This week’s Ring of Fire, hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Papantonio and David Bender:
Saturdays at 3 o’clock Eastern, rebroadcasts Sunday nights at 8 pm Eastern
This week on Ring of Fire, Tim Dickinson from Rolling Stone magazine will be here to tell us how the GOP is planning to take over congress in November, not by offering up any meaningful reforms, but by making sure that President Obama fails in everything he attempts.
We’ll also talk with Dr. Boyd Haley from the University of Kentucky, who has some breaking health news that everyone needs to know about.
We’ll also be talking with Senator Maria Cantwell about her efforts to help curb carbon gas emissions, and she’ll give us the inside scoop on what’s really going on with healthcare legislation in the Senate.
And we’ll check back in with comedian Matt Filipowicz who’s got some interesting thoughts on Liz Cheney and her modern day McCarthyism.
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Wasn’t Maria Cantwell meaning to reinstate the Glass-Steagal act with actual bi-partisan support from John McCain? Whatever happened to that effort in order to get banks regulated again for the first time in more than 10 years?
NR,
Good question. Notice how those things just disappear.
As long as the end-game of everything he wants to do is to transform this country into something unrecognizable, seeing to it that he fails at that would be a good place to start. Don’t you think?
The President, up until this one,is supposed to preserve and protect this country. That silly oath and unfair Constitution with its restrictive Bill of Rights makes his job ever more difficult. The President isn’t supposed to be a new founding father.
Meaningful reforms? How about H.R.3400 in the last Congress. It is the private sector solution to health care reform. But if you’re like David Bender, then it isn’t ‘meaningful’ unless it is a single payer system.
Your ‘not offering up’ lies only works for the lemmings and the legacy media.
Glad to see you have the site working again.
Wow, Poss.
How “objective” of you to comment in so detailed a manner on a show that hasn’t even aired yet. I wish I had such reasoning powers. Think of the time I could save studying and actually learning about things. I would only have to read a fraction of those pesky books!
From what I read in the first paragraph, the preposition of the show is set. That’s how this show operates. If you understand the Left at all, you don’t need to listen to the show to learn anything. Their syllabus says it all.
And if you’ve spoken to David Bender, like I have, and on this subject, then you don’t have to be a tarot card reader to know what he thinks either.
When there is a plan, H.R.3400, and you hear from here and the administration that the GOP doesn’t have a plan, what do you, with all your well-read reasoning powers, think? What else do you need to know to make an objective observation?
Ross, unlike you, I don’t make assessments on things I have not read or seen. Silly me. I am so wed to the process of rational analysis.
While I don’t think “the left,” as you call it, is properly represented by the Democratic Party, I think the Republican Party is much worse for most, except perhaps the business community (meaning large and multinational corporations). My experience with most of the GOP’s proposals with regard to health care and most other public policy issues is that they favor business interests over the common good to a very dramatic degree. Therefore, not only have I not read H.R.3400, I have no interest in reading it. Doing so would be hardly be a productive use of my time.
Ross,
To be clear, I feel that the water-down version of healthcare reform that is going to be signed into law is already toothless as it pertains to protecting the public from health insurance companies, which serve no real purpose but to make money for shareholders. If the GOP’s plan is even more so, then why would I bother to study it? There is no reason to pander to the health insurance industry, as both parties are doing. Health insurance does not serve any useful purpose for patient care. There is no reason that we could not all pay for patient care via our tax money, since we will be forced to purchase insurance anyway–no reason except that both parties are in bed with the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries.
Deborah,
Thank you for your posts. This Ross comes here to drop turds in the water and it ripple. That’s all he does. If he doesn’t like RoF then why does he come here? Just to “school” us dumb ass Libs? Spare us.
That’s what it looks like, Colleen.
Ross is a troll who comes here from time to time.
Don’t let his attempts at engaging in “debate” fool anyone; he just wants to spew out his nastiness concerning RoF and Progressive values.
We’ve seen him here before. He hates RoF and comes here to vent his frustration and rage.
With this latest joke of a column from Rolling Stone, we see once again that it is not journalism. Rolling Stone is nothing more than a magazine that reviews crappy music and still thinks it’s cool to do drugs.
HEY – Bobby’s Back!!!!!
(I Always Really Love when that happens)!!!!
And – Hour 1 is GREAT!!!!!
Just finished hearing hour 1: so here are my thoughts:
First off, I like when RFK Jr. asked if Obama is still president – very amusing!!!!
I’ve recently waxed poetic about the Fabulous and Wonderful synergy that Mike and David have together on the show (Hope David is having a WONDERFUL vacation!!!!), but Mike and Bobby are really good together, too!!!
I guess they Ought to be, because they’ve been doing this excellent show for a while, now, but I forget, sometimes, how quick and brilliant Bobby’s off-the-cuff humor and comments are! So fun (and interesting) to hear, and these guys are Great together (and the one time, so far, I’ve heard all 3 of them on the show – watch out! A lot of fun and a LOT of intelligence on tap)!!!!
Re: Mike’s “The Village Idiot Stories” – what a hoot! It’s a shame it’s so serious – this tea bag mentality taking over – but let’s face it: those idiots were going to be idiots with or without the Tea Bag brigade.
Thank God we have that Louisiana sheriff protecting US all from the Muslims!!!! (or, I guess, his tiny part of that state).
He has a tiny mind to match his tiny tinny tea brigade. Like toy soldiers marching in place. Dumb dumb dumb!
(Apparently, we All need a hobby, and this bumpkin has found His. Nice to know)….
(I’d like to see Rory Kennedy’s documentary, called the Fence).
And Now we have toads who want to benefit from living in America but not have to pay taxes (aren’t these the Same imbeciles who rail against the ‘illegal” aliens)?
Bobby’s question really made me laugh: “have these people now seceded from their citizenship” – but he’s quite serious, too. These people, as RFK Jr. says, just Free Loaders!!! I agree!!!
As RFK Jr. and Mike say: these bozos are fully using all amenities of living in the US – police, fire dept. highways, roads, hospitals, etc, yet somehow they don’t have to be responsible. Figures. The far right is Only worried about responsibility when it comes to those they demonize, like poor people.
Hey, on a lighter note, I LOVE this song I just heard on RoF – (and I love that I get to hear such lovely, cool music, just from listening to this show):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehu3wy4WkHs
That one, I had to stop the podcast for a bit, and get up and dance (after I found it on youtube), it’s so catchy and joyful…..
Back to the show: it’s typical of right wing hypocrisy that Sarah Palin got to benefit from Canadian medicine when she was a kid, but now rails against “socialist medicine”. This woman DEFINES hypocrisy.
She’s an idiot, too, of course.
The anti-intellectualism that Bobby and Mike talk about concerning these Insane laws now in place to deny climate change and the fact that carbon is a major pollutant – it’s sickening. As Bobby said, these are the same people who deny Evolution and reject all rational thought on the nature of our world.
I don’t even understand it, because one can easily believe in a deity (if that’s your thing) and not have any conflict w/Evolution.
It’s arrogance. Those people can’t stand that in the waaaaay distant past, the apes and chimp and humans all evolved from a common ancestor.
Sh*t. How Warped is that? Look at those monkeys! They look EXACTLY like we do, if we had tons of hair on our bodies (well, some might) and Tails.
I’d like a tail. I’d like to use it to hit people with.
Anyway….
As Mike calls it, these Evolution denying morons are “tapping into the stupid rage.”
I LOVE that term of Mike’s: “stupid rage”. (Mike has a Real Fine way w/words, I’ve noticed)!!!!!
