Facts are always a troubling issue for the wingnuts. If you can't yell them into submission or smother them in a suffocating cocoon of lies, how do you handle them?
Awkward Fact #1: According to this year's UN survey of best places to live, the US ranks only 13th with Norway coming first. Of course, conservatives will tell you the UN is full of sh** and America is the best place to live in the entire universe. But they have zero facts to back up their exceptionalist fantasy so I'm more inclined to believe the UN statisticians. At least those guys don't yell in your face and tell you to go live in France (#8 BTW) if you disagree with them.
Awkward Fact #2: The good news for non-wingnuts is that America is once again the world's most admired nation (suck on that Norway!). The bad news for wingnuts? Most admired "thanks largely to the star power of President Barack Obama and his administration, according to a new poll. It climbed from seventh place last year, ahead of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan which completed the top five nations in the Nation Brand Index (NBI)."
What's that sound? I think Rush Limbaugh's bile duct is about to blow...
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Christianist Hypocrisy Alive and Well
Before the recent Muslim Day of Unity rally in DC, the Family Research Council dickishly released an open letter demanding that the organizers of the event "unequivocally denounce" terrorism. They also took the chance to remind everyone that the Koran inspires said terrorism because it advocates violence against 'infidels'.
This tired old bloviation about the Koran promoting 'death to infidels' is annoying as hell. Not because it isn't true, but because those Christianists who hold up the Koran as an example of violent intolerance seem blissfully unaware that their Bible is full of the same stuff. Here are a few of the more hotheaded directives straight from God's desk:
"Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death"
Exodus 31:14
"Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities."
Isaiah 14:21
"Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished."
Isaiah 13:15-16
"A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD's work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed!"
Jeremiah 48:10
"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do."
Exodus 21:7-11
"If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her."
Deuteronomy 22:28-29
"If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death"
Deuteronomy 22:23-24
"Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed."
Exodus 22:20
"If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death."
Deuteronomy 13:6-9
"If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known)... you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town."
Deuteronomy 13:12-15
"I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe."
Jude 5
This tired old bloviation about the Koran promoting 'death to infidels' is annoying as hell. Not because it isn't true, but because those Christianists who hold up the Koran as an example of violent intolerance seem blissfully unaware that their Bible is full of the same stuff. Here are a few of the more hotheaded directives straight from God's desk:
"Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death"
Exodus 31:14
"Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities."
Isaiah 14:21
"Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished."
Isaiah 13:15-16
"A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD's work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed!"
Jeremiah 48:10
"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do."
Exodus 21:7-11
"If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her."
Deuteronomy 22:28-29
"If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death"
Deuteronomy 22:23-24
"Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed."
Exodus 22:20
"If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death."
Deuteronomy 13:6-9
"If you hear it said about one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you to live in that wicked men have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods you have not known)... you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town."
Deuteronomy 13:12-15
"I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe."
Jude 5
Random Info
According to the United Nations 65,000 square miles of forest is destroyed each year (or one entire state of Wisconsin). If we constructed solar farms to handle the entire planet's energy requirements at the same rate, we'd be done in three years.
The Conservative Bible Project - Preposterous Fake or Preposterous Reality?
Conservative Jesus: "Sure, I'll turn the other cheek. So y'all can kiss my white a**."
The Bible is full of creeping liberalism and morals that don't fit well with conservative orthodoxy. So it was only a matter of time before conservatives got around to rewriting it in their own image.
At the Conservative Bible Project, they are doing just that. "Liberal bias has become the single biggest distortion in modern Bible translations" they say. "Large reductions in this error can be attained simply by retranslating the KJV into modern English."
Wha..? Yup, they're rewriting the Bible to fit, not with the 'word of God' (or King James I) per se, but with Conservapedia's guidelines.
"As of 2009, there is no fully conservative translation of the Bible which satisfies the following ten [Conservapedia] guidelines:
• Framework against Liberal Bias
• Not Emasculated
• Not Dumbed Down
• Utilize Powerful Conservative Terms
• Combat Harmful Addiction
• Accept the Logic of Hell
• Express Free Market Parables
• Exclude Later-Inserted Liberal Passages
• Credit Open-Mindedness of Disciples
• Prefer Conciseness over Liberal Wordiness
Thus, a project has begun among members of Conservapedia to translate the Bible in accordance with these principles."
A lot of people are hoping the Conservative Bible Project is a hoax. But Conservapedia founder Andrew Schlafly is claiming credit as editor which would seem to imply it's not a parody. Schafly might be insane, but I'm sure he'd get around to erasing an entire fake section planted satirically on his own Web site - especially one credited to himself. Wouldn't he?
