Saturday, May 31, 2008

Weekend Update - May 31st






  • Hillary was ready. Hillary was unstoppable. Hillary was, by all accounts, a lock. What the hell happened? Mark Morford tells us in "The Great Barak Obama Insurrection."
  • Thirty journalists gathered in Denver, Colorado Friday to view a video a man took of an alien popping up and down outside his window. That's "alien" as in UFO's, and such. Just when I was beginning to be afraid this was a "no news weekend."
  • Remember that little fat irritating Bush press secretary named Scott McClellan? Well, beam us up Scotty, he's written a book about the administration's cult of deception.
  • Outgoing Idaho Senator "Wide-Stance Larry" Craig is writing a tell-all book about his life. Makes you just wanna rub your eyes until the pain goes away.
  • On Friday, 111 nations, including major NATO allies, adopted a treaty that sets an eight-year deadline to eliminate stockpiles of cluster arms — pernicious weapons that scatter thousands of small bombs across a wide area, where they pose a long-term deadly threat to innocents. The Bush administration not only failed to sign the treaty but vigorously opposed it.
  • What's it like to tool around in a rented limo with the ultra-rich. Flying high?
  • Know someone interested in joining the military? Ron Kovic writes that military recruiters must be confronted.

Friday, May 30, 2008

The United States Was Founded to Fight Islam


You may recall hearing that the deranged Reverend Rod Parsley (a John McCain endorser) was quoted as saying that "the United States was formed to fight the threat of Islam". If you are like me, that must have sounded so nuts that you ignored it. But here is a link to the rightwing propaganda site "Pajamas Media" that publishes dodgy GOP and neo-con intellectual rationales for war and various GOP causes. This article is intended to support Parsley's claim. Well, okay, not for a fight against Islam as the reason for the founding of the United States, but the author claims it was the basis for the creation of a strong central government and the Constitution.

Anyhow, here is what purports to be our national heritage as fighters against Islam. "The shores of Tripoli" and all that. I rather suspect that the local ruler's invocation of Islam as the rationale for his piracy was self-serving, rather than a deeply-held religious belief. The reason WHY they were pirates probably was that it was a highly lucrative business endeavor, not that it was in any sense something they did as a religious duty.

There is some interesting information there, though how much of this to take on face value is always a question. The site is linked to "Vets For Freedom" a 527 set up to support Republican candidates and rally support for the Iraq War. Not exactly a neutral source. But if you want a preview of themes that may pop up in the future, here they are. It may be too early to argue that McCain is a proponent of an Endless War of cultures between the Christian west and the Muslim east, but don't bet against that theme surfacing during his campaign, either overtly or in "dog whistle" fashion. And isn't that an interesting term? I kept hearing it without really understanding it, but what I finally realized is that it is what used to be called "code words". Reagan used "states rights" as a code when he was talking in the south and what he wanted his listeners to hear was "we're gonna keep those negrahs down for you". Lovely guy, the "gipper". One of nature's noblemen, who by all accounts was deranged enough to tell visitors that he helped liberate concentration camps, though his only WW II service was in a pr wing of the army. Amazing. Everyone knew Reagan was nuts and did nothing about it.

Anyhow, back to the term "dog whistle". It refers to high-frequency "silent" dog whistles, that only a dog is able to hear. It means a candidate can say certain things that only their red-meat partisans can understand, while to others the reference or term used sounds a bit odd, but fairly harmless.

Wikipedia says the same thing and gives an interesting history of the terminology, tracking its first use back to Australia.

Arthur

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Dr. Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"


(Arthur sends us this chilling greeting in honor of Memorial Day week)


As we celebrate Memorial Day by calls from McCain and Bush that a new GI Bill would be a horrible idea because those (mostly poor) troops might get some uppity ideas and decide to go to college instead of doing their duty (as poor people) to serve for life in our armed forces. Our nation badly needs the services of the poor and disenfranchised, or else who would be willing to go fight pointless wars in hostile and unpleasant foreign lands (with oil)?

Who indeed?

