In November of last year the dizzying nonsense about defunding Obama Care was still hanging in the air like so much smoke from a recently doused camp fire. On the 14th of that month NBC quoted the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, John Boehner as saying, "This (The Affordable Care Act) is going to destroy the best health care delivery system in the world."
He was either misinformed, or out right lying because the statement the Speaker made seven months ago was demonstrably wrong then and still is now.
The Commonwealth Fund was established in 1918 by Anna M. Harkness with an initial gift of around $10 million, a really big wad of cash back in those days. She could afford it. According to Wikipedia she was the widow of Stephen Harkness who was a principal share holder in Standard Oil. The motto of the organization is, "A private foundation working toward a high performing health system."
Nowadays The Commonwealth Fund examines health care systems, both here and abroad using statistics from The World Health Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and their own research. They also issue a yearly report.
The 2014 study looked at health care in the U.S. the U.K. Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Australia. It compared things like, cost, efficiency, access, fairness of care levels, and the overall health of the citizens in those eleven countries.
Take one guess where the good ol' U.S. of A. ranked. If you said dead last you'd be correct, although it shouldn't come as a surprise. Similar studies during 2010, 2007, 2006, and 2004 found we were last then too.
Some other tidbits pointed out by The Commonwealth Fund are these:
37% of Americans won't go to a doctor when they are ill, won't follow recommended care, and will either not get a prescription filled, or will fail to dose themselves properly because of cost concerns. That is compared to 6% of Swedes and 4% of the British.
23% of Americans either have a serious problem paying medical bills, or can't pay them at all. In France that number is 13%. In Norway, Sweden, and the U.K. it is 6%, or less.
The average health care cost per capita in the United States is $8,508. In Norway it is $5,669. It keeps going down from there. If you live in the U.K. the price is, $3,405.
The fact is, the study found the big bugaboo of all things republican, nationalized medicine, consistently outperforms the American system. So much so, Canada is the only nation on the list where patients average a longer waiting time to see a doctor than Americans do.
Well, you'll never be able to accuse John Boehner in particular, and the republicans in general of letting a few hard facts get in the way of a good solid sound bite. Indeed, ignore the data and plow ahead as if it doesn't exist.The truth is guys like Ted Cruz and the rest will look at these findings and simply claim they're a bunch of lies perpetrated by a liberal outfit who is pro ACA. For one it is the path of least resistance and secondly, the idiots on the far right will believe anything they say, no matter how crazy.
Think not? At one point last year Senator Cruz went on a talk show and told CBS' Bob Schieffer he never wanted to shut down the government over Obamacare--that the whole big mess was caused by the democrats who refused to compromise. He even did it with a straight face, something Schieffer couldn't maintain as he listened to Cruz's prima facie bullshit. He spent half the interview smiling incredulously as he reminded the senator of his vile threats to shut down the entire government of the United States unless he got his way. Ultimately, Schieffer did have the class to avoid something many of us would have jumped on in a New York minute. It was telling Ted Cruz the marathon faux filibuster he staged in opposition to Obamacare was the greatest act of egotism ever witnessed in the senate. That it was nothing more than a putrid attempt to make him a super star on the right edge of everything..
In that bizarre interview, it was like we were listening to a torturer blame his victim for the indescribable pain and suffering. "That's right, baby, I told you before I started gutting you like a boated tuna all you had to do is agree with me, but you didn't, so this blood on my hands is completely your fault." For me the interview was a breathtaking instant of clarity. It was the moment when I realized, without a doubt, Rafael Edward Cruz is utterly insane.
It drives Americans absolutely nuts to think someone else might be better at something--anything--than we are. The reason the Affordable Care Act was passed in the first place was to eventually pull us even with other industrialized nations when it comes to health care. Tragically, however, when vast numbers of us are confronted with evidence we're not the best, instead of accepting it and trying to improve, we just wallow in bluster and denial. In the end, the only thing the shrill caterwauling accomplishes is to convince the rest of the world we are, collectively, the oldest and most spoiled adolescent the planet has ever seen.
Meanwhile, the sick keep getting sicker and the medical bills, many people can't possibly pay, keep piling up like autumn leaves falling from elms and oaks.
This is another hard fact yokels like Boehner and Cruz like to ignore--because ultimately, according to them, it is better to let the uninsured die in the streets rather than admit we're wrong.
sic vita est
6-16-14
Monday, June 16, 2014
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Here is a Clue
This is how low we've sunk. At this moment in the United States of America there are those among us actually arguing about what exactly constitutes a real school shooting.
It all began shortly after the latest episode of gun violence which occurred Tuesday at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon. A freshman, 14 year old Emilio Hoffman was murdered by 15 year old Jared Padgett who had smuggled an AR-15 into the gym by concealing it in a guitar case. The shooter also wounded a teacher before engaging in a brief gunfight with police. The media is now reporting Jared Padgett ended the violence by taking his own life. That is nothing astonishingly different, neither is the news he got the weapon from his family's weapons cache which was supposedly secured.
Right.
As usual, no one knows why he went off the deep end. According to several reports he was devoutly religious and a member of the high school JROTC. He and his father loved to hunt, so there were a lot of guns around his home and he was familiar with them. His parents were divorced, but the emotional effects young Jared suffered are not clear at this time. And, unlike Jerad and Amanda Miller, the right wing fiends in Las Vegas who, on Sunday, killed two cops and a civilian, he didn't have a criminal record. In addition, police have not been able to find a connection between him and either victim. Yes, it appears they had made the mistake so many have. They were in what they thought was a safe place at the wrong time.
Shortly after this newest outrage a group called Everytown for Gun Safety sent out a press release claiming the Oregon shooting was the 74th since the nightmare at Newtown, CT a year and a half ago. Everytown is a group being financed by former New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg. CNN, Jon Stewart from "The Daily Show," and Barack Obama among others have cited the number.
