Tuesday, January 25, 2011

"Miyagi Has Hope For You"


Sound like anyplace you know today? Trust me bitches, you will hate this more than you will ever hate a little bit of socialism in your life. But you just gotta learn things the hard way. I get that. Enjoy. I will see you in about 40 years to say 'I told you so.'

I HAVE to find these figures.



Yeh, I know that it has nothing to do with the image above but it's still one of the greatest endings to any movie ever.

21 comments:

Nomad said...

Looks like anywear these days. Plus the toys seem to be from The KK part 2.

Miss Sadie said...

Sadly true, Cal. Sadly true!

Kal said...

I love the title of your blog Miss Sadie - 'Chrome On The Range' is very witty.

Belle said...

Yes, I believe Fascism is coming to the U.S.

Miss Sadie said...

Thanks, Kal. Actually, it's Bear's blog, but he's hibernating right now, so I have to look after things for him.

My blog is "Miss Sadie's Blog." But there isn't much of anything on it.

Interesting thought from Bear. He says Canadians have nothing to fear from communism or socialism. It's fascism that will get us in the end.

Miss Sadie said...

Fascism has been part of the US for a long time. That's what kept the US out of WW2 until after Pearl Harbour.

It's just that the Fascist (Tea) Party is getting louder and louder.

Kal said...

Just makes it easier to spot them when we need to herd them into the Thunderdome.

Doo said...

Oh god karate kid, haven't seen it in ages

Kal said...

It still holds up so well over time. Talk about an actor getting nominated but getting robbed of an oscar. The worst rip-off since Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Pat Morita IS Mr Miyagi.

Paladin said...

Here's a thought experiment:

Name one factor that is absolutely essential in order for Fascism to truly take hold and become prevalent in a government. Without this key element, Fascism becomes no more or less dangerous than any other Political or Social ideology.

Bonus Point: Name the one element of the US Governing system that has, thus far, protected us from Fascism taking over in the US during its rise and fall of popularity over the years.

Hint: The door that protects us from Fascism has been nudged open over the years by both the Left and the Right. The preservation and strengthening of that protection is a key fundamental tenet of the Tea Party movement - which makes comparisons of true Conservatism and the Tea Party with Fascism ridiculous on its face.

Caution: Uncivil rhetoric tools such as refering to the Tea Party by the vulgar slur of "Teabaggers" will deduct points from your score. It also may cause me to become unstable and unable to resist shooting a Greenpeace Member with my dangerous gun :)

Anyone?.....

M. D. Jackson said...

Fascism cannot take hold in a country that has a truly free market economy. Individual rights and freedoms are anathema to any fascist ideology whether of the left or the right.

Kal said...

Oh my friend Paladin - if you are so subtle, how will I ever get your point?

Good answer MD. I take my allies where I find them.

Kal said...

Also is using your gun, REALLY what you want to do. Is preserving a system that exploits you and keeps you down so that 'entities' like corporations and big oil companies can make insane, obscene profits off the suffering of your people the best use of your righteous indignation?

Paladin said...

M.D. you score an A+ :) Be careful that you don't wreck the grading curve for the whole class.

In order for an actual Free Market Economy to exist, as opposed to a quasi-free market like China, it is necessary for the powers of the Federal Government to be specific and limited. Absent a Totalitarian Government, Fascism has no force of might over the country as a whole.

The protection against such Tyrany, be it a soft Tyrany or a Hard Tyrany, is the US Constitution. It enumerates specific areas where the Government can/should involve itself. The 10th amendment specifically states that powers not explicitly granted to the Federal Government are reserved to the States and to the People.

The tendancy is, however, for those in political power to expand their reach beyond what is prescribed in the Constitution. They know what's best for us, after all - 'cuz they is so smart. Its a pain in the ass for them to have to limit what they do to and for us just because of a Pesky 200+ year old document. This happens on both sides and should be opposed - *regardless of which side is doing it*.

When Sarah Palin quizzes the Head Librarian about banning books as a "rhetorical question", you are completely justified in raising an eyebrow. When the Bush Administration pushed forward many aspects of the Patriot Act in spite of Constitutional over-reach, that was a bad, bad thing. The fact that the Obama Administration continues many of the same policies today is equally as bad.

When Congress and the President passed a bill requiring individuals to purchase insurance from private companies whether they want to or not - that nudges the door open further. When President Obama openly chaffes at the fact that the Constitution limits what he can do - then goes about trying to circumvent that restriction by having agencies like the EPA simply enact the programs that he couldn't get passed legislatively - that should make your teeth itch.

