I thought it was from Swords to Plowshares...

Gonna preface this with clarification that shouldn’t be necessary, but I’m tryin’ to head off the leaders that may be already anxious to recoil as if you were pressed into thinkin' about somethin' that scared you, ‘cause I didn’t even think of that until right this second.
Just cleaning out the closet.  Me. 6/15ish/2020

Somethin’ got my mind.  (It's become inescapable.). Gonna go straight to it:

If Christian churches choose to forego their tax free status in order to promote particular agendas through interactions with political and government entities, then it stands to reason that those would be concepts in line with the teachings of Jesus, right?  Houses of Christian Faith?  What in the world else could that particular bunch folks ever hold higher than that specific set of simple and elegant statements attributed to Jesus Christ?

Separation of Church (any church, by the way) and State?  

This is how churches take advantage of tax exempt status, so it's fair and reasonable within the context of standin' proclamation, historical precedent, right?  Sure it is.  Based on expected and accepted interpretations of at least most of what the Founding Ones tried to detail for our ignorant asses.  Right?  Sure it is.

So, why would any religion, assumin' that they are all ultimately representin' the Word of God, why would any religion choose to condemn and ridicule anyone?

Seems contrary to the Point;  Some things even appear blatantly in direct conflict with the teachings that are supposedly top of the heap.

Let's face it: once you get past all that meanass Old Testament shit, in Christian terms, it's all about Forgiveness, Compassion, all the good stuff.  Yeah Buddy!

Then why is it that so many would claim to carry the Mantle of a Forgivin' God with one breath, then damn so many to their Specific Hell with the next?

I'm gonna tell a buncha y'all what you already know, but have chosen to forget:

We ain’t no more than just plain old people.  Fallible.  All of us.  Even your Granny.

And when you reach that point where you feel you have some kinda right or privilege to condemn others 'cause the details don't line up with yours, then you have failed.

You may no longer stand as Proxy for your Deity.

And honestly, you never qualified to begin with.  No one ever does.

Fish~

COLOSSAL FAIL

*Note:  Written back in the Summer.  Contains mature themes and strong language.  And some just plain sorry shit.

Amendments voted down in the early AM today, in the Senate, nearly entirely along party lines:

Allowing young people up to 26 to stay on insurance.

 

Lowering prescription drug cost by allowing importation of pharmaceuticals from Canada.

Guaranteeing that women do not pay more for insurance than men because of their gender.

 

Guaranteeing that rural hospitals will stay open.

 

Guaranteeing that those with pre-existing conditions will not be charged more and will be protected.

So, everybody pleased?  Gonna throw a big party and cheer about the Poor and the Sick and the Indigent, the families that will go bankrupt- lose homes, possessions, dignity, the people whose lives now will end sooner?  How about sick children born into Poverty through no fault of their own?  Is this really your idea of "making America great again"?  Or does something like this now qualify as some Glorious Christian Act to some of you?

Y'know, contrary to what you've allowed yourself to believe, what so many of you seem so damn desperate to believe, in direct opposition to the Truth, (remember that?  The Truth?), everyone that needs help ain't a Piece of Shit.  And this Country wasn't founded on the principles of "Every Man for Himself" and "Tough Shit" and "Too Fuckin' Bad, Loser".

Nor are those things present in the minds of genuinely Christian People, or in the minds of Compassionate Atheists, Agnostics, or Hebrews, Muslims, or good people of any other religion.

Here's the thing, or things:

Nobody's perfect.

And no one subset of humans has an exclusive claim to virtues such as Honesty, Empathy, Kindness, Humility, Grace.  These are the traits of an individual, not of a clique or a club or a race or religion.  Just like other traits:  Hate.  Pride.  Greed.  Pettiness.  Cruelty.

So, tonight.  If you're scared, worried about the fate of loved ones, even concerned about the futures of strangers, I can bring you no solace or comfort.  Not without pretending or just plain making shit up.  Not within my scope.

But if you're kicked back wearin' your best shit-eatin' grin, nice and snug in your home and your knowledge of the desperation of others, have another cocktail.  No skin off your nose, huh?  Fuck 'em, right?  Probably Trash, anyway, right?  That's how things work now, right?

