Displaying 0 To 0 Of 0 Comments Is this the definition of cognitive dissonance? How do tea partiers feel about the TARP bailout and the Patriot Act? » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:57 am Willt, if I may ask: could you summarize what the position of the tea partiers is on major issues? I ask this in all sincerity, not as a baiting type question. I think it will help to clarify, if we know exactly what do tea parties represent? We need to know more than what the signs they hold up imply. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:27 am Consider it promised on my part! And, again, welcome. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:18 am So true. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:16 am Yes, nellie! Honest debate is really kinda fun. It sharpens everyone’s wits and we all benefit. Brain exercise! » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:12 am Yes, BDM and Monk, I have to say that my relatives’ church has its roots in the South. (It’s a branch of a sect that was founded there.) And I have to say that there’s a sort of group-think, conformist, almost Confederate attitude that prevails. Many of the members even speak with a Southern accent, even though we’re in a Northern state! » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:10 am Ah! We know we’ve truly arrived, when the ‘loyal opposition’ shows up. Welcome, willt, to the place where people ‘play nice’ and exchange ideas, rather than insults. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:04 am deygirl, you raise an interesting point. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 7:02 am Love the picture with the article! Perfect. “Thank you Fox—News for keeping us INFROMED” Hilarious. But what is less amusing is the damage these folks can do to the rest of us. I almost got to the point of not speaking to a couple of our relatives during the election season. They are a very bright couple (she’s 33, he’s 43) who opted not to go to college, for whatever reasons. They are heavily involved in the local Pentecostal Church. So, of course, they are all about the Creation Museum (took their kids there, so they would have ammunition to battle against ‘liberal’ teachers who believe in evolution), biblical literalism, homophobic ‘theology,’ a woman’s obligation to be submissive to the ‘head of the family,’ etc. They take their voting orders from the pastor and voted for Dubya twice. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 5:37 am His mother was a hamster and his father smelled of elderberries. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 10:49 pm Love that. I’ll be looking for Abe’s posts. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 10:39 pm “Hiney Face” is priceless! It’s 1:20 a.m. where I am now, and I just got back home from work. So I am tired and silly enough to laugh out loud in the middle of the night over that one. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 10:22 pm Personally, I never tire of typing Dick Cheney is an asshole. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 10:13 pm The Dutchman is an amazing commenter. Very objective and even-tempered. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 8:47 am Hey, TGILA! Welcome to PlanetPOV. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 8:41 am I’m also scheduled to work later today–although, once again, I’m hoping to get on-call instead–but will do what I can. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 8:17 am Holy Cow! and I do mean “cow.” I used the words “shabby journalism” in regard to that phony Bill Clinton headline (“Wish I’d Been Carried Out of the White House in a Coffin” Words he never said.) and they never saw daylight. Scrubbed. But bare boobs are good for business, apparently. Does Aryanna claim to be a feminist? How does this, and stories about pole dancers, and wardrobe malfunctions, etc. fit in to her view of what makes a woman womanly? Anything for a buck. I spent about ten minutes on PuffHo today. That was too much. I definitely won’t be there on Friday–or possibly any other day at this rate. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 7:10 pm Words Are Our Most Important Product G’Nite, Nicole. Won’t be up much longer myself. Back to work tomorrow. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 7:19 pm Yes. And it’s so hard to remember that, when emotions run high. That’s when nuance goes out the window (for me, anyway) and I find myself fighting the urge to just go into battle mode. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 7:15 pm A thought provoking article, Monk. When it really comes down to it, didn’t many of us part company with PuffHo over just this very issue: the power of words (and the implied inverse: the power of censorship)? Words were used and abused by the trolls (OK, to be honest, occasionally by ‘our side’ too). Words were “disappeared” by the mods, often after a great deal of thought and passion had gone into their use. And words were warped by sensationalist PuffHo headline writers. (Most recent example: the writer who falsely quoted Bill Clinton as saying that he “wished he had been carried out of the White House in a coffin,” when, in fact he said no such thing.) Whatever differences there may be among us, I sense that one thing that unites all of us here is our respect for words–their use, their power–and the responsibility that comes with putting our words out into the world. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 6:44 pm I’m pretty much completely in line with KQuark’s and AdLib’s take on the quiz, except I’m not really a believer in term limits in Congress. There is something to be said for decades of experience in Washington and becoming wise to the ways thing work there. Our Rep is one of the most conscientious people I know and I would hate to see her hard-earned ethics and expertise tossed out in favor of ‘new blood’ every few years. I think that a Congress that perpetually had a good share of newbies in it would be more at the mercy of experienced lobbyists than the (highly imperfect) one we have now. » Posted By kesmarn On November 5, 2009 @ 5:57 am Our local election was disappointing, too. The big contest was for mayor of our city (also county seat, pop. about 300,000). A well respected Dem candidate was defeated by an independent who was strongly backed by the local Clear Channel AM radio station (the one that carries all the Limbaugh-type hate programming) and who promised that the city would become more “business friendly” (translation: no taxes on corporations and no environmental law enforcement). And a State bill that would have allowed tougher environmental restrictions on huge factory-farms went down, too. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 6:55 pm Has anyone seen Oliver Stone’s “W”? (Me and my never-ending movie references!) A really interesting psychological portrait of Dubya–and more impartial than you might expect. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 11:03 am That “dark thought” lurks in the background all the time, doesn’t it? “Is he going to stay safe?” Amazingly, he (Obama) seems to be totally sans souci about the whole thing. I know I’m not! There are so many people who would be pleased to see the Prez out of the picture that it’s scary. Have to assume that the Secret Service will do the job they’re trained for. Besides prayer (for “them what cares to”), it’s all we’ve got. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 10:19 am It’s good to be reminded, a year later, of the elation that bubbled across the country when the news of Obama’s victory burst out. I think we all knew that once he was sworn in, the really hard part would begin. What has surprised me is how hard it truly has been–harder than I had anticipated it would be. I’m so impressed at the way Barack Obama has handled the stress. But what somewhat blind-sided me was how vicious the opposition turned out to be, how much racism is still covert (even overt) in the country, I confess to some discouragement–not with Obama–but with all of the above. But then I remember the one word that is most associated with Obama’s campaign: hope. Gotta hang on to that. And, of course, the fact that Palin’s boy lost in NY State doesn’t hurt either! » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 9:21 am Does AdLib ever sleep? » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 10:53 am Well done! » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 10:49 am Right. I suggested on PuffHo (yes, I did weaken long enough to go over and needle) that Sarah should put wheels under Hoffman the outsider. Get a rolling podium and haul him from district to district and endorse him in each one. It would be the largest boon the Dem Party could ever receive. » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 9:28 am Too funny!! » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 9:25 am Goodnight, Kalima! » Posted By kesmarn On November 4, 2009 @ 7:19 amComments Posted By kesmarn
This isn’t meant to be critical of our many thinking, rational Southern friends (look at the amazing Jimmy Carter as just one example of enlightened Southern culture). But there’s still the element of the less tolerant old Dixie that persists right down to the present.
If someone is wealthy, I’m sure it’s much more comforting to assume that the wealth is a sign of God’s favor and a reward for virtue and ‘hard work,’ rather than to admit that you’ve taken advantage of an unfairly rigged system. And, of course, the corollary to that is that people who are poor are that way because they’re not virtuous enough or they don’t work hard enough, not because of systematic prejudice and oppression.
Now the husband has been laid off. He’s ‘Mister Mom’ since he’s been unable to find another job, and the submissive one has become the bread-winner and works as a secretary to keep them going. They’re still able to collect unemployment (thanks to the DEMS voting for an extension, ironically) but don’t see that as a government handout.
STILL–they view President Obama as the Anti-Christ and blame HIM for the bad things in the current state of affairs. If I try to argue history, facts, logic, whatever, they just gaze at me with sad, disappointed Christian love and vow to pray for the poor benighted relative they face, who is clearly in the grips of Satan
It’s unbelievably aggravating. I keep wanting to say: “I know you’re not that stupid!!” (And they aren’t, really.)
Sorry for venting, but there’s something actually–well, frightening–about people who can think, but just refuse to. I wish I had the answer to the great question: what makes people do this?
Sigh.
Sometimes it feels as though we’re going backwards around these parts.
Stone’s take on things was that a very intensely dysfunctional father/son relationship was the source of Dubya’s demons, and that was compounded by his extreme beliefs after he “got religion.” Whatever the cause, he seemed to have an amazing need/ability to create his own reality. And once he did, no amount of evidence could pull him out of his delusion.
how utterly venal and corrupt so much of American capitalism is, the length to which the monied class would go to get their way, the cowardice and greed that dominates Congress, and the jaw-dropping gullibility of the teabagger segment of society.
I know people who voted for Dubya twice–lost their jobs because of that–and BLAME OBAMA for it! They would vote Republican again in a heartbeat. That’s discouraging.
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