A One Page Essay to Earn $1 More Than Minimum Wage

First of all THIS. McDonalds promises to add 50,000 new jobs and all I have to say is fuck you, Evil Empire. Fortunately, someone else said it a little more eloquently than I could manage given the provocation:

McDonalds, and so many other companies offering jobs, offer low paying, part-time jobs, without benefits, so that such companies can make mind-numbing profits. They are not interested in providing jobs to the people, they are interested in making as great a profit as possible. Creating new jobs creates new money-making markets; but they want to have these markets run by people who are paid as little as possible, an insignificant amount of money for the work they do and the money they help generate. The lower the salary and benefits they can get away with, the greater the profit. The average worker is being used by them as servile servants, and they are told if they are not willing to accept this fact, many others will be willing to take their job, and so they should just be quiet and not cause any problems. We are told that they should be willing to be paid little and be grateful for the crumbs they are being given. Hard work, after all, pays off – just, of course, we often forget who benefits from the hard work is often not the one who does it! [emphasis added]

Exactly. Ex-fucking-actly. I type until my joints swell and ache and who makes the money around here? The same guy who took away my sick days because he could. Don't ever forget that. Unless you work for yourself, working harder isn't benefiting you. It's benefiting your boss. And if you think, given the evidence of just the last two years alone, that you're going to get something out of it- a raise, a promotion, job security- I have a lovely bridge in Brooklyn you can have for the low, low price of $500.

I would also like to share something so twisted and ridiculous, I can only assume the local McDonalds franchises are run by an evil genius whose house should be searched for the world-ending laser it no doubt contains. I know someone who works at a local McDonalds*. He has been recommended for the position of crew trainer. Unlike normal shift workers, crew trainers get 40 hours per week guaranteed, rather than the oh-so-clever not quite enough hours to require benefits, and crew trainers make $1 an hour more than minimum wage, so $8.75. Whoo!! Living the high life right there! Working at McDonalds and making a little more than $18,000 per year! Be still my heart!

You know what he has to do to earn these fabulous riches? Write a one page essay about why he would be a good crew trainer. Don't worry, it's one page double spaced. Yes, typed. On a computer. And printed out. On a printer. Isn't that fucking speshul? (For the privilege blind: generally speaking, an adult desperate enough to find working at McDonalds full time a good deal probably doesn't have a computer or a printer. Those things cost money.) Don't worry, I got done writing, typing and printing it out for him an hour ago, but fucking really? That much hoop jumping to make $8.75 at fucking McDonalds?

I guess simply holding your boot to someone's throat gets boring after a while. And desperate groveling is so entertaining.

*McDonalds are franchises, which means that different McDonalds under different ownerships may have different policies, so this may only be true for the McDonalds where I live, which are all owned by the same person. Also note that unemployment in my area is so high that jobs typically held by teenagers, such as part time worker at McDonalds, are all held by adults. Desperate, poor, at the end of their ropes adults.

You're Not Atlas, and That's Called "Farting" not "Shrugging"

Did I ever tell you I used to be a registered Libertarian?

For reals! I was totally into libertarianism, although I never did make it more than 50 pages into even one Ayn Rand book. so, why was a libertarian? Because I was 19, that's why. 19 year olds tend to be smug little know-it-alls, and I was no exception. Then I got poor and had the wonderful opportunity to view our country from a whole new perspective- hungry, cold, hurting and from under the jackboots of our corporate owners. Today I stand before you (sit digitally nowhere near you?) a socialist.

Anyway, I thought I'd address this ridiculous tripe from Significant Pursuit by Renaissance Guy.

This post is going to be a little like Atlas Shrugged, but not as long. Or as brilliant.

When a fly vomits on your arm, that's more brilliant than Atlas Shrugged. Don't sell yourself short, RG.

What if the owners and mangers of a large factory gathered all the workers together and said, “For the next month your wish will come true. You can run this company, and we will allow you to split 100% of the profits among yourselves. However, there are a few catches. . .”?

So . . . all the workers everywhere want to ditch the owners of companies and become the owners? Maybe you're not selling yourself short there, RG. Maybe you are kind of stupid.

Look, I'm not stupid, so I know that I cannot run the law firm I work for. For one thing, I'm not a lawyer and there are laws concerning impersonating an officer of the Court*. However, there is no reason for my boss to randomly abuse me. There's no reason our sick days got cut from 4 to 2. All that accomplished is that (a) we come to work sick and everyone gets sick, and (b) people take the same number of days off, but don't get paid for anything over 2 days.

Then there's the rule about not being able to leave for doctor's appointments. I work Monday through Friday, 9-5, when all doctors have their hours. I'm apparently never supposed to get sick ever again. I only have 2 sick days, and preventive care would help me not get sick, but I can't go to the doctor, so . . . yeah, it's just abusive. And he's just doing it because he can. But he's rich, so according to RG, it's good! Everything rich people do is good because rich=good and poor=bad.

We'll just ignore the fact that RG is a Christian and I'm pretty sure Jesus did not say anything like that.

These machines that you operate were purchased by us. They belong to us. You may not use them, since that would be giving you an advantage that we did not have when we started. You see, we didn’t just open the doors of this buidling and find it already equipped and furnished.

Come to think of it, we bought the building too, and the land. We paid lots of money not only to have it built but to make sure that it complied with the hundreds of federal, state, and local regulations. (It might interest you to know that during that process we employed lots of people, giving them an opportunity to make a living.) So, since we, the owners, had to buy this building, we request that during this month when you get to keep all the profits, you find your own building.

Um, yes. And I'm sure the owners of this fine company had no assistance in buying all that stuff. They paid for it in cash they earned on their paper routes, no doubt. There were no investors, no banks lending money, no tax breaks, nothing. What colour is the sky where you live, RG? Over here in reality, it's blue.

There’s one more thing that you need to know. If, during that month, you lose money, then you will have to share that loss, too. You will collectively have to pay us back, since we are the ones who normally take the hit when our profits are down. We are the ones who usually take the risk, but since you envy us so much, you can have that risk yourself.

Because when the auto companies and the banks tanked back in 2008, nobody helped them out. Nobody like you and me, the common taxpayer. Oh, wait . . .

We doubt that you will be able to build a building and equip and furnish it in time to make much money this month, so we suggest a few other options. If you wish, we can terminate you temporarily, and you can live on unemployment benefits. Please remember that we pay for those benefits. (Which means that we pay all of you less than we otherwise could.) If you would rather, you can try to pick up other jobs during the month. Maybe you will find a job that you like better than the one we give you. You have our blessing to go and do that job permanently. Good for you, in that case!

