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1 Charles Johnson  Mar 13, 2015 8:30:50pm
2 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Mar 13, 2015 8:37:13pm

re: #1 Charles Johnson

We have found the honest Republican pundit.

///

3 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 8:38:22pm
4 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 8:42:04pm

Having lost family and friends in Viet Nam I was still dumb and innocent enough to believe we’d learned a lesson from that and wouldn’t do it again. Then Iraq and the horny drums of war beat again and there we were.

We can protest, we can scream, we can point to history and the stupid waste of life… and the horny drum beats on. I despair.

5 BigPapa  Mar 13, 2015 8:42:07pm

American Enterprise Institute

War is enterprise

6 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 8:43:52pm

2002: “War with Afghanistan is probably our best option”

2003: “War with Iraq is probably our best option”

2012: “War with Libya is probably our best option”

2013: “War with Syria is probably our best option”

2015: “War with Iran is probably our best option”

I’m beginning to sense a pattern…

7 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 8:44:35pm
8 BigPapa  Mar 13, 2015 8:45:19pm

When is war not the best option, Patriot?

9 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 8:45:41pm

Funny (not really) that the war drums beat right when we have found a common enemy, i.e. ISIS, and start to find some common ground with Iran.

Why do I think this isn’t a coincidence?

10 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 8:45:44pm
11 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 8:47:20pm

The war mongers live in a fantasy world in which the US can start and finish a war in one or two years with minimal casualties and budgetary concerns, and no long range consequences.

The last time that happened (for the USA) was 1917, and we were not fighting alone. Even so, many Americans died in that war.

12 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 8:48:48pm

re: #10 jaunte

[Embedded content]

Wait, you mean the fighting in Iraq didn’t just take six months and cost $500b, with most of the costs of reconstruction covered by Iraq oil sales?

13 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 8:49:51pm

re: #12 Targetpractice

Wait, you mean the fighting in Iraq didn’t just take six months and cost $500b, with most of the costs of reconstruction covered by Iraq oil sales?

You didn’t get your rose petals?

///

14 BigPapa  Mar 13, 2015 8:53:51pm

15 austin_blue  Mar 13, 2015 8:53:56pm

re: #6 Targetpractice

2002: “War with Afghanistan is probably our best option”

2003: “War with Iraq is probably our best option”

2012: “War with Libya is probably our best option”

2013: “War with Syria is probably our best option”

2015: “War with Iran is probably our best option”

I’m beginning to sense a pattern…

Iran is a geological, geographical, and logistical nightmare. The only way to fight them and win would be to use nukes and destroy them.

Full stop.

This may be Bibi’s wet dream, but any sane American should read history and understand the realities. It can’t happen. It’s just fucking insane, and anyone who even presents it as a talking point is insane.

16 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 8:54:09pm

re: #12 Targetpractice

I came out of it with a disabled veteran daughter and son-in-law.

17 BeachDem  Mar 13, 2015 8:55:08pm

• Percentage of Americans who believe that vaccines are safe and effective: 53

• Who believe that houses can be haunted by ghosts: 54

We. Are. Doomed.

And if the stupidity doesn’t do us in:

Number of square miles of seabed in international waters that were under contract for mining operations in 2000 : 0

That are today : 463,323

harpers.org

18 #FergusonFireside  Mar 13, 2015 8:55:38pm

Draft your own fucking kids.

19 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 8:55:58pm

Hey, but they get all the good parking spots.

20 Timothy Watson  Mar 13, 2015 8:58:55pm

re: #1 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

INVADE IRAN SO OUR SOLDIERS CAN BE SHOT AT BY THE MISSILES RONALDUS MAGNUS SOLD THEM!!1!

Oh, wait…

21 BigPapa  Mar 13, 2015 9:00:07pm
Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq. Bush’s assertion—and the sign itself—became controversial after guerrilla warfare in Iraq increased during the Iraqi insurgency. The vast majority of casualties, both military and civilian, occurred after the speech.
22 BigPapa  Mar 13, 2015 9:01:42pm

47 wingnut dingbat senators

Romney’s 47%

There’s a joke in here but I need another two or three snifters of single malt to ferret it out

23 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 9:01:52pm

Not to mention the sectarian violence that they said couldn’t happen did, the number of troops needed was way out of proportion to what they sold Congress on, and (of course) the insurgency they said would fall apart with Saddam’s capture and execution kept fighting despite being in its “last throes.”

So yeah, I’d say neocons are very shitty predictors of the easy with which a war can be prosecuted. And if we’re that clown shoes when it comes to dealing with Iraq, a banana republic whose military was using second-rate gear and had had most of its air defense network bombed into oblivion, what do you think the result is going to be when we go against a healthy and well-stocked military which has spent the last decade beefing up its air defense?

24 Timothy Watson  Mar 13, 2015 9:02:14pm

re: #11 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

The war mongers live in a fantasy world in which the US can start and finish a war in one or two years with minimal casualties and budgetary concerns, and no long range consequences.

The last time that happened (for the USA) was 1917, and we were not fighting alone. Even so, many Americans died in that war.

And many American soldiers died unnecessarily during World War I because the American generals refused to fellow the lessons the British and French had been learning for three years.

25 Archangelus  Mar 13, 2015 9:04:08pm

re: #15 austin_blue

Iran is a geological, geographical, logistical, tactical and strategic nightmare.

Small but essential modification IMO

26 BigPapa  Mar 13, 2015 9:04:43pm
On May 1, 2003, Bush became the first sitting President to arrive in an arrested landing in a fixed-wing aircraft on an aircraft carrier[3][4] when he arrived at the USS Abraham Lincoln in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, dubbed Navy One, as the carrier lay just off the San Diego coast, having returned from combat operations in the Persian Gulf. He posed for photographs with pilots and members of the ship’s crew while wearing a flight suit.
27 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 9:07:41pm
“Iran is one of the world’s most mountainous countries.”
……….
“Iran is about one-fifth the size of the continental United States, or slightly larger than the combined area of the contiguous states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
……..
Iran consists of rugged, mountainous rims surrounding high interior basins. The main mountain chain is the Zagros Mountains, a series of parallel ridges interspersed with plains that bisect the country from northwest to southeast. Many peaks in the Zagros exceed 3,000 meters above sea level, and in the south-central region of the country there are at least five peaks that are over 4,000 meters.”
globalsecurity.org

There’s a reason Switzerland wasn’t invaded in WW2.

28 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 9:09:15pm

re: #26 BigPapa

But he was not the pilot.

29 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 9:12:12pm
30 BigPapa  Mar 13, 2015 9:12:20pm

re: #27 jaunte

There’s a reason Switzerland wasn’t invaded in WW2.

Afghanistan? Mountains. And a bunch of people that for generations have been invaded.

Iran hasn’t forgotten 50 years of US meddling. Years of Shock and Awe would produce another generation of hate.

31 austin_blue  Mar 13, 2015 9:14:36pm

re: #25 Archangelus

Once your logistics are fucked, strategy is just a bygone.

;-)

32 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 9:15:19pm

Military Groups Slam Republicans For Killing A Bill Supporting Veterans

Reuters reported, “Supporters said the measure would have brought the most significant changes in decades to U.S. veterans’ programs. For example, it called for 27 new medical facilities to help a healthcare system that is strained by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
……..
41 out of 45 Republicans voted against it and killed the bill.

33 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 9:16:50pm

Would it be too much to ask that we respect another nation’s sovereignty?

34 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 9:19:53pm

re: #33 allegro

Would it be too much to ask that we respect another nation’s sovereignty?

These people don’t even recognize the domestic sovereignty of the US government.

35 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 9:20:16pm

re: #32 jaunte

Military Groups Slam Republicans For Killing A Bill Supporting Veterans

If those fuckers spent even ONE day in a VA hospital…. OK it probably wouldn’t help because they are clearly sociopaths devoid of empathy. It’s the only explanation of their heartlessness of the suffering they seem to actually enjoy.

36 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 9:21:38pm

Of course the letter is about starting a war with Iran. But the point of the letter is to get Iran to walk away from the table, so neocons can claim that diplomacy has failed and war the only “answer.” And Fox was already trying to soft sell war the other day, arguing that a series (not a single strike but a series of strikes) on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would not constitute an act of war.

Better yet, let’s stop and think about this for a second: Who do these jackoffs expect to join us in this latest adventure? Every other member of the Security Council is a party to these talks and the ones who aren’t suffering war fatigue stayed out of the fight in Iraq because even they saw it was a mistake.

We sure as fuck can’t rely upon most of the region’s powers to help, because those that aren’t sitting on their asses are busy fighting Daesh.

Israel? HAHAHAHA…no.

So it looks like any potential coalition for a fight in Iran would be even smaller than that which fought in Iraq, and that was smaller than the one that fought in Afghanistan.

37 jaunte  Mar 13, 2015 9:23:07pm

re: #36 Targetpractice

…and Fox was already trying to soft sell war the other day, arguing that a series (not a single strike but a series of strikes) on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would not constitute an act of war.

As if they know where it is.

38 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 9:25:18pm

re: #36 Targetpractice

Of course the letter is about starting a war with Iran. But the point of the letter is to get Iran to walk away from the table, so neocons can claim that diplomacy has failed and war the only “answer.” And Fox was already trying to soft sell war the other day, arguing that a series (not a single strike but a series of strikes) on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would not constitute an act of war.

Better yet, let’s stop and think about this for a second: Who do these jackoffs expect to join us in this latest adventure? Every other member of the Security Council is a party to these talks and the ones who aren’t suffering war fatigue stayed out of the fight in Iraq because even they saw it was a mistake.

We sure as fuck can’t rely upon most of the region’s powers to help, because those that aren’t sitting on their asses are busy fighting Daesh.

Israel? HAHAHAHA…no.

So it looks like any potential coalition for a fight in Iran would be even smaller than that which fought in Iraq, and that was smaller than the one that fought in Afghanistan.

And the only purported reason for going to war with Iran is their nuclear development program, which could maybe lead to a nuclear bomb someday. Iran has made no overtly aggressive moves on any other nation that would normally lead to a declaration of war.

39 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 9:27:46pm

re: #38 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

And the only purported reason for going to war with Iran is their nuclear development program, which could maybe lead to a nuclear bomb someday. Iran has made no overtly aggressive moves on any other nation that would normally lead to a declaration of war.

Leading to a question I’ve asked for years now…. what gives us the right to tell them they can’t?

40 austin_blue  Mar 13, 2015 9:27:49pm

re: #28 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

But he was not the pilot.

But he *was* a pilot. And he was sitting in the right seat. He flew jets for the Texas Air National Guard before he failed to show for his annual medical in Houston while supposedly going to work on a political campaign in Birmingham. He was supposed to transfer to the ANG in Alabama, but no one ever saw him. There was a letter that was supposed to confirm the scandal, but it was exposed as a fake.

The generation and release of the letter was a brilliant move to obfuscate the fact that he, indeed, failed to complete his tenure with the Texas Air National Guard during a time frame when he was rumored to be actively snorting cocaine.

And so he was inaugurated as the President of the United States of America in January, 2001. Fun ride since then, eh?

41 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 9:31:32pm

re: #39 allegro

Leading to a question I’ve asked for years now…. what gives us the right to tell them they can’t?

Technically the NPT…but that reality is that every time we get told they’re “on the verge” of building a bomb, we find out almost immediately after that they in fact are years away and that’s assuming they actually start right away. Back in ‘03, they ceased uranium enrichment…and then picked it back up again in 2005. And we just learned recently from Mossad’s own assessments that they’re not enriching uranium past 20%.

42 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 9:31:50pm

re: #40 austin_blue

Then I misunderstood (or misrememberd) the interview I read of the Navy pilot flying with him.

