Life Out on the Political Fringe

Peter Bagge hits the campaign trail

Reason

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Comments

[Anonymous Coward]

Forget it, Peter. It's Seattle.

Nothing short of an apocalyptic reckoning will turn them from their love of the State.

[Episiarch]

Yes. Every single person in Seattle, myself and Paul included, love the state. Every last one of us. Even Peter Bagge. Because we live here.

[Rhywun]

Well, duh. Why else would you choose to live there?

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't worry, Epi. Ayn Rand will descend from the non-heavens to whisk you and your mom to safety before she cleanses the heathens of Seattle with flaming copies of Atlas Shrugged.

[De Oppresso Liber]

I love legal weed, pretty loose gun laws, and puget sound/mountains/rain forests all within an hour drive. The state...not so much.

[Hugh Akston]

Local politics is the only reason anyone lives anywhere, because politics are the only aspect of life! That's why I live in LA. Certainly not because of the climate, or the music scene, or the job opportunities, or because I can go to celebrity parties. Nope, it's because I love bloated, corrupt, activist government.

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

^ This. Incidentally, I'm convinced that the only reason California isn't just a statewide Detroit is because of how beautiful it is - rich people are willing to get fucked by California taxation in order to enjoy the weather and all the other awesome aspects of California life. If California had the weather of, say, Wisconsin, all those rich people would have left the state and it would have an unemployment rate comparable to that of the Greeks.

[Warty]

and it would have an unemployment rate comparable to that of the Greeks.

Who, inconveniently enough for simple narratives, have weather as nice as California's.

[wareagle]

but the Greeks have neither Hollywood nor Silicon Valley.

[Hugh Akston]

That certainly explains why Wisconsin has low taxes, a strictly limited government, and no wealthy people.

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

Wow - both these comments seem to miss the point.

Wisconsin certainly has a better state government than California and Greece certainly has a worse government than California. Therefore, Greece being in worse shape than California (despite also being gorgeous) is largely due to the fact that their government is even worse than California's is.

I was pointing out that many aspects go into how well an area is doing, more than simply the government, and used weather and the beauty of an area as simply one other factor.

[gaoxiaen]

Can't beat motorcycling and the beaches in SoCal. If you live in San Diego, partying for the weekend in Tijuana's really convenient. However, I never did get to see one of the fabled donkey shows.

[Radioactive]

aren't those in Sacramento now?

[Robert]

But the story is replicable across so much of the USA. & the globe. & time.

Bagge's 4-pagers in Reason are all essentially the same story. & all true. & all funny. They're not the same subject matter, but the way he structures them brings out their essential similarity.

But no matter how many times I remind himself he pronounces it "bag", my head keeps calling him "baggy". Too long went on before I found out how he says it, it could take many yrs. still.

[kilroy]

Bagge's 4-pagers in Reason are all essentially the same story. & all true. & all funny.

Bagge, is that you?

But no matter how many times I remind himself he pronounces it "bag",

Of course it is.

[gaoxiaen]

A Batesian slip?

[Paul.]

BTW, Peter, getting your non-bluer-than-blue-found-in-nature-blue candidate's political signs stolen is standard operating procedure. There's a long history of that.

[Paul.]

Oh, I like the frame on underused light rail and bike lanes. I was stuck in traffic again downtown, waiting interminably for a right turn only to find yet another street has been reduced to 50-50 car use/bike use.

The street was jammed end-to-end with idling traffic reduced to one lane, while there were TWO completely unused bike lanes.

I guess the "greenest mayor in America" thought that cars, idling for long periods of time, going nowhere would reduce global warming.

For the first time in 25 years I'm considering moving out of this progressive retard mill.

[SusanM]

Intentions!!1!!

[Hyperion]

I think our local Walmart now has 300 handicapped parking spots and it's rare to ever see any of them being used. Same sort of mindset I guess.

[gaoxiaen]

I always enjoy waiting in line to get into a half empty restaurant because the empty half is reserved for nonsmokers that don't go there.

[Cdr Lytton]

Ah! Obvious solution. Just ban smoking in restaurants completely, then you won't have to wait for the smoking section to open up.

[Episiarch]

All but the express lanes on 90 were closed this weekend. As well as a good section of 99. And Comic-Con is going on this weekend. The retard mill has really bad traffic today.

[GILMORE]

The essential nature of progressive politics is to constantly solve the New Problems created by the Old Solutions with more of the Old Solutions.

e.g. Clearly your "too many bike lanes"-traffic could be solved by a Light Rail project... and the 'chronic under-employment' of the people in the Govt subsidized housing projects who are subsisting on Welfare could be addressed by giving them all Free Community College. etc.

it never gets old

[kevrob]

Use mental judo on the bike lane fanatics. Wave John Forester's Effective Cycling at them. Forester thought cycling on dedicated lanes was rubbish.

