Senate shows us they represent lobbyists and not citizens

The American Dream is over folks. This shows that the Liberal Democrats are just as paid off by corporations as Conservative Republicans, and have just as little desire to represent the people. Maybe now more of you will join me in voting third party (independent, green, libertarian, etc) in the mid-term congressional elections in 2010 and the presidential election in 2012.

I love that this was caught on film. It’s an excellent example of the attitude of our lawmakers. Having been paid off by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, and then making sure that only they are represented in the discussion of health care reform, citizens stand up and demand “their” representatives to represent their needs, and the response is that “we need more police” to shut them up. It’s Animal Farm. “All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others.”

See also: Single Payer Action

Bailout Bonuses for Executives, Lower Limits, Higher Interest, & Closed Accounts for Customers

The government bailed out these big financial companies with American taxpayer’s money, and now, instead of extending loans to customers, they are instead cutting people’s credit limits down to their balances, doubling and tripling their interest, and closing their accounts, even when they are in good standing and have never been late on a payment. They probably can’t afford to provide service to their customers in part due to massive executive bonuses. The bailout should have been more specific about how the money was to be spent. The reason it wasn’t, I’m sure, is that the right people got paid off. It’s not a problem caused by just Democrats or just Republicans; it’s symptomatic of corporate influence over our elected officials through lobbying and other means.

Happy Tax Day / Tea Party Day: An MSNBC Video Tribute to Fox News and the TeaBaggers

TEA BAGGERS are SWALLOWING WHOLE the Fox News STAFF's SCHTICK

MSNBC’s David Schuster: If You’re Planning Tea Bagging Across The Country, ‘You’re Going To Need A Dick Armey’

This is pretty damned funny! He uses most, if not all, of the innuendo I’ve already heard floating around…

I took the liberty of transcribing it:

“For most Americans, Wednesday, April 15th will be Tax Day, but in our fourth story tonight it’s going to be TEA-BAGGING day for the right wing and they are going NUTS for it! Thousands of the WHIPPED OUT the festivities early this weekend and though the parties are officially TOOTHLESS, the protesters are FULL-THROATED about their goals. They wanna give President Obama strong TONGUE-LASHING and LICK government spending. Spending they did not oppose when they were under Presidents Bush and Reagan. They oppose Mr. Obama’s tax rates which will be lower for most of them, and they oppose the tax increases Mr. Obama is imposing on the rich, whose taxes will skyrocket to a rate that’s about 10% less than it was under Reagan. That’s TEA-BAGGING, in a NUTSHELL. Taking it’s inspiration from the Boston Tea Party when colonists tossed British tea into the sea because the tax on it had not been voted on by their duly elected representatives. That’s exactly the opposite, of course, of todays’ taxes, which is known in some quarters as ‘Taxation With Representation’. But as New York Times coumnist Paul Crudeman points out today, this time the TEA-BAGGING is not a SPONTANEOUS UPRISING, the people who came up with it are a familiar circle of Republicans, including former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, and former house majority leader Dick Armey, both of whom have FIRM support from right wing financiers and lobbyists, as well as Washington prostitute patron, Senator David Vitter who has issued statements in support of TEA-BAGGING, but is publicly type-left. Then, there was the media, specifically the Fox ‘News’ Channel, including Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity. Both are looking forward to an UP CLOSE and PERSONAL TASTE of TEA-BAGGING, themselves at events this Wednesday. But most amusing of all is Neil Cavuto, a member of the network’s executive committee. Neil’s online bio says he joined the network in July 1996, three months before the Fox News channel went on the air. Cavuto, defending his network’s promotion of TEA-BAGGING, said, quote ‘We are going to be right in the middle of these [TEA-BAGGERS], because at Fox we do not pick and choose these rallies and protests. We were there for the Million Man March.’ Can we roll that footage, the footage of Fox News at the Million Man March, back in October of ‘95? Of course the Million Man March occurred, as NewsHounds.org points out, almost a year before Fox News was on the air. We can only speculate why widespread TEA-BAGGING made Cavuto think of the Million Man March… Unless, he got them confused with DICK ARM[E]Y. And in Cavuto’s defense, if you are planning SIMULTANEOUS TEA-BAGGING around the country, you’re going to need a DICK ARMY!”

