Check out this line from the latest on the oil spill.
The disaster has demonstrated the enduring laxity of federal regulation of offshore operations and has shown the government to be almost wholly at the mercy of BP, the company leasing the rig, to provide the technology, personnel and equipment to stop the bleeding well.
WAITAMINUTE!!! I have been told several times by my colleagues on the right that our government is the entity that has too much power and that private business is at the mercy of them. If you ask me, this entire disaster proves, once again, how incredibly WRONG they are on just about every issue.
Our government lacks the infrastructure and money to adequately deal with this catastrophe. And why? Because the Cult has had their paranoid on for the last decade so they, backed by millions of people, have been rendering the government ineffective. This has all been done with the BELIEF that private industry would be free of government intrusion and the free market (see: George Romero) would take care of us all.
Doing a pretty good job, aren't they? Corporate force, indeed.
17 comments:
Where is your line from? Some website? A 15 year old kid?
WAITAMINUTE!!!! Our government lacks the infrastructure and money to adequately deal with this catastrophe? Up until the most recent election, that line of thinking would had always led you to the conclusion that our elected officials didn't care due to lack of adequate funding. Now it's magically not our elected officials fault anymore becuase your guy got elected? You set your precedent long ago on here and we remember.
Because the Cult has had their paranoid on for the last decade so they, backed by millions of people, have been rendering the government ineffective.
Gotta love it. Now "the Cult" is to blame for the failure of govt that it isn't running, and hasn't been running, hell, in fact never even been in power to run. C'mon M - how DID they do it?
Never mind the simple explanation that the govt just doesn't know how to deal with this - not even after the Exxon Valdez. That would be an admission that govt is NOT the solution to all problems. HERESY!!!
And then people that believe in limited govt (but never had the chance to implement their crazy ideas) get accused of having bizarre quasi-religious beliefs!
"...the enduring laxity of federal regulation..."
Do you think your party's answer for the last decade or more, which is to ban drilling entirely, is "appropriate levels of regulation" then? Are you suggesting there is actually some point to attempting a compromise with people who (you know before you even begin) will demonize you and lie about your for any "compromise" short of an outright ban?
And why is it suddenly all the right's fault, when that "enduring laxity" has continued through Obama's year and a half in office?
"...the government to be almost wholly at the mercy of BP...to provide the technology, personnel and equipment..."
So the reason you're whining is because the government hasn't had more money, better people and better technology to deal with it sitting idle in case of emergency than the people who deal with it 24/7? Unless the government pulls the very best out of every field of endeavor humanity is involved in, and keeps them sitting idle waiting for an emergency, they've been "rendered ineffective"?
No wonder you never criticize Maxine Waters or Dennis Kucinich. Their calls to openly nationalize industries are sane compared to your solutions.
Hey pl, you still going to the track every Saturday? I spent several nights down there last summer and really liked it...would appreciate some tips on betting...need to know if my dollar boxed exacta bets are the way to go and since you know everything I figgered you'd know.
Thanks
Hey M - more proof that you haven't got a clue about "the cult".
The Republican establishment, including Sarah Palin, were behind the candidate that lost to the Tea Party supported one. Since you've howled up and down about how Palin is the first lady of the cult, how do you explain this? Perhaps you should admit you don't understand what is going on - rather than baffle everyone with the usual bullshit.
Last,
Indeed. Pretty much every Saturday you will find me there. Maybe not betting on the Cby races, though, as they are pretty lame this year.
Dollar exactas are a fine way to go if you are looking for action on every race for a smallish overall investment. The key to playing dollar exactas, especially at Cby, is to stay away from the combos involving the favorite(s). The cult...er, I mean, the wagering public in MN tends to be conservative and pound the favorite(s). It's not uncommon that you will get a payout of $5 to $10 on a $1 exacta, which is a terrible return relative to the risk. That is a losing strategy. Yes, you will cash more tickets, but in the long run you will lose $$$. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that cashing tickets or picking winners is the object of the game. That's BS. The object of the game is making $$$.
You basically need to win 40% of those bets just to break even. If you want to stick with playing dollar exactas the better strategy is to leave out the favorite(s) or only use the favorite(s) in the second position. (i.e. use some longer shots on top with the favorite singled underneath) Exactas with non-favorites on top pay disproportionately well at Cby, and although you will cash fewer tickets you have a better opportunity to make money in the long run.
Consider: If you wager $2/race and are getting $10 payouts on winning tickets, then with a remarkable outcome of being right half the time you only manage to double your total wager. The only way to improve on this outcome is to be right more often (>50%!) or hope for an oddball big payout, which will never happen at Cby with favorites.
Now consider: wager the same $2/race and get $100 payouts ($98 profit) on winning tickets. Then with the unremarkable outcome of only being right once every 3 days (24 races) you also double your money. Be right more often, or achieve better payouts, and the upside is obvious.
