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More from Karno
Even back then, I think I was getting nostalgic for smart politicians, corrupt or not, instead of the stumbling, babbling, moronic hand-puppets of the 1% we're afflicted with today.
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Agreed. Here in Germany I get only a little from what is happening in the US, and I admit, in the beginning I hoped for Obama for the simple reason that I thought it possible that McCain would try to strong-arm Iran and even send troops there. What I heard about Palin did not help.
And Mitt Romney? Well, an industrial magnate as politician? With the current disposition they have? *brrr* I think this said it the best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBewrP1X_is
I know it did not help Obama in the US, but calming down the international climate so quickly was impressive and was really soothing many of my fears.. Remembering some of the Cold War makes one very sensitive about that kind of thing. I mean, I remember newspapers showing us, how many tanks were stationed were on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The threat of nuclear weapons is one thing, but tanks on your contry's borders is another. Especially if your country was the buffer zone for any Soviet attack back then (like intentionally using California as a buffer from an invasion from the Pacific).
And Mitt Romney? Well, an industrial magnate as politician? With the current disposition they have? *brrr* I think this said it the best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBewrP1X_is
I know it did not help Obama in the US, but calming down the international climate so quickly was impressive and was really soothing many of my fears.. Remembering some of the Cold War makes one very sensitive about that kind of thing. I mean, I remember newspapers showing us, how many tanks were stationed were on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The threat of nuclear weapons is one thing, but tanks on your contry's borders is another. Especially if your country was the buffer zone for any Soviet attack back then (like intentionally using California as a buffer from an invasion from the Pacific).
Industrial magnate was one of his worse qualities, but the one that worried me is that he was bought and sold as a politician.
As governor of the state of Massachusetts he legalized same sex marriages (becoming the first state in the country to do so), tightened gun control laws, and even helped support programs like Planned Parenthood.
As a presidential candidate? Take all those positions and reverse them completely.
The reason the GOP and it's backers supported Mitt Romney wasn't for any leadership qualities. They simply wanted a man who would do what he was told. Romney would have been a figurehead and little else.
Mind you I'm not going to pretend that Obama is the golden boy everyone made him out to be in 2008 (*coughdronescough*), but he was certainly the better choice this time around.
As governor of the state of Massachusetts he legalized same sex marriages (becoming the first state in the country to do so), tightened gun control laws, and even helped support programs like Planned Parenthood.
As a presidential candidate? Take all those positions and reverse them completely.
The reason the GOP and it's backers supported Mitt Romney wasn't for any leadership qualities. They simply wanted a man who would do what he was told. Romney would have been a figurehead and little else.
Mind you I'm not going to pretend that Obama is the golden boy everyone made him out to be in 2008 (*coughdronescough*), but he was certainly the better choice this time around.
I'm from Chicago, and just last night I attended a dinner show http://www.tommygunsgarage.com/ set in a 1920s Speakeasy.
At one point, they toast "'Big Bill' Thompson" (mayor at the time, most corrupt politician in American history by some estimates) as "The finest politician money ever bought." Brought down the house.
Thought you'd appreciate that. XD
At one point, they toast "'Big Bill' Thompson" (mayor at the time, most corrupt politician in American history by some estimates) as "The finest politician money ever bought." Brought down the house.
Thought you'd appreciate that. XD
Mitt Romney attracted voters because they don't really know how the economy works. There's the assumption that the economy is a simple machine that keeps getting bigger, even though we're hitting the benefit gap.
"You say if I let the corporations spend however much they want, they'll give me my job back?"
Well, hon, this isn't the fifties. There's no such thing anymore as a high-paying-job for mediocre skill, because there's a global economy you have to compete with.
Also? The times you're looking back towards (horrible in any societal respect)? The reason your father was promoted so quickly and made so much was that he was only competing for that high-paying job with heterosexual white males who lived in America near the markets, but there were people of all races and genders giving the money to buy the product. It was an illusory surplus.
You really aren't going to get the same job your grandfather had, because those jobs will go to people who can do them better than you can.
This sentiment doesn't go over well with the American middle class. No one likes to be told they're privileged and don't deserve what they think they deserve. So they clamor for people who say they can give them good jobs again.
"You say if I let the corporations spend however much they want, they'll give me my job back?"
Well, hon, this isn't the fifties. There's no such thing anymore as a high-paying-job for mediocre skill, because there's a global economy you have to compete with.
Also? The times you're looking back towards (horrible in any societal respect)? The reason your father was promoted so quickly and made so much was that he was only competing for that high-paying job with heterosexual white males who lived in America near the markets, but there were people of all races and genders giving the money to buy the product. It was an illusory surplus.
You really aren't going to get the same job your grandfather had, because those jobs will go to people who can do them better than you can.
This sentiment doesn't go over well with the American middle class. No one likes to be told they're privileged and don't deserve what they think they deserve. So they clamor for people who say they can give them good jobs again.
*nods* It would be nice to have at least some smart politicians again.
I had a scary thought a while ago. Think what a really smart one could do. I mean someone in the class like Bismark or Cardinal Richelieu.
Bismark forged Germany into a superpowerand unintentionally layed some of the groundwork that lead to World War 1. He also laid the ground work for todays Germany including the welfare state that is even today part of it. Among other things.
Richelieu (aside from his role in the Three Musketeers), had the largest and most efficient spy network at the time. One of his goal was to keep France out of the 20 years war that tore up neighbouring Germany, no small feat, considering how many powers were involved in it. Among other things
In short, both men used Europe like a chess board, effectively ruled their countries without even being the ruler. Consider what someone like that could do today for good or ill.
