Re: Haven’t They Suffered Enough?

There have been a lot of delusional people in American politics, but John Edwards just might take the cake.
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I actually have another nominee.
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See here for further discussion: http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/01/21/you-dont-say/#comment-126015

Why don’t you take your own advice, Amy Sullivan?
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What is it about this topic that compels you to write breathlessly about it?
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Can you please stop this idiotic chatter?
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Could you please treat the enterprise of journalism as slightly more than those topics about which it excites you to cluck?
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For a moment –just a moment– think about the fact that this is tragically destroyed Haiti into which Edwards went.
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Perhaps you’d care to “review” the death toll, or the list of necessary recovery steps to ensure the availability of potable water, or the requirements of rebuilding the infrastructure of a capital city in that desperate country, instead of the cake-taking sins of John Edwards, Amy Sullivan?

Amy, he may be despicable. But, he is worth millions, if he can bring money and help to the Haitians that is what matters. If we vetted everyones morals who are assisting the Haitians, well, who do you suppose would be the first humanitarians on the boat out of Haiti.

When he’s done in Haiti maybe he can give Tiger Woods some advice on how to beat his sex addiction.

Does either Sarah’s or Bristol’s baby look like Edwards?

Sorry sacred, even you can’t cheer me up after yet another post by Amy on this. Not to mention STILL hearing it as one of the hourly news stories on NPR and a feature on the half hour. (First heard it at 9 am)

sacred: So funny. Maybe we can start a rumor that can get the traditional media all atwitter and divert them from the issues. It’s not hard.
Lets see: Edwards took a trip to Alaska. In his political capacity, he visited the once Governor Palin. She winked at him, he said “can we”, and she said “you betcha”.

Ivy_B, that’s why I listen to music in the car and at work. Almost everything is depressing. I even started working the crosswords puzzle in the paper. If something good happens, hopefully someone will tell me about it. For the past year I’ve been weaning myself away from the serious stuff. It certainly doesn’t do the world any good, but it makes me feel better. Maybe in another year or so I’ll just be a watcher, observing but not taking part.

Niether.
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Levi.

As long as Amy and her ilk continue to cover this stuff it will continue to happen, and continue to be covered, etc. etc. etc. forever.

Or to look at it in another way… “I’m just the piano player here. I had no idea this was a house of journalism.”

Why only three posts on this?

Wow! That’s why Bristol and Levi broke up? John Edwards was really after Levi?
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Amazing

Amy is just surreptitiously offering a religious sermon on the matter. Forgive her, for she knows not what she does. Still, even to my secular humanistic sensibilities, Edwards is an ass. But, as Pat Robertson has taught us, any publicity is good publicity. Edwards will write a book about his road back to jesus and make a gazillion from the Pat Robertson fans. Blah blah.

I know I’ve suffered enough. Why are we even talking about him?

If he wants to go to Haiti, fine. I really don’t care about the other stuff. I just don’t.

John Edwards did a dispicable act. I get it. But when the flood is coming every jurisdiction in this country that has them will use inmates to fill sandbags.
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Give the sanctimony, the feigned piety, self righteousness and hypocritical high-mindedness a rest. The people of Haiti needs help and as close as John Edwards might be to the devil the devil he is not. Let he or she without sin cast the first stone.

Actually Pat Roberston might disagree with you on that one, gysgt

Which part Rusty?

OT, but does anybody else ever think about giving up the internet? My son graduates from college in May of 11′ and I’ve thought many times of giving it up when he moves out. It has nothing to do with this or any other thread.

What does one do with out the internet is there life some where else?

That’s just crazy talk. I think of the internet as a utility, like water, gas, and electric.
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Sadly I have Comcrap so I need a new modem not infrequently.

Both actually now that you ask. Flood has already occurred, Noah ring a bell? The next time God destorys the earth it will be with fire. But, I digress.
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The other is self evident. Edawards is probably the devil Roberson was talking about, if not he’s a dead ringer for the Anti-Christ! HA!

I’ve only been on the internet for 8 years and posting for 2 or three. Until then I only used the internet to look up information.

I think of like oxygen or food. You can give them up but you can’t live man.

Rusty-LOL!!!

