GOP Split Over Government Shutdown To Block Obamacare, Holder Promises Not To Execute Snowden if Russia Sends Him Back, Feds Celebrate Washington Pot Legalization With Raids: P.M. Links

• 

  San Diego

  Republican members of Congress are split over forcing a full government shutdown to block Obamacare. I vote: go for it.

• Please send Edward Snowden to us, Eric Holder tells Russia. We promise we won't kill him!
• Deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is being charged with conspiracy and espionage over his supposed ties to Hamas.
• GOP lawmakers from Pennsylvania are all for NSA data collection but opposed to Obamacare data collection. Consistency…hobgoblin…etc.
• As women start taking numbers to file complaints against San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, pressure builds for him to resign. He says he'll try some therapy. Hands-on, we assume.
• Marijuana is legal in the state of Washington, you say? Ha! The feds raid dispensaries, anyway.
• Another juror in the Zimmerman trial has spoken out, saying the defendant "got away with murder," even though that's the charge on which she found him "not guilty." Another juror already said she thought Zimmerman was justified.
• Eliot Spitzer's wife back him on the campaign trail? Doesn't look like it's going to happen before she's finished filling out those divorce papers.

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Comments

[Joe M]

Please send Edward Snowden to us, Eric Holder tells Russia. We promise we won’t kill him!

He’ll get better.

[Ted S.]

Yeah, Holder will just put in him solitary for the rest of his life.

[Invisible Finger]

“suicide watch” for MSM consumption.

[Aresen]

I almost vomited when I read that story.

Snowden should return only after Obama, Bush, Holder, Yoo, Cheney, and a score of others are already in jail cells.

[A Serious Man]

Marijuana is legal in the state of Washington, you say? Ha! The feds raid dispensaries, anyway.

Because fuck you, that’s why!

[Episiarch]

And I guess we have our answer from the DOJ.

[SweatingGin]

Don’t worry, in his second term, Obama will actually stop those raids. Maybe even have DOJ remove it from schedule 1.

[Episiarch]

I want to see what the reactions from the mayor and the governor are, to be honest.

[Gojira]

Actually the raids didn’t happen, because Dunphy confidently assured us that since Washington State is libertarian paradise, the feds weren’t going to do anything.

[Episiarch]

The fucked up thing is that they went after a medical place which has been legal for years, way before recreational use was legalized, and before the State Liquor Board has officially outlined the rules for selling.

Fuck the feds.

[Gojira]

That’s what you get for living there. This is indirectly your fault.

[SweatingGin]

“Sorry I made you hit me again. I’ll do better next time”

[Enough About Palin]

“I want to see what the reactions from the mayor and the governor are, to be honest.”

I want to see what the reactions from Harold and Kumar are.

[Sevo]

“I want to see what the reactions from Harold and Kumar are.”

They’ll polish their Obama bumperstickers.

[Sevo]

SweatingGin| 7.26.13 @ 4:33PM |#
“Don’t worry, in his second term, Obama will actually stop those raids. Maybe even have DOJ remove it from schedule 1.”

He WANTS to! He really DOES (sob)! But he can’t cause BUUUUUSH! Don’t you see????

[Stormy Dragon]

GAAH! at the photo.

[NeonCat]

I thought the photo of Rep. King was creepy, but Jesus! How did this man EVER get elected?

[jesse.in.mb]

He’s a hugger. It’s what makes him so personable.

[Brett L]

Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

[Bobarian]

Just staring him in the eyes constitutes sexual harrasssment

[ant1sthenes]

He looks more like a windowlicker.

[Ice Nine]

You guys keep talking about lizard people here, pretty soon one’s bound to show up.

[Tonio]

That’s the thing about the reptilians, Icey, you never know unless they want you to know.

[Stormy Dragon]

It reminds me of the scene in MiB where the roach thing is wearing Edgar’s skin and someone comments on him looking weird and he pulls tries to readjust his face and goes “IS THIS BETTER?”

He had that exact same stretching look at the corners of the eyes and mouth as this guy does.

[Aresen]

That face rates an upgrade from “punchable” to “capriole”.

[Entropy Void]

Anybody else notice the resemblance between Filner and Disney’s Stitch?
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i…..8178799184

[Joe M]

Brown man lets down Cleveland one more time.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Latest edits to the Reason Magazine Wiki Page:

The Hit and Run (also known as “Hit & Run” when known but unfixed bugs in Reason’s web software, known as “server squirrels”, allow ampersands) community is a well known fever swamp of paranoid conspiracy theory, anonymous advertising posts by ‘bots’, evaluations of Nick Gillespie’s sartorial choices, anti-government extremism, and performance art where denizens compare each other to sex offending Yeti or make each other the subject of time travel stories that would make H. P. Lovecraft blush. Running memes include “salty ham tears”, the Cleveland Browns serving as pall bearers, “Lobster Girl”, Asian fetish cross-dressing, and the impact of The Golden Girls on one’s sexuality. The anonymous ‘bot’ postings are arguably the most intelligent contributions to H&R discussions. H&R is also home to numerous trolls that are suspected of being the Reason editors attempting to make Progressives and Conservatives look bad by making deliberately stupid arguments in their names.

[SugarFree]

STEVE SMITH NO YETI!!! STEVE SMITH RAPE TORSO LONG TIME!!!

[Gojira]

I forgot about Lobster Girl.

[Mad Scientist]

FORGOT about lobster girl!? Does your girlfriend know about your blatant homosexuality?

[Gojira]

…yes. Yes she does.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

No side boob for you!
–Side Boob Nazi

[NeonCat]

I haven’t seen a “salty ham tear” reference in a while. As a paranoid conspiracy theorist, I suspect there’s a plot behind it.

[SweatingGin]

Well, yea, but you wrote that.

Wonder how long it stands?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Every word of it is true, isn’t it?

[Episiarch]

So Tagliaferro is Mary?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

I thought Tagliaferro was dead Suki.

[General Butt Naked]

That’s that guy’s name. I forgot it.

[Zakalwe]

Now someone needs to add a section on the genius that is Reason 24-7.

[rac3rx]

[rac3rx]

WTH?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Which is why there is a reference to the server squirrels on the wiki page.

[Zakalwe]

Forbidden symbol? Ampersands have been given us, but so much is still verboten.

[gaijin]

How’s come the ‘History’ section of that entry doesn’t list Tuccille as a writer? Someone get on that, willya!

[Tonio]

And in all honesty, HP Lovecraft was a bit of a prude, so probably not easy to make him blush.

[NeonCat]

NOT easy?

[Tonio]

probably not difficult

[ant1sthenes]

I think it would have been difficult, since he would skip discomfort and embarrassment and go straight to gut-wrenching disgust or existential horror.

[NeonCat]

But he would still blush, just in a very erudite, wordy way.

[John]

No Tow the Lion?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Added.

