Here Are The Facts; Where’s Our Check?
It’s been a while since Calvin Woodward appointed himself the fact-checker of the American press, but then again, we might not have noticed, because John Kerry hasn’t been much on our minds lately. Also, we’re the fact-checkers of the American press, including all Woodwards great and small.
Calvin Woodward, Associated Press:
FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape
- OBAMA: “Cats go ‘meow.'” THE FACTS: Roaring is not ‘meow,’ and according to the nonpartisan Cat Fancy magazine, lions are almost 50% more likely to be a cat than the average house pet is.
- OBAMA: “Dogs bark.” THE FACTS: Obama did not mention that bark is also the thing on trees.
- OBAMA: “Water is wet.” THE FACTS: Given his background, Obama is almost certainly aware that Hawaiian Punch is also…
‘Shorter’ concept created by Daniel Davies and perfected by Elton Beard. We are aware of all Internet traditions.™
You know you’ve launched a real poo submarine when NewsBusters thinks you’re a boon to journalism:
Tom “Wrong Way” Blumer, Newsbusters:
AP’s Calvin Woodward Does Astonishing Fact Check on ObamaSomebody needs to ‘fess up. Who put truth serum in Calvin Woodward’s coffee this morning?
Whoever it is, they’re in a heap of trouble, as Woodward produced a fact-checking critique of Barack Obama that is so good you’d swear most of it was ghostwritten by a conservative talk host.
It will be interesting to see how much distribution it gets. I would suggest not counting on too much, but being open to a pleasant surprise.
Regardless of its distribution, you’d better believe they’ve read it in the White House, and they’re wondering what in the world happened.
Here are key paragraphs from Woodward’s rundown, which is really, seriously, a read (and save) the whole thing item (it is saved at my host for future reference; HT to Mark Levin, who excerpted the…
I mean, Woodward, if you’re out there, these are characters who want to destroy objective journalism, or rather to redefine the words ‘objective’ and ‘journalism’ to mean zany propaganda from the extreme, dangling fringe of the paranoid right. Psst: They’re not really your friends.
In fairness to Woodward…
Oh hell, who am I kidding?
Woodward’s rundown, which is really, seriously, a read (and save) the whole thing item…
Bookmark it, libs!
Fact checking ! Only with less fact!
Wow, 2000-2006 never happened.
So since there never was a 9/11/2001, can we cut out this terrorist theatre horseshit?
FACT CHECK: The files mysteriously disappeared from Bill Ayers’ house after he was Obamacided.
Wait, what do you mean Bill Ayers is still alive?
Republicans could have matched actions to mouth and killed Social Security and Medicare in the early 2000s to pay for their tax cuts, but that would have required balls, principles and consistency. Since Republicans have never had any of these things (excepting the first item, found occaissionnly in Republican mouths), the damn deficits were caused by the only Republican principle: Tax cuts for the rich.
The budget plan written by the Democrats gives them the option of denying Republicans the normal right to block health care with a Senate filibuster. The filibuster tactic requires 60 votes to overcome, making it the GOP’s main weapon to ensure a bipartisan outcome.
I’m guessing Woody has been so busy editing this article, he missed that there’s 60 Democratic Senators now…
While some of you may argue that “something” is better than “nothing”, I would point you to this FACT: Social Security costs money. And that means raising taxes. Or cutting benefits. Or both. So… think about that.
I mean… this is some hard hitting journalism right here.
I don’t even think that’s constitutional. Fuck it, I’m seceding.
That newsbusters thing is a parody, right? Right? Seriously, I expected it to end “ding dong dilly.”
Whoever it is, they’re in a heap of trouble, as Woodward produced a fact-checking critique of Barack Obama that is so good you’d swear most of it was ghostwritten by a conservative talk host.
OMFG he better not get on any light planes or anything ’cause TEH OBAMA DEATH SQUAD will get him!
Just like, um, they’ve gotten… everyone… critical of…
you know, I can’t. I just can’t. Some BS is just too BSsy.
so good you’d swear most of it was ghostwritten by a conservative talk host.
Actually, I bet that part’s right.
I can’t be bothered to actually read the thing!
Seriously, I expected it to end “ding dong dilly.”
I got a compromise for John Boehner.
They get to say whatever the hell they want about anyone, and in return they are required by law to talk & write like Ned Flanders from then on no takebacks world without end amen.
