Politics and Culture

It's easy to get riled up when somebody on your side dresses down a representative from the other, but conservatives should not call Democratically-elected officials, "Nazis," even if the officials brought it up in the first place. To call somebody a "Nazi" is to impute that he's a mass-murdering pagan. Democrats do not advocate mass murder. Some Democrats are socialists, but socialism is block-headed and freedom-sapping, not evil.

Let's keep our wits about us and show some respect to our Democratic neighbors.

That aside, I liked when the gentleman thanked his congressman for letting him keep his own health care. Think about it.

On a related note, Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism may be the most influential political book of the decade. The Marine in the video's knowledge of Nazi industrial policy is strait from the book.

While at Barnes and Noble, buying a game of Yikerz, I happened upon a book by apparent idiot David Neiwart called: The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right (how I hate conservatives and am willing to dig up fringy stuff to smear the 50% of the population I don't agree with). As I leafed through it, I happened upon a section dealing with Goldberg's book. Liberal Fascism is so influential that lefty morons like Neiwart feel the need to deal with Goldberg's book before calling Rush Limbaugh a fascist. Oh, how he must yearn for the good old days when a liberal could just associate conservatives with Nazis and call it a day.

My friends alerted me to this post from Think Progress (to which I always ask, "towards what?").

Ignoring the fact that most liberals when talking amongst themselves really want all of the things people are "misinformed" about ("give benefits to illegal aliens, support abortion, and ration care? Never!"), ahem:

72% of self-identified FOX News viewers believe the health-care plan will give coverage to illegal immigrants

a. If Obama doesn't intend to insure illegal aliens, why doesn't he subtract the 10-15 million illegal aliens from the phony 46,000,000 uninsured number he throws around.

b. Does the bill specifically exclude illegal immigrants?

79% of them say it will lead to a government takeover,

a. Part of that 79% includes the CBO who said that millions will lose their private health insurance under Obamacare, a prospect that people like Barney Frank and Barack Obama must consider a dealbreaker [sarcasm].

b. Obama has said he wants single-payer, as well.

69% think that it will use taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions...

a. A panel will decide which procedures the government will fund. The panel is appointed by the president. You can take it from there. Here's a reaction.

75% believe that it will allow the government to make decisions about when to stop providing care for the elderly.

a. There will be a panel that will ration care. Obama himself has said that older people take up a lot of care and that a hospice might make better sense (cents). In every other country with a health care panel or commission, they come up with a quality years of life formulations to ration care. Ezekiel Emmanuel has said that he supports the concept and he's on the health care team. Peter Singer wrote an editorial in the mainstream New York Times saying the same thing.

Sarah says as much here.

b. "We are God's partners in matters of life and death"

-Barack Obama

We're on to the game, TP. Saying that it won't happen because the bill doesn't specifically say so is like saying, "Sure, you guys can play basketball. I have to go home with the ball though."

Here's what Democrats and leftists want from the American populace:

Don't use your brain. Don't take the next logical step. Trust us. We would never cover illegal aliens. We will bring down costs without rationing. We would never ever fund abortion.

Conservative bloggers, talk radio and cable show hosts, and columnists must be jealous of Obama's ability to convince people to be conservatives.

Health care is complicated and boring. That's probably why the press is focusing on the rowdier town hall crowds and sensational statements by Sarah Palin instead of the plan itself.

As usual, it's hard to say whether people prefer this to the real issue or the media just think they do.

Whom does this benefit? It could be that the White House knows that the more people learn about the plan the more they'll dislike it so it prefers the distraction.

Meanwhile, CNN has banned talk radio personalities from coming on and commenting on the issue. Talk show hosts differ in their approach, intelligence, and knowledge. I guess a blanket ban based on a stereotype is easier than examining such distinctions.

I don't listen to all of talk radio, but the shows that I've listened to have done a much better job of covering the issue than television.

Finally, disinformation is inevitable. Let's correct those. The bill is the thing.

Wow! I'd like to see Barbara Boxer and Hillary go at it.

Whatever happened to the days when you could call the president a Nazi fascist and support Palestinian anti-Semites with nary a criticism from either the president or Jews? When you could equate the United States with Nazi Germany (and then bristle at being called "anti-American?") No? Here's a reminder:

The good old days.

Jew devils: there's a new one.

So, why all the hubbub when conservatives protest? What's the difference?

Yes, liberals media types may naturally sympathize with the leftist protesters, but the real reason is that nobody takes liberals seriously. Liberals protest the same way that sports fans have tailgate parties- it's a chance to get together and blow off some steam. I'd say that another good analogy would be "going to church," but religion makes at least a little bit of sense.

1. One theory concerning marriage fidelity matters is that one's personal conduct is a good predictor of one's public corruption factor. It may not be a completely 1:1 correlation, but I do think that dishonesty is a habit or: if one practices dishonesty, one finds it easy to lie. I'll add that the adept liar finds it difficult to tell the truth, if only because he's used to lying. When one practices honesty, telling the truth is easy and lying is hard. Wouldn't it be difficult to have two standards on the same sin, honesty (I have heard men say that it's OK to lie to women, but that's just a rationalization).

Mark Sanford's behavior dovetails nicely with this theory: personally and publicly corrupt, it turns out.

Other notoriously womanizing presidents- Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton- were also corrupt politicians, if not unaccomplished in other areas. Carter was neither corrupt nor an adulterer, just foolish.

2. It's important that politicians be personally and publicly honest; not only do they handle our money, but they're a reflection of their electors, us (people get the government they deserve) and an example to children. I might not care whether my mechanic or surgeon is having an affair, as I can check their figures or get a second opinion. Skill and talent are independent of one's morality.

3. I wonder whether cheating doctors perform more unnecessary tonsillectomies.

4. It would be rude to ask Eunice Kennedy Shriver how much she's spending on her end-of-life health care. It's none of my business. It shouldn't be the government's either, which is why I want an independent health care system.

5. Isn't it hilarious when ultra-left Hollywood asks for tax breaks to stay in business?

6. Republicans did well with Sotomayor and are doing fine on health care. Their strategy seems to be to give Obama lots of rope to hang himself or, non-metaphorically: let Obama enact lots of liberal legislation and watch him fail. When you're confident in the dumminess of the other guy's ideology and the good sense of the American people, you can play this game.

7. Useful idiocy watch: Benicio del Toro and Bill Murray travel to Cuba. Like Henry from Babalu, I expect del Toro to be an idiot, but Bill Murray should know better.