An essayist compared McCain's approach to service men to Jonathan Swift's "Modest Proposal". Curious, I looked up Swift's "Modest Proposal" and found it on Project Gutenberg. At a time when we are choosing a new direction for our nation, as we look toward the November election, Swift's satire still resonates, more than two hundred years after they were written. Wikipedia spoke of groups in England during the period who viewed the poor as a form of commodity. One could argue that McCain and Bush still do.



A Modest Proposal for preventing the children of poor people in
Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for
making them beneficial to the publick.

by Dr. Jonathan Swift. 1729

It is a melancholy object to those, who walk through this great
town, or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the
roads and cabbin-doors crowded with beggars of the female sex,
followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and
importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of
being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to
employ all their time in stroling to beg sustenance for their
helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for
want of work, or leave their dear native country, to fight for
the Pretender in Spain, or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.

I think it is agreed by all parties, that this prodigious number
of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of
their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is in the present
deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional
grievance; and therefore whoever could find out a fair, cheap and
easy method of making these children sound and useful members of
the common-wealth, would deserve so well of the publick, as to
have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.

But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only
for the children of professed beggars: it is of a much greater
extent, and shall take in the whole number of infants at a
certain age, who are born of parents in effect as little able to
support them, as those who demand our charity in the streets.

As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years, upon
this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes
of our projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in
their computation. It is true, a child just dropt from its dam,
may be supported by her milk, for a solar year, with little other
nourishment: at most not above the value of two shillings, which
the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her
lawful occupation of begging; and it is exactly at one year old
that I propose to provide for them in such a manner, as, instead
of being a charge upon their parents, or the parish, or wanting
food and raiment for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the
contrary, contribute to the feeding, and partly to the cloathing
of many thousands.

There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it
will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice
of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent
among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to
avoid the expence than the shame, which would move tears and pity
in the most savage and inhuman breast.

The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one
million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two
hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which
number I subtract thirty thousand couple, who are able to
maintain their own children, (although I apprehend there cannot
be so many, under the present distresses of the kingdom) but this
being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand
breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand, for those women who
miscarry, or whose children die by accident or disease within the
year. There only remain an hundred and twenty thousand children
of poor parents annually born. The question therefore is, How
this number shall be reared, and provided for? which, as I have
already said, under the present situation of affairs, is utterly
impossible by all the methods hitherto proposed. For we can
neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither
build houses, (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land: they
can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive
at six years old; except where they are of towardly parts,
although I confess they learn the rudiments much earlier; during
which time they can however be properly looked upon only as
probationers: As I have been informed by a principal gentleman in
the county of Cavan, who protested to me, that he never knew
above one or two instances under the age of six, even in a part
of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that
art.

I am assured by our merchants, that a boy or a girl before twelve
years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to
this age, they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds
and half a crown at most, on the exchange; which cannot turn to
account either to the parents or kingdom, the charge of
nutriments and rags having been at least four times that value.

I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I
hope will not be liable to the least objection.

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance
in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year
old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether
stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it
will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust.

I do therefore humbly offer it to publick consideration, that of
the hundred and twenty thousand children, already computed,
twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one
fourth part to be males; which is more than we allow to sheep,
black cattle, or swine, and my reason is, that these children are
seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded
by our savages, therefore, one male will be sufficient to serve
four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may, at a year
old, be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune,
through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck
plentifully in the last month, so as to render them plump, and
fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an
entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the
fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned
with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the
fourth day, especially in winter.

I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will weigh
12 pounds, and in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, encreaseth
to 28 pounds.

I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very
proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of
the parents, seem to have the best title to the childrenPPPP
Infant's flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more
plentiful in March, and a little before and after; for we are
told by a grave author, an eminent French physician, that fish
being a prolifick dyet, there are more children born in Roman
Catholick countries about nine months after Lent, the markets
will be more glutted than usual, because the number of Popish
infants, is at least three to one in this kingdom, and therefore
it will have one other collateral advantage, by lessening the
number of Papists among us.

