Comments on: Riots for Ratings http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339 policy. technology. punk rock! Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:58:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: TDub http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2243 TDub Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:55:25 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2243 Oppose the entire government, or just specific aspects of it?<br><br>I oppose the war quite a bit. <br><br>The State has also had my family's back for over a year now, what with my wife and I both being unemployed (me since July '08, my wife since February). The State has provided us with some manner of income which has allowed us to continue to feed and shelter our three children. The State is helping to provide medical insurance for our three children.<br><br>I should bite the hand that's quite literally feeding me, and so many others, because I also oppose the war? The hand that also wants to find a way to offer people like my wife and I who are uninsured, some manner of health care?<br><br>Maybe it's just a matter of perspective, I dunno. I think the war, any war, is a terrible thing. I think many of the decisions made by the federal government are well deserving of harsh criticism, and demands for accountability and positive and productive change. But I also know the government is quite capable of, and accomplishes, a great deal of success and 'good'. To throw all of that under the bus along with 'the bad' does not lend itself well to a fair and balanced approach.<br><br>Not the least of which - I'm constantly amazed that media outlets and pundits don't dig into what's working, only what's not working. I keep thinking to myself that investigating and exploring the successes as a means of learning what to do more of, as opposed to focusing on what to do less of or not at all, might be a productive change of pace. Oppose the entire government, or just specific aspects of it?

I oppose the war quite a bit.

The State has also had my family's back for over a year now, what with my wife and I both being unemployed (me since July '08, my wife since February). The State has provided us with some manner of income which has allowed us to continue to feed and shelter our three children. The State is helping to provide medical insurance for our three children.

I should bite the hand that's quite literally feeding me, and so many others, because I also oppose the war? The hand that also wants to find a way to offer people like my wife and I who are uninsured, some manner of health care?

Maybe it's just a matter of perspective, I dunno. I think the war, any war, is a terrible thing. I think many of the decisions made by the federal government are well deserving of harsh criticism, and demands for accountability and positive and productive change. But I also know the government is quite capable of, and accomplishes, a great deal of success and 'good'. To throw all of that under the bus along with 'the bad' does not lend itself well to a fair and balanced approach.

Not the least of which – I'm constantly amazed that media outlets and pundits don't dig into what's working, only what's not working. I keep thinking to myself that investigating and exploring the successes as a means of learning what to do more of, as opposed to focusing on what to do less of or not at all, might be a productive change of pace.

]]> By: TDub http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2219 TDub Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:55:25 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2219 Oppose the entire government, or just specific aspects of it?<br><br>I oppose the war quite a bit. <br><br>The State has also had my family's back for over a year now, what with my wife and I both being unemployed (me since July '08, my wife since February). The State has provided us with some manner of income which has allowed us to continue to feed and shelter our three children. The State is helping to provide medical insurance for our three children.<br><br>I should bite the hand that's quite literally feeding me, and so many others, because I also oppose the war? The hand that also wants to find a way to offer people like my wife and I who are uninsured, some manner of health care?<br><br>Maybe it's just a matter of perspective, I dunno. I think the war, any war, is a terrible thing. I think many of the decisions made by the federal government are well deserving of harsh criticism, and demands for accountability and positive and productive change. But I also know the government is quite capable of, and accomplishes, a great deal of success and 'good'. To throw all of that under the bus along with 'the bad' does not lend itself well to a fair and balanced approach.<br><br>Not the least of which - I'm constantly amazed that media outlets and pundits don't dig into what's working, only what's not working. I keep thinking to myself that investigating and exploring the successes as a means of learning what to do more of, as opposed to focusing on what to do less of or not at all, might be a productive change of pace. Oppose the entire government, or just specific aspects of it?

I oppose the war quite a bit.

The State has also had my family's back for over a year now, what with my wife and I both being unemployed (me since July '08, my wife since February). The State has provided us with some manner of income which has allowed us to continue to feed and shelter our three children. The State is helping to provide medical insurance for our three children.

I should bite the hand that's quite literally feeding me, and so many others, because I also oppose the war? The hand that also wants to find a way to offer people like my wife and I who are uninsured, some manner of health care?

Maybe it's just a matter of perspective, I dunno. I think the war, any war, is a terrible thing. I think many of the decisions made by the federal government are well deserving of harsh criticism, and demands for accountability and positive and productive change. But I also know the government is quite capable of, and accomplishes, a great deal of success and 'good'. To throw all of that under the bus along with 'the bad' does not lend itself well to a fair and balanced approach.

