“There are only two reasons why you should ever be asked to give your youngsters. One is defense of our homes. The other is the defense of our Bill of Rights and particularly the right to worship God as we see fit. Every other reason advanced for the murder of young men is a racket, pure and simple.”
“A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war, a few people make huge fortunes.”
The nature of war is based in humanity’s selfish & violent primitive tendencies, that manifest in divisions of nationalism, religion, and economic class. The senseless waste of lives, money, & energy is depressing to all of us who wish better for the world.
As it’s been said many times- the fact that we cannot provide universal healthcare, education, and other social resources for our citizens… but can spend billions upon billions of dollars to bomb the shit out of people on the other side of the world, shows just how fucked our national priorities have become.
I've been posting about Israel's sway over the United States' Middle East policy for a couple decades now. Looking back on my old posts, there was fear around 2006 that the Bush Administration was going to attack Iran due to Israel's influence. Of course, even Dubya's cabal of wackjobs wasn't as mindbogglingly stupid and completely insane as Trump, Inc.
Now, because Trump is so easily manipulated & willing to blow up the whole world to distract from the fact that he is a disgusting pedophile piece of shit, we are in an absolute global catastrophe. It's unbelievably frustrating to think how we've progressed in so many ways- but the greedy, power-hungry, fascist bullshit persists & is somehow getting worse.
I worry about the incomprehensible madness that my kids & future generations are going to have to deal with if we don't figure out how to safeguard against the worst humanity has to offer, from the likes of Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, Musk, Theil, Karp, and so many others. Insatiable desire for money & lust for power over others is the common denominator of all these bastards. Money as a medium of exchange has its use, but we need to prioritize humanist values to really advance the human race in a positive way. We have to speak out and act responsibly now, to manifest a better future for ourselves & the human race.
The absurdity continues to plunge into new, depraved depths... Trump passing out “Trump Was Right About Everything” hats in the
Oval Office is the same kind of foolishness as Bush’s “Mission
Accomplished” declaration, which became emblematic of his arrogance & overconfidence about the wars in the Middle East.
I remember the early days of this blog in my younger years, during the Bush Administration. I was convinced that there couldn't possibly be a more incompetent, idiotic jackass for a President than Dubya, The Worst President Ever. Holy shit, was I naive!
Although I'm fortunate to have never been in an active war zone, I've seen many, many horrific images of war. I don't want to shy away from those realities because it is necessary to really understand the many (sometimes disturbing) facets of human nature & our existence.
The video of the screenshot above really hit me hard, because it instantly reminded me of my 3-year old son (one of the 2 reasons I haven't been posting here as often). However, instead of his brown eyes being filled with the joy & playfulness that a child should be experiencing, this poor boy's eyes are filled with traumatic, debilitating fear. It's a sickening & disheartening scene, and reveals the unfathomable insanity & horror of war.
The YouTube video is labeled as a Palestinian child, who was showing signs of shock, being comforted by a doctor after an Israeli attack in Rafah in southern Gaza. This took place not long after the ruthless Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas. I have been wanting to write this post for awhile now, with this boy's terrified face haunting my mind.
I've always been generally anti-war particularly when it comes to wars of aggression, but having become a father has taken my disgust for humanity's brutality to new depths. Seeing what happens in wartime to innocent people, and especially children like this, is just gut-wrenching to the point of despair.
What in the hell are we doing to each other, our fellow human beings on this Earth?? ...and for what?!?
As I get older while now being a dad, the more I grow in pure wonder & amazement at this world we inhabit, while simultaneously being completely fed up by the fucking stupidity of people. War is one of those things that makes me realize we're still just idiotic apes bashing in each other's skulls, 2001: A Space Odyssey-style.
The Israeli/Palestinian situation has been fucked up for so long, that it's seems like a conflict with no end and no solution. I'm not going to rehash the recent history of the region, but I will say that it's a cycle of violence that will self-propagate indefinitely... unless some triumph of human spirit and resolve can work toward a better path for all the peoples involved.
It is an unbelievably tough situation- you can't let murderous terrorists invade towns full of innocent people and wreak havoc, but... goddamn, retaliating by bombing out whole civilian population centers & infrastructure is a sure way to continue the hatred & resentment in future generations. Fighting terrorism by terrorizing innocent people is such an obvious hypocrisy, but psychos can still justify it by dehumanizing people they deem as The Other", instead of seeing them as fellow humans and living, feeling, thinking beings.
I'm old enough to remember the days of Ariel Sharon while Dubya was President & the atrocities of that time. I cynically knew that this horrible event would be used as a pretext to eliminate the Palestinian presence altogether. As I've watched the catastrophic aftermath unfold with the rest of the world over the past several months, it has turned out to be true:
Of course, there are elements on all sides who want the conflicts throughout the world to continue, for various perverse reasons- war profiteering, consolidation of power, & what seems to be a driving force for so much of the bullshit... nationalistic / religious ideology.
