Friday, January 21, 2011

Chinese Fire Drill



Having apparently missed the president's memo saying "we should use words that heal instead of wound, especially when talking about people we owe a lot of money to," Senator Harry Reid declared China's President Hu Jintao to be a "dictator."

He described Hu in this way because he "can do a lot of things through the form of government they have," and added that saying China's government is different from ours is "an understatement."

Or,
perhaps, an overstatement.

After all, the House bill to repeal Obamacare - voted on by the
peoples' elected representatives - just passed by a larger margin than the original Obamacare bill itself, and with more bipartisan support. Which means that the Senate should now debate the bill and vote on it too, right?

But Harry Reid, acting unilaterally,
won't let it happen. Won't even let the issue be heard in the Senate. Not because it would be a waste of time, but because now that the original bill has been passed, people can (as Nancy Pelosi suggested) "see what's in it." And they don't like it.

Which is why Harry is now following China's lead when it comes to exercising power, and insisting that the peasants shut up.



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22 comments:

Pete(Detroit) said...

Or maybe some dancing egg rolls?
"One man should not be able to thwart the will..."

You are SO ROTFL today, Stilt! Spot on! Game, Set, Match!

John the Econ said...

I am so confused. I thought progressives like Reid were fans of China's unilateral governing ability. After all, who can argue against Thomas Friedman's view that "One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks. But when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today, it can also have great advantages. . . . Our one-party democracy is worse."

He doesn't like democracy. But he doesn't like dictatorships. Could it be that he's actually a fan of a republican form of government?

Rick Armstrong-Texas said...

Harry R. has never listened to the people unless it was election time. And, then he only listens to people with money in their pockets or Unions behind them. It's nothing new...professional politicos become drunk with their own power, believe their own publicity and, in doing so, become empowered to run rough shod over those they purport to represent. Nevada screwed the pooch when they didn't send this dinosaur back to Searchlite as an extinct species.

Suzy said...

Can't they have a vote to bring it to the floor outside of Reid's control? That doesn't seem right somehow.

pryorguy said...

Doc, you always bring out the truth in the matter...good thing, because a lot of folks are still puzzled about how they ought to view the present Administration and its policies.Keep hammering it in, buddy, till more and more people see, beyond a doubt, as we have, that Obama's reign can end in nothing except disaster to this great land!

Angry Hoosier Dad said...

If the Republicans take control of the Senate in 2012 and they don't rule with the same iron fist as Reid, they are pu$$ies and don't deserve to have that power. "Power sharing" is craven abdication and you would never see the Democrats doing something so self-defeating. They are the aggressors and the aggressors set the rules. Play by those rules or get the hell out!

Anonymous said...

My problem and criticism with Republicans and Conservatives is that they live too selfishly and only think of themselves first (me me mine, mine, money, money) and not the general welfare as the constitutions highlights as living flexible document. Thomas Jefferson wrote volumes about this in creating the more perfect union always made it know that the U. S. Congress through the living flexible Constitution needs to also promote the General Welfare as the Constitution clearly states.
President Obama should have not caved in and presented a clear and consise (no-nonsense)piece of Federal Legislation upholding the public access to subsidized medical care for all Americans who cannot afford increasingly expensive(Republican backed)insurance the blood life of greedy insurance companies-themselves nothing more than bureaucrats. You have to realy examine your conscience and look past all the vitriolic venemous comments, illogical absurdity being promoted by the Republicans now-who actually believe that there exsist a free market in medical insurance-they are dreaming. Have you examine the price of the monthly and annual cost for medical insurance of your top 10 companies in the business. They all price fix-there is no competition. Its is a joke and I am even more puzzled that most Americans 87% of us earning less than $43,000 a year would even vote Republican-they must be insane. Don't they know that they should be voting Democratic - to kick the selfish (self-centered) Republicans out in 2012. We are mobilizing now to take back the US Congress. As Jefferson stated we must also promote the Public Welfare (as well) There are 23 million Americans who cannot afford basic health care which costs $245 dollars a month if your are single and $425/month for a Family of four. Most Americans can barely keep living in their homes not to speak of paying for health care. No the Republicans are dead wrong-Obama should have stayed the course and kept a Public health care legislation in place. We are no different than, Canada, England, Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, etc. etc, who all have very fine public medical programs that work just fine. Republicans need to get real and start looking around at America -which has become a land of the have and have nots, and the most important group -the middle class is quickly disappearing. You Republicans and fanatical Tea Party members better start being more kind to the public needs and start promoting the General Welfare sometimes called the "Commons" as in the Commonwealth of Virgina, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts going back to 13 colonies when we took care of one another-because in 2012 your representatives will be thrown out of office. You selfish Conservatives and members of the Party of Lincoln ought to be ashamed of yourselves and is the reason I left the GOP

God Bless America and God Bless the President of the United States and God Bless the U.S. Constitution

Anonymous said...

