Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 14, 2012

Austin, Texas – where Bubba and Betty Jo meet Biff and Buffy !

Still let ’em go, let Austin emigrate

Sounds good to me.

Let’s see: Austin leftwing producing class v. rightwing ruling leisure class . Let ’em battle it out. Winner decides whether to secede or not .

Sounds like Atlanta. Or Asheville, NCWell, if the 1947 Airlift worked for Berlin, it should work for Austin.

I know one of your University of Wisconsin faculty members. Has a PhD in the history of science. Written several great scholarly books. Nice dude.

He’s a high-output-producing hardworking person — not to mention, a liberal.

Jerusalem without checkpoints? Not quite sure I get that; there aren’t checkpoints between West and East Jerusalem (though the invisible line is still very real). From Jerusaelm to the West Bank is another story, having had the experience of coming in from Ramallah through Kalandia this year.

But if that is what Austin is like, I assume that the UT Austin is steadily being surrounded by ranch-style houses full of Bubbas in ten-gallon hats, flying confederate flags, and blasting out country music that drowns the mournful singer-songwriters playing accoustic sets in the student bar…?

“Let … the productive sector of our society leave the “Liberals” to starve and freeze to death in the dark.”

Well, this isn’t exactly forced sterilization, but if starving us and freezing us doesn’t work — as it didn’t in Nazi Germany (before Himmler’s gas chambers) — then can sterilization be far behind? (I won’t go any further with this line of argument, even though it would be logical to do so.) What Tucci’s post self-illuminates is the rightwing mindset. But is he embarrassed? Ask him.

Fascism has to do with quashing democracy and with linking government to big business, with one ruling the other.

In the current U.S. case, the Republicans want — and are very nearly succeeding — to get big business to rule the government. This is the reverse of what happened in Europe in WWII and its buildup. But it’s still a form of fascism.

In Nazi Germany’s case, fascist dictator Adolf Hitler ruled big business. In fascist Italy’s case, dictator Benito Mussolini did the same.

In fascist Jonah Goldberg’s case, well, he’s only a wannabe anyway.

In YOUR case, Tucci, if you waddle like a wannabe fascist duck-tater, quack like a wannabe fascist duck-tater, etc., as you are doing and have been doing on Doonesbury commentary for some time, then . . . .

Let the good readers here make up their own minds.

@Tucci: You’re more than welcome to leave anytime, taking Texas with you if y’all can read the map. Puerto Rico should more than make up the difference – in I.Q. – and they speak a pretty language, to boot.

texas has always been a weird place.

“Why bother? With abortion ….” “No eugenics are necessary.”

Seig heil! But can we count on you? What if you change your mind? What if we can’t trust you, Mein Führer?

People really nailed it here in talking about Austin in terms of the rest of the state of Texas. As to our latest GOP troll, no one on the liberal side is talking about forcing anyone to carry out unwanted pregnancies, however the GOP does wish to force unwanted pregnancies to be carried to term and made that very clear in the last election.

The GOP also does not believe in democracy and wishes to only have their voices heard in terms of voting.

Tucci is not a Republican, yet he thinks enough of Jonah Goldberg to utilize his talking points… Sorry Tucci, saying that you are all for abortion rights for liberals doesn’t absolve you here. I am glad to know that you would not take our reproductive rights away, however. I guess that is a start.

Too bad you don’t know the economics and the lowering of crime rates due to abortion.

Egad! Whether you call it a democracy or a republic, your side only wants your voices to be heard. Expect some push back on that or go live in dictatorship. You will fit right in.

BTW, Maria Montessori suffered greatly under a Fascist dictator, Mussolini. She was exiled to India.

Boy, some trolls have a lot of time on their hands to do a lot of unread typing. DFTT!

’Wonderful! Talk about a “Liberal” fascist ramming . . . ."

“… this “DylanThomas3.14159” psychopath ….”

“He’s a sick little pooch ….”

“Product of a government school “education,” I suspect.”

