And Take The Police and Garbage-Collectors Too!

[blueduck37.livejournal.com]

I love the captions here, but I'd also add two things. The first is that taxes also paid for the police (or in the case of DC-- where some genius thought throwing a box over the White House fence was a sane idea-- the Secret Service) who were assigned to keep the events orderly. And, as for that defense 'cuts' sign... well reality is not their strong suit.

Oh, and this. Okay, so that's three things.

[PS- I'll also add this to which Jon Stewart adds this. That makes five things. Sorry.]

Comments

[dwer.livejournal.com]

also, the grass to the right is probably public land, and was mowed by a local-government employee. The government set the regulations to help keep the air clean. And, of course, the government ensures that these people can protest without being locked up in an insane asylum.

[dr-pepper-spray.livejournal.com]

Also Mrs. No taxes is looking a bit long in the toof. Me wonders if she gets social security yet? I'm sure a couple of these bozos are on unemployment.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

Me wonders if she gets social security yet?

What do you care? It's not as if she's ever going to collect any money from it. Just more debt.

[dr-pepper-spray.livejournal.com]

Did they stop allowing old ladies to collect social security?

I'm so fucking sorry Bush boy didn't lock down that surplus back in 2000 for social security. No, he raided it to pay for a pointless war and to give us, what was it? $600.00? And now that the books have been run into the ground, people are pissing and moaning about taxes.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

"Did they stop allowing old ladies to collect social security?"

You misread my comment. By "Just more debt." I meant that Social Security is driving the national debt to unsustainable levels, a view shared by the government itself (http://www.gao.gov/financial/citizensguide2008.pdf). What that woman will collect from SS is a promise by the U.S. government to pay off this debt in the future. An IOU.

"No, he raided it to pay for a pointless war..."

A pointless war which was authorized by half of the Democratic members in Congress and which is still ongoing. Never mind that, as blueduck pointed out, there aren't any substantial decreases in defense spending down the road.

you misread reality.

[i.livejournal.com]

assuming the woman is over 65, and she looks it, she is getting a check from the government every single month. Bush destroyed our economy. we are losing 1 trillion in demand yearly because of it. if Obama didn't spend the equivalent to make up the difference, we would truly be fucked.

Re: you misread reality.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

In others words, spending our way out of debt and poverty.

Re: you misread reality.

[i.livejournal.com]

yes. it's OK if you don't understand how it works, but yes, that is exactly it.

Re: you misread reality.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

I understand. I just don't buy it. You should learn to recognize the difference.

Re: you misread reality.

[i.livejournal.com]

i don't believe you for a minute. if you do understand it, you are only arguing against it because it isn't your team implementing it. typical rightwing bullshit.

Re: you misread reality.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

i don't believe you for a minute. if you do understand it, you are only arguing against it because it isn't your team implementing it.

You caught me. I'm only against the war in Iraq because I'm a dirty, no-account liberal.

Re: you misread reality.

[i.livejournal.com]

i don't know why you are right on the war, but it doen't make you right on this, and it doesn't speak to your motivations either.

Re: you misread reality.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

Why should I bother speaking about my motivations when you've already made up your mind about them? Go ahead and continue to misread them.

Re: you misread reality.

[thomasblair.livejournal.com]

For those of us not in the know, can you explain briefly how it works?

[dr-pepper-spray.livejournal.com]

It's not as if she's ever going to collect any money from it.

I didn't misread you, you just didn't write what you meant. So should we just take old grands out back and blow her damn head off? The Republicans had a lot of power to fix things back in 2000, like social security, but they chose to piss that money away. "bah bah bah, the debt on the shoulders of our children?" Ha! That ship has sailed.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

"Cut taxes, not defense"

Oh, you mean like Obama's doing? Gotcha.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The pentagon is getting their money, no worries there.

[polyanarch.livejournal.com]

If the global warming alarmists are to be believed, this country (and the world) would be much better off without roads, street signs, traffic lights, and the like.

It could all be done with private money if absolutely needed.

[i.livejournal.com]

whose private money? and are you prepared to pay the fees for all those private things you would want to use? i guaranfuckingtee you it would be a hell of alot more than your taxes are now.

FN amazing logical ability

[polyanarch.livejournal.com]

Why? Because the government is so much more efficient????

[i.livejournal.com]

because the government doesn't make a profit.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

Meaning its only motivation to keep costs down and trim overhead is the goodness of a bureaucrat's heart.

[i.livejournal.com]

meaning it doesn't keep costs down and trim overhead at the expense of its "customers".

i would far rather trust a career public servant with my money than a corporate hack.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

It could all be done with private money if absolutely needed.


Sure, but who wants to fight their way back and forth to the food armoury.

