Thursday, October 25, 2012
Robamney
The Clarion Content detests the foreign policy debate. It is the debate that feels most like both candidates are consistently posturing. In the other debates, one or the other side squirms, and offers the politically correct response, sidling toward the middle, saying what they think the country wants to hear, but differences are at least discernible. When the candidates start talking about American policy towards Egypt, Libya, Israel or China our head starts to spin around with self-propelled vitriol.
When CBS News continually ran this split screen during the foreign policy debate we couldn't resist the Robamney line, original credit to Storey Clayton and the Blue Pyramid.
Siamese twins? But hopefully not two sides of the same coin?
Our foreign policy cherry picking incorporates elements from to Chomsky and Ron Paul. The bottom-line is neither party has a coherent explanation for why America has sided with and continues to side with the dictators and the oppressors from Egypt to Pakistan. Political stability and its economic consequences are trump, time and again, regardless of which party rules the White House.
Nevertheless, elections matter. Supreme Court justices are selected, and henceforth, our own freedoms ride on these elections.
We overheard two middle-age joggers talking on the Al Buehler Cross-Country trail the other day as we passed them, caught just a bit of what one said to the other, "...only way to change it is to vote for Gary Johnson." The reply was immediate, "Well, you can't do that," and then, we had jogged by them.
A friend's Dad got so mad last week, he was sputtering that Michelle Obama wasn't born in this country.
We do not try to tell you who to vote for here at the Clarion Content. We might tell you whom we support and why.
We simply want you to vote.
We don't believe this election is necessarily the most important in ages or in our lifetime. We believe active and engaged citizenry is always important. It has an essential watchdog function that democracy needs. Power corrupts, voting is the first check on that power.
If you want to vote for Gary Johnson, Jill Stein,1 Barack Obama, or Mitt Romney... just vote.
And vote up and down the ticket, here in North Carolina, you will be deciding everything from tax policy to fracking rules with your vote.
What do you want government to be? Get involved and decide.
Are you glass half-full or half-empty?
For the half-fullers, one of our buddies from California, he dreams of a Ron Paul Presidency accompanied with a Democratic Congress so that Paul can "gut the military, but can't touch social policy."
For the half-empty crew, as Churchill put, "Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried thus far."
Notes
1If you haven't heard of either of these two candidates, that is exactly what the two dominant parties are hoping.
When CBS News continually ran this split screen during the foreign policy debate we couldn't resist the Robamney line, original credit to Storey Clayton and the Blue Pyramid.
Siamese twins? But hopefully not two sides of the same coin?
Our foreign policy cherry picking incorporates elements from to Chomsky and Ron Paul. The bottom-line is neither party has a coherent explanation for why America has sided with and continues to side with the dictators and the oppressors from Egypt to Pakistan. Political stability and its economic consequences are trump, time and again, regardless of which party rules the White House.
Nevertheless, elections matter. Supreme Court justices are selected, and henceforth, our own freedoms ride on these elections.
We overheard two middle-age joggers talking on the Al Buehler Cross-Country trail the other day as we passed them, caught just a bit of what one said to the other, "...only way to change it is to vote for Gary Johnson." The reply was immediate, "Well, you can't do that," and then, we had jogged by them.
A friend's Dad got so mad last week, he was sputtering that Michelle Obama wasn't born in this country.
We do not try to tell you who to vote for here at the Clarion Content. We might tell you whom we support and why.
We simply want you to vote.
We don't believe this election is necessarily the most important in ages or in our lifetime. We believe active and engaged citizenry is always important. It has an essential watchdog function that democracy needs. Power corrupts, voting is the first check on that power.
If you want to vote for Gary Johnson, Jill Stein,1 Barack Obama, or Mitt Romney... just vote.
And vote up and down the ticket, here in North Carolina, you will be deciding everything from tax policy to fracking rules with your vote.
What do you want government to be? Get involved and decide.
Are you glass half-full or half-empty?
For the half-fullers, one of our buddies from California, he dreams of a Ron Paul Presidency accompanied with a Democratic Congress so that Paul can "gut the military, but can't touch social policy."
For the half-empty crew, as Churchill put, "Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried thus far."
Notes
1If you haven't heard of either of these two candidates, that is exactly what the two dominant parties are hoping.
Labels: 2012 presidential election, political quips-n-quotes, Politics
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Mitt Romney style
Oh Gangnam Style, you know you have made it big when they are creating these kind of parodies of your work...
Labels: humor, political quips-n-quotes
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Election 2012
Sometimes the old saws are true. A picture says 1,000 words.
Ladies, young and old, know what this election is about; here is the story, in pictures.
