@chilaxe, what sub-culture are you referring to? Why are you assuming that the only factor in hiring political appointees to cabinet-level positions would be cognitive ability? Seems to me management skills, loyalty, and ideological compatibility would matter a lot more, even to politicians I like, than cognitive ability.

In any case, I think you're fundamentally asking the wrong question. Someone working for Kasich must have mentioned that this would be an issue, politically. If it was a matter of Kasich wanting to appoint someone, but wasn't able to find even one qualified non-white conservative to give a position to, then I sorta sympathize with him. He's just a victim of the larger conservative movement's hostility to anyone who isn't Caucasian.

Thing is, he seems to be relishing the fight. Going so far as to respond to a black Democrat who offered to help him with building a more diverse cabinet, he said "I don't need your people." He later released a clarifying statement that by "your people" he meant Democrats, but the damage was already done.

You see, my theory isn't that Kasich himself is necessarily racist. My theory is that he, and the Republican party in general, seek the support of racists. Better still, they seek to portray white people as being somehow persecuted by minorities and their liberal allies.

That's why he pushed back when people questioned him about it. He's not excluding black people, he's just hiring the most qualified people, and obviously that means blacks won't make the cut. If he thought he could've gotten away with it, he'd have made the same bell-curve argument you were hinting at, but that would've been too overt. The dog whistle is only meant to be heard by the people who know what they're listening for, not by normal people who find racism abhorrent.

Now he gets the best of both worlds. The racists can think that he only let a black man in his cabinet because he got pressured by the black community (persecution!), and the rest of the conservatives can go "see, he's not racist, I don't know why those pesky Democrats made such a fuss about it."

It's the state of the art in racial politics. You undermine legitimate claims by painting them as partisan politics, while at the same time you push veiled racist arguments into the mainstream (I'm not hiring a token black guy...because that's all they could possibly be, a token).

It's genius. Evil, but genius none the less.

Since we're in a conspiratorial mood: assuming this apolitical mental defective was in reality a clever and sane actor, what was the motivation?

Sacrificing a non-vital politico and random civilians will garner sympathy for an ailing political party which just suffered major defeats.

Even with drive-by media complicity, this twisted version of events didn't take with a majority of the public, who sees only a lone, ill weirdo whose life is now over, whether he knows it or not.

Meanwhile, Righties in the House were provided an opportunity to shine and took it; new legislation was only delayed, not stopped.

As a conspiracy benefiting the left, this thing was and is a total flop.

Loughner was NOT linked to AR.

Turns out the DHS memo was fabricated and disseminated by FOX News.

See:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/dhs_has_not_determined_possibl.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47438.html

Please read Jared Taylor's rebuttal: http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2011/01/american_renais_16.php



>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

Loughner was linked to a website called American Renaissance, which describes itself as such: "A conservative monthly publication. Promotes a variety of white racial positions."
He was clearly nuts, tho. If he hadn't carried out a political assassination, he would have probably found another excuse to act out his insanity.

>> ^budzos:

I have to admit that passage was not well thought-out. "Dregs" was not a good choice of words at all as it has a very negative connotation attached, which was not intended. I should have used "disadvantaged" or something else that implies a low socioeconomic status and a lack of options (or the perception thereof). My bad, I should not have used that word. It certainly clouded my point.
Try reading what I said with your thumb over the word "dregs". My point was I get annoyed at the thought of a young person joining the military for a leg up in life, who ends up getting killed in some pointless conflict that is absolutely not about freedom (I didn't mis-speak about that, those "wars" are horse-shit), and then their corpse is part of some bullshit glee-club feel-good bonding. "Highway of Heroes"... wow real dignified... print it on a T-shirt why don't you (as if they haven't).
>> ^calvados:
Such hubris. Dregs of society, eh? Many of the best people I've ever met are from my 12+ years in the army reserves. I've met a great number of men and women who are selfless, intelligent, and thoughtful, and it's this abundance of quality people that has kept me onboard. These good ones have absolutely outnumbered the ones you'd call dregs.
Of course there are less desirable types in the military and I have met my share of them. And I agree that there is hyperbole in broadly referring to all our war dead as heroes (--I am sure that all or almost all of them would insist that they were not). But your rant is way off.