Bobby does too – and he speaks of the “unholy alliance” of the big, corporations funding mucho $$$$ for all the petty, small-minded movements (and evil, racist “stupid rage”, I will add).
RFK Jr. mentioned that after Sputnik, Science education was seen by all as a National security issue – what an Interesting concept – and now Science is under fire from the right.
Science can be used for malefic ends – we know this every time we hear Mike talk to a guest about some horror of a drug that was pushed through and now is causing terrible damage to people, even though the hack scientists hired by the companies Knew this would happen. It’s greed.
Doctors who engage in torture – Harper’s had an article about this – well, They are betraying their duties, as well, and in a most grievous way. Still, to deny rational, scientific thought because of Evolution is also an evil.
Bobby spoke of his sister, Kerry Kennedy, meeting w/the pope, a man who is denying that condom use in Africa (or anywhere) can prevent the spread of AIDS. That’s sheer ignorance and it’s a lie. This man is a rat, truly (to play on his name) because I Know he couldn’t Possibly be that ignorant. He’s in denial to cover up a church that is sick and dying. He should be so ashamed of himself, but he’s not.
I really must admit: I Love hearing RFK Jr. talk about Catholicism. He mentioned that since 1929, the Catholic Church has always maintained that Evolution was consistent w/its teachings, but now, this fool of a pope we have is saying: let’s reconsider that.
Bobby said that when he was a kid, Catholics were discouraged from just reading the Bible (makes sense since the word, Catholic means Universal).
Catholics, RFK Jr. said, didn’t use to be Fundamentalists. That’s what one of my friends – born a few years before Bobby, has also mentioned.
But now? We have the church becoming just like the far right. Fundamentalists.
They should be called Fuddamentalists, because they ALL have the thinking capacity of Elmer Fudd.
The discussion between Mike and Bobby on the Catholic sex scandal issue was very interesting, as well.
I truly do very much appreciate how Mike explains the movie, Doubt. I saw that movie and found it oddly disappointing, esp. the ending. I didn’t get it.
If the Meryl Streep character really is at a point of expressing doubt, at the end of the movie, for the entire system of the Catholic Church, as Mike avows, that changes the entire movie for me, of course.
Still, too little, too late, even if Meryl’s nun Finally got it. If I recall correctly, her character- the head nun – had Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Priest simply moved elsewhere. He left their school, but he was still free to be a predator at large, at another Catholic school.
Bobby speaks of Bernard Law, who denied Ted Kennedy Communion because he was divorced, but managed to get these Pedophilia priests moved around.
First, i HATE that Anyone should be denied communion, if they truly want it. That’s just WRONG and I deeply object.
Of course, to me, it’s just a wafer, because the spirit of love is too big for it to be contained in something that is as rigidly regulated as this thing is.
Still, the concept behind it is a sinful one, imo. I do not mean to offend Catholics like RFK Jr. (who is a very Humane Cathoic, as are the members of his family – much to their Great credit).
But that’s how I feel.
Sickening, how the church dictates law in such petty ways, yet has provided cover for sick priests and has a pope who doesn’t mind that people die of AIDS in Africa because he won’t back condom use. And who also suffers? The women. The pope is against abortion, yet he won’t be for condoms. That’s CRAZY!!!! Of Course these practices makes people cynical. You Bet it does.
The church is sex obsessed. They get into a tizzy about condoms for AIDS but allow priests to rape children.
It’s too hard to be a Catholic w/all these absurdities.
Fortunately, I feel no such desire anymore, or rather: I approach it all in my own way. I dislike all the rules of any dogma anyway.
I very much admire Bobby’s words on the *Bigotry* of people who hate Gays and oppose their right to love partners of the same gender. It’s the same as racism. I agree!!!!
NAFTA -Mike mentions how it destroyed the Unions and is also behind the shifting of so much work to 3rd world countries.
It’s a damn shame that Clinton capitulated on this. That’s the same as killing people -not directly, but slowly and surely. over the course of years, as people become broke – and broken. To drain the life’s blood from the American worker is a crime.
I really got so much from hour 1 of the show and know I will from the rest of the show, as well.
Mike’s appeals for us to support RoF are very impassioned and very moving. I’m so glad that this show will stay on the air. I’d be terribly terribly upset if it went off. Mike and Bobby and the rest of RoF: we fans of the show Do Love you all!!!!!
I’m so sorry, I forgot to include the *WONDERFUL* David Bender in the fan love, too!!!!! Mike, Bobby and *David*, we fans of the show Do Love you ALL!!!!!!!
Ross, the Republicans have made it quite clear that they will not work with Obama like they did with Clinton. The Republicans don’t care about this country anymore execept to suck it dry and they are power hungary. For a highly intelligent person, you sure let your emotions over rule your objective thinking.
What I did not like about studying the Bible was that the Catholic Church told and re-told the same old boring stories like Mary going to heaven, Christ being born, Jesus walking on walk, Moses parting the Red Sea, etc. If the Bible has information that you can use in everyday living, why does the Church only concentrate on certain parts of the Bible day in and day out. I have virtually learn nothing about how the Bible applies to everyday life. I have no further incentive to read the Bible if the GOP and the far wing Christians allies succeed in totally re-writing the Bible where so called communist, socialism, and progressive words are completely eliminated.
If it wasn’t for Science and Math, many Republicans would have never gotten good paying jobs that require a masterly of math and science skills. Look at the voting machine scandels in 2000 and 2004. Those machines were manufactured by highly skill engineers and workers and their CEO was a Republican who stated that he would deliver the elections to the Republicans. He and his engineers had to figure out how to manipulate the machines in an objective, logical, sciencetifc manner. Without those math and science skills, there would have been no way, he could have deliver the elections to the Republicans.
Mara and everyone else—
Damn, I can’t wait for the pod casts. Sounds like hour 1 was really good. I will listen–then put in my 2 cents about the Catholic Church and religion in general. I see lots of good comments already!
I listened to the show yesterday. We are not all robots and we are not always going to look at things the exact same way. That is why I think America is such a great nation because we have free thought and speech.
I hope that people will not get mad at me for saying what I honestly think. It is not my place as a Catholic to tell the Pope what he must do, but it is the Pope who tells us as Catholics what to believe as Catholics. We have a choice as Catholics on if we are going to follow the teachings of the Catholic Church or if we are going to reject them. If we as adults choose to disagree with the church than we shouldn’t whine if we are told that we no longer are Catholics in good standing.
I too think it is a mistake for the church to condemn the use of birth control. I am pro life and against abortion so because I do not think abortion should be used as a form of birth control; I think Catholic women should have a choice to use birth control methods without feeling guilty or that they are in sin. Because I disagree with the church on this issue I too could be told that I shouldn’t take communion anymore. I accept that without complaint.
I understand why the church feels the way it does about birth control. The church sees it through the eyes of only married couples have sex. We all heard growing up that sex outside of marriage was a sin. The church is in denial that we are living in times where people live together without being married within the church, that we are facing problems of over population because of climate change, and our resources are being polluted by corporations who don’t care. In today’s world birth control needs to be used and smaller families have got to become the norm.
Do I think there is a double standard in the church? YES, and that is why many years ago I got angry with the church. As I said on a Catholic forum that we as Catholics must not be tough on one group of Catholics for suppporting the use of birth control and cheer other Catholics who are for the death penality. We are told to not murder! Does it make it right for the government to murder? NO, because there have been times when later after the criminal is dead that they find out he was an innocent man. If we are truly living as Christ would have us live as Catholics than shouldn’t we be trying our best to be fair, honest, and always seeking to do the right thing?
