Friday, October 30, 2015

Jonah Goldberg knows what it means to be authentically black in America

"You don't know what you're talking about, do you?  Friendo..." - Anton Chigurh
Jonah Goldberg expounded his impressive resume that he has built sitting on his expansive backside. Besides being a subject matter expert on Fascism, the Iraq War, the Pulitzer Prize Nominating Procedure, Neopotism, Special Forces Mission budget costs, Goldberg took time out to whitesplain what it takes to be an authentic African-American these days,
But what’s remarkable is that at no point in this conversation did anyone call attention to the fact that Carson is an African-American. One could argue that he’s even more authentically African-American than Barack Obama, given that Obama’s mother was white and he was raised in part by his white grandparents. In his autobiography, Obama writes at length about how he grew up outside the traditional African-American experience — in Hawaii and Indonesia — and how he consciously chose to adopt a black identity when he was in college. Meanwhile, Carson grew up in Detroit, the son of a very poor, very hard-working single mother. 
I have one minor quibble with Goldberg because everyone he speaks to knows that President Obama was born in Kenyan, before his mother and ACORN secretly snuck him in to steal the Presidency of America, one can't get more African/American than that!

But, Jonah also offers up the ubiquitous conservative opener, "One Could Argue..." which is found in every right-wing screed that's going to be horribly offensive but, allows the bigoted writer to hide behind the plausible denial that it's not their argument but one could argue...

Jonah Goldberg is merely travelling down a long road lit by the fire of burning crosses in his whitesplaining of the authentic African-American experience. His comments echo the Post Civil War, whites such as Rev. George Alexander McGuire, who in 1903, stated African-Americans need to ruthlessly "ostracize such brutes in their own race" as he blamed the black community for the lynchings of blacks across the country.

Even today, most conservatives echo these sentiments, and blame the entire black populace, for the actions of "bad negroes" as they were once referred and offer up the "Politics of Respectability" as the way for blacks to avoid being murdered or racially profiled by Police Officers and slandered by bigots on Faux News.

As for Jonah, he's a paragon of the "white race". He championed the Phony Global War on Terror, with the express statements that he would never put his life on the line.
As for why my sorry a** isn't in the kill zone, lots of people think this is a searingly pertinent question. No answer I could give -- I'm 35 years old, my family couldn't afford the lost income, I have a baby daughter, my a** is, er, sorry, are a few -- ever seem to suffice.
Undaunted with being a ChickenHawk Jonah showed his absolute hog-shit ignorance when asked about military missions when Piers Morgan asked him how much the Kill Bin Laden Mission cost.

Instead of admitting he has no idea because Jonah Goldberg never had any intention of going anywhere near the military, he pulled a number out of his expansive flabby chicken hawk ass.
Goldberg: It was a pretty cheap operation.

Morgan: How much does it cost?

Goldberg: It didn't cost --

Morgan: What's your idea of cheap?

Goldberg: Are we really going to do this sort of high school debating tactic crap?

Morgan: Yes. I'm curious what you think of what cheap means.

Goldberg: I would put it at – I don't know, $50 million, $40 million...

Morgan: Wow. And that's cheap in the Republican world?
The blubbering and blubbery Jonah retreated to the position he inherited from his mommy at the NRO, turned to Rich Lowry and cried about how mean Piers Morgan was to him. Rich Lowry dutifully declared him the winner, "Jonah Goldberg 1, Piers Morgan 0". The Right-Wing Alternate Reality Internet jumped to Jonah's defense and World Net Daily Writer David Limbaugh wrote,
After being waterboarded into answering, Jonah ventured a guess of $50 million, after which Morgan spent the next several minutes sputtering indignantly about how a Republican such as Goldberg could think $50 million is pocket change.
After Jonah wrote his book Liberal Fascism, he and his publisher, repeatedly and for years, lied that Jonah was twice nominated for a Pultizer Prize, when the truth is Jonah has only ever been nominated for a Putz Prize. Of course, actual historians lambasted Jonah's book, Historians stand up to 'Liberal Fascism' and its abuse of history, while Beck blithely promotes it, via Crooks and Lairs.

A liar, coward, dilettante, chicken hawk, braggart, and buffoon, Jonah Goldberg is at least authentic, he is an authentic Conservative.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Today's Republican Party are collateral damage in the War on Liberals

While I don't necessarily believe Donald Trump and Ben Carson are the Vanguard of New Republican Party, since not a single vote in the Primaries has even been cast, it is nonetheless easy to see what their appeal is and why they seem to be ascendant.

