The Commune

So today the Paris Commune fell and the victors executed somewhere north of 20,000 French in a week, perhaps north of 30,000. That is French killing French.

Who hears about them now, where is there a Tale of Two Cities or Scarlet Pimpernel or Nicholas and Alexandria about the aftermath of the Commune? No Marx does not count. It is no where I think. Why do you suppose that we sigh about the noble and brave oligarchs who die at the hand of the "mob." A mob who for a short time only gets a chance to give back some of what they and their ancestors endured for centuries at least.

So the writers and other creators know which way the wind blows and are more then willing to create stories that romanticize the aristocrats. Part of the reason is money I'm sure, but a lot of it is just the general suck upidness of the hoi poli for their betters. The French aristocrats ground down the peasants for ever. The Romanov's managed to do about the same to the Russian peasants and added a disastrous war. They are not criticized for what they have done (or really only in passing) but romanticized for how they died. Now how about Lenin or the guys who ran the Terror? They killed fewer and for a shorter period. Still they are the ones who get the balk of the condemnation. How fascinated and in love we are with the doings of the wealthy even as the rest of us struggle to just make ends meet. How we are willing to forgive them, but not those who over threw them in our name.

What is wrong with us as a species that we are more than willing to help the oligarchs keep us down? Who the hell knows.

Hacked

So my wife's Yahoo and Facebook accounts have been hacked. Most of the people have either deleted the requests for money or called us and then deleted the requests.

However, one person, the owner of the christian book store in our town called the cops. Now the email said that we were in London and had been robbed and needed $1,500.00 to get home and gave a place to send the money. Most people either knew that we weren't out of the country or called or sent emails to see what was really going on.

However, one friend of my wife's, the owner of the christian book store freaked out. As I said she called the cops and then when my wife went in to the store to pick something up that she had ordered, she informed her that she (the bookstore owner) was now compromised and that we could no longer communicate with her either through email, facebook, or on the telephone (unless we obtained a land line). Further that she would contact the other law enforcement agency (the sheriffs department) if she got any other emails. My wife told her that she was concerned for the safety of our dogs (since cops were known to shot dogs) the woman said she didn't care.

I am kind of amazed. This is the only person who has responded this way, but I would expect that she represents a certain per cent age of people who are that scared of everything that they don't understand.

Explains a lot doesn't it?

Loki In Love With Traci's Birthday Present

Lazy Sunday

At rest

Really at rest.

Hey Anybody Still Here?

God I hate Windows 7. There that is off my chest.

I've been trying to write this week and pretty much failed totally. The BW and I have had flu since about last Sunday morning when I felt queasy at breakfast and then it was down hill from there. I'd started to read Manufacturing Depression by Gary Greenberg and by the end of Sunday I'd gotten about 2/3 of the way through.

Went to bed and at about 3 a.m. both the BW and I woke up with aching stomachs and really aching everything. Things stayed pretty painful for the next 24 hours and then just exhaustion through and through. I was able to go into work for about 2 hours on Wednesday and another 3 on Friday. Couple that with the rains, it was as thought we were living in a tropical hell hole for the entire week, nothing but rain rain rain. Until I think maybe today (I hope cause the grass doesn't cut itself). Well today the sun is out which means the grass should grow like gang busters today. I expect that it will have grown back to this morning's length by the end of the day if we are able to cut it, since the sun as I say is out again.

The depression book is pretty interesting (or at least I think so) since his position is kind of close to mine: If you really understand life then of course you are depressed or at least melancholic. As the author points out particularly given the current never ending wars and the economic slow down (shut down for the lower 20% of the population) and the control of the government by the oligarchs or plutocracy whichever you prefer. The book kind of follows a history of the disease of depression in psychiatric thought, so as a history major it certainly interested me. The guy is better at describing the disease and its development than at suggesting ways out of depression and I kind of get the idea that he really thinks that generally depression or melancholia (or I think dysthymia) is a rational response to life, as I say.

Given the exhaustion as I say, I didn't finish the book until last night.

Oh well, time to tend my garden in a manner of speaking (that's lit. talk for mow my lawn).

