WWKYD? Rand Paul: The Return of Strom or Jesse?!?

So, it's been a while.  I guess I've been trying to find more peace of mind rather than ranting and raving over the bastards in politics and punditry.

Funny, though, that this bastard in particular should bring me out of hiding.  Rand Paul, self-proclaimed libertarian son of failed Republican presidential nominee Ron Paul of Texas, has just won (without Republican Party support) the Republican Party nomination for Senator from the State of Kentucky.  The man has, somehow, tapped into all the energy and vitality of the teabaggers , ahem, excuse me Tea Party, to capture the nomination and now he has the chance of bringing his anti-big government mindset to the United States Senate, where obviously more obstruction to progress is needed.  My question is this:  Will modern-day Kentucky elect this nut job?

I guess I really want to ask the same question of modern-day North and South Carolina, where obviously racist Senators were re-elected over and over again.  Those bastions of racism, Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms:

This, obviously, was their much-lauded appearance on SNL, but my follow-up question is this:  Could these blatantly racist bastards get elected TODAY?!?  Here's the record for each of these lovely men.  Strom Thurmond set the filibuster record for speaking AGAINST a civil rights bill back in 1957, but, yet ironically, was considered the "moderate" Southern voice towards desegregation issues.  I mean, I understand that South Carolina is a deep-in-the-woods Sounthern State.  I understand that they would elect, again and again, a racist Senator through much of the 20th Century; however, this racist bigot was reelected to the Senate a whopping 13 times, the last time (in 2002) right before he kicked the bucket.  He was Governor of the State (1946), a successful write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1954 after being the Segregatist Dixiecrate (States' Rights) Party Presidential Candidate in 1948, and switched parties in 1964, becoming a Republican.  I mean, let's face it.  His record would get him nowhere these days.  The media would rip him apart: segregationist yet fathered a child with a black woman in the 1920s AND reported had a "long-standing, warm relationship" with his daughter.  Whew!  Think South Carolina would replace Lindsay Graham or Jim DeMint with him today if they could?

The viscious bastard Jesse Helms, on the other hand, managed to hang onto his U.S. Senate seat for only 5 terms, from 1973 until 2003, retiring in 2002.

Dying in 2008, Helms was the genius Republican Senator who filibustered making Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a national holiday for SIXTEEN DAYS!!!  This man is the ORIGINAL Senator NO, even embracing the name!  His stances against homosexuality, feminism, abortion, atheism, vampires, civil rights, affirmative action, panda bears, modern art, tax increases, foriegn aid, disability rights, communism and purple people eaters were all vocally distributed in the halls of the Senate.  Somehow, this fuck was reelected 5 times in North Carolina while his national approval ratings hovered around 15% in his last term in office.  To give him his (slight) due, he eventually changed his tune about AIDS research, even helping Bono to raise funding at one point.  However, the man had a serious chip on his shoulder for the gays.  The "Homosexual Lobby" as he called it would seek to overthrow the "gubment and make us all weah ah wives' nightgowns and form daisy chains".  (note: I made up the last bit, but it DOES seem like something he would have said).

My original question, now, What Will Kentucky Do?  Will they put into office another Strom or Jesse?  Is this man (Rand Paul) a racist or is he simply just an idiot who wants to enter the employ of the Federal Government simply to seek to undermine its power and influence?  Either way, Rand Paul seems a big step backward to me, but what do I know?  I'm a left-wing, liberal, progressive, socialism-embracing, light in the loafers Homosexual Lobbyist who Mr. Helms may have hired to carry his luggage if the man had EVER travelled to Europe.  It is my hope that, in his great capacity to open mouth and insert foot, leg, etc., Mr. Paul will need no help in dissuading voters; however, this is KEN-fucking-TUCKY we are talking about, so. . .

Shameless Acts of Cuteness -- 02/11/10

The New Face of Fascism: Contriving Control in the Information Age

More and more I realize that our country is under seige.  TeaBaggers would have us believe that a Socialist movement is underway and that Big Government is taking over.  Needless to say, the Big Bush Government that actually DID take over didn't seem to concern them much.  Of course, Republicans hate big government unless the big government is controlled by their party.  The TeaBaggers like to quote Jefferson--"A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have".  Unfortunately, they don't realize that the Bush Administration basically did just that!

