Are We Still Fighting The Civil War?

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Are We Still Fighting The Civil War?

January 9th, 2013 12:00 am Gene Lyons

Politically speaking, we live by caricature. Particularly in the age of satellite TV news and Internet fulmination, the temptation is to melodrama. So I wasn’t terribly surprised to read a recent article in the online magazine Salon arguing that “even though it’s a truism of American public discourse that the Civil War never ended, it’s also literally true.”

Never mind that author Andrew O’Hehir appears to be one of those overheated writers who use the adverb “literally” as an all-purpose intensifier meaning “figuratively.” Salon supposedly has editors. Elsewhere, O’Hehir concedes that the imagined conflict won’t “involve pitched battles in the meadows of Pennsylvania, or hundreds of thousands of dead.”

So it won’t be a war at all then. As a Yankee long resident in the South, maybe I should be grateful for that. O’Hehir also acknowledges that while today’s “fights over abortion and gays and God and guns have a profound moral dimension,” they “don’t quite have the world-historical weight of the slavery question.”

Um, not quite, no.

But then as O’Hehir also categorizes Michigan as a “border state” for the sin of having a Republican governor, it’s hard to know what Democrats there should do. I suppose fleeing across the border into Ontario would be an option.

Is it possible to publish anything more half-baked and foolish? Oh, absolutely. Here in Arkansas, we had more than our share of cartoon-think before the 2012 election. Three would-be Republican state legislators wrote manifestoes in favor of the old Confederacy.

One Rep. Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro delivered himself of a self-published book arguing that “the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise.”

Fellow GOP candidate Charles Fuqua of Batesville—like Jonesboro, a college town—self-produced an e-book entitled God’s Law: The Only Political Solution. In it, he not only called for expelling all Muslims from the United States, but returning to the Biblical practice of stoning disobedient children to death.

Not many stonings, Fuqua thought, would be necessary to restore sexual morality and good table manners among American youth.

Then there was Rep. Loy Mauch of Bismarck. An ardent secessionist, Mauch had written a series of letters to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette arguing that since Jesus never condemned slavery, it had Biblical sanction.

Mauch also condemned Abraham Lincoln as a “fake neurotic Northern war criminal,” frequently likened him to Hitler, and deemed the rebel flag “a symbol of Christian liberty vs. the new world order.”

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Tags: Civil war, Gene Lyons, neoconfederates, Republican Party, right wing, South

http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

I would not characterize what is going on in the USA as a civil war, but there is no doubt that ethnic and religious considerations continue to influence the behavior of many Americans, and that there are parts of the country, especially the South and the Bible Belt, where racism and religious beliefs are the deciding factor when it comes to voting and supporting policies.
The overt hatred against President Obama is parts of the country is not caused by his policies or record, which deserve praise and support. The unprecedented birther movement, which was not satisfied by the president producing a copy of his birth certificate and a long form of that document, did not satisfy them and the continue to insist he was born in Indonesia or Kenya. When the Rev. Wright episode did not produce the desired results his detractors resorted to the next best thing: they turned him into a Muslim! During the recent fiscal cliff negotiations the GOP refused to consider any of his proposals. They acquiesced when VP Biden became the negotiator.
Statements, such as the one made by Mitch McConnell when he conceded that the most important thing for congressional Republicans to do was to ensure Barack Obama was a one-term President, and the simian gestures and sounds made during the RNC in Tampa leave very little doubt at what is really behind the obstructionism and distortions of record that have been going on since Barack Obama’s inauguration.
Yes, Bill Clinton was maligned and even impeached, but I don’t recall the level of hatred that has been evident the last four years or the expressions of intolerance that are now the norm.

old_blu

Dominick I can’t think of anything I can add to that very well said.

http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

I should have added that, hopefully, the GOP reaction to Hagel’s nomination will teach President Obama a valuable lesson. There is no such a thing as extending an olive branch to people determined to destroy you. The only thing the Tea Party respects is ruthless behavior similar to their. Fight fire with fire. They lost the election, remind them of that fact often and forcefully.

http://profile.yahoo.com/ZGYX7ZNZLPF3YIFWAWS3WKFE5M RonaldS

I missed this one as I stopped at your first comments. I couldn’t agree more. If I were Obama, I would have called-out the GOP on their real motives. The majority of the country is with him.

tobewan

Yes, Ronald, the HARDER they try to oust Obama, the more people SEE THEM as the PROBLEM, not the solvers; and the more they see Obama as the RIGHT GUY for four more years!
Gladys5215G

But with the constant obstructions from the right time is wasted for the President which is sad and unfair to both him and us. The GOP have to be removed from governing.

sigrid28

DV, I’m onboard. Fighting the Civil War the first way may not be “necessary,” as Gene Lyons concluded, but the struggle for civil rights just seems to morph over and over, with no end in sight. If we can ever win that one, we may have to fight our own French Revolution.

http://profile.yahoo.com/YBYYIQHBLD7BZAU6L3DC7MS4YM Rodney

one question. where thank God did you smart people come from.YOU do know that those on the other side are calling you a threat to their way of life and a traitor to you race. What a crop of shi@@@???;;
sigrid28

Rodney, we are legion.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

Right On Dominick! We don’t negotiate with nazis.

martykayzee

Please don’t use that particular n-word. You’re playing their game.
Gregory Williams

That comparison is very much on target with these wanna be Brown Shirts who wish to bring about the birth of a christian dominated fascistic oligarchy in this nation … the oligarchs know that ONLY a democratic people controlled United States stands in their way of world domination – if they eliminate control of the government by the people then they can end THE RULE OF LAW OVER THAT OF FLAWED MEN – they want MEN to control us and not laws because laws can be used against “them” to ensure that the COMMON GOOD is good for all and not just for the few.
Michael Kollmorgen

BINGO!
martykayzee

Most of us here may agree with your basic premise, but you don’t have to SHOUT.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

No! I am not playing thier game.I am calling them out for being what they are when they pretend they are something else.There are far too many people in the world today who are afraid to call a spade a spade.Hiding ones head in the sand won’t make the problem go away.They are nazis and fascists that are just as bad as the monster movement that existed in Germany and I wish them eternal damnation.

http://www.facebook.com/mary.dawson.1257 Mary Dawson

agree…very well said

http://profile.yahoo.com/GGHNYPK4GNCRYZLXWVZ447WHJM Plznnn

Except the level of hate for George W. Bush. And there wasn’t a reason to hate him, just socialists pissed off they didn’t have their liberal choices in earlier to do damage. But Obama made up for those years by pushing socialists policies of failure & debt rapidly. Has absolutely NOTHING to do with his race. Conservative would choose a conservative Black leader anytime.

rpg1408

Like Alan West and Herman Cain ?

cats33

Herman Cain and Alan West would be GREAT Presidents’!!! And they both LOVE America!!!

Progressive Patriot

You forgot to add Corporate before America.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

Herman Cain and Alan West are both playing a game. If you believe what you just commented. You are ignorant. Let there be no doubt about it.

neeceoooo

Just remember that HATE is a very strong word. I don’t think anyone hated George Bush, they may have thought him a incompetent but they did not hate him. I do believe that you are the one spewing hate.

CPANewYork

I hate George Bush right now. He lied us into a war and has the blood of everyone who died in Afghanistan and Iran on his hands.

He is the biggest piece of crap ever to be president.

neeceoooo

He is a piece of crap but I don’t hate him.
neeceoooo

But you know, if one of my sons were killed in a senseless war, I might hate him.
cats33

George Bush was a great President. And he LOVES America!! Obama is a great fraud and he hates America
CPANewYork

Dubya lied us into a war that is costing us billions of dollars and the lives of thousands of our troops, but you say he was a great president.

What are your criteria for a “great president”? I see from a previous post that you’ve been asked to explain your admiration for Dubya before, but you’ve failed to respond.
Progressive Patriot

History will show that The President was one of the greats in American history.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

I’m not sure what section of the country you all are from who say that folks in America didn’t hate George Bush – I’ll assure you that the maority of my circle of friends in Northeast despised George Bush for numerous reasons (even though as a rule many of us are not very observant about the character if people – many of us could see that George was not only a patholgoical liar but slso a very devious person ). Where were all you, non haters of GWB, when he was advocating torture? Or when you found out that he had been warned 3 times by the CIA/FBI about an immenent attack on the country and chose to do nothing about it? or when he was cutting federal subsidies to our states every year for programs that support the poor and elderly? Or where were you when it became clear that he pushed for the drug benefit for Medicare only as a giveway to the drug industry by ensuring that the legislation included wording about the government not being able to negotiate drug pricing? Everything George Bush did while in office had an ulterior motive:

He started planning the war in Iraq almost immediately after being elected because he and Chaney had worked out a deal – George had a vendetta against Sadaam and Chaney wanted to channel more money to his old company Haliburton – what better way than to start a war with Iraq. And when the CIA/FBI told Bush and Chaney about an imminent al Qaeda attack, they probably never surmized it would be as big as it was, but I’m convinced they deliberately did nothing to stop it (instead of putting the CIA and FBI on high alert, they sent them off on a wild goose chase to find them a reason to attack Iraq) ; so because they weren’t alert, the FBI and CIA missed some clues of the attack and 3,000 Amerians were killed – (you’ll notice that Bush wasn’t overly anxious to catch bin Laden); and those 3,000 deaths weren’t enough for Bush and Chaney, they went ahead based on lies and distortions and started the Iraq war that cost America dearly in deficit increase and another 5,000 Americans killed. Even that wasn’t enough for George and Dick, they pushed for tax cuts for the rich knowing full well America couldn’t afford the cuts while fighting two wars and that in doing so they’d have to cut costs elsewhere to keep the deficits ‘manageable’.

