Johnny D & Darkeforce, you guys noticed.too.
I remember an often repeated saying from Justice Holmes that
people did not have the right to shout fire in a crowded room.
But now you can spew hate and get away with it.
We may have laws, but not common sense or morals.
As Bastiat said, “The State is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” As long as we keep giving power to the government in the hopes that it will screw everybody else for our benefit, the professionals will keep using those powers for their benefit.
Good point, fishy. If they left everyone alone to succeed now, it would be great. Unfortunately the very rich are busy stacking the deck on the realization that the country is crumbling and they had better keep as much of what’s left as they can for themselves. They’ve rigged the stock market, crashed the real estate market and your lawn business had better be a LLC with the best attorney backing the contract and meeting all the city and county standards or it’s gone, too.
And I would be very surprised if you succeeded on your own. Every self-made man has relatives, a wife and family and a well informed banker somewhere along the way the helped them. He’s usually just parading his ego on the self-made part. He forgets the 14 good workers who made him rich enough to retire. and that’s really what American workers are “whining” about. that they are forgotten in all those tales of being “self-made.” And that the ones they elected to keep the playing field even are not doing everything they can to tilt it over.
As to the rest of you, Michigan was just stupid enough to elect the guy who shipped Gateway jobs overseas as a good business move. We got the REAL dunce in the latest governor disaster contest. Though WI certainly has the LOUDEST most bought idiot.
But then they will eventually come for the upper middle class as well, so we can always repeat the wonderful Nazi story: “When they came for the Jews, I did nothing because I wasn’t Jewish.”
Unlike Wiley, I am even more disgusted because they have the guts to call themselves “Christian.” I do Pat Robertson here: did you see what God has been doing to the weather over all those states that elected Repub Govs? (Recalling LA had a Repub Gov when the Oil Spill hit) I think he’s telling us something. Not that we ever really listen.
I commend you on your hard work and success. You absolutely have the right to be proud of your hard work.
And from the sound of it, your success provided good jobs to good people. Furthermore your success did not result in someone else losing.
The problem is that a lot of “success” results in a lot of unfair loss and unfair suffering. Why does your unqualified successful experience preclude the possibility that others have legitimate grievances against the unfair practices of powerful and rich people?
Although Pride is the first and deadliest sin, from what I read on the Internet, Envy must be the most common. I love hearing the “Bush tax cut for the rich”. So they got 3%, I got 3%, if you didn’t get 3 cut you must not be paying taxes. I love hearing about the huge profits such and such company got. Gee, I didn’t see it in the WSJ. Instead of complaining, why aren’t they buying that stock? Your union says the boss is a Nazi? Why doesn’t the union buy 51% of your company? Oh, you don’t want to risk your retirement on Wall Street, you’ll spend your retirement on Baltic Ave.
Blame? OK, I’ll blame the company that sent my job to India for someone who would do it for one twentieth of what they were paying me. I won’t mention the company’s name but their initials are United Rentals. Or my nephew who was working for a company for ten years. About six months ago he was called into the office. Was told he could take a 30% pay cut or get laid off. I won’t mention the company’s name but their initials are CVS.
But I think YOU are the one that’s bitter. Do you really think that no one has a legitimate grievance? That’s the question I asked after giving you legitimate praise for your hard work and success.
You had the imagination to create a new business. Why don’t you use that imagination to imagine something other than your present view of truly disadvantaged people.
Indiscriminately calling folks whiners when you have no idea what they have gone through is unfair and thoughtless. You could really do better than that.
Fishstix: For the time being I now pronounce you hopeless. I don’t even know what you are talking about. Just who are these whiners? I think they are in your imagination..
NightGaunt, stand corrected.
A shame that perverts and haters have won 2 rounds in the name of Free Speech. (Whose activist Court?)
The father of the slain soldier said it right when the verdict was returned.
junco49, I felt strongly I should commend you for what I saw as very even-handed & courteous comments directed towards Fishstix.
You were very respectful in your approach, & I think your enquiry or request was very reasonable.
I was at first very impressed with Fishstix’s story of hard work & enterprise, but I was surprised by his uncouth response.
Then I realised I WAS’NT very surprised by his behaviour .. I have seen that arrogance, callousness & self-rightousness all the time in those who have achieved some point of power or strategic advantage.
I worked too for many years in my own business, around the clock, going without sleep or a family life to achieve my goals. The recession in ‘91 cleaned me out, one of the worst experiences of my life.
I had to start all over again.
I had been an strong ‘rightwing’ advocate, actually a proud Thatcherite, who used to bemoan ‘thuggish unions’, ‘unmotivated employees’ etc, etc. I thought I had discovered the key to the “Magic Kingdom.”
