43 thoughts on “Neil Oliver: ‘It’s hard to tell yourself you’ve been taken for a fool but open your eyes’”

  1. A nearly perfect “conservative.” Full of gripes, whines, envy, and conspiracy theories. Hatred of Clinton, Obama and Biden. Sympathy for Trump and Putin. Drooling anti-vaxx nonsense. Fiat money. Climate science denying. Hunter Biden! Perfect.

    Throughout this polemic I did not hear one word about any kind of solution to any problem. Not one. Who is going to replace these malevolent “authorities” and greedy corporations in the world run by those with their eyes open?

    It is worth noting that in this country the political party that empowers these evil corporations and opposes every effort to rein them in is now and always has been the Republican Party. It is worth noting that in this country the political party that protects the mountains of money of the ultra-wealthy is now and has been the Republican Party. It is worth noting that in this country the political party that does its best to minimize the power of ordinary people is now and always has been the Republican Party.

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        1. Nope.

          It is the GOP which seeks to remove the subsidies and mandates the crony corporations rely on.

          Supporting the right of individuals and corporations that fairly compete in the marketplace is nothing for the GOP or Libertarians to be ashamed of, but supporting entire industries that would not exist absent the arbitrary favor of government is what makes us serfs, and that is all Democrat.

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          1. “Nope.”

            Your ability to delude yourself is without limit.

            This screed is about the abuses of the rich and powerful. One of our two parties is a champion of those people and one is not.

            Which party is constantly working to sabotage unions?
            Which party cuts taxes for the benefit of the rich and powerful?
            Which party does its best to give the rich and powerful a free hand in everything?
            Which party blocks rationalization of our immigration laws?
            Which party LIVES on voter suppression?
            etc.

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          2. There is nothing wrong with a person, or a corporation’s shareholders, getting rich if they do so by providing what we need and want at a better value than their competitors.

            Wealth is only wrong when it is obtained by force or fraud, and that is most often accomplished through support of government.

            The Inflation Enhancement Act throws almost $400Billion dollars to crony green corporations and creates mandates that will cost the public at least as much which the buyer cannot reject and will leave us all poorer for the benefit of those cronies.

            That is true abuse by the rich and powerful, honest profit is not.

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          3. The Inflation Enhancement Act was approved by the majority through properly elected representatives as stipulated in the Constitution.

            You want to work the rule of law until it favors you?

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          7. Uh, which “crony green corporations” are those? The tax advantages at the heart of the environmental side of the bill are available for just about every person and company in the country. And what makes any of them “crony?” Because you don’t like them?

            It is the policy of our government to do more to curb the use of polluting energy sources, to promote electrified transportation, and to build up the energy grid to support them. That policy is popular. That policy was promised before the people spoke at the ballot box. You don’t like it? Too bad. That is how democracies get things done. Get over it.

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          8. Dominion, for one. Dominion is perfectly willing to field expensive “green energy” so long as it gets the subsidies and the excess costs are borne by the captive customers.

            Green policies are a primary concern for about 1% of the voters. Energy costs are a primary concern for about 23%, and the resultant inflation for about 30%.

            Windmills are popular right up arrives.

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          9. “Dominion for one”

            So EVERY corporation is a “crony” corporation. With that understanding the word “crony” becomes meaningless. Just another baseless slander which you are so prolific in deploying.

            I have pointed out before that your “logic” which says that people seeing more pressing issues than the climate negates their approve of action on the climate is – to be generous – specious.

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          11. “No, only those corporations whose business model requires subsidy or mandate, or suppression of competition, for success cronies.”

            Now you are just blathering. The new law creates opportunities for EVERY person and every individual to enjoy tax benefits for their green energy decisions. And yet you say it is by and for “crony green corporations.” Sorry, empty blather. And picking a public utility as your poster child of a “crony green corporation” is an odd choice. Public utilities are natural monopolies who have ALWAYS existed with government protection in exchange for profit regulation. Long before Biden.

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    2. RE: “Throughout this polemic I did not hear one word about any kind of solution to any problem. Not one.”

      Is that a true fact?

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        1. Sure. The very first words of the video are a problem/solution statement: “It’s hard to think the unthinkable, but there comes a time when there’s nothing else for it.”

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          1. “The very first words of the video are a problem/solution statement”

            And, what problem is solved by daring to think the unthinkable? You have a very broad and optimistic idea of what a “solution” is. Solutions involve actions. Not thoughts.

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          2. RE: “And, what problem is solved by daring to think the unthinkable?”

            As stated in the video, “Once the scales fall from a person’s eyes the resultant clarity of sight is briefly overwhelming. But it’s like being handed a skeleton key that opens every locked door, or access to a Rosetta Stone that translates every word into a language instantly understood.”

            Oliver asserts that rejecting the assumption of a benevolent state opens locked doors and enables understanding.

            RE: “Solutions involve actions. Not thoughts.”

            Thoughts must precede action.

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          4. RE: “Sure, but what action? That is what is missing from this rant as I noted in the first place.”

            Oliver says: “If you’ve been driving yourself almost demented in an effort to think the best of those in charge, those in senior positions in government, those in charge of the great institutions of state, those running the big corporations, but find it increasingly impossible to do so, then the solution to the problem might be to toggle your point of view to 180 degrees and accept however unwillingly that we are (how best to put this) being taken for a ride.”

            You might examine yourself to understand the action Oliver recommends. Your immediate reaction (re-action) to the video was to pan it and post a diatribe that insults conservatives and Republicans. Perhaps you have been driving your own self demented.

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          5. You first when it comes to Trump…

            “If you’ve been driving yourself almost demented in an effort to think the best of those in charge, those in senior positions in government, those in charge of the great institutions of state, “… My first thought was of Trump and his supporters. Twisting logic and rational thought to support him blindly and NOT see who he has always been.

            I honestly thought maybe the video was talking to Trump supporters. Silly thought.

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          6. “post a diatribe that insults conservatives and Republicans.”

            My reaction post is what it was. You can call it a diatribe if you want. I don’t mind. But, it is true that this fellow hit all the “conservative” notes I listed. If you think of that fact as insulting, then maybe you should consider why you would say that?

            As for what I said about the Republican party stances versus the rich and the poor, completely true. If the truth is insulting then who has the problem?

            Finally, the point stands. This rant offers no solutions to any problems. Personally, I see it as part of the fascist movement to sow and exacerbate discontent in Western societies so that bare-chested men riding horses can have their way with us. Or maybe it is just Mr. Oliver yearning for the good days he studies when people lived in caves and stole each other’s women. No such thing as digital currency then.

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      2. “Is that a true fact?”

        Only among the Trump supporters is there an alternative fact.

        A fact is true by its very nature, and whether one believes it or not does not make it otherwise.

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        1. And yet, people make factual statements all the time that are in reality false. You, for example, just stated — as though it were true — that “Only among the Trump supporters is there an alternative fact.”

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          2. People make factual statements all the time that are in reality false. Well, then they were not factual statements were they?

            What you are saying, I believe, is that people may believe in what they think are facts, but they are not. That does not make what they say or believe factual.

            Unless a Conway insists there are “alternative facts”, which is truly nonsensical. Of course that was a dig regarding those who follow the words of a man who lies about crowd sizes, elections, his mistresses, his wealth, and the like. But you knew that.

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    1. Yeah, so you say.

      There is NO evidence for Santa Claus. There is plenty of EVIDENCE that governments actually responsive to the people can and do exist.

      The happiest, healthiest, most free people in the world live in countries where the governments are actively seeking the good life for ALL their people. Universal needs such as access to healthcare, education, old age support are treated as shared problems and addressed.

      But, yeah, we know. Your opinions are immune to evidence.

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      1. RE: “There is plenty of EVIDENCE that governments actually responsive to the people can and do exist.”

        The video cites evidence that such governments do not exist in Britain, the Netherlands or the U.S.

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        1. “The video cites evidence that such governments do not exist in Britain, the Netherlands or the U.S.”

          Without getting into the question of whether this rant has any evidence in it, I will agree that some governments are better than others. That does not support the idea that the existence of benevolent government is on a par with the existence of Santa Claus which was the claim I was responding to.

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        2. RE: “That does not support the idea that the existence of benevolent government is on a par with the existence of Santa Claus which was the claim I was responding to.”

          No. It is on a par with showing that your response to the Santa Claus remark is fatuous and irrelevant.

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          1. “Fatuous and irrelevant”

            Actually, when someone states that a benevolent government is comparable to the idea of Santa Claus and being responded to by examples of benevolent governments is NOT irrelevant nor is it fatuous.

            “Fatuous” means “silly and pointless.” You should apply that adjective to Dr. Tabor’s comically overwrought simile.

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          2. You didn’t name any examples of benevolent governments. That made your comment irrelevant.

            You chose to interpret Dr. Tabor’s statement literally, instead of figuratively, as intended. That made your comment fatuous.

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          3. “You didn’t name any examples of benevolent governments. That made your comment irrelevant.”

            I cited what benevolent governments do and how their citizens react. If you do not know which countries have such governments, then may I suggest a little research.

            I chose to interpret Dr. Tabor’s statement very literally as, I believe he intended. He can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe he said that the existence of benevolent government is as unreal as the existence of Santa Claus.

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