As many of you know, if you have been following the American presidential election, "...the first Tuesday after the first monday in November" is the American Guy Fawkes Day. We celebrate it one day before the British and others do this year.
It will be a little different, of course. The destroyer of the American system of government, as we have come to know it, will be toasted instead of pilloried, and inaugural balls and general ass-kissing will replace bonfires.
Barack Obama is a likable - albeit extremely naive and economically uninformed* - sort of guy: a rather odd combination of Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Vladimir Lenin. He's just what the doctor ordered to put America's house in order, according to the outside world and (of course) the legions of blindly unthinking zombie-like leftist Dems.
These people are compassionate, they want to improve the plight of the poor and "underprivileged." Admirable. I don't see anything wrong with wanting to help one's fellow man (or fellow American, as it were.) The answer? Isn't it obvious? So simple - take the money from people who have it and give it to people who DON'T have it.
Change. Oh, my, yes, there will be change.
Is the world now ready for the new American socialist state, patterned after the failed Russian system we all knew and loved? The new massive redistribution of wealth, unseen since 1917, sprouting like an unholy Phoenix from the ashes of LBJ's Great Society?
Change. Oh, my, yes, get ready for change, world. You win.
Gone, finally will be the rich elite who get all the tax breaks. No more rich. To paraphrase Lenin, "The new order has no need for capitalists." No more rich elite. The bastards who worked their asses off to build businesses and wealth. The bastards who create jobs and pay people's salaries. No need for them. Tax them into poverty. Tax them out of business. Let the government run things. Let the government provide the jobs.
Barack Obama: "Let's spread the wealth around."
Sure. Take it from the ones who earned it and spread it on the non-producers. Encourage the opposite of the American Dream. That's the ticket. Karl Marx would be proud. And soon (do you hear the angels singing, here?) the world can love America again.
You win, world. Get ready for the biggest failed welfare state the planet has ever seen. You think you have economic woes now? You ain't seen nothin' yet.
*Anyone who thinks it is possible to make lasting social improvements by taking rewards from visionary asset-producers and giving a huge portion of those rewards instead to poor people or, worse, to total non-producers, is economically uninformed, by definition. They would do well to study the lessons of the late Soviet Union, and compare the current economies of North Korea and South Korea.
Socialism doesn't work. When are we going to get that? Some is needed: pure capitalism is cruel and cold. But the correct recipe calls for a teaspoonful, not a gallon.
16 comments:
and what about medical care (you might ask), did you ask? so i need a pet scan but wait! no room. there is a line of illegal aliens that are a bit younger than me so they go first, i don't get mine. well, that's okay because i am going to be on social security soon so if i die sooner i won't be taking my checks, now will i? oh, wait, that's MY money i paid in that failed program for 30 odd years, right? no. if i die i get 255.00 death benefit, maybe, maybe not. too bad we worked so hard all those years and saved so we could enjoy ourselves now. we should have pissed it away and been poor, then we could be on the getting side instead of the giving side. you know i always said i like some dems, some of them aren't too bad, i even have that on my sidebar. i think it's time to take that down. (poop)
smiles, bee
xoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxo
@Empress Bee - I feel your pain. And I understand. I am not one who believes McCain is the right standard-bearer for his party (frankly, I wish Palin were at the top of the ticket instead of McCain. Inexperienced as she is, she is steeped in old fashioned American bedrock values and loves her country, and is not inclined to compromise like McCain is) but Obama simply didn't grow up immersed in traditional American values and therefore cannot be guided by them. His life experiences and life choices are simply alien to mainstream America. My opinion.
Miss bee sent me over and I am pleased she did. You have a way with words and logic. Too bad the rest of America is just waiting to get what Obama will give them, like a phoenix from the ashes of the Great Society, I love that line.
Obama's tax plan is going to mean more cash in YOUR bank account every month.
Sarah Palin is an ignorant moron who does not even know what the job of Vice President entails. She could have researched it first before broadcasting her ignorance publicly. But we know now - she doesn't have a clue what she is going to do IF she gets into the White House.
It is Palin's ignorant speeches about socialism that you are choosing to believe. Palin wouldn't know Socialism if it bit her on her fat ass.