43 BeachDem  Mar 13, 2015 9:35:18pm

Boy, Justin Harris certainly upped the ante for the grift once he got himself a job legislatin’

In 2011, Americans United attorneys were quite surprised to find that a West Fork, Ark., preschool called Growing God’s Kingdom has received over $1 million in state funds since 2005…
Arkansas Better Chance for School Success funds should not be used to pay for religion.
(Yeah, that ship has sailed)

So anyway, that was a million $ over 6 years—a lot of money, but wait—there’s more.

He won his first election in 2010, started legislatin’ in 2011—and
since 2010:

$2.7 million from the Arkansas Better Chance state-funded pre-K

So, $2.7 million over 4 years—quite a nice return on his campaign.

But wait, there’s more:

In 2012— Meanwhile, enrollment at his school is down by about 30 students, he said. Last year, they had 110 kids enrolled at Growing God’s Kingdom. This year, they have close to 90.

(apparently, math not a strong point 110 to 90 isn’t about 30, it’s about 20, but hey)

Fewer kids—more money—it’s the Republican way.

That’s just the money from Arkansas Better Chance for School Success.

PLUS, since 2010:

$945,580 from the Child Care Development Fund that helps pay for childcare for qualifying families. (Not sure if they consider these state funds, as the program is under the federal DHHS but managed by the state)

and that’s not counting the $547,619 from the USDA for free or reduced lunches for young children.

44 Eclectic Cyborg  Mar 13, 2015 9:39:37pm
Every faction in Africa calls themselves by these noble names - Liberation this, Patriotic that, Democratic Republic of something-or-other… I guess they can’t own up to what they usually are: the Federation of Worse Oppressors Than the Last Bunch of Oppressors. Often, the most barbaric atrocities occur when both combatants proclaim themselves Freedom Fighters.

Yuri Orlov (Nicholas Cage)
Lord of War

45 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 9:39:59pm

re: #43 BeachDem

So little kids can be abused in the name of his god and told they are evil demons. And raped.

Sick fucks.

46 Kragar  Mar 13, 2015 9:41:03pm
47 Eclectic Cyborg  Mar 13, 2015 9:42:05pm

And as a somewhat fitting follow up, I’ve started the process of knocking another item off the bucket list:

I’ve written the first two pages of a script for a movie tentatively titled
“The Unusual Adventures of Henry”.

Without giving too much away, it’s about a father who can’t catch a break, a vindictive mother and their little girl caught in the middle of an ongoing battle between them. Henry refers to one of the girls most treasured toys.

I’d be happy to let some Lizards read it when I get it done.

48 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 9:44:04pm

re: #47 Eclectic Cyborg

And as a somewhat fitting follow up, I’ve started the process of knocking another item off the bucket list:

I’ve written the first two pages of a script for a movie tentatively titled
“The Unusual Adventures of Henry”.

Without giving too much away, it’s about father who can’t catch a break, a vindictive mother and their little girl caught in the middle of an ongoing battle between them. Henry refers to one of the girls most treasured toys.

I’d be happy to let some Lizards read it when I get it done.

Please put me on that list. :)

49 WhatEVs  Mar 13, 2015 9:45:38pm

re: #47 Eclectic Cyborg

And as a somewhat fitting follow up, I’ve started the process of knocking another item off the bucket list:

I’ve written the first two pages of a script for a movie tentatively titled
“The Unusual Adventures of Henry”.

Without giving too much away, it’s about a father who can’t catch a break, a vindictive mother and their little girl caught in the middle of an ongoing battle between them. Henry refers to one of the girls most treasured toys.

I’d be happy to let some Lizards read it when I get it done.

I volunteer. I read stuff on WattPad all the time. Just downloaded Amazon’s WattPad-like app, too.

50 Eclectic Cyborg  Mar 13, 2015 9:46:42pm

re: #48 allegro

Please put me on that list. :)

Will do. Expect to wait at least a month. I’m trying to find ways to make it not overly derivative and cliched.

51 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 9:48:09pm

re: #50 Eclectic Cyborg

Will do. Expect to wait at least a month. I’m trying to find ways to make it not overly derivative and cliched.

Are you up on all the rules of script-writing? The format stuff?

52 prairiefire  Mar 13, 2015 9:50:17pm

re: #51 allegro

Are you up on all the rules of script-writing? The format stuff?

Yeah, the script writing has to be a bit “over the top” in descriptives it seems. I imagine to “sell” the 3D imagery on a 2D page. Cool stuff.

53 prairiefire  Mar 13, 2015 9:53:17pm

re: #51 allegro

Hey, I’ve applied some of the writing method suggestions from your friend’s info to my Ebay listings. I’ve not submitted anything yet, but it is on my list to get after I sell a bunch of inventory on Ebay. Thanks again!

54 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 9:54:40pm

re: #47 Eclectic Cyborg

And as a somewhat fitting follow up, I’ve started the process of knocking another item off the bucket list:

I’ve written the first two pages of a script for a movie tentatively titled
“The Unusual Adventures of Henry”.

Without giving too much away, it’s about a father who can’t catch a break, a vindictive mother and their little girl caught in the middle of an ongoing battle between them. Henry refers to one of the girls most treasured toys.

I’d be happy to let some Lizards read it when I get it done.

Add me to the preview list.

55 goddamnedfrank  Mar 13, 2015 9:58:48pm

Whoever is behind this account, and I very much doubt it’s an Asian woman as advertised, is seriously disgusting.

56 #FergusonFireside  Mar 13, 2015 9:59:47pm

re: #45 allegro

So little kids can be abused in the name of his god and told they are evil demons. And raped.

Sick fucks.

All in the name of religion and the mighty buck.

The GOP needs to set their sights on these takers.

57 WhatEVs  Mar 13, 2015 10:01:23pm

re: #56 #FergusonFireside

All in the name of religion and the mighty buck.

The GOP needs to set their sights on these takers.

The GOP are the takers.

58 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 10:01:26pm

re: #52 prairiefire

Yeah, the script writing has to be a bit “over the top” in descriptives it seems. I imagine to “sell” the 3D imagery on a 2D page. Cool stuff.

I was actually referring to the 120 page max length, i.e. 1 minute per page, 2 hour film thing; the first 10 pages to set the theme, etc. I’m assuming those rules still apply to get a screenplay read.

59 Kragar  Mar 13, 2015 10:03:29pm

re: #55 goddamnedfrank

[Embedded content]

Whoever is behind this account, and I very much doubt it’s an Asian woman as advertised, is seriously disgusting.

Stock photo

60 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 10:06:47pm

re: #53 prairiefire

Hey, I’ve applied some of the writing method suggestions from your friend’s info to my Ebay listings. I’ve not submitted anything yet, but it is on my list to get after I sell a bunch of inventory on Ebay. Thanks again!

I hope you can make something of it. She’s made a good living from writing.

61 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 10:13:16pm

What is it about fresh laundry that acts like a magnet for cats?

62 Amory Blaine  Mar 13, 2015 10:15:10pm

With George, it’s the basket. He loves sitting in them.

63 Joe Bacon  Mar 13, 2015 10:21:50pm

re: #1 Charles Johnson

Charles, I dealt with Muravchik 40 years ago when he was active in Social Democrats, USA. He was one of Scoop Jackson’s lieutenants.

Social Democrats USA was the original incubator of the neocons. Back in the 70s, they clustered around George Meany of the AFL-CIO and Scoop Jackson. When Reagan came to power, the so-called “Scoop’s Troops” became hard core Republicans.

64 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 10:22:07pm

re: #61 Targetpractice

What is it about fresh laundry that acts like a magnet for cats?

Probly the same thing that makes my favorite black pants velcro for my black and white dog’s white hairs.

65 Timothy Watson  Mar 13, 2015 10:23:38pm

re: #55 goddamnedfrank

[Embedded content]

Whoever is behind this account, and I very much doubt it’s an Asian woman as advertised, is seriously disgusting.

The photograph is of a model, Michelle Lee aka Michelle Leslie:
google.com

She spent three months in a Bali jail for ecstasy possession.

66 WhatEVs  Mar 13, 2015 10:24:11pm

re: #61 Targetpractice

What is it about fresh laundry that acts like a magnet for cats?

It’s soft and in a surround. What’s not to love (if you’re a cat)?

67 Charles Johnson  Mar 13, 2015 10:28:57pm
68 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 10:29:08pm

re: #66 WhatEVs

It’s soft and in a surround. What’s not to love (if you’re a cat)?

Or a people. Some of us love small cozy spaces that are soft, safe, and cuddly. Why I love tiny home life. It rocks.

69 sagehen  Mar 13, 2015 10:29:16pm

re: #9 allegro

Funny (not really) that the war drums beat right when we have found a common enemy, i.e. ISIS, and start to find some common ground with Iran.

Why do I think this isn’t a coincidence?

We’ve had a common enemy, and solid grounds for rapproachment, for more than a decade. Iran has long had their own reasons for hating Al Qaeda almost as much as we do, that’s why they were so helpful during our initial invasion of Afghanistan. They let us use their border crossings, their intelligence services gave us the best up-to-date maps, personal introductions to Northern Alliance commanders, etc.

Here’s Tehran’s candlelight vigil for 9/11 —

They were really reaching out to us for a while there… naming them as part of the “axis of evil” put a stop to that.

70 goddamnedfrank  Mar 13, 2015 10:29:31pm

re: #65 Timothy Watson

The photograph is of a model, Michelle Lee aka Michelle Leslie:
google.com

She spent three months in a Bali jail for ecstasy possession.

Yeah all that account’s bios have been stock or news file photos. Sometimes that’s just because the person is guarding their identity. But it’s hard to believe any (sane) woman would make the kind of suggestion she just did. It’s just creepy and gross.

71 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 10:35:29pm

re: #67 Charles Johnson

Whoa. Serious projection there.

72 austin_blue  Mar 13, 2015 10:41:40pm

re: #55 goddamnedfrank

[Embedded content]

Whoever is behind this account, and I very much doubt it’s an Asian woman as advertised, is seriously disgusting.

Actually, that may be a full on sarc response. It may be a reference to Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused” where a dragworm* on Guadalupe Street in Austin was trying to sell Madonna’s pap smear. An easy step to a tampon.

Or not. In any case case, Chuck’s a nut job.

* A homeless habitué of the street immediately adjacent to the University of Texas, often aggressively panhandling. Guadalupe Street is referred to as “The Drag”.

73 retired cynic  Mar 13, 2015 10:41:40pm

re: #67 Charles Johnson

I can (sort of) understand his idiocy, but how can anyone read the two of you and agree with him???

74 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 10:41:57pm

re: #70 goddamnedfrank

Yeah all that account’s bios have been stock or news file photos. Sometimes that’s just because the person is guarding their identity. But it’s hard to believe any (sane) woman would make the kind of suggestion she just did. It’s just creepy and gross.

While I’m sure there are some women who could/would go there, I agree that this is more likely a male response. Women are generally creeped out by this level of intimacy while men are clueless why women find them that intimate.

75 austin_blue  Mar 13, 2015 10:43:24pm

re: #67 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Lesser?

Really?

Boy needs to get a grip.

76 retired cynic  Mar 13, 2015 10:43:52pm

re: #73 retired cynic

I mean I can understand him wanting to project his idiocy away from him. Not very clear tonight! Bourbon speaking!

77 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 10:45:02pm

re: #73 retired cynic

I can (sort of) understand his idiocy, but how can anyone read the two of you and agree with him???

UpChuck’s definition of “stalker” is someone who follows and contradicts/mocks him on Twitter. He’s also called me a stalker, and recently I was promoted to the “honey” level.

78 Kragar  Mar 13, 2015 10:45:34pm
79 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 10:55:53pm

re: #78 Kragar

[Embedded content]

So, basically Tom Cotton is discount Ted Cruz, who in turn is discount Joe McCarthy.

80 allegro  Mar 13, 2015 10:58:46pm

re: #79 Targetpractice

So, basically Tom Cotton is discount Ted Cruz, who in turn is discount Joe McCarthy.

