Class Warfare? FUCK YOU!

It's incredibly unseemly to watch a bunch of rich white men talk about class warfare.

How about the class warfare being waged by the GOP on behalf of the rich and corporations against ordinary working Americans who pay more than their fair share in taxes? A GOP that threatens to take away any safety net they can, including union representation and social security.

If the GOP wants class warfare—much like the race war they are waging against minorities in country—bring it on.

GOP Plans to Help Christian Talibanists Take Over America

Back in the 1960 election, presidential hopeful John F. Kennedy had to prove to voters that he would not be beholden to the Pope.

Yet today, a GOP candidate has secretly pledged to follow the agenda of Christian Talibanists in taking over the U.S.

So much for the separation of church and state.

How the GOP found Jesus....

If there's any proof that fiscal responsibility is based not on ideology but rather political expediency and being in charge of the purse strings, here it is (from the Washington Monthly)...

1980: Ronald Reagan runs for president, promising a balanced budget

1981 - 1989: With support from congressional Republicans, Reagan runs enormous deficits, adds $2 trillion to the debt.

1993: Bill Clinton passes economic plan that lowers deficit, gets zero votes from congressional Republicans.

1998: U.S. deficit disappears for the first time in three decades. Debt clock is unplugged.

2000: George W. Bush runs for president, promising to maintain a balanced budget.

2001: CBO shows the United States is on track to pay off the entirety of its national debt within a decade.

2001 - 2009: With support from congressional Republicans, Bush runs enormous deficits, adds nearly $5 trillion to the debt.

2002: Dick Cheney declares, “Deficits don’t matter.” Congressional Republicans agree, approving tax cuts, two wars, and Medicare expansion without even trying to pay for them.

2009: Barack Obama inherits $1.3 trillion deficit from Bush; Republicans immediately condemn Obama’s fiscal irresponsibility.

2009: Congressional Democrats unveil several domestic policy initiatives — including health care reform, cap and trade, DREAM Act — which would lower the deficit. GOP opposes all of them, while continuing to push for deficit reduction.

September 2010: In Obama’s first fiscal year, the deficit shrinks by $122 billion. Republicans again condemn Obama’s fiscal irresponsibility.

October 2010: S&P endorses the nation’s AAA rating with a stable outlook, saying the United States looks to be in solid fiscal shape for the foreseeable future.

November 2010: Republicans win a U.S. House majority, citing the need for fiscal responsibility.

December 2010: Congressional Republicans demand extension of Bush tax cuts, relying entirely on deficit financing. GOP continues to accuse Obama of fiscal irresponsibility.

March 2011: Congressional Republicans declare intention to hold full faith and credit of the United States hostage — a move without precedent in American history — until massive debt-reduction plan is approved.

July 2011: Obama offers Republicans a $4 trillion debt-reduction deal. GOP refuses, pushes debt-ceiling standoff until the last possible day, rattling international markets.

August 2011: S&P downgrades U.S. debt, citing GOP refusal to consider new revenues. Republicans rejoice and blame Obama for fiscal irresponsibility.

America to Joe Walsh: Quit lying!

I wonder how Joe Walsh can moralize about fiscal responsibility when his own house isn't even in order. It's clear that he'd rather pay himself and enjoy the lavish perks of a Congressional lifestyle than support his own family.

Quick Question...

What do former deputy attorney general Jeff Cox and Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi have in common?

Apparently, a belief in their authority to arbitrarily open fire on the constituents they are supposed to serve.

Conservatives are Pussies

With popular uprisings spreading across the Middle East, believe it or not, far right conservatives have actually been split about the change, with voices like chicken little Glenn Beck and draft-dodging Dick Cheney showcasing their usual chicken-shit fear that regime change automatically means radical Islam states will rise in their wake.

As they have shown in their domestic demogaguery, democracy is only convenient when it advances your own ideology.

