COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Obama’s bumps in the road

Obama’s bumpy road to the future is shovel ready for someone who knows how to fix it. Any novice driver soon learns how to avoid them. Obama is philosophical.




Romney responds:



46 comments:

  1. Says the man who banks in Switzerland, Bermuda, Ireland, and the Cayman Islands.

    And, bought shares in CNOOK (Chinese Oil Co.) AFTER they announced they were developing a nat gas field in IRAN.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      True enough, but nothing to do with the subject at hand.

      .

      Delete
  2. If those were real unemployed people (not employed actors) one would be forced to ask, "how many became unemployed when Romney bought their company, loaded it up with debt, and bankrupted it, putting all the employees out of work?"

    ReplyDelete
  3. No Presidential candidate in history has ever had a 50% Unfavorable Rating - until now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course, no Presidential candidate has ever, until now, been caught on tape completely dissing half of the American Electorate (including many of his own supporters.)

      Delete
    2. .

      The truth often slips out when these guys start talking without a script or a teleprompter. Obama has provided his share of gotcha moments.

      .

      Delete
  4. He was stating the obvious, not very elegantly. Everyone knows that all government programs are being scammed. The most recent example that 40% plus of all recent veterans are claiming a disability.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can only imagine the horror and debilitative injuries caused to the Navy and the Coast Guard in Afghanistan.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Here is your guy:

    As part of “a new era of civil rights” at the Department of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Monday that Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who believe USDA discriminated against them can file claims to get a piece of at least $1.33 billion in cash awards and tax relief payments and up to $160 million in farm debt relief, beginning this week.

    Women and Hispanic ranchers and farmers who feel the agency denied their loan or loan servicing applications because of their race or gender at various periods from 1981 to 2000 can file claims alleging discrimination from Sept. 24, 2012, to March 25, 2013, for a slice of the payout.




    Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/25/obama-usda-offering-women-hispanic-farmers-over-1-3-billion-in-discrimination-payouts/#ixzz27TyDobo1

    Exactly where is the money coming from?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      This is just another election year push to buy votes. Anyone who has missed the public announcements over the past six months encouraging people to come in and take advantage of various programs just hasn't been listening.

      I'm not saying some of these programs might not be worthy. I don't know. What I am saying is that anyone who doesn't see the timing of these programs as political is a naif.

      .

      Delete
  7. I think we need a National Victim Month, a Victim Caucus, Victim Studies in all major universities, A day to celebrate Victimization.

    ReplyDelete
  8. White victims are excluded of course.

    ReplyDelete
  9. "Iran has been around for the last seven, 10 thousand years. (The Israelis) have been occupying those territories for the last 60 to 70 years, with the support and force of the Westerners. They have no roots there in history."

    Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UN



    Sounds alot like our pal WiO!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The speed bump that Mr Reagan hit in Lebanon was a doozy.

    Mr Clinton had, what, three major attacks on US Embassies in Africa. With hundreds killed, and wounded. That road was not even paved.

    GW Bush never found the smooth road in Iraq. The Embassy there attacked time and again. Casualties in those attacks just rolled into the total for "Long Hard Slog". What a bumpy ride that was.

    To describe an effort where over 4,000 US troops lost their lives as a "Long Hard Slog", not respectful of the real costs involved?



    ReplyDelete
  11. Median Family Income - Declining since 1999.

    Gasoline Prices - Rising since 1999.

    This is what moves the needle for the vast majority of American Voters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We tried to hide the Declining Family Income with a Housing/Credit Bubble, but that burst in 2008. Now, we have to go to the root cause of that problem - the flight of manufacturing jobs to China.

      We mitigated the ever-increasing wealth transfer to OPEC, and the other oil-exporting nations to some extent with the development of a million barrels/day of ethanol, and the introduction of more fuel-efficient vehicles; but the ethanol program is in pause, waiting for the next generation plants, and upgrading the fleet is a slow, laborious process.

