Fair warning – Don’t click through if you don’t want to read something political in nature.
I’m sensitive to those that don’t want to read that sort of thing, hence the fair warning. Nothing bad here, just a curiosity and I’m wondering if other people in the USA are doing the same thing, so testing it on WUWT’s wide readership will likely help answer it.
I have seen upside down US flags twice now in my town. The first time I just thought it was self commentary, now seeing it a second time in a different part of town, I stopped along E. 5th Avenue to get this shot. I wonder, how many people across the United States are doing the same thing after November 6th? In case you don’t know, flying the flag upside down is a sign of distress or emergency. Flying at half staff is respect for the fallen in service of our country. Combined it makes quite a commentary on the Benghazi incident, the fallen soldiers and ambassador, and the election. Checking the Internet I find there are others doing the same thing now, such as this fellow in South Bend, Indiana. Then there’s the story about an upside down half-staff flag at McDonald’s which has angered a lot of veterans even though it was claimed to be a mistake.
The U.S. Flag code says in section 8:
The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
Some people consider it flag desecration such as is on par with burning it as political commentary.
I wonder though, if this sort of visual political commentary I’ve seen in my town is being quietly repeated elsewhere since many people now see the USA as being in distress?
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Couple of relevant things to point out here.
Reagan DID cut tax rates, which DID directly and immediately lead greatly increased federal revenue and a tremendous growth in the economy, BUT the democrats who held both House and Senate lied to him, broke their promise to reduce spending increases, even to the point of increasing the rate that they were increasing spending! THAT latter point is why the deficit increased under democratic Congresses. As usual.
“Clinton” did NOTHING to improve the economy, which continued with low growth and anemic performance from 1992 (before his election under a three-way split vote with Ross Perot) through 1994.
ONLY after Newt Gingrich won the House and REDUCED spending in 1994 did the economy grow – spurred also by the increased “bubble” from the newly arriving digital media and potential. “Clinton’s” economic growth slowed, then stopped completely and began to recede in late 2000 —- BUT, the federal spending steadily rose as the democrats threw Gingrich out of power on trumped up political pressure.
Bush’s errors were NOT fighting the rise in spending domestically, NOT fighting the corruption and prejudices within the departments of the Interior, HHS, and EPA/NOAA/NASA/etc that both prompted and promoted their CAGW theories. As soon as Pelosi – through the media’s sexual obsessions and exaggerations in mid-2006 of alleged republican spending and scandals – took over the House and taxes and spending in 2007-2008, the economic collapse of summer 2008 became a certainty. A requirement actually, since the economic collapse of 2008 was needed to elect Obama socialists.
But their socialist beginnings were laid back in 1932 with Roosevelt, increased under Johnson in his Great SOciety, and re-inforced under Pelosi (and an gullible Bush!) in 2007-2008.
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Enron’s collapse in early 2000’s came about BECAUSE Bush did NOT continue to prop up the illegal finances that Clinton’s department ignored.
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Perversely, the simple “hope” and optimism that Romney’s gains in September and October of 2012 led to his defeat (along with voter fraud – a separate story): As national “hope” for a republican president rose when the polls and early debates turned favorable, “hope” and expectations for a better economy rose, and the stock market and early unemployment numbers began to lower and businesses began PLANNING for new growth.
The first three days after this election? Already hundreds of different businesses have announced layoffs.
Roosevelt didn’t “cause” the great depression. But it lasted as long as it did ONLY BECAUSE of his near-socialist policies and the high taxes he demanded as he bought votes in contested states, ignored and reduced funding in opposition states, and ignored strongly democratic states.
We face four more years of stagnation and collapse.
Tucci78 says: @ur momisugly November 9, 2012 at 10:40 am
Very well put. Thank you
There are those of us who can not stand either the Democrats OR the Republicans. From my point of view it is alway a choice of the lesser of two evils. If there is no other overriding concern I generally want to vote the incumbent out and put in a new little pigglet instead of the well entrenched hog.
It never ceases to amaze me that those completely behind one party or the other can not see neither party represent the man in the street.
ujagoff ( November 9, 2012 at 9:17 am) may I suggest you read Dr David M.W. Evans Guest post over at Jo Nova’s site on the regulating class. Dr Evans does a much better job of explaining the illusion created by the politicians and MSM. There is no real “left” vs “right” there is only the regulating class sucking at the government teat and the rest of us chumps who pay for what ever they want.
