Pick Your Protest
Ross Douthat of The Atlantic penned this really interesting article about this past week’s tea parties and how they resemble the Iraq War protests of a few years ago. It’s amazing how the more things change, the more they stay the same. Give it a read.
They resemble nothing so much as the anti-war protests during Bush’s first term. The claim that they don’t have an organizing premise strikes me as obviously wrong: They’re anti-bailout, anti-stimulus, anti-deficit, and anti- the tax increases that will eventually be required to pay for the current spending spree, and complaining that they don’t also have a ten-point plan for reforming Medicare and Social Security reflects a misunderstanding of the nature of protest marches, I think. The claim that they’re hypocritical and partisan is a bit stronger – where were they when Bush was running up the deficit, etc. – but in fairness, many of the organizing figures were anti-TARP from the beginning, and there’s something slightly odd about saying that if you didn’t take to the streets to protests a $300 billion deficit you aren’t allowed to protest a $1 trillion deficit. The numbers matter, surely …
But they do have all of the weaknesses of the anti-war marches: Their message is intertwined with a sense of disenfranchisement and all kinds of inchoate cultural resentments, they’ve brought various wacky extremists out of the woodwork (you know, like Glenn Beck), and just as George W. Bush benefited from having opposition to his policies identified with peacenik marchers in Berkeley and Ann Arbor, so Barack Obama probably benefits from having the opposition (such as it is) associated with a bunch of Fox News fans marching through the streets on Tax Day, parroting talk radio tropes and shouting about socialism. Obama is a very popular President, at the moment, his unpopularity among Republicans notwithstanding, and it’s awfully hard to see the Tea Parties doing much to change that reality in the short run; if anything, they’re far more likely to reconfirm the majority in its opinion that American conservatism is increasingly wacky, echo-chamberish, and out-of-touch.
Still, here we are in the sixth year of the Iraq War, and all those anti-war protests, their excesses and stupidities notwithstanding, look a lot more prescient in hindsight than they did (to me, at least) when they were going on. So if you’re inclined to sneer and giggle at the Tea Parties, keep in mind that just because a group of protesters looks ragged, resentful, and naive, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re wrong to be alarmed:
April 18th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Why is it anyone with a powerful belief in something gets labelled as ‘wacky’ or worse?
Now granted, the ‘chemtrail’ crowd does fall into the wacky category, but folks who’ve realized our system of taxation has gotten completely out of control aren’t wacky, they’re concious and alert.
April 18th, 2009 at 9:53 am
John – this is standard MO – to label someone as “whacky” is a simple way to pyschologically disassociate an aundience from the target. Fortunately, more people are waking up to media lies so it doesn’t work as well as it used to, like with Waco or the Weaver’s at Ruby Ridge. Back then most of us didn’t realize how intimiate corporate media was with corporate controlled government so we didn’t suspect that we were being lied to.
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Today we know better, so we can look at these labels and understand that they are intentional with a goal of alienating John Q. Public from becoming involved. “Yeah – I agree with their premise, but they’re kinda fruity so I think I’ll keep to myself.” That’s the goal. We all witnessed the same thing during the Presidential elections. There were a couple of non-corporate candidates in the ring whom the media would attempt to dismantle and ridicule on a regular basis, with the help of the corporate sponsored candidates who would join together and chide them during debates for not promoting lies and distortions.
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The one thing that this author does get right is that there’s a similarity between this and anti-war protests. Citizens are truly outraged at our government, and there is a facet of leadership that’s working to control the outrage and portray the protestors as oddballs. The media did a very successful job with that and managed to prevent conservatives from understanding the evils of the war by associating “understanding” with whackjob liberals. Now the media is using the same divide and conquer strategy to austracize the tax movement.
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Do you think that a lot of people will wake up and realize it? I highly doubt it. There’s really only a small percentage of people who are awake enough to even understand that there’s a serious controlled propaganda problem that we need to overcome if we ever want to truly grasp what we’re up against.
April 18th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Just a year or so ago Glenn Beck called Ron Paul’s supporters whackos, extremists, etc. Now Glenn is being called a whacko too.
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What I found hypocritical about the Indianapolis Tea Party is that a $50 million a year billionaire bailout is happening in their own backyards, yet they ignore (and flat out refused to address) they very thing they protest going on in their own backyards.
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I was banned from the group for talking about the CIB bailout and our responsibility to our own back yards first. Makes me wonder who Attaboy Plumbing may have a contract with.
