From the comments of the NY Times:

[kentuck]

C Wolfe
is a trusted commenter Bloomington IN 2 days ago

Actually, I too want students to learn about the rise of the conservative movement since 1980.

I want them to learn how it's destroyed the middle class, our infrastructure, separation of church and state, gun control, the principles of fair play and equal opportunity, and rational discourse in the public sphere. Rendered dysfunctional the government our founders fought to create. Attempted to set back the rights of women and minorities. Has an unsettling nostalgia for slavery. Rejects science. Thinks the economy is real but the environment isn't. Substitutes masculinist swagger for global leadership. Lacks the capacity for envisioning a prosperous future and adopts "I've got mine, now you get yours" as their moral compass. Thinks people choose to get sick or lose their jobs and wants to punish them for it.

I'm sure I omitted some things, but I'll leave that to the history teachers.
=================

The above comments were in response to this article about the students in Colorado:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/us/in-colorado-a-student-counterprotest-to-an-anti-protest-curriculum.html

[questionseverything]

1. k&r

[NJCher]

2. did that ever sum it all up

I love the comments sections. I find them more interesting to read than the articles themselves.

Plus, and this is a bit OT, a person can pick up valuable tips from them. Last night, for example, I read comments on an article about cell phones. At the time I read, there were 1,423 comments!

It didn't take too long, for example to figure out that a great many Americans are disgusted with their fellow citizens for being too involved with their cell phones. This was very interesting to me because it showed that I'm not alone in that feeling.

On this same thread were numerous tips on how to reduce the cost of cell phone service.

Today I checked out some of the tips and I find that the "shelves are empty." For example, it appears there is a huge market for low-cost cell phone service and the only company meeting this need is tracphone (they have a card that basically brings down the cost of cell phone service to $6.67 a month). Their 60" cell phone card is sold out, though.

There is a company called Republic but I think they make you buy the phone.

So--lots of interesting things to be gleaned from the comments.

And in regard to the above, it is good to read that people (besides DU-ers) are wise to the tricks of republicans.This guy summed it up as well as any of us who read here every day could.



Cher

[kimbutgar]

8. I have a tracfone and pay $20 every three months

While I would love a smartphone I don't want to be locked into a money draining contract. And you can buy minutes online. By the time I buy them the minutes are added to my phone. Tracfone now says you can use your own phone and do prepay now.

[Chico Man]

18. Virgin Mobile

~$30 a month for an iPhone, no contract. Have to buy the phone up front but at a large discount. Unlimited data, limited voice (6 hours / month I believe?)

[pangaia]

25. Net 10 even has smart phones now-- no contract

just another option for you.
I have a Net 10 'dumb phone.'

[LiberalElite]

14. I have a smartphone and a Tracfone -

I've had Tracfones for years. You have to buy the phone but they're all inexpensive. Some reconditioned ones can be had sometimes for $5.00 (not a misprint) in online specials. You can buy minutes online too.

[tk2kewl]

3. Can I get a "hell yeah!"?

[whathehell]

7. Hell YEAH!!

and then some.

[adirondacker]

4. Some of the more brilliant writing in the NY Times comes from the commenters these days.nt

[blkmusclmachine]

5. The GOP is a vicious pack of sociopaths. And yet the DEMS still want to play footsie with them.

Something stinks...

[hootinholler]

32. I would remind you that the GOP does not wholly contain the conservative movement

But I'm sure you knew that already.

[LittleGirl]

6. I think I know that person

on-line. I read all of the comments for Krugman's articles and some I actually look for.

There are some intelligent people out there that are smart and the media drowns them out.

[DirkGently]

9. An excellent summation. n/t

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. Not only that but they consider all of those to be strengths,....

....and things like "caring" to be a weakness and a source of rot within and commie and thus unpatriotic.

[Caretha]

11. I think in the end

this says it all:

Thinks the economy is real but the environment isn't

How much more disconnected can we become. Most people do not even know that food doesn't come in cellophane wrapped packages in the real world. To me that is scary.

[cui bono]

21. omg... that reminded me of a line from the Hulu show Farmed and Dangerous.

Last edited Sat Sep 27, 2014, 12:08 PM - Edit history (1)

I wish I could remember exactly how it went. The show is about a cattle/beef company that feeds its cows oil and there's an environmental activist who is working to expose them and their tactics. So at some point someone defending the company says something like "well the planet can't feed the people" and an environmentalist says "um, yeah, actually that's been happening for millions of years".

Now I'm going to have to go watch that episode so I can come back and correct those quotes!

Is it possible to feed America without petropellet? (asked by a plant)

No. Maybe the 1%.
Everyone else would starve.
We're fighting for the little guy.

And what kind of research-

No more questions. The planet's not going to feed itself.

Actually, it's been doing that for millions of years.

[subject]

12. Thank You

for your awesome words.

[herding cats]

13. What an excellent find. Thank you for sharing it here.

I don't read the comments sections anymore for news articles. I would have never seen gem if you'd not decided to share it here. I very much appreciate this!

[kentuck]

16. In the spirit of openness and honesty...

I would not have read it either if my brilliant wife had not pointed it out to me.

[herding cats]

17. Then thank her for me, please?

For being brave enough to enter the trenches and find these words, and for caring enough to share them with you so that you could share them with the rest of us. You're a lucky person to have such a spouse, and we all benefited from your good fortune today.

[Dont call me Shirley]

15. A few more

Ignores the Serman Anti-trust Act

Mocks the Fairness Doctrine

Overturned Glass-stiegel

Eliminated Habeas Corpus and Posse Comitatus

Breaks the 4th Amendment Right to privacy in our homes and papers.

Arbitrarily rules on the First Amendment Right to free speech

Prosecutes whistleblowers

Willfully ignores the will of the people

[Enthusiast]

19. +1

[Enthusiast]

20. Kicked and recommended!

Thank you, kentuck.

[Skittles]

22. CORRECT

[Bigredhunk]

23. I LOVE Reading NYT Comments

One of the few mainstream sites I visit that isn't dominated by asshole conservative commenters.

[yardwork]

24. Ronald Reagan popularized every single one of those.

The right wing got a helluva deal when the bought an actor to sell their deal to the Anerican people. Barnum Bailey had nothing on them.

[marble falls]

29. You mean this Ronnie Reagan?

&f=1

Too busy to hold his own umbrella?

[SamKnause]

26. That is my take on the situation.

Republican policies are DESTRUCTIVE and ANTI-AMERICAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Smarmie Doofus]

27. Sometimes I skip over the articles in the Times....

.... esp. if it's a complicated issue.... and go straight to the comments. They are ( SOME of them) that good.

[Champion Jack]

28. Brilliant

[BlancheSplanchnik]

30. rec #199, and I'd go for 200 if I could!

So right on. Ooooooo, I'm thinking of someone I'd love to post that to on FB.

[hifiguy]

31. Boom!

Now THAT is telling it like it is.

[rhett o rick]

33. An important point to be made here, they are speaking of the dangers of the conservative movement

and not the Republican movement. The division between working for the people and working for the oligarchs isn't the division between the two parties. There are conservatives right here in River City my friends. Conservatives that call themselves Democrats but support the oligarchs which apparently fools some.

Supporting Wall Street, the NSA/CIA Security State, a neocon foreign policy, and persecuting medical marijuana users and whistle-blowers are all conservative values.

We first must fight the conservatives in our own party.

[WillyT]

34. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[WillyT]

35. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[CrispyQ]

36. Outstanding.

Wish we could hear the Democratic Party speak this as one voice.

[kpete]

37. poetry

thanks for sharing

peace,
kp