OK, I take a lot less issue with your revision, here. You do however seem to be suggesting that those who join up are going into it blindly, and I daresay that the average recruit's eyes are more opened to the horrible possibilities of war, and their own injury or death, than you evidently believe they are (especially those who join up after hostilities have already begun, as is the case now and as has been the case since early 2002 for Canada).

I do take issue with "glee-club feel-good bonding" and perhaps you will agree, again, that you are misspeaking here. What I see in the nation's response to a soldier's death in these times, exemplified on the overpasses of the 401, is a manifestation of sorrow and respect for sacrifice. Glee and good feeling are conspicuously absent.

That said, I agree that the specific name "Highway of Heroes" is reductive and borderline jingoistic. There is a stretch of Quebec's Autoroute 20 (from the ON/QC border to just west of downtown Montreal) which has been designated "l'Autoroute du Souvenir" (Remembrance Highway), marked with the familiar green/white highway signage and emblazoned with a poppy. I would actually have favoured that name for the stretch of the 401 in question. But as I indicated on another such submission about the HOH (http://videosift.com/video/The-Trews-Highway-of-Heroes), I am moved by and appreciative of the gesture, itself, of the renaming.

One more thing: remember that citizens were gathering on the overpasses to greet the fallen long before it was decided -- in 2007 -- to change the name of that stretch of road. It was, and is, a grassroots movement, not something cooked up by politicos.

You (and anybody, regardless of political stripe or opinion on the war) may well appreciate this CBC documentary, "We Will Remember Them" (Nov 2010), full streaming: http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/wewillrememberthem/video.html

A double dumbass on you!

Uhm..you can make that argument on both sides of the aisle, dumbass. Lots of places are bankrupt and yet they continue to not make changes. Insanity knows no distinction between party.

--------------------------------------

The ideology of the left in the USA is a failure because, by and large, the politicos who are supposed to espouse that ideology are corrupted by the lure of money...

Is that what happened in the soviet union? The lure of money corrupted "The Dream?"

Says more about the US than it does about the left, there are plenty of leftward leaning governments around the world that function quite well.

Not as well as they claim. When the State is made the undisputed arbiter of all, the individual is fuct.

Just because US culture (as opposed to individual people) isn't capable of wrapping it's head around a more liberal ideology without fucking it up doesn't mean the ideology is flawed...

There are elements of leftist ideology that work, but like perpetual motion machines, they don't quite work overall. "Socialism is great until you run out of other people's money."

But hey, stick with the current right wing way of doing things, I'm sure when the US causes the next GFC you'll just find someone or something else to blame... ; )

Peace. Or should I say, GREECE.

>> ^VoodooV:

democrat version of tea partiers on the horizon?
lets see..Coffee Filters? Capri Sun Pouches? Sweet&Low Packets? What would be a good name for them?


Double Mocha Frappacino, Whip + Sprinkles...

Seems pretty progressive compared to a lousy cup of tea...>> ^quantumushroom:

Have you ever considered that the ideology of the left is itself a failure? California is bankrupt and the fools there just reelected the same-same, once again illustrating the definition of insanity. Extremely liberal California is sinking while not-liberal Texas is thriving (it's where companies are moving when they flee CA).
I'm all for secession. This federal mafia is too big and too corrupt. Let liberal politicos pay off their constituents with the blood of some other host besides taxpayers in other states.



The ideology of the left in the USA is a failure because, by and large, the politicos who are supposed to espouse that ideology are corrupted by the lure of money...

Says more about the US than it does about the left, there are plenty of leftward leaning governments around the world that function quite well. Just because US culture (as opposed to individual people) isn't capable of wrapping it's head around a more liberal ideology without fucking it up doesn't mean the ideology is flawed...

