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September 26, 2008 at 14:44:32
Promoted to Headline (H2) on 9/26/08: by Anthony Wade Page 1 of 1 page(s) |
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September 26, 2008 On the day of the first presidential debate I think we need to pause over the increasing lack of discernment among the American people; the dumbing-down of our nation. With each passing day we see more and more stupidity being sold to the American people, without so much as a blink from the stupefied nation. Where to start America? Where do we start to examine the lunacy our country has become? Let us start with the notion that helping out poor people is considered socialism and helping out rich people is vitally necessary for the economic health of our nation. I start here because at least the early indications are that someone finally stood up for a minute and said no. For the past eight years we have seen a dramatic reversal of regulation within our financial and housing markets. The mantra from the GOP was that the government needed to get out of the private sector. The reality of course is that without oversight and regulation, greed runs rampant. It is the same reason why for-profits should not be in the business of running vital services for the people of this country. At the end of the day, they only care about money. So fast forward eight years and their greed has come home to roost. The response from the GOP? A 700 billion dollar bailout plan to save the very companies that acted so unscrupulously to begin with. Corporate welfare. The original plan drafted by Paulson called for no oversight whatsoever. Just give me 700 billion and ask no questions. When this was noticed and objected to Paulson relented but insisted that there should not be any “punitive” measures in what was passed. The translation of that mangling of the English language was that Paulson still wanted CEO’s to be able to rape what was left of the companies they looted; the so-called “golden parachutes.” While we are on the subject, why is everyone bowing down to the altar of Paulson when this mess happened on his watch to begin with? While we are on the subject, how come no one is asking why this plan was actually designed months ago, before the collapse yet no one tried to prevent it? While we are on the subject, why hasn’t anyone seriously questioned where they came up with the 700 billion dollar figure to begin with? Oh that’s right, we are supposed to be stupid sheep; just give us the 700 billion and ask no questions. Furthering this stupidity is John McCain. He expects us to believe that for the good of the nation he had to “suspend” his campaign and dash back to Washington to resolve the crisis. Well, dash back after appearing on a NY news program, having a nice dinner in the city, and a good night’s sleep in Manhattan. When he was finally in route to DC the next day, he discovered that lawmakers had essentially agreed on a bailout agreement, making his stance seem quite foolish and would force him to have to go to that little debate he was supposed to have tonight. Can’t have that now can we? So McCain and a small band of GOP’ers decided to kill the agreement so that this self-perpetuated drama about the debate could continue and so that when an agreement is reached, Johnny McLiar can claim a lion’s share of the credit. And we are supposed to believe this stupidity? We are supposed to believe that McCain had to suspend his campaign? He couldn’t run untrue attack ads at the same time he was pretending to know something about the economy? Really?
While we are on the subject of McCain, how much longer are we to endure the attack on everything rational and sensible that is Sarah Palin? Everyone was positively gushing about her at the RNC when they saw that she could correctly read a teleprompter but now that the lipstick is wearing thin what are we left with? A woman who thinks that foreign policy experience is being governor of a state that borders Russia? Really? I beg everyone to please watch this clip from her Katie Couric interview. It is a quick snippet where she tries to actually defend her ridiculous Russia comments:
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/09/25/palin_russia/index.html
Is this the person you want with the nuclear codes of this country??? I know eighth grade students who could have answered this question better without any prep. Not to mention this is Katie Couric for heaven’s sake; it’s not like she is hard-nosed journalist. I guess that Sean Hannity fluff piece really didn’t prepare poor Palin for the pit bull that is Katie. It is time for everyone to stand up and realize that the nomination of Sarah Palin is an insult to the Office of Vice President and somewhere Dan Quayle is laughing his head off.
While we are on the subject of Palin, how did we get to the point in America where a Palin could even be sold to us as a potential candidate? Glad you asked. It started in 2000 with the Rovian ploy of convincing America that they should want a regular guy as president; ya know, a guy you want to have a beer with. When her defenders pimp Palin, they are fond of saying that she is just like you and I. Isn’t that the problem??? Next time you are out at your local bar or pub, I want you to take a good look around. Are these the people you want trying to figure out how to make sure you have health care? Are these the folks you want negotiating with Iran; or bombing them? Are these the people you want educating your children?
I don’t want to have a beer with my president. I want him solving the problems that face this country and the world and I would prefer he be sober when he is trying to figure it all out. I do not want my president to be just like me. I want him to be better than me; preferably a lot better. Preferably a lot smarter. We have had eight years of a national embarrassment. A president who couldn’t put together a coherent sentence with two hands, a thesaurus and a flashlight. I am relatively certain that if you asked Bush he would say that a thesaurus was a giant reptile that lived millions of years ago.
Jokes aside, shouldn’t we expect more of the leader of the free world? Shouldn’t we expect that he be intelligent and not just beer-worthy? Shouldn’t we expect that they be more competent than you and I? If not, why aren’t we running for president? I love my friends dearly but would shudder to think of what would happen if they were the President of the United States.
Unfortunately, the other area of extreme deregulation has been the media and that is exactly the vehicle that has been used to drive this dumbing-down process. No one asks decent follow up questions. No one is prepared to dismiss talking points as lies and when they finally do like Campbell Brown of CNN the McCain campaign thinks it is appropriate to publicly denounce her and cancel scheduled appearances. What makes Johnny McBush think he can get away with it? Because he knows the media is nearly all bought and sold by corporate America. In a country where a Fox News is legally allowed to exist and call itself news I should not be surprised. In a country where a clear partisan hack like Joe Scarborough gets hours each day to sell the party line disguised as objectivity, I should not be surprised.
The true culprit is buried in the recesses of the fake news networks and partisan hacks disguised as newspersons. Somewhere the truth got packaged. Somewhere fact became opinion and opinion became fact. A simple example is the coverage of the RNC, where the chief talking point parroted by every GOP stooge was that Sarah Palin had more experience than Barack Obama. Only in a Rovian America can Barack Obama be considered inexperienced or somehow unaccomplished. That was the talking point we were sold. Only in the heart of Karl Rove’s America can a man who has accomplished so much be denigrated so easily. Barack Obama is a graduate from Harvard Law School. Instead of seeking a huge payday on Wall Street or in law practice, he spent three years as a brilliant community organizer, while becoming the first-ever black President of the Harvard Law Review. He also created a voter registration drive that registered 150,000 new voters. After community organizing, which was mocked by the entire GOP, Barack spent 12 years as a Constitutional Law Professor and eight years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, where he became Chairman of the State Senate's Health and Human Services Committee. He then successfully campaigned for the United States Senate and has spent four years in the Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills (while Palin said he authored none) and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees. Yeah, he hasn’t done a thing folks.
And we are supposed to buy that he has less experience than Palin? Sarah Palin attended five different small colleges before graduating, with a journalism degree. From there she became the local weather girl, spent four years on the city council and six years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people. Remember that as State Senator, Obama represented 750,000 people, not 7,000. After that Palin has spent 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, or 100,000 LESS than what Obama represented on the state level. In that short 20 months, she has found herself under an ethics investigation for abuse of power.
There can be no debate folks. There is no way anyone can make an argument that Sarah Palin has anywhere near the experience of Barack Obama. Yet there was the corporate media, lapping it up and regurgitating it for the public’s consumption. Barely a whimper in protest, barely a follow up question. THAT is how we get to the incredible level of stupidity in this country today. Up is down, right is wrong. Just repeat the stupidity over and over again and eventually some of it will stick. That is how they sold us the Iraq War. It is how they are selling us this ridiculous bailout plan. It is how McBush is trying to avoid the debate tonight. Subterfuge as credible fact. The secret to political success in latter day America is plausible deniability wrapped up in cool can of Budweiser.
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WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD AND INTELLIGENT
Dare not say that you judge others to be on a different level than you, either below OR above! All our brothers are from the same Father. We have no bastard children, no burdensome children, no elite children, and no children in bondage. Brother Wolfie only sees the narcissistic Egos that wish to claim superiority, or crippled Egos feeling dependent on their brothers. by Wolfie (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1208 comments) on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 4:57:35 PM  (0+)
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Reply: huh
Did you actually read the article, because your response is completely non-responsive. I might add that there are no bible verses suggesting that we are all of the same intelligence at all. In fact the bible speaks very clearly about fools versus the wise. by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 5:43:25 PM (0+)
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Reply: Wolfie, what Kool-Aid are you drinkin'?
Anthony Wade's article makes perfect sense and is right on the money. I have noticed the exact same thing he mentions about dumbing down of our beloved populace. I mean look around you. Look at television. Look at the shows that are put out there. They are so moronic it brings tears of frustration to the eyes just to think of anyone actually watching and enjoying the drivel that caters to t he lowest common denominator of the human genome. And look at our political atmosphere in this country. We have a nation that is so proudly ignorant, reactionary and anti-rational that we are capable of producing the likes of Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Tom Delay, John Boehner, Jeff Sessions...Rush Limbaugh...I mean MY GOD...this nation is a veritable moron factory. So when a low achiever like Sarah Palin is exhalted and a high achiever like Barack Obama is denigrated, you start to wonder WHAT THE HELL is going on that a country can produce so many low-level neanderthals. Look at our kids. A lot of them can't reason their way, out of a piss-filled boot. And everyone's a liar and scam artist. The Bible talks about how 'truth is fallen in the street" and it talks about the moral, intellectual profile of 'the fool'. I guess the bible, according to Wolfie's definition, is elitist, insecure and written by narcissists? NO, the ancient Hebrews just noticed bad behavior when they saw it. Look at our own country. Three generations ago we had a populace smart enough to fight World War II, vote for Franklin Roosevelt, implement trade unions (even at the cost of their own blood and sweat)...organize a whole world after World War II....and now we can't even manage to find hardly anyone who reads a newspaper, listens to actual music (and not rhymthic talking) or knows what a fact is when it bites them on the mouth. Maybe Wolfie needs to come back to planet earth and notice something called 'reality'. by JOHN LORENZ (23 articles, 117 quicklinks, 118 diaries, 313 comments [25 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 2:06:49 PM (0+)
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Reply: I do not quote scripture.
I study workshops on the Course in Miracles. There is no God of vengeance. There is no There there. The world is a dream. God has always and will forever love us all. Why be fearful and attacking? All is light. have you not heard of the experiment where the electrons were stopped coursing around the nucleus of an atom. What happened? They turned to light! Time is not temporal as we imagine it. When Einstein set his theoretical space craft nearing the speed of light, what occured? The time in the vessel actually slowed as to the time being spent on the Earth. How can this be if time is only conceived as one specific phenomena. Although mass should not be able to travel the speed of light, what would happen to time/if it did? Would it be eternal? Also in the void of space they have theorized that a straight line will be forced to bend based on gravitational pulls. Then there goes your ideas of distances and space. Brother Wolfie now wishes you to understand that your antiquated ideas are not the Truth. You are living in a dream, an illusion. Awaken and tell your brothers that we are one and the same of the family of God. Amen! by Wolfie (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1208 comments) on Thursday, Oct 2, 2008 at 2:39:27 AM (0+)
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Dumbing Down
For the last 8 years it's been obvious that the right was brain dead. Unfortunately, the last 18 months has shown the left to be equally brain dead. Obama is for the bail out, supports the GWOT, wants to go after Pakistan and focus on Afghanistan, supports Georgia entry to NATO. His VP choice voted for the bankruptcy protection act of 2005, led the effort to gain democratic support for the Iraq war, is the leader of the War on Drugs that has given the US 25% of the worlds prison population with African Americans making up 10% of the global prison population, led the support for the NATO war against the Serbs to defend Kosovo, another war for oil (pipeline) and equally bogus as Iraq, and an ardent supporter of Israeli policies that has led to the apartheid there, and voted to repeal the Glass Steagall Act that has led to the mess today. Your party loyalty blinds you. by pft (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 601 comments [7 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 6:13:33 PM (0+)
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Reply: Poor Assumption
I have no party, never been registered to either. I view the 2-party system as the largest cancer eating away at our republic. That said, there is a choice and you either admit that choice and make it or you bluster for no reason. Choose wisely. by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 10:03:19 PM (0+)
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Reply: pft got it correct
The left as represented by Obama is also guilty of ruining our nation and, as a partner in the two-party plutocracy, guilty of serving the interests of the wealthy and corporate class. Wade says: I view the 2-party system as the largest cancer eating away at our republic. Well, how about resisting the lesser-evil voting strategy and get your vote counted for any of the four third-party candidates so that the world can see that a significant fraction of Americans reject the two-party plutocracy????? by Joel S. Hirschhorn (141 articles, 50 quicklinks, 65 diaries, 546 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 11:00:40 AM (0+)
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Reply: Joel
We go through this every article with you. You can rail aginst reality all you like sir, in the end you only help those who continue the destruction of this country. In your world, there is no substantive difference between the parties; a most dangerous ignorance in these times. by Anthony Wade (160 articles, 2 quicklinks, 44 diaries, 890 comments [19 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 12:21:21 PM (0+)
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Reply: PFT:still say comparison between GOP and DNC shows GOP worse
OK. Obama and Biden aren't picture perfect in all their voting record, but my God, look at George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, John McCain and Sarah Palin and the whole GOP almost with few exceptions. Complete textbook reactionaries, corporate cronyist hacks, and up to their eyeballs in crooked dealings. I could give you a list a page long of all the people John McCain is associated with and all the things he's done wrong. From voting the Bush party line to betraying friends and country with his deregulation, his anti-middle class and poor people votes on issues (too numerous to list here but I'll give you a list upon request) ....you don't dare try to say the Democrats have been the same as Republcans in all the essential ways....I'm sorry, that dog doesn't hunt, and that pig doesn't fly. I'm sick of that crap that says "oh, there's NO difference." Yes there is. Do you think we'd be in this bad of shape as a country if Al Gore had been allowed to take his legitimate place as President of the United States in 2000? If you do, you are just a neo-con apologist. by JOHN LORENZ (23 articles, 117 quicklinks, 118 diaries, 313 comments [25 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 2:18:39 PM (0+)
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You've described the situation perfectly,...
