Patterico's Pontifications

The simile is apt as Julius Caesar’s success was built on promising the lowest classes free bread paid for by plunder.

SPQR (26be8b) — 4/25/2010 @ 3:41 pm

Senatus Populusque Romanus wrote:

The simile is apt as Julius Caesar’s success was built on promising the lowest classes free bread paid for by plunder.

It is appropriate that SPQR had the first comment here. Thanks to DRJ for the link! 🙂

The Dana who took two years of Latin in high school (474dfc) — 4/25/2010 @ 3:50 pm

Is it allowed to mock Caesar?

AD - RtR/OS! (fb87e7) — 4/25/2010 @ 3:50 pm

I though it was actually Veni Vidi Visel, which, by modern pronunciation, is Weeny Weedy Weasel …

Alasdair (205079) — 4/25/2010 @ 3:54 pm

(grin)

I … uh … might have done a bit of reading on the topic in the past.

SPQR (26be8b) — 4/25/2010 @ 3:54 pm

Hmmmm – I wonder how Caesar would have translated And all gall was divided onto two teleprompter screens … …

Alasdair (205079) — 4/25/2010 @ 3:55 pm

The commenter formerly known as Another Drew wrote:

Is it allowed to mock Caesar?

Is doesn’t tutela : Gaius Julius Caesar est valde mortuus. Vel Perry Niveus agnosco ut , per suus oris , ” valde Caesar’s phasmatis! “

The Dana who took two years of Latin in high school (but still cheats with an online translator) (474dfc) — 4/25/2010 @ 3:56 pm

Dana, I was using “Caesar” in the generic form (Tsar – Kaiser – etc), not referring to old “Julie Baby”.

AD - RtR/OS! (fb87e7) — 4/25/2010 @ 4:08 pm

Quickbooks never told Obama to stop spending. You can’t hold him responsible.

See Geithner, Turbotax Tim.

I forget which commenter I ripped that off from.

daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 4/25/2010 @ 4:23 pm

Alas! Both the Tsar and the Kaiser are long in their graves, and if Teh One wishes to assume the imperial mantle, he at least has not yet done so.

The historian Dana (474dfc) — 4/25/2010 @ 5:11 pm

I keep coming back to this blog because my motto has been Veni Vidi, Velcro: I came, I saw, I stuck around.

🙂

GM Roper (6afe02) — 4/25/2010 @ 5:26 pm

I’m glad you do, GM.

DRJ (09fa6c) — 4/25/2010 @ 5:50 pm

Brilliant. A trademark. When will t-shirts emblazoned with this become available? You could clean up in sales at the Tea Parties…capitalism in it’s purest form!

Dana who took 3 years of French in high school cuz everything sonds better in French (1e5ad4) — 4/25/2010 @ 6:42 pm

sonds = sounds

Dana (1e5ad4) — 4/25/2010 @ 6:44 pm

I came, I saw, I charged it.

kimsch (2ce939) — 4/25/2010 @ 6:51 pm

Gee, spqr, What about not just promising but actually giving free bread (as in greenbacks) to the richer classes?
That’s what Shrub did. Anybody noticed any trickle down yet from that trillion-plus tax cut for the rich that, AND YOU KNOW IT, was handed on to the next administration/generation to pay for. Did you ever complain about that? That tax cut for the ones too wealthy to pay taxes came at the same time Shrub started funneling billions per month into getting them thar WMD in Iraq. Yep, tab for that one also handed down for later. It’s like he walked into the malt shop, ordered milkshakes for everyone and then just left without paying. Gotta love a Big spender.

My favorite anti-Obama jibe here lately was I think y’day when DRJ sought to school Obama on his dietary intake……carping that he had too many carbs in that menu during the woodsy hike published by the White House.
Uh, DRJ, wanna maybe do a little analysis of age/fitness/measurements/body-fat on Obama and get back to us with more criticism?
You are so hurting for something to complain about that you SUCK in good wind just to try and blow out some bad. It clunked.
You’re quite a finely tuned, toxin-free cellular machine and svelt yourself, eh?

Larry Reilly (fadcab) — 4/25/2010 @ 6:57 pm

That’s svelte, Larry, and I’m 20 pounds heavier than when I was in high school. But I was liberal then and I’m conservative now, so the added intelligence balances things out.

For the record, my point in that post was that if the Obamas want to tell people how to eat or — worse yet — mandate what we eat, we get to return the favor. Thank you for the chance to clear that up for anyone else who misunderstood.

DRJ (09fa6c) — 4/25/2010 @ 7:15 pm

Larry:

Your ideas are intriguing to me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Ag80 (f67beb) — 4/25/2010 @ 7:18 pm

“actually giving free bread (as in greenbacks) to the richer classes?
That’s what Shrub did.”

Because all money belongs to the state, and if you pay less in taxes, it’s some kind of “gift” from “shrub”.

That’s the kind of mind it would take to remain an Obama fan at this point.

