The sun rose in a cold pastel blue sky this morning. The thin dawn light exposed streets littered with shifting drifts of multi colored confetti. In certain areas, especially those near gated mansions and others adjacent to trailer parks, the charred remains of huge bonfires still smoldered and streamers made of crepe and in some cases toilet paper hung limply from bare tree limbs. The floors of the more notorious beer halls were strewn with thick bellied patrons passed out from too much drink and far too little oxygen. Indeed, many of the FOX News talking heads remained prostrate in bed for hours, utterly spent from Viagra induced highs and multiple orgasms.
Yes, last night the right wing far and wide ran amok with unbridled jubilation. Their man, Donald J. Trump delivered his first State of the Union speech and for nearly an hour and a half he not only didn't fuck up, but at times seemed--praise be to God--presidential.
In fact the performance was so slick one MSNBC wag grudgingly admitted if someone had listened to the address, without any prior context, he, or she would think they were listening to a mainstream republican President.
Luckily many of us are not thusly handicapped. We knew last night as we listened just as we know this morning we are dealing with a congenital liar who has no regard for right, or wrong and is only concerned with his peculiar concepts of winning and losing. This is, after all, the same guy who called Mexican immigrants rapists, thieves, and drug dealers and claimed he personally saw, "thousands and thousands," of Muslims in Jersey celebrating the terrorist attacks on 9-11.
Not to mention he remains the idol of people like congressman Paul Gosar, R-AZ, who before the speech issued a statement which said, "Of all the places where the rule of law needs to be enforced it should be in the hallowed halls of Congress. Any illegal aliens attempting to go through security under any pretext of invitation, or otherwise should be arrested and deported."
Just so we remember who we are talking about here, during the address, Mr. Trump's campaign conducted an online telethon of sorts. As they ran the speech live on their site they showed a list of names of those who were contributing to his 2020 war chest in real time. That's right, Doris, for just $35 our names will show up on the same screen as ol' Don while he's talkin' and the whole damn world will see 'em! The president of Democracy 21, Fred Wertheimer said of the unprecedented move, "I have never heard of anything like this. It is a no class, money grubbing misuse of the State of the Union address that is way beneath the dignity of presidency and the occasion."
In addition, yesterday The Washington Post ran an op-ed by Victor Cha, Trump's former candidate to be the American ambassador to South Korea. The administration dropped Cha as a nominee after he refused to support a preemptive strike against North Korea's nuclear sites. Speaking about the fate of Americans living in South Korea if Trump were to pull the trigger, he wrote, "To be clear: The President would be putting at risk an American population the size of a medium U.S. city--Pittsburgh, say or, Cincinnati--on the assumption that a crazy and undeterrable dictator will be rationally cowed by a demonstration of U.S. kinetic power."
Ah yes, The Big Orange Guy and his people are quite presidential.
The truth is there are millions of us who won't be swayed with smarmy platitudes and dubious offers of compromise, no matter how well Don Trump phrased them last night. That's because we've heard his not so eloquent, bellicose pandering to the monsters among us, listened to him spew an unending litany of blatant lies, and seen his cruel, petty, and vindictive, narcissism too many times on Twitter.
In other words, I choose to believe in the Donald Trump I know, not the one I met for the first time last night.
sic vita est
1-31-18
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Lou Barletta and the Alt Right: Such is the Nature of Politics in America Today
Lou Barletta was sworn in as the mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania in 1999. The next year the U.S. Census Bureau broke down the population of his burg this way. Hazleton, located in the east central part of the state, was 92.7% white, 0.82% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.15% Hispanic, plus a few other ethnic groups thrown in.
Things didn't stay that way for long. By the 2010 census Hazleton was listed as 59% non Hispanic white, 4.0% black, 0.2% Native American, and 37% Hispanic/Latino.
It didn't happen all at once, of course. The Hispanic population, most of them Dominicans on the move west from New York City and northern New Jersey, were flocking to Hazleton throughout the decade. By 2006, Barletta and the city council were, by God, tired of it.
That year they passed a city ordinance which was called, "The Illegal Alien Relief Act." The law denied business permits to anyone who employed illegal aliens. It also fined landlords $100 per each illegal immigrant living in their rental properties. At the same time the city fathers made English the official language of Hazleton.
The ordinance, which was eventually ruled incredibly unconstitutional, made national news. Barletta showed up on CBS's "60 Minutes," and FOX NEW's "O'Reilly Factor," where he proudly boasted half the Hispanic population got out of town as soon as the measure was passed. It was a dubious claim since 11 years later Hispanics comprised 40% of Hazleton's population, but that's neither here, nor there. What is of importance is, thanks to his media exposure and braggadocio, the Alcalde of Hazleton became the darling of a lot of people who fall into that toxic world known as the alt right.
Today CNN and KFile reports in 2006 he did an interview with a publication known as, "The American Free Press," during which he explained his anti-illegal immigrant stance. "The American Free Press is also known to routinely claim the 9-11 terrorist attack on New York City was a, "Jewish plot," and the Holocaust is a hoax.
At a 2007 Hazleton rally Barletta appeared with alt right activist and singer, Paul Topete. Topete is also a sometime Holocaust denier and 9-11 conspiracy theorist. During Barletta's speech at the rally, a full nine years before Donald Trump glided down the escalator that fateful day in New York, the mayor referred to illegals as, "murderers, rapists, thieves, and terrorists."
So why is any of that important? After all, at the time, the guy was mayor of a town with less than 25,000 people? Well in 2008, Lou Barletta ran for congress, but lost. Never one to take no for an answer, he ran once again in 2010 and won Pennsylvania's 11th district seat. He's been in the House of Representatives ever since. He doesn't plan on staying there much longer though.
In August of last year he announced he would seek the republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2018. It is a crowded field with five other candidates vying to challenge incumbent democratic Senator, Bob Casey.
