HELLOOOOO CUBA!
"We are recognizing the struggle and sacrifice of the Cuban people, both in
the U.S. and in Cuba, and ending an outdated approach that has failed to advance
U.S. interests for decades. In doing so, we will begin to normalize relations
between our two countries."
President Barack Obama
FLASHBACK! Here's what I wrote on December 3:
"We all need to sit down and take a deep breath, folks. When John
F. Kennedy signed the Cuban embargo into law on February 3, 1962, Our
current president was one day shy of six months old. Think about that
for a minute. After nearly fifty-three years it's safe to conclude that
the embargo has done neither the United States nor Cuba a damned bit of
good. In the long history of despotic tyrants, Fidel Castro is pretty
low-rent if you ask me. Saddam Hussein he ain't. Please bear in mind that we had diplomatic relations with the Butcher of Baghdad for decades. To the best of my knowledge neither one of the Castro brothers ever hit an entire village of innocent people with poison gas. And when it comes to human rights, Cuba is a whole lot freer than Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan (two long-time - and current - allies of ours). You don't believe that? Where would you rather your sister live? Argument over."
Two weeks later - to the day and out of the blue - the embargo placed into law by Jack Kennedy was ended by Barack Obama. The president is reading my blog; I just know it!....Okay, maybe not.
When I imply that the embargo has "ended" I'm exaggerating a bit (Just a wee bit, mind you!). There are still many restrictions in place and it will probably be a bit of time before they're ironed out. This is merely a first step that should have been taken decades ago. Hats off to this president. The man is finally showing some serious moxie - and I like it! High time, too.
And now the clown car show begins. It's going to be oodles of fun watching the jackasses on the extreme right trying to mine this historic moment for political gold. Instead, all they'll come up with are rancid bricks. The interesting thing is that while they will scream bloody murder about it, and while you can count on them making this one of the main issues of the 2016 campaign, not one of them will make a serious effort to put the embargo back into place - even if the GOP takes back the White House in 2017 (which isn't going to happen by the way) normalized relations with Cuba are here to stay. Why? Because that's what the plutocracy wants. There's a shit load of cash to be made off of that island, and they have every intention of making it. To quote the legendary Zero Mostel from Mel Brooks' classic 1968 film, The Producers:
"AAAAAHHHHHH!! I WANT THAT MONEY!!!!"
Watch as the most highly connected Republican contributors start to make some serious financial investments in the nation of Cuba. Normalized relations with that country are the new reality, you'd better believe it.
So sit back and watch in glee as the right wing scream machine goes into perfect freakout mode. "Here is the proof", they'll whine, "that Barack HUSSEIN Obama ain't nothin' but a goddamn comm'nist!"
"But", a rational person will argue, "Richard Nixon normalized relations with China in 1972 and that event is now viewed by most historians as one of the high marks of his presidency."
"YEAH?", they'll counter, "Well there's a BIG DIFFERENCE Between Richard M. Nixon and Barack Obama!!!"
"Indeed."
MEMO TO THE ANTI-CASTRO CROWD IN MIAMI:
You'll live. I'm not crazy about Fidel or his brother Raul either. But don't make such a deplorable stink as you did in 2000 when the Clinton administration did the correct thing by sending little Elian Gonzalez back to his father in Cuba - where he rightfully belonged. Your collective hissy fit in the wake of that affair cost Al Gore the state of Florida and, hence, the election. The result was eight years of George W. Bush. Do you remember how nicely that worked out for you? Simmer down.
Curiously, the always-unpredictable Rand Paul thinks that the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States is "probably a good idea". There's just about no political office in this country I would recommend Rand for, but you've got to admire his tendency to go against the flow of talking points put forward by the halfwits who control his party. Republican politicians with IQ's above room temperature are such a rarity nowadays. This guy should be treasured as an endangered species. Seriously.
As of this moment, only Americans with a constructive purpose can visit Cuba, but expect that to change within a year or so. A vacation in a communist country? For someone whose sense of humor is as warped as mine, the idea is positively irresistible.
I can't wait to go!
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
SUGGESTED LISTENING
I'm on My Way to Cuba
Cuban Pete
Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo kickin' out the jams at the Club Babablu.
.jpg)
A meditation from 12/17/14:
at my side
barely out of reach
a snow angel is glistening
on this gentle december morn
We love you, Miss Meghan, and we miss you
**********************
.jpg)
SUGGESTED READING:
http://writerquake.blogspot.com/2013/12/friday-flash-55-little-bird.html
little bird
by Melladee Lydia Makelacy
When I imply that the embargo has "ended" I'm exaggerating a bit (Just a wee bit, mind you!). There are still many restrictions in place and it will probably be a bit of time before they're ironed out. This is merely a first step that should have been taken decades ago. Hats off to this president. The man is finally showing some serious moxie - and I like it! High time, too.
And now the clown car show begins. It's going to be oodles of fun watching the jackasses on the extreme right trying to mine this historic moment for political gold. Instead, all they'll come up with are rancid bricks. The interesting thing is that while they will scream bloody murder about it, and while you can count on them making this one of the main issues of the 2016 campaign, not one of them will make a serious effort to put the embargo back into place - even if the GOP takes back the White House in 2017 (which isn't going to happen by the way) normalized relations with Cuba are here to stay. Why? Because that's what the plutocracy wants. There's a shit load of cash to be made off of that island, and they have every intention of making it. To quote the legendary Zero Mostel from Mel Brooks' classic 1968 film, The Producers:"AAAAAHHHHHH!! I WANT THAT MONEY!!!!"
Watch as the most highly connected Republican contributors start to make some serious financial investments in the nation of Cuba. Normalized relations with that country are the new reality, you'd better believe it.
So sit back and watch in glee as the right wing scream machine goes into perfect freakout mode. "Here is the proof", they'll whine, "that Barack HUSSEIN Obama ain't nothin' but a goddamn comm'nist!" "But", a rational person will argue, "Richard Nixon normalized relations with China in 1972 and that event is now viewed by most historians as one of the high marks of his presidency."
