the BL Rag - Comments

skinnydipinacid comments on Who defines what is Racism ?

skinnydipinacid — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:50:44 +0000

Phony claims of racism are running wild these days. It's as if today's version comes off with an entirely new definition. If somebody doesn't agree with you, or doesn't like what you have to say, or they can't seem to hold a reasonable debate... then you might be a racist. If you're white, christian, and older than 12... then it's likely you're a racist. If you happen to live in the south or Arizona... you're definitely a racist. If you've even been to a Tea Party rally... not only are you racist, but you're probably mentally challenged as well (or so they'll have you believe).

The more I even talk about it in that way, the more it sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy skit. If you know who Jeff Foxworthy is... then you might just be a racist.

If race baiters had their way the thesaurus entry would look something like this:

Main Entry: racist
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: bigot
Synonyms: anti-Semite, arizonian, bible thumper, bitter clinger, ~~black supremacist~~, chauvinist, christian, conservative, diehard, doctrinaire, fanatic, fox news viewer, glenn beck, gun rights advocate, hater, hunter, klansperson, legal immigrant, nazi, neo-con, opinionated person, prejudiced person, republican, rush limbaugh listener, sarah palin supporter, sectarian, segregationist, sexist person, southerner, tea partier, white supremacist, xenophobe

Antonyms: democrats, good guys, liberals, obama supporters, progressives, smartest people alive

Ah, if only they had their way.

wesmorgan1 comments on Who defines what is Racism ?

wesmorgan1 — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:54:07 +0000

It's a real tightrope. I do believe that we should hold the leaders of political movements to a higher standard than we do the folks in the bleachers. For instance, I'm not too worked up about one guy wearing a "blacks own slaves in..." t-shirt; however, the folks like Richardson and Williams went way too far and were arguably (if not demonstrably) racist in their actions.

So, yes, pay attention to the leaders, the sponsors and the speakers - I don't see anything wrong with that. Pay attention to folks who had to get permission from the organization to pursue their activities, like vendors and the like. People in the audience are usually outside the control of the organizers; unless you have some evidence that the organizers were involved, I don't see those as an indictment of an entire group.

wesmorgan1 comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

wesmorgan1 — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:37:52 +0000

Their ultimate solution is to eliminate the program entirely, isn't it?
Apparently not for "anybody in the system or close to the system."

You just can't give a straight "Yes" answer, can you? *laugh* You can't really talk around what Miller said - even if he grandfathers current working-age persons, he would abolish Social Security if he had his way.

wesmorgan1 comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

wesmorgan1 — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:36:14 +0000

I'm hoping the dems don't attack every Republican who favors reforming SS as a person who wants to abolish it.

Well, TM, a big part of the problem is that--for more than a few folks on the right--"reform" is codespeak for "abolish." Here's Miller flat-out saying that it would be gone if he had his way, and there's Angle changing from "phased out" in her primary to "reform" in the general campaign. Then there's Toomey, denying that he's ever favored privatization after writing a book with an entire chapter on privatization and cheerleading the Bush Administration's efforts in that respect.

Your ideas, by the way, strike me as generally reasonable (though means-testing is anathema to many folks on both sides of the aisle). The catch in raising the retirement age will be age discrimination, which is already a growing problem.

Thomas Miller comments on Labor Day Weekend Open

Thomas Miller — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:13:43 +0000

"In the afternoon, the president will leave for the Camp David presidential retreat in the Catoctin (kuh-TAHK'-tin) Mountains of Maryland."

Time for some R&R. LOL.

Machiavelli comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

Machiavelli — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:07:49 +0000

I'm hoping the dems don't attack every Republican who favors reforming SS as a person who wants to abolish it.

I'm sure it'll be worse than that.

New Dem slogan: SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!

Thomas Miller comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

Thomas Miller — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:22:18 +0000

I'm hoping the dems don't attack every Republican who favors reforming SS as a person who wants to abolish it. Can anyone deny SS doesn't need to be reformed? SS won't even carry its fiscal weight this year. They say it’s solvent until 2037 but there is no SS trust fund and we’ve already started to exceed in-flow with payments to retirees, so the need for 'reform' was never more urgent. I say:

1). Increase the retirement age to 70 in phases.

2). Means test it.

3). And look at a pilot program where some avenue is available for those who want to take a share of their retirement money and put in a higher earning government CD. SS returns something less than 1% right now. Invest in 30 or 40 year treasuries with a return of 3%.

Can you imagine the inflow of capital and the difference in retiree payments with a 3% return vs. less than 1%? This shouldn't be such a big deal and I think seniors "get it" now and the scare tactics don't work anymore.

griswold3 comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

griswold3 — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:14:09 +0000

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/2010/ebsa082610.html

'U.S. Department of Labor publishes agenda for September 14-15 joint hearing on lifetime income options for retirement plans

Washington — Today the U. S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released the agenda for the upcoming joint hearing with the Department of the Treasury on lifetime income options for retirement plans. Accompanying the agenda are copies of the witnesses’ requests to testify and testimony outlines. The hearing begins at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on September 14 and 15, 2010. The hearing will be held in the Labor Department’s main auditorium, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW in Washington, D.C.'

Why worry?

Machiavelli comments on Illegal Immigration Is...Dropping Significantly?!

Machiavelli — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:22:11 +0000

I note that arrests are outpacing estimated successes by a ratio of 2-to-1 in recent years.

That's good. Perhaps with the construction of a wall/fence we can further improve that ratio, thereby freeing up law enforcement resources for deporting the illegals already living here.

Machiavelli comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

Machiavelli — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:14:12 +0000

Their ultimate solution is to eliminate the program entirely, isn't it?

Apparently not for "anybody in the system or close to the system."

And given the fact that Congress has the authority to change Social Security's benefits whenever they want, shouldn't Miller's statement be reassuring?

wesmorgan1 comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

wesmorgan1 — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:39:42 +0000

That's what everyone who favors privatization (or, now, explicit abolition) says, Machiavelli. The net result is the same, isn't it? Sharron Angle went from "phase out" to "reform," but her ultimate intention is the same, right? Their ultimate solution is to eliminate the program entirely, isn't it?

Machiavelli comments on Joe Miller - Abolish Social Security (If He Got His Way)

Machiavelli — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:15:20 +0000

I wonder why you didn't bold this part:

That anybody in the system or close to the system is fine. We won't do anything significant to change your benefits.

I guess acknowledging that part would mean a less shocking headline, wouldn't it?