# If you could apply the death penalty to the use of political rhetoric ..... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932 "2010-12-04T14:12:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/81 "2010-12-10T04:39:10Z")
I’m so over bipartisanship, family values and sanctity of marriage. The sound of them makes me want to kick someone in the face. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/82 "2010-12-11T15:18:12Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Income tax is a tax on income. The “death tax” is not a tax on death. Try again. Only if you have enough income… just like the death tax is tax on the assets you own when you die if you have enough that the government wants to take it from you. If you let me call it a death tax I’ll let you call income taxes a life tax. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/83 "2010-12-11T16:39:25Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Only if you have enough income… just like the death tax is tax on the assets you own when you die if you have enough that the government wants to take it from you. Not the even remotely the same. If you don’t have taxable income, you don’t pay the income tax. If you don’t have a taxable estate, you don’t pay the estate tax. Death really doesn’t enter into it, except that estates transferred before death are subject to the gift tax, and those transferred after death are subject to the estate tax. No one is being taxed because they died. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/84 "2010-12-11T16:52:23Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > When you die right? No, when you inherit. The tax is on the person getting the money, not the person giving it. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/85 "2010-12-11T18:50:09Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The will of the people / majority. WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF TEH MONIRITAYYSS !!!11!!1!!! _cries_ ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/86 "2010-12-12T15:26:04Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No, when you inherit. The tax is on the person getting the money, not the person giving it. You’re wrong but it doesn’t make much diference. The estate, a separate entity, pays the tax… the beneficiaries get what’s left after the government takes what it wants. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/87 "2010-12-22T13:31:27Z")
Here’s one… “first responders” when it’s used to refer to anyone other than police, fire and other emergency workers. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/88 "2010-12-22T16:20:25Z")
Who else has it been used to refer to? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/89 "2010-12-23T10:04:17Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Who’s talking about hypocrites? I’m talking about lieing motherfuckers who should know better like my brother. > [@What\_the](#): > > Sorry… I was too anxious to insult my brother. All I can say is you’re not being very complimentary toward your mother… ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/90 "2010-12-23T10:21:26Z")
Take the stupid nitpicking about death and taxes somewhere else. Half this thread is all shitted up like an angry rhino after eating 100 lbs of Taco Bell. Topic; any sort of campaign attack ads. Those things need to go, and swiftly. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/91 "2010-12-23T21:37:58Z")
“Voting for a third party is wasting your vote.” Right, it’s a waste of a vote because third parties never win, and they never win because nobody votes for them, because that’d be a waste of a vote seeing as how they never win. I had thought [this sort of thing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_reasoning) was covered roundabouts 10th grade for most of us, but alas. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/92 "2010-12-24T00:21:38Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Who else has it been used to refer to? Clean up crews. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/93 "2010-12-24T00:40:29Z")
“Our Men and Women in Uniform” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/94 "2010-12-24T04:33:29Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > Take the stupid nitpicking about death and taxes somewhere else. Half this thread is all shitted up like an angry rhino after eating 100 lbs of Taco Bell. Which was obvious from the start. There was no way it was going to go anywhere good. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/95 "2010-12-24T06:20:53Z")
I suppose it’ll go away on its own but I’m done with the word “Shellacking”. Bad enough that it was thrown around all last month, then December was all about how Obama was overcoming the “shellacking” with the lame duck session. Yeesh. And I know Obama used it but that doesn’t mean it has to be in every friggin’ article about Congress from now on. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/96 "2010-12-24T11:30:30Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I suppose it’ll go away on its own but I’m done with the word “Shellacking”. Bad enough that it was thrown around all last month, then December was all about how Obama was overcoming the “shellacking” with the lame duck session. Yeesh. And with Bush it was “we done took us a thumpin’”. Is there some rule that presidents are required to refer to a midterm defeat as some kind of folksy term? Are people too stupid to understand “lost some seats”? If Obama fails a primary challenge will we consider him to be “done took out back the woodshed and been switched good?” ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/97 "2011-01-02T13:31:27Z")
How about “Town Hall” … when attendance/questioning is/are controlled by the politicians (sometimes with the aid of other sponsors). Seems like these came to prominence in the Clinton era. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/98 "2011-01-02T13:54:21Z")
I wish “Czar” would go and bury itself somewhere. For chrissakes, it’s the title of Russian monarchy taken from an emperor of Rome and has no place in a democracy. People squirm and squeal if a politician emits even a whiff of acting like a “King”, but apparently having a dozen different czars in charge of vast swathes of the government is just peachy. I realize it just means a government official with broad authority, but I’d rather we called them all “Harold, the meek public servant of [whatever].” ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/99 "2011-01-02T17:59:23Z")
Well, I got pretty upset at Mike Kelly (newly elected Congressman from PA) on _Face the Nation_ this morning for all his self-righteous talk about how he ran a business “with [his own] skin in the game,” & Anthony Weiner supposedly never has. When you’re in Congress, you’re representing a lot more than yourself. The whole freaking country has “skin in the game.” It’s a much bigger deal than when the only losses are your own, your employees, & a few investors. If you can’t get that, maybe you’re not ready for this business. But I wouldn’t kill him over that. We’ll see if he’s still talking that way after several years in Congress, & what policies he actually proposes. But an I decide to assassinate him, it’ll probably be for policies, not stupid campaign rhetoric. Now, Senator Tom Coburn (OK), with his, “a person can have compassion, an institution can’t,” line–there’s someone who needs the word _tsedakah_ explained to him, or even _moral obligation._ Compassion is a feeling, I demand results, you obnoxious Christian! (Also, faith without works is dead.) Grief, maybe we need even more Jews in Congress; people who know what\* mitzvot \*are. Coburn I could kill, that ornament. \_ ETA: Oh, I misunderstood the OP. Well, yes, those things I named are two rhetorical points that need to be debated against. Not exterminated, not banned, just refuted & rendered moot. And I’ll settle for Coburn repenting or being canned by the voters. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932/100 "2011-01-02T18:06:35Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I always find the use of the phrase “grow jobs,” or “grow the economy” to be irritating. > > I also find it very annoying, fr some reason, when people use the word, “government,” without a direct article. Like instead of saying, “the government’s should role should be X…” saying “government’s role should be X.” Basically, saying “Government” without a “the” like it’s a proper name. It’s just so affected and pseudo-academic. Just say the “the.” I thought it was a generalization, about all governments, in all places & times. Like, “Massachusetts shouldn’t have Universal Health Care anymore than the federal government, it’s unconstitutional in general.” And ultimately, “The UK shouldn’t have socialized medicine any more than we should.” Hmm, what should we do about that? Should the USA be trying harder to drag the rest of the world back to the 19th Century? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-apply-the-death-penalty-to-the-use-of-political-rhetoric/562932.md?page=6)