Mexican Pig Plague will eliminate more Dems than Republicans, demographically shifting the population in our favor.
Plus: Obama uses a teleprompter!
It actually was him — and the other Democrats controlling Congress the previous two years — who shaped a budget so out of balance.
Why, that is an absolutely fascinating cut-off point there. Two years. I guess the budget was balanced prior to that point? Funny, I don’t remember that. But I guess it must be true because there it is in print, on the internets. In a fakt chek colum even!
The rules set by the budget mean that majority Democrats could potentially pass health care legislation without any Republican votes, sacrificing bipartisanship to achieve their goals.
Er. In other words:
Feel-good rhetoric and parliamentary tactics > Policy change that would possibly improve the lives of millions.
Excuse me, I’m feeling a bit barfy.
I feel you Zifnab. I mean when Orrin Hatch was braced about the fact that the R’s filibustered most of Clinton’s judicial appointments, wait, no they just kept them from an “Up or Down Vote”, he said that it was wrong for republican’s to do that (he did it) and so it is also wrong for democrats to do it. Likewise with using the budget reconciliation process. It’s IWNOKWWDISIIDSNOKWYDI. It was not ok when we did it so it is damn sure not ok when you do it. Just rolls of the tongue yes?
It’s IWNOKWWDISIIDSNOKWYDI
pronounced “Shutupthat’swhy”.
Seriously, why are they against it again? Oh that’s right, they’re not. They voted to keep pandemic preparedness out of the “porkulus” bill. At least now we know why they called it that–they borrowed the time machine Obama used to fake his birth certificate and so they knew the swine flu was coming.
If it does turn into a real 1918-style epidemic, killing tens or hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the death rate is going to go up with population density, thus preferentially sparing Real Americans™and killing all those Fake Americans who voted Obama in, and reversing the GOP’s demographic slide.
It should be possible to find someone on their side making this argument and exposing it for all to see. To the web, people: start riding that series of t00bs till you find it, and we’ll see what the general public thinks of this plan to get back in the saddle.
If it does turn into a real 1918-style epidemic, killing tens or hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the death rate is going to go up with population density
Sadly, no.
Two years. I guess the budget was balanced prior to that point?
Look it up!
If it does turn into a real 1918-style epidemic, killing tens or hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the death rate is going to go up with population density, thus preferentially sparing Real Americans™and killing all those Fake Americans who voted Obama in, and reversing the GOP’s demographic slide.
Except the virus may easily mistake those Real Amuricans for pigs…
OH NO SHE DINT! Yeah, just making sure I’m not on the Rapture list, as if there were any danger of that.
In Labrador and Alaska, it killed at least one-third of the entire native population
Things wouldn’t look too good for those true American neighbors of Palin’s.
Who’d keep an eye on the border with the Rooskies?
OMFG he better not get on any light planes or anything ’cause TEH OBAMA DEATH SQUAD will get him!
Joke about it if you must, but the Clinton/Obama Death List continues to grow…
Clinton-era appointee dead in apparent DC suicide
An attorney who served in the Clinton administration was found dead Thursday in an apparent suicide at his Washington law office.
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, an Atlanta-based firm, confirmed in a statement that attorney Mark Levy had died.
“Mark Levy was well known and highly respected for his successful appearances before the Supreme Court of the United States,” said Bill Dorris, the firm’s co-managing partner.
Levy was a deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice between 1993 and 1995 and served five years in the Solicitor General’s office.
No word on whether there were any files missing from his office.
Who’d keep an eye on the border with the Rooskies?
Why, the Labs, of course!
You’re right of course, Actor, but it’s conventional wisdom that better nutrition correlates with lower death rates. US soldiers were given the best nutrition science could provide. Remember in that era, science held that fat was the perfect food, and if you ate too many vegetables, they would fill up your gut so that you couldn’t absorb enough nutrition, and you’d starve to death no matter how much you ate.
Paradoxically, in those days, the best fed were the worst fed. And in Alaska and the Labrador (a pet peeve of mine) didn’t they live on mostly fat? Just wondering.
I want some of Blumer’s drugs.
Feb. 13, 2007
Clinton-era appointee dead in apparent DC suicide
OMG OMG he knew TOO MUCH a…bout… um… something or other…
Well he was linked with TEH KKKLINTON and SATAN OBAMA so it MUST be suspicous! Quick, get me some pumpkins and a .22 rifle!