I was about to suggest that they are dollar store politicians but then I remembered that there was a lot of dollar store stuff that’s worth a dollar. They don’t merit that value.

81 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 11:05:06pm

More warped theology/sociology from Bryan J. Fischer: a bilingual nation is no longer “one nation under God.”

rawstory.com

Because God only speaks English, apparently.

BJF also screws up the story of the Tower of Babel. In the story, humans all spoke the same language, and banded together to build the tower so they could pay God a visit, as it were. God, being somewhat of a hermit, destroyed the tower and cursed humanity with different languages, to prevent them from trying that shit again.

BJF is saying a monolingual America could get things done better, so he’s essentially saying we need to return to the God-defying pre-Tower of Babel days.

82 Kragar  Mar 13, 2015 11:08:57pm

re: #81 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

My original statement on the subject:

83 Targetpractice  Mar 13, 2015 11:09:46pm

re: #81 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

More warped theology/sociology from Bryan J. Fischer: a bilingual nation is no longer “one nation under God.”

rawstory.com

Because God only speaks English, apparently.

BJF also screws up the story of the Tower of Babel. In the story, humans all spoke the same language, and banded together to build the tower so they could pay God a visit, as it were. God, being somewhat of a hermit, destroyed the tower and cursed humanity with different languages, to prevent them from trying that shit again.

BJF is saying a monolingual America could get things done better, so he’s essentially saying we need to return to the God-defying pre-Tower of Babel days.

Atop that, he’s ignoring that the motto of our nation until 1956 was “E pluribus unum.” So we get yet another case of historical revisionism by a evangelical in order to justify a belief that America uniquely blessed by the Christian God.

84 goddamnedfrank  Mar 13, 2015 11:10:09pm

re: #72 austin_blue

Actually, that may be a full on sarc response. It may be a reference to Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused” where a dragworm* on Guadalupe Street in Austin was trying to sell Madonna’s pap smear.

That scene was in Slacker, not D&C. And the jasian account is a full on wingnut.

85 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 11:10:43pm

re: #82 Kragar

He doesn’t even understand that one book. Reading books about that one book might help.

86 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 11:11:37pm

re: #83 Targetpractice

Atop that, he’s ignoring that the motto of our nation until 1956 was “E pluribus unum.” So we get yet another case of historical revisionism by a evangelical in order to justify a belief that America uniquely blessed by the Christian God.

Who exclusively speaks English.

87 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 11:17:49pm

Interesting factoid: There are now three times as many non-native speakers of English in the world as native speakers. en.wikipedia.org

88 Kragar  Mar 13, 2015 11:43:43pm
89 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 11:50:19pm

re: #88 Kragar

Klingon Speakers Now Outnumber Navajo Speakers

Although that’s The Onion, there’s some truth to it. There are many isolated languages that are slowly disappearing as older speakers die off and younger members learn dominant national languages almost exclusively. For example, the Tujia people in this part of China had their own literature and oral history, but centuries of assimilation have all but wiped out the spoken language. On the other hand, the Miao/Hmong language is still hanging on, mostly among older speakers, though.

90 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 13, 2015 11:51:42pm

And rather fittingly, it’s time for me to go to the English Corner at my uni.

91 Higgs Boson's Mate  Mar 13, 2015 11:55:04pm

re: #35 allegro

If those fuckers spent even ONE day in a VA hospital…. OK it probably wouldn’t help because they are clearly sociopaths devoid of empathy. It’s the only explanation of their heartlessness of the suffering they seem to actually enjoy.

Republicans don’t see the inside of VA hospitals because the chickenshit, phony patriot, sons-of-bitches don’t serve.

92 Kragar  Mar 13, 2015 11:55:41pm
93 sagehen  Mar 13, 2015 11:57:12pm

Here’s a fascinating documentary about the Wampanoag Tribe (in Massachussetts) reviving a language that hadn’t had a native speaker in 7 generations.

One of the tribe has a PhD in Linguistics from MIT; by some awesome luck, city and state archives had a trove of bilingual treaties, land deeds, and a translation of the Bible from the 17th and 18th centuries, that gave her a great starting point…

pbs.org

94 Timothy Watson  Mar 13, 2015 11:58:44pm

re: #92 Kragar

[Embedded content]

Absolutely no self-awareness in that one.

95 Kragar  Mar 14, 2015 12:09:26am

re: #94 Timothy Watson

96 Kragar  Mar 14, 2015 12:31:34am
97 Nyet  Mar 14, 2015 12:37:20am

I first encountered Muravchik’s take on reality when I read his article about John Demjanjuk, in which he insisted that JD “might” have been Ivan the Terrible of Treblinka after all and that ultimately “we may never know”.

Even though by then it had already been established that Ivan the Terrible was Ivan Marchenko and that it wasn’t some alias but a very concrete human being with a different biography, with a family he had left behind and with a daughter that was still alive in the 1990s, while Demjanjuk is listed with his real name in all the German documents (putting him in Sobibor and Flossenbürg, never in Treblinka), which excluded the use of any alias.

So reality denial is nothing new for Muravchik.

98 freetoken  Mar 14, 2015 1:00:13am
99 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 2:58:35am

OK, it’s Sat morning and no one’s around, so after reading comments, can I just scream?

Because I’m a peaceful person and tired of public figures stirring up shit.

The bastards really want to get us in a war.

100 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 3:08:59am

This kind of shit. FN will hire him, more than likely.

TV host says Michelle Obama looks like character from ‘Apes,’ gets fired

thegrio.com

101 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 3:15:42am

MO loves killing people evidently. Well, this guy is 74, so no loss, eh, MO?

Missouri close to executing man missing parts of his brain

national.suntimes.com

“Unless a last-minute stay of execution is issued, on Tuesday, Missouri will execute a man who is missing parts of his brain and who many say lacks the mental capacity to be put to death.

“Forty years ago, Cecil Clayton, 74, had parts of his brain removed after an accident; in 1996, he was convicted of first-degree murder after killing a police officer.

“While there are laws on the books to prevent someone from being executed if they are unable to “understand the nature and purpose of the punishment about to be imposed upon him,” as a result of a mental disease or defect, Clayton never received an evaluation, according to Mother Jones.” More

102 Dr Lizardo  Mar 14, 2015 3:35:55am

re: #99 Justanotherhuman

OK, it’s Sat morning and no one’s around, so after reading comments, can I just scream?

Because I’m a peaceful person and tired of public figures stirring up shit.

The bastards really want to get us in a war.

Here; I recommend for you - and all Lizards - this wonderful relaxation exercise courtesy of the Daleks.

103 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 3:50:53am
104 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 4:11:24am

When social media does good.

Feds identify suspected ‘child predator’ arrested in Raleigh

newsobserver.com

(snip)

“I am grateful for the American public’s quick action in response to our appeal for help,” ICE Director Sarah R. Saldaña said in a statement Friday. “Within hours of our request for assistance, more than a million people took notice and started spreading the word on social media and in the press. Because of this incredible support, we were able to identify and arrest a man accused of grossly violating an innocent child.”

More

105 William Barnett-Lewis  Mar 14, 2015 4:20:27am

re: #99 Justanotherhuman

OK, it’s Sat morning and no one’s around, so after reading comments, can I just scream?

Because I’m a peaceful person and tired of public figures stirring up shit.

The bastards really want to get us in a war.

I want a constitutional amendment to require all members of Congress that vote for war to then enlist and serve in combat for the duration. They can only return to the Congress when the war is over. Others will be appointed by the president to serve in Congress in their place during that time.

106 William Barnett-Lewis  Mar 14, 2015 4:26:18am

re: #104 Justanotherhuman

Of course this after they utterly destroyed this other guys life? Now we’re just supposed to blindly accept that they have the right guy THIS time? Pardon me if I’m not so easily convinced…

107 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 4:32:55am
108 Kragar  Mar 14, 2015 4:33:27am
109 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 4:34:50am

re: #106 William Barnett-Lewis

Bailey Joe Mills has already been convicted—he could ID Akers as one of the participants in his child pornography “enterprise” if he thinks it will get him or his wife (also convicted) a favor.

abc11.com

110 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 4:36:40am

heh:

111 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 4:41:37am

Holy Cow!

ebay.com

112 Romantic Heretic  Mar 14, 2015 4:52:21am

re: #1 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

I assume his next action is to join the Armed Forces. //

113 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 5:18:21am

Rainy, gloomy day here so I made some hummus…

114 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 5:45:05am
115 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 5:48:16am

Does this guy know what he’s getting into?

116 PhillyPretzel  Mar 14, 2015 5:54:58am

re: #113 Justanotherhuman

It is a wash out in Philly today. And my usual diversion, PBS is in the middle of a “beg-a-thon” so I am going to use my Amazon Prime to watch some good movies.

117 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 5:57:51am

re: #116 PhillyPretzel

Yeah, NPR is doing another beg-a-thon, too. Oh wait! It ends at 9? Happy dance!

118 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 6:06:01am

Our 43 deg and rain pales in comparison with what happened to these poor people, though.

Cyclone devastates South Pacific islands of Vanuatu

bbc.com

“Cyclone Pam has slammed into the south Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu leaving “complete devastation” in its wake, aid agencies say.

“Houses in the capital, Port Vila, were destroyed and “people are wandering the streets looking for help”, said Tom Skirrow of Save the Children.

“He said eight people were confirmed dead, but UN agencies say dozens may have been killed.” More

Imagine the terror of being thrown about in winds of 170 mph and seeing your home totally destroyed, not to mention losing loved ones. It’s also being reported that those in shelters are staying encamped there.

119 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 6:13:00am

Morning Lizards. Don’t know if this has been posted yet, but remember the racist frat at OU, SAE? Well, the national is trying to scrub their confederate history: SAE Is Secretly Trying To Wipe Away Its Confederate History

After its University of Oklahoma chapter got kicked off campus for singing a racist song, Sigma Alpha Epsilon would very much like you to believe that there is no racism engrained in the organization itself. That probably explains why SAE would no longer like to happily inform you that nearly all of its original members fought to defend slavery in the Civil War.

120 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 6:14:22am

This sounds as bad or worse as Vanuata…

Angola storm death toll rises to 69, half children

france24.com

LUANDA (AFP) -
The death toll from torrential rains that pounded the Angolan town of Lobito has risen to 69, including 36 children, officials said Saturday as search efforts for bodies continued.

“Heavy storms hit Lobito late Wednesday, sending torrents of water rushing from surrounding hillsides into the town that sits on the coast of the south Atlantic ocean, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) south of the capital Luanda.

“The water streamed down the slope at full speed, destroying everything in its path and flooding the low-lying areas of the city close to the shoreline,” a firefighter in Lobito has said.” More

121 Joe Bacon  Mar 14, 2015 6:35:50am

re: #97 Nyet

Precisely, Nyet!

When I first encountered Josh in 1975, he was set up by Scoop Jackson and George Meany to run a front organization “Coalition for a Democratic Majority” which pushed Meany’s anticommunist Social Democratic stances.

When Jimmy Carter was elected, Muravchik and his fellow SDUSA members continually attacked Carter as a wimp. They wanted Moynihan to run against Carter in 1980. They doubled down on attacking Edward Kennedy’s challenge. I know because I set up and ran Kennedy’s 1980 Pennsylvania campaign. Once Reagan got in, Muravchik and his fellow Social Democrats, led by Jeanne Kirkpatrick jumped to the GOP because their hatred of Communism trumped everything else.

What’s even more amazing is that Social Democrats, USA was all that was left of the Socialist Party…

122 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 6:36:30am

Continuing to expose some basics of racism, cont.

Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants?

theguardian.com

“In the lexicon of human migration there are still hierarchical words, created with the purpose of putting white people above everyone else. One of those remnants is the word “expat”.

