Here's something Lee Atwater, the architect of the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush campaigns and mentor to Karl Rove, said in 1981:

You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can't say “nigger” — that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me — because obviously sitting around saying, “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”

The idea is to package conservative ideas in such a way to attract racists, and provide them with a cover story so they have plausible deniability. In other words, so people like Southern Avenger here can claim "all they're doing is taking a principled stand based on their well-reasoned philosophy", even if they seem to be tolerating outrageously racist commentary and signage within their midst, and espousing a policy set that is generally condoned by racists due to its negative impact on non-whites.

These days it's less about racism per se, and more of a generalized form of xenophobia. It's the fear of people you don't know, don't understand, and who you don't want to have to care about or feel responsible for. It's why attempts to formally establish a legal responsibility to others (strangers!) are seen as intolerably intrusive.

Personally I think a lot of the rhetoric today is about dehumanizing the poor. It's often an expression of the belief that people who're poor have individually made some sort of choice that directly warrants things like losing their house, not having money for food, being unable to pay for medical care, etc. People who want on the government dime are all lazy leeches who're dragging all of society down, and if we give them help, they'll just stop trying to be productive, and try to leech more.

That started with racism, but I think just like the rhetoric, the emotional core got a lot more abstract -- it's not about demonizing black and brown people anymore, it's more about demonizing anyone who's different, so that the idea of having to take responsibility for them seems tyrannical.

I know that there's a huge percentage of moderately conservative people who don't buy into that emotional core, and want conservative-ish things done for pragmatic reasons. There's also a group of people who are True Believers, and think that the conservative ideology is morally superior to the alternatives, or that a libertarian policy set would benefit everyone greatly, even (especially?) the poor.

Those guys I like, and truly hope they find a way to purge the racists from their political organizations (i.e. the Tea Parties and the Republican party). That is, assuming they cool off on the calls for political violence (but that's a whole other conversation).

Building on what dft said, charges of racism wouldn't really stick if you guys stopped responded to it by saying "we condemn what you're talking about, and we'll take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again because racism won't be tolerated in our movement", instead of always saying "there's no racism here, and you're a racist for calling me a racist, racist!"

I agreed with Obama in not mandating insurance. I didn't think it should be done then and don't think it should be done now. Forcing people to buy these policies is a remarkable intrusion of government into our lives. Some random thoughts:



1. Regarding gaming the system: The fine is so minimal that I'll wait to get sick anyway. Nothing is going to change. There isn't a hospital in the land that is going to refuse me treatment today and there won't be a hospital that will refuse me treatment in five years.

2. Due to the coming financial impact on the bottom line, some pretty big name businesses are gearing up to shrink their employee roster. So much for creating jobs.

3. Your link is broken.

4. I just became Amish.>> ^NetRunner:

A couple points.
Obama was against the individual mandate for the reasons he said here -- he doesn't see why you should fine or go after people who can't afford insurance.
So, the bill he signed into law has an exemption from the fine for people who can't afford insurance, though subsidies make it pretty much impossible for insurance to be unaffordable to the poor.
Why did Obama flip-flop on the mandate? Because it's good policy. Ezra Klein explains pretty much everything you need to know about the individual mandate here, namely what it is, how it works, and why it's a necessary part of reform.
The short version: The way health insurance works (whether it's for-profit or not) is if you have a large pool of healthy people paying into the system to fund the medical costs for the few people who do get sick. If you make insurance companies accept people with preexisting conditions without a mandate, then people will be free to game the system and sign up for insurance only when they get sick. If there are no healthy people paying into the pool, then the premiums will be so high that paying out of pocket might be cheaper.
Sorry, I'm overthinking it. Obama's position on a specific implementation detail on health care is different now than it was two or three years ago. Clearly we should impeach him for being a big fat liar and a traitor to the American people.
Time to water the tree of liberty with the blood of people who change their minds in response to persuasive arguments from experts...

Trailer for Helvetica film posted here... http://www.videosift.com/video/Helvetica

>> ^Sagemind:
Arial is a crap font, it always was and always will be.
I'm sure the average person could care less - but for those of us that use fonts all day - and for a living - Arial truly is a sad example of a font.
- Arial is the default font Microsoft feeds to the public because they got it for free.
I have never found a place where Arial would be a better choice than something else.
Helvetica is by far a better font, but not always the right font for the job. It is however a better default font.
To those who are not typesetters, you have to realize that consideration (of font) goes into every design put forward on every piece of print media that is created. Every font sells a sentiment and an emotion. Fonts are used as a subliminal persuasive tool to emote a feeling for whatever the topic at hand is trying to convey.
Sometimes, a non-intrusive font is needed to contrast but not cancel out the stylized font you are using. Arial is ugly, while Helvetica is the "classic, perfect for everything, without inflicting the smallest bit of emotion" font. In never cancels out while always looks professional.

Arial is a crap font, it always was and always will be.
I'm sure the average person could care less - but for those of us that use fonts all day - and for a living - Arial truly is a sad example of a font.
- Arial is the default font Microsoft feeds to the public because they got it for free.

I have never found a place where Arial would be a better choice than something else.
Helvetica is by far a better font, but not always the right font for the job. It is however a better default font.

To those who are not typesetters, you have to realize that consideration (of font) goes into every design put forward on every piece of print media that is created. Every font sells a sentiment and an emotion. Fonts are used as a subliminal persuasive tool to emote a feeling for whatever the topic at hand is trying to convey.

Sometimes, a non-intrusive font is needed to contrast but not cancel out the stylized font you are using. Arial is ugly, while Helvetica is the "classic, perfect for everything, without inflicting the smallest bit of emotion" font. In never cancels out while always looks professional.

Never in the history of this country has there been a "limited government" GOP. Never. Not once. They never "abandoned" the idea, because they never cared for it in the first place.

