Random Political Thoughts

[SciFiAuthor]

Franken's another one of those democrats that's vocally for increasing the money for college students and lowering the interest rates for student loans. It's a great way to buy some votes, and then pay it back with another few thousand dollars a year drop in income and an even bigger lack of jobs for graduates.

The country's really got to stop letting people like him scam the fuck out of us.

[RealCool Daddio]

Franken's another one of those democrats that's vocally for increasing the money for college students and lowering the interest rates for student loans. It's a great way to buy some votes, and then pay it back with another few thousand dollars a year drop in income and an even bigger lack of jobs for graduates.

The country's really got to stop letting people like him scam the fuck out of us.

Or, conversely, it is a great way to make higher education more affordable, giving more people access to it.  This, in turn, would make the USA more competitive in the international arena.  Plus, the higher incomes that are generally associated with higher levels of education would in turn create further economic stimulus, which would increase the tax coffers, thereby, in time, having such a program pay for itself.

[West of the Rockies]

You crazy dreamer, Daddio!

[SciFiAuthor]

Or, conversely, it is a great way to make higher education more affordable, giving more people access to it.  This, in turn, would make the USA more competitive in the international arena.  Plus, the higher incomes that are generally associated with higher levels of education would in turn create further economic stimulus, which would increase the tax coffers, thereby, in time, having such a program pay for itself.

Yeah, except that's not how it is. The international business arena is fundamentally based on cheap, uneducated factory workers. It is not based on degrees. Since we lost manufacturing for that very reason, we're now left with services. Well, higher rates of college education have only gutted salaries as job competition has come into play. As an example, there are typically 100 applicants per teaching position in my state. That's a whole lot of teachers not teaching. Accountants, which used to command a decent living, now make 28 grand a year. That kind of money is not worth going through four years of college for.

We've been subsidizing higher education for decades. Where is this effect you're claiming? Where's the windfall of tax dollars? It seems to me that we have done nothing but create people who are working in low-paying jobs within their field struggling to pay back student loans, which ultimately just end up being forgiven and written up as a net loss.

The Democrats flat out lied to students. All this education thing has done is make it extremely hard to get a job in your field, and extremely hard to get paid a decent wage. We're now paying the price for past Democrat crooks making campaign promises 30 years ago to send everyone to college willy nilly as though there was no such thing as a dynamic job market.

It's only a matter of time before people get really pissy about this one. Franken's going to have to flip flop. And, I have no doubt he will. I'd say give it 4-6 years before over-education becomes the next crisis.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

We've been subsidizing higher education for decades. Where is this effect you're claiming? Where's the windfall of tax dollars? It seems to me that we have done nothing but create people who are working in low-paying jobs within their field struggling to pay back student loans, which ultimately just end up being forgiven and written up as a net loss.

Corporate Research and Design has moved into the university. Basically our tax dollars subsidize universities, the universities produce new technologies, companies license the successful ones at low prices and the tax payer picks up the failures. So there will always be money for education because spending in higher education  is driven by the corporate need to innovate.

For example, pharmaceutical companies such as Merck and Pfizer used to develop 90% of their drugs in-house, but now they develop something like 30% and 57% is licensed from universities. The rest comes from overseas sources.

No there is no windfall in tax dollars for the US. It was there for about five years, but now everything is offshored and the patents or work are taxed overseas.

[SciFiAuthor]

Corporate Research and Design has moved into the university. Basically our tax dollars subsidize universities, the universities produce new technologies, companies license the successful ones at low prices and the tax payer picks up the failures. So there will always be money for education because spending in higher eductaion it is driven by the corporate need to innovate.

For example, pharmaceutical companies such as Merck and Pfizer used to develop 90% of their drugs in-house, but now they develop something like 30% and 57% is licensed from universities. The rest comes from overseas sources.

No there is no windfall in tax dollars for the US. It was there for about five years, but now everything is offshored and the patents or work are taxed overseas.

That's unsatisfying though. Sure, universities do medical research. But how many people actually work in that field? How many people really get to make their living working in a university on grant funding? Very few when you get down to it. I'm talking about the psychology, accounting, art history, IT and a myriad other degrees . . . We just subsidize and crank out cookie cutter degree, after degree, after degree, and every person we subsidize we promise a better life. Um, no, that's not what's happening. They can't find jobs.

A day of reckoning is coming for the people that promised that shit.