“What is an expat? And who is an expat? According to Wikipedia, “an expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of the person’s upbringing. The word comes from the Latin terms ex (‘out of’) and patria (‘country, fatherland’)”.

“Defined that way, you should expect that any person going to work outside of his or her country for a period of time would be an expat, regardless of his skin colour or country. But that is not the case in reality; expat is a term reserved exclusively for western white people going to work abroad.” More

123 Decatur Deb  Mar 14, 2015 6:39:46am

re: #105 William Barnett-Lewis

I want a constitutional amendment to require all members of Congress that vote for war to then enlist and serve in combat for the duration. They can only return to the Congress when the war is over. Others will be appointed by the president to serve in Congress in their place during that time.

Fuck it. Just replace the congressional cafeterias with MREs for the duration.

124 Dr Lizardo  Mar 14, 2015 6:40:59am

re: #122 Justanotherhuman

Good point. Realistically, I could refer to myself as an immigrant to the Czech Republic. I’ve been living and working here for 14 years after all.

125 7-y (Expectation of Great Things in Due Course)  Mar 14, 2015 6:41:21am

re: #55 goddamnedfrank

[Embedded content]

Whoever is behind this account, and I very much doubt it’s an Asian woman as advertised, is seriously disgusting.

A woman would know how unlikely it is that the 65-year-old Elizabeth Warren would have regular need of tampons.

126 Tigger2  Mar 14, 2015 6:42:23am

re: #110 Backwoods_Sleuth

heh:

[Embedded content]

I bid 1 dollar but the Republicans would have to leave if I got it, I wouldn’t want anything around that would bring my property value down.

But I would Grandfather in the Republicans and former Republicans on this site that might live in Alabama.

127 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 6:42:25am

re: #124 Dr Lizardo

Good man. : )

128 Dark_Falcon  Mar 14, 2015 6:44:39am

re: #35 allegro

If those fuckers spent even ONE day in a VA hospital…. OK it probably wouldn’t help because they are clearly sociopaths devoid of empathy. It’s the only explanation of their heartlessness of the suffering they seem to actually enjoy.

27 new VA facilities is a massive investment, Allegro. And not one we should be funding all in one go. Given the problems the DoVA’s procurement process has, a series of major projects like that will go over budget and be riddled with waste and fraud.

I’m willing to support expanding the VA healthcare system, but in smaller, better-managed and planned increments that can be subject to proper oversight.

129 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 6:45:43am

re: #125 7-y (Expectation of Great Things in Due Course)

A woman would know how unlikely it is that the 65-year-old Elizabeth Warren would have regular need of tampons.

Holy cow. What a good point. I was so shocked by the tweet I never thought about that.

And I don’t think you can get DNA from hair cuttings.

Frankly, after I read it, I was not only shocked…I really thought the tweet was trolling Chuck. It was just a little too…off.

130 Decatur Deb  Mar 14, 2015 6:49:11am

re: #110 Backwoods_Sleuth


Their state constitution still has a provisions requiring separate schools for “white and colored children” and for poll taxes once imposed to disenfranchise blacks. It’s 2015, in case you had forgot. Two. Thousand. Fifteen.

A year ago I voted to retain the provision for segregated schools. You have to know Alabama to know why.

131 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 6:49:53am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

27 new VA facilities is a massive investment, Allegro. And not one we should be funding all in one go. Given the problems the DoVA’s procurement process has, a series of major projects like that will go over budget and be riddled with waste and fraud.

I’m willing to support expanding the VA healthcare system, but in smaller, better-managed and planned increments that can be subject to proper oversight.

Compared to the massive human investment that we are not honoring? Just send them to fight and hope they die so we don’t have to care for them.

Fuck. That.

And fuck all Republicans who cannot see that we OWE it to the people who served to actually, you know, care for them. Sure, let’s take 20 years to build facilities. After we go to war with Iran, and whomever else the GOP want’s to spend unlimited funds on killing, we might have some remaining veterans to care for in those future facilities.

132 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 6:50:43am

re: #130 Decatur Deb


Their state constitution still has a provisions requiring separate schools for “white and colored children” and for poll taxes once imposed to disenfranchise blacks. It’s 2015, in case you had forgot. Two. Thousand. Fifteen.

A year ago I voted to retain the provision for segregated schools. You have to know Alabama to know why.

Care to share?

133 Tigger2  Mar 14, 2015 6:51:43am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

27 new VA facilities is a massive investment, Allegro. And not one we should be funding all in one go. Given the problems the DoVA’s procurement process has, a series of major projects like that will go over budget and be riddled with waste and fraud.

I’m willing to support expanding the VA healthcare system, but in smaller, better-managed and planned increments that can be subject to proper oversight.

We can’t afford that ? but you have Republicans running all around wanting to start a war with Iran, Hell we can’t afford that.

134 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 6:52:12am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

Just. Wow…

135 William Barnett-Lewis  Mar 14, 2015 6:53:44am

re: #121 Joe Bacon

Precisely, Nyet!

When I first encountered Josh in 1975, he was set up by Scoop Jackson and George Meany to run a front organization “Coalition for a Democratic Majority” which pushed Meany’s anticommunist Social Democratic stances.

When Jimmy Carter was elected, Muravchik and his fellow SDUSA members continually attacked Carter as a wimp. They wanted Moynihan to run against Carter in 1980. They doubled down on attacking Edward Kennedy’s challenge. I know because I set up and ran Kennedy’s 1980 Pennsylvania campaign. Once Reagan got in, Muravchik and his fellow Social Democrats, led by Jeanne Kirkpatrick jumped to the GOP because their hatred of Communism trumped everything else.

What’s even more amazing is that Social Democrats, USA was all that was left of the Socialist Party…

This is one of the many strange tales of the left in America… :( Also a big part of why the Democratic Socialists of America, Mike Harrington’s branch, is the one I’m a member of.

136 Dark_Falcon  Mar 14, 2015 6:54:40am

re: #109 Justanotherhuman

Bailey Joe Mills has already been convicted—he could ID Akers as one of the participants in his child pornography “enterprise” if he thinks it will get him or his wife (also convicted) a favor.

abc11.com

The only favor he should be entitled to is protective custody. Otherwise, I’d put him the general population in prison and let his fellow inmates lop his balls off with a rusty shank.

Please excuse the bloodlust, but this kind of dirtbag really trips my trigger.

137 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Mar 14, 2015 6:54:41am

re: #122 Justanotherhuman

Continuing to expose some basics of racism, cont.

Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants?

The underlying assumption is that this white expat is going abroad not out of economic necessity, but out of interest or in order to pursue an even more lucrative career than might be available at home.

Unlike immigrants, who are just coming over to take advantage of free Obama stuff and breed anchor babies.

/

138 Decatur Deb  Mar 14, 2015 6:54:47am

re: #132 WhatEVs

Care to share?

It was the liberal position, supported by our Democratic and AA organizations. The language of the constitutional amendment to ‘end’ discrimination was crafted to eliminate the wording that requires Alabama to fund any schools at all. Charter segregation academies, anyone?

139 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 6:56:51am
140 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 6:57:11am

re: #138 Decatur Deb

It was the liberal position, supported by our Democratic and AA organizations. The language of the constitutional amendment to ‘end’ discrimination was crafted to eliminate the wording that requires Alabama to fund any schools at all. Charter segregation academies, anyone?

Of course. Death Taxes, Death Panels, 1984, oh my.

141 Tigger2  Mar 14, 2015 6:58:15am

re: #139 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

I just wish the Troops and Vets would wake up to that fact and stop supporting the Republicans.

142 Joe Bacon  Mar 14, 2015 6:59:51am

re: #135 William Barnett-Lewis

William, I remember the big split in 1972 when Michael Harrington left Social Democrats to form DSOC. That happened when the Socialist Party majority voted to unite with the more conservative Social Democratic Federation which was originally set up by Darlington Hoopes. The new “Social Democrats, USA” then purged Harrington and others (H L Mitchell, Victor Reuther, Irving Howe and others) out of the organization. Social Democrats were also involved in Democrats for Nixon in 1972. IW Abel was a SDUSA member. More than anyone else, Abel’s “Experimental Negotiating Agreement” where he surrendered the right to strike to the steel companies killed the steel industry in Western PA where I’m from.

My Dad was a longtime member of the Socialist Party even though he held several elective offices as a Democrat. He gave up on them when Harrington was purged.

BTW, I also belong to DSA.

143 William Barnett-Lewis  Mar 14, 2015 7:00:22am

re: #141 Tigger2

I just wish the Troops would wake up to that fact and stop supporting the Republicans.

There are many more Democrats in the Army than the liars at Fox would have you believe.

144 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 7:01:52am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

27 new VA facilities is a massive investment, Allegro. And not one we should be funding all in one go. Given the problems the DoVA’s procurement process has, a series of major projects like that will go over budget and be riddled with waste and fraud.

I’m willing to support expanding the VA healthcare system, but in smaller, better-managed and planned increments that can be subject to proper oversight.

So, around 50K homeless vets doesn’t bother you? These are people who have real issues, most of which are more than likely service related.

FAQ ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANS

Who are homeless veterans?

nchv.org

145 Decatur Deb  Mar 14, 2015 7:02:27am

re: #143 William Barnett-Lewis

There are many more Democrats in the Army than the liars at Fox would have you believe.

Yup. It roughly follows age and seniority demographics, with an overlay of the geographic N/S differences.

146 darthstar  Mar 14, 2015 7:03:13am

Mornin’ everyone. What’s shakin’?

147 Dark_Falcon  Mar 14, 2015 7:05:37am

Note: We can’t afford to build 27 facilities all in one building program. It’s something we could do over 12 years or so. I’m just trying to keep the program manageable and minimize fraud and waste.

I’m aware of what delaying some of the facilities will mean for some veterans, but I’m also aware of the likelihood of substandard facilities built under lack of proper oversight and placed under administrators more interested in firing off glowing reports about the gleaming new hospital than solving problems its builders left behind, and I know the problems that can cause for our veterans and for even longer.

I’m not some Grover Norquist here saying “no growth of government!”. What I’m saying is “Let’s do this right”, and the bill in question was in my mind too much, too soon for a department which still has severe internal problems.

148 Tigger2  Mar 14, 2015 7:06:02am

I don’t dispute that about the number of Dems in the Military, There I added Vets to the post because I was also thinking about some of the Vet outfits that lean right when I made that comment.

149 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 7:07:06am

re: #144 Justanotherhuman

So, around 50K homeless vets doesn’t bother you? These are people who have real issues, most of which are more than likely service related.

FAQ ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANS

Who are homeless veterans?

nchv.org

People don’t matter. Killing matters. Supporting military contractors matters. Spending whatever amount of money desired on war matters. Troops are disposable. People are expendable. Social structure is superfluous.

150 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 7:08:57am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

27 new VA facilities is a massive investment, Allegro. And not one we should be funding all in one go. Given the problems the DoVA’s government procurement process has, a series of major projects like that will go over budget and be riddled with waste and fraud.

I’m willing to support expanding the VA healthcare system, but in smaller, better-managed and planned increments that can be subject to proper oversight.

Fixed that for you. You can’t spell bureaucracy without over budget.

However, if you’d read the rest of the article, you’d have seen this:

Sander’s office estimated the legislation would have cost $20 billion over the course of ten years.

They could find that in the DoD’s couch cushions.

151 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 7:09:37am

re: #149 WhatEVs

People don’t matter. Killing matters. Supporting military contractors matters. Spending whatever amount of money desired on war matters. Troops are disposable. People are expendable. Social structure is superfluous.

Even temporary facilties would be better than what some vets are going through on the streets.

And local resources, such as mental health facilities, housing, etc. could be utilized during the interim while the shakeup at the VA continues.

Also, the VA should vet its employees more carefully, esp those at the top who make life or death decisions and policies.

