My Guru... George W. Bush!

If you can cultivate the right attitude,
your enemies
are your best spiritual teachers

...because their presence provides you
with the opportunity to enhance and develop
tolerance, patience and understanding.

- 14th Dalai Lama

Last night, I sat through the long-awaited farewell address by The Worst President Ever.

Before 2008, it seemed like this nightmare's end was nowhere in sight.

Dubya is generally agreed upon to have been a tremendous disaster for America. (Of course, 'History' may prove otherwise... HAHAHA! yeah, right!)

In his last press conference earlier in the week, he went out like the lying/delusional a-hole he's always been.

I've personally felt mostly contempt for Bush/Cheney over their 2 terms. The need to vent some of my disgust at their governance is one reason I started writing on this blog in 2005, during the height of The Madness.

Yet... I still consider George W. Bush to be my Guru!

Huh?!?!

Although I have thankfully never had to directly interact with Dubya, he indirectly has made me realize countless truths about myself and the world. People who know me would think I'm being sarcastic, but it's true.

Christianity suggests loving your enemy. There's also the saying "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" & the Rage Against the Machine song "Know Your Enemy."

Buddhism also suggests seeing even our worst perceived enemies as providers of lessons to be learned, instead.

"If the love within your mind is lost
and you see other beings as enemies,

then no matter how much knowledge
or education or material comfort you have,

only suffering and confusion will ensue."

-14th Dalai Lama

I realized at some point that The Bush Presidency (through its atrocious mis-management) had actually succeeded - in awakening a social consciousness and political insight in myself and the rest of the country.

"Be Grateful to Everyone"

"If we learn to open our hearts, anyone,
including the people who drive us crazy,
can be our teacher."

When Bush came to office, I was a senior in college & politics just wasn't on my radar. Although I've always been a sponge for all other information, I actively avoided learning anything about politics. Republican? Democrat? I didn't know or care what the difference was.

On 9/11, I was driving to work listening to Howard Stern when he was still on FM radio . They were talking about attacks going on in NY. I got to my studio & we turned on the TV to watch the day unfold as it did. Being in Jersey, we were right in the middle of NYC & D.C. No one knew what was going to happen...

My super-human insight told me on that day (and in the following years, as we mobilized our resource-wasting War Machine) that there was more to the situation than we were being told. That is when I sat up & started to really pay attention to the political and social events happening in the world.

Although my natural instinct is to despise the Smirking Chimp, I have also come to realize that George Bush may have actually been necessary for the changes we need to make!

By running the Treasury, our civic institutions, and the overall state of the nation into the sewer - Bush gave us no choice but to stare our many horrible problems right in the face.

We can no longer avoid them, and the strength that progressive minds have gained from uniting against the immorality of his reign now stand a better chance of creating solutions with a new President, whose brain is fully-functioning & coherent.

Observing Bush & his cabal throughout my adult life, I have seen exactly how NOT to approach mankind's biggest dilemma.

The continual outrage I've felt at the sheer criminality of his Administration has helped me better understand myself & what I stand for - morally & philosophically.

Some of the lessons I've learned from my guru, George W. Bush:

• You can "create your own reality".

• Even if it is an insane, depraved reality... people can still be fooled into going along with it!

(However- Reality w/ a capital 'R' will still come around & bite you in the ass if you deserve it.)

• Ignorance & arrogance are not qualities we should look for in a leader.

• Don't EVER believe anything the government, TV, 'experts', or anybody says to be absolute truth.

• 'Security' & 'Victory' are not worth the price of soulless human degradation on a global scale.

• The American economy is now a made-up numbers game.

• Despite the enormity of problems we humans face, it could always get worse.

• When things seem hopeless, even big problems can be solved with intelligence, courage, & compassion.

• There is nothing constant - except for Change.

I could easily write a book on my feelings about the Bush Presidency & its effects.

Ironically- Dubya's idiotic approach to governing has ultimately had a truly profound impact on me & the entire world.


Good Riddance, My Guru!!!

