What Obama's Done Wrong

totally unrelated to the post

Did you ever listen to someone go on about a person they have an irrational hatred for- a coworker, acquaintance, musician, celebrity- and while they can't think of one nice thing to say about the individual, they also can't come up with one specific flaw or bad act, either? You're left with the opinion that either the hatred is completely irrational, or the hater doesn't want to admit what it is they really hate about the person, i.e., race, sexual orientation, etc.

That's what it's like when wingnuts try to describe their hatred of Obama. (Note: this is what real people who vote actually think about Obama. It's frightening.)

Describe what Obama is doing wrong

I perceive a very negative opinion of Obama on this board. I'm not American and I don't know much about politics, but I was in the midst of a pro-Obama discussion between some Christians and had the nerve to speak up with an alternative viewpoint. I don't think I articulated my view very well.

I would appreciate if someone could sum up what Obama is doing wrong, as concisely as possible. Is it possible that the negatives are outweighed by the positive changes he is making, as these Christians believed?

Keep in mind, this person who doesn't know anything about American politics, or Obama, hates Obama, for admittedly no reason at all. That's some fantastic wingnuttery right there. (From Canada, no less!) "Please tell me why I should hate the man I already hate."

First off, are you living on this planet ? What has this guy done right ? Just one thing do you know ? I can't believe you are asking this question.

Well, uh, healthcare. Dialing down the rhetoric in the Middle East. Taking nuclear responses to nonnuclear provocation off the table. Those are good things.

Well I'm not American either, so I don't know the issues as intimately as others here. But some off the top of my head are:

1. Making Abortion more accessible

2. Over-ruling the Constitution to ram what he wants down the throats of the people

3. Refusing to produce a Birth Certificate and taking extreme lengths to hide it... he's a law breaker, to say the least.

4. Mocking the Bible, the Christian faith, and bullying Israel while reaching out to the Muslims.

That's just a starter list.....

None of those things. How has Obama made abortion more accessible? He has not. He has not overruled the Constitution, he has not refused to produce a birth certificate, nor has he mocked the bible or christians. He has not bullied Israel, though I wish he would. As for "reaching out to Muslims", yes, he did do that. There's 1 billion of them, and they live on the same planet we do. We need to make nice occasionally.

My apologies. I will just sum up Obama as short as I can , HE IS BAD NEWS . If I make a list of what this guy has done my blood pressure will go through the roof. I will let others explain the things this guy has done.

I, too, cannot answer the question, but my nonanswer will be in convincing RED CAPS.

He's done everything wrong. He basically just kicked this nation off a cliff, and it's currently plummeting towards the jagged rocks. We're just waiting for the gruesome death.

I can't answer the question, either, but I will use violent imagery to not answer your question.

1. He supports and upholds infanticide!

2. He hates this country, the very country he leads. Don't believe me, then, read his two, that's right, two autobiographies!

3. He just came out and said the US will never use nukes, even if we are attacked by nukes, he will never respond in that way. In other words, please attack America, you will not be retaliated against.

4. He is a Marxist. He does not believe in the free market system. He is nationalizing every piece of our economy he can get his hands on.

5. He is a racist. In his book he speaks very badly of white people. His grandparents who raised him were white, and he said he hated that part of himself, and would separate himself from that part. He actually referred to his own grandmother as a "typical white person."

6. He is a liar. He said he sat in Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years but never heard the radical sermons that we have heard sound bites of......

7. He is anti-Israel. He supports Israel's enemies, not our ally, Israel. In fact, he bows down to Arab kings, but treats Netanyahu like a door mat.

Is this enough because there is much much more....

Infanticide, really? Um, no. Hates America? No. Taking nuclear weapons off the table is apparently a bad thing in this alternate reality in which Obama eats babies. Marxist? Obama is barely left of center. Oh, you're talking about healthcare. Yes, providing healthcare for your fellow Americans is the mark of Stalin.

Then we're back to the racist meme, which is racist in and of itself. For as much as Obama is described as being "black", he's half white. His mother was white, his grandparents were white, he himself is as much white as he is black. Accusing Obama of being racist against white people is an attempt to make him TEh Scaree (entirely) Black Man Who Will Shank You All, Possibly In Da Hood.

#1 He diminishes Jesus Christ, and is embarrassed by the claims of God about His Son.

He secured 700+ billion dollars as a slush fund to "stimulate" the things he wants to "stimulate."

He secured a new federal entitlement program while ignoring all the other entitlement programs bankruptcy.

He cuts deals with "special" interests at the expense of the rest of us, like giving unions special deals on health care. A feat usually reserved by mutual silence because it is shameful, he now makes public, even righteous in his own eyes, and flaunts in the face of the people.

He "apologized" to the world for Americas 'folly', in his own eyes anyway.

He has let double digit unemployment hang around the necks of the people. Yes, it is entirely his responsibility, I give him no one iota of slack.

However, if you're arguing with your average European or socialist, I wouldn't even waste my breath.