I've got an open question up at Yahoo answers asking "Is the conservative bible project a satirical hoax or is it for real?" Watch this space...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Down But Not Out
2008 Campaign flashback... Wish I could find the picture of McCain wearing a dashiki in Watts that same day.
Obama's approval trajectory might look disappointing right now but, at the same 200 day mark in his presidency, Bush was 3-4% less popular. (Then, of course, 9-11 happened and the resultant mood of national solidarity pushed him up to a stratospheric 90%.)
Those amongst us who are not shedding faith in Obama, should take comfort in the stats. At this point in his presidency, Clinton was also behind Obama by a full 8 points. Even so, and in spite of Gingrich and co's determination to destroy him, he went on to leave office with a rating almost double that of Bush.
So if Obama does have Clinton-league balls and is able to grow stronger by feeding off the hatred like Bubba did, he's all set for a second term and a chance of being remembered as a top ten C-in-C.
It wouldn't hurt to start following through on some campaign promises as well.
Republican Patriotism [sic]
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country."
— Theodore Roosevelt
Sure, Republicans have no problem with the first part of FDR's quote on patriotism and will happily cite it as a justification for their campaign of insurgency against the Obama government.
But have they even noticed the qualification at the end that puts the whole quote into context for the benefit of the simple-minded? Have the RNC honestly and rationally considered the degree to which Obama is standing by his country or the degree to which their own opposition might have gone full circle from patriotism to open treason by FDR's standard?
During the Spanish Civil war, as Franco besieged Madrid, the term 'Fifth Column' was coined for his forces working secretly from within to undermine the capital's defenses. Ever since then, the idea of the 'Fifth Column' has become synonymous with treachery.
Now the Republican party is fast becoming our very own American 'Fifth Column'. While they talk a good talk about doing the best by their country, everything they do would indicate the opposite. Truly, Republicans love America like Ted Bundy loved women. They don't give a rat's a** about the country or the people. All they want is for Obama to fail. And if that means taking America down with him, oh well.
This week we saw the Republican party cheering America's failure to win the 2016 Olympics because to them, it's way more important to frame it as a loss for Obama. They've heckled US strategies on Iran because, God forbid, the 'loyal opposition' should be expected to put aside party politics and support their own country during a crisis.
And, right now, Republicans are supporting a right wing coup in Honduras because Obama has expressed opposition to it. They are headed to the upcoming climate change conference in Copenhagen in order to publicly oppose US official policy. They've been to Israel to speak against Obama's position on expanded settlements. They've even 'warned' the communist government of China not to trust our government saying that the Obama administration's budget numbers "should not be believed."
Add to all that, Sarah Palin's willingness to bad-mouth Obama to any foreign audience with a checkbook, and it's not unreasonable to conclude that today's Republicans are some of the most treacherous and amoral sons of bitches ever to crawl out of the gutter. How f***ing dare they try to own the concept of patriotism. If the situation was reversed, they would be putting us all on lockdown and calling for treason trials.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Random Picture of the Day
I'm sure(ish) Disco Rick doesn't smoke PCP for breakfast, so this cover should be filed under 'ill-advised humor'. But there's ill-advised and then there's terminally ill-advised...
Catholic Church only 5% Pedophile... Hurrah!
"The Vatican representative to the United Nations claims 'only' 5 percent of the Catholic clergy worldwide had been linked to sexual abuse and that this was primarily the result of homosexual attraction not pedophilia."
Err... that's OK then. Your kid's still got a fighting chance at church when you can safely assume only one out of every twenty priests will a** rape them. I'd rather send my kid to a federal penitentiary or Anton Lavey's Church of Satan Summer Camp than run those odds.
Err... that's OK then. Your kid's still got a fighting chance at church when you can safely assume only one out of every twenty priests will a** rape them. I'd rather send my kid to a federal penitentiary or Anton Lavey's Church of Satan Summer Camp than run those odds.
Stop The Presses! Glenn Beck Accidently Correct!
The pudgy weeper recently accused atheists of being to blame for America's problems. For once I could agree with him.
If by 'atheists', he meant Ayn Rand (see previous), and by 'America's problems', he meant the economy, Beck is totally on the money.
If by 'atheists', he meant Ayn Rand (see previous), and by 'America's problems', he meant the economy, Beck is totally on the money.
The Republican Party. What's up with that?