Kevin R

[PapayaSF]

Peter Bagge is great. Because I discovered him in Reason, I read a collection of his Buddy comics, which were also excellent.

[John Galt]

Good stuff.

[Hugh Akston]

My favorite thing about Bagge is reading reviews of his books in the mainstream entertainment press and watching the reviewer squirm as they mention his reason comics.

[De Oppresso Liber]

Hey Peter, I also worked on Sarina's campaign. Like you, all the signs I had put up were stolen and replaced by D party signs. The next issue that will plague Seattle: rent control. Things are out of hand.

[AlmightyJB]

How's that minimum wage working out?

[De Oppresso Liber]

Seattle Restaurant Closures

[MarkLastname]

Ah, the futility of activism.

Are there really still people who support rent control? Proof positive that the education system is broken.

[John Galt]

Reason, you need to hire whoever did these comics as a regular artist.

[GILMORE]

uhm, dude.

[John Galt]

Is he a regular contributor? His work and name did look sort of familiar, but I thought I may have seen it somewhere else.

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

Jennifer Granholm giving a Ted Talk about 'clean energy' which is subtitled 'Race to the Top.'

See if you can watch all 13 minutes without killing yourself. It begins with the statement 'I was introduced as former governor of Michigan, but really I'm a scientist - okay, political scientist....'

It is everything I could have hoped it would be.

The second sentence is 'My laboratory was the laboratory that was Michigan' which is hilarious when you consider that things have gone kind of downhill in that state over the last decade.

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

Oh God, she's talking about 'experimenting with policy.' Huh...was there some sort of Bastiat quote that applies here:

And one socialist leader has been known seriously to demand that the Constituent Assembly give him a small district with all its inhabitants, to try his experiments upon.

In the same manner, an inventor makes a model before he constructs the full-sized machine; the chemist wastes some chemicals ? the farmer wastes some seeds and land ? to try out an idea.

But what a difference there is between the gardener and his trees, between the inventor and his machine, between the chemist and his elements, between the farmer and his seeds! And in all sincerity, the socialist thinks that there is the same difference between him and mankind!

It is no wonder that the writers of the nineteenth century look upon society as an artificial creation of the legislator's genius. This idea ? the fruit of classical education ? has taken possession of all the intellectuals and famous writers of our country. To these intellectuals and writers, the relationship between persons and the legislator appears to be the same as the relationship between the clay and the potter.

[Aloysious]

Made it forty one seconds.

I'd rather watch more feminist performance art.

[MarkLastname]

I assume the room filled with laughter when she made the 'scientist' remark? "Political science," "scientific socialism," "Scientology", "Christian science" all belong in the same category.

[kevrob]

I have a "political science" degree. I'd prefer it if it read "political philosophy" or "political economy," older names for the discipline. Naming the field "science" is only reasonable in the wider sense of "sciencia" (L.) as knowledge. Most people aren't aware of that, so ascribe the more narrow meaning.

You can do something like "science" as generally understood in opinion polling, but that's about as "hard science" as sociology: borrowing all the clout from statistics, which is to say, math.

The crack the Austrian economists make about "physics envy" is appropriate.

Kevin R

[C. Anacreon]

Great work, Peter, I loved it!

25 years ago I was publisher of a small magazine in San Francisco that included lots of cartoons and gave artists like Tom Tomorrow and Keith Knight their starts -- and some pretty well-recognized guys like Bill Griffith and Ace Backwords contributed to us as well. In addition to our core artists' work, we sorted through hundreds of unsolicited cartoons every month, so I think I got pretty good at recognizing true talent, which you obviously have in spades.

I've become a big fan of your art, and so rarely see anything but far-left themes in comparable cartoonists, so I really, really appreciate your efforts. Thanks!

[Heroic Mulatto]

25 years ago I was publisher of a small magazine in San Francisco that included lots of cartoons and gave artists like Tom Tomorrow

God damn you to hell...

[Peachy rex]

*narrows eyes at C. Anacreon*

[Sevo]

..."gave artists like Tom Tomorrow"...

According to Jon Carroll in the Chron, TT is now living on contributions rather than sales.

[JW]

Tom Tomorrow

So, it's your fault, eh?

[C. Anacreon]

Back in those days, he was not nearly as polarizing and often very funny.

[PapayaSF]

I agree. I used to think his early stuff was often clever, but he seemed to fall into that same formulaic leftist knee-jerk sarcastic mockery that killed the Daily Show for me.

[Ted S.]

the frustrations of Republicans who have to deal with libertarians who only get involved in the party when certain candidates (like one whose name rhymes with "Dawn Call")

Fawn Hall is running for office?

[Cdr Lytton]

I'll buy that [candidate] for a dollar!

[PapayaSF]

Gus Hall?