Now, in the aftermath of eight years of the Big Bush Government, the Obama Administration faces all of the hostility and the chore of clean up.  In the midst of this economic collapse, unemployment disaster, and reform-era, the spectre of FASCISM has reared a new and uglier head.  As Democrats and Independents teamed up to take a big risk on the promise of Change, the Republicans have begun a subtle and devisive campaign to regain power.  At the heart of the Republican message, however, isn't a desire to "preserve Democracy" but a subtle and sometimes hidden striving towards a "marketable" form of Fascism.
To demonstrate this seemingly wild claim (though I do NOT feel it is nearly as wild as most of the claims by wingnuts on the right), I want to examine the basic principles of fascism as a political institution.

Fascism requires that six fundamentals are in place to acquire political leverage:  1.  A Corporatist Economic System.  Need I remind you that the Bailout of our Banking System ("Too Big to Fail" corporate entities) happened at the moment of Obama's election--not as a result of ANY of his policies-- and the Supreme Court's repeal of corporate campaign regulation along conservative justice lines (5-4), summarily issuing to corporations the status of "personhood" with protections provided by the Constitution.  A thriving "Corporatist" system is the petri dish for fascism.  It provides the environment in which the rich and powerful can control a government unfettered by the pesky tenets of Democracy.  2.  Fascism represents the "complete opposite of Socialism".  Currently, the TeaBaggers are convinced that Obama is channeling Karl Marx to turn America into Europe, or even worse, Canada!!  Horror of horrors!  Why would we want a country that has a strong monetary unit, a more stable-minded constituency, a controlled financial market, and health care for everyone?  The repercussions would be. . . great?!?  3.  An anti-liberal agenda.  Needless to say, this has been the goal of the Republican Party since the so-called "culture wars" began in the 80s and 90s.  Fascism requires that Social Darwinism (if not an acceptance of all of Darwin's evolutionary theories) instill inequality throughout society.  Of course, the rich have gotten richer while the poor and middle class have grown exponentially in our fading Democracy.  This acceptance of inequality is crucial to the rise of Fascism.  Civil Rights are trampled upon and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, while given to Corporations, are denied to individuals.  4.  The constant message being repeated during the rise of Fascism is one that envisions a rebirth from decadence.  As civil rights seem imminent for an entire class of people deemed "unholy", the message of fascism can find a foothold with an entire constituency of religious followers.  While politicians rely on an electorate who has been taught to see the world in black and white, they can use a "culture war" talking point to rally the "base".  5. Nationalism.

Pride in one's country means also taking a step back and admitting that country's failures, missteps and misdeeds.  Our democracy relies on a multitude of voices--not the propaganda of a political machine like Fox News.  Currently, the message being touted by the Republican News Outlet is one of vitriol and hatred, fear and lies outright.  Yet, somehow, the message of Nationalism--a dangerous issue of PRIDE--has won over the independent voting constituency.  If you present a lie loudly and long enough, even the wise man starts to believe that everyone else believes it.  6.  Indoctrination.  Fox News is the Opinion News Network that promises a "fair and balanced" take on politics.  Unfortunately, one ideology has been determined as the only "fair and balanced" one available.  All opposing voices are quickly shut down on this network.  The success of Big Business is praised over the success of government.  This powerhouse of control has managed to influence other networks' approach to reporting.  They have managed to send out messages that mislead the public.  Take, for instance, the focus of all reporting on the Republican Party following the election of Barack Obama--the DEATH of the Republican Party.  Then, the "splintering" of the Republican Party as the TeaBaggers were roused up.  As the message in the last year has shifted to outrage at Wall Street and the Obama Administration, the Republican Party somehow, as splintered and broken as it "was", managed to rally voters in Massachuessets to obtain the Senate seat held by Teddy Kennedy since the 1960s.  Two things have helped to promote voter apathy in the Democrats: 1. the message that the Republican Party was dead and 2. the failure of the Obama Administration to make good on promises of change.  Obama's failures may be a result of a necessity for his administration to trend toward the middle in the midst of an economic collapse, but they are also a direct result of Corporatism within the Democratic Party itself.  Blue-Dog Democrats stood in the way of Health Care Reform even when their ties to the Health Insurance Industry were made most clear.

I would argue that while this seems an OUTLANDISH claim (Fascism has taken hold at the core of the Republican Party in America) that there is also some validity.  Our democracy IS at stake and IS under attack not only by a terrorist threat from without, but by specialized self-interest from within! 

Who controls our information?

