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Jim DeMint Explains Obama's Brand New Christmas Tree Tax
You really can't make this up
Crony Capitalism, Christmas Trees, and the Stupidest Tax of All Time
No, it’s not a joke. President Obama really is imposing a special new tax on Christmas trees.
And while the policy seems a ludicrous political misstep – and possibly an unconstitutional one at that – in truth, the Obama Christmas Tree Tax is much worse than that.
The $2 million the Obama Administration expects the tax to raise will not reduce the deficit or cover needed government services. Instead, it will serve as a marketing slush fund for the Christmas tree industry.
The money will set up a brand new government agency called (no, seriously) the Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The CTPB will use the $2 million to hire a staff – most likely the industry lobbyists who cooked up this scheme – and then run advertisements to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry of the United States.”
Don’t the Christmas tree growers and retailers already do that? Yes. Isn’t marketing something that all companies should do with their profits, to grow their business and attract new customers? Yes.
And while we’re asking questions, does anyone in America – anyone? – believe that Christmas trees have a bad image that needs taxpayer-subsidized improvement?
So why should the government-funded Christmas Tree Promotion Board tax us to fund a marketing campaign? So the Christmas tree industry can pocket the $2 million they now won’t have to spend marketing their trees.
That’s it. That’s the whole purpose of the Obama Christmas Tree Tax: to take money from hard-working families celebrating Christmas and give it to clever lobbyists and businessmen running a crony-capitalist subsidy scam.
And while this policy will, by design, help one group of people, it will hurt others: businesses that sell artificial Christmas trees, people who work at your local stores that sell them, and, don’t forget, the consumers who are out 15 cents a tree.
Business groups using government connections to enrich themselves by hurting everyone else. Makes you just want to break into “O Holy Night,” doesn’t it?
Hopefully, the Crony Capitalists in the Obama Administration have gone too far this time, and public backlash will force Congress to shut down the Christmas Tree Promotion Board and repeal the single stupidest tax of all time. I will soon offer an amendment on the Senate floor to do just that.
All I want for Christmas is a free market.
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Time to switch to a christmas pumpkin.
Or maybe a Festivus pole.
Maybe it's Ogolfer's first step to force people to switch to a tax-free Islam.
Obama is godless. He worships power. Obama has never read the Quran. He has probably never read the Constitution.
This is the most rigoddamndiculous thing I've ever heard of. Completely stupid and pointless. Not even Obama lemmings would think up such a thing. Just the economic cost of forcing all Christmas tree sellers to levy and remit a federal tax is going to be more than 15 cents a tree. And how does he do this by Executive Order? Is he deliberately trying to lose the election or what?
Another example of Big Tree keeping me down.
That is exactly how they'll spin it. What's the big deal? We are only stealing a couple million? What do you care?
When you start thinking there's no difference between the parties, compare and contrast the words of Senator DeMint with those of, oh, say, Nancy Pelosi and/or Harry Reid.
Why not compare actions and results instead?
Obama = JOKE.
What about separation of church and state? We all know what X-mas trees celebrate! Happy holidays everyone, not Merry Christmas! Ha!
Now we have the Cub Scouts collecting taxes on work they do to raise money to get their patches.
Can't get people to buy into soak-the-middle class?
Soak the scouts instead!
For people as sophisticated as the average Zero Hedge reader, I cannot understand how they cannot seem to understand the limitations on the power of the minority party in, for example, the U.S. Senate. The fact is that Jim DeMint has no more influence over Senate bills and legislation, really, than I do. Are you going to fault me, too, for not passing legislation in the Senate we all agree is necessary and appropriate?
Senator DeMint is, by the way, doing yeoman's work with his Senate Conservatives Fund trying to rid us of the political GOP hacks in the Senate, and deserves credit for that.
Did Jim have any influence when his party had majorities?
No. But he's slowly starting to gain. It's going to take many more election cycles, I fear. I might be dead by then. But ... until Collins, Snowe, McStain, et al., are gone, what're we gonna do? I'd like to see what any of us would/could do with those albatrosses around our neck. Thank God Castle and Spector are gone. And no Charlie Crist either. No, things are not progressing quickly enough, but at least they're going in the right direction.