[kinnath]

Tow, the Blue Lion

[Clich? Bandit]

Seriously..No Fosdick reference…C’MON:
Pizza, circumcision, gaming, BEER..this board is soo much more complex.

[Mad Scientist]

It was more complex when Postrel was in charge.

[Zakalwe]

You know who else people reminisce about being in charge?

[Mad Scientist]

FDR?

[Mad Scientist]

FDR?

[Episiarch]

A little girl named Newt?

[sloopyinca]

The Romans?

[Clich? Bandit]

EXACTLY!

[Ted S.]

I presume most of us here find this description funny?

[Tonio]

Fever swamp. I like that and am proud to be part of it. Well done, everyone.

[Generic Stranger]

It’s been reverted already.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Some asshole in Pennsylvania reverted it.

[SweatingGin]

And… it’s gone.

It was nice while it lasted. You might be able to get some of the edits to stick around at Rational Wiki

[Irish]

The things rational wiki already says are more insane than anything I could make up.

They have an entire page trying to argue that Somalia is libertarian. Things that we say as jokes are taken seriously by the mouth breathing idiots who post at Rational Wiki.

[Eduard van Haalen]

“Despite this entreaty to civility, Hit & Run’s reader commentary remains — in keeping with anarchistic principles — uncivil, disorderly and almost entirely off-topic at all times. However, and despite the claim that comments are unmoderated, ideological dissidents are now routinely censored, IP-banned and “disappeared,” Chile-style, in the Hit & Run chatrooms, to the general — albeit grudging — approval of the still-devoted anarcho-libertarian commentariat. Whoops.”

Which dissenters? American? Who else?

[Zakalwe]

Alleged Mary clones. I was banned for a few hours on my first day and accused of being a Mary clone when I engaged in some deliberate trolling by exaggerating my anti-immigration political preferences and being mean to John.

[Tonio]

If being mean to John were an actual thing, I’d have been banned repeatedly. Double-secret banned, in fact. Yet here I am.

However, trolling as she-who-shall-not-be-named is unforgivable.

[ant1sthenes]

H&R isn’t anarchy, it’s a very (but not infinitely) indulgent dictatorship.

[Damned Fool]

If you have to refer to yourself as “rational,” you probably aren’t.

[Knarf Yenrab (prev. An0nB0t)]

Oh, come on. How else would you possibly signify that you’re better, smarter, and, most importantly, cooler than all of the irrational people?

[Enough About Palin]

“The comments section on Reason.com’s “Hit & Run” page rivals Yahoo! News and YouTube for being the worst hive of scum and villainy on the Internet”

I fucking resemble that remark!

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Thanks to the Rational Wiki, I found this.

[Irish]

HAHAHAHAH! I’m pretty sure that was actually made by Mary. Is it possible that Rational Wiki’s H&R page was actually written by Mary? That would make sense.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

My favorite of those videos is by far “Libertarians are Comical Geniuses”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..xo07WWxLLk

Is it wrong that I find her videos funny and delightful?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

My favorite of those videos is by far “Libertarians are Comical Geniuses”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..xo07WWxLLk

Is it wrong that I find her videos funny and delightful?

[Irish]

In fairness, a lot of people here do fall back on inside jokes and H&R memes instead of actual humor.

I feel like that’s true of any forum or chat room though, so acting like it’s just us is absurd.

[Killazontherun]

That one cracked me up. even a stopped clock will shoot a cop twice a day.

[Joe M]

Wow, that site is a joke.

[Warrren]

Some idioter changed it back.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Someone in Equinunk ,PA or Beach Lake, PA.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

My next edit will go into detail about how everyone in Equinunk is overcompensating for a tiny penis.

[General Butt Naked]

What ever happened to Suki and her handler, John Somethingorother?

Gawd, she(he) was tiresome.

[CE]

I’m glad they think I’m an anonymous “bot”.

[Joe M]

Hell yes. Anyone else getting a bit excited?

Rand Paul top pick for Republicans in 2016

The Public Policy Polling poll found Paul leading with 16 percent of Republican primary voters saying they would vote for him if the election were today. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan tie for second place with 13 percent. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is at 12 percent, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio trails at 10 percent.

[Bam!]

But Christie called him dangerous, right after hugging Barack Obama.

[ant1sthenes]

He’s a hugger.

[Stormy Dragon]

A man in Cleveland has requested that Rand Paul be the Republican Party Nominee, so that the party can let him down one more time.

Seriously, I want to like Rand Paul, but I know that if I get attached, I’ll just end up disappointed again. Either he’ll lose the nomination to the bastard love child of Rick Santorum and Steve King, or he’ll win and turn out to have been a statist theocon all along.

[Joe M]

If you’re afraid to get hurt, you’ll never be able to truly love. I’d rather go all in and get burned than miss the first chance in my lifetime for a half-decent president.

[Stormy Dragon]

Despair is my only lover now.

[CE]

If you’re excited by “leading with 16 percent” you must have forgotten 2012 already…. 16 percent doesn’t win. Neither does 28 percent, or 31 percent.

[Joe M]

Ron Paul never lead the national polls. He briefly led in Iowa and maybe one or two other states. Rand is leading consistently. He’s also much better received by the powers that be and is playing the game a lot better.

[A Serious Man]

Please send Edward Snowden to us, Eric Holder tells Russia. We promise we won’t kill him!

The Attorney General also promised that he would not personally sodomize Snowden’s mother, because it’s normal for the government to guarantee they won’t do something that’s illegal.

[Eduard van Haalen]

I think he meant the death penalty, which *is* legal. Though extremely difficult to enforce in America.

[Zakalwe]

I now have a life size Archer cardboard cutout standing in the corner of my home office because why not. It’ll all be worth it the first time a cop raids my house, walks in and starts shooting the thing.

[A Serious Man]

It should be a cutout of Cheryl Tunt.

[Zakalwe]

That’s my Real Doll. The neck grooves cost extra.

[Tonio]

Dude…

[Zakalwe]

I know. My shrink says I’m in the danger zone.

[Mark Markson]

Great article, I totally agree!

As I was telling Nicole, if you can deep throat at least 15cm (6 in) of male penis, you can earn up to $10,000 per month broadcasting from your laptop at home.

Learn more at http://www.workfromhomesolutions.com

[Auric Demonocles]

Sorry but Nicole’s not the one who has been going on and on about dick lately. That’s Kristen.

[Episiarch]

Dude, you’re missing the point: $10,000 per month!!!

[John]

Is her b/f out of town or something?

[Zakalwe]

“…asking for a friend.”

[Auric Demonocles]

I think he’s coming into town or something. I haven’t been paying that much attention to it, but it sounds like she’s planning some big orgy with fellow H&R folks in the DC area. I even thought you said you were going.

[John]

I said I was. But if it is an orgy, I am sure I will be disinvited if I haven’t already have been.

