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Addicted to Power
Rush Limbaugh had some interesting commentary on the Democratic party on Thursday:
CALLER: “[W]hat do the Democrats want? They own the car industry. They don’t want us to go to college. What do they want? At the end of this, what do they want? They’re going to have all the power, and what do they want?”
Rush made an insightful comparison of the Democrats’ irrational policies with that of the chemically dependent:
LIMBAUGH: “Have you ever had a genuine addiction to anything? … Well, I have. I have. I have, and let me tell you about it. It makes you entirely unreasonable and irrational. It is all you care about. Nothing else matters. No matter how important to you otherwise, it doesn’t matter as much as the addiction. Feeding it, the fear of not being able to, is what animates your existence every day. These people are addicted to power, because they think it is their birthright. And I’m not just talking about the people in Washington, elected officials. I’m talking about some of — not all, but some of — the rank-and-file, madcap, insane liberals that you will find blogging, that you will find e-mailing, that you will find on the protest march. Their lives are basically meaningless. The addiction to power and dominance and control is what drives them. And the thing about an addiction is, it can never be satisfied.
Well, I have. I have. I have, and let me tell you about it. It makes you entirely unreasonable and irrational. It is all you care about. Nothing else matters. No matter how important to you otherwise, it doesn’t matter as much as the addiction. Feeding it, the fear of not being able to, is what animates your existence every day. These people are addicted to power, because they think it is their birthright. And I’m not just talking about the people in Washington, elected officials. I’m talking about some of — not all, but some of — the rank-and-file, madcap, insane liberals that you will find blogging, that you will find e-mailing, that you will find on the protest march. Their lives are basically meaningless. The addiction to power and dominance and control is what drives them. And the thing about an addiction is, it can never be satisfied.”
The caller followed-up with:
CALLER: “But after they destroy our country, where’s their power?”
Rush’s reply:
LIMBAUGH: “What do addicts do? They destroy themselves. They do. They destroy themselves, and they destroy the things that are most important to them.”
I couldn’t help but think of Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle when I was listening to this segment.  You can find the original transcript here:
Of course, this attitude isn’t limited to just the left – I think it is common among most politicians today.
You reap what you sow
I find it amazing and ironic that the religious right is crying discrimination with regard to a provision in the stimulus bill to ban money designated for school renovation from being spent on facilities that allow “religious worship”:
These are the same people that argued that government should stay out of the affairs of private schools:
I do not feel that public funding should be extended to any organization that discriminates against an individual based on their sexual orientation. If you want your child to be indoctrinated, you’re going to have to pay extra for it.
Our guy sucks… Long live our guy!
I find it hillarious how the so-called “alternative media” has appologized for and defended Bush time and time again, yet now that there is an election in progress, they waste no time putting a dagger in his back in favor of changeâ„¢ from the likes of McBushBainCain.
Ehh, it’s all over tomorrow. Then they’ll move on to telling us that we made the wrong choice and that we “deserve who we voted for.” I thought that was proven during the last 8 years…
Here’s hoping Obama makes it to his innauguration before some racist asshat takes him out.
Charlie Gibson Interviews Palin
To anyone still thinking about voting for McCain, I’d like you to read these excepts from ABC’s Charlie Gibson’s interview with Sarah Palin:
Brown is the New Black
I rarely agree with Ann Coulter. She usually comes off as being completely unhinged. However, I think she hit the nail on the head (save for the liberal dig) with a recent article she wrote about the state of illegal immigration in the U.S.:
“It’s as if we’ve got the last Xbox 360s available on Christmas Eve and instead of doubling the price, we’re entertaining low-ball offers. Or more accurately, we’re paying our customers to take the darn things off our hands — and the customers are still indignant with us.”
What if we lose?
Jerry Bader referenced an interested WSJ editorial this morning underscoring the dangers of a premature retreat from Iraq. In the past, I’ve been mostly on the fence as to whether we were warranted in going to war in Iraq. However, I also feel that none of those reasons matter anymore. What’s done is done, and now we need to finish the job. Keep in mind I have no loved ones stationed in the Middle East at this time, however, I think losing and/or retreating from this conflict could cause great damage to the well-being of our country as a whole. I don’t claim to know much about the logistics of the war, but I do hope we can reach a resolution sooner than later while minimizing further deaths of our soldiers.
- Wall Street Journal Editorial: What if We Lose?
No Smokes for You, Part III
Outagamie County Circuit Judge Dee Dye threw out a lawsuit filed in June by 35 bar owners after he determined the city’s smoking ban ordinance, approved by voters in April, did not violate state law.
