Roger Ebert: Put Up or Shut Up by Penguin

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Roger Ebert: Put Up or Shut Up

POSTED BY: PENGUIN
UPDATED: Monday, September 6, 2010 07:01
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Friday, September 3, 2010 3:00 PM

We already know the numbers. Pew finds that 18% of Americans believe President Obama is a Muslim. A new Newsweek poll, taken after the controversy over the New York mosque, places that figure at 24%. Even if he's not a Muslim, Newsweek finds, 31 percent think it's "definitely or probably" true that Obama "sympathizes with the goals of Islamic fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law around the world."

When the focus is narrowed to Republicans, a Harris poll finds 57 percent of party members believe he is a Muslim, 22% believe he "wants the terrorists to win," and 24% believe he is the Antichrist.

These figures sadden me with the depth of thoughtlessness and credulity they imply. A democracy depends on an informed electorate to survive. An alarming number of Americans and a majority of Republicans are misinformed. The man who was swept into office by a decisive majority is now considered by many citizens to be the enemy. Some fundamentalists believe he is the Antichrist named by Jesus in the Bible.

This many Americans did not arrive at such conclusions on their own. They were persuaded by a relentless process of insinuation, strategic silence and cynical misinformation. Most of the leaders in this process have been cautious to avoid actually saying Obama is a Muslim. They speak in coded words and allow the implications to sink in. I recently watched Glenn Beck speaking at great length about Obama's Muslim father, but you would not have learned from Beck that the father, who Obama met only once, was not a practicing Muslim in any sense.

Rush Limbaugh has told his listeners he can find "no evidence" that Obama is a Christian. In Paul Krugman's op-ed column in the New York Times on 8/29, Limbaugh is quoted: "Imam Hussein Obama, is probably the best anti-American president we've ever had." Limbaugh obviously doesn't believe Obama is an imam. How many of his listeners realize that? Is he concerned that his words will be taken seriously?

These opinions have an agenda. They seek to demonize the Obama Presidency and mainstream liberal politics in general. The conservatism they prefer is not the traditional conservatism of such figures as Taft, Nixon, Reagan, Buckley or Goldwater. It is a frightening new radical fringe movement, financed by such as the newly notorious billionaire Koch brothers, whose hatred of government extends even to opposition to tax funding for public schools.

The money behind the movement has been shaken in its boots by the recent exposure of criminal activities in the money markets. Our economy has collapsed and it seemed clear to many Americans that the unregulated greed of Wall Street trading, especially in derivatives, was responsible. These were not investments in industry, the economy or the future. They were investments in a bold Ponzi scheme which defrauded home owners into fronting for a pyramid of worthless loans. Citizens lost their homes, investment houses went bankrupt, but the criminals responsible continued to pay themselves multi-million-dollar bonuses.

From the same column by Krugman: "Wall Street has turned on Mr. Obama with a vengeance: last month Steve Schwarzman, the billionaire chairman of the Blackstone Group, the private equity giant, compared proposals to end tax loopholes for hedge fund managers with the Nazi invasion of Poland."

Say what? Proposals to end loopholes? Read that again. Our recession and the collapse of the housing and jobs markets squeezed through those loopholes. And if you agree with the Democratic attempts to close them, you are compared to Hitler? Republicans in Washington vote nearly as a block against financial reform. Shouldn't the implications be clear to an informed electorate?

This process may soon be arriving at a moment of truth. The new issue of Vanity Fair mentions in its profile of Sarah Palin, as a casual aside, that Glenn Beck has booked the Dena'ina Center, the largest venue in Anchorage, for the date of September 11, 2010. What do you think that means? It could mean Beck simply wants to hold a rally in the home state of the woman who shared his podium on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's famous speech.

Beck says he chose that date without realizing its significance. But it cannot be a coincidence that he has chosen 9/11. Nor does it take special insight to connect that date with Palin's many statements about the "Ground Zero Mosque" and the even more pointed "9/11 Mosque." The association is obvious: "9/11" feeds into "mosque" feeds into "Muslims" feeds into the misperception that Obama is a Muslim. Beck and Palin speak about "taking back America." The buried message is that they will take it back from Muslims. This is a heartless misuse of the tragedy of 9/11 and its victims.

If Beck had planned to come to Anchorage on another date, it wouldn't have excited much notice. But any meeting in Alaska on 9/11 without Palin also present will be anticlimactic. It's too far to go not to feature her. The symbolic date of 9/11 invests this event with the inescapable possibility that he and Palin plan to announce their Presidential candidacy for 2012.