152 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 7:09:54am

re: #147 Dark_Falcon

See my reply right above this one. If you’re not going to look into the facts before defending your team, then don’t even bother.

153 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 7:10:51am

re: #146 darthstar

Mornin’ everyone. What’s shakin’?

The foundations of our democratic republic and society, best I can tell.

154 darthstar  Mar 14, 2015 7:11:27am

re: #147 Dark_Falcon

12 years doesn’t sound like an unreasonable amount of time to ask thousands of US veterans to live on the street.

Of course we can afford to build 27 new VA facilities simultaneously. Our economy will benefit from it, our communities will benefit from it, and our veterans will benefit from it.

We can’t afford NOT to take care of our veterans.

155 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 7:12:00am

re: #151 Justanotherhuman

Even temporary facilties would be better than what some vets are going through on the streets.

And local resources, such as mental health facilities, housing, etc. could be utilized during the interim while the shakeup at the VA continues.

Also, the VA should vet its employees more carefully, esp those at the top who make life or death decisions and policies.

They should also budget for apartments for vets. That so many are homeless, cannot find jobs, etc., there should be a barracks type living arrangement to bring them back to society. Facilities that have psychiatric staffing on site.

We cannot fuck people up the way that war does and just leave them alone. It’s not just wrong, it is inhuman, inhumane and pathologically, completely and totally, fucked up.

156 Decatur Deb  Mar 14, 2015 7:12:04am

re: #153 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

The foundations of our democratic republic and society, best I can tell.

That always shakes. Just stick a matchbook under the short leg.

157 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 7:12:43am

re: #154 darthstar

We can’t afford NOT to take care of our veterans.

THIS.

158 darthstar  Mar 14, 2015 7:12:46am

re: #153 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

The foundations of our democratic republic and society, best I can tell.

Yeah, I see we have the whole Veterans are great so long as they’re nice middle class people who don’t have any needs thing going on.

I’ve got to get ready to go skiing. Have a good day, everyone.

159 Joe Bacon  Mar 14, 2015 7:14:32am

re: #154 darthstar

And you can bet that none of Josh Muravchik’s seven grandsons will follow Grandpa’s advice and enlist to go to war with Iran.

And just like Grandpa, they’ll turn their backs on disabled veterans!

160 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 7:17:21am

re: #147 Dark_Falcon

oh, good freaking grief.

161 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 7:19:54am

re: #160 Backwoods_Sleuth

oh, good freaking grief.

Yeah, I don’t think he really is “aware of what delaying some of the facilities will mean for some veterans”.

It means life or death for far too many.

162 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 7:21:02am

Just say thanks to the vets for their service but they have to wait for promised services.

They’ll understand that we just can’t afford anything beyond a heartfelt “thanks” right now. But hey! Let’s pick a war with another country in the meantime!!!

//////////////////////

163 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 7:21:42am

“Government waste and corruption” is just another right-wing dog-whistle from the resident troll.

I’m sure he’d demonize the USPS, too—which despite being starved for funds, offers much more bang for the buck than UPS or Fedex.

When everybody wanted single-payer health reform, like Canada, I always wanted single-provider like the UK. It’s the only ethically defensible system.

164 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 7:22:27am

re: #161 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I don’t think he really is “aware of what delaying some of the facilities will mean for some veterans”.

It means life or death for far too many.

even if the bill had passed and somehow made it through the batshit insane House, it would have been doled out over 10 years. I expect this to come up again. And again. If nothing else, it’s a tiny poke in the GOP’s “support the troops” schtick. At best, they’ll grow a soul and pass it eventually.

165 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 7:22:38am

Vanuatu’s President Baldwin Lonsdale calls for international help after Cyclone Pam destruction, calling situation a ‘calamity’ - @BBCNews

bbc.com

166 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 7:24:25am

OTOH, we’re having far too many “calamaties” with Rs in charge of Congress.

And sadly, they hold the purse strings at this point.

167 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 7:25:36am

re: #163 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

The only reason that FedEx and UPS are not sky high for rural deliveries is that they subcontract a lot of the movement of goods through the USPS. If the post office goes away, mail to rural areas will cost $5.00 a letter.

There’s a reason the USPS is subsidized.

The GOP hates it because it’s unionized.

168 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 7:25:42am

re: #163 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

To supplement, at the time of the ACA debate, I always tried to get the crowd to repeat after me: “Medicare is Canada, the VA is the UK, Medicare is Canada, the VA is the UK….”

169 CleverToad  Mar 14, 2015 7:27:56am

re: #155 WhatEVs

Yes to both of these observations. Short-term, immediate solutions that can be provided by working with existing local resources while we’re working on the very necessary long-term investments for our veterans. Housing as well as medical facilities. Support in as many aspects as we can provide for the veterans and their families — we owe it to them.

And yes, competent leaders and managers at all levels of the VA would be a good thing. Reliable funding with a whole lot fewer political strings just might possibly maybe y’know help achieve that goal…?

170 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 7:37:12am

re: #169 CleverToad

One of the biggest problems I see with public service (working for the government) is that it used to be stable where people would be happy to make less for that security. Now, there is no security in the public sector. How do you get good people who won’t know month to month whether they will have jobs?

I realize that is the same in the private sector. But the private sector will always get good talent. The public sector needs to offer something worthwhile to get good talent.

171 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 7:40:46am

re: #170 WhatEVs

One of the biggest problems I see with public service (working for the government) is that it used to be stable where people would be happy to make less for that security. Now, there is no security in the public sector. How do you get good people who won’t know month to month whether they will have jobs?

I realize that is the same in the private sector. But the private sector will always get good talent. The public sector needs to offer something worthwhile to get good talent.

Well, first make it illegal to set up “private” businesses competing with services the government is mandated to provide. Private postal services? Private Defense Departments like Blackwater? Outlaw them.

172 Dark_Falcon  Mar 14, 2015 7:43:45am

re: #163 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

And for that unjustified insult, you may go take a long walk off a short pier.

173 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 7:44:21am

re: #172 Dark_Falcon

And for that unjustified insult, you may go take a long walk off a short pier.

Bite me

174 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 7:44:24am
175 WhatEVs  Mar 14, 2015 7:47:29am

Back in a bit. Ciao guys!

176 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 7:48:04am

re: #173 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Now, now, throw some real facts at him instead. : }

Not sure he’ll check them out, but whatever, and if he ignores them, ignore him.

177 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 7:49:21am
178 ObserverArt  Mar 14, 2015 7:54:02am

re: #114 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

So, it appears the kitteh is looking to become part of the family.

I’d think “Sunlight” would be a good name for an orange tabby.

179 Dark_Falcon  Mar 14, 2015 7:54:56am

re: #169 CleverToad

Yes to both of these observations. Short-term, immediate solutions that can be provided by working with existing local resources while we’re working on the very necessary long-term investments for our veterans. Housing as well as medical facilities. Support in as many aspects as we can provide for the veterans and their families — we owe it to them.

And yes, competent leaders and managers at all levels of the VA would be a good thing. Reliable funding with a whole lot fewer political strings just might possibly maybe y’know help achieve that goal…?

In a large agency such as the DoVA, political strings attached will always happen. Members of Congress are always going to care more about revenues and jobs brought into thier districts than overall system effectiveness, because its district gains that get them reelected.

As for reliable funding, that’s been less about the Congress and more about the DoVA in recent years. Systematic dishonesty about conditions at facilities meant that monies for renovations, repairs, and in some cases even hiring new staff was often misspent, stolen, or left unused.

They good news on that latter front is Congressman Jason Chaffetz. The new chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform is working with the DoVA’s inspector General to get proper oversight in place and to ensure fraud and waste get identified and the latter prevented going forward and the former punished.

180 Dark_Falcon  Mar 14, 2015 7:56:51am

re: #177 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

One might also reply, “But the pie is still circular, so Pi day is still honored.”

/geekage in progress

181 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 8:04:46am

re: #147 Dark_Falcon

Note: We can’t afford to build 27 facilities all in one building program.

Yes we can. You are simply, I’m afraid, lying.

Please, if you’re not, demonstrate to me that the US does not have the funding capacity to build 27 facilities all in one go.

For example, we could pay for this with an extremely modest raise in taxes on the ultra-wealthy.

Or in removing subsidies for oil and gas companies.

Or in not funding one of the projects the Pentagon itself doesn’t want funded, and instead using that money to pay for it.

Or one of a thousand other places.

So, it isn’t actually by any measure true to say that we can’t afford it, is it? Any more than it’s true for a dad to tell his kid he can’t afford to pay for his health care bills while buying a shitload of guns that the kid doesn’t even want for him.

182 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 8:05:23am

This is what I really haven’t missed in my time checked out of politics: The complete, straightforward ideologically motivated falsehoods.

183 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 8:08:20am
184 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 8:09:58am

re: #183 Backwoods_Sleuth

It looks so happy.

185 Dark_Falcon  Mar 14, 2015 8:13:30am

re: #181 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)

Yes we can. You are simply, I’m afraid, lying.

Please, if you’re not, demonstrate to me that the US does not have the funding capacity to build 27 facilities all in one go.

For example, we could pay for this with an extremely modest raise in taxes on the ultra-wealthy.

Or in removing subsidies for oil and gas companies.

Or in not funding one of the projects the Pentagon itself doesn’t want funded, and instead using that money to pay for it.

Or one of a thousand other places.

So, it isn’t actually by any measure true to say that we can’t afford it, is it? Any more than it’s true for a dad to tell his kid he can’t afford to pay for his health care bills while buying a shitload of guns that the kid doesn’t even want for him.

More accurate to say we couldn’t fund it without making budgetary changes that Congress won’t make.

And now I have to put my leg up. It’s quite painful at the moment. Though I am glad to see you doing better Obdi.

186 Eventual Carrion  Mar 14, 2015 8:14:10am

re: #146 darthstar

Mornin’ everyone. What’s shakin’?

My chihuahua.

187 ObserverArt  Mar 14, 2015 8:15:42am

re: #182 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)

This is what I really haven’t missed in my time checked out of politics: The complete, straightforward ideologically motivated falsehoods.

Straightforward ideologically motivated falsehoods are growing exponentially these days. And just think…we all have a national election to look forward to starting big time in a few months. Talk about growth!

By the way, great to see you back around here at LGF Obdicut. All 98%!!! I hope all is as well with you as can be.

188 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 8:18:15am

re: #185 Dark_Falcon

More accurate to say we couldn’t fund it without making budgetary changes that Congress won’t make.

Not just ‘more accurate’. Not a lie to say it that way. Yes, it’s true that the GOP in congress will refuse to fund these veteran centers: That is what the story is, basically. So this response is, in fact, admitting that the blame lies with the GOP in congress.

And now I have to put my leg up. It’s quite painful at the moment. Though I am glad to see you doing better Obdi.

Sorry to hear about your leg. Please consider not lying in incredibly obvious ways in order to defend a corrupt party that deserves not a single ounce of your loyalty or effort and actively works against your interests, those of your country, and those of your fellow citizens. That’d be cool.

189 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 8:19:43am

re: #187 ObserverArt

By the way, great to see you back around here at LGF Obdicut. All 98%!!! I hope all is as well with you as can be.

Shit was deeply weird for awhile but it’s a lot better now. Things I don’t want to talk about: Health insurance companies being assholes, the word ‘idiopathic’.

190 Iwouldprefernotto  Mar 14, 2015 8:20:03am

re: #187 ObserverArt

Straightforward ideologically motivated falsehoods are growing exponentially these days. And just think…we all have a national election to look forward to starting big time in a few months. Talk about growth!

By the way, great to see you back around here at LGF Obdicut. All 98%!!! I hope all is as well with you as can be.

Obdicut at 98% is smarter than….

