tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9515513195918876202024-03-18T19:41:20.589-07:00Sacred Cow WursthausThe blog where we not only kick over sacred cows, we mince them into German sausages!SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.comBlogger497125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-37362707111032745812024-02-07T07:35:00.000-08:002024-02-07T07:35:42.246-08:00At Long Last, What Will It Take?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnWAtxbQWhIzCiD0BswJmPXdGfwj_C4t2Nz5w0SWGC2tG3LsTdzUKKw1_ll6sWSZEnsYhX1TKcfHSH6PhEQKGYT2QUDvc-5S2rNEOTdlDFs2XX6KY127wYz7z57me3orn67UJH4QJFTeu0UfinPc15Yuwc7s80rDNmQybG4u9k0xj_b0lKipLT2pz3co/s711/Republican%20Symbol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="711" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnWAtxbQWhIzCiD0BswJmPXdGfwj_C4t2Nz5w0SWGC2tG3LsTdzUKKw1_ll6sWSZEnsYhX1TKcfHSH6PhEQKGYT2QUDvc-5S2rNEOTdlDFs2XX6KY127wYz7z57me3orn67UJH4QJFTeu0UfinPc15Yuwc7s80rDNmQybG4u9k0xj_b0lKipLT2pz3co/s320/Republican%20Symbol.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Adam Keiper is quoted recently in the Bulwark, saying, “Between the immigration bill being DOA, the D.C. Circuit ruling on Trump's immunity, Tucker Carlson hanging out with Putin, the failed Mayorkas impeachment followed immediately by the failed Israel funding bill, and now Ronna stepping down, today feels like a perfect storm of GOP insanity.”<p></p><p>Except it doesn't feel like a perfect storm. It IS a perfect storm.</p><p>What I have to express this time around is how obvious all this bullshit is. Yes, people live in their insulated bubbles of misinformation, and it's impossible to penetrate those bubbles without encountering insanity on the level so intense that we all quickly unfriend and block it before it drives us insane as well.</p><p>But seriously, <i>come on!</i></p><p>The Republicans had a good deal. A <i>damned</i> good deal! Perfect? No. But damned good. In exchange for all the border policing Republicans want, Democrats (and indeed, ALL of us) would get more aid to Ukraine, which we all desperately need. Also Israel, though less so.</p><p>And the Republicans scuttled it. Not because they objected to anything in the bill specifically, but because they wanted to deny Biden the win. They wanted to keep immigration reform as a key issue in the upcoming election.</p><p>One has to be a Trump follower in order to be that stupid.</p><p>They threw us all under the bus, just to make Biden a (very!) little bit more beatable.</p><p>What disgusts me the most is that Republicans will get away with it! The blood is SO on their hands for killing this bill. Yet they will point those bloody fingers at the Democrats and say, "They failed on immigration!"</p><p>And nobody, <i>not one</i>, among the right-wing masses will ever notice how red those pointing fingers are.</p><p>So I, as one cursed to see things as they actually are, have to resort to venting on this blog with a burning question: <i><u>What will it take?</u></i> At long last, what can finally shake Americans out of the goddamned tree of stupidity?!</p><p>Because it must happen. Yesterday. Or we're all doomed.</p><p>These past three years under Biden have been good, with one grave exception: There has been no urgency, <i>zero</i>, to counter the Right Wing Media Cult. None. Democrats have not only not countered it, they have yet to even try! By leaving conservatives in charge of the FCC, they are even actively encouraging it! They have allowed its expansion into Spanish-speaking talk radio unchecked. They felt the terror brought upon themselves through their own inaction on January 6th, 2021. And STILL they do nothing!</p><p>It's maddening. You want to scream, "For fuck's sake, DO something! ANYTHING!"</p><p>This is not a case where we all have to shrug our shoulders and say, "Well, that's just freedom of speech for you." No! This is a case where laws MUST be enacted forcing for-profit, ad-driven news sources to adhere to a <i>minimum</i> standard of truth-telling. In other words, right wing media can go on lying to people, exercising their freedom of speech to its fullest, but they cannot retain the label of "news" if they do so.</p><p>Yes, that will make the news less profitable, but GOOD! The news isn't meant to be profitable! Profitability is for the entertainment industry. And if news becomes entertainment, then it will only tell people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.</p><p>They need to hear that Republicans are now the most anti-immigration reform party ever!</p><p>They need to hear that Trump is the antichrist! (I'm an <i>atheist</i> and I find that argument compelling!)</p><p>We need the Fairness Doctrine brought back.</p><p>I don't think there's ever been a moment in history where so many people have so fully committed to something so stupid. With the possible exception of Nazi Germany, and yes, the comparison is apt.</p><p>It could happen here. It mustn't happen here.</p><p>In the name of God, American Christians are in league with Trump/Satan. And no, that's not hyperbole. That's observation.</p><p>There's an old prayer apt to this situation: "Oh, Lord, deliver us from your followers!"</p><p>At long last, <b><u>what will it take?!</u></b></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-90789988627951502462024-01-02T20:29:00.000-08:002024-01-02T20:34:25.789-08:00Give Palestinians A Way Out!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfHhGoW9yzKC3QIKFKFMIgYVgJAW8uUMXIlyA6uCEiGRtpR1L5-tr1EN_kcQQ3vqtvkKYT4rV_8p9VMUzsIUd-CeZpYxzT318vObNfFP2LjYr6vNs9uLMwtevjjoNycmHJQCbx2NSyB41XLDA0YLVuuf6cg7ezBPYL9NVMNaVVNR7bWa6rKOLeRHVa-Q/s884/Israel%20Palestine%20Flags.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="884" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfHhGoW9yzKC3QIKFKFMIgYVgJAW8uUMXIlyA6uCEiGRtpR1L5-tr1EN_kcQQ3vqtvkKYT4rV_8p9VMUzsIUd-CeZpYxzT318vObNfFP2LjYr6vNs9uLMwtevjjoNycmHJQCbx2NSyB41XLDA0YLVuuf6cg7ezBPYL9NVMNaVVNR7bWa6rKOLeRHVa-Q/s320/Israel%20Palestine%20Flags.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Well, I've finally decided to weigh in on the thorny perpetual conflict between Israel and Palestine. While I have historically sided more with Israel, I have to agree with many of my fellow Leftists that Israel has really gone too far this time. But, as is frequently the case when I feel the need to blog about something, everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY is missing the main contributing factor in the conflict. There are no clean hands on either side, but there is an overriding, overlooked cause.<p></p><p>Religion? Yes, that's a big one, but it's not being overlooked.</p><p>Historical claim to the land? Yes, but again, that one is also frequently cited.</p><p>The primary cause being overlooked is - CLOSED BORDERS.</p><p>Yes. Closed borders. It's not sexy or obvious, but it's true. Because when people are not allowed to leave somewhere, their economic prospects are limited, and everyone in that area suffers as a result.</p><p>Say you're a young Palestinian man living in Gaza. You want a good job? Good luck. There aren't any good jobs available. You might find good paying work if you went to a different Arab country. But will <i>any</i> Arab countries let you in? No! Because that would make too much sense, of course. How<i> dare</i> people leave Palestine to get a good job with better pay which they can then wire home to help support extended family and improve the lives of everyone in the region. How <i>dare</i> they want to work in a country where the language is similar and their job prospects are therefore better!</p><p>Why bar the Palestinians from leaving? Primarily it's because the rest of the Arab world is scared <i>shitless</i> that those Palestinians will refuse to come back. They'll have built better lives for themselves, and won't want to return to the ghettos they escaped. And, most importantly, every Palestinian that leaves is considered a winning vote for Israel, and a step closer to Israel's domination of the entire region.</p><p>No, the Arab world refuses to consider any solution to the Palestinian crisis except one: <i>Trap</i> the Palestinians in the region and <i>force</i> them into having no other choice but to invade Israel.</p><p>Of course, one might as well wish for the moon. Short of nuking the entire region, Israel isn't going anywhere. But that doesn't prevent the closed door policy of the Arab world from being just as immovable.</p><p>And all Palestinians pay the price for this stupidity.</p><p>So what is a Palestinian person to do if he wants a better life? Well, according to the propaganda the Arab nations constantly pipe in, he must arm himself and attack Israel. It's the only way.</p><p>Now, as impossibly stupid as that faith-based bullshit is, it overlooks the fact that one nation that was wise enough to open its borders to give Palestinians better pay and good, permanent employment. That nation, in fact, has had a running policy of employing Palestinians to better their lives.</p><p>Yes! That nation is Israel! The ONE nation that has given Palestinians a better shot at life is the one nation the extremists keep firing make-shift <i>missiles</i> into!</p><p>Again, you have to have religion to be that stupid.</p><p>Not Egypt. Not Jordan. Not Lebanon, Iraq or Syria. <i>Israel.</i></p><p>Now, Israel has been brutally attacked by a hopelessly impossible assault yet again. Only <i>this</i> time, the assault was bigger and better planned than ever before. And the retaliation to that attack has predictably been just as ruthless. In fact, it's as ruthless Israel's currently extremist government will allow. It has made the conscious decision that if Hamas militants are hiding behind innocent civilians, those civilians are forfeit. It's harsh, it's brutal, it's ethically dicey at best, and it needs to stop. Many of my friends on the Left are screaming that this amounts to ethnic cleansing, and they're not wrong.</p><p>But here's the thing: Egypt could save <i>millions</i> of their fellow Arabs if they just open up the damned border and allow them to park their keesters in a HUGE FUCKING UNUSED DESERT so that they won't get killed!</p><p>And will they? Even now? NO! Because they are <i>still</i> too irrationally terrified that any Palestinians who leave will stay gone!</p><p>In my book, watching your own people get run over by tanks, and doing nothing when you had the opportunity to help them flee, is just as bad as running them over with tanks yourselves.</p><p><i>Fuck! Egypt!</i></p><p>The borders must open! Palestinians must be allowed to flee the BOMBS, for fuck's sake! And they need to make encampments where food, water, and medicine can flow in freely. Egypt is simply, plainly, <i>not helping</i> by keeping the borders closed! Neither is Jordan, for that matter.</p><p>They are every bit as complicit in this admittedly horrible genocide.</p><p>Also, I must point out that Hamas is, even now, STILL firing make-shift missiles into Israel. And once again, you need religion in order to be that goddamned stupid.</p><p>That's me laying the blame. NOW hear me lay out a <i>solution</i>. And it's so crazy it just might work. So hear me out.</p><p>First, everyone calls for a two-state solution. And that sounds great, but it's simply unrealistic. Ask a Palestinian child where they're from, and they'll likely name a town or village <i>way</i> on the other side of the border, deep inside Israel. Why insist on such a foolish narrative? Because that's their faith-based bullshit, that's why! And so long as that situation remains (which is forever, by the way), Palestine can <i>never</i> be an independent state. No matter what non-militarization treaties are in place, a free Palestinian state today will militarize tomorrow and be invading Israel by June.</p><p>If a two-state solution were even remotely possible, it would have been done by now. But it isn't. So it hasn't.</p><p>So what do we do? Let Israel continue to occupy the territories? That hasn't worked out so well, either. Because Israel isn't really "occupying" Gaza. Oh, it's been encroaching into the West Bank for years, but Gaza, not so much. And the Palestinians living in those areas have been allowed to go pretty much unfettered, which is why the networks of tunnels and systems of smuggling in weapons have gotten so sophisticated over the years. "Occupying" a territory takes a lot of police presence, risk, and money. And Israel has limited supplies of all these.</p><p>So here's my suggestion:</p><p>Make Gaza and Palestine permanent protectorates of the United Nations. The U.N. can rule Gaza and the West Bank, administer passports, build airports, roads, infrastructure as possible and/or needed, and help distribute foreign aid. And best of all, it will help guarantee that weapons are <i>not</i> smuggled in. Or, if they are, that they are found and neutralized before use.</p><p>And Israel's extremist factions won't be able to use Hamas as an excuse to slaughter civilians anymore. Because they won't be the ones calling the shots.</p><p>I mean, what do we even have a United Nations for, otherwise?</p><p>It will be painful at first. Many nations will call it a boondoggle. But as Palestine prospers under this forced peace, people's lives will eventually improve. And as they do, the peace will gradually become more and more permanent.</p><p>The best way to avoid militant extremism is make sure the potential militants have full bellies and ample bank accounts.</p><p>It's the only thing that ever works.</p><p>Oh, and a note to my fellow Leftists who are being all pro-Palestinian right now: I <i>guarantee</i> you that you are simply planting the seeds of more future war. I simply know too much about Islam to say otherwise. If you succeed in building a Palestinian state, you will get wars, wars, and even more wars, and it will be your own, dumbass, damned, naive fault. I'm not saying that you shouldn't oppose genocide. But don't buy the narrative that the Palestinian cause is so holy and just. And don't lay all the blame on Israel, either. There's a reason Israel has been attacked, and attacked, and attacked. And it's not because Palestinians simply want to live in peace.</p><p>So knock it the fuck off with your naive bullshit.</p><p><br /></p><p>So that's my two-pronged solution. 1) <i>Fuck</i> Egypt, <i>force</i> them to open their borders and give Palestinians a way out, then 2) give Gaza and the West Bank over to U.N. rule.</p><p>A perfect solution? Hell, no. But I dare you to come up with a better one.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-46515626573765594722023-12-26T08:33:00.000-08:002023-12-26T08:33:35.832-08:00BOYCOTT TWITTER/X!!!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPlOxntjo8qDRd6qXzgAmqlN9m2-Za5sCk9TXwByPgOKbYyKv2SSkDQbCX8rYQNMkU0q77C1wFUulV3SYKzmrmap8otH7jEt4o4KB1JKuqybVj8RyxovMxZe8NYTp9ulvXWUkx0JK8I1NdKCTpY5tWvyBoUmTMuGCUfGpmPd8L7lHyGL2DDG9vxJ02io/s1400/STK160_X_Twitter_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPlOxntjo8qDRd6qXzgAmqlN9m2-Za5sCk9TXwByPgOKbYyKv2SSkDQbCX8rYQNMkU0q77C1wFUulV3SYKzmrmap8otH7jEt4o4KB1JKuqybVj8RyxovMxZe8NYTp9ulvXWUkx0JK8I1NdKCTpY5tWvyBoUmTMuGCUfGpmPd8L7lHyGL2DDG9vxJ02io/s320/STK160_X_Twitter_004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Really? I haven't posted on the Sacred Cow Wursthaus since July?</p><p>Well, that partly makes sense. I haven't had much to say. I normally vent on this particular blog when I get frustrated at something obvious that nobody else is talking about. But lately, people are at least saying what needs to be said. Sometimes. Oh, the lying for-profit fake news sources like Fox News, Sinclair, and Newsmax continue to spout their poison with zero checks or balances, and that continues to be the primary cause of The Great Madness which defines this era, but at least a few people are calling out the bullshit.</p><p>Not so with X/Twitter. Not nearly enough.</p><p>Oh, John Oliver tried, branding Elon Musk on the ass to close out his 2023 HBO season. But that only scratched the surface of the social media platform Musk took over, and then ruined.</p><p>On Christmas Day (CHRISTMAS DAY, no less!), one of the biggest trending items on X was (and I'm not even making this up) "Nate Higgers." No, seriously. And that's my point. Blunt, obvious, and inexcusable racial hatred and bigotry is not only tolerated on X, it's become the new Twitter brand.</p><p>And I get the general principle of "free speech." Of course I believe in that. But we all know perfectly well what's permissible in the public sphere. The classic example is yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, but this also extends to deliberately feeding and promoting racism, hatred, and bigotry. There's freedom of speech, and then there's going way, way out of your way to be an asshole. X is the playground for the latter, and then some. Elon Musk somehow sees nothing wrong with this. </p><p>Exhibit A: Check out <i>this</i> unruly piece of work. The n-word is right there in his name, plain for all to see. And does Twitter/X do anything about it? Of course not! Because it is currently helmed by Captain "Wrong Way" Peachfuzz, which is the same as being controlled by nobody at all.