Why have our last few Presidents been not just wrong but repulsive to half the electorate. I think I understand the revulsion some feel for Obama because I felt such a total revulsion about George W Bush ( aka "shrub"). I had to listen to him for years as a governor. I still am thankful I do not have to listen to him speak anymore. I grew up in Fairfield county and have been to the parts of Greenwich Connecticut that the Bush family is rooted in. I know who Bush II is and I am repulsed on a molecular level I think. Everything I despise is humans wrapped up into one profoundly un curious man. I do not question the racism of the anti-Obama people but I think maybe Obama repulses them. I think this says something about the beliefs of our citizens. I do think there is a difference; my disgust at things Bush comes from an over familiarity with people like a young W. Much of the disgust with Obama re from those who are not overly familiar with either African -Americans or intellectuals. They figure they do not want to be forced to have such in their lives. All I can say is I thought I would be done with Preppy Nazi's after leaving Connecticut and Vermont for Texas. I endured six years of Bush as Governor and eight as President. Ouch
In this new found outrage over the deficit a recurring theme is "reforming entitlements". This means Soc Sec and Medicare , which are for everyone ( not only low income) and medicaid ( for low income). This was done one purpose, the get greater buy in by the American public. The present socio-political landscape is exactly why FDR designed them this way. Somehow this econo mic crisis, caused mostly by the reckless behavior of financial gamblers at an elite level, has caused resentment of anyone "getting" a benefit that the person complaining is not eligible for or, does not receive. People talk about others getting benefits and the creation of a "culture of entitlement" that is coincidentgly bad for a nations morals and expensive. I have been in all strata of American life and I would say the" culture of entitlement" reached its fullest expression in the behavior of the "haves" more than of the underclass. When Left Feminism drew attention to the privileges a white male gets, instead of doing some soul searching many men said,"wait, she says I'm supposed to have everything. Where is it? I want my White Privilege!"They know it was better when that position was backed up by law as well as culture, though that might be in opposition to their consciously held beliefs. My significant other says what people accuse you of they are probably doing. The denials of the Tea Baggers about racial motivation notwithstanding, the loss of the possibility of going back to the "good ole days when..."which a Black President represents is part of why the increase in hatred of Obama compared to Clinton. The real sense of entitlement is from the White, Judeo/Christian (even they had to open up to Catholics and Jews) cultural ruling class that feels the loss intensely, leading to claims of victimhood. Victimhood is a great motivator to violence
A popular argument by Tea party/ smarty libertarian wing is that Universal health care enslaves doctors. I suppose taking a English doctor and a victim of chattel slavery one might find some differences in treatment but this is not the point. There is no difference between a doctor providing health care on the government dime and the existence of a police force and court/ penal system that enforces a right to property. Without the support of these entities you would have to protect your own things. This is not 'Rights" it is Nature. I do not need a right to let my dogs loose or ( I live in Texas) shoot someone I want to protect my property from. There is no difference between a policeman and a doctor in regards to "are they slaves?"
Polls show that a majority of Americans still blame Bush for the economy, but are becoming fed up with Obama. The Tea Baggers whine about deficits even though they said nothing in the early 00's about Bush's budget busters. Obama's big constraint on action was the deficit he inherited. Bush presided over a decent economy yet ran deficits anyway. His refusal to bring in enough tax dollars to cover even the on books part of our national budget meant Obama had less options available. Had he a balanced budget on entering office (like his predecessor did) he could have proposed an adequate stimulus and ran the sort of deficits Keynes advocated. Deficits in good times? Idiotic. Obama still should have done a WPA first thing and been tougher, but he had a huge handicap going in
The London riots offer a clear window into one aspect of the Great Divide; does understanding the motivations of rioters encourages them and that the rioters are all just criminals. I would not want to advertise that my city has 10,000 criminals just waiting for, what?, to destroy. If there is no underlying truth beneath the riots then your city has thousands of "super-predators" teenagers who destroy with no provocation. I listen to a British Dept Mayor Kit Malthouse say we should think of all the kids who go to school and behave. This kind of thinking flows effortlessly into a concept some are born bad, or less than human. This attitude allowed Britain to rule millions of people in Asia and Africa brutally yet consider them selves the crown of creation, the highest, best thing that (post Spencer) ever evolved. We see this today.
I have noticed a consistent thread going through both my Republican friends ( I live in Texas) and Tea Baggers I read interviews of. They have so much resentment. They must hate their jobs. If I like a job and get enough I do not feel better if someone else has less but these folks do. THis is real, it gives the Tea Party votes ad is totally divorced from reality. Most of the Tax Money they hate forking over goes to Tribal warlords or Halliburton rather than the tiny dole here. Some people abuse welfare. Capita;istswho abuse capitalism cost way more. Tery do not give someone the smug sense of superiority. I told my friend he should be proud, that anyone who does less has to live with that and really don't cost him shit, and that he already lives in a low tax, low benefits country.