Anonymous above- How about you, and all your lib friends move to one of the countries you mentioned? I'll bend over backwards to help someone help themselves. In fact, I'm letting another family live in my home right now, free of charge, to help them get back on their feet. As long as the father is actively looking for work and trying to take care of his family, I will gladly help hiim. If he wasn't looking for work and was instead using me as a roof over his head forever, I would kick him and his family to the curb. Liberals just don't understand the difference. Conservatives aren't selfish, and historically we give more to charities than any other group. That's a fact. How much did Obama donate to charity before he became president? Case in point. The selfish ones are the liberals who demand, then steal hard-earned money from the producers of this nation, then hand it over to the non-producers. This country was founded on rewarding hard work. NOT rewarding someone who refuses to work. Wake up, you don't live in a socialist society. Not yet, anyway. And if we have it our way, you libs never will. (unless you move to EU!)

Colby_Muenster said...

Anonymous #1,

Boy, you sure are making some fairly large, sweeping statements about us conservatives! I'll make a sweeping statement about ALL of you liberals, now. You are 100% ALL completely and utterly ignorant of how a successful economy really works. You ALL quack on and on about being compassionate and helping others, but that ALWAYS involves YOU taking MY money and not spending your own (can you spell Joe Biden?). You ALL take what the main stream media dishes out as gospel because you are too lazy or afraid to check alternate sources. You ALL are still blaming our country's problems on George Bush.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. It's not much fun getting stereotyped, is it?

And.... I agree with anonymous #2. Please feel free to move to a socialist country if you think it is so freaking wonderful. My brother did. He moved to Sweden, and after 40 years of shelling out 70% of his paycheck on taxes (to pay for everybody else's health insurance), he is still as broke as he was coming out of college.

Anonymous said...

For some reason, I don't think Harry's dictatorship is going to last past two more years. Seems like forever, right now.

Seriously, does anybody know why in the world our laws allow shit like this? Queen Nancy used to pull this crap, too. Why can't the other 99 Senators force Harry Greed to take the vote? I know, I know, it's probably not going to pass, but it should still be put to a vote.

Dave Collins, Denver, CO

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Readers- Wow, quite a post from an anonymous liberal (three above). It's hard to know whether to challenge the statements point by point, or just let the thing stand as a monument to ignorance (and the need for spellcheck).

I will say, however, that the government can't give away money that it doesn't have. It can't force people to give away services (especially medical services) for free.

Did you know that if the "evil rich" were taxed at a rate of 100%, it still wouldn't be enough to cover what the government spends, gives away, and wastes? And that if the tax rate WAS 100%, our economy would collapse - meaning all social services would disappear?

The "general welfare" clause of the Constitution was never intended to mean that everyone will get a free home, free car, free food, free medicine, free cable TV, and free "walking around money." Because no system on Earth could support that.


And by the way, those "great" socialist medical plans in England and Canada are currently being reviewed for re-privatization because they're unaffordable and the quality of care is declining.

It's probably too much to ask liberals to apply logic to their plans...but if they would start by applying basic math, it would be a good start.

JustaJeepGuy said...

I would also like to know why all the "liberals" want to turn America into a European-type socialist country. If you want it so badly, GO THERE and don't try to ruin America. True Americans DON'T WANT government to be our mommy and daddy.

Pete(Detroit) said...