Having said all that the best wagering value at Cby by far is the Pick 4s. If you are willing to wager more money at once (as opposed to spread over multiple races) and if you have the patience to lose far more often than you win (tearing up losing tickets takes patience) then consider playing the Pick 4s. The value of Pick 4s far exceeds the value of exactas, even when favorites come in, but particularly if you can beat a favorite in one race. The cult hammers the favorites in exactas but it's even worse in the Pick 4s. I have scooped several Pick 4 pools at Cby by having a ticket with 3 winners that were favorites and the 4th winner who was maybe 8-1 or 10-1. At other tracks such a ticket might be worth $100. At Cby that ticket will be worth $1000 or more because people crush the favorite / favorite / favorite / favorite combo in the Pick 4. They are stupid. Take advantage of their stupidity. I do. Not only is it fun, it's rewarding.
Thansk so much pl. I shall utilize your wisdom in my attempts to line my pockets with money this summer. I'm going to re-read your advice in my sensitivity training.
Because the Cult has had their paranoid on for the last decade so they, backed by millions of people, have been rendering the government ineffective.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/05/26/gulf.spill.help/index.html
Care to explain how conservatives "having their paranoid on" is responsible for the fact that most of the offers of help haven't even received a response from the government? I'll grant you, the government has been ineffective on this. I don't see how that's anyone's fault other than the current administration.
After all, it's not as if he doesn't have the authority:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/05/The-Federal-Response-to-the-Oil-Spill-Lessons-to-Be-Learned
President Obama, unlike the last president, has taken the responsibility for this disaster. He really didn't have to as it is the fault of BP. Perhaps he was in error in thinking that they could solve it and by letting them he failed to mitigate other problems.
I think it speaks volumes that after Katrina it was all the fault of Nagin and Blanco. Now it's not Jindal's fault but Obama's. And BP's shenanigans are somehow the fault of government interference.
Do I consider this government's (or Obama's) fault? No, I don't.
But by the standards you applied to Bush, you would.
Bush was in office less than a year when 9/11 happened, but as far as you were concerned, he owned it from day 1.
The Chitimacha thought de Bienville was an idiot for founding New Orleans where he did nearly 300 years ago. The residents of New Orleans had to have a flood response plan over 50 years before there even was such a thing as the United States of America. It's not as if the citizens, or the local government, had any excuse for not being prepared.
But that never mattered, did it? It was "on Bush's watch", therefore he owned it from day 1.
President Obama, unlike the last president, has taken the responsibility for this disaster.
Eventually. Of course, first he had to blame it on the Bush administration, just as he does everything.
You see, the problem isn't that it's "Obama's fault", it isn't, and no one is saying it is. But if you're going to claim "from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort", then you've chosen to have the dozens of boom-laying craft sitting idle in Louisiana harbors right at this moment, as the oil washes into the marshes... you've demanded that people consider that your problem.
So... nearly all the international offers of help haven't even been responded to, much less accepted or declined. Millions of dollars of oil-spill damage control craft are sitting idle, waiting for orders. Governor Jindal has been blown off by this administration for the last month. BP has gotten results, government has dragged their feet since day 1.
Don't you think it's about time for Mr. Accountability to take a break from fundraising and vacations and make things happen?
Talk is cheap.
President Obama, unlike the last president, has taken the responsibility for this disaster.
That is a flat-out fucking lie.
He has tried to take credit for the response... you know, the one he couldn't be bothered to make.
“In case you were wondering who’s responsible, I take responsibility,”
--President Barack Obama, 27 May 2010
Go fuck yourself, asswipe
Wasn't that the same press conference where he claimed it was the fault of a "culture of corruption" he inherited from the previous administration, quietly failing to mention that was nearly a year and a fucking half ago?
Oh sure, I take responsibility... as long as you understand that it's all the Republicans' fault.
I've seen better on elementary school playgrounds. I'm sorry for failing to be impressed when it's done by a President who campaigned on "a new era of transparency and accountability." Or for that matter, by someone who claims to be a grownup.
But then, slinging bullshit is all he does.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/27/AR2010052705577.html?hpid%3Dsec-politics&sub=AR shows Obama's deep concern.
-- Larry
Larry, that is brutal. I love it.
M quick, assemble the chorus for another refrain of "Cult, Corporate Force, and It ain't The One's Fault"!!!
Here's what Obama said...
"The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort. We will demand that they pay every dime they owe for the damage they’ve done and the painful losses that they’ve caused. And we will continue to take full advantage of the unique technology and expertise they have to help stop this leak. But make no mistake: BP is operating at our direction. Every key decision and action they take must be approved by us in advance. I’ve designated Admiral Thad Allen, who has nearly four decades of experience responding to such disasters, as the national incident commander. And if he orders BP to do something to respond to this disaster, they are legally bound to do it."
You all know that this could have been taken care of in 48 hours...the typical procedure oil companies and other governments have done many times in the past is to put a 100 yard tube down the well and send dynamite down the tube to blow up the well at the bottom. Problem solved immediately. What is going on is BP doesn't want to lose the well so they are doing all kinds of other half-assed crap that is further damaging the gulf region. But since Obama, as well as brandon, johnny b goode told us Obama is in charge of the relief efforts, I blame Obama since that is apparantly where the buck stops.
btw pl, I lost $38 at the track yesterday. Didn't win anything. grr! I'll be back though...they haven't heard the last of me down there!
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