And then came their push to privatize social security so their rich cronies associated with the financial sector could profit from the country’s tax payers; and then of course the drug benefit giveaway to the drug industry, and then more unfunded legislation like the no child left behind fiasco that just drove up our deficits further. And then George and Dick kept their heads in the sand as the country went wild with investment fiasco after investment fiasco until the house of cards collapsed after which they shoveled more monies to their rich cronies through TARP and the financial company bailouts. Where were all you when all t is was going on??? How could you not see the deviousness of these two absolute crooks!!!!

old_blu

I don’t think neece was defending him, and I’m sure we can all agree that GW was a horrible POS and him and Chaney both should be tried for crimes of war and for treason.
http://www.facebook.com/mary.dawson.1257 Mary Dawson

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT POST…EVERY BIT GLARINGLY TRUE!!!! AND YES…I’M POSTING IN CAPS BECAUSE OF THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT THOSE CLOWNS…BUSH AND CHENEY!!!!

cats33

They hated George Bush, there is no other word for it!!

http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

Embarrassingly, George W. Bush enjoyed the full support of Democrats in office during his first 4 or 5 years in office. Democrats supported his decision to invade Afghanistan and, later, Iraq. They ignored the enhanced interrogation techniques, renditions, Abu Ghraib, and everything else that transpired in those days. They were also complicit in W’s decision to raise taxes in 2001 and 2003, if nothing else because they failed to present a robust opposition to what was, hopefully, the last attempt at trickle down economics. The problem for Democrats is not that they hated W, but that they were so scared of him that they let him get away with murder.

sigrid28

The progressives I knew at the time were not so afraid of GWB as they were disdainful of him. They were inclined to underestimate Cheney, whose legacy turns out to be fracking wastelands sprawling out and gradually filling out the plains states and the southwest, inhabited by ailing Obama-hating Republicans. We have Bush and Cheney to thank for gradually shoving these self-satisfied progressives down into the ranks of the lower middle class or into the class of impoverished retirees, while filling up the coffers of their friends the oil barons with loot garnered from 401Ks we didn’t know enough to protect. Maybe if we had feared and despised Republicans as progressives did Reagan, we would not have been disarmed and scattered. No wonder it has been a stretch to mobilize for Obama’s defense. Because we looked down on ignorant racists we underestimated their capacity for damaging the U.S. as a whole. What a hard lesson it has been.
cats33

George Bush is a REAL American that loves America. Obama DOESN’T love America and we don’t know if he is a real American!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

What nonsense, he’s the most worthless person on the planet who did everything during his two terms to suck as much money from the taxpayers into his, Dick Cheney’s and their cronies pockets. Not caring that along the way at least 10,000 Americans died!!!!!! (At the 9/11 attack which they deliberately allowed to happend and in the two wars they started, neither of which needed to have ever happened!!!!)
http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

The only positive thing I can say about George W. Bush is that he was a figurehead President used by Dick Cheney, the neocons and some special interests to advance their agenda.
Progressive Patriot

Would love to see your facts to back your opinion up.
CPANewYork

After Dubya escaped Washington, D. C., he did have enough brains to keep his stupid mouth shut. Not so with Cheney and the Neocons. Cheney couldn’t wait to open his big mouth to justify his role in one of the most corrupt administrations in our history.

Progressive Patriot

They took advantage of, and played on the fears of a nation. Not only the Pols, but many of We The People, feared being labeled Un-american or Un-patriotic. You can’t be accused of being weak during times of war and win an election. And many of us did fear the next attack. Group think in action. The Cons were running the show and riding roughshod in the media. Yes, we were complicit. Fear is a very powerful emotion, and it lives in the reactive, not the thinking parts of the brain. Those that resisted were called traitors. The Cons were not interested in winning the hearts and minds of other nations. What happened to Nation Building? Efforts to impose our will on other nations, thinly veiled as a War on Terror.
Could the invasion of Iraq simply be attributed to “W’s” desire to get back at Sadam for threatening his Daddy? I’m glad they got Bin Laden, but I think that we were made less safe, and more reviled in some parts of the world.
Dominick, didn’t “W” cut taxes in ’01 and ’03? They still try to run out that whorry old chestnut, about the “Job Creators,” occasionally, but there are no legitimate statistics to validate that fantasy. Under the Cons: economy down, jobs,down; middle and working class incomes, down; income for the top 1%, way up; quality of life, down; savings for the 99%, down; poverty, up, people needing the social safety nets, up; mental health problems, up; suicide, up; homicide, up; Venture/Vulture Capitalism, up; democracy; down…

charleo1

The level of hate for G. W. Bush was actually quite low. As a person, I think
Americans thought highly of Bush. Directly after the terrorist attacks, an
event that shaped his Presidency, his job approval rating was 82%. That
obviously included a good number of Liberals. However, by the end of his
second term, his approval rating of 28%, was the lowest of any modern
day President. On par with Presidents, Harding, and Grant. Two other
Presidents who’s administrations were marked by incompetence, and
corruption. So, people widely disagreed with Bush. And that had everything
to do with the results of his decisions. For the most part, with a few exceptions,
the criticisms were not personal. No one insinuated George Bush hated his
Country. Or misrepresented his religion, or was not an American Citizen.
And perhaps most glaringly, never batted an eye over his proliferate spending.
A lot of people were disgusted at Bush for what did, not who he was.
And there’s a very big difference. Does Obama’s skin color have anything to do with the personal nature of the attacks from a Party who’s constituents are 95%
White? You say, no. I say, I’m White, raised in the South, and I can hear
a dog whistle a mile away.

AaronNashuaNH

As a black man born and raised in the South, I commend your response. Thank you. By the way, I heard

charleo1

You’re very welcome! And of course you heard them. They’ll
deny it, but the Latinos heard them whistles loud, and clear
as well. And, all for the better. Their policies stink for regular
people anyway.

CPANewYork

We should not forget that Dubya’s dishonesty manifested itself long before he became President.

When theTexas Rangers baseball team wanted the land for its stadium, it discovered that the owners of the land wanted more than the team offered. The team’s organization then was led by Dubya.

Unable to reach an agreement, the team’s owners then used their influence to have the land condemned under eminent domain and paid the land’s owners a nominal sum.

The land’s owners sued and were awarded an additional sum to bring their compensation into line with the land’s market value at the time.

This is obviously a contest between rich people and I’m unsympathetic to both sides, but my objective in relating this tale is to show that Dubya has been shady for a long time. Birds do flock together and Dubya’s association with the likes of a sleazebag like Cheney occurred because he feels most comfortable with dishonest people.

charleo1

I remember my first impression of G.W. I knew he was from Texas, and his Father
had been a big time insider in Washington for years. W. came off to me as a man
very taken with himself. A typical rich kid, born on third base. And, after squandering
several millions of Daddy’s money in the Texas oil business. His Daddy bought him
a $600,000, ground floor stake in the Rangers ball team, 5 years later that stake
was worth $13 million dollars. So, George was finally a self made millionaire!
Actually, I thought I would be interested in hearing the story about how, or when
it came to be that George’s brain got damaged. I mean was it low oxygen at birth?
Somebody dropped him? Or, maybe just too much cocaine, and alcohol. Whatever.
But after he’d been in office for a couple of months, I started hearing these supposed,
“insiders,” assuring the Country that George really was very smart in private. Well,
I thought, the Country’s really got a hum dinger this time! I hope nothing too serious
happens to the Country for the next few years.

elw

You can keep your view of history but it will not change the facts. The level of hate for G. W. Bush looks like child’s play compared to what has been sent the current President’s way. There was much reason to dislike President Bush. His unnecessary war in Iraq that cost thousands of young American lives and injured and disabled many more, his tax cut for his wealthy friends at the cost of the economy, starting 2 wars without funding them as well as passing an unfunded drug program for Medicare, just so his friends could keep their tax cuts. In spite of that no one questioned his citizenship, or tried to impeach him. President Obama and his family have gotten more personal threats than any other recent President. Oh and by the way there are many Republicans that have little respect for Bush II and openly criticize his Presidency, so stop blaming everything on Socialists – that do not exist.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Myers/100001512942781 Jim Myers

Replying to Plznnn -

THANK YOU!!!!!

AND ONCE AGAIN, I CAN DEPEND ON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW RIGHT WINGERS FOR MORE AND MORE HILARIOUS BANTER!!!!!!

PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THOSE OF US ON THE LEFT NEED AS MANY GOOD LAUGHS AS WE CAN GET!!!!!

Have a nice day.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Alan-Alexander/502988241 Alan Alexander

I have reason to hate George W. Bush: because I know people who came back from Iraq irretrievably broken for no purpose whatsoever except to help a draft-dodging dry-drunk with his Oedipus issues. I’ll never stop hating him. And I’ll never stop hating dirty, ignorant savages like you who still worship him.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WC3CPHOQIZTWNXRU73KXKRXDBQ Steve Sapp

No they would not. The only reason they would vote for Herman Cane or someone like him is because they spew the same hate and tea party poop. Look back at Clinton, Carter, or any other Democratic pres they trashed them to. And you are just pissed off because the republican policys dont work and they are lies.
cats33

The people on this site believe Obama can and has done no wrong. Boy are they in for a rude awakening!!!

Progressive Patriot

Please enlighten us with “facts,” from the bubble, Cats…

progressiveandproud

Progressives didn’t hate GW personally, they hated his policies. Although I must admit that we were embarrassed by him. The entire world laughed at his stupidity and we cringed every time.
AaronNashuaNH

Yeah….right. Paleeze. Come out of the cave of blindness of what is the core problem, my friend, and walk into the light. I promise it won’t hurt you that badly. The stamp of old Joseph McCarthy is clearly still embossed on too many foreheads in this country. Check under your bed a night—-there might be a socialist there, ready to gobble you up.

PhysicsCarlsh

I believe you are right in pointing out that this is racism. But that is not an answer. And as much as I would like to see the Tea Party vanish I am not sure that sticking their noses in it is helpful.

My concern is for the country. Obama has walked as a gentleman through this. We all must. This must end and we must return to speaking to and respecting one another. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.

Having become pretty Germanized during four years as a scientist there, I am acutely aware of things that can happen even among wonderful people.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

I agree! My sense is that the only way to overcome the Tea Party is turn more and more ‘rational ‘ Americans against them (there’ll always be a fringe that won’t see anything as rational). Obama needs to keep making choices and offering solutions that most Americans would call ‘no brainers’; choices that any dimwit would say is right, and then let the Tea Party take issue with them so more and more Americans can see that they’re saying NO for the obvious reason of hatred/racism.

cats33

Apparently you missed the Tea Party rally, They are as proud of America as they come, unlike the occupy wall street thugs

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

That doesn’t make them right in what they’re doing and any less ignorant extremeists!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/warren.nicholson.77 Warren Nicholson

I didn’t miss the tea party rally, they are proud to be Nazis not Americans.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

Proud if its their way.

http://www.facebook.com/blake.faulkner.7 Blake Faulkner

Dominick…I recently read a book called “Midnight Rising” by Tony Horwitz…about the raid by the arch abolitionist John Brown and his followers on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. That pivotal event was really what sparked the Civil War…It re-ignited smoldering fear in the South of a slave uprising and hardened attitudes against Abe Lincoln and the North. Even before Lincoln…and the GOP…had won the election for the presidency…and control of the levers of power in the nation’s capital…which had almost always been a Southern prerogative…with slaves counting as 3/5ths of a person for representative purposes in the Constitution.

