people who are not extremely wealthy and vote Republican do so because they harbor intense Masochistic desires and would be money ahead to hire someone to beat them.

A federal law needs to be passed to make young males pull up their pants.

Most of Americas CEOs and most members of the Bush administration should be sent to Guantanamo and tortured.

Free trade is a failure so admit it and bring back import taxes, our country wouldn't have to borrow from China we could just tax their goods( Duh are we retarded or what)

Last but not least most people believe George Bush is a genius, They are afraid to say this because he has the demeanor of a moron but the fact is when he took office his only agenda was to give the wealthiest 1 percent everything they could ask for and he completed his goal spanning two terms.

by Simple Truth (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 130 comments [26 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 6, 2009 at 7:34:47 PM

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After days spent reading dozens (maybe hundreds) of one-issue articles on progressive and not-so-progressive sites, at last I have read a concise, sensible, thoughtful, honest analysis of what is wrong with all that blathering - it misses the real point(s).  Can we now start a dialogue (dia = two are listening as well as speaking) with the people we have to live with? The 2% who rule us can't read and won't talk, but how about the rest of us?

by Bryna Hellmann (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 21 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 5:45:24 AM

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that Americans( no matter what color) are not better and not worse than anyone in the World and  that  unless they acknowledge that nothing  can be achieved by them. ANY discussion must start with this mantra first and  foremost.

by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [130 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 1:06:42 PM

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I just wanted to acknowledge your over 4000 contributions through articles, diaries, and comments. We may not agree all the time, but thanks for your passion. Seriously.  

by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 2:55:41 PM

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I read both portions.  My point was I have seen many of these arguments made among their respective belief-holders in more intelligent realms.  The people are usually pelted afterward (in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is shot) but the ideas are advanced.  The old, great libervative board is an example of one where all the arguments were made.  Charley's old Thought Space (which tended libertarian and conservative) did also.  Dissent exists ... online anyway.

by Melody Clark (13 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 46 comments [11 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 5:49:50 PM

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without this knowledge first and foremost!  You're totally on target!

by sometimes blinded (4 articles, 106 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 614 comments [51 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:53:28 PM

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without this knowledge first and foremost!  You're totally on target!

by sometimes blinded (4 articles, 106 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 614 comments [51 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 11:14:42 PM

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I've felt the US worships the "Seven Deadly Sins" much more than the commandments.  And hypocrites hate to have to hear about it. Thanks for speaking out for more candor.

by Laudyms (0 articles, 1142 quicklinks, 10 diaries, 708 comments [138 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 1:36:24 PM

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The way I heard it, all seven of the Seven Deadly Sins are now considered virtues except one - laziness.

by Paul Rye (7 articles, 2 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 500 comments [44 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 6:41:32 PM

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1) When push comes to shove, in the dark of the voting booth, most people are actually not for gay marriage. See: Prop 8.

2) The Progressive Movement has been infiltrated and co-opted by forces with agenda's as extreme as the neocons but on the opposite side of the spectrum.

The sad truth is that there will be no true dialogue. The forces that claim power do not wish to have a fair and open dialogue as to the many issues laid out before us. They want to package and present sanitized versions of the issues in a vacuum. Easier to control and label opposition this way.

Lastly, I was saddened at the vociferous Christian bashing in the first portion of the article. I understand that you were creative enough to say that it was not YOU saying it even though you wrote it and typed it but it is a shame that so much hate is presented.

Peace.

by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 2:48:18 PM

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Prop 8. came very close on all ballets, in the states that had it, meaning many open-minded straights also voted for it. It was only a slight edge-out by all the haters who believe in keeping others down. (I don't shove my anti-establishment message down the throats of yee with faith, so I don't think Jesus should be forced on me or America, the land of Separation of church and state.)

by STEVE RISK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 11:46:58 PM

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Another gays are OK to bash but Christians are off limits kind of guy.  Statis quo  and missing the point?  Do you not see any thing wrong with Christianity and it's envolvement in government.  Do you not know the history?  Just asking because I see Christianity as pretty much evil and could use a talking down.  Remember, I like facts and reality.

by Janiece Senn (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 94 comments [23 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Jan 9, 2009 at 12:56:32 PM

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As an evangelical, if you wanted to have a dialogue about any of the points made regarding religion, i would be more than happy to. Some i agree with, some I disagree, some are broad generalizations. Be well.

by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 2:58:30 PM

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Shucks, arguments about religion, creationism, patriotism, and homosexuality aren't taboo.  They're just the "shocking," emotionally-charged non-issues which pass for news these days when there's so much  HEAVY news which the mass media refuses to tell us about.  (It has to print SOMETHING.  So it throws us peons value judgments to throttle each other over while the looters/murderers get away with business as usual.)  Here are some REALLY taboo subjects--just a few, for starters:
a)  9/11 as an "inside" job
b) HIV=AIDS as an extremely profitable form of genocide of less desireable types (e.g. gay men, IV drug users, and/or very poor people)
c)  the actual causes of  Paul Wellstone's and Mike Connell's planes crashing
d) hacked elections/computerized voting fraud
e) the actual workings of the Federal Reserve, the IMF, etc.
f)  universal, non-profit health care would be CHEAPER than what we Americans currently pay (per capita) for health "care"
g) The real reason we keep illegal drugs illegal is to keep profits up for our neocon masters (and to keep inner-city youths killing each other)

by Jill Herendeen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 213 comments [13 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 3:04:40 PM

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It is the trick of the powers to throw us a Scott Peterson trial to captivate us, or using a wedge issue like gay marriage/abortion to divide us, but the rreality is it is to distract us. Excellent point although it seems the writer was seeking a dialogue about things we secretly don't want to say.

by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 3:14:48 PM

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... I couldn't have made a better list ...

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:25:39 PM

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you are describing - some important- but some, of the real issues. More could be on that table. Bilderbergs, Trilaterals and CFR, the Club of Rome. Kennedy Jr.'s death by flying a small plane, Monsanto, Brzezinski's plans for Central Asia and what that means for all of our children..... the hideousness of the coming mega depression, the fact that all they think and know about America and the imminent future are pipe dreams.... 

God, the list goes on. I'm sure many could add to it.  Hell, I could add to it if I were sufficiently patient to let my old brain think a bit. (problem of being an adult ADD)  ;-)

by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [399 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:45:31 PM

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That most evangelicals are hypocrites and Middle America is dim aren't exactly ground breaking discoveries.

by Alan Murphy Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 103 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 9:42:46 PM

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And here's the real biggie:

Not only was 9/11 an Inside Job, it heavily involved Israel's Mossad, (and that is one big reason it is not being re-investigated) and Israel now "OWNS US" because they are blackmailing our leaders at the highest levels.

by Bia Winter (6 articles, 2 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 756 comments [119 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:24:16 AM

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I think the author ought to read Democratic Underground and Huffington Post every once in awhile.  I've read each of these "taboo" topics rehashed a hundred times at least in the last year. 

by Melody Clark (13 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 46 comments [11 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 3:17:36 PM

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He split the article in two sections. One are topics not discussed on leftist sites and the other were topics not discussed on right wing sites.

