First off, Romney does not equal Obama. This kind of thinking is truly what frightens me, and it's not because of the reasons you probably think.

Some 20 years ago, the overwhelming majority of the population were ignorant of politics and apathetic. Political games were played, cheap shots were utilized, but in the end, in the big scheme of things, on the truly big issues, both sides would compromise and do the right thing. Clinton and the GOP Congress balancing the budget, Bush Sr. raising taxes, etc. etc. Stuff got done. And the majority of people were wholly ignorant on things like federal budgets, that kind of thing. There was also some kind of understanding on basic principles where regardless of your ideology, you couldn't do catastrophic things just because it suited your ideology.

Now, that's gone. Extremists in both parties are labelled fascists or communists, or whatever, but now moderates are being labelled as either part of the same extremist groups, or they're called sell-outs, part of a completely corrupt system, and perpetrators of that system, not as agents trying to work within a system that was built long before they got there, who could change the system while they work within it. When they do the right thing that violates ideology, it's not because it was the bipartisan right thing to do; it's because they're extensions of the corrupt system. The bailouts are an absolutely perfect example. I hate to break it to people here, and I know most won't agree with me, but the bailouts were the right thing to do, even if you're against too big to fail, etc. The banking system was already in place when the economy collapsed. It's like being in a boat as its sinking. You can critique the design of the boat all you want, but the boat sinking kills you all. It's ridiculous to talk about actions that will blow up the boat. Plug the holes, do what you need to do to get the boat to land. THEN figure out how to fix the design, or build a new boat. But what happened? The bipartisan policy by both a Democrat and Republican president was tarred and feathered as government being in the pocket of big business. Those same people don't seem to realize the boat didn't sink. We didn't face another depression. Be critical the banking system wasn't significantly reformed after that was done, I have no issues with that.

To the person who said Obama's policies haven't worked in three years? Again, are we in a depression? No. Those policies worked. And how can you expect a macro-economic shift within a year or two of his other policies? Go back and look at economic history. Things don't change on a dime just from macro-economic policies instituted by the government. It takes several years before the effect can be measured. Again, sheer ignorance. The difference today is the ignorant are far more willing to participate in the political debate even though they don't have a clue what they're talking about. This is a problem on both sides.

Both sides are stoking the ignorant to get involved in the public debates, and not encouraging a very very basic understanding of crucial facts about history. Like... WWII was a Keynesian economic exercise effectively, which in the end was a gigantic gov't deficit that did end the Great Depression. This is a very straight forward basic economical historical fact. But there's 30% of the population that will not believe it because it blows apart what they politically favor today. It's ridiculous.

I disagree with Romney, and I probably won't vote for him. But he's not a fascist. There's a significant difference between him and Santorum. And there's a significant difference between him and Obama. Is there a choice as clearly different as say Ron Paul vs. Ralph Nader? No. Is that a bad thing? Not in my book.

My fear is in our political ecosystem, the moderates, the good ones who truly aren't compromising for the wrong reasons, but do it to get things done, and have a willingness to ignore ideology for practical solutions that help the country are getting drowned out, and characterized as corrupt when they're not. I disagree with Romney, but he's not corrupt. I disagree with Obama, but he's not corrupt. We don't need a revolution to fix our current political system, but an increasing number of people think we do. And the last decade we're seeing a rise in the extremists on both sides enough to drown out the political moderates we desperately need. This just can't continue indefinitely.

>> ^deathcow:

>> ^lantern53:
Obama's policies have not worked for the past 3 years. If you believe some improvement is coming, you have far more faith than the average Catholic bishop.

obama = romney = anyone else they put forward

Hah, very funny.

Oklahoma resident here. They didn't leave much in indicating Senator Johnson's intent for the amendment. She was actually trying to get abortion opponents to fall into just the trap that Senator Shortey fell into. (Senator Shortey, by the by, is no stranger to introducing bizarre bills.)

Senator Johnson is actually pretty staunchly pro-choice.

Bet Mom likes cats! ... and no, I don't remember Ralph the mouse

One of my favorite childhood book series. I loved it when Ralph eventually upgraded to a convertible.

You're trolling... it won't work... must resist trolls.

AUGH! Ralph Fiennes plays the role of Voldemort!

>pant< >pant<

I feel dirty now. Someone hand me a wet-wipe.

>> ^Payback:

>> ^jmd:
>> ^Payback:
...but Ralph Fiennes really does look like Voldemort.

Thats the joke

blank stare

>> ^jmd:

>> ^Payback:
...but Ralph Fiennes really does look like Voldemort.

Thats the joke


**blank stare**

>> ^Payback:

...but Ralph Fiennes really IS Voldemort.


fix't

...but Ralph Fiennes really does look like Voldemort.

Where's Ralph Macchio when you need him?

>> ^RadHazG:

Anyone else just watching Ralph and wishing his agent a painful death? He is not so far gone an actor that he should be on some ridiculous show in his pajama's reading fan fiction porn about one of his characters. He's way to good for this tripe.


True he's one of those guys that plays a bad guy so well that he's on my list of people to brutally murder with a lead pipe. Him in "In Bruges" was simply amazing...the hate in me broiled practically the whole movie.

Anyone else just watching Ralph and wishing his agent a painful death? He is not so far gone an actor that he should be on some ridiculous show in his pajama's reading fan fiction porn about one of his characters. He's way to good for this tripe.

>> ^spoco2:

@gorillaman There's no real point getting into semantics and legal statures, the point is this is porn written about an old man touching up a boy, the language of the piece itself uses those terms... so I don't care particularly if it's 'legal' or not, it's creepy and smacks an awful lot like child porn.


Oh it's just some words you big baby. Christ next you're gonna start getting all flustered about "Nigger Jim" in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Now onto the real crux of the matter...you have fucking Voldemort on your show and you don't tackle him and start beating the crap outa him?! I don't get it...people just don't take the defense of our magical world seriously!

>> ^spoco2:

You know... that was pretty much child porn fan fiction, so I can't say I find that particularly amusing.


Harry Potter ought to be of age in the UK by the fifth book. If I remember the movies correctly, Voldemort doesn't come back until the fourth and they don't get any private time together until the fifth.

However, according to Wikipedia the books are set before the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act of 2000, which equalised the ages of consent between homosexual and heterosexual sex. Which means, unless this story took place during Deathly Hallows, Voldemort could be in trouble with the muggle authorities. Except he's probably dead; I haven't seen that one yet.

But I think what we should all remember most of all is that Harry Potter isn't a real person.

as long as i'm not later portrayed by Ralph Macchio, i'm good yeah...

(for all the cheese in that movie, it's still got 2 or 3 incredibly memorable moments that had a hand in my try at guitar playing as a youth)


>> ^therealblankman:

>> ^pho3n1x:
I'd sell my soul to be able to play harp like that...

Well son, there's a certain crossroads. Lies just south of Clarksdale Mississippi. Where Highway 61 and Highway 49 meet is the spot where the King of the Delta Blues, Mr. Robert Johnson, made his deal with Old Scratch himself- you might know him better as the Devil.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?daddr=Mississippi+322,+Clarksdale,+MS+38614,+USA&hl=en&sll=34.168734,-90.549767&sspn=0.
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Fa5fCQId_FKa-il5lRRVOd4qhjFsHgBZXf1IEw&vpsrc=0&mra=mift&t=h&z=17
Get yourself there and you can have what you want, but are you really willing to pay the price?
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