This is their privilege, and is not exactly unexpected. What is inescapable, given the timing, is that their candidacy would benefit from the paranoia already infecting so many Americans about Obama's fictitious Islamic religion. Palin and Beck have so far both been content to let this process work without specific comment on their part. Their silence is a symptom of a cancer infecting American democracy. Our political immune system has only one antibody, and that is the truth.

The time is here for responsible Americans to put up or shut up. I refer specifically to those who have credibility among the guileless and credulous citizens who have been infected with notions so carefully nurtured. We cannot afford to allow the next election to proceed under a cloud of falsehood and delusion.

We know, because they've said so publicly, that George W. Bush, his father and Sen. John McCain do not believe Obama is a Muslim. This is the time -- now, not later -- for them to repeat that belief in a joint statement. Other prominent Republicans such as Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul also certainly do not believe it. They have a responsibility to make that clear by subscribing to the statement. Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh must join, or let their silence indict them. Limbaugh in particular must cease his innuendos and say, flat out, whether he believes the President is a Muslim or not. Yes or no. Does he have evidence, or does he have none? Yes or no.

To do anything less at this troubled time in our history would be a crime against America.

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

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Friday, September 3, 2010 3:08 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Gawd that's beautiful. Was that written by Ebert? His name is in the title, but you didn't mention it. Whoever wrote them, it's most excellent.

I fear there is no hope for what is requested, however; there is too much to be gained by the people cited in staying quiet, in letting the current situation work for them. It simply won't happen.

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Friday, September 3, 2010 3:15 PM

PENGUIN

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/09/put_up_or_shut_up.html#more

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

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Friday, September 3, 2010 3:49 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

The last thing he needs is ANY more press about whether he's a muslim or not, don't give the thing any more print. Republicans should be falling over themselves to make Ebert's request come true. And they can get air time and wink at the camera when they say, "He's not really a muslim... not really really... "

And isn't that kind of a backhanded insult to muslims? I thought the message was suppose to be Muslim = "Good, just like everybody else," and yet this would make the dems look like they were going out of their way to say he's definitely NOT THAT!"

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Friday, September 3, 2010 6:12 PM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

I find it ironic that anyone should believe Obama to be the antichrist of the Bible.

As I remember my scripture, the antichrist coincides with a period of faux perfection, when mankind seems to have solved all of its problems, and prosperity and peace seem to have come to the world.

Following this apparent perfection is a series of disasters and plagues and war. (Which the Father brings down on us via his angel messengers. Thanks, Dad.)

However, since we have not yet reached anything approaching the faux perfection described, I don't see how even the most cursory examination of revelations could conclude that the antichrist and the end times are upon us.

But perhaps even stranger to me is this...

A true believer who thought that Obama WAS the antichrist should be living in a state of great jubilation and spiritual ecstasy, knowing that within the span of a single lifetime, GOD will marshal his powers on EARTH, metaphorically BLOW MOST OF US AWAY, and SET THINGS RIGHT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS.

But again, this is not what I see. Preachers should be saying loudly, "This is it! He's the Antichrist! Our long wait for the return of the Lord is nearly over!" Yet every time I see someone proclaimed an Antichrist, the proclamation seems conjoined with fear and hatred and a desire to unseat this person. But if they really ARE the Antichrist, GOD HIMSELF has revealed in Revelation that they shall RULE in the End Times. Unseating them is not even possible, as it would invalidate the Word of God.

Good Christians should be preparing themselves and their families for the end, readying to martyr themselves- not as soldiers, but simply by refusing to blaspheme against the Lord and being slain for that refusal. (And thus earning a happy place in the hereafter.)

As long as the world is clearly and apparently FULL OF SHITTINESS, then we know that the prophesied Antichrist is NOT IN POWER. It's when we get the Sham Perfection that we need to worry about a Beloved Leader that All Adore.

Are there any Christian scholars here with a fuller understanding of scripture who can correct my flawed interpretation of Revelations? Maybe my youth Bible Study Groups left me with a grave misunderstanding?

--Anthony

Due to the use of Naomi 3.3.2 Beta web filtering, the following people may need to private-message me if they wish to contact me: Auraptor, Kaneman, Piratenews. I apologize for the inconvenience.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 12:49 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

I will state that I don't believe Obama to be Muslim.