$500 would be enough for me to have it taken out tomorrow. I almost have one of the younger guys at work willing to bet me that much that I could have it taken out for a year. He says he couldn’t live without it. I know I could.

I’m also the only person at work without a cellphone.

“I’ve thought many times of giving it up when he moves out…”
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More than a little ironic on this post but, I have to ask, where will you get your news?

The newspaper. Up until 10 years ago that was pretty much it for me. I don’t watch much news on tv now and didn’t then either. I’m starting to think life would be much more pleasant if I didn’t even read the paper.

I can’t read anymore. I’m going to be sick.

Newspaper. WTF is that?

You’re scaring me, man.

Beat me to it, gunny. Seriously though, which one, The Post (up until about seven years ago for me), The Times (sort of like going back to the Pinto instead of buying the Prius)? They’re not called “dead-tree” editions just because they’re printed on dead trees.

sacredh, good job of yanking everybody’s chain. We all know the internet and Swamp especially is a big part of your life. Ours too.

It just occurred to me that a little contest like the “Master of Your Domain” episode from Seinfeld might be interesting. Anybody interested in seeing how long we could go without posting anything anywhere?

formerlyjames, that’s true and I do enjoy the internet, but I’m positive I could change the habit. I partied everyday from just before my 12th birthday until I was 29 (expect for most of a stay in the hospital because of a car wreck) but I literally quit overnight and never looked back.

shepherdwong, I’m going to admit something pretty horrendous. I only read the USA Today.

I could give it up if I had a boring-arse office gig where I was connected. Cold turkey!? Probably not. Leaving me to dentist office reading and cable “news”–good heavens no.

I think, however, we’d all be healthier for it. My dad, after his wife died, totally untapped. He’s far happier. He dates a woman now wholly disinterested is this cancerous rot, as is her social network. I’ve never seen him laugh so much. Before with my stepmom, it was straight doom and gloom, glued to the tubes all week. This sh!t is inherently depressing, as progress is barely perceptible.

BTW, thank god I don’t come here for news. That SCOTUS decision is ghastly. Bow to the oligarchs, ladies and gents. Their ownership of our society is nigh complete.

This would also fit really well at comment 12. Enjoy!

Hey Amy! A little bird told me that the John “stare decisis” Roberts’ court just turned the keys to our elections over to Exxon-Mobile. Care to tell people about something that matters“?

jcapan, I work for the feds and all the computers are monitored. Everything we do on the computer is logged so we don’t mess with it at work inless it’s job related and the website proves it so there’s no problem at work. I used to paint but haven’t painted more than a couple of things a year recently. I think I would have a better time without the internet but I’m lazy and it’s fun.

Eh, you’re still probably better informed than half the people who read – and write – this blog

FT: I’m going to bet that you could give up the internet and hardly notice it. I think our age/generation might make it easier.

[...] a comment » This is Amy Sullivan of the Time Magazine in an article about John Edwards. In this new era of new media, journalists seems to be making egregious [...]

The USA Today is the ONLY paper besides the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that’s available in the area I live (not counting local rags that are barely fit to light a fire with). The only articles I usually read from major papers are articles that are linked through here at Swampland. I don’t post anywhere else. I’d never read anything from The Onion until today when there were a couple of links to it.

Is your work busy? After returning to the US after my first stint abroad I had to work for 10 months doing data entry before I started teaching. I had enough (monotonous brain-killing) work for maybe 2 hours a day. The rest was riding the waves. Our whole row of guys would erupt in cheers, watching the NCAAs/whatever other sporting event was on during the day. Without the net I’d have waited tables.

sacred –
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I can take it or let it alone – mostly the latter, these days (who is Lady Ga Ga and why do I care?)
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What I really would miss would be YouTube – for all that wonderful stuff that was promulgated during my youth, got lost, and is now available again.
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The rest is pretty much a carpetbagger’s con.
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Oh, and workingpreacher.org – it’s good and it’s free!

Amy – please watch your grammar. What does the second sentence means? Just started a blog (http://recklessjournalists.wordpress.com/) to call out journalists who make egregious spelling and grammatical mistakes.

