NEON GODS

Do you want Mitt Romney to have any control over higher education in America?

From the NYTimes today:

At a town-hall-style meeting in New Hampshire last month, listeners pressed Mitt Romney on the soaring cost of higher education. His solution: students should consider for-profit colleges like the little-known Full Sail University in Florida.

Right, forget all those public universities subsidized by state governments, go to a for-profit school where competition keeps tuition to a bare minimum.  For example, Indiana University, where I graduated (over 30 years ago), now costs $33,760 for a 4-year degree!  Outrageous.  Surely you can do better at Full Sail University.

Mr. Romney did not mention the cost of tuition at Full Sail, which runs more than $80,000, for example, for a 21-month program in “video game art.”

$80,000!  For a program that's less than 2 years and gets you a diploma in "video game art"?  This is Mitt's solution to the soaring cost of higher education? 

For one thing, why would anyone in their right mind believe a for-profit school would be cheaper than a state-subsidized school?  Besides all the expenses that are involved in running a school, for-profit schools also have to MAKE A PROFIT!

So why would a smart guy like Mitt Romney tell people struggling to pay for their kid's education to ignore expensive pubic universities and send their kids to...even more expensive for-profit schools?  Evidently that question occurred to the NYTimes also.

[Romney failed to mention that Full Sail's] chief executive, Bill Heavener, is a major campaign donor and a co-chairman of his state fund-raising team in Florida.

Oh!

But that's not all...

Mr. Heavener has committed his own resources to the cause. He and his wife have each given the maximum $2,500 to the campaign, and he gave $45,000 to Restore Our Future, a “super PAC” run by former Romney aides to bolster his campaign. The chairman of the private equity fund that owns Full Sail University — C. Kevin Landry of TA Associates — gave $40,000 to Restore Our Future, records show.

So Mitt Romney doesn't give a shit about you, your debt, or your kid's future.  It's all about him and his capitalist Cronies!

But wait!  There's even more (you knew that, right?)...

Mr. Romney has received financial support from other segments of the for-profit college industry as well, and he was quick to praise the industry as an affordable alternative to traditional colleges.

Be sure to read the full NYTime's article, it's sick!

Mitt Romney is the perfect corporatist President for America.  The Republican party is not interested in governing, it's all about how to fleece the public.  With their praise for schools that cost students more but enrich their investors, you can expect greater and greater reductions in the subsidies states provide our public universities (SOCIALISM!) and greater and greater pressure for students to attend for-profit schools instead, putting them in debt for decades, decades in which they will be happy to work long hours for poor pay just to keep their job because they are so deep in debt.

--Trakker

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for the GOP?

A lot of us on the left have been anticipating the breakup of the Republican party.  We didn't know exactly when it would happen or how it would all play out in the end, but it is only common sense that when a political party's base pushes the party to the right so quickly that it begins to look downright scary to average Americans (talk of banning contraception, giving a fetus all the rights of a human, replacing Medicare with a voucher, willing to shut down the government to protect tax cuts for the very wealthy, etc.), the GOP's corporate sponsors will have to step in and assert themselves, and push the Tea Party aside. 

That's what's happening in South Carolina, and the Tea Party now finds itself in a quandary.  Accept the establishment candidate that is supposedly more electable, or coalesce behind a single, more radical Tea Party candidate, and if so, who?

But this is just the beginning.  If Mitt Romney, the establishment candidate, was a personable and skilled candidate, all would be going better for the Republicans.  But he's not.  He's been running for President for almost a decade and he still makes rookie mistakes.  That scares the Tea Party (and the establishment).

One has to wonder why Mitt is even running.  He's rich, he is set for life, he could enjoy the rest of his life with almost no stress or worry.  Instead this former moderate, low-skill, Republican politician has chosen to run for President. To get the nomination though he has had to turn his back on the old Mitt and pretend to be a Tea Party conservative, knowing that if he does manage to secure the nomination of the most radical major political party in memory, he will have to pick a loony-tune for VP, an albatross.  He also knows he will then be crucified by the Democrats for all the radical things he said (and maybe his VP said) during the primaries from now until November.  Really, Mitt, if you enjoy humiliation, audition for American Idol instead.

The only way the Republicans can survive and win in November is if the corporate SuperPACs, bloated with Citizens United-allowed funds, just overwhelm the Democrats with negative ads 24/7, in which case I suspect the people will finally recognize that we are no longer a democracy, but a nation owned and operated by the corporations.

--Trakker

A guide to Republicanstan - part 3: Socialism

Socialism.

To most educated Americans, socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production (as opposed to private ownership) and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. 

