in wishful thinking. Then, to be "realistic" -- because you already know the disappointing results of wishful thinking -- you revert into the superstition of pessimism."
Optimism is the natural state of all living things. Without it, newborns wouldn't reach out for nurturance right from birth. Flowers wouldn't open to the sun. Life expects to be fulfilled. So, by bringing our negative expectations into consciousness, thereby dissipating them, the natural optimism will take over.
Once more, the Guide:
"All human beings are wonderful manifestations of divinity. One flower is not better than another flower. One bird is not better than another bird. The mountain is not better than the sea. The pine tree is not better than the oak. Think of yourself and other people in those terms and assert your goodwill to let others be their best. Then you can let yourself be your best so you can truly enjoy the fruits of your efforts and feel deserving of them."
Do any of you have that little nugget lurking in your subconscious? Well, here's a real gold nugget for you - the Pathwork Guide lecture called: "The Superstition of Pessimism."
You may actually believe that there's some emotional safety in this kind of inner game - "If I expect the worst, I won't be disappointed." However, as the Guide warns us:
"Denying the positive and believing in the worst to appease the gods, as it were, is destructive. You do not know the power of such thoughts. There is no playing with such power without grave consequences. There is no such game that does not have a grave effect. The power of this game needs to be made conscious."
That last part is of the utmost importance. I tell many people, regularly, that making something conscious does a lot. As long as something is unconscious, it will exert power over you. Once something is brought into the light of awareness, it already begins to lose its grip and strength. And mind you, I'm not talking about superimposing a false or exaggerated optimistic attitude over an underlying negative attitude. That will do no good at all. And it's not necessary.
Here's the Guide:
"The courage to believe in positive life unfoldment can very easily be confused with wishful thinking. There is a subtle and yet very distinct difference between wishful thinking and a virile faith in the positive. You all indulge very easily in wishful thinking. Then, to be "realistic" -- because you already know the disappointing results of wishful thinking -- you revert into the superstition of pessimism."
Optimism is the natural state of all living things. Without it, newborns wouldn't reach out for nurturance right from birth. Flowers wouldn't open to the sun. Life expects to be fulfilled. So, by bringing our negative expectations into consciousness, thereby dissipating them, the natural optimism will take over.
Once more, the Guide:
"All human beings are wonderful manifestations of divinity. One flower is not better than another flower. One bird is not better than another bird. The mountain is not better than the sea. The pine tree is not better than the oak. Think of yourself and other people in those terms and assert your goodwill to let others be their best. Then you can let yourself be your best so you can truly enjoy the fruits of your efforts and feel deserving of them."
"HOW CAN ANYONE WHO LOVES OUR COUNTRY SUPPORT THE REPUBLICANS NOW?" - "An Open Letter to the Republican Traitors (From a Former Republican)"
This is an excerpt from a long-time conservative Republican, Frank Schaeffer, best-selling author. (Other blog entries by Frank can be found here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer
"Dear Republican Leaders:
The Republican Party has become the party dedicated to sabotaging the American future. You Republicans are the arsonists who burned down our national home. You combined the failed ideologies of the Religious Right, so-called free market deregulation and the Neoconservative love of war to light a fire that has consumed America. Now you have the nerve to criticize the "architect" America just hired - President Obama - to rebuild from the ashes. You do nothing constructive, just try to hinder the one person willing and able to fix the mess you created.I used to be one of you. How can anyone who loves our country support the Republicans now?"
"Dear Republican Leaders:
The Republican Party has become the party dedicated to sabotaging the American future. You Republicans are the arsonists who burned down our national home. You combined the failed ideologies of the Religious Right, so-called free market deregulation and the Neoconservative love of war to light a fire that has consumed America. Now you have the nerve to criticize the "architect" America just hired - President Obama - to rebuild from the ashes. You do nothing constructive, just try to hinder the one person willing and able to fix the mess you created.I used to be one of you. How can anyone who loves our country support the Republicans now?"
REPOST: "ARE YOU HAPPY? ARE YOU CONTRIBUTING? ARE YOU HEALING? IF NOT, BE SILENT!"
Are you expressing yourself in a creative, joyful work-life that energizes your mind and spirit and brings you financial comfort? Are you contributing light into the world with your positive thoughts and actions? Are your relationships harmonious and full of laughter and open, honest communication? Do you regularly reveal yourself to others and seek to know others at deeper and deeper levels? Are you fulfilled in your love life? Are you having invigorating, soul-quenching sex with someone you love? Are you so in love that you can't help but feeling like the luckiest person on earth? Do your children feel comfortable being emotional, self-assertive and independent? Is your body a temple at which you celebrate life?
