I really lost it today with a Republican

[LiberalEsto]

I was complaining to a long-time friend, who unfortunately is Republican, about the goddamned banking industry on how many ways they are screwing us now that they are virtually unregulated.

I'm pissed about the huge unjustified overdraft charges my kids keep getting hit with on their debit cards on every little pretext.

I'm pissed about how the only student loans available now are variable-rate ones.

I'm pissed because my daughter's student loan balance keeps going up because of "capitalized interest" that keeps getting tacked on. I don't give a shit what arcane rule they've created to justify this kind of crap -- it's just plain wrong to create student loans like this, when these kids can barely find jobs to make the payments. My kid works at a daycare center making minimum wage because that's all she can find, and she takes two courses a semester. Why aren't we investing more in kids' educations instead of bailing out rich bankers and stockbrokers?

I'm pissed about the fucking federal bailout of Bear Sterns with OUR tax dollars, while these bank bastards are foreclosing on tens of thousands of mortgages, ripping off what little equity these poor people might have put into their homes, and kicking them out on the streets empty handed with bad credit ratings.

I told my friend I am so sick and tired of what these Republican bastards have been doing to destroy our country and our democracy since Day 1 of the stolen B*sh regime - the goddamned war that's sucking our soldiers' lives and health and our tax dollars. The unjustified, warrantless spying on our emails and phone conversations. The erosion of our civil liberties. I said they were fucking traitors.

I have kept my mouth buttoned to this friend about rethug politics for 7 years, because we've known each other since we were little kids and our kids are friends. But today I finally HAD ENOUGH.

And she didn't defend them, to my astonishment. She said she knew change was needed, and to hang on because change would be coming this November. I never expected her to take this view, but it seems even some Republicans in this country may have had enough.

I just hope we can survive until January 20, 2009.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Good for you, for telling her how you see things...

And good for her, for knowing it, and acknowledging it...

I hope we can hang on till January 20, 2009, too...

[Altean Wanderer]

2. Great story - thanks for sharing n/t

[bronxiteforever]

3. You rant is right on too. I second all of that and then some.

:headbang:

[Gman]

4. Whether it's Hillary or Obama in November against McCain

the GOP has an enormous, seemingly impossible job in front of them to get McCain elected, regardless of how dirty the GOP and RW get with the Dem candidate.

[Hawaii Hiker]

28. Dems need to go after McCain hard to, they can attack him on

His support for the war.

His lack of knowledge (by his own admission) on the economy..

His temper, which is a known liability for him...

This cruel joke he made about Chelsea Clinton in 1998 http://www.salon.com/news/1998/06/25newsb.html

His support from Hagee & Parsley..Also he gave a commencement address @Falwell's Liberty University after calling him an "agent of intolerance" in 2000....Falwell's statements after 9/11, were far worse than the Obama/Wright connection.....

McCain has gotten a free ride long enough from the fucking media, time for him to go thru what Clinton & Obama are going thru.......

[Brigid]

39. This might sound naive, but . . .

I think maybe the prolonged primary for us Dems will be a blessing in disguise. I should think that by the time it's over, just about anything and everything about either Clinton or Obama will have been done to death. No surprises left. Or is this just wishful thinking?

[SammyWinstonJack]

43. I agree and was thinking the same.

[Beregond2]

5. Enough

I've noticed more and more people lately calling Repugs on their shit. This clown at my gym the other day was spouting his usual horseshit about the Dems wanting to take his guns, and this young guy with two kids went off on him, and didn't back down until the jerk stormed out. I work there so I can't do that kind of thing. I'd been waiting a long time to see it.

[LiberalEsto]

16. I think the anger is boiling over

I've spent the past 7 years depressed, frustrated, miserable, angry and too frightened of this Hitlerish regime to say as much as I'd like.

But now I am enraged at what they've done to our country. And I think the pent-up rage of other real Americans has begun to burst out. Witness the huge turnouts in the primaries. People are PISSED.

