Tuesday, January 05, 2010

And another quick bit of political commentary


<--Obama didn't deserve this either.


Image compliments of Paul Freed.

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32 comments:

Craig Hughes said...

I guess neither Paul Freed nor yourself have any originality here. After Reagan dug us out of Jimmy Carter's recession we had a very good run, both domestic and foreign. Barry Obama can only hope to be as successful.

Bill said...

someone needs to do a joker face app for iphone. we can all put the face on ourselves or anyone else. i've seen the "yearbook yourself" app where you can make yourself look like any decade you choose.

hasenphefer is far less controversial and still got 25 comments.

Bill said...

i'm pretty sure that neither RR or BO would lose any sleep over the joker face. they've both been portrayed as much worse. i guess it comes with the territory. sometimes they're (politicians) are such easy targets though.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Have to agree w/Bill on his last comment... It definitely comes w/the territory...

Erin O'Brien said...

I'm just irritated as hell with the righties. Sure, the Christmas bomber incident deserves criticism and investigation, but I DID NOT feel that Bush deserved to be brutally castigated in the wake of 911. In fact, I felt overwhelming solidarity during the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

I swear the righties WANT a successful terror attack just to blame it on Obama.

They all vowed to vote against health care no matter what, even if they liked the bill. That's just stupid. Keep circling the wagons, boys! And it goes on and on, just look at the heroes of the right: Palin, Limbaugh, Beck and "You lie!" Joe Wilson.

They are no longer FOR anything, they are simply AGAINST Obama and will use anything to try and destroy him. The INTERPOL bullshit is a good example.

And if they regain power, then what? Cut more taxes, spend more on military and deregulate the banks further? How fucked will we be then?

Yeah, I've got my complaints about Obama, but he still has my support. He's doing the best that can be expected against the mutinous right.

Cosmic Navel Lint said...

Seeing as some hick as just been arrested by the US Secret Service, in New Orleans, for hanging Obama in effigy from a tree, I think the Reaganites out there, at least if they've any sense, will just have to take one for the team on this one and grin and bear it (i.e. in response to the above picture of their matinée idol).

Actually, therein lies a question: with the exception of PJ O'Rourke (and even he has to fend off regular brickbats from Republicans who object to his work, larlgey because they don't get it), can anyone name me one recognised Republican political satirist? Does such a beast exist?

And just so we're clear: O'Reilly/Beck/Hannity/Lamebaugh-esque responses consisting solely of "ner-ner-ner-ner-ner", hiding behind the petticoats of the Constitution and making specious claims about having exclusivity on "patriotism" are not (at least outside of the Fox News Borg) classed as satire.

I know the GOP has plenty of subjects who are, themselves, the butt of satire (the YouTube clips of the teabagging collectives on the march are downright hilarious), but I've never known them or their followers to A) understand or B) produce anything approaching satire - certainly if calling Obama 'Barry' and hanging him in effigy from a tree is the best they can muster.

Anyone?

Bill said...

e: i hear ya but a mutiny comes from your own team and the muntious group is on his own team. they, the dems, can pass anything they want if they stick together. the "righties" havent' been sneaky about their agenda, even if you think they have none. o's problem is that he isn't a strong leader.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Erin, regardless of the party, one will find fault w/the other... its a no win situation when it comes to politics...

Commodore Jones said...

Cosmic: "Petticoats of the Constitution?" Does that mean you hold the Constitution in contempt and is as outdated as petticoats? Or do you believe the law of the land should be respected? If not, then this country is in very sad shape.

Cosmic Navel Lint said...

Commodore Jones wrote: "Cosmic: "Petticoats of the Constitution?" Does that mean you hold the Constitution in contempt and is as outdated as petticoats? Or do you believe the law of the land should be respected? If not, then this country is in very sad shape."

Hi Commodore, apologies, allow me to explain more fully.

On the contrary, I don't hold the Constitution in contempt at all, far from it: what I do hold in contempt are those who seek to use its protections falsely, expediently, speciously, spuriously, insincerely, perniciously, disingenuously or feloniously for cheap political point scoring (lying, in other words) - and these specimens are, in my experience, invariably found in the so-called 'Libertarian' and Republican/GOP camps; and more often than not are festooned with the bumper-sticker mentality slogans, sound-bytes and stunted discourse of the Fox News Borg, especially those beyond-parody figures of Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck and Lamebaugh.