I've ingested my venti latte and I'm about to intellectualize. So if you're a Glenn Beck viewer, you should probably skip this bit and get back to your 9-12 Rally Commemorative coloring book (no black or brown crayons necessary). Here goes...
Smarter folks than I have been pondering the Republican Party's decline and wondering what needs to be done to rehabilitate it. Just what went so horribly wrong with the party of Lincoln that it's ended up as the party of Rush Limbaugh?
My favorite theory is that the post-Nixon Republicans mistakenly adopted a flawed ideology that's really just a fusion of two mutually exclusive schools of thought. On one hand, the free market; on the other, fundamentalist Christianity. But trying to mix both of these into one efficient synthesis is like duct taping two rabbits together and expecting them to run in a straight line.
Ayn Rand, secular deity of freemarket capitalism, once said "Faith is the worst curse of mankind, as the exact antithesis and enemy of thought." So how are you supposed to stir that in with the Sermon on the Mount - the foundation of Christian principles - and create a potable mix?
Because its 'fusion philosophy' is unsustainable, the Republican party has ended up as a movement with a collapsed philosophical core. And as a movement without a philosophy, it has devolved into nothing but a blank canvas on which extremists and charlatans get to project their own. And who's left to argue with them? What could idea-free pols like Boehner or Steele ever be expected to do in the face of Limbaugh's unrelenting fascist circus other than cede authority, roll over and say 'Uncle'? (Which they do quite literally on occasion.)
Far be it from me to aid the Republican party (that's Obama's job), but it seems like the RNC needs to decide once and for all who their base is. Is it Wall Street or the megachurch? Check that task off the list, and they may have a chance. (Though, for obvious reasons, I'd prefer they didn't.)
Smarter folks than I have been pondering the Republican Party's decline and wondering what needs to be done to rehabilitate it. Just what went so horribly wrong with the party of Lincoln that it's ended up as the party of Rush Limbaugh?
My favorite theory is that the post-Nixon Republicans mistakenly adopted a flawed ideology that's really just a fusion of two mutually exclusive schools of thought. On one hand, the free market; on the other, fundamentalist Christianity. But trying to mix both of these into one efficient synthesis is like duct taping two rabbits together and expecting them to run in a straight line.
Ayn Rand, secular deity of freemarket capitalism, once said "Faith is the worst curse of mankind, as the exact antithesis and enemy of thought." So how are you supposed to stir that in with the Sermon on the Mount - the foundation of Christian principles - and create a potable mix?
Because its 'fusion philosophy' is unsustainable, the Republican party has ended up as a movement with a collapsed philosophical core. And as a movement without a philosophy, it has devolved into nothing but a blank canvas on which extremists and charlatans get to project their own. And who's left to argue with them? What could idea-free pols like Boehner or Steele ever be expected to do in the face of Limbaugh's unrelenting fascist circus other than cede authority, roll over and say 'Uncle'? (Which they do quite literally on occasion.)
Far be it from me to aid the Republican party (that's Obama's job), but it seems like the RNC needs to decide once and for all who their base is. Is it Wall Street or the megachurch? Check that task off the list, and they may have a chance. (Though, for obvious reasons, I'd prefer they didn't.)
Southern Romance & Myth
"The American South is a geographical entity, a historical fact, a place in the imagination, and the homeland of an array of Americans who consider themselves southerners. The region is often shrouded in romance and myth, but its realities are as intriguing, as intricate, as its legends."
'Encyclopedia of Southern Culture'
Random WTF?
The Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Ariz., offers customers the opportunity to keep their bodies suspended in liquid nitrogen after death in the (rather sketchy) hope they can be revived by future generations.
But, according to a new book by a former Alcor executive, their professionalism leaves something to be desired:
"Ted Williams' [the MLB's last .400 hitter] severed and frozen head was mutilated at the lab ... abuse by workers at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation included hitting it with a monkey wrench."
But, according to a new book by a former Alcor executive, their professionalism leaves something to be desired:
"Ted Williams' [the MLB's last .400 hitter] severed and frozen head was mutilated at the lab ... abuse by workers at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation included hitting it with a monkey wrench."
Fake Outrage Loop
"Christianists" is a handy term for wingnuts who use religion as a political wedge. I believe the term was coined by Andrew Sullivan but I'm too lazy to check.
And doesn't the South and that nondescript bit of America in the middle seem rife with these tedious a**holes? Not sure if it's their willful ignorance or their cynicism that prevents them from acknowledging simple ideas like, say, religious sectarianism having no place in federally-funded public schools.