[weswilson]

I love it. The defense industry is the single largest command economy in the world. And yet those staunch defenders of capitalism rally around it, casually forgetting that their main argument in favor of government is the closest thing to communism in America.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

1 protester supporting the military!=all the protesters supporting it.

[weswilson]

So in your perception, right-wing activists are against military spending?

[weswilson]

I think it's fairly safe to assume that right-wing activists are in favor of strong military spending, just as it is safe to assume that left-wing activists are in favor of strong environmental spending. Really... it's not that much of a reach. And it's not something I gleaned from these pictures, the pictures just reminded me of the paradox.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I didn't clarify my point in the first version of the post. The second one is better formed.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

Depends on what you mean by "right-wing". Of course the neoconservatives support it, but there are some who still believe in the Old Right's non-interventionism. Besides, how do you know that some of these protesters aren't Blue Dogs or disgruntled independent voters? My point is that you can't conclude one way or the other just by looking at one or two photographs.

[i.livejournal.com]

an independent is just an embarassed republican.

[terminator44.livejournal.com]

Really? So from 1987 to 2004 (a time period in which the Republicans controlled at least one branch of government and sometimes two), the number of Republicans ashamed of being Republican doubled (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7329-2004Jun26.html)? That's some very strong modesty.

[blueduck37.livejournal.com]

I can't speak for everyone, but in my history as a registered voter, I started out as a conservative-leaning independent voter (first year I voted was 2000... and the only Dem on the ballot I cast a vote for was Al Gore; down-ticket was all GOP and third party) but moved after 2004 to a registered Democrat.

And the reason was less super enthusiasm for the Democrats (but I was glad to vote for Obama in that primary last year), but more fear about what lunatics the Republican party had become. And it seems losing has only pushed the crazy factor to 11.

[i.livejournal.com]

strong shame, you mean.

[edgar-suit.livejournal.com]

Also, I'm willing to bet somewhere around HALF of the public tax dollars that go to military spending end up in private hands (i.e. private military contractors, Boeing, e.g.)

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

I used to come close to tearing my hair out when Reagan used to say "the best government is no government." Of course, I later learned that meant; "I don't want my wealthy friends and corporations to pay their fair share of taxes," (I was young then.)

As that picture so beautifully points out, you cannot run a large country with a "small" government. (Not that our government has ever gotten smaller.) I have many problems with the tax code and the tax structure, and I have problems with where the money goes - but the woman holding a "zero taxes" sign is a fucking idiot. (Pardon my language.)

[ygrii-blop.livejournal.com]

By the power vested in me by the internets, I hereby do issue a full and complete pardon to your language. Now go forth and sin no more. You're welcome.

[edgar-suit.livejournal.com]

"Government is the problem." -- The head of the government

So... are we to not trust Reagan or what? Is he the head of the problem? ;D

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

Reagan was the beginning of this current "meltdown." The background on this current mess has a long and complex history that started in 1980 and has had many players since then.

It's going to take a long time to figure out who all the players are, though some like Phil Gramm and Alan Greenspan are already stand-outs. The sheer number of players could fill a federal prison, (and should.)

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Voting Republican is kinda like going to the Pope to get your abortion.

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

Sadly, the Democrats are just as guilty. They voted to repeal the regulations that could keep this from happening just like the Republicans.

The whole system is corrupt and broken, and American citizens are players in the game. In any other country the people would be rioting in the streets and the government would (rightfully) topple.

[jimprofitanon.livejournal.com]

I'm going to give it to you mongloids straight. I think Obama's a bad enough dude. I'm generaly unimpressed by democrats, and think they're all cunts. But Obama I actually agree with atleast half the time. Maybe I wouldn't do the same things he's doing, but generaly we have the same slant on an issue. So in alot of ways, Obama reminds me of myself atleast politicaly. Albeit there's alot of things I'd do differently as well. But duh, we're different people...

But I hope this tea party shit actually goes well. Because I'm tired of the tax code. I'm not opposed to taxation, I'm opposed to beurocracy. Why does the government have to make a tax system even they can't understand? Why am I forced to pay this monstrosity where I have to think about where I live, my income rate, if I'm married, how many kids I have, if I have insurance, etc to determine my tax amount? Fuck.. You're getting my money anyway. Just chill and cut it out of my paycheck before I even receive it. You get your tax money, I'm not breaking my balls trying to figureout some shit rubix cube of a tax bill... Everybody wins! Or up the fair tax and put more taxation on painkillers. You know how many urban white women are addicted to painkillers? Fucking charge a few extra bucks and watch your revenue skyrocket!

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

[mylaptopisevil.livejournal.com]

uh huh