Displaying 451 To 480 Of 732 Comments I think that karoli has it right, as does Larry O’Donell. I see the GOP having a real problem passing a budget, which is SOP in Washington. All this talk about a balanced budger is talk. Congess, basically, cannot pass one. Congress can neither cut spending, nor raise taxes. This Congress is no different. » Posted By agrippa On July 15, 2011 @ 10:34 am The Debt Ceiling Crisis Thread Choicelady, I did not ‘drop out’. I stopped being involved in the ‘movement’ or the ‘left’ because of the arguments and feuds that, historically, have been common with the left. So many times, people lost sight of the the true opponent. I got tired of the infighting. Inertia does fit in with Conservatism; as well as deference and obedience and hierarchy. It is a pretty passive and pessimistic philosophy. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 6:15 pm The left has had a practice of this sort of infighting from the start of “leftism”; this has been true all over the world, not just in the USA. The Bolsheviks under Lenin were about the only leftist organization that practiced iron discipline like the nazis. It is the main reason that I stopped being active in 1968. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 2:17 pm funksands, I do not have an answer to that. Leftist/leftish activism fell away not long after 1972. Civil Rights could be called a success, legally anyway. Nixon ended the Vietnam war and ended the draft. Labor and the activists kind of fell out. I think that all the air was let out of the balloon. The younger people had no burning issues to rally around. And conservatism is, at bottom, a very passive do little doctrine. In a way, it is very easy tobe a conservative. To be a liberal/leftist you have to believe in something called “progress”. And, work toward that. That is something that has been real hard to believe in. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 1:05 pm FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh He comes from a prominent Republican family. He is a typical Southern Conservative. His radio show tells people what they want to hear. » Posted By agrippa On August 2, 2011 @ 9:46 am CL, you are expecting that people who are the prisoners of their passions to be logical. It will be 40 or 50 years, at least, before people have the critical distance to see Obama objectively. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 7:35 pm None of them were there; none of them is President; nor, do any of them want to be President. That, I think, has to be made clear from the start. The fact is that a deal had to be made; and, Obama had to get them to make a deal. It was a dirty job and only he could do it. I do not expect partisans on either side to approve of any deal. It is part and parcel of strong partisanship to take umbrage at the fact that politics is the “art of the possible”. History is full of politicians who refused to accept that fact; they went ahead and demolished the place and destroyed themselves. It is a hard lesson to learn. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 9:28 am Nature of the beast, emerald. The left, all over the world, has been that way from the start of “left”. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 7:39 am Tex, I do not know any liberals. I live in NW Harris Co. The 10th Fed Dist. ( Mc Caul) Maybe not apathetic; maybe more a matter of: “rude to discuss politics”. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 7:37 am One may call it damage control. I am not ‘happy’ with this deal; but, people sat home in Nov 2010. Elections have consequences. I expect articles of that sort at places like Dailykos. Presidents need to have their friends criticize them. I do not mind it at all; and, neither, I am sure, does Obama. But, at the end of the day, Dailykos needs to be able to indentify their enemies. And, proceed as indicated. And, the southern faction of the GOP is, in fact, their enemy. » Posted By agrippa On August 1, 2011 @ 4:57 am I guess that I am on the dark side as well. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 8:46 pm Actually, he did not “cave”. The purists may say that he did, and I understand that some will say that. I live in a state – TX – which is solid GOP. People are either Republican or apathetic. I do not know any liberals or Democrats. So, these people who are calling Obama a sellout means nothing to me. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 8:41 pm That is not bad. It is better than I thought it would be. The purists on both sides should hate it though. Elections have consequences, Obama has to deal with a hostile HoR. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 7:01 pm It is very easy to be a brilliant card player when you have brilliant cards in your hand. