Best Borowitz line EVER!

[dixiegrrrrl]

The Constitution's system of checks and balances is based on what now seems like a naive premise
that one of the political parties will not become criminally insane.

[Lucinda]

1. Love it

[HuckleB]

2. I don't like the promotion of mental health stigma, but the point is fair enough.

"Criminal" does the job, however.

[Nitram]

9. There's a difference between "mentally ill" and "criminally insane" Huck. nt

[HuckleB]

18. This is still promoting stigma. -eom-

[Hortensis]

22. Not to worry! Mental health professionals never

use the word "insane" in clinical evaluations. Ever.

It's strictly used by lay people in discussion of the amazing behaviors of others. I just googled "insanity GOP" and got 652,000 results. "Insane GOP" brought up 1,330,000 results, topped with The Atlantic's 2013 article, "How the GOP Slowly Went Insane."

[HuckleB]

23. I realize that. It doesn't mean DUers shouldn't be fighting against stigma.

[Hortensis]

24. They are. Note how many (no doubt very carefully)

did not accuse the GOP of being psychotic or decompensating. That would be over the line.

[HuckleB]

25. Some are, but many don't get it.

And this post is indicative of that.

[Hortensis]

32. Oh, come on. Lighten up and smile, HuckleB.

We really, really need words to describe these kinds of behaviors. And these words as not inappropriate. Clinicians have their own language for those with diagnosable mental health problems.

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. Is now the time to tell you what career I am retired from?????

Mental Health therapist.....

[gregcrawford]

31. Actually, no it isn't...

"Criminally Insane" is a legal term, not a medical one. Don't let political correctness warp your mind.

[hifiguy]

3. The Repukes now remind me of that Python sketch

where there was a disturbance in the looney bin: the Napoleons started a riot because the Julius Caesars got bigger pieces of cake for dessert.

[mahannah]

4. They are both insane. Criminally is by degree.

[ErikJ]

5. The Koch brothers told u to say that?

[mahannah]

7. No. Look around.

[ErikJ]

12. A few in Dem party might be criminally insane but every Republican is.

Big difference.
BTW, thats a big Koch trick. To say both parties are just as bad which makes people apathetic and likely not vote. Or worse, drive them into the arms of THEIR REALLY criminally insane Libertarian Party.

[mahannah]

16. Both parties have their crazy wings.

We don't need to make people "voter apathetic" - they are now. We need to move folks toward the better choice in the D camp which would be Sanders.

[ErikJ]

17. Agreed 100%.

[longship]

6. Link please.

Is it a tweet?

It would be nice to see this from the source because, as you said, it is a real gem.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. ...

https://www.facebook.com/andyborowitz/posts/10154218667950681

[longship]

13. Thanks. Should be in OP.

My best to you.

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. As always, Google shows the way..........

https://www.facebook.com/andyborowitz/posts/10154218667950681

[Ferd Berfel]

10. Sad but true.

And we're stuck with them

[zentrum]

11. Criminally insane backed

…in very canny ways by billionaire sociopaths.

[Fast Walker 52]

15. and a completely corrupt media establishment

fuck them all. They are criminal entities.

[flygal]

14. ---

so sad only satirists seem to get it in the media.

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. I KNOW.....both the Onion and Borowitz have been right on target. n/t

[bigwillq]

19. Great line

But they're not already insane? Hard to tell sometimes.

[malthaussen]

20. That's always been the flaw.

It was more usually applied to the President, as in Night of Camp David, probably because it is more credible to think that one person might be criminally insane than an entire party. Well, sometimes long-shots pay off. And after all, we did have Mr Nixon first.

-- Mal

[A Simple Game]

21. The Republicans are one of the two reasons most people are moving away from the

two party system and becoming third party or for the most part unaffiliated.

The difference between Hillary and Bernie is also the difference between the Democratic party shrinking to a smaller size than the Republican party or growing immensely.

[Hortensis]

30. You sound very sincere, but the notion that

the Democratic Party membership is just going to go away and leave its enormous, established party apparatus for a small minority of far-lefters to take over is very unrealistic.

America's far left, aka radical left, is a not very popular little minority that almost always goes unnoticed in national affairs. That's the big reason why Bernie ran under the aegis of the Democratic Party he despises. It was that or oblivion.

Note, please, that the Democratic Party is far larger and incredibly more powerful than any far left organization ever was because there are many, many more of us and importantly, for all our typical problems, we historically function much better politically than extremist groups do. (Survival at all is their typical biggest challenge.)

