“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me 
as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that. And so what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to curtail that type of behavior. They don’t know any better.”
“. . . I can show you a bar graph where free and reduced lunch has the worst test scores in the state of South Carolina. You show me the school that has the highest free and reduced lunch, and I’ll show you the worst test scores, folks. It’s there, period.”
Let’s see if we’ve got Republican governor-wannabe Bauer’s message straight. To reduce the number of poor people and underachieving schoolchildren in South Carolina, starve them to the point at which they’re too malnourished to procreate.
With starvation, of course, comes disease and death.
This is conservative Republican economic Darwinism at its most blatant and vicious. This is also what is known as genocide.
Bauer is what is known as an ignorant, bigoted madman.
A few years back one of the networks, CNN in 2004 as we recall, did a report about religion and politics in America, highlighting South Carolina as having a strongly Christian conservative, churchgoing population. Evidently, the ministers, pastors and priests of that state have failed utterly at conveying Christ’s teaching and examples about lifting up the least among us, and about treating others as we would like to be treated.
Perhaps as a result, South Carolina is what as known as a state whose voting majority has a demonstrated preference for elected leaders who are at the least ignorant, backward, Bible-thumping hypocrites, and at worst, bigoted madmen.
SW,
I honestly don’t understand it, why someone would choose to call themselves Christian then go against all its principles.
To take it a little further, the various Christian organizations and ministries rarely if ever criticize things which go against mainstream belief. I’m not referring to this moron, but bigger issues. Like the wars. I’d assume they don’t want to lose members and thus lose member donations.
The only conclusion I can draw is that organized religions sucks. Maybe those of us who are Christian and who don’t suck need to maintain a personal relationship with God and stay away from organized religion until it stops sucking.
Brilliant analysis huh ?
Oso, I well understand your analysis and conclusion. Your point about religious leaders and groups not condemning things that clearly don’t square with the teachings of their various faiths is an excellent one. Just one thing, though. Let’s not fall into the trap of judging religious leaders, groups and individuals as being all alike, because they’re not.
Examples: Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose open opposition to Hitler cost him his life, and Pastor Martin Niemöller, who survived after doing the same thing, but had to endure long, hard stays in concentration camps. For a more contemporary example, there’s The Rev. Jack Rogers, whose stand on acceptance of gays and lesbians in 2001 went against most of his fellow Presbyterians. There are more such people, not always all that well publicized, but they do exist and stand up for what they believe is right.
What is it about South Carolina and it’s politicians? There is a slew of them been sticking feet in their mouth in the past year. Joe Wilson, Mark Sandford, Lindsay Graham, Jim Demint, I know I am missing somebody else, anyway, it’s more than just a coincidence, every state could throw out a rogue or two, but it seems the SC politicians are not suited or qualified for public life.
starve them to the point at which they’re too malnourished to procreate.
Starvation is not the opportunity cost of these programs.
Bauer’s point is that if you subsidize something, you get more of it.
Dysgenic reproduction should be a concern of those involved in public policy. We have no ability to discuss these things in a public manner without the usual haters shouting racism and genocide.
Every time I think I’m totally numbed and jaded by all the rightwing inbred bigots spewing hatred, somebody like Andre Bauer comes along and sets the bar even lower.
Somebody else at another blog mentioned the irony of the name Andre, and how a foreign-sounding name like that would ring with ignorant bigoted voters. I guess if they like what he’s saying, it don’t matter none if he’s one of them furriners.
Actually, I think we should just start by castrating them – that is, the Lt. Gov and people who think like him. That way, we can rid the country of such nonsense.
Holte, it tells me South Carolina has a radicalized electorate spurred on by an organized, disciplined machine that grooms, recruits and works hard to get people like DeMint, Sanford, Wilson and Bauer elected.
RSF wrote: “Bauer’s point is that if you subsidize something, you get more of it.”
Bauer made his point in clear, simple English. You’re trying to remake it as sanitized spin. It won’t wash.
Merriam Webster defines “dysgenic” as: “Tending to promote survival of or reproduction by less well-adapted individuals (as the weak or diseased) especially at the expense of well-adapted individuals (as the strong or healthy).”
Nazi public policy makers were very concerned about supposedly dysgenic reproduction. Racism and genocide were their M.O. So, RSF, where does that leave you?
Tom, I remember the era of civil rights marches and demonstrations well, along with the reactionary eruptions of people like George Wallace. For all of that, I can’t imagine someone back then openly advocating starving the poor. It really is a new low.
LP, I’ll take that as humorous sarcasm, given that however repugnant, Bauer has his First Amendment right to say such things. I hope the people of South Carolina will get this guy’s number and decide he has no business becoming their governor. I realize it’s a long-shot hope, given their track record.
