It's 2013. Do you know where your Socialist Paradise is?

It's 2013. Do you know where your Socialist Paradise is? What's the matter, DUmmies, you say you can't find it? Where did it go? I thought that by now everything would be hunky-dory. You guys should be jumping for joy. I mean, Our President got re-elected. Some of the Obamacare provisions are starting to kick in. The Congress and Our President just got this fiscal cliff deal done, which will raise taxes on the evil rich. What more could you want? Aren't these the things you've been hoping for? Aren't these the things that will cause the economy to take off? That will mean high-quality, high-paying jobs for those who need them? That will restore prosperity and the American dream for the middle class? What could possibly be wrong?

But still somehow, the DUmmies are unsettled. Not all is well in DUmmieland. They are not pleased, universally, with what has happened. The results, the consequences, are not as bright as were hoped for. We will witness the DUmmie angst as we survey a number of threads, these ones today focusing on the fiscal cliff  deal, including . . .

This THREAD, "8 Huge Corporate Handouts in the Fiscal Cliff Bill"; and
This THREAD, "Why I really hate this deal"; and
This THREAD, "I wish I had to pay more taxes / I wish I made $400k a year!"; and
This THREAD, "No more payroll tax break?"

Hey, DUmmies, two words: OWN IT! This is what you voted for. This is what you get. Don't say we didn't warn you.

So let us now journey to DUmmieland, where the natives are restless, in Bolshevik Red, while the commentary of your humble guest correspondent, Charles Henrickson--who, with regard to the fiscal cliff, predicted last week, quite accurately, right here in this space, "some kick-the-can-down-the-road, last-minute deal that will disappoint both sides"--is in the [brackets]:

8 Huge Corporate Handouts in the Fiscal Cliff Bill

[Wait a minute, wait a minute! This was a bill engineered by Harry Reid and the Democrat majority in the Senate and supported by Our President, right? So how could there be anything in there benefitting  evil corporations?? There must be some kind of mistake!!]

I am sick to death of the lengths this president will bow to those b*st*rds.

[By now, DUmmie DiverDave, you should be used to Barky bowing to b*st*rds.]

I am sick to death . . . of all the bad mouthers of the President on DU.

[DUmmie brush is not going to take all this bad mouthing of Our President!]

HE IS NOT A KING THAT CAN RULE BY EDIT.

[OR EVEN BY EDICT. . . . By the way, DUmmie brush, I think you could use someone that can rule by edit.]

He's also not the king of the Democrats either, and they had as much a hand in the bill as anyone.

[Thank you for admitting that. Now we know who to blame for any fallout from this bill. Also, whose hand signed this bill into law late last night? Well, actually, Our President didn't really use his hand. He used an AUTOPEN, because he was on VACATION, again, in Hawaii. The guy needs a teleprompter to talk and an autopen to sign bills. What does he use when . . . nope, not gonna. . . .]

your naivete is stunning.

[DUmmie brush is biased against Naive Americans.]

Now try listing some of the benefits of the bill. . . .

[Well, I see that you Democrats now agree that "the Bush tax cuts," at least for most Americans, are a good idea and should be made permanent. Other than that. . . .]

those on unemployment at lease aren't going to starve.

[Those on unemployment at rent, however--that's a different story. . . . DUmmie brush, you really could use someone to rule by edit.]

blah blah blah . . . PEANUTS! . . . If I wanted a f***ing republican I would have voted for one.

[And yet, DUmmie DiverDave, I bet you DID vote for Barack W. McSame.]

More pork for the pigs. Meanwhile we will see less take home pay and Obama will be blamed.

[I like the "and Obama will be blamed" part.]

Obama certainly is not king, but the buck has to stop somewhere.

[No, the buck ceiling has been raised.]

Here's the biggest positive: No spending cuts.

[What happened to the "balanced approach"? I thought Barky wanted to get serious about reducing the deficit? So when do we get the spending cuts?]

I'm hoping so much that Elizabeth Warren will be effective against the banksters.

[She's applying her warpaint even as we speak.]

I have no hope. I see no future.

[The future is no.]

Why I really hate this deal

[How can you hate it??  I mean, your Democrats passed it and Our President autopenned it!]

I don't considere members of the top 20% to be part of the middle class. . . .

[Only the BOTTOM 20% are the TRUE middle class. Only THEY deserve to pay low or no taxes.]

And now we are supposed to cheer. 85% of the Bush tax cuts got extended!!! Permanently!! What a victory for progressives.

[WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!]

Why are you putting this in our beautiful minds?

