And positively charming.
A genuine Juvenal in splenetic satire, made comic, himself.
Reading Tobias Smollett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Russia sought to destabilize America
The Russians weren't only trying to elect Trump, and one reason for siding with him, at a guess, was that his campaign and success would both be destabilizing.
Their use of social media was extensive and skillful.
Was any of it illegal?
If the Trump campaign on its own, or American Trump supporters, or other Americans had done all that, would any of it have been illegal?
Hacking, presumably unlawful for anyone, aside, that is.
General Kelly emerges as ideologically and personally simpatico with Trumpism
Well, certain aspects of it, anyway.
Kelly surprises, revealing himself as a genuine Trumpist, defending monuments to confederate heroes by defending the heroes.
Specifically, and echoing Trump's "good people on both sides" remarks about the opposed groups at Charlottesville, he defends Lee as an honorable man of principle.
He embraces a view of The Civil War popular in my youth, even among some historians.
It was itself a midpoint between the outright pro-Confederate view that, with or without defending slavery per se, defends secession, damns Lincoln as a conqueror, and celebrates the Lost Cause on the one side and the pro-Unionist, abolitionist view of the Radical Republicans on the other.
That last was the view of those who tried to disempower and marginalize racism in America, beginning immediately after The Civil War, not only liberating the slaves but trying to secure them political, social, and civil equality, full, free, and equal integration and participation in American life.
That is the view of those who want the monuments to the Confederacy to come down.
To bring upon himself further disgrace, he says he will never apologize to Congresswoman Wilson, insisting he stands by his remarks about her, both grossly insulting and mostly egregious lies.
Murdoch follows Breitbart line
WSJ, Murdoch press demand Mueller resign, Trump pardon everyone including himself, investigations of Trumpists end, and investigation of Hillary and the Dems for their collaboration with Putin to beat Trump begin.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Not much of a surprise
A longtime close associate of mini-Mussolini and his henchman.
Manafort, Gates charged with conspiracy against US
Indictments not linked to the campaign or Trump.
Money laundering, acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine (whose president at the time was a crony of Putin), tax evasion, filing false statements with the IRS and the FBI.
Newsmen speculate the kitchen-sink approach is an effort to get them to rat out others higher up and in connection with the campaign.
That unregistered agent thing is a rarely used statute for which there have been no more convictions since the fifties than could be counted on one hand.
Manafort, Gates charged with conspiracy against US
Indictments not linked to the campaign or Trump.
Money laundering, acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine (whose president at the time was a crony of Putin), tax evasion, filing false statements with the IRS and the FBI.
Newsmen speculate the kitchen-sink approach is an effort to get them to rat out others higher up and in connection with the campaign.
That unregistered agent thing is a rarely used statute for which there have been no more convictions since the fifties than could be counted on one hand.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
There has always been an LGBT right
You don't have to go back to Hitler's brownshirts or Mussolini's blackshirts.
The men among contemporary LGBT's - and the women, come to that - are by no means all pro-abortion, nor are they necessarily pro-feminist.
And the many whites among them are not necessarily happy with the increasing browning of their countries' politics, let alone of their countries' populations.
At least half the LGBTs I personally know, and perhaps most of them who are economically well off anywhere in Christendom/post-Christendom, lean libertarian on sexual lifestyle issues but prioritize their equally libertarian views on the money issues enough to endure the right's waning commitment to legal enforcement of Christian sexual morality.
A considerable number rather famously didn't care a fig about gay marriage until convinced to care by pro-leftist propaganda, and many others still don't.
There is not the least reason in the world for LGBT's to be less supportive of gun rights or the death penalty than the general population.
And some have been notoriously anti-Islamist and anti-Muslim in their politics.
Think not only Andrew Sullivan but Pym Fortuyn or Bruce Bawer, and not just Milo Yiannopoulos.
Or Alice Weidel, if you like.
But The Guardian thinks the LGBT right is getting bigger, or anyway more visible and bold, and could be right.
The troubling ascent of the LGBT right wing
Despite the writer's personal stance, the article does contain real and interesting information about the phenomenon, broadly confirming what I wrote, above.
"Pink washing"?
Cute.
The men among contemporary LGBT's - and the women, come to that - are by no means all pro-abortion, nor are they necessarily pro-feminist.
And the many whites among them are not necessarily happy with the increasing browning of their countries' politics, let alone of their countries' populations.
At least half the LGBTs I personally know, and perhaps most of them who are economically well off anywhere in Christendom/post-Christendom, lean libertarian on sexual lifestyle issues but prioritize their equally libertarian views on the money issues enough to endure the right's waning commitment to legal enforcement of Christian sexual morality.
A considerable number rather famously didn't care a fig about gay marriage until convinced to care by pro-leftist propaganda, and many others still don't.
There is not the least reason in the world for LGBT's to be less supportive of gun rights or the death penalty than the general population.
And some have been notoriously anti-Islamist and anti-Muslim in their politics.
Think not only Andrew Sullivan but Pym Fortuyn or Bruce Bawer, and not just Milo Yiannopoulos.
Or Alice Weidel, if you like.
But The Guardian thinks the LGBT right is getting bigger, or anyway more visible and bold, and could be right.
The troubling ascent of the LGBT right wing
Despite the writer's personal stance, the article does contain real and interesting information about the phenomenon, broadly confirming what I wrote, above.
"Pink washing"?
Cute.
Impeachment?
If the Democrats take the house will they run out the clock on Bozo's presidency with impeachment related stuff?
Maybe.
Lindsey Graham says if the GOP doesn't succeed with tax reform the Democrats will take the house and maybe the senate in 2018, and will impeach Trump.
We all learned about running out the clock with impeachment from the Republicans when Bill Clinton was president.
Would Bozo do what the Big Dog would not, resign for the good of his party, if not for the country, allowing his unscandalous Veep to finish the term?
Assuming, of course, that Pence remains untouched by Russiagate or other scandal.
The GOP would encourage that, not least because Pence is one of them in spirit and aims, while Trump certainly is not.
A rough weekend
Everyone is speculating about who will be arrested Monday, if not sooner.
And hiding behind their eyes is the worry, or in some cases the wish, that The Duce will start the week firing Mueller, issuing a slew of pardons, or both.
Meanwhile, GOP media are both attacking Mueller (remember what the Dems did to Ken Starr?) and furiously blasting out rage over the Uranium thing, denouncing the deal as a perfectly clear case of Hillary colluding with Russians against the US national security interests and getting away with it.
Interesting that Trey Gowdy, who spends a lot of time denouncing Mueller and the Russiagate investigation, is telling the right wing noise machine to lay off Meuller.
The Duce has been tweeting furiously with attacks on Hillary for Uranium One, Comey for a rigged exoneration of Hillary in connection with the emails, Dems for their connection with the infamous Steele dossier he says is all fake news, and so on.
WSJ editorial board calls for Mueller's resignation and accuses Clinton and DNC of collusion
Mueller's latest move has Trump's staunchest allies melting down on Twitter
White House press secretary Sanders even spins the news that the DNC partially financed the Russiagate dossier as Hillary colluding with the Russians to influence the election against Trump.
“The evidence Clinton campaign, DNC & Russia colluded to influence the election is indisputable,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Saturday morning, with a link to an article from The Federalist website detailing how Democrats paid for the Steele dossier on Russia.
Wow, that's some spin.
They paid Fusion, an oppo research company for which Steele, a former Brit agent, worked, and previously paid by a GOP donor to dig up info about Trump or his campaign, to look into their ties with the Russians and we are to see that as Hillary colluding with the Russians against Trump.
Wow.
Outside surrogates pushed the same line.
“The speculation is so insane right now,” former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski told Fox News on Saturday. “What we should be focusing on are the continued lies of the Clinton administration.”
It was not clear what “Clinton administration” he was referring to.
Sebastian Gorka, a former White House official who now runs a pro-Trump super PAC, said in an interview: “It’s very peculiar that just as we’re finding out about Hillary’s responsibility with the dodgy dossier, now’s the time that we can expect some action out of the special prosecutor’s office. It’s far too suspicious.”
While you're at it, take a quick look at this glimpse of Roger Stone.
And hiding behind their eyes is the worry, or in some cases the wish, that The Duce will start the week firing Mueller, issuing a slew of pardons, or both.
Meanwhile, GOP media are both attacking Mueller (remember what the Dems did to Ken Starr?) and furiously blasting out rage over the Uranium thing, denouncing the deal as a perfectly clear case of Hillary colluding with Russians against the US national security interests and getting away with it.
Interesting that Trey Gowdy, who spends a lot of time denouncing Mueller and the Russiagate investigation, is telling the right wing noise machine to lay off Meuller.
The Duce has been tweeting furiously with attacks on Hillary for Uranium One, Comey for a rigged exoneration of Hillary in connection with the emails, Dems for their connection with the infamous Steele dossier he says is all fake news, and so on.
WSJ editorial board calls for Mueller's resignation and accuses Clinton and DNC of collusion
Mueller's latest move has Trump's staunchest allies melting down on Twitter
White House press secretary Sanders even spins the news that the DNC partially financed the Russiagate dossier as Hillary colluding with the Russians to influence the election against Trump.
“The evidence Clinton campaign, DNC & Russia colluded to influence the election is indisputable,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Saturday morning, with a link to an article from The Federalist website detailing how Democrats paid for the Steele dossier on Russia.
Wow, that's some spin.
They paid Fusion, an oppo research company for which Steele, a former Brit agent, worked, and previously paid by a GOP donor to dig up info about Trump or his campaign, to look into their ties with the Russians and we are to see that as Hillary colluding with the Russians against Trump.
Wow.
Outside surrogates pushed the same line.
“The speculation is so insane right now,” former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski told Fox News on Saturday. “What we should be focusing on are the continued lies of the Clinton administration.”
It was not clear what “Clinton administration” he was referring to.
Sebastian Gorka, a former White House official who now runs a pro-Trump super PAC, said in an interview: “It’s very peculiar that just as we’re finding out about Hillary’s responsibility with the dodgy dossier, now’s the time that we can expect some action out of the special prosecutor’s office. It’s far too suspicious.”
While you're at it, take a quick look at this glimpse of Roger Stone.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
A categorical refusal
Not one whit less bellicose than The Duce, though he lacks our mini-Mussolini's bravado, swagger, and clownish menace.
Both in this and in his attitude toward Iran, Bozo is at utter loggerheads with his on-again, off-again, anti-globalist America First-ism.
Mattis: “I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power”
“North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbors and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programs,” he said, adding that US-South Korean military and diplomatic collaboration thus has taken on “a new urgency.”
“I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power,” he said.
As he emphasized throughout his weeklong Asia trip, which included stops in Thailand and the Philippines, Mattis said diplomacy remains the preferred way to deal with the North.
“With that said,” he added, “make no mistake – any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response that is effective and overwhelming.”
Both in this and in his attitude toward Iran, Bozo is at utter loggerheads with his on-again, off-again, anti-globalist America First-ism.
Mattis: “I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power”
“North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbors and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programs,” he said, adding that US-South Korean military and diplomatic collaboration thus has taken on “a new urgency.”
“I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power,” he said.
As he emphasized throughout his weeklong Asia trip, which included stops in Thailand and the Philippines, Mattis said diplomacy remains the preferred way to deal with the North.
“With that said,” he added, “make no mistake – any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response that is effective and overwhelming.”
Whose violence do they fear?
Everybody's and anybody's.
Well-prepared demonstrators and well-prepared counter-demonstrators, probably including anarchists and other antifas.