</p><p>(Note: the "account suspended" header is actually from another account which was temporarily suspended. This account, sadly, dates to January of 2022, and is STILL active after all that time.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwzV8TB8Y_CTw1wicakE_dIojjH_R_jOssBraMRxnRDpSr9jtO0Sod_okIZa5Wuv7sssIATuwIPw65wfhr5plC5otjiML_lLHq0DgGq6rctc0Z4BFaHq_gyQdbozJTuzsaBMEhEOoV7RDuDR-JXFUuBChTYv0I1xpuXbp8VSrdAIYHcYGBGoyr-aHQWI/s747/N%20word%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="747" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwzV8TB8Y_CTw1wicakE_dIojjH_R_jOssBraMRxnRDpSr9jtO0Sod_okIZa5Wuv7sssIATuwIPw65wfhr5plC5otjiML_lLHq0DgGq6rctc0Z4BFaHq_gyQdbozJTuzsaBMEhEOoV7RDuDR-JXFUuBChTYv0I1xpuXbp8VSrdAIYHcYGBGoyr-aHQWI/s320/N%20word%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Nor is this a one-off. A simple search for the n-word on X reveals hundreds of gruesome results. It is literally like shooting fish in a barrel.<div><br /></div><div>Like <i>this</i> fool, again with the n-word right there, plain as day, for all to see. Nor would we even need to have such an obvious display. The chosen screen name says quite enough!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_6WInGCsMEJNhqf_eXO3DHw63mG7mW-ZehmaqD_ipz4cJehvQJGHWTMV7R9fbiPAOsDU2I4KZPgVacQzTtvY37SU4ValigKwmllnfyAdlnkSzwqaDhFMkC3cAUnZyESXOGHFHgENT9VvKv2OHCXlmWJInJgdZCkkkyqxU8vBA6MTad01zJUEQPB1eAw/s767/N%20word%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="767" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_6WInGCsMEJNhqf_eXO3DHw63mG7mW-ZehmaqD_ipz4cJehvQJGHWTMV7R9fbiPAOsDU2I4KZPgVacQzTtvY37SU4ValigKwmllnfyAdlnkSzwqaDhFMkC3cAUnZyESXOGHFHgENT9VvKv2OHCXlmWJInJgdZCkkkyqxU8vBA6MTad01zJUEQPB1eAw/s320/N%20word%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>And again, this idiot has been on X since October. And Twitter has done <i>nothing</i> to counter it.</div><div><p>Bear in mind, Elon Musk is SUING Media Matters For America, saying that his major advertisers aren't coming anywhere near this stuff. Yet look how easy it is to find! It's so obvious! I found THIS after only a minute:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS252vEsHOOCgtSY2QHnlOLU16TtWmokr5PCU2FiWtA-iCTFnOhNFycnif8PSUxJboF1PRu44Ce53eGkAaa9Xgkzoe6USrzChszF83Lr_a2WISFwGyqWEbTeiD_Lt_id3wd6CfUiQ3EjjX1HvScmqQ1inuVUjvP2tGZXdPsWdux8ImM8jpvsQDPRJyObQ/s787/Racist%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="758" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS252vEsHOOCgtSY2QHnlOLU16TtWmokr5PCU2FiWtA-iCTFnOhNFycnif8PSUxJboF1PRu44Ce53eGkAaa9Xgkzoe6USrzChszF83Lr_a2WISFwGyqWEbTeiD_Lt_id3wd6CfUiQ3EjjX1HvScmqQ1inuVUjvP2tGZXdPsWdux8ImM8jpvsQDPRJyObQ/s320/Racist%204.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><p>And the racism on X is everywhere. It's gotten so bad it's the new 4chan or 8kun. Check <i>this</i> out:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52j-Uub4lEozmin-5Nrbis50GvVwglQiTxZ7MejtrK_TMqfa4JCChJ-Wg8tcPiRomjd8Syfb13LDgMDVqerMX3QiPLr_pAzWpA7OQMUf-jTv0wRw9mw0t6CG0yJ2HHM0wFCZzmI8zlxyhrWVlVRJXSaaviK0F6SuT4Q7QfM-S9vLWmXWUC6rBbeO_jZk/s772/Racist%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="743" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52j-Uub4lEozmin-5Nrbis50GvVwglQiTxZ7MejtrK_TMqfa4JCChJ-Wg8tcPiRomjd8Syfb13LDgMDVqerMX3QiPLr_pAzWpA7OQMUf-jTv0wRw9mw0t6CG0yJ2HHM0wFCZzmI8zlxyhrWVlVRJXSaaviK0F6SuT4Q7QfM-S9vLWmXWUC6rBbeO_jZk/s320/Racist%201.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk1ywXpc94Bv29_2DvJg-TPAPC7yD8XxIcOMV07Nypb-w585GyTO0VsSwBj6eglu6l-uO2-aR6LL8wmXNaU1ZlF_IXZXBsiOM2kT0HGyn-rl_5yvBD_PAi7Cgq80yDZ4rSSy6GxHtGBin-PHJFI2HkipAwdR6egBKCK1TF8oArNuTWQD-uQSYmDBBVaQ/s761/Racist%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="761" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk1ywXpc94Bv29_2DvJg-TPAPC7yD8XxIcOMV07Nypb-w585GyTO0VsSwBj6eglu6l-uO2-aR6LL8wmXNaU1ZlF_IXZXBsiOM2kT0HGyn-rl_5yvBD_PAi7Cgq80yDZ4rSSy6GxHtGBin-PHJFI2HkipAwdR6egBKCK1TF8oArNuTWQD-uQSYmDBBVaQ/s320/Racist%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>"But there isn't a viable alternative to Twitter!" you might complain. Not so! That used to be the case, but BlueSky is finally ready. It recently allowed its posts to become public. Threads, even though it's part of Meta, is at least a better landscape. (Mastadon seems to have lost out.) There ARE better places to be.</div><div><p>It's time to be there.</p><p>Seriously, let's call this shit out for what it is. Twitter has become a cesspool of racial hatred and right-wing extremism. If you're still on it, YOU NEED TO LEAVE! It's time for everyone with a conscience to abandon this platform once and for all. If you're still on Twitter/X, you are worse than being socially irresponsible.</p><p>You are no longer <i>trending</i>.</p><p>The grass has literally become WAY greener on the other side of the social media fence.</p><p>It's time to let the scorched-earth hellscape that used to be Twitter finally die.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p></div>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-64857878364710242872023-07-12T13:51:00.002-07:002023-07-12T13:51:53.793-07:00SCOTUS And Affirmative Action<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzv7s14nHY7DHA-umCUSSnOFxWqTK9T0_fM0zS4GbR_WNpyUSB_BJ8cUqNMCKYuqOERWlfOXKaMee5KsckIFc2UK5WLuI5la20ZD_sG0uZEvH0BuD0eD5Vkj1mpogLL2JAu_z-hgtJKWIhPEvJdJCkt1knItnZjFFLWzxdGzgtB_1SFE9V0Q9OTo38RA/s680/SCOTUS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="680" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzv7s14nHY7DHA-umCUSSnOFxWqTK9T0_fM0zS4GbR_WNpyUSB_BJ8cUqNMCKYuqOERWlfOXKaMee5KsckIFc2UK5WLuI5la20ZD_sG0uZEvH0BuD0eD5Vkj1mpogLL2JAu_z-hgtJKWIhPEvJdJCkt1knItnZjFFLWzxdGzgtB_1SFE9V0Q9OTo38RA/s320/SCOTUS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>By now, lots of people have weighed in on the SCOTUS ruling which struck down affirmative action for college admissions. Harvard can now push aside qualified black applicants in favor of old money again, because those with old money have greater "merit."</p><p>But speaking of merit, why <i>shouldn't</i> colleges simply admit based on academic achievement? Why not render higher education completely color blind? Isn't that fair? Isn't affirmative action, which was necessary in the past, no longer necessary? Has it become outdated?</p><p>And, on the flip side of the coin, is affirmative action part of the "racism of diminished expectations" we hear conservatives complaining about so much?</p><p>I don't think this topic has been clarified quite enough. Favoritism of one race over another is a primary component of racism, and there is no denying that affirmative action is, if nothing else, favoring blacks for college admission. So why do it, then? Isn't that racism too?</p><p>The answer to this is solid, but sadly, rarely used. It all has to do with the economics of opportunity. Hard work creates opportunity, yes. But privilege also creates opportunity. Better childhood education creates opportunity. Wealth creates opportunity.</p><p>And right now, for historic reasons which have been built into the structure of our nation, much of that opportunity has been denied black people. Better jobs, better schools, and better neighborhoods have all been hoarded by whites for a very long time, and they don't want to stop doing so, even when there's plenty to go around. Efforts have been made to alleviate this, but so far, not much has succeeded. We lack the political will to tell the suburbs, "Look, it's time to let the inner city thrive the way you let it thrive back when white people lived there."</p><p>As it sits right now, whites largely have the ability to invest in their own merit, and that of their children. This, more than any other factor, helps ensure that their children have good prospects and futures. Blacks, by contrast, cannot invest in merit in quite the same way.</p><p>That's why affirmative action exists. Not to fight racism with more racism, but to offset the economics.</p><p>That's why it's fair.</p><p>Am I saying that we are overlooking merit? Judging by color of skin and not content of character? Yes! But we must remember, whites were once the beneficiaries of affirmative action, too. It was the government's policy to swindle land away from Indians and sell it to white settlers at $1.25 per acre. It was the government's policy in the South to turn a blind eye to the evils of slavery and allow white people to profit and invest in their children's education for generations, while denying blacks the same ability. It was the government's policy to grant loans to white home buyers after World War II, but not blacks. It was the government's policy to enforce economic advantage for whites in the South through segregation, and in the North, through red-lining.</p><p>And after all these favoritisms, do I as a white male have the hubris to complain? I think not!</p><p>We judge by skin color <i>today</i>, because we judged by skin color <i>then</i>. Fair's fair.</p><p>Sadly, some misguided white people don't see it that way.</p><p>And admissions merely gets one in the door. Once inside the colleges, blacks must work to achieve just like everybody else. Blacks like Barack and Michelle Obama earned their grades on the same scale as everyone else. They passed the same standards as everyone else. And they graduated with pride, just like everyone else. Just like all black students must do, and have done, since affirmative action was instituted. Affirmative action may have gotten them in, but they <i>stayed</i> in because they earned it!</p><p>Someday, blacks in America will achieve economic parity with whites. When that day comes, we will be able to retire affirmative action and live in the perfect meritocracy conservatives prematurely call for now. </p><p>But if we do meritocracy too soon, we deny blacks much of the economic opportunity to invest in their own merit, and thus enact an <i>unintentional racism</i> which inhibits them, and keeps them under. In other words, it isn't the "soft racism of diminished expectations" that is the issue. Rather, it is the "soft racism of premature color-blindness."</p><p>Premature meritocracy is like seeing a rope which was thrown to someone down a hole. And then, right before the person reaches the top, cuts the rope saying, "Well, you're 80% there, you can handle the rest."</p><p>And this is merely admissions to college. Not 40 acres and a mule. Is stamping a form really too high a cost to begin repaying the unbelievably huge tab which is reparations?</p><p>Perhaps what has really angered white racists is that affirmative action <i>worked</i>. Many black people have climbed the ladder, and built better lives for themselves. We are seeing more black participation in suburbia, in the entertainment industry, in science fiction, and in all the other recreational activities that were once exclusively white. Good! That's the way it should be!</p><p>And now SCOTUS has prematurely removed one of those ladders? Well, that's a loss...</p><p>But I think they're too late to stop the positive effects. And those who succeeded will put down ladders of their own.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>**</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-62336401852548659842023-06-27T13:03:00.001-07:002023-06-27T13:03:59.261-07:00Milwaukee Has Made A Faustian Bargain<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnkvHGhtZqGWt3qXv1jxJLUxhh2UDCwbupA9IxjJqRNYC3xkz81c8qs0XwQPyEjQvGUmgEgeW3_rtuUO2i7K4WNPS4XKKk_F_-E3D9wcoxyouUbHmxXaIj-xdVWsbhbOFFjfUNyiphYVmuntgq47LRVU-vnDKmdcuN5EJGg6ztnbAzTrvXD9LPUl-0Lg/s666/MATC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="666" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnkvHGhtZqGWt3qXv1jxJLUxhh2UDCwbupA9IxjJqRNYC3xkz81c8qs0XwQPyEjQvGUmgEgeW3_rtuUO2i7K4WNPS4XKKk_F_-E3D9wcoxyouUbHmxXaIj-xdVWsbhbOFFjfUNyiphYVmuntgq47LRVU-vnDKmdcuN5EJGg6ztnbAzTrvXD9LPUl-0Lg/s320/MATC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Ah, Milwaukee.</p><p>I love my city. It's grown and prospered greatly over the last quarter-century in ways I couldn't have imagined. I've been looking forward to contributing to that growth in helping to make Milwaukee a hub for sci fi authors, filmmakers and artists.</p><p>But beneath the outward expansion of the city skyline and riverfront, there's been a looming financial cliff.</p><p>Our new mayor, Chevy Johnson, has been tirelessly working to avoid that cliff, and it seems he's succeeded. A deal has been worked out with Governor Evers and Republicans in Madison to grant Milwaukee a greater share of revenue sharing, along with giving it the right to raise taxes within the city and the county (finally!).</p><p>In exchange, Republicans get to expand school vouchers and charter schools.</p><p>Okay, look, I know the city has it's back to the wall. Mayor Johnson had to compromise somewhere. But this deal essentially mortgages our city's children in order to pay for the present.</p><p>Do charter schools work? Sort of. Do vouchers work? Again, sort of. The numbers are comparable, and the charter and voucher schools don't seem to be producing scores that notably outpace traditional public schools. <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/understanding-charter-schools-vs-public-schools" target="_blank">This report from US News & World Report</a> shows that, as late as 2019, charter/voucher schools did not show themselves to be the magic bullet that advocates said they would be. And 2019 still applies to today, since Covid disrupted everything between 2020 and 2022.</p><p>So, if charter and voucher schools aren't delivering the goods, why are Republicans continuing the big push?</p><p>The obvious reason is because it shuffles public money into the pockets of private religious schools. Why simply teach kids creationism when it can be done on the public dime?</p><p>But more importantly than that, charter schools get to pretend that they do better with the "three-and-out" trick. Students that need extra help can get booted after three weeks, usually on trumped-up disciplinary grounds. The school's overall scores improve at the expense of the kids they kick out. And what happens to those kids then? Why, they get sent to the only place left for them - the traditional public schools, which now have even more kids and fewer resources.</p><p>That was bad enough before Covid. But after Covid hit, so many more kids got left behind in the system. An entire generation has been lost because many schools would rather expel kids who are behind than educate them. </p><p>And when some of them finally get expelled even by the public schools? What then?</p><p>The answer is all the bullshit you saw on YouTube in 2021 with the "Kia Boys." These are the kids left without a school, and without a future. They have little else to do with their time except steal cars, and wait for the system to give them their permanent jail-time-careers as inmates.</p><p>Milwaukee needed a financial boon. It got one. But it also needed at least two or three boarding schools for boys where troubled kids way behind in their education would finally get a fighting chance at life.</p><p>What they got instead, thanks to Republicans from White Suburbia, is more of the same. Because raising kids as Christians on the public dime is more important than actually educating them.</p><p>Milwaukee has avoided a fiscal cliff. Hooray. Yet it has gone over a different cliff. The educational one. We've already lost almost an entire generation of kids, no thanks to Covid and Trump's mis-management of it. Now we're about to lose another one. We're going to have to cross our fingers and hope that institutions like the Milwaukee Area Technical College system can make up the difference.</p><p>If Republicans don't want to slash funding for that, too.</p><p>What's that? They're already trying to do so?</p><p>Well, shit.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>**</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-62650361971065560592022-11-07T20:03:00.001-08:002022-11-07T20:03:13.992-08:00Preserving Democracy Is The ONLY Issue!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkj4ruBD2j_5DnDzwei736fqLti-sm1TKdUoHDrQn9ftNVgtPhUPNcTqPC6f4617becCnL1CG0tPhclDMvawCB0rp6MHo4qGmNWACSmaVrhOzjImKIsfBYCB176RySsB0jbferoy33vq1brIjxq2s8h-zP58K7UZwRCIuiswDM8Ao0O2NknSeVVsc/s900/Republican%20Democrat.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkj4ruBD2j_5DnDzwei736fqLti-sm1TKdUoHDrQn9ftNVgtPhUPNcTqPC6f4617becCnL1CG0tPhclDMvawCB0rp6MHo4qGmNWACSmaVrhOzjImKIsfBYCB176RySsB0jbferoy33vq1brIjxq2s8h-zP58K7UZwRCIuiswDM8Ao0O2NknSeVVsc/s320/Republican%20Democrat.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The latest polls leading up to Election Day - which is <i>today</i>, for most of you reading this, show that people are starting to lean Republican based on certain issues which they feel Democrats are weak on. Issues like crime, the economy, inflation, immigration, losses in our children's education due to the pandemic, and so forth.</p><p>But here's the thing, if our democracy falls, and Republicans are currently VERY blunt about wanting exactly that, all those other issues won't matter worth jack. And there's a good bet the net result for all those issues will be worse.