That really ought to be a squirt gun he’s holding, to illuminate the utter uselessness of even his rage.

The fact is Bob Owens has hit the Raill on the head.

Ted Rall is the new Michael Moore.

If only he was fat.

Thank you, Ted Rall, for proving precisely why the Founding Fathers felt so strongly about the right of the people to bear arms that they felt it second in importance only to the freedom of speech and religion.

Well, except for the fact that rightards like The Perfect BBQ Grill Storm do not respect the freedom of speech or religion, and the only Constitutional amendments which count are the 2nd and 10th, the 14th and 16th are flatly un-Constitutional, and Article 1 is illegitimate because we don’t need no legislating Congress because the Constitution is just like a computer program which tells you everything to do and it’s just up to Republican Presidents and the Supreme Court to tell you what to do.

which is exactly what MSNBC does. They love him, just as they love Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, Khomeini, etc. etc.

Yep, that’s why MSNBC has consistently advocated reeducation camps for anybody making over the median household income, as well as liquidation of the kulaks as a class. Holiday in fucking Cambodia, dude!

The irony is that healthcare reform still hasn’t passed. The wealthcare bill was about taking money and care from the middle class, the poor, and the elderly and giving money to the HMOs, the health insurers, and the rich bastards who speculate in their stocks. It was the same legislation the Republicans would have passed.

I wonder what Goober McGooberson would think if some liberal went reverse-Adkisson in some Assembly of God church…

By the way, the type of view Rall pushes which angrily suggests it’s time to rise up and overthrow American abusive power is a bunch of shit, because if anyone does rise up, it will not be the sorts of leftist revolutionaries and outraged screwed people looking to establish a government oriented around helping the majority and not concentrated ultra-wealth — it will be a combination of popular fundamentalist reactionary knock-off fascists, white supremacist thugs, paranoid anti-liberal militias, and ultra-right corporate owners and inherited wealth elites.

Che Guevara thought he could parachute in to a number of countries and take what he thought was the Cuban model and organize a small force of revolutionary fighters to launch a leftist revolution, and every time it turned into a bunch of shit, most embarrassingly his involvement in a Congo rebellion he hadn’t the foggiest clue about. (And most fatally his attempt in Bolivia.)

Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, Khomeini, etc.

Worst Least-challenged law firm ever.

Yes, because the problem with Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot and Khomeini is that they forced their people to have health care.

Least-challenged law firm ever.

The little red retainer? Death to appellate courts? How many divisions does a public defender have?

it will be a combination of popular fundamentalist reactionary knock-off fascists, white supremacist thugs, paranoid anti-liberal militias, and ultra-right corporate owners and inherited wealth elites.

So sort of like now?

Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, Khomeini, etc.

Hitler, Satan, Gargamel, Cobra Commander, etc.

Nor should it be surprising that his rhetoric mirrors that of some of the most dehumanizing rhetoric of the most blood-soaked totalitarian regimes of the past century.

The Confederacy was soaked with tasty mint juleps.

it will be a combination of popular fundamentalist reactionary knock-off fascists, white supremacist thugs, paranoid anti-liberal militias, and ultra-right corporate owners and inherited wealth elites.

Well, like now if any of these guys actually had the stones to start a revolution, which they don’t.

Did you read his bullshit self justification in the comments over there. Either he is extreme self denial or smoking some very strong weed. I know I start to think in contractions when I’m smoking, but never to this extent…

Well, like now if any of these guys actually had the stones to start a revolution, which they don’t need to.

Fuxxxed for great personal liberty and FreedomUSA!!!11!

“Ted Rall and spoiled rich kid radicals like him still fashion themselves as the would-be elites”

Last I checked, Rall drove a cab to pay for his tuition and he’s been to Afghanistan more times than Bubba Conwank and his trick knee.

Ted Rall? What year is this, 2002?

Back then my opinion of Rall was that he read a lot and liked the feel of his own farts slapping out into the breeze. And that, no, actually, he wasn’t much of a threat to our republic.

Little has changed. Except that, now Gun-Countin’ Gomer, listen here- Rall had the nads to go to Afghanistan to see just how their way of life has changed in the past decade. That’s astonishing stuff, really, from some dork who likes to yell at Hannity. Kudos to him. I’m sure you’re just as bold, Cornfed. You’d totally go out on your own and tour the Afghan countryside. (As long as they were no threat to your char-coal greeyull.)

Last I checked, Rall drove a cab to pay for his tuition and he’s been to Afghanistan more times than Bubba Conwank and his trick knee.

He was also an investment banker after graduation, and gave it up because he found it immoral. Walking away from big bucks takes a lot more integrity than TIDOS Wankee will ever have.

Did you read his bullshit self justification in the comments over there. Either he is extreme self denial or smoking some very strong weed. I know I start to think in contractions when I’m smoking, but never to this extent…

I love the parting shot, “Why should any of us take you seriously?” It’s something I read on a regular basis from conservatives arguing with liberals. And it invariably brings to mind this quote;

It is one of the biggest dividing lines between liberals and conservatives: sensitivity. Liberals are supposed to be the sensitive ones, but even the liberals who worked themselves into a froth over George W. Bush never really cared very much about what he thought of them. But conservatives care what President Obama thinks. They care to the point of imagining what he thinks.
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/sore-winners-102710

… and, naturally, they think their insecurities are shared by all.

I apologize for the blow to his ego, but I very much doubt if the person who posted on Johnny Reb’s blog is even remotely concerned with making Johnny Reb take him seriously. I know I wouldn’t. In fact, I’d be slightly concerned if he did.

People, people! That’s et. al., not etc.

By the way, the type of view Rall pushes which angrily suggests it’s time to rise up and overthrow American abusive power is a bunch of shit, because

…it’s Rall, and it’s a schtick. Really, that’s it. Dude knows where his bread is buttered, and yeah, as noted earlier in the comments he turned down a huge piece of toast because he found being a Bankster immoral. I think the man’s the height of hacky prickdom, but at least there’s a soul in there.

Cornfed? Hm.

I wonder if Owens categorizes the American unionization movement, particularly in mine country, as blood-soaked leftist radicalism no better than Stalin or Mao. It certainly was bloody, and they were certainly leftists, but most of the shooting was being done by the Pinkertons or the US Army, so I wonder if it counts. He should definitely go to a bar somewhere in West Virginia and test his thesis out on the local union members.

In the immediate case, I think Rall is wrong. Revolutionaries manning the barricades and prying up the cobblestones to throw at the police are just going to be labeled “terrorists” and get wiped out. What is needed is a slow, generational process. It took the right-wingers forty-plus years to get to this point, and they started with school boards and town councils. The media is obsessed with this meme that “America is a center-right country”, but…well, it kind of is. Any country where a politician can stand up and say, “we need tax cuts to reduce the deficit” or “we don’t need to worry about global warming because God promised Noah not to destroy the world again” without being laughed into the looney bin has got a public opinion problem, not just a politician problem.

Great article, Chris. Spot on.

Shorter TIDOS Wankee: Only conservatives have the right to destroy America in order to save it from the founding fathers!

I think this lurking Canadian knows America better than most Americans.

Except that when polled on individual issues, without labeling them “conservative” or “liberal,” most Americans support the Democratic agenda.

It certainly was bloody, and they were certainly leftists, but most of the shooting was being done by the Pinkertons or the US Army, so I wonder if it counts

I brought that up on a conservative blog years ago, when I was still figuring out what my politics were. The answer is that it was regrettable, but the robber barons had to do it because their lives and hard work were being held hostage by criminal union thugs.

That was one of my first clues that the kind of people in the conservative blogosphere are fucked in the head. But yes, of course they’d characterize it as Stalinism or Maoism. In fact, I’d say they’re far more concerned with it than they ever were with real communist regimes. Remember Goldwater claiming that Walter Reuther was more dangerous for America than Sputnik or anything Soviet Russia might do?

…being a Bankster…

Can I just step in here and say that, while I know this term goes all the way back to Black Thursday, and is a deliberate conflation of Banker and Gangster, it makes one sound a bit like an oveheated douche when one says it?

It’s the moral equivalent of calling the president “Barry” or consistently using his middle name, or calling them “the Democrat party.”

I’ll hop off me soapbox now…

it makes one sound a bit like an oveheated douche when one says it?

Guilty as charged.

Re revolutions;

In general, I’m dubious of them, for most of the same reasons I’m dubious of wars. I do think they can be warranted, but very rarely. In this case, I’m going to skip over whether it’s warranted and go on to a practical observation;

Revolutions can only work when a majority of the people are ready to support the use of violence to change society. In America (all over the West), they’re not. Groups that use violence, in our society, usually do nothing but discredit themselves and alienate the public. (That’s why conservatives scrambled from all sides to disassociate themselves from the Hutaree, the Holocaust memorial shooting and all the rest, claiming they weren’t real conservatives).

So whether or not Rall is ethically correct, it’s irrelevant. It won’t work.

I’m for bankster as nomenclature. Respect is not warranted.

I’m for bankster as nomenclature. Respect is not warranted.

Same here. It is also useful to distinguish between the loan officer at your local credit union, who you see at the grocery store and at little league games, who helped you out that time you got in a spot of trouble, versus a nameless BoA thief who uses robosigners to foreclose on mortgages they don’t own.

Blah blah teabaggers are the real ‘mericans, blah freedom, blah liberals are terrorists who want to take away our freedoms, blah, it’s okay when WE do it blah, etc.

Can I have a pundit job now? Oh, wait – I don’t have a penis. I guess that’s that, then.

Unless I buy one… What was that right to bear arms, again? Does it specify, or can I arm myself with a 20″ fake stiffy and beat wingnuts to death with it?

Can I have a pundit job now? Oh, wait – I don’t have a penis. I guess that’s that, then.

Got any blonde hair-dye? You’ll be a shoe-in at Fox…

bankster as nomenclature

I’m not nomming any banksters no matter how much sugar you sprinkle over them.

The Confederate Spanker deleted my comment almost immediately, so here it is for posterity:

“I’ll lay it out bluntly for you; either the American people—not extremists, but good and decent patriots like your neighbors and yourselves—will revolt and destroy the ruling class and reform our government based upon first principles, or the United States we know as our forefather conceived it is dead.”