  Who determines the message and its value?  How can we trust these sources of information in an age where its proliferation can be either mass produced by our Corpocracy or fragmented into a thousand disparate parts on the internet?  These six elements are tell-tale signs of fascism.  So many Americans choose not to think for themselves, rather choosing to believe the predominant narrative of those around them.  In urban areas, democratic ideals seem to flourish as diverse groups of Americans come together while in rural areas of the country people "become bitter and cling to guns or religion" as their fears grow.  Luckily, for now, we have in the executive office of this great, and still "gangly youth" of a country, a man of exemplary intelligence with a spirit of human kindness who is making history.  Hopefully, the undercurrent of hostility and fear, grounded in the roots of Fascism, will wither.

Let's Stop Kidding Ourselves: The Two-Party System is Just a Front

Now, come on.  Obviously there are more than two political ideologies at work in the United States.  People like to claim that there are "two Americas":

But I would argue that the country isn't that polarized.  There are AT LEAST four Americas, given the nature of the ideologies being batted around by several individual politicians, wignuts, and media whores.

#1 Fascist America: Oh yes, it does already exist.

These are the folks who like to teabag each other.  They would love a homogenous America, where everyone looks, spends, and behaves the same way. Glenn Beck seems to think that the Fascists are controlling the government currently; however, it is much more likely his viewers who are drawn to the fascist rhetoric and imagery used on his program.  Realizing that they were such a small segment of the Republican Party, these Tea Baggers decided to ramp up the negativity and rhetoric, favoring a massive expulsion from the Grand Old Party of those with more liberal social policy in mind.  Suddenly the "Big Tent" has become a Concentration Camp for the small-minded and easily bamboozled.  Hopefully, their political power will not grow although it appears they have built momentum recently by drawing upon the inherent racism and bigotry of many Americans.  Michelle Bachmann, surprisingly from Minnesota, represents the political arm of the Tea Baggers who have recently installed a "litmus test" for conservative party members who want to receive funding from the Republican Party.

#2 The Fiscal Conservative (Socially Liberal) Republican--now known as the Independent

These guys have lots of political capital right now, given that the Democratic Party is such a splintered and divided group.  They have distanced themselves from the rhetoric of the TeaBaggers, but many of them have been seduced to the message simply out of fear.  The economic collapse, wall street bailouts, health care reform fiasco, etc. have driven many moderate Republicans back to the Fox News Network.  When George W. was on a collision course with calamity, it seemed, to them, prudent to consider a strong message of change even from a young, black man who was called the most liberal Senator.  When President Obama obviously abandoned his message of change in favor of a more moderate approach, basically continuing the failed Bush administrations tactics in many cases, these moderates began to abandon ship.  If not for his own failed Presidential bid, Senator John McCain would be in this category.  The "Maverick" was called thus due to his tendency to sometimes break with his party in favor of compromise.  His entire family, for instance, has come out in support of Marriage Equality--something this Senator may still do before the issue is resolved.
#3 The Blue-Dog, Lying, Conniving, Money-Grubbing, Lobbyist-Loving Democrat:

They really just can't help it!  They want to be Democrats.  They want to work for the people, representing the needs of their consituents.  It's just that pesky pay-off money they've taken from Lobbyists getting in the way.  The Blue Dogs are a vile bunch--more like hyenas, laughing all the way to the bank.  They have a very conservative social agenda and seem to have been bought and paid for before even elected.  Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu all come to mind.  In ideology, they are much more like the Tea Bagger, representing corporate interests rather than personal freedoms and social improvements.  Even when items like the Public Option are favored by their constituents in the Health Care Reform Bill, these "Democrats" would rather represent their employers--corporate entities that now have "personhood" according to the Supreme Court. 



#4 The Milquetoast Democrat

I am sorry to say that President Obama has moved so slowly and cautiously that he has earned his place here with the ne'er-do-nothing Dems.  It seems, everytime they obtain a piece of political capital that they hem and haw over the best way to do the right thing rather than just getting the right thing done.  Caution is a commendable characteristic unless you are dealing with pressing and vital issues like health care reform or economic catastrophe or unemployment or the degradation of democracy at the hands of a single Supreme Court ruling.  This is a historically proven ideology--the scaredy-cat Democrat.  Jumping when the Blue Dogs bark and never advancing their own agenda beyond committee.  Currently, Nancy Pelosi--the most powerful woman in the world and the most hated by the TeaBaggers--seems to be the only one two flex any political muscle, whipping the House of Representatives into shape with a viable Health Care Reform Bill that passed with even a few Republican votes.  I am truly disappointed with the fumbling of the last 9 months--a time when power was at hand and a time when it could have been used for Americans to the most benefit.  Now, Democrats, in true "deer-in-the-headlights" fashion, cannot seem to act at all.  As the mid-term elections draw near, and as the political capital wanes, Democrats prove, yet again, that they are ineffectual and listless in government.