</p><p>Take inflation, for instance. If Republicans overturn democracy, what do you think will happen to inflation? That's right, it will go through the roof! Republicans are also campaigning very bluntly on the platform of denying any more funding for the defense of Ukraine. That means prolonging the war Russia has unjustly waged upon it, which increases economic uncertainty for the rest of us. Meaning, that too will vastly <i>increase</i> inflation.</p><p>So much for that one.</p><p>And the economy? It absolutely floors me that so many people think that Republicans are better at the economy than Democrats are. Republicans have been the direct cause of the last two economic crises, and not ambiguously, either! Reagan was the last beneficiary of a thriving economy, and he inherited that from the last-minute desperation efforts of Jimmy Carter. How do we know? Because it takes at least three years for a president's policies to be felt. Carter invested the time. Reagan dared to take credit in February of 1981. There simply wasn't time for him to have done anything, yet people think his policies saved America from inflation once before. Bullshit!</p><p>And just what is the Republican plan for dealing with inflation and the economy this time around? Why, it's the same one it's always been: cut taxes for the ultra-rich, deregulate banks, and say a goddamned prayer!</p><p>Why would anyone assume Republicans are better at the economy based on that? Don't we remember the economy absolutely tanking under Sonny Bush? And tanking even worse under Trump?</p><p>Is your issue crime? Well, then you'll want to avoid Republicans like the plague. Because their idea of fighting crime is to increase the likelihood that jail will take a small-time criminal and turn him into a big-time criminal. Republicans keep hammering Democrats about no-cash bail, but setting bail high doesn't deter crime. It sends people to jail more frequently, and jail, as we all should know and recognize, is Criminal Training Camp.</p><p>Do we really want to increase the bail on criminals so that they can have even more time in Criminal Training Camp and be an even worse criminal after eventual release? And if someone is locked away after a minor offense in this manner, what will happen to his family who must now do without his income and financial support? Won't that father's absence make it far more likely that any children he has also become criminal?</p><p>Net result: Three times the criminality out on the street. All just to keep bail high.</p><p>I call bullshit.</p><p>Oh, and let's wonder aloud why Republicans should care about crime when they themselves are criminals? Ron Johnson, as prime example, had paperwork for alternate electors go through his very office! He's a seditionist and a traitor, which is so much worse than your common crook!</p><p>Republicans say they're tough on crime? Ask them why they nominate criminals as candidates!</p><p>And again, if our democracy falls, as Republicans openly want it to, crime in the streets will go up, not down!</p><p>Is your issue immigration? Then ask yourself: how will we be able to stem the flow of illegal immigrants when our democracy falls and the amount of immigration policing and processing goes from insufficient to <i>none whatsoever?</i></p><p>The only issue which might get better after a fallen democracy would be gun rights, and that only because there would be no central government to enact any background checks at all!</p><p>So you see, preserving our democracy is the only issue. All other issues are of secondary import, because they are utterly and completely dependent upon our government surviving.</p><p>Oh, and don't forget, our own <i>personal</i> survival is at stake too. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Because if our democracy falls, it's going to be a bloodbath!<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*<br /></p><p><i><br /></i></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-77786599327450319182022-10-23T13:39:00.001-07:002022-10-23T13:39:07.789-07:00Ron Johnson - Beyond Merely Unacceptable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7VEqs1PxXliZNl3r11BIFjbQ9mFPTXAvcIvGrfUdB4PAEqiyOw8-qmVa0b1mURoWG_C1DLkrbp_1bWOs_57g0uiZ5m0TJcKpYEuHKu79yfW_dHjXsd_fd5k74B7_oDo4P-tPcRY05lbirg0bn10oRSewV4SJGaGNtA3gGGx2wJOyVDKpR36pmvPr/s493/Ron%20Anon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="446" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7VEqs1PxXliZNl3r11BIFjbQ9mFPTXAvcIvGrfUdB4PAEqiyOw8-qmVa0b1mURoWG_C1DLkrbp_1bWOs_57g0uiZ5m0TJcKpYEuHKu79yfW_dHjXsd_fd5k74B7_oDo4P-tPcRY05lbirg0bn10oRSewV4SJGaGNtA3gGGx2wJOyVDKpR36pmvPr/s320/Ron%20Anon.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>It's clear by now that Ron Johnson means to lie his ass off in order to win re-election, just as it's equally clear, based on the polls, that plenty of people are buying the lies. So, just to remind everyone what an utterly unacceptable embarrassment this oligarch has been at playing Senator, here's a recap of some of his highlights - er, I mean, <i>lowlights</i>.</p><p>Let's begin by recollecting how Johnson pledged that his second term would be his last. He broke that promise to run for a third term. His entire campaign was built on a lie from the onset.</p><p>But there's so much more. Remember when he first kicked his campaign off against Russ Feingold in 2010? He had radio ads which said, "They think government creates jobs. <i>I </i>know that private industry creates <i>every</i> job."</p><p>Really, Ron? Why don't you ask a soldier? Or ask a teacher? Ask a fireman, or a policeman, or that guy working on the road on your commute to work. Government does create jobs, and often does it well!</p><p>And maybe Johnson meant that ultimately all those government jobs come as a result of tax dollars, meaning that private industry creates those jobs too, but that wasn't his argument. His argument was, "government bad, private industry good." Which, as we all know (or should), that's just plain bullshit.</p><p>He backs Trump unabashedly. Yet the Jan 6 commission has proven beyond shadow of a doubt that Trump is a guilty little shit.</p><p>Trump sucks. Ron backs Trump. Therefore Ron sucks. Simple math.</p><p>And let's not forget, papers to select alternate electoral college representatives went right through his office!</p><p>His excuse? "Oh, I knew nothing about that." But that excuse is even worse, because it means he has no clue what's going on inside his own office! If he can't run his own office, what makes him think he can be a competent Senator?</p><p>Oh, and it's hard for Johnson to be the "anti-crime" candidate when those fake-elector papers prove that HE HIMSELF IS A CRIMINAL!</p><p>Remember when he actually dared to go all pro-virus, arguing against "vaccine passports," as if that weren't private industry making its own judgment about how to run its own, damned business <i>without</i> government interference? Remember when Republicans made that their central argument? But arguing against private industry independence wasn't enough for Johnson. Arguing in favor of making people as sick as possible wasn't enough either. He also said that he saw “no reason to be pushing vaccines on people.” He said that vaccine distribution should be limited to those most vulnerable to coronavirus, and added, “if you have a vaccine, quite honestly, what do you care if your neighbor has one or not?"</p><p>The vaccine cares, Ron.</p><p>Remember this one he said after January 6, 2021?</p><p>On WISN Johnson said, "This didn't look like an armed insurrection to me."</p><p>Riiiiiiiiight.</p><p>“Even though those thousands of people that were marching to the Capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, I knew those were people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, and so I wasn’t concerned.” He said on a right-wing talk radio program, of course. “Had the tables been turned, and President Trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and antifa protesters, I might have been a little concerned.”</p><p>You would have been concerned if antifa were protesting? You realize that antifa means "anti-fascist," right? Meaning that you just <i>admitted</i> that you are a fascist?</p><p>During the second debate with Mandela Barnes, Johnson hammered on his #1 issue, which is crime. "The first thing you do is support law enforcement, and unfortunately, the lieutenant governor has not done that. He has a record of wanting to defund the police – I know he doesn’t necessarily use that word, but he has a long history of being supported by people leading the effort to defund, he uses code words. Like Cori Bush said, talks about ‘reallocate over bloated police budgets.’ He said it pains him to see fully funded police budgets. That’s his views."</p><p>Let's talk about "defunding the police," for a moment, shall we? Republicans went way, way out of their way to defund Milwaukee as a whole, and have been doing so for decades. They've pulled so much cash out of Milwaukee, all the while keeping the city from being able to raise its own revenues, that it's struggled to fund schools, fire departments, and yes - <i>police precincts</i>. So here's Johnson, attacking Democrats for <i>saying</i> "defund the police," while his party <i>actually</i> defunds the police! When the Democrats won back the governorship in 2018, the Republicans shamelessly stripped the governorship of all but the most curory of powers - all to make absolutely sure that Milwaukee would not be able to fund itself, or (and this was the bigger thing for them) that Democrats wouldn't have any say whatsoever in removing the stupid-assed gerrymandering which allows Republicans to keep their thumbs on the scales.</p><p>So to recap, Democrats <i>said</i> "defund the police," without actually believing in that literally or literally doing it. While Republicans said "back the blue," while <i>actually</i> defunding the blue.</p><p>Holy. Fucking. Shit.</p><p><i>Nobody</i> is paying attention, or they never would have gotten away with that one.</p><p>And let's not beat around the bush about "defund the police." It's probably the stupidest slogan ever invented. But we know what it really means (or should by now). It means we should defund police the same way our schools were defunded. It means police should be defunded in the same way public housing was defunded. It means an armed officer isn't needed for every damned traffic stop or domestic violence call.</p><p>It means policing should be re-thought, and <i>reformed</i>.</p><p>Back to the second debate Johnson had with Barnes. He was asked to say something nice about his opponent. Johnson, ever the "diplomat," said, "I appreciate the fact that Lt. Gov. Barnes had loving parents, school teacher, father that worked third shift. So he had a good upbringing, I guess what puzzles me with that is with that upbringing, why has he turned against America?"</p><p>The entire room booed him. Even some in his own party booed. Yeah, he's<i> that</i> asshole.</p><p>And all that's just scratching the surface.</p><p>The Bulwark rightly calls Johnson "RonAnon."</p><p>I'll be as non-partisan as I can possibly be in this blog post. If you happen to be an ultra right-wing conservative (and if you are, why would you be reading this?), then you are way better off with a Democrat than you are with Ron Johnson getting another term.</p><p>Hell, you're better off with ANY Democrat than you are with Johnson winning another term.</p><p>You are better off with all four members of The Squad getting the senate seat rather than Johnson getting another term.</p><p>You are better off with Karl Marx <i>himself</i> getting the senate seat!</p><p>In fact, you are better off getting rid of that senat seat altogether rather than giving that senate seat to Ron Johnson again.</p><p>Because it's finally time for Republicans to STOP INVESTING IN CANDIDATES WHO ARE COMPLETE MONSTERS!</p><p>If your candidate is a Roy Moore, or a Herschel Walker, or a Mehmet Oz, YOU TAKE THE LOSS AND PICK A BETTER CANDIDATE NEXT TIME!</p><p>Don't dig in on the shit candidate. Just. Fucking. Don't.</p><p>I'm not saying that Ron Johnson is as bad as those other candidates, I'm... Oh, wait, YES, I AM!</p><p>He's actually worse.</p><p>Mandela Barnes has his problems. I get it. His lying about his educational background weighs heavily with me. Some questions linger about his financial background. But he's better than Johnson could ever be.</p><p>Hell, Al Capone would be better at this point.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-31854903244181595042022-10-03T04:28:00.003-07:002022-10-03T04:28:44.234-07:00We're Protesting In The Wrong Place!<p> </p><p>Part of why I don't write as much on this blog anymore is because The Bulwark is out there. If you're unfamiliar with that news source (and if that's the case, please go fix that) you'll know just how invaluable a resource it is for decoding the right-wing craziness that's out there, keeping us all aware of the MAGA world and what new horrors it's brewing.</p><p>Maddeningly, they keep overlooking the absolutely CRITICAL role the Right Wing Media Cult has to play in all of it.</p><p>I've written about the Right Wing Media Cult before, and I've warned of the dire consequences that will result if we don't derail it immediately, immediately, immediately. This brief respite from Trump, in which Joe Biden has one, small chance to do something about the RRMC, is on the verge of being squandered. But it's not merely a missed opportunity. It's much, much worse. Because the Right Wing Media Cult is not only NOT being dealt with, it is not only NOT being countered, it is actually advancing!</p><p>Case in point, CNN which is owned by Warner Bros./Discovery. It's CEO, David Zazlav, has been pushed by John Malone (a billionaire who recnetly bought a large chunk of Warner Brothers) to make CNN veer off to the right in its news coverage. Brian Stelter, one of Fox New's harshest critics, was fired as a result, despite high TV ratings, and it's not hard to guess why.</p><p>We're supposed to be pushing our news outlets towards the rational center. Instead, the Right-Wing Media Cult has wrapped its slimy tentacles around CNN.</p><p>We may have gotten rid of Trump, but we're still losing ground to the lies which are suffocating us.</p><p>We're moving backwards. In these critical Biden years, when we're supposed to be advancing and securing democracy from any further Trump threats, we're actually moving <i>backwards!</i></p><p>Where is our resolve? Don't we give a damn?</p><p>The damage has been done on the Supreme Court, and that damage will be felt for decades to come, long after any elections in November or afterward. Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and you can pretty much kiss any lawsuits dealing with religious freedom goodbye, as favoritism towards Christianity will be rubber-stamped by this court time and again, all in the name of what they, the nine lackeys -- some of whom lied to get their jobs -- mistakenly think of as "religious freedom."</p><p>In response to this unprecedented slep in the face to half our nation's population, protests were seen all over the United States. Here in Milwaukee, the protests happened in Red Arrow Park.</p><p>You know, the designated protest area that the authorities want you to protest in.</p><p>And here's my point. <i><b>You're protesting in the wrong place!</b></i></p><p>How about, instead of Red Arrow Park, or the National Mall, or McCormack Place, or any other "designated" protest area, we protest where the lies are actually being spouted from?</p><p>This situation we're in came about when the Right Wing Media Cult spawned Trump, and then spawned the ancillary Trump Cult. How about protesting where that filthy excuse for news media comes from?</p><p>Instead of Red Arrow Park, we should be protesting in front of WISN radio, where Mark Belling and Jay Weber are belching lie after lie after lie!</p><p>We should have a permanent encampment there, where Belling cannot go to work today without protesters hounding him chanting, "Tell the TRUTH! Tell the TRUTH! Tell the TRUTH!"</p><p>By the way, WISN's physical address is 12100 W. Howard Avenue, Greenfield, WI.</p><p>Tucker Carlson should be unable to come to work every day without hordes of protesters houding his every step saying "Tell the TRUTH! Tell the TRUTH! Tell the TRUTH!"</p><p>Fox News should not be able to sustain traffic surrounding it for all the protesters hounding it day and night, forcing local authorities to move Tucker Carlson to a different, NON-NEWS cable channel. You know, <i>where he belongs</i>.</p><p>As does Rachel Maddow, to be fair. Opinionation and infotainment ought be moved off of every news network, not just the conservative ones. I wish her the best of luck on MTV. I know she'll do great.</p><p>If we're going to protest anyway, how about we locate the protests where it will actually do some good for a change?</p><p>Why protest by <i>their</i> rules when they screwed us over in the first place?