When you see the ever growing power that unelected, unaccountable, nameless, faceless people in bureaucractic agencies are given by whatever flavor of government is currently in power you should be very concerned. They are being given the power to tell us what we must buy, what we can buy, what lightbulbs we can have, what cars we should drive....

All these matters should be of grave concern to every citizen in the US - even if the current batch of miscreants in Washington are doing what they (and maybe you) consider "for our own good". As evidenced in the last election, the worm does turn pretty regularly and the Government you look to solve your problems this week could be the one standing on your neck next week.

When you see the Government over reaching and nudging that door open, don't just close it. Slam it on their fucking heads.

Paladin said...

Cal - I'll have to give you an incomplete, since you didn't answer the questions - although you didn't call me a teabagger so it's not a total wash. Please accept this complimentary "We're All Winners" trophy, though. It has a little statue of a generic, homogenous, non-gender specific being on top, so as not to offend anyone :)

For the record, I'm neither exploited nor being "kept down" by anyone - though perhaps you'll consider me deluded and unaware of my plight. I do what I enjoy doing, where I enjoy doing it. I'm arguably one of the best in my field, such that it is, and as a result I'm probably paid better than 99% of others in my job nationwide. Being as I'm an Animal Control Officer, that's not saying much.... but its enough.

Here's me doing what I do for a living, though you just hear my voice and see my hands due to the hatcam I'm wearing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUS3JLKqNIM

I own my own home, put my kid through college, and truly love spending time with my Grandbaby. I take care of my family and go about my life hoping to limit the opportunity that other people have to fuck with me and mine.

Kal said...

That was truly one of the most frightening things I have ever read Paladin. Not for what you said (which was entirely brilliant and reasonable) but for the way it made me do a total one hundred and eighty degree head spin for a few seconds. I feel like I pulled something in my neck. See this is why you are the offical gun nut and magnificent conservative bastard of the Cave of Cool. I can WORK with a gooney bird like you and I say that with the deepest respect and admiration.

Kal said...

Is me seeing what you do going to make me sad about some poor little animal? I don't want to avoid the great service you provide to society - hell knows I am too sensitive to ever be effective in that job. I would never be able to control my rage at the pain I see fucking people dole out to helpless creatures. If there is one thing that pushes me over the edge it's seeing a person use their power to hurt someone or something weaker than themselves. We are suppose to use our power to PROTECT those weaker than us, NEVER to exploit them. It's the only situation that will push me to kill without thought or reservation. I can live with that choice 100 times out of 100 if it is for that reason.

Paladin said...

Cal - Don't make me blush... it looks odd on a man with this much grey hair on his face :)

As for the video - I don't know what to tell you. Kinda depends on you. I think you might find it interesting, but don't want to subject you to anything you don't want to see. Brief synopsis, and then you can decide:

A Pit Bull had "snapped his twig", so to speak, and killed another dog that lived with it in it's backyard. It then turned on the owner as well. A Police Officer entered the backyard and was also attacked. He had to pepper spray the dog in order to retreat back into the house. That just aggrevated the dog further.

The video begins shortly after I arrive at the scene. There were half dozen Cops at the location with guns drawn when I arrived. Most of whom wanted to just shoot the dog and be done with it.

The video shows me entering the yard by myself, impounding the Pit Bull via a restraint pole, and loading it on my truck - all of which takes me less than 2 1/2 minutes from entering the yard.

Which is why I am the God of Animal Control :)

The Pitbull was not harmed by me during the extraction. There is a picture at the end of the video of the other dog that it killed, however. You might find that disturbing.

I've been in the biz for 16 years now, and I've seen things that you truly wouldn't believe. As an unfortunate factor of my job, I have personally had to kill more animals by my own hand than most people have *seen* in their lifetimes.

That shit can get in your head.

We'll talk about it sometime.

Kal said...

Thankfully there are people like you doing this valuable job with compassion and skill. You do the Lord's work, Sir.

Miss Sadie said...

In response to Paladin, the thing which is necessary for any "takeover" by Fascists is the disruption of law and order. This can be done through legislative change, or military action, or both. You can find such takeovers in history (Germany, 1930s) and literature (Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale).

The U.S. Constitution, and, likewise, the Canadian Constitution, are the fundamental protections against Fascism, but they are far from immune to attack. Theses Constitutions are always in danger — from the courts, the politicians, and powerful interest groups.

Miss Sadie said...

I think Mr. Jackson is wrong in saying, "Fascism cannot take hold in a country that has a truly free market economy." There is no nation which has a truly free market economy. While there should be laws which facilitate business, there also need to be laws to protect individuals from unscrupulous marketers — for there many of those.