Image from Huffington Post
Fair warning: this is a political rant.
Thirty days out from the midterm 2010 election, it’s beginning to look like class warfare.
When I used to think of a tea party, it was something little girls did on boring, rainy Saturdays. It was an Alice in Wonderland scenario, with Alice and the white rabbit and some of the other eccentric characters in Wonderland, sitting around, sipping tea. It wasn’t a bunch of almost exclusively white idiots convened by big money and corporate lobbyists who had convinced these people to rally against their own self interests.
You know the ones I mean. Last summer they stood around in the hot sun, with tea bags dangling from their silly hats, waving signs about NO to socialist health care and Obama’s socialist agenda, NO to bigger government and higher taxes. Yet, in their ranks were those shouting, Hands off my Medicare and Social Security!
They apparently didn’t realize that Medicare and Social Security are government programs. They apparently didn’t know that during the eight years of the Bush administration, government exploded in size. Bush brought us Homeland Security and the Transportation Safety Department. According to Wikipedia, DHS is the third largest department in the cabinet with more than 200,000 employees. The actual figure is probably much higher. The TSA supposedly has nearly 52,000 employees, but that figure seems low when you think about how many screeners there are at any single airport in the U.S. The TSA is enfolded within the Department of Homeland Security, which has a budget of nearly $43 billion. Yes, you read that figure correctly.
So where were these tea partiers when Bush was exploding the size of government and spending? Where were these tea partiers when we started two wars that have cost untold trillions and thousands of lives?
Now these fruitcakes have candidates:
So let’s start with Florida Marco Rubio, former speaker of the House of Representatives in Florida, attorney and son of Cuban immigrants. A Republican who has the support of tea partiers. He supports a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution, gun rights, and a repeal of the health care reform law. He opposes abortion rights and a path to legal residency for illegal immigrants. He initially opposed Arizona’s immigration law, but now supports it since it was changed to narrow the circumstances under which people could be asked for their papers.
It’s never entirely clear to me what these people mean by a balanced budget. When Bush took office, the budget had a surplus. W went on a spending spree and blew through that in a few years. So I’m assuming that Rubio, like his fellow “conservatives,” means he supports extending the tax cuts Bush implemented for the wealthiest 2 to 3 percent and cutting every social program that acts as a safety net for the most vulnerable people in our society – the poor, the sick, and the elderly.He’s running for the senate. Scary.
Then there’s Joe Miller, Mr. Five O’Clock Shadow from Alaska. Like Rubio, he supports a repeal of the new health care law and opposes abortion. Oh, and he also supports “limited government spending,” the code phrase for cutting social programs. You notice how no one ever really talks about cutting defense spending, which in the 2010 budget runs around $535 billion, and that probably doesn’t include black op programs. Good ole Joy also claims that Social Security “violates the mandates of the Constitution,” and that there should be no federal minimum wage.
Are we seeing the pattern of class warfare here? He’s running for the senate, too. Won’t be and Rubio be a pair up there on the senate floor?
Moving along. Christine O’Donnell, Sarah Palin clone. Looks like her. Talks dumb like Palin. Same hairstyle, same type of clothing, big white smile. Is basically clueless. Probably believes she can see the Pacific Ocean from her front porch. Lies about where she went to college, admitted on Bill Maher that she had dabbled in witchcraft. If she actually had, if she were a Wiccan, for instance, she would be far more interesting. Instead, she’s just embarrassing. She supports cuts to government spending (read: get rid of social programs, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security etc), lower taxes (especially for the top 2-3 percent of the wealthiest Americans) and, of course, a repeal of the health care reform law. She opposes the Recovery Act and abortion.
Rand Paul. Kentucky. Former eye doc. Son of Ron Paul. Opposes government bailouts of private businesses, a path to legal residency for illegal immigrants, legalized abortion and the new health care law. He supports lower taxes and a dramatic reduction in government spending. He thinks people below the age of 55 should have to work longer before they can retire and collect Social Security. Uh-huh. And he was endorsed by Sarah Palin. Enough said.
