Monday, September 3, 2012
The Reality-Based Romney
Apparently I have been living in the reality-based community far too long.
"The aide said that guys like me were ''in what we call the reality-based community,'' which he defined as people who ''believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.'' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. ''That's not the way the world really works anymore,'' he continued. ''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''
That was 2004. That was a Bush aide in a New York Times Magazine article written by Ron Suskind.
(Link to full article)
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/magazine/17BUSH.html
It came to mind as I watched clips of Clint Eastwood and The Chair.
And I continue to think about is as it is within the realm of possibility that an empty suit who, during the 'speech of his lifetime', looked as if he couldn't decide whether to burst into tears or shit his pants could be elected President of the United States.
And it came to mind again when I read this quote from the Doesn't-Like-Romney-But-Obama-is- Satan brand of 'conservative',
"Women want to be secure in how their kids are going to have a better education, they want to know if they can get jobs, they want to know that their country is going to keep growing," Dau said. "They don't want to live in a country that's going toward the Bangladeshian. I mean, I feel sorry for those people, but we don't want to be them. And Obama is going in that direction in every way."
(Link to full article)
rhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/01/mitt-romney-convention_n_1846625.html?ref=topbar
In kindergarten this kind of thing is called Opposite Day. In the reality-based community where I live if you switch the name Obama to Romney, I and others feel the same albeit without the 'Bangladeshian' part. But we understand the concept of a permanent underclass for whom basic necessities of life may be out of reach. We see this as the direction the country was headed under Bush and will again turn back to under a Romney presidency. We see a reality-based Romney. And our reality-based Romney and his corporate overlords will lead us 'toward the Bangladeshian'.
We also see a reality-based Obama. We see a pretty conservative guy who inherited a shitstorm of an economic disaster and two wars on layaway.
We see a reality-based economy that is making slow upward progress. Not nearly as robustly or as quickly as we might like but moving nonetheless.
We see a reality-based Affordable Care Act that while far from perfect helps real kids checkups and immunizations, real kids with lifelong illnesses who can no longer be denied health insurance because of preexisting conditions, real kids who don't get kicked off their parent's coverage when they turn 18 or graduate from college.
We also see a reality-based Republican party in Congress. A party that cares only for themselves and their corporate masters. The party whose 'top political priority' according to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell 'should be to deny Obama a second term.' And this is exactly what they have tried to do since 2010. They have done nothing obstruct and they are counting on the propaganda arm to keep the base riled up enough over gay marriage, abortion and evolution to let them get away with it.
In the reality-based community we see they get away with it far to often.
The reality-based community has a responsibility. Aux barricades, mes amies! We must tell the truth. Some famous guy said 'the truth shall set you free'. I'm too much of a cynic to believe either side tells the absolute truth absolutely all the time. We have to live with some degree of 'un-truth'. We don't have to live with blatant lies.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Just Vote
Dear Fellow American Citizen:
I promise to not go all moralizing on you and remind you of all the people who fought and died for the right to vote.
This is a plea to all the undecideds, libertarians, progressives that are disappointed with Obama, conservatives who for whatever reason can't get behind Romney/Ryan, people who think they should support the third party candidate women of all ages and young 'uns - college kids, working kids, kids living in their parents' basements. THIS COUNTRY CANNOT SURVIVE IF YOU DON'T VOTE. AND THIS ELECTION CANNOT BE CLOSE BECAUSE IF IT IS IT WILL BE STOLEN JUST LIKE IN 2000.
You may not love Obama with the same passion you had 4 years ago but for the love of an America that we can still recognize, don't break up with him.
If you are in one of the following groups, or not, think about these questions and go vote for Obama.
Progressives - he ain't perfect. He could do more. He's too cautious. But how would the alternative be better?.
Women - do you really want all those pasty white men all up in your lady-business? Do you want to lose access to birth control? Do you want yourself or your sister or your best friend to die because safe abortions would be a thing of the past. I remember when both birth control and abortion was illegal. Do we want to turn the clock back 40 years?