His father, who left him, was a socialist and a Muslim. I'm sure, that because of Obama's early, formative years, he has a familiarity, a bond with the Islamic world that most Americans would not relate.

So, there's that, and then there's the fact that Obama spent most of his adult life in a church which many see as being anything but Christian. Rev Wright and the Trinity United Church of Christ were more inclined to preach anti-American rhetoric and politics than more mainstream Christian teachings.

More than anything, I think Obama is a disciple of big Government. It's where he 'found' himself. It's what has given him purpose and an identity and fills in the emptiness left from having his parents basically abandon him at a young age.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 3:55 AM

PENNAUSAMIKE

Quote:
Originally posted by AnthonyT:
SNIP
Are there any Christian scholars here with a fuller understanding of scripture who can correct my flawed interpretation of Revelations? Maybe my youth Bible Study Groups left me with a grave misunderstanding?

--Anthony

Not a scholar, just a lay Christian.
Obama cannot be the Anti-christ because though he shares some characteristics,
(rise out of obscurity, silver-tongued persuader)
he is not from Europe.

Your timeline isn't right, tho', because the Anti-christ will arise in a time of troubles.
At a time when the world is aligning against Isreal, the Anti-christ will negotiate a seven year peace treaty.
The period of peace you are remembering is the 3 1/2 years of relative tranquility that makes up the first half of the tribulation.

After the Jews rebuild the temple in Jerusalem,
(which they are preparing to do, now)
the Anti-christ will seat himself in the temple and proclaim himself to be God.
The Jews will know they have been betrayed;
those who convinced themselves that the disappearance of the Church was an explainable phenomena will realize that the Bible was supernatural history, not just stories; and the peace will disintegrate.
The destruction that follows will be a combination of human rebellion and God's judgment.

So, to your original point, there are many Christians who don't see Obama as the Anti-christ, just as a precursor to the type of leader who could rise to world-wide prominence on little more than a lick and a promise.

Mike

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 3:56 AM

PENNAUSAMIKE

double post

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 5:32 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Sounds like Revelations was written by Dan Brown.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 6:01 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Pizmo, it’s easily explained. You can argue all day that Islam is good, but that’s not the prevailing sentiment, so in any way connecting Obama with Muslim helps with the connection to terrorism, “the other”, etc. The fact that he’s HALF Black and has some Muslim upbringing in his childhood reinforces that nicely, and away we go. It’s no good to say “Islam is good”, people are already trying that and it’s not going anywhere.

Interestingly, I seem to remember a bit of a furor when Kennedy was elected because he was our first Catholic President. But then, he was White, of course, so...

You’re right, tho’, much as I hate to admit it. Not only is speaking up useless, it just keeps the issue alive...not that it will die out on its own...sigh... I still think, Obama left out of it, that what Ebert wrote is right (and to think I preferred Siskel, thought he was the smarter of the two, and still miss him) insofar as the leaders on the Right should speak up against the violence and hate. Which is silly, of course, because it furthers their agenda so will never happen.

Same thing for the antichrist. Has nothing to do with actual reality, any more than Hitler, Marxist, Communist or any other pejorative...it’s seen as a negative, to be used conveniently against anyone, nobody cares what it really means. I would bet it’s not even mostly Christians who proclaim such, but people ignorant of religion, who’ve just heard the word and use it for their convenience. Betcha most of those carrying that sign, if you asked them, would say “naw, I know he’s not, but he’ll destroy us (or something like that)”. It’s a buzz word.

Raptor, I tend to think he’s a big-government believer, too, and you brought up an interesting point. Looking for approval—which he’s BADLY given to do—might fit with the abandonment thing too, and wanting to prove himself, eh? I think that’s a very valid point and would be interesting to see what a therapist would say if they analyzed his political history, etc. He was certainly an over-achiever all his life, and there’s usually something behind that. I think your point is very well taken.

Penn, I think the “precursor” thing is right on; given the talk of “civil war” that’s running around among the Tea Party and hard rightists in this country, it might be good to fear just such a thing. Vacuum of power gives way to strong potential for a dictatorship or something equally bad, and that’s what some of them SEEM to want (I’m afraid if they got what they wished for, they’d be very sorry). And, tho’ the world is CERTAINLY in times of trouble, aligned against Israel doesn’t work...although the majority of the world blames us for Israel’s strength and for backing them carte blanche, I don’t think they’re “aligned” against them, there are too many other things to worry about. Aside from all that, I agree; I don’t think it’s people who know the Bible who are calling him the antichrist, it’s just a pejorative like any other...tho’ I do believe there are some who are convinced he is, which only shows their ignorance. Bet they can give you all sorts of “valid” reasons for believing it, too, which twist Christian tenants to fit their prediction. One of the problems with organized religion; too easy to twist into whatever you want it to be.