Although I’m pleased with his decision, the fight is by no means over yet. Opponents of the ban are urging council to schedule a special election in November to allow voters to revisit the ban. Additionally, further legal appeals are possible. I’m not sure they’ll get it overturned in the courts, but I’m hoping the second referendum will be on the April ballot. I think a November special election will have a turnout much more likely to be biased against the ban. I think an April referendum will likely have similar results to the first.
- Post-Crescent article: Voters get crack at smoking ban
***Update***
It looks like the second referendum will be in April, which is good. The choice of dates could have very easily changed the result of the vote.
Canadian Parliament Approves Gay Marriage Bill
Canadian Parliament approved a bill by an 8% margin that would allow same-sex marriages, making Canada the third country to do so after the Netherlands and Belgium. This is truly a victory for civil rights, and it’s comforting to see so close to home.
Although the passage through its final reading is very significant, it needs Senate approval and then the stamp from the Governor-General, which expected and may become law by July.
To paraphrase some comments posted on Fark: We welcome Canada to the 21st century. I just wish the U.S. would come out of the 19th century. Hopefully the religious right’s failure to enter the time period after the discovery the internal combustion engine will make this a reality in our life times.
Recent Supreme Court Decisions
Eminent Domain
The Supreme Court voted to strengthen the power of government to seize private property for commercial developments last Thursday, a sad blow to the rights of the small and middle class property owner. Having known someone who was adversely affected by the use of eminent domain, I think this ruling was truly sad. From the Journal Sentinel article:
The court ruled 5-4 that local governments can buy property, even when it isn’t blighted, as long as the owner is fairly compensated.
I have two problems with this statement. First of all, local governments no longer have to justify their use of eminent domain beyond some sort of “public good.” Every proposed use of eminent domain likely has some benefit to a portion of the public at the expense of robbing the property owner. Furthermore, in my experience, “fair compensation” often means the current market value. I think it should mean fair market value, plus moving expenses, plus an inconvenience bonus. That doesn’t even take into account the emotional toll of losing land that one’s family may have owned for generations, or the feeling of being robbed by the community you’ve helped support and contribute to? All in the name of generating more tax revenue. I wonder when time come when eminent domain is used as a threat to defeat political opposition?
- From the Journal Sentinel: A looser rein on eminent domain
- Summary from the Houston Chronicle: Recent Supreme Court rulings unsettling
***Update***
The house has passed a bill that “would withhold federal money from state and local governments that use powers of eminent domain to force businesses and homeowners to give up their property for commercial uses.” Score one for the little guys!
File-sharing suffers major defeatAnother ruling to benefit mega corporations. If I use a screwdriver to kill someone, should the manufacturer be liable? What if I use my cell phone to threaten someone – should Sanyo be hauled into court? Here is the kicker:
We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright … is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties.
Well, I suppose that makes sense – anyone who promotes a crime probably should be held accountable to some degree. However, are the makers of Grokster and Morpheus, et al “promoting its use to infringe copyright?” I don’t think so, anymore than BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen does, or Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web. I don’t file share to the extent I did in college, but I also don’t feel that software should made illegal, only the actions of those who use it formalicious purposes.
US Bans Commandments in Court
Anothing ambigous ruling, although a partial victory for separation of religion and state I suppose. The justices ruled against the display of framed copies of the Commandments, but some displays would be permissible if they were “portrayed neutrally in order to honor America’s legal history”. I’m not sure how they can make such a distinction. It could be argued either way whether a particular display of the Ten Commandments is historical or a declaration of government support. Either way, I don’t find any display of religion in government as neutral, whether it be of Christian or Muslim or whatever origin. How does the atheist or Muslim feel about his or her chances while walking up the court steps past a monument of Christian beliefs? Seems intimidating, to me.
June 29th, 2005 
News & Current Events, People, Politics 
Tags: eminent domain, michael jackson, news, Politics, religion, more... Jacko and Shill
It’s been awhile since I posted anything, so I thought I would chime in on some current events.
Michael Jackson – Although I’m not too surprised he was found innocent on the molestation charges, I’m a little surprised he didn’t get nailed for allegedly serving alcohol to a minor, just to get him for something. Either way, from the interviews I’ve heard, it sounds like the jury made the right decision given reasonable doubt. For his sake, I hope he has learned a lesson or two. Something tells me we’ll see him again in court within the next 5 years, though. It will be interesting to see if he releases another album. People have short memories, so I think it would sell if it was any good.
Bush agrees to forgive $40bn in African debt – Thank goodness, because we sure don’t have financial problems in our own country! I say pay off our own debt, fix what’s broken in our own country, and then you can go play Mother Teresa. I don’t recall anyone ever offering to forgive my mortgage. Instead, I now have another debt to help pay off. Thanks Bush!
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