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DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#42151: Nov 27th 2012 at 10:00:46 PM

Politico interviews Ralph Nader

I only linked this article for this gem:

Question: When’s the last time you used profanity?

Answer: When was the last time Congress betrayed the American people?

edited 27th Nov '12 10:01:19 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
SomeSortOfTroper Since: Jan, 2001
#42152: Nov 28th 2012 at 12:40:21 AM

The Democrats have the support of a little over half the nation. They shouldn't marginalize the other half.
The other half has the House of Representatives and the right to vote every two years. The other half is fine.

Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#42153: Nov 28th 2012 at 5:37:54 AM

In the weeks preceding the election, the White House hastily wrote guidelines on drone strikes in case Romney won. Once Obama took re-election, they've backed off on utilizing such guidelines.

Why did you even need to write guidelines for drone strikes to begin with? The answer is simple: because you know you have atrocious methods on drone strikes and you were worried that Romney would abuse it even more than you already have.

edited 28th Nov '12 6:52:55 AM by Sledgesaul

Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#42154: Nov 28th 2012 at 6:44:49 AM

[up]You mean preceding the election, don't you?

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#42155: Nov 28th 2012 at 6:47:51 AM

@Braeburn: every wave is "different"

But you know what? My dad is from mexico. His cousins who also live in my hometoen are from mexico. Their cousins who also live in town are mexican. The cousin we know best? His daughter enlisted in the Military for a scholarship to go to school. speaks both languages fluently, and acts like any normal 18 year old american girl, just one who also has a different home life.

Not to mention I'm a gamer and highly liberal "normal american" person who people usually cant even tell is mexican until I say something.

aslo, as Grizzly pointed out, a lot of the immigrants who do want social mobility make an effort to learn english, or at least have their children learn it because they want something better for their kids.

edited 28th Nov '12 6:52:28 AM by Midgetsnowman

Sledgesaul Since: Oct, 2011
#42156: Nov 28th 2012 at 6:53:33 AM

Yeah, preceding. Changed it already.

#42157: Nov 28th 2012 at 8:03:28 AM

Huh, a subject on which me and Midget agree.

<><
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#42158: Nov 28th 2012 at 8:52:09 AM

[up]

Truly, this is the end of the world.

or the fact being an immigrants son, I find the idea that I cant assimilate into american culture insulting. Take your pick.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#42159: Nov 28th 2012 at 9:04:07 AM

[up]

I wonder if some won't assimilate because they find American Culture insulting?

This thread needs some Moe Anthropomorphism...

edited 28th Nov '12 9:05:15 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
QuestionMarc Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#42160: Nov 28th 2012 at 9:04:47 AM

Considering the date, I'd go with the former.

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#42161: Nov 28th 2012 at 9:10:40 AM

[up][up]

I admit even as someone who've lived in america since birth, sometimes I find parts of the culture insulting.

QuestionMarc Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#42162: Nov 28th 2012 at 9:17:16 AM

OOC, any examples of what you find insulting?

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#42163: Nov 28th 2012 at 9:25:20 AM

[up]

Lets see. The "pull yourself up by your bootstraps and luck has nothing to do with it" Mindset. The idea that latino immigrants are lazy. the idea that capitalism is some magical force for good, aaaand, oh yes. The fact that in the midwest rural areas like where I live, being white and christian is treated as the 'default"

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#42164: Nov 28th 2012 at 9:30:43 AM

You forgot male, heterosexual, and cisgendered in between white and christian.

QuestionMarc Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#42165: Nov 28th 2012 at 10:11:53 AM

[up][up] And there's people that belittle/look at you funny because of your race?

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#42166: Nov 28th 2012 at 10:24:53 AM

All cultures are insulting to someone, because the whole point of culture is to unify a community of people by including some and excluding others. Who is in and who is out is usually very fluid, esp. in the US.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#42167: Nov 28th 2012 at 10:26:03 AM

So, The Daily Show finally covered the whole hostess thingy. Presenting a credible argument that "Hey, maybe it wasn't the unions."

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#42168: Nov 28th 2012 at 10:51:11 AM

The union workers already took about a ten thousand dollar annual pay cut previously - and that's long term workers who've been with the company for decades. One must start to ask how many times, and by how much, a worker's pay can be cut before a strike is justified.

Did it hurt the company that the union workers weren't willing to take an indefinitely repeating series of pay and benefits cuts? Sure, but that's not a sustainable business model regardless. The union thing was just the last nail in the coffin - and the systemic burial was initiated by the rotating series of increasingly higher-paid executives throughout the last decade.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#42169: Nov 28th 2012 at 10:59:23 AM

If the business was so weak a strike was all it took to bring it down, their problems didnt start with the strike.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#42170: Nov 28th 2012 at 11:04:45 AM

How about when they slashed worker benefits, then gave the CEO a 300% raise?

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#42171: Nov 28th 2012 at 11:07:57 AM

^^^

...and the systemic burial was initiated by the rotating series of increasingly higher-paid executives throughout the last decade.

Those executives didn't initiate the problems. To me, that sounds like there were already major problems and the board was panicking and desperately trying to find a solution.

^

Desperation, on the part of the Board*

.

edited 28th Nov '12 11:08:54 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#42172: Nov 28th 2012 at 11:15:45 AM

If they were panicking and trying anything they could think of to keep the company afloat, they A) wouldn't have approved those executive pay increases, and B) would have tried some kind of highly visible marketing or new product gimmick. There was no frantic last minute innovation, there was no 'let's see what we can pull out of our ass to make people start buying our products again.' It was just stagnation as they squeezed blood from a stone until there was nothing more to squeeze.

In fact, Hostess is an example of the TRIUMPH of supply and demand style capitalism. Plain and simple, Hostess was using noncompetitive equipment, offering noncompetitive pay to its workers and selling noncompetitive products. Increasingly fewer people were benefiting from its existence as time went on, and nothing about its management even attempted to change that.

edited 28th Nov '12 11:18:04 AM by Karkadinn

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#42173: Nov 28th 2012 at 11:17:12 AM

@ De Marquis: exactly. But that doesnt play as well into the "unions are eeeevil" or the "economy is teetering on a precipice" narratives.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#42174: Nov 28th 2012 at 11:59:03 AM

@Midgetsnowman: Certainly, if you watch Fox News, it does. But that doesn't mean those ideas reflect reality in any way.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#42175: Nov 28th 2012 at 12:25:26 PM

I'm aware of that. My point is, the idea "teh ebul unions killed hostess" only has legs because the long running narrative from the right is that unions are evil and the economy is taildiving because libruls.


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