I then discovered to my horror, appalling management, breathtakingly arrogant & callous, often incompetent (but highly rewarded) who treated staff like cattle. It was a real wake-up call,& the only compensation for me was the knowledge that I had never treated staff in such a disrespectful way myself.
So now, whilst I appreciate that old-world adage of “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps” .. I have seen many abuses, in the commercial & political world which have made me realise that no one party or idealogy have complete certainty or right on their side. Life is more of a balancing act, or maybe like a tug-of-war, where competing interests & ideas have to be accomodated .. not vilified.
Nonetheless, I am still surprised by the hard-headed conservatism & callousness of many who have achieved wealth or power & forgotten to listen to others with an open mind.
That’s you Fishstix .. in case you’re wondering.
Nabuquduriuzhur, perhaps a chart such as the Pournelle chart would help show why there is no “Far right” as such–a true political mapping cannot be reduced to a linear spectrum.
Originally, in the French revolution, the Left were largely the lower classes, the ones who wanted change, and the Right were the reactionaries, the establishment, who wanted no change. So the Far Right are the ultra-Traditionalists, who are more to be found in religious fora than in politics.
comicgos about 13 years ago
Must have been before I was born!
pouncingtiger about 13 years ago
This is very poignant. Especially for people who live in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and New Jersey.
WaitingMan about 13 years ago
Don’t feel bad. Here in New Jersey, we have a corporate weasel and hateful lunatic as governor.
grapfhics about 13 years ago
Johnny D & Darkeforce, you guys noticed.too. I remember an often repeated saying from Justice Holmes that people did not have the right to shout fire in a crowded room. But now you can spew hate and get away with it. We may have laws, but not common sense or morals.
HowieL about 13 years ago
sayhow, don’t be silly, why…uh, just a sec…
—Move to king’s bishop 4? Right away!
sorry, but I think you’re…
—OW!
annamargaret1866 about 13 years ago
FishStix, you a rich white guy?
Varnes about 13 years ago
How ‘bout a tomb for the unknown taxpayer?
Jonni about 13 years ago
I stay awake at night to encourage pigeons to make deposits on the memorial. hoooo
ilsapadu about 13 years ago
We have Rick Scott.
I want badly to say “need I say more” but I dislike that statement so.
Whatroughbeast about 13 years ago
@ Clark Kent Tell that to the Sahara resident who doesn’t have fifteen different bottled water choices. What disposable income?
prrdh about 13 years ago
As Bastiat said, “The State is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” As long as we keep giving power to the government in the hopes that it will screw everybody else for our benefit, the professionals will keep using those powers for their benefit.
Cmlbx about 13 years ago
Every chance I get I shout “movie” in a crowded firehouse.
magnamax about 13 years ago
Cmlbx: Did Carlin say that? Or did you think of it first?
SayHow and others. FYI it’s ETCetera or etc. not ect.
tcolkett about 13 years ago
to me it seems that they are still “pretending” to listen. Once they get rid of unions they’ll be able to stop.
Justice22 about 13 years ago
Now Congress just says, “Can you donate $10 or more to this cause?”
freeholder1 about 13 years ago
Good point, fishy. If they left everyone alone to succeed now, it would be great. Unfortunately the very rich are busy stacking the deck on the realization that the country is crumbling and they had better keep as much of what’s left as they can for themselves. They’ve rigged the stock market, crashed the real estate market and your lawn business had better be a LLC with the best attorney backing the contract and meeting all the city and county standards or it’s gone, too.
And I would be very surprised if you succeeded on your own. Every self-made man has relatives, a wife and family and a well informed banker somewhere along the way the helped them. He’s usually just parading his ego on the self-made part. He forgets the 14 good workers who made him rich enough to retire. and that’s really what American workers are “whining” about. that they are forgotten in all those tales of being “self-made.” And that the ones they elected to keep the playing field even are not doing everything they can to tilt it over.
As to the rest of you, Michigan was just stupid enough to elect the guy who shipped Gateway jobs overseas as a good business move. We got the REAL dunce in the latest governor disaster contest. Though WI certainly has the LOUDEST most bought idiot.
But then they will eventually come for the upper middle class as well, so we can always repeat the wonderful Nazi story: “When they came for the Jews, I did nothing because I wasn’t Jewish.”
Unlike Wiley, I am even more disgusted because they have the guts to call themselves “Christian.” I do Pat Robertson here: did you see what God has been doing to the weather over all those states that elected Repub Govs? (Recalling LA had a Repub Gov when the Oil Spill hit) I think he’s telling us something. Not that we ever really listen.
freeholder1 about 13 years ago
prrdh: did you even notice it was Big Business doing the screwing the last time? Maybe you should leave the lights on in your bedroom next time.
