13 Search Results for "teabaggers"

• The New American Way - Blind I The New American Way - Blind Ignorance and Hate Filled Bigotry

  • From: thinkingblue
  • Description:

    Thom Hartmann Weighs In On Teabaggers' Scorn and Disrespect For Man With Parkinson's Disease

    I stumbled upon the Thom Hartmann Show on Free Speech TV a few months back. Since I had heard of Mr. Hartmann on Air America but really never tuned in… I allowed this channel to remain for awhile so I could see what Thom had to say. I’ve been hooked ever since. Not in the sense that the followers of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are HOOKED by: Blind Ignorance and Hate Filled Bigotry; I’m captivated by Thom Hartmann’s ideas and beliefs because of my desire for knowledge. This man has so much knowledge you have to wonder how he can retain it all. He takes phone calls then supports the callers’ questions or statements with his voluminous experience and perception. Many times he will get a question or suggestion and you can almost see the wheels go to work inside his head, admitting he may not know too much on the subject but will look into it.

    He’s also not afraid to admit he’s wrong unlike the hate mongers on the right. The Becks and Limbaughs (et al) are so sure they know it ALL, they would never back down or act human with a simple “I have no knowledge of that”, or maybe a “I will research that” Not these right-wing-nuts, It’s always “I KNOW and YOU DON’T!” jingle all the way.

    If the right-winded jerks on the right just played their audience (for their listening and viewing pleasure) and that was all there was to it… (Like an evening spent laughing at a comedian in some night club, then you go home) there would be no problem. But their devotees get so riled by the constant baneful and deadly rhetoric that spews from their TVs or radios that their newly found hatefulness spills out onto the streets and they group together and slap a label on themselves like… TEABAGGER (thinking somehow they are aligning with the Boston Tea Party patriots). Now armed with this talk radio/ TV hatred they’re out for blood and anyone on the left is their target, whether it be a Parkinson diseased man or a small boy who just lost his mother to a disease because she had no health insurance. The rest is TEABAG history! thinkingblue aka thethinkingblue

     

    Raucous, ugly buildup to House health care vote
    By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer Alan Fram, Associated Press Writer
    Sat Mar 20, 9:20 pm ET
    
    WASHINGTON – House Democrats heard it all Saturday — words of inspiration from President Barack Obama and raucous chants of protests from demonstrators. And at times it was flat-out ugly, including some racial epithets aimed at black members of Congress.
    
    Most of the day's important work leading up to Sunday's historic vote on health care was being done behind closed doors. Democratic leaders cajoled, bargained and did what they could to nail down the votes they will need to finally push Obama's health care overhaul bill through the House.
    
    But much else about the day was noisy, emotional and right out in the open. After more than a year debating the capstone of Obama's domestic agenda and just hours to go before the showdown vote, there was little holding back.
    
    The tone was set outside the Capitol. Clogging the sidewalks and streets of Capitol Hill were at least hundreds — no official estimate was yet available — of loud, furious protesters, many of them tea party opponents of the health care overhaul.
    
    Rallies outside the Capitol are typically orderly, with speeches and well-behaved crowds. Saturday's was different, with anger-fueled demonstrators surrounding members of Congress who walked by, yelling at them.
    
    "Kill the bill," the largely middle-aged crowd shouted, surging toward lawmakers who crossed the street between their office buildings and the Capitol. MORE HERE
    
    Associated Press writers Charles Babington and Christine Simmons contributed to this report.

    ---------------

    15 Executives Who Get Paid Millions To Deny You Health Care Coverage
    The business model of American health insurers is basically: try to get healthy customers as clients, and then resist as long as possible when it comes to paying out claims.

    That’s actually not an indictment or a criticism.

    It’s just the way our system works, and its screwed up.

    Whatever you feel about Obamacare (HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM), you probably think our current system needs reform in some sense.

    MEET THEM HERE

     

    RNC Document Mocks Donors, Plays on 'Fear'

    Watch Thom Hartmann on Freespeech TV

    New Robes For SCOTUS

    Please sign this very important petition "demand question time"
    (of our political leaders) HERE...
    We really need more dialog from those at the top...
    The Republicans have got to be made to realize they can't hide behind "NO"
    any longer! thinkingblue

    
    MOVE TO AMEND

    Let's keep our heads, while we continue to watch THE
    THEATER OF THE ABSURD!!!
    