Since I just posted about comedy... & since Bush's attempts at "Goodbye" completely suck just like he does, I'll end this send-off with THE greatest comedy routine ever:

Colbert Bush Roast
Uploaded by MarkDilley

Dodging Shoes: Bush's Only Skill

After a week of not posting anything due to procrastination & a weekend of crappiness due to a cold/fever, leave it to Dubya to give me something worth commenting on.

"In Final Iraq Visit,
Bush Ducks a Pair of Shoes"

A reporter threw his shoes at George W. during a press conference in Iraq & called him a "dog".

Unable to admit how bad both he & everything that he represents completely sucks, Dubya afterward exclaimed that such actions were proof of the freedom of Democracy™!

In my opinion this was an understated gesture, if anything. It's really surprising this sort of thing doesn't happen constantly! I also can't believe Bush's brain reacted quick enough to dodge the incoming footwear. The guy is a horrible speaker & leader, but he'd make a champion dodgeball player.

The Obama-care Speech

Well, I know alot of people are critical of President Barry, but I still think he's The Long-legged Mack-daddy!

I don't agree with several policy directions so far, but I think as a figurehead for American society & a functional executive, he is an improvement- to say the least. If you don't agree, watch clips of Dubya's greatest hits. I have no doubt that there are people who think John McCain & Sarah Palin would have made this country better, but there are also people like THIS, so anyway...

Obama's address last night mostly was to give a sense of purpose to the whole healthcare debate.

It has to be understood that the Obama administration is one piece on the chessboard of global human society. They can't be blamed for the entirety of these ongoing complex issues & Obama himself can't be expected to blow everybody's minds with some sort of supernaturally wise solution that makes everyone's eyes glaze over with wonderment.

Speaking of eyes glazing over, I knew when now-historic maniac Rep. Joe Wilson yelled out to everyone's disgust, that people would be freaking out about it. Even if you legitimately think that Obama's policies are going to be troublesome for the country, do you have expose yourself as a raging undisciplined ass to the entire planet of other human beings? Now Glenn Beck is going to have to be completely nuts to top this guy.


Barack is a better man than me. If that idiot yelled during my speech, I'd point at him and yell back, "Shut Up, Bitch!!! I'm talkin' now you sorry fool!!!"

On a slightly more serious note, If I was Obama I'd ban health insurance companies altogether (no offense to insurance companies). Then reallocate all the responsibility & personnel to *GASP* The Government.

"..but that's invasion of privacy & I don't want gov't in my business!" would be one silly argument against gov't run health care.

Do you have a SS# or driver's license? Get a grip, the gov't already knows citizens key info, so at least keep it in the hands of one source instead of various corporations created to make money off the very well-being or sickness of people. I would argue that gov't is the main modern entity that should hold collective responsibility over the health of the population. The entire concept of private or for-profit health services is pretty bizarre.

Of course, Obama is trying to (rhetorically at least) tread the noble middle path that addresses concerns of all parties while achieving what he believes to be an overall goal. I would personally favor an even more "liberal" approach & my approach would be that of the great progressive voice in Congress, Dennis Kucinich.

Kucinich responds
to Obama’s health care address

Another great advocate for a single-payer system in this country is Rep. Anthony Weiner who has been a forceful & logical guest on several of the news shows to explain what Obama should have really been pushing for all along.

Joe Scarborough meets his match
in Rep. Anthony Weiner,
single-payer's newest Golden Child

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Monkey on a Segway Scooter

Came across this awesome video on i-am-bored.com. Dubya might not be able to figure one out, but this chimp scoots along pretty good by the end.

I needed a good chuckle, and simians doing human activities always amuse me.

Presidential Paintball

A couple fun games featuring America's best & brightest (politicians, of course) doing what they do best... attacking each other & causing chaos.

I played this Presidential Paintball game a couple times as John Edwards, but kept running out of ammo against Mitt Romney.

Presidential Paintball Hillary, Obama, Giuliani & more play paintball for the USA Presidency!

Play this free game now!!

Here's another oldie but a goodie, since you can box Dubya in the ring:

Presidential Knockout Knock the opponent out of the election.