191 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 8:21:01am
192 wrenchwench  Mar 14, 2015 8:28:17am

In Mountain Daylight Savings Time, It’s now 3-14-15, 9:26, I’m not checking seconds,,,

193 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 8:36:27am

re: #192 wrenchwench

Hey there. Sorry to hear about your TBI. If you want to TBI-commiserate, hit me up.

194 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate  Mar 14, 2015 8:38:01am

I spent pi day 9:26 am in bed sleeping, and 9:26 pm at the movies watching the latest Cinderella.

Both quite enjoyable. I recommend doing both, but not at the same time.

195 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 8:40:04am

Anti-vaxxer?

Editor’s note: Gawker is reporting, via a CIA source, that Russian President Vladimir Putin has the flu. Putin hasn’t been seen in public since March 5, and there have been speculation on his whereabouts after he canceled a trip to Kazakhstan and didn’t attend an annual meeting with Russian officials. Putin’s office has only said the president is fine. - Stephanie
read more on gawker.com

196 Dr Lizardo  Mar 14, 2015 8:42:25am

re: #194 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate

I spent pi day 9:26 am in bed sleeping, and 9:26 pm at the movies watching the latest Cinderella.

Both quite enjoyable. I recommend doing both, but not at the same time.

I spent pi day watching “The Guy From Harlem”, which really is quite possibly one of the worst movies ever made. To say it’s ‘low-budget’ is an understatement. Amateur acting at its most………amateur.

O_O

197 Great White Snark  Mar 14, 2015 8:42:56am

re: #195 Justanotherhuman

In Russia, Flu has You.

198 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 8:43:08am

Iraq’s Kurdish regional government says it has proof Islamic State used chlorine as chemical weapon in northern Iraq - @Reuters
end of alert

199 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 8:43:49am

re: #198 Justanotherhuman

Iraq’s Kurdish regional government says it has proof Islamic State used chlorine as chemical weapon in northern Iraq - @Reuters
end of alert

They were just sanitizing the swimming pools!!11!!

//

200 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 8:45:26am

Shouldn’t the bottom line of this sign actually say, in a moment of truthfulness, “We’re here to take your baby after we make you carry it full term”?

Non-truth in Advertising
201 Timothy Watson  Mar 14, 2015 8:45:45am

re: #195 Justanotherhuman

Anti-vaxxer?

Editor’s note: Gawker is reporting, via a CIA source, that Russian President Vladimir Putin has the flu. Putin hasn’t been seen in public since March 5, and there have been speculation on his whereabouts after he canceled a trip to Kazakhstan and didn’t attend an annual meeting with Russian officials. Putin’s office has only said the president is fine. - Stephanie
read more on gawker.com

Gawker has a CIA source? …Uh huh…

202 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 8:46:11am

re: #200 Justanotherhuman

Shouldn’t the bottom line of this sign actually say, in a moment of truthfulness, “We’re here to take your baby after we make you carry it full term”?

[Embedded content]

or this:

203 Backwoods_Sleuth  Mar 14, 2015 8:46:37am

re: #201 Timothy Watson

Gawker has a CIA source? …Uh huh…

“Friends of UpChuck”

204 Timothy Watson  Mar 14, 2015 8:48:18am

re: #198 Justanotherhuman

Iraq’s Kurdish regional government says it has proof Islamic State used chlorine as chemical weapon in northern Iraq - @Reuters
end of alert

Prediction: Neocons will say that Iran did it just like how the Reagan administration blamed the Iranians for the Halabja gas attack to spare our valiant ally Saddam Hussein any international implications.

///// (for the “valiant ally” crack)

205 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 8:49:17am

I so stole this…

Next I Want to Hear You Cough
206 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 8:53:19am

re: #202 Backwoods_Sleuth

Well, considering none of them have an actual doctor or nurse-midwife on duty, ever, mistakes are made all the time, doncha know. : )

207 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 8:57:50am

I love this PR spin:

After questions were first raised in the press, Congressman Schock took the proactive step of assembling a team to review the compliance procedures in his official office, campaign and leadership PAC to determine whether they can be improved,” the spokesman said. “Congressman Schock takes his compliance obligations seriously which is why he took this proactive step to review these procedures. Congressman Schock has a well-deserved outstanding reputation for constituent service and remains steadfastly focused on serving the people in Illinois’ 18th congressional district during this review.”

I don’t think proactive means what they think it means.

Another Bad Trip for Schock: He took a non-staffer on an official trip to India, and didn’t disclose it.

208 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 8:59:21am

re: #202 Backwoods_Sleuth

There’s one not more than 1/4 mi from where I live. If I were a better actor, I would go in there and find out what they’re saying, but I’d probably blow up at the first lie. : /

209 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:00:18am

re: #207 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

Oh, that’s the guy with the sleazy “Downton Abbey” decor?

210 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:06:11am

Obama Ain’t Doin’ Nothing ‘bout ISIS, cont.

Combined Joint Task Force: US and allies conduct total of 10 airstrikes on Islamic State in Iraq and Syria between March 13-14 - statement
end of alert

211 bratwurst  Mar 14, 2015 9:09:39am

Fuck you, Bibi. A guy who gets SO much support from foreign money (in the form of Sheldon Adelson’s free newspaper over there) doesn’t get to bitch and moan like this.

My favorite part:

It also follows a foxnews.com report on claims the Obama administration has been meddling in the Israeli election on behalf of groups hostile to Netanyahu.

That is rich coming from a fucking asshole who campaigned for Mitt Romney.

As a wise man once said: “sauce for the goose is now sauce for the gander”.

212 stpaulbear  Mar 14, 2015 9:09:40am

re: #200 Justanotherhuman

Shouldn’t the bottom line of this sign actually say, in a moment of truthfulness, “We’re here to take your baby after we make you carry it full term”?

Image: Non-truth in Advertising

The building that ‘clinic’ is in was located half a block away from a Planned Parenthood office. It was a gift shop before the ‘clinic’ moved in, and the only reason it’s there is because it was close to PP. About a year ago the PP office moved into a new space in another part of town that’s probably more convenient to people who use the clinic. I’ve no doubt that this ‘clinic’ is looking for a space near the new PP.

213 wrenchwench  Mar 14, 2015 9:10:49am

re: #193 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)

Hey there. Sorry to hear about your TBI. If you want to TBI-commiserate, hit me up.

Thanks! I think your recovery has been more difficult so far. I haven’t had so much as a headache (although I’m not sure what drugs they treated me with the first few weeks) and the few who knew how to Google me may have read of broken ribs, but there were none. I have amnesia around the event itself (and the days before and a couple of weeks after) for which I am grateful.

When I started to become more aware of my surroundings (I had already been ‘conscious’ for a couple of weeks) they had me folding laundry as occupational therapy in a rehab hospital. I thought I had been put to work as a victim of human trafficking. When they took me back to my room, I took the cards off the wall and packed them. I waited for Mr. w, sure that he would get me free. When he arrived, he worked to convince me that all the people there had my best interests at heart and were helping me. He also convinced me not to try to run away, fibbing that there was a sign out on the nearby highway that said, ‘Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers” like they have near prisons. We now laugh about folding laundry, and I only fold my own.

My remaining symptom is my non-binocular vision, which is predicted to cure itself in one month to 5 years from now, according to the experts. I’ve been going to my bikeshop this week, but don’t plan to open it for a couple more weeks. Mr. w has been a great nurse.

214 Dr. Matt  Mar 14, 2015 9:15:04am
215 stpaulbear  Mar 14, 2015 9:16:24am

re: #147 Dark_Falcon

I’m not some Grover Norquist here saying “no growth of government!”.

But you’ll vote for the guy who thinks like Grover Norquist every time so, in effect, you’re actions say that you ARE that guy, and you reveal yourself as that guy over and over and over again when you post here. Why even pretend otherwise?

216 KerFuFFler  Mar 14, 2015 9:16:55am

re: #17 BeachDem

• Who believe that houses can be haunted by ghosts: 54 %

Yeah, my sister believes her house is haunted because sometimes she finds a light on that she is sure she turned off. Oh, and sometimes her dogs start barking and there’s nothing there!!! *rolls eyes*

217 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:17:34am

re: #213 wrenchwench

Love the report! Glad to know you’re doing so much better. : )

218 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:19:28am

re: #214 Dr. Matt

Mr. Spock.

219 Timothy Watson  Mar 14, 2015 9:22:26am

re: #214 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

Technically, Skywalker’s name would be from a long time ago…

220 bratwurst  Mar 14, 2015 9:22:33am

Of course, Obama didn’t go so far as to present an award to a famously INSANE domestic critic of Netanyahu. We all know that would be wrong.

2011: Glenn Beck receives “Defender of Israel” award from PM Netanyahu

221 Great White Snark  Mar 14, 2015 9:27:58am

This outta be fun. Taking the Pacific Starlight Amtrak to Santa Barbara. Then Uber to my first stop. They say it has WiFi, so I hope the Silk kindle browser works well at LGF. I gave up on my android cell phone it just kinda sucks at blogging.

222 stpaulbear  Mar 14, 2015 9:29:24am
223 makeitstop  Mar 14, 2015 9:29:24am

re: #149 WhatEVs

People don’t matter. Killing matters. Supporting military contractors matters. Spending whatever amount of money desired on war matters. Troops are disposable. People are expendable. Social structure is superfluous.

What was the word Rumsfeld used? ‘Fungible?’

224 wrenchwench  Mar 14, 2015 9:30:58am

re: #217 Justanotherhuman

Love the report! Glad to know you’re doing so much better. : )

When I left the rehab hospital (using a walker), much of the staff lined the hallway and gave me an ovation. That gave me some idea of what bad shape I was in when I arrived three weeks earlier.

225 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:31:10am

re: #212 stpaulbear

The closest PP to this county is in Charlotte. Yet, that doesn’t stop these yokels from misrepresenting themselves online by lumping themselves into listings for PP, such as this:

yellowpages.com

Most rural counties don’t have PP; they’re mostly concentrated in cities in NC and the “pregnancy crisis” people take advantage of that fact.

226 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 9:31:24am

re: #213 wrenchwench

Yeah, I had/have the amnesia too. I can ‘remember’ stuff around the event but given that some of it definitely didn’t happen it’s constructed memory, which is weird.

I wasn’t out of it as badly as you were, but I had long, lingering problems afterwards. I hope your recovery is swift and complete. I’m glad to see you’ve retained your good humor and enthusiasm, and glad you’ve got people to support you.

227 retired cynic  Mar 14, 2015 9:31:32am

Jim Wright took a while, but he has done a post on the 47-senators. To call it a righteous rant is weak tea. Highly recommended.
stonekettle.com

228 wrenchwench  Mar 14, 2015 9:33:14am

re: #221 Great White Snark

This outta be fun. Taking the Pacific Starlight Amtrak to Santa Barbara. Then Uber to my first stop. They say it has WiFi, so I hope the Silk kindle browser works well at LGF. I gave up on my android cell phone it just kinda sucks at blogging.

Starting at Grand Central in LA? I love that place.

229 wrenchwench  Mar 14, 2015 9:41:21am

re: #226 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)

Yeah, I had/have the amnesia too. I can ‘remember’ stuff around the event but given that some of it definitely didn’t happen it’s constructed memory, which is weird.

I wasn’t out of it as badly as you were, but I had long, lingering problems afterwards. I hope your recovery is swift and complete. I’m glad to see you’ve retained your good humor and enthusiasm, and glad you’ve got people to support you.

I’m definitely enjoying the small-town aspects of recovery. The month before the ‘accident’, I overhauled the bikes the police department has. The cop I dealt with was the one who wrote the police report, pointing out that there was video (from a convenience store) that showed the driver lied about me being crouched down and hard to see. She pleaded guilty to a felony.

I get hugs every time I go downtown (where my shop is).