Tennessee police on high alert for white nationalist and neo-Nazi rallies
Well-prepared demonstrators and well-prepared counter-demonstrators, probably including anarchists and other antifas.
Tennessee police on high alert for white nationalist and neo-Nazi rallies
Rajoy not backing down
Spain risks further breakup in the Basque region and Galicia if Catalonia gets away with this.
Not on Rajoy's watch.
Catalan police chief sacked as Madrid takes steps to impose direct rule
Not on Rajoy's watch.
Catalan police chief sacked as Madrid takes steps to impose direct rule
If these reports are timely will stories about Bill come up again?
At least 3 women say Bush senior touched them inappropriately
We need to start distinguishing among cads according to the nature of the charges.
Is the fellow a fanny-pincher (the senile and bored Bush pere, maybe), a boob-brusher, a pussy-grabber (The Duce), a mauler, a philanderer and exploiter of the help (Bill Clinton), or a flat out rapist (Harvey Weinstein, it seems)?
How is Bill Clinton's storied past not coming out, with all this?
There is surely a lot more fire under the smoke than any of us have yet heard of.
Full disclosure.
I thought at the time of his scandalous presidency that Bill ought to resign in favor of Al Gore, whom I like no more than him, personally or politically, for the good of the party and of the country.
His public assertion of that Kochist slogan, "The era of big government is over," was an utter disgrace, coming from a Democrat.
IMHO
We need to start distinguishing among cads according to the nature of the charges.
Is the fellow a fanny-pincher (the senile and bored Bush pere, maybe), a boob-brusher, a pussy-grabber (The Duce), a mauler, a philanderer and exploiter of the help (Bill Clinton), or a flat out rapist (Harvey Weinstein, it seems)?
How is Bill Clinton's storied past not coming out, with all this?
There is surely a lot more fire under the smoke than any of us have yet heard of.
Full disclosure.
I thought at the time of his scandalous presidency that Bill ought to resign in favor of Al Gore, whom I like no more than him, personally or politically, for the good of the party and of the country.
His public assertion of that Kochist slogan, "The era of big government is over," was an utter disgrace, coming from a Democrat.
IMHO
Charges filed in sealed indictments
Robert Mueller Sends a Message
On Friday night, CNN reported that a grand jury in Washington, D.C., has approved the first charges arising from the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign and the Russian government.
Citing “sources briefed on the matter,” the network said that a judge had ordered the charges kept under seal, but that at least one arrest could take place as early as Monday.
Details were scant.
The CNN report didn’t specify what the charges were or whom they had been brought against.
But the news created an immediate furor, as other news organizations sought to follow up the story, and people on television and social media began speculating about the nature of the charges.
Shortly before midnight, the Wall Street Journal confirmed CNN’s scoop, without providing any additional details.
On Friday night, CNN reported that a grand jury in Washington, D.C., has approved the first charges arising from the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign and the Russian government.
Citing “sources briefed on the matter,” the network said that a judge had ordered the charges kept under seal, but that at least one arrest could take place as early as Monday.
Details were scant.
The CNN report didn’t specify what the charges were or whom they had been brought against.
But the news created an immediate furor, as other news organizations sought to follow up the story, and people on television and social media began speculating about the nature of the charges.
Shortly before midnight, the Wall Street Journal confirmed CNN’s scoop, without providing any additional details.
Imaginary Trumpists
Imagine the Trump voters rejecting him because he supported legislative projects of the standard Republicans, way to the right of what he promised.
That is how Lewis sees Windrip supporters rising up against the fascist state created by him and his partisans in America.
In the name of a Cooperative Commonwealth.
This is not even half plausible fiction, any more.
This is absurd, quasi-socialist fantasy.
All the same, the incomplete but well-begin rebellion at the end is more plausible in another respect, not pitting unarmed people, powerless and ordinary, against a unified state backed unanimously by its elites but seeing large slices of the state join large slices of the people and of society at all levels in a common and increasingly general effort.
Reading It Can't Happen Here.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Encouraging the white people's party
Rod Dreher at The American Conservative reports a fascinatingly lunatic view of mathematics.
Does he realize this sort of thing encourages the Trumpification, the Buchananization of the GOP, a development he generally deplores?
University Of Hate Whitey
And what is up with those god damned demanding ads at the bottoms of their articles?
Could any other sort of junk on the site be more annoying?
And the damned things are on a loop and never let you go!
How the hell do the website owners expect people to actually read their articles???
Update.
Seems to be in part a Chrome problem, less egregious on Edge.
Does he realize this sort of thing encourages the Trumpification, the Buchananization of the GOP, a development he generally deplores?
University Of Hate Whitey
And what is up with those god damned demanding ads at the bottoms of their articles?
Could any other sort of junk on the site be more annoying?
And the damned things are on a loop and never let you go!
How the hell do the website owners expect people to actually read their articles???
Update.
Seems to be in part a Chrome problem, less egregious on Edge.
Hey, not so fast
Bringing Back the Draft Won’t Stop Unnecessary Wars
Brian O'Brien in The American Conservative rebuts a piece in favor of restoring the draft that appeared in The American Conservative.
No, we would not have less war.
In fact, when we’ve had a draft we’ve actually had more war and more Americans killed in battle by several orders of magnitude.
In one 33-year period from 1940 to 1973 when conscription was in effect, we had three of the largest wars in American history, resulting in 497,271 Americans killed.
In the 44 years since the end of the draft, we’ve engaged in a series of small overseas conflicts and three undeclared wars with about 7,000 Americans killed.
About as many of our countrymen were killed in the Normandy landings than in all the wars since the end of the draft.
America has never fought a war with volunteers in which more than 10,000 Americans were killed in action.
America has never fought a war with draftees in which there were fewer than 30,000 KIAs.
There is no question about it: our biggest and highest-casualty wars have been fought with drafted troops.
The Korean War had the lowest body count of our conflicts fought with draftees, with 33,686 Americans killed in combat.
Of our wars fought with volunteers, the Revolutionary War had the highest body count with about 8,000 Americans killed in combat.
If you include the 17,000 deaths by disease and other causes, the total dead in the Revolutionary War are still fewer than combat deaths alone in the Korean War.
American combat deaths in all our wars fought with draftees total 641,007.
This does not include the hundreds of thousands of servicemembers who died of disease.
All American combat deaths in wars fought with volunteers totals 25,434.
This includes the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Indian wars, the Spanish-American War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, and all the conflicts and skirmishes in between.
Wars fought with draftees have resulted in 25 times more combat deaths than in all our wars fought with volunteers.
Not twice as many.
Not three times as many.
Twenty-five times the number of KIAs.
Clear, now?
And finally this America First-ish conclusion.
The true purpose of the draft is to provide large numbers of young bodies for overseas invasions—invasions in which tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of Americans have been killed.
We do not need a draft for the defense of the United States.
If Americans believe their nation is worth fighting for, they will choose to protect their homes and communities of their own free will and self-interest.
The Revolutionary War was fought by volunteers who defeated the most powerful empire of their day.
Not a single draftee was among them.
In 2017, the number of Americans serving in the active-duty component of our armed forces is 1,281,900, with another 801,200 in our reserve components.
Every last one is a volunteer.
Our volunteer military is professional and certainly large enough to defend our nation from attack from any enemy.
We are in a much stronger position today than we were in Washington’s time.
What we really need to do is drastically reduce our military spending and the size of our armed forces.
In this age of nuclear weapons, the possibility of America being militarily conquered is zero.
Giving up our role as a global police force and instead concentrating on the defense of the North American continent would enhance our safety and security while also increasing our prosperity and domestic tranquility.
Brian O'Brien in The American Conservative rebuts a piece in favor of restoring the draft that appeared in The American Conservative.
No, we would not have less war.
In fact, when we’ve had a draft we’ve actually had more war and more Americans killed in battle by several orders of magnitude.
In one 33-year period from 1940 to 1973 when conscription was in effect, we had three of the largest wars in American history, resulting in 497,271 Americans killed.
In the 44 years since the end of the draft, we’ve engaged in a series of small overseas conflicts and three undeclared wars with about 7,000 Americans killed.
About as many of our countrymen were killed in the Normandy landings than in all the wars since the end of the draft.
America has never fought a war with volunteers in which more than 10,000 Americans were killed in action.
America has never fought a war with draftees in which there were fewer than 30,000 KIAs.
There is no question about it: our biggest and highest-casualty wars have been fought with drafted troops.
The Korean War had the lowest body count of our conflicts fought with draftees, with 33,686 Americans killed in combat.
Of our wars fought with volunteers, the Revolutionary War had the highest body count with about 8,000 Americans killed in combat.
If you include the 17,000 deaths by disease and other causes, the total dead in the Revolutionary War are still fewer than combat deaths alone in the Korean War.
American combat deaths in all our wars fought with draftees total 641,007.
This does not include the hundreds of thousands of servicemembers who died of disease.
All American combat deaths in wars fought with volunteers totals 25,434.
This includes the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Indian wars, the Spanish-American War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, and all the conflicts and skirmishes in between.
Wars fought with draftees have resulted in 25 times more combat deaths than in all our wars fought with volunteers.
Not twice as many.
Not three times as many.
Twenty-five times the number of KIAs.
Clear, now?
And finally this America First-ish conclusion.
The true purpose of the draft is to provide large numbers of young bodies for overseas invasions—invasions in which tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of Americans have been killed.
We do not need a draft for the defense of the United States.
If Americans believe their nation is worth fighting for, they will choose to protect their homes and communities of their own free will and self-interest.
The Revolutionary War was fought by volunteers who defeated the most powerful empire of their day.
Not a single draftee was among them.
In 2017, the number of Americans serving in the active-duty component of our armed forces is 1,281,900, with another 801,200 in our reserve components.
Every last one is a volunteer.
Our volunteer military is professional and certainly large enough to defend our nation from attack from any enemy.
We are in a much stronger position today than we were in Washington’s time.
What we really need to do is drastically reduce our military spending and the size of our armed forces.
In this age of nuclear weapons, the possibility of America being militarily conquered is zero.
Giving up our role as a global police force and instead concentrating on the defense of the North American continent would enhance our safety and security while also increasing our prosperity and domestic tranquility.
Wing nuts call for the electric chair for Hillary
Republicans trying to create a scandal as big as the Rosenbergs and 9/11 rolled into one
Mark Sumner quotes a quondam White House aide.
SEBASTIAN GORKA: If this had happened in the 1950s, there would be people up on treason charges right now.
The Rosenbergs, OK?
This is equivalent to what the Rosenbergs did and those people got the chair.
Think about it.
Giving away nuclear capability to our enemies, that's what we're talking about.
Sumner goes on.
That’s former deputy assistant to the president Sebastian Gorka calling for the death penalty.
“Lock her up!” is no longer good enough.
Now it’s “Fry her.”
To help warm up the chair, professional leaper-from-cars and bush-skulker Devin Nunes has instituted an investigation of the Uranium deal … that was …
But the deal did result in roughly 20 percent of US Uranium reserves being sold to Russia’s state-owned uranium company.
Which means … nothing.
Because they don’t have an export permit and not a single ounce of uranium has been, or can be, removed from the United States.
See his piece for details.
Mark Sumner quotes a quondam White House aide.
SEBASTIAN GORKA: If this had happened in the 1950s, there would be people up on treason charges right now.
The Rosenbergs, OK?
This is equivalent to what the Rosenbergs did and those people got the chair.
Think about it.
Giving away nuclear capability to our enemies, that's what we're talking about.
