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Thomas Sowell: Suckered by political 'Lucys'
By THOMAS SOWELL
2010-07-05 17:00:49
People who remember the old comic strip "Peanuts" will recall an often-repeated situation where Lucy offers to hold a football for Charlie Brown to kick. Then, as Charlie coming running up to kick it, Lucy snatches away the ball and Charlie Brown loses his balance and goes crashing on his backside.
The reason this same scene remained funny, despite how often it was repeated, is that in the later repetitions Charlie Brown would express suspicion at Lucy, recalling how she had tricked him before. She would then come up with some claim that she wasn't going to do that any more -- and of course she did.
There is a similar routine that has been repeated many times in Washington, over the years, with the Democrats playing Lucy and Republicans playing Charlie Brown.
It goes like this: Democrats start spending money wildly, handing out goodies to a wide range of people who they want to vote for them, while Republicans complain about deficits and the national debt. Then, when the public becomes alarmed about the debts that are piling up, the Democrats get the Republicans to vote for higher taxes to deal with the debt crisis, in the name of "fiscal responsibility."
Sometimes the deal is sweetened by the Democrats promising to make spending cuts if the Republicans vote for higher taxes, so that there can be one of those "bipartisan" solutions so beloved by the media. But, after the Republicans vote for the tax increases, and come running up to find the spending cuts, the Democrats snatch away the spending cuts and the Republicans fall right on their backsides, just like Charlie Brown.
This old trick is now being unveiled by the Obama administration, like so many other old political tricks used in this "change" administration.
In one of President Obama's many prissy little sermonettes, complete with finger wagging, he has declared: "Next year when I start presenting some very difficult choices to the country, I hope some of these folks who are hollering about deficits step up. Because I'm calling their bluff."
There is already a bipartisan commission set to provide political cover for the Democrats' wild spending that has increased the national debt from 63 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2004 to 83 percent in 2009 -- and official estimates of more than 90 percent this year, with more increases in sight.
Why Republicans join such transparent attempts to rescue the Democrats from the political consequences of their own actions is one of the many unsolved mysteries of human nature in general and the Republican Party in particular.
What this political game boils down to is that Democrats get all the political benefits of playing Santa Claus to all sorts of groups and special interests, while Republicans who vote to raise taxes to pay for all this are cast in the role of Frank Nitti, the enforcer for the mob.
Many elections have confirmed that Santa Claus is more popular than Frank Nitti, surprising as that may be to some people.
Republicans are not the only suckers in this game. The voting public's willingness to believe fancy rhetoric and ignore hard facts is a crucial part of this scam.
When the Obama administration said that it could provide health insurance to millions of additional people without increasing the national debt, shouldn't common sense have told you that somebody was just insulting your intelligence?
When the 2,000-page bill was rushed through Congress too fast for anybody to read it, shouldn't that have made you realize that you were being played for a sucker?
When this bill that was passed with lightning speed was scheduled to take effect only after the 2012 election, didn't that suggest that they didn't want you to find out how it works in practice in time to turn against Obama when he is up for reelection?Recent polls show that a lot of people are against Obamacare. But there are still a lot of other people, though not as many, who are for it.
Even more amazingly, there are still Republicans lured by the siren song of "bipartisanship" and apparently unaware of the difference in popularity between Santa Claus and Frank Nitti.
from "Rich"
The mainstream media does such a good job of dividing our country and pitting one side against the other. I believe the majority of people want whats right, are tired of wars, and want to help people that need help....but the mainstream media picks and chooses the topics, and of course they typically choose ones they know, that will get one side or the other fired up....Divide and Conquer!!!
