I’m going to have to start a new category for this.
Help me name it. I’m thinking along the lines of “We’re So Fucked” or “Socialism: Your Future” or “Most People Are Too Stupid To Vote But They Do Anyway So We Are All Going To Die.” Yeah, I’m a pessimist. Hard not to be when I read about polls like this, which I found at Hot Air:
A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 29% of voters favor nationalizing the oil industry. Just 47% are opposed and 24% are not sure.
The survey found that a plurality of Democrats (37%) believe the oil industry should be nationalized. Just 32% of voters in Barack Obama’s party disagree with that approach. Republicans oppose nationalizing the oil industry by a 66% to 16% margin. Unaffiliated voters are opposed by a 47% to 33% margin.
Forty-seven percent (47%) of all voters say that private companies are more likely to solve the nation’s energy problems than a government research program. Thirty percent (30%) disagree and say the government research program is more likely to find the solution.
Let me ask you something. In this day and age, would it be genuinely and unacceptably discriminatory to require a certain level of, well, BRAINS, to vote?
Would it be fascist and immoral to require all voters to pass a basic quiz on history, economics, and logic?
If the answers are yes, am I an asshole for wishing we could do these things anyway? If the answer to that is yes, then I am a great big asshole. Because only 47% of American voters are standing between me and socialism; only 47% seem to have a fucking CLUE about what happens when you nationalize certain things, the oil industry being one of them.
Of course I suppose it could be that the other 53% do have a clue, which makes it even more painful. Because then they’d want socialism. And if that is so, and if more of them are breeding than people like me are, I give it maybe 20 more years, 30 tops, before I really could say in all honesty that I’m not proud to be an American anymore. “America” is defined by the people in it, and it seems that the day is rapidly approaching when a majority of those people will be socialism-lovin’ morons.
Tell me I’m wrong. Really, please. I beg you.
In the meantime, here’s a Rachelmussen poll:
Loading …
Yep, okay, right. Young people especially are prone to this sort of mommy state will care for me bilge. So, what to do about it? Whine and complain, throw up our hands and have a nice martini? Maybe. Or what else? Ideas? Maybe become a teacher. Or an editorialist. Or a preacher, whether from a pulpit or a soapbox in the park. Kinda like Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park. Start one today!
Of course, the ever tolerant free-speach loving left will do all they can from personal violence to legal proscription to shut down unapproved opinions, but then we can be the ones to “speak truth to power,”or whatever.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:29 amPut a lot of focus on the Education System.
It is run by Socialists and it is brainwashing people into believing Socialist models.
If you want to save this nation, you must take apart the Socialist Brainwashing Indoctrination System, aka The Education System.
Simple as that.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:30 amTwo words. Literacy tests.
And not of the variety that test whether or not one understands the language, but rather a revamped version to gauge whether one understands the ramifications of one’s voting actions.
Blue books required!
FOR EVERYONE.
Wow, this Alabama test is a really interesting historical document.
And a sample current Texas naturalization test.
Oberseer Obassiah would have missed number 100, and thus already have been weeded out : )
*Oh and before anybody offers me up a steaming plate of white guilt for making this suggestion and/or for anything that happened before this, regarding voting rights, don’t bother. I can’t, and really don’t care to, own actions I wasn’t even alive for. Post-1970, blame away. My shoulders are big.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:32 amRachel, you make the same mistake a great many people do in confusing poll results with how people feel when it comes time to actually vote. Lots of people SAY, for example, that they favor a constitutional amendment to ban the burning of the American flag, but in reality they don’t make that a primary consideration when deciding who to vote for. “What I think when a pollster asks a question” and “what I’m willing to actually vote for or against when it really counts” are two VERY different things. Confusing the two is responsible for a lot of what appears contradictory in studing the political scene.
Beyond that, our Constitution is set up precisely to hinder mob action, making major changes as the result of temporary and transient majorities. This is EXACTLY why we don’t do pure democracy here. The House is up for election every 2 years, each Senator only faces election every 6 years. That insulates the Senators from the immediacy of public pressure. They only face retalation from the voters if the voters keep the same opinion for 6 years in a row, AND feel strongly enough about the issue to vote against the Senator based just on that issue.
Don’t join the “sky-is-falling” crowd. It’s not, I promise. Our system is designed to make it really, really difficult to do something like actually nationalize the oil companies.
Heck, the Democrats won full control of Congress while promising to force the President to withdraw troops from Iraq. What happened? We’re still there, and the President sent in MORE troops.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:38 am“And if that is so, and if more of them are breeding than people like me”
Rachel, that is exactly the reason that you and Clint Eastwood had better get breeding. I’m not kidding…….get going.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:43 amWe’re totally screwed, Rachel. And while nailing down a specific cause is impossible, I’d argue that much of the reason is due to the abandonment of teaching basic civics in our elementary and high schools. Add to that the fact that celebrity is now our culture’s highest virtue, which makes archaic things like “integrity” and “character” little more than bullet points for ad campaigns, and we’re headed down a treacherous path.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:50 amRe: category name:
It might be copyrighted, but I would suggest “Inside the Idiocracy” (great movie, BTW)
I feel for you. I deal with these idiots every day. Coming from New York, we are blessed with Chuckie and the witch.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:51 amIf I may cross-post a comment from the erudite Professor Goldstein at Protein Wisdom, in an unrelated thread, where a dour assessment arrives:
Goldstein is a pretty sharp knife, so when he starts to feel this way, I’m truly worried. Prosperity and liberty seem to be moribund in America. Perhaps in thirty years we’ll get tired of self-imposed stupidity and decline.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:52 amFor the first time in my life I feel a bit worried about the future of this country. One thing to keep in mind - 10% of people in this country believe in Superman and about 20% don’t know who the VP is. But still - these numbers are depressing. With the democrats wanting to socialize everything and the Republicans ready to go along with it, we may be screwed beyond mere butt-hurting.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:53 amI suggest a new option in the poll above - North Dakota seceding, since they have that huge honkin’ oil reserve. You could run North Dakota easy-peasy.
Nationalize THIS, socialist stooges!
June 17th, 2008 at 11:54 am_Jon:
Amen, _Jon! I’ve had kids in public schools for the last 17 years, and I’ve been appalled by the creeping socialism and utopianism being taught. It has become almost all-pervasive, regardless of the subject matter. If I had it to do over again, my kids would be home-schooled or go to private school.
