calickizzle's posterous

what is cognitive dissonance?

Cognitive dissonance is when Tea Baggers complain that Democrats want to "move thousands off Medicare" and then support a felon convicted of billions of dollars Medicare fraud for Governor of Florida.

Cognitive dissonance is snoozing through eight years of George W. Bush blowing up a $3 trillion hole in our economy, and then calling Obama's attempt to patch up that hole by one-third as "Spenditopia."

Cognitive dissonance is calling Obama a liar who lacks the experience to be President, but support Christine O'Donnell for Senate despite the fact that she has never told the truth about anything and the only reason why she ran for Senate is to pay her rent and bills.

Cognitive dissonance is demanding that elected leaders make tough choices to demand fiscal discipline and balanced budgets, and then oppose Scott McAdams for the Senate seat in Alaska, even though he has made such choices and decisions, and support Joe Miller, who hasn't.

Cognitive dissonance is criticizing Obama for not doing enough to lower the unemployment rate, and then support the Chamber of Commere in opposition of the Democrats' "Made in America" and anti-outsourcing legislation.

Cognitive dissonance is opposing an interfaith rumpus room- complete with a basketball court-two blocks from Ground Zero as its a "knife in the back" of those who died on 9/11, and then turn around and oppose health care legislation for those brave heroes that valiantly served at Ground Zero in the weeks and months after.

Cognitive dissonance is the assertion that although the Republican Party is at a historically low 25% approval rating, a splinter group of this much-maligned political party somehow represents the "majority of the American people."

Cognitive dissonance is the Republicans opposing the extension of unemployment benefits as "you don't reward those who do nothing" and then make the case that they should be elected this November as they have done nothing to address our country's problems the last two years.

Cognitive dissonance represents the inherent mental state of the typical Republican/ Tea Party voter.  Do we really want these mentally challenged people to have electoral victory this November?

Yes, James O'Keefe, clearly CNN focus on the "inherent sexuality" of its female newscasters. Moron.

James O'Keefe, in a memo to Fox News:

[I]f they go on the attack, you should point out the hypocrisy in CNN using the inherent sexuality of these women to sell viewers and for ratings, passing up more esteemed and respectable journalists who aren't bubble-headed bleach blondes and keep the focus on CNN.

Uh... what?

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Why the GOP has no interest in "running government as a business"

One of the most predominant memes proposed by Republicans is that "government is too inefficient" and that it should be "run like a business."  There is a dirty little secret behind this rhetoric, however, and that is the GOP has absolutely no interest in running the government as a business.  None at all.

Consider that these two tenets were the crux of George W. Bush's initial campaign as President in 2000.  The graduate from Harvard Business School- who, let's not forget, was not a member of the priviledged East Coast elite in the slightest- ofered a model of CEO to run the country by.  Yet consider the sum results of the "first MBA President": severe economic contraction, millions of jobs lost, flat wages despite increased productivity, retirement accounts nearly wiped clean.  Why these disastrous results almost make the executive leadership of CitiGroup seem competent by comparison.  Almost.

The fact of the matter is that GOP politicians continually take vows to reduce the size of revenues taken in by the government- so they could then, of course, complain about the "spending problem" which wouldn't be a problem without the revenues they've reduced so much to begin with. Consider John Boehner's "Pledge to Destroy America" for example, which promises- in a time of high unemployment- to place a "freeze" on federal hiring.  Maybe, however unlikely, Boehner realizes the stimulative effect of unemployment checks and food stamps, but the reality is nothing is nearly as stimulative as having a job.  Why Rep. Oompa Loompa can't get that through his perma-bronzed head is beyond me.

Or consider the economic plan proposed by Chris Dudley, the Republican candidate for Governor of Oregon whose sole experience in the private sector- despite his "guaranteed contacts" provided by the socialist NBA Player's Union- is as a financial adviser for Oregon's wealthiest.  (First bit of advice: if possible, move to Washington to avoid paying Oregon property taxes.)  Dudley boasts that his plan would deprive the state of Oregon of $400 million of much-needed revenue over two years.  So, let me get this straight, at a time when the demand for government services is overwhelming a stretched-out public sector, the solution is to deny funds that could help prevent budget shortfalls.  Wow.  That Yale education degree in economics sure is impressive.  Not.

But, seriously- Dudley makes the crystal clear point that he has no interest in running government as a business.  Could you imagine a CEO standing in front of a board directors and stating, "The conclusion of my two-year plan is to have $400 million dollars less in revenue than what we have today."  What do you think the response of the board would be- a round of applause or a pink slip?  (Or a "golden parachute" which seems to be the gift provided to incompetent Wall Street CEOs who have tanked the economy these days.)  For some reason, a fiscal plan that would be an utterly unpalatable pile of dog shit in the executive board is served on a silver platter to the voting public as some sort of common-sense plan to "run the government like a business."  How ridiculous.

 
Look, here's the reality about running government like a business: Just like any business, there are stakeholders, which are us- we the people.  And businesses are legally required to provide a return- a dividend- for their stakeholders.  As stakeholders, we should demand a dividend from the government we own a stake in.  We should demand this dividend include police and public safety officials are fully funded with all the resources they need.  We should demand that this dividend include clean water flowing from our taps, and the shared air we breathe not full of carcinogens that give our children asthma.  We should demand this dividend include a public education with rigorous, stimulating, and demanding standards that is available to all.  We should demand this dividend ensure that extreme disparities in wealth resulting in one-in-seven in our community don't live below the paverty level.  We should demand this dividend- but do we?
 
Instead, we are told be self-serving politicians in pursuit of a pre-determined idelogical conclusion that voters should be satisified with proposed policies intended to ensure that government can be "drowned in a bathtub."   The GOP does not want the government to operate like a corporation.  Instead, they want corproations to be the government, with the bottom line being the only concern to their private stakeholders.  Indeed, the GOP secretly desires a return to a century ago, when government was completely beholden to private interests, and the idea of government providing public services was a completely foreign concept.  Consider the legislation that extended unemployment insurance this past summer that was filibustered by the GOP, despite the fact that unemployment insurance is all ready paid for. 
 
There is a profund difference between running government like a corporation, and having corporations be the government.  The latter option completely minimizes the public's ownership and ability to hold government accountable- pretty much nullifying the concept of government run by "we the people" entirely, and no amount of self-proclaimed "patriots" wearing tri-cornered hats would make it otherwise.  If you don't beleive me, just walk in off the street into a corporate board room for an executive meeting the next time you want to offer your thoughts or feedback, and me know how far past security you get....

Why the GOP's "Pledge" to cut taxes is ass-backwards

Seriously.  Half the country doesn't pay taxes.  They are either too poor, or way too rich and pay other people a ton of money to make sure their tax burden is extremely low.

Income tax rates?  That makes sense, at a time of high unemployment.  Property tax cuts?  Yes, that sounds like a good plan at a time of record-high foreclosures.

Nice thinking, Boehner.  Seriously, get a brain, moran!

Here's a crazy thought: Let's increase the number of taxpayers (which means quit filibustering every single piece of legislation targeted towards small businesses all ready!) and then lower taxes.  The way Boehner & Co. want to go about is completely, oh what's the term? That's right, "bass ackwards"...

Let's re-examine that "Drill Baby Drill" chant a little more closer, shall we?

Is there anything more ironic than "Drill Baby Drill" Republicans criticizing Obama on this BP Oil Spill?  (Besides Sarah Palin being considered some sort of expert on oil and energy, or being "qualified" to be Vice President, of course.)

Quick & easy commercial to guarantee victory for the Democrats in the mid-terms: show images of "Drill baby Drill" from the 2008 RNC over shots of the BP Oil Spill.  Ta da.  Victory all but guaranteed.

The Oil Spill and the Republicans- Robert Creamers (Huffington Post)

State attorney generals mull charges on BP regarding oil spill

Eric Holder is meeting today with the state attorneys of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to consider pressing charges on BP regarding the oil spill disaster.

I'm curious, are the state attorney generals Holder is meeting who are looking for legal support from the federal government the same ones who are filing briefs challenging the federal government regarding health care reform?

Oh, the irony....