“- and write -”
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priceless

I work outside a great deal year round. Sometimes I’m busy nonstop and other times it’s flat out dead. It’s beautiful where I work (hills and the Ohio River) and we have a nesting pair of bald eagles within eyesight. I spend alot of time outside even when I don’t have to be.

You read Thoreau sacred? His work speaks to much of what you express here & previously (owning things etc.)

And in response to AS & KT, here’s GG when Halp-f@ck’s book first came out:

“The real value of a book like this lies in the opportunity it presents for Washington’s elite class to distract themselves and everyone else from the oozing corruption, destruction, decaying and pillaging going on — that these same Washington denizens have long enabled. With some important exceptions, that is the primary purpose of establishment journalism generally. Even better, the book lets our media and political elite — and then the public generally — feel good about themselves by morally condemning the trashy exploits of Rielle Hunter and the egoistic hypocrisies of the irrelevant John and Elizabeth Edwards. As The Nation’s Chris Hayes so perfectly put it: “Just when you think the news cycle can’t get any stupider, Mark Halperin publishes a book.” All imperial courts — especially collapsing ones — love to occupy themselves with insular, snotty trivialities. As this book and the excitement it has produced demonstrates, providing that distraction is exactly what our press corps most loves to do and what it does best. The media sleazebags who turned Bill Clinton’s penile spots, cigars and semen stains into headline news for two straight years haven’t gone anywhere; they’re actually stronger and more dominant than ever.”

FT: I think the reason i could do without the net is because I’m a collector. Thousands of movies, books and cd’s. If they were added up, I think 15,000 would be a good ballpark figure. The three closest libraries to my house couldn’t touch my sci-fi horror collections even if they were combined. I’m not even sure the local BlockBuster could touch my movie collection.

I’ve read Thoreau (I assume you’re talking about On Walden Pond) and just about all the other classics. I still read 2 or 3 books a week (and still have them all…sigh). I love having things but I also like giving them away too. My wife has pretty well got me to the point where I have to give up something in order to get something new. I just donated almost my entire fantasy collection to the local libraries (almost 500 books). I did keep the first edition hardbacks. I’m generous, just not that generous.

jcapan, have you read any Walt Whitman? I’m not a huge poetry fan but I really like him.

You, sir, are the Mad Max of home entertainment. I say go for it.

Sounds like you’re jealous, Rusty…

Why wasn’t this thread titled “Hi-Jack Me”?

It’s only a matter of time. Probably sooner rather than later too.

…you’ll have a field day here. We’re manna from heaven if you love spelling and grammar errors.

Yes, studied him a fair bit in grad school, taught him for a few years. But I’ve not read since I left Florida 3 years ago–perhaps this will inspire me to do so.
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Leaves of Grass written only one year after Walden, BTW. Song of Myself one of the most vivid spiritual experiences ever put on paper IMHO. His version of purification through radical acceptance & embrace of society’s most reviled members. Purity & transcendence only to be achieved by the shedding of false morality. His commitment to empathy and camaraderie, suffering along the least fortunate–should be the model for our public servants today (the stinking hucksters preying upon the same unfortunates)

Actually, I’ve seriously thought about “tuning out.” Ya know, just leaving society and all of its idiocy – hey, Rusty! – behind. I really don’t need it anymore. But, where to go?

Cinci once suggested Costa Rica. Sounds nice, but are they any better than Americans? I worry that people are people wherever you find them.

We need to get Amy to work on her wordplay.

Shorter version: media fiddles while Rome burns.
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Shall I adjust your deck chair, Mr. Astor?

“But, where to go? Cinci once suggested Costa Rica. Sounds nice, but are they any better than Americans? I worry that people are people wherever you find them.”
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Mr NG, after more moves than a migratory bird, I can say two things with conviction:
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1. It’s not the place, it’s the person
2. People are people (Depeche Mode?)
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I’d qualify that 2nd item, however. In my experience, the people who are different are those who have less. I find them to be happier, far more curious hopeful and hungry (i.e. driven to succeed). I’m not talking Haitian level deprivation here, but it’s American excess (in a material sense decoupled from any spiritual life) that drives our rampant sh!ttiness to one another.