Every day there's yet another fake-outrage story about oppressed Christians being discriminated against by the big, bad school system. Today it's cheerleaders at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High in Georgia being told to stop putting Bible verses on their banners. Shock! Horror! For the 10,000th f***ing time. Yawn...
It would be less irritating if the Christianists could just STFU and re-read the bit about 'Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and render up to God what is God's'. But with all their Old Testament tribalism and ire, I wonder if any of them even remember that Jesus isn't just the guy who mows their lawn.
And as for the most pandered to and privileged sect in America constantly crying 'opression'? Wake me up if the feds start throwing them to lions. Then we'll talk.
And doesn't the South and that nondescript bit of America in the middle seem rife with these tedious a**holes? Not sure if it's their willful ignorance or their cynicism that prevents them from acknowledging simple ideas like, say, religious sectarianism having no place in federally-funded public schools.
Every day there's yet another fake-outrage story about oppressed Christians being discriminated against by the big, bad school system. Today it's cheerleaders at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High in Georgia being told to stop putting Bible verses on their banners. Shock! Horror! For the 10,000th f***ing time. Yawn...
It would be less irritating if the Christianists could just STFU and re-read the bit about 'Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and render up to God what is God's'. But with all their Old Testament tribalism and ire, I wonder if any of them even remember that Jesus isn't just the guy who mows their lawn.
And as for the most pandered to and privileged sect in America constantly crying 'opression'? Wake me up if the feds start throwing them to lions. Then we'll talk.
Texas v. The Terr'ists
After one of those chippy Islamo-radicals tried to loose off a bomb in Dallas the other day, Daniel Miller and his Texas Nationalists decided it would be a good time to issue a warning to other wannabe martyrs.
There's not much to like about The Texas Nationalist Movement, but who could fail to be charmed by this folksy fatwa?
Random Wow
Rather than using wax crayons to draw with, Christian Faur uses the objects themselves like real-life pixels to build up images. F***ing awesome.
Picture of the Week
Gotta love this awkward snap of the Obamas with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero and his shuffling gothic brood. Nice to know even world leaders are powerless against their teenage kids' power to embarrass.
Gay Marriage in Texas?
From The Dallas Morning News:
"In a first for Texas, a judge ruled Thursday that two men married in another state can divorce here and that the state's ban on gay marriage violates the U.S. Constitution."
Let me just point out to the lunkheads that I'm not gay - even though I'm a liberal - but I am no fan of irrational discrimination either. You see, that's one thing that differentiates us liberal folk from you conservative types: we don't use the law to punish people for being different to ourselves. (Glad we got that out of the way.)
The logical consequence of a Texas court allowing a gay divorce is that Texas must now recognize the constitutional legality of gay marriage itself. Otherwise how could a divorce be legal if the marriage itself did not exist? Much as this may be distasteful to Rick Perry, he's going to have a hard job defending a ban that contravenes the US constitution on the grounds that he finds it personally objectionable.
So could the outlawing of gay marriage be a new cause for the secessionist loons? "Keep Texas Straight. Secede Now!"
"In a first for Texas, a judge ruled Thursday that two men married in another state can divorce here and that the state's ban on gay marriage violates the U.S. Constitution."
Let me just point out to the lunkheads that I'm not gay - even though I'm a liberal - but I am no fan of irrational discrimination either. You see, that's one thing that differentiates us liberal folk from you conservative types: we don't use the law to punish people for being different to ourselves. (Glad we got that out of the way.)
The logical consequence of a Texas court allowing a gay divorce is that Texas must now recognize the constitutional legality of gay marriage itself. Otherwise how could a divorce be legal if the marriage itself did not exist? Much as this may be distasteful to Rick Perry, he's going to have a hard job defending a ban that contravenes the US constitution on the grounds that he finds it personally objectionable.
So could the outlawing of gay marriage be a new cause for the secessionist loons? "Keep Texas Straight. Secede Now!"
Friday, October 2, 2009
The Feeling is Non-Mutual
"British act Muse didn't take too kindly to conserva-douche Glenn Beck's endorsement of their latest album on his show. After the gabber tipped the new album to his legion of followers, describing it as "brilliant," a representative from the band emailed the Fox Radio commentator and demanded he retract his endorsement."