Socialism is an economic system just like capitalism is an economic system.  Nothing weird about this.  In America we have many examples of socialism, ranging from our police departments to the National Weather Service.

But in Republicanstan, socialism is not an economic system, it is a special word of scurrilous, but unknown meanings, that Republicans use to ridicule a Democrat when they can't find anything else to use against them.  In Republicanstan, words do not have meaning, words are codes that let you know how you should feel about a politician.  The words freedom and liberty, for example, are words used to describe politicians that the Republicanstan people must vote for, and words like socialist, fascist, and communist are words reserved for the most dangerous politicians, politicans who hate America, want to impose Sharia Law, and turn America into a nanny state.

This method of using words as code rather than requiring people to actually know what the words mean makes it easier for the lazy and mentally challenged (the majority in Republicanstan) know how to respond.  For example, if the people of Republicanstan had to observe President Obama and see that his health care program actually requires people to buy health insurance from private, capitalistic American companies, they might actually think it is a good idea and that President Obama is a capitalist.  And while true, this would require the people of Republicanstan to learn about economic systems, listen and evaluate current events, and make their own judgement, a judgement that in Republicanstan would be a very bad judgement indeed, so it's just easier and better for Republicanstan to encourage the use of code words so their people can spend more time watching NASCAR races and Fox News.

--Trakker

Where did the idea of income distribution come from?

The right claims that welfare and government safety nets is nothing more than stealing from the rich and giving it to the poor, and they are determined to end it.

Where did this whole idea of asking those who have to help those who are poor come from anyway? Well, here's one possibility:

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me." (Matt. 19:21)

This wasn't some Democratic politician, this was...........JESUS!  Hey, all you fundamentalist righties, how's this going by the way?  Hmmm, silence.  No surprise, look at the next verse:

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. (Matt. 19:22)

Sounds like all those idiots on the right, doesn't it?

--Trakker

Another example of how Christians gain converts: the Puckle Gun

The Puckle Gun was invented in 1718 by (you'll never guess!) James Puckle (1667–1724) a British inventor, lawyer and writer.  And evidently a religious nut.

[The Puckle Gun] is a tripod-mounted, single-barreled flitlock weapon fitted with a multishot revolving cylinder. ... It had a pre-loaded cylinder which held 11 charges and could fire 63 shots in seven minutes—this at a time when the standard soldier's musket could at best be loaded and fired three times per minute.

Okay, sounds like a pretty nasty weapon for it's time, but here's why Puckle was so enthused about his gun:

Puckle demonstrated two versions of the basic design: one, intended for use against Christian enemies, fired conventional round bullets, while the second variant, designed to be used against the Muslim Turks, fired square bullets, which were considered to be more damaging and would, according to the patent, convince the Turks of the "benefits of Christian civilization." The square bullets, however, were discontinued due to their unpredictable flight pattern.

Ah, yes, if you shoot people and really, really hurt them bad, they will want to worship your God.  Strangely, turns out the Christian "God" wasn't good enough at doing God things to make those square bullets behave on their way to killing or converting those damn Muslim Turks.  What a missed opportunity.

--Trakker

Romney is a VERY good capitalist...

My comment at Charles Pierce's blog post about Bain Capital and Romney:

The bottom line is this, Romney is a VERY good capitalist.  He did what all good capitalists do: whatever you can get away with to make you and your fellow investors rich. 

Capitalism isn't about morals or compassion, it's about money, lots of money.  Capitalism is like fire, beneficial when controlled, but it will kill you if you turn your back.  We are letting it kill us, and sadly the right is cheering it on and even throwing more fuel onto the fire.

This fact is so damn critical to the future of our country.  Capitalism will ruin this country unless the government regulates and oversees it.  That means getting capitalist's money out of government and then setting the rules that corporations must adhere to.

--Trakker

In which I apologize to Warner Brothers

First off, I want to apolgize to Warner Brothers for referring to the Republicans as Loony Tunes.  I just can't seem to find a better description (other than "MotherFkn' A**holes who hate America" which is just too long).  Sorry, Daffy.

This has been a weird six months or so, because I keep praying to a god I know doesn't exist, but it feels so good.  Already this political season I've prayed the following:  "Please god, let Donald Trump be the Republican nominee in 2012!" Then, "Please god, let Michele Bachmann be the Republican nominee in 2012!", then "Please god, let Rick Perry be the Republican nominee in 2012!", then "Please god, let the Hermanator be the Republican nominee in 2012!", then "Please god, let Newt be the Republican nominee in 2012!", then "Please god, let Ron Paul be the Republican nominee in 2012!", then "Please god, let Rick Santorum be the Republican nominee in 2012!", and just the other day I prayed, "Please god, let Mitt be the Republican nominee in 2012!".

