To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection. --Henri Poincairé
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
Today's Quote
Today's Charlie
Charlie Pierce on the little stroke fest going on between Chris Matthews and Hillary:
Anyway, Matthews giving Hillary a tongue bath on the air like a dutiful little Press Poodle was a little surprising given the outright hostility that Charlie points out, but it makes a lot of sense from the stand point of the corporate media needing to rally around the power center and protect the status quo against the efforts of a Bernie Sanders who seems to be trying to turn this joint into some dirty little democracy or some such. Eww.
Careers are at stake here. If they allow Bernie to gain any real momentum, the whole Political Infotainment Industry is in real danger of total collapse. They know he's that much of a threat. Isn't it interesting how some people are so sure that protecting their paycheck is more important than serving our little experiment in self-government? That's the mindset of the overseer.
Somebody - actually a group of very powerful somebodies - has made a decision that Hillary's going to be our next POTUS. They'll hedge their bets by flacking Marco Rubio, but that's the window dressing; that's the match-maker shit they pull on us every fucking time.
Rubio is being cast as the GOP's Barack Obama - coming from behind to knock off all the favorites in the playoffs and win a shot at the title. I think it's interesting that Cruz (IMO) is being used as the cat's paw to countervail Trump, while Rubio is being pimped as some kind of quiet giant killer. BTW - I tho't that role was going to be Jeb's, but the guy is apparently even more adept at fucking up a free lunch than his dumb-as-a-stump brother, and I'm dumb enough to have tho't otherwise.
Anyway, we all remember what an epic battle it was for the Dem nomination in 2008 when we had the crafty veteran squaring off against the upstart newcomer, so why not just replay that whole fucking show; that was a dandy - but this time, we'll put 'em on opposite sides in a contest for the ultimate prize - it'll be a spectacularly spectacular spectacle to see these two valiant warriors in action as they slug it out for blah blah blah. This isn't even a horse race anymore - it looks a lot more like Professional Wrestling.
Call me wacky and y'know - I may be paranoid, but that don't mean nobody's out to get me.
Wanna know what stops this shit - or at least changes it for the better?
Chris Matthews had an interview with Hillary Rodham Clinton on the MSNBC channel of the electric teevee machine Tuesday afternoon that was flatly astounding. This is especially true if you remember Matthews' sorry history with the Clinton family, especially concerning HRC, against whom he was so hostile in 2008 that kindly Doc Maddow called him out on it on the air. Now, though, apparently, Matthews sees HRC as the only thing keeping the Battleship Potemkin from sailing up his driveway.I don't need a lot of encouragement to slag Tweety. The guy is a political sycophant who made his bones serving congress during a time that became pretty notorious for official corruption - not that anything can compare with what's going on now, but back then, bribery was still illegal. Aah, the good old days.
Anyway, Matthews giving Hillary a tongue bath on the air like a dutiful little Press Poodle was a little surprising given the outright hostility that Charlie points out, but it makes a lot of sense from the stand point of the corporate media needing to rally around the power center and protect the status quo against the efforts of a Bernie Sanders who seems to be trying to turn this joint into some dirty little democracy or some such. Eww.
Careers are at stake here. If they allow Bernie to gain any real momentum, the whole Political Infotainment Industry is in real danger of total collapse. They know he's that much of a threat. Isn't it interesting how some people are so sure that protecting their paycheck is more important than serving our little experiment in self-government? That's the mindset of the overseer.
Somebody - actually a group of very powerful somebodies - has made a decision that Hillary's going to be our next POTUS. They'll hedge their bets by flacking Marco Rubio, but that's the window dressing; that's the match-maker shit they pull on us every fucking time.
Rubio is being cast as the GOP's Barack Obama - coming from behind to knock off all the favorites in the playoffs and win a shot at the title. I think it's interesting that Cruz (IMO) is being used as the cat's paw to countervail Trump, while Rubio is being pimped as some kind of quiet giant killer. BTW - I tho't that role was going to be Jeb's, but the guy is apparently even more adept at fucking up a free lunch than his dumb-as-a-stump brother, and I'm dumb enough to have tho't otherwise.
Anyway, we all remember what an epic battle it was for the Dem nomination in 2008 when we had the crafty veteran squaring off against the upstart newcomer, so why not just replay that whole fucking show; that was a dandy - but this time, we'll put 'em on opposite sides in a contest for the ultimate prize - it'll be a spectacularly spectacular spectacle to see these two valiant warriors in action as they slug it out for blah blah blah. This isn't even a horse race anymore - it looks a lot more like Professional Wrestling.
Call me wacky and y'know - I may be paranoid, but that don't mean nobody's out to get me.
Wanna know what stops this shit - or at least changes it for the better?
A Brief Predictive History
Some day, we might get a peek at a few of the encounters that've set this epically wacky political year in motion, and maybe, the running battle between The Lord High Priebus and Donald The Invincible of Trumpkinland will be remembered ever so grandly thus:
Tuesday, February 02, 2016
Comments For Cash
No matter what it is. No matter who it's for or who wants it to happen - somebody's always gonna step up and be willing to pimp out their own children, believing they'll make enough to shield themselves from the shittiness that drowns "everybody else".