Welcome to Weimar

Every single time I think that Obama and his people have done their worst, they come back and go one better. Now our very own democratic AG is telling us that we will probably have to cut back on Miranda warnings given to those who are (they always ARE, they are never accused) terrorists, because well because we are in an existential war with them. Which as I understand it means that we are having some sort of French Indochina or Algerian experience again. No it means that we are in a fight to the death with a couple of hundred of people who for the most part live in tents and caves half a world away who can kill a couple of us an scare the rest of us to death I guess. So in a clever response to this we will destroy our own freedoms before they can do it to us. That will show them.

I read about outrage overload on another blog the other day (forgot which one), but it is where I am. I have decided that will become my catch phrase for awhile. Well perhaps I am actually in Weimar. No oversight for the Fed, no real control over Wall Street, but by god we will pull you in and interrogate you without the right to counsel. 5th Amendment? Oh don’t worry your little head about that, you don’t need it if you are innocent and you don’t deserve it if you are guilty and you are always only guilty if we have you in this room and are interrogating you.

Now we have a wonnerful, wonnerful nominee for the Supreme Court, except no one knows anything about her except maybe Obama. Of course, the usually suspects are more than ready to support anything Obama does. One of my (formerly?) favorite bloggers TBogg takes some time out to excoriate those of us who have doubts.

In particular you should read the comments defending the post and Obama. They have a number of points, the point of the blogger: He's Obama, therefore I Trust Him. Nothing we say will make any difference. I never expected him to be a radical liberal (although no one is arguing he is a radical and any more no one is arguing that he is a liberal, well no one with half a brain).

So anyway, the AG says we've got to cut back on basic rights, and Obama nominates someone who is really gung ho into the concept of expanded executive power. And the usual suspects are more than willing to climb on board and back her sight unseen. Had Obama a history of doing things that were kind of liberal or a history of appointing people who were kind of liberal then trusting him would make a certain about (although not total) sense. He has a history of appointing people and ensuring, continuing, enabling policies that are beloved of the plutocracy and those who serve them.

The incredibly frustrating part of public life discourse right now is the number of people and organizations that I thought were liberal or progressive (not radical, not ultra liberal, whatever that means) just kind of liberal that are unwilling to pressure the prez or his people. Hell I am watching people I thought were truly liberal maybe even ultra liberal (see Sanders, Bernie) cave at pressure from the WH and back most any corporate position Obama wants. No single payer, no Medicare for all, no complete audit of the Fed. In return for backing these positions they turn on those who refuse to be buffaloed and eviscerate them and attack them for being "unreasonable and for demanding purity" few of us really demand.

So to loop back again, I look at us like we are indeed Weimar, or perhaps a house of cards which is simply waiting for the one man (or woman now a days) on horse back to blow us over with a relatively light breath. I suspect it would have happened by now if Palin wasn't beyond belief corrupt and was simply bought off with money rather than power. Lucky Us?

Outrage Overload

I do believe that I would include Obama in my list of liar presidents, but I give Hersh points for wishing.



I hope to get back to regular posting tomorrow. I read that about outrage overload on another blog that was talking about Holder's discussion about how we need to limit Miranda to those accused of terrorism, I'm sorry TERRORISM, next it will be those who use drugs, then those who write blogs.

Read It and Weep

Happy Fifth of May

Kent State

Forty years ago today. My haven't we come a long way, now we pay people to do our killing for us so we do not upset the white kids at school.



How about Jackson

Karl and Harpo Marx My Heros

Damn missed May Day comrades. However, I hope this makes up for it.

We're Fucked

So, in every day and every way I see things getting worse and worse.

First, I read this that those of us who are bleeding heart liberals will have to consider having Social Security and Medicare cut in order to balance the budget. No mention of limiting the costs of our various wars and to be honest very little discussion of limiting our gifts to the banks.

Then we see that the democrats have decided to move a little closer to [insert you favorite dystopian work here] by requiring all workers to have a computer card which will I am sure not have a GPS signal, nor will you be required to carry it at all times. Now in all probability that won't happen right now, because the republicans will go bat shit crazy, but they will merely delay it, just like the liberals delayed the destruction of Social Security until a democrat got into the White House. Now.

These pieces of information are coming along so fast and furious that it is difficult to keep up with them. Where I am is that the guy we elected (and I've got to say that I am really sorry I voted for him since I can even say I told you so now) has decided to govern from the right and to enact most of the programs the last administration couldn't get in. And no I do not agree that HCR was much of a liberal win, when all we do is pour money into the hands of certain corporations involved in the health field. Now (see above) we appear to be prepared to screw the old and sick because we can.

