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The Push For Colbert's "Restoring Truthiness" Rally
jamie writes "A grassroots campaign has begun to get Stephen Colbert to hold a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to counter Glenn Beck's recent 'Restoring Honor' event. The would-be rally has been dubbed 'Restoring Truthiness' and was inspired by a recent post on Reddit, where a young woman wondered if the only way to point out the absurdity of the Tea Party's rally would be if Colbert mirrored it with his own Colbert Nation.'"
If he will resort to weeping publicly over his concern for our great Republic, I will show up and offer him a kleenex. It's only decent.
Yes, it was funny when it made the top page of Reddit. It was funnier when they acknowledged it on the Comedy Central blog. It will be the ultimate insult to GB and Fox WHEN Stephen gets about 1M more people there than Glen did.
put the what in the where?
Why is this on Slashdot?
I couldn't care less about the Tea Party or Colbert. It isn't real news. It certainly isn't for nerds.
See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
It seems like 3/4th of the publicity Glenn Beck gets is from people calling him a raging idiot. Maybe if we just stop paying attention to him, and Jon Stewart stops making fun of him every single show, he might just go away when he realizes most people don't care about the crap he spews out of that hole he calls a mouth.
Shouldn't this be in idle?
Controversy leads to page hits. Page hits lead to advertisers. Advertisers lead to income. Income leads to getting laid.
Mystery solved.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
If you put in the proposed date into a binary translator, 10/10/10, you get an output of 42!!! The answer to everything is this rally!!!
This is better than geese flying over.
Where can I register? I want to go!
Every so often I think it's a sad state of affairs for journalism when satirists like John Stewart and Stephen Colbert on a comedy channel are considered more reliable, trustworthy, and objective in their reporting than "serious" (for lack of a better term) journalists like Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly on what's supposed to be a news channel.
Are usually nerdy college students or people who live in their parent's basement rent free. In other words dependents who are dependant upon staying out from the daylight. You really think they are going to get a bunch of them pryed away from their gamestations and computers long enough to go outside to a rally in the hot burning sun?
You would have better luck convincing Vampires to eat a cloves of garlic while standing in an open air church at high noon.
You shouldn't assume that everyone who watches the same shows you do is like you.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
Just curious, but what data are you basing that extremely general claim off of? Or is your post meant to troll all those who like Colbert/Stewart for whatever reason you have?
where a young woman wondered if the only way to point out the absurdity of the Tea Party's rally would be if Colbert mirrored it with his own Colbert Nation.'"
It's certainly easier than, you know, actually acknowledging and dealing with their ideas...
The date they want to hold the rally is 10 October of '10. I.E., 10/10/10, however they have the poster written with the date as 101010, which is binary for 42, which, as we all know, is the answer to life, the universe and everything. Its the ultimate truthy thing. It's the ultimate nerd thing. Only thing its missing is a sign saying "Repent! The Singularity is Nye!" with the Science guy himself staring everyone down like Uncle Sam.
insert obligatory comment illustrating how to modify your account settings to not see stories from politics section
Reply to That ||
Speaking from personal experience?
Unless its Glenn Beck. I don't think anyone who isn't "one of them" can stand that crap for more than 5 minutes, if that.
Stop being an elitist, insulting curmudgeon, learn how to sign in to Slashdot, and your check will arrive in 4-6 weeks. See? Was that so hard?
...but what you can do for your country TO GET RID OF GLENN BECK. I'm pretty sure that's how it goes.
I wasn't interested in this at all, until I read that it was a young woman who made the post to Reddit. Now I'm definitely interested. Does anyone know what she looks like? I mean, being a woman implies she's old enough, and young is certainly promising, but you never know. Before I get involved in something like this, I definitely want to know what she looks like. I've been burned on more than one blind date and Internet romance. Also, of course, is she married? Is she dating anyone? How seriously? Is he socially conscious? Because I am, and that's usually my hook, because I'm not really like a jock or anything, but some girls are into that. Also, we both like Colbert, so that's something in common too. Anyway, if anyone gets her email address or some pics, please send them to me, because this seems like a really cool idea from a young woman.