After the 60's, the Republicans made a deal with the John Bircher Reactionary Right-Wingers, tapping into their boundless butt-hurt energy, religious bigotry, and simmering racial resentment, in order to win elections. And it worked, Republicans got Nixon, Reagan, and W elected twice, those 3 Villians alone did massive damage to the Nation as was intended. But, they also succeeded in taking Congress several times, enacting the 1994 Contract on America for instance, and numerous other state and local offices.

But, along the way the conservatives began to inflitrate all levels of the Republican Party and displace the so-called "RINOs", until the GOP effectively became their party.

The establishment Republican candidates for President in 2016, are confused and annoyed. Back in 1900, William Denali McKinnley "campaigned" for President by sitting on his Ohio Porch waiting to be awarded the Presidency by the Party Leaders. Today's Republicans are expecting the same sort of coronation. They don't understand what's happened to their Party.

Of course, what's happened is for the last 35 years Republicans have been promising to destroy Liberalism, bring about the New Dawn, recreate the Never Was Shining-Utopia-on-a-Hill, and haven't delievered. Conservatives have been greedily eating a steady diet of right-wing shit and plutocratic pablum and are sitting around, usually working hard at two or three jobs, wondering why they aren't millionaires? So, conservatives have decided to Take their Country Back and Make America Great Again.

Having sucked in the Propaganda for decades, conservatives fully believe the US to be a Center-Right Nation and that Conservatism can never fail, it can only be failed. They're sick and tired of half-measures and "liberals" like George W(orst Potus Ever) Bush, Eric Cantor, and the new Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

They need someone in Government who is going to undo all the "Tyranny" President Obama enacted during his "lawless" 8 years. They need someone who is going to undo all the free give aways that Obama gave to the "blaaaaaa-ck people". They need someone who's going to be "tough" with Iran, show Putin who's the boss, enshrine Christianity as the National Religion, eliminate the EPA (for some reason), kick out the Mexicans, torture the Muslims, while putting women, blacks, and liberals back in their place.

They yearn for someone with Undiluted Conservative Evil, a Pure Blooded Right-Winger, who will tap the pleasure centers of their petty, mean, bigoted, hateful, and vicious brains.

You're either with them... Or against them.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Uber and Lyft at O'Hare Airport and Beyond

Today, Uber, Lyft and similar application based ride-share services scored a victory by not having to follow the traditional route of taxi and chauffeur's licensing. Chauffeur's licenses are costly because drivers get fingerprinted, undergo drug tests and background checks. But, any one with a smart phone and car can be an Uber driver.

The Chicago City Council Finance Committee passed the Rahm Emanuel supported Ordinance to open up McCormick Place, Navy Pier, O'Hare Airport and other Chicago locations without Uber driver's going through the proper regulations or having to apply for the expensive Chauffeur's license.

Uber et al. play by a different set of rules than taxis, but the service they are providing is exactly the same, thus they should be subjected to the same regulations. It doesn't matter if you hailed the driver on the street, made a phone call, sent an email, or downloaded a smart phone app. Uber should be regulated in the same manner as other services.

The founders of Uber, Travis Kalanick and Garret Camp haven't created a new product, invented a new service, discovered a new alloy, or revolutionized production, they've exploited a hole in the law. It's incredible we reward legerdemain so much but here is Uber and their creators lauded as though they were Jonas Salk.

I dislike Uber because I'm not jumping in a car with some random person. But, more than that I dislike what the Republican Economic Policies of the last 35 years have reduced Americans to doing.

People drive for Uber because Ronald Reagan's and the Neoliberal economic revolt he got rolling has undercut the American Worker and gutted the American Dream. It's uniquely American, to quote George W(orst Potus Ever) Bush, that Americans have to work multiple jobs because they Plutocracy he worked for decided they wanted to destroy the Middle Class and reduce every American Worker to a Wage Slave shackled in Corporate Bondage.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Donald Trump has some advice for Poor People, Be born to a Rich Father

"We are a Capitalist Society. I've been on food stamps and welfare, anyone help me? No," - Craig T. Nelson
Those paragons of immorality, the poors have really gotten their comeuppance today from Donald Trump! On The Today Show, Trump proved once and for all why poor people are poor, they didn't have the good sense and business accumen to be born to rich parents,
"My whole life, really, has been a no. And I fought through it. It's not been easy for me. It has not been easy for me... My father gave me a small loan of a million dollars."
As with Mister Forunate Son Mitt Romney and his 47% Speech, Jeb???Bush and his petulant blah blah blah Daddy said I get to be President whining, or the blood-sucking tentacles of Koch Industries, Donald Trump's comments show that Capitalism is just the rebranding of Feudalism.