Obama's economic plan doesn't amount to socialism by any stretch of the imagination. All he is doing is restructuring taxation so that people with lower incomes pay less tax than those with much higher incomes.
Let me tell it to you "straight". Taxing the rich elite more is not going to hurt your economy one bit. In fact, it is going to help it. Obama is going to increase the amount of disposable income in the hands of millions of middle class Americans which will spur your economy on.
McCain wants to make the rich wealthier. To what end? So they can buy a new jet? Obama is going to place food on the table of those who need it most.
Obama is an intelligent smart man. McCain and Palin are morons.
Make the smart choice.
@Sarge - Thank you for your comment. Yes, sadly much of Obama's "tax rebates" will be going to people who don't even pay taxes. Some might call it "welfare" instead of tax rebate. Not sure how Obama figures you can rebate something that was never paid in the first place. And so much more. This is not socialism, of course. Heh.
@Richard - So sad to see how you've mellowed since last we talked. Where is the old fighting spirit? Usually your uninformedness boggles the imagination, but today it is barely twitching. It is probably too late in the day for you to reason as poorly as you usually do. Where to start? Perhaps at the beginning.
1. No. Sadly I will not be one of those who get more money in my bank account. I already pay 50% (including SSA, etc.), so I will be paying more. But thank you for your clairvoyant assessment of my finances. However, I do admit I have had to return to selling porn online ever since the Market tanked. Made a tad in Oil futures, but that was just a tease and is gone now at any rate.
2. Sarah Palin is a godsend to America. Her intellect is staggering. Well, when compared to yours, it is. But you are right about her not having the experience with socialism that Obama has.
3. "Obama's economic plan doesn't amount to socialism by any stretch of the imagination. All he is doing is restructuring taxation." Jesus, Richard. Even YOU must recognize that statement as an oxymoron.
4. No. Please. Let me tell it to YOU straight: the people with the top 1% of income in this country - the richest of the rich - already pay more than 50% of all taxes collected. Any "restructuring" of the tax tables is only going to make them pay more. Why? So they can have less to invest in their businesses?
5. "McCain wants to make the rich wealthier. To what end? So they can buy a new jet?" No Richard, so they can enlarge their businesses and hire more people.
"Obama is going to place food on the table of those who need it most." Obama isn't going to do shit. All the president does is execute the will of Congress. What do you think? - Obama is going to wake up some morning and stretch out his arms and command, "Let the poor be fed"? Bullshit.
6. "Obama is an intelligent smart man." Obama can talk for three hours and not say a damn thing. Obama consorts with domestic terrorists and America haters. Obama is a left-wing puppet. Obama doesn't have a CLUE as to the principals this country was founded on. He was educated in Indonesia. How the hell would he know anything about American values? Get real.
"McCain and Palin are morons." McCain is a great patriot who has been in politics too long and thus has had his vision blunted over time. It happens. Palin is a gift from god to a thirsty people.
7. "Make the smart choice." The only one I agree with you on. And the smart choice is obvious.
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Crap, but that was fun, Richard. Thank you for providing an outlet, my friend. This blog has been so FUCKING tame since you left to attend to other business. I hope you have really returned and are not just teasing me. Be cool, dude. [PS-I've been reading that stuff about crime. Are those people telling the truth? Christ. Hope not. No way. Later.]
oh, and sarah does NOT have a fat ass richard. i do, she does not. just sayin'...
smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxxoxo
Hey Max,
Believe it or not I came over from Sarge Charlie's blog to check out your post. Funny how we leap frog from one blog to another - I was wondering what had happened to you!
You make some very valid points here but alas, the sheep are the sheep and that's about that.
I hate politics by the by.
Love Empress Bee and Sarge Charlie. We are made of the same cloth. I also love what Linda said (another pal of mine). Sheep are indeed sheep and there just isn't a thing to be done about followers.
What has really gotten me riled during this election is that if I don't agree that Obama is the right choice then I'm ignorant or a racist, or both. That's what really gets me.
That Richard Otto guy is one of the sheep we discussed earlier. Just saying!
Have a great day. :)
@Relax Max:
1. Do you earn over $250K pa? I assumed that you did not, because that is a very large sum of money. My apologies if you earn more than I thought you did.