</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-20117157085858632292022-08-27T20:10:00.000-07:002022-08-27T20:10:31.853-07:00The Racists Made A Critical Mistake<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dTb3RY6R2t3nc-VUoKtTC6fU2B-d0JWeIljaQndyDjSbY0nQCBkvnt-Fh9GCFB9uO4PCF-aemeadtBCpYDw6JDL-GaHGY7_7UrAC5ajIOpdVda_K9ghnaaidBUgSw7OyD6OpstAllRWWp6f6zBxhn1pgHmSZtdK7YO4vowndVJlpUvaGgKdIagKs/s774/Old%20North%20Milwaukee%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="774" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dTb3RY6R2t3nc-VUoKtTC6fU2B-d0JWeIljaQndyDjSbY0nQCBkvnt-Fh9GCFB9uO4PCF-aemeadtBCpYDw6JDL-GaHGY7_7UrAC5ajIOpdVda_K9ghnaaidBUgSw7OyD6OpstAllRWWp6f6zBxhn1pgHmSZtdK7YO4vowndVJlpUvaGgKdIagKs/s320/Old%20North%20Milwaukee%203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've been building up a science fiction club in Milwaukee over the last year and a half, and doing so has taken me on some interesting turns lately. I've been making up fliers and distributing them around key areas throughout town, mostly libraries and coffee shops. This has taken me to little nooks of the city which even a lifetime Milwaukee resident like me hasn't seen before. One of them was particularly telling. It taught me a lesson about how the red-lining racists of Milwaukee made a critical mistake - one which left black people a valuable lifeline out of degradation and poverty.<p></p><p>The other day, I explored an alternative route home, looking to avoid the usual traffic jams while simultaneously distributing fliers for the Milwaukee Science Fiction League. I went up Teutonia Ave. and turned west down Villard, meaning to drop off a flier at the Villard Square Public Library. It was a slightly more northerly route than I usually take home, but wasn't too much of a detour. Before I got there, I found an <i>amazing</i> sight. Nestled snugly between 33rd and 38th Streets, was an interesting set of structures with classical brickwork and and inviting-looking facades. There was a bistro-style theater with a sign in front which said "Agape" - clearly transformed into a church since its cinema days - for sale by the city after foreclosure. There was a very ornate brick structure which was very clearly once some sort of bank or city hall. Another looked like it had once been a firehouse, with a bricked-up area where the fire truck garage had once been. There were other buildings that were clearly once centers of business, banking, commerce and industry. These charming, little buildings were falling apart, but there could be no doubt about it - I was looking at what was once a thriving <i>downtown</i> area!</p><p>The downtown of <i>what</i>, I wondered?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpFl5GeatMNTSavwR11VQ9sS5jQYyR5f4ySDEigtcsYzMkwUe6lp00MOwhS9cuZwij75HOzKOyO7Fdb2by9L0B1530nkvnNb2bbbPH45maGTctbJGM8RGwv338d8liLzWemA8EE9VcbDY6kdIjTLf7oriXIJ4c5IuIwIxxUWSSsMSQiuLwXQd57LS/s644/Old%20North%20Milwaukee%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="644" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpFl5GeatMNTSavwR11VQ9sS5jQYyR5f4ySDEigtcsYzMkwUe6lp00MOwhS9cuZwij75HOzKOyO7Fdb2by9L0B1530nkvnNb2bbbPH45maGTctbJGM8RGwv338d8liLzWemA8EE9VcbDY6kdIjTLf7oriXIJ4c5IuIwIxxUWSSsMSQiuLwXQd57LS/s320/Old%20North%20Milwaukee%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Then I found and entered the library, tucked neatly into the southeast corner of 35th and Villard. The parking area was scooped out from the first floor of the building's south side, making it seem almost like a tunnel. The smell of marijuana in the area was quite strong. One of the library doors had been smashed and was covered with a piece of plywood. But inside? Inside was a wonderful, clean, and <i>air-conditioned</i> space occupied with a few kids who were reading themselves towards a better future. The security guard there was nice and friendly, and probably wondered what the hell a bald-ass white boy like me was even doing there. I handed off my flier for the Milwaukee Science Fiction League, and was told by the lady behind the desk that this sounded like a wonderful idea.</p><p>That library was a bright, little spot of hope inside an otherwise bad neighborhood.</p><p>On my way out, I spotted yet another wonderful, old building with a bulbous tower-spire which was clearly Russo-German in style, a remnant of the "Volga Deutch" of Milwaukee.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIFbxR7OQw_vbfxBAYLyJhKpGLkK0XXAfeblNe3MaEVBiB2tOy0Ug0C9lAxxri_D5tu3lH3oeB22FrKNo5Sw5T3bp6f6odvIyZYgmHfTkoFaCw7e59bOhP5324523GpE7omjarfn1J4Rc2Lu16oZY8bQKhd9yxQsRyosZ_zwjNjj_4wSZI_x3kjVE/s660/Old%20North%20Milwaukee%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="660" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIFbxR7OQw_vbfxBAYLyJhKpGLkK0XXAfeblNe3MaEVBiB2tOy0Ug0C9lAxxri_D5tu3lH3oeB22FrKNo5Sw5T3bp6f6odvIyZYgmHfTkoFaCw7e59bOhP5324523GpE7omjarfn1J4Rc2Lu16oZY8bQKhd9yxQsRyosZ_zwjNjj_4wSZI_x3kjVE/s320/Old%20North%20Milwaukee%201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>'What <i>was</i> this place?' I wondered.</p><p>I looked it up after I got home. Turns out, the neighborhood of Old North Milwaukee was once its own, bustling, little metropolis. It began as the town of Schwartzburg (which is eerily prophetic, as that's the German word for "black town" - which is exactly what it became). It grew to become a prominent village, and even a city. It took on the name of "Northern Junction," and later became "North Milwaukee." After it was annexed by Milwaukee in 1929, it was re-designated "Old North Milwaukee." The Milwaukee Road ran right through it. A streetcar line connected it to central Milwaukee. It was an area rich with promise and prosperity. The dilapidated theater I'd found had been built by Fred Maertz, a prominent politician and businessman in the Milwaukee area.</p><p>All that glory is gone, now.</p><p>On my way back, I drove past 46th and Hampton, not at all far from this historic neighborhood. It was there that my parents owned a home until 1974, and where I spent the first four years of my young life. Later that same decade, the entire section of the city went from predominantly German to predominantly black. It seemingly happened overnight. Between 1974 and 1984, the demographics completely transformed. There is no one "Teutonic" left along Teutonia Avenue anymore.</p><p>I don't really blame my parents for being part of the mass exodus of white people out to the suburbs. The same script played itself out in cities all over the Midwestern U.S., and most of those in the "white flight" were not out to screw black people over. They were simply homeowners who saw the property values of their homes plummeting as blacks moved in next door, and did the only reasonable thing they could to protect their family's nest egg. But that sudden decrease in home values was initially brought about by the racism of the first homeowners that left. It was later exacerbated by the racism of the bankers, who reasoned that blacks living next door was somehow a detriment. Bullshit, of course. Having a black neighbor should have made homes <i>increase </i>in value due to neighborhood diversity. But the banks didn't see it that way, so the whites were driven out into the suburbs, racist and non-racist alike, leaving black people the abandoned remains. Due to global economic forces beyond the bankers' control (but which they likely saw coming) the jobs left the area as well. The effect, as we all know, was devastating.</p><p>But the racists <i>miscalculated! </i>Milwaukee had then, and still has now, a robust system of libraries scattered throughout <i>exactly</i> the area they red-lined! I witnessed this first-hand. Those libraries are <i>gold-mines</i>, able to lift people out of poverty and into a world of knowledge and education that can propel them into better jobs and better lives. And they also left behind a robust system of parks and greenspace - bulwarks against declining property values and crime. Yes, Milwaukee has its problems, but the racists accidentally left behind a large number of safety valves which people all over the city can take advantage of to build themselves a better future. Those safety valves are the last vestige of a time when Milwaukee was run by <i>German Socialists</i>. </p><p>That's right, this upward mobility for black people was brought to you courtesy of Emil Seidel, Daniel Hoan, and Charles B. Whitnall.</p><p>Not even Reagan could destroy it all.</p><p>Back in April, when I introduced Emily St. John Mandell at the Literary Luncheon in the Pabst Mansion, I had the great pleasure of sitting with Chevy Johnson, Milwaukee's first elected black mayor. He addressed the audience, pointing out how important the library system was to his upbringing, and how crucial it was that we support it with our donations and tax dollars. He is a living testament to the importance of the libraries as a means whereby children can escape the monster of poverty.</p><p>He is <i>proof</i> it works!</p><p>The libraries are much more than books. They are much more than a free alternative to the DVD rental store or Redbox. They are living, breathing repositories of the means and knowledge to learn how to code computers, how to write a resume, how to fix a car, how to do... well, anything! For FREE!</p><p>So please, oppose any politician who would dare take funds away from our libraries, or worse "privatize" them. Donate liberally as part of your charitable giving when you need your tax write-off (or even if you don't need one). Every dollar you spend on a library means thousands of dollars in positive benefit exactly where it's needed the most!</p><p>We need to make that critical mistake by the racist bankers count!</p><p>Then, we will see Old North Milwaukee return to being the glorious Schwartzburg it was always meant to be.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p><br />SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-9805944861841710112022-06-24T15:16:00.004-07:002022-06-24T15:17:45.724-07:00Roe v Wade Has Fallen (For Now)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksO6iAcqn9dBTV0aWWDPCW3UgNmL62dM_uObnUL6hVH6n0ITeYuLS9Plhg_C4xPQajcu8Mj197zuhZa63qGUWZsdC4o7vQuws_tpJwOdnpm8_xFaaH6Mnz3XoFh44aOfcg0VZzxTe2DmN64SWig2j1Moc8pYYkWxRmdvCp5KBFguUHg3_FR-wP1Ms/s1000/coathanger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksO6iAcqn9dBTV0aWWDPCW3UgNmL62dM_uObnUL6hVH6n0ITeYuLS9Plhg_C4xPQajcu8Mj197zuhZa63qGUWZsdC4o7vQuws_tpJwOdnpm8_xFaaH6Mnz3XoFh44aOfcg0VZzxTe2DmN64SWig2j1Moc8pYYkWxRmdvCp5KBFguUHg3_FR-wP1Ms/s320/coathanger.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Roe v. Wade has fallen. </p><p>To accomplish this, Christians have voted for monsters. For years. And no, that is not mere hyperbole. Roy Moore is a monster. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a monster. Trump is a monster.</p><p>To get this done, they've very nearly thrown away our entire democratic republic. They undoubtedly will try to do so again.</p><p>All in the misguided effort to bludgeon liberals back to God. Or, so they believe.</p><p>Some people actually dare to act surprised by this outcome. Despite people issuing warning bells for years. In spite of Christian Dominionists being brazen about this being their tactic for decades. In spite of a leaked Supreme Court memo stating the Justices' intentions only months ago.</p><p>Liberals did not perceive anything like a <i>real</i> threat to their reproductive rights - until it was too late. Somehow, especially during their Berniecrat disappointments, when some of them went all gung-ho for Jill Stein, they just didn't believe this could ever be possible.</p><p>What did YOU think "burn it all down" meant?</p><p>So what's my take on all this?</p><p>For starters, this is the death of Christianity. <a href="https://sacredcowwursthaus.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-pending-doom-of-abortion.html">I predicted so back in 2018</a>, and I predict so again. Christians have gambled everything on this one throw - and won. But they mortgaged their future to do it - and the bills have come due. They are about to pay, and pay dearly, for this mistake.</p><p>Nothing pisses off Liberals quite like being too late to prevent a political disaster. Leftists love to swim after the ship long after its sailed, and they've become quite good at such swimming. This time, they will be swimming strong come November, and that's a fact. Were gas prices not so high, I might predict a Democratic sweep of the 2022 midterms. As it is, that will only happen if Russia's war in Ukraine ends very soon, and that's not likely to happen unless the U.S. intervenes.</p><p>But there is a silver lining to this dark cloud. As I've predicted in the past, there will come a prohibition moment. The United States will reverse its decision on this, either through legislation, Constitutional Amendment, or both. We've seen this happen before in Ireland. When abortion restrictions fell in that country, there was cheering in the streets!</p><p>It will happen here, too. And when it does, Christianity will never, ever rise again.</p><p>No, Christianity is not yet dead. But it lies gasping. On the way to its last breath, with the majority of Americans no longer attending church, it has fired off one last shot that will reverberate for many years after they have all gone the way of Greco-Roman Paganism. We will suffer because of this development for a long time. Coat-hanger abortions and back-alley abortions will make a comeback.</p><p>Christians may even decide to return to the old bread-and-butter issues that once made it great. Things like feeding the hungry, curing the sick, clothing the naked, helping the poor... You know, the things Jesus would have wanted. Remember those? Christians used to give a shit about all that.</p><p>So yes, we lost one. But NEVER give up! This is NOT over!</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-2932545548893367412022-05-03T14:09:00.002-07:002022-05-03T14:09:37.225-07:00I Warned You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkqOuhEMFC5KoyAdMF_QruJ5eUam9-H0EdNfh4op4USxCEN9t3Y-_rMHPwqL5JFmxTQLUSoEYtLZQE0ujmtBy2MWV4_EGCzUPP3bXDqniTLqjvLt6fI6GqkhRTIK_AU7_ROtCc2Bfm_lV9gEjpPp_0E6PDRfuRfFK-ZD_h6Goj14SJ3k7UPkak2pS/s1160/Abortion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1160" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkqOuhEMFC5KoyAdMF_QruJ5eUam9-H0EdNfh4op4USxCEN9t3Y-_rMHPwqL5JFmxTQLUSoEYtLZQE0ujmtBy2MWV4_EGCzUPP3bXDqniTLqjvLt6fI6GqkhRTIK_AU7_ROtCc2Bfm_lV9gEjpPp_0E6PDRfuRfFK-ZD_h6Goj14SJ3k7UPkak2pS/s320/Abortion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> Yes, I warned you.</p><p>About abortion? Yes. <a href="https://sacredcowwursthaus.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-pending-doom-of-abortion.html" target="_blank">I warned you back in 2018</a> it was doomed. I also had <a href="https://sacredcowwursthaus.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-supreme-court.html" target="_blank">warnings for you in 2020</a> when Mitch McConnell did a complete flip-flop from the 2016 argument he used regarding Merrick Garland and decided to fast-track Amy Coney Barrett as the presumptive nominee.</p><p>Then, as now, I scolded all you fellow leftists for not fighting then the way you're suddenly willing to now. Somehow, liberals never seem to get outraged at anything until long after the ship has sailed. (Although this ship has not only sailed, it's arrived in port at the other side of the ocean.)</p><p>Hey, all you Jill Stein voters. How does your 2016 vote look now?</p><p>But while I'm seeing lots of blame for past Republican screw-ups regarding abortion (and complete inaction from Democrats), I'm seeing none of the same association regarding gasoline.</p><p>Nobody blames Biden for the upcoming SCOTUS decision regarding abortion. But by the same token, nobody should blame Biden for high gasoline prices and inflation, either. Because the seeds for those were laid by Republican hands and their corporate lobbyists.</p><p>Remember the EV-1? It was an electric car made by General Motors from 1996 to 1999. Corporate interests and Republican politicians killed it. Why? To keep us dependent upon gasoline. And being dependent upon gasoline has disastrous economic consequences, because every time there's a gas crisis, it raises the cost of everything.</p><p>I warned you about this consequence <a href="https://sacredcowwursthaus.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-want-chevy-volt.html" target="_blank">back in 2011</a>. And <a href="https://sacredcowwursthaus.blogspot.com/2019/01/dude-wheres-my-car.html" target="_blank">again in 2019</a>.</p><p>My main point is that we recognize how the current mess with abortion rights happened because of what Republicans did in years past (and what Democrats failed to do). But the exact same situation is also true of gasoline prices. All our continued dependency upon fossil fuels has come at the behest of Republicans bowing to the special interests of Big Oil and the plastics industry. Yes, Putin's invasion of Ukraine is a big factor.</p><p>But no amount of supply chain issues would matter if we weren't so dependent upon supply.