Drop the darn Obama phone

[zinfamous]

Wrong Forum

http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

 

[zinfamous]

As for why they are called Obamaphones, Obama is President and presided over its huge expansion. If it makes you feel any better, they'll be called Hillaryphones when she is President.

to be fair, both names are better than Bushphone. or Billphone. Or Clintonphone. or Dubyaphone.

Say what you will, but the GOP media minders have some sense of taste at times--they even managed to realize that "Husseinphone" doesn't roll off the tongue, as much as they would like to push that term.

 

[thraashman]

I think the funnier part is how Democrats apparently now support the Bush agenda

First, Democrats are not now supporting the "Bush Agenda". Not everything Bush did was bad, though a lot was. In Bush's case the big things he did bad were REALLY bad. And the things he did good were often small and dwarfed by the gigantic bad he did. For example, if I were to buy a meal for a starving homeless child, I'd be doing good. However, if I were to later that day rape then murder a woman, not a whole lot of people would be talking about the meal I bought for the homeless child and how good it was of me anymore. Ya get me?

Or I guess we could take the conservative route during the Obama Presidency. Which a good example would be that if I got a ticket for speeding but had just saved 5 children from a burning building and donated a kidney to a dying stranger, the conservatives then spend the next 3 months talking about how I'm such a monster for speeding.

 

[ivwshane]

This in a nutshell is the idiocy of progressives. It's not funded by taxpayers, far from it. It's funded by fees the federal government forces telecom companies to levy on those who pay for their own services.

If you expect sensible people to see a functional difference between the federal government taking your money to pay for phone services for someone else on one hand, and the federal government taking money from your phone company that it forces your phone company to collect for it to pay for phone services for someone else on the other, you might as well skip directly to claiming it's funded by gifts from Bigfoot and the aliens who brought him here. At least then people could give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you might just be crazy rather than intentionally duplicitous.

Regardless of the benefits (or lack thereof) of the program, let's be clear: it's a tax on makers to pay for benefits for takers. You may personally find that to be a good thing or a bad thing, but as SCOTUS found with Obamacare and the Tennessee Supreme Court found with our abortive "right to work fee", a tax is a tax is a tax, no matter what cute schemes politicians adopt to fool the weak minded and give cover to scoundrels. If you can't even be honest about how it's funded, how do you expect to be taken seriously when you argue about its merits?

As for why they are called Obamaphones, Obama is President and presided over its huge expansion. If it makes you feel any better, they'll be called Hillaryphones when she is President.

Normally when you quote someone it's because your response is directed at them. What your post has to do with me I have no idea but I appreciate your use of straw men arguments to support your rant about how bad progressives are all while ignoring the fact that the program was expanded under republican control and has nothing to do with Obama.

 

[werepossum]

I think the funnier part is how Democrats apparently now support the Bush agenda

 

[werepossum]

to be fair, both names are better than Bushphone. or Billphone. Or Clintonphone. or Dubyaphone.

Say what you will, but the GOP media minders have some sense of taste at times--they even managed to realize that "Husseinphone" doesn't roll off the tongue, as much as they would like to push that term.

I dunno, Bushphone sounds like something that might get you laid. And it sounds vaguely green. It also has the benefit of being only two syllables; think of all the wondrous things these people could accomplish if they could cut out two superfluous syllables in referencing their phones! Why do you hate Mother Earth, using four scarce non-green fossil syllables when you could be using two green syllables? Obamaphone even sounds Middle Eastern. Anyone who says Obamaphone is obviously a capitalist 1%er out to destroy our planet. I suspect most of them are Dick Cheney. This is possible because it's a little known fact (mostly because I'm just now making it up, because I take this subject every bit as seriously as do you) that the CIA's worthwhile project to mass produce Marilyn Monroe clones went horribly wrong and produced thousands of stunted Dick Cheneys with bat wings, and while most of them are safely occupied writing tax code they also have Internet access to get Adobe updates.

Stop me before I snark again . . .

Normally when you quote someone it's because your response is directed at them. What your post has to do with me I have no idea but I appreciate your use of straw men arguments to support your rant about how bad progressives are all while ignoring the fact that the program was expanded under republican control and has nothing to do with Obama.

I was specifically addressing the claim quoted in your post that the program is not funded by taxes. Um, you DO read what you post, don't you?

But the program is funded by telecom companies, not by taxes, and the president has nothing to do with it.

