Evaluation of the policies of George W. Bush and his Republican conservatives on America.
Published on February 18, 2006 By COL Gene In Politics



Every time I receive some of the insulting and demeaning comments from bloggers on JoeUser it demonstrates the ignorance of the people posting those comments. This is especially true about the positions I have taken on spending, tax and economic policies being followed by Bush and his GOP supporters in Congress. The reason these bloggers show how stupid they are is because the positions I have taken are in total agreement with the advice Mr. Bush has received on these issues from Paul O'Neil, Alan Greenspan, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and David Walker, the Comptroller General of the U.S. My positions on the tax cuts are supported by studies the Brookings Institute prepared.

Thus when the blockers blast my positions they are blasting the knowledge and experience of the foremost experts in our country. All that does is demonstrate how foolish they are and the ineptness of their comments.

Comments (Page 1)
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on Feb 18, 2006
What happened to the "Self-indulgent bullshit" radio button in the Bonus Rating Section?
on Feb 18, 2006
little_whip gets an insightful.

COL Gene, I almost never comment on your remarks, but might I suggest to you that you examine your presentation skills? You phrase things in a demeaning, argumentative style that shows little respect for others.

If your positions are as well-thought out and accurate as you think they are and yet you still receive "insulting and demeaning comments from bloggers on JoeUser" then logic dictates that it must be in the way that you phrase things. Or...possibly you are wrong in your positions.

I post articles that people disagree with all the time. If I did not want and actively seek out other opinions, I would either not post or disable comments. But I like discussion...hence the whole blogging thing. I don't feel that the comments are "insulting or demeaning." Do you think that is because of how I phrase things or simply that I tolerate disagreement?
on Feb 18, 2006
I agree that presentation can help get a point across to an audience that is willing to listen. However, many on this Blog site refuse to accept ANY argument if they believe it reflects negatively toward the policies we are following. Case in point are the first two comments to this Blog!
on Feb 18, 2006
I agree that presentation can help get a point across to an audience that is willing to listen. However, many on this Blog site refuse to accept ANY argument if they believe it reflects negatively toward the policies we are following. Case in point are the first two comments to this Blog!


Col, your problem is that you are not looking to get your point across, you want to change peoples minds right off the back. You have this belief that only you see the problem and that only you have the solution. But just like you claim we refuse to accept, so do you. Many times people have contradicted, with facts, what you claim but you refuse to listen because it, also, reflects negatively on what you believe in even if you might be wrong.

It works both ways Col but you somehow feel supreme. You remind me of Bush, probably the reason you don't like him, kinda like looking in a mirror and seeing the side of you you don't like.

BTW, what the hell does this have to do with politics? This is more blogging than anything.
on Feb 18, 2006
Wow.  I mean, WOW. I found this through typing "Pot calling the kettle black" into a search engine.
on Feb 18, 2006
The positions I have taken about the fiscal policy are totally opposite to the current policy. The positions I have taken are in consort with the experts I sighted. To take a position that conflicts with both the factual data ( we went from a balanced budget to $600 Billion deficit for example) and the advice of people like I mentioned makes one look stupid. My point is that when Bloggers on JoeUser blast me as not knowing what I am talking about they are saying the same thing about all these experts. That simply displays their ignorance.
on Feb 18, 2006
My point is that when Bloggers on JoeUser blast me as not knowing what I am talking about they are saying the same thing about all these experts. That simply displays their ignorance.


Well Col, have you ever heard the term 'consider the source'? I think if Bill Gates wrote something about fiscal policy, it would get a much different response because of his credentials and his persona. You put yourself on JU as a whacko Bush Basher. Your blogs are nothing but negativity so you have become someone others have grown to love to hate.

You are just feeding the bear when you call them ignorant and you know it. I think you either don't really care what anyone thinks of you or you enjoy the response you get. You wouldn't post something this offensive if anything else were true. If you put nothing but negativity out there, guess what you'll get back.
on Feb 18, 2006
My point is that when Bloggers on JoeUser blast me as not knowing what I am talking about they are saying the same thing about all these experts.