[american socialist]

Is this cartoon drawn by the same guy that gets his paycheck from Seattle community college and was bitching about people organizing a union at his campus? I have a question about the 3rd panel. Why would a libertarian be afraid of knocking on a door where a person is smoking pot? Aren't these people our possible supporters?

Peter, do you think there's a reason for the vociferous reaction amongst libertarians when a speaker from the Republican Party shows up?

[GILMORE]

Do any of the authors ever respond to your rhetorical attempt at speaking directly to them?

Do YOU think it makes you seem *less* like a douche to everyone else? or more?

[Brian]

He's trying to feel clever. Quit killing his buzz, man. It's not his fault he's boring.

[american socialist]

Hi Gilmore,

You know that I'm mostly giving right-wingers the finger, right? So, yeah, it's rhetorical, dude.

[GILMORE]

lol

If looking like "extra-special idiot" is your way of *fighting the power*, then more power to you.

[american socialist]

Shrugs. People in cults think people who aren't in their cult are idiots. That's my problem?

[John Titor]

Hey american cultist, tell us again about the magical utopia you want to construct while offering up apologia for the mass murders of your fellow believers. Get back to me when you have enough self awareness to recognize your own dogmatic faith before you project it onto others.

[Sevo]

John,
That sort of stupidity is bullet-proof against facts or logic.
You see, it just hasn't been applied properly and there was some personality problem with every damn commie mass-murderer!
Next time, commie-kid will make sure the right people are in charge and they won't have to lick TP clean to use again. Right commie-kid?
I hope you went to Venezuela to lick that paper clean for reuse. You did, right? I mean you support commie assholes, clean or not...

[american socialist]

JT, maybe you can tell me exactly which mass murderers i support. I let this charge fly because-- frankly-- I find it hilariously unhinged.

Yeah, I thought Reagan and Clinton sucked and that bush was a war criminal-- ergo I support pol pot. I get it... You are smoking the reefer. You'll be glad to know I'm a libertarian so I don't judge.

[Jordan]

Should I link to your comments defending the Soviet Union?

[Jordan]

Oh, I forgot another entry from your greatest hits: lamenting that Cubans might get a measure of freedom and screw up your aesthetic preferences.

[Sevo]

american socialist|3.29.15 @ 6:16PM|#
"Hi Gilmore,"
Hi, slimy piece of shit,

"You know that I'm mostly giving right-wingers the finger, right?"
You know that libertarians are laughing at your stupidity, right?

[MarkLastname]

Given that you invariably make yourself look like a moron, I'd say you're giving yourself the finger.

[JPyrate]

AMSOC I hope we never meet in person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWupuAj1bio

I do not like you.

[american socialist]

Why would giving right-wingers the finger piss off a libertarian?

[Heroic Mulatto]

Is this cartoon drawn by the same guy that gets his paycheck from Seattle community college and was bitching about people organizing a union at his campus?

Do you have a citation for that? Because I was able to find no evidence that Bagge teaches at Seattle CC.

[jay_dubya]

he did teach at some college and did a comic about the unionization efforts there, which wasnt started by the professors but by the service employees union IIRC

[Heroic Mulatto]

Thank you. That does ring a bell, actually.

[Episiarch]

I'm pretty sure it was at Seattle University, which is not a community college. It's a Jesuit college.

[Sevo]

american socialist|3.29.15 @ 3:44PM|#
"Is this cartoon drawn by the same guy that gets his paycheck from Seattle community college and was bitching about people organizing a union at his campus?"

Is this a comment by some slimeball who won't pay what he agreed to pay?
"Reason contributing editor Peter Bagge, an award-winning cartoonist, is also an adjunct professor at Seattle University, which is trying to fight off an attempt by the Service Employees International Union to organize its adjunct faculty."
http://reason.com/blog/2014/06.....-world-uni

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

Is this cartoon drawn by the same guy that gets his paycheck from Seattle community college and was bitching about people organizing a union at his campus?

What's funny about AmSoc's idiocy in this instance is that Bagge *is* adjunct faculty at the university in question and was critical of the union's effort to get *him* to join the union.

Also, if you actually read the comic he's more critical of the fact that colleges are churning out people with degrees that have no value in anything except becoming a college teacher. The primary source of his criticism isn't even the union.

[american socialist]

Why is joining a union at a private college a libertarian issue?

I think it's pretty ironic that Peter complains about the value of a liberal arts degree when it seems to have worked out for him. I guess it depends on who you know and who you are willing to fellate-- rhetorically speaking, of course.

[Sevo]

american socialist|3.29.15 @ 7:03PM|#
"Why is joining a union at a private college a libertarian issue?"
Because unions operate through thugs.

"I guess it depends on who you know and who you are willing to fellate-- rhetorically speaking, of course."
As a lefty ignoramus of course you would. Talent and hard work have nothing to do with it, right?
How does mass-murderer cock taste, asshole?