While Republicans are frightened and pouty about Donald Trump's continued lead, Trump is the Vox of the Monstrous Conservative Id, which they themselves released. Whether he believes what he says doesn't matter anymore. He's tapping into the Right-Wing Populist Rage of the white male, stoked for decades by Republican Politicians and Conservatives.

We are a full generation into the Ronald Reagan-fronted Vulture Capitalist destruction of the American Dream and elimination of the Middle Class. Once Republicans *and Pro-Business Democrats*, at the behest of their Plutocratic Masters, destroyed the manufacturing base, transformed the Nation into a service-based economy, and eliminated laws and regulations on the Financial Industry they made the bottom quarter of Americans into extraneous persons about whom they care not.

Reagan's marching orders from his rich handlers was to lower the Standard of Living for Americans. Because the Rich Neo-Feudalist Vulture Capitalists don't like a thriving Middle Class. The Middle Class which sees a stable long-term job, and retirement benefits for themselves and a rising future for their children is too unpredictable. They vote for and support evil things like Social Security, Medicare, Paid Family Leave, Sick Time and so forth.

But, a beaten down working class, keeps their voices low and their necks bent when one of the Koch Brothers walks by as to not displease the Titan of Industry.

DraftKings and FanDuel Fantasy Football sites are Rigged

To establish my Fanatasy Football bona fides, I've been playing since High School in 1992. My first pick was Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills. Our league started out as a type-written once a week mailer and official scores had to be gleamed from the Chicago Tribune or Daily Herald Monday mornings.

And with the exceptions of the 2003 and 2004 seasons when I was deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, I've got an ubroken 20+ years of fantasy behind me.

I've never played big money Fantasy Football, it wasn't why we played, so I've no interest in the latest craze, the one week gambling leagues, FanDuel and DraftKings.

But, when the commerical blitz and big time Sports Radio personalities began the hard sell for the one week leagues I became wary of them as well.

It turns out my wariness is probably well-founded. Many people think the push to regulate these one week gambling leagues is an evil government play for a slice of the pie but, when it came to light an employee of Draft Kings won $350,000 playing on Fan Duel and employees were routinuely able to parlay their insider information gleamed from their companies into $6,000,000 in winnings on their competitors sites, it confirmed my suspcions; That these One Week leagues were just fanciful money transfer schemes.

Even worse, it seems those adept at creating mathematical models and crafting of algoithms have gamed the system as over 90% of the winnings are won by just 1% of the players. Now, were do you think those winnings are coming from? That money isn't being created, it's being taken from the rubes, i.e. the average American, the Sunday couch potato watching football and losing $10 or $20 bucks a week.

How can you trust an internet gambling site? A normal guy, siting at home can dream of the hitting the big jackpot, but as with Wall Street and Casinos, Fan Duel and Draft Kings appear to be set up to fleece Americans, while providing them the illusion of a get-rich quick scheme.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Conservative Domestic Terrorists: The Thin White Line o' Heroes

Oh a gaggle of right-wing buffoons descended upon the DC Mall till the DroneZ began to Roll*
The Truckers Ride to Overthrow Freedom?
The Neoconfederate Second American Revolution led by Sarah Palin, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee in which Larry Kayman demanded the arrest and lynching of President Obama?
Operation American Spring?

Unlike the Cliven Bundy Insurrection, in which white power conservatives declared their intent to murder Law Enforcement Officers while using women as human shields, most of the Right-Wing "Rallies" have been flacid affairs. The latest convergence of Confederate flag waving, gun humping, right-wing domestic terrorists in Roseburg, Oregon was organized by Casey Runyan, a convicted Drunk Driving, Domestic Battery, and Aggravated Assault felon (i.e. a Conservative) degenerated into the standard conservative rhetoric of Kenyan Go Home, blah, blah, blah, boring...

I used to lament that all of these Trumped-Up Right-Wing Faux Protests got big-time media coverage but, then I realized while it's good to have mounds of evidence of the rabid reactionary right-wingers it alone will never change the minds of mainstream conservatives or old-school Republicans or the soft middle-of-the-road people who have been conditioned by the Media to believe Both Sides Do It.