I think you're right. We'll all be dead before voting makes one shit of difference. Meanwhile, our kids will be getting ass raped by oligarchs.
It's another attack by TPTB in Israel. Jews don't celebrate Christmas. Sink your teeth into this raw meat ZHers.
Hanukkah bushes weren't covered under the tax? Oh my!
Notice they are taxing Americans. No dreidel tax or menorah tax?? Think about it. Oppress Americans let the chosen people thrive.
Jewish people arent americans???
This is just the beginning. Now that Big Tree is getting some action, you know Big Axe will want a cut.
Wanna see a +1000 pt day on the Dow? Two word Obama speech: "I quit."
Can't quit if he's fired.
He's a loser.
the supreme court is hearing the fofa request for his papers....his college papers have been released...occidental coll....1981 on a foriegn exchange visa....from harvey organ
Surprised to see such rightwing propaganda bullshit printed here. This idea for this "tax" goes back to 2008 and has nothing to do with Obama.
http://checkoffstudy.blogspot.com/2008/03/industry-at-crossroads.html
Yeah Obama is a failure, but people who think he is a leftwing whatever are complete fools who are falling for the false choice of "left" and "right" that passes for politics in this country.
It's still fucking retarded and should be chastised by anyone with two firing neurons. This has nothing to do with politics. Only a moron would sign off on this.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1109-christmas-tree-wars-2...
on the second page of this thread mpointer sums this up perfectly:
mpointer
Vote up!2
Vote down!
0This whole thread is inane. It's an industry-sponsored fee like the beef or dairy industry that the Dept. of Agriculture has to approve. You people will fall for anything..
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1109-christmas-tree-wars-20111109,0,2983619.story
I just think it is too funny how people fall for the Fox News big lie. Oh Noes! The WAR ON CHRISTMAS!
This is just another distraction from the real issues that face this nation.
Christmas Tree growers can do their own advertising, why do we have a federal agency involved? The USDA should be eliminated. Its budget is a theft of $1200 from every American household every year, and two-thirds of it goes out in subsidies that are not needed.
I hate to break it to you, but the Department of Agriculture is part of the executive branch.
>>>I just think it is too funny how people fall for the Fox News big lie. Oh Noes! The WAR ON CHRISTMAS!<<<
When I hear that libs are kidnapping elves and buying RPGs to shoot down Santa's sleigh, then I'll believe there's a war on Christmas.
DeMint is certifiable. The clickbait here is getting more and more ridiculous.
Around here, everything is Obama's fault. He caused the recession that started a year and a half before he took office.
Even though the taxcode has been thousands of pages long for decades, it's Obama's fault. And even though it is stuffed with special taxes or subsidies for every agricultural product under the song, this specific tax on Christmas Trees is the "most ridiculous thing I've ever seen" and surely augers the end of American freedom forever.
Exactly Chet
He wanted the job, he got the job. Now he's fucking up the job. Regardless of what mess he got himself voted into, he campaigned on changing it and making it better. His responsibility, and he's blown it. Thems the facts.
He's done alright. His greatest error was choosing the wrong team of economic advisors which has got us all fucked. But it was the same advice a GOP Pres would have gotten. Watch every other country and the EU following the same flawed steps. It's all they know and McCain would have done the same.
He's going to be reelected too, so get used to the idea.
Wow. What an argument. You like what you're getting so much and want more? Whoooeeeeee....,..l.
My point is to be intelligent and criticize Obama for the proper things. Unhinged hatred of Obama is no more rational than the unhinged hatred of Bush we had a few years ago.
The guy got handed a shit sandwich. One President in 10 might be great enough to turn a shit sandwich into chocolate cake. But the average President just tries to scrape the shit off as best he can.
Everyone here knows the country is fucked. The Titanic has already hit the iceberg and is taking in water. How much sense does it make to stand over the Captain's shoulder and tell him to turn the wheel right instead of left?
"it's not his fault". "it's not my fault" When the west stopped raising adults to accept personal responsibility, that was the tipping point. Now the spiral sinks lower. We have great sports "icons" papering over child rapes and a CiC who can't be told he's ever done bad. He asked for the fucking job and he's done piss poor at it.