[Viscount Irish, Slayer of Huns]

You have to be the dumbest person on the planet.

Why is joining a union at a private college a libertarian issue?

You can believe that joining unions is a bad idea even if it's optional. You will note that Peter didn't say people should be precluded from joining unions, he merely argued that unionizing would have negative consequences for some people.

I think it's pretty ironic that Peter complains about the value of a liberal arts degree when it seems to have worked out for him. I guess it depends on who you know and who you are willing to fellate-- rhetorically speaking, of course.

Peter didn't 'fellate' anyone since he's primarily known as a cartoonist who actually sold cartoons. Reason is not his primary employer or his primary means of income, nor is his adjunct professorship his primary means of income - his primary means of income is the sale of comics in a free marketplace. You'll have to explain how that entails fellating anyone.

Also, just because liberal arts education worked out for Peter doesn't change the fact that the way colleges are currently instituted does a disservice to the students. Peter cares about this because Peter isn't selfish enough to tell people to fuck off just because things worked out well for Bagge himself.

I suppose this is yet further evidence that libertarians are unselfish in a way socialists could never comprehend.

[MarkLastname]

A socialist has difficulty comprehending why anyone would prefer 'voluntary' to 'compulsory.' What a shocker.

[american socialist]

Joining a union is compulsory? I thought that the freedom to freely associate would be something I wouldn't have to argue about on a libertarian comment board.

[d3x / dt3]

Those union folk are totally cool with you working where they do. They won't try to force you to give them your money at all. And they certainly won't call you a "scab".

You can't be this stupid. You just can't.

[Sevo]

Co commie kid missed the theme, and then invented a new employer who was somehow supposed to embarrass Bagge.
Yep, that's our commie-kid.

[in4mation]

I have a question about the 3rd panel. Why would a libertarian be afraid of knocking on a door where a person is smoking pot?

"So it was my own laziness that lead me to come up with excuses to avoid certain home"

[Mongo]

He's smoking cigs, dummy.

[Dragonslayer]

I see similar attitudes among Republicans here in Northern California. They have just given up on being competitive so instead are just crazy and creepy. Which is a shame because if Republicans embraced more libertarian values then they could actually win more elections in these areas.

Sadly, even Rand Paul is backing away from these positions.

[Rhywun]

We had a perfectly sane, non-creepy Republican running for NYC mayor recently. He made all the right noises about the economy and unsurprisingly he was no so-con. He lost to the communist, in the loweest voter turnout in city history. I don't know what it's going to take other than the complete self-destruction that is slowly but surely coming.

[Beautiful Bean Footage]

You know who else was on the political fringe?

[Beautiful Bean Footage]

You know who else was on the political fringe?

[Sevo]

I can think of at least two people...

[wwhorton]

Maybe I'm overreacting or missing something, but what's up with that first panel? Is there a problem with smokers? Pitbull owners? As both, I can assure Peter that I am politically active, do vote, and am not particularly hostile to strangers, even people who ignore the "No Soliciting" sign on my door.

I find that people who tend to have irrational or hysterical reactions to pitbulls tend to have the same reactions to firearms. It's strange, because our last mayor, my district's state representative, the guy on my corner who owns a tapas/wine bar in my neighborhood, and a few other folks nearby who don't fit the "profile" all have perfectly well-behaved pits. Typically the people I see who have visceral, negative reactions tend to be carpetbagging yuppies and lower-class types. So I'm a little prejudiced against people who seem to have that particular prejudice themselves.

[The Hyperbole]

Final block text of first panel "So it was my own laziness that led me to come up with excuses to avoid certain houses"

He's busting his own chops not the pit bull owner/smoker/wife beater's chops.

[MarkLastname]

I was gonna say, as an avid wife-beater I found it pretty offensive, but thank you for clarifying.

[julieejulia69]

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[JPyrate]

GET YOUR FUCKING SIGNS OFF OF MY FUCKING LAWN !!!!!

[JPyrate]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER4BHHv1cto

[JPyrate]

Seriously. That shit pisses me off.

[Vampire]

I'm dancing on your lawn biotch!! Doing the James Brown all across your mother effin' lawn!!!

YYOOooowww, watch out for the dog shit! There's shit on muh shoes and I got the blues.

[JPyrate]

Dog Poop !!! I will mine my lawn with dog poop !!!! =D

[Vampire]

Then I'll tie you up and drag you behind the lawnmower all around the shitted up grass.

[Vampire]

:0P

[doingprettygood]

Can confirm. All of this can confirm. I was a part of the Ron Paul campaign in Washington state back in 2012. After that they signed me up for this PCO business. I eventually removed my name from the list because I didn't have time to do any of the stuff they were asking me to do and because the Paul people seemed very consumed with conspiracy theories.

[adolphowisner]

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