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Offlinezappaisgod
horrid asshole


Registered: 02/11/04
Posts: 81,741
Loc: Fractallife's gym
Last seen: 7 years, 9 months
Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism.
    #11028727 - 09/09/09 05:00 PM (14 years, 6 months ago)

Not that I ever had any.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/opinion/09friedman.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Quote:

Our One-Party Democracy     

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: September 8, 2009

Watching both the health care and climate/energy debates in Congress, it is hard not to draw the following conclusion: There is only one thing worse than one-party autocracy, and that is one-party democracy, which is what we have in America today.
{A ridiculous assertion but it gets better}
One-party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks. But when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today, it can also have great advantages. That one party can just impose the politically difficult but critically important policies needed to move a society forward in the 21st century. It is not an accident that China is committed to overtaking us in electric cars, solar power, energy efficiency, batteries, nuclear power and wind power. China’s leaders understand that in a world of exploding populations and rising emerging-market middle classes, demand for clean power and energy efficiency is going to soar. Beijing wants to make sure that it owns that industry and is ordering the policies to do that, including boosting gasoline prices, from the top down.

Our one-party democracy is worse. The fact is, on both the energy/climate legislation and health care legislation, only the Democrats are really playing. With a few notable exceptions, the Republican Party is standing, arms folded and saying “no.” Many of them just want President Obama to fail. Such a waste. Mr. Obama is not a socialist; he’s a centrist. But if he’s forced to depend entirely on his own party to pass legislation, he will be whipsawed by its different factions.





Firstly, there are Republican alternatives but this asshole ignores them.  They are not standing idly by, they have their own proposals, not that anybody would ever hear about them in the MSM.
Secondly this jackass is truly a fascist in that he wants to impose his will.  The dumb fuck is beyond a hypocrite with his giant energy sucking mansion but he wants to force you to have less.  No debate and clearly anybody who disagrees with him is, in his pointy head, clearly an idiot or a crook.  So let's just ram these shit sandwiches through.

He is outwardly advocating totalitarianism.  He can't stand the debate so he runs from it.

The boys at Powerline have quite a few thoughts of their own:

Quote:

Let me just say for the record that this is a monstrous column. When faced with American public defection from elite-preferred outcomes on certain policy issues that involve many difficult tradeoffs of the kind that democracies, with much jostling and argument, are supposed to work out among many different groups, Friedman extols the example of ... China's political system, because it's both enlightened and autocratic? Who among us knew?




Well, me, for one.  And Jonah Goldberg.

Quote:

JOHN adds: Friedman's column is indeed monstrous. We on the right sometimes harbor dark suspicions that liberals, if they had the opportunity, would be glad to dispense with the messy process of democracy. And with us. Friedman goes a long way toward confirming those suspicions.

In addition to being monstrous, the column is dumb. Friedman says we have "one-party democracy" in America. What is that supposed to mean? His explanation makes no sense: "The fact is, on both the energy/climate legislation and health care legislation, only the Democrats are really playing." No, what is happening is that Republicans and Democrats disagree. Republicans are opposing the Democrats' health care and carbon tax legislation because they believe--correctly--that both represent terrible public policy. When Republicans proposed Social Security reform and Democrats opposed it, were we a "one-party democracy" because "only the Republicans were playing"? I don't remember Friedman yearning for fascist solutions during the Bush administration.

Actually, as should be obvious, the fact that the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats may need some Republican support to enact sweeping changes in the health care system or a destructive cap-and-tax system is proof that we are a two-party democracy.

If Tom Friedman isn't the most overrated man in America, he's a strong contender.

PAUL adds: That's for sure. And Friedman has now become the leading member of a small but not insignificant band of leftists driven more hysterical by having its party in power, but unable fully to control policy, than by being out of power.





Every day I find more and more to despise about the NY Times and its gang of pompous liberal twats masquerading as journalists.


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OfflineRedstorm
Prince of Bugs
Male


Folding@home Statistics
Registered: 10/08/02
Posts: 44,175
Last seen: 5 months, 8 days
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: zappaisgod]
    #11028791 - 09/09/09 05:15 PM (14 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

reasonably enlightened group of people, as China is today




:lol:

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OfflineDeltron3030
Stranger
Male


Registered: 07/18/09
Posts: 1,972
Last seen: 5 years, 7 months
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: Redstorm]
    #11029040 - 09/09/09 06:04 PM (14 years, 6 months ago)

The Republicans treated the Dems worse when they were in power.


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OfflineSombie
Moonrock eater


Registered: 12/07/02
Posts: 2,643
Loc: Stafford, Virginia
Last seen: 14 years, 16 days
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: Deltron3030]
    #11029419 - 09/09/09 07:00 PM (14 years, 6 months ago)

Well, I don't know if we are a one party system as he says, but there are some arguments to be made for it.

Both parties are against legalizing drugs.

Both parties are for involvement in the middle east.

Both parties spend more then is sustainable.

Both parties are committed to preventing any other party from having a fair shot in major elections.

Also I don't think he is advocating a Chinese like government, hes just acknowledging that there are some advantages to it.

