tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post4096775398581444100..comments2024-03-28T15:05:10.372-05:00Comments on Every goddamn day: 03/29/24: Contempt for our democracyNeil Steinberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-64673005358336086472013-10-09T06:52:15.909-05:002013-10-09T06:52:15.909-05:00Are you including Disneyland? Because that's n...Are you including Disneyland? Because that's not an actual country, you know. Neil Steinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-87056987641828794692013-10-09T04:41:09.313-05:002013-10-09T04:41:09.313-05:00No, I've been to four other countries besides ...No, I've been to four other countries besides this shithole. I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying here to help change everything. Never said I liked anarchy. Prefer Communism. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-5089705158239373192013-10-08T15:40:19.127-05:002013-10-08T15:40:19.127-05:00PS - For the record, I'm not Anonymous 2:34PM,...PS - For the record, I'm not Anonymous 2:34PM, I better get a handle for this board...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-18555436116662224342013-10-08T15:37:31.734-05:002013-10-08T15:37:31.734-05:00Not sure what the "just cast my reply for me&...Not sure what the "just cast my reply for me" comment is about (I said "hopefully" you get my point, and by that I just meant that you understood the analogy I was trying to make. Anyway, I understand your argument but still disagree with it: any group can try to stop everything but they'd have to be (or be able to control) 50% of the House or 40% of the senate to be successful, so this only happens over issues either a majority (well, if there wasn't gerrymandering) or large plurality feel extremely passionate about. Plus, they risk the political blowback if they gamble wrong (even recall petitions) so I don't think it's anarchy. Indeed, if you held the position that this kind of hardball can't be allowed even if we didn't have gerrymandering and a supermajority requirement to pass things in the senate,*that* would arguably be contempt for democracy, because arguably the majority of the people would be the ones being thwarted. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-14466544597373718592013-10-08T15:13:25.261-05:002013-10-08T15:13:25.261-05:00Spoken like a man who's never been anywhere. I...Spoken like a man who's never been anywhere. If you like anarchy, what are you doing here? Move to Somalia -- no oppressive government, no functioning official economy. You'll love it. As Socrates said, the unexamined life is not worth living. Neil Steinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-85378466312207535762013-10-08T14:34:15.728-05:002013-10-08T14:34:15.728-05:00Anarchy is better than this government, which only...Anarchy is better than this government, which only serves the rich. I'm a left winger, but if the right can shut down the U.S. government, destroy the U.S. economy and help end amerikka, that's great.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-83396968449112985642013-10-08T14:21:59.437-05:002013-10-08T14:21:59.437-05:00Am I allowed to reply, or will you just cast my re...Am I allowed to reply, or will you just cast my reply for me? No, I don't agree, I don't think Dems would be correct holding the entire government and economy hostage, even for an important issue such as that one. Believe it or not, there are laws we find repulsive that we are not shutting down the government over. Which is the larger point -- once any group with a believe can try to stop everything, anarchy ensues. Neil Steinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11468057838260476480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-53529750456938112082013-10-08T13:39:22.872-05:002013-10-08T13:39:22.872-05:00Actually I see my analogy breaks down because Lovi...Actually I see my analogy breaks down because Loving would have made the DOMA-like law unconstitutional, but hopefully you get my point...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-70258828182396573712013-10-08T13:11:18.472-05:002013-10-08T13:11:18.472-05:00Neil, I hate what the GOP is fighting for, but thi...Neil, I hate what the GOP is fighting for, but this "contempt for democracy" thing is wrong. Consider this scenario: it's a year after Loving vs. Virginia and Congress has passed a version of the Defense of Marriage Act, only covering interracial couples and not gays. A group of liberal Democrats from urban districts use their leverage to tie all budget bills/debt ceiling/etc. to the repeal, or at least suspension for a year, of this law.<br /><br />"We can't not pay our debts!" "What about our Veterans?" "We WON, they must respect that!"<br /><br />Sounds pretty hollow, right? If the issue is important enough, you'd use every means within the rules to fight for it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-71305089620428512862013-10-08T13:08:09.260-05:002013-10-08T13:08:09.260-05:00Different Anonymous here - I don't admire thei...Different Anonymous here - I don't admire their tactics, but First Anon's bigger point is correct: the GOP is playing by the rules. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-36552742310380575462013-10-08T11:27:10.924-05:002013-10-08T11:27:10.924-05:00@Anonymous -- You "admire their tactics and p...@Anonymous -- You "admire their tactics and principles"? The Republican party? SandyKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3972382144120426476.post-73974203030078619212013-10-08T10:36:30.703-05:002013-10-08T10:36:30.703-05:00While I don't agree with the Republicans, isn&...While I don't agree with the Republicans, isn't part of our democracy their right, once elected, to vote yes or no on anything they like, for whatever reasons they have? They can't be forced to vote for government funding or to raise the debt ceiling. I admire their tactics and principles, although I don't agree with their goals. I just wish we had a left wing party in this country to do the same thing on all wars, military spending, government spying, etc. As for the debt, it is owed to bankers. I'm all for canceling it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com