What David Schuster failed to include in his brilliant report, and what makes me fear for my country, much as Glenn Beck does (or pretends to), is that many of the NUT-JOBS that host and attend these NUT-FESTS to express their opinions in a (hopefully) peaceful manner, and to have a BALL (or two) with some good friends or like-minded strangers are the same people that believe, as many TEA-PARTY websites and flyer’s propose, in a “revolution”, and the same people who are buying conservative t-shirts that say “vote from the rooftops” (with pictures of sniper rifles), inferring that they wish to assassinate President Obama. I saw one conservative t-shirt for sale online that said “R.I.P. The American Dream, 1776-2008″. I thought a black man becoming the president was a pretty clear indicator that the American dream is alive and well. Perhaps these revolutionary TEA-BAGGERS who believe in “voting from the rooftops” (with sniper rifles) are racially motivated? I guess their American dream doesn’t include people who aren’t white. Or maybe it’s just jealousy? They are openly into TEA-BAGGING, so perhaps they are jealous, as black men are popularly known for having larger TEA-SPOUTS than they do…

I’m afraid that many of the TEA-BAGGERS attending the TEA-PARTIES today are lost souls, searching for a new direction, possibly a violent one. As Anderson Cooper said on CNN when describing why it’ been HARD for the Republicans to find their voice after the election, “it’s hard to talk when you’re TEA-BAGGING“

I’ve got to say, whoever created and has promoted this movement really made quite a snafu by not researching the social connotations of their terminology, but, I guess there’s no such thing as bad press. I just hope for the Republicans sake that they don’t, as I saw one guy comment on Glenn Beck’s 9-12 Project website “make up places to protest flag burning and call the Old GLORY HOLES“.

Keith Olbermann also did a funny segment about TEA-BAGGING, including some more good innuendo, including:

“SPILLING into the streets, CHOKING off traffic … pushed their own vision of TEA-BAGGING DOWN THE THROATS of the TEA-BAGGERS … SEMINAL moment … ONE LUMP OR TWO?”

And, for the enjoyment of those who are just becoming familiar with the sexual slang used for decades, and for the enlightenment of those who still don’t get it, I’ve included the following links to some definitions on Urban Dictionary:

TEA-BAGGER TEA-BAG TEA-BAGGING TEA PARTY

I discriminate against racist people

WARNING / CAUTION / DISCLAIMER:

The following article contains offensive racial slurs, which I have heard from others and quoted to make a point about the stupidity of racism, and I neither condone, promote, or use these terms myself, as I find them very ignorant and hurtful.

I am a progressive, liberal, compassionate, and logical human being of mixed-race descent (Scotch-Irish and Cherokee) living in Dallas, Texas.

I am often embarrassed to be associated with white people from the southern United States of America. They are, in great part, racists who think that (I quote their offensive slurs, which I do not use myself) “Niggers”, “Spics”, “Chinks”, “Heebs”, and “Sand Niggers” are the reason that they are poor and unsuccessful, instead of blaming the old, rich, white men who claim to be “Christians” while accumulating ungodly sums of money by raising prices of goods and services, lowering wages, salaries, and benefits, and selling our country out from under us, with jobs, roads, and ports going to the highest bidder. If these poor caucasian saps would instead make friends and allies of the African-American AKA Black, Hispanic AKA Latino, Asian AKA Oriental, Jewish AKA Hebrew, and Muslim AKA Arab people living among them, then we could perhaps make some progress in taking back our country from the true terrorists: the Rich! (I use the “AKA”s above to illustrate that it’s hard to be politically correct and not offend anyone these days, because nobody can seem to decide what they want their group to be called from decade to decade.)

In a recent conversation, I expressed a sincere hope that the positive example set by Barack Obama as a person of color who has acheived much and promises to help his country become better might give pause to the more violent and racist elements of the African-American community and inspire some of them to move forward and let go of the past to forgive the whites of the present for the sins of the whites of the past. The person I was talking too said, and I quote, “They were niggers before he was elected, and they’re still niggers after…”  I was offended, and ended the conversation because not only did I think I would be able to change the person’s mind, but my 3 year old son was present, and I didn’t want him to hear another utterance of the word “nigger”, which, when said in a playful way as a term of endearment, I don’t find offensive whether it comes from a black or a white person, but when, used as an insult to dismiss an entire race of people as ignorant or inferior, infuriates me! I later thought of a comeback, which I wish I had responded with at the time: The people who elected Bush were rednecks before he was elected, and they are still rednecks after…

The Conservative media tells me every day that illegal immigrants from Mexico are taking my jobs, even though they are mostly doing  jobs that I don’t want, while the government gets paid by corporations to send the jobs I do want to China, India, The Phillipines, etc. where they can save a few bucks.