The imagery, in my reference to petticoats, was meant to conjure how a child might take flight and then refuge from that which it is irrationally scared, hence seeking the protection of its mother's petticoats.

Hope that's clear enough. :)

Commodore Jones said...

Cosmic: thanks! I can't say that I fully disagree that some people hide behind the Constitution to pursue their own agenda. There are scumbag Republicans, as well. But, I do believe in the Constitution. Thanks again.

Cosmic Navel Lint said...

Every country needs a set of touchstone aspects by which it is run; or to which it may turn in seeking clarity on how a given aspect might need to be addressed - the problem comes when people get dewy-eyed and glued to nostalgia, and insist that the Founding Fathers' words are still, utterly and in their entirety, applicable today, or that under no circumstances may they be updated to meet modern requirements, mores and societal needs.

The irony being that we, the UK, have no written constitution (i.e. unless something is expressly illegal, then it is legal) - instead we have tradition, custom and precedent - in other words, we simply change or update laws which are either outdated or have no further relevance or application.

Happily we don't have to go through all that "But the Founding Fathers said...!" nonsense, or get hog-tied to a set of concepts which are now, like it or not, some 230+ years old; and where some of which, again, like it or not, are in drastic need of an update and/or being made far less ambiguous than originally set down.

Neither do we have the aggravation of seeking an Amendment, which in the US can take an act of God to pass, that's if indeed it gets passed at all.

paul bitzan said...

Speaking of using Photoshop to denigrate prominent historical figures....

My father-in-law gave me a T-shirt with this image on it. Classic.

http://scienceblogs.com/tfk/images/oswaldruby.jpg

Erin O'Brien said...

Bill, I have no problem with lawmakers arguing over issues. I may disagree with those who oppose a public option, but I respect their opinion.

Saying "I won't vote for HCR even if I like the bill is ridiculous.

To me, the righties are just attacking Obama.

Bill said...

e: i can't disagree with you that the right wants o to fail but the fact remains that if the bill doesn't make it it will be because the dems didnt have the votes. i'm pretty sure they'll pass something though. i don't understand why they won't c-span cover the talks.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Craig Hughes has no understanding of history and no respect for the Presidency. This is EXACTLY why I made the Reagan portrait. The right refuses to acknowledge that Reagan was the BEGINNING of the mess the country is in. All they can do is make funny Hitler pictures of our President.

Paul Freed

Erin O'Brien said...

That shit certainly did trickle down, President Reagan.

MAN what a brilliant Rich Guy wet dream come true that was: Give all the wealthy people lots of financial brakes and ... erm ... it'll trickle down to the laborers and middle class--honest it will!

Cosmic Navel Lint said...

"Mr. Craig Hughes has no understanding of history and no respect for the Presidency. This is EXACTLY why I made the Reagan portrait. The right refuses to acknowledge that Reagan was the BEGINNING of the mess the country is in. All they can do is make funny Hitler pictures of our President.

Paul Freed"


Amen to that.

Any party which relies on scaremongering, claims of exclusivity to a faux "patriotism", whilst making a policy of impugning that others, and the manipulation of the poorly educated with bumper-sticker slogans (simply because they can), ends up with leaders like Reagan, GW Gump and Cheney.

All will be remembered favourably only by the GOP/Republican/'Libertarian' sheep who followed them - whilst History has already begun to show them for the irretrievably incompetent bastards they were.

And all now relics, thankfully all now gone. They will not be missed by those in the world who choose cursive debate and thinking over making having the IQ of a coffee table a virtue.

Anonymous said...

"Mr. Craig Hughes has no understanding of history and no respect for the Presidency. This is EXACTLY why I made the Reagan portrait. The right refuses to acknowledge that Reagan was the BEGINNING of the mess the country is in. All they can do is make funny Hitler pictures of our President.