Play this free game now!!

Premature Self-Adulation

 

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!

Operation AIPAC Fury

 Operation AIPAC Fury

“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.”

 -War is a Racket - Major General Smedley D. Butler

 

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.

Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job

I've been waiting this past week, expecting Obama's victory last Tuesday to be some sort of cruel prank.

Seeing as Dubya was escorting the President-elect around The Den of Iniquity (aka The White House) today, it looks like Obama is in fact headed to office. He has the special honor of cleaning up the huge pile of elephant crap left on America by the years of Republican party rule.

Leave it to The Onion to inject a laughably relevant spin on the situation:

The Onion:
"Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job"

A Retrospective of Failed Leadership

The entire world is anxiously waiting for the worst President in modern history to take his criminally-negligent ass back to Texas.

Valiant souls have tried in vain to list the endless crimes & scandals that Dubya has allowed to denigrate our country during his term.

"Bush Scandals: A Work in Progress"

There are more web links documenting the myriad failures of the Bush Administration than any one person can sift through.

For these reasons, one well-created image can substitute the thousands of words one would have to read to truly grasp the malfeasance of The War Monkey and his cabal.

David Horsey of the Seattle Post Intelligencer has created such a picture that sums up the disastrous past eight years in one cartoon.

(click image for larger size)

Obama the Middle Man

I think it's fairly obvious now that President Obama is definitely NOT a raging Marx-Loving Socialist Liberal.

With this tax & stimulus deal The White House is working on, it is clear that Obama is a pragmatist... a maddeningly moderate pragmatist.

I'm an Independent, but more often agree with policy positions that are so-called 'progressive'. Even if I don't agree with an idea, though, I'll often try to see things through the lens of someone with a different view. Obama & the tax/stimulus bill in development have led to a strong debate on issues like taxes, the national debt, & entitlements. Initially, I had a knee-jerk response from my lefty instincts to the ridiculous concessions to the super rich - such as the extensions of the top tier tax cuts, fiddling with the estate tax, etc. The seeming lack of a Presidential fight over this deal & the scolding of his supposed left-wing 'base' over their criticism has liberal politicians & bloggers flipping out.

KC Star:
What’s in the Tax Compromise
for Ordinary Americans?

It's actually amazing that he (or the government in general) has the ability to get anything done with a country full of us 'sanctimonious' maniacs- all trying to get their own Utopia. As even-headed as I usually am, I would never be able to patiently deal with the numerous loathsome characters in Congress & all of the political shenanigans.

His refusal to cater only to either party's hardliners is why Obama's inhumanly persistent efforts at building consensus have the ideologues on either extreme of the political spectrum freaking out. I think he would probably like to institute more progressive social policy, but he is working within the constraints of political & legislative realities.

Tonight I heard some lady on CNN saying Obama was "Bush on Steroids". This is a laughably silly statement. If Obama disappeared, & Dubya magically popped back into office... she & most of the country would soil their pants in despair!!!

I don't care what anyone says, Obama's still trying to salvage a flaming car wreck that would have violently exploded if 'McPain' were running things now. Thankfully, McCain is back to grumbling about gay soldiers in Senate hearings, while The Alaskan Banshee only maintains power over the lives of wild animals & her Twitter followers.

(... FOR NOW!)

Political Infographics

Since I posted about the Death & Taxes chart, 2 more political graphics have caught my eye.

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.

What a Jobs Plan Looks Like

 click for larger

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:

Faceoff: Occupy Wall Street vs. Tea Party Movement

click for larger

Trading Cards: American Crusade 2001+

I've remembered this link for several years because I've always found it totally intriguing & raw. It is a set of trading cards in the style of 1983 Topps baseball cards.

This series of horribly provocative imagery, combined with 1984 double-speak, is even more striking when presented in the graphic format of a trading card.

It's a disturbing visual reminder of darkest aspects of The Dubya Presidency... which is thankfully history.