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-46523913108398041892022-03-09T09:23:00.000-08:002022-03-09T09:23:40.662-08:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjks3P8m6czzr9tNwCxXZFEVRtBL5frR2McEWlf4i0wxSJ5eYmMPuY3IKbuDWb8GPxhvqB4ORLH6qRTy_J0Imx58Qd_jYN-rtkAgXPLw5AnEGfZ5R96LP36WZouAoXdRFLdJygVPMeSqkJ1a1COiaHWs4vhCcGPX-62PPgoJm5VaEMIJnmhwb07InVF=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjks3P8m6czzr9tNwCxXZFEVRtBL5frR2McEWlf4i0wxSJ5eYmMPuY3IKbuDWb8GPxhvqB4ORLH6qRTy_J0Imx58Qd_jYN-rtkAgXPLw5AnEGfZ5R96LP36WZouAoXdRFLdJygVPMeSqkJ1a1COiaHWs4vhCcGPX-62PPgoJm5VaEMIJnmhwb07InVF=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In my <a href="https://sacredcowwursthaus.blogspot.com/2022/01/jan-6th-will-happen-again.html" target="_blank">previous blog post</a>, I pointed out how our very democracy is threatened by the constant barrage of fake news. The Right-Wing Media Cult which generates such fake news goes unchecked, free to do or say whatever it takes to stoke anger, fear, and with them, higher network ratings.</p><p>So long as the news remains for-profit, it will forever try to sensationalize, electrify, horrify, or in any other way manufacture outrage. Because that's what sells newspapers. That's what drives up ad revenue.</p><p>So, given that freedom of speech is an absolute (as well it should be), how do we fight it?</p><p>Here's my proposal, and it's so crazy it just might work.</p><p>We go to the Republicans and say, "How would you like to stop <i><u>liberal</u></i> media bias?"</p><p>And of course, they will say, "Hell, yeah! What can I do?"</p><p>Then we sell them a bill which essentially says this: Media which labels itself as "news" must <i>only</i> report factual events. False reporting, opinionating, or disguising op ed or advertisement as news is punishable by fine.</p><p>Notice how this does <i><u>not</u></i> infringe upon free speech. Any "infotainment" outlet, such as Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, or Rachel Maddow, can continue to say whatever they want, as often as they want, so long as they do so on a <i>non-news</i> platform. They must move to an entertainment platform - <i>where they fucking belong.</i></p><p>The territory known as "news" becomes hallowed ground. As it should always be.</p><p>This not only drives the opinionating out of the news, it re-establishes the "separation of church and state" that used to exist regarding advertisement and news items. "Native advertising" becomes a thing of the past. (Thank fuck!)</p><p>It is analogous to another law, already on the books, regarding food items. If someone sells a food item, and its contents are not what is described on the list of ingredients, that manufacturer is liable. It is illegal to sell "gluten free" when it contains gluten, or "pesticide-free" if it contains pesticides. By the same token, something cannot call itself "news" if it contains opinion instead.</p><p>We have the right to know that what goes into our bodies is safe, according to current law. By the same token, we also have a right to know that what goes into our minds is safe as well.</p><p>And arguably, our minds are more important.</p><p>Of course, if the label says, "contains MSG" and a consumer buys it anyway, that's on them. By the same token, some will continue to consume fake news anyway, just like some people buy the Lucky Charms which is nothing but marshmallows. It might be bad for you, but that's your choice. You just can't pretend it isn't bad for you. You can't pretend you're eating healthy.</p><p>You can't pretend you are an informed citizen after watching Tucker Carlson, either.</p><p>Will Republicans buy it? They just might. Or, they might smell the trap. But even if they don't trust the proposal, the Right-Wing Media Cult will probably take the bait, especially if Democrats sell it well with a well-executed AstroTurf campaign. (Granted, Dems don't have a good track record of doing this, but with our entire democracy on the line, they'd better!) With the masses of Trumpsters firmly behind it, Republicans will have no choice but to capitulate like the cowards they have proven themselves to be over these last several years.</p><p>It will undoubtedly come as a surprise to them when Fox News and OANN get smacked down by this new law far more than CNN and MSNBC do. But... them's the breaks, right?</p><p>And I wish Rachel Maddow the best of luck on MTV. I wish Tucker Carlson the best of luck on TBN (or whatever luckless network gets stuck with him). He will undoubtedly retain his following. <i>But not on a news network</i>, which makes all the difference in the world, because Tucker Carlson is not a journalist. He hasn't been for some time.</p><p>Besides, if I had to lose Rachel Maddow in order to get rid of Tucker Carlson, I'd take that deal in a heartbeat!</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-85471525360856097432022-01-29T20:32:00.001-08:002022-01-29T20:32:37.224-08:00Jan 6th Will Happen Again<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNXWPu-pBZTYWAFMKJhM7zFrmv3Sc8znSn3vH93jB-c-IE2qkCaPRNhJDWryK58lCMDGxB6vwBNNGEyoBwXlXl2D5RR7-qizVgkp2WPE6Xhtxhn36cEGviOTKl3-75n8eWTsMLwF6wEnZ9GqKLu7IFwX1KzPAlBjN3BXoVO7P7DSb8Gk1Y8pv8CQbT=s1280" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNXWPu-pBZTYWAFMKJhM7zFrmv3Sc8znSn3vH93jB-c-IE2qkCaPRNhJDWryK58lCMDGxB6vwBNNGEyoBwXlXl2D5RR7-qizVgkp2WPE6Xhtxhn36cEGviOTKl3-75n8eWTsMLwF6wEnZ9GqKLu7IFwX1KzPAlBjN3BXoVO7P7DSb8Gk1Y8pv8CQbT=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The revolt on January 6th will happen again.</p><p>This is not me being a prophet. This is an empirical observation about what Republicans are doing right now, in broad daylight, to steal the 2024 election.</p><p>It's not like I'm making this up. Anyone, right now, can go to a right-wing radio show, television show, or podcast, and hear them talking about doing so right this minute. As we speak, bills are circulating through state legislatures to take the certification power for vote counts away from attorneys general, and place them in the hands of state legislative bodies instead - almost all of which will be controlled by Republicans.</p><p>A more blatant and flippant attempt at subverting democracy has not been seen since the Nazis in the 1930's. And while it's usually true that comparing things to Nazism is a virtual guarantee to not be taken seriously, this time it isn't hyperbole or paranoia.</p><p>Go see for yourself. It's absolutely shameless.</p><p>They feel justified in this because they have been constantly lied to by a media machine that does not give a damn about the truth. So people end up believing that the 2020 election was somehow stolen from <i>them</i>, and believe that they are justified in using desperate tactics.</p><p>Check out this video of a man whose fires have been so stoked that he's getting impatient about when he gets to use his precious firearms against liberals.</p><p><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/charlie-kirk/pushing-election-lies-tpusa-audience-member-asks-charlie-kirk-when-they-can-use-guns" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"How many elections are they going to steal before we kill these people?"</a> Charlie Kirk gets asked at his Turning Point rally in Boise, Idaho.</p><p>Kirk, to his credit, denounces him, but that didn't stop a number of people in the audience whom whooping and cheering</p><p>Never mind that Republicans have clearly and unambiguously stolen 2 out of the last 5 presidential elections, one of which was taken by Trump, who LOST the popular vote in 2016, yet got named president anyway by an Electoral College system that refused to do the job it was put in place to do, namely prevent demagogues like Trump from getting in.</p><p>The system is so out of balance right now, that any Democrat must win 55% of the popular vote or higher, just to win.</p><p>And this fucker wants to know when he and his buddies get to use THEIR guns against US?</p><p>Where is the sense of urgency regarding the FACT that the Right-Wing Media Cult wants us all DEAD?</p><p>January 6th 2021 was a wake-up call. But clearly, the response of the Left and most Democrats is to hit the snooze button and roll over.</p><p>This is the part that scares the living shit out of me. The barbarians are at the gate, and all the guards are fast asleep. Playing cards. Abandoning their posts. Not drugged, just fucking apathetic.</p><p>Does nobody else see that America is mother-fucking jeopardy?</p><p>This is very much like one of those disaster movies where the expert sounds the alarm about the disaster, and nobody ever listens to him. Except that unlike Towering Inferno, or Volcano, or Jurassic Park, where the cautions of the highly-decorated scientists go ignored, there isn't a highly-decorated scientist or expert.</p><p>There's just me. And my little blog.</p><p>Thus it is that I am forced to sit on the sidelines, watch the experts miss the point over and over, watch those in charge repeatedly fuck up, helpless to stop any of it.</p><p>If only people listened to me like they do other contra-qualified gasbags, like Alex Jones - someone whose skill as an "infotainer" is such that he doesn't deserve, nor should ever have, one single follower.</p><p>Actually, a few other people see a glimpse of it. Charlie Sykes on The Bulwark has some inkling of it. But he keeps missing the mark. He reports on the threat daily, never EVER addressing the root cause of it all - the non-stop extremist propaganda that passes for "news" these days.</p><p>It's like watching someone trying to bail out the sinking ship - one teaspoonful at a time.</p><p>Here's a thought: How about we do something about the GIANT, GAPING HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE GODDAMNED SHIP?! Maybe if we stop the flood of misinformation from flowing in, we can finally bail the ship out so that we can repair it in the nearest harbor.</p><p>How do we do that?</p><p>Watch this space.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-34772009150669988122021-10-28T13:05:00.000-07:002021-10-28T13:05:40.274-07:00Major Harris, Kid Criminals, And Consequences<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHkWXsdJvYkZLwXUD9cLMWKEaKPXjCNcDz0uekK2eYhtU4tAeTa7DrLhkGAiSTnpaQqy1N4Zln7xWR_zBVEPu0SONdp7ZXRytbTBiIsja-kbqGvKKYGjRhNx6-v5nb6kRTEXjQEAUG_I/s980/Major+Harris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="980" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHkWXsdJvYkZLwXUD9cLMWKEaKPXjCNcDz0uekK2eYhtU4tAeTa7DrLhkGAiSTnpaQqy1N4Zln7xWR_zBVEPu0SONdp7ZXRytbTBiIsja-kbqGvKKYGjRhNx6-v5nb6kRTEXjQEAUG_I/s320/Major+Harris.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Kids are killing kids here in Milwaukee.<br /></p><p>On October 14, Mallory Muenzenberger was found shot to death in the back yard of a home in Milwaukee. Authorities had difficulty identifying her and notifying her family because she was from Onalaska, WI, just outside LaCrosse. But when they finally did reach family members, they discovered that Mallory's three-year-old son, Major Harris, was missing. This prompted an Amber Alert and the entire city of Milwaukee came together in a municipal-wide hunt for the boy.</p><p>One week later, the hunt came to a tragic end. The remains of Major Harris were found in a storage bin off 35th Street, one block north of Villard Ave. The boy had been shot in the head.<br /></p><p>Officers had quickly developed a suspect in Jaheem Clark. But as police approached his home on N. 41st and Custer Ave., he committed suicide. That was Sunday, October 17th.</p><p>Other suspects were arrested in the case, but Jaheem Clark appears (for now) to have been the ringleader, and the oldest among the suspects.</p><p>Not even legal drinking age.</p><p>Another tragedy took place in Wauwatosa on October 15th. Four juveniles, aged between 13 and 15, jacked a car in front of the Holiday Inn on North Ave. and Mayfair Road. The busted a window on a vehicle, but were scared off. Sunita Balogun, a 47 year-old Nigerian woman from Oshkosh, informed security at the hotel. Later, she spotted the kids from inside her Jeep. She caught up with the group, got out of the vehicle and confronted them, but the youngest of them, a 13-year-old identified as Jayden
Adams, got past Balogun, hopped into the driver's seat of her Jeep, punched her in
the face, then kicked the door into her. She fell, he hit the gas
and ran her down. He then picked up his friends and they took off.</p><p>Sherwin Hughes reported that the kids later went shopping with Balogun's stolen credit cards.<br /></p><p>When the stolen Jeep was recovered, it was found that the kids were in the process of repainting it. They were going to <i>keep</i> the vehicle!</p><p>The driver who struck her was only 13. He is being charged as an adult, and is facing 115 years in jail.<br /></p><p>He was born in 2008.</p><p>He will never graduate from 8th grade.</p><p>These are just a few stories from the police blotter of the City of Milwaukee as of late. And one pattern becomes clear: Our criminals are KIDS! <br /></p><p>Right now, there is a plague of car thefts on top of a plague of reckless driving. Often, the reckless drivers are the thieves themselves.</p><p>And they are KIDS! Not even old enough to drive, anyway.</p><p>Marshall High School has become an epicenter of this. Kids there are introduced to car theft before they're even old enough to take drivers' ed.</p><p>Part of this is the system. Kids steal cars, they joyride, they ditch the car afterwards. Even if the police catch them, they are usually let go. Only 2% of car thefts are ever prosecuted, much less convicted.</p><p>But the more crucial part is that the schools have failed. People often complain, "Where are the parents?" But when parents are forced to take on two minimum wage jobs to make ends meet, they simply can't raise a teenager responsibly. Nobody can.</p><p>This is where good schools are supposed to make up the difference. But in Milwaukee, schools are subjected to the School Choice Program - a positively Darwinian approach which leaves MPS utterly bereft of the resources it needs to teach kids properly.</p><p>But do charter schools work better? The numbers seem to say yes. But that's because charter schools bump out the most problematic kids after only three weeks. This boosts their academic numbers and allows them to brag about what a fine job they're doing with education. They also get to<i> keep</i> the school voucher money! But those kids who get booted have no choice but to return to MPS - which then has even less money to deal with. Zero vouchers for those who need them most.<br /></p><p>In other words, the very kids who need the most remedial education, the very ones who need the most time, effort, and - yes, I'll say it - money, are the ones most left out in the cold.</p><p>Do Republicans really believe that has zero consequences? <br /></p><p>Now, suppose you were thrown into that meat grinder as a teenager. Suppose the system failed you that utterly. You know damned well there's no future for you. You know damned well nobody will help you. You also know your best shot at a GED is from inside a jail cell.</p><p>Wouldn't you lash out? Wouldn't you steal cars just for kicks, too? Hell, you're headed straight for jail, anyway. Might as well have some fun before you go.<br /></p><p>If you have been in favor of school choice, you have been in favor of exactly this. You have been in favor of letting public schools fail. But what you ignored was that when a school fails, <i>all the kids in that school fail also</i>. That comes back to us in the form of crime, crime, and more crime, and all it takes is one abandoned kid to make a troublemaker out to make our streets unsafe. Multiply that times the hundreds upon hundreds of kids whom MPS is forced to let down, and you get the hideous situation on the city's north and northwest sides.</p><p>If you backed school choice, you have some of Major Harris' blood on your hands. You have some of Sunita Balogun's blood on your hands. You have some of the blood of the 167 Milwaukee homicides on your hands.</p><p>You should have known this would inevitably happen. Fuck you.</p><p><br /></p><p>It's absolutely clear what the solution is: FUND THE SHIT OUT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS!</p><p>You want to end crime? Are you "tough" on crime? Then give kids a reason to believe they can make it without going to jail! That means FUNDING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS!</p><p>You want reparations? Or at least, the beginnings of reparations? FUND THE ABSOLUTE SHIT OUT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS!</p><p>You want to end segregation in Milwaukee? FUND THE <u><i>UTMOST SHIT</i></u> OUT OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS! You'll be <i>amazed</i> how quickly quality education brings white people back into the city!<br /></p><p>And if Republicans say, "But that's too expensive," the only proper response is that it got that way because YOU refused to pay the piper before. And now the interest on that account has grown!</p><p>It's time to pay the piper. And if I had it my way, I would seize Scott Walker's assets as a down payment. But barring that, I'll settle for the willingness of city officials to pony up, and white people generally shutting the hell up about the price tag.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>It is not just the solution, it is the <i>only</i> solution.