P.T. Barnum used to post signs in his New York “museum” that said “This way to the egress.” People who didn’t know “egress” means “exit” were tricked into exiting. But sometimes the freak show gets too freaky. So — don’t click on this link. You’re better off with the egress. Or, read this commentery by Thers that describes the specimen behind the link.
More signs and wonders — thousands of people demonstrated in Copenhagen, demanding that the climate change conference actually accomplish something that might slow global warming. Of course, in WingnutWorld this is explained away as “astroturf.” John at Power Tools has brilliantly concluded the protests must be the products of astroturf, because so many protesters were carrying identical printed signs.
Note the identical, professionally printed, color-coordinated yellow and black signs. This is what Astroturf–fake grass roots–looks like. The signs use the same colors as the International ANSWER signs that are ubiquitous at far-left rallies here in the U.S., but carry no identifier. It would be interesting to know who paid for the signs, and whether the same organization that bought the signs also paid for the demonstrators.
By the Big Tool’s logic, the 1963 civil rights march on Washington was astroturf:
Here’s a close up view of some of the signs:
Library of Congress
“This is what Astroturf–fake grass roots–looks like,” says the Tool. They are carrying identical printed signs. Apparently people who are capable of organizing themselves for a cause cannot find their way to a print shop. Only corporate sponsors can print signs. Makes you wonder who paid for the signs back in 1963, and if the same organization that bought the signs also paid the demonstrators. Because you know a lot of highly motivated African American persons would not have demonstrated for civil rights in 1963 unless they were paid, according to the Tool.
As for International ANSWER — I have no use for ANSWER, which is no more a grassroots organization than I’m Brad Pitt. Sometimes they do carry yellow signs with black print, and sometimes they carry signs that are other colors. But if carrying yellow signs with black print is proof one is part of the International Communist Conspiracy (ANSWER actually is, which seems to me to be proof that one needn’t be much worried about it any more), then one wonders what this crew is up to.
In another exhibit of the Stupid Museum — the American Un-thinker wonders about rich people like Michael Moore and George Soros. “How can someone preach socialism while being the most rapacious “capitalist” imaginable?” he asks.
It’s simple, genius. Moore and Soros are not socialists, and they do not preach socialism. Oh, and this way to the egress.
Update: Just to show that not everyone protesting climate change in Copenhagen is a Communist — here are a couple of protesters dressed as Republicans.
“This way to the Egrets” What’s that supposed to mean?
A vomitorium (plural: vomitoria) is a passage situated below or behind a tier of seats in an amphitheatre, through which crowds can “spew out” at the end of a performance.
Given the Ancient Roman tendency for overindulgence, I always thought it had a different meaning.
What’s that supposed to mean?
It’s explained in the post. Do read the post before you comment, or risk looking foolish.
Newt Gingrich was in the news this week encouraging the GOP to make sure that ANY health care reform passed should be repealed. “Our commitment should be simple — when we get a majority, we’re repealing the whole thing.”
Let’s run down the principles of ’94s Contract On America:
– Fiscal Responsibility Amendment: didn’t pass. Would have made every Shrub budget illegal, barring massive domestic cuts to pay for foreign adventuring.
– “Taking Back Our Streets”: well, we certainly succeeded in becoming the country with the largest prison population per capita anywhere. Unfortunately, being “tough on crime” is now bankrupting our states and cities. Good job.
– “Personal Responsibility Act”: AKA “We Hate Poor People Act”. Passed, and the growing rate of food insecurity and homelessness we now see can be traced to it. Heckova job, Newt! (more info at this site)
– Family Reinforcement Act: never passed by anybody.
– “American Dream Restoration Act”: died in the Senate.
– National Security Restoration Act: AKA “Fuck the UN”. Died in the Senate.
– Senior Citizens Fairness Act: never passed by anybody.
– Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act: the only part of this that ever got anywhere was regulation on unfunded mandates; the rest was a thinly veiled attack on the EPA that died in committee.
– “Common Sense” Legal Reform Act: AKA “Reduce the threat of litigation for big corps”. Vetoed.
– Citizen Legislature Act: term limit amendment. Couldn’t even muster enough votes to get out of the House. Note that a sizable fraction of the sitting Republican senators and representatives would have been forced out by this (by now), including anybody elected during the ’94 “revolution”.
—-
So in short, the “Contract” turned out to be mostly sound and fury signifying nothing. Apart from putting some regulation on unfunded mandates (which Bush’s NCLB somehow worked around) the net effect was to ensure that more low-income people were hungry, homeless and/or in jail.
In other words, a stunning victory for the essential Republican principle of “I’ve got mine”.
Reagan’s policies are held up as some sort of permanent gospel, despite having little to do with today’s economy…
Sorry but that’s just plan wrong. Reagan’s policies have everything to do with today’s economy. We had a $990 billion dollar nat’l debt in 1981 when he came into office. It’s now $12 trillion and rising. His trickle down supply side economics never payed for themselves as promised. Republicans have pretended for decades we could have our tax cuts cake and eat it too. Now we have adults in charge again who are trying to resurrect the economy after the GOP almost deregulated us all into the poor house and suddenly the wingnuts are deficit hawks again.
Vomitorium – This way to the birds, as in Snowy Egrets?
“Because you know a lot of highly motivated African American persons would not have demonstrated…unless they were paid.” Assuming that the Tool is also against health care reform – hard to imagine it isn’t – the above, unnecessary yet inserted little not-so-off-hand-remark reveals what a recent study about a large sector of the population who oppose health care reform found. The opposers see it as a free handout to Blacks. Racial stereotyping/racism continues alive and well in America.
I imagine that if studies were made of the motivation behind much of the opposition by the Right to a number of issues confronting us, racism would be found at their core.
Harry & Mitch are faced with the same problem. Red State proposes that Mitch invoke the nuclear option of demanding a quorum and objecting to everything and proposing endless amendments till the Democrats surrender. Harry has his nuclear option called reconciliation which could get health care passed with a simple majority. We don’t actually need 60.
The problem for Mitch and Harry is that they are trying to win as many seats for their party in 2010 as possible. The seat Harry’s most worried about is the one he puts his ass in. Voters want legislators in DC to work together and whoever invokes his respective nuclear option first will enrage the voters. Voter backlash is a powerful thing as the GOP understands.
Health Care Reform is there to take or kill for either Mitch or Harry – neither of who wants to face the wrath of voters when the OTHER side paints their actions as fascist & heavy-handed. Who will blink first?
Perhaps the saddest thing about astroturf–fake grass roots protesters is that so many are along for the ride because some right wing pundit told them to. I mean the party they are the base of are against programs that would benefit them. How many seniors can’t afford their meds? But heaven forbid they be able to get them more affordably from Canada. The number of uninsured in this country is how many million now? And yet trying to get them insured is considered socialism? Even an unemployment extension becomes a political issue while people are losing their homes and unable to feed their families. (took the senate 1 month before they passed the last one.) I don’t think that there was a Jewish auxiliary of the Nazi party, but I swear these people would have joined it if Limbaugh or Beck told them to.
Some of the stupid might be explained by this GOP success story, Education Rate in US Declines:
Idiocracy, here we come.
moonbat – Wasn’t there a book that came out a few years ago called “The Dumbing Down of America.” My granddaughters, both in the University of Cal system have had their tuition raised recently to the point I don’t know if we can afford to keep them in college. Justaxposed with the outrageous rises in tuition, are the cries for kids to go to college – we need engineers, mathematicians, scientists, blah, blah, blah… Oh, really? Then why are we pricing our young people right out of higher education.
We’ve talked ‘education’ for years – and that’s all it is, talk.
felicity – I live in CA and have seen the news about 30+ percent hikes in UC tuition, plus admission freezes and other cutbacks at the Cal States. I’ve been reading for years about the loans young people have to take out to finance their education. I am completely blown away by this, and recall how cheap my state school education (at Penn State) was back when I was young – practically nobody had to take out a loan, although there was aid of various kinds. Kids from nearly any background, rich or poor, could pretty much go to school back then, and we completely took this for granted.
Regarding how we are treating our children – our future – we truly are eating our seed corn. The right has destroyed this country in so many ways, but destroying our future is one of the worst.
Hay lissen, I M John at Powr Tolls,
An i no thes sings n Kopenhaagendaz r asstrotruphed. I no cux there spelld koreklty. U no whuz signs rn’t asstrotruphed? The sings we teebuggers cary. Thos r reel! So ther u stupd Libral duckbag azwholes! Suk on that??? I meen !!!
Incoming from Moonbat:
Virtually everywhere in the world people tend to be more educated than their parents. This is no longer true in the United States. A report by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities indicates that the U.S. is one of only two nations on Earth in which people aged 25 to 34 have lower educational attainment than their parents.
The AASCU report did not speculate on the reason for this educational decline. The cost of college tuition in the U.S. rose 7.24 percent between 1958 and 1996; the inflation rate was only 4.49 percent during the same period.
Let’s not forget the contribution by home schooling. I’m sure the “graduates” of home-schools are even more ignorant than their ignorant parents.
I’m sure the “graduates†of home-schools are even more ignorant than their ignorant parents.
I once met a right-wing product of homeschooling who had no idea of the three branches of the American federal government, or their separate responsibilities as described in the U.S. Constitution. She got most of her info from Limbaugh propaganda and, because of her spotty education, was easily misled. But I “egress.”
So, is George Soros supposedly the source of funds for all the left-wing “astroturfing” throughout the world? Or do the last-gasp Communist organizations still surviving here and there have secret capitalist investments to pay for all those similar signs? Perhaps they, like Dick Cheney, got rich off Halliburton in the past decade?
This blatantly silly attempt by self-described Tools to tar the Copenhagen protest is a five-year-old’s response to being caught shilling for the health insurance and petroleum industries of late: “Bounces off me and sticks to you!” “Um, no it doesn’t. Now go to bed.”
I think the “effects” of the home-schooling craze will be with us for a while. As I remember, several years ago someone did a study that said home-schooled children did as well or better on standardized tests as school-school children, but when that study was done home schooling was rare, and most home-schooled children had well-educated, hyper-achiever parents who were training their kids to be Dougie Howser-type prodigies. I don’t know if any recent studies have been done, but if today’s home-schooled kids aren’t falling behind I will eat my mousepad.
“We know it’s a sacrifice to do this right before Christmas,” Meckler writes. “But throughout history American Patriots have made far greater sacrifices than this to protect our liberty. Now the burden (and the honor) falls on us.” Cough, Cough, Cough
Sacrifice? Somehow I don’t think missing you’re favorite Faux Nooz sock puppets programs puts you on par with dying in the revolutionary war.
Is this performance art to remind of us of the FORTY FIVE THOUSAND people that die in the U.S. RIGHT NOW every YEAR from lack of health insurance, because it seems a little off message for them.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/tea-partiers-to-stage-die-in-at-senate-offices-tomorrow.php?ref=fpblg
Who says the GOP is the party of no ideas?
http://wonkette.com/412702/is-stealing-from-the-poor-good-for-the-poor-who-are-stupid
Apparently, people like Soros and Moore can become orders of magnitude more powerful than the Scaifes and Ailes of the world, by simply preaching socialism.