The Godawfulness of Living in a Republican Area

[Troubadour]

After years of having little choice but to stomach the petty annoyances, careless ineptitude, and random depravity of a Republican community, I'm finally fed up and moving. The following are a few of the reasons why, in no particular order:

1. Speed traps. Obviously it's crucial for police to enforce speed limits for the safety of the community - but what is not acceptable is to create 3-mile bottlenecks on main thorougfares where the speed limit is anywhere from 10 to 20 mph slower than everywhere else on the road, with the signs barely visible amid trees. The description I've just given is of three different streets that I have to drive, and there are probably more I haven't driven. And why do they do things like this? Because the Republicans who live here (many of them rich) refuse to pay for their own community, forcing cops and other public employees to become highwaymen so the Moonscape of potholes doesn't make the streets unusable.

2. Dangerous streets. Yet another consequence of the Republican refusal to pay taxes - death trap roads with blind turns. Aside from the ones that just randomly developed that way, and which the city council couldn't afford to fix with stoplights or even the monumental expense of a stop sign for the cross-traffic, some were even created deliberately: There were originally stop signs, but they slowed traffic before a speed trap and caused lost "revenue opportunities." Then, of course, are all the potholes that accumulate everywhere but in the business zones - the only places that "matter."

3. Crime. Oh boy are these folks tough on crime...once it's already been committed, and the damage is done, as long as they don't have to pay for it. They will gladly pass on the criminals they catch to be incarcerated by the county or state at no additional expense to them. But community policing? Well-lit residential areas? After-school programs? Hell no, that might cost money! Besides, the rich people live in gated, camera-monitored communities with private security and electronic home protection systems, so since they and their businesses are secure, there's no need to protect anyone else. Let the rest sort it out with guns: Whether it's the criminal or the law-abiding pleb who gets carted away in the meat wagon, they both spend their money at McDonald's, so who cares which one spends it?

4. Lack of services. Where can I go to recycle aluminum cans? Well, if I don't mind burning a significant amount of gasoline and negating the whole purpose, I could drive 25 miles to the county recycling center. One would imagine there would at least be private aluminum recycler machines somewhere here, but apparently they were outbid for the vending space by energy drinks. Or how about electronics? Same story - down at the county center, and even there they're not funded to handle the source of most such toxics - common household batteries. No, I have to mail them to a center 60 miles away so they won't end up poisoning anyone decades from now. And how did I find any of this out? Did anyone in the city sanitation department know where I could go to recycle things? Of course not - they even seemed to think the question was amusing. Paper recycling? Plastic recycling? Anything? Well, there is a white dumpster for cardboard down yonder near the civic center. Gee, ain't that great? It's there, BTW, because a private company collects it at no charge to the city. I've also spent many rewarding hours in our fair city's glorious public library - half the size of a typical Barnes & Noble, with a quarter the selection, and computers that are often older than their users. It's next to a church many times larger, better funded, and cleaner - a statement one could also make about the churches relative to the schools, community center, and other public infrastructure. Or how about public transportation? Well, since only people who don't economically matter use it, there's no need (read: no desire) to provide it beyond short stretches of one or two main thoroughfares. If you just don't want to spend thousands of dollars a year and spew unnecessary pollution for a personal automobile, good luck trying to reach anywhere on foot, or surviving the roads on a bicycle.

5. Predatory religion. Jesus is real big around here - bigger than morality or ethics. I developed walking pneumonia and, because my insurance dictated it, went to a private walk-in clinic. Walking down the hall with the nurse, I passed the curious sight of some of the other doctors and nurses holding hands in a circle and apparently praying. After a cursory inspection, while his stethoscope was still listening to the back of my lungs, the doctor who saw me decided he was going to engage in a religious discussion about the state of my "soul" and whether I was a "believer." I was exhausted, running a high fever, and in no condition to get outraged - I just had to pretend to be listening while steering the conversation back to my health. After I made it obvious I was losing my patience, he scribbled off a prescription for an antibiotic and, on a separate sheet of paper that he gave along with the prescription, wrote the names of some religious books and the address of the Christian group he attended. I threw the latter in the trash as I walked out, making sure he saw me do so.

