U.S. politics isolation tank

[intothewoods]

rosco, there are more important things to talk about, like Anthony Weiner's dick!

Um, fwiw (which is probably nothing), I have spent all this time angsting about Anthony Weiner, and then I saw the most recent photos. They are these beefcake shots taken in the gym. Not reading self-loathing shame spiral at all. So I'm over it.

 

[ThorkelGriersen]

Well, so much for Weiner Gate. Sometimes I just don't believe this country's crazy pols. When will anyone learn to cease putting all sorts of things in the public realm?

As a little nipper I learned certain rules:
1> "Fool's names and fool's faces always appear in public places."
2> "The Lodges speak only to the Cabots; the Cabots speak only with god."
3> "Never put anything in writing that you wouldn't want to see on the front page of the paper."

Crazy American pols from the outside:

Last week's news makes it to the US.
Rush Limbaugh upset that Thatcher aide called Palin "Nuts."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/09/margaret-thatcher-sarah-palin-meeting

I read a comment overseas that the entire world is watching in horror the US political freak show. The August precipice is giving the international markets butterflies. No matter what happens, this is something that will not be soon forgotten. The rest of the world has long memories; unlike the US, where as Gore Vidal once remarked, most people can't remember what they had for breakfast.

 

[rosco rathbone]

Inept Obama “Anybody but Warren” Stance Reveals Fundamental Bank v. Middle Class Fault Line

 

[ThorkelGriersen]

Oh, and for anyone who actually looked at the Guardian article, you might want to give this one a peek.

Secret talks to extend US Afghan stay by decades.

"There are US troops in various countries for some considerable lengths of time which are not there permanently," a US official told the Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/13/us-afghanistan-secret-talks-on-security-partnership

 

[teknight]

How does "President Michelle Bachmann" strike you?

 

[rosco rathbone]

http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/TA09EconomistGalbraith.pdf

 

[Homburg]

Picture is worth a thousand words, assuming the link works...

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

Picture is worth a thousand words, assuming the link works...

I'm excited about how the Lord will prosper this great nation in a Bachmann-Perry administration!

The end times must be helped along a bit.

 

[Daddy2mylilgirl]

I saw an email from a viewer on CNN. It said, Rick Perry prayed for rain and none came. He prayed for the economy on Friday and on Monday the Dow dropped 600 points. Maybe God is trying to tell us something.

lol

 

[Homburg]

I'm excited about how the Lord will prosper this great nation in a Bachmann-Perry administration!

The end times must be helped along a bit.

A politician paying lip service to religion is just business as usual.

A politician that really believes their religio-babble terrifies me.

 

[JMohegan]

Appalling ignorance on the subject of American history and two-faced view on federal spending aside, Bachmann's an interesting case study.


“Tax law! I hate taxes! Why should I go and do something like that?” Bachmann recalled thinking. “But the Lord said, ‘Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.’ ”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...ve-president/2011/07/19/gIQAOfNfOI_story.html


Presumably many among us wouldn't find that mindset objectionable, on its face. But it does raise questions on the extent to which certain s-types can, or should, contribute to the outside world. At the very least, I'd say Bachmann's proclivities indicate that we need to hear a hell of a lot more from her husband.

 

[midwestyankee]

Appalling ignorance on the subject of American history and two-faced view on federal spending aside, Bachmann's an interesting case study.


“Tax law! I hate taxes! Why should I go and do something like that?” Bachmann recalled thinking. “But the Lord said, ‘Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.’ ”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...ve-president/2011/07/19/gIQAOfNfOI_story.html


Presumably many among us wouldn't find that mindset objectionable, on its face. But it does raise questions on the extent to which certain s-types can, or should, contribute to the outside world. ]b] At the very least, I'd say Bachmann's proclivities indicate that we need to hear a hell of a lot more from her husband.[/b]

Good luck to all of us with that. Her husband may have his own skeletons and closet, but in Michelle's closet, he is the skeleton. Skeletons usually don't have much to say.

 

[JMohegan]

Great smackdown of Newsweek by Stewart.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-9-2011/glazed-and-confused


".... that's what her words are for." Bull's-eye.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

A politician paying lip service to religion is just business as usual.

A politician that really believes their religio-babble terrifies me.

I think Bush believed it.

And it did terrify me.

 

[JMohegan]

I think Bush believed it.

And it did terrify me.

How did his beliefs manifest themselves in his behavior? I'd say invading Iraq, secret prisons w/ torture, and hacking taxes on the wealthy were his biggest "sins." But I don't see what that has to do with Jesus.

Of course, I've only known a handful of people who acted as if they actually believed their religious tenets.

And the people I know who actually behave most like the NT Christ character happen to be non-believers. Selfless, unfailingly kind, unpretentious.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

How did his beliefs manifest themselves in his behavior? I'd say invading Iraq, secret prisons w/ torture, and hacking taxes on the wealthy were his biggest "sins." But I don't see what that has to do with Jesus.

Of course, I've only known a handful of people who acted as if they actually believed their religious tenets.