"YEAH?", they'll counter, "Well there's a BIG DIFFERENCE Between Richard M. Nixon and Barack Obama!!!"
"Indeed."
MEMO TO THE ANTI-CASTRO CROWD IN MIAMI:
You'll live. I'm not crazy about Fidel or his brother Raul either. But don't make such a deplorable stink as you did in 2000 when the Clinton administration did the correct thing by sending little Elian Gonzalez back to his father in Cuba - where he rightfully belonged. Your collective hissy fit in the wake of that affair cost Al Gore the state of Florida and, hence, the election. The result was eight years of George W. Bush. Do you remember how nicely that worked out for you? Simmer down.
As of this moment, only Americans with a constructive purpose can visit Cuba, but expect that to change within a year or so. A vacation in a communist country? For someone whose sense of humor is as warped as mine, the idea is positively irresistible.
I can't wait to go!
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
SUGGESTED LISTENING
Cuban Pete
Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo kickin' out the jams at the Club Babablu.
.jpg)
at my side
barely out of reach
a snow angel is glistening
on this gentle december morn
We love you, Miss Meghan, and we miss you
**********************
http://writerquake.blogspot.com/2013/12/friday-flash-55-little-bird.html
little bird
by Melladee Lydia Makelacy
posted by Tom Degan @ 4:13 AM
66 comments
66 Comments:
Hey, one of the best ways to end Communism is show em a bit of Capitalism. I see them putting in McDonalds, Hardees, Starbucks, and yes, a WAL MART (which will kill their locally owned buisnesses like it does here)and pretty soon they will be just another American territory like Puerto Rico.
I know this is severely off-topic, but I just heard something that (for me) was the elusive holy grail of humor: Robert Benchley's performance of "The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty"
http://benchley.blogspot.com/2014/12/listen-to-benchley-perform-secret-life.html
Sounds like Mofart doesn't like Obama's action. That's a first.
Would you rather the USA just send our money to keep their failed socialistic economy afloat than allow them to grow their own capitalist economic?
How do you think this is going to effect the American sugar industry and their employees?
How does this action benefit Americans?
Have other countries been propping up the socialist Cuban economy for the past 50 years? Is it now our turn?
Should Obama also do this with N. Korea for the same reasons?
What's wrong with Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan being our allies? Are you being critical of our Muslim allies? How very racist of you.
I find it interesting with the liberalism's anti-Israel position, you dont name them as a country you wouldn't want you sister to live. Would you rather have your sister live in Israel or Cuba for the past 50 years?
RE: ANTI-CASTRO CROWD IN MIAMI, what about the ANTI GORE CROWD IN OHIO? Why do you only pick on the Cuban Americans in Florida? Weren't there other states that didn't go for Gore?
I would like to ask Paul Rand and you Tom, what's in it for America? Are we now better off economically? Will our national defense improve?
Frankly, I just don't see how this benefits America. Not so much as opposed to it, as I'm looking for the answer to "what's in for me" question.
The above are my options, and questions.
Gee, what happened to the hysterical refrain "it's in our interests for national security reasons" crowd? Can't your readers look upward and outward and realize there are resources (oil) out there we have to protect (get by taking) before 'someone else' (Venezuela - Putin) gets their hands on it?
Oil has become the world's gold standard. He who has all the gold (oil). . . also owns the mine (Caribbean)!
Dern Obama, just when the embargo was startin' to work!!
Once again, Sore Loser misses the point completely. CLEARLY I am all for ending the embargo. THAT ALLOWS US TO DO BUSINESS DOWN THERE.
Jeez...
Oh and Saudi Arabia is the worst in the middle east as far as civil rights are concerned. we go to war there to "promote "freedom" and yet we are allies with the country that is the least free.
The Bush family has been in bed with the Saudi royals for decades. Why do you think the bin Laden family(who were curiously in New York on 9-11) was allowed to FLY out of the country on 9-12 when the rest of us were grounded?
And I couldn't care less about the sugar industry whining about competition. Are you against "free markets" now?
How does the embargo benefit Americans? Obviously we can now DO BUSINESS with Cuba, and your hero Rush Limbaugh can get his Cuban cigars legally for a change.
It's curious that Sore Loser is suddenly against the spread of capitalism. Could it be that it's because a BLACK democrat was the one that had the balls to say "enough"?
I'm new around these parts. I'm the guy who posted the Robert Benchley link. I'm enjoying this blog, but is "sore loser" a regular? If so, I might just skip the comments from now on.
- Buddy H
Sore Loser also posts under "Anonymous" and if you aren't him trying to fool us, you might want to pick a new handle.
He's a regular and is no more than a childish troll.
No time for embargoes on piss ant island nations...
We've got to focus on destroying the economies of sovereign nations who would challenge American hegemony in Europe. And, we have numerous false narratives to keep propped up to do it - takes a lot of energy.
Buddy H
You have a problem with me exercising my as found in the 1st Amendment's fourth clause?
Mofart, are you stating facts, then support them with evidence. If you're sharing your opinions, they do reflect your world view very well.
You have a problem with me exercising my right to free speech as found in the 1st Amendment's fourth clause?
Dear Sore, dear loser: You are such a dolt that I expect you would make a wonderful senatorial candidate from Upper Butt Crack. You have every right to exercise your First Amendment rights, but please, every time you post, you subtract from the sum total of human knowledge. Give us all a break and write something thoughtful. That should silence you for a long while.
"write something thoughtful"
Hmm,
Ok.
Is CBS racist for using the word "Coon" in a news report about West Harlem?
Here's something "thoughtful".
The reason for Obama's Cuba action is because it will take Cuba from socialism into capitalism.
That's not what the daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro said on Thursday that the United States “must be dreaming” if it thinks Cuba will return to capitalism after both countries agreed to normalise diplomatic relations.
Speaking in Havana, Mariela Castro, said the island nation would not return “to being a servile country to hegemonic interests of the most powerful financial groups in the US”.
So what is the reason for Obama's action?
Is this thoughtful enough for you?
