> If we see an influx of new
> candidates, activists, and
> volunteers stemming from the
> tea party movement

Is it OK to ask what kind of candidates, what kind of activists, and volunteers for what?

I think it's goofy when people think that participation (or at least culpability) is all that's required to make a country great.

Also, I think it's weird that in less than 24 hours, the internet has completely exhausted our patience for snickering jokes about teabagging.

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you.

Then you win.

Please, please, please let this be the start of a viable third party!

Their outrage over fiscal irresponsibility has been noticeably lacking until now. Tell them we need cuts in military expenditures. NO! Tell them not to expect so much when they retire from social security and medicare. NO! Cuts in police and fire, education and roads management. NO! NO! NO! NO!

They want the services, just not the government or the taxes. They are so opressed.

Or perhaps they want the services, but not the mulit million dollar bridges to practically uninhabited islands in Alaska.

Perhaps they want cops but not the extra 10 million to secure a rural tennesse donkey festival.

Perhaps we want the military but not the billions in aid to africa which must be used to buy products from the companies finacing political campiagns

Maybe we want tax dollars to be spent for our benifit and not to bail out businesses that had the time and resorces to save themselves had they bothered to plan further ahead then the next fiscal quarter

Maybe we'd rather see tax dollars rebuilding americans infrasrtucture and not the infrastucture of oil soaked goat herders who refuse to fight their own battles.

But hey you could be right maybe their all a bunch of fucking whiners

Beautiful, man, beautiful!

No, Eric, what they want is a say in where their tax dollars go (which believe it or not, you are actually pointing out) and for taxes not to become outrageous because they're funding stupidity.

You weren't seriously comparing police, fire, and road management to the bailouts, were you?

Oh, and I love seeing that don't tread on me flag being held high there. It's long been a fav of mine!

I've got to get to a tea party soon! New York definitely needs one.

Eric:

Their outrage over fiscal irresponsibility has been noticeably lacking until now. Tell them we need cuts in military expenditures. NO! Tell them not to expect so much when they retire from social security and medicare. NO! Cuts in police and fire, education and roads management. NO! NO! NO! NO!

They want the services, just not the government or the taxes. They are so opressed.

Eric, you are an idiot. If you don't think there was outrage among the conservative set over the eight years of the Bush spend-fest, you haven't been paying attention.

Why the fuck do you think the Republicans lost the house and senate in 2006? BECAUSE CONSERVATIVES STAYED HOME OR VOTED THIRD PARTY.

These people aren't protesting taxes, they are protesting spending. 16 billion and counting to GM, and they're still going to go bankrupt. Over a trillion pumped into the financial system, and it's still faltering.

And of course, you only mention a few tiny little pieces of the budget. Never mind that the bulk of the budget is individual welfare.

Better than 10% is subsidies. Conservatives want them gone, politicians don't. Foreign aid? Fuck any country that receives foreign aid from us and doesn't kiss our ass.

>> You weren't seriously comparing police, fire, and road management to the bailouts, were you?

We had a tea party here in Coeur D Alene yesterday. They were bitching about every form of tax, federal, state and county property.

I mad as hell too. Until there are corrupt CEO's being thrown into real prisons, and not allowed to plan their exit strategy from their Park Avenue condos, nothing is going to change. The same profiteers are being emboldened for the next scheme, because we taxpayers are again distracted into pointing our finger at the wrong culprits.

The best I could see coming out of these tea parties would be some sort of balanced budget amendment, including a war tax whenever the military is engaged. Imagine if we all got a bill on April 15th for our share of the costs incurred in Iraq. We it a just war, I believe Americans would patriotically pony up. Otherwise, we'd be outta there within a month.

But I seriously doubt any meaningful legislation will come from any of this.

Eric -

Take your anti-war ideology and shove it up your ass.

There should be enough room up there for you to stick your faux-populist anti-capitalism in with it.

Corrupt CEOs are a tiny part of the problem. And although you won't admit it, three of them walked away from Fannie/Freddie with massive bonuses after committing ACTUAL CRIMES for which they were never punished.

I would much rather my taxes be used to pay for the defense of this nation (as required by the Constitution) than to enrich the corn growers of Iowa by artificially depressing the price of ethanol through subsidies.

There won't be ANY legislation come directly from these protests. There will, however, be some forced retirements. Personally, I would be satisfied with the exit of Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Arlen Spector, and the rest of the free-spending kleptocrats presently calling the shots. I would dance for joy if Dodd wound up in a room with striped sunlight for his crimes.

But I'll not hold my breath. With the legacy media either actively ignoring or deliberately maligning the protests and politicians denying that such protests are even occurring there's not much hope until the next election comes around.

I think reduced government services are inevitable. Tax revenues have been artificially inflated by bubble economies that have now gone away. Simultaneously public pension costs are skyrocketing. Eventually our lack of ability to pay for everything simultaneously will become obvious to a majority of voters; the question is how big of a hole will we dig ourselves before we reach that point.