For real.
Simple, eloquent, obvious.
Speaking truth to power.
Our libertarian, small "c" conservative hearts are right with you. The government in a free society should have no legislative control over our bodies.
Ladies, young and old, know what this election is about; here is the story, in pictures.
For real.
Simple, eloquent, obvious.
Speaking truth to power.
Our libertarian, small "c" conservative hearts are right with you. The government in a free society should have no legislative control over our bodies.
Labels: 2012 presidential election, photos, political quips-n-quotes, Politics
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
There are those it makes awful mad to hear the Clarion Content excoriate Barak Obama1 for the lack of change we have seen in the last four years. This video clip is a reminder, that it is not so much President Obama as it is the institutional barriers, blockades and outright resistance from The Establishment2 that makes real change so difficult.3
Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Representative Alan Grayson of Florida and the Inspector General of the Federal Reserve, on where your tax dollars have gone.
Notes
1Fortunately, Representative Akin is out there in Missouri to remind our editors, no matter how tempting some of their minimalist vision of government might be, their social mores haven’t changed since the Inquisition. Romney’s V.P. nominee, Paul Ryan, co-sponsored a bill with Akin last year, that would have banned abortion except in cases of forcible rape, incest or the mother’s life was in-danger. Making the all important Evangelical Republican distinction between rapes where the victim invited it and “true” rapes. Unclear on where that slippery slope leads? Watch “The Accused,” starring Jodie Foster.
2The Man, the lifers in unelected positions of power, the holders and controllers of great and institutional wealth. Not that their secretive or unresponsive, but on Federal Reserve dot gov, one notes they have not revised the section headed "Purposes and Functions" since 2005, since ya know, like nothing of note has happened since then.
3Incidentally, The Man was who the Fed bailed out while the rest of us sucked on the carbon-monoxide filled tail pipe of The Great Recession. The bankers sure are taking it hard.
Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Representative Alan Grayson of Florida and the Inspector General of the Federal Reserve, on where your tax dollars have gone.
Notes
1Fortunately, Representative Akin is out there in Missouri to remind our editors, no matter how tempting some of their minimalist vision of government might be, their social mores haven’t changed since the Inquisition. Romney’s V.P. nominee, Paul Ryan, co-sponsored a bill with Akin last year, that would have banned abortion except in cases of forcible rape, incest or the mother’s life was in-danger. Making the all important Evangelical Republican distinction between rapes where the victim invited it and “true” rapes. Unclear on where that slippery slope leads? Watch “The Accused,” starring Jodie Foster.
2The Man, the lifers in unelected positions of power, the holders and controllers of great and institutional wealth. Not that their secretive or unresponsive, but on Federal Reserve dot gov, one notes they have not revised the section headed "Purposes and Functions" since 2005, since ya know, like nothing of note has happened since then.
3Incidentally, The Man was who the Fed bailed out while the rest of us sucked on the carbon-monoxide filled tail pipe of The Great Recession. The bankers sure are taking it hard.
Labels: economics, Economy, Ethically questionable, political quips-n-quotes, Politics
Saturday, June 02, 2012
Interesting Links: Politics
Today we bring you a special addition of the Clarion Content's periodic feature, Interesting links and Links of Interest. To see old Interesting Link posts click here and scroll down.
We find and you, the readers, submit good stuff that might not otherwise cross our radar.
Like Dutch here...telling us how he really feels.
First up, a piece from the site Real Clear Politics challenging whether or not liberals and Democrats are prepared to debate their positions this coming election season. The thesis is that they are so cocooned, so hostile and unwilling to give any merit to the other side's thoughts and beliefs that they are unable to muster winning arguments against them in the public forum. It is a fascinating take. It is the underlying premise as to why supreme strategists say, 'read your enemy's writings.'
Next, from the New York Times1, is an evisceration of the myth that a businessman makes a good president for tough economic times. The examples for their argument may be a bit thin, almost anecdotal, referring to the Roosevelts, Eisenhower and Reagan as great non-businessman presidents, with Herbert Hoover and King George II serving as the examples of businessmen who made lousy presidents. The more compelling critique is their indictment of the foolishness spewing out of Mitt Romney's mouth,
And you thought, Sarah Palin was a rocket scientist.
Our next article comes from the Economist. Two veteran political analysts, Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute and Thomas Mann of Brookings Institute, argue that partisan Congressional gridlock is even worse than it looks. They say that America’s political parties have become as vitriolic and vehemently adversarial as the parties are in a parliamentary system. Unfortunately while a parliamentary system allows the majority to rule, as the opposition waits and plots for the next election, America’s separation of powers hardly gives one party the power to rule unconstrained. The result is disastrous gridlock surrounding many, many real time problems.