Maybe it’s time to start thinking about something á la Galt’s Gulch.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:59 amThe world has an astounding talent for failing to end, and said world is better now than it ever has been.
Even if a great leap backward like this happened, we would almost certainly come out ok.
Eventually.
Probably.
I hope.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:03 pmFor a time I was really worried, then I remembered; I made it through the Carter years, so did the rest of the country; sure we suffered, but life continued. This too shall pass.
You cannot impose an intelligence test on voters, the Democratic Party would never approve the disenfranchisement of their voter base.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:06 pmThis survey only proves that a dependent populace will always vote themselves a pay raise at someone else’s expense. It’s a logical step for them to assume that siezing assets is also justified for the “common good.” But it will never fly because well over half of all households now have investments in the stock market. Even those who do not invest directly have retirement plans based on market investments. Nationalization means robbing the middle class.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:09 pmRegarding 14 Karat’s link to the sample current Texas naturalization test.
I’m sorry - question 82 just has me stumped…
Still thinking….
June 17th, 2008 at 12:11 pmYou know, it occurs to me often that America is such a large, wealthy, populous nation that it resembles an ocean liner. You can turn one around and run it on the rocks, but it does take time. America will sink slowly but inexorably, if it does get holed. Extending the metaphor is useful too, considering Obama as captain. What will he do? That’s what is scary. Perhaps he will just ascend to the bridge, and let the ship continue in whatever direction it headed when he arrived. But being such a clown, will he do dangerous stuff? Or just silly? Will he order jello served to the passengers for breakfast and throw half the pantry overboard? Will he smash the compass but not touch the rudder? Or will he do something really stupid like open the seacocks and flood the lower decks?
Before we get too panicked about St. Barry O’Guiltwhite, we can console ourselves in the huge inertia of society that will slow him up… or maybe I’m just lying to myself. This fool who will be President is a big question mark with razor edges.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:12 pmThe problem is, making tests to determine if people should be able to vote doesn’t work any better then nationalizing the oil industry. In both cases something important is put in the hands of the government and then the government screws it up.
Anyway, smart has nothing to do with it. College English professors are “smart” (or at the very least they can pass tests) but it doesn’t keep the from believing a lot of silly things about how government should work.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pmTHAT’S the bit that gets me because it cuts both ways. Deep down I HAVE to believe people are smarter than that because it keeps me sane.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:22 pmBut when I get into a discussion with one of my leetle girl co-workers (24 y.o.) and she says, “I don’t care! It’s the oil companies! It’s not like I’ll ever see a billion dollars!”
THAT’S when I start feeling bunker-ish.
Rachel,
I have already ranted a couple of times on earlier posts about oil prices and nationalization, so I won’t bore anyone with it again. However, I do have a name for a new category where items like this belong:
Bread and Circuses
We have discovered that we can vote ourselves both of these items, for a while at least. We are getting close to the magical 51%, where productive members of society are screwed because the majority elects whoever promises the most handouts.
I know who John Galt is. Where the hell is he?
June 17th, 2008 at 12:23 pmI didn’t say intelligence, I said literacy, as in “yeah, I have read and processed that fact, because I am attempting to engage my brain muscle and educate myself on this topic.”
I believe that intelligence is a capacity one has, literacy is an increase in competence when one has exercised one’s head muscle to gain knowledge.
Although the two aren’t mutually exclusive, literacy is something you have to work for. If you’re not willing to invest the time to gain basic knowledge of our political system in order to reap the reward of voting, then I say too farkin bad for you.
Gotta’ hand you that one, David!
I know it’s not a simplistic fix, and believe me, I thought about exactly what you said, but it raises my blood pressure when deliberate ignorance is touted as oppression. And you are totally correct that implementation of such a scheme would be a logistical nightmare, given that it would be governed by a bureaucracy.
As far as access to information goes, libraries are still free, right? I escaped to the nearest onne whenever humanly possible as a child to avoid my house. So any crap about being kept down by lack of opportunity to educate onself to vote is just that. Crap.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:24 pmIt’s lack of initiative that I see prevailing.
Polls can be made to say almost anything you want them to say depending on how they’re worded. I’d be very interested in seeing the actual poll questions.
Oh, and liberals/progressives don’t breed as much as conservatives, so aren’t having as many progeny - hence a future conservative tilt in natural born citizens.
The power is in the parents. Keeping the lines of communication open and actually discussing politics, pros, cons, liberalism, conservatism, socialism, democracy, etc., etc. can bear fruit. Just keep it as factual as possible and on the child’s level. Believe me, no one understands property rights as well as an 8 y/o arguing with an older sister over the game system. Use it.
Civilization can be saved, one child at a time.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:27 pmCategory suggestions:
“Slouching towards Socialism”
“We’ve secretly replaced your country’s ideals with socialist ones; let’s see if anyone notices the difference.” (with apologies to Folgers)
Wait–you already have a “Celebrity Asshats” category, why not “Socialism-Lovin’ Asshats”?
June 17th, 2008 at 12:27 pmNo, you’re not wrong: we are truly, deeply, madly screwed. And while that’s a lovely thing in the literal, it’s not so much fun in the figurative.
The Cage is spot-on about the ponderous movement of the country, but from my point of view, the job is to somehow steer it from a pretty determined path toward the reef, and into saner waters. I haven’t the resigned approach Goldstein has (proving that he’s far smarter than me) and instead feel ever-increasing panic as I watch derangedly stupid things go on with ever-increasing frequency.
But then, I live in perhaps the most belligerently self-destructive part of the country and may have a badly skewed view. I sure hope so.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:28 pmNot at all. I’m all in favor. And fortunately, this test would empty out about 89% of the House and 98% of the Senate, with the added bonus of disqualifying both presidential nominee morons. America wins.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:29 pmSheesh. I think we must live in the same neighborhood.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:35 pmMy son and I watched Idiocracy again the other day. It was even creepier the second time around, knowing how willfully ignorant Americans are becoming.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pmIf ever there were a serious attempt by the US governement to Nationalize anything it would get crushed in the Supreme Court. They would need to grant Emergency Powers to the President first and that my dear friends will never happen short of WWIII and even then it would be a stretch, not to mention we would have bigger problems on our hands than the cost of a gallon of gas.
