Luke 12:48 says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
Here’s bush’s “ownership society.” First, cut taxes for the super-wealthy with droppings for others. Never mind the deficit, or who owns it. Second, keep stock options unfactored, which is both nonsense and grossly unfair. The wealthy count on your not understanding their owning millions of shares of invisible stock, usually awarded to themselves for free and now almost tax-free, that will dilute your real stock as they cash out.
They’re now poised to pounce on America (who will own the Federally funded New New Orleans?) but there’s some loose ends - you. They need to run up medical costs (immediate profits), raising premiums, pushing you to their HMOs. They tell you what treatments you can have. Then they limit lawsuits, so you can’t complain. Trapping you in your job (keeping health insurance), they destroy unions and never enforce immigration. The pay gets lower, and if you find a plumbers/electricians pay tumbling from $22 to $12, well, that’s what bush meant when he said immigrants can “have jobs Americans refuse.” Remember him saying that?
Finally they destroy Social Security, then declare your finite and known “ownings” inadequate for your actuarial condition, and force you to buy their annuity. You are owned.
Posted by Richard W. Crews at August 4, 2006 10:12 PMNow, now Richard. Georgie has no clue as to what's going on. He's happily through a 26'er of JD, and could care less who owns what, as long as Laura doesn't leave him for breakin' the oath.
He is, after all, such a good man, compared to a cockroach, although the cockroach would be more intelligent, and a much better lay.
Posted by tempus at August 4, 2006 11:08 PMSteve, as I mentioned in an earlier post, that is exactly what Senator Jim Talent of Missouri is doing. As a black woman looks at you and says "I never vote for a Party, I vote for the man" in his TV campaign ad.
Missouri will be using electronic touch-screens and optical scan voting machines for the first time. If the fix is not in, (fingers crossed) Claire McCaskill will unseat Jim Talent in this Senate race.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 12:44 AMIn Monday's speech in Miami Bush tied Israel's fight against the armed Lebanese group Hizbullah to the events of September 11.
The president said: "The current crisis is part of a larger struggle between the forces of freedom and the forces of terror in the Middle East. ... For decades, the status quo in the Middle East permitted tyranny and terror to thrive. And as we saw on September 11, the status quo in the Middle East led to death and destruction in the United States, and it had to change."
Get ready kiddies, he has only two years left to complete his mission. Think the Brotherhood of Death, aka Skull and Bones, is a joke now?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-mccarthy/blogging-from-beirut_b_26502.html
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 01:52 AMToday Gallup has come out with a poll that finds Lieberman with his lowest ratings ever. The Gallup report released yesterday relates, "he is now more popular with Republicans than with supporters of his own party." Well, that is an endorsement no Democrat should want, at least not in today's political races.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 02:08 AMEverywhere I go, and even places I don't go, people are saying the same thing: George "AWOL" is radioactive.
From California, to Upstate New York, to Connecticut and to Florida, candidates running for reelection are pleading with the WH to keep Little Boots home -- he's as popular as bird flu!
Posted by Christopher at August 5, 2006 05:36 AMChristiopher, separating yourself from the GOP tells me only one thing, you have no integrity whatsoever. If you supported the pResident, then stand up like a man for that support and your rubber stamping voting record. Afterall, this is the "ownership society."
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 06:24 AMRolling Stone on why Dems are doomed, thanks DLC
Posted by Sharon at August 5, 2006 06:58 AMJudith nails the two-fold result we have here. Not only are Rep incumbents distancing themselves from (thanks Christopher) the "Radioactive Bush" because of his failed policies but they are not taking ownership of their own complicit part. Their actions, their words and their lies are on record.
On a recent road trip I noticed the first campaign signs going up. To a one, whether it be for judge or sheriff or Congress, not one said Republican, sometimes there was a small GOP signature at bottom which you can't read from a car, but never a mention.
Likewise, I don't see any Rep walking up to the mic and stating he/she is an "old time" Republican and will help get the party back from these robbers. Now that would be interesting to watch.
Posted by mainsailset at August 5, 2006 07:16 AMThanks to Bush eliminating Sadaam, Iran becomes stronger and stronger, eventually uniting the entire Muslim world. They develop a secret electronic jamming device for opposing weapon systems. Israel is leveled in hours with Iran's new SAA missles, and invaded.