Fish~

From the plaque mounted at the Statue of Liberty, in its entirety:

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus  

November 7, 1883

DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

Hey...

Got somethin' for y'all:

Followin' each of the acceptance speeches of both major party nominees, NPR posted the full texts, complete with fact-check annotations.  Havin' only watched around half of Hilary's speech last night and only around fifteen minutes or so of the Donald's speech, this gave me a chance to not only go over both in their entirety, but also be enlightened in regard to the validity of the points that each stated as Fact.  (I found a couple modest surprises among what both had to say.)

Let's face it: this is American Politics and both sides (we effectively have only two choices) are attemptin' to sell you their particular Bill of Goods.  

Like so many other things in Life, for one to truly make somethin' as close to an "informed decision" as possible, we owe it to ourselves to, no matter how unpalatable we may find it, we owe it to ourselves to take a hard look at all (both...) choices and give thoughtful consideration to what we are presented with.  

I found the contrast between the content and the pitches to be pretty damn interestin'.

I have included links to the respective speeches and the fact-checkin' below, and I'd like to invite you to do as I've done;   Set aside the time to go over the points these folks have chosen to frame their particular cases, as well as the style in which they approached them.

It's the smart thing to do...

Thanks, Y'all,

Fish~ 

http://www.npr.org/2016/07/21/486883610/fact-check-donald-trumps-republican-convention-speech-annotated

http://www.npr.org/2016/07/28/487817725/fact-check-hillary-clintons-speech-to-the-democratic-convention-annotated

NOT YOUR JOB

A few days ago, while speakin' before the Southern Legislative Conference in Lexington, made up of legislators from fifteen southern states, Republican Governor Matt Bevin urged attendees to "be shepherds, not sheep."  He also used the word "agnostic" and "apathetic" while referrin' to "our mores, our values, our principles, our convictions, our love of liberty."

Simple Definition of agnostic

: a person who does not have a definite belief about whether God exists or not

: a person who does not believe or is unsure of something

Simple Definition of apathetic

: not having or showing much emotion or interest

Okay.  The use of these two words, particularly the word "agnostic", appear to be a passive aggressive attempt by Bevin to question the Faith and Conviction of his audience, or at least foster guilt.  This is further bolstered by his use of "shepherds, not sheep", another thinly-veiled  allusion to Faith and Scripture.

Here's why I take issue with this language:

First, he, and everyone he's speakin' to, are politicians, officials elected to their posts to further the Will of their given Electorate.  They are not Spiritual Guides. They do not represent an arm of the Clergy.  In fact, in relation to our Constitution, their elected positions dictate that they operate without regard to Religion. 

Stop!  

I know what some of you are thinkin': 

"So, what's wrong with approachin' your duties as an Elected Representative of the People in a Just and Moral fashion?  

My answer... Nothin'.  There is absolutely nothin' wrong with our Elected Officials approachin' their job in a Just and Moral fashion.  

However, Christianity, nor any Religion for that matter, holds Exclusive Rights to the Concepts of Justice, Compassion, Morality, or a number of other generally accepted Admirable Social Conventions.  Bein' a Decent Human Being ain't some kinda club comprised of Strictly Christian Members.  It's just not the way things are, or have ever been.  In fact, there are people among all Religions who, through their Intolerance, their Narrowmindedness, their Ignorance, act in ways contrary to the teachings they profess to embrace.

Now, why is that?  

Easy:  

They're Human.  

Imperfect, Fallible Human Beings. 

We all are.

And I damn sure don't look to Elected Officials when I feel the need for Spiritual Guidance.  In fact, that is probably the absolute last place in the World I would look.  In our current Governmental Framework, these folks are put in place to represent us, not to "guide" us, or "show us the way" as they would see fit.  Not their job.  Not even close.  This concept of "Political Shepherds" stands absolutely to the contrary of the intended position for these people.  And, any attempt to elevate politicians to such a position represents the Extremes of Self-importance and Conceit.