Anthony, if you want to look at it this way, many Americans look back at the ‘50s as a time of “faux perfection”; there were no challenges to authority, most people had a chicken in every pot and two cars in the garage, etc. And gawd knows we are in worldwide times of tribulation now! It’s a loose analogy, but I have no doubt it works for some people—tho’ I think actual believers are a teeny minority. For most, the title is convenient.

Maybe I just like the “sentiment” of Ebert’s writings, and the truth of it, but know it would never come to pass, just a sop to the feelings of frustration...?

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 6:18 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

See, this is why I think 'times of strife' is a poor indicator for the Antichrist. The human race experiences near constant times of strife. It's the Faux Peace that is remarkable. The period of time when we THINK we've got things licked. That's the rare thing.

It's like if revelations predicted that the End Times could be marked by a day ending in Y, and also, by the way, a polka-dotted iceburg will fly into the air and explode into a shower of sparks that turn into orange rabbits who eat paprika and crap dandelions.

Why is everyone focused on the 'Day Ending in Y' thing?

--Anthony

Due to the use of Naomi 3.3.2 Beta web filtering, the following people may need to private-message me if they wish to contact me: Auraptor, Kaneman, Piratenews. I apologize for the inconvenience.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 6:23 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Because people in general are easily given to fear, and some not too bright?

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 7:36 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Pizmo, it’s easily explained. You can argue all day that Islam is good, but that’s not the prevailing sentiment, so in any way connecting Obama with Muslim helps with the connection to terrorism, “the other”, etc. The fact that he’s HALF Black and has some Muslim upbringing in his childhood reinforces that nicely, and away we go. It’s no good to say “Islam is good”, people are already trying that and it’s not going anywhere.

That is certainly the reps idea of course. I think it's kind of fun though to flip the obvious (or even your own stance) and try to predict/imagine how each side will spin a story. "I thought you said Islam wasn't so bad?? Why does it seem like you Libs suddenly have a problem with someone being Muslim?" seems like a likely counter, we might even see it around here later.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 8:47 AM

PENNAUSAMIKE

Quote:
Originally posted by AnthonyT:
Hello,

SNIP
Why is everyone focused on the 'Day Ending in Y' thing?

--Anthony

The key to all of the end-times prophecy is the rebirth of the nation of Israel in a day and the re-taking of Jerusalem. The strife is not generic, but the alignments of certain nations and the target of those alignments and strife, Israel; there is the specificity.

The generally accepted understanding of end-times occurences is within a generation of the re-birth of Israel.

End-times events is moving off-topic from the original post.
Suffice to say, not everyone thinks Obama is the Anti-christ.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 9:02 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Oh, that's easy: I have no problem with him being Muslim, but in this atmosphere his potentially being Muslim is being used as a tool to alienate people from him, so the truth of his religion/ethnicity is important in that respect only. I don't care if he's ATHIEST, as long as he does a good job (which he's not).

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 9:08 AM

PENNAUSAMIKE

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:

SNIP
Penn, I think the “precursor” thing is right on; given the talk of “civil war” that’s running around among the Tea Party and hard rightists in this country, it might be good to fear just such a thing. Vacuum of power gives way to strong potential for a dictatorship or something equally bad, and that’s what some of them SEEM to want (I’m afraid if they got what they wished for, they’d be very sorry).
SNIP

There are some Christians who believe that the fall of the United States from superpower status is a part of end-times events,
because the US isn't mentioned.

And you're absolutely right, nobody should be wishing for that.
A country, (where two-thirds of three-hundred-million people can't feed themselves without a working infrastructure),
in collapse would be a VERY bad place to live!

Mike

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 9:36 AM

WHOZIT

Isn't he a movie critic? Isn't he going to drop dead of cancer soon? He should review a movie then drop dead.

Those arn't boobs, they're lies! - Stewie Griffin

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 1:08 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

I've believed for a long time that the US has been waning as an "empire"...which might not be such a bad thing, all things considered. But that's happened throughout history, and not been a harbinger of "end times". Christianity has so much good to offer, it's a shame people take the wrong things away from it. It's also too bad some people live in ignorance and fear, but it seems to be a prevalent thing among our species...