When CNN asked about the interviews and appearances with not just Topete, "The American Free Press," but others sponsored by organizations run by off the wall alt right types, a Barletta spokesperson claimed the then mayor didn't know the backgrounds of any of them. He also pointed out Barletta wouldn't allow a proposed Ku Klux Klan march in Hazleton and renounced former Klan Grand Wizard, David Duke's support in the failed 2008 election.
Ah yes, it takes quite the moderate to garner support from David Duke, even if you refuse his help. Not to mention choosing to avoid a potential riot in your downtown by stopping a bunch of raging assholes from marching into it.
Indeed, occasionally doing the right thing doesn't excuse the fact all the wrong people think you're doing a great job.
And that's where a large portion of the republican party, including their man in the White House, is at during this year of our Lord, 2018. The Nazis, the Klan, and other evil idiots, think they're doing a great job.
Such is the nature of politics in America today.
1-25-18
Things didn't stay that way for long. By the 2010 census Hazleton was listed as 59% non Hispanic white, 4.0% black, 0.2% Native American, and 37% Hispanic/Latino.
It didn't happen all at once, of course. The Hispanic population, most of them Dominicans on the move west from New York City and northern New Jersey, were flocking to Hazleton throughout the decade. By 2006, Barletta and the city council were, by God, tired of it.
That year they passed a city ordinance which was called, "The Illegal Alien Relief Act." The law denied business permits to anyone who employed illegal aliens. It also fined landlords $100 per each illegal immigrant living in their rental properties. At the same time the city fathers made English the official language of Hazleton.
The ordinance, which was eventually ruled incredibly unconstitutional, made national news. Barletta showed up on CBS's "60 Minutes," and FOX NEW's "O'Reilly Factor," where he proudly boasted half the Hispanic population got out of town as soon as the measure was passed. It was a dubious claim since 11 years later Hispanics comprised 40% of Hazleton's population, but that's neither here, nor there. What is of importance is, thanks to his media exposure and braggadocio, the Alcalde of Hazleton became the darling of a lot of people who fall into that toxic world known as the alt right.
Today CNN and KFile reports in 2006 he did an interview with a publication known as, "The American Free Press," during which he explained his anti-illegal immigrant stance. "The American Free Press is also known to routinely claim the 9-11 terrorist attack on New York City was a, "Jewish plot," and the Holocaust is a hoax.
At a 2007 Hazleton rally Barletta appeared with alt right activist and singer, Paul Topete. Topete is also a sometime Holocaust denier and 9-11 conspiracy theorist. During Barletta's speech at the rally, a full nine years before Donald Trump glided down the escalator that fateful day in New York, the mayor referred to illegals as, "murderers, rapists, thieves, and terrorists."
So why is any of that important? After all, at the time, the guy was mayor of a town with less than 25,000 people? Well in 2008, Lou Barletta ran for congress, but lost. Never one to take no for an answer, he ran once again in 2010 and won Pennsylvania's 11th district seat. He's been in the House of Representatives ever since. He doesn't plan on staying there much longer though.
In August of last year he announced he would seek the republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2018. It is a crowded field with five other candidates vying to challenge incumbent democratic Senator, Bob Casey.
When CNN asked about the interviews and appearances with not just Topete, "The American Free Press," but others sponsored by organizations run by off the wall alt right types, a Barletta spokesperson claimed the then mayor didn't know the backgrounds of any of them. He also pointed out Barletta wouldn't allow a proposed Ku Klux Klan march in Hazleton and renounced former Klan Grand Wizard, David Duke's support in the failed 2008 election.
Ah yes, it takes quite the moderate to garner support from David Duke, even if you refuse his help. Not to mention choosing to avoid a potential riot in your downtown by stopping a bunch of raging assholes from marching into it.
Indeed, occasionally doing the right thing doesn't excuse the fact all the wrong people think you're doing a great job.
And that's where a large portion of the republican party, including their man in the White House, is at during this year of our Lord, 2018. The Nazis, the Klan, and other evil idiots, think they're doing a great job.
Such is the nature of politics in America today.
1-25-18
Monday, January 22, 2018
The Second Season of Don Trump's Latest Reality TV Show Begins
One wag on MSNBC put it this way Saturday morning: "Today starts season two of Donald Trump's latest reality TV show."
Yes and the ratings, if judged by the coverage afforded El Donald by MSNBC, the internet, CNN, and his PR staff at FOX, couldn't be higher. The media, all of it, is addicted to the guy--as hooked as any hard core junkie is to meth, or smack. The only question at this moment is whether public interest drives this near 24/7 exposure, or does the coverage itself inspire the Trump hysteria both pro and anti which has consumed us all for over a year now?
While there is no definitive answer to that question at the moment the hypothesis from here is it's a weird symbiosis in which they each feed off the other. Indeed, the cameras have come to cover the mob, expecting a riot, therefore the mob obliges.
All of this is complicated by a president who makes baseless accusations against his perceived enemies, is so petty he cannot respond to criticism without including personal insult, and happily spews lies while utterly ignoring volumes of documented proof they are grotesque falsehoods.
In fact the chaos, which, Donald Trump obviously thrives on, is so great no one outside of his own brain can figure out if he is a 21st century Machiavelli, conceiving devious plots and counter plots to advance his agenda, or a fucking idiot without a clue.
The latest debate about immigration has only deepened the mystery. Over a week ago Senators, Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin were convinced he would accept a compromise on the issue which would halt the looming government shutdown. A mere two hours after talking to him on the phone they arrived at the White House only to find the President surrounded by hard line opponents of the compromise. As Graham and Durbin sat aghast he launched into a rant about, the nation having to accept people from, "shithole," places like Haiti and Africa while extolling the virtues of immigrants from countries such as Norway.
Within minutes the compromise fell apart and the government was careening toward last Friday's deadline without a deal. Durbin broke the news of Trump's racist language which the White House didn't immediately deny and Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue said they couldn't recall. Trump would later claim he didn't use the profanity in relationship to Haiti, or Africa. This caused Cotton and Perdue to both have profound memory recoveries leading them to also deny he said it.