I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar's child
(in which list I reckon all cottagers, labourers, and four-fifths
of the farmers) to be about two shillings per annum, rags
included; and I believe no gentleman would repine to give ten
shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have
said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat, when he
hath only some particular friend, or his own family to dine with
him. Thus the squire will learn to be a good landlord, and grow
popular among his tenants, the mother will have eight shillings
neat profit, and be fit for work till she produces another child.

Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require)
may flea the carcass; the skin of which, artificially dressed,
will make admirable gloves for ladies, and summer boots for fine
gentlemen.

As to our City of Dublin, shambles may be appointed for this
purpose, in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers we may
be assured will not be wanting; although I rather recommend
buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife,
as we do roasting pigs.

A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose
virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing on
this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said, that
many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their
deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well
supply'd by the bodies of young lads and maidens, not exceeding
fourteen years of age, nor under twelve; so great a number of
both sexes in every country being now ready to starve for want of
work and service: And these to be disposed of by their parents if
alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations. But with due
deference to so excellent a friend, and so deserving a patriot, I
cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my
American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience, that
their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our
school-boys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable,
and to fatten them would not answer the charge. Then as to the
females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to
the publick, because they soon would become breeders themselves:
And besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people
might be apt to censure such a practice, (although indeed very
unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess,
hath always been with me the strongest objection against any
project, how well soever intended.

But in order to justify my friend, he confessed, that this
expedient was put into his head by the famous Salmanaazor, a
native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London,
above twenty years ago, and in conversation told my friend, that
in his country, when any young person happened to be put to
death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality, as
a prime dainty; and that, in his time, the body of a plump girl
of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the
Emperor, was sold to his imperial majesty's prime minister of
state, and other great mandarins of the court in joints from the
gibbet, at four hundred crowns. Neither indeed can I deny, that
if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this
town, who without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir
abroad without a chair, and appear at a play-house and assemblies
in foreign fineries which they never will pay for; the kingdom
would not be the worse.

Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about
that vast number of poor people, who are aged, diseased, or
maimed; and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course
may be taken, to ease the nation of so grievous an incumbrance.
But I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is
very well known, that they are every day dying, and rotting, by
cold and famine, and filth, and vermin, as fast as can be
reasonably expected. And as to the young labourers, they are now
in almost as hopeful a condition. They cannot get work, and
consequently pine away from want of nourishment, to a degree,
that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labour,
they have not strength to perform it, and thus the country and
themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come.

I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my
subject. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made
are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance.

For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen
the number of Papists, with whom we are yearly over-run, being
the principal breeders of the nation, as well as our most
dangerous enemies, and who stay at home on purpose with a design
to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their
advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have
chosen rather to leave their country, than stay at home and pay
tithes against their conscience to an episcopal curate.

Secondly, The poorer tenants will have something valuable of
their own, which by law may be made liable to a distress, and
help to pay their landlord's rent, their corn and cattle being
already seized, and money a thing unknown.

Thirdly, Whereas the maintainance of an hundred thousand
children, from two years old, and upwards, cannot be computed at
less than ten shillings a piece per annum, the nation's stock
will be thereby encreased fifty thousand pounds per annum,
besides the profit of a new dish, introduced to the tables of all
gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom, who have any refinement in
taste. And the money will circulate among our selves, the goods
being entirely of our own growth and manufacture.

Fourthly, The constant breeders, besides the gain of eight
shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will
be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year.

Fifthly, This food would likewise bring great custom to taverns,
where the vintners will certainly be so prudent as to procure the
best receipts for dressing it to perfection; and consequently
have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who
justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating; and
a skilful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will
contrive to make it as expensive as they please.

Sixthly, This would be a great inducement to marriage, which all
wise nations have either encouraged by rewards, or enforced by
laws and penalties. It would encrease the care and tenderness of
mothers towards their children, when they were sure of a
settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by
the publick, to their annual profit instead of expence. We should
soon see an honest emulation among the married women, which of
them could bring the fattest child to the market. Men would
become as fond of their wives, during the time of their
pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in
calf, or sow when they are ready to farrow; nor offer to beat or
kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a
miscarriage.