I've been pondering what government services can be most easily cut, and the ones that occur to me tend towards the federal. But, it's local municipalities who are going to be in the biggest pickle when their pension obligations hit home, and solutions there are less clear to me.

You're such a tough guy Brian...

If these astroturfed losers and morons are the opposition, Obama and the Dems have it made. Dead enders, racists and easily manipulated fools. Epic fail.

Pseudo -

They can start by cutting police checkpoints and speed traps. I realize that they are only used as revenue generation, but get rid of them. The long-term costs in pension and benefits likely outweighs any short-term revenue gain.

Then they can cut the state worker rolls. Fully one-third of all workers in Connecticut are employed by government at some level.

And I'd wager that between 1/3 and 1/2 of every dollar spent on education is either waste or graft.

Just cleaning up the corruption would likely get rid of 15-25% of the total budget at all levels.

Eric - don't be jealous just because I'm more intelligent than you will ever be.

"Your mom" - Projection isn't just a river in Egypt. I realize that your side has Soros and ANSWER creating all the rent-a-mobs for their ginned-up hate-fests, and therefore assume that any opposition to The One must be similarly orchestrated and paid for.

You are terrified that your empty suit of a president will be revealed for what he is, and his plans for the United Socialist States of America will be foiled.

The free ride is over, kids. The adults are hopefully going to take over.

Looj, you are so RIGHT. And Brian, man, have I told you lately that I love you? You are so damn right about this, too, it scares me. (Yes Loojy, I love you, too.)

Pseudonym, let's start with cutting down to oh, I don't know, reasonable? amounts, the retirement and health care benefits that the House and Senate get. They can live with Medicare and Social Security like the rest of the nation's seniors. Then we can cut their salaries and enforce term limits. I would love nothing better than to see Sens. Frank, Dodd, Specter and others in striped pjs in little rooms for at least the next ten years. Then we can go after the morons who dare to put down $4000 toilet seats, $300 ink cartridges and $85 hammers as viable expenses on their tax-funded expense reports. Some accountability in ALL aspects of government spending would be nice. Ah, but there I go again, living in a fantasy land.... o.O

I enjoyed this article immensely:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/16/feehery.budget.questions/index.html

And 'Your mom' ... racists? How can you be such an incredible tool?

Brian- you have also claimed to be smarter than Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Barack Obama. You're a wimp, a petulant coward throwing insults from the safety of your cubicle. I thought you were growing out of it, but personality flaws always reveal themselves.

Brian, I for one appreciated your rants on here! Eric is typical of the Kumbaya Socialists who have drank the Kool-Aid and long ago believed the LIE that the government is the answer to all of life's problems.

So now I'm socialist? I've owned my own business since 1991. I loan my own money for construction projects and foreclose on people in court. I'm staunchly capitalist and a believe in a very limited role for the government.

Your mom, I think it's very likely that Obama will be a one-term president, IF the Republicans can get their shit together and become a party of fiscal conservatives instead of social conservatives. The moderates who swung over to the D side during the last election aren't impressed with the spending spree.

You'll understand once you're out of highschool.

Actually...eric may be on to something.

I'm nae fond of populism or excessive taxation in any form.

A war profits tax wouldn't be a bad thing though, remove the incentive from the private sector to promote foreign war involvement. And yes that is a problem.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a die hard capitalist just this side of laizzes faire. But if private industry has an interest in American war involvement that is in the interest of industry instead of public security, don't think dollars don't go to promote a martial stance.

A similar tax upon the general public for the cost of war wouldn't be to bad either, we're a country rather prone to foreign ventures that have nothing to do with our own security.

Haiti...Somalia...those ring a bell?

Cuts in military expenditures...that is rather iffy, defending a continent + is expensive, maintaining a full time multiservice armed force is not something to be lightly done.

Though quite frankly there are a few areas the military could be cut without hurting our training or deployment readiness (though it may bruise a few shiny egos), its a subject that must be carefully analyzed.

Social Security's most serious problem is that it operates on obviously flawed assumptions.

First of all, people at its inception lived on average only a few years after they started collecting. Now they can expect to live for almost as long as they were putting in...and need more medical assistance as an end result. Moreover, the number putting in used to be 7 in to 1 out, now, its closer to 3 in to 1 out, tomorrow, probably 2-1 as children are born later and the elderly live even longer, we may live to see a 1-1 ratio, making social security impossible to susatin.

Scrap the system, issue bonds as coverage for those who've put in, and start government insured, worker funded, trustfunds for every citizen, funded according to our desires for retirement, and relate income tax solely to the uninvested income.

We won't see positive steps though, from our present 2 party system, we need a 3rd party, badly, one that isn't just a mirror of one of the two.

BTW, did you know that if you disagree a with Obama and cronies, you are probably going to become a terrorist?

Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment

Isnt there a leftwing extremest report as well?

I'm already a terrorist, being a vet. Disagreeing with the O's policies and fiscal profligacy makes me a double terrorist, I guess.

Well, I wasn't planning on flying anywhere for a while anyway.

