Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Dear Kenny
Has it been a year since I wrote you? I'm ashamed. Its not that I haven't missed you. But I can't say I've been all that busy either. Hard to stay busy in a recession. No money to spend. Not spending, not building. Not building, no progress. No progress...boring.
Funny thing happened on the way to the forum Sunday night. We killed Osama (Usama?) bin Laden. Shot 'em dead in his bedroom. Y'know, somehow we even managed to screw that up.
Not that anyone has any sympathy for that murdering bastard. But guess who gets to tell the "real story"? The ex-special forces consultant. The President comes on TV Sunday night and tells the world that the United States has found and killed the head Al Quaida terrorist. And he says it in a way that we can all sit up and be proud. Now he's the President and he is not going to tell all the gory details so his Administration sends their front man out to meet with the press so the morning news can titillate their readers at breakfast.
Well this asshole, John Brennan, holds a press conference and tells the story about two helicopters filled with navy Seals landing in Abbottabad, Pakistan, inside a mysterious compound in which no one knows what to expect. After a crashed helicopter and a horrendous firefight, the Seals broke into OBL's bedroom. He started to fire his weapon while using his wife as a shield. We cut him and his wife down like dogs.
Now we are all feeling all "John Wayne" and proud of our American heroes. Twenty-four hours later....all bullshit. No one inside the compound had a gun. No one fired back. We mowed them down as we swept through the compound. The woman was not his wife. He did not use her as a shield. She was shot in the leg as she tried to attack a Seal with her nails.
I don't feel bad about Osama bin Laden. I don't feel sorry for anyone who associates with him. I think it is completely justifiable for trained Seals to land in the compound and mow down anyone who moves. I even think it is justifiable to walk up to OBL and say "Sorry, we can't take you back. No room." And pop..pop. I think it was an incredible move to take him to an aircraft carrier and throw his corpse overboard at sea. No body, no shrine, no future. Done.
But no. This sonofabitch has to make up this mythical "John Wayne" story and now the Administration has to back peddle. Now people are asking what was the moral or legal thing to do (for fuckin' Osama bin fuckin' Laden fer chissakes)! Brennan wouldn't see the outside for the rest of his life if I were Obama.
Ho hum. No "honeymoon" for the President. He got a "bounce" for 48 hours and now the Republicans are back at his throat.
Time to go home and have a glass of wine, thinking of you.
Your loving brother
Has it been a year since I wrote you? I'm ashamed. Its not that I haven't missed you. But I can't say I've been all that busy either. Hard to stay busy in a recession. No money to spend. Not spending, not building. Not building, no progress. No progress...boring.
Funny thing happened on the way to the forum Sunday night. We killed Osama (Usama?) bin Laden. Shot 'em dead in his bedroom. Y'know, somehow we even managed to screw that up.
Not that anyone has any sympathy for that murdering bastard. But guess who gets to tell the "real story"? The ex-special forces consultant. The President comes on TV Sunday night and tells the world that the United States has found and killed the head Al Quaida terrorist. And he says it in a way that we can all sit up and be proud. Now he's the President and he is not going to tell all the gory details so his Administration sends their front man out to meet with the press so the morning news can titillate their readers at breakfast.
Well this asshole, John Brennan, holds a press conference and tells the story about two helicopters filled with navy Seals landing in Abbottabad, Pakistan, inside a mysterious compound in which no one knows what to expect. After a crashed helicopter and a horrendous firefight, the Seals broke into OBL's bedroom. He started to fire his weapon while using his wife as a shield. We cut him and his wife down like dogs.
Now we are all feeling all "John Wayne" and proud of our American heroes. Twenty-four hours later....all bullshit. No one inside the compound had a gun. No one fired back. We mowed them down as we swept through the compound. The woman was not his wife. He did not use her as a shield. She was shot in the leg as she tried to attack a Seal with her nails.
I don't feel bad about Osama bin Laden. I don't feel sorry for anyone who associates with him. I think it is completely justifiable for trained Seals to land in the compound and mow down anyone who moves. I even think it is justifiable to walk up to OBL and say "Sorry, we can't take you back. No room." And pop..pop. I think it was an incredible move to take him to an aircraft carrier and throw his corpse overboard at sea. No body, no shrine, no future. Done.