Since replacing mostly liberal ideology with far left is just not going to happen, maybe Bernie's followers could re-form the old, defunct Progressive Party (since they like the name) and see if they can use that to scoop up all the people presumably fleeing us from the outside? The danger in that, of course, is that that party would be overrun by liberals, but...well, let's not go into that. There is already a group called Democratic Socialists of America, but maybe its current members could be pushed out and the name adjusted as necessary. It's not actually a party (yet), but on the plus side it does already have a website.

[Enthusiast]

34. Bernie isn't far left. That is a ridiculous assertion. And besides.................................

[Hortensis]

37. Enthusiast, know yourself. I support many socialist

functions. And, no, it's not a dirty word, and no, "far left" is not synonymous with socialist. Far left is actually poorly defined; that is, there are always different factions on the far left but one seldom gets powerful enough to have its label become a well-advertised brand. Bernie's becoming a well-advertised brand.

Now, me, I am and always have been a strong liberal. Every test I've ever taken puts me squarely there, and for the 30 years after the 80s, when most of the nation became more conservative, many people considered me a left-wing radical. I'm not, but I'm on the left of the liberal section of the political spectrum, and Bernie and many of his more strident followers are well to my left.

Bernie and they are different from me in a bunch of ways. We all even think and behave in fundamentally different ways because we are different personality types.

Although Bernie and I have a great deal of overlap in what we want to achieve, Bernie also wants some very different things. I had my revolution almost 250 years ago and want to continue evolving my nation to fulfill the promise of that revolution. All men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights, ...among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- for a biggie.

Bernie wants to push me and those like me aside because we are in his way. I really have no idea just how extensive his "revolution" would be if there were no constraints on it, as there are of course. I can tell you that the only means of production I want to belong to the people are ones groups of people, including taxpapers on local, state and national scales, choose to create or purchase for themselves. Government seizures of privately owned factories are out of the question for me. I do see us forming our own power companies for sure. And why on earth should we be paying internet "providers" for access? Leave them to people who want to pay for massages with their access, or something.

In any case, no matter what label one sticks on him, Bernie is "far left" and he knows it. His far left followers should know that about themselves too. It's just...very unfortunate not to. Like all the people who don't know they're liberals because they live in the deep south. These are personality types first and only later political orientations. We need to understand. It's about us.

[Enthusiast]

38. Well, I think you're wrong. Bernie isn't far left.

Bernie has not proposed government seizures of privately owned factories. But he would like them to stay in the United States and provide jobs for Americans.

Far left is Communism.

The Bernie led Democratic Party of America would be a centrist party in Europe. So, no, Bernie is not far left.

[Hortensis]

39. Way far left would be communism if it weren't moribund.

But click your heels 3 times and repeat, Bernie's really just a liberal, Bernie's really just a liberal, Bernie's really just a liberal...

[Dont call me Shirley]

41. Bernie is Mainstream and Mainstreet America, anything other ranges from rightwing to loonie toons.

[Enthusiast]

43. Yes! That is why Bernie has such wide appeal. His policies are our policies.

We won't allow anyone to muddy the water.

[A Simple Game]

36. Hard to tell where to start, and thanks I am sincere.

First, the establishment part of the party is not leaving, for the most part it is the left leaving.

Second, enormous? Unaffiliated is a far larger category than the Democratic party and is growing larger every year. This may be the first time I have seen anyone call Bernie a radical, socialist yes but not a radical. Nor would I say Bernie despises the party he has been endorsed by and caucused with for almost his entire political career. Bernie is being more honest than many Democrats would like when pointing out faults in the party that coincidentally many party members and past members agree with.

Third, The Democratic party is only as powerful as it is because it still retains some of the "far left" you seem to like denigrating. If and when the "far left" finish leaving the party it will for all extent be powerless.

Fourth, I understood your first three paragraphs, didn't agree but understood, your last paragraph is just incoherent to me. Liberal is not far left, already a Democratic Socialists of America group, then it's not actually a party (yet). I can't tell if you are arguing with me or yourself.

[MineralMan]

26. The only thing that protects us now is to be sure

that Republicans do not gain control of all three branches of the federal government. Given the current state of the Republican Party, that would be a disaster that has no end in sight. Republicans would roll back everything and make it almost impossible to regain control. From voting rights to women's rights, they'd destroy all we've worked for.

We must stop them in November, whoever our nominee is. We must!

[Enthusiast]

33. President Obama has African heritage. This is a real problem for Republicans.

They can't allow him to pick a replacement supreme court justice. Yes, they're criminally insane..............................................................or something.

[griloco]

35. if the electrodes fit..

[Snotcicles]

40. Stolen that will look good as a sig-line. nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

42. The entire gop is criminally insane. A small portion of D party is also.