These days the cry of "Government is the problem" echoes throughout the political landscape. Tea Baggers running for office compete as to who can have most aristocracy creating social and economic plan. I say they are wussies. Why? They refuse to go "all the way". They say they support market based solutions and individualism, rejecting the idea that there is such a thing as obligation to non-related fellow humans etc. But on the subject of property protection they are silent. Why? Apparently they feel the need for a Nanny State to help them hold on to their possessions. I rely on my guns and dogs to protect my home. Police power is the basis of state power. Abolish the police. If neighborhoods want to they could form posses or vigilante groups. At least an armed populace would not need a state system of prisons, police, courts and laws. These functions are and have been handled by private interests i the past. Same with roads. Why should I pay for a road to your house? Return to private roadways paid for with tolls. It worked for colonial New England. The third immediate place to gut government would be the military. Our Founders did not want us to have a standing army. The true purpose of the Second amendment becomes clear; with no army people must defend themselves. We could be like a triple Afghanistan, unconquerable because its people are armed and un-governable. When I hear a Libertarian/ Teabagger/conservative address these areas of government intrusion I will be on board with you all. Until that I only see the Tea Right as wanting the government it likes but doesn't want to pay for, not as principled individualists
I do not know why I have not heard the most obvious, clean kill end all argument repost to the Te Baggers claims: we already tried your way. It didn't work. It was called the 19th century and by the end a majority of Americans came to understand Capitalism must be regulated. Any Tea bagger with kids under 12 should have them work 14 hours a day at a life threatening job for almost nothing. Your family does not make enough money to eat. THAT is what happens with no regulation. We tried. They act like they have new idea that has never been tried. Bul. Yes I know this is short but really, what else is there to say? Like child labor, people starving in the street of our cities. Total environmental destruction ( once there was a forest. It covered the east side of Middle America. It was cut, the refuse burned. And burned. And Burned )and a small elite so obscenely rich that the name "robber barons" was given them. Sounds great. No vote for women. All post Civil War protection for African decent Amricans removed de Facto, a supreme courts that finds any pro worker laws to be unconstitutional ( well. I guess we have that now). Sound like heaven to me. If we can't make this point we must be stupid.l
Ok they tell me dailykos is not twitter. Hell i can't keep up with all these talking machines... The reason I call the Republicans asking the kind of intelligent questions they ( and others) have been asking as of late is why do they only do this when it is a Democratic presidential administration? I first remember them in Clinton's use of force to re-instate Aristide in Haiti. The Republican never had a problem with either Papa or Baby Doc Duvalier but to them Aristide was threatening. I had never seem republicans have any doubts about a foreign intervention before. Cut to the Balkans. When Clinton finally abandoned the false equivilence and recognized Serbian fascism as the most developed and most dangerous, he was accused of trying to distract the public from the Lewinsky scandal. The Bush intervention in Iraq violated every one of the conservatives supposed core values. Conservatives re supposed to understand the danger of unintended consequences. Prior to WWII conservatives were rightly leery of policing the world and Liberals were internationalists. Many are arguing that the Right social populist movement could merge with a left/libertarian/populism on some issues. Somehow we must get our brothers and sitters on the Right to see the web between Big Government , which theyhate, and Big Business, which we hate. If these Republican leaders do not be careful they might get a bipartisan revulsion at what it cost us in dollars alone to be World hegemony
During Democratic Presidential administrations we are treated to a rare wildlife sighting: the anti-war Republican. They re asking excellent questions about Obamas emotion driven yet weirdly noble Libyan war. It would have been a different world if Republicans exhibited such caustion when one of theirs is our fearless leader.
My partner of 22 years, Lene developed a seriously nasty disease called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or Complex Regional pain Syndrome. The sympathetic refers to the sympathetic nervous system. It is a feedback loop of pain, enduring long after the initail precipitating injury has healed. It is often caused by insufficient pain treatment, but everyone who endures agonizing pain has it for life. The medications she requires cost a stupid amount and she is on Soc Sec disablity making her eligble for Medicare D. As some may remember Medicare D is Bush II's unfunded, profit maximizing, so good it got John breaux a nice cushy job with Pharma (the lobby) good. We have pretty much discovered there is no one who has authority over the providers. No referee. Medicare says for-profit insurance companies are under the state insurance boards jurisdiction. The state people however, say that since Medicare is a Federal program it is not their job. Very clever you see. The appeals process has been outsourced to a private company Maximus, who were convicted of some kid of financial crime ( maybe they just settled but it was a decent size fine) provide "administrative "judges" who work for a private company. No one seems in charge. Do you think maybe Sen Breaux and Bush II designed it tht way? Privatize orfit and throw those who cost to the wolves.
Howdy from Texas. The Rethugs led by Delay redistricted Austin so 2/3 is represented by Rightists ( by linking us with far away, republican areas. Rep McCaul is one of the Rethugs some of us are stuck with. Apparently he thinks ten days ago (???!) we could have "taken out" Qaddafi or get him with "airstrikes". The fantasy that Americans are omnipotent superheroes who can "take out" the bad guys if we just had the will is dangerous and silly. I find the appearance of anti-war Republicans during Democratic administrations ( see Haiti, 1994) seriously funny. People who will support any use of US arms EXCEPT for when it is ordered by a Democratic president for reasons beyond protecting Corporate interests. I guess Congressman McCaul has been readi g to many comic books....
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