[bdamomma]

31. not to be rude but how many people are pissed what percentage of people

and when will we by the millions get in streets and make our voices heard. They are throwing people out of their homes how much BS can we tolerate???

[raccoon]

17. Why do so many of these morans think Dems will take their guns?

Did Rush F. Limpballs say that?

[LiberalEsto]

20. Rush, KKKarl, O'Lielly

and the corporatist media have been feeding sound bites to the morons of America for years:

They're going to take away you're guns.
They're going to raise your taxes.
They're going to give your hard-earned money to welfare queens.
They're going to let illegals from Mexico take away your jobs and take over your neighborhoods.
They're going to let the Iraqis invade us with nooklear weapons.
They're going to let the terrorists win.
They're going to _______ (fill in the blank with another lie).

[benEzra]

33. The "assault weapon" bait-and-switch, primarily.

Why do so many of these morans think Dems will take their guns?

The "assault weapon" bait-and-switch, primarily. Specifically, the 1994 Feinstein law, the proposed Brady II ban, S.1431/H.R.2038 (2004), and H.R.1022 (2007), plus the proposals that crop up every couple of years to allow the AG to ban any rifle ammunition he/she wants, to outlaw handguns, or to outlaw the keeping of guns for defensive purposes.

"Assault weapon" is Brady-speak for the most popular civilian target rifles and defensive carbines in America, and considerably more Americans own them than hunt. Party strategists would do well to understand that.

Howard Dean gets it, I think. Dropping support for new bans was a big part of his successful 50-State Strategy in 2006, and I would point out that the senate was turned blue in '06 by pro-gun-owner, anti-AWB Dems.

A little background on the issue, if you're interested:

Dems and the Gun Issue - Now What? (written in '04, largely vindicated in '06, IMO)



----------------------
The Conservative Roots of U.S. Gun Control

[Lorien]

34. Wow, I wish I would have seen that

I would have bought the younger guy a protein shake! :D

I went off on a repug not long ago when he tried to blame the high cost of healthcare on "indigents" who he said "get it all for free". I hammered him with FACTS about the issue for about 20 minutes, ending with a story I had read on DU about a homeless vet who had been wheeled out of the ER and left to die under a bridge by police because he had no health insurance. The guy admitted that health care is a mess in this country and that Bush has been a disaster. Later that day he told me that he went out and bought a homeless man lunch.

[screembloodymurder]

6. Her idea of change is McSame.

Don't fall for it.

[truth2power]

46. Yes, that was disturbing. When she said, "change", I thought

"Yeah, right. Rush is probably telling her that McCain is our best hope."

I would've asked her what she thought that change would consist of.

[aasleka]

7. Yeah I went off on my boss today about his politics, he pulled out the liberal

media line and I ticked off all the scandals swept under the rug ending with the friggin traitors in the White House. I was shocked he didn't know about the "homeland security" shutdown in Ohio November of 04, still believes it's all Armitages' fault Plame was outted, does not know a damn thing about the FBI interpreter cover up, had no idea there were marines kicking through Bin Ladens crap holes in Tora Bora when they were told to vamoose to Iraq etc..

He blew up when I reminded him that Wright was correct in that our policies created inciendary rebels. So much complete lies and bullshit.

I am sure glad he is also willing to listen as well as talk and respect peoples right to an opinion.

[kevinbgoode]

44. I try to keep it simple. . .Republicans aren't too good at handling complex thoughts

So when they start going off on how the "liberals" are just "socialists" that will "destroy America"...I counter with this statement that usually shuts them down:

"Republicans cannot stand the idea of spending American tax money on Americans in America."

You don't even have to bring up Iraq, or AfghanLand, or lost money on Halliburton. Any bystander automatically connects with that statement, and the Repuke usually is at a loss for words.

[LiberalEsto]

47. Oh, that's good!

[1monster]

8. I hear you. I put a deposit in on Saturday and another one today, which should bring

my balance up to enough to pay my mortgage and some bills.

