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Tag: president joe biden
One of the things I've grown to hate about politics in recent years has been the tribalism of both the Left and the Right. It seems if someone from one side does something horrible, like killing a bunch of elderly nuns trying to cross the street, the two extremes can't come together and say "You know, that's fucked up." Invariably, one side will say it was wrong and demand justice, and the other side will decry the criticism and claim it was partisan and/or fake news.
The recent revelations about Puddin' Head Joe and his penchant for leaving classified documents where they shouldn't be has brought out the worst of this. People on the Right (including your humble correspondent in this case) think this is a criminal offense and should be prosecuted. Leftists, on the other hand, keep trying to defend Puddin' Head Joe while trying to make distinctions between the current fuckup and the raid on Mar-a-Lago, which is the previous fuckup.
Throughout the online debates on the topic, I see the word "whataboutism" tossed around like a football at a Philadelphia Eagles game. That means it's time we take a turn at trying to understand it, and hopefully have fun doing it.
whataboutism
What the Left thinks it means – a tactic used by the Right to equate events that are substantively different as a means to excuse right wing criminality
What it really means – a tactic that proves both major parties suck ass
Our good friends at Merriam Webster define whataboutism thus:
the act or practice of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense committed by another is similar or worse
Basically, whataboutism involves diversion and deflection. Instead of taking up the accusation directly, those who engage in it try to bring in something unrelated to the original accusation to get the person levying it to either get defensive or shut down completely.
Unfortunately, both the Left and the Right engage in whataboutism on a regular basis, which makes civil debate on social media next to impossible. Then again, it may be because these debates are being done on social media, where civility is as alien as E.T., or at the very least correct spelling. It is possible, mind you, but you'd have better luck surviving while having credible information that would implicate Hillary Clinton in criminal activity than you would be to actually converse with someone on a political issue.
For the record, I do not have any information on Hillary Clinton, so if you could take that red laser point dot off my forehead, I'd greatly appreciate it. Whew! Now that's out of the way, back to the topic at hand.
The Left has been doing its usual bang-up job trying to create distance between Puddin' Head Joe and Donald Trump's handling of documents. This strategy has a two-fold benefit. First, it excuses Biden while leaving Trump open to criticism. Second, it enables the "whataboutism card" for the Left. If Leftists create enough of a difference in the minds of people who don't follow current events that closely (i.e. 95% of Twitter users), they can downplay the potential criminality while redefining legitimate criticism as sour grapes.
The problem is these two separate incidents are similar enough to warrant equal scrutiny. Both are former government officials who had confidential documents in locations where they shouldn't have been in the first place. Spin it any way you want, but the core issue is still the same. Where things get a bit cloudy is in what each official is allowed to declassify and how it was done. That's a debate for another time (and possibly another blog post).
When you strip away all the partisan bullshit, you can't call the Right's outrage over Puddin' Head Joe's actions whataboutism because it's literally the same thing Trump is being accused of. And, to be fair, the Right's criticisms have more meat with regards to how the President is being treated right now because of the way Trump was treated, with the Left's overwhelming approval. Even then, it's hard to get past the whataboutism label completely here since there's the element of an unequal response, which works in the Left's favor.
At least, it does until you realize the Left wants there to be different and unequal rules for their side. But that's to be expected. After all, they're our moral and intellectual superiors (just ask them).
As long as there are partisan hacks on both sides willing to be intellectually dishonest, there will be whataboutism, and there will be accusations of whataboutism, legitimate or otherwise. We may even find it creeping into our own thinking at times when we let our passions override our logic. The key to overcoming this is to keep consistent when presented with a seemingly contradictory situation.
That's why I say both Trump and Biden need to be held accountable, no matter what. Not only does it confuse the partisan asshats, but it keeps things nice and simple. Plus, it will make for some great snarking.
Regardless of how you feel about Puddin' Head Joe, it's hard to deny the classified documents situation he's in looks bad, as in Lena Dunham nude pictorial in Playboy bad. That's why I take the Left's whataboutism defense of Joe not as seriously as they do. Even so, it's far too easy a trap to get into with political and ideological differences, mainly because neither side wants to be consistent. They want their team protected and the other team prosecuted until the end of time. But bad behavior is bad behavior, no matter what team you're on, and it needs to be called out even when the partisan jagoffs accuse you of whataboutism.
When they do, feel free to do what I do and tell them "What about you shut the fuck up?"
Author ThomasPosted on January 15, 2023 January 13, 2023 Categories Guest Author, Humor, Justice, PoliticsTags confidential documents, leftist lexicon, logical fallacies, president donald trump, president joe biden, whataboutismLeave a comment on Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week
To say it's been a rough few months for Democrats is an understatement. Oh, they were able to stem the tide of the "Red Wave" (thanks in part to idiots like Mitch McConnell), but since then they've been accumulating L's like the world's unluckiest Scrabble player.
Recently, we heard about President Puddin' Head Joe having classified documents in the possession of a think tank (an ironic contradiction if ever there was) and just now started turning them over. Of course, his staff knew about them on November 2, 2022, but hey. Why let a little something like having classified documents six years after leaving office disrupt an election that could determine how our country is governed for the next 2 years, amirite?
If that wasn't bad enough, more classified documents were found in Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware. But don't worry, folks. Ol' Puddin' Head Joe kept them perfectly safe, right next to his Corvette in his garage. And it just so happens, Joe's son Hunter stayed at that residence for a time. Wow! If you can't trust meth-heads with a penchant for underhanded deals and possible child porn on a laptop, who can you trust?
As you might expect, Leftists leapt into action…to say a) the documents were planted, b) Donald Trump is much worse, c) Joe is cooperating, and d) it was just a mistake.
How's that boot tasting, Leftists?
As more and more comes out about this story, the more and more Leftists want to push it under the rug, even going to far as to say this scandal might take attention away from investigations into Republican wrongdoing. Then again, it was CNN saying that, so take it with a Lake City of Salt.
Since the Right doesn't have memories like ferrets hooked on meth, people have been bringing up how the Trump and Biden document scandals are being handled. Which, of course, prompted the Left to come up with all sorts of Oktoberfest-level pretzel logic to explain why it's just different, okay? But is it? Let's find out.
As President, Donald Trump had the authority to declassify documents within a specific scope, hopefully with more reasoning than "because shut up." Some things can be declassified under different provisions within the government and by following the proper procedures. We can debate whether Trump and his team followed those procedures another time because the point is he had the authority to declassify.
The Vice-President, on the other hand, can only declassify documents he (or now she) classified or generated by his/her office. Without knowing what was found at Puddin' Head Joe's office, home, and garage, we can't really tell whether he followed the process correctly. Knowing him, he forgot all about it.
As far as what former Executive officials can take with them, well…that's where things get a bit murky. (Surprise, surprise.) There are some requirements and loopholes for Presidents and Vice-Presidents with regards to classified documents. Again, the lack of specific details gives Joe a bit of breathing room legally.
Having said that, Puddin' Head Joe's got some 'splainin' to do. If what has been reported so far is accurate (and I can't say for certain that it is), some of the documents in question had to deal with Iran, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, as well as China. Now, I may be wrong here, but at least half of the countries mentioned don't like us and one of them loves us…as long as we keep giving them money and guns. No word on if Ukraine is accepting our lawyers yet, but I'll keep you posted.
And if you got that reference, you are officially old. And cool as hell.
While the way these documents came to light differs greatly from the raid on Mar-a-Lago, it's important not to lose sight of the basic facts here: Puddin' Head Joe had classified documents in his possession and failed to do his due diligence in returning them or notifying the proper authorities that he had them.
Before you Leftists give me this "he turned them in as soon as he found out" bullshit, let me remind you his term as Vice-President ended six years ago. And during that time, his meth-head son has access to those documents, which in and of itself is a security risk. Not to mention, Biden didn't come forward with these documents as soon as he found out. He waited two more months after they were discovered.
If you flipped your shit over Trump holding onto classified documents for a year and a half, your shit better be doing a Cirque du Soleil routine if you want to remain consistent. If you're not, then take a seat. In fact, take all of the seats. Especially that old dusty one in the corner, the one with the ripped upholstery.
And while we're here, remember how Leftists got so concerned about whether Trump was selling nuclear secrets since some of the documents seized were allegedly about a foreign country's nuclear capabilities? I do. It was a Neal Peart drum solo of drumbeats from the Left lamenting about how Trump was guilty (without evidence of anything happening, mind you) and still allowed to walk freely amongst the people (see previous comment in parens for the reason). Now, these hawkish Leftists aren't squawking so much. Even known Leftist and fuckknuckle Joy Behar said we give Puddin' Head Joe the benefit of the doubt because, essentially, he's not Trump.