I used to live in Marshfield, MA and what happen in MA is terrible. We have a priest here in Phoenix who of his priestly duty because of the sex scandal involving him and young girl. There are still good priests and not all priests are sexual perverts. One of my prayers that I pray for the church is that the bad priests be weeded out and punished.
I need to go now, I will finish posting my comment later.
Best wishes
Chrisy
Thank you for telling the audience about Boyd Haley being the owner of CTI Science. ctiscience.com is the website. It sells OSR#1 a dietary supplement that detoxifies the body by helping natural glutathione oxidize free radicals.
Will it also work for West Virginia residents who absorb environmental toxins from mountaintop removal? Maybe it could save the child tooth enamel that the NYTimes reported was being lost in children in Charleston, WV due to groundwater pollution? Or will OSR#1 only relieve autism symptoms because parents of autistic children are likely to have more money to spend on supplements than neighbors of mountaintop removal mines? Charleston, WV (the state capital) has enough residents with money that when I drove through it about 15 years ago I saw a Mercedes-Benz billboard that advertised the $30,000 price of one model next to I-64 west of the 64/77 split.
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/03/thorsen_wakefield_fine_art_of_distraction.php
crmw.net coalriverwind.org stop mountaintop removal and support wind generated power on Coal River Mountain
Actually, I meant to write, is OSR#1 only being marketed to relieve autism symptoms because parents of autistic children are believed by CTI Science to have more money than neighbors of removed mountains?
Mara,
Among other things, you said ” this fool of a pope we have…”
Before writing someone off as a fool, you might want to consider the totality of his or her work, as well as the reasoning behind his or her choices. This Pope, whatever you might think of him, isn’t stupid. He is a respected theologian and educator. You might also be interested to know that he has come out AGAINST full body scans at airports, saying that they are not consistent with the preservation of human dignity.
Again, rather than merely saying someone, especially a known scholar, is stupid, you might want to piece together an argument of your own and/or explain why the argument with which you disagree is incorrect. You might actually learn something in the process because doing so would, again, force you to consider why a given person makes the choices he or she makes.
For the record, I wanted the Jesuit to be Pope after Pope Jean-Paul II died and, while this Pope is too conservative for my tastes, I am not willing to say he is unintelligent. I am, however, willing to say that I don’t agree with him on some issues.
Deborah,
I wasn’t using the term “fool” to mean someone who is not educated, as concerns the pope.
I think there is an expression “educated fool”, but I will actually cite the definition of fool to explain what I mean, re: the Pope:
1 : a person lacking in judgment or prudence
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fool
I do this because you are splitting hairs, imo. I know the pope is a man of education. This does not mean he is an ethical or wise person, however.
You write: “You might actually learn something in the process because doing so would, again, force you to consider why a given person makes the choices he or she makes.”
I don’t see, frankly, why I have to care why he makes the choices he makes. It might give me a greater understanding of his limitations and why they exist, yet, but it won’t convince me even a tiny bit that his choice on banning condoms is sound or correct or even morally decent.
It’s not.
You say it’s wrong to call him a fool. I say he’s not showing good, sound judgement re: condoms. RFK Jr. talked about his sister, Kerry Kennedy, visiting the pope and eloquently explaining that huge numbers of people are dying due to the spread of AIDS – and that condoms PREVENT the spread of AIDS -
(to which, one could reasonably say: DUH, although I am Sure that Kerry Kennedy did Not say this to the pope) -
And How did the pope respond? He said that there is no scientific evidence that condoms prevent the spread of AIDS.
At Best, that is a very very foolish idea to hold. Yet it’s also an outrage. The pope has a lot of influence in the world – he could help save hundreds of lives, if he chose to, by advocating condom use.
Also, condoms prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Certainly, given my anger at the pope’s FOOLISH views on condoms, and the DEATH this causes, I could have said much Worse than what I did.
Book learning is NOT the same as Prudence. A person might NEVER get ANY schooling and NOT be a FOOL. Anyone w/o education can still be a person who cares whether or not people die from AIDS and would not hide behind some flimsy, despicable Excuse that condoms preventing AIDS is not scientific.
What a disgrace of a view to hold. I called that man a fool; he deserves much worse, imo.
And this view of being against science, which the pope obviously is, in many key areas, and which RFK JR. and Mike talked about, is spreading. It’s getting worse. The Texas Board of Education wants to make very disturbing changes to schoolbooks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html
My god. What are we coming to, as a country????
They want praise for McCarthy and they want to deny that hispanics have played important roles in our country.
This is why I am SO GLAD that I decided to support RoF by paying the podcasts! I will not hesitate to do so again, because this country is really beginning to scare me, the direction it’s heading in.
We are becoming a fascist nation. I see it happening. And, We need to Not Mince Words, here, by getting offended over terms like “fool”, imo. I’m sorry to offend anyone, but I feel more justified in my views. People are free to disagree w/me, but I would dislike being censored for simply stating what I see as the plain, honest truth.
Actually, calling the pope – or the texas board of education – fools is to make their decisions seem more innocuous than they are.
The pope and the texas board of ed. are moral and intellectual cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Note to Mike:
John Adams = Boston Massacre Trial
John Quincy Adams = Amistad Case
And, Mara, what Kennedy (a lay person like you and me–as is his sister) did not say is that a dispensation pertaining to condom use is currently being considered for Africa.
During this Pope’s watch, the Church also condemned Christian Zionism because it leads to endless war. That wasn’t a cowardly position to take, IMO. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the Church historically has not been terribly concerned with public opinion so cowardice or bravery really isn’t an issue with the Church hierarchy. Rather, what they usually try to do is take a stand that is consistent with what they believe–even if they do sometimes get it wrong (for instance when the Church supported slavery).
Again, you may not agree with someone and I may not agree with someone. That, however, does not make that person stupid. As a scholar myself, I would like to think that people who don’t like arguments I make would not attack me personally but, rather, my arguments. I, in turn, will hopefully do the same for my peers.
Hour 2 of the Podcast, Comments:
RFK Jr.’s interview w/Tim Dickerson of Rolling Stone just reiterates for me something that I have a hard time accepting – that the Republicans are opposing Obama even on issues and policies that THEY previously have Strongly backed.
Given the cutthroat world of current politics, esp., the good of the country is Much Less Important than being (or becoming) the party in power – so I cannot be too surprised at the craven duplicities of the right, even though, as the interview shows, this habit of blocking Obama on stuff the right normally would back, has become ever more Extreme.
What this means, to me, is that NOTHING the Republicans say, at this point, can or Should be taken seriously. They are nothing more than a pack of liars. They lie about the values that are Supposedly so Important to them – to take down Obama and the Dems.
It’s shocking, but it shows that a 3rd party candidate is cwey necessary. Both parties are letting US down severely.
Re: Matt Filipowicz and Mike -
I really enjoy that Mike, as he says, uses “a lot of hyperbole”. I don’t know that it’s really that, even. Or rather, I think of it as *emphasis*. It’s important to not shy away from such, if one has the underlying truth of the matter straight, as Mike most certainly Does.
As for this creep, Bunning, Mike tells us that he:
*Voted for 2 wars, which were not funded (natch)
*tax breaks for millionaires (no surprise there)
*helped ship jobs overseas (well, knock me over w/a feather)
*pushed for military operations beyond Iraq and Afghanistan that weren’t funded (war and more war; it’s All these far right fools seem to want)
But now this *Dumb Bunning* doesn’t want to fund unemployment and COBRA health benefits or highways.
