From fashion to supermarkets:
They want you to pay to wear their logo.
Remember when gas stations used to give out steak knives? Long time ago.
Posted by hells kitchen at February 13, 2008 08:02 PMWow, I was very confident that Obama would move to privatize SS, but I had no idea he would make a move before he's even nominated!!!
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/2/13/223025/457
Of course, the idiots will say this has nothing to do with privatizing SS, but of course this is the first step towards dismantling SS and replacing it was a system of personal accounts.
Posted by MarkL at February 13, 2008 08:14 PMRemember when gas stations used to give out steak knives? Long time ago.
Wow, you ARE an old fart. I remember coffee cups and Sinclair giving out dinosaur shaped soap. That was back in the day when Fred Flintstone recommended Winston.
Posted by phidipides at February 13, 2008 08:16 PMOf course, the idiots will say this has nothing to do with privatizing SS...
And an idiot will tell you that this has something to do with privatizing social security.
Posted by phidipides at February 13, 2008 08:19 PMPhididiot,
All of Obama's economic advisers are strongly pro-privatization. Together with Obama's belief in the supremacy of personal choice in social contracts, there is no question that he favors privatizing.
This is only the first step.
Phididiot,
Wow! I respect you for that! It's the first time I've ever seen it.
As to your argument, you are back-biting insane and using a republi-con meme. Let me see...who might you support?
Posted by phidipides at February 13, 2008 08:27 PMFour months ago, i.e. before the cult and before the progressives converted to right wingers, I started to listen and then comment on Obamination. In TPM Cafe I got ranking of 2 out of 5, hey it's better than 1 and cultist never heard of 0, and I continued ever since.
That's nothing, think about 16 years of right wing not too smart presidents in this poor country. It is worse than the invasion of the body snatchers.
Posted by Koshembos at February 13, 2008 08:30 PMPH. You're insane if you think Obama wont' privatize SS.
It will be VERY easy to sell it, with a Democrat as President.
Posted by Koshembos
Good god! Your word salad has no meaning. You should explain what you're talking about.
Posted by phidipides at February 13, 2008 08:35 PMPlease note that as OrangeFur correctly noted in the MyDD comments thread, Obama has no problem forcing employees to have more of their wages redirected by their employers into a separate retirement account that one day may be the rhetorical downfall of Social Security.
Yet he rails against forcing those same employees to pay for universal health care.
Posted by Steve Soto at February 13, 2008 08:44 PMPH. You're insane if you think Obama wont' privatize SS.
My sanity is not in dispute. Ask iac and she will gladly tell you I am completely fucking nuts. While you're waiting, go to google, News, search Obama and Social Security. You are on a computer, correct? The great evil Osama is committing is making SS solvent by taxing income over the current limit. You are buying into a republi-con meme. Nothing more. Too bad you aren't more astute about this stuff.
Posted by phidipides at February 13, 2008 08:44 PM...no problem forcing employees to have more of their wages redirected by their employers into a separate retirement account that one day may be the rhetorical downfall of Social Security.
It's a response to employers raiding pension plans:
Obama began airing a new ad featuring David Hartgrave, a Cedar Rapids man whose pension was undermined when his company turned its obligations over to the Federal Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp. That left Hartgrave with a pension of only $379 a month, the ad says.
"I'm telling CEOs it hurts America when they cash out and leave workers high and dry," Obama says in the commercial. "It's an outrage. You've got to have somebody in the White House who believes it's an outrage."
Under the pension plan Obama spelled out this week, employers would be required to enroll workers in a direct deposit retirement account that invests a small percentage of each paycheck. Workers would have a choice of opting out or adding to the account. The account could be taken with the worker to a new job.
Seems sinister to me. Like them 401Ks. sinister. Very sinister.
Posted by phidipides at February 13, 2008 08:51 PMThis month's Rolling Stone just reminded me that Hillary Clinton voted against banning the use of Cluster Bombs by the U.S. military.
That doesn't sound very progressive, does it. Perhaps Eriposte will show up and explain to me the 'nuanced' reality-based™ viewpoint on what otherwise seems pretty straight forward.
Posted by Tampa Student at February 13, 2008 09:03 PMThis month's Rolling Stone just reminded me that Hillary Clinton voted against banning the use of Cluster Bombs by the U.S. military.
