(This is being "posted" as a response to Cletus's and Vinnysmom 1221's comments to the "Letter to Salem Hate Radio Icon, Bill Post" article. I've posted this only to avoid the character limitations that go with comment type posts... Sorry to all.)
Well, actually Cletus, I'm not so sure "earned" is the right term for the VA benefits (although I certainly do not begrudge the benefits. If you follow the historical record, a lot of what the VA and GI benefits were about was indeed a social program aimed at something other than the end of WWII putting the country right back in the Great Depression.
With that said, I'll stand by the broad brush label "selfish" and "hypocrite" I used for Tea-Baggers earlier. Anecdotal yes... But, you know, I was at an anti-health care rally about a month ago at the State capitol. One of the Tea-Bagger guys walked across the line to the pro-health care advocates and an argument insued. So here's the guy from the anti side, and he's yelling at a couple of pro health care guys about how he's going to lose his health insurance if the Democrat health care bill goes through. The two pro health care guys (all of these guys are late 40s through 50s) say in response, "I don't have any health insurance".
The odd thing about the whole interaction was that the Tea-Bagger guy didn't/couldn't acknowledge that the other guys already didn't have what he was afraid of losing. He just kept shouting about how he was going to lose his. The lack of hearing was palpable.
So, along these same lines, there's probably 60 million people who have no health insurance in this country. Is it your guys' claim that these folks are all lazy welfare cheats and other kinds of free-loaders?
Cletus, you ask for logic, OK. So there are 60 million folks without health care. Many million and millions of such folk work. They work for small employers who can't afford to offer any health insurance, or they work low-wage jobs where employers don't want to offer health insurance. And by the way, there are now a lot of laid off folks drawing health insurance subsidies as part of the unemployment insurance.
So, here's a question:
The millions laid off over the last year and a half. Was this spike of unemployment an epidemic of laziness? In your view should these people be helped with health insurance?
And what about the 60 million where 90% plus work yet still have no health care. What do you do about those folks? Or are you just going to stand there and tell em' that their employment is a joke and that really, they're just lazy at heart.
And how about yourselves? Got any solutions to insurance that doubles its price every 10 years and increasingly delivers less each year?
A true gripe I've got with "conservatives" is that I hear the anger and rage, I see the guns, but I have not yet heard a proposed solution on anything at all from today's conservatives... Nothing except an attitude of "screw these people, screw those people, but don't screw me". And this goes for health care, how to deal with the banks, unemployment and on and on...
Ever heard the old saying, "Don't go complaining about a problem without proposing a solution"? That solution Cletus is what political self responsibility is... Yup, really.
Vinnysmom 1221, I've got to ask. Are you suggesting that Nazi movement never existed? That there were no black shirts or brownshirts, no SA and no SS? Are you suggesting that maybe there was no Holocaust? Are you suggesting that Hitler wasn't bankrolled by Germany's upper-crusties.. By Krupp and Theissen and all the rest? I'm almost afraid to ask, but I don't know how else to respond to your comment about stuff read in school versus "Real History" (Although I do agree with you that schools don't teach history or most anything. Schools don't teach critical thinking... Are you open to critical thinking or do you just want to supplant your own ideology?)
Just to bust any further stereotypes, I made a comment about you guys and guns. I'm fine with you carrying any kind of armaments around you want. I mean have a howitzer if you want...
Also, there are plenty of Priuses with Obama stickers on them, and I bet lots do double park. I don't know any of them though. I don't know anybody with a Prius, or for that matter anybody with a new car. I bought a Yugo off the dealership floor once, in 1987... That's the only new car I've ever bought. None of the folks here at Willamette Reds fit the "wine and cheese party" stereotype.
Finally, Obama has not won any more brownie points from me than he has from you. You guys really do need to understand that Obama is not a socialist, that subsidizing banks, insurance companies and hospital chains is not a socialist program and to stop confusing Willamette Reds' orientation with that of the current administration or the party currently in power.
Last but not least, Cletus and Vinnysmom, a Merry Christmas to you too (seriously I mean it.. Be Well and Merry Christmas).
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4 comments:
I was not and NEVER would suggest that the Holocaust did not happen. What I mean is the average American who makes vague comments about Hitler's Germany, or only short snippets, tends to only be spouting something they think they remember from school. Which if you graduated in the last 20 years, was probably a rather poor history lesson as we wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
My husband is a bit obsessed with Hitler's Germany and it's fall as it compares to Rome, so I have a little more background into what started Hitler's mind set and subsequent overtake of Germany, than many my age.
From your comments it seemed as if you were suggesting that "corporate greed" and similar modern day spoutings were the cause or a key part, when in reality it was Hitler's perception of those in power and in business, and truly only if they were untermech (not sure on spelling) if they were "pure" he didn't give them a second look.
I apologize if I misunderstood, but with people screaming NAZI all the time I tend to get a little peeved.
As to the the Prius comment, just stating any group of people has their own big fat idiots that can give them a bad name.
And a Merry belated Christmas to you! :)
Willamette Reds does indeed have a member who drives a Prius. So what?
I'm not fine with saying, "I'm fine with you carrying any kind of armaments around you want. I mean have a howitzer if you want..."
Ayn Rand, the godmother of the current US right-wing, once said that they would "cement the oceans and build smokestacks to the skies" if given the chance. Members of her movement felt that government had no role in regulating nuclear arms and that nothing could or should be done to prevent the nuclearization of the world.
There is every reason to believe that the American right-wing is capable of arming itself and provoking a social cataclysm that will take lives.
Just a couple of points:
As to the Third Reich, the point I was trying to make is about the deal Hitler cut with the capitalists. It was an explicit deal; the Nazis promised to save the capitalists from the militant working class (a very powerful Communist movement in Germany). In return the capitalists agreed to bankroll the Nazi. Further,the amount of loot was significant.
As to "howitzers". There is a long tradition of the loosely left in this county having to arm itself for its own defense. I cite the late 19th century German/American unions and their homespun militia. More recently, the Black Panthers took up the need for armed self defense.. and for good or bad paid the price for being armed.
Priuses? A whole different story for later.
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