Now right wing hacks are crawling out of the woodwork claiming Everytown's figure is wildly exaggerated. They maintain it is just another piece of left wing propaganda which is geared to stoke the fires of anti gun hysteria. One of these yokels, Barney Franken goes so far as say Everytown's figure is 1000% too high.
Today even CNN felt it necessary to differentiate between the "types" of gun violence in American schools. According to their updated statistics there have been only 15 "active shooter" incidents since Newtown. In other words since December 2012 about once every five weeks, or so someone has walked into a school, or onto the grounds of one and opened fire at students and teachers for no other reason than they were nuts and could. The remainder of the 74 shootings have been due to "personal arguments, gang activity, drug deals, or accidents."
Oh yeah, I'm so glad we up cleared that discrepancy. Obviously things are far more under control than we've been led to believe. Besides, we wouldn't want to confuse those other 59 perpetrators and idiots with crazy people like Adam Lanza, Elliot Rodger, or Jared Padgett. Indeed, if you have a real reason to open fire--you know, at someone specific--it really shouldn't count as a school shooting. Hey, you're not nearly as crackers as a wolverine on meth if you have a motive we can all, at some level, understand.
The truth is no other industrialized country in the world allows the proliferation of guns like we do. At the same time no other industrialized nation expects, or suffers through, school shooting tragedies as often as we have. They and their peoples simply won't tolerate the barbarity of these monstrous attacks.
Will somebody please finally do the math? Afterwards, you can then explain to me how we're any more free than people in places like Japan, Britain, Australia and western Europe.
Ok, you probably won't. Today's OKC newspaper relegated the story of Emilo Hoffman's death to not much more than a paragraph on page three. He has become, within 72 hours, old news.
Such is the state of the union--we watch as our kids and their teachers are gunned down time and time again while many of us howl to the moon their deaths are the price we pay for the privilege of being Americans.
The ultimate tragedy here, beyond the grotesque firearm fetish, is after all the never ending carnage, we've become so brutally calloused and politically divided, we are capable of carrying on a debate about what counts as real gun violence in our schools and what doesn't.
Well, pardon me, but here is a clue--if the little fucker shoots, no matter what the reason, it is gun violence.
No wonder we are held in such high regard across the globe when it comes to this issue.
6-12-14
It all began shortly after the latest episode of gun violence which occurred Tuesday at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon. A freshman, 14 year old Emilio Hoffman was murdered by 15 year old Jared Padgett who had smuggled an AR-15 into the gym by concealing it in a guitar case. The shooter also wounded a teacher before engaging in a brief gunfight with police. The media is now reporting Jared Padgett ended the violence by taking his own life. That is nothing astonishingly different, neither is the news he got the weapon from his family's weapons cache which was supposedly secured.
Right.
As usual, no one knows why he went off the deep end. According to several reports he was devoutly religious and a member of the high school JROTC. He and his father loved to hunt, so there were a lot of guns around his home and he was familiar with them. His parents were divorced, but the emotional effects young Jared suffered are not clear at this time. And, unlike Jerad and Amanda Miller, the right wing fiends in Las Vegas who, on Sunday, killed two cops and a civilian, he didn't have a criminal record. In addition, police have not been able to find a connection between him and either victim. Yes, it appears they had made the mistake so many have. They were in what they thought was a safe place at the wrong time.
Shortly after this newest outrage a group called Everytown for Gun Safety sent out a press release claiming the Oregon shooting was the 74th since the nightmare at Newtown, CT a year and a half ago. Everytown is a group being financed by former New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg. CNN, Jon Stewart from "The Daily Show," and Barack Obama among others have cited the number.
Now right wing hacks are crawling out of the woodwork claiming Everytown's figure is wildly exaggerated. They maintain it is just another piece of left wing propaganda which is geared to stoke the fires of anti gun hysteria. One of these yokels, Barney Franken goes so far as say Everytown's figure is 1000% too high.
Today even CNN felt it necessary to differentiate between the "types" of gun violence in American schools. According to their updated statistics there have been only 15 "active shooter" incidents since Newtown. In other words since December 2012 about once every five weeks, or so someone has walked into a school, or onto the grounds of one and opened fire at students and teachers for no other reason than they were nuts and could. The remainder of the 74 shootings have been due to "personal arguments, gang activity, drug deals, or accidents."
Oh yeah, I'm so glad we up cleared that discrepancy. Obviously things are far more under control than we've been led to believe. Besides, we wouldn't want to confuse those other 59 perpetrators and idiots with crazy people like Adam Lanza, Elliot Rodger, or Jared Padgett. Indeed, if you have a real reason to open fire--you know, at someone specific--it really shouldn't count as a school shooting. Hey, you're not nearly as crackers as a wolverine on meth if you have a motive we can all, at some level, understand.
The truth is no other industrialized country in the world allows the proliferation of guns like we do. At the same time no other industrialized nation expects, or suffers through, school shooting tragedies as often as we have. They and their peoples simply won't tolerate the barbarity of these monstrous attacks.
Will somebody please finally do the math? Afterwards, you can then explain to me how we're any more free than people in places like Japan, Britain, Australia and western Europe.
Ok, you probably won't. Today's OKC newspaper relegated the story of Emilo Hoffman's death to not much more than a paragraph on page three. He has become, within 72 hours, old news.
Such is the state of the union--we watch as our kids and their teachers are gunned down time and time again while many of us howl to the moon their deaths are the price we pay for the privilege of being Americans.
The ultimate tragedy here, beyond the grotesque firearm fetish, is after all the never ending carnage, we've become so brutally calloused and politically divided, we are capable of carrying on a debate about what counts as real gun violence in our schools and what doesn't.
Well, pardon me, but here is a clue--if the little fucker shoots, no matter what the reason, it is gun violence.
No wonder we are held in such high regard across the globe when it comes to this issue.
6-12-14
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Down Goes Eric Cantor
Woe to those who take things for granted.
Think not? Just look at Eric Cantor.The guy wins a seat in the house back in 2001 and over the next few years blows through re-election campaigns like they didn't even happen. Then because of some deft maneuvering and serious schmoozing he ends up the House Majority Leader in 2011. That put him second in command and one step from the Speaker's chair.
