Now that we've come to the end of it, perhaps it is time to take a glance back at some of the profound and not so profound statements made in 2015 by the famous, infamous, and the obscure.
January: Steve Emerson, who describes himself as, "a leading expert on Islamic extremism," went on Fox News and said, "Birmingham, England is totally Muslim. Non Muslims won't go there." His shocked Fox host responded with, "You know Steve that sounds like a caliphate within a country." Unfortunately for both of them the latest British census shows Birmingham is 22% Muslim and 78%non Muslim. British Prime Minister, David Cameron said of Mr. Emerson, "This guy is clearly a complete idiot."
February: Mississippi state representative Gene Alday explained his opposition to additional education funding this way, "I come from a town where all the blacks are getting food stamps and what I like to call crazy welfare checks. They don't work." After the shit hit the fan Mr. Alday first said he'd been taken out of context, then that he thought he was speaking, "off the record." He went on to assure everyone, "I'm not a racist."
March: In order to prove such vile nonsense isn't confined to the Mississippi outback, a video emerged on line which showed a bus load of University of Oklahoma fraternity members singing to their dates a little ditty whose lyrics were, "There will never be a n****r in SAE, there will never be a n****r in SAE/You can hang him in a tree, but he'll never sign with me/There will never be a n****r in SAE." In response to the impromptu serenade, school president David Boren kicked the fraternity off campus and the football team went on a three day walkout from spring practice.
April: At a Maricopa County, AZ republican dinner, the esteemed psychiatrist, Ted Nugent spoke to the audience about U.S. military veterans. He said, "Here's your job republican party, 20 to 25 of those guys kill themselves every day and they haven't told you why and they haven't told anyone else, but they told me why; because the commander in chief is the enemy."
May: Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a dark warning about the pending multi state military exercise named Jade Helm. According to Abbott the exercise might just be a ruse which would give the military a leg up on establishing martial law and begin a crackdown on, "political prisoners." He ordered the Texas National Guard to keep an eye on the federal troops just in case they tried any funny business.
June: After Reverend Clementa Pickney and eight of his congregation were murdered by a foul little racist, NRA board member, Charles Cotton said of the minister--who also served in the South Carolina legislature--"And he voted against concealed carry. Eight of his church members, who might be alive if he expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead. Innocent people died because of his position on a political issue." It was a statement so cold blooded and cruel the NRA issued a statement saying its board members don't speak for the organization.
July: Back in Texas, on the eve of Jade Helm, the citizens of Bastrop were in a panic. Wild rumors of secret detention centers being set up in abandoned Wal-Marts and hordes of invading U.N. troops were flying. Helping fan the flames, martial arts expert turned actor Chuck Norris said, "The U.S. government says it's just a training exercise. But I'm not sure the term 'just' has any reference to reality when the government uses it." The local GOP chair assured those gathered at a town hall meeting there would be groups of armed people patrolling the streets to protect the city and its citizens. They must have done their job, because Bastrop still stands long after the exercise ended.
August: Conservative columnist, George Will wrote of Donald Trump, "Trump promises that constitutional arrangements need be no impediment to the leader's savvy management and iron will." He went on to say Trump's supporters saw him as a means to, "...turn the government into a triumph of the leader's will." The column appeared well before Mr. Trump called for a ban of all Muslims entering the country and a national Muslim data base of those already here. It was the first published op-ed piece to use language which, at least subtlety, linked Trump and his fans to Hitler and the Nazis.
September: Kim Davis, the Rowan County, KY clerk--who has been married three times and had two children out of wedlock--went to jail for refusing to sign off on the marriage licenses of gay couples, because, according to her, it was immoral. Presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz rushed to her aid and, not coincidentally, to the gathered media outside the local courthouse. Huckabee, playing to the crowd, said, "We must end the criminalization of Christianity. What a world where Hillary Clinton isn't in jail, but Kim Davis is."
October: After a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, OR, local gun store owner, Candi Kinney summed up the collective American psyche perfectly when she told a reporter, "There's always a rush after a big shooting."
November: A self proclaimed evangelist and social media personality, Joshua Feuerstien became incensed over this year's Starbuck's holiday coffee cup design. He went on Facebook and raged, "Starbucks removed Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus." Fox News agreed and took it further by bitterly complaining the holiday decorations in an upstate New York shopping mall had neither a tree, or any other traditional Christmas symbols.
December: A photo of a street demonstration in Dearborn, MI surfaced on line after the deadly terrorist attack in San Bernadino, CA. The caption beneath it read, "This is Dearborn, MI after the radical Islamic attacks in California. These are ISIS flags and supporters, folks, but the media hasn't reported it because of political correctness." The flags weren't ISIS flags and the people in the photo were demonstrating against ISIS, not for it, as was clearly evidenced by a sign a couple of them were carrying.
Yes, it has been strange year and 2016 won't be any better. The insane frenzy of a full blown presidential campaign guarantees us that.
Given what has gone on and what will--and thanks to the Orange Bowl game later this afternoon--is it any wonder that, ladies and gentlemen, the bar is now open.
sic vita est.
12-31-15
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
The Two Rich Boys
Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical, where we are trustful, in a way, that unless you are born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, from the short story, The Rich Boy.
Such is the nature of the rich boys. One is named Ethan Couch. In June 2013, when he was 16, security cameras at a Tarrant County, TX Wal-Mart showed him stealing two cases of beer. Shortly afterward he was clocked doing 70mph in a 40mph zone while driving his dad's pickup. He had six, or seven passengers with him.
An hour after he scored the beer he plowed into a stalled car on a country road. In the ensuing vehicular mayhem four people were killed. Couch walked away unharmed. Later that night, he blew three times the Texas legal limit for drunk driving and tested positive for Valium.