April 18th, 2009 at 11:38 am
I guess if you really want to define wacko, read the current IBJ investigation into the Simons’ cozy relationship with city leaders – to the tune of $400M. And yet they want US to give THEM another $15M. Wacko, for sure. Or more accurately, ‘out of whack!’
April 18th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Melyssa, please consider taking your beef with them offline. It’s pretty much a personal matter between all of you anyway. It’s really not contributing to the cause and probably alienates more people everytime it gets brought up. I think we all get the idea. Please try to patch up instead of worsening the divide.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Abdul, what is the purpose of presenting this article?
My guess is that it must have struck a chord with you or you would not be placing it on your blog.
I wonder if you are a true fiscal conservative or a Keynesian?
Does anyone in our news media understand that the United States is a Republic and has a Constitution?
April 18th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
John Howard Wrote “I guess if you really want to define wacko, read the current IBJ investigation into the Simons’ cozy relationship with city leaders – to the tune of $400M. And yet they want US to give THEM another $15M. Wacko, for sure. Or more accurately, ‘out of whack!’”
Very nice point!
April 18th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Wayne,
I am a consistent conservative, I prefer not to have the government in my Dad’s business or my girlfriend’s uterus. However, I understand government has a role to play in keeping order. Some days they go too far, other days not far enough.
And by the way, if I wanted to make you guys look bad at your rally, it would have been real easy to do.
I could easily talk about Ron Paul being a political fraud when it comes to spending, but he never made it out of the gate so he’s irrelevant to the conversation.
I will be impressed with you people when you win an election.
Until then, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. And you can keep reading.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
A true fiscal conservative would never support a tax-and-spend, Marxian-socialist like Obama, Wayne. Abdul wants us to believe he’s fiscally conservative when addressing local issues. Yet, he is silent on the grossly irresponsible spending proposed by his buddy at 1600. He does wear many hats indeed.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
And don’t forget Rico, my hats are all tailor-made.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Abdul, if you wish to debate that Ron Paul is a fraud, please offer me 4 hours on your radio show with Andy Horning. Better yet, you have yet to ask Ron Paul to be on your radio show. Why don’t you give him the ability to defend his ideas with you? Or you can split the show up with the first three hours talking to Andy and I and then bring Ron Paul on to clarify a few points the last hour.
Lastly, if you do not wake up my friend and realize that our nation is on the verge of the Greatest of Depressions and if you are not aware, the entire real estate industry crumbling which the industry equates to 50% of the total GDP.
I feel a populist uprising has already begun.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Andy has hosted the show before. Ron Paul will matter when he can win something.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Abdul, you are all talk and little substance. Also, didn’t Ron Paul win his 10th term in US Congress and he also won his race by the largest margin compared to all other Congressional races this past year. What did he not win again?
April 18th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
He didn’t win the GOP nomination for the Presidency.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
And if you don’t like what I write here, exercise your liberty and go somewhere else.
April 18th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
I also want to give my kudos to Ed Coleman for taking a stand by asking Bob Grand to resign a couple days ago. I hope his stand will empower others on our City Council to stand with the taxpayers and negate any deal that involves raising our taxes. If this happens, I will personally congratulate each person in the City Council from the bottom of my heart.
April 18th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Abdul, I asked you for a debate and you backed down with a silly statement that Ron Paul never won anything and alluded that my voice is meaningless. Now you write that if I do not like what you write here, then I can go elsewhere. Is this really the mark of leadership or just a way to dismiss people because you are unable to articulate a position or fearful that if you do so, you might find that common sense to be too powerful of a weapon to defeat.
April 18th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Politically, it strikes me that generally all of the critiques miss the effect this has on the middle. Sure, the Iraq War protests were laughed off at first, but until the economy was clearly a mess, the Democrats pretty well knew they would win the White House on Iraq. The economy was icing on their cake.
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Similarly, for any of the flaws one might wish to see with the Tea Parties, such events chip away at the support of the middle, which is most important in this left-right game of ours. Beat that drum in enough places, enough times, and today’s high-water approval rating goes down the bowl over time. Ask GW Bush, who had such a sky-high approval rating in 2002. He lost the middle: the independents and those who sometime support third parties.
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When I talk to independents, they overwhelmingly are against the bailouts, overwhelmingly against the deficit, and about 60/40 against the stimulus (yes, that’s ironic, but what can you do?).
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I thought this Atlantic critique was pretty fair in the first paragraph, but in its own echo chamber thereafter, because if the Iraq protests now seem prescient, guess how these Tea Party protests are going to look?