Seeing as how you don’t have a clue about “first principles”, I won’t hold my breath. The irony is that you’re just as elitist and condescending as the people you loathe, pretending that you and your ilk have the true knowledge of the founders’ intent and how society should be properly ordered. In that sense, you’re no different than the fascist leaders in other countries who claimed their legitimacy in patriotism and a return to a purer form of government by the people. And to claim that your posture is a defensive one? My guess is that the founding fathers would look at you, shudder, and realize their fear of democracy was well founded. Taking action because the “government invalidates itself” is not defensive, because it’s obvious that most Americans don’t buy what you’re selling. So *you* decide when the government invalidates itself and *you* decide when to lead an armed insurrection. What a monumental ego you have for someone who doesn’t understand basic American history and can only string together out of context quotes. But hey, you and your friends can stroke your guns (or your blades, tough guy) together all you want. You don’t have the stones to do a thing except bitch on the internet.

Can I have a pundit job now? Oh, wait – I don’t have a penis. I guess that’s that, then.

Don’t let that hold you back. Neither does Bahrbeeque Bob.

@ Dot–

Bull’s eye. Excellent. And words like that.

The irony is that healthcare reform still hasn’t passed. The wealthcare bill was about taking money and care from the middle class, the poor, and the elderly and giving money to the HMOs, the health insurers, and the rich bastards who speculate in their stocks. It was the same legislation the Republicans would have passed.

Would have passed? You mean if at any time in the past 20 years or so they were in control of the presidency or the legislature or both at the same time? The same legislation they unanimously filibustered and just campaigned on repealing?

I’m for bankster as nomenclature. Respect is not warranted.

Same here. It is also useful to distinguish between the loan officer at your local credit union, who you see at the grocery store and at little league games, who helped you out that time you got in a spot of trouble, versus a nameless BoA thief who uses robosigners to foreclose on mortgages they don’t own.

Agreed, there are differences between the two roles, and there is no need to pretend respect that you lack, but…

In any situation where you’re trying to be persuasive, deliberate use of catchy, derogatory nicknames tends to undercut, rather than buttress, one’s arguments. It certainly undermines any attempt on your part to appear to be the rational one in the discussion.

But then, this is a humor website, primarily frequented by like-minded travelers. It is less of an issue here than in active debate, and where mockery is intended, it might be more of an asset…

Unions first got involved with the mafia when they had no one else to hire to protect them from company violence. As ever, it was a devil’s deal, but they were driven to it.

can I arm myself with a 20? fake stiffy and beat wingnuts to death with it?

Interest, website, newsletter, &c.

In any situation where you’re trying to be persuasive, deliberate use of catchy, derogatory nicknames tends to undercut, rather than buttress, one’s arguments. It certainly undermines any attempt on your part to appear to be the rational one in the discussion.

Thanks for your much-needed help.

Least-challenged law firm ever

I think I heard that now its known as Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, Khomeini, Lipschitz and Lipschitz, LLP

(Lots of consolidation in the big law firms these days)

In any situation where you’re trying to be persuasive, deliberate use of catchy, derogatory nicknames tends to undercut, rather than buttress, one’s arguments.

Lord knows conservatives would never resort to catchy over-simplification. It was heartening when all that silliness about “socialism!11!!!” and “death panels” cost them the 2010 election.

Alright, I’m done preaching. I’m getting as much traction here with my ideas of rational discourse in the face of reactionary frothing as I did when I tried to explain to my Libertarian debate partner that typing things IN ALL CAPS and referring to people as idiots and puppets for participating in the democratic process was counterproductive to his persuasiveness.

my ideas of rational discourse in the face of reactionary frothing

Nobody on earth has advanced the civility argument with such detail and such care.

A Conservative Intellectual:

The e-mail, claiming to be from Olbermann, insulted Bykofsky, calling him “pathetic” and “beneath contempt.” It went on to insult MSNBC chief Phil Griffin, saying that he isn’t “intellectually qualified” to be Olbermann’s boss.”

—

In a phone interview with Carlson Tuesday night, Yahoo News confirmed with Carlson that he was behind the emails. “Could you resist?” Carlson told them. “It was just too funny. The flesh is weak.”

But notice how he didn’t make himself look irrational by using ‘poopy’ language?

Alright, I’m done preaching. I’m getting as much traction here with my ideas of rational discourse in the face of reactionary frothing as I did when I tried to explain to my Libertarian debate partner that typing things IN ALL CAPS and referring to people as idiots and puppets for participating in the democratic process was counterproductive to his persuasiveness.

FTTY.

Alright, I’m done preaching. I’m getting as much traction here with my ideas of rational discourse in the face of reactionary frothing as I did when I tried to explain to my Libertarian debate partner that typing things IN ALL CAPS and referring to people as idiots and puppets for participating in the democratic process was counterproductive to his persuasiveness.

Concern troll is concerned. In case you didn’t notice.

I wonder what Goober McGooberson would think if some liberal went reverse-Adkisson in some Assembly of God church…

Silly rabbit! Only Christians who believe a church isn’t Christian enough shoot up churches!

jas, not the same at all. “Bankster” refers to a class of criminal whereas the other terms refer to an individual.

In any situation where you’re trying to be persuasive, deliberate use of catchy, derogatory nicknames tends to undercut, rather than buttress, one’s arguments

Is that so, Sheila?

I find it forces people to pay closer attention.

In a phone interview with Carlson Tuesday night, Yahoo News confirmed with Carlson that he was behind the emails.

I remember when he used to host a TV show. Now he smears poop on the walls and giggles about his cleverness.

address my envelope, lips! said,
“can I arm myself with a 20? fake stiffy and beat wingnuts to death with it?”

The only problem with that, as satisfying as it might appear, is that they would very likely enjoy it FAR too much.

Sorry to have ticked off the in clique. I’m not a frequent poster here, but I did like to think that by disagreeing with a particular epithet here wouldn’t brand me as a troll. I’m as much a socialist as most of you who post here regularly, I just don’t see the value in using buzzwords that immediately put your rhetorical opponents on the defensive, that’s all.

Guess I’ll go back to lurking.

The thing that pisses me off most? Just how upset I am about being misunderstood, and how stupid I feel for thinking that ideology might be a mitigating factor in people being shitty to one another.

Now he smears poop on the walls and giggles about his cleverness.

As with clever little Internet trolls, he doesn’t seem to comprehend how stupid this makes him look.

The thing that pisses me off most? Just how upset I am about being misunderstood, and how stupid I feel for thinking that ideology might be a mitigating factor in people being shitty to one another.

Jas, being mean is a meaningful act when none of the fraudsters who tried their best to destroy the economy of the world with fraud are in jail. Although I hear the former president of Iceland is in big trouble. Is it incivil to say W is a war criminal?

“I’m as much a socialist as most of you who post here regularly”

Mmmhmmm.

I’m as much a socialist as most of you who post here regularly

Who you calling “socialist”?

Dammit, Dot! And you were funnier than I!

jas, “White Collar Criminal” has been done to death.

Let’s go with “Banksters” this time around?

Just for shits and giggles.

I just don’t see the value in using buzzwords that immediately put your rhetorical opponents on the defensive, that’s all.

Dude, you’re on a site that photoshops conservative bloggers on toilets and puts sammiches in fat people’s hands. Get over yourself.

Dude, this is a HUMOR blog, not a “rational discourse” Go back to Shakesville if you want civility. They’ll ban your ass if you so much as mention someone is fat. Teh Sadlies, OTOH, revel in red meat, VPRs and poop jokes.

Rational discourse, he wants. Sheesh

You need to call evil “evil”.

If you can come up with a funny name for it, all the better.

Alright, I’m done preaching. I’m getting as much traction here with my ideas of rational discourse in the face of reactionary frothing as I did when I tried to explain to my Libertarian debate partner that typing things IN ALL CAPS and referring to people as idiots and puppets for participating in the democratic process was counterproductive to his persuasiveness.

I reasonably expressed a counter-example. Generally, ideas that fit on a bumper sticker win over ideas found in well-argued position papers. This is a large part of why liberals keep losing. “Bankster” is a term that will find resonance with one of every seven mortgage-holders. This is a gift from the FSM to our side. Failing to use it is one more example of unilateral disarmament.

Here is a rational, in-depth discussion of one type of predatory loan. I’ll grant that Tanta (PBUH) was a brilliant writer, and I actually did enjoy this discussion. But I want politicians on my side to talk about Banksters, not about reverse amortization for ubernerds.

As with clever little Internet trolls, he doesn’t seem to comprehend how stupid this makes him look.

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. Tucker’s only contribution now is Internet trollery. At some point, he’s just going to start posting goatse pictures everywhere.

Jas, here’s the point, and why your argument is falling on deaf ears.

Comedy. Blog. Which part was unclear to you?

Yes, there’s a time and a place for civil discourse, but that’s not here and not now. This isn’t Firelakedog or Crooks and Rip Off Copyrighted Artists Liars. That’s the place for those kinds of replies and arguments to be made.

The folks at Sadly, No!, from the editors to the commenters to the ugly hunchback that washes dishes and rings the dinner bell, we only handpick the finest in stupidity and outrageousness to take apart in our inimitable way. That generally means, if not usually means, people who are unreasonable, strident, and abusive in their own right (cf Arnold Alkon).

We bully bullies, in other words. Do you honestly think that the head of BofA really cares what a bunch of snarcastic assholes think or write about him? No, but here’s the further question: if we wrote unfailingly polite things about him, do you think he’d care then?

I sure don’t, so why should I expend the effort? I will if I must, like at WaPo or the NY Times, but this place? This place smells of napalm.

It smells like….victory!

1. I am not trying to defend the financial system and the parasites who work there. I was merely saying that the neologism “Bankster” brands one, in the eyes of those who aren’t plugged into this stuff all the time as an extremist. I am well aware that as a partisan comedy website, this is just the sort of place that the term makes the most sense. I picked the wrong place to comment on my personal pet peeve. I understand that.