People are stupid and have been trained from a very young age to beleive the government is infallible despite many obvious and public contradictions.
Blame it on the Socialist bend to our education system.
Capitilism is like Dodge-Ball. Only the biggest and the strongest will be the victor and it requires a cruel willingness to do what is necessary to win.
Anymore its the governments responsiblity in the eyes of many to stick up for the sniveling twerps in our society as opposed to facilitating an environment and fostering belief in the entrepenuerial(sp?) sprirt which made this country great.
There will come a time when the pendulum will swing back and the freedom loving capitalists in this nation take out country back and make it great again.
Within the framework of our government or outside of it. It will happen.
Let the Govt try to nationalize any industry owed privately and there will be hell to pay.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pmI’m with Redhead.
ALL rights should have corresponding responsiblities. It is not too much to ask that if you want the right to vote, you have the duty to become informed.
Of course if we’re going to break the shibboleth of one person/one vote, I’d much rather give one vote to everybody, and another vote for each $10,000 in taxes you pay.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:48 pmPatHMV makes a good point. We have the Constitution. Changing it is tough to do. Does anybody remember the Equal Rights Amendment push in the 70’s?
Regarding the oil companies, the takings clause of the 5th Amendment neuters that idea. The short and sweet: Government can’t take private property without just compensation.
Seeing as how the combined equity value of U.S. domiciled oil companies runs to more than a trillion dollars, I’m not sure the the feds could raise enough tax and debt funds for such a venture. It would, however, make a great b-school case, trying to structure such a leveraged buy-out.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pmMiracles can happen. The dark days of the Carter administration were followed by two terms of Reagan, a resurgence of American power and prosperity, and the collapse of the Evil Empire.
Great Britain may be a pitiful shell of her former self, but she set an example for us in 1940. Europe had crumbled under the German onslaught, and the United States still hadn’t been goaded into joining the fight, but Britain stood alone against the Nazi menace, even when bombs rained down on London for months. There seemed to be no hope that Britain would prevail, but she simply refused to surrender, and eventually handed Hitler his first defeat of the war.
Never give up. NEVER.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:57 pmSOMEONE make a t-shirt - Rachel Lucas, President of the Republic of Texas. Please.
Seriously, though, there is a reason I live in the state. Because I truly believe we have the only people who could actually manage to make it alone as the rest of the nation falls into a socialist pit for a century. (They’re so stupid it takes that long to figure out - again - that it won’t work.)
Of course, most of Austin will have to be exiled.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:57 pmNot to excuse the Obamunists who think oil prices should be regulated (as if that would happen with nationalization - want it taxed even more than it already is?). I can see the emotional connection to oil as it powers our cars, heats our homes, gets our food to the grocery stores and on our tables. But imagine if this same sensibility was applied to other things, like retail goods. I shit you not.
I had an epidsode with a customer a couple of weeks ago that had me reeling. I work part time at Crate & Barrel. Some of you who shop there know the store is divided into two seperate stores: housewares and furniture. Some furniture is available in Housewares, and it’s ready-to-assemble and very reasonably priced. We beat Ikea in many things and our quality is infinitely better. Furniture is more high-end, with the pricepoints to match. Me, I work in Housewares.
So, this African American woman comes in to the store and asks me about a media cabinet. This media cabinet is probably our largest model, with glass fronted doors that slide. It’s this one (http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=994&f=12147&q=Kinston&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1). The woman suddenly starts balking at the price, and I tell her about the construction and how it’s one of our larger models and that’s why the price is higher. She argues that it’s less at Wickes, and I tell her that that may well be b/c Wickes is in Chapter 11. She then tells me out of the blue that it’s priced too high because retailers are “greedy” and that the givernment should step in and regulate the prices so people can afford to get what they want. At this point, I am trying to extricate myself but she won’t let me leave graciously. After a certain point I say to her that she’s entitled to her opinion but that I think the cabinet is reasonably priced. Too which she replies “My opinion is wisdom. Wisdom.”
I walked away in politely-disguised disgust.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:03 pmtexas secedes.
ever watch jericho?
fun show. they managed to get this in before being canceled:
June 17th, 2008 at 1:06 pmCol. Jeff Cooper said: “One can never have to many books, too much good wine, or too much ammunition.”
I’m just sayin’.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:09 pmRachel,
The one thing we absolutely DO NOT want to do is hand over the the Government control of who votes. If these idiots can subvert educational standards to the extent that they do, I’d hate to see what they could do with a poll-test.
I think we have to accept that, in the end, democracy is the theory that the common man knows what he wants and deserves to get it good and hard (H.L. Mencken)
June 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pmIf it was less at Wickes, why the hell didn’t she go there and buy it from them?
June 17th, 2008 at 1:13 pmbut my vote goes for naming the category: “socialist mandated butt-rape”
or some variant
June 17th, 2008 at 1:15 pmWatchel, you left out the best (worst) part of the quote, the part that tells me we have a country stock full of idiots:
“But, at the same time, only 52% said companies should be allowed to keep the profits from the discovery of any alternative fuel sources.”
Just - wow, words can hardly be found…
June 17th, 2008 at 1:16 pmIndeed. When the powers that be say, “We expect you to find new energy sources for us, but we will take away ALL of your profits,” the time has come to light up Wyatt’s Torch and walk away.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:24 pmNew Categories?
“Douchebaggery In Action”
“American Idiocracy Alert”
“Religion of Stoopids”
“Closing the Bear Trap on Your Own Hand”
“Big Mother is Watching You”
“Socialism by Any Other Name…”
“OMFG! LRN2COMMUNIST” (ok, that one is REALLY bad)
“Once Step Forward, 23 Steps Back”
“Feudalism is FUN”
/end rambling
June 17th, 2008 at 1:25 pm“You cannot impose an intelligence test on voters, the Democratic Party would never approve the disenfranchisement of their voter base.”
Oh really? Because the GOP is just filled with rocket scientists? /rolls eyes
I realize this is entirely anecdotal, but I’d like to say that I live in a red state, work in a red office (for lawyers at that) and I’m FAR more literate and aware than about 98% of the people I come in contact with. And just to provide some contrast, I was back in Michigan last week taking a baking class from an ideal small business, and while looking at their job postings I noticed that they want people who are “literate and like to read”. And this was for people who are going to be acting as a front-end manager for a restaurant - and this business is about as down to earth/granola as it gets.