In December of 2013 the judge was convinced by Couch's attorney and a psychiatrist that he needed rehab instead of hard time. Their main argument was that he suffered from, "affluenza," an unrecognized mental disease caused by his parents wealth and the cushy life style they had provided him. According to the shrink, because of the "affluenza," the defendant was unable to understand there would, or even should be consequences for his bad behavior.
Young Mr. Couch got 10 years probation during which he had to stay clean of alcohol and drugs and could not drive.
A few weeks ago a video of a bunch of young people playing the drinking game, beer pong showed up somewhere on line. In the crowd of party hearty guys was someone who looked suspiciously like Ethan Couch.
Authorities went to question him about the incident after they learned of the post. If they did find it was Couch and he'd been drinking they might have declared he had violated his probation and subsequently, a judge could have ruled the now 18 year old should spend the next ten years of his life in the bowels of the Texas corrections system.
But, proving that pesky old affluenza virus really isn't curable, the cops found Ethan Couch and his dear old Mom, Tonya had taken it on the lam. It would seem the very idea her little boy could be chucked away into a facility full of all kinds of people who actually are bad was just too much for her to bear.
The current working theory is that they fled in her black pickup truck, but despite pleas for help and a small reward being offered, the cops haven't a clue right now as to where Ma Couch and her boy are. For all anyone knows they are currently sipping pina coladas on a beach in Costa Rica.
All of which is sort of a metaphor, or at least an explanation of Donald Trump's current run for the republican presidential nomination and his complete lack of civilized behavior.
Indeed, Trump's notion of a tough start in life is, as he put it, "a small loan of a million dollars," from his father.
He is completely amoral in his politics and vile rhetoric because he sees no consequences for such crude and xenophobic nonsense. He never has--not in his two previous marriages, or his business dealings.
In fact, as anyone with a sense of observation can plainly see, Donald Trump doesn't believe he makes errors, mis-speaks, or has bad ideas. If something he's been involved with has gone south, it's someone else's fault and he invariably threatens to sue. He never lies, only the people who criticize him do. And, as the whole world can see, everyone loves him, except the liberal press.
Currently he is rolling along, spewing Yiddish obscenities--while claiming they aren't obscenities--as he tells his supporters it's disgusting that Hillary Clinton goes to the bathroom, and he enjoys leads in practically every poll taken.
See, no consequences and as long as that's true there won't be any limits to what he says, or accuses others of.
He has a problem though. No one has voted yet. And one poll he hasn't bragged about is the one that shows over 50% of Americans would be utterly embarrassed if he were to become president. Presumably they will cast their ballots for just about anyone, but Donald Trump.
El Donald has taken his obscene, fascist, act further than many of us thought he could. His success has made him bolder, louder, and completely assured that arrogance is the perfect substitute for brains.
Let's see how that plays out once the voters deliver what, hopefully, will be some consequences at long last.
If we're lucky they will and Donnie Trump will join Mrs. Couch and her son on that beach in Costa Rica.
12-23-15
F. Scott Fitzgerald, from the short story, The Rich Boy.
Such is the nature of the rich boys. One is named Ethan Couch. In June 2013, when he was 16, security cameras at a Tarrant County, TX Wal-Mart showed him stealing two cases of beer. Shortly afterward he was clocked doing 70mph in a 40mph zone while driving his dad's pickup. He had six, or seven passengers with him.
An hour after he scored the beer he plowed into a stalled car on a country road. In the ensuing vehicular mayhem four people were killed. Couch walked away unharmed. Later that night, he blew three times the Texas legal limit for drunk driving and tested positive for Valium.
In December of 2013 the judge was convinced by Couch's attorney and a psychiatrist that he needed rehab instead of hard time. Their main argument was that he suffered from, "affluenza," an unrecognized mental disease caused by his parents wealth and the cushy life style they had provided him. According to the shrink, because of the "affluenza," the defendant was unable to understand there would, or even should be consequences for his bad behavior.
Young Mr. Couch got 10 years probation during which he had to stay clean of alcohol and drugs and could not drive.
A few weeks ago a video of a bunch of young people playing the drinking game, beer pong showed up somewhere on line. In the crowd of party hearty guys was someone who looked suspiciously like Ethan Couch.
Authorities went to question him about the incident after they learned of the post. If they did find it was Couch and he'd been drinking they might have declared he had violated his probation and subsequently, a judge could have ruled the now 18 year old should spend the next ten years of his life in the bowels of the Texas corrections system.
But, proving that pesky old affluenza virus really isn't curable, the cops found Ethan Couch and his dear old Mom, Tonya had taken it on the lam. It would seem the very idea her little boy could be chucked away into a facility full of all kinds of people who actually are bad was just too much for her to bear.
The current working theory is that they fled in her black pickup truck, but despite pleas for help and a small reward being offered, the cops haven't a clue right now as to where Ma Couch and her boy are. For all anyone knows they are currently sipping pina coladas on a beach in Costa Rica.
All of which is sort of a metaphor, or at least an explanation of Donald Trump's current run for the republican presidential nomination and his complete lack of civilized behavior.
Indeed, Trump's notion of a tough start in life is, as he put it, "a small loan of a million dollars," from his father.
He is completely amoral in his politics and vile rhetoric because he sees no consequences for such crude and xenophobic nonsense. He never has--not in his two previous marriages, or his business dealings.
In fact, as anyone with a sense of observation can plainly see, Donald Trump doesn't believe he makes errors, mis-speaks, or has bad ideas. If something he's been involved with has gone south, it's someone else's fault and he invariably threatens to sue. He never lies, only the people who criticize him do. And, as the whole world can see, everyone loves him, except the liberal press.