I had a literature teacher in high school that had the decency to steer me toward the truly great works (and a fair share of the good trash). It’s been over 40 years ago and we still talk regularly. He deals in books as a sideline and gives me first shot at the out-of-print gems. He also attends sci-fi conventions and has given me several autographed copies of books. I got an autographed Ender’s Game last year for my birthday.

Mr. Nice Guy, I think it’s possible to “tune-out” anywhere. It may be easy for me to say that since I live in a rural area though.

From your lit teacher’s perspective, I’d say he was lucky enough to have a student who liked to read and was receptive to what he was putting on the syllabus. Precious rarity, that, even 40 years ago. And jeez, you’re old!

And it’s funny Sacred, I also only (regularly) post here. The difference is I’m not nearly as light-hearted as you. Perhaps it’s not the internet that’s bringing you down but where you’re participating? Given your passions, maybe a doom and gloom political blog ain’t your venue? I say this relucantly, as I’m sure like everyone else it’d be sad to see you go if you ever opted to do so. There must be many seriously engaging communities built up around scifi/fantasy writing, vampire flicks et al.

sacred I was in high school in the late 50s. This was the tail end of the reactionary McCarthy, Bircher period. My school was in the Seattle suburbs so you would think it was liberal. Not so. The school board had a list of books that teachers were not allowed to recommend or teach.
All books by Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, Steinbeck, and any other author they had termed leftist. My senior English teacher told us to get those books and read them if we had to by flashlight under our bedcovers. She was fired the next year. We also had a remarkable teacher who was Jewish and had escaped the holacaust as a child. He encouraged us to study different forms of governments. This included communism. Well, of course he was fired the next year.
After secretly reading the naughty Peyton Place, I went on to read all those books that our school board had condemned and studied different forms of government. The only contamination I suffered was an expanded view of life and the world.

jcapan, it’s not really getting me down. I’m just starting to wonder if it’s worthwhile blogging when it changes nothing. We can’t even change somebody’s mind here that is willing to read and consider an alternative point of view. We’ve got a few dozen commentors at most and I’m sure that we’re pretty far removed from the average person. I also don’t think we’re doom and gloom. Fox and CNN have that pretty well wrapped up. The commentors on those sites come close to short bus material. I went to one sci-fi convention and it wasn’t my cup of tea at all. When a guy came up to me dressed like Chewbacca I headed for the door.

apr2563, my high school was a little more liberal than that. I had hair down below my shoulders and was class president. Quite a few of the teachers partied. They had a chapter of Youth for Christ and I ran for president of that too. I was an atheist even back then and I ran on the platform that god was dead and that if I was elected I would hold a funeral and disband the group. When it looked like I would win they disbanded on their own.

What is wrong that man??

And what is wrong with you, who can pass such judgment?

John Edwards just might take the cake…

Yes, he’s right up there with Lyndon LaRouche…No? Maybe John Ensign, then…and maybe not even that, considering Ensign is being investigated by the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee.

Really, really OT, but the principal hated my guts. When he gave me my diploma on stage he whispered that he was glad to get rid of me. I whispered back that I had f**ked his daughter. It took two teachers to hold him back.

sacred I would have joined your club. Remember I am talking pre Sixties. Even a few years later, I had to take a loyalty oath to get into teacher training.
A few years later, I was opposing the war, sampling some weed, and fighting for women’s lib. The times they were a changin.

“Maybe John Ensign, then…and maybe not even that, considering Ensign is being investigated by the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee.”
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I’m paraphrasing (somebody): Marital infidelity is a big problem for Republicans, if you’re a Democrat. Shorter: IOKIYAR. This is Captain Obvious, signing off.

apr2563, I’m not sure it’s even possible to explain to people under 45 how much things have changed. I truly feel sorry for those that didn’t get to experience the 60′s. Reading about something isn’t the same as living it at all. There have been so many technological advances in the last 25 years that have made our lives easier and made communication something we take for granted, but the societal upheaval that we went through is much more amazing to me. I didn’t attend my senior prom because my date wasn’t the same race as mine. We were told we wouldn’t be admitted if we showed up together. What a long strange trip it’s been.

I think I am going to take a break for a week or three. Have fun folks.

sacred, I took a month or three off – twice – and it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. I came back and the stupid is still pretty thick. Republicans are still doing nothing except holding us back, and the Dems are still masturbating. It’s disappointing.