      Delete
  12. .

    As I mentioned above, without a script, these guys often provide windows to the soul. And I am not talking about the 'bumps in the road' comment. I am talking about the prime 'bump in the road' Obama mentioned at the end of his 60 Minutes comment, that the problem is "...many of these countries are organized around Islam..."

    True enough, but sounds a little like culturism to me.

    Some here might say the guy is a racist.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or, perhaps, just a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is - many of us have observed that Islam doesn't seem to lend itself especially well to "democracy."

      Delete
    2. That said, it's a rare bird, indeed, that isn't just a little bit racist.

      I mean, hell, I voted for McCain;

      and I can't think of a reason in the world that I would have done that, considering that I agreed with Obama much more on the important issues than I did with ol' mcnutz.

      Delete
    3. .

      "Or, perhaps..."

      Funny how definitions change when it is the other guy.

      :)

      .

      Delete
    4. As in most (all?) of life, we're dealing in "degrees," I'd think.

      Delete
    5. .

      I deal with arguments. Labels and motives mean little to me.

      IMO, calling someone a racist is a cheap ad homenem, be it true or not. By using a phrase with the negative connotations implied by 'racist' you merely try to belittle a person's argument without ever really addressing it. The same for Nazi, anti-Semite, homophobe, and all the rest. It's a lazy man's tool.

      Taken to the extreme by the PC pricks in this world we have already started to try and regulate thought and free speech in the name of universal comity. It doesn't work. It only leads to absurd contradictions due to its perverse nature.

      Nazi war criminals weren't hung because they were racist. They were hung because they were murderers. Yet, in the US today we have 'hate crime' laws were some official on a subjective basis tries to determine what was going through a man's mind as he commits a crime. In the EU, it is worse. In 12 countries, you have 'holocaust denier' laws where a person can be sentenced to years in prison for publicly stating his belief that there was no holocaust, this even if he later says there actually was one. The perverse quality of the law lies in the fact that while the guy can go to prison for stating there was no holocaust, he walks free when stating that there actually was a holocaust and that he thinks that was a good thing.

      As I said, perverse logic on the part of PC pricks.

      I'm glad that I live in the US where there is still some semblance of 1st Amendment rights, even though some officials continue to belittle those rights with their craven apologies for satirical videos and cartoons.

      The UN, the EU, the ME, much of the rest of the world is lost on this issue. Makes me want to puke.

      .

      Delete
    6. Ah, horseshit. Calling a racist a racist is Not an ad hominem attack. Calling a racist a racist is merely being "descriptive."

      Let's go to the definition.

      An ad hominem (Latin for "to the man"), short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or unrelated belief of the person supporting it.

      The key word being, "Unrelated."

      If it is obvious that the person's "Racism" is related to his argument, then reminding the audience of that person's racism is Not unrelated to the thrust of the argument.

      Nice try; no cigar.

      Delete
    7. Quirk, you appear to be obsessed with PC.

      You also wrote "determine what was going through a man's mind as he commits a crime." Interestingly enough intent is a very important concept in law.

      "A determination to perform a particular act or to act in a particular manner for a specific reason; an aim or design; a resolution to use a certain means to reach an end.

      Intent is a mental attitude with which an individual acts, and therefore it cannot ordinarily be directly proved but must be inferred from surrounding facts and circumstances. Intent refers only to the state of mind with which the act is done or omitted. It differs from motive, which is what prompts a person to act or to fail to act. For example, suppose Billy calls Amy names and Amy throws a snowball at him. Amy's intent is to hit Billy with a snowball. Her motive may be to stop Billy's taunts.

      The legal importance of what an individual intended depends on the particular area of law. In contract law, for example, the intention of the parties to a written contract is fixed by the language of the contract document.

      In Tort Law, intent plays a key role in determining the civil liability of persons who commit harm. An intentional tort is any deliberate invasion of, or interference with, the property, property rights, personal rights, or personal liberties of another that causes injuries without Just Cause or excuse. In tort an individual is considered to intend the consequences of an act—whether or not she or he actually intends those consequences—if the individual is substantially certain that those consequences will result.