So don’t hand me this “the Dems don’t want literate voters” line of crap, because believe me, the GOP has plenty of stupid people in it as well.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:31 pmWait, Brooke, I thought we were all these:
Ballot …
But I guess where you’re from we’re all this:
Redneck
Or this:
Yucky
Missed this:
Ingenuity
And this:
Moobs
Or, even these:
WARNING!!! Do not click here. For the love of dog.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:37 pmok, maybe I missed something but … hand over? Thay already have it. The demonrats fight tooth and nail to ensure that the voting laws are not enforced and that their thugs are never prosecuted for interfering with legal voters. It was common knowledge that demonrats were busing blacks from poll to poll in Florida (and still managed to lose, LOL) … a crooked judge (ok, sorry, that’s redundant) forced the polls to stay open later that legal in St Louis … we had tons of shenanigans in Milwaukee and Chicago … Repub office were trashed and even firebombed … and how many arrests do we remember? I remember only the tire slashers in Wisconsin … all others “vanished”.
The government has a HUGE stake in making sure that middle class voters are inconvenienced, and lower class and illegal voters are bussed to the polls …. so I’d say we’re already way past what you’re worried about.
b-man … what part of “nationalization” don’t you understand? Where is it written that the government will PAY for the resources they seize?
And to make it even more humorous (marvelling at the utter stupidity of those creating the poll … and those answering) … have the flying frick do you nationalize something that isn’t based in the country? Wacky Hugo managed to play the game, because the oil is IN THE COUNTRY … and the flying monkey liberals have stopped any development of oil fields, any building of refineries, etc … so they’re thinking of nationalizing what? The distribution channels? Hell, the oil companies are already selling off the gas stations … sigh.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:45 pmNo worries. The majority of those idjits don’t vote, so screw ‘em and their opinions. Even if record numbers manage to detach themselves from their couches and cast their votes for the Obamamessiah and his “Hopey Changey” message, there still won’t be enough of ‘em to throw the rest of us under a bus.
I hope.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pmWell, I used to be a materials engineer helping create new alloys for the space shuttle, so I’m gonna stretch the truth a bit and say that I USED to be a rocket scientist. Then again, I’m not a GOPer, I’m a conservative. Unfortunately, those two terms are becoming less and less synonymous every day.
A literacy test would be nice, but what if the only books a person had read were Complete and Utter Bullshit, I mean An Inconvenient Truth and whatever crapola Michael Moore excretes out? Literacy doesn’t cut it for me, but I’d like at least one year of economic principles and a course in logic as a requirement for voting. You might still pull the trigger a socialist candidate, but at least you couldn’t say that you were unaware of it.
I’d simply prefer that people be required to show a valid photo ID when they vote. The only people I can think of who would oppose such a measure are people who would stand to benefit from voter fraud. Now who would that be? I don’t know, let’s just suppose… is it SATAN?!
June 17th, 2008 at 1:52 pmFaraday: Southern California?
Regarding Jim’s taxpayer-based idea, I seem to recall that upon a time, “voters” and “tax payers” were essentially the same list. That may not be right, but it does sound like a sound premise.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:53 pm14 Karat - Hahahah! (Though I couldn’t get your first link to work!)
All I’m saying is that stupid manages to come in both red and blue colors, and just about every shade in between as well.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:53 pmRe: category name, we use the acronym EARACHE(s), which stands for:
Equivocating
Anti-
Republican
American-
Culture
Hating
Emotionalists
I also like “Liberalism: Logic’s Retarded Cousin,” which might be more appropriate here.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:57 pmWith the Supreme Court in its present condition, whether something is Constitutional or not has very little to do with the Court’s decisions. You have four people who actually seem to have read and understood the Constitution, four who think they are part of some super-legislature whose main goal is to make the US like Europe and one who likes to play Solomon, because he is usually the swing vote. If the Supreme Court didn’t have enough sense to rule McCain-Feingold unconstitutional (which it is) and has no problem giving enemy prisoners the same rights as US citizens (which is stupid), I would not count on them to block nationalization.
I hope Hooz is right and that all the morons in the poll are playing PS3 and/or sitting around stoned when it’s time to vote in November.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:03 pmSnowdog–
Imagine how SCOTUS is going to rule on gay marriage!
We just changed our name in Kalifornikate. We will be changing the signs at the border coming into the state, saying:
Welcome to KornHolefornia!
Now Get Gay!
So, I can believe anything will happen at the federal Supreme Court level, given that OUR state supreme court decided that gay marriage was more about miscegination laws than it was about heterosexuals and children.
Next stop, polygyny and polyamory! Just wait until the lesbian married couples start having children through artificial insemination (thus making sure that NO male organ will EVER be inside THESE partners! OK for sperm to apply, however!). One gets pregnant and gives birth, the other sues the State of KornHolefornia to be named the “father” of the baby. And, what will the Supreme Court of KornHolefornia do? Well, they will probably order the birth certificates and birth registrations to be . . . degendered! So, there will be a birth party A and a birth party B. I wonder if the baby will get to keep his or her sex on the form? Not if the LGBT and feminista agendas continue to work their magic in the KornHole state!
June 17th, 2008 at 2:16 pmHow about “Guvurmint - Ur Doin it Rong” ?
June 17th, 2008 at 2:17 pmI suggest a new option in the poll above - North Dakota seceding, since they have that huge honkin’ oil reserve. You could run North Dakota easy-peasy.
Nationalize THIS, socialist stooges!
And North Dakota would immediately become one of the world’s leading nuclear powers (Minot AFB, ND with bombers and associated missile fields.)
June 17th, 2008 at 2:24 pmBTW - OT
Rachel, congrats! You have 196 votes on the Ace of Spades poll! That’s pretty good considering some of the high profile names on that list!
June 17th, 2008 at 2:28 pmHmmmmm, maybe Prof. Goldstein and I could work out some kind of capitalist deal. I’ll buy some of his turnips and sell him some wool when I move to Montana to raise sheep.
sigh
June 17th, 2008 at 2:31 pmMight I suggest a line from “Idiocracy” as somewhat apropos:
“This is gonna be so sad. I hope I don’t cry.”
