NeoCon’s Messy Messiah Complex

The Sly Fox wallows in muck again with this Obamessiah video. 

It’s obvious Neocon’s are capable of emotionally holding two competing thoughts at once. For they believe Senator Obama is a stealth Muslim terrorist operative and a black panther-loving Christian. Too, Obama, according to them, is an elitist arugula-munching French-lover, who is much unlike their more centered and grounded $600 loafer-wearing, 7 homes-owning, private jet-flying John McCain.

I hate this kind of pukey Neocon tactic because it always makes people focus on Neocon trivial pursuits. The Cons love that. When they have to talk openly and honestly about policies that matter most to Americans, they haven’t a solid issue to stand on.

Still… their latest meme is that Obama is arrogant… seemingly because loads of people here and around the world adore him. (I won’t mention that this lovely little tactic is spun off from HRC’s “the sky will open up” mockery). The Cons want to convince us that it’s a bad thing for people from “them foreign lands” to fall in love again with America.

Why do Neocons hate America?

Obama’s trip was a rousing success, yet they’ve wasted plenty of our precious, clean oxygen bitchin’ and moanin’. These same Neocons who were wrong about tax cuts for the wealthy lifting the economy, wrong about the Iraq invasion, wrong about “homeland” security being secure… and have been wrong about everything.

UC Berkley’s, Philip Tetlock, refers to their brand as hedgehogs.  These pundits have been wrong and are wrong simply because they are blinded by the very thing they cling to: their ideology. 

Their own country crumbles before their eyes, yet they dutifully follow the deadbeats over the cliff. 

Instead of being rational and reasonable, they forgive/ignore/embrace John McCain’s ties to lobbyists who themselves have ties to nefarious world leaders. They ignore/forgive/embrace McCain’s misogynist tendencies; his wrong prediction that America would be victorious in Iraq over a short period of time; his confusing Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. Most of all, they ignore or forgive and even agree that McCain must continue George Bush’s regressive and debiliitaing foreign and domestic policies.

Why do Neocon’s hate America?

Clearly, the Obama story doesn’t fit into their narrative. 

To these hedgehogs, black men are brute and savage and they want to take all white women by force. Black men are dark and fierce and they want to take all white women by force. Black men are violent and uneducable and they want to take all white women by force.

Never mind that Obama was raised by his white midwestern family, guided by their ethos. The same ethos held, presumably, by the hedgehog-Neocons.

Never mind that black men are decent, hardworking citizens who just want to be given a fair shake in a country whose institutions (like the media) and laws disfavor them.

Never mind reality.

The hedgehog-Neocon ignorance springs forth from a deep well of fear. A well that has been dug and filled over many centuries. 

According to the hedgehog-Neocons, Obama has a Messiah complex because he speaks of humane public policies. Obama wants people lifted from poverty by providing a living wage for workers and he wants to provide universal health care coverage. The hedgehog-Neocon’s think these are bad things to achieve for our own citizens? Heaven forbid people who have more than enough money to get by, have to pay an extra nickel of taxes. Heaven forbid.

Neocons worship money. Do they believe Jesus’ teachings are wrong?

 

According to the bible they claim to follow, we are created to do good works. It’s apparent the hedgehog-Neocons serve no higher purposes than to heap more ignorance on the already ignorant masses while they keep praying at the great altar of mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money. 

Embracing money while condoning human suffering is antithetical to Christian theology.

As I told one of my Republican friends, “you missed Jesus the first time he came, what makes you think you’ll get it right the next time?”

These people aren’t fit to polish Obama’s modestly-priced shoes, though I wish that was the only work they could find….

 

J. Gowasky

Friday Thought Bubbles

The Coolest Guy On The Planet: Barack Obama!

Why do conservatives seem to hate someone, like Barack, who speaks of peace? Is the idea of people actually getting along really such a horrible thought for them? Even if they disagree with him politically, don’t they want their children to grow up in a safe, healthy world? No?

Never Have Seen So Many Sad Faces As Now

What? Conservatives and know nothing teleprompter readers don’t like Americans being successful overseas?Conservative kunckleheads for many days leading up to Barack’s overseas trip said that it was fraught with danger. That prediction turned out to be not so true, not so much… as Obama’s was greeted by Heads of State sporting cheshire cat-sized smiles.