230 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:43:09am

re: #227 retired cynic

Jim Wright took a while, but he has done a post on the 47-senators. To call it a righteous rant is weak tea. Highly recommended.
stonekettle.com

Woot!

“Cotton, Johnson, and their allies, these people are fanatics in the most extreme sense. They are more fanatical in point of fact than Iran’s Ayatollahs given that those hardline Islamists are at least willing to meet the Obama administration halfway.

“This agreement, the one being negotiated by the P5+1 isn’t a deal between the United States and Iran.

“It is vastly, vastly, more complicated than that.

Yes, it includes 5 other fucking countries. Not only are these heinous Rs trying to scuttle an Obama “deal”, they’re doing the same to our allies.

“And not only did republicans attempt nothing less than a Nixonesque sabotage of the deal to further their presidential ambitions, no, what these forty-seven short-sighted selfish sons of bitches have done is even worse. These fanatics have sent a message to not only our enemies, but our strongest allies and largest economic trading partners (and rivals) that any agreement with the US is not to be taken seriously and could, in fact, dissolve at any moment based on the unpredictable whims of American partisan politics - not to mention America’s increasing religious fanaticism and stated willingness to sacrifice our own children for Israel’s political goals.”

231 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:54:31am

And what 40 yrs has done to make these people so blatantly transparent in their hatred of this President.

Nixon was surreptitious in his treachery even though many of us could see through his lies. These people don’t care if they take down this country completely and irreversibly in the public spotlight.

Hell, Cotton wasn’t even born until 1977 and he’s an ignorant bastard/attention whore whose politics, attitude and bullying should go the way of the dinosaur. And he’s only been in office less than 2 months.

“He received $700,000 for his senate campaign from the Emergency Committee for Israel.” Yes, that figure is correct.

salon.com

232 BeachDem  Mar 14, 2015 9:57:40am

re: #230 Justanotherhuman

Four decades of continuous war later, of the same failed strategy, and they still think freedom and liberty can be delivered in the belly of a B-52. This despite the blunt and abject lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention the terrible lesson of Vietnam itself.

Four decades later and these same people still prefer war to peace, violence to talk, ideology to pragmatism, insanity to reason.

We had to destroy the village in order to save it.

Only this time, the country they intend to destroy is the United States of America.
stonekettle.com

Jim Wright is Jim Write is a phenom.

233 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 9:58:59am

re: #232 BeachDem

I miss reporters like Peter Arnett. : (

234 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 10:00:14am

re: #227 retired cynic

Jim Wright took a while, but he has done a post on the 47-senators. To call it a righteous rant is weak tea. Highly recommended.
stonekettle.com

I still can’t believe Henry Kissinger isn’t in a cell at The Hague.

235 palomino  Mar 14, 2015 10:02:49am

re: #128 Dark_Falcon

27 new VA facilities is a massive investment, Allegro. And not one we should be funding all in one go. Given the problems the DoVA’s procurement process has, a series of major projects like that will go over budget and be riddled with waste and fraud.

I’m willing to support expanding the VA healthcare system, but in smaller, better-managed and planned increments that can be subject to proper oversight.

Very big of you to be “willing to support expanding the VA healthcare system”, but that’s the very least we can do for people who have served multiple tours of duty. You may not like to admit it, but the necocons who still dominate your party’s thinking support near perpetual war. You can’t have that without some sort of serious recompense for those who sacrifice so much, often for so little.

236 BeachDem  Mar 14, 2015 10:04:46am

re: #234 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

I still can’t believe Henry Kissinger isn’t in a cell at The Hague.

And I can’t believe Ron Johnson is in the Senate and Russ Feingold is not.

“We cannot allow them to have a nuclear weapon, if that means military action, that’s what we’ll end up taking,”…

People like Senator Johnson, they walk past those 58,220 names inscribed on the cold black granite of the Vietnam Memorial, they can see it, they can touch it, they argue over the endless appropriations for war and its terrible aftermath, trillions in blood and treasure, bills they can not afford to pay and that they have mortgaged our children’s future for, they have their noses rubbed in the futility and the utter criminal waste of it all every single goddamned day and it’s still not enough for these insane fuckers.

stonekettle.com

237 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 10:04:54am

re: #234 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

And at the time Kissinger was committing his deadly deeds, there was an entire PR campaign by the media around Kissinger being “sexy”. I mean, for chrissakes, people, how many deaths did you want him to be able to get away with? I think that’s when I started really hating the media.

238 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 10:09:17am
Arizona Republican Senator John McCain - a guy who considers himself an expert on foreign affairs and national security - admitted that he was in a hurry to get out of Washington ahead of an impending snowstorm and that he didn’t really read the letter before adding his John Hancock. What? Screw Obama? Sure, where do I sign?

“It was kind of a very rapid process. Everybody was looking forward to getting out of town because of the snowstorm. I think we probably should have had more discussion about it, given the blowback that there is.”

Sure, fuck over the president without reading the letter so you can get out of town before a snowstorm. This is the former POW.

SMDH

239 wrenchwench  Mar 14, 2015 10:09:58am
240 BeachDem  Mar 14, 2015 10:10:15am

This Jim Wright line should be mandatory in every conversation about Aqua Buddha:

In a city of goddamned things, Rand Paul is about the goddamnest thing I’ve seen yet.

241 palomino  Mar 14, 2015 10:14:05am

re: #238 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing

Sure, fuck over the president without reading the letter so you can get out of town before a snowstorm. This is the former POW.

SMDH

What the hell? It’s a one-page letter, but our Senators don’t have time to read it. Even a 99-year old fart like McCain could probably read it in less than a minute. What shitty excuses.

Yes, this is the party that can govern…in hell.

242 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 10:14:57am

re: #239 wrenchwench

Not surprising, especially since billions dropped into Iraq by helicopter, pallet upon pallet of cash, during the Bush years, probably found its way into the wrong hands as well.

243 Rev_Arthur_Icantbreatheing  Mar 14, 2015 10:16:30am
“To cross the second threshold and require a response, a petition must reach 100,000 signatures within 30 days.”

The petition to charge the 47 senators under the Logan act already has over 280,000 signatures. I hope the admin responds.

petitions.whitehouse.gov

244 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 10:19:35am

How the US sent $12bn in cash to Iraq. And watched it vanish

theguardian.com

$6.6B just “disappeared”, probably stolen.

Missing Iraq money may have been stolen, auditors say
U.S. Defense officials still cannot say what happened to $6.6 billion, sent by the planeload in cash and intended for Iraq’s reconstruction after the start of the war.

articles.latimes.com

So, just close the books and fuggitaboutit.

245 palomino  Mar 14, 2015 10:20:55am

re: #240 BeachDem

This Jim Wright line should be mandatory in every conversation about Aqua Buddha:

In a city of goddamned things, Rand Paul is about the goddamnest thing I’ve seen yet.

I think Rand has too much of Ron in him to really get very far in a run for the nomination; in other words, he’s just too fucking weird, a borderline whack job. He’s not quite as bizarre as his dad, but there’s still the kooky family pseudo-libertarian streak. And his lukewarm feelings about military intervention don’t play well in his party. He doesn’t really fit in with the war hero/soldier for God/button down businessman who is the GOP exemplar.

Plus, he tries to be super Jesus-y for the base, but it comes off as even less sincere than most other candidates.

246 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 10:27:48am
247 Alyosha  Mar 14, 2015 10:29:34am

First Stonekettle article I’ve read but his tweets posted here by various Lizards were always pithy and biting. The tone perfectly captures my own indignation and likely others’ too. Righteous.

I was admittedly one of those anti-Americans during the W. years and I’ve come to see that the US isn’t the problem. It’s the GOP and the folks who put them in a position to dictate policy.
Seems even when they’re out of the captain’s chair they want to dick with the world.

Scary shit.

248 BeachDem  Mar 14, 2015 10:32:05am

re: #245 palomino

I think Rand has too much of Ron in him to really get very far in a run for the nomination; in other words, he’s just too fucking weird, a borderline whack job. He’s not quite as bizarre as his dad, but there’s still the kooky family pseudo-libertarian streak. And his lukewarm feelings about military intervention don’t play well in his party. He doesn’t really fit in with the war hero/soldier for God/button down businessman who is the GOP exemplar.

Plus, he tries to be super Jesus-y for the base, but it comes off as even less sincere than most other candidates.

And never forget Charles P. Pierce’s 5-minute rule that applies to both father and son Paul:

This rule states that, for five minutes, both the son and the father, Crazy Uncle Liberty (!), make perfect sense on many issues. At the 5:00:01 mark, however, the trolley inevitably departs the tracks.

249 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 10:36:17am

re: #248 BeachDem

And at 5:01, all the WTF!s start from those listening. : )

250 Timothy Watson  Mar 14, 2015 10:38:44am

re: #245 palomino

I think Rand has too much of Ron in him to really get very far in a run for the nomination; in other words, he’s just too fucking weird, a borderline whack job. He’s not quite as bizarre as his dad, but there’s still the kooky family pseudo-libertarian streak. And his lukewarm feelings about military intervention don’t play well in his party. He doesn’t really fit in with the war hero/soldier for God/button down businessman who is the GOP exemplar.

Plus, he tries to be super Jesus-y for the base, but it comes off as even less sincere than most other candidates.

And whatever good points he might have are usually destroyed by his condescending, arrogant attitude.

In short, a typical libertarian.

251 austin_blue  Mar 14, 2015 10:41:40am

Clues to what is happening in Austin this weekend:

Half the people you see are wearing badges on lanyards.

Most of them are very pale and half-dressed because the sun is out and it’s over seventy degrees.

People are pushing carts down the sidewalk (normal) with Fabricators on them (not normal, it’s usually all of their worldly possessions).

The Geek Factor has exploded.

A Piper Pawnee is drilling circles over downtown pulling a banner (normal). The banner is a picture of Grumpy Cat’s giant head (not normal).

If you guessed SXSW Interactive, you are the big winner!

252 Romantic Heretic  Mar 14, 2015 10:44:55am

re: #250 Timothy Watson

And whatever good points he might have are usually destroyed by his condescending, arrogant attitude.

In short, a typical libertarian anarchist.

As I’ve pointed out before, in my opinion, ‘libertarianism’ is just a marketing strategy for anarchism. It’s ‘new and improved’ therefore not the shitty product no one buys any more.

253 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 10:48:17am

re: #252 Romantic Heretic

As I’ve pointed out before, in my opinion, ‘libertarianism’ is just a marketing strategy for anarchism. It’s ‘new and improved’ therefore not the shitty product no one buys any more.

They had to think of a new name, because to somebody of my age, “right-wing anarchist” is an oxymoron. “Right-wing” and “authoritarian” are synonyms. Things have certainly changed….

254 Alyosha  Mar 14, 2015 10:53:45am

re: #252 Romantic Heretic

The naive and disgruntled on the Left have Chomsky and anarcho-syndicalism so the Right must needs it’s own juvenile form of college, entry-level, under baked philosophy that explains why the world is fucked up and how to fix it with one radical ideology. And that’s Libertarianism. Faith-based economics.