As of May 21st this year he had raised $5,447,290 to finance the run of 2014. By the same date his campaign staff was so awash with money and confidence they had spent $168,637, not for TV time, robo calls, or mailers, but on meals at a couple of steak houses.
During that time frame, Cantor's opponent in the republican primary, an economics professor named, David Brat, raised a mere $206,663. By May 21st, his entire campaign had spent $45,844 less than Cantor's people had on t-bones cooked medium rare and baked potatoes with butter, sour cream and chives.
Then came last night and to paraphrase the late Howard Cosell, "Down goes Cantor! Down goes Cantor! Down goes Cantor!"
Today tea party wags are running around bragging their guy beat an establishment republican. Well, while Dave Brat is one of their guys if you look at his politics, he certainly didn't get any help from the tea party money people. In fact his campaign was completely ignored by super pacs such as Tea Party Patriots, Freedomworks, and Club for Growth. Of the 200 plus grand he managed to raise, not one dime was from any sort of political action committee. In comparison, 39% of the Cantor campaign war chest came through super pacs.
Now, Virginia republicans have Brat as their man in November. The candidate is an unwavering opponent of any sort of gun control. In addition he is virulently anti choice and quite possibly against any sort of birth control. Most significantly, in this race anyway, he is also one of those guys who says, "we must secure our borders before talking about immigration reform." And just like the rest of them he hasn't the foggiest notion of how to do it. His campaign web site simply says he supports "various proposals" to make sure no one on the south side can get to the north side.
According to NBC and other media outlets the immigration issue is what he hammered away at during the campaign. Over and over again he claimed Cantor wanted to create a pathway to citizenship for the children of illegal aliens--that he was in collusion with Barack Obama to hand the country over to vast hordes of Hispanics.
Yes, in the right hands and in the right place xenophobia makes up for a lot of bucks.
Last night, Brat, who is Catholic and has a masters in divinity from Princeton, claimed, "This is a miracle from God that just happened."
It remains unclear if God Almighty was directly involved in the 7th Virginia district primary. However, the truth is Dave Brat clearly out worked his opponent during the campaign and used, with devastating efficiency, the first rule of Nixonian politics--charge what they can't deny and deny what they haven't charged.
He also got lucky. He was Cantor's only opponent. There was no one else in the race to siphon off votes.
So, was it the tea party politics of David Brat, or the crass hubris of Eric Cantor which caused this sudden void in the republican house leadership?
Take your pick. Both choices are probably right.
6-11-14
Think not? Just look at Eric Cantor.The guy wins a seat in the house back in 2001 and over the next few years blows through re-election campaigns like they didn't even happen. Then because of some deft maneuvering and serious schmoozing he ends up the House Majority Leader in 2011. That put him second in command and one step from the Speaker's chair.
As of May 21st this year he had raised $5,447,290 to finance the run of 2014. By the same date his campaign staff was so awash with money and confidence they had spent $168,637, not for TV time, robo calls, or mailers, but on meals at a couple of steak houses.
During that time frame, Cantor's opponent in the republican primary, an economics professor named, David Brat, raised a mere $206,663. By May 21st, his entire campaign had spent $45,844 less than Cantor's people had on t-bones cooked medium rare and baked potatoes with butter, sour cream and chives.
Then came last night and to paraphrase the late Howard Cosell, "Down goes Cantor! Down goes Cantor! Down goes Cantor!"
Today tea party wags are running around bragging their guy beat an establishment republican. Well, while Dave Brat is one of their guys if you look at his politics, he certainly didn't get any help from the tea party money people. In fact his campaign was completely ignored by super pacs such as Tea Party Patriots, Freedomworks, and Club for Growth. Of the 200 plus grand he managed to raise, not one dime was from any sort of political action committee. In comparison, 39% of the Cantor campaign war chest came through super pacs.
Now, Virginia republicans have Brat as their man in November. The candidate is an unwavering opponent of any sort of gun control. In addition he is virulently anti choice and quite possibly against any sort of birth control. Most significantly, in this race anyway, he is also one of those guys who says, "we must secure our borders before talking about immigration reform." And just like the rest of them he hasn't the foggiest notion of how to do it. His campaign web site simply says he supports "various proposals" to make sure no one on the south side can get to the north side.
According to NBC and other media outlets the immigration issue is what he hammered away at during the campaign. Over and over again he claimed Cantor wanted to create a pathway to citizenship for the children of illegal aliens--that he was in collusion with Barack Obama to hand the country over to vast hordes of Hispanics.
Yes, in the right hands and in the right place xenophobia makes up for a lot of bucks.
Last night, Brat, who is Catholic and has a masters in divinity from Princeton, claimed, "This is a miracle from God that just happened."
It remains unclear if God Almighty was directly involved in the 7th Virginia district primary. However, the truth is Dave Brat clearly out worked his opponent during the campaign and used, with devastating efficiency, the first rule of Nixonian politics--charge what they can't deny and deny what they haven't charged.
He also got lucky. He was Cantor's only opponent. There was no one else in the race to siphon off votes.
So, was it the tea party politics of David Brat, or the crass hubris of Eric Cantor which caused this sudden void in the republican house leadership?
Take your pick. Both choices are probably right.
6-11-14
Monday, June 9, 2014
A Weekend to Remember: Cruz Gets an Ego Massage and the Revolution Ends Quickly
It was quite a weekend for the anti-government crowd, both in Texas and Nevada.
South of the Red River, the Texas state republican party held their convention in Ft. Worth. It pretty much turned into a contorted ode to Ted Cruz as the hard right rammed through platform language which sounds like it could have been written by a coven of the Ku Klux Klan.
State Senator Dan Patrick addressed the delegates about immigration reform. He parroted the oft heard line we shouldn't reform the immigration system until our southern border is, "secure." He didn't go into any details on how to secure it, but given the tone of his speech, one can imagine it involves armored divisions and free fire zones.