People are so childish when it comes to nationality and religion, everyone thinking that their thinking is the only way to think... but they're really not thinking at all. That's the most depressing thing about the Middle Eastern conflict- Jews and Muslims hate each other because they believe a bunch of old stories & laws that are kinda the same, but different enough to get all tribal about it. Everyone believes that their religious ideas are correct. It's all mental constructs that people have mistaken for external reality. Then, you also have certain Christians basing their loyalties in this battle on their own beliefs about Jesus magically re-appearing. It's all so ridiculous, but countless people are murdering other people over it.
This, of course, is not a new phenomenon, nor is it only a feature of the Abrahamic religions. People have been murdering and brutalizing each other en masse all over the world, forever. This is something I always emphasize to those who lament at the current state of affairs. I've been listening to the awesome podcast, "Fall of Civilizations" during my commute to work, and it's a stark reminder about how fucking violent humans, & the societies they create, have always been.
There's so much fighting and hatred over imaginary lines in the desert sand, & whose self-righteous ideas about the world and the Infinite God are the best... it's all just insane, horrible shit. There is no foreseeable end to all the war & fighting in the world. That is the unfortunate, but inescapable fact. So, we just have to try to be a light in the realm of influence we have, to try to make the world a slightly better place.
I created this blog back during the years of the George W. Bush administration, and I used to post frequently about politics and current events. Back then, it seemed impossible that a group of politicians could be more corrupt & incompetent than the Bush/Cheney cabal, when every day revealed some new piece of outrageous news about how bad they were screwing things up.
In recent years, I cut back on my news media consumption, and cut out cable news completely. Although I still stay up on politics & current events every day, I don't let it consume my life as much as it used to. Therefore, I haven't really posted too much about politics here, other than some critical graphics of Trump early in his term.
Watching how he has behaved in office & seeing the ridiculous policies he's been pushing has been exasperating. Even more exasperating is seeing how people still trust this blatant con-man & habitual liar! I mean, the guy made his career out of screwing both gullible people and honest contractors out of their money. No one should respect this guy, but he somehow has a following of people who think he is God's gift to this country. I guess if you have your head up your ass or buried in conservative news all day, you can remain ignorant of the almost comical level of corruption and stupidity that Trump & his administration exhibits on a daily basis. He gets away with it (for now) because he is fully enabled by his unquestioning supporters & a complicit GOP Congress- to lie, gaslight, and break the law & cultural norms in any way he wants.
Recently, Trump made the statement that basically told his cult members to believe him over their own eyes:
"Just remember, what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening"
I saw people astutely comparing this to a line from George Orwell's book "1984" (which has become almost like an instruction manual for the Trump Presidency):
"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.
It was their final, most essential command."
I decided to create the graphic above, with this Trump vs. Big Brother comparison, to illustrate the nefarious effect that Trump is having on his followers. He wants you to reject the evidence & the facts of any matter, & defer to him, even though he has shown absolutely no reason to be trusted on anything!
Yes there is definitely "fake news", propoganda, and misinformation being circulated. However, Trump regularly rejects facts that can easily be verified and publicly contradicts himself constantly. I believe everything is relative, and there is a high degree of subjectivity in our experience. However, we need some level of consensus reality to function together as people. Trump is trying to destroy that idea of external facts, so that only his opinion & things that jive with his reality matter. It is the workings of a completely narcissistic moron.
Anyone who is following multiple news sources that aren't strictly pro-Trump can see that there's a net of investigation into the criminality of Trump & his associates that is going to eventually ensnare them all. If you believe in the concept of law & order, then you should encourage investigation into the facts of the matter on whether the law was broken. If you listen to Trump & believe it is all a "deep state" conspiracy, then you have accepted his final order to reject the evidence, and you can continue to bow down before this fake gold-plated idol that represents all the worst this country has to offer.
He can kick & scream and tweet stupid falsehoods all day long, but fortunately we do not live in a fictional dystopia like "1984," and eventually the truth will prevail. Not everyone will accept it, but how we as a society treat this narcissistic menace and the forces that prop him up will determine the quality & longevity of the experiment known as American democracy.
As I watched Sen. Sanders explain the issues clearly & with the sincere conviction that he is known for, I was thinking, "Damn, this is the man who should be President-elect right now... but instead we're stuck with Bozo the Corrupt Clown." We'd be facing a much brighter future with Bernie Sanders as President, where the concerns of the average worker would be the priority, not the further gratification of the wealthiest 1%.
Instead, the DNC and the Democrat primary voters pushed Hillary Clinton into the general election. She had no chance of winning over those who already saw her in a negative light, but she still managed to gain more of the popular vote by over 2 million people. The same antiquated winner-take-all Electoral College system that gave us George Dubya failed us again. Hillary was definitely a flawed candidate, but to me, she was the pragmatic choice over the inevitable disaster of the fascist man-child. Everything people hated about Hillary Clinton is exponentially worse in Trump.
In the town hall, some of the voters said they didn't really believe that Trump was going to do all the insane things that he said during the campaign. Bernie incredulously asked, "So, you voted for someone hoping they were lying?" It's just so damn stupid & crazy...
Now, all Trump's lies are already falling apart, before he's even sworn in:
• "Drain the swamp"
• "Lock her up"
• "Build the wall"
• "Repeal Obamacare"
• "I'll release my taxes"
• "Divest from Trump businesses"
• etc., etc., etc...