    "A SEARCH FOR TRUTH WILL FIND INJUSTICE."
    thinkingblue

    

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  • 6 months ago
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• The Internet is Giving me Caus The Internet is Giving me Cause for Hope

  • From: Natural Lefty
  • Description:

    March 17, 2010

    Education is Progressive Part 12: The Internet is Giving me Cause for Hope

    There is plenty of cause for despair among seekers of truth and freedom. "Freedom of the press" was enshrined in the U.S. Consitution as a principle of our nation from its inception. However, our so-called free press does not seem so free anymore. Propaganda has bloomed all around -- in advertisements, radio, and even newspapers and news television. People with excess money have long since figured out, with or without help from marketing researchers, that propaganda is effective, as long as it is not labelled as such. What is actually mind-numbing propaganda is labelled as "news," "advertisements," "information," "time-honored tradition," or entertainment based on "true events." Over time, media outlets have become more and more effective at using propaganda rather than facts to influence public opinion. Since the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, the door to monied interests, even foreign ones, has been thrown even wider open. Meanwhile, even our textbooks are subject to the vagaries of the conservative dominated Texas School Board, for reasons which are bizarrely puzzling to me. Why don't we have the California School Board decide what to put in textbooks? After all, this is the most populous state. We should have textbook industries, and authors, more broadly distributed. (By the way, textbooks are overpriced, and virtually all from Texas, along with many of their authors -- just what I would expect from a Texas dominated industry, though.)

    Where is one to turn for unbiased information? Thank God, we have the internet to turn to. At least for the time being, the internet is relatively open, and we continue to enjoy net neutrality. Of course, people have diverse opinions and points of view which they express on the internet, but these do not represent systematic biases such as presented in the media, biases which serve the purposes of those who control the message. The internet, along with public television and those few media outlets which can be trusted to give good information, serve the public's need for knowledge. The internet has become an adult education tool. As much has been clearly stated to me by several of my internet friends. Educational and informational websites, blogs and personal communications have enlightened a large portion of the public. The internet has helped unite us, and played a crucial role in creating the presidency of Barack Obama. I believe that the internet will continue to play a crucial role in swinging the pendulum of public opinion and politics in a progressive direction in the future.

    At this time, it is the internet which will give us the best opportunity to undo the damage being done by the monied interests who control the messages we are all exposed to. For example, outrage over the Citizens United decision has resulted in popular movements on the internet to protest this decision and counteract its effects. Groups opposed to this decision have been forming and growing on social networking sites such as Facebook. Such groups make great sources of free information. Similarly, groups in favor of comprehensive health care reform -- something that would give us guaranteed low-cost health care as enjoyed in other nations -- have been growing on the internet. On the other hand, conservative movements such as the Teabaggers have certainly been aided by the internet, but the primary point is that the internet aids in open communication and the exchange of information, even between adversaries. Just recently, I had an adversarial discussion on Facebook with a high school student who is a "free-market" conservative type who insisted that we live in a constitutional republic, which according to him, precludes our nation from being a representative democracy. Since my wife and I recently bought a new car, which actually has a radio that works well, I discovered that there is a local conservative radio station. What I listened to has made me angry enough to seriously consider invading some conservative websites to provide an alternate viewpoint. Why do I hear conservatives on progressive radio programs, but never hear progressives on conservative ones? It has also given me some ideas for blog posts.

    Also, I have discovered NPR (National Public Radio), which at times seems distressingly wedded to free-market economics ideology, while at other times, has encouragingly progressive programming. One of the most encouraging segments I have listened to was about how many parts of the U.S. still lack broadband internet access, with perhaps 1/3 of the U.S. population being so affected, myself included, even though I live in a city of at least 150,000-200,000 people. (We'll know better after the census information is in.) The show highlighted Trinity County at the northern end of California, a beautiful area I have been to on occasion. There is no broadband access in the entire county. Why? AT & T has deemed the project too unprofitable to go ahead with. An elementary school in Trinity County hooked up cable access to the internet for $5,000, but it doesn't even work properly. This documentary clearly put the blame at the feet of large communications companies such as AT&T (making me think about quitting my AT&T phone service). Clearly, government intervention is needed, was the implication of the show, which was touting a proposal by the Obama administration to create broadband access nationwide. This will make the internet even more powerful as a public educational resource and instrument of progress than it already is.

