I participate in something called "YouGov". Until today, I never read the commentary under any of the polls I took. I should have kept it that way. What a bunch of hateful morons! And it may inform us how to take any "Economist/YouGov polls" ... that is, NOT seriously.
More below.
Some of the choice comments there (there were MANY like this and worse ... well, except for the last one in the list, which I quoted verbatim):
Harry S. Truman famously said of the presidency, 'The buck stops here.' President Obama might as well make his slogan: 'Pass the Buck.' His record of failures and broken promises has left him with no record to run on. But instead of holding himself accountable, the president blames everybody but himself."
When anyone tells Franklin Graham to forget having prayer at the White House on Nat. Prayer day but instead invites Muslim clerics into the White House for Islamic prayers I just don't think that the God of the Holy Bible would look very favorably on that decision .... through the democrat [sic] controlled Senate or by the many unethical executive orders issued has done exactly what he wants to do!
What exactly has this President done for you? ... And please don't give Bin Lauden as he did not sign the order until the terrorist was dead. (Ed. note WTF?) ... his lack of transparency, his lack of leadership, his lack of accomplishing squat except to bribe, threaten, and shove a healthcare bill down the public throat .... brings race up at every opportunity and divides this Nation as no President before .... wants to punish America for being America the country that gave both him and his wife a free education, favor ism, and perks .... does his very best to hide behind a father who by his own words abandoned him, but it was because of Great Britain and America not any character flaw in his alcoholic wisdom that his father abandon him (Ed. note WTF?!?!?!?). He lets the cronies like Holder and Axelrod make decisions .... by far the very worst President this country has ever had ....
and the piece de resistance ....
[Ed. note: this is verbatim] What in the hell are you smoking ?? Wake up -----this nigger african fraud is ruining an entire country and all he and his large-assed wife do is VACATION on Our DIME !!!!
There are lots of fine black people who are great Americans [Ed. I'm sure he's referring to Allen West (R-FL).], but the fake TAKERS have to GO !!!!!!!!
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Why I bothered to read these comments I don't know. They gave me a sad! :-(
Why I bothered to write a response I don't know, since I wrote something that was probably too long for them to read, let alone comprehend. The "running the country into a toilet" and "government control" I use are references to other messages I didn't quote above:
As to running the country into a toilet ... I have no clue what you all are talking about regarding President Obama. I do have a clue about former President Bush, however:
1. Taking a projected surplus and turning it into a half-trillion or more deficit during the course of his presidency.
2. Refusing to raise taxes and actually cutting them in a time of war; a war in Iraq (not Afghanistan) that arguably made our country more in*secure, both in terms of terrorism *and in terms of financial security.
3. Not being able to catch Osama bin Laden, even though he was holed up in ally Pakistan's northern provinces (not far from the capitol, as I understand it), since 2005. Allowing bin Laden to escape in December 2001 from Tora Bora in Afghanistan.
4. Completing the work of Bill Clinton (yes, I said Bill Clinton) in deregulating all thing financial to the point that an economic collapse was inevitable.
Define "socialism" to me [all] of you. I'd really like to know what you think it means.
As to so-called "government control", this had been ongoing, mostly to contain the worst abuses by corporations regarding pollution, food, drugs, natural resources, capital markets, and other private sector activities. "Government control" of business has been decreasing for the most part over the last 30-40 years, through direct deregulation and through cutting the funds of the agencies doing the regulating. What you all are calling "government control" is actually what economists would call "regulated capitalism". A few questions about corporate activities and their consequences will show what government control accomplishes.
What if a corporation operating a factory in your city were not to follow gov't regulations on safety with some explosive chemical, and the plant wound up blowing up, killing and injuring folks? Then would you be calling regulated capitalism "socialism"?
What if your child ate something and it wound up sickening them because the corporation that manufactured it was cutting corners on sanitation in its packing plant? I suppose those regulations mean "socialism" as well.
How about a little lead paint on your kids' toys? That'll make 'em good and sick. But the country that uses lead paint pays their people less to build them, so the corporation making (or, rather, IMPORTING) those toys will maximize profit by ignoring the law and the regulations. I supposed because the corporation was able to maximize profit at those kids' expense, that makes it okay, since it's not "socialism"?
I know that many of you believe you're espousing freedom from government oppression. Consider the oppression that results from unregulated powerful business interests doing what they please to make money, unconcerned about any consequences to those harmed by what they do. PLEASE see if you can consider your arguments about government control in light of what government agencies are trying to do on your behalf. They are not generally trying to take away your freedom, but giving you the freedom to buy food, cars, and other goods without having to worry whether or not those goods are safe to use. And when those regulatory agencies fail, it usually isn't because they are incompetent, but because they are been starved to ineffectiveness through budget cuts by those being paid big bucks by corporate lobbyists.
There, now I feel better. But I don't really. I just wasted about an hour of my time on this nonsense :-(.