June 17th, 2008 at 2:50 pmConsidering the level of indoctrination that’s been going on the last 30+ years, I’m surprised the “yes to nationalization” wasn’t much higher. Maybe there is hope for this country after all.
/glass half full
June 17th, 2008 at 2:51 pmNew Category:
No More Oil For Idiots
June 17th, 2008 at 2:54 pmJust to clarify, I really don’t care if gay people get married or not. I’m not gay, I don’t really know any gay people (that I’m aware of) and while I don’t see how any guy could look at Marisa Miller on the cover of the SI swimsuit issue and not be interested, if they aren’t it is their problem, not mine.
I am, however, a serious constitutionalist. I want the country run per that old, dead document. So, if people want gay marriages, that’s fine: Persuade a majority of your fellow citizens. Period. If it isn’t specifically mentioned in the Constitution, then it is reserved to the states or to the people. That means it is a legislative issue, not a judicial one. I just want the Supreme Court to do their jobs and not act like a super-legislature. That’s all.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:55 pmMay I move to Texas after it secedes? Hell with it, maybe I will move there now - just not anywhere near Waco.
June 17th, 2008 at 2:57 pmRachelmussen poll:No, NO, and NO!
But of course, this is coming from someone who came away from the last thread thinking that there are some people who just don’t deserve to live in this country, let alone vote! (And yet — bitter irony — if they couldn’t, it wouldn’t be the same place!)
Count me in with Jim Carson and Redhead — rights should be contingent on some level of responsibility. If not some minimum level of literacy or tax burden, what about going back to the old concept of property ownership? (With an exception made for those who have served or are serving — automatic ‘in’ for them!)
June 17th, 2008 at 3:05 pmBrooke Says:
Of course there are all sorts on both sides of the aisle, but the original post was aimed at the majority.
Which nominated Obama.
Need I say more?
June 17th, 2008 at 3:06 pmHi Rachel.
How about “TEOTWAWKI“?
Or, “Yet another reason to read my blog“?
I saw an article recently that indicated how proud Obama is that his momentum really started with the young and the elderly. Hmmm. Imagine that.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:07 pmMs. Lucas:
Totally ripping you off, I suggest:
“the short bus to socialism”
My second choice would be BFW’s “Liberalism: Logic’s Retarded Cousin”
June 17th, 2008 at 3:24 pmInteresting that you should ask that particular question. I’ve already concluded that we’re screwed. Now I’m asking how, given the chance, we configure Constitutional Republic of the U.S. V2.0 to prevent this from happening again.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:27 pmAnybody who thinks the government should take control of ANYTHING in this country, should be forced to spend a day at the DMV and a week in a VA Hospital.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:30 pmFelicity,
Don’t even think of pointing the finger in my direction - I’m an Independent and didn’t get to have any say in the primaries.
But I get the appeal of Barack Obama. Blended with many in the GOP not being very happy with John McCain and a bitter Democratic primary process, two wars, a stagnate economy…..we live in interesting times to be sure. Damn Chinese curses.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:30 pmFunny, my grandparents, who spend a lot of time at the VA for my grandfather’s health have nothing but good things to say about their facility.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:32 pmLove it!
Or how about:
“The Frog is Boiling!”
“The late, great United States”
“As if freedom mattered!”
Or on the Short Bus theme,
“All aboard for Galt’s Gulch!”
June 17th, 2008 at 3:32 pmI’m always bothered by the phrase “unaffiliated voters”.
What the Hell does that mean? It certainly doesn’t mean “moderates” since a) you can be unregistered with any major party but still be a conservative or a liberal, and b) lots of people say they’re “moderates” when they really aren’t.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:44 pmYou know, my comment was kinda negative too. it is hard to look at the bright side sometimes. I think part of our downfall is the negativity we are bombarded with by the MSM. Can anyone comment on my theory that the left has stated and begun to get their wish through self fulfilling prophecy? I told someone my theory that globally broadcasting bad things about America and the American economy over and over and year after year can and does affect the… um, collective attitude (?) and general consciousness of the American people and the world. He said, wow, good point. He said that market analysts say that the big bucks are indeed swayed by emotion. He said it was an interesting concept. Made me wonder why this new fed guy is so fuckin’ quick to officially state gloom and doom is coming.
I have a basic grasp of our capitalist economy. Perhaps someone here at Rachel’s Dinner Table can shoot that theory down or develop it further.
Also, do highly successful people really make positive five year goals and chip away until one day, bam, they are on easy street so to speak? If so, it makes sense that if nefarious forces wanted to do harm to Our Country, they could pretty much do the opposite. Negative thinking and downward spiral “goals” masked as beautiful loving social programs aimed to heal a wounded country could do the trick.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:49 pmThis country has been “screwed” for over 200 years. Somehow, we still manage to trudge on, whether it’s surviving the Whiskey Rebellions or the Carter administration.
If you want an enlightened, intelligent government, find an enlightened, intelligent despot to run your country. He or she will lead your country to great heights while taking your liberties and will to live - after all, if you needed them to be in charge, it’s probably because you don’t know what you’re doing, right?
The point of a democratic government is that it evens out the bumps - both good and bad. Consequently, we can bet that our government will be consistently mediocre, that it will piss off at least half of the people at least half of the time, and that, though it may not do anything terribly inspiring, it also won’t do anything that will end civilization as we know it. That we’ve managed to have the same form of government for over 200 years (something largely unmatched in the rest of the world, by the way) is a testament to the fact that “good enough” is, more often than not, “good enough”.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pmI am saying this tongue firmly planted in cheek, but in light of a WSJ article yesterday, maybe we’d be allowed to do some goddam drilling if the government had a direct financial interest in oil production. Even a royalty system (republicy?) like in Canada which essentially makes the government a passive investor in the oil production could work - basically just a tax at the well head that goes to Uncle Sam. Not that I favor taxes, but am willing to consier all options to get more extraction and would rather give the money to the US government than the oil ticks in Riyadh.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:55 pmPete in Midland,
I’m just working with the words below:
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:56 pmBrooke Says:
Brooke,
Please don’t assume it’s personal. It’s obvious that you’re not to be counted amongst the people who will vote without serious thought! Those are the people who will destroy this country: people who, upon hearing that they will get a ‘bigger piece of the pie’ if only someone else is harmed on their behalf, go to the polls to vote accordingly!