Currently he is rolling along, spewing Yiddish obscenities--while claiming they aren't obscenities--as he tells his supporters it's disgusting that Hillary Clinton goes to the bathroom, and he enjoys leads in practically every poll taken.
See, no consequences and as long as that's true there won't be any limits to what he says, or accuses others of.
He has a problem though. No one has voted yet. And one poll he hasn't bragged about is the one that shows over 50% of Americans would be utterly embarrassed if he were to become president. Presumably they will cast their ballots for just about anyone, but Donald Trump.
El Donald has taken his obscene, fascist, act further than many of us thought he could. His success has made him bolder, louder, and completely assured that arrogance is the perfect substitute for brains.
Let's see how that plays out once the voters deliver what, hopefully, will be some consequences at long last.
If we're lucky they will and Donnie Trump will join Mrs. Couch and her son on that beach in Costa Rica.
12-23-15
Friday, December 18, 2015
The Crowded Theater Where Everyone Can Yell Fire
Ah, the internet. The current source of choice when it comes to knowledge, news, communication, and it would seem, dangerous bullshit.
The world wide web is the ultimate democracy, equally accessible to every up and coming Stephen Hawking, Hunter Thompson, George Will, Tim McVeigh, and Islamic State thug on the planet. It contains valuable information sources for millions of decent people and instant conversations between friends and loved ones. However, it's also conducive to, not just nefarious terrorist plots, but horrid cranks who can hide behind a dense fog of anonymity.
In fact, for many, the net is the ultimate crowded theater in which they can stand up and yell, "Fire!" at the top of their lungs even when there isn't a blaze.
Some do it for fun, or just because they can. Others do it to further political agendas, or prove to themselves that their worst fears and hatred of one group, or another is justified.
Case in point. Today, FactCheck.Org is reporting that there was a FaceBook posting--it didn't name names--which has gone viral about a demonstration in Dearborn, Michigan on December 5th, shortly after the gruesome terror attack in San Bernadino. The text, which accompanied a photo of demonstrators read, "This is Dearborn, Michigan after the radical Islamic attack in California. These are ISIS flags and supporters, folks, but the media has not reported it because of political correctness."
Actually the media did report the protest and it noted the people involved were Arab-Americans. But--in the photo you can clearly read a sign held by a couple of them which reads, "99.9 percent of ISIS victims are Muslim." It's sort of a strange thing for Jihadists to say, right?
Well, that's because the people in the photo were protesting against ISIS, not celebrating it.
It isn't the first time the good people of Dearborn, whose population of 90,000 plus is 30% Arab American, have been savagely libeled. FactCheck reports it and the city's government have been receiving terrified and outraged emails for two years after a self described satirical web site called, The National Report, put out a story which claimed Dearborn was the first city in the United States to implement Sharia law.
It was a suspiciously cruel joke and absolutely untrue, but there were plenty of yokels out there who bought every last word of it.
In another moment of hateful quackery FactCheck says a photo of a sign on a Dearborn street went viral after it was digitally altered to read, "Advancement of Islamic Agenda for America/Allah be praised/America we will kill you all and/nothing you can do to stop it/Allah be praised." It was topped by a crescent and star logo.
The original photo was on a web site called Church Sign Maker. It read, "First Assembly of God/Church Sign Maker. On the top of the sign was a torch logo. In the background of each photo the exact same cars are waiting at a stoplight.
It would be easy to blame Donnie Trump for this crude propaganda blitz, but it was around before he started rousing the rabble. No, the real culprit is a pervasive, decades long, right wing talk radio campaign, which has been aided and abetted by Fox News.
Inside the foul conservative media bubble it has and is still, drilled into the volk each and every day, hour after hour, that all mainstream media is corrupt, a tool of liberal, one world, elitists who twist every fact to serve their ends. Such a notion creates a void which allows the type of malicious fucks who have demonized Dearborn, to rush in and create an alternate universe. It's one that doesn't have a thing to do with reality, but it rings true with those who feel besieged by a changing nation and believe they've been lied to by everyone to the left of Rush Limbaugh.
On the extreme end of this cult are those brutal fools infesting YouTube who claim every mass shooting in the United States is a, "Black Flag" operation meant to curb gun control and establish a dictatorship. Tragically, their first cousins inhabit places like Twitter and Facebook. They pass on posts such as the ones about Dearborn fully believing in each and every one of them. They do it, not because they are particularly evil in their daily lives, but because it validates every evil preconception and stereotype they've ever held.
That, in the final analysis, is the awful truth when it comes to this age of instant information and access.
God help us all.
sic vita est
12-18-15
The world wide web is the ultimate democracy, equally accessible to every up and coming Stephen Hawking, Hunter Thompson, George Will, Tim McVeigh, and Islamic State thug on the planet. It contains valuable information sources for millions of decent people and instant conversations between friends and loved ones. However, it's also conducive to, not just nefarious terrorist plots, but horrid cranks who can hide behind a dense fog of anonymity.
In fact, for many, the net is the ultimate crowded theater in which they can stand up and yell, "Fire!" at the top of their lungs even when there isn't a blaze.
Some do it for fun, or just because they can. Others do it to further political agendas, or prove to themselves that their worst fears and hatred of one group, or another is justified.
Case in point. Today, FactCheck.Org is reporting that there was a FaceBook posting--it didn't name names--which has gone viral about a demonstration in Dearborn, Michigan on December 5th, shortly after the gruesome terror attack in San Bernadino. The text, which accompanied a photo of demonstrators read, "This is Dearborn, Michigan after the radical Islamic attack in California. These are ISIS flags and supporters, folks, but the media has not reported it because of political correctness."