He’s an a$$hole, and that’s no hyperbole, that’s the simple, plain, honest truth.
Apparently, he’s senile, on top of it all. That explains much, except he sounds like ALL the Republicans, come to think of it!!!!
Mike is so on-target when he talks about how our economic situation is Definitely an employer’s paradise. Employers can make the lives of American employees more miserable than ever, and take away more benefits than ever (and for many jobs, there are few to none) and people have no choice: they Have to work to live!
Matt’s remark about how much the right hate poor people is his usual, deeply astute and insightful take on politics and the world.
Wouldn’t Bunning make a GREAT Headzup cartoon, if Matt had the *Dumb Bunning* intoning “this is a Senator’s elevator!!!” at everyone??? Matt could have Bunning take a baseball bat to the reporters trying to get on the elevator….
(I miss the Headzup cartoons being posted at RoF. They taught me much plus made me laugh).
If, as Mike says, many of the Republicans are going wacky on Cspan, just like the *Dumb Bunning*, this indicates to me how arrogant those conservative SOBs have become. They don’t even have to Pretend to care!!! (Or come across as even moderately sane, come to think of it).
As Matt says, the Republican mindset is “insane”. It IS!!!! The right is saying that we want to be unemployed, lose our homes and/or get evicted, not be able to feed our children, etc.
What a colossal load of conservative cr@p!!!!!
As Mike says:
“The class of people that’s being affected by poverty more than any other class are children.”
Do the Republicans care? NO! Most of them come off just like this senile Bunning b@st@ard. Completely in their own little world of *crazy*.
Re: Dick’s Little girl Liz Cheney -
Yes, she’s just as much an a$$hole as dear old dad. (It’s too bad, though, that she didn’t live up to Mike’s hopes for her to have a fr#ggin clue)…..
Re: the “Al Qaeda Seven” Liz Cheney is offended, I guess, that defense dept. lawyers decided to take our constitution seriously by serviing as defense attorneys for terrorist detainees -
So, now, because there are terrorists in the world, we need to throw away our entire justice system? That’s Exactly what the right wants! They don’t mind defending torture, though, do they?
Hyperbole, you say? How about the notion of calling the defense dept. the “dept. of Jihad” such as Liz & co are doing????
THAT’S not really hyperbole, though it’s an outRIGHT LIE!!!!
Mike mentioned John Quincy Adams defending the soldiers of the Boston Massacre. I guess politics has changed since the time of Adams:
“Adams’s upright and patriotic conduct in taking the unpopular side in this case met with its just reward in the following year, in the shape of his election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives by a vote of 418 to 118.”
http://adams.thefreelibrary.com/
Of course, it was by no means an easy task, what John Adams had to do. No lawyer wanted to take on defending the soldiers of the Boston Massacre, according to Wikipedia. Here is a bit of what John Adams wrote, concerning his defense of the Boston Massacre soldiers:
“”I. . .devoted myself to endless labour and Anxiety if not to infamy and death, and that for nothing, except, what indeed was and ought to be all in all, sense of duty. In the Evening I expressed to Mrs. Adams all my Apprehensions:That excellent Lady, who has always encouraged me, burst into a flood of Tears, but said she was very sensible of all the Danger to her and to our Children as well as to me, but she thought I had done as I ought, she was very willing to share in all that was to come and place her trust in Providence.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Massacre
Adams had a “sense of duty” and he stood by it. What has happened to America that we no longer seem to have very many elected officials left who would take such action in the name of duty, even if it’s unpopular?
(Of course, if they Do, they get Liz Cheney and her assorted thugs to go on the attack, just by dint of carrying out one’s duty, in the name of being an honorable American, upholding the Law).
Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968, could take on an unpopular cause. He wasn’t afraid to challenge the sons and daughters of wealthy Americans, who got off from having to fight in Vietnam, whereas the poor were certainly not so lucky.
(For myself, in truth, I would not fight in Any war. War is big business and it’s hell, all in one).
Still, I have to respect RFK for pointing out this unpopular viewpoint to the children of comfort and wealth, thereby challenging them to the task and duty of facing poverty and racism in the face, Not trying to deny either one.
If Liz Cheney had been around, then, she probably would have spoken soothingly to those wealthy students studying to be doctors, insulated from having to be drafted, but then turned around and called the hippies “traitors” for opposing the horror of Vietnam.
Yes, these days, we have Liz Cheney going after trial lawyers who have taken on the unpopular cause (yet necessary task, if we are to live in a Democracy) of defending terrorist detainees.
And who is to say that many of those detainees are even guilty? Our govt. is engaged in accusing all and sundry of terrorism, according to Scott Horton, who writes about the terror that *America* is unleashing:
http://harpers.org/archive/2010/03/0082865
Well, once more, it’s a true joy to listen to Mike and Matt, and I have also, once again, learned So Much, to boot. Keep up the good work, Men!!!!!
Hour 2 of the Podcast, Comments (my comments have the “awaiting moderation” – I think because of the links, so I will take them out. One was for Wikepedia, and the other for Harpers):
RFK Jr.’s interview w/Tim Dickerson of Rolling Stone just reiterates for me something that I have a hard time accepting – that the Republicans are opposing Obama even on issues and policies that THEY previously have Strongly backed.
Given the cutthroat world of current politics, esp., the good of the country is Much Less Important than being (or becoming) the party in power – so I cannot be too surprised at the craven duplicities of the right, even though, as the interview shows, this habit of blocking Obama on stuff the right normally would back, has become ever more Extreme.
What this means, to me, is that NOTHING the Republicans say, at this point, can or Should be taken seriously. They are nothing more than a pack of liars. They lie about the values that are Supposedly so Important to them – to take down Obama and the Dems.
It’s shocking, but it shows that a 3rd party candidate is cwey necessary. Both parties are letting US down severely.
Re: Matt Filipowicz and Mike -
I really enjoy that Mike, as he says, uses “a lot of hyperbole”. I don’t know that it’s really that, even. Or rather, I think of it as *emphasis*. It’s important to not shy away from such, if one has the underlying truth of the matter straight, as Mike most certainly Does.
As for this creep, Bunning, Mike tells us that he:
*Voted for 2 wars, which were not funded (natch)
*tax breaks for millionaires (no surprise there)
*helped ship jobs overseas (well, knock me over w/a feather)
*pushed for military operations beyond Iraq and Afghanistan that weren’t funded (war and more war; it’s All these far right fools seem to want)
But now this *Dumb Bunning* doesn’t want to fund unemployment and COBRA health benefits or highways.
He’s an a$$hole, and that’s no hyperbole, that’s the simple, plain, honest truth.
Apparently, he’s senile, on top of it all. That explains much, except he sounds like ALL the Republicans, come to think of it!!!!
Mike is so on-target when he talks about how our economic situation is Definitely an employer’s paradise. Employers can make the lives of American employees more miserable than ever, and take away more benefits than ever (and for many jobs, there are few to none) and people have no choice: they Have to work to live!
Matt’s remark about how much the right hate poor people is his usual, deeply astute and insightful take on politics and the world.
Wouldn’t Bunning make a GREAT Headzup cartoon, if Matt had the *Dumb Bunning* intoning “this is a Senator’s elevator!!!” at everyone??? Matt could have Bunning take a baseball bat to the reporters trying to get on the elevator….
(I miss the Headzup cartoons being posted at RoF. They taught me much plus made me laugh).