But hey, stick with the current right wing way of doing things, I'm sure when the US causes the next GFC you'll just find someone or something else to blame... ; )

Uhm..you can make that argument on both sides of the aisle, dumbass. Lots of places are bankrupt and yet they continue to not make changes. Insanity knows no distinction between party.

>> ^quantumushroom:

Have you ever considered that the ideology of the left is itself a failure? California is bankrupt and the fools there just reelected the same-same, once again illustrating the definition of insanity. Extremely liberal California is sinking while not-liberal Texas is thriving (it's where companies are moving when they flee CA).
I'm all for secession. This federal mafia is too big and too corrupt. Let liberal politicos pay off their constituents with the blood of some other host besides taxpayers in other states.

>> ^Enzoblue:
WE did the right thing, we got dems in power in all three branches. They failed us miserably.
Wonder why voter turn out for young people and dems was so low? Because we don't give a shit anymore. Our only hope for real change is to let the idiots have the helm and, this time, drive us into a recession that we can't bail out of. One that causes our complete collapse and results in state secession.
You want God in your government Alabama/Louisiana/Mississippi etc? Make your own constitution. I will fully support you.
I will be in the Peoples Republic of Pennsylvania, (hopefully).

Have you ever considered that the ideology of the left is itself a failure? California is bankrupt and the fools there just reelected the same-same, once again illustrating the definition of insanity. Extremely liberal California is sinking while not-liberal Texas is thriving (it's where companies are moving when they flee CA).

I'm all for secession. This federal mafia is too big and too corrupt. Let liberal politicos pay off their constituents with the blood of some other host besides taxpayers in other states.


>> ^Enzoblue:

WE did the right thing, we got dems in power in all three branches. They failed us miserably.
Wonder why voter turn out for young people and dems was so low? Because we don't give a shit anymore. Our only hope for real change is to let the idiots have the helm and, this time, drive us into a recession that we can't bail out of. One that causes our complete collapse and results in state secession.
You want God in your government Alabama/Louisiana/Mississippi etc? Make your own constitution. I will fully support you.
I will be in the Peoples Republic of Pennsylvania, (hopefully).

(Copypasta from reddit)

In text form for those that want it in its entirety:

Speech:

"And now I thought we might have a moment, however brief, for some sincerity, if that’s ok; I know there are boundaries for a comedian, pundit, talker guy, and I’m sure I’ll find out tomorrow how I have violated them.
I’m really happy you guys are here, even if none of us are really quite sure why we are here. Some of you may have seen today as a clarion call for action, or some of the hipper, more ironic cats as a clarion call for ‘action.’ Clearly, some of you just wanted to see the Air and Space Museum and got royally screwed. And I’m sure a lot of you are here to have a nice time, and I hope you did. I know that many of you made a great effort to be here today, and I want you to know that everyone involved with this project worked incredibly hard to make sure that we honor the effort that you put in and gave you the best show we could possibly do. We know your time is valuable, and we didn’t want to waste it. And we are all extremely honored to have had a chance to perform for you on this beautiful space, on The Mall in Washington, D.C.

So, uh, what exactly was this? I can’t control what people think this was, I can only tell you my intentions. This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith, or people of activism, or to look down our noses at the heartland, or passionate argument, or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies. But, unfortunately, one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. The country’s 24-hour, politico, pundit, perpetual, panic conflictanator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen. Or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected, dangerous flaming ant epidemic. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.

There are terrorists and racists and Stalinists and theocrats, but those are titles that must earned; you must have the resume. Not being able to be able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Partiers, or real bigots and Juan Williams or Rick Sanchez is an insult, not only to those people, but to the racists themselves, who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe, not more. The press is our immune system. If it overreacts to everything, we actually get sicker, and perhaps eczema. And yet, with that being said, I feel good: strangely, calmly good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us through a fun-house mirror, and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead and an ass shaped like a month-old pumpkin with one eyeball.

