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daddysboy

Human, resident of Earth.
I've celebrated more than 21 birthdays.
I like honesty, I hate aggressive stupidity.

Recent comments by this user

Politico's Roger Simon Rewrites Own History To Fluff McCain

A list of media outlets that isn't cherry-picked might also include all the other more prominent loud-mouthed pundits, the Washington Post, the countless other blogs on the internet, and just about every local newspaper and radio station. The four sources of information you cited hardly constitutes any summary of the "mainstream media"; in fact, a large number of the American electorate hasn't even heard of these sources and are quite happy to believe everything that the news corporation says. posted 05/15/2008 at 10:12:03

Rebranding Republicans

Just for fun, go back and read the polls that were taken months before the last few presidential elections. I think you will come to the same conclusion that I have. The polls are a marketing tool and do not reflect the true feelings of the electorate. The only poll that is ever accurate is the big one taken on election day. I guarantee that mccain has a very large chance of winning. I just hope that his competition has an even bigger chance. posted 05/14/2008 at 10:23:05
You won't get fooled again, but there's one turning eighteen every minute and most of those voters don't read, they watch television which as it happens is kind of fooling allot of people right now. posted 05/14/2008 at 10:18:07

The Bipartisanship Scam

You cherry-picked two examples from eight years of a VERY active federal government and used them to make a point about both a president AND the first lady as if Hillary Clinton had any responsibility other than to TRY to encourage positive change. Bill Clinton was the elected official and as a whole, his two administrations moved our country in a positive direction. Seeing as how the republican party WASTED our time and money for several years at the end of this century it is simply mystifying to me how any respect was ever paid to them again. What could have been accomplished for world trade AND American national health-care had the republican party not been on a vendetta against Bill Clinton? The ironic thing is that it was largely due to their ATTEMPT (and it was a good idea except for the part about thinking republicans are people) to create a bipartisan environment in Washington that was their downfall. posted 05/13/2008 at 10:21:29
Very well said. posted 05/13/2008 at 10:07:53
I prefer to refer to this party as the 'Democrat' party myself because it is too easy to confuse it with the adverb 'democratic'. It is difficult in oral conversation to convey the capital D. The Democrat party doesn't have a monopoly on democracy and democratic behavior even though it seems like it lately. posted 05/13/2008 at 09:54:06
I miss real radio too! It would be great if we could get the FCC to re-assign the radio waves to only local in-state broadcasters. I am SO tired of national and international ownership of my local airwaves. If I want national, I listen to NPR; otherwise, I want to hear what people in MY area are listening to, not what clearchannel thinks will sell more cars in my market. posted 05/13/2008 at 09:29:04
Any technology sufficiently advanced enough will appear as magic to the uninitiated just as politics does to a dumbed-down American populace. The republican party has so muddied the definition of every politically descriptive word and concept that we are not even able to engage in a public discussion of policy any more. The republican party has nearly succeeded in destroying democracy in America as a result of this. "As for the media, perhaps someone can send those intoxicated with the misguided conventional wisdom on bipartisanship to reporter rehab." It really sounds like you've had it with these numbskulls. I couldn't agree more. What year was it when the last few television reporters officially became plastic puppets and stopped representing the interests of individual Americans? posted 05/13/2008 at 09:22:42

The Most Important Piece of Paper in America

Yes, it is in the rich class's best interest to see that the poor don't become so downtrodden that their icky poorness doesn't get on them. It's the boiling lobster effect; the water is being boiled so slowly, the poor don't know they're being cooked until it's over. posted 05/12/2008 at 09:43:43
It's really amazing to hear so much discussion of the middle class in terms of the dismantling of our government by the ownership class when you consider that there are several classes of people BELOW that middle class. When you come home to the family car after high school instead of asking to borrow the family car, you will know that you and your family no longer counts in America. posted 05/12/2008 at 09:24:31
Thank you for revealing yet another disturbing, potential downside to mccain. I still believe there is a good chance that his campaign will fool the electorate enough to get him in office so I guess we can really expect some disastrous economic policies to follow the really fun foreign policy we've had so far. posted 05/12/2008 at 09:16:18
It IS our government's job to make everything FAIR and EVEN and to MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER; as much as can be. Because our system is based on a scarcity model where there will always be some without and some with, a few extra dollars thrown in the direction of those at the bottom of the pyramid is the LEAST we can do as considerate Americans. Just because you fall somewhere in the middle to top of the pile doesn't mean that you are a better person or that you somehow worked harder. This is the biggest lie that those with money tell themselves. Don't let people who already have means and the access to anything their hearts desire tell you that government doesn't mean anything; it is all the poor and struggling have. In the future, our society and our government will be judged on how the least able to take care of themselves were taken care of (or not). posted 05/12/2008 at 09:11:22

