Sinfest

nathan · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 6269

My mistake. I forgot that corporations and CEOs are technically people.

I stand corrected.
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All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last. - Marky Mark Proust

Major Tom · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 7562

don't know i can say i just 'figured this out,' but a couple of things just coalesced for me --

republicans wish they could poo-poo the separation of church and state, because one of their favorite mottoes is
"government helps those who can help themselves"

nathan · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 6269

I like that you use the phrase "poo poo."

Did you know the Hawaiians refer to hot hors d'oeuvres as "heavy pupus"? My family imported the phrase via an aunt and it has since led to several unintentionally awkward situations.
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All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last. - Marky Mark Proust

Major Tom · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 7562

"that's not dinner conversation, dear... that's pre-dinner conversation"

CB00 · Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 1:25 am Post subject:

The Highlord · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 555

Oh no, plenty of them are angry about foreign spending too. They aren't smart enough to realize that foreign spending is a relatively minor part of our budget though, so it's become part of that "cut the spending," platform that is ludicrous in its inability to do enough. Cut $4 trillion out of the deficit? That's simple, just.. uh.. close loopholes, and reduce foreign aid, and get rid of medicaid abuse! The other 98% of that $4 trillion can fuck off!
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There is a luxury to self-reproach.

mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 15474 Location: under the bed

i'm basically happy with the results for california - so, so happy we won't have whitman and fiorina to deal with. my lobbyist congressman of course got reelected, but the props to do redistricting via committee, rather than legislature, seem to have gone the right way - we will see if that doesn't shake out some of those ultra-safe districts. most of the props when the right way, in fact, except 26 (i think it was 26) - the one that requires a 2/3 majority to increase certain 'fees' (like, the ones charge to oil companies for cleaning up their own messes). but at least we no longer need a 2/3 majority to pass a budget - maybe we'll even get a sensible one.

and i can't decide what this will mean for 2012. my basic optimist says the economy has got to be improved by then, and if it is, the republicans will try to take credit, particularly if they manage to make their save-the-wealthy-from-teh-evil-taxes plan permanent (when is someone going to start asking where all the jobs we've been promised those tax cuts will deliver are? it's only been 10 years, now....). the alternative is too ugly - the reps get their plans in place and the economy crashes. particularly since the republicans are against any sort of social welfare thing, like, say, extending unemployment benefits, or holding the banks' toes to the fire to handle mortgages and foreclosures legally. lot of people are going to be in a lot of hurt, if the economy stagnates another two years.

it will be amusing to see how tea partiers deal with some of the realities of governing....like raising the debt ceiling. this congress may spare them swallowing that pill immediately, if they handle it in the lame-duck session....but eventually, those people are going to have to deal with the fact that shutting the government down isn't really a good thing.
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aka: neverscared!

Sam · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 8840

Sam · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 8840

mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 15474 Location: under the bed

the main-stream republicans know it...i'm wondering how the teapartiers will explain voting for it to their constituents. many of whom seem to have an alarmingly poor grasp of that little thing some of us like to call 'reality'.
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aka: neverscared!

Usagi Miyamoto · Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 7:16 am Post subject:

nathan · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 6269

Granted, but contrary to Sam I do think there is an ideological component at work here. Many on the right honestly do view the social safety net as parasitic programs that, while helping some, are a net detriment to the nation's health.

As an aside, I suspect the emotional basis for this is an unshakable feeling that the poor are themselves parasites, and fundamentally lazy and antagonistic to the "higher" classes. After all, it's hard not to believe in the meritocracy when you yourself are a sitting congressman in the most influential nation in the world.
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All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last. - Marky Mark Proust

Arc Tempest · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 4567 Location: Oregon

I believe it's called Horatio Alger syndrome. Being poor is clearly a sin because 'Merica is the land of opportunity and anyone not doing well is entirely at fault for it.

What's bizarre is that it pops up in poor folks too (they always exclude themselves of course).
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The older I get, the more certain I become of one thing. True and abiding cynicism is simply a form of cowardice.