Actually the media did report the protest and it noted the people involved were Arab-Americans. But--in the photo you can clearly read a sign held by a couple of them which reads, "99.9 percent of ISIS victims are Muslim." It's sort of a strange thing for Jihadists to say, right?
Well, that's because the people in the photo were protesting against ISIS, not celebrating it.
It isn't the first time the good people of Dearborn, whose population of 90,000 plus is 30% Arab American, have been savagely libeled. FactCheck reports it and the city's government have been receiving terrified and outraged emails for two years after a self described satirical web site called, The National Report, put out a story which claimed Dearborn was the first city in the United States to implement Sharia law.
It was a suspiciously cruel joke and absolutely untrue, but there were plenty of yokels out there who bought every last word of it.
In another moment of hateful quackery FactCheck says a photo of a sign on a Dearborn street went viral after it was digitally altered to read, "Advancement of Islamic Agenda for America/Allah be praised/America we will kill you all and/nothing you can do to stop it/Allah be praised." It was topped by a crescent and star logo.
The original photo was on a web site called Church Sign Maker. It read, "First Assembly of God/Church Sign Maker. On the top of the sign was a torch logo. In the background of each photo the exact same cars are waiting at a stoplight.
It would be easy to blame Donnie Trump for this crude propaganda blitz, but it was around before he started rousing the rabble. No, the real culprit is a pervasive, decades long, right wing talk radio campaign, which has been aided and abetted by Fox News.
Inside the foul conservative media bubble it has and is still, drilled into the volk each and every day, hour after hour, that all mainstream media is corrupt, a tool of liberal, one world, elitists who twist every fact to serve their ends. Such a notion creates a void which allows the type of malicious fucks who have demonized Dearborn, to rush in and create an alternate universe. It's one that doesn't have a thing to do with reality, but it rings true with those who feel besieged by a changing nation and believe they've been lied to by everyone to the left of Rush Limbaugh.
On the extreme end of this cult are those brutal fools infesting YouTube who claim every mass shooting in the United States is a, "Black Flag" operation meant to curb gun control and establish a dictatorship. Tragically, their first cousins inhabit places like Twitter and Facebook. They pass on posts such as the ones about Dearborn fully believing in each and every one of them. They do it, not because they are particularly evil in their daily lives, but because it validates every evil preconception and stereotype they've ever held.
That, in the final analysis, is the awful truth when it comes to this age of instant information and access.
God help us all.
sic vita est
12-18-15
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
The God Awful Spectacle: Republicans in Vegas
What a God awful spectacle. There is no other way to describe last night's proceedings. It started with CNN's intro to the latest republican debate which looked to be stolen directly from some ESPN college football promo. In fact the only thing missing during the lead in, besides the cheerleaders and mascots, was the tag line, "Who is in?"
Then there they came, gliding across the stage. It was Carly and the Miracles. Ms. Fiorina was resplendent in all red and the chorus accompanying her was clad in what amounted to matching blue suits, white shirts and red ties. Unfortunately from that point on Carly Fiorina had very little say that was either effective, or memorable.
It was such a bad night for her that even Rand Paul came across more presidential. Still, she managed to avoid the cellar so to speak. That dank windowless place was reserved for Dr. Ben Carson who might have seen his sinking campaign slip beneath the waves forever. It was painfully clear that when it comes to foreign policy he is in over his head. You know you are having a tough evening when your most positive moment isn't the audience applauding, but when they're booing moderator Hugh Hewitt after he delivered what was believed to be a cheap shot follow up question.
Ohio Governor, John Kasich, a doomed moderate among a sea of loons, seemed on point most of the time, but his constant karate chop hand gestures made toward the crowd were utterly distracting. At times he looked almost as if he was doing a strange and terrible imitation of the D.C. Comics character, The Penguin.
The desperate, Chris Christie showed up ready for a brawl. He mentioned his experience as a U.S. attorney who prosecuted suspected terrorist after the 9-11 attacks so many times that even reasonably astute mathematicians couldn't keep up. He also smacked both Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz when they fell off into an argument about NSA policy. Leaning against his lectern, seemingly exasperated, he told the audience, basically, that's what these guys do, debate arcane policy in the senate while not a single thing gets done.
Rubio seemed the most professional of the lot. He never lost his cool even when Cruz hammered him on his support of immigration reform, which the senator from Texas claimed would allow, Barack by God Obama let in millions, if not billions of unvetted immigrants from everywhere--up to and including the planet Uranus.
Cruz, who recently has been promising to carpet bomb all of ISIS while not so subtly hinting he'd be willing to use nuclear weapons, ran afoul of head moderator Wolf Blitzer. The smarmy Canadian just wouldn't shut up after jumping into an exchange he wasn't asked to join, or had been mentioned in, a violation of the debate parameters. Blitzer finally told him he would have to be quiet and reminded him, sternly, "These are the rules you agreed to."
Former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush did manage to find his testicles as he took on Donald Trump and succeeded at it for the first time. In fact he delivered what was perhaps the line of the evening when he turned to Trump and told him, "Donald, you can't insult your way to the presidency."
Today most of the pundits are speculating Bush's aggressiveness has probably come too late. His campaign and associated super pacs have banked hundreds of millions of dollars, but he is still mired so low in the polls speculation is he'll never recover. There are an increasing number of reports many of the establishment big money people are starting to look seriously at Rubio as the only viable alternative to the crazed Trump and the equally despised Cruz.
At stage center was El Donald. He seemed truly stunned when he went after Bush with one of his patented personal attacks and it received not only that sharp retort, but a smattering of boos scattered throughout the hall. It went all the way down the slippery slope after Marco Rubio talked about the country's aging, "nuclear triad," and it was obvious the reality TV show host had absolutely no clue what the, "nuclear triad" even is. He tried to dance around it, but the jitterbugging was so awkward, Rubio finally had to spell out for him the triad consists of the U.S. long range bomber fleet, nuclear submarines, and ICBM missiles.