The diminishment of Jesus I can only assume means being polite to Muslims. Yes, there was no stimulus in the Bush Administration. None at all. What entitlement programs are bankrupt? Guess I missed that. As for the unemployment, yes, the economy was fine under Bush. It collapsed the day Obama took office. Totally Obama's fault. Yes, indeedy.

The worst thing he has done above all else...
He has played the race card. He has demonized white, hard working , law abiding, CHRISTIAN, God Fearing Americans. Everything is the white man's fault.

Yes, it's so hard to be a white, Christian male in America today.

Kidding aside, you have said it better than I could. And as good as your list is it just scratches the surface of what this radical, narcicistic, muslim, comunist, socialist, Chicago machine politician, and out of control refugee from the rubber room president could do to this country and the world if he isn't stopped; and soon.

So, barely left of center is radical and comunist [sic] AND socialist, black is muslim, something is narcicistic [sic], and black is "out of control refugee". I get tea party politics now.

With all this said, either Obama is extremely ignorant of what the people of this country want, or he is very shrewd. He is stripping us of all rights and putting us in physical danger. He has surrounded himself with liars and thieves who will stop at nothing to get what they want. And they think it's funny. They laugh at us and make fun of us and even set us up to look bad. He's controlling the media now and trying to remove our free speech. We have a dictator problem now and yet, we do nothing. Isn't there something we can do to stop this craziness?

He's ignorant of what the majority who elected him want? I doubt it. What rights has Obama stripped you of, and were you equally enraged when Bush stripped you of rights? Nobody needs to set you up to look bad, you guys do that just fine on your own. As for controlling the media- have you seen Fox and CNN? Have you had any trouble listening to Limbaugh? I didn't think so. As for what to do about "this craziness", I assume you've heard of voting?

There's just not going to be any getting through to these people, is there?

picture link

You're Not a Terrorist if You Worship Saint Ronny Raygun

So, how do you, as a terrorist, get every wingnut in the US on your side? Simple: carry around a Bible and worship at the Church of Ronny Raygun.

Yesterday, the FBI raided a militia in Michigan.

At least seven people, including some from Michigan, have been arrested in raids
by a FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana as part of
an investigation into an Adrian-based Christian militia group, a person familiar
with the matter said.

A militia that was, btw, planning to murder a police officer, then use the funeral as an opportunity to kill more law enforcement officers with IEDs (not just for Iraqis, apparently).

The Hutaree members allegedly "planned to kill an unidentified member of
local law enforcement and then attack the law enforcement officers who gather in
Michigan for the funeral. According to the plan, the Hutaree would attack law
enforcement vehicles during the funeral procession with Improvised Explosive
Devices with Explosively Formed Projectiles, which, according to the indictment,
constitute weapons of mass destruction."

Did the same people who will call the police on me when I have a pashmina wrapped around my head* get equally freaked out by terrorists with IEDs in the US? No, these are good Christians. Don't be silly.

This really irritates me. Islamberg in New York state appears to operate with virtual
impunity, but God forbid a Christian militia group mention muslims!!! At least
at this point, it seems the mere mention brought down the hammer.

That's right, it's all the muslims' fault. Slaughtering police officers with IEDs is just a distraction.

I would like to know what the FBI protocols are for following up on accusations.
Do they have anything to do with ethnicity or beliefs of the accused? Or with
whom is in a protected class? The FBI used to be a bulwark of honest law
enforcement. Now they seem to be a political tool.

Fascist bastards, infringing upon their rights to murder police officers.

I agree. It appears that a U.S.based islamic militia group has worked with the
government to bring about these raids on what is basically a survivalist
Christian militia. Homeland Security and Napolitano have their fingerprints all
over this one. Obama and Nepaolitano would do well to investigate the islamic
terrorist militia's scattered all over the country linked to alQaeda, and leave
these harmless, tho maybe flaky Christian groups alone. I have read three
articles and I have yet to find out what the charges are and why they were
raided.

MOOOOOOOOOSLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMS!

This group could be a bit misguided, but since when is it a crime in this
country to prepare for the coming of the AC?

It's not a crime to stockpile Bibles and water or even to own guns. IEDs are an entirely different matter.

This one is crystal clear.The administration is afraid that Militia's will start
popping up since we're headed rapidly towards a totalitarian state - and the
message is: DON'T FORM MILITIA'S - WE WILL COME AFTER YOU.....

I'm frightened of nutjobs with IEDs, so I'm okay with that message.

You hit it perfectly. This is such an obvious push back at tea-party Christians.
First, we were a joke (tea-baggers). Then we were 'racist'. Now, we're
'terrorists'. They're creating that public perception that Christians = unstable
and dangerous.

These Christians certainly are unstable and dangerous, but I wasn't conflating them with all Christians.


*true story. the cop was both amused and annoyed and then gave me a ride to the store to make up for scaring me half to death. nice guy.

Asplosions for You and Me

I thought I'd share the collection wingnut asplosion that is my reader this morning with you. Well, the highlights, anyway, I don't have time to link to several hundred individual asplosions.

Democracy: 1776-2010

There was no democracy before the founding of the United States and there is no democracy after health care reform.