    As long as we keep the internet a tool for open communication, it will remain one of our best, if not the best, tool for people power. The internet is the ultimate tool of public education, as well as the ultimate tool of populism. Of course, we could always use allies in the media, but on the internet, the people control the message, not the media. Ultimately, they will have to listen to us.

    The future is here, and it is called the internet. May we use it to create an ever more educated electorate.

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  • 6 months ago
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• USA - Doctors Over Testing Ove USA - Doctors Over Testing Over Treating

  • From: thinkingblue
  • Description:

    

    HERE WE GO AGAIN!

    Another study proving doctors are over testing and over prescribing. NO SHIT!

    These studies pop up now and then but nothing happens to change the nefarious doctoring methods here in the good ole US of A. Maybe for a short period but then it’s business as usual. 

    I remember a time when pediatricians’ handed out prescriptions for antibiotics to every child with a case of the sniffles. As a young mother I was led to believe that if I didn’t give my child this “miracle” drug they would surely die. My kids had this potion pumping through their veins at least 2 or 3 times a year. Then, sometime later, it was found that this over treating was causing the antibiotics not to be so ANTI anymore and bacterials were turning into HULKS, so it stopped!  Nice, after I raised my kids on the stuff! I’m so cynical now, that I BELIEVE ‘NUTTIN HONEY’!

    BTW, to you teabaggers bellowing "HANDS OFF MY HEALTHCARE!". What healthcare? Oh, you mean the one that uses your body as a guinea pig to increase “THEIR” wealth? thinkingblue  

    Experts say US doctors overtesting, overtreating

    By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner,
    
    CHICAGO – Too much cancer screening, too many heart tests, too many cesarean sections. A spate of recent reports suggest that too many Americans — maybe even President Barack Obama — are being overtreated.
    
    Is it doctors practicing defensive medicine? Or are patients so accustomed to a culture of medical technology that they insist on extensive tests and treatments?
    
    A combination of both is at work, but now new evidence and guidelines are recommending a step back and more thorough doctor-patient conversations about risks and benefits.
    
    As a medical journal editorial said this week about Obama's recent checkup, Americans including the commander in chief need to realize that "more care is not necessarily better care."
    
    Obama's exam included prostate cancer screening and a virtual colonoscopy. The PSA test for prostate cancer is not routinely recommended for any age and colon screening is not routinely recommended for patients younger than 50. Obama is 48. MORE HERE
    
    ___
    On the Net:
    The National Institutes of Health: http://bit.ly/a8c7P0
    The American Cancer Society: http://bit.ly/9w0fli
    Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making: http://www.informedmedicaldecisions.org

     

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  • 6 months ago
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• Ode To The Teabaggers Ode To The Teabaggers

  • From: cajundave
  • Description:

    This is a song I wrote giving my take on the teabaggers.

  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 206

• Anti-ACORN O'Keefe: Ugly soul Anti-ACORN O'Keefe: Ugly soul of Tea-baggers

  • From: c2crev
  • Description:

    The 25 year-old "darling" of the Right reveals how ambitiously the new generation political dirty tricksters wish to out-do the old "plumbers" from Nixon's CREEP. The Washington Post alone exposed the truth, but the entire world of US journalism in 1972 helped Nixon, Mitchell, Haldeman, Colson, etc. to hide it from the voters. They were all on board with the intent to re-elect the President (Nixon). Dark were the souls of the criminal traitors, Nixon-through-Liddy and Bork. Darker still these young, new, ambitious zealots whose only fidelity is to the destruction of the right for all Americans to vote.

    What will happen to them? Too cute to go to prison? will Fox defend them as "true patriots?"

    Since the bad old Watergate days, and since the "Supremes" legalized coporatizing the control of media and elections, won't we be most likely to see these 2010 "plumbers" freed, legitimated and turned into celebrities by the Persuasion Masters of corporate broadcasting and print? I give it a news life cycle of a week. then hidden successfully this time because there are no Woodwards and Bersteins left. Pity.