So for example, I am sure you have seen all of the God-mocking on huff post etal, but not on the right wing sites...etc.

by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 3:32:43 PM

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I believe you speak of are the superficial taboo subjects. ..... designed to ensorcel.... but the real issues  ... of these they will not speak. Partly because many do not have sufficient consciousness (but are trapped within their presuppositions more than many here) and partly because true dissent is quashed.

by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [399 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:48:49 PM

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As far as I am concerned the article was pretty milk toast.

And if I were to say the words that are really taboo it would be mission pack and I'd be on my merry way. (if you don't get the mission pack thing your just a kid)

Lets face it--it wouldn't have got past the editors here if it were anything close to actually controversial.

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 3:43:56 PM

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Some topics are taboo for almost everyone:

* The Bush family history regarding the Third Reich.

*  The periodic deporting of elderly former Reich camp guards etc, but  the failure to deport Bayer and BASF despite their atrocious history with IG Farben.

* Health Insurers' huge investments in health-damaging industries...including cigarette manufacturing, tobacco pesticides, mountaintop removal mining and...on and on.

* Health Insurers' investments in Pharms...and other health industry conflicts of interest

* Any number of cigarette brands that may contain no tobacco at all...which cannot produce the "tobacco smoke" targeted by so many laws.

* The extreme contamination of most cigarettes with pesticide residues, chlorine, radiation from phosphate fertilizers, added burn accelerants, kid-attracting sweets etc, and addiction-enhancing additives.

* The idea of requiring safety-testing of any non-tobacco cigarette constituent.

* The idea of requiring listing of non-tobacco cigarette ingredients.

* The utter invisibility of any studies of specifically plain tobacco for actual or expected health risk factors.

* The issue of dioxin in smoke from most cigarettes, and the govt refusal to mention, warn about, or prohibit chlorine contaminants...the source of the dioxin.

* The point that many or most so-called "tobacco related" or "smoking related" diseases are impossible to be caused by smoke from any natural plants but are known effects of dioxin exposure.

* The point that, generally, the same industrial interests that concocted Reefer Madness to prohibit cannabis are also here working on the possible prohibition of tobacco, that other smokable natural unpatented plant.

* The idea that the war on tobacco is part and parcel of the corporate war on nature, the war on drugs, and the war on practically every public domain thing.

* The failure of judges and jurors to recuse themselves from "smoking" cases if they have economic links to the cigarette industry, especially the Under The Radar parts....pesticides, chlorine, paper/pulp, pharms, ag biz, or the investor insurers in any of that.

* The failure of govt to compensate those who have lost businesses or profits due to "smoking bans".

* The failure of the ACLU to address those two Constitutional issues...Due Process, and the "takings" clause.

* The little matter of it being generally illegal for the govt to Compel Speech ...as in any Mandatory Health Insurance program.

* The failure of the ACLU to address that.

*  The corporatocracy's blaming of so many diseases on personal behavior or nature...and the virtual ignoring of industrial causes of disease.

* The depth  and extent of corruption of the US medical and science system by chlorine, pharmaceutical, petro-chemical industries...and their insurers and investors.

* The medical system's failure to routinely do body-burden checks of patients for industrial toxins and carcinogens...even if a patient has symptoms indicating exposure to such things.

* The number of "anti smoking" (blame the victims) legislators with economic ties to the so-far-ignored parts of the cigarette cartels (pesticides, chlorine, pharms, etc).

* The many cancer-causing parts of the "cancer cure" industry.

* The ignoring of many decades of added Burn Accelerants in cigarettes, and the cover-up tactic of requiring added "fire safe" features to products.

*   The astonishing and perhaps unprecedented number of prosecutorial abuses dumped onto Mumia Abu-Jamal.

*  The profound injustice in the case of Leonard Peltier.

*  The mystery of why Cuba hasn't gone full steam into Hemp Agriculture to, at least, create a viable and valuable crop that does not require industrial pesticides, and to make products barred by the Illegal US Embargo.

* The mystery of why Animal Rights activists ignore the harms done to wildlife by tobacco pesticides...tobacco being the fifth most pesticide-intensive crop.

* The mystery of why Pesticides Activists rarely, if ever, seem to notice tobacco pesticides, or use that information to discredit tobacco pesticide firms that do damage elsewhere.

* The fact that fees and more fees for almost every public thing...as substitute for taxes not paid by the wealthy...deprive low-income citizens of their right to enjoy public things held in common by everyone.

* The idea of having public officials monitored by "security cameras" and email and phone recording to assure that they are doing the jobs they are paid for and sworn to do.

* The fact that all the computer communications and the like in the world cannot substitute for a Common Communication system, as on mainstream public airwaves or in published mainstream media.

* The abysmal failure of "public" broadcast entities to ask audiences to contact Congress to demand proper public funding so that the private corporate influences will be removed...and so "pledge" drives can be eliminated, and so that material critical of private corporate entities can be freely aired.

* The possibility that corporate-corrupted, semi-privatized "public" broadcasters commit Mail Fraud by mailed solicitations based on the lie of their being public.

*  The religious aspects regarding all laws relating to "sinful" pursuits involving smoking, alcohol, drugs (non-pharm), and S-E-X....and the failure to require judges and jurors in related cases to recuse themselves if they have religious bias in those areas.

* And...the ACLU's failure to address that.

by John Jonik (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 18 comments [4 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 4:16:08 PM

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... impressive list ...

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:30:08 PM

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* Why isn't there a public outcry about the damage done by the food additive & neuro-toxic poison aspartame, having been linked to 92 illnesses, and which is in 1,500 items on supermarket shelves?

*Why hasn't the government confronted the Pentagon about the $2.3 TRILLION reported in missing money & materials the day before 911? 

* Where is the ongoing investigation of depleted uranium weaponry, and the deleterious effects it has had & is having on our troops & the civilian populations they are using them against/around since it is a recognized radiological WMD?

* Why hasn't Henry Kissenger been arrested to stand trial in the Hague after having a warrant issued for him as a war criminal?

* Why hasn't Karl Rove been locked up for contempt of Congress after a flat refusal to answer subpoenas to testify?

* Why is the majority of our MSM owned and/or controlled by Zionists, when they are only a portion of the 2% Jewish minority in the US?

* Why hasn't the 1913 Federal Reserve Act been overturned since it is in direct violation of the US Constitution?

* Why must Americans pay income taxes when even the tax forms recognize these same taxes are only 'voluntary contributions'?