The Big Losers of Health Care

Catholic social justice. Which includes homophobia and pedophilia. Yeah, I'm okay with them losing.

RIP USA

Extra points for unintentional hilarity with this: Another great president once asked whether a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal can long endure? The irony strong with this one, yes.

On Freedom

Good night. Tomorrow will be a better day. Darn right!

Sadness, Terrible Sadness

My America, in which 45,000 people die a year due to lack of health insurance, is gone. I miss the unecessary death and suffering already.

Lies. I tell them.

Oh and every five years during your retirement, you will be asked to commit suicide. Read the whole thing. It's just one big ole mess o' crazy.

Ass Raping America

Health care reform is just like forced sodomy. And he would know, apparently.

We Lost Because We Didn't Galt It Up

If I had just quit my job as a Walmart greeter, I could have stopped health care reform!

Lincoln Hated Health Care Reform

Out of context quotes from Lincoln from a history professor. That's either a major fail, or an irony win.

This means WAR!

I suggest that someone might want to review the definition of "treason", preferably before the Secret Service shows up at his house.

and finally, I'm Not Really a Racist, I Swear It, even as I imply that electing a black man to the presidency inevitably leads to "gangsta" politics from Beetle Blogger. Welcome back from your hiatus, you racist bitch.

HCR Passed: I'll Be a Bit Busy

While my blogroll is mostly liberal/atheist sites, my reader is chock full of wingnuttery. Most Mondays I have around 175-200 posts to review, this Monday, I have over 500 posts to review, and a quick look at the titles tells me all I need to know: Obamacare passed and we are all DOOOOOOOOMED!!!1!!eleventy!!!!

I don't even care what's in the bill, the wingnut asplosion is totally worth it!

Shitting All Over What Helps You Most

feminism, stupid, conservative, wingnut

bngfan is hardly original amongst conservatives for her hatred of feminism, she's just a convenient target for posting this picture:

Here's what drives me crazy about that. Bngfan is hugely into politics. However, without feminists earning her the right to vote, bngfan wouldn't have a say in the running of this country, something she clearly cares very much about.

Bngfan owns her house. Without feminists clearing the way for women to own property, she couldn't do that.

Bngfan has 3 children, not 15 or 20, which leads me to believe she's used birth control a time or two. Without feminists fighting for her right to control her body, bngfan wouldn't have the option to stop at a few children, which is also clearly something she wants.

Women who fight against feminism while enjoying the fruits of the feminist struggle are the worst kinds of hypocrites: the kind who work to create a world they have no interest in living in. They just want to condemn their daughters, and ours, to it.

The Dance of the New World Order

Bungalow Bill seems to be dead serious in his interpretation of Beyonce's Grammy performance as:

Beyonce's 2010 Grammy performance featured the dance of the coming police state.
Once again, we see how pop culture is used to condition people to accepting
what's going on in the world.

Beyonce dances with storm trooper like
police that resemble the sound cannon police last year in Pittsburgh during the
G20. When you see the performance, the message is clear. Condition the people to
the police state--check points at the airport with the KGB now known as the TSA.
Your papers please, now choose between naked body scanners and or all them to
place their hands all over your body.

Dude, if the New World Order is going to involve the entire police state dancing at all times while dressed like that, I am so there!

Winning Isn't Everything

poverty, wingnut, winning

I never really thought about it before, but historian must be a job with an unusually high risk of headsplosion. I mean, if I'm picking up on the obvious disregard and ignorance most Americans* have for history, I can only imagine how historians feel.

Dr. Tony Beam, of the Christian Post, whose doctorate is clearly not in history, offers us this terrible amusing example:

Do you remember the saying, “When the going gets tough the tough get going?” Or, how about, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” I think this one is my favorite, “Risk more than other think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible.”

These are all fairly famous quotes on desire and determination to win. The spirit of America is the spirit of winning. Maybe Patton said it best to his troops in the movie that bears his name. “Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all the time. That’s why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American.”

First of all, I'm fairly certain General Patton was not primarily an actor. He may, in fact, have been a general. As for actor Patton's little speech, I can only say, ahem, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and coming soon to a theatre near you, Afghanistan.

In American society, the cherished American value of winning has been under attack for years. People on the left think winning is somehow unfair. When you win that means someone else is going to lose. Committed leftists want to transform the world into a place where everyone wins and no one ever loses. They would change “When the going gets tough the tough get going” into “When the going gets tough the tough take a break.” They would transform “winning isn’t everything…it’s the only thing” into “winning isn’t anything…It’s a bad thing.”

"Winning" is not a value, cherished or otherwise. Frankly, the fact that winning might be seen as a value explains quite a bit about how the right regards and treats the poor, who are quite obviously losing. See, the poor aren't unfortunates we should help, they're failures who don't uphold our cherished value of winning. We shouldn't help them, we should spit on them. And then go buy another Mercedes.

Wow. That actually does explain everything.

*I say Americans only because I have no idea how knowledgable or aware of history average people in other countries are, having never lived in another country.