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
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• Night of the Long Knives Night of the Long Knives

  • From: liberalman
  • Description:

    Remember June 30, 1934.  The Socialist, the Left in Germany had joined with the Far-Right to work together to take down the government.  After the they succeeded, on that night, the Right turned on the Left, actually killing them (85 officially, but many more by accounts, and hundreds imprisoned).  Let's NOT be naive and repeat mistakes of the past - Let's challenge the Right ! - Truth, Justice, History and Ethics are on our side, we need to educate, and be in-your-face with it - Democracy needs to be defended, not try to appease those that clearly do not have the interest of the people.  Join progressive organization, speak the truth to co-workers, friends etc.

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  • 8 months ago
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• Be careful whom we attack Be careful whom we attack

  • From: KentheEnchanter
  • Description:

    Dear Thom (and, frankly, most of the progressives):

    You are spending a great deal of time attacking Obama lately.  You may want to rethink that.

    First, let me assure you that I pretty much agree with your assessment of the Senate Health Care bill, to the extent we know it.  I'm deeply disappointed in the caving to Lieberman (may he be forever scorned), Big Pharma, and the Health Care Terrorists.  I was really excited about the proposal to extend Medicare to a younger group (I love to think of myself as younger), which really would have been (and may yet be) the camel's nose for Single Payer, Medicare for All.

    But if we kill this bill, how likely is it that the next congress will be more receptive to health insurance reform?  If we weaken Obama, will the next president be Dennis Kucinich?  Or will it be Sarah Palin or Mike Huckabee or John Thune?  I think you know the latter is more likely.

    I'm not happy, but things would be dramatically scarier under McCain/Palin, and we need to remember that. 

    We need to remember how bad things were under Bush...and we need to recall that Obama didn't campaign as a Progressive...he campaigned as a pragmatist who wanted bipartisan rule.  He's not a King, and he has to work within the existing governmental framework. 

    Frankly, I prefer that to the Dick Cheney approach--even if that means we can't get what the nation needs, because he has to deal with an opposition that will oppose everything he proposes, even if they have to take opposite sides from one week to the next, and his own party that is in fact a Big Tent with folks in it who are a lot harder to render obedient.

    Obama is not the Best of All Possible Worlds.  But, for the moment, he's the best we got, and we're not likely to get better until we get

    a)  dramatic campaign finance reform and

    b)  breakup of the corporate media oligarchy that controls the flow of information.  That's why there are so many Low Information Voters out there!

    We progressives, and dems in general, have just about perfected the Circular Firing Squad, but I'd really like not to convene that again.  The stakes are too great.

    Every time I hear the Teabaggers talk about starting a separate party from the Republicants, I smile.

    Every time I hear a progressive talk about leaving the Democratic Party and voting with a third party, Karl Rove smiles.

    Thanks for reading.

    P.S.:  It is, however, time to do away with the filibuster.  It's being abused by the Republicants...it was designed to protect from the tyranny of the majority, not as a tool to obstruct everything!  Where is Alan Grayson when we need him (Oh!  He's in Florida with me!  May the Great Goddess bless him!)

     

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  • 9 months ago
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• What happened at the Town Hall What happened at the Town Hall e2

  • From: Dissident_Priest
  • Description:

         The Puget Sound Ballroom at the Kitsap County Conference Center holds a comfortable 750.  It will hold upwards of that; just not comfortably.  That was the situation I found myself in when I attended Norm Dicks' town hall meeting on Health Care reform; uncomfortable, crowded, and completely outnumbered.

         As i have indicated in previous posts, I expected the turn-out to be on the small size.  I also expected the majority of the attendees to be right-wing in philosophy.  I guess 1 out of 2 isn't bad.  So there I was, in the back row of the main seating area, people pressing close all around.  My initial reaction was of extreme happiness.  I was so excited to see so many people.  I was also very happy to see a substantial number of young people (20 somethings) in attendance.  Grinning broadly, I took my seat and began observing democracy in action.

         The signs were MANY.  Before the Congressman began speaking, the sign holders paraded through the assembly hall with their respective literatures held high.  People cheered and hooted.  I remained silent.  Why? At least 90% of the signing was straight from the Glen Beck show and Michael Savage.  I knew it was going to be like this.  I used to live in Bremerton, and I will defend my opinion when I say the average educational level is just shy of the 8th grade.  I know this sounds condescending, and it is; but, I will stand by it.