“I know I’ve suffered enough. Why are we even talking about him?

If he wants to go to Haiti, fine. I really don’t care about the other stuff. I just don’t.”
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Amen to that. No different then some of the Palin crap and other fake stories. When these guys are not in office, and have no significant effect on the public, all these “for entertainment value” stories are particularly wasteful of time and energy. If media outlets did not bring them up, %99.9 of the population wouldn’t know a thing about it.
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I will toss a bone to the media however, since they are by and large just profit engines like any other corporation now: If the majority of Americans were not so intellectually challenged, they would not be entertained by tabloids, TMZ, John Edwards’ sex life, Sarah Palin’s daughter’s boyfriends, etc. Fox, Time, TMZ, and whoever else you want to list put that junk out because they make money doing so.
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Essentially, people get the media they deserve, just like government.

As both politician and lawyer, Edwards proves the idea that the sum of the points is bigger than the (ass) whole.

Amy Sullivan huffs: “Why can’t [Edwards] stay out of public view …”?

Beautiful. America’s alleged, comically self-described “watchdog” media completely ignored Edwards, his ho and his love child for over a year (the Los Angeles Times went so far as to issue a memo prohibiting ANY mention of Edwards, his ho or his love child) and now Edwards lovers like Amy Sullivan and the rest of the Washington press corps demand that Edwards “stay out of public view”!

Never forget that it was the National Enquirer that produced the goods on Edwards, his ho and his love child. Of course, the National Enquirer is a much more credible source of information than ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, MSDNC, NPR, the New York Times-Democrat, the Washington Post-Democrat, the Associated (with terrorists) Press, al McClatchy, Time, Newsweek, al Jazeera, the Huffington Post, ….

stop in from time to time, sacred. At least to tell us how you’ve harassed your MIL…

Why is Time more interested in this than in all of the other reasonable questions about Sarah Palin’s family tree? Why is this worth a Bible Girl recap while the saga of Sarah faking maternity of her mother’s baby and Levi’s emancipation is dismissed around here as a non-story?

sacred the 60s were the most tumultuous times I can remember. They were never dull. 68 was one reality collision after another. The 50s that the right yearns for were the pits. Closed minds, closed doors. We were called the silent generation for a reason.
But, we brought the next generations ROCK and ROLL. For that we have to be forgiven for our complacency. The 60s needed ROCK as a musical background. Peace!
Have a nice sabatical from the Internet.

In my experience, the people who are different are those who have less.
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jcapan,
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I have to agree. While in military and when overseas, I tried to live off-base among the locals (and as far away from the base itself as practical). In Korea, where I lived for about 4 1/2 out of the 20 years I was in, the level of living was about like the US 100 years ago but they were quite happy. If no one’s around to tell you how little you have (or to compare to), then you may not be aware that you are supposed to be unhappy with your lot in life.
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In the US, there’s always an ad or program on telling us how unhappy we should be that our boobs or “equipment” aren’t big enough or we need a larger TV. I can see how getting away from the constant bombardment from that drek would improve our dispositions.

I am a big admirer of Elizabeth Edwards. I read her book “Resilience” about a year ago and found it an authentic and gutwrenching book. The announcement has been made. None of us are surprised. Let’s allow Elizabeth her dignity back. She’s the one who’s suffered enough.

ohn Edwards is a complete clown. His endorsement of Obama could have been very detrimental for the President considering the Edward extra marital affair and “love” child.

Even worse, his complete arrogance and lack of concern for others especially his family just makes me want to gag.

Yes, his personal life is his business except that he is a PUBLIC official so apparently we all need to know . Poor Elizabeth Edwards, it must be horrifying to explain to your children what a cad their father really is!

His trip to Haiti is a poor effort to save face and look serious. I wish he had sincere people around him who could have told him how silly this ill timed effort has been.

However, this is politics, who knows why he really traveled. For now though, he just seems like a charlatan in dire need of the lime light. What a boor!

LM
http://theblindspotsofgod.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/technology-savvy-nigerian-criminals-are-the-greatest-threat-to-national-security/

Thanks for hiding the majority of your post below a “read more” link — it’s a great way of inconveniencing your readers and convincing people to not read what you write.