Actually, we all pay for unemployment. Ever looked at your paycheck, RG? It says so right on it. Unemployment insurance is well named. You pay into it while you work, and if you ever need it, you get a little back. Just like car insurance.

Also, "there are no other jobs out there" is exactly the reason my boss feels free to throw my stapler at me. He only missed because I ducked. I stick around because, well, there aren't any other jobs out there. That doesn't make his abuse acceptable.

You know what, you're pissing me off, so I'm stopping this right here. Here's me shrugging, RG.

Dear Asshole Attorney (who likes to throw staplers at me):

You don't even know how to use a computer. You can't check your email, you can't type your own letters or legal documents, you can barely even answer the phone. You can't use the billing software and you certainly don't have sufficient hours in the day to answer all the phones, do all the filing, type all the documents, send out all the mail, send out all the bills and do all the other things necessary to run this office.

But, for one month, I'm going to give you the opportunity to do just that. All of us, the secretaries, the receptionist, the paralegals, the billing office, we're taking a 30 day vacation. Your clients don't like waiting 5 minutes to talk to you, but I'm sure they'll be totally cool with waiting 30 days to get anything done. Oh, that's right, you have 20 days to respond to a complaint filed in District Court. Well, I'm sure you'll figure out how to use the computer before the 20 days is up. Don't worry about it. Multi million dollar companies love losing lawsuits by default.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Sincerely,

The Wage Slaves

*It is legal to practice law without a law license as long as you make it very clear you do not have a law license. Think about that for a few seconds and you'll realize why it never comes up.

Explain to Me Why Socialism Is So Very Bad Again

Colour me unsurprised* that American health care is killing Americans.

Americans die sooner than citizens of a dozen other developed nations and the usual suspects -- obesity, traffic accidents and a high murder rate -- are not to blame, researchers reported Thursday.

Instead, poor health care may be to blame, the team at Columbia University in New York reported.

They found that 15-year survival rates for men and women aged 45 to 65 have fallen in the United States relative to the other 12 countries over the past 30 years.

. . .

"But what really surprised us was that all of the usual suspects -- smoking, obesity, traffic accidents, and homicides -- are not the culprits," Meunnig said in a statement.

"The U.S. doesn't stand out as doing any worse in these areas than any of the other countries we studied, leading us to believe that failings in the U.S. health care system, such as costly specialized and fragmented care, are likely playing a large role in this relatively poor performance on improvements in life expectancy."

In June, the Commonwealth Fund, which advocates on and does research focusing on health care reform, reported that Americans spend twice as much on health care as residents of other developed countries -- $7,290 per person -- but get lower quality and less efficiency.

Muennig and Sherry Glied compared the United States to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

Yeah, that socialism. It's awful. It allows people to live longer and better. How terrible! Seriously, tell me again why we're so opposed to socialism? Yeah, yeah, yeah higher taxes- and better health. Isn't that worth higher taxes?

Between 1975 and 2005, medical costs went up in all the countries, as did life expectancy.

But costs went up far more in the United States and life expectancy increased to a far lower degree.

Glied and Meunnig do not believe obesity accounts for the differences. While more Americans are obese, overall the populations in all the nations have been getting fatter, they said.

"For obesity to explain the decline in U.S. life expectancy or the increase in health spending relative to the 12 comparison countries, Americans would have to be becoming obese at a faster rate than people in the comparison nations over time," they wrote. But this has not been happening.

Americans are less likely to smoke, and while Americans are more likely to die in car crashes or be murdered, again these rates do not explain the lower life expectancy, the Columbia team said.

Wait, we can't blame the fatties? Well, now that is unAmerican.

So, how bad is the problem?

"In 1950, the United States was fifth among the leading industrialized nations with respect to female life expectancy at birth, surpassed only by Sweden, Norway, Australia, and the Netherlands," they wrote. At last count, the United States was 46th in female life expectancy; 49th for both sexes.

Wow, from 5 to 46. I'd ask how that capitalism is working out for everyone, but clearly, it's not.

*It's a shade of puce, in case you were wondering.

Debunking the Debunking

environmentalism, global warming, climate change, the story of stuff, right, indoctrination, communism, socialism,
If you're like me, and have no real concern for the state of your heart or brain cells, you spend a lot time on conservative sites/blogs. Which means you've seen a lot of hysterical demagoguery concerning The Story of Stuff.

Basically, The Story of Stuff is a 20 minute video on the effects of human consumption, told in a child-friendly format. Of course, the right views this as "indoctrination" into communism by the left. Because we're all communists and we hate stuff. In fact, I don't even have stuff at my house. I don't even have a house. Good little communist that I am, I live in a field and eat off the land. Which makes it a little hard to explain this blog, but as a communist, I don't actually have to explain things.

What I can't figure out is, what parent wouldn't like to hear a little less "Mommy/Daddy/Whatever- buy me that! And that! And that, too!" As [redacted] pointed out, understanding that there is no cellphone fairy who magically provides batteries that never drain or die, and no magic involved in cell towers, and what all exactly is behind all of our "stuff" is apparently INDOCTRINATION now.

If the little boy's reaction in the New York Times' article is typical, The Story of Stuff is an excellent video.

And many children who watch it take it to heart: riding in the car one day with his parents in Tacoma, Wash., Rafael de la Torre Batker, 9, was worried about whether it would be bad for the planet if he got a new set of Legos.

“When driving by a big-box store, you could see he was struggling with it,” his father, David Batker, said. But then Rafael said, “It’s O.K. if I have Legos because I’m going to keep them for a very long time,” Mr. Batker recalled.

Exactly, Rafael. That isn't just environmental good sense, that's economic good sense, too. Instead of 100 cheap plastic toys (imported from China, no less), get one great toy you'll play with for years.

Now why is the right opposed to that kind of thinking?

When Chuck Norris Jumps into a Lake

flag, obama. chuck norris, 912 project, patriotism, US, america, socialism,

Chuck Norris, the famous guy with a house not in foreclosure, a big bank account and health care, would like you to stop treading on him.

What I loved about the 9/12 idea is that it was a nonpolitical, nonpartisan movement. The 9-12 Project was designed to bring Americans back to the place where we were Sept. 12, 2001 -- the day after America was attacked by terrorists. We were not concerned then with red states, blue states or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect our nation.

That's completely absurd. The 9/12 thing is nonpolitical and nonpartisan? On what planet? I would also like to reiterate that I, like most people, felt sad, sick and scared on 9/12. The man who wants you to stay sad, sick and scared the rest of your life does not have your best interests at heart.

