Things I don't understand.

1. Women who vote Republican.

2. Blacks/latinos/any racial group other than white who vote Republican.

3. Log Cabin Republicans.

4. Refusing to use a turn signal.

5. Eating Funyuns for breakfast.

6. T-shirts that cost more than $25; I don't care who they are made by. I'm looking at you, St. John.

7. Parenting, generally.

8. Why people get freaked out by the concept of collective and/or governmental administration of healthcare, social services, and financial regulation.

9. Slasher films.

10. Celebrity cults.

11. Personality politics.

12. "I'm a fiscal Republican, but a social Democrat".

13. Why Kucinich doesn't get the respect he deserves.

14. Why Palin gets more respect than she deserves.

15. Why I can't stop thinking about politics though it is giving me constant low-grade anxiety.

16. Hungarian, despite my best efforts for 2 years.

17. Miley Cyrus.

18. Animal cruelty.

19. Human cruelty.

20. Why it is so hard to stop having my one diet coke a morning. THIS IS WORSE THAN CIGARETTES, PEOPLE.

21. Blindly buying into the wedding industry machine.

22. Big Red.

23. Why DSW won't just give me all those cute Marc Jacobs pumps. GIMME.

24. Cats.

25. Babies.

26. Most of Barthes writing, though I'm down with analysis & criticism of it.

27. Myopic choices.

28. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Honestly, I've seen it a million times and I just lose it there at the end.

29. People who do not like cheese.

30. Dimensions beyond the basic four. My mind is blown when I try to conceptualize this.

p.s. YES!

Comments

[kat]

28. 2001: A Space Odyssey.

yes! every time it's on i can't help but watch it, and EVERY FREAKING TIME i practically bash my head into the wall trying to figure out wtf just happened.

[anonymous]

8. Why people get freaked out by the concept of collective and/or governmental administration of healthcare, social services, and financial regulation.

I think that there are soo many examples of the ineptitude of government that people should be leery of that behemoth taking over the above-named programs. A few things to consider:

What happens if, when the government is in charge, the balance of power shifts back and forth b/w parties? I know Democrats shudder at the thought of Republicans in charge and vice-versa...

How much do you think everyone should, no matter their income levels, pay in taxes? AND, since we're really talking about 'universal' programs, let's be fair here and make it the SAME tax burden (percentage-wise) for everyone. 60%? What about 70% of your pay? It's very easy for people to say in a general way that 'government' should fund all these programs, without actually thinking about what THEY themselves would be willing to pay in taxes. Will you put a number on it? Or is it that you simply think 'others' should / will pay?

I pay about 35%. I'm not complaining about that. I absolutely think it's my civic responsibility to contribute to society, and taxes are an integral part of that. However, I DON'T think it's fair for government to put an inordinate tax burden on ME because I've worked my ass off and put in years of time, energy, and sacrifice to excel professionally.

Please don't assume that I'm a heartless person, just realistic. I don't trust the government enough to think that they'd administer these programs in the best way. That being said, I also don't think it's fair if someone has worked hard their whole life, put years of effort into creating financial stability for their family, to then just have a huge chunk of it taken away to be mismanaged and redistributed to others.

Just wondering...Oh, I'm also a Republican woman :-) but I think everyone needs to remember that we're all AMERICANS. If you are liberal and practice what you preach, you should embrace a variety of views, not just those that go along with your belief system. Because we live in a great country, I believe that people should be free to burn the American flag, even though I think they're wrong to do so!

[Lillet]

Well, I pay 35% of my income in taxes, and I would prefer that that money be used to educate citizens, invest in green technology, repair the nations' infrastructure and provide universal health care. Right now it is going to bail out Wall Street and put money in the pockets of Halliburton.

I call major, MAJOR bullshit on the "government is inherently inefficient" trope. Human endeavor is inherently inefficient -- the private for-profit sector is not somehow innately more reliable or efficent than the public, as anyone who has laughed at The Office or a Dilbert cartoon knows. We are seeing RIGHT NOW how well the unregulated private sector is doing. I work in the finance industry in NYC and guess what? It's a shitshow.

All the "small government" proponents don't seem to mind taking advantage of driving on highways, agricultural subsidies, using the Post Office or calling 911 in an emergency. Or "supporting our troops" who are -- surprise!! government employees.

Government is as good as you make it and as good as the degree to which a citizenry gives a shit and holds people accountable. That's what a REAL "ownership society" would mean, and I think most 'small government' trope-pushers refuse to acknowledge.

It was Grover Norquist who quipped about the right size of a government being drown-able in a bathtub -- which is basically saying that you long for a dictatorship! Who are you gonna drown in that bathtub? Mussolini? Pinochet? The covert longing for dictatorship is an admission that au fond you are one lazy-ass person.

[Sheryl]

The state of things constantly proves to me that the concept of responsible ownership is a myth.

Yes, I think the concept of ownership (if it can't be practiced with responsibility and empathetic citizenship) is the root of all evil. And yes that makes me a communist.

[lauren ahkiam]

yes yes yes! why miley cyrus? why any republicans who aren't straight rich white men? why 2001? why do i keep reading about politics when i have the same low-grade anxiety? and what the hell are cats up to?

lillet-great comment-thanks!

[ashbloem]

OK. I ignored Angela's comment even though I thought it was a little uncalled for, but knew it was totally harmless. Apparently other people can't see it that way & blow it off. Much like the rest of the conversation.... taken poorly and out of context by all parties.

Both comments have been deleted. I've run out of patience on the matter. I have no room for petty sniping on a blog I generally mean to be good-natured, intimate, and fun.