Next, the US is pummeled with long range SSA missles for months, unable to fight back. 1.5 million Iranians invade from Mexico, and reach Washington in 2 days.(no sand storms). They tie a cable to the Lincoln Memorial, and topple it. Thanks to decks of cards with their pictures on them, Bush and the neocons are caught and tried for war crimes and vote theft.
Now comes the easy part: Each Iranian soldier has to reprogram 200 brainwashed Americans at gunpoint to accept a Muslim Theocratic Dictator in place of a Methodist Theocratic Dictator.
Except for a few "dead enders" it should be a flower tossing cakewalk.
If I had done all the things you mention in the post, I would probably kill myself because I couldn't live with knowing that I had done so much harm to this country and people in other countries as well. I really don't know how any of them can sleep at night.
Posted by pissed off patricia at August 5, 2006 07:41 AMTIKI, I've seen that movie before, and as I recall, there wasn't a happy ending.
patricia, they sleep because they just don't care. And they no longer have to pretend they do care anymore because they've gotten all the money and all the war they'll need to keep them in gold toilets for the rest of their miserable lives. They don't care about our contempt, either, because it has no power over them at all. Who cares what the people think while they're cleaning your gold toilets for a pittance? They won't say "boo" as they wipe down the walls splattered with the sick of your excesses, because they need that job to feed themselves. These guys sleep just fine, because they've got Blackwater goons stationed outside the bedroom, and the best security systems our money can buy.
Posted by iamcoyote at August 5, 2006 08:31 AMWell, they can run from George but they cant run form their sorry performance.
Undoubtedly, many Americans will be conned again (really!), so many of these bastards will be reelected.
But I don’t see this as being in any way different from other election cycles......politician lies, gets elected, does the opposite of what he said he would do, blames his crappy voting record on unforeseen circumstances, lies again, gets re-elected and so on.
Well, it may be a little different...this time; the lies were much bigger and deadlier.
Judith,
LMAO! You're correct.
I must try to do better and see the great Booosh for the Churchillian leader his mommy tells him he is each day on the phone!
Posted by Christopher at August 5, 2006 08:39 AMUndoubtedly, many Americans will be conned again (really!), so many of these bastards will be reelected.
Parallax, The folks here in Phoenix are just paralyzed with apathy. I see the objection to herr bu$h in a few circles but not the outright anarchy I'd expect. Many people just going out and doing their business of working hard and not having time to bother or care about the state of the Union. It's a fucking shame! I think the repukes like it that way!
I object to the title Methodist Theocratic Dictator - most Methodists have disassocated from that lying sack. Christofacist Theocratic Dictator is what he is.
Posted by idiosynchronic at August 5, 2006 09:30 AMfor the sake of argument and discussion; Is our government not a broken thing now? We have institutionalized corruption that is designed to prevent the ideals we built this on. Monopoly is commonplace, price fixing is standard practice. Since money is the problem, how are we going to prevent the people that always have their hands out from being allowed to do so?
all of our congress seem more interested in their campaigns than their jobs. We need to take campaigning out of what they do to a large degree. We might just figure out how to finance elections and make it illegal, and enforceable, that anyone should put forth any money on their own. this leads to:
the FCC, which is giving monopolies away without demanding anything for them. local news is gone throughout much of the country, automated play is the way of things. And the FCC is more concerned about a teat than their original mission, the airwaves. Since when did our government organizations start censoring things?
the damn list goes on forever, and that brings the circle to a likely conclusion, this is broken. the people that wish to use it are broken and not representing us. their campaign requirements require almost all to become criminals, so they have made it "not a crime" to commit crimes of re election.
where is the prosecution of the criminals taking defense money bribes? they can't, everyone is involved, so they won't do a damn thing under orders from.......
this is a big machine to try to stop, modify and then return to it's normal state of motion. I just don't think we can expect this to happen, and we will see a continuation of what we have. The people aren't angry enough to demand change in great enough numbers.
if our politicians are criminals, everything they do is based on it. this is anarchy, within the laws they have found numerous ways of circumventing. one shining example, where is Patrick Fitzgerald? turns out, he didn't have shit, he is still working quietly, or he has been muzzled by the 'justice department' controlled by people known to have broken hundreds of laws.
we stink from the inside out. need some house cleaning. with powerful disenfectants capable of even today's resistant strains of bacteria
Posted by oldtree at August 5, 2006 09:36 AMFrom an article distributed by the Dallas Morning News regarding the new pension bill, which experts say will reduce traditional defined-benefit pension plan because: "Employers...want to shift more investment risk to workers, which is what happens with a 401(K)."
