RamonBackwards's Comments (114)

“Unwarranted optimism and optimistic statements have a place in any business or system.

In many ways, we create our reality.

Course I think we're due for a second dip but that's just me! The fact is nobody knows a goshdarn thing they're talking about!

So what? So let's dance!”

“That's awesome! Fight! Fight!”

“The thing that is most stunning to me is the apparent surprise that Fox does this. They do it all the time. They've been doing it pretty much every... single.. day... for years. Whoever has the time, inclination and unedited original footage could likely document hundreds of equivalent cases of Fox dishonesty, even including instances where they used footage of one event when discussing a different event, clearly attempting to mislead the audience about what they were seeing.

However, while Fox is, as usual, the worst offender in this regard, the behavior certainly isn't unique to Fox. It's part of what makes TV news TV news. If you actually want to get rid of this, you post the accepted recording date along with every single piece of video footage. But of course, no one in television news has any interest in ending this practice. It's a core part of their business at this point.”

“Being in the military does not necessarily imply "most deserving" of a housing credit.

NOPE.”

“It's self-defeating to assume that many people care what happens to you. When push comes to shove, most don't. And in a competitive market, there is simply no time to care.

Prey and predator is all it is. Expecting anything else is a better example of mental deficiency, as it indicates an inability to accept an undesirable reality.

Also, if you believe would be more inclined to care about your fellow man, and therefore forgo massive personal profit for the benefit of others, it might be you who has the mental deficiency.

It's certainly true that many market participants would qualify as heartless sociopaths, but it might be more useful to realize that the environment can turn a good person into a functional sociopath very efficiently. And it's simply naive to assume that will ever change. Realize that investing is like holding a hunk of raw meat in front of an alligator and hoping that he will only chew away the fat, leaving you with a prime cut to feed your family.

"Invest" at your own risk, and only with money you can afford to lose.”

“Most people should not be gambling in the stock market, period. They should be demanding higher wages in their job, paying off debt including their mortgage, improving their home, spending money on experiences that can never be taken away, and investing only in the safest investments. Then when the inevitable crash comes, take note of the people who (like Ben Stein) had arrogantly touted, for years or decades, the necessity and genius of a free market, but who now, after having lost money themselves, demand government bailouts and corporate welfare. Then never, ever believe anything they say ever again because they don't know a damn thing and they're frauds.

Oh, and the fact is that the primary role of financial services is to extract as much profit from the productive economy or individual savings as it possibly can, as quickly as it can, as often as it can, until the last sucker is broke and destitute and living on the street. Then the "financial experts" (REALLY shady, greedy, filthy characters exactly like you would expect) who took his money can provide him with helpful advice like "get a job" as they pass him by and express their disgust at his pathetic state.

Facts of life, folks. You are prey or you are predator. If you're prey, it might be a better choice to simply try to avoid the predators as much as possible. Knowing one's place in the food chain is step 1 to survival.”

“Note to future generations:

Regardless of the regulations put in place at this time, it's likely that the money changers will find another way in the not too distant future to duplicate this destructive process. When the time comes, if there is any hope of avoiding or minimizing the fallout, it's important not to spend time arguing over the question of whether or not the free-market dynamic would inherently prevent these kinds of catastrophic decisions , or if it's possible for 'the best and brightest' financial minds and institutions to act in such apparently self-destructive ways (and to simply accept that history proves they will), but rather to focus specifically on whether or not the new incarnation qualifies as egregious enough to clamp down on.

One thing we can be sure of is that Republicans will enthusiastically argue that there's "nothing to worry about" next time, too, and will do their best to make the fallout as catastrophic as possible.”

“I'm not sure. Part of me thinks that comparing the systemic (purely partisan and primarily personal) attacks on Clinton as he oversaw a legitimately historic economic expansion and a generally peaceful, law-abiding America to the attacks on Bush's presidency, based entirely on his policies, policies which were proven to be historic anti-American failures that sullied our reputation and damn near destroyed our economic system, is misguided.

But I agree with the sentiment.”

“Wills is demonstrating an inability to "see the forest for the trees" here and will come to regret taking this position, imo.

But don't be too hard on him. Everybody's gotta make a buck, and this is probably among the more tame examples of veering off course (or simply losing a step, as it appears in this case) that we're likely to see.”

“are you under the impression that the misuse of word forms came about in the internet age?

are you stupid?”

“You sound like a DINOSAUR, and it really sounds like you believe your decision to bar the use of Wikipedia as a source is unique.”

“many Afghanis believe the taliban are primarily agents of foreign governments. they also generally reject taliban "rules".

so i think you're embracing a view of the situation simply because it supports your desired goal of us leaving.

not that i necessarily disagree with your goal.”