“Nobody gets as friggin’ disgraceful” …. ’……………………………………………………………………….

Herr Doktor Mengele, I presume!

I don’t make a habit of responding to trolls but in your case I will make an exception. While lively polemic on either side of an issue is encouraged in the commentary section of this strip, personal attacks are not !Neither is name calling directed at an individual. Your verbal diarrhea was allowable until you crossed the line and personally attacked another contributor ie. DylanThomas3.14159 with epithets.Kindly shut up or go somewhere else with your venom. Your kind of hatred is not wanted here !

Brownsville is nicely situated to be the San Marino of the West !

Other fun facts about Maria Montessori:She was the first female medical doctor in Italy. She accomplished this in 1896. She had a brief affair with another physician and had the child, Mario Montessori, who later became her assistant. She never married. She began her work by helping low-income, disabled children. Later, her method was accepted for all incomes and both able and disabled. She wrote several books, all of which were soon known throughout the world. Her books were among the first to be banned in those countries which were under Fascist rule during WWII. She was also, as I said previously, exiled from Italy to India during WWII— 1939-1946. She continues to be well-known throughout the world. She was a woman far ahead of her time, and like many others, she suffered greatly due to the Fascist government in part of Europe during WWII.

Tucci, did you start having your delusions of grandeur around age 11 like Grover Norquist?

The distinction between a democracy, pure and simple, and a republic is not the difference between majority rule and something else. Either way the majority is supposed to make the rules. In one, by direct voting on measures, as in a town hall or a referendum, and in the other through elected representatives. Either a direct democracy or a republic can limit the power of the majority in various ways: by dividing the government into separate branches, relying on different electorates, or defining certain individual rights that no simple majority may be permitted to ignore. Not that any such barrier is absolute. In any country remotely free, if a large enough majority wants something, they generally get it, as only repression can prevent it. That’s why such efforts are made to give some limitations on the power of the majority a sacred character, so that even an aroused majority will refrain from doing certain things.

The whole problem lies in maximizing the power of the majority to create the laws and institutions they want, while simultaneously maximizing the liberty of the individual to act in spite of the majority’s wishes.

I find it interesting that the accusation is always made that “the other side” (left or right, depending on the speaker), is trying to dictate to the rest of us how to live. Each side sees the other as trying to take their liberty, and limit their power. Each is desperate to assert that this is THEIR country, and not the other guy’s.

Tucci is right that there are left-wing totalitarians as well as right-wing totalitarians, and as the socialist George Orwell pointed out, in the end there is not much difference between the one and the other. He is weird indeed to think that modern American liberalism is any closer to totalitarianism than modern American conservatism is. He seems particularly odd when he asserts that states like Texas would be better off without the Union. Considering that Texas receives more in Federal money than it contributes, and that replicating the entire array of federal law and institutions for an independent Texas would be extremely expensive: consider the cost of the military alone. Tucci seems to think that when people alone they are free but when they act together they are not. His notion of liberty is a tempered anarchy in which no one owes his fellow citizens anything but to leave them alone. All the freedom that money can buy. Nobody get anything but what he individually pays for. You can do whatever you like, so long as you’re not on someone else’s property. Would Tucci agree with the idea that for the citizen to be taxed to pay for a service or benefit that the citizen personally makes no use of, and only benefits others, is wrong? So it is wrong for his money to be taken to build a road on which he never drives? Or a public school when he has no children? Or a public library that he never visits? Or unemployment insurance that he never claims? Or health insurance that he makes no use of? You know, there is a word for someone who pays more in insurance premiums than he ever collects, or puts more money into “social program” taxes than he ever receives back in personal benefits: that term is LUCKY. It is someone who has been so fortunate as to never need help. I do agree with Tucci that the term “social justice” is pretty confusing. “Justice” will do just fine.