But I digress.

While I think the parties are similar in many ways, they are different to. But in my mind the issues is moot, only having two options is only slightly better then having no options at all. I'm afraid that until third parties become a viable option in the voting booth, we will get the same old, same old in Washington.


--------------------
"America... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable." - Hunter S Thompson

Check out Agio

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OfflineSmackshadow
It's Time for Wild Speculation


Registered: 09/27/05
Posts: 575
Last seen: 2 months, 17 days
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: Sombie]
    #11031237 - 09/09/09 10:36 PM (14 years, 6 months ago)

Tom Friedman is a tool.  That being said, having read the article, my guess is that this opinion was written half tongue and cheek.  It seems like he is advocating a go it alone mentality regarding health-care and clean energy rather than the present sham of "negotiating" with people who simply fold there arms and say no.

Then again maybe he was serious when talking about reasonably enlightened people of China?


--------------------
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
     
~H. L. Mencken~

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OfflineSombie
Moonrock eater


Registered: 12/07/02
Posts: 2,643
Loc: Stafford, Virginia
Last seen: 14 years, 16 days
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: Smackshadow]
    #11031903 - 09/10/09 12:26 AM (14 years, 6 months ago)

Well, it is not possible that he was strongly emphasizing the "reasonably" part?

The people of china are reasonably enlightened, at least when compared to say, North Korea, most of Africa, or most of the middle east.

Granted thats not that high of a bar, so I'm not really sure what he was trying to say there. Maybe it is, like you say, a "tongue in cheek" matter.

For the record I wouldn't know a Tom Friedman from a hole in the wall.


--------------------
"America... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable." - Hunter S Thompson

Check out Agio

Follow my NFL Blog

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OfflineSeussA
Error: divide byzero


Folding@home Statistics
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 23,480
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 1 month, 19 days
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: Sombie]
    #11032601 - 09/10/09 05:30 AM (14 years, 6 months ago)

> The people of china are reasonably enlightened

I guess that explains why they have free access to the internet.  Oh wait.  Lets not forget Tiananmen Square where protesters were allowed the freedom to express their viewpoint.  Oh wait.  Oh, and lets not forget about freedom of religion such as Falun Gong and Xiantianism.  Oh wait.  China, truly an enlightened people where freedom of information is suppressed, freedom of expression is suppressed, freedom of religion is suppressed, etc.

> Well, I don't know if we are a one party system as he says

I call it a "one coin party".  They are simply opposites sides of the same coin.  The differences in the parties is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to keep people occupied and voting along party lines rather than looking for an alternative "third" party to represent them.


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Just another spore in the wind.

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Offlinelonestar2004
Live to party,work to affordit.
 User Gallery


Registered: 10/03/04
Posts: 8,978
Loc: South Texas
Last seen: 13 years, 2 days
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: Seuss]
    #11033112 - 09/10/09 09:32 AM (14 years, 6 months ago)

China 'covers suicide bridge in BUTTER'


Government officials in south-east China have ordered workers to cover a 1,000 ft long steel bridge in butter to prevent citizens from using it to attempt suicide.


http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2009-09/01/content_8642819.htm

Come on thats not "reasonably enlightened" ?:grin:


--------------------
America's debt problem is a "sign of leadership failure"

We have "reckless fiscal policies"

America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.

Americans deserve better

Barack Obama

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OfflineSombie
Moonrock eater


Registered: 12/07/02
Posts: 2,643
Loc: Stafford, Virginia
Last seen: 14 years, 16 days
Re: Tom Friedman opens mouth and removes all doubt about liberal fascism. [Re: Seuss]
    #11033503 - 09/10/09 11:09 AM (14 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

Seuss said:
> The people of china are reasonably enlightened

I guess that explains why they have free access to the internet.  Oh wait.  Lets not forget Tiananmen Square where protesters were allowed the freedom to express their viewpoint.  Oh wait.  Oh, and lets not forget about freedom of religion such as Falun Gong and Xiantianism.  Oh wait.  China, truly an enlightened people where freedom of information is suppressed, freedom of expression is suppressed, freedom of religion is suppressed, etc.




Did you just read my first sentence then post that? Or did you only mean it as a response to the article and not what I said?

Firstly I said the people and the things you criticized were issues with the government. Secondly, I said in comparison to other countries and areas like N.Korea, the middle east etc. And I said thats a pretty low bar, so I don't know what he is getting at.

One thing that is true is that China's government is efficient, and effective. That doesn't mean its good[i/], its not, its bad and stifles freedom. But efficient none the less.

Quote:

Seuss said:
> Well, I don't know if we are a one party system as he says

I call it a "one coin party".  They are simply opposites sides of the same coin.  The differences in the parties is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to keep people occupied and voting along party lines rather than looking for an alternative "third" party to represent them.





This I agree with 100%.


--------------------
"America... just a nation of two hundred million used car salesmen with all the money we need to buy guns and no qualms about killing anybody else in the world who tries to make us uncomfortable." - Hunter S Thompson

Check out Agio

Follow my NFL Blog

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