In U.S. Army camps where reasonably reliable statistics were kept, case mortality often exceeded 5 percent, and in some circumstances exceeded 10 percent. In the British Army in India, case mortality for white troops was 9.6 percent, for Indian troops 21.9 percent. In isolated human populations, the virus killed at even higher rates. In the Fiji islands, it killed 14 percent of the entire population in 16 days. In Labrador and Alaska, it killed at least one-third of the entire native population.[25]
It should be noted that the army camps were vastly overcrowded, with barracks housing half again as many men as they were designed to accomodate, and many others living crowded together in tents. Perfect way to spread a virus. The army did a bunch of really dumbassed stuff. Also. Such as putting men on a train from a camp where there was widespread infection and sending them to another camp 800 miles away, with many sickening and dying along the way, and spreading virus at every stop. And they absolutely did know better by then – at least the leaders of the medical profession did. It was done against the advice of the military’s highest medical officers.
In response to the many commenters and trackbackers concerned that the Formerly Mainstream Media will attempt to portray a return-to-surplus situation as something the new congressional majority is entitled to credit for when it comes
HALP TEH DEMS EATED OUR SRPLUS NOM NOM NOM
science held that fat was the perfect food
Newsletter, interest, subscription.
I will say this, though: I’d rather have swine flu than see this happen.
As an attorney, I can tell you that the urge to blow one’s brains out is probably present for most attorneys about 90% of the time, if only on the periphery.
Not that that means that this latest shouldn’t be added to the Clenis death list, of course.
OT but someone else here, I think, shares my amusement with a certain st00pitness™ Via Wonkette:
I wonder if the rightwing bloggers have a different meaning for “fact checking”?
Something along the lines: “We checked this post for facts, and cound’t find any, so it should have no liberal bias. Read Freely.”
Maybe it’s like body checking in hockey?
The sewers of South Bend are literally running red with the blood of Notre Dame’s children.
Surely that’s better than finding it smeared on front doors.
We are going to figuratively pry open the manhole covers and force the entire university community to smell the stench of death.
*snif snif*
Hey, death actually smells kind of minty and refreshing. Who would have imagined?
Surely that’s better than finding it smeared on front doors.
Especially in the shape of a flaming eye.
The cats were quite upset, you know.
Dispose of the blood of Notre Dame’s children properly, people. Do not simply pour it down the gutter. That way it gets into the storm-drains and ends up running into the sea, untreated.
Fact: Czech girls are hot.
I agree with the commenter who says that her man hole cover is not to be pried open. Mine neither.
Especially in the shape of a flaming eye.
I find that a pre-cut stencil speeds up the blood-smeared-in-cabalistic-sigils job immensely, and you get much more detail.
Courtesy MSN.com:
Could marijuana solve our financial crisis?
As Jeff and Akbar said, “Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaybe!”
It sure as hell seems like a lot of wingnuts have been availing themselves of it as of late, anyway.
Surely that’s better than finding it smeared on front doors.
No, because there’s no opportunity for artistic expression. Premodernism, even.
Y’know, I figured SC would be quick with an appropriately obscure image but dayum!
Obligatory FYWP.
Woodward may be angling for the Nedra Pickler tonguebathing-in-journalism award at AP.
science held that fat was the perfect food
it’s not?
And what is with this “right to filibuster” bullshit? You have the right (or, really, the ability) to filibuster IF AND ONLY IF the other side can’t get 60 votes to stop you. It’s like complaining that the other basketball team is trying to take away your right to win a basketball game.
This makes them look like WATBs, though — “waah! They’re using the RULES to make it impossible for our obstructionist tactics to work!” — so I say go for it.
Balance of power! Balance of power! It’s important that the Democrats and the Republicans always remain perfectly equal in authority, or we will be radicalized by the leftist agenda. What kind of Democracy would we even live in if
51%60% of the population just got to make all the legislative decisions while leaving49%to suck eggs and pound sand? Why, it would be completely unfair and anti-American!If you don’t give us what we want, we will so get a Permanent Republican Majority and then you’ll be sorry!
or we will be radicalized by the leftist agenda
Unfortunately we wouldn’t be so lucky.
is it me, or was that a really terrible web page? there was some real win in the comments (as usual), usch as”we need to just GET RID of SOCIAL SECURITY!!”
there was also someone blaming this economic downturn on – you’ll never guess – Clinton!
I think it was that Youtube dude from Domino’s pizza.
I like how he points out that “astute” readers will already be aware that Social Security is a welfare program.