In an interview, Graham said his memory, unlike those of his two fellow republican Senators hadn't, "evolved," on the subject and he knew what he had heard, although he wouldn't repeat it. He also blamed White House aide and resident fascist Stephen Miller for changing Mr. Trump's mind in the space of those two crucial hours even though Miller reportedly didn't attend the meeting.
Later Graham indicated Trump is poorly served by wankers like Miller. In others words, he's willing to make bi-partisan compromises, however his hard core right wing advisers get in his ear and convince him to revert to the raging beast we see at campaign rallies.
Others have speculated Trump has a desperate need to please everyone who is in his immediate proximity. This causes him to seemingly accept deals he really doesn't agree with in order to end whatever the discussion might be on a cordial note.
If either case is the truth our man in the oval office looks to be a tad sketchy. He is either under the dark influence of latter day Rasputins like Miller and John Kelly, or he'll say anything to anyone, just so he can get out of the damned office and back to the golf course at Mar-a-Lago.
I personally prefer a third choice. I like to think the fucker is simply nuts. Okay, it might just be the romantic in me, but let's face it, all the signs are there. The impulsive and irate tweets that come in the pre dawn hours. His narcissistic preening which includes referring to himself in the third person. His adolescent vindictiveness and conviction the press is out to get him only because he is The Real Donald Trump. The bizarre, grandiose, claims about his accomplishments, not to mention the thoroughly transparent lies. Under any circumstances imaginable, if you put all these traits together they paint the portrait of someone who is clinically bat shit crazy.
And none of that counts the inherent racism which we know is there. Don Trump has proved that terrible flaw through his own words time and time again.
Well, we can only hope this gruesome reality TV show will last only three more seasons because honestly the first one was really tough to take. On the down side though, you can never underestimate the sheer power of madness.
Hey, just ask the Germans, Italians, or anyone else where a megalomaniac showed up with the intoxicating promise of making their nation great again.
sic vita est
1-22-18
Yes and the ratings, if judged by the coverage afforded El Donald by MSNBC, the internet, CNN, and his PR staff at FOX, couldn't be higher. The media, all of it, is addicted to the guy--as hooked as any hard core junkie is to meth, or smack. The only question at this moment is whether public interest drives this near 24/7 exposure, or does the coverage itself inspire the Trump hysteria both pro and anti which has consumed us all for over a year now?
While there is no definitive answer to that question at the moment the hypothesis from here is it's a weird symbiosis in which they each feed off the other. Indeed, the cameras have come to cover the mob, expecting a riot, therefore the mob obliges.
All of this is complicated by a president who makes baseless accusations against his perceived enemies, is so petty he cannot respond to criticism without including personal insult, and happily spews lies while utterly ignoring volumes of documented proof they are grotesque falsehoods.
In fact the chaos, which, Donald Trump obviously thrives on, is so great no one outside of his own brain can figure out if he is a 21st century Machiavelli, conceiving devious plots and counter plots to advance his agenda, or a fucking idiot without a clue.
The latest debate about immigration has only deepened the mystery. Over a week ago Senators, Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin were convinced he would accept a compromise on the issue which would halt the looming government shutdown. A mere two hours after talking to him on the phone they arrived at the White House only to find the President surrounded by hard line opponents of the compromise. As Graham and Durbin sat aghast he launched into a rant about, the nation having to accept people from, "shithole," places like Haiti and Africa while extolling the virtues of immigrants from countries such as Norway.
Within minutes the compromise fell apart and the government was careening toward last Friday's deadline without a deal. Durbin broke the news of Trump's racist language which the White House didn't immediately deny and Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue said they couldn't recall. Trump would later claim he didn't use the profanity in relationship to Haiti, or Africa. This caused Cotton and Perdue to both have profound memory recoveries leading them to also deny he said it.
In an interview, Graham said his memory, unlike those of his two fellow republican Senators hadn't, "evolved," on the subject and he knew what he had heard, although he wouldn't repeat it. He also blamed White House aide and resident fascist Stephen Miller for changing Mr. Trump's mind in the space of those two crucial hours even though Miller reportedly didn't attend the meeting.
Later Graham indicated Trump is poorly served by wankers like Miller. In others words, he's willing to make bi-partisan compromises, however his hard core right wing advisers get in his ear and convince him to revert to the raging beast we see at campaign rallies.
Others have speculated Trump has a desperate need to please everyone who is in his immediate proximity. This causes him to seemingly accept deals he really doesn't agree with in order to end whatever the discussion might be on a cordial note.
If either case is the truth our man in the oval office looks to be a tad sketchy. He is either under the dark influence of latter day Rasputins like Miller and John Kelly, or he'll say anything to anyone, just so he can get out of the damned office and back to the golf course at Mar-a-Lago.
I personally prefer a third choice. I like to think the fucker is simply nuts. Okay, it might just be the romantic in me, but let's face it, all the signs are there. The impulsive and irate tweets that come in the pre dawn hours. His narcissistic preening which includes referring to himself in the third person. His adolescent vindictiveness and conviction the press is out to get him only because he is The Real Donald Trump. The bizarre, grandiose, claims about his accomplishments, not to mention the thoroughly transparent lies. Under any circumstances imaginable, if you put all these traits together they paint the portrait of someone who is clinically bat shit crazy.
And none of that counts the inherent racism which we know is there. Don Trump has proved that terrible flaw through his own words time and time again.
Well, we can only hope this gruesome reality TV show will last only three more seasons because honestly the first one was really tough to take. On the down side though, you can never underestimate the sheer power of madness.
Hey, just ask the Germans, Italians, or anyone else where a megalomaniac showed up with the intoxicating promise of making their nation great again.
sic vita est
1-22-18
Monday, January 15, 2018
Jim Bridenstine, NASA, and the Extent of Scientific Knowledge
In his never ending effort to place the control of federal agencies and departments into the hands of idiots and partisan political hacks, Donald Trump nominated Oklahoma congressman, James Bridenstine to head NASA last September.
