Pieces of stupid canned rhetoric that make your blood boil?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

I'll go first:

Me: Hey, did you hear somebody got XXX punishment for crime YYY? Is that over the top or what?
Dork: Well, if s/he didn't want to get punished s/he shouldn't do YYY.

Punishists. AAAARRRGGGHHHH. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Liberal Veteran]

1. If you have nothing to hide...then why worry?

That's not the fucking point!!!!!

The point is, I have a right to my privacy!

[NightTrain]

2. "There are more blacks in prison than whites because...

...the blacks commit more crimes!" :grr:

[EstimatedProphet]

3. Yeah. I hate that too.

It's almost like these fascists think ANY punishment is all right, because if someone breaks the law they should be punished. So, you get the War on Drugs, where someone sits in their house and does a joint, and then goes to jail for 10 years. That's OK, because they shouldn't have done it in the first place. If that's the case, why not kill them, or torture them for years?

Wait...I'd better not give them ideas...

[Liberal Veteran]

4. And how about people talking about gays "flaunting their lifestyle"?

Excuse me? I'm not the one handing out cigars that say my wife just had a baby or handing out wedding invites or showing people pics of my girlfriend and talking about Jennifer Anniston's tits.....

[Redleg]

5. "Social programs just enable minority failure."

That one is related to the so-called "personal responsibility" credo of the Republican party. It is merely an excuse to say "fuck you, I got mine" to poor folks and disadvantaged folks.

And that, folks, is my 3000 post. Took me over two years but there it is!

[wryter2000]

8. Oh, God

That one drives me nuts. Social programs cause poverty and homelessness.

[Redleg]

14. A conservative colleague used that one with me a few days ago.

I said to him "nice try!"

[CBHagman]

6. Did you hear about the Frank Luntz talking points memo?

The Sunday Washington Post had a small feature on a talking points memo that Frank Luntz gave to the GOP. There were a list of things to say when speaking about Iraq, and I've got to tell you, guys, that the GOP members in the House and Senate are using these talking points. I've heard them, again and again. And expect to hear the phrases verbatim.

Anyway, the one I hate the most is "It's better to fight the terrorists in Iraq than in the streets of New York and Washington."

Is that damnably stupid, dangerous, and irresponsible or what? Do these clowns think making cannon fodder of service members in Iraq is going to stop the next Timothy McVeigh or Mohammed Atta? The latter two didn't attack from Iraq, they did it right here, and with the most basic pieces of equipment.

I don't know whether the above talking point is more dangerous or illogical, but I want to spit on anyone who dares to utter it in front of reporters.

[Snow]

7. I was sub-teaching in a high school in Indianapolis at the time

of the Kent State killings. I was amazed to hear high school teachers stating that "they got what they deserved/asked for". Capital punishment for what? loitering, trespassing?

[wryter2000]

9. How about...

Private industry always does a better job than government for less money.

Deregulation encourages competition, which means lower prices for consumers.

It's just the law of supply and demand.

Companies will go out of business if they have to pay a higher minimum wage/have to allow unpaid maternity and family leave/have to supply health insurance.

[HornBuckler]

10. I Second That One

Oh, I Almost Forgot - Socialism Is A BAD Word

[Redleg]

15. Those are some of my favorites too.

It seems Americans buy into those at an early age. I am actually interested in conducting empirical research on employment related attitudes and beliefs among workers.

[69KV]

11. These two:

"Big wildfires happen because the environmentalists won't let us log the forests!"

and

"If you think the minimum wage should be raised to $10, why not raise it to $100 or $10,000? Oh you say you don't want to raise it to $10,000, then by what reason and logic do you want to raise it to $10? Don't you know that infringes on the free contract rights between employer and employee?"


Ayn Rand has poisoned the wells far and wide. Damn the liars.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. Minimum wage

For THAT drivel, I like this response: "Abolishing slavery also infringed on the free contract rights between employer and employee."

Or, for the wildfires one: "Move to the Sahara then. You'll love it there. No wildfires!"

[zbdent]

12. RHE - Republican Head Exploder

"Clinton flaunted his sexual affair with Monica by engaging in a massive effort to cover it up!"

[markses]

16. "The Bushistas have already shown that they are capable of anything"

A fine rhetorical commonplace on these boards, especially when the discussion turns to tin. Apparently, any claim at all can be supported with this little piece of rhetorical work: The Bushistas have already shown that they are capable of anything.

Yeah-huh. That's nice, but it's not exactly an argument.

[geniph]

17. "liberals hate America"

"you're all just part of the Blame America First crowd"

No, assclown, I just believe in calling a spade a spade and a fascist a fascist. I don't believe my nation is always blameless and perfect and ruled by veritable saints. Sorry, but that doesn't preclude my being patriotic.

[Deja Q]

18. Anything with the uber faux-pas word in it. And that word is:

"Freedom"