OK so this isn't new. We always vote against our better interests, or nominate incompetents.
Or maybe we are just jerks.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Exxon Mobile
If we do not completely throw the bums out, and if the new bums we put in don't prevent this kind of thing from happening in the future, then we deserve our destruction. And the sooner the better.
As some one once said: "In a democracy the people eventually do get the government they deserve."
As some one once said: "In a democracy the people eventually do get the government they deserve."
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Rhetoric
I was thinking, while driving, about right wing eleminationist rhetoric. Mostly because of the shooting in the Universal Unitarian Church and the books that were found in the guys house.
Dave Neiwert argues the danger and problem this kind of really hatefully rhetoric that is spread around by people like Limbaugh and Coulter gets into mainstream discourse and taints it and corrupts it and allows the crazies to act on it. Kind of like the way racist rhetoric enabled lynchings.
But all that doesn't explain why, if there are indeed decent conservatives and if conservatism is a decent and valid philosophy. Why that rhetoric is not completely repudiated by main stream conservatives. Of course, if conservatism is (as I think) a truly corrupt ideology then that explains everything. It is then, in effect, no different than the kind of vile reactionary philosophy's of the governments of central Europe in the 19th century. Let's face it Buckley and his people argued for segregation in the 50s and 60s based on their beliefs that where blacks out numbered whites, there could not be democracy because blacks are simply inferior to whites.
They hate with a completely unselfconscious and truly uncontrolled hate. And let's face it they have the money to hire their mercenaries to defend their positions.
Dave Neiwert argues the danger and problem this kind of really hatefully rhetoric that is spread around by people like Limbaugh and Coulter gets into mainstream discourse and taints it and corrupts it and allows the crazies to act on it. Kind of like the way racist rhetoric enabled lynchings.
But all that doesn't explain why, if there are indeed decent conservatives and if conservatism is a decent and valid philosophy. Why that rhetoric is not completely repudiated by main stream conservatives. Of course, if conservatism is (as I think) a truly corrupt ideology then that explains everything. It is then, in effect, no different than the kind of vile reactionary philosophy's of the governments of central Europe in the 19th century. Let's face it Buckley and his people argued for segregation in the 50s and 60s based on their beliefs that where blacks out numbered whites, there could not be democracy because blacks are simply inferior to whites.
They hate with a completely unselfconscious and truly uncontrolled hate. And let's face it they have the money to hire their mercenaries to defend their positions.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Universal Church
You know it is kind of interesting that all those wimpy liberal pacifists were able to pull down a heavily armed terrorist fairly quickly. How do these things happen in the outside world again?
Sociopaths
I would probably be nice to have this amount of complete unself-awareness. On the other hand it is kind of disconcerting that apparently one of the major newspapers in this country has just that lack of self-awareness.
On top of that they really do not expect anyone to call them out on it. Blogging has been around for several years now and it has been important for at least a couple of years. Yet these people think that no one of any importance will notice. It reminds me a lot of the Clinton campaign. Times change and the big boys (and girls) are not capable of responding. In fact when they write or say it they still don't think they have to justify it.
On top of that they really do not expect anyone to call them out on it. Blogging has been around for several years now and it has been important for at least a couple of years. Yet these people think that no one of any importance will notice. It reminds me a lot of the Clinton campaign. Times change and the big boys (and girls) are not capable of responding. In fact when they write or say it they still don't think they have to justify it.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
It's a gas gas gas
You know last week gas prices here in the lovely heartland were $4.09 for regular. Then suddenly on Thursday they "plummeted" to $3.71.
Is it really election season already?
Is it really election season already?
Obama Lurch
So Obama keeps lurching to the right. You know it is weird. Perhaps he really believes what he is doing, but that of course means that when he was running in the primaries, at the best, he permitted his supporters to believe that his positions were more progressive than they really are. At the worst he just lied about it and told the people who were his real support what he wanted them to believe (to be fair, it was what they wanted to believe too).
Clinton (Bill not Hillary) did essentially the same thing. Then he spent the next eight years trying to get the beltway powers and the right wingers to like him. They never did and never would. It is beginning to look like Obama is really trying to do the same thing.
By sucking up to the right wing Clinton accomplished very little of real good in the world. Of course, unlike his successor, his truly evil accomplishments were relatively small. Do you suppose that is all Obama wants?