And the people I know who actually behave most like the NT Christ character happen to be non-believers. Selfless, unfailingly kind, unpretentious.

There are many flavors of Christianity, and they morph all the time, and since W's is the flavor that's woven tightly with American right-wing politics, no problem. For him.

I don't think Jesus would've voted for him.

I know plenty of religious people who just quietly help people when and where they can, and haven't taken the smug pills. Lots of non-religious people, too.

 

[JMohegan]

There are many flavors of Christianity, and they morph all the time, and since W's is the flavor that's woven tightly with American right-wing politics, no problem. For him.

I don't think Jesus would've voted for him.

I know plenty of religious people who just quietly help people when and where they can, and haven't taken the smug pills. Lots of non-religious people, too.

The existence of many flavors is the essential point, general hijacking of what it means to be "Christian" by the American right wing notwithstanding.

This is interesting -

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=7572

I do not share Homburg's "terror," with regard to that particular politician.

The problem, as I see it, is not that some politicians believe "their religio-babble." The problem comes from the content of certain beliefs. 'God wants us to deny equal rights to gays', or 'our Constitution should be brought more in line with the Bible," or some other such antediluvian nonsense.

 

[intothewoods]

First of all, nice to see some of you posting here again. I am saddened that we weren't able to share a fuller conversation about Anthony Weiner's dick, but I will move along with the grace and dignity you expect from me.

Get it, fuller?

This is what happens when you live with boys!

Appalling ignorance on the subject of American history and two-faced view on federal spending aside, Bachmann's an interesting case study.


“Tax law! I hate taxes! Why should I go and do something like that?” Bachmann recalled thinking. “But the Lord said, ‘Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.’ ”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...ve-president/2011/07/19/gIQAOfNfOI_story.html

Presumably many among us wouldn't find that mindset objectionable, on its face. But it does raise questions on the extent to which certain s-types can, or should, contribute to the outside world. At the very least, I'd say Bachmann's proclivities indicate that we need to hear a hell of a lot more from her husband.

First of all, either Stewart or Bill Maher made a funny crack about that -- if you tell your husband that you'll do whatever he asks, and the first thing that comes to his mind is to ask you to become a tax lawyer, you've got some serious issues.

Anyway. This really goes without saying, but I have to distinguish between that kind of submissive and the because-it-feels-good type. I personally wouldn't vote for anyone who is submissive because the bible says so or because they believe women are all naturally submissive, because I want to vote for people who are led by facts and reason, and not religion or any other farkakta world view. And yes, Lieberman can go fuck himself too.

There was an interesting article in NY Times mag a few years ago (I think it was there- I'll see if I can find it) about a very high-profile woman in the fundamentalist Christian movement. I believe her whole gig is really preaching about being submissive to your husband and Jesus - that's her career and what supports her family -- and the question was at what point does this superstar have more power than the husband who is supposedly in charge of her? Same kind of thing could be said about Dr. Laura and various other "family values" women who are also working women.

How did his beliefs manifest themselves in his behavior? I'd say invading Iraq, secret prisons w/ torture, and hacking taxes on the wealthy were his biggest "sins." But I don't see what that has to do with Jesus.

Of course, I've only known a handful of people who acted as if they actually believed their religious tenets.

And the people I know who actually behave most like the NT Christ character happen to be non-believers. Selfless, unfailingly kind, unpretentious.

I do believe he said God told him to invade Iraq. Or stay in Iraq? Something like that.

Great smackdown of Newsweek by Stewart.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-august-9-2011/glazed-and-confused


".... that's what her words are for." Bull's-eye.

I don't know - that one kind of felt a bit forced to me when I watched it. Yes, the picture makes her look like she has crazy eyes. Guess what? She does have crazy eyes and she's not always photogenic. And more importantly, didn't Stewart say that the right "had a point"? Their point was that this was liberal bias. It wasn't liberal bias. It was a ploy to sell more magazines. It's always the money.

 

[midwestyankee]

Who else thinks that Rick Perry resembles Tim Matheson, who played Jed Bartlett's Vice President on The West Wing?

 

[JMohegan]

First of all, nice to see some of you posting here again. I am saddened that we weren't able to share a fuller conversation about Anthony Weiner's dick, but I will move along with the grace and dignity you expect from me.

Get it, fuller?

This is what happens when you live with boys!



First of all, either Stewart or Bill Maher made a funny crack about that -- if you tell your husband that you'll do whatever he asks, and the first thing that comes to his mind is to ask you to become a tax lawyer, you've got some serious issues.

Anyway. This really goes without saying, but I have to distinguish between that kind of submissive and the because-it-feels-good type. I personally wouldn't vote for anyone who is submissive because the bible says so or because they believe women are all naturally submissive, because I want to vote for people who are led by facts and reason, and not religion or any other farkakta world view. And yes, Lieberman can go fuck himself too.