Republicans have enjoyed playing with the Tea Party fire with their repeated proclaimations Obama is a Tyrant, with the non-stop Faux News coverage of Obama's "unlawfullness", and with repeated mailers warning Obama's coming fer Yer Guns!

But, as more and more Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists follow through and murder Americans the last 16 months of Obama's Presidency may see the full bloody flowering of the Republican Call-to-Arms.

The Republican Southern Strategy was a deal with the devil that ensured electoral victories but, unleashed the most putrid and vile elements of the Right and let them fly their Confederate Freak Flags High.

It seemed a perfect marriage for the GOP, they got the fervor and energy of the right-wing bigots and the Plutocracy got to advance the Agenda of Overthrowing the American Democracy and creating a Neo-Feudal Wage Slave State owned by Plutocrats with the American people shackled in Corporate Bondage.

But, while Republicans have been advancing the Agenda of the 1%, the stark white underbelly of Conservatism has been gaining strength and power. Now, the two terms President Obama have unleashed the Monstrous Id of the Right-Wing White Supremacists.

There is a small, but growing segment of American Society that yearns for open fighting and a new Civil War. This Thin White Line o' Heroes are inspired by The Turner Diaries and seek a Trumped-Up Casus Beli to justify their murder of blacks, gays, liberals, immigrants, and Democratic politicans.

The NRA and Right-Wing Incestuous Internet think the Second Amendment is the most likely rallying cry, but look as well at how these Faux Heroes flock to every right-wing criminal, carnival barker, and con-man looking for the new Shot Heard Round the World which will be the Start of the Right-Wing Revolution.

Many conservatives, like Jerad Miller and Amanda Miller thought The Cliven Bundy Insurrection was that very spark, but President Obama and AG Eric Holder wisely pulled the federal Law Enforcement Officers back. Conservatives then pivoted to declaring the military exercises of Jade Helm, were a covert attempt by Obama to Usurp the Consititution despite the repeated press conferences by the U.S. military.

While the Gun Cultists, III Inchers, Oathbreakers, Unconstitutional Sheriffs, Alex Jones Acolytes and other militias don't think they themselves will be able to defeat the American Military, what they believe is that once the shooting starts some or possibly most of the military, local, state, and federal law enforcement will flock to their banner and aid them in their Revolution. Thus, Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists style themselves the Vanguard of the Revolution. (Hat Tip to BadTux the Snarky Penguin for posting about Ted Cruz's give me money email)
*- Extrapolated from Rudyard Kipling's Tommy -
O it's the "thin red line of heroes" when the drums begin to roll

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Who does Sean Hannity think he's hurting when he threatens to quit working?

The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state. - Adam Smith, Of Taxes, Wealth of Nations (pg. 498)
Please, proceed Sean. By all means, Go Galt. Go... Leave...

Sean Hannity recently conducted an interview with Nice Polite Republican Lincoln Chafee after the Democratic Debate. During the interview, Hannity and Chafee spared over raising taxes. As the back-and-forth continued about taxes Hannity, in a petulant fit, fished around in his pants, took out a wad of cash, and threw it in the air exclaiming, "Hang on. Hang on. I’ll give it to the government, hand it over. Why should I work?"

It's the last rhetorical question by Hannity that caught my attention. Exactly, what "work" does Sean Hannity do that's so indespensible? Does Sean believe that if he was to Shrug and Go Galt his radio show and tv hour would be replaced with naught but static? That no one else can do what he does?

Sean Hannity is One in a Million, by which I mean there are a million other conservatives eager to step into his spot as a loud-mouthed, know-nothing, conservative blowhard.

I don't judge a person's worth by their working utility, that's Hannity's and a Right-Wing metric. But, by his own standard Sean Hannity is worthless.

Ah, but to the Vulture Capitalists who employ him, Sean Hannity is a jewel, a rare treasure. You see Sean Hannity is paid vast sums of money to convince poor conservatives to support policies which demonstrably hurt them and the rest of the 99%. Sean Hannity is the Mouth of Sauron for the Plutocracy. His "work" is to pass on the Idealogy of the Wealthy and get the poor to accept it.