The problem is the Federal Government's assumption of powers not granted it by the Constitution. I don't care if we had 12 parties, we'd still have politicians directing our money to places it would buy them votes. Take the money away, and the problem goes to the states, where it's manageable. You can leave a state when it gets too bad.

I do recall an article stating that hate group membership has increased signifcantly since the election.

The term "rightwing" is used too loosely, I think. I disagree with a lot of "rightwing" concepts, though I own lots of guns and consider myself a fiscal conservative. I certainly don't lump religous conservatives/anti-abortion/anti stemcell/anti-evolution into the same category as KKK members or skinheads, though.

Propoganda at its finest.

Eric, you are an interesting conundrum then. You work as a capitalist but speak like a socialist. Based on what I've read from you previously, you would be an excellent spokesman for the NDP party here in Canada. That's not a criticism, just an observation.

'Your mom' - I assure you that you ain't MY mother. It is below despicable to pull out the race card or the sexist card or the bigot card just because someone disagrees with you.

IMHO calling someone a racist simply because they disagree with the Obama narrative is akin to calling someone a Nazi. I refer you to Godwin's Law. Your comment was shameful and you owe your fellow Americans an apology.

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you.

Then you win.

I wish I said it first. I think Obama is doing to fiscal conservatives what Dubya Bush did to secular humanists; a spot in the limelight and a call for rally. This will be fun to watch in the following years.

Erci:

Brian- you have also claimed to be smarter than Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Barack Obama. You're a wimp, a petulant coward throwing insults from the safety of your cubicle. I thought you were growing out of it, but personality flaws always reveal themselves.

Well, I'm demonstrably smarter than Obama. Probably a better programmer than Gates, but he's got a knack for business that most people don't. Although he talks like an idiot whenever he opens his mouth about politics.

I'm also not in a cubicle. Left the cube farm behind in 2002. I'm also not an Internet Tough Guy. I'll make you look like a fool in person just as easily as I do it here.

I've been running my own business since 2002, so you can't claim superiority there. And owning your own business is no guarantee that you aren't a socialist. The man who started and owns Progressive Insurance is an admitted life-long socialist.

Robert:

But if private industry has an interest in American war involvement that is in the interest of industry instead of public security, don't think dollars don't go to promote a martial stance.

That's one of the crazier things I've ever heard. Is that supposed to be the "military-industrial complex"? Can you tell me which company pushed Clinton to intervene in Haiti and Somalia? You can't because it's a ludicrous bit of tin-foil hattery.

Jeeesh. And I remember Brian accusing me of being too caustic. Still, he's pretty much right.

I am concerned that we aren't talking about how all this government spending is being financed. We've been a debtor nation for a long time. Our monetary policy uses inflation to help pay off that debt. Unfortunately, because our money is only backed by promises, that means we have to have a very strong dollar against other currencies. This has made our exports uncompetitive, and decimated domestic manufacturing.

You can't keep borrowing money from the Chinese, use it to buy their products, and not make something they can but in return.

The current trade deficit is untenable, which makes the dollar untenable, which means the Fed is caught in a trap. They can't raise interest rates to secure financing of the deficit. They can't lower interest rates because of hyper-inflation. In the mix, you have O! raising taxes, decreasing consumer activity. Eventually, foreign creditors will flee the dollar --- and all hell breaks loose.

We don't have a manufacturing economy, but only a mythical service economy. It'll take years to change that. Those will be tough years.

These tea parties were nothing but Glenn beck listening white trash racist losers. Pathetic whiners, the lot of them.Rick perry was even talking about Texas secession. Idiots. And these were the same people who cheered on as bush drove the economy into the shitter. And wasted over a trillion on the Iraqi ingrates. I LOL at all of this nonsense and its promoters at fox and pajamas.

Just out of curiosity, do any of you have any idea what the projected deficit in 2019 will be under Obama’s plan? Here is clue. I misremembered that it would be $700 billion. I was way, way off.

When my daughter is old enough to vote, her share of the national debt will $70,000. If we pay 3% interest, she will have to pay $2100 a year because we were too cheap to pay for the services we demanded.

In 2019, the yearly deficit will be, drum roll, $1.2 trillion!!!! That is the unbiased estimate from the Congressional Budget Office.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10014/03-20-PresidentBudget.pdf

'Not my mom' continues to dig herself a deeper hole. What an ass!

Forever now I will refer to her as our local Race Baiter.

"Well, I'm demonstrably smarter than Obama. Probably a better programmer than Gates, but he's got a knack for business that most people don't. Although he talks like an idiot whenever he opens his mouth about politics."

I agree.

That is why our founding fathers made sure that smart people like you would never become a president of the United States. The smart and righteous winner like you is not simply electable as you will not represent the interests of the dumb majority. I would be very surprised if you were elected of anything.

If you think the purpose of this nation is to serve the rights of the smart ass like you, you are horribly mistaken. The people, who were born with dumb DNA, would like to have a piece of what you or Bill Gates has. Although it is not fair, it is just natural.

Obama & Co. is betting on that more spending will get us one more stay of the inevitable execution of the USA. He knows that it is mere delay but it is strategy for now until we can come up with a better idea.

