George Carlin: Jon Stewart Interviews George Carlin

Source:George Carlin– being interviewed by fellow comedian and political satirist Jon Stewart, in 1997 or 99.

Source:The Daily Times

“Jon Stewart Interviews George Carlin from HBO 40 Years of Comedy.”

From George Carlin

What separates George Carlin from let’s call them other counter-culture satirists and comedians on the left (let’s say) who critique American society and culture, is that for one George Carlin is often more right than his other colleagues. But he also doesn’t have a political agenda that he’s pushing. He’s not trying to get government to do this or that for the country.

Also George Carlin’s satire is bipartisan, he doesn’t critique politicians in both parties just to look fair, but he critiques politicians that he disagrees with. No mater their political or ideological affiliations.

Carlin is a classical rebel in the sense that he’s against the establishment whoever it. Because he doesn’t have a political agenda of his own. His real political message (if he has one) is about education and that the people need to educate themselves and stop reelecting people that keep the same system in place and that we should take responsibility for our own lives.

Carlin didn’t believe in blaming people that we elect and reelect for giving us the system that we have or where we are in life, but the people who elect and reelect the politicians who give us and maintain the current system. It’s not Carlin’s consistency that I admire so much, but that he’s consistently right.

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Pop User: ‘Howard Phillips Welcomes Ron Paul (1997)’

Source:Pop User– U.S. Representative Ron Paul (Libertarian, Texas) on the Howard Phillips Show, in 1997.

Source:The Daily Times

“Howard Phillips, founder of the Constitution Party, welcomes Ron Paul to the Conservative Roundtable. This is a classic edition from 1997. Paul talks about his run to reclaim his seat after imposing his own belief in Congressional term limits on himself, focusing on what kind of character voters are comfortable supporting. Ron Paul of course ran for president in 2008. He also discusses the 9th and 10th amendment, honest and sound money, public housing, runaway government deficit spending, inflation, the Federal Reserve – Fed, and how the public must demand real change.”

From Pop User

What I personally respect about Ron Paul is that the Ron Paul you see back in the late 1990s (in 1997) is the same Ron Paul today and fighting and believing in the same things, in what he views as a constitutional government and that the Federal Government is grown way too big and it must be limited back to where it was pre-New Deal of the 1930s and so-forth. And that we need more individual freedom both economic and personal and eliminate prohibition all together.

What I like about Ron Paul as a Liberal myself (and not a Libertarian, in Ron Paul’s case) is the whole idea of individual freedom both economic and personal as well, as well as personal responsibility. But even though I believe the Federal Government is too big and more power needs to be sent down to the states and people themselves, we disagree about how much smaller the Federal Government should be.

But where Ron Paul was sixteen years ago is the Ron Paul that we see today and is one politician that you can count on. At least to the extent that you know what he believes and that he won’t change his politics when the politics change.

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Bleacher Report: Matt Eichel- ‘CFL: Expansion a Risky Business’

Source:Bleacher Report– The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders in CFL action.

Source:The Daily Times

“Expansion. Sounds like a word that can bring joy, anger, hostility, and a whole host of other emotions to fans in any sports league.

To some, expansion throws tradition and history out the door. To others, it’s a chance to create something new.

In the Canadian Football League, expansion has always seemed to be a hot button subject of debate.

Back at the start of the 1990s, the CFL, in an attempt to compete with the rival National Football League to the south, decided to expand into the United States. In 1993, the first US-based CFL team—the Sacramento Gold Miners—was admitted into the league.”

From Bleacher Report

To put it simply, CFL expansion into America didn’t work because it had bad management, bad marketing, lack of funds, lack of homework. They seemed to have this idea that if the CFL just came to America, it would automatically work especially in markets that didn’t have NFL franchises, because of how much Americans love football and it doesn’t work like that.