Bridenstine's main qualification for the job, besides being a former Naval aviator and a fire breathing tea party/freedom caucus type, is he was once director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium. That's as close as he comes to any sort of hands on expertise in science and space, or engineering.
Of course, as we all know, The Big Orange Guy is never one for details, or qualifications, so long as a nominee has his political back. How else do you explain the appointments of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education and Scott Pruitt as the chief administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency?
So what else do we know about Jim Bridenstine? In 2013 he made a speech on the house floor during which he told the world, "Global temperatures stopped rising 10 years ago." He also claims same sex couples are immoral. Then there is a strange Azerbaijan fetish.
He made a trip there once along with nine other members of congress and assorted staff which was paid for by the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic. While there the group pulled down enough swag the house ethics committee initiated an investigation. According to Wikipedia, after the inquiry began, Bridenstine returned a couple of rings worth thousands of dollars to the person who gave them to him. In addition he turned over the rest of the gifts to the House Clerk. Once everything was returned the ethics committee decided all the congressmen involved had no way of knowing the excursion was improperly funded.
That little brush with indiscretion behind him, in 2014 he accepted $29,000 in campaign contributions from, "The Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan," and the, "Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians." On its web site, the TCAE, as it calls itself, tells you it is a, "...fast growing umbrella of Turkic American associations throughout the United States dedicated to pursuing the interests of Turkic Americans and friends of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan."
The iffy Azerbaijan stuff isn't the reason Bridenstine's nomination might die in the Senate though. Hey, he gave up the jewelry and other gifts, so no harm, no foul and, to paraphrase the wizard, pay no attention to the pro Azerbaijani cash.
No, as pointed out in today's, The Oklahoman, there are other ghosts in Jim Bridenstine's history which might bite him in the ass.
According to the story written by Justin Wingerter, the democrats have closed ranks against him thanks to the global warming speech, the homophobic rant, and Bridenstine's past habit of giving interviews to off the wall alt right commentators.
Wingerter quotes Senator Bill Nelson, D-FL, as saying, "His (Bridenstine's) nomination remains in serious jeopardy because many in the Senate agree that NASA needs to have a space professional at the helm and not a divisive politician."
Yeah, yeah, big talk from a guy who belongs to a party which controls only 49 of 100 possible votes, right?
Well it seems there might be a math problem after all. Wingerter points out in 2016 Bridenstine backed Ted Cruz in the early presidential race. During that time he appeared in TV ads and ham handedly suggested Florida GOP Senator, Marco Rubio would make a weak chief executive. In addition he supported the ultra conservative, Kelli Ward in her primary bid to unseat republican incumbent, John McCain.
Oops.
Wingerter quoted one Senate aide as saying, "We can only lose one republican and we know that Rubio has very serious concerns." And what looks to be a keen memory. When it comes to McCain no one knows for sure and his health issues make his presence during the vote problematical. However, if he is there one can easily imagine him doing yet another dramatic thumbs down when Bridenstine's name is mentioned.
No one knows who Trump might pick as a second choice if Bridenstine's nomination does flame out. Perhaps he'll chuck all this partisan nonsense and go with actor William Shatner because of the vast experience in outer space he will bring to the job. If Shatner isn't available, he could choose, Walter Koenig. After all, he spent a lot of time on the bridge of the Enterprise with Captain Kirk playing a Russian for God's sake. And we all know how Trump feels about Russians.
Ah, we can only wish that would be the case.
No, the truth is, if it isn't James Bridenstine it will be some other monstrous conservative wanker who hasn't a clue about the difference between a theory and a hypothesis and is convinced the latest cold snap proves global warming is a hoax.
Trust me. It's a solid bet because, sadly--just like all those crazy right wing evangelical rubes it panders to--that's the extent of scientific knowledge the current American administration possesses.
sic vita est
1-15-18
Bridenstine's main qualification for the job, besides being a former Naval aviator and a fire breathing tea party/freedom caucus type, is he was once director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium. That's as close as he comes to any sort of hands on expertise in science and space, or engineering.
Of course, as we all know, The Big Orange Guy is never one for details, or qualifications, so long as a nominee has his political back. How else do you explain the appointments of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education and Scott Pruitt as the chief administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency?
So what else do we know about Jim Bridenstine? In 2013 he made a speech on the house floor during which he told the world, "Global temperatures stopped rising 10 years ago." He also claims same sex couples are immoral. Then there is a strange Azerbaijan fetish.
He made a trip there once along with nine other members of congress and assorted staff which was paid for by the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic. While there the group pulled down enough swag the house ethics committee initiated an investigation. According to Wikipedia, after the inquiry began, Bridenstine returned a couple of rings worth thousands of dollars to the person who gave them to him. In addition he turned over the rest of the gifts to the House Clerk. Once everything was returned the ethics committee decided all the congressmen involved had no way of knowing the excursion was improperly funded.
That little brush with indiscretion behind him, in 2014 he accepted $29,000 in campaign contributions from, "The Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan," and the, "Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians." On its web site, the TCAE, as it calls itself, tells you it is a, "...fast growing umbrella of Turkic American associations throughout the United States dedicated to pursuing the interests of Turkic Americans and friends of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan."
The iffy Azerbaijan stuff isn't the reason Bridenstine's nomination might die in the Senate though. Hey, he gave up the jewelry and other gifts, so no harm, no foul and, to paraphrase the wizard, pay no attention to the pro Azerbaijani cash.
No, as pointed out in today's, The Oklahoman, there are other ghosts in Jim Bridenstine's history which might bite him in the ass.
According to the story written by Justin Wingerter, the democrats have closed ranks against him thanks to the global warming speech, the homophobic rant, and Bridenstine's past habit of giving interviews to off the wall alt right commentators.
Wingerter quotes Senator Bill Nelson, D-FL, as saying, "His (Bridenstine's) nomination remains in serious jeopardy because many in the Senate agree that NASA needs to have a space professional at the helm and not a divisive politician."