Essentially, though, if you earn less than $250K pa, you will have more spending money under an Obama presidency.
2. Sarah Palin doesn't know what Socialism is because she doesn't bother to research her answers, which is typical of many Americans, it would seem.
en dot wikipedia dot org / wiki / Socialism
3. Restructuring tax tables is not Socialism. Read the Wikipedia article. Socialism involves nationalisation of industries.
4. The rich are extremely good at managing their finances and businesses, which is probably why they are rich. If they wish to enlarge their businesses, they do not finance that with the tax breaks they receive. They use other financial instruments such as Venture Capital, IPOs, partnerships and loans, among other things. We are talking about personal taxation rates here, not business taxes.
You really do need to get a clue about this.
5. Personal taxation affects people's lifestyles directly. It has nothing to do with enlarging businesses or hiring more people.
American businesses are going to benefit under Obama because more people will have additional disposable income to buy their services and products, which will directly fuel their expansion, if they are popular.
6. I've listened to a few minutes of Obama talking and learnt a lot about his policies. Maybe that's because I UNDERSTAND economics and how it works. I studied economics at college. Which is to say that smart people make the smart choice, which is Obama.
Palin is so blinded by her own political agenda that she would tell a 15 year old girl, raped by her own father that she can't have an abortion. She is on record about this.
Do you really want to vote in such a freak?
i hopped over here from my grandfather's blog (sarge charlie). i love your satire- your posts are great! i'm pretty sick of politics right now- pretty scared for mccain and scared of obama. i mailed in my vote and there's not much else i can do. but i'm going to put up a link to your blog on my facebook to get some of my friends to read and maybe THINK!
HI BEE!, Sarge!!
WOW, this is some dialog, I must say. Methinks such a forward thinking liberal(RC), could come up with a much better adjective than "moron" sounds rather juvenile.
Sheep, I agree, disenfrancised sheep. thing about sheep is they all run in the pen and then stand there and BLAHHHHH! as their companions fall to the blade, one by one. As if they never saw it coming to them
I didn't realise it was liberal to vote for a man who plans to lower taxes for those who earn the least.
I guess it is liberal to vote against someone who demands that incest rape victims be forced to bear the resultant child.
Moron is a proper word, not a colloquialism. I looked it up for you, in case you aren't capable of doing so yourself:
1. a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.
2. Psychology. a person of borderline intelligence in a former classification of mental retardation, having an intelligence quotient of 50 to 69.
Your definition of sheep is totally off course. It actually applies to McCain voters because you're simply going along with the status quo.
Obama voters are rejecting the status quo in favour of a new direction. That makes them leaders, not sheep.
Who was the best president in recent history? Bill Clinton. The American economy fared extremely well during his terms. Under Bush, the American economy has tanked.
You want more of the same? Vote for McCain, and in a few years, Palin may be president and who knows how badly she'll fuck things up. You don't want to find out.
The idiots are yelling that Obama is a socialist, but when they go to the store with a fatter wallet, do those inaccurate labels mean anything?
The American economy has been drained by years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama is committed to getting you out of that mess.
Be smart, people.
Ah, Richard. Thank you so much for returning for more abuse. I confess it warms my cockles to engage frothing-at-the-mouth crazies of the Looney Left in ::yawn:: debate (for want of a better word), albeit with one arm tied behind my back. Since I hardly need my entire brain to respond to your impromptu (read: “unresearched”) comment, I’m sure you will forgive me if I continue to watch television as I type this.
Before we start, please accept my apology for taking so long to respond. Your comment came in at early afternoon here, and I was regrettably out tending to one of my crass capitalist enterprises (Navajo Jewelry brokering in this particular instance) that partially allows me to bank such a princely sum (actually, considerably more than that princely sum - but I can assure you it still ain’t nearly enough, nor do I presently feel undertaxed by my government), and I didn’t see your comment until I returned not long ago. Also, when I first read your second comment, I was struck speechles for several minutes. Then I thought you were joking with me. Then I realized you were not and I began to laugh for several minutes. All that took time. So, I’m sorry.