And the beat goes on...and the beat goes on... 

by Paul Magill Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 135 comments [46 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 9:09:35 PM

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Toxic or not, it should be okay to smoke whatever you want in an enclosed, designated space within a building/ establishment/ or 2nd break room--tho it is not. (As far as tweakers: charge people for the 'hypothetical' ruined $50,000 machine at work individually, don't punish us all due to a few scoundrally twackers.) Unfortunately, "the man" feels he has to incite revenue and death pop.-control somehow: wars on humanity/ cigs/ "drugs"--all in the name of profits. We are all merely cash cows in one form or another, regardless:~\ ~s IA 50644    (Oh, and UFOs are just a cover story for x-fighters at Roswell, NM and other bases.)

by STEVE RISK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 11:25:29 PM

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You're all wrong. I've seen every one of those things discussed to death.

Quick example: Democracy Now devoted a long segment to the 9/11 Truth Movement, with a debate between the creators of Loose Change and the editors of Popular Mechanics. And yet the 9/11 Truthers still call Amy Goodman a "left gatekeeper."  What do they want from her?

No, my friends. The most forbidden thing in the world is to criticize capitalism in any way.

In a sane world, we would be having a debate about whether capitalism works or not, given how badly it screwed up during the last eight years or so.

The corporations were living the life of Riley under Bush and the Repubs.  They had no onerous regulations getting in the way.  They paid no taxes.  They didn't have to obey the law.  It was like an Ayn Rand novel--the free market set free!

And you'll notice we didn't hear them calling for help when they were making record profits.

Now, in a shocking reversal, they need trillions in bail-outs.  And here I thought capitalism was the One Perfect System...

If the government had messed up a thousandth as much as the corporations have, we would all be talking about how terrible government is.  But no comparable debate occurs when the market system falls on its tushie.  You don't even hear it debated on Democracy Now.  It's the blasphemy of blasphemies to question the capitalist system in any way.

And if you dare to do so, they will call you a you-know-what and send you to Wingnutania:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVPy-ejcbjM

by Perry Logan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 557 comments [74 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 4:33:22 PM

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..you're wrong.

Heads I win--tails you loose.

Do you walk to school or carry your lunch?

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:09:01 PM

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Alright...let's talk about what really gets the Left going.

*Ralph Nader

*Asking people to support third party presidential candidates who have no chance of beating big money politicians like Barack Obama or John McCain

*Claiming that Ralph Nader didn't cost Gore the 2000 election

*Suggesting people should vote their conscience and not strategically vote

*(LATEST LINE BEING TOUTED BY PROGRESSIVES/LIBERALS) Asserting that Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate because many think Nader is connected to corporate entities like Raytheon

*Making the argument that we should not give Obama a chance if by that you mean Americans should keep quiet until he has completed his first 100 days or been inaugurated

*Suggesting Obama will be a war criminal if he does not investigate, indict, and prosecute members of the Bush Administration for war crimes or crimes against humanity 

*Talking about Palestinian right of return and giving it more importance than Israel's right to exist or its right to defend itself

*Suggesting that progressives in America have failed tremendously because Bush/Cheney should have been impeached and removed from office and because progressives and liberals also fell for a cheap media narrative and did not help catapult Dennis Kucinich to victory and by victory I mean they did not get him anywhere close to winning the nomination and began to hedge their bets because they were accepting a bad paradigm created by the media, corporations, think tanks, and government officials

*Holding the American people accountable for not marching on D.C. when George W. Bush & Co. stole the White House via the Supreme Court

I could go on but dinner's waiting.  

by Kevin Gosztola (302 articles, 146 quicklinks, 81 diaries, 1082 comments [77 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 4:39:43 PM

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First  off- I don't believe that South Africa was better under a racist regime and it is racist to even suggest such a thing. Mugabe may indeed be bad news- but I fail to see the logic in equating apartheid with anything good.

  Also, as a woman, I believe I have control over my own body NO MATTER WHAT. Keep your laws off my body- keep your rosaries off my ovaries. And if you don't like abortions, then don't have one. I don't believe in forced pregnancy- sorry to hear you might.

As for the 'sexual revolution', I am still waiting for it. This is still a very puritanical nation- and the patriarchy goes hand in hand with the religious wingnuts. 

 Aside from those corrections, you are right on many other points.

by Susanna Astarte (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 4:48:27 PM

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have our work cut out for us. There's a lot to talk about here.

by Nick van Nes (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 595 comments [150 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 4:54:06 PM

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step back and look at the big picture--all of it --i am laughing and crying at the same time----i am surprised MR M didnt comment on how we all are-i would have praised him for it ------do ya get it yet? i did--keep on dividing-for we are already conquered-----

by TRADESMAN (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 335 comments [40 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 5:27:57 PM

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... this article sure did ...

Every time I see an article with this kind of title, and it doesn't start out in the first sentence with the date 9/11, I can pretty much skim down see and read that whomever wrote it is some acclaimed, award winning, muck-amok, with an impressive bio, and start to disregard that whatever they'll be saying as contrived to keep us babbling about trivial bullsh*t, as they keep sharpening the blades for our slaughter.

We had to wait until half-way down into the 2nd page, before Mr. Schaeffer, mentions 9/11 and this is what he had to say: "That, we brought 9/11 on ourselves by fifty years of mindless support for the State of Israel."

Out of that statement, only parts of it is true. We did indeed bring 9/11 on ourselves, but not in the way this award winning writer, seems to want to suggest, which is a classic deflection technique, even the time frame of fifty-years is a half true, but certainly in context with our lifetime, and the part about "mindless", yes, absolutely, I agree with that wholeheartedly, might be the truest word in the entire sentence, whether all of this can be said to be do to our support, excuse me, "mindless" support, of Israel, well, although there are strong arguments for that, Israel too may be being played.

All the rest of this article is really old news, and not very "taboo".

Before I come down on Mr. Schaeffer too hard, I can say I liked this statement by him:

"That, we are the most selfish and murderous tribe on earth, consuming 25 % of the earth's resources with 3 % of the earth's population, and that if we took the Bible (that conservatives are said to revere) seriously we would have to admit that Obama's minister was speaking for God when he said; "God damn America!"

of course he isn't Obama's minister anymore, and even there I would amend blaming "all" America, anymore than I would blame all Israel, in condemnation of the world's current ills, every damn one of us that is not speaking-up now is part of this disaster.

Other than that I'm not impressed. Even with a half-page long bio.

Add this to your bio.

If you're so informed, how come you don't know that anything related to the official story of 9/11 is total bullsh*t?

I can understand that you're upset at some of the things that are going down, we all are, but just think how mad you'd be to know, like anyone that bothered to take a look at the evidence, when you come to the conclusion 9/11 needs a serious looking into? Now we're talking "taboo"!