Sumner goes on.
That’s former deputy assistant to the president Sebastian Gorka calling for the death penalty.
“Lock her up!” is no longer good enough.
Now it’s “Fry her.”
To help warm up the chair, professional leaper-from-cars and bush-skulker Devin Nunes has instituted an investigation of the Uranium deal … that was …
- approved by over two dozen US and Canadian officials.
- over which Hillary Clinton had neither approval nor veto power.
- about which Hillary Clinton never never voted.
But the deal did result in roughly 20 percent of US Uranium reserves being sold to Russia’s state-owned uranium company.
Which means … nothing.
Because they don’t have an export permit and not a single ounce of uranium has been, or can be, removed from the United States.
See his piece for details.
Unaccountable opinions
Kant thought he needed faith in God to allow himself faith in immortality.
Why?
I don't see it.
And why immortality?
Aquinas thought for humans to be eternally happy would require a miraculous change of human nature.
I don't recall whether Kant thought the same.
Everybody dies sometime, Jack
Saw the last of Lost on Netflix.
I didn't think they could make a finale that would live up to the series.
But they did.
The wife thought so, too.
I doubt I've ever seen a series end so well.
Without even trying to answer all the questions.
Just like life.
Tremendous writing throughout the series and a lot of really fine acting.
I can barely believe this was made by a commercial network.
It was that good, beginning to end.
The life of the individual is all there is.
This series gave that some dignity.
When you get right down to it, the one is as crazy as the other.
That the world is arranged according to some moral vision, or that it is not.
And how much difference would it make?
We wouldn't understand it, either way.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Thing is, they really did crazy, evil stuff
Your government and mine, I mean.
For the greater good, you know.
But, hey, no worse than Hitler, or his goon Mengele.
Such things are a standing refutation of utilitarianism.
It's no accident
It is generally supposed that the majority of convicts and ex-cons would vote Democrat, if they could all vote.
So it will surprise no one that Democrats favor votes for ex-cons while Republicans oppose them.
Of course, Dems tend to spin this as a race issue.
Standard issue Republicans resist that fairly consistently while for Buchananites and Bannonites and Trumpists it is about race, at least partly.
Doug Jones Pushed Felon Voting ‘Rights’ with Soros-Funded Org
So it will surprise no one that Democrats favor votes for ex-cons while Republicans oppose them.
Of course, Dems tend to spin this as a race issue.
Standard issue Republicans resist that fairly consistently while for Buchananites and Bannonites and Trumpists it is about race, at least partly.
Doug Jones Pushed Felon Voting ‘Rights’ with Soros-Funded Org
So what about Jack Ruby, then?
Lone gunman theories putting the whole blame on Lee Harvey Oswald, denying any involvement by anyone else, face that question.
Why was it necessary to shut him up?
Trump expected to release secret JFK assassination records
Why was it necessary to shut him up?
Trump expected to release secret JFK assassination records
How The Duce faithfully executes the laws
Russia sanctions still not implemented despite White House promises
Close to a month after the due date, the Trump administration has still not implemented the Russia sanctions that Congress passed nearly unanimously and Trump signed begrudgingly in August.
The law, which also targets Iran and North Korea, called on the Trump administration to identify which Russian intelligence and defense officials would be targeted before Oct. 1.
Despite the delay, the White House said today it will implement the penalties.
. . . .
The delays have engendered lots of questions and anger from members of Congress. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ben Cardin, D-Md. -- top Republican and Democratic senators on foreign policy -- called out the administration in a letter earlier this month, demanding answers for the delay.
“They’ve had plenty of time to get their act together,” they wrote Oct. 11.
The House Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee issued their own scathing letter to Trump Wednesday night, calling the delay "baffling and unacceptable" and saying it "deepens concerns over your campaign's and Administration's ties to Russia."
Close to a month after the due date, the Trump administration has still not implemented the Russia sanctions that Congress passed nearly unanimously and Trump signed begrudgingly in August.
The law, which also targets Iran and North Korea, called on the Trump administration to identify which Russian intelligence and defense officials would be targeted before Oct. 1.
Despite the delay, the White House said today it will implement the penalties.
. . . .
The delays have engendered lots of questions and anger from members of Congress. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ben Cardin, D-Md. -- top Republican and Democratic senators on foreign policy -- called out the administration in a letter earlier this month, demanding answers for the delay.
“They’ve had plenty of time to get their act together,” they wrote Oct. 11.
The House Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee issued their own scathing letter to Trump Wednesday night, calling the delay "baffling and unacceptable" and saying it "deepens concerns over your campaign's and Administration's ties to Russia."
They passed the senate budget in the house
So they can do tax changes as reconciliation in the senate with a flat majority, no need to override a Democratic filibuster.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
About rape
Julian is speaking.
"Do you realize, with your kidding yourself about being able to handle Comrade Shad so well, that he's husky as a gorilla and just about as primitive?
"One of these nights - God! think of it! maybe tonight! - he'll go right off the deep end and grab you and - bing!"
She [Sissy] was as grave. "Julian, just what do you think could happen to me? The worst that could happen would be that I'd get raped."
"Good Lord - -"
"Do you honestly suppose that since the New Civilization began, say in 1914, anyone believes that kind of thing is more serious than busting an ankle?"
She gets over this false bravado.
Reading It Can't Happen Here.
Whites under fire
Majority of Whites say they face discrimination
Actually, per the story, majorities of every group think their group faces discrimination.
Whites included.
Though it is perhaps not a distinction most people make, discrimination in favor of one group in competition against many others is not discrimination against any of those others.
It is well known there is and has long been a measure of official and officially sanctioned discrimination in favor of blacks, women, or other minorities in a number of contexts.
Think of the range of application of affirmative action, usually in favor of blacks, sometimes of other minorities or women, but never, that I know of, in favor of whites without regard to sex and never, that I know of, specifically against anybody.
As I recall, President Obama started, or aimed to start, some sort of government thing aimed specifically and only to assist young black males.
Too, I understand government lawyers bring suits in favor of blacks or other minorities - never whites - and sometimes allege that differential impact disadvantaging blacks is either presumptive evidence of unlawful discrimination against them or itself actually that, though differential impact disadvantaging whites is not.
I am not aware of any official or officially sanctioned discrimination specifically against whites but, as I wrote above, perhaps most people don't distinguish between favoring nonwhites and disfavoring whites.
But in any case these folks may not be thinking only or primarily about official discrimination, or officially sanctioned discrimination.
And, apparently, a lot of those polled think, surely correctly, that there is discrimination against whites and discrimination against blacks and others, too.
When you think about it, who can doubt it?
Interestingly, but also not surprisingly, the tacit or express arguments in the article intended to show there is no discrimination against whites are childish and absurd, as is every argument I have ever seen aimed at showing there is no anti-white racism among blacks or others, at any rate in America.
Actually, per the story, majorities of every group think their group faces discrimination.
Whites included.
Though it is perhaps not a distinction most people make, discrimination in favor of one group in competition against many others is not discrimination against any of those others.
It is well known there is and has long been a measure of official and officially sanctioned discrimination in favor of blacks, women, or other minorities in a number of contexts.
Think of the range of application of affirmative action, usually in favor of blacks, sometimes of other minorities or women, but never, that I know of, in favor of whites without regard to sex and never, that I know of, specifically against anybody.
As I recall, President Obama started, or aimed to start, some sort of government thing aimed specifically and only to assist young black males.
Too, I understand government lawyers bring suits in favor of blacks or other minorities - never whites - and sometimes allege that differential impact disadvantaging blacks is either presumptive evidence of unlawful discrimination against them or itself actually that, though differential impact disadvantaging whites is not.
I am not aware of any official or officially sanctioned discrimination specifically against whites but, as I wrote above, perhaps most people don't distinguish between favoring nonwhites and disfavoring whites.
But in any case these folks may not be thinking only or primarily about official discrimination, or officially sanctioned discrimination.
And, apparently, a lot of those polled think, surely correctly, that there is discrimination against whites and discrimination against blacks and others, too.
When you think about it, who can doubt it?
Interestingly, but also not surprisingly, the tacit or express arguments in the article intended to show there is no discrimination against whites are childish and absurd, as is every argument I have ever seen aimed at showing there is no anti-white racism among blacks or others, at any rate in America.
Well, well. Consider the source.
This will certainly undermine the credibility of allegations of significant collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
The infamous Trump/Russia dossier was funded in part by Hillary Clinton’s campaign lawyer
It was Clinton oppo research on Trump.
It’s long been known that research that went into the “Steele dossier” — an infamous document filled with lurid allegations about Donald Trump’s links to Russia that eventually drew FBI interest — was funded by Trump’s political enemies, including some Democrats.
But now, thanks to a new report from the Washington Post’s Adam Entous, Devlin Barrett, and Rosalind Helderman, we’ve learned just who those Democrats were: Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the DNC. (Politico soon confirmed the report.)
Per the Post, in April 2016, lawyer Marc Elias, working on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC, started paying the opposition research company Fusion GPS to look into Trump’s ties to Russia.
Former British spy Christopher Steele did this work for Fusion, and authored what became known as the Steele dossier, which contained salacious (and uncorroborated) political financial, and sexual allegations about Trump and his top associates.
Before that point, Fusion GPS had reportedly already done research into Trump, on behalf of a Republican client.
But we don’t yet know who that Republican client is.
But Josh Marshall thinks it shouldn't be seen as undermining suspicions of Trump, at all.
[T]here’s a big effort now to present this as somehow being a scandal in itself, or discrediting Steele’s sleuthing.
That is ridiculous.
Is it really a scandal that Democrats helped fund research into Donald Trump’s illicit ties to Russia after Republicans donors decided they didn’t care anymore?
Not really.
The infamous Trump/Russia dossier was funded in part by Hillary Clinton’s campaign lawyer
It was Clinton oppo research on Trump.
It’s long been known that research that went into the “Steele dossier” — an infamous document filled with lurid allegations about Donald Trump’s links to Russia that eventually drew FBI interest — was funded by Trump’s political enemies, including some Democrats.
But now, thanks to a new report from the Washington Post’s Adam Entous, Devlin Barrett, and Rosalind Helderman, we’ve learned just who those Democrats were: Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the DNC. (Politico soon confirmed the report.)
Per the Post, in April 2016, lawyer Marc Elias, working on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the DNC, started paying the opposition research company Fusion GPS to look into Trump’s ties to Russia.
Former British spy Christopher Steele did this work for Fusion, and authored what became known as the Steele dossier, which contained salacious (and uncorroborated) political financial, and sexual allegations about Trump and his top associates.
Before that point, Fusion GPS had reportedly already done research into Trump, on behalf of a Republican client.
But we don’t yet know who that Republican client is.
But Josh Marshall thinks it shouldn't be seen as undermining suspicions of Trump, at all.
[T]here’s a big effort now to present this as somehow being a scandal in itself, or discrediting Steele’s sleuthing.
That is ridiculous.
Is it really a scandal that Democrats helped fund research into Donald Trump’s illicit ties to Russia after Republicans donors decided they didn’t care anymore?
Not really.
And he still thinks Trump is correctly viewed as the Siberian Candidate, as Vlad's man in The White House.
Donald Trump and his campaign knowingly accepted assistance from a foreign adversary power.
There’s good reason to believe, though as yet no hard proof, that they agreed to help Russia in exchange for assistance subverting the 2016 campaign.
The President is still actively covering up for the Russian effort, as of this week.