God forbid someone disagrees with the "experts". For every expert that you pull out of your nether regions, COL, I can pull another expert that says the opposite. which one is correct? To you, the only "experts" you deem correct are the ones that agree with you.

And those that disagree with you are the ignorant ones?

Pot, meet Kettle. Notice the similar coloring?
on Feb 18, 2006
Every time I receive some of the insulting and demeaning comments from bloggers on JoeUser it demonstrates the ignorance of the people posting those comments.

Insults, misinformation, and faulty logic are all Bush supporters have to make their case. They don’t have any substantial achievements by Bush that they can use to defend him, so they resort to personal attacks on democrats. We’ve seen that technique used over and over, here at JU and in nearly every political debate in the past two or three years. When asked to define Bush’s greatest achievements, the sheep respond: “Bush makes up his mind to do something, and he does it,” which is a purely superficial reason to be loyal to someone. It doesn’t really say anything about his character other than he’s closed-minded and arrogant. It could also be said that when Bush forms an opinion, no amount of facts to the contrary or logic is going to make him change his mind. An good example is the war in Iraq. He and his administration made their mind up that Hussein had WMDs and they sought out only information that reinforced their beliefs. Any contrary information was discounted and discarded, and dissenters were quickly disposed of.

Bush sheep are similar in the way they stick to their opinions. They somehow admire his obstinate ineptness and are unwavering in their dedication to a man who had never done an admirable or honorable thing in his life. But they are also insecure in their loyalty in the much same way the Islamic fundamentalists are insecure in their belief in the profit Muhammad, as exemplified by their violent reaction to the cartoons. Similarly, Bush sheep react angrily to anything that depicts Bush in a negative light, simply because they can’t logically defend him. They don’t have any substantial achievements they can use in their arguments, no examples of competence, nothing that suggests Bush is doing something purely for the good of the country -- so they resort to angry insults. Basically, their argument is, “You’re stupid if you don’t think like us,” even though they can’t give a logical explanation why they think the way they do. Largely, it’s just blind faith.
on Feb 18, 2006
BenUser

Sadly you are most likely correct. The consequences of the policies we are following will NOT go away because his supporters stick with him today or tomorrow. Unless most of the JoeUsers are multi-millionaires, the irony is his supporters are shooting them selves in BOTH feet when the support Bush and his policies. You are correct if you look at a factual review of what he has done thought his life from the days when he used drugs, booze to the point he became governor of Texas, he accomplished NOTHING. He did have some success as Governor of Texas but that is the extent of his accomplishments. Those are the Facts which I am sure will be called as Bush Bashing.
on Feb 18, 2006
Insults, misinformation, and faulty logic are all Bush supporters have to make their case. They don’t have any substantial achievements by Bush that they can use to defend him, so they resort to personal attacks on democrats. We’ve seen that technique used over and over, here at JU and in nearly every political debate in the past two or three years.


And you are doing what exactly with this comment? You should be the last person to speak, at least Col looks for sources to back up his claims, you on the other hand only know how to make fun and insult the replies of others. When was the last time you made an article? Here we say "look, a dead man talking about a hanged man". Pot and kettle if you don't get it.

Bush forms an opinion, no amount of facts to the contrary or logic is going to make him change his mind.


It seems Bush an Col have more in common than I thought.

Bush sheep are similar in the way they stick to their opinions


More to prove my first point. Hypocrit could not discribe you enough.

Similarly, Bush sheep react angrily to anything that depicts Bush in a negative light, simply because they can’t logically defend him. They don’t have any substantial achievements they can use in their arguments, no examples of competence, nothing that suggests Bush is doing something purely for the good of the country -- so they resort to angry insults.


So then this would make you a Col sheep right?

Basically, their argument is, “You’re stupid if you don’t think like us,” even though they can’t give a logical explanation why they think the way they do. Largely, it’s just blind faith.


More proof of my first point. Someone should make a new word that can discribe someone who is beyond a hipocrit.