Sharron Angle, Nevada. When she smiles, I cringe. Supports gun rights, expanded veterans’ benefits, tighter border security, cuts to government spending and making the Bush tax cuts permanent. (Read: she wants her donors to remain rich and the rest of us to be reduced to peasants). Naturally, she opposes the new health care law and abortion. She has said she wants to shut down the Department of Education to help balance the budget and make education a local responsibility. Neat, huh? So your kids will have to attend private school, which will cost you a bundle, or you home school them. Endorsed by Sarah Palin. I think her platform should be called the Dumbing Down of America.
Where is the humanity in any of these candidates? How will more guns, a greater disparity between rich and poor, the repeal of the health care law (as watered down as it is) and abolishing Medicare and public schools help this country in any way?
Tonight we saw a story on the news that really underscores what this election is about. In Union City, Tennessee, a man hadn’t paid the $75 fee to the fire department for fire protection. He forgot to pay it.Never mind that he pays property taxes, which usually covers police and fire protection. So when his house caught fire, the fire trucks parked out front and watched his home burn. Is that what we’ve come to as a country? Have our hearts turned to stone? The man lost his home, his pets, everything because he’d forgotten to pay a $75 fee. That story is here.
According to ThinkProgress, “there are currently two competing visions of governance in the United States. One, the conservative vision, believes in the on-your-own society, and informs a policy agenda that primarily serves the well off and privileged sectors of the country. The other vision, the progressive one, believes in an American Dream that works for all people, regardless of their racial, religious, or economic background.
The conservative vision was on full display last week in Obion County, Tennessee.”
The windsurfing is great in Lake Macquarie or perhaps Port Stephens. Both close to wine country and the best beaches in the world. 🙂
wv = nation.
Well said, Sansego!
The argument that Obama was born in Kenya is ludicrous. It makes no logical sense. here's why:
Obama's mother was a college student in a lower middle class family in Hawaii. The year was 1961. Flights from Honolulu to Nairobi were likely to be quite expensive and include many segments (Honolulu to L.A. to Chicago to NY to London to Cairo to Nairobi?). So, you would believe that a lower middle class family in Hawaii would allow their ONLY daughter to travel alone to a third world country in her 8th month of pregnancy to give birth in a third world hospital to their first grandchild without their being present for the birth? Then, this white woman is going to return back to the U.S. in 1961 with a black baby in her arms, with a foreign name, and she has to convince the customs agent upon landing that the baby is hers! Then a birth announcement in two Hawaiian newspapers are going to claim birth in a Honolulu hospital on the off chance that he'll run for president someday and need "proof" that he was born in the U.S.?
Occam's Razor would have a simpler solution: Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii just like his mother and grandparents claimed, the birth certificate shows, and the newspaper announcments indicate. The scenario I presented above is so preposterous, its amazing that people still believe he was born in Kenya. They never seem to explain how Obama's grandparents could afford such an extravagence for their daughter nor why any good parent who loves their only child would allow her to make such a lonely, potentially dangerous journey.
On top of that, Barack Obama, Sr. married Obama's mother while he was a student in Hawaii, but he abandoned them when he went to Harvard. He also had wives back in Kenya that he never told his American wife about. Her going to Kenya would expose her to his truth.
Moving to Oz won't save you.What's happening in the States is starting to happen World wide.The planet is being taken over by the huge Multi-nationals.In Queensland (my home state) the government has just approved fluoride to go into the drinking water without even putting it to a vote.We were the only state in Australia that didn't have the stuff in our water,now we do.The skies are being sprayed with the same crap they are spraying in the USA and Europe and most people just don't seem to notice or care.These Globalists must be laughing all the way to their banks.
People have to start asking questions and stand up for their rights…Is the Emperor really wearing new clothes?
Daz
We got it, D!
