Right-Wing Billionaires Behind Mitt Romney: They're trying to buy a presidency - and they expect a big payoff on their investment

mic9ael · 1 day

Also do repair work for the wealthy, also mystified by their strange behavior. .

Frequently have guys who make thousands an hour spend several hours cross-examining me about trivial items on a 300 dollar repair bill. Not that they're all assholes - not all of them - most are fairly decent, but they are ALL confused about the value of money.

It's like the story about Romney's dog. . . It says nothing about whether he loves his dog, or what kind of person he is. But if you look at it like a normal person you just have to wonder - if you're a millionaire, why don't you just get a bigger fucking car ? I've come to the conclusion that money is most certainly an addictive drug, the kind that warps your powers of reason.

twolf1 · 2 days

Yeah, basically he's telling me if I want my little girl to do well in school that I should put her up for adoption and hope she gets picked up by rich Mormons.

Anomaly100 · 2 days

Yeah, it could be worse : how'd you like to be the country that LOANED us crazy fuckers all that money which we promptly spent most of on building up a military that could rival StarFleet Command ?

EthicalReasoning · 3 days

Great points all, well done !

Powell seems unique among Republicans because he doesn't give the feeling that he hates America as it is.

CheapBeer · 3 days

or, "why does ron paul impeach EVERYBODY ?"

Bear_Fight · 4 days

Interestingly, what first drew me away from my childish indoctrination to creationist dogma, was none other than the pseudo-science of "Chariots of The Gods." Seeing an alternative explanation to the mysteries of human civilization as explained by "ancient aliens", sparked a lifelong obsession with wanting to know more. My trail, of course, led most naturally to the factual explanations provided by authentic history and science. And, of course, the full realization that the truth is much more fulfilling, and fascinating (and bizarre) than any made-up shit. But then, you already understand all that, if not my desperation at halting the further intellectual slide of my country.

And it's truly been a pleasure listening to you as well, guvnor ! Have a good day

Bear_Fight · 4 days

I'm sorry, but if you imagine that I consider 'intelligent design' as anything even approaching true science, then I must not have explained myself well enough. Please let me try again :

Bluntly : a single course in the history of world religions will create more religious skeptics than a thousand "debates" about the theory of evolution. I suppose the logic may appear subtle, but the entire concept of intelligent design falls apart in the absence of a so-called 'designer'. But, naturally, you cannot question the existence of a designer Christian God inside a classroom, nor do you need to. Introducing the biblical creation tale inside a history class, is an authentic example of complete education. The fact that Jehovah will share the same embarrassing stage with Mithra and Zoroaster and Amun-Ra, cannot be considered a controversial endorsement or refutation. These "Gods" are a legitimate part of history and their followers held massive influence over many very real human cultures. Every one of them "designed" man and the earth and the animals. The committed Christian will of course be amazed at how many gullible souls throughout human history have been controlled and lied to by false advisers. Billions and billions of people have followed dozens and dozens of different, similar designers. . . . It is a light step then, that will coerce the young mind to scrutinize its own relative gullibility.

It is my contention that mentally processing these facts does not require any more critical reasoning talents than does, say - comprehending America's place in the history of the New World. If creationists want to teach their stories, I say bring it on. And if they believe strongly enough in the superior nature of their own belief system, then they should not hesitate to include it in a course alongside equal systems.

Bear_Fight · 4 days

I guess it would be fair to say that I expect more from (and maybe have more confidence in) teachers than you seem to enjoy. Further, if Ancient Myths and Comparative Religion were mandatory courses for teaching certificates in the first place, then maybe "creation science" would disappear in a single generation instead of growing in popularity as it has been doing. (rose-colored glasses ?)

I apologize for beating the same drum repeatedly, but just as you are, I am appalled at the level of science illiteracy that intoxicates our nation and I fear for our future when this willful ignorance is even corroding the judgement of our leaders. I will continue to believe that sunshine (MORE knowledge) is the best disinfectant. Thanks for listening.

Bear_Fight · 4 days

Funny you would use those words. I noticed the author of one of these bills insisted that his sole intention was to improve children's "critical thinking skills". That phrase has become the new buzzword, replacing "intelligent design" and "complexity theory" among those who would Trojan Horse Genesis into general science class.

As you probably are aware, most Christians know very little about Christianity itself, and next to nothing about its origins. I think it would be very hard to corrupt the historical fact that flood tales and virgin births and resurrections all pre-dated 30 B.C.; and that even those stories descended (rather, 'evolved') from the Bronze Age worship of the sun.