As Paulo Freire noted in Pedagogy of the Oppressed,
The dominant elites, on the other hand, can - and do -think without the people - although they do not permit themselves the luxury of failing to think about the people in order to know them better and thus dominant them more efficiently. Consequently, any apparent dialogue or communication between the elites and the masses is really the depositing of "communiques," whose contents are intended to exercise a domesticating influence. (pg. 112)
When Sean Hannity speaks or when erstwhile Catholic Brian Kilmeade attacks the Pope and says the Pope "should go home" because "he's in the wrong country" and declares "America is Capitalist", or when Stuart Varney with his affected RP accent declares "the Poor lack a richness of spirit" they and every other right-wing loudmouth is passing along the agenda of the Rich.

None, of the Faux News talkers or Conservative Internet bloggers could survive actually working real jobs, it's why they are so rabid in their defense of Capitalism. Without being paid to "catapult the propaganda" the Right-Wing Internet fart bubble would burst and those conservatives paid handsomely to sit on their expansive derrieres and expound on the beauty of Capitalism, would starve because, without food stamps, none of them could earn enough doing actual labor to eat.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Bush and Cheney screwed America but, they hope you forget and Blame Barack Obama (Update) Iraq War Crimes

"Hold on! You can't blame George Bush for that!" Stephanie Ruhle informed Donald Trump he had violated the 0th Law of the Republican Party for blaming George W. Bush for 9/11.
Everyone knows the First Law, that is Ronald Reagan was a Modern Day Gilgamesh who single-handedly defeated the Soviet Union, balanced the budget, cut taxes and created a budgetary surplus simultaneously.

But, mentioning any of the massive failures of George W. Bush, especially the worst disaster on the CONUS since the War of 1812 is anathema. Bush kept US safe, hosannah, hosannah, hosannah.

9/11 happened over 14 years ago and no I will never forgive W(orst POTUS Ever), Dick Cheney or the Republican Party. I do not believe any of the MIHOP or LIHOP or other 9/11 related Conspiracies, this was sheer incompetence.

But, Bush's incompetence, especially ignoring the August 6th Memo which specifically warned Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US, was massively compounded by Right-Wing failures during the Phony Global War on Terror and the Conservative policies of oppression, intolerance and adulation of the rich, which created the Republican Recession of 2007 after the Guard Dogs of the Plutocracy passed law after law, and ruling after ruling designed to grind the working class into penury and ensure the recreation of a Neo-Feudalist State.

Jeb Bush called the elimination of Saddam Hussein a pretty good deal. Perhaps it was a "pretty good deal", if like all NeoCons you have no skin in the game because Never Forget you can't get any skin from a Bush... But, just as was predicted it completely destabilized the region, empowered Iran, and led to the creation of ISIS.

When Faux News Chris Wallace, of all people, pointed out the Bush/Cheney Cabal left President Obama with a mess, Dick "5 Deferments" Cheney tersely replied, "I don't think of it that way."

Of course, he doesn't in Dick-less Cheney's Universe everything he and Bush did was a resounding success, which the Mainstream Media, who slavishly wish to show they don't have those icky, evil liberal tendencies is only too eager to agree with as Stephanie Buhle demonstrated when she was shocked, SHOCKED! anyone would imply George W. Bush did anything other than keep us safe.

Edward Said accurately described the insane pathos that drove Bush/Cheney to adopt the Right-Wing Reverse-Domino Theory,
My strong opinion, though I don't have any proof, in the classical sense of the word, is that they want to change the entire Middle East, and the Arab world, perhaps terminate some countries, destroy the so-called terrorist groups they dislike, and install régimes friendly to the United States. I think this is a dream that has very little basis in reality. The knowledge they have of the Middle East, to judge from the people who advise them, is, to say the least, out of date and widely speculative.
When 9/11, is combined with Hurricane Katrina, the bungled Phony War on Terror, and the Republican Recession of 2007, no other President has a been such a disaster and hurt America so badly since Jefferson Davis.

Update:
George W. Bush and Tony Blair determined to Strike in Iraq April 2002 - the title of another memo.
Despite their claims of working for a Diplomatic Solution Bush and Blair were set on war over a full year before the March 2003 invasion. Not only was W(orst Potus) a Disaster but a War Criminal, too.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Republican Dennis Hastert is going to jail. Every other Republican should as well.

Hastert just entered a guilty plea in his Hush Money Case which means he'll avoid a Criminal Trial which would have revealed a minimum number of boys he molested. This is par for the course for Republicans, who engage in despicable criminal actions and quietly admit guilt years later after they've done maximum damage to the Nation.