What has Obama done since securing the nomination? Really nothing at all, but move to the right (from not very left positions to begin with). The other thing is that he hasn't moved subtlety, but nosily and very publicly. What crap.
So I can go for the kinder gentler conservative authoritarian, or the real crazy fascist. How the hell did we get to this point.
Clinton (Bill not Hillary) did essentially the same thing. Then he spent the next eight years trying to get the beltway powers and the right wingers to like him. They never did and never would. It is beginning to look like Obama is really trying to do the same thing.
By sucking up to the right wing Clinton accomplished very little of real good in the world. Of course, unlike his successor, his truly evil accomplishments were relatively small. Do you suppose that is all Obama wants?
What has Obama done since securing the nomination? Really nothing at all, but move to the right (from not very left positions to begin with). The other thing is that he hasn't moved subtlety, but nosily and very publicly. What crap.
So I can go for the kinder gentler conservative authoritarian, or the real crazy fascist. How the hell did we get to this point.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Obama and the troops
Well once again the right is lying about Obama. Now they are saying that the troops didn't great him well and Obama blew by them. They said the same stuff about Kerry and it wasn't true.
Of course I was once a troop overseas during a war. You know what, as long as I was a troop I supported that whole damned war. Well there is one guy who said it best:
"Like all members of the military profession I never had an original thought until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of the higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service."
So I guess my main point is that you shouldn't ask the troops, for the most part they are going to support whatever they are doing.
Of course I was once a troop overseas during a war. You know what, as long as I was a troop I supported that whole damned war. Well there is one guy who said it best:
"Like all members of the military profession I never had an original thought until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of the higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service."
So I guess my main point is that you shouldn't ask the troops, for the most part they are going to support whatever they are doing.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Obama and inexperience
Ok I've had it with people who keep telling me how inexperienced Obama is. Just what experience did Lincoln have? Answer: a term or two as a state legislator and one term as a congressman. No administrative experience to speak of.
Now let's not forget probably the most experienced elected guy president of the twentieth century would have been Hoover.
Now let's not forget probably the most experienced elected guy president of the twentieth century would have been Hoover.
Wait for the PO or somebody like him
Well one of my clients was arrested by his Probation Officer a couple of minutes ago. I have no idea why since I wasn't there so I have to wait until the PO gets back or my guy calls me from the jail.
Normally, I wouldn't have cared, but this guy has just gotten out of the hospital after being kind of electrocuted. Interesting in a kind of ghoulish way. He slipped and leaned into an open connection. He hand touched the live wire, but it was his leg and back that were damaged.
He got out of the hospital two days ago and said that they had given him morphine in the hospital. So I assumed that he tested positive for drugs. On the other hand if he tested positive I would think that the medication would have excused that. Well, we will see.
Normally, I wouldn't have cared, but this guy has just gotten out of the hospital after being kind of electrocuted. Interesting in a kind of ghoulish way. He slipped and leaned into an open connection. He hand touched the live wire, but it was his leg and back that were damaged.
He got out of the hospital two days ago and said that they had given him morphine in the hospital. So I assumed that he tested positive for drugs. On the other hand if he tested positive I would think that the medication would have excused that. Well, we will see.
Liberal Fascists Again
Oh boy did I expect this: Goldberg's spawn. It is now being battled about in the media and op ed pages that Obama's getting large and enthusiastic crowds is an example of fascism because Mussolini (for instance) drew large and enthusiastic crowds. Of course so did Eisenhower and Reagan.
It is not so much an example of fascism .................... oh wait a minute of course it is an example of fascism. Not the crowds, but the thought [such as it is] process in the essays. One of the hall marks of fascism is the rejection of logic and reasoning. The willingness to reject any kind of coherent and consistent reasoning to be replaced with a sort of simple will, irrespective of logic. We are right they are wrong. Therefore, whatever they do is wrong and whatever we do is right. So if we draw big crowds it shows that we are speaking to the true and correct needs of the people. If they do, they are pandering to the worst sort of mass hysteria.
It is not so much an example of fascism .................... oh wait a minute of course it is an example of fascism. Not the crowds, but the thought [such as it is] process in the essays. One of the hall marks of fascism is the rejection of logic and reasoning. The willingness to reject any kind of coherent and consistent reasoning to be replaced with a sort of simple will, irrespective of logic. We are right they are wrong. Therefore, whatever they do is wrong and whatever we do is right. So if we draw big crowds it shows that we are speaking to the true and correct needs of the people. If they do, they are pandering to the worst sort of mass hysteria.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Ok so once again into the breach
Ok so once again I got nothin. Question, isn't this getting repetitious?