I also grow weary of trying to explain to close-minded, racist, hateful, fearful rednecks how not all Muslims are terrorists, just as not all Protestants and Catholics blow each other up in cafes like the Irish and English have done during their spats. For white suburban Texans to assume that all followers of Islam are suicide bombers is just unrealistic and fanatical, and primarily based on poor upbringing. The average John Doe Redneck is as brainwashed by his government, media, parents, friends and coworkers as the many Middle-Eastern Muslims who, after being told by their leaders at the point of a gun that the West is the “Great Devil”, think that all Christians are two-faced, greedy, empire-minded lunatics who go on crusades to convert the world to their faith, although it is true that many of the wealthy and powerful are.

I am complaining here mostly about racism by white people, which is what I have witnessed the most where I grew up and now live, but I am in no way trying to ignore racism by other cultures. It’s just not much of an issue for me. Even when I’ve been places like downtown Dallas, Oak Cliff, and Pleasant Grove, here in D/FW, and also in poor black neighborhoods in Jackson, MS and Los Angeles, CA, I have barely ever had a black person, even among groups of imposing looking young men, ever be rude to me. On the contrary, I have stopped and asked young black men comparing guns and cars for directions and had them call me brother. In contrast, I have had many unintelligent, undereducated, ignorant whites, especially in Mississippi, Lousiana, and Texas, who have started fights with me for no apparent reason. And I look white. Go figure… I guess they can smell intelligence and open-mindedness and it scares them. Babies, kids, elderly folks, and animals love me, so it’s the rednecks at fault here, not me!

I think the best preventative medicine against future racism is to talk to groups of young kids of various races in groups in school, and let them openly discuss how their parents talk about people of other races, and how it makes them feel, and then let the kids of other races tell them how it makes them feel. Then show the kids how much they have in common. I bet most of them will make friends. Kids learn faster than adults.

As for curative measures for people presently already infected with the deadly (in some cases) affliction of racism, I figure until we figure out how to re-program their brains or make a pill or injection to fix them, we should release all non-violent drug offenders from the prisons and put the racists in there instead.

Let them hate and fear and insult and fight and kill each other where the rest of us don’t have to deal with it anymore.

Maybe early on in evolution, racism helped a herd of tribe of people survive and protected them from other competing groups, but racist people are now as obsolete as fossil fuels. Too bad we are still having to put up with both of them.

2 medical conditions found responsible for common unpleasant political symptoms

Medical science has narrowed down the two most probable causes for horrible symptoms such as Republicanis Elephantitis (Republicanism) and Conservatosis (Conservativism) to two well known contagious diseases: Arrogantoma Self-arhea  (Arrogant Self-Interest) and Ignoramus Stupidifius (Ignorant Stupidity).

Arrogant Self-Interest appears to be the primary contagion among afluent, land-owning, business-controlling, politically active sufferers of Republicanism, who reside primarily in the Northeast U.S., especially in Washington D.C. & The Hamptons, with cases appearing as far away as Wasilla, Alaska.

Ignorant Stupidity is more often the diagnosis for the less wealthy, less educated Republicans in the heartland, where farmers and rednecks are so afraid of anyone different than them that they enthusiastically send their children to die fighting for the oil rights of the more wealthy Republicans, thinking for various reasons that it is the will of Jesus, who preached peace. One of the best documented cases, who will not be named here out of respect for the mentally-disabled, has been known to roam a large range of habitats from Crawford, TX to Washington D.C., although in that case, the stupid ignoramus is also one of the arrogant self-interested types.

While slightly less numerous, in many cases Senioritis Dementosis (Senile Dementia) is also responsible for Conservative Republican views, and, in a few drastic cases, the culpret for this horrible affliction is actually just plain old Insanity.

No cure is currently known, as once these sicknesses set in, they root themselves so deep in the patients’ psyche’s that any treatment involving doses of logic and/or empathy are immediately rejected by the host body. The best treatment for these sad souls is isolation from other, more reasonable and sympathetic people, to prevent needless suffering on the part of the uninfected.

The Third Red Scare (2001-2008) – Fake (Anti) America VS Real (Pro) America

Sarah Palin & some other Republicans, namely Fox News reporters, are in the process of starting the Third Red Scare.