Since the time of Scopes, we have defended the theory of evolution using the same technique of keeping creationism OUT. I think a better way, would be to bring history IN. It is impossible to maintain the delusion that your bible is divinely inspired when you find out that huge parts of it were clearly plagiarized from earlier texts.

(Having said all that, I will concede that your concerns might be justified - after all, if they can blithely claim that all dinosaur bones were placed in situ by Satan, then as a culture, we are clearly fucked.)

Bear_Fight · 4 days

I'm not celebrating yet; true victory won't arrive until the day creationism is taught in high school right alongside evolution - hear me out :

There is a rational method of reasoning, and a spiritual method. Both had a useful role in the human experience. Both are tools that apply to different problems. And both have a place in the history of knowledge. And if you truly believe, as I do, that advancing and increasing ALL knowledge is the best possible path toward enlightenment, then you will agree that children should be taught about the history of faith, as well as the history of science.

In fact, there is no better way to eliminate the ridiculous influence of phony religious "science" than by exposing young minds to the several dozen different creation myths, so that they can see for themselves how utterly absurd, derived, and completely invented they all are. To witness the hysterical similarities between Adam and Eve and the Epic of Gilgamesh, to hear the soft porn of Osiris and Isis, to have explained the true pagan roots and concessions of Christianity -- is pretty much the best way to effectively kill it.

thatsnotminesir · 5 days

Compounding the problem is the fact that "close-minded" people can be very thoughtful and forgiving, exclusively to members of their own group, and therefore they can CLAIM to be open-minded and empathetic. When nations do this, it's called isolationism. When groups do it, it's called tribalism. When chimpanzees do it, it's called animal instinct.

ticonderoga5 · 6 days

I think you're right about Romney.

I mean, look at him, and ask yourself, WHY does he want to be president ?

Summbitch already has more money and power than he could ever use. He can't be out to do the lobbyist's bidding because he has more money than the goddamn corporations do. He's had a perfect life and perfect wife and perfect kids so he's got no demons driving him. He's never suffered abuse, so he's got no burning social justice issues moving him. He can't be working for organized crime or a foreign country. He's vacillated on every issue down to paper or plastic, so he's not driven by ideology. . . .

Why the hell would he work so hard to be president ?

I am totally convinced that he just wants to see Mormonism made an accepted, mainstream religion, by becoming the first Mormon president.

Having said all that, I'm not a bit afraid of him being president and pursuing some crazy agenda. That would defeat his purpose by making Mormonism look bad

jamiesanderson · 6 days

Oops - you're making up conditions that don't exist, in order to defend your preferred assumption. Needing a second oven or larger space is a leasehold improvement and a capital expenditure that is either borrowed, or already covered in the 6 % profit margin applied to the 10 dollar pizza in the first place. Either way - it is entirely unconnected to the wage rate. And anyway, in this real life example, we added grilled chicken salads at ten dollars apiece. Not only was there no conflict with the pizza operation - they actually complemented each other nicely. I can assure you, that every additional employee produces much more in profit than in cost. But their inclusion in the operation is pre-dated by a reliably consistent increase in demand.

jamiesanderson · 6 days

Sir, with due respect to your obvious intelligence, I would like to suggest that you are over-thinking a simple problem. . .

Using the restaurant averages as an example - there is a market demand for fast food on this rural corner, that equals about 800 dollars a day. (Figure eighty, ten dollar pizzas for simplicity) It takes Four people eight hours to handle the entire workload necessary to make those pizzas. So each person produces gross income, of 25 $ an hour, (equivalence of 2.5 pizzas) for which I pay them, say, 8 $ an hour each.

Back when I opened the business, the standard market demand was only 200 $ a day, so I did everything myself. But demand slowly and consistently increased, until it was averaging 300 $ a day. I was working myself to death, and turning business away. So I was FORCED to hire another person.

This pattern of growth has slowly and steadily continued for almost thirty years - as demand increases, I hire more people. It's really just that simple. Now I want you to look at what would happen if the federal minimum wage was increased :

Currently, one employee produces 2.5 pizzas per hour, bringing in 25 dollars an hour, and costing me 8 dollars an hour.

If I raise that employee's rate to 9 dollars an hour, I have to add that ONE dollar cost, to two and a half pizzas, meaning the price of one pizza will go up from 10 dollars, to 10.40 $, a 4 percent increase. But, and this is an important but - my competitors will also be forced to raise their prices along with me.