If I keep prodding you, it’s because I keep seeing you take on a group identity mantle — a mantle I would argue you ought not to accept! The whole concept of ‘identity politics,’ embraced by much of the left, is abhorrent to me. You seem to reject it as well, citing one exception after another, but then keep taking any reference to ’some’ on the left as a categorical reference to ‘all.’
My original point was that you cannot deny, despite individual exceptions, that the mass of voters on the left have chosen an ill-equipped candidate — an assessment with which you seem to agree, given your haste to exempt yourself from culpability!
You vote Independent — be independent!
And welcome back, BTW :).
June 17th, 2008 at 4:14 pmAsk, and ye shall receive.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:15 pm14k, you’re a genius. I’m going to start putting these on the LOLdog page. Be my wife?
June 17th, 2008 at 4:26 pmDavid Colborne Says:
The trouble is, I’m not convinced we really have recovered from Carter. Consider this article from the Jerusalem Post.(with apologies for the form — the archived article is for sale only). To a great extent, his actions served to precipitate the GWT as we now know it.
Yes, and of course the founders considered and rejected that, as you obviously know. But in the erosion of states’ rights, the ceding of legislative powers to the judiciary, the ever-increasing number, size, and scope of social programs, is there not the first hint of a death knell? Seriously, has there ever been so high a ratio of dependents — dependents who vote! — to producers?
June 17th, 2008 at 4:35 pm14k,
June 17th, 2008 at 4:36 pmThe sash? Is yours. I will henceforward be known as . . . the person without a sash.
On the nationalization of big oil.
Several sites have discussions on how to get liberals/greens/socialists to buy into drilling everywhere. American Thinker had “how to overcome oposition to drilling” creating “public oil” to do the drilling. Based on the Conrail gov’t takeover of northeast rails which got 1) labor rules and gov’t regulations that would not allow rails to make profit were recognized for what they were and removed. 2) conrail assets were then sold to 2 private companies.
Private companies would have problem competing against untaxed “public oil”, but we would get new souces and private companies should finally get the assets back.
June 17th, 2008 at 4:40 pmI haven’t had time to read all of the comments so someone’s probably covered this already, but being in the oil business isn’t exactly a no-risk strategy.
As far as I understand it and I don’t doubt that it’s true, they need tons of capital to even start digging, and even then it’s speculative. So you know that there’s oil under there? But do you know how much, or if you’ll get a return on your investment?
We pay so much here in the UK for gas (my fiance thinks the word ‘petrol’ is so quaint) that it’s insane, yet that isn’t the fault of the oil companies. Most of what we pay is tax, justified of course by the image of penguins and polar bears collapsing from sunstroke, apparently caused by you eeeeeevil!!!! Americans driving your kids to baseball practice in your gas-guzzling SUVs.
I get frustrated with the attitudes of my fellow citizens too, but then I remember that up until a few years ago, I thought exactly like them: private companies = greed and hey, I don’t have a yacht so let’s tax the bastards or nationalise everything.
It’s only since I’ve spent a lot of time on the internet that I’ve discovered such (what should have been obvious if I’d thought about them) concepts as government waste and beaurocracy, and rich people being erm…rich enough to fuck off to tax havens where they pay half the tax they were paying previously in another country instead of double the tax to the country they were already in, which was the original intention.
And what’s so wrong about being wealthy anyway? Yes, a yacht would be nice, but it’s about no. 2771 on my list of the things I want and all the things at the top of the list such as my health, a roof over my head, financial security and someone to love, I already have. So someone is a multi - millionaire and wants to start up a new business that will create job opportunities for people? Good luck to them. I hope they succeed.
I can’t believe I was so stupid for so long but at least I had an excuse, in that I didn’t dwell too much on political issues. So what is the excuse of the politicians? People like Gordon Brown and his equivalents over there must be either totally moronic, or they’re interested only in their own careers. And that’s why I’ve started to hate them (with a few exceptions) so very, very much.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:02 pmSorry I’m late, I have not read the above yet, but category suggestion
“Fate’s Strap On”
Unless that is too graphic, then maybe.
“History’s Boot”
June 17th, 2008 at 5:09 pmAny geophysicists out there? Is oil only a fossil fuel? A hopeful theory I have heard is that it is possible that oil might also be created during natural geophysical processes. I wonder if Israel has a different type of “Jacob’s well” right under it…
“Peak oil” would be a non issue. The main stumbling block would be “man made” global warming being disproven in favor of cyclical global climate fluctuations occurring without any contribution from cows and Owl Gore’s mansions & jet travel. Oh, and maybe Armageddon.
If there is such a thing as oil rivers or oil springs, I sure hope the nearest access point is somewhere under my property. Or Rachel’s.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:14 pmYou live in Joisey too, huh. This is their latest foolishness.
Brown Bess, WTF.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:15 pmI think he’ll just take a note from Zap Brannigan:
Let’s just hope that, at the very least, he doesn’t have Zap’s learning disorder: sexlexia.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:21 pmWow…nationalize the oil industry. That’ll work just as well as state-run schools…er…the post office…er…well, at least we’ll spend less on oil because there won’t BE any.
Stalin nationalized farms, and 20 million people starved. Maybe…maybe…we won’t starve. We’ll just start walking, biking, and riding horses to work. Hey, while you’re riding your bike and hiking to work…be sure to look out for those piles of manure in the street.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:23 pmOh holy shit, we’re fucked! Might as well call the category “Marxist Revolution” or “Marx’s Festering Carcass”
June 17th, 2008 at 5:25 pm14Karata, I love that Republic of Texas poster: “Because the other 49 are fucked.” Ain’t that the truth.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:31 pmTurd Ferguson,
I think your theory is sound. I vaguely remember hearing about how some people did an experiment where a guy went in to work feeling perfectly healthy but had to leave sick before the end of the day because everybody kept asking if he was OK and telling him he looked terrible. Tell somebody something for long enough and they’ll eventually start to believe it.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:41 pmNo, trainer, the People’s Republik of Mexifornia. We could have a pretty close race to the bottom with NJ though, it’s true.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:47 pmChris_RC,
How about Fickle Phallus of Fate?
God, I’m old.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:47 pmi want to change my vote to vinron’s suggestion:
“short bus to socialism”
June 17th, 2008 at 5:55 pmNo, we definitely have not.