Dennis Hastert, "Coach" of the Republican Party, took over the Speakership in the House after the faithless and despicable Newt Gingrich was forced out for one of his many transgressions and ethical violations.

As such Hastert led the Republicans as they continued their assault on President Bill Clinton and backed every course of action undertaken by the War Criminals W(orst POTUS Ever) and Dick Cheney. This is beyond mere hypocrisy. Republicans are very, very evil people and the most recent examples in Illinois, the shockingly profligate Aaron Schock and molesting Coach Hastert, are just a microcosm of the Republican Party in toto.

Everywhere across the USA we see Republicans engaged in blatant crimes, as well as crimes against the American People in service to their Rich Plutocratic Overlords.

Republicans seek and succeed in restricting voting, they deregulate and decriminalize overt financial, environmental and murderous crimes by Corporations, they defund Governmental Agencies empowered to curb the Rapacious behavior of the Vulture Capitalists who pull the Republicans' Strings, they obstruct and impede efforts to keep Americans safe from the blood-soaked NRA and Gun Makers.

For years Republicans have gotten away with imposing the Will of the 1% on the Nation by couching their rhetoric with false claims of piety, vague descriptions of liberty and freedom, and the braggadocio of Chicken Hawks claiming Stolen Valor, while invoking the boogeymen of Gay Marriage and Welfare Queens to demonize the Left.

However, we've seen a demonstrable shift in the Republican Lies of late, as they've adopted a Faux Populism and tried to co-opt the message of economic fairness. Of course, this is all a ruse for whenever a Republican is elected he (still overwhelmingly pudgy old white men) immediately goes about enacting the Policies of Wage Slavery and Corporate Bondage, while conservative dupes happily fasten the shackles of Our Oppressors about themselves and others.

Bernie Sanders has called for a Revolution of Voting. This is exactly right. America will not be freed of the tyrannical jaws of the Plutocracy until we vote out their Guard Dogs and replace them with Real Americans not controlled by the Billionaires and Massive Undying Corporate "Persons".

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The Democratic Presidential Debate

It was good to finally see compassionate, intelligent, rational people conducting a Presidential Debate. The Republican candidates are a cadre of charltans, flim-flam artists, con men, bigots, racists, misogynists, madmen, and morons, whose only answers to the Nations problems are to see who can screech loudest when reciting the right-wing values of Intolerance, Oppression, and Adulation of the Rich.

But, the Democratic Debate was a cordial affair by professionals. Refreshing. And encouraging because the American People got to hear liberal ideas for the problems we face.

Bernie Sanders came prepared and was able to bring most questions back to his main beliefs about unregulated Capitalism being the root cause of the problems we're facing.

Besides Bernie's best moments bringing everything back to Vulture Capitalism he also shined when he stepped up for Hillary and forcefully noted, 'Americans are sick and tired hearing about emails,' because he knows the American People want a President who is going to acknowledge and beat back the 40 year Right-Wing Assault on the Working Class. Bernie was also spot on when he stated of Wall Street, "Wall Street regulates Congress".

Hillary was able to parry the Benghazi attacks by pointing out the Benghazi Select Committee is an "arm of the Republican Nation Committee," designed to lower her poll numbers and HRC was poised, very charming and seemingly at ease.

Jim Webb stated he killed a guy in Vietnam and then chided Bernie for calling for a Revolution, but mainly complained (rightly) about his lack of equal time.

Lincoln Chafee seemed like the genial North Eastern Patrician who tripped up when asked about Glass-Steagal.

And Martin O'Malley came off better than I expected and while I know liberals in Maryland don't like him, he correctly pointed out that the Republican Field would have had a debate about who can repress women the most and who can insult immigrants the loudest.

Many of the questions were designed to attack President Obama and his policies and fortunately, all of the candidates hewed closely to Barack (with a few exceptions) and didn't indulge the Media who desperately want to recreate their Strategy of 2000 and fool the Democratic Candidates to distance themselves from another successful and popular Democratic President.

As Hillary Clinton noted, 'There is such a big difference between what you heard during the Democratic Debate and the bufoonish three-ring circus of abhorent clowns who call themselves Republicans but are better known as the Enemies of the American People.'

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Paul Ryan doesn't want to be Speaker of the House because it'll cut into his Gym Time

P90X Ryan is known in Washington D.C. for to things; his fanatical weight lifting sessions and wanting to steal Social Security and Medicare in order to kill Old Americans.