So next the knuckleheads said that he should be careful not to look too presidential. Have they gotten so used to the fratboy antics of GWB that looking “presidential” is now offensive to them? Why do they ignore the embarrassing overseas behavior of GWB?

Why do conservatives hate America?

Where From Camest Thou?

Is the American majority population so splintered from its European roots, that it’s a bad thing for Obama to be appealing to citizens of the EU, as the know nothings say? Do some Americans even believe anymore that their families originally hailed from Europe? Just strange that conservatives can use the talking point of “oooh, Barack’s going to scary over there” to their advantage.

 

‘Move Outta My Way!’

Bob Novak’s story is a wee bit different from the one told by the cyclist eyewitness who first chased after Novak before blocking his path. 

That pedestrian that Bob Novak mowed down the other day perfectly demonstrates the conservative philosophy. They’d just as soon run you over, if you get in their way. Maybe conservatives understand better than progressives that as long as any conservative breathes, there will never be peace in this world.

Well, if that don’t beat all. I think I’ve answered my own questions.

Happy Friday

J. Gowasky

Greener Side Of The Road

Been riding my bike lately. Over the years a few bicycles have piled up in the house. Yet, only thought about riding one after the intense July heat made it far too humid to walk. Hadn’t been on a bike… well in years. But, after arriving several times to my destinations drenched from sweat and damn near sun-stroked, I was forced to consider another green way to propel around town.  Don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner. It’s exhilarating.

Aside from the wonderful freedom and the back to nature aspect bike riding offers, you can do clever things like popping wheelies (don’t do those) and riding around in mindless circles with a mean tilt (frees the mind of clutter). Try doing those things in a car. Since I’ve been riding, I’ve noticed that most bikes on the road are older models (including mine). That’s right. Surely to the chagrin of Madison Avenue advertising agencies bicyclists are not subject to their meddling… not yet.  

“Shinier Is Better, Newer Is Well… Better”

Oh, what delicious freedom we bikers have from Madison Avenue’s lure for us to have the year’s shiniest or the year’s new and improved model. (Especially, when this year’s model is exactly the same as last year’s model… only in more colorful packaging). For those clever Madison Avenue overlords tempt us all, ad nauseam, to covet our neighbor’s newer, bigger, better “whatever,” because, they tell you as you stare into your neighbor’s yard, somehow their grass is always greener. Pshaw.

Nope. No stigmas come attached with riding an older bicycle, not even decades old bicycles. No need to worry about getting looks of pity or awful stares from tres chic bikers who must–at the bidding of the overlords– purchase the trendiest ride every two or three years. No need to keep up with the Joneses. In the world of bicycling we graciously accept bicycles one and all… the way old and… the way new. 

You Own It So Long As The Bank Doesn’t Call In Its Loan

Recently saw a bumper sticker on an older model Toyota Celica that read “don’t laugh it’s paid for.” Don’t know how old that bumper sticker is, but I’ll bet that in this time of economic whoa for a lot of people, few are laughing at the driver with one less bill to pay.

Over the years, we’ve moved far and away from the frugal lifestyles of depression-era survivors. The days of having even modest savings are long gone. The days of “mortgage burning parties,” when homeowners celebrated the end to debt, were replaced with reverse mortgages and the 50 year mortgage. It’s shocking to read that many baby boomers–after decades of working hard–still do not actually “own” their own home. Retirement years simply means many more years of work for far too many of our seniors.

As well, the wise concept of  ”lay-aways,” paying for something over time until you could actually take it home, was replaced by the Madison Avenue mantra to “shop ’til you drop” bringing with it an accompanying large debt.

Crying Uncle: We’ve Shopped… and Now We’ve Dropped

No matter. Shop ’til you drop was the new paradigm as we grew frantic about possessing the newest, the biggest, the brightest. Americans completely affirmed the giddy Madison Avenue-driven delirium.

Attitudes are definitely changing in this country. Read an article the other day about drivers who, if they can, are unloading classy gas guzzlers in favor of more less flashy smaller cars with better gas mileage. Many Americans are turning to their bikes for short errands or to even get them to work.