It was all bullshit- ridiculous slogans for people who were all too willing to be conned by America's premiere con-man. Now America's facing the most blatantly & unapologetically corrupt administration imaginable, with a pathetically thin-skinned, narcissistic, authoritarian grifter in charge.
To make it worse, he also has a radical right-wing Congress in power that is chomping at the bit to dismantle Social Security, Medicare, and any other program that benefits the working people or the less fortunate. All the horrible decisions the GOP are getting ready to implement makes sense, when seen through the lens of their ultimate goal- to destroy the United States government from within. Do you think this is hyperbolic? Ask Trump's top advisor, dark-sider Steve Bannon:
Now, as the gold paint is already flaking off, Trump is being exposed for the piece of shit that he truly is. I try not to degrade other human beings or see people negatively. However, this man represents the absolute antithesis to everything I value in life. Trump is greed, ego, hate, exploitation, and (worst of all) willful ignorance personified. If you have to tell people you're smart, you're probably a fucking idiot.
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure
and the intelligent are full of doubt."
- Bertrand Russell
Many people recognize that he is a serious danger, not just to this country, but to the world. The writing is smeared with Trump's tiny fingers all over the wall. His supporters don't care and treat this like the winning team of football game, turning their backs and refusing to see it. Instead, they are seeing the gold-painted turd & still think there's value in it for them. When it inevitably hits the fan, they'll realize there's no real gold there, and the entire country will be covered in his crap.
I made the graphic at the top of this post to express this sentiment, realizing that respect & decorum are no longer relevant with this vile, small-fingered vulgarian.
In a sense, I feel like I did back when I started this blog, during the Bush/Cheney Dark Ages. The constant outrages perpetrated by that cabal of neo-cons gave me focus and caused me to become more aware of my personal humanistic values. This new administration, full of predatory swamp creatures, is already shaping up to be even more of a menace. Time is cyclical, and somehow I knew that this descent back into madness was coming.
Many, including myself, will feel energized to fight back against the regressive forces that want to stifle human progress. The best we can do is not be overcome by the foul stench that will be emanating out of DC with Trump & the Republicans running the shit show.
Growing up, I never had a interest in politics or current events. I always had a pretty good idea what was going on in the country and the world, but never really cared about who was President or what Congress was doing.
That changed completely after George W. Bush was selected by the Supreme Court in 2000, and we subsequently entered an 8-year neoconservative nightmare. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, my 23-year old self sat up and started to pay attention, like so many other people. This blog served as an outlet for my frustrations and disbelief at the insanity being perpetrated at the time.
Along with the rest of the world, I watched with horror as Dubya and his puppet-master Dick Cheney launched (unfunded) trillion-dollar wars of invasion & occupation in the Middle East. It was perfectly clear to anyone with even a bit of insight that these wars were meant to exploit the region's resources, gain imperial footholds, and enrich defense contractors & investors. Waging war & fighting terrorism are often a means of making more money for wealthy, unscrupulous people.
The occupations of Iraq & Afghanistan were giant historical blemishes on America's foreign policy, but there were countless other problems created in those years- resulting from the incompetence of the Bush administration and short-sightedness of conservative policy, in general.
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, a giant sigh of relief swept over much of the world. Although Obama's terms have been, in many ways, a vast improvement over Bush's, it has become clear that he is not the progressive savior people thought he would be. In fact, the U.S. government under the leadership of President Obama has continued or expanded some of the worst abuses of the Bush administration. Unfortunately, it seems like there is only so much a President can do to change the mind-numbing bureaucracy of the government, the power of the military industrial complex, or the intransigence of an opposition Congress.
So, what should the citizens of the United States do?...
Should we throw our hands up and refuse to vote or participate in our democracy, claiming the system is hopelessly rigged for the benefit of monied interests? The answer is, "No!"
Politics, as vile as it can be, affects everyone in our society. It is much too important to leave to the devices of those who would seek to control or disenfranchise us. There is strength in numbers. Only by overwhelming consensus and cooperation can we, the people, overcome the imbalance in political power wielded by the top 1% in control of the wealth of this country.
As this election season started to add potential Presidential candidates for 2016, it looked like we might be doomed to an un-inspired choice of Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush- either way, a continuation of a political dynasty backed by Wall Street and big money.
Then, out of the blue, came Bernie Sanders from Vermont- the only Independent U.S. Senator. I've viewed a lot of cable news & have followed politics closely throughout my adult life. Having watched him over the past decade, Sen. Sanders has been a consistent voice of common sense policies and responsible government that functions for the benefit of the majority of working-class citizens. After hearing the incessant bullshit spewing from the other national politicians and TV talking heads, it was always refreshing to hear Bernie Sanders speak to the issues in a way that any reasonable person would understand and agree with.
One thing is certain, he is a more authentic champion for the average American than Hillary Clinton, or any of the corporate puppets that the Republican party can shove into the spotlight.
The media will try to marginalize him at first- by depicting him as a "fringe" candidate, the political equivalent of a crazy uncle, or *GASP!* a Socialist.
As support for his campaign continues to grow, he will become a force to be reckoned with. If enough people hear his message he will have a real shot at becoming the President and bringing some much-needed real progressive policy to the White House.