No, Joe isn't like Trump. Trump wasn't fucking stupid enough to put classified documents in a fucking garage!
Anyway, we're in for a shitshow as more information about Puddin' Head Joe's classified documents come to light and the Left tries to explain it all way without success. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on an FBI raid of Joe's home anytime soon.
Unless they find more on Hunter, that is.
Author ThomasPosted on January 12, 2023 Categories Foreign Affairs, Guest Author, Humor, Justice, PoliticsTags classified documents, hunter biden, leftist hypocrisy, leftist outrage, mar a lago, president donald trump, president joe bidenLeave a comment on Papers, Please
If you're like me (and if you are, I'm sorry), you're getting sick of political ads polluting the airwaves right now. It seems any infraction from an overdue library book in third grade to supporting extreme positions like expecting teachers not to indoctrinate their students into believing they're transgendered when they still get nap time gets turned into a massive scandal designed to make voters not like a particular candidate. And sometimes these attacks play fast and loose with the facts.
And by sometimes, I mean more frequently than Lindsey Lohan goes back to rehab.
Recently, the Left has rolled out a phrase to describe Republican and conservative candidates who have questions about the 2020 Presidential election went down: election deniers. Although this seems like a silly accusation, the Left is pretty serious about making it stick to as many Republican candidates and their supporters as possible. Which, of course, means it caught my attention.
What the Left thinks it means – crazy conspiracy theorists, usually Trump Republicans, who believe the 2020 Presidential election wasn't legitimate
What it really means – a phrase used to disparage Republicans and conservatives for not accepting the Leftist spin on the 2020 Presidential election
There are two camps with regards to the 2020 Presidential election: those who believe it was the most secure election in our history, and those who have been paying attention. To put it as diplomatically as I can, the election itself was a shitshow of Golgothan proportions. While under the auspices of an election (something Leftists swore up and down Donald Trump would never allow as he installed himself as Big Head Honcho For Life) held during a pandemic, there was some shady shit going on by both teams…I mean parties.
Although the Leftist line has gone from "there wasn't any systemic voter fraud" to "there was some, but it's not significant," they maintain anyone who questions the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election is a loony. Pardon my pedantry for a moment, but wouldn't the fact there was voter fraud undermine the notion the 2020 election was hunky-dory? Whether it was significant enough to affect the outcome of the election is immaterial because it's not the scope that matters in the end. Well, except if you're a proctologist performing a colonoscopy, that is.
I will admit much of the election denial right now is coming from the Right, particularly those on the Trump Train. But I also remember waaaaaaaaay back in 2016 when Leftists were engaged in a little election denial of their own, including current White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Granted, she is an idiot, but surely that was an isolated incident, right?
Not. So. Much.
In fact, Leftists and Democrats have a long list of election denials themselves dating back to the 2000 election. To this day, I'm worried there is a male porn star named Hanging Chad out there still getting work, but that's not important right now.
And let's not overlook (as if that's humanly possible) the most prominent election denier the Left has, Stacey Abrams. After being defeated by her Republican opponent for Governor of Georgia, she not only denied she lost, but turned it into a political action movement, a book deal, a cameo on an episode of "Star Trek: Discovery," and more magazine covers and puff pieces than Michelle Obama. And all that while being Governor of Georgia, no less! Oh wait…
So, Leftists are hypocrites when it comes to election denial, which is no surprise to anyone with Interwebs access and a memory longer than a TikTok video. This leads us to the question of why they've switched opinions and now think denying election results is bad. Well, it comes down to power, which is the coin of the Leftist realm. Well, that and incredibly shitty takes on how to fix the problems they cause. When the Left is on the outside looking in, it's okay to question even the most lopsided Republican victories because, according to the Left, Republicans can't win elections without cheating. However, when the Left is in power, questioning the elections is tantamount to treason or, even worse, wearing white after Labor Day.
Even if it can be established there were some irregularities in the vote count.
If the Left's turn of a phrase reminds you of something, it should, since it's the same language they use when discussing global climate change/climate disruption/climate catastrophes/whatever the Left is calling it this nanosecond. The idea behind it is to suggest anyone who disagrees with the "facts" (i.e. what the Left wants us to believe) is disreputable and denies reality. Yet, these same Leftists who claim to have the facts on their side go out of their ways to suppress any information that runs counter to their conclusions. They've gone so far as to ratchet up the rhetoric to 11 (because it's one higher) by calling them science deniers. Not only are you denying climate change, but you are denying science as a whole. Who could listen to crackpots like that?
Me, for one. I am by nature curious and I want to gather as much information as I can before rendering a decision. Through that, I've learned to pick out questionable information and information sources when they don't make sense. And calling someone a "denier" when there's a vested interest in doing so is a big red flag.
With the 2020 elections, both sides have a vested interest in either confirming or rejecting the outcome, so it's a wash. But right now there's only one side making a case that has identifiable and verifiable flaws from the jump, and, spoiler alert, it's the side who spent every year since 2016 saying the election results were rigged and doing everything they can to turn the Presidential election into a popular vote contest. If there are any Leftists reading this (or having it be read to you because of all the big words being used) who are confused about who these people are, look in the mirror.
The larger point, however, is the "word magic" being used to get people to squelch any concerns they have about the 2020 election by appealing to popularity and authority. Eagle-eyed readers will remember these are logical fallacies designed to give the impression of being correct without having to go through that pesky task of presenting facts. After all, the Socialist Socialite told us it was better to be morally right than factually correct, and who are we to disagree with her?
That, kids, is an example of what I'm talking about with appeals to authority and popularity. We are being told to ignore our gut instincts if we think something's not kosher because it will lead to ridicule and disgrace (often hurled in our direction by those telling us to ignore our instincts). Maybe it's me, but the surest way to make me more skeptical is to tell me not to pay attention to the man behind the curtain. The fact Leftists are working so hard to avoid addressing at least some of the questions surrounding Joe Biden's victory tells me they know they're bullshitting us.
But to be fair, they've had a lot on their plates investigating Donald Trump for having Russian dressing on a salad he ate in 1998. But once they're done with that, I'm sure they'll have time for answer the questions. Granted, it will be 2638, and that's only if the investigation into Trump laughing at a Yakov Smirnoff set wraps up early.
In the meantime, the best way to address the Left painting anyone as an election denier can be summarized in two words: So what? This question is one the Left can't answer without looking like authoritarian assholes or dishonest assholes. Or assholes in general, but the point's the same. They don't know why anyone would disagree with them and they're not interested in finding out, but they're heavily invested in making sure no one questions them.
But their tactics only work if you are scared of the consequences. If you gave your last fuck at the office and have no intention of getting more, you remove the fear and subsequently the power the Left wants you to believe they have. And if you want to have more fun, tell them you self-identify as something and their questioning is harassment and, thus, violence. And make them use your pronouns!
No matter what the Left tries to tell you, there are some loose ends related to the 2020 Presidential election that haven't been tied up yet. As Americans, we can and should ask questions until we get answers that make sense or are persuasive enough to make us look at the situation differently. Even if we don't like the answers we ultimately get, knowledge is about the journey and not the destination. And maybe even the friends we made along the way.
Except Jeff. He's an asshole.
Author ThomasPosted on October 23, 2022 October 21, 2022 Categories Guest Author, Humor, PoliticsTags 2000 election, 2016 election, 2020 election, 2022 elections, election deniers, leftist lexicon, logical fallacies, president donald trump, president joe biden, stacey abrams, voter fraud
I know the event that inspired this week's Lexicon occurred last week, but the real impact of it is still being felt this week. Besides, the Lexicon self-identifies as timely, so if you disagree you're a bigot!
Anyway, President Joe Biden gave an address to the nation last week. To say the optics were a little on the horrible side would be understating it quite a bit. Yet, the speech being called The Red Speech was just the kind of red (speech) meat the Left wanted. Leftists fought for column inches and TV time to praise the speech, even though they pretty much said the same things…
Anyway, let's take a closer look at The Red Speech.
The Red Speech
What the Left thinks it means – an awesome speech preaching of uniting against the greatest threat to America in history
What it really means – a disjointed speech that only appeals to the Left's totalitarian nature
So I don't get accused of taking Biden's words out of context, here are the text and video of the speech in question. Of course, that won't stop Leftists from making the accusations because…reasons.