Paul Freed"

"Amen to that." X2

My favorite quote about Reagonomics "They strip mined the economy," Sorry time has taken away my memory of attribution. Oh, and for those who like data, Reagan left office with a huge budget deficit.
Question. If American Capitalism has been "responsible for the greatest creation of wealth in human history" (Larry Kudlow among others) WHERE IS THE FUCKING MONEY? Laid up with the WMD's I guess.

RJ

Bill said...

money is earned. to earn money you need a job. to create a job someone has to take a risk. taking a risk requires a potential reward. no risk. no reward. no job. once you start stealing (over taxing) the money earned from risk takers, you eliminate jobs. let the fucking market work.

Bill said...

cosmic seems to be saying that the US should try to be more like the UK. lol.

Cosmic Navel Lint said...

Bill wrote: "money is earned. to earn money you need a job. to create a job someone has to take a risk. taking a risk requires a potential reward. no risk. no reward. no job. once you start stealing (over taxing) the money earned from risk takers, you eliminate jobs. let the fucking market work."

With only such a rudimentary grasp of how economics works, I can see where you begin to struggle.


Bill wrote: "cosmic seems to be saying that the US should try to be more like the UK. lol."

OK, now you've just confirmed that you've not really been following what's being said here, as you've certainly no concept of, or ability to, compare and contrast or make and support a position.

At least offer a challenge, Bill. This is like taking candy from a baby.

Anonymous said...

Dearest Bill,

The Fucking Unregulated Markets worked. That's why 95% of the people in America are fucked. To assume that the "Captains of Industry" give a flying fuck about anything other than there own big ole bowl of gravy is to be divorced from reality.



RJ

VideoDude said...

Thanks RJ!

As for Reagan. I just love how the Right keep pushing him as the great political God of the 20th century. Reagan gave us an explosive deficit and inflation, the Iran-Contra scandal and helped Osama Bin Laden get his start.

As for Clinton, everytime he tried to do something presidential, such as, go after Bin Laden. The Repubs said there was no threat, and Clinton just wanted to take everyone's mind off of Monica!

Bill said...

cosmic: i don't think economics can be explained in 2 or 300 characters. (i tried to do it in 140) however, having owned and run a few businesses and having hired people, i have gained some real world experience whilst you've been studying hard. tell me what's wrong with my simplistic summary.

UK vs US. you mentioned some flaws with our love of our constitution vs how the UK approaches things. that's my reference.

RJ: there are a lot of people getting fucked to various degrees. i guess it just depends on what position you like.

Anonymous said...

Bill,

Good point. Poor choice of words. I should have said most are getting raped, typically no choice of position there.

RJ

Bill said...

RJ; we agree, then, that choice is good.

Cosmic Navel Lint said...

Bill wrote: "cosmic: i don't think economics can be explained in 2 or 300 characters. (i tried to do it in 140) however, having owned and run a few businesses and having hired people, i have gained some real world experience whilst you've been studying hard. tell me what's wrong with my simplistic summary.

UK vs US. you mentioned some flaws with our love of our constitution vs how the UK approaches things. that's my reference."


Oy vay...

You've no idea what I do for a living, where, or with whom, so instead of digging yourself a deeper hole with these constant stabs in the in the dark on topics you just guess at, I'd quit whilst you're ahead.

As for the comparison between UK & US: it was precisely that, nothing more, so how you then made the leap to promoting the idea that I'd said that the US needs "to be more like the UK" is anyone's guess.

I have no problem with these back-n-forths, Bill, all I'd ask is that you have a point.

Bill said...

cosmic: i'll comment when i get the urge and you can do whatever you want. you may not understand my point or may not agree with it or may deem it meaningless. i don't much care, really. i've been banterining with the left for all of my adult life (i live in one of the most liberal areas of the US)this is entertainment for me. your arguments contain no original thought. i just try to stir things up a bit.

Cosmic Navel Lint said...

Bill,

you're not offering any dead-end you've not taken us down before, so I'll just refer you to my previous posts.

Bill said...

cos: can't wait to re-read your previous posts.

Bill said...

unrelated but did you catch the latest mess that harry has gotten himself into? i think it's funny that he calls the tea party people racist for disagreeing with o. the real racist shows himself.