Tag: Opinion

Bullsh*t Ideas!

In the last year there has been a number bullsh*t ideas that have been offered to the people as solutions to problems…..to me they are just what they smell like….MANURE!

Here are some of the more smelly of the lot…….

The new idea (pause here for laughter) of giving the shareholders the vote on whether CEOs can get a bonus….sounds like a good idea…correct?  try agin it is BS!  Why?  Most of the shares held are held by funds of some sort and they will decide who gets the cash…YOU have very little to say about it…..it is crap!

Next is the inevitable idea of privatizing Social Security….yet again…this is a continuous thing for the Repus….they have hated SS since the beginning and eventually they will get their way and the seniors in the U S will be f*cked!  If they had their way every accdount for retirement would have been wiped out inn the latest economic thing….but they try and try….and soon they will get their way….

Now on to one of my favs…the health savings Acount (HSA)…..a proposal to let people have a health account instead of real reform….this helps NO one but the banks and funds….futhermore the next economic crisis will wioe these accounts out just like the one now wiped out many 401ks…..another Repub idea to destroy the middle class (my opinion)….

Allowing corporations to fully fund political campaigns…the conservs on the Supreme Court is allowing this….the Congress is attempting to lessen this but time will tell…..for now corporations have it all….

Finally, I recently heard yet another inevtiable proposal…..Conservs say that lowering the corporation taxes will create jobs…..the figure they use is corporate tax is a  bout 30-35% in the US…one of the highest in the world….but the proponents of this fail to mention all the tax breaks and incentives that corporations already get from the government…in reality the “real” tax is much much lower…but yet it is proposed everytime the word deficit is mentioned…….

As usual there is always more and more BS proposals….this one is yet another GOP stand-by…..reduce the payroll taxes…..you know what that means, right?  Cut payroll taxes and the government will have less money to spend of pet projects from the Congress….it would also mean less deductions for FICA….which would make it even less solvent than now….which would make it easier to kill the program altogether….this may well be the plan all along……

Most of these BS ideas are inevitable….especially from the GOP….but yet they have very little validity when working on real solutions to real problems….just your typical slogans, talking points and lies….but what’s new?

The Last Statesman Standing

When I hear the statesmen discussed I think of something Disraeli,  “The world is weary of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians.”

For a very long time I have been saying that we have many, many politicians and few, if any, statesmen……finally I have found one statesman in Washington, at least in my opinion……we have many people that are labeled as statesmen, but few live up to the title, for most of their endeavors are purely egotistical….we have Clinton or Carter or Bush 1&2, so on and on and on….none of these are statesmen.  A true statesman tells the truth and puts the good of the country above all else….name one of those…..I can wait….

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has lived up to the label of statesman…..he supported single payer and then fought for the public option and then in the end he too made a backroom deal for his support of the current health reform bill……but unlike most of the back room deals, his was not all about Vermont or whatever his was all about the American people….all of us.  His deal was:

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, I-VT., who was angered after a new government-run health plan was dropped from the legislation to win over moderates like Nelson and Landrieu, held out on backing the bill until Reid, D-Nev., agreed to a $10 billion increase in support for community health centers.

His deal was for health centers in ALL 50 states, not just his home state……to me….that makes him a statesman…he is looking out for ALL Americans, not just some group that pays him to…..

Sen. Sanders is, when interviewed, blunt and honest….in a recent interview when asked about the bill….he stated that it was not a perfect bill but it was the best they could get because of the games and stalls that the Senate was playing….the games came from both sides….he also said that the insurance and drug companies were going to make out like bandits…..and that the US Congress was OWED by special interests…….he is very forthcoming with facts and the truth…..

His honesty is refreshing……there is nothing in Congress but lies, misinformation, games and tricks….and to hear Sen. Sanders be so honest…..well it was heart warming to know that there is at least ONE person in the Congress that is honest in his assessment of the issues……

So he, Sen. Sanders, fits my criteria of a statesman…..he works to better the lives of ALL Americans…….