Thing is, accepting aid from foreign sources, even foreign governments, with which one is in genuine sympathy is not corrupt, though for all I know it may be illegal.
And an American politician can thus be in sympathy while honestly serving what he thinks are America's own best interests.
And an American politician can thus be in sympathy while honestly serving what he thinks are America's own best interests.
Consider the arguments alleging advantage to America offered in support of our alliances with other powers, or of our participation in every war we've ever been in.
As for the whole America First thing and it's less than bellicose attitude toward Russia, the arguments for that have been made for many years by Pat Buchanan, arguments resting on appeals to our own national interests.
Whatever you may think of those arguments, no one has ever claimed Buchanan is or was a mere paid propagandist out to advance Russian interests against America's, or even in indifference to America's, rather than an honest pundit working for what he believed and believes to be America's good.
And absent proof to the contrary it's entirely possible there was no "exchange" in any corrupt or subversive sense, if Trump welcomed Russian campaign help, if too he all along wanted to dial back Cold War II, anyway.
And that attitude would, quite by itself, explain Putin's desire to help Trump and hurt Hillary, the aggressive NATO expander and strong partisan of Cold War II, with or without Trump's - or his campaign's - knowledge or cooperation.
But Josh Marshall thinks the Steele dossier and public todo about Russiagate saved America, he says, presumably hyperbolically and because he liked NATO expansion, favoring an aggressive stance toward Russia.
Or maybe he wants us to think, with only his assertion to rely on, that he personally and sincerely thinks Trump's plans included doing or allowing such decisive damage to America that stopping them cold literally amounted to saving our country.
In which case I say the fraud is palpable.
He provides nothing to support the idea Trump intended any changes harmful to our interests at all, much less so harmful as that.
Or maybe he wants us to think, with only his assertion to rely on, that he personally and sincerely thinks Trump's plans included doing or allowing such decisive damage to America that stopping them cold literally amounted to saving our country.
In which case I say the fraud is palpable.
He provides nothing to support the idea Trump intended any changes harmful to our interests at all, much less so harmful as that.
And he provides no hint at anything that justifies viewing Trump's relations with Russia as corrupt.
But all the same he is openly charging Trump with selling out his country for a shot at The White House, flat out betraying his country's national security interests in return for clandestine campaign assistance, like some Cold War American passing defense secrets to the KGB in return for money.
Aldrich Ames, for instance.
Whether the execs at top of the Clinton campaign knew about it, Marc Elias may have helped save his country by making the decision to fund this critical research.
Thank you, Marc Elias!
I know that sounds a bit hyperbolic but it’s really not.
Here’s why.
Remember, the Trump plan was to hit the ground running in January with a series of policy pay offs to Russia.
It was the mounting FBI investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia, helped along significantly by information Steele uncovered, that got into the spokes of the Trump effort during the transition and hobbled the efforts to make the pay off.
It’s what led to the rapid and chaotic series of events that forced the firing of Mike Flynn, the revelations about clandestine communications between Trump associates and the Russian Ambassador and finally to Trump’s decision to fire James Comey.
The Trump team wanted to deliver for Russia right out of the gate in January, a quick series of accommodations and a ‘grand bargain’ with Vladimir Putin.
It was the investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia that got in the way and mainly prevented it.
It’s clear that Steele’s research played a major role in that.
Remember, the FBI found it so critical it agreed to continue funding Steele’s research.
Without Marc Elias’s decision, that research may never have been conducted.
The country owes him a debt of gratitude.
Apollinian art
"But Dan Wilgus setting type on proclamations of rebellion, and Buck Titus distributing them at night on a motorcycle, may be as romantic as Xanadu . . . living in a blooming epic, right now, but no Homer come up from the city room yet to write it down!"
Musings of Doremus Jessup.
Epic elevates the sordid realities of human life - specifically, of political life - into dignity and beauty.
Even the lives of us vulgar, contemptible, and bug-ridden, naked apes.
Pass this on to Wayne La Pierre
Windrip & Co. had, like Hitler and Mussolini, discovered that a modern state can, by the triple process of controlling every item in the press, breaking up at the start any association which might become dangerous, and keeping all the machine guns, artillery, armored automobiles, and aeroplanes in the hands of the government, dominate the complex contemporary population better than had ever been done in medieval days, when rebellious peasantry were armed only with pitchforks and good-will, but the State was not armed much better.
Reading It Can't Happen Here.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Flake rips The Duce, won't run again
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake won't run for re-election
And this from Corker, also not running again.
'An Utterly Untruthful President'
And this from Corker, also not running again.
'An Utterly Untruthful President'
Guess who wants the draft back?
These two career military fellows want the draft back.
Are we seriously supposed to believe their claims to want huge conscript forces so the US will fight with them fewer and less bloody wars than it has done or could do with volunteers, alone?
Really?
Major General (Ret) Dennis Laich served 35 years in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Col. (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson is visiting professor of government and public policy at the College of William and Mary.
He was chief of staff to secretary of state Colin Powell from 2002-05, special assistant to Powell when Powell was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-93), and deputy director and director of the USMC War College (1993-97).
The Deep Unfairness of America’s All-Volunteer Force
The authors begin spending several paragraphs whining that you have to offer expensive pay and benefits to field a volunteer force, and upkeep and medical care for veterans is also too costly.
Are we to think the far more numerous troops and veterans of conscript forces would be less costly, in total?
Who believes that?
But then they get to the "ethical" objections to relying on volunteers, forgetting altogether the objections to involuntary servitude, to forced labor.
A more serious challenge for the democracy that is America, however, is the ethical one.
Today, more than 300 million Americans lay claim to rights, liberties, and security that not a single one of them is obligated to protect and defend.
Apparently, only 1 percent of the population feels that obligation.
That 1 percent is bleeding and dying for the other 99 percent.
So that there is no draft is unethical, they huff and puff, because the volunteer military is too small.
So we need more people bleeding and dying?
That would be less "unethical"?
And, anyway, what about Trump's entirely accurate remark that this is what volunteers are signing up for, and they know it - just as we might say about police, prison guards, fireman, and (come to that) miners, high-iron workers, and many others people who knowingly choose dangerous lines of work?
People who choose to undertake dangerous lines of work are, uh, more exposed to danger at work than people who don't.
Yes, that's true.
Further, that 1 percent does not come primarily or even secondarily from the families of the Ivy Leagues, of Wall Street, of corporate leadership, from the Congress, or from affluent America; it comes from less well-to-do areas: West Virginia, Maine, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and elsewhere.
For example, the Army now gets more soldiers from the state of Alabama, population 4.8 million, than it gets from New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles combined, aggregate metropolitan population more than 25 million.
Similarly, 40 percent of the Army comes from seven states of the Old South.
As one of us has documented in his book, Skin in the Game: Poor Kids and Patriots, this is an ethically poisonous situation.
No, it's not.
It is no reason for concern if the people going into any particular line of work are not a representative sample of the country, demographically, or even of its workforce as a whole.
Opportunities, as well as aptitudes, skill sets, and aspirations are not uniform across racial, ethnic, class, age, educational, socio-economic, or sexual subsets of the population.
They never have been and never can be, in any society of actual human beings, and children of elites rarely become janitors, welders, carpenters, or cops.
So what?
After these phoney bleats, the authors return to using up many more long paragraphs on their first complaint, that a volunteer force costs way too much for the firepower, for their liking.
But they end their piece with two other absurd objections, and a lie.
First, they challenge the idea that volunteers alone could enable America to defend itself in the altogether fantastic case in which somebody actually attacked and sought to conquer the United States, itself, not with high-tech methods (nukes, for example) but with multitudes of armed men storming our beaches and borders.
And then they present the commonly made but ludicrous - one might almost say "insane" - argument that denying our political leaders the kind of gigantic conscript forces that alone enabled US participation in both world wars, in Korea, and in Vietnam actually encourages, even enables, them to engage far too readily and willingly in faraway, not really necessary wars.
Then they finish with a wholly unjustified slide from the truth that the children of the elites are less common in the military than the children of others to the tacit but evident and egregious lie that none of them are there, at all.
Is there anyone among us who would not believe that having an all-volunteer (or, more to the point, an all-recruited) military coming only from the 1 percent does not contribute to the facility with which presidents call upon that instrument?
In a rational world, we would be declared insane to believe otherwise.
Said more explicitly, if the sons and daughters of members of Congress, of the corporate leadership, of the billionaire class, of the Ivy Leagues, of the elite in general, were exposed to the possibility of combat, would we have less war?
From a socio-economic class perspective, the AVF is inherently unfair.
Are we seriously supposed to believe their claims to want huge conscript forces so the US will fight with them fewer and less bloody wars than it has done or could do with volunteers, alone?
Really?
Major General (Ret) Dennis Laich served 35 years in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Col. (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson is visiting professor of government and public policy at the College of William and Mary.
He was chief of staff to secretary of state Colin Powell from 2002-05, special assistant to Powell when Powell was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-93), and deputy director and director of the USMC War College (1993-97).
The Deep Unfairness of America’s All-Volunteer Force
The authors begin spending several paragraphs whining that you have to offer expensive pay and benefits to field a volunteer force, and upkeep and medical care for veterans is also too costly.
Are we to think the far more numerous troops and veterans of conscript forces would be less costly, in total?
Who believes that?
But then they get to the "ethical" objections to relying on volunteers, forgetting altogether the objections to involuntary servitude, to forced labor.
A more serious challenge for the democracy that is America, however, is the ethical one.
Today, more than 300 million Americans lay claim to rights, liberties, and security that not a single one of them is obligated to protect and defend.
Apparently, only 1 percent of the population feels that obligation.
That 1 percent is bleeding and dying for the other 99 percent.
So that there is no draft is unethical, they huff and puff, because the volunteer military is too small.
So we need more people bleeding and dying?
That would be less "unethical"?
And, anyway, what about Trump's entirely accurate remark that this is what volunteers are signing up for, and they know it - just as we might say about police, prison guards, fireman, and (come to that) miners, high-iron workers, and many others people who knowingly choose dangerous lines of work?
People who choose to undertake dangerous lines of work are, uh, more exposed to danger at work than people who don't.
Yes, that's true.
Further, that 1 percent does not come primarily or even secondarily from the families of the Ivy Leagues, of Wall Street, of corporate leadership, from the Congress, or from affluent America; it comes from less well-to-do areas: West Virginia, Maine, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and elsewhere.
For example, the Army now gets more soldiers from the state of Alabama, population 4.8 million, than it gets from New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles combined, aggregate metropolitan population more than 25 million.
Similarly, 40 percent of the Army comes from seven states of the Old South.
As one of us has documented in his book, Skin in the Game: Poor Kids and Patriots, this is an ethically poisonous situation.
No, it's not.
It is no reason for concern if the people going into any particular line of work are not a representative sample of the country, demographically, or even of its workforce as a whole.
Opportunities, as well as aptitudes, skill sets, and aspirations are not uniform across racial, ethnic, class, age, educational, socio-economic, or sexual subsets of the population.
They never have been and never can be, in any society of actual human beings, and children of elites rarely become janitors, welders, carpenters, or cops.
So what?
After these phoney bleats, the authors return to using up many more long paragraphs on their first complaint, that a volunteer force costs way too much for the firepower, for their liking.
But they end their piece with two other absurd objections, and a lie.
First, they challenge the idea that volunteers alone could enable America to defend itself in the altogether fantastic case in which somebody actually attacked and sought to conquer the United States, itself, not with high-tech methods (nukes, for example) but with multitudes of armed men storming our beaches and borders.
