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How right-wingers use
semantic tricks to kill government |
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Loaded terminology like "entitlements" and "welfare"
skews the debate and alters America. Here's how it works |
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BY MICHAEL LIND |
Salon |
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“Semantic infiltration” is a term coined by the foreign policy expert
FredIkle and popularized by the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Ikle
defined it thus:
Semantic infiltration means one undermines one’s own position in negotiations by
adopting unknowingly the terms which the adversary “infiltrates.”
As a conservative, Ikle drew most of his examples of semantic infiltration from
liberal usages that became mainstream, like “affirmative action” for race- or
gender-based preference policies. But in recent years, it is arguably the
center-left that has suffered the most from the successful semantic infiltration
of public discourse by loaded conservative terminology.
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Worst Congress money
can buy |
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Failed gun control
legislation and a fertilizer plant explosion reveal how poisoned
by big money our government is |
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By BILL MOYERS AND MICHAEL WINSHIP |
BillMoyers.com |
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If you want to see why the public approval rating of Congress is down in the
sub-arctic range — an icy 15 percent by last count — all you have to do is take
a quick look at how the House and Senate pay worship at the altar of
corporations, banks and other special interests at the expense of public
aspirations and need.
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The Republican Fight
Against Reality |
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BY ALLEN CLIFTON |
Forward Progressives |
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If you’re like me, you’ve had more than a few debates with Republicans on a
varying degree of issues. And if you’re like me, you’ve walked away feeling as
if these people live on a completely different planet.
For a while now I’ve called the Republicans the party of “bumper sticker
politics.” That is, if it can’t fit neatly on a bumper sticker, their party
can’t use it for a talking point. Their message must be simple, easy to repeat
and all it really needs to do is sound good—but really doesn’t have to make any
sense.
A great example of this is the gun debate. “Guns don’t kill people, people kill
people,” which is true. A gun by itself can’t shoot anyone, but a Tomahawk
missile can’t fire itself either. So using that same logic, should average
Americans be allowed to buy Tomahawk missiles? After all, “Tomahawk missiles
don’t kill people, people kill people,”—right? Read
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10 biggest lies spewed
by Sean Hannity |
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On Tuesday, Rep. Keith Ellison accused the
Fox News host of telling "mistruths." He was speaking
euphemistically |
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BY CHELSEA RUDMAN|
Salon |
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On the Feb. 27 edition of Hannity, host Sean
Hannity replayed part of his Feb. 26 interview with Rep. Keith
Ellison. During the exchange, Ellison responded to Hannity’s
question about the federal debt being “immoral” by saying, “You
are immoral for telling lies.” Hannity asked, “I’m immoral? What
did I do that’s immoral?” Ellison responded, “You tell
mistruths. You say things that aren’t true.” Speaking before the
clip was aired, Hannity said Ellison “at times, seemed
incoherent” and “really started grasping at straws.” After the
clip was aired, Hannity said to guest J.C. Watts, “I just gave
him the rope and said, go. Here you go, rant away.”
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Finally confirmed: An
asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs |
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BY SEBASTIAN ANTHONY |
Extreme Tech |
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A team of American and European researchers
have confirmed that the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction — the
event that wiped out roughly 75% of the planet’s species,
including almost every dinosaur — was caused by an asteroid
impact in Mexico 66 million years ago. The Cretaceous–Paleogene
extinction was the last great extinction event to occur on
Earth, and is most notable for causing the diversification of
mammals that eventually resulted in Homo sapiens.
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The Strangest NRA Story
Yet |
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The fact that the NRA was keeping a list
of its foes isn’t all that bizarre. But the list itself is
positively loony—yet more evidence of just how nuts the NRA is,
says Michael Tomasky. |
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BY MICHAEL TOMASKY |
The Daily Beast |
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One of the sure markers of the paranoid mind
is the urge to keep lists. In particular, lists of enemies,
subversives, no-goodniks; the pestilential nuisances, as Sir
W.S. Gilbert famously put it, who never would be missed. It
virtually goes without saying that the keepers of such lists are
always the bullies who survive by fomenting hatred and making
sure that their constituents stay in a state of constant
agitation. And so it was no surprise to learn over the weekend,
via Josh Marshall, that the National Rifle Association has a
little list of 497 people and organizations who are in some way,
shape, or form anti-gun. It makes for hilarious reading,
although it’s sort of frightening to think about the demented
minds of the people who assembled it.