In other words, changing Social Security to be like a 401(K) is all about passing the government's RISK to workers. The Republicans claim that it will provide the opportunity for workers to profit by brilliant investing are completely false. It's all about leaving us stuck with RISK!
Posted by nohelp at August 5, 2006 09:40 AMoldtree.....I hear ya..
The thing rots from within….
we have met the enemy and the enemy is......us?
I used to think that the problem was that the people were living in the ego-based denial that they were somehow one of the cool top 1% that benefited from the policies enacted by this administration and the rubber-stamp Congress.
Now, I believe the problem stems from American fucking idealism.
People still want to believe that they somehow have a shot at the American Dream. They believe that if they keep their mouth shut, their nose clean, mow their lawn and go to church, that somehow, they are eligible for the American Dream.
They do not want to believe that their government has sold them out to the monied interests. They do not want to face the fact that they, too, are just one illness away from bankruptcy and with the Neo-Con Bankruptcy Bill there are no protections for them.
They do not want to face the fact that the policies enacted by these people are made to make it impossible for them to get a piece of the pie; or even a bite.
That is why it is so easy for them to point the finger at us and say that we are "America haters". Our reality based look at what has occured, the fact that we point out that the American Dream is a nightmare, is a personal assault on their own personal dream and they do not want to give this up or face the fact that it is dead. There is no way up or even to stability with the policies enacted by these "representatives."
This is also why it is so easy for them to point their fingers at the Countries who are attempting to protect themselves from Georgie's policy of pre-emption. These Countries want to make sure that they are protected from American Imperialistic invasion - they have seen it happen in Iraq.
So the people holding on to their dreams turn it around and make everyone else the enemy. To look at the US of A and the terror that it has become would mean to wake up from their delusion that they have a chance.
It will take a lot to break through this denial. They will wake up when it is too late. When their homes are foreclosed on, their neighbors live in the street and their families are taken away in the middle of the night to detention centers because they dared speak out against the insanity.
They will have to live the nightmare before they wake up to the truth that the Dream is Dead.
Posted by Anjha at August 5, 2006 10:57 AMFor any of you who are interested in purchasing the book Fiasco by Thomas Ricks, Costco has it for $15.19. Can't wait to read it.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 11:34 AM"I object to the title Methodist Theocratic Dictator - most Methodists have disassocated from that lying sack. Christofacist Theocratic Dictator is what he is."
Idio, especially when the Methodist Church is one of the more liberal churches. I know. I was raised in the Methodist Church, and my liberal parents would never have attended any church that wasn't.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 11:42 AMAnjha, I think you are so right. Excellent post. In fairness, it is difficult to believe that your Government is working against you or working for your demise. The moment it finally sinks in will be the day the revolution begins.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 11:50 AMJudith: I'm on day 2 of the audio of Fiasco. The book itself is extraordinarily well documented, virtually troll proof. Ricks is plain spoken and has told much of the story from the standpoint of boots on the ground, how the military has been constrained to a war run without leadership. Better than Cobra II.
Posted by mainsailset at August 5, 2006 12:03 PMviet nam did in the dems in 68..iraq has killed the repugnicans this election and next..no getting away from it..it was a gross miscalculation based on lies that lead us there..the people that got us into iraq should be hung...i hope they are..i hope that al gore runs in 08..i think he would win and has the experience to deal with the mess..he deserves it..he won in 2000 and was robbed...but i want to say one thing..if he doesn't...i see a lot of comments about hilary here mostly negative..and presently i am not a big fan...but do not UNDERESTIMATE her and bill...she has done what bill did and has stayed in the middle ...people who say she has no shot ..i think are wrong..she can win and bill will be right there holding her hand and people will recall the prosperity and relative peace while he was in office..and he was close to an agreement in the middle east...it will not just be hilary..it will be hilary and bill running
Posted by dennis at August 5, 2006 12:21 PMhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060404-3.html
http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_29061.html
http://irregularnews.com/senate/senTalentMO.html
I agree, just look at Jim Talen run from W. But Talent has been pimped so many times by W and Cheney that he can't run far from them. As whenever he needs a little money W. flies in and hold a fundraiser for Jimmy.