On Sept. 12, 2001, we sought to protect our nation against terrorists from without. Beginning on Sept. 12, 2009, we are seeking to protect our nation against enemies of our republic from within. Many of us are protesting the present political direction of Washington. Outrageous borrowing, excessive bailouts, massive spending, speedball stimulus plans, universal hell care and swings toward socialism are just a few of the things that were protested that day. Of course, economics is far from America's only problem, as large as it appears to loom.

McCarthyism; borrowing, bailouts, spending and stimulus that started under Bush (didn't hear you complaining about that, did I, Chuck?); universal hell care- he's so clever!; and, of course, socialism. Teh Oolitmat Evul.

I want to emphasize: This revolutionary movement is not solely an independent, Republican or Democratic fight. It represents patriots who are fed up against modernists who seek to overturn almost every principle and tenet laid down by our country's Founding Fathers at the inception of our republic. From the East Coast to the "Left Coast," America seems to be moving farther and farther from its Founders' vision and government.

I can't decide what is more absurd in the above paragraph: referring to the 9/12 thing as possibly being a Democratic fight, or insisting that the 9/12 thing is nonpartisan and then refusing to use the geographically correct term "West Coast" in favor of the you're-all-evil-socialists term "Left Coast".

John Adams declared, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people." Yet we've bastardized the First Amendment, reinterpreted America's religious history, denied our Christian heritage, and secularized our society, and now we ooze skepticism and circumvent religion on every level of public and private life.

Atheism: It's oozy!

Chuck has a solution to all the socialists and oozing atheists: a new flag. Well, actually an old flag.

As 9/12 concluded, we all heard many ways to keep this revolutionary movement going. But I was sitting back thinking there's one way we can take a daily stand and declare that as for me and my house, we will serve God and the republic as the Founders did.

If that describes you, then I suggest you fly some revolutionary flag in lieu of your 50-star flag over the next year. Post the 13-star Betsy Ross flag, Navy Jack or Gadsden flag ("Don't Tread on Me") or any representation that tells the story of Old Glory and makes a stand for our Founders' vision of America.

Of course, patriots know that the 50-star flag truly represents one nation under God and our Founders' republic, but modernists simply don't get it. So what do you say we make a statement by flying a different flag and educate our neighbors when they ask us, "Why are you flying that flag instead of the contemporary Stars and Stripes?" (If you insist on posting a modern USA flag, too, then get one that is tea-stained to show your solidarity with our Founders.)

I don't get what the flag means? Because I've never been through elementary school, you jackass? Honestly. And if you're going to insist on using the flag that actually represents our country, defile it with stains. According to the Flag Code, one is not to allow the flag to be stained or dirtied, nor is one allowed to change the colors of the flag. Mutilation of a flag is a crime. And Chuck? "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, in response to McCarthyism.

Oh, and not related to Chuck's post, but remember the brouhaha at the beginning of the election over the fact that McCain for a flag lapel pin and Obama did not? Turns out, Obama was correct. According to the Flag Code §901(b)

Individuals Entitled To Display Service Lapel Button.— A service lapel button approved by the Secretary may be worn by members of the immediate family of an individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged.

Anyway.

The Government Can't Do Anything Right

socialism, health care, obama, whole, foods, mackey, conservative, liberal, funny
MB Shopper, at the Whole Foods message boards, wins an internet for the following description of everything the government can't do right:

Sigh.

Once again, for the benefit of the goernment-can't-get-anything-right flock:

I AM AN AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE SHITHEEL

This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the national weather service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and tTechnology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issed by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to ny house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all it's valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log on to the internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and fox news forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right.

----

And apparently, the Global Positioning Satellite system is POS, right?

The only reason government doesn't work is because conservative Republican administrations defunded and/or patronage staffed them with people with ties to special business interests: to wit the last FDA, Dept of Interior and Agriculture under Bush. No one seems to have a problem with pumping over $500Bil to the Defense Department which last I hear is a socialized entity.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if you don't like paying taxes, move to sunny Somalia. Your earnings will be entirely tax free.

Rep. Broun Godwins the Entire World

hitler, godwin, conservative, GOP, obama, wingnut, socialism, marxism,

There is no possibility of reasonable discussions with a good portion of the GOP*. Exhibit "A": Representative Paul Broun of Georgia (do I need to tell you which party?) Godwins the entire world in his latest delusional rant.

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base "may"? "a bit"?, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may—may not, I hope not—but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

In case you're not familiar with what Broun is referring to, it is Obama's proposal for a civilian reserve corps that could handle postwar reconstruction efforts such as rebuilding infrastructure—an idea endorsed by the Bush administration. Remember, Broun? Those guys you loved? Were just in power until 6 months ago?

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist." Yeah, we probably shouldn't take history lessons from people that can't remember last year.

Broun said he believes Obama would move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national security force. I love all the weaselwording. "If he does . . . I believe . . . he may . . ." Once you've Godwin'd, you don't get to hide behind "I said he might do it . . ."

Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. entirely different from banning gun ownership. seriously, who the fuck needs a concealed assualt rifle? As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.

"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. No, he was not. Hitler was elected to a fairly minor political office, that's true. But he was appointed Chancellor of Germany (not a democratic move) and then appointed himself Fuhrer (again, not democratic) I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. which is why you've mentioned Hitler three times in as many minutes? What I'm saying is there is the potential of going down that road."

This is what passes for reasoned discourse? This is what the First Amendment has come to? Godwinning the entire world every time someone sticks a microphone in your face? How long do you suppose it will be before some unhinged wingnut with concealed bazooka decides that the only way to save the world from SuperMarxistBlackHitler is to kill people? Given the hysteria, the extremity, the insanity, of right wing speech lately, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

Mark my words: in a world where a congressman can call the President of the United States Hitler- with no consequences- violence is guaranteed. The only question is when.

*UNRR is more than capable of reasonable discussion. I just wish the entire GOP was like him.

Why We Need Universal Health Care - Part Infinity

health care, hospital, socialism, obama
Yesterday I wake up at 5am with a hideous pain under the bottom of my ribs on the left side. Bad enough to wake me up out of a sound sleep. I wait around for a while for it to go away, it doesn't. The pain gets worse. I drink a cup of coffee and have a piece of toast. (The coffee is important later.)

Finally, at 8am, I decide I can't wait for my doctor's office to open at 9:30 and go to the ER. They actually got me into a room in record time (about 45 minutes) and then . . . nothing. An hour goes by. A nurse comes in, takes blood, records heart rate, blood pressure (145/62) and temperature. At this point, I'm thirsty. I've been up for almost 5 hours and I've only had a cup of coffee. The nurse says that since I have stomach pain, I can't have anything to drink.