6. Eye-sores. You would think shallow people like Republicans would be more insistent on at least outward beauty in their community, but I've found it quite to the contrary. They encourage development of big-box retailers in giant, minimally expensive, volume-maximized shopping centers that look like prisons, connected to the equally hideous and mass-produced residential "worker receptacles" by monstrous, bloated roadways seemingly designed to make pedestrians feel Lilliputian. What constitutes "natural beauty," "open spaces," or "parks" in this environment? A patchy lawn next to a basketball half-court, a barbecue pit, and a tree. That's right - A tree, standing lonely and pathetic in the desolate residential zone dominated by low hedges and grass. Oh, but there's a nice, leisurely sidewalk stroll one can take just outside the rich neighborhood, and enjoy the nature smells that waft over the gate - just remember to ignore the cameras that pan to follow you, or some rent-a-thug may come ask you about the purpose of your presence on a public sidewalk.

5. General bastardy. Just because you've decided to drive an Abrams tank, and stick your middle finger up at everyone else on the planet, does not give you license to park across 2.5 parking spaces, or to turn on your high-beams when directly behind me so that my rear-view mirror causes instant blindness. Then, of course, was the minor coincidence that I was inundated with junk mail and telemarketing calls within a few weeks of registering to vote in local elections - and, BTW, good luck finding out what any of the candidates stand for, since they're virtually all Republicans and only interested in courting business support. But it's all worth it, right? Surely I can count on low taxes, if nothing else, right? LMAO! If you own a significant amount of property, and a business prosperous enough to put your kids in private school, and you're unlikely to need any serious healthcare, and you don't give a flying **** about anyone but yourself, welcome to paradise. As for me, I'm leaving these jerks to themselves, and finding a real community.

[Pookie]

I can understand your frustration, but I think it's just people in general, not particularly Republicans. Homeowners all over the place can be real assholes, believe me.
I wish you the best in finding another community, and I'll pray that you find a place that works better for you.
Hang in there.
Purrs,
Pookie

[PostmodernProphet]

I am sure it isn't difficult to find an area run by Democrats instead......in my state alone, you could opt for Detroit, Flint, Benton Harbor....of course, it's better if you don't have kids....since Democratically operated school systems in this state traditionally have lower than 50% graduation rates, despite having the highest per capita spending on education.......and of course, you will need to deal with the state's highest rate of violent crime......recycling won't be a problem....you can just toss it in your neighbor's yard when he is at work......he won't notice......

[Troubadour]

I am sure it isn't difficult to find an area run by Democrats instead...

True, there are many beautiful communities to choose from. Of course, they are a tad steep, since everyone wants to live there.


...in my state alone, you could opt for Detroit, Flint, Benton Harbor....of course, it's better if you don't have kids....since Democratically operated school systems in this state traditionally have lower than 50% graduation rates, despite having the highest per capita spending on education...

Of course you're misstating the situation: Poor communities are overwhelmingly Democratic because Republicans would rather sell off the children for burger meat than educate them. Or they'd bring in the Pentagon to run the schools, cover the walls and chalk boards with corporate advertising, and make the children do "commercial reports" instead of book reports. "My reeport is on Mickdonulds freedom fries. They are extra super duper happylishus. Tha end."


....and of course, you will need to deal with the state's highest rate of violent crime...

Ah, so you blame Democrats for Reagan's destruction of American manufacturing and the ensuing social ills. Michigan was a mecca for blue-collar families living the American Dream until Republicans turned it into a nightmare. How anyone can live in that state and even have sympathy for, let alone allegiance to, the Republican Party is beyond comprehension. The whole state is a memorial to the achievements liberal, unionized America built and corporate Republicans destroyed. It's like a gigantic version of Ground Zero.


...recycling won't be a problem....you can just toss it in your neighbor's yard when he is at work......he won't notice......

No, no, no - you have it all wrong. If you throw it in your neighbor's yard, you'll lower your own property value, and that can't be allowed. Just throw it out the window of your Hummer on the highway, and let Jesus decide where it goes.

[PostmodernProphet]

Ah, so you blame Democrats for Reagan's destruction of American manufacturing and the ensuing social ills.without a moment's hesitation.......

Michigan was a mecca for blue-collar families living the American Dream until Republicans turned it into a nightmare.yet, interestingly....when Engler, our last Republican governor left after his last term of office, Michigan ranked in the top ten states economically.....now, after six years of his successor, the Democrat Granholm, we rank in the bottom ten......which does in fact make it a memorial to unions and liberal leadership......

pick any of the worst places to live in this country.....I'll bet you a nickel that it's run by Democrats......

[PostmodernProphet]

Poor communities are overwhelmingly Democratic

poses a bit of a conundrum for you, eh?....run by Democrats, yet unfit to live in......seems consistent with my analysis, yet not with yours......