But no. This sonofabitch has to make up this mythical "John Wayne" story and now the Administration has to back peddle. Now people are asking what was the moral or legal thing to do (for fuckin' Osama bin fuckin' Laden fer chissakes)! Brennan wouldn't see the outside for the rest of his life if I were Obama.
Ho hum. No "honeymoon" for the President. He got a "bounce" for 48 hours and now the Republicans are back at his throat.
Time to go home and have a glass of wine, thinking of you.
Your loving brother
Friday, July 23, 2010
Dear Kenny,
"The Age of Rage". That was the title of an article on Politico today. I do think it is true. You should read it. Once again, it is an opinion that helps define the problem and leaves us hanging to what the solutions may be. Essentially, it says :
"The Age of Rage". That was the title of an article on Politico today. I do think it is true. You should read it. Once again, it is an opinion that helps define the problem and leaves us hanging to what the solutions may be. Essentially, it says :
"Here’s the optimistic case: The embarrassment of the Shirley Sherrod story — with its toxic convergence of partisan combat and media recklessness — will be a tipping point. It will remind journalists and politicians alike that personal reputations and professional credibility are at stake, and a bit more restraint and responsibility are in order.
Here’s the realistic case: Get ready for more of the same.
Every president since the first George Bush has delivered an inaugural address including as a main theme an appeal for more civility and less cynical conflict. Barack Obama is the fourth in a row to be thwarted in this mission — frustrated by forces that have grown far stronger over the past two decades and aren’t abating any time soon."
What are we going to do?
Your lost brother
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Dear Kenny,
Just imagine. You have worked hard, giving your best to get ahead. The company you are working for doesn't make the sharpest decisions to prepare for this recession and has asked you to leave. Your position is cut. You go home, take what little severance they give you and start looking for work. It's not easy.
Your wife doesn't quite get it. You have never been in this position before. So she continues to spend like you still had a job, ignoring the problem.
You decide too late, after the severance is gone, that you need to file for unemployment. You were sure you were going to have a job by now but you don't and the money has run out. Your first shock is the waiting period. You didn't know about that. So you have a couple of weeks 'til money comes in. Got to use the credit cards for a loan. Your second shock is the amount. No where near what you used to make. She's still not getting it. Credit card use is higher than unemployment benefits. The arguments begin. Tension is high and the kids are walking around on eggshells.
Then the unemployment benefits run out. No job. Credit cards are full. Bill collectors calling. And you don't know where your family's next meal is coming from.
You turn on your TV and you find out that every Republican and that bastard Nelson in Nebraska believe that if they extend your benefits you are going to enjoy this good life and not go out and find a job. You are going to become part of the national problem.
Finally, the Democrats break the Senate's minority filibuster and you could be on your way to finding food for your family. But no! Filibuster rules provide that the Senate can take no action until 30 hours after cloture. Of course that is not commonly adhered to anymore, but in this case, the Republicans want their 30 hours. Why? Because they can. You can't get more mean spirited than that.
Ya gotta love you conservatives!
Your sad brother
Just imagine. You have worked hard, giving your best to get ahead. The company you are working for doesn't make the sharpest decisions to prepare for this recession and has asked you to leave. Your position is cut. You go home, take what little severance they give you and start looking for work. It's not easy.
Your wife doesn't quite get it. You have never been in this position before. So she continues to spend like you still had a job, ignoring the problem.
You decide too late, after the severance is gone, that you need to file for unemployment. You were sure you were going to have a job by now but you don't and the money has run out. Your first shock is the waiting period. You didn't know about that. So you have a couple of weeks 'til money comes in. Got to use the credit cards for a loan. Your second shock is the amount. No where near what you used to make. She's still not getting it. Credit card use is higher than unemployment benefits. The arguments begin. Tension is high and the kids are walking around on eggshells.
Then the unemployment benefits run out. No job. Credit cards are full. Bill collectors calling. And you don't know where your family's next meal is coming from.
You turn on your TV and you find out that every Republican and that bastard Nelson in Nebraska believe that if they extend your benefits you are going to enjoy this good life and not go out and find a job. You are going to become part of the national problem.
