Monday, February 28, 2011

In reply: "Rather than bring ourselves up, we decide to drag others down"

In reply to comments posted at Are public unions our convenient economic scapegoats? - Fortune Management (and seen/heard elsewhere, as well.)
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I love these people who say "I'm in the private sector (non-union), and the company froze my salary/eliminated my pension/cut my benefits, so why shouldn't the unionized folks in the public sector suffer?", or some variant thereof. (I'm not going to single folks out, but you know who you are.) When did we become a nation that wants to bring everyone else down to our level (or below), rather than striving to reach theirs? When I see the salary & benefits of union folks, I think that being in a union did those folks some good, and I try to figure out how I can either get a union job, or unionize the folks who work in my current field.
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I can appreciate that there is some corruption in unions, but that's human nature. There's corruption everywhere that money and/or power resides; Politics and corporations also have their fair share of greed and abuse of power. We should never accept corrupt individuals, but we shouldn't punish everyone for the sins of the few, either.
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Every time individuals band together to consolidate their power and use it to get what they want (including these "tea parties," 527's that can spend unlimited amounts of cash on our elections, the explosion of corporate/special interest lobbyists, and even corporate boards), they're in effect, unionizing.
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I'm all for punishing those caught with their hand in the money/power cookie jar, but I support the legal right and moral necessity of unions of all kinds. We can often accomplish far more working together than we can accomplish as individuals. (Isn't that what our US government is and stands for, after all? "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, ...")

Points, for the title paraphrase... 8>) Clue: "One big pile is better'n two little ones..."
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Submitted for Fortune Magazine moderator approval Posted 2/28/2011, 12:55 PM

And a timely "joke" that another commenter posted there:
"A public union employee, a tea party activist, and a CEO are sitting at a table with a plate of a dozen cookies in the middle of it. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies, turns to the tea partier and says, 'Watch out for that union guy. He wants a piece of your cookie.'"

Sunday, February 27, 2011

In Reply: Petrol Politics

In reply to Notes from the Cab: The Road to Hell...:
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"It is long past time to secure our own energy supply by beginning an aggressive exploration and drilling program frankly regardless of any short term adverse environmental impact."
Adverse environmental impacts are seldom short term. I'm not saying that that means we shouldn't do more exploration and drilling here in the US, but we cannot disregard the environmental impact involved in deciding where and how to do so, whether they be short or long term.

I'm not sure we actually can completely free ourselves from purchasing foreign oil at all, or whether it would be advantageous for us to do so, economically... ...and even if we can, it won't be anytime soon.

We do need oil, and we should be producing more of our own, but we cannot disregard the environmental impact--which ultimately, becomes a human impact--of doing so. I believe that we need to weigh the benefits and costs of every site, and make decisions that we can ultimately live with.

Obviously, I don't support wars for oil or to limit the price of oil here in the US... but if American citizens working oil fields in foreign lands are threatened, we do need to defend them from attack.
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Posted FEBRUARY 27, 2011 6:41 PM

Thursday, February 24, 2011

X-Post: Guilty as charged.

An American Niiiiihilist X-post
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American Power: Communist REPSAC = CASPER Takes Umbrage?

"Actually, no one's taken "umberage" at anything, since there's no such think as "umberage." In fact, REPSAC = CASPER obviously stayed up all night writing yet another obsessive screed and blew off editing this nonsense. One passage is worth quoting here:"(Click on tiny screencap to embiggen)

On this occasion, Donald is quite correct. There is in fact, no such "think" as umberage. I am guilty of not editing prior to posting. (But apparently, I'm not the only one... Wonder if Donalde's excuse will be that he stayed up all night pecking out his nonsense, and thus blew off editing?)

And just to drive the message home, here's one I caught in a post yesterday (which is still not fixed as of this posting at 7:07am EDT on 2/23)):
American Power: "A Liberal Progressive Blogging Troll Accused Donald Douglas of Making Things Up, and Denied That Any Communists Were Present"
"Well, to be accurate the video was proof only that a 'pair' of communists were on hand, but it's true that REPSAC = CASPER is so blinkered by hate he literally can't think. The place was crawling with commies, as I showed at my response.