Wow, you mean some smug Internet denizen came up with a way to launch a "hilarious" yet substance-free attack on a group she and all her cool friends just "know" is silly? What stunning news! Strawman used by baselessly smug group of left wingers against group of right wingers!
What next, are we going to have a story about a group of right wingers painting left wingers as Anti-American and playing the Outrage Card to rouse the rabble?
A pox on both their houses.
Doesn't it get boring after a while, reveling in how clever you and your Internet buddies who have developed some lame shared-language of goofball Internet memes are?
Oh, wait...
Oh, no, there are all kinds of Glenn Beck fans. For instance, there is the crazy wing: libertarian crazies, religious crazies, racist crazies. Then there is the retard wing, home-schooled retards, closeted retards, old senile retards. We also have the diabolically evil faction, Wall Street evil, coal mining evil, big oil evil, the military industrial evil complex.
Glen Beck's popularity spans all sorts of crazy, retarded and evil.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
If Colbert did this, it would be an amazing speech. I would love to be there for it. If you haven't seen it yet, see his speech he gave to and about George Bush. It is on YouTube.
I was gonna celebrate the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything on 10/10/10.
Yeah, it's hilarious to hear a Tea Bagger proclaiming that the government should "keep their hands off my Medicare".
The race profiteer Al Sharpton led a small group to protest the "hijacking" of MLK's memory.
... throw an anti-tea party rally. To be fair, you'd have to have your platform be the opposite of the tea party platform. So I guess the RT rally would be for a non-balanced budget, pro-emissions trade, pro-more complex tax system, anti-auditing the Federal Government, pro-escalating federal budgets, pro-earmarks, pro-tax increases.
Sounds like we already have all that. So you are rallying for the status quo.
Good Job you socially progress folks.
You mock yourselves.
To think that ANY political ideology, no matter where it sits on the spectrum of political thought, provides an optimum framework for solving the world's or nation's problems is the sign of a very small mind.
In order to understand the difference between the term "truth" and Colbert's made-up word "truthiness", you'd have to, you know, actually watch the show at least once.
Colbert is a comedian who openly uses lies and manipulative humor to get laughs among his followers. He mocks everything in sight, with a double helping reserved for himself. He's in the business of entertainment, not news. He's a complete attention whore because that's what pays the bills.
I don't know the term for the opposite of "comedian", "tragedean", maybe? Whatever the term would be, that's Beck. He openly uses lies and manipulative tragedy to get outrage among his followers. He derides everything in sight, with a double helping reserved for anyone who he thinks his followers might agree with him on. He's in the business of entertainment, not news. He's a complete attention whore because that's what pays the bills.
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
Let's not forget the businesses that just appear to randomly have the TV on Fox News 24/7.
If corporations are people, aren't stockholders guilty of slavery?
One of the most critical skills in satire are knowing where the boundaries are. Exceed the boundaries and you go from respected to despised.
Colbert's genius is that even those who he is mocking can go along with joke, perhaps ignoring or not understanding that they are being mocked.
To pretend to be organizing such a rally is funny, but to actually hold such a rally is ridiculing the rally participants too directly. The offense would be impossible to ignore, and that's not Colbert's style.
Beck was a morning radio dj for years, I think his biggest non-political gig was at WPGC in Wash. DC where he was a morning drive "Zoo Keeper". He spun records and yucked it up with callers. Anyone who knows anything about radio knows that djs are mostly f*ed in the head and have lots of problems. Beck is not unique to this, although he does appear to have turned his life around, although I don't get why he turned from Catholicism to Mormonism. That's like going from Communism to Radical Islam. But seriously, lets not take Beck too seriously. He was a loser dj who pulled a Limbaugh and found success in being a political pundit. He's not a big deal. Some think he is, but he's not. Screw him. Better yet, ignore him.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
The very complexity of the world means that you need organizing principles (that is, ideologies) to help make sense of it. To believe in one's ideology too completely, and to never questions one's ideologies, are serious mistakes. On the other hand, to be a complete political pragmatist without ideology to give structure to this complex world is likely unworkable.
