Monday, July 21, 2014

The Progressive Commandments

Last week, Elizabeth "Fake Indian" Warren gave a list of eleven “commandments of progressivism.” It’s actually a pretty pathetic list and it shows how little the left has left in the tank. Let’s look at Elizabeth’s commandments...
(1) "We believe that Wall Street needs stronger rules and tougher enforcement, and we're willing to fight for it."
Funny. When Obama and the Democrats had free reign to do whatever they wanted, they passed a bill that enshrined too big to fail and made it even bigger. They also passed a regulatory bill that handed out all kinds of favors using taxpayer money and crushed main street financial organizations on behalf of Wall Street. And let's not forget that Democrats get more money from Wall Street than the Republicans do.
(2) "We believe in science, and that means that we have a responsibility to protect this Earth."
You forgot the word “junk.” The left believes in “junk science” and will try to destroy anyone who questions their politicized “scientific” dogma. Further, the left opposes science when it involves improving oil and gas drilling, improving agriculture, spreading consumerism, health care technology, and weapons that can defend the United States.
(3) "We believe that the Internet shouldn't be rigged to benefit big corporations, and that means real net neutrality."
Actually, net neutrality is about deciding which big corporations get their way on the internet, so stop being sanctimonious about it.
(4) "We believe that no one should work full-time and still live in poverty, and that means raising the minimum wage."
The minimum wage is not meant for people to live off of. It is a starter wage for part-time workers. And rather than raising the minimum wage, which would only affect six million people out of 310 million, why not try to create more and better jobs, which would increase wages across the board. Don’t you care about the middle class or the working class?
(5) "We believe that fast-food workers deserve a livable wage, and that means that when they take to the picket line, we are proud to fight alongside them."
Uh, this is number four repackaged. Also what about casino workers and bus drivers? Don't you care about them? You don't mention them.
(6) "We believe that students are entitled to get an education without being crushed by debt."
Then why did you impose the student loan system on them which crushed them with debt? And why do your reforms always involve extending the length of the student loans so the students end up paying back more and for longer periods of time?
(7) "We believe that after a lifetime of work, people are entitled to retire with dignity, and that means protecting Social Security, Medicare, and pensions."
Duh. Is this really something you think everyone doesn’t believe? Well, everyone except Obama who stripped Medicare to fund Obamacare.
(8) "We believe—I can't believe I have to say this in 2014—we believe in equal pay for equal work."
Everyone believes this... except you actually. What you really mean is that you believe in the Government setting wages on your perception of who should be paid what. Equal work has nothing to do with it.
(9) "We believe that equal means equal, and that's true in marriage, it's true in the workplace, it's true in all of America."
Actually, some animals are more equal than others in your world. In fact, your world is a world of progressive tax codes to make those with more pay more, speech codes to let those in power control the free speech of those without power, identity politics which proclaims that civil rights laws apply only to certain races and genders, and so on.
(10) "We believe that immigration has made this country strong and vibrant, and that means reform."
That’s an interesting nonsequitor: immigration made us great, let’s change it! Anyway, this is something 85% of Americans believe, so claiming it as being progressive is rather asinine. Also, “that means reform” is about as nebulous a statement as you could possible make. What does that mean? Of course, nothing you’ve said so far has been specific enough that a neutral observer would have any idea what you have planned, so I guess this is no worse than the rest.
(11) "And we believe that corporations are not people, that women have a right to their bodies. We will overturn Hobby Lobby and we will fight for it. We will fight for it!"
Wow. So the fact that less than 100 corporations can opt out of providing a certain type of healthcare benefit that you can take care of in any drug store suddenly means that women no longer “have a right to their bodies”? Talk about ridiculous hyperbole! So why should we take anything you say seriously?

As you can see, the progressives are spent. Their ideas are nebulous and unformed. The few specifics they do address are pointless, i.e. raise the minimum wage, hypocritical, i.e. regulate Wall Street!, or the worst kind of hyperbole, i.e. corporations can legally turn women into sex slaves.

Thoughts?

26 comments:

Koshcat said...

Trouble is too many actually fall for this crappola.

AndrewPrice said...

Koshcat, I would rephrase it as "the problem is that we don't offer enough to keep people from drinking this very watered-down Kool Aid." If this is the best they can do, then we should be wiping the floor with them. Unfortunately, our side is just as bad, if not worse. Ideas are anathema to modern ideologues.

BevfromNYC said...

It is clear you hate women otherwise you would not question Warren's integrity and passion! Obviously Ms Warren is saving the specifics for a later date...duh!

Critch said...

Just another copy of Saul Alinksy's work set to a more modern theme...just another socialist in my book...what was she paid, $350,000.00 for a class she didn't teach? Hell, isn't there a Fraud, Waste and Abuse program at that university or in that state? That's criminal to take public money and deliver nothing for it.

Tennessee Jed said...

good to be back home after a long weekend. I want the Dems to nominate this rabbit. She is so easy to marginalize and take not seriously. What could be more fun than, say, touting the very real first female native American for our highst elected office. I do think she would be easier to beat than Billary because:

1) there are a lot of voters who want to be liberal. Why not? free shit, victims. So what they do is listen to Billary or Warren and say "CAN I believe this?" Then, they seek out leftist media (no shortage there) to provide cherry picked simplistic factoids that will help bolster their believing what they want to to begin with. 2) so many women still WANT to believe Hillary walks on water, but Warren is purer ideologically (think George McGovern.) Hillary and the co-prez would be tougher than Warren to paint as an inexperience idiot.