Um, durrr?
Calling the Social Security Act “an act to provide for the general welfare by establishing a system of Federal old-age benefits” was pretty sneaky.
I think it’s time we started pointing out that wingers have spent the last seventy years LITERALLY dissing economic well-being.
I can’t be arsed to read the whole thing right now, but geez, just the first “FACTS” is annoying enough.
“Obama was to blame for the last two years’ deficit because he was in Congress and they control the money, not the President. Obama is to blame for the new and future deficits because he’s President and tells the Congress what to do.”
Ow. Fuck. I think I got whiplash from just reading that. I’m going to sue. Damn. Now I really need single-payer health care.
Who could have guessed that fueling a giant real estate bubble could lead to a collapse, and giant deficits?
Fact: Calvin Woodward knows fuck all about what has happened in the economy the last 10 years.
Now that I get home and can SEE the damn pics from the post –
migod, Tommy Blumersteiser looks like an older Glenn Blecch!
AAAAAAAHH! MAH EYZ TEH GOGLS DO NUNNFIN
Who’d keep an eye on the border with the Rooskies?
Why, the Labs, of course!
Arf.
Fact: Czech girls are hot.
If no-one else is willing to check this assertion, then I must reluctantly step forward.
Czech girls are hot.
What about hat-Czech girls?
No hatchet girls for me. I’ll keep my bits where they are, thanks.
Are the fat Czech girls a perfect food?
science held that fat was the perfect food
it’s not?
Only if it’s bacon fat. Crisco = evil.
I love how the wingnuts dismiss the MSM as an increasingly irrelevant dinosaur more interested in spreading liberal propaganda than reporting the facts, and then the minute someone in the mainstream media writes something they agree with, they start swooning like a homely school girl after the varsity quarterback remembers her name. That Calvin Woodward, he’s so dreamy!
Aren’t they the descendants of the Hatsburg Empire?
Back in the late 1980s, Domino’s Pizza had commercials with an evil animated character called the “Noid” trying to disrupt the delivery of their healthful, fresh, tasty, value-laden product.
And hence the ads were themed “Avoid the Noid”. While a minor success, the ad campaign had a shocking, and threatening, end:
Does anyone else find this to be a perfect encapsulation of the popular right wing reaction to them being convinced Barack Obama is personally attacking them and everything they hold dear?
Only if it’s bacon fat.
Praise the lard!
In 1989, Kenneth Lamar Noid, a mentally ill customer who thought the ads were a personal attack on him, held two employees of an Atlanta, Georgia Domino’s restaurant hostage for over five hours.
It came as a complete surprise that someone would be a noid.
I will say this, though: I’d rather have swine flu than see this happen.
I hate Creed as much as the next fella, but seeing that news does give me an opportunity to link to this classic story.
a copy of The Widow’s Son
Book 2 of Robert Anton Wilson’s “Historical Illuminatus” series, mind you.
I just spent this very morning over on Scribd reading about how the Illuminati: NWO card game and Smirnoff ads reveal the dark seekrit plans of the Illuminati FOR REALS! Oy. MAH HED IT HRTZ
“That means he would still have to cut benefits, raise the payroll tax rate, raise the retirement age or some combination to deal with the program’s long-term imbalance.”
Or raise the payroll tax ceiling above $100k, I wonder why that isn’t mentioned?
….. OBAMA: “You could cut (Social Security) benefits. You could raise the tax on everybody so everybody’s payroll tax goes up a little bit. Or you can do what I think is probably the best solution, which is you can raise the cap on the payroll tax.” — in Missouri.
Sorry, just read that at the newsbusters link. I guess great minds do think alike.
“Or raise the payroll tax ceiling above $100k, I wonder why that isn’t mentioned?”
So you’re going to tilt the tax burden in this country even more towards the “rich”, when they pay a greater proportion of federal taxes than at any time in history?
Apparently no troll has ever heard of me.
So you’re going to tilt the tax burden in this country even more towards the “rich”, when they pay a greater proportion of federal taxes than at any time in history?
Yes.
So, in other words, you’re going to penalize hard work and success? Wow.
You know, they tried that before. It was called, “The Union of Soviet Socialist Republicans”. It didn’t end very well you fucktard lib.
Ooh, someone’s a real fuckin’ wordsmith.