But not for you, Mr Schaeffer. No, not for you.

Shall we talk about MK-Ultra? CODEX? Pilgrim Society?

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:41:19 PM

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Mockingbird. Which sounds suspiciously applicable here.

by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [399 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:55:24 PM

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Yea ! 9/11, CODEX,  How about chem trails, poisonous forced vaccinations, pharmaceuticals in our water supply and morgellons?  They are so taboo they won't even list them on the "things no one dares to speak of list"!

~sigh~  Oh well, time to re-adjust my tin foil hat and get back to being called a nutter.

by jersey girl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1201 comments [734 recommended, 12 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 9:45:25 PM

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... for those of us that now have this running through our veins and most likely takes up more time than is healthy we often pause in awe at the extent and size of this tangled wed.

It's why we've become so cynical, for we wait, and wait to see just some of the minor crimes possibly be pursued, but in vain, knowing that one crime would lead to another and like a cheap suit would quickly unravel.

God, I hope we live to see the day ...

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 10:32:01 PM

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...911 'false flag' attack let's look at Israel's numerous false flag attacks. One person above commented "...Israel has a right to defend itself", to which I am in agreement, but the repeated reality is Israel is the aggressor in most of its military adventures.

* In the early 1970's Kissenger stated the number one priority for US national security should be to reduce the world population by 2 billion people. I doubt he cared about the how, but he explicitly stated the who & why. The who is in the middle east (but not Israel of course), and the why is to secure resources vital to US interests...read oil here. Since that time how many non-Israelis have died in the region, and how many more of the 'others' are due to die from the long term effects of DU (depleted uranium)?

In numerous polls the majority of Israeli people don't approve of what their hard right-wing controlled government is doing in Gaza right now, but they have been emasculated against their will just like the majority of Americans have been by neo-CON hardliners here in the US. After research I see Obama is just part of the same viscious cabal of Bilderberger, CFR, Tri-Lateral Commission psychos, but he has cowardly hidden behind his, "There's only one president at a time" ruse.

Meet the new emperor with no clothes...same as the old emperor with no clothes. The only difference is the chameleleon like skin color change.

Who wants to bet a resolution in that conflict comes very near the innauguration just so Obama can still keep fooling the people he's different?

by Paul Magill Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 135 comments [46 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 9:51:24 PM

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The world's capability to sustain human life is going to cease within 150 years or less.  And there is nothing we can do about it! 

Our unsustainable and disruptive and destructive practices have ALREADY broken the system that sustains us, the effects have yet to show thanks to inertia of the systems themselves, but broken it we have!

Technology and unsustainable practices (including healthcare, industrial practices, agriculture, fishing, forestry, etc.) have brought us to this condition.  More technology to attempt to "fix" things will only speed up the process.

www.vhemt.org.

No one, anywhere, ought to have kids.  It is the only moral choice.

by Frish (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 21 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 5:41:58 PM

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Well said.

     How about adding debate on why not "socialized medicine"? 

     As to the former theory, i.e., that we will somehow become Stalinist Russia if we have medical care like most civilized first world countries, it could be pointed out we already have what could only be called socialized fire protection, socialized police protection, socialized border protection, socialized food inspection, socialized education at least through high school, socialized air traffic control, socialized airwaves and of course socialized presidential protection to name but a few.  Now, we even seem to have socialized big business and financial institutions. 

     In each case, the service is provided regardless of wealth or "worthiness" of the individual recipients and the recipients take services almost purely based on need, not what happened to be paid in by them or by their intelligence or any criteria related to actual merit.

     As to the second theory against so-called socialized medicine, that private business and the capitalist method are automatically superior at everything, recent events have certainly put the lie to the myth.  Aside from the utter incompetence, corruption, greed, and outright theft, figures show that 40 cents out of every medical insurance dollar go to others things than medical care.  Advertising, billionaire CEO salaries, insurance broker commissions, fancy buildings, employee perks, lobbying bribes, and never forget, the profit that is siphoned off for investors.  It would take a lot of government inefficiency before it exceeds the 40 lost cents out of every medical insurance dollar. 

     So, tell me again why not "socialized medicine"?  Maybe the debate should start with wondering why congressmen seem to think they deserve better health care than their average constituents?  If they weren't giving themselves unlimited free health care and if they were forced to endure what the rest of us do, we might already have universal health care in place.

by Lawless One (28 articles, 2 quicklinks, 18 diaries, 5 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 5:56:06 PM

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You may have forgotten this one - for certainly it is the "taboo" that ends all others: We don't need meat to live.  We don't need to slaughter billions of animals to thrive.  We can (and millions of us do) exist fine on a plant based diet.  Gosh it got quiet... I can hear a pin drop. Go Vegan.

by Bea Elliott (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 7 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 6:12:15 PM

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I agree totally with the above post that cited the fact we are breeding ourselves out of existance.  THAT is the most taboo topic of all.

by Roger (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 465 comments [22 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 6:15:42 PM

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in my state the dnr tells us how many deer,bear,wolves,etc. can live healthy on a square mile--now i have never heard the people in charge tell us how many human beings can live [of course with the animals too] on a square mile---the science is there--the examples are there- but mankind still thinks it can live outside of the natural world-we are around 90 something per sq. mile---way out of bounds with nature--soooo as i have said before and always will--mother nature will even the balance -and when she does-WOW she does it with no concious-no pity- no regrets--which is happening right now but nobody seems to notice.     we have evolved faster than our ability to solve problems in a time frame that matters for the problem--so blindly we travel on the hellbound train---so i would have to say this is the one taboo that matters the most--population reduction-and i can hear the cristians crying out already---the bible states everywhere in it we have responsibility and acountability for our actions--real christians know this -

by TRADESMAN (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 335 comments [40 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Friday, Jan 9, 2009 at 6:52:04 AM

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So, its weird, one moment I had squat down next to some moist clay on the trail to look at some animal tracks. I picked up a stick and started drawing copies of bird tracks, then drew a rough outline of what a bird looked like to me...the next thing I know I'm typing "words" on a keyboard that began as pictographs way back then and I still am not sure what any of this really means.

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 6:32:57 PM

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Accusing progressives as mostly being nothing more than Democrats!!

by Joel S. Hirschhorn (141 articles, 50 quicklinks, 65 diaries, 546 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 6:37:26 PM

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They named this race, Homo Sapien Sapien;

When it is obviously, Homo Stupido Stupido.

\\][//

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:12:48 PM

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apt.

by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [399 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:29:44 PM

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I'm a neuroscientist by training .....    Just what are you saying???

