Wealth Over Work - Jim Talent's Republican Values
In an unusually clear display of core values, the Jim Talent and the Republican Congress last week refused to pass an increase in the minimum wage, which has remained frozen at $5.15 for 9 years. He and they are content to allow inflation to slowly decay the ability of working mothers and fathers to provide for their families.
At the same time, though, Jim Talent seeks to protect the pampered billionaires from the horrible effects of inflation. While he admits he would rather kill the "Spoiled Brat Tax" entirely, he is now supporting a compromise measure that would exempt the first $10 million of rich kids' inheritance, and require that the exempt amount increase along with inflation.
In other words, Paris Hilton should be protected from inflation, but the woman who cleans rooms at the Hilton is undeserving of that protection.
Once again, the Repbulicans show their preference for wealth over work, inheritance over initiative, and privilege over productivity.
posted by Dan at 6/26/2006 06:48:00 AM
7 Comments:
Republicans have institutionalized hypocrisy.
Say one thing, do another, and when you are called on it, just say "You're wrong. Didn't happen that way."
Say for instance, your wife actually catches you in bed, with another woman.
You tell her, "That wasn't me." She knows it was you. But you just keep repeating "Wasn't me."
You keep repeating it until she starts to think "maybe that wasn't him".
That's the entire Republican strategy in a nutshell.
"We're making the world safer for Democracy" (by creating more enemies than ever before and giving even our allies reasons to hate us).
"We're fighting a War on Terror" (by creating far more terrorists than existed before we declared a War on Terror).
"We believe in a marketplace free of government intervention" (as long as it's not the marketplace of ideas).
"We want LESS government," (impinging on corporation's raping the planet and enslaving the people)
"We're against Big Government" (unless it involves regulating what you can and can't do in your own home).
They are so transparent in their hypocrisy it makes me weep for the lack of critical reasoning in the population at large.
We are a Great Country with lofty ideals, a heritage of scientific curiosity, constitutional compassionism, equality and tolerance.
But we are populated by cowards and idiots who would readily give away the rights that thousands of Americans have died protecting in order to have the illusion that they are "safe" from a threat that rates right up there with asteroid strikes and jackpot lottery wins.
Devo was right. We are De-Evolving. We are sinking into a quagmire of idiocy.
Our Founding Fathers were greater men than us. They would be ashamed of what we have become.
Or stated differently, Republicans just want to screw working Americans.
Well, in reality I think the minimum wage should be changed, BUT did you know that the min wage is up to the states (except for fed contracts)...Look at this Kansas is less than $3.00/hr so the moral of the story is, get on your state's ass!!!
http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm
travelingal - yeah, when it comes to people being able to support their families at an entry-level job, the feds (republicans) are all "Oh no. That's not us. That's your STATE government." God forbid the federal government should interfere in the name of social justice. Ya know, "State's Rights" and all.
But when it comes to things like gay marriage, medical marijuana, assisted euthanasia, all of a sudden the feds (republicans) are all "Oh no! That can't be left up to the STATE governments! That's a federal (republican) issue! We will decide that for you (because you are too incompotent and stupid to govern yourselves) and you will take it and like it!"
Less government for Big Business.
More government in your bedroom and living room.
Total hypocrisy.
"The leftwing agenda in this country is socialistic. You're all being herded like a bunch of sheep."
Nonsense. First of all, the results of the last couple of elections clearly prove that the leftwing is far to fragmented and dysfunctional to have a unified "leftwing agenda".
As for being herded like sheep, I think you might have been looking in the opposite direction when you reached that conclusion.
I'm half-a-century old. There were only 48 states when I was born, Eisenhower was President and the only thing orbiting the earth was the moon.
I've seen a lot of shit. But I have never seen a herd of mindless cattle less capable of critical thought than the conservative masses who continue to support this president. It's pathetic.
They are so blind, so frightened, and so ill-informed that they have not only given up their OWN constitutional rights, but they have willingly handed this president more power than any United States president should have.
The Founding Fathers (may they forgive us) established a divided government for a reason. To avoid the centralization of power. The sort of power wielded by Kings.
Please, please, do me a favor. Do some research on David Addington and subjects like the Unitary Executive Theory.
Do some research on Leo Strauss and the origins of neo-conservatism.
Do some research on Bush's desire to help hasten the Second Coming. While you're at it, research that bat-shit crazy bastard in Iran and his desire to bring about the coming of the Hidden Imam.
Now take a look at our "foreign policy". It's insane. Clinically, certifiably INSANE!
The way to spread democracy and make the world a safer place is by making friends, helping people in need, and visibly demonstrating that our way of life is better than theirs.
But when we are invading other countries, occupying their lands, stripping our own citizens of their civil rights, holding foreign nationals in barbaric conditions for years on end with no Due Process, secretly flying terrorist suspects to other countries to be tortured for information, telling our own allies that if you don't like it, you can go fuck yourselves, well, we aren't exactly making a very good case that we're the "Good Guys" and people should be like us.