Uh HUH. The exemplar being presented is so feeble a medicated quadrapalegic could smack it down, but let’s say it isn’t – I read it, & it’s just not that good, dude. If he was reaching any harder he’d pull a semantic muscle. Yeah, that OTHER Woodward? A mere sophomoric wannabe!
Not so much: I have a wee pet peeve here. Why do wingnut sites all look so fucking busy they’d be perfectly at home in an exhibition of art from mental patients? I mean I know they’re utter sluts when it comes to ads (Arbeit Mach Freimarkets & all that cack) but jumpin’ Jesus, couldn’t they at least spread it around over 4 or 5 websites instead of making my synapses cry any time I try to parse the alleged “content” of their latest Airborne Monkey-Nuggets? It’s not like you pay super-heavy fees for more domains, is it?
So, in other words, you’re going to penalize hard work and success? Wow.
Funny. The people with the best work ethics I know of all make around $7.40 / hr, and their taxes are getting cut big time.
OH NOES! I MADE A TYPO!
Shove it your asshole, fuckhead.
If people keep penisalizing the rich and shameless, hard=werking super-strength steel makers like the heirs to the WalMart fortunes are going to just give up and go Galt, and then where will we be?
Where will we be then, huh?
“So, in other words, you’re going to penalize hard work and success? Wow.”
You know you’re right John, you’ve convinced me. The best way is to have the poor pay all the taxes. By punishing poverty that way, nobody will be poor and we will eliminate poverty and everybody in the country will be wealthy so they don’t have to pay taxes. Long live Ayn rand.
Penalizing hard work? You take the highest income earners more because that’s how the rich can repay the society that made them rich and keep it going.
I don’t see any billionaire entrepreneurs coming out of Somalia or the Cayman Islands or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Taxation isn’t theft. You greedy little immature fucks who think so, please get the hell out of this country you don’t deserve and take your god-damn precious billions to some 3rd world nation so you can more easily pay people to kiss your ass.
Aren’t they the descendants of the Hatsburg Empire?
Let others wage wars, but you, happy Austria, shall carry. And store.
Freudian Slip Fail.
Penalizing success my hairy ass – a lot of these Galtoids were BORN filthy fucking rich & a lot of others got that way by ruthlessly leeching off their economic inferiors – the rags-to-riches trope as a cultural icon is one tired old sack of horseshit.
It’s called paying your fair share, you little cretin – are you seriously going to baaaaaw over folks who make more than they’ll ever spend actually coughing up a bit more to help people in dire straits?
Get back to me when Warren Buffet is lining up at the local mission for a bowl of stew.
Basic ethics – you fail it.
“shove it your asshole, fuckhead”
I’m sure that would have been an intelligent comment, except for the typo.
“Society” had nothing to do with their success. They are successful because of their hard work and entrepenueral drive.
I know certain liberal losers (usually English and “Art” majors who went to third rate ‘Ham Sandwich” Universities and got sub-3.0 GPAs) like to blame “society” for not being successful, but they’re just whiners.
“Penalizing success my hairy ass – a lot of these Galtoids were BORN filthy fucking rich & a lot of others got that way by ruthlessly leeching off their economic inferiors – the rags-to-riches trope as a cultural icon is one tired old sack of horseshit.”
O RLY?
“Society” has little if anything at all to do with individual success. And “society” doesn’t equal government. Western Civilization has certain values and cultural norms that enable success among the intelligent and hard working. That, and not our government, is what enables wealth creation to be possible in the United States but not in Congo or Rawanda.
I know liberals like to pretend that government or “luck” is the determining factor, but this kind of childish whining usually comes from English majors who gut a sub-3.0 GPA at a ‘Ham Sandwich’ University, and then whines when they don’t make more money that they feel entitled to.
Annoying and angry troll is annoying and angry.
Besides, so what if they did inherit their wealth? People inherit good looks and musical talent also, are we going to disfigure their faces or discourage them from music to make things more “equal”?
This is a bunch of uninformed, moronic, “first principles” bullshit from propertarian idiots who don’t know about the factors which shape society and success from a god-damn latrine.
Western Civilization has been around a long god-damn time. The Industrial Revolution, not so much. The discovery of the fucking New World, whose resources powered and paid for the Industrial Revolution, just a bit earlier. There are a whole lot of material factors lying just behind the spirit of inquiry and innovation.
Take your idiot crap to some website of fellow nutfarts.
Hey El Cid, why didn’t the Aztecs with all their gold or China with all their wealth develop industrialization?