2. I can’t prove shit to you people, but I’m a 40 year old straight married white male, so I can understand why people assume I’m a republican, but I’ve voted for the dems in every election as far back as I can remember. I’ve supported every socially liberal program, and civil rights issue. I’m not someone who comes here to try to undermine attempts to mock the conservative movement.

3. When I referred to being shitty to people, I wasn’t talking about the financial industry or anyone else that the posters here are mocking. I was talking about you guys, attacking me, branding me a troll, and mocking me because I’ve been singularly bad at making myself understood here today. It pisses me of that I give two shits about what any of you have to say about anything at all, but I’ve come to respect more than a few of you for your own articulate arguments. Having you turn on me hurt my feelings – there, I admitted it, happy?

At some point, he’s just going to start posting goatse pictures everywhere.

With bowties!

I know this is off topic, but I think that it’s telling the way wingers will compare people to Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. over social welfare programs while leftists generally only break out such comparisons for people who get giddy over war and torture. I can’t think of any leftist who ever compared Republicans to Nazis merely for cutting non-military spending.

Similarly, Hitler wasn’t evil because he built the Autobahn. He was evil because he initiated wars of aggressions and murdered tens of millions.

I was merely saying that the neologism “Bankster” brands one, in the eyes of those who aren’t plugged into this stuff all the time as an extremist.

But it does not. Bumper sticker slogans work. I’ve given you examples, which you have consistently ignored. Ignoring evidence in favor of pet theories is why people are dismissing you as a concern troll.

Teh Sadlies, OTOH, revel in red meat, VPRs and poop jokes.

Well, I never! That is a vicious, vicious libel!

Some of us are vegetarians.

Similarly, Hitler wasn’t evil because he built the Autobahn

But, Jonah said he was evil because he was a vegetarian!

Epithets and other strong language can, as Actor pointed out, get peoples attention. However, if you use strong language constantly in every weak situation you come across, people will simply hear it as background noise.

Ooh, I think my troops just got rallied.

What am I? Chopped liver?

Let’s say “banksta” from now on instead as in:

It’s the return of the banksta
thanks ta’
them crackas that’s on that blow
foreclosin’ on yo’
crib which contains your lady and an 8 month old
child to raise
plus
their Polo shirts make you sick
but
they do not want to hear it
’cause
they’d rather be golfin’ and stealin’ yo son’s football* and golfin’
and shit
get down

* True story.

“The thing that pisses me off most? Just how upset I am about being misunderstood…”

That could have been written by W himself!

But, Jonah said he was evil because he was a vegetarian!

Probably woulda shopped at Whole Foods, too, the monster.

Steerpike said,
“Dude, this is a HUMOR blog, not a “rational discourse” Go back to Shakesville if you want civility.”

Oddly, there is much more rational discourse here than on either feminist or conservative blogs. However, in defense of feminist blogs they really do often become targets for hate from the right. If they didn’t moderate their comments they’d quickly be inundated with truly vile and disgusting hate speech from the Right.

Sadly No has virtually no moderation policy but gets away with that by not being on anyone’s radar very much.

The Fact Is, you are all going against your god-given USA FREEDOM by feeding the concern troll.

Sadly No has virtually no moderation policy but gets away with that by not being on anyone’s radar very much.

And our really BIG flamethrowers.

jas! Stop, Drop, and Roll, dude!

I apparently set off a flame war by, in noting that Ted Rall used to be an investment banker, using the term “Bankster.”

Librul blogosphere: Serious business.

Having you turn on me hurt my feelings – there, I admitted it, happy?

Roll with the punches, kiddo. Say some funny stuff and nobody will even remember next week.

If that fails, just change your screen name.

I’ve been singularly bad at making myself understood

Step off my shtick, yo.

Some of us are vegetarians.

Fine! You can revel in red peppers, K?

Owlbear, I’ve been pissed on enough that the flames are finally out. I’ll just smolder quietly for a while.

And to think, I’d be less mad if someone had insulted my mother or made a veiled penis reference regarding me. Then I’d feel like I was part of the “cool kids.”

Bob is such a sad BDU sniffer. He just likes to say “battle rifle.”

I apparently set off a flame war by, in noting that Ted Rall used to be an investment banker, using the term “Bankster.”

See, if you had spelled it “ghetto” no one would have noticed…

And to think, I’d be less mad if someone had insulted my mother or made a veiled penis reference regarding me.

So you’re admitting you’re just the jasm¹ at the end of the fuck?

¹VCR

Once again, the giggly gaggle of frogs that sings nightly in Sadly, O!’s misogynist Corrupt Chorus is demonizing an entire demographic group in America, that of the hard-working true blue Reagan Democratic investment bankers who, like the baker and the crosswalk guard and the fireman, keep small-town America’s Appalachian heart pumping full of the blood of freedom. It is this blood that your Usurper in Thief, Obambi, spills daily in his vicious assaults on the feminist blogosphere by allowing a woman’s right to choose to be chipped away and his capitulation to the radical left and centrists who would dehumanize Hillary and the hundreds of millions of people who would have gladly voted for her had the Democratic Party turned its back to justice.

Jas-

Relax. I get your point, at least. Respectfully disagree I do, but there you go.

I got your “battle rifle” right here.

I apparently set off a flame war by, in noting that Ted Rall used to be an investment banker, using the term “Bankster.”

See, if you had spelled it “ghetto” no one would have noticed…

This thread was my first exposure to Banksta Rap, so yes, I probably would have managed to keep my foot out of my mouth if you had… fucker.

I can’t prove shit to you people, but I’m a 40 year old straight married white male

Please don’t start to cry. It takes all the fun out of it.

So you’re admitting you’re just the jasm¹ at the end of the fuck?

So long as I’m not the Santorum, I’m okay with that.

Playing catch-up again,

Unions first got involved with the mafia when they had no one else to hire to protect them from company violence. As ever, it was a devil’s deal, but they were driven to it.

Of course, and you can say the same for immigrants in general. The Irish, the Italians, the Jews and all the rest wouldn’t have been nearly as prone to going to the Mafia for help if it had been possible for them to get a decent job and a fair trial in WASP central. Naturally, the nativists saw them using the Mafia as a last resort and claimed it proved that they were all criminals.

I can’t prove shit to you people, but I’m a 40 year old straight married white male

Please don’t start to cry. It takes all the fun out of it.

Worse still, bite me, I’ve got a goatee, and I’m a fatty. I might as well *be* Jonah Goldberg to some people…

Of course, and you can say the same for immigrants in general. The Irish, the Italians, the Jews and all the rest wouldn’t have been nearly as prone to going to the Mafia for help if it had been possible for them to get a decent job and a fair trial in WASP central. Naturally, the nativists saw them using the Mafia as a last resort and claimed it proved that they were all criminals.

Fast forward a few decades, and you’ve got black and latino gangs serving much the same purpose for some people, and with much the same reaction.

Iris, that was epic. A true word salad. I’m not sure it meant anything, but that was some quality shit, right there. In particular, I’m not sure how Obama’s simultaneously capitulating to the radical left while chipping away at choice, radical leftist opinions about choice being what they are, but still, kudos!

Worse still, bite me, I’ve got a goatee, and I’m a fatty. I might as well *be* Jonah Goldberg to some people…

I’ve got a cankle and a vagina, but nobody mistakes me for K-Lo.

Once again, the giggly gaggle of frogs that sings nightly in Sadly, O!’s misogynist Corrupt Chorus

Frog Gigging should be an Olympic event.

Worse still, bite me, I’ve got a goatee, and I’m a fatty. I might as well *be* Jonah Goldberg to some people…

I figure you’re more capable of keeping your meals off the front of your shirt, though.

jas said,
“1. I am not trying to defend the financial system and the parasites who work there. I was merely saying that the neologism “Bankster” brands one, in the eyes of those who aren’t plugged into this stuff all the time as an extremist.”

At one time I might have agreed with that. Not so much any more. The financial class is out of control. There are many ways to reassert control. Calling them names is hardly the worst. We need to decapitate the ruling class in America.

“2. I can’t prove shit to you people”

I think people understand who you are. But I suspect they’d like to see more funny and less hand wringing. Know any good POOP jokes?

“3. When I referred to being shitty to people, I wasn’t talking about the financial industry or anyone else that the posters here are mocking. I was talking about you guys”

No, that’s not a very funny POOP joke. Get anything better? In ordinary situation in daily life you really should be nice to people even if they are sometimes mean to you. This is not like that. Did you miss the part where Bob wants to start a violent revolution? One that would probably involve finally being allowed to kill him some liberals?

He’s not kidding about that. He has both the will and the means to start a shooting war. All he lacks for now is permission to go ahead and begin. Once that comes he’ll start killing people. That is how fascist revolutions begin. All the little authoritarian followers work themselves into a froth waiting for the signal that it’s ok to do what they’ve been itching to do. Your middle class values about being polite to jerks will not affect them one bit.

If, by mockery and ridicule we can affect that outcome in some small way that is I think preferable.

I’ve got a cankle and a vagina, but nobody mistakes me for K-Lo.

You’re presuming she has the same equipment, of course.

Worse still, bite me, I’ve got a goatee, and I’m a fatty. I might as well *be* Jonah Goldberg to some people…

I’ve got a cankle and a vagina, but nobody mistakes me for K-Lo.

Thankfully, no one has actually commented on it before. If my social circle was remotely likely to get the joke, it’s a built in halloween costume. All I’d need is a strategically stained suit and a sammich…

You’re right, Noen. Wrong forum. I should have gone off in comments over at Eschaton, where I first encountered the term, and where when the other commenters went off on me, I’d not have minded so much.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pere.

You’re presuming she has the same equipment, of course.

The internalized self-hatred and Mel Gibson obsession give it away.

I’ve got a cankle and a vagina, but nobody mistakes me for K-Lo.

You’re presuming she has the same equipment, of course.

Geeze, Actor, K-Lo goes to all that trouble to make herself perty for you, and you imply she might not have any lady parts??

Or was it the cankle you were most worried about?

I was merely saying that the neologism “Bankster” brands one, in the eyes of those who aren’t plugged into this stuff all the time as an extremist.”

I’m trying to find the precise quote and the bank involved, but I recall that during the investigations into the bank failouts, at least one bank executive was quoted as deriding the people holding those worthless CMOs as “suckers” and worse.