I all honesty, I could not put you in the same group as Col. As much as I disagree with Col, I have a slight bit of respect for him for at least looking for proof, even if he ignores everything that contradicts his argument, while all you do is insult people for their replies.
on Feb 18, 2006
COL: No one respects you or takes you seriously because you're a caricature. You have one message (Bush is bad) that you bolster with various cherry-picked articles, statistics, and polls. You display no personality and have an inability to stray from your single message, regardless of what other people may be discussing.

If you want people to listen...if you truly believe you hold the key to the truth, you'd be better served by including some personality and diversity to your posts and comments. You're not convincing anyone with your Robo3000 act.
on Feb 18, 2006
gene? you are like most people, when people AGREE with us somehow they are smart and sensitive, when they disagree they are stupid and dense.
on Feb 18, 2006

Col Gene's views boil down to a pretty straight forward argument:

Assumptions:

  1. Deficits are bad.
  2. The only way to get rid of deficits are to raise taxes.
  3. The best way to raise taxes would be to target the rich since they can afford it.

Therefore, if you don't agree with this view, you are ignorant.

The problem is that plenty of people disagree with all 3 assumptions he makes.

I agree with item #1. But there are plenty of people who don't see having 3% to 4% GDP deficit as a big deal.  They're not ignorant. They simply don't agree. And Col Gene comes across (To me anyway) as an ignoran blowhard because he focuses on the billions of dollars rather than % of GDP.

Item #2 is disagreed with by most Republicans.  I have, in the past, taken the time to prove that you cannot eliminate the deficit by raising taxes.  Item #2 isn't about opinion, it's fact. Raising taxes alone will not eliminate the deficit unless you rased them to unprecedented levels.  It is not particularly difficult to look at last year's tax receipts and put in some theoretical tax increase (say 40% tax rate on the richest 5% of the population) and see what the difference would be.  The result: Deficit spending still. 

And that's with the huge assumption that such tax increases wouldn't have a negative impact on the overall economy which I think they would.  Raise taxes and the first thing you'd see happen would be a $10 per month fee to be on this site.  The last tax cut paid for the development and maintainence of this site.

Item #3 again has a ton of subjectivity on it.  First, he sets himself up as the person who would decide what is an adequate living standard. 

Two weeks ago I worked a 111 hour work week.  Since Thanksgiving, I have averaged working between 70 and 90 hours each week.  This last week I worked 83 hours.  However, as a result, I expect these endeavors to generate millions of dollars in revenue.  Some of that revenue will go into my pocket. I make no apologies for that.  I will be substantially wealthier than I am today.  However, a significant portion will go to hiring more people -- creating new jobs and new opportunities. 

You tax me high enough, however, and the incentive to work those hours goes away.  Why should I be busting my butt so that most of my income is confiscated and handed out largely to the idle (regardless of why they're idle).  I am quite certain that even on top of my taxes, which range in the hundreds of thousands per year, I still probably give far more in raw dollars to charity than Gene does. I am quite certain I give more to people I see in need than Gene does.  Confiscating my income would not help those people and it would certainly not help the economy.  You take away my incentive to work and create jobs then you ultimately hurt the economy. 

There have been plenty of demographic studies on the top 5% income earners in the United States.  They're rich because they create wealth that is mostly passed on to others. 

I find it ironic that the same people who support "Rich guy" paying 50X in taxes than the average person throwing a fit if same Rich guy makes 10X more than the average person.  I won't say how much I make but you can assume Gene would find it obscene. And yet, it's really just a relatively small percentage of the money that I generate each year. 

I'm not motivated purely by money, not even close.  But I am definitely DE-motivated by taxes.  Which is what counts. Taxation is a demotivator that far outstrips the motivation of money for most people who are in that top 5%.

If Gene wants to call me ignorant, that's his right. I would be willing to compare my resume to his any day. 

 

on Feb 18, 2006
I have documented why the many policies we are following are NOT solving our problems. Since those policies are what Bush has supported and gotten through Congress, YES they all point to him.
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