And here's a nice parody, Pay close attention to the lovely married couples at the 1:10 mark:
Here's the Stephen Colbert take on it. For the impatient among you, you can click to the 3:25 mark:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| The Colbert Coalition's Anti-Gay Marriage Ad | ||||
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20 comments:
As always, Colbert gives us some of the best political commentary out there.
WS - Nice to hear about something other than the economy. These issues mean a lot more to me than how much taxes I have to pay.
Doctor,
I'm actually more offended by the taxes that we're NOT yet having to pay. More on that later.
But back to the topic of the recent triumph in Iowa. Isn't it fun that Iowa is now more objectively open-minded on this issue than California ?
Bloddy Hell Allen! The Kitty Kounters were on this case way back...
Here:
http://www.countingcats.com/?p=2246
And then here:
http://www.countingcats.com/?p=2249
WS - I'm not all that surprised that Iowa is more open-minded than California.
I lived outside Santa Barbara for a year and a half some years ago. While San Francisco (and to a lesser degree Los Angeles) get all the press, there is a deeply conservative, reactionary side to state politics that rarely gets mentioned.
This is the state that gave us Ronald Reagan, Howard Jarvis, and a host of other lesser known conservatives. Orange county, near LA, is the 3rd most populous county in California and has voted solidly Republican in every presidential election since 1960.
Given this rather schizophrenic political mindset, it doesn't take much of a stretch to see how California could have passed Prop 8.
Nick,
I had seen the original on your site, but never hit the Play button. I've been a bit busy, and haven't had time to enumerate felines on a regular bases (what with (ahem) Teabagging and everything.)
WS,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teabagging
Might I suggest the term, "Teapartying". Unless of course you have been teabagging and if so... Well,antsal whatever floats your boat.
Nick,
I'm well aware of the definition of Teabagging, hence the (ahem) before the word.
Since everyone on the 'Net who is in favor of tripling the debt uses the derisive term Tea Bagging instead of Tea Partying, I decided to join them.
Plus, the idea of Teabagging Rick Perry is not without its charms for people across the political spectrum.
I'm sure that Fembuttx is due for a contribution any minute now.
Once again, the Doc says something that I've been trying to figure out for a while now.
How much is freedom worth?
"These issues mean a lot more to me than how much taxes I have to pay."
I like the sentiment, but it's a dangerous attitude.
I asked once before, how much would you be willing to give up for the government getting out of your personal life (although at the time it was in relation to legalizing drugs)?
How much "government" would I personally be willing to give up?
Let's see....The Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, HUD, Fannie, Freddie, the stimulus package, the bailouts, the money given to ACORN, The Obamessiah's trips to Trinidad, all subsidies, all quotas, all set-asides, the supervisor who can't seem to repair the damn streets on Fort Worth's east side (that and sewers are the only government service that I'm totally in favor of), the U.S. Mail, most of the narcotics enforcement personnel, just about all of the police Vice Squads, the department of the drug czar, the people who pay farmers to grow tobacco and then pay for anti-tobacco ads, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and every other regulatory department that distorts the cost of healthcare, and on and on.
Give me time to think about it, and I bet I could quadruple the length of this list.
Gar - I've found that's my role around here: to ask the hard questions. People rarely agree with my answers, but at least it stirs up the mob. It's an ugly job but somebody has to do it.
Back to your question, "How much is freedom worth?"
If you agree (not all do) that we should pay some taxes, what's left is essentially quibbling over how much.
Allow me to direct people's attention to this fascinating chart of historic top tax rates and at what income level they kicked in (check the footnotes if you want for more info). While not adjusted for inflation, you can see between 1936 - 1980, the top rate hovered between 70%-94%. Included in that period were times of considerable economic growth. For the first 6 years of Reagan's administration, the tax rate was 50%.
Considering our current top rate is now 35%, I have to ask, who are these whiny bozos?
But we were talking about gay marriage, weren't we?
WS - I fear we've all drifted off-topic: even when we try and discuss social issues, it's always back to taxes. Just when I thought it was safe to come back...
Maybe if Gov. Rick "Blow Dry" Perry manages to secede from the rest of the dangerously socialist United States of America, he'll remake Texas without all that stuff you'd be willing to give up. Lately that's what he's been spouting anyway.