The really interesting thing is how so many of the so called progressive blogs are simply going along or saying little or nothing even if they are not supporting the president's agenda.

There is essentially no strong movement from the left to push back against the crazy right wingers and certainly not to push back against whatever it is Obama is -- corporatist, oligarch who runs a plutocracy.

I often wonder how it is possible that these people cannot see the end result of what they are doing, it doesn't require a lot to do a little reading of history and to see where this stuff got the governments before us.

UPDATE: Are these things coming faster or am I just paying more attention? DADT: we need more study. Who wants to bet that will be repealed the same day Card Check is passed and who wants to bet that neither the gay rights groups nor the unions will squeek at all.

Something to Annoy

Charlie Brown Kabuki

It is Charlie Brown Kabuki time once again, this time on financial regulations and the bail out fund. But there will be more stuff coming down the pike I can assure you. I was wondering if I would be disappointed and the democrats would actually pull off a reform of some sort. When you are locked into the concept that nothing remotely progressive is going to be done to help the average person, it can throw you for a loop when it appears as though something might happen. Thank god the congressional democrats have not failed me.

It is also very comforting to hear the good old hope/change guy telling us that the Supreme Court went off the rails in the 60s and 70s with all that judicial activism. It is interesting that a guy who is half "black" (since his father wasn't an African American, but African) can suggest that. I mean that would be the same courts that Loving and Brown came out of, and those decisions were definitely judicial activism. But let's let that incredible hypocrisy pass.

As I say I find it quite comforting that I can know that no matter what Obama and democrats promise I can know that they will not deliver, unless it is a special wrapped up gift to the wealthiest and most conservative.

UPDATE: They just can't do this often enough for the rubes and those in the veal pen to lose faith in "Kind Leader" apparently.

THE I REALLY CAN'T BELIEVE THIS UPDATE, BUT REALLY I DO NOT EXPECT ANY BETTER FROM THEM SO I GUESS I AM NOT SURPRISED, BUT IF THEY WANTED TO GET JOBS THEY WOULD SO PROBABLY THE DON'T WANT JOBS ANYWAY SO THEY NEED TO BE KICKED OFF UNEMPLOYMENT BECAUSE THE JOBS ARE REALLY OUT THERE SO FUCK THEM WE'VE GOT OURS UPDATE.

THE I HOPE IT IS REALLY THE LAST UPDATE BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY GETTING TIRING AND EVEN I AM HAVING A HARD TIME DEALING WITH THE BULLSHIT AND WHY DID I QUIT DOING DRUGS AGAIN UPDATE?

Oh Hell More Of The Same

Stumbling into a post several weeks after doing the last real post. I really consider this a political blog, so writing about my personal feelings and thoughts are something I do not usually do, except as they are evidenced by my political views.

Well I guess that this is kind of a political point of view. I am kind of in the same place that the guy from Slobber and Spittle (a great blog even if he doesn't actually own a St. Bernard) is.

The Hope and Change that came down the pike in '08 is neither Hope nor Change, nor for that matter hope or change. It is more of the same with the patina of complete sentences and a false front of progressivism, or perhaps a false front of populism (not necessarily the same thing), but at any rate it is definitely neither.

I had tried to write something about Obama's political sense as opposed to his positions on the issues, but either I can't do it or one cannot really separate those things.

We are now seeing a president who was elected as a change from the past simply clothing the policies of the past in some shiny new clothes (with a disturbing number of supposedly liberals buying his lies). Drill off shore, another battle in Afghanistan, this is it, no really this is it, why are you laughing, this is really it. Money to the insurance industries with no controls (sorry that is old news), money to the bankers (no real controls) a couple of bucks to the the rest of us, hope you don't lose your house, but really nothing we can do about it. We will, however, make sure that wealthy women can keep getting abortions, the rest of you eh.........

This week it is banking regulations with the hype (not hope) that the biggest banks will be broken up (not gonna happen).

On top of that we have the democrats being surprised that republicans will not support a deomocrat bill on climate change. Not really much of a bill, but there you are they are not much of a political party.