Washington's Great "No Inflation" Hoax

There is no new world left to stand in and declare independence from the old one unless you are getting a ride on that rocket-ship to Mars that bush promised we are sending. posted 05/09/2008 at 10:04:36
"...kept low..."? I thought statistics were supposed to measure facts and realities; not government fantasies of a thriving economy. posted 05/09/2008 at 09:50:11
I am having trouble making lemonade out of this; is there a potential positive side to this? What can investors and consumers do to insulate themselves from our slipping economy? Where can accurate figures and facts be obtained? posted 05/09/2008 at 09:35:20

The Pro Teen Sex and Unwanted Pregnancy Movement

This argument is the kind of thing that begins a very needed and healthy discussion of what our collective values are and what we hope to change as a culture and a nation in order to better ourselves. While this article doesn't "prove" anything it definitely begs some very SERIOUS questions that should be explored further, not dismissed entirely. posted 05/08/2008 at 19:55:15

What John McCain Told Me, and What it Says About How Far He's Fallen

I'd call what mccain has communicated in the last four years as more than changing his mind as the same folks he publicly labeled as criminals are now his campaign compatriots. Changing your mind is deciding that we need to work with the existing health care industry to create accessible, affordable health care for all; not suddenly deciding that there is no problem. Had mccain simply changed his mind, he would still not be able to represent the current values (or lack of them) of the republican party in most ways such as supporting or not supporting making the unreasonable tax cuts for the rich permanent. Yet, suddenly he is of the opinion that this is what is needed in our multiple deficit economy? For mccain to truly represent the ideals he used to espouse he would have had to run as an independent. posted 05/07/2008 at 10:24:26
It is a very sad duty that you are performing with these testimonials. I would have happily voted for mccain as president prior to his more recent rapid turn toward the dark side. I have voted for him as senator many times in the past. He truly did represent less biased forward thinking at one point. He also represented moderation in a party that has completely gone off the wacko deep-end in my opinion. I consider him the Stepford candidate at this point. Thanks for all that you do. posted 05/07/2008 at 10:04:10

Why The 'Right' Gets Net Neutrality Wrong

Thanks for helping to elaborate on this distinction. It is a content issue, not a quantity issue. Quantity has always been a factor in regular network management as it HAS too for it to work properly. posted 05/06/2008 at 10:04:23
It's a paradox for sure because looking at your first sentence, it was hard to tell if you were being ironic or not. Conservatives, republicans and neoconservatives all love money so access to a global marketplace is a plus for these groups yet a free exchange of ideas is their worst fear. This seems to be playing out too because as far as I can see, the attempt isn't to shut down the internet, but rather like the Chinese, the intent is to close control of the internet to individuals while opening up control to the state, um I mean American corporations. posted 05/06/2008 at 09:51:01
So as long as we let these companies steal our creative ideas and use them to profit from us, they won't start really using them to profit from us? How about we just tell them that they need to shut the hell up and provide internet access to all or go pound sand. posted 05/06/2008 at 09:42:58
The problem is that the cat is out of the bag. The current owners of the internet infrastructure want to control which new communications services are used and how they are priced in order to maximize profits as they have in the past. However, services like video conferencing are now free over the internet to anyone installing the correct software and leasing enough bandwidth to carry a signal. This returns the telecom companies to their original role which is to just provide the infrastructure and they do not want to have it. They have had far too many years creating outrageous profits by dictating how the limited signal they have been in complete control of was used such as with their current ownership of the cellular air time. Text messaging is the perfect example because they have not only created a market for texting that was formerly craving only voice, they have the audacity to charge a per message price even though this form of communication is nearly free to them and is actually preferable because of it's negligible network hit. Then they have the nerve to even discuss the content of those messages? I hope the individual wins out in this, but these are some very determined companies. The right-wing personality just flocks to the telecom company's arguments because so much profit is involved and if there is anything that is more respected by some than moral or ethical considerations, it is PROFIT. posted 05/06/2008 at 09:31:15

