IIRC FDR's programs owe their success in part to the existence of a principled opposition, necessitating the careful construction of New Deal policies, a quality that stood those policies in good stead over an extended time until they were subverted and disemboweled in the regimes following LBJ.

Sadly, no principled opposition exists, in either national party, to which policy questions may be put as a check to their ability to provide needed reform. Instead, bovine blowhards are the rule, herd mentality the norm. This may be karma showing itself for not taking better care of the nations carefully constructed inheritance. Take one - Tragedy; Take two - Rush (parody)

The clear threat is the vacuum of leadership to adequately address the pressing social, legal, political, and economic questions facing the nation by either political party. That vacuum nature will fill, the probability being with a cunning demagogue, providing smoke and mirrors as answers to a pathetically educated, uncritical audience. At that time, the American experiment will be over. There is no assurance at this time, that demagogue is not in place.

A lot of these dittoheads cling even closer to Limbaugh and Hannity and O'Reilly. When their own lives are falling apart, they need enemies now more than ever to explain their failure.

These people for much more than eight years have had no connection to reality. They were told liberals were the enemy of America, that they hated America, and that whatever went wrong in this country was the fault of liberals. If Bush screwed up, he must have been a closet liberal. It is now evident that Rush hates America, because he wants its president to fail, but they don't see that connection at all.

Now that reality is intruding heavily on their personal security, what would it take for them to suddenly see the light? If you went over there and said "I told you so," would they listen? Would they begin to see corporations and banks as not always forces of stability and prosperity in America? Would they recognize greed in others as part of the problem, rather than a personal quality of merit to be emulated?

These people are like true believers in the Soviet Union's Communist Party. When the collapse came in 1991, the Communist party members were disillusioned and angry at the way they had been misled. Maybe the dittoheads will have the same moment of awakening. I'm just not sure it is going to happen if some of their neighbors don't tell them how they were misled all these years.

If you haven't read Robert Altemeyers' The Authoritarians, I recommend it highly. It's enormously entertaining, as well as explaining the die-hard right wing. Essentially, they define themselves as us-against-them, if necessary breaking into smaller and smaller us groups.

The word itself gives me hope, because its very existence indicates that it is possible for illusions to be dispelled.

Thank goodness for blogs like this one, DKos, HuffPost, C$L, for constantly exposing the glaring lies and inconsistencies of the nuthouse right. Given enough time and exposure to the fresh air of reason, may our conservative brethren be granted the precious gift of disillusion, and from there work their way towards something closer to a worthwhile outlook on politics and life.
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Good times for Smiley! :-D

Communism isn't left-wing, it is right wing. By design communism is oppressively authoritarian, and its historical expressions (USSR, China, N.Korea) became massively corrupt, propaganda-driven iron-curtain dictatorships of one or more uber fat cats. Does that sound closer to Bush's America or Obama's America?

Right wingers have long insisted that Communism is left-wing, but if you examine its behavior, it much more closely resembles the propaganda-driven, rigged-market corporate dictatorship of BushCo.

Rightwing propaganda has long sought to equate socialism (Sweden style) with communism (Soviet style). Do they really look much alike to you? This lie, like all their others, depends for its survival on the public being isolated from the truth. Thus, the relentless consolidation of America's radio, TV and religious networks into a single massive industry that props up the grand illusions that keep the wealthy right where they are, rich and in charge.

And that's my biography of Rupert Murdoch.
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Good times for Smiley! :-D

Communism isn't left-wing, it is right wing. By design communism is oppressively authoritarian, and its historical expressions (USSR, China, N.Korea) became massively corrupt, propaganda-driven iron-curtain dictatorships of one or more uber fat cats. Does that sound closer to Bush's America or Obama's America?

Right wingers have long insisted that Communism is left-wing, but if you examine its behavior, it much more closely resembles the propaganda-driven, rigged-market corporate dictatorship of BushCo.

Rightwing propaganda has long sought to equate socialism (Sweden style) with communism (Soviet style). Do they really look much alike to you? This lie, like all their others, depends for its survival on the public being isolated from the truth. Thus, the relentless consolidation of America's radio, TV and religious networks into a single massive industry that props up and inflates the giant thought balloons that keep the wealthy right where they are, rich and in charge.

And that's my biography of Rupert Murdoch.
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Good times for Smiley! :-D

What's the reason behind timing? Budget worries?

When Rush Limbaugh says that he is entertainer, I believe him. He is a weak spot in Republican party because not even Republicans like him. (6% of Democrats like him).

lower taxes

The independent rich are behind this too, and it seems that they are lobbying via media. Probably the upper management of companies has their lobbying campaign too.

_{--Sell Alaska to China!}

In Britain, people who talk on the radio are DJs.

Shock jock unrepentant over derogatory Obama song

The leading US shock jock Rush Limbaugh is taunting the liberal media by repeatedly airing a derogatory and racially charged song about the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

"Turning Japanese I think I'm Turning Japanese I really think so da-da-da det det det det" - The Vapors