Good grief, XO.
For starters, I am not a Republican, nor am I a democrat (obviously). I am also not a rabid Bush supporter. As a matter of fact, I am real pissed at him over several issues right now, including illegal immigration, but anyhow...
I've lived on this earth as long as you (a bit longer actually). Surely you know that man can be very evil. Our friends the Germans and Japanese did some pretty hideous things a few decades back, and yes, even Americans have done some awful things throughout history. Now, we have people sawing off heads of innocents, simply because they can. They'd saw off yours too despite your desire to be loved by the world and despite your outrage because of Gitmo, etc. It doesn't matter to them what you think. They hate you because you are not them.
And, remember 9-11. Bush was barely in the first term of his presidency. The terrorists didn't destroy the World Trade Towers because Bush was president. It wouldn't have mattered who was president.
Regarding my constitutional rights, show me one right I have personally given up, cause I can't.
Regarding Bush's rush to the end times, that's ridiculous XO. He can't rush it. No mortal man can. Christians believe there will be a time when Christ will return, but they know that man cannot predict it and certainly cannot cause it to happen.
I will check out some of your suggested reading materials. I browsed the net a bit and read a few things which didn't knock me out, but I'll do some further research.
And finally at this early hour, if I were to believe in one conspiracy theory, it would be that we are all controlled, all of us all over the world, by the Illuminata or some such elite group. And, the whole thing is driven by money and greed.
By the way, I worked for a German company for years. I spent a lot of time in Germany and met and came to know people from all over the world. My experiences were very positive.
travelingal -
"Surely you know that man can be very evil. Our friends the Germans and Japanese did some pretty hideous things a few decades back, and yes, even Americans have done some awful things throughout history"
Yes. That's very true. The reason that the Germans and Japanese are now our allies and not our enemies is because we were able to say "Alright, hostilities are over. Let's be friends. Let us help you re-build."
How ya gonna do that with "terrorists"? Terrorism isn't a Nation that we are "at war" with. It's a tactic used by people who want to inflict harm on us.
It's like us "declaring war" on amphibious assults or aerial bombings. How do you declare victory in a war against a combat tactic?
You can't.
The reason that they hate us and they are employing terrorist tactics is because, as you state, "yes, even Americans have done some awful things throughout history."
Do you think that doing even more awful things than we have ever done before is going to reverse that trend and make them stop attacking us?
I have my doubts.
"Now, we have people sawing off heads of innocents, simply because they can. They'd saw off yours too despite your desire to be loved by the world and despite your outrage because of Gitmo, etc. It doesn't matter to them what you think. They hate you because you are not them."
I'm sure they would cut off my head without any remorse or regret. I have a couple of ex-wives who would probably help hold my head back while they did it.
But they wouldn't be doing it because "I'm not them". They have grievances (in their minds) that go all the way back to The Crusades. These people are still fighting a war that is a thousand years old. We can't win that kind of war through military action.
We can only win that kind of war by admitting that the atrocities commited were wrong, that they won't continue, and that there truly is a "New World Order" based on equality and justice for all and lead bt example.
G.W. Bush confuses "bullying" with "leadership".
"The terrorists didn't destroy the World Trade Towers because Bush was president. It wouldn't have mattered who was president."
That's true. I was 100% behind going into Afghanastan. Because that's where the terrorists were trained and it made sense.
Where Bush went wrong was invading Iraq, which has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with 9/11 or terrorism. He did it because he wanted to. Plain and simple.
That is what has inspired greater hatred by the "terrorists" and generated animosity from our former allies.
Our international friends are finding it harder and harder to remain friends with us because of Iraq. And we have handed our enemies a silver platter full of reasons to hate us even more and an incredible recruitment tool.
"Regarding my constitutional rights, show me one right I have personally given up, cause I can't."
The right preventing unwarrented search and seizure.
This administration believes that the power of the president during "wartime" cannot be abridged, checked or questioned. Anything the president chooses to do cannot be illegal, because the president is the one doing it. Therefore it is inherently legal.
Are you really OK with that kind of power being concentrated in one individual?
"Regarding Bush's rush to the end times, that's ridiculous XO. He can't rush it. No mortal man can...man cannot predict it and certainly cannot cause it to happen."
OK. So maybe he can't. But doesn't it frighten you at all that the most powerful man in the world thinks that he can?
Shouldn't it frighten you that this perspective shapes his position on foreign policy?
"if I were to believe in one conspiracy theory, it would be that we are all controlled, all of us all over the world, by the Illuminata or some such elite group. And, the whole thing is driven by money and greed."
There is no conspiracy. Just a bunch of incompotent idiots elected by even bigger idiots who are casting their votes based on nothing but their faith (=belief without evidence).
I kinda wish there were a vast Illuminati conspiracy. At least it would suggest more intellectual capacity and Grand Vision than what I see in the electorate.
All I see are imbeciles electing people like just like them.
That frightens the shit out of me.
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