Indiana Republican: ‘No One Has the Guts’ to Let the Poor ‘Wither and Die’

[KamaAina]

http://www.forwardprogressives.com/indiana-republican-one-guts-let-poor-wither-die/

During an online discussion about poverty, Republican John Johnston said of the poor, “no one has the guts to just let them wither and die.”...

“For almost three generations people, in some cases, have been given handouts,” Johnston said. “They have been ‘enabled’ so much that their paradigm in life is simply being given the stuff of life, however meager.”

“What you see is a setting for a life of misery is life to them never-the-less,” he continued. “No one has the guts to just let them wither and die. No one who wants votes is willing to call a spade a spade. As long as the Dems can get their votes the enabling will continue. The Republicans need their votes and dare not cut the fiscal tether. It is really a political Catch-22.”

But Johnston didn’t stop there, “The voters are the ones in charge. However when only 10-11 percent show up to vote, not much will change. People simply are not hurting enough, or simply happy enough that they will do nothing. Consequently the dole continues.”

[stranger81]

1. Jesus H. Christ.

And I bet this asshat calls himself a "Christian," too.

Who would Jesus let "wither and die?"

Moron.

[villager]

2. With their rhetoric becoming so unvarnished, so direct -- you wonder when the violence

...against those who disagree, will necessarily follow...

[Blue Owl]

3. Paul Ryan's workin on it with some abs crunches

<?uuid=R9iKqBPJEeK6g6ejluaypw>

[hobbit709]

4. A good reason to dust off and oil up the guillotine.

[WinkyDink]

11. I'll buy the knitting needles.

[Journeyman]

5. "Are there no prisons? And the workhouses -- are they still in operation?" . . .

"They are."

"Oh, from what you said at first I was afraid that something had happened to stop them in their useful course."

"I don't think you quite understand us, sir. A few of us are endeavoring to buy the poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth."

"Why?" asked Ebenezer Scrooge.

[steve2470]

6. karma is a ***** just saying nt

[JoePhilly]

7. Does he give to charity? If so, he's a hypocrite.

Helping poor people survive is enabling them as he claims.

[WinkyDink]

10. "Does he give to charity?" SRSLY?? What do you think?? Yeah, maybe the ballet.

[JoePhilly]

14. My bet would be that he claims to be a very good and charitable Christian.

That kind of giving to the poor is just peachy.

[factsarenotfair]

8. "their paradigm in life is simply being given the stuff of life”

The Lucky Sperm Club, on the other hand, EARNED everything they inherited.

[WinkyDink]

9. See, THIS kind of thinking makes me murderous. But I'd really just be ridding the world of vermin.

[winstars]

12. "No one who wants votes is willing to call a spade a spade" What, they don't use codewords anymore?

Sorry but this RACIST FUCK is not even bothering to pretend.

Unreal...

I grew up in NYC hearing this shit from uncles and my friends fathers etc...

Has nothing changed since the 1960's...

Depressing.

[djean111]

15. I grew up in the 50's, and this phrase only meant to call something by its right name.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/19/224183763/is-it-racist-to-call-a-spade-a-spade

.......
Erasmus, the renowned humanist and classical scholar, translated the phrase "to call a fig a fig and a trough a trough" from Greek to Latin. And in so doing he dramatically changed the phrase to "call a spade a spade." (This may have been an incorrect translation but seems more likely to have been a creative interpretation and a deliberate choice.) "Spade" stuck because of Erasmus' considerable influence in European intellectual circles, writes the University of Vermont's Wolfgang Mieder in his 2002 case study Call a Spade a Spade: From Classical Phrase to Racial Slur.

"To call a spade a spade" entered the English language when Nicholas Udall translated Erasmus in 1542. Famous authors who have used it in their works include Charles Dickens and W. Somerset Maugham, among others.

To be clear, the "spade" in the Erasmus translation has nothing to do with a deck of cards, but rather the gardening tool. In fact, one form of the expression that emerged later was "to call a spade a bloody shovel." The early usages of the word "spade" did not refer to either race or skin color.

Whenever I hear it used, I honestly think of a shovel.

[winstars]

25. Thanks for the reference, Sorry, I do not agree that this is not "dog whistle" Just my opinion...

Whenever I hear it used IN THIS CONTEXT I think of George Wallace in a doorway, fire hoses being used on people and so on...