OR...
Are you isolated and angry? Fearful that the world and life are slipping away from you? Sexually frustrated? Cynical about love? Do you need medication in order to sleep, get it up, bring your blood pressure down, keep your anxiety and depression levels manageable? Are you frustrated creatively and financially? Are you engaged in a work-life that is meaningless to you? Does your body feel like it is deteriorating and betraying you with the passage of time?
If your answer to the top paragraph is "Yes," then congratulations, and keep doing what you're doing, and please share the knowledge and wisdom you've acquired.
If your answer to the bottom paragraph is "Yes," but you're working to heal yourself in any kind of serious way, or at least seeking guidance from someone, then know that you are not alone.
If your answer to the bottom paragraph is "Yes," but you're not working to heal yourself in any kind of serious way, or at least seeking guidance from someone, then you should be silent. You don't have a contribution to make to the discussions about the direction of the country or the world. You are a dependent child, pretending to be a victim, and your negativity is not a gift that the world needs. Be silent, learn, and let the rest of humanity repair the damage that you have done.
OR...
Are you isolated and angry? Fearful that the world and life are slipping away from you? Sexually frustrated? Cynical about love? Do you need medication in order to sleep, get it up, bring your blood pressure down, keep your anxiety and depression levels manageable? Are you frustrated creatively and financially? Are you engaged in a work-life that is meaningless to you? Does your body feel like it is deteriorating and betraying you with the passage of time?
If your answer to the top paragraph is "Yes," then congratulations, and keep doing what you're doing, and please share the knowledge and wisdom you've acquired.
If your answer to the bottom paragraph is "Yes," but you're working to heal yourself in any kind of serious way, or at least seeking guidance from someone, then know that you are not alone.
If your answer to the bottom paragraph is "Yes," but you're not working to heal yourself in any kind of serious way, or at least seeking guidance from someone, then you should be silent. You don't have a contribution to make to the discussions about the direction of the country or the world. You are a dependent child, pretending to be a victim, and your negativity is not a gift that the world needs. Be silent, learn, and let the rest of humanity repair the damage that you have done.
TODAY'S "HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY" QUOTE
"Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream of society."
RUSH LIMBAUGH
I guess radio was established to let bloated, drug-addicted bigots access to gullible, fear-riddled morons?
RUSH LIMBAUGH
I guess radio was established to let bloated, drug-addicted bigots access to gullible, fear-riddled morons?
Today's FPL Quote
"The universe isn't fair, but it is just."
PL
The will of All That Is, of this conscious universe, is inexorable and singularly driven by love and eternal movement. While any individual or group of individuals may choose to try and go against that movement, the laws of cause and effect will provide the appropriate course corrections.
Einstein once said that "God doesn't play dice with the universe." I would, however, add that God does take sides. Not for or against particular persons, countries or religions, of course, but for love, oneness and movement, the essence of All That Is.
PL
The will of All That Is, of this conscious universe, is inexorable and singularly driven by love and eternal movement. While any individual or group of individuals may choose to try and go against that movement, the laws of cause and effect will provide the appropriate course corrections.
Einstein once said that "God doesn't play dice with the universe." I would, however, add that God does take sides. Not for or against particular persons, countries or religions, of course, but for love, oneness and movement, the essence of All That Is.
Today's Quote
"What about this bonehead Rush Limbaugh? Honest to God, I mean, what is going on there? He gets up in Washington and he's the keynote speaker at some function and he comes up and he looks like an East European gangster. He's got the black jacket on, the black silk shirt and it's unbuttoned like, oh yeah, when you think Rush Limbaugh, you think, 'Ooh, let's see a little flesh.' Honestly. What is he doing?"
David Letterman
David Letterman
TODAY'S LYRICS
FORTUNATE SON
"Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays hail to the chief,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord.
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more!
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no."
Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays hail to the chief,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord.
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more!
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no."
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Today's Presidential Quote
"Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft!"
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
BREAKING NEWS FROM ABC! CONSERVATIVES LOVE THE NASTY!! 80% OF HIGHEST PORN-CONSUMING STATES VOTED FOR McCAIN!!!
Well, as an observer and commenter on human behavior, you couldn't ask for more than this!
ABC News conducted a nation-wide survey and published the results in a piece called: "Porn in the USA: Conservatives Are Biggest Consumers"
A new nationwide study of anonymised credit-card receipts from a major online adult entertainment provider found that states that consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and religious than states with lower levels of consumption.
"Some of the people who are most outraged turn out to be consumers of the very things they claimed to be outraged by," says Benjamin Edelman of the Harvard Business School.
