Vile assholes again

Been reading the kerfuffle about Obama mistaking Auschwitz for Buchenwald and his great uncle for his uncle in a speech.

Several thoughts:

First, I had several aunts and uncles who were really my great aunts and uncles. That's what I called them and that's what they answered to. That sort of language was normal in the middle of America that I grew up in. Those folks were my grandparents brothers and sisters, but often they were as close as or closer than some of my real uncles and aunts.

Second, calling Buchenwald Auschwitz seems to be not a very big deal. Anyone who has had to speak publicly has made minor mistakes like that, It happens to trial attorneys frequently, you correct and move on. The jurors or judge will simply correct in their head realizing that you truly "miss-spoke." I mean lets face it the [great]uncle was really there.

Third though, is the bazaar insistence of various Republicans and right wingers who continue to attack the entire speach. Going so far as to try to prove that the guy wasn't even in the war in Europe, then when they get slapped down (by a WWII vet who was there) they keep gong on to try to justify their bullshit.

I guess it worked in 2004 and 2000, but those were not the kind of campaigns that this one seems able to be. The fact that in both those elections they were able to attack people who really did serve in Vietnam as well cowards and get away with it with enough people to get real cowards elected continues to amaze me. However, this time the response was immediate by Obama and effective. In fact, that has been what has been happening right through the election up to this point. They should have figured out that things have changed and their vile lies are not being accepted quite as easily.

As a trial attorney I know that sometimes one does not get the answer one wants from a question. Sometimes it's an important question. What you do at that point is (unless you have some way of proving the witness was lying) simply go on to the next question and pretend that the answer you got wasn't all that important after all. You don't keep digging.

That is just what these guys have continued to do in this case and in so doing they look a little sillier and anything else that they throw out there is going to be a little less likely to stick (hopefully).

Trolls and the GI Bill

Well I was reduced to spluttering after repeated responses to a troll on Hullabaloo concerning Webb's GI Bill.


The incredibly bland response by the troll continued to be that really people in the military got paid for their time, so they really don't need all that largess from the poor government. He also went off (or maybe it was someone else) on whether volunteers should get the money as opposed to draftees, and whether or not you should get benefits if you were not in combat.


He was called a libertarian by several of the posters. I'm not sure that he isn't just a jerk.


Now that I've calmed down somewhat I wonder what kind of game he was really playing. It was clear that he was never going to serve in the military so everything he argued was simply thought games. He clearly didn't have enough of a felling of empathy for anyone outside his close circle.


All though I am not particularly found of Kipling one is reminded of his "Tommy."


As far as the current bill? McCain and Bush are amazing (as are apparently 41 other senators). In the middle of two wars (let us not forget Afghanistan) they are against giving benefits to the people who are actually fighting those wars. What is even more shocking is that they have been getting away with it. Their reasoning is that people won't be forced to stay in the military if they are provided benefits that more or less equal those given to soldiers during the Vietnam era. The phrase indentured servitude comes to mind.


From what I can see the bill doesn't provide all the original bill provided for WWII vets. That is amazing when you think about it. The original GI Bill benefited the entire country in ways that went way beyond the benefits given to the service men directly. Teachers, builders, people who worked in factories and the people who owned the factories were all benefited by the money spent by the returning vets. How little we want to give now. How short sighted we are now.


Of course the other possibility is that McCain/Bush know exactly what they are doing and they are simply lying to the rubes who follow them. In order to maintain an aggressive empire we have to maintain a large military it is better to pay them less and to force them to stay in. It appears cheaper to those who now rule us. The rulers of today do not have the foresight that those of yesteryear did.


If the bill falls just one or two votes short of the super majority in the senate, do you think that Reid will force a real filibuster? Oh come on let's get real shall we. Say when did the definition of liberal include "give up?"

Lieberman

There have been two posts now in moderately well connected blogs about how it will be necessary to keep Lieberman as part of the rulers of the Senate even if the Democrats win the Senate come November.

The attitude of those two posts just blows me away. Here is a guy who is supporting the other party's nominee for president. Here is a guy who manages to make his votes look good, but who in reality, in the procedural votes that set up the final votes will vote against the interest of progressives. Then when the final vote comes around will vote in a way that makes him look progressive.

Well, we need Lieberman we're told because he gives us a majority now. Hell, what has the Democratic party in the Senate done with that majority? Absolutely nothin'. We need his vote in the next Senate because it might give us a 60 vote majority and then we can force closure. Crap. Make the Republicans really filibuster, not just vote once and then cave as we've been doing for the last two years.