Dustin (b54cdc) — 4/25/2010 @ 7:38 pm

In fact, that you get to keep any of it at all is probably some kind of act of forgiveness for the sin of prosperity.

I guess if you find 7 synonyms for happiness, one of them obviously being eating well, you have found the 7 sins of Obama’s Bible. Twist things around that much, and it’s a good act of chicken roosting for 9/11 to happen… what with all the happiness prevented.

I guess it’s just ridiculous to ask these people to just leave me or my state alone. I really don’t think we need to federal government for more than a couple of things.

Dustin (b54cdc) — 4/25/2010 @ 7:41 pm

You are so hurting for something to complain about that you SUCK in good wind just to try and blow out some bad.

Hurting for something to complain about? We could only wish it were so.

Dana (1e5ad4) — 4/25/2010 @ 7:41 pm

Gee, spqr, What about not just promising but actually giving free bread (as in greenbacks) to the richer classes?

Paying less in taxes is not a gift from the government, Larry. It just means the government is taking less from you.

Do you understand the difference?

Some chump (744fe9) — 4/25/2010 @ 7:44 pm

Anybody noticed any trickle down yet from that trillion-plus tax cut for the rich that, AND YOU KNOW IT,

You remind me of this liberal I was speaking to a few weeks ago. I was griping about how much of a bite would be taken out of my bank account due to the IRS. He then said something about how horrible it was that upper-income folks weren’t paying more in taxes. I then said I don’t care about what they do or don’t pay to Uncle Sam, etc. What I do care about is what I (repeat: I) have to pay in taxes.

So many liberals spend all their time fretting about the well-to-do not giving more to government instead of just how much of a tax burden is imposed on the working stiffs throughout America.

Mark (411533) — 4/25/2010 @ 8:23 pm

That’s the kind of mind it would take to remain an Obama fan at this point.

Probably not too different from the mindset of Franklin Delano Roosevelt — one of the long-time heroes of the left/Democrat Party — who raised taxes on upper-income people back in the 1930s and then had the gall to tell the IRS that those higher taxes didn’t apply to him—one of the members of that more affluent class in America.

Mark (411533) — 4/25/2010 @ 8:30 pm

Larry #16 – the problem is that our current President seems to have most of his fat between his ears … which may actually start to explain why you feel you have so much in common with him …

Alasdair (205079) — 4/25/2010 @ 9:16 pm

#16, Comment by Larry Reilly — 4/25/2010 @ 6:57 pm,

This is an uncalled for personal attack on DRJ. This was not a political dispute that degenerated into name calling but an insulting smear on DRJ based on an entirely different post. Completely uncalled for.

Is this acceptable conduct here?

Machinist (9780ec) — 4/25/2010 @ 9:16 pm

Dustin – The state is entitled to all of your money; anything that they allow you to keep is a gift, and one that you probably don’t deserve. (Unless you vote Democrat and make sure you cheer the loudest during the required demonstrations of socialist fidelity.)

Have Blue (854a6e) — 4/25/2010 @ 9:34 pm

Comment by Mark — 4/25/2010 @ 8:23 pm

A Leftist scold (I know, I repeat myself) is somebody who lays awake at night worrying that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.

AD - RtR/OS! (fb87e7) — 4/25/2010 @ 10:05 pm

This is an uncalled for personal attack on DRJ

Doesn’t seem all that different from the usual drivel that sort of oozes out of the aural cavity that provides something to hold Mary’s ears apart.

AD - RtR/OS! (fb87e7) — 4/25/2010 @ 10:08 pm

I figured someone would say “Who are you to criticize Obama about his diet?” and try to make personal comparisons. I even thought about adding this to the post but I didn’t want to go off-topic. But now that Larry brings it up, I’m 56 and my numbers are better than Obama’s at 48.

DRJ (09fa6c) — 4/25/2010 @ 10:17 pm

It’s interesting to look at the liberals. Some of them seem to actually LIKE us and want to have an enjoyable conservation. Some seem to think we’re a curiosity to be poked and played with. Some actually seem to be deranged and angry and more interested in disrupting or announcing their disgust.

Larry is on one end of that scale. The recent addition Chris Hooten is quite a bit closer to the reasonable center, even if he’s not really all that reasonable in his argumentation. I think the closer to Larry people become, the harder life gets when you don’t get your way (IE, this November). That’s why you can see it in their faces in public. The scar of constant fury, scowling at you from that sweet Subaru with all the stupid bumper stickers.

“Shrub”. Good lord, dude, get over it. He won both election and took a full measure of responsibility for his decisions. It’s called democracy, and you even have all the power now.

Dustin (b54cdc) — 4/25/2010 @ 10:26 pm

DRJ, you don’t read a day older than 46.

But anyway, it doesn’t take an anorexic to note these people are promoting terrible diet as something for the ruling class, and healthcare reducing diet as something for the masses. That Waygu steak is worse than Ribeye, too.

