I don't think the demographic data of a protest against unsustainable spending is any defense of unsustainable spending. If their protest was unfounded, the focus would be on that. But nobody in their right mind can claim that current spending rates are going to be anything but absolutely and certainly destructive for American society.

If there's any story here, it's that there aren't credible sources of racist claims coming out of the Tea Party. We're all sure there are racists in the Tea Party, just as there are in every organization and activist group of any sort on the right and left. What's remarkable here is the lack of racism and violence in the Tea Party movement.

I'm not a member, by the way. Dispute my claims! My character is impeccable!

I keep trying to take Zarf BeebleBrix's link to "2: Join the ICC Politics competition!" but it just takes me to this thread.

So, what's the word? Do we have enough for a family? Is that what we want to do? Let's get this show on the road.

The last round I played seriously (not randomed into some newb family) I got:
2008-12-23    Networth rank 3
2008-12-23    Galaxy round ended in Pinwheel

I is can play good!

Because Mexican or Hispanic or people of Spanish and Native-American descent weren't clear enough, we made up a new word to throw into the mix! Does somebody want to inform me of what differentiates "Latinos" from these other groups?

I think modern abuse of the term racism is a real shame. While studies continually show instances of racism (what Zarf BeebleBrix references) showing up in some areas, a real problem that ought to be dealt with in every individual case, progress in addressing these real concerns is only watered down and even counteracted by misuse of the claim of racism. Now when I see racism in the news, it's usually something like Obama calling someone a racist for arresting a black man, because Obama's being racist and presuming [w/o knowing the facts] that the white man abused his power and mistreated the black man. People are only less likely to pay attention or care when the word "racism" doesn't refer only to reprehensible actions of men, but to anything that a racist (how ironic) wants to attack dishonestly.

I'm sorry, Zarf BeebleBrix, but I didn't mean anything neeeeeeeeeeeearly that involved when I referenced mockery. I don't call into question his identity. I just point out what I find to be absolutely absurd and move on.

I'm not a man of religious faith, but I choose to believe that who we are matters. I can't give you 2 empirical examples of that being beneficial to men's lives, but I still believe it is honorable and good anyway.

I asked why you discriminate between people of base intellect, xeno syndicated, and the ignorant spam they post. The same ignorance and ill-will that results in flaming results in other spam posts as well. Both are the result of the same childishness and spam the forum. I won't hold my breath for your response.

I made no claim that "trolling" is good, Mr. Zarf BeebleBrix. I've been very clear and posted frank comments contributing to the discussion. Is that "trolling"? Where is your response to my content regarding the proper mode of discussion? Where is your agreement/disagreement with what? I presume from your posts that you encourage ignoring the most ignorant and offensive posters entirely as a better response than an honest response?

It seems that my posts have been lost on you and you are, in fact, trolling me.

It's a shame we didn't have a politics galaxy years back when the politics forum was more active. The idea was proposed several times, but I don't think the game administrators cared, because the game was more active back then as well and they had enough going on.

There are plenty of politics posters I wanted to snatch 50 planets from in 1 tick (no fleet readiness back then either.... ahhhh, the good old days of IC). Lizzy was a ***** on the forums sometimes so we'd just gank the crap out of her in game and make her tiny. Now THAT's how you win a political debate!

"that's why the discussion on OGLUs ended."

It never started. I made fun of you living in fairytale land and you continued rambling as if you were making sense. Your holier than thou attitude now doesn't make your ramblings any less ridiculous. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.   And now because I had fun at your expense when you rambled, you're whining now... You are the cause of your own complaints.

I don't have to "prove" anything, Zarf BeebleBrix. If I did, he would obviously disagree, regardless that he was wrong. So it wouldn't be acknowledged anyway.

I did engage him legitimately. I generally do, unless something is SO absurd I go straight to mockery--in which case I start relatively light, and I am of course always open to "legitimate" engagement, but xeno just ignored those attemps over, and over, and over again. And rambled on, and on, and on. He wasn't interested in any discussion, so he got mocked. He can cry about it now all he wants. I only have to make fun of him once--he has to repeat his ramblings over and over because he cannot respond to content in a "discussion." My last post was very clear. It's no surprise to anyone that he didn't respond to the content in what is the longest post on this page. Go ahead and reread it. You'll see content where I explain myself frankly. You won't find him responding to that content or any content in any of his posts. Anywhere. Ever. And that's my point.

I think the problem with trolls, flamers, and hijackers, is a more general problem with posters posting as a form of virtual masturbation. Rather than posting as taking part in a discussion, it's posting as some weird form of self-gratification. That's why instead of demonstrating this high-road intellectual prowess being asked for by this thread in its creator's posts, he created a whiny thread on the forum instead.

Oh. Then consider me armed and dangerous!

I hope everyone here with any interest in Amerikan politics reads up on Alinsky. Hilary Clinton studied him in college, and God knows what Obama studied (he's not telling).

I prefer the high road. Those who use the term tea-bagger do not. At least we're all open and clear about it.

I can't stand rednecks/hillbillies. Their lack of education and inability to speak plain old English is annoying. If that's the best you got for me, I win! I want to play on the IC team for the REGRESSIVE party. Think wild west! Oh yeah.

And because new gun laws violating the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution are surely coming, I ASSURE YOU, for the record, that I do not own ANY FIREARMS. Honest. *wink wink*

With questions like this determining that they're racists, obviously you would come to that conclusion, Key.

"When read the statement that "if blacks would only try harder, they could be just as well off as whites," 73 percent of the movement's supporters agreed, while only 33 percent of people who disapproved of the Tea Party agreed. Asked if blacks should work their way up "without special favors," as the Irish, Italians, and other groups did, 88 percent of supporters agreed, compared to 56 percent of opponents."

But anyone with an education knows that your conclusion is backwards. To claim that blacks are incapable of being as well off as whites is racist--and Tea Party supporters are less likely to hold this view than those who disapprove of the Tea Party. To claim that blacks should get "special favors" presumes that they're incapable of fending for themselves like every other race since the beginning of mankind has done--a very offensive, racist position, which Tea Party supporters are less likely to hold than those who disapprove of the Tea Party.

When ignorant nonsense like this is the basis of your claims, perhaps you should examine your claims. Maybe people who disagree with the Tea Party's focus on unsustainable spending not addressing this objection and instead focusing on nonexistent racism don't have a response to the common-sense objections the Tea Party supporters have to spending like Greece to financial ruin? Why isn't the ideological response to the Tea Party's ideological objection in the news? What is the response? Obama/Biden spending to prosperity? Why doesn't Greece just do that now? Because nobody but morons believes that nonsense.

Welcome to the real world. Nobody has proven these allegations. And even more important than that (which is very significant by itself): You wouldn't accuse everyone who supports welfare and social security and other liberal agenda items of being crazy terrorists, as do exist among those with liberal agendas. They're not. So why this craze to label Tea Party members as racists and potentially harmful because some of their members COULD be racist or harm someone? People on the left [and right] already have shown themselves to be crazy. Isn't the real story here that NO ONE in the Tea Party has given you a single credible example of being what you're claiming they all are? Yes. It is.