OK, id and Judith, I will change my "Iran Attacks" screenplay to "Christofacist Theocratic Dictator". Sorry, but all religious nuts look the same to an agnostic.
coyote: The movie isn't over yet, and Conarteesta and the chimp have promised us a happy EVENTUAL ending. I hope Condi clicks her designer heels together soon.
When Iran invades and occupies us will there be a civil war between the liberals and conservatives?
oldtree: I have my Comet cleanser at the ready, great post.
Anjha: I try to educate the poor folk who have no 1% illusions of grandeur, and they still don't vote. Excellent post.
Posted by TIKI AL at August 5, 2006 12:53 PMJudith, I have "Fiasco" here through the website for only $15.70, and you get to help TLC with your purchase (tongue firmly planted in cheek).
Posted by Steve Soto at August 5, 2006 01:02 PMI agree, just look at Jim Talen run from W. But "Talent has been pimped so many times by W and Cheney that he can't run far from them. As whenever he needs a little money W. flies in and hold a fundraiser for Jimmy."
Anon, the Missouri voters known damn well that he is Bush's pimp, along with Matt Blunt (who will never hold another political office in Missouri). Clair McCaskill has a 2% lead over Talent, 47 to 45 at this point-in-time.
For Talent, it is recovering from a careless and uncharacteristic misstep on the issue of the state’s stem cell initiative, which he opted to oppose. For Mc Caskill, it’s appealing to rural Missouri. Regardless, Talent has clearly squandered momentum, and Bush’s popularity only hampers his ability to reclaim it.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 01:10 PM
They develop a secret electronic jamming device for opposing weapon systems.
No. They bought it from Russia who got the secret American plans from Israel.
When Iran invades and occupies us will there be a civil war between the liberals and conservatives?
Pat Robertson will be the leader of "Robertson City". After several clashes, there will be an uneasy peace between he and the Iranian general in charge. Iran will encourage Lebanon to attack Israel, which will get Robertson's supporters demonstrating on the streets with their M-16's. Some will be seen waving IDF flags!
The libs will fragment into several factions, like the T. Leery brigade in San Francisco. The least effective faction, although well respected, will be the academic libs. They'll spend all their time collecting data before coming out with their opinions. But they are smart enough to keep the last vestiges of American independence alive. But since they are so bright, they'll be the ones maintaining a "new-cue-lee-yur" as well as pronouncing it correctly.
The conservatives (neo-cons, republi-cons) do form a temporary faction under promises from the Iranians to free them from the religious persecution the christians have been experiencing in the United States -as these people gladly and constantly tell us. Being the traitors they are to the American ideal, the conservatives fully embrace the Iranians, waving Iranian flags and cheering in large crowds when they enter the cities. Then the conservatives slowly disappear. "SOYLENT GREEN IS MADE...FROM...PEEE-PULLLLL!!!"
Posted by phidipides at August 5, 2006 01:55 PMTIKI, p-dip, I smell a blockbuster! I want Robert Rodriguez for director.
Posted by iamcoyote at August 5, 2006 02:07 PMOkay, I know this is off the current open thread topic, but over at Americablog, John posted to this article that mentions Junior's summer reading list for his vacation...books about Lincoln and Polio. People in the thread over there have come up with some very clever alternative books that Junior is really going to read over his 10 day vacation. It's worth the visit.
Posted by emal at August 5, 2006 02:11 PMSteve, boy is my face red. So sorry. That's what happens when you aren't using your knoggen.
Buy from TLC everyone. Good cause, same price, and you help this great site.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 02:40 PMEmal, these are fun:
shadywilder 08/04/06 11:07 pm
"Everybody knows Bush has never learned to read. These relentless and transparent spin attempts at making him seem intellectually curious have become parodic and pathetic."
"It's high time the Bush handlers admitted the obvious and commonly-known fact: Bush spends eight to ten hours a day playing Ms. PacMan."
or
BUSH'S LIBRARY SHELVES
by: Neil_McG
# "Staring Civil Wars For Pleasure & Profit"
# "The Big Atlas of Iraqi WMD Sites" (120 blank pages)
# "How to trash the USA Economy in 10 simple steps"
# "Saying "YES" to Israel's every whim"
# "British Poodles - the best friend a witless fuck from Crawford could have"
Bush reading about polio???? Be afraid, very afraid.
Posted by Judith at August 5, 2006 03:34 PMBush thinks if he injects himself with polio he will be able to govern like Roosevelt?