“"After all, why should millions of people lose their jobs, their homes, and their health just because the people who managed the country's economic policy over the last decade were incompetent?"

because their company needs to cut jobs to survive. not hard, my friend. i don't care who you are or what you do, you do not have a "right" to your job. very, very, very simple.

if society chooses to lend a hand by using the power of government force to take additional resources from those who have to give to those who do not, then so be it. but there is exactly zero responsibility to do so. those who receive aid should accept it gratefully, and be eager to minimize the burden they are putting on others however, wherever, and whenever possible.

the instant that gratitude becomes a mentality of entitlement is the instant that the aid should be cut off.”

“i think it's "make-up sex" which would be two words. Apology accepted. Unless I'm wrong, in which case I apologize.”

“I voted for Obama! LOL

I just didn't WHINE like a baby whenever anyone criticized him and immediately assume the criticism must be racially motivated like, you know, racists immediately assume.”

“Howard Dean isn't in the administration because Rahm Emmanuel viewed him as a threat to Rahm's ability to claim credit for the sun rising every day.

Rahm Emmanuel doesn't believe in the democratic process, because Rahm Emmanuel is a phony who believes in exactly nothing other than self-eggrandizement and self-enrichment.

Howard Dean actually believes in certain policies, and he believes in his own ability to engage in the democratic process to bring about those changes. Howard Dean convinces people of his cause because he has the facts on his side and he actually says what he believes.

But Rahm's a big phony who can only convince the bottom feeders and the similarly corrupt, so he rejects an open democratic process in favor of back room deals that benefit himself.

I stopped complaining about him for a while, but your post kind of forces the issue to come up again.”

“oversensitive Obama supporters assumed every slight was race-based. it wasn't true.

oversensitive Hillary supporters assumed every slight was gender-based. it wasn't true.

Romney supporters (of which I am most certainly not one) never once whined about attacks on Romney's religion, for which he was attacked every day by every opposing group.

you whiny beeashes really need to get over yourselves. actually, DON'T, EVER!! it makes it so much easier for me to succeed while you're sulking about how hard your lives are!! So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CONTINUE!! Your life is exceptionally difficult and no one understands!! Focus your energy on making everyone understand!!

I want to help, but I just need you to fail for a few more generations until I've amassed enough money to retire. At that point, I'll really, really care.

LOL”

“What a fortunate coincidence - I was listening to some John Denver as I read this. Specifically "I guess he'd rather be in Colorado".

Seems quite fitting.”

“I tend to agree with your conclusion, that the ignorance of the electorate (to a certain degree) on his core issues must be considered his responsibility at some point. I simply disagree that the ignorance could have been prevented with a more head-on approach.

The right wing media machine is very effective at brainwashing the sheeple. Regardless of the specifics that Obama may have initially been able to effectively convey, the Rushes of the world would always have been able to find a "niche" lie that they could peddle.

We are at the point now where the ignorant are starting to expose their own ignorance. That makes it EASIER at this point to convince them of alternative ideas.

In other words, I would say that the process is evolving exactly as it must for significant change to eventually occur. Ignoramuses must first be faced with undeniable evidence that they are ignoramuses. At that point, they will tend to reject those who pushed them into that embarrassing experience, and will be more open to the ideas presented by their other side, regardless of their true ability to understand the complexities involved on either side.

Tangentially, it's always useful to imagine what the situation would be had the election turned out differently. We'd likely have far greater concerns to worry about, like a continuation of a path towards outright militant imperialism. It's all relative, and I prefer a heated debate about health care to a tragic debate over "the next war".”

“Earl, I have attacked you in the past, and I stand by my criticism of your earlier work. But I must admit that I find myself in regular agreement with your more recent postings.

Thanks for your unique take on this issue.”

“LOL”

“Crying wolf makes it harder to believe the next person.

Professor Gates was not racially profiled. Fact.

I'll look at future claims with a more skeptical eye. In the absence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I will assume over-sensitivity and paranoia on the part of the "victim".

Lesson learned.”

“LIES!! ALL OF IT!! The pure Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. had a bronchial infection and COULD NOT HAVE YELLED!!! HE SAID SO HIMSELF AND HE'S FROM HAAAAAHVID!!! YOUR LIES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED!!! FACT!!!”

“Should there be disorderly conduct laws? Should they apply to private property? Should they apply to a person's home?

These are all questions that are perfectly reasonable discussion points. What's not reasonable is arguing the legitimacy of a law because it's enforced in a single, specific case, and making it seem like the actions taken in that case were outside of the established norms when they were not.

That's what you call "sour grapes", and it's an approach that is best dismissed and ignored.”

“"How to read too much into body language", by Mario Ruiz, product of the Bill O'Reilly school of childish attacks.

Thank you to all four men involved for showing people like Mr. Ruiz how to be a grown-up in a situation where you may not be getting everything you want, regardless of Mr. Ruiz' inability or lack of desire to absorb such a lesson.

May he gain some insight into his own self and his own motivations as he continues along his misguided path.”