Only One is Needed

[The_Professor]

see http://www.t-worx.com/Default.aspx?alias=www.t-worx.com/brownback.

You do not really need any other.

[Xavier_Onassis]

This guy has no chance whatever. He won't get the nomination, but if he did, he would be clobbered.

There aren't going to be any fundies in the Whitehouse, sorry.

[Michael Tee]

A real recipe for disaster.  Not even the American sheeple will buy this one.

[Plane]

I don't know enough yet ,but I like the way he talks.

[Mucho]

Every circus needs a freak and this guy fits the role.

[Universe Prince]

I must be libertarian. Because, imo, this:

We believe in a culture of life—that every human life is a beautiful, sacred, unique child of a loving God.

We believe in justice for all—at all times.

We believe in liberty.

But the central institutions that best transmit these values—the family and the culture—are under withering attack.

We must renew our families and rebuild our culture!

We need to revitalize marriage, support the formation of families, and encourage a culture of commitment.

We need a culture that encourages what is right and discourages what is wrong—and has the wisdom to understand the difference.

does not square up with this:

Social Security
The Social Security System is facing a demographic crisis that will someday affect the financial viability of the Social Security Trust Fund. Projections for the financial solvency of the Trust Fund show that as baby boomers begin to enter retirement there will be an increase in the number of people drawing social security benefits, and yet a corresponding decrease in the number of working people who provide those benefits. Clearly, this will present a crisis within the system. We must firmly resolve to keep our commitment to current retirees and those preparing to retire. Further, we must modernize the system to ensure that Social Security is financially sound for our children. I believe every American has a stake in this debate, and I will continue to keep the dialogue open as we work toward a solution.

or this:

Marriage
I believe that our society’s strength lies in its most fundamental building block, the family unit. Family begins with marriage. We must defend the institution of marriage by defending the definition of marriage. The right to marry is not the right to redefine marriage. Marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

How we define marriage is vitally important because of the message it sends to the culture—to the young, and to the next generation of citizens. Make no mistake, a society that undermines marriage and the family is undermining itself, and a government that attempts to supplant rather than to support the family and marriage is bent on its own destruction.

or this:

Culture and Values
We must clean up America’s culture, beginning in every home. A new callousness can be seen on our television sets and movie theaters, in video games and on magazine racks. While parents remain the first line of defense in the fight to protect our children from inappropriate media content, some of the responsibility for this effort also rests with the producers and distributors of modern media. With this in mind, I introduced the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2006 and was pleased to see the President sign it into law. The Act increased fines on broadcast networks that air obscene and indecent material during the hours children are most likely to be watching. Shielding our children from the violence, obscenity, and indecency in today’s media continues to be one of my top priorities.

He seems to believe "a culture that encourages what is right and discourages what is wrong—and has the wisdom to understand the difference" starts with legislation rather than with liberty. Which makes me doubt his self-professed belief in liberty and justice. So far Senator Brownback is not impressing me as a man for whom I should vote.

[Xavier_Onassis]

American culture has been seriously changed for the worse, it is clear. People do not care for one another as they once did. Too many people are obsessed with the concept of "He who dies with the most toys, wins". Too many people are obsessed with acquiring crap they cannot afford and do not need, which they buy on credit with money they do not have, to impress people they do not even know. The consumer culture has supplanted a previous, more caring culture.

Why, one asks?

The answer seems obvious to me: people do as they are told, and it is advertising that has made people want that SUV, that $1500 range, that $2000 sofa, and sixty channels of crap available 24/7.

What are the chances that Brownback will legislate against this? Or jawbone against it? Or persuade the people driving this huge moneyfunnel machine to cease and desist turning all our kids inot spoiled hateful Mallrats?

Not one effing chance.

[Universe Prince]

The answer seems obvious to me: people do as they are told, and it is advertising that has made people want that SUV, that $1500 range, that $2000 sofa, and sixty channels of crap available 24/7.

Of all the people I know, you seem to have the lowest opinion of human beings. And the highest opinion of advertising. As they say in the vernacular, what's up with that?

[Xavier_Onassis]

Of all the people I know, you seem to have the lowest opinion of human beings. And the highest opinion of advertising. As they say in the vernacular, what's up with that?