[You're killin' my buzz, man!]

the expiring payroll tax 'holiday' will put tons of money in our pockets. Oh wait...it won't.

[Enjoy!]

the payroll tax holiday is expiring but the middle class tax cuts are intact still. Imagine if the middle class tax cuts had gone away with the pay roll tax holiday.

[Why, I imagine it would have meant even MORE revenue for our beautiful government! Isn't that what we all want? More income taxes for everybody, more Social Security taxes for everybody--that would be the ideal, wouldn't it? MORE REVENUE FOR OUR GOVERNMENT! MORE, MORE, MORE!]

For myself, I define "rich" as "part of the top 20%". . . .

[Oh, come on, let's go further than that. We should define "rich" as part of the top 99%. Raise THEIR f***ing taxes! Let us bottom one-percenters--the poor, the oppressed, the basement-dwellers, in other words, us DUmmies--let US live off THEM!]

We the Serfs, debating the difference btwn wealthy and rich. . . .

[Time for The Revolution! Past time! Arise, O ye downtrodden! Serfs up!]

Getting rid of the Bush tax cuts would kill the economic recovery. . . .

[You are on the path to enlightenment, grasshopper. Now if you would only keep going.]

nice Republican talking point. Yeah, right, people making $200,000 can't afford to pay more in taxes. Oh, the poor babies are just scraping by. Same with people making $120,000. Just scraping by. Almost in poverty. Republicans ALWAYS say that tax increases on the rich are gonna kill the economy.

[Point taken, DUmmie hfojvt. Yes, let's tax ALL income above, say, $25,000 a year. That will boost the economy, surely, and insure income equality for all!]

it's not about causing pain to certain income levels -- it's about running a country.

[NO NO NO!!! It IS about causing PAIN, excruciating pain, to the evil rich!! Punish them! Hurt them! Take their money away! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!]

I have never seen it this bad on DU. people just disregard facts and post raw emotion now. So sad.

[So normal.]

I wish I had to pay more taxes / I wish I made $400k a year! Why would I complain about paying more taxes?

[Behold, a DUmmie indeed, in whom there is no guile! Yes, DUmmie L0oniX would LOVE to pay more taxes! If only he had a job!]

What if you toiled your entire life at a small business and relied on selling it for 800k for your retirement? Would you still wish to pay more taxes on that?

[Why, yes, of course, because . . . I DIDN'T BUILD THAT, SOMEBODY ELSE MADE THAT HAPPEN!]

Mom's old house in a bad neighborhood of El Centro starts to look pretty good even if you have to share it with an alcoholic sister, her "boyfriends," and a crazy uncle who forgets to put on his pants.

[Home sweet home--DUmmie style!]

Taxes should have been raised much higher on anyone earning over $200K, no one needs that much money and others could benefit from it. F***ing capitalism has got to go if we are to get any equality in this Country.

[OK, you've convinced me. $20K, tops. Nobody needs more than that, and think of all the roads and bridges we could build!]

No more payroll tax break? America is not likely to take kindly to that. Isn't anybody concerned about it?

[So what? So more money will be taken out of your paycheck for Social Security taxes! Big deal! You should be HAPPY to pay more Social Security taxes! Do you want Granny to eat dog food?? Or worse, cat food??]

We did fine with the full FICA levy for several decades.

[We didn't go over the fiscal cliff. You don't want us to go over the FICA levee, do you?]

Tell someone struggling paycheck to paycheck to suck it up. Tell someone barely making it they can do with a little less.

[But this will fund their golden years! Look on the bright side!]

The Tea Party is going to spin this as a straight-up Obama tax increase on the middle class.

[And we Democrats should own it proudly! Taxes are a good thing! Granny! Dog food! Cat food!]

I'm simply having a hard time explaining to my wife why our beloved Obama is going to take more of her money. I convinced some friends and family to vote for him and now they'll make less money. Just having a little trouble justifying it.

[OWN IT!]

Think of it as saving for your old age if that helps.

[But whatever you do, do NOT think of how much MORE money you would have for your old age if the government didn't take out so much and you could save the money yourself. Don't even go there!]

I'd rather do without premium cable stations . . .

[Well, you won't have Algore's Current TV anymore, it sounds like. They're going the way of Air America. What a surprise.]

I'd rather do without premium cable stations than watch the nation's infrastructure decay even more. Bridges failing, schools deteriorating. . . .

[Yes, we MUST have higher taxes to invest in our crumbling infrastructure! Think of our poor roads and bridges! Think of our poor SCHOOLS!]

"Schools, Mandrake! Children's schools!"