Overall, last night's debate was a gruesome display of bombast, half truths, outright lies, vulgar arrogance, and xenophobic rants. But, hey, what else can we expect from this crowd?
The feeling here is, 1-The undercard bunch isn't even worth mentioning. 2-Fiorina, Paul, Kasich, and Carson are finished. 3-Bush is in critical condition and not only on life support, but running out of health insurance coverage. 4-Christie is hanging in, but can't win south, or west of Pennsylvania. 5-Rubio will soon see an influx of serious money as panic sets in. 6-Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are having an ersatz homosexual affair. It is the only possible reason they didn't attack each other last night.
And yes, the bar is open.
sic vita est
12-16-15
Then there they came, gliding across the stage. It was Carly and the Miracles. Ms. Fiorina was resplendent in all red and the chorus accompanying her was clad in what amounted to matching blue suits, white shirts and red ties. Unfortunately from that point on Carly Fiorina had very little say that was either effective, or memorable.
It was such a bad night for her that even Rand Paul came across more presidential. Still, she managed to avoid the cellar so to speak. That dank windowless place was reserved for Dr. Ben Carson who might have seen his sinking campaign slip beneath the waves forever. It was painfully clear that when it comes to foreign policy he is in over his head. You know you are having a tough evening when your most positive moment isn't the audience applauding, but when they're booing moderator Hugh Hewitt after he delivered what was believed to be a cheap shot follow up question.
Ohio Governor, John Kasich, a doomed moderate among a sea of loons, seemed on point most of the time, but his constant karate chop hand gestures made toward the crowd were utterly distracting. At times he looked almost as if he was doing a strange and terrible imitation of the D.C. Comics character, The Penguin.
The desperate, Chris Christie showed up ready for a brawl. He mentioned his experience as a U.S. attorney who prosecuted suspected terrorist after the 9-11 attacks so many times that even reasonably astute mathematicians couldn't keep up. He also smacked both Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz when they fell off into an argument about NSA policy. Leaning against his lectern, seemingly exasperated, he told the audience, basically, that's what these guys do, debate arcane policy in the senate while not a single thing gets done.
Rubio seemed the most professional of the lot. He never lost his cool even when Cruz hammered him on his support of immigration reform, which the senator from Texas claimed would allow, Barack by God Obama let in millions, if not billions of unvetted immigrants from everywhere--up to and including the planet Uranus.
Cruz, who recently has been promising to carpet bomb all of ISIS while not so subtly hinting he'd be willing to use nuclear weapons, ran afoul of head moderator Wolf Blitzer. The smarmy Canadian just wouldn't shut up after jumping into an exchange he wasn't asked to join, or had been mentioned in, a violation of the debate parameters. Blitzer finally told him he would have to be quiet and reminded him, sternly, "These are the rules you agreed to."
Former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush did manage to find his testicles as he took on Donald Trump and succeeded at it for the first time. In fact he delivered what was perhaps the line of the evening when he turned to Trump and told him, "Donald, you can't insult your way to the presidency."
Today most of the pundits are speculating Bush's aggressiveness has probably come too late. His campaign and associated super pacs have banked hundreds of millions of dollars, but he is still mired so low in the polls speculation is he'll never recover. There are an increasing number of reports many of the establishment big money people are starting to look seriously at Rubio as the only viable alternative to the crazed Trump and the equally despised Cruz.
At stage center was El Donald. He seemed truly stunned when he went after Bush with one of his patented personal attacks and it received not only that sharp retort, but a smattering of boos scattered throughout the hall. It went all the way down the slippery slope after Marco Rubio talked about the country's aging, "nuclear triad," and it was obvious the reality TV show host had absolutely no clue what the, "nuclear triad" even is. He tried to dance around it, but the jitterbugging was so awkward, Rubio finally had to spell out for him the triad consists of the U.S. long range bomber fleet, nuclear submarines, and ICBM missiles.
Overall, last night's debate was a gruesome display of bombast, half truths, outright lies, vulgar arrogance, and xenophobic rants. But, hey, what else can we expect from this crowd?
The feeling here is, 1-The undercard bunch isn't even worth mentioning. 2-Fiorina, Paul, Kasich, and Carson are finished. 3-Bush is in critical condition and not only on life support, but running out of health insurance coverage. 4-Christie is hanging in, but can't win south, or west of Pennsylvania. 5-Rubio will soon see an influx of serious money as panic sets in. 6-Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are having an ersatz homosexual affair. It is the only possible reason they didn't attack each other last night.
And yes, the bar is open.
sic vita est
12-16-15
Friday, December 11, 2015
The Week That Was: Buying Delegates in Cleveland, Carson Makes a Threat, Cruz and Trump Have a Spat, Carly Goes Off, and the NRA is Still in Charge
Has anyone else noticed things have become sort of manic when it comes to politics in these United States?
It is certainly easy to believe so. On Monday, 20 some odd GOP heavyweights met for dinner and one of the topics of discussion was how they would handle a brokered convention next summer in Cleveland.
Yeah, it is that weird now days. The last time there was a brokered convention in American politics was 60 years ago and it was the democrats. The republicans haven't had one since 1948 when Thomas Dewey ended up as the candidate of choice.
There will be plenty of denials, but the truth is the Monday evening summit was a direct result of Donald Trump's primacy in the polls. Guys like Reince Priebus and Mitch McConnell are hoping Trump's wild autumn rave will fizzle out over the next few months, but if it doesn't they are desperately praying he won't have enough delegates to turn the convention into just another episode of Celebrity Apprentice.
