Private Winger Was Right: The Baltimore Blame Game and the Great Replacement in Michigan

 We're mutants. There's something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us...

Private John Winger, from the movie, "Stripes."

Well, a large portion of us anyway. 

Late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning the container ship, Dali suffered a series of power outages as it was leaving Baltimore Harbor bound for Sri Lanka. As a result the ship lost all of its steering capabilities. At 1:39AM it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing the entire 1.6 mile span.

Faster than you can say conspiracy, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted, "Accident, or terrorist attack?" on social media. She followed up with a second post demanding a complete investigation into the incident to find out if it was indeed an act of terrorism. While many, including myself, find it hard to believe, Ms. Greene's posts were the closest thing to sanity many right wing screechers were saying.

Utah state legislator and candidate for governor, Phil Lyman posted, "This is what happens when you have Governors who prioritize diversity over the wellbeing and security of citizens." He later posted, "DEI =DIE." It is unclear when and where Representative Lyman became an expert on maritime safety, or the commission which oversees the Port of Baltimore. However, it's obvious he is convinced that somehow, some way, gays and, or people of color are to blame for the Dali taking down that bridge.

Others, not quite as informed, blamed the black Mayor of Baltimore, because he is , "a DEI mayor." Not only that he is just another example of a liberal leading, "a failed city." At least the guy in Utah knows the municipal government in Baltimore has absolutely nothing to do with running the port. 

Pete Buttigieg was blamed apparently because he is a gay man who has kids. One post read, "Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to address Baltimore Bridge collapse as soon as he is done chestfeeding." Others said Buttigieg was trying to avoid responsibility for the crash by saying the bridge was built for racist reasons.  

Still another post blamed the state of Israel for the accident. He, or she--it's hard to tell when the poster is remaining anonymous--believes Israeli intelligence disabled the ship's steering system in retaliation for the U.S. failing to fully support Israel in the war against Hamas. It wasn't specified whether it was a hands on job,, or those Jewish space lasers Marjorie Taylor Greene used to talk about were responsible. 

South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace posted it was all the Biden Administration's fault. She pointed out the President's, "weaponization," of the DOJ has caused people not to believe anything the government says. In addition, too much of Biden's infrastructure bill is going into, "green," industries. The implication being not enough money was dedicated to building bridges that can withstand a hit by a 200 million pound ship traveling at eight knots. 

Ah, but it wasn't all about the Francis Scott Key Bridge. In Michigan, republican state legislator, Mark Maddock posted a long shot photo of some busses loading passengers from a plane on the tarmac at Detroit Metro Airport. Accompanying the photo was a desperate message which read, "Happening right now. Three busses just loaded up with illegal invaders at Detroit Metro. Anyone have any idea where they're headed with their police escorts?"  

Maddock's post seemed to be ta rock solid confirmation of all those MAGA accusations that Joe Biden is flying in plane loads of illegal aliens who will vote for him in November. That's right, baby, The Great Replacement has begun.

Or not.

The people deplaning and boarding the busses weren't being flown in from Central America, or even the planet Tralfamadore. No, they came from that far away place, Spokane, WA. The, "illegal invaders," were the Gonzaga University' men's basketball team along with coaches, staff, and university officials. They were arriving to play in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

We have to give it up to Maddock though. When someone pointed out the truth to him on social media he stuck by his guns. His answer was, "Sure kommie. Good talking point," thus proving without a doubt, once these fuckers go crazy, they stay crazy.

The fictional Private, Winger was right. We just didn't know how right until the Year of Our Lord, 2024.

3-29-24  

Donald Trump Slips the Noose Again--At Least for Now

 Today is March 25, 2024. The media has led us to believe that this date for Donald J. Trump is Judgement Day, an Apocalypse that sweeps the Trump Organization off the face of the financial world. Indeed, today is the moment of the former President's, Reckoning.   

Even Trump himself fed the frenzy. As late as last night Orange Jesus, went into yet another post-midnight manic rage, posting on social media, "Why should a Crooked, highly political New York Judge, Arthur Engoron, in concert and coordination with an even more Corrupt Attorney General, Lettica 'Peekaboo,' James, his Puppet Master, and the White House be allowed to take away and sell off, very successful properties and assets that took me years to zone and nurture into some of the best of their kind in the World--WHEN I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! These Radical Left Lunatics and Communists ask me to pay a ridiculous and completely unheard of fine of over $450,000,000 only because they saw a similar amount in my bank account. I had intended to use much of that hard earned money on running for President. They don't want me to do that--ELECTION INTERFERENCE!"

