What Are Palin's Supporters REALLY Like? Sample this . . .

[hnumpah]

My mother's folks are mountain folks, from the mountains of NE Alabama and east Tennessee. I have always been a hillbilly and a redneck. Maybe you should rethink your definitions.

[Xavier_Onassis]

You have a right to call yourself a hillbilly and/or redneck, but these are terms normally used to refer to rural uneducated types.
You do not appear to be either, although you might be rural.

[Universe Prince]

He's the guy the People's Revolution is made for and he's the guy in whose name all the state power of the dictatorship of the proletariat is exercised.

Unless he wants to fix his neighbor's lawn mower for free. Then he's the guy who gets crushed under the exercise of all the state power of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Unless he wants to fix his neighbor's lawn mower for free. Then he's the guy who gets crushed under the exercise of all the state power of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

There are major differences between Nouveau riche zoning laws and the dictatorship of any proletariat.

I doubt that this man would have been even a minor bother to any commissar in a Communist state. Property values is not a topic that Lenin thought about very often.

[Michael Tee]

<<I doubt that this man would have been even a minor bother to any commissar in a Communist state. Property values is not a topic that Lenin thought about very often.>>

Exactly.  Bourgeois values in a capitalist society, socialist values in a communist society.  It would be absurd to try to apply socialist ethics in a capitalist society.   Although his situation was not exactly analogous, you need only consider the fate of Jesus Christ if you want to see what happens to anyone attempting to apply the values of one kind of society while living in another.

[Michael Tee]

An issue that I should have addressed before is that some people have taken offence at my overly liberal application of words like hillbilly, redneck and Neanderthal.

I'm really sorry.  Don't know why I didn't look after this before.  Should have dealt with it right away.

plane and hnumpah, I did not mean to offend either one of you.  Sorry if I did.  I'm going to keep a much tighter watch on my use of those terms and probably qualify them if and when I DO use them again so that it becomes crystal clear just who I am referring to.  And who I'm NOT referring to.

[Universe Prince]

I doubt that this man would have been even a minor bother to any commissar in a Communist state. Property values is not a topic that Lenin thought about very often.

Your dismissal and Michael's missed the real point. The point is not property values or even fixing lawn mowers. The point is what happens when one does something not approved by the authority, by the dictatorship of the proletariat.

[Michael Tee]

<<The point is what happens when one does something not approved by the authority, by the dictatorship of the proletariat.>>

What happens when you run a red light in the heart of London, England, the very source of our Parliamentary democracy?

[Xavier_Onassis]

The point is what happens when one does something not approved by the authority, by the dictatorship of the proletariat.

You are deliberately misunderstanding MY point. Communists are not into these stupid zoning regulations.

The mention of a "dictatorship of the proletariat" is inappropriate referring to this case.

[Universe Prince]

What happens when you run a red light in the heart of London, England, the very source of our Parliamentary democracy?

Since I don't live in London, I can only guess. Probably a camera takes a picture and one gets a minor fine. On the other hand, Mr. Tennett who dared to help his neighbors for free could end up paying a $25,000 fine. You seemed to think this was a dandy idea.

To be clear, no one is arguing against laws.

The point being that for all the talk of helping the common man, the proletariat, you embrace the notion of almost literally hammering down anyone who is so "selfish" as to think of doing something on his own. You said the common man is "the guy who keeps the truck motors running, the planes flying and the ships floating.  He's the guy the People's Revolution is made for and he's the guy in whose name all the state power of the dictatorship of the proletariat is exercised."  One common man fills his time with helping his neighbors, keeping their lawn mowers running free of charge, simply because doing the work pleased him, not expecting payment, and you say he should be damned for his selfishness. The dictatorship of the proletariat is a tyranny.

[Universe Prince]

You are deliberately misunderstanding MY point. Communists are not into these stupid zoning regulations.

The mention of a "dictatorship of the proletariat" is inappropriate referring to this case.

No, I got your point. It had nothing to do with mine. The criticism is not about zoning laws or what happened to Mr. Tennett. The criticism is about the dictatorship of the proletariat.

[Plane]

When a common man picks up a good education ,what does he become?

[Michael Tee]

<<One common man fills his time with helping his neighbors, keeping their lawn mowers running free of charge, simply because doing the work pleased him, not expecting payment, and you say he should be damned for his selfishness. The dictatorship of the proletariat is a tyranny.>>

Well, let's put it this way - - he decides the world will be a better place if he fixes people's lawnmowers free in his home.  Some of the lawnmower owners agree. 

The people, through laws passed by their duly elected representatives, have decided that the world will be a better place if property use is determined by the Official Plan and enforced equally across the board by City By-Law Enforcement Officers, subject to certain built-in procedures whereby Joe Tennant or anyone else can apply for exemptions.

To be perfectly frank about it, there are probably a hell of a lot more people who voted for the municipal government that enacted the Official Plan and related zoning by-laws than there are of Joe Tennant and all the lawn-mower owners who took advantage of his free services combined.  Their interests in orderly property use and development in a capitalist society in which they each own or rent property are apparently more important to them than free lawnmower repair, although to Joe Tennant and his lawnmower owners, the reverse is true.  Since the majority rules, the zoning by-law wins.  If Joe can convince enough citizens that free lawn mower repair is more important than orderly property use and development, they can elect a new municipal government that will amend the Official Plan and the zoning by-laws their way.  Or if Joe can convince the local Committee of Adjustment that he ought to be given a "minor variance consent" (exemption from the by-law) then he can carry on his usual practices.  Until then, he better just follow the law.  On both sides of our common border, people will tell you, "You don't fight City Hall."  That's generally good advice.  Not always, but probably 19 times out of 20.

[Michael Tee]

<<When a common man picks up a good education ,what does he become?>>

That's entirely up to him.  Either you're for the Revolution or you're against the people.

[hnumpah]

plane and hnumpah, I did not mean to offend either one of you.  Sorry if I did.  I'm going to keep a much tighter watch on my use of those terms and probably qualify them if and when I DO use them again so that it becomes crystal clear just who I am referring to.  And who I'm NOT referring to.

That would be appreciated, though I don't see any reason to use those terms at all. If you mean racist or misogynist, or whatever else you were substituting those terms for, why not just use racist or misogynist? Both will, in fact, be found across the spectrum of the populace, not just among the groups you choose to slander. To me it is akin to telling Polack jokes.