I was going to do a thorough analysis of the speech going over the various elements from the lighting to the location to the verbiage used. Then, I remembered it's a Joe Biden speech. They typically have the intellectual rigor of a completed Sudoku puzzle. The speech itself isn't as important as the Left's reaction to it.
To put it mildly, they loved it so much, they smoked a cigarette (or a joint) or vaped or whatever it is they do afterwards. To them, it was a combination of a call to action, an affirmation of American (i.e. Leftist) values, and a shot over the bow of "MAGA Republicans" letting them know they weren't going to take it anymore. It was, if you'll pardon the expression (and even if you don't), red meat for the Left. I'm not sure how the vegans on the Left felt, though…
Regardless, there were a lot of threads to tie together into one speech. Outside of the Leftist hivemind, the reaction was pretty much universal: the Red Speech sucked ass, and not in the fun way. Not only were the positive elements overpowered by the negative ones, but the visuals and vocal tone didn't help matters either. It came off as loud, hateful, and generally tone-deaf. So, like an episode of The Young Turks.
You can tell how badly The Red Speech was received by how quickly the Biden Administration walked it back. Literally, within hours of giving it, kids. Now, I'm no Presidential speechwriter, but to me good speeches don't have to be retracted, respun, and revised less than 24 hours after they were given.
And given President Biden's track record of being less honest than tobacco companies in the 50s, it's hard to tell whether the speech or the post-speech spin reflects his true feelings. That allows political opponents to assume the worst and express it, thus making a bad situation even worse for Biden. And guess what? The longer the outrage, real or manufactured, keeps The Red Speech in people's minds, the more it will impact the midterms. You know, the ones where Democrats are hoping to hold the House and get at least 2 seats in the Senate? Yeah, try being a pro-Biden Democrat running on the "MAGA Republicans are the greatest threat to democracy right now…until they aren't" message. That prospect is scarier than day-old sushi sold at Food Poisoning Emporium.
What should be even scarier for Leftists is the fact The Red Speech sounded and felt a lot like a speech from Donald Trump. All you would need to do is change a few words. Remember when we were told Joe Biden would be a better President because he wasn't Trump? Almost two years and several clusterfucks later, the current President is sounding more and more like the former President and the Left doesn't even see it.
Doubt me? Let's check.
– The "otherization" of political opponents? Check.
– Blaming these "others" for problems Americans face? Check.
– Appealing to America's greatness and resilience? Check.
– Promising to take action against those who threaten us? Check.
– Use of patriotic imagery as a backdrop? Check.
– Appeals to our emotions? Check.
– Cheers from audience members? Check.
– Rallying supporters to support party ideals and candidates? Check.
You get the idea. Leftists might not, but you do.
At this point, we should answer the lingering question why the Left slobbered over each other to praise The Red Speech. Aside from being full of the policy positions they love so much, it was also full of a lot of the stuff Leftists have been talking about in private being uttered in public. Normally, this would scare Leftists more than letting Biden go off-script, but in this case it's exactly what they wanted because it makes those ideas seem plausible, possible, and inevitable. The Left has been talking about the possibility of civil war for a while now, either to criticize the Right or to pump up the Left's egos to make them think they could win such a war easily. Even the President recently pooh-poohed the idea the Right could successfully beat the US military.
You know, the same MAGA Republicans who almost overthrew the government on January 6th, according to the Left?
I don't understand the logic, either, kids.
What I do understand, though, is how The Red Speech fits into the Left's totalitarian nature. They need to be in control of as much of our lives as possible, and post-COVID they're looking for another hit of that sweet totalitarian shit. What better way to get people to run to the Left for protection than to overstate the threat the MAGA movement is to the country?
I'm not a MAGA guy, but I recognize some common traits in the members of the movement. Aside from being super-pro-Trump, that is. Most of the people being labeled as domestic terrorists by the Left are just regular people who just want to be left alone by government and for America to thrive. If you believe the Left, that's what they want, too. They just have a different road to achieve it.
That road, of course, being letting them rule over everything and make all the important decisions because they're so much smarter than we are. (Just ask them.) Since those pesky MAGA Republicans don't agree with them, the Left has to resort to coercion and even force to get people to agree with them. Hence, the reason the midterms are so important to them and then the 2024 Presidential election.
Which makes The Red Speech seem like a much bigger fuck-up than I initially thought. Once you say the quiet part out loud, you're kinda stuck with it. You can't memory wipe the world…or can you?…no, no, you can't. People are going to remember your words and hold you accountable to/for them.
Including people outside of your ideological sphere.
Conventional political wisdom says you have to try to attract the middle (i.e. the un-or-disenfranchised) to win elections. It's easy to get voters if they already agree with your ideas, but it takes a bit of effort to expand that base to include people who may only agree with some of your ideas. And the more radical you appear, the less likely these possible voters will vote for you.
After The Red Speech, there are already Democrats trying to keep the stench off them in the hopes of still getting elected. And we're not talking about no-name Democrats running for dog catcher, either. There are a few big name candidates ranging from Tim Ryan in Ohio to Raphael Warnock in Georgia. Although it can be argued they're keeping their distance for reasons other than The Red Speech, it cannot be argued the speech itself makes it harder for red state Democrats to appeal to the middle, especially if they agree even a little bit with the MAGA Republicans.
Spoiler Alert, Leftists: It's not just Republicans who support MAGA. There are more than a few people from your side who are getting turned off by the overheated bullshit and the lack of attention to more "kitchen table" issues that can make or break a candidate's campaign. But, tell us again how buying an electric car will help when you practically need to take out a fourth mortgage just to get groceries.
The Red Speech won't go down as one of the best speeches ever, but it certainly has lived down to its potential as one of the most infamous.
Author ThomasPosted on September 11, 2022 September 9, 2022 Categories Guest Author, Humor, PoliticsTags 2022 elections, 2024 elections, leftist lexicon, maga, maga republicans, midterm elections, president joe biden, the red speech
Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week – Special Edition!
By the time you read this, we will be celebrating or will have just celebrated a pivotal holiday in America. It's a day to remember the sacrifices of so many to make our country a better place. I'm speaking, of course, of the start of college football.
Oh, and there's also Labor Day.
Labor Day was established to celebrate the contributions of working Americans, and as you might expect, Leftists are quick to champion those working Americans. Or do they?
working Americans
What the Left thinks it means – the backbone of this country, people who constantly get fucked over by the corrupt rich and corporations
What it really means – a wide swath of Americans who constantly get fucked over by the corrupt Left
If you listen to Leftists (and I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a stiff drink or five), the only ones fighting for the working men and women are Leftists. They work so hard to get middle class tax cuts, only to be thwarted at every turn by those evil Republicans who are in the back pockets of the greedy rich. It's all they can do for the people we rely on so much to make the country run as smoothly as possible.
Which is complete bullshit.
Oh, I know there are hard-working Americans out there because I am one. But the Left's fawning over folks like us is phonier than a Karine Jean-Pierre excuse for why the country is on proverbial fire right now. Leftists have a healthy contempt for working folks, and no matter how many flannel shirts, blue jeans, and hard hats they wear, they can't escape their attitudes or looking like a member of the Village People.
As frequent readers know or have figured out on their own, the Left hates anyone who isn't them. Meaning, rich white Leftists. Everyone else is treated like pawns to be moved across the political chessboard as the elites see fit. Granted, the Right does this as well, but not to the extent and levels of deception the Left does. And when it comes to the game, the Left is Garry Kasparov.
The way Leftists deceive…I mean persuade people of their pro-worker stance is by playing into their emotions, namely greed and jealousy. After all, if working people are struggling, it has to be because someone is stealing from them and living the high life. It can't possibly be any other reason!
Wellllll…except that it can, and a lot of times it's because of what the Left proposes to "help" people. More on that later.
By playing into our natural negative emotions and setting up a nameless, faceless villain, the Left sets itself up to be our white knights. And although they profess to be fighting for all of us, they actually don't. They like working folks who belong to labor unions and consistently vote for Leftists, even if it winds up shooting themselves in the foot with a Gatling gun.
Personally, I've seen this contempt for working Americans for a couple of decades, but it's only recently that the contempt has been more overt, provided you know what to look for. And there is no better textbook on this than Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas? Fortunately, I read it so you don't have to because, dammit, I care! (Actually, it was because I was curious to see what Frank had to say about conservatives in the Midwest, but I still care.)
I can summarize Frank's entire book in one sentence: Conservatives have conned working people, and only Leftists can save them.
There. I saved you time, money, and emergency room visits for blunt head trauma from hitting your head against a wall repeatedly.