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 1:21 PM

BYTEMITE

Anthony: Don't forget the 1/3 of all the earth population suddenly disappearing in the rapture, having been true and faithful. They're instantly granted a place at God's side while the rest of us get left down here to be sorted out.

I might not believe any of it, but I do kinda like, you know, the stories. Ask me about Norse or Japanese Gods sometime. :D

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 7:01 PM

PENNAUSAMIKE

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:

SNIP
But that's happened throughout history, and not been a harbinger of "end times". Christianity has so much good to offer, it's a shame people take the wrong things away from it. It's also too bad some people live in ignorance and fear, but it seems to be a prevalent thing among our species...
SNIP

To reiterate:
The fact that Israel ceased to exist as a nation for thousands of years, that the Jews were scattered across the globe and yet retained their ethnic identity, the reality that the nation state of Israel was reformed in a twenty four hour period, the reclaiming of Jerusalem;
these unprecedented prophesied events are signs of the generation that will see the end times.

Perhaps not as psychedelic as

Quote:

a polka-dotted iceburg will fly into the air and explode into a shower of sparks that turn into orange rabbits who eat paprika and crap dandelions.

but still worthy of serious consideration.
While some events are cyclical or continuous,
the rebirth of a nation state in twenty four hours after two thousand years absence with a people who never lost their ethnic identity despite how widely they were scattered is not something

Quote:

that's happened throughout history.

Quote:
Christianity has so much good to offer, it's a shame people take the wrong things away from it.

Salvation through faith is the most important component of Christianity, but prophecies fulfilled are a witness to Biblical truths and prophecies of events yet to come are a challenge and admonition for believers.

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Saturday, September 4, 2010 8:42 PM

THEHAPPYTRADER

Interesting article, and I do agree with a lot of it, but I think blaming the president's fall from popularity on potential Muslim'ness is giving the idiots spouting that nonsense too much credit.

If memory serves me correctly, Obama did not win by an overwhelming majority popular vote, but an overwhelming lead in the electoral college. I'm certainly not about to debate the election, he still won by both numbers, but I don't think he was ever all that overwhelmingly popular to begin with.

I don't think the religion thing made anyone not like the president, I just think the religion thing may have made people who don't like him not like him more. Though is does present an attractive scapegoat reasoning for fall in popularity... But that's just my opinion and I've only been old enough to vote in two elections.

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Sunday, September 5, 2010 12:47 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

True that......................................
(Penguin quote:)
The money behind the movement has been shaken in its boots by the recent exposure of criminal activities in the money markets. Our economy has collapsed and it seemed clear to many Americans that the unregulated greed of Wall Street trading, especially in derivatives, was responsible. These were not investments in industry, the economy or the future. They were investments in a bold Ponzi scheme which defrauded home owners into fronting for a pyramid of worthless loans. Citizens lost their homes, investment houses went bankrupt, but the criminals responsible continued to pay themselves multi-million-dollar bonuses.
____________________________________________________________________

Here's something that I find a bit ironic about this movement to expose the president as being the Anti-American:
1) He's a foreigner not born in this country;
2) He's a muslim sympathizer
3) He's a muslim
4) His economic policies are ruining this country
5) His penchant for BIG government is ruining this country
6) He talks too much
7) He talks too intelligently (hell, he must be an elitist; how dare he look down on us)
8) He didn't respond quickly enough to BP (like Bush did such a great job regarding the victims of Katrina - seriously!)
and so on...........................

All this has come from somewhere. Ok, my point being that the new movement in this country to "win" back America stems from a source that the new right abhors - the mainstream media.

Allow me to explain. Palin and others claim that Washington (or BIG government), along with the mainstream leftist media, control things and that "true" Americans need to fight back. Ha! What a load of crock! The mainstream media as leftist-socialist hate mongers who try and brainwash ordinary folk into believing they are better off being controlled by government and "sharing" everything equally.

Come on, you really believe that the mainstream (which generally means the majority or middle America and their ideals) wants people to become communists? That is a ludicrous notion. The media, mainstream in particular, are an elitist group, chock full of money. Do you honestly believe they would share any of their empire with common folk? Get real! And don't you think that Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., is a great part of the elitist group. You bet your sweet bippy.

So, that is to say, that they are very much a great part of the mainstream media. Although they preach at the altar of the common folk; they are anything but......................
Imagine, just over a year ago we were on the brink of economic disaster at the end of the Bush administration. Yet somehow, miraculously public opinion has shifted from the carpetbaggers of Wall Street (who robbed us blind) to the president, questioning his loyalty.
Wow, that is unprecedented.