But we all know this intuitively, don't we, even though it's just great to see it presented academically?
Shakespeare was onto it centuries ago when he wrote about protesting too much as a cover-up for bad behavior.
Freud described the "reaction formation" almost a century ago as a defense mechanism in which unacceptable impulses are masked by exaggeration of the directly opposing tendency.
"Where reaction-formation takes place, it is usually assumed that the original, rejected impulse does not vanish, but persists, unconscious, in its original infantile form."
Yes, we certainly have seen a lot of persistent, infantile behavior from conservatives in recent years haven't we?
Beauty!
ABC News conducted a nation-wide survey and published the results in a piece called: "Porn in the USA: Conservatives Are Biggest Consumers"
A new nationwide study of anonymised credit-card receipts from a major online adult entertainment provider found that states that consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and religious than states with lower levels of consumption.
"Some of the people who are most outraged turn out to be consumers of the very things they claimed to be outraged by," says Benjamin Edelman of the Harvard Business School.
But we all know this intuitively, don't we, even though it's just great to see it presented academically?
Shakespeare was onto it centuries ago when he wrote about protesting too much as a cover-up for bad behavior.
Freud described the "reaction formation" almost a century ago as a defense mechanism in which unacceptable impulses are masked by exaggeration of the directly opposing tendency.
"Where reaction-formation takes place, it is usually assumed that the original, rejected impulse does not vanish, but persists, unconscious, in its original infantile form."
Yes, we certainly have seen a lot of persistent, infantile behavior from conservatives in recent years haven't we?
Beauty!
GOOD-BYE MY OLD FRIEND! MY HOW YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED!!
This was in this morning's NY Times:
AILING G.O.P. RISKS LOSING A GENERATION
By MARJORIE CONNELLY
"Republicans have their work cut out for them. Americans identifying themselves as Democrats outnumber those who say they are Republicans by 10 percentage points, the largest gap in party identification in 24 years. The gap has widened significantly since President George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, when it was a mere 3 percentage points. But by the time Mr. Bush left office in January, less than a quarter of Americans approved of his performance."
And that drop doesn't even include Americans under the age of 30 who have yet to form strong partisan ties.
Okay, so everyone's asking these days what's happened to the Republican Party? If you have been following the speeches at the CPAC ("Conservative Political Action Committee") convention, by now it must seem as if the party has devolved to the point where the gathering of top conservatives most resembles the group therapy scenes in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." What with Michelle Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh and Joe the Plumber as headline speakers, they've started to make Sarah "Wilma Flintstone" Palin look intelligent. I mean, who's going to be the next rising star of the GOP, Nadya Suleman?!
But the real answer to the question of what's happened to the Republican Party is... nothing. Nothing has happened. That's the point. The GOP hasn't really changed since Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964. Think about the succession of characters who've run for the highest office since Barry G, and have actually won, presumably representing the cream of the crop: Nixon (twice), Reagan (twice), Bush, Sr. (once) and Bush, Jr. (twice).
Think about that list. It's amazing! No signs whatsoever of evolution. When Goldwater ran, I was ten years old. Have I grown since then? How old were you in 1964? How much have you grown since the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan?
It reminds me of a great scene in the Spencer Tracy film about evolution, "Inherit The Wind." Tracy's character is confronted by his old friend, a staunch creationist played by Fredric March, about the loss of their friendship. The right wing guy asks Tracy why he moved away from the close relationship they once had. Tracy's character says, "It wasn't me, but you who moved away by standing still." In other words, not changing, not growing is the way March's character abandoned Tracy's. Likewise, it is not the American people who have abandoned the Republican Party as much as it is the GOP that has abandoned America. By not changing.
AILING G.O.P. RISKS LOSING A GENERATION
By MARJORIE CONNELLY
"Republicans have their work cut out for them. Americans identifying themselves as Democrats outnumber those who say they are Republicans by 10 percentage points, the largest gap in party identification in 24 years. The gap has widened significantly since President George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, when it was a mere 3 percentage points. But by the time Mr. Bush left office in January, less than a quarter of Americans approved of his performance."
And that drop doesn't even include Americans under the age of 30 who have yet to form strong partisan ties.
Okay, so everyone's asking these days what's happened to the Republican Party? If you have been following the speeches at the CPAC ("Conservative Political Action Committee") convention, by now it must seem as if the party has devolved to the point where the gathering of top conservatives most resembles the group therapy scenes in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." What with Michelle Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh and Joe the Plumber as headline speakers, they've started to make Sarah "Wilma Flintstone" Palin look intelligent. I mean, who's going to be the next rising star of the GOP, Nadya Suleman?!