[preservanation]

Of course you're misstating the situation: Poor communities are overwhelmingly Democratic because Republicans would rather sell off the children for burger meat than educate them.Of course. It's common knowledge.
Yummy children.

However the Govt educational system is a stellar failure and has been run by Dems for decades, and it's not for lack of funds.
I don't get the connection.

[4Reaganomics]

Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit

The proof that big government, big spending, and big welfare can work. Just put in 50 years of a Democratic regime and you will have a migration to the suburbs, higher poverty and crime rates, and horrendous high school drop-out rates.

[AlonzoMourning23]

Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit

The proof that big government, big spending, and big welfare can work. Just put in 50 years of a Democratic regime and you will have a migration to the suburbs, higher poverty and crime rates, and horrendous high school drop-out rates.

You've never been to new england, have you?

[PatrickHenry]

Troubador, I love your cynicism.

And you are a great polemicist, with a fine writing style.

Yet you have my sympathy for the torture of your inner soul.

[PostmodernProphet]

You've never been to new england, have you?

that's that place where the natives bitch about the liberals who moved in from New York. right?.....

[Pookie]

Thought that was NC! Oops.

[AlonzoMourning23]

that's that place where the natives bitch about the liberals who moved in from New York. right?.....

Not sure what you mean.

[PostmodernProphet]

Not sure what you mean.

I'm sorry.....

[Easy90]

I am sure it isn't difficult to find an area run by Democrats instead......in my state alone, you could opt for Detroit, Flint, Benton Harbor....of course, it's better if you don't have kids....since Democratically operated school systems in this state traditionally have lower than 50% graduation rates, despite having the highest per capita spending on education.......and of course, you will need to deal with the state's highest rate of violent crime......recycling won't be a problem....you can just toss it in your neighbor's yard when he is at work......he won't notice......

LOL! You nailed it PMP!

[apdst]

You've never been to new england, have you?

New England is predominately white.

[AlonzoMourning23]

New England is predominately white.

Care to make any more direct comment on race relations?

[apdst]

Care to make any more direct comment on race relations?

Maine is 98% white. You can't claim to be mister PC white boy, when 98% of the people you deal with are white. You say there's not a big welfare problem in Maine? Well, I guess not.

[Wndrtch]

After years of having little choice but to stomach the petty annoyances, careless ineptitude, and random depravity of a Republican community, I'm finally fed up and moving. The following are a few of the reasons why, in no particular order:

1. Speed traps. Obviously it's crucial for police to enforce speed limits for the safety of the community - but what is not acceptable is to create 3-mile bottlenecks on main thorougfares where the speed limit is anywhere from 10 to 20 mph slower than everywhere else on the road, with the signs barely visible amid trees. The description I've just given is of three different streets that I have to drive, and there are probably more I haven't driven. And why do they do things like this? Because the Republicans who live here (many of them rich) refuse to pay for their own community, forcing cops and other public employees to become highwaymen so the Moonscape of potholes doesn't make the streets unusable.

2. Dangerous streets. Yet another consequence of the Republican refusal to pay taxes - death trap roads with blind turns. Aside from the ones that just randomly developed that way, and which the city council couldn't afford to fix with stoplights or even the monumental expense of a stop sign for the cross-traffic, some were even created deliberately: There were originally stop signs, but they slowed traffic before a speed trap and caused lost "revenue opportunities." Then, of course, are all the potholes that accumulate everywhere but in the business zones - the only places that "matter."

3. Crime. Oh boy are these folks tough on crime...once it's already been committed, and the damage is done, as long as they don't have to pay for it. They will gladly pass on the criminals they catch to be incarcerated by the county or state at no additional expense to them. But community policing? Well-lit residential areas? After-school programs? Hell no, that might cost money! Besides, the rich people live in gated, camera-monitored communities with private security and electronic home protection systems, so since they and their businesses are secure, there's no need to protect anyone else. Let the rest sort it out with guns: Whether it's the criminal or the law-abiding pleb who gets carted away in the meat wagon, they both spend their money at McDonald's, so who cares which one spends it?