All this stockpiling of assault weapons and large capacity ammo mags…and the crazy, paranoid talk about ‘Armageddon’ and ‘the new world order’ and the federal government tyranny coming to take their guns away…reminds me of that old Southern white fear of a slave uprising.

P.S. Tony Horwitz’s book “Confederates In The Attic”…about current day Civil War battle re-enactors…was a terrific book and good insight into some minsets in the South to this day.
http://profile.yahoo.com/JMT6C3LHLJDD4RX4NB4KY5ICAE gargray

Dominick you have a way with words and facts also the truth may I say providential wisdom. Thanks.

cats33

Obama has a way with words too. But every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Is that right? Let me see you list a few of those “lies”!!!!
AaronNashuaNH

That sort of exaggerated reply, which is clearly devoid of a shred of truth, is exactly what the progressive minded responders on this forum have been speaking of.

lexi001

I will say Dominick, you frequently appear as an isolated voice of reason in most of your posts. Possibly it’s simply because you do so without having to resort to disparaging language peppered with transparent racial comments. Although me thinks most who put their racism out there have no idea just how transparent they are. I am in complete agreement with you as to why the last 4 years have brought the real racism that still exists to a much greater degree than even I thought still existed. Just look at the number of Republican’s who thought Chuck Hagel was a fine specimen, that is until Obama decided he was in the running. The hypocrisy is stunning. All of this at the expense of the American people.
Thank you for your clarity. I often get so upset over some of these posts, I find myself unable to express myself without turning into a name-caller. Haven’t done that. I simply refrain from responding. What saddens and worries me is I don’t believe this will end until the President is finally gone and they can run in and “white-wash” the White House.

sigrid28

All the more reason for you to “hold your nose” and frame a reply, as does Dominick, as do the rest of us. Our culture is starved for discourse. Your contribution matters, both as a part of this comment thread and as another act that furthers the spinning out of an American dialogue that can elevate the conversation.

http://profile.yahoo.com/ZGYX7ZNZLPF3YIFWAWS3WKFE5M RonaldS

Dominic, I always enjoy reading your comments. However, you alluded to but did not spell out in black and white – hatred for Obama is pure unadulterated racism of the worst kind. Its amazing how he endured this with dignity. It will take another generation before the population of pure racists diminishes to the point of irrelevancy but its on its way. As the old joke goes – “save your dixie cups as the South will rise again” is just that, an old joke. One muses re the GOP’s reaction if Hillary had been elected instead. I would surmise the Tea Party would have had no reason to emerge. As an aside, most of the TP consists of white middleclass morons who voted against their best interests for the reasons you espoused. See ya again.

progressiveandproud

If Hillary were President, the GOP would treat her the same way they treat Obama and the tea party would have been created and used the same way it is now. Obama being black is just icing on the cake for the right wing.

http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

You can tell when you speak the truth. They can’t stand it. Progressiveandproud couldn’t hold his tongue(keyboard). He had to prove you wrong by commenting, but it reenforces your comments Dominic. Again thank you.

elw

I have to agree that prejudice and hate are alive and well in the Country as is ignorance.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WG7VK4W6YYBLFMBC6TUHIBYBGQ Sterling

100% Correct.
http://profile.yahoo.com/PCVRJKYMKLELN3WZUZSHS263JQ ToddB

I swear, every time I’m thinking Im going to post my thoughts you beat me to it Dom! Oh Well Dito! Another thoughtful great post sir!
montanabill

To believe that the dislike for Obama is not due to his policies or record is sheer self deception! Since you apparently think you agree with his policies, it seems you can’t believe that there are just as many of us who disagree with his policies. Never listen to him talk for that is an exercise in having smoke blown up your rear. He lies more than he tells the truth. He frequently contradicts himself, hoping you won’t remember his previous speeches. He is totally without real economic experience, but that doesn’t phase his self belief in socialism. Inexorably, he is moving the country toward a massive socialist government. More rules, more regulations, more income redistribution, more government control over every aspect of your life, more government control over industries. Show me one example where his actions haven’t promoted exactly those qualities. If you agree that America should be like a European socialist state, you think he is doing great. Those of us who still value individualism, where people make their own choices, create their own futures, succeed or not based on their own initiative, despise this President. It has nothing to do with the color of his skin and everything to do with his goals.
Today we hear that he intends to issue executive orders regarding gun controls. We do not want a king, be he Democrat or Republican. We elect a Congress to make the laws, not elect a President to appoint regulators to create thousands of rules with virtually no oversight to meet his goals. We do not need a Senate so deferential to him that they refuse to create a budget that might get in the way of his chosen spending.
Regardless of your beliefs, the people you pick to be your friends say a lot about you. How many of Barack Obama’s friends would like to point to as your friends? Bill Ayers? Jeremiah Wright? Tony Rezko? Jon Corzine? Van Jones?
Of course we wanted a one term President. We wanted someone who would right the economy, get business moving again at more than just an anemic pace, get job creation moving with businesses hiring for well paying jobs not minimum wage. We wanted someone who could see that 47 million people on food stamps was not good for the country, who could see that a 7-8% unemployment was not the ‘new normal’, someone who wouldn’t accept that you should get welfare without work. But you liked Obama because he could talk good.

Progressive Patriot

Hi Montanabill. I’m sure you mean well, but to me, it looks like you’ve been drinking the Koch Kool-Aid, and resting in the Fox News spin zone. Emotionally charged buzz words backed up by statistics cooked in ultra-conservative “think” tanks. The only redistribution of wealth has been from We The People, to the 1%. Look it up!
The President has been nothing, if not consistant. He is an Eisenhower Republican, not a Progressive, and certainly not a Socialist. He has worked closely with Wall Street and the banks (just look at his appointments and how he has surrounded himself with Wall Street and Banking types in his cabinet; and not one Bankster has gone to jail for their illegal activities that lost many of us our retirements, savings, and homes). Socialist, pshaw! The President would have been a Republican twenty years ago. More domestic drilling than ever, lessening of gun regulations in his first term (I pray for common sense gun safety laws),extension of the Bush tax cuts, Fair Trade agreements, extensions of the Patriot Act…
Despite un-presidented right wing obstructionism, The President has overseen an economic recovery. His policies have been good for the country. Look it up! The economy is better than it was before the President took office. Record profits on Wall Street. Imagine if there wasn’t one whole party dedicated to sabotaging The President at every turn. The Bush Administration had run the economy into the ground and brought the nation to the brink of a Great Depression. That’s what conservative policy does. Life for the working and middle classes gets worse under conservatives. Jobs are sent overseas, wages go down while productivity demands rise, for the majority of Americans, quality of life goes down. The rich get richer, while everyone else gets poorer. It’s a fact. Look it up!
The Multinationals, Wall Street and Banks need MORE regulation, not less. They have rewritten the rules for the last thirty years, and the facts don’t lie. We are much worse off after 30 years of Reaganomics. The Oligarchs have been indoctrinating us with their corporate media for decades, and they have fanned the flames of hate ever since The President has been elected. Of course they are using dog whistle politics. That is the southern strategy perfected by Nixon and Reagan. Of course the Bircher born Kochs use dog whistle strategies to fan the flames of hate, and to Divide and Conquer (talk about a sense of entitlement). Of course Fox News is not going to point out that for the majority of Americans, life has gotten steadily worse under the Venture/Vulture Capitalists. They use all the buzz words like Freedom and Individualism (yeah, free for them, at our expense), and the social issues, to stimulate the dyed in the wool poor and middle class Republicans who continue to vote against their own best interests. They use fear to turn us against one another. Of course they preach fear of government and regulation, so that they can continue to rewrite the rules in their favor, pollute with impunity, destroy unions and squeeze down wages even further. They don’t really care about the social issues, they just use them to keep us fighting amongst ourselves so that they can continue to deregulate, and return to the risky investment strategies that brought us to our economic knees in the first place. And who pays for all that Corporate Welfare? You and I do. While they give themselves massive bonuses for loosing our wealth.
Of course the Aristocrats are working to destroy government. It’s the only thing protecting us from further oppression at the hands of the Unfettered Capitalists and Oligarchs. Capitalism is good, but unfettered, unregulated capitalism is bad for democracy. It puts all the wealth and power into the hand of a very few. They then buy the government, and we loose freedom and our wealth, and then to add insult to injury, they attempt to impose austerity on We The People. It is NOT a spending problem. It is an endless war, tax loophole, healthcare for profit, income inequality, unregulated Big Money problem. And unless Corporate Entitlements are part of the conversation, please don’t talk to me about cutting the Social Safety Nets.
They bombard you with all that hate and fear mongering on Fox News and in the rest of the Corporate Media (don’t you think that it’s very dangerous for democracy, for most of our media to be allowed to be owned by just a handful or so of Major Corporations? They rewrote broadcast and News regulations so that they no longer have to be accountable for telling the truth. They have turned the FCC into nothing more than a lackey for the corporate media).
Where do you get that ridiculousness about executive orders on “gun control (a corporate media buzz word),?” Give me a break with that “King,” stuff (Fox and Friends). You know full well that McConnell and his cronies have filibustered virtually every appointment and bill that the Dems have attempted. So don’t even try that Malarky. The President proposes, but Congress disposes. It is the Republican majority in the House that has caused Congress to have the worst approval rating in the history of our country.
“Of course we wanted (him to be) a one term president (I can just hear the hours of Rush, O’Reily, Hannity and the like. This dog whistle is not silent at all.).” Show me the record that says that Conservative Policy makes the economy better. The history of the last 30 years says otherwise. 47 million on Food Stamps was a direct result of the poverty caused by years of Trickle Down, VooDoo Economics. It’s a fact. Look it Up! You drive them into poverty, and then condemn them for needing to use the social safety nets. Crazy!
It has been Republican obstructionism that has slowed the economy. How can you stomach the absolute disrespect that McConnell and the Repubs showed when they said, “Our primary goal…?” And don’t talk to me about welfare, unless you talk about ALL of the Corporate Welfare that Big Business and the Oligarchs have arranged for themselves by buying our government. Trillions! But you won’t hear anything about it in the corporate media (They’re too busy making villans out of Unions and Workers. Why is that? Because the media is owned by the corporations). Talk about welfare without work! Focus on that instead of that tired old line about the 47%. Most of them work, but are paid crap, and have been denied access to healthcare, education, and other resources. That misinformed, indoctrinated, condescending belief that was so honestly stated by Romney about the “47% who don’t care about their lives…,” is a myth. Look it up! But they keep repeating the lie, because they understand that if you say a lie long enough, and with conviction, people will start to believe it.
We like The President, because he speaks for us. Even if he is not perfect (which he is not), He gives us hope. That is a lot more than I can say for the prospects for We The People if an Oligarch, Venture/Vulture Capitalist like Romney had been elected. It would have been Bush on steroids. And you know how that turned out.

hilandar1000

You hit the nail on the head on all issues, Progressive Patriot. There is no way individuals in the middle class could possibly continue to believe in conservative talking points if they would only open their minds to the facts of history.
montanabill

So you, as ‘We the people” have been distributing your wealth to the 1%. How?
Have you been sending them money? Have they been sneaking into your house to steal it? Have they been sticking you up on the street? Those people have been simply smart enough to weather this economy while people like you sit around, wring your hands, and hope the government takes care of you. Wise up.