[Gojira]

I appreciate that the measurements were given in metric, and imperial standard.

Also, why specify the male penis? Is there a female variety?

I think American may have a point. These clearly english-as-second-language bots are weird and off-putting.

[Rhywun]

He’s fitting in around here just fine, isn’t he.

[gaijin]

if you can deep throat at least 15cm (6 in)

who can’t?

[Tonio]

Thank you, Jimbo.

[Episiarch]

THAT’S NOT JJ TONIO

[Joe M]

These g-js all look the same to him.

[jesse.in.mb]

People afflicted with severe TMJ?

[Enough About Palin]

My neighbors two-month-old baby has yet to hit the mark.

[All-Seeing Monocle]

“male” penis?

[Tonio]

Well, ovipositors are pretty penile.

[Bobarian]

“male” penis?

Yes, how does this affect Warty?

[rts]

Last night’s DocZone’s episode Wind Rush was a pretty critical look at the wind industry, including its negative effects on health, property values and they even mentioned the subsidies required to make it competitive as a negative.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

They completely glossed over the necessity for wind to have backup generation which provides 70%+ of the actual rated output of the wind farm. Or that without massive subsidies these things would never be built because they don’t provide cheap power. Nowhere that renewables have been installed over conventional power plants has electricity prices come down. They are just a super expensive way to run a natural gas turbine when you really break it down.

[mad libertarian guy]

How about dead birds by the hundreds of thousands per annum, including various endangered raptors?

It happens about once a month here, on the barren foothills of one of America’s green-energy boomtowns: A soaring golden eagle slams into a wind farm’s spinning turbine and falls, mangled and lifeless, to the ground.

Killing these iconic birds is not just an irreplaceable loss for a vulnerable species. It’s also a federal crime, a charge that the Obama administration has used to prosecute oil companies when birds drown in their waste pits, and power companies when birds are electrocuted by their power lines.

But the administration has never fined or prosecuted a wind-energy company, even those that flout the law repeatedly. Instead, the government is shielding the industry from liability and helping keep the scope of the deaths secret.

[. . .]

The result is a green industry that’s allowed to do not-so-green things. It kills protected species with impunity and conceals the environmental consequences of sprawling wind farms.

More than 573,000 birds are killed by the country’s wind farms each year, including 83,000 hunting birds such as hawks, falcons and eagles, according to an estimate published in March in the peer-reviewed Wildlife Society Bulletin.

It’s almost like protecting the environment from real, measureable harm isn’t a priority.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

BUT ITS GREEEEN SO YOU MUST BE LYING!!!!!!!!

[rts]

IIRC that got only a passing mention, as the main focus was on the ill effects on people and neighbourhoods.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

The most significant ill effect is the resulting increase in electricity prices which was, as I said above, not given any air time.

[rts]

Well, sure. I’m just glad to see anything outside of the green Orthodoxy on the CBC. I takes what I can gets.

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

True. I was surprised to see them doing any criticizing but they still ignored the actual important issues to do with energy production and keeping a stable grid (because it shows how ineffective wind power is).

[rts]

If you click on the Pro/Cons infographic, they do mention the subsidies and higher cost versus natural gas and nuclear as a con.

[jesse.in.mb]

I seem to remember reading that it was causing local shifts in climate or something in Palm Springs (not the article I read originally but on the same topic).

[Warrren]

If they can’t evolve to be able to get out of the way they deserve it!

/Tulpa

[CE]

The “wind industry”? I thought that stuff just blew. Someone makes it?

[A Serious Man]

French legislature repeals law that penalized people for insulting the president.

Well in that case: Fran?ois Hollande peut aller baiser une ch?vre!

[DJF]

His mother was a hamster and his father smelt of elderberries.

[rts]

‘Fantastic Four’ depart B.C. with $100M in movie revenue

Peter Leitch, the president of North Shore Studios, said Thursday The Fantastic Four Reboot has moved production to Louisiana because of the lucrative tax incentives offered in that state.

…

B.C. offers a 33 per cent subsidy on labour and other incentives if the filming is done outside of Metro Vancouver or is for visual effects work.

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Was this the musical?

[Zakalwe]

Is it just me, or is this actually good?

[NeonCat]

“It’s fleeing town with tax money time!”

[rts]

My plane leaves in less than one minute.

[CE]

Somehow I doubt they will do better than Jessica Alba.

[sloopyinca]

What I don’t understand is if a police chief comes out and says an officer used excessive force, why does that officer not have charges hanging over his head?

Oh, that’s right. That due process cops enjoy affords them an opportunity to take a vacation instead of face assault and battery charges when they clearly violate the fucking law.

[sloopyinca]

The brave heroes of PoliceOne chime in on the situation.

[PH2050]

How they toss around the word “brother” seems very creepy to me. Collectivists gonna collectivize.

[Pro Libertate]

I absolutely think the GOP should go balls to the wall in trying to kill Obamacare and any other bullshit government programs they have the guts to attack.

[andarm16]

Why would they do something so non serious. Everyone knows that all serious people support ObamaCare.

[Irish]

I also think the GOP probably wants Obamacare to implode and don’t want to take this albatross away from the Democrats.

The Obamacare disaster could yield serious dividends to the Republicans.

[Pro Libertate]

Perhaps it’s time for the GOP to cast aside seriousness.

[andarm16]

But MSNBC keeps telling them that the country has undergone a demographic shift, and that conservatives can’t ever win again.

[Pro Libertate]

That’s where they screw up–believing such nonsense.

[Zeb]

Just like in 2002 when the Republicans established a permanent majority.

[Pro Libertate]

I know, it’s like all of this wasn’t said in great detail in reverse. Heck, they were saying that during Clinton’s second term, since he had to shift so far right in response to 1994.

There are two truths. The first is that neither party is very competent, either at political campaigns or at governing. The second is that the other party is always the alternative to the incompetence of the first party.

So long as the second is true, we’ll continue to go back and forth. If a third party ever successfully rises and holds on, that may change, though I think history suggests it will just replace or be co-opted by one of the two majors.

[CE]

They don’t need Obamacare as an excuse to shut down the fedgov. Prove the liberals right and shut it down for no reason at all.

[Auric Demonocles]

Republican members of Congress are split over forcing a full government shutdown to block Obamacare. I vote: go for it.

Might as well. They already get blamed for obstructinating everything with their evil obstructinating evilness anyway.

[Pro Libertate]

That’s one reason. The other is that Obamacare gives a majority of people the shakes, and I think a significant percentage just want some end to all of the madness.

[John]

Make Obama and Reid shut the government down to fund a law everyone hates.

[Mad Scientist]

It would be hillarious to watch Obama argue that he can implement it anyway.

[Pro Libertate]

Even these days, that would probably be a bridge too far. Like I said earlier, we’re in the at? phase of his presidency right now. Next, nemesis.