The "great idea" comment in my prior
post was supposed to be sarcastic…. somehow it didn't come through in print.
It is wrong. Privatizing government (running it like a corporation)leads to these kind things. Great idea!
Whitman. Shudder the thought. Maybe Daz can suggest some places to move to in Australia! Honestly, I didn't think I would feel such angst again after Bush left office. But the sight of that man's house burning while firefighters sat nearby in their trucks, watching, hit me viscerally. Jeff, a volunteer fireman, hit it: it's just wrong.
I enjoyed your rant, Trish. The headline on Huff Post "Internal Emails Suggest Palin to Run for President"-https://www.huffingtonpost.com/akmuckraker/internal-emails-suggest-p_b_751356.html .
It also show the in fighting w/in the T-party and the fact that it takes all morning for her to post a face book statement.
Here in CA we have real winner: Meg Whitman (or Whitless as the case may be).
All these folk are signs of a sick mindset where lying is merely "game rhetoric". Greed is the ideal, exploitation is a means to an end, and corruption is "normal".
You're right,Rob.Most of those nutters are racist,but what I'm trying to say to people is
" Think for Yourself ",question everything,even the "official" line.
Politicians won't save you,the people have try to keep the bastards honest.Once you give them an inch,they'll take a mile.
Daz
You're right, Daz. It's not racism to question someone's place of birth. But if you would see the posters at the Tea Party rallies, you would have to say that those people holding the posters are racists, and the ones around them are willing to stand for that racist nonsense.
Obama is called 'the other,' someone foreign and not a regular (read white) person. The intent is to de-legitimatize his presidency, to make him strange and different so someone 'normal' like Sarah Palin can take over. – R
wv: judged
(it actually spelled a word
I don't see how you can call it racism if someone tries to question the birthplace of a candidate just because he is black.I myself am a Jew and when people criticize Israel or a few Jewish conspirators in the banking industry,I don't see that as racism,I think it's fine people are asking questions.
It's only racism when people say stuff like all Jews are evil and Israel should be wiped from the map.It would be like if I said all Americans are evil…that's racism,but to question the birthplace of a President is fair game to me and I don't care whether he is black or a Jew,I'm just probing for the truth,as you all should be.Sometimes the truth can be uncomfortable,but you shouldn't stop looking for it because someone calls you a Racist or Conspiracy Nut.
Cheers / Daz
You are probably right, Trish. He was embarrassed by her truth, and in my eyes he covered his embarrassment with a sarcastic grin. His co-workers close to him have publicly stated, as has he himself, that he tends towards a wicked sarcasm. (Supposed to be funny, but isn't, at least to me, when inapprpriate.) All the insights from out of the country are very enlightening in terms of what other folks think about us and our gov't. I'm glad they share. cj
I saw that clip, Connie. To me he looked embarrassed, not like he was sneering. That woman spoke the truth and he knew it.
I love all these insights from different parts of the country/world. They're more meaningful than anything politicians say!
– Trish
Well said, Maggie. There are constant political ads on TV with each candidate negatively "outing" the others. It's obnoxious,and no one knows the real truth, no matter which side of the fence we may be on. Regarding Obama, I only have three comments. One, it's too early to draw any conclusions about how successful his presidency will untilmately be in turning things around and I'm withholding judgment til then. Two, his polls show a huge drop in trust among the majority of Americans. Three, and this is just my personal observation: he was recently seen in a room filled with supporters, etc., and a well-dressed, well-spoken African-American woman stood up and told him she was tired of defending him, was still waiting for the campaign promises to be fulfilled, etc. When the camera went back to Obama, he was literally laughing at the woman with a sarcastic sneer on his face. I do object to such egotistic attitudes, and obviously no racism was involved. So far, he's done some good things, and he's done some bad things. Time will tell how effective his adminstration is/was. No need to come back with a comparison to BushCo et al. They are not in my equation. I'm simply speaking of the current president. I'm well aware that O inherited one hell of a mess that must somehow be fixed. We must wait it out and see what happens.