As far as the rest of your rant about ‘how good the President is doing’ it is completely off the wall, ignores facts and uses propaganda rather than real data.

I’m sure the President does speak for you. You want to be taken care of, don’t like people to be achievers making you look bad, and figure it is ok if the next generations have to pay price for it, because you won’t be here.

Progressive Patriot

Montanabill,
C’mon out of the bubble. It must be exhausting to carry around all that misinformed, judgement. Share your facts and sources. We’ll be happy to look at them. Since you’re so much smarter than the rest of us, it should be pretty easy to convince us.
So, as I look at your bubble response, I’ll try to keep what is obvious to the majority of We The People, simple. It has been the 1% who have been busy transferring the wealth of the rest of us upward. They have done it by buying legislation that has fixed the tax codes and rules of law dramatically in their favor. They have then invested their massive profits into propaganda through the corporate media (Fox News, your favorite), more lobbying, Super Pacs, further deregulation, weakening of environmental protections, driving down working wages and weakening unions, taking advantage of “Free Trade,” policies to move manufacturing overseas, returning it when they were able to lower wages by 50%, turning people into commodities and forcing them to work longer and longer and harder and harder for less and less (Where do you think the living wage that we used to make goes?). Eliminating healthcare and benefits, dragging us into two wars and giving no bid contracts to the military and industrial complex (they get rich, we pay the bill, get it?), declining to negotiate drug prices in the Medicare doughnut hole (Billions! Who gets that money Montana?). Creating the housing bubble and mortgage crisis that caused many of us to loose homes and savings, then taking massive bailouts and awarding themselves obscene bonuses… Montanabill, you need to wise up.
That being said, my sources are the U.S. Census Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee.
As the Banks, Wall Street and Big Businesses were deregulated throughout the 80′s, 90′s and 2000′s they engaged in more risky and predatory practices. Record profits and deregulation allowed CEO’s, Hedge Fund Managers, Wall Street Executives and Banksters, and multinational corporations to create more ways to compensate themselves and to invest their record profits into lobbying government officials to continue to rewrite the rules in favor of Wall Street, Corporations and Big Banks. Increasing fees, penalties, and costs for the average consumer, reducing the tax burdens on themselves and causing massive cut to be enacted on services that are beneficial to the majority of Americans. Investing their massive profits in the continued purchase of the government, further deregulation, driving down wages and attacking workers and unions in the media, and propagating a culture of money is God, and every man for himself.
…bill, the facts speak for themselves. The data doesn’t lie. The economy IS better under The President. Prove that it is not. I’ll look at your “facts.”
And as far as “achievers,” I am an achiever. In the words of Elenore Roosevelt, “Nobody can make you feel inferior without you first giving them permission. What’s up with you that you have to try to make the majority of Americans feel inferior?
I don’t want my children to be burdened with debt. We will reduce the deficit, sensibly. Austerity is invented by the 1% as another way to make the Real Job Creators (We The People) pay the bill for all of their corporate and rich welfare. So we’ll start by reducing all of the Corporate Welfare, and save democracy by addressing tax fairness and income inequality.
montanabill

Long missives are a pain to reply but I will get to each point. In the meantime, how about explaining exactly how ‘we’ will reduce the debt. And before you start another silly ‘tax fairness and income inequality’, try to do some math on current income and tax distribution. Then try to figure out why some people make more money than other people and why Congress, including actions by this President, just granted more tax loopholes to certain industries. I gather you are not one of those who ‘gets your fair share’.
montanabill

Since you are new to me, here’s a little secret. I’m one of the 1%. As someone who started dirt poor and am currently a successful businessman, I’ll let you in on what is apparently a secret to the left. The poor and middle class haven’t been transferring their wealth to me or most of the 1%. We don’t get tax code favoritism, we don’t get ‘tax breaks’, we don’t get ‘loopholes’. Since the 1% pay about 40% of all income taxes, and since you believe that most or all of the 1% are taking advantage of ‘tax breaks’ or ‘loopholes’, that must mean that those of us who are not, are paying substantially more just to get to the 40%.
Basically, we run successful businesses. Treat our employees very well (otherwise it is hard to be successful). And invest our profits in growing the business. (that means we wind up hiring more people). If we are good at growing our businesses, we increase our income. It is not taken from someone else. It is not stolen. People are not cheated.

Now since you have never walked in my shoes, or the shoes of any other 1%’er, you have no real idea what our world is like, but you certainly believe the propaganda of the left, because how else can you explain to yourself why we got successful but you didn’t, unless we cheated or stole?

You are an achiever? Have you ever created a job? Have you ever even tried to start and build a business? The President is another person who has never had to meet a payroll, so he is with you among the clueless. Maybe you are an achiever, and like every other member of your class, received a trophy. Schools over and you didn’t learn what you should have learned.

Is the economy better than it was 4 years ago? Marginally. All the statistics from past years say it should be considerably better. I believe it most certainly should be, but when you, the President and the left demonize and threaten those who could make that happen, you get the economy you sow. He does it for political gain. What do you get?

Do you think more regulation helps or hurts? Do we really need the thousands of new regulations imbedded in 10′s of thousands of pages to keep us straight? Do we need a tax code with more pages than the bible? Do you think the cost of keeping up with all the new regulations is minimal and easily absorbed by business or do you recognize that they simply discourage would-be entrepreneurs, slow growth and increase the cost of every product and service. A cost you will pay. Is that business siphoning away your money, or government?
greghilbert

Montanabill, the 1%’s share of wealth is now obscene. The six Waltons who own most of Walmart have more wealth than 150 MILLION Americans at the bottom. In 1980 the 1% earned 10% of all USA income. It has skyrocketed to 25%. In 1980 the 1% paid far higher tax rates than they will in 2013, because two thirds of the huge cut they got under Reagan is still in force. The working poor and middle class pay a radically higher portion of their incomes to the combined total of federal income taxes, state income taxes, local property taxes, sales taxes, user fees, permits, miscellaneous taxes, and Social Security and Medicare withholdings than do the 1%, including those of the 1% earning a million or a billion in a single year and already having tens of millions and even billions in accumulated wealth. You damn right the 1% can well afford to pay the higher taxes they should be paying, and insofar as I am concerned, were they to be finally required to do so but whined about it, the 99% should start making the higher rates retroactive until their whining stops. I could further care less if you call that class war or socialism. I call it fairness and justice.
montanabill

Your jealousy has nothing to do with what some Americans can or cannot afford to pay. The fact that the 1% earn a substantially lower percentage of the total income than they paid as part of the income tax should tell you that the ‘fair share’ demagoguery was a lot of hogwash that too many people, like you, bought into. Do the working poor and middle class pay a higher percentage of the hundreds of taxes imposed on them than the 1%? Of course, but be careful lumping in things like property taxes, sales taxes, Social Security and Medicare, etc. They might pay the same rate, but the taxes on a $2-3 million home are substantially more than those on a $150,000 home. Similarly, you pay $2-3000 in sales tax. A sum they might exceed with a single purchase. SS and Medicare? They own businesses, so they are paying 1/2 of your SS and Medicare, plus their cap on Medicare has been removed so they will pay many times what you pay…and they will get exactly the same benefits you get. They will probably pay many times the gasoline taxes you do. They will not pay the dummy tax and play the lottery.

So the Waltons have more wealth than the 150 million Americans at the bottom. Did the 150 million Americans at the bottom create a successful business model. Has anyone ever forced you at the point of a gun to go into Walmart to buy anything?

If you really want ‘fairness and justice’, then use the American system like they did and create wealth for yourself. But until you are prepared to work as hard and as smart, quitchurbitching.
greghilbert

Reply to “Montana Bill”:
I am quite content to let your comment speak for itself, revealing as it does the reason the “working class” from time to time revolts and confiscates the wealth if not also the lives and liberty of the wealthy elite. Indeed I’m always delighted to hand a noose to those with views that are at once ignorant, ugly and greedy, and to watch them hang themselves in public. Please say more for the sake of my entertainment and the education of other readers. I especially enjoyed your bit about the Waltons, where you saw yourself blowing my point to smithereens!
montanabill

I was ‘working class’ for most of my life and never felt the need to ‘revolt’ or confiscate anyone else’s wealth. I simply worked harder to succeed. Your view is akin to the guy who thinks robbing banks will lead to wealth.
What you are really saying is that you are too lazy to compete and resent those who aren’t.
greghilbert

Keep it coming Montanabill. Throughout my career I was famous for working long hours, twice in positions to which I was recruited by billionaires, one who generally treated his employees well and the other an inheritor who was the epitome of the ruthless bloodsucker. I happen to be semi-retired, and seek nothing for myself. I do however obtain satisfaction from watching cold greedsters like you expose themselves for what they are. Your “serves ‘em right” reaction to 6 Walmart Waltons having more wealth than 150 millions Americans was a gift of your self-exposure. The bit about not being forced at gunpoint to buy from Walmart frosted the cake. Assuming I was lazy added a candle to the cake. Please say more, each candle you add sheds light on your ugliness.
montanabill

You seem to be perfectly at home denigrating people you don’t even know simply because they have been successful. I have to wonder why? You have no idea what charities they support, what their community involvement is, or anything else other than tabloid gossip. I never cared for Walmarts and don’t shop there, but that doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that Sam Walton started a small business in Arkansas and had the savvy, strength and will to grow it into one of most successful businesses ever. Before he built that business, he was just one of the 150 million. But because he stepped out, you have a problem. That says volumes.
greghilbert

Replying to Montanabill:
And now you, the self-worshiping greedster who first denigrated someone he doesn’t know, complains about then being denigrated by someone who doesn’t know him. You worship yourself and therefore the Waltons of the world for being successful business owners and consider everyone else, including employees on whose backs those businesses were built to be lazy, jealous and deserving of regressive taxes and pathetic pay if not poverty or starvation. It does not trouble you that 6 Walton inheritors already have more wealth than 150 Million Americans, and that those 6 greedsters will have further income in the billions in 2013, but will pay a lower portion of their income on the aggregate of all taxes than their own pathetically-paid employees. That makes perfect sense to you because each of those 2.1 million Walmart employees could have started their own business and succeeded if only they were not lazy and spent less time day-dreaming about robbing a bank. What matters to self-centered you is that you don’t shop at Walmart. Poor “successful” you, who worships himself for clawing his way to the 1% over who knows how many backs of the 99%, whose worship he now seeks in the same breath as the insults he delivers at them. I know or know of many 1% who have SOME regard for others, and who admit their taxes should be substantially higher. I know you are not one of them, and that they would want nothing to do with you.
montanabill

No one forces anyone to work for Walmart. No one forces anyone to shop at Walmart. They didn’t build the business on the backs of anyone except those that chose to work for them or shop with them. They have gotten substantial government assistance from foolish politicians.