Operation Anti-Chaos: The Narrative on "White Voters" Is Fiction

Excellently sublime analysis; the commonality of running a "people-funded" campaign is singularly important. posted 05/05/2008 at 10:07:15
They can be duped and they will be duped. This is a sad fact. I believe you are right that there is a larger segment of enlightened white voters that will be more than enough to compensate for the usual myopic voting trends if they are able to take time away from their very busy lives to actually vote ; which is always the problem for the working class. posted 05/05/2008 at 09:57:41
Well said. Aren't we done with shame and fear as political tools? American culture needs to grow up. posted 05/05/2008 at 09:48:25
Or Obama is just looking really viable and many blacks (young and old) are getting excited about voting for him as they should be. Blacks have an opportunity (I believe it is a very slim chance, but there is one) to permanently change the face of America by electing Obama and that is pretty exciting. Clinton would also be a great change, but not nearly as significant as finally ending the white-male dominance of our government for good. Don't confuse excitement for Obama with hatred of Clinton. posted 05/05/2008 at 09:32:41
How many polls were taken since July 2007 that helped create those nice smooth lines? Were there any contradictory polls taken during the same period being left out of this? Even at one per month, that's ten or eleven samples of maybe one to two-thousand folks at a time? This is HARDLY a comprehensive debate killer. The extremely limited information you are using could be made to form any conclusion with minor tweaking and probably already does somewhere. The only thing that is assured by acknowledging an inappropriate distraction from what is important is more distraction from what is important. posted 05/05/2008 at 09:22:01

Shameful Days: Why Won't The Media Pursue the Pentagon Propaganda Scandal?

Well said; while reading this, I was reminded of this bothering me about the police in my home city for years now. There is often an extra "community sensitive" officer dispatched in high profile crime scenes to "explain" their actions (usually to surreptitiously limit the liability from the city government). The others involved don't get the same representative rights so this is an abuse of power; just as being given the sole voice to explain military action is if it isn't a dispassionate, unbiased, unpolished report conveyed out of normal operational necessity. posted 05/02/2008 at 10:03:18
There is a difference between a country and it's government. America has not become a total joke, rather, the American federal government has become a joke; a joke told only by cheney and laughed at only by bush. posted 05/02/2008 at 09:52:21
There is only one sponsor: the American people. Do you think we all have to look at ads for medikazionz and viaaggrra because no one clicks on them? I haven't watched television news short of the blips on the Daily Show, or solicited interviews such as Arianna's recent appearance on Bill's show and on Charlie Rose for years now. If there is an important story, it is covered in multiple places and there are online clips if viewing video becomes absolutely necessary. The offenders are anyone that puts profit over the integrity of the information they are disseminating; something that used to be an ethical crime in journalism and would get you labeled a tabloid at best and a criminal at worst. And for the record, there are more than TWO sides to every story; in fact there are as many sides as there are people involved which is usually quite a few. posted 05/02/2008 at 09:48:30
It's amazing that I have been going to the same site almost since it's inception and have had almost precisely the opposite experience. I have found this to be one of the more well-lit corners of the internet and am thankful for not only it's existence, but also for the participation of thousands and perhaps tens of thousands of very bright, interesting people with diverse and sometimes frighteningly insightful comments. posted 05/02/2008 at 09:24:50