When will Donald learn that just about every time he tries to call someone stupid in one of his posts, he does something pretty damned foolish himself within one sentence or so of saying it? The "my response" link in his post doesn't actually go to Donald's response. The man was obviously so blinkered by hate, he literally couldn't keep his links straight.
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The bottom line is, Muphry's Law is absolute. Eventually Donald will figure out that it's probably smarter for him not to climb up on that high horse of his to criticize others for spelling errors or other minor proofreading/editing infractions... He falls flat on his ass every time he does.

(Besides... Everyone on the innernets and intertubes thinks grammar/spelling cops are douchebags... I'm just sayin'...)



Now if you'll excuse me, I have some editing to do...

Added 2/25/11: In the comments below, Donald seems pretty intent on being sure everyone knows that last July, he not only spelled another "nihilist" "communist" "hatemonger" blogger's name wrong in one of his many attack screeds, but that he did so two different ways (both wrong) in the space of two sentences. Fair enough: At Lawyers, Guns, and Money, on July 15, 2010 at 9:09 pm, SEK says: "And his response is just sad. I don’t mind if he spells my name wrong, but it offends the profession when he spells it differently twice in two sentences."

And yes, as Donald has repeatedly pointed out below, I did indeed reply to SEK's comment by saying: "AmNeo’s spelling/grammar/typo errors are become legendary. And as per his usual modus operandi, all such verbal errors are only fodder for partisan attack when they are committed by his oh so many enemies… It must be a ‘pubbie/Con thing… It’s always different when THEY do it…"

Now, I'm not quite sure why he feels this is so important (because as far as I'm concerned, it makes him look like even more of an asshole), but there you are...

Actually, the funniest thing about my "legendary" link (particularly in light of his comments about my failure to proofread my post) is how Donald blithely explains away his own error: "I had forgotten to proofread before going out to the bookstore, but hey, you really got me."

You really got me (and of course, Bawahahahahahahahaa!!!) indeed... Like I said in my July comment, it's all different when THEY do it... Fuckin' hypocrite.

Extra bonus: If you scroll down just a little from my "legendary" comment in that LGM post, you can read where Donald threatens SEK with a little of that famous workplace harassment regarding Scott's blog post. Yes, Donald Douglas, offended by what Scott wrote, threatens to contact the university where Scott is employed to complain about what Scott wrote on his blog... Hypocrisy, thy name is and ever shall be Douglas...
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Previously: American Niiiiihilist: American Power: Professor Douglas Catches "Nihilist" Spelling Error!
Donald 'Arlon' Douglas Makes Nihilist Spelling Error!!

In reply: Pizza and Fruit Loops

In reply to Notes from the Cab: Pizza for the Proles, and the following portions in particular: 1) About fruit loops (sorta):
One of the funniest things I have heard lately were some Wisconsin fruit loops comparing their "plight" to those protestors in the Middle East. C'mon. Get real. When the Wisconsin Air Guard stafes your "encampments" then perhaps I will put some stock in that claim. Until then? STFU.
and 2) about pizza, the food of the Gods:
Now I have lived in the environs of NYC back in my younger days. Spent a summer as a communications op with the Coast Guard right there across the channel from Queens. Busy busy busy does not describe it. Very little time off. I did get into "the city" as often as I could though. One thing I noticed was that there was a pizza joint on every corner. Seems like every grocery or drug store had a small pizza oven in the back. Damn good pizza sure. Some of the best I have every tasted was in those days. Since moving to Houston however I can tell you that there are some pizza joints here that are every bit as good as those in the NY/NJ area. Every bit as good! Why? Because there are people who have escaped the environs of that particular region of the country and have opened up shop down here. That they brought with them their pizza recipes goes without saying. So the next time I hear someone talk about NY pizza or even Chicago style for that matter, I will say to them "We have just as good down here." They won't believe me of course, but that is their problem.
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My reply:

Regarding the "fruit loops:" You know who also said that, right?
Rep. Paul Ryan On Wisconsin Protests: "Like Cairo Moved To Madison" That was from 2/17. Fox's Judge Napolitano said it, as well. (Forgive me for being too lazy to dig up a video.)

I trust you find them as ridiculous as you do the Wisconsinites who drew that particular analogy.

While I get where you're coming from, I fear you're misunderstanding the concept of analogies. The whole idea is to compare two things that are not exactly the same, and to draw conclusions based on the few similarities they do have. The fact is, people far more often compare apples to oranges than they do apples to apples, because in the latter case, there is no real comparison to be made. An apple isn't like an apple; an apple is an apple.)