If someone's Faith helps them to live a life that embraces Tolerance, Empathy, Understanding, and Charity, then it has served them well.  But by no means does that imbue them with the right to insist that all others adopt their chosen position, their particular interpretation of a life philosophy.  To do so is to distort and do a grave disservice to the very ideals they profess to embrace.

Jesus and Muhammed ain't on the ballot.

Fish~

I DID NOT AGREE TO THIS SHIT!

The TPP.  The Trans Pacific Partnership.  

Our President, along with most of Congress are for it.  Hilary Clinton claims to not favor it.  Bernie Sanders feels it is utter bullshit.  The fully loaded clown car of Republican Presidential Nominees Hopefulls?  I could care less what their opinions are- they're all friggin' nuts.  

Me?  I think it's just another raw deal for everyone but Big Corporations and their Wealthiest Stockholders.

It's being negotiated in secret.  The little we do know has only come to light through leaks.  And judgin' by the previews, it's on track to be yet another Corporate Protectionism Plan implemented across National Boundaries.  

A couple of the larger points- the TPP seeks to expand and extend protections on Intellectual Property, which, in turn, stifles competition, which then results in higher prices for consumers.  (But bigger bonuses for CEOs and other corporate officers.) This will be of particular benefit to Big Pharma, as well as Big Ag. 

Another primary tenant of the agreement will allow Corporations to sue National Governments where they operate for any legislation enacted that impacts, or even might impact, profits or projected profits.  This would place sovereign authority in a position where they could be held responsible for any legislation, let's say somethin' like anti-pollution laws, for instance, if a Corporation can prove that such laws reduce their profit margins.  And the Corporations won't have to prove that they lost money, only that they might lose money.  And Taxpayers, here and abroad, will be the ones on The Hook.

Historically, free trade agreements have little or nothin' to do with free trade or creatin' or protectin' jobs.  These "agreements" are constructed by Big Business, in secret, with the primary goals of squelchin' competition and ensurin' the continued profits of the organizations that use their great wealth to strongarm 'em in place.  (Incidentally, TPP ain't the only trade agreement slitherin' around boardrooms and law offices right now...)

 

We can look back at the failed promises of NAFTA, (which, incidently and ironically, was supported by President Bill Clinton), particularly the broken promise of more American jobs, and with the benefit of hindsight, see the real reasons it was championed by Politicians and Corporations.  Strictly Greed.  

The Rich get richer, while the rest of us just get poorer.  

Unfettered and Unregulated Capitalism ultimately destroys the Consumer-based Economy that it relies on for its Profits by reducin' or even doin' away with the capacity of the Middle Class to participate through their ability to purchase goods and services.  (The Poor and Unfortunate?  They never really even get to play.)

The Money-Grubbin' Über Rich have created a system that is both untenable and unsustainable.  Like a snake eatin' it's own tail...

Fish~

KING OF AMERICA?

 Well, well, well!  It would seem that Mr. Rand Paul, Diminutive Warrior in the Battle for Smaller Government, (and one-time unofficial spokesperson for a popular water bong), has apparently decided to do everything possible to ensure that, if/when the size of Government begins to shrink, HE be situated in such a way so as to retain some kind of Government position.  

(I reckon the Senator has decided that the short hours, great perks, special attention, and the big salary are too much to his likin' to risk losin', so he's pressed for the rules of the game to be changed.  Somethin' about some cake and eatin' it keeps comin' to mind...)

After Paul recently pressed a group of Fellow Republicans to align themselves with him in respect to this, (after all, he is the designated Straw Poll Savior of the Right, right?), the office of State Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, Republican from Georgetown, was contacted by Paul's office regardin' the introduction of a bill that would change Kentucky State Law and effectively allow Randy to run for President of the United States, while simultaneously runnin' for reelection to his current office.  I'm sure that Mr. Thayer was as giddy as a school girl, havin' been selected as the vessel to introduce the bill that might allow Paul to keep his current gig, should any higher aspirations fail to materialize.  (I can't help but wonder what form the Junior Senator's  "gratitude" towards Mr. Thayer might take...)

http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/3/rand-paul-looking-to-hedge-bet-in-2016-election/

Today, the Spoiled Little Senator from Kentucky is one step closer to realizin' his Dream(s), be it the Big Dream or the Fallback Dream:

http://www.kentucky.com/2014/03/12/3135523/changes-made-to-bill-allowing.html

(Or maybe what Little Rand actually means by Smaller Government is Smaller Politicians, physically and philosophically!)