The Daily Show Messages Teens About Sex

Considering that the poverty level is something like 10 - 15 thousand dollars a year depending on dependents and most families that receive any kind of assistance fall well below that amount in total yearly income, I'd say a billion dollars would help clothe, feed, educate, and secure the good health of many many families and children. posted 05/01/2008 at 09:32:10
Sensible people never sat down. We are just simply overwhelmed by nonsensical people at the moment. Apparently we need to give insanity a try for at least 10 years or so; good thing we are getting it out of the way early in this century. posted 05/01/2008 at 09:16:35
Any government sanctioned lying at the taxpayer's expense is unacceptable even if it's five dollars. Every state education system receives enough federal money to be closed down if it were to dry up in any case. Ten percent of 3.4 billion is how the paper and pencils are purchased; after paying the teacher's salaries which is the largest portion of any budget, there is really very little left and most schools operate in a deficit for some of the year as it is. The only public schools that are doing well are the ones in areas with significantly wealthier tax-bases or ones that are fortunate enough to reside near airports or other high-revenue generating zones. No, de-funding our already underfunded education system wasn't enough for bush, he wants to actually lower the quality of what little education can still be offered. What do people from and headed to private schools have to offer in any discussion of public education really anyway? posted 05/01/2008 at 09:07:58
You can't create light from darkness. posted 05/01/2008 at 08:53:19

America: #1 in Bibles. #37 in Infant Mortality

You completely rock. Thanks for a great, hearty laugh this morning. I like 'Everyone is your brother, remember that or burn'. posted 04/30/2008 at 10:07:37

McCain Strongly Rejected Long-Term Iraq Presence: "Bring Them All Home"

Is mccain going to receive the same nonstop barrage of flip-flopper ads like John Kerry had to suffer? The Democrat party has far too much class as a group for that. There will just be whining about it when mccain takes the presidency. posted 04/29/2008 at 09:03:29

Probing a Political Paradox: Why the Discredited Right Still Sets the Agenda and Dominates the Debate

That you are wondering means they are doing their job. posted 04/29/2008 at 10:08:44
Equating politicians with mostly polar opposite policies does no one a service. We all get that the Democrat party is just as corrupt on many levels as the republican party, but this does not put reagan and Clinton in the same category in any context. The reasons for renewing the telecom act with less than desirable provisions are not the same as the reasons for eliminating the fairness doctrine; one is a poor compromise, the other is a deliberate intent to move power. posted 04/29/2008 at 10:06:04
Presenting six times the amount of words than anyone else despite the limitations of the system reminds me of something the news corporation would do and it damages your message about power in America. posted 04/29/2008 at 09:55:14
Actually, that kind of change from a peaceful protest to a violent outrage can happen in the blink of an eye and is something I hope I never see because humans are capable of terrible atrocities especially when they get together and take up arms. posted 04/29/2008 at 09:36:15
"...And not even Republicans still believe in the unfettered, free market. Look how they rushed to Big Government to save their beloved Bear Sterns..." This is a great comment. Thank you Arianna. posted 04/29/2008 at 09:17:31

No Place for Religion: On Jeremiah Wright and Our Culture of Disbelief

Anastazi? East German native cliff dwelling secret police? That was too funny to let go; I think you mean Anasazi. posted 04/28/2008 at 10:12:51
Well said! posted 04/28/2008 at 10:02:17
Or it is possible that being a force for positive change and being spiritual are two completely separate concepts? It isn't necessary to understand the nature of the universe and your place in it to be a thoughtful, kind, respectful, and generous person; it is just helpful for some people that have a hard time coming to the conclusion that this is a good thing without guidance. posted 04/28/2008 at 10:00:36
The concepts of religion and personal belief and conviction are not one and the same. What is not allowed in America and what should never be allowed is the governmental sanctioning of one religion or belief system over all others or over a choice to believe in nothing. Religion is personal and should continue to be. Your assertion that America is filled with religious believers may be true and it may be entirely supposition as it is possible that America is only filled with people that SAY they are religious. We may never know, but what we should know is that everyone living here is supposed to be entitled to make that choice for themselves and that includes choosing to disdain political pressure from a church leader in our potential presidential candidates. posted 04/28/2008 at 09:43:49