We will not have recovered from Carter until the ayatollahs are overthrown and Iran has a democratic secular government.
June 17th, 2008 at 5:56 pmTexas; I’d move there in a second, if’n you’d just do something about the weather.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:00 pmI don’t think we’ll ever be able to recover from the peanut farmer, given the meddling and general moonbattery of the Carter Center, which really is just a haven of libtards come together to fawn over his greatness and united to undermine foreign policy.
Under the auspices of championing human rights and alleviating suffering, this idjit’s meddling in the middle east has just caused some of the surrounding countries to see Israel, as well as America, as weak, leading to further violence rather than peace.
Oh, and won’t he pretty much drop to his knees for any foreign dictator (or would that be dicktaster) — Ceaucescu, Marcos, and Il Jong come to mind — into whose lap he can slap his goober gobbler?
Jimmy Carter screwed us all with “mush from the wimp” on domestic and foreign policy, and set us up for a legacy of presidential libtardism and fossil-fuel-fuckery.
Jimmeh’s whining — “It’s not my fault that I’m so evil. It’s society, Society.”
Jag-off.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:12 pmOh yeah, I forgot about the secession option. I like cool weather so is there any possibility we could annex a province in Canada or something and then secede?
I don’t know which one; preferably one where there’s a lot of snow and scope for wildlife documentaries, plus a lot of natural resources. And preferably somewhere where the inhabitants weren’t under the impression that they were really French.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:20 pm‘Thomas’ says he has hope, because he survived the Carter years, and this too shall pass, and I tend to feel the same. But it was painful, all the same. I would expand it to say ‘This too shall pass - like a kidney stone.’
June 17th, 2008 at 6:24 pmConservatives are optimists! Perk up! That means you too, Rachel. Here’s the script. B.O. wins convincingly a la Carter. Unfortunately, he serves two terms instead of one because his blackness will shield him from criticism. But about year 6 (2014) the schtick will get pretty old. This will come from the humiliation of a US military surrender in Iraq, capitulation on blocking Iran and North Korea nukes and an economy that just won’t heal. In rides new american conservative that understands the link between private property and prosperity. He or she is willing to defend property against our government and others. Landslide victory in 2016 followed by another 25 years of good times and (bonus!) gets to declare affirmative action “dead” using B.O. as exhibit number one. So, yes, we need to brace for impact now but, long term, I like our prospects.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:26 pmI don’t know, Don, judging by Rachel’s poll I’d have to disagree with you there. Or else she’s been attacked by a swarm of libs.
Has anyone suggested “Socialist Buttjapery”?
June 17th, 2008 at 6:31 pmYour grandparents must be sweet, generous and patient people.
Don’t even get me started on the stupid bureaucratic rules in the VA. It’s been 20 years ago - but I can still remember things that made no sense, hindered patient care, and drove some (with regularity) to break into the radiology dept after hours in order to actually get x-rays and take care of people in the middle of the night. Administration asked if we knew who was breaking in (nope)or why(we’d tell them we needed after hours access)…nothing changed. Or … the ‘rule’ that you could call the lab and they’d tell you the results of 2 tests. If you wanted more results, you’d have to call back and wait on hold again. GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
Because they’re teaching hospitals, the care given is generally pretty good but the bureaucracy associated with it makes sane people crazy.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:37 pmUnfortunately, an IQ test won’t help voters, because sooo many highly intelligent people have completely insane ideas.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:37 pmRachel, this is why I’ve been convinced since 2003 that a second American Revolution is both inevitable and necessary. History shows that the only way Leftists give up power is when they are shot away from the controls.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:46 pm14, fine. Let’s all agree to mope for a few years and then get back to making the world better. Down but not out.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:01 pmNot ‘Flying?’ (You say ‘old’ like it’s a bad thing!!!!)
So how about:
“Very interesting, but stupid!”
June 17th, 2008 at 7:03 pmBut for that, you need enough people who are willing to fight for what they ‘believe’ in. Remember the Rasmussen poll on freedom of speech? Not exactly encouraging numbers!
It may require a ‘wilderness generation’ before there’s enough collective intestinal fortitude (to put it politely) to accomplish the task!
*dons tinfoil hat*
One more argument for homeschooling — kind of like saving ‘heirloom’ seed!
June 17th, 2008 at 7:10 pmBecause the Democrats have such a good reputation for abiding by the Constitution.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:14 pmIt is called “The Road to Serfdom”. Hayek wrote it in the 1940’s and we are on it today. The tipping point has been reached and the productive will revolt one day. Then it all comes crashing down.
I figure that time will come about 2015 to 2018. Of course, the sheep will probably still produce and the wolves will still take and give to the brainless and we could go on for awhile after that. But if things don’t change, I will be withdrawing from society. Let the other suckers pay for it all while I kick back, drink beer and work at subsistence levels.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:32 pmThe founding fathers had it right. You were required to own property to cast a vote. If you were smart enough to own a means of production you were productive. Productive people get to vote the dredges sat on the sidelines.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:51 pmI, too, have been feeling depressed about alot of the trends I am seeing in the country. It doesn’t help to have John McCain as the only viable alternative to lunacy, but, by nature, I like being an optimist, and I firmly believe that optimism is just a better mind-set for living.
In that spirit, I want to share something I read in a letter to the Wall Street Journal. This was about a month ago. The letter writer cited a poll that said that, in France, 70% of the young people (college students??) aspire to a career in the government. In the Unitied States, 70% of a comparable group of young people said that their ambition was to start a company. I work with young people, and I find this totally believable. So, their heads may be filled with socialist mush, but if you think about the mental attitudes and values that it takes to start and run a business, I do think there is hope. One thing for sure, the future will be a surprise to at least some degree.
Now, there’s one more thing that everyone seems to forget about. Optimism not withstanding, I think that, unfortunately, it is likely that serious terrorist incidents will come to this country. We don’t know how bad it will be or how long the siege will be, but you can bet your gun permit that it is going to change people’s attitudes and significantly affect our politics. I just don’t see us going the way of Eurowimps.
June 17th, 2008 at 7:57 pmMore submissions:
“Libtardian Assbanditry”
“Dimmicratian Rumpwranglery”
“Marxist Monkeyshines”
June 17th, 2008 at 8:05 pmIn their day no one lived in apartment complexes or public housing.