(Okay!  Okay!  Sorry.  That  one was just too easy...)

Ya know what?  Perhaps the Law in Kentucky should be changed even more drastically, and allow Rand to be automatically added to every ballot and run for every elected position come election time, regardless of overlap or issues of conflict.  He clearly believes a man of his calibre deservin', entitled, to have the Law tailored, customized, to suit his lofty, egomaniacal aspirations, regardless of the realities and eventualities that might work to stifle his Potential Greatness.  Why, that just wouldn't be fair to to America, not to mention the Extreme Fringe Minority of Paul's Party, (that group of oft-distracted, easily controlled buffoons who look to Randy as their Ticket Back to an America That Never Was or Never Should Have Been) or to Paul, their Chosen One, for whom they squeal and clamor with all the Zeal and Fervor of a Fanatical Religious Cult.  Oh, no...  Wait...  Ugh!

Or, should the Kentucky State Lawmakers go even further?  Why should a man, a Patriot, such as Rand Paul be expected to divide his time, energy, and special interest money between two campaigns?  Or, for that matter, even one campaign?  Why not just let 'em pick from the list of State and Federal Government positions?  Who could possibly be more deservin' than he?  He has obviously proven himself to be the Consummate Politician- concerned only with his own Agenda, his own Future, willin' to pander and connive to alter Standin' Law, all in order to ensure his own continued self-promotion.  When can we expect this Absurdity to end?  Can we expect it to end at all?

Are ya catchin' my Sarcasm here?  What about my Disgust?  My Disdain?  Or my Dread?

If you're not pleased with the Potential Outcome of the Game Mr. Paul, then just change the friggin' rules.  After all...  You deserve it.

This is Absolute and Utter Bullshit.  Just like Mr. Paul himself- Absolute and Utter Bullshit.  And I'm not sure if this Circus is ever gonna end.

Maybe we should call our Representatives.  Or maybe we should just run a tub full of nice, warm water and stick our heads in it.  Either way, we're probably sunk.

~Fish

BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH (Or, Modifying You Message Based On Your Audience)

This is one of the great things about politicians that like to hear themselves talk, such as our Mr. Paul.

It appears that Rand Paul will only allow Rand Paul to cast aspersions on the character of Rand Paul.

Your assignment-

Identify the conflicting statements located within the two quotes below, then respond with an equally-as-absurd attempt to justify and reconcile those conflicting statements.

Begin.

"I never, ever cheated. I don't condone cheating. But I would sometimes spread misinformation. This is a great tactic. Misinformation can be very important....  So, that's my advice.  Misinformation works."

Rand Paul, speaking at the University of Louisville, 8/22/2013

“I take it as an insult and I will not lie down and say people can call me dishonest, misleading or misrepresenting.  And like I say, if, you know, if dueling were legal in Kentucky, if they keep it up, you know, it would be a duel challenge. But I can’t do that, because I can’t hold office in Kentucky then… I think I’m being unfairly targeted by a bunch of hacks and haters. And I’m just not going to put up with people casting aspersions on my character.”

Rand Paul, (yep, the same one) on George Stephanopoulis' show on ABC, 11/3/2013

Yours in Incredulity,

Fish

Misdirection of Outrage (Or, How I Lost My Freakin' Mind and Now Let Monsters Do My Thinkin')

You know, a buncha crazy shit happenin' in a hostile country is probably not the simplest thing to interpret, particularly early on.  And I would think any reasonable person would appreciate that for what it is.  