So “bankstas” probably seems a bit mild for these criminals.

Geeze, Actor, K-Lo goes to all that trouble to make herself perty for you, and you imply she might not have any lady parts??

Homey don’t swing that way. I like my women evolved and homo sapienic.

So “bankstas” probably seems a bit mild for these criminals.

I prefer “fucking douchebag fuckfaces,” but “bankstas” is easier to say. And possibly more acceptable in polite company. Not that I hang out with polite company.

Not that I hang out with polite company.

I was going to say…

I like my women evolved and homo sapienic.

You and your impossibly high standards. At least if you’re lookin’ for love in all that NRO places.

At least if you’re lookin’ for love in all that NRO places.

I was just beginning to warm to you, you realize.

I was just beginning to warm to you, you realize.

What?? I was told to pick up a giant, phallic foam bat and start swinging wildly at targets of opportunity. Did they change the rules again??

On topic (I know! Me! Wonders never cease), I’m not sure what would make me happier: to know that there’s an FBI file on noted insurrectionist Bob Owens, or that the file was started under the Bush administration…

I was told to pick up a giant, phallic foam bat and start swinging wildly at targets of opportunity.

Just another day of work at Sadly, Inc.

I was told to pick up a giant, phallic foam bat and start swinging wildly at targets of opportunity.

We meant them.

You know, the bankstahs, the redneck grill-mongers, those folks…

now, if you were to start swinging a giant foam phallus wildly at targets of opportunity…

On topic (I know! Me! Wonders never cease), I’m not sure what would make me happier: to know that there’s an FBI file on noted insurrectionist Bob Owens, or that the file was started under the Bush administration…

Bush? That liberal?

now, if you were to start swinging a giant foam phallus wildly at targets of opportunity…

There are a few people here who would take an interest in such activity, and might even visit a website or subscribe to a newsletter…

Has anyone adequately explained why The Grilla’ from Wilsonvilla (for lack of a more accurate location) has a website that’s registered out of the island of Niue?

You all remember how we were supposed to blow up on Saturday, which is why Obama was in such a rush to head to India and how this was all predicted by The Simpsons back in May?

Well, that contrail over the Pacific the other day was part of how we were saved by the Pleadians.

And to think, I’d be less mad if someone had insulted my mother or made a veiled penis reference regarding me. Then I’d feel like I was part of the “cool kids.”

Your wish. Hey jas, I totes did your mom last night. She is fat.

Banksters.

Look out, Arnold Alkon!

DKW, she is roly-poly, but at 80, she’s pretty much given up on dieting.

She tells me you especially liked it with no dentures in…

Has anyone adequately explained why The Grilla’ from Wilsonvilla (for lack of a more accurate location) has a website that’s registered out of the island of Niue?

Mu.nu (the middle two letters of the Greek alphabet, I should point out) is a hotbed of right wing websites, including Ace of Spades.

DKW, she is roly-poly, but at 80, she’s pretty much given up on dieting.

No wonder she bites so readily.

Who was the congressperson or senator who said “Santorum” was Greek for “asshole”?

Banksters.

I still don’t much like the word, Mal, but “Miserable Fuckers” is just as likely to be interpreted as being loaded words. Accurate, though.

But all we need is less regulation…

Douchebag vs. cobag.

She tells me you especially liked it with no dentures in…

Then she didn’t tell you about the next part where she took the dentures out of the crusty glass by the side of the bed and well… does the phrase Vagina Dentata mean anything to you?

VS, teh Google fails me. I’d not heard that before, but hope that he or she was rewarded his or her actions…

Mah autofill!

Alright, which one of you Totalitarian Leftists forced Bobo to update his post?

“Santorum” was Greek for “asshole”?

Former Senator Bob Kerrey.

Well, jas, maybe I misrembered…or maybe it wasn’t a congressperson who said it. I just want it to have happened, ya know?

Thanks, actor!

Alright, which one of you Totalitarian Leftists forced Bobo to update his post?

The funniest thing is the UPDATE leads to a post where, indeed, he discusses violent overthrow of the American government!

His argument in the post was that it’s not racist.

In this instance, Bob-o, no one’s calling you a racist. We’re calling you a hypocritical hack.

Sorry for being intemperate. 🙂

“Bankster” is pretty mild on a blogosphere where I’ve seen “Chimpy Bu$hitler” and “reichthuglikkkan”, I think.

How are people today.

Oh, hi, D.N. Haven’t seen you around for a while. Good thing I’m holding.

Thanks, actor!

I wasn’t going to, but then I thought of the baby, and figured you might stress out if I didn’t tell you.

Mah red pill!

I like how he lumps Stalin, Pol Pot and Khomeni together like they were all lockstep allies. I could imagine if those three were all in a room together they would be trying to kill each other within minutes.

Mah Swill!

“Thanks, actor!

I wasn’t going to, but then I thought of the baby, and figured you might stress out if I didn’t tell you.”

Won’t someone please think of the children?!!!!

I could imagine if those three were all in a room together they would be trying to kill each other within minutes.

So this would differ from Netroots Nation…precisely how?

LOL@Bob Owens aka “Confederate Yankee”

That’s a lot of tough talk coming from an effete drip who cannot even pump his own gas.

RE: “Totalitarian Liberals”

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…[ten minutes later] ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…[30 minutes later] ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…[2 hours later] ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!

What a fucking putz. This isn’t delusional, it’s beyond batshit crazy to some new level of crazy as yet to be named. Anyone on here care to take a stab at naming this newer, crazier-than-batshit crazy?

Anyone on here care to take a stab at naming this newer, crazier-than-batshit crazy?

Michelle Bachmann

Mah Swill!

I remember when Pig Hitler wrote “Mein Swill”.

And Pig Leni Riefenstal filmed “Triumph of the Swill”.

them pigs was Nazis.

Mah krill!

Mah landfill!

And Pig Leni Riefenstal filmed “Triumph of the Swill”.

And Porcine Himmler proposed “Die Endloswine”?

Mah SILL!

“Anyone on here care to take a stab at naming this newer, crazier-than-batshit crazy?”

Senator-elect

Mah Swill!

DKW’s ma will!

Mah dill!

Anyone on here care to take a stab at naming this newer, crazier-than-batshit crazy?

Michelle Bachmann

Bachmann Terror Overhype?

Bachmann Terror Overhype?

*polite golf clap*

Nicely played, sir!

Martini?

Mah drills!

Oh, hi, D.N. Haven’t seen you around for a while. Good thing I’m holding.

Please share what you brought with the rest of the class.

Mahhhh greyyyyyyyyyuhhhhhhhlllllll

Slate predicted that if Stewart and Colbert didn’t cancel their rally, the Democrats would lose the House, because people would refuse to vote Democratic because of the snark. And lo, Democrats lost the House. So think before you use words like “banksta”, people.

Somebody might be listening in, and that somebody might be perfectly rational and willing to be persuaded by reason to the Democratic side, but will stop listening if they hear the word “banksta”, which is a million times more offensive than the kind of slurs the Right uses. Making fun of a person’s ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, etc. is totally fine — go hog wild! Hypothetical voters don’t find those offputting! Just don’t call a banker a “banksta” — that’s way over the line.

Could we get a trollistically correct list of epithets that we may use for the people who drove our economy over a cliff?

*polite golf clap*

Polite golf clap? Man, if you can’t crank up Rock & Roll part 2 and shout out “HEY!” at the appropriate times, I ain’t even gonna bother anymore.

Could we get a trollistically correct list of epithets that we may use for the people who drove our economy over a cliff?

May I suggest “those nice fellows with the corner offices”?

Man, if you can’t crank up Rock & Roll part 2 and shout out “HEY!” at the appropriate times, I ain’t even gonna bother anymore.

*sigh*

Dada da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…HEY!

Dada da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…HEY!

That’s better, I’ll take that martini now.

May I suggest “those nice fellows with the corner offices”?

I can’t think of anything more derogatory than “Belgians”

Could we get a trollistically correct list of epithets that we may use for the people who drove our economy over a cliff?

Speaking as the “troll” in question, I’m all in favor of calling the fuckers out. Bankster’s just too glib for my tastes. Rubs me the wrong way, so I figured it would others, too.

I wish there was a better single-word option that captured “soon to be convicted felon” but I’m at a loss.

I wish there was a better single-word option that captured “soon to be convicted felon” but I’m at a loss.

Republican

Michelle Bachmann

That’ll work a decade, maybe two. Until there’s another conservative revolution that declares Michelle Bachmann was really a liberal.

Then what?

So think before you use words like “banksta”, people.

Indeed – this round of discussion reminds me of ’04 when concern trolling was fresh and new and nobody knew it for what it was.

At least, among people who didn’t reflect on it for a millisecond or two.

Then what?

“Son Of Bachmann”

That’ll work a decade, maybe two. Until there’s another conservative revolution that declares Michelle Bachmann was really a liberal.

Then what?

I don’t know why you’d care. You’ll be in a work camp with the rest of us.

NYMFAIL.

I wish there was a better single-word option that captured “soon to be convicted felon” but I’m at a loss.

Banksters will be convicted just after the people who lied us in to a war of aggression.

I knew it was you, Fredo.

Worse still, bite me, I’ve got a goatee, and I’m a fatty. I might as well *be* am Jonah Goldberg to some people…

You do know you can fix both of those, right Jonah? It’s best to use some clippers first before the razor on those chin-pubes, and be really careful about your nipples when you take up jogging, m’kay?

now, if you were to start swinging a giant foam phallus wildly at targets of opportunity…

Japanese TV game show idea.

Could we get a trollistically correct list of epithets that we may use for the people who drove our economy over a cliff?

I suppose “inmate” would be too optimistic, wouldn’t it?

It’s best to use some clippers first before the razor on those chin-pubes,

Better names for the Goldberg Goatee:

Face-mullet
Prison pussy
red wine catcher
Chin Slinky
My First Beard! from Hasbro

I don’t know why you’d care. You’ll be in a work camp with the rest of us.

I wonder if every now and then, somewhere, a lone conservative wakes up, thinks, remembers that article in the National Review fifty years ago that said now that the liberals had taken over everyone would be in work camps within a couple years… and goes “hmm, I’m still not in a work camp. What’s going on? Have I been lied to?”