The main reason NFL expansion works in America. Is because for a city to be rewarded an NFL franchise, it has to meet certain requirements. The city has to have the right management group of people who can show they not only know how to run a sports franchise, but a business as well. And that’s exactly what sports franchises are, they are business’s, companies even and they must have money up front to succeed.

Perspective NFL franchises also have to show they can make money down the road. And they have to sell a certain amount of tickets up front what are called season tickets to show that their expansion team will have the support they need up front to survive. And only Baltimore showed they had that type of support and management.

The Baltimore Stallions had a major league caliber management team led by Jim Speros, who was their Governor running a CFL franchise. And the CFL all due respect and many ways it’s a great league, but its not major league compared with the NFL where the other American CFL franchises like the Birmingham Barracudas , the Memphis Mad Dogs, and, San Antonio Texans playing in huge 70-80 thousand seat stadiums and drawing 15-20 thousand fans a game.

What these American CFL franchises should’ve been able to do just before being rewarded a CFL franchise, was to show that they could sell 15-20 thousand season tickets per season, come up with local TV and radio deals, be able to market their clubs and promote their players, have the money to spend on quality players and were committed to putting a winning product on the field each season. Again, only the Stallions and maybe the San Antonio Texans showed they could do this.

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Only Waxing: Real Time With Bill Maher- The Paul Ryan Budget

Source:Only Waxing– Elliot Spitzer on Real Time With Bill Maher.

Source:The Daily Times 

“Andrew Sullivan Schools Maher and Spitzer on Paul Ryan and Budget. Very surprising.”

From Only Waxing

What Representative Paul Ryan (Chairman of the Budget Committee) tried to do in the last Congress and so far in this Congress, was an attempt at least on paper to balance the Federal budget. But by only concentrating on around 15-20% of the Federal budget.

And most of those cuts coming from non-Social Security and Medicare social-insurance programs. And if you saw Bill Maher in this video someone who I normally disagree with layout, Chairman Ryan attempts to balance the budget by going after the small appetizers or side dishes. Imagine a meal consisting of steak, mashed potatoes and lets say a caesar salad (good meal, right) instead of targeting the meat of the meal or even the potatoes the stuff that fills people up in the meal normally. What Chairman Ryan goes after a couple of leafs in the meal. “Big meal with too much food, we are going to take away a couple of leafs and call it fat reduction instead of deficit reduction.”

The meat and potatoes in the United States Government’s budget is defense, Social Security, Medicare and to a certain extent Medicaid. And then there are a bunch of public assistance programs of around 30 trillion-dollars or so that aids workers who do not make enough money, or are unemployed. Which is why I believe Paul Ryan and his followers are as interested in deficit reduction, as the typical career politician (lets say House or Senate) is interested in raising taxes or cutting Social Security during an election year when they are up for reelection, or getting a real job and earning their money. In others words: not at all.

If House Republicans were serious about deficit reduction, then they would write and pass a plan that solves the problem by going at the meat of the Federal budget. And not just picking away at salad leaves in it. Chairman Ryan is right I believe about the seriousness of the debt and deficit, but is not ready to solve the problems.

If I’m starving and its late at night and I haven’t had anything to eat all day, I don’t snack on a couple of crackers thinking my hunger will go away. I make myself a meal or buy one. The same thing with deficit reduction, that if you are serious about the budget you go where the meat is. Or in this case the money and you cut back in areas where you can afford to save money. That will help you solve the problem.

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Huffington Post: Sasha Brookner- ‘From Blue to Green: Why I Left the Democratic Party’

Source:Fox News– a Democratic Congress: I wish.