Yeah, yeah, big talk from a guy who belongs to a party which controls only 49 of 100 possible votes, right?
Well it seems there might be a math problem after all. Wingerter points out in 2016 Bridenstine backed Ted Cruz in the early presidential race. During that time he appeared in TV ads and ham handedly suggested Florida GOP Senator, Marco Rubio would make a weak chief executive. In addition he supported the ultra conservative, Kelli Ward in her primary bid to unseat republican incumbent, John McCain.
Oops.
Wingerter quoted one Senate aide as saying, "We can only lose one republican and we know that Rubio has very serious concerns." And what looks to be a keen memory. When it comes to McCain no one knows for sure and his health issues make his presence during the vote problematical. However, if he is there one can easily imagine him doing yet another dramatic thumbs down when Bridenstine's name is mentioned.
No one knows who Trump might pick as a second choice if Bridenstine's nomination does flame out. Perhaps he'll chuck all this partisan nonsense and go with actor William Shatner because of the vast experience in outer space he will bring to the job. If Shatner isn't available, he could choose, Walter Koenig. After all, he spent a lot of time on the bridge of the Enterprise with Captain Kirk playing a Russian for God's sake. And we all know how Trump feels about Russians.
Ah, we can only wish that would be the case.
No, the truth is, if it isn't James Bridenstine it will be some other monstrous conservative wanker who hasn't a clue about the difference between a theory and a hypothesis and is convinced the latest cold snap proves global warming is a hoax.
Trust me. It's a solid bet because, sadly--just like all those crazy right wing evangelical rubes it panders to--that's the extent of scientific knowledge the current American administration possesses.
sic vita est
1-15-18
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Teaching White Racism at Florida Gulf Coast University
One of the great and pervasive urban myths that circulates through large portions of the white American population is that racism is pretty much dead in this country. The logic goes this way, "Oh sure there are still pockets of it, but those hold outs are confined to a few crazy groups, like Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan."
There are several reasons for this. One, a lot of Americans of European descent would rather not talk about race relations because the nation's long tradition of racial repression makes them uncomfortable. They just want it to disappear from history, or in other, more warped cases, be able to deny it ever happened in the first place.
Along the same lines, the thinking is, yes, it was evil, but all of it ended years ago when black people were allowed to send their kids to traditionally white schools, eat at lunch counters with white folks, and drink from the same water fountain as us.
Third, if you talk about it, many white Americans are forced to face the fact that at some point in their lives, they were fully functioning racists, but learned better. Or, even if they won't admit their past attitudes, they know in flashes of anger, or frustration, vile racist names and terms pop into their heads seemingly out of the blue. After those moments people, if they think at all, are forced to the realization the words came from someplace in their personal history. That's right, someone taught you what they meant and you just lashed out with them, even if silently.
No, it isn't as bad as it used to be, as anyone, like myself, born in 1950, can tell you. The election of Barack H. Obama was testimony to the progress that has been made. Conversely the Obama presidency also ripped apart the whole racism is dead fantasy. The entire birther movement reeked of it. So did many anti-Obama memes which showed up on conservative chat sites and in comments sections every where online. The one which immediately comes to mind was a cartoon that, on the surface, was an attack on the Affordable Care Act. It pictured a bare chested Obama festooned in an ostrich plume headdress, wearing a grass skirt, holding a spear, while sporting a large bone through his nose.
Yes, how non racist that was.
Skipping right past the whole white backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement and frantic legislative efforts to restrict voting rights, we come to one, Ted Thornhill. He is an Assistant Professor of sociology at Florida Gulf Coast University. This term he is teaching a class titled, "White Racism."
When word got out about the new course the reaction was swift and severe. Thornhill, who is African-American, turned over 46 pages worth of white outrage to CNN the other day.
Some of the messages were from parents who threatened to pull their kids and thereby their tuition money out of FGCU. Others wondered why it was called, "White Racism," when racism comes in all colors and cultures. At least one demanded he devote time in his class to black racism.
Those were the saner responses.
Others, not so much. CNN reports one email read, "Cancer (Stage 4) is what you and your family deserve for spreading hate, lies, and intolerance." Another said, "I would ask you to stop using the names Ted and Thornhill, as I feel you are using a cultural appropriation. Change it to Obongo Deviantray, you racist pig."
He also received messages calling him, "a pitiful little boy, a subhuman mongrel, and an alt left piece of shit."
Some other threats were apparently specific enough that Tuesday, the first day of the class, FGCU posted campus police outside the door of Thornhill's room. The Assistant Professor told CNN, "All that it takes is one person to act on their views. We've got to be cautious because you don't know what people are capable of."
Actually, professor, we know exactly what they are capable of. The presence of security at your door is not unwarranted.
Thornhill issued a written statement to CNN and other news outlets which read, "My White Racism course is not anti-white; it is anti-white racism. Clearly not all white people are racists; some are even anti-racist." He finished with, "However, all people racialized as white derive, in some measure, material and psychological benefits by virtue of being racialized as white."
If you think that last sentence isn't true, then you are delusional. And, yes, probably white.
Author's note: No, I'm not casting stones without sin.
sic vita est
1-11-18
There are several reasons for this. One, a lot of Americans of European descent would rather not talk about race relations because the nation's long tradition of racial repression makes them uncomfortable. They just want it to disappear from history, or in other, more warped cases, be able to deny it ever happened in the first place.
Along the same lines, the thinking is, yes, it was evil, but all of it ended years ago when black people were allowed to send their kids to traditionally white schools, eat at lunch counters with white folks, and drink from the same water fountain as us.
Third, if you talk about it, many white Americans are forced to face the fact that at some point in their lives, they were fully functioning racists, but learned better. Or, even if they won't admit their past attitudes, they know in flashes of anger, or frustration, vile racist names and terms pop into their heads seemingly out of the blue. After those moments people, if they think at all, are forced to the realization the words came from someplace in their personal history. That's right, someone taught you what they meant and you just lashed out with them, even if silently.