Consider this, Just how much money has traveled from the government coffers into the coffers of large Corporations?
This interview of the top political contributer to BOTH political parties by Mother Jones nailed it.
That is just ONE corporate giant. This type of story is repeated throughout the USA. Laws are not passed for the benefit of the environment or the people, they are passed to protect the corporate giants from competition and keep consumer prices high. ADM profits soar 550 percent as ethanol margins improve THAT is the real reason for the biofuel laws.
Want another one? Here is one that will turn your stomach SHIELDING THE GIANT: USDA’s “Don’t Look, Don’t Know” Policy It explains the manipulation behind the food contamination scare that was used to get the Food Safety Modernization Act passed.
This was covered up not only by the government but by the MSM. John Munsell told me his story was ready to print in a big New York mag, when the owner yanked the story.
This mess was ALLOWED to go on from 1996 until a Food Safety bill was passed. The US politicians, the people in the USDA, the mass media, the US corporations did not give a flip about the poor kids dieing in agony.
So yes I can understand why some might want to bring attention to the fact our country is in bad shape and it is only getting worse.
Larry Ledwick (hotrod) says:
November 9, 2012 at 6:17 pm
Perhaps it would be useful to look at the real numbers, the budget surplus that Clinton alledgedly left Bush is an accounting trick the national debt never went to zero during his term, it only changed from money borrowed from public debt instruments to money borrowed from social security fund.
http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/craigsteiner/2011/08/22/the_clinton_surplus_myth/page/full/
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I would offer the root/seed that produced the end result in the housing market that formed the economic climate we experience today as born from the Clinton years.
Do homework on the CRA.” Community Reinvestment Act”.
boehm quotes mencken:
“In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.”
so, mr boehm, who are the takers after all?
are those who were not plundered the villains?
my reasoning says the takers are the ones who plunder.
my reasoning says that those who support the pillagers are accomplices.
are those who submit the ones worthy of admiration?
my reasoning says that those who refuse to be complicit are the heroes.
it still amazes me that a person can unhinge his mind to swallow a contradiction bigger than his head.
refusal to surrender is not taking, mr boehm. it’s courage.
obedience is not reasoning but a default – a choice not to think.
neither a dean’s list nor a nobel prize constitute logical argument, mr boehm.
.
Flying the flag upside down was a fairly common protest gesture during the Vietnam War.
– MJM
The Liberal Democrat Progressers are a bit slow and mathematically challenged. They are in need of a free mathematics lesson to re-learn what they failed to grasp in high school math classes. The complete and total economic collapse of the USA will teach them a lesson they will never forget. Have a heart.
more soylent green! says:
November 9, 2012 at 1:43 pm
BTW: Sunday is the official Veteran’s Day in the USA (Monday is the observed day). Please fly your flags on Sunday in honor of our veteran’s, especially those who lost life and limb to protecting our freedoms.
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THAT is the best comment yet!
gnomish,
You are off on wild tangents. I only pointed out the fact that half the country pays no federal income tax. That is a true statement.
Then I pointed out that every last one of those non-taxpayers takes federal handouts. Every one of them.
That makes them takers, and you are going of on your wild tangents because you simply cannot refute the factual statements I made. Next time you want to argue, cut and past my statement that you want to argue with. The rest are strawman fallacies because I never mentioned them. I made very simple to understand statements, and I stand by them.
Finally, if you feel the need to argue with H.L. Mencken, all I can say is good luck with that.
The Republic is in severe danger. Many may not believe this, but, those who do must be allowed their free speech. Those who don’t are also free to give their opinion of this practice that is spreading. Or is Barry’s work on denying our commentary on Islam already running over into other areas??
Thomas T. says:
November 9, 2012 at 2:18 pm
….People who pay no federal income taxes still pay taxes. They pay a lot of taxes, which are a burden given their limited income….
_______________________
You definitely have a point.
President Ronald Reagan 1975:
It’s really funny to see comments about gay marriage,pro-choice,saving the planet and religion.when the USA is 16 trillion in debt(soon to be nearly 18).This is what most countries have come to.
This is Nero fiddling while Rome burns.
Republicans need to stop trying to do the right thing.Let Obama have his higher taxes on the wealthy .It will eventually lead to 75 percent tax on the wealthy(France anybody).The day has to come when people realise the wealthy cannot fund millions of people from other countries that come for welfare or criminal activities(not saying they all do)as well as the percentage of their own citizens who are on welfare or into crime.Why draw it out?Let the chips fall for the next four years.