Many other advantages might be enumerated. For instance, the
addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of
barrel'd beef: the propagation of swine's flesh, and improvement
in the art of making good bacon, so much wanted among us by the
great destruction of pigs, too frequent at our tables; which are
no way comparable in taste or magnificence to a well grown, fat
yearly child, which roasted whole will make a considerable figure
at a Lord Mayor's feast, or any other publick entertainment. But
this, and many others, I omit, being studious of brevity.

Supposing that one thousand families in this city, would be
constant customers for infants flesh, besides others who might
have it at merry meetings, particularly at weddings and
christenings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about
twenty thousand carcasses; and the rest of the kingdom (where
probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty
thousand.

I can think of no one objection, that will possibly be raised
against this proposal, unless it should be urged, that the number
of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I
freely own, and 'twas indeed one principal design in offering it
to the world. I desire the reader will observe, that I calculate
my remedy for this one individual Kingdom of Ireland, and for no
other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon Earth.
Therefore let no man talk to me of other expedients: Of taxing
our absentees at five shillings a pound: Of using neither
cloaths, nor houshold furniture, except what is of our own growth
and manufacture: Of utterly rejecting the materials and
instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the
expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our
women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and
temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ
even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of
quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like
the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their
city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our
country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to
have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly,
of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our
shop-keepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only
our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon
us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever
yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though
often and earnestly invited to it.

Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like
expedients, 'till he hath at least some glympse of hope, that
there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them
into practice.
But, as to my self, having been wearied out for many years with
offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly
despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal,
which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real,
of no expence and little trouble, full in our own power, and
whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England. For this
kind of commodity will not bear exportation, and flesh being of
too tender a consistence, to admit a long continuance in salt,
although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to
eat up our whole nation without it.

After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion, as to
reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be found
equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before
something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my
scheme, and offering a better, I desire the author or authors
will be pleased maturely to consider two points. First, As things
now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for a
hundred thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly, There
being a round million of creatures in humane figure throughout
this kingdom, whose whole subsistence put into a common stock,
would leave them in debt two million of pounds sterling, adding
those who are beggars by profession, to the bulk of farmers,
cottagers and labourers, with their wives and children, who are
beggars in effect; I desire those politicians who dislike my
overture, and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer, that
they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they
would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been
sold for food at a year old, in the manner I prescribe, and
thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes, as
they have since gone through, by the oppression of landlords, the
impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of
common sustenance, with neither house nor cloaths to cover them
from the inclemencies of the weather, and the most inevitable
prospect of intailing the like, or greater miseries, upon their
breed for ever.

I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the
least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary
work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country,
by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the
poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children,
by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being
nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.



Arthur

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Weekend Update - May 24th



  • He's the founder of The Paul Revere Society. He's a right-wing talk show host that even Bill O'Reilly thinks is a "smear merchant." He's Michael Savage, and he's an asshole.

  • p.m. carpenter discusses Hillary's latest gaff. "Hillary Clinton Downs the Political Hemlock."

  • FBI agents keeping a "war crimes file?" Here's a NYT article that I promise will make your skin crawl.

  • So McCain refutes megachurch Pastor John Hagee because of Hagee's stupid remarks. How nice. How hard would it be to elect an atheist president? Impossible.

  • Greg Palast reports that Hillary is replacing Bill as "first husband" with Kevin Costner. Seriously. Sort of.

  • Two Democratic senators have asked the Treasury Department to investigate allegations that Iraqi leaders have embezzled or misspent billions of U.S. tax dollars intended for the country's relief and reconstruction. That's BILLIONS.

  • In a hotel room in Brussels, the chief executives of the world’s top oil companies unrolled a huge map of the Middle East, drew a fat, red line around Iraq and signed their names to it.
    The map, the red line, the secret signatures. It explains this war. It explains this week’s rocketing of the price of oil to $134 a barrel. Greg Palast swears he not making this up.

