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22. There is a famous legend about the guillotine here in Europe

Thu May 22, 2014, 08:28 AM

May 2014

During the French Revolution, there was a rule that if something stopped the blade on the way down, it was a sign from God that the condemned was to be set free, and so he (or she) was.

As the legend goes, one day at the guillotine, an aristocrat was led up to be executed. He was asked if he wanted a blindfold or not. He said no. He was asked if he wanted to look up or down. He said up. He was placed onto the device, and the blade fell. But it stopped right above his neck. The crowd gasped. A sign from God! The man was set free.

The next man was led up, a former administrator for the court of King Louis. Same options. No blindfold, and he, too chose to look up and see it coming. The blade fell, and again, it stopped just before his neck. The crowd gasps again. Another sign from God! The man is set free.

A third man is led up. A civil engineer. Blindfold? No. Look down or up? Up. He is placed in the proper spot, but before the blade can be dropped, he cries out, "WAIT!! I see what the problem is!"

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Why American Conservatives Are Suddenly Freaking Out About Guillotines [View all] xchrom May 2014 OP

Well, lethal injection has become unreliable, so... jberryhill May 2014 #1

Unbelievable Whiners liberalmike27 May 2014 #33

Would A Few Less 1% Heads Really Be All That Troubling? cantbeserious May 2014 #2

I think it's our only hope FiveGoodMen May 2014 #61

not to me, cantbeserious. Unfortunately. But then I will be following roguevalley May 2014 #96

I hope they're terrified malaise May 2014 #3

They have had how many chances to not be assholes? randys1 May 2014 #26

Conservatives want to blur the difference between execution and blood donation (nt) muriel_volestrangler May 2014 #4

! xchrom May 2014 #5

Exactamente! (nt) paleotn May 2014 #7

nicely done! fishwax May 2014 #54

Guillotines are actually very humane, and were designed with that in mind. Crunchy Frog May 2014 #6

How exactly is any execution tool "humane"? nt Tommy_Carcetti May 2014 #41

...about as humane as grade B derivatives. L0oniX May 2014 #46

Thank you JustAnotherGen May 2014 #53

They used to use an ax. maddiemom May 2014 #58

...that sometimes required multiple 'whacks'... pizzadave May 2014 #64

More humane than the wars they send the 99% into. nt valerief May 2014 #80

Given that like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama will probably be worth well over $100 million, Nye Bevan May 2014 #8

Paulson with Co-Conspirators: bvar22 May 2014 #49

I've heard Bill Clinton demigoddess May 2014 #126

Diamond, Geithner, Paulson.... look what they have done for us.. Hoppy May 2014 #9

The privileged class never gets the point until they are running for their lives. hobbit709 May 2014 #10

I think they'd be getting the edge, rather than the point. riqster May 2014 #16

:-) randys1 May 2014 #27

Either works for me. Maynar May 2014 #100

One of my favorite quotes from "The Grapes of Wrath" deutsey May 2014 #25

Yes. But they can't........ socialist_n_TN May 2014 #32

That's just silly. Of course they can. The_Commonist May 2014 #50

+ n/t BlancheSplanchnik May 2014 #55

Sorry, I don't agree. Capitalism is set up to block.... socialist_n_TN May 2014 #83

It seems the competition in capitalism is in the effort to get rid of competitors so that we end up gtar100 May 2014 #93

Pretty much....... socialist_n_TN May 2014 #117

That is an amazing quote. The rich often do cut themselves off from the rest of humanity. reformist2 May 2014 #91

And we have our thread winner. Brigid May 2014 #28

Which is what a lot of people do every day. WCLinolVir May 2014 #90

A few months ago, someone posted a very nice Bohunk68 May 2014 #11

Like this one? Enthusiast May 2014 #12

THAT'S THE ONE!!!! Bohunk68 May 2014 #15

That should be on post cards being sent to the 1% everywhere. L0oniX May 2014 #45

Aha! More proof that great minds think alike. Raksha May 2014 #76

That picture would make a great postcard to send to the CEOs of Goldman-Sachs, Raksha May 2014 #75

Somehow I like defacto7 May 2014 #104

Put that sucker on Wall Street PADemD May 2014 #14

I think it's been suggested: freshwest May 2014 #59

Once again proving that today's conservatives think... JHB May 2014 #13

"Punish the rich"? Nah, we just want back what they've stolen. Scuba May 2014 #17

+1 xchrom May 2014 #18

Most thieves when caught end up in jail. L0oniX May 2014 #44

This would be a good op... F4lconF16 May 2014 #72

A while ago, yes. Thanks. Scuba May 2014 #74

This ^ ^ ^ Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2014 #84

Exactly. We are going to challenge their claim that they earned their billions. They didn't. reformist2 May 2014 #86

Reform or revolution. That is always the choice. Warren Stupidity May 2014 #19

Hmmm ...something about revolution and the US ...where did I read about that? L0oniX May 2014 #43

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible... bvar22 May 2014 #51

Exactly billhicks76 May 2014 #62

Fuck, dude, that's why they blew his head off!! Major Hogwash May 2014 #111

Sound like a good idea. OldRedneck May 2014 #20

Gee. The wealthiest people in human history and they have a problem with sharing. Octafish May 2014 #21

The wealthiest people in human history have a problem with sharing. DamnYankeeInHouston May 2014 #36