Unfortunately there really isn't much difference in the two parties, it's all about who gets to be charge....I'm pretty sure it was the neocon W and his war-monging vp Dick that installed the largest tax cuts in American history...That was awesome, but then we went to war.....War??? Really??? War on terror??? Weapons of mass destruction??? Oh yeh, troops did find chemical weapons.....of course the U.S. sold those weapons to Iraq, during the Iran and Iraq war. How much money was spent(borrowed) while taxes were cut to fund the "war on terror"? Speaking of Dick, where has he disappeared to? Hospital with chest pains, really? Maybe its his aching heart from the current oil disaster in the gulf....I mean, heck, backup shut-off valves are required in Norway's offshore deep well drilling, but the oil boys(W, and Dick) signed off on NOT requiring oil companies to install the back-up shut off valves.....after all, it would have cost the oil companies $500,000 for each well?!? Who's back were they covering?? Of course, the oil wells in the gulf aren't the only things that W and Dick did for big oil, they also EXEMPTED the natural gas industry from having to follow the epa's clean air, and the clean water regulations....Really????? EXEMPT from two pretty important regulations, REALLY????? Sure enough!!!!
I watched a documentary on HBO called Gasland...
here is a link to the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZe1AeH0Qz8 Something thats def. worth your time
Posts filed under 'Politics'
By We The People, Posted in Politics on March 30, 2010
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If you think it is about time for your state to really tell you how it is spending YOUR money, take a look at what Florida is doing and once you do, you may want to contact your own state and tell them you want them to do the same thing, after all, it is YOUR...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on March 22, 2010
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Here is an email conversation that was sent to WE: I heard on a Talk Show this morning that the new Census Form has a whole lot of check offs for the nationality of everyone but Americans. so the suggestion was,( I think it a good one).Check off Other: X and write in the word AMERICAN.I hope you will share this with everyone you have on your e-mail list and in conversations.Donnie (X) American.Did you receive the first class letter (at $.44 ea) that tells you the census will be here next...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on March 22, 2010
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http://www.onlinetaxrevolt.com/About The Online Tax RevoltThere is a massive rejection of the established powers taking place in our country. Americans are mad as hell and we are not going to take anymore. The Online Tax Revolt is about sending a clear message to Washington that we are a growing and vocal movement that is calling for real change.The first-ever Online Tax Revolt, a free, interactive march on Washington was launched using state of the art technology. Concerned Americans can have...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on March 22, 2010
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The Liberal Bible Alinsky's Rules for Radicals Some of these rules are ruthless, but they work. Here are the rules to be aware of: RULE 1: "Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have." Power is derived from 2 main sources - money and people. "Have-Nots" must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on February 18, 2010
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I just got this article by one of my favorites, Charles Krauthammer and thought I would share his wisdom with you...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on January 20, 2010
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...A comment from one of our members:Tell me short of a revolution how do we make changes? Perhaps we should request the needed changes with our representatives but then again they are the problem. These corrupt individuals should meet a hangman's noose as our government is suffering from a cancer which is malignant and in most cases terminal. The only hope for a cure is to cut out this malignancy and hope the democracy survives. We owe this to all the brave men & women who have died...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on January 13, 2010
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I hope you enjoy this email: 545 vs. 300,000,000Every U.S. Citizen needs to read and understand this information. Do some thinking about what this journalist has written.Then think about our current political situation. =======================================Charlie Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.545 PEOPLEBy Charlie ReesePoliticians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on January 13, 2010
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I have here another email that I received today from a friend:To the President and all 535 voting members of the Legislature, It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on December 4, 2009
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Another great email from one of our members:If George W. Bush was an IdiotIf George W. Bush had been the first president to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?If George W. Bush had reduced your...(more)
By We The People, Posted in Politics on December 4, 2009
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Here's an interesting email I received this week:The Sarah you don't know about... A very interesting letter from an Alaskan fisherman. By Dewie Whetsell, Alaskan Fisherman.As posted in comments on Greta's article referencing the MOVEON ad about Sarah Palin. The last 45 of my 66 years I've spent in a commercial fishing town in Alaska. I understand Alaska politics but never understood national politics well until this last year. Here's the breaking point: Neither side of the...(more)
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