April 18th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
The true telling moment as to what is going on with the media reaction of the protests was in the CNN reporterettes yelling and twisting words to suit her agenda during her interview with a “protester”. That one clip revealed just exactly what the media thinks and reports about you the real tax paying citizens. They usually are controlled, using doublespeak to couch their leftist leanings etc. but she slipped up and let it show for all of us to see. That alone should give us the inspiration to keep it up because that is what we are up against- she showed the media beliefs and the direction of the government against you.
April 18th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
You guy’s all lose focus of what Abdul really is. Abdul is a great guy that is a political humorist and entertainer. He offers out thought provoking topics for us all to debate. When and if he ever decided to run for office then he will have to extablish exact policy stands. Until then he is doing a great job of making people think and debate. His Rush Limbaugh light…..lol
Peace
April 18th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Ron Paul won a seat in Congress! He earned an impressive amount of campaign cash through true grass roots activism! Not only that, he does a lot of mainstream interviews. If we had Ron Paul on a local radio show, the ratings would skyrocket that day. Abdul, you should try to get him.
April 18th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I am not saying Abdul is not a good guy, but I do disagree with him on several points and will stand upon my convictions.
April 18th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
The misguided media did not report this. Listen to the people who they call right-wing Republicans boo a Republican who voted for the bailouts. I am quickly reminded when George W Bush said that the terrorists do not like America because of our freedom. It ranks up there with Bill Clinton saying that he didn’t inhale and Al Gore saying that he invented the internet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QsY2r7HbTM&feature=player_embedded
April 18th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Regardless of who did or didn’t organize the tax protest rallies, how inclusive, divisive, covert, religious, or whatever other trappings that made them less than perfect- I didn’t have three to pick from! My daughter, buddy, and I went to the only one in town to protest bipartisan, multi-ethnic, long-term overspending by our government that threatens our old age and our children’s future.
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If spending money we don’t have is “wacky, echo-chamberish, and out-of-touch”, then I am indeed a full-fledged loon.
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Abdul- for all your endearing work ethic in gathering opinion and both sides(as it usually suits you), your occasional ‘cigar and smoking jacket’ demeanor permeates this Atlantic selection.
April 18th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Abdul, this really is not about Dr. Paul’s wins and losses. I really you are missing the point here. You need to forget about Dr. Paul as a person, and instead focus on his ideology and what he stands for. Focus on the 1.2 million votes he received in the primaries, and think about how many more he would receive if the primaries were held today. Think about the big government neocons that have completely been reborn because they care so much about the constitution and the future of our country. If you actually take time to look at the fraud of the federal reserve and income tax, and take a look at what Ron Paul says instead of who he is, I can guarantee you will rethink your comments.
April 18th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
what’s there tp debate about ron paul? his run for the president was basically over before it began. so why waste time debating someone who at the moment doesn’t matter. maybey 2010 will be another story.
April 18th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I wanted to offer Abdul and others a little insight about earmarks which I believe Mr. Abdul had hinted that Congressman Ron Paul was a fraud. Even I was confused a bit about earmarks until I listened to Ron Paul’s presentation and verified the merits of how earmarks work.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=ron+paul+earmarks
April 18th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Abdul Hakim-Shabazz said:
“I am a consistent conservative, … I understand government has a role to play in keeping order.”
Abdul, though you may be a registered Republican, your thoughts aren’t conservative.
Government’s role is to defend our shores (they failed on 9/11 and failed with illegal immigration), prosecute fraud and prosecute other infringements on my liberties. That is what a good government should do, and our government can’t/won’t do that. For example, instead of bailing out the fat-cat bankers there should be several thousand bankers on trial for fraud.
Abdul Hakim-Shabazz said:
“I could easily talk about Ron Paul being a political fraud when it comes to spending …”
The fact is that Ron Paul votes against all of the spending bills, so Abdul you are incorrect.
April 18th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Wayne, I read your posts on the Daily Paul and also listened to the podcast on the WXNT website called: Is Ron Paul Crazy. You are a very talented patriot. Have you thought about running for office? I’m sure the activists here will gladly support you!
April 18th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Wow, there have been tremendous responses today here on Abdul’s blog! Thank you Grassroots for your nice comments. At this moment, I do not have the desire to run for office for I believe that the economy is going to get much worse and those in office will be a target for the angry mobs that are already starting to appear.