So, on the day of his campaign announcement, I'm enthusiastically supporting Bernie Sanders and what he stands for. I'll be spreading the word about this man- who has the proven integrity, honesty, and solutions we need to address the complex and seemingly insurmountable problems this country faces.
Here is the full video of Sen. Sanders' speech announcing his candidacy, in which he details his ideas for changing the American political landscape for the better:
I've been watching The Colbert Report since the very first episode. Having already been a fan of the Daily Show, I was was eager to see what kind of humor Stephen Colbert would bring on a nightly basis.
In many ways, Colbert surpassed Jon Stewart & his former gig at the Daily Show. The brilliance of his performance cannot be understated. Night after night, he has exposed the absurdities in our culture, politics, entertainment, & all aspects of our lives.
Even though I didn't get to see actually see him there, one of the most interesting events of my life was "The Rally to Restore Sanity" that he and Stewart organized in Washington DC. The crowd was, by far, the biggest mass of human beings that I've ever encountered. My brother and I went with our friends and had a truly memorable time.
This is one of the "protest" signs I made for the rally
Stephen Colbert is simply the greatest satirical mind of our generation. His spot-on parody of a self-absorbed, corporate boot-licking, blindly patriotic ignoramus was pure genius. His persona allowed him to openly mock the viewpoints of idiotic, right-wing blowhards who are so wrong about everything in the world- like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly & America's stupidest pundit, Sean Hannity.
What I give both Stewart & Colbert the most credit for is providing sanity through humor, amidst the madness and chaos of the world we live in.
This was especially true during the Dark Ages of the Bush/Cheney presidency. All these conservatives who now think life under Obama is so terrible... they completely forget the constant horror the world faced while Dubya & his Dungeon Master caused havoc in America and around the globe.
In this light, I believe Stephen Colbert's most historic contribution to comedy was his speech at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner. It was the ultimate example of speaking truth to power, and took giant balls of red, white, & blue steel. It was especially satisfying for those of us who deeply disagreed with Bush's policies at the time, yet risked being called 'anti-American' or 'terrorist sympathizers' for daring to speak out against the War Monkey and the morons who unquestioningly supported his regressive agenda.
Thank you Stephen Colbert, for providing nightly laughs and comic relief to your Nation for almost a decade.
Edward Snowden is the latest whistleblower making headlines over "leaks" that expose the inner workings of government spy agencies & intelligence contractors. The massive surveillance & data collection activities of these entities are now public knowledge. Most people who know anything about information technology realized this kind of thing was probably going on for many years. The former CIA employee has now single-handedly brought the debate over corporate & government overreach to the forefront.
There were many people during the Bush years who tried to warn about the inevitable bureaucratic & technical nightmare that was being put in place, under the guise of National Security. It was clear that a real danger existed in the emergence of these vast data collection capabilities & also in the unchecked power granted to various unaccountable agencies, in the name of the quixotic "War on Terror"™.
My family often talks about the issue of privacy, & how modern technology erodes certain aspects of that away. We joke about how it's impossible to "stay off the grid" & have a completely private life anymore, with mobile devices like the iPhone that keep you connected continuously. Especially where family & friends are concerned, I actually don't think there's anything inherently wrong with living more open, public lives through social sites or other digital presence.
The human experience is becoming more interconnected, whether we like it or not.
The basic feature of life is connectivity. Online services like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, etc are amazing tools that help people to connect to the entire realm of human information & directly to other people.
Despite their positive aspects, these tools are also inherently subject to abuse. The people who are citizens & customers of these services must stay vigilant to prevent policies that are likely to result in negative effects for society.
I personally think "privacy" is one of those nebulous subjects, that only exists as far as people agree it exists in certain circumstances. At this point in the Digital Age, though, most people (including myself) would argue for the need of some degree of privacy in one's personal life. Ideally, it would be up to the individual how much of one's self to make public, & with whom they choose to share the information.
The areas of National Intelligence & Telecommunications are enormous, complicated endeavors. They clearly have capabilities which are beyond the comprehension of the average person. Although Big Brother may not be personally listening to every conversation you have, society needs to debate the use of these systems & how to protect against their abuse. You can never trust any authority or power structure to NOT abuse their power. Unfortunately for privacy advocates, I don't know how the hell you can stuff the massive information genie back into the bottle marked: "PRIVATE!".
This problem was bigger than Dubya himself, even though it was escalated under his administration... & it's bigger than Obama, despite the continuation of these questionable activities. The President probably has little operational control over all this spying madness. I'm sure he doesn't like some of the things going on, but how does anyone even begin to reign in the many out-of-control aspects of the intelligence & security industries- not just in the U.S., but around the globe?
The Internet is being flooded with data, every moment now. We are constantly feeding into the growing virtual hive mind, that is integrating human consciousness into a luminal layer of virtual information & shared experience.
Either 1) we decide to completely eliminate the augmented lifestyle offered by our digital devices & the web, or 2) we need to accept the unavoidable aspects of the situation and strive to make it work with us, & not against us.