If we've learned anything about Trump since 2016 it is that when it comes to financing political campaigns he is loathe to use his own cash, both hard earned and ill gotten. He would much prefer those crazed starch fed, rubes attending his rallies pay the political tab $20 and $50 bucks at a time. When they do it proves to him and them, he is a true man of the people. Not to mention, when the investment is high risk it's always best to use someone else's money.  

Now, even as these words are being typed, media outlets have said the New York State Appellate Court has lowered his fraud case bond from the $450 plus million to $175 million and given Trump another 10 days to come up with the cash. 

Yes, the oily fucker just slipped the noose once again--at least for now. Shortly after the decision became known Trump announced he would post the bond within the allotted 10 days. 

Fortunately, for those of us who still believe in the rule of law, there was another breaking story. Today wasn't all peaches an cream for Big Don. When the bond news aired Trump was otherwise occupied in another New York courtroom. He was attending what turned out to be the final pre-trial hearing in what is known as the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

The criminal charges faced by Trump allege that during the 2016 Presidential campaign he paid off a porn star/dancer/high end hooker, who goes by the name of Stormy Daniels for her silence about a one night stand she had with while his wife was home caring for their newborn son, Barron. Actually the hush money payment itself isn't illegal in New York. However, covering it up as payments to your lawyer and as campaign expenditures is--which is what Trump is accused of doing.

Judge Juan Merchan had already delayed the start of the trial once. Today Trump's lawyers, with him looking on, argued the trial should be delayed again. According to them the feds and the state colluded to delay the discovery process by intentionally withholding evidence regarding Michael Cohen who is expected to be the state's key witness in the case. Cohen was Trump's former lawyer and damage control officer. He is the alleged conduit who got the cash from either Trump, or the campaign to buy Daniels' silence.

Merchan wasn't buying any of the collusion nonsense. He told the Trump team they hadn't proven any of it, which must have come as a shock to the defendant, because in Trumpworld, if Donnie says it, it becomes the truth.

Jury selection is now set to begin on April 15th. If it does, for the first time in American history a former President will be tried on criminal charges. Whether the Trump legal team can appeal their way out of that date remains to be seen. 

However, as we know all too well, Donald Trump is the greatest escape artist since Harry Houdini. He has proven time and time again, with very few exceptions, he can get out of anything. 

It is, to paraphrase a lyric, the nature of his game.

3-25-24

Up in Enid Oklahoma: Two Little Old Ladies Find a Nazi in the Ointment

 In early 2023 Enid, Oklahoma resident, Connie Vickers was looking at photos of neo-Nazis and other assorted white nationalists and fascists marching around the campus of the University of Virginia. The 2017 rally was held the night before what was billed as, "The Unite the Right," get together in Charlottesville the next day. As Vickers gazed at the photos of those participating in the torch lit procession she came across a familiar face. 

Among those holding Tiki torches and chanting, "Jews will not replace us," was Enid resident, Judd Blevins. The reason Ms. Vickers recognized Blevins was quite simple. Blevins wasn't just any Enid guy, he was a candidate for the Ward 1 city council seat. Indeed, he was aiming to be the new face of the republican party in Enid, the largest city in the state's northwest. 

The year plus long saga of what has followed in Enid is detailed in a March 13th NBC News story posted online by Brandy Zadrozny. She describes council meetings filled with both opponents and supporters of Blevins. The involvement of out of state right wing groups in municipal politics. Accusations of organized, "antifa commandos," attempting to unseat the duly elected City Commissioner. And, of course, high crimes and misdemeanors.    

Zadrozny doesn't explain why Ms. Vickers, a democrat, was looking at photos of Nazis marching in Charlottesville. However, she reports that soon after finding the image of Blevins, Vickers contacted her friend, another democrat, Nancy Presnall. (Yes, apparently there are at least two democrats in Enid.) After a January 2023 candidate's forum was over, the two women confronted Blevins with an enlarged version of the photo and demanded that he explain his connections to white nationalist groups. According to Presnall, the candidate fled the scene as they trailed behind shouting, "Answer the question, Judd." Presnall added, "He ran away from two little old ladies."

He may have then but Judd Blevins isn't running away from anyone now. A month after the meeting with the two, "little old ladies," Blevens won the council seat. There were a little over 800 ballots cast in Ward 1 (out of 5,000 registered voters). His margin of victory was 36 of them. Now, with a recall election on the horizon, he is facing the challenge head on. Or, at least as head on as any ultra right wing wanker ever does.

That's right, Judd Blevins, Marine Corps vet and former state coordinator for the white nationalist group, Identity Evropa is claiming he is the victim of a nefarious leftist conspiracy. 