Read More |
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Gun Talk with your
host, The Glib Sociopath |
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Today we'll be discussing gun massacres, specifically the term "gun massacres." See More |
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I have been a gun owner
for more than 30 years... |
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BY OldJackPine |
Daily KOS Member |
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I hunt. Much of the meat that my family eats during the year comes from local
wild game and I derive great satisfaction from the experience of hunting and the
ability to feed my family locally sourced, organic, environmentally friendly
game that I procure, butcher, and prepare myself. In addition, my son and I
enjoy shooting clay pigeons at our local shooting range. My friends and
co-workers are mostly hunters as well and in my community, wild game is little
more remarkable than food from the grocery or the local farmer's market. I have
had extensive formal training in gun safety and rifle marksmanship. My guns are
locked in a safe when not in use. I should be the archetype of an NRA supporter.
But... Read More |
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FreedomPop Preps Open
Wi-Fi, Launches Free Home Internet Challenging ISPs |
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BY TOMIO GERON |
Forbes |
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Getting hosed by your Internet service provider may seem as inevitable as death
and taxes, but a new startup aims to change that.
Read More |
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More legal trouble for
Beck-backed Goldline |
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The gold dealer's former compliance
officer says she was fired for blowing the whistle on illegal
practices |
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BY ALEX SEITZ-WALD |
Salon |
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If you’ve ever listened to conservative talk
radio, you’ve probably heard of Goldline, the precious metal
seller endorsed by Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and others. But, as
it turns out, much like the talkers they sponsor, Goldline is
pretty scammy.
Read More |
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Why Are Bigfoot Rumors
So Persistent? |
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Inside the search for North American’s
supposed Sasquatch man-ape. |
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BY BRIAN SWITEK |
Slate |
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 Jeff Meldrum wants to search for Bigfoot by
using a remote-controlled blimp. Because when you’re looking for
a mythical creature famous for eluding all who search for it, a
giant, buzzing, looming balloon is clearly the way to go.
Meldrum, a tenured Idaho State University anthropologist who
established his career studying primate foot anatomy before
shifting his focus to monsters, expects he’ll have to raise
$300,000 to get the project airborne. He’s trying (and so far
failing) to get funding from private sources. (No surprise that
his home institution wants nothing to do with the endeavor.)
That’s a lot of money and effort for what will undoubtedly turn
out to be a collection of blurry photographs that look like Instagram snapshots from a visit to the Pacific Northwest woods.
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Chris Christie: Actual Human Being |
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New Jersey Governor Disdains Party BS, thanks President for help |
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BY LARRY LAIRD | lairdslair |
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 Lo
and behold there are Republicans out there that are actually real human beings!
Well, at least one. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has publicly thanked
President Obama for his efforts to aid his state after the devastation caused by
hurricane Sandy. Not only that, he praised the President for his leadership! Tea
Party Republicans (the rest of the party) must be fuming.
While the Republican agenda since Obama's election has consisted of just two
points; 1. complete obstructionism and 2.making Obama a one term President - all
the while turning their backs on the country in general, at least one man has
broken from the pack. Good for you Governor, you're so right, there are much
more important agendas at this moment. Like the health and well being of the
people of your state. Thank you for your honesty.
I like this guy. There are those that say he may make a run for the White House
in 2016. I'm keeping my eye on him - he certainly bears watching. |
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 The
Flintstones is not a documentary. |
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- Lewis Black, to creationists that believe Jesus rode a dinosaur |
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One
man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity nothing
beats teamwork. |
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Check out Chris Laird's Music Page -
New at lairdslair |
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 I started playing piano and then drums at a very young age. By the time I was
about 17, I switched (mainly) to guitar. I've been playing guitar for 25 years,
maybe a little longer, and writing my own songs for 20 years or so. Listen to
Chris' latest compositions -
More Here! |
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It’s Scandal Season! |
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Why Obama is suddenly under siege. |
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BY JACOB WEISBERG |
Slate |
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Washington’s need for periodic scandal is almost biological. For legislators,
it’s an opportunity to strut on the national stage. For the party out of power,
it is politics by other means. For the press, it’s an escape from the boredom
and frustration of a second term. Scandal means a break in the routine, a
thrilling emergency. At some level, the whole political class loves it.
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The best $12 I've spent on golf in quite a while! |
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Maybe now I can actually start making a few putts again? |
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BY LARRY LAIRD | lairdslair |
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 Pictured here is the Super Stroke putter grip by
Super
Stroke. The particular version shown is the same that I recently purchased
and installed on my Scotty Cameron putter. The model is Ultraslim. It's
the smallest of all the putter grips offered by Super Stroke. The larger ones
just didn't feel right to me.