“What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions. ”  Aristotle

You Cannot Fix Stupid!

Daily Agitator

One of my fav quotes from comedian Ron White…..I do not normally post on things that I feel are stupid or not of necessary importance….but I just have to post on this…..after years of watching the same thing happen time after time….I am beginning to think that the American “sportsman” is a MORON!

Every year some person or group of idiotic dipsticks just has to climb Mt. Hood in the dead of winter and year after year they need to be rescued……and guess what?  This year is NO different!

From the NY Times:

Fears of an avalanche on Mount Hood forced rescuers to use a helicopter and airplanes in their search for two missing climbers on Sunday, a day after crews found the body of their climbing companion on a glacier on the mountain, Oregon’s highest.

The three climbers began their ascent on the west side of the mountain around 1 a.m. Friday and were due back in the afternoon. Crews found the body of Luke T. Gullberg, 26, of Des Moines, Wash., on Saturday, on the glacier at the 9,000-foot level.

Officials had not given up hope on Sunday that the climbers, who they said were experienced, could be found alive. Relatives of the climbers gathered at Timberline Lodge, a ski lodge on the flank of Mount Hood and a staging area for the rescuers, to await more news. They were being comforted by Dennis Simons, a nondenominational volunteer chaplain.

He said the expertise of the two missing climbers was giving their relatives hope. He also said that Ms. Nolan had made the summit of other Cascade Range peaks, and that the three had climbed together before. “They know how to survive in the snow,” Mr. Simons said.

Mount Hood has been the site of dozens of climbing accidents. The worst on record occurred in May 1986, when nine people — seven students from Oregon Episcopal School and two adults — died after they dug a snow cave during a sudden storm.

First of all, do any of these dorks know what a weather report is?  Second, do any of these “experts” know anything about conditions on mountains in winter?  Third, F*CK ’em if they are this stupid then there is NO saving them!

Just how experienced are the morons that climb the mountain knowing the death toll is high?  It is time to either make the mountain off-limits in winter or make the family responsible for the cost of the rescue mission…..it is that simple!  Apparently these “responsible” individuals care nothing of their own safety and really do not give a crap about anyone else…..Possible post a sign that says, “climb at your own risk”

It is time to STOP pretending that these a/holes are anything but self-centered pricks!  If they do not know how dangerous the mountain is then they should stay home and service the wife or husband as the case may be…if they do not care if they die….why should I?

Editorial: America Loses!

First, I have had enough of the CRAP!

Does anyone remember the “Miracle On Ice” in the 1980 Olympics?  The USA defeated USSR in hockey and the whole country celebrated and there was a pride there….a pride of our country was number one.

Does anyone recall the campaign slogan “America First”?  Promises that everything American would be put above everything else…usually idle promises but the sentiment is good.

I was going to leave the whole olympic thing alone…but there comes a time when you just cannot ignore the crap any longer……and that time is NOW!

I am sure that you have heard all the political noise about the trip that the president took to Copenhagen…..that the Obamas were a cancer or that the president was caring nothing for the troops….and on and on…….

I want to go on record saying that I feel the country is becoming pathetic place.  Why?  When the decision by the Olympic committee was made to give the 2016 olympic games to Rio, there were right wing media people  applauded the decsion….they applauded that the US LOST the bid!  Then there was a conservative summit going on and they also applauded the lose…this is CRAP!

Why?  These ass wads hate Obama so much that they are happy to see the US lose just to make the president look bad and possibly gain some minor political advantage…this also is CRAP!

Recently that whack job from Minnesota called for an investigation of members of Congress, liberals, for being un-American….maybe we should pay closer attention to those people that want the US to fail only because they dislike the president.  This is HATE!

What happened to “My country…Love or leave it”?  Or how “America–Right or Wrong”?  Maybe next time your hear one of these sanctimonious assholes talk about how much they love the US….then remind them of this day and that they are Goddamn LIARS!