Of course I'll be leaving on the next train out of town, but you've got my email address.
The Federal Reserve, The V-2 Osprey, Military Bands, The Small Business Administration, The Federal Labor Relations Authority, The National Endowment For the Humanities, The Corporation For Public Broadcasting, The Aid currently going to both Israel AND Egypt forcing them to play nice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, The Entire Department Of Housing And Urban Development, The Library of Congres - if those bastards aren't going to read the stimulus bill they aren't going to read anything else, The International Trade Commission, The Federal Trade Commission, and I'm sure there are lots of others.
Will get to the Ralphian Chart later. Am over-blogged right now.
WS - I am enjoying your lists. I feel you missed my point though. I was trying to take a jab at Ralph and you read something in there the wrong way.
I wanted to know what you would give up for the government not what the government would give up for you.
Ralph said in regards to gay marriages, "These issues mean a lot more to me than how much taxes I have to pay".
I think this is a dangerous attitude. The government takes away many freedoms via financial pressures. You can't have one without the other. As in, what would you do if Obama said, "I'll amend the constitution such that the Federal government isn't in the marriage business at all, but in exchange I'm going to raise taxes across the board to lower the debt faster."
The reason WS's lists are so cool is because they serve both purposes (lower the debt and provide financial freedoms). I read an interesting article the other day about petroleum industry leaking waste into our drinking water because of lack of government regulation. Maybe some of these departments are necessary, but need to be re-engineered.
Gar -- it didn't feel like a jab so much as a reasonable question. Maybe I'm just thick skinned/skulled.
No disagreement here on whether there are regulations and agencies that need to be re-examined and potentially killed. Many have outlived their usefulness or face changing circumstances.
To state that regulation per se is unnecessary is quite another thing.
I'm curious as to whether there currently exists a free-market paradise such as what some here seem to yearn for.
How much is freedom worth? Interesting because the answer is nothing and everything. When non-thinkers say "Freedom ain't free, buddy!", they probably haven't spent time looking over the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution or ALL of the writings of our Founders who said that our freedoms exist by virtue of us being born human. We are endowed by our creator to freedom. So, yes, actually, it is free.
However, what is it worth? I'd die to preserve our freedoms - that is, to keep our freedoms from being trampled on by the government in two second. If I could take a bullet and it meant real unfettered freedom could spring out of my grave magically for everyone, that's a no-brainer.
But doing the real math, I'd say a total tax rate for me of 20% would keep me from bitching as much. I did the math and with Federal, Real Estate Taxes, Sales Taxes (thought I estimated pretty darn closely), user fees, licenses - but not including inflation tax or my outstanding portion of the US debt of over $40K....
...My total Tax Bill was 57%! With that said even stealing 20% from me is still stealing... But I do believe taxes are a necessary evil. Just not 57% worth of evil.
My friend William tells me that the serfs had it better since they only had to give the Lord of the Manor 1/3 of all of their crops and earnings.h
Also to Democrats...
If it's my body and I can have an abortion... And I can get married to a dude... Why can't I have a cheeseburger made with transfats?
TLG - Thank God you're back. I feared for your safety at the hands of this "Spivey" character.
TLG - forgot to ask: did you want rat droppings with that transfat?
Doctor,
This didn't take long to find, I've just been busy and Sprint Antenna-less.
http://encarta.msn.com/media_461544509/u_s_federal_receipts_and_outlays.html
Look at how the amount taken in by govt went through the roof when top tax rates were lowered. People aren't going to put their money at risk if Uncle Sam gets 94% of the profit.
A few other things of note: Look how government spending split away from receipts during the Reagan boom.
Look how it went up again during the Clinton years AND THE DEMOCRATS WERE THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY PRODUCED A BUDGET SURPLUS ! ! ! THE REPUBLICANS SPENT MONEY LIKE CRAZY ! ! ! THEY ARE THE SPENDERS, PEOPLE ! ! !
Dr. Ralph, thanks for helping me get this out of my system.
Honored Friend -- I'm glad to provide you an excuse to get it out of your system -- always happy to function as everyone's favorite strawman.
Alas, the critical proof of your argument (Encarta) is safely hidden behind a premium account requiring (ahem) a username and password.
I guess I'll just have to take your word on...uh...whatever it was you said.
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