Not entirely. Many times in the history of the GOP they have had strong small government advocates. And here's a shocker... So did the Democrat party. There was one time when it was the de facto position a politician had to assume. And in modern history, the GOP has been the party that at least courts limited government as an idea (even if they don't do much for it). If only 1 GOP member in 1,000 is a limited government fiscal conservative, then it has to be said that the Democrats only have 1 in 100,000. Yup - I'm aware the GOP hasn't had this as thier central platform for a while. I blame 4 to 6 generations of RINOs for that with only ONE all too brief interruption with Reagan.

Note that Reagan had to deal with an overwhelmingly stacked Congress and still managed to squeeze in a lot of fiscal conservatism despite not holding the purse. Note also that the GOP took the house in 1994 on a platform of limited government and fiscal conservatism - which in turn forced Clinton to stop a lot of his leftist agenda. It would be wonderful to think what Reagan could have done to slash government if he'd had the 1994 Congress. The GOP got voted out after they abandoned fiscal conservative principles. True story, dat.

The problem is that SMALL, LIMITED GOVERNMENT, should you achieve it, puts you in a position where there is a lot to fix and no good reason not to fix it, which brings you back full circle.

Government's role is to be a place for people to appeal when real abuses take place. That kind of limited invovlement is very valuable. But when government regulation as we know it today is far too intrusive and limiting. Government should serve as an occasional watchdog to punish real abuses. It should NOT serve as a police force to FIND abuses, or a legal office to PREVENT abuses. Create a skeleton of simple, common sense laws. Set up some watchdog & whistleblower groups. Put all the remaining regulatory & monitoring power into state government hands. Then get the Feds the heck out of everyone's way and watch out for that big huge pile of falling money.

A bit less oportunistic trillion dollar invasions and general corruption (read lobbyists)

No - read GOVERNMENT. The corruption to worry about is at the government level, not the lobbyist level. Lobbyists can't buy what isn't for sale. The fact that politicians sell out is the problem. The fact that there are lobbyists there to pay them is ancillary to the corruption in the political class.

>> ^budzos:
The kid's too young for PC. On an XBox 360 there is no danger of accidentally clicking onto horribly degrading and mind warping porn.


you know whats great about this? the irony in your statement next to an avatar of remote control anal intrusion lol

=P

>> ^Friesian:
Ah yes, the stiff upper lipped'ness required to say "oh no, absolutely laugh " when you have your entire pitch completely disproven in about 3 seconds is without a doubt, 100%, British.
I do like that he doesn't take himself too seriously and doesn't suddenly embark on a "ah, but the angle of intrusion into the corner of the fish tank coupled with the structural integrity you provided with your hand ensured it would break, but that would NEVER happen in normal use" kind of damage limitation strategy. Instead he pretty much says "oh shit, you broke it, way to show us!".
Perhaps foolish, but it gives me the impression that this particular phone is back to the drawing board and when it comes out it will be even more guaranteed to be unbreakable.


No no no. He means when the guy says "I DO apologise!"

Ah yes, the stiff upper lipped'ness required to say "oh no, absolutely *laugh*" when you have your entire pitch completely disproven in about 3 seconds is without a doubt, 100%, British.

I do like that he doesn't take himself too seriously and doesn't suddenly embark on a "ah, but the angle of intrusion into the corner of the fish tank coupled with the structural integrity you provided with your hand ensured it would break, but that would NEVER happen in normal use" kind of damage limitation strategy. Instead he pretty much says "oh shit, you broke it, way to show us!".

Perhaps foolish, but it gives me the impression that this particular phone is back to the drawing board and when it comes out it will be even more guaranteed to be unbreakable.

You're welcome. I'm glad the Sift likes Jody's work, will post more soon. Thanks much for the * quality as well! Maybe it'll make Top 15.

In reply to this comment by dystopianfuturetoday:
Nice vid. Thanks.

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
Forgive the intrusion on your busy day, but I thought you might enjoy this... http://www.videosift.com/video/Home-is-Where-the-Food-Is.

Thanks!

You're welcome! I'm glad the sift likes Jody's work, will post more soon.

In reply to this comment by mintbbb:
Very nice! Thanks for posting this

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
Forgive the intrusion on your busy day, but I thought you might enjoy this... http://www.videosift.com/video/Home-is-Where-the-Food-Is.

Thanks!

Yes she is my friend. Hadn't seen Jody in a while, but ran into her at the local Korean market- turns out her studio is only a few blocks from my apartment. I'm glad the Sift likes her stuff- will post more soon. I know lots of supremely talented people in Vancouver- all of whom are doing what they love, none of whom are making much money at it.

In reply to this comment by rottenseed:
If I'm here, I'm obviously not busy

That was an awesome video. Your friend made it?

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
Forgive the intrusion on your busy day, but I thought you might enjoy this... http://www.videosift.com/video/Home-is-Where-the-Food-Is.

Thanks!

If I'm here, I'm obviously not busy

That was an awesome video. Your friend made it?

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
Forgive the intrusion on your busy day, but I thought you might enjoy this... http://www.videosift.com/video/Home-is-Where-the-Food-Is.

Thanks!

Very nice! Thanks for posting this

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
Forgive the intrusion on your busy day, but I thought you might enjoy this... http://www.videosift.com/video/Home-is-Where-the-Food-Is.

Thanks!

Nice vid. Thanks.

In reply to this comment by therealblankman:
Forgive the intrusion on your busy day, but I thought you might enjoy this... http://www.videosift.com/video/Home-is-Where-the-Food-Is.

Thanks!

Forgive the intrusion on your busy day, but I thought you might enjoy this... http://www.videosift.com/video/Home-is-Where-the-Food-Is.

Thanks!