Commenter Archive

Comments by MFarmer in reply to William Brafford*

On “What Happened To Michael Brown Is Not Much In Dispute

I think the Feds would have the officer arrested if it was clear he was guilty, just to placate the community. The fact that more information hasn't been forthcoming is as likely as not due to not wanting to create chaos because of evidence that shows the officer is innocent.

On “Lies, Damn Lies, and Constitutionally Protected Political Speech

I think politicians who lie to start wars or pass large comprehensive legislation or to get elected should at least be disqualified to govern. One of our main problems is that we can't trust those in powerful government positions, and we can't trust them because they lie so often. Or we can just laugh at Jon Stewart making fun of them and let it slide.

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So many horny old men.

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The odd part is that she wasn't even close to a Marilyn Monroe. That Clinton would risk so much for something so mundane and un-romantic is mind-boggling.

On “How ACORN Stole the 2012 Election

"But I wonder why anyone would be bitter about the banning of someone who repeatedly engaged in race-baiting."

Well, obviously because I'm a racist protecting my own kind. You have become as bad as the rest. This is sad. If you'd bother to think just a bit rather than reflexively defend your position, you might surmise that M.A. has been the most closemided on the board, and that one of you defenders of the League had said that people lobby for almost everyone on the board to get banned, right? So, why would you imply it's because I'm pissed about TVD? Then imply I'm defending a racist? I swear, you all have turned into automaton defenders of whatever the hell it is that you have here. I don't know what it is you have here or why you're defending it like this, but it looks to me like change is needed more than blind reaction and wild accusations against anyone who doesn't toe the line. You are pitiful.

On “Are Rubio and Ryan Serious About Inequality?

At first, I thought you were just a dishonest partisan, but now I know that you are just dim. You lack the ability to comprehend arguments outside your narrow political view. I understood those who mistakenly thought Kerry won when I predicted a Bush victory -- from media reports and polls one would have thought Kerry would win. After it was over, my liberal friends congratulated me for getting it right and moved long. You, on the other hand interpret everything in a narrow partisan space that's limited by your lack of intelligence and ugly spirit. You really should get out of that bubble. You are one of the reasons this place has devolved into a snarky, progressive ass-slapping clique that can't fathom anything beyond the party line. It's one thing to be true believer on principle, but you're a dishonest partisan more interested in spin than the truth. I don't like this place anymore, and you are a main reason.

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Seriously, this deal with polls in the last election shows just how ignorant most on the Left have become, or just flat out dishonest. Polls are useful guides when they are done correctly. It was not odd that people would question the polls in this last election with the turn out at Romney rallies being what they were. For some reason there just wasn't a great turnout for Republicans at the voting booths, and the Left had been organizing in ways that only those on the inside truly understood. Most people don't make politics and community organizing their lives, so they can't fathom the diligence it requires to be that politically obsessed. That government power is so great it causes such obsession and constant organizing is a scary development. I admit that I had no idea that the Left was organizing as much and as long and with as much sophistication as they had been. If I had known this, then I would have trusted the polls. I also didn't predict the low turn out for Romney at the voting booth, and i wasn't alone. All pundits were predicting a big turnout. But just saying that not trusting polls is somehow stupid is ignorant, because polls have predicted the wrong results quite often. No one with the ability to think will accept all polls at face value, or even a system like Silver's if there's empirical evidence that places doubt on the system. I just didn't have inside information over the level of organizing on the Left and Silver did, which was more valuable than his system, actually.

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To the contrary, polls are always right. Everybody knows this. You should know this since all the polls you doubted turned out to be correct, right? Or, have you believed all polls, therefore always been correct?

On “…no, this isn’t a joke.

True. I'm currently dealing with/caring for a friend who attempted to take her life and did serious damage to herself. She was never self-centered, but when she got into the state of mind that led her to hurt herself, she was not capable at the time of seeing outside that state of mind. I've suffered from deep depressions before, so I can partially, though not completely, understand. I don't think that applying self-centeredness to the condition enlightens at all.

On “How ACORN Stole the 2012 Election

As another matter of fact, the pointless attacks on conservatives with the content of the attacks stretched to convey absurdity is childish. If you would look in the progressive mirror you would find fresh material for your theater of the absurd.

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I might also point out that you are a whiner, and it's very unattractive. You seem like the type who would lobby the editors to ban a post, comment or a person. Plus, your writing is not interesting in the least.

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I might point out that Pinky was asking the group of commenters and that I don't care what you consider rude. Do you mean to say that Nob was serious when he wrote -- "They’re uppity and don’t know their place….and want stuff."

I will be glad to change it to Nob is serious about what he wrote.

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As a matter of fact, I was part of Leftist associations in the late sixties and early seventies -- that was when the Left was anti-establsihment, not patsies for the State that many are today.

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I'm all for people forming associations and fighting for their causes in a free market -- it's what characterized America for a long time. These groups fight for progressive causes -- libertarians fight for their causes -- conservatives for theirs -- and may the best ideas win -- competition, you gotta love it.

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I didn't say it was bad, so I don't know what you're referring to -- I'm just saying Acorn exists in different forms and that's pertinent to the post. You people are so defensive it's silly. Stay on subject and admit when you are wrong.

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I doubt "ACORN" stole the election, but Bertha Lewis says they are stronger than ever under new names. The Root interview might be a rightwing fabrication, though.

The Root: After ACORN disbanded, many chapters reorganized under new names. How are they faring a year later?

Bertha Lewis: There are 18 independent organizations around the country. Some of the old ACORN chapters were combined, with several states becoming one entity. We learned great lessons from our tribulations, and we decided that organizing by any other name is still organizing. The former chapters and their boards incorporated themselves, renamed themselves and made sure that the reforms I had been putting in place around structure, financial management and operations were carried on. I'm happy to say that they're very strong, and we're in about 25 states.

Glenn Beck and the conservative right actually helped us create 18 bulletproof community-organizing Frankensteins that they're going to have a very hard time attacking. We owned up to what our weaknesses were, we were realistic about our strengths, and so these new entities are carrying on ACORN's work of organizing low- and moderate-income folks. Thank you very much, Rush Limbaugh.

On “Parting Ways

Now, get back in the bleachers and yell for your team as the Serious Managers do the hard work of fairness and hard-decision-making. I think we should all take a minute to acknowledge their sacrifice. There, now that that's over, let's move along.

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"Dude, did you see the posts about charity?"

Just say, yes, Aaron.

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Fascism is timeless, Gunter.

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Well, of course politicians should care about inequality. I'm very impressed by how many say they care, and the people who post here care a lot about inequality, and this is admirable, even if it's commie. But, we can't believe anyone on the Right when they say they care about inequality, because they have promoted inequality for so long, plus their fascism has done nothing to help bring about equality.

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"And make no mistake — taking income inequality seriously, in both policy and rhetoric, will represent a real move away from the hard-right."

Yes, because we know the hard right has promoted income inequality for decades now, to the dissatisfaction of the soft right who don't want quite as much inequality, just enough to make sure we can separate the country clubbers from the bowling leaugers. It's probably just a ploy to put a kind face on Rubio who is, as we know, evil. Ryan can't change his image -- not after throwing that old lady off the cliff. Don't trust these two dastardly rightwingers -- it's a trap!

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