One thing I can't understand about the democrats is that why do they keep letting this happen. I mean if this is where they may want to end up that is one thing, but in ending up he again and again being humiliated by the republicans, that is something else. One thing people want in their rulers is the appearance, at least, of being in charge and competent. Each time the republicans will find something that they will insist is an insult of the worst kind or is simply some sort of a deal breaker and therefore they will not (now) support it (this time -- no really it is different this time, this isn't like the perpetual anger machine last time, this is real and things would have been different if John Kerry hadn't farted at lunch, this time). Or something.

The democrats will look confused and the main stream media will explain that the republicans really had a good reason to be assholes this time, and something really good would have happened if the democrats hadn't fucked up, this time, even though the deal they broke would have screwed most of us, but really it is different this time. We get paid a lot of money to tell you this you have to believe it.

SUCKERS.

Now to get back to my original point, and I do have an original point, I am just tired of commenting and writing letters to my senator and congressman and telling them they have to stand up. It turns out that I no longer believe that they really do want to stand up for anything at all that helps the majority of people in this country. If they would just act this way or say that thing. Hell, it really is Clinton redux.

Or perhaps Blazing Saddles, I mean they do have to watch out and keep their phony baloney jobs after all.

Happy Earth Day

Utterly Tastless

In the long run we are all dead. Not my idea but rather that of Lord Keynes. I feel like I am running my head repeatedly into a brick wall as far as just about any political position I take is concerned. My brother who works for a secret (if I told you I'd have to kill you) organization much like Blackwater has a sporty Mercedes and now a Jag, in addition to the Mercedes. Clearly I did not think out the economic consequences of my beliefs (I don't mean to imply that he thought of the economic consequences before he decided on his beliefs, just that .................well he chose more wisely than I did).

I worked (a little) for the guy in office now and a little for the party now in power and what do I get for it. Another day older and deeper in debt as Tennessee Ernie would have suggested. On the other hand I cannot see anything being much better than they would have been if the other guy had gotten in. Of course, then I look at the (would be) vice-president and I do see a cute little mustaches if the old man hadn't been able to make it for at least four years. Why do I keep thinking it's 1929 and I'm in Germany?

So to get back to may original point, I would like to kind of like to see things on the up swing before a shuffle off this mortal coil, but I do not see it happening.

Sunday

Well I have been having a problem writing anything political recently. Not because I don't feel strongly, I do, but because everything I say seems so obvious that everyone should be able to see it without my pointing it out. If that is the case and they don't see it, then I'm not sure what I could say to make them see it. Well in the meantime how about some animals?

A Little Hell On Earth Presented By Us

From Wikileaks

Arggggggggggggg, Again

So I've been writing this post (not not this post, but another which I am not yet done with) for three days and I am still not done with it. The real problem with it is that it is not particularly insightful, but it is long. And I'm still not done, and I might decide not to post it once I am done because I do not like it much right now.

I think I need to go into erotic science fiction.

Obama Brighter Than the Sun, More Liberal Than Gene Debs

I have finally found my way. It now comes clearly to me that indeed Obama does know eleventy dozen chess and is so much brighter than I could ever hope to be. Obama does just know what he is doing and through his sparkling intelligence and brilliant wit has convinced me that he has managed to turn this country's corner (whatever that means).

He is just so awesome, ooooohhh.

By forcing us all to pay all our money to large corporations, for non usable insurance He will assure that soon we all will be on the welfare rolls and therefore, we will be living in a truly communist society, since no one but the wealthiest will have money. And since no one but the wealthiest will have money therefore money will have no meaning. Ergo it will be a truly communistic society.

Sisboombah!

Just Another Shipment of Depression

The news just gets better and better. So now we are being told that the big O is going to (or perhaps has by the time I've posted this) announce that off shore drilling rights will be auctioned off for "some" areas off our coasts. Drill Baby Drill.

I fully expect that most of the major progressive conservation organizations will find it reasonable to be rather muted in their criticism of Obama because. I suspect that as Hampsher says they are part of the veal pen and they need that money from institutional donors that Obama will be able to cut off or severely limit if they don't toe the proper line. Of course, there will be an understanding that they will have to do a sort of kind of opposition, which will not prevent them from supporting Obama in 2012 and other democrats in 2010.