[FightTheFuture]

Romney: Tanned, rested and ready


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/05/romney-returns-to-public-life-stoke-speculation-about-potential-2016-run/

[Little Hater]

As a conservative, I have to say: Dear God, DNC, please, please, please run Warren and Franken in 2016.

[b_dubb]

Romney: Tanned, rested and ready


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/05/romney-returns-to-public-life-stoke-speculation-about-potential-2016-run/

America doesn't need a cult member for President.  And if Romney couldn't win in 2014 why would he be able to win in 2016? People weren't voting for Romney. They were voting against Obama.

[West of the Rockies]

And is that tanned turd who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth the person to restore truly good jobs to this country?  No, he is one of those who turned this nation into a service nation while protecting his own precious pennies offshore.  Gack!

[FightTheFuture]

And is that tanned turd who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth the person to restore truly good jobs to this country?  No, he is one of those who turned this nation into a service nation while protecting his own precious pennies offshore.  Gack!

Hey, Romney would have won had the evangelicals not stayed home. They just weren`t that into him.

[West of the Rockies]

True enough, FTF, so I don't see that group supporting him in '16, do you?

[FightTheFuture]

True enough, FTF, so I don't see that group supporting him in '16, do you?

I think you`re right, WoR. I can`t imagine the evangelicals ever warming up to Romney. The only wildcard would be a victorious Hillary, whom the religious right deem the anti-Christ.

Really though, I think it`s most likely all academic, as Romney will not even consider running unless his friend, Gov. Christie, totally blows up, e.g., a grand jury or special investigator uncovers the slightest whiff of impropriety re: bridgegate.

[West of the Rockies]

If I may play the folksy populist card for a few moments, it seems to me that a lot of the people of this country are disengaged politically for a host of reasons.

The election cycle never seems to bloody end.  Honestly, one day after Obama actually took office in '09 (elected in '08), I saw a bumper sticker that featured his face and the words "Worst.  President.  Ever."  One day in...  That tells me the owner of said bumper sticker clearly has an absolutely closed mind.  Look, I didn't vote for Bush Jr., but I did not hope his administration failed from day one.  I had hopes that my fears would be proven wrong.

Additionally, Americans are now bombarded with hate-talk argutainment.  There are probably a few thousand people who profit mightily on stirring the cauldron of discontent, on making us disdain those who are not "on our side".  YES, some of us see through that nonsense, but a lot of people really don't:  they believe every word that a Beck or Olbermann or Limbaugh or Savage or Coulter or Malkin or Maddow or Matthews or Shapiro or (fill in another 50 names) says.  These pundits and their producers, editors, managers, etc., are hurting this country by making us hate each other.

We DO have lots of very low-information voters, people who are either too goddamned stupid or distracted or put upon by life to learn facts and make informed choices.  As I said, some of these people don't want to bother; they'd rather play Halo for 12 hours a day or drink a six pack a day or scratch their balls and watch TV ("Hey, Honey BooBoo's on now!").  Others, however, are probably too exhausted to bother.   These people are working multiple part-time jobs, trying to raise children in a society that encourages little girls to be above all pretty and plastic and docile (and boys to be aggressive, tough and predatory).  Raising kids is not easy.  There are so many outside influences that can muck things up for parents, and a hell of a lot of parents probably should not be breeding anyway.  A lot of people are just too tired and disenchanted to care about elections.

Add to this toxic brew the fact that corporations and their lobbyists now dominate the political game.  Millions are spent anonymously on candidates who will support the businesses buying them elections.  And what percentage of US congress-critters are millionaries nowadays?  Do you think that a Paperboy or NowhereinTime or UnscreenedCaller or Juan could get elected against the vast corporate machine candidates?  (Yes, we could start small, get elected to our little city councils or arts or school boards and make local change.)

And every once in a while a no-name does get elected.  But for every person who is electrified by a Rand Paul or Ted Cruz or Kucinich, the mainstream electorate regards these cats as faaaaaaar too conservative (or liberal) to be trusted with power.

The answers?  I ain't got 'em...  Do any of you?

I am sorry to go all Howard Beale so early on a Sunday morning.

[UnscreenedCaller]

I'm a leftie and I don't want her.  Now she's involved in this USAID "secret Twitter" scandal in Cuba?  I worked my ass off in 2007 and 2008 to help 'Bam win the CT primary and general because Hillary is a carpetbagging cynic who voted for the Iraq War (showing her tough guy creds) but, come primary time, suddenly opposed it.  She's an opportunist with no clear agenda, like her husband, who will flow any way the wind blows.  Thanks but no thanks.
I'm hoping Elizabeth Warren will make a go of it.  I would love a Warren/Franken ticket - it would be the most progressive and intelligent ticket in a very long time.