Another 2 hours go by. I complain of being thirsty 2 more times, and the nurse comes into the room with a bag of saline and leaves. Doesn't hook it up, just leaves. A physician's assistant student stops in, does the worst exam in history (why yes, if I have bad menstrual cramps and you press on my uterus, it will hurt. Not a freakin' medical mystery.), and tells me the tests were normal (I had to pry out of her that they tested liver and kidney function), then tells me there isn't anything in that area (you know, other than my spleen, for starters), then goes to find someone who can hook up the bag.

Another hour goes by, and at this point I feel like I've run a marathon through the Sahara, and I'm getting really floaty. I leave, go home, drink four 12 ounce bottles of water in 20 minutes and go to sleep. My SIL, who works at that hospital, stops by and I tell her what happened and she tells me the dirty, not-so-secret of the ER, you know, that place that is to millions of people their only access to health care?

ER's are only required to stabilize vitals: blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. If those are stable, they can, and will, "street" you: kick you out of the ER. If you die in the parking lot, that's not their problem. You were "stable" when you left. This is obscene. You can have a heart attack, and have perfectly normal vitals. You can be bleeding to death and have perfectly normal vitals right up until the end. You can have a stroke and have perfectly normal vitals.

This is health care in the US. ERs are overwhelmed with sick and suffering people who have nowhere else to turn, and the ERs don't have the capability to help them. So, the ERs kick out all but the most obviously sick (i.e., bleeding everywhere), and risk killing people in the process. I can't predict the future and tell you exactly how well the planned reforms will work, but I can tell you that what's going on now isn't working.

What Socialism Looks Like

Yes, kids, that's what full-blown socialism looks like: the little bitty 0.21% of the graph. Political science teachers everywhere are probably checking themselves into psychiatric hospitals en masse by now.

I highly suggest clicking the link, btw. I've never heard of Conor Clarke before, but he is just priceless.

If It Takes Socialism to Get Us All Healthcare

socialism, health care, insurance, bankruptcy, single, payer, obama, liberal,
Then fuck it, I'm a socialist.

From Americablog:

Medical bills are involved in more than 60 percent of U.S. personal bankruptcies, an increase of 50 percent in just six years, U.S. researchers reported Thursday.

More than 75 percent of these bankrupt families had health insurance but still were overwhelmed by their medical debts, the team at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Ohio University reported in the American Journal of Medicine.

"Using a conservative definition, 62.1 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007 were medical; 92 percent of these medical debtors had medical debts over $5,000, or 10 percent of pretax family income," the researchers wrote. "Most medical debtors were well-educated, owned homes and had middle-class occupations."

The researchers, whose work was paid for by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said the share of bankruptcies that could be blamed on medical problems rose by 50 percent from 2001 to 2007.

You know why we need this? It's not just the 40,000,000 or so people without medical insurance, it's the millions more people like me, who have insurance and can't afford to use it.

Monday night I was swiffering my floor and I accidentally knocked a surround sound speaker off the stand. It landed right on my bunion, and I ended up with a deep purple/blue bruise on my foot up to my bunion, and a bruise on my toe past the bunion. The pain was indescribable. I'm still limping and that bruise looks bad, and I'm not sure why it's to either side of the bunion. That worries me.

I thought about going to the hospital, but then I thought, nope. I can't afford to pay the hospital to xray it, or for the ER charge. If something did need to be done, it'd be a visit to an orthopaedic surgeon, and my copay for specialists is $50. I don't have $12 for hair dye. I didn't have it last week or the week before, either. (Yes, I'm a little vain.) And you know it wouldn't be just one visit to the specialist. And forget about surgery. I've seen my copays for that. If I could afford that sort of thing, I'd own a car.

So, I grabbed one of the crutches in the basement closet (leftover from when my MIL had knee surgery) and used that for a few days.

I have health insurance. I may as well not.

Imagine what my story will be if I am diagnosed with breast cancer next month. What will I do then? I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll choose between eating and dying. I'll choose between being homeless and letting cancer eat me alive. I'll choose between what is no doubt a really horrible death and having heat in the winter.

So the next time somebody whinges at you about socialism and rationing* and Canada, ask them what they'd choose: cancer treatments or eating, cancer treatments or having a roof over their head, cancer treatments or not freezing to death.



*We already are rationing health care treatments in this country. We're rationing it according to who can afford it. When somebody starts bitching about rationing, what they're really saying is, "I'm on the good side of the rationing right now, and I'd rather not end up on the bad side of it."

There's Irony . . . and Then There's Irony

john galt, irony, libertarian, socialism, stupid,
In the category of "it's so ironic I can hardly see it through the glare of irony" we have Working to Hard to Go John Galt This Week.

Is there such a thing as a Randian Poe?

A lot of those who value political liberty in the U.S. are devout Christians. wait, is trying to create a theocracy political liberty? i'm confused. I’m an atheist myself aren't we all?(I wouldn’t classify anyone as an objectivist who wasn’t i think there may be something wrong with that statement), but a large majority of the best people I know on a personal level (as well as the people I most admire in history) are people of faith fair enough, and the large majority of them are Christians we do live in the US. As a homeschooler in New Jersey, I feel particularly indebted to the Christian families who did (and continue to do) the yeoman’s work in making and keeping homeschooling a viable educational option for my family, even if some of their motives for doing so are not the same as mine. some of their motives? how about all their motives? how about motives like "i never want my children to even be in the same room as a gay person, let alone be taught that gay people are human"? some! And in this fight in particular, I’m proud to stand with anyone who recognizes my right to be free, even if they may disagree with my personal plans for my freedom, or with my reasons for valuing it. strange bedfellows indeed, mr. galt. In short, nothing would make me happier than for people of all faiths and of no faith to win the fight for liberty so we can be free to be bitter enemies once again, our common foes having been vanquished . rather the problem with strange bedfellows, to be sure. "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is not supposed to be a life philosophy. I’m not diminishing the significance of our differences, they're HUGE! they hate you. they think you want to rape children! really, really big differences but neither should the strength we can derive from our common values be diminished. until you win your little war and fall to squabbling with one another.