Obama Derangement Syndrome
As could be expected, the wingnuts are delirious that Obama's best efforts have failed to win the Olympics for Chicago. Over at RNC-funded Town Hall, the mood is positively festive. Sample comment:
"YES!!!!! ANOTHER DEFEAT FOR OBAMA
I LOVE IT!! The bum just spent more than two million taxpayer dollars on a plane ride for himself and his America hating wife, only to fail big time!!There is SOME justice sometime. Think I'll have a stiff drink to celebrate."
Could any rational person not be bewildered by this kind of microscopically small-minded reaction?
I used to argue a lot with Bush supporters about their pet term "Bush Derangement Syndrome" being severely overused as a catch-all to counter any criticism of their Dear Leader. But could anything other than "Obama Derangement Syndrome" explain these cretins being so ecstatic to see America fail just because it entails a personal failure for a president they hate?
Next time some wingnut Beck zombie tries to own the concept of patriotism, don't bother trying to argue, just laugh politely and move on.
"YES!!!!! ANOTHER DEFEAT FOR OBAMA
I LOVE IT!! The bum just spent more than two million taxpayer dollars on a plane ride for himself and his America hating wife, only to fail big time!!There is SOME justice sometime. Think I'll have a stiff drink to celebrate."
Could any rational person not be bewildered by this kind of microscopically small-minded reaction?
I used to argue a lot with Bush supporters about their pet term "Bush Derangement Syndrome" being severely overused as a catch-all to counter any criticism of their Dear Leader. But could anything other than "Obama Derangement Syndrome" explain these cretins being so ecstatic to see America fail just because it entails a personal failure for a president they hate?
Next time some wingnut Beck zombie tries to own the concept of patriotism, don't bother trying to argue, just laugh politely and move on.
Overcompensating
According to Forbes the chief executives of America's 500 biggest companies "took a collective 11% pay cut last year, earning total compensation of $5.7 billion."
But, before feeling too sorry for our poverty-stricken CEOs, don't.
Think about Lawrence J Ellison, the number one guy on Forbes' CEO compensation list. Last year the Oracle CEO raked in a full $556.98 million in compensation. In other words, 10,000 times the median US household income and more than twice the GDP of Tonga.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this except to wonder what the hell one human being could possibly do in a year to be 'worth' that much. Sure, I believe in merit-based reward, but how could even the most hard-headed Ayn Rand fan rationalize this insanity?
All Hail Our New Overlords
Meet the guys who own your mortgage...
As Beijing celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, Japan comes to terms with losing its status as world #2 economy to the commies.
The shocker is not that Chinese GDP is also set to overtake the US, but that it will take them a full two decades to get there. Don't they own us already?
Chicago Out. Let The Pile-On Begin...
When Obama skipped town to make a personal pitch for Chicago to the Olympic Committee in Copenhagen, it felt like a risky move. Unless the fix was in. But it wasn't:
"11:29 a.m., ET: Chicago is out. The Windy City has been removed from consideration after just one round of voting. Tokyo went out in the second round, leaving Rio de Janeiro and Madrid."
Of course Obama could not have won with the wingnuts at home either way. But to lose the bid is worse because they'll now get to paint the President as an ineffectual loser - rather than the rapacious cronyist angle Fox News was getting into its swing with.
F***. I think the wingnuts have just been thrown a very large and bloody chunk of red meat.
"11:29 a.m., ET: Chicago is out. The Windy City has been removed from consideration after just one round of voting. Tokyo went out in the second round, leaving Rio de Janeiro and Madrid."
Of course Obama could not have won with the wingnuts at home either way. But to lose the bid is worse because they'll now get to paint the President as an ineffectual loser - rather than the rapacious cronyist angle Fox News was getting into its swing with.
F***. I think the wingnuts have just been thrown a very large and bloody chunk of red meat.
Obama Nine Months In. Triumph or Failure?
Living through these first months of the Obama administration has been like watching a movie that promised much only to find it has a plot line that unwinds way too slowly.
We're an hour or so in and still we have to reserve judgment. So how much longer can we sit in our seats waiting for this movie to 'cut to the chase' before we give up and walk out? This is like sitting down to watch the director's cut of Debbie Does Dallas only to find that the director in question is Ingmar Bergman. I want to support Obama, I want to 'believe'... but where's the f**ing money shot?
So far, we've had virtually no campaign planks nailed down: The Iraq and Afghanistan disasters still chug on, the economy is still at the mercy of the same unregulated free-marketeers who f***ed us to begin with and, the biggest plot hole of all, Obama has gone from expressing enthusiasm for a single payer healthcare system to a guy who now seems happy to let everything slide.