So, while it's true that no one is taking shots at them from the air (so far, anyway... I understand a government official (former, after such talk) has suggested using live ammo to deal with the WI protesters), there are ways in which the protests in Madison are like the protests in Cairo. I don't think it's all that ridiculous to talk about those similarities, as long as one isn't suggesting that the two protests are exactly the same, or that the folks in WI are under the same kind of threats (or as brave, or that the situation is as dire) as the folks in Cairo were under.

Nice place you have here, BC... Hope you don't mind my visiting, given the number of times you've been to my blog. If I may, though, one word:

Paragraphs.

'nuff said.
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Posted FEBRUARY 24, 2011 2:08 AM "Notes..." blog time
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Oh, and regarding the pizza... You are correct.

I don't believe you.

There's just something about the water here in NY that helps make the best dang pizza (& bagels) in the US... I'm not going to say TX pizza is bad (especially since I've never had it), but every bit as good? I just find that awful hard to believe...

I'm out on Long Island, and even that far away (not far, for those unaware), the pizza isn't quite as good as in NYC. Still awful good, but not that thin crust, well-seasoned NYC pizza... There really is nothing like it, in my humble...

Obviously, you are welcome to disagree, but... ...well... There's no other way to say it; You're just wrong. 8>)
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Posted FEBRUARY 24, 2011 2:22 AM "Notes..." blog time

In reply: Reflectionography: One Nation Rally. Washington, DC

In reply to Reflectionography: One Nation Rally. Washington, DC (& "Lancaster Wedding / Event Video" company, when they're not off bashing liberals), and in particular, a woman named Regina who commented: "They have no problem with violence? Have they lost lost their damn minds, why do we tolerate this crap?"
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"Sometimes violence is necessary, for the larger good, so I have no problem with it." - (One nameless liberal in the video shot and edited by Reflectionography)

I would ask Regina (and the Reflectionography filmmaker, who obviously has little interest having much of anyone on the political left as customers of his videography business) what they believe war is, if not violence deemed to be necessary for the greater good of this country?

While we don't hear the question (or the whole of the woman's answer--both having been edited out), she seems to be saying that she is not a pacifist, and that violence is not inherently bad. If so, I agree. While it should always be used as a last resort, after all other options have been exhausted, I would not hesitate to commit a violent act (or as many violent acts as necessary) to protect my family, my home, or my country from attack.

So yeah... Sometimes violence is necessary. While I didn't support the invasion of Iraq, I think that anyone who did would be a real hypocrite to now say that there is no time when violence is necessary... With all respect due Regina and this filmmaker, I believe they ought to think it through a little more thoroughly before coming down on her or what she said...
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Posted (& subsequently deleted, which shows Reflectionography's commitment to open dialogue) 2/24/2011, 1:00 AM)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

X-Post: DONALD KENT DOUGLAS: Deranged McCarthyist Red-Baiter

An American Niiiiihilist X-post
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I See ol' Don has taken umberage (edit: umbrage) at my earlier post about his Cooooomunists!!! He even wrote a whole new post attacking me over it: American Power: REPSAC = CASPER: Deranged Stalking Asshat Denies Revolutionary Communists in Madison. We'll just skip over his ever-present ridiculous ad hom about me (stalking, raaaaacism, some bullshit making fun of my screen name, involving snakes or something, ...), and go straight to the meat of his post.
"And what was the lie? Well, the lady at the video is from the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, and she says 'I'm a public employee and so are a lot of our members.' If Repsac's gonna call me out as a liar that'd be nice if he'd provide a transcript of the video"
Funny how Donald attacks others for not doing things he didn't do himself. Donald didn't supply the transcript in telling his lie (or in his rebuttal post, for that matter), but he expects me to provide one to set it straight. Besides, I supplied the video, and suggested that folks watch it as many times as they found necessary to convince themselves that what I said was true. Donald invented a quote that didn't exist, and stuck it in the mouth of his twenty-something scary cooooomunist girl so he could attack her for what HE said. And no amount of denial can change that.
I said earlier that all of her "members" were up every morning organizing for the dictatorship of the proletariat, because, well, that's what Marxist-Leninists and Trotyskyites do. And that's called inference.
Is that what he did? Let's check the facts (seeing as Donald neglected on both occasions to provide that transcript, or in this second post, a link to his earlier words) Here's what he actually said in that first post: "What's fascinating is how the lady speaks about how "all of our members" are up every morning organizing for the dictatorship of the proletariat." Was that an inference, or a statement Donald is offering as fact, about what the woman actually said in the video? Like the Fox folks say, we report, you decide... I've told you what I think.
He goes on to deny that there were any communists in Madison beyond this "pair" of revolutionaries.
Transcript of my doing so? No, of course not... (And he calls me an asshat?) I did no such thing. What I said was, Donald only managed to show this one pair (and use them to suggest that everyone in Madison is a communist symp). If there were as many as his headline and verbiage suggest, he've shown more. I never said or suggested that these were the only two, which is why Donald "neglects" to provide that transcript of my words in his rebuttal. They don't exist, except in his own mind.

