Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
It seems like everywhere you turn there is a story about the how bad the deficit is and how the government must make drastic cuts to save the economy and reduce the deficit. The Tea Party is clinging to their demands for $100 Billion in budget cuts or they say they will shut down the government. “Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana, a tea party favorite in Congress, urged taking a hard-line on budget cuts – and if that meant a shutdown, then so be it. “If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say, shut it down,” Congressman Pence said, eliciting a chant of “Cut or shut! Cut or shut!” from the crowd. Republicans worried about blame for a shutdown might not be so happy with Pence for that.” Christian Science Monitor
It is interesting to note that cuts in the bloated defense budget were not included in the demands made by the Republicans and Tea party faithful. They want to cut the programs that seem to do the most good for the poor and the middle class, all the while allowing the wealthy and corporations to get tax breaks and tax credits. We have seen the stories detailing so many of the big corporations that paid little or no federal tax. “Last week, the New York Times reported that General Electric (GE), the world’s largest corporation paid nothing in federal corporate income taxes in 2010. In fact, the company made over $14 billion in profits and actually received a $3.2 billion tax benefit.” Think Progress
That is an amazing statistic. GE not only paid no federal taxes, they actually got billions in tax credits! That means that all of those nurses, and firemen and state workers who were in danger of losing their jobs, paying more in insurance premiums and losing their collective bargaining rights in states across the union because of the dire economic situation in their states, actually paid more taxes to the Federal Government than the Third largest corporation in the world! Why aren’t the Tea Party faithful going after the GE’s of the world to share in the sacrifice?
The Tea Party is not satisfied with the large cuts that have been already made and those offered by the Democrats, they simply want to tear away at the heart of the programs that help you and I. They want to end all funding to Planned Parenthood that would actually put poor women in the street looking for serious health care programs because they are also demanding to defund The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as they refer to it as. “With a hard deadline looming, talks to prevent a government shutdown have been stymied for a week because Tea Party members of the House have demanded everything: not just some of their cuts but almost all of them, and not just a reduction in spending but a reduction only in the programs they don’t like. Many are insisting Democrats also agree to nonbudgetary riders, like ending the financing of Planned Parenthood or health care reform. “ New York Times
Why does the Tea Party want to attack the programs that help the most people? Why doesn’t the Tea Party include the Defense budget in its budget cut plans? Why does the Tea Party not want to force our largest corporations to pay their fair share of Federal taxes? I submit that the Tea Party is only concerned about helping themselves. Just who makes up the Tea Party? According to one poll, the majority of the Tea Party is comprised of white, male, wealthy Republicans. “The 18 percent of Americans who identify themselves as Tea Party supporters tend to be Republican, white, male, married and older than 45. They hold more conservative views on a range of issues than Republicans generally. They are also more likely to describe themselves as “very conservative” and President Obama as “very liberal.” And while most Republicans say they are “dissatisfied” with Washington, Tea Party supporters are more likely to classify themselves as “angry.” ‘ New York Times
If I read this poll correctly, the Tea Party hates Obama and they think black people and poor people are getting all of the breaks from the government. They also want to end wasteful government spending, but most of them want to keep “government’s big hands” off of their Medicare and Social Security! In other words, I want mine, but the hell with everyone else! These guys might be well-educated, but they must not be well read if they think the poor and minorities are getting all of the “big breaks” from the Federal government. Maybe they need to stop listening to intelligent politicians like Michele Bachmann and Rand Paul and start reading Prof. Turley’s blog! What is your take?
Respectfully submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
Then there are the non-partisan rationalists, who generally prefer justice and equilibrium.
And I hope you emptied out the gravy first, ekeyra.
You still make me laugh. I think you are a self aggrandizing clown with a penchant for wikipedia.
I understand what you and others write perfectly well, I just don’t agree and don’t find you particularly intelligent.
Man, I think your head is about to explode there “genius”.
Why do always go off on a tangent and start writing about children with no optic nerves? It isn’t germane.
It just makes you look stoopider than I already think you are.
You are the troll numb nut.