         Signs and people, screams and shouts.  Lots of cheering, and a smell.  Yes a smell.  I actually noticed it as soon as I entered the building, but I could not place it.  Not being accustomed to fear myself, I had a hard time identifying it's rank odor.  The crowd was covered in it, and it was contagious.

         Everything was going pretty well until I saw this sign,  "No more DEATH by SPREADSHEET; HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT".

         Finally, I saw my people; my side.  I let out a bellow of encouragement.  Now, I have a deeper voice, and I know how to project it well (thank my time in event management and security for that), but the reaction of the people around me was beyond a response to the volume of my vocalization.  They looked at me in disgust.  It was at this point that I realized I was DEEP behind enemy lines and cut-off.  Apparently, I should have got there earlier.  Apparently, the audience had split itself (naturally?) in the room with pro in one corner and the anti side everywhere else.  It was at this point that I realized the pro health care reform side had maybe 100 people there, and they were about 600 people away from me.  Did I mention the ballroom holds 750 comfortably, and that we were packed in there like sardines?

         Chairs shifted, people shuffled; and, I found myself with a little breathing and elbow room.  AWESOME! Then I saw this sign, being carried by a man, wearing veterans regalia, who was older than dirt itself.

         "Keep your GOVERNMENT HANDS out of MY HEALTH CARE!".

         I want to take a moment to explain how these signs were in procession.  The holders of the signs would start at the back center of the hall, and then proceed down the middle aisle.  Once they reached the front, they would break either right or left, and then circle the room.  Generally, the crowd would hoot and holler for a sign once it reached about dead center of the main aisle, and continue their acclamations until the holder reached about 10 feet from the corner before beginning their retreat down the side of the room.  Then there would be a general drop in volume.

         So I see this ancient veteran's sign, and I wait for that pause, that drop in volume.  Now as i have stated, I am not accustomed to fear; and, I will stipulate that I may not be accustomed to intelligence either, so when that pause happened I sounded off.

         "If you don't want the government's hands in your health care, maybe you should give up your Medicare and Veteran's rights."

         OOPS! Next thing I know, I have a giant of a man (I'm 6'1" and 225 lbs), with Semper Fie encircling his bicep, in my face and waiving a meaty digit at me.

         "That man is a VETERAN!", he says as he waves that fillangee 2 inches from my nose.

         "Get that sausage out of my face." I say.

    He looked at me like I was ready to fight him (which I was), and he was looking forward to it.

         "That man risked his LIFE for this COUNTRY!"

         "I know SIR," I say. "And, if I had my way he would never pay a single tax again in his life."

    This shocked him.  His finger dropped and he leaned back with a puzzled look on his face.  I pressed my advantage.

         "Look man, his sign says he doesn't want government run healthcare right? I am just trying to point out that he HAS government run health care already; and, his sign makes no sense!"

    This seemed to work, at least it worked enough to get him off of me and let an old lady take his place.

         "You should just shut-up!" She says. "You don't know what you're talking about."

         "Did you just tell me to shut-up?"

         "You heard me. Just shut your stupid mouth!"

    Now, I'm arrogant.  I'll admit it.  THIS is MY WORLD, and that kind of attitude needs to be put in check.

         "Telling me to "Shut-up" in a public town meeting seems pretty un-American to me lady.  Maybe you've never heard of the freedom of speech?" I counter.

         "Your generation knows nothing about what it means to be American.  You are all just a bunch of lazy idiots who will destroy this country.  Freedom of speech? No one wants to hear you, shut-up!"

    Well that was the last straw for me, so I retorted with,

         "You know what lady . . .you sold me.  I came here wanting to make sure you got health care.  But now I don't. In fact, I used to care about you and your well being, but now I just really don't care whether you continue drawing breath.  Enjoy the influenza, I hope it doesn't infect your grandkids. And, lady? The BITCH about freedom of speech is that it allows ME to say things you disagree with; and, makes you THINK I give a damn about your opinion."

         Now I know I should have kept my temper.  I know I should have "respected" my elders.  But, respect is a 2-sided street, and this old bitty was taking her half out of the middle.  It was rude, but it worked.  Next to me on my right was a couple a little older than me.  They introduced themselves as "tea-baggers". 

