The Joe DiMaggio Gold Star #29: ALECWatch
Well, this month started with a piece about ALEC, which may have (finally) represented my loss of innocence when it comes to American Democracy and the death of any remaining idealistic misconceptions I may have had about who’s really in charge in this country. So it’s only appropriate that I start out the final post of the month by awarding the prestigious (ha!) Joe DiMaggio Gold Star to a group dedicated to exposing the truth behind the greatest shadowy political conspiracy the world over that nobody’s talking about. Now… Unfortunately, it seems that this site has not been updated for several years. And I think that’s a shame, because what they DO have there is critically important information that people need to know about. So, if anyone has some information about a more up-to-date ALEC watchdog site, PLEASE let me know and I will be sure to highlight them as well. IMHO, ALEC, more so than any other organization in the world, represents the single greatest threat to the American Democracy. Al Qaeda are bush-league compared to ALEC. Al Qaeda can only know down buildings and kill a few people. That’s horrible, to be sure, but we lost more Americans last year due to reduced vaccination rates than we typically lose to terrorism. (So Al Qaeda's roughly as dangerous to America as Jenny McCarthy.) ALEC, OTOH, is actively and effectively destroying the very soul and fabric of the Country and of the very ideals of popular, representative Democracy that the terrorists hate so much. And at least we’re actually FIGHTING Al-Qaeda. ALEC is a CANCER that we WELCOME into our political system the way an addict welcomes his own chosen poison. They are WINNING in territory that terrorists never even considered fighting for.
The Gabby Hartnett Gold Star #30: Mother Jones
I’ve made no secret of the contempt that I feel for what remains of mainstream journalism. IMHO, even the least of the bloggers do a passably better job of analysis than the average Cable news show, who so often can’t even get basic FACTS right. But if there is a website anywhere that’s more than a blog, and yet practiced journalism the way it is MEANT to be practiced, that site is Mother Jones. I’m a newcomer to their publication, but I have been consistently impressed at the depth and fearlessness with which the pursue their stories. To call them the “NPR of the web” would not even be complimentary. Check them out.
The Ted Lyons Gold Star #31: Down with Tyranny
I’ll have to apologize to the folks at DWT… I am having an increasingly difficult time finding ways to praise my favorite blogs in a way that differentiates them from those that I’ve honored before. The problem is that when I come across a blog that I want to add here, it is usually for the same reasons that I’ve included so many others: Well written; witty, if not humorous; makes me think / challenges me intellectually; etc… And in that regard Down With Tyranny is right up there with Left Hook, Midnight Review, Political Irony, etc… So while I hate to say, “One more great blog that I follow,” unfortunately there is not much I can say that hasn’t been said two or three times before. But they rock. So check them out!
The Dazzy Vance Gold Star #32: Beck Unhinged
Who can’t admire a site that highlight just how utterly bat-shit crazy the now face of Fox News, Glenn Beck, is. Funny in the same way as “$#!t my Dad Says” or Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin (using Palin’s own words) this site makes Glenn Beck look ridiculous but using only quotes from… GLENN BECK. If that’s not doing the Lord’s good work, I don’t know what is. LOL.
The Frank “Home Run” Baker Silver Star #21: Blip
Blip is another of my favorite web comics. It’s about a girl who’s existence was not fated to happen, and thus represents a threat to fabric of reality itself. Heaven has set about suppressing the girl’s creative talents – in order to save the universe, but making her miserable in the process – while Lucifer attempts to unleash her power – by allowing her a modicum of well-deserved happiness. It’s a well written story, with crative and original characters, taking place in a well conceived world of angels, demos and even ancient Gods. It’s at times philosophical, hilarious, poignant, romantic and (recently) tear-jerking. In short this is #1 on my list of favorite web comics at the moments, and well worth checking out. As with all web-comics, I recommend reading it from the beginning.
The Ray Schalk Silver Star #22: Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
I’ve recently used several pieces of SMBC that I’ve found relevant, but in truth, if I didn’t stop myself, I’d probably be able to find a use for about 99% of the site’s content. They’re absolutely hilarious and absolute relevant, politically and philosophically. You will seldom find a comic that is both finnier and more intelligent. Check them out. You’ll laugh. A lot. (And since the strip is not serial, this is not one you have to read in any particular order.)
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BTW... The Fred Clarke Silver Star winner, Item Not as Described has been taken down and/or been devoured by the Cheeseburger Network. And that's cool, but since (1) They're no longer maintaining the "Free Shit from Craig's List" content, and (2) they already has several Silver Stars to their credit already (FailBlog, Ugliest Tattoos, Engrish) I'm going to replace this link with a new one at some point.
