Although I am pretty tired, I have two more for you today. I plan to catch up on sleep later.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 5:00 (average 5:41). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Like many observers, I usually read reports about political goings-on with a sort of weary cynicism. Every once in a while, however, politicians do something so wrong, substantively and morally, that cynicism just won’t cut it; it’s time to get really angry instead. So it is with the ugly, destructive war against food stamps.
The food stamp program — which these days actually uses debit cards, and is officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — tries to provide modest but crucial aid to families in need. And the evidence is crystal clear both that the overwhelming majority of food stamp recipients really need the help, and that the program is highly successful at reducing “food insecurity,” in which families go hungry at least some of the time.
Food stamps have played an especially useful — indeed, almost heroic — role in recent years. In fact, they have done triple duty…
This Krugman editorial is a must read to understand the positive effects food stamps have, both for the families who receive them, and for the economy as a whole. He also covers Republican class warfare and their intent to eventually eliminate the program altogether. I encourage you to click through to read the entire article.
From MSNBC: Rachel Maddow discusses the use of political threats.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Considering the targets, the violence, and the ignorance, this can be nothing other than InsaniTEA, although I would think that making seditious threats against the President should be sentenced to only six months, when the penalty for Sedition is up to ten years.
From Daily Kos: Surprise! CBO report shows 50% of government tax expenditures go to top 20% of earners
And that’s not all. According to 29-page Congressional Budget Office report, The Distribution of Major Tax Expenditures in the Individual Income Tax System, the top one percent of earners get 17 percent of tax expenditures. People in the bottom 20 percent only receive eight percent of the total benefits from tax expenditures.
Welfare for the top 1% is more than double that for the bottom 20%. Isn’t that bass ackwards? Of course the Republican solution is to cut taxes for the 1%, but to raise YOUR taxes.
Cartoon:
Republicans want to give us the freedom to lose the right to elect our Senators by repealing the 17th Amendment, because they cannot gerrymander Senate seats.
16 Responses to “Open Thread–5/31/2013”
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Dear Heaven – the Rachel Maddow report on ricin-laced letters (spelt badly but threatening murder and poisonous) to judges and the lawfully elected President of the United States is really alarming. I did however, howl with laughter when she said 'It is funny how often 'I will kill you' goes with the inability to spell!" (Well done Rachel!).
Paul Krugman is always good value and talks good sense and he is right about the Food Stamps programme. Am I right in thinking that Rmoney's father or grandfather benefited from Welfare payments – but as usual the Repuglicons want to take everything away from anyone not their cronies and grab everything to themselves. "Welfare for the top 1% is more than double that for the bottom 20%. Isn’t that bass ackwards? Of course the Republican solution is to cut taxes for the 1%, but to raise YOUR taxes." – I do so agree TC.
Isn't she great?
I have a lot of respect fpr that man.
4:14 I got lost in the lovely scenery.
4:04 Much prettier than the Golden Arches.
3:44 Jerry, How dare you use the "Golden Arches" in the same sentence as this magnificent sight!
Obviously you do not have "fallen arches" on thoses size 9's.
Actually Jerry, I do! My physiotherapist recently said "Damn, you have flat feet!" which could be contributing to my back problems. My arches, or lack thereof, aren't golden either!
The big feet are certainly agile enough to crush us, but I am sorry for your pain.
It's too hot to sit with my laptop on today so I'm going to sit under the sprinkler. Stay cool, everyone.
Lucky you!
I get so aggravated with the attitude about Food Stamps. There are millions of people now on Food Stamps who have worked hard all their lives. Wal-Mart employees are a good example. Everything the Republicans come up with is something that hits the lower or middle classes, their welfare is exclusively meant for the 1% who are their major contributors.
Me too, Edie!
TC, so glad to have you back!
Thanks Edie!
Puzzle — 3:44 Jerry, How dare you use the "Golden Arches" in the same sentence as this magnificent sight!
NY times — "As I said, there are times when cynicism just doesn’t cut it; this is a time to get really, really angry." (Paul Krugman)
So often, I find myself getting really, really angry at the political shenanigans in the US — angry at the tax cuts for the wealthy, social security payments for the elderly, SNAP reductions for the most needy and vulnerable in society etc. But why should I get angry? It's not my country!
Ordinary people are being sacrificed on the pyres of ideology, straight Republican/Teabagger ideology, or "idiotology" as I have called it before. It is an ideology of privilege, an ideology based on a manufactured "class" system. The wealthy don't need food stamps, so abolish it and save money. But as Dickens wrote in "Oliver Twist": "Please sir, may I have more?"
MSNBC — I seem to recall Ted Nugent making threats against Mr Obama last year. There is the idiot Kokesh who is, in my opinion, inciting others to join him in overthrowing the federal government. There is the idiot who sent Mr Obama and a federal legislator ricin tainted letters. What is it that takes over people's thinking that says these kinds of actions are acceptable? I think back to the commercial — This is your brain. This is your brain on insaniTea (The drug of choice?)
Daily Kos — And the damn Republican/Teabaggers still want to cut taxes further. A deluded bunch of insaniTea!
Cartoon — Republican/Teabagger insaniTea! I'd say let's abolish the Republican/Teabaggers and get some governing done!
Really! We didn't deserve a break today!
I understand. Writing is how I transform that anger into something positive.
It's a rage wth the Faux Noise set!
Indeed!
Amen!