Comments kirasaffron has made

  • questioning qualifications

    I think her response was fair.  Of course it is fair to question her experience, as it is fair for her to question Obama's.  She has been to Iraq(not that I think travel is a qualification) and has been the governor of the state for two years.  I think her experience is not very different from Obama's, and she has spent more time as an executive than Obama.  You don't know what kind of foreign policy knowledge or judgement the lady has(and cannot read her mind), so it's not really fair to say it's irresponsible. It is fair to question any candidate's knowledge, experience, and judgement. I think you would disagree with the foreign policy of any VP McCain would choose.  I think if he had chosen Ridge, we'd be hearing that those are two war mongers with experience, but we need change and no more of the failed foreign policies of the Bush administration. A republican might argue that the choice of Biden is highly irresponsible because he's only spent his career making bad decisions in the senate.  Someone might argue that Hillary would have been an irresponsible choice for VP because she has only been a lawyer, first lady, and senator.  I think most democrats would rather have Hillary or the author of this blog post as VP and replacement pres. over someone like Ridge, because they share their foreign policy views, regardless of experience.  I really doubt that any democrat would feel more comfortable with Romney, Pawlenty, Ridge, or Liebermann as McCain's VP.  I think they would feel more comfortable with one of them as his running mate, because he'd be easier to beat. On Resentment in partisan politics posted 1 year, 2 months ago 28 Responses

  • Re: Rynn and Ahlport

    Okay, I won't say she was mocked for being the mayor of a small town because I don't think she mocked community organizers. I think Obama questioned her experience as a small town mayor and governor of a small state.  She questioned Obama's experience as a community organizer(in a mocking way), and later as a senator with several "present" votes.  She was making a case for executive experience, not mocking community organizing. She reacted with the "small town" references throughout her speech because she's a politician and it was effective in painting Obama and the media as elitist.  The claim that she was mocking community  organizing as a whole rather than Obama's experience as an organizer in comparison to hers as a mayor is the same type of smear.

    "the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency"

    Ahlport, I think competition between insurance companies for quality and prices would be socially beneficial.  There is limited competition now, so insurance companies take advantage of that.  My family cannot afford insurance, but I do not want the government to take it over for my short-term benefit. The Lasik eye procedures are not covered by insurance, and they have become very affordable because of market competition. On Resentment in partisan politics posted 1 year, 2 months ago 28 Responses

  • Re: healthcare

    "Well lets first consider that:

    It's in the corporate health insurance providers best interest to deny coverage.  Therefore they try to make it as difficult, confusing and slow as possible.

    They only want you visiting health care providers within their own network.

    Medicare is the fastest and most ubiquitous form of healthcare coverage.

    And you are able to use it at virtually ANY private healthcare provider you choose.  No contracts.  Any mixture you choose.

    So simply, your statement is categorically false."

    It's true that insurance companies abuse government regulation and raise prices.  The solution to this would be to de-regulate and allow anyone to buy whatever insurance they want outside of any network.  The solution is not government provided healthcare. On Resentment in partisan politics posted 1 year, 2 months ago 28 Responses

  • Re

     "It's a legitimate issue to say that being the mayor of a small town does not give one the experience to be President, but that's not mocking small towns."

    I didn't say he mocked small towns, and I am no republican.  I said she was mocked for being a "small town mayor."  There you go again twisting what someone says.  

    "repeating a lie"

    If you want socialized medicine, make sure you know exactly what it is.  I lived in Ecuador for six months and saw very substandard care that was available to everyone.  The best care was in Quito, and that was in in hospitals that rich people and visiting gringos actually paid money for.

    The bridge to nowhere bit was not a lie, and it's not a lie because you say it is. It's not a lie because you repeat that it is a lie. She changed her mind. Call her a flip-flopper, but not a liar.  On Resentment in partisan politics posted 1 year, 2 months ago 28 Responses

  • for F***s sake

    She said "thanks, but no thanks." Maybe this means she was interested in it until she changed her mind.  That doesn't mean saying "thanks, but no thanks" is a lie.  Obama and Biden both voted for it, and she did in fact, say "no thanks." I think it's a bit of a stretch to call what she said an outright lie.  