If, as Mike says, many of the Republicans are going wacky on Cspan, just like the *Dumb Bunning*, this indicates to me how arrogant those conservative SOBs have become. They don’t even have to Pretend to care!!! (Or come across as even moderately sane, come to think of it).
As Matt says, the Republican mindset is “insane”. It IS!!!! The right is saying that we want to be unemployed, lose our homes and/or get evicted, not be able to feed our children, etc.
What a colossal load of conservative cr@p!!!!!
As Mike says:
“The class of people that’s being affected by poverty more than any other class are children.”
Do the Republicans care? NO! Most of them come off just like this senile Bunning b@st@ard. Completely in their own little world of *crazy*.
Re: Dick’s Little girl Liz Cheney -
Yes, she’s just as much an a$$hole as dear old dad. (It’s too bad, though, that she didn’t live up to Mike’s hopes for her to have a fr#ggin clue)…..
Re: the “Al Qaeda Seven” Liz Cheney is offended, I guess, that defense dept. lawyers decided to take our constitution seriously by serviing as defense attorneys for terrorist detainees -
So, now, because there are terrorists in the world, we need to throw away our entire justice system? That’s Exactly what the right wants! They don’t mind defending torture, though, do they?
Hyperbole, you say? How about the notion of calling the defense dept. the “dept. of Jihad” such as Liz & co are doing????
THAT’S not really hyperbole, though it’s an outRIGHT LIE!!!!
Mike mentioned John Quincy Adams defending the soldiers of the Boston Massacre. I guess politics has changed since the time of Adams:
“Adams’s upright and patriotic conduct in taking the unpopular side in this case met with its just reward in the following year, in the shape of his election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives by a vote of 418 to 118.”
(link would have been here; I took out)
Of course, it was by no means an easy task, what John Adams had to do. No lawyer wanted to take on defending the soldiers of the Boston Massacre, according to Wikipedia. Here is a bit of what John Adams wrote, concerning his defense of the Boston Massacre soldiers:
“”I. . .devoted myself to endless labour and Anxiety if not to infamy and death, and that for nothing, except, what indeed was and ought to be all in all, sense of duty. In the Evening I expressed to Mrs. Adams all my Apprehensions:That excellent Lady, who has always encouraged me, burst into a flood of Tears, but said she was very sensible of all the Danger to her and to our Children as well as to me, but she thought I had done as I ought, she was very willing to share in all that was to come and place her trust in Providence.”
(link would have been here; I took out)
Adams had a “sense of duty” and he stood by it. What has happened to America that we no longer seem to have very many elected officials left who would take such action in the name of duty, even if it’s unpopular?
(Of course, if they Do, they get Liz Cheney and her assorted thugs to go on the attack, just by dint of carrying out one’s duty, in the name of being an honorable American, upholding the Law).
Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968, could take on an unpopular cause. He wasn’t afraid to challenge the sons and daughters of wealthy Americans, who got off from having to fight in Vietnam, whereas the poor were certainly not so lucky.
(For myself, in truth, I would not fight in Any war. War is big business and it’s hell, all in one).
Still, I have to respect RFK for pointing out this unpopular viewpoint to the children of comfort and wealth, thereby challenging them to the task and duty of facing poverty and racism in the face, Not trying to deny either one.
If Liz Cheney had been around, then, she probably would have spoken soothingly to those wealthy students studying to be doctors, insulated from having to be drafted, but then turned around and called the hippies “traitors” for opposing the horror of Vietnam.
Yes, these days, we have Liz Cheney going after trial lawyers who have taken on the unpopular cause (yet necessary task, if we are to live in a Democracy) of defending terrorist detainees.
And who is to say that many of those detainees are even guilty? Our govt. is engaged in accusing all and sundry of terrorism, according to Scott Horton, who writes about the terror that *America* is unleashing for Harpers Magazine.
Well, once more, it’s a true joy to listen to Mike and Matt, and I have also, once again, learned So Much, to boot. Keep up the good work, Men!!!!!
Hour 1…..Very good.
To start with I heard about these idiots in LA…I believe Project Exodus. It is overt racism at it’s core. Mike covered many village idiots on this hour, that’s for sure. It goes back to none of these people considered withholding their taxes when it was to pay for Bush’s wars and tax cuts for the rich. What’s the big difference? There’s a black man in the White House.
This anti-intellectualism took root during the Bush years–when their moron-in-chief bragged about his C- average and spoke dismissively of the “fact based community.” It gave all the creedence these neandrethals needed to revel in their idiocy. Which has lead this country to totally discount science which includes evolution. People wonder why the rest of the world is passing us by technologically. For example, check out this link….how Texas Board of Education is dumbing down our children…sad part, people think it’s cool–just check the comments underneath.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/14/history-revised-teachers-sacked-the-book-wars-in-texas-and-bey/
This new pope should actually be named Pope George W. Bush II.
I don’t care how educated he is, many of his stances are backward and inhumane. How could any “man of God” quote scientific uncertainty as a reason to stick by an antiquated religious tenet rather than take the path of potentially saving 20 million lives. He has shown his willingness to stand by the victimizer of children in order to protect this flawed religious institution. Want to know how flawed the Catholic Church is? Check this link.
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/secretive-catholic-order-founded-by-accused-pedophile-under-fire/19398262
This is my biggest issue with organized religion–these churches are not run by saints, they are run by men with their own agendas and character flaws. That’s why I’m an agnostic.
Bobby was hilarious when he said “listen to show tunes and that makes you gay?” The CA legislater is no different than these relgious figures. Many are hypocrites and feel they are above reproach.
I agree with Mike and Bobby’s stance on NAFTA. I have come to question many of Bill Clinton’s political moves.
Deborah writes:
“And, Mara, what Kennedy (a lay person like you and me–as is his sister) did not say is that a dispensation pertaining to condom use is currently being considered for Africa.”
(Yes, I’m a “lay person”; what of it? If I’m a nun, does that make it more kosher for you – or, mixing up my metaphors a bit here. As for the dispensation, Great! Meanwhile, people keep dying. Oh well! At least the church can now accept that We revolve around the sun).
Deborah writes: “During this Pope’s watch, the Church also condemned Christian Zionism because it leads to endless war. That wasn’t a cowardly position to take, IMO.”
(Well, Deborah, I don’t recall saying that this position is cowardly, and I don’t see why you are dragging it into all this, unless you are attempting to show to me that the pope is not a COMPLETE FOOL or coward. Very well – point taken. That doesn’t mean he gets a free pass on his other, abysmal positions and viewpoints).
Deborah writes: “Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the Church historically has not been terribly concerned with public opinion so cowardice or bravery really isn’t an issue with the Church hierarchy. Rather, what they usually try to do is take a stand that is consistent with what they believe–even if they do sometimes get it wrong (for instance when the Church supported slavery).”
(Yes, I think they were behind Nazism, as well. Of course, the point is not whether the church – just like individuals – can make grievous mistakes of judgement – the point is whether or not they can be made to recognize their mistakes as such. If they want to keep their members they would do well to listen to dissenting voices. As for saying that bravery is not really an issue w/church hierarchy, gee, I couldn’t agree w/you more. Yet, they presume to be moral leaders. I guess you can make that work in some way; I sure can’t).
Deborah writes: “Again, you may not agree with someone and I may not agree with someone. That, however, does not make that person stupid.”
(Yes, that’s true. What makes a person a fool is the fact that they Are a fool – or acting and thinking like one).
” As a scholar myself, I would like to think that people who don’t like arguments I make would not attack me personally but, rather, my arguments. I, in turn, will hopefully do the same for my peers.”