Everyone - Isn't good health a basic human right. Should a well person's ability to stay well though access to preventative care or a sick person's ability to get well be tied to their income and employment status? Should sick children be denied coverage because the cost of their care is not in the best interest of the insurance company's bottom line?
Gun people - has anyone come to your door yet to take them away?
Young Ron Paulites - the bad news is he probably won't legalize weed. Do you stay on your parents' health insurance. Do you want to continue to be able to borrow money for college. Do you want to get drafted to go fight in Iran or some other hellhole
Olds and future olds - Vouchers for Medicare? Privatize Social Security? If people want private retirement accounts and can afford them, good. They should have them. But according to Bloomberg last March 60% of American workers had less than $25,000 saved for retirement and half of US workers do not have access to retirement savings plans through their employers. Social Security is the safety net that will keep seniors from eating cat food. Do you want to have to decide between food and medicine? Do you want to have to live with your kids?
This election is less about the two candidates than it is about the kind of country we will become over the next generations. And yes, generations because whoever wins this thing in November will get to appoint THREE Supreme Court Justices to join the ranks of Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas giving the extreme right a majority that will far outlast the administration of the President who appoints them. A Romney Supreme Court would likely undo decades of progress in civil rights and protections, women's rights, workers' rights. Do you seriously believe any of this is in your best interests? If you do just remember this is the Supreme Court that gave us 'corporations are citizens'. If General Electric as a corporate entity can have the same rights as you, individual person' have who's 'rights' do you think will be a priority for a Romney Court.
Same goes for a Romney administration. I am baffled that this election would even be close although I guess I shouldn't be surprised. In 2000, the neocons needed an empty suit to run for President so that they could go to war with Iraq. It was a risk and if not for the last minute Supreme Court coronation 4000+ American soldiers and 100,000 Iraqis would still be alive and we would not have countless young men and women who served their country coming home physically and psychically damaged with no jobs to support themselves and their families.
This time the corporations need the empty suit and they found one and they have obscene financial resources to buy the Oval Office for their empty suit. I'm not so comfortable with Obama's relationship to corporations but I have no doubt that Romney would be a much more faithful servant to his corporate overlords.
The theme of the RNC should have been 'You're on Your Own' because that is what will happen to the 99% on January 20, 2013 if Willard Mitt Romney gets to take the oath of office.
I promise to not go all moralizing on you and remind you of all the people who fought and died for the right to vote.
This is a plea to all the undecideds, libertarians, progressives that are disappointed with Obama, conservatives who for whatever reason can't get behind Romney/Ryan, people who think they should support the third party candidate women of all ages and young 'uns - college kids, working kids, kids living in their parents' basements. THIS COUNTRY CANNOT SURVIVE IF YOU DON'T VOTE. AND THIS ELECTION CANNOT BE CLOSE BECAUSE IF IT IS IT WILL BE STOLEN JUST LIKE IN 2000.
You may not love Obama with the same passion you had 4 years ago but for the love of an America that we can still recognize, don't break up with him.
If you are in one of the following groups, or not, think about these questions and go vote for Obama.
Progressives - he ain't perfect. He could do more. He's too cautious. But how would the alternative be better?.
Women - do you really want all those pasty white men all up in your lady-business? Do you want to lose access to birth control? Do you want yourself or your sister or your best friend to die because safe abortions would be a thing of the past. I remember when both birth control and abortion was illegal. Do we want to turn the clock back 40 years?
Everyone - Isn't good health a basic human right. Should a well person's ability to stay well though access to preventative care or a sick person's ability to get well be tied to their income and employment status? Should sick children be denied coverage because the cost of their care is not in the best interest of the insurance company's bottom line?
Gun people - has anyone come to your door yet to take them away?