The Self-Loathing Liberal Media

There is no left and right; there is good and bad. Many very clever folks have spent years convincing the public of this mythical bias so that we won't talk to each other and it has worked (this would be a bad thing by the way). Now that science and facts are a dirty word, the people have NOTHING. posted 04/25/2008 at 10:36:00
Or, he's simply waffling like almost every other politician has and does at some point. There is nothing good for America or Americans on that television channel and changing his originally good idea to never appear there demonstrates a weakness in his character to me. posted 04/25/2008 at 10:24:54
Someone, somewhere, asks a thousand people that were somehow able to set aside thirty minutes of their busy lives to answer a telephone survey asking who they like more. The results are published at just the right time to convey a very specific message and a thousand Americans spread out with that message like they had just visited a holy mountain. Does it make it more truthful if it is stated in all caps? Incidentally, it isn't possible to lose a vote that hasn't been cast yet. posted 04/25/2008 at 10:21:07
Coming to a political website for "encouragement and optimism" might be a bad idea. posted 04/25/2008 at 10:10:13
America is completely polarized between truth-seekers and deniers. The truth-seekers have abandoned television and newspapers for the internet, books, and other more direct sources. The sellers of newspapers and television have realized this so they are now seeking out the celebrities of infotainment to further boost their numbers with the denial audience. Rather than realize that they have a moral and ethical (not to mention legal) duty to present accurate information regardless of who is watching, they have instead chosen to profit from the slow demise of these media outlets. It will actually be quite a show to watch it all collapse as this inevitable event is already under way. I don't think the established media has any idea how important this segment of their audience was, nor do I think they have quite realized how severe the migration has been. posted 04/25/2008 at 10:02:23

Sad Day for Journalism if Murdoch Swallows Newsday

They already have failed in their duty to insure that our shared public airwaves are in fact shared and public. The last time major changes were made to the rules, it was not to strengthen their oversight capabilities, it was to weaken them even further thanks to some very serious lobbying and the actual presence of rupert murdoch at the hearings which in and of itself should have been highly questioned but wasn't really. posted 04/24/2008 at 09:49:25
The owner of the news corporation has been working diligently for years now to remove those restrictions on owning multiple media outlets and thanks to a very responsive neo-con controlled administration has been highly successful as you are aware. You can count on this acquisition. Any journalistic publication intending to survive the onslaught of base, lowest common denominator fluff sure to be injected at the command of murdoch should cease all printing and move to the internet now before it is too late. Let's close the respectable media publications in America before they are trivialized into the tabloid trash that is the hallmark of this man's media empire. posted 04/24/2008 at 09:43:36

The Toxic Thinking of the Right Infects the Body Politic

Great thought; they do seem to both have something to learn from the other and there is NEVER anything wrong with learning. posted 04/23/2008 at 11:46:33
If the Democrat party members gain as much control over the government as it looks like they are poised to then this will be the official test. I doubt very seriously that if they aren't able to pull of nothing short of a restoration of the tiniest SHRED of respectability to our government that anyone will even care who gets elected in subsequent election cycles. posted 04/23/2008 at 11:27:48
It is a simple thing to factor radio talk in if we refer to it as what it is; unbridled hate and ignorance mixed with an overzealous and selfishly motivated lust for power and attention. This of course means that anyone ignorant, aggressive, selfish, power hungry, or self-absorbed will tune in. Oh wait, that about sums up much of their audience. posted 04/23/2008 at 11:19:46
You are not alone in those plans. I just listened to my brother this weekend planting fruit trees and talking about plans to take his house off the electrical and sewer grids as soon as possible. Are we all going to end up living in a giant hell-hole of a country with barbed wire fences around our houses not unlike the Gaza Strip or is this just a fatalist's flight of fancy? posted 04/23/2008 at 10:24:00
Oh, if wishes were pennies we could balance the budget. posted 04/23/2008 at 10:16:45
Obfuscating the meaning of something is called lying. Al Franken said it right; they are lying liars. 'Intellectual whore' is far too interesting a phrase to associate with any of these banal people. posted 04/23/2008 at 09:26:26
American television media is at that dangerous point where not enough people that would care are watching and too many people that can't care are glued to the screen. PBS has yet to be taken over but something tells me no one will have to bother. posted 04/23/2008 at 09:17:16