[John]

A shut down would hurt Democrats much worse. They really are the party of stupid. All of those government employees who won’t be getting a paycheck generally don’t vote Republican. And all of those regulations that won’t be being enforced were not created to benefit GOP voters. No one but the Dems and their base will feel any pain. But they are still terrified to do it because people in the media will say mean things about them.

[Pro Libertate]

There’s a great point in there–the GOP leadership does worry about the media too much. Why bother? They’re going to either trash you or damn you with faint praise, anyway, so fuck ’em.

[Auric Demonocles]

And as I pointed out, they already are getting bashed.

[Pro Libertate]

Exactly. Nothing to lose, all sorts of stuff to gain.

[andarm16]

You have to think like a serious Republican. All Serious Republicans know that they are just one itty bitty move to the left away from being media darlings, and the only reason that Romney didn’t win was that he had that nasty libertarian fiscal conservative Ryan running with him.

[Pro Libertate]

It’s like this one hurdle they simply can’t jump. It makes no sense at all.

[CE]

Actually, Ryan did hurt him.

[General Butt Naked]

If you assume that republican politicians are just big government stooges, their actions make much more sense.

If you instead assume that they’d really like there to be a free market and a small government, you have to come up with a whole new group of assumptions to explain their behavior.

[A Serious Man]

Glenn Greenwald will testify before Congress via video link on NSA surveillance.

Yeah, I don’t think he would be able to come to the US.

[John]

In all seriousness, what will he have to say?

[A Serious Man]

Grayson actually seems determined to ask about discrepancies between Greenwald’s reporting on NSA surveillance and what the government has said.

[NeonCat]

Soon you could have gold in your heart (if you have a bad heart).

I’m sure it will be de rigueur for libertarians in the future if not as visible as monocles. I wonder if it will set off metal scanners. “Oh, it must be the gold nanofibers in my heart.”

[ant1sthenes]

Required surgery for ladies of negotiable affection who aspire to something better.

[ant1sthenes]

Oh dear. Apparently it was researchers in Tel Aviv who discovered how to patch gold into the human heart. Way to play to stereotypes, guys.

[Zakalwe]

You know who else was fond of body parts with gold in them?

[Nazdrakke]

2LiveCrew?

[CE]

Goldfinger?

[sloopyinca]

And in other double-standard news, a Denver man has been awarded $40,000 in damages for a beating he took at the hands of a deputy.

But the deputy’s family will not lose their breadwinner, as the officer that committed the assault was terminated instead of criminally prosecuted.* Taxpayers, on the other hand, have not been notified of their options on whether or not they will be forced to pay for the crime.

*A fate worse than death to a cop, as we’ve been told.

[Auric Demonocles]

I assume there’s going to be another H&R NFL pick ’em this year (though maybe we should figure out the scoring a bit more concretely beforehand). Would anyone else kind of like to have a second one where you have to make all the picks before the season starts?

[Episiarch]

Here’s my pick: the Seahawks.

[Pro Libertate]

Wrong.

[Episiarch]

You’re right. I should have picked the Buccaneers.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Pro Libertate]

You’re oddly delusional about that team for a transplant.

The Bucs? Offense should be very good. The defense is a question mark, but it’s definitely improved. I think 10-11 wins if they avoid any major injuries or fuck-ups. Might be enough to get to the playoffs, anyway.

[Warrren]

Stop going back in time to post what I’m about to say.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Depends which Josh Freeman shows up.

[Pro Libertate]

That, too. But he couldn’t have it easier with possibly the best O-line in the game, at least a couple good receivers, and an excellent running back. But he’s a bit of a headcase or something, so there’s no telling.

[Warrren]

I’ve listened to several of his appearances on the local radio station and he sounds very intelligent and skilled at game prep. and he has the physical skills so he should not have a problem winning games.

And historically the Bucs have been just awful at offensive* play-calling. So maybe they’ve gotten better there as well.

This is the first I’ve heard of him being a headcase though. So ummm…don’t know where that will lead.

*And late game defensive play calling. For example last year against RGIII and the Skins.

[Pro Libertate]

Well, maybe I overstated my problems with Freeman. He’s inconsistent in a dramatic way. My problem with him all along, even in his good season, is that he’s not super accurate.

[Episiarch]

You do realize the destruction the Seahawks delivered to a bunch of teams last year, right, and that with a rookie QB and needing the first half to warm up?

[Pro Libertate]

Losing to the Cardinals, the Rams, the Dolphins. . .any other crappy teams I’m forgetting?

I think they’re a good team, but they’re not great. They may get there, but I don’t think the pieces are all there yet.

I’ll give them one thing–they’re at least trying to play defense. It makes me ill how bad defense is in the league right now. Even the good defenses, like, say, San Francisco, aren’t all that great. Part of it is the rules and officiating, but it’s also some weird obsession with throwing the ball. Bring back an emphasis on defense, and that won’t work.

[Warrren]

Better defense comes from the secondary being able to do their job. Stop all this touchy-feely PI crap and let them be more physical with receivers and defense will get better.

[Warrren]

I had quite forgotten about all that. Still though they can’t seem to finish.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I forget where I read it but someone made a point that he’s still really young. He’s been around for a while but is still 25 (or so, too lazy to check). Based on nothing at all, I would say quarterbacks begin to peak around then. Which makes what the “gang of four” did last year even more impressive.

F’ing Kaepernick.

[Warrren]

The Bucs improved a lot last year. I don’t think they are SB capable yet but a winning record is not out of the question.

[Pro Libertate]

That’s what I think. They could prove better than I expect, but with the uncertainties about how the defense will perform, coupled with some depth issues, I’m sticking with near-playoff to maybe making it. Beyond that is unlikely this year, unless the planets align.

One additional problem for the Seahawks is Harvin. They really needed that explosiveness.

[sloopyinca]

Well, I know one thing. the Browns will be letting…

nevermind.

[Pro Libertate]

No, this is their year. I mean, they won the Super Bowl last year, after all.

[Warrren]

I just let some browns down….

[CE]

Colts.

[Warrren]

Ha ha ha.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I am conflicted about my Packers. I think both the Niners and the Seahawks will be very tough to beat. But with the two new RBs their offense could be amazing if the line stays injury-free. And if Nick Perry and Datone Jones can contribute, the defense could be as good as it was in 2010. After last year, I’m tempering my expectations but would not be surprised if they’re great. Week 1 will be interesting.

[Pro Libertate]

It’s the defense that will kill them. I don’t think they’ve solved that problem yet.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I tend to agree, but like I said, am hopeful about Jones and Perry taking away attention from Matthews. The secondary has some playmakers, but the inside LBs are crap. I am praying for more pressure on the QB leading to more turnovers, which was the key to success in 2009 and 2010.