Dustin (b54cdc) — 4/25/2010 @ 10:29 pm

“So many liberals spend all their time fretting about the well-to-do not giving more to government instead of just how much of a tax burden is imposed on the working stiffs throughout America.”

A lot of “liberals/progressives” are eaten up with envy, they can’t bear it that there are people with more money, more status than they.

LarryD (feb78b) — 4/26/2010 @ 8:08 am

My bride is a dietitian, and I’ve learned many things from her in our 13 years of marriage.

The biggie is that Obama may appear great, but hypertension and diabetes runs rampant in many black families. Obama smokes and loves red meat and he may well be setting himself up for a stroke and or heart attack, even at a young age. His medical checkups say he is in fine shape, but I’ve also known folks who have had such checkups and die within a week from stroke or heart attack. I don’t want that to happen to ANY sitting president, but physical appearance is no guarantee of good health.

GM Roper (a0b04a) — 4/26/2010 @ 8:13 am

“Cross-Eyed Mary”

Who would be a poor man, a beggarman, a thief —
if he had a rich man in his hand.
And who would steal the candy
from a laughing baby’s mouth
if he could take it from the money man.
Cross-eyed Mary goes jumping in again.
She signs no contract
but she always plays the game.
Dines in Hampstead village
on expense accounted gruel,
and the jack-knife barber drops her off at school.
Laughing in the playground — gets no kicks from little boys:
would rather make it with a letching grey.
Or maybe her attention is drawn by Aqualung,
who watches through the railings as they play.
Cross-eyed Mary finds it hard to get along.
She’s a poor man’s rich girl
and she’ll do it for a song.
She’s a rich man stealer
but her favour’s good and strong:
She’s the Robin Hood of Highgate —
helps the poor man get along.

— Emphasis mine; prescient Mary Reilly lyrics courtesy of Ian Anderson.

Icy Texan (de6635) — 4/26/2010 @ 8:37 am

I’m sure Obama’s idea of the 7 deadly sins are something like this list: 1. Being American; 2. Being prosperous; 3. Being conservative–you get the idea.

Rochf (ae9c58) — 4/26/2010 @ 8:47 am

4. Being opposed to Barcky
5. Being opposed to Euro-weenie socialisms.

JD (959071) — 4/26/2010 @ 9:08 am

6. Being Responsible

Corwin (ea9428) — 4/26/2010 @ 9:28 am

I don’t want that to happen to ANY sitting president, especially one who has Joe Biden as Veep.

AD - RtR/OS! (69f893) — 4/26/2010 @ 9:49 am

As a matter of fact, government revenues increased after the Bush tax cuts – just another demonstration of the Laffer curve. The economy took off, and even though the government got a slightly smaller piece, the pie was so much bigger that it got more money.

So there you go – there’s your trickle-down economics. At this point, if you want the government to have more money to pay off its debts, you have to reduce taxes, not raise them.

luagha (7fd288) — 4/26/2010 @ 11:59 am

We want government to pay off its debts by spending less on everything else. It can start by cutting salaries and perks. And then continue by always spending less than what it is taking in.

Obama’s charge it now, pay for it later policy is going to kill us.

Corwin (ea9428) — 4/26/2010 @ 12:13 pm

Sad to point out, but the only time we ever paid off the national debt was during the administration of Andrew Jackson; that’s been rather a long time ago.

And now we are structurally unable to pay off the debt: because surplus Social Security receipts must be held in the form of US Treasury Bills, we will always be issuing more of them.

The historical Dana (3e4784) — 4/26/2010 @ 12:29 pm

there are no more surplus social security receipts. SS is upside down now … if I properly understood the news that came out recently.

quasimodo (4af144) — 4/26/2010 @ 12:39 pm

Well, greed appears to be a good thing under the Obama administration rather than a sin, as long as it’s the correct greed–like the assistant secretary for energy who holds interests in companies that she can influence to make more profitable. So, greed can be good, depending on what kind of greed it is, and whether it’s liberal or conservative greed.

Rochf (ae9c58) — 4/26/2010 @ 1:47 pm

especially one who has Joe Biden as Veep.

Slow Joe would be an improvement at this point….

redc1c4 (fb8750) — 4/26/2010 @ 2:06 pm

I have that same thought sometimes….
good gracious, how will we ever dig ourselves out from under this dung heap?

AD - RtR/OS! (69f893) — 4/26/2010 @ 2:39 pm

Historically, dung-heaps lead to the production of gunpowder …

(Should I denounce myself now ?)

Alasdair (64f66f) — 4/26/2010 @ 3:07 pm

Comment by Alasdair — 4/26/2010 @ 3:07 pm

Well, if you want to go to war using Black Powder?
Personally, I prefer to see what I’ve been shooting at, and that they not know where my position is.

AD - RtR/OS! (69f893) — 4/26/2010 @ 3:47 pm

Back to the motto – how about a simple:

Pass the Astroglide – BOHICA

(You F’d up, you trusted me)

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Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 6/21/2011 @ 11:35 am

4/25/2010

Obama’s New Motto

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