Frank's attitude towards people living in the state he came from, merely for voting for Republicans, drips off each and every page. Although he does blame Democrats for sounding and acting fiscally conservative in order to win elections, he saves the bulk of his venom for conservatives who he felt corrupted politics in the state to work against the best interests of the voters.
The reason Frank's screed…I mean book is a great example of the Left's hatred of working Americans is because it exposes the rift between what the Left knows about working Americans and what working Americans actually are. What Frank attributes to conservatives convincing people to ignore their best interests is actually conservatives listening to working people and proposing ideas that they might actually like.
And judging from how well the Left has been dealing with the election of Donald Trump in 2016, they still haven't figured it out. While the Trump Administration wasn't exactly the best and brightest, they did get quite a few things right, including cutting taxes for working Americans. And contrary to what Leftists want us to believe, those tax cuts weren't just for the wealthy. According to the IRS, middle class and working class people benefited the most from Trump's tax cuts.
Then, Joe Biden rolled into town and undid all of that. Yay?
Of course, the Administration had answers for just about every concern we had about rising costs and how to address them. A lot of them involved, surprise surprise, initiatives the Biden Administration and Leftists want. Worried about rising gas prices? Get an electric car! And if you're still concerned, just laugh! Having trouble paying for groceries? It's Russia's fault! Supply chain problems? Spend more on infrastructure! Unemployed? Support green energy!
I haven't seen anyone this tone deaf since William Hung, and we're being run by several of these assclowns. But, hey, no mean tweets, amirite?
Yet, for all of the answers the Left seem to have, few of them actually apply to working Americans. The only thing preventing Republicans from getting more working class voters is they're incompetent when it comes to closing the sale. For all of his faults, Donald Trump at least made an attempt, which is more than a previous Republican Presidential candidate and rich guy, Mitt Romney, did in 2012. Guess what? It fucking worked!
Right now the door is wide open for Republicans and conservatives to make the sale they might be better for working Americans than the Left is. The Left is too busy focusing on social issues that turn off many Americans and finding new ways to fuck up the country to bother with Joe Sixpack's problems. Trump gave the GOP a blueprint, much to the chagrin of people like Romney, whose version of a Republican President is as exciting as mayonnaise.
While Republicans try to figure out how to attract working Americans and Leftist try to find new ways to screw them, the working class are left with financial problems, rising costs, and more broken promises than a treaty with Native Americans in the 1800s. And the only way that changes is if working Americans are open to change their thinking. Many of them are locked into voting for Democrats because it's what they and their families have always done. It's like a rite of passage, only with more bureaucracy. As Donald Trump said in 2016 when asked why working people should vote for him, "What have you got to lose?"
Given how expensive things are now, we can't do any worse.
Author ThomasPosted on September 5, 2022 September 4, 2022 Categories Economics, Guest Author, Humor, PoliticsTags economics, electric cars, green new deal, inflation, labor day, leftist lexicon, president donald trump, president joe biden, russia, supply lines, working americans, working class
Let's Go Dark Brandon?
It really shouldn't amaze me the Left isn't all that original, but even this one had me shaking my head. There's a new hero on the Left, one of mythical proportions, a man (but I'm not a biologist) who kicks ass, takes names, and looks damn good doing it. His name is…Dark Brandon.
What started out as a way to try to spin out of a "Fuck Joe Biden" chant at a NASCAR event became a cultural phenomenon extending well beyond the political realm. So much so the Left had to co-opt it after spending months decrying the phrase. You know, just like they did with Err…I'm sorry, Air America during the height of conservative talk radio.
You know, I wonder what happened to those plucky progressives trying to give people an alternative to Rush Limbaugh. Oh, yeah, they closed their doors in 2010. But I'm sure they won't make the same mistake by co-opting a chant from the Right, right?
Although I wasn't keen on "Let's Go Brandon," I could understand the appeal. After all, more than a few people think Joe Biden should go fuck himself especially after everything he's done to fuck us. And in the aftermath of 4 years of Donald Trump and his supporters feeling empowered to shout back at the Left, old habits die hard…in Minecraft.
The chants still go on, albeit less frequently than when it first became part of the political lexicon (see what I did there!). So, what better time than when the fad is starting to die down (in Minecraft) to start reframing it?
What the Left lacks in timeliness they make up for in lame ideas. And if Dark Brandon were a horse, it would already be glue (in Minecraft).
Leftists have power fantasies that would make Sigmund Freud go to therapy. They need to control as much as possible, including people. Naturally, that means they tend to gravitate towards people and ideas they see as powerful and expect the sheer force of that power to silence opposition. More often than not, the perception of force is enough to make people back down, which feeds their egos and makes them believe they are as powerful as they think they are. When that doesn't work, they pull out all the stops to flex on you, including whining to social media platforms about how you're a meanie-head.
Ultimately, though, when they can't get what they want, Leftists will find a way to scratch that control freak itch, even if they have to create an alternate reality to make it happen. That's where the Dark Brandon persona comes into play. Leftists haven't been happy with the way Joe Biden hasn't gone after Republicans (at least, not until recently) and have suggested he's too polite. After getting pissed at "Let's Go Brandon" (and the President getting more than a little confused about who this Brandon guy is), the Left started leaning into it a bit more.
Thus, Dark Brandon was born.
Dark Brandon is everything Joe Biden isn't. He's decisive, aggressive towards his political enemies, tells it like it is, and lost all semblance of giving a fuck a long time ago. And Leftists are eating it up. But here's the kicker. Dark Brandon isn't a dark alternative version of Joe Biden; he's a Leftist Donald Trump. And just like with Err America, the progressive copy is vastly inferior to the original.
As much as the Left wants the President to go on the offensive, they're only making the argument why Donald Trump should get a second term as President. (That, and the economy being so far in the shitter, you'll need to go spelunking to find the bottom.) Make no mistake, though. The Left was never against mean tweets, just mean tweets about them. They're perfectly willing to go lower than a snake's cock ring when it suits them.
But here's the part I'm not sure the Left understands yet, if they ever will. By creating Dark Brandon and fawning over him and what he represents, Leftists are admitting the Biden Administration has been a failure. They'll say it's because Biden doesn't go far enough Left, but it's really because he's truly not capable of leading a one-person parade, let alone the United States. Of course, this was obvious to anyone who paid attention to his career as a politician, but no one expects the Left to stay informed on current events, or events over 45 years, for that matter.
Either way, the Left embracing Dark Brandon right now encapsulates the problems they face right now right before the midterm elections. Not only will they have to defend Biden's record, but they'll have to figure out how to reconcile the fantasy they've created and the reality of how bad Biden's done so far.
Author ThomasPosted on September 4, 2022 Categories Guest Author, Humor, Media, PoliticsTags dark brandon, midterm elections, president donald trump, president joe biden
The big news this week involved President Joe Biden finally making good on a campaign promise to forgive at least some student loan debt. Many Leftists were overjoyed (mainly because I'm sure a number of them would be the beneficiaries of the President's generosity), but there are more than a few people who are expressing concern about whether the student loan forgiveness initiative would be as effective and as expensive as promised.
Regardless of the boondoggle…I mean efforts to address student loan debt, there are a lot of questions to be asked. And I'm just the killjoy asshole to ask them.
What the Left thinks it means – a compassionate move that will help college students and the economy at the same time
What it really means – the start of a lot of economic, Constitutional, and legal chaos with the stroke of a pen
On paper, student loan forgiveness sounds good. By forgiving up to $10,000 of loan debt, debtors and former debtors would have more money at their disposal, which could then be recirculated into the economy in all sorts of ways. And 10 grand will buy a lot of Starbucks and avocado toast!
Which some of these students complaining about the amount of loan debt they have to pay off are already buying in the first place, but we're not supposed to know that…
Although the thought of more money going towards iPhones and gaming consoles is tantalizing to the capitalist in me, the long term implications are scarier than having Bill Clinton show up at your doorstep to pick up your daughter for a date. (Hey, at least it's not Charlie Sheen!) And knowing how our friends on the Left aren't known for planning any further out than the length of a TikTok video, you can bet few, if any, of the loudest proponents have given much thought to what I'm about to lay out for you.
Then again, it might be because I'm a weirdo. Either way, here goes!
