November 07, 2004

• They should go ahead and do it. And see who's gonna apply to UN for aid first. I cannot believe he had the gall to say this:

  BUSH USA is predominantly white; devoutly Christian (mostly Protestant)

  ....

  GORE/KERRY USA is ethnically diverse; multi-religious, irreligious or nastily antireligious

  I see he's conveniently forgotten that many of their ancestors went (fled would be a better word) in part due to religious and racial prosecution or prejudice.
• I thought it was a joke except... Mr. Thompson is the past chairman of the Florida Conservative Union. And now I'm not so sure.
• "The 12 states that must go: California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, and Delaware." This guy conveniently forgets that Oregon and Washington would want no part of his delusional image of 'better 'murika. Someone needs to take away this guy's sharpened crayons before he hurts himself. . . . Minnesota and Wisconsin would probably want to say 'bye-bye' too, considering how they voted. As well as a few others here and there.
• Defamation, never envisioned by our Founding Fathers as being protected by the First Amendment, flourishes and passes today for acceptable political discourse. Movies, magazines, newspapers, radio/TV programs, plays, concerts, public schools, colleges, and most other public vehicles openly traffic in slander and libel. Very well then, good sir, we shall settle this as proper gentlemen would. With a duel! I'll have at ye, scalawag!
• Oh this is rich! Where, oh where do I begin? 1. Funny how most of the troublesome twelve singled out are the original states of the country. You know, the founding ones? They also are the ones having their coffers drained dry by the red states. 2."BUSH USA is predominantly white…" Need I say more? Racism, anyone? (And no, I'm not calling the red states racists, nor even the writer; just the argument itself). 3. "…murder rate being about 16% of the homicidal binge that plagues…" Um, the homicide rate is now extremely low, not high as popular perception would have it. Turn off your local news, it does wonders for your view of your fellow humans. Last I'd read, the homicide rate was down down to 1950s levels or thereabouts. Has it spiked the past (ahem) four years? I do know this: its precipitous, historic decline occurred under the watch of the Democrats in the 90s, not Republicans. 4. A Post-Expulsion US would have no tax base. Period. And ooh, wrapping it all up, quotes! I see this one was conveniently forgotten: "We hold these truths to to be self-evident: that all men are created equal…" This is fun!
• Hey I'm nastily antireligious!
• I think the possibility that the rulers of the Right States may actually support the secession of California and other more sensible states from the dying U.S.ofA. is the best news I heard this week. Now, who was it that suggested a California Secessionist Party?
• The 12 states that must go: California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, and Delaware. Only the remaining 38 states would retain the name, "United States of America." Future article titles by Mike Thompson: Cattle and Corn, America's New Economy America, Still Richer than Haiti Dear New York and California, Can You Spare a Few Bucks? Gore/Kerry denizens are concentrated in the metropolises of the East and West Coasts and those big cities on the Great Lakes or Mississippi River. Other significant pockets of ultraliberal extremists may be found in intellectually incestuous college towns and pro-big-government state capitals, along the estranged and overwhelmed Mexican border, and in Dixie's welfare-addicted Cotton Belt. Oh my god! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! It's like they make up half the country or something!
• with any good luck (or bon chance), socialist Canada would annex our jettisoned territory, eh? *sigh* One can dream, can't he? What a great article, I haven't had that much fun mocking someone since grade school.
• Heh. Well, back when Quebec was threatening to secede, I heard scenarios where the U.S. would have picked up the maritime provinces and Newfoundland (should we have wanted it). So, fair's fair. Fun article. I wish stoking Red America's inferiority complex so they would expel us were a viable option; it'd be way fun.
• with any good luck (or bon chance), socialist Canada would annex our jettisoned territory, eh? It's been suggested. All together! SEE-CEED! SEE-CEED! SEE-CEED! SEE-CEED!
• Jesus, people, it's a joke. It has "modest proposal" in the title. And just in case you missed 7th grade English, the author explains it in the 2nd paragraph. If I thought utter and total humorlessness would help put a Dem. back in the White House in '08, I would join in, but I don't quite see how it helps.
• douggles, of course the statistics for murder will seem high if you just go by incidences per 100k of population. He needs to factor in population density. Wyoming, for instance, has a population density of 5.1 persons per square mile and an overall population of 501,242, as opposed to say,New Jersey, which as a density of 1134.4 persons per square mile and an overall population of 8,638,396. The average murderer will have a hard time if he tries to kill people he's never even met.
• You know, the more I think about this article (and don't worry, I don't think much) the more I think about the conclusion most historians have come to regarding the US Civil War/War Between the States, that the North won because they had a greater population and vastly superior manufacturing abilities and technology. Hmmm, anyone for a second Reconstruction Period?
• A quote from the Adam Felber thing from a couple of posts ago:

  There are some who would say that I sound bitter, that now is the time for healing, to bring the nation together. Let me tell you a little story. Last night, I watched the returns come in with some friends here in Los Angeles. As the night progressed, people began to talk half-seriously about secession, a red state / blue state split. The reasoning was this: We in blue states produce the vast majority of the wealth in this country and pay the most taxes, and you in the red states receive the majority of the money from those taxes while complaining about 'em. We in the blue states are the only ones who've been attacked by foreign terrorists, yet you in the red states are gung ho to fight a war in our name. We in the blue states produce the entertainment that you consume so greedily each day, while you in the red states show open disdain for us and our values. Blue state civilians are the actual victims and targets of the war on terror, while red state civilians are the ones standing behind us and yelling "Oh, yeah!? Bring it on!"

• drjimmy11: Jesus, people, it's a joke. It has "modest proposal" in the title. And just in case you missed 7th grade English, the author explains it in the 2nd paragraph. As an admitted "modest proposal" (a la Swift's satiric story of the same name), it is nevertheless serious in pointing out the cancer that continues to threaten our body politic. You mean this second paragraph (bold added)? Where's the joke?
• Drjimmy11, this is a joke? As an admitted "modest proposal" (a la Swift's satiric story of the same name), it is nevertheless serious in pointing out the cancer that continues to threaten our body politic. I guess I'm missing the punchline. Please fill me in on the "humor".
• Perhaps the "blue states" should cease subsidizing the "red states"... New York, Massachusetts, California, etc all pay in far more than they receive. It simply blows one's mind (OK, it lows my mind) that rural Republican states like Utah receive far greater funding per capita than New Jersey, New york, or California. Especially when it come to "homeland security". Is Wyoming really at greater risk than New Jersey???? If we as a nation really care about protecting our borders against terrorist attacks, why are we sending government pork to inland states while we ignore the threats to our East and West coast frontiers? Could it be that our coastal states are too "blue"?
• Jesusland (via mofi)
• And just in case you missed 7th grade English, the author explains it in the 2nd paragraph. As an admitted "modest proposal" (a la Swift's satiric story of the same name), it is nevertheless serious in pointing out the cancer that continues to threaten our body politic. Read the title of this post, then perhaps get back to us on the "7th grade English" stuff. Speaking of which, I'm tremendously impressed by the educational level of the US if they're teaching this in 7th grade.
• If we as a nation really care about protecting our borders against terrorist attacks, why are we sending government pork to inland states while we ignore the threats to our East and West coast frontiers? Could it be that our coastal states are too "blue"? Terrorist acts strengthen the attack on civil liberties in this country. By doing so, the Right can keep an eye on anyone who doesn't vote the Party Line. Keeping DHS underfunded and impotent increases the likelihood of future attacks and thus reinforces the power structure. In combination with patriotic platitiudes, these activities shore up support for a morally bankrupt political organisation whose only hope for reelection lies in inflaming violent hatred for [gay|black|non-White,non-Christian] citizens.
• Platitiudes should be platitudes, sorry.
• Could it be that our coastal states are too "blue"? Wait, that could be why they get dismissed so easily! When seen from above they must be blending into the ocean in a sort of commonwealth camouflage.
• Don't forget Hawaii. Hah, we get Hawaii. Neener, neener, neener...
• Alex, my umbrage isn't directed against "the terrorists", not that I favor them in the least. The thing that pisses me off is the way the right-wingers have wrapped themselves in the flag, even posing for photo-ops at Ground Zero, while ignoring the real dangers at our ports. Container cargo enters the port of Long Beach largely unscreened. The Bush administration spends more in one day in their Iraq war than it would cost to fund a radiation detector for one of our ports of entry. Where are our priorities?
