A-Paul-Ling

I haven't gotten around to this, but it's been almost 2 weeks since Rand Paul was nominated in Kentucky and boy the GOP knows how to pick them. When you criticize the Civil Rights Act of 1964, expect people to think you are racist. "But wait, Paul said he's not a racist and supports most of the CRA." Yeah, but he opposes the most important part of it.

he would have raised some questions on the constitutionality of Title II of the Act, which prohibits private businesses who provide public accommodations from discriminating on the basis of race, religion, or national origin against their customers, arguing that it infringes upon Constitutionally-enshrined freedoms.

That was heart of the civil rights matter in the 60s that blacks were discriminated against for their skin color from going into places that were open to the public. Of course, there are private organizations like the KKK or country clubs that require membership to get into and can discriminate, but they aren't like restaurants or hotels where you don't have to be a member to get in. Rand Paul doesn't understand that and it's ignorance.

Paul said he abhors racism, and he would have marched with Martin Luther King Jr.

I wonder how that conversation would have gone:

Paul: Hey there, I'm not a racist, but I support that restaurant owner's right to be racist and kick you out. Can we march together?
King: Fuck off!

Another thing is that Rand Paul is not really a libertarian, he also opposes gay marriage and abortion. But there is nothing more authoritarian than giving a business owner a right to discriminate. This is the conservative worldview to give as much power to corporations to circumvent doing the right thing and expanding freedoms. Big business takes away freedom from workers and consumers and pretends they are giving it under the guise of the "free market." That is bullshit and true libertarians want more business regulation.

Paul also opposes the Americans With Disabilities Act. Palin has endorsed him, I wonder how she feels having a child with Down Syndrome and his lack of support for the ADA...oh wait, Palin doesn't give a levitating shit about Trig and he's just a prop to her and she's a shameless opportunist, my mistake.

Paul also stupidly said that Obama's criticism of BP is "unAmerican." Uh, moron, BP is "British Petroleum", how is that unAmerican?

One more point, Rand is his father's son and this senate campaign is a continuation of Ron Paul's unsuccessful grab for more power. The Paul cult and the teabaggers have gathered around Rand and I think Jack Conway should run as hard as he can to give Democrats another victory in a year they are suppose to lose seats. Paul has never been in office and I hope Conway wipes the floor with Paul's ass, but Paul is leading the polling now and I hope things will turn around by November.

We Need a Peace Day

Today is Memorial Day and it's one of three days (other two are Veterans and Armed Forces Days) when we sit back and forget about the bloody wars and government lies to honor those who have served in the wars. While the days are to honor the warriors, in the back of my mind I believe the holidays to an extent are used to cover up the war lies by the war hawks. Specifically Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the countless smaller "police state" battles we've fought across the world. They stand behind the troops like they are human shields against criticism.

I have been having debates with myself about whether or not the soldiers who fight in these wars are as responsible for the murder and lies because they choose to fight. The truth is that most people who fight these wars are poor and/or have little understanding about where or who or why they are fighting. A few on the other hand have ethically challenged motives for going to war and are war criminals.

On the other hand, the motives of those who are part of the anti-war movement are clear, they support peace. The Vietnam War was an unjust war and those who protested the war were 100% right to do so. Ditto with Iraq and Afghanistan. The peace movement has been smeared by war hawks and conservatives and I think it's time to give them their credit, their own holiday. It should be called "Peace Day" to honor Americans who protest war and excess military spending. I choose July 10th, Cindy Sheehan's birthday.

Idiot of the Week

BP

Part of me thinks they are letting the spill happen, ethically challenged bastards!

Friday Night Hicks

"There will be fucking in the streets!"

My Take on DADT Part 2

An interesting observation that I will make is that when don't ask don't tell first passed, both sides declared victory, but it was still a defeat for gay rights. This is the problem with compromise, you take a good idea (allowing gays into the military by not asking questions) and a bad idea (kicking them out if they admit it), you get a bad idea. If someone took a shit in a birthday cake, would you eat it? The cake has shit in it, but we are taught that it is good cause it's a compromise, so eat up!