This is a fee the federal government forces telecoms to confiscate for use as the federal government dictates; claiming it is "funded by telecom companies, not by taxes" is nothing but sophistry for the dumb masses. Algore tried the same shite and was slapped down by the courts; if government requires it to be collected and it all goes into one pool from which claims are paid out by government, then it is a tax. Otherwise government would not be requiring companies to verify eligibility and Tracfone would not be engaged in a massive advertising campaign to increase their share of customers.

If you are truly "have no idea" what refuting a quote that you post has to do with you, perhaps the person who puts on your helmet when you go outside has the patience to explain it to you. I certainly do not.

As for ignoring "the fact that the program was expanded under republican control and has nothing to do with Obama", please see my fourth paragraph in the post you quoted.

(I realize this may pose you a seemingly insurmountable problem. If so, try counting from the bottom and it becomes the first paragraph.)

 

[ivwshane]

I dunno, Bushphone sounds like something that might get you laid. And it sounds vaguely green. It also has the benefit of being only two syllables; think of all the wondrous things these people could accomplish if they could cut out two superfluous syllables in referencing their phones! Why do you hate Mother Earth, using four scarce non-green fossil syllables when you could be using two green syllables? Obamaphone even sounds Middle Eastern. Anyone who says Obamaphone is obviously a capitalist 1%er out to destroy our planet. I suspect most of them are Dick Cheney. This is possible because it's a little known fact (mostly because I'm just now making it up, because I take this subject every bit as seriously as do you) that the CIA's worthwhile project to mass produce Marilyn Monroe clones went horribly wrong and produced thousands of stunted Dick Cheneys with bat wings, and while most of them are safely occupied writing tax code they also have Internet access to get Adobe updates.

Stop me before I snark again . . .


I was specifically addressing the claim quoted in your post that the program is not funded by taxes. Um, you DO read what you post, don't you?
This is a fee the federal government forces telecoms to confiscate for use as the federal government dictates; claiming it is "funded by telecom companies, not by taxes" is nothing but sophistry for the dumb masses. Algore tried the same shite and was slapped down by the courts; if government requires it to be collected and it all goes into one pool from which claims are paid out by government, then it is a tax. Otherwise government would not be requiring companies to verify eligibility and Tracfone would not be engaged in a massive advertising campaign to increase their share of customers.

If you are truly "have no idea" what refuting a quote that you post has to do with you, perhaps the person who puts on your helmet when you go outside has the patience to explain it to you. I certainly do not.

As for ignoring "the fact that the program was expanded under republican control and has nothing to do with Obama", please see my fourth paragraph in the post you quoted.

(I realize this may pose you a seemingly insurmountable problem. If so, try counting from the bottom and it becomes the first paragraph.)

So every article we cite now means that we agree with everything in it because you weren't specifically calling out what was in the link, you were specifically calling me out as if it was something I said. Do you really want to go down this road?

 

[werepossum]

So every article we cite now means that we agree with everything in it because you weren't specifically calling out what was in the link, you were specifically calling me out as if it was something I said. Do you really want to go down this road?

My apologies. You posted the article, and in my naivete I assumed that was intentional.

 

[ivwshane]

My apologies. You posted the article, and in my naivete I assumed that was intentional.

I cited the article and made two points that the article backed up, the rest of the info was just extra info that I had no opinion on.

Apology accepted

 

[infoiltrator]

Every phone is accompanied by advertising for purchasing minutes.
Truly poor and talkers run out of minutes.
The rest buy minutes on the carrier.
Capitalism, ya know?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

So let me get this straight... Under obama's administration this "tax" nearly tripled, and went from only the truly needy getting it to anyone receiving an obamacheck getting one, and you still blame bush/reagan/everyone else but the obamanator?


Rofl....... Hey what's the best way to ramp up votes for the second term? MORE FREE STUFF!!!

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Every phone is accompanied by advertising for purchasing minutes.
Truly poor and talkers run out of minutes.
The rest buy minutes on the carrier.
Capitalism, ya know?

From what I read when this all came out, many of the people go back numerous times and end up with a bunch of sim cards. They just swap them out every couple days.


I want me a obamaphone and a obamacheck.

 

[werepossum]

I cited the article and made two points that the article backed up, the rest of the info was just extra info that I had no opinion on.

Apology accepted

Understood. I really, really have a problem with this conceit that government can take money from us in such a way as to deny it is a tax or worse yet, claim someone else is paying it. But as you say, my quarrel is with your article, not with you. Sorry again for going off on you.