– The Constitution may not grant the President the powers necessary to make this happen. President Biden's actions came to pass because of an Executive Order, which is pretty much the President saying, "Do this because, fuck you, I'm the President." Well, the Executive Order isn't exactly a one-and-done situation because it can be challenged Constitutionally. And that brings us to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress "to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States…" Now, last time I checked, President Biden was no longer in Congress, even though he spent most of my life in it. That means unless Congress signs off on it, it ain't happening for long before the Supreme Court gets involved. And with the current makeup of the High Court, you can bet Biden's Executive Order will get smacked down harder than Mike Tyson beating up Richard Simmons.
– It has the potential to fuck up contract law. A loan is a contact between a lender and a borrower. With student loans, the lender is often the government. And, we all know how fiscally responsible it is, amirite? Anyway, forgiving even a portion of the debt affects the existing contract. Even though the government is one of the particulars of the loan in this case, it has the potential to set precedent once a court gets involved. Get the right judge in the right court to rule in a certain way and before you can say "habeas corpus" the government has the authority to alter any contract it wants, possibly even if it's not a party to the original agreement. Welcome to Legal Chaos Land, population…well, us.
– The economic impact isn't as cut and dried as we've been told. It seems intuitive that if you give people more money they will spend it. That's been borne out with tax cuts and credit cards for decades, although the Left still isn't convinced of the former. Now, add in a little thing called inflation, which all of us are enduring right now. If you have to take out a third mortgage to get groceries, no amount of money from the forgiving of existing student debt will help for very long.
– It doesn't fix the underlying problems. There are a few reasons why student loan debt is so high. Part of it is the rising tuition costs. Since 1980, average tuition costs have risen by 1200%. And, no, that's not a typo. And since tuitions have gotten higher than Willie Nelson on 4/20, the federal government has had to lend more money to students. And that includes interest with rates and conditions that make payday loan sharks look legit. Of course, once colleges and universities know the government will keep forking over the money, they will find reasons to keep raising tuition, and the cycle begins anew. And there is no incentive for either party to change that dynamic after some of the loans are forgiven. The college/university still gets its money, and the government gets to look like it cares about people. They don't, of course…
– Once you get a bite of the apple, you'll want more. By nature, humans tend to be greedy, self-serving, and always looking to push the limits to see what they can get away with. Right now, it's only $10,000 that will get forgiven, but does it end there? Judging from recent government boondoggles…I mean programs like TARP and PPP, it's likely there will be more demands for other and more financial assistance. Next, it will be $20,000, then $50,000, then it will be because free range artesian goat cheese costs have gone up, and before you know it, just about every whim will come with a federal grant. You know, like the National Endowment for the Arts?
There are others drawbacks, but I think you get the idea. Now, if you could explain it to the Left, we might be getting somewhere.
Right now, the Left is counting on the compassion card to get us not to think about the nagging questions of the wisdom of student loan forgiveness. For most of the population, it works. We don't want to see people suffer, but there are also limits. If people suffer as a result of dumb decisions, our compassion tends to go the way of David Duke Appreciation Night at the Apollo. It's the old "hand up, not hand out" mentality, and it still works today. I'm all for giving people a chance to apply themselves and earn some scratch from the sweat of their brows. Being allowed to have a chunk of your student loan that you've accumulated by studying Post Modern Albino Inuit Gender-Queer Photography in 16th Century Burma without even chipping a nail? Not so much.
And it's not because I want college students to suffer under excessive debt. It's because I want them to understand the feeling of earning something instead of just being granted it. Yes, not everybody will win a trophy under this mindset, but it will mean more when you do because you learn what you're made of and what you're worth. Platitudes and payoffs don't teach you anything but how to whine until you get your way. That doesn't make you anything but an asshole with the potential to be a Karen when you grow up.
And God knows we have enough of those as it stands.
Author ThomasPosted on August 28, 2022 August 26, 2022 Categories Economics, Guest Author, Humor, PoliticsTags economics, leftist lexicon, president joe biden, student loan debt, student loan forgiveness
I'm Not Wild About Harris
I would hate to be President Joe Biden right now. Not only is he presiding over higher inflation, a recession (depending on how the Left is defining it this microsecond), and a job approval rating going further into the basement than he was during the 2020 election, but he has a new problem. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll shows 64% of Democrats polled would rather see someone else run for President in 2024. Granted, media polls are usually as reliable as a Bill Clinton marriage vow, but this still caught my eye.
If the polling data is accurate (and, I must reiterate that's a pretty big if), it signals a problem not just for the President, but for the Vice President. Since being named as Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris has been basking in a pretty bright spotlight and expected to do great things. And she has failed spectacularly on all fronts, with the Vice President's approval ratings being slightly higher than the President's. Granted, that's a pretty low bar these days, but it's still telling.
Even with Harris being more popular, she doesn't seem to be as prominent as she was during the campaign and early in the Administration. A large part of this stems from her seeming awkwardness in situations that require a bit more attention to reading the room. Whether it's laughing at inappropriate times while discussion serious topics or turning a speech into a word smoothie (since it's long since ceased being a word salad), the Vice President still doesn't seem to have her executive sea legs under her.
Nothing shows this better than her relative invisibility within her own party over Senate matters. Leftists will say this is because of Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema being disloyal Democrats, but there's a lot more at work here. For one, Senate Democrats (and Democrats in general, to be honest) have taken a hard line on pending legislation and various issues that have arisen since 2021. Instead of trying to keep the aforementioned Senators on board or getting RINOs like Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, or Lisa Murkowski to join them, there's been some real antagonism going on, so much so it reminds me a lot of high school.
Now, if you remember your civics classes, the Vice President is President of the Senate and can break ties. And right now, the Senate is split right down the middle, with two Independents caucusing with the Democrats. This should be a layup for a party looking to set up Harris for future political success.
Yet, it's not happening. Some of this can be attributed to the Senate being more contentious than a hostage situation where neither side wants the hostage, but I think there's an undercurrent of distrust of Harris at play as well. And it goes back to being set up to succeed, only to fail.
Democrats caught lightning in a bottle when they found Barack Obama. Say what you will about the former President (and, trust me, I have), but he was able to cobble together a pretty solid voting bloc that helped him win 2 terms as President. It didn't hurt that he ran against two Republicans who made Michael Dukakis look like William the Conqueror, but his coalition was still pretty tight.
The problems with catching lightning in a bottle are a) it tends to hurt, and b) it's hard to do. With Kamala Harris, the initial feeling was she was going to be the female Obama and even managed to get the former President's seal of approval (or kiss of death, as the case may be).
Then, she ran for President and got crushed. A lot of it came down to the fact she didn't really connect with voters the way Obama did. From my perspective, she came off as someone who could recite carefully-crafted lines, but couldn't make them sound genuine or like they were her words in the first place. A crowded Democrat field didn't help matters any, either, and she failed to stand out as a candidate.
Let me put it this way. I got the same number of delegates in 2020 that she did, and I wasn't even running.
Fast forward to 2022, and very little has changed with Harris. She still doesn't seem comfortable in her role and her big policy initiative of dealing with immigration issues has been pretty dismal. It's almost like she goes through life perpetually unprepared for the big test, but expecting she can fake her way through it because…reasons.
The fact Senate Democrats haven't relied on Harris as their ace in the hole tells me they may not think she's as much of an asset as she was in 2020, and it doesn't bode well if Joe Biden doesn't run again in 2024 or gets pushed out in favor of someone else. Usually, the Vice President is expected to be capable of picking up the mantle and winds up on the short list of possible Presidential candidates, but I'm not getting that feeling from the Left right now. Some of that is disappointment at not being able to get some of the Left's current pet projects (forgiving student loan debt, a living wage, figuring out how many bathrooms they need to put in government buildings to accommodate the growing number of genders), but I can't lay all of that at Harris' feet. Instead, I think the reason the Vice President isn't being seriously considered right now to take the big step into the Oval Office is because Leftists have come to the realization she's not up to the task.
Imagine that. A person elevated to high office because she checked off a certain number of boxes that have nothing to do with competence isn't working out that well! Who could have seen that coming, right? I mean, aside from anyone who's followed the rise and fall within Leftist circles of Kyrsten Sinema, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Surely, it can't happen again…oh, wait…
I have to admit I feel a little sorry for Kamala Harris right now. She's been thrust into a position she's not ready for and knows she's not ready for, but is still expected to perform at a high level. Even with a sympathetic press and a party that outwardly supports her, there is that seed of doubt that keeps growing exponentially with each new blunder, policy failure, and attempt to string together sentences that don't sound like they came from an AI programmed by Paris Hilton. Even for someone with the ego of a politician, that has to wear on you over time.
Unless you're an idiot. Then, you seem to have the super power of ignoring your shortcomings. You know, like Eric Swalwell?