Hwy, why not? It's what all these flamers do--from the top of the ballot, all the way down to the very bottom of it in every nook and cranny of America.

The people who worked to organize the recall is a group known as, "The Enid Social Justice Committee." According to Blevins they are so ruthless they tried to murder him. by cutting the brake lines on his truck. At a city council meeting he said the alleged attempt was made by, "far left wing fringe groups." He then complained about the lack of media coverage of the event. "I guess attempted murder of an elected official isn't newsworthy." 

Actually, the reason it wasn't newsworthy was because after investigating the so-called attempted murder Enid police found the only person anywhere near Blevins' truck the day he said it happened was Judd Blevins himself. 

Blevins has also claimed, "They (committee members) would like to see me apologize and denounce everything that I'm accused of, but I don't have anything to apologize for." In addition he has said, the attacks on him have been led by a leftist, "George Soros funded," media outlet. Presumably that media outlet is Enid's local paper, The Enid News & Eagle. In 2016 it had the, depending on your opinion, either the guts, or foolishness, to endorse Hillary Clinton for President. In blood red Enid, such an act was considered heresy in the first degree. 

Closer to the issue at hand, the News &Eagle also ran an expose detailing Judd Blevins' connection to Identity Evropa and reprinting some of his--let's say, more explicit--social media posts and podcast quotes regarding race in America. At the time Blevins described the front-page story as, "a hit piece." The number of residents, besides Blevins, who read the article is unknown. Thanks to the Clinton endorsement and the internet, the paper has been hemorrhaging subscribers for years.

The chaos comes to a head on April 2nd, the day of the recall election. Blevins' opponent is 61-year-old grandmother and former school teacher, Cheryl Patterson. She is a longtime republican, which she has to be. That is the reality in not just Enid, but all of northwest Oklahoma. A lot of people up that way might not like Nazis, but no one, absolutely no one, will vote for a democrat.

Well, except those two, "little old ladies." 

sic vita est

3-19-24

A Preview of Things to Come: Lies, Lies, and More Lies

If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself. 

Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Propaganda Minister and personal pal of Herr Adolf Hitler

For those wondering what the 2024 Presidential campaign is going to look at, this past week was a prime, grade A, preview. A movie trailer of sorts allowing us a glimpse of just some of the rock 'em sock 'em action we can expect.

Last Thursday, Alabama's junior Senator, Katie Britt gave the GOP response to Joe Biden's rousing state of the union address. Britt spoke from her sparsely appointed kitchen in Montgomery. During her little stove front chat, delivered with all the emotional impact of a 17 year old performing in a high school production of, "Our Town." she related the story of child sex trafficking occurring because of Joe Biden's policies. 

According to Britt she had personally traveled to the, "Del Rio sector of Texas." where she met with a victim of the foul practice. "She told me she had been sex trafficked by the cartels starting at age 12," Britt said. "She told me not just that she was raped every day, but how many times a day she was raped. We wouldn't be okay with that in a third world country. This is the United States of America and it's past time we start acting like it. President Biden's border is a disgrace. It's despicable. And it's almost entirely preventable." 

Cue the outrage. It's all Joe Biden's fault this 12 year old had to live through an unimaginable horror story. 

The woman Britt, "talked to," is named Karla Jacinto. These days she is a crusader for the victims of child trafficking. Her nightmare was real, but it happened between the years 2004 and 2008. For those who are historically challenged, during that time frame George W. Bush was President and Joe Biden was a Senator--just like Katie Britt. In addition Ms. Jacinto was trafficked, not by a cartel, but rather a pimp who took in at risk young girls. And, of course, none of the crimes perpetrated against the then 12 year old happened near the border, or the, "Del Rio sector of Texas." It all happened deep in Mexico. 

afew days after Britt spoke to the nation Karla Jacinto told the media, yes she had met the Alabama Senator, but no, not one on one, she had spoke to a group of politicians about the plight of  sexually abused and missing children, using her own experiences as an example of a crisis which is largely ignored by politicians and the media world wide.

Ms. Jacintoo reportedly told CNN, "I hardly ever cooperate with politicians because it seems to me that they only want an image. They only want a photo--and that to me is unfair."

Yeah, there is a lot of that going around these days. Now we know why Senator Britt is considered a rising star in the republican party. She might be only 40 years old, but she has their act down cold.

Then there was Fox News personality and noted jug wine aficionado, Jeanine Piro told her audience, "The democrats spent the whole day saying Donald Trump obstructed. Well news flash, Donald Trump was not charged with obstructing." 