I don't know exactly how many communists and socialists have been, are, or will be in attendance at union protests. What I am pretty sure of, however, is that the proportion of actual communists to actual capitalists has been, is, and will continue to be pretty tiny, and that any suggestion to the contrary is rightwing propaganda. So yes... I'm sure Donald may be able to show as many as ten or even twenty communists in videos of these protests, but when compared to the number of people in attendance, those ten or twenty will be a very tiny fraction, and they will in no way represent the whole of political thought. While it's fine to focus on the more "out there" folks, it's dishonest to suggest that they are anything more than the fringe, as Donald appears so willing to do. The same is true whether it's bigoted signs or articles coming out of the Tea Party, or cooooomunists!!! at union or anti-war protests.
"perhaps --- --- --- --- --- (Am I really obligated to repeat Don'a ad hom? If it's important to you, follow the link at top, and read it at his blog) REPSAC might check out Trevor Loudon's report, Communists Converge on Madison":
Every communist and socialist group in the U.S. Midwest is sending cadre to beautiful Madison, Wisconsin, in protest at Governor Walker's Budget Repair Bill."
Yeah... Because why wouldn't one take the unsubstantiated word of a neocon blogger from New Zealand to "report" on events in the US midwest? I swear... One neocon lies, and the next swears it's true (or uses it as evidence of fact, anyway).

Follow the link for yourself, and then come on back and explain why the NZ neocon's cite-free allegation is any more credible than Donald's cite free allegations... Trevor doesn't quote anyone... He shows a video (the same one Donald uses in his rebuttal post), and then make an unsubstantiated statement about "Every communist and socialist group in the U.S. Midwest..." So why should anyone believe him? Why should anyone take Donald's word more seriously because he quotes the guy from New Zealand, who quotes... ...well... ...no one? Can anyone explain why Donald, an associate professor of political science, believes that quoting Trevor Loudon's "report" proves anything, or in any way bolsters his case? Anyone? Anyone? Buller? Take your time... We'll wait. (One wonders whether Dr Douglas would allow his students to get away with such shoddy citations?)

In addition to the International Socialist Organization and the Chicago Maoist contingents, the neo-Stalinist ANSWER cadres were out in force, "Eyewitness report from Wisconsin." And also in solidarity is none other than the Communist Party of the USA, "The fightback fire is being lit down below." And from the International Committee of the Fourth International, another Trotskyite offshoot, "The struggle of Wisconsin workers enters a new stage." There's even an statement from some obscure local cell, the Socialist Party of Wisconsin, "Statement on Walker’s Attack on Workers." There's more, but no need to keep linking. Lots of commies are down with the Wisconsin Dems.
Donald's "proving" something that isn't in dispute. Yes, I'm sure every communist and socialist group in America thinks the union protests in WI are a good first step. Some of them probably even believe that they signal the beginning of the communist revolution in the US, in much the same way as the folks who see the unrest in the middle east as the beginning of the End Times, or the fulfillment of one of Nostradamus' predictions.

The fact remains that even if every one of these groups sent five representatives to hand out flyers in Madison, that'd mean there would be 50 commies in Madison... And when we're talking 75,000 people total, that ain't but a fraction of a fraction. Donald's attempt to blow this minor fringe into something serious is laughable. Sure... Debate their crazy ideas... Laugh in their faces if it gets you off. But don't pretend they represent anything near a majority (let alone the whole) of the folks protesting, or of the democrats who're trying to keep this collective bargaining thing from becoming law. That shit just don't fly. The idea that there are "lots of commies" anywhere in the US, or that they represent any kinda threat to capitalism or to anyone, is kinda paranoid.