The events that took the lives of four Americans in Benghazi were trajic.  Sadly, instead of bein' allowed to mourn their deaths and stay focused on discoverin' who the murderers were and how we might bring them to Justice, it was turned into just the next in what seems to be an Unendin' Parade of Political Attacks on the President.  Ridiculously Obvious and Transparent.  Even with continuous Leaks, Lies, and Distortions, Shit slung rapid-fire in the hopes that somethin' sticks, the main accomplishment of this Freak Show has been the Extreme Waste of Time, Money, and Resources for something that has absolutely nothin' to do with Justice.  

Whoever was responsible for these deaths, you can bet they're laughin' their Collective Murderous Asses off as they watch what our elected officials are doin' to one another.  

They see us as a Joke.  A perception that, at this point, only an idiot would attempt to refute.

Who is keepin' so many of y'all so pumped up over this?  Are you as angry as They apparently are that the evidence so desperately searched for in the hopes of destroyin' our current President has simply failed to materialize, and that even a Deluge of Lies hasn't brought the desired results?

(If you hurt and discredit the President, the means used are inconsequential, right?  Any damage to our Country is simply a matter of course.  All that matters is accomplishin' the Objective, right?  Right?)

And, with those questions posed, let me ask ya a few more:

So, then how is it that so many of you passionate people don't appear to be even remotely pissed about thousands of American Soldiers dead, and tens of thousands of citizens dead in a country that we invaded for reasons that turned out to be not just Wrong, but Intentional, Intricate, Calculated Lies?  Oh, but wait, wait...!  These were not just Lies of the Garden-Variety.  These were Big, Dark, Dirty Lies, hatched and executed to reward their small group of Authors and Architects with a Windfall of Billions upon Billions of  Dollars, drenched in Blood and caked thick with the Screams of Mothers and Children.  

(That last bit?  Doesn't matter to the Ones doin' the "Reapin'".  Still spends.  Right, Dick?  Yeah, Buddy.  Good Stuff.)  

And, it was always The Plan- a Plan that had been in the works for many, many years.  

That doesn't piss off anybody but me?   Seriously? 

Okay.  Let's say, for the sake of this argument, that mistakes were made in Benghazi.  Let's say that people held onto the Truth for a while before they shared it, for reasons good or bad, which has yet to proven, and wouldn't matter now, anyway.  You know what didn't happen?  Let's see...  Oh!  Here's one thing:  Nobody cashed in on it, by which I mean nobody got stupid rich from it, or, hopefully, ever will. 

(Addendum:  One Lyin' Bastard spewed crap on a popular Sunday network "news" show, a network that turned out to be owned by the same corporation that would release this same Lyin' Bastard's Book of Bullshit, just two days after featurin' this Piece of Shit as their exclusive "Eyewitness".  That buncha Modern Day Alchemists almost succeeded in turnin' Deciet into Gold, but their Lies were exposed.  An apology?  No, not a real one.  The only thing they truly regretted was gettin' found out.)  

Nobody created a decade long nightmare scenario that destroyed families- some because their loved ones were killed, some because they were fortunate to only have their limbs blown off and heads split open, but still survived to live out the wondrous new lives they've been handed, with a government that will barely acknowledge them and their sacrifice.  

Have you all just been savin' up all your Outrage and Disgust, just waitin' for someone to tell you where you should direct it?  Were you stowin' it all in a box under the bed, only now allowin' someone to dictate where you spend your vitriol for some secret, private reason?  What is it, really?

Is it because this guy ain't white?  

"No!", you cry, indignantly...

What is it, then?  

I am the last one to discount the death of anyone, American or otherwise.  (Personally, I'm more of a mind to begin at Human when it comes to my sadness and disdain over Needless Death.)  But, for the freakin' life of me, I just cannot get my head around why so many people allow themselves to be ratcheted up by a buncha Talkin' Heads over the terrible deaths of four people, while simultaneously refusin' to acknowledge a Horrific Event of such Scope and Magnitude, that a relative four deaths is scarcely distinguishable against the backdrop of the War Profiteering that has gone on for more than ten years.  Where in the Livin' Hell y'all been?!  I would think the overused and misused "Support Our Troops" would at least include not supportin' a Manufactured Scheme to swap Blood for Money!  