I suppose “inmate” would be too optimistic, wouldn’t it?
unindicted co-conspirators is too long and too retro seventies to catch on I suppose? How about thieving dogs? Loot-glutted hyenas? Sociopathic vultures?

You do know you can fix both of those, right Jonah?

Jeez, tough crowd.

Fuck the weak.

Jeez, tough crowd.

What? I was trying to help. Sheesh.

I like “hyenas.” Short, pithy and captures their world view pretty well, except for the fact that actual hyenas don’t eat their own young. On the other hand, Part of their bad reputation may stem from the hyena’s tendency to scavenge graves for food.

Yeah. Hyenas.

My First Beard! from Hasbro

Dammit! That was much funnier than my “Playskool Pubes” edition…

“hmm, I’m still not in a work camp. What’s going on? Have I been lied to?”

As with Rapturists, the signs are always there it’s a-comin’.

I suppose “inmate” would be too optimistic, wouldn’t it?

Pre-convicts.

the Goldberg Goatee

Let me help you with that.

BTW, apologies for the Pig Nazi thing.

NO idea where that came from.

“hmm, I’m still not in a work camp. What’s going on? Have I been lied to?”

Saved from encroaching tyranny by right-wing vigilance, and by a tiger-repelling rock.

I’m taking some time off.

I can’t prove shit to you people, but I’m a 40 year old straight married white male

Worse still, bite me, I’ve got a goatee, and I’m a fatty. I might as well *be* Jonah Goldberg to some people…

I? W? N?

I’m taking some time off.

Joining the Lunch Lady? (Whatever happened to the Lunch Lady? I miss her…)

I’m taking some time off.

OK, but not too long. You don’t want your job following Obama to India.

Worse still, bite me, I’ve got a goatee, and I’m a fatty. I might as well *be* Jonah Goldberg to some people…

I? W? N?

I didn’t realize there was a market for BBD¹

¹Big Beautiful Douchebags

totalitarian leftists = “people who insist on internal consistency”

I have been featured in Playboy* and praised for my “editorial daring.”

An award-winning opinion journalist, I am an editor-at-large of National Review Online and an associate editor at National Review (a.k.a. National Review on Dead Tree).

I am a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where I studied philosophy and politics. Before standing athwart history at National Review, I worked at the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank on Capitol Hill. My work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, The Women’s Quarterly, The National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, American Outlook, New York Press, and The Human Life Review, among other publications.

I have appeared on CNN, the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Oxygen, and is a frequent guest on radio and TV shows internationally. I speak frequently, often to high-school and college groups, as well as other captive audiences. If you think about your tax dollars going to pay me to speak to kids who would rather be doing just about anything, your head may explode. If Obama did that, it would be Socialism, but I’m Catholic, not Muslim, so it is all okay.

I write often on bioethics, religion, feminism, education, and politics. I have reported on topics as diverse as feminist indoctrination in the Girl Scouts, the politics of human cloning, and racial reparations. You can read me daily on NRO’s weblog, The Corner – where I am better known as “K-Lo.”

*The Playboy mention was in the magazine’s editorial section (yes, there really is one).

My comment met the same fate as Dot’s:

“I advocate for preparations that are defensive in nature if the government invalidates itself or collapses.”

No, you say now is the time to either revolt & destroy the ruling class or lose America, period. There is nothing whatsoever in the post cited that implies defence per se – & a “proactive militant strike” would seem to be the logical choice if you want your revolt to succeed … & if you actually believe what you wrote. If you do, then congratulations: you are now a hardcore Marxist.

Whether your intent is offense or defense is moot – if you intend to use deadly force to take on the US Army, don’t bother signing an organ-donor card, because there won’t be enough left intact for a doctor to reuse.

Quite the delicate little snowflake for a revolutionary, ain’t he?

We need to decapitate the ruling class in America.

That axe better have a “TurboChop” setting, because if history is any indication you’ll have a new one in its place before you can say “proletarian uprising” – & they’ll make the old bunch look like pussycats. Revolutions are a mug’s game. Camus was right: the new regime winds up with more concentrated power every time. Reforming major institutions is a slow, ugly, unglamorous & frustrating process. It’s also the one that works, without the muss & fuss of that whole “cities on fire & huge piles of dead bodies” thing.

The rise of the War Scooter Brigade is more than a sideshow – it’s a potential bonanza for bottom-feeders like the Kochs if they can be incited to go the Full Guevara. Property values go into free-fall in times of civil unrest, & lots of stocks are a real bargain too. Also, who’s going to worry about business, political or media reform when there’s a sunset curfew & tanks in the streets?

In conclusion, POOP.

Whether your intent is offense or defense is moot – if you intend to use deadly force to take on the US Army, don’t bother signing an organ-donor card, because there won’t be enough left intact for a doctor to reuse.

You know, that was well said. Or would have been, if Johnny Reb wasn’t such a pussy.

Camus was right: the new regime winds up with more concentrated power every time.

Max Weber beat Camus to this insight. What this says about Franco-German relations is left to the reader.

You can read me daily on NRO’s weblog, The Corner – where I am better known as “K-Lo.”

The Tater Tots now taste like ashes in my mouth.

Every time I try to get some peace of mind, suckers be trying to get a piece of mine.

I didn’t realize there was a market for BBD¹

¹Big Beautiful Douchebags

So long as it’s not a market for Bel Biv Devoe, I think it’ll be okay.

Something tells me that’s not the real Lunch Lady… Where’s her hairnet?

The Tater Tots now taste like ashes in my mouth.

Try the kosher ones

Revolutions are a mug’s game.

The main counterexample, the American revolution, wasn’t an overthrow of existing authority, it was a disassociation of that authority from another authority. The pre-revolutionary, revolutionary, and post-revolutionary American governments were made up of mostly the same people. Most other successful ‘revolutions’ work this way. The fall of the Soviet Union is another “meet the new boss, literally the same human being as the old boss” example.

Where’s her hairnet?

You liberals may want me to wear a hair net, and gloves, with your rules, and your hygiene. I’m fighting the power! See if ObamaHitler can make me wash my hands after I do my necessities!

The main counterexample, the American revolution, wasn’t an overthrow of existing authority, it was a disassociation of that authority from another authority. The pre-revolutionary, revolutionary, and post-revolutionary American governments were made up of mostly the same people. Most other successful ‘revolutions’ work this way. The fall of the Soviet Union is another “meet the new boss, literally the same human being as the old boss” example.

Right. For the vast majority of Americans, things weren’t much different after the revolution than before, in terms of their representation. The real change came later, incrementally, and, with the one major exception of the Civil War, mostly through nonviolent reform.

I’m not ready to say revolutions are completely useless, though. Take the French Revolution. Conventional wisdom says, it was a bloody failure, empowering a fanatic regime that gave way to a military dictator that gave way to the monarchy.

If you look at it another way, though, it was the excesses of the French revolution that lit a fire under the asses of Europe’s elites and allowed incremental reform to happen throughout the nineteenth century – with the knowledge that if things got too bad, another revolution was always in the cards. You could say the same thing about the Russian Revolution inspiring the compromises that made things like the New Deal possible.

emembers that article in the National Review fifty years ago that said now that the liberals had taken over everyone would be in work camps within a couple years… and goes “hmm, I’m still not in a work camp. What’s going on? Have I been lied to?”

If this proposed “Medicare” program is enacted, in one generation, we will tell our children stories about the way America used to be, when men were still free.

Try the kosher ones

You’ve got a latke nerve!

Something tells me that’s not the real Lunch Lady… Where’s her hairnet?

For Christ’s sake kid, I’ve been working hard to feed you ungrateful punks. I don’t have time to post on blogs anymore.

Try the sloppy joe today, but stay away from the soup.

If this proposed “Medicare” program is enacted, in one generation, we will tell our children stories about the way America used to be, when men were still free.

Free to die in the street, impoverished and malnourished.

If this proposed “Medicare” program is enacted, in one generation, we will tell our children stories about the way America used to be, when men were still free.

Did the Ray Gun actually say that, or are you parodying? Cause I can totally picture it…

You’ve got a latke nerve!

People always say I got no gefilte.

Did the Ray Gun actually say that, or are you parodying? Cause I can totally picture it…

Oh, he said it.

I soooo want the record.

Did the Ray Gun actually say that, or are you parodying? Cause I can totally picture it…

He actually released what was then called a “phonograph” warning of this danger.

“pretty soon your son won’t decide when he’s in school, where he will go or what he will do for a living. He will wait for the government to tell him.”

Holy shit, he was RIGHT!

Of course, I don’t think the Vietnam draft was what he had in mind…

Note to jas: feel free to mock me when I say something dumb (which happens oft- NEVER NEVER HAPPENS).

What? The? Fuck?

The proposed simplification of the tax code would repeal or modify a number of popular tax breaks — including the deductibility of mortgage interest payments — so that income tax rates could be reduced across the board. Under the plan, individual income tax rates would decline to as low as 8 percent on the lowest income bracket (now 10 percent) and to 23 percent on the highest bracket (now 35 percent). The corporate tax rate, now 35 percent, would also be reduced, to as low as 26 percent.

Even after reducing the rates, the overhaul of the tax code would still yield additional revenue to reduce annual deficits — a projected $80 billion in 2015.

But how low the rates are set would depend on how many tax breaks are reduced or eliminated. Some of them, including the mortgage interest deduction and the exemption from taxes for employees’ health benefits, are political sacred cows.

Holy fucking shit. We’ve lost.

Miserable Fat Belgian Bastards

Holy fucking shit. We’ve lost.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

We’re taking our ball (and our huge, inappropriate bonuses) and going home. We’re…uncertain…about everything. I know this sounds like a threat. And it is one.

It’d be fun to mock the Bipartisan Commission on Fucking You Up But Good as busywork if Obama didn’t persist in demonstrating his ability to take bad advice.

But how low the rates are set would depend on how many tax breaks are reduced or eliminated. Some of them, including the mortgage interest deduction and the exemption from taxes for employees’ health benefits, are political sacred cows.