Yes to an Elizabeth Warren run. She has something in short supply these days: integrity and a resistance to being bought out. I don't hate Hillary by a long shot, but I'm not comfortable with stands she took, like voting for the Iraq war. The Dixie Chicks showed more backbone on that issue than she, as a supposed liberal. And, as a New Yorker, it killed me that she used our state as a stepping stone for a White House run, although in the end, it worked out well for u with our current state senator, but it was a cynical move with less to do about New York and NYers than political aspirations launched from a key blue state.

[West of the Rockies]

Number me among those who are not electrified by Hillary.  Why does she want to be president?  Didn't that question once trip up Ted Kennedy?  How would she answer it?  I think she wants it because, damnit, I just do!  I deserve this!

Warren interests me, but I think she is (in terms of broad appeal only) may be sort of the progressive version of a Ted Cruz.  I don't here as much about her though out on the left coast, so I will admit that my knowledge of her is pretty sketchy.  I could be wrong; maybe she does have wide appeal.

[FightTheFuture]

If I may play the folksy populist card for a few moments, it seems to me that a lot of the people of this country are disengaged politically for a host of reasons.

The election cycle never seems to bloody end.  Honestly, one day after Obama actually took office in '09 (elected in '08), I saw a bumper sticker that featured his face and the words "Worst.  President.  Ever."  One day in...  That tells me the owner of said bumper sticker clearly has an absolutely closed mind.  Look, I didn't vote for Bush Jr., but I did not hope his administration failed from day one.  I had hopes that my fears would be proven wrong.

Additionally, Americans are now bombarded with hate-talk argutainment.  There are probably a few thousand people who profit mightily on stirring the cauldron of discontent, on making us disdain those who are not "on our side".  YES, some of us see through that nonsense, but a lot of people really don't:  they believe every word that a Beck or Olbermann or Limbaugh or Savage or Coulter or Malkin or Maddow or Matthews or Shapiro or (fill in another 50 names) says.  These pundits and their producers, editors, managers, etc., are hurting this country by making us hate each other.

We DO have lots of very low-information voters, people who are either too goddamned stupid or distracted or put upon by life to learn facts and make informed choices.  As I said, some of these people don't want to bother; they'd rather play Halo for 12 hours a day or drink a six pack a day or scratch their balls and watch TV ("Hey, Honey BooBoo's on now!").  Others, however, are probably too exhausted to bother.   These people are working multiple part-time jobs, trying to raise children in a society that encourages little girls to be above all pretty and plastic and docile (and boys to be aggressive, tough and predatory).  Raising kids is not easy.  There are so many outside influences that can muck things up for parents, and a hell of a lot of parents probably should not be breeding anyway.  A lot of people are just too tired and disenchanted to care about elections.

Add to this toxic brew the fact that corporations and their lobbyists now dominate the political game.  Millions are spent anonymously on candidates who will support the businesses buying them elections.  And what percentage of US congress-critters are millionaries nowadays?  Do you think that a Paperboy or NowhereinTime or UnscreenedCaller or Juan could get elected against the vast corporate machine candidates?  (Yes, we could start small, get elected to our little city councils or arts or school boards and make local change.)

And every once in a while a no-name does get elected.  But for every person who is electrified by a Rand Paul or Ted Cruz or Kucinich, the mainstream electorate regards these cats as faaaaaaar too conservative (or liberal) to be trusted with power.

The answers?  I ain't got 'em...  Do any of you?

I am sorry to go all Howard Beale so early on a Sunday morning.

TESTIFY, BROTHER!

Hey, I agree with much of what you said. You know, if you really think about it, the key difference that divides all of is very simple: government and it`s role in our lives -- or to the extent we each believe it should -- or shouldn`t -- play a role in our lives.

[Yorkshire pud]

If I may play the folksy populist card for a few moments, it seems to me that a lot of the people of this country are disengaged politically for a host of reasons.

The election cycle never seems to bloody end.  Honestly, one day after Obama actually took office in '09 (elected in '08), I saw a bumper sticker that featured his face and the words "Worst.  President.  Ever."  One day in...  That tells me the owner of said bumper sticker clearly has an absolutely closed mind.  Look, I didn't vote for Bush Jr., but I did not hope his administration failed from day one.  I had hopes that my fears would be proven wrong.