And then they present the commonly made but ludicrous - one might almost say "insane" - argument that denying our political leaders the kind of gigantic conscript forces that alone enabled US participation in both world wars, in Korea, and in Vietnam actually encourages, even enables, them to engage far too readily and willingly in faraway, not really necessary wars.
Then they finish with a wholly unjustified slide from the truth that the children of the elites are less common in the military than the children of others to the tacit but evident and egregious lie that none of them are there, at all.
Is there anyone among us who would not believe that having an all-volunteer (or, more to the point, an all-recruited) military coming only from the 1 percent does not contribute to the facility with which presidents call upon that instrument?
In a rational world, we would be declared insane to believe otherwise.
Said more explicitly, if the sons and daughters of members of Congress, of the corporate leadership, of the billionaire class, of the Ivy Leagues, of the elite in general, were exposed to the possibility of combat, would we have less war?
From a socio-economic class perspective, the AVF is inherently unfair.
Joe and Mika, yesterday
Scarborough Warns Trump May Use War To Impose Domestic Will
"I believe you have to look at the players and you have to figure out what they're going to do," Scarborough said.
"I believe if you step back and take a look from a distance at Donald Trump, this is a guy who has already told himself and every general around him, 'I will not be the person that allows North Korea to develop technology, to send a nuclear weapon to the West Coast,' " Scarborough said.
"And I think unlike other presidents, he is not limited by the fears that limited JFK or even Ronald Reagan. By the way, when I say fears, don't flinch. I mean, you have reason to be scared of a war that could wipe out 500,000 people."
"No, I just think he wants to use nukes. That's what I think he feels. I totally disagree," Mika Brzezinski said. "You heard him over the past year. He's excited about the concept."
"I said he is not chained by the same fears that chained JFK and Reagan, a fear of nuclear weapons, a fear of war," Scarborough retorted.
"And, unfortunately, I think we have to be on guard after that. Since he is so contemptuous of the Constitution, that if a war does begin, we have to be very careful about what steps he takes domestically if he does start that war."
"I believe you have to look at the players and you have to figure out what they're going to do," Scarborough said.
"I believe if you step back and take a look from a distance at Donald Trump, this is a guy who has already told himself and every general around him, 'I will not be the person that allows North Korea to develop technology, to send a nuclear weapon to the West Coast,' " Scarborough said.
"And I think unlike other presidents, he is not limited by the fears that limited JFK or even Ronald Reagan. By the way, when I say fears, don't flinch. I mean, you have reason to be scared of a war that could wipe out 500,000 people."
"No, I just think he wants to use nukes. That's what I think he feels. I totally disagree," Mika Brzezinski said. "You heard him over the past year. He's excited about the concept."
"I said he is not chained by the same fears that chained JFK and Reagan, a fear of nuclear weapons, a fear of war," Scarborough retorted.
"And, unfortunately, I think we have to be on guard after that. Since he is so contemptuous of the Constitution, that if a war does begin, we have to be very careful about what steps he takes domestically if he does start that war."
Monday, October 23, 2017
So mad at Trump he endorses a leftist whine about social class and the draft to hit him
John McCain keeps serving his revenge to Donald Trump ice cold
Speaking of Vietnam, he said this.
"One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never, ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America, and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur. That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve."
While McCain didn't mention any names, anyone paying any sort of attention knows that he is talking about President Donald Trump, who received five deferments during the Vietnam War, including one for -- you guessed it! -- bone spurs.
Remarking on this on MSNBC, George Will, who spent nearly all of the war years in school and somehow completely avoided military service, went McCain one better and, quite unprovoked, denounced student deferments as though they got people out of military service, altogether, rather than merely delaying it.
He actually said of the students of those years, "They didn't go," and that is simply a lie, though of course he didn't go.
Apart from the few whose deferments didn't run out until Nixon stopped sending draftees to Vietnam, we did go; of this I write from personal experience.
And if we ever have a draft again do we really want not to have medical exemptions?
As well abandon Medicare - or health insurance in general - because some people make fraudulent claims.
Speaking of Vietnam, he said this.
"One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never, ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America, and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur. That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve."
While McCain didn't mention any names, anyone paying any sort of attention knows that he is talking about President Donald Trump, who received five deferments during the Vietnam War, including one for -- you guessed it! -- bone spurs.
Remarking on this on MSNBC, George Will, who spent nearly all of the war years in school and somehow completely avoided military service, went McCain one better and, quite unprovoked, denounced student deferments as though they got people out of military service, altogether, rather than merely delaying it.
He actually said of the students of those years, "They didn't go," and that is simply a lie, though of course he didn't go.
Apart from the few whose deferments didn't run out until Nixon stopped sending draftees to Vietnam, we did go; of this I write from personal experience.
And if we ever have a draft again do we really want not to have medical exemptions?
As well abandon Medicare - or health insurance in general - because some people make fraudulent claims.
Please, not Bernie
George Will said just now on MSNBC that Bernie would be McGovern 2.0, and I think he's right.
Single payor is a bad idea and won't sell, anyway, nor will the rest of Bernie's signature, social democratic, "socialist" agenda so beloved of smart and both socially and economically well-off college kids who don't want to pay off their government guaranteed college loans.
He's an anti-Democratic Party candidate for the anti-Democratic Party left.
He's the Trumpist of the left, but far more sincere than The Duce in his moral disgust with the system, the establishment, the DC "swamp," our very form of government, and capitalism, itself.
His positions - anyway, his verbal positions - on trade and on foreign policy are not so different from the America First-ism of the Buchananite Trumpists.
And his views on global warming and global redistribution of wealth are way too close to those of that anti-capitalist hyper-liberal and vegetarian, utilitarian globo-phony, Peter Singer.
The truth is the outsider left who support him will tell you straight out they would rather Bernie and people like them take over the party and lose than see the Democrats win as a party of progressive Democrats, committed to our republic and to democratic capitalism.
They are as ideologically committed as the radical wingnuts of the right who dominate the House and have dominated the GOP for decades.
And them controlling the Democrats would be as bad for the country as the wingnuts controlling the GOP has been.
Bernie Sanders Says He’ll Run For Re-election As An Independent
Single payor is a bad idea and won't sell, anyway, nor will the rest of Bernie's signature, social democratic, "socialist" agenda so beloved of smart and both socially and economically well-off college kids who don't want to pay off their government guaranteed college loans.
He's an anti-Democratic Party candidate for the anti-Democratic Party left.
He's the Trumpist of the left, but far more sincere than The Duce in his moral disgust with the system, the establishment, the DC "swamp," our very form of government, and capitalism, itself.
His positions - anyway, his verbal positions - on trade and on foreign policy are not so different from the America First-ism of the Buchananite Trumpists.
And his views on global warming and global redistribution of wealth are way too close to those of that anti-capitalist hyper-liberal and vegetarian, utilitarian globo-phony, Peter Singer.
The truth is the outsider left who support him will tell you straight out they would rather Bernie and people like them take over the party and lose than see the Democrats win as a party of progressive Democrats, committed to our republic and to democratic capitalism.
They are as ideologically committed as the radical wingnuts of the right who dominate the House and have dominated the GOP for decades.
And them controlling the Democrats would be as bad for the country as the wingnuts controlling the GOP has been.
Bernie Sanders Says He’ll Run For Re-election As An Independent
Lewis's opinion of The Great War?
[Doremus Jessup] "But to let the Corpos steal the country and nobody protest! No!"
"That's the kind of argument that sent a few million out to die, to make the world safe for democracy and a cinch for Fascism!" scoffed Buck.
And he's right.
The Great War set up Italy for Mussolini and Germany for Hitler, partly by handing Russia to the Bolsheviks.
It Can't Happen Here.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
The stairs creak a lot less, the less you weigh
When you get down to merely overweight, you don't worry any more that you'll crack one so badly you'll need to replace it.
You could think of a second career as a cat burglar, to help with your retirement years.
OK, I'm late to the party. Still.
Having for years liked Jack but preferred Irish Whiskey, though frequently settling for Canadian Gold, I have lately been trying again various Bourbons and Ryes.
Before Prohibition, Rye was the staple American whiskey, and Old Overholt used to be produced in Pennsylvania, home of the Whiskey Rebellion.
Tastes change over time, much like susceptibility to seasonal allergies.
The Rye revival has made things more interesting.
I picked up an Old Grand-Dad 80 proof Bourbon labelled High Rye, just for a lark.
About those mashbills . . . .
Before Prohibition, Rye was the staple American whiskey, and Old Overholt used to be produced in Pennsylvania, home of the Whiskey Rebellion.
Tastes change over time, much like susceptibility to seasonal allergies.
The Rye revival has made things more interesting.
I picked up an Old Grand-Dad 80 proof Bourbon labelled High Rye, just for a lark.
About those mashbills . . . .
No telling which way Bozo will jump, today
McConnell Says He’ll Call Vote on Bipartisan Health Bill If Trump Approves
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would call a vote on bipartisan health care legislation drafted by Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray — that is, if President Trump is on board with it.
“I’m not certain yet, what the president is looking for here but I’ll be happy to bring a bill to the floor if I know President Trump would sign it,” McConnell told Dana Bash.
Trump has been difficult to pin down on the issue, to put it mildly.
After Alexander and Murray announced that they had come to an agreement on legislation last week, Trump contradicted himself within a matter of minutes on whether he could support it.
He has appeared to back some sort of short-term fix to Obamacare, but has also tweeted that he would never “bail out” insurance companies (a very inaccurate depiction of what the bill would actually do).
Whether Trump’s intense hatred of his predecessor’s signature law will override the prospect of a possible political win — not to mention relief for millions of Americans — is anyone’s guess.
The House may refuse to bring it to a vote, anyway, I think, given Ryan's attitude and the attitude of the right wing nutjobs that make up so much of the Republican delegation.
If it came to a vote the Dems would support it along with the least fatantical of the GOP, so it might actually pass.
So think of the Hastert rule that when the House is under GOP control the Speaker is to bring nothing up for a vote that is not supported by a majority of the GOP members.
And so . . . .
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would call a vote on bipartisan health care legislation drafted by Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray — that is, if President Trump is on board with it.
“I’m not certain yet, what the president is looking for here but I’ll be happy to bring a bill to the floor if I know President Trump would sign it,” McConnell told Dana Bash.
Trump has been difficult to pin down on the issue, to put it mildly.
After Alexander and Murray announced that they had come to an agreement on legislation last week, Trump contradicted himself within a matter of minutes on whether he could support it.
He has appeared to back some sort of short-term fix to Obamacare, but has also tweeted that he would never “bail out” insurance companies (a very inaccurate depiction of what the bill would actually do).
Whether Trump’s intense hatred of his predecessor’s signature law will override the prospect of a possible political win — not to mention relief for millions of Americans — is anyone’s guess.
The House may refuse to bring it to a vote, anyway, I think, given Ryan's attitude and the attitude of the right wing nutjobs that make up so much of the Republican delegation.
If it came to a vote the Dems would support it along with the least fatantical of the GOP, so it might actually pass.
So think of the Hastert rule that when the House is under GOP control the Speaker is to bring nothing up for a vote that is not supported by a majority of the GOP members.
And so . . . .
Did that happen? I guess it did.
Trump, back in June, during a condolence call to someone who lost a son in battle, said he would send that person a personal check for $ 25 K, and then never sent it?
Huh?
Now how is that appropriate?
But Bill Maher said it happened.
So do others, it turns out.