The Latest Proof that the Karl Rove Playbook Has Become the MSM's Bible

Our current "president" could be called a nitwit but I question your label of Jimmy Carter as such. posted 04/22/2008 at 10:25:58
Americans are so complacent in their own demise it makes me wonder if we aren't suffering from some sort of mass self-destructive neurosis brought on by the late nineties BJ trial. posted 04/22/2008 at 10:20:49
I am glad I am capable of getting my news elsewhere such as the myriad of internet sources currently available, however, in the past I have appreciated the luxury of hearing a truly insightful analyst parse particular subjects that I just simply don't have the time to fully inform myself of. I will miss the short time in my life when I could think that what was said by a respected television journalist was indeed the truth (or very close to it). At some point, the concept of "mainstream media" became analogous to "middle america media" and that just isn't the same thing. The stream may be the main one, but the waters are poison and no one is swimming in them. posted 04/22/2008 at 10:15:04
karl rove picked these tactics because they are easy. He gets far too much credit these days. Why should these corporations even try to make news when there is a free feed coming in from the pentagon? posted 04/22/2008 at 10:01:31

The Simple Arithmetic of Republican Failure

Facts matter to reasonable people. I hope the ratio of reasonable to unreasonable thinking hasn't permanently shifted toward insanity in this country. If the sole definition of political communication is how many scary things you can discover and trot out before every misguided religious extremist then yes, the republican party does have the expertise. I think the Democrat party has represented their position very well, it's just that truth and honor don't seem to have the traction they once did. posted 04/21/2008 at 10:13:05
The upcoming election is for president, not for congress. The point is what kind of performance past presidents have had, not what kind of performance the government has had overall and which party is responsible. Ultimately, if you hold the pen, you are responsible for the outcome whether it was ever really under your control or not. In fact, throughout the history of our government, both the congress and the executive branch have rarely been under the control of a single party. posted 04/21/2008 at 10:02:00
"...I don't know what McCain's *personal* record is, but I suspect he is less irresponsible than most of the Republican leadership...." ; Yah, and bush is a compassionate conservative. Didn't some folks already buy that wolf in sheep's clothing thing and get sorely burned? posted 04/21/2008 at 09:54:18
Thank you for clearly outlining this point with real-world figures. What is frustrating about this is that those folks beholden to the republican party will present numbers that conflict with these - truthful or not. We didn't need a study to verify that there are two universes of thought in America but the comments that are sure to follow your deliciously succinct article will bear this out. posted 04/21/2008 at 09:42:22

He Blinded Me Without Science

I don't have to remember that there are some of us still dragging their evolutionary feet. I am here to yank them out of that stupid cave already. posted 04/18/2008 at 09:58:10
I disagree completely. Science and scientists have been singled out by religious extremists and various churches so many times throughout history, why should ANY respect be paid to the elected leader of any one particular church. Hell, the Spanish Inquisition alone should warrant continued ridicule and shame indefinitely for this particular church. And, not to beat a dead horse (too late), but science is based on verifiable observation and faith is based on FAITH. A whole person understands the limits of the verifiable universe and has faith in things that are unexplainable. These concepts are NOT mutually exclusive and therefore the arguments in favor of one or the other are nothing but a smokescreen for fascist extremists. posted 04/18/2008 at 09:44:37
Push for a miracle. posted 04/18/2008 at 09:29:28
The movie isn't really the point; the point is that there is a new addition to the 'don't think' army that has the reputation and outward appearance of a thinking person. Anyone that even hints of a stance that philosophy is on equal ground with science in it's conclusions about reality doesn't deserve 90 minutes of my attention but I am sure the author of this blog suffered through it before publishing this piece. posted 04/18/2008 at 09:26:16
I enjoyed reading your writing so much. Thank you. "...Not everything can be up for discussion, no matter how large a segment of the population might believe otherwise..."; well said. Maintaining a shared understanding of the difference between empirical reality and fantastical reality is what keeps our social order from coming apart. Maybe this many people were never destined to get along, but discouraging what is essentially the slow progressive measuring and accumulation of factual information in favor of personal ideas about the nature of things only seems like a good idea to someone that doesn't value thinking and questioning. posted 04/18/2008 at 09:15:25