In addition to the carping typical of so many political tomes, Mann and Ornstein do offer some solutions. Sadly, they are very pessimistic about the likely outcomes of the 2012 election. Quoting from the Economist,
Finally, a block of three interesting articles highlighting the strong anti-incumbent sentiment still prevalent in this election cycle. First from Fox News, the story of sixteen year Democrat Congressman, Sylvestre Reyes, who lost his primary race in southwest Texas. This second one is not a joke, or if it is, it is a bizarre and foreboding one. 41% of those who voted in the Democratic primary in West Virginia, selected a Texas prison inmate over President Obama. This was probably worse for the Obama re-election bid than "none of the above" giving the president a run for his money in the Kentucky primary. Keith Russell Judd, from his cell in Texarkana, Texas without any organized support, was simply not Obama.
The good news for the White House is that the Republicans are fielding a milquetoast weakling of a candidate. The even better news for President Obama, given the fever pitch of anti-incumbency; the Tea Party and Occupy are dormant not gone, is no viable third party or independent candidate has emerged. It felt to the Clarion Content like this was a year when a Michael Bloomberg or Simon Cowell (jk) could have grabbed the baton and made things interesting. Americans Elect, who spent the last several years organizing and attempting to draft an independent candidate, admitted last month that their efforts have come to naught. No candidate cleared the threshold of required support, not even the darling of rabblerousers everywhere, Ron Paul.
What does this all mean, dear readers? Well you know we are lousy at the predictions business, so we won't hazard a guess at the election's outcome, but we do think voters will be choosing between two choices they are not thrilled by, and turnout will be much lower than in the last presidential election.
Notes
1Occasionally worthy, though you won't see us going over that pay wall.
2Yes, we believe he was serious, not kidding.
We find and you, the readers, submit good stuff that might not otherwise cross our radar.
Like Dutch here...telling us how he really feels.
First up, a piece from the site Real Clear Politics challenging whether or not liberals and Democrats are prepared to debate their positions this coming election season. The thesis is that they are so cocooned, so hostile and unwilling to give any merit to the other side's thoughts and beliefs that they are unable to muster winning arguments against them in the public forum. It is a fascinating take. It is the underlying premise as to why supreme strategists say, 'read your enemy's writings.'
Next, from the New York Times1, is an evisceration of the myth that a businessman makes a good president for tough economic times. The examples for their argument may be a bit thin, almost anecdotal, referring to the Roosevelts, Eisenhower and Reagan as great non-businessman presidents, with Herbert Hoover and King George II serving as the examples of businessmen who made lousy presidents. The more compelling critique is their indictment of the foolishness spewing out of Mitt Romney's mouth,
I’d like to have a provision in the Constitution that in addition to the age of the president and the citizenship of the president and the birth place of the president being set by the Constitution, I’d like it also to say that the president has to spend at least three years working in business before he could become president of the United States.2
And you thought, Sarah Palin was a rocket scientist.
Our next article comes from the Economist. Two veteran political analysts, Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute and Thomas Mann of Brookings Institute, argue that partisan Congressional gridlock is even worse than it looks. They say that America’s political parties have become as vitriolic and vehemently adversarial as the parties are in a parliamentary system. Unfortunately while a parliamentary system allows the majority to rule, as the opposition waits and plots for the next election, America’s separation of powers hardly gives one party the power to rule unconstrained. The result is disastrous gridlock surrounding many, many real time problems.
In addition to the carping typical of so many political tomes, Mann and Ornstein do offer some solutions. Sadly, they are very pessimistic about the likely outcomes of the 2012 election. Quoting from the Economist,
They fear that the coming election will neither affirm the existing order nor accomplish sweeping change "in a way that will recreate a functional and legitimate political process". If President Obama is elected he may still be hobbled by a divided Congress, or one in which the Republicans have a majority in both chambers. Even if the Democrats recapture the House and hold the Senate, the Republican minority could continue to use filibusters and other measures to block the majority's business. And even if the Republicans captured the White House and both chambers and embarked on sweeping change, the changes "would come to a country that is deeply divided politically, and more than half of whose citizens would likely strongly oppose these moves."
Finally, a block of three interesting articles highlighting the strong anti-incumbent sentiment still prevalent in this election cycle. First from Fox News, the story of sixteen year Democrat Congressman, Sylvestre Reyes, who lost his primary race in southwest Texas. This second one is not a joke, or if it is, it is a bizarre and foreboding one. 41% of those who voted in the Democratic primary in West Virginia, selected a Texas prison inmate over President Obama. This was probably worse for the Obama re-election bid than "none of the above" giving the president a run for his money in the Kentucky primary. Keith Russell Judd, from his cell in Texarkana, Texas without any organized support, was simply not Obama.