4. Lack of services. Where can I go to recycle aluminum cans? Well, if I don't mind burning a significant amount of gasoline and negating the whole purpose, I could drive 25 miles to the county recycling center. One would imagine there would at least be private aluminum recycler machines somewhere here, but apparently they were outbid for the vending space by energy drinks. Or how about electronics? Same story - down at the county center, and even there they're not funded to handle the source of most such toxics - common household batteries. No, I have to mail them to a center 60 miles away so they won't end up poisoning anyone decades from now. And how did I find any of this out? Did anyone in the city sanitation department know where I could go to recycle things? Of course not - they even seemed to think the question was amusing. Paper recycling? Plastic recycling? Anything? Well, there is a white dumpster for cardboard down yonder near the civic center. Gee, ain't that great? It's there, BTW, because a private company collects it at no charge to the city. I've also spent many rewarding hours in our fair city's glorious public library - half the size of a typical Barnes & Noble, with a quarter the selection, and computers that are often older than their users. It's next to a church many times larger, better funded, and cleaner - a statement one could also make about the churches relative to the schools, community center, and other public infrastructure. Or how about public transportation? Well, since only people who don't economically matter use it, there's no need (read: no desire) to provide it beyond short stretches of one or two main thoroughfares. If you just don't want to spend thousands of dollars a year and spew unnecessary pollution for a personal automobile, good luck trying to reach anywhere on foot, or surviving the roads on a bicycle.

5. Predatory religion. Jesus is real big around here - bigger than morality or ethics. I developed walking pneumonia and, because my insurance dictated it, went to a private walk-in clinic. Walking down the hall with the nurse, I passed the curious sight of some of the other doctors and nurses holding hands in a circle and apparently praying. After a cursory inspection, while his stethoscope was still listening to the back of my lungs, the doctor who saw me decided he was going to engage in a religious discussion about the state of my "soul" and whether I was a "believer." I was exhausted, running a high fever, and in no condition to get outraged - I just had to pretend to be listening while steering the conversation back to my health. After I made it obvious I was losing my patience, he scribbled off a prescription for an antibiotic and, on a separate sheet of paper that he gave along with the prescription, wrote the names of some religious books and the address of the Christian group he attended. I threw the latter in the trash as I walked out, making sure he saw me do so.

6. Eye-sores. You would think shallow people like Republicans would be more insistent on at least outward beauty in their community, but I've found it quite to the contrary. They encourage development of big-box retailers in giant, minimally expensive, volume-maximized shopping centers that look like prisons, connected to the equally hideous and mass-produced residential "worker receptacles" by monstrous, bloated roadways seemingly designed to make pedestrians feel Lilliputian. What constitutes "natural beauty," "open spaces," or "parks" in this environment? A patchy lawn next to a basketball half-court, a barbecue pit, and a tree. That's right - A tree, standing lonely and pathetic in the desolate residential zone dominated by low hedges and grass. Oh, but there's a nice, leisurely sidewalk stroll one can take just outside the rich neighborhood, and enjoy the nature smells that waft over the gate - just remember to ignore the cameras that pan to follow you, or some rent-a-thug may come ask you about the purpose of your presence on a public sidewalk.

5. General bastardy. Just because you've decided to drive an Abrams tank, and stick your middle finger up at everyone else on the planet, does not give you license to park across 2.5 parking spaces, or to turn on your high-beams when directly behind me so that my rear-view mirror causes instant blindness. Then, of course, was the minor coincidence that I was inundated with junk mail and telemarketing calls within a few weeks of registering to vote in local elections - and, BTW, good luck finding out what any of the candidates stand for, since they're virtually all Republicans and only interested in courting business support. But it's all worth it, right? Surely I can count on low taxes, if nothing else, right? LMAO! If you own a significant amount of property, and a business prosperous enough to put your kids in private school, and you're unlikely to need any serious healthcare, and you don't give a flying **** about anyone but yourself, welcome to paradise. As for me, I'm leaving these jerks to themselves, and finding a real community.

I live in a "Democrat area", where we have a $2Billion road project (known as "The Big Dig"), that was over budget by $12Billion and took ten years longer than expected to finish, which is STILL ongoing. (thank you for your contribution. Ted Kennedy and Tip O'Neil made sure that the entire Nation would contribute. More thsn half is from Federal funding)

If that wasn't good enough, it leaks 1Million gallons a month, and has already killed one woman driving thru, when a 3ton concrete slab fell from the ceilling! The only thing that would have topped that, is if Ted Kennedy was in the car with her, groaping at her breasts.

Ted was officially out of town on that particular day.

[lily]

No, no, no - you have it all wrong. If you throw it in your neighbor's yard, you'll lower your own property value, and that can't be allowed. Just throw it out the window of your Hummer on the highway, and let Jesus decide where it goes.

Eh.....don't listen to Prophet......he lives on the other side of the state.....no where near Detroit.....and we can help you out with your recycling problem. We have bottle depost and manditory recycling here......hell in Royal Oak they even go through your garbage and make sure there isn't any plastic in it, if you don't have your bin out for a couple of weeks.