  • It turns out Ted Kennedy has a malignant brain tumor. We wish him all the best of luck while he receives the finest medicine and care money can buy. And we also wish we could all receive the same kind of health care he gets. Wouldn't that be nice?

Friday, May 23, 2008

Are Whites Racist, Or Something Else?


(Arthur brings us a tremendous report, and forces all of us to take a long hard look at ourselves. This really is the time for a change in America. Our 125th post since Bad Hat started.)

Of all things, it takes the English language version of the Qatar-based television network to take a frank look at the people of Kentucky and broadcast their answers. The most interesting of these interviews seemed to me to be with the guy who thought that whites might be put "in the back of the bus" in revenge for mistreating African-Americans for so many years. To the extent that fear is at all typical, it should be possible to talk many of those people through that fear.

But I think the "racial" factor is not so much a matter of dislike of black-skinned people as it is a more natural and understandable sympathy for those perceived as similar to an individual, as contrasted with those who seem more different, more foreign. And it may take a longer time for Barack Obama to win their sympathy, to break through their sense that he is "other" than them. One thing he has going for him is his quite remarkable biography. Neither he nor anyone in his family was ever a slave in the United States. Oddly, on his mother's side of the family one branch owned some slaves. Arguably, as unlikely as it sounds, Obama is closer to the "white working class" in Kentucky than he is to the African-Americans whose family history is that of slavery, followed by decades of discrimination and being marginalized. If there was ever an individual who was uniquely qualified to help bridge the historic wound of slavery in the United States, Barack Obama is it and the time is now.

I should note that I have mixed feelings about the idea of reparations. I am not sure one can put a price tag on mistreatment, particularly mistreatment that in some cases is generations old. There may reasonably be things that could be done to provide some form of redress, but I come back to the colorful Kentucky miner and his concern that whites might be disenfranchised. There would not be much point to helping one disadvantaged group at the expense of another disadvantaged group. And if we want to go deeper into that, what of the American Indian community? With a few shining exceptions where Casino wealth has lifted local tribes into sudden and surprising prosperity, most "Native American" communities are ravaged and depressed areas with the highest rates of alcoholism in the country. What responsibility do we bear for that social phenomena? And what can we do to address those problems?

There are more than enough issues on our plates. We have to start by deciding that despite our differences we are going to need to start trusting each other before there can be any hope of a positive change. Some politicians will work to unite us, others will continue to work to divide and turn us against each other. I know which kind I plan to vote for.

And when this election is over, I hope a lot of the windbag "talking heads" are sent into permanent retirement and the "infotainment industry" goes out and does some real investigative journalism for a change, instead of sitting around and endlessly giving their opinions about the spin and lies put out by dishonest politicians who are far more interested in grabbing and holding power than they are in the truth or in good government. I think you can all guess who I am talking about.

Oh, and one last thing? Every one of Hillary Clinton's advisors has been publicly exposed as a bald-faced liar. How can I be so rude and so sure of that? Because all of her major shills, McAuliffe, Wolfson and Penn came out the night of the Pennsylvania Primary and announced that she was well on her way to raising Ten Million dollars in one day. Wowie! What momentum! She's a winner! And the next day they announced that she "reached her goal" by 2 PM the next day. Now consider this: the polls closed at 8 PM and that meant that in the next 18 hours she raised $10,000,000? From hundreds of thousands of small donors? If all those small donors slept for 8 hours that night, logically that meant that when they were awake they were pumping a million dollars an hour in to her campaign? Hogwash. That ranks up there with the claim by Ron Paul's supporters that they raised $4 million in one day. Again, what a great news story, but how odd, since Paul always seemed to be broke.

And now we get the FEC report for the Clinton campaign and we learn that she did raise a good sum of money on those two days... a total of a bit over $3 million. A good showing, but where did the other $7 million come from? or did it? The answer seems to be, there were some additional loans by Clinton to her campaign, but that is not exactly "fund raising" or from "small donors" is it? And all you need to do is watch that pack of lying weasels shouting out how fantastic the response has been... to know that the entire campaign was knowingly lying to the voters about what did or did not happen.