But the real answer to the question of what's happened to the Republican Party is... nothing. Nothing has happened. That's the point. The GOP hasn't really changed since Barry Goldwater ran for president in 1964. Think about the succession of characters who've run for the highest office since Barry G, and have actually won, presumably representing the cream of the crop: Nixon (twice), Reagan (twice), Bush, Sr. (once) and Bush, Jr. (twice).Think about that list. It's amazing! No signs whatsoever of evolution. When Goldwater ran, I was ten years old. Have I grown since then? How old were you in 1964? How much have you grown since the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan?
It reminds me of a great scene in the Spencer Tracy film about evolution, "Inherit The Wind." Tracy's character is confronted by his old friend, a staunch creationist played by Fredric March, about the loss of their friendship. The right wing guy asks Tracy why he moved away from the close relationship they once had. Tracy's character says, "It wasn't me, but you who moved away by standing still." In other words, not changing, not growing is the way March's character abandoned Tracy's. Likewise, it is not the American people who have abandoned the Republican Party as much as it is the GOP that has abandoned America. By not changing.
YOU. STUPID. GREEDY.
Take a breath and think about this, in case you've been in denial:
Life expectancy is higher in most of Europe than in the United States. Even the people of Cyprus live longer than Americans. Meanwhile, American children are twice as likely to die by the age of 5 as children in Portugal, Spain or Slovenia. And the World Health Organization found that an American woman’s lifetime risk of dying in childbirth is more than three times that of a woman in Greece, Spain or Germany.
Meanwhile, Americans spend $6,800 per person to get these second-rate results, about double what is paid in Canada or much of Europe.
So if our health system is broken, is it really so awful that we increase taxes for the wealthiest Americans to make repairs? In 1980, the top-earning 1 percent of Americans accounted for 8 percent of the total income pie; by 2006, they grabbed nearly 23 percent. Do you think its because those 23% are all more talented than most Americans? Smarter? Just look around - if they were smart, and they really wanted to keep all of their wealth, wouldn't they help make sure that the rest of the country, outside of their personal playgrounds, wasn't falling apart so badly and getting people so pissed off?
Hey, I am all for getting rich because you're talented, smart and have gifts to bear in the world. And I hate paying taxes. BUT I'M NOT STUPID OR GREEDY! Or ultimately, self-destructive.
Get it?
If you're wealthy and you're pissed now that your taxes have to be raised, come out of your denial. It's not because President Obama is a closet "socialist," who wants to destroy our country, like the blathering, bloated idiots of CPAC are bellowing. It's because you have been stupid and greedy.
I'll say it again:
You. Stupid. Greedy.
Life expectancy is higher in most of Europe than in the United States. Even the people of Cyprus live longer than Americans. Meanwhile, American children are twice as likely to die by the age of 5 as children in Portugal, Spain or Slovenia. And the World Health Organization found that an American woman’s lifetime risk of dying in childbirth is more than three times that of a woman in Greece, Spain or Germany.
Meanwhile, Americans spend $6,800 per person to get these second-rate results, about double what is paid in Canada or much of Europe.
So if our health system is broken, is it really so awful that we increase taxes for the wealthiest Americans to make repairs? In 1980, the top-earning 1 percent of Americans accounted for 8 percent of the total income pie; by 2006, they grabbed nearly 23 percent. Do you think its because those 23% are all more talented than most Americans? Smarter? Just look around - if they were smart, and they really wanted to keep all of their wealth, wouldn't they help make sure that the rest of the country, outside of their personal playgrounds, wasn't falling apart so badly and getting people so pissed off?
Hey, I am all for getting rich because you're talented, smart and have gifts to bear in the world. And I hate paying taxes. BUT I'M NOT STUPID OR GREEDY! Or ultimately, self-destructive.
Get it?
If you're wealthy and you're pissed now that your taxes have to be raised, come out of your denial. It's not because President Obama is a closet "socialist," who wants to destroy our country, like the blathering, bloated idiots of CPAC are bellowing. It's because you have been stupid and greedy.
I'll say it again:
You. Stupid. Greedy.
LOL - DADLOFF WON'T GIVE UP! PL RESPONDS.
Here he is:
"You don't have the time to blast democrats because you spend all your time blasting the Republicans. That has to take up an awful lot of your time and energy. Remember, dems and reps are all politicians and they are all the same. They talk big, but do little except stay awake at night and think about how they can spend all our money."