Really? It is a matter of public record that Donald Trump is charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice in the Mar a Lago documents case. In a separate indictment he is charged with obstruction in regard to that whole, attempting to overthrow the results of the 2020 Presidential election thing. 

It is unclear at this time if Ms. Piro is simply lying out her ass or is suffering from the onset of Delirium Tremens. I prefer to think it is the latter. It's the romantic in me.

Finally we get to the big man himself. On Tuesday the House Judiciary Committee got together so republicans could grill, former Special Counsel Rober Hur on his report about Biden and some classified documents he left with after the second Obama term had ended. Most of the republicans on the committee didn't really care about why Hur had decided not to prosecute Joe Biden, they just wanted him to tell them and the nation the President is a feeble old man, so incapacitated mentally he can't even remember the year his son died. 

The democrats, namely Jerry Nadler of New York decided to turn the tables on them, so to speak. Nadler played a montage of Trump's gaffes, abject cruelty, and incoherent ramblings. There was nothing new on the video clip. In fact some of it dated back to the 2016 campaign. In other words everything Trump said, or let's say, garbled beyond all recognition, was witnessed the days he said them and have been replayed for years, months, and days.

Not according to Don Trump though. After seeing the hearing and montage he posted on social media, "The Hur Report was revealed today. A disaster for Biden, a two tiered standard of justice. Artificial Intelligence was used by them against me in their videos of me. Can't do that Joe." 

That's right. Donald J. Trump just claimed Jerry Nadler and those devious democratic operatives faked all that insane shit every American who watches TV saw him say--in many cases, live. In short Donald Trump isn't the one with the delusions, everyone else is.

Doctor John Gartner is right, but that doesn't mean plenty of people won't believe the crazy fuck. They'll read his post, they will listen to Piro's dipsomanic ravings, and Britt's intentional twisting of reality and never doubt any of it. What's worse is they won't even see anyone contesting these lies, because none of them watch anything on the air, or the internet which challenges their faith in Orange Jesus.  

 Welcome to the 2024 Presidential campaign. Only eight more months to go.

sic vita est

3-14-24

Joe Gives 'Em Hell

 Well, if we learned one thing about Joe Biden on Thursday night it is he isn't the fumbling, mumbling, old codger republicans would have us believe he is and some of us have feared he has become. Indeed, Biden might be old, but he is still the consummate politician and despite the efforts Donald Trump's toadies in Congress he is still the President of the United States. After the speech both Sean Hannity and Trump himself predictably called President Biden a liar, but they no longer referred to him as, "senile," or, "a vegetable." 

Hannity is paid to do such things. Trump was probably jealous that on Thursday he didn't dominate the news on any of the networks, or, thanks to his social network crashing, even the internet. In fact, the only time he was mentioned at all was on the not so fashionable tee shirt worn by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Biden might have eviscerated him from the podium, but he steadfastly refused to mention his name. 

According to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Biden referred to his predecessor 13 times. Perhaps the most damning was when he drove home the brutal facts of the January 6th coup attempt. "The insurrectionists were not patriots," the President said. "My predecessor--and some of you here--seek to bury the truth about January 6. I will not. Here's the simple truth. You can't love your country only when you win." 

When it came to abortion, the issue Trump wants to avoid at all costs, Biden said, "Clearly those bragging about overturning Roe v Wade have no clue about the power of women in America. If you the American people send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise I will restore Roe v Wade as the law of the land again." Six of the nine justices were in the front row at that point. One of the three missing was Clarence Thomas, which moved a late night host to say, "Finally we found something Clarence Thomas will recuse himself from."

Of course there were speech mishaps and a handful of gaffes. It was, after all, Joe Biden up there.  The worst of which was when Biden spoke about the murder of Laken Riley. He mistakenly called her Lincoln Riley in response to Marjorie Taylor Greene's heckling. He quickly recovered though by segueing into the bipartisan border security bill stalled on orders by Donald Trump. When he began listing what the bill would fund, then said it was supported by the border patrol's union and the National Chamber of Commerce Greene screamed, "Liar!" and republicans booed. Biden responded, "Read the facts. I know you can read." 

The exchange proved two things. First, unlike Donald Trump, Joe Biden can come back from a stumble then go off script coherently and with wit. Second, he might be a tad over optimistic. Even if Greene and her cohorts can read they would never come close to looking at anything which conflicts with their worldview, or the sadistic whims of Donald J. Trump.

Yes, the battle is now joined. And suddenly, instead of Joe Biden, it is Donald Trump who appears to be one struggling with cognitive issues. It's Trump not, Biden who seems on the verge of a complete mental collapse. And, for the moment at least, it is Biden, rather than Trump controlling the content of the news cycle.