Definitely not Post Racial

neonazi, republican, george hutchins, wingnut, teabagging,

At first, I thought this was a website so hilarious, it deserves its own Wiki entry.

(My computer saves pictures in black and white, but the actual website is positively psychedelic.)

George Hutchins is an actual candidate for Congress. He "invites all black, white, spanish and asian voters" to join him. I guess those of Native American or Middle Eastern descent can go fuck themselves. I'm not sure why, but he invokes Jesse Helms repeatedly, and pictures of Ronnie Raygun are liberally sprinkled throughout.

He also wants you to remember the Alamo, or a movie about the Alamo.

"The November 4, 2008 U.S. President Election, to include ALL North Carolina state elections of 2008, was the ALAMO of the U.S. Republican Party in North Carolina, and the ALAMO of the U.S. Republican Party Nationwide !!! "

"During the 2008 U.S. Elections, as a Campaign STAFF member, of the FRED SMITH for North Carolina Governor Campaign during the NC Republican Primary, a volunteer for the U.S. Senator ELIZABETH DOLE Campaign, and Veterans For John MCCAIN MEMBER, I FOUGHT with all legal methods to STOP Obama - Nation."

"As I was FIGHTING 'Obama - Nation' in 2008, Fence-Riders and RINO'S RAN for their lives, while these same RINO'S attempted to silent my Honorable Efforts."

"In addition to MASS VOTING FRAUD, it was these same RINO'S, and same Fence-Riders, which caused the Republicans to lose big during the 2008 elections, in both, North Carolina, and Nationwide."

"These same Fence-Riders and same RINO'S, while UNJUSTLY claiming to be Conservatives, FALSELY believed 'Obama Supporters' would also vote for them, or the Republican Candidate, which they supported, in North Carolina, during 2008."

That's just a mess of ungrammatical teabagging dog-whistling and inappropriate war analogies. It should prove quite popular with the wingnut set.

To stop the OBAMA-NATION Socialists in Washington DC, we must first go to the root of the POISON TREE, which created all them.

This POISON TREE, is the "Social Engineering" located within the so-called 1964 Civil Rights Act, to the U.S. Constitution.

The ONLY REASON, the so-called 1964 Civil Rights Act passed, was due the fact, Lyndon B. JOHNSON, had many political debts owed to him, in 1964.

=> During 1964, if one did NOT repay their political debts, when they were called due, such a politician's political career was over.

=> Lyndon B. JOHNSON called all his debts in 1964.

To DEFEAT OBAMA-NATION, we must take a close look at all of the "Social Engineering" contained in the so called 1964 Civil Rights Act, and take legal steps to remove this "Social Engineering" contained in the so-called 1964 Civil Rights Act.

"Social Engineering," includes FORCED DIVERSITY, FORCED RACIAL INTEGRATION, Affirmative Action Quotas Based on Race, and all Privileges Based on Race, which are influenced by the so-called 1964 Civil Rights Act to the U.S. Constitution.

We must use all of our resources NOW, to prevent ALL future U.S. Generations from suffering under the same bondage which were forced upon all of us, due to the so-called 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Well, it took me about 5 seconds to discover that George Hutchins is a Neo Nazi. Also good to know that Neo Nazis like Fox News. The GOP, btw, doesn't support or even acknowledge George Hutchins. I suspect he calls himself republican because "Neo Nazi for Congress" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

Hate Crime Bill Passes

hate crimes, homophobia, homosexual, wingnut, christian,

One small step for equality, one major freakout for wingnuts.

Some Suicide Note

glenn, beck, frog, 912 project, liberty, census, undocumented workers, death, hanging, extremism, conservative, wingnut, bachmann
On September 12, the day of Teabagging Madness, a census worker was found hanged with the word "Fed" scrawled across his chest.

WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating the hanging death of a U.S. Census worker near a Kentucky cemetery. A law enforcement official says the word "fed" was scrawled on his chest.

The body of Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old Census field worker and occasional teacher, was found Sept. 12 in the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky.

Investigators have said little about the case. A law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and requested anonymity, tells The Associated Press the word "fed" was written on the dead man's chest.

FBI spokesman David Beyer said the bureau is helping state police determine if Sparkman's death was the result of foul play, and if so, whether it was related to his census work.

I suppose it's possible "Fed" was a rather inscrutable suicide note, and that the only place he had to write such a note was his own chest, but that seems rather unlikely to me.

It seems a little more likely to me that somebody got a wee bit riled up by the likes of Michele Bachmann, who said that she was worried if she filled out a census form, she would be thrown in a Japanese internment camp run by Acorn. (What I can't figure out is, when did Bachmann become Japanese? Or is the internment camp in Japan?)

It also strikes me that with Glenn Beck (who, at the very least, simulated boiling a live frog on TV yesterday) calling upon people to "water the tree of liberty", the 9/12 connection is a bit suspicious.

Yeah, that DHS report is looking like a load of bullshit, now, huh?

¿Hablas Wingnuttian?

journalista, illegal aliens, undocumented workers, crime, racism, bigotry, wingnut, stupid,
I'm starting to think the journalista chronicle might be a Poe. Surely no one in real life is actually that much of a clichéd Republican. Surely not.

