I’m a smart enough person, but there are still things in this world I can’t even begin to wrap my head around. Try as I might, either my brain doesn’t work well enough to grasp what I’d like to, or there are things that are just too thoroughly bollixed up to be understandable. Things like….
Why is an American citizen who renounces his citizenship to avoid paying taxes lauded as a “An American Hero” by some on the Right? Eduardo Saverin, who owns approximately 4% of Facebook, stands to make a bundle when the social networking behemoth launches its IPO. In order to avoid paying a federal capital gains tax on his windfall, Saverin moved to Singapore and renounced his citizenship. Now there are those on the Right who are framing Saverin’s greed and self-interest as evidence that success is severely overtaxed in this country. Right; Saverin, a quintessential American success story, was held back by the greedy hand of government.
As if Saverin, or anyone else, gets rich on their own and government is merely a parasitic entity whose sole purpose is to stifle innovation and success….
How is it that “serious people” can honestly believe that Barack Obama intends to destroy America?. I understand that some folks really, really, REALLY hate President Obama and everything (they think) he stands for with every fiber of their being. Here in the Real World, though, Obama, like every other President throughout American history, is actively working to do what he believes will make America a better and stronger place.
For some reason, some folks have convinced themselves that President Obama is an evil, America-hating Kenyan Islamofascist Socialist. Obama Derangement Syndrome is evidently a malady with no know cure, because those stricken with it are absolutely convinced of their own righteousness and rectitude. Hmm…could it have something to do with a Black President inhabiting the White House??
How can J.P. Morgan lose $2 Billion ON A SINGLE TRADE…and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus thinks it’s evidence we need less federal regulation?? Someone once told me that if you steal a thousand dollars, you can count on going to prison. Steal a billion dollars (or in this case, two), and you’ll be treated like a conquering hero.
Silly me; I always thought regulatory oversight was designed to keep this sort of thing from happening, to protect individual investors and their nest eggs from being frittered away by someone driven by overwhelming greed and avarice. Financial markets are NOT self-regulating mechanisms; the sub-prime mortgage meltdown that gave us this lovely depression/recession should be taken as proof of that. Yet there are still those who argue that Wall Street functions best when we leave it to watch over itself. To call this point of view irresponsible wouldn’t begin to describe Priebus’ willingness to turn the hen house keys over to the foxes. Unbelievable….
Did you know that Sharia is *a significant threat in Texas?* I didn’t know this, but the fact that there’s a large Islamic community in Texas (EVERYTHING’S bigger in Texas, right?) should be taken as incontrovertible proof that the “Islamization of America” has begun in Texas. Who do we know this? Because Pamela Geller says so, that’s why. If not for her, how would we know who to hate?
Who knew that the best way to teach kids about the effectiveness of birth control is through abstinence education? Actually, it’s not; despite Conservatives demanding that teaching abstinence is the only moral and godly way to teach children about sexuality, 60% of young adults are misinformed about the birth control’s effectiveness?
If politicians, particularly Conservative ones, are serious about combating poverty, they could start by working to reduce the rate of teen pregnancies. Then again, if they reduce teen pregnancy, who will be left to serve the interests of the 1%?
If you’re wondering where authoritarianism gets its novitiates, you might try looking at Liberty University. The curriculum contain everything short of a major in goose-stepping and proper surveillance techniques. Of course, if you willingly subject yourself to four years in Lynchburg, VA, you can’t claim to be surprised to be betting your B.A. in what amounts to a miniature police state.
After all, when people begin thinking for themselves and making their own decisions, they’re liable to turn into…GASP!!…godless Liberals.