I eagerly await the bottom, so we can burn the impurities, skim the dross off and start building again.
What would your ideal President have done?
told the banks, GM and Chrysler to eat shit and take their beatings like real men. Wiped his ass with the NAFTA agreement. Lined up the whole of the known child sex offender registry in front of beltfeds on live TV.
What's your great plan, now that we've heard your excuses?
I agree with you on the banks and big companies. I would have done a stimulus in 2009, and then worked on closing the budget deficit in following years by raising taxes on top earners, capital gains and reforming the entitlement programs. Probably through raising retirement ages, some means testing. I would have made sure that the stimulus was used on actual physical public infrastructure that is useful for commerce.
I would have wrapped up the wars as quickly as possible, which I think Obama gets good marks for. Coming into office in spring 2009 and being out of Iraq by end of 2011 is about as fast as it could be done. Afghanistan is just a clusterfuck. Not sure what to do, but just pulling out is tempting. We could stay there another 10 years without changing the facts on the ground much. I would have stopped US torture programs in no uncertain terms and shut down Guantanamo within the first year. US prisons can hold terrorists just fine.
So, more of what's working so well in Europe is your strategy? Fucking meddling morons. It's like a zombie onslaught. You all have management plans on how to best spend my money and on how to screw me over further (austerity) by making me pay for your socialist intervening, theft and corruption. You left/right cunts don't get it do you? Fucking ass wipes.The treadind on the rights and liberties of other people with your fucked up ideals is over. Your belief that government is the panacea for the frailties of individuals is over. At least with me it is. So fuck you and your sleight of hand cronies. Get the fuck out of my life.
'I would have done a stimulus in 2009, and then worked on closing the budget deficit in following years by raising taxes on top earners, capital gains and reforming the entitlement programs. ' - Fucking hilarious. If you're going to stimulate and then crash by reducing deficits, why bother with the stimulus in the first place?
Good old economic theory, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and we wonder why we're all in this mess.
Do you never learn?
The problem with our failed political system is that neither Obama nor McCain would have ever told the banks to eat shit nor would either haved wiped thier asses with NAFTA.
Please tell me exactly who I can vote for that supports the solutions you propose. Clearly, the answer is "no one." Our current political system gives us two choices: either "shit sandwich" or "sharp stick in the eye." Thus, solutions to our economic problems are simply not possible with our current "who ever gets the most bribes wins" political system.
Ideal president; says it all. Haven't they all been Ideal Presidents, until they aren't?
As a Senator you can't dismiss his role in the making of the shit snadwich. As president he just made it fluffier and thicker. So far he hasn't tried to scape anything off. He hasn't even noticed he's caked in it as his own stench made him indifferent to the smell long ago. Probably because he was so full of it to begin with.
Look back to the period when the precipitous portion of the fall began - when Hillary was passed by him as the Dem ticket headliner.
The sad thing is he never got behind the wheel as Captain. He baoarded the first lifeboat - dressed as a woman and has been paddling furiously ever since. Excluding his Senatorially book deal that paid out just before the deadline prohibitted a payment how much wealth has he accumulated for his parachute? The only work he seems to do is "Fundraising" and campaigning.
If you are asking me to accept your premise that he has a long climb up to get to the level of an "Average" president then I will agree with you. He doesn't seem to know the difference between up and down. As a leader he doesn't have a message or a gaol that he has asked us to get on board with - he doesn't know where he's going or he can't let us know, either way he's not telling us.
You may not be able to judge his presidency clearly because you have such passionate dislike for him. May be clouding how you interpret everything he does.
Chet, buddy:
The man is absolutely out-of-his-league and completely inexperienced in a number of critical areas. Honestly.
1) He was so committed to his Healthcare package that he spent virtually zero time on the economic issues.
2) His government has run up the country's tab at an astonishing rate.
3) His plans for fixing things mostly centered around
a) Beating up business
b) New Taxes
c) Spending money the country (literally) doesn't have
d) Adding piles of new regulations to administratively take control.