I have a harder time understanding the unions, although with the recess appointments Obama finally announced I can see that the unions got a little bit of what they wanted (the two union members on the NLRB). Although it is a pathetically small gift to get for selling out their membership with the eventual taxation of their own members benefits and the bail out on some sort of either public option single payer or Medicare for all. Let's not forget the union's position in democratic primary for the Senate race in Pennsylvania where they are now supporting the guy who managed to destroy their hopes of card check for the rest of my life at least.

So what is the point of the unions at this time in our history? I wish I knew. I would think that they would not be as easy to buffalo as the interest groups that depend on individual large contributors. Yet they seem to go into the same kind of acceptance mode as the other groups. I've seen it called a battered wife syndrome, and perhaps that explains it as well as anything else. Although, the other explanation,that is that of simple corruption and a need for personal access so they can look important is also seems to explain a lot. I find it important to remind myself that it is not necessary to find a single answer, sometimes there are multiple answers to one question, multiple reasons for a single action.

Of course, when we look at Greenwald's piece today about the financial motivations of the journalists (no I controlled myself and did not put scare quotes around the word journalists) who cover the White House. Five million for a book deal telling the inside dope about the infighting inside the OWH. As Greenwald points out this is not journalism and has nothing to do with politics, unless one defines both as what the courtiers wrote about Versailles or perhaps one should think Casanova's Memoirs without the interesting bits. There is obviously the single answer of complete and total corruption.

The blogs like Balloon-Juice and No More Mister Nice Blog which apparently have no financial interest seem to point to the battered wife syndrome combined with a need to just believe in The Leader (think Orwell). They put so much emotion into Obama that they do not have, yet the ability to recognize him for what he is (not what he has become, he always was). I had a very hard dealing with my own personal disenchantment and coming to the realization that I had been (willingly) mislead by Obama and I really wasn't looked to for advice by much of anyone. Add to this is the realization that the republicans are bat shit crazy and we are left with what in the end?

I firmly believe that things will have to get much worse before they get better, but I also have no conviction that things will get better even if they do get much worse. I think that a lot of people think that by backing the democrats and Obama there are really helping these people make small little steps toward a better society and country. I rather suspect that what the democrats and Obama are doing is making it much harder for things to be changed for the better. That we are watching the oligarchs fooling the masses and cementing their control.

These Are Action Shots

As you can see the cats are terrified of the dogs.

Isn't this a sign of the end times.

The Crazy Runs Deep In You Republican

So the crazy runs deep with the republicans, tea baggers, and conservatives (or am I being redundant?). The craziness combined with the simple petulance of the elected republicans completely over powers any reasoned criticism of HCR and (possibly with the assistance of the main stream media) totally prevents reasoned criticism from being heard and evaluated by the majority of Americans.

My complaints that the bill requires me to pay money directly to private corporations or face a financial penalty are simply out shouted by the screamer demanding secession. The criticism of the process which points out that Obama made secret (or rather attempted to keep them secret, but failed) deals with the pharmaceutical and for profit hospital industries, along with the fact that the final bill was mostly written by an insurance industry lobbyist, are drowned out by the republicans in Congress pulling petty and childish procedural games to prevent the bill from going forward and complaining that they didn't get 60 votes for a second vote, although there had been the 60 votes for the first vote. So the argument they are apparently making is that the majority should not rule any more, although they should with a mere 50 votes plus the VP when Bush was president, but not in the presidential elections apparently either, so it is hard to know just which argument we are going by at any given time. Perhaps it is the "When I got the votes I win, when I don't got the votes we wait until I do got the votes" theory of governance.

The same thing happened with Clinton. The crazies went so crazy that most people stopped listening to any criticisms of his policies and supported him as a person. (No not the high mucky mucks in the republican party nor the belt way pundits, but the average person who votes.)Suddenly criticizing Clinton became something that marked you as a person who, if you were not a crazy right winger, then you were giving aid and support to a crazy right winger. You were weakening all liberals and progressives, not with standing that Clinton was neither liberal nor progressive.

Same here, this is not an historic bill, it does not give the people what every democratic president for the last century wanted to give them. It is a conduit for money to the insurance, the pharmaceutical, and the for profit hospital industries, which provides some benefits as sort of collateral benefits to individuals. Try raising those issues and the screaming from the right about creeping socialism and from some of the left about how you want to kill people by keeping them from getting insurance completely drowns one out.

