You can tell a lot by what's left over in the wake of a destructive act, just like you can divine the shape of an object when observing the "negative" space surrounding it. Like those unfathomably attractive CSI investigators do on TV, residual carnage can tell the story just as vividly as if the crime were observed in real time.
So whenever the right wing levels its latest froth-flecked attack upon, oh say, gay people, women's rights, health care, climate change, social services, the middle class, corporate regulation, peace or just true stuff in general, the carnage left behind speaks more to the inner workings of the attackers than to the attack itself. Of course, the right's behavior is merely a construct to justify its ideology, which itself is a loud, histrionic exercise in corn pone clubbiness and fringe xenophobia. It appeals to the basest instincts of its base, exploiting the meanness inherent in people who are already, for whatever reasons, so scared shitless by a black president that they have to further demonize him beyond even his loathed skin tone and humble beginnings.
The corporate right wing in general (and the GOP in particular) daily demonstrates a fetishizing of negativity, seeming to enjoy the "death by a thousand cuts" approach to getting their way. But the true perverseness is that, in this case, they inflict those cuts upon the rest of us.
Witness the slow, steady assault on abortion rights: while mostly ineffective in the macro, the anti-women's rights movement has instead sought redress in the micro, seeding lower level government with partisan ideologues and -- in a snicker-inducing twist -- patiently waiting for those seeds to come to term.
Or the manic embrace of the lethal fraud that is "gun rights".
Or the sheer hormonal thrill derived from large and small scale bullying of the weak and the disenfranchised.
The corporate right wing GOP fantasy of a walled-in, unregulated, American Exceptionalism-spouting population is up there with Heaven and Atlas Shrugged, better relegated to a video game or a theme park. As utterly unattainable as it is plain dumb, the right wing salve for ailments both supposed and real go no deeper than the surface, their policies never aiming at root causes but only at topical outbreaks (ginned-up by connected companies who specialize in the cleaning up such outbreaks).
And speaking of vacuums, where's W?
The conspicuous absence of the previous two-term president -- absent from the stage, absent from the conversation, a complete un-president -- belches volumes as to the right's deep awareness of their own actions. The complete excision of George W. Bush and his atrocious record from the scene shows that the party leaders are all too cognizant of what they've been wreaking.
But all the right wing demagogues, mouthpieces and trolls actually perform a great service for the nation in that they provide an up-close assessment of the greater know-nothing machine, pulsing reverse barometers of the virulence racing through their veins and out their mouths. Like being on Nixon's enemies list, it is a clear sign that you're probably doing something worthy if the right attacks you with its trademark ferocity.
And the space once filled by a loyal opposition now appears as a glaring, howling maw; the absence of sense and civility from the right has made modern conservatism into a truly scary monster. Anytime the right wing demonizes an issue that benefits one of the aforementioned subjects, their formerly sane identity -- what the right used to be -- becomes more defined and deeply longed-for. From their point of view, their movement has been pushed by decades of liberal legislation to evolve into the crusaders for justice they now fancy themselves as being. But they are evolving to certain extinction.
And in their absence, the record left behind of the destruction they wrought will be their greatest gift to the future of this country.
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Every man is equally entitled to protection by law; but when the laws undertake to add... artificial distinctions, to grant titles, gratuities, and exclusive privileges, to make the rich richer and the potent more powerful, the humble members of society--the farmers, mechanics, and laborers--who have neither the time nor the means of securing like favors to themselves, have a right to complain of the injustice of their government.
-President Andrew Jackson, veto of national bank bill, July 10, 1832
There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains. To put an end to it will be neither a short nor easy task, but it can be done."
-President Theodore Roosevelt (the last true Republican).
Democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the
Teddy Roosevelt wouldn't recognize his Pub Party today, that's for sure. Heck, I don't think Reagan would, and he's the daddy of much of it.
It's always a little scary wondering what the voters will decide in any given election, but the Republicans aren't even trying to hide their contempt for women, workers, minorities, the elderly and children anymore. Nor are they trying to hide their complete subservience to the corporations.
If the 2010 elections had any good side at all, it should be in how the Republican Party, in their arrogance, made their game plan obvious to anyone paying attention. To destroy the middle class by making workers little more than slaves to corporations, to return women to "their place" and to subjugate the poor.
We can only hope the majority HAS been paying attention. I'm betting they have. If they haven't, this country has lost it's collective mind.
Computers sure have been a mixed blessing, haven't they? I have a relationship with mine, that borders on that Twilight Zone episode called "A Thing About Machines."
The one where the man, Bartlett Finchly who despises machines, is eventually offed by all of his household products and his automobile.
