Dear John,
Thanks for your updates.
The word "miserable" and the word "miser" come from the same Latin root.
Predictably, miserly people are miserable.
Since "misery loves company," the miserly try to make others as miserable as they are.
Bitter conservatives see themselves, always and everwhere as being "ripped off." They can not tolerate - not even the thought! - that someone, somewhere, might be getting "a free lunch."
Of course, no system is perfect.
But by presuming a "right to perfection" -- by presuming that "all fat" must be cut from "programs" and "budgets" -- bitter conservatives insure their perpetual disgruntlement.
A "fit" human organism contains a minimum of 14% fat. And a similar "minimum daily requirement" holds for "political organisms" as well.
| | Women | Men |
| Essential fat | 8–12% | 3–5% |
| 14-20% | 6–13% | |
| Fitness | 21-24% | 14–17% |
| "Average" | 25-32% | 18-24% |
| Excess fat | 32%+ | 25%+ |
Fat Percentage in the Human Body
Any attempt to eliminate all fat from the body politic results in political anorexia. Upon achievement of "the goal" the anorexic dies.
Similarly, the analogous desire for ever lower taxes is not only unhealthy but impossible and deadly.
Anorexics think anorexia is a great idea.
Sane people gape.
America's "conservative" dream -- as real as the dreamy musings of opium addicts -- is that their miserable lives will finally be "livable" once they cut off the freeloading nerdowells - cutting them off completely and preferably at the neck.
In recent decades, the GOP has built a tenuous coalition whose constituents can not be happy unless they (or their government agents) are killing someone - either by execution, curtailed health services, or foreign wars as sensible as Vietnam, Iraq, Nicaragua and Afghanistan.
On deck, Iran.
Then, perhaps, the Third World War our Israeli surrogates seem intent on provoking.
Make no mistake.
Republican murderousness is not a metaphor.
Brain-stem deep in their psyches, Republicans are panting to kill people.
Like ancient practitioners of "human sacrifice," they are unable to placate their vengeful gods (and demons) unless they devote themselves to slaughter.
***
A musing...
On my side of The Fence, I believe abortion kills human life.
I do not think abortion always kills a human person, but I'm reasonably certain abortion kills human life.
However, it never occurs to me to celebrate abortion as American conservatives celebrate death by execution, belligerence and withholding healthcare.
In light of these conservative and liberal desires to adjust The Law, I suggest we explore a trade-off - the possibility of overthrowing Roe v. Wade in exchange for conscientious objectors withholding "the Defense component" of their annual IRS payment.
Any takers on The Right?
Don't bet the farm.
***
Here are three video clips of Republican presidential candidates rallying support for Human Sacrifice:
1.) Audience applause for Rick Perry’s Record Number of Executions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixMvyaZmcoQ Perry even beat Dubyah's record. Here is a clip of "43" mocking born-again Karla Fae Tucker, the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War - http://www.executedtoday.com/2008/02/03/1998-karla-faye-tucker/)
2.) Audience cheers the death of uninsured Americans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irx_QXsJiao
3.) Herman Cain proposes the execution of illegal immigrants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO-q5lI7618 (By the way, illegal immigration across the Mexican border is at a 40 year low - http://www.infowars.com/illegal-border-crossing-arrests-nosedive-to-lowest-level-in-40-years/
***
Fortunately, the current wave of "conservative" lunacy is not as strong as it seems.
What appears a crescendo of triumphant malice is actually The Death Party's "last gasp." (Soon you and I will roam metaphorical fields-of-the-dead, prying guns and bibles from cadaverous hands.)
Behind the posturing and jabber, the GOP has become a party of bitter, vindictive white men who know (whether they admit it or not) that no matter what they do, the ethnic tide of America is turning against them. In 2042, the majority of Americans will be people of color - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391346/The-changing-face-America-Time-lapse-map-reveals-non-whites-majority-U-S-30-years.html)
Of course, John Kenneth Galbraith's observation is also true: "People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage. "
And so, "with a serpent in every garden," there is also small chance that "The Right" (more accurately taxonomized "The Self-Righteous") will "blow it all up," a circumstance that could lead to sharp class bifurcation and swift transformation of America into something like Mexico.
Overall, I think the likelihood of "blow-up" is no more than 20% and that we will soon see the nation's blood-lusty barbarism give way to broad-based civilization.
I suppose Roman Christians felt much the same when, in 312 A.D., Constantine declared Christianity the official state religion in 312 A.D.
Just a century and a half later Rome collapsed into 700 years of Dark Age.