I’ve made this point before, but I think it bears re-emphasizing as it might not be obvious to someone unfamiliar with this site: I really, really don’t want to ever actually have to go “John Galt”. if you go john galt, do you stop writing drivel like this? if so, i'm all about you going john galt. Now I still feel quite certain that the only way to avoid having to do so is to show that you actually are willing to. ummm . . . you cannot possible display that you are willing to do something without actually doing it. "i will pull this trigger. i will. i'll do it . . . maybe. someday. if you shoot me one more time, i'll do it!" But there’s more that can be done too, and that’s what I’ve been thinking about lately. about how to go galt without actually going galt? And it has to do with recognizing an important fact about the conflict between your average producer and your average functionally anti-freedom person i think that's me.: neither one has their heart in this fight the way their opponent fears they do. The producer is not pro-freedom because they desire to see widows and orphans starving does it matter what your motives are if children starve? hey, sorry you're homeless and starving, but my motives are pure- don't you feel better now?, and the person who thinks that freedom is undesirable just for the record, i do not find freedom undesireable does so out of a miscalculation about both the impracticality of freedom and the efficacy of force as a necessary evil who is he talking about?, not because they desire to see productivity punished. There are exceptions to this characterization on both sides, but they constitute a minority small enough to be ignored when considering the forces that shape society. More to come eventually. let's hope so.

Godwin's Law and PF's Corollary

facism, socialism, gingrich, newt, obama, drug, testing, mandatory, fail, hitler, nazi,

In case you've never heard of it, Godwin's Law states that "if you mention Hitler or Nazis in a post, you've automatically ended whatever discussion you were taking part in". After reading an interesting idea from Newt Gingrich (more on that later), I have come up with a corollary to Godwin's Law: invoking facism/Hitler/Nazi often enough is an effective strategy if you have something to do or say that actually is facist, and you don't want your opponent to be able to call you on it.



For example*: by David Niewert, Crooks & Liars




O'Reilly: I don't know whether you know this, but I did one of my papers at Harvard on this -- on how to reduce demand for drugs. But the United States has never figured it out. You can't lock up drug users, I mean, that doesn't work. And you can't force them into rehab, you have to want rehab, and even if you want it, it's very hard to get off hard drugs and alcohol. Very hard.
What you can do, though, is sanction people along the way. And this is what they do in Singapore. If you're caught possessing drugs -- and that means drugs in your bloodstream, they have a little hair thing, and they put it in there -- then you have to go to mandatory rehab. And they have centers where you go.


Now, they have no drug problem in Singapore at all, number one, because they hang drug dealers -- they execute them. And number two, the market is very thin, because when they catch you using, you go away with a mandatory rehab. You go to some rehab center, which they have, which the government has built.


The United States does not have the stomach for that. We don't have the stomach for that, Mr. Speaker.


Gingrich: Well, I think it's time we get the stomach for that, Bill. And I think we need a program -- I would dramatically expand testing. I think we have -- and I agree with you. I would try to use rehabilitation, I'd make it mandatory. And I think we have every right as a country to demand of our citizens that they quit doing illegal things which are funding, both in Afghanistan and in Mexico and in Colombia, people who are destroying civilization.



Conservatives have been throwing "socialist" and "fascist" at Obama nonstop since he was inaugurated (and before, really). At first, I found this to be a gross misunderstanding of both history and politics. To put Obama in the same league as Hitler represents a fundamental misunderstanding of that entire episode in our world's history. Complete, utter, fundamental history fail. To call someone both a socialist and a facist is like calling someone tall and short, fat and thin, pale and tanned at the same time. Socialism and facism are polar opposites on the political spectrum.



Now I understand why conservatives have been doing this. What Gingrich is suggesting is facism. Plain and simple. Drug test everyone and then forceably rehabilitate anyone who tests positive. The whole country is a suspect, and civil rights no longer apply. However, we cannot call Gingrich on his facism, because it looks like we're just joining in the "invoke Hitler as often as possible game", and that just makes everyone look stupid.



I suggest we replace "facism" with "Gingrichism".



Unfortunately, no matter what you call it, Gingrich's plan is foolish and dangerous, and we all might want to pay close attention from here on out to what I previously assumed were a bunch of Godwin's Law losers.

*link has video of the quoted conversation

Red is Shockingly Popular at Valentine's Day

red, communism, socialism, obama, agenda, plot, rapture, stupid
Apparently, the fact that red is (or maybe isn't, I don't know) a popular color right now means we are all going to be socialists soon. (That was communists, for those of you keeping track, but whatever.)

(1) Red is always very popular at Valentine's Day (at least in the US. Readers from other countries, feel free to chime in.)

(2) I love red. I look fabulous in red. Therefore, I decorate and wear as much red as possible. AAAHHHH . . . I must be Stalin!

From the ever popular Rapture Ready message boards:

Sundial begins the silliness with: Lately I've noticed several products marketed with an emphasis on the color red--cell phones have one in red, Dell computer totally want one in red, the youth brigade jackets huh?, a larger percentage of red in the new Pepsi logo pepsi is teh evul--these are just a few products. I did a search on the Pantone website, the world's authority on color trends for the seasons, and there is NO red listed for spring. wow! they missed one. they're not psychics, guys.This is no coincidence. it's teh evul! Our current administration is implementing a a very subtle means of marketing their socialistic agenda. obama controls what colors cell phones and computers come in? either i'm very lucky or that's insane. In a matter of time, we will see red as the primary color choice in our products. all products will be red. and nobody will think to distinguish themselves by choosing blue. yeah. Perhaps we will be known as the "red shirts". like commies!

EndisNear posts a picture of the traditional USSR hammer and sickle (symbol in yellow over a red background): I wonder if we'll be seeing yellow, too. i hope not. i look like i have liver failure in yellow.

jb777 totally accepts the idea that Obama controls our color preferences: I plan to adopt or wear any color I take a mind to....heck with them and their stupid socialist agenda.

wally was apparently channelling me (which would explain that rather awkward blackout yesterday): Colorful fiends! That's why they painted all thoses fire trucks red.To draw all young children deep into their communist clutches!I am soooo glad we have yellow fire trucks......Now why did the utility companies eliminate safety yellow from their vehicles and replace it with white? HmmmmSo the prolotariate would surrender? Yes ! Its all a color plot!Quick form a defense around Crayola! We need more colors!Sounds like diversity training...... wait a minuet.....

just when i think these people can't get any more nuts . . .

Facism, Nazism, Socialism and Henry Ford

republican, socialism, nazi, henry, ford, facism, obama, new deal, fdr
Apparently, the Republican Party can't tell the difference between Facism and Socialism. Oh, and Henry Ford was a closet Nazi.

I suggest forcing all Republiscum to repeat the sixth grade.

Nazis Were NOT Socialists

socialism, nazi, conservative, nazis, communism, stupid
This is an excellent explanation of why the Nazis, though their name contained the word "Socialist", were not- NOT- socialists.