I'm not sure about you, but that very much reminds me of the sort of thing the Bush administration does on a fairly regular basis: they decide what they want the story to be and they send out surrogates, retired Generals, pet reporters, Senators and assorted camp followers to repeat their "talking points" (English: lies) over and over and over and over until their Big Lies permeate the public consciousness.

Again, I am not sure about you, but I am ready to move beyond having a President who is a pathological liar, supported by a political party composed of pathological liars. To my mind the solution is not to elect a President who has similar tendencies.

On Memorial Day weekend it is worth recalling the words of the last living French soldier of World War One (which I believe is the war the Holiday was first intended to honor) who died recently in France at age 109. He gave some memorable interviews in the last years of his life in which he said the following, "There is no glory in war, there is only one man killing another man who is someone's father" and "My only emotion during the war was to feel certain that we were all going to die". There has to be a better way. That is called "diplomacy" and it often saves lives, rather than squandering them.

War is probably the dumbest way to solve problems that has ever been thought of.


Arthur

Poke Her With a Fork, Hillary's Done


We truly mourn for Hillary Clinton. Her campaign is over. That's spelled O V E R.

Today, whether it be from fatigue or PMS (forgive me that), she blew it once again. While explaining why she's still in this campaign she referenced the assasination of Bobby Kennedy in June during his campaign.

Holy Crap. Now I know she's not waiting for someone to shoot Barak Obama. I know that. But why the hell would she mention something like that in today's America, the America she wants to lead? Bad choice of words? Oh boy, yeah. When I heard about this one I could practically feel Bill's gonads retreating back into their birth positions.

The party's over for the Clintons.

From the BBC.

And Keith Olbermann's Special Comment tonight ends this thing. Goodnight Hillary, see you in 2012. Behave your bad self.


Stand by for a big Memorial Weekend Update, and much more stuff from Bad Hat!


JP

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Uncle Bob Digresses



Looks like I must eat the following words:

To my knowledge, there is not one - I repeat, not one - former POW who was interned at the same time as McCain who has a good word to say about him.

Chomp, chomp!

But as I have discovered, there are still other former POWs who say that he is a "lying skunk" so whom are we to believe?

There are many inconsistencies in the McCain story as told by McCain and his adherents. Perhaps the most obvious is his alleged torture by North Vietnamese interrogators, belied years later when his chief interrogator and presumably chief torturer, North Vietnamese Colonel Bui Tin, met him in Washington DC and they publicly embraced each other with apparent great affection.

There is also no doubt that McCain's willingness to spill the beans about his country's military and naval activities violated the Military Code of Conduct; a fact that his supporters whitewash with the excuse that everybody knew this stuff, anyway, so he was only telling them what they already knew. In my humble opinion, that does not make his blabbering less a crime.

Some McCain detractors describe McCain as the "Manchurian Candidate" and on second thought I should not have borrowed that phrase in my little essay about him. My own experience confirms that such alleged "brainwashing" is a Hollywood topic that should remain in Hollywood. The McCain who came out of prison camp after five and one half years of internment was essentially the same McCain who began the ordeal.

Nevertheless, it should be obvious to all except the most dim-witted that John McCain would never have become the Republican candidate for the presidency if it were not for his enormously ballyhooed captivity in East Asia, so in that sense he is the Manchurian Candidate, after all.

Uncle Bob

More On McCain

(At this moment, as Hillary wins big in Kentucky, and we await Obama's big win in Oregon, Arthur continues his analysis of John McCain....)


I second what Uncle Bob has to say about McCain. Many men were injured in Vietnam. Why is he special?

I have a question for us to consider. Is it more noble and laudable to be injured flying a jet, than it is being mortared hiding in a foxhole?

If so, why?

Let me be blunt: getting shot up or hurt while serving in the Vietnam War does not, in itself, qualify one to serve in the office of President. If it did, there would be more than 300,000 men and women who would be qualified to be President.

