Friday, January 25, 2008

Quote of the day: 1/25/08, ii

"Another word to the faux-liberal press, who are already jumping on
Clinton with their tiny, pink, clawed cat feet, suppurating
condescension for all things "southern," most of all white male
southerners, presumably because these press members saw 'In the Heat
of the Night' in college. You are the shitsuckers that sank Jimmy
Carter's noble ship and slick-slimed the skidding way for Reagan's
greedanoids, from whom we will not recover in our children's
lifetimes. Read Willie Morris or dozens of others on the subject.
See if you can write a piece without mentioning BBQ, dogs, the local
sheriff, chewing tobacco, bubbas, pop coolers, and pickups. It is
important not to miss the world that is actually there."


--Jim Harrison, "The Raw and the Cooked," ca 1992


**no, this is -still- not an endorsement for Hillary

12 comments:

Alon Levy said...

No, actually, it was a severe recession and Carter's inability to resolve the hostage crisis or the economic malaise that led people to abandon his noble ship and go for Reagan.

Articles like this depress me, because they make me try thinking what conservatives will say about 2008. They'll likely say that Bush was a visionary who was winning in Iraq and shrinking government until Paul Krugman and the liberal media obstructed his agenda, caused the humiliating US withdrawal from Iraq, and wrecked the economy. They'll also note that much of the Democratic success came from blogs, and conclude that to compete, Republicans must take advantage of the latest technology that would enable them to hurl invective at Democrats.

Dreaming on the edge said...

The historical facts:
Your Social Security

Just in case some of you didn't know this. It's easy to check out, if you don't believe it, a little history lesson on what's what and it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat of Republican. Facts are Facts!!!

Our Social Security

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social
Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) That participation in the Program would be
Completely voluntary,

2.) That the participants would only have to pay
1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,

3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from
their income for tax purposes each year,

4.) That the money the participants put into the
independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the
general operating fund, and therefore, would
only be used to fund the Social Security
Retirement Program, and no other
Government program, and,

5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees
would never be taxed as income.

Since many of us h ave paid into FICA for years and are
now receiving a Social Security check every month --
and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of
the money we paid to the Federal government to "put
away" -- you may be interested in the following:

-------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
independent "Trust Fund" and put it into the
general fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
controlled House and Senate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax
deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, wit h Al Gore casting the
"tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the
Senate, while he was Vice President of the US

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving
annuity payments to immigrants?

AND MY FAVORITE:

A: That's right!


Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,
began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them,
even though they never paid a dime into it!

-------------- -------------------------- ------------------------------

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!

And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!



AND CONGRESS GIVES THEMSELVES 100% RETIREMENT FOR ONLY SERVING ONE TERM!!!



A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson

Anthony Kennerson said...

Oh, swell..we now have Republican trolls coming here now.

Ahhhh, Dreaming Fool:

There is a reason why Social Security works so well; because it is taxed consistently out of workers' wages and it goes back into the pockets of workers. Read my lips, fool: IT IS NOT A WELFARE PROGRAM. (Not that I'm against welfare programs that do help poor people, either.)

And all this blaming of the Democrats...please. You do know that Ike and Richard Nixon did allow expansion of Social Security, right??? And that even Ronald freakin' Reagan accepted the existing system. Of course, this has not stopped some Repubs (and their conservative Democratic allies) from attempting the "Social Security is going broke and we must privatize it soon so that we can use the cash cow to fund more wars and give more to the super rich" meme.

Oh....and nowhere in this country can you find anyone giving back 85% of their SS check back to the government. First off, SS payments are not even taxable, except when it is spent on goods (as in sales taxes...and I don't see anything even close to 25%, let alone 85%.

And secondly, the only way that Social Security will go broke will be that right-wing politicians and greedheads keep using the Trust Fund as a cash cow for their private interests. On the other hand, installing a more progressive payroll tax and lifting the cap on taxable income will maintain the system long into the next century.

But, nice try with the lies, Republitroll.


Anthony

Dreaming on the edge said...

Anthony,
I am an Independent, thank you. I also forward things that rake the repubs also, when I have those facts at hand.

The reason I do dislike liberals like you though is: you love to resort to name calling if everyone doesn't share your exact point of view, good luck with that. I'm sure that showing of disrespect follows through to your personal life, so good luck with that as well. No need to respond, I won't visit/read comments fr political sites that do name calling in the name of truth telling. have a nice life : )

Alon Levy said...

I'm sorry, but when you complain about the fact that the FICA rate and ceiling have risen with the cost of living and dependency ratio, rationality has already evaporated. Also, who cares you're independent? I'm independent too, but based on the policies I argue for, one might be forgiven for assuming I'm a Democrat.

The same goes for voluntary participation. Good social security comes with some redistribution of money, and voluntary participation makes that impossible. The reason I know this is that in Singapore, where there's no such redistribution, people have to work scrubbing floors into their 70s, even though the combined social security contributions of the employee and the employer are 30% of gross income. The US system is meager but doesn't have these travesties, and manages to do so with only a 12.4% contribution.

belledame222 said...

hi dreaming. bye dreaming. I'm sure it was scintillating, whatever it was.

Anthony Kennerson said...

Quoting Dreaming Fool:

Anthony,
I am an Independent, thank you. I also forward things that rake the repubs also, when I have those facts at hand.


Oh, really, Dreaming?? Like when the Repubs don't go as far as you like in smacking down Latinos......ahhhhh, I mean, "illegal aliens"??? Or when they don't give enough tax cuts to your privileged, wealthy friends as you might want?? Or, when they don't go as far as you like in establishing a Christian theocracy???

For the record, I happen to be an Independent also...but one on the more humane, Leftist side.


The reason I do dislike liberals like you though is: you love to resort to name calling if everyone doesn't share your exact point of view, good luck with that. I'm sure that showing of disrespect follows through to your personal life, so good luck with that as well. No need to respond, I won't visit/read comments fr political sites that do name calling in the name of truth telling. have a nice life : )


Ahhhh, dewd...first off, I'm not a liberal. I am well to the Left of what counts for liberalism these days.

And secondly, what sort of namecalling, other than the "Dreaming Fool" smack, did I throw at you....other than to call out your nonsense about Social Security being a Democratic socialist plot against you???

Besides, you are the one who decided to intervene in Belledame's blog with a totally irrelevant subject having nothing to do with the subject at hand. There is this saying about heat and kitchens, you know.

And if you are going to complain about getting personal shots from me, it would greatly improve your argument (actually, not really, since your argument is still quite full of shit) if you did not engage in personal attacks of your own.

Try again, Dreaming, when you get a brain cell working. Otherwise, stick to your side of the street.


Anthony

queen emily said...

Here in Australia we manage to have comparatively socialsied welfare, education and medicine that while not perfect by any stretch pisses all over the US.

Would you believe you don't *need* a job and insurance to get medical treatment? Imagine! And yet, SOMEHOW we have avoided the Red Menace.

Anyone who is opposed to social welfare is a bloody idiot, honestly.

Alon Levy said...

Every first-world health system pisses all over the US. Even relatively low-income places like Israel and South Korea kick the USA's ass over here, and do so far more cheaply.

Michele Boselli said...

hello Belle Dame, just to say that in Europe we watch with great attention what happens in the American blogosphere in this year of presidential election.

that's why I've given you a link in my blogroll among those I reckon are the 50 finest American bloggers - visit me and see if you want to reciprocate the link.

ciao and best wishes!

belledame222 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
belledame222 said...

Hey, welcome, Miss Welby, and thanks! Over to check it out...