Read the rest of his words, IMHO, its not shovel this scum is referring to.

Again, IMHO...

[Hekate]

57. djean111 is correct. Misunderstanding of a reference does not make it what you think.

When a person is referred to as "a Spade" there's a reference to the blackness of the Ace of Spades or Jack of Spades or whatever.

Saying that you "ought to call a spade a spade" is a reference to a shovel, unless you are American and use the term "shovel" in the first place.

What the politician said in the first place was bad enough, and probably does have racist undertones. No need to digress.

[winstars]

58. No digression over here my friend, if you want to think that this "person" used this phrase

without intending to to mean people of color, thats fine with me.

But please do not try to tell me the context I have heard this phrase used my whole life by assholes like this guy. Its no accident, again, IMHO.

So, if I have heard many many times the word spade used interchangeably with the N word (and other terrible words) and its usually preceded by the the words "that f---ing..." should not my race baiter antenna go up when I hear some asshole spouting off a bunch of BS and he JUST HAPPENS to use this phrase?

Sorry, I ain't buying it.

He is not talking about dictionary definitions of this phrase, he is not talking about playing cards and he is not talking about shovels.

He is talking about people of color "on the dole" and he thinks he is real clever to slip in this stupid phrase.

And like I said earlier, this is my opinion only based on what I have heard thru the years. We can agree to disagree, thats cool.


Where is Richard Pryor when ya need him?

(sorry for the poor quality)

[gratuitous]

45. Mr. Johnston doesn't look like a child of the 50s

And from his photo at the link, I don't think he's done much actual shoveling. No, this one walks, flaps and quacks. No doubt in my mind Johnston is making a veiled reference to race.

[PowerToThePeople]

13. Republicans are scum of the earth

Send them all on a one way rocket trip into the sun.

[onehandle]

16. Time to process the 1% into Soylent Green.

'Let them eat people.'

[KamaAina]

20. Maybe that's where the green tinge comes from

[Baitball Blogger]

17. Bullshit.

Florida has a bottom-feeder industry that lives to undermine the less fortunate.

[eShirl]

18. but let me guess, he's against abortion, sex ed and birth control of any kind?

[BrotherIvan]

32. ^^That right there^^

Also wants to privatize education to make it all expensive as possible so the poors don't bother going.

[NYC Liberal]

46. And all for corporate welfare and tax breaks for the rich.

[City Lights]

19. Still difficult for me to believe the people

of Wisconsin voted for this boot-licking Koch head over Russ Feingold.

Republicans are the nastiest people I've ever come across.

This attitude is frequently on full display over at Discussionist.

[steve2470]

21. I hope this goes viral all over the internet, just heinous nt

[KamaAina]

22. I picked it off someone's FB page

As you can imagine, lots of my FB friends are progressive. Some of them post stuff like this. I do my part by grabbing them and posting them here.

[steve2470]

23. ok good, then it will go viral pretty fast, thanks, did my part to make it viral too nt

[spanone]

24. the party without a heart or a soul

[Peacetrain]

26. I am just speechless..

[rustydog]

27. Want to bet he identifies himself as a "family-values Chriatian conservative"?

The only time you'd hear "Jesus Christ" in this person's home is when a dish is dropped or Obama is on the news.

[Warpy]

28. Looks like Mr. Johnston needs a refresher history course

When populations are forced into debt peonage because all wealth collects into a very few hands, there is revolution. During that revolution, men like Mr. Johnston might find themselves dying rather ugly deaths.

History is very clear on this account. This happens over and over again because men like Johnston think the world came into being with their birth.

[cheapdate]

29. This Indiana Republican speaks his truth directly in clear language.

He doesn't dress it up with pretty lies.

I wish more GOP and Tea Party politicians would be so direct. Hell, the same goes for all politicians.

[steve2470]

30. he's trying to walk this back

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025302407

[cheapdate]

35. Yes, he walked back some,

but even his "clarification" is very revealing.

It reveals his belief that poverty is a result of moral weakness. It reveals the kind of parent he is. He is the kind of parent who believes in strict punishment. He would allow his own children to experience hardship and suffering just to "teach them a lesson" about morality and consequences.

He's a perfect example of the "strict father model" that underlies how conservative think about politics. In contrast, liberal thinking is based on a "nurturing parent model".

This guy is still more clear and honest about his beliefs than someone like Paul Ryan.