SCOTUS Scorn: Welcome to the Dawning of the Age of The Corpocracy--You must be assimilated!

It's sad to think that corporate interests in our great (former?) Democracy could become so subversive to have infiltrated the United States Supreme Court.  The (mostly) Bush(I & II)-appointed justices have tipped the scales in favor of special interests:

This ruling should come as no surprise, given that these special interests have no need for a conscious--Fascism is the rule of law in a corporation.  As the religious right infiltrates, they too have an unchecked attitude about the policy changes they push for since, you know, "God" is on their side.  It is, purely and simply, a very anti-democracy wave of power sweeping through our country, seeking to disenfranchise individuals who may be empowered by a stronger democracy that enacts health care reform.

It is a wake-up call to any American who hasn't been bamboozled by the TeaBaggers.  We are heading down a path that cannot lead to any redemption for America.  We are heading toward a nation of the money-grubbing by the money-grubbing for the money-grubbing.

.

I, for one, can see NOTHING good stemming from this ruling.  The only thing obvious about it is the fact that corporate greed has purchased a majority in our Supreme Courts and will soon be able to purchase a majority in Congress and to secure their interests for years if not decades to come.

Shameless Acts of Cuteness -- 01/25/10

Lip Service -- Friend of the Pres and the Pols

I usually take a man by his word, or a woman for that matter.  But lately, I have heard a lot of gesture with little follow through.  Whether it was a grocery list of campaign promises from Barack Obama or a scrambling by current politicians to hide or deny their words, actions or even votes,

One year has passed since Barach Obama was inaugurated and I listed intently as he, again and again, paid lip service to  promises he made on the campaign trail: ending DOMA, DADT, etc.   I was taken in by such eloquence and promise.  Luckily, this guy still has three more years to prove himself!
On the other hand, you have, all over the country, a group of political contests gearing up in which the politicians involved will say anything to appeal to the current viewpoint of their constituents.  You have Harold Ford, Jr., once a promising representative from my home state of Tennessee, who lost his bid for the Senate to Bob Corker--another suspicious character when it comes to lip service and abortion.  Now, Mr. Ford wants Hillary Clinton's NY state Senate seat, currently occupied by Kirsten Gillibrand, who has proven a fierce advocate for issues important to New Yorkers.  All across the country, politicians are scrambling, like Ford, to change their former positions on issues in order to seem the more moderate candidate.  Meanwhile, the Tea Bag Party (or the New Republicans) are calling for politicians to wear their hatred and bigotry on their chests like a badge.  A big, honking badge of hate that they are proud of.  According to the new Republican Litmus Test, many moderate republican candidates, such as Gov. Charlie Christ of Florida (running for the Senate), would not recieve any funding from the party, although a more conservative candidate may not pass muster for the electorate in Florida.

I cannot expect conservative politicians like Ford, Jr. or Mr. Crist to come around.  They have proven to me without a doubt that they are snakes in the grass.  These days, all the flip-flops seem to be on the other foot--the RIGHT one!

Our President, though, I will continue to hold at his word.  I expect him to follow through and I expect that he has an agenda to do so, whether he feels it necessary to keep it to himself or not!

Shameless Acts of Cuteness -- 01/18/10

Not sure which is cuter :)

SHAME on you Pat Robertson: 5 Reasons Why Christians Should Silence This Freak!

Good ol' Pat.  Clinging to an antiquated version of the world in which white men are always right, regardless.

Christians everywhere should loathe this man for continuing to spew forth vile hatred at every turn.  Here, just to get your dander up, is a list of the top five things Pat has said that should make anyone wish he would take an early trip to the Hell he so firmly believes in:

1. " Feminism is a socialist, anti-family, political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians. "  Pat is such a charmer, right?  What lady WOULDN'T want him?!?  Look at his sexy hooves, right?  Wait, did Haiti make a pact with HIM?

2.  "I would warn Orlando that you're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you, This is not a message of hate -- this is a message of redemption. But a condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It'll bring about terrorist bombs; it'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes, and possibly a meteor." –Pat Robertson, on "gay days" at Disneyworld. I just hope that Pat lives long enough to see equality given to the gays just so I can see the look of pain and anguish on his face as the knife of justice is twisted into his dark depraved heart (if he even has one!!!)