Vulgarity aside, DADT also pissed off the right until they realized that it fulfilled a hateful niche to allow gays to stay in the closet and hate who they are. Now the right has embraced DADT as their own and are claiming that its repeal would let gays in even though there are already gays in the military, but they can't admit it yet. Obama and Democrats have been flaunting the DADT repeal for years, but haven't gotten around to it. This position seems cowardly and hints that they are afraid of a backlash from the right over it. Doing the right thing has never been easy, especially when those doing the wrong thing have convinced themselves they are also doing the right thing.

Mosque Near "Ground Zero"

If it pisses off the Christian Right, I'm all for it.

My Take on DADT

I support the end of don't ask don't tell, but at the same time, I want to add an asterisk. Why does anyone, gay or straight want to go into the military? I'm not anti-military, I think World War 2 the last good war we fought, but since then all our wars have been ethically challenged wars of conquest and blood lust.

When openly gay men and women are allowed into the military, many should refuse to join out of respect for peace and justice.

Bill Hicks from beyond the grave.

Shorter Matt Barber

Is Kagan a lesbian? I don't know if she is, but I will speculate and say she is one and because she is one, she is icky and dirty and should be filibustered. Plus if a gay person is a judge, they will persecute us Christians, so we will persecute gays in advance by not allowing them on the bench.

Can we Please Stop Relying on Rasmussen?

Any poll that shows the popular Attorney General of Connecticut beating the wrestling lady only by 3 points or the racist son of a failed presidential candidate cult leader beating the Attorney General of Kentucky by 25 points should not be believed.

Good News Bad News for Republicans

Good news, they win the district Obama was born in. Bad news, they have to admit Obama was born in Hawaii to make the gloat legit. The birthers will hate them for it.

Idiot of the Week

Texas Board of Education

Of the big changes, this one was the worst:

Slave trade would be renamed Atlantic triangular trade.

Conservatives used to own slaves, now they are diminishing the horrors of slavery by reducing African slaves to just one of many items traded at the time. These Orwellian name changes should wake up Americans to the rewriting of history that is going on in our schools by the right-wing nuts.

Shut Up!

In between molesting children and oppressing women and gays, the Vatican has time to wave their finger at scientists. To this I say shut the fuck up! Who gives a levitating shit what you all think anymore? Did you not learn the lessons of Galileo? Scientists are busy improving life while these punks from a tiny nation in Italy with superstitious beliefs are just running their mouths. Again, shut up!

Idiot of the Week

The Eastern Conference of the NHL.

Seriously, the 7th vs the 8th seeds? The top of the Shitlist are the Washington Capitals who had 121 points and lost to Montreal who had 88 points. Then Boston blew a 3-0 game lead on Philly while the defending champs the Penguins blew it to Montreal. I might end up eating these words, but I'm 95% sure San Jose or Chicago will destroy the Eastern Conference team.

The Fascists are Coming to my Backyard

The GOP is coming to Tampa.

This is two years away, but it's not too early to think about an organized protest. The Republican Party is growing more and more authoritarian by the day and only Obama is standing in their way. But that could change if the Republicans fool enough people into supporting their shit. The teabaggers aren't the only voice in politics, the left needs to voice their opinion and bring back sanity to the debate.

Conservatives Will Always Prove Themselves to be Monsters

While I hate Malkintented's guts, I will browse her blog to find stories that fall through the crack. This one is a gem.

U.S. troops in Afghanistan could soon be awarded a medal for not doing something, a precedent-setting award that would be given for “courageous restraint” for holding fire to save civilian lives.

My question is, where was this during Vietnam and Iraq? Of course the best way to stop civilian casualties is to not start wars, but that's irrelevant now. Here's MM's take on it:

I’m going to exercise restraint and let you all comment on this one

Oh that's funny, ha ha ha!

But let's quote from the company we keep:

Rush calls it the “Yellow Heart” medal.

Armitageblogger tweets: “It will need to be awarded posthumously almost 90% of the time.”

Yeah, let's implant in a soldier's head that if you refuse to kill civilians, there's a 90% chance you will die. Hmmm, let's see, if someone believes that, what will they do? Will they go for the restraint medal or shoot up the innocent family? It makes me want to puke.

The thing from the American Legion was the worse:

“This was tragic because the overwhelming majority of those who served there tried to prevent innocent casualties. Now, by awarding those who supposedly practice restraint, we would be implying that our heroes who have to fire their weapons are somehow failing in their mission or coming up short. It’s a bad idea and the Pentagon should kill it.”