No, it isn't as bad as it used to be, as anyone, like myself, born in 1950, can tell you. The election of Barack H. Obama was testimony to the progress that has been made. Conversely the Obama presidency also ripped apart the whole racism is dead fantasy. The entire birther movement reeked of it. So did many anti-Obama memes which showed up on conservative chat sites and in comments sections every where online. The one which immediately comes to mind was a cartoon that, on the surface, was an attack on the Affordable Care Act. It pictured a bare chested Obama festooned in an ostrich plume headdress, wearing a grass skirt, holding a spear, while sporting a large bone through his nose.
Yes, how non racist that was.
Skipping right past the whole white backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement and frantic legislative efforts to restrict voting rights, we come to one, Ted Thornhill. He is an Assistant Professor of sociology at Florida Gulf Coast University. This term he is teaching a class titled, "White Racism."
When word got out about the new course the reaction was swift and severe. Thornhill, who is African-American, turned over 46 pages worth of white outrage to CNN the other day.
Some of the messages were from parents who threatened to pull their kids and thereby their tuition money out of FGCU. Others wondered why it was called, "White Racism," when racism comes in all colors and cultures. At least one demanded he devote time in his class to black racism.
Those were the saner responses.
Others, not so much. CNN reports one email read, "Cancer (Stage 4) is what you and your family deserve for spreading hate, lies, and intolerance." Another said, "I would ask you to stop using the names Ted and Thornhill, as I feel you are using a cultural appropriation. Change it to Obongo Deviantray, you racist pig."
He also received messages calling him, "a pitiful little boy, a subhuman mongrel, and an alt left piece of shit."
Some other threats were apparently specific enough that Tuesday, the first day of the class, FGCU posted campus police outside the door of Thornhill's room. The Assistant Professor told CNN, "All that it takes is one person to act on their views. We've got to be cautious because you don't know what people are capable of."
Actually, professor, we know exactly what they are capable of. The presence of security at your door is not unwarranted.
Thornhill issued a written statement to CNN and other news outlets which read, "My White Racism course is not anti-white; it is anti-white racism. Clearly not all white people are racists; some are even anti-racist." He finished with, "However, all people racialized as white derive, in some measure, material and psychological benefits by virtue of being racialized as white."
If you think that last sentence isn't true, then you are delusional. And, yes, probably white.
Author's note: No, I'm not casting stones without sin.
sic vita est
1-11-18
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Another Bout of Breathless Speculation: Oprah Winfrey, the Next Great Hope of the Dump the Trump Crowd
God bless the modern media. While not the cold blooded purveyors of fake news as some would have us believe, let's face it, they are prone to bouts of breathless speculation and mass hysteria.
The most current phantasm which has swept through the national press like a California wildfire is the democrats--presumably--have found a new and dynamic choice as a candidate for the 2020 presidential election.
That's right, as soon as she finished her speech at The Golden Globes awards ceremony, Oprah Winfrey became the next great hope of the increasingly frantic dump the Trump crowd. This is especially true of those women who have been cruelly victimized by sexual predators and routinely discriminated against in a vast array of work places across the land. Not to mention the pro Hillary legions who ardently believe their candidate was--pardon the crudeness--screwed out of the election by a cabal of treasonous assholes and Russians.
The notion that the former Empress of Day Time Television is a viable presidential candidate comes as the rising tsunami of sexual harassment revelations and accusations roars through the streets of places like Hollywood, Washington, and Alabama.
"We're not going to take it any more!" women have collectively said. And Ms. Winfrey, with her perfect oratory, seemed to crystallize all their frustration, anger, and hopes the other night on a Los Angeles stage.
Well, why not, Oprah? After all it only took a single speech at a democratic convention to propel Barack H. Obama into the national limelight. At the time, unlike Winfrey's is now, his name recognition was somewhere around zero outside of certain sections of Chicago.
Unfortunately his anonymity gave Obama an advantage then, Oprah Winfrey will never enjoy in 2020. Not only was his name unknown, but so was his nearly non-existent track record.
That blank slate drove his opponents utterly insane. The right wing media was forced to make increasingly bizarre accusations about his past because they had nothing else to work with. You know, he attends a church where the black pastor sometimes accuses white people of doing bad things. He has hobnobbed with a known socialist. He is a sub rosa Muslim. He wasn't even born here for God's sake!
No one will ever be able to say Ms. Winfrey wasn't born in the United States, but, as The Washington Post pointed out today they can say plenty of other things.
Her South African exercise in altruism, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls was embroiled in it's own miasma of sex abuse allegations and law suits. While that ship might have been righted, at least for now, careers and reputations of school employees were destroyed and a number of students were expelled, or suspended.
She put her faith in Dr. Mehmet Oz, who she called, "America's Doctor." It turned out Oz has the disturbing tendency to recommend cures and treatments which have no scientific basis, or proof. The Post reports that after a group of doctors accused Oz of "quack treatments," two years ago, Winfrey fired him from her media network.
In the past, she has, on several occasions, plugged a self help program called, "The Secret." It assures people they can learn how to channel good thoughts in order to cure physical ailments plus solve emotional and financial problems--so long as they buy a set of DVDs .
She also went overboard praising James Frey's book about his drug and alcohol addiction, "A Million Little Pieces." Her book club promotion drove sales of the work into the millions. When it turned out much of the, "true story," was absolute fiction, Winfrey doggedly defended Frey. Then, after coming under fire, she condemned him on air while he sat there and took it. Five years later, she brought him back to the show and apologized for treating him badly. At the time he had a new book coming out.
Finally, The Post notes, right wing groups on air and online are grabbing up all manner of photos which show her happily hanging out with Harvey Weinstein. He is the Hollywood mogul and accused serial rapist whose fall has sent waves of recriminations and accusations throughout the film industry.
Yes, Oprah might appear exquisitely attractive to the democratic party faithful who are awash in mediocrity right now. However, if she runs, her campaign trail won't be without landmines strewn all over the place.