Side note: we could rename the US the Union of Tiny Pink Unicorns, but we would not all turn into tiny pink unicorns.

Obama's Thugs and the Hitlerization of History

conservative, politics, democracy, democrat, ogden, obama, stupid, christian, religion, history, hitler, facism, socialism, abortion, traditional, marriage
Wow. Just wow. Seriously wow.

Let's start by saying that Obama inherited the debt our country is currently in. Obama inherited the financial mess we are now in. (I'm typing forbearance agreements, foreclosures and complaints nonstop at this point. Don't try to tell me we're not headed for a depression.) Obama inherited the wars we are currently embroiled in, one of which is being fought to the tune of 10 Billion Dollars a Month.

He inherited all this from former President George W. Bush and the Republicans. George W. Bush who did NOT end abortion. George W. Bush who entered into a war on "faulty intelligence"- his own. George W. Bush who based appointments on loyalty rather than qualifications.

To say that Obama is a facist dictator appointing "thugs" is fearmongering and a gross misunderstanding of facts. The use of the word "thugs" itself is disturbing, given the flavor that word has acquired. You may as well just say, "He's black, therefore, his friends are thugs. You know how black people are." Don't even get me started comparing anyone to Hitler.

Just to give you a clue, pearlysantorum, my boss' mother was a Holocaust survivor. Her life, and his, were forever marked by Hitler and the Nazis. When people compare anyone to Hitler, my boss becomes enraged. As far as I can tell, it's the only thing that makes him angry. To compare Obama to Hitler is just . . . unbelievable, and you should be ashamed. I suggest a visit to the Holocaust Museum, in case you can't quite figure out why I might find this so offensive.

By the way, socialism and fascism are two ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS. Totally different. Couldn't be more different if they tried. Get a fucking history book, pearlysantorum.

Oh, and David Ogden's work on First Amendment issues helped preserve your right to make such offensive statements. That is irony.

Pearl’s sworn statement of awareness, 2/5/2009: is it notarized? filed with the Court? do we perhaps misunderstand the meaning of "sworn statement"?

I will not lose my sense of indignation over the intentional and selfish breakdown of marriage and family because other people's lives are totally her business. all 6 billion people in the world report to her. oh, wait, who's the facist dictator again? no matter if it comes from my fellow citizens, the president, or his “official” they are official pearlysantorum. i bet you weren't this frightened and upset when Bush was appointing completely unqualified people to important posts.thugs.

I will not lose my sense of indignation over the devaluation of life no matter if it comes from my fellow citizens, the president, or his “official” thugs. good for you. how about crusading for birth control to prevent unwanted pregancies? how about crusading for paid maternity leave so mothers can afford to give birth? how about crusading for universal healthcare so mothers and babies can see doctors and not leave the hospital owing tens of thousands of dollars?

I will not lose my sense of indignation over the total disregard for parental and children’s rights no matter if it comes from my fellow citizens, the president, or his “official” thugs. i don't even know what your . . . oh, yeah, no name calling week. cause you're not a good christian if you don't say "n**ger" and "f*g".

I will not lose my sense of indignation over the marketing of pernicious evils seriously? i really doubt obama has read after the ball. nobody else but you takes that book quite that seriously. no matter if it comes from my fellow citizens, the president, or his “official” thugs.

I will not lose my sense of indignation over the increasingly overt attacks on religion WHAT?! you represent 76% of population, you persecution loving moron! your high holy days are federal holidays. you are free to push your religion on whomever you want. you can carry around your holy book where ever you go. Meanwhile an (maybe) atheist in Texas is fired for being (maybe) an atheist. GET OVER YOURSELF, YOU STUPID SNOT. no matter if they come from my fellow citizens, the president, or his “official” thugs.

I will not lose my sense of indignation over attempts to rewrite, nullify, or ill-interpret our nation’s sacred Constitution no matter if they come from my fellow citizens, the president, or his “official” thugs. are you getting your news from WorldNetDaily again?

And I will take all that burning indignation, ball it up into a great, heaping, fiery wad of ambition, a great, heaping, fiery "wad"? BWAHAHAHAHAHA and hurl it with a fury at breakdown, devaluation, disregard, marketing, attack, and subversion. Oh, wait, i used my wild laughter too soon. it got funnier. i've got nowhere to go with this now that pearlysantorum has started satirizing herself.

Essentially, I vow to never stop being surprised, indignant, and outraged at evil. yes, yes, we get it. you like repetition. you, my dog and the average 4 year old share a deep love for repetition. And I vow to never stop exposing those people (and their agendas) who would lull Americans into a false sense of security just before slapping on the hand-cuffs, delivering them to a room devoid of all things pure and innocent, and declaring them eternal captives of “progression” and “free-thinking.” you honestly believe that at some point, Obama is going to handcuff you, throw you in a jail cell decorated, I guess, in porn, or possibly printouts of my blog, or pages torn from After the Ball, and damn you to eternal captivity? eternal? i thought only god could do that.

I choose to remain a humble you can't claim humility after the above self-serving rant. sorry. pick one. servant of tradition, value just one value? is that the value of being surprised, the value of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong or the value of offensive Hitler comparisons?, and morality rather than a prisoner to the oxymoron that is “enlightenment.” why is enlightenment oxymoronic? or do you just like the word "oxymoron"?

Well, I’m waxing eloquent. You're waxing something. I’ve got to wrap this up before no one takes me seriously anymore. Too late for that. I am well aware that I tend toward dramatic intonation in my expressive style of communication BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA, but make no mistake that the sentiment behind the eccentricity is genuine and the imagery is, in my thinking what? is that really the right verb?, quite chillingly accurate.
Advocating Awareness, ~Pearl

I wish conservative "political" bloggers like Pearl would attend BlogHer. Maybe she would learn something.

Mike Pence: Proving that the Right Just Doesn't Get It

Mike Pence, R-Indiana, was elected the chairman of the House Republican Conference, apparently for his amazing plan to lead the Republiscum out of the wilderness. After reading his op-ed for the Washington Times, I have come to the conclusion that unless Obama starts sacrificing kittens on the White House lawn, he has nothing to worry about come 2012.

On Election Day we won, you lost! that never gets old., only 22 percent of Americans described themselves as liberal i wonder how "liberal" was defined, given what else happened on election day, even while electing the most liberal, one-party government in American history. it was good when we elected the most conservative, one-party government in 2000, but bad when we elected a liberal government in 2008. why? we certainly couldn't do worse than Bushco. We remain essentially a center-right nation. This meme is gathering traction in republican circles, but it clearly isn't true. If we were a center-right nation, why did we elect the "most liberal, one-party government in American history"? Cognitive dissonance, anyone?