Chan, both sides of the political spectrum like control. Lrfties like economic control, right wingers prefer social control. Both are antithetical to liberty. What good is being socially accepted without the economic means to live your life as you see fit? What good is all the money in the world ifwhat you would choose to spend it on is not socially acceptable?
Also the first time I ate haggis I drank the whiskey out of the gravy boat….
I thought it was the madulla oblongata
Awwwwww. Poor Mr. Big Amygdala can’t be worried with geopolitics. Too bad for you they still exist.
And too bad for you that you can’t just make up the meaning of the word “contradiction”.
contradiction \kon-truh-dik-shuhn\, n.,
1.the act of contradicting; gainsaying or opposition.
2.assertion of the contrary or opposite; denial.
3. a statement or proposition that contradicts or denies another or itself and is logically incongruous.
4. direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency.
5. a contradictory act, fact, etc.
You can say that “I have always thought political orientation is something one comes to by some sort of preexisting condition” in the context of discussing brain physiology and then say “biology is not destiny”. It’s still a contradiction. Sure, you can try to rationalize away your stupidity by saying nurture is a preexisting condition (rearing, upbringing, training, education, or the like), however, that’s simple rationalization. And wrong. Just like the contortions and lies you use to rationalize your greed is good political philosophy.
Nurture is a temporally transient process that builds on the biological materials already present. It is not a “preexisting condition”. It is an ongoing process. For example, no amount of nurture is going to teach a child born without optic nerves to see because that child lacks the physical capacity to see. Just like some people literally can’t control their desire to eat fats and sugar because their neurochemistry is out of balance and or they have abnormalities in their hypothalamus and/or thyroid. Just like some people taste words or see sound as colors or see equations as spatial coordinates or hear noise in response to visual movement because they have the neurological condition known as synaesthesia.
Their brains are different. In the case of conservatives and the ability to handle complexity of thought, that difference manifests as a deficiency in intellect and an excess of fear. Simple and afraid are hardly advanced survival traits.
As to my brilliance? Don’t hate me because I really am just that much smarter than you. Hate me because you’re incapable of understanding the innate complexities of the world and they frighten you. Hate me because you fear others who understand that which you demonstrably are incapable of understanding. Hate me because hate is a natural complimentary reaction to fear. Hate me because some people hate what they fear and fear what they don’t (or in your case, can’t) understand.
Hate me because fear is what you do best next to greed, you simple creature.
The day of troll reckoning is coming.
Now be a good boy and go eat your haggis.
OS,
I’m having home-made Piroshkis and tomato soup. The tomato soup recipe starts with frying bacon in goose fat. Really.
Gyges, if you have a can of haggis in your cupboard, what are you having for dinner this evening? Haggis is meant to be EATEN, not used as a paperweight.
Let you in on a secret. I give cans of haggis as gifts to my friends. They always thank me, but get these really strange expressions on their faces. They are just overwhelmed with the love, I suppose.
Stamford Liberal:
I suppose what I am referring to are misperceptions, like people in the middle ages thinking impetus was the cause of movement of an object.
Or the mistaken idea the sun circled the earth. That type of thing.
But in those time periods those were established “facts” as far as anyone knew.
OS,
I’ve got a can of Haggis sitting in my cupboard. No really, I do.
Also did you hear the thing on NPR a couple of years ago talking about how the earliest known recipe for Haggis is English?
Otteray Scribe:
Maybe conservatives are too busy making money and learning the nuances of business to be worried about the nuances of geopolitics or realpolitik.
It would be nice for leftists to be able view conservatives in that light. I imagine it gives them a warm comfy feeling. Maybe leftists aren’t as able to nuance things as they may believe.
Or maybe those left leaning areas of the brain are based on control. Leftists do like to control everything.
Sorry, I ain’t buying. I know many smart conservatives.
Does anyone want my recipe for homemade haggis? It is about time for some Troll House cookies and other recipes. Our troll may be hungry.
Ingredients:
Set of sheep’s heart, lungs and liver
One sheep stomach (turn inside out and clean); Beef bung may be
substituted
3 cups suet, chop finely
One cup steel cut oats (do NOT use rolled oats or oatmeal)
Two medium onions, finely chopped
One cup beef stock
One teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
One teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon mace
Sheep’s lung is not typically available in the USA due to Dept. of Agriculture restrictions. If that is the case, just add some extra ground mutton to make up for the difference in volume.