They even have a problem with simply dialing it back JHB May 2014 #47

Quayle is the spokesperson for American conservatism. valerief May 2014 #82

Actual photograph Octafish May 2014 #87

Who was the original less-than-sharp Republican - Ford, Reagan, Quayle or someone else? xocet May 2014 #108

Thank you for the "potatoe" news video. It says it all about the situation our nation is in. Octafish May 2014 #118

That's really not fair to Quayle. Major Hogwash May 2014 #110

I disagree. I think Palin was dumber. (eom) StevieM May 2014 #113

He's got a son in politics. Octafish May 2014 #119

There is a famous legend about the guillotine here in Europe DFW May 2014 #22

LOL! That's clever. It was not included in a list of engineer jokes I recently read. John1956PA May 2014 #78

DUzy! eridani May 2014 #92

I'm sure there have been several versions since 1789 DFW May 2014 #103

Finally someone actually has the answer humbled_opinion May 2014 #23

Both parties are corporate owned. Next puppet ...Hillary? L0oniX May 2014 #42

Not "confiscation". bvar22 May 2014 #65

They suck all of our natural resources humbled_opinion Jun 2014 #131

I'm sure the hedgefund manager "expenses" HIS gasoline. bvar22 Jun 2014 #132

They are worried because... Helen Borg May 2014 #24

They just really don't seem to get it, do they? The_Commonist May 2014 #29

Watch "Born Rich" or "The One Percent" by Jamie Johnson Moostache May 2014 #37

Excellent post BrotherIvan May 2014 #52

The problem is that in our capitalistic society, the accumulation of wealth is the rhett o rick May 2014 #101

This will be my favorite post of the day. Have a hugh grin on my face. Let them eat their own deeds. jwirr May 2014 #30

Why American Conservatives Are Suddenly Freaking Out About Guillotines AlbertCat May 2014 #31

Don't forget ...almost everyone became "alarmists" after 911. L0oniX May 2014 #40

Eat the Rich... VanillaRhapsody May 2014 #34

I always loved that song and that's the best video version ever. Thanks! freshwest May 2014 #66

Guillotines are too easy for them... freebrew May 2014 #35

This level of inequality is always unstable. jeff47 May 2014 #38

This is true. FDR was working for the displaced... hunter May 2014 #69

"Off with their heads" ...isn't that what they used to say? L0oniX May 2014 #39

Warren Buffett is myopic with very old views nolabels May 2014 #48

If you can't find one a Home Depot, here are plans: tclambert May 2014 #56

The rich see it clearly. Taxes are the people's method to storm their castles, reaching them where freshwest May 2014 #57

A balance must be struck, though DFW May 2014 #105

Well, what the French are doing is nuts, then. They're attacking everyone to feed a state industry. freshwest May 2014 #107

About 80% of the French would agree with you. DFW May 2014 #120

Wow...those are just a few of their ideas? StevieM May 2014 #121

Actually, the things that the GOP throw in are in the Koch funded ALEC laws. I've got to go, but freshwest May 2014 #122

God forbid we should not live in a fucking shark tank. byronius May 2014 #60

The "new class warfare" began decades ago. This is a counterattack. n/t winter is coming May 2014 #63

I HAVE been thinking about learning to knit... n/t TygrBright May 2014 #67

Knitting is a great stress reliever...I should do it more often. Raksha May 2014 #79

To think they were trying to sell the Atlas Shrugged crap.... Spitfire of ATJ May 2014 #68

" the rest of us will revert to savagery without their divine presence " FiveGoodMen May 2014 #70

I don't think Ayn Rand intended her wheel chock to be a comedy book, but in fact it is jmowreader May 2014 #123

A good CEO uses money from a triving section to support a troubled section.... Spitfire of ATJ May 2014 #124

Or you move people rather than funds jmowreader May 2014 #125

A massive balance with a friendly smaller bank works too.... Spitfire of ATJ May 2014 #127

Staff moves are better jmowreader May 2014 #128

Using the same employees is the best especially if a pension is involved. Spitfire of ATJ May 2014 #129

BTW: Some banks are so stupid that they think workers who do car loans can't do home loans. Spitfire of ATJ May 2014 #130

They certainly are making themselves the victims, again. Curmudgeoness May 2014 #71

National Razor - good name for a band. nt docgee May 2014 #73

Ironic cover smallcat88 May 2014 #77

Really, I'd confiscate their wealth and make them work for minimum wage Lydia Leftcoast May 2014 #81

I wonder if the magazine would freak out dobleremolque May 2014 #85

maybe they could try sharing a bit. pansypoo53219 May 2014 #88

WOW-Intellectual cover, huh? Then they got to dumb it down. WCLinolVir May 2014 #89

I'm Glad They're Worried... They Should Be... WillyT May 2014 #94

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague May 2014 #95

"the absence of major wars?" stage left May 2014 #97

That was my first thought, too Maynar May 2014 #99

K&R DeSwiss May 2014 #98

Actually the main reason is probably religion. Rapture weirdos believe that the Anti-Christ will LeftyMom May 2014 #102

I feel the sentiment, the anger and understand it, defacto7 May 2014 #106

Not only that, there's all those jobs the ultra-wealthy class created!! Major Hogwash May 2014 #109

I think a trebuchet launching them down the length of Wall Street kentauros May 2014 #112

There won't be any satisfaction coming out of DC. That town is a wholly owned subsidiary of the 1%! blkmusclmachine May 2014 #114

they are fairly asking for guillotines. tomp May 2014 #115

We got the guillotine fbc May 2014 #116