Unless you are willing to sacrifice yourself like eating a meal once a day or volunteer to bike everywhere to reduce the national debt for the next generation, you are just a internet tough guy.

I'm so fucking depressed about politics. I'm so fucking depressed. Because I don't see a solution. The two major parties are clearly in it to grease the palms of their buddies, but there's no real way to get a new party in there. I'm so fucking depressed.

I don't know anyone who was there. Everyone I hang out with was working and being useful in society. Protesting means you know you have lost.

Chang - you are a marginal thinker.

And still an ignorant slut.

I couldn't get elected for one reason - I don't believe that government exists to guarantee equality of outcome.

The "execution of the USA" that you think is inevitable is not. If the stupids are allowed to continue to dictate terms, it will happen. But at some point the adults will retake the reins. The "Tea Party" phenomenon is the first instance of this happening.

Unless you are willing to sacrifice yourself like eating a meal once a day or volunteer to bike everywhere to reduce the national debt for the next generation, you are just a internet tough guy.

This may well be the dumbest thing I've ever read.

I don't know anyone who was there. Everyone I hang out with was working and being useful in society. Protesting means you know you have lost.

Ok, that is the stupidest thing I've ever read.

It's just like the protests before the Iraq waste of time. People do it because they don't have the power to change things. Though it is amusing to see wingnuts giving a crap about deficits now. They only care because it's a democrat in power. Most of the deficit is legacy stuff. You guys are the ones that squandered a surplus.

I paid $211.00 to the Federal government yesterday. I'm glad to help out!

What's the deal with the banks now? Does anybody even know? I got out of Bank of America and opened up an account in a local bank that ranks #36 in "mid-tier" banks. Their billboard down the street reads: "Locally grown, healthy. No government preservatives." They're probably lying to me just like "your mom".

"The smart and righteous winner like you is not simply electable as you will not represent the interests of the dumb majority."

It's true - and he's talking about the best country in the world!

But I don't want to be a dick like 'Your mom' or Chang. 'Your mom' never cranked his bike to the top of a steep hill. He and Chang just sit on the couch bitching.

I'm as big of a misanthrope as brian, yet I find myself wanting to argue with NicoleK, when she says things like: "I'm so depressed about politics." Then focus elsewhere, like springtime happening outside!

I was busy working when the tea parties were going on, too, or I would have been there. They are the first thing to come along in quite a while that made me feel like I wasn't completely surrounded by idiots. Maybe I am surrounded by idiots, but now it looks like I'm surrounded by a few smart people, too.

"volunteer to bike everywhere to reduce the national debt"

Chang's clearly never ridden a bike either.

Your mom rode his bike along 600+ miles of blue ridge parkway. Next lame snark please!

Whatever, nobody rides that far with their head up their ass, it just doesn't work on a bike seat. You lost all credibility with me when you crapped this out:

"And these were the same people who cheered on as bush drove the economy into the shitter."

You didn't even bother with this quote from the article, did you? "Many protesters went out of their way to say they are upset with both parties and hold George W. Bush equally responsible for launching the now never-ending stream of bailouts. And the crowd, if anything, was libertarian in bent rather than conservative."

You showed up at this blog no sooner than maybe yesterday, and you think you know everything. Shut up and read for a few days, or months. You going to accuse this community of being bible-thumpers now?

No, wait. Maybe you have it confused with a stay-at-home moms group.

Our resident Race Baiter, 'not my mom', has stated that everyone out at the tea parties is a racist.

Here's an example of those she is calling racists.

Your mom isn't a she. It's a fun moniker that reminds me of childish insults.

Come on. Y'all know no one but white people follows fox and pajamas and beck and rush. Don't be mad cause it's true.

These are the same morons who were shouting "kill Obama" at the palintard's speeches. Duh. They have just been repurposed.

I don't know her at all. Not surprising you can't pull up at least one or two non-whites (Malkin doesn't count). But I haven't seen any pictures of anything but white teabaggers.

"your mom" has the intellectual firepower of a cancerous testicle.

Two lies since its last drubbing, and still can't make its point.

Lie 1:

Most of the deficit is legacy stuff. You guys are the ones that squandered a surplus.

THERE WAS NO MOTHERFUCKING SURPLUS. It was an accounting trick. By counting the Social Security receipts in excess of current account payments in the general fund, there was an appearance of surplus. The cake is a lie!

Lie 2:

These are the same morons who were shouting "kill Obama" at the palintard's speeches. Duh. They have just been repurposed.

Except that it never happened. The only person that heard it just happened to be the AP reporter that wrote it. No independent confirmation, even from the gaggle of Palin-unfriendly media that were present.

You're going to have to face some very unpleasant facts, my little friend.

First, your boy may have won the election, but that is solely due to the weakness of the opposition.

Second, the conservative majority in this country is just about fed up with the government's crap. They're noticing. They're taking time off from work to have their voices heard. And they don't like it when you call them racist for holding their representatives to account.

Third, you are a weak-minded and weak-willed loser who'll be the first to have his back against the wall when the revolution comes.