*shiver*
I had a scary thought a while ago. Think what a really smart one could do. I mean someone in the class like Bismark or Cardinal Richelieu.
Bismark forged Germany into a superpowerand unintentionally layed some of the groundwork that lead to World War 1. He also laid the ground work for todays Germany including the welfare state that is even today part of it. Among other things.
Richelieu (aside from his role in the Three Musketeers), had the largest and most efficient spy network at the time. One of his goal was to keep France out of the 20 years war that tore up neighbouring Germany, no small feat, considering how many powers were involved in it. Among other things
In short, both men used Europe like a chess board, effectively ruled their countries without even being the ruler. Consider what someone like that could do today for good or ill.
*shiver*
I want to have politicians here in America who've at least taken an economics course. Absolutely none of the major parties have a credible economics plan.
Our problem might be the fact that our culture confuses down-home folksiness with honesty; if a politician acts like the former, we presume he or she's the latter. It wasn't until 2008 that we picked a president who cultivated an academic and in-touch image over a president whose hard sell was 'Aw, shucks, I fought for my country and didn't need none of that fancy college learnin.'"
In practice, this means we elect politicians who campaign on our infantile impulses. "My fellow Americans, what do you hate? Taxes? Abortions? Those scary things your children are doing? Terrorists? We'll just make it so you never have to worry about them again. Do you like missiles? I'll build you some awesome missiles and we can watch brown people explode! Won't that be fun?"
Then when, inevitably, we don't have enough taxes to repair our roads and sewers, or the crime rate goes horribly up because of all the unwanted children turn into slum teenagers, or all the smart people with the wrong skin color get turned away from productive jobs, we say it must be because it didn't go far enough.
(Political rant ended)
Thanks for these comics, Karn. You hit the nail right on the head.
Incidentally, Nazi Germany was, ironically, both politicked entirely by Germans and one of the most hideously inefficient governments (by ratio of waste to fame) in modern memory. Soviet Russia had an inefficient state, but the Nazis had a hideously inefficient government. It wasn't so much 'Orders from the top.' Hitler spent most of his daily time eating cake and walking his dog and napping and rehearsing for giant speeches. There were armies of underlings competing to do whatever would make Hitler like them. There were FIVE different departments just setting up Hitler's calendar. The image is mostly that Goering and Goebbels would have endless armies of people running chaotically around trying to set things up.
Exempli Gratia: The Young Retard Euthanasia program (I don't remember the German name) was literally started by an underling who forged a letter from a father begging the state to kill his 'mongoloid spawn,' I think the terminology goes, and then woke Hitler from a nap to ask what he thought of setting up a program to do it, with himself at the head.
Hitler went all "Sounds good, let me nap, just give me the paperwork" and 2,000 - 3,000 kids were dead, and the guy got to set up a department and put on airs. That's how the state operated
(Their economic policies were horrible as well. They covered up their deficits by confiscating and redistributing Jewish and Communist's property and shops; then hired an economist and gave him the deal the 'Atlas Shrugged' government gave John Galt - "How'd you like to command the economy?"
His first reaction was 'Dude? You spent millions on giant monuments and a giant highway. You need actual consumer products, or at least a toll booth, because this government'll have a gigantic income crisis soon enough."
They were billions in debt by the end of the war.)
Our problem might be the fact that our culture confuses down-home folksiness with honesty; if a politician acts like the former, we presume he or she's the latter. It wasn't until 2008 that we picked a president who cultivated an academic and in-touch image over a president whose hard sell was 'Aw, shucks, I fought for my country and didn't need none of that fancy college learnin.'"
In practice, this means we elect politicians who campaign on our infantile impulses. "My fellow Americans, what do you hate? Taxes? Abortions? Those scary things your children are doing? Terrorists? We'll just make it so you never have to worry about them again. Do you like missiles? I'll build you some awesome missiles and we can watch brown people explode! Won't that be fun?"
Then when, inevitably, we don't have enough taxes to repair our roads and sewers, or the crime rate goes horribly up because of all the unwanted children turn into slum teenagers, or all the smart people with the wrong skin color get turned away from productive jobs, we say it must be because it didn't go far enough.
(Political rant ended)
Thanks for these comics, Karn. You hit the nail right on the head.
Incidentally, Nazi Germany was, ironically, both politicked entirely by Germans and one of the most hideously inefficient governments (by ratio of waste to fame) in modern memory. Soviet Russia had an inefficient state, but the Nazis had a hideously inefficient government. It wasn't so much 'Orders from the top.' Hitler spent most of his daily time eating cake and walking his dog and napping and rehearsing for giant speeches. There were armies of underlings competing to do whatever would make Hitler like them. There were FIVE different departments just setting up Hitler's calendar. The image is mostly that Goering and Goebbels would have endless armies of people running chaotically around trying to set things up.
Exempli Gratia: The Young Retard Euthanasia program (I don't remember the German name) was literally started by an underling who forged a letter from a father begging the state to kill his 'mongoloid spawn,' I think the terminology goes, and then woke Hitler from a nap to ask what he thought of setting up a program to do it, with himself at the head.
Hitler went all "Sounds good, let me nap, just give me the paperwork" and 2,000 - 3,000 kids were dead, and the guy got to set up a department and put on airs. That's how the state operated
(Their economic policies were horrible as well. They covered up their deficits by confiscating and redistributing Jewish and Communist's property and shops; then hired an economist and gave him the deal the 'Atlas Shrugged' government gave John Galt - "How'd you like to command the economy?"
His first reaction was 'Dude? You spent millions on giant monuments and a giant highway. You need actual consumer products, or at least a toll booth, because this government'll have a gigantic income crisis soon enough."
They were billions in debt by the end of the war.)
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