The good news for the White House is that the Republicans are fielding a milquetoast weakling of a candidate. The even better news for President Obama, given the fever pitch of anti-incumbency; the Tea Party and Occupy are dormant not gone, is no viable third party or independent candidate has emerged. It felt to the Clarion Content like this was a year when a Michael Bloomberg or Simon Cowell (jk) could have grabbed the baton and made things interesting. Americans Elect, who spent the last several years organizing and attempting to draft an independent candidate, admitted last month that their efforts have come to naught. No candidate cleared the threshold of required support, not even the darling of rabblerousers everywhere, Ron Paul.
What does this all mean, dear readers? Well you know we are lousy at the predictions business, so we won't hazard a guess at the election's outcome, but we do think voters will be choosing between two choices they are not thrilled by, and turnout will be much lower than in the last presidential election.
Notes
1Occasionally worthy, though you won't see us going over that pay wall.
2Yes, we believe he was serious, not kidding.
Labels: 2008 presidential election, 2012 presidential election, interesting links, political quips-n-quotes, Politics, Predictions
Monday, May 07, 2012
The John Owens campaign
The Clarion Content has long had an affinity for stirrers of the pot. In the 2008 Presidential campaign when we heard Barack Obama referred to as a community organizer, we didn't see that as a slur, but rather a compliment. We believe complacency of the community is among the biggest threats to our individual liberties.
That said, this is not an endorsement. We were sent this video about Durham County Commissioner Candidate John Owens. His message to the establishment is radical.
From his video tag:
The Clarion Content has absolutely seen some evidence of machine politics at work in Durham to our collective detriment.
It is quite last minute, as the last day to vote is tomorrow. But if you haven't met or heard from Team Owens (the green signs) yet. Here is the link to his site.
That said, this is not an endorsement. We were sent this video about Durham County Commissioner Candidate John Owens. His message to the establishment is radical.
From his video tag:
Elections in Durham County aren't what they seem. Powerful local PACs, individuals, and newspapers decide who you get to know about, and who gets a good shot at running. Candidates are even told they need to "Wait their turn because other people have been waiting in line for years" to get these seats. What, really? Yes. Really
The Clarion Content has absolutely seen some evidence of machine politics at work in Durham to our collective detriment.
It is quite last minute, as the last day to vote is tomorrow. But if you haven't met or heard from Team Owens (the green signs) yet. Here is the link to his site.
Labels: Durham, political quips-n-quotes, Politics
Friday, October 14, 2011
Occupy, one view
Thinking about the Occupy movement?
Labels: 2012 presidential election, constitutional issues, Ethically questionable, political quips-n-quotes, Politics, public protest
Monday, January 17, 2011
Says it all
Brilliant quote from Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, says it all about the utter mess our society has become. We have turned it inside-out and lost all track of our values. Money trumps all other values.
"What are the differences between Mark Zuckerberg and me? I give private information on corporations to you for free, and I’m a villain. Zuckerberg gives your private information to corporations for money and he’s Man of the Year." – Julian Assange
Who dictates to the masses who the "Man of the Year" is? Why a company worth in excess of $100 billion dollars...Funny how that works.
"What are the differences between Mark Zuckerberg and me? I give private information on corporations to you for free, and I’m a villain. Zuckerberg gives your private information to corporations for money and he’s Man of the Year." – Julian Assange
Who dictates to the masses who the "Man of the Year" is? Why a company worth in excess of $100 billion dollars...Funny how that works.
Labels: corruption, political quips-n-quotes, Politics, thought
Sunday, January 09, 2011
More on Whistleblowers
Loyal readers know the Clarion Content is fascinated by whistleblowers and American society's response to them. We found it quite serendipitous when we ran across the quote below on an interesting blog called Seduced and Betrayed.
Czesław Miłosz won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Czesław Miłosz won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Labels: political quips-n-quotes, thought
Friday, December 24, 2010
That's what's up
Voltaire, he knew what was up.
"I shall never cease...to preach tolerance from the housetops...until persecution is no more. The progress of reason is slow, the roots of prejudice lie deep."Of course, he would have had to cut it down a little to make it a tweet.
Labels: political quips-n-quotes, Sayings
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Time to think
The public sucks? What the f*ck? Hope?
George Carlin, the greatest wordsmith of our time! Too bad he didn't live long enough to participate in the Revolution.