I would have to guess you are probably referring to Warren Buffett as one who admits their taxes should be higher. If that is the case, do a little research.

http://www.facebook.com/mary.dawson.1257 Mary Dawson

That was one of the best, SPOT-ON posts I’ve EVER seen on the Internet! THANK YOU!!!!!

Progressive Patriot

Thanks Mary. We’ve got to stick together and speak-up. Push back against the corporate media propaganda.

P.P.

http://www.facebook.com/mary.dawson.1257 Mary Dawson

Unemployment WAS over 10%…it’s going down slowly but surely…address THAT!!!

montanabill

It is still over 10%. Get the real numbers. The population rate is growing faster than jobs are being created, so real unemployment cannot come down until that changes. BTW, for comparison, compare the drop in unemployment after 9/11 under Bush.

http://profile.yahoo.com/Y4ZDB2PEBKOYCFTDDMIFZVRU4E ANN

I live in South Carolina,we retired here. I love the South. But I see were it is supressed. Education,rights,and your place in the line of life here. They hate our President, They feel and I hope I do not offend anyone but as told me “you stole our niggers”. They live in the past. I was upset Tom Rice when into office,Scott oh he just hates people”I think Nikki Haley contolls this fool. The South has to come out of this hole they live in. I see more Dem’s coming in but not enough,
http://profile.yahoo.com/WSJDG76E3GMBG34ZDTF2RBCNCA Marlo The Bear

Thank you for so eloquently describing the actions of the congressional mostly southern Republicans. Let’s not forget they were all democrats until the Civil Rights Bill passed. So glad to see you mention the episode with Rev Wright.
tobewan

You tell’em Dominick – You do it so well!!! “They” ought to read and learn, but not likely. When I point out cooperation and consideration amongst us shopping at stores, and then say “Wish they would do that in Congress” – they laugh and say YES wish so!
Interesting that people know how to get along, but NOT in Congress??? Is it really too much to ask?
Hope I’m not just dreamin’
http://profile.yahoo.com/GCXB2EABXANRR2IK7QHS3TAPOU ROBERT C HASTINGS

And yet, if you call them out for their blatant racism, they will accuse you of 1)class warfare, 2)liberalism or socialism, 3)communism, 4)being a Muslim, 5)or any other such stupid accusation that totally masks the issue of their own intolerance.

Budjob

Yes.I suggest we let the south win this time.That way we would kill two birds with one stone.We would eliminate southern Republican wacky politicians and,many of America’s racists!
tman000

“Hate, Fear and Divide” still alive in Washington. Seems the Republican leadership is still in denial…
http://nefariousnewt.blogspot.com NefariousNewt

The shooting portion of The Civil War is long over; but as the saying goes, ideas cannot be killed. Social change does not happen at the end of a gun or through the auspices of a law. It happens when the number of those who are reasonable outstrips the number who are not. The grip of the “old ways” is slowly, inexorably waning, as its rabid purveyors can no longer hold sway over enough people to further “the cause.”

The wave of anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, anti-Obama rhetoric & legislation is the last shriek of a dying way of life. Those who were in power for so long see the writing on the wall and are fighting it tooth-and-nail, but they will inevitably lose, and they can sense it. We can help it along by asserting our dominance, by taking up the reins of government and beginning the final push back against their self-centered intolerance and rank bigotry. An idea may not die, but it can be relegated to a distant & disregarded corner of our society.

http://www.facebook.com/luthere.corbett Luther E Corbett

Amen.

AlfredSonny

Shows that there are people ignorant enough to be proud of something they should be ashamed of. Unsurprisingly, they tend to be from the Red states.
nobsartist

I think that the name, “civil war” is descriptive of what is going on but the reality is, it is a viscous cycle of greed that keeps appearing every couple of generations or so. This war is being conducted with no hardware per se, but kills and ruins lives just the same. This is a cycle of people trying to right wrongs by passing laws that are then either ignored or shredded.

Look at history. As long as we have been industrialized, we have had cycles of crisis, repair the damage done and then more “crisis”. The battle being fought today revolves around the same people that were against the “New Deal” or any other “repair” that FDR put in place and people that still have compassion for their fellow man. Simply put, these five have never shown compassion for their fellow people, these five are simply the carpet baggers from the 1870′s, still here today.

These are the same people that have used any means possible to thwart social advancement for America. Any threat to their perverted world of greed, misery and lies is dealt with by any means required from assassinations to the destruction of America’s financial system and credit rating.

And you can bet that they will do anything it takes to prevent anyone of color from invading their space or interfering with their delusional plans.
Eleanore Whitaker

There was much more to the reasons for the Civil War. If you talk to any southern Confederate today, they will tell it was about states rights. Then, you continue to question…Which states” rights specifically? The answer comes right to back to the issue they so deftly try to hide…free slave labor.

Look very, very closely at that. The internal operative of free slave labor manifested itself into the very fibre of the southern culture. In order to maintain free labor, the laborers needed to be slaves. In order for the plantations to operate at a profit, only free slave labor was their major operative. A slave in the view of any southerner is someone who is beneath their class level. Because…a slave must be beneath their class level in order to be rendered slave laborers.

Fast forward to the present. It serves no purpose for certain southern states to abandon their Confederate attitudes. In their minimalist minds, labor has to be free or as nearly as free as it can get in order for these backward states to clear the profits in the few major industries that keep their state taxes “conservatively” low while profits are “conservatively” high.

So the idea that the “South will rise again” in the minds of the Confederates means insuring that all other states fund theirs with our federal taxes. It means the Confederate politicians want total control of the government so they can thus sway all industries and the resulting profits into their Confederacy….all while the rest of the people in other states do all the dirty work.

McConnell and Graham are the worst of the racists. They simply cannot abide the idea that a bi-racial president is not only more intelligent than either of these two good ole good ole bois but that he is able to outwit them at every turn. Thus, their only recourse as Southern Supremacists is to thwart the entire presidency any way they can no matter how low they have to stoop to do so.

http://profile.yahoo.com/UHE4MJP5FHMFIEAOGEQHETUGDQ Rvn_sgt6768

Being a transplanted Yankee since 1987 I have to concur with your observations and reasoning. I see it everyday here. I was once asked how I could shop at Winn Dixie and I replied “Well since we won the war I can shop anywhere I choose.” Most times it is very subtle but when it is discovered it becomes very open and agressively in your face. The ones I dislike the most are the sweet talking Southerners who think they are hiding their true intentions with flowery wording and kindness both of which are a ruse.

neeceoooo

I am not only in the south but also the bible belt and the fear and superstitian that comes from their minds is hard to fathom.

Eleanore Whitaker

Look at who is leading the battle for the position of Secretary of Defense…mostly southern, white politicians who’d rather fly the Stars and Bars than see a Republican in this president’s cabinet. So first it was Rice they got rid of…now it’s Hagel..a Republican.

The lame excuses the Confederate politicians are using are just that…lame and totally unconstitutional. The president always has the right to choose his candidate for his cabinet…Until the Good Ole Good Ole Bois start getting their toffee noses out of joint. How dare THIS bi-racial president think he has the right to choose his candidates is their outraged view.

They know exactly what they are doing…attempting to overthrow a 2-term president. Republicans cannot last another year with their present anti-Obama attitude. The people who voted for him simply will not stand for it. And they simply will not tolerate another 4 years of Republican obstruction.

Notice how now they call themselves “Log Cabin” Republicans? And not Tea Party Republicans? Maybe that’s where we need to stow them….in a village of log cabins deep in the woods until they grow up and act like intelligent men and women.

Michael Kollmorgen

The Tea Party can not call themselves Log Cabin Republicans.

That Title is solely reserved for Republicans who are Gay, who have formed a voting block.

The Tea Party certainty wouldn’t want to be a member of that part of the party.

Check it out…………..
http://www.facebook.com/blake.faulkner.7 Blake Faulkner

Actually Eleanore…”Log Cabin” Republicans are a different subset of GOP members…They are openly gay and gay rights Republicans. There may be some overlap (no pun intended) with Tea Party Republicans…but not much. They tend to be smarter. But then…who doesn’t?
http://profile.yahoo.com/UHE4MJP5FHMFIEAOGEQHETUGDQ Rvn_sgt6768

In their thinking it continues the thought of because they do not recognize the legitimacy of a black man becoming President therefore any of his choices are also not legitimate. Remember John Kerry is their choice not President Obama’s and I would believe that will be a reason to swift boat him again after the fact in the future.
http://www.facebook.com/mary.dawson.1257 Mary Dawson

NEVER GONNA HAPPEN…

Arakiba

Southern whites will probably be having a Confederate Day of Mourning on Martin Luther King Day.

Michael Kollmorgen

If the “old south” could have taken out Martin Luther King BEFORE he became a major moving force in the civil rights movement they would have. Martin knew this fact and had body guards around him night and day. From the first day he entered the social/political landscape he had more than a few assassination attempts on his life.

By the time they did succeed in killing him, it was already too late. They made him a martyr instead.

The Problem with Republicans, the south and some in the north is that when they see lights coming at them, they are so stupid, they don’t know it can run them over.