Isn't it pretty to think so, again.

I've kind of fallen for the quote, it will probably take several days to stop quoting it. Probably as long as the veal pens and other so called liberals celebrate the passing of this health care[?] bill.

I did not expect that Obama would shove progressives faces in one part of this feted bill so soon. But having anti-abortion groups come to the signing of his anti-abortion executive order, something he could have done in private if he hadn't wanted to prove to the progressives that they are less than nothing to him, is ...............well even cynical me am surprised.

I mentioned the penumbra of the health care bill being the one thing that will last (along with the requirement that individuals pay money to private corporations), meaning that it would prevent any meaningful reform for at least a generation. I'd read some stuff that this could be something to "build on" (I don't remember where and to be frank I don't care), but building on would require a desire of the prez. and others to do something along those lines and that is not his style. He is not a liberal. He is not a progressive. He is a centrist only in the corrupted language of our current political era. He is really a conservative corporatist (I deleted this section because after thinking about it I think that I was unfair, I do not think that he is a fascist, if you factor out things like indefinited detention, no habieus and little things like that in the war on terror, that is).

At any rate Jane Hamsher is again doing a very through essay about this bill and pointing out that the democrat leadership is bragging about how this bill is actually a republican concept. She posted before the private ceremony for the anti-abortionists was announced, but it still covers most of the issues there are with the bill (although, I have to think that perhaps she isn't winning many friends by calling most of the "progressive" groups and legislators veal caves who live in the veal pen). Taibbi once again has a short and insightful piece wondering just who we are left to vote for since there seem to be only conservatives/(democrats) and nazi's [my language]/(republicans).

The amount of self delusion evidenced by the so called left in this matter is nearly beyond belief. Although when one sees how NARAL acted in the past (supporting Lieberman and having a president who claims to be a good believing catholic) and HRC being just HRC and not bucking much of anything, certainly not pushing for immediate repeal of DADT. Then we've got the unions which apparently are more than willing to kick card check down the road to a better more appropriate time. So all these groups are congratulating themselves in the Happy Happy Joy Joy dance:

In the meantime, hell I'm not sure what in the meantime. I wonder if this is how people thought in the Wiemar Republic just before Hitler got a plurality of the vote and proceeded on with his Thousand Year Reich. I mean I am not able to vote for the assholes currently running things. I am not sure just what I would do if Palin or someone like her got the republican nomination. We are going down that long twilight hill that is the end of empire and none of the currently elected or might be elected people are going to stop it. I guess maybe I should look at it like if I can just help to keep the American Empire from going off that cliff while I'm alive I should be happy. Huh is that the way I should feel?

Ok, anarchists of the world unite. I'm not an nihilist for nothing you know.

UPDATE: It now appears as though the unions and all the dems are arguing that no amendments be added to the bill because it must pass now, just as it is, NOW I TELL YOU, NOW, NOW, NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Therefore, even though it would take only 51 votes to pass single payer or the public option now, and it would take 60 votes later with a stand alone bill, still we must not mess with or change anything.

I do not understand. Well ok, I think that I understand, but it involves large amounts of acid in the water supply and and the hope for that pony in all the horse shit, but once again I am not happy with that answer.

Isn't it pretty to think so.

I am really pissed about the HCR Law (now). First, Obama and Emanuel completely screwed up the entire passage, which indicates to me that they are incompetant nitwits.

I've mentioned that I thought the presidential campaign was not particularly well run. Given the incompetent disaster who was leaving the office and the crazy woman who was going to be a "heartbeat away" if McCain won, it was nearly impossible for Obama to lose, yet McCain continued to gain on him in the last days. Now I do realize that there would be a couple of per cent age points lost because of our all American prejudice, but still it was not a well run campaign.

Then once in office he simply stopped and did nothing for a long time. Well, that isn't exactly true. He forced through various policies which would have been opposed had they been Bush policies, but weren't because they were Obama's. Then when liberals did oppose them they were pressured by Obama to fall in to line and for the most part they did.

Atrios pointed out that there was a moment which if taken by Obama could have lead on to some real reforms: card check, bank re-regulation, health care, a real stimulus. But he chose not to take a major lead in anything and just kind of let things drag out without any real leadership. You know that is what he was elected to provide among other things.