These kind of topics always make me think to the future and wonder how these evolving issues will be dealt with as our tech & our minds evolve. Once we have computer brain implants like the Apple iThink, then a telepathy-like messaging system, using thought alone, will likely be possible. We will need to create virtual mechanisms for blocking & allowing certain messages, and also have a way for your status stay hidden from others if you want. Before receiving such a implant, people will probably still demand ways to virtually "unplug", to prevent your signal from connecting to the network, at your will. Hopefully, this kind of future technology won't have to be synonymous with the way the government & telecom companies currently conduct business.
In the meantime, anyone who risks their own freedom to expose the truth about problems within government and corporate operations is doing society a service. The State may give them serious prison time & ruin their lives, but a responsible whistleblower believes in the selfless mission of informing the populace of wrongdoing so that others will benefit from its change.
It's was 10 years ago when the last President, George W. Bush, and his neocon cabal launched the invasion of Iraq.
I remember the insanity of those years all too well, & this blog was a regular outlet for my disgust over the disastrous policies of that administration.
Bush, Cheney, & Rumsfeld were truly the unholy trinity...
There have already been countless volumes written about the Iraq invasion & occupation. As people in the future look back & research it, there will continue to be endless analysis of the conflict.
However, I want to assert the fact that I personally thought the war was immoral from the start. To be crystal clear, I have nothing against the military or soldiers. Several good friends of mine have served. The problem was simply an Executive Branch that was run by sociopaths, who were being advised by suit-&-tie warmongers- like Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, & Doug Feith.
Far from being a minority opinion, there were hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of conscientious people around the world actively protesting & marching in opposition of War. In the 'bizarro world' we were living in at the time, speaking out about the wars or The President in any way was seen as unpatriotic. Conservatives who now feel free to disparage the current President should remember that their motto during Bush's term was: "America, Love It Or Leave It!"
Unfortunately, the forces of Death & War prevailed over the voices of Reason. To keep the people in line, a climate of perpetual fear was fostered by the Bush Administration (& the HUGE 'security' bureaucracy they spawned) while fighting the conveniently abstract, never-ending "War on Terror".
We've wasted absurd amounts of money, resources, & human life on 2 wars that may not even produce lasting progress for those countries.
Why was the war waged?...
• To make certain wealthy people & companies even more money,
• To gain control of oil resources & strategic geographic positions,
• To assert American military power, for the indulgence of sick bastards who thought they were playing with toy army men,
• To help give cover to our allies in the region,
• Mostly, it was a combination of desire for money and power- the nexus of all conflicts.
As time went on, it became clear that Dubya & Co. had no idea what they were doing. Even people who had foolishly believed we were there fighting for some noble purpose began to wake up.
The conflict went on for so long that the average person can barely comprehend the damage that was done. Luckily, there's plenty of documentation to preserve the horrors for later generations. Hopefully they can learn something from the tragedy to help prevent similar abuses of power.
There are many great photo essays revealing the many facets of the Iraq War, many of them horrifying:
Although I've seen many grotesque war images of destruction & corpses, the picture below really illustrates the worst aspects of the occupation- the senselessness, the effect on innocents like children, the utter despair of being trapped in a terrifying situation, and the complete degradation of the human being.
(AP Photo/Jean-Marc Bouju)
An Iraqi prisoner of war comforts his 4-year-old son
at a regroupment
center for POWs of the 101st Airborne Division near An Najaf, March 31,
2003.
Finally... we should "never forget" one of the most iconic images of the Bush Presidency, capturing the sheer lunacy & short-sightedness of the whole situation:
George W. Bush giving a thumbs up, in front of the infamous "Mission Accomplished" sign... only a couple months into a long, 8-year war.
Unfortunately, one of the lasting legacies of the war is the toxic effects of depleted uranium weapons. Like the once-dismissed "Gulf War Syndrome," our soldiers will also suffer from the consequences of using these horrible weapons.
Four years ago, Barack Obama defied conventional wisdom by being elected President of the United States. Millions of people realized that, unlike the 2 buffoons on the "McPain" Republican ticket, this guy had some intelligence to fuel his lofty rhetoric.
Before he was elected in 2008, I half-jokingly compared him to the rogue Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten- who eliminated the various cults of the time & instituted a religion only worshiping the Sun deity, Aten.
Though he's not as radical as the ancient sun-worshiping king, Barack Obama has earned a similarly lasting place in human history.
Although I've been quick to point out the President's flaws over the past few years, I also
realized that America's interests are much better served by keeping Obama
in office instead of Mitt Romney. I don't think Romney is a
fundamentally bad guy... but he's a capitalist ideologue,a religious zealot, and a smug billionaire who would have governed with big business in mind, & not the business of the people.
As I watched the election returns last night, I was tuned in to CNN most of the time. John King did an excellent job analyzing the numbers and reporting on the dynamics of the election. Some of the talking heads on the CNN panel are horrible, but thankfully, there was more reporting than punditry. (Why are Alex Castellanos & Ari Fleisher on TV, but I'm not?!?!)
I was also using the CNN interactive electoral map to follow along throughout the night. Having tools like that makes the process much more accessible & easy to understand. As I mentioned in my post from Election Eve, I had been following Nate Silver's 538 Forecast (which turned out to be 100% accurate!) & also the Intrade prediction markets. The polling & statistical analysis pointed toward a strong likelihood of Obama winning the Electoral College. It's even being reported now that the Obama campaign was using sophisticated statistical computer models to figure out where their resources would be best allocated.
