Still Hating America.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
My grandfather was born in the sticks, one of 15 kids, and was 18 when his father died. He was on his own. He worked hard his whole life and was proud of it. But that doesn't mean he thought life ought to be a "winnowing process." He once told me that the only two organizations that ever did anything for him in his life were the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Democratic Party, though I imagine he'd toss the BPOE in there if you asked.

Did he work hard to get ahead? Sure. Does that mean he thought an unregulated free market was a glorious thing? Of course not.

Mine thought differently, and he saw unions and Democrats as loathsome sorts who wanted to screw with vehicle that allowed him to have a decent life and are on a soft branch of an ideological continuum including Socialism, which took over and later destroyed his native country.

My Irish grandmother'd break my fingers before she saw me with a Union card.

YMMV.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
My grandfather was born in the sticks, one of 15 kids, and was 18 when his father died. He was on his own. He worked hard his whole life and was proud of it. But that doesn't mean he thought life ought to be a "winnowing process." He once told me that the only two organizations that ever did anything for him in his life were the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Democratic Party, though I imagine he'd toss the BPOE in there if you asked.

Did he work hard to get ahead? Sure. Does that mean he thought an unregulated free market was a glorious thing? Of course not.

My grandfather died in WWII, and the other one was an itinerant artist who drank himself to death. So I've always relied on my grandmothers for wisdom. Even the Republican one was pretty damn glad she got electricity and actually had a hospital to deliver the last baby in (the one that was a difficult delivery). And the free market did neither for her.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Mine thought differently, and he saw unions and Democrats as loathsome sorts who wanted to screw with vehicle that allowed him to have a decent life and are on a soft branch of an ideological continuum including Socialism, which took over and later destroyed his native country.

My Irish grandmother'd break my fingers before she saw me with a Union card.

YMMV.

I'm sure one's mileage can vary, so let's not pretend that our elders and betters endorse any one fuel efficiency standard (or lack thereof).

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
I'm sure one's mileage can vary, so let's not pretend that our elders and betters endorse any one fuel efficiency standard.

Yes, but I think Sebby's ought to only be allowed to drive on turnpikes created by the free market.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
Yes, but I think Sebby's ought to only be allowed to drive on turnpikes created by the free market.

And I think you should only use computers, drugs, airplanes and automobiles created by the government.

[Adder]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
Then, tell me which of the candidates would do what you want. Third, tell me - rationally - why I ought to buy into any ideology or candidate currently offered.

To avoid situations like we have in Iraq?

The parties are practically the same on most issues. The only hope is that you can avoid some cowboy idiot who thinks the way to solve problems is to act tough.

[Adder]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
We're hopelessly overregulated and its screwing up our economy.

Okay, which regulations would you get rid of?

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
And I think you should only use computers, drugs, airplanes and automobiles created by the government.

And I think you should only use computers, drugs, airplanes and automobiles that have never been subject to any regulations whatsoever. I mean, you trust the airlines and aircraft makers to come up with their own standards and, when things go wrong, to conduct honest investigations and honestly report who fucked up, right? And since everyone would get along really well, there wouldn't be additional costs incurred fighting about who was responsible, right? I'm sure it would make everything cheaper.

[Adder]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
And I think you should only use computers, drugs, airplanes and automobiles created by the government.

Given that amount of goverment (and government funded) research that went into developing modern computers, nearly all drugs, and modern airplanes, this is kind of funny.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

You all do realize that Craigslist thing was a fake, right?

The grammatical errors in it are forced. The construction of the thing shows a person who is a solid writer - in fact, much better than solid - attempting to dumb the prose down to make it look like a soldier wrote it (which is perfectly understandable, given the Left's view that the military are a non-civilian version of the same veriety of dupe falling prey to "predatory" lending en masse).

As one astute observer of this board noted to me, it was probably written by a "36 year old Berkeley grad student."

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Adder
Given that amount of goverment (and government funded) research that went into developing modern computers, nearly all drugs, and modern airplanes, this is kind of funny.

Indeed, because those companies that create those things pay no taxes at all. The govt just gives them money to make stuff for us.

And of course Apple and Windows, as we both know, were the products of govt think tanks.

Removing the govt from the equation would not impede development of anything one bit. It takes with one hand and gives back with the other, creating administrative costs and little more along the way.

Now, tell me how it built the internet. You're nothing if not predictable.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
You all do realize that Craigslist thing was a fake, right?

The grammatical errors in it are forced. The construction of the thing shows a person who is a solid writer - in fact, much better than solid - attempting to dumb the prose down to make it look like a soldier wrote it (which is perfectly understandable, given the Left's view that the military are a non-civilian version of the same veriety of dupe falling prey to "predatory" lending en masse).

As one astute observer of this board noted to me, it was probably written by a "36 year old Berkeley grad student."

I just read it and I think you're right. Why would he die in a sand pit? I don't imagine trench warfare works really well in the sand.

I don't really see what that has to do with predatory lending, though.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
You all do realize that Craigslist thing was a fake, right?

The grammatical errors in it are forced. The construction of the thing shows a person who is a solid writer - in fact, much better than solid - attempting to dumb the prose down to make it look like a soldier wrote it (which is perfectly understandable, given the Left's view that the military are a non-civilian version of the same veriety of dupe falling prey to "predatory" lending en masse).

As one astute observer of this board noted to me, it was probably written by a "36 year old Berkeley grad student."

There's a very long discussion in the blog where I found it about its authenticity. One guy argues that its being posted in the San Francisco craigslist is proof enough it's a fake. I quibble with his assertion that people from NorCal aren't patriotic, but I don't have problems with poking at whether it was written by a real person or not.

ETA: Link to that discussion.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Adder
To avoid situations like we have in Iraq?

The parties are practically the same on most issues. The only hope is that you can avoid some cowboy idiot who thinks the way to solve problems is to act tough.

Deep. "Acting tough" was exactly the problem. On one hand, you rip me for mot being specific. On the other, the best you can ever offer is to parrot some frustrated emo crap suggesting Bush's psychology has ruined the world.

The cowboy's Cheney, and he ain't acting tough. He's acting like an uber-politician and immoral businessman. Here's a tip - forget all those silly caricatures the DailyKos crowd loves to apply to Bush and look at the thing for exactly the geopolitical and economic chess match it is. "Why We Fight" might be the only Left wing documentary with any teeth. Watch it, and drop the Lefty claptrap about Bush being a Cowboy. Makes you look stupid.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
And I think you should only use computers, drugs, airplanes and automobiles created by the government.

I get to use it all 'cause I'm not at the alter of either the market or government.

But, if given a choice, I want the drugs that God created, and to hell with both the market and the government.