All kidding aside, it is honestly not particularly difficult to make a decent living (in my country, at least) if one applies himself and has a government who doesn’t intrude on free enterprise as much as other governments perhaps do on their citizens. The more socialist ones, I mean. This has been thankfully true in my country since noon on 20 January, 1981. But adverse change has reared it’s ugly head on the horizon. Which ugly head, I am assuming by your comment, you fully believe is a goldarn good thing. Please allow me to explain why you should consider disabusing yourself of that Disney-like fantasy.
In the interest of time and space, please let me sweep all your mistaken points and “facts” into one dust pile, and then (within my limited capacity and low intelligence) try to respond to each. If I may.
1. “...if you earn less than $250K pa, you will have more spending money under an Obama presidency”
Let me get this straight. You take money from me and give it to my employees and then I can’t afford to keep them employed, so I fire them, and they somehow end up with more spending money? What the fuck kind of reasoning is that, Richard?
2. You apparently think Wikepedia is all true and reliable, the official last word, and written by scholars rather than unemployed bloggers.
Can’t really respond to that, Richard, except to tell you I just went up there and authored an article that explained South Africa was in Eastern Europe. No I didn’t. But I could, is the point. Then some other moron would edit it and say SA was in Mongolia. And as long as we come up with a few bogus references and footnotes, we are in like Flint. And then Wikipedia would say “Citation Needed”. But the ariticle would still be there for the world to read. Anyway.
3. “Restructuring tax tables is not Socialism.”
Okay. True. Not per se. But “restructuring” them the way Robin Hood Obama wants to is indeed socialism. Bet your sweet ass it is.
4. “Socialism involves nationalisation of industries.”
Don’t be silly. You are smarter than Wikipedia. Socialism is a political theory. Socialism occurs in Sudan (at least among the favored ruling faction) and they don’t even HAVE any industries. Sweden is a socialist society, by and large, cradle-to-grave government, but their industries aren’t all nationalized. Their tax rate is so confiscatory that one might make the argument that their industry is de facto nationalized. But not officially, right? No Richard, socialism is the redistribution of wealth by the government. And if you also tell people where they need to work, then you drift over into Communism. Please - go back and try to get a refund from your old economics professors: you got screwed. A succinct and tidy definition of socialism is “From each according to his ability; to each according to his need.” I forget who said that. Oh, yes. Karl Marx. Communist Manifesto. 1848. Didn’t work. You could look it up on Wikipedia if you like.
5. “The rich are extremely good at managing their finances and businesses, which is probably why they are rich. If they wish to enlarge their businesses, they do not finance that with the tax breaks they receive. They use other financial instruments such as Venture Capital, IPOs, partnerships and loans, among other things. We are talking about personal taxation rates here, not business taxes.”
Not always. Britney Spears is rich, but she doesn’t manage her finances worth a shit. A lot of people are rich and don’t manage their finances for crap. Obama confessor Jeremiah Wright has a $10 million house, and he is dumb as a stump. I will certainly agree that many successful businesses do indeed know how to manage their finances, and that, often, those good businesses become even more successful. But if you don’t think successful businesses continually reinvest profits back into R&D and subsidiary acquisitions, you are fucking living on the moon. Startups use VC Angels and some do float IPOs, but they are hardly in the “successful” category yet. Are they? Jesus, Richard.
“We are talking about personal taxation rates here, not business taxes.”
I can’t believe you just said that. I honest-to-God can’t believe you actually said that, Richard...
I am a businessman. I own businesses. And I absolutely assure you that my profits are taxed as personal income, and that personal income tax tables are used to compute my federal income tax. And it doesn’t matter if you are a Sole Proprietorship, a Partnership, or a Subchapter S Corporation, you fucking STILL enter your profits on your 1040 and pay it as personal income. Believe it, Richard. And also believe that the HUGE majority of employers in this country are small businesses just like myself, NOT big corporations.
What does that leave? Big Corporations.
