2 + 2 = Thursday

“2 + 2 = Thursday.”

“Excuse me? 2 + 2 = 4.”

“How can you believe that?

“Ok. I have 2 pennies. Here they are. I have 2 other pennies. Here they are.
I put them together. (counting) 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.”

“Well, last night on The O’Liar Factor, they said ‘2 +2 = THURSDAY!’
“You are just a LIBERAL!”

I received an e-mail the other day. I get a lot of emails from my right-winged friends. I guess they think there is still hope for me. This one was yet another that was attributed to George Carlin. Another one that George Carlin clearly didn’t write.


Here is a part of it:

A mandatory evacuation means just that...Get the hell out.
Don't blame the Government after they tell you to go. If they hadn't said anything, I can see the argument. They said get out... if you didn't, it's your fault, not theirs. (We don't want to hear it, even if you don't have a car, you
can get out.)

The government isn't responsible for giving you anything. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but you gotta work for what you want. McDonalds and Wal-Mart are always hiring, get a job and stop spooning off the people who are actually working for a living. President Kennedy said it best..."Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

I did a quick search, but didn’t turn anything. It was still too new. Then I just did a search on “George Carlin Katrina” and it turned a transcript from Carlin’s recent appearance on Bill Maher’s show.

Here are some of the things Carlin really said in the aftermath of Katrina:

“It shouldn't be a surprise that rich, white men don't care about poor, black people, period. So they're not high on their list.”

“…who are in charge of things in this country: the owners. Forget these foolish elections. The owners of this country don't care about the poor, in general.”

“Listen, politics – these elections are a charade; they're a charade.”

“The real looting in this country takes place in the transfer of the wealth from the poor to the rich. I'm sorry that you don't like class and the truth, my friend, but you're stuck with it. Class is class - and the poor have been systematically looted in this country. The rich have been made richer under this criminal, fascist president and his government. “


“Yeah, I have something I want to mention. First, I would just preface it by saying “Governor Bush” – and I call him that because that's really the last thing he was elected to - “Governor Bush,” he – when he reaches – when he reaches his Christian heaven, he's going to have a lot to answer for. Second, what I want to say is this: I think [guest James K. Glassman] Jim is a good – is doing a good job of demonstrating – and this show is – the difference between left and right of center. It originated in the French parliament. The people left of center were liberals; the people right of center were conservatives. Broadly speaking. And generally speaking, people on the left of center – on the right of center, I'm sorry – the conservatives, the right of center – are interested in property values, property, property rights. The rights and the rights of property. “

“And generally speaking again – it's all generalized – the left-of-center people are more concerned with humans and human beings and human concerns; to the care of humans, not the care and worry about property rights. That's generally been true. And Bush is pushing this country farther down the hill, faster than anyone has before.”

Ironic, isn’t it?

Anyway, I sent him the link, and his response was:

“Bill Maher is a socialist.”

That’s it. That one sentence. He completely ignored what Carlin said.

I used to argue with this person, but I have since given up. All it ever did was get both of us upset.

The history of the last 5 years can be summed up by that exchange. What to do when confronted with evidence that contradicts your beliefs?

Ignore the facts.
Change the subject.
Label the subject.

“Socialist.”
“Communist.”
“Bleeding Heart.”
“Liberal.”

In their minds, once a label is applied, then the content of the person’s words doesn't have to be addressed. It is automatically refuted and dismissed.

“Of course he would say that! He’s a socialist!”

They act as if there is no space between blind allegiance to the Oil Mafia and Socialism. Everything is “either or” with them.

“You’re against making the tax-cuts permanent? You’re a socialist.”
“You were against the Iraq War? You loved Saddam.”
“You hate Bush. You loved Clinton.”

I am tired.

Tired of fallacious arguments.
Tired of the propaganda and rhetoric.
Tired of feigning respect for blatant idiocy.
Tired of arguing the obvious against the nonsense with no hope of gaining an inch.
Tired of logic, reason and facts being ignored.

And I am sick and tired of all the stupid e-mails…

***

I actually got another one from the same person as I was writing this post.

I deleted it.