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I don't have a low opinion of human beings, just morons who allow some damned ad to convince them to act against what is obviously their own best interests.

I don't have a high opinion of ads, either. I detest and loathe advertising and propaganda of all kinds, except ads that either tell you where to buy something I need for less, or tell me about some useful product I have not heard of before.

This omits nearly all of most TV ads: soft drinks, beer, most fast food ads, all junk food ads and crap they sell in the malls.

It is advertising that is to blame for the cheapening of American culture. But no one will ever do anything about even the worst ads, like those lying paid infomercials for exercise crap, obsolete computers and get-rich real estate and MLM schemes. Deceptoive advertisers are rarely if ever prosecuted, and then are slapped on the wrist.

[Plane]

American culture has been seriously changed for the worse, it is clear. People do not care for one another as they once did.

Our culture continues to move twards letting the government care for their brethren , rather than caring for them in person or in small groups.


Do you remember the line of Scrooge in "Christmas Carol" when confronted with a request for a charitable contribution?

"Are there no workhouses , jails and poorhouses?"

Scrooge thought that the taxes demanded from him were sufficient and his personal caring would be superfluous.

[Xavier_Onassis]

"Are there no workhouses , jails and poorhouses?"

Scrooge thought that the taxes demanded from him were sufficient and his personal caring would be superfluous.
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So Scrooge was an example of an American in bygone days? Is that your reason for mentioning this?

FYI, he was an example of a heartless Malthusian Englishman in the 1850's or '60's.

There is no reason why health should not be a right of every citizen in a prosperous nation like the US.

The minimum wage has not been raised in the US for ten years. The cost of living has greatly increased in the same time period, and still there are always an assortment of assholes who argue that some people are not worth paying even a poverty wage. There should be no minimum at all. And that is a different issue from the issue of consumerism destroying American family values.

[Universe Prince]

I don't have a low opinion of human beings, just morons who allow some damned ad to convince them to act against what is obviously their own best interests.

Oh. I see. You only have a low opinion of people whose choices don't agree with the choices you think they should make. How very fundamentalist of you.

I don't have a high opinion of ads, either. I detest and loathe advertising and propaganda of all kinds, except ads that either tell you where to buy something I need for less, or tell me about some useful product I have not heard of before.

You seem to think advertising alone can cause people to want SUVs, to want cable or satellite television and to make choices against their own best interests. I think you give advertisements too much credit and people not enough credit.

[domer]

That record's been played too much with a real heavy needle by Bush. Granting that Brownback may be a genuine article, the message he sees himself as stewarding has been mangled to death by the incumbent.

[Plane]

"Are there no workhouses , jails and poorhouses?"

Scrooge thought that the taxes demanded from him were sufficient and his personal caring would be superfluous.
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So Scrooge was an example of an American in bygone days? Is that your reason for mentioning this?

No Scrooge wanted a government solution to the problem , he wanted to give no more than his taxes.

This is tipical of the modern American Liberal.

I would not go so far as to quote his next line , in which he hopes that they will die and reduce the "surplus" population , this would be an attitude more tipical of ZPG.

[Xavier_Onassis]

would not go so far as to quote his next line , in which he hopes that they will die and reduce the "surplus" population , this would be an attitude more tipical of ZPG.
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How very charitable of you, not to want the excess poor to die. The vertible Milkman of Human Kindness you are.

However, their existence is not reliant on your opinion, but the actions of government. ZPeople actually did starve and die prematurely or dozens of diseases of poverty in the days in which Dickens wrote this. You will perhaps recall that Bob Cratchett was a full-time employee of Scrooge and yet was unable to afford even a nice goose for Christmas. Bob was a mamber of what we would call 'The Working Poor'. There was no minimum raise back then, and that would have delighted Sirs.

I suppose that you would accuse the Angel of Christmas Past of being a Liberal, the Angel of Christmas Present of being a Liberal New York Times-type reporter, and the Angel of Christmas Future of being an alarmist and a demogogue as well.

Giod Bless you, every one...


ZPG does not advocate anyone dying, only that those that are in excess not be born (or let into the country) in the first place.

There are no "Liberals" in Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol'. Well, perhaps the angels, who seem to be sent by the National Council of Churches.

Nowhere does it even suggest that Tiny Tim be issued a prosthetic at government expense.