If you are paying attention, you'll see that No Matter how many employees I have, that one dollar raise in their pay is fully compensated by a forty cent rise in price. And the ratio maintains : If the federal minimum goes up by two dollars, the price of a pizza would go up .40 x 2 = .80 If wages went up 3 dollars an hour, my price would increase .40 x 3 = 1.20 $ for a final pizza price of 11.20 $.

Now stay with me -- ALL of the local minimum wage earners who were not buying pizza from me Before, will, after a wage increase of a dollar an hour, now have an extra 40 bucks at the end of the week. Some of them will spend some of that money on pizza, when they wouldn't have before.

jamiesanderson · 7 days

I've had five or more people working for me continuously since 1979, in various forms of low-skilled labor such as home repair, restaurant, landscaping, house cleaning and furniture moving. I always pay my workers a living wage, as I staunchly believe that anyone who conscientiously puts in their 40, deserves the bare necessities of life, and a little left over for personal use (savings, investment, self-improvement, or waste). As a result of this policy, I rarely earn much more than my best employee, and so very few people want to listen to my business advice. A press conference? Yeah, that'd be pretty fucking funny.

So I won't pollute your thread with the hard-scrabble wisdom I've earned, except to verify that you and OlOwl above, are spot on. I've never "created" one damn job. That would be stupid. I've never laid off someone because of a minimum wage hike, either. Contrary to current propaganda, I don't keep people on the payroll whose sole function is to remain expendable in the event of a wage hike.. . . That would be insane. In fact, the mandated wage increases that I've lived through, have all HELPED my businesses. Those little men who earn a living writing economics textbooks will call me a liar. So will the CEO's of the huge service industries who ride on the backs of workers, and think nothing of outsourcing slave labor inside their own country. But I'm not a liar, and I've outlasted recessions and corporate competition as well. Also - MONEY HAS NO DNA. . . When my business does well, and I borrow capital from the bank for an expansion project, I DO NOT KNOW WHO DEPOSITED THAT MONEY THAT I'M BORROWING. That hundred thousand I get, may have come from one millionaire, or from a hundred workers who each saved a thousand dollars. Outside of venture capitalists, who DO perform a different and necessary function, a prudent, small employer does not need individual millionaires.

twolf1 · 7 days

You are correct, and forward MOmentum is a strategic force in politics, just as much as it is in sports.

I just recently "evolved" myself, in regards to marriage equality. Today, my former opposition to the idea seems almost laughable, as it was nothing but prejudice based on the lack of ever really thinking about it. Several of my more conservative relatives have also refined their thinking, and I encourage gay Americans to take heart, and recognize that things CAN change.

One of the reasons that I think this issue is resonating in politics so much right now, is because the argument for equality is so much simpler, so much more clearly defined, than our other partisan arguments about health care and Keynesian versus Trickle Down and all the other convoluted subjects that are too complex for the average voter to decipher. There is no gray area here : That was wrong, This is Right - end of story,

anutensil · 7 days

My uneducated opinion : the focused virulence of an anti-abortion activist, is directly proportional to his silent internal doubts about the existence of god.

Because he doubts (as every rational mind will) he feels guilty, and needs to compensate, and shout out his loud and profound love of, and belief in, God. In olden times, these people were called "flagellants" and they would walk down the street, publicly beating themselves bloody with a whip. Modern flagellants have picked abortion to express their devotion, instead of home-made whips, because they are lazy.

Abortion is the perfect tool because it is essentially a lost cause : 1. Legal abortion will NEVER be overturned, and everyone involved KNOWS this. 2. Abortion is already on the decline, for reasons that have nothing to do with the Pro-Life crowd. 3. You can loudly protest your anguish against baby killers via the internet, from the comfort and safety of your own home, knowing that God will read your posts. 4. Being Pro-Life, you can claim to belong to an oppressed minority.

There are a thousand other ways to proclaim one's devotion to God, but nearly all of them involve personal and/or financial sacrifice. And I am relatively sure that there are some atheists who are anti-abortion, but they are in the minority.

twolf1 · 7 days

I admit, I've shared that feeling - but you need to think it through; think of the powerless people you would be abandoning, and sacrificing to that shithole. . . I understand your frustration, and the justified desire to allow assholes to get what they most deserve - but that attitude isn't right. It's cultural laziness, and no good can come from it. I realize it's hard to fight for what's right and beat your head against the wall of self-righteous ignorance, but you've got to soldier on, man. Walking away from injustice, is sort of like condoning it - like tolerating the evil, because it doesn't reach you. You're BETTER than that ! Think of the silence you leave behind in that backward state, think of the prejudice that will be so automatically inherited by the coming generations who never had your voice - a voice of tolerance and reason - to balance out the assholes.