Her latest article begins as a screed against a government website in- ¡gasp!- Spanish. I know, right? It's insane, providing Spanish-speakers with information in Spanish. What kind of communists are we?

Journalista, in case you read this, there are many legal aliens and US citizens that speak Spanish natively, and speak English. However, and I speak from experience here, no matter how fluent you become in another language, no language will ever be as comfortable to you as your native tongue. That's why we provide translations of government notices, etc.- to ensure that nonnative speakers are absolutely clear on what it is we're trying to tell them. Asshat.

What follows next is an admission of both crimes and bigotry.

I have to admit, I don’t mind them being here. I just think that if they work, they should pay taxes like everyone else. And if they aren’t legal, the government shouldn’t be footing their bill. Living in S. California it’s nice to have someone to clean my house and keep up the yard and help me flip my houses for a really cheap price, and most illegal immigrants that I have met are really sweet, but I also don’t think that my tax dollars need to go to individuals who broke the law and came to this country illegally. If they’re here illegally, and don’t pay taxes, then they should not benefit from those of us who do put money into the system…I mean, that have our money stolen from us by the government and put into the system.

Yeah, journalista doesn't mind letting "really sweet" illegals scrub her toilets or mow her lawn or help her make money, but she doesn't want them stealing her tax dollars! How dare the people that help her make a buck quick want to drive on her roads and visit her hospitals and . . . and . . . breath her air? That's Amurkin air! It's for Amurkins!

First of all, journalista, you are committing a crime every time you pay an undocumented worker. Glass houses, my dear. I'm sorry you don't like scrubbing your own toilets, but you're a criminal.

Secondly, how could anyone possibly live in the US and not pay taxes? You pay taxes at the store, at the gas pump, and when you pay your landlord, you're helping to pay their property taxes. Nobody is not paying taxes in this country.

Next, the same person that flips houses and pays someone else to clean up after her is "taxed to death".

Honey, you aren't "taxed to death". For one thing, you're still alive, unless your ghost wrote this little bit of ridiculousness. Secondly, if you have the money to flip houses and hire a maid and a gardener, you're not poor. I'd say come talk to me about being poor, but you have people right at hand to have that discussion with: the undocumented workers you hire.

But I suppose you'd actually have to, you know, listen to them for that.

Rep. Broun Godwins the Entire World

hitler, godwin, conservative, GOP, obama, wingnut, socialism, marxism,

There is no possibility of reasonable discussions with a good portion of the GOP*. Exhibit "A": Representative Paul Broun of Georgia (do I need to tell you which party?) Godwins the entire world in his latest delusional rant.

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base "may"? "a bit"?, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may—may not, I hope not—but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

In case you're not familiar with what Broun is referring to, it is Obama's proposal for a civilian reserve corps that could handle postwar reconstruction efforts such as rebuilding infrastructure—an idea endorsed by the Bush administration. Remember, Broun? Those guys you loved? Were just in power until 6 months ago?

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist." Yeah, we probably shouldn't take history lessons from people that can't remember last year.

Broun said he believes Obama would move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national security force. I love all the weaselwording. "If he does . . . I believe . . . he may . . ." Once you've Godwin'd, you don't get to hide behind "I said he might do it . . ."

Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. entirely different from banning gun ownership. seriously, who the fuck needs a concealed assualt rifle? As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.

"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. No, he was not. Hitler was elected to a fairly minor political office, that's true. But he was appointed Chancellor of Germany (not a democratic move) and then appointed himself Fuhrer (again, not democratic) I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. which is why you've mentioned Hitler three times in as many minutes? What I'm saying is there is the potential of going down that road."

This is what passes for reasoned discourse? This is what the First Amendment has come to? Godwinning the entire world every time someone sticks a microphone in your face? How long do you suppose it will be before some unhinged wingnut with concealed bazooka decides that the only way to save the world from SuperMarxistBlackHitler is to kill people? Given the hysteria, the extremity, the insanity, of right wing speech lately, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.

Mark my words: in a world where a congressman can call the President of the United States Hitler- with no consequences- violence is guaranteed. The only question is when.

*UNRR is more than capable of reasonable discussion. I just wish the entire GOP was like him.

Not White Enough

racism, pritchett, lou, obama, wingnut, conservative,
Have you seen the "Dear President Obama" letter being circulated by all the wingnuts yet? It's priceless.

According to snopes:

Origins: Lou Pritchett is a former vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat. Mr. Pritchett confirmed to us that he was indeed the author of the much-circulated "open letter" quoted [below].

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me. let's play a game. let's see how many times Mr. Pritchett accuses President Obama of not being white.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you. really? because i know everything i never wanted to know about his aunt, his kenyan grandmother, his mother, how she died, his father, his half siblings in kenya, his mother's parents, etc. I know this guy better than i know most of my friends.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support. Unlike other presidents and politicians who have family money or their wives' money, you actually got scholarships and worked for your own money. That's terrifying. also, HE's NOT WHITE!