With John Boenher's crisis of faith and decision to step aside as Speaker of the House, the Republican  Congress has imploded. No one in the House has the 100% undiluted, Conservative blood of pure evil necessary to satisfy the Right-Wing fanatics who have gerrymandered their way into the People's House.

Ryan's Reverse-Robin Hood Budget shenanigans are legendary and lauded by Republicans in their ceaseless effort to swindle the Middle Class and transfer more wealth up to the 1%. Yet, Paul Ryan is too liberal for the Tea Bagging euphemistically titled Freedom Caucus. Even Phyliss Schflay emerged from her crypt to decry Ryan's possible Speakership.

The only one who approaches the necessary 100% purity of bile and rancor required to be the Perfect Conservative is Dick Cheney, who pure evil was only slightly diluted by the introduction of a stolen transplant heart.

So, the Republicans are going to flail away for awhile and the Beltway Press and Media will continue to ask inane questions like; How did this happen? and Aren't the Democrats to blame because, ya know, Both Sides Do It? as they pin away from the Ghost of Undead Zombie Reagan to emerge from the recesses of their imaginations and Lead.

Monday, October 12, 2015

What to do when faced with a Gunman

Sadly, because of the mendacity of Republicans and insanity of the firearm humping gun nut fanatics the best advice we can offer, in the face of gun violence, daily school shootings, and rising mass shooting incidents, is to rush the gunman.

Gun Nuts have brought America to such a murderous state that when I'm asked on the street by residents or by family and friends I do tell them, your two options are fight or flight.

Unfortunately, many people when confronted by such a situation freeze. Freezing in the face of danger is not cowardly or unmanly it is a natural bodily reaction of facing a life-or-death situation. It takes training to overcome this response. Hiding is not an improper response but it is a holding action until one of the two prime options (Fight or Flight) becomes available or necessary. So, yes if running away is not an option because of some factor then attacking the gunman, and I mean an all-out attack; screaming, clawing, stabbing, biting, kneeing, throwing things, becomes your best option.

Now, contrary to Conservative bluster no Nation can call itself the Greatest if we have to advise school children to run at a gun wielding madman because "he can't shoot all of us". If, we were such a great Nation, Americans would be able to move about their daily routinues without the fear that today is the day some aggrieved white mysognist is going to Run Amuck or some errant gang bangers rounds will kill you in your bedroom or a Right-Wing Domestic Terrorist is going to gun you down for the crime of supporting Obamacare.

Republicans and their Moneyed Masters in the Gun Lobby, would have you believe this is the best we can do, until that glorious day when everyone in America is armed with a Gun and the Kingdom of Gun Nut Heaven descends upon the Nation and creates Firearm Utopia. It's actually a strong indicator of a sick Nation ready to collapse in upon itself.

Guns are, in fact, a blight upon Us and are almost certain to lead to the downfall of our country. I don't state this as hyperbole but, as a fact. Most Empires are brought low by internal divisions, sometimes outright and sometimes by weakening that Nation so much as to allow some other peoples to conquer it.

Each mass shooting, has the effect of hardening the zealotry of the gun nuts, makes the gun humping maniacs cling tighter to their guns, and drives other gun cultists to purchase more guns. And the Gun Manufacturers further hype and enflame the situation because the more blood of Americans that is spilled the more money they make.

Despite the facts that more guns has not made America "safer" nor that stricter gun control, regulation and enforcement has worked in other Nations. We now have a hardened kernel of gun fanatics who want no restrictions of any kind on firearms, who want no prosecutions of negligent discharges, who want no enforcement of gun laws, who ensured legislation was passed in 2005 under a Republican Congress and W(orst POTUS in Histroy) to perpetually indemnify Gun Manufacturers from all lawsuits, who champion wild west style gun fights under the euphemism Stand Your Ground, and who are implictly and explicitly declaring that any such "infringments" will be met with murderous gun violence.

So, it's time we Fight. The Gun Lobby, the Gun Humping Madmen, and the Republican Party are the Gunmen that we face. They are the threat. They are the ones who profit off the deaths of Americans. Thye are the phony good guys with guns, until they get cut off in traffic, or until their girlfriend dumps them, or until Wayne LaPierre and Alex Jones convince them to kill Police Officers because of the Sandy Hook Hoax and Obama's Coming Gun Ban. But, until We, the People stand up and fight we will be held hostage to the Cult of the Gun.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Let's Investigate every Mass Shooting as if it were Benghazi

Noted aphasia sufferer Republican Kevin McCarthy stated today, "Let’s be very clear: Benghazi is not political. It was created for one purpose and one purpose only: to find the truth on behalf of the families of the four dead Americans. Period."