Don't forget then that Obama started out promising the pharmaceutical industry that there would be nothing to hinder their profits and apparently also the same for the for profit hospital industry, and don't forget they worked from a bill essentially written by the insurance industry lobbyists. Now to top this all off Obama put major pressure on liberal groups not to demonstrate in favor of the bill and so left the way open for the Teabaggers to do what they wanted and completely grab the headlines and you have us stumbling into the first weeks of March.

Are there some good things in the bill? Maybe. Are they out weighed by the bad things? I think so. However I think the worst thing isn't something that is actually in the bill, but what might be called the penumbra of the bill. That is I think that it has been incredibly successful in one thing and that is preventing any real reform for at least a generation.

So I am left with the clear and certain knowledge that Obama has accomplished just the amount of reform he wanted to accomplish. He has chosen to stifle the real surge toward reform that was building and now we will have to live with that. Unfortunately, I am afraid that where we were when he took over was at the same kind of point we were at when FDR took over. God knows what would have happened to us if FDR had been like Obama. What was happening then was that there were two different streams of thought urging change: the reactionary/fascist one and the socialist/liberal one. Roosevelt supported the socialist/liberal stream of reform. When Obama was elected I think those same streams were again urging change. Obama has dammed up the liberal/socialist stream and allowed the reactionary/fascist stream to flow unabated.

Anarchists of the World Unite

Well did the democrats come through with HCR or did they just come through with some smoke and mirrors? Personally, I suspect that there is a lot less there than meets the eye. I also suspect that CBO's review of the bill is not correct, if what I'm reading at various places is accurate. That is once the tax on adequate health care is in place I doubt very much if employers will give their employees a dollar raise for every dollar they save by cutting their insurance coverage, to begin. I'm not sure what the expectations are for the insurance industry. If someone expects them to not continue to deny coverage and to stop jacking up the prices, wellllllllll, we will just have to wait and see, I guess. So Hamsher has written a fairly decent post on the result of this abortion. I would guess that this is the attitude one would have to take if one wanted to continue to participate in the "process." Although, I'm not sure just what this process is. It is not sausage making because at least one has something edible that comes out of that.

The issues here are no longer issues that need to be argued about in just the way they were yesterday morning. But my anger is even greater. I had t obe passed now no matter how bad it is. Now things are simply not going to be changed absent an overwhelming republican election victory in the midterms and probably a republican president in the next presidential election. So it looks like we will get to see just how this plays out. Well I hope that I am completely wrong about this, certainly not as right as I was about the WMDs or NAFTA.

It never ends and those who are jumping around celebrating are more confused then I would have thought possible. We passed something that we will call Health Care Reform. It will kind of insure millions, of course if it costs them too much to use, well they will still have insurance. We will tax health care benefits so that people won't get adequate benefits as part of their employment and we will therefore save money on health care because people won't be able to use it because they won't be able to afford it.

We will provide bullshit to most of the people in this country and call it steak. Once, the shouting and glad handing is over we will be left with a system that simply builds on really nothing, but sand. I do really think that we are screwed here.

So to kind of get back to my original point Hamsher can work within the system. I myself am more into the nihilist/anarchist bomb throwing mode. I understand it doesn't really solve anything, but still it does make one feel better for a brief moment.

Socks and Sonny

Sonny

I was watching Sonny the huge orange and white male cat laying in the sun by the front door and I remembered Socks. I posted about him very shortly after starting blogging in August 2007.

What a little guy he was and he was with us for so short a time. It is strange how strongly I remember him and how much I miss him.

Sonny started out at only a couple of ounces and we had to bottle feed him, but he made it.

Too Scatological?

Is HCR causing me to be too scatological?

More Health Care Shit

Been in Columbus most of the day. Went in for another visit to my nearly socialized medicine clinic (V.A.) to get my hearing aid looked at. Had an appointment for 1:30 got in a couple of minutes early and got out by 1:32. No really. They have to send the aid out to get it fixed and then it will be mailed to me within two weeks.

Then we spent the rest of the day hanging out at a book store and having coffee with a friend. Pleasant, but I am exhausted. So I'll just link to these two things about [not real HCR, but real shit sandwiches]. First, a point by point by Jane Hamsher. Then a little essay from Slobber and Spittle [a good blog even if he really doesn't have a St.].