I’ll tell you why. Because they were collectivists, while the Westerners were individualists.
Yeah, Bill Gates didn’t benefit at all from 40 god damn years of government paid-for computer research. Neither did the internet.
Two more industries that didn’t exist before government research and semi-nationalized research labs, got subsidized for generations of research, and when they were finally ready for the consumer market, were handed over to private concerns so that jabbering jackasses could go blarting around about how the magic power of free thought and Western Civilization shit out these innovations from nothing more than gumption and Ben Franklin platitudes.
Hell the Aztecs couldn’t even invent the fucking wheel, lol. I’m sure racism prevented them, right? Or colonialism (even though they didn’t even know of Europeans yet!)
There’s certainly something to the fact that social factors led to a lot more possibility of rapid growth & development in Western Europe than may have occurred in other areas.
On the other hand, the Aztecs and South American societies had bigger cities than the Europeans; and strangely enough, I would tend to call conquering multiple civilizations on a continent, enslaving the survivors of plagues, and subsidized theft of astoundingly unheard of material wealth “collectivist”.
If you don’t consider the fucking enslavement and theft of a whole fucking continent as “collectivist”, you need to drop that word off at the park while you give the discussion up in favor of drinks at the local bar.
John, you’re a dipshit.
“John, you’re a dipshit.”
Ohh! I stinging rebuke! Your intellect is unparalleled!
Longer (but more accurate) Fencedude:
You didn’t repeat what my leftist history teacher taught me! RACIST!
Western Civilization has certain values and cultural norms that enable success among the intelligent and hard working.
See Bush, President George W.
Right-wing historians are thankfully too busy jacking off to the movie “300”.
“On the other hand, the Aztecs and South American societies had bigger cities than the Europeans”
Well, why didn’t the Aztecs and Incas colonize Europe then, instead of the other way around? Hmmm?
Tell us how all societies, from the Tupi to the Congolese to Nazi Germans to modern day America are “Equal”, El Cid. Tell us how it was the Evil White Man (TM) who caused all the problems in the world.
Go jack off to Howard Zinn, douchebag.
John, we get it. Non-whites are the suxx. Any other pearls – shiny, white pearls – that you need to share?
I didn’t say anything about race. I said western civilization. Some non-white societies have adopted western norms and done very well (Taiwan, South Korea, Dubai).
Right, because since you’re a dumbass, you depend on everyone else in the world who’s not a dumbass to be the two or three stereotypes you have been taught, in between your purchases of colloidal silver.
Besides, the vast majority of White People were being oppressed by their own White Rulers; at least, however, the oppression was much more open and brutal, and they didn’t have to suffer jackasses telling them all the time that they were really living the awesome adventure of individual initiative.
Oh, but CERTAINLY it was only WHITE rulers that ever oppressed anyone, right El Cid?
Robert Mugabe and Saddam Hussein and the Saudi Kings and Mao Zedong were Romantic Third World Rebels, or, if they were evil, it was because the WHITE MAN funded him, right? Asshole.
Fucking Christburgers with Krishna ketchup! How does Sadly, No! attract this kind of weapons-grade vacuum-skulled fucknuttism?
Mesoamerican civilizations were quite well aware of the wheel, but without large mammals to domesticate as draft animals, and absent large flat plains to drive them on, wheeled vehicles were of little use to them.
Plus the Aztecs were a conquering tribe of savages who destroyed a lot more than they created. The Republicans of ancient Mexico, if you will. Read Guns, Germs, and Steel if you want to actually learn anything about the dynamics of why Old World civilizations conquered the New World ones. Hint, it has a lot more to do with the possession of large domestic animals and built-up immunity to the diseases they contracted from them than “collectivism” or anything like it.
(“Collectivism?” Jeebus McCree! “The Divine Right of Kings,” yeah, those Aztecs have a lot to answer for!)
“Guns, Germs, and Steel” is a decent enough explanation until about 1500, then it gets more fuzzy.
I’ll explain that later, for tonight I’m out of here. It was fun kicking your ass, “El Cid”. Be back later, lib.
but this kind of childish whining usually comes from English majors who gut a sub-3.0 GPA at a ‘Ham Sandwich’ University, and then whines when they don’t make more money that they feel entitled to.
Said the troll who obviously failed English at his local community college because he couldn’t spell ‘got’ correctly, make his subjects and verbs agree or correctly place a preposition.