He hired the wrong advisors? OK, who is actually responsible for the hire? OBAMA. But you let him off the hook.
The man takes zero responsibility for anything. His job performance on key issues is abysmal, and he should be fired by his board of directors: the public.
MillionDollarBonus, is that you? You may be using a different name, but you can't fool me. You practical jokster, you! (eh-eh, nudge-nudge, dontcha know!)
Or perhaps you are inverting the argument that might best suit your position. That I am percieving rationally and you can't because of your passionate like for him.
Nice try though - vacations, golf and fundraising still aren't leadership. He has no history of leading and is not leading now.
Obama isn't scraping shit off anything, he's piling it higher. How many cops and teachers could have been hired if that money that went to donors(Solyndra) would have been saved instead? And when did the Federal Government become the National Government? Cops & teachers are not the feds province, at all. He understands nothing but politics which he avidly pursues through corruption. Its the Chicago way.
And he's certainly no communist, he just wants to take money from one person's paycheck to give to another person of his choosing. So why is he wealthy? Why doesn't he give away his millions first and show us the depth of his conviction?
How has he done alright?
He's muddled along. I don't think he is one of the great presidents by any stretch. But he's done a middlin job starting with a very tough hand. The health care thing was a major mistake.
More the the point, I haven't heard any credible explanation of how someone else would have done anything better in his place. It's not as if the GOP is putting out credible and serious policy proposals on how they'd handle anything. They're basically just mum obstructionists. So I have nothing to compare him to.
Obama's main problem is that Congress is broken, which is the fault of both parties. So in the middle of a serious fiscal crisis, we don't have any movement on the budget.
Sorry Chet..but look at all the bills passed in the Republican House...that have gone to the Democrat Senate..and have been tabled....the Republicans are trying to do constructive things..the DEMOCRATS are tanking them....read it and learn...all of Obamas proposals are Union payoffs...his jobs programs is 100% union payoff...what about the 87% of the rest of us....
Your digging yourself a grave right here Chet
I don't give a shit what people around here think of me. This place was overrun by basement-dwelling cranks a long time ago. Used to be pretty good discussions here.
Then why do you hang around? Things slow over at Media Matters?
Oh we got attic dwelling cranks around here too. No sense analyzing the basement (subconcious) without anayzing the attic (conciousness).
You used to be awesome chet but now you suck. Just when you were being taken seriously.
Make me. I don't have your recipe but I think it involves some mixture of flattery and criticism.
Chet's probably expressing the view of a lot of Americans that have no clue what the hell the banking asteroid looks like that's about to hit them. He's not digging himself a grave here, because we ALL believe in free speech, right?
And he hasn't done the REAL sin; which is to suggest that precious metals might go down before they go up.... in that case he would be digging himself a grave.
but they might...
Suggesting precious metals might go down is not a sin on ZeroHedge as far as the board trollers go. It's a game.
Goldbugs silverbugs don't give a shit. But the equity turds want to 'beat' us. So they don't look like idiots.
If gold and silver go way down it means the ponzi is restarted. Which can't be done. It's crawled too far up the exponential line.
57 countries have joined the fuck you USA and fuck your euro too club. Gold bugs are just realists. They know when fraud is fucked and over.
Obama is just a puppet for the Illuminati Oligarchy as were many of our past presidents. The tax code is just another one of their tenticles.
He's also being set up to take the blame for the collapse, that way all the rage gets misdirected to the wrong place, and TPTB escape unscathed again.
So it's not really obama's fault, except he agreed to be the fall guy (maybe unwittingly). In exchange for that, he gets to play alot of golf, fame, fabulous vactions and dinners, etc.
Well if you look at what he voted on and how he voted when he was a Senator...yes he is liable for the recession....your votes count
But was it implemented in 2008? There have been bizarre ideas cooked up since the dawn of man, and that's one thing...but actually USING a dumb idea and making it into law seems to be worse.
>>>You really can't make this up<<<
Apparently you can.
Tylers, clickbait is one thing. This is just plain stupid.
Does this look like clickbaiting? http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/11/08/2011-28798/christmas-...