Glenn Beck is not religious. He's a money machine. He knows how to make money. Right now that's by appealing to the "religious right" in America.
Ya but when you take all that away, what do you get?
Canada :)
that's the same combination as my luggage!
Oh, Canada! We stand on cars and freeze.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
"This is my sign. There are many like but this one is mine."
"Free ice cream and puppies! See the man in the van."
"This sign for rent / Your message here / Reasonable rates."
"I like turtles!"
"Available for on-camera interviews"
Good point. Colbert fans don't have a billionaire Obama-hating family to bus them out to the event like Glenn Beck does.
i ~ Celebrating Science, Cyberspace, Speculation
Why is this liberal garbage on SlashDot? I didn't see anything on Beck on here and pray it wasn't because it should be here either. Please ppl, stop the ignorance.
-------- Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most. --Ozzy
The reason it was so clean afterward is there were only 50,000 people there.
There were a lot more than that.
Let's compare crowd estimates from the Colbert rally using similar pictures, shall we?
And instead of simply posting a derogatory reply for appearing to support the rally, you could instead argue against the calculation to come by the range of estimates (low end was 90k).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Stop it. It isn't flamebait. I may be a liberal and Wyatt may be conservative, but even I can tell he's not here to incite flames.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
Stand on cars...
wtf? I must be missing something...
I don't know the term for the opposite of "comedian", "tragedean", maybe? Whatever the term would be, that's Beck. He openly uses lies and manipulative tragedy to get outrage among his followers. He derides everything in sight, with a double helping reserved for anyone who he thinks his followers might agree with him on.
I believe the term you're looking for is "demagogue":
What a great description in that 2nd paragraph
You forgot the Libertarians who want to return us to a period of politcs between 1790-1890.
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
... is never absurd.
The "genius" of the "elites" usually is.
For those US citizens who don't get the genius reference: It's our Constitution. See Federalist Papers, for starters.
I would define Colbert's "truthiness" as true or wise in a philosphical sense, independent of whether the facts actually support it or whether it has anything to do with facts at all.
Thus a statement can be manifestly false, and yet contain considerable truthiness. Its veracity transcends reality.
I don't know, it's something I heard Lady Mondegreen sing once.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
I miss the old days when somebody could be wrong without being crazy, retarded or evil.
I do too, I really do.
But I don't deal well with willful stupidity. Ignorance can be forgiven. Sticking you head in the sand not so much. Not by me anyways.
Your comment is in line with "elect Republicans and they will take your Social Security away" or "Elect Democrats and they will raise taxes"
Even if somehow one party managed to control two thirds of both houses and the white house the courts would still be there as well as the court of public opinion. Even while Democrats had a majority in both houses they rarely got anything done. When they did they resorted to parliamentarian tricks and deception. Hell we saw bill after bill passed without Congressmen knowing what was in it and somehow this is better than what might come later?
If anything government is dysfunctional and they have made it so that the rules protect them in their rule. The tea party that many associate negative connotations with is that part which was absconded with by people looking to make money and increase their power base. As was seen in Alaska, the real tea party does not obey the Republican party and does not cede to the Democrats either. It is still up in the open what they may become but if all we have are people spouting FUD what we will have? Simple, the same crap we have now where both parties play people off each other so that THEY can stay in power. So while they cheer your inane comments, put there by endless talking heads on each side, nothing changes and that is the best solution they could hope for.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
"I'm waiting for the first domestic terrorist attack on a mosque..."
This is supposed to be like some kind of new thing to be worried about? Something that Beck is bringing in fresh and new? Lets not forget that Lee Harvey Oswald was a raving lunatic LEFTIST, and more recently we have the nut job who took down 32 students at Virginia Tech a few years ago, John Malvo & John Allen Muhammad, the beltway sniper duo, McVeigh & Nicols... so all these are to be blamed on Beck too? Its now like you take Beck out and all these problems are solved. So stop talking nonsense.
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
What exactly has Beck said that is incorrect or false lately? Examples please..... just curious.