All of the net gains in in jobs since 2007 have gone to immigrants — both legal and illegal — according to a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies, meaning that fewer native-born Americans are working today than were at the end of 2007.
From November 2007 through November 2014, the number of employed native-born Americans has decreased more than 1.45 million, while the number of employed immigrants has risen by more than 2 million (as the immigrant population grew rapidly, too), according to data compiled by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Is this what you thought Obama meant when he promised "hope and change"?
Woo hoo! What's in it for me?
Cuban music. Cuban cigars. Cuban food. Cuban rum. Cuban beaches. Cuban coral reefs. Cuban culture.
Cubans and Americans will benefit by ending this ancient and foolish embargo from another century.
Other countries have been enjoying these for years with no ill effects, well, apart from the alcohol and tobacco, on their people.
It will be a vacation paradise, until or unless US corporate greed overwhelms and undermines the preservation of these resources.
Maybe they have the sense to prepare for this, like establishing natural marine preserves, etc. I hope so.
What's in it for Sore Loser?
Not so much. There are, after all, a lot of black people there.
He seems obsessed in a negative way with them for some reason. Black commies! The horror!!
And I wouldn't worry about sugar. The US and Mexico each produce more than Cuba.
On the other hand, Sorer Loser could find a new purpose in life. He could go to Cuba to try to convince them of the wisdom to give up their universal health care and education.
That'll learn 'em.
Dumbya,
Are those facts or are they your opinions?
My "thoughtful" posts gave you facts with sources. Not opinions.
I'm all down with you Dumbya if for nothing else the opening up of Cuba will give Americans another tropical island to visit. Wonder if Cuba will turn the Bag of Pigs into a tourist site? Maybe we can finally find out who really was behind the killing of JFK". LOL
But will it stay it's pure people's socialist State if this happens? You know how those evil greedy BIG US corporations are. Do you think thats corporatist Obama plan?
But,
I still haven't seen how doing this improves life in the USA? Or creates good paying jobs in America.
Maybe after 50 years of socialist economy, Cuba is about to go belly up? So what do they have to offer us?
What natural reserves do they have that we cant already get?
Do you see Americans going Cuba for the superior health care offered there?
In my opinion, this is not a game changer for America, but it will be for Cuba. Is that what our foreign policy should be?
WIIFM?
Sore Loser keeps demanding "proof" when we state the obvious. I'm still waiting for "proof" that he's graduated high school.
Suddenly this alleged conservative is against the spread of capitalism.
Is it becauyse a BLACK Democrat had the balls to end the useless embargo?
Are those facts or are they your opinions?
Facts.
Look them up, or disprove them.
I've seen the beaches myself. Have YOU?
Sore Loser also does not realize that Cuba is not Socialist, they are COMMUNIST which is different.
And no one want's PURE Socialism. but some Socialist ideas are good, you know, the police force, the Fire department the MILITARY, public schools, public libraries, the highways and roads...You know, stuff we all pay for because we all use them. Health care should be that way as well. Only the rich and corporate drug companies benefit from for profit health care.
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-vows-u-response-north-korea-over-sony-002303335--finance.html
"North Korea says did not hack Sony, wants joint probe with U.S."
LOL on this story. Makes me wonder who is the better liar, the late Kim Jong Un or Obama?
Maybe Rasmussen or Gallup can do a poll for best liar of these narcissistic authoritarian personalities.
Chuckie talks about liars as if he forgot that the years 2000-2008 never happened.
Where are those WMD's again?
Were we seen as "Liberators"?
What happened to the Iraqi oil paying for the war?
What has Obama REALLY "lied" about?
Anon, Tom writes well. I skip the comments. It's the same old guys arguing with each other in a most childish manner. You will learn nothing from them.
'Is it becauyse a BLACK Democrat had the balls to end the useless embargo?"
Short answer, NO
Long answer I'm only asking how this benefits America. How many new good paying jobs will this create? How will this improve life in America?
Plus there's that bit about Cuba saying they will not change it socialist economy into a capitalist economy. Does anyone believe this change will change Cuba? Is that the reason for this action?
"we state "
MOFART, got a mouse in your pocket or are you speaking for two of your split personalities?
" against the spread of capitalism."
Putting words in my mouth Mofart? Cant find me saying what you claim. That's how liberalism spreads it's lies, it lies about others.
Mofart " Cuba is not Socialist, they are COMMUNIST which is different"
"A better and peaceful world is possible — a world where people and nature come before profits. That’s socialism. That’s our vision. We are the Communist Party USA."
"no one want's PURE Socialism
You know that because you have asked everyone?
"Health care should be that way as well"
And how much in tax payers subsidized do you get to pay for your ACA policy?
The burden of proof is on the person who made the statement. You can not support yours.
Nice try Dumbya, but you are a liar.
Mofart and Dumbya your reactions to my questions are interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Liberation_Act
The Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 is a United States Congressional statement of policy calling for regime change in Iraq.[1][2] It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, and states that it is the policy of the United States to support democratic movements within Iraq. The Act was cited in October 2002 to argue for the authorization of military force against the Iraqi government.
President Clinton stated in February 1998:
Iraq admitted, among other things, an offensive biological warfare capability, notably, 5,000 gallons of botulinum, which causes botulism; 2,000 gallons of anthrax; 25 biological-filled Scud warheads; and 157 aerial bombs. And I might say UNSCOM inspectors believe that Iraq has actually greatly understated its production....
Over the past few months, as [the weapons inspectors] have come closer and closer to rooting out Iraq's remaining nuclear capacity, Saddam has undertaken yet another gambit to thwart their ambitions by imposing debilitating conditions on the inspectors and declaring key sites which have still not been inspected off limits....
It is obvious that there is an attempt here, based on the whole history of this operation since 1991, to protect whatever remains of his capacity to produce weapons of mass destruction, the missiles to deliver them, and the feed stocks necessary to produce them. The UNSCOM inspectors believe that Iraq still has stockpiles of chemical and biological munitions, a small force of Scud-type missiles, and the capacity to restart quickly its production program and build many, many more weapons....