For those of you not familiar with, the process, if no one walks into Cleveland with a majority on the first ballot all bets are off. The delegates are released to vote for whoever the hell they want, or pays them the most. There is no telling how wild the deal making will get. One can readily see ol' Joe Blow from Kokomo demanding an ambassadorship to someplace like Fiji in exchange for his ballot and--if the timing and circumstances are just right--getting it, providing his guy wins the election.
Ben Carson, who has seen his numbers plummet in the last week, went all conspiracy theory when he heard about the meeting. He issued a statement which, in part, read, "If this was the beginning of a plan to subvert the will of the voters and replace them with the will of the political elite, I assure you Donald Trump won't be the only one leaving the party."
Dr. Carson has a reason to be suspicious. His party has a long and proud history of trying to subvert the will of voters in elections through increasingly restrictive voter ID requirements which are aimed directly at minorities, immigrants and senior citizens--you know--people who don't tend to vote for republicans.
While actually disqualifying republican voters during the primary season would be a tad counterproductive in the long run, buying delegates hand over fist in order to nominate a party establishment guy would come as second nature to the thugs in charge of this coven of werewolves. And let's face it, money won't be a problem for them.
Meanwhile the bromance between Trump and Ted Cruz might be cooling. Apparently Cruz held a get together with some big money donor types and, according to one report, questioned Trump's, "judgment."
Trump, as crassly arrogant as always, tweeted he, "expected an attack soon," from Cruz, but predicted it would fail, "like all the rest."
Cruz, while not entirely backing down tweeted that he won't be dragged into a, "cage match," with El Donald, no matter how much the liberal press wants it.
Then Carly Fiorina went off on CNN the other day after Chris Cuomo suggested the vitriolic campaign leveled at Planned Parenthood might have, somehow, facilitated the deadly Colorado Springs attack against one of their clinics. The whole discussion went off into never never land when it deteriorated into smack talk about the validity of the tape republicans have been saying proves Panned Parenthood sells fetal tissue for profit.
Fiorina borrowed a scene from Trump's script when she told Cuomo, "many experts," claim the tape, which was obviously and clumsily edited had never been altered.
Finally, proving that even in the face of overwhelming xenophobia and fear the NRA still runs the show, republican lawmakers refused to vote for a bill which would stop people who are on the FBI's terrorist watch list from buying guns. That's right, we won't let them on planes, and the ghost of Inspector Erskine might keep track of them, but they still can go out and buy that Bushmaster .223 and untold rounds of ammunition whenever they want.
Yes, we're in a terribly strange place at the moment. And just think, all this hysteria is completely driven by different polling services and the media. Not one American has cast a ballot during a primary, or caucus. We are still over a month and a half away from joining that traveling carnival.
Stay tuned, because, God help us, we've just started on this bizarre and hateful trip.
sic vita est
12-11-15
It is certainly easy to believe so. On Monday, 20 some odd GOP heavyweights met for dinner and one of the topics of discussion was how they would handle a brokered convention next summer in Cleveland.
Yeah, it is that weird now days. The last time there was a brokered convention in American politics was 60 years ago and it was the democrats. The republicans haven't had one since 1948 when Thomas Dewey ended up as the candidate of choice.
There will be plenty of denials, but the truth is the Monday evening summit was a direct result of Donald Trump's primacy in the polls. Guys like Reince Priebus and Mitch McConnell are hoping Trump's wild autumn rave will fizzle out over the next few months, but if it doesn't they are desperately praying he won't have enough delegates to turn the convention into just another episode of Celebrity Apprentice.
For those of you not familiar with, the process, if no one walks into Cleveland with a majority on the first ballot all bets are off. The delegates are released to vote for whoever the hell they want, or pays them the most. There is no telling how wild the deal making will get. One can readily see ol' Joe Blow from Kokomo demanding an ambassadorship to someplace like Fiji in exchange for his ballot and--if the timing and circumstances are just right--getting it, providing his guy wins the election.
Ben Carson, who has seen his numbers plummet in the last week, went all conspiracy theory when he heard about the meeting. He issued a statement which, in part, read, "If this was the beginning of a plan to subvert the will of the voters and replace them with the will of the political elite, I assure you Donald Trump won't be the only one leaving the party."
Dr. Carson has a reason to be suspicious. His party has a long and proud history of trying to subvert the will of voters in elections through increasingly restrictive voter ID requirements which are aimed directly at minorities, immigrants and senior citizens--you know--people who don't tend to vote for republicans.
While actually disqualifying republican voters during the primary season would be a tad counterproductive in the long run, buying delegates hand over fist in order to nominate a party establishment guy would come as second nature to the thugs in charge of this coven of werewolves. And let's face it, money won't be a problem for them.
Meanwhile the bromance between Trump and Ted Cruz might be cooling. Apparently Cruz held a get together with some big money donor types and, according to one report, questioned Trump's, "judgment."
Trump, as crassly arrogant as always, tweeted he, "expected an attack soon," from Cruz, but predicted it would fail, "like all the rest."
Cruz, while not entirely backing down tweeted that he won't be dragged into a, "cage match," with El Donald, no matter how much the liberal press wants it.
Then Carly Fiorina went off on CNN the other day after Chris Cuomo suggested the vitriolic campaign leveled at Planned Parenthood might have, somehow, facilitated the deadly Colorado Springs attack against one of their clinics. The whole discussion went off into never never land when it deteriorated into smack talk about the validity of the tape republicans have been saying proves Panned Parenthood sells fetal tissue for profit.
Fiorina borrowed a scene from Trump's script when she told Cuomo, "many experts," claim the tape, which was obviously and clumsily edited had never been altered.
