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@harry, the irony might have been that Mexico would have an illegal immigrant problem from the US. Damn gringo's coming over here with their pink babies.
THX Maxrot-
"He was wise beyond his years, but then again, sometimes our mentors seem to be ever much more than we can believe ourselves to be, however, if there wasn't some glimmer of understanding in us, would our mentors have bothered to mentor in the first place?"
Suppose my brother would not have bothered taking the time had he not thought I might not actually awaken someday.
Polk might have ran for a second term if he had failed to sieze the whole Southwest from Mexico in his first term.
All the gold discovered in the west may have been retained by Mexico. Yes it definitly would have been a different world.
Can one yelp without lips? :-D
Thom, I like the idea you continue to tout, that one of the best ways to stimulate the economy is to give the benefits to the bottom, rather than the top, because the poor spend most of their stimulus, while the rich simply add it, another drop in their bucket, to their personal black hole of net worth, and the money never stimulates anything. But Republicans/righties in general love to say that the rich man who receives this stimulus invests it in companies who then create jobs. Here is the answer to that, and an answer you need to add to your meme, that I've never heard you say: when a rich man receives a benefit, he does invest it, but he invests it in a process that will create more SUPPLY. A poor man invests the benefit also, but he invests it by purchasing something, in a way that creates more DEMAND. The question we need to ask ourselves, then, is, We're in a recession, do we need to create more supply, or do we need to create more demand?? The answer is obvious, and so obvious that even the evil righties at the top levels of government, whose only raison d'etre is to serve the wealthy who keep them in power, cannot rebut. They can't spin that. Therefore it is an idea that needs to spread to Obama's mind. He needs to ask this question from the stump.
@Maxrot: Just think of the Presidents we would never have had! :D
People in the tea party think they are preserving what founding fathers were framing for our country. I invite the tea party folks to read some more quotes from the founders. <http://www.notable-quotes.com/w/washington_george.html>
Below is a relevant one to begin with. Knowing many feel like independent individuals, consider there may be "cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men" usurping power over "the people".
Anger is allowing the blame to be assigned on liberals or "big" government, when there are subverters of freedom having too much power and influence on our government.
Consider it may be corporations that need to have our attention and regulating commerce is in the Constitution.
However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, Farewell Address, Sep. 17, 1796
@harry, what would the world be like today, if the US hadn't taken the southwest in 1848? Would we have had the same outcome in the Civil War? Would we have entered WWI without the Zimmerman note? Would we every had a city like Hollywood? Would you actually be able to get good authentic Mexican food in Chicago? (Deep dish carne asada pizza anyone?)
I shudder to think. ;-)
Thom
I hate to have to correct you, but I've noticed you mispronounce a word in your opening. You say Duhmocracy and the correct pronounciation Doh!mocracy. Please try to do better, I'd really appreciate it.
I'll give you a great word in advance for correcting your pronunciation:
Kakistocracy - goverment by the worst elements of society - government by the least qualified and most unprincipled citizens
Does that concept seem familiar?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kakistocracy
In Mexico, there's 2 sayings about the U.S.: 1. "whenever the U.S. sneezes, Mexico gets cancer." and 2.: "Poor Mexico; so far from God, so near the United States."
Foodfacist, you're more on top of politics than you think. Ever watch a political pundit on TV, they don't know diddly squat, they just pontificate as though they do. In politics the only thing needed to succeed in commentary is to say it with confidence and conviction.
Sorry about your brother, I too had a brother I was close to that was killed back in 1990 (different circumstances though). I remember him telling about how the destruction of the middle class was coming and being orchestrated. He was wise beyond his years, but then again, sometimes our mentors seem to be ever much more than we can believe ourselves to be, however, if there wasn't some glimmer of understanding in us, would our mentors have bothered to mentor in the first place? Anyhow, all I'm saying is don't discount your knowledge and wisdom because you don't feel you know everything, the wisest among us know more than anyone else how little they really do know.
that was expressed clumsily. I mean, wonder what Mexico would be like today if we hadn't taken away half their land, Including the land many of us live on today, in 1848
@Foodfascist: Or, we could have not taken away half their land in 1848.