What are a few cluster bombs amongst friends?
I actually had "phidipidiot" typed one day until I heard you were duct-taped to your computer chair by scout.
I can remember when "Purple Martin" gas was only 19.9, they checked my oil, water and tires, gave me stamps, a glass with a purple martin on it and a box of kleenix which came in handy later that night when I got lucky with their blonde cashier in the back seat of my Chevy.
If you remember gas at 19.9, please type a "Y" with your nose when scout leaves the room. Be careful, he is VERY dangerous.
Posted by TIKI AL at February 13, 2008 11:35 PMSince this is an open thread...
And now, for something completely different. An Iraqi Parliament with three laws passed! (sort of)
The incomparable Juan Cole reports on some very intersting happening in Iraq.
Al-Hayat reports in Arabic on the passage by the Iraqi parliament of three important laws. These included the annual budget, a general amnesty that will free thousands of mostly Sunni Arab prisoners in the teeming Iraqi security prisons, and finally a "law on the provinces."
Al-Zaman (The Times of Baghdad) reports in Arabic that there was not actually a vote, but rather the laws were passed as a package by consensus. The consensus reflected a political deal among the major parties rather than a recorded vote of a majority of the MPs.
A story in McClatchy says it also sets Oct. 1 as the date for provincial elections.
The major winners are Sunni Muslims — who won a limited amnesty for prisoners and an Oct. 1 date for provincial elections — and Kurds, who won a budget that allocated 17 percent of Iraq's funds to them, instead of 13 percent as the Shiite-led government had proposed
As Juan points out, the provincial elections could be very important in helping to stabilize the Sunni provinces, currently being protected by Shia militias and death squads. Perhaps the "Iraq Awakening Councils" may actually have a chance to work if they aren't being attacked by government security forces all the time. Another possible shake up from new purple-fingered elections might come in the south.
One reason that the provincial elections have been delayed is that there are fears in Baghdad that the Sadr Movement of Muqtada al-Sadr will sweep to power in the Shiite south.
Since the Sadrists want a quick US withdrawal, for them to sweep to power in many of the provinces (possibly including in Baghdad province), could strengthen this demand.
One of my Shiite Iraq friends, from Najaf, thinks that there are no circumstances under which ISCI would turn the southern provinces over to the Sadrists, and that the vote will therefore be fixed.
My friends, keeping in mind the perils of unintended consequences, we might, FINALLY have the beginnings of a new ball game in that tortured country. The "government" of al Maliki MAY not collapse and the Sunnis and the Kurds MAY actually get some of what they need to participate in a Federal state of Iraq.
Now how can the Bushies screw it up?
Posted by DeminNewJ at February 14, 2008 02:56 AMI could be wrong but I don't believe Paul Krugman called Obama supporters "cultists". That's Jim Jones territory. He did say that the Obama movement was becoming a "cult of personality", which is a political term that I think accurately describe what you see at an Obama rally.
Posted by cygnus at February 14, 2008 04:49 AMNEWSFLASH: Mark "cocaine, cocaine, cocaine" Penn is at it again, this time insulting every Democratic voter who does not reside in a "significant state."
Here is the full quote to journalists: "Could we possibly have a nominee who hasn't won any of the significant states -- outside of Illinois? That raises some serious questions about Sen. Obama.”
This reeks of desperation, not to mention being totally undemocratic and arrogant... and dumb as hell as a campaign strategy.
Even if they end up stealing this nomination, they'll try to come a-courtin' again in these "insignificant" states and clearly assume all will be forgiven and forgotten. Uh, that ain't gonna be the case. Think long and hard about this arrogant, anti-democratic strategy before you support Team Hillary.
OK, iamcoyotoe, this is your cue to jump in and mindlessly defend the Clinton campaign...
Posted by at February 14, 2008 07:01 AMYes, because we all know that the reality of our electoral system doesn't lend itself to rendering some states more "significant" than others.
But rage away! It's in your nature I'm sure.
Posted by snark at February 14, 2008 07:08 AMI actually had "phidipidiot" typed one day until I heard you were duct-taped to your computer chair by scout.
Heh, yesterday I saw someone call Barak an "Obamination." We're gonna see that one again, I'm sure. And the comedians are worried that if Obama wins, there won't be much material to work with.