Additionally, Americans are now bombarded with hate-talk argutainment.  There are probably a few thousand people who profit mightily on stirring the cauldron of discontent, on making us disdain those who are not "on our side".  YES, some of us see through that nonsense, but a lot of people really don't:  they believe every word that a Beck or Olbermann or Limbaugh or Savage or Coulter or Malkin or Maddow or Matthews or Shapiro or (fill in another 50 names) says.  These pundits and their producers, editors, managers, etc., are hurting this country by making us hate each other.

We DO have lots of very low-information voters, people who are either too goddamned stupid or distracted or put upon by life to learn facts and make informed choices.  As I said, some of these people don't want to bother; they'd rather play Halo for 12 hours a day or drink a six pack a day or scratch their balls and watch TV ("Hey, Honey BooBoo's on now!").  Others, however, are probably too exhausted to bother.   These people are working multiple part-time jobs, trying to raise children in a society that encourages little girls to be above all pretty and plastic and docile (and boys to be aggressive, tough and predatory).  Raising kids is not easy.  There are so many outside influences that can muck things up for parents, and a hell of a lot of parents probably should not be breeding anyway.  A lot of people are just too tired and disenchanted to care about elections.

Add to this toxic brew the fact that corporations and their lobbyists now dominate the political game.  Millions are spent anonymously on candidates who will support the businesses buying them elections.  And what percentage of US congress-critters are millionaries nowadays?  Do you think that a Paperboy or NowhereinTime or UnscreenedCaller or Juan could get elected against the vast corporate machine candidates?  (Yes, we could start small, get elected to our little city councils or arts or school boards and make local change.)

And every once in a while a no-name does get elected.  But for every person who is electrified by a Rand Paul or Ted Cruz or Kucinich, the mainstream electorate regards these cats as faaaaaaar too conservative (or liberal) to be trusted with power.

The answers?  I ain't got 'em...  Do any of you?

I am sorry to go all Howard Beale so early on a Sunday morning.

Change the characters and you sum up what I think most of the world's thinking population feel and think mate.. Form a party; I'll even offer the name "Common fucking sense party" Stand as the leader mate. You'll be surprised (but I won't) at how popular you'd be with people (The thinking ones) from all sides of the spectrum. Go for it!! 

[West of the Rockies]

So glad to see you still popping in here, Yorkie!  I am a dreadful private emailer.  Hope all is well with you.

[Yorkshire pud]

So glad to see you still popping in here, Yorkie!  I am a dreadful private emailer.  Hope all is well with you.

I'm okay buddy. I've cut back my visits though. Trying to get my 1/4 scale vintage glider complete before winter (yes I know it's April, but our summers usually only last three days max). I've been on it a while now, and it's embarrassing it hasn't been finished before now. Oh, and my external HD died two weeks ago; Lost hundreds of photos and other files...happy not I am. 

[PB the Deplorable]

... The election cycle never seems to bloody end.  Honestly, one day after Obama actually took office in '09 (elected in '08), I saw a bumper sticker that featured his face and the words "Worst.  President.  Ever."  One day in...  That tells me the owner of said bumper sticker clearly has an absolutely closed mind...

Or it  could be the person with that bumper sticker was familiar with the votes and comments made during the previous 2 years by Senator-at-the-time Obama.  Or his operating out of his US Senate office as finance manager for his 'cousins' political campaign in Kenya  - and the violence they intentionally stirred up in the election aftermath.  Maybe he was familiar with Chicago style politics, and the whole scummy bunch entrenched in the Daily Machine.

Perhaps he knew Obama had 2 mentors in Chicago - and was familiar with the crimes of 60s terrorist Bill Ayres and had also heard the clips of the rantings of the Rev Wright.

Maybe he'd heard about Tony Rezko and the corruption surrounding him and Obama and - having watched the Clintons for 8 yeas - assumed the corruption would follow from the home state to the Oval Office.

Maybe he had lived in Chicago and already knew about Obama.  Events like both Obama's agreeing to turn in their law licenses  instead of having them stripped by the bar must have been local news at the time.

Maybe he'd heard some of the comments during the campaign about people 'clinging to their guns and religion', 'spreading the wealth around', or 'I stand with the Moslems' - basically anything that came out of his mouth when he was away from the tele-prompter.

Maybe he'd seen the appointments - people like Eric Holder, Van Jones, and Cass Sunstein.  The Chicago klack of Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod and David Plouffe, and all those illegal 'czars'.  A creepy combination of corruption and Far-Left America hating extremists.