He also promised the raucous gathering, "The idea we're not going to be able to attract Hispanic voters over immigration is wrong." It is uncertain what drug the Senator ingested prior to making that statement, but it must have been something heavy, since he was clearly delusional. Despite the dementia, he was preaching to the choir. One delegate was holding a sign which read, "No, not even a hint of amnesty," while another speaker claimed a softer immigration policy, "is like negotiating with terrorists."
You bet, words like those will certainly appeal to the 70% of Hispanic voters who cast ballots for Barack H. Obama a couple of years ago. Patrick is currently running for Lt. Governor. His democratic opponent is a Latina state Senator named Leticia Van de Putte, who has called his rhetoric on immigration, "toxic." While I'm not an professional political analyst I think it is safe to say, Dan Patrick probably shouldn't count on carrying the Hispanic demographic just yet.
In another effort to expand the party's base the convention approved platform language which called for "reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle." Reparative therapy is such dangerous quackery both California and New Jersey have outlawed the practice on minors.
Through all the hubbub there was no doubt, Cruz was the super star. He delivered the keynote address while preening on stage, bathing in the chants of, "Run Ted run." In addition the dude from Alberta won a presidential straw poll with 43% of the votes. His nearest competitor was conservative pundit and author, Ben Carson who pulled in 12.2%. The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, who has some delusions of his own, came in 4th.The Washington Post dubbed the Texas republican party as, the party of Cruz. It would seem the publicaton has a point.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Jerad and Amanda Miller took a stroll out of their Las Vegas home. They were armed and pushing a shopping cart filled with guns and ammo. Since this is America a neighbor wasn't particularly concerned with the sight, even though Jerad told her, "we gotta do, what we gotta do," and Amanda hugged her while saying, "I'm so very sorry."
The neighbor, Kelly Fielder told the media, Jerad Miller often talked about his hatred of the government and his desire to over throw it and Barack Obama. Even more darkly, he talked about killing police officers. Ms. Fielder said in retrospect she wished she had called the authorities as soon as she saw them leave yesterday.
Yeah, that might have been a good idea. Later in the day the Millers walked into a Cici's Pizza and announced, "This is the start of a revolution," because--you know--pizza joints are where all successful revolutions begin.That is when a tragedy unfolded. Two Las Vegas police officers, Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo were there eating lunch. Both were killed when the Millers opened fire.
The couple stole Beck and Soldo's weapons and ammunition. Then they covered their bodies with a Gadsden flag--that would be the yellow one with a coiled snake and the words, "Don't Tread on Me." Most of the time you see them flying at tea party rallies and NRA gatherings.
The Millers then walked to a Wal-Mart, murdered another person and became engaged in a gun fight with police. The gruesome episode ended when they both saved everyone a lot of time and expense by killing themselves.
Yes, so there we have it--a weekend to remember. Ted Cruz got his ever expanding ego massaged as he told an adoring mob of Texans Washington D.C. isn't part of America and the revolution in Nevada ended quickly, but, as always, not without casualties. The rest of us simply shook our heads and ordered another round.
sic vita est
6-9-14
South of the Red River, the Texas state republican party held their convention in Ft. Worth. It pretty much turned into a contorted ode to Ted Cruz as the hard right rammed through platform language which sounds like it could have been written by a coven of the Ku Klux Klan.
State Senator Dan Patrick addressed the delegates about immigration reform. He parroted the oft heard line we shouldn't reform the immigration system until our southern border is, "secure." He didn't go into any details on how to secure it, but given the tone of his speech, one can imagine it involves armored divisions and free fire zones.
He also promised the raucous gathering, "The idea we're not going to be able to attract Hispanic voters over immigration is wrong." It is uncertain what drug the Senator ingested prior to making that statement, but it must have been something heavy, since he was clearly delusional. Despite the dementia, he was preaching to the choir. One delegate was holding a sign which read, "No, not even a hint of amnesty," while another speaker claimed a softer immigration policy, "is like negotiating with terrorists."
You bet, words like those will certainly appeal to the 70% of Hispanic voters who cast ballots for Barack H. Obama a couple of years ago. Patrick is currently running for Lt. Governor. His democratic opponent is a Latina state Senator named Leticia Van de Putte, who has called his rhetoric on immigration, "toxic." While I'm not an professional political analyst I think it is safe to say, Dan Patrick probably shouldn't count on carrying the Hispanic demographic just yet.
In another effort to expand the party's base the convention approved platform language which called for "reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle." Reparative therapy is such dangerous quackery both California and New Jersey have outlawed the practice on minors.
Through all the hubbub there was no doubt, Cruz was the super star. He delivered the keynote address while preening on stage, bathing in the chants of, "Run Ted run." In addition the dude from Alberta won a presidential straw poll with 43% of the votes. His nearest competitor was conservative pundit and author, Ben Carson who pulled in 12.2%. The governor of Texas, Rick Perry, who has some delusions of his own, came in 4th.The Washington Post dubbed the Texas republican party as, the party of Cruz. It would seem the publicaton has a point.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Jerad and Amanda Miller took a stroll out of their Las Vegas home. They were armed and pushing a shopping cart filled with guns and ammo. Since this is America a neighbor wasn't particularly concerned with the sight, even though Jerad told her, "we gotta do, what we gotta do," and Amanda hugged her while saying, "I'm so very sorry."
The neighbor, Kelly Fielder told the media, Jerad Miller often talked about his hatred of the government and his desire to over throw it and Barack Obama. Even more darkly, he talked about killing police officers. Ms. Fielder said in retrospect she wished she had called the authorities as soon as she saw them leave yesterday.
Yeah, that might have been a good idea. Later in the day the Millers walked into a Cici's Pizza and announced, "This is the start of a revolution," because--you know--pizza joints are where all successful revolutions begin.That is when a tragedy unfolded. Two Las Vegas police officers, Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo were there eating lunch. Both were killed when the Millers opened fire.
