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Peter Kobs's definitions

Neocapitalism

1. A new form of capitalism that emphasizes government intervention in the economy to rescue and restructure large companies that are deemed "too big to fail" because of the systemic risk they pose to the nation.

2. The opposite of Marxism, which anticipates the collapse of the entire capitalist system and the seizure of all "means of production" -- healthy companies included.

3. An economic system that prevents large, poorly managed companies from destroying the entire country.
Obama has been called a "socialist," but history will show he's really a clever student of "Neocapitalism."
by Peter Kobs May 25, 2009
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Overton Window

1. A political theory invented by arch-conservative Joseph Overton, VP of the anti-tax Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan. (Overton died in 2003 when his ultra-light airplane crashed.)

2. The name of a poorly-written novel by right-wing talk show host Glen Beck. Published in early 2010, the book is a cautionary tale about leftist radicals taking over the government through incremental change.

In theory, the Overton Window represents the boundaries of "acceptable" public policy and discourse -- what a politician can support without seeming too "extreme." Opposing forces try to broaden this window (or shift it to one side) to make formerly "radical" ideas seem more "mainstream."

Overton's theory has a decidedly pro-business, anti-regulation slant. Something is either "more free" or "less free" in his view. He never mentions "more just" or "more fair" or "more practical." In fact, the entire theory tailor made for paranoid people and right-wing lunatics who think Obama is a totalitarian Marxist dictator bent on world domination.
The Overton Window is yet another idiotic theory masquerading as a "breakthrough" in political understanding. Its leading proponent is Glen Beck of Fox News...'nuf said.
by Peter Kobs July 20, 2010
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Pixel Envy

1. Envy of another person's higher-resolution camera or flat-panel display screen.

2. The sudden realization that 8 Megapixels no longer cuts it in the digital photography world.
"Daryl has a bad case of Pixel Envy ever since his girlfriend got that new 10 MP Nikon SLR. He may never recover."
by Peter Kobs September 4, 2009
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Supreme Stupidity

1. An act of extreme stupidity by the U.S. Supreme Court.

2. An attempt to undermine democracy or destroy human rights through judicial fiat.

3. What happens when a bunch of clueless lawyers pretend to be God.

Notable examples include:

-- The recent (2010) decision to allow unlimited corporate and interest group contributions to U.S. political campaigns.

-- The Buck vs. Bell ruling that permitted forced sterilization of the mentall ill. Justice Holmes said at the time: “Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”

-- The Dred Scott case that invalidated restrictions on slavery, while mandating that all African-Americans be treated as "property" in the eyes of the law.

-- Plessy v. Ferguson, which formally legalized segregation, Jim Crow laws and minority disenfranchisement throughout the nation.
The highest court in the land committed another act of Supreme Stupidity in January 2010 when it opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate cash in the election process. Can you say "plutocracy?" Sure you can!
by Peter Kobs February 18, 2010
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Praytheist

1. An avowed atheist who (secretly) turns to prayer during times of serious illness, extreme danger or personal crisis.

2. The theological equivalent of a strict vegetarian who will eat a steak sandwich (on the sly) when facing extreme hunger.

3. A way of "covering all your bases" during an emergency.
Becky says she doesn't believe in God, but she's really a Praytheist. After she was diagnosed with lymphoma, she started praying again in private.
by Peter Kobs January 20, 2010
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Hollow Market

1. A financial market so fragile that even strong companies are decimated by panic selling on Wall Street. 2. A market with almost no real buyers, only frantic sellers.
In this hollow market, even a safe company like Kraft Foods is tanking.
by Peter Kobs February 17, 2009
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Health Care Riot

1. An angry, sometimes violent, demonstration against health care reform at the local level.

2. A mob that turns out at a Congressional "Town Hall" meeting to oppose the President Obama's health care reform initiative. Many such mobs are organized in advance by conservative lobbying groups supported by the pharmaceutical and insurance industries.

3. A loud, boisterous act of political opposition designed to overwhelm the conversation about health care reform by using shouting and physical intimidation.
John actually supports health care reform, but he wasn't able to speak because the Town Hall Meeting turned into a Health Care Riot.
by Peter Kobs August 7, 2009
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