One Debt Deserves Another

Apparently we have indebted ourselves right into a brand new paradigm. A paradigm that dreams of living in smaller spaces and moving closer to cities to lower fuel costs. Good for us.

And next time when Madison Avenue comes calling, Americans can tell them, no thanks, we are already living on the greener side of the road.

J Gowasky

Politics of Personal Responsibility

Jesse Jackson was caught off-mike disparaging Senator Obama’s remarks regarding personal responsibility in the black community. Obama retorted that he would continue to speak out about the issue.

HAN agrees with the senator. We’d just like for him to widen his scope.

Personal responsibility is one of those code words used by whites when they are speaking of blacks. Such as when Pat Buchanan calls Obama “exotic.” Get this straight, Patty O, Barack Obama was born in the United State of America, unlike John McCain who was born in the Panama Canal Zone. Last we checked Panama is well south of North America.

McCain is the one who is not natural born, a requirement of the US Constitution. His birth place is currently under scrutiny as he may not be eligible to become president… if there is a god. Will Patty O say McCain is “exotic?” (In a bit of deference to Pat, no one as crusty or as pasty white as McCain can be seen as exotic).

Still, considering the current economic conditions in America, why is the personal responsibility message limited to only a small segment of the population? A segment that has no power to make societal changes.

After all, black people haven’t caused the mortgage scandal/crisis that’s lead to massive housing foreclosures.  Blacks have not caused Freddie and Fannie to faint.

Blacks did not LIE the American public into “war,” with Iraq, nor incite the Sunni and the Shi’a to battle each other there. Blacks have not “lost” or stolen billions of dollars of Iraqi reconstruction money.

Blacks haven’t caused the gas prices to rise nor are blacks responsible for the high cost of consumer goods and products. Blacks did not create the ginormous national debt nor the national deficit.

Blacks have not caused air and noise pollution in this country, nor global warming in this world. 

Blacks have not caused the health care crisis in this country. Blacks have not caused the epidemics of salmonella and E-coli contaminations in our food.

However, when politicians talk about personal responsibility everybody piles on: “yeah” everyone yells as we’re all reminded- once again- about those lazy black Americans having too many out-of-wedlock babies. “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” they say. “Those blacks just can’t get it together.

The media and politicians just might as well yell: “hey, look over there.” ‘Cause that’s what everybody does when personal responsibility is the subject. It’s another distraction from the real issue.

Because, those who’ve caused these problems- the “deciders” of our foreign and domestic policies- our politicians and business leaders, are sitting comfortably in their homes and offices. They sit comfortably because we’re not even thinking of them as the culprits. At least, not so long as they can make us look “over there.”

On the other hand, if we blame our “deciders,” we’d ultimately have to take personal responsibility ourselves for handing them power and not demanding it back when that power is abused.

Think about that the next time you have the urge to pile on.

Personal responsibility is a good thing Senator Obama. Now… when do your colleagues get their speech?

Edited to add link.

HAN

To The New Yorker: Reptilian Brains Don’t Need Context, The Rest Of Us Do

We posted here recently that the media often removes context (background information) from many news stories. As a result the audience will receive wildly exaggerated reports rather than a report that’s based on, “just the facts.” Is it done intentionally by corporate media or is it a matter of poorly schooled journalist? We don’t know. 

We have seen that news without context, appeals to the reptilian part of the brain. The part that doesn’t digest information, but responds emotionally, reflexively in survival mode: fight or flight. It’s why George Bush and his cabal could so easily manipulate 90% of the American population post Sept.- 11. 

Excluding context provides the audience with information, but with no means by which to sort it through or rationalize it. The audience is left flummoxed, angry, and dispassionate, etc. What we are not is informed to the point of being able to form a rational opinion. Some of us seek more information and a clarification, the majority of us tune it out.

The ultimate result is that this disinformation campaign keeps Americans ill-informed about the many troubles afflicting our society. We tune out because we’ve really been given nothing viable to work with. 

That’s why The New Yorker magazine cover is so dangerous. It misses the context. People will respond emotionally with ethnic or racial slurs because the cover just begs for them to. “It’s okay to be a racist” and “you’re right to be very afraid of The Obama’s” screams the cover, for it confirms the reptilian brain’s fears. The reptilian brain has no use for factual information, nor a need to process for context. 