Now, let's imagine the future. What if he fails to comply and we fail to act, or we take some ambiguous third route, which gives him yet more opportunities to develop this program of weapons of mass destruction and continue to press for the release of the sanctions and continue to ignore the solemn commitments that he made? Well, he will conclude that the international community has lost its will. He will then conclude that he can go right on and do more to rebuild an arsenal of devastating destruction. And some day, some way, I guarantee you he'll use the arsenal....
President Clinton ~ 1998[6]
http://time.com/3642353/rand-paul-cuba-rubio-isolationists-just-dont-get-it/
I support engagement, diplomacy, and trade with Cuba, China, Vietnam, and many countries with less than stellar human rights records, because I believe that once enslaved people taste freedom and see the products of capitalism they will become hungry for freedom themselves.
President George W. Bush wrote that “trade creates the habits of freedom,” and trade provides the seeds of freedom that begin “to create the expectations of democracy.” Once trade begins it is hard to hide the amazing products of capitalism. The Soviets used to produce documentaries depicting poverty in America but it backfired when Russian viewers noticed that even in the poorest of circumstances you could still see televisions flickering in the windows. Once trade is enhanced with Cuba, it will be impossible to hide the bounty that freedom provides.
The one state that not only embraced Obamacare but insisted on going beyond it to a full single-payer system was Vermont, the haven of hippies and expatriate New Yorkers, which has become one of the most liberal states in the nation. In 2011, it adopted a form of neighboring Canada’s government-financed health care and promised to implement it by 2017. (And Jonathan Gruber was a key architect of this plan as well as of Obamacare.) This week, however, Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, admitted the state couldn’t afford the plan’s $2 billion price tag and consequent sky-high taxes, and pulled the plug. The lessons for Obamacare are obvious and profound.
Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, called the cancellation of singe-payer a victory for “overtaxed Vermonters.” Noting that the state’s fiscal plan for implementing single-payer was now almost two years late, he said in a statement: “We’ve already spent far too much money exploring this idea, and the discussion has paralyzed our business community.”
Sore Loser's glue is melting.
Mozart said:
"What has Obama REALLY "lied" about?"
How about PolitiFact's Lie of the Year Award for 2013 "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it," for starters?
Mozart, It appears that you are memory challenged and your piano needs a tune up. If I were you I would first check to see I was covered for Alzheimer's under my ObozoCare policy. You should write this down as you will probably soon forget to do so.
Did the Republicans get enough Senators to override any Obama vetos? LOL on that one.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/single-payer-vermont-113711.html
Why single payer died in Vermont
Paging Dr Dean, Dr Howard Dean, paging former Governor Dr Howard Dean.......
The guy has been all over the media for the past few years bragging about Vermont single payer healthcare.
He said Obamacare wasn't working because it didn't go as far as Vermont did.
Looks like every Democrat healthcare idea has been a failure.
Maybe Dr Dean will finally just STFU about government run health care.
Shocking news of more racist police brutality!
Black lives still don't matter as black man is probably forced to kill himself by racist cops!
The innocent black victim was;
Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley, 28, who shot his girlfriend in Baltimore on Saturday morning then traveled 190 miles to Brooklyn where he fired a fatal round of bullets at recently-married officer Wenjian Liu and father-of-one Rafael Ramos – before turning the gun on himself.
According to witnesses, Brinsley walked out of a home with a gun in his hand at 3pm, crept up behind the officers’ patrol car, and systematically shot both men in the head through the passenger window.
He then walked to the Myrtle/Willoughby G train subway station where he shot himself in the head.
It came two hours after he posted a picture of a gun on Instagram with the chilling message: ‘I’m Putting Wings On Pigs Today. They Take 1 Of Ours… Let’s Take 2 of Theirs #ShootThePolice #RIPErivGardner (sic) #RIPMikeBrown. This May Be My Final Post. I’m Putting Pigs In A Blanket.’
Tragically, Baltimore police had tried to apprehend Brinsley by alerting the NYPD after his morning shooting – but by the time a wanted flyer was issued, his attack was already under way.
Although nether of the racist cops were white, that doesn't mean their being killed by the black gentle giant wasn't justified, cause he knew they were gonna force him to kill him self later. He must've know he wouldn't get a fair trial or a far grand jury hearing.
Will Ivy League schools delay finals due to the students being upset over another black death?
Will the "hands up don't shoot crowd" close down the streets of NYC?
Are the police worried about out the wave of pro police riots like the ones after the OJ Simpson trial that are sure to erupt??
Just a note, but the black victim Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley belonged to a “Fuck George Zimmerman” group on Facebook. Probably no connection with the events which lead up to his tragic death. He could have been someone if it were not for racism.
Side note, the Rev Al claims I Never Encouraged Violence, a week after the Rev Al Sharpton NYC Millions March Chanted: “Shoot Back! What Do We Want? Dead Cops! When Do We Want It? Now!”
We have to believe him since the Rev Al has no reason to lie.
Waiting for the WH to make a statement on this, another murder of a black man. When will this killing stop, when when black lives out of their mothers wombs matter?
Cuba Si,
Yankee No!
Hey Chuckie, Obama already apaolgized for not realizing so many insurance plans were sub standard.
Tha part you leave out is that through the ACA the vast majority of people got BETTER plans than they had before.
Those that didn't were from red states that refused to allow the ACA exchanges.
As usual, a conservative only tells the part of the story that fits their agenda.
My piano is in perfect tune.
Notice also that Sore Loser does not admit he was wronf when he said I disagreed with Obama about Cuba? As usual he just changes the subject.
He's also obsessed with Al Sharpton, when even Liberals don't take the guy seriously.
"the vast majority of people got BETTER plans than they had before"
Is that a fact Mofart, if so site your sources, or is it your opinion to which you are entitled to no matter how wrong it is?
"Al Sharpton, when even Liberals don't take the guy seriously."
Wow Mofart, the President sends the Rev Al to Sony, the Rev Al meets with the President after Ferguson peaceful riots, the crowd that chanted "kill cops" where from the Rev Al's march.