Trim off excess fat and sinew from the sheep’s stomach (or beef bung). If present, discard the windpipe. Turn the stomach inside out and place in a large pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or possibly longer to ensure that they are all tender. Strip the lining from the stomach. Drain and cool and when cool turn the stomach back right side out.
Some chefs toast the steel cut oats until thoroughly dried (but not browned or burned)
Dice the meat and combine in a large bowl with the suet, steel cut oats, chopped onions, beef stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mace. Make sure the ingredients are mixed well. Stuff the meat and spices mixture into the sheep stomach (or beef bung if you prefer) which should be over half full. Then press out the air and tie the open ends tightly with string. Make sure that you leave room for the mixture to expand or else it may burst while cooking. To be on the safe side, if it seems to be swelling too much, prick with a needle to reduce the pressure. If it explodes, haggis is really hard to get off the ceiling and walls.
Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for three hours. Avoid boiling too fast or it may expand too fast and burst, something to avoid at all cost.
Serve with tatties and neeps (mashed potatoes and turnips).
Blouise, New Mexico is better. Tex is right. Both have good food but New Mexico has better weather and better politics.
Chan,
There is no such thing as “facts.” Distortion of facts are called … lies.
fact
/fækt/ Show Spelled[fakt] Show IPA
–noun
1.
something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact.
2.
something known to exist or to have happened: Space travel is now a fact.
3.
a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true: Scientists gather facts about plant growth.
4.
something said to be true or supposed to have happened: The facts given by the witness are highly questionable.
5.
Law . Often, facts. an actual or alleged event or circumstance, as distinguished from its legal effect or consequence. Compare question of fact, question of law.
—Idioms
6.
after the fact, Law . after the commission of a crime: an accessory after the fact.
7.
before the fact, Law . prior to the commission of a crime: an accessory before the fact.
8.
in fact, actually; really; indeed: In fact, it was a wonder that anyone survived.
Use facts in a Sentence
See images of facts
Search facts on the Web
Origin:
1530–40; < Latin factum something done, deed, noun use of neuter of factus done, past participle of facere to do1
—Related forms
fact·ful, adjective
———————————————————–
lie
1 /laɪ/ Show Spelled [lahy] Show IPA noun, verb, lied, ly·ing.
–noun
1.
a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.
2.
something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture: His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.
3.
an inaccurate or false statement.
4.
the charge or accusation of lying: He flung the lie back at his accusers.
–verb (used without object)
5.
to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.
6.
to express what is false; convey a false impression.
–verb (used with object)
7.
to bring about or affect by lying (often used reflexively): to lie oneself out of a difficulty; accustomed to lying his way out of difficulties.
—Idioms
8.
give the lie to,
a.
to accuse of lying; contradict.
b.
to prove or imply the falsity of; belie: His poor work gives the lie to his claims of experience.
9.
lie in one's throat / teeth, to lie grossly or maliciously: If she told you exactly the opposite of what she told me, she must be lying in her teeth. Also, lie through one's teeth.
Mr. Buddha is Nuanced:
preexisting condition could mean biology or it could be the way you were raised.
As far as contradicting myself? Not hardly, people like sugar and fats because of the calories. But we can override the desire because of free will and rationality.
Go peddle your “brilliance” somewhere else.
Buddha is Laughing:
“No. The facts are the facts as demonstrated by empirical proof. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts. This is also an extremely funny comment for the afore mentioned reason.”
There are many historical “facts” that are not fact. They have been “massaged” over time. Such as the commonly held belief that people in 1492 thought the world was flat. There are many other instances of “facts” being distorted over time and commonly accepted as “fact”.
By the way I used the double quotes to indicate that which was not a true fact.
By the way facts are not demonstrated by empirical proof, I think you mean premise and hypothesis. Minor detail but I know how anal you are concerning “veracity”.
yep, that’s it do it by typing the following without any spaces
: mad : = 😡
Blouise,
Muchas Gracias!
😡
rafflaw,
This one 😡
Blouise,
Which one of those emoticons means “pissed off”? 🙂