Thom just went off on a caller who was talking about people being frustrated and that its a good thing the politicians are afraid of us. Let me ask Thom this...what if citizens tossed bricks thru empty windows of pols who sell out the taxpayers they represent to corportate interests? Can we spit on those people and call them names? Or are we supposed to lay back and enjoy the screwing we are getting? The ballot box will not change anything when both parties are nothing but corporate whores who will do anything to please their masters. 3rd party revolution? Are you kidding? Check out the laws in your state to get on the ballot and all the legal stuff required to run...the big parties have made it incredibly difficult for a 3rd party to rise to power. So what are we to do Thom? Vote for the least worst candidate? That got us where we are now...10,000,000,000,000.00 plus in debt.....havent won a war in forever....killing innocents for a globalist agenda...selling out your own workers to improve the bottom line of multi-national corporations and of course bailing out asshole bankers who gambled and lost and then the taxpayer takes the fall for the losses. I do not support the Tea Party types because of ideology, but I absolutely support their methods...because they wont listen otherwise...money talks in DC and we the people are at best a campaign prop or a punchline.
Someone needs to tell the "Republican balcony group" what happened to Robespierre at the end of the reign of terror. They might think twice about their actions.
This isn't really about Republicans or Democrats, or about liberals and conservatives. The people who call themselves "conservatives" now are actually "authoritarians." They worship the false idol of power. Those whom they acknowledge as authorities - the Church, the military, and conservative rulers - are to obeyed without question.
These "conservatives" oppose "liberalism." This is nothing more than tribalism. The word "liberal" has no real or literate meaning in this sense, it's simply a substitute for "not of our tribe." Anyone who espouses any philosophy EXCEPT authoritarianism is a defacto liberal.
Liberals, in the authoritarian worldview, have no legitimate claim to any authority (which is of course the right of the authoritarians.) That's why we're seeing this incredible resistance to President Obama and to Democratic leadership... EVEN by some Democrats. Because those Democrats are, also, authoritarians, and they still see power as only legitimately held by other authoritarians - in this case Republicans (or, likely, themselves individually).
The worldview of the authoritarians is that authoritarians who hold power deserve that power, have earned it by some primitive pecking-order advancement to the top, and must be unquestioningly obeyed. That's why Fox News and Republicans in general can get away with spouting absolute nonsense, and self-contradictory ideas, and they lose no support. IOKIYAR, It's OKay If You're A Republican, is really IOKIYAA, It's OKay If You're An Authoritarian. This is a PHILOSOPHICAL difference of opinion with the rest of society, not a religious one.
The WORST thing for authoritarians is for power to be held by someone not of their tribe. In that case, any and all means are justifiable to purge the now-corrupted authority system and restore the normal order of authoritarian rule. And any undertakings by non-authoritarian rulers MUST be opposed. Democracy itself is only acceptable when authoritarians are elected: that's why you're seeing the meme "America is a REPUBLIC not a DEMOCRACY" making the rounds as the authoritarians try to justify opposing the democratic porcess.
This battle is between authoritarians and small-d democrats. It's those who value power versus those who value democracy. And this fight isn't going away. As egalitarianism and democratic principles grow, authoritarians are going to become a smaller and more desperate minority, and that's where the danger is for all of us.
Re the bullets through a republican's window; wrong of course, but remember the woman with the backwards 'B' scratched on her face..
Once is too often, but they will try to just dismiss the rest as 'equal on both sides'..
Sad.
Republicans may have more guns but there are more Democrats with guns than Republicans with guns. Republicans have less impulse control than progressives in my opinion. Their rage and anger only exacerbates this weakness. It makes them more dangerous.
I hope the authorities investigating Eric Cantor's office check closely whether the bullet was fired IN the window... or OUT. How to pull the spotlight off of Democratic and "liberal" victims of teabagger violence? The Republicans might just arrange for a Republican to be a "victim" of such violence as well!
Thom just went off on a caller who was talking about people being frustrated and that its a good thing the politicians are afraid of us. Let me ask Thom this...what if citizens tossed bricks thru empty windows of pols who sell out the taxpayers they represent to corportate interests? Can we spit on those people and call them names? Or are we supposed to lay back and enjoy the screwing we are getting? The ballot box will not change anything when both parties are nothing but corporate whores who will do anything to please their masters. 3rd party revolution? Are you kidding? Check out the laws in your state to get on the ballot and all the legal stuff required to run...the big parties have made it incredibly difficult for a 3rd party to rise to power. So what are we to do Thom? Vote for the least worst candidate? That got us where we are now...10,000,000,000,000.00 plus in debt.....havent won a war in forever....killing innocents for a globalist agenda...selling out your own workers to improve the bottom line of multi-national corporations and of course bailing out asshole bankers who gambled and lost and then the taxpayer takes the fall for the losses. I do not support the Tea Party types because of ideology, but I absolutely support their methods...because they wont listen otherwise...money talks in DC and we the people are at best a campaign prop or a punchline.
