Comedy Goldmine XII: A reimagining with Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell

[Lunar]

support.

the thread capitalization is dedicated to you

[funny b/c of thread title]

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

That's why when in the Middle-Easy/Asia I'm careful to only smoke opium.

Opium rules.

[Hash]

Why it's a bad idea for people to post on topics they don't know sh**t about:

Berlusconi is, to some extent, the quintessential traditional Italian -- a playboy, a braggart, a jokester.  (I say this with love -- my future in-laws are native Italians.)  He's also made his own wealth, a rather rare thing in Italy where much of the business and employment networks are based upon personal connections rather than objective merit.

Another aspect of Berlusconi's continued relative popularity is that despite all of the press about Berlusconi himself, the country really isn't doing that bad at the moment, compared with recent history.  Giulio Tremonti has been a rather able finance minister, with Italy avoiding Greece-like budgetary problems even with a higher debt load.

lol

[King]

I wish I was actually sent back in time to 1999.

But what if you somehow accidentally prevented your own conception?

[Gustaf]

I'd probably argue that Pim Fortuyn would fit that bill perfectly. Every article I see that mentions him treats him like essentially the Danish Pat Buchanan, when nothing could possibly be further from the truth.

Pim Fortuyn was Dutch.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm more annoyed by how many people in real life tell me their IQ is something ridiculous like 180.

Really?  I think it's funnier on Atlas when people brag about, say, their Mensa-level IQ, while simultaneously acting stupid to the point of ridiculousness.  

I'm not thinking of anyone, but if I were, their initials would probably match.

[Vepres]

I think some people take politics too seriously.

Philosophy and Economics is much more enjoyable.

It might have escaped your powerful intellectual brain, but this is actually a political forum. So, please, leave. No one will miss you!

[Mechaman]

Robert Byrd, he's third in the line of succession

I don't see anything happening to both Obama and Biden throughout the next three/seven years.

That's because you are looking at your computer screen right now. How are you going to see Obama and Biden looking at Atlas Forum?

[The Mikado]

Don't call them 'Tea Partiers'.  That derogatory nickname was invented to try and derisively compare them to the real patriots of Boston Harbor in 1773.  The appropriate name for them is 'teabaggers'.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

i propozd
she sed yes
candulite dinner
candle fel over strted fire
PantsBurnLegWound

[Holmes]

Oh my PantsBurnLegWound

[Meeker]

What do all of you think about having a redistricting competition here, like at Swing State Project?

Would you actually do it or are you just the ideas guy?

Lunar makes lots of great posts but for some reason this one actually made me start laughing

[Kaine for Senate '18]

There are gay animals, such as penguins.

And you.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Let's start with me and Libertas, for now at least.

To be fair, this is a relevant criticism. If moderating was done consistently and reasonably you would both have been banned a long time ago.

[The Mikado]

On Hamid Karzai:

Overthrow him and replace him with someone who is much less corrupt and also very friendly to U.S. interests.

Because that worked so well when we did it to Arbenz, Mossadeq (fine, that was the Brits, but still), Lumumba, Diem, Allende, etc.

[Хahar 🤔]

To be fair, none of those people were succeeded by less corrupt people.

[Verily]

To be fair, none of those people were succeeded by less corrupt people.

Is there any significant politician less corrupt than Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan? (Serious question.)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

To be fair, none of those people were succeeded by less corrupt people.

Is there any significant politician less corrupt than Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan? (Serious question.)

His brother. (Serious answer.)

[King]

In "developing" countries like Afghanistan, the definition of corruption needs to be adjusted to scale.  A guy who feeds his own financial self-interests is relatively good compared to say... Pol Pot.

[Хahar 🤔]

Its time to end the bureaucracy, its time to cut the spending

So they will lie?

Of course. Many ALL Preisdents have lied in the past.

George Washington and James K. Polk have never lied.

[Joe Republic]

...

It's like he's from another world.

[King]

...

It's like he's from another world.

He does not disappoint.  I'll give him that.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

SecState: Charles Lindbergh
SecDef: Donald Rumsfeld
SecTreas: Richard Mellon Scaife
Atty General: J. Edgar Hoover
SecInt: George Armstrong Custer
SecAg: William T. Sherman
SecCommerce: Earl Browder
SecLabor: Henry Clay Frick
SecHHS: Jack Kevorkian
SecHUD: Robert Moses
SecTrans: Also Robert Moses
SecEng: H. L. Hunt
SecEd: Michele Bachmann
VA: Jane Fonda
DOHS: Benedict Arnold

[The Mikado]

SecState: Charles Lindbergh
SecDef: Donald Rumsfeld
SecTreas: Richard Mellon Scaife
Atty General: J. Edgar Hoover
SecInt: George Armstrong Custer
SecAg: William T. Sherman
SecCommerce: Earl Browder
SecLabor: Henry Clay Frick
SecHHS: Jack Kevorkian
SecHUD: Robert Moses
SecTrans: Also Robert Moses
SecEng: H. L. Hunt
SecEd: Michele Bachmann
VA: Jane Fonda
DOHS: Benedict Arnold

As you can see, for most of those, I had to go way back, but I honestly couldn't think of anyone worse for the Defense post than Rumsfeld.

[Lunar]

You should have picked Judas.