McCain's "bitter" moment: "a nation of whiners"

Don't these remarks (0.00 / 0)

just remind you so much of Sununu's "Stop complaining about health care" quote?

Very similar in so many ways.

Wonder if Sununu's fired now.

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by: Dean Barker @ Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 20:40:40 PM CDT

Subtext: (0.00 / 0)

"I don't care" vs. "It's all in your head"

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 21:58:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Whiners and Diners (4.00 / 1)

The strange thing is that Republicans actually believe this stuff. I think it is a hold over from Calvinism. Joe Bageant (Deer Hunting with Jesus) is the first explanation that I have read. He says that the people in Appalacia (he calls them "Borderers" from Scots Irish ancestry - for example) don't believe that they deserve anything good for them, like health care unless they are rich. In this explanation it is some defect in your morals or character if you haven't got lots of loot. No, really. He says that the only way to break this cycle (since the only people who will go back there to teach the next generation are people who believe this) is forced education through college level. I don't think that would be allowed even if he's right. Please, someone else read this book. I'm depressed enough already. Maybe you can see something that I missed.

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by: xteeth @ Sat Jul 12, 2008 at 07:02:46 AM CDT

Mana, Grace, Karma.... (4.00 / 4)

I am always amazed at the strength of fatalism in the human condition.

Our founders declared that we are "created equal." Now I'm no Kennedy, some I never thought that meant we all start in the same place, with equal abilities. Our "equality" is that we all get to maximize our inherent potential. That we, to use an Army slogan, are all able to "be all that you can be."

Now the lottery of birth will put any of us decidedly advantaged, even or seriously disadvantaged. There is no way around that.

I guess this is where HOPE comes in. As a matter of fact, I know this is exactly where HOPE comes in.

The giant finds its gait.

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Sat Jul 12, 2008 at 07:15:35 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

What i want to know is when modesty became (0.00 / 0)

a vice and a justification for abuse.

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by: hannah @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 12:54:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I've heard similar theories (4.00 / 1)

Regarding, for example, Puritanism's hold over America.

But the belief tha poverty is one's own fault -- Social Darwinism, if you will -- is really prevalent, and dangerous. It allows all sorts of governmental nastiness.

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by: JimC @ Sat Jul 12, 2008 at 09:05:48 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Calvinism (4.00 / 1)

form the wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...
The Calvinistic doctrine of predestination is a doctrine of Calvinism which deals with the question of the control God exercises over the world. In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith, God "freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass."[1] The second use of the word "predestination" applies this to the salvation, and refers to the belief that God appointed the eternal destiny of some to salvation by grace, while leaving the remainder to receive eternal damnation for all their sins, even their original sin. The former is called "unconditional election", and the latter "reprobation". In Calvinism, men must be predestined and effectually called (regenerated/born again) unto faith by God before they will even wish to believe or wish to be justified

snip

Double predestination

Calvinistic predestination is sometimes referred to as "double predestination."[2] This is the view that God chose who would go to heaven, and who to hell, and that his decision is infallibly to come to pass. This point of view simultaneously denies that God is the Author of Evil, but the issue is a very difficult point of the doctrine of predestination. The difference between elect and reprobate is not in themselves, all being equally unworthy, but in God's sovereign decision to show mercy to some, to save some and not others. It is called double predestination because it holds that God chose both whom to save and whom to damn, as opposed to single predestination which contends that though he chose whom to save, he did not choose whom to damn.

bottom line...
"...them that's got shall have
them that's not shall lose
so the Bible says, and it still is news
your mama may have and your papa may have
but God bless the child that's got his own
that's got his own."

This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.

   Dorothy Parker

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by: JonnyBBad @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 07:21:47 AM CDT

fear, hate and failed economic polices (4.00 / 4)

are all the GOP has to offer.

Embrace your inner elephant:
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Netroots Outreach Director for the Carol Shea-Porter campaign

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by: susanthe @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 07:46:56 AM CDT

Waaaaayyy too funny to trust (4.00 / 3)

that people will click the link:

Wonder if Sununu's fired now.

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by: Dean Barker @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 10:49:02 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

thanks Dean (0.00 / 0)

someday I'll learn how to embed videos and post pictures.  

Netroots Outreach Director for the Carol Shea-Porter campaign

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by: susanthe @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 19:18:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Click in the text box, copy, then go to your comment on BH and paste (4.00 / 1)

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 20:01:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

And when that doesn't work, (0.00 / 0)

There's always complaining about 'cultural decay' and raising the fines for using bad words on television.

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by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 14:01:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Are they right? (4.00 / 2)

While picking up a pizza last night I saw the title (something along the lines) of "A nation of winers... are they right?" on a tv showing fox news.

Shook my head, I bet Fox did not give "Cling" the same "serious" debate.

Hope > Fear

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by: Mike Hoefer @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 08:03:27 AM CDT

Well, all I can say is they're lucky Americans are just (4.00 / 1)

whining.  In other times and climes it would have been pitch-forks that were brought out.  Or maybe chainsaws.

When one percent of the population controls most of the nation's assets, something has gone wrong.

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by: hannah @ Sun Jul 13, 2008 at 13:00:03 PM CDT