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Comment removed based on user account deletion
Then there's also the liberals who watch Beck to laugh at him or find out what the other side thinks... ...then backs away slowly and weeps for the state of our country.
I sometimes ask revealing, often ignorant-seeming questions. Maybe they're harder to answer than you think.
I just can't shake the image from my imagination that Beck is doing the same thing as Colbert, just taking it to an even greater extreme where he is doing his parody from inside the political movement he's parodying and playing it so straight that nobody gets it, seeing just how far he can push the gag before people catch on.
and only a handful get it.
Hmmmmm.
Pajamas Media? Really?
So since you disagree but don't say why, are you telling us all you are too stupid to refute the calculations made?
They seemed pretty simple to me, and based on numbers generally accepted for crowd size analysis. Perhaps if you study them harder the reason why you disagree will come to you.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The key difference between Colbert and Beck, according to parent, is that when Colbert is over you chuckle and turn off the TV, but when Beck is over you go out and vote. Colbert is arguably more transparent about being a manipulative attention whore, because to get people to laugh they have to get the joke.
I sometimes ask revealing, often ignorant-seeming questions. Maybe they're harder to answer than you think.
Chef: You see, chidren, sometimes a man needs to be with a woman.
But sometimes, when the lovin' is over, the woman just wants to talk and talk
and talk and talk.
[song]
But a prostitute is someone who would love you
No matter who you are, or what you look like.
Yes, it's true, children.
That's not why you pay a prostitute,
No, you don't pay her to stay, you pay her to leave afterwards.
That's why I pays a lot for prostitutes! Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. James Taylor.
James Taylor: A prostitute is like any other woman
They all trade somethin' for sex and they do it well.
Chef: And that's why I say-
Chef and James Taylor: Prostitutes! Prostitutes! They-
Chef: Oohhhh [sees principal]
James Taylor, what the hell are you doin' in here?!
Singing' about prostitutes to the children! Get out of here!
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
No, I'm going to need the Examiner's methodology. How do we know they didn't count the people who went to Beck's speech twice? How do we know there wasn't some other event going on that day which might account for more ridership?
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
To be fair to both parties, you have to mention that GW Bush was arrested for drunk driving in 1976. He even admitted to "drinking too much" before he quit. So you could say that GW was alcohol addled in his younger years.
But GW Bush decided to stop drinking after his fortieth birthday. I commend him for that.
Obama, it appears, used drugs in high school and college but also gave them up. You have to commend Obama for that AND the fact that he admitted to drug use.
I suspect that you could add lots of public figures to this list, those that, in their early years, abused drugs and/or alcohol. That seems to be a common thing in some circles.
Rush, unfortunately, should have been old enough to know better. The only 'saving' grace is the fact that people in pain will often do stupid things to push back that pain. It would be nice if Rush were a bit more vocal about the stupidity of prescription drug abuse AND if the media reported said activity.
Almost any public figure who abuses drugs will have their abuse mentioned, whether said abuse happened during their youth or in recent years. It appears to be one of those things that people do, especially when their 'hero' is criticized by the other side.
Sure, not a terrorist attack, but sometimes all you need is spark of stupidity to set off something nasty....
I'm sorry that your education system has failed so many of you so miserably.
I'm sure that someday most of you will gain enough real-world experience to understand why 0bama is a disaster and folks like Glenn Beck have to raise the alarm. In the meantime, I think we'll be OK given the way things are going into November. :-)
It only takes 20 years for a liberal to become a conservative without changing a single idea. - Robert Anton Wilson
Galileo: "The Earth revolves around the Sun!"
Score: -1 100% Flamebait
Google 'Canadian National Anthem.'
Long? What do you mean the signature at the bottom of every comment I post on Slashdot is too lo
Younger people are typically left-wing. As you get older, and if you're responsible, you'll begin swinging right... unless you're a career politician...
Usually what happens is people form opinions and rarely ever change them. Younger people for more liberal ideas and the definition of "liberal" and "conservative" (such as they are) changes over time so people so by the time a person who was liberal in their youth dies, the same opinions they've always held are now labelled as "conservative".