The couple stole Beck and Soldo's weapons and ammunition. Then they covered their bodies with a Gadsden flag--that would be the yellow one with a coiled snake and the words, "Don't Tread on Me." Most of the time you see them flying at tea party rallies and NRA gatherings.
The Millers then walked to a Wal-Mart, murdered another person and became engaged in a gun fight with police. The gruesome episode ended when they both saved everyone a lot of time and expense by killing themselves.
Yes, so there we have it--a weekend to remember. Ted Cruz got his ever expanding ego massaged as he told an adoring mob of Texans Washington D.C. isn't part of America and the revolution in Nevada ended quickly, but, as always, not without casualties. The rest of us simply shook our heads and ordered another round.
sic vita est
6-9-14
Friday, June 6, 2014
The Week That Was: A Good Guy Without a Gun, A Bad Guy with a Couple of Them, Hillary and a Patio Chair, and A Toast to Those Who Were on the Beaches
The latest American model is named, Aaron Ybarra. On Thursday he walked into Otto Miller Hall on the 43 acre campus of Seattle Pacific University. NBC reports he was armed with a shotgun, extra ammunition, and a knife. He opened fire, killing one student and wounding three more, one critically.
It could have been worse. When Ybarra stopped to reload, SPU student John Meis, who was working the front desk of the building, went into action. He unleashed a stream of pepper spray into Ybarra's face, then took him to the floor. Other students jumped in and they held the shooter down until police arrived--all of which goes to disprove the tiresome mantra of the NRA's, Wayne LaPierre, which tells us, "The only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." It also illustrates what happens when there are a limited number of rounds in an ammunition magazine.
The rest of the details are so numbingly familiar it is like we're all participating in a looping Twilight Zone episode which never ends. Ybarra, who isn't a student at the school, reportedly lives with his parents and is described as--you guessed it--"angry, anti social, and disaffected." He bought the weapon used in the attack two years ago. According to the NRA, the state of Washington does not require a person to obtain a permit prior to buying a shotgun, or rifle, or to carry one. Nor does an individual need to purchase a license to own either type of weapon. In addition the state doesn't mandate an owner register them with police. In other words, Aaron Ybarra, who was busily researching other mass shootings while sitting at home with mom and dad--he was particularly fond of the Columbine High School massacre--was completely off the radar.
The day before, up in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada had debuted their own version. Justin Bourque allegedly shot and killed three officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was armed with a shotgun and sniper style rifle. At least that is what it looked like in a photo someone took of him as he wandered around a Moncton neighborhood on Wednesday.
Early this morning the Mounties got their man. Bourque was located in some woods behind a home. He surrendered without offering any resistance. NBC says members of the RCMP SWAT team found him unarmed, but discovered a cache of weapons nearby.
Reports are his Facebook page contains postings from gun rights groups and anti police rants.
When he surrendered a witness said the only thing he told authorities was, "I'm done."
Finally, on a different subject, Hillary Rodham Clinton made the cover of the most recent issue of "People Magazine." It didn't take long for right wing slugs to launch an attack.
A tweet from the Drudge Report read, "Is Clinton holding a walker?" That bit of speculation immediately spurred a tweet from the Wall Street Journal--Capital Journal, telling us, "Is that a walker? Hillary Clinton's latest magazine cover is raising eyebrows."
No, it wasn't a walker, it was a patio chair which just happened to be nearby. Although it will, no doubt, be only be a matter of minutes before some astute conspiracy theorist points out the chair was put there on purpose to support her, in order to hide the fact she really does use a walker. Indeed, first there was the murder of Vince Foster and now this terrible subterfuge. Obviously the evil chicanery of the Clintons knows no bounds.
We might as well get used to this type of bilge. The former Secretary of State's age and health are going to be center stage every time a FOX News panel sits down to analyze the coming presidential contest. They're going to howl that by 2016 she'll be 69 and therefore far too old and frail to guide the republic. Meanwhile, they will scrupulously ignore the fact their guy, Ronald Reagan was 69 years and 349 days old when he became president.
If someone does bring up Reagan's age in rebuttal, without actually saying it aloud, the same pundits will gleefully infer there is a major difference between an elder statesman and some wrinkled old lady. Just wait for it.
So there we are. The first week of June has appeared disturbingly like the last couple of weeks of May. And, it seems we have only ourselves to blame for it.
The bar is open and the first toast will be to the people who hit the beaches in Normandy 70 years ago today.
Here is to them.
6-6-14
It could have been worse. When Ybarra stopped to reload, SPU student John Meis, who was working the front desk of the building, went into action. He unleashed a stream of pepper spray into Ybarra's face, then took him to the floor. Other students jumped in and they held the shooter down until police arrived--all of which goes to disprove the tiresome mantra of the NRA's, Wayne LaPierre, which tells us, "The only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." It also illustrates what happens when there are a limited number of rounds in an ammunition magazine.
The rest of the details are so numbingly familiar it is like we're all participating in a looping Twilight Zone episode which never ends. Ybarra, who isn't a student at the school, reportedly lives with his parents and is described as--you guessed it--"angry, anti social, and disaffected." He bought the weapon used in the attack two years ago. According to the NRA, the state of Washington does not require a person to obtain a permit prior to buying a shotgun, or rifle, or to carry one. Nor does an individual need to purchase a license to own either type of weapon. In addition the state doesn't mandate an owner register them with police. In other words, Aaron Ybarra, who was busily researching other mass shootings while sitting at home with mom and dad--he was particularly fond of the Columbine High School massacre--was completely off the radar.
The day before, up in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada had debuted their own version. Justin Bourque allegedly shot and killed three officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was armed with a shotgun and sniper style rifle. At least that is what it looked like in a photo someone took of him as he wandered around a Moncton neighborhood on Wednesday.
Early this morning the Mounties got their man. Bourque was located in some woods behind a home. He surrendered without offering any resistance. NBC says members of the RCMP SWAT team found him unarmed, but discovered a cache of weapons nearby.
Reports are his Facebook page contains postings from gun rights groups and anti police rants.