Then, the Steam Roller usually does.
http://www.facebook.com/blake.faulkner.7 Blake Faulkner

Glenn Beck chose to have that tax-payer protest rally years ago…on Martin Luther King day. The people who attended and supported that stupid showboater Glenn Beck rally were later supporters of a billionaire-funded, Faux News directed ‘grassroots’ /astro-turf movement dubbed the Tea Party. They claimed no mainstream party affiliation at the time. But time has shown that to be one of many lies and deceptions that went into their carefully propagandized formation. They have always been Glenn Beck delusional and crazy…but they became ‘useful idiots’ to Faux News and Roger Ailes and Ruper Murdoch and the Koch brothers…after Faux News dumped Glenn Beck from their employment. He had ceased being a media and revenue-generating asset to Faux News and had become a liability…Even if his followers had not.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

I believe that most of the southern states still do not recognise Lincoln’s birthday and celebrate Jeff Davis’ Day!

Clint

Woodrow Wilson was born in Virginia and lived in Georgia as a boy.
FDR made Warm Springs, GA, his 2nd home.
Truman was a Missourian through-and-through.
LBJ is the only real Texan to ever hold the Presidency.
Jimmy Carter was a Georgian peanut farmer before joining the Navy and then becoming Governor of Georgia.
Bill Clinton was born and raised in a little town called Hope, Arkansas.
Al Gore is from and still lives in Tennessee.
JFK and Barack Obama are the only Democratic Presidents in the past 100 years without strong Southern connections.

The real question is why are liberals from the rest of the country so ineffective when compared to those from the South?
http://www.facebook.com/hal.slater Hal Slater

Is that offer for the South to secede still open? If not, did the Founding Fathers provide a way to eject undesirable and underperforming states from the Union? Every southern state except Florida and Texas receive more in Federal funding than they contribute in taxes. They are the true “welfare states” they rail against and we would be better off without them.
oldbuzzardpopsgary

Anything that promotes the Confederacy and the old South any damn yankee LIVING IN THE SOUTH IS AGAINST. And SLAVERY WAS NOT THE SOLE ISSUE THAT CAUSED THE CIVIL WAR. And as far as Governor George Wallace is concerned WE ALL HAVE OUR VIEWPOINTS about this Countries POLITICS. And George Wallace was entirely right when he stated THEIR IS NOT A DIMES DIFFERNCE BETWEEN A REPUBLICAN AND A DEMOCRAT ONE HAS A ‘ELEPHANT’ LOGO AND THE OTHER HAS A ‘ JACKASS’. The South is not ENTIRELY DEAD YET AND WILL RISE AGAIN WHEN ENOUGH GET THEIR GUT FULL OF THE WAY THIS COUNTRY IS BEING RUN.

Reddiaperbaby

The South will rise again???? Boy, are you one sick puppy…where the f$$k does that come from? I think you’d better get some professional help ASAP, unless you want to be the village idiot for the rest of your life.

Michael Kollmorgen

Unfortunately we all might be wrong.

With Right To Works Laws predominately in the “old south” states, companies are relocating there in groves from the North. And, with this, the economy is heading slowly south.

Even if the common worker isn’t paid a living wage, it don’t matter. Corporate money rules. Our Economy is driven by corporations, not the individual.

We may be witnessing the Rise of the South whether anyone likes it or not, including but not limited to its blatant racism, if nothing more than on economic grounds.

Also, since most of these battles are about state rights, the Federal Government will have less and less oversight responsibilities over time. In short what is going on is that the south is sucking the north of all its economic power, shifting it to their states. And, since the southern states use more federal money than the north, so much the better. No better way to drain federal power than to drain federal funds for as long as they can.

This I believe is the true agenda of Republicans and the South.

Like to old saying goes: Money Talks, BS Walks!

Reddiaperbaby

Oh, Michael, that is so depressing and scary…it makes sense, however and what a clever way finally to win The War Between the States. First I’m going to throw up and then look into moving to Canada.
Sent from my iPad

Michael Kollmorgen

Heh, I seriously thought about doing exactly that 40 years ago. Wish I had! I still romanticize about it from time to time.

I have been a big advocator of anyone with any brains, a little savings, a family and a career they can use someplace else to get out of this country while they can.

Believe me, once a real civil war starts here, many countries will be closing their borders to american refugees. And, you won’t get out anyway due to imposed Federal Marshall Law.

And, Canada ISN”T the only place to re-settle either.

One example was about 10 years ago. Argentina was advertising for Americans with ANY Bachelors Degree to re-settle there and teach English. Argentina was supplying the person and/or family with a nice home (better than middle class here), a nice salary, a lifetime contract and open citizenship. It’s really not needed to be said but whoever did that would have had it made for the rest of their lives.

I sent for the application. I was curious. IF I would have had a degree, I might have jumped at it.
Reddiaperbaby

You’re never too old…I sure as shit don’t want some tea-bagger coming after me with his assault rifle…he’s armed and we’re not. I’m beginning to see the NRA connection…I’d just need a U-Haul and my credit cards, I’ll shop when I get there, see you at the border.
Sent from my iPad
Michael Kollmorgen

NO, my friend, I”m too old these days to play that game. I’m 63 and not in great health.

That game, re-locating, re-settling to a new life, re-adjust to some culture shock is no longer in my deck of cards.

I really wish I had though.

That is really for someone in their 30s or so, or someone just getting out of College, someone with a solid career ahead of them who is seeking a better way of life.

I’ll never leave. But, as long as I am alive, I will advocate anyone, preferably, to do this as early in their lives as possible. They’ll have to put me up against a wall and shoot me to shut me up.

And, this has nothing to do with Patriotism or Family Ties. This all has to do with your own personal peace of mind and well being.

Peace:)

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

Well virtually every state that joined the confederacy,(Defined by the Constitution of the United States as a “Treasonous Act”) openly stated slavery and it’s defense was the primary cause. As the vice president of the confederacy stated in 1864 when he south proposed allowing slaves to enlist ion their army; “If we admit these slaves have the ability to be soldiers and defend us it contradicts everyting we are fighting for.” “States Right” arose during the civil right wars of the 1960′s!
http://twitter.com/jmprint Mary Martinez

I would say not entirely dead, just BRAIN DEAD.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

well,I can envision a scenario where we will see a REAL Civil WarII. Imagine that Oboma gets through his second 4 years without being assasinated(Which I often pray will never happen) and THEN Hillary Clinton is elected President. I doubt the far right could stand a black president followed by a FEMALE President! I fear for my country and pray daily.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Myers/100001512942781 Jim Myers

Replying to Ed -

And, both of them being Democrats.

YES!!! I LOVE IT!!!
Michael Kollmorgen

A Real Civil War is not out of the question.

It can happen and rather easily at that.

A Civil War does not take years to take hold. The Frustration that leads to it takes a long time to build up as we are experiencing now. This Frustration reaches a tipping point in which case just a spark can set off a civil war.

The Spark, if you will, can happen literally overnight. Then, there is no turning back.

All countries experience a civil war. Many have several in their histories.

We are no different. I’m surprised we’ve lasted as long as we have without another one.

http://www.facebook.com/blake.faulkner.7 Blake Faulkner

Plznnn…This system wont let me reply under your comment. I see you fixating on that word ‘Socialist’ like so many Teabillies do these days…and who also have no idea what it means. Just another one of those talking points that have been reinforced by repetition on various right wing propaganda outlets. Now, Weimar Germany had some REAL socialists to cause some people anxiety back in the 1920′s. Communist Party street gangs actually. And they battled in the streets with right-wing reactionary. anti-communist street gangs led by fascist thugs like Adolph Hitler in a group that called themselves ‘National Socialists’…which got shortened to Nazi. They were funded by mega-rich industrialists like Krupp. And it was fear and hatred of Commie Socialists…and ‘inferior’ races like Jews, Poles, Slavs, Gypsies, Blacks, etc….that brought them to power. In what had been a civilized, well-educated, representative democracy. But had also had an overly-militaristic streak…that led to later severe economic problems in trying to pay for that very expensive, wasteful, stupid, loosing-side failed militarism.

P.S. The whole country supported Dubya immediately after we were attacked on American soil on 9/11…for the first time since Pearl Harbor. His C.I.A. director George Tenet did a great job coordinating a quick response of C.I.A. forces with allied Afghan forces that had the Taliban and Al Qaeda fleeing Afghanistan for their lives. Things gradually went downhill after that. In the Middle East…AND in America. THAT’S why Dubya is hated…because of his gross mismanagement that wrecked our economy and enriched those who were already filthy rich. That will be his legacy in history…no matter how hard you try to deny it…and shift the blame.
http://profile.yahoo.com/HJIWONQOW4EAYMCA4QH2DDJMBU MARK

Over the years I have found supporters of the “Olde Confederacy” to be a wonderfully consistent source of convoluted logic.They are steadfast and dependable and they excell at keeping the argument of slavery versus states rights burning bright.They would make good fire keepers and boiler tenders. They avoid being worthless by serving as bad examples for human behavior.
daniel bostdorf

Gene Lyons is on track when he states: “This is not to deny that there’s a strong regional component to the nation’s current political impasse. The New Republic’s John R. Judis did the numbers on the recent “fiscal cliff” vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. Altogether, 85 Republicans voted for the Senate’s resolution, 151 against.”

But the “current political impasses” are a deliberate attack on the poor and middle class. Nothing to do with our states borders.

THIS is the real “civil war” going on.
The 97% against the 3%.

There really is any regional disparity like the first civil war…

It is a broad spectrum socio-economic disparity based on poverty, lack of equal justice, lack of education, lack of affordable safe housing, a living wage, job training, keeping our middle class jobs here, and host of other items that we should be waging war against.

50 years ago this month, President Lyndon Johnson declraed a “war on poverty.”
His was NOT a civil war in the hands of a few….he wanted the entire country to recognize the dangers that lay ahead if we continued to base our economy on wars in foreign lands and policing the world and its conflicts.

Our current “civil war” will be over when the GOP/Teaparty and their sympathizers and lying propagandists get exposed for their continued UN_AMERICAN expressions of political power….ie….their collective “civil war” on the majority of Americans.

This is THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

NOT “The United States of the GOP and the military industrial complex.”