Racism and genocide were their M.O. So, RSF, where does that leave you?
It leaves me in the usual spot of defending myself from your straw man arguments and the usual cry of liberals calling RACIST! on anyone pointing out an uncomfortable truth.
For someone worried about ideologues in politics you come ready made with the usual cliches.
That you post on this topic tells me that deep in your heart you are a little worried about the ‘man behind the curtain’ status of the welfare state.
One of the first rules of ecology is self sufficiency. Programs that give food away are a false compassion in the long run.
SW,
re: bonhoeffer, Niemoller and Rev. Rogers, you’re absolutely right.
Let’s see. SC politicians following in the footsteps of STROM THURMOND (let’s talk about racism for a moment, shall we?) and taking it to the nth degree because every other right wing nutbag out there is taking it to the nth degree. Yep, business as usual in the South. Oh, RSF, you can try to make it smell like Cherry Lifesavers, but it’s still ass.
RSF, exactly one person has used the word “racist” here, and it was you.
I referred to economic Darwinism and bigotry because those are obvious from Bauer’s statements. I don’t know if his bigotry targets the poor of whatever race or just those of a specific race, so I didn’t call him a racist. Whichever is true, it’s despicable.
There’s your uncomfortable truth.
Oso, I tip my cap.
Bee, let’s remember ol’ Strom practiced bedroom integration, on a highly selective basis. OTOH, his hypocrisy knew no bounds.
Bee,
“it’s still ass”.
another quote for your line of B-shirts when they come out.
S.W. -bedroom integration, you’ve got me ROFL too!
Dysgenic reproduction should be a concern of those involved in public policy. We have no ability to discuss these things in a public manner without the usual haters shouting racism and genocide.
I agree totally. It is time to enforce the laws on the books banning inbreeding. If we were just to do this, the radical right in this country would die out naturally in a generation or two.
SW, twice you called Bauer a bigoted madman. I took that to mean racist. If not, please supply the operational definition.
This is all more of the same: a gov’t program is started with good intentions, it expands beyond reason, and any criticism is shouted down.
Funny how such good intention/expansion never seems to be applied to the bloated monstrosity that is the Pentagon, both on book and off. But I should never expect those on the right to pay any attention to their favorite philosopher.
RSF, Bauer is a bigoted madman, based on his own words. You’ll find the definition explained in my previous comment to you. Or do you assume only people of one race are poor and recipients of free or reduced-price school lunches?
JR, if only things were so simple.
Randal, it might have something to do with the fact war efforts offer great profit potential, while helping the poor offers little or none.
SW, your comment to Randal….. gives me an opportunity to rant
The intellectual titans of the right wing attempt to defend despicable statements like Andre Bauers because they see the poor as getting “something for nothing.” And yet, when the pay and benefits of American workers are slashed (or eliminated entirely) so that an incompetent CEO can lavish a multimillion-dollar bonus on himself or herself, that’s the “greatness” of “capitalism.” That’s not, for reasons WHICH NO WINGER HAS EVER EXPLAINED TO ME, transferring wealth.
If Bauer and RSF are so concerned about the “breeding” of leeches who are an enormous burden on society, why don’t they insist that all incompetent CEOs (as well as their offspring) be sterilized?
JR, I’d like a rational explanation for the outrageously high pay, bonuses, perks and golden parachutes many incompetent and/or crooked CEO’s get. I’m pretty sure if really sound decisions, excellent management and splendid results were absolutely required, many of them would be out of a job. But even if that weren’t the case, if skilled, experienced younger CEO-wannabes were allowed to bid for those exclusive jobs on a truly competitive basis, I’m sure a lot of lousy CEO’s would either be making a lot less or would be out on the street.
When it comes to being parasites, what can you say about megacorporation CEO’s and heads of smaller outfits who routinely sell out their fellow Americans to advance their own careers and their company’s bottom line? They’re saying in effect: “OK, American worker wannabes, you want decent pay and benefits when I can replace you for pennies on the dollar overseas? Go live on unemployment, eating up money you saved when you had a job. When that runs out, take a low-pay, no-benefits job if you can get one. And don’t expect me to pay high taxes to help your kids get a decent education, health care, school lunches or anything else. You’re not sponging off hard-working, taxpaying me!”
You’ll find the definition explained in my previous comment to you.
Too coy.
I agree that CEO salaries are bloated and that the Pentagon budget is bloated. The same dynamic is in play when one tries to cut such: “If we cut CEO pay, we will lose the talent”; “If we cut the Pentagon budget, al Qaeda will kill us.” So here we are bailing out the banks and increasing the military’s budget as part of Obama’s $4 trillion budget and $1.5 trillion single year deficit of which every dollar is sacrosanct so just shut up, go home, and keep paying.