The right-wing pundits, on the other hand, proudly exhibited their foolishness for the world to see before the election. These knuckleheads not only denounced Nate Silver's scientific computer models, but many also made ridiculous predictions for a BIG Romney win, which had no basis in reality. Fox News and talk radio have created an ignorance bubble in people's minds that's hard to penetrate.
The fact that Romney himself bought into the hype & didn't even write a concession speech shows the arrogance & cluelessness that the country would have been subject to if he had won.
One of the great media moments of the night was the on-air hackery of the right-wing's political guru from the Bush years- Karl Rove, aka 'Turd Blossom'. Rove raised millions for Romney SuperPACs & actually tried to influence their live reporting, in order to benefit his millionaire donors with a Romney election. The rest of the country & facts be damned. The fact that Fox News lets a scumbag like Rove have any kind of presence shows how little credibility they have.
Last night President Obama was re-elected, despite the personal animosity so many people feel toward him. Enough reasonable people were able to see through the right-wing media's distortion of his record to know that his term has been generally positive for the country. If it weren't for the relentless obstructionism of the opposition party, the country would be progressing at a much better rate. People who don't actually understand the workings of government find it easier to blame problems on The President, even if they aren't of his doing.
Unfortunately, the federal government is likely going to be facing more gridlock, thanks to continued Republican control of the House of Representatives. Despite having already wasted precious time & legislative initiative in their failed, petty attempt "to deny President Obama a second term"- the childish, obstructionist mentality of the GOP in Congress is unlikely to change.
I'm an Independent voter, but it's clear the Republican Party has further proven itself to be a political dinosaur, an anachronistic relic featuring the country's most ignorant & regressive ideas. The national party is unable to shake its most foolish members or its ideological chains, stubbornly refusing to recognize the rapidly changing pace of the country & the entire world. You know a political party has problems when you can say that their "Rape Guy" didn't win... & it can refer to more than one person!
*Why wasn't Pres. George W. Bush out campaigning for Romney?.... because the petulant man-child & his Republican administration almost destroyed the economy during his 8 long years. Trotting out Dubya the Smirking Chimp would quickly remind voters just how little of the country's dire straits were actually created by Obama.
The major problem exposed in this election for the GOP & the right-wing is their collective refusal to deal with reality. They cling to antiquated, unworkable ideals and warped perceptions that make them look completely unreasonable to the rest of society. They are a factory of absurd ideas • you can balance the budget simply by cutting government programs • banks and multinational corporations should be free of government regulation • union members are paid too much, but CEOs deserve their obscene compensation; etc. On social issues, the conservatives have completely alienated independent voters, who see nothing but bigotry & irrational fear coming from the Right.
There were alot of important races last night. It was nice to see jackasses such as Allen West & Joe Walsh get kicked out of office. Unfortunately, thanks to the brain-dead voters in her district, it looks like Congress has not yet gotten rid of "The Queen of the Loons", Michele Bachmann.
On the bright side, alot of good people got elected to Congress, like consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren. There were a bunch of progressive women senators elected, which is a good thing for the Senate.
Though anyone in that position is assimilated into the machinations of "The System", Obama is as good a person as anybody to be in the executive office. Until we evolve as a society to the point where we don't need a singular personality to equate with leadership, all we can do is elect someone who is smart & insightful, yet strong enough, to deal with the unimaginable problems facing any President. Despite the many obstacles to his agenda for the last term, Barack Obama has proven over & over again that he is up to the task.
He is handling a job (that would overwhelm most people) with extraordinary tenacity & the will to do what's right for all the citizens of the country. He has been an inclusive President who has repeatedly reached out to his political opposition to create meaningful policy, only to be rebuffed and opposed by the myopic Republicans every step of the way.
The Republican party suffered major defeats as a result of their intransigence last night, but it's doubtful Boehner & McConnell will now magically decide to act in good faith with The President.
Most people are understandably cynical towards politics & government, but they are still necessary aspects of society.
If politics is an inevitable part of being an active citizen, it's best to try to improve it. There needs to be a balance between institutions like private business & government. Neither one is inherently evil- but unscrupulous people can corrupt either system.
I try to avoid getting cornered into conceptual boxes when it comes to my political thoughts. Although I'm registered "Independent," I usually find Democratic priorities more agreeable. The GOP have gone off the deep end in certain areas, especially "social" issues.
However, their biggest fault is their mindless, unyielding party-line opposition to initiatives that could help the country & its economy. Their primary focus is to unseat President Obama by blocking everything on the agenda- regardless of the havoc it wreaks upon the rest of us.
Anyone who follows Congressional votes, & the battles waged since the 2010 midterm, knows that major legislation is not happening without the cooperation of the Republican-led House.
If you are conservative, you might be happy about the lack of government activity. However, it's therefore much too simplistic to blame the President for the nation's economic problems if Congress is not cooperating with passing jobs bills & effective stimulus measures.