Yeah, no shit. This could be the biggest screwing of lower-income people since the feds started making restaurant servers pay taxes on their tips off the top.

It’d be fun to mock the Bipartisan Commission on Fucking You Up But Good as busywork if Obama didn’t persist in demonstrating his ability to take bad advice.

Acting on the Catfood Commission’s advice gives Obama a chance to kick the most prominent DFH – Krugman.

I mean, there’s SOME good ideas in that draft, like lifting the ceiling, or raising at least, on SocSec taxes and stuff, and there’s a fair amount of debate that the mortgage interest deduction contributed heavily to the mortgage crisis (front-loading interest or getting interest only balloon loans, for example), but taxes on health insurance benefits?

Unless it’s a ploy to force single payer insurance down our throats, I can’t see much upside to that.

And it won’t hurt just the poor – think about that long-haul trucker, unable to retire, still behind the wheel into his/her 70s.

Uh, Lurking Canadian, do you have an apartment over the garage? I could totally play “Fonzie” to the L.C. fambly.

I guess a Canadian Fonzie would have to say AAAYYYYYY, eh?

I guess a Canadian Fonzie would have to say AAAYYYYYY, eh?

You’d have to wear a toque, took.

Uh, Lurking Canadian, do you have an apartment over the garage? I could totally play “Fonzie” to the L.C. fambly.

I guess a Canadian Fonzie would have to say AAAYYYYYY, eh?

I’m scouting places with gluten free poutine, myself.

Does Canadian Fonzie hang out at Tim Horton’s?

I’d be happy to sponsor as many SadlyNaught immigration applications as necessary, except that Stephen Harper is going to look at this proposal and say, “Now there’s a chance for us to finally beat the Americans at something!” And my countrymen will keep voting for him, because the other parties have given up.

The corporate tax rate, now 35 percent, would also be reduced, to as low as 26 percent.

Oh, how frigging nice, at least for the pissant corporations who can’t afford shysters proper corportae lawyers and are therefore actually required (and do) to pay taxes in the U.S.

Banksters indeed. Guillotines, the lot of ’em.

Got here late, but…

Similarly, Hitler wasn’t evil because he built the Autobahn. He was evil because he initiated wars of aggressions and murdered tens of millions.

Like Dubya, without the Autobahn. And the ‘tens’.

‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!’

Should anyone ever be serious about moving to The Retarded Giant on Your Doorstep , this site’s a good place to start: http://cicic.ca/385/working-in-canada.canada

Should anyone ever be serious about moving to The Retarded Giant on Your Doorstep

*psst* dood….obablypray otnay away oodgay ideaway otay issoffpay ouryay ewnay eighborsnay….

Ezra Klein busy polishing his sensible liberal credentials.

obablypray otnay away

Bilingualism delays Alzheimers.

Bilingualism delays Alzheimers.

Good news for me.

this site’s a good place to start: http://cicic.ca/385/working-in-canada.canada

Yeah, I already looked into that. I’m not really qualified, unless somebody offers me a job or Canadians decide to start qualifying liberals as refugees.

Should anyone ever be serious about moving to The Retarded Giant on Your Doorstep ,

Money quote: “What ever happened to the Canadian Protest Movement? Answer: He got married and settled down”

Ezra Klein busy polishing his sensible liberal credentials.

Ezra?

“Kevin Bacon. End of Animal House.” Google it.

“Bilingualism delays Alzheimers.”

Oh goody. I be brushin’ up on my Ebonics.

Yeah, I already looked into that. I’m not really qualified, unless somebody offers me a job or Canadians decide to start qualifying liberals as refugees.

If you have librarian credentials those are getting fairly mobile. A friend of mine just spent six months in Geneva on a short-term contract as a librarian.

Amazingly, even Matt realizes what a bad idea this is.

actor212 said,

November 10, 2010 at 21:40

Miserable Fat Belgian Bastards

Wow, that was a charming read.

They do make awesome beer though. And the churches make some of the best, believe it or not.

And the churches make some of the best, believe it or not.

I must, as a matter of course, defer to you and your intimidating moniker.

Actually, I’ve had Belgian beers. In the Caribbean, no less. They are really very good.

*psst* dood….obablypray otnay away oodgay ideaway otay issoffpay ouryay ewnay eighborsnay….
Eh, what are they going to do? throw throw maple leaves at us? sell us more hockey teams? Bring it on.

And the churches make some of the best, believe it or not.

Chimay

Eh, what are they going to do? throw throw maple leaves at us? sell us more hockey teams?

Make us ice skate!

Holy fucking shit. We’ve lost.

Calm down & back away from the lickin’-toad, son. This kind of overhaul sounds like it’d require some legislating first. Do you really think this Congress is going to pass ANY major legislation? SRSLY?

Investigations by SERIOUS SENATORZ of what kind of implement Obama uses to trim his toenails & who paid for it, yes. Massive fiscal bills sure to fire up enough nationwide butthurt to make the Shouty Summer Of ’09 look like, well, a little girls’ tea-party, not so much.

This kind of overhaul sounds like it’d require some legislating first. Do you really think this Congress is going to pass ANY major legislation? SRSLY?

The final report is not going to be issued until December.

Which means…the GOP gets frist crack at it.

so, um, yea, I’m a little worried.

Chimay

Yes, this. The Blue is to die for.

Some of the great Belgian beers are named after Satan — Duvel.

Amazingly, even Matt realizes what a bad idea this is.

At least it would get THOSE GODDAMN TEABAGGERS OFF MAH LAWN!!!

Do you really think this Congress is going to pass ANY major legislation? SRSLY?

I had a pipe dream that they would pass a “Medicare for All” bill via reconciliation, but then Jessica Alba woke me up by turning on the night light.

The final report is not going to be issued until December.

The final report requires consensus from at least 14 of the 18 members. It is unlikely to ever be issued, much less voted upon.

None of which excuses appointing Simpson to this commission in the first place. What this has certainly done is move the talking points to the right, once again.

There are some good Belgian style beers brewed in upstate NY.

Yes, this. The Blue is to die for.

I’m going to vote for the Triple, but all are good choices.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said,

November 10, 2010 at 22:31

There are some good Belgian style beers brewed in upstate NY.

Yeah, I like some of their beers.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that Portland has a new-ish brewery making some yummy Belgian beers too.

Bilingualism delays Alzheimers.

Goddamn GEORGE W BUSH halting stem cell research so we can’t grow second tongues.

Jessica Alba woke me up by turning on the night light.

Yea. Sorry about that. She had to get over to my place.

Eh, what are they going to do? throw throw maple leaves at us? sell us more hockey teams?

*cough*

Goddamn GEORGE W BUSH halting stem cell research so we can’t grow second tongues.

I dunno…white man speak with forked tongue and all that.

It would have made date night a lot more fun, tho….

Eh, what are they going to do? throw throw maple leaves at us? sell us more hockey teams?

*cough*

I’m getting as much traction here with my ideas of rational discourse in the face of reactionary frothing warnings of Canadian vengeance as I did when I tried to explain to my Libertarian debate partner that typing things IN ALL CAPS and referring to people as idiots and puppets for participating in the democratic process was counterproductive to his persuasiveness.

*cough*
You’re suggesting they will throw crude oil at us? Diabolical! If only there was an industry dedicated to collecting oil and turning it into something useful!

Like Americans care about Canucks. Wanna stump virtually every American you meet? Ask them to name the capital city and prime minister of America’s single-largest trading partner. Guaranteed you won’t get 1% correct, even if you give them the name of the country.

Diabolical! If only there was an industry dedicated to collecting oil and turning it into something useful!

Oil Wrestling

Or this

you won’t get 1% correct, even if you give them the name of the country.
Ottowa and Wayne Gretsky?

Ask them to name the capital city and prime minister of America’s single-largest trading partner.

Los Angeles! Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Ottowa and Wayne Gretsky

He palyed for Edmonton! Everyone knows that’s the capital!

BTW, I’ve been thinking (yes, it happens occasionally) and there ain’t going to be no Revolution.

Seriously, WTF do people like both Rall and Cornfed think has been happening in this country with private security and the surveillance state and gated communities and suchlike? WTF does he think the Pentagon has been spending his tax money on? WTF does he think the militarization of the American police has been all about? (NONE of which were ever opposed by conservatives outside the Libertarian Right, mind you.)

WTF have the powers-that-be been doing for the last 30 years or so but preparing for the eventuality that we on the bottom might get a bit uppity about what they’ve done to us?

Krugman and (especially) DeLong both come out swinging against the Commission. It galls me that DeLong is what now counts as liberal opinion, but I hope someone listens.

Seriously, WTF do people like both Rall and Cornfed think has been happening in this country with private security and the surveillance state and gated communities and suchlike?

Worse, think of it this way:

On the one hand, you have the United States government. The largest, most powerful military machine in history. They have bombs. They have automatic weapons. They have tanks and guns that can shoot a shell farther than the sound of the report can carry. They have cruise missiles. They have nuclear wessels the size of cities.

EVEN IF THE BRADY BILL WAS DISMANTLED TOMORROW, the best the citizenry could ever hope to attain is some AK-47s or M-16s.

When we fought the Redcoats, we had muskets. They had muskets, but better quality. The weaponry was equivalent.

Does anyone seriously entertain the notion that somehow WOLVERINES! is real?

When we fought the Redcoats, we had muskets. They had muskets, but better quality. The weaponry was equivalent.

We also had the French. The French, especially their Navy, was a really big part of our win.

The French, especially their Navy, was a really big part of our win.

I was going to mention that, but it occured to me that no nation on the planet has an arsenal even one-half the size of the US. Further, if I recall correctly, the US arsenal is larger than the next four or five combined.

We might get some sheep from Azerbajian to carry food.

Oil Wrestling

Or this

And righties whine about Title IX.

Canadians will WITHHOLD GIRLFRIENDS.

Canadians will WITHHOLD GIRLFRIENDS.

They’ll need to trot them out in time for shearing.

Canadians will WITHHOLD GIRLFRIENDS.
Without a steady supply of apocryphal girlfriends, American highschool outcasts will be …even further outcast?

Wow. Conservatives love them some shitty television!