PL:
Listen, DL, I'm with you - all politicians are basically the same. I agree, and it's a sad state of affairs. And actually, I have plenty of time to blast Democrats, BUT they are not currently obstructing what President Obama is trying to do, which clearly is good for the country right now. It is the remaining crop of lunatic fringe Republicans who at all costs want to derail the president's efforts for no practical purpose, and mind you, in the process, they're destroying what's left of the Republican Party. Don't distort my position, which is not a position. I am assessing what's happening from a pragmatic perspective. I don't care what anyone's party is. What I care about is what they're doing and what they're saying, and right now, at this point in time, the remaining fringe elements of the Republican Party are seeking to take us all down with them rather than change in a progressive direction. I can't abide that.
"You don't have the time to blast democrats because you spend all your time blasting the Republicans. That has to take up an awful lot of your time and energy. Remember, dems and reps are all politicians and they are all the same. They talk big, but do little except stay awake at night and think about how they can spend all our money."
PL:
Listen, DL, I'm with you - all politicians are basically the same. I agree, and it's a sad state of affairs. And actually, I have plenty of time to blast Democrats, BUT they are not currently obstructing what President Obama is trying to do, which clearly is good for the country right now. It is the remaining crop of lunatic fringe Republicans who at all costs want to derail the president's efforts for no practical purpose, and mind you, in the process, they're destroying what's left of the Republican Party. Don't distort my position, which is not a position. I am assessing what's happening from a pragmatic perspective. I don't care what anyone's party is. What I care about is what they're doing and what they're saying, and right now, at this point in time, the remaining fringe elements of the Republican Party are seeking to take us all down with them rather than change in a progressive direction. I can't abide that.
DADLOFF SOUNDS OFF ON MY INSULTING THE RIGHT/PL RESPONDS
Here's DL:
"It seems awfully strange that you do nothing but call conservative republicans all kinds of nasty and terrible things and that all they are concerned about is the rich people in this country. Think about this and see what you can find wrong with the American voting public. Since the end of world war 2, starting with Eisenhower, the American people voted into office Republicans for a total of 36 years, while the American people voted into office democrats for a total of 24 years, and I am not counting Ford or Obama. It seems to me that you think all the people that voted for republicans, including democratic and independent voters are a bunch of nitwits. I don't listen to Limbaugh's radio talk show because I basically think it is a comedy show. But I would put Bill Maher in the same category as Limbaugh, because all he does is blast republicans, just as Limbaugh blasts democrats."
PL:
Okay, DL, here's my response: I make a point of talking about what has happened to Republicans post-Eisenhower. I like Ike! He was a Republican who warned about the dangers of embracing the "military-industrial complex," remember? And I'm currently blasting the GOP because they are screaming to be blasted. Again, do a search on my blog. You won't find one piece from me in over 2 years praising democrats. Democrats have been two-faced wimps, who've rolled over and played dead for over thirty years. BUT, I know that the crappy crop of candidates during these years in both parties has been a reflection of our mass consciousness, and the election of Barack Obama shows that enough people have now actually grown up enough to change.
It is Barack Obama and his call for maturity and clarity and adult behavior that I am in support of, and sadly, the Republicans are acting like toddlers who've had their cookies taken away from them.
You get what I'm saying?
"It seems awfully strange that you do nothing but call conservative republicans all kinds of nasty and terrible things and that all they are concerned about is the rich people in this country. Think about this and see what you can find wrong with the American voting public. Since the end of world war 2, starting with Eisenhower, the American people voted into office Republicans for a total of 36 years, while the American people voted into office democrats for a total of 24 years, and I am not counting Ford or Obama. It seems to me that you think all the people that voted for republicans, including democratic and independent voters are a bunch of nitwits. I don't listen to Limbaugh's radio talk show because I basically think it is a comedy show. But I would put Bill Maher in the same category as Limbaugh, because all he does is blast republicans, just as Limbaugh blasts democrats."
PL:
Okay, DL, here's my response: I make a point of talking about what has happened to Republicans post-Eisenhower. I like Ike! He was a Republican who warned about the dangers of embracing the "military-industrial complex," remember? And I'm currently blasting the GOP because they are screaming to be blasted. Again, do a search on my blog. You won't find one piece from me in over 2 years praising democrats. Democrats have been two-faced wimps, who've rolled over and played dead for over thirty years. BUT, I know that the crappy crop of candidates during these years in both parties has been a reflection of our mass consciousness, and the election of Barack Obama shows that enough people have now actually grown up enough to change.
It is Barack Obama and his call for maturity and clarity and adult behavior that I am in support of, and sadly, the Republicans are acting like toddlers who've had their cookies taken away from them.
You get what I'm saying?
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