[Ombrageux]

[DanDaMan]

^ Excellent post, Ombrageux! Shows exactly what government run redistribution/socialism does!
Takes from the masses and redistributes to the special interests!

[Ombrageux]

I find that pretty insulting, actually. If you're going to defend neoliberalism like a good Randroid, at least be honest with yourself and accept that - "naturally", that is, without any "government intervention" - it concentrates wealth and the means to acquire wealth into a small minority. True libertarian/neoliberals accept this, celebrate this: the great unwashed masses are lazy, criminal or stupid, that is why they fail. The millionaires and billionaires - bankers, media moguls, big lawyers and so on - they deserve 100 or 10,000 times as much as others, because they "work so hard" or are blessed with the "creative brilliance" of genius-supermen.

At least get your story straight.

[DanDaMan]

I find that pretty insulting, actually. If you're going to defend neoliberalism like a good Randroid, at least be honest with yourself and accept that - "naturally", that is, without any "government intervention" - it concentrates wealth and the means to acquire wealth into a small minority. True libertarian/neoliberals accept this, celebrate this: the great unwashed masses are lazy, criminal or stupid, that is why they fail.

I think Libertarians are quite appalled by the redistribution of our hard earned money to bail out the fat cats.
Our governments clearly cater to keeping their banking and corporate buddies well fed on our dime.

[Potemkin]

I think Libertarians are quite appalled by the redistribution of our hard earned money to bail out the fat cats.

Which is why the ruling class do not allow Libertarians anywhere near the levers of power. The ruling elite will make use of Libertarian rhetoric and even bits of Libertarian ideology now and then whenever it serves their class interests, but they are too smart to buy into it hook line and sinker. The ruling elite are essentially pragmatic Machiavellians rather than starry-eyed Libertarian ideologues - their only political aim is to preserve their own wealth and status, sometimes using the government to do so (eg, the bailout) and sometimes using neoliberal or Libertarian ideology to do so. Whatever works. But what they will never do, being the apt students of Machiavelli that they are, is to close off their options by adopting and believing any particular political ideology.

[Melodramatic]

Dan you should understand that if there was ever a shred of libertarianism in the American government, it was smashed, burned and shredded in to pieces long before the rise of modern liberalism (which is the elites latest play, a dastardly way to counter marxism). Fact is that corporate welfare and benefits cost us much more then redistribution policies and do much more damage to everyone (but the elite) and yet most libertarians and conservatives focus on fighting the latter.

This is why I have little faith in achieving any true libertarianism by using democracy.

Which is why the ruling class do not allow Libertarians anywhere near the levers of power. The ruling elite will make use of Libertarian rhetoric and even bits of Libertarian ideology now and then whenever it serves their class interests, but they are too smart to buy into it hook line and sinker. The ruling elite are essentially pragmatic Machiavellians rather than starry-eyed Libertarian ideologues - their only political aim is to preserve their own wealth and status, sometimes using the government to do so (eg, the bailout) and sometimes using neoliberal or Libertarian ideology to do so. Whatever works. But what they will never do, being the apt students of Machiavelli that they are, is to close off their options by adopting and believing any particular political ideology.

precisely .

"naturally", that is, without any "government intervention" - it concentrates wealth and the means to acquire wealth into a small minority.

I am no historian but it seems to me that government and wealth concentration have always been entwined. A coincidence maybe?

[QatzelOk]

Our governments clearly cater to keeping their banking and corporate buddies well fed on our dime.

Banks and corporations are quite capable of keeping themselves fat without any government. They even have their own private armies now. And the "government" you are talking about was fused with these corporations before the USA was even created (by corporations looking to govern).

[Ombrageux]

[The American Lion]

[Zyx]

Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job

November 5, 2008 | ISSUE 44•45


WASHINGTON—African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."

The bolding is mine. Seriously, America lay off already!

[Ombrageux]

I wish I could share all the images from Senor Gif but for some reason it always bugs when I post.

[amjdmg]

[amjdmg]

[Ombrageux]

amjd - Very good.

[QatzelOk]

Glenn Beck, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert...

[Rodion]

Bored Canadian guy in cellar...

[QatzelOk]

Celebrity worship. Scorn for other commoners.

[Zyx]

List of Republican Pedophiles.

Wait, this isn't satire.

[Ombrageux]