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American. HE's NOT WHITE! He did spend his formative years (a) with his American mother, and (b) in Hawaii, which last time I checked is a part of the US.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll. Which is clearly the most important qualification for President of the United States, a position entirely unlike running a small business.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core. And that's relevant how? Neither did Bush, unless you count not attending required National Guard service.

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others. How dare he point out that the economic apocalypse occurred on President Bush's watch? That's so vulgar! and, HE's NOT WHITE!

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail. Oh, we're not past HE'sMUSLImTERRORISTISLAMOFACISTBLAAAAAAAAAAAAACK yet?

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad. No, see that's the humility you just accused him of not having.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector. Oh, yes, those scary European countries and their scary health care for everyone . . . wait, why is that bad?

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one. You mean like the VA, which is the best system in the US right now?

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves. you know, because breathing poison is good for us, right? and the rapture's going to happen soon anyway, so who cares about pollution?

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world. reality fail. the US does not have the highest standard of living in the world, Norway does. The US is 6th, after Norway, Sweden, Canada, Belgium and Australia.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations. making those stupid bastards stop fucking us all is just wrong. wrong. and you know who else like extortion? black people.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals. "wild" you know, like black people.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people. Palin, Limbaugh and Joe the Plumber are not intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient. wtf?!

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do. did we stop calling foxnews media? i agree, but when did that happen?

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view. amazingly, they're still on the air.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing. meh. i can't really tell what this is a dog whistle for. probably IslamoNaziFacistSocialCommunism.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years. no explanation of why he wouldn't feel safe writing the letter, just wouldn't feel safe. maybe because Obama's not white?

Lou Pritchett

There's Rude, and Then There's the Wingnuts

sotomayor, krikorian, pronunciation, conservative, wingnut,
When I read Mark Krikorian's latest, my intial reaction was "seriously?" And then I thought, "no, really?" And then I thought, "um, wait, what?"

Most e-mailers were with me on the post on the pronunciation of Judge Sotomayor's name (and a couple griped about the whole Latina/Latino thing — English dropped gender in nouns, what, 1,000 years ago?). But a couple said we should just pronounce it the way the bearer of the name prefers, including one who pronounces her name "freed" even though it's spelled "fried," like fried rice. (I think Cathy Seipp of blessed memory did the reverse — "sipe" instead of "seep.") Deferring to people's own pronunciation of their names should obviously be our first inclination, but there ought to be limits. Putting the emphasis on the final syllable of Sotomayor is unnatural in English (which is why the president stopped doing it after the first time at his press conference), unlike my correspondent's simple preference for a monophthong over a diphthong, and insisting on an unnatural pronunciation is something we shouldn't be giving in to.

For instance, in Armenian, the emphasis is on the second syllable in my surname, just as in English, but it has three syllables, not four (the "ian" is one syllable) — but that's not how you'd say it in English (the "ian" means the same thing as in English — think Washingtonian or Jeffersonian). Likewise in Russian, you put the emphasis in my name on the final syllable and turn the "o" into a schwa, and they're free to do so because that's the way it works in their language. And should we put Asian surnames first in English just because that's the way they do it in Asia? When speaking of people in Asia, okay, but not people of Asian origin here, where Mao Tse-tung would properly have been changed to Tse-tung Mao. Likewise with the Mexican practice of including your mother's maiden name as your last name, after your father's surname.

This may seem like carping, but it's not. Part of our success in assimilation has been to leave whole areas of culture up to the individual, so that newcomers have whatever cuisine or religion or so on they want, limiting the demand for conformity to a smaller field than most other places would. But one of the areas where conformity is appropriate is how your new countrymen say your name, since that's not something the rest of us can just ignore, unlike what church you go to or what you eat for lunch. And there are basically two options — the newcomer adapts to us, or we adapt to him. And multiculturalism means there's a lot more of the latter going on than there should be.

Allow me to explain something to you, Mr. Krikorian, no matter how "unnatural" you find it to pronounce words correctly, not doing so makes you an ignorant idiot. (Correctly pronounced "idjit".) Not pronouncing a person's name correctly, after you have had your mispronunciation corrected, is rude. That's it, rude.

Your deliberate mispronunciation of Ms. Sotomayor's name makes you the rude one. The fact that you'd like her name to be pronounced some other way does not make Ms. Sotomayor the rude one.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the correct pronunciation of "Pakistan" is "pock-i-stahn", and the correct pronunciation of "Iran" is "Ee-rahn" and the correct pronunciation of "Krikorian" is "ignorant wingnut asshole". Was that so hard?

Urban Legends: Obama's Security Force Edition

security force, obama, peace, corps, wingnut, urban, legend
The urban legend of Obama's supposed Security Force just won't die. It pops up, again and again, on wingnut blogs, "news" sites and message boards with alarming regularity. Most recently, I saw it on Rapture Ready (your source for all things paranoid).

I received this from a friend this morning. Pretty chilling to think that our gov't is worried about civil unrest to the point that they're creating their own force. What's wrong with the National Guard? Here are excepts from the emal. Received this from an old girlfriend who lives in Washington State: Ah, the urban legend mainstay: the friend of a friend.