Darth Revan–
Kiss my ass. I was an engineering major at a prestigious school with a high GPA, and had a high paying job right after graduation. You’re a liberal arts major at a shit university, weren’t you? Explains a lot.
As for English (along with history and “art”) they can be learned as a hobby in a persons spare time. Real subjects to be taught in school are in math and science.
Later, libs!
Annoying troll is still annoying.
Well, considering that I had said that
And we can further postulate that
I don’t know of too many examples of medieval or Renaissance or Industrial Revolution or even 19th century Western Europeans who were being oppressed by Robert Mugabe or Saddam Hussein
I don’t know of too many examples of medieval or Renaissance or Industrial Revolution or even 19th century Western Europeans who were being oppressed by non-white non-Western Europeans (though I’m willing to spot it might have happened, just not in the “vast majority” category)
I don’t know of too much disagreement you would have found in my statement from, say, George Fucking Washington or Thomas Goddamn Jefferson, who seemed to be not too thrilled with earlier forms of Western governance
Then we can safely conclude that you’re just a completely oblivious fucktard dipshit, although we should probably at least be aware of the possibility that you may be a dipshit fucktard.
Right-wing historians are thankfully too busy jacking off to the movie “300?.
Even as we speak, right-wing foundations are funding research to learn what percentage of scary brown people have lobster claws.
Inquiring Non-existent minds want to know!a prestigious school with a high GPA
In Niagara Falls, no doubt. How much can you bench, troll?
Kiss my ass.
[sarcasm] Feeding trolls is fun, because they produce such witty comebacks. [/sarcasm]
As for English (along with history and “art”) they can be learned as a hobby in a persons spare time. Real subjects to be taught in school are in math and science.
Which explains why conservatives are all for teaching real subjects like evolutionary biology in school!
Oh, wait…
This was all we needed to know. What’s more, it’s another insta-mansion douche who thinks his little fart of a million dollar house and half a million a year makes him rich.
But why are some engineers sane, such as those I have worked with, while others are driven to think they must use their awesome powers to annoy others, specifically, their libertarian ability to be completely incurious about many subjects?
But why are some engineers sane, such as those I have worked with, while others are driven to think they must use their awesome powers to annoy others, specifically, their libertarian ability to be completely incurious about many subjects?
I move that libertarian ‘economics’, particularly the Austrian School, be taught in comparative religion classes along with Scientology.
But why are some engineers sane, such as those I have worked with, while others are driven to think they must use their awesome powers to annoy others, specifically, their libertarian ability to be completely incurious about many subjects?
Because many engineers are so number-oriented and so socially maladapted that they seize on using “metrics” to discuss issues outside of their technical fields. Worse, because they kill themselves as undergrads while watching others with easier class loads go on to medical and law degrees and more lucrative careers, they feel the need to show that their deep-but-narrow educations are all that matters.
The only engineers I know who avoid this trap (or, like me, avoid the worst aspects of it while still stumbling into the occasional pothole) are the ones who had some grounding in other fields from their parents or from high school. By the time their in their polytechnics, it’s too late.
As a fellow engineering major at a good school with a high GPA, you’re still full of shit. Come back when you’ve figured out what the fallacy of argument from authority is.
SHUT UP I DONT KNOW YOUR WORDS IF I NEED TO I WIL REED THEM AZ A HABBY I THINK IN PUR NUMB3RZ WHICH ARE WHUT THE SMART PEOPLE UZ TO THINK THATS HOW COM I NO OTHER SOCIALITIETIES ARE INFERYUR
And I really did learn the rules of grammar back when, but being a large-braynd engineer, I laugh when I fuck them up.
As a fellow engineering major at a good school with a high GPA, you’re still full of shit.
Ditto.
….er, I’m also a high-GPA, good-schooled engineering grad who thinks trollypants is full of shit.
The only engineers I know who avoid this trap (or, like me, avoid the worst aspects of it while still stumbling into the occasional pothole) are the ones who had some grounding in other fields from their parents or from high school.
I consider myself to have decent social skills, although I have to work at it and do have the occasional pothole. And I agree with you – I thank my interests in music and religion for saving me from being a libertarian dickweed.
It seems like engineers are the most likely people to fancy themselves experts outside their field; they know just enough math and science to be dangerous, but often only in a superficial manner. A whole mess of science and math cranks with “new” theories of physics or math are mechanical or electrical engineers who think their two semesters of physics and calculus 20 years ago enable them to call most of modern science into question. Also, lots of creationist engineers.