After 9/11 (Ok, ON 9/11) when the borders were sealed we were shocked to find that 30% of Detroit's health care workers live across the river in Canada. Why were they commuting 1+hr each way, every day? 1) better pay 2) better benefits 3) BETTER HEALTH CARE
Nuff said?
Stilt, I say leave it - point by point refutation only gets the writer worked to a froth, and 'they' never listen anyway.
And yes, Insurance companies (sometimes) make a profit - they're legally not allowed to in MI... But, if you REALLY want cheaper 'health care', ditch the insurance co, and pay cash. Get the CONSUMER invested in getting the best care for the $$$, and invested in keeping themselves healthy. Personal Choices - Diet, exercise, sleep habits, smoking, drinking are the main factors in general health - and they are ALL under the control of the individual - currently, that is. Now, if *I* have to start paying for your crap, you bet your flabby butt I'm interested in how often you eat what, exercise, etc...
and before the cries of 'what if something expensive happens?' start to ring out, that's what a medical IRA is about - pay your premium for catastrophic policy, deductible, and expenses, anything unspent you get to KEEP!
Rewarding GOOD (healthy) behavior! What a concept.
Here's another one - let's tax fat people. Seeing as smokers / drinkers already pay a cubi-metric buttload of taxes, the next obvious source is the fat people - after all, they're (in large part) the ones consuming all the care, no? We can even be 'progressive' about it, and use a sliding scale - the more you weigh, the more you pay, and it goes up on a curve, like income taxes.
And, the best part, it would be totally voluntary, just like alcohol and tobacco taxes - you don't want to pay the fat tax, don't be fat!
Awww, hell, there I go, making 'sense' again...

Necron99 said...

It never ceases to amaze me when a libtard goes off on a rant about the 'evil's of GOP' and the outrageous claim that Conservatives are 'selfish'...

When you dissect their arguments and 'talking points' the true definition of 'selfishness' emerges. These libtards would have you believe that their 'selfless agendas' to 'help the masses' are noble endeavors, but the bottom line is their rhetoric is selfish hateful aggrandizement of a scheme to punish those who have made personal gains through hard work and sacrifice in order to prop up those lazy grasshoppers who have made a culture out of taking advantage of the industrious ants.

The libtard concept of socialism revolves around the flawed idea of punishing those who strive to better themselves and rewarding those who have done nothing for themselves... and there is nothing more selfish than believing it is your God given right to steal from one hard working individual in order to give it away to a slothful individual... especially if that slothful individual is yourself.

Earl said...

I envy Anonymous lib above who pays a mere $425 per month for basic health care for a family of four. Our plan (for the evil rich) is three times that with a $5,000 deductible; and we'll find out any day how much it will increase due to Obamacare. I know too many libs with small co-pays who don't have an effing idea how much medical care really costs. And I want to be on record for NOT holding health care workers, hospitals, or pharmaceutical companies responsible for these high costs. Let's put trial lawyers and government regulations at the top of THAT list.

Suzy said...

Freedom in America is the freedom to make our own way in safety.

Period.

Not the freedom to be lazy, or sponge off the government, or visit the ER every weekend for free, or buy Doritos and steaks every weekend on the taxpayer's dime...

Its the freedom to care for ourselves.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Earl & Suzy- Yes yes yes yes yes. So there.

Bobo said...

I agree with those above who wrote "if you don't like it here, go live elsewhere." The grass always seems greener across the street, but its just as hard to mow.

When I have travelled abroad, or into Canada, I am asked when I get to their Customs/Immigration desk at the airport or border crossing, "how long you going to be here?" Going into Great Britian, I needed to have a return ticket back to the States before I could enter. Is that not because they have enough deadbeats already there sucking off the public teet because of their country's socialist ways?

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous #1:
Everyone wants Americans to have access to affordable healthcare. However, the country has a 13 trillion-dollar deficit and has 2 entitlement programs (Medicare & Medicaid) that are already under funded and overloaded with waste, fraud and abuse. The Social Security trust fund was raided long ago. The monetary resources are not available to insure 23 million Americans and fund the huge government labyrinth that will have to be put in place to run it. Selfish conservatives are reality based.

I agree with you that “Most Americans can barely keep living in their homes” The reason for that is the Government bureaucrats that were in charge of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac that sent this country into the recession we are struggling through. Those same bureaucrats should not run healthcare and should not be charge of 17% of our country’s economy. Selfish conservatives are logical.

Healthcare in this country needs reform; it does not need a Government take-over and we do not need another entitlement program. Selfish conservatives have common sense.

The best thing for our country right now is to get our economy on track and get people back to work so they can keep living in their homes. Hopefully they will get health insurance from their employer, but if not they can look into a health saving plan or at the very least have some money to pay for medical care if needed. Selfish conservatives are honest.

Necron99 said...

I have a question for you Anonymous Libtard, "How come the unselfish Americans hate their country out of personal frustrations, while the selfish ones defend America with their lives?"

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Readers- Writing a political blog can be a thankless (and certainly profitless) task. But when I read the collective wisdom of the comments above, it makes me very happy just to be hosting this meeting place.

Bobo said...

We appreciate you, Stilton. Thanks for providing a place where we can voice our opinions and thoughts on current topics that concern everyone. If it weren't for this sucky economy, we'd give you a raise.