Source:The Daily Times 

“In the 15th century, the Eastern Orthodox Christians had a unique aphorism: “Better the turban than the mitre.” They were referring to the preferable conquer of the Balkans by the Ottoman Turks rather than the Western Roman Catholic empire. Today, that lesser of two evil principles isn’t about maintaining freedom of religion; rather it’s used by Democrats to justify genocide, drones, Guantanamo, rendition, kill lists and cutting heat subsidies for the poor under the past its sell-by date defense that Republicans would double these demons. It is evident that this perpetual comparative doctrine has reached steroid proportions. Although President Barack Obama may wear the “turban” when it comes to certain domestic policies, such as gay marriage and embryonic stem cell research, when it comes to foreign policy, corporate interests, and saying farewell to Magna Carta, both the Elephants and the Donkeys are wearing the Bishop’s hat.”

From The Huffington Post

I get the disappointment on the Left from Progressives in President Obama when it comes to the War on Drugs and civil liberties. Why is that, because I share the same disappointments as a Liberal myself and believe we would be moving in a different direction on these issues with a liberal democratic President. But what has happened is that the Obama Administration has made these things worst instead.

I do not get the disappointment in President Obama on lets say the Far-Left Social Democrats in the Democratic Party and outside of the Democratic Party for President Obama not being progressive or socialist enough. Because then candidate Obama never ran as a McGovern Democrat, but a JFK or RFK Democrat especially on foreign policy. Not someone who was running to create a new New Deal or Great Society.

Social Democrats already had their opportunity to vote for those candidates in Dennis Kucinich, Ralph Nader and Jill Stein. What candidate Obama wanted to do was to make the current safety net programs work better, not expand them. And put more people to work and making it on their own in America.

This whole deal about why Sasha Brookner left the Democratic Party for the Green Party, is a perfect example of why we need to blowup the two-party system in America. And get a political system that represents the entire country ideologically.

We need a political system where Social Democrats who still see the Democratic Party as that George McGovern Social Democratic Party of the 1960s and 70s, which we aren’t now, would have their own Social Democratic Party to go too. Whether it’s the Green Party or a Democratic Socialist Party and where they could elect their own socialist, pacifist non-aggression anti-authority, candidates. Except when it comes to the economy, of course candidates to political office or at least vote for them and know about them and see them debate and so-forth. And on the ballot, because people whoever saw Barack Obama as that type of Democrat. Probably do not fit in very well in the Democratic Party anymore.

If you put the entire so-called progressive lets call them (to be nice) but really the entire New-Left social democratic movement that was created in the 1960s that today spans over several different parties in America and put them all in one party, you might have a political party that represents 10-15% of the country and wouldn’t be seen as outsiders in their own party. But part of the mainstream which is where Social Democrats should be headed whether it’s the Green Party or Democratic Socialist Party. But one united party they would call home.

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Universal Newsreels: President Eisenhower & President Khrushchev- ‘New Diplomacy: 8/03/1959’

Source:Universal Newsreels– President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican, Texas) talking about the visit of President Nikita Khrushchev (Soviet Union)

Source:The Daily Times

“Ike special press conference, reads joint text, that Khrushchev has accepted invitation to visit U.S., and Ike will visit USSR (partial newsreel).”

From Universal Newsreels

Just another example of why Dwight Eisenhower was such a qualified and effective Cold War President, because he was such a high ranking general during World War II leading Allied Forces in Europe and being in charge of defeating Nazism and other fascists ideologies in Europe during World War II. So when he became President of the United States in 1953. he was more than well-prepared to take on another form of fascism which was communism and the leader of communism in the world at the time being the Soviet Union of Russia.

So when President Nikita Khrushchev comes to America in 1959 to visit President Eisenhower to talk and even negotiate with the United States, Dwight Eisenhower because of his World War II and Cold War background, was more than capable and credible to discuss issues with Communist Russia. Because you could never accuse Dwight Eisenhower of having Far-Left or other communist leniencies and respect for the Soviet Union. Because he was a man who just didn’t hate communism publicly, but someone who fought against Nazism and fascism in the 1940s in Europe leading Allied Forces.

President Eisenhower’s credibility against communism, was fairly similar to the record that Richard Nixon had against communist first in Congress, but later as Vice President.

