Open Thread–12/5/2012

 Posted by at 7:45 am  Politics
Dec 052012
 

Yesterday my COPD remained severe.  I didn’t get as much sleep as I needed, but did get enough to get by.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow appears routine.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:00 (average 4:38).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Michael J. Fox Has One Simple, Simple Request

 

I agree. I have not yet come down on one side or the other regarding GMOs, because there’s too much about them that I don’t know. However, people who choose not to eat foods that contain them are denied that right without labeling. Republicans oppose labeling, because without it, giant corporations make more profits feeding them to people who don’t want them.

From NY Times: The Obama administration is arguing that the sluggish economy requires a shot in the arm, and it included tens of billions of dollars of little-noticed stimulus measures in its much-noticed proposal to Congressional leaders last week. But Republicans have countered that the country cannot afford to widen the deficit further, and have balked at including the measures in any eventual deal.

Every penny Democrats spend on the need of all Americans is a penny Republicans can’t spend on the greed of billionaires.

From MSNBC: Rachel Maddow broke down the Republican debt ceiling plan, and exposed the dishonesty of conservative complaints about it.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

There is no way that the Republican proposal could be more skewed to their own wants, so all that whining is as phony as virtually everything else they do.

Cartoon:

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  12 Responses to “Open Thread–12/5/2012”

  1. 3:31 That now is one good looking man!

  2. MoveOn ~ I signed the petition because I want to know what is in my food. Some things are not meant to be consumed by humans.
     
    NY Times ~ The RepublicanTs will never agree to anything that is good for our country. They only care about their bank accounts (off-shore, that is).
     
    MSNBC ~ Maybe they would like some cheese to go with that whine???
     
    Cartoon ~ Was it a STEM Visa?

  3. Puzzle — 3:15  In my estimation, such that it is, this guy has really let himself go to pot! . . . and that hair cut is just a little prickly.  Mine's much shorter.
     
    MoveOn — Whether GMOs are okay or not, I don't know.  But we have the right to know what is in the food.  Unlike corn and cow corn which taste totally different (cow corn is really yukky!), GMOs don't really taste any different.  Labelling is necessary.  Petition signed at http://www.justlabelit.org
     
    NY Times — One spending cut that could be made would be in the salaries of Republican/Teabagger politicians who obstruct the work of the people in favour of their elite friends, the 1%.  It might not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it sure would give the people a boost.
     
    Since Hurricane Sandy laid bare the economics of the northern east coast (NY & NJ primarily), the previously submitted AJA could do a lot of good in stimulating economic growth.
     
    I heard a report that many in NJ and NY don't feel that the FEMA funds will be enough to restore things.  What I found "amusing" in this is that NJ is a Republican/Teabagger state and the Republican/Teabaggers are the ones that want to deep-six FEMA.
     
    MSNBC — As JFK said "You cannot negotiate with people who say what's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable."  Rachel did an excellent presentation that even a Faux Noise acolyte could  follow.
     
    Cartoon — A visa granted so that he could take up 3 two month teaching assignments.  But then, seeing Hitler in power and all his work destroyed, not to mention being put on a German assassination list with a $5,000 reward, Einstein renounced his German citizenship 28/03/1933 at the German consulate in Antwerp, Belgium and decided to make his home in the US.  The following is from Wikipedia and I thought of note because it shows just what some people saw in the US that made it a haven.

    Einstein became an American citizen in 1940. Not long after settling into his career at Princeton, he expressed his appreciation of the "meritocracy" in American culture when compared to Europe. According to Isaacson, he recognized the "right of individuals to say and think what they pleased", without social barriers, and as result, the individual was "encouraged" to be more creative, a trait he valued from his own early education. Einstein writes:
     
    What makes the new arrival devoted to this country is the democratic trait among the people. No one humbles himself before another person or class. . . American youth has the good fortune not to have its outlook troubled by outworn traditions.
     
    As a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) at Princeton who campaigned for the civil rights of African Americans, Einstein corresponded with civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois, and in 1946 Einstein called racism America's "worst disease". He later stated, "Race prejudice has unfortunately become an American tradition which is uncritically handed down from one generation to the next. The only remedies are enlightenment and education".

    To say the least, Einstein would not be too pleased with today's Republican/Teabaggers.

    • Beat me!  Indeed.

      Thanks!  Signed.

      For NY and NJ, we need a modern day CCC.

      I agree.  The Meritocracy is devolving into a Plutocracy. 

      • My mind is drawing a blank — CCC?  I googled it but one response was Canadian Centennial Choir which I really don't think will help NJ or NY.  Just colour me blonde, well the part that isn't gray!

        • I'm surprised.  When I Googled "CCC", Civilian Conservation Corps topped the list.  It was a massive utilization of the unemployed to work on infrastructure.

  4. In re: "One spending cut that could be made would be in the salaries of Republican/Teabagger politicians who obstruct the work of the people in favour of their elite friends, the 1%. It might not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it sure would give the people a boost."
    They do not even suggest that in their proposal. After all, how could they possibly manage on less money?
    But, they want to  cut COLA increases to Social Security recipients. Right now we are scheduled for a 1.7% increase in January 2013. Read all about it:
    http://www.npr.org/2012/12/04/166524043/republican-plan-would-change-social-security-cola

    • It's called chain COLA.  Say that the price of meat go up so high that people can no longer afford it so they change to rice and beans instead.  According to the Republican plan, we ignore the price rise of meat and calculate the cost of rice and beans instead.

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