         I told them, "I'm an angry liberal.  So I must be a failed abortion right?" 

         Once again, very rude. But I thought for sure I was going to get jumped in the parking lot by granny and her marine goon; and, lacking in intelligent self-preservation skills I figured "The more the merrier. I'll go out taking company." They laughed at my self description and asked if they could "use it".  I told them, I did not mind as long as they didn't use it against liberals.  I told them liberals were self-abusing enough without getting any help from the right-wing.  They laughed at this as well.  I started to feel confused.  Why was I suddenly denigrating myself and my side?  Was their fear THAT contagious? Alone, I waited for the Congressman.

         When Norm Dicks made his speech he lost any hope of winning over this crowd.  I think there was only a small hope to begin with.  His lack of leadership was first evidenced in his lack of eye contact.  He read everything, and, I found this very odd since he presumably had given a similar speech about 3 hours before.  He did cover the bases of the proposed health care legislation.  He did try to combat the misinformation by presenting the "truth" about the death panels, and killing granny and all that hooplah.  He stated his support for a "Public Option".  Then he opened the floor for questions.

         My hand immediately went up, and stayed up for the next hour.  I did not get to pose a question.  In fact, nobody in my age range did.  I heard a lot of "questions" from seniors (they were the majority age group), and I heard some "questions" posed by teenagers and 20 somethings, but none from the middle.  There were quite a few of us (30-50s) present, and it looked like every last one of us had a question, but none of us got the opportunity to ask them.  I found this odd, since we do represent the working class more than an 18 year old does, or a man in his 70s.

          For the most part, the questions were barely questions.  Much of what I heard was angry, scared people spitting their confusion and fear.  There were some good questions asked (about 6) but, the majority of it was regurgitation of misinformation.  It's like they did not even listen to the Congressman's, albeit poorly given, introduction speech.  Their wheels were spinning; but, the hampster died a long time ago. I was very quick on that good old vocal trigger when Norm deferred answering, or tried to whitewash with non-pertinent distraction. Hell . . . I was probably more vocal than "the opposition" whenever Norm did not answer a question that was a valid question.

         "You didn't answer the question Norm!" i'd shout out.  "Why won't you answer the question Norm?"

         Remember that old bitty? She started giving me grins.  The proclaimed "tea-baggers" next to me gave me high fives.  It was becoming surreal.  Semper Fie? He nodded at me.  Getting weirder.  Then it hit me.  I was part of them all of a sudden. Tt least, a part of the part.  Why? 

         The tea-baggers asked me what question I wanted to ask.  I told them I was interested in term limits and campaign finance reform.  They literally beemed at me.  They asked me what I thought of Obama and the Democrats.  I told them, I was having difficulty distinguishing between the two parties anymore; and, that Obama was looking like Bush-lite.  More high fives, and I hear "old bitty" tell her neighbor, "Maybe he's not an asshole."  Then, about 8 of us had our own little debate in the back of the room.  What was the conclusion of our debate? We agreed that Americans had fallen asleep at the wheel, and let our democracy slip away.  We also concluded that none of us trusted the elected officials anymore.  It was very weird; and, very fun.  We did not disrupt anybody around us, and we all were looking at each other differently by the time Norm Dicks did his next great feat of bad leadership . . . he let the crowd form Mob.

         Now anyone who has been in a crowd gone "mob" will verify my next statements.  Anyone who has held jobs in crowd management, security, the military, education, or policing will further verify my statements that The Mob is a creature in and of itself.  It is a loosely domesticated animal, that still remembers, clearly, it's wild days.  Left unchecked, The Mob destroys civilizations.  Left unchecked, The Mob eats itself.

         The mob that began forming in the Puget Sound Ballroom was far from destructive.  But, it definitely formed.  Norm Dicks caused it by not sternly putting in-check the fear by displaying a strong, and resolute front.  Maybe he felt fear himself.  I do not know.  What I do know is that he lost control and that crowd got VERY LOUD!  People got to their feet.  Chanting started.

         "You go first! You go first!"  (This was a response, to Norm's response, or lack there of, to a question about, I will paraphrase, "If the proposed health care reform is so good, how come the government is not taking it for themselves?)

          Then Norm made his retreat.  I made mine as well.