Not the least of which – I'm constantly amazed that media outlets and pundits don't dig into what's working, only what's not working. I keep thinking to myself that investigating and exploring the successes as a means of learning what to do more of, as opposed to focusing on what to do less of or not at all, might be a productive change of pace.

]]> By: Rob Spectre http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2214 Rob Spectre Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:21:44 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2214 I guess I'm just having difficulty grokking the correlation you saw between protesting the war and promoting socialized medicine? How is the former implicit with the latter? I guess I'm just having difficulty grokking the correlation you saw between protesting the war and promoting socialized medicine? How is the former implicit with the latter?

]]> By: Paul Krugman makes me laugh « Freethinker http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2198 Paul Krugman makes me laugh « Freethinker Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:16:32 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2198 [...] “town hall mobs” are reflexive and knee-jerk reactions to a new Democratic president, but the biggest and most dangerous mob of all is whatever current [...] [...] “town hall mobs” are reflexive and knee-jerk reactions to a new Democratic president, but the biggest and most dangerous mob of all is whatever current [...]

]]> By: Robert Taylor http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2211 Robert Taylor Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:14:35 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2211 Yes, the growth of a certain aspect of the State. What about the State running healthcare? Social Security? Income tax? drug, prostitution, gambling, and gun control laws? licensing?<br>If the war was somehow "legal," would it have been justified? Yes, the growth of a certain aspect of the State. What about the State running healthcare? Social Security? Income tax? drug, prostitution, gambling, and gun control laws? licensing?
If the war was somehow “legal,” would it have been justified?

]]> By: Rob Spectre http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2207 Rob Spectre Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:37:53 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2207 You don't think the anti-war movement was about curbing the expansion of an Imperialist state? The premise of the entire thing was that it was illegal - that the Executive branch did not have the authority it said it did to go to war.<br><br>Seemed pretty anti-growth of the State to me. You don't think the anti-war movement was about curbing the expansion of an Imperialist state? The premise of the entire thing was that it was illegal – that the Executive branch did not have the authority it said it did to go to war.

Seemed pretty anti-growth of the State to me.

]]> By: Robert Taylor http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2199 Robert Taylor Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:13:26 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2199 PS great Jon Stewart link. Watching him rip apart the mainstream Right with intelligence and wit is always a pleasure. I just wish he was a little more consistent with his criticism as well.<br>One of my favorite bloggers, Gleen Greenwald, was one of the fieriest critics of Bush. To my pleasant surprise, he is pulling absolutely no punches at this current Commander-in-Thief. PS great Jon Stewart link. Watching him rip apart the mainstream Right with intelligence and wit is always a pleasure. I just wish he was a little more consistent with his criticism as well.
One of my favorite bloggers, Gleen Greenwald, was one of the fieriest critics of Bush. To my pleasant surprise, he is pulling absolutely no punches at this current Commander-in-Thief.

]]> By: Robert Taylor http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2197 Robert Taylor Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:59:53 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2197 My initial point was that to oppose war, you must oppose the State, because they go hand in hand. The State is legalized violence and coercion, and a country that sanctions violence (taxations, regulations, licnsing) on its own citizens is much more likely to sanction violence on its neighbors (war). My initial point was that to oppose war, you must oppose the State, because they go hand in hand. The State is legalized violence and coercion, and a country that sanctions violence (taxations, regulations, licnsing) on its own citizens is much more likely to sanction violence on its neighbors (war).

]]> By: Robert Taylor http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2204 Robert Taylor Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:59:53 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2204 My initial point was that to oppose war, you must oppose the State, because they go hand in hand. The State is legalized violence and coercion, and a country that sanctions violence (taxations, regulations, licnsing) on its own citizens is much more likely to sanction violence on its neighbors (war). My initial point was that to oppose war, you must oppose the State, because they go hand in hand. The State is legalized violence and coercion, and a country that sanctions violence (taxations, regulations, licnsing) on its own citizens is much more likely to sanction violence on its neighbors (war).

]]> By: Robert Taylor http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339&cpage=1#comment-2210 Robert Taylor Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:59:53 +0000 http://www.dreamnotoftoday.com/?p=3339#comment-2210 My initial point was that to oppose war, you must oppose the State, because they go hand in hand. The State is legalized violence and coercion, and a country that sanctions violence (taxations, regulations, licnsing) on its own citizens is much more likely to sanction violence on its neighbors (war). My initial point was that to oppose war, you must oppose the State, because they go hand in hand. The State is legalized violence and coercion, and a country that sanctions violence (taxations, regulations, licnsing) on its own citizens is much more likely to sanction violence on its neighbors (war).

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