Look here:  If you support the Cheney-orchestrated War in Iraq, then I clearly support our Troops more than you.  I support their right to not be used as Cannon Fodder- to not be treated as an Expendable Resource in a Corporate Scheme to Dupe and Fleece our Public.  I support the Right of Our Troops to only be put in Harm's Way when there is no other recourse.  When it is the Absolute Last Resort.  I support their Right to Live.

I apologize for the rant.  Sort of.  I find myself frustrated by this type of Skewed, Selective Logic.  I am confounded by the Intellectual Lethargy practiced by so many of my Fellow Citizens.  I would hope that my attempt to point out what's really takin' place might stir some to step back and try and see the Big Picture.  Maybe slow down- spend some time thinkin' for themselves, perhaps re-evaluate their own chosen position, to challenge the Pre-packaged Reality of which they've been served such a steady helpin' for so long. 

But, sadly, I expect that many of you will return to your televisions and choose with your remote control just who you will have show you who to blame, who to hate, all the while designating the latest targets for your outrage, so that you don't have to go to all the trouble of thinkin' too hard or lettin' it get too complicated.

I just don't get it...

~Fish

Death Less Conventional

Within the past two years, around seventy thousand Syrians have died as a result of the civil war there.  The recent chemical weapons attacks are estimated to have killed around one thousand, five hundred. 

(Math...)

(Okay- fifteen into seventy, four, then ten, about forty-six, doubled and a little more...)

That puts the percentage of Syrian deaths due to recent chemical attacks at just over two percent of the total deaths durin' the past two years of civil war.  Two years...

Huh...!

Ain't it odd how the United States, and the Rest of the World as well, stood back and watched, (granted, with an appropriate amount of the obligatory disdain) for two years, while tens of thousands of people in Syria died in any number of violent ways?  Death by anything from torture to gunfire to bombings and God only knows what else.  

But then, when some of the very same people are wholesale poisoned, we drag from storage our Righteous Indignation, and proclaim that such a heinous act is categorically unacceptable!  An outrage!  A line has been crossed!

Fifteen hundred vs. seventy thousand.

Fifteen hundred men, women, and children vs. seventy thousand men, women, and children.

For me, after a brief, but thoughtful, comparison, the greatest difference between these two figures is obvious: they are two distinctly different figures.  That's it!  That's the biggest difference!

One figure bein' a relative shitload  greater than the other.  Both are body counts.  Sums of dead people.  And yes, their respective routes to an end are broad and varied.  But, the destination is exactly the same.  Exactly the same.  

Dead.

Are the deaths of the first seventy thousand of these people somehow diminished by the fact that their lives were taken by the use of "conventional weapons"?  

("Conventional weapons"...  Now how freakin' brilliant a phrase is that?!!)

Now, I ain't sayin' that all forms of death are equal in regard to sufferin' or mercy, or the lack of either.  The point I'm hopin' to make is that the result is the same- Death.  I've said it before- Death knows no "degrees".  Ain't no "very dead", or "kinda dead".  These may exist as literary or oratory devices, but, as actual conditions, these simply do not exist.  Dead is an extremely narrow and specific (permanent?) state of being.  

And everyone can think whatever they will about an "Afterlife".  But, if there is one, I'm bettin' that Cause of Death ain't a particularly popular Topic of Discussion among those that are there hangin' out.  

Example:

"I sure wish I had been struck by somethin' smaller than that semi- like a pickup or a sedan, maybe..."  

Or even:

"I don't care what anybody says- freezin' to death is about one of the best ways to go out as anyone could wish for."  

See?  Now that shit just sounds stupid.

(I'm havin' trouble comin' up with some sort of analogy, reasonable or absurd, that might explain or even help clarify the dissonance of this situation.  But don't count me out- not just yet...)

It seems that somehow, ain't got a friggin' clue how, but somehow, we, the Human Race, have developed some kinda bizarre skill or aptitude or whatever ya wanna call it, that allows us to freely divorce the Results of Mass Murder from the Methods of Mass Murder.  We can entertain each of these as entirely free-standin' concepts, and discuss, examine, and formulate ideas relatin' to one, while completely ignorin' the other.  