Your mom, scares me you live in my country...
You are full of hate and ignorance.

Amy - this new assclown is parroting the party line from the Kossacks.

To wit - those protesting the bailouts are not acting in good faith, they are simply acting out their latent racist hatred of blacks by protesting a popular president who happens to be black.

Also - those protesting want to see their taxes lowered without any decrease in government services.

Also - those protesting are separationists, segragationists, homophobes, Christians, etc.

They know that all of these are lies. Kossacks tell these lies for one reason, and one reason only: because they advance the narrative.

Four legs good. Two legs bad.

Now be a good little sheep and eat your government cheese.

Guess what, leftard? We are all Howard Beale. And Obama doesn't have enough bullets to cancel us all.

Oh, and one last thought before I go to bed.

The reason I respond the way I do to marginal thinkers and douchebags is something I explained a while back.

I no longer feel the need to be polite for the sake of being polite. I will not respond politely to any cockholster who insists upon arguing in bad faith. I will mercilessly mock all those who fall back on the party lies to advance their preferred narrative. I will ruthlessly eviscerate those who declare that intent is decided by the receiver and not the author.

In short, I am a one-man anti-douchebag.

All you douchebags are on notice. I'm coming to your town. And I'm going to humiliate you.

Really? Someone named lashawn is black? Who'd a thunk it.

I think these people are mad, aren't sure who to blame, and have decided to take aim at Obama because he's there. Incoherent protests egged on by the worst parts of our media culture. Its another manifestation of our culture's fascination with dumb drama instead of useful action.

Brian. You are so right. I tremble before your superiority. And I am a cockholster. Please don't humiliate me.

Amy, remember that troll awhile back who personally attacked you, I believe calling you a racist? You tracked him down and he turned out to be a little man working in a space exploration facility or something like that?

He or his cousin seems to have returned. :-(

Aww, don't be sad wobert :-(

I'm sure there were no racists involved with the teabaggers. Nope none at all. Well, maybe this guy a little bit.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think every WN needs to not only attend the April 15th Tea Party nearest you (I'm going to the Alamo in San Antonio) but then stay involved and help provide leadership to this movement.

I believe that this is the white revolution we've been waiting for.

It doesn't look what we expected but this is it.

I've seen probably 50 videos on TV showing previous marches and what strikes me is that the participants are all WHITE. It stands to reason . . . we're the ones being taxed to support Affirmative Action, Welfare and other worthless social programs. It's our tax dollars going to ACORN and supporting the 12 million illegals swarming into our neighborhoods.

For the first time, white people (a.k.a. the lemmings) are finally awake and taking to the streets.

Right now the movement is about taxes . . . but with leadership and guidance we can help turn this movement into a lot more.

So turn off the computer. Take off the red laces and fold your jeans over your Doc Martins. Hang the storm trooper uniform in the closet. Take off the robe. Reverently fold your Confederate flag and put it away for now.

Become one of them. Join the marches and help organize future events in your neighborhood. Go slow . . . don't hit people with WN philosophy all at once.

Become a leader and a teacher. Show them the relationship between what they want and what we want. You can help convince the people you meet that even though they themselves don't see it yet, a return to white values and a white nation is the answer to what troubles them.

Remember . . . we don't need to convince 100% of the people. We just need to wake up a good number of them and momentum will do the rest.

I'll quote that wise German Goethe:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showpost.php?p=6725312&postcount=1

Here's another LOLer. We're not in a recession, the people are "Going Galt":

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=20011

Have a nice day.

White people this, white people that! Tell me again, who's the racist. Newsflash, your mama, racists comes in all colors exactly because people are all alike. Imagine that.

I take people as they come. You I dislike. Because bigots turn me off.

Oh, yeah, and I don't respect anyone who disrespects me. Or who argue out of their ass.

Obama's fucking up so far, face it. And it's got nothing to do with his being black.

Of course, a racist black considers anyone non-black who criticizes anyone black, whether they've earned that ciricism or not, racist.

Judging the book by its cover instead of its content is moronic, no matter what the cover or who the idiot doing so.

STORMFRONT?

HAHAHAHAHA THUD.

Sorry, fell off the chair there. The only people who take Stormfront seriously are Stormfront and, well, you. Because there's only two groups of people that actually frequent Stormfront - white nationalists and members of the CHRC. Which one are you?

The JDL isn't even worried about Stormfront.

And if the Jews aren't worried about a white nationalist group, then you can bet that they have no influence at all.

Of course, I wouldn't expect a leftist Kossack to understand that. You figure that since your kind embraces their barking moonbats, that everyone does.

News flash, motherfucker - we don't.

Every gathering of leftoids for the past eight years turned into a pro-Palestinian and pro-socialist march. Didn't matter if they were protesting Bush's "illegal" war, or the outcome of the 2000 election, or the number of cornflakes at breakfast in the dining hall.

White people are attending an event so it MUST be racist. Come on ...

First, your boy may have won the election, but that is solely due to the weakness of the opposition.