Probably every communist and socialist organization in America is supporting what a whole lot of good American capitalists are doing in Madison, WI, either as an end in itself (the first two articles Donald cites say nothing about communism or socialism; they're supporting union rights, as written in current US capitalist law.), or as the first step in the coming revolution. Personally, I doubt the latter group is correct, but I'm willing to allow them to join in the fight for good old capitalist union rights anyway, even if they do have some crazy ideas about what they think it'll mean for them.
Seriously. The woman in the video at top says she found the events in Egypt "inspirational" --- that is, inspirational for a new American revolution. Indeed, even Jesse Jackson made similar statements!
I can't confirm who it was who ultimately said it first (but the woman in Don's video was purportedly interviewed on 2/19, and Jesse Jackson--who by the way was responding to a question about the Madison/Cairo connection, rather than making that connection himself--was filmed on Friday, 2/18) but you know who else said that?
RealClearPolitics - Video - Rep. Paul Ryan On Wisconsin Protests: "Like Cairo Moved To Madison" That was on 2/17. I hope Donald is as shocked and offended by Paul Ryan as he is by Jesse Jackson and the woman in his video.

(And will Donald ever understand "analogy," and the fact that the the two things being compared and found to be alike in one or a few specific way(s) are never--and indeed could never be--exactly the same? The world is not so black and white, "with us or with them" as Donald seems to see it. There are ways in which the protests in Madison are like the protests in Cairo. There are also ways in which they are significantly different. The fact is, people far more often compare apples to oranges than they do apples to apples, because in the latter case, there is no real comparison to be made. An apple isn't like an apple; an apple is an apple.)
And with that, let's go back to Rep[ad hom snipped]3: [Snip of my argument that a video of a pair of twenty something socialists at the union protest does not support the word or spirit of Don's post title about "Socialist Public Employees Call[ing] for Revolution in Wisconsin." If you haven't read it already, you can find it in my prior post.] I'm being indulgent, since it's frankly not going to make much difference to someone who refuses to acknowledge objective reality. I guess there's some epic comedy value in this, at any rate. Rep[ad hom]3 made the exact same argument after last year's "One Nation" rally, which saw dozens of individual socialist organizations participating: "Progressives March on Washington for 'One Nation Working Together' — Thousands Rally in Support of Socialist Agenda." And from Looking at the Left, "Democrats, Union Workers, and Communists Rally Together in Washington":
Funny, how Donald provides no transcript or link to my making that "exact same argument," and instead links to his own post making the same tired, red-baiting "Cooooomunist!!!" allegations. (Sadly, No! ain't kidding when they say Donald sees communists behind ever potted plant. Donald often plants the pots, too.) Here's the link Donald failed to provide. (Please note, this argument was posted to one of Donald's McCarthyist posts, but he deleted it from his blog, in the interest of ideological purity, I guess...): The 'Imaginary Commies' in Dr Douglas' mind. And yes... As long as Donald offers the exact same "the cooooommies are coming" red-baiting, I will offer the exact same rebuttal of his nonsense. Yes, there are communists. No, they don't have much in the way of numbers or lend their socialist/Marxist/communist ideology to mainstream progressive or Democratic causes. If anything, it is them joining our movements, and not the other way around. Folks on the left don't take purity or loyalty oaths; we work together where we can, and part company when the protest is over. As I said before, Donald and his friends are not showing these communist groups getting widespread support for their ideology; at best they're showing them supporting the more mainstream liberal agenda (& more often then that, Donald & his fellow propagandists are showing a few communists or socialists at protests trying to recruit folks to their causes, not getting the time of day, and screeching that "[they] have in [their] hands a list of the names of [mumble mumble] persons who are known to be members of the Communist Party...," and alleging infiltration at the very highest levels, which, when you look at it (assuming they'll actually show it to you--as often as not, they refuse to show you the proof), amounts to the same old tired bunch'o'nothing.)
I've been blogging about the Democrat Party's progressive-socialist base for years. I had a series on this back in 2008, six months before Barack Obama was elected, which has been substantiated by events: "No Enemies on the Left? Progressives for Barack Obama." And checking the links you'll see REPSAC = CASPER flailing away in denial that long ago. [Decide for yourselves. While most of the comments to Donald's blog were lost when he stopped using haloscan, a few do remain, and serve as a testament to the lively debates that once went on, before Donald decided that only those comments he approves of may appear: Comments And this was the blog post in question.] It's pretty sad.
Well, something's pretty sad, that's for sure... I didn't realize how long Donald has been trying to spin these half-truths into some kinda coherent "the coooooomies are coming!!" propaganda. Even back then, it was largely guilt by association and whispering inuendo. Sad, indeed.
At least a half-dozen books have been written since Obama took office, outlining the hardline socialist contingents that have propelled this regime to power.
I wonder how many books were written alleging that Bush was an idiot, or foolish to invade a middle eastern country that was not a threat to us? The fact is, anyone can write a book, and many do. Whether or not they're factual, well-sourced, and not tainted by ideology is a whole other kettle of fish. Quantity (even a number as large as six) does not denote (or even imply) quality. I don't know whether "hardline socialist contingents have propelled this regime to power." But with all respect due Donald Douglas and his list of unnamed authors, I don't believe that should be the question. Who cares whether or not socialists propelled "this regime" to power? To really say something, you have to show that "this regime" supports hardline socialist interests. Having hardliners(?) supporting a mainstream Democrat would be a good thing, as it would make them far less hardline or extreme in practice than they are in words.
Gallup did a poll of ideology last year and found a majority of Democrats evincing a positive view socialism.
I can't say for sure--and note that Gallop didn't either--but results like that likely reflect the fact that folks don't buy all of these "Stalinist" references folks like Don spew out. They see our "socialist" allies in Europe, and don't see them as evil, the way Donald seems to. It doesn't say these folks support socialism, it just says they react positively, rather than negatively, to the word. (They only had two choices, "positive" or "negative," and no definitions or descriptions were offered.) Whether one takes that as an endorsement depends on the opinion one came in with, I suppose. I don't fear Donald's eeeeevil socialists either, so put me down as a positive, too.
And a Pew survey at the same time found 43 percent of Americans under 30 supporting socialism, which was equal to those with a favorable view of capitalism. These young folks identifying with socialism are among the same youth cohorts that activated the college-level OFA groups that wedged the Democrats into office in 2008.
I love when Donald tries to change the terms to prove his point. Follow that Pew link, and find any form of the word "support" or "Identify" anywhere in it. They aren't in there. Donald is making them up. (This is why Donald generally "paraphrases" what folks say, rather than actually quoting them. The words folks use don't often say what he wants them to say, so he substitutes his own terms, and bases his arguments for or against on what he says they said, rather than on what they actually said.) Forty three percent of Americans under 30 do not support socialism, or identify with it. They "react positively" to both "socialism" and to "capitalism" in equal percentages (43%). And about half respond negatively to both terms. Here is the actual quote that Donald "neglected" to cite via transcript:
"Among those younger than age 30, identical percentages react positively to "socialism" and "capitalism" (43% each), while about half react negatively to each."