LOL 

by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [399 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:57:48 PM

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After reading much about the recent Israeli attack on the Palestinians in Gaza, I was bombarded with articles and comments by many parties trying to justify this action or that.  As I thought about it, I was struck by the irony of Americans debating the morality of killing civilians in military conflict.  My thoughts seemed out of place and I couldn't bring myself to comment, because WWII was the "good war".  To speak ill of American conduct in WWII must be on the top ten taboo list, maybe top five.

Reading about WWII, I've always been troubled by Truman's decision to drop the two atom bombs on Japanese cities.  Then, I found this:

In the movie, “The Fog of War”, Robert S. McNamara said that before the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, under the command of General Curtis LeMay, United States B-29 planes firebombed (using napalm -- a jellied gasoline) Tokyo, where 84,000 civilians were killed, but Tokyo was only one of 67 Japaneses cities firebombed.

McNamara quoted General LeMay as saying, “If we'd lost the war, we'd all have been prosecuted as war criminals."

"And I think he's right," says McNamara. "He, and I'd say I, were behaving as war criminals." . . . "

LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side has lost. But what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?"

The movie lists 67 cities, the percentage destroyed, and comparisons to equivalent sized American cities.  Most Americans remember vaguely that the two atomic bombs killed over 200,000 civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but I think the civilian death toll due to firebombing these 67 Japanese cities was probably much higher.

If people broke this taboo out loud, it might sound like this, "We don't really care how many civilians die, we just care about winning and how the outcome of a conflict affects us", and this is probably true of most nations.

by Paul Rye (7 articles, 2 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 500 comments [44 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:16:57 PM

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is the pretending and the pretense that we are not like that. And how many people still believe that most durable of psyops.

by richard (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 1359 comments [399 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:33:28 PM

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There is only one reason for war, to enrich those that profit from the death of others.

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 8:02:37 PM

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This comment "Roman Catholic priesthood is a molesters club by design" seems a bit over the top and might be considered hurtful.

BTW, we make up 4.5 % of the world population, not 3%, only 50% off there.  And we consume 25% of the worlds annual consumption of resources, not 25% of the worlds total available resources.  The problem is other countries do not consume enough as a result of our NSSM 200 agenda.  Our military consumes more oil than most countries.  Per capita energy consumption in the US has not increased much over 35 years.

Ths state of Israel root's began with political Z-ism (I am reminded the Z word may be hurtful) in the late 19th century  and the British went on board with it in 1917 and the Balfour declartion, long before the holocaust. Hardly a hare brained knee-jerk reaction to the holocaust, there was a plan. 

Your comments on Zimbabwe are so misinformed as to defy understanding.  As a result of British colonialism the white farmers were in control of much of the land when Zimbabwe went independent.  Mugagbe had a deal with Thatcher to deal with the land issue that Blair broke.  When Mugabe dealt with the issue on his own, the British and Americans used the World Bank/IMF to attack Zimbabwes economy by witholding credit and this led to a speculative attack on the currency.

So you attack religion, patriotism and the working class.  Progressive. 

by pft (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 601 comments [7 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:30:10 PM

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"So you attack religion, patriotism and the working class."--above

>Religion: Politics under another name. The Catholic Curch is nothing but the Roman Empire in drag.

>Patriotism: The last refuge of scoundrals and duped monkey people.

>Working Class: The monkey people who don't have the brains or the guts to recognize servitude for what it is.

......................Zing.........!!

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:43:26 PM

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"duped monkey people" ... mind if I borrow that one sometime william? I like it ...tho that might be considered an ad hominem against monkeys......nevermind

by jersey girl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1201 comments [734 recommended, 12 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 9:25:19 PM

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This term may be hurtful to monkeys and monkey people, and it's use to describe the working class and patriots, and even the patriotic working class, may be hurtful to these groups.  Think Twice.

Research has indicated that many monkey people do not even know they are monkey people, and some monkey people even call others monkey people, thinking they are not monkey people.  Some have learned to use the internet and write comments and even write articles, not knowing they are monkey people, although most just surf porn while peeling their bananas.

As for the Catholic Church, some call it the "Great Whore" , which is also hurtful ( but I thought twice), but at least the priests were not called monkey people (don't have to think twice to use it). 

 However, since the assassination of the Smiling Pope, it is nothing more than a tool of the ruling elite to keep poor nations poor from the overpopulation resulting from the church's insane restrictions on birth control. This allows fulfillment of NSSM 200 objectives to reduce consumption of resources (more people, shorter lives, and poor equals low consumption) in these resource rich countries and preserve them for the ruling elite in the depopulated utopia of tommorow, free of all monkey people and even many regular people.

by pft (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 601 comments [7 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 2:01:49 AM

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Judah-ism was retrogressive even in 458 BC, when men in the known world were beginning to turn

their eyes away from idols and tribal gods and to look for a God of all men, of justice and of neighbourliness.

Confucius and Buddha had already pointed in that direction and the idea of one-God was known among the

neighbouring peoples of Judah. Today the claim is often made that the religious man, Christian, Muslim or

other, must pay respect to Judaism, whatever its errors, on one incontestable ground: it was the first universal

religion, so that in a sense all universal religions descend from it. Every Jewish child is taught this. In truth,

the idea of the one-God of all men was known long before the tribe of Judah even took shape, and Judaism

was above all else the denial of that idea. The Egyptian Book of the Dead (manuscripts of which were found

in the tombs of kings of 2,600 BC, over two thousand years before the Judaist "Law" was completed)

contains the passage: "Thou art the one, the God from the very beginnings of time, the heir of immortality,

self-produced and self-born; thou didst create the earth and make man". Conversely, the Scripture produced

in Judah of the Levites asked, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the Gods?" (Exodus).

--Douglas Reed

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 7:16:22 PM

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This comment "Roman Catholic priesthood is a molesters club by design" seems a bit over the top and might be considered hurtful.

 LOL

by jersey girl (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1201 comments [734 recommended, 12 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 9:21:46 PM

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...I love the "Roman Empire in Drag" analogy!

by Bia Winter (6 articles, 2 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 756 comments [119 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:34:09 AM

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...that you would find that hurtful.

Would you find that hurtful; that I find that hurtful that you find that hurtful?

Hey! Isn't that the way that wars start?

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:36:25 PM

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... you do stand-up too ...

hey Abbott, whose on 1st?

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:53:11 PM

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great comedy skit, but back to the theme here...

For those who have watched "Zeitgeist: The Movie" you will understand you will gather complete denial from Christians & Jews alike when you tell them both their religions are copied from the pagan religion of Horus, which pre-dated Moses by more than a thousand years.

Then tell them the story of the mythical Jesus was a copy also, and watch them start quoting some banal biblical verse as if just stating it from a book of very suspect authorship makes it true.