My bank, though will not let me have access to those funds until tomorrow... they claim that they have no online ability to post the deposits and I have to wait until one business day after Monday to get access to MY money.

However, all the local merchants have INSTANT access to my account. And today that caused me a $38.00 overdraft fee.

I went to the grocery store to buy a couple of items. I used my debit card and had more than enough money to cover the cost of items I bought.

After keying in my PIN, the debit/credit card payment system asked me if I wanted cash back. I used the wand to press "no" but that wand was so sensitive that it chose $60.00 back even though I had not touched or even gone near the $60.00 box with the wand.

I didn't have enough money in the account to cover both the items I bought and the $60.00 cash back (for which I'll also have to pay $1.50 fee).

I called the 1 800 number and transfered $60 over to my checking account within five minutes, but it was already too late.

Tomorrow, I'll be hit with a $38.00 overdraft fee.

I've filed a complaint with the store abuot their faulty equipment, and I'll request that the overdraft fee be waived by the bank, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I hate banks. And I hate the store that did this to me too.

[LiberalEsto]

9. That's exactly what happens to my kids

They check to make sure they have enough in their accounts to cover their purchases, but unbeknown to them, the bank has all kinds of secret "holds" on the money. No such holds exist for the merchants, of course.

It's one of the most evil "legal" scams I've ever encountered in my life, and it hits the poor disproportionately. Which is exactly what it was intended to do: make the poor poorer, while making the fat-cat bankers even richer.

I once deposited $100 cash in my daughter's account on a Saturday so she could pay for an urgent veterinarian visit for her sick puppy, but even though I deposited CASH, she couldn't access that money until Monday. The bank sits on that money and collects interest on it, and the account-holder can't have use of it until the bank decides to allow it. And heaven forbid you think the money is there and use it before their say-so. Wham! Another $32 "overdraft" fee.

I HATE the banking industry and the goddamned Repukes who have let them run roughshod over us while wrecking our economy.

[BB1]

25. just one question

unless you're daughter lives far away; why not give her the money cash, instead of sluicing it through a bank? You could even fed-ex it and get it to her faster than by putting it in an account.

[LiberalEsto]

26. She lives 350 miles away in another state

I'm not sure I'd trust sending cash by fedex. Have you tried it and does it seem safe and reliable?

[lunatica]

29. Get a joint savings account with your daughter in your bank

Then when she needs money you can deposit it or transfer it into the savings account and she can withdraw it immediately. You can also go online or do a transfer over the phone from your regular accounts into the joint savings.

I did this with my son while he was living on the other side of the country. Once he called me because he needed money to take the subway home (it was the middle of winter and freezing cold and very late at night). Within a minute I was able to transfer some money into the joint savings and also within minutes he was able to withdraw it and pay for the subway. There is an upside to dealing with banks.

Another is to get them a debit card to your savings that they can use for emergencies.

[LiberalEsto]

32. The first idea is excellent

but I'm not sure I would trust her with a debit card to our account.
Thanks!

[BB1]

37. Do you like the way the bank's treating you better?

Just asking, I don't know shit about everyday US American life anymore, not since I left in '95. Seems to me everybody would be better off without banks.

[Shae]

45. I hate banks too

My husband accidentally deposited my check into my savings account instead of checking.
Bank of America let me overdraw for about 2 weeks.
By that time, I owed almost $400 in overdraft charges.
When I complained, they wouldn't refund any charges, but switched me to "overdraft protection."
Now any overdrafts automatically come out of my savings account, but I am charged a fee each time it happens.

[MiniMe]

10. I hope you pointed out that it will change only if the dems win.

With McCain it will be more of the same.

[flygal]

11. my repub mother-in-law is voting for Obama

you could have knocked me over with a feather when she said that. She was a bush cheerleader and still watches faux news, but she hates McCain and agrees there needs to be change.

[LiberalEsto]

13. More than change

We need arrests, trials, convictions and jail time for these bloodthirsty bloodsuckers.