Sad statistics? Perhaps. But hardly as sad as Donald pretending that the Pew survey says young Americans "support" and "identify" with socialism, just to make a point. That kinda disingenuousness is pathetic. (& isn't this lack of transcript what caused him to call me an asshat? Yeah, he really showed me, huh?)
So, let's be clear: Today's Democrat Party base includes a large segment of communists and socialist-progressives. There were roughly 80 socialists serving as Democrats in the 111th Congress.
WorldNet Daily, Donald? Really?!? It's the Weekly World News of conservative conspiracy theories, most notably Corsi & Farah birther nonsense. Being published there is hardly a suggestion of accuracy (or sanity, for that matter.) Still, let's see what they're claiming...

Ahhh... DSA... I have no idea who the AmericanSocialistVoter used to be (the site no longer even exists), or whether their claim of seventy Democratic Socialists of America members in the House ever was true... but I kinda doubt it. The fact was, the progressive caucus page used to be hosted on Bernie Sanders' website, and he was and is is a proud DSA member. The rest of the list looks like the progressive caucus list, not a DSA list. Given the fabulist nature of WND (as well as many other con sites that pretty much echo the WND position in much the same was as our friend Donald does), and the appearance of a web page thaty can't even be confirmed, anymore, I'm not prepared to say for sure that these 70 or more folks ever were or are now DSA members. Maybe so, maybe not. And again, the DSA is hardly the dangerous eeeeevil socialist group Don's trying to portray in conflating them with the Stalinist communism that his McCarthy tactics imply. I know he's really trying, but it's a stretch.

