Nov 11, 2017

Careful What You Ask For

The GOP movers-n-shakers have been pushing for a radically de-centralized system for a good long time - recently pimping a particularly self-destructive brand of conspiracy and paranoia.  Well, fellas, you got it. It's here. Is it workin' OK for ya?

WaPo:

Roy Moore’s refusal to bow out of Alabama’s special election for a Senate seat is the latest demonstration of the diminished power of congressional leaders and other, once-powerful institutions in Washington.

The Republican nominee, accused of sexual contact with a 14-year-old when he was a 32-year-old local prosecutor, brushed off calls for him to stand down as part of plot by establishment figures to “undermine this campaign” before the Dec. 12 ballot. Moore ignored the severing of financial ties by the National Republican Senatorial Committee for similar reasons.

He summed up today’s environment in a fundraising pitch to supporters Friday morning: “I will NEVER GIVE UP the fight!”

Moore is right — it might be entirely up to him when or if he will ever give up the fight. The tools available to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other Washington figures to drive him out of the race either no longer exist or have been rendered impotent by the rise of a new political structure. From the media to big corporations to Congress, public distrust has grown across the board and made it easier for outlier figures such as Moore to thumb their nose at the so-called leaders.



Today's Today

Armistice - at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month









Roy Moore Pickup Lines



"Hey, girl - wanna see my little gun?"



 

 

 

American Capitalism


Unfortunately, this isn't new. I think we saw this several years ago. But no matter - when you'll sell armor plates to parents for their grade-schoolers' backpacks instead of insisting that lawmakers address the problem at its source, you have to stop pretending you're arguing against reasonable gun laws from any kind of principled position.

CNN:

A Miami private school is offering parents an unusual item for sale: bulletproof panels for their kids' backpacks. 

The Florida Christian School website has a list of items available for purchase. These include winter wear, red school logo T-shirts and ballistic panels

George Gulla, dean of students and head of school security at Florida Christian School, told CNN the bulletproof panels would add "another level of protection" to students of the pre-K through grade 12 school "in the event of an active shooter."



Any foolish claim you've made to the Moral High Ground is now forfeit.

And also too - nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste or intelligence of the American public.

The More They Stay The Same

Levittown PA in the 1950s.

"I have no prejudice against the coloreds, it's just that I wouldn't like to have one as a neighbor."

Nov 10, 2017

Today's Tweet



I need to learn how to do some of this



Nov 9, 2017

That Pesky 9%


If they'd known then what they know now - yeah, prob'ly be no different.

Nice to think about it though.

A Map

Just wanted to throw this one up and look at it for a while.

(WaPo)


I don't do colors very well, but to me, this looks a lot like Virginia has seen a significant shift towards the Blue end.

Even all that wide open space in the western and southwestern parts don't have that deep red thing going on like before.

But what's really odd is the purpling of places like Fredericksburg and The Tidewater (Norfolk etc) because of the fairly heavy National Security presence in those areas.

I guess it's possible that the GOP's insistence on the belt-tightening fiscal regime that eventually led to the choking effects of Sequestration is making life difficult in places that depend a lot on federal money. We heard a little of that leading up to Tuesday's elections.

I dunno.

Once upon a time, a friend who knows about such things told me the reason most US Military people have been way more inclined to vote Republican is that the Democrats were the ones who sent them to war in stupid places, for stupid reasons - Korea, Vietnam, etc - while cutting their budgets and talking shit about them, but now they're drifting to the Dems because it's the GOP who's been doing all that lately.

I dunno again.

It's pretty weird, and getting weirder - Bob Goodlatte (R-VA06) just announced he's not running in 2018, which makes him like the 20th Repub to bail - so I think it doesn't start getting un-weird for a while yet.

The more we learn, the less we know - just keep watching I guess.

Today's Tweet



"...solve for middle income..."

Malarkey - the only thing they're trying to solve is the problem of getting us to say "thanks for the hat" while they shit on our heads.

 

Could Be A Lot

I'm wondering how significant it is when the opening bit at CMA is a nice big slam on 45*.

Nov 8, 2017

Today's Quote (paraphrased)


Wanting to live in a better neighborhood shouldn't mean you have move.

Nothing Fails Like Prayer - Thank God

Praise Mammon from whom all blessings flow
Praise him, all victims here below
Praise him, Congress - who love him best
Praise money and power - and fuck the rest

About Last Night



A few hi-lites



 

 

 

 

 

 


Nov 6, 2017

About That Tax Thing

Robert Reich, the experiment, and why good ol' Keynesian economics is what we need to get back to.




Nov 5, 2017

An Audience Of One

45*'s inner circle will never stop pimping the lies, and ensures 45* will never stop believing he has the support of the majority.

And of course, that's the biggest problem with all the constant propagandizing - the danger that you start believing your own bullshit.  I'm pretty sure we passed that point quite a while back with this guy.

So, he will never see this - not in this form anyway:





Officials reportedly said her speech was the most registered event of the three-day assembly, but that tight security had meant not everyone had been able to enter the hall before the doors were closed for the duration of the speeches by Abe and Trump.

However, the Guardian arrived at the hall 10 minutes before the event began and witnessed no long lines of people waiting to get in. Another attendee who entered as the doors were closing said just a handful of people were milling around outside.