President Obama has done a good job, in my opinion. He's been a business-friendly, centrist technocrat who has bent over backwards to compromise with conservatives- he's definitely not a hardcore socialist, or even extremely liberal. I'm well aware of his failings, the undelivered promises, (...close Guantanamo, end drone strikes, faster economic recovery, etc...) and the fact that he's a politician. I am also aware that he is just a man like everyone else. However, I generally agree with the gist of the legislation he's advocated & overall vision for how the country should be run. If anything, I don't think he's been forceful enough in pushing a "progressive" agenda.
Last night was the best that I've seen Obama in fighting back against the many nonsensical Republican policies & ideas that have dominated political discourse, for which Mitt Romney is now the standard-bearer.
To be fair - in the first debate, Obama was horrible. I really couldn't believe how much of a snoozefest it turned into. I knew everyone was going to declare Romney the winner, because of his borderline-obnoxious manic aggressiveness. He apparently activated the "fear" area of people's primitive lizard brains, overcoming Obama's futile attempt at measured reason.
After the debate last night, I watched & read the many analyses on various websites with their reader comments. I like to get a spectrum of opinions & perspectives, even if they're idiotic.
I thought that last nite Pres. Obama clearly overwhelmed Gov. Romney, stylistically & substantively. The President asserted himself as a thoughtful, responsible, yet tough, leader. This time, he didn't let Mitt Romney continue to be his usual douchebag self, without response. Do I think either of these guys have all the right answers?... of course not. However Romney has no answers to anything. His stated fundamental approach to economic policy is a 3-card monte game. There's no way he can 1) cut taxes 2) increase the bloated Pentagon budget, and 3) reduce the national debt, without crippling the federal government (which is probably the actual goal). It's absurd on its face.
It always cracks me up how government-hating politicians want to attain & maintain power within the government they think's no good. I guess it's about the idea of infiltrating something, to destroy it from the inside out. The problem is... if democratic government is severely limited, society becomes unbalanced, then financial & corporate power is free to prey on the people.
Even though the CNN poll showed Obama 'winning' the debate overall, I was baffled to see the pundits on the different stations were downplaying it. The low expectations for Mitt Romney are Sarah Palin-esque... while Obama apparently needs to heal someone on stage, then punch Mitt out to make an impression. I'm not sure if the media is trying to keep it a horserace, or if people are really that clueless. It's most likely both.
Anyway, I understand why Romney supporters would go into denial. As a candidate, Mitt sucks & so they can't let Obama have any slack whatsoever. For Team Romney, it's better to bullshit your way to imagined victory than to accept defeat. It shows the whole right-wing mentality of winning at any cost, even if it's at the expense of consensual reality & one's own common sense.
When Obama had a lackluster performance last time, his supporters universally acknowledged it & demanded better, for the sake of the national discourse.
This time, The President showed why he has been elected to one of the most difficult jobs on Earth. He handled Mitt as an intellectual, moral, and rhetorical inferior- which he is. Gov. Romney was left awkwardly stammering on several key moments, when Obama gave him an oratorical smackdown.
Mitt just never looks comfortable in his own skin, while Barry O. is usually the coolest guy in the room. I don't know if it's Romney's uncomfortable personality, the disturbing lack of empathetic emotion, or just the fact that he's an out-of-touch plutocrat who acts like a jackass... he just doesn't seem like a person who can relate to the average person's problems. Case in point, his recent comments about people, with no insurance, being able to get care in an emergency.
He has absolutely no clue how society works for most people... yet, he's going to be in charge of running the country?!? Let's hope not.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think Romney is totally incompetent. He surely wouldn't be as much of a disaster as Dubya was- or as some of the GOP primary contenders would be. However, the ultra-rich have already had a field day at the expense of society-at-large. These are Gov. Romney's base. Therefore, a vote for him basically concedes the Republic to his special moneyed interests, whose only goal is to reap endless profit from the people.
There's still another debate to come, but I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with "The Long Legged Mack Daddy" After the experiences of the last four years, he has undoubtedly learned lessons on how to govern effectively that will hopefully inform him if he wins a second term.
Despite following political news closely, I haven't felt the need to comment alot on the presidential race lately. The GOP primaries have basically been a ridiculous mess.
I've been saying all along that Mitt Romney's going to be the nominee after the clown show is over. Having become the exclusive party of plutocrats, obviously the Republican with the most money will be the nominee... & Mitt's got plenty of $$$. However, I can't believe that he would ultimately pose a serious challenge to Obama unless something crazy happens before the election. For reasons that almost everyone on the Left AND the Right have already been pointing out, Romney is a horrible candidate. The average non-millionaire American would have to be a complete fool to want that robotic vulture capitalist running the country.
There's obviously plenty of things to criticize, but I think Obama's presidency has been generally good. He's an intelligent guy, & consistently shows clear understanding of the complexity of the many heady issues facing our country. After watching years of Dubya bullshit his way through his 8 disastrous years, it's a relief to think someone is dealing with things who isn't a total jackass.
Though I don't think the Republican party is going away anytime soon, it's leaders & spokespeople seem to be doing their very best to alienate as many voters as possible this election season.
On top of all the other nuttiness coming from that side of the aisle on both the state & national level, the House GOP just released their latest re-hash of their warped financial vision for America.