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric<br /></p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-21561680858255590182021-10-28T09:12:00.001-07:002021-10-28T09:12:58.582-07:00Cancelling Dave Chapelle<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7Q_mAsAdtOMr9RCRZfJO-e-bXdyOp3V6Sg3W8SDOsBi5MV3cG9EeUzDFRVgcoLenGxyjwAZhyphenhyphenkhsiWhae0sdIcXJEwlbQnWxJF7_SjpYChyezwwqVUgP0WhoLGLmWYqhsL_7Q_29Dvw/s1000/Chappelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7Q_mAsAdtOMr9RCRZfJO-e-bXdyOp3V6Sg3W8SDOsBi5MV3cG9EeUzDFRVgcoLenGxyjwAZhyphenhyphenkhsiWhae0sdIcXJEwlbQnWxJF7_SjpYChyezwwqVUgP0WhoLGLmWYqhsL_7Q_29Dvw/s320/Chappelle.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />I've realized something about cancelling people. It doesn't work.<p></p><p>I mean, if the general idea is to shame people into changing their minds, canceling does exactly the opposite.</p><p>Case in point, Dave Chapelle, who has built his career by being boldly offensive. He's also made a career making jokes out of uncomfortable truths. But in his latest Netflix special, "The Closer," he is being decidedly transphobic, and even highlighting some of his own past transphobic humor. As a result, many of my fellow Leftists are calling for The Closer to be canceled from Netflix. So far, Netflix is standing its ground, and for good reason - it's reached #3 on Netflix's Top 10. Chappelle remains popular despite, or perhaps even because of, his transphobia.</p><p>But Chappelle is no fool. He has an unusual clarity of insight which makes him good at his job, and sooner or later (I believe), this will make him see things differently.</p><p>IF we back off.</p><p>Don't get me wrong. I side with transgender issues. I'm all for trans rights. But canceling doesn't convince anyone of anything - other than that we are the Parisian mob of 1799, beheading anyone we disapprove of without scruple or supplication.</p><p>When I was a teenager, I was a Bible-thumper. I berated certain people all the time, usually classmates or family. They, in turn, tended to double-down on being rebellious, often rubbing it in my face.</p><p>Then I questioned my faith, and eventually left Christianity. And the people I used to berate all became responsible citizens. Some even embraced the Church!</p><p>Often, backing off is the best way to let people change their minds on their own.<br /></p><p>I'm convinced that J.K. Rowling might have come around if people had backed off on her. I'm equally convinced that Richard Dawkins might not have dug in his heels if we'd "discussed" things with him beforehand instead of merely writing him off. But people hit back hard if you hit them first. Doubly so if they're hit by an Internet flash-mob! After that, it becomes personal, and changing one's mind becomes nearly impossible.<br /></p><p>Is it too late for Rowling or Dawkins? I don't know. But as I've said repeatedly on this blog, forgiveness is not just for religious people.<br /></p><p>What really gets me is the outrage. It's not the outrage regarding Chapelle's transphobia that's the problem. In fact, I think the trans community has a legitimate gripe. No, the problem is that the outrage is HERE, surrounding Chappelle, and similar outrage is NOT to be found regarding the impending fall of our Republic!</p><p>Doesn't<i> anybody</i> care that our Democracy is about to DIE? Doesn't anyone care about that MORE than they do about Chappelle's antics?</p><p>I'm sorry, but Trump attempting ANOTHER steal is way, way more important than Chappelle or Rowling. Because if we lose our Democracy, trans rights go with it, and bad shows on Netflix will be the least of our problems.</p><p>If ANYONE trying to cancel Dave Chappelle stays home for the 2022 election, I will personally cancel that fool right back. And if Chappelle somehow gets cancelled and Tucker Carlson <i>isn't?</i> I will go full-on Jesus-in-the-temple, throwing over every table I can find among my fellow Progressives!</p><p>Am I saying we have bigger fish to fry? No. </p><p>I'm saying there's a goddamned SHARK on our ass! We might want to look to that.</p><p>I mean, if we want to be alive long enough to cancel Chappelle.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric<br /></p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-9619978577971091832021-09-17T12:47:00.002-07:002021-09-17T12:50:37.222-07:00Let's Cancel Nicki Minaj<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkDbpKIa9EqZzW9L4XCorSLN9AEb5Y_y4H7xm8BDHf3OMcjtmXIOXHhlZmFnfPUwJDRdPx9w0ohlGQTnpJ0I7MJvuJRmSmWpPCqSM4M6sk_G0sIwZmiYlQ6d1nZk-9QoeN1vX_EW6FMM/s327/Minaj.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="327" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkDbpKIa9EqZzW9L4XCorSLN9AEb5Y_y4H7xm8BDHf3OMcjtmXIOXHhlZmFnfPUwJDRdPx9w0ohlGQTnpJ0I7MJvuJRmSmWpPCqSM4M6sk_G0sIwZmiYlQ6d1nZk-9QoeN1vX_EW6FMM/s320/Minaj.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />For those who haven't heard, Nicki Minaj recently made a bizarre claim on Twitter regarding the Covid-19 vaccine. According to her, her cousin's friend received the vaccine on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and became impotent, suffering from swollen testicles.<p></p><p>After everyone from health officials to free media scrambled to try and verify this story, it was finally confirmed to be 100% false. Yet the claim went so viral that Trinidad's own health minister, Terrence Deyalsingh, had to make a press conference to debunk it.</p><p>Now, I'm a fan of Nicki Minaj. Not of her music. That stuff isn't my style. But I'm a fan of her dancing. I'm a fan of her giving voluptuous women a place in celebrity fandom. And I'm a fan of her generally.</p><p>So when I say this, understand that I'm making a personal sacrifice: We need to cancel her.</p><p>For all Richard Dawkins' faults, his remarks on Twitter didn't kill anyone, and never will. For all Harvey Weinstein's abuses, he didn't kill anyone, either. Even Bill Cosby didn't kill anyone. </p><p>But Minaj? Her Tweet will KILL. It likely already <i>has</i> killed. It will go on to kill thousands. And no, she doesn't get a free pass because she's black, or even a black sex symbol, because in the end, her bullshit will likely have killed more than Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Timothy McVeigh and the 9/11 terrorists - combined.</p><p>Yes! Cancel her! Because if someone like Richard Dawkins deserves to be cancelled, Minaj deserves to be cancelled. If comparative teddy bears from Minnesota like Garrison Keillor and Al Franken deserve to be cancelled, so does Minaj.</p><p>If we are to be logically consistent at all, Minaj needs to go the way of Joss Whedon.</p><p>If we are to be logically consistent, the American Humanist Association should issue a statement of condemnation against Nicki Minaj. (Hint, hint.) <br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">OR...</span></p><p>We could find a little bit more forgiveness in our hearts. We could understand that Minaj's cousin likely misinformed her. Or worse, pulled the story out of his ass. Or maybe his friend lied to him. (Maybe his balls are just fine.) We could finally learn that we all need forgiveness as an element of everyday life.</p><p>We could forgive Minaj, and Keillor, and Franken, and Whedon, and Dawkins. Because we all make mistakes. We all fuck up!</p><p>And we all need forgiveness. It's not just a religious thing.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p><p><br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-71403001023130780282021-07-30T07:27:00.010-07:002021-07-30T08:26:50.838-07:00The Most Effective Advertising Method: Hatred<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DEfOy1Ph1BdAZ554ym4cg7AYMhNlzEX4ILwtNq_lnIALOfNSVYdz7ntGbpNwksJMOKp3KO_hMlXoE0Qi0h8DirC8LgW-_asz5b7z4ZQwEZAlfxtpjheO7vQ0Mq2ptB_7BpDiGEsBKG0/s338/Future+Shock.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DEfOy1Ph1BdAZ554ym4cg7AYMhNlzEX4ILwtNq_lnIALOfNSVYdz7ntGbpNwksJMOKp3KO_hMlXoE0Qi0h8DirC8LgW-_asz5b7z4ZQwEZAlfxtpjheO7vQ0Mq2ptB_7BpDiGEsBKG0/s320/Future+Shock.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br />I've recently gone back to read an old classic: Future Shock by Alvin Toffler. In it, Toffler discusses various aspects of Future Shock as an extension of the concept of culture shock. One experiences culture shock when one finds oneself suddenly in a different culture, but it can also happen if culture changes faster than one can adapt to the change. By the same token, future shock happens when changes in technology happen faster than one can adjust to the changes those technologies bring about. It was an important insight at the time, which was 1970.<p></p><p>Well, his predictions for the post-1970 future were interesting, but it's enlightening to see what he got spectacularly wrong. The one thing he got most obviously wrong (to me) was the prediction that companies would <i>never</i> be able to achieve lasting brand loyalty - because brands changed so rapidly. Noting that consumers regularly couldn't find their favorite brand on the store shelves anymore, Toffler concluded that brand loyalty was impossible in such a shifting environment.</p><p>This is laughable given what we know today, because we know that these brands disappeared from store shelves not due to consumers' choices but through corporate takeovers. Products were consolidated, and consolidated, and consolidated again until every variety of product was left with only two or three super-brands competing with each other. By the 1980's, there were almost no independent brands left. All one could find was Coke vs. Pepsi. McDonald's vs. Burger King. Nike vs. Reebok. And where there seemed to be some sub-brands beneath these behemoths, those sub-brands turned out to be mere subsidiaries of the larger corporations. There might be 30 different brands of soap, but they all boiled down either Procter & Gamble or Colgate Palmolive. Try to find something outside the giant corporations, and the options were all but nonexistent.</p><p>So a kind of brand loyalty was achieved at last - not by brands truly putting preferred products on the shelves, but by corporations eliminating the competition one by one, until finally, only one giant competitor remained - and anti-trust laws prevented them from eating that one as well.</p><p>But removal of choice was not the only way they achieved brand loyalty. For most, additional brand loyalty was achieved by appealing to the <i>emotional center</i> of the human brain - creating a sense of belonging to a "tribe" that was critical to one's identity. In this way, consumers which bought into the identity also bought the product. "We're the Pepsi Generation!" cried Pepsi in the 80's, while Coke marketed itself as "The Real Thing." Dr. Pepper was even more brazen in this tactic advertising, "I'm a Pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?" McDonald's achieved amazing success by recognizing that customers saw eating there as taking a break. Their resulting ad campaign, "You deserve a break today," caused millions to identify with McDonald's as their place to take a break, and sales soared. Wheaties marketed itself, thanks largely to Bruce Jenner (back when she <i>was</i> "Bruce"), as "The Brand of Champions," meaning if you wanted to be a winner (and who doesn't?), then logically that had to be your cereal. Sales responded accordingly.<br /></p><p>There is, however, another way to appeal to the emotions of consumers, and it can't be done with most products. One can create fierce brand loyalty by <i>demonizing</i> the competition.</p><p>We see this in a limited way in sports. Chicago Bears fans refer to their team as "Grizzlies" and the Green Bay Packers as "fudge packers." Green Bay fans counter by calling their team "Packerderms" and the Chicago team as "teddy bears." There are innumerable similar examples: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees... the rivalry list goes on and on, with fans utterly demonizing the competition, and lionizing their own team.</p><p>Of course, these fans haven't done a damned thing to help their team win, other than buy tickets and cheer. But they see "their" team as a sense of <i>identity</i> - and that's the point. Even though they haven't stepped one foot on the playing field, they refer to "their" team as "us" and "we." And if they win, they then get to say, "<i>we</i> won!" as if they lifted one finger.</p><p>Also, the NFL stops short of outright endorsing demonizations of the other team. After all, at the end of each game, fans must go home peacefully. <br /></p><p>When it comes to store-bought products, if corporations try to demonize their competition, they quickly find themselves on the wrong end of an expensive lawsuit. The plaintiff can claim that the negative ad is <i>libel</i>, and unfairly damages their ability to do business. Such a plaintiff invariably wins these lawsuits, and so corporations have learned to compete fairly, or at least be subtle about their slander.</p><p><b>And here's my major point: </b><i>Such restrictions do not exist in politics.</i> In fact, demonizing one's opponent while on the campaign trail is considered to be one of the most time-honored versions of free speech. So political demonization does not have the legal backlash that product demonization has. Oh, libel suits abound in politics, to be sure, especially if a slanderous claim has no basis whatsoever in fact. But on the whole, inciting hatred of the political opposition is not frowned upon in law. In fact, it is openly called for.</p><p>This would be just fine, except it has taken a sharp turn for the worse, because the NEWS has now been drafted into this war of words. There's always been bias in newspapers and media, but media networks have now been bought out by corporate consolidators who are experts in building brand loyalty, and they are not above using demonization to do it! On the contrary, they <i>rely</i> on it to drive up ratings! The op-ed page, once relegated to the back page of every newspaper, has now been made prime-time television on Fox News and its more right-wing cousins, OANN and NewsMax. Full-throated demonization has now been disguised as an <i>official</i> news broadcast - and millions buy into it! Democrats are demonized, 24-7, on millions of networks, everywhere. On the more liberal side, there is some bias to be sure, but news is still essentially news. The demonization is largely one-sided towards Democrats.<br /></p><p>And this demonization is why millions are willing to attack the very Capitol itself rather than allow one little old fart of a Democrat to be sworn in.</p><p>They are literally generating Alvin Toffler's "Future Shock" <i>on purpose.</i> <br /></p><p>The greatest need in our nation, right now, is for this ongoing travesty to stop!</p><p>We can't stop free speech - that's an absolute - but we <i>can</i> insist that news be news! You can lie and demonize anywhere else, <i>but not there</i>. No one must engage in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/951551319591887620/4446992614095942709" target="_blank">KLONNING</a> any more. No more featuring op ed without a countering voice on the other side. No more featuring op ed in a prime time slot! In fact, no more passing op ed off as news at all!</p><p>Lying on a news network IS shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater. <i>There is fundamentally no difference.</i><br /></p><p>At long last, the shellac must be scraped off of the polished turd! The stink must permeate the nostrils of everyone who was wrongly convinced that Trump was even remotely an option!</p><p>We need this more than we need oxygen. At long last, let news be news and nothing else!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric<br /></p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-63067121652643364262021-05-20T07:43:00.002-07:002021-05-20T07:43:39.791-07:00Talking UFO's<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wYyQMViF0on6Pe-KB2fTmZFEmnoaX6YRtwbR0AsiBwnHPlS1ZpPvQjVLbBA2mol9EU15M8wkKwui7UlnsYD2vRisul-phM57VUv0K7VXAQ5D0eJGVlXkwl6HNY1dmzh628M2smddxfg/s705/60+Minutes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="705" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wYyQMViF0on6Pe-KB2fTmZFEmnoaX6YRtwbR0AsiBwnHPlS1ZpPvQjVLbBA2mol9EU15M8wkKwui7UlnsYD2vRisul-phM57VUv0K7VXAQ5D0eJGVlXkwl6HNY1dmzh628M2smddxfg/s320/60+Minutes.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Friends, let's talk about UFO's.<p></p><p>The recent 60 Minutes piece has lent credibility to the phenomenon of UFO's, or UAP (Unknown Aerial Phenomenon), as the new term is used.</p><p>The footage shown is compelling. The unknown objects, whatever they are, seem to move at fantastic speeds. They change direction suddenly, as if unconstrained by the strictures of physics. They disappear as suddenly as they appear. They are invisible, except in infrared.<br /></p><p>What are they?</p><p>What amazes me most about the UFO/UAP craze is how quickly people jump to the unlikeliest of conclusions. There is a hierarchy of possibilities, and somewhere way, way down at the bottom of the likelihood pile is alien visitation. Yet that's the one people seem to want to pick first.