Do you see a pattern here? 

One of these clowns is going to be the Republican nominee and one of my prayers will be answered.  Better yet, all the Republicans running for Congress are going to be stuck running on the same ticket as one of these flawed, despicable jokers. Oh my!

Popcorn anyone?

--Trakker

All you need to know about Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman's campaign for President in a nutshell:

PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Because his campaign is dying a dignified but lonely death, Jon Huntsman arrived at the diner in the center of town here on Saturday and disrupted the breakfasts of very few of the regulars. He came with two aides. They came in two vehicles. Traffic was not inconvienenced. Jon Huntsman's campaign is very polite and civilized and it does not get in the way of daily life in an untoward fashion. He comes and he goes and, within minutes, life goes on without him.

Ah, if only the NYTimes could express news this poetically and succinct, I might subscribe.  

--Trakker

This may be the blueprint to better government

From Kay at Balloon Juice, connecting two dots that might demonstrate how reducing corporate influence could result in less costly government.

Six years ago "Connecticut legislators grabbed the national spotlight in 2005 by stopping the flow of millions of special-interest dollars, banning lobbyist contributions, and instituting a public-financing system that record-setting numbers of candidates have embraced."  This probably allowed the state, known as the “insurance capital of the world,” to take over it's Medicaid system from the huge insurance companies because after 15 years the state realized the insurance firms were not fulfilling their promise of lower costs and better care.

Read all about it here.

--Trakker

A guide to Republicanstan - part 2

Medicare.  In America there is program called Medicare.  Workers pay a small portion of their wages every payday into a government fund and then when they reach the age of 65 the government uses those funds to pay their medical bills.  It is a simple program, very similar to insurance, and it is quite popular, especially among the elderly.

In Republicanstan, however, Medicare is not that simple.  In Republicanstan, as in the rest of America, at the age of 65 Medicare begins paying people's medical bills, but no one knows where the money comes from, but it most certainly doesn't come from the government.  How do they know that? Because Medicare works very well and is popular - and in Republicanstan it is a well known fact that the government can do nothing well and is very unpopular.  However, few question where the money comes from, just like few in Republicastan question where weather forecasts and hurricane warnings come from.  Perhaps God.

I recently came across an amusing post on Balloon Juice that will perhaps help Americans understand the people of Republicanstan's reliance on and ignorance of Medicare.  This was written by Matt Tiabbi about a Sarah Palin rally in Kentucky.

Scanning the thousands of hopped-up faces in the crowd, I am immediately struck by...the truly awesome quantity of medical hardware: Seemingly every third person in the place is sucking oxygen from a tank or propping their giant atrophied glutes on motorized wheelchair-scooters. As Palin launches into her Ronald Reagan impression — “Government’s not the solution! Government’s the problem!” — the person sitting next to me leans over and explains.

“The scooters are because of Medicare,” he whispers helpfully. “They have these commercials down here: ‘You won’t even have to pay for your scooter! Medicare will pay!’ Practically everyone in Kentucky has one.”

A hall full of elderly white people in Medicare-paid scooters, railing against government spending and imagining themselves revolutionaries as they cheer on the vice-presidential puppet hand-picked by the GOP establishment. If there exists a better snapshot of everything the Tea Party represents, I can’t imagine it.

After Palin wraps up, I race to the parking lot in search of departing Medicare-motor-scooter conservatives. I come upon an elderly couple, Janice and David..., who are fairly itching to share their views.

“I’m anti-spending and anti-government,” crows David, as scooter-bound Janice looks on. “The welfare state is out of control.”

“OK,” I say. “And what do you do for a living?”

“Me?” he says proudly. “Oh, I’m a property appraiser. Have been my whole life.”

I frown. “Are either of you on Medicare?”

Silence: Then Janice, a nice enough woman, it seems, slowly raises her hand, offering a faint smile, as if to say, You got me!

“Let me get this straight,” I say to David. “You’ve been picking up a check from the government for decades, as a tax assessor, and your wife is on Medicare. How can you complain about the welfare state?”

“Well,” he says, “there’s a lot of people on welfare who don’t deserve it. Too many people are living off the government.”

(When reading this account, it helps to know the following: Sarah Palin is a very popular Republicanstan leader, typical in that she rarely leads anything but is admired for her hatred of liberals, and the Tea Party is the major political party in Republicanstan - the other being libertarianism)

As you can see, in Republicanstan, people love their Medicare because they deserve it, but think it is bad for non-Republicanstan people because they don't deserve it.

--Trakker