If my computer ever begins typing on it's own, "Get out of here Monkees," that's the last you'll hear from me. Lord knows the curses I've spewed at my PC, would embarrass a sailor. ;-)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/11/nebraska-woman-homophobia-rant-video_n_1509580.html?ref=mostpopular
Since our earlier posts to each other on this particular subject have not been allowed, I'll just leave it at that. ;-)
When will the left wake up and realize that three years, $5,000,000,000,000.00 (that's TRILLION), 2000 dead troops, and three more dollars per gallon later, it really isn't about the color of the man's skin?
Worse than Bush?
The last time I checked our recent history, it was Bush who started the two UNPAID-FOR wars which President Obama also inherited.
Of course, why should I expect anyone from the right to know anything about actual history. They watch Fox News.
You DO know where the bloated debt started, right? No, of course you don't. You're too busy blaming Obama.
It began with the trillion dollar (and counting) Bush tax cuts for the rich, followed by two multi-trillion dollar wars and a Medicare Drug bill that Bush refused to raise taxes to pay for. There had NEVER been a US war that didn't involve raising taxes in history. Oops. There's that "history" word again.
Want to be taken even moderately seriously on the debt? Demand your Republican Representatives allow the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy to expire. And quit advocating punishing the poor, the elderly and women for the economic collapse created by Wall Street and the banks.
Gasoline in my area right now is $3.79 for regular. According to your calculations, gas was only $.79 cents per gallon under Bush. Funny how I don't recall that.
Facts are your friends, but Republicans seem to enjoy being "friendless" when it comes to trying to debate intelligently.
Watching the Republican Party's descent into the political abyss, I can't help thinking of Gollum.
"We want's it. We needs it. The preeecious!"
For me, the "precious" is the right's unending addiction for zero taxation and zero regulation of corporations.
"We wants it. We needs it."
They don't care if zero WS/banking regulation, ends in a collapsed economy. Unconcerned about corporate deregulation fouling the land, air and water. Resources they too, along with their own children's, children's, children, must have to enjoy a fruitful life.
"We wants it. We needs it. The preeecious!"
Don't care if zero taxation of the rich, means the poor and middle class will have to make up those shortfalls. That programs hard-won over the last century to protect the elderly, women, workers, minorities, the environment and so on, will be slashed or abandoned. A United States plunged even further into massive poverty, joblessness and third world conditions.
It's called greed. An addiction as powerful as any drug.
"We wants it. We needs it. The preeecious."
"Gollum came to love and hate the Ring, just as he loved and hated himself. Throughout the story, Gollum is seen communing with his ego, torn between his lust for the Ring and his desire to be free of it." - Wikipedia
If the Republican Party cannot "free" themselves from their disastrous policies of greed, they are destined to follow Gollum into the abyss.
"...the right's behavior is merely a construct to justify its ideology, which itself is a loud, histrionic exercise in corn pone clubbiness and fringe xenophobia. It appeals to the basest instincts of its base, exploiting the meanness inherent in people who are already, for whatever reasons, so scared shitless by a black president that they have to further demonize him beyond even his loathed skin tone and humble beginnings."
Exactly right. Excellent job, Steven.
“We'll therefore speed up the question of reform in the custom rates by the political organizatiÂÂon called the Democratic Party; and we'll put the spotlight on the question of protection and of the reciprocitÂÂy by the Republican Party.
We should not be alarmed when we discover that the banks are using both political parties to maintain their stranglehold over our futures. It is their plan. It is up to we, the people, to revolt against it. We must do it peacefully but forcefully. Civil disobedience must become the order of the day until we, the people, once again take control of our government, our money and our futures.
I have to admit - I seek the day you instead write their eulogy and history performs a 'post mortem'.
Terrific 'investigation'...
We need to expose them as the liars that they are....NOT let them jump from seat to seat 24/7 and spin these lies as the "journalists" sit there and just nod their head.... and move on to the next set up question they are all geared up for.
Citizens out there can have some tiny brains Steven. Love your stuff....you too...!
Truer words were never written...
Ended DADT.
Ended The Iraq War.
Delivered Health Care Reform (It's now law and future improvements are filibuster-proof. All we need are majority votes. Give them to Obama this November).
Promised to go into Pakistan if necessary, and take out bin Laden. Accomplished.
Signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
Saved GM, now the number one automaker in the WORLD!
Fought Republican stonewalling, and enacted an economic stimulus package that prevented a Great Depression. Resulting in a slow but steady economic recovery.
There are many many more examples of promises kept, and the ones that didn't make it ran up against a Republican brick wall of NO!
And let's be honest here. Your comment about "cutting the deficit in half first term," sounds more Repub than lib. No reasonable person could expect that result from ANY president, after an economic collapse bordering on Great Depression-levels was handed to Obama in Sept, 2008.
If you truly are a liberal, then vote this November to reelect Obama and give him a solid Democratic House and Senate.
If you're a Pub up to some mischief, nice try but this ain't gonna be your party's year...