[Pro Libertate]

Never know. Sometimes, players just suddenly start getting it and things come together. Some crappy defenses have miraculously become decent the next year.

[sloopyinca]

Get off my Kool-Aid!

The Reason Hit & Run J sub D Memorial is all that keeps me respected here. Were it not for the interest in that league, I’d be the laughingstock dunphy makes me out to be.

[Auric Demonocles]

Well I would be happy to only be a participant in this hypothetical league.

[A Serious Man]

Change.gov, a website that listed promises Obama made during his campaigns, has disappeared down the Memory Hole.

Why the change?

Here’s one possibility, from the administration’s ethics agenda:

Protect Whistleblowers: Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process.
It may be that Obama’s description of the importance of whistleblowers went from being an artifact of his campaign to a political liability. It wouldn’t be the first time administration positions disappear from the internet when they become inconvenient descriptions of their assurances.

[Episiarch]

Well, of course it did. Though I don’t know why they bothered; his sycophants don’t care what he does because actions don’t matter to them anyway, only words.

[Pro Libertate]

Not to mention that taking it down doesn’t take it away. On the Internet, everything is forever.

[Mad Scientist]

He’d protect them if they’d just start blowing the whistle on his political enemies instead of his administration.

[Killazontherun]

Rand Paul in a visit to Chile praises the late dictator Pinochet, says he was ‘inspired by the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and the words of Thomas Jefferson.’

http://www.foxnews.com/politic…..ng-fathers

[NeonCat]

Pretty words are meaningless without the commitment to the ideals they represent.

[A Serious Man]

And Castro once wrote a letter to FDR asking for a silver dollar. Camaraderie with our ideals, I tell ya!

[Pro Libertate]

Jesus, Obama really said that? Holy cow.

It’s not Rand for those who don’t click the article, so relax. It’s His Eminence talking about some other dictator of the communist variety.

[Zakalwe]

It’s probably accurate. Almost all anti-colonial independence movements/leaders with any intellectual background claim some inspiration/admiration related to the Founding Fathers.

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, sure. In fact, I believe I’ve read that before. Except that Jefferson didn’t say oppress your people and take their stuff.

[Zakalwe]

To be fair, the Loyalists weren’t his people.

[Pro Libertate]

I assume Obama was just trying to show some connection, which is fine, but this is the kind of political misstep that the media used to crucify Bush (or Reagan, now that I think about it) for.

He could’ve skipped the whole thing and just praised them for their increased economic freedom or something like that. Something not offensive to the families of the hundreds of thousands of people killed in Vietnam by the joker or the ones still being oppressed. Not to mention the French and our veterans of the war over there.

[Killazontherun]

That tears it. Our vacation next year will be in France next year so I can apologize for the insensitivity of our current occupant in office to them personally. Yes, by our, I mean you’re coming too, PL.

[Pro Libertate]

ROAD TRIP!

[Killazontherun]

It’s not Rand for those who don’t click the article

Whoops, my mistake. I was wondering why the story wasn’t getting any attention in the media.

[Killazontherun]

Not like we went to war against the guy, that there are still a million or so vets who gnash their teeth when his name is mentioned, or that we absorbed several million immigrants who escaped the oppression of his regime who would also be offended by such praise, no not like that at all.

[Pro Libertate]

And don’t forget our French allies. Are they demanding an apology?

[Killazontherun]

That was the impression President Obama gave on Thursday when he spoke to the press after his meeting with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang. Sang brought Obama a copy of a letter sent to President Harry Truman from Ho Chi Minh in which the communist dictator spoke hopefully of cooperation with the United States.

Obama, striking a wistful tone, observed that it may have taken 67 years, but the United States and Vietnam were finally enjoying the relationship that Ho once wrote of. After all, Obama said, Ho had been “inspired by the words of Thomas Jefferson.”

Obama isn’t just stroking communist dick here, he likely really believes that if not for the belligerence of anti-communist, Vietnam would have been a free and prosperous social democracy these past seventy years. Modern progs are the biggest fools in the history of time.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

The communists were just one purge away from heaven on earth.

[Pro Libertate]

Also worth noting, these characters would rise and try to woo us and/or the Soviets. Some indication that Castro did the same thing, for instance.

[PH2050]

They just needed the right Five Year Plan and everything would’ve been gravy.

[ant1sthenes]

I hope you’re posting it like that on Facebook or HuffPo or whatever. “That son of a — wait, what the fuck is this?”

[Pro Libertate]

Sadly, most of the true believers like that Obama praises communist dictators. Note their total lack of concern by earlier administration complements to Mao. Who likely killed more people than anyone ever.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Agreed.

[Damned Fool]

Progressives are to power what insects are to bright lights, PL.

[Apatheist ?_??]

I saw Ho Chi Minh’s body in Hanoi and it wasn’t even the creepiest communist nostalgia I saw on that trip.

[Pro Libertate]

Was he holding the Constitution?

[Michael S. Langston]

IIRC – liberals of all persuasions have tried to tar Libertarians (and conservatives because to them they’re the same) by stating incorrectly that Milton Friedman loved Pinochet.

It wasn’t true at all – but I wonder if they’ll

a) stop tarring people by associating with Pinochet since their hero seems to like him a great deal
or
b) tar Obama

Of course that assumes some level of rationality… I expect

c) dismiss is and continue on as if it didn’t happen or is completely irrelevant

[Michael S. Langston]

RTFA – it wasn’t Pinochet…

[The Immaculate Trouser]

What are you talking about, Mike? Pinochet was a US puppet, so everything he did was ipso facto bad. Ho Chi Minh was an anti-imperialist, so everything he did was ipso facto good.

I can guarantee you that in alternate universe 1237 where the German military suppressed the Nazis and revoked democracy, leftists are still whining about how right-wingers destroyed a government of the people and the injustices done to Hitler, that tragically flawed but great peoples’ revolutionary.

[sloopyinca]

Holy shit! I guess if you’re a LVPD officer and you shoot a man sitting in a car, the penalties are quite serious.

And by quite serious, I mean not serious at all.

FTA: “In this case, the process worked and Officer Roston will be allowed to go back to the job that he was trained to do.” the LVPPA said in a statement released shortly after the announcement.

They train them to shoot people in parked cars for no reason? And what process, fuckhead? The same process a “civilian” would have been put through had he walked up and shot a stranger for no apparent reason?

[Smilin' Joe Fission]

You continue to ruin my day with these stories.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

waaaaaaaaah!

[Generic Stranger]

What, is Dunkin’ out of Donuts?

[General Butt Naked]

Remember citizens, if you’re pulled over by an officer on a dark and lonely road, be prepared to defend yourself. This^ is what they think of your life. It’s open season on the American people. Arm up.

[Atanarjuat]

^Ladies and gents, that is the most intelligent thing Dumphuck ever said.