(And yet, you take such a pedantic tone with me. I guess you are angry that I have taken on the pope. Like Chrisy, perhaps you are very catholic, or maybe it is just your disturbed mind over my use of the term “fool”. All I can say, at this point, is: much ado about very little).
Colleen writes: “This new pope should actually be named Pope George W. Bush II.”
(Too funny)!!!!!
I think, if we are to be so politically correct, that we cannot call a man who believes that condom use does Not have prevent the spread of AIDS a “fool” then we are going too far.
Deborah is free to disagree and I hope she will keep commenting, but her arguments on this are, imo, very weak ones, although well written.
I also like what you write, here, Colleen; it’s so true:
“This is my biggest issue with organized religion–these churches are not run by saints, they are run by men with their own agendas and character flaws. That’s why I’m an agnostic.”
This is Precisely what is wrong w/religion. They start to think they are Infallible. Come to think of it, that is a belief of the catholic church – that the pope (no matter How foolish he is) is infallible.
That’s absurd. It’s dangerous nonsense, as well. With such a p.o.v., no one is allowed to criticize the catholic church. It’s becoming very cult-like and maybe always has been.
I don’t take the dogma seriously. I know that religion is to true spirituality what a gnat is to a jet plane.
Some people can be both religious and spiritually honest. I think of RFK Jr. in that way, as well as other members of the Kennedy family.
G writes:
“I have virtually learn nothing about how the Bible applies to everyday life. I have no further incentive to read the Bible if the GOP and the far wing Christians allies succeed in totally re-writing the Bible where so called communist, socialism, and progressive words are completely eliminated.”
(I agree. Also, I relate to what you say concerning a religious education, such as it was, for myself. Going to catholic school, hearing the same, tedious stories. One was supposed to be horrified that all the Pagans were dancing around the golden calf, but to my young mind, it sounded a good deal more interesting – and fun – than anything that the ancient christians ever got themselves up to. We had to learn about how the early christians were martyred, but, funny enough, the good sisters never had any info on all the torturing that the church engaged in, during times of the Inquisition. Or, I don’t remember learning about that. School, like sunday mass, was always a terrible ordeal to get through and a big bore. To bore people – this is not something that is of little importance. A bright young mind needs enlightenment and honesty, not lies and boredom. The church is having so many problems because of how its conducted itself – lying and covering up – and because it attracts sick men to be priests because, in this day and age, who really wants to be a priest anyway? You have to minister to people, yet live alone. No wonder so many of them turn to alcohol, which is certainly better than turning to sexual abuse. Priests should marry, and women should become priests but the church won’t allow that. The church is antiquated and redundant. It does not speak to the modern person, for the most part. People are leaving in droves because the church is a sick, ailing institution).
Mara,
The difference between a lay person and a person in the laity might just be that a person who is a member of the laity might know WTF he or she is talking about when it comes to matters of religion and current events in the Church.
I can see very plainly that you aren’t really interested in looking at things objectively, in trying to understand why things happen. Rather, you are interested in validating your puffed-up sense of self. I noticed it when I first came on this site and read how smart you are in your own opinion, of course.
And Colleen, here is a free seminar for you to attend: Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice? http://stage.web.fordham.edu/academics/programs_at_fordham_/francis_and_ann_curr/media/anticatholicism_conf_33531.asp
I agree that Americans are hostile to intellectuals. That hostility, however, is not limited to the right. Ideologues on both sides of the political spectrum are notable for it. After all, self-stroking is much easier and far more satisfying than actually thinking and learning.
Correction:
I meant the difference between a member of the laity and a member of the clergy is…
but, again, knowing or not knowing WTF one is talking about doesn’t really seem to be too important to you, Mara. You are apparently so highly intelligent that doing pesky research is just a waste of time. Typical American.
Deborah,
Thanks for your suggestion but I think it is you that needs a seminar on anger management. For you to flip out so over the top due to this “discussion”, makes me concerned about these issues for you. It is you that has been railing irrationally without any fact based response of your own, but can accuse us of being ill-educated to comment on WHAT WE FEEL about the religious hypocrisy that exists in this world. We have not claimed to be any expert on religiosity, (damn that would be the last thing I’d want to be an expert on!!!)it is just our own personal belief systems at work here, and it is you that show the usual religious intolerance of not respecting others beliefs. That is what always comes from organized religion, the old “my religion is better than your religion” bullshit. And I can’t be accused of not believing that there are idealogues on both sides of this issue. I have stated this clearly on more than one occasion on this very board long before you ever made your first appearance here, Deborah. So it is you more than Mara or I who should be looking in the mirror of judgmental attitudes. I never addressed your beliefs directly, but you feel the right to attack mine. Who is it that has a self-stroking attitude and takes everything personally without being directly challenged? We don’t need your insulting comments toward our beliefs and we have done plenty of research into these issues that you cannot claim to know. The link I left is a fact based link. Sorry it’s the truth. BTW, I was born and raised a Catholic. I went to what is called Catechism…never liked it. I dropped all Catholicism when I was in my teens. It’s called MY CHOICE.
Part 3 Comments:
I like that Senator Maria Cantwell doesn’t want to get into the artifical driving up of carbon credits and all that. That makes sense to me. I don’t, innately, trust the “wisdom” behind cap and trade, from what I’ve read about it, even though it’s supposed to work in other countries, I guess.
It seems like cap and trade would too easily misapplied.
Mike mentions the fossil fuel free cities that are being built in the Mideast. That’s pretty amazing – they seem to recognize the concept of Peak Oil very seriously.
I like that Mike pushed Sen. Cantwell to answer the question he asked about the “fake grassroots industry” that is backed by big money. Cantwell didn’t really give a full answer, but Mike pushed this issue some more, and she sort of gave an answer.
I felt she wanted to avoid the entire thing, for some reason. Maybe she feels that arguing about the science of climate change won’t work, but, as Mike says, this is what the right is doing – changing people’s minds by questioning the science.
Because of efforts from the right, more people are questioning the legitimacy of climate change, then from previous years.
Cantwell says that many of her republican and dem colleagues see energy as a jobs issue, and that having to do something cannot be avoided.
I’m glad that Sen. Cantwell is not afraid to fight for her causes, as Mike observes.
Sen. Cantwell says that when the uninsured gets insured that reduces everyone’s costs, (but not if the health insurance ceos take all the money and keep lining their pockets, I must add).
I respect Mike’s prediction that the Dems will be in serious, serious trouble if they fail in these 2 areas of health care reform and green energy. Mike really pushed back, in this interview, and I like that.
It’s hard to gauge whether or not Sen. Cantwell was just being cautious in her remarks, or she really is trying to be an optimist, but Mike brought up many important issues.
RFK Jr.’s interview w/Dr. Boyd Haley was fascinating to listen to. I say that in complete truth. This man, Dr. Haley, had me riveted by what he was saying (it was also kind of cool that he was in a car, driving, as he was being interviewed. Hearing those trucks whiz by in the back-round had me a *bit* concerned for him).
BTW – Here’s RFK Jr.’s HuffPo article on the scandal of Dr. Poul Thorsen:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/central-figure-in-cdc-vac_b_494303.html
I was glad to hear RFK Jr. explain that new reporting mandates made the autism rates spike after it was removed from vaccines. I had actually read this in a paper that RFK Jr. wrote, but this was when I was first finding out about this issue, and as it’s complex (and hotly debated), it’s important to hear the True Facts, again and again.