Finally, proving that even in the face of overwhelming xenophobia and fear the NRA still runs the show, republican lawmakers refused to vote for a bill which would stop people who are on the FBI's terrorist watch list from buying guns. That's right, we won't let them on planes, and the ghost of Inspector Erskine might keep track of them, but they still can go out and buy that Bushmaster .223 and untold rounds of ammunition whenever they want.
Yes, we're in a terribly strange place at the moment. And just think, all this hysteria is completely driven by different polling services and the media. Not one American has cast a ballot during a primary, or caucus. We are still over a month and a half away from joining that traveling carnival.
Stay tuned, because, God help us, we've just started on this bizarre and hateful trip.
sic vita est
12-11-15
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Donald Trump: The Next Stop is Internment Camps
As of about 24 hours ago it became official. The United States of America has a full blown fascist running for the office of president. What else would you call a person who wants to ban people from immigrating here, or even arriving as tourists based solely on their religion?
Donald Trump's declaration that he would implement such a reprehensible policy yesterday really shouldn't come as a surprise. Let's face it the evil son of a bitch has already advocated the closure and, or monitoring of mosques and the establishment of a national data base which would keep track of Muslims. He even went so far as to say Muslims should have to carry ID cards.
According to Mr. Trump there is a sizable segment of the Muslim population who, "has a great hatred towards Americans." In addition he said, "Without looking at the various polls it is obvious to anybody that the hatred is beyond comprehension."
A story in the Washington Post, however, says Trump actually did look at a poll. He mumbled something about the Pew Research people, but the Post's staff couldn't find any Pew Polls which supported his broad brush accusations. In order not to be deterred by such an inconvenience, El Donald also cited a recent poll taken by something called The Center for Security Policy.
Indeed, there was one conducted by that outfit and the numbers are shocking. Of those surveyed the CSP found, 25% of Muslims agreed that violence against Americans in the United States is justified as a part of global Jihad. It also found, 51% agreed that Muslims in the U.S. should have a choice between obeying government law, or Sharia.
Hey, something as fancy sounding as The Center for Security Policy should know what it's doing right?
They might, but an unbiased survey about Muslims really isn't on their agenda. The CSP is run by a guy named Frank Gaffney. He was an assistant Secretary of Defense for about seven months during the Reagan administration. His stay was short because even the Reagan brutes quickly came to believe he was fucking nuts.
Brother Gaffney, among other things, claims long time GOP strategist, Grover Norquist has been actively working with radical Islamists for over a decade and Hillary Clinton aide, Huma Abedin is a secret agent of the Muslim Brotherhood. He also says the logo of the United States Missile Defense Agency contains a coded signal showing, "the official U.S. submission to Islam." Finally it's no surprise that, like Trump, he's a birther and claims Obama wasn't born here and is a closeted beer drinking Muslim.
As for the survey the Post says there was nothing scientific about it. It was an online opt-in poll of 600 people. There was no way to tell if any of those who responded to it were even Muslim. In fact, as far as anyone knows, Frank Gaffney responded to his own poll to help skewer the numbers. Given his politics the odds are he did because the results were exactly what he wanted them to be.
Earlier today, republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan said of Don Trump's proposed policy, "This is not who we are as a party."
Well apparently it is exactly who 35% of you are, Mr. Speaker. Because that's the number of people in the GOP who currently support this raving loon according to the latest Reuters/IPSOS poll.
In the final analysis, that percentage, even more than Donald Trump's repulsive rhetoric, is the most appalling thing we have to contemplate amidst this crazed nonsense.
Ladies and gentlemen, the next stop is internment camps. Given what he said yesterday, The Donald has no where else to go, but there. Bet on it.
sic vita est
12-8-15
Donald Trump's declaration that he would implement such a reprehensible policy yesterday really shouldn't come as a surprise. Let's face it the evil son of a bitch has already advocated the closure and, or monitoring of mosques and the establishment of a national data base which would keep track of Muslims. He even went so far as to say Muslims should have to carry ID cards.
According to Mr. Trump there is a sizable segment of the Muslim population who, "has a great hatred towards Americans." In addition he said, "Without looking at the various polls it is obvious to anybody that the hatred is beyond comprehension."
A story in the Washington Post, however, says Trump actually did look at a poll. He mumbled something about the Pew Research people, but the Post's staff couldn't find any Pew Polls which supported his broad brush accusations. In order not to be deterred by such an inconvenience, El Donald also cited a recent poll taken by something called The Center for Security Policy.
Indeed, there was one conducted by that outfit and the numbers are shocking. Of those surveyed the CSP found, 25% of Muslims agreed that violence against Americans in the United States is justified as a part of global Jihad. It also found, 51% agreed that Muslims in the U.S. should have a choice between obeying government law, or Sharia.
Hey, something as fancy sounding as The Center for Security Policy should know what it's doing right?
They might, but an unbiased survey about Muslims really isn't on their agenda. The CSP is run by a guy named Frank Gaffney. He was an assistant Secretary of Defense for about seven months during the Reagan administration. His stay was short because even the Reagan brutes quickly came to believe he was fucking nuts.
Brother Gaffney, among other things, claims long time GOP strategist, Grover Norquist has been actively working with radical Islamists for over a decade and Hillary Clinton aide, Huma Abedin is a secret agent of the Muslim Brotherhood. He also says the logo of the United States Missile Defense Agency contains a coded signal showing, "the official U.S. submission to Islam." Finally it's no surprise that, like Trump, he's a birther and claims Obama wasn't born here and is a closeted beer drinking Muslim.
As for the survey the Post says there was nothing scientific about it. It was an online opt-in poll of 600 people. There was no way to tell if any of those who responded to it were even Muslim. In fact, as far as anyone knows, Frank Gaffney responded to his own poll to help skewer the numbers. Given his politics the odds are he did because the results were exactly what he wanted them to be.
