(Tom Toles via Gocomics.com)
Nick Kristoff uses his perch at the NYTimes to go full-throttle DFH about the Republicans’ “Fantasy Nation“:
With Tea Party conservatives and many Republicans balking at raising the debt ceiling, let me offer them an example of a nation that lives up to their ideals.
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It has among the lowest tax burdens of any major country: fewer than 2 percent of the people pay any taxes. Government is limited, so that burdensome regulations never kill jobs.
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This society embraces traditional religious values and a conservative sensibility. Nobody minds school prayer, same-sex marriage isn’t imaginable, and criminals are never coddled. The budget priority is a strong military, the nation’s most respected institution. When generals decide on a policy for, say, Afghanistan, politicians defer to them. Citizens are deeply patriotic, and nobody burns flags.
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So what is this Republican Eden, this Utopia? Why, it’s Pakistan.
[…] __
I spend a fair amount of time reporting in developing countries, from Congo to Colombia. They’re typically characterized by minimal taxes, high levels of inequality, free-wheeling businesses and high military expenditures. Any of that ring a bell?
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In Latin American, African or Asian countries, I sometimes see shiny tanks and fighter aircraft — but schools that have trouble paying teachers. Sound familiar? And the upshot is societies that are quasi-feudal, stratified by social class, held back by a limited sense of common purpose.
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Maybe that’s why the growing inequality in America pains me so. The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans already have a greater net worth than the bottom 90 percent, based on Federal Reserve data. Yet two-thirds of the proposed Republican budget cuts would harm low- and moderate-income families, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities…
Expect Andrew Breitbart to show up on Fox News no later than next Wednesday, with a retweeted freeper link to a video clip purporting to “demonstrate conclusively” that Kristoff’s crusade against underage prostitution in the developing world is a cover-up for something very, very unseemly…
Yutsano
Nah. Kristoff has male bits. Breitbart won’t attack male bits. He’s too much of a coward. Fox will find some other method of discrediting him though. Plus the child prostitution angle is too much of a vulnerability for their patron saint Rushbo for them to go there. But he’ll get discredited somehow. Or more likely ignored completely.
Jenny
Incidentally, looks like Weinergate has petered-out.
Yutsano
@Jenny: I saw what you did there.
Maude
@Jenny:
Win
SFAW
That was a given. The question is whether Breitbutt has the (figurative) stones to O’Keefe him. You make a good point about Breitbutt only going after les femmes (shades of Heydrich!), but the Hate is strong with that one, so I wouldna put it past him.
Jenny
@Yutsano:
I imagine the Village™ will be pissed. They don’t like it when someone brings up income inequality. You can pry those $3000 Italian outfits and $500 Manhattan hair cuts from their martini cold dead hands.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2490/5713598634_f009be75a5_z.jpg
SiubhanDuinne
@Jenny: Excellent.
Umbrella
Two quotes attributed to Warren Buffet apply:
“Let blockheads read what blockheads wrote.”
and more importantly:
“Put me in the middle of Namibia, and see how much money I make.”
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
We just need a reminder that most third world countries are suffering and can’t catch up because of crushing Marxism and lack of funds that only rich people can create. Because they’re the Producers, the Providers, the Creators. And we’re just dirty fucking proles that don’t deserve what we get from them by their good grace.
stuckinred
Throw me a Rope
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
jrg
The fear of a debt-limit fight is exactly why I moved some of my 401(k) to cash recently.
The GOP is playing chicken with the economy in the hope of fucking over Obama. Some of my money is coming off the table until this idiocy ends.
trollhattan
@stuckinred:
Thanks for that, especially since it led to the best musical piece of news I’ve heard in months:
http://www.gillianwelch.com/2011/05/the-harrow-the-harvest-coming-june-28th/
The department of redundancy department insists I add: it’s about time!
stuckinred
@trollhattan: And that song is not on it! You know she had some major heartburn with a label. When she came here she made it a point to visit both independent record stores and thank them for sticking with her. But that’s ot I guess.
SFAW
Oh, please. You Lieberals with your Republican Derangement Syndrome, will it never end?
It’s not as if someone like Mitch McConnell indicated he’d do whatever it took to make Obama a one-termer.
Next you’ll be trying to tell me that the Republicans are doing their utmost to keep people like Elizabeth Warren and Goodwin Liu from taking the roles for which Obama chose them.
Really, you gotta stop with the hatin’ on Republicans.
jrg
@SFAW: Yep. I’m so confident that the market will take a hit as a result of this ideological debt-limit bullshit, I’m willing to put money on it.
SFAW
That’s nice. Of course, what you seem to be forgetting is that – should the markets tank – the Republicans will do something like passing a bill reducing corporate income taxes to Zero. They do that, then the job-creation engine will be open-throttle, and employment will increase by at least 50,000,000. (Persons, not per cent, of course.)
