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Political quotes of the moment

Started by Cain, September 13, 2009, 03:10:36 PM

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Cain

Two quotes today.

One, in praise of conservatism Chinese Communism:

Quote[These days,] people who build their family fortune without a background or a patron are numerous, those who rely on their hard work to buy cars and houses are also many. So what injustice and corruption are you talking about? If you aren't taking care of yourself, how can you complain about others? Society has provided enough opportunity and space for everyone, if you are capable you can [succeed]! If you haven't been able [to succeed], it's because you're incapable, it's that simple!

[...]

Common people's patriotism can't always be on a large scale, but at least don't complain, oppose, or betray. Tolerate more, support more, understand more, dependably take care of your own issues, this is the greatest kind of patriotism...

http://sun-zoo.com/chinageeks/2009/10/02/a-little-reflection-on-patriotism/

And one on the Lisbon Treaty, and the hilarious reactions it has promoted

QuoteImagine for a moment that the EU is some faceless provider of goods and services which you find yourself signed up to. One day it delivers this thing called the Lisbon treaty. It's a great big ugly thing you never asked for and it seems to serve no useful purpose. It just sits there like this big lump. There, say the faceless providers of goods and services, take this thing. It's yours. It's what you signed up for. It's all part of the service.

Anyway, I don't want this thing sitting in the front garden and I'd rather have it taken away or just vanish or something. But then the neighbour comes round. See that thing he says. It's a thing of horror, an alien thing. It's a doomsday machine. It's signalling to the aliens and poisoning your thoughts. It's the death of love and the end of history and the shriveling of hope and the tears of little children. We should live together, you and I, in pure communion... without this thing. And then he wanders off weeping and cursing, before sitting in the street and throwing dust over his head.

So I look at this thing and think, well maybe it's not so bad after all when you consider the likely alternatives.

http://bloodandtreasure.typepad.com/blood_treasure/2009/10/the-thing-is.html

Cain

hxxp://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/2009/09/littlejohn-doesnt-do-research-shock.html

The whole article was great, but this in particular stood out:

Quotein his curious rant about John Prescott and climate change he [Richard Littlejohn] includes the admission:

QuoteI've no idea what a rapporteur does

Well Google it and the first result will give you a definition Richard.

Of course, it's almost impossible to believe he doesn't know what a rapporteur is (although it is one of those dirty foreign words that come over here and take the meanings of indigenous British words) but he just wants to say that to pretend someone has got a meaningless, do-gooding job that Guardian readers do.

The Good Reverend Roger

What is this Lisbon Treaty, anyway?  We ignorant colonials don't get much news from outside our nation, these days.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Cain

Basically it makes the EU a bit more like a real country, and a bit less useless.  Its designed to replace all the years of trade agreements and treaties into one single document, and add some powers to things like the European Parliament and the Presidency, and give it a foreign minister.

In actuality, I doubt much will change.  However, watching the Tories lose their minds over it has been amusing.  The Tories secretly like the EU, because, well, its a free trade organisation which benefits their backers and they approve of that.  But they are also willing to use nationalist sentiment against the EU to gain support for their party, and then when in power, wring their hands about how "there is no clearly defined process for leaving, so we will have to stay in for now".

Only, the treaty has provisions for how countries can easily and freely leave the EU, so the Tories are on a mad dash around Europe to try and stop other nations voting for it.

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Cain on October 14, 2009, 04:01:46 PM
Basically it makes the EU a bit more like a real country, and a bit less useless.  Its designed to replace all the years of trade agreements and treaties into one single document, and add some powers to things like the European Parliament and the Presidency, and give it a foreign minister.

In actuality, I doubt much will change.  However, watching the Tories lose their minds over it has been amusing.  The Tories secretly like the EU, because, well, its a free trade organisation which benefits their backers and they approve of that.  But they are also willing to use nationalist sentiment against the EU to gain support for their party, and then when in power, wring their hands about how "there is no clearly defined process for leaving, so we will have to stay in for now".

Only, the treaty has provisions for how countries can easily and freely leave the EU, so the Tories are on a mad dash around Europe to try and stop other nations voting for it.

So, it's like our original Articles of Confederation?
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Cain

Not even that strong, I think.  But in terms of impact it could be, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lisbon Treaty formed the basis for a far more united Europe at some point in the future.

The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Cain on October 14, 2009, 04:12:02 PM
Not even that strong, I think.  But in terms of impact it could be, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lisbon Treaty formed the basis for a far more united Europe at some point in the future.

Gonna have to get the French and Germans to play nice.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Cain

That's easy, just show them a way to shaft the British.

Also, apparently not theo-homo-erotica but a serious piece of political writing, from Pastor J Swank

QuoteNo wonder the devil's Islam threatens the Holy Land. Just as the devil has always salivated to take the throne of God in heaven, the devil seeks to rule from God's Holy Land.

Therefore, Iran's rule screeches out threats against Israel, Satan actually being the voice thrusting forth from Iran's throat.

Demons don't stand a chance. God is God. God tops demons.

God totally tops Iranian voice thrusting demons. 

http://truthinconviction.us/weblog.php?id=P3217

LMNO

Once again, they're doing it wrong.


You thrust into the throat, not from it.

