tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post3050154100572175147..comments2024-01-16T03:42:46.705-05:00Comments on The Downward Spiral: Friday Rant: Obama and Romney's Pointless Argument About American "Exceptionalism"Bill Hickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17551954408189665078noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-81087789112057224952012-04-06T18:36:40.290-04:002012-04-06T18:36:40.290-04:00I think we are exceptional in that we had Thomas J...I think we are exceptional in that we had Thomas Jefferson and others to figure out a good political system for us. Too bad we don't use it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-2357496536872147412012-04-06T13:36:21.954-04:002012-04-06T13:36:21.954-04:00Good eye. I remember driving past that dump when ...Good eye. I remember driving past that dump when I lived in Chicago 20 years ago...it was abandoned then. I thought the picture went really well with the story since the Dixie Square Mall was so "exceptional." :)Bill Hickshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17551954408189665078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-72539605302113647962012-04-06T13:29:26.641-04:002012-04-06T13:29:26.641-04:00Didn't know that that mall was where "Blu...Didn't know that that mall was where "Blues Brothers" had that great mall chase/pile up scene...(demolition began in Feb. 2012)<br /><b>The Hunger Blues:Strip Search-Blue Light Special</b>starskeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02661141833059602897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-75630242852661487772012-04-06T13:09:43.148-04:002012-04-06T13:09:43.148-04:00Oh oh oh! Don't forget that we have a quarter ...Oh oh oh! Don't forget that we have a quarter of the world's total prison population right here! Five percent of total human population, 25% of total incarcerated. EXCEPTIONAAAAAAAL!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-23353202139579233102012-04-06T12:48:41.420-04:002012-04-06T12:48:41.420-04:00Bill..., many thanks. That was by far the best ran...Bill..., many thanks. That was by far the best rant yet ever. You just nailed it perfectly, and had me laughing good and hard as well. The last paragraph should be put on our tombstone. It sums it up perfectly. This will indeed be a long and miserable campaign. Time to stock up on earplugs.defshepardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01029515057003737645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-56637489146733579112012-04-06T11:52:00.671-04:002012-04-06T11:52:00.671-04:00Bingo!
It's not Americans who are exceptional...Bingo!<br /><br />It's not Americans who are exceptional, it's America... the place (including, if one were to be honest, all of North America). North America was endowed with a mind-boggling array of resources. The founders of this country happened to arrive at a time when that bounty was largely untapped and unowned (although, at the time, it was used in a largely sustainable manner by the previous inhabitants.... an example almost entirely lost on the new arrivals).<br /><br />And, as you note, what have the human part of "America" really accomplished in their 200+ years of existence? Well, BIG fucking consumption/destruction/pollution. Mmmmm, we meddle... a lot... although not particularly successfully if one is remotely honest. We did support slavery officially for almost 100 years, and institutional bigotry for, well, longer, at least. We successfully executed an official (and unofficial) policy of genocide against the indigenous peoples, so we've got that going for us. Oh, and we have managed to pollute, consume, destroy, waste, use and burn up a huge percentage of the most valuable (to survival) resources we once had.<br /><br />Seriously, the national motto should be changed from <i>E pluribus unum</i> to <i>Melior felicis quam bonus</i> ("Better lucky than good").bmersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-19870985600440381142012-04-06T10:48:08.063-04:002012-04-06T10:48:08.063-04:00It exceptionally entertaining to watch America spi...It exceptionally entertaining to watch America spiral down.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-47265455737899602452012-04-06T10:03:07.654-04:002012-04-06T10:03:07.654-04:00"And what did we choose to do with that incre..."And what did we choose to do with that incredible bounty? We created a crass, superficial, me-first society that has been devouring those resources as quickly as possible and despoiling this beautiful landscape to create a hideously ugly, coast-to coast shopping mall to accommodate the lowest common denominator tastes of a vast horde of drooling consumer zombies."<br /><br />And this shall be our requiem.~https://www.blogger.com/profile/07775795950513629761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-1250303091143168062012-04-06T09:38:57.444-04:002012-04-06T09:38:57.444-04:00Brilliant work Bill, well done.
Again we end up b...Brilliant work Bill, well done.<br /><br />Again we end up back with poor old Jimmy Carter, who as you say was bumbling, but had an idea of the limits we needed to face. Since 1980 the Carter principal has applied in politics all over the democratic world, never tell the electorate the truth, they will punish you for it.<br /><br />I expect a whole summer of this Obama Romney rethorical pissing contest. Even if they understood what needs to be done, they are not going to tell the electorate about it. This election will be about every irrelevant diversion they can think of and will avoid the real issues at all cost.<br /><br />And this is how the Republic will die.irishwildeyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13653892284914268881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-2835336903729671832012-04-06T09:37:41.815-04:002012-04-06T09:37:41.815-04:00Why do you not believe fervently in Amerifag excep...Why do you not believe fervently in Amerifag exceptionalism? Ain't nuthin' else like it in the world. It's why I'm hiding in an undisclosed location. <br /><br />Which is why I'm happy as hell that there is absolutely no hope that America will be able to change course before we manage to destroy ourselves.<br /><br />Come November, I'm drunk voting like a boss for whoever I think can accelerate the suicide. Too bad Ron Paul won't be running; his brand of fail would be epic. <br /><br />P.S. A Perfect Circle does a great cover of another great Joni Mitchell original. <br />www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHub8SQmngkAmerifag Exceptionalistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-76545934699159660972012-04-06T09:21:25.077-04:002012-04-06T09:21:25.077-04:00...a vast horde of drooling consumer zombies.
ok......a vast horde of drooling consumer zombies. <br /><br />okay! That made me laugh!Gail Zawackihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01800944469843206253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-27309717968586023622012-04-06T09:01:07.133-04:002012-04-06T09:01:07.133-04:00This is the best rant yet. It's all true and i...This is the best rant yet. It's all true and it all needs to be said.Jim Laheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12440909311757922295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862216000300765627.post-42599764627011869902012-04-06T09:00:19.325-04:002012-04-06T09:00:19.325-04:00Haha, Manifest Destiny! We still got it Bill!Haha, Manifest Destiny! We still got it Bill!Jerry Carlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10024087888949143035noreply@blogger.com