Monday, July 21, 2008
Torture and Warrantless Searches
You know one of the saddest thing concerning search and seizure and torture is that there is so little debate.
Oh, if you go to the left wing web sites and some libertarian web sites you'll see outrage, and some back benchers, but really nothing from the MSM or the powers that be in congress. It really am stunned that it takes a Red Cross report and then it is a one day wonder. I am confused.
We go back to Clinton and a failed investment plan and a blow job are all over the news for years. But today torture is barely mentioned and when it is the powers that be simply say that when we do it it doesn't count as torture.
Oh, if you go to the left wing web sites and some libertarian web sites you'll see outrage, and some back benchers, but really nothing from the MSM or the powers that be in congress. It really am stunned that it takes a Red Cross report and then it is a one day wonder. I am confused.
We go back to Clinton and a failed investment plan and a blow job are all over the news for years. But today torture is barely mentioned and when it is the powers that be simply say that when we do it it doesn't count as torture.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Obama
You know I have been thinking about Obama and wondering just what my real problems with him are. I am old enough to be fairly cynical about politicians and their promises.
His direct lies about what he would do on FISA are of course very important. What grates most is his explanation. His explanation evidences a profound contempt for his supporters and for the population as a whole. So I don't know just how much I want another president who feels an obvious contempt for my ability to understand and comprehend.
The second issues do not involve his specific positions necessarily (FISA at least excepted), but rather that he has promised "Change." What he has done with his lurch to the right is to embrace, very loudly, the DLC conventional positions on all sorts of things.
In other words I see very little change from the last 20 years at least.
The really unfortunate thing about all this (in addition as to how it impacts me specifically) is that we need change cause stuff is not going well for us as a nation.
His direct lies about what he would do on FISA are of course very important. What grates most is his explanation. His explanation evidences a profound contempt for his supporters and for the population as a whole. So I don't know just how much I want another president who feels an obvious contempt for my ability to understand and comprehend.
The second issues do not involve his specific positions necessarily (FISA at least excepted), but rather that he has promised "Change." What he has done with his lurch to the right is to embrace, very loudly, the DLC conventional positions on all sorts of things.
In other words I see very little change from the last 20 years at least.
The really unfortunate thing about all this (in addition as to how it impacts me specifically) is that we need change cause stuff is not going well for us as a nation.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Lies and Liars
I've often looked at clients who give me some sort of BS about how they got into the situation that brought them to my door. For instance, the guy who blew a .23 and tells me that he had had 2 beers and a glass of wine that night; the fellow who can't be bothered to look for work 3 times a week to forestall a contempt action for child support; or the guy who really didn't steal that stuff from K-Mart (who should I believe my client or that lying video tape?).
But you know what as I look at those who run this country, who simply look into the camera and say whatever comes to mind at the moment I can consider my clients pikers in the liar department. McCain lies about his divorce, he lies about what he told his captors, he lies about what his positions might be on torture at any given moment and just goes on.
Obama is not quite up to the level of McCain. I hope he never will be. Still his statements on his current position on FISA are simply flat out lies. Probably I pay more attention to Obama because I had more hope for him.
I had thought that Bill Clinton would be the beginning of a wedge to allow more progressive in after him. I knew that Clinton was not particularly progressive, but I had no idea how truly conservative he was and is. I also severely underestimate that sustained attack from the right and how the main stream media would puff that.
So I guess what I am saying here is that I have little hope that Obama (who is revealed to me now as a true conservative -- something I guess I should have been more aware of earlier) will be able to enable much of a wedge for progressives.
Well I've said it before and I'll say it again: We're fucked.
But you know what as I look at those who run this country, who simply look into the camera and say whatever comes to mind at the moment I can consider my clients pikers in the liar department. McCain lies about his divorce, he lies about what he told his captors, he lies about what his positions might be on torture at any given moment and just goes on.
Obama is not quite up to the level of McCain. I hope he never will be. Still his statements on his current position on FISA are simply flat out lies. Probably I pay more attention to Obama because I had more hope for him.
I had thought that Bill Clinton would be the beginning of a wedge to allow more progressive in after him. I knew that Clinton was not particularly progressive, but I had no idea how truly conservative he was and is. I also severely underestimate that sustained attack from the right and how the main stream media would puff that.
