Today's quizpollFollow

Invoking the "at the barrel of a gun" sentence is absolutely a talking point. It's stupid and promotes anything besides discussion. Say that you want to minimize taxes and that government shouldn't be involved in this kind of work fine, but the barrel of a gun thing is juts dumb.

Isn't it also sort of counter produtive to zoom in on that one phrase instead of discussing any other point? Is that not just as silly?

You may not agree with him that it's "at the barrell of a gun," but that really doesn't add or take away much from his point.

It's a stupid talking point because everything the govt does is at the point of a gun. It has no meaning attached to it, and simply triggers emotions that people have tied to guns and violence and force. It's not useful, and misrepresents the issue.

To someone uncomfortable with the basic premise. To someone for whom liberty, U.S. Constitutionally enumerated rights and a lifetime of references to Patrick Henry it is the issue.

EDIT: damn sticky keyboards. No more jerking off to dying poor people.

Edited, Mar 1st 2010 1:23pm by MoebiusLord

The trick is to get it on the poor people. Much more satisfying that way.

Jophiel knows what the first rule of Moe posting is. We're well beyond page 1 now.

I think the amount of serious, topical posts I have made after page one can be counted on all of my Bob given appendages. You're the one who pointed it out.

Christ, I go away for 9 months and it's like you people didn't spend 18 hours a day pulling splinters out of you asses from pining away for me.

I wonder if Ikea has camo slip covers for the futon I to get from my my dad's estate.

Nope, but then Jo-Anns does carry camo fabric.

So to be on topic, Moe what do you feel about your tax dollar going to research on auto-immune conditions such as Sjorgen's Syndrome or Fibromyalgia?

I ask since I can't afford to pay for the lip biopsy, so jump on chance to have it done for free so we can know for sure if my dry eyes and mouth are cause by more then just all the medicines I take and the state of Maryland pays for.

We already know how you feel about people like me, who need the government's teat to such on due to illness.

If I were a queen in the 1300s, I'm pretty sure most of the people's taxes would be going towards my new wardrobe.

Correct.


I'm suggesting that it is better to be a peasant in paradise than king of the sh*t hill. When everyone else tends to be better off, I tend to be better off as well. Therefore there is a strong incentive for me to push for the progress of society and help out members who have been less than fortunate.

The point is that even reaching the highest point possible in a society (king for example) still sucks if everyone else around you is in a rut. By making other people's lives better you can usually make your own life better.

I don't really have a clue, and it doesn't really matter. I'm not suggesting socialized programs always work.

What I'm trying to convey is that I'm completely and utterly selfish. I don't care about whether I hurt someone or whether I help them, whatever has the most gain in it for me. I don't care whether that method is capitalism, socialism, slavery, or whatever.

I don't support many liberal ideas because I care about the brand or method, I support them because they happen to lead to the most personal gain for me. The problem I see with many conservatives is that they're only interested in seeking conservative solutions, even if those don't lead to the best result. They care more about the brand of product they use than its effectiveness.

In the specific case of health care, I'm a young person today who will likely live in the U.S. for most of my life and probably my last days. Therefore affecting the growth rate of health care costs today is an important issue to me, because if I'm able to support a policy which brings them down long term then I stand to gain a lot. I support many of the Dem proposals, many which the Republicans also agree on individually, because they are the most effective at lowering costs, the most effective at improving society as a whole, and the most effective at increasing my personal gain.

I don't give a darn whose plan it is or what method they use. I'd side with the Republicans in a heartbeat if they came up with better ideas and the majority of them weren't just playing political games. I have zero loyalty to the Democrats or liberal ideals. I just go with the best offer on the table.

Edited, Mar 2nd 2010 7:43am by Allegory

Why would you do that when you have absolute power?