Oh, Noes! You called THE WON "boy"!!!
You Racist!!!

Heh.

Brian:

Its not crazy, its history.

Prior to the start of America's involvement in WWI, there was a profound "peace" preference by the general public, one supported by untold thousands of letters to senators and representatives around the country. Several of those same leaders wrote in journals that almost all support for entering the war came from segements of society that would profit from the conflict.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist arguing that there is a vast military industrial complex conspiracy secretly ruling the country. THAT would be crazy.

What is ALSO crazy, is thinking that a business run by people bent on profit, would NOT promote aggressive military policies that are in the best interest of their businesses. People pursue their own best interest, its the basis for capitalism, democracy, and the use of an electoral body, our representatives negotiate on behalf of their voting bloc...that includes the private sector and their considerable donations to electoral campaigns.

Do a little research, the U.S. backed overthrow in Guatemala back in the 50s was done to support an American company. During the oil crisis in the 70s the siezure of oil fields was considered an option. Like it or not, economics IS a factor in considering whether or not to go to war. I don't consider economics to be irrelevant, however I DO oppose the excessive interest of a single industrial bloc in military activities.

But this goes off topic.

Back on point, I truly hope a viable third party arises out of this. We need one. We now have no fiscally responsible party in either of the big 2.

You're right, Pirate Jo! While surfing the web is my classic time-killer while proctoring an exam, I think I'll read up on plants instead.

But this website is fun.

I wish there were more actual advice columns, though. I wish I had a problem... oh wait, I do!

Dear Amy's Message Board,

I'm getting helping-people burnout. I'm sick of helping the poor, I'm sick of wasting my time "helping" people when it doesn't seem to make a difference, I'm sick of smiling and listening and entering their data and sending them letters telling them we can't help, I'm sick of being shell-shocked by wild children who are affectionate but hyper and my hour a week from them can never counter the programming they get at home, I'm sick of canvassing for politicians who end up acting like the other party anyways.

Should I just say "fuck it" and go play instead, or plug along because every little bit helps and if we ALL did something it would make a difference, or try it a different angle?

-Burnt out in Philly

"It's true - and he's talking about the best country in the world!

But I don't want to be a dick like 'Your mom' or Chang. 'Your mom' never cranked his bike to the top of a steep hill. He and Chang just sit on the couch bitching."

I agree that the U.S.A. is the best country ever existed in the history. And we can make it better and enjoy the longer bike ride if you could just figure it out how to get paid for riding the bike instead of bitching about the higher taxes.

You will see that the people, who enjoy what they are doing and figure it out how to get paid for it, do not go to a "tea bagging" party. Why? As long as the tax rate is 49% or lower, they are better off keep doing what they enjoy doing. That is why you do not see the professional athletes at the "tea bagging" parties. They are better off keep playing and pay the damn taxes.

There are no lousy jobs. There are only lousy people with wrong jobs. After they finish their long days at the wrong jobs, they need to go long bike rides to maintain their sanity. They vehemently bitch about the higher taxes as now they have less money to buy the newest version of the bikes to climb the steep hill but they will bitch again for poor maintenance of the bike trails by the city government. Also, they find time to go to a "tea bagging" party instead of going to work.

Unless you are willing to sacrifice yourself like eating a meal once a day or volunteer to bike everywhere to reduce the national debt for the next generation, you are just a internet tough guy.

Posted by: Chang at April 16, 2009 3:59 PM

How does riding a bicycle or skipping a meal reduce the national debt? How about, "unless you are willing to put on the uniform and put your life on the line for this country, you're just a wannabe."

One Red Cross Blood Donor does more than all the bicycle riding do gooders in the entire country.

Ah well, what would I know? I'm an internet tough guy by your definition.

I guess the theory is that if everyone rode bikes, we wouldn't need to spend money on public transit?

These are the same morons who were shouting "kill Obama" at the palintard's speeches.

The media? That explains it.

I don't see why you all are even engaging "chang" and "your mom."

"You can't fix stupid."

Kids, please scamper on home and launder your Che shirts.

Oh, and that was a Ron White quote. He's, like, probably racist, 'cause his last name is White, and he's rich.

"Should I just say "fuck it" and go play instead, or plug along because every little bit helps and if we ALL did something it would make a difference, or try it a different angle?

-Burnt out in Philly"

Dear Burnt, Out In Philly --

I'm not sure if you're sunburned, out of the closet, and visiting Philadelphia from the West Coast, but if you are, then I've misplaced your comma.

The funny thing about helping others is that they often prefer their known misery to the imagined hardships of working their way out of it.

My suggestion? Become a project manager. Set their goals, initiate their work, measure their results. No success? Readjust the approach once. Work by a strict calendar.

Unsuccessful projects are booted over the cubicle wall, projects that show positive results receive your talents and fine-tuning and continued effort.

As a side note, keep your carpets in good repair. Reclamation is a messy business.

- Gog

Where you been gog?

NicoleK, what do you do for a living? It sounds frustrating. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a break and "go play" for a while.

Who are these "wild children?"