Let’s face it, the American public is being thoroughly dissected by political think tanks, public relations firms, government agencies, and private data collectors. We’re putty in their hands. 

My high school classmates had plenty of compassion for the frog that was about to be dissected. Who will show compassion for us?  (Sigh).

Shame on The New Yorker, the “liberal” mag.

edit to clarify: (background information)

Digging Our Graves With Spoons

Photo:MSNBC

The Korean protest against US beef imports has intensified. 

With mounting concerns over mad cow disease, the fine people of Korea have rejected the government’s agreement with the US to reintroduce US beef into Korea.

A symbolic “shove it,” resonated from the crowd of recent protesters numbering 50,000+ despite government assurances that the US product is safe for consumption. Maybe they heard that George Bush wants to halt testing for mad cow disease. 

It’s officially on: a boycott of a choice product from the world’s shining city on the hill, America.

Let Them Eat… Mad Cow 

Koreans are justified in their concern over US beef safety. Just last February, a secret video was released showing downer cows being led to slaughter, possibly before being shipped to market. Downer cows are diseased cows.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has concerns that the US government doesn’t follow WHO guidelines for beef safety. WHO guidelines include: stop weaning calves on cow’s blood, stop feeding infected animals to other animals, stop feeding bovine brains, eyes, spinal cords, and intestines to people or livestock.

(In this age of enlightened modernity and technological development you gotta remind someone not to give a suckling cow blood in place of or in addition to momma’s milk?).

Currently, in Michigan and Ohio there is a beef recall due to E. coli contamination. Haven’t heard? The illness of only 40 people may not be enough to grab headlines. 

Also, there is growing concern of the possible link between mad cow disease and dementia in America.

However, Korean’s in support of governmental abuse (KISOGA*) are protesting that the US beef protesters are “scaring the children.” Never mind a still developing child eating a posibly contaminated beef product. A true scoundrel finds his last refuge behind the back of a child.

In 2006, Japan put US beef producers on notice after finding a spinal column in a beef shipment. And since 1997, the EU won’t allow US’ chlorine-dipped chickens into the Union. Now Koreans don’t want our beef. Doth they protest too much or do Americans protest not so much?

Meddling With The Primal Forces of Nature

The yearly salmonella outbreaks in America are routine enough that you can practically set your clock by them. This year’s outbreak is particularly insidious. The USDA is having a heckova time tracing the origin of the produce. There’s no federal labeling regulation that allows investigators to track produce back to its source. Now after weeks of unsuccessful testing they have decided to spin the wheel to determine which vegetable might be the source of contamination…though they are careful not to pinpoint any one particular veggie, lest Americans stop buying those as well as the suspected tomatoes.

Our corporate – owned food producers don’t want to be held responsible for a bad food product, in much the same way the pharmaceutical industry wants to limit product liability.

But, unlike the manufactured pharmaceuticals that come with attached warnings against side effects such as diarrhea, “debilitating ruptures of the tendons,” headaches, vomiting, heart attacks, depression, or say possibly suicide. ..food is natural. Place a seed in the ground, water it, watch it grow. No liability. 

Well, in fact there is liability concern because food is not so natural, not so much from mother nature. To varying degrees our food supply comes about as a result of laboratory experimentation.

Frankenfools… er, foods

Chances are great that if you are not eating organically, you are probably eating a hybrid food product, what’s known as a frankenfood, such as frankenfish. In the industry they’re known as GMO: genetically modified food. That’s when genetic material from various sources -including human genes- are spliced into to the food crops, like rice. 

If you eat food grown in America just consider yourself a walking, breathing human lab rat. No one knows how genetically modified food affects humans. The growing obesity and diabetes epidemics (not to mention bee colony collapse syndrome) in this country could be one result. We can only speculate. We get few answers, more medicines and way too skewed studies released by the GMO industry. Just seems that with every bite we take, we are digging our graves with spoons. 

If GMO Is Such A Good Idea, Why Didn’t Evolution Think Of It First?