A “Red Scare” is a “witch hunt” wherein the rich and powerful, fearing that the poor and powerless are asking for more wealth and power in exchange for their labor, condemn and accuse and black list the working class for questioning war, asking for socialized medicine, or asking for better wages or lower prices, by calling them “fake America” or “Anti-America” or communists, or socialists, or spies, to scare them from speaking up, and preventing progress for the middle and lower classes.

Much as the methodology of the Third Red Scare is similar to the First Red Scare during World War I and the Second Red Scare after World War II, the causes are

A little history [from Wikipedia]:
The First Red Scare began during World War I in which the United States fought from 1917-1918. Tensions were further elevated during this time frame owing to a widespread campaign of violence by various groups inspired by the Bolshevik revolution in Russia and the ensuing Russian Civil War (1917-1923). Historian Levin B. Murray described the First Red Scare as “a nation-wide anti-radical hysteria provoked by a mounting fear and anxiety that a Bolshevik revolution in America was imminent–a revolution that would destroy property, church, home, marriage, civility, and the American way of life.”

A little more history [from Wikipedia]:
The Second Red Scare took place in the United States after World War II. It coincided with increased fears of espionage by Communists and heightened tension from Soviet oppression in Eastern Europe (beginning in 1946), the Berlin Blockade (1948–1949), Chinese Civil War (1949), and the Korean War (1950–1953). These fears spurred aggressive investigations and the red-baiting, blacklisting, jailing and deportation of people suspected of following communist or other left-wing ideology.

A little future history [from Mark Baland]:
The Third Red Scare, began after planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on 9/11/2001. “Patriotic” Americans blindly and faithfully supported George W Bush in bombing Iraq to retaliate against Osama Bin Laden. Supposedly “unpatriotic” Americans point out that Osama was widely believed to be not in Iraq, but in Afghanistan. Bush’s detractors also noted that it was likely that George W. was attacking Iraq to finish what his father George Sr. failed to do in the fist Gulf War, which was to take out Saddam Hussein, whom the Republicans themselves trained, funded, armed, and put in power during the Cold War against The Soviet Union. The “unpatriotic” Americans also questioned why Vice President Cheney’s company Haliburton seemed to be running a corporate war where hired mercenaries killed people so that Cheney and others associated with Haliburton could make more money.

The Third Red Scare is intensifying during the 2008 presidential elections, where John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years and give multi-billion dollar tax breaks to oil companies that are posting record profits during the corporate war, and liberal Democrats would rather spend our money at home so people can keep their jobs and homes and fuel their cars and afford health care and invest in alternative energies to declare independence from terrorist nations and save the world’s environment. Conservative Republicans like Sarah Palin, to garner support from the party’s key demographic, small towns in the middle of the country, are claiming that people who don’t support corporate wars and instead care about the quality of life of the poor and middle classes are “anti” or “fake” Americans.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy, and his “partner” Roy Cohn attacked real and supposed “communists” and “homosexuals” for their own political gain, but under the guise of protecting America,  destroying lives and livelihoods and families by accusing many liberal people, mostly Hollywood producers, directors, writers, and actors, of being communists, and thus possibly spies for the Soviet Union, and of being homosexuals (although they were probably lovers).

Now, in the 2000s, Sarah Palin and FoxNews are out to discredit Democrats and other liberal or independent thinkers by making them out to be, in Palin’s own words, “anti” or “fake” America. Apparently, from Sarah’s point-of-view, people in small towns that support Republicans are the only “pro” or “real” Americans. I guess big city people (and small town liberals) are just too well educated and free thinking to be American.

All of this witch hunting to make poor and middle class workers into scapegoats for our problems is just to draw attention away from the fact that McCain/Palin and their bourgeoisie supporters want to continue to reduce wages and benefits, increase prices, and make wars, all to allow the ruling rich minority to escalate their obscene profits to ultra-obscene, all at the expense of the struggling working class proletariat.

It would seem to me, and I would assume to other thinking people, that according to Palin and FoxNews and the Republicans who follow them, that the framers of the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were fake or anti American, since they believed in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom or the press, and the right to question the actions of your government.

I’m calling the ruling class of corporate elitists and the conservative Republican mob that support them what they really are: greedy, hateful, fearful, lying, stealing, cheating hate/fear mongers.

I hope that if enough people respond to this Third Red Scare promptly, we can nip it in the bud, before it becomes the Second Civil War.