Let me just ask you, Richard, where do YOU think corporations get the money to pay their taxes? Or any other bill they have? Do you think they get that money under some secret rock they have hidden out back? Do you? No. They get their money from their customers. They get it by raising their prices. Do you think Exxon gives a royal rat’s ass if taxes on gasoline increase? No. The gas stations just go out and change the price on their sign. And all those higher prices eat up all of Obama’s middle class tax “restructuring”, don’t they? Back to square one. You simply cannot take money from the rich and give it to the poor. The rich will find a way to take it back from them. It’s called “higher prices for goods and services.” Or should we now get into the business of governmental price freezing/fixing as well? Remember New York City’s rent controls? That’s how Donald Trump made a good deal of his money. Or in spite of Rent Controls. Until he discovered there was big money in Chapter 7 bankruptcies, at least. You know: live in a homestead penthouse and fuck your credtors. But I digress.
“You really do need to get a clue about this.”
Not completely sure, Richard, but I think I already have a handle on this. A vague idea. A clue as it were. I know Obama worked his magic in Southside Chicago. Ever see SS Chicago’s “Projects” Richard? Not blaming Obama for those by any means, but it goes to his mindset. Yeah - Socialism sure works alright. Oh, I forgot - that’s not socialism. Socialism requires the nationalization of industry. And Obama has nothing to do with Southside Chicago. And I’m the freakin’ pope.
6. “Personal taxation ... has nothing to do with enlarging businesses or hiring more people.”
Well, if that is true, I suppose we ought to just tax at 100%. Since it has nothing to do with staying in business or hiring employees. I think we’ve gone over this ground, Richard. Business income is taxed as personal income. When you own your own small business, you are simply self-employed. Mainly, you get the privilege of paying ALL of your Social Security taxes (called “self-employment taxes") instead of just half. But the income tax part is the same as if you got your income in the form of a paycheck. Honest, Richard. I wouldn’t lie to you. I realize this is not something you need to be overly familiar with in your situation. But you DID decide to talk about Obama and expound upon the American tax system. You did.
7. “American businesses are going to benefit under Obama because more people will have additional disposable income to buy their services and products, which will directly fuel their expansion, if they are popular.”
Ehhhhh. Are we going in circles here? People aren’t going to have more disposable income under Obama, because they are going to be unemployed. But, true, their non-existant wages will be taxed at a lower rate than their real wages are taxed now. So true. And those non-existant wages are NOT going to be spent. And that means businesses will not expand from that non-spending. No need. Actually, no need to even be in business, come think of it
8. “I've listened to a few minutes of Obama talking and learnt a lot about his policies. Maybe that's because I UNDERSTAND economics and how it works. I studied economics at college. Which is to say that smart people make the smart choice, which is Obama.”
No way! Really? You listened to Obama and he actually said something you understood? Goddam, Richard. That’s a first. I’ve never heard anyone say that before. And you say it was ECONOMICS that he was talking about? And he was making sense to you? You mean, like, taxing the shit out of the employers made a lot of sense to you? And then taking those taxes from the employer and giving them to the workers? And then firing the workers because the employer can no longer afford to pay them? Is THAT the Obamonomics that made sense to you? Ok. Just checking. Like you say, only smart people can understand the Chosen One’s message. And only the smart ones will vote for him. No, I’m not in that smart crowd.
9. “Palin is so blinded by her own political agenda that she would tell a 15 year old girl, raped by her own father that she can't have an abortion. She is on record about this.”
Are you SURE she is on record about that? Or is that a description of her PERSONAL and private beliefs? Just askin’. Because the sound bite that I watched come out of her mouth on TV said, “I wouldn’t presume to allow my personal convictions to intrude in public policy decisions.”
I am almost positve she didn’t say, “If I am elected VP, incestially raped 15 year olds would not be allowed abortions.”
But not to worry, Richard, the VP of the United States doesn’t have the power to overturn the Supreme Court anyway. Pretty sure about that.
And, while we are talking about the VP, you have elsewhere shown great concern that Gov. Palin doesn’t even know what the duties of the VP are. So let me try and clear that up. Here is a direct quote from the U.S. Constitution: “The job of the Vice President of the United States shall be to sit on his or her ass watching Reality TV until such time as the President may croak. Then he or she should return to Washington and begin holding press conferences. Additionally, the Vice president of the United States shall, on the days he or she may choose to show up, preside over the Senate, but may not vote unless they be evenly divided. It is not obligatory that he or she show up on any particular day or time, or that he or she remain awake during Senate deliberations. He or she SHALL be entitled to a private parking place, however.” (This is from Section One.)