Who are the liberals speaking out against the Rev Al? I cant seem to find any. I dont recall you ever speaking against the Rev Al other that to say no liberal takes him serious. Why should we not take the Rev Al serious? Are you going to boycott MSNBC until they remove his show?
You say you have relatives who are in law enforcement. How do they fell about the tragic events in Brooklyn? Do they agree with the comments made that the cops had it coming to them?
You going to join in a pro-cops march in your part of Iowa? Do you fear for your life and you home because of the possible pro- cops riots?
Are liberals from all over the country flocking to NYC to protest the death of Muslim murderer of the two cops? Or the two cops?
WHAT, none of the above is going to happen? Sounds racist to me.
Should the President interrupt his 16 day Hawaiian vacation to mention the execution? What will AG Holder say? Will he condemn the small part of our population that commits 52% of murders?
I never said you disagreed with Obama on Cuba, idiot! I have asked questions about Cuba. So you don't disagree with Obama on Cuba? Then you are ok with the results and the many many benefits Americans will have as a result form his action?
"There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery. Then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.... After all we have been through. Just to think we can't walk down our own streets, how humiliating. I know that if I was a white Cracker making this statement people like Dave Dubya would call me a racist, but thanks to my skin color and my Rainbow-Push Racist Card I am covered from being called a racist."
Chuckie wants us to think, "every Democrat healthcare idea has been a failure".
Just another far Right BIG LIE.
Medicare has saved countless lives, but Chuckie is a VERY low information voter.
Just enough low information voters buy into the Big Lie about tax cuts.
Once again the disastrous con-servative Big Lie of “tax cuts create jobs” is shown to be untrue.
New Kansas jobs figures stun Sam Brownback, and not in a good way
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total number of nonfarm jobs in Kansas fell by 4,100 in November.
Kansas’ disturbing experience was at odds with how much of the rest of the country did. A total of 37 other states gained in employment in November, while only 13 others, including Kansas, dropped.
The con-servative agenda is exposed for the Big Lie it is. It’s really all about keeping more money in the pockets of the rich. NOTHING else.
Vote Republican. Because “Freedom”, you know.
"The worldview behind socialism pretends Man Is Good and its framework does not even account for greed."
"I wholeheartedly agree. BUT (and this is the one that gets me crossways with many conservative friends)... laissez-faire capitalism also pretends as if there is a magical "silent hand" driving markets rightly all the time and that man's self-interest in this arena somehow becomes near flawless. Especially in the Randian version, is see humanism expressed on the other side of the coin from Marx. Both were wrong. In reality, "the market" or "markets" are a social structure made up of the same flawed men as government. Modern laissez-faire capitalist proponents seem to me to have almost a Darwinian approach and go too far, stretching credulity. I truly think more (and better) regulation (in the banking industry for example) would have headed off some of the pain this world will some day endure - within the next 5 years most likely. Crooked banking, offshoring of middle-class manufacturing jobs, corporations owning politicians, and other factors could have been better managed for our country's well-being. Reasonable and right-minded regulation would have been better for us in hindsight.
I think we have to be intellectually honest... do our markets today really appear to be "free"? Not to me. They appear to be in the control of a very few central planners made up of western banking interests."
There appears to be a fatal flaw in the above statement. The central planners who forced banks to relax their established lending standards for home mortgages, that they used for many years to control risk, were NOT made up of bankers. The Community Reinvestment Act in the 70s was a government mandate that forced banks to loosen their lending standards in order to increase home ownership which in hindsight greatly increased the risk of mortgage default. The mortage defaults by people who never should have gotten the loan in the first place were the main cause of the "Great BUSH Recession."
Thomas Sowell:
"No one contributed more to the policies behind the housing boom and bust, which led to the economic disaster we are now in, than Congressman Barney Frank.
His powerful position on the Committee on Financial Services gave him leverage to force through legislation and policies which pressured banks and other lenders to grant mortgage loans to people who would not qualify under the standards which had long prevailed, and had long made mortgage loans among the safest investments around.
All this was done in the name of promoting more home-ownership among people who had neither the income nor the credit history that would meet traditional mortgage lending standards."
Barney Frank in 2003 about government housing policy, "Lets roll the dice a little more."
Barney Frank on the Larry Kudlows show in 2010:
"I hope by next year we'll have abolished Fannie and Freddie," he said. Remarkable. And he went on to say that "it was a great mistake to push lower-income people into housing they couldn't afford and couldn't really handle once they had it." He then added, "I had been too sanguine about Fannie and Freddie."
Not many believe that the magical "silent hand" is near flawless. I will take mostly free markets with the "silent hand" and REASONABLE WITHIN LIMITS regulation rather than the "iron fist" of central planning government (made mostly of arrogant academics many of whom have never succeeded or even worked in the private sector as managers) with their excessive regulation of industry.
The videos of that arrogant pompous asshole Jonathon Gruber, and the lying weasel Barney Frank epitomize these "all knowing, I know whats best for everybody" central planners who are never held accountable for the harm they cause to society. They are protected by the "iron fist" of Government.
Is the murder of two cops by a black Muslim our first example of CAIR working with the NAACP for social justice?
Author: By Joe Sutton CNN
A police officer in Tarpon Springs, Florida, was shot and killed early Sunday, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.
A suspect is in custody.
The fatal shooting occurred in a residential area in the predawn hours, said Cecilia Barreda from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office and local police are investigating. No further information was available.
Tarpon Springs is located on Florida's Gulf Coast about 10 miles northwest of Tampa.
CBS) – “I can’t breathe.”
Those three words make up one big phrase that’s become a rallying cry for protests across the country. A north suburban woman says those words should belong to her, CBS 2’s Pamela Jones reports.
The phrase was the last uttered by New York’s Eric Garner before he died as police attempted to arrest him. Pro basketballers have sported it on T-shirts.
Soon, however, if LeBron James wants to rock “I Can’t Breathe” gear, he may have to get it from a Waukegan woman.