255 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 10:55:32am
256 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 10:57:12am

Netanyahu accuses leftists, media of conspiring to bring him down

In a Facebook post, the premier accuses Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper of colluding with organizations, NGOs, tycoons and foreign governments in a campaign against him.

haaretz.com

It’s the current post here: he-il.facebook.com

Google translate:

The right-wing government in danger. The left wing and Communications in Israel and abroad joined together to raise Isaac Tzipi an illegitimate power, using slander and funds from abroad on an unprecedented scale.
Mandates aim to open a gap between the first of the left-wing Likud party led by Tzipi and Isaac. The only way to ensure fail to close the gap is remaining days until the election. National Camp voters vote no privilege to other parties. Must vote Mahal. Likud victory is the only definitive answer and left machinations.
Evidence of the working group “Yediot Ahronot” that came to us recently indicate that Noni Mozes leads timed and orchestrated campaign against the Likud and myself intensive cooperation with non-governmental organizations that work for this purpose with the support of local and international tycoons and with the support of foreign governments. A similar effort was made in the past in 1999.
Moses and news group working in full cooperation and coordination with the heads of the party “work”. Tzipi Livni herself admitted at a public event held in the month that spoke to the publisher “Yediot Ahronot” Noni Mozes before promoting the bill to silence against “Israel Today” Ministerial Committee on Legislation.
Isaac’s party platform and Tzipi towards the elections, they implicitly pledged to continue to work to close the “Israel Today”, as reported in “Marker”.
Known that a group of “Yediot Ahronot” uses the latest allegations “social” as if to attack the Likud and me, but less known social protest largest was in Israel in 2011, Moses instructed to bury and silence the protest because he thought it damages his business due to a sharp decline in the advertising market at the time .
The public needs to know the truth: Noni Moses leading the campaign against the Likud and myself out of business interest, in order to restore the monopoly dangerous and undemocratic characterized his newspaper and his business in the past.
Moses’s purpose is to lead to the rule of the Left. They will be joined leftist elements in Israel and abroad which pour millions of dollars to organizations that operate in the campaign “Just not Bibi” its various forms.
These associations are to encourage voter turnout among the Arab and left-wing voters, including through a campaign that goes from house to house area in recent weeks.
Mobilization of foreign NGOs did not come for economic or social but a political party. They understand that if Tzipi and Isaac come to power they would give up everything, withdraw to the ‘67 borders and share Jerusalem - as Isaac and Tzipi already committed themselves to do in the past. They know that unlike them, I and members of the Likud will stand the pressure and not give up.
They understand that the only obstacle for a withdrawal to the ‘67 borders, the division of Jerusalem, the establishment of Hamastan in the hills overlooking Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport and Israeli acceptance of a nuclear Iran - is only the Likud.
Definitive answer incitement campaign of Noni Mozes and millions of dollars injected into the left-wing associations abroad, is to go and vote next week one note: only forgave.

257 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 10:59:02am

re: #253 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Oh, rightwing and authoritarian certainly apply. Except you have to be a white male to join this anarchist group.

258 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 11:01:01am

re: #256 Justanotherhuman

Netanyahu accuses leftists, media of conspiring to bring him down

In a Facebook post, the premier accuses Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper of colluding with organizations, NGOs, tycoons and foreign governments in a campaign against him.

haaretz.com

It’s the current post here: he-il.facebook.com

Google translate:

The right-wing government in danger. The left wing and Communications in Israel and abroad joined together to raise Isaac Tzipi an illegitimate power, using slander and funds from abroad on an unprecedented scale.
Mandates aim to open a gap between the first of the left-wing Likud party led by Tzipi and Isaac. The only way to ensure fail to close the gap is remaining days until the election. National Camp voters vote no privilege to other parties. Must vote Mahal. Likud victory is the only definitive answer and left machinations.
Evidence of the working group “Yediot Ahronot” that came to us recently indicate that Noni Mozes leads timed and orchestrated campaign against the Likud and myself intensive cooperation with non-governmental organizations that work for this purpose with the support of local and international tycoons and with the support of foreign governments. A similar effort was made in the past in 1999.
Moses and news group working in full cooperation and coordination with the heads of the party “work”. Tzipi Livni herself admitted at a public event held in the month that spoke to the publisher “Yediot Ahronot” Noni Mozes before promoting the bill to silence against “Israel Today” Ministerial Committee on Legislation.
Isaac’s party platform and Tzipi towards the elections, they implicitly pledged to continue to work to close the “Israel Today”, as reported in “Marker”.
Known that a group of “Yediot Ahronot” uses the latest allegations “social” as if to attack the Likud and me, but less known social protest largest was in Israel in 2011, Moses instructed to bury and silence the protest because he thought it damages his business due to a sharp decline in the advertising market at the time .
The public needs to know the truth: Noni Moses leading the campaign against the Likud and myself out of business interest, in order to restore the monopoly dangerous and undemocratic characterized his newspaper and his business in the past.
Moses’s purpose is to lead to the rule of the Left. They will be joined leftist elements in Israel and abroad which pour millions of dollars to organizations that operate in the campaign “Just not Bibi” its various forms.
These associations are to encourage voter turnout among the Arab and left-wing voters, including through a campaign that goes from house to house area in recent weeks.
Mobilization of foreign NGOs did not come for economic or social but a political party. They understand that if Tzipi and Isaac come to power they would give up everything, withdraw to the ‘67 borders and share Jerusalem - as Isaac and Tzipi already committed themselves to do in the past. They know that unlike them, I and members of the Likud will stand the pressure and not give up.
They understand that the only obstacle for a withdrawal to the ‘67 borders, the division of Jerusalem, the establishment of Hamastan in the hills overlooking Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport and Israeli acceptance of a nuclear Iran - is only the Likud.
Definitive answer incitement campaign of Noni Mozes and millions of dollars injected into the left-wing associations abroad, is to go and vote next week one note: only forgave.

60 years working on machine translation and we’re still in “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”/”The wine was OK, but the steak was no good” territory. The emperor has no clothes, people!

259 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Mar 14, 2015 11:01:40am

re: #253 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

They had to think of a new name, because to somebody of my age, “right-wing anarchist” is an oxymoron. “Right-wing” and “authoritarian” are synonyms. Things have certainly changed….

They want to free us from government “tyranny” by surrendering us to the mercy of corporations and wealthy individuals.

260 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 11:02:18am

re: #256 Justanotherhuman

And BTW, you will note that the message to Israeli voters does not show up on his English language page:

facebook.com

I don’t know if that’s official or not, though.

261 Alyosha  Mar 14, 2015 11:04:27am

re: #259 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

They want to free us from government “tyranny” by surrendering us to the mercy of corporations and wealthy individuals.

We can’t elect those people therefore they must be inherently more trustworthy.

/

262 Snarknado!  Mar 14, 2015 11:05:52am

re: #258 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

60 years working on machine translation and we’re still in “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”/”The wine was OK, but the steak was no good” territory. The emperor has no clothes, people!

When it’s a machine translation of a western European (Indo-European) language, it’s getting almost competent, but Hebrew and English are more different, and translation is (at least) an order of magnitude harder. “It’s not how beautifully the bear dances, but that it dances at all.”

263 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 11:05:58am

re: #258 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

If only I spoke Hebrew and 100 other languages? Heh. Google Translate is awful, but all I have. : )

264 Nyet  Mar 14, 2015 11:07:45am

Influencing the voters is called politics, not conspiracy, you pitiful fraud.

265 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 11:08:59am

re: #264 Nyet

Well, when he’s losing, Bibi doesn’t tell the electorate the difference.

266 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Mar 14, 2015 11:10:32am

re: #261 Alyosha

We can’t elect those people therefore they must be inherently more trustworthy.

/

God has (s)elected them: their wealth is an outward sign of inner grace, remember?

Because whenever I look at Donald Trump, the Waltons or the Kardashians, all I can think of is “inner grace”…

267 Alyosha  Mar 14, 2015 11:14:59am

re: #266 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

God has (s)elected them: their wealth is an outward sign of inner grace, remember?

Because whenever I look at Donald Trump, the Waltons or the Kardashians, all I can think of is “inner grace”…

The beatific radiance of the Donald is due to the presence of God and not a tanning bed of any sort. The screen of ‘hair’ is the work of Satan though…

268 makeitstop  Mar 14, 2015 11:18:36am

re: #227 retired cynic

Jim Wright took a while, but he has done a post on the 47-senators. To call it a righteous rant is weak tea. Highly recommended.
stonekettle.com

That may very well be the best rant Wright has written to date - and the bar is set extremely high on that count.

269 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Mar 14, 2015 11:21:19am

re: #262 Snarknado!

When it’s a machine translation of a western European (Indo-European) language, it’s getting almost competent, but Hebrew and English are more different, and translation is (at least) an order of magnitude harder. “It’s not how beautifully the bear dances, but that it dances at all.”

I blame Chomsky. Seriously. Leonard Bloomfield died in 1948, and linguistics coasted for a decade, but then Noam the Gnome came along with his “All the languages are the same underneath” and “People with giant brains like mine find learning all those words too boring” and “How language works can be determined by analyzing English ever more and more closely”. Destroyed the field.

270 ObserverArt  Mar 14, 2015 11:23:19am

It is no wonder Netanyahoo came to America to speak to Republicans. He is more like them (in the current sorry state they are) than ever before. Sounds like he must have picked up some pointers from Johnny Boehnhead while he was here too.

And speaking of carpetbagger Rand Paul…don’t forget he has been caught plagiarizing too. He is a total fraud. And yes, as stated by some others…arrogant to go along with the fake, a dangerous combination. He will never see himself as wrong on anything ever.

Hell, I wonder if he is even human. There could be some kind of alien in there.

271 Obdicut (Now with 2% less brain)  Mar 14, 2015 11:29:50am

re: #269 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

No, Chomsky’s contributions to linguistics have been massive and incredibly important. They have not destroyed the field. Plenty of research in areas other than his systems still go on, as well.

There is also no rhyme or reason for blaming him for any deficits in translation: his work has almost nothing to do with practical translation.

272 A Cranky One  Mar 14, 2015 11:33:42am

And now for something completely different:

273 makeitstop  Mar 14, 2015 11:37:59am

The best comment from that Stonekettle post:

So, let’s review…
Of the last five Republican presidents, we have:

1.) Nixon, who sabotaged the Paris peace talks and extended the Vietnam war by years and many, many thousands of lives on both sides (not to mention that whole “third-rate burglary” incident).

2.) Ford, who pardoned Nixon.

3.) Reagan, who ignored Congress and sold weapons to Iran (irony alert!) to fund an illegal war in Central America. Hey, at least if Republicans do successfully instigate hostilities with Iran, they’ll have a good idea of what weapons the Iranians will use, having the receipts for them and all.

4.) Bush Senior, who pardoned and/or swept under the rug all the detritus and criminality of the Reagan administration.

5.) Bush Junior, and do I really have to elaborate more than that?

That’s not a bunch of exceptions to the rule, that’s a pattern of behaviour. This is who Republicans are.

274 jaunte  Mar 14, 2015 11:47:49am

Joshua Muravchik: “We are guilty of poorly explaining neoconservatism.”
foreignpolicy.com

275 gwangung  Mar 14, 2015 11:49:55am

re: #274 jaunte

Joshua Muravchik: “We are guilty of poorly explaining neoconservatism.”
foreignpolicy.com

If they’re proponents, and they can’t explain it well….perhaps they don’t understand it well.

And that’s not a policy we should follow….

276 Justanotherhuman  Mar 14, 2015 12:32:09pm

re: #274 jaunte

Joshua Muravchik: “We are guilty of poorly explaining neoconservatism.”
foreignpolicy.com

They don’t have to explain it for we people to understand its depravity.

277 CleverToad  Mar 14, 2015 2:36:05pm

re: #179 Dark_Falcon

Was at a Pi Day math celebration with my son, so very belated reply. End of the thread as per usual, a comment that won’t get read but will relieve my feelings.

You’ll notice I said ‘fewer strings’ — not expecting politicians to change all of their stripes. But I seem to recall eras in which funding bills were not stalled on a routine basis to score ‘points’ in a tribal display.

Waste and corruption are cited again as the reason why funding should be withheld, a familiar charge leveled against every social program I can remember. At what point of virtuous reform will the VA be considered worthy of grace and funds again, and who will determine that judgment? And what are the veterans to do in the meantime, while said reform is pursued?

In a matter as important as our responsibility to our service people, I’d like to see it discussed as a matter of governance rather than politics, with some acknowledgment of the lives that are being affected. Would hope that the reformers are approaching the task in that spirit. Probably too much to also hope for alacrity and common sense.


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