No worries, folks. Minitru is on it, and once they get their corrections out, everything will be doubleplus good.
Someone needs to tell the "Republican balcony group" what happened to Robespierre at the end of the reign of terror. They might think twice about their actions.
This isn't really about Republicans or Democrats, or about liberals and conservatives. The people who call themselves "conservatives" now are actually "authoritarians." They worship the false idol of power. Those whom they acknowledge as authorities - the Church, the military, and conservative rulers - are to obeyed without question.
These "conservatives" oppose "liberalism." This is nothing more than tribalism. The word "liberal" has no real or literate meaning in this sense, it's simply a substitute for "not of our tribe." Anyone who espouses any philosophy EXCEPT authoritarianism is a defacto liberal.
Liberals, in the authoritarian worldview, have no legitimate claim to any authority (which is of course the right of the authoritarians.) That's why we're seeing this incredible resistance to President Obama and to Democratic leadership... EVEN by some Democrats. Because those Democrats are, also, authoritarians, and they still see power as only legitimately held by other authoritarians - in this case Republicans (or, likely, themselves individually).
The worldview of the authoritarians is that authoritarians who hold power deserve that power, have earned it by some primitive pecking-order advancement to the top, and must be unquestioningly obeyed. That's why Fox News and Republicans in general can get away with spouting absolute nonsense, and self-contradictory ideas, and they lose no support. IOKIYAR, It's OKay If You're A Republican, is really IOKIYAA, It's OKay If You're An Authoritarian. This is a PHILOSOPHICAL difference of opinion with the rest of society, not a religious one.
The WORST thing for authoritarians is for power to be held by someone not of their tribe. In that case, any and all means are justifiable to purge the now-corrupted authority system and restore the normal order of authoritarian rule. And any undertakings by non-authoritarian rulers MUST be opposed. Democracy itself is only acceptable when authoritarians are elected: that's why you're seeing the meme "America is a REPUBLIC not a DEMOCRACY" making the rounds as the authoritarians try to justify opposing the democratic porcess.
This battle is between authoritarians and small-d democrats. It's those who value power versus those who value democracy. And this fight isn't going away. As egalitarianism and democratic principles grow, authoritarians are going to become a smaller and more desperate minority, and that's where the danger is for all of us.
re: War is mass insanity; "two armies killing each other is one great army committing suicide." -Henry Barbusse
Think globally, buy locally
@Al...I boycott Starbucks 'cause they're a predatory corporation that has run out of business hundreds of locally-owned small businesses.
@DDay, must have been, his hard work for the Republican Party has backfired enough for progressives to want to leave him alone.
I'm betting that the shot through Eric Cantor's campaign office window was fired by a Cantor supporter.
When I buy a coffee at Starbucks I'm going to be careful not to ask for an extra shot.
Nels, (re 'SOL'?)
Sadly, that was when pot was dangerous and sex was safe..
Cheers,
Rick
@Rick and Albatross: Are the wolves crying "Republican"?
Re the bullets through a republican's window; wrong of course, but remember the woman with the backwards 'B' scratched on her face..
Once is too often, but they will try to just dismiss the rest as 'equal on both sides'..
Sad.
Rick
Well if we get the hate of the 60's, do we get ultimately get the Summer of Love too?
Does it take this kind of fertilizer to grow the flowers?
Republicans may have more guns but there are more Democrats with guns than Republicans with guns. Republicans have less impulse control than progressives in my opinion. Their rage and anger only exacerbates this weakness. It makes them more dangerous.
"Reload at Starbucks!"
I hope the authorities investigating Eric Cantor's office check closely whether the bullet was fired IN the window... or OUT. How to pull the spotlight off of Democratic and "liberal" victims of teabagger violence? The Republicans might just arrange for a Republican to be a "victim" of such violence as well!
"Come to Starbucks, for higher-caliber, bang-up service!"
Its becoming a Civil Guerrilla War
@Nels: "Republicans...the OTHER white meat."
Its finally happening, Republicans are eating their own.
Sen Wyden needs to be careful throwing around "social justice".
oops pre-mature missive
"American Roy Sullivan has been struck by lighting a record seven times."
-thatsweird.net
@Nels: at least he can do a home-colonoscopy