The Infinite Jest
Trading Cards:
American Crusade 2001+

Some of the images are pretty f*d up, so I'm posting one of the less shocking cards, featuring The Greatest American™ himself, God!:

Bernie Sanders 2016

BernieSanders.com

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.

Today, Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for President of the United States, much to the delight of myself and many other people looking for fundamental reform in the way this country operates.

If you want to know what he is about, watch the many videos of his interviews online, or find out about his policy positions & what legislation he has backed.

Bernie Sanders On The Issues

Senator Bernie Sanders: Legislation

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:

State of the Union 2011: WIN THE FUTURE!!!

Last night I watched President Obama's speech & can say I at least generally agree with his rhetoric.

Despite the lunatics who think someone like Sarah Palin would be a better President, most Americans see that Obama is doing a good job. He hasn't approach everything in a way that I would consider optimal, but it's easy for any one of us plebeians to complain.

Any reasonable person should appreciate sane leadership after watching the two response speeches. The official GOP response was a snoozer from Paul Ryan, a Ayn Rand acolyte who wants to spearhead the Republican effort to sacrifice Medicare & Social Security to the insatiable beasts inhabiting Wall Street.

NYT:
Paul Ryan "The FlimFlam Man "

A second, even more far-out Right-Wing response was the predictably bizarre & misleading 'State of Teabagger Land' speech by ol' crazy eyes herself, Michele Bachmann. 5 years ago, nobody would have imagined the disciplined GOP machine fracturing like this, but they've turned into a madhouse.

The recurring theme of Obama's speech, "Win the Future" was really funny to me. It's a kind of absurd phrase, exactly like Dubya's idiotic "War on Terror"- except with obviously a more positive tone.
Like the 'Terror', the Future never actually ends... so how the hell can you declare 'war' against something or 'win' something that has no possible point of completion.

I think they make these irrational phrases up just to scramble people's minds- like a propagandist Zen koan.

Anyway, the President's repeated phrase "Win the Future" inspired me. I immediately thought of making a graphic of 'Future-Obama' emerging from a mind-bending time warp.

Last night, right after the speech I had to start it & got it mostly done. I finished it tonight so I could post it... before The Future arrives!

(click to enlarge)

Trump & Orwell: Reject the Evidence

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.

Despite actually predicting it, I had no idea we would actually elect an absolute dumpster fire of a human being like Donald J. Trump. My evaluation of Dubya as "The Worst President Ever" was, unfortunately, premature.

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.

Goodbye, Colbert Report

 Last night, I watched the final episode of "The Colbert Report". It was a great end to one of my all-time favorite shows:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on Facebook

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.

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

Rally to Restore Sanity

Our Lord & Savior, St. Stephen

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.

The Insane Horror of War

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:

Netanyahu’s apparent rejection of a post-war Palestinian state
adds to tensions with Biden administration

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.

The Iraq Invasion: Ten Years After

by Lewis Peake

"Of course it's about oil, 

it's very much about oil, and we can't really deny that."

-Gen. John Abizaid

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...

"Unholy Terror"

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".

seen on Bartcop

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:

Reuters:

Photographer’s Notebook: Iraq War

Denver Post: 

Photos: Tenth Anniversary of the Iraq War

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.
 

Iraq War Anniversary: 

Birth Defects And Cancer Rates 

At Devastating High In Basra And Fallujah

 

Now, the Iraq War is officially over... but the Death Merchants are always looking for an opportunity to roll out new products:

Voice of America:

"Iran, Syria: Major Topics 

on Obama's First Day in Israel "

The Satirical Genius of Stephen Colbert

 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.

NY Times Magazine:

How Many Stephen Colbert's Are There?

His roast of Dubya in 2006 was a legendary performance & guaranteed him a place among the Gods of Comedy.

Google Video

2006 White House Correspondents Dinner

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.

NYT:

Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit

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!

This should be very interesting... & hysterical!

The Colbert Report: January 12, 2012

Full Episode Link

The Colbert Report
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Republican Debate..yawn

What a Crowd

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.

Then I watch the Republican debate, hearing people like Michele Bachmann recite her usual falsehoods.

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:

"Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult"