hopelessly hopeful

Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt. (Men willingly believe what they wish.)

Right now, if you buy a computer system and you want to solve one of your problems, we immediately throw a big problem right in the middle of you and your problem which is learning how to use the computer. A substantial problem to overcome. Once you overcome that, it’s a phenomenal tool. But there is a barrier of having to overcome that problem.

What we’re trying to do … is to remove that barrier so that someone can buy a computer system who knows nothing about it and directly attack their problem without learning how to program their computer.

I think every­one is kind of freaked out right now. Which is why they set up tents on the street last year. Why some are still there. We’re freaked because we don’t know what’s coming—but we’re rea­son­ably sure it’s going to be shit­ty.

…it’s called the American dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.

So often in America, we have socialism for the rich, and rugged, free enterprise capitalism for the poor.

I would be the first to say that I am still committed to militant, powerful, massive, non­-violence as the most potent weapon in grappling with the problem from a direct action point of view… But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.

‎Many white Americans of good will have never connected bigotry with economic exploitation. They have deplored prejudice but tolerated or ignored economic injustice.

(via shortydwop)

When you have a circumstance where they [Romney’s Bain Capital] made a lot of money and the
company went broke, it’s legitimate to ask the question—and this is the whole Wall Street problem—how
come the big boys made a lot of money and they went broke? That’s not an attack on capitalism. That’s
not an issue about the whole capitalist system. That is a question about a very particular style of activity
involving a very particular person. Remember, we’re not talking about the system. We’re talking about
somebody who is running for President of the United States, and we’re asking the question about his judgment, his values, the choices he made.

Peo­ple draw a dis­tinc­tion between investors who want a com­pa­ny to suc­ceed and investors who basi­cal­ly take over a com­pa­ny for the pur­pose of drain­ing out its cash and walk out with­out con­cern about the consequences.

Newt Gingrich

I can’t believe I’m agreeing with this guy, but, seriously, what Mitt Romney is defending is kleptocracy, and not the free market.