An Epiphany

[Brick]

After some months of contemplation, I think I finally understand the liberal mindset. What it boils down to is this: they don't care about results, only intentions. Once I realized this, everything they do makes sense. It explains why they support anti-poverty programs that make poverty worse, why they support gun control programs that cause more people to get shot, why they support foreign aid programs which impoverish other countries, why they support educational programs that make schools worse, and so on.

I think my favorite example of this was busing in Boston. The goal was to reduce racial animosity by making the schools more racially diverse. The result was an increase in interracial violence and a sharp decrease in racial diversity as white students left for private schools. All this in addition to wasting diesel fuel and students' time because of longer rides. But that's not all- the liberal asshats who concocted this scheme either all sent their kids to private schools or lived in districts unaffected by the policy.

[Noodle]

I get the programs that actually increase poverty, but how do gun laws get more people shot?

Also, red light cameras at intersections actually increase accidents.

I'm bored.

[nkb]

Noodle wrote

I'm bored.

You must be.

[dogpet]

nkb wrote

You must be.

[Noodle]

Noted.

[Brick]

Noodle wrote

I get the programs that actually increase poverty, but how do gun laws get more people shot?

Also, red light cameras at intersections actually increase accidents.

I'm bored.

Good point on red light cameras. Speed bumps also kill more people than they save because they force ambulances to slow down.

Gun control laws make gun crime worse. There were more shootings in Chicago and DC after gun bans were passed. There were also more shootings in the UK after a similar ban.

[ILOVEJESUS]

What gun ban in the UK was this? We are not allowed to buy guns now? What about attack helicopters?

[Stargazer]

Brick wrote

After some months of contemplation, I think I finally understand the liberal mindset.

Just wondering, Brick, if by liberal, you are referring to people who voted for President Obama? Democrats?

If that's so, here is their platform:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...-platform.html

[Brick]

ILOVEJESUS wrote

What gun ban in the UK was this? We are not allowed to buy guns now? What about attack helicopters?

1996- Almost all handguns were banned and more restrictions placed on
other guns.

When was the last time you read about someone robbing a convenience store with an attack helicopter?

Stargazer wrote

Just wondering, Brick, if by liberal, you are referring to people who voted for President Obama? Democrats?

If that's so, here is their platform:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...-platform.html

And surprise, surprise- they call for more gun laws:

"reinstating the "America's metro areas - cities and assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole" -hmm, looks like they made a mistake while copy-n-pasting.

[Stargazer]

OK, so all you got out of it was that?

I think another way to put it might be that Democrats/liberals focus more on the good of all, where as conservatives, or Libertarians, if you will, concentrate more on keeping what's theirs and the hell with helping anyone else.

Liberals seem to be the only ones who care about women, children, and the future, rather than only what can be had NOW and keeping women in their place. Liberals are the ones who have shown concern for climate change (and yes, it's real, there's a preponderance of evidence now). Building for the future is a big task, and not for those who are short-sighted.

You might remember that in the 1990s, it was Bill Clinton who balanced our budget and put us in the black, whereas George Bush followed him, started a war based on fraudulent information, never budgeted the cost of that war into the mix, cut taxes for his buddies, the rich, and ran up the debt. Yes, George Bush. The fiscal meltdown we had happened on HIS watch, and then was inherited by incoming President Obama, who, despite the conservatives, who have tried to block him on every move and have thrown racist implications at him at every opportunity, has been working to fix that mess ever since. If everyone had worked WITH him rather than against him, we might be a little further along. So, I guess before you bash liberals, I think you need to tell us what is so great about being a conservative and/or libertarian? Thanks.

[Brick]

Stargazer wrote

OK, so all you got out of it was that?

I think another way to put it might be that Democrats/liberals focus more on the good of all, where as conservatives, or Libertarians, if you will, concentrate more on keeping what's theirs and the hell with helping anyone else.

O RLY?

