Shallow Thoughts, etc.

Just a few thoughts on the current state of the Union, etc.

Enjoy...

If nothing else, the election of America's first black president has certainly ignited change. The right-wing has responded with massive outrage on all levels. Blatant disrespect for the President. Continued denial of his legitimacy. A sharp rise in gun violence rhetoric. Overt racism - including the denial that their obvious racism is even racism at all or even that racism still exists - which is racist in and of itself. The instinctive push-back to the black President has spurred a race toward Fascism by the right. The incredibly ignorant and extremist Tea Party formed, fighting against all their own best interests, as well as the rest of the country's, at the behest of their corporate masters. The right-wing has unceasingly pushed through or attempted to push through legislation blocking voting rights, blocking union rights, blocking women's rights, blocking civil rights. All the progress made during the 20th Century has been attacked by the right. They've attempted to roll it back to the 19th (and sometimes even the 14th) Century. They are against child labor laws (their own policy), against environmental protection (their own policy), against fair pay for women, against affordable health care, against the development of alternate energy, against social security (their own policy), against allowing gays to marry, against the Violence Against Women Act, against the health care mandate (their own policy), against creating jobs (as long as there's a Democratic President), against the DREAM Act (their own policy), against reducing nuclear weapons (Reagan's wish - also, we have over 5,000 active, more than anyone else, each one hundreds up to thousands of times more powerful than Little Boy), against the Girl Scouts of America, against education, against taxing the wealthy at the same level as everyone else, against ending corporate welfare, against ending the Bush Tax Cuts, against minimum wage, against Medicare, against the FDA, against infrastructure spending, against regulating the banks, against regulating Wall Street. Republicans were even against a health care bill for Nine Eleven first responders and Senator Al Franken's law protecting victims of gang rape. This obscene list goes on. 

Republicans just seem to automatically take the opposite stance of whatever issue a Democrat supports, no matter what it is, no matter how bi-partisan it is, even if it's their own policy. Clean air? Fuck that. Pay women on par with men? Fuck that. Create jobs? Fuck that. Acting like a four-year-old cry-baby bitch seems to be some sort of political tactic for them. When they don't win, they take their ball and go home so no one else can play. I'm sure they think this will help the country. I'm sure they're not putting Party before Country. No one would intentionally be that big of a fucking asshole.

And in their oh, so tireless pursuit defending the Constitution, they have also removed the fundamental right to democracy in Michigan - no longer do votes and elected officials matter there. Governor Rick Snyder has stripped all democracy in some cities and installed Emergency Managers who have all the powers of a dictator - literally.

Apparently to Republicans, the problem in America is democracy, as laid out in the Constitution.

But they love guns.

In response, old progressive organizations were invigorated. The Occupy Movement was born. Many other progressive change movements also formed to battle these backward, draconian law-implementing, Tea-fearing, Fascistic Republicans. This extreme suppression movement by the right-wing has finally provoked the docile, tree-hugging, peace-loving, Liberal pansies to put down the bong, put out the incense candles, become incensed, exit their Volkswagon camper vans and actually stand up and fight for basic human rights, dignity and progress - as opposed to only talking about it. Man.

Let's hope they've got stamina.

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When Bill O'Reilly was a kid and saw James Dean smoking, it made him want to smoke. Bill O'Reilly believes when male children see the episode of Glee where a boy sees himself as a girl, all boys everywhere will suddenly have an unstoppable need to have a sex change operation. As is proven time and time again, Bill O’Reilly is a stupid fucking asshole. Did I mention Bill O’Reilly is a stupid fucking asshole?

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In a move according to Jesus' wishes, the Pope became outraged and reprimanded Nuns for helping the needy. He insists they concentrate their efforts on battling against the rights of women and the gay community. It's what he was taught all those years ago his youth group.

The New York Times reports:
[The sisters were also reprimanded for making public statements that “disagree with or challenge the bishops, who are the church’s authentic teachers of faith and morals.” During the debate over the health care overhaul in 2010, American bishops came out in opposition to the health plan, but dozens of sisters, many of whom belong to the Leadership Conference, signed a statement supporting it — support that provided crucial cover for the Obama administration in the battle over health care.
 

“I’m stunned,” said Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby founded by sisters. Her group was also cited in the Vatican document, along with the Leadership Conference, for focusing its work too much on poverty and economic injustice, while keeping “silent” on abortion and same-sex marriage.“I would imagine that it was our health care letter that made them mad,” Sister Campbell said. “We haven’t violated any teaching, we have just been raising questions and interpreting politics.”]

“We haven’t violated any teaching,” said Sister Simone Campbell, insisting the group would not stop “caring for the least among us on the margins of society.”

Sister Campbell said it was “painfully obvious” the Vatican leadership was “not used to having educated women form thoughtful opinions and engage in dialogue.”

At least there are some within the church, these Nuns for example, who are not the hate-filled, intolerance-spreading, anti-education, backward people they so often prove to be. At least there are some within the church who actually want to do good work for mankind. Sadly, that's the minority. Mostly, it's about twisting the message to make the messenger more rich and powerful. But don't worry, the church has been doing that only for the past 2000 years.

Keep giving them your money. The Pope needs a new, gaudy, flamboyant hat to go with his gaudy, flamboyant dress to show off how wealthy you poor souls have made him.

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1. China
2. Iran
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Iraq
5. USA

America is #5 behind those countries? C'mon America! If we try really hard, we can be #1! We can beat those countries! We just have to execute a few more prisoners! We can do it! America is the best! We're #1! We're #1! We're #1!

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On the two year anniversary of the BP oil spill, the largest American oil disaster in history, Congress has passed NOT A SINGLE FUCKING BILL to regulate the oil industry regarding safety measures. The House, however, passed THREE bills that reduced or eliminated the amount of environmental review for new off-shore leases. Although it was not, they claimed it was for jobs. Fortunately, the three bills did not pass the Senate. Also, there has been no new technology created to prevent or clean oil spills in over 40 years. But we can drill deeper. 

Just Ducky.

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Bill O’Reilly is a stupid fucking asshole.



Good day.