As usual, they are fully prepared to slash the social safety net & let the corporate sharks in to prey on the population. Suprise!... they want to screw the disadvantaged- while awarding tax breaks for millionaires & multinational corporations. Who would've guessed?!?
Being "fiscally conservative" to these people means you want to save money for rich people & defense contractors by cutting services for the poor & sick. I fully agree many health & social programs need to be seriously reformed, but the right wingers are ready to just slash & burn.
I went back to an old post & found this pic from the last time Rep. Paul Ryan proposed his party's crappy ideas:
Stephen Colbert transferring his "Colbert SuperPAC" money to Jon Stewart.
I've been a regular viewer of The Colbert Report since the first episode. He was one of the funniest 'correspondents' on The Daily Show, and (in my opinion) has far surpassed Jon Stewart has the greatest political satirist alive... maybe ever.
The NY Times magazine had this great article that gives a look behind the persona that he has meticulously crafted.
However, since then he has continued to bring an insane amount of wit & cutting insight to every show. His character is a consistently brilliant parody of the know-nothing plutocratic jerks who can usually be found on right-wing media like Fox News, as either guests or pundits.
Recently on his show, he has been masterfully utilizing all the great comedic material being provided by the buffoons running in the GOP primaries.
He has also been busy exposing the ludicrous process & laws behind elections in our country. At the forefront of his crusade to highlight the absurdities of our political system has been the 'Citizen's United' decision by the Supreme Court.
Basically, it ruled that current election law allows corporations to be considered "people" when it comes to political speech.
Therefore, through supposedly unconnected groups known as Super PACs, unlimited money can be raised by supporters of candidates. There is no requirement to disclose how much has been raised or where it came from.
Therefore, he started Colbert SuperPAC to show the process behind forming these legal entities which are having such a detrimental effect on the democratic system.
This week he made a surprise move to hand over the operation of his Colbert SuperPAC to Jon Stewart. By doing this, he has opened himself up to exploring a run as a candidate in the South Carolina primary election!
The first one was actually put out by The White House, comparing the proposals in Pres. Obama's Jobs Act to the consequences of the GOP's plan.
I'm no mindless Obama drone, but I think he's clearly a helluva lot better than Dubya was. If you watch speeches by the 2 presidents & you still think Obama's the worse one, then you've got problems. Obama's not nearly progressive enough for me, but I would much rather have him stay office than ANY one of the Republican candidates... even that half-genius/half-idiot Ron Paul.
Some critics would argue that this chart's just another piece of Obama Marxist propoganda, but it seems to correlate w/ the news I've been seeing coming out of Congress.
People could use more graphics like this that outline policy differences in a clear way, as long as they are accurate.
I also saw this well-made infographic on iab.com, outlining the percepual and factual differences of the Occupy Wall Street protests & the Tea Party political movement:
Since I like to get all perspectives on the issues of the day, I'll probably force myself to watch some of the debate tonight between the GOP Presidential candidates.
It's difficult to watch the tired old arguments of these candidates, especially after I just watched other more insightful politicians offering real solutions to the country's problems. I was watching an interview w/ Sherrod Brown from Ohio regarding job creation, who I think is right about most issues I hear him talk about. Then, on C-Span, I saw the last part of a speech on the House floor by Dennis Kucinich regarding the NEED Act that he is sponsoring.
I'm really interested to see who ends up the GOP nominee. If they don't pick Mitt Romney they're crazy. He's the only one who most independent voters would even think about voting for. Rick Perry is just Dubya Part II & he's the only other one with any chance.
One thing I'm sure will not change from watching the debate is that I wouldn't vote for any of them. I think Obama's a far better choice, despite his faults. My biggest problem with President Long-Legged Mack Daddy is that he has not governed like the socialist far-left progressive that his opponents make him out to be. He's been more of a Wall Street-sponsored corporate Democrat, who just panders to the base on some issues. If anything, his presidency has definitely demonstrated how difficult it is to realize fundamental institutional change. However, even if he did aggressively push to enact progressive programs, he would continue to be challenged by the defiant & unified opposition.
As an Independent voter, I don't have any party interest in having Obama stay another term. I'm more concerned with the fact that each one of his Republican challengers would probably be a disaster if they were in charge.
This article by a former GOP staffer on the state of the party-at-large seemed to be pretty accurate to me:
My God.. What a compilation! He's such a dramatic dork. Some of the concerns he has are actually probably worth considering, but his whole persona is hard to take.
On another note, The fact that one of Congress's fringe lunatics, Michele Bachmann, has gotten any kind of traction in the GOP nomination race is a testament to the level of degeneration in conservative politics in this country.
I follow politics closely, so I've known about Ol' Crazy Eyes Bachmann for awhile. The first time I remember seeing her was when she was clinging to Dubya after his State of the Union speech. I thought "geez, that wacky lady is really trying to impress Bush.".
LOL:
...& she's only gotten crazier.
Her policy ideas are often wrongheaded. She's been proven to be one of the most shameless liars on Capitol Hill, but her Palin-esque insistence on her own righteousness is unwavering.
As a designer, I can objectively say that is a really crappy movie poster. It's so cheesy & almost annoying to look at... but maybe that's mostly the Palin effect.