Oops! Gary Condit forgot to wear a condom!

Without a steady supply of apocryphal girlfriends, American highschool outcasts will be …even further outcast?

They’ll have to remake the American Pie movies and call them American Poutine.

Bilingualism delays Alzheimers.

Good news for me.

I can only wish that helps one of my relatives somewhat. Not saying my relative has the Big A or anything, but he has been diagnosed with a form of dementia. He speaks English and German.

I know that’s not comedy blog material. Sorry, folks.

Not to break in to your anti-WOLVERINES! fantasies, but I wouldn’t actually be too bothered by removing the deductability of mortgage interest. Its absence hasn’t been shown to affect home ownership rates (in, for example, Canada, eh?) and it’s arguably regressive, especially since second homes can also get the deduction.

Removing the deduction for health benefits is much more iffy.

As somebody (can’t be arsed) said above, the commission ain’t gonna deliver anyway so it’s mute (sic).

So D-KW’s mom goes into a bar. bartender says “Why the long face?”

[just back from the dog park, not even gonna try to catch up, hence the always-on-topic joke]

No doubt the ChickenShitHawks are terrified of the idea of a LIBERAL with a gun! That’s the stuff of nightmares, that, and dreaming the refrigerator is empty, except for some carrots and green stuff.

Not saying my relative has the Big A or anything, but he has been diagnosed with a form of dementia. He speaks English and German.

Must be fun when he starts talking to himself.

Must be fun when he starts talking to himself.

In spite of myself, I actually chuckled at that.

Now I’m going to Hades.

No doubt the ChickenShitHawks are terrified of the idea of a LIBERAL with a gun!

THnk about that whole “New Black Panther” meme they threw around

In spite of myself, I actually chuckled at that.

OK, then let me post the whole joke I was going to tell:

Must be fun when he starts talking to himself. Hope you have a spit shield

dreaming the refrigerator is empty, except for some carrots and green stuff

Hey, that’s scaring me too!!

Hey, that’s scaring me too!!

There, there. They could just be moldy Twinkies.

They could just be moldy Twinkies.

Unpossible. Twinkies don’t go moldy until you stick them under your breast and forget its there

Hope you have a spit shield

Years of being cussed at auf Deutsch have prepared me well.

Unpossible. Twinkies don’t go moldy until you stick them under your breast and forget its there

[Ed Note: For my self-righteously pedantic antagonists, yes, I know Twinkies can get mold.]

Pelosi FTW

Unpossible. Twinkies don’t go moldy until you stick them under your breast and forget its there

That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve read in at least two days.

Unpossible. Twinkies don’t go moldy until you stick them under your breast and forget its there

Jonah needs to do a self-exam.

Jonah needs to do a self-exam.

Ernest-seeming young doctor: Mr Goldberg, I’m afraid I have bad news. You have….mold.

That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve read in at least two days.

One of the joys in my life is sitting and working out the math on how fat that woman has to be to get a fold that not only swallows a Twinkie, but keeps it in place as she moves about…

That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve read in at least two days.

Considering S,N! that’s an indictment.

We’re failing our audience!

Well, that was quick.

Wonder what the libertarians will make of this?

and slowly raise the retirement age for full benefits to 69 from 67

I blame this one on the damn French. I recently saw a protest sign being carried by a French protester about the raising of the retirement age over there that said:

Why not make it 69 if we’re going to get fucked!

Who knew some bastard over here would look at that and say, “hey! Great idea!”

Jonah IS a fungus.

Wonder what the libertarians will make of this?

Ummmmmmmm….shutup, that’s why?

I’m not horribly disgusted by the idea of eliminating some/many deductions, although which deductions is pretty important. Only two have been discussed. Is there anything out there estimating the impact of taxing health benefits? I can see a situation where overall tax cuts would balance that out.

I’m all for eliminating deductions for mortgage interest, because I don’t think encouraging home ownership is socially desirable, and also I don’t get to deduct any of my goddamn rent, so fuck you.

Increasing the retirement age, eliminating early retirement, and cutting taxes for the rich are all pretty terrible (although the last of these depends somewhat on exactly which deductions they’re dumping).

Even if the commission never issues an official report, they’re still going to be influencing what gets discussed in Congress. Talking about reducing the deficit is fine — it makes the bond raters happy — but god help us if Congress and Obama actually start making serious spending cuts.

Wonder what the libertarians will make of this?

A hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl…

Is there anything out there estimating the impact of taxing health benefits?

I’m more concerned with the fact that it’s an incentive for employers to drop coverage. That would be fine if we had comprehensive healthcare, but the shit that passed this year is going to mean millions will do without health insurance of any kind.

I’m all for eliminating deductions for mortgage interest, because I don’t think encouraging home ownership is socially desirable, and also I don’t get to deduct any of my goddamn rent, so fuck you.

Yea, but you don’t own the apartment, your landlord does and HE/SHE gets to deduct it….

Asked what he wanted to do in Washington in a Wednesday morning television interview, the senator-elect [Rnad Pual] said that his kids were hoping to meet the Obama girls.

That’s sweet.

Wonder what the libertarians will make of this?

Mitch McConnell got to the boy, I tells ya!

Rand Paul’s new-found support for earmarks marks a stark flip from his anti-earmark position he held as recently as yesterday. On ABC’s This Week, host Christiane Amanpour pushed Paul on the ways he’d cut spending. When she asked about earmarks, Paul declared “no more earmarks”

*SNERK*.

you gotta love those wingnuts, what with their courage of their convictions and all suchlike that there.

Paul declared “no more earmarks”

Did I say earmarks? I’m sorry. I thought she asked if I would wear a hat in the cold winter of DC or earMUFFS! I meant, “No more earMUFFS”!

And Rand Paul was the flagship Teabagger…

In California (When I paid taxes, anyway.) there was a “renter’s credit” (usu. around $60.00/filer) applied to one’s state income taxes. If your state doesn’t have this, it is a loser state.

Asked what he wanted to do in Washington in a Wednesday morning television interview, the senator-elect [Rnad Pual] said that his kids were hoping to meet the Obama girls.

Rand still vehemently insists on his right not to let Sasha and Malia in his house, though.

In MA, you can deduct 50% of your rent, up to $3,000.

actor212 said,

November 10, 2010 at 23:36 (kill)

Jonah needs to do a self-exam.

Ernest-seeming young doctor: Mr Goldberg, I’m afraid I have bad news. You have….mold.

What’s the importance of being Ernest?

At least Mitch McConnell’s being honest about earmarks, but… he does realize his party has been stumping on “earmarks r bad” for years, I’m sure. Would he care to maybe say something to that effect in 2012, for instance, whenever some foolish (R) candidate is all “fiscal responsibility blah blah stop earmarks blah stop all the spendin'”?

I’ll be anxious to hear his principled defense of earmarks in election season, when the Republicans will be hoping to take the Senate and possibly make him Majority Leader.

…

(ha.)

What’s the importance of being Ernest?

Can’t rightly say, Vern.

The Shrill One sez that the catfood report includes a statutory maximum on revenue. Ridiculous.

Also, my comments are getting lost in moderation. I guess I should shut up for a while.

In MA, you can deduct 50% of your rent, up to $3,000.

Commies.

Commies.

Just what I thought. I suppose the gov’t. tells you where you can live, too.

Ah…Owlbert brought up the Tucker Carlson impersonating Olbermann. That’s pretty slimy and despicable ain’t it?

On ABC’s This Week, host Christiane Amanpour pushed Paul on the ways he’d cut spending. When she asked about earmarks, Paul declared “no more earmarks”

Of course it was always crazy to think earmarks would budge the spending needle by any perceptible amount, but I doubt the phrase “return to sanity” could be applied to Rand Paul. Ever.

Not sure what to think about raising the retirement age. People are living longer, so I suppose the retirement age should reflect that, but I don’t think it’s gotten any easier for older people to find or retain jobs. Except if they’re in Congress.

I suppose the gov’t. tells you where you can live, too.

Yep: IN MASSACHUSETTS.

Ah…Owlbert brought up the Tucker Carlson impersonating Olbermann. That’s pretty slimy and despicable ain’t it?

It’s just the sort of thing that an overprivileged, douchebaggy upper-class twit with no principles would do.

People are living longer, so I suppose the retirement age should reflect that

I don’t see how living longer translates to a later retirement age. Is the concept that a person should have a fixed period of “retirement” before they die? Is there any evidence that 67-year-olds today are more fit to work than 67-year-olds of yesteryear?

The French also make what I think is a good point — later retirement for olds means a bigger labor pool means more competition/lower employment, especially for youngs.

TOPIC TWO: If Tucker Carlson’s reputation doesn’t take a serious hit from this, I will be really disgusted. That’s unethical behavior at best and possibly illegal.

Yep: IN MASSACHUSETTS.

They took ‘r freedoms! WOLVERINES!

This lady is fun. She’s the chief-of-staff of newly elected Congressperson Allen West. (You know, the war criminal who did get elected, unlike murderer Ilario Pantano.)

Kaufman, who’s hosted her own talk radio show since 2001, is no stranger to controversy. In 2007, she told her audience that illegal immigrants found committing crimes should be killed and then deported.

“If you commit a crime while you’re here, we should hang you and send your body back to where you came from, and your family should pay for it,” she said, according to the Miami New Times.

In the same year, she also canceled her contract with Comcast after she was asked to “press 1 for English” when calling the help line, the New Times reported.

Plus which:

… I don’t care how this gets painted by the mainstream media, I don’t care if this shows up on YouTube, because I am convinced that the most important thing the Founding Fathers did to ensure me my First Amendment rights was they gave me a Second Amendment.

And if ballots don’t work, bullets will.

I’ve never in my life thought that the day would come where I would tell individual citizens that you are responsible for being the militia that the Founding Fathers designed. They were very specific. You need to be prepared to fight tyranny, whether it comes from outside or whether it comes from inside. And we are at a moment in history where I have a president who has declared to the entire world that he cannot secure my borders, that he cannot get rid of people who don’t belong in this country, which means he cannot do his job — and when you cannot do your job, you gotta go home….