         I have had some time to internalize this experience.  I have shared it with my friends, and with myself, and, I have come to a few understandings:

         1) Norm Dicks has a horrible public presence, and after seeing him, and "feeling" him, I question his honesty and sincerity.  In this town hall meeting Mr. Dicks gave me the impression that he did not care enough about the issue to try and dissuade or educate his constituency.  Or, he intentionally wanted the reaction.  I have heard many people say. "Some people you will never convince." I understand this in the world of lay-men and common man. But, imagine if your doctor was unable to convince you to take a course of action, or your teacher was unable to convince you that they understood the knowledge they were trying to impart.  A politician should never buckle under to the assumption that some of his constituency can not be reached, informed, or made to be involved; it shows bad leadership.

         2) This entire debate is based entirely too much around the financing of it.  Personally, I can not see how you can equate the life or functionality of a human being to money; but, from what I understand the finance requirements and stipulations are:

          a) The CBO has stated that it will cost around $1.6 trillion over 10 years to insure every American, or $160 billion per year.

         b) The plan, as proposed leaves $30 billion per year uncollected, and the Congress is trying to resolve where it is going to come from.

         c) This is to fund a public option and create the needed regulatory offices/positions.  This is NOT how we would fund a single payer system.

         That $160 billion a year, spread out across every citizen (using 360 million as population count), equals $444.44 per year, or $37.04 per month. Yup! That's it folks!  You're telling me you wouldn't spend that to make sure that every person in your society had health care?  If you say, "no", you are heartless, and we must (in my simple opinion) view you as a threat to our society.  Personally, I'd rather see us cut our defense spending by 20% and put that into health care.  The point is this. . . .DO NOT LET THEM MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR POCKETBOOK IN THIS DEBATE! IT IS MOOT!

    3) One of the few actual questions I heard was regarding what Norm Dicks thought about term limits.  He LAUGHED and waved his hand at the man asking.  "Ha, ha! I'm opposed." he said.  This is the response that began to make me really qestion his honesty.  I think he should of said, "Well . . .what do you think of term limits?"  It really has been an issue that kinda fell by-the-wayside, and I wonder what people think.  Isn't that what Norm is supposed to wonder too?  He is a REPRESENTATIVE of the people.  This aside, it gave me a bad taste in my mouth.  Especially since Norm Dicks has been in office for 33 years, and is the first Congressman in history to get appointed to the Ways and Means committee his first year.  How do you do that?  I wonder.

     

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  • 1 year ago
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• Protesters Protesters

  • From: magstar
  • Description:

    It sure is different seeing the "teabaggers" and townhall GOP backed protesters vs. the protesters of the last 8 years of the Bush Administration.  These recent idiots are allowed to rant, squawk, scream, jump up and down, etc. and they get all kinds of news coverage, attention and support from our wonderful mainstream media and the speakers at the events even seem to tolerate them.

    When there were thousands protesting against the Iraq War and at the GOP Convention, they were either ignored by the most of the news media or forced out of the event as quietly as possible and/or arrested.

    Interesting difference isn't it?

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  • 1 year ago
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• Nur das Morgenrot ist falsch. Nur das Morgenrot ist falsch.

  • From: Bernalillo Steve
  • Description:

    What is breaking over America is a false dawn.  We see the wreckage of the very vitals of a productive economy, sapped and all but liquidated after thirty years of carelessness.  Unlike the belligerents in World War II, we are not left with rubble about to remind us of the damage.  We pretend that all is the same as it has ever been.

    • We plan our rescue over the next ten years on borrowed money.  But who will lend?  We do not even ask this question - borrowing is simply just done, executed by the Treasury and the Fed.
    • We pretend that demand will fix our perils.  But demand is easy to generate, for it is limitless.  If we demand more now, we shall have more later, we imagine.  The rest of the world may not agree.  It is tired of our demands.  It does not see them oas the engine of economy, but rather the petulance of a small child that never grew up.  We are the Peter Pan of the world.
    • We imagine that more dollars will fix our problems.  I truly fear more dollars, for that is the symptom of international collapse.  When and if the rest of the world sickens of the dollar, it will return them to the US in exchange for tangible assets.  If our country becomes awash in ten times the amount of money in circulation that it has presently, then demand will soar - far ahead of supply.  That is inflation.  Yes, our housing prices will be rescued!  Perhaps even double!  Our incomes will soar, and everyone shall become a millionaire - and be taxed as such.  But when the twenty-dollar loaf of bread must be bought, or the $150,000 automobile....