So why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle to a pumpkin-assed, forehead, eyeball monster? If the picture of us were true, of course our inabilities to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable. Why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution, or racists and homophobes who see no one’s humanity but their own? We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe torn by polarizing hate. And how it’s a shame that we can’t work together to get things done. But the truth is, we do. We work together to get things done every damn day. The only place we don’t is here or on cable TV. But Americans don’t live here or on cable TV. Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done, not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done.

Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, or Conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often, something they do not want to do, but they do it. Impossible things every day, that are only made possible through the little reasonable compromises we all make.

Look. Look on the screen. This is where we are; this is who we are: these cars. That’s a schoolteacher who probably thinks his taxes are too high. He’s going to work. There’s another car. A woman with two small kids, can’t really think about anything else right now. There’s another car, swaying, I don’t even know if you can see it. The lady’s in the NRA and loves Oprah. There’s another car. An investment banker: gay, also likes Oprah. Another car’s a Latino carpenter. Another car a fundamentalist vacuum salesman. Atheist obstetrician. Mormon Jay-Z fan. But this is us. Every one of the cars you see is filled with individuals of strong beliefs and principles they hold dear. Often, principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers. And yet these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze one by one into a mile-long, thirty-foot wide tunnel carved underneath a mighty river. Carved by people who by the way I’m sure had their differences. And they do it. Concession by concession. You go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. Oh my God, is that an NRA sticker on your car? Is that an Obama sticker on your car? Ah, well that’s okay, you go, then I’ll go. And sure, at some point there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder and cuts in at the last minute. But that individual is rare, and he is scorned not hired as an analyst.

Because we know instinctively as a people that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light, we have to work together. And the truth is, there will always be darkness. And sometimes, the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land. Sometimes, it’s just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together. If you want to know why I’m here and what I want from you, I can only assure you this: you have already given it to me. Your presence was what I wanted. Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder. And to see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine. Thank you.”

- Jon Stewart at The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, October 30, 2010

Maybe the scariest politico of our time just has big tits, move along now (and clean up)

Even young palin has nice cans

blankfist, ever thoughtful blankfist. We often butt heads, but you always mount an intelligent argument. I appreciate this. This is why I will allow you to bear my sift butt babies when you come of age.

I think most consumers understand that their money goes towards evil. I myself, socially conscious politico that I am, buy clothes made of Indonesian children, play Super Mario Galaxy (don't have the sequel yet, champ) on Chinese suicide victims and put dead Iraqis in my gas tank. I do my small meaningless part for wallet democracy by boycotting Exxon/Mobil, Wal*Mart and McDonalds, but those corporations thrive despite of my best efforts. Aside from that, I am completely complicit in oppression, as are we all. It's easy to ignore the suffering when it's so far away and there are so many everyday low prices. Any change in this arena certainly won't come from consumers, because we all play a part in this circle of misery. The system needs to be busted in two.

(note for campiondelculo: Yes, of course we could all move to a forest, use Ubunto and live off the grid, but get serious dude, that is an absurd and semi-retarted expectation for a world population of billions.)

Foxcomm had little or no regulation and started out as a small business. This empirical evidence would seem to completely contradict your hypothesis. How might a true free market have affected Foxcomm or prevented its ills?

I do think the majority of people want to do the right thing, that's why I support democracy. Without democracy, there is no civic means of expressing the public will, which means the guy with the most money calls the shots. Not really all that different than what we have already, just with less voting and more slavery.

Not sure how the jail thing fits into the larger context, but solidarity with you on that brother. Set the prostitutes and weed users free.

You sound a little red when you talk about majorities, communalism, tibal desires and coexisting. Are you becoming a Marxist? Either way, I've got wood. Baby making time?

@blankfist,

Whether or not the younger generation loves this model, they almost certainly will love it when they get free schooling, health care, and later on an elders pension. And looking at world happiness, it's hard to get worse than the United States.