You’ve got to do it now. This is the standoff. When I say I’ll put my microphone down on November 2 if we haven’t achieved substantial victories, I mean it, because at that point I’m going to go off into the hills of Kentucky, I’m going to go out into the Midwest, I’m going to go up in the Vermont and New Hampshire outreaches, and I’m going to gather together men and women who understand that some things are worth fighting for and some things are worth dying for….

Visual: Note bizarre mutant who’s behind her.

She’s no Colleen Thomas, yet. Couple yrs. in Washington & we’ll see.

Guess who loves what he sees from the Catfood Commission?

Tucker Carlson’s reputation

ROFLMAO, to coin a phrase. Bx4 has him pegged.

You’ve got to do it now. This is the standoff. When I say I’ll put my microphone down on November 2 if we haven’t achieved substantial victories, I mean it, because at that point I’m going to go off into the hills of Kentucky, I’m going to go out into the Midwest, I’m going to go up in the Vermont and New Hampshire outreaches, and I’m going to gather together men and women who understand that some things are worth fighting for and some things are worth dying for….

Big honking international borders in Kentucky, are there? The Midwest, I could see that, I suppose. If we were concerned with a flood of immigrants from Canada. Which we’re not. Which is weird, isn’t it? I mean, it’s a socialist country which means its people must be dying in the streets. Why aren’t they desperate to come join the glory that is the United States of America?

Early reports suggest the Bipartisan Deficit Commission is considering some good ideas: a higher retirement age, lower tax rates coupled with broader tax bases, eliminating tax expenditures such as the mortgage interest deduction, and a higher gasoline tax.

One might suggest stupid things as well like returning the top & corporate tax rates to where they were in the Sixties, cutting the Pentagon budget, and eliminating subsidies for such things as tobacco (if we haven’t already), but I guess “Bipartisan” by its nature has to be pro-corporate.

ROFLMAO, to coin a phrase. Bx4 has him pegged.

It’s like Breitbart. Everyone with two brain cells to rub together knows after moments of research that he’s a despicable, amoral hack and bully. To the smarter right-wingers, he’s their thug, so it’s OK. The media, on the other hand, has been well-conditioned to accept amoral hackery as long as it’s from a Republican.

Breitbart’s star seems to be fading because he burned his supporters in the media with the Shirley Sherrod story and then got in an idiotic fight with ABC. Partisan thuggery is acceptable and encourage, but make Hannity look bad and it is over for you. I’m just hoping that apolitical, unethical bullying might give the mainstream media the excuse it needs to blackball Tucker and his shitty tabloid.

ROFLMAO, to coin a phrase. Bx4 has him pegged.

Uh, check out Urban Dictionary before you type, old chum…

***reaching for bottle of absinthe***

I’m just hoping that apolitical, unethical bullying might give the mainstream media the excuse it needs to blackball Tucker and his shitty tabloid.

I live in hope as well. It’s nice to wish for things that will never happen.

Is the concept that a person should have a fixed period of “retirement” before they die?

I think the concept was that people who couldn’t work because of advanced age should be protected from poverty.

It’s just the sort of thing that an overprivileged, douchebaggy upper-class twit with no principles would do.

George Will?

totalitarian liberals

Marketing opportunities: Pol Pot Patchouli and Hitler Hackeysacks.

Khomeini Konfectioneries?

***reaching for bottle of absinthe***

What kind? I’ve had Le Tourment Vert and thought it was okay (not as awesome as the bottle it comes in) and would like to know what’s good stuff.

I think the concept was that people who couldn’t work because of advanced age should be protected from poverty.

But does life expectancy correlate with ability to work in advanced age? If 67-year-olds are roughly as physically and mentally able as they were in 1983?

Beyond that, life expectancy at 65 (which is the relevant stat) has only increased a year or so since the last change to retirement age. It increased by 4 years between the creation of Social Security and the ’83 adjustment. There’s also no reason to expect that it will continue going up at the rate it has been.

Finally, life expectancy at age 65 is about a year lower for blacks than for whites. That’s not nearly as large as the at-birth gap, but it’s still worth considering whether increasing retirement age might disproportionately affect black seniors.

What kind? I’ve had Le Tourment Vert and thought it was okay (not as awesome as the bottle it comes in) and would like to know what’s good stuff.

I have a bottle of Kübler. I am not an absinthe aficianado, so I don’t know if it’s the good stuff, but it was the available stuff.

I’ve heard Kubler was good. I wish I could find a mini-bottle; I like to sample before investing in a big bottle of drink (what if I don’t like it?).

For the record, Le Tourment Vert is rather disliked for several reasons– in particular they pissed off absinthe geeks with a VERY ill-advised journal spam/astroturf ad campaign and will never be forgiven for that. For my part, I found it pleasant but presumably atypical (it uses eucalyptus as a flavoring), but want to try others to get a better sense of what’s out there.

It still has the awesomest bottle, though.

Sorry for all the posts, but the Shrill One has some information about life expectancy and income.

Ow.

The large government deficits are the only factor sustaining demand following the loss of this bubble wealth. If today’s deficit were smaller, we would not be helping our children; we would just be putting their parents out of work. Simpson and Bowles somehow think they have covered this concern by delaying their cuts until fiscal year 2012, 11 months from now. Virtually all projections show the unemployment rate will still be over 9.0 percent at the point when the Simpson-Bowles cuts begin to slow the economy further. This leaves the economy like a plane with one engine already out and Simpson Bowles prepared to knock out the other engine as well.

You know, if I got emails and people thought I was Keith Olbermann I’d have a difficult time not going with it. Mind you, I am not a “journalist” who purports to run a “news organization” and in such a position I think registering keitholbermann.com and having one of the email addresses be keith@keitholbermann.com might make me look like a complete fucking asshole who should be avoided at all costs.

I am convinced that the most important thing the Founding Fathers did to ensure me my First Amendment rights was they gave me a Second Amendment.

And if ballots don’t work, bullets will.

This person seems to have the mistaken idea that the First and Second Amendment guarantee her the right to have things go the way she wants it.

But does life expectancy correlate with ability to work in advanced age? If 67-year-olds are roughly as physically and mentally able as they were in 1983?

I think it tends to, yes, and I think 67 year olds today are on average far and away healthier and better able to work than 65 year olds in 1935, if they can get good jobs. Like I said, I’m not sure what changes should be made because of that, if any, I just think it’s one of the things that should be considered, like removing the salary cap and means testing. FWIW, I’d probably prefer if we had some sort of comprehensive anti-poverty program that didn’t include age as a qualifier, but I’m not going to hold my breath. Don’t you apologize for your posts; I should probably apologize for posting unconsidered opinion, but I’m such a horrible horrible person I’m going to eat some ice cream instead.

How about a basic minimum income?

HA HA HA.

” Tucker’s only contribution now is Internet trollery. At some point, he’s just going to start posting goatse pictures everywhere.”

You mean, besides all over his bedroom?

Seems to me that one of the key traits of totalitarianism is the willingness to kill people for thinking differently and saying so . Anyone who is so threatened by a cartoonist who disagrees them that they start talking about arming themselves with assault rifles against that person (and person’s who think like them) has some serious control issues that lean hard toward totalitarianism and is delusional.

If Stalin had spent his time spouting out crappy cartoons instead of doing what he did, he wouldn’t be a household name.

At some point, he’s just going to start posting goatse pictures everywhere.

I am more like Tucker Carlson every day.

Spiffing bowtie, dude!

Nice haircut, too.

Also.

Most men can’t do hod-carrying, jack-hammering, and other such construction work into their 60s and 70s. Most women are going to find it painful if not impossible to clean and change the linen in umpteen dozen hotel rooms a day in their 60s and 70s. Doesn’t mean they can’t be of use in jobs related to their physical work, like inspecting work-sites, training new workers. But that pretty much requires that programs and plans and other such organizational stuff be started, and that sort of thing rarely pops up spontaneously in individual communities. One cannot but think, “Ooh, mightn’t this be a job for a U.S. Federal government agency?”

Good luck with that. Also, I don’t think Canada wants me, which kinda breaks my heart. I don’t have any skills they need that they don’t got plenty of already. It’s going to be me and a couple of loyal, skinny dogs patrolling through the cold, dying suburban ruins, looking for Alpo and Vienna sausages and tins of mandarin oranges.

Wait. Maybe I and my skinny dogs could serve as Canadian border guards. We’d be like walking cautionary tales and tails: “Go back, go back ye wretched huddled masses, lest they make of you what they has made of me! A shell! A mockery! With a couple of loyal dogs, but still, go back!” I just hope I don’t have to eat that fried potato and cheese curd thing that I’m told is standard fare in Canuckistan.

Tucker Carlson should do something useful with his life, like maybe standing on the street corner handing out vouchers for Swanson dinners.

Finally, life expectancy at age 65 is about a year lower for blacks than for whites. That’s not nearly as large as the at-birth gap, but it’s still worth considering whether increasing retirement age might disproportionately affect black seniors.

For the ilk that will support this, that’s a feature not a bug.

But that pretty much requires that programs and plans and other such organizational stuff be started, and that sort of thing rarely pops up spontaneously in individual communities.

Whah yew be kumin’ ‘roun heer talkin’ thet COMMYEWNISM?
spt-TAH! *ping*

I just hope I don’t have to eat that fried potato and cheese curd thing that I’m told is standard fare in Canuckistan.

As a matter of fact, we force all new immigrants onto an all-poutine diet for the first year. Anybody who survives the year without dying of a heart attack has proven himself worthy of landed immigrant status.

Seems to me that one of the key traits of totalitarianism is the willingness to kill people for thinking differently and saying so

That, and more generally the unwillingness to tolerate any deviation from orthodox thought, any stain in the pattern… which is exactly what you’re seeing with the current conservative obsession with purifying their party from the supposed “RINOs” infecting and sabotaging it from the inside.

If movement conservatism wasn’t a totalitarian ideology before, it certainly is now.

Uhm, so yea…

Brilliant!

Owlbear1, thank you for that link. I can’t stop laughing. That is brilliant!

Hey Lawnguylander,

Outkast?! Consider me impressed. Imho we can’t say bankster and glibertarian enough when confronting douchebags. You have to speak in a mode they understand.

Also, fuck them.