So, what happened? do tell. I believe Republicans walked away from the principles that minted our governing majority in 1980 and 1994 torture? deregulation? empire building?. There is a way out of the wilderness yes! he totally said wilderness. i wrote the first paragraph before i even saw this! i am made of win!. But it will require humility BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA good luck with that, vision and good luck with that, positive alternatives hee hee! and a willingness to fight yeah, republiscums always got plenty of that for what makes America (check out the Washington Times' random link)great. Could we please stop calling this country "America"? Have you never seen a globe? "America" could be North America-Canada, US, Mexico, etc.-, Central America- hello, Nicuragua!- or South America-Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, etc. It quite pisses off other citizens of the Americas that we have hijacked that word. It's the US, we are USians. (pronounced you-ess-ee-ins)

First, Republicans must admit that we lost our way DUH!. After 1994, we were a majority committed to a balanced federal budget, entitlement reform entitlement, by the way, is feeding children and giving sick people medicine. we could call that a lot of things, but "entitlement" makes it sound bad, like "welfare queen" and advancing the principles of a limited federal government which basically amounts to tax breaks for huge corporations and no food for children. But recently Republicans voted to expand the federal government's role in education damn those literate poor people!, created the largest new entitlement in 40 years damn those hungry people wanting to eat! and pursued spending policies that created record deficits, national debt and the largest corporate bailout in American history ok, the bailouts are getting silly. While Democrats continued and expanded these spending excesses over the past two years along with republicans. he makes it sound like the repuliscum were innocent bystanders after 2006, voters were obviously not done punishing Republicans for our departure from principles over the past eight or the Iraq War, or the economic meltdown. I think Mr. Pence is a little confused about what we punished the republiscum for. Big-government Republicanism is a failed political experiment Again, Mr. Pence clearly doesn't understand what the average USian is pissed off about. When Republicans admit this , we will take an important first step toward renewing our credibility with our natural governing majority. Taking a page from AA, I see.

Second, Republicans must propose new solutions to today's challenges based upon timeless principles. Timeless? How long has representative democracy been around? How about the US? Weren't we founding in, I dunno, 17something? Republicans will succeed when we present the American people a positive, conservative vision in vivid contrast to the big-government liberalism of the new, one-party government. You could start by recognizing that we are clearly NOT a center-right country. That would be helpful. Republicans must return to defending our nation from what, Iraqis halfway across the world? Catch me some bin Laden and I might take you seriously. Ask McCain how, he knows., our treasury our treasury is under attack? and our values Pence's values and my values clearly have nothing in common. He cares most about what consenting adults do in their bedrooms, I care about starving people and getting health care to everyone. I'm pretty sure what Mr. Pence has are not values so much as obessessions, and possibly closets. with everything we've got.

We must be the party of open and honest government Dick Cheney had the Naval Observatory (where the VP lives) blurred on Google Images. I don't think the republiscum have any idea what open and honest means, let alone a desire to enact these ideas., reaffirming our commitment to public integrity doesn't "re" in front of a word imply doing something again? and demanding the highest ethical standards BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA in the service of the American people. We must again again with the agains for things that never happened once! embrace the notion that Republicans seek the majority not simply to govern but to change government for the better. We are the true agents of change. Democrats just want to have wild hooker and drug parties. With rock stars. And actors. Page 24, line 16 of the Liberal Agenda.

We must develop new strategies for strengthening our armed forces stop needlessly wasting them in wars we shouldn't be involved in? and homeland security pay attention to the intelligence you get, and stop making up the intelligence you want?, and be willing to oppose any effort to use our military for nation-building IRAQ WAR or progressive social experimentation letting gay people just admit they're gay. it's so very wrong.. We must again be the party of economic growth. "again" means more than once, or repeating what happened before. Is Mr. Pence aware of this? The American people Chileans or Mexicans? know we cannot borrow, spend and bail our way back to a growing economy. Shutting off the tap won't work, either. See: President Hoover and the Great Depression. Republicans must offer alternatives for restoring growth through tax relief the difference between a 36% tax rate and a 39% tax rate? not much., expanded trade, spending discipline whips and ball gags! and no more government bailouts.

We must detail our alternatives to Democratic plans to raise taxes and expand the federal government the alternative to that would be not to raise taxes and not to expand the federal government. hey, I can lead the GOP! of course, so could my dog. in education, health care and entitlements health care for everyone is Teh Evil! let the poor people suffer and die, then we won't have to give them those dirty entitlements like food and heat. fucking bastards always freezing to death. You can burn money for warmth, you know! . Ideas like a balanced budget amendment the worst possible move right now, school-choice vouchers

we're taking a little break here. school choice vouchers as education reform drives me bonkers! here's why. I live in the only Pennsylvania Blue-Ribbon School district in my city. The elementary school by my house is one of the best in the state. Other schools in the area range between barely acceptable and appallingly bad. Suppose, rather than fixing the other schools, the local School Board just gave every parent school choice vouchers. what do you suppose would happen? Every single child would automatically be enrolled in the one good school in the city. The children wouldn't just be sitting on the floor due to lack of desks, they would have to be strapped to the walls and ceiling.

School choice vouchers seem like a good idea, but they are not a solution to the problem with education in this country. It's just another damn right wing slogan that sounds good and fixes nothing.

, health savings accounts if you don't have the money in the first place, like me, you can't save it toward health care spending. if we switched from health insurance to HSAs at work, I would die. Not an exaggeration. I would no longer be able to afford my medication, would have a porphyric attack, and die. and welfare reform at this point, the only left to do to welfare is to kick everyone off of it- right in the middle of the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. Nice.should take center stage in the Republican agenda. And we must have a vision for defending the cherished values of life and marriage bigotry! whenever they come under attack from the courts, the new administration or congressional liberals. We hate marriage and life!

Notice how none of these ideas are new? Not a one. He's just recycling old Republiscum propaganda from 1984 and 1996. That's it. They didn't work then and they won't work now. I don't mean in terms of getting Republicans elected, I mean in terms of solving any of the problems facing the US. Think about it, the Republicans controlled the government from 2000-2006. Abortion is still legal. So, what exactly is it Republicans are doing for "life" again?