The father of a slain U.S. Army corporal says President Donald Trump offered him $25,000 over the phone earlier this year while calling to offer his condolences and then never followed through, according to The Washington Post.
Chris Baldridge told the publication that a few weeks after his 22-year-old son, Army Cpl. Dillon Baldridge, was gunned down by an Afghan police officer on June 10, he had a 15-minute phone call with the president.
Baldridge said he told Trump of “his struggle with the manner in which his son was killed,” according the Post story, and was offered $25,000 after telling the president about his frustration with the military’s survivor benefits program.
Baldridge said he “can barely rub two nickels together,” and that his ex-wife would receive the Pentagon’s $100,000 death gratuity because she was his son’s beneficiary.
According to the Post story: “[Trump] said, ‘I’m going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,’ and I was just floored, Baldridge said. I could not believe he was saying that, and I wish I had it recorded because the man did say this. He said, ‘No other president has ever done something like this,’ but he said, ‘I’m going to do it.’”
But Baldridge told the Post he had not yet received a check yet.
He said he did receive a condolence letter from the administration, adding that he “opened it up and read it ... hoping to see a check in there.”
“I know it was kind of far-fetched thinking. But I was like, ‘Damn, no check.’ Just a letter saying ‘I’m sorry,’” he told the Post.
Sounds like a Trump voter.
Good to see The Duce keeps his private promises to them about as well as he keeps his public promises.
Huh?
Now how is that appropriate?
But Bill Maher said it happened.
So do others, it turns out.
The father of a slain U.S. Army corporal says President Donald Trump offered him $25,000 over the phone earlier this year while calling to offer his condolences and then never followed through, according to The Washington Post.
Chris Baldridge told the publication that a few weeks after his 22-year-old son, Army Cpl. Dillon Baldridge, was gunned down by an Afghan police officer on June 10, he had a 15-minute phone call with the president.
Baldridge said he told Trump of “his struggle with the manner in which his son was killed,” according the Post story, and was offered $25,000 after telling the president about his frustration with the military’s survivor benefits program.
Baldridge said he “can barely rub two nickels together,” and that his ex-wife would receive the Pentagon’s $100,000 death gratuity because she was his son’s beneficiary.
According to the Post story: “[Trump] said, ‘I’m going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,’ and I was just floored, Baldridge said. I could not believe he was saying that, and I wish I had it recorded because the man did say this. He said, ‘No other president has ever done something like this,’ but he said, ‘I’m going to do it.’”
But Baldridge told the Post he had not yet received a check yet.
He said he did receive a condolence letter from the administration, adding that he “opened it up and read it ... hoping to see a check in there.”
“I know it was kind of far-fetched thinking. But I was like, ‘Damn, no check.’ Just a letter saying ‘I’m sorry,’” he told the Post.
Sounds like a Trump voter.
Good to see The Duce keeps his private promises to them about as well as he keeps his public promises.
History, quickly
From the Great Depression to the end of the Cold War, American unions and their own inordinate fear of Communism (Jimmy Carter certainly had that part right) made US plutes go easy on American workers.
The perceived threat - or temptation - of Communism is gone, and so are the unions.
And the most common forms of serious dissent are found among lower class whites who join racist militias, watch Fox News, read Breitbart, or vote Republican so the nigras won't steal the country from them.
And especially like Trump.
With a populace like that, they know it's their chance to beat the shit out of the little guys.
The little guys will hold their coats and cheer them on.
The perceived threat - or temptation - of Communism is gone, and so are the unions.
And the most common forms of serious dissent are found among lower class whites who join racist militias, watch Fox News, read Breitbart, or vote Republican so the nigras won't steal the country from them.
And especially like Trump.
With a populace like that, they know it's their chance to beat the shit out of the little guys.
The little guys will hold their coats and cheer them on.
76° F at our house
A pleasant enough day, even cool, were it late July or August.
But it's October, and it's hot.
But it's October, and it's hot.
True to his muse
The abysmal vulgarity of his American fascism is entirely to be expected from the author of Main Street and Elmer Gantry, both of which were made into movies when Hollywood made literature into movies and not comic books.
His Corpo State rather suicidally closes all the real colleges and universities, replacing them with worse than merely philistine, fake schools with curricula absent Greek and Sanscrit but heavy on close order drill.
Come to think of it, the ascendancy of Bozo brings Hofstadter to mind, after all these years.
And Ortega, and Marcel.
Afterthought.
The far more macho writer, Hemingway, was all the same so much greater an artist of prose.
Come to that, Lewis was no artist at all, no more than Dreiser.
As a writer, his merits do not require, and are quite other than, that.
While even at his worst, Hemingway has that, always.
He is an artist of prose.
Novelists are not poets, so that side of things can be neglected in their estimation.
But that is a mistake.
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Pop cult sucks. Whose fault is that, again?
Conservatives complain about the sewer of contemporary black thug music.
And they are not happy with Neflix homoporn or Hollywood making comic book shows featuring sexy, straight women who are heroes only because they behave like seriously butch dyke fantasies.
But what about the shows featuring troops and cops who make Trump's counsels of police brutality and war crimes seem quite mild?
These are not the troops or cops who should be presented to Americans - or to anyone - as heroes.
And talk about realism, artistic liberty, or popular taste is just a copout.
Chicago PD?
Hawaii Five-O?
These types have got to be great favorites with the Trump fans who now dominate the Republican base.
They have all the vulgar brutality of The Duce and his - mercifully - 3rd rate, watery fascism.
The assholes are in plain view, in The White House
White House: It’s ‘Highly Inappropriate’ For Journalists To Criticize A General
The topic was Kelly's attack on Rep. Frederica Wilson, an attack made in course of defending Bozo against charges by her that he had made insensitive remarks to a gold star mother about the death of her son during a condolence call, including words to the effect that "he knew what he signed up for."
Perfectly true, but perhaps not really the moment to point that out.
But the general chose to make that defense by attempting to explain and justify the use of exactly such words during the call, thus admitting that the congresswoman's report was true, though The White House and Bozo personally had spent over a day lying that he never said any such thing.
His defense also contained an exhibition of wholly implausible and unjustified faux outrage at the behavior of the congresswoman, and included damning falsehoods about her past conduct.
When reporters raised questions about all that, this happened.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Friday that it would be “highly inappropriate” for them to question chief of staff John Kelly because he served in the military as a general.
“If you want to go after Gen. Kelly, that is up to you,” she said.
“If you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that is something highly inappropriate.”
The topic was Kelly's attack on Rep. Frederica Wilson, an attack made in course of defending Bozo against charges by her that he had made insensitive remarks to a gold star mother about the death of her son during a condolence call, including words to the effect that "he knew what he signed up for."
Perfectly true, but perhaps not really the moment to point that out.
But the general chose to make that defense by attempting to explain and justify the use of exactly such words during the call, thus admitting that the congresswoman's report was true, though The White House and Bozo personally had spent over a day lying that he never said any such thing.
His defense also contained an exhibition of wholly implausible and unjustified faux outrage at the behavior of the congresswoman, and included damning falsehoods about her past conduct.
When reporters raised questions about all that, this happened.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Friday that it would be “highly inappropriate” for them to question chief of staff John Kelly because he served in the military as a general.
“If you want to go after Gen. Kelly, that is up to you,” she said.
“If you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that is something highly inappropriate.”
Well, who for one second actually believed him, anyway?
The man is a ridiculous, pathological liar, a global joke, a buffoon, an utter clown.
Exclusive: Pentagon Document Contradicts Trump’s Gold Star Claims
In the hours after President Donald Trump said on an Oct. 17 radio broadcast that he had contacted nearly every family that had lost a military servicemember this year, the White House was hustling to learn from the Pentagon the identities and contact information for those families, according to an internal Defense Department email.
The email exchange, which has not been previously reported, shows that senior White House aides were aware on the day the president made the statement that it was not accurate — but that they should try to make it accurate as soon as possible, given the gathering controversy.
Not only had the president not contacted virtually all the families of military personnel killed this year, the White House did not even have an up-to-date list of those who had been killed.
Exclusive: Pentagon Document Contradicts Trump’s Gold Star Claims
In the hours after President Donald Trump said on an Oct. 17 radio broadcast that he had contacted nearly every family that had lost a military servicemember this year, the White House was hustling to learn from the Pentagon the identities and contact information for those families, according to an internal Defense Department email.
The email exchange, which has not been previously reported, shows that senior White House aides were aware on the day the president made the statement that it was not accurate — but that they should try to make it accurate as soon as possible, given the gathering controversy.
Not only had the president not contacted virtually all the families of military personnel killed this year, the White House did not even have an up-to-date list of those who had been killed.
Hey, it's an ill wind . . . .
Forecasters Say the East Coast Is Going to Have Another Warm Winter
A big chunk of the United States is likely in for another weirdly warm winter.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just released its winter-weather outlook, and right now they’re calling for warmer-than-normal temperatures along the East Coast and the southern two-thirds of the country.
The northwest corner of the U.S. could see some colder-than-average temperatures, but on the whole, the U.S. might be breaking a few heat records again.
Then comes the snark.
This is maybe good news if you prefer windbreakers in January — maybe a little less so if you’re concerned about the fate of the planet.
Oh, go fry your ass.
Lower gas bills, less risk to my heart health from shoveling snow, safer driving and walking conditions, fewer nights worrying about frozen pipes maybe bursting, and less money wasted paying others to dig out the driveway - what's not to like?
And, hey, the planet will outlive us all.
Interesting that, after the mild winter of 2016-2017, we have just had a mild summer rather than one hotter than normal.
Nice.
Interesting that, after the mild winter of 2016-2017, we have just had a mild summer rather than one hotter than normal.
Nice.
Is that really an admission?
And how would the alleged admitter even know?
Fox Host Admits Trump Lied About Not Telling Gold Star Widow 'He Signed Up For This'
My wife the other day said something about Kelly admitting Trump did say it by explaining why he said it and attempting to justify saying it.
But I didn't see or hear anything like that.
Until just now.
The admission came during the same comments in which Kelly attacked the congresswoman repeatedly with no real justification, playing the hatchet man for Trump, telling vicious lies about her, and revealing himself to be in fact rather a Trumpist, personally.
Not quite the "responsible adult" of Democratic narration.
John Kelly, Trump’s chief of staff whose son died in combat, defends president’s call to Gold Star widow
But Kelly also appeared to effectively confirm Wilson’s account by echoing some of the language she had described — an account that Trump had called “totally fabricated.”
Kelly said Trump’s message to Johnson was: “He knew what he was getting himself into, because he enlisted. There’s no reason to enlist. He enlisted. And he was where he wanted to be, exactly where he wanted to be, with exactly the people he wanted to be with when his life was taken.”
Fox Host Admits Trump Lied About Not Telling Gold Star Widow 'He Signed Up For This'
My wife the other day said something about Kelly admitting Trump did say it by explaining why he said it and attempting to justify saying it.
But I didn't see or hear anything like that.
Until just now.
The admission came during the same comments in which Kelly attacked the congresswoman repeatedly with no real justification, playing the hatchet man for Trump, telling vicious lies about her, and revealing himself to be in fact rather a Trumpist, personally.
Not quite the "responsible adult" of Democratic narration.
John Kelly, Trump’s chief of staff whose son died in combat, defends president’s call to Gold Star widow
But Kelly also appeared to effectively confirm Wilson’s account by echoing some of the language she had described — an account that Trump had called “totally fabricated.”
Kelly said Trump’s message to Johnson was: “He knew what he was getting himself into, because he enlisted. There’s no reason to enlist. He enlisted. And he was where he wanted to be, exactly where he wanted to be, with exactly the people he wanted to be with when his life was taken.”