I suggest that the GOP take another look at the movie “V for Vendetta” to get a clue about what could happen next if the poor and middle class are crushed by the rich… are spied on by drones overhead, and their Constititional freedoms under the Bill of Rights are simply torn up by a fascistic “police state.”
oldbuzzardpopsgary

REDDIAPERBABY< YOU HAVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW AND I HAVE MINE 'OKAY' And by the way ANYBODY WITH A BRAIN CAN MAKE A COMMENT 'WITHOUT PROFANITY'……
donbronkema1

The South is still impaled on crypto-racism, jingo fantasy & the notion that govt must be evil de rerum natura…however, regional IDs grow feebler by the day as The Cloud embraces mankind, & evidence is emerging of elite-consensus on gay rights, renewable energy, due process, gun regs, land-use planning, biome management & control of lifetime fertility rates…thermageddon & ecollapse threaten, but a man-made repeat of the Mt Toba Bottleneck 72k years ago seems unlikely at this point.

‘Global rescue’ isn’t possible, however, w/o actual democracy in this country…radical centrists should embrace historical Populism & pursue

–proportional representation [Australia]
–public financing of short campaigns [no contribs]
–permanent registration [w/encrypted voter IDs]
–abrogation of filibuster [unique to U.S.]
–prohibition of Gerrymanders [dispositive results in several states]
–restoration of broadcast Fairness Rule
–91% taxation of marginal income [as per prosperous Truman/Eisenhower era]
–public majorities on corporate boards [Germany]
–stiff application of Glass/Stiegal+

Add to taste…
browninghipower

Gene Lyons is a treasure among American writer/political observers..albeit one vastly underappreciated. This is possibly due to his unflinching lifelong support of the Chicago Cubs. Cheer up Gene….I lived long enough to see the Red Sox rise up in 2004!

http://www.facebook.com/people/Gene-Lyons/1009819630 Gene Lyons

Thanks for the kind words, but I discovered the Cubs when cable TV brought them to Little Rock in the 80s. My zeal has been steadily waning since Harry died and Steve Stone joined the White Sox broadcast team. Although a National League guy, I’ve followed the Red Sox since Ted Williams was in left field, and was sitting happily behind the dugout in St. Louis when the final out was made in the 2004 World Series.

browninghipower

Sorry for my weak memory. But I do remember you as a great and informative guest on my radio show in the late 90s. You still reign in my opinion as one of America’s great writers and observers.
daniel bostdorf

Thanks for the article!

Progressive Patriot

It sure gets tiring; but as Norman Goldman frequently notes, (paraphrase) these people are not going away, and so we need to continue to fight for civil rights… speak up and out, stay active, speak truth to lies and push back. The exhibitions of overt racism after The President’s election caught me by surprise. Of course, racism still exists, I was just surprised that it was so pervasive and blatant. Perhaps in my lifetime, for sure in my children’s, we will be counted as a minority. I hope that my friends in the ever expanding, “minorities,” will continue to point out my blind spots, and help me to be more inclusive, accepting and understanding (just as I long to be included, accepted and understood when it is my time to be in the minority).
Perhaps the descriptor “War,” should be reserved for real life military battles. Still, we are at least in a fight for the very soul of this nation, as well as for the American Dream. While we must continue to fight for civil rights for all people, we must not be distracted from the dangers of INCOME INEQUALITY. I can’t help but think that the corporate media’s ongoing focus on “social issues,” (and away from the vast and growing divide in wealth and power), reflects the no longer hidden agenda of the Oligarchs and Multi-Nationals (who own the media) to destroy democracy (they love Venture/Vulture Capitalism), and continue to rewrite the rules, so that they can multiply their obscene wealth and continue to transfer the wealth of the middle and working classes up to the 1%er’s. They want us “at,” each other. Divide and Conquer!

So I think that we are in a fight to preserve the American Dream, and most likely the planet, too (another thing they don’t want us to take action on). While we must continue to push for the civil rights of all American’s, we can’t take our eyes off of the growing income inequality that Wall Street, the Big Banks, Multi-National Corporations, Oligarchs and Plutocrats continue to perpetrate (consciously or not) on We The People.

Save Democracy. Move to Amend.

july860

Well said.

CPANewYork

I read that book. I don’t think that it’s very good, but it does disclose to those who weren’t aware the range of whacky unreconstructed Confederates that still occupy the South.
CPANewYork

I read “Confederates in the Attic.” Frankly, I didn’t think that much of it, but it does reveal to those unaware of what “Redneck” means and the existence of the crazies that populate the South.
CPANewYork

Buzzard:

Thanks for the good laugh. Your comment is ungrammatical and contains spelling errors. It appears that your formal education ended in the fifth grade.
CPANewYork

George W. Bush isn’t a “real Texan”?
http://www.facebook.com/Artiewhitefox Jonathan Hughes

Have what we have is being in perpetual war. Jailing is war. persecuting people with condemning laws is waring.. Arresting a person for being naked is warring against the person for being like God created him her to look like. People persecuting people for seeing them have sex of whatever kind is warring against them giving them guilt for doing an act that God made. Jails are an act of war against people . Jesus sets people free being against war.

old_blu

Huh? Jonathan I’m all for naked, but I’m not sure what point you are trying to make.

bchrista

People I stated as much in an earlier statement , The thought that the South will rise again is never more prevalent than it is at this time, the McConnells, Demints,Grahams Davis, Beck,Rove, Hannity of the world will never change their line of thinking, even though they lost the elevtion is that they will never work with a Black Man even though it’s not spoken vocally it’s in the back of their mind they are all hard line Racist and will never change and Obama can extend all the fig leafs he wants to them but he better face facts the only way to deal with these unmigated assholes is to treat them with the same disrespect that they have showed him to this point as the old saying goes in order to get respect you have to earn it and so far these unscroupeless bastards haven’t earned with their remarks and inneuendoes reflected towards the duly elected Presidentof the United States, expeciallly good ole boy wilson from South Carolina and his famous remark, Mr. President you lie which proved him to be wrong, but never in the historyof this country has that ever happened. So people the fact that we cannot get out of the hole that Reagsn and Bush put us in is that these good ole boys Republicans helped us get in the hole but won’t throw us a rope so we can crawl out of it and they are doing it with our own money hows that grag you. long live the South LoL.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OLT3BBICDAFJXQAHHKXXLJUCH4 Stella53

But what would they rise to and to do what? The selling of black human beings is long over in America. America is no longer the country of the Founding Fathers. Would these southerners expect the rest of us to roll over and play dead while they rise again? I don’t think so. Let them continue to be racist a-holes. They will never win the White House again for a long, long time. Obama won re-election despite the GOP’s obvious bigotry.

Michael Kollmorgen

IF you think bigotry can’t win the white House, you’re badly mistaken.

Nearly half of our population voted for a Mormon Bishop, supported largely by Christians, who even went against their own beliefs, who were themselves extremely bigoted against a black man being President.

It almost came true. IF this is possible, anything else is also.

The rest of us just got lucky this time around.

http://www.facebook.com/mary.dawson.1257 Mary Dawson

ELECTORAL VOTES are what COUNTS, and the president won by a landslide!

harriet

Heres to the end of white male dominance. Its a beautiful day, especially for white males who welcomed the 21st century and are no longer burdened with the hate requirements of the 20th century.

Michael Kollmorgen

I am White and I applaud the efforts of people of color to usurp the white race from its majority status as the center of power.

Globally, the White Race certainly hasn’t used it power wisely, that’s for sure. We are a Culture Destroyer, not a Culture Builder. We’ve basically destroyed every single native culture it gets involved with in favor of economic dominance.

Maybe in the future, some other race, or form of life will do better – hopefully.

It will take another few centuries before this all plays out. But, until that time, the white race still has few tricks up its hairy armpits.

Robert Grimm

“Mauch had written a series of letters to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette arguing that since Jesus never condemned slavery, it had Biblical sanction.”

What’s the problem here? The Bible is full of horrible things. The old testament law describes how to own slaves. Jesus said the old laws are still in effect. Paul said slaves must obey their masters. Of course slavery is sanctioned in the Bible. I agree with Mauch on this point. I suspect we would disagree on what that means, though. It sounds like he thinks things that the Bible supports are good. I think it should be seen as a relic of a much worse time in history.
jstsyn

“A few more stunts like that, and the GOP could end up as fragmented and futile as Alabama governor George Wallace’s American Independent Party.” Couldn’t happen too soon.
DurdyDawg

Not only that but the roles have been reversed.. The north is now the south and those who fought for the south are now finding themselves in the north in uncountable droves. The neocons and T-peers have become the south and their war rage is just as intense as was in the CW. Look at it yourself, we could imagine that the rebs were in essence liberals and the north was the conservatives, today the south is overwheled with red states while the north sports blue.. Crazy nation, what..
jointerjohn

Wall Street and the multi-national corporations will do anything to retain and advance their stranglehold on our government. They will disingenuously use any emotional appeal they can find to influence voters. This is the trap many have fallen into. Whether it is race, or gender, guns god or gays, the 1% powers don’t care. They also know that fear motivates people more powerfully than logic, so they use it on those most susceptible. Our fellow countrymen in the old confederacy are easy targets, for they fear more bogeymen than the rest of us. 1% knows this and plays them like cheap violins. The last thing 1% wants is a calm, rational thinking electorate, that would spell disaster for them.

daniel bostdorf

he last thing 1% wants is a calm, rational thinking electorate, that would spell disaster for them.

Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels (like Teaparty, GOP, Foxnews, Limbaugh, Beck and Rove believe) said it best:

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MFPDFRWZZAKO4XJXNLUG3DI65Y Anthony America

Educated people don’t live in the past
The people from the south are very poorly educated and the are very easy to be led by other for there own purpose
Fox News viewers are poorly educated men from the south and haven’t got a clue that Fox is there worst enemy
Fox isn’t owned by Americans; But people from many other countries that inflence Fox to there needs
If you try and present any facts about Fox these people go nuts; they don’t want to here the truth; If they accept the truth, that means they were and are very ignorant
Fox uses the same from of Propaganda that was use by Hitler and the SS
http://www.facebook.com/bob.brindell.7 Bob Brindell

Yes! We are still fighting the Civil War. But it is not the old South it is the Financiers and Industrialist attempting to enslave the middle and working class. Right to work for less laws passed through the Nation, corporate raders taking over corporations stealing pention funds, etc. all to lione their pockets.

daniel bostdorf

exactly! And don’t forget the “military industrial complex” that needs war to make profits.

Michael Kollmorgen

Without wars, our country would collapse.