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C-SPAN: George Carlin- ‘Lying Politicians & Words’

Source:Gabor Henyel– Comedian George Carlin, at the National Press Club in Washington, in 2008. 

Source:The Daily Times

“George Carlin on language of politics.”

From Gabor Henyel

I never blame, well I should say I never put the most blame (and I’m already sounding like a politician in this piece) politicians who may be very good politicians, but aren’t very good public servants, because how did they get their jobs?

Well, its simple they were voted into office, receiving at least one more vote than their opponent in the last election. Election being a key word because the people vote for the politicians they get. So when I hear someone complaining about their Representative or Senator, I want to ask them did they vote for that person or not. And if they say yes, then I say you voted for who you have now. And if they respond well I didn’t know this person would be like that in office. Well then I would say you didn’t do your homework and you got who you voted for.

Thats the thing about democracy as former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said: “Democracy is the worst form of government in the world except for all of the rest.” And that when you leave it up to the people to decide we’ll have people who’ll make bad decisions because they don’t know any better.

I’m not blaming democracy for the bad public servants that we get but I’m blaming the people who vote for the bad politicians that we get because we as a country have to deal with the bad decisions that these bad public servants make at least at the Federal level. That it’s not so much democracy that we need but what we really need is a smart liberal democracy.

People who just don’t vote but people who know how to vote and vote for the right people who’ll protect our freedoms and not try run our lives for us by trying to pass new restrictions on how we should live our own lives. That what we really need is a smart democracy with smart people voting for good smart people who actually know what the hell they are doing. And what public service is about which is about representing the people. And not the small interest groups who bankrolled their campaigns for them.

Even though I’m a Liberal I really do believe in that old fashioned value of personal responsibility. That we get what we pay for and must deal with the consequences of our own decisions. So when it gets to voting that means we get who we voted for and if you don’t like who you voted for, then don’t vote for that person in the future. And vote for a good person instead or don’t vote at all but don’t repeat your own past mistakes.

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NPR News: Carrie Johnson- ‘Some Public Defenders Warn: ‘We Have Nothing Left To Cut’

Source:Carrie Johnson– welcome to public broadcasting.

Source:The Daily Times

“Steven Nolder joined the federal public defender’s office when it opened in Columbus, Ohio, nearly 18 years ago. Nolder handled his share of noteworthy cases, including the first federal death penalty trial in the district and the indictment of a former NFL quarterback embroiled in a ticket fraud scheme.”

From NPR News

We have all sorts of economic insurances in America that we can collect from when we need them. Like health-insurance, auto-insurance, homeowners-insurance (to use as examples) but we do not have an insurance system that in some case is just as much about life death as health-insurance, which is our justice system. And when we are involved in, either under criminal trial or being sued or wanting to sue, someone else for some miss-justice that we believe has been committed against us. And when we are in the justice system either in a criminal or civil sense we have to pay for those services out-of-pocket for the most part, unless we have a very good lawyer with a lot of resources that pays for our defense or representation in court on their own.

And if we are not someone of means, either of average means who can’t come up with tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills or even more than that, or we are even poor, we are looking at purchasing a second mortgage on our home or we are out of luck perhaps stuck with legal aid which are made up of fine qualified hardworking people, but who tend to be overworked.

For people without means when it comes to criminal justice or civil justice, they are left with legal aid or the public defenders office. Offices that are way underfunded and overworked that do not pay for themselves because they tend to represent clients without means. And the money they do get has to come out of general tax revenue and in tough economic and budget times like today.

That means they can expect to not be cut but get slashed and the people who need those services are left without anywhere else to go to get legal assistance when they need it and in a country that champions justice as much as we do. And speaks in such high praise of it, that should be unacceptable and we should be looking to create a justice system thats affordable for everyone. As we are currently attempting to do with our healthcare system.

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National Post: Jesse Kline- ‘Liberal Party Talks Tough But Still Struggles to Define Itself’

Source:National Post– Canadian Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau.