Iason Ouabache

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Landauer/The_Scourge_of_Public_Libraries.shtml

QuoteLibraries are a nice "end." I think libraries are great. But ends cannot be divorced from means. And the means of any public library is tax dollars -- dollars that were extorted under the principle of "Your money or your life." Pay your tax or go to jail. Nothing about them is free. Understand that while the driving force of the private sector is the creation of value, the driving force of libraries is the destruction of value. People are forced, if not at the point of a gun, then at the threat of the point of the gun, to pay for libraries whether or not they want to. And the difference between what they wanted to buy with their money and the library that they are forcibly stuck with is a destruction of value. Not only that, but the difference between the excellent private libraries that would probably exist if the market weren't flooded by inferior government libraries is a further loss of value.

Public libraries, as institutions that destroy value, destroy in some small way our ability to live our lives to the fullest. They represent houses of death and should be spat upon and cursed in the most creative language possible.

Public libraries are a scourge because they masquerade as a benevolent government program, a program that seemingly only the most extreme radical could oppose. Educate the public. Provide "free" books, movies, CDs, and Internet connections to anyone who wants or needs them. Provide reference material and disseminate knowledge to the public. Combat illiteracy. In short, public libraries supposedly better society and make the world a nicer place for everyone. And if public libraries are so great, then why not a public "this" or public "that," by extension?

:horrormirth: I think he's actually serious too!
You cannot fathom the immensity of the fuck i do not give.
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Requia ☣

If they take my libraries from me there will be blood.  :argh!:

*Not actually any better than the TV addicts, just prefers different pills.
Inflatable dolls are not recognized flotation devices.

Kai

Quote from: Iason Ouabache on November 01, 2009, 04:00:23 AM
http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Landauer/The_Scourge_of_Public_Libraries.shtml

QuoteLibraries are a nice "end." I think libraries are great. But ends cannot be divorced from means. And the means of any public library is tax dollars -- dollars that were extorted under the principle of "Your money or your life." Pay your tax or go to jail. Nothing about them is free. Understand that while the driving force of the private sector is the creation of value, the driving force of libraries is the destruction of value. People are forced, if not at the point of a gun, then at the threat of the point of the gun, to pay for libraries whether or not they want to. And the difference between what they wanted to buy with their money and the library that they are forcibly stuck with is a destruction of value. Not only that, but the difference between the excellent private libraries that would probably exist if the market weren't flooded by inferior government libraries is a further loss of value.

Public libraries, as institutions that destroy value, destroy in some small way our ability to live our lives to the fullest. They represent houses of death and should be spat upon and cursed in the most creative language possible.

Public libraries are a scourge because they masquerade as a benevolent government program, a program that seemingly only the most extreme radical could oppose. Educate the public. Provide "free" books, movies, CDs, and Internet connections to anyone who wants or needs them. Provide reference material and disseminate knowledge to the public. Combat illiteracy. In short, public libraries supposedly better society and make the world a nicer place for everyone. And if public libraries are so great, then why not a public "this" or public "that," by extension?

:horrormirth: I think he's actually serious too!

What a fucking IDIOT.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. --Loren Eisley, The Immense Journey

Her Royal Majesty's Chief of Insect Genitalia Dissection
Grand Visser of the Six Legged Class
Chanticleer of the Holometabola Clade Church, Diptera Parish

Precious Moments Zalgo

Quote from: Iason Ouabache on November 01, 2009, 04:00:23 AM:horrormirth: I think he's actually serious too!
You could replace "public libraries" in that rant with anything else the government provides, including police and fire protection, and it wouldn't change the argument.

I read the whole thing.  The comments are pretty nutty too.  (emphasis in original)
QuoteSocialised education and socialised libraries have prevented the market from delivering innovative mechanisms to provide all people -- from the most disadvantaged to the most affluent -- with quality education and information. Market-driven education and libraries would enrich learners both materially (by providing relevant and marketable knowledge and skills) and spiritually (by spreading the life-affirming values that are intimately connected with the quest for knowledge).
What incentive does "the market" have to provide quality education to people without the means to pay for it?
I will answer ANY prayer for $39.95.*

*Unfortunately, I cannot give refunds in the event that the answer is no.

Cain

Oh, there are benefits to having a somewhat educated workforce for any company...exactly the quality of that education and how stratified it may be between the worker/managerial level and across different sectors is certainly questionable though (for example, a "well-rounded" education would probably be dismissed in favour of more employment-needs based one).  No doubt they'd want some form of reimbursement, whether through a contract to work with them for a specified period or tuition fees, so your point still stands.

Unsurprisingly, Landauer ran as a Libertarian Party candidate in California (in 2002) and lost quite badly, securing about 3% of the vote.  Probably because the voters of California had more pressing issues than whether or not Government Storm Troopers were Stealing Their Money to build Evil Communist Value Destroying Libraries.

Cain

Quote from: Who Is IOZ?According to Thomas Friedman, President Obama has a narrative problem. I completely disagree. I think he has a characterization problem. No, a world-building problem. No, a continuity error problem. A dialogue problem? No, a description problem. A gameplay problem? A user interface problem? A design problem? I think there is a script on his page that is causing errors on this page. I think that a misprint on the RSVP page accidentally listed the event as the Tuesday after when it actually occurs. I think those black shoes clash with that navy suit.

Amusingly posted with the tag "metafiction will save democracy"