At some point a significant number of Americans realized what we were going to be dealing with.  Despite the cover up of much of his past by the Obama Campaign and the Media, much was known on Day One.  Heck, the cover ups and refusal to release standard information and documents alone should have been clues.



I would suggest the people who voted for Obama mostly because it was cool - or worse, fell for his 'hope and change' BS - and ignored the rest, were the one with the closed minds.

[Lunger]

And is that tanned turd who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth the person to restore truly good jobs to this country?  No, he is one of those who turned this nation into a service nation while protecting his own precious pennies offshore.  Gack!

He certainly couldn't be any worse that the tanned turd we have now.

[NowhereInTime]

He certainly couldn't be any worse that the tanned turd we have now.

That, ladies and gentlemen,  is true conservatism at it ugliest.

[NowhereInTime]

A fake Indian and a guy who stole an election to get his Senate seat. 

I'm not so sure about intelligent but they sure seem typical of that party.

Spot on, as ever P*B, because Bush v. Gore in 2000 and J. Kenneth Blackwell and Diebold in Ohio 2004 weren't examples of how "true conservatives" win seats, were they? As to the "fake Indian" charge? I'll take it over "compassionate conservative" any day.

[NowhereInTime]

As a conservative, I have to say: Dear God, DNC, please, please, please run Warren and Franken in 2016.

As a liberal,  I'd remind you "y'all" said the same thing about Barry from Chicago in 2008 (and '12). How well did that work for you?

[PB the Deplorable]

These big annoying department stores sure aren't helping us in the fight to save the planet from Climate Change.

The giant chain stores in urban malls encourage their customers to drive rather than take public transportation by providing big underground garages.  The ones in suburbia are worse - providing acres of hot ugly asphalt for them to park on.  These sprawling malls are ruining our small towns.  There probably ought to be a tax on every car that parks in the lots of stores like KMart, Penny's, and Macy's.  At least a couple dollars, maybe $5 or $10 or even $20 in cities.  The money the stores make off all those rich shoppers, they wouldn't even miss it.  With the funds going to the Federal Dept of Transportation where they will be put to good use.  These stores should be asked to match the parking tax and pay an amount equal to what was collected from the customers.

Employees too - why should they get to park for free when there are low income people working in the same area who must pay to park. 

The items in the store - it takes huge amounts of energy to produce most of the products in these stores.  All the dyes and chemicals that go into making the products they carry.  All that air and water pollution.  And none of it is truly needed.  Overpriced, built to be replaced, much of it breaks or ends up as cutter, gets sold and re-sold in garage sales, or simply gets thrown out.

None of it is made locally, most of it comes from the other side of the world - no thought is ever given to the carbon produced just by the transportation of these goods.


The execs and managers of places like Sears and Macy's don't give a hoot.  They just focus in on the profits, and don't give a second thought to what they could be doing for the planet - simple changes like buying and selling only local, fair-trade, sustainable products, encouraging customers to take public transportation, encouraging recycling, or even focusing on merchandise that won't simply end up as landfill.

For this level of malfeasance, some of these people should be sent to camps to be re-educated about their role in society and responsibility to the community, the others jailed. 

What kind of world is it when places like Macy's are out making decisions - with no community input - that affect us and our neighborhoods.

[Little Hater]

As a liberal,  I'd remind you "y'all" said the same thing about Barry from Chicago in 2008 (and '12). How well did that work for you?

We mostly don't say "y'all" here in Michigan, Sparky, and I never said any such thing about Obama. Warren is so far Left she makes Obama look like a supply-sider, and Franken is, of course, a talentless assclown. I think the GOP could beat that team with another Bush. Like it or not, the US is somewhat right of center politically (and will be pretty much forever) and none of the far-Left politicians you folks adore will ever be elected to the presidency.

[Lunger]

That, ladies and gentlemen,  is true conservatism at it ugliest.

A true conservative at its ugliest is still far more tolerant, inclusive, and gentile then any liberal at its best.

[FightTheFuture]

Obama had the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate, the year prior to his coronation. Of course, he was only there 15 minutes, but still...

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/31/study-obama-most-liberal-senator-last-year/

[b_dubb]

Spot on, as ever P*B, because Bush v. Gore in 2000 and J. Kenneth Blackwell and Diebold in Ohio 2004 weren't examples of how "true conservatives" win seats, were they? As to the "fake Indian" charge? I'll take it over "compassionate conservative" any day.

I'd love to see Elizabeth Warren become the first female president. We might actually see some change then.