Yeah Paterphysi, it's Bush's fault...just like the anti business environment today, the drilling permit afforded Brazil a-la Petrobraz, the cessation of drilling off the gulf for one year and then some after the BP spill, the 3T in wasted spending since he took the throne, Obama's quest to "fundamentally change America", Solyndra bending over the American tax payer, the support of the OWS scum, the extension of unemployment benefits, the shovel ready projects that never quite panned out, the Fed's destruction of the dollar, the apologies for America's past, the destruction of our nukes (while everyone is ramping up theirs), fuck, my fingers are too tired to continue.
Obama brings new meaning to Libtardia! He's a secular, progressive, socialist punk and we still don't know where the hell he came from...Pat, get your liberal head out of said ass!
And let me guesss how many really smart Americans are going to vote for him again.
There is no hope...
And let me guesss how many really smart Americans are going to vote for him again.
There is no hope...
None, obviously.
NOTA, FTW
You give Osama entirely too much credit. Not like he makes any decisions when TPTB have the leverage of knowing he is bin Laden on him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgS6CzBoEYs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvJ3lRElnEo
edit:
You really can't make this up
We can't have this. I cry "FOUL"! Church and State MUST be seperated! Happy Holidays, not Merry Christmas! This just goes to show that what goes around comes around!
The State has no problem with seperating the Church from its money, as long as it is tax deductible. That is true seperation of Church and State.
Eric Holder apparently doesn't ready anything either. Seems to be a trend in the administration
check out the satanic pitchfork in his front yard and try again.
http://www.themoralliberal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/national_menor...
The stupidest tax of all time is the INCOME TAX. But this Christmas Tree tax is up there.
Isn't it interesting how they are not calling it a HOLIDAY TREE tax?
must be an attempt to unionize the tree lot works. more union soldiers for the re-election campaign.
They only seem to mention Easter these days when associated with the tornado that hit St. Louis, MO too. Used only in the negative, never mentioned with the positive.
Fooking Nazis
Yes, I was just about to write... instead of buying a Christmas tree this year people can side step the tax by purchasing a Holiday tree.
Bet they won't tax Lloyd's fucking Hannukah bush.
well, that's because Kwanza trees aren't being taxed man.
Tax golf green holes too
Funny! Problem is though, that would still benefit the elite elite as it creates a barrier to entry for the mere wannabe elite, who they detest.
My question is, if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around, who's going to be there to tax it?
Clearly you know nothing of Islam. There is a poor tax - Zakat and Zakat al-Fitr
There is also the Dhimma, which is the is the tax on Kafirs (infidels) to tolerate their presence in the Muslim land and their Kafir Religious Beliefs. Christmas Tree tax? Dhimma?
This? Or that?
And how many "infidels" do you know of, personally or otherwise, that pay said tax - anywhere on the planet?
Uncle Jack Ass, that's my point. Look up the word allegory, and it doesn't start with an alif.
But since you're such an astute expert on all things Muslim, then explain to me how the definition of the dhimma and the definition of the Christmas Tree Tax aren't exactly the same.
"A tax levied on religious observance."
Explain to me how a Christmas tree or lack thereof constitutes anything more than a tradition? If you can't have a Christmas tree, is that preventing you from the religious observance of Christmas? Are you going to rot in hell because you didn't have a Christmas tree? Moreover, anyone, Christian or otherwise can go out, buy a tree, decorate it, put presents under it and call it "Christmas" but that in and of itself does not make it a "religious observance".
Look man, it's clear that you are just as eager and capable as I am of engaging in a full blown argument over semantics, which is what they are. The point is that it is petty. The fact that a government will resort to something so nominal, so petty, yet so culturally and spiritually significant, the outrage comes in the question of "what will they not stoop to?"
I am not a ritual follower or a religious person, but at Christmas time, when it is grey and cold, dark and bleak, a Christmas tree brightens my spirit. When I think about how the government can't even restrain itself over a matter of a one time per year transaction, it casts a pall over the entire mood, because instead of thinking about the joy of the children and the old people, I will be thinking about what the next unrestrained license the Executive will grant itself by means of executive order.