In any event, I hope for the best while expecting nothing but grievance from The Party of Nope.
Pax on both houses
PS As for those goddam free lunches... http://www.npr.org/
Paul Ryan's Budget (as it affects citizens)
The Obama Budget (as it affects citizens)
2
Current Budget
(with defense bloat - http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm)
2012/4/6 John Rhodes <gotchaquest@mindspring.com>
Not sure if you were able to view comments at the link I provided, Alan, but I was able to go into my webmail and find them in a pervious e-mail. Here they are (it's great that such a short letter and receives so much revealing reply, referring, on the most part, to the Rush Limbaugh wannabes).
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rockn
The mistake Obama made was not insisting on having a public health care option, which is what an overwhelming majority of Americans favored at the time.
Unfortunately, he thought he could play ball with the special interests and it came back to bite him.
Now, if the PPAC Act is struck down, we - as consumers - are worse off than when we started.
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Yesterday 01:28 PM
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Tom Devlni
John, John, John. Let's take a stroll down memory lane:
"She’d [Hillary Clinton] have the government force every individual to buy insurance and I don’t have such a mandate because I don’t think the problem is that people don’t want health insurance, it’s that they can’t afford it. So, I focus more on lowering costs. This is a modest difference. But, it’s one that she’s tried to elevate, arguing that because I don’t force people to buy health care that I’m not insuring everybody. Well, if things were that easy, I could mandate everybody to buy a house, and that would solve the problem of homelessness. It doesn’t."
So said candidate Obama on February 28, 2008. As they say, sometimes one's position "evolves".
Medicare is, and always has been, a benefit funded by payroll taxes. You are not required to receive the benefit. The benefit is completely at the discretion of the Congress. You are not entitled to _anything_.
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Yesterday 11:50 AM
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neo321
I missed the part in Ryan's plan where it mandated citizens to buy health insurance.
Health care costs will come down when the third party payer system is scrapped and government is completely removed from the equation. 'Insurance' should be just that, 'insurance' against catastrophic illness or accident, not a provider of regular/routine health maintenance.
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Yesterday 06:00 AM
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danagain
Ya mean no more "free" birth control and Viagra? Spoil sport.
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Yesterday 08:18 AM
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neo321
A young woman going before a body of congress and pleading her case for free birth control.
What a disgusting display of liberalism run amok.
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Yesterday 08:59 AM
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danagain
And while she's pleading that others pay for her birth control I just finished paying the 2011 balance of federal/state taxes, 1st Qtr.
2012 estimated payment of federal/state taxes, last months sales taxes (unpaid collector for the state), and the 2012 LLC filing fee to the Sec. of State.
Last years sales were really good to the point where taxes increased significantly. When I saw the sales figures in Jan. I knew I'd get hammered on taxes come April and I did.
The plan for 2012 is significantly different from previous years, work less, earn less money, and pay less taxes. And the plan is working, 1st Qtr. sales are down 26% over last year and I'm delighted!! I'm taking next week off and spending it with family.
Why bother working so much just to pay even more to govt. so the Sandra Flukes of the world can get more freebies? Forget it.
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Yesterday 09:39 AM
in reply to neo321
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whatever831
Good for you. What point are you trying to make? That you think a progressive tax system is unfair?
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Yesterday 11:05 AM
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rockn
The point is that some folks who were born on third base are angry because the umpire won't let them just walk across the plate.
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Today 09:24 AM
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danagain
What is unfair is those of us who who bust our tails almost each and every day and pay all these taxes to support those who want practically everything handed to them for "free", including, but not even close to limited to, birth control.
What is also unfair is a tax code that is so complicated that I have to pay a CPA around $500 to figure it out.
I've gotten to the point where it's useless to work harder as even more taxes go to govt. Why bother?
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Yesterday 06:21 PM
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jeeper
"Why bother?"
You just don't get it. From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. Get back to work, millions on welfare are depending on you.
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Today 07:51 AM
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neo321
Careful danagain, the libs will be ready to ship you off to Somalia...
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Yesterday 06:11 PM
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danagain
They have "free" birth control and Viagra in Somalia. And low taxes too!!
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Yesterday 07:13 PM
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nvrdoubtme
With the Limbaugh/Fluke dust up a little over a month old now, have we yet determined what the proper name for a woman demanding others pay for her recreational sex need is?
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Yesterday 09:39 AM
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Guest
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Yesterday 10:30 AM
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leona37663
Personally, I would call her a child. An adult is someone who desires to take full responsibility for their own actions, wants, and needs. If they want something, in this case, birth control, an adult goes out and earns the money to pay for that want.
