I remember working in New Hampshire during the 2004 primaries for Dean. We were picketed by the LaRouche crew, which I wanted to point out to others as evidence that we couldn't be THAT crazy.
My question is, where does this population of self replenishing college age nutters come from? I mean, sure young people believe a lot of stupid stuff. But how does one become a Larouche cultist instead of, say, wearing a Che shirt and shouting for legalizing pot and freeing mumia or becoming a libtard?
@le_garcon: Or you end up on a LaRouche calling list until you change your cell phone number because while you were walking to class on your second day of college some gorgeous guy with the bluest eyes you've ever seen smiled and started talking about god-knows-what because wow, his smile is heartrendingly beautiful too. So you take the pamphlet because you don't want to be late for class and wonder if he'll be the one to call you. Then you read the pamphlet when you get home and it dawns on you that these people are nuts and that cute boy is doomed to a life of fuckhattery.
Thank god I was already politically aware and sane, thanks to my eastern European parents.
But why are so many relatively young people joining up with them? I see them on the streets here and there a surprising number of young people there too. What are they telling them that attracts people in their 20s, etc.?
@SaraRueful: The thing is, I'm not entirely joking, and it makes me sad. A lot of these people are genuinely mentally ill, and that sick fuck is taking advantage of them.
But seriously, I find it hard to believe the LaRouchies are this concerned about health care. They've never addressed one rational issue in the entire time I've known of them, but THIS gets them into the American public debate? WTF?
@Ken Green: The only thing that interests them is making noise. Back when I still lived in the US they plagued the sidewalks of NYC like dogshit with their petition tables, and here was no way at all to engage them in any dialogue. It was literally like trying to argue with an angry 14 year old.
Anonymous LaRouche supporter in question looks eerily like a twin of French actress Audrey Tautou, of Amelie fame. Sorry if it's already been pointed out.
Somewhat related, I was doing an image search for Barney Frank (I'm that person who still thinks the squirrelizer is funny, so...yeah), and it seems someone gave him the same Joker treatment as Obama.
I still don't get the Joker reference and don't care, but I have to say that all least La Frank's looks hilarious.
What's really interesting to me is that when this woman asked a stupid question, Barney Frank was praised and lionized for snapping back at her. When the guy asked Mrs. Clinton an even stupider question and she merely replied tersely, and with no insults, why, it's the talk of the town!
Verrrry interesting.
But I think the response to Frank is based upon a couple of things that weren't present in the Clinton question - namely that the questioner was an American holding views clearly well outside the mainstream.
She's not the victim of a bad translation or even a once-off bad question; she's just one of a type we've heard a bit too much from this month.
@Novaload Wants the Jez 9 Back: Wait, wait, wait. I agree that people's reaction to Clinton telling that guy to STFU was all out of proportion but you seriously think that is an even stupider question than asking Barney Frank why he loves Nazism?! I mean...really? I'm vaguely dumbfounded by the idea that asking a famous political woman what her famous politician husband thinks about something, however dismissive of the woman, is somehow stupider and more insulting than calling Barney Frank a Nazi for supporting health care reform. I'd love to hear a justification for this concept.
@Novaload Wants the Jez 9 Back: The answer is simply thus, Barney Frank showed a little wit in his angry retort, while Mrs. Clinton showed nothing but veiled anger.
@Zorks: I dunno, I thought the "channeling my husband" thing was funny. But of course everyone else was busy being shocked that this cat has claws OMG!
@Novaload Wants the Jez 9 Back: FWIW, in front of my computer in my living room, I was praising the hell out of Clinton. I would have said the same thing, though probably used the word "fuck" a lot.
See, her big mistake was not working with a partner. You need someone to shout accusations while you take a breath, or Barney Frank will treat you to a "have you no shame" moment.
@Cicada: (this is a real koan)
Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: "Why do people have to die?"
"This is natural," explained the older man. "Everything has to die and has just so long to live."
Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: "It was time for your cup to die."
@johnny_carsick: for that metaphor to work, the average conservative would have to possibly know who pol pot was and what he did and that cambodia is a country. which, in a lot of cases, i'm going with not gonna happen.
The LaRouchies - barely out of college, the lot of 'em - are always on my street with their folding table and stacks of propaganda, they're generally ignored in the neighborhood. Recently, they've been displaying a poster of Obama portrayed as Hitler which caused mild uproar.
Personally, I'd love to see these young folks set up a table in the middle of Downtown Detroit.
@skymotel: You wouldn't happen to be near George Washington University, would you? Because when I was there, LaRouche made campus his freaking headquarters, and would drive around a van blaring speeches and shit in the middle of the day. It. Was. INSANE.
@skymotel: From my reading the LaRouche group is the Menudo of cults. Members past a certain age get purged. Many of the remaining original Baby Boomer acolytes have been accused of treachery and expelled, to be replaced by fresh-faced college dropouts.
08/19/09
My question is, where does this population of self replenishing college age nutters come from? I mean, sure young people believe a lot of stupid stuff. But how does one become a Larouche cultist instead of, say, wearing a Che shirt and shouting for legalizing pot and freeing mumia or becoming a libtard?
08/19/09
08/22/09
Thank god I was already politically aware and sane, thanks to my eastern European parents.
08/19/09
08/19/09
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08/19/09
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08/20/09
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08/19/09
[Old people] need to be isolated and studied so it can be determined what nutrients they have that might be extracted for our personal use.
I mean, HELLO??
08/19/09
08/19/09
And again - just for laughs at the image. I'm a fan not a hater.
08/19/09
I still don't get the Joker reference and don't care, but I have to say that all least La Frank's looks hilarious.
08/19/09
Verrrry interesting.
08/19/09
08/19/09
But I think the response to Frank is based upon a couple of things that weren't present in the Clinton question - namely that the questioner was an American holding views clearly well outside the mainstream.
She's not the victim of a bad translation or even a once-off bad question; she's just one of a type we've heard a bit too much from this month.
08/19/09
08/19/09
08/19/09
08/19/09
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08/19/09
Will Obamacare kill my grandma if she is already dead?
08/19/09
Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: "Why do people have to die?"
"This is natural," explained the older man. "Everything has to die and has just so long to live."
Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: "It was time for your cup to die."
08/19/09
08/19/09
08/19/09
Personally, I'd love to see these young folks set up a table in the middle of Downtown Detroit.
08/19/09
08/19/09
08/19/09
08/19/09
08/19/09
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