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For those who have stood up, like 2,000+ here in Indianapolis and about a million more across the USA, the media has attempted to marginalize the protesters by calling us crazy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6xWGvdRQ9Q&feature=player_embedded
April 18th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Strong beliefs are important. But I saw multiple signs, at multiple cities Wed., via TV news, that included hateful anti-Obama sayings. Muslim slurs abounded, which is unfortunate.
I despised George Bush and his ridiculous made-up war, but when those protests were rampant, I didn’t want to see posters demeaning him in such a vile manner, either.
We’ve got to have respect for the office of President. Wed., I saw very little of that, altho my viewing was admittedly random and perhaps not a complete view.
And while I’m at it, this may be a first, but I’ve got to hand it to W for keeping his mouth shut the last 100 days. It took great will, I’m sure. But his stature rose in my eyes.
Now if he could just muzzle that ignoramus VP of his, who hasn’t yet figured out what the Constitution is, except something to get in his testostone-driven way.
April 18th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
oh yeah, Wayne, I don’t think you or any of the protesters is crazy.
But if you hand a michrophone to someone like Gov. Perry, and listen to this idiocy he spews, you’ve got to take the good with the bad.
Secede indeed. Hilarious.
April 18th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Protesters at the tea party thought Abu Henderson (with his bullhorn) was part of ACORN. They were getting ready to neutralize him without even listening to what he had to say. I stopped it. Abu rocks!
April 18th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
I LOVE Governor Perry!
April 18th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Abdul,
Then I guess you’ll matter when you can “win something” too. I must’ve missed your name on my presidential primary ballot, or in the Congressional record.
Last I checked, Ron Paul has won 11 terms in Congress and well over 1 million votes for President of the United States. But then again, he doesn’t “matter” so you can impugn him with nonsense about how he’s a hypocrite. If Ron Paul isn’t consistent, WHO IS? Oh right, you, who’s never WON anything.
April 18th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I like Abu Henderson as a person. He has always been courteous to me and is man of principles and I appreciate you Melyssa for standing up for him. I do not believe the organizers of Wednesday’s protest against lawlessness in BOTH political parties would have enjoyed seeing anyone act in such a disgusting way.
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I come from a family where both my mom & sister date a black man and my sister has two wonderful mixed children. One of her kids is a eight year old who is reading at a 7th-8th grade level and he is only in the 2nd grade. My family comes from differing nationalities and we were never taught to judge people based upon their skin color which I am thankful that I was given the right instruction as a child.
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However, if you are Greg Porter who is a State Representative here in Indiana and a member of the Indiana Black Caucus, he actually called me a “white elitist” in front of hundreds of people when I campaigned for Steve Keltner outside of North Central High School just this past year. On top of calling me a “white elitist,” he asked me if I would “like to take it to the grass” in which I felt threatened as though he had challenged to fight me.
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Mr. Porter should consider himself very fortunate that I did not call the police as he committed a felony and his political career would have been over. I am still waiting for an apology, but I guess I am a bit nieve to believe that he would be sorry for his actions.
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On a final note, what was really strange about the event with Mr. Porter, I never even mentioned his name once (to be honest, I did not know he was a State Representative when he threatened me) and I never made a single disparaging remark about one’s race or gender as I stuck to the issues at hand.
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I actually pray for Mr. Porter that someday he will return the mercy I had showed to him and change his ways. I want what best for all people who serve as our public servants no matter what political party they belong to. The bottom line is that we are all human beings and this world is an amazing place. I just hope someday the people will wake up and stand for justice and enforce the written rule of law as granted in the US Constitution.
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Let liberty ring once again!
April 18th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Fox News fans? Wacky extremists? You, Sir, have not been paying attention. These people are every day Americans who are becoming sick and tired of the lunacy in Washington D.C.
Wasteful government spending is BAD for America.
Bailouts by the government are BAD for America AND are in violation of the Constitution.
It is morally reprehensible for a group of politicians to spend all this money and expect people who were just born today to be paying for it all when they join the workforce.
It is not right. This is not how America is supposed to be.
95% of Americans were against the bailouts even when Bush was in office and continue to be against the bailouts still today. Yet, our representatives ram the bailouts down our throats and treat the Constitution like a doormat.
Who, exactly, are the wackos again?
April 18th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Abdul Akeem
Obviously,it was time to get the radio talk show ratings up and because of the popularity of Ron Paul and his movement what better way to get in good with your boss but slander the good honorary statesman from Texas and watch the millions who support his cause come out of the woodwork to be heard.
Thank you for the great honor you have given to the Campaign for Liberty.