Well, as we all know the current Benghazi Committee was created for the express purpose of hurting Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary R. Clinton. As McCarthy accidentally admitted last week,
"Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable right? But we put together a Benghazi Special Committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Cause she’s untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought and made that happen."
Ignoring the fact, that McCarthy has this odd Michele Bachmann speaking impediment, as with Mitt Romney's 47% speech and so many other Republicans, McCarthy spoke out loud that which Republicans must never say, that the entire Republican Party is nothing more than a tawdry collection of ghouls, bigots, lunatics, and plutocratic hatchet men, whose only goals are to get as rich as possible and advance the Conservative Agenda of Oppression, Intolerance and Adulation of the Rich.

Benghazi is nothing more than a Political Witch Hunt. 4 Americans lost their lives and this is terrible, but they were engaged in a CIA operation, working at the Tip of the Spear, in a hostile environment and literal warzone.

30,000 Americans die every year from Gun Violence on U.S. soil, with spectacular Mass Shootings taking more American lives more and more frequently, every year.

If, McCarthy and the Republican Party cared about American lives and were not just using the dead to advance the evil Conservative Agenda, then every Mass Shooting in America would receive 13 special investigations and have 3 years of non-stop Faux News coverage and now have a special sub-committee expending millions of dollars to investigate the deaths of 4 Americans.

But, none of the Mass Shootings are being investigated in this manner. It puts paid to the lie that Republicans care about American Lives. The Republican Party does not care about American Lives and has no interest in protecting the American People but, will instead use (in every sickening sense of the word) Americans to enrich their Political Owners.

Just note that after every shooting, every Republican rushes forward to declare this is not the time to discuss Guns and offers up their worthless 'Thoughts and Prayers'. They literally do nothing about the deaths of Americans.

After a week or so passes, Republicans declare the problem is the murdered victims are to blame for their own deaths and blame Mental Health problems in the country. Then the Republicans proceed to do absolutely nothing about Mental Health and empower no one to do anything about the mentally ill.

And Conservatives greedily lap up the Kabuki theater, the Republicans Stage as they wed themselves more and more to a cadre of Rich Guard Dogs whose goal is to enshackle the entire populace into Wage Slavery and Corporate Bondage, while We, the People live in a state of abject terror wondering if this is the day, some Right-Wing Domestic Terrorist is going to run amuck and gun us down.

Friday, October 2, 2015

The 2nd Amendment is a Suicide Pact but, oh well "Stuff Happens"

"There is danger that, if the court does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, it will convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact." - Justice Robert H. Jackson
Apropos of Justice Jackson's observation, the Second Amendment is, in fact, a Suicide Pact. The Cult of the Gun has taken over the United States and distorted the Second Amendment through parsing, legal rigamarole, obfuscation, deliberate lies, outright evil falsehoods, and disingenious argument reductio de absurbmentum and created a society in which common sense and strict enforcement of anti-gun legislation is impossible and brought the entire Nation down a repeating destructive path.

An armed society is not a polite society. It is a murderous, trigger happy, edgy, nervous society. So, we are witness to the spectacle of the Mass Shooting Gun Humping Maniac Dance. A killer armed with a Gun kills 9 and wounds 17 more at an Oregon Community College and immediately the Gun Nuts demand more Guns.

The Cult of the Second Amendment is one of those National Delusions and Insanities that overcomes a people from time to time.

Rereading Charles Mackey's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, the current thinking re: the 2A is strikingly similar to the madness of Duelling which Europe suffered through for centuries.

Meanwhile after every shooting, the Republican response is to provide the literal least they can to the vicitms, as they offer up their 'Thoughts and Prayers' and proclaim this is not the time to talk about Gun Control as we're all too emotional. So, get used to get. Sandy Hook didn't change anything. In fact it made the situation worse as gun laws were loosened everywhere and gun humping lunatics flooded youtube, twitter, and facebook with Sandy Hook was a Hoax videos.

Even now, on-line stories are flooded with gun humping nuts who proclaim and chant the received wisdom, Holy Second Amendment! Gun Laws don't Stop Gun Rampages! And We, the People are held hostage to the Gun Nuts insanity as we wait for the next mass shooting at a yoga studio, grade school, or military base.