[leftofthedial]

12. repukes are vermin

there is only one other life form on earth that is as smugly destructive as a repuke and that is a human sociopath.

[LiberalEsto]

14. How can you tell the difference? nt

[leftofthedial]

21. you can't really

same same


but ignorant Amurkans, including many on this site, like to pretend that the sick sons of bitches who call themselves "republican" are somehow legitimized by having ganged together and called themselves a "party," while Bundy, Ramirez, Speck, Gacy, et al are made into media fodder to be piously reviled.

[Echo In Light]

15. Some of them are by nature 'followers,' a trait of authoritarians. I suspect some are jumping the...

Fence due to social coercion. After all, some yrs back, even though the Bush/Cheney regime has never been popular by any stretch of the imagination, it was still more socially acceptable to be a hoodwinked-Bushco-supporter-"good citizen," as where now the facts simply cannot overshadow the earlier propaganda effort.

[LiberalEsto]

19. The term "sheeple" comes to mind

Sheeple was a popular DU name for the "good Germans" in our country a few years ago. The stupid followers that you described.

However I am so fed up by now that I'm hard put to call them anything but traitors.

[raccoon]

18. Credit unions have lower fees than banks. Is there one in your neck of the woods you can bank with?

And, I'm glad you told this woman the truth. Maybe, as you said, even some of these ostrich Republicans have FINALLY had enough.

[knitter4democracy]

30. I was thinking that, too.

When we were first married and living in Cleveland, we went with Key Bank. Boy, did they screw us royally. I finally lost it and went back to the MSU Fed. Credit Union I'd used all through college, and we haven't switched since. We can do most things through an ATM in the credit union network or on-line. No crazy fees, and they're more than fair with us on interest and such.

[Life Long Dem]

22. Just let McCain in to make Bush's bills permanent.

[gatorboy]

23. Fuck Republicans.

Has anything they've done not turned to shit?

By law they should have their mouths taped shut for at least a decade. Time to shut. The. Fuck. Up.

[B Calm]

24. I got into it with a con yesterday who was calling Obama the N word.

I called him a filthy fucking trailer trash racist. He said, your damn right I'm a racist. Then he gave his spill about black people being on welfare, blah, blah , blah... I told him their were more white people on welfare than blacks. I said you might even be one of them in the near future with the way the great Bush Economic Expansion is going. I brought up corporate welfare and how it cost more to tax payers than people welfare. It was pretty heated!

[Brigid]

38. Sheesh.

Where do you live, Mississippi? And I thought Indiana was bad.

[B Calm]

48. I live in Indana too.

[slor]

27. Damn, my friend...

thats what I call breaking it down. Well done.

[Greyhound]

35. This is a very good sign and, as usual, the Democratic "leadership"

has misread, or perhaps purposely ignored, the country's mood. This was our opportunity to take bold positions and to make sweeping changes to the structure of our culture and society. Instead, we have another non-choice for President, any of whom will maintain the status quo.

Hopefully, the legislative elections will reflect the mood for change that is so prevalent.

[Orsino]

36. Save some outrage for the do-nothing Dems...

...most of whom are still doing their best to ignore the problems, despite their majority.

[Brigid]

40. Anybody else think we were just too damned polite for too long?

We didn't see them for the ruthless bullies they are, wanting power for its own sake and not because they wanted to do something good with it. We assumed that treating with them with respect would inspire them to respond in kind. They don't even seem to think that we have a right to exist. They interpreted our efforts to remain civilized as weakness, and we seem to be quite late in waking up to that fact. Many Dems in Congress still don't seem to get that. Now we're boiling over with anger; I just hope it isn't too late to harness that and take our country back.

[LiberalEsto]

42. I sure do

But I think I was "afraid" rather than "polite"

[2Design]

41. Just pay a little on the interest each month and it will not be added to the

total at the end of their year - july to july - I have done this for over 10 years and at least kept myself from going up in the balance - I made that commitment to myself when I first got them - it has helped