On this one you will get outrageous controversy & argument from both sides of the aisle. Bada boom! That's the champion 'zinger', and bi-partisan, multi-racial, & multi-denominational at that.

by Paul Magill Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 135 comments [46 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 10:19:03 PM

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Butter side up.

by Jennifer Hathaway (16 articles, 15 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 758 comments [220 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:50:48 PM

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There's a lot of excellent taboo topics listed in the comments, very thought-provoking. As for the taboos listed in the article, I have read online coverage of many of them, but most of it was whitewashed so as to not be too offensive or shocking. Although I agree there needs to be a frank discussion with all stops pulled, I wonder what good will actually come of it besides clearing the air.

by sweetwater station (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 8:15:29 PM

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I just wanted to see if one could post an image here

here goes...

by sweetwater station (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 8:23:25 PM

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wow

by sweetwater station (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 8:25:51 PM

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...did you paint that?

by Paul Magill Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 135 comments [46 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 10:24:00 PM

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I don’t believe in LUCK too much.

Things happen because “someone” makes them happen.

Goals are usually reached by preplanning (strategy) and disciplined follow-through (effort).

People get to the top of mountains (not by Luck).Buildings fall down (get my drift).

Economic Implosions are like buildings.Elites Rule the masses by Conspiracies (there’s a Taboo).

What else explains (what, 300M Americans) allowing themselves to be subjugated, castrated, manipulated, and raped economically, intellectually, emotionally, and ?freely?  Same goes for most of the rest of the world too ignorant or powerless to “put” together a strategy for FREE DUMB. 

I’m tired of waiting on the World to Change.  WTF!  Can’t 95% of the people WHUP 2%?!  Can’t we take and throw away the corporations,  impugn and hold accountable the lawless exploiters, stop using paper IOU’s, use gold & silver to crush the Bankers and Politicians hold upon our throats?  How about progressives assist the rest of the herd to stop milling about in the stock yard acting like they’ll be next for dinner? 

The Real MaGoo is to get people educated and aware…and talking (water-cooler, shop talk, everywhere) about what they read, learned and discussed on Real Interactive News Sites like OpedNews and others.  That takes marketing, strategy and cooperative effort on the part of every “enlightened” individual to “turn-on” others still in the dark. 

We’re not going to get out of this Hole we’re in by LUCK or GOD.  Either one are welcome to assist -- but people will progress when we limit and cage the elements that exploit the worst in human nature.  Keep painting the picture, holding up the Playing Cards with the faces of Evil writ upon them.

This article with the link provided below suggests a reality we’re all aware of, but which is TABOO, as far as doing something about it.  Yeah, there’s bad, evil people doing stuff out there mucking it up for the majority who just want to live decently.  Why are they tolerated?  Got a plan?  They do…

You've been watching and reading it on all their owned media channels.  Experiencing it is a b*tch.  Have a heart for others.  When GAZA !LIVE! comes to a town near you, it may be too late. 

Twilight of the Psychopaths

http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/health/mind_control/news.php?q=1231296148

by boomerang (0 articles, 7 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 556 comments [215 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 10:16:24 PM

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Somebody joined their PTA or local government, thought they'd force their dogma on everyone else, and it's spiraled out of control from there. ~s IA 50644

by STEVE RISK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 10:57:32 PM

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Church. Mr. M. Well put/said. That's Pimp My Ride, Exibit for Preach on brother.

by STEVE RISK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 11:09:33 PM

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Taboo subjects? There really is nothing new here. But a lot of it is crap. The biggest lie in this mix is that America deserved 9/11. That lie is like telling a rape victim, "Your skirt is too short. It's your fault."

by Scott (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 744 comments [30 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009 at 11:26:16 PM

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Have you been to the doctor lately?  You are forced to sign an arbitration agreement before treatment is rendered.  That tired old argument that trial lawyers and malpractice suits are the reason for skyrocketing health care costs is so laughable now it isn't even funny.  Let's concentrate on the corruption of the health insurance companies, the vast untold amounts of money wasted on litigating workers' comp claims, and the pharmaceutical companies, and on providing access to health care for everyone.

by daveys (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 272 comments [20 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 12:41:18 AM

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It seems like I saw an article that said malpractice suits raised doctors' malpractice insurance premiums less than 10%, but what does that matter when doctors raise their rates 50-100% in the same time frame. If doctors would start policing their own who are incompetent, and giving the boot to those who are lousy, their rates would drop. They never do, though, because it's just an extension of the 'good old boy' network we see with inept lawyers & politicians, and they all look out for each other to the ruin of the common hard working stiffs in this world.

I wish everyone could be paid as well to 'practice' their occupation.  

by Paul Magill Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 135 comments [46 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 12:58:50 AM

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I have other comments to make on the Taboo subjects, but I want to address health care fraud here first. I know one of the reasons health care costs keep setting the atmospheric bar higher and higher. Several years ago, I cared for an elderly gentlman. One of my duties was to make sure he went to his regular, monthly doctors appointments.( He suffered from emphysema, severe heart disease and dementia.) I would park in front of the office, jump out, take him inside, hurry to park the car, and by the time I was back to the office, he was finished and ready to go. This went on for several months and I really didn't think too much of it. But I did wonder, how was he getting any real care in less than 10 minutes.

A few months later, I happened to pick up one of those Medicare statements that come, where they itemize the payments to your various health providers. As I read down thru the statement, I got more and more angry. I went to the files and found previous statements and they all had the same thing: comprehensive exam, $178.

Being the laid back old hippie that I am, I was willing to give the Dr the benefit of the doubt, but not entirely. I called the office posing as a potential new patient. I asked about general fees and such and was told that a simple office call would be $48, and a comprehensive visit, with bloodwork and other testing would be $178. plus the cost of any testing. I was told that my first visit would be of a comprehensive nature and that it would take around 45 miniutes.

Needless to say, (but I will) I called the Medicare Fraud Hotline. They sent me a form and I sent them several of the billing statements, along with a written statement of my observations. Many, many months went by and eventually I received a letter from them stating that the Dr in question had been fined for two months of fraudulant billing. WHA?????

His practice not only remained open, with him at the helm, but actually expanded over the next few years. I watched the papers carefully to see if he was ever going to face any kind of legal retribution; nada. Apparently medicare was this Dr's cash cow and that was OK with the government.

Hey boys and girls, your tax dollars at work. I give up.

by Kathy Stuart (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 39 comments [9 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Jan 9, 2009 at 10:10:19 AM

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I enjoyed reading and agreed with the article ... until it started into its list(s).

To me the listed items seem fairly tepid, not taboo.  And the list seems exaggerated.

I (maybe) can name those taboos in one sentence, each.

Rightists avoid to discuss their overwhelming sense of fear, primarily fear of death; and that superstition is made in it and made from it.  No actual rightist is able, (as opposed to a 'posturing' 'pretending' rightist),  to deal with (considering) the 'Mortal Fear' alone.  That's their taboo, according to and touched on by each of the article's items assigned to rightist abhorence.