The State of Wisconsin is one of most progressive states in American history, and thus it's no surprise that militant factions positioned Madison for a showdown against capital.
I think Donald may've got that one right... though I predict that the protests in any other stats where they try to take away the rights of union folks will have protests just about as large.
[more bullshit ad hom snipped] And he's distorting what I said about the International Socialist Organization and he's lying about the absence of communists in America.
As for what Donald said, the quote is there at the top of this post. Read it, and decide for yourself whether I'm distorting what he said. (Hard to do, since I QUOTED IT, and provided the video where she said no such thing.) ((One wonders what it was I was supposed to provide the transcript of, to prove that negative.)) And as for my lying about the absence of communists in America, I'm not, because I never made that claim. (Notice that Donald didn't provide any quote or link of my saying there are no communists in America? The reason is, I never said it. Donald is making it up.)
And if it weren't for bloggers like myself and others willing to expose these domestic enemies for what they are, the forces of leftist totalitarianism would be making even greater inroads.
Yeah, Dr Douglas fancies himself some kind of conservative superhero... It's best to just let him masturbate that ginormous ego right out there in public... You couldn't stop him if you tried...
Conservatives will continue to have their work cut out for them, and I'll keep fighting these demons, despite the repeated attempts of idiots like RepRacist3 et al. to shut down this blog.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again... The more Donald talks, the more folks see him for who and what he really is... The LAST thing we'd ever want to do is have him shut down his blog...
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Previously: Donald Wets Himself In Fear Of "Cooooomunists!!!"
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Next in the series: Guilty as charged.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

In Reply: Words Mean Things

In reply to the following comment at The Lonely Conservative post Preparing for Revolution:
"Hi Casper, I would have linked to your post, but I heard you’re a stalker, so I didn’t. The video above isn’t the only video showing Marxists at these protests, as you know, since the video you reference features different Marxists, with a table full of revolutionary propaganda. But hey, I guess we’re all just imagining things."
and a little bit o' this one, as well:
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I'm sorry, Lonely, but you seem to be trying to prove something that isn't in dispute. Did you not see where I said in my initial post (& quoted here) that there are communists/Marxists/socialists here in America, and in WI specifically? You're kinda misstating my argument in both this and the other post where you discuss what I'm alleged to've said. (And I trust that it isn't "trolling" to respond to a post where you've made me the subject.)

If you folks really tried, you could probably record and post videos of what, 50-75 representatives of c/M/s groups and organizations handing out flyers in Madison. But in proportion to the number of people there in favor of union rights, those are still pretty small numbers. The majority, by like 1000 to 1, are capitalists and members of one or the other of the two major political parties here in the US (admittedly Democrats, for the most part.)

I can appreciate your concerns regarding the stalker bit--your friend Donald paints quite the picture, and if one actually trusts him, I can see where one might be wary... But if you're going to discuss what someone says or believes, you probably ought to quote them actually expressing it, so that you don't accidentally misstate their position in your description. (And for the record, I'm pretty certain that the definition of "troll" does not include responding to someone's post on one's own blog... or that "spammer" includes repeating a comment one makes at a blog run by someone else on one's own blog, either.)
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Posted February 22, 2011 at 4:14 pm

In Reply: Are Union Workers And Supporters Not Loyal Americans?

In reply to the following post: Preparing for Revolution - The Lonely Conservative:
A liberal blogging troll accused Donald Douglas of making things up, and denied that any communists were present. As if the video above isn’t proof enough.
Had you gone to his blog, you'd've noticed that that "liberal troll" actually pointed out where Donald lied--He claimed the woman said something she did not say--and never claimed that no communists were present. (Perhaps one could count that as another lie from Donald. I know I do.)

Here's the link, and the relevant quotes: American Niiiiihilist: Donald Wets Himself In Fear Of "Cooooomunists!!!"

1) "Now first off, the lady never 'speaks about how 'all of our members' are up every morning organizing for the dictatorship of the proletariat.' Watch the video as many times as you need to... She neither uses those words or expresses that sentiment. As so often happens, Donald Douglas is lying, and hoping his readership is too stupid to notice..."