One More Piece of News... The Hughie Jennings' Silver Star winner, web comic YU&ME: Dream has finished it's run. (*sad*) The author, Megan Gedris, finished the story on her own terms and created what I honestly believe to be one of the most complex, creative, whimsical, romantic, thoughtful, and just flat out cool, (not to mention COMPLETED!) web comic around, and has now moved on to another project, which is also totally worth checking out. I'll read anything she writes at this point, but only time will tell if it'll get a Star of it's own in the future. If you haven't read YU&ME: Dream yet, you can do so now, knowing that you will actually be able to FINISH it. And I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
Who IS this guy?!
Political Talk Show Host and Internet Radio Personality. My show, In My Humble Opinion, aired on RainbowRadio from 2015-2017, and has returned for 2021! Feel free to contact me at niceguy9418@usa.com. You can also friend me on Facebook.
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Showing posts with label alec. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alec. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Forget Fascists... we're actually Nazi's now
Provocative title, I know.
I had to take a break for a few days. I heard a story on NPR Frito be day morning that was profoundly disturbing. And my anger It came through in my posts to MMFA on Friday, it came through in my work / in the office, and even my wife noticed it when I got home. So I had to take a breather. And you know what? A few days later, and I don't feel any less repulsed by it.
As if the Citizens United decision wasn't bad enough, NPR did a story about ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. To put it gently, it's a non-profit that hooks up corporate shills and legislators for the purpose of getting really awful legislation passed, and obfuscating where it comes from, and just who's buying the legislator in question. And because it's a non-profit, and they provide all the "scholarships," (an utterly Orwellian term that almost makes me throw-up in my mouth to use,) any disclosure the Legislator does make just say "ALEC." NOT the corporation who's really buying them. And what's more? Unlike with lobby groups (HOW the HELL is this not a lobby group?! WTF?!) Corporations actually get a TAX WRITE-OFF for their donations to ALEC!
So how does this make u s"Nazi's?" Am I just being melodramatic? I don't think so. Not anymore.
Do you know where the new, controversial Arizona immigration law came from? Well, it came out of an ALEC conference. And who else was in attendance at that conference? Why, the largest private prison company in the country: the Corrections Corporation of America. So follow me for a second here...
In case you were wondering, YES, they are a for-profit company. They're traded on the NYSE. You can look it up. We actually have for-profit incarceration in this country! Maye I'm just a little slow, but I didn't know that. Of course, it's sold as a cost-cutting measure for states - just like everything else we should never even CONSIDER privatizing. And sure enough: it's cheaper. Problem is? If the prisons aren't filled to at least 90-95% capacity, they don't make a profit.
So.... What to do... What to do?
Well... what they DID do was to craft a bill/ law specifically designed to get MORE PEOPLE thrown in prison! That's the Arizona Immigration law, requiring police to arrest ANYONE who can't PROVE they're not in this country legally, ON THE SPOT. And, putting aside the whole "innocent auntil proven guilty" implications, of course anyone with two brain cells to bounce together (which excluded most Conservatives apparently) realizes that this is a law aimed primarily at arresting Mexicans.
Now... normally a law like this might meet with some public backlash, so what to do... what to do... Well... The politicians could take to the airwaves, making up all kinds of nonsense and slander to turn public sentiment against Illegalls, yes, but also against Mexicans as well as Immigrants in general. (Hey: That fits right in with thier anti-Muslim agenda anyway, right?)
So... You've got politicans using the media to vilify an already small and unpopular minority group, with few rights, and no means to recourse, spreading all kinds of false information about them and the affect they have on our society - much of it 180 derees divorced from reality - all to drum up support for a bill designed to do nothing else but to get as many members of this very minority group carted off to prison as possible.
Um... How is that NOT Nazi, exactly? The only separating this from the gas chambers? Is the GAS!
And you know what? Putting aside that we're not actually KILLING them - fair enough - from a certain POV, we're actually WORSE than the Nazi's. Yeah, seriously. Stay with me now... You see... Hitler, in his own perverse way, actually believed that what he was doing was right. As despicable, and unimaginably inhuman as it was? His "final solution" was being done for purely idealistic reasons: to "save" Germany. Of course... his ideals were utterly monstrous. But why are WE doing the same thing? Sure, the politicians would have you believe that it's all to "save" America. (Sound familiar?) And in that way it's every bit as misguided as Hitler's persecution of the Jews was. But the fact is? That's all bullshit. I almost wish they were being that twistedly idealistic about it. The REAL reason we're vilifying and incarcerating Mexicans?