So far, all we've seen are healthcare measures that would do nothing except force us to buy the same overpriced and unregulated insurance on pain of jail time. Gee, thanks guys. The travesty coming out of Baucus' committee is the kind of corporatist BJ not even the most hardline Republicans could have dreamed of... So where's that guy who spoke so inspiringly of change? Is this what we voted for?
Now the cliffhanger is: will Obama swoop in heroically at the end of the deliberative process and make it all OK? Or will he let this miserable legislation through, thus guaranteeing a Democratic rout in 2010 and making even us liberals yearn wistfully for the good old days of George W. Bush? After all, with Bush, you knew you were going to be screwed. There were no surprises and fewer disappointments... unlike now when the potential for government to disappoint has never been bigger.
For now, I'll sit back down, take another handful of popcorn and wait for the movie to pick up the pace. WTF else can we do?
We're an hour or so in and still we have to reserve judgment. So how much longer can we sit in our seats waiting for this movie to 'cut to the chase' before we give up and walk out? This is like sitting down to watch the director's cut of Debbie Does Dallas only to find that the director in question is Ingmar Bergman. I want to support Obama, I want to 'believe'... but where's the f**ing money shot?
So far, we've had virtually no campaign planks nailed down: The Iraq and Afghanistan disasters still chug on, the economy is still at the mercy of the same unregulated free-marketeers who f***ed us to begin with and, the biggest plot hole of all, Obama has gone from expressing enthusiasm for a single payer healthcare system to a guy who now seems happy to let everything slide.
So far, all we've seen are healthcare measures that would do nothing except force us to buy the same overpriced and unregulated insurance on pain of jail time. Gee, thanks guys. The travesty coming out of Baucus' committee is the kind of corporatist BJ not even the most hardline Republicans could have dreamed of... So where's that guy who spoke so inspiringly of change? Is this what we voted for?
Now the cliffhanger is: will Obama swoop in heroically at the end of the deliberative process and make it all OK? Or will he let this miserable legislation through, thus guaranteeing a Democratic rout in 2010 and making even us liberals yearn wistfully for the good old days of George W. Bush? After all, with Bush, you knew you were going to be screwed. There were no surprises and fewer disappointments... unlike now when the potential for government to disappoint has never been bigger.
For now, I'll sit back down, take another handful of popcorn and wait for the movie to pick up the pace. WTF else can we do?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Did Someone Say "Durr"?
Wingnut ginge, Robert Knight, has a clever new thought at Townhall.com:
"Obama stickers are getting harder to spot. That’s right. The ubiquitous blue stickers with the round, red-white-and blue symbol are coming off the bumpers. Even in northern Virginia, which has large pockets of yellow dog Democrats, the stickers are disappearing. Is this evidence of buyer’s remorse?"
Buyer's remorse? Probably more to do with the the election having been over for nearly a year and the average Obama supporter being a little quicker than the red state neanderthals who still drive around with 'Bush Cheney 2004' stickers on their moronmobiles. Just a thought...
"Obama stickers are getting harder to spot. That’s right. The ubiquitous blue stickers with the round, red-white-and blue symbol are coming off the bumpers. Even in northern Virginia, which has large pockets of yellow dog Democrats, the stickers are disappearing. Is this evidence of buyer’s remorse?"
Buyer's remorse? Probably more to do with the the election having been over for nearly a year and the average Obama supporter being a little quicker than the red state neanderthals who still drive around with 'Bush Cheney 2004' stickers on their moronmobiles. Just a thought...
It's Not The Same
Conservatives often accuse me of doing what I accuse them of doing. They say I'm just as bad as they are because I hate everything conservative while they (for good reason they tell me) hate all things liberal. But this isn't true.
I don't claim to be a political genius — I'm no Barry Goldwater, Noam Chomsky or Joe The Plumber — but I do know when to give credit where credit is due and I do try to step wide of the partisan trap that seems to have snared everybody on the right today.
Liberals and Conservative are not the same: This dumb fight is not being waged equally.
Are there, for example, any self-professed liberals who would not list Lincoln as a great president? So where are the contemporary conservatives who'd give it up to FDR for winning WW2 or pulling the country out of the Great Depression? Even as a liberal, I'd say America has never been as well off as it was during the Eisenhower administration. But would any teabagging bobblehead ever admit the country was almost as well off under Bubba Clinton? I'd say no.
The conservative movement is now nothing more than a neo-nativist mob taking its marching orders from Limbaugh, Palin, Hannity and all the other no-brained nabobs. These are the people and the ideas I hate with every fiber of my being - not genuine conservatives who, just like me, must throw up a little in their throats to contemplate Sarah Palin finding a home within the party of Lincoln.