[Sidd Finch]

True story:

Yesterday I asked a cop for directions. His first words were “Know where [Donut Shop] is?”

[mad libertarian guy]

2 Chilly: You have gone too far with that pic. Too. Fucking. Far.

[jesse.in.mb]

You’re just upset that the reality of reptilians is gnawing at what you thought you knew.

[Invisible Finger]

Police Directions:

1) Shoot the Dog
2) You mean geographic directions?

[db]

I spent a lot of time on interstate highways earlier this week and noticed a strange thing. This sudden and pleasant change in the weather appears to be so extreme that a noticeable number of people are wearing hooded sweatshirts in the middle of the day. Is the weather really that shocking to some or is there some sort of mass moron psychosis going around?

[Zakalwe]

Moron psychosis. You should shoot all of them immediately to ensure your safety.

[NeonCat]

I saw a dude wearing an “I am Trayvon Martin” t-shirt. I thought about screaming “ZOMBIE!!!” but thought better of it.

[NeonCat]

The latter, I believe.

[CE]

That was a Facebook exec.

[A Serious Man]

MORAL PANIC!!! In which we face the scourge of ‘Smack Cam’, where college bros video tape each other smacking people.

Sure, some of the 1,000+ #SmackCam tweets are probably all in good fun ? the inaugural #SmackCam was a joke between friends ? but the ones I’ve seen remind me of Emily Bazelon’s definition of bullying: “physical or verbal abuse, repeated over time, and involving a power imbalance. In other words, it’s about one person with more social status lording it over another person, over and over again, to make him miserable.”

Update: The girl who got smacked in the head with a jug was apparently in on the joke. Violence against women is hilarious!!

Why so serious?

[NeonCat]

There’s always a new scourge.

[Bam!]

Violence against women is hilarious!!

Wrong: It’s sexy.

[Irish]

Girl with sense of humor makes joke. Feminists without sense of humor whine. /Almost every Jezebel article

[rts]

Sounds like happy slapping from the UK.

What happens when you happy slap the wrong guy’s gal.

[PH2050]

RAPE CULTURE!!!11!1

[The Late P Brooks]

Protect Whistleblowers: Often the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due process.

And then, the executions!

[The Immaculate Trouser]

It terrifies me that someone else might know what the hell any of this is supposed to mean:

I can’t get enough of this parody?I don’t even know if parody is the right word, because it doesn’t have the sort of nasty edge that you almost need to be a parody?of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” done by Mod Carousel, a Seattle-based boylesque group. The video takes the immediately-infamous “nude women/clothed men” original video and gender reverses it, but not in a tit-for-tat way so much as a very natural way that uses that actual signifiers of female power and sexualized male bodies.

[Irish]

Having not looked at what that link is, I’ll make a guess.

Marcotte?

[Enough About Palin]

The video takes the immediately-infamous “nude women/clothed men” original video and gender reverses it, but not in a tit-for-tat way so much as a very natural way that uses that actual signifiers of female power and sexualized male bodies.

Is this supposed to be some cutting-edge new idea? Because CFNM (clothed female / naked male porn has been around for a long time. Just Google “Pure CFNM”

[jesse.in.mb]

I was thinking more Shania Twain’s Man I Feel Like a Woman video as having been an express flipping of the Addicted to Love video.

[CE]

H&R eeds more Shania.

[Killazontherun]

The video takes the immediately-infamous “nude women/clothed men” original video and gender reverses it,

IOW, every British movie that has come out over the last twenty five years.

[The Late P Brooks]

Update: The girl who got smacked in the head with a jug was apparently in on the joke.

Traitorous BITCH!

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Evidently, some crazy feminist judicial activist has been nominated for the DC court of appeals:

Sen. Ted Cruz, for instance, accused Pillard of arguing that abstinence-only programs were inherently unconstitutional.

[…]

Pillard argues in this document not that it’s unconstitutional to scold kids to keep it in their pants to your heart’s content, but that the specific gender roles taught in many abstinence-only courses violate the students’ right to equal protection.

This will end well.

[Irish]

Sen. Ted Cruz, for instance, accused Pillard of arguing that abstinence-only programs were inherently unconstitutional.

[…]

Pillard argues in this document not that it’s unconstitutional to scold kids to keep it in their pants to your heart’s content, but that the specific gender roles taught in many abstinence-only courses violate the students’ right to equal protection.

So what Ted Cruz said is an accurate claim about what she believes.

[Pro Libertate]

Wait, what?

[NeonCat]

Look, judges being impartial and dignified is soooo Old School. Judges should be totally political and partisan.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Amanda Marcotte is still a vengeful bitch:

I have to point out to Alex Seitz-Wald that whoever tweeted, “Zimmerman can pull someone from a burning car, but he can’t a push 17-year-old, 150 pound boy off of him?” was not engaging in a conspiracy theory, at least in that tweet. They are arguing that Zimmerman’s defense was based on a lie. He claimed that he had to shoot Trayvon Martin, because Martin jumped him and overpowered him. It’s well within the bounds of reason to be skeptical of that defense, particularly in light of all the evidence pointing to a much more likely narrative, which is that Zimmerman picked a fight with Martin and used Martin’s attempts to escape a pretext to murder him.

Delightful.

[Irish]

I really want someone to sucker punch Amanda Marcotte so she can see how easy it is to lose a fight when someone gets the drop on you.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Obviously Amanda Marcotte, fighting expert that she is, would easily have been able to win that fight with her expert abilities.

Also, it is striking that this is the exact argument used by rape apologists (“why didn’t she fight back”/”she had recourse to leave if she wanted”)… but we wouldn’t want to cross the streams.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

When I was 18, a friend of mine blindsided me and tackled me to the ground, and held me in a grip such that I couldn’t get out. She was strong for a girl and pretty athletic, but there’s no way she could have done that without blindsiding me. She refused to ever find out, until a couple years later. I won three times in a row. She had no chance.

So, yeah, even if Zimmerman was stronger than Martin (which I am not willing to grant), I can easily believe that he got the jump on Zimmerman.

With that said, I weigh about 185-190. There are many, many 150 men (and women) who could kick my ass without blindsiding me.

[Enough About Palin]

“So, yeah, even if Zimmerman was stronger than Martin (which I am not willing to grant), I can easily believe that he got the jump on Zimmerman.”

^^THIS^^ is exactly what the thugs do in my neighborhood. They walk up to someone and asked them for the time or a cigarette and as the person looks at their watch or goes for their pack of smokes, they get sucker-punched and robbed. It’s one of the reasons it seemed likely, given the evidence, that Martin did just that.

[Irish]

They also just assume that weight=strength and Zimmerman therefore should have been able to win. I have a friend who outweighs me by probably 25 pounds, but it’s mostly some extra fat. I’m about 170 pounds, but I’m in good shape. I guarantee you I could beat my friend in a fight.