Is so that a for-profit corporation can make more money.
That's it.
And that's beyond fascist... that NAZI territory, plain and simple. I've taken some time to try and view this from any other perspective and I just can't see one. We're fucking Nazi's. Congratulations America, you now incarcerate minorities for no greater, misguided "ideal" than INCREASED CORPORATE PROFITS.
And you know what? Goebbels would be utterly HUMBLED by what the Right has managed to do to OUR media. HE had to at least make an EFFORT! OUR Right-Wing scumbags? Have Fox News cheerleading for them, propagandizing for them, as a matter course, no longer even bothering to keep up the PRETENSE of doing otherwise... and MAKING A PROFIT DOING IT!!! And the rest of the media follows suit for fear of being branded as "Liberal biased!" They've turned the media against their opposition, either vehemently or passively (which is far more effective anyway) and they didn't have to spend a single Penny of government money to do it! Goebbels's could certainly have learn a thing or two from Murdoch, Ailes and company. He had to make an effort. The Right in this country? Has made it the natural default perspective!
Anyway, I'm done.
For awhile, actually.
Seriously.
I'm going to take a little break. I have to. You can't wake up to the realization that your country incarcerates people for profit, and that politicians use the media to market the policty, FALSELY vilifying the people in question, and yet only one, single arm of this so-called "liberal media" (NPR) is even talking about it...and think that anything you can do or say is going to accomplish ANYTHING. This story just... crushed me. It swept away my last hope that this country even has a soul left to save.
George Carlin once said that fascism would not come to America in Brown-Shirts and Jack-Boots, but rather wearing Nike's. Well... it's not about Nike, but the point was positively and prfoundly prophetic. And it will simply not serve my mental health to keep railing against such utter hopelessness. I need a little time to recharge my batteries. Find a different direction to take this in. So... we'll see how it and where it goes.
Oh, ad uh... BTW...
There's an election tomorrow. So, vote. I guess. It's supposed to be important... or something.
And just like Glenn Beck, I'm not going to tell you who to vote for. Honestly, I don't really think it matters anymore anyway. But UNLIKE Glenn Beck, I'm going to give you this advice: WHATEVER you do, don't vote for
As three wise men once said...
"All we have to fear, is fear itself!" ~Franklin Roosevelt
"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." ~Yoda
and, perhaps the most important lesson for these spineless, useless Democrats to learn:
"Given a choice between a Republican and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, they'll choose the Republican every time" ~Harry Truman
...
WHY, with 20th Century icons like Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Johnson to draw inspiration from, do they decide instead to take their lead from the likes of BILL CLINTON?
WHY?!
I had to take a break for a few days. I heard a story on NPR Frito be day morning that was profoundly disturbing. And my anger It came through in my posts to MMFA on Friday, it came through in my work / in the office, and even my wife noticed it when I got home. So I had to take a breather. And you know what? A few days later, and I don't feel any less repulsed by it.
As if the Citizens United decision wasn't bad enough, NPR did a story about ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. To put it gently, it's a non-profit that hooks up corporate shills and legislators for the purpose of getting really awful legislation passed, and obfuscating where it comes from, and just who's buying the legislator in question. And because it's a non-profit, and they provide all the "scholarships," (an utterly Orwellian term that almost makes me throw-up in my mouth to use,) any disclosure the Legislator does make just say "ALEC." NOT the corporation who's really buying them. And what's more? Unlike with lobby groups (HOW the HELL is this not a lobby group?! WTF?!) Corporations actually get a TAX WRITE-OFF for their donations to ALEC!
So how does this make u s"Nazi's?" Am I just being melodramatic? I don't think so. Not anymore.
Do you know where the new, controversial Arizona immigration law came from? Well, it came out of an ALEC conference. And who else was in attendance at that conference? Why, the largest private prison company in the country: the Corrections Corporation of America. So follow me for a second here...
In case you were wondering, YES, they are a for-profit company. They're traded on the NYSE. You can look it up. We actually have for-profit incarceration in this country! Maye I'm just a little slow, but I didn't know that. Of course, it's sold as a cost-cutting measure for states - just like everything else we should never even CONSIDER privatizing. And sure enough: it's cheaper. Problem is? If the prisons aren't filled to at least 90-95% capacity, they don't make a profit.
So.... What to do... What to do?