Or in short, old people mostly become set in their ways and don't like change, as they perceive it. Most people in general, have incorrect beliefs about what actually happened in the past and don't bother to research the truth. For example, the issue of taxation. Never in our history has taxation been as lacking in progressiveness (usually considered a liberal trait) as it is now. When "liberal" politicians try to move taxation to a more progressive level, like it was under Reagan or even Nixon, our society labels that as "liberal" and the opposite of conservative, even though it's actually moving things to be more like they used to be an always have been. Of course that's because the labels "liberal" and conservative" aren't about values, but about dividing society into two competing groups because it's the easiest way to get votes.
Bear.
Costume.
It wasn't a tea party rally, it was a "Restoring Honor" rally...
To hold an "anti-Restoring Honor" rally is just plain stupid...what? we WANT to be dishonorable?
I'd be surprised if Colbert or anyone else could get more than Beck...just look at the last "icon" to have a rally there in D.C., what was it, back 2 years ago, the inauguration? Not even the charismatic leader of "hope" and "change" could draw more than 200,000 people.
Face it, people are fed up with the direction things are going. Colbert, if he is serious, would only make it worse, or prove the point.
--E--
Fair enough, but consider who it was that established those "progressive" (usually a code word for socialist or communist, used by those without the courage to call themselves what they really are); the left. It just took this long to get the tax rates as low as they are now, but they are still way too high. Think of it: for income in the top marginal bracket (currently 28%, IIRC) and when you add in the state cut for those states that have an income tax, you lose somewhere in the area of 50% of your top-bracket income to taxation. Half. That's insane. Sure, it used to be worse when the top bracket was an unbelievable 90%, but that doesn't mean it's not still way too high.
You'd have a hard time convincing me that income tax should have any brackets above 10%, or even that it should be progressive at all, but even if you could convince me of that to some extent, a 28% marginal tax rate is ridiculously high.
Is Obama a Muslim? Highly unlikely, although there are doubtless Muslims who regard him as something like one due to his paternal line.
Is he a radical Christian? Most certainly not. Wright is a racist, narrow-minded bigot (probably not insane, but then, neither are those who listen to Beck) and doesn't strike me as being terribly Christian. Obama himself doesn't really seem like one, either; I think he just plays a Christian on TV.
If you think the left hasn't seriously screwed things up here, you just aren't old enough to know just how much better it used to be.
What's wrong with that? The days of the framing of the Constitution were certainly far freer than now. If those people were around today, they would not recognize this nation.
I am inclined to believe his as well, but they do not do crowd estimation any more often than the guy I did the link to (the link states they do this infrequently) - of course, they had higher resolution photos.
But it would have been nice to see the density estimates he used within the grids. The other guy basically used a grid technique as well, to separate out more sparse areas from the more packed ones. So it's a question of the numbers you use, per grid.
Given the subway use increase the other poster reported, half the number of additional subway riders still seems too low.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Having been visiting /. for over 15 years I'm shocked at the amount of, what appears to be, left wingers here. It's never really come up but am I in the conservative minority on Slashdot?
It's hard to say. A lot of people used to vehemently defend the Iraq war, but as the public soured on it they became a distinct minority. We still get a fairly large number of anti-Islam anti-Muslim posters... I was shocked by the views I saw posted here (and modded up) on a story a week or two ago.
But maybe all that doesn't really reflect conservative/liberal politics.
Traditionally we've had a very large number of "Latter Day Libertarians", by which I mean self-described Libertarians who apparently don't care about anything but gun ownership, taxes, and laws that might restrict their ability to become filthy rich.
Also... The most vocal group isn't necessarily the biggest group. We should have a /. poll on political orientation.
Younger people are typically left-wing. As you get older, and if you're responsible, you'll begin swinging right... unless you're a career politician...
This is conventional wisdom, but I'm not sure it's true. I have certainly gone the opposite direction.