cj
cj
I saw two interesting editorials that go along with some of the comments. One was that Sarah Palin, Christine Odonell and the rest of the group have a very strong physical resemblence to Monica Lewinsky including the way they wear their hair. (It was a female commentator who mentioned the look)
The other is about a Tea Party activist who is supporting a Democratic Party candidate for Congress in North Carolina over the Tea Party endorsed Republican primary winner. It turns out that the Republican murdered unarmed prisoners while in the military in Iraq. After reading the details of the trial the mother of a fallen serviceman decided she could not endorce someone who gives all military members a bad name. Needless to say that the Tea Party is disowning her and saying she is not a member of the Tea Party and never will be again.
Ray
Outstanding post and comments!! For me …it's a shame but I've just given up putting any of my energy into politics as of late. I feel hopeless, and that the powers to be will do what they will, and I can't do anything about it. That's just not right…but I've grown mistrusting of all politicians with each their own agendas that all smell of corruption. I guess this is what happens after living a lifetime in Chicago politics. I think when religion and politics are no longer….the driving forces of the world….then we will have peace and love on Earth.
I've joined an active fight against Angle in Nevada. She is absolutely a fruit cake – and Nevadans are actually thinking of getting rid of Reid, one of the most powerful men in Congress to replace him with Angle? If we do – then we deserve exactly what we are going to get. Nevada has never had any power due to low population, and if we are stupid enough to throw away what we have, then so be it. I'm beginning to believe these people need to actually be elected before the pendulum can finally swing the other way. Extreme contrasts may be necessary. Let them have their way. Some of us will leave the country, and then they can see exactly what these old baggers will do for the people. It may be the end of our civilization, as we know it, but maybe that's what it's going to take to unite the people, once and for all.
Alexandar, very few Americans realize that America took the side of the Muslims, not the Christians in the Balkans War.
Daz, the only candidate for president in 2008 in the U.S. who was born in a foreign country was John McCain, the Republican candidate.
Look it up. It's a fact, unlike the phony conspiracy stuff on Obama that would involve the conspiracy beginning when he was born when someone, probably his parents, put a birth notice in the Honolulu newspaper.
Also, Hilary Clinton would've done anything to take down Obama in the primary, and McCain the same. So why did this amazing revelation only take hold after he was elected.
Racism. That's why.
-R
In our local paper yesterday, on the front page, was a notice to all residents with alarm systems. We now must register with the local police dept, must pay an annual "fee" to them for having a system, and if there are X number of false alarms at a particular residence, the police will no longer respond if the alarm goes off. Is this crazy or is this crazy?? Children coming in from school often in a hurry will mis-place their fingers on the alarm pad and set it off. This is very common. The police CALL the residence before coming out and can learn it is a false alarm. So now they are stating they won't respond after X number of false alarms…when they can determine before they send help whether or not it is false. Terrible new law. Terrible. Pacifist that I am, although we have a sophisticated alarm system, our best alarm system is a Big Bad Dog and my trusty .32 and my husband's shotgun, that are locked and loaded. The law states an intruder can only be shot if the intruder is inside the house. I go along with that. What the dog doesn't attack, (if an intruder isn't armed to hurt the dog), then our firearms can beat this "no resonse" new law. What's happening in America? Firemen won't respond to fires and police won't respond to alarms? This is promoting arson and home invasions! Awful. cj
Here's a better link on the Obama/Kenyan issue;
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/blogs/message.aspx/3074
Don't forget the official line on the Kennedy assassination is that Oswald still did it with his magic bullet…but with a little bit of research,I kinda start doubting that one,too.
Rob,if I was living in the States I would be voting Democrat,but the reality is there has only been one power running the show over there since Kennedy and that's WALL STREET/(Fed Reserve)/CITY OF LONDON
(all one and the same)(and they were running it before Kennedy,too.It's just that he nearly prized it from their grasp)
I just hope real politics will some day return to the USA and give the people some real power instead of this media charade of Good Cop/Bad Cop,while the wars rage on under the Orwellian banner of "THE WAR ON TERROR".