So I say show me a real conservative and I might find common ground. But until those guys start peeking over the parapets to reclaim their party back from the rabble, there can be no common ground, no desire on my part to talk rationally with the irrational and no debate more complex than "F*** you, f*** you too."
I don't claim to be a political genius — I'm no Barry Goldwater, Noam Chomsky or Joe The Plumber — but I do know when to give credit where credit is due and I do try to step wide of the partisan trap that seems to have snared everybody on the right today.
Liberals and Conservative are not the same: This dumb fight is not being waged equally.
Are there, for example, any self-professed liberals who would not list Lincoln as a great president? So where are the contemporary conservatives who'd give it up to FDR for winning WW2 or pulling the country out of the Great Depression? Even as a liberal, I'd say America has never been as well off as it was during the Eisenhower administration. But would any teabagging bobblehead ever admit the country was almost as well off under Bubba Clinton? I'd say no.
The conservative movement is now nothing more than a neo-nativist mob taking its marching orders from Limbaugh, Palin, Hannity and all the other no-brained nabobs. These are the people and the ideas I hate with every fiber of my being - not genuine conservatives who, just like me, must throw up a little in their throats to contemplate Sarah Palin finding a home within the party of Lincoln.
So I say show me a real conservative and I might find common ground. But until those guys start peeking over the parapets to reclaim their party back from the rabble, there can be no common ground, no desire on my part to talk rationally with the irrational and no debate more complex than "F*** you, f*** you too."
Puerility Spasm #3
I was put in the mood for chasing down a few regrettable acronyms for my own amusement after reading how The Wisconsin Tourism Federation has "quietly rebranded" after getting sick of providing entertainment for immature bloggers like me. They have now reshuffled their name to avoid the awkward WTF acronym and are henceforth to be known as TFW (Tourism Federation of Wisconsin). Bah...
Here's another bad acronym in action:
"For more than 120 years, the Schaeffler Group with its brand FAG has been one of the leading manufacturers of precision rolling bearings for the automotive, mechanical engineering and aerospace industries."
Yet in all those 120 years, no-one has seen fit to whisper in their ear about "FAG Aerospace" sounding a bit weird?
I'm also impressed by those high-minded types at the National Academy of Sciences for sticking with the name Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), for their scientific journal. I guess they're better men than I.
But the best bad acronyms are ones where the deathly serious nature of the subject is given an unintentionally frivolous or smutty overhaul. Islamic terrorists, for example, are not usually amusing. But if you refer to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front of the Philippines by their acronym 'MILF' they seem a lot more fun. Same goes for our own Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office when they go by their fabulous acronym 'DISCO'.
Reader Comment
This is today's favorite pick from my inbox. A good sample of the standard of intellectual debate I enjoy:
If any other readers would care to vent their spleen, or tell me how great I am, please feel free to email me at friedwire.org@hotmail.com As you may notice from the date stamps, I'm not exactly diligent about checking my inbox, but I will always respond.
If any other readers would care to vent their spleen, or tell me how great I am, please feel free to email me at friedwire.org@hotmail.com As you may notice from the date stamps, I'm not exactly diligent about checking my inbox, but I will always respond.
End of Socialism?
With the recent win by conservatives in the German general election, and the predicted trouncing of the governing Labour party in Britain's upcoming elections, American conservatives are heralding "the end of Socialism" in Europe.
But if the British Conservative party does win in November, the evangelical/neocon/teabagger clowns on this side of the Atlantic would do well to reserve their fist bumps. Just as they have no idea what Socialism means, they don't seem to be aware that Barack Obama would find much more in common with European conservatism than would the average Republican.
As Andrew Sullivan says:
"Sarkozy, Merkel and [British Conservative Party leader] Cameron are conservatives who reflexively support a welfare state that American Republicans believe is "communism". The three Euro-Tories are also dedicated to a secular politics, are neutral on abortion and strong supporters of gay equality. Cameron has championed socialized medicine and gay marriage as a core tenet of his One Nation Toryism. Suck on that, Newt."
Sort of reminds me how Nixon, that arch Republican villian to so many lefties, would have been considered a big ol' liberal in today's political environment. Left/Right? It's in the eye of the beholder.
But if the British Conservative party does win in November, the evangelical/neocon/teabagger clowns on this side of the Atlantic would do well to reserve their fist bumps. Just as they have no idea what Socialism means, they don't seem to be aware that Barack Obama would find much more in common with European conservatism than would the average Republican.