Ron Paul is the humblest, wise, devoted, statesman in all of Washington. You obviously have no idea what he and his message are all about.
Wake up you are one of the Sheeple
April 18th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Interesting posts to contemplate civic protest, stereotypical behavior, and misperceptions of such. I confess to hateful feelings for continued spending that puts the future of our currency in devaluation, our policy beholden to our creditors, and incumbent officeholders that care more about reelection than serving the people. I definitely have hatred for these things. Do they translate to a hatred for an entire race, party, religion, etc. No. You still have to at least try to judge individually.
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If somebody comes to the door well-dressed, polite, and known to be an ‘A’ student that is taking my daughter out, I’m more inpressed than by somebody that smells, with pants hanging down and won’t look me in the eye. Where do stereotypes stop and judgement commences? Which kid will turn-out to have the more quality character?
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It takes time to get to know somebody or some thing. It makes me suspicious when a person, organization, party, or whatever is not forthcoming with information on someone that is suppossed to be on the “up-and-up”. I literally pray for our country including our President, but remain suspicious of his past and his actions. At least part of my suspicion did not have to happen if he had been more fortcoming. From what I’ve seen so far, he had reason to not be forthcoming.
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Bush on the other hand sold us down the river with ‘Compassionate Conservatism’. Not any fiscally better behavior by my measure, just not as deep a hole.
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I don’t think they give a damn about us, just whatever it takes to stay in power. Melyssa may be right that it’s too late.
April 19th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Abdul, our movement is much different from a war protest because it is much broader: return to smaller government. Unlike war protesters, we are almost entirely composed of people who have never been in politics or protests before. Government control and taxation in stealing our freedom of choice, and America is at a crossroads. If we fail, America is in serious trouble, but not because of 1 more poorly managed war or some other resolvable error. If we fail, the “great experiment” of American’s individual freedom will fail with us.
April 19th, 2009 at 6:36 am
Oh good Lord, Kim, enough with the over-the-top hyperbole. America isn’t goign to “fail.”
On a regular basis, our nation may disappoint us mightily. For differing reasons.
But it’s a grand experiment, unmatched in human history, and it is a work in progress. There are only a handful of nations on this globe, where you could use such hateful language, to scorn your nation, from an amplified michrophone ona stage in a public place.
Without consequences, which range from secret political files being kept on you, to jail.
So whether it’s Abu or Al Gore or Gov. Perry (sorry, Melyssa, like Cheney, he’s just misinformed, or betting we can’t really read)…all of us have the right to speak out anytime. Anywhere.
April 19th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Last week Abdul made a snide remark about protesters and our Constitutions.
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He said that one the of issues the protesters were lamenting was government not following our Constitution, “whatever that means”.
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Abdul knows exactly what we mean. But, he has a track record of attacking people who bring up the dreaded “C” word — unless it’s to his benefit.
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No one in their right mind could say that our existing government is one of LIMITED power and authority. I can’t think of anything that government doesn’t have its greedy hand in.
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We began as a Constitutional Republic with a decentralized FEDERAL government.
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What we have now cannot be considered Constitutional. It certainly is not decentralized. We don’t have a Republican form of government. Rather, we have a National government — precisely what was rejected during the Constitutional debates.
April 19th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Okay, ‘Think’ Again, now contrast the class W has shown by remaining silent with our current president, who blames his predecessor for everything.
Obama has demonstrated this last 100 days how truly classless he is. Like Clinton, Obama believes his presidency is all about him. He believes his role is to transform this nation–a nation for which he has nothing but disdain. And if he gets his way, it would indeed be America’s failure.
April 19th, 2009 at 9:07 am
What strikes a cord with me about this article and it’s comparison to the “anti-war” protests (which were 95% anti-bush and 5% anti-war), is the people on the right nearly said the same frakking identical thing about them!
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Were I to judge each protests I’d say for merit the anti-war protests made about 35% sense. The anti-obama/congress make about 75% sense.
April 19th, 2009 at 9:21 am
Something else just dawned on me about the anti-bush/anti-obama protests. One got scant coverage. The other got a LOT of coverage with a lot of analysis into why they are not accurate, who is behind them, and why they don’t matter.
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Geee…anyone care to guess which protest got which coverage and even more important…why? lol
April 19th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Thanks, Robert. Of all the non-Constitutional excursions we’re immersed in, I’d always given a thumbs-up to public education as I thought it cheaper than public ignorance. However, given polarization, lethargy, and incumbency, when the dwindling producers can no longer fund the consumers, decline is just from expensive ignorance.