 

[ivwshane]

Understood. I really, really have a problem with this conceit that government can take money from us in such a way as to deny it is a tax or worse yet, claim someone else is paying it. But as you say, my quarrel is with your article, not with you. Sorry again for going off on you.

Yes, I find it absurd that we even have to tip toe around the subject. Call it a tax and be done with it, if its a good program then explain it to the people and they will back it and if its a bad program they won't.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Understood. I really, really have a problem with this conceit that government can take money from us in such a way as to deny it is a tax or worse yet, claim someone else is paying it. But as you say, my quarrel is with your article, not with you. Sorry again for going off on you.

Totally agree, but it's the way of the future. Liberal extremists look at it as a 'wealthy tax'. Basically if you can afford to pay for your family's $100 / month cellphone bill then you can afford to pay for his constituent's cellphones as well.

The goal is to spread that money around as much as possible. It's for the greater good.

 

[ivwshane]

Totally agree, but it's the way of the future. Liberal extremists look at it as a 'wealthy tax'. Basically if you can afford to pay for your family's $100 / month cellphone bill then you can afford to pay for his constituent's cellphones as well.

The goal is to spread that money around as much as possible. It's for the greater good.

How the fuck can you even bring liberals into the argument when the program was started and expanded under republicans?

Just stop with the BS, you look incredibly small.


And for the record both parties use "fees" to pay for things, Romney raised a ton of fees to pay for Massachusetts healthcare reform.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

How the fuck can you even bring liberals into the argument when the program was started and expanded under republicans?

Just stop with the BS, you look incredibly small.


And for the record both parties use "fees" to pay for things, Romney raised a ton of fees to pay for Massachusetts healthcare reform.

??? This program was funded with 800m under previous regimes. In the past 8 years it has blown up to 2.2b.



This was a specific tactic to appeal to liberal voters on welfare.

 

[ivwshane]

??? This program was funded with 800m under previous regimes. In the past 8 years it has blown up to 2.2b.



This was a specific tactic to appeal to liberal voters on welfare.

Can you show me how the funding for it was changed?

Oh it wasn't changed? So then that means liberals used it to their advantage how?


Do you know how stupid you look right now? If a program wasn't created by a liberal and it wasn't changed by a liberal then that means its being used by liberals for some sort of gain because the programs costs have gone up during one of the biggest recessions in US history?

That's your claim? I've only seen that kind of idiotic reasoning from people like incorruptible. Nice one!

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Can you show me how the funding for it was changed?

Oh it wasn't changed? So then that means liberals used it to their advantage how?


Do you know how stupid you look right now? If a program wasn't created by a liberal and it wasn't changed by a liberal then that means its being used by liberals for some sort of gain because the programs costs have gone up during one of the biggest recessions in US history?

That's your claim? I've only seen that kind of idiotic reasoning from people like incorruptible. Nice one!

Actually, this was hugely expanded by obama as he pushed to allow telecoms to charge the fees direct. We all (well, those of us who pay our own bills anyway) pay ~$5 to pay for these scumbag's to have phones.


He then allowed tracfone to handle delivering them, which meant going only to areas that are hugely liberal and advertising them to his constituents.


Might as well have just had a big 18 wheeler with "Free obamaphones, vote for me!" on it.

 

[ivwshane]

Actually, this was hugely expanded by obama as he pushed to allow telecoms to charge the fees direct. We all (well, those of us who pay our own bills anyway) pay ~$5 to pay for these scumbag's to have phones.


He then allowed tracfone to handle delivering them, which meant going only to areas that are hugely liberal and advertising them to his constituents.


Might as well have just had a big 18 wheeler with "Free obamaphones, vote for me!" on it.

Lol you would be absolutely correct if facts pulled directly from your ass were in anyway acceptable, unfortunately for you they aren't and the facts have already been presented in this thread which you obviously didn't read.

Let me help you:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34666307&postcount=62


Now if you have some real facts that don't originate from your ass I'd be happy to see them.

 

[Sonikku]

Wut? I hope he didn't get a job...

Agreed. Jobs should be reserved for those of us willing to put forth some personal effort towards getting out of poverty by working for a living.

Welfare leaches should stay the fuck home where they belong.

 

[ivwshane]

Agreed. Jobs should be reserved for those of us willing to put forth some personal effort towards getting out of poverty by working for a living.

Welfare leaches should stay the fuck home where they belong.

Lol damn you are good!


You make Stephen Colbert look like an amature