</p><p>There's an old saying in the field of medicine. It applies to any mystery, whether diagnosing a disease, solving a murder, or looking at UFO footage. It goes like this:</p><p>"When you hear hoof-beats, think horses, not zebras."</p><p>In other words, go with the likeliest explanation before considering the more exotic ones.</p><p>Which, oddly, we never seem to do.</p><p>This goes for other scenarios as well, obviously. For example, do Democrats simply have a better message for city folk than country folk? Or are they winning elections by funneling money through a Satanic child pedophile ring?</p><p>If you need help with that, I have a horoscope I'd like to sell ya.</p><p> </p><p>The hierarchy of likelihood regarding UFO's goes something like this:</p><p>1) Natural phenomena: lens-refraction, strange clouds, weather balloons, meteors, satellites, etc.</p><p>2) Deliberate hoax: faked footage or photograph, drone, CGI, etc.</p><p>3) New technology: experimental aircraft flown by the U.S. </p><p>4) New spycraft: Flown by another nation (Russia, China).</p><p>5) Hallucination. <br /></p><p>6) If none of the above apply, leave it an unsolved mystery.</p><p>7) Exotic explanations: alien visitation, time travelers, ancient gods, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>In this hierarchy, I would like to propose my own hypothesis, which wedges in nicely between #2 and #3. And then I would like to propose that it's the likeliest explanation for the footage seen on 60 Minutes last Sunday. Here it is:</p><p>These UFO's are caused by hackers.</p><p>We forget sometimes that our defense systems are getting more and more computerized every day. And those computerized systems are vulnerable to hackers in ways we might not yet have been able to fathom. Hackers in Russia and China might want to experiment with hacking our defense systems in ways that don't necessarily alert the military to the fact that someone's been tampering with our code. So, to test the waters as it were, they put small hacks in which make what appear to be strange objects in the sky.<br /></p><p>In reality, these are no more than internally generated, CGI blips. But because they come from inside the defense system's computer, they appear to do amazing things. They will speed up and slow down at rates and speeds which are impossible by our currently known standards. They will appear suddenly, and then disappear just as suddenly again. They will be able to change direction at perfectly right angles without seeming to slow down. They will be invisible to the naked eye, yet visible on the infrared scopes.<br /></p><p>All this makes sense, because the objects aren't really there. They exist solely inside the computer, and as a projection on a screen.</p><p>On some level, the Pentagon might even realize that this sort of thing is the result of a hack, which explains part of why they don't want to let the public know about it. After all, it would be embarrassing enough if Russia or China had better experimental spying aircraft. But Russian hackers making our defense systems see targets which aren't there? That's the sort of thing you bury, and bury deep! One hopes that they've secretly developed countermeasures, or else the next major conflict may see our planes firing on targets which aren't there, and hitting our own forces or civilians!</p><p>No, I don't have proof. But my hypothesis makes more sense than anything else out there currently, and perhaps it will persuade some of you out there to not bother so much with the "space alien" hypothesis, which, on the hierarchy of likelihood, is the least likely of all.</p><p>No, this doesn't explain all of the phenomena. But it explains much of it. For those it doesn't explain, possibilities 1 through 5 above are adequate. The fact that so very much UFO footage is explainable by my "Russian hacker" hypothesis should be deeply disturbing to everyone concerned. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Now, what I'd really like to know is why <i>I'm</i> the one offering this hypothesis, and not 60 Minutes.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric<br /></p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-9512216424462057522021-04-28T10:44:00.002-07:002021-04-28T10:44:46.825-07:00The Worst Is Yet To Come<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eCpdx8Xec1SpN3DHRrcRSjPE9_eeFWn_kEDa25ZfAxAfVcmtWazx93w9O3yjqggXs2GQ3b3W0h5dSXfLmpPXukAxBPPSaQO19gIZJkcePT062RFi0Xp50WvL19tHH-wIothogyFUAmw/s992/Trump+Riots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="992" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eCpdx8Xec1SpN3DHRrcRSjPE9_eeFWn_kEDa25ZfAxAfVcmtWazx93w9O3yjqggXs2GQ3b3W0h5dSXfLmpPXukAxBPPSaQO19gIZJkcePT062RFi0Xp50WvL19tHH-wIothogyFUAmw/s320/Trump+Riots.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It is not over.<p></p><p>Derek Chauvin has been convicted. Yes, that's a turning point in the history of Minnesota, and in the nation. Yes, that's a positive development. But it is not over.</p><p>Because while Chauvin was being convicted, Tucker Carlson was pretending with Candace Owens that Chauvin was somehow innocent. Fox News in general was insisting that Chauvin was getting shafted.</p><p>The worst of them were even saying that Chauvin deserved a promotion, not a conviction.</p><p>It is not over. <br /></p><p>Chauvin's own police captain and co-officers testified against them. I wonder how the pundits on Fox News think they know Chauvin's actions better than his own colleagues do.</p><p>On the very day Chauvin was being convicted, what was the House of Representatives doing? Censuring Chauvin? Passing legislation making it safer for citizens' being arrested? Maybe even making things safer for cops?</p><p>No, it spent the day censuring Maxine Waters for threatening the riots we all knew would happen if Chauvin got off.</p><p>That's right. No censure for the Right Wing Media Cult. No censure for Tucker Carlson. No censure for Sean Hannity.<br /></p><p>Yes, Biden is in the White House. But 40% of the nation is still convinced by <b>The Big Lie</b> that he somehow didn't actually win.</p><p>Yes, things are getting done, yet not ONE Republican is willing to break ranks and support Biden for anything. It is a repeat of how they treated Obama all over again. <br /></p><p>The very worst elements of the Right Wing Media Cult are getting stronger and more virulent, <i>without</i> Trump in power. Without Trump having money. Because Trump still has the Right Wing Media Cult on his side, and so long as they back him, he will forever be on the game board.</p><p>Make no mistake: The Right Wing Media Cult will make another attempt at thwarting democracy in 2024! Only this time, they'll be more blatant, better prepared, better planned, and better <i>armed!</i></p><p>You have been warned.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*<br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-44079185391766591602021-03-26T11:33:00.001-07:002021-03-26T11:33:41.603-07:00The Native Advertising Goes On...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Dlm815NvD321jFjMQwxoMCPqVBsizRcA__d8fTOkRj0sVe3DpwvK0uctNswLceLmk4cnBQ-l83YL3ESxc4nrGbUxKDGZIXymlPdXjwNVNcJF8lOk27QCykdBWwPXy7VoiFYRZ-guXvY/s809/Hannity+Commercial+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="809" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Dlm815NvD321jFjMQwxoMCPqVBsizRcA__d8fTOkRj0sVe3DpwvK0uctNswLceLmk4cnBQ-l83YL3ESxc4nrGbUxKDGZIXymlPdXjwNVNcJF8lOk27QCykdBWwPXy7VoiFYRZ-guXvY/s320/Hannity+Commercial+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Native Advertising is a commercial which mimics the platform its on. We see this when we scroll through a news app and find an ad which is disguised to look like another news story. We see it as a sponsored post on Facebook or Twitter. We might even see it as an embedded news story, as I once did when I saw David Muir do a "news" segment on CBS about a new heart medication.</p><p>A skeptical eye can discern the difference between a genuine news post and a fake one. But skepticism is in short supply these days. This is one large reason why the plague of our time, misinformation, is so rampant, even in the so-called "Information Age."</p><p>What I've come to realize lately is that the entire "infotainment" industry is essentially native advertising. It is political advertisement disguised as news commentary. And what's really disgusting, is that this sort of crap is done as commercial television. So if you're watching, say, Sean Hannity, or Jeannine Pirro, or Tucker Carlson, and the show breaks away for commercials, you've actually seen your larger commercial interrupted for a smaller one. The <i>entire hour</i> is non-stop commercial!</p><p>I said after January 6 that such programming cannot, CANNOT, simply be allowed to go back to work as though nothing happened. But, of course, it was, and now we're in a situation where Republicans are acting like nothing happened at all. And that's because they're watching political ads disguised as opinion news programs. Back, to back, to back non-stop native advertising pushing the most extreme anti-liberal hatred.</p><p>I have no desire to spend the next two years warning people about the most severe threat to human freedom and yet see nothing done about it. But I fear that may be the case. True, it's only March. There's a long stretch yet in front of us to make changes. But so far, there has been ZERO accountability brought upon Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram, and their ilk. Meanwhile, their faithful listening audience who sacked the Capital on their orders, and Trump's, are facing jail time and/or huge fines. Why aren't these suckers banding together and filing their own lawsuit? </p><p>I imagined that by now, a flurry of lawsuits against everything involving Trumpism would be underway. And I know, Merrick Garland was only confirmed a week ago. But damn it, the wheels of justice are turning way too slowly!</p><p>I see no point in waiting for the Dominion lawsuit to take Fox News out of the cable TV lineup. The pundits will just go over to Newsmax or OANN and continue there. And nothing will be done about the vast number of AM radio stations lying to the white working class every working hour of every working day. The announcement by Westwood One that Dan Bongino would take over in Rush Limbaugh's radio slot is all the proof we need of this.</p><p>No, I won't spend two years pleading for people to get off their asses and deal some real-world consequences to the right-wing-pundit destroyers of America. I don't know what I'll do if we get to 1.5 years in, and still nothing is done, but I'll do something beyond words, that's for sure. </p><p>Just please, someone at least <i>hinder</i> the non-stop commercials for the Right Wing Media Cult? Please?</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*<br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-58822090098033987622021-02-18T07:31:00.003-08:002021-02-18T07:31:51.495-08:00So Long, El Rushbo<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWiWHqn8geoemglC_gGnGlh7wVLDza068XVXaqd1BtZcGyu3h0V3hVtWAZvw97po3VBccHst7_U-yKcETx3z6rRSsSZdlVytp2yQ3H89J-chdRT2SYi_utJVh5j7ScMdOuhZnva9tctQ/s346/Rush.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWiWHqn8geoemglC_gGnGlh7wVLDza068XVXaqd1BtZcGyu3h0V3hVtWAZvw97po3VBccHst7_U-yKcETx3z6rRSsSZdlVytp2yQ3H89J-chdRT2SYi_utJVh5j7ScMdOuhZnva9tctQ/s320/Rush.png" /></a></div><p></p><p>The good news is that one of the worst right-wing lying hacks has been taken off the air forever.</p><p>The bad news is that it took death from cancer to accomplish it.</p><p>I never take glee from the demise of a despised enemy. A life spent building something which must be completely torn down if humanity is to survive is a life truly wasted. Such needless retrograde. And it deserves to be truly mourned. For that reason, I am deeply sorrowful at the death of Rush Limbaugh.</p><p>I mean, he could have at least lived long enough for Biden to rescind his Medal of Freedom. Dick.</p><p></p><p>I would very much have preferred it if Limbaugh were removed from the air by a responsible right-wing media establishment which recognized that the lies he continuously told were doing harm to conservatism, and the Republican brand. I would have preferred it if Limbaugh were forced off the air by advertisers refusing to do business with any network which aired him. It would be nice if that were the sort of responsible media we had in this country.</p><p>Instead, the Powers That Be had to do their job for all of them.</p><p>And I do not have any delusions about the absence of Rush Limbaugh somehow making the Right Wing Media Cult quieter, any more than the absence of one fan at a playoff game makes the crowd noise less. There are thousands of dittohead Limbaugh clones out there who are ready to take his place, many of them being guest-hosts on the Rush Limbaugh show during his illness beforehand.</p><p>It is the <i>cult</i> which must die, not Rush.</p><p>So long as the Right Wing Media Cult receives legitimacy from established news networks, the lies will seem to be institutionalized. Listeners and viewers will rationally conclude that there must be some element of truth to the lies, or they wouldn't be on the air in the first place.</p><p>Institutionalized lies seem like truth.</p><p>We must de-legitimize Hannity, Ingram, Levin and the others immediately! If not sooner! Yet I see ZERO evidence that anybody is taking this action, even though it must be our #1 priority.</p><p>Fucking why?</p><p>I said after the attack on January 6th that the talking heads of the Right Wing Media Cult could simply NOT be allowed to just go back to work as though nothing happened! But they <i>were!</i></p><p>And we saw the result in Trump's acquittal. Sorry - <i>jury nullification</i>. The sequel.</p><p>We need these hate-porn generators, like the late Limbaugh, moved to the <i>non-news</i> side of media.</p><p>The op-ed section must go back to the back-page of the newspaper - <i>where it belongs!</i><br /></p><p>We need this more than action on climate change.</p><p>We need this more than Covid vaccines.</p><p>We need this more than a Texan needs a working space-heater!</p><p>We can't simply wait around for the rest of the cult leaders to die, too.</p><p><br /></p><p>Because by then, it will be too late.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*<br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-14817656718224730932021-02-08T14:15:00.000-08:002021-02-08T14:15:12.807-08:00Save The Republicans!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W42K_oZXCMeF5DDzvIfDDhFoNSQRt3d-AU2V3Hol1T28ETObvx07bkExIpSwNj3EDjwT21zRR5nHTS1br1vsjFHbHJWRwaXW-gT17i8U0LnI0mTeuSlsFx8iGMSvbjvdw-mkkEmp_cw/s480/Fraidy+Cat.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W42K_oZXCMeF5DDzvIfDDhFoNSQRt3d-AU2V3Hol1T28ETObvx07bkExIpSwNj3EDjwT21zRR5nHTS1br1vsjFHbHJWRwaXW-gT17i8U0LnI0mTeuSlsFx8iGMSvbjvdw-mkkEmp_cw/s320/Fraidy+Cat.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />You read me right. Save the <i>Republicans!</i><br /><p></p><p>We can't stop the fount of disinformation in the Right Wing Media Cult. Not yet, anyway. But we <i>can</i> influence Republicans to impeach Trump.</p><p>Here's how it can work:</p><p>Look at the two votes recently cast regarding Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene. In both votes, the right thing was done. Liz Cheney was retained in her leadership role, and Marjorie Taylor Greene was removed from her committee appointments. Yet the Republicans cast two VERY different votes! Now, Greene may be "laughing" about the spare time she's been granted, and what she plans to do with it, but the ones who should be laughing are ourselves - at the composition of the House of Representatives.</p><p>The two votes could not be more different. Liz Cheney was overwhelmingly supported by Republicans, by a vote of 145 in favor to 61 against removing her from her committees. That vote was done by <i>anonymous</i> ballot, where the names of those voting were not revealed. Yet in Greene's case, her vote was <i>public</i>. Representatives had to vote <i>on the record</i> regarding her. Only 11 Republicans voted to remove her, and Greene was given a standing ovation earlier. That can only mean....<br /></p><p>There are at least 134 Republicans in the House who are just plain ol'<i> 'frady cats!</i></p><p>They want to hold Donald Trump accountable. They want to rid their party of him. And they were vocal about impeaching Trump - at first. They were scared straight by the January 6 attack on the Capitol. But then they were scared back <i>crooked</i> again! By what? Trump is powerless and penniless! What could he have to scare people <i>with?!</i></p><p>The answer is the hordes of dittoheads who still follow the Right Wing Media Cult! They're all still with him, and the inertia behind their falsehoods hasn't died down yet.<br /></p><p>The 134 Republicans on the House who supported Liz Cheney anonymously, but who were too scared to censure Greene, did this about-face out of <i>fear</i>. They know that Trumpism simply must die. But they're scared of what the Trump mob will do to them! Their wives and kids are receiving death threats! They vote in favor of Greene, and even applaud her, not because they approve of her, but because they don't want a bottle thrown at their wife's head when she goes to the supermarket!