Either way, I don't think the Vice President will be gaining a vote of confidence from the people who voted her into office in the first place.
Author ThomasPosted on July 31, 2022 Categories Guest Author, Humor, PoliticsTags election 2024, president joe biden, senate democrats, vice president kamala harris
Last week the Biden Administration finally took action on an issue that consumed our nation's attention. And I, for one, want to give the President credit due him for taking a bold stand against…ghost guns.
Confused? You should be. This was a new one for me, considering the only ghost guns I knew of came from the Ghostbusters and they were fictional characters. However, the Left wants us to believe ghost guns are a real threat to society, which obviously means it is…to Leftists.
What the Left thinks it means – a dangerous variant on the already escalating gun problem in America
What it really means – the inevitable result of gun control laws
To put an actual concept to the term, ghost guns are firearm kits or weapons that can be purchased online without a background check. What makes them so concerning to Leftists is the fact they are untraceable and lack a serial number, so they can't be traced back to an individual. Although the Left wants to frame this as a public safety issue, there's a more obvious explanation of why Leftists are freaking out about ghost guns.
Ghost guns avoid Leftist gun control laws and the licensing fees connected to them.
Whenever you come across a Leftist issue like this that doesn't seem to make much sense to introduce at a particular time (so, basically, any Leftist issue), most likely it's being brought up because of money, power, or both, since these are the motivating factors behind anything the Left does. Altruism doesn't enter into the picture unless it's spending other people's money to accomplish it. They're in it for purely prurient reasons.
Case in point: gun control laws.
Have you noticed the number of gun-related deaths in cities and areas with strict gun control laws? Why, it's almost as though…criminals don't follow laws or something! But instead of packing it in and realizing they are walking definitions of insanity, Leftists double down (or would it be double-barrel down) on more gun laws, knowing they don't work as well as they want us to believe. But they do work in generating income and creating a power dynamic that allows the government to dictate to peons…I mean citizens. In some places, a cat can haz cheezburger before even law-abiding citizens can get a gun permit, and it's even worse in "may issue" states where you can be denied a permit even if you jump through the legal hoops to get one simply because the government says so.
But remember, kids, Republicans are the ones who want to dictate to us how to live our lives because Leftists say so.
It is said necessity is the mother of invention, but being able to piss off Leftists is a pretty good motivator, too. Instead of knuckling under to Leftist demands, people have been figuring out ways to make working firearms and making money off it and keeping the Leftists out of the process altogether. It's the American Dream as written by the NRA!
By making it more difficult to own firearms, making moves to make it harder and more expensive to get ammunition (which, by the way, is also a DIY project), and doing next to nothing about the proliferation of violent crime, Leftists laid the groundwork for ghost guns to be a thing. Nothing like a self-own to make a Leftist idea go up in flames like the Hindenburg.
Which brings us to another reason the Left introduced the ghost guns issue right now: the Biden Administration has been the political equivalent of a flaming bag of dog shit put on America's front porch while Kamala Harris rings the doorbell. Between the never-ending Hunter Biden scandals and the numerous bouts of political, economic, and foreign policy incompetence, Joe Biden needed a win. Unfortunately for him, this ain't it. Most people don't know even know what a ghost gun is, but the President decided to make it the focal point of a Rose Garden event. It's like letting Hannah Gadsby headline a comedy show, or the opening of a Blockbuster Video for that matter: those who know are already going to go, but most people won't and there's not enough interest to attract them.
I know this is going to be a risky prediction to make, but dammit I really think this one's going to pan out. Any laws or regulations concerning ghost guns is going to fail. I'm no Nostradamus, but given the track record of gun control laws and their failure to address gun violence in any meaningful way, I'm confident this will end the same way and for the same reason: Leftists don't think far enough ahead to see the fatal flaws of their ideas. Which makes it better for us because a) it lays the groundwork for those ideas to be challenged and eventually defeated, b) it gives us ongoing topics for blog posts, and c) it provides endless opportunities for humor!
Unlike Hannah Gadsby.
Author ThomasPosted on April 17, 2022 April 14, 2022 Categories Guest Author, Humor, Justice, Social Issues, TechnologyTags ghost guns, gun control, gun laws, leftist lexicon, president joe biden
It's April, and it's time for one of the Left's favorite activities to resume. Is it the start of Major League Baseball? Nope. Is it the NBA playoffs? No. Is it whining and complaining about the rich not paying their "fair share" in taxes?
The "fair share" drumbeats started up again like a Neil Peart drum solo recently when President Joe "I Helped My Son Get a Sweet Gig in Russia and All I Got Was 10%" Biden proposed a new minimum tax for billionaires (or more precisely hundred millionaires) of at least 20% on their actual income and any assets that have gained value but haven't been sold yet. Sorry for the long sentence, folks, but to fully express the proposal, I had to be a little long-winded. Meanwhile back in the main topic, Leftists are happy with this proposal because they say it will help with the deficit. But, as you might expect, there's a bit more to their love of taxes.
What the Left thinks it means – a means to pay for the services the government provides
What it really means – a way to punish people more successful than Leftists will ever be
Leftists thrive on negative emotions, but the coin of their realm is jealousy. Well, that and killing babies in the womb, but it's hard to pay for massive government spending in baby parts. Besides, Planned Parenthood needs the money to buy exotic cars!
Where jealousy comes into play in regards to taxation is two-fold. First, the Left needs us to believe people like Elon Musk are gaming the system and, thus, taking advantage of the workers of America. Second, the Left blames any lack of progress in addressing societal ills on not getting enough money from the government. And as we've seen in recent decades, both facets work really well to get people to support higher taxes for the evil rich.
And I don't just mean higher tax payments, either. The Left thinks the tax brackets are too low for the wealthy, so they are always looking for ways to jack up the tax rate to stick it to The Man. If you doubt this, ask a Leftist why they don't support a flat tax, which would mean everybody would pay the same tax rate. Their answers range from "because everybody paying the same tax rate wouldn't be fair" to "keep licking the fascist boots of the corporate overlords, you idiot." But, really, it boils down to this.
Leftists use taxation as a purely punitive measure.
Remember the Left's belief in a zero-sum game as it pertains to economics? If not, it's the notion that there is a finite amount of wealth, so any time a rich person makes money it's at the expense of a poor person. If so, it's the same concept, but I'm far more apologetic for repeating myself. In either case, it's based on a faulty premise: that there's a finite amount of money. Anyone who has followed the expansion of the national debt can see the flaws in the zero-sum game idea.
But a little thing like being divorced from reality like they were Liz Taylor or Mickey Rooney won't stop Leftists from pushing class hatred in the name of spending other people's money. All they have to do is make the poor and middle class hate the rich and the lack of reality won't matter. Needless to say, but necessary to type, this has worked well and continues to work.
Beyond income taxes, the Left has ways to punish the lower and middle classes through taxation. Yes, I'm talking about gax taxes. Contrary to popular Leftist belief, oil companies aren't gouging people at the pump by jacking up prices. Based on current calculations, those evil greedy oil companies are making…pennies on the dollar with every gallon sold. That's not a clever turn of a phrase, mind you. I'm talking literal pennies on the dollar (and unlike the kids of today, I do mean literally in the literal sense). And when you consider the costs oil companies incur to refine oil into usable fuel, it's a wonder they even want to keep drilling.
On the other side of the equation, there's an entity that rakes in far more money with each gallon of gas sold and incurs none of the risks and costs to get it. If you guessed the state and federal governments, you get a gold star! And these taxes affect the working class more than the upper class. You're more likely to see Rosie O'Donnell successfully going through Weight Watchers than to see Bill Gates topping off his tank at the local Gas and Sip.
And you're even less likely to see Leftists support suspending gas taxes right now. After all, it's free money, and it's a way to punish us for continuing to use the internal combustion engine instead of being able to fork over several thousand dollars to get an electric car or a hybrid…that would also use fossil fuels like gasoline to get from point A to pointless B. There's that word "punish" again, kids!
Now, if you're like me and not keen on paying more taxes than owed, the Left will try to guilt you into paying more by invoking patriotism. In fact, President Pudding Cup once said paying taxes was our "patriotic duty." Who wants to be seen as not patriotic, right? Of course, this argument might be more persuasive if a) tax dollars were being spent on the country instead of pork programs with no practical application, b) we wouldn't get in trouble with the IRS for non-payment, c) the government typically doesn't get rid of old taxes because free money, d) around half of the American population pay little-to-no taxes in the first place, and e) the Left didn't hate America so much. To be fair, I'm surprised Leftists don't scream out in pain like vampires taking a holy water shower when they wrap themselves with the American flag.