We’ve never learned to live with a Peace-Orientated Economy.

http://twitter.com/CaseyCip Casey Cipriani

The Salon article didn’t even mention these would-be representatives that you bring up, so I’m not sure that you can use their losses to negate the piece’s argument.
greghilbert

Yes, by all means flog the Republicanized Confederacy and call attention to the role it plays in promoting hostility to Dems and hatred of Obama. But those truths do not translate to a basis for praise and support of Obama’s policies or record, as if to say the only task of the public is to choose sides in such civil war as is yet ongoing. There are many things about Obama’s policies and record that warrant criticism and condemnation. As but one of a litany of examples, he has expended tens of billions of dollars and thousands of the lives and limbs of our sons and daughters on extension of an unwinnable war in Afghanistan, which literal war he pledges to continue through 2014.

http://www.facebook.com/mary.dawson.1257 Mary Dawson

Update: More troops coming home this spring from Afghanistan.

kanawah

For most of the Transylvania tea baggers, the answer is a resounding “yes”.
http://www.facebook.com/RTCastleberry R.T. Castleberry

Lyons is deluding himself if he thinks the Civil War is over. As a native Texan, I can tell you the Magnolia Myth is still alive and cranking away in its damnably silly, shameful mad way. Did Lyons not see the many petitions for secession after the election? Truth be told, you ask some people in the “old Confederacy” about the war and they’ll tell you–rather bluntly, that it never ended. And, like the conservatives who whine about being oppressed no matter how many victories they win in the social/political arena, these idiots don’t see their dwindling numbers or power as a defeat. It stiffens their spines for more fighting. Rebs like a losing cause. It’s in their thin, tired-out old blood.
http://profile.yahoo.com/X2KKGDYW2F5T5XUT6233KBNWSI robert

For the last four years, I have researched pre and post Civil War history and have written two books about it: THE TRAGEDY OF ROBERT CHARLES and in the last three weeks THE CONSTITUTION AND THE NEW JIM CROW. I must say that since the election of President Obama, the political and social atmosphere North and South today is so similar to the political and social atmosphere of the South back then, it is scary. The same white supremacist/racist hatreds and language, the same disunion and political division, the same cowardly treason, particularly the snobbish arrogance and hubris of the Republican/Tea Bag, the same delusion, misinformation, and tunnel-vision type lying. The white supremacist deconstruction of the Reconstruction Movement is embodied in the persistent effort to make President Obama fail, the outright disrespect shown to Africans in America and to this African president. It was so easy predicting what Republicans/Tea Bags would say and what they would do because it was almost like they were acting from a play-book from the Civil War era. The sad part about this is, if we did not learn anything from the past, we would be doomed to repeat it. We apparently haven’t learned very much from an ugly and sorrowful past.

Michael Kollmorgen

The United States NEVER learns any lessons from other county’s mistakes, let alone the ones we make.

The sad part about this is that History will repeat itself only because many of us are too stupid, too bigoted and too arrogant to admit our own failings.

And, the Status Quo seeks to keep us that way. They seem to be doing a pretty good job of it too from what I can tell.

howa4x

This is nothing new, since the south has always been more backward then the north. Anyone remember the 3 civil rights workers killed in Missippi? That wasn’t acient history that was in my lifetime. They have been anti union causing their workers to be the lowest paid in the country. It is almost like the plantation culture still exists, where poor whites fought and died so rich southerners could exploit slaves in the past , now they still protect the wealthy. Luckily for the rich these people are some of the academically dumbest in the country. These are people who need someone to hate, so not funding Sandy’s destruction is a payback to those uppity northerners who think they know everything. Give the average southerner Jesus and a gun and he will be happy. They claim to love Jesus but won’t take the medicaid expansion to help the very people he loved. They practice a home grown Christianity that beares no resembalance to what their saviour said, and Haley Barbour won’t be giving the commencement adress to the next Harvard graduation. It is no accident that no Ivy league schools are there, and for me it would be great if they left. They are a debtor part of America that dosent pull it’s weight, which is hefty. For all the yelling about the debt we have to subsidise them. They are the fattest, most unhealthy, and dumbest people we have. The only question I have is how do we get them to leave?
http://profile.yahoo.com/V76SOFAXAIZRWC6MNAX5Z3DLAM mothermaybe

I agree with Dominick on what he has to say. I’m ashamed that Mitch McConnell is the most destructive and do nothing Senator from my state. We also have Rand Paul need I say more. We know why they are so hateful towards President Obama it’s that southern white man thing, guns, bigotry and having a redneck mentality. I didn’t vote for him.
Thomas Michael Thompson

After he was shot George Wallace made a 180 turn around and admitted that he had in the past been wrong about negros ! Not anything was said about Wallace ran for President with the only anti polition platform ever ! He said if he was elected he would do all in his power to clean the U.S. water and air ! He showed that there was at that time a 6 mile long stream of polution in the Gulf
of Mexico ! Nothing was said about any of this ! Oh and this is a ” By the way ” there are Muslums teaching the same things that the Taliban beleave in the United States today ! So just what do you think we should do about this if you think anything should be done at all ? If people should steal then cut their hand of and if a female needs to be stoned then stone her !
Thomas M. Thompson

charleo1

We forget sometimes it was the Republican Party that sounded the warnings on how
we were polluting our lands, air, and water. Teddy Roosevelt was our first conservation
President. Richard Nixon helped create the EPA. A Party that now denies the most
serious environmental threat mankind has ever faced, climate change. As far as Muslims
teaching fundamentalist Islamic Law. First we must assume the people are not in
Afghanistan, and The United States is not a Theocracy. And the surest way we can
prevent that from ever happening is maintaining a bright line between religion, and
government. That means we don’t teach religion in taxpayer funded public schools.
We don’t take public monies from the public school systems, and use it to fund private
religious schools. We demand equal protection for law abiding citizens from morality
based, unConstitutional, marriage laws. We continue to allow a woman to have
unabridged freedom to decide what she chooses, and how she chooses to assert her
reproductive Rights. We resist all calls to formally designate The United States as a
Christian Country, or an Agnostic Country, or an atheist Country. And remember,
our Rights, and guarantees in our Constitution to worship freely or not at all, are only as sacrosanct as our protection of those same Rights for all Americans.

CPANewYork

Do you know something that we don’t? Why don’t you share your insight with us?
CPANewYork

The South has no sense of history. At one time, during and after the Civil War, the South was solidly Democratic, because Lincoln was a Republican. Now, it’s reversed. The South is Republican because they hate blacks. I guess they forget that it was the Republicans who freed the black slaves in 1865.
bchrista

My response to Stella53 you may think the fight to revive the South is far from over you’ve got a lot of people and Government Representatives that are not convinced and are still planning and plotting on how to accompish this, that’s why Obama keeps recieving such stiff oposition to any proposal he puts before Congress, if they can discredit him they feel that’s a start towards their goal, right now the’re digging in their heels for the next confrontation with Obama and they are not being bashful about it. People that have done wrong other than to serve under Obama are already being villified as he appoints the to fill the deferent posts that are opening up Hagel who served his country with Honor, Susan Rice a loyal American, and now the latest appointment who has a lengthy career in several branches of our Government and performed brilliantly is the latest one being attacked as ungualified for Office although several CEOS across the Country in the business of finance have praised his work ethics by none other than an asshole Senator from you guessed it a Redneck State, Alabama and I am willing to bet that as Obama proposes more subjects and people to help right the Ship of State and getting this country back on it’s feet more asshole TeaParty Republicans will pop up to object to what ever it is that he proposes and it’s up to us Citizens to vote the Bastards out of Office if we want to live in a free and propouress America. One doesn’t have to be blind to see the pattern developing they didn’t stop him the first time but they didn’t give up they just slithered into their holes to plan new stragerty on his next term and they already startedPeople be alert.
bchrista

I just read an artical from a mag called The Daily Wealth, published by a Dr. Steve Sjuggerud, the name suggest a refugee from the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, or Swiss, these country are very liberal the government pays for everything, so I can’t understand his rantings, his artical concerns the taxations of the French people who tax rate is 75%, however, the government pays for everything and he goes on supposedly warning the American people that Obama is entertaining doing the same to the American people by Banbrupting the country and using the money to provide all the services that are provided in the European country and he will do this by taking it from the Rich and by doing so will eventually destroy the country, I wonder what group of Millionaires he works for, He’s another Russ Limbaugh panic started Damn the Sons-of a-Bitches keep crawling out of the wood work no womder our country is so fucked up until we identify all these idiots and house them all in padded rooms we will never enjoy pease and tranquilaty.
Gladys5215G

We’re headed towards a civil war………
http://profile.yahoo.com/X2KKGDYW2F5T5XUT6233KBNWSI robert

Philippians 3: 13-14
greghilbert

In Reply to Mary Dawson
(because the system won’t let me reply underneath your comment):

Sure, four years AFTER Obama took office and had the power to bring them all the troops home from Afghanistan immediately, without need of anyone’s approval. AFTER over 2,000 American sons and daughters have been killed, over 18,000 have been wounded, $385 Billion has been spent (since he took office). You fail to mention how many troops will yet remain, how many lives and limbs will yet be sacrificed, how many tens or hundreds of billions will yet be spent.
By all means, continue bleating your support of too little too late, and look the other way as sheep are led to socio-economic and even physical slaughter by such duplicitous elites as Obama. For sure stay in your comfort zone of blaming it all on evil Repubs. It makes you popular with the crowd here. Better yet, make a donation for a lottery sweepstakes chance to win attendance at the inauguration, and rub shoulders for a day with the elite and elite wannabees. It’s the new American Dream. It gives you a chance to pretend the American Nightmare will soon be over if you just close your eyes and believe the audacity of hope is better than the audacity of action. Let’s revisit all this 20 years from now. I predict the hope strategy will find us at war, that the disparity of wealth and income will be catastrophically greater (as in the 1% having 95% of all wealth), gas will be $15 per gallon for lack of options as we pump the USA toward dry, and there will be a Dem Pres agreeing to privatization of Social Security in exchange for repeal of a sales tax on food stamp purchases of groceries, and a one-year vacation from 15 consecutive years of increases in Obamacare insurance premiums and tax penalties on those who can’t afford them, by then over 60% of all Americans. The portion of GDP spent on war and “homeland security” etc will be even greater than now. There will be people like me saying it is a consequence of too little too late, and people like you saying things would be worse with a Repub Pres. Small consolation.
CYNICALZ

You bleeding heart liberals. You would not know Socialist Obama corrupt lies even if you were standing in the middle of an inferno.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5LCXMWHFPRMEYD4RWN56QE2FF4 Grunge45

As it has through thousands of years, formal religion, in all its manifestations, has reared its ugly head with these three troglodytes. The world is desperately trying to become civilized, and these power boys want the absolute control of people that religion has traditionally had.

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Are We Still Fighting The Civil War?

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