As Andrew Sullivan says:
"Sarkozy, Merkel and [British Conservative Party leader] Cameron are conservatives who reflexively support a welfare state that American Republicans believe is "communism". The three Euro-Tories are also dedicated to a secular politics, are neutral on abortion and strong supporters of gay equality. Cameron has championed socialized medicine and gay marriage as a core tenet of his One Nation Toryism. Suck on that, Newt."
Sort of reminds me how Nixon, that arch Republican villian to so many lefties, would have been considered a big ol' liberal in today's political environment. Left/Right? It's in the eye of the beholder.
Random Picture of the Day
If you can say the Silver Star ORP-1803 mini organ/radio/turntable is not the coolest/dumbest gadget ever devised by mankind, I say you are a liar.
Theory of Mutual Stupidity, Part II
Yahoo News f***ed itself after Katrina when it ran those famous pictures of survivors wading chest deep in water clutching supplies retrieved from abandoned stores. Black people were captioned as 'looters', while white people had just 'found' stuff.
Of course, Yahoo played the 'nothing to do with us' card, blamed the AP and claimed no editorial control over syndicated news items. But for a megacorporation like Yahoo to claim it lacked the resources to vet content disseminated to the entire planet under its own name came over as a tad unconvincing.
Now Yahoo seems to be playing the old 'Both Sides Are As Bad As Each other/Theory of Mutual Stupidity' game that the media can't seem to resist these days. It goes like this: As the wingnut right gets ever more extreme, the media increases its efforts to equate their insane transgressions with examples of Democrat 'bad behavior' that aren't even in the same league. It's as if they think doing this will make their analysis look balanced and impartial. Trouble is, it doesn't. All it does is excuse and encourage the obnoxious behavior of the wingnuts in the minds of casual news consumers and speed the descent of political discourse into a mob mindset where anything goes.
Example: Joe Wilson's multi-pronged blitzkrieg on House decorum and standards is only as bad as Democrat Alan Grayson hoisting a few signs on his easel while he talked about health care? According to Yahoo it is.
Really? Did Grayson publicly insult the president of the United States? Did Grayson flout congressional rules and protocols like it was his first day on the job and he'd ducked the Tourette's screening? Did Grayson lie while accusing others of the same sin?
Joe Wilson busted out one of the most flagrant bouts of bad behavior by a congressman in living memory. Alan Grayson had some posters. To compare them is as spectacularly disingenuous as comparing, oh I don't know, Barack Obama with Adolf Hitler.
Of course, Yahoo played the 'nothing to do with us' card, blamed the AP and claimed no editorial control over syndicated news items. But for a megacorporation like Yahoo to claim it lacked the resources to vet content disseminated to the entire planet under its own name came over as a tad unconvincing.
Now Yahoo seems to be playing the old 'Both Sides Are As Bad As Each other/Theory of Mutual Stupidity' game that the media can't seem to resist these days. It goes like this: As the wingnut right gets ever more extreme, the media increases its efforts to equate their insane transgressions with examples of Democrat 'bad behavior' that aren't even in the same league. It's as if they think doing this will make their analysis look balanced and impartial. Trouble is, it doesn't. All it does is excuse and encourage the obnoxious behavior of the wingnuts in the minds of casual news consumers and speed the descent of political discourse into a mob mindset where anything goes.
Example: Joe Wilson's multi-pronged blitzkrieg on House decorum and standards is only as bad as Democrat Alan Grayson hoisting a few signs on his easel while he talked about health care? According to Yahoo it is.
Really? Did Grayson publicly insult the president of the United States? Did Grayson flout congressional rules and protocols like it was his first day on the job and he'd ducked the Tourette's screening? Did Grayson lie while accusing others of the same sin?
Joe Wilson busted out one of the most flagrant bouts of bad behavior by a congressman in living memory. Alan Grayson had some posters. To compare them is as spectacularly disingenuous as comparing, oh I don't know, Barack Obama with Adolf Hitler.
Life in a Small Town
A community of midgets (is 'midgets' still OK?) has set up its own village in China to "escape discrimination from normal-sized people." Everyone in the mountain commune in Kunming, southern China, must be under 4ft 3 ins to join. They run their own police force and fire brigade from amongst their 120 residents. Now the group has turned itself into a tourist attraction by building mushroom houses and living and dressing like fairy tale characters.
Does this sound like somewhere Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong would have woken up during a bad acid trip or what?
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