Even if I grumble at paying taxes out of fear of the IRS giving me an anal cavity search without so much as dinner and a drink, I understand the need for taxation. There are some things we need to pay for, like national defense and infrastructure, because they're in the Constitution and make sense to spend money on. (Try beating back the Chinese Army with pool noodles, oddly enough made in China.) Having said that, we need to start drawing a few lines before we're taxed after we die…oh, wait.
Taxes are a necessary pseudo-evil. Like with fire or Auto Tune, they are tools whose use determines whether the results are good or bad. And when they're used for the purposes of fostering hatred and jealousy, as they are with the President's billionaire's tax, there can be no good outcomes.
Except, of course, if you're sitting on a few empty Swiss bank accounts.
Author ThomasPosted on April 3, 2022 April 1, 2022 Categories Economics, Guest Author, Humor, PoliticsTags billionaires tax, federal taxes, gas tax, income tax, leftist lexicon, president joe biden, state taxes, taxation


As if anyone was really surprised, although I'll probably end up counting it as a 2009 film, along with IFC's other "one week wonders," Hunger and Gomorrah.
His inclusion of W surprises me. He was positive on it before but always mildly so. He hasn't seen Waltz with Bashir yet, which is a shame, or Gran Torino, but I'm in the same boat with him on that one until my screener comes in.


Looking for a holiday in Holt? Try the holiday cottage "Brambles"
Ideally located for exploring the North Norfolk Coast, Brambles is a holiday cottage near the town of Holt, sleeping 4 people.
Positioned on a quiet road, Brambles is just a mile from the nearest shop; while the nearest pub and restaurant are a little further at 2½ miles away from Brambles. The beach is only 4 miles - with the town of Blakeney being your closest point to the North Norfolk Coast. A quiet town, you can take trips from the harbour to see the seals; and try some local seafood too. Further along the coast you can visit Wells-nest-the-Sea, Sheringham and Cromer. Norfolk's principle city, Norwich, is well worth a visit too - with an abundance of shops, churches, restaurants and pubs to discover; and an hour or two at Norwich Castle museum is a good idea too.
There 2 bedrooms, with both bedrooms being doubles. So, Brambles sleeps 4 people. A pet is allowed to holiday with you at Brambles.
You have a wood burning stove; night storage heaters; a TV; DVD player; Wi-Fi; washing machine; tumble dryer. With your bed linen and towels being included in the price of your holiday.
The patio outside has furniture; and parking for 2 cars. The photo above shows you the patio and garden.
Holidays at Brambles start on a Friday, with short breaks also being available.
If you think that Brambles could be the place for you, find out more information from Cottages 4 You, why not pop over and see whether this cottage is available for your holiday dates. You can also find Brambles on a map.
The cottages listed below have all been selected cottages and are within 50 miles of Brambles.


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Q: Bundle SciLab binaries with java application I am using javasci in my java application to call SciLab scripts. I'd like to include needed binaries from SciLab with my application. So I can avoid SciLab installation for the application to run.
Did someone already tried this? Any tips on which files/dlls to take? And how to configure them so they are accessible to javasci?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The "Soldering is Easy" Comic Book – Now with Arabic Translation! « Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers!
The "Soldering is Easy" Comic Book – Now with Arabic Translation!
The "Soldering is Easy" comic book is a great way to inspire anyone who is interested (or even hesitant) about learning to solder – it's really as easy as reading this comic! (At least, through-hole component soldering is.) And recently the comic was updated by translator Ahmed Mo'ni to Arabic, which is available here in 8-page PDF format.
Read the original English-language comic here; read the Arabic translation here; and see the full list of languages translated here.
Comments Off on The "Soldering is Easy" Comic Book – Now with Arabic Translation!


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How To Obtain Very Low Charge Live Performance Tickets Preserve Income のバックアップ(No.1)
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Red day DUE Tuesday, February 2nd! Blue day DUE Wednesday, February 3rd!
2. What are the similarities + differences between craft + art?
3. What are the principle of design, unity + variety?
4. How can we use them to make a a collaborative cd weaving project pleasing to the eye?
5. What are some implied meanings in the process and final result of the collaborative project as a whole?
1. demonstrate their understanding of weaving by using a cd and yarn to produce circular weaving and the Principles of Design, unity + variety, to produce a visually strong collaborative wall hanging.
1. where all parts of a composition come together and support each other to make one, unified image 2. a sense of wholeness in a work 3. parts of image must relate to each other through subject matter, appearance, size, shape, texture or color.
Unity and Variety are two principles of composition in art, and they are two driving principles of community as well. The weavings are as individual as the people who made them, beautiful and unique. And I see their beauty increased when they are joined in the larger piece, part of the larger community. We may only see the colors and textures of the weavings, but the CDs contain data and information, much like the hidden, inner story of the individuals around us.
For a link to her blog click here.
I give a through demonstration during class, however, if you missed a day and can't make up the time with me or you forget – here is a written step-by-step tutorial with pictures from Stephanie Allgood to help you out.
*You may complete more than one for extra credit!


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using System;
using Simple.Common;

namespace Simple.Domain
{
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        public Customer(CustomerSnapshot snapshot)
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            InitialVersion = snapshot.Version;
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        public int InitialVersion { get; }

        public string Name { get; set; }
        public string Address { get; set; }

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        private void When(CustomerAddressChanged customerAddressChanged)
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            Id = customerAddressChanged.AggregateId;
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            Version = customerAddressChanged.Version;
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    public class CustomerSnapshot
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        public int Version { get; set; }
        public string Name { get; set; }
        public string Address { get; set; }
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Female Fiji candidate subjected to online harassment over involvement in politics
A young Fijian woman who intends to stand in the Fiji elections says she has received threats, including threats of rape, on social media.
Roshika Deo is standing as an independent candidate in next year's promised elections.
Ms Deo who has been using the internet as a campaigning tool, has told Pacific Beat she's been the subject of vicious personal attacks.
We invite our users to read the full article published October 29, 2013
Women's political participation
women candidates
women's role in society
Violence Against Women in Politics


The National Pact (al Mithaq al Watani), an unwritten agreement, came into being in the summer of 1943 as the result of numerous meetings between Khuri (a Maronite), Lebanon's first president, and the first prime minister, Riyad as Sulh (also cited as Solh), a Sunni. At the heart of the negotiations was the Christians' fear of being overwhelmed by the Muslim communities in Lebanon and the surrounding Arab countries, and the Muslims' fear of Western hegemony. In return for the Christian promise not to seek foreign, i.e., French, protection and to accept Lebanon's "Arab face," the Muslim side agreed to recognize the independence and legitimacy of the Lebanese state in its 1920 boundaries and to renounce aspirations for union with Syria. The pact also reinforced the sectarian system of government begun under the French Mandate by formalizing the confessional distribution of high-level posts in the government based on the 1932 census' six-to-five ratio favoring Christians over Muslims. Although some historians dispute the point, the terms of the National Pact were believed to have been enunciated by the first cabinet in a statement to the legislature in October 1943.
As noted, the confessional system outlined in the National Pact was a matter of expediency, an interim measure to overcome philosophical divisions between Christian and Muslim leaders at independence. It was hoped that once the business of governance got under way, and as national spirit grew, the importance of confessionalism in the political structure would diminish. Over the years, the frequent political disputes--the most notable of which were manifested in the 1958 Civil War, the Palestinian controversy of the 1960s and 1970s, and the 1975 Civil War--bear stark testimony to the failure of the National Pact as a means toward societal integration.
Moreover, some observers claim that the National Pact merely perpetuated the power of the privileged. The pact, combined with the system of zuama clientelism, guaranteed the maintenance of the status quo and the continuation of privilege for the sectarian elites.


Phuket Town is the capital of the Province of Phuket and is already an attraction in itself. Despite the development it went through since the advent of tourism at the end of the 20th century, it somehow could retain most of its provincial charms but for the traffic jams. The most attractive district of Phuket City is its historical Old Town: a 400,000sqm area delimited by Dibuk Road to the North, Thepkasattri Road to the East, Ratsada Road to the South, and Patiphat Road to the West.
Our Top 10 Attractions in Phuket Town's list below features nearly all important historical places and sites, as well as more recent additions to the city's entertainment scenes, and two popular weekly markets that should be on the must-visit list of anyone coming to Phuket.
