The Republican Party in a Nutshell

[zbdent]

Where an extremely intelligent, marginally amusing, and quite boring guy is a stand-up comedian,

and an affable, amusing idiot is pResident.

[rock]

1. In a nutshell

is right where it belongs

[Cleita]

2. I was watching a rerun of "Deep Space Nine" yesterday.

It was about the Ferengi Quark and the Grand Negus visiting his bar. The Ferengi as you remember are all about business deals and double crossing everyone if possible. Their women are domestic slaves to the men. They sneered at education for Quark's nephew because it was a waste of time and didn't make money. I started thinking. Gee, these aliens are just like Republicans.

[SavageWombat]

3. I was watching DS9 this weekend...

... and saw the episodes about the period in 2020 when the government decided to address the issue of a collapsing economy, job losses, and rising poverty by shoving all the homeless people into small walled-off "sanctuary" districts and forgetting about them.

This was filmed, what, ten years ago - and it seems like we're right on track. A government that only cares about enriching itself and big business, and a population concerned only with keeping themselves afloat. Too accurate for my blood.

[Cleita]

4. The Trek series had a lot of good stories that made you think.

One of my favorite was on Voyager about the dinosaur planet, where the dinosaurs had evolved into intelligent beings like us. There was one that was a scientist and he was persecuted and put on trial because his findings weren't in keeping with the accepted religious explanations of his culture.

[zbdent]

5. Ferengenar is not just about business deals

money is their religion.

Yup, sounds just like the Repigs. Except that the Ferengi males are disgusted by women wearing clothes (actually, more blasphemous!). And the fact that, as explained somewhere, Ferengi males are particularly well endowed. (But don't take my word for it, ask Quark's Klingon ex-wife).

The Klingons turned from being Russians to being more like the Vikings. (The thrill of a good fight, the honor of dying in combat, etc.)

[Cleita]

8. I think the point of keeping the Ferengi females naked was to keep them

in a state of submission with no personality to express in clothes. Kind of the opposite of being veiled, but with the same intent. I remember back that the females couldn't leave their homes so the only males they came in contact with were immediate family. Remember when Quark's mother scandalized him and Rom by doing business and wearing clothes like a man?

I always thought of the Romulans as being more Soviet-like and the Klingons like Wagner's Germans in the Ring trilogy. They even used to play Wagnerian-like strains in the background every time Worf would swell with pride explaining noble Klingon ideals. Of course all these cultures cross pollinate so many conclusions can be drawn from them.

[Bandit]

6. Republican party is one massive inferiorty complex

They have to overcome their feeling of inferiorty by being bullies and warmongers. Their hatreds are a symptom of such and we should address them as sick people. Who knows maybe they can be cured.

[cheezus]

7. "Screw everyone else, I've got mine"

...in a nutshell