• Where are our priorities? Our priorities are in keeping fags from enjoying the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our priorities are in fighting a war that inflames hatred of the United States and enjoins terrorists to redouble their efforts to hurt and kill us, all while ignoring the root causes of terrorism. Our priorites lie in giving tax refunds to people and corporations that do not need such financial help, while piling up IOUs and bills that working Americans will likely be unable to repay, thus removing those same people in 10-20 years from access to the national healthcare and pension systems (Medicare and SS) which they have spent their working years funding. Our priorities are so far removed from the security and well-being of average Americans (yes, even those "rednecks" in the "hated" Red states are affected) that the mind reels. So I ask the apologists on the Right once again: do you really know who you voted for?
• Where are our priorities? Up Bush's ass.
• This is a pretty elegant summation. (swf, 1.3 Mg)
• That was beautiful.
• Wolof, that link was wonderful. Alex, I'm a "fag" with a high level security clearance. I have an RSA ticker on my keychain that grants me access to some highly sensitive networks (say no more). My employer knows that I'm a lefty-liberal faggot. I am entrusted with a high level of security clearance because I am trustworthy. When the republicans trot out the old gay-baiting schtick, perhaps we should hold them to their word. I'm talking about the old "some of my best friends" thing. HW and Bar claim that they value the friendship of their gay and lesbian acquaintances. The Cheneys say that they love their Lesbian daughter. So why are they so eager to pander to the gay-hating "Christian" right?
• Funny, I thought the whole point of Swift's "Modest Proposal" was that he was saying the opposite of what he wanted to say. Maybe I was wrong - I've always struggled with the literary definition and use of irony (I had to wait until university to cover this in a class, so maybe we're just dim in Canada). I do highly reccomend Swift's essay, if you haven't read it - bitter, funny, but very passionate - if we had more moral writing of this calibre, our world would be a very different place.
• California? But California voted for Arnold!
• What about Michigan ? We're blue, too !
• jb, I doubt that Swiftian irony is lost on anyone here. More than once I've heard expressed the sentiment that we should have let the South secede when they wanted to. We're stuck with each other. Let's learn to live with it.
• Just because there's a trailer park in town doesn't mean you have to live there.
• yed - I was just pointing out that the author of the post doesn't seem to be using irony, if I remember it right. So, I didn't know why he would choose to compare his essay to Swift's, unless it was just that he wanted to borrow the title.
• Where do I sign up for that? Secession, expulsion ... either way, I'm all for it.
• Yed: So why are they so eager to pander to the gay-hating "Christian" right? Good luck in getting a straight (sorry) answer. Is it votes? Is is that they really hate us? In the end, I'm not sure it really matters, frankly. Unchecked, the end result will be pretty much the same.
• I love how we're starting to prove Osama fucking Bin Laden's ignant ass right about dividing America up into its component states. Yeah, I know, now it's a joke. And I'm not saying I don't sympathize with kicking out the South or the North or whatever. But this is hilarious.
• i was transfixed by the advertisements in the sidebar on the human events site. wtf is up with the mad animated gifs? "everybody is drinking somebody else's disease"; image of bottle of water with superimposed skull and crossbones; "now you know why we sell thousands of electron machines"; guy with his shirt off; "let water treat you". in brief, swift was commenting on britain's policy of economic strangulation/suffocation towards ireland.
• Here's a thought about why there's not port security, whay security overall is such a sick joke. Perhaps there *is* no war on terror, just as there is no real 'war on drugs'. Perhaps it's all a sham to generate more pork for corporations who push security nostroms for what ails you. Look at the bumper opium crop now that we've occupied Afghanistan whereas previosly it was practically eradicated under the Taliban. Look at the fact there hasn't been anything even remotely close to 9-11 since that day, not that I'm saying 'bring it on', but really, let's look at the facts. We're being taken for a ride, and ultimately, those who benefit are corporations and the government employees, both nationally and locally, who 'grease the skids' for them with tax breaks and financial incentives. Where is my financial incentive? Where is my tax break? It's a sham, it's a sham, it's a sham. And Osama Bin Laden is a sock puppet . . .