My sister-in-law and her husband attend the 4-square church and last week a young lady who is in the army was home on leave and she was telling people there at the church that she has been approached to join Obama's national security force upon her discharge coming up this year. another urban legend mainstay: the unverifiable claim whose very unverifiability is proof (i can't prove it because i was told by the mysterious smoking man) She said others in her unit have been offered the same thing and that they will probably join due to a lack of jobs when they get out. They were told that the govt. is preparing for civil unrest and a civil patrol would be needed to put down any violence across the nation that might occur. So, I guess we better keep our eyes and ears open and get prepared for whatever is being planned for us.

God bless all of you in your wonderful support of the troops, talk to you later.

I'm wondering what they're thinking in regards to civil unrest. Oh yeah, that would be us on Rapture Ready and of course my husband who is a Vietnam Veteran. Just to keep it up to date, a reference to the notorious DHS report.

What's really going on here? According to factcheck.org, volunteerism. You know, like the Peace Corps. A volunteerism initiative launched by the Bush administration, no less.

Obama was not talking about a "security force" with guns or police powers. He was talking specifically about expanding AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps and the USA Freedom Corps, which is the volunteer initiative launched by the Bush administration after the attacks of 9/11, and about increasing the number of trained Foreign Service officers who populate U.S. embassies overseas.

Oooh, the Peace Corps. Be afraid, be very afraid.

This Is Not A Poe - Part IV

wingnut, republican, GOP, oklahoma, religion, homophobia, abstinence, insane,
(or: I Just Couldn't Stay Away)



The Oklahoma GOP Party Platform 2009 actually gets worse after the sections on religion and sodomy. (You know, for the longest time I couldn't for the life of me figure out what "sodomy" was, because any time I saw a definition of sodomy, my reaction was "isn't that just sex?" Which it is, of course.)



The OK! GOP just can't get away from praising evangelical christianity. (The GOP: You can take the tired, the poor, the Jews, the Hindus, the Muslims and the atheists. We don't want 'em!) This ridiculous "god's the bestest thing evah!" crap continues right through the section on education. Public education, mind you.



Preamble:



We acknowledge our dependence upon Almighty God again. and again. and again. and ask His blessings okay, we get it, you're really into god. upon our students and their parents, teachers, and nation. It is the right and responsibility of parents to direct their children’s upbringing and education whether public, private, charter, or home school, without interference, regulation no regulation on schooling. at all. think about that for a second. what they're saying is that if a parent or a religious school wants to teach children that the world is cube with a 96 hour day and that god wants us to enslave our black citizens, that's fine by the GOP. uh, yeah., or penalty from the government. The primary goal of public schools should be to teach proficiency in the basic subjects of phonics based reading, written and oral communication, mathematics, sciences, traditional history including our founding documents (none of that women's history or black history, good ole white manifest destiny history), the Godly heritage of our nation the witch burning or the slave owning?, and critical thinking skills BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Locally elected school boards should have the authority to determine and implement all public school curricula, I think this is an attempt to backdoor in intelligent design. policies, and procedures for their districts. We demand excellence and accountability from all tax-funded institutions of education in Oklahoma. The federal government has no constitutional role in education i guess bush disagreed; furthermore, we support the creation of a free market education system vouchers. We believe Oklahoma students are among the best and brightest and deserve a quality education isn't that sweet? not sure why it's part of the platform, but props to the Okies!



1. The traditional family unit, consisting of a (husband) man, (wife) woman and child(ren), first of all, this is like the fourth time this has come up in this document. we get it, you're not into the gays. secondly, i love that it isn't enough to define the desired relationship as "man and woman" because that might include sinful unmarried men and women, who are little better than gays. is the foundation of our social structure. The Oklahoma Department of Education and various Boards of Regents should uphold and teach this definition of traditional family, at all levels of public school and higher education. including college, apparently. asshats.



2. Funding of School-to-Work in any form should be eliminated. Individuals should have the right to choose their own education and career. We oppose any tracking system, which presumes to know what is best for the individual and economy or predetermine the occupationsof students. as best as I can tell, the GOP is against students that are not college material having actual marketable skills. school to work is a program that apprentices high school students in useful, well-paying fields like car repair, plumbing and carpentry. how dare schools prepare children for the rest of their lives with necessary, marketable skills. it's appalling.



4. Parents have a right to exempt their children from required school vaccinations for medical reasons, religious reasons, or other reasons of conscience. No child should be required to take a medication as a requirement for attending a public school. it's not like vaccines have any kind of purpose or anything.

5. Parents have a natural right to home school their children. We oppose any and all regulation of home schooling. we wouldn't want to make sure that children have certain knowledge prior to reaching adulthood, would we?

6. We affirm the right of students and teachers to the free exercise of religion as guaranteed by he First Amendment, including the right to wear and display religious symbols, voluntary vocal prayer, optional Bible and religious study, religious expression including holidays, and equal access to use of school facilities for these activities. i wonder if they'll feel the same way when muslim students start wearing their religious symbols and demanding the use of school facilities for q'ran studies?