"How does riding a bicycle or skipping a meal reduce the national debt? "

That is how Japanese clawed their way back into reality after they got defeated by the Allies or the evil enemies.

It is called a ration and it was done at the gun point by the Japanese leaders, who had more interests in building a better future for the next generation at the expense of the current generation.

You will never understand what the hell I am talking about as all of you are tuned into "What is in it for me?"

I think the "What is in it for me?" attitude is precisely what most of the regulars here and the tea party protesters are against.

What our current government policy is doing is basically trying to prop up an overly-inflated bubble, represented by our current standard of living, through borrowing. Who will pay it all back? Future generations. Propping up the current generation at the expense of the next isn't any more right than the vice versa. I don't even have kids and I think that.

I'm capable. I can take care of myself. I just want to be left alone to do that. I don't want to have to write a check to someone simply because they don't want to work during the last 30 years of their life. I don't want anyone else to be forced to do it for me. Does that mean I'm "just in it for myself?" Why would it be it selfish of me not to want to pay everyone else's bills, but ignored that I don't want anyone else to do it for me?

"Future generations. Propping up the current generation at the expense of the next isn't any more right than the vice versa."

I disagree. I think Crid said something like this once. "Whoever cooked the pie, the cook would like to get paid at some point."

In my opinion, if your generation ate the pie, you should pay for it. That means you. You are guilty by the association.

If your generation ate the pie, you should pay for it - yes, I agree. The future generation should make its own pie, and past generations should eat their own, as well.

What do you mean, that means me? Guilty by association with what? I'm all for people making their own world, and supporting it on their own dime, as individuals.

I don't see why any generation should have to support anything other than itself. This isn't even a "generational" issue with me, just an individual one. You take care of yourself, carry your own shit. If you and someone else want to share a tent, work that out amongst yourselves.

Looking at things locally, I pay association dues to my condo association - those dues pay for snow removal, lawn care, cleaning of shared areas, trash removal, etc. Expanding that out a little, to city and county taxes, those cover local roads, the fire department, and law enforcement. (I write separate checks for power, water, and phone.) Expanding it out a little further, to the state tax level, I'm covering state highways and parks. (I'm leaving a lot out here, but most of that I'm leaving out I'd rather just get rid of anyway.)

How much does this have to cost?

Expanding it out further, and taking a giant bite out of my ass, to the federal level, I get a bunch of stuff I *really* don't want, and which I pay much more for. That's the same boat a lot of people are in, and that's what they're pissed about. It's not about "paying taxes."

"Where you been gog?"

Keeping my shoulder to the wheel (and grateful to have a wheel).

I'm thinking of putting my nose to the grindstone instead, though. Frankly I'm too cheap to pay for rhinoplasty.

> Whoever cooked the pie, the
> cook would like to get paid

Not me, makes too much sense.

> I pay association dues to my
> condo association - those dues
> pay for snow removal

As a dues-paying condo owner in sunny Los Angeles (or at least as a mortgage-holder), let me take this opportunity to ridicule your snow removal needs: Har!

(If you had any idea what we pay in property taxes, you wouldn't begrudge us the joke.)

> and grateful to have a wheel

Word. Word. I'm back at one of the least-favorite employers of the last twenty years, and feeling soooooo blessed for the opportunity....

> too cheap to pay for rhinoplasty.

Wouldn't it be great if these long hours actually made us better-looking?

> keep your carpets in good repair.
> Reclamation is a messy business.

Are you really, truly in the the carpet reclamation business? Which coast?

> Eric - don't be jealous just because
> I'm more intelligent than you will
> ever be

There's something about being an industrious, successful, entirely modern small business owner who's responsible for the well-being of other people (including children) that makes Eric very credible.

> I'm demonstrably smarter than Obama.

What time does the demonstration start?

Come on, Crid.

Eric had it coming. Still does. If you walk into a room where you don't know anyone, and the first thing out of your mouth is the left-wing media lies about the topic of the day, you can't expect politeness and a respect for your potential intellect.

And if you aren't convinced that Obama's a member of the room-temperature IQ crowd by now, I don't know what could possibly convince you. Amy's dog is smarter than Obama will ever be.

The following comment comes from an acquaintance of mine who lives in SE Florida in response to this video I put together.

I attended the Tea Party protest that was held in my town, more people than expected showed up and for such a small town, it was pleasantly surprising. One big issue that is drawing alot of justified criticism is the President’s first spending bill, that was over 1,000 pages long but was quickly voted on and signed before anyone had ample time to even read it! Any Republican politician who thinks that it was simply an anti-Democrat or anti-Obama protest is kidding themselves, they started the out of control spending when they were in power and the donkeys just put it all on steroids once they got control of the entire government. When I returned home and watched the coverage of the various protests that occurred all around this country, I was struck by several different observations:

Despite the fact that there were nearly a thousand of these Tea Parties drawing hundreds of thousands of citizens, the crowds were energetic, but very peaceful. There were no riots, burned or overturned vehicles, physical clashes with law enforcement personnel, beatings, property damage or crude effigies of anyone being defiled or destroyed in any way, quite a departure from what we usually see from large left wing demonstrations on any subject. Most participants carried handmade signs, and people of all ages, political ideologies & ethnic groups participated.