Also, I suspect liberals and conservatives disagree intensely what "responsible" means.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
I've long wanted to visit Washington DC to see the Smithsonian and the other museums there (is that nerdy enough for you?)./quote?
Almost!
Allow two full days to see the Smithsonian and related museums along the Mall. Less if you don't like art. Being a Slashdotter, you'll probably want to start with the Air & Space thing, to make sure you have enough time for it.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
You mean the real one? That I had to sing in school? Yeah, I got that, I've just never heard that lyric replacement before.
I dunno if spun was aiming for the Funny mod, but had my mod points not expired, I would have modded him insightful.
StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
So far I and my employer have paid just over $57,000 in to Medicare, and I estimate about another $60,000 will be paid in on my behalf before I reach retirement age. That is $117,000 taken from me by the government as payment in advance for providing me with Medicare services when I reach retirement age.
Ignoring the time value of the money that was paid in by me and on my behalf over my entire working lifetime (i.e., interest it should have earned), if that money was paid out on my behalf every month starting when I reach retirement age, it would fund a health insurance plan at $300/month for 32 years.
So, in some sense, it would be "my Medicare" that was being manipulated, wouldn't it?
Artists can use lies to point out the truth - fallacies can be used to make indirect points just as fictional stories can represent truths and the bible can be allegorical but can be "true".... (Which directly ties into another related issue-- the people who take the whole bible literally...)
Colbert routinely makes silly arguments which are the same or analogous to the ones he is parodying. Many of the fallacies he uses are the SAME and he uses the COMMON method of illustrating false reasoning with crazy examples. Satire uses such methods ALL THE TIME. Another method is reductio ad absurdum, which is more difficult to use seriously because argumentative people can nit pick the whole path - a formal one is more like a legal contract and is not funny. Anyhow, many times I've seen him use the SAME words with the variables swapped out as the people he is parodying - yet some people attack him for doing what he is attacking others for doing using satire! He illustrates hypocrisy all the time; unfortunately, he may be making it more acceptable in the way he does it. (Just like Archie Bunker made racists more likable.)
Some people think it is a sad sign that Colbert can be viewed as REAL by so many people.
This is a result of those viewers poor judgment and today's sick political climate. Irony, logical fallacies, reductio ad absurdum, and other satirical methods that intentionally go to extremes of analogy for humor and effectiveness end up MIRRORING the crazy extremists who seriously take positions too close to the satire!! I can't recall any right now but there were a few times with Colbert was ahead of the right wing fringe!
Democracy Now! - uncensored, anti-establishment news
It's an amusing idea, but of course Beck has the full weight of Fox behind him.
One of the most insightful bits on The Daily Show was one in which Stewart pointed out that Gretchen Carlson, who poses as an "ordinary," unsophisticated and uneducated person, was a Stanford honors graduate and did work at Oxford:
Gretchen Carlson Dumbs Down
Fox consistently broadcasts falsehoods, absurdities, and stupidity. It isn't because Fox is staffed by idiots. They are consciously and cynically manipulating people towards political ends that benefit the owners of Fox and News Corp, not the people they are manipulating. Fox holds its audience in contempt.
Jesus and Moses went fishing in the Red Sea.
Once their boat was well beyond the horizon, Jesus said "You know, I miss the miraculous old days, fire in the sky, loaves and fishes, healing the sick. Things just aren't the same anymore"
Moses replied "I know what you mean. People don't appreciate the miracles we used to do."
Jesus said "My favorite one was when you parted the Red Sea - I'd love to see that again just for old times sake"
"Really?" Moses replied?
"Absolutely - C'mon, please?"
Moses stood in the boat and raised his arms. The sea before them parted for as far as the eye could see. When he lowered them, the sea returned into the gap.
"Amazing!" Jesus cried. "Just... amazing!"
"Well, you were pretty good back in the day too" replied Moses. "My favorite was when you wowed them by walking on water. I'd love to see that again, just for old times sake..."
"Really?" said Jesus.
"Yes, please, it would mean a lot" replied Moses.
Jesus gingerly stepped to the edge of the boat and placed his right foot upon the water. He stepped forward, and immediately plunged to the bottom of the Red Sea.