You've been gifted with enlightenment; it is now your obligation to extend that gift to others

mepper · 10 days

Lower southwest PA here, where the souls of the good Christians are being stomped into the dust by the tyrannical liberal feminazis up in the 'Burgh, and where the "Welcome To Pennsylvania" sign is festooned with crooked swastikas.

I do construction work during the day, and the crew has a steady 8 hour diet of a local conservative followed by Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, and Michael Savage. It is non-stop outrage and ridicule of ANY alternative thought. You might accuse me of exaggeration, but listening to this propaganda all day long, makes me physically ill. I used to keep my mouth shut about it, but I don't give a fuck anymore.

The worst part of it, is their wanton blindness to the glaring hypocrisy and the total irrelevance of anything factual. I mean, every single last one of these people either HAVE benefited, or are currently making a good living, as a Direct Result of government or union influence. That, and the fact that this area is actually doing rather well compared to the rest of the nation ( because of shale gas drilling and new casinos) makes me view their insistence that Obama and Pelosi and Reed are ruining their lives, like it's some kind of deranged suicidal death wish. You'll forgive me for hoping they get what they most deserve. (And please forgive my rant.

mepper · 10 days

Most of the people on this forum are well-educated, and most are well situated in high tech businesses, universities, or other type intellectual communities. (big cities) Many of them are surrounded by like-minded progressives, and it's hard for them to realize how bad it is out here in the "heartlands". I've been ostracized by friends, written off by family members and I've lost business at my café - just because I support gay marriage, gun control, women's rights and environmental protection. If it wasn't for Reddit, I'd have only two people to talk to - and one of those is my daughter.

I place all the blame for this on FOX News, and the church; both of which worked to brainwash these people into believing that it is good to be tolerant and helpful ONLY to the people in your tribe. I'm finding it next to impossible to argue them out of this mental isolationism.

Sometimes even, it gets SO bad, I wish that they could actually get the fucked up dystopian Somalia they're hoping for, just to see that self-righteous smirk wiped off their faces forever.

mepper · 10 days

Here is a bird's eye view of stupidity :

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Gastner_map_purple_byarea_bycounty.png

mepper · 10 days

Just don't ask who is the president of Uzbekystanstan

droivod · 12 days

RadioLab on my nano Ipod. Learn fascinating shit while I'm mowing the grass.

ratjea · 12 days

Dang. It seems the sum total of my entire existence on this planet is one big fucking anecdote.

The average consumer spends 50 dollars a week on fast food, out of a 24,000 dollar income. Currently, they spend 10 of it here. If I give my workers a 2 dollar an hour raise, then I will increase prices by 1 dollar. And yes, you're right: a few people (very few) stop eating out as much. But, and here you just have to trust me -- THEY ALWAYS COME BACK !! Besides, I'm not an idiot. I don't just flat raise the price - I play a game. If one large pizza WAS 10 dollars, I change the menu to Two Smalls for 11 dollars. Keep it that for awhile, then switch back to one large for 11. Nobody remembers, or even notices that two smalls measure exactly the same as a large.

Anyway, the customers who earn minimum wage, now have an extra 16 dollars a day, and they will spend it on pizza and a movie.

In 1990 there were two Burger Kings a few miles apart, but cross state lines in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The state minimum wage went up in NJ, but not in PA. Two Princeton guys named Card and Kreuger staked out both places just to see what effect the raise had. And just like happened here, the place in New Jersey increased in business and actually had to hire more people. . . .

So you need to decide, would you prefer keeping your faith in a theoretical model designed by an analyst, or lend some moral support to hard working people who just want a fair deal ? Really, why would anyone oppose raising minimum wage. Seems rather selfish.

ratjea · 12 days

I'm sorry, sir. That was supposed to be fifty cents per dollar an hour of labor. For a ten dollar pizza, 3.60 is labor. 36 percent is standard in my type operation. I'm actually helping in the kitchen on and off tonight, so forgive my distracted nature.

unsalvageable

TROPHY CASE

unsalvageable

TROPHY CASE

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login