Utterly freakin'  fascinatin'!

So, what of the Father tryin' to make his way home after workin' a menial job, only to fall victim to indiscriminate gunfire?  What of the Mother that hears the shellin' and shoos her Children into their modest dwellin', only to have it collapse as a result of rocket fire, thus crushin' them in the rubble, extinguishin' their lives?  Or, the young man, stomped and beaten by his Tormenters as they repeatedly insist he share anything he might know about efforts to resist the slaughter, only to wind up with his brains blown across the sidewalk, regardless of what he did or didn't know or share?  Or, the young girl, dragged into an alley and brutalized for no other reason save that Conflict creates an arena where the Base and the Vile might carry out their perverse desires, free of Conscience or the Fear of Justice or Retribution?  What about those people?

Fifteen hundred men, women, and children vs. seventy thousand men, women, and children.

Do these things not play well enough in the headlines of the mornin' paper?  Are they too complicated to be distilled into a  suitable sound bite for the crawl at the bottom of the screen?  Are they too far away?

Has Death become passé?  Are we that desensitized?  Must we "dress it up" before we consume it?  

Is it just too borin'?

Now, this must surely be a sign of a Truly Advanced Species.

Never before have I  been more Goddamn Proud...

~Fish~

Dream to Nightmare

The followin' is my response to a day that consisted of a Deluge of Commentary, Partisan Spin, and Dead Up Bullshit and Ugliness surroundin' the efforts to take advantage of the anniversary of a particularly eloquent and influential speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial by Dr. Martin Luther King, fifty years ago.  I failed to scratch up a suitable image to pair with it until recently.  Unplanned, but...

  

Ya know, we all know Pieces of Shit of all colors, shapes, and sizes.  This is a statement that few would deny, at least at the beginnin' of a conversation.  Hell, some of 'em may be family or friends, somethin' worthy of self-deprecatin' remarks to be met with laughter.  And yet, when we choose to piss and moan about Percieved Injustices, the Conversation all too often devolves into some kinda Proclamation regardin' Race.  

Whether this is due to Culture, or Upbringin', or somethin' else, I ain't smart enough to say.  I would really like to believe that most of us are above a thing such as this.  But, alas, more often than not, things seem to travel the Short Circuit that leads back around to Color. 

Sure, we like to claim that it's "not just that", that we're experiencin' a legitimate reaction to unfairness and abuses rife through programs of Public Assistance, Affirmative Action, even maybe just a percieved sense of ingratitude, of entitlement.  Or, maybe it's mumblin' kids with their caps on backwards, their boxers showin', or roofers that work too damn hard and make the rest of us look lazy that we find annoyin' and embarrassin'.  The Race Thing?  That just happens to be an incidental (though legitimate) device that assists us in our attempts at self-expression and validation of a particular interpretation of the Current State of Things.  Just another simple concept makin' its home in our Sociologic Tool Belt.

The Civil Rights Movement was not some knee-jerk reaction to Make-Believe Slights or Exaggerated Tales of Injustice.  The Civil Rights Movement arose in response to Real Events-  ugly, brutal events, perpetrated by the Base, the Ignorant, the Intolerant.  Events that didn't just simply serve to perpetuate the callous marginalizin' of a particular demographic in respect to Opportunities and Fairness, but crossed into the Dark Theater.  The Civil Rights Movement was a response to the Untenable and the Unacceptable- includin' Terrorism and Murder.  Atrocities Committed in the Name of Racial Purity.  Cowardly Acts, ofttimes takin' refuge behind the Flowin' Robes of Christianity.  The Civil Rights Movement was a valid reaction by people that had been subjected, or were witness to the subjegation of others, to Hate and Intolerance.  Swollen, fevered Hate.  A Cultivated Cancer.

I don't know if the laws enacted by our Government decades ago were exactly what was needed.  If the original intent was to hopefully offer up somethin' a little more fair and honest to a people for whom bullyin' and intimidation were a part of everyday life, it has probably helped to a degree.  If it was intended to help bring that same group into the political process that is promised to all citizens of this great country, some progress was made.  If the intent was to foster Tolerance, Understandin', Acceptance, then it has proved to be a Catastrophic Failure.  