      Basic intentional torts include Assault and Battery, conversion of property, false arrest, False Imprisonment, Fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and Trespass. It is ordinarily not necessary that any wrongful or illegal means be used to accomplish the negative result, provided the wrongful conduct was intentional and was not accompanied by excuse or justification.

      In Criminal Law the concept of criminal intent has been called mens rea, which refers to a criminal or wrongful purpose. If a person innocently causes harm, then she or he lacks mens rea and, under this concept, should not be criminally prosecuted.

      Although the concept of mens rea is generally accepted, problems arise in applying it to particular cases. Some crimes require a very high degree of intent, whereas others require substantially less. Larceny, for example, requires that the defendant intentionally take property to which the person knows he or she is not entitled, intending to deprive the rightful owner of possession permanently. On the other hand, negligent homicide requires only that the defendant negligently cause another's death.

      Criminal law has attempted to clarify the intent requirement by creating the concepts of "specific intent" and "general intent."
      ...

      http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Intent

      Delete
    8. .

      Bullshit. You're throwing around a term 'racist' is meaningless because it is subjective. It is your opinion. You haven't defined what a racist is. As I said, it's a lazy man's tool.

      The UN has a definition for 'racial discrimination'. They don't even try to define what a 'racist' is.

      You said yourself, "That said, it's a rare bird, indeed, that isn't just a little bit racist." So what it comes down to is your opinion on what can be regarded as a "true racist', a subjective opinion not an argument.

      I give your throwing around the term 'racist' about as much respect as I give WiO or Allen throwing around 'anti-semite' or Bob throwing around the term Nazi. All vitriol, no argument.

      Nice try; no cigar.

      .

      Delete
    9. Who was that old Supreme Court Judge that said, "I can't Define pornography, but I know it when I see it.?"

      When Bob starts throwing around totally irrational hyperbole such as "Obama is a Kenyan-born Muslim, and is out to Destroy America" I have to ask myself why this admitted racist is saying these things, and does it have anything to do with the fact that he IS a racist?

      It seems to me that the connection is obvious, and thus, Important.

      Got a light?

      Delete
    10. .

      It merely reflects your simplistic thinking.

      Instead of pointing out the irrationality of Bob's argument, you take the lazy way out and call him a racist. Perhaps that scores some points around here. After a while, I doubt it. It's the same as WiO's love of the word Nazi.

      As I pointed out in my response to your posts yesterday, you have become a one trick pony. Disagree with Obama's policies? Racist. Culturalism? Racist. Disagree with Obama's new views on gay marriage? Racist. But what the hell, why argue when you can label?

      As for the light, I don't smoke.

      My wife is calling me to go to home depot but I'll be glad to answer any response when you get back.

      .

      Delete
    11. I thought I was a "one-trick ethanol" pony. Now you say I'm a "one-trick racism" pony.

      I'm beginning to think that "your" only trick is bitching.

      Delete
    12. .

      And you provide the low-hanging fruit.

      :)

      .

      Delete
  13. .

    Quirk, you appear to be obsessed with PC.

    I don't know if I'm obsessed since I do think about other things; however, it is safe to say I do have a strong, fixed opinion on it.

    As for intent, I'll admit my comment was sloppy word choice, or at least, incomplete. I am opposed to hate crime laws for a number of reasons. First, they can subject a person to double jeopardy. There are criminal laws involved in most of these cases. The hate crime case is decided after the criminal case. It is a political decision and it punishes thought crimes. The laws create 'special' classes of victims. As such, two people guilty of exactly the same crime can be punished differently (something the same people who support hate crime laws criticize when it comes to the sentencing of minorities vs. whites). It goes beyond violations of 1st Amendment rights and attacks what a person thinks. You are going beyond justice and into the realm of political punishment. One more step on the slippery slope.