I know why this idea appeals to people, but it just isn’t feasible in modern times. Limiting voting rights just to “landowners” like in the ye olden dayes would disenfranchise far too many people.
On the other hand, limiting voting rights just to taxpayers might be a different story.
June 17th, 2008 at 8:55 pmmightysamurai
Taxpayers? I’m intrigued. Define, please.
June 17th, 2008 at 8:59 pmWe’re screwed. [weird humor]I’ve talked to god about this mess… He says he can get me out of it, but the rest of you are fooked.[weird humor]
If Mr. Barack It’s Raining Men Obama is elected might I be the first to pledge my loyalty to President Lucas and the Republic of Texas.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:11 pmThere are decent public schools out there, too, in which students are actually taught real-life skills. The student-to-teacher ratio for R&B is 8-1. They get individualized attention, and self-sufficiency is actually emphasized.
As farmers and country-dwellers, all of my children have grown up knowing how to grow and hunt for their own food. Sowing, hunting and gathering. We could easily function as a “wilderness generation”, even though they are not home-schooled.
“Heirloom seed” is thus not exclusive to homeschoolers — in fact, if I am not mistaken, heirloom seed has to do with variety and (multigenerational) age of the cultivar/family, and thus emphasizes variety over homogeneity. Greatly prized, and vitally important. We actually sort and clean/treat our own DNS (dark northern spring) wheat seed, so we can perpetuate the family heirloom.
I would argue that my family, while not homeschooled, fits within those paramenters.
Anecdotal, but true.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:20 pmmightysamurai,
Please explain Democrats relative to Constitution comment. Thanks.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:28 pmJack of all trades,
Braveheart, yes?
June 17th, 2008 at 9:34 pmThe more we allow our children to feel entitled and coddled, the more we’ll see Hopechange and the Idiots Who Believe in it carrying the day.
This will be followed by the death of innovation, the stagnation of ingenuity in this nation and the eventual socialist nanny state a la the EU.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. Buy a firearm.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:54 pmNationalizing the oil industry, like bringing back the draft, won’t happen quickly or quietly.
Other than the buffoons setting on the Senate “Elect me because I am a badass to the greedy oil tychoons” committee ‘looking into’ the high prices, I think most people are aware that the prices are originating outside the US. OPEC is setting the prices which are crippling food sources and economies around the world. I wonder why this feels like a jihad?
The real question I have is - why are US owned oil wells receiving the OPEC price? The cost of pumping oil hasn’t changed, so why are Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, etc. well owners getting the artificial prices? Here in Oklahoma wells are running really hard, the well service companies are getting in *lots* of hours keeping the pumps serviced. And there are lots more trucks hauling oil to the refinery.
Of course, I can just see my neighbors getting upset. “Hey, you are paying $139 for Middle East oil, why am I getting $30??!”
I just hope that everyone recognizes that ‘nationalizing’ oil would mean that the government would be running the industry. Hint: TSA, Katrina/FEMA, Mexican border - need I say more?
June 17th, 2008 at 10:09 pmBasically, if you show up to the voting place with your W2 form (proving you paid taxes), you get to vote.
No W2, no vote for you.
I’m not totally convinced it’s a better system than what we have now, but it would encourage people to actually, y’know, work for a living instead of leeching off the taxpayers.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:16 pmI was being sarcastic.
The Democrats think that a “right to privacy” and a “separation of church and state” exist in the Constitution. Is it really such a leap to imagine them completely disregarding the “without just compensation” part of the 5th Amendment?
June 17th, 2008 at 11:18 pmWhat about seniors on Social Security, those who are disabled (including veterans), or college students who don’t file themselves, all of whom can thus be classified, for the most part, as exempt (some deserving voters fall within this group).
June 17th, 2008 at 11:52 pmJust asking.
Rachel as you know by now from your many frequent posters, you are not alone…I have often wished there was a basic competency test for prospective voters, moreover a return to perhaps the original intent of only allowing those who own property, and who actually pay into the tax system (not those who get back more than they pay in or who don’t pay at all)….but those I think are just pipe dreams.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:33 am“Late to the Communist Party.”
June 18th, 2008 at 3:39 am14k, there are obviously some places where exceptions may be made, but I might point out, that if you are living off SS, then you really didn’t plan your life very well and were not very successful. In which case, why would one want that kind of non-success be making decisions on who should run a Nation?
No all in all I think it best that we leave the voting to those who can prove knowledge of the issues at hand, who own land or at the very least pay into the tax system not merely draw off the taxes.
Personally I would also like to see some sort of Robert Heinlein’s version of citizenship be put into practice….to become a citizen one should have to serve your country for a minimum of 4 years, either in the Military or some non-military civil works capacity….but that is even more far fetched than asking that voters actually know what the candidates stand for.
(and lest someone think I am some wealthy elitist, I left home in rural Pennsylvania at age 18 with $40 in my pocket, the clothes on my back and a public school education. I joined the Navy for 10 years and have continued to prosper ever since. For which I thank God, My Country and my Parents….and also give some small credit to working my ass off.)
June 18th, 2008 at 3:50 amWe are not screwed long-term, but we are lacking a Reagan-like leader at present. Reagan came to office with a coherent theory of government, which had been in development in conservative think tanks for decades. No leader since Reagan has thought so clearly about fundamental principles.
Principles are the key: they allow you to persuade by reason rather than mere charm, which is ultimately more effective. Charm just makes you like the charmer; an argument by reason actually changes the way you think.
Obama and McCain are similar in this regard — neither one has a coherent theory of government. Obama embraces every leftist idea that’s ever been floated, and McCain embraces a seemingly random smattering of ideas from across the ideological spectrum. But in both cases, you find yourself wondering: what is this guy’s plan? That’s the difference between an executive and a senator: an executive has a plan, a senator has a pile of bills to vote on. Proactive, reactive. (Although to McCain’s credit, he is a lot more proactive than the typical senator.)
The reason socialism is doing so well is that we (the non-socialists) have ceded the initiative. Instead of fighting Social Security on principle, we haggle over how to fund it. That’s always a losing proposition. There’s a great saying: if a man fights a shark, the outcome depends entirely on the terrain (i.e. water vs. land). To fight effectively, we need to move the battle to our terrain.
Salvation will come in the form of Bobby