The other Awards Obama will will this year...

[Jester]

Exactly. Both illusions, and the real thing. Although, I'm still suspicious of the totalitarian socialist state side less the ridiculousness of an Acorn conspiracy and the birther nonsense. I don't think people really understand the idea of creeping socialism, and how insidious totalitarianism can be.

Totalitarianism isn't "insidious". To my knowledge, there is not a single example in history of slow, creeping totalitarianism taking hold of a country. It has, in every last case, been a function of some kind of armed takeover, or at the very least, an obvious, sudden, revolutionary change towards authoritarianism.

On the other hand, there are dozens of examples of democratic states enacting much more vigorous "socialist" reforms, especially in the field of health care, which have not come even close to totalitarianism. Some of the freest, least "totalitarian" countries in the world have highly socialized health care systems. So, the historical record appears to be the exact opposite of what you're suggesting, not that this should dissuade you from your doomsaying. :rolleyes:

you have a government monopoly over an industry, it is a short step to justify stamping out any competition and the underground economy by making private contracts illegal. Then, given the circumstances, it is then easily justifiable to stamp out the dissent by making dissent illegal.

And from there, it's just another slip down the slope to making *kittens* illegal. And what kind of monster would make kittens illegal? Why, imaginary Obama, of course! I'm afraid this kind of thinking is exactly the kind of nonsense Mr. Tomorrow is ridiculing. "We can't have health care reform, because health care reform will lead to the end of the free market, and the end of free speech, and death camps, and a boot standing on the human face forever!"

Astroturf my latex buttocks.

Sounds painful, but if you insist...

Today our Senate finance committee voted on a bill that actually doesn't even exist yet. Forget about voting on bills that haven't been read. This is a vote on one that hasn't even been written. It is a concept of the merger of two very disparate bills that will be merged behind closed doors by a handful of Dems, and then the umpteen gazillion pages will be put to a vote before anyone can read or fully comprehend it's impact.

Voting for a reconciliation of two existing bills isn't quite the same as voting for something non-existent. This is just the regular business in the bizarre world of having two equal houses whose functions overlap almost entirely. My suggestion? Abolish the senate. But, then, that would require the votes of Senators, so we can probably shelve that idea. :lol:

We really don't deserve freedom if we are not willing to stand vigilantly for it.

Against all challengers! Especially those promising moderate, watered-down health care reforms, possibly-but-not-definitely involving some vague notion of a public option, perhaps with a "trigger" or "opt-out" for states! Aux armes!

-Jester