Here Is A Thought

If Pres. Obama had settled into the White House and asked for a list from the governors to decide on the direction of the stimulus bill, what would have been the reaction of the Repubs?

Probably they would have jumped on Obama for dragging his feet while the economy was tanking rapidly.  He would not have been acting decisive enough for them.  All this crap daily is just that….so much crap.  They are talking points that the GOP sends out to divide and try to conquer and rule the daily news cycle.

If McCain had won there is no doubt the Dems would be playing the same game of partisanship.  As I have said from the beginning of the 2008 cycle, NO CHANGE is coming…it will always be politics as usual.

When the people understand this, the sooner we get rid of the trash in Washingtoin and start anew…….the tired old mantras from the GOP and the lame  economic crap of the Dems was way too predictable.  It is a game being played with the people’s lives.  Is not time for the people to go back in control?

If none of this worries you, then roll over go back to sleep, play with the old lady or just whack off….and keep your mouth shut when your life and country goes down the toilet for the last time.

Peace!  Out!

Ron Paul Speaks

This is a piece written by Rep. Ron Paul of Texas

Economic Freedom or Socialist Intervention?

by Ron Paul

The freedom to fail is an essential part of freedom. Government- provided financial security necessitates relinquishing the very essence of freedom. Last week, the big 3 American automakers came back to Capitol Hill with their hands out to the government. Congress spent this past week debating how much money to give them and what strings should be attached. Though the bailout plan for the auto industry has suffered what I would call a temporary setback in the Senate, other avenues for public funding are being explored through the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department. I am afraid the American auto industry will soon learn that having billions rain down from Washington will not be the blessing one might expect.

The government, after it subsidizes an industry, tends to become a very demanding benefactor. Politicians may not have any real idea about how to build a car, run a bank, educate a child, heal the sick or build a road, but they are quite adept at using carrots and sticks to manipulate and threaten those who do. Most of the federal control over education, roads, healthcare, and now banking and soon auto manufacturing, is done through money, mandates and conditions. The bailout proposal we were considering would force automobile manufacturers to submit their business plans for the approval of a new federal “car czar.” This bureaucrat would have the authority to approve the automakers’ restructuring plan, monitor implementation of the plan, and even stop certain transactions he determines are inconsistent with the companies’ long-term viability.

One could argue that if billions of taxpayer dollars are going to flow into a failing industry, then representatives of those taxpayers have “bought” a say in how that industry is run – which is precisely why bailouts are such a bad idea for both the industry and the taxpayers. The federal government has neither the competence nor the Constitutional authority to tell private companies, such as automakers, how to run their businesses. I would have thought that failed experiments with central planning and government control of business that caused so much harm in the last century would have taught my colleagues the folly of making businesses obey politicians and bureaucrats instead of heeding the wishes of consumers, employees, and stockholders. But the auto industry is in danger of learning for themselves one of the oldest lessons in politics: he who pays the fiddler calls the tune.

It is not the job of government to sustain business. The government should get out of the way, and instead examine excessive regulations, tax policy and red tape that have been hostile to manufacturing in this country. We should get back on a sustainable economic course in this country, or we are doomed to collapse, as the Soviets did, under the crushing burden of big government and a strangled economy that can no longer pay for it.

Open Letter To The American Voter

Next week you, the American voter, will be asked to go to your polling place and cast your vote for a candidate for the office of president of the United States Of America. This is one of your civic duties as a member of this society. But if you go to vote for a personality instead of an ideal then you are the one wasting your vote. Personalities have put us in the position we find ourselves in the world.

I ask you to go to the websites of ALL candidates in your area, read stands of the issues, make notes and then make the decision based on who you think will best serve the country and its people. Do not labels make your decision for you. Name calling is just a lame attempt to scare you into doing something you know is not productive. This country is facing many crises and they must be handled properly by the next president, but you must decide if the candidate is capable of making needed decisions.