That’s right: Catherine L. Crump, who lists an apartment as her address, has filed paperwork in an attempt to trademark the phrase “I Can’t Breathe.”
She could not be reached for comment. But a Chicago copyright lawyer, Daliah Saper, heard about the case. She says it’s no slam dunk for the applicant, who has filed paperwork with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The application says Crump would use the phrase on clothing like sweatshirts and T-shirts.
“In legal terms … you can’t just use a phrase to sell something. You have to show that it’s a brand,” Saper says.
She says it could take a year for Crump to find out whether she’ll get the trademark.
How about T-shirts that say"Kill Cops?
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – Police in Oakland are searching for vandals who defaced a freeway sign paying tribute to four officers who were killed on the deadliest day in department history.
According to authorities, the sign was knocked down and defaced with a red “x” sometime on Friday.
The sign honors Sgt. Mark Dunakin, Sgt. Ervin Romans, Sgt. Daniel Sakai and Officer John Hege. On March 21, 2009, all four officers were killed by a convicted felon on parole. The roadside sign was installed three years after their murders and has become a fixture along Interstate 580.
Friday’s vandalism comes after weeks of anti-police brutality protests across the Bay Area, with officers frequently facing off in skirmish lines with protesters.
Anyone care to bet how long it will be before the black murderer is given a free pass because it was racism that drove him to do the killings?
Already a liberal is on record excusing the human rights violations of Cuba as being the fault of the embargo.
MSNBC reported today that one benefit for the USA with the embargo lifted will be access to classic cars in Cuba.
I shit you not, that's what he said.
I blame Ronald Reagan in the Marial boatlift for allowing Fidel Castro to empty his prisons and mental health facilities in Cuba and let these people emigrate to the United States!
I guess I am not the sharpest tool in the shed. I didn't know the central planners Jonathon Gruber and Barney Frank are part of the cartel of western banking interests. I'm surprised the Koch Brothers and Rothschilds weren't mentioned as part of the very few central planners made up of western banking interests.
Excuse me for being dumb but what the hell does the following grammatically challenged gibberish mean?
Especially in the Randian version, is see humanism expressed on the other side of the coin from Marx.
“If you’re a state and you don’t set up an exchange, that means your citizens don’t get their tax credits.”
There appears to be fatal flaws in Low Information Voter Nucky Thompson's above statement.
His concern with "excessive regulations" is unfounded, especially in light of how many corporate insiders given regulatory positions. This has been going on since Reagan.
Is it a "free market" when the foxes are in the henhouse?
His "central planners" were both Republicans and Democrats.
In fact, MOST Republicans voted FOR the CRA. Overwhelmingly.
Read that again. It is still true.
=======
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cra-debate-a-users-guide-2009-6
It’s true that the CRA requirements were relaxed during the Bush administration. But at this point the lax lending standards were already in place. In any case, the relaxation took a peculiar form that actually made CRA lending more important rather than less.
You see, the government let banks drop things like putting in ATMs in rural areas in favor of letting their compliance be judged entirely on CRA loans. This means the CRA had more of an influence on home lending after the requirements were relaxed, not less.
What's more, George W. Bush was a major proponent of the kind of mortgages that banks had started making under the CRA. He urged low-to-no doc mortgages and the elimination of down payments, just like the CRA regulators had long done. “We certainly don't want there to be a fine print preventing people from owning their home,” the President said in a 2002 speech. “We can change the print, and we've got to.”
=======
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1877351,00.html
From: Time Magazine’s 25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis
(Yes, Clinton is on the list, and no, Barney Frank isn’t on the list.)
George W. Bush:
From the start, Bush embraced a governing philosophy of deregulation. That trickled down to federal oversight agencies, which in turn eased off on banks and mortgage brokers. Bush did push early on for tighter controls over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but he failed to move Congress. After the Enron scandal, Bush backed and signed the aggressively regulatory Sarbanes-Oxley Act. But SEC head William Donaldson tried to boost regulation of mutual and hedge funds, he was blocked by Bush's advisers at the White House as well as other powerful Republicans and quit. Plus, let's face it, the meltdown happened on Bush's watch.
Phil Gramm:
As chairman of the Senate Banking Committee from 1995 through 2000, Gramm was Washington's most prominent and outspoken champion of financial deregulation. He played a leading role in writing and pushing through Congress the 1999 repeal of the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act, which separated commercial banks from Wall Street. He also inserted a key provision into the 2000 Commodity Futures Modernization Act that exempted over-the-counter derivatives like credit-default swaps from regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Credit-default swaps took down AIG, which has cost the U.S. $150 billion thus far.
===
You may all continue to ignore the racist low information troll.
Confused -
I believe in free markets as well. Markets are not free.
The false belief that "markets" are somehow a social construct immune from being manipulated by private interests vs. public is over-simplification and a common belief among us conservatives.
I wouldn't be so sure as you are that the banks weren't complicit (even favoring) the extended business model, no matter the narrative some would offer. Nonetheless, a market free of reasonable regulation was allowed to take said toxic debt, package it, hide it, lie about it, leverage it by multiples via complex derivative instruments and then be "bailed out" (in reality NOTHING has been bailed out) by DC cronies when it collapsed like the house of cards it was. Then, you have the banking interests (via the Fed) who are allowed to launder the toxic debt via the "QE" farce and THEN "invest" in Treasuries backed by their own toxic debt in a vicious circle of financial lunacy.
I don't need to make the argument - it will be made for me within the next 1-3 years. There's a reason that Dodd-Frank was rolled back so that banks are now free (again) to operate with impunity and outside the bounds of reasonable regulation. 2008 was a tremor. They know what is coming.
You can keep believing that your "silent hand" is "free". Most folks I know believe it, too. I wish it were the case. Government has a lot of issues fiscally - no argument. But, I see the division of governing interests (composed of mankind) vs. "private" interests (composed of mankind) as a false dichotomy and oversimplified in an effort to place all the blame on one or the other. It's not that simple. One man's opinion.
I wondered how long it would be before Dumbya blamed Bush for something.