Hey! Gary “stole” my idea! I demand 75% of the revenue it generates. ;-)

Interesting trivia: Adam Smith never heard the word Capitalism. It was coined after his dealth. The word Capitalism was originally (in the 1840s) considered to be synonymous with Plutocracy, or “Rule by the Wealthy.” It did not become the term for a whole complex social and economic system until a little later when it was given that meaning by none other than Karl Marx. So folks, every time someone sings the praises of the Capitalist system and Capitalism, he is speaking from a Marxist podium.

As all of you regular posters know, my entire identity is not really wrapped up in Maria Montessori. Although I agree with her method of teaching, it is only one aspect of my life. I have rarely mentioned her. However, I was glad to contribute my knowledge of her life story in this case. It did seem ironic to hear the word Fascism thrown around by Tucci in regard to liberalism and certainly ironic to think that someone associated with Montessori would have no knowledge of Fascism. Those of us who are well acquainted with Montessori’s life story know all too well what Fascists stand for.

Have fun with the new troll folks. Where trolls are concerned, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Goldberg thinks that having “socialist” in the name made Nazism liberal. Hitler’s been dead for decades, and he still fools those who think names mean more than actions.

Don’t worry Sharuniboy, we excuse you for any punctuation mishaps. I find that it is hard to do many things, such as copy and paste, for example, on certain devices. I am not always on my laptop, which is easier.

Tried and convicted on evidence you suppose must exist. While you’re up, imagine me a pony.

Like many of you, I am semi-retired and have time to indulge in participating in these forums on an almost-daily basis. What strikes me about our “new troll”, who supposedly has been around since 2009, is how a person with a thriving business can spend so much time writing his vituperative screeds. Perhaps, he’s been retired or is no longer allowed to practice ? If he is still working, how does have so much time on his hands, during working hours ? Also, if he’s been around so long, why haven’t we been annoyed by him before, unless this is a new avatar for an old troll ?BTW He’s far more articulate – no matter how irrational – than our usual run-of-the-mill trolls ( on both sides ).

I only teach on a sub basis at this point, having a family to look after. My husband, who is a doc, certainly doesn’t have a lot of free time on his hands at all, on the other hand… On thanksgiving, he had ER call and had to do 4 surgeries. Yes, he is quite the busy bee…

“The American conservative “conserves” the political principles of the Founders as manifest in the American Revolution”The ‘Founders’ were liberals.

As expected, reaction was, a personal attack, as a reaction to observation. Unlike the trolls, I prefer to keep my opinions to myself and simply observe the lengths some people will go to espouse a faulty agenda.You had more than a few moments in the spotlight today now go away .Oh, and you didn’t answer the question about how you could waste your obviously, valuable time belittling the likes of us ?

“no allegiance whatsoever to the “tinsel aristocracy” so eloquently condemned by Thomas Jefferson”Jefferson inherited the Monticello plantation and estate from his father. Later he inherited135 slaves and 11,000 acres from his father-in-law.While one of the most eloquent proponents of human liberty in history, he enslaved humans and argued against women and Indians having political rights. He was complicated and contradictory.Which is why stereotypical blanket attacks and rigidly-imagined taxonomies are so inadequate to understanding reality.

Just yank Austin bodily out of Texas and switch it with Jacksonville.

Troll alert. The rest of us can ignore this guy.

“You” would call me evil; others would say liberal. I don’t suppose you care much for unions, either? I know, I know, DFTT, but he’s hungry.

I’d be willing to see some of my tax dollars spent on deporting all the Texassholes who want to secede to the Falklands.

Airlift to the bastion of hope in texas

Texas isn’t deficient because of a defective gene pool. The have a state board of education run by Tea Party types who have just enough education themselves to read the text books the kids use and be sure that they reflect the Tea Party view of the world. In other words, the goal of the Texas State Board of Education is to be sure that nobody accidentally gets an education.This proven by those who have been born in Texas, but managed to move out before entering Texas schools. They are pretty on par with normal people.