Source:The Daily Times

“TORONTO — Liberal leadership hopefuls had their final opportunity to make their pitch to party members and supporters in Toronto on Saturday. The candidates focused on personality, rather than policy, and spent little time attacking each other, choosing instead to focus on how much they hate Stephen Harper.”

From The National Post 

“Justin Trudeau’s major address to delegates at the 2014 Biennial Convention of the Liberal Party of Canada in Montreal on February 22, 2014.”

Source:Fact Point Video– Canadian Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau.

From Fact Point Video

It seems to me at least as a Liberal American that if a political party is going to call itself the Liberal Party, then it should be a Liberal Party and not try to occupy the center and focus on purely centrist positions. That if you want to be a Centrist Party, then that’s what you should call yourself or the Independence Party. Perhaps Mushy Middle Party, or the Radically Moderate Party. But if you are going to call yourself the Liberal Party, then that’s exactly what you should be. Otherwise you are falsely representing and advertising yourself.

We all know where the Conservative Party in Canada is, they are a Conservative Party that’s exactly what they are representing, the center-right in Canada. And we know where the New Democratic Party is, the lets call it the far-left party in Canada. Even by Canadian standards they are on the far-left and are a social democratic party that probably represents Quebec or Scandinavia better than Canada as a whole. Canada is not as socialist as people tend to think and actually has a smaller Federal Government as percentage of gross national product than America.

I’m not an expert on Canadian politics obviously being a life-long American whose never lived in Canada. But I do follow Canadian politics and a lot of their elections going back to the late 1990s. Thanks to C-SPAN and the internet and what I get about the Liberal Party in Canada is that the reason why they are out of power is because Canadians and perhaps even Liberals themselves up there do not seem to know what the Liberal Party stands for anymore.

What does it mean to be a Liberal? That if you are trying to just occupy the center and not look like Social Democrats, you are not only giving away the center-left in Canada, because you are not even trying to occupy what you claim to be which are Liberals, but you are also giving away the center because people don’t know what you are. You say you are Liberals, but you are trying to tell Canadians you are Centrists instead, so what are you.

All I’m saying is that if you are going to be the Liberal Party, then that’s exactly what you should be and that’s what your platform should look like. “We are the Liberal Party in Canada that represents the center-left. We are not Social Democrats on the far-left and not trying to be the New Democratic Party. But we are Liberal Democrats that believe in freedom and that it’s the number job of government to protect freedom for those who have it and still deserve it. And expand freedom for people who do not have it, but deserve and need it”.

It’s not the job of government to take care of people with a superstate. But to protect their freedom and expand freedom with opportunity for people who need and deserve it. Thats what a Liberal platform would look like, that’s what the vision would be. And if Justin Trudeau are actually Liberals, then that is what they would be pushing. And perhaps even get support from the growing libertarian movement in Canada who are not Social Democrats or Conservatives either.

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Mike Gardner: CBS News Campaign 1970- ‘Alabama Governor’s Race’

Source:Mike Gardner– CBS News covering the 1970 Alabama Governor’s race.

Source:The Daily Times

“George Wallace, Albert Brewer, and Charles Woods mix it up.”

From Mike Gardner

The 1970 political campaign for George Wallace running once again to be Governor of Alabama so he would have a podium to stay in the news and continue to run for President of the United States. George Wallace’s 1970 political campaign was about staying in the news and remaining a viable candidate for the 1972 presidential election.

The new South (as its called) was not there yet, but emerging even in Alabama perhaps the reddest state in the union, was moving past racism in the sense that Anglo-Southerners were moving past the point where they wanted a racist Governor, whether it was because they were moving past racism themselves or because they no longer wanted a Governor who was so flamboyant who brought so much attention to it a lot of it negative.

Plus, African-Americans were becoming a bigger force in this state and voting more. And as a voting block needed to be taken seriously by more Progressive candidates.

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