    They are very PC since you have a group of 'elites' telling people not only what they can do but also what they can think.

    .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know what is the most blatant PC crap in the US? It is the blind patriotic worship of the military and all their sacrifices.

      Delete
  14. I'm going to be very grouchy for a day or so. I have about six or seven hours of "tax-work" in front of me, and I'm looking for someone whose throat needs cutting. I'm even considering my own. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Now, I'm going to put my "One-Trick Peak Oil Pony" hat on, and give a link to an incredibly well-researched analysis of Bakken Field production that reinforces my oft-stated opinion that, not only will N.D. Never reach a Million barrels of oil/day, it might not even get much past 750,000 bpd.

    The Red Queen pumps oil

    ReplyDelete
  16. Re: Allen

    It must really be dull :-)

    Oh, it's still Israel 13 and nutters 0

    Have a nice evening you chosen few.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .

      Good to see you're hanging in there Allen.

      .

      Delete
    2. Dull?

      Yeah!

      I miss all the blood in the water.

      Delete
  17. This week's diplomacy will focus on ways to address the growing humanitarian crisis. Jordan has absorbed 200,000 refugees in recent month, and Syrians are also escaping the fighting by fleeing into Turkey and Lebanon.

    Arab officials are worried this exodus could accelerate early next year as the Syrian government's resources dwindle.

    "We need to be prepared for the worst," said the senior Arab diplomat attending the U.N. event.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Floods in Bristol earlier forced the closure of a blood and plasma unit while two schools remained closed in Shropshire and train services to Hereford were disrupted.

    Meanwhile an inquest heard that an account manager died instantly when she was hit by a falling tree branch in Kew Gardens as she was walking with friends at the weekend.

    Erena Louise Wilson, 31, who was born in Wellington, New Zealand but lived in London, received “non-survival head injuries” when she was hit by the Lebanese cedar branch at the Royal Botanical Gardens in south west London on Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
  19. If you think getting fired as a referee for the Lingerie Football League means you’ve lost the best job imaginable, have no fear — you can always get a job officiating NFL games.

    The LFL had been keeping silent about the replacement referees in the NFL until early Tuesday morning.

    ReplyDelete
  20. A vaginal whitening wash that promises to make your private area 'safely fairer within four weeks' has hit the beauty market in Thailand.

    ...

    'This product is being launched in India post clinical trials conducted among women of all age groups under dermatological control.

    '18 Again has the power and the potential to break the shackles and redefine the meaning of women empowerment altogether.'


    ReplyDelete
  21. On this day in 1981, the U.S. Supreme Court swore in Sandra Day O'Conner as the first female justice.

    ReplyDelete
  22. In its annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments, the Pentagon said some components of China's first indigenous aircraft carrier may already be under construction. The first of several indigenous carriers isn't likely be ready until after 2015, the report said.

    Chinese aircraft carriers are the cornerstone of a multidecade effort by Beijing to modernize its forces. China's military spending in 2012 is forecast to rise to 670.2 billion yuan (about $106 billion), an 11.2% jump over spending a year earlier, according to government figures.

    Other Chinese military advances that could counter the U.S. include the development of specialized missiles designed to target large ships, such as U.S. aircraft carriers operating in the Western Pacific. One antiship ballistic missile under development, the DF-21D, has a range of more than 1,500 kilometers, or 900 miles, according to the Pentagon.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The extraordinary images of plankton under the microscope inspired artists and writers who were invited on board the Tara to share the experience with scientists and crew. Etienne Bourgois, son of Agnès Troublé, who persuaded her to invest in environmental causes, said his mother wanted the ship to be "scientific and cultural".

    "It is important that we find ways for the message – of how human life depends on the oceans – to reach people," he said. "That message is: we have to change the way we live in this planet.

    The Earth will always be here, but it is a question for us – how are we going to live on this planet in the future?"

    ReplyDelete