When he surrendered a witness said the only thing he told authorities was, "I'm done."
Finally, on a different subject, Hillary Rodham Clinton made the cover of the most recent issue of "People Magazine." It didn't take long for right wing slugs to launch an attack.
A tweet from the Drudge Report read, "Is Clinton holding a walker?" That bit of speculation immediately spurred a tweet from the Wall Street Journal--Capital Journal, telling us, "Is that a walker? Hillary Clinton's latest magazine cover is raising eyebrows."
No, it wasn't a walker, it was a patio chair which just happened to be nearby. Although it will, no doubt, be only be a matter of minutes before some astute conspiracy theorist points out the chair was put there on purpose to support her, in order to hide the fact she really does use a walker. Indeed, first there was the murder of Vince Foster and now this terrible subterfuge. Obviously the evil chicanery of the Clintons knows no bounds.
We might as well get used to this type of bilge. The former Secretary of State's age and health are going to be center stage every time a FOX News panel sits down to analyze the coming presidential contest. They're going to howl that by 2016 she'll be 69 and therefore far too old and frail to guide the republic. Meanwhile, they will scrupulously ignore the fact their guy, Ronald Reagan was 69 years and 349 days old when he became president.
If someone does bring up Reagan's age in rebuttal, without actually saying it aloud, the same pundits will gleefully infer there is a major difference between an elder statesman and some wrinkled old lady. Just wait for it.
So there we are. The first week of June has appeared disturbingly like the last couple of weeks of May. And, it seems we have only ourselves to blame for it.
The bar is open and the first toast will be to the people who hit the beaches in Normandy 70 years ago today.
Here is to them.
6-6-14
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
The NRA Mistake
Using guns merely to draw attention to yourself in public not only defies common sense, it shows a lack of consideration and manners. That's not the Texas way. And that's certainly not the NRA way.
A NRA grass roots email sent to members late last week.
The email, which reportedly was also posted on a NRA website, was in response to a group called Texas Open Carry. They are the clowns who showed up en masse, armed with assault style weapons at a Chipotle's restaurant a little while ago. The group claimed their get together wasn't a demonstration, or political statement, although no one in their right mind believed that assertion for a second. Chipotle's certainly didn't.
The corporation quickly issued a statement which asked gun owners to leave their weapons at home, or in their cars, or just about any place else, while they are in their restaurants. Sonic Drive Ins and Chili's quickly followed suit. Starbucks had already made a similar request.
Various media outlets said the NRA message also used words and terms, like "counterproductive, scary, and downright weird." It is a report which can't be confirmed because a quick search earlier today of the NRA's home site and their lobbying site, the regally named, Institute for Legislative Action found no trace of the statement.
Yes, that stunning moment of, "common sense, consideration, and manners," was fleeting indeed.
After Texas Open Carry started to raise hell, Chris Cox, who heads the Institute for Legislative Action, went on a NRA produced radio show claiming the email was a, "mistake." Although he hedged just a tad, by saying different groups prefer to use different tactics, he made it clear the NRA was all for open carry laws, and the offending email did not reflect official NRA philosophy. He blamed some poor schmuck staffer by saying it was his, or her personal opinion which should have never been sent out under the NRA banner. If true, apparently anyone at the NRA , no matter how far down the totem pole, can post something on the official website without any editorial oversight, or permission.
He also told the audience he had a, "conversation" with the staffer. Although, he didn't divulge the contents of the talk, if Cox's explanation is true, the odds are about 50-50 it came in the form of an exit interview.
Prompted by the host of, "the talk show," with a series of leading questions, Mr. Cox went into a rambling account of how the NRA would always support the expansion of pro gun legislation. There was also a lot of the usual stuff about the anti gun mainstream press and people having the right to defend themselves--yada yada yada.
A spokesperson for Texas Open Carry quickly accepted the mea culpa by saying something along the lines of, "Oh that explains everything. It was some low level employee."
So what does it all mean? Was it exactly as Cox, who heads up a phalanx of blood thirsty lobbyists, said it was, simply a merry mix up? Was it was a rogue NRA staffer whose conscience has been riddled with guilt after years of having to write absolute bullshit? Or, was it an attempt by the NRA to be more mainstream, at least in appearance, by distancing themselves from a bunch of crude yokels, too stupid to realize they're making all gun owners look like crazed fanatics and provocateurs?
There is an argument for the latter. After all, no one wants to be sitting in a restaurant when a bunch of unknown geeks, dressed in camo, armed to the teeth with semi automatic assault weapons, comes storming through the front door. In that awful moment, as far as anyone sitting in the violated establishment knows, they might be the local version of Boko Haram, or Westboro Baptist, who are there to drag their daughters into the wilderness somewhere outside of Monroe, Louisiana. That's not to mention the quite public and incredibly raw reality of the anger and anguished passion of, Richard Martinez, whose only son was killed by a gun wielding nut a week ago simply because he was standing outside a deli in Isla Vista, CA.
Indeed, given recent events, some might think it's best to at least try to seem reasonable.
Well, if there was a bright flash of clarity it is snuffed out now. One reason might be the mass media ran with the story as if it was the second coming of Jesus of Nazareth. Who can blame them? It seemed, for an an instant, there was a break in the ranks of those who think owning a Bushmaster .223 validates their sexuality. Cox told his, "interviewer" the media attention was a crass attempt to divide and conquer. That's right, no matter what, never let the opposition know there might be a disagreement among the faithful.
Hey, who knows? If there hadn't been all the publicity the email might still be on the NRA's web site, serving as a rebuke to those who want to carry a semi automatic rifle into restaurants, hospitals, football stadiums and bars--to those fools who are so convincingly able to make the rest of us think every gun owner out there is a dangerous loon.
I will admit it is a quaint fantasy.
I'll go with it though, at least until the next outrage is perpetrated by some monster who hears voices and sees demons, but is still allowed to buy everything short of a fucking bazooka.
sic vita est
6-4-14
A NRA grass roots email sent to members late last week.