The ABC Debate: A Shameful Night for the U.S. Media

Did anyone, anywhere expect anything else from the tattered remains of what used to be television journalism? And speaking of tattered remains, david brooks has never been anything but a total cheerleader for everything neocon. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a tattoo of ronald reagan on his chest, or at least printed on his underwear. posted 04/18/2008 at 08:55:26

McCainomics: A Double Dose of the Same Poison

Thanks for posting that link. I was already familiar with this concept but the details are great reading albeit a bit depressing at the same time. posted 04/16/2008 at 10:03:20
A nation and a people is and should continue to be judged by how the elderly,the youth, and those that can't take care of themselves are treated. By this scale America is failing miserably. 50 years ago was another century and many things have changed along the way, but there are still people dying for lack of health care and food. There are still children being abandoned and raised under cruel, inhumane, and dangerous conditions. There are still homes destroyed and families broken apart from a lack of resources and unstable communities. I realize that none of these things may matter to you, but I believe that a majority of Americans are deeply concerned with these things and are being severely under-represented by our current government. posted 04/16/2008 at 09:56:23
CSPAN is boring and it puts me to sleep. I don't need to watch a crappy television channel to know how ineffective our government is; I can just drive down the street. posted 04/16/2008 at 09:46:52
stupider? I thought you could only get that on Jupiter. posted 04/16/2008 at 09:43:46
Wouldn't it be totally cool if we could just order up government action ala carte like that? The man does not match that message. I am sorry, but the candidate that you are looking for was already ruled out months ago. mccain is for bigger government and higher taxes for those that can afford them the least. posted 04/16/2008 at 09:25:37
It isn't mccain's current record that is of concern; it is his future record should he join forces with those that have proven themselves to be completely unconcerned with the rule of law. Since he is already in their club, it's hard to imagine anything but further collusion unless you believe that mccain has some kind of superb moral character that will set him apart from everyone else. posted 04/16/2008 at 09:21:55
You are absolutely correct. I think this is because these 'believers' HAVE to believe this or they will be forced to acknowledge the true reality that they are simply greedy. Concepts like 'trickle down' are nothing more than smokescreens for hoarding. posted 04/16/2008 at 09:13:13
Just about everything in this entire post is apparently a well-kept secret. Why is it that the majority of Americans don't know they are economically oppressed by the greediest people on the planet? posted 04/16/2008 at 09:08:59

Pope Should Start "Spiritual Renewal" with Bisexual God

Aren't you arguing semantics? I think everyone here is aware that the definition of 'bisexual' refers to proclivities rather than innate, outward characteristics, but I am hard pressed to find a more appropriate word; what word would you suggest Mr. McElvaine use? posted 04/17/2008 at 10:07:01
It is possible and it is in practice by many; it is called secular humanism.

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?page=what&section=main posted 04/17/2008 at 09:51:12
While I can agree that the catholic church's entirely hypocritical stance on many large moral and ethical issues is something to be both challenged and ridiculed, I found Mr. McElcaine's article to be interesting if not futile. I am not sure that referring to anyone's efforts as total idiocy is very productive and is surprisingly crass from someone we can infer is referring to themselves as a progressive with a capital P. posted 04/17/2008 at 09:39:46
Why would you write an article publicly asking the catholic church to have an epiphany they are never going to have? Oppression of women and homosexuals has been the cornerstone of that church's power for centuries. These men are not about to give up any power. The only way anyone is going to win back christianity from this mob is by starving them of money. Save that plate money and give only to local charities where most of the money is spent directly on the cure, be more like Christ every day and skip the sunday brainwashing sessions. Ghandiji said; "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ" and he also said; "Be the change you wish to see in the world". posted 04/17/2008 at 09:31:17