Hi Maxrot-
Do you know that my father had me study geology because I am deft with especially personal politics. No kidding, I am just a dummy when it comes to politics. When I discovered progressive radio, it was like having a new addition onto my brain because I am so stupid at politics of all kinds that I really rely upon this show and other progressives to be the brother who used to help me through all political reasoning before he was killed by a drunk driver.
IT is not that I am not an independent thinker. I have tried listening to right wing media, but it is not logical to me. Progressive radio is logical.
In short, what I am trying to tell you is I have no idea on how to interpret the refried swastikas action and or posts. Could have been a cynical action, could have been a cry for violence as a result of fear. I would like some hard numbers on the issue.
I know first hand illegal immigrants dealing in identity theft taking good paying American jobs while taking gravy from social services. I also do not care for their culture of having more children than they can afford or using having children here as an excuse to stay here. I lived in the UK when I played in rock bands as a youngster. I wanted to stay so I stayed beyond my visa. I was there illegal fair and square. I owned up to it and left. I might have been jailed, the person helping me leave the country certainly could have had this action taken.
I am a big believer in local sustainable economies. I am of the mind that the Mexicans need to take their country back, invest in polycuture and hold their leaders accountable. The could reclaim the desert. We could help them do this. We could also legalise some of the drugs and have these treated as health issues rather than criminal issues. We could relinguish the message of the Pope who tells them birth control and family planning are evil. We could help them change their culture so that their women are not pushing out so many children.
The employers like Smithfields and other factory farms are artificially inflating costs and our currency. Americans need to comprehend the concept of true cost including longer term planning to sustain resources.
Discompassion with compassion.
I've been waiting
all my life for my ship to come in. It's called The Titanic and I think it may have been to big to sail.
Speaking of The Titanic, today's Democracy Now has a great segments with James Cameron on his advocacy for indigenous rights, John Ross on his book "El Monstruo: Dread and Redemption in Mexico City" (he's been living there since 1985 and has tremendous insight) and Congressman Raul Grijalva (D - AZ) on Arizona's new (you know what) law.
It's a great show.
http://www.democracynow.org/
@Food facist: Ive been waiting for the Lazy Police for weeks, now.
I propose a toast...who brought the Pepto Bismol?
@Yellowbird, why do prostitutes get paid? Because they'll have sex with people, no one else will. Same thing with the need to pay people to espouse Right Wing speech.
If the train is going down the tracks to fascism, it will probably run on time.
Speaking of lazy....one of my most memorable interchanges with the tea partiers was with a fellow dressed as though he were a genuine billionaire. I wasted no time. We began a civil discourse. Then I called him out, with my graphic of the l curve. Each tea partier said the 98% on the bottom were simply lazy and weren't working hard enough. I kidd you not! So I took the faux or maybe real billionaire on.
Define lazy. How do you measure lazy. What is the means test, the criteria? Your next action going to be to send around the 'lazy police?' You ever rogue corn for 14 hours a day 6 days a week?
Show me your data.
Hrrmmmph! I tell you- it felt so good tearing through their paper arguments and doing it face to face.
Foodfacist, glad to see you're online, I think the refried beans and swastikas issue just has to be commented on by you if noone else.
I would like to know WHERE IS THE DEMOCRATIC PAID BOILER ROOM?
It isn't that I don't believe in our cause. It would be nice to pay my bills, and why is it that republicans GET PAID to be political...
And Democrats DON'T?
Refried beans and Swastikas? Can I get a side of rice and mustard gas with that plate?
Senator Brown's comment about throwing a rock at a pack of dogs, and the dog that yelps is the one you hit. Then he said Senator McConnel yelped in response to the regulation bill, makes me wonder how does a turtle sound when it yelps (and why is this turtle leading a pack of dogs?
Mitch McConnell Yelping Dog- Love it
That same espanol guy also called Randi Rhodes yesterday. This was the guy Thom made the metaphor about the guy calling in immigrants into the callers 'house'. I heard him call one other show too, might have been Norman Goldman. Another caller read off a quote that was supposedly Randis. Randi denied the quote and took the guy to the Shed!
This is the 2008 election all over again.