Fine, it is a great p.r. gimmick, but once we get past that, don't we need to ask, "What the heck has this guy done?"

The answer in McCain's case is, sucked up to Charles Keating and his money, stolen from an S&L that the Government later needed to bail out, cozied up to lobbiests, slept around when he discovered his wife had been badly injured while he was in captivity in Vietnam, and then he married a Republican beer heiress.

Please tell me, what about that resume makes him worth a good Goddamn? The chance for a free Budweiser? Please.

I may need many, many, many Budweisers if this rightwing asshole gets elected. But a "hero"? Who can say? I should mention that I have become friends with the top aide to a far rightwing GOP Congressman over the last two years. Don't ask, politics makes strange bedfellows. My chum used to be in the CIA, for twenty years has worked for GOP Congressmen, is thinking of retiring, and believes with every fiber of his being that McCain is a "Manchurian Candidate". In support of that surprising claim he says that when it comes to censure of Vietnam or China, McCain is always the one who pulls the rug at the last minute.

Why would he do that, given how supposedly horrible his captivity was? I defer to Uncle Bob in regard to that question, but I do not want to have McCain as President. Or Dogcatcher.

As often happens, coming at it from entire different directions, Bob and I ended up in the same place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

And by the way, when it comes to possible appointments to the Supreme Court, McCain, in the unlikely event that he was elected, would be more of a problem than Bush has been.

Wonderful. Worse than Bush. That might be a nice bumper sticker, eh?

Arthur

Monday, May 19, 2008

John McCain: Hero?


This one pains me to write.

I mean, really. During an afternoon discussion of politics with Uncle Bob this Saturday, I mentioned that I at least admired John McCain's service in Viet Nam, and the fact that he was a POW (something I knew Uncle Bob could relate to), and the fact that he had refused to be released from captivity just because he was the son of a Navy Admiral. And I mentioned that McCain's injuries are still visable after all these years, undoubtedly caused by torture.

My dear Uncle Bob came unglued. Seems Uncle Bob has done some reading on John McCain, as well as knowing that McCain is a "sonofabitch," a "liar," and "a coward."

He sent me some links, which I'm sending on to you. This first one is from something called "Dissent Mag," and is quite damning. Follow the links on the web page for more information.

The next link, to submit an article by decorated Colonel David Hackworth, I'll use a quote from Uncle Bob: Hackworth says it best: No Americans except John MCain witnessed the alleged torture of John McCain, and the Commies aren't talking.

(The famous crippling of his arms is also alleged by some to be the result of his parachute drop after he was shot down, and not the result of torture by his captors. In fact, some of the narratives claim that he "spilled the beans" not from duress, but in order to hasten treatment for his injuries.)


And finally, this website, called Far From Glory, puts a cap on this whole thing.


Again please read the various links found within the links we've sent you, for a startling and depressing truth about John McCain.


I welcome your comments.


Love, EPRush

Sunday, May 18, 2008

McCain's "Foreign Policy Experience"

It has been pointed out that McCain's claim of "foreign policy experience" is laughable. And this is cited as an example of McCain's poor judgment in that regard, as... surprise, surprise, McCain turns out to have been Ahmad Chalabi's greatest backer in Washington DC before Chalabi was identified as an Iranian ally and double agent. We got IN to the Iraq war in some considerable measure because McCain championed this weasel. So when McCain says he can "win" the Iraq War, please bear in mind that to some considerable extent the war is actually as much McCain's war, as it is anyone else's war or fault.

Brilliant. A complete fool running for high office. What a venerable Republican tradition!

Arthur

(MONDAY UPDATE: ARTHUR SAYS THIS IS THE LINK HE MEANT TO SEND. WE'LL GO WITH THIS ONE. Ed.)

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Elections Have Consequences


Bless his heart, John McCain just explained why the Democratic Party needs to unite behind Barack Obama, the presumptive nominee. What did he say that leads me to say that?

Speaking of his plans to appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court McCain said, "Elections have consequences. One of the consequences is the president of the United States gets to name his or her nominees to the bench."