    She mocked community organizing because being a small town mayor was mocked.  She bit back.  What do you expect? Do you want a submissive woman? For f***s sake, David Roberts.  

    Government regulated healthcare is not in the best interest of the working man, as democrats claim.  It would take the choice of which doctors and hospitals everyday, small town folk can go to, reduce competition, and reduce the quality of healthcare. If healthcare were deregulated, competition would drive prices down and quality would be maintained, and all of the working class people democrats claim to care about would have access to great healthcare.On Resentment in partisan politics posted 1 year, 2 months ago 28 Responses

  • hypocracy

    I think having a double standard for our country and others that practice aggression is hypocritical.  The former Soviet Union killed tens of millions of people for decades, so yes, i must say I would worry a little more about an imperialistic Russia led by Putin than the U.S.  Maybe you are a little brainwashed.  I don't agree with all that the U.S. has done and have said so.  If the U.S. becomes totalitarian I will certainly condemn it as an ex-patriot.

     The WSJ is not fascist.  Fascism involves extreme government involvement, support, and control of business.  It's a form of socialism. Free markets involve the efforts of any individuals that decide to go into business. In a true capitalist system, corporations are not in control or supported by the government.   On Oil geopolitics of the Georgia pipeline posted 1 year, 3 months ago 19 Responses

  • Re

    "And BTW, the Wall Street Journal's editorial board has absolutely no credibility with any decent human being.  These people are literally fascists in that they think that big business should be running the world.  The only thing their opinions are good for is so that we know what we're up against."

    You want to deny the truth of the brutulity of Putin's prisons because you don't like the WSJ? There was a video on youtube of Russians squatting on the ground and being beaten.  Some of the prisoners are only political prisoners that have done nothing wrong. You can do some research and find out whether it's true or not.  

    I don't support America's neoconservative involvement abroad.  I do, however, think the U.S.currently less dangerous than an imperialistic Russia.  If you're fine with what could become imperialistic totalitarianism, you are not anti-statist.  If you're fine with innocent people being forced to live under those regimes for the sake of a balance of power, you're not anti-statist.  It's okay for them to have power in that part of the world, when you're comfortably far from them.  

    If you really think what Russia is doing is no big deal, I don't know why you care about how the U.S. has responded to terrorists.  "f-- them, they attacked us, killed a few thousand civilians; why not kill innocent Iraqis?"  that's what's happening in Georgia, and I don't know why the response is different for another country, other than your not liking there only being one superpower.  
    On Oil geopolitics of the Georgia pipeline posted 1 year, 3 months ago 19 Responses

  • RE

    "Georgia that was the aggressor by invading South Ossetia, not Russia for defending it.  If Cuba attacked Jamaica and the U.S. defended it, would you call the U.S. the aggressor?  That's the closest analogy I can think of."

    South Ossetia ended a ceasefire with Georgia, so Georgia attacked it.  Russia then invaded Georgia. It did not just defend South Ossetia. It started destroying cities. If the U.S. had attacked terrorists in Afghanistan instead of Iraq after being directly attacked, would you call the U.S. the aggressor?  I have a feeling that many people here would.  I have absolutely no sympathy for Russia and don't think we should apologize for them.  If you're anti-statist, take a look at this: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277726156660765.html
    On Oil geopolitics of the Georgia pipeline posted 1 year, 3 months ago 19 Responses

  • wingnut theories

    I don't feel guilty for criticizing another country's aggression. It's wrong when we do it; it's wrong when Russia does it.  Maybe Russia wants the pipeline? Could a country that is reverting back to socialism care about oil? Is it war for oil on socialist terms, instead of a conspiracy theory that blames the U.S.?  I am an environmentalist, and I think any honest person would hold any country that damages the environment accountable, whether it is politically on the left or right.On Oil geopolitics of the Georgia pipeline posted 1 year, 3 months ago 19 Responses

  • manipulating supply

     "Say we start pumping those reserves out into the world oil market. What's to stop Saudi Arabia from dialing back production a little bit, so supply (and prices) stay roughly the same? Answer: nothing. U.S. domestic oil prices rise to meet world prices, and those prices are outside our control."