So I guess what I am saying here is that I have little hope that Obama (who is revealed to me now as a true conservative -- something I guess I should have been more aware of earlier) will be able to enable much of a wedge for progressives.
Well I've said it before and I'll say it again: We're fucked.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Catholics and Atheists
Well I guess that not eating the wafer of Christ is a pretty big deal. While threatening to do nasty things to it is an even bigger deal.
My wife went to catholic school and tells me that many kids (boys mostly) snuck the wafer out to see if it would bleed when they broke it.
Oh well, its outrage time again by the right. You know this would be funny if it wasn't so effective. A fake outrage over nothing to marginalize yet another progressive. Ask Wes Clark.
My wife went to catholic school and tells me that many kids (boys mostly) snuck the wafer out to see if it would bleed when they broke it.
Oh well, its outrage time again by the right. You know this would be funny if it wasn't so effective. A fake outrage over nothing to marginalize yet another progressive. Ask Wes Clark.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Obama and Iraq withdraw
Ok to go back a couple of posts. Now I do think he's going to keep us in Iraq a lot longer then we should be there.
Obama and Clinton and FISA again
Well can we say we are surprised? No we can't at this point (maybe a little about Clinton). Although one might wonder why Obama went out of his way to insist that he would support any filibuster and then come back and vote for cloture. Just how cynical is he, and just how stupid does he think that people who care about this issue are?
Apparently even more than I would have thought any normal politician was capable of (is that even a sentence?). Well I guess I should hope that whoever is president is really devious, right?
The votes were interesting in that Obama and Clinton both voted the correct way on the final votes so that if one is merely adding votes like say NARAL or HRC does then it looks like they were on the right side. Even though the real vote was for cloture and Obama voted for cloture which cut off any floor debate on the bill. Clinton apparently voted for cloture and then voted against it. I would guess that she voted against cloture after she was sure there were enough votes were there to make sure cloture was invoked. At any rate she didn't speak out against the bill, so whatever she did doesn't count for much.
To go back to the question of how stupid Obama thinks we are. There are people on Kos (find the specific one yourself) who are indeed defending his position as either principled or brilliant real politic. Believe me it was neither. If it was brilliant real politic then I wouldn't be able to see through it. Although I knew that Bush was lying back in 2002 when apparently no one in Washington did, so maybe I am brilliant and insightful. I guess it's all who we are compared to.
It is only principled if one thinks that eviscerating the Fourth Amendment is a principled act.
Well I can't really say that I now am in favor of a whole lot of his positions, on the other hand McCain scares the shit out of me.
I really didn't think I would be at this position this early in the election cycle. I'd at least dreamed that I wouldn't be this disappointed until he started to appoint cabinet members.
I need a good laugh.
Apparently even more than I would have thought any normal politician was capable of (is that even a sentence?). Well I guess I should hope that whoever is president is really devious, right?
The votes were interesting in that Obama and Clinton both voted the correct way on the final votes so that if one is merely adding votes like say NARAL or HRC does then it looks like they were on the right side. Even though the real vote was for cloture and Obama voted for cloture which cut off any floor debate on the bill. Clinton apparently voted for cloture and then voted against it. I would guess that she voted against cloture after she was sure there were enough votes were there to make sure cloture was invoked. At any rate she didn't speak out against the bill, so whatever she did doesn't count for much.
To go back to the question of how stupid Obama thinks we are. There are people on Kos (find the specific one yourself) who are indeed defending his position as either principled or brilliant real politic. Believe me it was neither. If it was brilliant real politic then I wouldn't be able to see through it. Although I knew that Bush was lying back in 2002 when apparently no one in Washington did, so maybe I am brilliant and insightful. I guess it's all who we are compared to.
It is only principled if one thinks that eviscerating the Fourth Amendment is a principled act.
Well I can't really say that I now am in favor of a whole lot of his positions, on the other hand McCain scares the shit out of me.
I really didn't think I would be at this position this early in the election cycle. I'd at least dreamed that I wouldn't be this disappointed until he started to appoint cabinet members.
I need a good laugh.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Just Setting Things Straight
Ok, so the answer to my question is probably not. I guess I really should have less confidence in the MSM.
On the other hand, the news today isn't all bad. I used up all my good taste on Russert. You really can't expect me to say any nice thing about this guy. I can't even be expected to keep my mouth shut about him. He was scum. It is people like Helms who make me wish I believed in an eternity, where he could be roasting for ever.