Let him have all he wants before millions more flood your country.It will take years of borrowing before it all implodes,but it will implode.It will be worse than Greece,because no country will have money for bail-outs.
Anyway here’s to me being wrong.I would gladly proclaim stupid thinking on my part if the Democrats have it right.
1) Wish I’d thought of that with the Aussie flag in 2010.
2) It would seem there are more than 47%
D Böehm says:
November 9, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Gunga Din,
I have lots of quotes saved, but this one is a real favorite:….
_______________________________
I love this H. L. Mencken quote, It seems so appropriate these days
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.”
Speaking of appropriate quotes this one fits this week to a tee:
Would that we had journalists of his wit still writing.
ok, mr. boehm, please substantiate this statement you made:
” every last one of those non-taxpayers takes federal handouts. Every one of them.”
i’m prepared for you to now get very semantically clintonesque with your definition of ‘hand-out’
Why is everyone so angry about anything. Someone is not malicious or even evil because they do not believe in the same things you do. It did not used to be this way. Why is politics now an expression of anger?
One must look at the current state of elections as Sales 101. Logic is never a good road to take in sales. People do not buy on logic, they buy on emotion and the most prominent emotion is “what’s in it for me”. All successful salesmen know when you successfully present the answer to that question, the buyer takes action and makes the purchase. The Democrats successfully presented the American public with an answer they wanted to hear: they promised them everything, promised that it will come from “the rich” and sadly the majority cheered and swallowed it hook, line and sinker. So now elections must become a sales contest based on emotion rather than logic and intelligent thinking. That means the Democrats will always win.
Thomas T. says:
November 9, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Going John Galt is a quaint high school level notion, embraced by disenfranchised adults.
Call it whatever you like. Once it starts, it will only end in disaster for the moochers and the looters.
CG Nelson sez: “Makes me think that maybe ugagoff is actually a Warmist here pretending to be ‘disappointed’ at WUWTers who, in my experience, seem quite capable of thinking for themselves!”
Nope. Nice try though.
My point is that science, as it was taught to me, requires an absolute lack of bias in analysis of data, in the goals of the studies themselves, and in the way the results are communicated to the public. I’d believed that discussions here focussed on the science, and didn’t require rhetoric. And the comments here do not speak to unbiased analysis.
And now, in response to me daring to mention my dismay about the, to me, extreme responses to the election result, I’m getting attacked here. Geez, people! I’ve been arguing this cause along with you for years! I’m also concerned about the next four years. But I’m allowed to question things! Whether it’s Dems, GOP, or WUWT! To squash that reeks of Mann.
Incidentally, I didn’t vote for Obama. Or Romney. Wrote in Thomas Jefferson. Seriously. Couldn’t bring myself to vote for either candidate.
[Reply: No one is ‘squashing’ you. You are free to comment. But others are also free to express their opinions. In this way WUWT is different from alarmist blogs, most of which heavily censor comments that stray from their narrative. — mod.]
A weekly newsmagazine used those colors in its pre-election electoral vote projections and it caught on on the weekend talk shows and spread from there. I agree it’s absurd–but it would be inflammatory to associate “red” with liberal,” so it’s worked out for the best.
OK, gnomish, name one non-taxpayer who doesn’t take some form of taxpayer loot. Name just one. You can falsify my statement with one concrete, verifiable example.
See, that’s not even the issue. The issue is the fact that about one-half of the population pays zero federal income taxes, even though they have an income. They are the “takers” because they pay nothing in. They only take money from others.
OssQss says: @ur momisugly November 9, 2012 at 6:49 pm
…I would offer the root/seed that produced the end result in the housing market that formed the economic climate we experience today as born from the Clinton years.
Do homework on the CRA.” Community Reinvestment Act”.
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Actually there were five new banking laws signed by Clinton that caused the present collapse.
He signed the law that repealed the McFadden Act of 1927, the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 and the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 this lead to the Formation of the “Too-Big-to-fail” Mega Banks. As well as the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, he is also responsible for the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000. These two laws are responsible for marginal mortgage loans doomed to fail and the unregulated CDSs used to insure the banks against foreclosure. see the list at Important Banking Legislation
NAFTA and WTO as well as actively working to get China into the WTO was the other half. See the US trade deficit graph It represents the billions of dollars of lost US wages. The Growing U.S. trade deficit with China cost more than 2.7 million jobs between 2001 and 2011
The biggest problem is the moves made a decade or more ago do not impact the country until today and the wrong bunch gets the blame because the media spouts propaganda and very few bother to dig out the truth.