    The conditions of resentment, selfishness, frustration and unemployment brought to rise the Fascist party in Italy, the unspeakable Nazi's of Germany, the militarists of empire in Japan.  We seem to wish to try it ourselves at home.  The tea-baggers look a lot more funny when they are not wearing brown uniforms and singing the Horst Wessel song.

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  • 1 year ago
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• Albuquerque Baggers. Albuquerque Baggers.

  • From: Bernalillo Steve
  • Description:

    Having driven by the local corner where the 'baggers were congregating on Montaño and Louisiana, I was most disgruntled to be the recipient of a He-Ne laser shined in my face - just randomly.  I guess that standing about with idiot signs was not enough, the crowd had to annoy the local drivers.  What pests.

    Damnfool 'bagger quote of the day:

    You are taxing away my children's future!

    Sorry, but it's DEFICITS not TAXES we are most concerned about - almost had a thought, there. Let's ELIMINATE taxes and see how the kiddies do, 'kay? (Of course they might not get a lot of an education, except maybe a little home-skooling)

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  • 1 year ago
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• Teabagging and its vicissitude Teabagging and its vicissitudes.

  • From: Bernalillo Steve
  • Description:

    There is something palpably noxious and phony about the celebration of teabaggery scheduled for today, but the particulars are rather evanescent.  The whole shebang reeks of being scripted by the Armey-Gingrich lot, who have developed Astroturf-movements to an art form.

    It smacks of faux-genteel snobbishness, of putting on airs - hardly the element of real American protest, which tends towards the gritty and confrontational, when it has been demonstrated - which is indeed long, long ago.

    The central purpose seems to be the demonstration of partisan effrontery towards the possibilities of discomfort.  No matter one's political bent, there has been a clear degradation of this country as an economic, political and social entity over the last few decades.  The apparent origin is the desire to obtain unmerited luxuries unearned by real effort or productivity.  The Teabaggers would tend to agree, excepting that the principle example of carelessness in governance is the bleeding-out of this country's resources in the creation of a useless and wasteful Armory for the Department of Defense, in spite of the absence of something to defend against.

    We have spent, I am sure, many times what it took us to arm against the Nazi's and the Japanese Empire during WWII.  This time, it is spent in crafting expensive toys against an un-identifiable threat.

    Teabaggery is the effete insistence that We wish these things, but We are unwilling to pay for them.  The consequences of such actions in history are an unexcepted law - the collapse of the civilization which insists upon this course.  We do not care.  We wish for what we wish for, and the price be damned.  The consequence - that the United States will collapse into ruin - is of no consequence to the Teabaggers, by the simple mental exercise that We disagree with the conclusion, and therefore have no responsibility for its inevitable arrival.  When and if the collapse of the United States occurs, the Teabaggers will harrumph, and like the inter-war Germans of the Weimar, search for the stab-in-the-back that caused America to fail.  Here, as in Weimar Germany, there is no stab-in-the-back, other than the possible prickling of a degenerate shard of conscience, for the consequences of our idiot actions.

    This, then, is Teabaggery.  We shall soberly mail out a little paper capsule of plant products to our Representatives, insisting that We do not wish to pay for things as they are - but We could care less about changing them.  It is indeed a vote for stay-the-course, disguised as protest. 

    Little is spoken in our history of the mind of the Tory during the American Revolution.  What we know of it is recited in calumny and insult in the various pamphlets of rebellion.  We did manage to pass by the Tories of the American Colonies, many of whom fled.

    Drive the Devil out of your own garden, and you find him in the garden of your son.

     That is a "Persian" aphorism, and apt for America today.  As we drove the body of Tories from the Republic, we see the mind of the Tory creep now into our governance, and in large numbers.  We defeated Toryism then, but I doubt that we will do much against it now, for we are a far weaker and more selfish people; to the ruination of our Republic, perhaps.

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  • 1 year ago
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• The Tea Party The Tea Party

  • From: phred42
  • Description:

    Speaks for itself, doesn't it?

  • 1 year ago
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