RFK Jr. says that the Danish govt. required that Autism be reported as a disease, AFTER the thimerosal was removed, Plus, in addition to this: a special clinic was opened to treat autism in Copenhagen.
(Well, Of Course it’s going to seem as if the rates were inflated, but artificially so. As Bobby says, “it was just the reporting of autism” that made this a seeming increase).
According to RFK Jr. and his guest, the CDC took Thorson’s bogus study, which ignored the above points and convinced the new york times and other serious news outlets, for 9 years, that there is no link between autism and vaccines.
Horrible. I’m sure that they are Still convinced that there is no link.
Not only that, but this Thorson is a psychiatrist. How Ridiculous is That, to get a non-expert to study the issue. As Dr. Haley says, biological research is NOT the strong suit of people w/degrees in psychiatry. The CDC should be listening to Dr. Boyd Haley, not this thief, Thorson.
(RFK Jr. has gone out of a limb for so many years, championing the cause of removing mercury from vaccines and pointing out the link between Autism and mercury in vaccines. He’s to be greatly commended for that).
So much taxpayer money wasted on bogus, sham research.
I was struck by Dr. Haley’s words, here:
He called the children who have been damaged, “biochemical train wrecks”. He’s pointing to the outrage of this horror that could have been Completely Prevented.
No toxicology experts were brought in to do analysis of thimerosal, by the CDC. It’s an ongoing horror. As Dr. Haley says, concerning the infants who were poisoned w/vaccines of extremely high levels of mercury and the reason for their ensuing Autism:
“Mercury and only mercury fits the bill.”
That’s a strong statement. Here’s an even stronger one that Dr. Haley made in the interview:
“Bobby, we have people that are killing children.”
Dr. Haley said that America has the most highly vaccinated children in the world – and only Poland has a higher infant death rate than US. It’s a good question, as to Why our babies die in such numbers, second only to Poland.
It’s a National Disgrace, actually.
I am shocked that mercury is Still in vaccines. Mercury free vaccines are available, but there are far more numerous vaccines that contain mercury, and plus, you have to ask for a mercury free vaccine (and make yourself look foolish, which is sometimes hard to do).
(That’s why I like to stay as far away from the medical profession as I can. I wish, though, I had $$$ for really top quality care. Doctors don’t seem to know sh*t about a lot of important stuff, including the topic this interview covers).
This has been a very disturbing yet Extremely interesting interview and I really really REALLY admire Dr. Boyd Haley, given how intelligently he is. He was able to articulate these issues in a way that is understandable by anyone. I sense that he is a deeply ethical and caring man, as well as an excellent scientist.
I hope RoF has him back again. He’s very compelling. I believe in all that he spoke of, in this interview.
Mercury is a tough subject for me to learn about. It’s very depressing to realize that one might have quite a bit of it inside one’s body, but it would cost a great deal of money, time, effort and energy to get it removed.
Having a mouthful of dental amalgams, for instance. Who was the jerk who decided that a highly dangerous neurotoxin was safe to put inside the mouth of people? Mercury vapor Does get release, and how can that Not be dangerous?
As I say, it’s very depressing to contemplate all this, and no doubt the mercury load carried by people – including myself – only adds to that sense of despair.
Deborah writes: “but, again, knowing or not knowing WTF one is talking about doesn’t really seem to be too important to you, Mara. You are apparently so highly intelligent that doing pesky research is just a waste of time. Typical American.”
Yeah, okay. Thanks for sharing. I don’t think you have the integrity to admit that the pope is a fool when he says there is no scientific proof that using condoms prevents the spread of AIDS.
Research? Here’s some that I found:
“Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.4 million people are living with HIV in the region – around two thirds of the global total. In 2008 around 1.4 million people died from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.9 million people became infected with HIV. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 14 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS.”
(Millions upon Millions are dying, but does the pope care? If he REALLY cared, he would not oppose the use of condoms. He wouldn’t dither around on this vital issue when millions are dying).
“In the absence of massively expanded prevention, treatment and care efforts, it is expected that the AIDS death toll in sub-Saharan Africa will continue to rise.”
“Condoms play a key role in preventing HIV infection around the world.”
(Not according to the pope, If Kerry Kennedy is to be believed. I’m sure that She knows ALOT about this issue, seeing as how she actually spoke with the pope, In Person, on the issue of condom use and AIDs in Africa. So, I’m willing to believe she knows of what she has encountered, Directly, with the pope).
“Relative to the enormity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, providing condoms is cheap and cost effective. Even when condoms are available, though, there are still a number of social, cultural and practical factors that may prevent people from using them.”
(And those cultural and social reasons are often restrictions against the use of them by religious fundamentalists).
http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-africa.htm
Deborah, this is not a debate or an intellectual exercise, this is just you deciding to try to take me down a few pegs, because, as you don’t like how I come across, as you state here:
“I noticed it when I first came on this site and read how smart you are in your own opinion, of course.”
Knowledge is not your interest, here. You just resent me and you are showing your true colors on that. You have not put forth any convincing arguments.
I don’t respect scholarship in and of itself. In fact, it can be intellectualism, not truth or wisdom of even knowledge. Intellectualism strikes me as a way to enable people to distance themselves from reality.
Throw enough words at it, and talk about “research” and maybe the fact that the pope is against condom use for the MILLIONS who are DYING in Africa can seem okay.
Dancing around the perimeter of the truth is something we are all instructed in, from the earliest days. I get so damn tired of it. If you do enough “research” and everything can be denied, or upheld, but what is the TRUTH?
If the truth is that condom use prevents the spread of AIDS then NOTHING can change that.
Condoms also prevent unwanted pregnancies. The catholic church goes insane over the abortion issue. The sheer lunacy and hypocrisy of then opposing condom use. How crazy is that?
I meant to write: OR even knowledge, not OF even knowledge.
Also, Deborah, there have been many times when I will say, here, that I haven’t a clue on something, so I am not the egoist you call me.
Do I have strong opinions? Of course I do, and I am not shy about stating them. In my everyday life, I feel like I am muzzled. I have to go around constantly censoring myself, and it drains me, but if i don’t, I could lose my job and plus, I would be scorned. Even so, I have a tough time not speaking my mind. I want to cut through the cr@p that people fling at every damn thing, to try to obfuscate the truth.
That’s what I like Mike P so much. He’s SO Opinionated!!!!
Naturally, it helps that I agree w/just about ALL he says.
I don’t feel that being opinionated, in and of itself, is so great. Lots of people can shoot off their mouths or write stuff, but Mike is onto the truth.
I know he is. I can fee it, deep within my soul. It’s the truth that, in real life, is covered up.
I hate how we must constantly shy away from the truth.
Mike, because of his position, doesn’t have to mince words.
I’m in awe of Mike. Hearing the truth is like being parched for water, and then encountering a river. The voices of repression – they are legion.
Oh dear, I meant to write: I can Feel the truth, not Fee it. Although, the fee for Hearing the truth is very modest, at least when it comes to RoF.
The fee – for the podcasts – is well worth paying if one can swing it.
Hour 2
Tim Dickinson….he was correct about the issue being Obama’s race. When it comes to the Republicans, that’s all it’s about. They are going crazy because of who is in the White House-that’s why they block everything he tries. Republicans like staying in the Dark Ages. Tea Baggers–same thing–race.
Palin getting health care from Canada? More hypocracy. Last I heard, she was getting her own reality show—puke!
Matt F.’s segment–I heard alot about Bunning watching Keith and Rachel. Yes, he’s insane. I think Mike is right. After he retires, he will go quickly.