On another note, this is a rather interesting essay from a government employee in 2010: I work for the government and I am NOT the enemy and goes with this article Plot to Overthrow U.S. Government Part of Rising Domestic Extremism
As the Chinese curse goes “May you live in interesting times”
D Boehm says:
Another myth. Here is the truth about the effect of the Reagan tax cuts (and the GW Bush tax cuts): http://www.frontiernet.net/~jshore/Federal%20Revenues%20in%20Constant%20Dollars.pdf It is a graph that I made a few years ago using the U.S. Federal Budget tables. The myth is based on 3 misunderstandings:
(1) You can’t get an accurate picture if you do not correct for inflation. People think inflation went down under Reagan, which is true, but even 7% inflation will double prices in 10 years. Hence, you need to look at revenues in constant dollars.
(2) Reagan did not only cut income taxes…He also raised social security taxes. So, social security revenues increased a lot, offsetting some of the more anemic behavior of the personal income tax revenues. Hence, looking at all revenues rather than just personal income tax revenues is deceiving if you want to illustrate that cutting taxes increases revenues.
(3) Yes, real revenues from personal income taxes did eventually recover to 1981 levels several years after Reagan’s tax cuts (in 1987 to be exact). However, taking credit for the fact that eventually revenues exceeded pre-tax-cut levels is like the rooster taking credit for the sunrise. Revenues always will eventually grow over time since the economy grows over time, if for no other reason than population growth (although it also tends to grow over time in per capita terms too).
And, as my graph showed, when we repeated the same experiment with the G.W. Bush tax cuts just because some people with weak math skills hadn’t absorbed the lesson we learned the first time, we got the same result, as my graph shows. In fact, personal income tax revenues in real terms have to this day not surpassed what they were in either 2000 or 2001.
The problem with the ideologues on your side of the political spectrum is that you have abandoned all connection with reality, facts, and science. If the poll numbers don’t tell you what you want to hear, you find pollsters who do or you “unskew” the polls to correct them so that they tell you what you want to hear. If the scientists don’t tell you what you want to hear, you find a few who will or you invent your own “science” to tell you what you want to hear. If the weapons inspectors don’t tell you what you want to hear, you ignore them and invade Iraq anyway and get your nation into a quagmire costing thousands of American lives.
How’s this all working out for you?
D Boehm says:
(1) Many of those people pay federal payroll taxes because they actually work for a living rather than getting most of their money from unearned income (taxed at lower rates than most of us in the middle class pay on our incomes).
(2) Most of those people pay state taxes, be they sales taxes or property taxes (paying the latter indirectly if they rent), and these taxes are actually regressive, hitting the poor with a higher percentage of their income than the wealthy.
(3) Some of those people are retirees who worked hard and paid taxes for many years. Others of them are military veterans who are now disabled after having made the ultimate sacrifices to protect the freedoms we all now enjoy (even if some were put in harms way by dubious choices by our national leaders).
But, hey, if you want to continue to promulgate Romney’s 47% sort of nonsense, then be my guest. I am sure it will do a whole heck of a lot to insure that you remain in a political party that is in the minority at the national level (and who probably would have lost Congress too if not for gerrymandered districts).
ujagoff says:
November 9, 2012 at 7:59 pm
=================
Your attempts to stir the pot, have gone for not.
Tom Gray says:
November 9, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Why is everyone so angry about anything. Someone is not malicious or even evil because they do not believe in the same things you do. It did not used to be this way. Why is politics now an expression of anger?
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Because we are frightened.
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or an Independent the hemorrhaging of jobs, the housing crash, the 23% unemployment rate, 16 Trillion dollar federal debt, climate change, and unsafe food have shaken people out of their apathy. Even my perpetually happy husband is worried. Life is no longer the nice safe cocoon it was and the political parties who lead us down the garden path are now the target of the collective anger. Since we can not go up to the US president or even our reps in Congress and call them stupid idiotic Horses rears without having the FBI knocking on the door the next day we are taking our rage out on each other.
It is the well planned “Lets you and he fight, while I grab the cash and run” with the MSM fanning the flames as always. Think about it. Before 2008 when was the last time you heard or read anything about racism? Now it is back in the news all the time.