Posted by TIKI AL at August 5, 2006 04:31 PMJudith,
Yeah, I had a similar concern about his "alleged" reading about or more likely his interest in polio.
TIKI AL, anything is possible with the delusional...anything, I mean this is a man who believes God tells him what Wars he should start.
Posted by emal at August 5, 2006 04:47 PMI notice a distinct lack of Jew-hatered, this fine Saturday, on the part of the contributors here at TLC.
This is made more apparent given the volume of material that is available:
The madman of Iran has once again called for the extermination of Israel: "'Although the main solution is for the elimination of the Zionist regime, at this stage an immediate cease-fire must be implemented,' he said."
From here:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2269525
At the same time that Iran has admitted to supplying the Hezzies with long(er) range rockets.
From here:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525807791&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Come on folks.....it is in your nature!
Pessimist, sweetheart, I know you have a shovel...come on, dearest, dig yourself a hole.
bagley, kiss my tuchus. hope you had a good shabbat.
Posted by benjoya at August 5, 2006 05:53 PM"...bagley, kiss my tuchus. hope you had a good shabbat.'
And the Jew hatred appears!
P.S. You have little stain on your Kuffiyeh...you might want to launder that rag.
Posted by Bagley at August 5, 2006 06:11 PMkiss my grandpa isaac's and great-grandpa mordecai's tuchus.
it's not jew-hatred, it's you hatred. you putz.
and i don't have a kaffiyeh, i'm a jew. and don't call it a rag, you racist.
Posted by benjoya at August 5, 2006 06:32 PMwishing someone a good shabbat or telling them to kiss your tuchus is anti-semitic? who knew?
Posted by benjoya's great-grandpa mordecai at August 5, 2006 06:47 PM"... it's you hatred. you putz"
That will get you far in life.
"...and i don't have a kaffiyeh, i'm a jew.'
If so, self-loathing, no doubt. (The rag still has a staim on it...)
"... you racist."
You should really not post while looking in a mirror."
You should really not post while looking in a mirror
wow, talk about oscar wilde.
Posted by benjoya at August 5, 2006 06:52 PM"wow, talk about oscar wilde."
Cute. Oscar Wilde misunderstood, but still the attempt is cute.
Well, time to go.
Goodnight all.
Posted by Bagley at August 5, 2006 07:10 PMAnd the Jew hatred appears!
Coming from a neo-nazi such as yourself, this is pretty cute.
I've always failed to see how not supporting the Israeli government and its actions equates to anti-semitism. It's as stupid as thinking that pointing out the failures of this administration is anti-christian. The chimporer's lunatic beliefs may influence policy, but being against his idiotic policies has nothing to do with being anti-christian.
Posted by phidipides at August 5, 2006 07:37 PMSo, the chimporer was taking 1500 pages to read (and who the fuck reads according to the number of pages beyond frat boys) for 30 days, and a 1000 pages for 10 days. One wonders if they aren't possibly large print? I recommend he read or Green Eggs and Ham. I think these would help him with economics and transportation. He can look at the pictures to get the gist of the story and go for comprehension later.
I am very worried about the Polio book. What if the Mad King's pet goat is ill? I think we should ask christians everywhere to hold prayer vigils for the goat. I have some goat prayer cloths that are available in limited quantity for a small donation of $49.95 to my prayer ministry.
Posted by phidipides at August 5, 2006 08:03 PMIs bush going to put the polio germ in the dems water coolers when he gets back to "work"?
phid: In our "Iran Attacks" screenplay, during the neocon's warcrimes trial, can we have bush go on a successful hunger strike?
I heard bush is writing an article while on vacation entitled "Purple Thumbs and Scarlet Sidewalks", under the nom de plume "I. M. Mc Flightsuit".
Posted by TIKI AL at August 5, 2006 10:05 PMphid: In our "Iran Attacks" screenplay, during the neocon's warcrimes trial, can we have bush go on a successful hunger strike?
Rummy will get to play his favorite role for the trials, demetia patient.
cheney as the pirate, aarrgh!
Johnny Depp will play Cheney? There is certainly a striking resemblence, but I think we can do better. Daryl Hannah, maybe?
Ah, there's nothing like turning on the TV first thing Sunday morning and seeing Conarteesta lying her ass off to depress you for the rest of the day.
Posted by TIKI AL at August 6, 2006 06:16 AM