On the other hand, the news today isn't all bad. I used up all my good taste on Russert. You really can't expect me to say any nice thing about this guy. I can't even be expected to keep my mouth shut about him. He was scum. It is people like Helms who make me wish I believed in an eternity, where he could be roasting for ever.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Obama disappoints again
Can this be true? If it is it is amazing. As Webb refused to go to Iraq for the Dog and Pony Show, so should Obama. I mean let's face it Obama is not going to see anything that the commanding officers do not want him to see and not hear anything they don't want him to hear.
Normally, politicians wait until they are elected to trash their core beliefs. Well, we are in the twenty-first century now. I guess Obama figures that he has it sewed up. No need to pander to his supporters any more. Time to go after the McCain base. For gods sake does the man stand for nothing? (Don't answer that it was merely rhetorical).
In the meantime McCain is in Colombia when this just happens to happen. No coincidence there I'm sure.
You know I'm going to have to get me a new label: Obama disappoints again. It looks like I'll be using it a lot in the next several months.
Normally, politicians wait until they are elected to trash their core beliefs. Well, we are in the twenty-first century now. I guess Obama figures that he has it sewed up. No need to pander to his supporters any more. Time to go after the McCain base. For gods sake does the man stand for nothing? (Don't answer that it was merely rhetorical).
In the meantime McCain is in Colombia when this just happens to happen. No coincidence there I'm sure.
You know I'm going to have to get me a new label: Obama disappoints again. It looks like I'll be using it a lot in the next several months.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The lesser
You know when I voted for Obama in the primary -- I really didn't think that he would morph into a combination of the weakest aspects of Kerry and Clinton once he had locked up the nomination.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Disappointed Again
You know I was waiting until at least after the election to be disappointed in Obama. Since, I hadn't held out a lot of hope for him, I really thought that he would not be able to disappoint before that.
But guess what, I'm wrong again. Faith based funding, FISA, running away from Wes Clark, walking away from his various leftish supporters. The people who got him where he is now have been dumped (must not say "thrown under the bus").
The amazing thing about it, is that he now seems to be jumping on the beltway wisdom, just the opposite of what got him where he is today.
As Greenwald and others have pointed out several times, there is no reason to listen to those people. They seem to have a lot of money and be not too bright. Well ok, they are bright enough to keep their money, but for the most part they were not bright enough to get it in the first place. That was their daddies or grand-daddies.
I was called by an Obama worker to ask if I would help get out the vote on the day Obama announced his support for the FISA deal. She tried to tell me that they had to "compromise." I told her that was bull-shit and at that point I was not about to work for Obama. However, I had to admit that I would vote for him since McCaine and the people who support him are true fascists in my opinion. I suspect that there are many who agree with me. That is people who would have worked for him if he had just stood up a little bit more for those rights and people he is now shunning.
So I guess the real question is: "Was he lying when he led us to believe he was sort of, kind of a little progressive. Or is he lying now when he repudiates all those who supported him."
The real strange thing is, of course, that taking those positions now do not help him get elected. They are in that little bubble where the real world does not intrude. It is kind of sad really.
But guess what, I'm wrong again. Faith based funding, FISA, running away from Wes Clark, walking away from his various leftish supporters. The people who got him where he is now have been dumped (must not say "thrown under the bus").
The amazing thing about it, is that he now seems to be jumping on the beltway wisdom, just the opposite of what got him where he is today.
As Greenwald and others have pointed out several times, there is no reason to listen to those people. They seem to have a lot of money and be not too bright. Well ok, they are bright enough to keep their money, but for the most part they were not bright enough to get it in the first place. That was their daddies or grand-daddies.
I was called by an Obama worker to ask if I would help get out the vote on the day Obama announced his support for the FISA deal. She tried to tell me that they had to "compromise." I told her that was bull-shit and at that point I was not about to work for Obama. However, I had to admit that I would vote for him since McCaine and the people who support him are true fascists in my opinion. I suspect that there are many who agree with me. That is people who would have worked for him if he had just stood up a little bit more for those rights and people he is now shunning.
So I guess the real question is: "Was he lying when he led us to believe he was sort of, kind of a little progressive. Or is he lying now when he repudiates all those who supported him."
The real strange thing is, of course, that taking those positions now do not help him get elected. They are in that little bubble where the real world does not intrude. It is kind of sad really.
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