Weight does not magically equate to strength unless you work out.

[Episiarch]

170?!? Maybe you should squat more.

[Irish]

I’M NATURALLY THIN, OKAY! IT’S A HEALTHY WEIGHT!

[Pro Libertate]

It’s a dense 170, Episiarch.

[Irish]

It’s a healthy weight…

-Runs from room sobbing, but in a totally manly way.-

[The Immaculate Trouser]

This is why you don’t let the Irish into respectable society…

[Warrren]

No, there are much better reasons than that.

[jesse.in.mb]

H&R is respectable society?

[Brett L]

He’s 4’11”

[Eduard van Haalen]

You could have escaped if you weren’t hampered by your huge…backpack.

[ant1sthenes]

Yes, it’s much more likely (not, “plausible”, but much more likely) that someone deliberately murdered the shit out of someone knowing that there were witnesses around and cops that they called on the way. DERP.

[mad libertarian guy]

And how he added a broken nose and a bloodied up head from it being smashed repeatedly in to the sidewalk before the cops got there about a minute after the shooting is pretty impressive too.

[Eduard van Haalen]

She has new evidence that Zimmerman played lacrosse.

[Pro Libertate]

I think Zimmerman’s most cunning plan was the part about getting beaten like an MMA loser while Martin was sitting on his chest. The prosecution’s witness testified to that. In this age of TV law everywhere, do you have to be a lawyer to realize the trial-ending significance of that testimony?

Maybe Zimmerman started the fight, though Martin’s own friend is now saying he through the first punch. But she probably is only guessing herself, unless Martin said something about it on the phone. But the evidence doesn’t indicate that at all. In fact, it probably shades the other direction, if anything.

I don’t much care about this case on its own merits, but this political campaign is nauseating. For those on the left pummeling this issue to make sure we focus on nothing important, just remember that credibility is easy to give away, not so easy to get.

[Episiarch]

Oh please, ProL. Credibility? They have no credibility to anyone who isn’t a braindead partisan hack. Unfortunately, there are a FUCKTON of braindead partisan hacks out there.

[Pro Libertate]

I wasn’t suggesting that that ship hadn’t sailed long ago.

[C. Anacreon]

I’ve been amazed how virtually everyone on “Travon’s side” who gets a voice in the media — be it government officials, columnists, or just letter-to-the-editor writers — has the story so wrong. They all usually insist that
1) Travon was doing absolutely nothing but walking straight home (which of course, had he done, he would have been inside long before GZ could have gotten involved).
2) GZ followed TM only because he was black.
3) The police ordered GZ to “stand down” on the telephone, but he defied them because he was a vigilante cop wannabe.

If that’s what you know, of course this seems like an outrage. But why haven’t any of these people seen that the testimony refutes all three of these? These beliefs are often proclaimed by otherwise credible individuals. Do they just not want to know? Or do they know, but prefer to continue the mythology since the truth will interfere with that?

[mad libertarian guy]

The scene that they cobble together from nothing but conjecture, that Zimmerman was prowling the neighborhood in the hopes of a black guy snooping around, and stalking Martin with the express intent of shooting a black man is beyond hilarious.

The caricature they’ve assembled as their image of what happened is no better than those of The Devil’s Weed.

This case has really made the left go batshit crazy.

Zimmerman was stupid, but definitely not criminal, and there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that he was racist either.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Was the stupid part failing to anticipate that he would be jumped? I don’t think Martin’s supporters would exactly help their case if that’s what they go with.

[Warrren]

Stupid? I’m in the Zimmerman did not hing wrong (or stupid) camp. Just don’t see it.

[Pro Libertate]

I’d say the evidence we know about that’s at all credible indicates that Zimmerman fired in self-defense. Possibly that wasn’t necessary, but there’s nothing factual that really says otherwise.

Whether Zimmerman did something to initiate the use of force is still pretty muddy. Yes, whatshername said Martin threw the first punch, but that’s speculation, unless Martin said he was doing that. We’ll never know for sure.

I think the Zimmerman account is plausible enough, especially given that nothing even dented it in court, but that doesn’t mean it has to be true, either.

[mad libertarian guy]

Even if we stipulate that Zimmerman’s account is the way it happened second by second, he’s still stupid. He called the cops. He had no need to get out of his car and follow Martin. It isn’t criminal, but it’s stupid.

He was definitely overzealous in his duties as part of the neighborhood watch.

I absolutely buy the idea that he was a cop wannabe. But none of that should be taken that he didn’t shoot Martin in self defense, or that he was some racist roaming the hood in the hopes of finding just the right black guy to shoot in cold blood.

[Pro Libertate]

I agree, why confront the kid or even approach him? Totally unnecessary and maybe even dangerous. Despite being armed, Zimmerman had no way of knowing Martin wasn’t.

All that said, doesn’t change the correctness of the result, and I still tend to think (but I don’t know or even feel close to certain) that Martin likely took things too far and used force when he shouldn’t have.

Frankly, I think this was a perfect storm of dumb decisions that sadly resulted in a person’s death. Martin sounds like he had his issues, but he probably would’ve outgrown them. And Zimmerman hasn’t been gunning down people, either. Little different facts, and they both probably would’ve gone off and lived ordinary lives.

[Invisible Finger]

Obama never had any credibility to begin with, and it got him the seat of power.

Credibility never mattered.

[Outlaw]

Proglodytes want to be able to violently attack people who look at them crossways.

[Damned Fool]

Go kill yourself!

– tumblr SJW

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I got lots of joy one afternoon reading a tumblr dedicated to making fun of SJWs tumblrs. Can’t remember what it was called though.

[Irish]

Was it WTF Social Justice?

[Apatheist ?_??]

Ahahahahah

are you like totally down to be with some DUMPY ASS SHIT person if they have the “right” genitals groomed in the “right” way over some SUPER HOT trans* person or?.?????????

[PH2050]

“cisheteropatriarchy”

What is this I don’t even

[C. Anacreon]

Oh Social Justice, You So Crazy!

Great site, often laugh-out-loud.

[Irish]

The patriarchy told me my opinion is invalid unless it’s “logical” (as defined by the patriarchy).

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I think it was this one.

I would like to know what percentage of successful women would identify with the Jezebels/Marcottes/SJWs of the world. Not many, I suspect.

I also bet the advice the successful women of the world would give to those types would be “get over yourself, quit bitching and do something with your life.”

[The Immaculate Trouser]

This describes my wife’s attitude quite well.

[Pro Libertate]

I’ve worked with quite a number, and they don’t usually go that far, even if they lean left.

[Warty]

Amanda, sweetie, let me come over and put you in the mount. Try to “push me off”. See how well that works. Now let me punch you and see how well you do.

[ant1sthenes]

Please upload video to Youtube.