Well... what they DID do was to craft a bill/ law specifically designed to get MORE PEOPLE thrown in prison! That's the Arizona Immigration law, requiring police to arrest ANYONE who can't PROVE they're not in this country legally, ON THE SPOT. And, putting aside the whole "innocent auntil proven guilty" implications, of course anyone with two brain cells to bounce together (which excluded most Conservatives apparently) realizes that this is a law aimed primarily at arresting Mexicans.
Now... normally a law like this might meet with some public backlash, so what to do... what to do... Well... The politicians could take to the airwaves, making up all kinds of nonsense and slander to turn public sentiment against Illegalls, yes, but also against Mexicans as well as Immigrants in general. (Hey: That fits right in with thier anti-Muslim agenda anyway, right?)
So... You've got politicans using the media to vilify an already small and unpopular minority group, with few rights, and no means to recourse, spreading all kinds of false information about them and the affect they have on our society - much of it 180 derees divorced from reality - all to drum up support for a bill designed to do nothing else but to get as many members of this very minority group carted off to prison as possible.
Um... How is that NOT Nazi, exactly? The only separating this from the gas chambers? Is the GAS!
And you know what? Putting aside that we're not actually KILLING them - fair enough - from a certain POV, we're actually WORSE than the Nazi's. Yeah, seriously. Stay with me now... You see... Hitler, in his own perverse way, actually believed that what he was doing was right. As despicable, and unimaginably inhuman as it was? His "final solution" was being done for purely idealistic reasons: to "save" Germany. Of course... his ideals were utterly monstrous. But why are WE doing the same thing? Sure, the politicians would have you believe that it's all to "save" America. (Sound familiar?) And in that way it's every bit as misguided as Hitler's persecution of the Jews was. But the fact is? That's all bullshit. I almost wish they were being that twistedly idealistic about it. The REAL reason we're vilifying and incarcerating Mexicans?
Is so that a for-profit corporation can make more money.
That's it.
And that's beyond fascist... that NAZI territory, plain and simple. I've taken some time to try and view this from any other perspective and I just can't see one. We're fucking Nazi's. Congratulations America, you now incarcerate minorities for no greater, misguided "ideal" than INCREASED CORPORATE PROFITS.
And you know what? Goebbels would be utterly HUMBLED by what the Right has managed to do to OUR media. HE had to at least make an EFFORT! OUR Right-Wing scumbags? Have Fox News cheerleading for them, propagandizing for them, as a matter course, no longer even bothering to keep up the PRETENSE of doing otherwise... and MAKING A PROFIT DOING IT!!! And the rest of the media follows suit for fear of being branded as "Liberal biased!" They've turned the media against their opposition, either vehemently or passively (which is far more effective anyway) and they didn't have to spend a single Penny of government money to do it! Goebbels's could certainly have learn a thing or two from Murdoch, Ailes and company. He had to make an effort. The Right in this country? Has made it the natural default perspective!
Anyway, I'm done.
For awhile, actually.
Seriously.
I'm going to take a little break. I have to. You can't wake up to the realization that your country incarcerates people for profit, and that politicians use the media to market the policty, FALSELY vilifying the people in question, and yet only one, single arm of this so-called "liberal media" (NPR) is even talking about it...and think that anything you can do or say is going to accomplish ANYTHING. This story just... crushed me. It swept away my last hope that this country even has a soul left to save.
George Carlin once said that fascism would not come to America in Brown-Shirts and Jack-Boots, but rather wearing Nike's. Well... it's not about Nike, but the point was positively and prfoundly prophetic. And it will simply not serve my mental health to keep railing against such utter hopelessness. I need a little time to recharge my batteries. Find a different direction to take this in. So... we'll see how it and where it goes.
Oh, ad uh... BTW...
There's an election tomorrow. So, vote. I guess. It's supposed to be important... or something.
And just like Glenn Beck, I'm not going to tell you who to vote for. Honestly, I don't really think it matters anymore anyway. But UNLIKE Glenn Beck, I'm going to give you this advice: WHATEVER you do, don't vote for
As three wise men once said...
"All we have to fear, is fear itself!" ~Franklin Roosevelt
"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." ~Yoda
and, perhaps the most important lesson for these spineless, useless Democrats to learn:
"Given a choice between a Republican and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, they'll choose the Republican every time" ~Harry Truman
...
WHY, with 20th Century icons like Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Johnson to draw inspiration from, do they decide instead to take their lead from the likes of BILL CLINTON?
WHY?!
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