Noam Chomsky: Obama's Attack on Civil Liberties Has Gone Way Beyond Imagination
Chomsky nutshells Obama perfectly:
"What it is is the same kind of commitment to expanding executive power that Cheney and Rumsfeld had. He kind of puts it in mellifluous terms and there's a little difference in his tone. It's not as crude and brutal as they were, but it's pretty hard to see much of a difference."
The right wing votes those who make them feel superior, the left votes those who make them feel good. Neither are in power to help; just to perpetuate more power. Unless and until we have a third alternative, a party that leaves us ALONE, we're doomed.
10 comments:
I am amused these days when I hear about "Obama worshipers," as I know no one on the left who is happy with him at all, except as the placeholder for the bullet we avoided in the Republican 2011-12 insanity. Frankly, nor do I know anyone on the left who votes for candidates because the candidates make them feel good. I think you'd be more accurate if you were use in reverse that broad brush you're painting with: "The left wing votes those who make them feel superior, the right votes those who make them feel good." Works just as well, meaning it probably doesn't work at all. Or it works too well.
No party is going to leave us alone. If by leaving us alone, you mean, "Stepping aside so that the corporatists can run all over us," you can have it.
Short of Moi-ism, I'm just not sure where to go from here.
Czar: But the corporatists can't exist without one or the other of the parties! Without an entrenched U.S. gubmint with global interests and desire for power, corporatism will fall apart.
And I will stand by my superior/feel good assertion. Everyone I know who voted for Obama told me they did so because he says and does things that show he "cares." I think what scares most people is not terrorism or debt or failing to do the right thing. They are afraid of appearing callous or uncaring. They want to maintain, above all else, the veneer that they CARE—about the poor, the environment, the schools, everyone having access to healthcare, whatever. Because they do not believe society's ills can be addressed outside the forum of big government. Therefore, they are willing to vote for anyone who presents to them the vision of a future in which the government takes care of everything and makes sure all is "equal" so that no one suffers.
That was what Obama presented to the public in his first term. He was near-worshiped then. Today? Not so much, but I still know people who would vote for him again in a heartbeat. And not just because the republican party is a disaster, but because they BELIEVE what this man is selling.
Good afternoon Moi,
I really just stopped by to say hi.
However my 2¢ worth are. That the big problem is, they believe what he's selling. The intelligent left has been sucked into a truly untenable reality and the rest of the multitudes are simply looking for a handout.
Where to go from heah?
Back to the beginning:State's Rights.
Looky, folks, thang is, iffin' the States retained the powers given in the Constitution, then thar' would not be this federal behemoth.
Karl: Howdy señor! Yes, one of the problems is not just what's happened to the conservatives under Obama (hysterical, focusing on the wrong issues), but what's happened to the liberals as well, who, as Chickory likes to say, carry the water of a man whose myriad of domestic and foreign policy sins would have them protesting in the streets were he a republican.
Aunty: I don't disagree with you, but how to get back there? One cannot put the genie back in the bottle. The only option as I see it is to start over with a good clean scrub a dub dub.
Is today the 3rd?!! I'se missin' a few days.
Heh, well, Pumpkin...now that ya asked, reckin' a few strong states oughta make good on threats to secede. Put a leeetle cold swat down the fed spine.
Akshully, this Obamacare thang , whar' states can opt out--thas' a good place to begin. States opting out of fed programs will be a shot over the bow--
ain't sayin' we can do this tomorry. Wif' out a whole new Grey vs. Blue, we'uns must be prepared to do it in practical ways:
opt out of fed programs whar' yore own state can do so wif' out too much injury to state coffers--
I'se an advocate of each state raising sales tax by half cent for an earmarked de-fed program: education is a good place to start, jes' scrap the new brainwashin' Common Core Curriculum, an' when feds threaten to stop payments , let'em. Get yore state off fed dole.
In fact, use yore education standards to attract new residents, which in turn boosts local tax revenues.
Each state can pass an across the board 5% cut on all budgets, usin' that newly gained $$ to bankroll the state to take up slack fro when the feds start cuttin' grants an' goodies.
Elect folks who ain't usin' the state senate as steppin stone to Washington DC, but who want to make their state a strong independent state to the degree possible--elect judges wif' state's rights savvy, let's tie up feds every which-a-way possible.
The Contstitution is in our favor--a' course, it's in our favor on 2nd amendment too, but we still has to fight for it--so fight. Fight with fiscal responsibility, wif' education, wif' legal weapons, wif articles and essays--what if in 50 years we turned back half of the fed intrusion we have now?
The thang that impresses me is how the left is always willin' to hang in thar' fer the long long ("long march through the institutions") haul but us'uns give up after 2 election cycles.
All good places to start Aunty, but the kicker is that we the people do not believe in getting off the government dole. As I see it, the vast majority do not believe our debt is a problem. They believe that austerity measures are BAD, and the reason why we have problems is because the evil republicans are preventing the democrats from shaking the magical money tree growing at the back of the White House.
Here is an example of why we are doomed: My niece, instead of getting a JOB to pay her bills, just tried to apply for a title loan until her school loans come through in July. Mind you, a family fund pays for her tuition, books, and fees. But not for her to live. So she is already in debt to the tune of nearly $12,000 over three semesters for SCHOOL LOANS off of which she lives. Thankfully, the title loan people denied her because she doesn't have . . . wait for it . . . a JOB.
When I tried to tell her why this approach to life is bad, bad, bad, I got a blank stare and a, "All the kids I know live this way." Yay.
I'll reiterate: we're doomed if these kids grow up to set policy.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!
We won't get fooled again!
That deaf, dumb and blind kid ...
Fight the Power
Moi, Cherie, come play Haiku Monday!!
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