I wonder how long before liberals and civil rights leaders claim the black killer of two NYC cops was insane? Always a convenient excuse.
What do you mean they already have?
My bad.
I wonder when Sore Asshole will tell us how Bush is blameless.
Whoever said he was a dolt nailed it.
Tom I like your reports, but on this one, although I agree it's a good move on Obama's part, the embargo is not over. That takes an act of congress. He's just trying to normalize relations.
Hopefully the embargo will go away. But I'm afraid with the republicans taking over it won't happen.
RIP Vermont Single Payer.
RIP TNR
See "Why single payer died in Vermont" over at Politico.
Looks like that guy Harry, Barry, and Nancy threw under the bus, Jonathon Gruber, got a $280,000 contract to do the financial modeling for the VT single payer healthcare plan.
I think the guy should give the money back as he cooks the accounting books as bad as the guys at Enron did. Just Say'n. He wants to help all us little people get good healthcare, lol, while the greedy SOB stuffs his pockets with money.
Maybe he can send the money to Ben and Jerrys for a new flavor like "Nutty Utopian Dream Crunch" to create some new jobs.
Anybody hear from Bernie Sanders lately? I'm afraid he may have keeled over for good with this so sad news for single payer.
Dumbya, Ive never said GWB was blameless, its just a RIOT however to watch you regardless of threads subject, to find some way to bring up GWB. I vet you can't go through any entire thread here or on your own rarely read (or is it RED?) blog with out mentioning GWB.
Mofart
"They claim to love America but clearly hate Americans."
What's so clear about it?
Can you explain why liberals don't pay attention to the Rev Al?
Can you name the liberals who feel this way?
Want to join me in boycotting any of the Rev Al's sponsors on MSNBC?
How does your police/law enforcement family members feel about the "kill the cops chants"? Are you concerned for their lives?
Here's a little liberals hating Americans for you.
Tragic 43 Year History Of Prior Assassinations On NYPD By Radical Groups Like Black Liberation Army
pix11.com/2014/12/20/targeted-for-their-badge-the-disturbing-43-year-history-of-assassinations-of-nypd-cops/
Another Man Threatening To Kill NY Cops Questioned By Police In Memphis
wreg.com/2014/12/21/memphis-man-questioned-for-threatening-nypd/
Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley WAS A Garner/Ferguson Protester
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2882105/Two-New-York-police-officers-shot-Brooklyn.html#i-5263f4024b93e8d2
Sharpton Claims He Has Received Death Threats After Cop Killings…
(He's a frigging liar!! It's all about him.)
nypost.com/2014/12/21/sharpton-i-got-death-threats-after-nypd-cops-were-executed/
Brooklyn Bridge Suspect Accused Of Beating Cop Works At Alt Medical Practice That Just Scrubbed Her From Their Site
weaselzippers.us/208788-brooklyn-bridge-suspect-accused-of-beating-cop-works-at-alt-medical-practice-that-just-scrubbed-her-from-their-site/
Suspect fatally shot officer then ran him over
wtsp.com/story/news/local/2014/12/21/police-shooting-fatal-pinellas/20722929/
Baruch Professor Arrested For Assaulting NYPD Officers At Brooklyn Bridge Protest Still Teaching
pix11.com/2014/12/19/brooklyn-woman-charged-in-brooklyn-bridge-protest-melee/#ooid=VuNnZhcjqMwWmxUqcc2TbnC_pO5KQPS5
NAACP prez says ‘criminal insanity of a lone gunman’ has nothing to do with ‘peaceful’ Ferguson protesters
therightscoop.com/naacp-prez-says-criminal-insanity-of-a-lone-gunman-has-nothing-to-do-with-peaceful-ferguson-protesters/#ixzz3MabfcJIl
Right on liberals, conservatives really really don't like Americans, do they Mofart?
You really are a brain dead liberal moron.
conservatives really really don't like Americans, do they Mofart?
You really are a brain dead liberal moron.
Does he know this is a joke?
Or has he no clue, no moral compass, no "values", that suggest calling someone a "brain dead liberal moron" IS pure hatred. Right Wing doublethink.
You see, it's not hate when THEY do it. Right wing double standards.
This is how racists have no clue they are racists. They just "know the score" is all. They just know ya gotta be wary, or"more alert", of blacks.
That's what Sore Loser has taught us.
One wonders what kind of life Sore Loser has, spending all his time digging for ANYTHING that will shine poorly on Liberals.
Pathetic.
Mozart,
Note the response from Sore Asshole when called out on his hate.
More hate. It's a Con-Servative "value". Because Republicans bring "Freedom" and liberals are commies.
LOL!
Mofart, Dunbya
("One wonders what kind of life Sore Loser has, spending all his time digging for ANYTHING that will shine poorly on Liberals." Hint, it doesn't take a lot of time to find anything that shines poorly on liberalism, coming from a man who claims to read five newspapers a day is laughable)
Both of you are vile little men.
Notice how neither of you can support any claim you make while mocking me for providing sources to support my posts.
In typical liberal socialist manner when you get what you demand, you refute what you receive as meaningless.
Example, the fact that the Koch Brothers give millions of dollars to charity each year is dismissed by liberals as meaningless by claiming the donations only proves the Kochs are trying to hide their evilness. Then liberals turn right around and demand the Kochs pay more in taxes.
Ronald Pestritto;
"The progressive movement did indeed repudiate the principles of individual liberty and limited government that were the basis of the American republic.
America's original progressives were convinced that the country faced a set of social and economic problems demanding a sharp
increase in federal power. They also said that there was too much emphasis placed on protecting the liberty of individuals at the expense of broader social justice."
The refutation of liberalism's basic assumptions is equally evident in Woodrow Wilson's writings. His was the first progressive administration, and he gave us "War Socialism" The Espionage Act of 1917 and The Sedition Act of 1918. Thousands were imprisoned for opposition to America's entry into WWI, including socialist Eugene V. Debs. (His sentence was commuted by Republican Warren G. Harding in 1921) Opposition newspapers and periodicals were shut down and writers and editors imprisoned or threatened with imprisonment. Conservatism in America is, essentially, classical liberalism.