I'd love to see more liberals and Democrats confront these people over morality and the moral dimensions of public policy. Conservatives have gotten away with using perverted moral arguments for too long. We should welcome the chance to frame the issues in moral terms.

[steve2470]

36. yes we should have that public debate with them over morality and public policy nt

[Larkspur]

31. I see someone took Charles Dickens' character the unrepented Scrooge

seriously.

This guy needs a visit before Christmas from the 3 Ghosts of Dicken's classic novel.

[mikeysnot]

33. And the party of mean

has another hiccup in their re-branding efforts...

[GoCubsGo]

34. Oooops.

Looks like somebody accidentally blurted out his party's playbook: Make 'em hurt until they give into us, and screw the weak, poor ones. Let 'em die. Nothing new here, other than somebody actually admitting it in public.

[Initech]

37. Holy crap!!! Why do I picture him saying that as Tony Montana?

"You need people like me so you can point your fucking finger and say that's the bad guy! Look out! Bad guy coming through! "

[dawg]

38. They keep saying this stuff out loud.

I'm not sure whether their 48% of the country agrees with them, or if they just aren't paying attention.

[npk]

39. Oopsie! Desperate GOPers forget to keep these thought to themselves.

I betcha we have another GOPer who pulled himself up by his penny-loafer straps.

[ecstatic]

40. Disgusting. nt

[allan01]

41. without us ,thar aint no u. alphahotel.

[geardaddy]

42. How many generations has this guy got gov't handouts?

[onecaliberal]

43. I don't know why this is so shocking to people.

Republicans demonstrate these feelings everyday. This particular evil bastard just so happened to have the intestinal fortitude to put it in words.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

44. As Jesus always said...

Fuck the poor sideways with a beer bottle.

And just in case you needed further proof that Rep Shit-For-Brains really does have shit for brains, there are about 4.7 million eligible voters in Indiana, and in the 2012 Election, 3.3 million of them voted. That would be 70 percent of eligible voters going to the polls in person or by absentee.

Not even close to 10-11 percent.

[Demeter]

49. But Jeff, only 10-11% voted the "right" way!

It all depends on who is counting the votes, as we have learned, to our sorrow, in Florida, Ohio and elsewhere.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

55. I believe that's what he means by that...

10 percent turnout, tet they keep "winning" elections. How mathematically improbably of them.

[lpbk2713]

47. Thus passes the myth of Compassionate Conservatism.

It never was anything more than a catch phrase they would roll out at election time.
Now they can forget about it forevermore. It was just excess baggage anyway.

[Ilsa]

51. Good Riddance to that linguistic lie.

No more hiding. They are out there and should be judged for their intentions.

[Rex]

48. They know dam well that this is an age of unparalleled corporate handouts

government handouts to government personal. Government handouts to corporate CEOs...THAT is why they are so arrogant, they know still (sadly) many Americans buy into the propaganda of "social welfare" being poor people begging for money...when in fact it is BILLION dollar corporations getting subsidies, kickbacks, tax breaks, incentives, etc..

Social engineering by the GOP and it works sadly on many in this nation.

[Zorra]

50. I guarantee that fucker's head is gonna roll if the US ever has it's own Bastille Day. nt

[Hoppy]

52. The plan almost worked until this bozo spilled the beans.

Last edited Mon Jul 28, 2014, 09:08 PM - Edit history (1)

We'll tell the rubes that gum'mint handouts are gonna be replaced with a thousand points of light so we can stop pubic welfare and you're supposed to give to one of them points of light so your taxes will be lower.

The rubes are too stingy and they won't give. Then the mooches will wither on the vine.

Problem solved until this stupid bastid made his speech.

[Louisiana1976]

53. I'm poor--and as a poor person I have the guts to say Johnston should drop dead and

go to hell.

[locdlib]

54. I just posted this link on a website that

I visit. Lots of cons on it, so I'm sure they will attempt to torch me for posting it. It never works out for them, though.

[Shrike47]

56. From what I could see on the Web, Johnston is a career Marine, last few years ROTC instructor.

He says he grew up poor and abused. Family on welfare, etc. He apparently has no political background or experience at all. (why not start at the top?)

Interesting his politics have reached their current position. Guess he really repudiated his people.

[Enthusiast]

59. Indiana Republicans are sickening.

[B Calm]

60. bet he's against marijuana legalization too. . .

Normal dysfunctional Indiana Republican. . .