And for those who still want to believe that frankenfood is a world-wide trend, it isn’t just yet. EU, Japan and Australia among other nation’s have implemented GMO food bans, though parts of Australia have capitulated. The EU, and probably other countries as well, face tremendous pressure from America and WTO to accept GMO products. 

Nowadays… if you want real food grow it yourself or buy it from a local organic farmer ’cause we are being subjected to  ”Soylent Green” on steroids. 

And we haven’t even discussed cloned beef.

*There is no such organization as  KISOGA. There are counter-protesters who support US beef imports.

 

HAN

Trust No One

Today’s big story is the unscheduled landing of Senator Obama’s plane in St. Louis while enroute to Charlotte, NC because of mechanical problems. Liberals and progressives shudder when we hear about mechanical problems aboard our candidate’s planes. We’ve seen far too many of our liberal giants taken violently from us. 

HAN usually does not fret over Obama’s safety. This country is overdue for a radical swing away from the oppressive policies of George Bush. Some things in life are bigger than even Bush’s control-freak desire to be the “decider” about everything under the sun.

Still, here’s some advice to Senator Obama, who HAN had hoped would avoid the entanglement of an Iraq visit before ascending to the nation’s highest office. Senator, If they change your SS detail prior to your Iraq visit, ask more than a few questions. 

**************

There is more buzz today about whether or not our elected officials are being bribed into going along with FISA. Of course, they are. The spying started long before September 11. 

As was stated in an earlier post, for the welfare of an entire country and their own families, congress members should fess up to their crimes. An entire country should not be made to drown because certain individuals want to protect their job or ego.

Act selflessly.

Man up.

Fess up.

Feel better.

Back on Wednesday.

HAN

Another View Of FISA Bill

Jonanthan Alter speaks to Randi Rhodes about FISA; says bill restores FISA court.

 

We should all be outraged by the Democrat’s bill that gives retroactive immunity from lawsuits to the telecoms for illegally spying on Americans. The above excerpt from The Randi Rhodes Show gives one plausible explanation for congressional support of the current bill now set for vote after the July 4th recess. 

Still, giving them immunity for illegal activity is a horrible idea. 

Here is a contact form that you can use to express opposition to the so-called “compromise” FISA bill.

An aside: During the interview, Jonathan Alter reveals that last August congressional leadership were intimidated by a scary report warning that the Capitol would be bombed by terrorists.

It should give us all pause that George Bush has the temerity to scare our representatives into doing his unconstitutional bidding.

A safe and happy 4th of July to everyone. 

HAN

Heroes

American media bastardizes any and every discussion so that almost nothing has any real context. Take for example their ad nauseum description of John McCain as war hero.  Is McCain a war hero? No. Not unless John Kerry is one as well.

In 2004, the media gave a collective yawn as Republicans satirized and belittled Senator Kerry’s heroics and war record. And the Republicans did so shamelessly in full view of the world as they handed out and wore purple bandages at their national convention in an effort to mock the Purple Heart Kerry received. 

It is really obvious now that had the media focused more on Senator Kerry’s war record in 2004, it would have had to shine a light as well on George Bush and his questionable military record. 

It’s difficult finding truth and reality in this country. You know it’s so when teevee programs have to place disclaimers on programs so that dangerous stunts are not imitated by our youth. As well, food packages have to be carefully worded so the food preparer does not cause injury to self or others.

Add to this the incessant chatter of insane people on teevee and radio calling for this group or that group to be assassinated. Or insisting that because Rachel Ray wears a scarf during a teevee ad that that somehow makes her a terrorist collaborator. Unfortunately, some Americans have been trained to believe that those wearing a microphone are authoritative and speak the truth. How truly sad for them.

At least let’s get this straight. There is no constitutional requirement of a religious test nor must one have military credentials to run as president.  The requirements for the President and Vice President of the United States are: 

• natural born citizens (or citizens at the time of the Constitution’s adoption)
• at least thirty-five years old
• Resident within the United States for 14 years.

Media tele-prompter readers/egomaniacs want us to focus on imagined qualifications for POTUS. When these news models speak of McCain as war hero they are attempting to raise his overall status. It keeps Senator Obama off-message, serving only the Republican agenda.

How sad for us.