3.  "I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected him from your city. And don't wonder why he hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for his help because he might not be there." --Pat Robertson, after the city of Dover, Pennsylvania voted to boot the current school board, which instituted an intelligent design policy that led to a federal trial.  Wow, now that is a message of redemption!




4.  "Lord, give us righteous judges who will not try to legislate and dominate this society. Take control, Lord! We ask for additional vacancies on the court." –Pat Robertson on hoping his God will help him kill off or give debilitating illness to liberal Supreme Court justices.  Whatta good Christian he is, right?

5.  "It may be a blessing in disguise. ... Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. Haitians were originally under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon the third, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you will get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal. Ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other." –Pat Robertson, on the earthquake in Haiti that destroyed the capital and killed tens of thousands of people, Jan. 13, 2010--what a guy!
 
* Quotes exerpted from "Stupid Pat Robertson Quotes" by Daniel Kurtzman
Can't anyone shut this guy up?
 

Shameless Acts of Cuteness -- 01/06/10

Sweet Love

Why Scorn a Non-Believer? : A Faith of Another Kind

Recently, Mayor Bloomberg, for the first time invited the group NYC Athiests to his annual Interfaith Breakfast.  Prior to that, and earlier last year, President Obama mentioned non-believers for the first time in an inaugural address.

I mean, if you really think about it, there are a lot of us!  We are a silent group of people, usually trying to avoid any scorn or derision from the religious who are, also usually, quick to condemn anyone who isn't a member of their sect or demonination, much less a non-believer.  Most of the time, non-believers aren't called out or acknowleded favorably or at all by politicians.  However, lately, as religion looks more and more like the "retarted stepchild of philosophy"--and that's from UFC fighter Frank Mir--we non-believers are becoming more and more the voice of reason! "If there is a God, atheism must seem to Him as less of an insult than religion.”--Edmond De Goncourt (here's your quote from an elitist 19th Century French writer :)

Athiests, Agnostics and Non-Believers aren't all a group of morally-maligned heathen!  We are actually a very diverse group, and, I warrant, that most of us, if studied, would probably prove to have a much more active moral center than the passive flock of believers.

Notice here that the chart acknowledges only 5% of Americans who are non-believers.  The number these days is more like 16 or 17%, but I imagine that the self-identification depicted here may still hold true.  "Nothing in Particular"--now that's something to believe in!!!  Remember that these designations imply some very important differences.  An atheist actively pursues and reasserts the belief that God does not exist--that the assertion of His existence is, in fact, destructive to society.  An agnostic, on the other hand, does not presume to know whether a higher power exists or not.  This designation is the most humble of non-believers. ;)

I guess these guys don't know the wise old saying "Shit or get off the pot!"

Here is an even more interesting chart showing the breakdown of belief (or non-belief) around the world.  Unfortunately, most of the 33% of Christians believe it is their duty to convert the rest of the world.  I wonder how long it will take before I can start charging anyone who tries to proselytize.  "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; Give him a religion, and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish"  --unknown

What it all boils down to is that we have a "freedom of religion" in this country that also guarantees a freedom FROM religion!  Religion and politics are so bound together at this point that it might be safer to ONLY elect non-believers for a few decades!  Let something other than the rapture-inspired, end-times agenda of almost EVERY politician (from either side of the aisle) pave the way for progressive legislation and objective thought in politics.  Personal/Individual spiritual relationships or community-based outreach programs aside, religion should have NO OTHER BASIS IN REALITY!!!!!

I know, I know.  As I make a plea to believers to withhold judgement and to consider the rationale of the non-believer, I also take the opportunity to heap scorn upon religion.  I know it seems counterproductive, but maybe it is a necessary evil ;)

BeautifulPeople.com Scorns Fatties--Deletes Their Accounts

Until this a.m., I had never heard of BeautifulPeople.com, though I can't imagine why not!  However, over 5,000 of its vainglorious members were nixed this week due to self-purported, or through newly uploaded photos depicting, weight gain.

I continue, as my friend here, to purport that I am simply big-boned!  I'm sure it stands to reason that a website such as beautifulpeople.com must uphold a set of standards no matter how subjective, but I also wonder what the proportion of women deleted to men might be as well as the set of standards used to determine said deletion given that current members get to rank other members to prompt accounts for deletion.  What if I promise to wear my man-spanks?  Needless to say, I find it quite unlikely that a for-pay site such as this (although it offers a limited "free" membership) would delete the accounts of paying members, no matter how much weight they gain.

Says founder Robert Hintze, "Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded." 

Maybe this fattie will attempt to infiltrate :)