[The Late P Brooks]

the specific gender roles taught in many abstinence-only courses violate the students’ right to equal protection.

“We call the one with the ‘penis’ a BOY. Everyone, repeat after me: BOY. Very good.”

[Pro Libertate]

HOW DARE YOU!

[The Late P Brooks]

I really want someone to sucker punch Amanda Marcotte

Don’t forget to upload it to smackcam.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Let’s not forget that for every retarded Marcotte posting, there exists a Yglesias post of equal or greater idiocy:

Detroit is everything that conservatives hate?labor unions, black people, pensions?so in some quarters there’s almost a kind of glee around this idea that Detroit is a preview of the American future. But it’s total nonsense.

It is undoubtedly true that many American municipalities will have to end up paying less in pension and health benefits to retired public sector workers than has been promised in the past. And it is at least possible that some of these cities will avail themselves of bankruptcy to do so. But what’s disturbing about Detroit’s fate is obviously not the specific details of municipal finance, it’s the decline of a city. It’s the poor state of its public infrastructure and its building stock. It’s the high crime and falling population. It’s the poverty and lack of jobs.

Conservatives hate pensions? That’s news to this conservative. Also, evidently Detroit was just a ROAD away from unrivalled prosperity — if Matty says so, it must be true.

[Zakalwe]

Let’s not forget

Why not?

But yes, he does have the cause and effect relationship of any infrastructure deficiencies reversed.

[All-Seeing Monocle]

Obviously the question is how those darned conservatives caused all that high crime and falling population. Austerity?

[Irish]

Detroit is everything that conservatives hate?labor unions, black people, pensions?so in some quarters there’s almost a kind of glee around this idea that Detroit is a preview of the American future.

Brainless accusation of racism? Check.

It’s the poor state of its public infrastructure and its building stock. It’s the high crime and falling population. It’s the poverty and lack of jobs.

I like that liberals never bother explaining WHY there are few jobs, rampant poverty, and high crime. These things apparently just happened, through no fault of the people running the city.

[Warrren]

Plans were made!

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I wish this were true, but unfortunately “liberals” do bother explaining why there are few jobs, rampant poverty, and high crime: CAPITALISM!

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Don’t you mean CRAPITALISM or KKKAPITALISM? Has to look punchy on a placard next to the giant paper mache replica of Bush’s head, dont’cha know.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

No swastika?!?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Swastikas cost extra when you want to go get a poster printed at Office Depot.

Don’t ask me how I know this.

[PH2050]

Not for me.

I’ve got a guy.

[C. Anacreon]

I’m really getting quite frustrated with people blaming so many things on “poverty” in the USA. You would think that millions of people are sleeping in cardboard boxes, looking like living skeletons, drinking water from potholes in our decrepit streets.

Of course, what we call “poverty” in this country would be considered incredible luxury in much of the third world, where there is true poverty. Poor people here usually live in climate-controlled homes with computers, cable HD TVs, cars, on and on. How exactly is that “poverty”? And the poor also get food stamps, Medicaid, and many other things on top of that. No one in this country has to live outside or starve unless they reject what is available.

Shouldn’t there be a definition of poverty that isn’t just some arbitrary income level that the feds have decided is where poor begins? Yes, I know that without that dividing line, we wouldn’t be able to decide who gets all the FREE STUFF but can’t we come up with a new name for that line, such a “subsidy-eligible”? It’s actually quite embarrassing to talk to people from other countries, who really believe that there is a ruling class in the US with all the money, but that all other people here are destitute.

[Gozer the Gozerian]

I understand that you are ranting, but I feel obligated to answer your question: “Absolute poverty.”

[C. Anacreon]

I appreciate those definitions. It would be nice if there were separate words for each situation, and not the same word with a modifier, but I don’t want to go off on a rant here……

[Nazdrakke]

Truly. Consider the national hand-wringing over the fact that our poor people are too fat.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Truly, a more airtight analysis of the economy cannot be had!

Last week I recommended that companies with lots of “cash on the sidelines” should consider paying their workers more. But if you’re an executive with a principled opposition to handing out raises, Amazon definitely shows you the way to go. They are quite stingy with their workers, but it’s all in pursuit of growing sales and advancing customers’ interests. Profts, dividends, and such don’t enter into the picture. They just want to grow and strike terror into the hearts of lesser businessmen.

It’s good of Matty to start his sentences with “last week I recommended”, a sure sign to the devoted reader that what follows will be pure undiluted insanity. If he would only start his sentences with STUPID IDEA TO FOLLOW in 32 point font, he’d really be doing the rest of his readership a favor.

[All-Seeing Monocle]

Maybe it could just be a banner at the top of the site?

[Zakalwe]

1-2 days before it leaked that Obama wanted to nominate Summers for Fed Chairman Matty wrote a post about how it was completely, 100% obvious that Janet Yellen would be nominated.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

Executives have a principled opposition to handing out raises? What?

[Gozer the Gozerian]

The world is a zero-sum game, they are all Gordon Gecko incarnate, KORPORASHUNS!, blah blah blah…

[Warrren]

Wow. He stumbled on to a point there. It’s not about pleasing the workers it’s about pleasing the customers and grabbing share.

You pay the workers what you need to to maximize their productivity, anything more is a waste.

[Pro Libertate]

Maximizing shareholder equity. That’s what it’s mostly about for public companies. That and maximizing management compensation.

[BiMonSciFiCon]

I am sure investors would just love it if companies starting paying their workers more without good reason (i.e., competitive pressure). The market wouldn’t react negatively at all. I would love to see the business section of a 10-K or a proxy statement explaining that to investors.

“In the last fiscal year, cash on hand increased to $XXX. Although we had plenty of cash to finance acquisitions or internal investments, we did not believe any individual project was sufficiently attractive at the time. However, we read this awesome blog post by Matt Yglesias, telling us to pay our employees more. No, our wages were not below market, and there wasn’t much chance of them going anywhere, but we wanted to help jumpstart the American economy.”

Investors would just love that.

[Pro Libertate]

Jesus, that’s moronic on several levels. Doesn’t understand how public companies work, let’s his apparent like of Amazon cloud what they’re in business for, thinks companies just sit on money for fun.

Amazing this guy is paid for these opinions.

[CE]

A “principled opposition to handing out raises”?????

How about a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to not pay more than necessary to get good employees?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Reason TV Wiki entry

[Warrren]

Awesome. I’m sure when the history of the world is sung by the Great Bard you’ll get a stanza all to yourself.

[Apatheist ?_??]

Why?

[Warrren]

What?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

Someone else reverted it. We’re in the middle of a Reason Wiki page editing war. Men! To the barricades!!

[Warrren]

Who the hell is spending their time watching over such an obscure part of the Wikipedoia?

[Generic Stranger]

It was an IP editor (a non-registered editor). I have a suspicion it was someone here trolling Longtorso.