By the way, since everyone is now reporting that Supreme Court Justice David Souter is retiring, is it time yet to announce that his replacement will be either Ward Churchill or Assata Shakur? Or have we gotten the ACORN GPS paint aerial target communication later to clarify that yet?
It seems like engineers are the most likely people to fancy themselves experts outside their field; they know just enough math and science to be dangerous, but often only in a superficial manner. A whole mess of science and math cranks with “new” theories of physics or math are mechanical or electrical engineers who think their two semesters of physics and calculus 20 years ago enable them to call most of modern science into question. Also, lots of creationist engineers.
Yes, yes, and yes…although in my experience comp sci has more fundamentalist assholes per desk than any other technical field.
The thing that puzzles me the most is that doctors have even deeper and narrower professional educations but don’t seem to conflate their specialist knowledge with the secrets of the universe the way some engineers do. Must be those undergrad years of doing nothing relaxes them or something.
is it time yet to announce that his replacement will be either Ward Churchill or Assata Shakur?
Michelle Obama in a sleeveless robe.
Good, but not frightening enough a touchstone for the crazy base right. We need something with more resonant loopy.
Reverend Wright?
Justice William Jefferson Clinton.
Even as we speak, right-wing foundations are funding research to learn what percentage of scary brown people have lobster claws.
For instance,
Viljoen D et al. (1985), “Ectrodactyly in central Africa.”
You’re welcome.
Truly I am shocked that John majored in engineering, for I have never heard of an Engineer with moronic randroid ideals, the social skills of a shutin and an understanding of History that could have been taken from the cover of a VDH book.
“Justice William Jefferson Clinton.”
I like the sound of that, yesss I do.
Also, killfile John and enjoy the beautiful, beautiful silence.
That would be the part where the contagious diseases from Europe start decimating the indigenous populations. Stupid indigenous populations with no plan in place for dealing with plagues like smallpox.
Well, they got Europe back with syphillis.
And strangely enough, Western Europe was able to rebuild from several massive plague die-offs, for some odd reason, while the lazy pre-Columbians just couldn’t get around to it, for some reason.
“Guns, Germs, and Steel” is a decent enough explanation until about 1500…
You’re talking about page numbers, right?
You’re welcome.
Really? Thanks. I just need a couch to sleep on and a few pints of ale per day.
As for English (along with history and “art”) they can be learned as a hobby in a persons spare time.
*sipping herbal tea quietly*
Someone must not have a lot of spare time. Wrong number, missing apostrophe and comma…
And what’s with the scare quotes? OOGETY BOOGETY it’s ART!!! I’m so askeert!
The thing that puzzles me the most is that doctors have even deeper and narrower professional educations but don’t seem to conflate their specialist knowledge with the secrets of the universe the way some engineers do. Must be those undergrad years of doing nothing relaxes them or something.
I don’t know about that. Physicians tend to have this annoying habit of thinking that they’re scientists, particularly biological scientists. I guess they figure that since we scientists teach their pharm, micro, neuro, etc. courses and physicians and scientists alike are all referred to as “doctors”, then we must all be scientists. Never mind that in their grade-grubbing pleas for ‘just one more point on the exam’ it is inevitably revealed that they mnemonic-ed the material rather than actually understanding it, but really that’s just the same as having the depth of knowledge to contribute significant new research to the field, right?
Same old same old. Troll gets pwned, does delusional victory dance, fucks off.
If English is a hobby, that must make math a sport.
E’twi d’maela –
Yeah, the whole “Doctor” title is problematic. Engineers avoid this issue: we tend to laugh at other engineers who have PhDs and want to be called “Doctor” and we use an honorific (P.E.) that is meaningless to 99 percent of the population.
It strikes me that doctor-doctors actually have far more in common with engineers in terms of their day to day work than either group has with scientists. We’re looking for empirical good-enough results more than a theoretically-consistent answer.
And what’s with the scare quotes?
Art = dogs playing poker, painted on black velvet.
“Art” = abstract expressionism.
Art = Rudyard Kipling
“Art” = J. G. Ballard
I would give music examples, but I refuse to be drawn into the Creed debate.
Euphemisms do not make torture any more acceptable.
Euphemisms do not make torture any more acceptable.
No euphemism. I clearly stated: abstract expressionism will bring confessions within minutes of application, but it’s immoral.