There was an interesting article in NY Times mag a few years ago (I think it was there- I'll see if I can find it) about a very high-profile woman in the fundamentalist Christian movement. I believe her whole gig is really preaching about being submissive to your husband and Jesus - that's her career and what supports her family -- and the question was at what point does this superstar have more power than the husband who is supposedly in charge of her? Same kind of thing could be said about Dr. Laura and various other "family values" women who are also working women.



I do believe he said God told him to invade Iraq. Or stay in Iraq? Something like that.



I don't know - that one kind of felt a bit forced to me when I watched it. Yes, the picture makes her look like she has crazy eyes. Guess what? She does have crazy eyes and she's not always photogenic. And more importantly, didn't Stewart say that the right "had a point"? Their point was that this was liberal bias. It wasn't liberal bias. It was a ploy to sell more magazines. It's always the money.

Fucking Weiner. I was hell pissed.

Yeah, obviously I get the distinction between 'the bible said so' and 'this is a good fit for my personality.' Either way, I do think her case highlights questions about people who commit to all-encompassing submission and then take on leadership roles.

I think the Newsweek cover was a cheap shot, but agree about the motivation.




Predictions for Perry?

 

[intothewoods]

Perry - what the hell was that speech? You're running to be inconsequential? Hello? Anyone home, tea baggers?

He's a contender. It's going to be a bloody battle though. I don't know. I think it's best for Dems if Bachmann stays in as long as possible.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

The existence of many flavors is the essential point, general hijacking of what it means to be "Christian" by the American right wing notwithstanding.

This is interesting -

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=7572

I do not share Homburg's "terror," with regard to that particular politician.

The problem, as I see it, is not that some politicians believe "their religio-babble." The problem comes from the content of certain beliefs. 'God wants us to deny equal rights to gays', or 'our Constitution should be brought more in line with the Bible," or some other such antediluvian nonsense.

Thanks for the link. Yes, leave it to Carter to nail it; someone who has tried to live out the ideals of Jesus in public life, but has always been mocked as weak by the "christian party" (lowercase intended).

I liked his comments about the politicization of Southern Baptists (which, ironically, he helped spark in 1976). They moved from "stay out of politics" to "get involved for an evangelical" to "Christianity is synonomous with far right politics." What drives me nuts is when evangelicals don't see that separation of church and state protects them, from the future Church of the Dogboy Incarnation, or Nutella-ites, or whatever is gonna sweep the country in fifty years. Do they want a Nutella breakfast loyalty pledge for their kids? No? Then don't try to blur the rules because you happen to have a religious majority now. (And yeah, I know they don't really have a majority at all when you quiz people about what they actually believe!)

Anyway. This really goes without saying, but I have to distinguish between that kind of submissive and the because-it-feels-good type. I personally wouldn't vote for anyone who is submissive because the bible says so or because they believe women are all naturally submissive, because I want to vote for people who are led by facts and reason, and not religion or any other farkakta world view. And yes, Lieberman can go fuck himself too.

There was an interesting article in NY Times mag a few years ago (I think it was there- I'll see if I can find it) about a very high-profile woman in the fundamentalist Christian movement. I believe her whole gig is really preaching about being submissive to your husband and Jesus - that's her career and what supports her family -- and the question was at what point does this superstar have more power than the husband who is supposedly in charge of her? Same kind of thing could be said about Dr. Laura and various other "family values" women who are also working women.

I do believe he said God told him to invade Iraq.

Yes. But interestingly, God had about the same height and build as Dick Cheney, and he appeared to W at night with a bag over his head that had "GOD" written on it in Sharpie.

Crazy eyes notwithstanding, It would be fun to be Bachmann's husband and put that to the test if she got elected. Wear pineapples on your ankles, dammit! Invade Maine! Nominate a teal lawn chair to the Supreme Court!

Not that she seems to need any inspiration...

Who else thinks that Rick Perry resembles Tim Matheson, who played Jed Bartlett's Vice President on The West Wing?

Pretty damn close.

Predictions for Perry?

Obama stump speech: "Our country is still recovering from the last right-wing Texas governor who wanted to turn our economy into the wild west..."

 

[midwestyankee]

Crazy eyes notwithstanding, It would be fun to be Bachmann's husband and put that to the test if she got elected. Wear pineapples on your ankles, dammit! Invade Maine! Nominate a teal lawn chair to the Supreme Court!

Not that she seems to need any inspiration...

I guess I'd better get in at least another couple of vacation trips back home before Mrs. Marcus gets into the Square Office (I hear Marcus already has plans to completely renovate and redecorate the space).

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

I guess I'd better get in at least another couple of vacation trips back home before Mrs. Marcus gets into the Square Office (I hear Marcus already has plans to completely renovate and redecorate the space).

She's out making a convincing case.

Although this is the prohibitive GOP favorite right now.

 

[intothewoods]

Fascinating: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/08/15/bachmann_submission/index.html

Maybe submissives of any stripe shouldn't be president.

This is kind of blowing my mind.

Or I'm just seriously sleep deprived.

I'll report back soon on this.