Young Ron Paulites - the bad news is he probably won't legalize weed. Do you stay on your parents' health insurance. Do you want to continue to be able to borrow money for college. Do you want to get drafted to go fight in Iran or some other hellhole
Olds and future olds - Vouchers for Medicare? Privatize Social Security? If people want private retirement accounts and can afford them, good. They should have them. But according to Bloomberg last March 60% of American workers had less than $25,000 saved for retirement and half of US workers do not have access to retirement savings plans through their employers. Social Security is the safety net that will keep seniors from eating cat food. Do you want to have to decide between food and medicine? Do you want to have to live with your kids?
This election is less about the two candidates than it is about the kind of country we will become over the next generations. And yes, generations because whoever wins this thing in November will get to appoint THREE Supreme Court Justices to join the ranks of Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas giving the extreme right a majority that will far outlast the administration of the President who appoints them. A Romney Supreme Court would likely undo decades of progress in civil rights and protections, women's rights, workers' rights. Do you seriously believe any of this is in your best interests? If you do just remember this is the Supreme Court that gave us 'corporations are citizens'. If General Electric as a corporate entity can have the same rights as you, individual person' have who's 'rights' do you think will be a priority for a Romney Court.
Same goes for a Romney administration. I am baffled that this election would even be close although I guess I shouldn't be surprised. In 2000, the neocons needed an empty suit to run for President so that they could go to war with Iraq. It was a risk and if not for the last minute Supreme Court coronation 4000+ American soldiers and 100,000 Iraqis would still be alive and we would not have countless young men and women who served their country coming home physically and psychically damaged with no jobs to support themselves and their families.
This time the corporations need the empty suit and they found one and they have obscene financial resources to buy the Oval Office for their empty suit. I'm not so comfortable with Obama's relationship to corporations but I have no doubt that Romney would be a much more faithful servant to his corporate overlords.
The theme of the RNC should have been 'You're on Your Own' because that is what will happen to the 99% on January 20, 2013 if Willard Mitt Romney gets to take the oath of office.
Aux Barricades!
Welcome to the Barricades! Hopefully you found this blog because you are interested a potpourri of politics, amateur photography, books, naturism, food and food politics and all the adventures of life 'at a certain age' - because that's what I will be blogging about.
It's said the third time is a charm.The first time I tried blogging I managed 16 posts. The second time I got a little better and managed 75. This time I am hoping to keep it going. Before I self_censored because I knew the kids were reading. This time I will hide from them.
So why the Barricades?
We need a goddamned revolution! Our society has been turned into a flock of sheep living a delusion. Truth is no longer conformity to fact and reality. Facts and reality are disdained by those who seek to rule us. King George the W of Wall Street's administration self_admittedly did not live in a reality based world. They supposedly created reality. The next wanna-be King of Wall Street, Willard the Rat (shout out to Nellie for that) is running a campaign that will 'not be dictated by fact-checkers'. Seriously? Are we that stupid?
Sadly as a country we are. And we are destined to get stupider. Texas wants to ban critical thinking from public education. Wasn't the goal of public education to have an informed electorate? If people could read they would be able to decide for themselves how to vote. An informed electorate is the last thing Willard the Rat and his ilk want. They want empty vessels that will repeat back whatever propaganda they spew.
It's said the third time is a charm.The first time I tried blogging I managed 16 posts. The second time I got a little better and managed 75. This time I am hoping to keep it going. Before I self_censored because I knew the kids were reading. This time I will hide from them.
We need a goddamned revolution! Our society has been turned into a flock of sheep living a delusion. Truth is no longer conformity to fact and reality. Facts and reality are disdained by those who seek to rule us. King George the W of Wall Street's administration self_admittedly did not live in a reality based world. They supposedly created reality. The next wanna-be King of Wall Street, Willard the Rat (shout out to Nellie for that) is running a campaign that will 'not be dictated by fact-checkers'. Seriously? Are we that stupid?
Sadly as a country we are. And we are destined to get stupider. Texas wants to ban critical thinking from public education. Wasn't the goal of public education to have an informed electorate? If people could read they would be able to decide for themselves how to vote. An informed electorate is the last thing Willard the Rat and his ilk want. They want empty vessels that will repeat back whatever propaganda they spew.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)