Peace /Daz
I don't know much about politicians in America, but, after looking at photos of that Christine O'Donnell thing, she looks like the worst stereotype of an American. She has "me, me, me", "more, more, more" and "I can't recognize other continents on the map" written all over her face. Today is ten years since the people of Serbia got rid of Slobodan Milosevic. After seeing mutations of his political activities still alive and kicking, I feel sad.
I know the "official" line is he was born in Hawaii,but there is some good evidence that he was really born in Kenya.
https://www.infowars.com/ap-declared-obama-kenyan-born/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLDHDfPNBME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl1K94ALlTA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4FqVRWgrNw
Most of his family including his Grandmother seem to think he was born in Kenya.
I hope you are right Rob…but it's looking a little shaky.
Cheers /Daz
Daz, it was Hawaii, not Kenya. His father was born in Kenya. All that means is that he is a second-generation American, not a descendant of American slaves, as are most American blacks. Look up his birth certificate. It's easily found on the Internet. Don't be a dodo. – R
What's really tragic about the fire part of the story is that the former fire chief apparently would put out fires regardless of whether someone had paid the fee or not.
I wonder…WHEN we all ever start thinking of benefiting each other? When will we just start being nice to each other and stop all this grabbing and getting and stomping.
When will we realize that no matter what we get…it all stays behind when we move on?
Daz, can't take credit. Trish wrote that.
Only thing I can add is that all this tough talk from the right about balancing the budget will go out the window when it's time for the U.S. to flex its military might again. They will be waving the flag, leading the charge, and approving massive government expenditures.
War or no war, let's see them cut the $1 trillion military budget, which consumes 38-44% of estimated tax revenues this year.
P.S. I'm already against the next war. – R
Well said Jeff.I hope you're around if my house ever catches fire and you're right…both parties are just the puppets of the Industrial/Military Complex,like Ike hinted at in his farewell speech.
You haven't had a real president since Kennedy and how did Obama get to be President,when it's fairly common knowledge (outside of the USA)
that he was born in Kenya ?
I thought a President had to be born in the USA?
Daz
I won't comment on the politics, because I like to stay as far away from that stuff as possible (but as an Independent, I think both parties suck, and there's plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the aisle. 'Nuff said).
Now, on those people calling themselves firefighters in Tennessee…that is disgraceful. I'm a volunteer firefighter. The day I joined the ranks, I took an oath, as does every firefighter in every community in this country – an oath to serve our community with honor, bravery, and a sense of duty. We are sworn to protect and serve, no matter what the cost, no matter what the risk, and no matter what the circumstances. There are no excuses for not upholding that promise. We are there to put out fires. Period. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Yet another fine rant,Rob.Your founding fathers set up the best form of government in the world when your country was born and now all these evil corporate imperialists want to do is smash it.If you guys give into these bastards,then America as we've known it is finished.It's sounding more like Nazi Germany everyday,instead of the good ol' USA.
" — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."…Amen.
Daz
What a misguided bunch of sheep masquerading as "fire fighters" in Obion County, TN! That they refused to try to save the Crannicks' home even after Mr. C. offered to pay them to do so *should* make Union City liable for its replacement. The fire "protection" FEE, after all, was supposedly to defray the cost to Union City for sending its FD to rural residences. That argument went out the window when the FD stood by and watched the Crannicks' home burn. Union City and its Repug government are running a RACKET, pure and simple, and all should be prosecuted under RICO.
Welcome to the America the Rand Pauls, Christine O'Donnells, Sharon Angles and Sarah Palin wannabees would like the rest of us to live in.
A month ago, I moved out of Kansas to get away from such narrow-minded, backward thinking. Ironically, KS was settled in the 1850s and '60s by free-spirited pioneers who came west to get away from the same constraints Back East.