You mean Democrats and liberals don't pander to minorities, women, gays, public employees, environmentalists, and union members?

Politics is not an 80s cartoon with good guys and bad guys. Team Red and Team Blue have the same goal and the same tactics.

Liberals seem to be the only ones who care about women, children, and the future, rather than only what can be had NOW and keeping women in their place. Liberals are the ones who have shown concern for climate change (and yes, it's real, there's a preponderance of evidence now). Building for the future is a big task, and not for those who are short-sighted.

Climate change will go down as the greatest scientific fraud of this century. By the way, don't you think it's a bit strange that the guy leading the charge against climate change is a politician and not a scientist?

But, hey, suppose we take the doomsayers at their word. According to the IPCC, over the next century, humanity will add 7 trillion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere which will cause the temperature to go up by 7°F. Roughly speaking, that means one degee for every trillion tons (there is an ongoing debate about how sensitive temperature is to CO2 concentrations). OK, to stop one degree of warming we need to emit 1 trillion fewer tons. How hard would that be? Right now, humanity is emitting 30 billion tons a year. If we divide 1 trillion tons by 30 tons per year, we find that humanity would have to emit 0 tons FOR 33 YEARS to stop one degree of warming. That means no industry, transportation, agriculture, nothing for 33 years. Or emit half as much for 66 years, or whatever. There is absolutely no way we can reduce carbon emissions by that much without reverting to a medieval living standard.

You might remember that in the 1990s, it was Bill Clinton who balanced our budget and put us in the black, whereas George Bush followed him, started a war based on fraudulent information, never budgeted the cost of that war into the mix, cut taxes for his buddies, the rich, and ran up the debt. Yes, George Bush. The fiscal meltdown we had happened on HIS watch, and then was inherited by incoming President Obama, who, despite the conservatives, who have tried to block him on every move and have thrown racist implications at him at every opportunity, has been working to fix that mess ever since. If everyone had worked WITH him rather than against him, we might be a little further along. So, I guess before you bash liberals, I think you need to tell us what is so great about being a conservative and/or libertarian? Thanks.

The budget was balanced under Clinton because the Republicans forced him to when they took control of Congress in 1994. That was the reason for the government shutdown in 1995. W was a disaster on everything and Obama has magnified all his mistakes- Obama ramped up the drug war, doubled down on the Afghanistan quagmire and ran up even bigger deficits than Bush. He assassinated an American citizen without due process, kept Guantanamo open, and extended the PATRIOT Act. Not to mention launching an illegal and unecessary war in Libya. And what was his crowning domestic achievment? Signing a healthcare bill based on an idea from Mitt fucking Romney!

A libertarian would have done none of those things. That's why I supported Ron Paul for the nomination and voted for Gary Johnson in the election.

[Smellyoldgit]

Brick wrote

You mean Democrats and liberals don't pander to minorities, women ....

My shit-stirring, irritating, un-funny jerk detector forbids me to read any further - and activated the 'back on ignore' function.

[Brick]

Smellyoldgit wrote

My shit-stirring, irritating, un-funny jerk detector forbids me to read any further - and activated the 'back on ignore' function.

Yes, by all means, retreat into your secret bunker before my libertarian badthink infects you.

A typical libertarian

[ILOVEJESUS]

Brick wrote

1996- Almost all handguns were banned and more restrictions placed on
other guns.

When was the last time you read about someone robbing a convenience store with an attack helicopter?




And surprise, surprise- they call for more gun laws:

"reinstating the "America's metro areas - cities and assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole" -hmm, looks like they made a mistake while copy-n-pasting.

I only query your point because in the UK we are taught from a young age to kill with our bare hands. We have no need for guns after that because are hands themselves, are deadly weapons. They may be confiscated by police at times, but for no more than 6 months.

[Davin]

I tried to get into the libertarian mindset a few times, but it was too small for me, I could barely get half a prefrontal in.