But even before the US reaches minus/negative 0.5 per cent unemployment, John Galt will FINALLY come forward with his energy-from-air invention. He’s been waiting for the right moment, and with corporate taxes down to zero, he’s ready to roll.
Ken_L
No need to look at the Muslim world for examples of what happens when you have small government. You only have to look at The Republic of the Philippines, a country which the USA was directly responsible for bringing into the 20th century. A country which copied many US institutions in its governance but excluded any of this social safety net nonsense. A country where the Roman Catholic Church holds sway (same sex marriage? Get outta here, we don’t even have divorce here!).
It’s a small wonder that American conservatives so studiously avoid any recognition of this ex-US colony of 90+ million people, which ought to be a conservative’s wet dream (except they can’t afford much in the way of guns). A handful of incredibly rich families more or less run the place and everyone else scrambles to make a living as best they can. Poverty is endemic and corruption is entrenched in everything from handling a traffic offence to getting a telephone landline to staying our of jail after you murder someone to opening a new mine. The only way the place stays solvent is to send 10% of the population overseas to provide cheap labour in rich countries.
Somehow conservatives never point to The Philippines as empirical evidence of what can be achieved if only government gets out of the way of private initiative. But why progressives don’t hold it up as a practical example of the result of conservative ideology is beyond me.
Citizen_X
@trollhattan: Hey, that cover art looks like it was done by John Dyer Baizley, the guitarist, vocalist and artist for prog-metal band Baroness. (They have some folk-derived moments, so it’s not that surprising.) He also does artwork for band buddies Kylesa.
Comrade Kevin
@Ken_L:
Because most people in this country would react with some variation on “Philippines? Never heard of the place”, or “Where’s that?”
Yutsano
@Comrade Kevin: Or, “They aren’t good white Christian folk so of course they r doing i rong.” Trust me they always have a fallback on why libertarianism can only be failed.
SFAW
Ken_L –
I may be mis-remembering, but I thought I had read/learned that the Philippines had a pretty high standard of living – until Marcos took over and started raping and pillaging the country. Yes, I realize the USA didn’t exactly work hard to get him out of there until it was too late to matter. But, if my memory isn’t faulty, then maybe it wasn’t the best example for you to use.
I guess I’m a little amazed that no one has brought up Somalia again. It’s glibertarian heaven, except for all the darkies running it. (Yeah, I know it’s the go-to example. So sue me – well, not you Omnes!)
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
@Ken_L:
to be fair, they do have swift and immediate justice for the most heinous karaoke offenders, so there is that.
Yutsano
@SFAW:
Well he does need the work…
stuckinred
@SFAW: Yea, Olongapo City was just like Burbank.
MikeJ
@Ken_L: I understand the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga. But we won’t go back to Subic any more.
Mike in NC
Oh yeah. I spent a week or so there on a deployment back in ’84. Karachi was a fucking Third World nightmare shithole. Must be even worse today…
Ken_L
SFAW @ 21 The Philippines used to have a higher standard of living than comparable countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan … but then those countries let the damn government get involved in the economy and look at the result!
Marcos was simply one of the wealthy elite who ALL rape and pillage the country. They started under the Spanish and they continue to the present day. The richest man in the country ran for president last year and almost got in. He lost to one of the Aquino family, also amongst the hugely wealthy elite.
Marcos’s widow is still in Congress and the family is still incredibly rich. His period in office just illustrates the point that The Philippines is an outstanding example of what happens when you apply conservative ideology in practice. Capital consolidates into fewer and fewer hands and everyone else gets forced into a Hobbesian struggle to find money to feed the numerous kids (abortion and birth control are also no-nos, thanks to the bishops). Health care? Well the local midwife can brew up some medicine or the manggagaway can mutter incantations and cast spells … take your pick. No government support but alternative medicine comes very cheap.
stuckinred
@Ken_L: When did they have a higher standard of living than Taiwan? That just doesn’t sound right.
One percenters for blowing up the Village
@Jenny:
Can I? Can I?? Pretty please?
Yutsano
@stuckinred: Possibly in the 70’s. The Taiwanese economic boom is a recent phenomenon.
Svensker
@Ken_L:
Yes, but they’re WOGS. America has nice white people with normal names who know how to run a country exceptionally well because they and it are exceptional. Why can’t you understand this basic fact and difference?
ETA: Yutsano beat me to it by hours. And also knows how to get to Bellingham. Ho hum.
Yutsano
@Svensker: Hell I almost moved to Bellingham. It’s a very nice little town actually. Didn’t make it past the second interview though, which kinda bit. Oh well, what doesn’t happen leads to what does.