Phuket Old Town is the historical centre of Phuket Town (officially elevated to Phuket City since 2004, but its old name is still wildly used). Established during the peak of tin mining industry at the end of the 19th Century and beginning of 20th century, this district hosts superb mansions and beautifully preserved 'shop-houses' built in a Sino-colonial architecture. Phuket Old Town's aspect is rather similar to Georgetown's in Penang: 'shop-houses' with arcades flank both sides of the streets, and Chinese shrines are more numerous than Buddhist Temples.
Phuket Weekend Market (a.k.a. Talad Tai Rot or Chao Fah Market) is the equivalent – at a lower scale – of Chatuchak Market in Bangkok: it is with no doubt the biggest shopping and dining opportunity in Phuket. Held every Saturdays and Sundays (hence its name) on Wirat Hong Yok Road (off Chao Fa West Road, one kilometre south of Central Festival Phuket), it covers a 30,000sqm area. In here you could find almost anything in matter of clothing (first and second-hand), souvenirs, pirated items, accessories, and live animals, as well as an entire section dedicated to local food. It is interesting to note that many items also available on Phuket west coast's resort towns are sold here at far lower prices.
Location: Phuket Weekend Market is located along Chao Fa West Road, Phuket's main thoroughfare, one kilometre south of Central Festival shopping mall and is opposite Wat Naka, a Buddhist temple. Take a left at the first set of traffic lights.
Phuket Walking Street is an extremely popular market/fair held every Sundays in the heart of Old Phuket Town on Thalang Road. This 350m-long commercial and cosmopolitan street is already well frequented during the week due to the many shops, restaurants, bars and guesthouses it hosts, but reach an affluence climax from 16:00 until 22:00 during this weekly event; also known as Lardyai Phuket (talaad yai i.e. big market in Thai) Phuket Walking Street is a must-visit for people who would like to get a glimpse into southern Thailand life.
Khao Rang (Rang Hill in English) is the second highest summit in Phuket Town. Located in the north-western part of the city it is covered with lush vegetation and permit to take a breath of fresh air in a peaceful environment. Rang Hill summit is a famous for the views it offers out over the town and to Phuket Island's south eastern coast and the islands lying off at a short distance (Phuket Big Buddha can also be seen from here).
Location: two roads lead to the top of Khao Rang: one is right next to Vachira Hospital on Yaowarat Road, and the other starts off Mae Luan Road next to Cham Chae Joo Hoot shrine.
Phuket Trickeye Museum is a recent addition (opened early 2014) to Phuket Town's attractions scene. This original and family friendly museum is entirely dedicated to the art of trompe-l'oeil (French for 'deceive the eye'), a painting technique that creates a three dimensional illusion on a two dimensional (flat) support. Set in a large two-storey building at the intersection of Montri and Phang Nga roads, Phuket Trickeye Museum displays a gallery of something like 100 paintings offering great photo opportunities as well as a lot of fun.
Baan Chinpracha is a typical Sino-colonial mansion built in 1903 during the Phuket tin mining's boost that has seen the establishment of the Chinese tin's baron in Phuket Town. Baan Chinpracha is located off Krabi Road near the western end of Old Phuket Town, the historical district that has been entirely built during this time of economical growth in Phuket.
Siam Niramit Phuket is a great theatrical show relating Thai historical, artistical and cultural facts and beliefs in an extravagant yet extremely professionally run performance. Siam Niramit Phuket complex is located just off the By-Pass Road in the outskirts of Phuket Town. Divided in three acts, the show features songs, dance routines and traditional martial arts.
Baan Teelanka - The Upside Down House is an extravagant new attraction in Phuket. Located on the By-pass Road one kilometre after Premium Outlet Phuket when heading South, Baan Teelanka is a fully furnished three-storey house built literally leaning on its roof. The first impression when visiting this house is that you just went down the rabbit-hole too far: all furniture and even a fish tank (fishes as well swim upside down!) hang from the floor as you walk on the ceiling from room to room; visiting Baan Teelanka is indeed a fun and brain-puzzling experience.
Thai Hua Museum is set in a splendid well-preserved Sino-colonial mansion located on Krabi Road in Old Phuket Town. Originally used as a Chinese-language school, it went through an entire renovation in 2008 and reopened as a museum the same year. Nowadays it also hosts art exhibitions and is used as an occasional function hall during the annual Phuket Old Town festival for instance.
Jui Tui Shrine is a popular Chinese temple that plays a pivotal part in the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Located on Soi Phuthorn, Ranong Road, not far from Phuket's main market, it's a must-see site for all newcomers to Phuket as one of the oldest and the most respected spiritual centres around. Jui Tui Shrine main building itself has been through a number of renovations, resulting in an attractive exterior and interior with three large altars featuring statues of Chinese gods.


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text:
Home News Several Age-Related Diseases, One Gene Therapy Combo, Multiple Improvements
Source: Alfred Pasieka/Science Photo Library/Getty Images
Age-Related Disorders
Several Age-Related Diseases, One Gene Therapy Combo, Multiple Improvements
Recalling the exploits of the Grimm brothers' Brave Little Tailor, scientists at Harvard's Wyss Institute showed that they could treat multiple age-related diseases with a single gene therapy. Although the scientists, based in George M. Church's laboratory, couldn't boast of slaying seven giants in one blow, they did help laboratory mice fare better against obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and renal failure. Yes, that's just four diseases, but they were mitigated by therapies that delivered combinations of longevity-related genes. In some instances, the diseases were reversed by a single dose.
Details of this work are not to be found in a fairy tale, but a peer-reviewed article ("A single combination gene therapy treats multiple age-related diseases") that appeared November 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The article's first author, Noah Davidsohn, PhD, said, "The results … were stunning and suggest that holistically addressing aging via gene therapy could be more effective than the piecemeal approach that currently exists."
"Everyone wants to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible," added Davidsohn, who was formerly a research scientist at the Wyss Institute and is currently the chief technology officer of Rejuvenate Bio. "This study is a first step toward reducing the suffering caused by debilitating diseases."
As the PNAS article details, Davidsohn, Church, and colleagues developed gene therapies based on three longevity-associated genes: fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), soluble form of mouse transforming growth factor-β receptor 2 (sTGFβR2), and αKlotho. These genes were delivered, individually and combinatorially, using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs).
"We observed a 58% increase in heart function in ascending aortic constriction ensuing heart failure, a 38% reduction in α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression, a 75% reduction in renal medullary atrophy in mice subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction, and a complete reversal of obesity and diabetes phenotypes in mice fed a constant high-fat diet," the article's authors wrote. "Crucially, we discovered that a single formulation combining two separate therapies into one was able to treat all four diseases."
Administering all three genes together resulted in slightly worse outcomes, likely from an adverse interaction between FGF21 and αKlotho, which remains to be studied. Importantly, the injected genes remained separate from the animals' native genomes, did not modify their natural DNA, and could not be passed to future generations or between living animals.
The scientists hypothesized that providing longevity genes to nonengineered mice via gene therapy would similarly combat age-related diseases and confer health benefits. The scientists also expressed optimism that a systems-level approach to treating age-related diseases could improve overall health and lifespan.
"Achieving these results in nontransgenic mice is a major step toward being able to develop this treatment into a therapy, and co-administering multiple disease-addressing genes could help alleviate the immune issues that could arise from the alternative of delivering multiple, separate gene therapies for each disease," said Church, who is a Wyss Core Faculty member, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, and a professor of health sciences and technology at Harvard and MIT. "This research marks a milestone in being able to effectively treat the many diseases associated with aging, and perhaps could lead to a means of addressing aging itself."
As we age, our bodies tend to develop diseases like heart failure, kidney failure, diabetes, and obesity, and the presence of any one disease increases the risk of developing others. In traditional drug development, a drug usually only targets one condition, largely ignoring the interconnectedness of age-related diseases and requiring patients to take multiple drugs, which increases the risk of negative side effects.
"A single-dose combination AAV therapy may also help alleviate issues associated with immune response when considering the alternative of multiple independent AAV-delivered therapies," the authors of the PNAS article noted. "Future studies may build on the combination AAV therapy concept presented here to treat the many diseases of aging and perhaps, also as a means to address the process of aging itself."
Sewing things up, the authors wrote, "These results emphasize the promise of gene therapy for treating diverse age-related ailments and demonstrate the potential of combination gene therapy that may improve health span and longevity by addressing multiple diseases at once."
Church, Davidsohn, and co-author Daniel Oliver are co-founders of Rejuvenate Bio, a biotechnology company that is pursuing gene therapy treatments for dogs. Each holds equity in Rejuvenate Bio.
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