The majority of the news media who continually gets clobbered by Fox in the ratings no matter what the time slot tried to downplay the numbers or passion of those of us who chose to attend these rallies, disregarding the fact that many turned out in bad weather to make their voices heard, and these so-called journalists chose to insult us as well which is why Beck’s & O’Reilly’s re-runs beat the prime time programming of CNN, ABC & MSNBC combined in the ratings, Fox dominates the daily 5pm to 11pm time slot by a very large margin. As for this alleged “reporter”, she’s a total disgrace and would be utterly embarrassed if she had any professional pride at all, which she obviously lacks! She humiliated herself and thanks to the Internet, her shameful attempt to “be the story” vs. simply reporting will likely be replayed & laughed at from now until eternity.

The "wild children" are the homeless kids I teach drama to once a week. I also do intake for a local non-profit. (My main job is teaching at a local University... but it isn't the one that is frustrating me.)

> Eric had it coming.

No, he doesn't bother with your ITG posturing... He's always just said things he's thought about and believes.

> the first thing out of your mouth
> is the left-wing media lies

A small businessman in CDA is responsible for Maureen Dowd?

> respect for your potential
> intellect.

–and–

> Obama's a member of the
> room-temperature IQ crowd

Do you have a sore spot about not going to college or something? I don't care about intelligence. Didn't care about it when people mocked Bush for being stupid, don't care about it now that you're eager to mock Obama. I have strong beliefs about the value of candlepower as a human virtue.

Nonetheless, we eagerly await demonstration of your superior intellect in comparison to the former editor of the Harvard Law Review, the fellow who was in accelerated learning settings from kindergarten onward.

Crid -

I graduated Magna from University of Hartford, College of Engineering, Class of 1995. This isn't about my not going to college. You can look me up, should you choose.

Obama was the former editor of the Harvard Law Review without ever once having published anything in it. He has no publications of note, which is odd considering his background. In fact, the only thing we know about his educational background is nobody remembers ever seeing him at Columbia.

Do we even know where he practiced law? Even Bill and Hillary were in private practice before getting in to politics. Oh, and we knew their grades. One thing the Clintons are not is stupid.

We know nothing of Obama's educational experiences, but in 2000 and 2004 we knew every grade that Bush, Gore and Kerry had. Funny that.

My mother taught me that you are judged by the company you keep. Obama's kept himself with no end of unsavory characters. It would be hard to ascribe any actual virtue to the man.

> the first thing out of your mouth > is the left-wing media lies . A small businessman in CDA is responsible for Maureen Dowd?

No, Crid. Eric was simply repeating the "news" from CNN. Kind of like a more serious version of the troll that called itself "your mom".

In any event, in the fourth comment on this very thread, he started with the default media lie that those who are now protesting had nothing to say when Bush was being a spendthrift. In point of fact, they had plenty to say. The media weren't interested then because it didn't make for "compelling" headlines. So, they did the only thing they could - they sent their message at the ballot box. Republicans were turned out en masse in 2006, with the belief that maybe a few years in the wilderness would beat some fiscal sense into the party.

Of course, it didn't. Many said it wouldn't. They said the Republicans would take a Democrat victory to mean that the country had moved left, and that they would move left with it.

Enter Frum, Parker, Will, et. al., urging precisely that.

The Democrats might be harmful, but the Republicans are criminally stupid.

One last thing -

Four of the last five presidents were Ivies.

The country has been in a near continuous downward slide.

I suggest to you that there might be more than mere correlation there.

Ok, one more one last thing.

A quick search on SSRN (which is merely one fish in the vast ocean, I know) shows 0 publications for author Barack Obama. Does that strike you as possibly odd for a Con Law professor?

Glenn Reynolds (he of Instapundit fame) shows up in 32 titles alone.

Crid, although it is likely to hit you in an uncomfortable place, at some point you will come to realize that Barack Obama has gotten to where he is on nothing more than charisma and race. Were he not able to mesmerize crowds, he'd have been another unremarkable Columbia grad, toiling in some office somewhere in the legal department. Were he not black, he would never have attracted the attention of powerful people in Chicago who knew that they could use him to get what they wanted.

Obama is now in the most powerful office in the world, like the dog who's finally caught the car. And he's asking himself "ok, now what do I do with it?"

This is not the finest moment in America's short history.

You been sipping the pomposity sauce again?

I defend myself from your scurrilous charges of being a phony, and that's all you got?

I don't think you're phony, just nuts. Eric's right: Claiming to be smarter than the President is a special day in the life of an Internet Tough Guy, and nobody wants to interrupt your lonely ceremonies. But you won't let us stay out of the way! I mentioned (yet again) that brains don't mean that much to me, and you respond with a four-message sequence about how my adoration of Barack Obama's brilliance is all goofed. (Welch once described this phenomenon as "laser beaming".

It looks kinda silly. It's demonstrably scurrilous.