The flexicurity model Crake mentioned is interesting. I'd wager that any rational business would hold onto qualified staff, and would only let the ones go who don't measure up. It makes sense to me as it would cut down on costly litigation and save loads of time. And if everyone is cool with it, all the better. I know if I owned a business, it would be nice to have a headache-free process to get rid of underachieving staff without worrying about their physical well-being.

I don't see why this model couldn't work in the United States (of course, other than the fact that politicos love to yell 'FREEDOM' and 'TYRANNY' so much that the words become little more than buzzwords). Formal Freedom and Substantive Freedom are 2 completely separate concepts, and the Formal Freedom lovers need to understand that while it's all well and nice to talk about Formal Freedoms and 'Freedom of opportunity', unless there is a level playing field the rich just get richer, and the poor just get poorer. Recent U.S. demographic statistics confirm this.

Of course, there are the Corporatists who would complain, but Corporations can't vote in the U.S. (yet).

Looking at the 2009 HDI report, Norway (1), Iceland (3), Canada (4), Sweden (7), and Finland (12) all rank higher than the United States (13) in terms of Human Development. And all have generally higher taxes than does the U.S. (although Canada and possibly some others have lower Corporate Tax rates). The HDI is the closest thing to an objective measurement of a nations well-being that I've come across. You may disagree.

Your moral disagreement with income taxes is understandable - no one likes paying taxes. What taxes, I would ask, are acceptable? If none, how does a government function? If some taxes are acceptable, how is this not legitimized theft? Who decides what taxes are acceptable? The electorate? All the countries I listed ^up there are democracies - so now what?

Also, what punishments would you mete out over moving violations? If not financial, would there be jail time? Confiscation of vehicles? The honour system?

This is so out of control.
As the White House demonstrates its incompetence, the Libertarians make a good point.


If someone believes in the separation of Church and State, that does not make that person anti-Church or anti-State. Just someone who is anti-mixing them up together.

The type of libertarianism that believes in the separation of Business and State isn't anti-Business or anti-State. Just anti-mixing them up, and against the mix that leads to untold levels of corruption and incompetence.

I if I were president, which I'm not for good reason, I would overstep my powers and heads would be rolling.

I wonder how President Obama feels about that campaign contribution now.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36783.html

Fear is a wonderful emotion. It will keep you alive. The left wants everyone to panic over water vapor and warm weather, so there's no monopoly on fear-mongering.

One of the State's legitimate functions is to defend its citizens from barbarians both inside and outside the gate.

The modern liberal doesn't have the will to lead. Whether deliberately practiced or not, s/he is incapable of taking a stand for anything and refuses to differentiate between not only good and evil, but what works (based on experience) and what doesn't (also based on experience).

The intellectual dishonesty of a zinn or chomsky helps no one.







>> ^dystopianfuturetoday:

QM, you seem interested in comparing modern European style socialism to a 20th century Soviet Military dictatorship. Do you understand the difference?
Do you understand that socialism, communism and capitalism are financial -rather than political- systems?
How many people has Swedish socialism killed?
What about American socialism gasp such as the highway system, schools and national parks?
Whether you know it or not, qm, we are both on the same side of the American class war - and we are both losing. I don't doubt the sincerity of your arguments, but I have to wonder if you feel you've been properly rewarded for your loyalty to powerful elites who run this country. My guess would be no.
Do you ever wonder why they fill your head with so many things to be afraid of? Commies, "Hemophiliacs", Terrorists, 'Islamofascists', Old Europe, France, Fags, Feminists, Liberals, Socialists, Illegal Aliens, Educated people, Poor people, etc............
Your entire being on this site is most accurately summed up in a single word: Afraid.
I'm sure you don't see yourself this way, but have you ever put your personal beliefs to the test? Have you ever broken down your belief system to see why you believe the things you believe?
As I have said before, your arguments seldom stray from the cliche-conservative-bumpersticker variety. Why not dig deeper? Why don't you think it through and give me your own unique opinion, rather than dittoing decades of partisan-politico programing?
As those who are winning the class war might say: Just do it!