The grip is 1" in diameter and has no taper. It's made from some some
lightweight, tacky material that is easy to grip. I find that the putter is
easier to align and that I can better rock my shoulders to putt and it takes the
wristiness out of my stroke. Needless to say, I find I'm making more putts. And
believe me, with the current state of my game - I NEED to make a lot of putts. |
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Stephen King speaks out
on gun violence |
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Personally, I've
pretty much given up on gun control. I'm just keeping my head
down and trying not to get caught in the crossfire. But, Stephen
King aptly mirrors my continuing thoughts on the subject |
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BY STEPHEN KING |
Bangor Daily News |
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Like most of the bloodthirsty dodo-birds who
feel an urge to take out as many people as possible before
killing themselves, James Seevakumaran had a simple plan -
Read More |
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How I Built My Ubuntu
Linux/XBMC Media Center |
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Add one old computer salvaged from the
scrap heap, $39 worth of second hand components from ebay and
some free, open source software and we now have a nice internet
and LAN connected media server! Maybe you can do it too. |
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BY LARRY LAIRD |
lairdslair |
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 I found an old Dell GX620 desktop that was in the process of being assigned
to the dumpster recently and decided to try to rescue the unit and put it to
some good use. It had no peripherals with it at all. No keyboard, mouse,
monitor, not even a power cord. I wasn't sure it even worked. I took it home and
plugged it in and lo and behold it sort of booted to Windows XP. The OS
was corrupted in some manner but it did boot OK. I wiped the 80 GB drive
and installed Ubuntu 12.04 32 bit. The unit booted and ran
perfectly.
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The Hitler gun control
lie |
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Gun rights activists who cite the dictator as a reason against gun control
have their history dangerously wrong |
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BY ALEX SEITZ-WALD |
Salon |
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This week, people were shocked when the Drudge Report posted a giant picture of
Hitler over a headline speculating that the White House will proceed with
executive orders to limit access to firearms. The proposed orders are
exceedingly tame, but Drudge’s reaction is actually a common conservative
response to any invocation of gun control. Read More
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Dr. Oz’s Miraculous
Medical Advice |
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Pay no attention to that man behind the
curtain. |
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BY JULIA BELLUZ AND STEVEN J. HOFFMAN |
Slate |
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 As people were getting ready for the holiday
season and its accompanying waist expansion late last year, Dr.
Mehmet Oz let viewers of his TV show in on a timely little
secret. “Everybody wants to know what’s the newest, fastest fat
buster,” said the board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon and one
of People magazine’s sexiest men alive. “How can I burn fat
without spending every waking moment exercising and dieting?”
He then told his audience about a “breakthrough,” “magic,” “holy
grail,” even “revolutionary” new fat buster. “I want you to
write it down,” America’s doctor urged his audience with a
serious and trustworthy stare. After carefully wrapping his lips
around the exotic words “Garcinia cambogia,” he added, sternly:
“It may be the simple solution you’ve been looking for to bust
your body fat for good.”
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr: Fox News Has Divided Country In A Way Not Seen Since Civil
War |
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BY JOHN STEPHENS |
The
Huffington Post |
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 Robert
F. Kennedy Jr told HuffPost Live host Josh Zepps in an interview Friday that he
believes conservative media outlets such as Fox News are damaging the country.
Asked how he thought things have changed in the political landscape, Kennedy
pointed to "big money" and "the right wing control of the American media,
starting with Fox News" as hurtful to collaboration between differing political
interests.
"Twenty-two percent of Americans say their primary news source is Fox News,"
Kennedy told HuffPost Live. "It's divided our country in a way that we haven't
been divided probably since the Civil War, and its empowered large corporations
to get certain kinds of politicians and ideologues who are in the United State
Congress elected -- the Tea Party ideologues who control the Republican Party."
Kennedy, who is the nephew of John F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy and attorney
specializing in environmental law, also spoke about the hydraulic fracturing --
or fracking -- and the health risks and associated costs the practice represents
for the country. |
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And now for more evidence of why America is
becoming a third world country |
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BY LARRY LAIRD |
lairdslair |
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 “Journalists”
like those of Fox News quoting unsubstantiated (and ultimately ridiculously
wrong) reports, worded in such a way as to be presented as facts, then hiding
behind a “?” as an excuse when they are shown to be full of shit.
People that jump on every story printed as if it were true, if it fits their
agenda. Earth 6012 years old… yes! Temperature trends can be ignored! Yes!…
Obama is a secret Muslim terrorist plant! Yes!
Politicians like Bachmann and Palin that use false information like this to
discredit and diminish the respectability of their own country.
Other politicians publicly stating that they would rather see America fail than
move forward under a leader (any leader) of the opposing party.
We are in a downward spiral of gullibility, intentional misinformation, lack of
honor and accountability, with so-called journalists and commentators (Limbaugh
and Beck) leading the decline of core American values. And as the recent
elections show, it is working, the American people are being led by the nose
down the path of ignorance and corporate slavery. |
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