Maybe that's what we get for being less than outraged at the treatment of Muslim Americans in the Great Muslim Scapegoat Roundup of the Post 9-11 Era.
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Exactly - petty - what will they not stoop to. Sadly, we may find out.
How many infidels do we know of who pay the Muslim humiliation tax, or jizya, you ask? Look to Southeast Asia for a clue. Here's another clue for ye:
Ahmeexnal
I think we need a tax on Burkas,and Turbans,and the dresses the men wear.
Hell, add a Beard Tax.
Dishdashas.
However, you propose a beard tax, and Chuck Norris files for bankruptcy.
Hey, lay off the drag queens, K? They pay enough in taxes on their dresses already.
-- Maybe it's Ogolfer's first step to force people to switch to a tax-free Islam.
Islam has a solid annual WEALTH TAX.
That's a funny comment. Except it's not presented as self-parody.
-- Maybe it's Ogolfer's first step to force people to switch to a tax-free Islam.
Islam has a solid annual WEALTH TAX.
That's a funny comment. Except it's not presented as self-parody.
Festivus for the rest of us
She was some doll....
Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree how lovelly are your taxes?
AWESOME ... it's Festivus for the Rest of Us!
You were quicker on the draw than me there ... nice work BStreet!!
It's nice to have some laughs on trade breaks :~)
A festivus for the restivus.
Looks like my neighbor is going to minus 1 tree
In this case it's called a Festivus Shaft.
Stripper's brass dance pole (with track lighting system).
Its tax deductable as a business expense.
Plug-in X-mas lights during the holidays, otherwise its red-light district all the way, baby !
Just put some green branches around it during December...otherwise throw greenbacks at it the rest of the year.
Interesting times.
Or a Yule log.
The proof you waited for: Obama is Anti-Christ.
And don't give an infantile lecture on Christmas Trees being pagan. Christ never spoiled a party of goodness & peace - He was and is the tree of life - eternal life.
Better check your faith - or at least your values.
2012.
This is a fund to promote christmas trees. How do you get proof that Obama is "Anti-Christ" from that?
Anti-Free Market definately.
Income taxes promote income.
+1 COC avatar
Same thing.
How the fuck to Christmas trees need promoting? Who doesn't automatically buy a Christmas tree bacause it's December? Hell, even my atheist friends have Christmas trees for their kids. I don't think people need commercials after Thanksgiving to remind them that Christmas is around the cornder and they need to go buy a fucking tree.
This is clearly a crusade against Christendom.
He is an but not the. Look around you. 'an's are everywhere.
FYI... There is no Christmas tree in the New Testament.
You sure?
I think that Santa saw one when he came to see Jesus?
Sheesh, next you are gonna tell me that Jesus never hung a stocking on the fireplace!
pods
/sarc
Or at least the Anti-Santa.
I knew it was time to cut down that tree in the back yard. Sure, its a maple, but what the hell it'll do.
prefer to keep trees in the ground where they belong!
right above the christmas tree-taxers. Yes, it's a green shoots win win.
Sorry, we're all out of free markets. Could I interest you in some marxist/socialist intervention, maybe?
This is why I celebrate Festivus.
'A Festivus for the rest-of-us!'
And now for the Airing of Grievances ...
I know you threw the pumpkin thing out there in jest, but ya know, it IS an idea that could catch on. Like that gal in CA that started the "move your bank account" thing last week. This could develop legs as a protest of the govt for folks that can't make it to OWS.
SCREW THE GOVT AND NEW TAXES. ABANDON YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE THIS YEAR OVER THE NEW TAX AND PUT AN UNTAXED PUNKIN IN THE LIVING ROOM INSTEAD !
I like it.
This is back door regulation. What do you want to bet that in a few years you will not be able to get a tree unless its from a full federaly regulated christmass tree farm! It will happen.....
Obama changed his mind? http://blog.chron.com/hottopics/2011/11/ebenezer-obama-a-15-cent-tax-on-christmas-trees/
That local CITI branch has a PERFECT Christmas tree on the edge of its parking.
"Oh hello Mr Makita 14v chainsaw. Quite sharp you are."
Tax THAT!
