Bill Maher's Pizza Ananolgy

Recently, a friend reminded me of the vast amount of misinformation out there.
The conversation began with a quote I posted on my Facebook page: "If a man has an apartment stacked to the ceiling with newspapers we call him crazy. If a woman has a trailer house full of cats we call her nuts. But when people pathologically hoard so much cash that they impoverish the entire nation, we put them on the cover of Fortune magazine and pretend that they are role models." — B. Lester

Well, this old boy decided he'd had enough of my truth. 'Capt. America' was born on my wall and he was born hard!
The dialogue on the thread soon included cries of "socialism,"  Obama borrowing 14 trillion, forced health care, the stripping of individual rights, job creators, "Obama didn't get Bin Laden" and evil government intervention with regards to the free market. We covered the great American socialist failures: like social security, medicare, fannie and freddie, and my personal favorite, the postal service. Then, in-step with the neoconservative mindset of today, a denial of any affiliation with a political party ensued...Oh jeez... While I seemed to break through with some key points, backed up with references to Warren Buffett's recent article, we got nowhere FAST...


Capt. America: "so I guess according to a socialist... the guy with all the money (who worked for it and earned it through hard work and or investing it properly) should just give it away to people that's have not worked for it...is that correct?"

The thread continues, then I respond,


Me: "Nobody's asking rich people to give money away. We're asking them to pay their dues in the form of equal taxes. Nothing more, nothing less. Today the super rich are paying less than ever before and campaigning for more tax breaks. It's laughable if it wasn't such a crime."

Capt. America: "Capitalism will work just fine when the government just gets out of the way." 

I could bore you with the rest,  but I think you've heard all of this crap before...

The thread goes on with some good commentary from other folks on both sides of the issues. I liked the Freudian Slip when the Capt. said "bushiness" instead of business..
But seriously, where do they come up with this garbage? It's not only from Glenn Beck University, it's from a cunning, corporate, conservative media.


When I think of the media, I think of Bill Maher. I think of his remarks post 911 and what happened to him as a result of those remarks. I wonder how much propaganda exists in the media? How high up does the deception go? Somebody owns the media. Who are they? Since I was already thinking of using Bill Maher's Pizza Analogy as it applies to Capt. America and his shield of lies, here it is...


New Rule: Television Networks Have to Quit Trying to Put a Happy Ending on America’s Wealth Disparity

Maher: America’s rich aren’t giving you money, they’re taking your money.

Between the years 1980 and 2005 80% of all new income generated in this country went to the richest 1%. Let me put that in terms that even you ***** teabaggers can understand.

Say 100 Americans get together and order a 100 slice pizza. The pizza arrives and the first guy takes 80 slices. And if someone suggests, why don’t you just take 79 slices, that’s socialism! I know, I know. I know, I know, it’s just a TV show. But it does reinforce the stupid idea people have that rich people would love us and share with us if only they got to walk a mile in our cheap plastic shoes.

But they’re the reason the shoe factory moved to China. We have this fantasy that our interests and the interests of the super rich are the same. Like somehow the rich will eventually get so full that they’ll explode. And the candy will rain down on the rest of us.

 While I don't begrudge my friend for his opinions,  it does give me pause. I see and hear how mad some of these right-wingers are becoming. And for what? Their not rich. They're waspy, middle class, frat boys just like me. Why should they defend these rich bastards? I know what the tea party is capable of. They're certainly not rich. They're the trailer trash of the nation. Although, they're bankrolled by Koch Money... I think we're in for one hell of a show in 2012. A show where up is down, in is out, and all of us are suckers.

IT'S MINE! ALL MINE!

UPDATE:

Maher and I must be on the same wavelength. The next evening this aired.

Keith Olbermann appeared on Bill Maher's show Friday night, and Maher enlisted his guest for a comedy bit where they yelled at a "typical Republican voter" who was literally encased in a bubble.
The bit emanated from Maher's "New Rules" segment, where he said that it had become impossible to "dialogue" with Republicans because they were disconnected from reality. Maher then said that, to be fair, he should try to talk to a Republican voter. And, what do you know! He had one right there, a "systems analyst from Irvine" named Bob, sitting docilely in a bubble.
"Keith, you should come over here!" Maher said. "I know you have experience talking to typical Republican voters. Surely if we stick to irrefutable facts we can get through to him."
The two then proceeded to shout different things at Bob, such as the fact that taxes are at their lowest level in 50 years, or that Ronald Reagan raised taxes. A peek inside the bubble revealed that Bob was only hearing elevator music, not his two increasingly harried hosts.
Olbermann eventually called Bob an "information-free, bleach-drinking halfwit," before shouting, "wrestling is fake!" to end the show.