Perhaps the assumption was that if all Men (and Women) were viewed as equal in the Eyes of the Law, then all reasonable people would accept it as Fact and move forward accordingly.  Sadly, this assumption does not take into consideration that the Concepts of Contempt and Hate have no basis in Objectivity, Rational Thought, or Reason.  These are Vulgar, Primal Concepts.  These are Instincts.  Cold.  Selfish.  Calculatin'.

And, as much as most of us would like to believe that such Vile Concepts are all but extinct, they are quite alive and thrivin' in our America.

Damnit.

Fish

NO PROFIT IN PEACE

Huh.  So, contractors are bein' paid to do what could be done, and used to be done, by our military and even local law enforcement?

Dang.  Who are these folks and just who is it they're workin' for?

Hired thugs- free of the burden of a code of conduct that might be set by the state or our federal government, are unleashed on our Citizens and the rest of the World, and given carte blanche to harass and intimidate.

So goes the Privatization of Governmental Duties that could be handled by the men and women that are already gettin' paid as members of our Armed Forces, sans the oversight, direction, and accountability.

And yet, laws have been passed and processes have been modified over the past couple or three decades that give over more and more lucrative work to private companies.  (Companies that just happen to be in place and poised to go after it, for profit.  Boy, weren't we lucky!)

Prisons- Privatized for Profit.  The more citizens incarcerated, the bigger the payoff.  (I suppose this helps to explain shit like six years for Manslaughter, sixteen for Cultivation With Intent To Sell.  Who would you rather have in your prison- Killers or Stoners?  Yeah, that's what I thought...)

Border Patrol- Outsource it.  Why should the Government be tasked with the actual function and responsibility, the administrative drudge, when we have private companies that, amazingly, are standin' here just waitin' to bid for the opportunity.  (Okay.  So those given opportunities to bid are actually owned by the same corporation.  It's almost competitive, if you don't actually pay attention.)

War- Logistics, Services, Security- "Farmed Out"...  There is no Profit in Peace.  (Now, this one is the Big Money!)

The Ultimate Business Plan: Create a Need, then friggin' fill it.  Dead up brilliant.

Gotta hand it to 'em- Absolute Evil Genius.  These guys make Goldfinger look like a nine year old swipin' a freakin' Butterfinger.

Halliburton, Blackwater, Brown and Root- all manifestations of the same group of people that wormed their way into Politics as early as the Ford Administration (our only Unelected President- talk about opportunists!) and pushed for the privatization of countless aspects of Government Spendin'.  (And they're still pushin'.)

Cheney and Company- They're not really for Smaller Government.  They're for the Privatization of Government, includin' Military Functions, for which they have positioned themselves in order to soak the One Purse that is the Middle Class Tax Base.  They are not Patriots. They are not Leaders. They are not Good People.

These are Monsters.  Creatures addicted to the Rush of Power and Wealth, consumed by Unfathomable, Insatiable Greed.  These are the Ones for whom everything is Potential Collateral Damage.  They are the Soulless Ones.

No longer are they satisfied to look down from their Mansions, while the Common Folks raise children and set alarm clocks in neighborhoods made up of rows of tidy bungalows.  No.  In their eyes, the Common Man in America is now livin' beyond his position.  His lot, his birthright, is to be subservient to the Privileged, the Elite, the Royalty of Capitalism Unchecked.  And the Common Man would do well to not forget it.

We are all bein' systematically reduced to no more than service workers for the Preferred Caste.  The New Aristocracy.  The Kings of Business, Industry, and Commerce, to Whom All Others are Indebted.  Those that are determined to be incapable of supportin' the Golden Machine through their surplus value will be abandoned and left to perish.

And we are expected to subsist on the scraps they abandon on their plates, the crumbs they brush from their laps as they push back from the table.  Stuffed.  Lethargic.

The New Slaves.  That's where the Middle Class is headed.  And our Poor, our Elderly, our Feeble? A Goddamn Liability.  The sooner dead, the better.

Damnit.

~Fish