The email, which reportedly was also posted on a NRA website, was in response to a group called Texas Open Carry. They are the clowns who showed up en masse, armed with assault style weapons at a Chipotle's restaurant a little while ago. The group claimed their get together wasn't a demonstration, or political statement, although no one in their right mind believed that assertion for a second. Chipotle's certainly didn't.
The corporation quickly issued a statement which asked gun owners to leave their weapons at home, or in their cars, or just about any place else, while they are in their restaurants. Sonic Drive Ins and Chili's quickly followed suit. Starbucks had already made a similar request.
Various media outlets said the NRA message also used words and terms, like "counterproductive, scary, and downright weird." It is a report which can't be confirmed because a quick search earlier today of the NRA's home site and their lobbying site, the regally named, Institute for Legislative Action found no trace of the statement.
Yes, that stunning moment of, "common sense, consideration, and manners," was fleeting indeed.
After Texas Open Carry started to raise hell, Chris Cox, who heads the Institute for Legislative Action, went on a NRA produced radio show claiming the email was a, "mistake." Although he hedged just a tad, by saying different groups prefer to use different tactics, he made it clear the NRA was all for open carry laws, and the offending email did not reflect official NRA philosophy. He blamed some poor schmuck staffer by saying it was his, or her personal opinion which should have never been sent out under the NRA banner. If true, apparently anyone at the NRA , no matter how far down the totem pole, can post something on the official website without any editorial oversight, or permission.
He also told the audience he had a, "conversation" with the staffer. Although, he didn't divulge the contents of the talk, if Cox's explanation is true, the odds are about 50-50 it came in the form of an exit interview.
Prompted by the host of, "the talk show," with a series of leading questions, Mr. Cox went into a rambling account of how the NRA would always support the expansion of pro gun legislation. There was also a lot of the usual stuff about the anti gun mainstream press and people having the right to defend themselves--yada yada yada.
A spokesperson for Texas Open Carry quickly accepted the mea culpa by saying something along the lines of, "Oh that explains everything. It was some low level employee."
So what does it all mean? Was it exactly as Cox, who heads up a phalanx of blood thirsty lobbyists, said it was, simply a merry mix up? Was it was a rogue NRA staffer whose conscience has been riddled with guilt after years of having to write absolute bullshit? Or, was it an attempt by the NRA to be more mainstream, at least in appearance, by distancing themselves from a bunch of crude yokels, too stupid to realize they're making all gun owners look like crazed fanatics and provocateurs?
There is an argument for the latter. After all, no one wants to be sitting in a restaurant when a bunch of unknown geeks, dressed in camo, armed to the teeth with semi automatic assault weapons, comes storming through the front door. In that awful moment, as far as anyone sitting in the violated establishment knows, they might be the local version of Boko Haram, or Westboro Baptist, who are there to drag their daughters into the wilderness somewhere outside of Monroe, Louisiana. That's not to mention the quite public and incredibly raw reality of the anger and anguished passion of, Richard Martinez, whose only son was killed by a gun wielding nut a week ago simply because he was standing outside a deli in Isla Vista, CA.
Indeed, given recent events, some might think it's best to at least try to seem reasonable.
Well, if there was a bright flash of clarity it is snuffed out now. One reason might be the mass media ran with the story as if it was the second coming of Jesus of Nazareth. Who can blame them? It seemed, for an an instant, there was a break in the ranks of those who think owning a Bushmaster .223 validates their sexuality. Cox told his, "interviewer" the media attention was a crass attempt to divide and conquer. That's right, no matter what, never let the opposition know there might be a disagreement among the faithful.
Hey, who knows? If there hadn't been all the publicity the email might still be on the NRA's web site, serving as a rebuke to those who want to carry a semi automatic rifle into restaurants, hospitals, football stadiums and bars--to those fools who are so convincingly able to make the rest of us think every gun owner out there is a dangerous loon.
I will admit it is a quaint fantasy.
I'll go with it though, at least until the next outrage is perpetrated by some monster who hears voices and sees demons, but is still allowed to buy everything short of a fucking bazooka.
sic vita est
6-4-14
Monday, June 2, 2014
The Long Voyage of Bowe Bergdahl.
The late Michael Hastings wrote about Bowe Bergdahl in Rolling Stone two years ago. The piece painted a picture of a complex young man who was actively seeking a life of edgy adventure. He was born, raised, and home schooled in Hailey, Idaho. It is a town of 7,900 plus souls near the resort area of Sun Valley. Up until now Hailey's most famous, or depending on how you look at it, infamous, native son was the poet turned fascist, Ezra Pound. Of course Pound didn't stick around long. His family moved when he was only 18 months old.
Bowe Bergdahl desperately wanted to do the same thing. So much so, Hastings pointed out the U.S. Army was actually Bergdahl's second choice. He had, prior to his enlistment, tried to join the French Foreign Legion, but they turned him down. He also fantasized about becoming some type of hybrid mercenary in Africa in order to teach villagers how to protect themselves from people like Boko Haram and The Lord's Resistance Army.
In the end he settled on the American army and began his training for deployment in Afghanistan. According to Michael Hastings he arrived with the bright eyes of an idealist. He studied the language of the Afghans so he could communicate with them and even Russian military manuals in order to see how they failed. An officer described him as quiet and well behaved. Others began to call him, SF for special forces because of his intensity. Unfortunately, if Hastings was correct, Bergdahl found himself in the midst of a company of fuck ups from the top down. Try to imagine the characters of the cartoon strip Beetle Bailey with real guns preparing for actual combat.
Hasting writes the situation was so bad Bergdahl believed his company was unfit for combat. Shortly before the outfit shipped out he told one of his few friends in the unit, "If this deployment is lame, I'm just going to walk off into the mountains of Pakistan."
