The decline of science with reactionaries/”conservatives”/imPalinators/ignoRanti/taliban christianites, almost all of whom vote Republican, if they vote, began with the appointment of George Keyworth under Reagan. After that, science and resultant information became the “ideological” and political enemy of those who vote Republican. So if you are a liberal “debating” a Republican adherent you will be facing an opinion naked of supporting information almost everytime, but with ample citing of statistically aberrant “science,” Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, Malkin, Drudge, Coulter, Ingraham and their talking points.
Obama has made one and only one fundamental political mistake: Seeking bipartisanship. I wouldn’t debate, no smoking laws and regulations with a guy lighting a cigarette while filling an open container with gasoline. The vast bulk of those who vote Republican, appear to be no more informable than imagined anthropithecines from the pre-paleolithic past. Standing in front of a truck with failing brakes barreling towards you in a crosswalk is equally stupid, even in legal compliance with pedestrian laws.
I see no plan to gird America for competiton in the global market place of the next fifty years, by having single payer universal healthcare, universal lifetime access to 100% taxpayer funded education through an undergraduate degree at least, and raising the age of social security to 75yrs+. Zero.
Currency is nothing more than an I.O.U. Enabling individuals to get vast amounts of currency per year (as a point of reference think millions and tens of millions of dollars) fully convertable into real wealth – means of production, land, housing, agricultural products, industrial products, some intangible products, and various trinkets and baubles is not acceptable. These individuals don’t actually make value added products that contribute to quality of life or standard of living that justifies the compensation — thus they do not earn what they get. Society enables them to get it. Practically all who produce value added products, are therefore underpaid, and enablers one way or another of those excessively compensated. In fact many highly paid individuals are unworthy of the compensation of a panhandler.
Obama’s election has exposed the buttressed pillar of bigotry that is endemic in the corporate world in hiring, promotions, retentions, workplace dynamics and compensation. It is no accident that he made it through politics and not the boardroom. Title 7 classes of people are supposedly “protected” classes. The reality is the initiators of discriminitory actions are like all white collar indictables and possibly prosecuted white collar crooks are protected by the legal system from the victims. For instance, does anyone think the deceased Mr. Lay would have died a natural death if he wasn’t protected? How about Bernie Madoff? Those who are screwed whether through bigotry or simple fraud face the spectre of paying for justice and facing a legal defence funded by the money stolen from them in the first place!
The legal system is no different from purchasing an auto. There are beater cars and beater justice as well as Bentleys and Bentley justice. If you have stolen money you will get Bentley justice. If you have discriminated you will get Bentley justice or you are a fool.
Many humans are becoming or already function like a multicellular virus on a biosphere scale. Sort of like Ebola in an individual.
Christmas sucks the way we are societally obligated to play the holidays : cheap, crass, selfish, rude, grasping — a frenzied revolting orgy of guilt laden commercialism. Can Hannuka and Kwanzaa be much better? Humbug and a pox on all of it. The souls and spirits of children are utterly corrupted by this s–t. I see nothing and feel nothing spiritual from any of it. You better find it within.
The Taliban, Likud, Nazis, Al Qaida, Republicans and most Nationalistic parties claim to be “conservative.” They are confusing conservative and reactionary. They are reactionary and if they claimed this, I would believe them aside from this technical point. Nevertheless, I fully believe what they meant. Power is all that matters, men, women, children, and humanity be damned, in the name of whatever crap their mental midget followers have been programmed with.
Palin is running for the oval office. Any political horror for any other politician, Republican or not, is embraced by her demographic supporters as heroic. Nothing educated will get in her or her followers way.