Finally, the Democrats break the Senate's minority filibuster and you could be on your way to finding food for your family. But no! Filibuster rules provide that the Senate can take no action until 30 hours after cloture. Of course that is not commonly adhered to anymore, but in this case, the Republicans want their 30 hours. Why? Because they can. You can't get more mean spirited than that.
Ya gotta love you conservatives!
Your sad brother
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Dear Kenny,
I'm loving this. Y'gotta read Politico's article today on the Tea Party. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. You guys (Yeah, you included. I know you would have joined like your brother.) You guys are against your government, against the two party system, against any institution that reflects our culture and government structure. That includes Palin's "lamestreet media," Glen Beck's secret society that is supposedly pulling the strings, and of course against every elected official, appointed official or anyone in a place of power. Tea Party members are against everything.
The problem is: to affect change, they have to organize. To organize they have to have leaders. Leaders have power. Uh oh! We gotta be against them. It's our nature.
I'm loving it. The Teabaggers say they are a decentralized movement. There are no national leaders or national organization. Unfortunately, those that would benefit with a national movement like Dick Armey or the profiteers who formed the first convention, know the movement needs leadership to continue the movement. Joe Six Pack is doing everything he can to thwart it. going to be interesting to see how it turns out.
Let's watch and see how this turns out.
As ever, your brother
I'm loving this. Y'gotta read Politico's article today on the Tea Party. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. You guys (Yeah, you included. I know you would have joined like your brother.) You guys are against your government, against the two party system, against any institution that reflects our culture and government structure. That includes Palin's "lamestreet media," Glen Beck's secret society that is supposedly pulling the strings, and of course against every elected official, appointed official or anyone in a place of power. Tea Party members are against everything.
The problem is: to affect change, they have to organize. To organize they have to have leaders. Leaders have power. Uh oh! We gotta be against them. It's our nature.
I'm loving it. The Teabaggers say they are a decentralized movement. There are no national leaders or national organization. Unfortunately, those that would benefit with a national movement like Dick Armey or the profiteers who formed the first convention, know the movement needs leadership to continue the movement. Joe Six Pack is doing everything he can to thwart it. going to be interesting to see how it turns out.
Let's watch and see how this turns out.
As ever, your brother
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Dear Kenny,
Not going to write much today. I just found a blogger that says it so much better than I do. I wanted you to read some of it and ponder. Afterall, I am the Thoughtwhisperer.
His name is Bill Pendergast. He has a blog about "Michelle Bachmann Updates." You can go to his column and read more, but this is one thing he said that rings home to me:
Its good to know that someone out there is as frightened as I am.
Your frightened brother
Not going to write much today. I just found a blogger that says it so much better than I do. I wanted you to read some of it and ponder. Afterall, I am the Thoughtwhisperer.
His name is Bill Pendergast. He has a blog about "Michelle Bachmann Updates." You can go to his column and read more, but this is one thing he said that rings home to me:
Bachmann is a symptom of what has become a chronic political cancer in the US: the marriage of American conservatism to sectarian religious belief guided by a national conservative evangelical political hierarchy...conflating the idea of "true Christianity" with a conservative agenda. And I believe (this summer) that they have a better than fifty-fifty chance of dominating the government and making fundamental changes to the way Americans think about government and democracy.
All that stuff: "Judaeo-Christian religious authority as the real and ultimate premise of American government and legitimate authority." "A predominant worldview that demonizes other opinions as anti-American." "Beliefs about the supernatural as the final test for what constitutes facts and knowledge." "A new American political and social hierarchy with a "top" including people who dominate on the basis of their status as the representatives of the supernatural." I believe that that has a good chance of becoming a reality in my lifetime.
I don't believe that if that does happen, it's going to happen all at once. I've observed that the people that I'm referring to are what another diarist tonight called "incrementalists." They can wait; they have been waiting for decades. Right now they're waiting for Dem fails at the polls this fall; if that happens to a significant degree you and I will see "that nut" Bachmann as ideological leader in a newly constituted US Congress.
Its good to know that someone out there is as frightened as I am.
Your frightened brother
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)