My point is, Palin will hardly even have to hire a babysitter in order to do her VP duties. Christ, she can still live in Alaska if she wants to. What’s the big deal about being VP? Of course, if McCain would happen to bite the big one, then she would become president. But all that would mean is we would have a better president than before, right?
“Do you really want to vote in such a freak?”
Ummmm... Obama is a freak? That’s pretty harsh. A complete turn-around for you, Richard! Oh. You mean Palin again. Sure. I would vote for her. So would you if you somehow miraculously got jolted back to Planet Earth. Palin is cool. Some would eat a mile of her shit just to see where it came from. As they say in North Carolina. Maybe you wouldn’t. You do seem pretty fixated on her, though.
I can’t think of anything else to say. Please write back and let’s talk about Obama’s character. You can make the point that it doesn’t matter who he hangs around with. And then I will explain to you why those he pals around with DO make people doubt his judgement. Thanks.
@empress bee - I agree. Hardly a fat ass. Well, I haven't truly seen it, but I doubt it. :)
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@Linda - Look who's talking. Where have YOU been? I know. Lady of leisure sipping Juleps at her CT country estate. Being waited on hand and foot. I have to dial 911 just to talk to you anymore. Glad you hate politics. Vote for Alan Keyes if you decide to go out Tuesday. Or not. I vote for him every 4 years. So far he has 38 votes. Total since George Washington, I mean. Glad you stopped by anyway. :)
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@Sandee - All you guys are made out of cloth? I THOUGHT Bee sounded kinda velvety. And, yes, Linda is a sheep. (Or at least she drinks Woolite Juleps.) Please don't be riled. Or racist. Or ignorant. Or calling me late for Supper. So you are funny, huh? Come back and prove it. :)
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@Lala - please don't lie the very first time you come to my blog. Everyone knows Sarge is too young to have a grown granddaughter. Or at least an avatar with a grownup picture. Of course you love my satire. Of course my posts are great: I knew you were coming! You should see them when you are not here! But that would be quite difficult, wouldn't it? And yeah, I'm pretty sick and scared of politics right now, too. Thanks for stopping by, K?
PS-Good for you for mailing in your vote. The bad news is your ballot showed up in my mailbox by mistake. I made a couple thousand copies and mailed it off again, though. My little bit to counter ACORN. Hope that was okay. :) Come again, hear?
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@Thunk - ummm...Bee and Sarge ain't here right now. Sorry. Disenfranchised sheep falling to the blade? ::shivers:: that's pretty profound for this blog. Are you, like, a prophet, Thunk? ooooooEEEEEEooooo. 'Cause I was just thinking about a flock of disinfected sheep. But you said disinfranchised. That would be very different, then. Never mind.
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@Richard - Arrgh! You win, man. You fucking wear me out. Screw McCain and Palin. God bless that double moron (IQ of 100-138) Obama. Here. Take the blog. Just fucking take it.
Don't small businesses in America register Limited Liability Companies for themselves rather than trade as sole proprietors?
Businesses which hire lots of employees generally do not trade as SPs because of the higher tax implications.
Yes, if you're a sole proprietor, all the business profits you make are taxed in your hands which is precisely why people register businesses as separate legal entities.
I don't think you can win this economic argument with me, Max, because you don't appear to know much about how business people structure their financial affairs to lower the taxes they pay.
As I alluded to previously, successful business people are savvy when it comes to managing their finances.
Increasing the personal taxes of wealthy business owners will not lead to job losses. The finances of the businesses concerned will not be touched. In fact Obama has plans to help businesses prosper.
Obama has a plan for fixing the American economy that affects all Americans.
If you want to educate yourself about Obama's economic policies, there is a lot of great information available:
tinyurl dot com/45am8k
tinyurl dot com/5cmbud
tinyurl dot com/62oo23
I believe that Obama's economic plan will increase the wealth of all Americans. McCain intends to renew Bush's tax cuts which helped CEOs pay lower personal taxes. That has not helped ordinary Americans. Bush has just helped the fat cats to become fatter. That's not capitalism, that's just plain stupid.
Another point of view: Guy Fawkes Day
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