Earlier today, republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan said of Don Trump's proposed policy, "This is not who we are as a party."
Well apparently it is exactly who 35% of you are, Mr. Speaker. Because that's the number of people in the GOP who currently support this raving loon according to the latest Reuters/IPSOS poll.
In the final analysis, that percentage, even more than Donald Trump's repulsive rhetoric, is the most appalling thing we have to contemplate amidst this crazed nonsense.
Ladies and gentlemen, the next stop is internment camps. Given what he said yesterday, The Donald has no where else to go, but there. Bet on it.
sic vita est
12-8-15
Friday, December 4, 2015
E-Coli, Salvador Dali, and Donald Trump Playing Them Just Like a Drum
Late Monday evening the week began to take a downward spiral. That is when an unidentified strain of E-Coli went to work on the old gastro-intestinal system and the hall bathroom became a residence within a residence for days. It was an ugly experience rife with sweats, chills, and other out of control bodily functions best left unsaid.
Meanwhile, amidst the fever and nausea, the rest of the world seemed to take on a Salvador Daliesque quality which harkened back to those days of yore when some of us were known to swallow various questionable substances, of both an organic and clinical nature.
Hey, let's face it, when a major presidential candidate continues to claim he personally saw things which--according to extensively documented history and the testimony of numerous eye witnesses prove never happened--then, gleefully sees his approval ratings go up, things have become so twisted the very concept of reality has become irrelevant.
Donald Trump's campaign, never at a loss for xenophobic bullshit, has tripped off into what amounts to a savage hybrid of George Orwell's Newspeak. The candidate continues to insist he saw, what he said were, "thousands and thousands of people," no doubt Muslim, in Jersey City, NJ celebrating the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. This despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Why? Because, according to him, his campaign has received, "hundreds of tweets," from those same rabid supporters saying they also saw the celebrations. In other words, what he is telling people must be true, because the people he is telling it to, tell him it is.
Good God, not even Hitler, or Goebbels had the guts to attempt this sort of crazed logic and they were the consummate pros when it came manipulating the past and condemning a religion in order to rile up the Volk.
Never pausing for a breath, The Don told a crowd in South Carolina that the president's passive defense against radical Islamic terrorists must be because, "...there is something we don't know about Obama."
That would be an unsubtle reference to Trump's birther rants which have fouled the airwaves and social media over the years.
Indeed, the message was clear. Obama really is a closet Muslim--a foreigner--who is facilitating the insidious plots being perpetrated by those seeking the nation's downfall. Trump will deny he ever meant it that way. He'll do his patented series of exaggerated shrugs and claim he was just posing a question to the crowd. He will insist, "The something we don't know about Barack Obama," crack could be anything up to and including simple incompetence. However, there isn't a doubt anyone out there with a functioning brain doesn't understand he was pandering to the most racist beliefs of those white rubes cheering wildly in that South Carolina hall.
Last week the people who run Fact Checker grudgingly admitted Don Trump is impervious to the truth. Well, of course he is. He creates his own truth, no matter how insane, on a daily basis and he knows the people who root for him will believe every word of his version.
That's because he has a perfect understanding of who they are and what they're afraid of.
Yes, you can say a lot things about the dangerously crazy fuck, but he does know his audience. And--he certainly can play them, just like a drum.
sic vita est
12-4-15
Meanwhile, amidst the fever and nausea, the rest of the world seemed to take on a Salvador Daliesque quality which harkened back to those days of yore when some of us were known to swallow various questionable substances, of both an organic and clinical nature.
Hey, let's face it, when a major presidential candidate continues to claim he personally saw things which--according to extensively documented history and the testimony of numerous eye witnesses prove never happened--then, gleefully sees his approval ratings go up, things have become so twisted the very concept of reality has become irrelevant.
Donald Trump's campaign, never at a loss for xenophobic bullshit, has tripped off into what amounts to a savage hybrid of George Orwell's Newspeak. The candidate continues to insist he saw, what he said were, "thousands and thousands of people," no doubt Muslim, in Jersey City, NJ celebrating the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. This despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Why? Because, according to him, his campaign has received, "hundreds of tweets," from those same rabid supporters saying they also saw the celebrations. In other words, what he is telling people must be true, because the people he is telling it to, tell him it is.
Good God, not even Hitler, or Goebbels had the guts to attempt this sort of crazed logic and they were the consummate pros when it came manipulating the past and condemning a religion in order to rile up the Volk.
Never pausing for a breath, The Don told a crowd in South Carolina that the president's passive defense against radical Islamic terrorists must be because, "...there is something we don't know about Obama."
That would be an unsubtle reference to Trump's birther rants which have fouled the airwaves and social media over the years.
Indeed, the message was clear. Obama really is a closet Muslim--a foreigner--who is facilitating the insidious plots being perpetrated by those seeking the nation's downfall. Trump will deny he ever meant it that way. He'll do his patented series of exaggerated shrugs and claim he was just posing a question to the crowd. He will insist, "The something we don't know about Barack Obama," crack could be anything up to and including simple incompetence. However, there isn't a doubt anyone out there with a functioning brain doesn't understand he was pandering to the most racist beliefs of those white rubes cheering wildly in that South Carolina hall.
Last week the people who run Fact Checker grudgingly admitted Don Trump is impervious to the truth. Well, of course he is. He creates his own truth, no matter how insane, on a daily basis and he knows the people who root for him will believe every word of his version.
That's because he has a perfect understanding of who they are and what they're afraid of.
Yes, you can say a lot things about the dangerously crazy fuck, but he does know his audience. And--he certainly can play them, just like a drum.
sic vita est
12-4-15
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