Today Classical Liberalism is being replaced by Progressive Socialist Totalitarianism. Example: the Federal Govt's growth in power at the cost of the States Constitutional rights. See EPA.
The Progressive movement leads to totalitarianism, the complete opposite of classic liberalism and will destroy the the principles and institutions of one of the most radical revolutions in human history... the American Revolution. I am a conservative in as much as I am trying to conserve the principles of our Revolution.
Now on to Cuba, what does lifting the embargo do to improve the lives of Americans?
Both of you are vile little men.
I welcome his hatred. It means he has no understanding and he fears what he cannot understand.
"Liberals are commies" is his cult delusion.
The EPA was instituted by Nixon.
So pollution is good, because it is profitable for the rich. Greed is his God. Hate is his sacrament.
We know his position.
Imagine someone so wacked out of his mind he thinks Nixon was about "Progressive Socialist Totalitarianism" by establishing the EPA.
How frickin' nuts is that??
Maybe he's been sucking on his truck's exhaust fumes again.
"No sooner do you set foot on American soil than you find yourself in a sort of tumult...a confused clamor rises on every side, and a thousand voices are heard at once, each expressing some social requirements."
-- A. Tocqueville
The more things change in America, the more they stay the same... Do you think Tocqueville had a premonition of the blogosphere 200 years ago ? I think maybe he did!
The EPA was instituted by Nixon
Nixon was wrong.
Nixon was not a classic liberal. He was a republican progressive.
FDR was not a classic liberal, he was a progressive.
You have made my point for me. To wit, without govt no good things will happen, only bad.
Further your belief that without the EPA there would be pollution is the foundation of progressiveness.
"So pollution is good"
NO. No one said it was good. Putting words in others mouths again.
"because it is profitable for the rich"
An assumption on your part that any thing bad benefits the rich. And that the rich have a private supply of air they can breath as they pollute the air the rest of us breath. Another progressive dogmatic belief that has no support or connection with reality.
"Greed is his God."
According to Mofart there is no God. Again attaching unsupported accusations based on the progressive dogmatic belief that they are the only owners of the REAL truth regarding those they view as enemy's.
"Hate is his sacrament"
Again attaching unsupported accusations based on the progressive dogmatic belief that they are the only owners of the REAL truth regarding those they view as enemy's.
"his truck's "
Finally something original. Instead of putting words in my mouth, you are now putting my butt into the seat of a vehicle you say I drive.
Not that it matters to you, because it is the truth, I do not own or drive a truck. Why that is important only your god of big Govt knows.
This is why you are a vile little man.
My case is proven again. More hate more ignorance, and utter lack of understanding.
No wonder I welcome his hatred, "vile little man" I am.
Vile must mean disagreeing with far Right authoritarians.
If so, I am vile. And so are the vast majority of Americans he hates.
More lies from Dumbya who claims I hate
What a load.
You really are a brain dead liberal moron...You are an Arrogant Racist Liberal...You are a vile little man...And NIXON was a progressive, and Anti-pollution laws are "Progressive Socialist Totalitarianism"
Deep and bitter hatred, along with willful ignorance, on display for all to see.
I welcome his hatred. His is the hate that fuels fascism.
Nope, just calling them like I see them..
If you want me to stop thinking of you in that manner, then you need to stop acting in that manner.
Confused -
"Excuse me for being dumb but what the hell does the following grammatically challenged gibberish mean?
(quoting me from some time back)
"Especially in the Randian version, is see humanism expressed on the other side of the coin from Marx."
You are excused, first of all. Don't mention it, I have to excuse folks for the same thing all the time...
If your quote is correct and verbatim (I've not checked), then forgive me for a typo. I think the intent of my thought is clear, though. Change "is" to "I". Doesn't take a cryptanalyst to figure.
As an aside, I'm curious as to why you are pulling comments from a post a while back and pasting it in this one? Seems odd... but your prerogative.
Anyway, I'd be glad to educate you.
Ayn Rand was an atheist and a progressive humanist. Her touted philosophic construct, Objectivism, is patently humanistic, as was Marx's. Where Marx came to very different conclusions vis-à-vis socio-economic constructs, hers was no less guided by humanism. And, her conclusions are no less over-simplified and anthropologically flawed. And, therefore, in this man's opinion, open to much error.
Not complicated.
EPA Regs Issued Under Obama Are 43 TIMES As Long As The Bible…
A Picture is Worth 1000 Words
http://iotwreport.com/
What I find most amusing about you is that you actually took time to get angry about....a CARTOON strip? You're nothing more than an irrelevant baby-boomer loser. Cheers!
Here is the piece in its entirety:
I don't know the name of the nitwit who writes the Mallard Fillmore comic strip (Tim Something-or-other) This much, however, is beyond certainty: Charles Schultz he ain't. But I make it a point never to miss his daily masterpiece of mediocrity and misinformation. In fact there have been times when Mallard is the first thing I turn to when I open the paper. Every morning, in a state of barely restrained glee, I'll find myself asking, sometimes aloud, "What moronic thing is this knucklehead going to puke up today for my amusement?" He never fails to deliver the goods - or almost never. Once, about four-or-five years ago, he actually made a point that I thought quite valid. I was in a semi state of shock for the rest of the day. Seriously.
The person who writes Mallard Fillmore is not only a racist (his tirades against African Americans are a weekly delight) he's also an anti-Semite - worst than any seen in print in a very long time. His caricatures of Jews are about as blatantly stereotypical as anything put out by the propagandists of the Third Reich eighty years ago; as in when he drew John Stewart of the daily show with pronounced hook-nose. Apparently Jon's features are far too goyish for this twit.
If Mallard is ever given the brush by the Times Herald-Record I won't lose any sleep over it. But if he's here to stay that's okay, too. Right wing lunacy can be quite entertaining. Mallard Fillmore is very much so.
I think of it as the Three's Company of comic strips: so mind-numbingly bad it's actually amusing.
**********************
Where's the anger?
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