Friday, October 20, 2017
Oops. Time for an attitude adjustment.
Just more evidence people are really weird.
TX Congresswoman: It’s The ‘Responsibility Of The Female’ To Prevent Sexual Abuse
You could spin this as a woman insisting women need to stand up and show their strength and power.
Nope.
TX Congresswoman: It’s The ‘Responsibility Of The Female’ To Prevent Sexual Abuse
You could spin this as a woman insisting women need to stand up and show their strength and power.
Nope.
A manufactured flap
Florida Democrat calls Niger ambush 'Trump's Benghazi'
Democrats are calling the ambush the result of "a massive intelligence failure."
The investigations and todo are efforts by its everyday critics and even enemies to hammer Trump and his administration.
Democrats are calling the ambush the result of "a massive intelligence failure."
The investigations and todo are efforts by its everyday critics and even enemies to hammer Trump and his administration.
John Kelly lied about Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson to deflect blame from The Duce
It's about the accusation that, on the phone, he told a gold star mom that her dead son "knew what he was getting into," or words to that effect.
President Donald Trump told the widow of a soldier killed in an ambush in Niger that her husband "knew what he signed up for," according to a Florida congresswoman who says she heard part of the conversation on speakerphone.
Rep. Frederica Wilson said she was in the car with Myeshia Johnson on Tuesday on the way to Miami International Airport to meet the body of Johnson's husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, when Trump called.
When asked by Miami station WPLG if she indeed heard Trump say that she answered: "Yeah, he said that.
To me, that is something that you can say in a conversation, but you shouldn't say that to a grieving widow."
She added: "That's so insensitive."
A dishonorable man posing as America’s most honorable man
Steve M.
Kelly also overheard the phone call, and came in front of the cameras to "defend" Trump by joining in the Fox/Breitbart attacks on the congresswoman and her credibility, some of them racially charged.
Kelly slandered the congresswoman mightily to undermine her as a source.
Oh, and what's with the kiddie cowboy hats?
In every photo I've seen of her, she's wearing one.
President Donald Trump told the widow of a soldier killed in an ambush in Niger that her husband "knew what he signed up for," according to a Florida congresswoman who says she heard part of the conversation on speakerphone.
Rep. Frederica Wilson said she was in the car with Myeshia Johnson on Tuesday on the way to Miami International Airport to meet the body of Johnson's husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, when Trump called.
When asked by Miami station WPLG if she indeed heard Trump say that she answered: "Yeah, he said that.
To me, that is something that you can say in a conversation, but you shouldn't say that to a grieving widow."
She added: "That's so insensitive."
A dishonorable man posing as America’s most honorable man
Steve M.
Kelly also overheard the phone call, and came in front of the cameras to "defend" Trump by joining in the Fox/Breitbart attacks on the congresswoman and her credibility, some of them racially charged.
Kelly slandered the congresswoman mightily to undermine her as a source.
Oh, and what's with the kiddie cowboy hats?
In every photo I've seen of her, she's wearing one.
Lemmings cruising toward a crash?
Velshi and Ruhle, in politically spun news, have once in a while over several weeks been questioning the health of the stock market, reporting that some economists and knowledgeable players see the current phase of our nine year old bull market as a bubble, a rerun of the scene just before the great crash of 2008.
(But where are the bad mortgages?)
Today they pointed out that we are in the region economists think of as full employment, meaning that apart from people changing jobs or voluntarily not working pretty much everybody who wants a job and can be relied upon to do it is working.
And when you are at full employment and a boom continues employers compete for workers by raising wages and benefits.
But that isn't happening to the extent expected or wanted.
Wages and benefits are rising, but more slowly and less than they would have in the past, and that has been the story pretty much throughout this bull market.
Their explanation in part is that automation has been enabling productivity rises without much rise in the market for labor, and little or none for the least skilled.
That part makes sense.
Too, they concede the Sanders/Trump claim that globalization means that importation of cheap goods from overseas has prevented demand from driving up US domestic production of those same or similar goods and thus pushing up US wages.
While that is true, as well, it doesn't mean protectionist policies would not drive up prices more than wages, or that it would not drive up prices paid by Peter while driving up wages paid only to Paul
The last part is that interest rates are too low and are causing a mere bubble in stock values.
That part is doubtful, since too low interest rates would cause notable inflation, and we aren't having that.
(But where are the bad mortgages?)
Today they pointed out that we are in the region economists think of as full employment, meaning that apart from people changing jobs or voluntarily not working pretty much everybody who wants a job and can be relied upon to do it is working.
And when you are at full employment and a boom continues employers compete for workers by raising wages and benefits.
But that isn't happening to the extent expected or wanted.
Wages and benefits are rising, but more slowly and less than they would have in the past, and that has been the story pretty much throughout this bull market.
Their explanation in part is that automation has been enabling productivity rises without much rise in the market for labor, and little or none for the least skilled.
That part makes sense.
Too, they concede the Sanders/Trump claim that globalization means that importation of cheap goods from overseas has prevented demand from driving up US domestic production of those same or similar goods and thus pushing up US wages.
While that is true, as well, it doesn't mean protectionist policies would not drive up prices more than wages, or that it would not drive up prices paid by Peter while driving up wages paid only to Paul
The last part is that interest rates are too low and are causing a mere bubble in stock values.
That part is doubtful, since too low interest rates would cause notable inflation, and we aren't having that.
The Duce is the working man's friend
He said so and I believe him, even though this two-step (budget cuts, then tax cuts) is all about making life cushier for the super rich.
The Senate passed its budget plan: Here's what that means for tax cuts, what it doesn't and what's next
It's a Koch move, this is.
And The Duce is solidly behind it and its wonderful benefits for ordinary Americans.
The biggest thing — which senators from both parties emphasized this week — is the passage of "reconciliation instructions" that tell the Senate Finance Committee that a tax bill cannot be filibustered if it adds $1.5 trillion or less to the deficit.
Filibusters require 60 votes to break, which means Democrats could derail the tax bill even though they are in the minority.
A bill brought up under reconciliation requires only 51 votes to pass, and Republicans hold 52 seats (plus, they have Vice President Pence to break a 50-50 tie).
So no filibuster can stop it.
It is not a law, so the budget cannot actually cut or raise spending or taxes. And this year, it is widely assumed the spending levels for the fiscal year — which actually began Oct. 1 — will not really be used by appropriators.
That means it's aspirational, even bullshit, and a fig leaf for gigantic tax cuts without matching, accompanying cuts in spending.
$5 trillion in cuts [are] mentioned overall, but most are not specified.
It's such airy bullshit they don't even bother to even pretend they know where spending cuts will come from.
Except for this helpful point.
Over the next 10 years, the budget calls for $473 billion in cuts from Medicare and $1 trillion from Medicaid.
Velshi and Ruhle point out that, as for the tax cuts, the GOP hasn't got any clear idea what it will do about cuts for middle income people, the vast bulk of actual America taxpayers.
It has been rock solid for years about what it wants to do for the rich and super rich: get rid of the estate tax, massively cut corporate taxes, and get rid of the alternative minimum tax, all giving huge benefits to the likes of the Koches.
The Senate passed its budget plan: Here's what that means for tax cuts, what it doesn't and what's next
It's a Koch move, this is.
And The Duce is solidly behind it and its wonderful benefits for ordinary Americans.
The biggest thing — which senators from both parties emphasized this week — is the passage of "reconciliation instructions" that tell the Senate Finance Committee that a tax bill cannot be filibustered if it adds $1.5 trillion or less to the deficit.
Filibusters require 60 votes to break, which means Democrats could derail the tax bill even though they are in the minority.
A bill brought up under reconciliation requires only 51 votes to pass, and Republicans hold 52 seats (plus, they have Vice President Pence to break a 50-50 tie).
So no filibuster can stop it.
It is not a law, so the budget cannot actually cut or raise spending or taxes. And this year, it is widely assumed the spending levels for the fiscal year — which actually began Oct. 1 — will not really be used by appropriators.
That means it's aspirational, even bullshit, and a fig leaf for gigantic tax cuts without matching, accompanying cuts in spending.
$5 trillion in cuts [are] mentioned overall, but most are not specified.
It's such airy bullshit they don't even bother to even pretend they know where spending cuts will come from.
Except for this helpful point.
Over the next 10 years, the budget calls for $473 billion in cuts from Medicare and $1 trillion from Medicaid.
Velshi and Ruhle point out that, as for the tax cuts, the GOP hasn't got any clear idea what it will do about cuts for middle income people, the vast bulk of actual America taxpayers.
It has been rock solid for years about what it wants to do for the rich and super rich: get rid of the estate tax, massively cut corporate taxes, and get rid of the alternative minimum tax, all giving huge benefits to the likes of the Koches.
Just not up to the job
Milza and Berstein, about halfway through their book, say Mussolini was lacking in the mental caliber necessary for the dictatorship he brought about and headed, and that by 1936 syphilis and the diet prescribed for his ulcer seriously undermined his energy.
He delayed hard decisions as long as he could and then made them impulsively.
He did not delegate, ultimately.
They describe his style as one of hysterical narcissism.
Sounds more like Bozo all the time.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Really? Sinclair Lewis's bad guys are atheists?
About half way through It Can't Happen Here, Secretary of Education Macgoblin, drunk, says the only thing "we" agree with the Communists about is rejection of religion.
Official atheism of the Corpo State?
Official hostility toward religion?
First suggestion of that in the book, so far.
Official atheism was not typical of European fascism, as I recall.
Mussolini cut a famous deal with the Pope.
Homage to Catalonia?
What little American coverage there has been has taken a neutral to sympathetic tone, sometimes seen in such nuances as calling it a conflict about independence rather than secession or schism.
Anyway, Madrid still says nope.
Spain to impose direct rule as Catalonia leader refuses to back down
But nowhere near as aggressive as Lincoln after Fort Sumter.
Of course, Catalonia has no secessionist army.
Yet.
By the way, you might be a geezer if the way newsies now pronounce "homage" sounds both wrong and pretentious to you.
If you Google it for a definition and press the gizmo to hear it said you will find the pronunciation familiar from your own youth, however.
And so your judgment of the newsies will be that far vindicated, despite all your years.
Quick, look over there! Instead of Russiagate, Uranium!
The Duce finished the presser with the governor of PR by echoing Sean Hannity's and Breitbart's claims that Russiagate is fake news and a hoax, while the purchase of a Canadian company that controls a fifth of US Uranium mining by a Russian company, during the O administration, approved by Secretary Clinton and eight other key government agencies, is a real scandal.
Specifically, it's a corrupt Hillary scandal.
(Lock her up!)
The Republican congress has rushed to investigate this latest Clinton outrage.
Is Benghazi next (again)?
GOP media (Breitbart, Fox) are running stories Comey was fired for declining to prosecute Hillary over the emails, and that his decision was an egregious case of pro-Democratic corruption that cries out for investigation.
Specifically, it's a corrupt Hillary scandal.
(Lock her up!)
The Republican congress has rushed to investigate this latest Clinton outrage.
Is Benghazi next (again)?
GOP media (Breitbart, Fox) are running stories Comey was fired for declining to prosecute Hillary over the emails, and that his decision was an egregious case of pro-Democratic corruption that cries out for investigation.
Bozo vs the Democratic media critics
About his presser with the Governor of Puerto Rico and the federal effort.
Could the feds have done better?
Maybe.
Have they done a really good job?
Probably.