    If the Saudis limited production while other countries had large supplies, there'd still be greater supply and the Saudis would be making less money.  They live in a world market too, and would be forced to compete in it.  They're ignoring entreaties to pump now because we have no leverage and are only consumers.  Why would be forced to pay what the Saudis wanted if we were energy independent?  If we became energy independent with an environmentally friendly, but limited source, would our prices depend on foreign supplies?  I think you are the person guilty of lying, DR.  You are either lying or you are very confused and have a poor understanding of economics.
    On Gingrich mounts campaign to support domestic oil drilling posted 1 year, 6 months ago 59 Responses

  • Lumpenproles

    Environmentalist lumprenproles don't make messes.

    Yard chickens are the best. They're so much better than organically grown chickens, too. They're better than chicken grown on farms in foriegn countries and served in cities. I actually have stopped eating chicken in the U.S. after a trip to the tropics. I had weekly meals of fresh chicken for $1.50 at the town restaurant.  Nothing has been better than pollo from gallinas that can actually walk around and eat insects at will.  

    This reminds me of something really gross I saw the other day that may make me afraid to eat eggs. There was a hard-boiled egg with this really weird sea-shell-like hollowed out imprint in it.  The yolk was about a fourth its normal size and looked like a cashew. I wouldn't want to eat that, and I will never know when I'm eating an abnormally developed egg unless I boil it and look!On When will the American public get snobby already? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 17 Responses

  • Whole Foods

    I'd also really love to shop at Whole Foods, because it's run by a right-wing, libertarian that believes in protecting the environment. I'd buy all of my food there, because it's my favorite grocery store, a Corporation that loves making money, and has great food.  On When will the American public get snobby already? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 17 Responses

  • Practice Self- Sacrifice, D.R., so we can be snobs

    They're not snobs, like David Roberts because they can't afford it because gas is too damn expensive. Gas is too expensive because oil companies are not allowed to drill here, and biofuels are making food too expensive and killing primary forest in the tropics. And because gas is too expensive, they can't make lovely trips to the mountains to enjoy nature, something they sincerely love. We are, after all, on an extremely rare, life-harboring piece of real estate hurtling along in the Milky Way Galaxy.  I'd really like to see every bit of it while I'm alive. I'd really love to live a West Coast elitist parody of a life, but I can't. Maybe it's because of West Coast elitists. Fuck, maybe you should send the rest of the country and me some money so they can be snobbier than you.  Don't be a greedy, selfish pig.  Share your wealth.On When will the American public get snobby already? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 17 Responses

  • RE

    It must be frustrating for environmentalist lackeys to see colleagues with the capacity for independent thought and action. It's so frustrating and inferiority-complex inducing, that you have to smear them and make fun of them.On RPJr. is at it again posted 1 year, 6 months ago 4 Responses

  • Gas Tax

    Let's abolish the gas tax and privatize roads.  No one will be robbing anyone that way.  The government won't get money for gas they have no role in producing, and your taxes for roads won't be wasted by an inefficient government.  The government gets enough money for roads; higher taxes are not the solution.On CBS/Times poll: We reject gas-tax holiday posted 1 year, 6 months ago 10 Responses

  • Big Oil

    "Transfer what used to be tax revenue -- potentially usable for public benefit -- to the oil companies and the Saudis by pushing up oil demand. "

    I really sometimes wish these oil companies would just quit. They have no right to their profits. They're selfish pigs and should give all of their money to us. They should give all their money to a greedy, leviathon, cannabalistic government and quit so we can all walk to work and live without life- saving technology.

    (They shouldn't quit; they should strike.)On McCain's gas tax holiday from reality posted 1 year, 7 months ago 7 Responses