As I said in my previous post, radical Islam was clearly blindsided by these uprisings—indeed, as many have noted, the street-level-inspired uprisings are Al Quaeda's worst nightmare, rendering it irrelevant. The storyline given by simpletons like Beck and Cheney simply serve to underscore their ignorance of seeing Islam as an either/or proposition.

Of course, the possibility exists that should these nascent movements falter due to a lack of unity or organization, extremists may find a way to move into power. But I say in view of the alternative where we allow dictators to stay in power and continue oppressing its people which only stokes further resentment (particularly against the West), I say let change play out—the results cannot be any worse than what we have now. Even if extremists were to somehow gain total control over the state, they would no longer be working in the shadows and would be easier to fight. They also would need to govern and need to be more accountable both to their own people and the world community. At worst, they will simply remain the fringe, anarchic elements they already are today.

But, as usual, the GOP uses fear to stir the masses—whether it's the result of cynicism or a real fear of the world outside our borders, I can't tell.

In many ways, the very definition of conservativism means a fear of change. Rather, we should see hope and opportunity in this change. Only those who fear the future would begrudge the chance for others to pursue freedom by whatever means necessary.

Too Little Too Late

Evidence of Al Quaeda's pathetic attempt to catch up to history, as current events threaten to pass them by and render them irrelevant.

Al Qaeda in Iraq calls Egypt protesters to wage jihad

You Can Run But You Can't Hide

As protests and, in some countries, regime change sweep the Middle East, these events demonstrate the real desire that exists among common, everyday people in developing countries for a true democratic society that is transparent and provides opportunity and freedom.

Even the religious extremists who for decades have aspired to power and strived to capture the minds and hearts of the people have been blindsided by the scope, force and success of this spontaneous grass roots movement — so much so that they have prudently stayed low and out of the way.

In the meantime, many of the regimes now under fire have resorted to their usual tactics of blaming foreign elements for the agitation. But it's clear that this is a true "people power" movement, almost having nothing to do with politics or ideology.

Rather, the events that are unfolding appear to be an expression of pent up frustration of people who, through modern technology, know how other people live and have more freedom. It also is very much a youth movement—countries like Egypt and Iran skew incredibly young and this generation—many of them quite urbane and well traveled—see nothing but hopelessness if the present systems are allowed to continue.

Technology has played an important role in these revolutions. Social media allows large groups of demonstrators to mobilize quickly; and instantaneous news outlets broadcast in real time means the eyes of the world are on the regimes, with any approach taken to counteract these changes under scrutiny.

Uncertainty remains on how these reforms and new freedoms will play out. But they are long overdue, and it appears that the ordinary people on the street are taking a stronger hand in determining how they are governed. More power to them.

North Koreans are Pussies

Take that North Korea!

Aside from sinking ships without provocation by stealthily sneaking up behind them or shooting unarmed tourists, when's the last time you successfully saw any action

North Korea makes a lot of noise about attacking but never does anything — because it knows it's ass would be kicked by the South if they tried anything. (With or without the U.S.'s help.)

1 Down, 19 to Go

Typically—despite the fact that a fellow legislator and a 9-year old bystander was murdered in the recent rampage in Tuscon, Arizon—rather than engage in any leadership or healing, Sarah Palin and the GOP have resorted to fingerpointing and defensiveness to go out of their way to say they had nothing to do with ordering the assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

The fact that they have gotten so defensive and tried to deflect blame in my eyes shows that they recognize their culpability in the event.

Palin delights in showing that she is a straight shooter and a card-carrying member of the NRA. She knew what she was doing when she put targets on those people's names. So she should be proud to have played a role in this political assassination attempt.

While they may have not explicitly asked for their deaths, the demonization and level of hatred that they have stirred in pursuit of their political ideology shows that, like Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the assassin who recently killed Pakistani official Salman Taseer, they share a predeliction for using murder as a tool to achieve their religious and ideological ends when they feel they cannot do so through appropriate due process.

Isnt' there a law against targeting sitting legislators for murder?