First you say you oppose innocent casualties, then say the restraint medal is bad. That would be like saying you oppose lynching, but support the KKK.

Because of the company you keep Malkintented, you can go to hell.

Racist Redneck Right-winger Defined

We know who he didn't vote for in 2008.

Idiot of the Week

The Philadelphia Police

When the Philly police aren't sending innocent black journalists to death row, they are tasering stupid kids* at baseball games. Tasers are suppose to be used as a replacement for deadly force, not a first-line weapon to subdue people. Even though tasers are suppose to be non-lethal, they still kill people. The cop who tasered the kid should be fired and everyone who applauds this fascism should be ashamed.

*While I abhor this, the kid was still stupid. But again, being stupid is not an excuse for tasering.

All That Misogyny for Nothing

Turns out, there was never a "mansession."*

I guess all that outrage over women not suffering from the recession as much as men was bullshit. Now they need to find something new to blame women for, how about an earthquake?

*I thought it was called the "hesession", I guess they got tired of that.

Hope for my Generation

Interesting:

Young people, the survey found, "are more positive about 'socialism' -- and more negative about 'capitalism' -- than are older Americans."

While I'm not advocating Marxism, I think more people should stop looking at our economy as a way to make a few people rich while making millions poor and as a way to ensure that society advances prosperously as a whole. If that means soaking the rich, then fine, do it. I just hope this is true and my generation gets it.

Vox Day and the Confederate Flag

From the most insane man in America, here's Vox's take on the Confederate Flag:

It would be educational to see what would happen if Southerners refused to enlist and re-enlist until ludicrous ban on Southern heritage and Southron (sic) pride is rescinded.

Yes, southern heritage only began in 1861 when 12 states committed treason and tried to leave the United States over slavery. That would be like saying German heritage only began when they started flying the Swastika. But Vox continues:

Without the South, the Marine Corps would find itself transformed into a mercenary force largely populated by gangsters looking to acquire combat training and Mexicans seeking citizenship.

Let's add some racism into the mix. Vox assumes A. all the southern marines are white and B. that all the minorities are violent. Thank you for that open racism Vox, it's great to express what you really think, racist fucker!

Of course, if that's the ultimate objective of the policy, then we can expect that the ban on the Confederate Battle flag will only be the first step and it won't be long before other patriotic symbols such as the Gadsden Flag and the Betsy Ross Flag are banned as well.

I think in the end it comes down to that supporters of the Confederacy view the rebellion as an act in support of the United States against the "Yankee tyranny." But in reality is was treason against the United States, the stars and bars should not even be mentioned along side the Gadsden or Betsy Ross flags. The stars and bars are the American equivalence to the Swastika, states shouldn't even be allowed to have them on their state flags.

The Marines and the other military branches do a lot of stupid and unethical things, but they are 100% right to ban the tattoo, Vox is 100% wrong.

Cinco

Happy Cinco de Mayo and watch out for Joe Arpaio!

Another Point About the Spill

Instead of an oil leak, imagine a nuclear power plant leak, think for a few seconds.

It will be 100,000 times worse than the oil spill.

Now imagine that never happening.

Imagine almost 100% of our power coming from something that can't leak like solar or wind.

Imagine no global warming either.

Imagine the future.

Now imagine a giant boot stepping on the face of that imagination, that is reality.

That boot represents corporate fossil fuel interests.

That boot represents Republicans and a few Democrats who are afraid of doing the right thing.

That boot needs to disappear for anything good to happen.

Idiot of the Week

BP

The spill is headed towards the Atlantic now and these dildos didn't do anything to prepare for it. Shame on these fuckers.

Fake Pro-Life Anti-Choicers

I find this interesting:

Prior to having the abortion, a woman would have to view the ultrasound and listen to a doctor's description of it unless they declined in writing to do so, or unless they could prove they were seeking an abortion because of rape, incest, human trafficking or a threat to their health.

First off, I think that would insult a woman's intelligence and that is very sexist and second off, how can someone consider abortion murder if they allow it for incest or rape? I find that a major cop out. Is it automatically not murder if the daddy is brothers with the mommy or the daddy plays Lacrosse for Duke? That's the best part about being pro-choice, not having to be intellectually dishonest about anything.