Indeed, on Thursday night we finally saw the Joe Biden we've all been praying for--fiery, on point, and ready for a fight. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I am no longer voting against Donald Trump. I am voting for Joe Biden.

3-9-24

The Doctor Has Made His Call

 The men the American people admire most extrovertly are the most daring liars. The men they detest most violently are those who tell them the truth.  

H. L. Mencken 

With that single observation, H. L. Mencken pretty well sums up the reason Donald Trump, a known rapist and accused felon, will either clinch, or come within an inch of clinching the republican party nomination for President of the United States today. 

Here in the U.S. the media and politicos from coast to coast and beyond refer to the day as, "Super Tuesday." It is the day when voters in 15 states and one territory cast their ballots to decide on who the parties will nominate to run in November. In the days of yore the nominees were chosen at party conventions which were filled with drama, closed room deals, and generally old white guys sucking at the ends of cigars.

We still have the conventions, but they haven't been relevant in decades. Thanks to the primary voting process, today being the most wide spread of these events, by the time the conventions roll around the nominations have already been decided. The get togethers exist now solely as sort of political rock festivals held to give party activists an opportunity to kick out the jams, throw week long benders while dressed as fools, and provide the candidates with free network airtime.  Oh, and to let the attendees play with balloons. There is always lots and lots of balloons. 

This year in particular the issue of nominees appears chosen already. A lot of people on both sides of the aisle aren't happy about it. That's mainly because there are many democrats and republicans who consider their guy either too old and senile, or nuts to run the country. 

The other day, Dr. John Gartner, a psychologist and former member of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine faculty, gave his opinion on the subject in an interview. 

"I had to speak out because the 2024 election might turn  on the issue of who is cognitively capable. Biden, or Trump.? It's a major issue that will affect some people's vote. Not enough people are sounding the alarm, that based on his behavior, and in my opinion, Donald Trump is dangerously demented. In fact we are seeing the opposite among too many in the news media, the political leaders, and among the public. There is also this focus on Biden's gaffes, or other things that are within the normal limits of aging. By comparison Trump appears to be showing gross signs of dementia. This is a tale of two brains. Biden's brain is aging. Trump's brain is dementing." 

The reason for Gartner's diagnosis? "Phonenic paraphasias--the substitution of non words for words that sound similar. ..That is a fundamental breakdown in the ability to use the language. ..There is no healthy older person who speaks that way." He went on to say, "Trump also engages in what we call tangential speech. He just becomes incomprehensible when he engages in free association word salad speech that is all over the place. Again that's a sign of real brain damage, not being old, not being slow, not losing a step, but of severe cognitive deterioration."

According to Gartner, "By comparison, Biden has never been the most articulate person. He always had a stutter. He always made gaffes. But Biden has a good heart and good judgement. Over the decades we have not seen much evidence of deterioration in Biden's speaking." 

When it comes to the MAGA groupies Garner said: "At some level their worship of Trump is cartoonish. They idolize him beyond anything that is reasonable...Charismatic leaders like Donald Trump excite their followers into a kind of frenzy. But because the MAGA movement, like other fascist and authoritarian movements is a death cult, what Trump is inciting in them is a kind of dark frenzy and dangerous excitement. We have seen such summoned in some of the worst moments of modern history., most notably in Germany." 

Gartner believes Trump's followers and the media misinterpret his apparent energy, not realizing, that it is a symptom of his condition. In his words, "Trump is what we would clinically describe hypomanic." In Gartner's opinion, "Trump and people like him are not going to have good judgement."

The doctor concluded by saying, "Even if he was demented I would rather have Biden than Trump as President of the United States of America. Dementia brings out the worst in people's character. They become 10 times worse. If Biden really were to mentally decline--and I'm not saying he has, or will, or is---he's basically a benign person with good judgement. Biden cares about his fellow human beings. Biden is patriotic and actually believes in defending the Constitution and the United States of America. So even if Biden were to become diminished in his cognitive abilities he's still not going to do something evil, or crazy. He just might need more help. By comparison, Donald Trump unleashed would be Satan unbound."

And just think, I didn't even mention the parts where John Gartner talked about Trump's lust for revenge, his perverse pleasure in destroying people and institutions, and his belief he actually has God-like powers.   

Yes, the real options on this Super Tuesday are decidedly limited. In November though, they will be as stark as night and day. And, as we've just learned from the good Doctor, that night is a darkness the media and much of the voting public has grown too accustomed to, simply because they can't truly fathom it.

3-5-24