I half agree, half disagree.  Skipping mortal fear, its superstitions, and details of a neural anatomic basis of such (brain grip), I'd rather say it short and in broadbrush generalization as:  all rightists' brains are bent (demented); but not all bent-brains are rightist.

Leftists avoid to discuss their  self-assurance, self-satisfactions, and prides of accomplishment -- meaning they recoil from hearing any challenge to the 'gains' or 'progresses' made which have gotten established as status quo.  They can't talk of, say, undoing FDR's Social Security to rebuild it done better.  (Speaking of Soc.Sec., this 'zinger' recently flew by me:  Aren't you glad your Social Security wasn't invested in the stock market?)  In essence, the article's items that leftists avoid seemed to list challenges to the status quo, the 'pacifying'; to say leftists prefer 'complacency' or 'sedentary,' simply 'rest.'

I'd say the same thing in different words.  All leftists' brains are subsumed in feelings; but not all emotional cases are leftist.

I choose words setting-up to say (I see) rightist and leftist are the two states of a phenomenon we have one word for:  inertia.  Rightism is directed motion of a body, straight and narrow, albeit maybe deflected, but not stopped or stopping.  Leftism is directed stop or absence of direction, centered, grounded, not given to move.

---

Repeating myself:  Leftist understanding, and judgment, and conclusions, is by inductive logic.  Maybe what's called 'relativism' in its ethics.  Perhaps considered as 'circumstantial.'

Rightist examination, and determination, and convictions, is by deductive logic.  Some type of 'absolutism' in its ethics.  Perhaps considered as 'consequential.'  Perhaps 'original.'

I might like writing an entire (multi-volume?) book around the bare premise that rightism is left-brain thinking and leftism is right-brain thinking.   A couple of fundamentals in that:  We have a left-brain and a right-brain; these are two autonomous brains, (see Frederick Shiffer, 'Of Two Minds'); two brains, not two halves or hemispheres of one brain.  And, the idea (our 'purpose') is to employ both brains and balancing each other, like using both feet to walk, in order to move forward and be 'progressive.'

Consciousness, (and group consciousness in 'politics'), is a cycle thing.   And learning how to roll with the cycle.  And being well-rounded.

---

The only taboo I can think of, (it's a start), is:  Don't tell other people how to raise their kids.  It's simply never done; always left unsaid.

And in a way, where we all have a child inside us -- the child we were before we 'grew up' to the age we are now, in that, the taboo says, 'don't tell other people how to raise themselves.'  And even, as a re-entrant algorithm (i.e., by self-reference; maybe see Hofstadter's 'Gödel, Escher, and Bach:'), a version of the taboo is not to 'raise' ourself, not 'to know oneself' too much, or, if known, what's known, it's taboo to tell others (all) about it.

So we say, "we're each entitled to our own opinion," as an aphorism.  The taboo says for others not to tell someone he or she is unworthy of having an opinion, and for ourselves, not to recognize in ourselves that we have not formed our opinions, they were dispensed to us.

Don't tell others how to raise their kids, or how they have got to be kidding if they think they are raising themselves best, and don't kid yourself.

---

One comment closely matched my thought, something like, "the whole magoo is to get people educated."

In the article's List of Taboos I thought, "none of this seems to me to be taboo.  All of it can be brought up and discussed widely and openly, just like the article allows; the best thing -- and it's a great thing, is to bring and put forth more and more information, ideas, communication shared all around so people get educated."

Yet some care belongs in that.  A person canNOT 'get' another person educated; knowledge and thinking canNOT be forced in, or force fed to someone.  Anyway, not all knowledge.  A person has to somewhat 'get' themself educated, and 'come halfway.'

So I'm just saying, the Comment matches mine as far as it goes.  Halfway we get others educated, (by setting an example, as a role model, mentoring -- but it's not the "whole magoo"); the other halfway a person has to get educated themself, (seeking personal answers to personal questions, initiating, reflecting, comprehending, practicing).   Rightists avoid the latter, leftists avoid the former.

Or vice versa.

by meremark (1 articles, 3 quicklinks, 30 diaries, 572 comments [22 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 3:14:54 AM

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"BBC Breaking News Alert <dailyemail@ebs.bbc.co.uk>

Thursday, 08 January 2009 7:32

Rockets hit Israel from Lebanon"

It then goes on inside with a secondary meally-mouthed nibble -

"At least three rockets fired from Lebanon land in the north of Israel as Israeli planes make 60 air strikes on Gaza in a single night."

Well, no need to ask which side the 'B'Bc is on, nor any of 'our' media, nor any of our infiltrated governments dominated by dual-nationality agents of other interests.

But you know as well as I do that if I said here what I really know and what I really think about it, then my post would disappear from this topic, and you would never hear from me again, as I would have been banned.

And that's another taboo.  Admit it.

by Keith Pope (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 96 comments [29 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 3:27:03 AM

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 a beautiful winter day today.  The snow falling.  A little bit of a cold wind.  The leaves of the trees long barren.  The sky grey.  I contemplated the problems in this land before the Europeans arrived as well as the problems now that have occured only 113 years since the last of the tribes were rounded up & placed in their living prisons called Reservations.

If things have gotten this bad in only 113 years then mathematically they are going to get worse.  Much worse. 

At a simple Christmas dinner given by a friend of European Heritage I spoke about when you take a drink of water your still drinking the first waters of creation.  The same water the first living things of creation drank.  The first waters your ancestors drank. 

The planet is doing now what the planet was doing then & that is going around in circles going nowhere & getting nowhere.  The generations have come & went in the river life all making their journey through this world.

A black man I met in the mid 90's was talking about all the problems in town & in general.  I said to him, "Consider if you had lived in this land when it belonged to the tribes how little bad news you would have ever heard in your entire lifetime.

He thought a moment while cocking his head as people will do while in thought & said, "I never thought of it that way."  

When I lived in Nevada I would walk about a mile or so in the winter to a place I had found where I could view the mountains to the right and look for miles upon miles down through the valley.  The mountains were quite spectacular in the winter time as was looking down through the valley.

Still all the same snow falling as the first snows of creation fell. 

There were beautiful sunrises & sunsets from atop the mesa's where the Hopi live on their Rez. 

Perhaps one day you'll really hear a bird sing, or really see a sunrise or sunset?  Perhaps one day you'll really taste a drink of water?  Perhaps one day you'll actually realize your actually a thing called alive?   Perhaps one day when you take a drink of water that is still the same water of creation you will know it is the water of creation that keeps you alive?

Strange to hear you grumble so much about so many things as it makes me almost think your not happy with your share of the stolen Indian land pie?