..........but I do have to agree with him on Granholm.......she is an ass.....but then she's also a Clinton supporter.

[AlonzoMourning23]

Maine is 98% white. You can't claim to be mister PC white boy, when 98% of the people you deal with are white. You say there's not a big welfare problem in Maine? Well, I guess not.

I don't live in Maine. I've never lived in Maine, or any rural area.

[Troubadour]

Of course. It's common knowledge.
Yummy children.

The right seems to enjoy burning children alive or explosively dismembering them, so it's only natural to suspect their motives are culinary. Operation Collateral Appetizer. With education, the story is little different - they would raise children to be consumer farm animals, pacified with the cud of fatuous mass entertainment and minimally compensated for the profit they create. Foreigners are their slaughterhouse steers, and Americans their precious milk cows - and they love either about as much as any easily replaceable commodity.


However the Govt educational system is a stellar failure

It was the most spectacular success in the history of the world for nearly half a century. What changed was the power of Republicans.


and has been run by Dems for decades


Has it? Republicans destroyed the economic foundations of working- and middle-class communities, while their corporate owners destroyed the social foundations that underly education - turning children into fat, diabetic, attention-deficited sugar- and caffeine-addicted idiots raised by television, who learn morality watching murder sprees, revenge fantasies, and cops torture people. They created the Prison State, whose views and attitudes now influence every aspect of popular culture from music to foreign policy, and that has become commoditized and marketed directly to children. A kid won't learn because their parents won't make them study - they can't, because they're both at work all day and night - and the hip hop culture fed to them by the corporations that now own it tells them it's better to be a violent criminal, or at least not "sell out" by learning. Republicans love this state of affairs - seeing other people's children fall behind only makes them feel that much prouder and more arrogant that their position of privilege allows them to avoid the problems they inflict on everyone else.


and it's not for lack of funds.


It is for lack of funds. The few desperate schools able to scrounge higher-than-average funding have to get it from the federal government, which entails numerous Republican strings designed to encourage students to fail and drop out - i.e., reducing school to a test-memorization boot camp where nothing is learned and no one inspired. Schools didn't start eliminating music and art programs in the '80s so they could have more coffee machines in the teacher's lounge - Reaganism cascaded through the system and they ran out of money. The fact that underfunding isn't the only way Republicans sabotage education doesn't mean it's not a big factor.

I don't get the connection.

You get what you pay for. It's not supernatural.

[PostmodernProphet]

It is for lack of funds. The few desperate schools able to scrounge higher-than-average funding have to get it from the federal government, which entails numerous Republican strings designed to encourage students to fail and drop out - i.e., reducing school to a test-memorization boot camp where nothing is learned and no one inspired. Schools didn't start eliminating music and art programs in the '80s so they could have more coffee machines in the teacher's lounge - Reaganism cascaded through the system and they ran out of money. The fact that underfunding isn't the only way Republicans sabotage education doesn't mean it's not a big factor.



I will agree that lack of funds is not the problem, the failing schools in the Democratically run systems spend more per capita than any other school, yet fail miserably at providing education......

[lily]

I wasn't aware that No Child Left Behind was a Democratic measure?

[BoogyMan]

How dare we have higher standards of accountability in education, shameful!

[lily]

No child left behind is a higher standard of accountability in education?

Oh.....I'm dying to hear this. Please tell me how it raised the education levels.

[BoogyMan]

No child left behind is a higher standard of accountability in education?

Oh.....I'm dying to hear this. Please tell me how it raised the education levels.

I didn't claim that it raised "education levels," I rightly pointed out the original intent of the NCLB and that was to create higher standards of accountability in education.

[PostmodernProphet]

No child left behind is a higher standard of accountability in education?

Oh.....I'm dying to hear this. Please tell me how it raised the education levels.

at the very least, it made parents aware how their schools ranked against others......and that would lead, if the parents are good parents, to them pressing the schools to improve.....

[preservanation]

I say, make all of congress and the elites who love our govt school system send their children there, and allow those who want out of that failed system to do so by attending charter schools or anywhere else outside the purview of those donkey farms.

[PostmodernProphet]

..........but I do have to agree with him on Granholm.......she is an ass.....but then she's also a Clinton supporter.

by the way, Lily.....I hope you appreciate the extreme effort I have been exercising by refusing to exploit Granholm's recent surgery to make insulting comments about liberals.......(she had emergency surgery the other day to correct a bowel obstruction).........