John McCain Should Go on Vacation, Hillary Clinton is Doing His Job for Him

Since when for one second in the last 8 years has anything the American electorate desired actually been reflected in our government? Do you think that the current group of people in power hasn't thought out some seriously effective ways to maintain that power? We haven't seen the barrage of misinformation about to hit just in time to paint a gorgeous fantasy about mccain and mark Obama as the devil. posted 04/15/2008 at 10:34:54
Is the fact that so many people are willing to blindly accept the mistruths and distortions of reality being fed to them more disturbing than the fact that all politicians use these tactics to win? A campaign that espouses truth and tells the American people how it really is can't win as was demonstrated by several early campaigners no longer in the race. I believe that Clinton has been given enough inside information from her numerous connections to come to the cynical conclusion that there is no other way to win but to play the lowest common denominator cards and she may be right; how sad for America and Americans. posted 04/15/2008 at 10:17:54

The Coming War with Iran: It's About the Oil, Stupid

"...Had the hundreds of billions of dollars poured into the invasion and occupation of Iraq been put into alternative energy the world might have had a fighting chance... ". This is PAST TENSE; 'might have had' does not equal 'we still can'. posted 04/14/2008 at 10:31:48
Winning at the expense of someone else isn't winning; in fact it is the worst kind of losing. posted 04/14/2008 at 10:15:54
republicans appear to be better at war because they are the only group of people that cheer for it. Everyone else prefers to leave war as a last resort and think of it as the terrible tragedy that it is. posted 04/14/2008 at 10:00:10
Cut the hyperbole and melodrama; "... Whoever controls the remaining oil determines who lives and who dies...". Or not. "...The American economy is teetering and without control of the remaining oil it will collapse..."; such fear-mongering serves only the group of people responsible for this extremely poor view of the world. This completely myopic, uncreative assessment is correct in only one thing: it is an accurate portrayal of the mindset of those currently controlling America's military power. Unless your entire commentary is tongue and cheek, please check with the thousands of scientists, community leaders, progressive politicians and everyone else that has proposed a myriad of solutions (that don't require vast amounts of oil) to the world energy crisis currently gaining traction. We don't have to care about that oil if we don't want to. posted 04/14/2008 at 09:52:18

Bush's Troop Deployment Time Mirage

Soldiers and police should be draftees, not volunteers. We are all in this together and if war is what we're up to then war is what we should ALL be up to (or not). Personally, I'd like to see everyone that has already served brought home for good to be replaced. If this isn't possible then we need to rethink what we are doing there. posted 04/11/2008 at 09:53:21

Misogyny, Momism and Militarism

Vile or not vile is a subjective description. A true believer in democracy would not be concerned with quieting any voices. posted 04/11/2008 at 10:29:11
There was no endorsement of Clinton here, just an observation that the playing field is filled with men that seem to be acting like little boys and I couldn't agree more. The fact that Clinton has and is continuing to run an awful campaign is neither here nor there really. posted 04/11/2008 at 10:19:42

Bush: General Petraeus "Will Have All The Time He Needs"

The problem will be maintaining those troop levels when the American people finally decide/realize that their government isn't listening to them at all. There are still places in America where folks can pretend that we are doing some kind of good over there, but those places are getting smaller and it is getting harder to deny reality. posted 04/10/2008 at 10:12:45

The Clinton-Colombia Connection: It Goes Back a Long Way

I think the misuse of the word 'women' in place of what should have been 'woman' says it all. posted 04/10/2008 at 10:37:11
Thank you for telling the true stories. These are things people want to know about and they should know about them. That being said however, this is how government and politics has ALWAYS worked, with varying degrees of success. There are no 'clean' politicians. In fact, these events are mild hits on the ethical scale compared to some of the atrocious acts of other administrations; particularly the current one. We ALL can agree that the drug war is a SHAM as anyone with half a brain has been saying that since the '80s. I realized that Clinton was running all kinds of underhanded deals while in office and I voted for him both times. At some point, you really do have to have some kind of faith that the primary motivation for some seeking power is still to do good. I believe that Obama and Clinton are both good people that will ultimately not fail us. Based on his many recent changes of heart and duplicitous support of bush, I can't say the same thing about mccain although I would have not that long ago. posted 04/10/2008 at 10:26:52

Petraeus' Call for a Pause is Really Just "Stay the Course 2.0"

You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war. - Albert Einstein posted 04/09/2008 at 10:23:38
I don't need to go there to command them to come home which is what my orders are. posted 04/09/2008 at 10:03:41

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