If you remember gas at 19.9, please type a "Y" with your nose when scout leaves the room. Be careful, he is VERY dangerous.
Man, you've been making me laugh lately, TIKI. You have my undying gratitude!
Posted by iamcoyote at February 14, 2008 07:40 AMCostco sells really great bags for almost a nominal amount: 3 for $2.95.
Way better than using those boxes bottoms to lug stuff around in. And good for lots of other things, too.
They aren't cloth but reusable and huge so as to accomodate Costco size items.
Costco sells really great bags for almost a nominal amount: 3 for $2.95.
Way better than using those boxes bottoms to lug stuff around in. And good for lots of other things, too.
They aren't cloth but reusable and huge so as to accomodate Costco size items.
If you remember gas at 19.9, please type a "Y" with your nose when scout leaves the room.
U.....7......H.....7.....G
NOT A PLUG: If you order books from Labyrinth they'll often toss in a heavy canvas tote book bag. HUGE! Probably holds 1.5 paper grocery bags of stuff.
My what a big nose you have phidipides!
Posted by snark at February 14, 2008 08:27 AMI gotta admit, that is funny, p-dip. And I gotta get me some of those bags, too.
Posted by iamcoyote at February 14, 2008 08:31 AMJust an idea:
You can get 100% cotton canvas totes cheap in quantity with silk screened logos. I could see myself carrying around a tote with www.theleftcoaster.com or The Left Coaster on it. I would commit to buying at least 2.
Posted by phidipides at February 14, 2008 08:34 AMMy what a big nose you have phidipides!
Actually, my head is duct taped to the chair. I will not explain how I am typing this. Let's just say some of us have certain talents. JEZEBEL! But I don't think I'm suffering from my confinement.
Posted by phidipides at February 14, 2008 08:37 AMWow, p-dip, you can type with your toes??
Badum bum.
Posted by iamcoyote at February 14, 2008 08:46 AM"U.....7......H.....7.....G"...(Phiddy in captivity)
Well, you are in "y's" neighborhood and now I don't know if you are noseing out your address in code so we can send the local authoritahs, or you are merely far-sighted and purchased cheap gas in your youth.
Posted by TIKI AL at February 14, 2008 08:54 AM"I could see myself carrying around a tote with www.theleftcoaster.com or The Left Coaster on it. I would commit to buying at least 2."
WOW! Great idea Phidipides. I'll take two also.
Of course the amount of fossil fuel used to fly these tote bags around the country to their various purchasers would outway....
Oh, never mind. I'll take two!
Posted by snark at February 14, 2008 09:05 AMApropos of your original aside:
Cult behaviour is as cult behavior does.
One can be outraged and personally offended at such an comparison, one can go to whatever snit level one deems appropriate.
What one cannot do, and yet maintain innocent of Behaviours Cultish, is join in any howling mob demanding RETRACT RETRACT RETRACT RETRACT.
Just sayin. Non-cultists dont, as a rule, respond to criticism by attempting to forcibly require submission to their will by their detractors.
Its one of those things.
Posted by at February 14, 2008 09:45 AMWoops previous comment was from me.
Posted by zed at February 14, 2008 09:47 AMzed, while a "cult of personality" might be different from an actual cult, Sara Robinson, whom I hold in the highest regard, has something to say about cults and Obama and the election that shamed me into trying not to use the word anymore. I've decided that ultimately, I'm more interested in seeing a Dem in the WH than which one it is, and coupled with the fact that I'm just sick and tired of being angry all the time, I'm not gonna play the "your candidate sucks and only mine can beat McCain" anymore. Everyone online's already made their decision, anyhow, so who's there to convince of anything? I'd rather laugh than cry, so I'm gonna laugh at the stupid shit, and save the real nastiness for the ones more likely to fuck things up even worse than either Clinton or Obama: the GOP. Really, it feels so good not to care anymore. Ya oughta try it.
Posted by iamcoyote at February 14, 2008 10:48 AM"NOT A PLUG: If you order books from Labyrinth they'll often toss in a heavy canvas tote book bag. HUGE! Probably holds 1.5 paper grocery bags of stuff.
Thanks for the info; I'd never heard of that site before.
Posted by Tampa Student at February 14, 2008 03:51 PM