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 5:01 pm The attitude of those phony progressives – objectively speaking, they are Republicans – comes to this: “La garde recule” [ the guard retreats] Nous sommes trahis” { we are betrayed] sauve qui peut [ every man for himself] I am not impressed with their attitude. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 2:57 pm I have a rather bloody minded view of all this: people are going to do what they are going to do, and there is an election in Nov 2012. The boys in Washington will be tired after all this drama. It will start up again after they take a nap. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 12:03 pm This is interesting, but not an endorsement. The modern GOP is not for them!! » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 11:57 am Emerald, I was, basically, thinking out loud. I am not sure if that notion has any truth in it. I do not see this 112th Congress as accomplishing very much of anything; the consequences of this latest black comedy are hard for me to see. One consequence that I do see is failure. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 7:44 am This cultural civil war – mostly generational – is not over. The tea party is on a mission to save the USA, and the cost does not matter. It is mostly led by the children of the depression/ww2 generation. It is another battle in that generational civil war. The money argument is partly real and partly symbolic. Obama is not, I think, really part of this. If you look at, Obama is mostly an outsider; born into a racially mixed family; raised partly in Indonesia; partly in Hawaii. And, mostly raised by his maternal grandparents. I think that all that is significant. » Posted By agrippa On July 31, 2011 @ 5:58 am I have been saying wait until the very last, as in the lawsuit is not settled until the day the trial is to begin and jury selection is about to start. Then, and only then, do they settle. Maybe they will settle: if they have a well developed sense of self preservation they will. They may be frauds; or, they may be fools. At the end of the day, it may not matter, except as a matter of political tactics. Politics is war by other means. » Posted By agrippa On July 30, 2011 @ 6:23 pm It does seem odd or convenient, as the Soviets used to say: “it is no accident” or, ” It is not a coincidence”. I tend to doubt it. Self service, such as with Hamsher or Huffington has something to do with it. Personally, for me, a key is to be sceptical; to be logical and fact driven. If it does not make sense, I do not believe it. » Posted By agrippa On July 30, 2011 @ 5:35 pm Begala got it right. » Posted By agrippa On July 30, 2011 @ 5:27 pm KQ, those people are pathetic. Blind kittens. » Posted By agrippa On July 30, 2011 @ 1:57 pm Sanders makes a lot of sense. I frequently agree with him. » Posted By agrippa On July 30, 2011 @ 9:16 am This Congress may be the worst Congress we have ever seen. I think that it mat get worse. Ornstein may very well be right. » Posted By agrippa On July 29, 2011 @ 10:48 am Got it in one » Posted By agrippa On July 29, 2011 @ 7:59 am I think that this is early days. I think that the GOP has a lack of leadership. I saw this under GWB and the GOP first of leadership was weak and the secind rung weaker. GWB not only harmed the country; he, also, harmed the GOP. Reining in the GOP will have to come within the GOP. I do not know if they can or will even try. I think that this is something that will have to run its’ course; that is, reality will have to show the fatuity of the tea party. One thing is that there will have to be strong “push back”, to help people to see reality. » Posted By agrippa On July 28, 2011 @ 5:15 am It remains to be seen if any of them pay an attention. » Posted By agrippa On July 27, 2011 @ 9:47 am I am really sorry to read of your difficulties. » Posted By agrippa On July 25, 2011 @ 8:37 pm HuffPo ? The comments made by trolls at HuffPo are even more fatuous and puerile than the articles. That committee of 12 is a silly idea. » Posted By agrippa On July 24, 2011 @ 7:25 amComments Posted By agrippa
I have been involved in volunteer charitable work. Of course, I had a career as well.
That inability to tolerate diversity to fight over unimportant matters is common on the left.
It is going on right now in the USA.
Obama, perhaps with other Democrats, may be practising damage control. The GOP won the election; people voted them into power. And, not just in Washington. In the conditions of today, the whiggish faction is very weak in the GOP, and the southern faction ( a better way of describing the ‘tea party’) has the upper hand in the GOP. Obama, and other Democrats have to find ways of dealing with that.
Obama was, most certainly, not dealt a brilliant hand. IMO.
And, those people are not done yet. And, the election is Nov 2012.
Basically, it will not end until this generation is dead.
Unfortunately, people with his views do not get elected to office very often. Basically, they have not been since FDR.
«« Back To Stats Page
Home Stats