Moses quickly reached in and pulled him back into the boat.
"I know I can do it - I know I can" said Jesus. "Let me try again."
Once again Jesus stepped to the boat's edge and then onto the water, and once again he sank to the bottom of the Red Sea.
Moses pulled him out again. Sputtering water, Jesus exclaimed "I don't understand! I used to be able to pull that one off without a hitch. I just don't get it..."
Moses replied "I think the last time you did that, you didn't have those holes in your feet...."
Ask Me About... The 80's!
Fair enough, but consider who it was that established those "progressive" (usually a code word for socialist or communist, used by those without the courage to call themselves what they really are); the left.
You seem to be missing a noun in your sentence. And progressive isn't a code word in terms of taxation. It's a well established economic term referring to a progression of taxation rates that correlate to wealth or income rates.
It just took this long to get the tax rates as low as they are now, but they are still way too high.
That's a perfectly valid opinion, but my point was, why is it considered "conservative"? It's changing the status quo and if we're labeling things consistently should be "radical" if anything. Labeling it "conservative" only makes sense if "conservative" just means what republican candidates say they want (but never vote for I guess).
You'd have a hard time convincing me that income tax should have any brackets above 10%, or even that it should be progressive at all...
Nor was it my intention to do so. I would, however, recommend you read a bit about economic if you have the time and try to create a model of exactly what you think will happen to an economy without progressive taxation and to look at the economies of countries that have tried it in the past and the few asian/eastern european countries trying it now and see how well it has been working. Without sufficient progressiveness of taxation to counterbalance the wealth condensation principal, wealth only moves one direction until the system becomes unstable and collapses.
I don't know why it should seem low, I'm not sure how many people you would expect to show up at a rally by Glenn Beck.
And another angle just occurred to me as well, the fact that is show is very popular. I'd have nothing to do with anyone from Jersey Shore. but they could easily draw that kind of crowd.
Thinking that what you like or dislike is the same as what everyone likes or dislikes is the path to self-delusion.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
However, insofar as those who think that progressive taxation is a good idea are typically leftists, I'll stand by my code word assertion even in the context of taxation.
Why is wanting low tax rates considered conservative? Because we conservatives want low taxes and liberals want high taxes. Note that I'm not saying "Republican" here; show me a Republican who claims to be a conservative and the odds are somewhere north of 50% that I can show you a liar.
What would happen in an economy without progressive taxation? Hmmm...
1) The government would have far less money to spen^H^H^H waste, and would have to seriously re-think spending;
2) All the people who currently think they are getting some kind of free government money would - under a flat tax - quickly become acquainted with the TANSTAAFL principle when instead of getting free money they had to pay their fair share like everyone else;
3) Those same people in point 2 would very quickly start holding government accountable; the nightmare of the vast majority of both Republicrats and Democans.
You know, I'm sure, that 100 years ago, the United States did not have an income tax; the primary means of taxation was property taxes. The income tax was supposed to be a temporary tax to help finance our (mistaken) involvement in WW I. That's why you should never, ever support a temporary tax or a temporary increase in an existing tax; it's an even better gauge of when a politician is lying than "her/his lips are moving."
Yes, I know that a property tax is a form of progressive tax, but it's a much less dysfunctional one than an income tax and tends to better encourage liquidity in the economy while simultaneously avoiding penalizing financial success the way any income tax - but especially a progressive one - does.
By the way, yes, I do believe that corporate income tax should be abolished, at least on domestic profits; it's just smoke and mirrors to help keep people in the dark about how much they are really paying; we're the ones who really pay that corporate tax, because it just gets folded into the price we pay for goods and services as part of the cost of doing business, the same as with paying bribes in corrupt countries.
And then, the income tax should be abolished completely; government could still pay its bills, after some badly needed re-alignment of priorities.
very useful for organizing my collection of concert bootlegs...er, school documents (well, those too)
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
I was quite willing to have fun in the sun all day for the Lollapalooza music festival; I might have felt the same about a Colbert stunt.
I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.