And remember, kids - if you want to know what's up with any problem here in USAmerica Inc, just take a hard look at who stands to benefit from allowing the problem to persist, and then look at who stands to profit from any proposed solution.
One last thing:
On the 31st floor,
a gold-plated door
won't keep out the lord's burnin' rain.
Sin City (cover) --Emmylou Harris and Beck
Today's Tweet
Ted (Spindle Face) Cruz had a roomie at Princeton who just can't stop talkin' shit about the guy.
Ted Cruz focused all of his resources on a state with tailor-made demographics for him, and he got 50,000 votes. Dodger Stadium fits 56,000.— Craig Mazin (@clmazin) February 2, 2016
The Inoculating Attack
— R.Saddler (@Politics_PR) February 2, 2016
The main reason Repubs are always launching what are truly silly "investigations" into non-troversial un-scandals like Benghazi and Voter Fraud and Whitewater and IRS and Fast And Furious and Vince Foster and whether or not Hillary was on the grassy knoll in Dallas and and and - anyway, they do it partly because they know their little fishing trips will uncover something eventually that embarrasses whoever they're sliming, plus they can use it to sell the baloney about "aren't you tired of all the scandal surrounding [insert Democrat's name here]? But mostly, by constantly using this one government power tool, in the most cynical and manipulative way possible, they set the frame that makes it easier for them to claim "it doesn't mean anything; it's all just political" when (eg) there're legitimate reasons for somebody to slap Rick Snyder's face around to the other side of his head.
And BTW - if you can't point out at least 6 times the Dems pulled this kinda shit, then shut the fuck up with all that Both Sides bullshit.
Monday, February 01, 2016
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Today's Tweet
Whoever made this, thank you.
Trump v. Manson. pic.twitter.com/ztUx36aY1c
— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) January 31, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Bob And Chez
These guys are often pretty dang good. Not Professional Left kinda good, but good. The best bit for me is their point that Trump is setting up DumFux News to be included in the big bad media megalith, and using Sarah Palin to swing the sledge for him. Pretty interesting.
And it goes along with driftglass (Professional Left) observing that there are politicians and other power-humpers out there trying lotsa little maneuvers to take advantage of our obsessive acceptance of the Both-Sides narrative in order to position themselves as the "sensible middle". Trump is a master at playing the ends against each other while staying safely at the center of it all. (have you watched "The Wheeler Dealers" yet, like I told ya?)
And it goes along with driftglass (Professional Left) observing that there are politicians and other power-humpers out there trying lotsa little maneuvers to take advantage of our obsessive acceptance of the Both-Sides narrative in order to position themselves as the "sensible middle". Trump is a master at playing the ends against each other while staying safely at the center of it all. (have you watched "The Wheeler Dealers" yet, like I told ya?)
The Mic Drop
Nobody's doing it better right now than Larry Wilmore.
Still hoping Trevor Noah will at least start to catch up soon. Also hoping the suits give him the space and the help he needs to do that.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Listen Up
This week's podcast from driftglass and Blue Gal - Ep. 312, Trump No Trump
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The Professional Left Podcast
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1. Give monthly to support the podcast:
2. Make a one-time donation
3. Or make checks payable to:
The Professional Left Podcast
PO Box 9133
Springfield, IL 62791
Left Behind
What strikes me is that these people sound like children. Whether they're 22 years old or 60 - when they speak, they sound like they think they know everything they need to know, and that there's just no way they could be trying to argue their point from a false premise.
The two Goober Squadlings in that report can't believe they won't get their way just because they think they're right and everybody else is wrong and, "Gee, Dad - it's just not fair - all the other kids did it".
And not to give ya too much of a whiplash, but we need to put some real schooling back into schools. We need to teach kids about critical thinking, so they don't grow up to become easy marks for any random jagoff who can fool 'em into believing whatever he tells 'em in order to serve his own lust for power.
I'm not trying to set myself up as a paragon. I've bought into all kinds of shit that ends up looking pretty stoopid in retrospect. I owned a pair of Earth Shoes for fuck's sake - but c'mon, guys - at least I haven't let anybody convince me Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 is the only thing in the US Constitution that matters.
Skepticism is our friend, kids.
Apply the same principles to everything anybody says about their "deeper understanding".
The arrogance that seems always to grow from deliberate ignorance can get your dumb ass killed.
Guerrilla Campaign
If this is real - and I'm hoping it is - it doesn't get much grass-rootsier than this right here.
Who's Foolin' Who?
So Paul Kantner died yesterday, and I went to YouTube to listen to Crown of Creation (which I hadn't heard in quite a while), and holy crap - Star Track comes on and I'm thinking that sounds really familiar, and holy crap again, I start singing Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In - and it fits almost perfectly.
Everything recycles. Everything is derived from something else. So when something comes along that seems really new, try to understand how rare and exceptional it has to be to make us forget where it came from.
Star Track --Jefferson Airplane
Just Dropped In (cover) --Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
Everything recycles. Everything is derived from something else. So when something comes along that seems really new, try to understand how rare and exceptional it has to be to make us forget where it came from.
Star Track --Jefferson Airplane
Just Dropped In (cover) --Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
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