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Down With the People
Slate ^ | 2/6/10 | Jacob Weisberg

Posted on 02/06/2010 8:12:51 AM PST by moose2004

Blame the childish, ignorant American public—not politicians—for our political and economic crisis.

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: americans; slate; voters
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So, according to Slate and Jacob Weisberg we're now "childish" and "ignorant," amazing.
1 posted on 02/06/2010 8:12:51 AM PST by moose2004
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To: moose2004

I hope these fool socialists keep this stuff up. It will make it easier when we play guillotine! LOL


2 posted on 02/06/2010 8:19:10 AM PST by dforest (Who is the real Jim Thompson? I am.)
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To: moose2004

IF Jacob Weisberg were starving and begging on a street corner the childish, ignorant American public — not politicians would give him money for food.


3 posted on 02/06/2010 8:21:11 AM PST by Mike Darancette (You know Obama is in trouble when the MSM mentions that he is half white.)
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To: moose2004

He has a point. The voters did elect Obama so there is something to say for their naivete and ignorance. Although one could argue that the GOP was unelected rather than the Dems elected.


4 posted on 02/06/2010 8:23:00 AM PST by etradervic (It's the People's Seat ! http://www.toomeyforsenate.com)
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To: moose2004

When a liberal starts up with this kind of petulant whine, you know that even THEY know they’re headed for a beating at the polls.


5 posted on 02/06/2010 8:23:29 AM PST by jpl
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To: moose2004

Indeed there ARE a lot of childish, ignorant people in the US. How else to explain Hussein in the White House.


6 posted on 02/06/2010 8:24:09 AM PST by Oldpuppymax
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To: Mike Darancette

the childishness, ignorance, and growing incoherence of the public at large. = Democrats


7 posted on 02/06/2010 8:24:56 AM PST by squalus192 (Big Al draws another draft!)
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To: moose2004

I won’t read his article, but who else voted for politicians promising the nanny state in the US? Bulgarians? Who else bought and watched media and entertainment figures that urged the same? Martians?


8 posted on 02/06/2010 8:25:47 AM PST by qwertypie
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To: moose2004
HOW DID JEFFERSON KNOW? Especially read the last quote from 1802. When we get piled Upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, We shall become as corrupt as Europe. Thomas Jefferson The democracy will cease to exist When you take away from those Who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson It is incumbent on every Generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save One-half the wars of the world. Thomas Jefferson I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government From wasting the labors of the people under the Pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson My reading of history convinces me That most bad government results from too much Government. Thomas Jefferson No free man shall ever be debarred The use of arms. Thomas Jefferson The strongest reason for the People to retain the right to keep and bear arms Is, as a last resort, to protect themselves Against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson The tree of liberty must be Refreshed from time to time with the blood of Patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson To compel a man to subsidize with His taxes the propagation of ideas which he Disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson said in 1802: 'I believe that Banking institutions are more dangerous to Our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow Private banks to control the issue of their Currency, first by inflation, then by Deflation, the banks and corporations that will Grow up around the banks will deprive the people Of all property - until their children Wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers Conquered.' I WISH WE COULD GET THIS OUT TO EVERYONE!!!   
9 posted on 02/06/2010 8:28:25 AM PST by Paperdoll ( PLEASE FORGIVE THE CAPS. I HAVE M.D..)
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To: moose2004

Let’s see...reduce spending...easy ones first: how about defunding: 3 billion to ACORN; untold billions of grants for Global Warming Hoax.....and the one that really irks me...”I got my free Scooter from the Scooter Store.”


10 posted on 02/06/2010 8:29:46 AM PST by radioone ("The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.")
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To: Paperdoll

Save


11 posted on 02/06/2010 8:31:10 AM PST by Rumplemeyer
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To: moose2004

I would go further. The electorate is not composed of children but of beings with split personalities that want freebies but with only modest taxes. That is NOT the stance of a rational person with a clue. Both parties pander to that bi-polarity, one promising the bennies while the other keeps the upfront costs low, and not really fighting for austerity.


12 posted on 02/06/2010 8:39:46 AM PST by qwertypie
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To: jpl

I agree. Did you also notice how Weisberg cynically refers to the Dems’ former “super majority” in the Senate? I’m hearing this more and more from liberals, they cannot accept the fact that their left wing agenda is held up because of inconvenient Senate rules. I guess they conveniently forget all the judges Bush nominated that were placed on hold or filibustered by the Dems during 43’s two terms.If the tables were turned I’m sure he would praise the 41 Dems for their “bravery” in the face of 59 “right wing extremists.” Pathetic.


13 posted on 02/06/2010 8:55:57 AM PST by moose2004 (Stand up, speak out and stop Obamacare and GE)
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To: qwertypie

“The electorate is not composed of children but of beings with split personalities that want freebies but with only modest taxes.”

France?


14 posted on 02/06/2010 8:58:02 AM PST by moose2004 (Stand up, speak out and stop Obamacare and GE)
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To: moose2004

Let’s take Jacob Weisberg’s article apart:

JW) One year ago, 59 percent of the American public liked the stimulus plan, according to Gallup. A few months later, with the economy still deeply mired in recession, a majority of the same size said Obama was spending too much money on it.