Obama backs off on plan to destroy Christmashttp://blog.chron.com/hottopics/2011/11/ebenezer-obama-a-15-cent-tax-on-christmas-trees/
"All I want for Christmas is a free market." Good luck with that.
It's days like this I love being a Scrooge like atheist.
Fuck Christmas and fuck taxes.
As a fellow atheist, I agree 100% +1
Happy to support your right to believe or not believe in anything you want. I would stand up for you and your right any day. So think about that when I say "Fuck Atheism".
Let's not turn this thread into a religion hate fest. You don't like Christmas.. awesome... good for you. Saying "Fuck Christmas" was just a way for you dig on those of us who celebrate it. You could have stopped at your first sentence and the addition of "fuck taxes".. but you chose to rub your shit in our faces. To that I say Fuck You.
It's all good friend. Not attacking you, just the corporate side of Christmas. I'm indifferent to those that celebrate for the real reason to the season. To each their own. And do you like taxes? I thought a fuck taxes would get a green arrow from everyone. Lol
Just don't put it with fook Christmas... here watch:
FOOK TAXES!!!
Well, you didn't explicitly express "corporate" in your post. Couple that with your statement of being an Atheist and I'm not sure if I should think you're back-tracking because you know it was wrong to say even though you have the right to do so? or if you truly do mean "Just corporate christmas". If the latter, then I agree.. I hate what they've done TO Christmas.. not Christmas itself.
Actually I did. As an atheist I don't believe in Christmas as a historical event so all I have to hate is the corporate side.
No backtracking here and I'm cool with you saying fuck atheism. No skin off my back.
Seriously?
Well, it isn't like Atheism is coherent anyway (as it's a belief system of non-belief (where many believers deny it is even a belief system!!!)), so personally, I'd dismiss it as immaturity.
Besides, the existence of god depends all upon the definition of the word god, so it's an utterly moot concept. For example, if I define god as being the sum of all things, how can one say it doesn't exist?
God will never abandon you. Don't ever forget that.
The condescension of the all-knowing believer is so charming.
I don't see how someone could find my statement as condescending. It was genuine. Now, was your statement condescending? I'm not sure where I said I knew everything either.
You pretend to know the mind of a god and presume to instruct non-believers of that god's intentions. The lofty heights you believe you've reached and the "instruction" you provide is condescending.
You presume to know I don't know. What's the difference? The lofty heights? Why are they lofty heights? In your mind? I'm going by what preindustrial artisans and shepards said. How is that lofty?
And I'll ask again, was your statement condescending?
Yes, I replied to condescension with condescension.
I did give you a +1 on your rational comment tho...the one about comparing the actions of members of the political parties as opposed to merely accepting their blather.
And Bernanke wouldn't hire me, fyi. I want sound money and everyone's individual rights protected. He's an epic looter.
"Yes, I replied to condescension with condescension."
I would say that you projected your condescension on to what I said.
"I did give you a +1 on your rational comment tho...the one about comparing the actions of members of the political parties as opposed to merely accepting their blather. "
Here I am talking about something written not the actions of men. When self-declared Constitutional scholars do things that are unconstitutional, does that make the Constitution not true or the self-declared Constitutional scholars?
I'm an atheist and I love Christmastime. It's a celebration of those you love dearly and a lovely excuse to decorate and light up the chill winter. Why squash the joy just because you don't believe in fairy tales?
Maybe you should read fairy tales and read the Bible and see if there is a difference. Do you just enjoy mischaracterizing everything? Bernanke probably would love to hire you.
"Do you just enjoy mischaracterizing everything?"
Are you attempting irony?
No. You equate fairy tales and the Bible. I've read both. You don't have to descend from lofty heights to see that they are different.
tars
Ok, but how many times has the Bible been 're-written' to accommodate the 'new views' of the land? Hint: it is more than 1 and less than 100.
It has been re-interpreted/rewritten definitely. But the general premises behind it are not that complicated and do not require supreme intelligence to understand. Those same premises stand up over time very well and will outlast the many "rewrites" or "reinterprets". That might indicate something.
I note that the slavery has not been written out, is that one of the general premises you endorse?