Yes there are others wanting to be president besides the traditional Republican and Democrat. Parties like the Libertarians, Greens, Independents all are seeking the chance to run this country. Are they capable? That is the question you must ask yourself before you cast your vote. THat is why you must be armed with information on each candidate regardless of the party affliation. If you do not then you are lazy and taking the easy way out. Because of this laziness we have had about twenty years of horrible leadership. And over 60 years of leadership that cares little of the plight of the average American, it has been about making the country a world leader in global trade and finance, all the while many Americans have been forced into stark poverty. All in the name of democracy.

Now is the time to either look to the future or glance back to the past. Your vote will move the United States into a bright future for your fellow Americans or we can just remain in the past and suffer the slings and arrows of our choice. We are facing two wars that seem to have NO end, we are in the middle of a horrible economic crisis and a crumbling infrastructure; your vote will decide where the country will go and how it will face the growing number of problems.

By all means–get out and vote! This is your ONLY chance to influence the direction of the country. Make It Count!

Politicalsynthesis

politicalsynthesis

If photosynthesis is nourishment from a light source, then using the same logic, politicalsynthesis is deriving nourishment from politics.  OMG I am a news geek!  THis time of the political season becomes an all consuming desire to digest all the political crap I can read, watch, listen to and otherwise obtain.  If it was possible I would lie on a newspaper if I could get the info through osmosis, now if only I could figure out a way to turn news into a liquid.  I will work on that after the election, it will help me with my withdrawal problems.

Normally I am pouring over info/news from around the world looking for trends that could become problems and trying to analyze them to see if there could possibly be a solution.  Then when I think it is safe to read the news–BAM!–it is US election time with debates and sound bytes and accusations and……  Then it is like someone that just got a speed injection–I go into high gear–forsaking all other news for the elections.  I am such a news whore!

I try to get the American people, at least the ones that will listen, to think about their choices.  That the two party system is really not accomplishing a whole lot.  Since Reagan we have gone to the party as the most important aspect of politics and have ignored the country and the people.

With the coming election, my political hunger reaches out to me and drives me to comment on everything that I see.  It is a bit frustrating at times, but with election there is much at stake and I try to get the people to make their determination through knowledge not emotions.  That in itself is a daunting task.

Obama and Patriotism

Stanley Crouch writes in the NY Daily News on this subject.

The most interesting, even thrilling and inspiring thing about what Barack Obama has done to American political discourse is to redefine patriotism. He has taken the definition beyond the familiar body of platitudes that the phoniest of our conservative broadcast journalists and talk show hosts have made their stock in trade. As an extremely sophisticated man and law school graduate, Obama has mastered the basic skill of those in his profession. That is, the ability to create an easily comprehended narrative with compelling facts whenever possible

Instead of bridling at the question, Obama has remade patriotism with the proof that remains in high profile and is easily accessible to those who would like to know or to challenge it. He embraces all of the tragic elements of American history instead of pretending that they are either exaggerated or no more than radical distortions. Obama steps up to them with examples of tough-minded goodwill, courageous action and optimistic foresight that are right there on the historical record.

Yes, we had slavery, but we also had the abolition movement, Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Yes, we had the terrible treatment of blue-collar workers by fat cats who were not above hiring ruffians and killers to either assault or murder the men who complained about working conditions and bad pay. Yes, the right to unionize and use collective bargaining also emerged, as did women getting the vote, the defeat of European fascism during World War II and the destruction of unconstitutional law.

Memory of our social tragedies or those periods when our most despicable beliefs perverted our national principles is a subject that conservatives don’t like to talk about or even hear brought up. Those who do will be accused of being unpatriotic, ungrateful or hating America.

Such people will never understand the new patriotism of this startling Democrat who has snatched the flag from them and is waving it in a new way. As I have said before, doctors who either have a cure or are on the verge of discovering one never fear public discussion of a terrible disease. They know that they can either handle it right now or will soon be able to. That is what makes Barack Obama so impressive at this moment.