What’s this Tom Delay says? Americans don’t want to work? Try saying that to my husband you a-hole!!!!
Tom Delay should be in prison…not on “Dancing with the Stars” or FOX noise!!!! He is the last person to have anything to say. He is another example of the Obama DOJ protecting the Bush crime regime.
As for Liz Cheney….I heard enough about her on Keith and Rachel as well. You bet the apple don’t fall too far from the tree. She’s Dick Cheney all over again. Pure evil. She should just go away but as you know, people like her never do. As Matt says, if our media was like it was in the days of Walter Cronkite, the stuff that is said would be called out. I think Walter is spinning in his grave. This Liz Cheney–she looks like Tonya Harding–nuff said.
PS….I hope Mike is right in his prediction of Wolf Blitzer. That guy is a total loser.
Deborah writes:
“As a scholar myself, I would like to think that people who don’t like arguments I make would not attack me personally but, rather, my arguments. I, in turn, will hopefully do the same for my peers.”
“you are interested in validating your puffed-up sense of self. I noticed it when I first came on this site and read how smart you are in your own opinion, of course.”
“but, again, knowing or not knowing WTF one is talking about doesn’t really seem to be too important to you, Mara. You are apparently so highly intelligent that doing pesky research is just a waste of time.
“Typical American.”
In essence, Deborah, who says she is simply arguing for the pure love of *facts* is calling me an idiot because I called the pope a *fool* (which, imo, he most Certainly is).
I love how she says she doesn’t go on the attack, in *personal* ways, then proceeds to do just that.
I’m the first one to criticize my fellow Americans for digging their heads in the sand, but that’s not what Deborah’s attack on me is about.
It has nothing to do w/the facts. She just doesn’t like me. I’m obviously much below being a “peer” of hers, which is why she feels free to be so contemptuous, and as an American, she can project all the lesser qualities of my countrymen onto me
That’s convenient, but it sure is not an effective argument.
Just so everyone knows – Ross is a local sandwich shop owner here in Pensacola. He’s been obsessed with Pap since he started doing radio and TV. He writes blogs about him, comments on all his posts on the PNJ, and generally makes it a point to keep track of everything Mike is doing. He’s basically an online stalker who claims to despise Pap and yet can’t stop discussing his actions.
Thank you Farron for calling out Ross!!!! Right on! I have been to the PNJ web site a few times and I saw his gravatar there. Dead give away, you think? Here he’s “Ross”–on PNJ he’s “hoagie”, I’ve noticed. Maybe it would’ve helped if he had not used the same gravatar on PNJ that he does here? Duh? One poster on PNJ wrote about all the violations of his crappy sandwich shop. Ross claims to hate Mike? I grew up with an old saying that fits Ross and it goes like this- “You must like him, because you keep talking about him.”
Hour 3
From what I heard here, this Maria Cantwell doesn’t get it. She wasn’t hearing Mike at all. Mike said right out that the Democratic party appears to be clueless of the urgency of getting key legislation passed, namely health care at this point. What it continues to say is the point Mike makes that the people inside the Beltway are tone deaf to the mood of the electorate. She may be one of those who understands the need to show the voters they deserve to remain in the majority but many are not being spurred to action. Mike told her right out that the Democratic party is in trouble for November if nothing of worth gets accomplished. We will have Republicans all over again.
Bobby’s interview with Dr. Haley very informative. Dr. Haley pointed out that our kids are the most vaccinated and we have the second highest infant mortality rate in the world. That would be a clue that there IS a problem. Dr. Haley said this equals killing kids. Where is the right wing’s rage on that score? But that is the right wing all over. Insist on life at all costs but then don’t care about them after their born. This is exactly why I NEVER get a flu shot. I don’t want that mercury in my system.
Farron, thanks so much for the info on Ross; it’s very helpful. I feel bad that Mike (or any other public figure) often has to deal with such creepy types as Ross/Hoagie.
Jeez. People like Ross need to get a grip.
Chrisy, in all the “hoopla” w/Deborah, your comments sort of got sidelined.
You and I have frequently disagreed on topics, particularly concerning the catholic church. Still, although we’ve fought w/each other, we can both not pull rank on each other as in: I am smarter than you, etc.
That’s the feeling I get, from you, at any rate.
You write:
“I hope that people will not get mad at me for saying what I honestly think. It is not my place as a Catholic to tell the Pope what he must do, but it is the Pope who tells us as Catholics what to believe as Catholics.”
I respect where you are coming from, but, at the risk of putting more logs on the fire….I think this is a big mistake in the church, and makes it very cult-like. In cults, one cannot question, as you certainly know
Infallibility on the pope’s part has Got to go. It’s a sham. I don’t believe, for one second, that the pople or *any Human Being* is infallible. It’s just not possible, and using religion as a cover for trying to convince your followers that you Are infallible is a set-up for a huge amount of abuse to go on, unchecked.
It’s sad. It is what drives many away from the church – any church, really, but esp. one as doctrinaire as the catholic church.
I write this w/respect for you, Chrisy. Maybe we will argue as heatedly as my exchange w/Deborah, but maybe not.
I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em. It’s MY opinion, and I stand by it. Someone has to be a truth-teller in this world. As many of us as possible. I tell the truth, as I see it, and I base my truth on observation and humane values.
Do I have strong opinions? Of course I do, and I am not shy about stating them. In my everyday life, I feel like I am muzzled. I have to go around constantly censoring myself, and it drains me, but if i don’t, I could lose my job and plus, I would be scorned. Even so, I have a tough time not speaking my mind. I want to cut through the cr@p that people fling at every damn thing, to try to obfuscate the truth,
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You have my total empathy, Mara. I feel that way in life with people at both home and at work. If there was such a thing as reincarnation, I would do it differently because I would learn my lesson from my previous life.
You want facts. How about the unemployment rate in this country? Why don’t our church leaders do a thing about that? They will not get a steady supply of money from their members if they are out of work. Church leaders should put pressure on the CEOs, but then again, the CEOs think that they are God and answer to no one.
Farron, I went to Ross’ website and he is also spilling out the same garbage that our top right winger political and business leaders are saying. Colleen, Mara, and I had a run in with him a few articles ago, and we kick his butt real good with real facts and figures. I told Ross that if he read the medical reports, court transcipts, and saw the pictures of the babies affect by the pollution in West Virginia, he would up chuck his stomach. Ross is the kind of guy who will argue about anything and everything that is favors the few rich people and corporations at the expense of the rest of us. Trouble is that there are too many of them out there and they occupied too many key positions in this country.
How and where do you find Ross on PNJ website anyway?
Regarding the infalliability of the Pope, I agree that has got to go. A long time ago, there was a thing called “divine right” which was a doctrine stating that monarchs derive their right to rule directly from God and are accountable only to God. Unfortunately, it gave members of the royal families to abuse their subjects and end result was many of them ended up on the chopping block or force to abdicated.
G,
Extremely Perceptive!!!!!
I cannot stand the yoke of “infallibility”. It’s as arrogant as anything is likely to be, in this world. It’s a terrible set-up for corruption. When we, either as believers or “subjects” (one in the same) give credence to this notion, we allow our own truth and insight to be trampled on. There is No Such Thing as “infallibility”. It doesn’t exist.
No representation of God could, as human, EVER be “infallible”, and if we are going to worship a “sun king” who is part immortal, then we had best be prepared to give up our right to speak our minds and live our lifes in (relative) freedom.
Btw – Mike’s column can be found here:
http://www.pnj.com/section/OPINION