You guys are living on the myth of free enterprise. Has been a myth as long as a rich guy could buy the paper they printed the myths on.
junco49 about 13 years ago
Fishstix.
I commend you on your hard work and success. You absolutely have the right to be proud of your hard work.
And from the sound of it, your success provided good jobs to good people. Furthermore your success did not result in someone else losing.
The problem is that a lot of “success” results in a lot of unfair loss and unfair suffering. Why does your unqualified successful experience preclude the possibility that others have legitimate grievances against the unfair practices of powerful and rich people?
lewisbower about 13 years ago
Although Pride is the first and deadliest sin, from what I read on the Internet, Envy must be the most common. I love hearing the “Bush tax cut for the rich”. So they got 3%, I got 3%, if you didn’t get 3 cut you must not be paying taxes. I love hearing about the huge profits such and such company got. Gee, I didn’t see it in the WSJ. Instead of complaining, why aren’t they buying that stock? Your union says the boss is a Nazi? Why doesn’t the union buy 51% of your company? Oh, you don’t want to risk your retirement on Wall Street, you’ll spend your retirement on Baltic Ave.
WaitingMan about 13 years ago
Blame? OK, I’ll blame the company that sent my job to India for someone who would do it for one twentieth of what they were paying me. I won’t mention the company’s name but their initials are United Rentals. Or my nephew who was working for a company for ten years. About six months ago he was called into the office. Was told he could take a 30% pay cut or get laid off. I won’t mention the company’s name but their initials are CVS.
Bitter? Dam right I’m bitter!
didereaux about 13 years ago
The solution: Put the recipients in the tomb with the donors!
junco49 about 13 years ago
Fishstix:
You certainly are uncompromising, I must admit.
But I think YOU are the one that’s bitter. Do you really think that no one has a legitimate grievance? That’s the question I asked after giving you legitimate praise for your hard work and success.
You had the imagination to create a new business. Why don’t you use that imagination to imagine something other than your present view of truly disadvantaged people.
Indiscriminately calling folks whiners when you have no idea what they have gone through is unfair and thoughtless. You could really do better than that.
junco49 about 13 years ago
Fishstix: For the time being I now pronounce you hopeless. I don’t even know what you are talking about. Just who are these whiners? I think they are in your imagination..
grapfhics about 13 years ago
NightGaunt, stand corrected. A shame that perverts and haters have won 2 rounds in the name of Free Speech. (Whose activist Court?) The father of the slain soldier said it right when the verdict was returned.
jasx about 13 years ago
junco49, and Fishstix
junco49, I felt strongly I should commend you for what I saw as very even-handed & courteous comments directed towards Fishstix. You were very respectful in your approach, & I think your enquiry or request was very reasonable. I was at first very impressed with Fishstix’s story of hard work & enterprise, but I was surprised by his uncouth response.
Then I realised I WAS’NT very surprised by his behaviour .. I have seen that arrogance, callousness & self-rightousness all the time in those who have achieved some point of power or strategic advantage. I worked too for many years in my own business, around the clock, going without sleep or a family life to achieve my goals. The recession in ‘91 cleaned me out, one of the worst experiences of my life. I had to start all over again. I had been an strong ‘rightwing’ advocate, actually a proud Thatcherite, who used to bemoan ‘thuggish unions’, ‘unmotivated employees’ etc, etc. I thought I had discovered the key to the “Magic Kingdom.” I then discovered to my horror, appalling management, breathtakingly arrogant & callous, often incompetent (but highly rewarded) who treated staff like cattle. It was a real wake-up call,& the only compensation for me was the knowledge that I had never treated staff in such a disrespectful way myself. So now, whilst I appreciate that old-world adage of “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps” .. I have seen many abuses, in the commercial & political world which have made me realise that no one party or idealogy have complete certainty or right on their side. Life is more of a balancing act, or maybe like a tug-of-war, where competing interests & ideas have to be accomodated .. not vilified. Nonetheless, I am still surprised by the hard-headed conservatism & callousness of many who have achieved wealth or power & forgotten to listen to others with an open mind. That’s you Fishstix .. in case you’re wondering.
bmonk about 13 years ago
Nabuquduriuzhur, perhaps a chart such as the Pournelle chart would help show why there is no “Far right” as such–a true political mapping cannot be reduced to a linear spectrum.
Originally, in the French revolution, the Left were largely the lower classes, the ones who wanted change, and the Right were the reactionaries, the establishment, who wanted no change. So the Far Right are the ultra-Traditionalists, who are more to be found in religious fora than in politics.