Indeed, if we know anything about the savages such as Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, not to mention evil fucks like Steve Bannon, and Don Trump it is all they need are the smallest kernels of truth to fuel the most vile lies and innuendos imaginable.
We also know they've all made successful careers out of doing it.
So don't get your hopes up America. Being smart, articulate compassionate, and even sweet won't get you far in politics these days. Hey, just look at who is in charge.
1-9-18
The most current phantasm which has swept through the national press like a California wildfire is the democrats--presumably--have found a new and dynamic choice as a candidate for the 2020 presidential election.
That's right, as soon as she finished her speech at The Golden Globes awards ceremony, Oprah Winfrey became the next great hope of the increasingly frantic dump the Trump crowd. This is especially true of those women who have been cruelly victimized by sexual predators and routinely discriminated against in a vast array of work places across the land. Not to mention the pro Hillary legions who ardently believe their candidate was--pardon the crudeness--screwed out of the election by a cabal of treasonous assholes and Russians.
The notion that the former Empress of Day Time Television is a viable presidential candidate comes as the rising tsunami of sexual harassment revelations and accusations roars through the streets of places like Hollywood, Washington, and Alabama.
"We're not going to take it any more!" women have collectively said. And Ms. Winfrey, with her perfect oratory, seemed to crystallize all their frustration, anger, and hopes the other night on a Los Angeles stage.
Well, why not, Oprah? After all it only took a single speech at a democratic convention to propel Barack H. Obama into the national limelight. At the time, unlike Winfrey's is now, his name recognition was somewhere around zero outside of certain sections of Chicago.
Unfortunately his anonymity gave Obama an advantage then, Oprah Winfrey will never enjoy in 2020. Not only was his name unknown, but so was his nearly non-existent track record.
That blank slate drove his opponents utterly insane. The right wing media was forced to make increasingly bizarre accusations about his past because they had nothing else to work with. You know, he attends a church where the black pastor sometimes accuses white people of doing bad things. He has hobnobbed with a known socialist. He is a sub rosa Muslim. He wasn't even born here for God's sake!
No one will ever be able to say Ms. Winfrey wasn't born in the United States, but, as The Washington Post pointed out today they can say plenty of other things.
Her South African exercise in altruism, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls was embroiled in it's own miasma of sex abuse allegations and law suits. While that ship might have been righted, at least for now, careers and reputations of school employees were destroyed and a number of students were expelled, or suspended.
She put her faith in Dr. Mehmet Oz, who she called, "America's Doctor." It turned out Oz has the disturbing tendency to recommend cures and treatments which have no scientific basis, or proof. The Post reports that after a group of doctors accused Oz of "quack treatments," two years ago, Winfrey fired him from her media network.
In the past, she has, on several occasions, plugged a self help program called, "The Secret." It assures people they can learn how to channel good thoughts in order to cure physical ailments plus solve emotional and financial problems--so long as they buy a set of DVDs .
She also went overboard praising James Frey's book about his drug and alcohol addiction, "A Million Little Pieces." Her book club promotion drove sales of the work into the millions. When it turned out much of the, "true story," was absolute fiction, Winfrey doggedly defended Frey. Then, after coming under fire, she condemned him on air while he sat there and took it. Five years later, she brought him back to the show and apologized for treating him badly. At the time he had a new book coming out.
Finally, The Post notes, right wing groups on air and online are grabbing up all manner of photos which show her happily hanging out with Harvey Weinstein. He is the Hollywood mogul and accused serial rapist whose fall has sent waves of recriminations and accusations throughout the film industry.
Yes, Oprah might appear exquisitely attractive to the democratic party faithful who are awash in mediocrity right now. However, if she runs, her campaign trail won't be without landmines strewn all over the place.
Indeed, if we know anything about the savages such as Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, not to mention evil fucks like Steve Bannon, and Don Trump it is all they need are the smallest kernels of truth to fuel the most vile lies and innuendos imaginable.
We also know they've all made successful careers out of doing it.
So don't get your hopes up America. Being smart, articulate compassionate, and even sweet won't get you far in politics these days. Hey, just look at who is in charge.
1-9-18
Thursday, January 4, 2018
The 25th Amendment, Donald Trump, and No Matter What, We Must Never Be Disgraceful
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
The opening paragraph of section four of the 25th amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
The 25th amendment was adopted in February, 1967, a little over three years after much of John F. Kennedy's brain was sprayed across the trunk of his limo in Dallas. The terrible event caused many to realize if JFK had somehow survived Oswald's kill shot, but been left with the mental capacity of a stewed tomato, there was no firm constitutional process in place which would allow for the transfer of power to his Vice President.
It also occurred to the same people that if someday America elected a person as President who, after assuming office, proved to be absolutely nuts there also needed to be a way to legally shuffle him, or her out of the oval office besides impeachment. After all, being bat shit crazy, or utterly incompetent isn't necessarily a high crime, or misdemeanor, but in the nuclear age both can certainly lead to untold disaster.
The second paragraph of section four deals with the procedure which would take place if some God awful power struggle were to take place between a mentally unstable President and his Vice President and cabinet. You know, a big time, reality TV version of Herman Wouk's, "The Caine Mutiny."
All of which brings us to Donald John Trump.
Politico reports in early December at least a dozen members of congress, including one republican, attended a two day meeting with Yale psychiatrist, Dr. Brandy X. Lee. The subject of the meeting was Don Trump's mental health, or lack thereof.
Lee was quoted as saying, "We feel the rush of tweeting is an indication of his falling apart under stress. Trump is going to get worse and will become uncontainable with the pressures of the presidency."
Of course, Dr. Lee didn't enter the confab without some preconceived notions. She had already edited a collection of essays written by more than 24 psychiatrists which addressed the state of Trump's mind. The title of the resulting work is, "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump."
Now we have a book from Michael Wolff which is called, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House." Wolff claims he was the fly on the wall during the early months of the Trump administration and his version of what was and may still be going on is frightening.
