October 1, 2013

If some parts of America gleefully elect these shitheads to Congress...

Is there any realistic chance that the whole country can move forward together?

Getting those people to vote in their own best interests will be like teaching quantum physics to Beavis and Butthead.

Ugh.

Hopefully I'll be less despondent in the morning.

September 30, 2013

If Democrats cave now, do you *really* think things will *ever* get better?

Really?

Reversing course means first stopping the plummeting. We can argue motives, but what's happened is indisputable: For 20+ years, Democrats have been appeasing and capitulating. And the 99% have plummeted.

Appease, capitulate, plummet. Repeat.

Until we end this cycle, the plummeting continues. Does anyone think that's not true? Does anyone think that the Radical Right will suddenly become decent people who value peace, prosperity, and love for all?

A government shutdown will be painful to many, but we must not trade away pain today in exchange for far more pain tomorrow.

I ask that all Democrats, both the right and the left, join together in rock-solid rejection of negotiations. Any negotiations. No clever words, no "common sense bipartisan changes that make our government better", no nothing.

The beginning of the end of this garbage must come now.

Regards,

First-Way Manny

September 29, 2013

A government shutdown will suck

But we must hope that our Democratic political leaders hold tight and do the right thing.

No deals. No clever word games. No "practical, common sense changes to government that both parties can agree on."

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

We are here thanks to 20+ years of appeasing a band of desperados, thugs, idiots and lunatics. As in all other known cases of appeasing people with awful intent... well, here we are.

It must stop, or else it will only get even worse.

The end.

September 27, 2013

What's your guess on how the continuing resolution theater will conclude?

My guess is that Republicans get 20% of what they asked for, and Cruz proclaims victory - he'll claim that without his stunts, they'd have got nothing.

Your guess?

September 24, 2013

Seems like I have some fences to mend [sorry, long!]

There were some unfortunate things that happened on DU last night, and I had a lot to do with them.

I'm sorry.

I realize that I throw a sharp elbow every once in a while: I believe that this was picked up during my childhood in a slightly-rough section of New York City. It was a useful behavior at the time as it put bullies on notice that I wouldn't go down easily. But now I'm among friends, and it's become no more than a bad habit, creating furor where calm would be best.

Look: In the end, all of us Democrats want the same thing, both the moderates and the moonbats. We all want peace and prosperity. We all want a little security for ourselves, and a brighter future for our children. I understand this in my bones. Please realize that my bull-in-a-china-shop routine comes from a good place, from my overwhelming desire to build an America where we all have these things.

We all agree on what we want, but how is the sticking point amongst some of us. And we can quibble over methods, but in the end it's results that we seek. Results, not theory. Especially not Marxist theory!

So let us review together the proven results of moderate Democratic policies.

For almost 21 years, we moderate Democrats (notice I didn't use the inflammatory "sensible") have guided our grand old party forward. And the evidence is unequivocal. America has experienced a renaissance the likes of which have not been seen since Europe from 1348-1350.

Year after year, our bankers have had record harvests. Even in the darkest days of 2008, our financial institutions were pulled back from the brink of suspending ginormous banker bonuses - this is a proud testament to the powerful and nimble government institutions we moderates have pioneered. Our big banks have grown mightily since then, now almost 30% larger than they were during that dark time. Now they're really, really too big to fail. No, honest. (Stop laughing, you sound like a @#$%ing hyena, it's embarrassing.)

And the little people have not been left out, not this time! Trillions of dollars in twitchy derivatives owned by the wealthy are now backed by their bank accounts and the FDIC, so if another financial calamity occurs, everyone will be totally @#$%ed, not just the wealthy. Well, at least we'll have more of the little people's money to give the wealthy. In any case, somehow we're all in this together now. It's complex, most of you wouldn't understand anyway.

Entrepreneurism is building daily. Many millions have decided to leave the rat race for good, and are adventuring into the hustle and bustle of small business, often conducted from the funky cars and cardboard boxes they call home.

True, some groups have unfairly benefited from circumstances - namely the poor, the aged, and the sick. But we moderate Democrats, along with our partners on the other side of the aisle, are ready for the challenge of taking on these well-financed pressure groups with their slick lobbyists. More than ready. A Grand Bargain will be made, and fairness will be restored

After so many years of unrelenting success, our track record is clear, and it's time for each of us on DU to look into our hearts and ask some simple questions:

1. Are you better off than before our great crusade began in 1993? (Wait! Before you answer, remember that you have the Internet and self-adhesive postal stamps now, aren't those really great?)
2. Shouldn't moderate Democrats be given the chance to complete the job?

No need to respond directly to this post with your answers. Just mention them in an email or phone call to any third party whenever convenient, and they will be logged and stored permanently in a "#2 mayonnaise jar" on "Funk and Wagnall's porch" in Utah, until we need a favor from you. Such is the fantastic technology that our Way has wrought!

Results! Results! The evidence doesn't lie!

Yours in Brotherly Love,

Third-WayModerate-Democrat Manny

September 20, 2013

What if a US President drove one of these:

That's Pope Francis' "new" wheels. 29 years old, stick. He'll be driving it himself.

I know, I know, the Pope will only be driving it locally, not in parades and such. But what if a US President did something like that? I'm sure it would be awful - but how awful?

What if our President had to live like us? Or had to make ends meet on food stamps (which *is* living like many of us)? Since Francis got his car, I've been thinking about this.

September 19, 2013

Sorry, I've had it with you crazies.

So tonight I was again told that the NSA is a "non-issue" that I'm "fixated" on.

Holy #%^*.

Let's set aside for a moment that the accusation was out of the blue, apropos of nothing in that thread, nor anything I recall writing about in the past week (so who's obsessed?). You folks who claim that secretly spying on everyone, secret laws enforced by secret courts, and secret extrajudicial kill lists are non-issues are just crazy.

Or utterly ignorant.

Wake up! Your deluded beliefs are helping to destroy our country. Our Founders created a country of laws, not of kings. A transparent legal system that applies to all Americans is the foundation of our country. As it dies, we die.

September 18, 2013

4.4 million children saved. Each year. 12,000 each day.

Big drop in children under five dying, says UN report..good news for everyone

So please click on that link and rec that post. Let's give the rare bit of good news some exposure!

September 17, 2013

Lizzie Warren had an axe,

And gave Republicans forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done
She gave the Third Way forty-one.

Thanks Liz! Bye Larry!



Regards,

First-Way Manny