7. The American flag should be displayed in the classroom. Students should start the day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, including “one nation under God,” and be taught the history of and respect for our American flag. why do these asshats conflate christianity with patriotism?

10. The Ten Commandments should be posted in all public schools as a means of moral guidance along with our national motto “In God We Trust” and the Bill of Rights. the first four of the ten commandments:


I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.
3
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

first of all, how are any of those four "moral" guidelines? wtf does "remember the sabbath day" have to do with morals or with education? wtf does any of that have to do with learning your abc's? secondly, how are any of those four applicable in a public school, where nonchristian theists and atheists may be in attendance?

oh, right, they're not.

11. We oppose the deliberate misuse of standard English and the alteration of historical facts. a slam on "urban" speech and a refutation of what was stated earlier about the US being a "christian nation" founded on Judaic law. nice.

13. Public schools shall not prohibit the Judeo-Christian worldview upon which our country was founded. Public schools shall be prohibited from promoting other worldviews such as, but not limited to, secular Humanism, New Age philosophy, deep ecology, reincarnation, psychotherapy, channeling, transcendental meditation, altered states of consciousness or any occult practice.
wait, i thought we weren't altering historical facts. and, i love that anything other than the worldview of evangelical christianity (worldviews held by millions of US citizens) are strictly forbidden. Also, psychotherapy is a forbidden worldview? and what the fuck is "deep ecology"? What planet does the GOP live on?

17. We believe the public school system is for the benefit of U.S. citizens and for those who havethe legal right to be here. fucking illegals!

18. We oppose any government required community service as a condition of graduation. Obama wants high school students to help out their community! commusocialfacism! HITLEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!!

next up, the GOP supports the use of the bible as a history text. a history text. a fucking history text.

1. Basic school curricula should include reading, composition, literature, mathematics, science, history, and government. Reading shall include phonics instruction, and composition shall include grammar and spelling instruction. We encourage the teaching of art, music, foreign languages, sports/physical fitness, and the option of using the Bible as a history or literature text.

a history text. i don't know whether to laugh or cry. a history text.

2. American heritage should be taught in public schools and include representative government,limited government, the lives and beliefs of the founders, the influence of the Bible andreligion on our laws and principles, and the concept of free enterprise. Students should studydirectly from the primary founding documents, which teach the distribution of power amongthe three branches of federal government and between federal and state government. students shall be taught GOP talking points to the exclusion of all else. where else will we get more republicans?

4. We believe that the scientific evidence supporting Intelligent Design and biblical creation should be included in the Oklahoma public school curricula, and where any evolution theory is taught, that both should receive equal funding, class time, and material. Teachers should havethe freedom to cover creation science without fear of intimidation or reprimand. the GOP: we're not exactly certain what science is, but we're against it!

7. Any mandated sex education shall hold to the following guidelines:

a. Neither homosexual nor extramarital sexual activity shall be presented as safe,nor shall they be presented as morally or socially acceptable behaviors.

b. HIV shall be presented as incurable and fatal.

c. Abstinence or lifetime fidelity shall be presented as the only safe sexual practice.

I'm fairly certain my brain just exploded. abstinence training does not work. i certainly do not want my tax dollars to support homophobia. HIV infection can be prevented- with condoms. you know what, maybe i do support their stance on homeschooling- because if this is what is going on in Oklahoma schools, i certainly wouldn't send my children there.

9. We oppose the portrayal of homosexual or promiscuous behavior in a positive light in public schools. the GOP: we do NOT have to represent our gay citizens, too.

1. We support meaningful reform in the structure of our higher education system, including:
a. Evaluation of all programs and elimination or reform of substandard programs.
b. Control of grade inflation.
c. Accountability of administrators to include performance evaluation.
d. Reform of the faculty tenure system.
e. Budgeting tied to comprehensive planning process with increases in funding directly related to specific goals and objectives listing expected improvements.

translation: we'll get those liberal college professors yet!

Honestly, after wading through the muck of wingnuttery that is this party platform, I can't even imagine why the GOP has the support that it does. It's frightening that 1 out of 5 USians thinks this insanity is the way to go.

Oh, Noes- Jon Stewart Uses a Teleprompter!

teleprompter, stewart, obama, bush, wingnut, conservative, liberal, asshat, stupid,
Apparently, somebody doesn't know how comedy, or the news for that matter, works.

Latest Teleprompter Scandal:

Richard Baehr

Andrew Breitbart, who navigated the Bill Maher show, has now also visited the Jon Stewart show. Turns out Jon is another big fan of teleprompters, which feed him the material prepared by a dozen writers. And to think folks believe these "comedians" are just so clever in their own right.

Comedians do not get up on stage and just start talking. Jokes are always written in advance, and plenty of comedians do not write their own jokes. In fact, shows like Stewart's, Conan O'Brien's, etc., always employ a group of writers. This isn't newsworthy, surprising or scandalous. Of course, neither is Obama's use of a Teleprompter. (Bush's use of a Teleprompter at least qualified as amusing.)