Read this article and notice the names of the personalities that McCain is gathering around him to help him select Supreme Court nominees. Ted Olson? Hmm, argued Bush v. Gore in front of the compliant Supreme Court. The others? A who's who of Conservative legal minds. So is McCain a "maverick"? or a huckster.

I vote for the second.

Arthur

Weekend Update


(Hey Gang, sorry about the long delay in postings here. We had electrical problems here at the ranch, and the damn computer blew. We've had everything fixed, and even upgraded, so hopefully we'll continue on through to January, 2009. Party on!)


  • Since we've been gone I'm sure we've all gone into Morford withdrawal. So here's some recent ones: "How to Stay Very, Very Dumb," and Satan's plan to make uptight straight people "really uncomfortable" working out "fabulously," say Bay Area gays in "Court Approves Evil Gay Agenda." And my personal favorite, "Raise a Mountain In Your Pants."

  • President Bush's grandfather was a director of a bank seized by the federal government because of its ties to a German industrialist who helped bankroll Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Maybe that's why Dubya feels so comfortable playing the Hitler card lately.

  • Whenever George Bush isn't saying something monstrously stupid, we can always count on John McCain to fill in the gap, plus some. p.m. carpenter goes In Search of a Pulse.

  • Republicans don't negotiate with terrorists...or not very often, sort of, except when it's really important to do so..... Here's John McBush flunking history again.

  • IDIOT ALERT! Mike Huckabee has said what I consider one of the stupidest things of this whole campaign. Responding to an offstage noise during his speech to the National Rifle Association, Mickey suggested it was caused by Barack Obama diving to the floor because someone had aimed a gun at him.

  • Uncle Ted may have had a stroke. We wish him well, and gawdspeed his recovery.

  • Oh well hell, Tase me Bro! Playboy Bunnies are selling Tasers. Is this a great country, or what?

  • "The Gibson Awards." Named after ABC's Charlie Gibson, whose irrelevant questioning brought the Clinton-Obama debates to a screeching halt.

  • Holy Cow! It's actually coming down to the vote here in Oregon. Can you believe it? Obama's been here twice, Bill's been here at least that many, and even Hillary dropped in. After being irrelevant for so many years, this one is fun. Barak Obama will take Oregon like a rock star, trust me. In the mean time, the Swift Boaters are getting ready. (No really, the actual Swift Boaters.)

  • And here's that video of Bill O'Reilly's meltdown with the hilarious remix. This is the funniest thing I've seen for at least a week. Enjoy, this is Billo at his best.

  • My hero, Keith Olbermann, gave us a "special comment" last week that blew me absolutely away. Grab a beer and check it out. It'll have you standing and pumping your fists in the air.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Hiatus


Been taking a break, maybe you noticed, maybe you didn't.

This politics thing just made me a bit tired, what with all the horsepuckey being dished out. We'll get back into it momentarily, I promise. In the mean time, it's almost Spring, goddammit, and there's little strange weedies growing out between the cracks of my patio. I admire them, because it can't be easy pushing yourself into a place where you're not wanted, through a space that was designed for you not to go. Admiration aside, however, they have to go. Unruly bastards.

You know, this whole thing would be a hell of a lot easier if the whole world agreed with me. Weeds, for example, wouldn't be a problem. There's a place for weeds, I suppose, and in my perfect world I'd make a place for them. Weeds have a right to be weeds, fercrissakes, I know that, and I'm not trying to deny them that right. But this is my patio, and I worked hard building it, and I have decreed it unnatural for anything to grow between the cracks of a lovingly placed patio brick. Ain't natural.

You have noticed it hasn't snowed for the past several days. This is a good sign in Oregon. Don't, however, start ripping off your proper supportive undergarments and go skipping through the nasturtiums. It is not Spring. Not in Oregon.

It's Spring when I say it is. And I'll let you know.

Love to all, JP
(I assure you, not one word of this essay has anything to do with Hillary Clinton. Got something 'Spring-like" to share with all of us? Write it, and send it to me to post. EPRush1@aol.com )