I just saw on the news where there was another mass shooting at a school… An elementary school this time. What is going to take to get back the assault weapons ban? Maybe next time it will be at a daycare center? A neonatal intensive care unit? More guns is not the answer. Teachers and medical pros (for example) are not going to start packing in order to keep this from happening.

@montessoriteacher

Yes, apparently the shooter killed his father in New Jersey, then went to the school where his mother was a teacher and shot her and a number of the children in the classroom. I suppose we can be grateful our new friend Tucci chooses to shoot us all with verbal anger-and-hate darts instead of gunning down innocents with bullets.

The assault weapons ban was allowed to expire in 2004, so this hasn’t really been forever.

The problem with your argument.. There are many, but to to zero in on the basic part of your argument is that fascism is a conservative right wing ideology.

I know you hate facts and despise the truth. I understand you would like to make up your own reality. But the historical truth is that fascism is not a liberal ideology or philosophy.

After that your fallacy of an argument becomes absurd.

My heart goes out to the families of the children killed today. What is sad, is that we do have laws that limit the crazy and felons from these firearms. As with all laws, it does no good to make them if they are not enforced. The answer by politicians is to just make more laws. That only gets the law abiding to comply, but it then makes them victims to those that are not law abiding.We can get people to search grandma for a too large bottle of perfume at the airport, make sure that she doesn’t have embroidery scissors or nail clippers, but we can’t do background checks on potential gun owners. We should have some follow up, even if it is only a 5% sampling of the guns sold.We change the name of hunting weapons to “assault weapons”, we demonize every type of ammunition there is, if it is solid, the bullet is a “cop killer bullet” because it can go through a vest. If it is a hollow point, they say it is designed to make a huge hole in the “victim”. Sorry, firearms are tools and as with all tools, they can be misused and people can get hurt. How about proper education?

due to demographics, in 5 years, texas will be swing state. in 10 years, it will be a solid democratic state. and, if the trend continues, the gop will be in a non-existent party in texas.

“[My employees] were people who depended upon me for their livelihoods, and to whom I owed some loyalty. Their kindnesses to my patients, their willingness to help me care for those people, their intelligence and patience and ingenuities were all part of making the practice of my profession achieve some good in my community.”

This graf, Tucci, touched a chord in me. Thanks for including it in your post. It shows you do have sympathy and appreciation for those who intend to do good for others in their community.

I’m sorry you feel you had to rip them off in service to your country.

I had to be away from the postings for awhile, and when I returned I realized that one of my posts, the one immediately above this one of yours, was getting too negative in a personal way. So I deleted it.

This one may be getting too positive in a 0personal way. I’m wrong to think to be your personal judge, even though I’m right to think to judge your opinions, political positions, reasoning, etc.

I think doughfoot’s and the posts of others are enlightening regarding where you may be coming from in terms of your political odyssey.

Be well, my friend, respect evidence-based reasoning, and may your medical practice prosper.

(May I suggest hiring a payroll service after all? So that you may be able to concentrate more of your personal time in the practice of medicine?)

STOP – all I hear is fear used to manipulate.

Life is to short for this!

Have any of you thought about the families and friends of those dead school children and staff today?

I didn’t think so.

“Trudunce and his wife Dunce-ann Sawyer ….”

Trudeau isn’t married to Diane Sawyer. He’s married to Jane Pauley (since 1980).

Will we of “superior intelligence” ever get it thru our thick heads that you don’t stop folks from killing each other by giving them more guns. There was also an attack in a Chinese school today — but gee, nobody died because the person only had a knife. Guns that are easily accessible to people who are not playing with a full deck are nothing but more tragedies waiting to happen — not a matter of “if” but “when.” 10,000-plus folks killed in this country last year by gunfire. That is not intelligent.

He must be stunned by the events of Tuesday night. I don’t blame him. At least, my wife and I don’t have any kids. Trudeau and Pauley have to lament the conditions that their kids will live in for the next 70-odd years. They are we only have about another 30 or 40.