A child however, desires that others pay for their wants, and needs. Fluke desires not only that others pay for her wants, but that government step in to force them to pay up. She is clearly a child.
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Yesterday 11:17 AM
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flyrighter
I don't read her request that way. I must admit to being a bit surprised at your response. You are usually quite even handed and I would say conservative. You usually address the issues at hand nd not attack the messenger (Ms. Fluke).
Re her request, I read that she wants equal coverage for women that is not limited by the religious tenets of her employer/school. I don't see that as childish.
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Yesterday 11:47 AM
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leona37663
I use that criteria universally. People who desire to take personal responsibility for their own wants and needs are adults. People who expect or demand others to take care of them are children.
To me, that distinction is one of the prime differences between the left and the right, or people such as myself who really support limited government.
If Fluke wanted equality then she would not be going before a mock congressional hearing to support forcing specific medications be covered by insurance.
Equality would be allowing the carrier to determine what is covered. This is the norm and we can point to any number of treatments, etc that are not covered due to costs.
She does not want equality. She desires special treatment for her wants.
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Yesterday 12:11 PM
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rockn
Under that definition of an "adult", very few "captains of industry" would qualify.
Almost every one of them is suckling at the public teat in a BIG way.
As citizen taxpayers, we'd all be a lot better off paying for birth control and sex change operations.
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Yesterday 01:23 PM
in reply to leona37663
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starsonours
Does the blame go to those sucking at the teat or those that offer the teat?
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Yesterday 05:59 PM
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nvrdoubtme
flyrighter,
Are you interested in, or contemplating getting a sex change operation?
No?
Did you know that Ms. Fluke wants to mandate that you carry insurance coverage for it?
I suspect you didn't. Well she does.
Tell us, why should you be forced to pay for insurance coverage for a sex change operation?
And if anyone needs to grow up, its Ms Fluke. She should do the responsible, adult thing and pay for her own wants, needs, and desires instead of demanding others foot the bill.
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Yesterday 10:53 AM
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1-24 of 24 comments
flyrighter
The "grow up" comment from me has to do with your search for a name to cal her. That's childish and doesn't advance the conversation.
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Yesterday 11:53 AM
in reply to nvrdoubtme
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neo321
"have we yet determined what the proper name for a woman demanding others pay for her recreational sex need is?"
I've heard "heroine" and "victim" tossed about quite a bit on left-wing blogs...but I'm more inclined to lean towards Rush's assessment.
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Yesterday 05:45 PM
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Pensive01
I would point out that there are people who see a doctor regularly and for things that would be considered routine for them, but that would not be for someone who just gets a routine yearly physical. There is a large area of patient care that falls between what you seem to consider as "routine" and what you might consider as catastrophic.
I would also point out that to expect prices to come down just from scrapping the third party system and removing government completely from the equation is unrealistic at best. As long as you have Insurers who act like for profit companies, while legally under the not for profit category, you aren't going to get that much savings. Without some form of governent oversight, such as our Department of Insurance, insurers are more likely to do the opposite then how you'd expect them to. Just look at what goes on in other states where their departments aren't as diligent, or worse have a "cozy relationship" with insurers. I recall California being rather bad in that area, though this was in the late 80's or early 90's. I do recall that people got ill in expensive ways, like cancer, got tossed by the insurer and after they filed complaints with the insurance department were pretty much told "sucks to be you."
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Yesterday 12:42 PM
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nvrdoubtme
When will premiums go down 3,000% like Obama said Obamacare would cause?
And did ya notice that the CBO now says Obamacare will cost DOUBLE what it was originally going to?
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Yesterday 09:38 AM
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← Previous 1 2 3
On Apr 5, 2012, at 10:56 PM, John Rhodes wrote:
Modified: 04/04/12 05:02:55 PM
Douglas G. Pearsall: Consistency check
Richard Joy: It’s all Greek
Rob Sharer: Healthy preying
John Rhodes: Profitable sector
David Thomas: College, or work
Ole Holsti: Afghan war skeptics
Steven Kagan: Just the merits
If the above does not work, trying either going to the link directly below, or cutting and pasting it into your browser (this, if you want to read comments). The letter itself is posted below.
http://www.newsobserver.com/20
Philippine blogger Bryan Yambao went from reading his mother magazines to the front rows of the world top catwalks at warp speed, as the Internet demolishes the exclusive barriers of high fashion.
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