[lily]

I know, Prophet......and I've been so quiet about Stabenow's husband getting caught with a Hooker......we do have some doozies here.....but none can compare to Kwamie.:lmao:

[PostmodernProphet]

I got a kick out of the picture the Free Press published of Kwamie and the Rev. Wright hugging and laughing it up at the Detroit NAACP convention.....there was a third guy between them, I think it was the chairman, who had a look on his face like "why did we invite either of these guys".......

I love the internets.....everything is available....

http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2008/04/27/image4048831.jpg

[PostmodernProphet]

caption....thank you, thank you, thank you, Rev. Wright....since you've been around not a single reporter has asked me a question......

[lily]

He does seem overly happy, doesn't he?

[PostmodernProphet]

maybe he had money on the Red Wings game....

[lily]

......he could take it out of his cell phone slush fund.

[NortheastCynic]

God this is ridiculous.

Ready, let's see how easy it is to come up with random examples of shit-hole cities governed by the party we don't like. It's easy for me, I don't like either party. Watch:

Republican Failures: OP's neighborhood, Jersey City, NJ, Miami FL
Democratic Failures: Camden, NJ, Philly, Baltimore

Bet you can't find a Libertarian example...

-NC

[PostmodernProphet]

Miami is Republican?.....what happened to Dade County?......

[potter]

I live in a very republican city in a very republican state.

It's a good place to live. You just have to learn to live with stupid statements parroted from Limbaugh...

Oh...and the trashiness of some of the hard core republicans. (trashy property, trashy talk, etc...)

(Hey, I'm sure there are of trashy liberals around here too...but not in my neighborhood)

[NortheastCynic]

Miami is Republican?.....what happened to Dade County?......We're talking about cities. Miami is run by a Republican Mayor in a Strong Mayor system of city gov't.

-NC

[Milton Bradley]

God this is ridiculous.

Ready, let's see how easy it is to come up with random examples of shit-hole cities governed by the party we don't like. It's easy for me, I don't like either party. Watch:

Republican Failures: OP's neighborhood, Jersey City, NJ, Miami FL
Democratic Failures: Camden, NJ, Philly, Baltimore

Bet you can't find a Libertarian example...


Yeah, these threads where the two parties are going at each others throats are very telling. They indicate that each side has a pretty good grasp on the shortcomings of the others philosophy, but yet they seem completely blind to the negative impact their own policies create on the community that surrounds them.


Yet neither group seeks a different answer, or attempts to approach the problem from a different avenue. It's completely mind numbing.


I hear the same old thing in response every time. "The Founding Fathers never had these problems", or "they couldn't have forseen this", but the truth is, they didn't suffer from this particular brand of "insanity" because they weren't practicing "insanity".

[AlonzoMourning23]

I hear the same old thing in response every time. "The Founding Fathers never had these problems", or "they couldn't have forseen this", but the truth is, they didn't suffer from this particular brand of "insanity" because they weren't practicing "insanity".

True, they were just practicing good ol' racism, slavery, and various other bigotries.

[Osborn F. Enready]

Alonzo said:
True, they were just practicing good ol' racism, slavery, and various other bigotries.

...all of which were the worlds standard at the time.......

Your boy Marx was doing it himself, don't forget. ;)

[Rage]

I hate the godawfulness of living in a liberal democratic society. In a classroom when asked for my opinion, I know I can't give it. I can't walk, talk, or dress a certain way. Sounds more like a communist society to me, but ran by the people.

(If you didn't read what was implied, its not that I can't, but rather I can but I would catch a lot of flack for it. Almost as if it wasn't worth it)

[Milton Bradley]

True, they were just practicing good ol' racism, slavery, and various other bigotries.


Not everybody was a slave owner, or even approved of such behavior.

[Waffletush]

Maybe we should seek the counsel of the honorable Reverend Wright. He doesn't seem to see many draw backs of living in a predominantly Republican area.

[Thirdparty]

Maybe we should seek the counsel of the honorable Reverend Wright. He doesn't seem to see many draw backs of living in a predominantly Republican area.

You mean in that million dollar home with the butler and home theatre?

TP

[Burning Giraffe]

Republican Areas may be culturally annoying, but there are usually lots of jobs, lots of commerce, and lower taxes. :) It's an even trade. Liberal areas are usually heavily regulated, with struggling job markets, higher unemployment, higher taxes, less opportunity; but they usually serve as cultural centers of the American Universe. But there are also cultural down falls such as heavily regulated parks where you can't really do anything except for looking and walking around.