"The Facts Ma'am, Just the Facts"

My wife follows a number of blogs that hope to inspire better education. Being a high school teacher, she is always looking for ways to improve her craft. As she was going through some of her RSS feeds, she played a video from www.joebower.org that actually annoyed me. She was kind enough to send it to me so that I can share it with you, and give you my inevitable two-cents.

http://www.joebower.org/2012/07/save-libraries-with-book-burnings.html

Before I rant, I just want to say that there is a lot of good things presented on www.joebower.org. The above link is an exception, not the rule.

First off, I'm not a card-carrying-member of the Tea Party. Nor am I a part of the oh-so-honorable Occupy Movement. I am a person who does something on my own: I think. And in this instance, I'm thinking that the message above is an insult.  Here's why:

According to the video, the Tea Party kept the conversation to "taxes, taxes, taxes". It's no wonder, since the topic at hand was a tax increase to "save the library". Being that those who supported the tax increase knew that they were on the losing end (with an economy in the toilet, people stretched beyond limits, and a government spending billion after billion on failed bailouts), they had to change the conversation. What did they do? They lied. Call it what you want: clever marketing; a play on words; expanding the truth. In the end, it was a lie. Instead of talking about the tax increase they came up with this "book burning" story - a falsehood, a slanderous premise, a lie. The Tea Party had no desire, nor ever considered, burning books. But when you can't win with facts, you change the argument.

They pummeled the story of book burning in any form of social media outlet possible until every non-thinking entity was screaming at how terrible the Tea Party was for wanting to burn books. Again, something they've never put into their bylaws or mission statement. At the last minute, when they were about to get "caught" with the lie, they said that not funding the library would "be the same as" burning books. Really? Are you kidding me?

So, the lesson here is, don't worry about the facts. Facts don't matter. Emotion is the key. Better yet, don't even mention the facts - they only get in your way.

© Emittravel 2012

We Are the 99%

No, it's not the Tea Party. It's a bunch of individuals who feel compelled to stand around and do nothing, with the hopes that that will change something. You can't mix them up with the Tea Party folks. They are a grass roots organization that had such an impact in the voting booths to turn over the House of Representatives from the Democrats, and literally divide the Republicans into two camps (those that support the spending cuts, low taxes, and small government view of the Tea Party, and those who like spending our money and regulating us into oblivion.)

The part that is funny to me is the "We Are the 99%" signs. Do these folks even have a clue? I don't think so. Last weekend my wife and I walked past a small group (four people) holding these signs in Oxford, OH (home of Miami University). My wife held her breath because she thought I wasn't going to hold mine. The only thing I said was to be careful that the (very strong) wind we were experiencing didn't turn that sign into a para sail.

But what if I did open my mouth? What would I tell them? Simply that they haven't thought this out too much. Their slogan, by grammar alone, states that they are against the 1%. Apparently the 1% are not qualified to be part of the solution. I guess they are unaware that the 1% provide almost HALF of ALL tax revenue. Are the 99% willing to cover that portion? I'd also tell them that just under HALF of the 99% don't pay ANY income tax at all - heck, they even get refunds. Why should YOU be paying for THEM? Shouldn't your signs say, "We Are the 49%"?

Folks it's not capitalism, and it's not the government. It's progressivism. The marriage of the two has brought about the crisis that we are facing. 

"Oh Mr. Government Official, here is some campaign contributions. Now, help me stave off my competition with a regulation or two." And when those very businesses get in trouble it's "Oh Mr. Business Owner, don't you worry. You are too big to fail. Here is free tax money to bail you out. I don't care how you use it, just take it!" 

If they are going to "occupy" places like Wall St. (those EVIL bankers deserve to suffer our wrath of protest) they need to give EQUAL time to the White House (those EVIL politicians deserve to suffer our wrath of protest too!) If they don't they are clearly showing how uninformed they are.

So, in conclusion I would say that the "We Are the 99%" group needs to get a clue and maybe go back to occupying their parents' basements. Folks, the sixties are over. If you are going to protest at least take a page or two from the Tea Party play book and DO something. Oh, and make sure you clean up after yourselves when you're done. Now THAT would be a definite departure from the sixties!

© Emittravel 2011

Stuff My Brain Says #18

I'm no member, but I do like the Tea Party movement. Why? Anything that the media and politicians hate so much HAS to be a good thing.

Sort of reminds me of an episode of Hogan's Heroes: There was a bomb that fell in the compound that did not detonate. In the scene Hogan has to choose between two colored wires to cut. He asks Klink, "Which would you cut?" and Klink replies with one of the colors. At that point Hogan cuts the other wire. When questioned he responds, "I wasn't sure which was the right one, but I was certain you'd pick the wrong one."

Again, anything the media and politicians hate so much HAS to be a good thing.

© Emittravel 2011