The deployment turned out to be lame indeed. The commanding officer was canned, leaving an inexperienced sergeant in charge. What little discipline was left in his platoon disintegrated. Morale went to hell and the soldiers were openly hostile toward the people they were supposed to be helping. It didn't take long for Bowe Bergdahl's idealism to turn into bitter disillusion. In emails sent to his father he complained about incompetence, dishonesty, and the miasma of military politics which, he alleged, rewarded brown nosing suck ups and penalized honesty and innovation. Ultimately he began to question the entire conduct of the war.
Not long after a unit vehicle ran over and killed an Afghan child--a tragedy apparently shrugged off by at least some of his comrades--he grabbed a compass, a bottle of water, and took a hike toward the mountains of Pakistan.
He didn't get far.
That was in June, 2009. A couple of days ago, the Obama administration traded five Taliban leaders held at Guantanamo Bay for the only U.S. soldier taken prisoner by insurgents in Afghanistan.
It took less than 48 hours for the shit to hit the fan. Right wing hacks all over the place are screeching to the heavens that Barack H. Obama traded five mass murderers for a--take your pick--traitor, deserter, or AWOL. A "We the People" online petition calling for Bergdahl's court martial has, as of a couple of hours ago, been signed by a little over four thousand people.
John McCain is yapping about the, "hardened terrorists" who were let go. Ted Cruz speculated we've just set a price on the heads of American service people and yokels like Jim Inhofe are complaining Obama didn't give congress 30 days notice before he released someone from Guantanamo. Representative Buck McKeon, R-CA the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee has promised there will be hearings.
Well sure there will be. And each and every republican will get up and say Barack Obama broke the law and he should be censured, or impeached, or whatever it is you do with a guy who isn't a fellow tea party savant.
Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel says the deal was struck to save the life of Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier and citizen. It was, in his words, that simple.
The five Taliban who were given up for an American sergeant will be in living in Qatar for at least a year. Intelligence sources call them gray beards. In other words, they're old and out of the loop. The Taliban is calling the exchange a, "great victory."
Despite all this political nonsense his parents and the population of Hailey are ready to welcome Bowe Bergdahl home with open arms.
That would be unlike a guy on FOX named Ralph Peters, who a couple of years ago, after the Rolling Stone story hit the stands, said the Taliban should save the U.S. not only a few bucks, but considerable time and effort by executing him.
Such is the nature of the right wing.
Thankfully, there are a few people left who refuse to cave into that sort of jingoistic bullshit--much to the relief of Bowe Bergdahl's mother and father.
sic vita est
6-2-14
Bowe Bergdahl desperately wanted to do the same thing. So much so, Hastings pointed out the U.S. Army was actually Bergdahl's second choice. He had, prior to his enlistment, tried to join the French Foreign Legion, but they turned him down. He also fantasized about becoming some type of hybrid mercenary in Africa in order to teach villagers how to protect themselves from people like Boko Haram and The Lord's Resistance Army.
In the end he settled on the American army and began his training for deployment in Afghanistan. According to Michael Hastings he arrived with the bright eyes of an idealist. He studied the language of the Afghans so he could communicate with them and even Russian military manuals in order to see how they failed. An officer described him as quiet and well behaved. Others began to call him, SF for special forces because of his intensity. Unfortunately, if Hastings was correct, Bergdahl found himself in the midst of a company of fuck ups from the top down. Try to imagine the characters of the cartoon strip Beetle Bailey with real guns preparing for actual combat.
Hasting writes the situation was so bad Bergdahl believed his company was unfit for combat. Shortly before the outfit shipped out he told one of his few friends in the unit, "If this deployment is lame, I'm just going to walk off into the mountains of Pakistan."
The deployment turned out to be lame indeed. The commanding officer was canned, leaving an inexperienced sergeant in charge. What little discipline was left in his platoon disintegrated. Morale went to hell and the soldiers were openly hostile toward the people they were supposed to be helping. It didn't take long for Bowe Bergdahl's idealism to turn into bitter disillusion. In emails sent to his father he complained about incompetence, dishonesty, and the miasma of military politics which, he alleged, rewarded brown nosing suck ups and penalized honesty and innovation. Ultimately he began to question the entire conduct of the war.
Not long after a unit vehicle ran over and killed an Afghan child--a tragedy apparently shrugged off by at least some of his comrades--he grabbed a compass, a bottle of water, and took a hike toward the mountains of Pakistan.
He didn't get far.
That was in June, 2009. A couple of days ago, the Obama administration traded five Taliban leaders held at Guantanamo Bay for the only U.S. soldier taken prisoner by insurgents in Afghanistan.
It took less than 48 hours for the shit to hit the fan. Right wing hacks all over the place are screeching to the heavens that Barack H. Obama traded five mass murderers for a--take your pick--traitor, deserter, or AWOL. A "We the People" online petition calling for Bergdahl's court martial has, as of a couple of hours ago, been signed by a little over four thousand people.
John McCain is yapping about the, "hardened terrorists" who were let go. Ted Cruz speculated we've just set a price on the heads of American service people and yokels like Jim Inhofe are complaining Obama didn't give congress 30 days notice before he released someone from Guantanamo. Representative Buck McKeon, R-CA the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee has promised there will be hearings.
Well sure there will be. And each and every republican will get up and say Barack Obama broke the law and he should be censured, or impeached, or whatever it is you do with a guy who isn't a fellow tea party savant.
Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel says the deal was struck to save the life of Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier and citizen. It was, in his words, that simple.
The five Taliban who were given up for an American sergeant will be in living in Qatar for at least a year. Intelligence sources call them gray beards. In other words, they're old and out of the loop. The Taliban is calling the exchange a, "great victory."
Despite all this political nonsense his parents and the population of Hailey are ready to welcome Bowe Bergdahl home with open arms.
That would be unlike a guy on FOX named Ralph Peters, who a couple of years ago, after the Rolling Stone story hit the stands, said the Taliban should save the U.S. not only a few bucks, but considerable time and effort by executing him.
Such is the nature of the right wing.
Thankfully, there are a few people left who refuse to cave into that sort of jingoistic bullshit--much to the relief of Bowe Bergdahl's mother and father.
sic vita est
6-2-14
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)