FR) The majority of Americans were willing to give President Obama a chance to try his stimulus plan in the face of an economic crisis. Since Obama’s stimulus plan has clearly failed to improve the economy, the public now feels it was a mistake.

JW) Sixty percent of Americans want stricter regulations of financial institutions. But nearly the same proportion says we’re suffering from too much regulation on business.

FR) Obama has done nothing to fix the financial market. His proposal is simply a “tax” that will not prevent what the pubic has been told is the cause of the meltdown...unregulated risk taking. What the public really wants is an SEC and Congress that stops the mortgages to those who cannot pay them and the trading of those loans as prime instruments.

JW) At the root of this kind of self-contradiction is our historical, nationally characterological ambivalence about government. We want Washington and the states to fix all of our problems now. At the same time, we want government to shrink, spend less, and reduce our taxes.

FR) The cause of this is the mistaken belief that government can fix problems. As Ronald Reagan said, “....government IS the problem.” The American people know this, deep down, but still look for leadership in the wrong place.....Washington DC.

JW) Brown wants government to take in less revenue: He has signed a no-new-taxes pledge and called for an across-the-board tax cut on families and businesses.

FR) This is where JW denies reality......that tax cuts really lead to increased revenue, not less. This has been proven over and over again, but Obama and liberals still try to repeat the same lie, hoping the public believes it. Unfortunately for Obama and the liberals, most of the public believes tax cuts work.

JW) Our inability to address long-term challenges makes a strong case that the United States now faces an era of historical decline. Our reluctance to recognize economic choices also portends negative effects for the rest of the world. To change this story line, we need to stop blaming the rascals we elect to office and start looking to ourselves.

FR) Here, JW gets one right. Politicians are not the answer....good leaders are. That is what the Tea Parties are all about.


15 posted on 02/06/2010 9:05:35 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: moose2004

The free market (Capitalism) did not cause this crisis, the government (Socialism/Communism) did.

The free market did not create Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and Sallie Mae, the government did.

The free market did not pass laws that force banks to lend to those who do not qualify for a loan, the government did.

The free market did not take us off the gold standard, the government did.

The free market did not dump trillions of dollars of cheap money into the system causing the largest asset bubble in history, the government did.

The free market did not create multiple multi-trillion-dollar unfunded entitlement programs, the government did.

The free market did not write a 60,000+ page tax code that punishes work, rewards sloth and buys the votes of special interest groups, the government did.

The free market did not destroy our public school system and graduate (or fail to graduate) generations of civically and financially illiterate citizens, the government did.

The free market did not drive our jobs overseas and kill our entrepreneurial spirit with over-taxation, over-regulation and frivolous lawsuits, the government did.

The free market did not ban drilling for oil, vilify coal and block the building of nuclear power plants in the United States, thereby transferring hundred of billions of dollars of American wealth and many thousands of energy-industry jobs to foreign countries, the government did.

This crisis is the result of a giant social engineering experiment and vote-buying scheme gone tragically wrong.

The free market does not try to engineer society or buy votes, the government does.

The government caused this crisis, the free market did not.

The government cannot fix the crisis, the free market can.


16 posted on 02/06/2010 9:07:04 AM PST by Painesright
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To: indylindy

I happen to agree with this author. Don’t like his assertion that we all are responsible, though, or his reliance on polls.

The problem I see is that we have a poor educational system that breeds selfishness and ignores responsibilty. When you add constant polling on issues, you get the kind of shallow inconsistent thinking that he describes. A pollster doesn’t stimulate deep thinking about issues.

The only poll that should count is the one that elects our representatives. For that we should educate ourselves. The rest are American Idol, Jay Leno man-in-the-street interviews. They don’t count.


17 posted on 02/06/2010 9:09:05 AM PST by JeanLM
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To: JeanLM
I happen to agree with this author.

The author thinks the public was brilliant when they voted for Obama and supported the stimulus, though. You agree with that?

To liberals, there are two general truths, when they are not getting their way: 1) The people are stupid and 2) Republicans are evil

If you are going to agree with Saul Alinsky leftists, you should at least understand the context.

18 posted on 02/06/2010 9:22:31 AM PST by Nonstatist
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To: moose2004
It is a fact that "We, the people", elected most of the "elected politicians" that hold office now...and in the past. We will most likely elect all of them in the future.

But, my friends, the sad fact is that we are presented for election those who choose to run, are we not? What are we supposed to do?...go out and force people to run for public office?

It is not a horrible situation in which we find ourselves that people who crave power and are willing to suffer all kinds of verbal and sometimes physical abuse in order to gain that power and "status" are the only ones who are willing to run for office?

We therefore are presented with a situation that makes "We the people" look stupid, childish and ignorant for electing crooks, liars and wanna be tyrants time after time because we are stuck with what we are presented with.

Are we "victims" of the system?....and what would be better?....

19 posted on 02/06/2010 9:28:13 AM PST by B.O. Plenty (Give war a chance...)
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To: moose2004

During the middle GWB years all we heard from the whiners on the left was how bad the economy was and how much the USA was a shame to all the world. Now with their sacred Dems in total power everything they moaned about has become a reality on steroids. Many of their once bamboozled dupes have now seen the light shine on their shackled delusions!


20 posted on 02/06/2010 9:45:13 AM PST by tflabo (Restore the Republic)
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