2) "Let's be clear. There are communists here in America. And yes, there are some Socialists, like the pair in the propaganda video. There are probably a few Stalinists, even."
Does the blogging troll who bashed Prof. Douglas honestly believe that the revolutionary communists aren’t ideological allies with the protesters in Wisconsin?
The "blogging troll" believes that the revolutionary communists have their own reasons for supporting the union folks... but that supporting unions is not inherently a communist act, even if communists happen to believe it'll "bring about the glorious revolution," or whatever. There are a whole lot of good and loyal capitalists who are union members and supporters, as well, and in all the years of union work here in the US, the vast majority of us are still "capitalist swine," which tells me that the revolutionary communists (and those on the right who seem to think the country is one union shop away from Marxism) are dead wrong.
I appreciate your asking.
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Posted February 22, 2011 at 8:32 am

Monday, February 21, 2011

X-Post: Donald Wets Himself In Fear Of "Cooooomunists!!!"

American Power: Socialist Public Employees Call for Revolution in Wisconsin

After seeing a video of a pair of 20-somethings from a local Wisconsin socialist organization , Donald had this to say:
"These folks are from International Socialist Organization, revolutionary Trotskyites committed to global anti-capitalist struggle. What's fascinating is how the lady speaks about how "all of our members" are up every morning organizing for the dictatorship of the proletariat. That's amazing, since I thought we only had imaginary communists in America:"


Now first off, the lady never "speaks about how "all of our members" are up every morning organizing for the dictatorship of the proletariat." Watch the video as many times as you need to... She neither uses those words or expresses that sentiment. As so often happens, Donald Douglas is lying, and hoping his readership is too stupid to notice...

And then there is Donald and his imaginary communists... If you follow his link, you'll no doubt quickly notice that his link is disingenuous, too. No one said there's no such thing as communists, not even here in America. What the folks at SadlyNo said was, Donald Douglas sees communists everywhere he looks. Obama? Communist. The Democratic Party? Communists. Peace activists? Communists. Donald's enemies are ALL communists (or nihilists, or some other kinda "...ist," in an effort to paint anyone who isn't a God-fearing neocon as un-American.)

Given this "boy who cried wolf" bullshit, it's no wonder that folks don't take Donald Kent Douglas seriously, and question his knowledge and ability to be an effective political science associate professor. Anyone who claims not to be able to discern the differences in political theory and/or actual policy between Stalin and Obama is a poor man's propagandist, and not worthy of his doctorate. (As I've said before, I don't believe Donald doesn't know better; I believe he is intentionally lying, hoping to persuade, and that he's fully aware that he's doing it. Which in a way, is worse than being ignorant.)

Let's be clear. There are communists here in America. And yes, there are some Socialists, like the pair in the propaganda video. There are probably a few Stalinists, even. Their numbers are pretty small -- (The video shows only two socialists. Given the number of folks protesting in Madison, that ought to tell you something right off the bat. If there really were "Socialist Public Employees Call[ing] for Revolution in Wisconsin," you can be sure that Donald and his fellow union-busters would've showed you as many as possible, being as vehement as possible. They came up with two twenty-somethings handing out flyers and newspapers and talking about the rights of workers.) -- and for the most part, they're discussing ideas, not committing (or even contemplating) violent "Stalin-like" acts of any kind. That doesn't make their ideas good or right, but these ain't McCarthy's communists, either. (Hell, for the most part, even McCarthy's communists weren't the dangerous folks he made them out to be...) Donald is just another in a long line of red-baiters and liars, who would rather scream accusations than take folks down on the merits. (One would think it'd be easy to defend capitalism and take down socialism intellectually, rather than painting everyone with that big ol' Stalinist brush.)

Now it's certainly legitimate to take on these socialist kids for things they actually said, but Donald doesn't do that. Instead he invents a quote that doesn't exist, and argues against that. Anyone who reads Dr Douglas ought to be asking themselves why...

Donald and other propagandists like him can't see the forest for the trees, and want you to be as blind as they are. They point to this pair, and call everyone protesting in Madison "Cooooomunists!!!," as though all the rest--the folks who are not members of this or any socialist organization, and probably didn't even take their flyers--are ALL Cooooomunists!!!.

Donald is obviously willing to tell any lie for his cause... That's who he is. But you'd have to be an idiot to take his word for anything. His posts are at least as often fiction as they are fact, and it's incumbent on the reader to do their homework and verify every claim he makes... assuming one even needs to read him, at all.
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An American Niiiiihilist X-post

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