BevfromNYC said...

Oh, but wait. Jerry Brown has joined the every growing list of potential candidates who actively deny the rumors that they may run for President in 2016 - "No really I have no idea how you got that idea? But as long as your are listening, what do the polls say?". What is it with these faux candidates who act as if they should be asked/begged to run?

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, My magic sweater vest tells me that women are yucky. ;-)

AndrewPrice said...

Critch, Waste, fraud and abuse don't apply to liberals or fake Indians.

AndrewPrice said...

Jed, I agree. I think Hillary has the advantage of sounding like a moderate. I think that will play well with the public at large, in particular women. Warren, on the other hand, is a nutjob far-left ideologue who will spew out insane things that scare the crap out of people. I would rather face Warren.

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, Every circus needs a clown, and the Democratic side is quickly turning into a circus.LOL!

tryanmax said...

It's all unfocused and nebulous because the buzzwords they are centered on focus group well. That's why "net neutrality" doesn't mean what it should mean. That's why corporations and government determining healthcare coverage is giving women rights to their own bodies. That's why they can't let "equal pay" die as an issue even though it has been realized. In my current cynical mood, I think the GOP could skip the ideas if they just ran their own focus groups instead of just attacking buzz-words. Yes, it's infuriating that people fall for fancy language, but no one admits they do. So just give 'em fancier language to fall for.

EricP said...

As usual, takedown -- 2 points!!! You know, to make the likes of Ms. Fauxcahontas feel better, I'll give you two takedown points per "commandment." Try not to spend all 22 in one spot.

Koshcat said...

I'm often confused about the idea of retirement as a right. Retirement is a bonus for hard work and delayed gratification. But how does one say that without sounding un-empathetic.

I think the GOP should jump on the Equal Pay for Equal Work. Government employees should not make more than 110% in salary, bonuses, and benefits of a worker in a private work place.

BevfromNYC said...

Koshcat, part of the conundrum of retirement is because until Social Security came along, people worked until they died which was usually around 65-ish. I mean, how many movies or images are there from the pre-70's can you think of where people didn't work for living until they died? And women before that generally did not work. Nobody retired unless their health demanded it.

Kit said...

High up on the Hill of Congress
Where the Congress leads the nation
Where the country’s laws are crafted
Chieftain Lizzie Warren standing
Saw her people, land, and nation.

Anthony said...

Its a pretty uninspiring list, but we live in uninspired political times.

As for pseudo-Indian Warren, but I'm not sure she'd be weaker than Hillary. She seems to be less gaffe prone and her agenda (none of which would work) could be charitably read as aimed at helping the middle class/working poor.

Ideologues don't do well in politics/with reality (nods towards Obama) but they can do well politically for a bit (read: win elections) if they are able to come across as reasonable and in tune with the common man and their opponents are sufficiently inept.

Writer X said...

If it's possible, Fake Indian Warren annoys me more than Hilary. She takes phony to a new level.

Critch said...

Well, I was watching two news programs tonight and both had stories about Fauxcahontas' supporters wanting her to run.....

AndrewPrice said...

Critch, I'd like to see her run if for no other reason than to see a bloodbath on the left.

AndrewPrice said...

Writer X, She is definitely more annoying... and more dangerous if she gets into the White House somehow.

AndrewPrice said...

Anthony, I agree. This is an uninspired list, but it offers just enough that she can claim she's trying to help the middle class etc. etc. And if the Republican starts talking about corporate tax breaks, then people might actually believer her.

AndrewPrice said...

Kit, I feel like I should drive by her and toss a burger wrapper out of my car window as I drive past.

AndrewPrice said...

Koshcat, I think that retirement is so ingrained in the American mindset that you just can't fight it. People see retirement as the reward for working hard during their lives.

I hear you government worker pay. They need a serious pay cut.

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks Eric! Fauxcahontas really does need to a serious series of intellectual beat downs to expose her lunacy.

AndrewPrice said...

tryanmax, Sadly, I think you are right. I think this is all about the buzz words and not the complete sentences. And you are right that the GOP could learn to do the exact same thing. Even more, I'd like to see the GOP start stealing the left's words and redefining them.

tryanmax said...

Andrew, if feminists are any indication, the left does not know how to handle it when their terms are hijacked (despite doing it to the right for decades). Feminism has lost control of its definition to the extremists and man-haters and it's driving the left crazy.

In this case, they did it to themselves. The combination of War on Women + Elliot Rodgers + #YesAllWomen + "rape culture" + Hobby Lobby + "slut shaming" has fatigued the public. Feminists are openly attacking women opposed to feminism, forcing hypocritical optics. Plus, the International Conference on Men’s Issues didn't turn out to be a more wretched hive of scum and villainy as anticipated. The whole internet has descended into arguing over what "feminism" even means, which is never a good sign for a movement.

Not that I recommend the right take the anti- stance to rile up the left. They got greedy on the birth control thing, but that won't always happen. I think a more reliable approach would be for the right to concern-troll the left, force them to up the ante to stay in front and draw out the lunatics that way.

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