Now once I've said that I have to realize who the Democrats are in the Senate and realize two things: First, they probably don't really want to make any real changes; Second, Lieberman gives them cover so they can whine that they really can't accomplish anything because they don't have 100% of the votes.

Crap my head hurts.

Death and Sex

Well. I came into the office today and was told that one of my former clients' had killed himself. Probably by accident. An overdose. He'd done that several times before (overdosed I mean), so it shouldn't have been a real surprise.

I'm currently representing the widow in a custody matter maid even more difficult because of the special needs of one of the kids. So I know or rather knew this guy fairly well. I got the news and then called the widow. Said all the right things, felt nothing at all. Brother this is a strange job. If you are even remotely inclined to be cynical this job will bring out the worst in you. Too bad. So sad.

The second thing that happened was a little weirder. No death involved. This adult was charged with providing obscene pictures to a juvenile. A seventeen year old girl. If he really did it, it's a crime punishable with up to six months in jail.

What makes it so weird is that if he had screwed her instead ---- wait for it ---- that's not a crime. Of course, I would guess that he couldn't have any mirrors up.

Happy Mother's Day

Hey happy Mother's Day all you Mothers. We took my fiancees Mom out to lunch and it was very good and pleasant.

My Mom is in Florida and we had already sent her some stuff, but I wanted to call her today. Well, that is a little difficult sometimes because she is nearly completely deaf. Hearing aids don't help and she won't get implants. Well any way I phoned her and she said hello and that she was looking forward to picking me up at the airport tonight. (That would be my brother and his wife,) Oh well, I guess I'll just phone tomorrow and talk to him and let him know who called this morning.

I'm Back

Ok, I realize that no one really cares that I was gone, but this is good practice.

At any rate I was busy writing the fifth chapter of a novel my writing group is writing. Unfortunately, I neglected to read the fourth chapter carefully enough, so I'm going to have to go back and fix the beginning. Don't worry you will all (both of you) be given a copy of the chapter both before and after the corrections.

I've been reading the various blogs concerning the battles between Clinton and Obama. The battles are more vicious than those between the democrats and republicans. But then you know the most vicious fights seem to take place between those who are really not very far apart ideologically.

Kind of like the later Roman republic. Moving towards our Caesars. Leaving the generally population behind. The great mass of people more than willing to lay themselves down for the glorious leader, whoever that may be.

Damn I'm kind of glad I'm old.

Four Dead in Ohio

Ok, I had forgotten that this was the 38th anniversary of Kent State until I saw this.

My God, what happened to us then?

That was it for me. I had been in Thailand and seen the poverty and class system we were over there to protect. All the GIs I spoke with in Thailand who had been in Vietnam told me it was much worse in Vietnam. It had started me thinking for myself. Something one should never do if one wants to continue to support our perpetual neo-colonial wars.

What is it about so many who think that if our leaders want to take us into any war any where then we've just got to support it no matter what? What does the average person think they or their friends, family or children get from it?

We clearly aren't there to spread democracy. We aren't there to spread our religion[s]. We don't even get any economic benefits from it. Oh, those who rule get the economic benefits, but the rest of us get $4.00 gas.

Bush is at the lowest popular level ever, but McCain who policies are simply more Bush, is close to becoming the next president.

What we don't hear

Well I guess it really was a great day after all. At least for people connected with Harry Bridges old union.

You know, I wonder why no one any where is writing about this? Why do you think folks?

What A Greeeeeeeeaaaaaaat Day This Is

Well guess what today is? It is not only the National Day of Prayer (Xions only) of course with Ollie North leading. But wait, there's more: It is also national cod piece day

But we all know what all of us dirty hippies will be celebrating here today don't we. That's right: Workers of the World unite and throw off your chains (or at least goof off for a while). Yes, you've got it right it is May Day comrades. International Workers Day. And that is what we will be celebrating here with all the other dirty hippies (ok both of them).

Let's not forget that Chicago gave us this day. Of course at first it seemed just another police riot in that toddling town (they seem to do those quite well). But after only a little over a hundred years the workers in this country are being forced back to just about where they were then, so let's celebrate as if its the 19th century. (Forty hour work week? Who needs it?)

Oh Yeah. Vanity Fair. I am shocked! Shocked and appalled I tell you. Do you suppose that means that they can't sell Vanity Fair at the PXs any more?