Third, Republicans need to take our vision and agenda to every American regardless of race, creed or past political affiliations. Giving up the racist elements of the GOP would be a good idea. Our party was forged in a war over the principle of equality of opportunity and we need to return to its vigorous defense. The Democrats offer a vision of hope based on increased dependency and welfare-state politics. Sick people won't have to die! Republicans must go to every community even those brown-skinned ones and offer a better hope my hope is better than your hope! built on equality of opportunity, personal responsibility and the desire of every citizen to live the American dream unfettered by high taxes and government red tape. that was the written equivalent of whiplash. Equality of opportunity and responsibility. That's gonna be a hard sell.

Finally, Republicans must be the loyal opposition. We will support the president and his party in Congress whenever principle permits us to do so never!. And we will respectfully oppose we won't call him the "n" word the administration and the liberal Democratic majority every time consistency to principle demands yeah, we're filibustering the lunch order. But we cannot make the next two years merely a battle between Democrats and Republicans at some point, we'll have to sleep. We must make the next two years a debate about what makes America great and whether we are still a land of opportunity for everyone willing to dream big and work hard or whether we have accepted a slow decline into European-style paternalism. it's your damn fault you're not rich. We must make the next two years an honest debate over the government's role in our lives and how we can best preserve the freedom and material blessings of this nation for ourselves and our children's children. you'll have lots, because we're cutting of the birth control!

If Democrats are true to their campaign promises, Republicans will have the opportunity to take a stand on behalf of the American people - to give Americans more access to American oil because what we need is more oil dependency, to preserve secret-ballot elections in the workplace no, really, we like unions!, to defeat Fairness Doctrine censorship on the airwaves of talk radio not actually an issue and to defeat any effort to overturn reasonable restrictions on abortion at the state level. In these battles, Republicans can be on the side of everyday Americans like our maids, fighting to preserve their freedoms, their prosperity and their values.

Republicans have an opportunity to redefine our party with humility, vision, policy alternatives and a willingness to fight for the priorities and values of everyday Americans. good luck with that

The commies are coming! The commies are coming!

(or, Making McCarthy Proud)

You know, I'm almost 33, so maybe I'm too young for this, but do commies really scare anyone anymore? Really? I vaguely remember thinking, upon hearing of the Berlin Wall falling, "what, that thing was still up?" Communism is just such a theoretical fear to me that I can't feel anything about it. Apparently, that isn't true of others.

(Just for the record, I mostly vote Democratic, and I've been registered as Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Independant. While I feel strongly about the rights of women and children, I don't want to "spread freedom" via guns and bombs. I'd rather spread medical supplies and food and books via tiny parachutes. I like tiny parachutes.)

JERUSALEM – The enactment of a "single payer" socialist health care system; passing laws to make joining a labor union easier; raising the minimum wage and increasing labor union support – all these are just some of the policies the Community Party USA has mapped out as crucial for Obama to push through during his term of office.

Why is the place listed as "Jerusalem"? I'm pretty sure Obama is President-Elect of the US. Is this supposed to be symbolic? For all those aspiring writers out there, don't use symbols that are meaningless to anyone else but you. I could say that this article is very COG-like. It would mean something to me, it wouldn't mean anything to you.

For what is unlikely to be the last time: Obama's health care plans are neither "single payer" nor socialistic. Once more with feeling: If you have insurance you like, you can keep it. If you don't have insurance, or you don't like your insurance, you can buy into (at a fantastically low rate) the same insurance politicians get. That's it. Very soon, the only people without insurance will be people who don't want it. Why is this wrong? People without insurance are 50% more likely to die of traumatic injuries and cancer. That's a good thing?

Oh, god, raising the minimum wage! It's evil! EVIL! The minimum wage currently is $6.55. It will rise to $7.25 in July of 2009. (All figures: US Department of Labor) For anyone not living in reality, yes, there are adults raising children while simultaneously trying to eat and stay warm who have to get by on $6.55 an hour. You try it. And don't get me started on WIC and Food Stamps and Section 8. WIC stops when the child turns 6 (because 6 year olds don't eat), Food Stamps provide for $3 a day per person (the dollar menu at McDonalds is good for you, right?) and Section 8 will make you pay up to 30% of your income for rent. This might only equal $300 a month, but if all you had was 1000 to begin with, that's a lot of money.

Apparently, hating poor people is an American/Christian value. That's something to be proud of.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that Obama is a member of the Democratic Party. There actually is a Communist Party in the US. It's tiny and powerless, and would be horribly offended to be mistaken for the Democratic Party.

"For the people who elected Obama and the increased Democratic majority," Norman Markowitz writes, "'change we can believe in' isn't about bailouts for corporations and banks. It isn't about wearing American flag pins on your lapel. ...
"It is about ending the post-World War II policies that led to the long-term stagnation and decline of the labor movement," Markowitz writes. "It is about creating a national public health care program more than 50 years after it was established in other major industrial nations, and handling a national debt which has increased 10 times since Ronald Reagan became president in 1981."

Apparently, I'm insane, because I can't see what is wrong about these things. No, wait, I've got it. Norman Markowitz is an admitted Marxist. A pinko commie! This is a logical flaw called "the attack ad hominem." Essentially, an ad hominum attack is an attack on the speaker rather than the idea. For instance, if I tell you that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health while smoking a cigarette, your immediate reaction would be "look who's talking", but, the fact that I smoke doesn't change the fact that cigarettes are bad for you. My point? Markowitz being an admitted Marxist doesn't affect the validity of his ideas.

Also, right wingers get all bent out of shape about the liberal media and freedom of speech, and then want to slap some duck tape over the mouth of anyone who disagrees with them. Apparently, freedom of speech only applies to people who agree with them.

Markowitz urges Obama to implement a "single payer" national health system, or socialized universal medicine.

Interesting. The first paragraph of this article implies that Obama is a communist and wants socialized medicine. Here, however, we have Markowitz "urging" Obama towards socialized medicine. You don't urge someone to do something they're already going to do. Hmmm . . .

The New Zeal Blog, which researched connections between Obama and the Communist Party USA, commented: "The best way to determine the Obama administration's likely agenda is to read the communist press. Very few US voters would have any inkling that the approximately 3,000 members of the Communist Party USA have a huge influence on the policy and direction of the Democratic Party ."

When did quoting random blogs become research? You're welcome to quote me all you want, but don't use me as source material in your doctoral thesis. I'm not an expert in anything. Neither is the New Zeal blogger. (He's also from New Zealand. I have friends from New Zealand and they have really peculiar ideas about the US.)

Very few US votes would have any inkling that the Communist Party has huge influence in the Democratic Party because they don't. That's just silly fear-mongering, conspiracy nut pandering. SHOW YOUR WORK, new zeal! (That's right, I'm calling you out!)