That's if you believe him. The Washington Post, despite bearing the brunt of much of Trump's ire, declared many of Wolff's revelations are demonstrably wrong while others are, at best, unconfirmed and, or completely unverifiable. As the Post pointed out, the last thing anybody needs in this day of alleged fake news is for someone to print absurd falsehoods about Trump and his family.
Indeed, why give Don T. an opportunity to equate The Post, CNN, and The New York Times with some crude tabloid bottom feeder who makes shit up when the truth is grotesque enough?
In fact the only truly good thing to come from Wolff's extended screed, at least at the moment, is it ignited a feud between El Don and his former pal, Steve Bannon. Wolff quoted the chubby fascist as saying Don Jr. committed a treasonous act by meeting with Russians before the election. In response Trump said of Bannon, "When he was fired he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."
Yes, well, there is a lot of that going around lately.
On Tuesday night, apparently in an effort to confirm Dr. Lee's prognosis, The Big Orange Guy tweeted, "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is much bigger and more powerful than his, & my button works!"
Congressman Eric Swalwell, D-CA said of the tweet, "...this is not normal behavior." Former George W. Bush aid, Richard Painter went on social media and wrote, "This Tweet alone is grounds for removal from office under the 25th amendment. This man should not have nukes."
Today the White House issued a statement which said any questioning of the President's mental health is, "disgraceful."
Right. No matter what, when it comes to the presidency we must never tarnish the office by saying, or writing something on Twitter that is disgraceful. That privilege is strictly reserved for the President.
The terrible truth is the 25th amendment only works if people like Mike Pence, Rex Tillerson, Jim Mattis, Steve Mnuchin, Jeff Sessions, Rick Perry, and Ben fucking Carson, or a republican congress decide to pull the plug on Donald Trump. Even if all those fucks had the inclination and guts--and they don't possess either--the trailer park Nazis who make up the Trump base would consider it an illegal coup and the republic might come apart at the seams in the aftermath.
No, we're stuck with this psycho-narcissistic-man-child-beast. At this point I'm just trying to convince myself we don't deserve him.
Unfortunately, I'm losing that argument.
sic vita est
1-4-18
The opening paragraph of section four of the 25th amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
The 25th amendment was adopted in February, 1967, a little over three years after much of John F. Kennedy's brain was sprayed across the trunk of his limo in Dallas. The terrible event caused many to realize if JFK had somehow survived Oswald's kill shot, but been left with the mental capacity of a stewed tomato, there was no firm constitutional process in place which would allow for the transfer of power to his Vice President.
It also occurred to the same people that if someday America elected a person as President who, after assuming office, proved to be absolutely nuts there also needed to be a way to legally shuffle him, or her out of the oval office besides impeachment. After all, being bat shit crazy, or utterly incompetent isn't necessarily a high crime, or misdemeanor, but in the nuclear age both can certainly lead to untold disaster.
The second paragraph of section four deals with the procedure which would take place if some God awful power struggle were to take place between a mentally unstable President and his Vice President and cabinet. You know, a big time, reality TV version of Herman Wouk's, "The Caine Mutiny."
All of which brings us to Donald John Trump.
Politico reports in early December at least a dozen members of congress, including one republican, attended a two day meeting with Yale psychiatrist, Dr. Brandy X. Lee. The subject of the meeting was Don Trump's mental health, or lack thereof.
Lee was quoted as saying, "We feel the rush of tweeting is an indication of his falling apart under stress. Trump is going to get worse and will become uncontainable with the pressures of the presidency."
Of course, Dr. Lee didn't enter the confab without some preconceived notions. She had already edited a collection of essays written by more than 24 psychiatrists which addressed the state of Trump's mind. The title of the resulting work is, "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump."
Now we have a book from Michael Wolff which is called, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House." Wolff claims he was the fly on the wall during the early months of the Trump administration and his version of what was and may still be going on is frightening.
That's if you believe him. The Washington Post, despite bearing the brunt of much of Trump's ire, declared many of Wolff's revelations are demonstrably wrong while others are, at best, unconfirmed and, or completely unverifiable. As the Post pointed out, the last thing anybody needs in this day of alleged fake news is for someone to print absurd falsehoods about Trump and his family.
Indeed, why give Don T. an opportunity to equate The Post, CNN, and The New York Times with some crude tabloid bottom feeder who makes shit up when the truth is grotesque enough?
In fact the only truly good thing to come from Wolff's extended screed, at least at the moment, is it ignited a feud between El Don and his former pal, Steve Bannon. Wolff quoted the chubby fascist as saying Don Jr. committed a treasonous act by meeting with Russians before the election. In response Trump said of Bannon, "When he was fired he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."
Yes, well, there is a lot of that going around lately.
On Tuesday night, apparently in an effort to confirm Dr. Lee's prognosis, The Big Orange Guy tweeted, "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is much bigger and more powerful than his, & my button works!"
Congressman Eric Swalwell, D-CA said of the tweet, "...this is not normal behavior." Former George W. Bush aid, Richard Painter went on social media and wrote, "This Tweet alone is grounds for removal from office under the 25th amendment. This man should not have nukes."
Today the White House issued a statement which said any questioning of the President's mental health is, "disgraceful."
Right. No matter what, when it comes to the presidency we must never tarnish the office by saying, or writing something on Twitter that is disgraceful. That privilege is strictly reserved for the President.
The terrible truth is the 25th amendment only works if people like Mike Pence, Rex Tillerson, Jim Mattis, Steve Mnuchin, Jeff Sessions, Rick Perry, and Ben fucking Carson, or a republican congress decide to pull the plug on Donald Trump. Even if all those fucks had the inclination and guts--and they don't possess either--the trailer park Nazis who make up the Trump base would consider it an illegal coup and the republic might come apart at the seams in the aftermath.
No, we're stuck with this psycho-narcissistic-man-child-beast. At this point I'm just trying to convince myself we don't deserve him.
Unfortunately, I'm losing that argument.
sic vita est
1-4-18
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