Life is good.

by shadow dancer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1115 comments [121 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 4:15:00 AM

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The biggest taboo of all is to in any way criticize or even question the wisdom of our Israeli "handlers". Let's face it - ALL policicians go out of their way to "make nice" whenever they mention anything about Israel. Anyone in the public eye who dares to even suggest that Israel's actions and policies are less than even-handed is immediately skewered and pushed off the stage. Witness Jimmy Carter when he bravely criticized Israel. The USS Liberty was blatantly attacked by Israel and the whole thing has been swept under the rug and dismissed as an unfortunate "accident" when it was clearly intentional. What happens to Israeli spies when they are caught red-handed spying on us, their generous, unflinching benefactor? Most are deported back to Israel where they receive a hero's welcome home. Where was the outrage and further investigations of the phony Israeli "art students" who were visiting American intelligence agencies (FBI, etc.)?

When is the last time you heard any politician say anything remotely negative (or even neutral) about Israel?

I hope and pray that Obama will stand up for what is right and have the courage to look objectively at what Israel does. For the record, I am NOT antisemetic or anti-Jew. I just think that Israel should be held to the same standards as the rest of the civilized world.

by Kris Malmquist (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 108 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 4:30:29 AM

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disclaimer, but this is how Israeli Zionists (and American, too) have intentionally manipulated the discourse. Take a look at who owns/controls the media in this country, and you will realize unless a politician kisses Israel's ass they know they have no chance of being selected/elected. One sure way to break this cycle of the Israeli tail wagging the American dog is by public financing of ALL elections in America.

Of course this is a very huge taboo in an American media & Congress controlled completely by less than 2% of the general populace, but whenever you point out the 'who' that have a death grip on control of the debate you also have to add the same disclaimer you did. Here is my disclaimer:

There is certainly no way I will ever object to the righteous Jews who adhere to the moral tennants of the Jewish religion, but I sure as hell will fight to my dying breath against the small corrupt secular minority of this minority who infringe on my life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

by Paul Magill Smith (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 135 comments [46 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 6:38:43 AM

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Taboo is a complex concept.  It has a dimension spanning weaker (e.g. criticism, vilification or social exclusion) and stronger (e.g. forfeiture of property, imprisonment, torture, death) means of enforcing the taboo and punishing consequences for breach.  It also has a dimension of degree of authority of the enforcers of the taboo, spanning weaker (society in general, or perhaps only polite society) and stronger (apparatus of church or state, such as shamans, inquisitions, police, and courts) variants. 

Another critical dimension is degree of public authority/influence of the taboo-breaker, which frequently affects probability of enforcement.  For example, even in a public context it is permissible for me to declare my personal belief that 9/11 was a false flag operation, but that would no longer be so if I were elected to US Congress or appointed editor of the New York Times.  Other dimensions coud also be suggested, such as the taboo breaker's affiliation with particular organisations, such as the CFR.

But let's stick with the simple two-dimensional authority-enforcement model, which is easier to work with.  It yields a matrix-based concept map with four broad categories:

1. weak enforcement, weak authority

2. weak enforcement, strong authority

3. strong enforcement, weak authority

4. strong enforcement, strong authority

If there were such a thing as "the Real 'Last Taboo'", we'd expect it to extend over all four quadrants - i.e. a taboo enforced both privately and publicly with harsh as well as milder consequences.  Now draw up the Boston box and map the taboos discussed in the article onto it.  What you've made is a nice management chart illustrating William Whitten's assessment that the article is 'pretty milk toast'.  You'll find that pretty much every taboo Frank Schaeffer mentions is securely confined within the mildest first quadrant.  The same is true for most of the taboos suggested in the comments.

 "The Real 'Last Taboo'", if it exists, would map at least onto the third and fourth quadrants (harsh private and public consequences) and spill over onto the first two quadrants as well (ancilliary milder consequences, private and public).

The only current example I can think of is maintenance of the taboo historical position that the Third Reich's persecution of European jews caused the deaths of far fewer than six million persons and/or that the German government did not aim to exterminate European Jewry.  This taboo covers all four quadrants of our chart.  Expression of these positions - including by academic historians arguing from honest analysis of primary historical materials - is not only forbidden by law in much of Europe and parts of North America, but practically guaranteed to attract private vilification throughout the western world.

This is the taboo that protects the existence of the State of Israel and, by corollary, US access to Middle Eastern oil.  Utter it at your peril.  However, you're free to take any critical position you like on the very clearly genocidal Massacre of Basel in the 14th century - and indeed on any of the recent genocides in Africa and Asia.  As your analysis of those events can scarcely politically or financially impact global elite interests, there's no particular orthodoxy and no taboo - just more or less generally accepted historical accounts and various critical positions.

by Michael Lusk (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 39 comments [26 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 7:05:13 AM

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This article causes me to resurrect that chronic debate about whether generalizations are worthless or are generalizations worthy of more generalizations.  Of course, we all must know that the correct answer is always in the middle and, therefore, the correct answer must always be halfway between the middle and either end of the spectrum of ideas that are being considered, ad infinitum.  Also, there is the question about whether centrists lack brains or are they just not using their brains.  The correct answer must be somewhere in the middle.
 

by Blaine Kinsey (12 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 181 comments [80 recommended, 8 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 9:39:42 AM

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Generals get stars instead of bars.

Bars get stars, but only when they are first performing.

Then they get stars on sidwalks...and people walk all over them, rather like generals.

I guess it's all generally relative. Like my aunt, she's my relative too!

But that's a family matter.

And this is a rambly tatter.

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 7:25:25 PM

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Right wingers are evil republitards. That being said, you Christian (as opposed to christian, which is anyone who believes in a virtuous afterlife) bible-thumpers are absolute morons. IDIOTS. Priesthood has nothing to do with gayness. Yes, I know some priests are gay. Big f'in deal! Their being gay has nothing to do with being a priest! Priests are human. ALL humans, whether gay or straight, have a sexual appetite. There are also priests who have broken the law. (pedophiles) Can anyone tell me how many "regular" men turn-out to be molesters? Me, neither. The Church has tried to "hide" these instances - well duh! Wouldn't you, too? Bible-thumping (f)right wingers are REALLY annoying with their moralism.

by Hurls (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 9:14:43 PM

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Now dats what I calls hurling da taboodies!! F'n dis'n dat any F'n ways!!

by William Whitten (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4880 comments [1685 recommended, 28 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:00:49 PM

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Even if you don't believe oil will run out in 2060 or in the time-lapse photography of the melting polar ice caps--at an exponential rate, going green through hydro-battery power, (home) solar panels, wind turbines, and geo-thermal sources make greater sense economically vs. supporting an outdated nuclear grid. Coal and natural gas are convenient, but other alternatives are far better, including the (aforementioned) sun--whose power is obviously the least finite energy source available. ~s IA 50644

by STEVE RISK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Friday, Jan 9, 2009 at 12:50:10 AM

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