And remember: Never be slow on Balloon Juice. Someone is bound to get there first. Happens to me early and often.
SFAW
I imagine that was a witticism/snark, but it’s lost on me. And, no, I’m not going to use Teh Google to try to figure it out. But if you want to give me the 30-second explanation, that would certainly help.
SFAW
Well, if you compare it to Brockton, sure.
Or did you mean the left-coast Bellingham?
shortstop
@Yutsano: I’m actually bummed to learn, via this whole flapdoodle, that Bellingham is so far from Seattle. We were considering taking the AMHS from there to Southeast next summer, but doesn’t sound like it’d be easy to get from Seattle to Bellingham with a couple of kayaks and minus a car.
Yutsano
@shortstop: Well you COULD…but that’s a long kayak ride. I recommend taking the Victoria Clipper and going south from Vancouver. You could technically kayak across the border that way but the Coast Guard might have nice little chat with you when you crossed the water border.
@SFAW:
You mean there’s another one? :)
Joel
i would imagine the troll from the NY post flew in to Bellingham airport, ~$600 round trip and not much more than flying to Seatac.
SFAW
The one in Washington IS the “other one”.
shortstop
@Yutsano: Wait, now I’m confused, a not particularly rare occurrence. If we want to fly to Seattle, hang there and thereabouts for a few days, then go up to Bellingham (a couple of kayaks in tow) and take the AMHS up to Juneau and among other points in SE Alaska (later flying home from Juneau), is there an easy way for us to get from Seattle to Bellingham without renting a car in Seattle and dropping it off in Bellingham? A train, maybe?
Yeah, I know I could look this up myself, and I’d planned to get around to that, but I love the personal touch you provide! Hope you don’t mind.
Maybe that’s too much of a long-ass ride, anyway. We should probably just fly to Juneau and rent the kayaks. It just sounded like fun and kind of a relaxing ride to take the ferry.
CaseyL
@SFAW: Righty-oh! So… where’s the other other one?
Svensker
@shortstop:
There’s the train and also the Greyhound. Renting a car’s not really that bad tho — it’s a one hour drive and you can stop in Marysville on the way up (or down) for great pie… Or in Mt. Vernon (at the bottom of the tulip tower) for great sandwiches. Or go by way of Chuckanut and stop for oysters — see if they have any Olympias, just in case.
shortstop
@Svensker: Thanks, S! Mmmm, pie and oysters. Do you think it’s worthwhile taking the ferry all the way from Bellingham to Alaska? Or is that one of those ideas that sounds relaxing and a little funky, and then when you get there you wonder why you did it and start looking at the clock?
SFAW
Doubtless you meant to write “the real one”, and your fingers slipped on the keyboard.
Shorter Svensker et al.: You can’t get there from here. (Assume a Downeast accent is being used.)
SFAW
And with all the talk of tulips, pie, and oysters, I am grateful that this thread was not an … extension, so to speak … of the Weinergate thread.
Svensker
@shortstop:
That’s hard for me to answer because I’m biased. I love ferries. Love them. The scenery is so fantastic, you really can’t beat the ride. And good chance of seeing some wild life like killer whales, seals, eagles, etc. If you don’t like looking at mountains and water and islands for hour after hour and leaning over the side to see how many jellyfish you can spot — you can go inside and eat, read, play cards. Ferries are magical, far as I’m concerned.
shortstop
@Svensker: Well, I’ve always felt the same way about them, and the third baseman and I are wildlife fanatics. The chance to kick back and watch the waves and some marine and avian wildlife, plus chat up strangers (as we always do when traveling), sounds outstanding to both of us. Thanks much for your input!
SFAW
I believe it’s spelled “fairies”.
Svensker
@shortstop:
I’m jealous of your trip (except the kayaking part — that sounds wet and cold and sweaty, where’s room service?). Have a great time!
Yutsano
@Svensker:
Yes, but, otterz.
Gromitt Gunn (formerly JMC_in_the_ATL)
Everything is better with an otter around (says the bear).
bob h
India, with its caste system, might be a better analogy for where we are going.
Chris
Conversely, all the real success stories, like the Four Tigers, involve a strong, strong dose of government involvement to help growth and to build the infrastructure (including things like schools, which educate people and therefore help them get paid more) of a modern economy.
That sound like Ayn Rand’s “capitalism” to you? Not so much, eh?
El Cid
@Chris: Note that the sorts of anti-developmental / investor-dedicated economic reforms imposed upon the vast majority of the 3rd world by IMF / World Bank loan-backed extortion throughout the 1980s and 1990s were once considered completely inappropriate for Western economies.
Well, those same ‘experts’ in developing the 3rd world through austerity, limiting government revenues, and dedicating the economy to serving investors and financial gamblers on the justification of debt is finally opportune to apply against ourselves.