The derivatives market was so convoluted and mysterious that not even economic experts within the government could make heads nor tails of it.

Mark Brickell, Chair, International Swaps and Derivatives Association (1988-1992) explains it thusly:

"...what the derivatives do -- and the policy-makers understand this -- is they allow parties, companies, financial institutions, governments, to shed the risks that they don't want to take and take on other risks that they would prefer to be exposed to. And managing risk is a big part of business. It's part of managing financial institutions; it's part of government.

So the innovative element of swaps is that they allow people to manage the risks to which they're already exposed at a lower cost more efficiently than they were able to manage them before derivatives came on the scene. …

There are series of epiphanies as you realize we could manage commodity price risk, equity price risk, the risk of changes in weather, the risk of changes in the credit quality of a borrower, by using these same techniques. And as we apply the risk-management approach to more and more kinds of risk, the business grows.

That's how the business has grown from nothing in 1980 to $600 trillion of contracts today."

Thats a lot of mullah. Could solve the crisis of the National Debt and have enough left over to redecorate the country, educate American children and free cable for everyone one hundred times over. The banks and Wall Street "gamblers" bloody murder because they don't get enough "bonus" money and yet trillions in profit are made. These greedy bastards wanted us to "bail them out" because they gambled and lost.

On November 24, 2008, American Republican Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) wrote, "In bailing out failing companies, they are confiscating money from productive members of the economy and giving it to failing ones. By sustaining companies with obsolete or unsustainable business models, the government prevents their resources from being liquidated and made available to other companies that can put them to better, more productive use. An essential element of a healthy free market, is that both success and failure must be permitted to happen when they are earned. But instead with a bailout, the rewards are reversed – the proceeds from successful entities are given to failing ones. How this is supposed to be good for our economy is beyond me.... It won’t work. It can’t work... It is obvious to most Americans that we need to reject corporate cronyism, and allow the natural regulations and incentives of the free market to pick the winners and losers in our economy, not the whims of bureaucrats and politicians."

The "free market" was rigged, in a sense, the "house" stacked the deck and then asks that "we" pony up more cash to level the playing field. Oooops, we fucked up, my bad!Now reach into your pockets and give until you bleed.
Someone was making obscene amounts of money and they let the "poor" bastards; any poor bastard drown in debt.

Ok, some might say this is old news. You're right. But history has a lot to do with what's going on today. Having said all that, we, common folk must keep our heads among all the bull being shoveled our way. It's all a smoke screen. We are being led to believe that this country is being taken over by a silent/mysterious plague known as Islam. During my youth it was communisn or the Red menace. There was a time we felt Viet Nam was important for us to win. Now it's Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Isreal.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

SGG

Tawabawho?

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Sunday, September 5, 2010 7:04 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Yep, Happy, Obama won with 69,456,897 votes to McCain’s 59,934,814 votes.. Not overwhelming. But it only worked because of the uprising of people all over the country who were dreaming of hope and change after the debacle of the Bush Presidency. I no longer trust election results, given all I’ve been educated about concerning how they’re fixed and the 200 debacle. In 2008, I thought ti would take a serious majority of voers to give Obamaeven a chance, because the Republicans have become so DAMNED effective at election fraud, intimidation and tricks.. So I believe it took a lot of people turning out for Obama that made it even that close; I think if we ever knew the ACTUAL total, it would be a bigger margin.

Boy, Shiny, well said and right on the money, in my opinion. History shows that the best way to manipulate the populace is a common enemy, that people’s memories are short-lived, and that they can be manipulated pretty easily if you keep them afraid. All of that is what I’ve been seeing since Obama took office, and it embarrasses me that it’s working so well!

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Monday, September 6, 2010 7:00 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

Quote:
"We cannot afford to allow the next election to proceed under a cloud of falsehood and delusion."

If we can manage that it would be the first time.

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Monday, September 6, 2010 7:01 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

Quote:
"We cannot afford to allow the next election to proceed under a cloud of falsehood and delusion."

If we can manage that it would be the first time.

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Monday, September 6, 2010 7:01 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Ditto. In spades.

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Monday, September 6, 2010 7:01 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

Quote:
"We cannot afford to allow the next election to proceed under a cloud of falsehood and delusion."

If we can manage that it would be the first time.

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