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This “grand experiment” is something to undertake with “extra money” you have, like a Las Vegas trip. Instead, because it’s “the right thing to do”, we print more magic buckets and assuage ourselves that this is what’s “best for our children”, with no expectations and leadership for the whole of our society, only demonization of the demographic opposition.
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President Obama is a well-educated, worldly, unparalleled orator of an ethnicity more closely akin to the spectrum of America. But, he’s got to ask the sacrifice and expectations to be from ALL of us, for this to get off the ground.
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Damn the personal ideology and potential to be as dogmatic as your predecessor! You’re unusually blessed with having all the tools in the toolbox. Get them out and explicitedly expect ALL of us to help.
April 19th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Intersting piece.
April 16, 2009
The Truth About Taxes and Spending
Marie Cocco
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/04/16/overboard_on_tea_parties_96004.html
Side note:
Strange thing is that when the Bush Administration (remember Mitch Daniels the Blade) came into office with an advantage few presidents have enjoyed — a $230 billion surplus (if you want to believe the numbers by CBO). But due to a $1.35 trillion tax cut in 2001, a $1.5 trillion tax cut in 2003, $170 million in stimulus checks in 2008 and a massive defense buildup through the Iraq (WMD or 9-11 terrrorist hunt) and Afghanistan wars (at a cost of what $8-$10 billion a month), on top of a massive corporate and financial bailouts Bush quickly blew through that surplus. Sad thing about this Democrats didn’t protest government, spending, taxing and waste, they acted and voted the bums out. My question is where were these tea parties 3,5 or 7 years ago when things were getting real bad?
April 19th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
They were sitting on their cans, while former Comptroller General, David Walker, and the few of us calling in & carrying signs were ignored.
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Then – it went from “real bad” to worse.
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Houston, we still have a bipartisan problem.
April 19th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Uh, Dawg, you’re just plain wrong.
The Iraq War was offered up as a means to an end by W and Rummy and Cheney, or more appropriately, Rummy and Cheney, with W just going along: WMD. Which never existed, and haven’t yet been found by our troops on the ground.
So anti-war protests were 100% anti-Bush and anti-war. And history has already made that judgment…you might wanna look around.
Rico, I bent over backward to praise the Prince of Peace, Mr. Bush, and you did likewise to heap untrue criticism on the incumbent. Classless. And void of intellectual curiosity.
April 19th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
“I LOVE Governor Perry!”
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Are you sure about that, Melyssa? My sense is that Perry is seriously going to try secession to break up the Republic. Divide and conquer will be easier than ever. If I were a Texan, I’d make damn sure that my State Constitution has an ironclad Bill Of Rights before getting in line behind Perry. Even still, they likely end up becoming a small part of NAFTA regional economic control rather than part of a strong sovereign republic under the US Constitution. Seccession by Perry would play 100% into the hands of those who intend to integrate us into a regional system rather than remain a strong, sovereign nation.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Damn Shorebreak…these things are never black and white, are they?
April 20th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Melyssa – I’ve found that they’re not only black and white – they’re often transparent. If something doesn’t support the Constitution and faithful implementation of it’s requirements, something is being manipulated or controlled by entities who benefit when there is a deviation from the rule of law.
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It’s that simple. In order to understand the purpose of these deviations, without relying on often inane or suspect websites, it takes a lot of digging. Before the internet I used to spend a lot of time taking news/magazine stories and doing searches at a good library to connect dots between individuals and organizations. That’s when I started to find a lot of manuscripts, one-off news stories, and institutional publications that connected the activities of elected and appointed officials directly with organizations who were using influence to pursue supra-national organizations and other government constructs that were organized to benefit private finance rather than the voters.
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Once the internet cam around, it made my efforts much easier. For example, over course of a few hours I could easily see that 80% of cabinet appointees came from the invite-only CFR, regardless of which party was in office. And that most are tied to the same Wall Street firms, or to the same foundations and institutions as those who were appointed previously by the opposing party. Before the internet, that research could have taken days. It didn’t take long for the wheels to come completely off the bus for those few of us who were actually ignoring the media and doing our own research. Things started to become extremely transparent, only the media remained silent (and they still do) despite the ease of research with todays technology.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Think again, the “loss of personal freedom” I refer to is the choice of where the fruits of our labor go. If I add up my income taxes, sales taxes, employment taxes, and other government fees and taxes, the “collective” gets about 70% of my income. That’s not freedom nor individuality.