George Carlin, the greatest wordsmith of our time! Too bad he didn't live long enough to participate in the Revolution.
Labels: political quips-n-quotes, Politics
Monday, August 16, 2010
Spotted in Durham
We spotted this bumper sticker yesterday in Durham, "Under Republicans, man exploits man. Under Democrats, it is just the opposite."
Love it.
Labels: political quips-n-quotes, Politics, Pop Culture
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Hip-Hop know about this?
The Clarion Content ran across this fascinating Robert F. Kennedy quote in the most recent issue of Esquire, "After all the abuse the blacks have taken throughout the centuries, whites are just going to have to let them get some of these feelings out if we are all really going to ever settle down and have a decent relationship." Kennedy's quote was, inevitably, from some time before 1969. Today, forty years worth of context onward this relationship between the races is not hard imagine, but an atmosphere where a white politician could utter that kind of sentiment is difficult to envision indeed.
Labels: discrimination, political quips-n-quotes, Politics
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Getting used to the weather
Sasha and Malia play UNO during the campaign
President Barack Obama and his daughters Sasha and Malia were shocked when school was canceled in the Washington D.C. area yesterday. The President was speaking to reporters and business leaders yesterday when he interjected, "Can I make a comment that is unrelated to the economy, very quickly? My children's school was canceled today because of what, some ice?" He went on, "As my children pointed out, in Chicago, school is never canceled. In fact, my 7-year-old [Sasha] pointed out that you'd go outside for recess in weather like this. . . . You wouldn't even stay indoors."
In article about the President remarks the Los Angeles Times notes that, "A spokeswoman for the Chicago Public Schools said snow, ice or cold has not shut down the system since Jan. 4-5, 1999, when a storm dumped nearly 2 feet of snow on the city. The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, which the Obama girls attended, has closed only once in the last 30 years because of winter weather, said David Derbes, a longtime faculty member."
Welcome to the South, Mr. President, Sasha, Malia.
Labels: ecology, political quips-n-quotes, Pop Culture, weather
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Change over time
We haven't been able to source this quote yet, but we have been seeing it around, special thanks to one of our loyal, local Durham readers for forwarding it our way.
A brilliant line...
"Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Barack could run. Barack ran so our children can fly."
A brilliant line...
"Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Barack could run. Barack ran so our children can fly."
Labels: 2008's President, political quips-n-quotes
Friday, October 31, 2008
What it's really about
With the challenges and crises we face right now, we can't afford to divide this country by race or by class or by region; or by who we are or what policies we support. There are no real parts of the country and fake parts of this country. There are no pro-America parts of this country and anti-America parts of this country - we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from.---Barack Obama
Here is the speech that line came from. Inspirational stuff. Raise your game America. Get off the fucking couch and do something! Vote!
Labels: 2008's President, political quips-n-quotes, Politics, thought
Monday, June 30, 2008
An important reminder
Patriot
Barack Obama quoted Mark Twain today in a speech in Independence, Missouri. "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."
Labels: 2008's President, political quips-n-quotes
Monday, June 23, 2008
Carlin
One of the Clarion's original inspirations passed away yesterday.
George Carlin, you will be dearly missed.
A couple of Carlin beauties, from a life that was an American tapestry.
"If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?"
Unfortunately, the answer was all too self-evident.
Accused of being dark and bitter, Carlin held a mirror up to the American self, the parts we didn't want to face, were afraid to admit, our own letdowns and failures.
But as he also said, "Scratch any cynic, and you'll find a disappointed idealist."
Carlin believed in people, he was an American idealist at heart.
People we can do better.
George, we at the Clarion wil always be grateful for you calling us on it.
George Carlin, you will be dearly missed.
A couple of Carlin beauties, from a life that was an American tapestry.
"If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?"
Unfortunately, the answer was all too self-evident.
Accused of being dark and bitter, Carlin held a mirror up to the American self, the parts we didn't want to face, were afraid to admit, our own letdowns and failures.
But as he also said, "Scratch any cynic, and you'll find a disappointed idealist."
Carlin believed in people, he was an American idealist at heart.
People we can do better.
George, we at the Clarion wil always be grateful for you calling us on it.
Labels: George Carlin, political quips-n-quotes, Pop Culture, thought
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Unheeded advice
If only Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, et al. had heeded the advice of the old master...
"To build may have to be the slow laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day." ---Winston Churchill
Labels: political quips-n-quotes, Sayings
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Duck and Cover, on point!!!
Read Duck and Cover
at the Blue Pyramid.
Labels: 2008's President, Duck and Cover, political quips-n-quotes