and with admirable restraint. I don't know that I could have said the same thing aloud without cheapening it with my screams. by John Sanchez Jr. (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 25 diaries, 1791 comments [148 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 7:27:42 AM (0+)
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Palin for pResident !
Let's face it, America deserves a pResident named Palin. I'm totally serious about this. by Tony Forest (7 articles, 18 quicklinks, 166 diaries, 1429 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 8:32:33 AM (0+)
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Dinosaur Days
Thank you for an excellent article; however, there is one glaring error which I feel compelled to point out : When asked about a THESAURUS, Bush most likely would have replied that it was a giant reptile that lived 6,000 years ago! by KenH (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 10:50:49 AM (0+)
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Not so dumb
Agreed. It's pretty scary that our educational institutions, media, and lifestyles have produced so many blind consumers who accept any proposition without really questioning the veracity. Thankfully, we have plenty of smart ones who can see the spin for what it is. These, coincidentally, are the ones for whom we make Ojamas. by Ojamas Sleepwear (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 10:53:37 AM (0+)
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Dumbing down
The fourth Estate became the catalyst for destroying individual thought processes when it was allowed to amalgamate, concentrate and acquire other media into a very few giant media corporations with ideological right wing owners. From then on you could no longer believe a word you listened to emanating from the talking heads. Politics became entertainment portrayed by the likes of O'Reilly. Suddenly it was fun to watch his hijinks while he pretended to be parsing the "news". I'm sorry but politics is "deadly" serious, no pun intended. The mess the country is in now commenced with the voters treating their votes as if they were on a reality show. Didn't they realize that once that vote was registered they would have to live with the results of it? You can't just turn off the TV and the results disappear. Finally I shake my head and consider that the US has over 300,000,000 people and the Republicans can't find anyone better than old man McCain and evangelically challenged Palin to offer as presidential candidates. Scary! by Archie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1750 comments [110 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 11:22:36 AM (0+)
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Worse that one thinks ...
I try to hold on to what hope I have but all I have to do to have what little hope I have crushed is walk out my door. Case in point. Early yesterday evening I stopped by an old watering-hole, something I don't do much since I stopped drinking, to see some acquaintances and friends. As I was talking to one regular I was surprised to hear that he too thought 9/11 was an inside job and was stuck by his nonchalant attitude, and was given, "Well, what can we do about it?". I get that a lot, I guess it goes to show the effect mass psych-ops has on a populace. I tried to explain that the least one can do is talk about it. Because that fact is that not everyone will act, but the more that do talk there will be a certain percentage that will act and that all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to remain silent. Had no effect whatsoever. He reverted to the "I lived my life and I got mine attitude." So I went over to a couple I consider a bit more aware than your average Joe and started talking about some weighty current events when we were joined by someone they obviously knew. He started immediately talking about what they were planning for the "game" this Sunday and went on for some time about his preparations. Then he looked around the table and asked, as though to get confirmation, "Is there anything more important than football? Really? I there anything more important than football?" When faced with this kind of stupidity I have a hard time controlling myself, I didn't this time either, I answered, "The fact that our economy is imploding into a depression that will make the Great Depression look tame, that we're in wars that were started on a pack of lies, that 9/11 was an inside job and the cretins that planned, executed and covered it up are still in power and are trying to kill the rest of us with every weapon at their disposal one might consider more important than some game played by over-paid adolescents for the pleasure of idiots like yourself." I than excused myself and left. We're in big trouble. I don't know what it will take to awaken these ignorant masses but whatever it is seems like it will come too late, if it isn't already. And if you don't believe me just walk out your door. by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 11:34:33 AM (0+)
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Reply: What will it take?
Nobody screaming, nobody really scared, nobody ready to stop the car. It's all going too slow. Put Palin in the oval office and you'll see a lot happening a lot quicker. Even our super-slacker friends will waje up and see the deer in the headlights ONCE PALIN IS pRESIDENT. Still not joking. I'm convinced this is the quickest way to lasting relief. We need some REAL PAIN with Palin before we get relief. by Tony Forest (7 articles, 18 quicklinks, 166 diaries, 1429 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 1:48:34 PM (0+)
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"the Dumbing-Down of a Nation" by Anthony Wade
If you do not believe in God's Wrath, then, may be you believe in, 'every action has an equal and opposite reaction'. Both are Laws, one of the Creator and the other of what disbelievers call Nature. As a Muslim who believes is God's / Allah's REVELATION, made to Allah's Prophet and Messenger, Muhammed, through Gabriel, I find one Revelation which states Allah's Divine Law which may have a bearing on what is happening in the form of the ongoing melt down in America. God/Allah informs Mohammed and through him mankind to the effect that when God/Allah wants to destroy a village/town/city/nation He allows the rich/wealthy to control and run the village/city/nation. (who) then (run wild) create mischief/injustices/immorality, then HE destroys the village/city/nation. For those who know nothing about the Quran, it is Book of Revelations in which Abraham, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, John the Baptist and Jesus are declared by Allah as His prophets and messengers and their missions are narrated in respectful language. In fact there is more in the Quran on Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, than about Mohammed. by syed mahdi (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 156 comments [17 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 2:37:24 PM (0+)
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Mr M...
...you were a bit to hard on football-boy. Because what's the difference between "the game" and "the debates" or "the election?" Zero. Zip. Nada. Quatsch... bupkiss... gooseegg nothing. It's ALL "entertainment" with personality cults and meaningless boola-boola. You named the issues all right... economic collapse... war crimes... eco-geno-omnicide. The "debates" and the "election" will have as much effect on these things as "the game." Whether we choose to watch overpaid sock-puppets twitter talking points at each other... or overpaid testosterone-bags banging into each other... just a choice of card-games aboard the Titanic. The rich shitpokes will get aboard the lifeboats... and the rest of us are fish-food. by waldopaper (15 articles, 3 quicklinks, 34 diaries, 609 comments [84 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 2:38:19 PM (0+)
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Reply: I have only one thing to say to this ...
... blup ... blup ... blup ... by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 9:25:36 PM (0+)
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Bread and Circuses
Yep, the ship is sinking and the band plays on. The public at large are numb from MSM's endless election psych-programing, the magicians' illusions perpetuated for the comfort of the silent lambs. There's a whole industry around the electorial pre-game show, and you can bet there'll be a post game show at nauseum. Of course it doesn't matter who wins, the Banksters own both sides. Just like the Las Vagas Zebras, they win every game. http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses by Keystone (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 299 comments [78 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 5:50:35 PM (0+)
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Excuse me
If this is a Republican bailout then why is the Democratic Congress passing it? The Democrats are between a rock and a hard place of their own making. For some educational enlightenment into what caused this problem instead of wailing on and on about Republican greed go back and look into what caused the need for a bailout in the first place. Go back to the real root causes. Go back and read the history of Freddie Mac and whose friends were running it and who was getting large political donations from it. Go back and read why Freddie Mac changed and how it changed. Go back and learn why banks were almost forced to make toxic loans at subprime rates and ask yourself who did that really benefit. The banks? The Republicans? The people who got the loans? Then come back and tell us that it was Republican greed and principles that caused it. You can spin all you want but you can't change history. Obama knows what happened and who caused it and he is staying away from it as best he can so he doesn't get covered in the _____ when it hits the fan. He isn't stupid. The only thing that will save the Democrats on this is that their friends in the media will not report the story honestly and repetitively. by Mad Jayhawk (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 652 comments [56 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 at 2:40:21 PM (0+)
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