Could they have done so well that the Democratic media critics would commend them, The White House, and the Trump administration?
No way.
Could the feds have done better?
Maybe.
Have they done a really good job?
Probably.
Could they have done so well that the Democratic media critics would commend them, The White House, and the Trump administration?
No way.
The times, they are a changin'
Jefferson Davis school to be renamed after Obama
A public school in Mississippi named after Jefferson Davis is being renamed to honor former President Obama.
. . . .
Ninety-eight percent of the students who attend the Davis Magnet school are black, according to the publication.
“Jefferson Davis, although infamous in his own right, would probably not be too happy about a diverse school promoting the education of the very individuals he fought to keep enslaved being named after him,” Davis Magnet IB PTA President Janelle Jefferson said.
The name change is meant "to reflect a person who fully represents the ideals and public stances consistent with what we want our children to believe about themselves."
A public school in Mississippi named after Jefferson Davis is being renamed to honor former President Obama.
. . . .
Ninety-eight percent of the students who attend the Davis Magnet school are black, according to the publication.
“Jefferson Davis, although infamous in his own right, would probably not be too happy about a diverse school promoting the education of the very individuals he fought to keep enslaved being named after him,” Davis Magnet IB PTA President Janelle Jefferson said.
The name change is meant "to reflect a person who fully represents the ideals and public stances consistent with what we want our children to believe about themselves."
George W Bush defends the American creed against Trump in New York City
Nobody has the transcript and no single report touches all the bases, yet, but clips indicate he vigorously attacked "blood and soil" nationalism, as did McCain the other day, and spoke in favor of globalism, democracy, and capitalism, against protectionism and socialism, and for an inclusive American identity.
Breitbart has several stories attacking GW and his speech.
The MSM offer sympathetic coverage.
Breitbart has several stories attacking GW and his speech.
The MSM offer sympathetic coverage.
Not really interested
MSNBC this morning.
The Duce, who hinted the other day he liked the Lamar Alexander initiative to shore up the Ocare individual coverage market, quickly spun around and denounced anything that just gave more money to the insurance companies.
That's Bozo-code for denouncing CSR payments, absolutely crucial to affordability of health insurance for tens of millions of working Americans doing a tad too well for even expanded Medicaid.
He sticks with the idea he'd rather just let it crash and burn, though his first choice would be for the congress to finally do a repeal/replace.
Paul Ryan, asked about the Alexander initiative, dismissed it with the comment he'd rather see people working on repeal/replace.
Update.
During his presser with the governor of Puerto Rico, at the very end, The Duce was asked about the Alexander effort and said he would support it as a temporary move to head off harm to people, but reiterated his hatred for giving any money to profiteering insurance companies and the absolute need for repeal/replace to make really, really wonderful coverage available to all Americans.
The Duce, who hinted the other day he liked the Lamar Alexander initiative to shore up the Ocare individual coverage market, quickly spun around and denounced anything that just gave more money to the insurance companies.
That's Bozo-code for denouncing CSR payments, absolutely crucial to affordability of health insurance for tens of millions of working Americans doing a tad too well for even expanded Medicaid.
He sticks with the idea he'd rather just let it crash and burn, though his first choice would be for the congress to finally do a repeal/replace.
Paul Ryan, asked about the Alexander initiative, dismissed it with the comment he'd rather see people working on repeal/replace.
Update.
During his presser with the governor of Puerto Rico, at the very end, The Duce was asked about the Alexander effort and said he would support it as a temporary move to head off harm to people, but reiterated his hatred for giving any money to profiteering insurance companies and the absolute need for repeal/replace to make really, really wonderful coverage available to all Americans.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
"He knew what he signed up for."
Trump denies telling widow of fallen soldier, 'He knew what he signed up for'
Nobody would put it past him, particularly if she went off on him, blaming him for her husband's death.
But he might not have done it.
It's like an accusation of pussy-grabbing.
It could be true, it could be false, but a denial from him would be worthless.
President Donald Trump today denied telling the widow of a fallen U.S. soldier, 'He knew what he signed up for," in a phone call he made Tuesday, contradicting a Florida congresswoman who said she was with the woman at the time.
Rep. Frederica Wilson said she was with Myeshia Johnson in a car headed to Miami International Airport on Tuesday afternoon to meet the body of Johnson's husband, Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson, who died in Niger this month, when the president called.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday night, Wilson, a Democrat, related Myeshia Johnson's conversation with Trump, saying, "Basically, he said, 'Well, I guess he knew what he signed up for. But I guess it still hurt.' That's what he said."
Nobody would put it past him, particularly if she went off on him, blaming him for her husband's death.
But he might not have done it.
It's like an accusation of pussy-grabbing.
It could be true, it could be false, but a denial from him would be worthless.
President Donald Trump today denied telling the widow of a fallen U.S. soldier, 'He knew what he signed up for," in a phone call he made Tuesday, contradicting a Florida congresswoman who said she was with the woman at the time.
Rep. Frederica Wilson said she was with Myeshia Johnson in a car headed to Miami International Airport on Tuesday afternoon to meet the body of Johnson's husband, Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson, who died in Niger this month, when the president called.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday night, Wilson, a Democrat, related Myeshia Johnson's conversation with Trump, saying, "Basically, he said, 'Well, I guess he knew what he signed up for. But I guess it still hurt.' That's what he said."
Phoney or grossly unprofessional
Stef Ruhle choking up talking about the troops killed in Niger whose deaths drew little comment from the empath in The White House.
What a faker.
What a faker.
Talk about collaboration
On TV right now.
The Republicans who run the committee are letting Sessions refuse to answer questions about Russiagate without a shred of justification for the refusal, questions of a sort to which they have in the past insisted on answers from officials of Democratic administrations.
Sessions and his Republican, especially southern good-ole boy, allies are using the occasion to attack mostly northern and coastal sanctuary cities (they act in violation of the law in order to protect illegals) and justify his (also unlawful) denial to those cities of legally mandatory, not at all discretionary, law enforcement assistance money.
Raised voices, blows struck on desktops, "They're here illegally!"
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Speaking of that "blood and soil" thing
Florida governor declares state of emergency before white nationalist's speech
Governor Rick Scott of Florida has declared a state of emergency ahead of a speech by a white nationalist leader this week at the University of Florida, in order to free up resources to prepare for possible violence.
Richard Spencer’s speech on Thursday in Gainesville is part of a national campaign to use outrage over racist events on university campuses to draw attention to white nationalist ideas.
The tour is also designed keep fringe provocateurs like Spencer in the media spotlight.
Spencer has advocated for a “white ethno-state” in North America that would be achieved through “peaceful ethnic cleansing”.
He is most famous for shouting “Hail Trump!” at a white nationalist conference after Donald Trump’s inauguration as president in January, a cry some supporters greeted with Nazi salutes.
He is a mini George Lincoln Rockwell.
Governor Rick Scott of Florida has declared a state of emergency ahead of a speech by a white nationalist leader this week at the University of Florida, in order to free up resources to prepare for possible violence.
Richard Spencer’s speech on Thursday in Gainesville is part of a national campaign to use outrage over racist events on university campuses to draw attention to white nationalist ideas.
The tour is also designed keep fringe provocateurs like Spencer in the media spotlight.
Spencer has advocated for a “white ethno-state” in North America that would be achieved through “peaceful ethnic cleansing”.
He is most famous for shouting “Hail Trump!” at a white nationalist conference after Donald Trump’s inauguration as president in January, a cry some supporters greeted with Nazi salutes.
He is a mini George Lincoln Rockwell.
McCain vs the thug in The White House
McCain: Half-baked, spurious nationalism is unpatriotic
A pretty frank blast at the soft nazism of the Buchananite, Bannonite Trumptists from a man not at all inclined to just curl up and die.
A defense of American globalism from World War Two to our own time.
Too, his speech reminds us how many in the nation's leadership classes have paid the blood tax in person, as well as familially, over the years.
We [he and Joe Biden, who presented him the award] didn’t always agree on the issues.
We often argued – sometimes passionately.
But we believed in each other’s patriotism and the sincerity of each other’s convictions.
We believed in the institution we were privileged to serve in.
We believed in our mutual responsibility to help make the place work and to cooperate in finding solutions to our country’s problems.
We believed in our country and in our country’s indispensability to international peace and stability and to the progress of humanity.
. . . .
We are blessed, and we have been a blessing to humanity in turn.
The international order we helped build from the ashes of world war, and that we defend to this day, has liberated more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history.
This wondrous land has shared its treasures and ideals and shed the blood of its finest patriots to help make another, better world.
And as we did so, we made our own civilization more just, freer, more accomplished and prosperous than the America that existed when I watched my father go off to war on December 7, 1941.
To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain “the last best hope of earth” for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history.
We live in a land made of ideals, not blood and soil.
We are the custodians of those ideals at home, and their champion abroad.
We have done great good in the world.
That leadership has had its costs, but we have become incomparably powerful and wealthy as we did.
We have a moral obligation to continue in our just cause, and we would bring more than shame on ourselves if we don’t.
We will not thrive in a world where our leadership and ideals are absent.
We wouldn’t deserve to.
Trump warns McCain after senator’s blunt speech
President Trump on Tuesday issued a warning shot after Republican Sen. John McCain questioned “half-baked, spurious nationalism” in America’s foreign policy, saying “people have to be careful because at some point I fight back.”
Trump said in a radio interview with WMAL in Washington, “I’m being very, very nice but at some point I fight back and it won’t be pretty.”
McCain: 'I’ve faced far greater challenges' than Trump's threats
A pretty frank blast at the soft nazism of the Buchananite, Bannonite Trumptists from a man not at all inclined to just curl up and die.
A defense of American globalism from World War Two to our own time.
Too, his speech reminds us how many in the nation's leadership classes have paid the blood tax in person, as well as familially, over the years.
We [he and Joe Biden, who presented him the award] didn’t always agree on the issues.
We often argued – sometimes passionately.
But we believed in each other’s patriotism and the sincerity of each other’s convictions.
We believed in the institution we were privileged to serve in.
We believed in our mutual responsibility to help make the place work and to cooperate in finding solutions to our country’s problems.
We believed in our country and in our country’s indispensability to international peace and stability and to the progress of humanity.
. . . .
We are blessed, and we have been a blessing to humanity in turn.
The international order we helped build from the ashes of world war, and that we defend to this day, has liberated more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history.
This wondrous land has shared its treasures and ideals and shed the blood of its finest patriots to help make another, better world.
And as we did so, we made our own civilization more just, freer, more accomplished and prosperous than the America that existed when I watched my father go off to war on December 7, 1941.
To fear the world we have organized and led for three-quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain “the last best hope of earth” for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that Americans consigned to the ash heap of history.
We live in a land made of ideals, not blood and soil.
We are the custodians of those ideals at home, and their champion abroad.
We have done great good in the world.
That leadership has had its costs, but we have become incomparably powerful and wealthy as we did.
We have a moral obligation to continue in our just cause, and we would bring more than shame on ourselves if we don’t.
We will not thrive in a world where our leadership and ideals are absent.
We wouldn’t deserve to.
Trump warns McCain after senator’s blunt speech
President Trump on Tuesday issued a warning shot after Republican Sen. John McCain questioned “half-baked, spurious nationalism” in America’s foreign policy, saying “people have to be careful because at some point I fight back.”
Trump said in a radio interview with WMAL in Washington, “I’m being very, very nice but at some point I fight back and it won’t be pretty.”
McCain: 'I’ve faced far greater challenges' than Trump's threats
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