</p><p>What about the Senate? Are there similar 'frady cats in the Republican minority on the senate floor?</p><p>I argue yes! We know of the few that stand by their convictions: Romney, Murkowski, Collins... even <i>Mitch McConnell</i> is standing up to the bullshit somewhat! Ten Republicans were seen in broad daylight talking to Joe Biden about Covid relief efforts - a huge step! But are there more than ten? Remember, we need 17!</p><p>Yes! We know Lindsey Graham is one of them, fickle bitch that he is, and there are undoubtedly more.</p><p>And here's how we get them to vote in favor of impeachment! We let them know that WE WILL PROTECT THEM!</p><p>Now is the time to write your Senators and let them know - if you vote against Trump, we WILL fight to guard YOU! To guard your FAMILY! To protect you from the hordes of Trumpers who dared to attack the very heart of our nation!</p><p>HERE is where you get to fight to REALLY make a difference. If you marched for BLM, if you protested police violence, if you were bound and determined to do SOMETHING this past summer, let me tell you...</p><p>ALL THAT WAS A WARM UP FOR WHAT YOU MUST DO NOW!</p><p>Tell your Republican Senators that if they vote to impeach, we've got their back! Tell them we'll protect their family at the store! Tell them that we will get in between any Trumpanzee and them!</p><p>Let them know: WE'VE GOT THEIR BACK!</p><p>And MEAN it! I don't know about you, but any Republican who votes against Trump (and keep in mind, in my case that means <b><i>Ron Johnson - </i></b><i>which is huge!</i>) will be a person I'll FIGHT to PROTECT, PROTECT, PROTECT if anyone dares threaten him afterward!</p><p>This is not only HOW we fight, this is WHEN we fight! If you wanted to fight before, you should fight now! If you DID fight before, you MUST fight now! This is the winning shot!</p><p>PROTECT THE REPUBLICANS!</p><p>HERD THOSE 'FRADY CATS!</p><p>We need this. Now. RIGHT now!</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Right now! <br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*<br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-44469926140959427092021-01-28T11:38:00.002-08:002021-01-28T12:28:14.019-08:00"Klonning" - The Hate Crime Of The Century<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRyGbwIC-5pgNsuc7awNqM_DP2P9DgzQEBv2mmbuQr7qExg9QKdpHeselZvotHzYYpKyTJelBLRgjzjIzVFbaMpTjv8lsDmnP_RPDTsNlicKqF3F5M0xRgBiAee9X2gnH5WUEMq108x8/s279/Talk+Radio.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRyGbwIC-5pgNsuc7awNqM_DP2P9DgzQEBv2mmbuQr7qExg9QKdpHeselZvotHzYYpKyTJelBLRgjzjIzVFbaMpTjv8lsDmnP_RPDTsNlicKqF3F5M0xRgBiAee9X2gnH5WUEMq108x8/s0/Talk+Radio.jpg" /></a></div><br />What is "klonning?"<p></p><p>To answer that, I must lament the state of our media, and our country, because the one follows the other.<br /></p><p>There's no words I can write which can express the utter and complete despair I feel when looking at what's going on in current events right now. Sure, Biden won, and he's finally been safely sworn in, but only eight days later it is abundantly clear that the underlying sickness cannot not be cured simply by Trump no longer being president.</p><p>As I said on this blog, in no uncertain terms, the right-wing pundits, who are the root cause of the seditious attack we endured on January 6th, could <i>simply not be allowed</i> to go back to work. Well, they <i>were</i> allowed to go back to work. They got back on the air, found every stupid excuse they could find for themselves and for Trump, and now we're seeing the consequences.</p><p>Only ten Republicans voted to impeach Trump in the House. <i>Ten!</i> On a vote which should have been unanimous! And now <i>they</i>, not the Republicans who voted against impeachment, are facing a huge backlash! Their constituency is actually saying to them, "How <i>dare</i> you vote that sedition and fascism are unacceptable!"</p><p>In the Senate, 45 Republicans sided with Rand Paul's silly claim that impeaching a president after his term of office ends is unconstitutional. Only five Republicans voted yes. Five! Out of a vote which should also have been unanimous! And they, too, are facing a backlash.</p><p>What's a little blatant treason among friends?</p><p>Nikki Haley, the sometimes oh-so-rational Nikki Haley, actually said on the Laura Ingram show Monday, "I don't even think there's a <i>basis</i> for impeachment."</p><p>Fucking <i>what?!</i> <br /></p><p>Yeah, who cares about sedition anyway? The truth is dying. And <i>nobody</i> gives a fuck.<br /></p><p></p><p>People make a serious mistake if they assume that a Biden presidency will fix it all. The underlying riptides of lying are there. Some serious urgency is needed to fix this situation right now, and all I see are people breathing sighs of relief.</p><p>As if this weren't the <i>beginning</i> of the battle, rather than the denouement.</p><p>What right-wing media is doing is so heinous, so criminal, that our language needs a new word for the crime. Merely saying "lying" doesn't cut it. People are too inured to the word "lying." And "treason" does not work, either. People dismiss "treason" as mere hyperbole, even when it is accurate.</p><p>What new word could possibly express how truly unacceptable their behavior is?</p><p>Here's my answer: <i>KLON</i> (pronounced like TRON).</p><p>It stands for Knowingly Lying On the News. K.L.O.N. Or "KLON." A person who knowingly lies on the news is a klon. What he's doing is called "klonning."</p><p>Example: If someone on the news says that Joe Biden stole the election, we know empirically that this is false. That person, assuming he or she isn't a mere guest on the show, is a "klon."</p><p>One is a klon if one knowingly disseminates false information on any form of news outlet, whether it be a news program, a news station, a news channel, or a newspaper. If it bills itself as "news," it must meet a certain standard under the law.<br /></p><p>The word fits. It sounds a little bit like "clown," which is both fitting and accurate. It also sounds a bit like "Klan," and for the same reason. Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are proud members of the Ku Klux KLON.</p><p>QAnon commits KLON. It even rhymes. <br /></p><p>Klonning is <i>not</i> freedom of speech! It is a betrayal of the public trust! It is deliberately misleading people in a way which produces real, physical, tangible harm, both mentally and sometimes physically.</p><p>Klonning is a hate crime.<br /></p><p>There is a loophole. Klonning <i>might</i> be done legally, provided the media outlet is rendered as <i>tabloid</i>, rather than "news." "Tabloid news" is an oxymoron.</p><p>Klonning is acceptable in the National Enquirer. <br /></p><p>There are liars, cheats, scoundrels, and <i>klons</i>, in descending order.</p><p>About two years ago, I invented another word that didn't really catch on, although I see it pop up every once in a long while. That word was "YARP." It's the word "pray" spelled backwards, and I invented it so that non-believers would have something to say to someone in distress besides, "I'll pray for you." Instead, one could say, "I'll yarp for you," meaning that I'm sending well wishes and good vibrations your way.</p><p>Well, I can only yarp that klon will catch on.</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric</p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-34155913419710451182021-01-20T13:05:00.025-08:002021-01-20T13:21:15.112-08:00The Limits Of Free Speech<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8lQ4MihWrgX3ZPIHE-SJ3PSyAsY-rtOIxmReHAvHgZT6Njxse2VfEQJw8BoRaDnqTuujM121cKf4DRm8XW56cui0MQovYMdO8a3pSpKLULXAP9Bp-yAXhhEoKXooKbASW66XdjIvPrI/s349/Talk+Radio+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8lQ4MihWrgX3ZPIHE-SJ3PSyAsY-rtOIxmReHAvHgZT6Njxse2VfEQJw8BoRaDnqTuujM121cKf4DRm8XW56cui0MQovYMdO8a3pSpKLULXAP9Bp-yAXhhEoKXooKbASW66XdjIvPrI/s320/Talk+Radio+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Well, we survived.</p><p>After a rough and tumble four years, in which everything went wrong except the economy for the first three, and then even the economy tanked in year number four, we have finally emerged on the other side. The would-be dictator is gone; his insurrection, quelled. Joe Biden has been safely sworn in as our 46th president.<br /></p><p>Now what?</p><p>Now, the ire of the righteous must turn towards tearing down the apparatus that built Trump in the first place. If we kill the Frankenstein monster, yet leave Victor Frankenstein un-lynched, the mad scientist will undoubtedly try again.</p><p>That means the high priests of right-wing misinformation in the cult, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingram, Mark Levin, Lou Dobbs, and Maria Bartiromo, must be held accountable for their lies.</p><p>But how? Isn't freedom of speech a divine right?</p><p>Yes! But not without limits. Let's explore what those limits are, and what they should be under the law.</p><p>We all know the analogy about shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater. A person who does that can ignite a panic which leads to many innocent people getting trampled. Surely, such a lie is prosecutable, and the person who shouted should be held accountable for the injuries or deaths that were caused.</p><p>In the same manner, the Hannity/Limbaugh caucus shouted "fire." More precisely, they shouted, "Fraud!" when there was none. Or, to be absolutely precise, there were irregularities, just as there are irregularities in every election, but the irregularities in this election seemed much larger and more ominous because it was more scrutinized than any election before.</p><p>If you look at something really close, it seems bigger, even when it isn't.</p><p>For four years, these Chicken Littles have been shouting, "The <i>democracy</i> is falling! The <i>democracy</i> is falling!" When it clearly hasn't been. You might think, just like in the children's tale, that at some point people would just stop paying attention to Chicken Little. And there has been a drop in Fox News ratings, that much is true. But that drop has not gone sufficiently below the kind of threshold needed to induce firings.</p><p>In fact, after a brief period of reality on January 7th, Fox News seems to be doubling down on the bullshit.<br /></p><p>Does freedom of speech give one the right to say something which is untrue? In fact, it usually does. People may be genuinely mistaken and so pass along incorrect information with an honest heart. But it also protects citizens' right to outright lie. People may spread rumor, or even bluntly lie about any number of things, without fear of legal consequence in most circumstances. Comedians are free to do parody. Authors are free to do satire. Religions are free to preach faith-based falsehoods. So long as there is no discernible physical harm in these actions, such fictions are our right.</p><p>And yet, the right to fiction is not an absolute! For example, one could be sued for libel, if the lie resulted in tangible, physical harm, or measurable financial loss. A CEO who gets fired over a false rumor that he was sleeping with his secretary, might be able to sue the originator of the rumor for losses, and win in court.</p><p>There was real, physical harm, and measurable financial loss, arising from the lie that Joe Biden somehow didn't win the 2020 election. The phrase "Stop the steal!" has literally cost lives, and damaged property.</p><p>Which means that Trump, and the Hannity/Limbaugh caucus are in an <i>actionable position</i> under the law for those damages! Is there a lawsuit pending? There should be.</p><p>The right to fiction is also not applicable when it comes to selling products. If one sells a can of soup, one is legally required to list the ingredients on that can, and the contents of the can must not deviate from that list. If the list itself contains something harmful (monosodium glutimate, for instance), and the consumer buys it anyway, that's on the consumer. But if the product label says one thing, and the product contains another, that's on the manufacturer! For example, if the label says "gluten free," but the product actually contains glutin-based flour, the <i>manufacturer</i> can be sued! If a product is sold as a cure for various diseases, such as "magnet therapy" or "pyramid power," such product is also liable for a lawsuit.<br /></p><p>In like manner, Hannity, Limbaugh and their copycats have been selling false product. They have been claiming themselves as truthful opinion-pundits, when in reality they have been spewing known falsehoods.</p><p>It is the equivalent of selling a bottle of bleach which is labeled "milk." <br /></p><p>Of course, as we all know, it can be devilishly tricky to take certain fraudsters to court. If the peddler of some penis-enlargement pill (for example) is sued for fraud, the defense attorney will usually cite some shoddily done university study and get off the hook. Whether that university study is reliable or not isn't the point. All that is required is enough plausibility to make the vendor non-culpable.</p><p>Limbaugh, Hannity, and their ilk try a similar tactic. They label themselves "infotainment," branding themselves as entertainers rather than actual news broadcasters. Fine, except they are typically broadcast on actual news networks, and not on E!, or Lifetime, or USA.</p><p>I like to call it, "misinfotainment," because that's closer to the truth.<br /></p><p>That covers the legal limits of freedom of speech which are already on the books. The Limbaugh/Hannity collective should already be facing lawsuits for the violation of those existing laws. But is there any way the preservation of truth in our information can be strengthened without violating our freedom of speech and expression?</p><p>I argue there is! Let's call it "the Integrity in News Bill."</p><p>I doubt this will ever be brought up for an actual vote. If it is, Fox News will hire ever lobbyist they can get their hands on to stop it. But it is a GREAT idea. Here it is:</p><p>If the media outlet labels itself "news," it is legally bound to adhere to a set standard of truth. Opinion shows must be balanced to show both sides of any political debate, somewhat like what CNN's "Crossfire" show used to be. No one on a media outlet branded as "news" is allowed to knowingly make a false statement, like the one Maria Bartiromo made a few days ago when she said that Antifa people were instigating the January 6th riot on the Capitol. Such a breech of public trust would result in a hefty fine, and/or the offending pundit being fired. If one's network is meant to inform the public, then it should be legally <i>bound</i> to inform the public! Not misinform the public! "Infotainment" shows get exiled to some other channel. Perhaps Hannity could land a job on TBN. Rush Limbaugh could go to the Playboy channel.</p><p>Maybe Rachel Maddow will end up on MTV. </p><p>This fix needs to happen, and FAST! Because it is so easy to artificially beef up ratings with bullshit and anger-porn, that it's spread just about everywhere. Every major metropolitan area has at least one A.M. radio station devoted exclusively to right-wing bullshit. Most local television stations are owned by one or two companies, all of whom want their own right-wing propaganda given time on your local "News at Nine" broadcast.<br /></p><p>70% of Republicans don't believe that Biden stole the election because one or two pundits say so. They believe Biden stole the election because ALL the right-wing pundits, AND Fox News, AND OANN, AND Newsmax, AND all their Facebook friends, AND their local pastor say so!</p><p>It's gotten WAY out of hand! The lies have NEVER been so institutionalized!</p><p>But it ALL begins with the right-wing bullshit masters, Hannity and Limbaugh. And <i>they</i> get it from right-wing spin-doctoring institutions like the CATO Institute.<br /></p><p>Will any of this be stopped? Can it be fixed? I don't know. I hope it will. But one thing's for certain:</p><p>These right-wing pundits, after nearly burning down our ENTIRE nation, must NOT be allowed to simply go back to work as though nothing happened!</p><p>The piper <i>must</i> be paid!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Eric<br /></p><p>*</p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951551319591887620.post-11191571938324130502021-01-18T14:55:00.001-08:002021-01-18T14:55:59.149-08:00Justifying The Unjustifiable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZbhoDXLeFJEPs80LrFvvBI8mHaoIAj0bFd4kV9cmigEaAVGcEwsIjsOAJwJF79IgH0hlxX0Rwdr6xvLba_4wEnzXTV1mC-XogCnSWmI1y0c808elBsMIIRZwPsPfFr7L_Ju-B2hyTCk/s279/Talk+Radio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZbhoDXLeFJEPs80LrFvvBI8mHaoIAj0bFd4kV9cmigEaAVGcEwsIjsOAJwJF79IgH0hlxX0Rwdr6xvLba_4wEnzXTV1mC-XogCnSWmI1y0c808elBsMIIRZwPsPfFr7L_Ju-B2hyTCk/s0/Talk+Radio.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>Folks, it's as simple as this: If Trump is guilty of inciting a riot upon the U.S. Capitol (and he is), then those who incited Donald Trump are equally guilty. More so, in fact, because they are the root cause.</p><p>That means Limbaugh, Hannity, Dobbs, Ingram and Levin, among others, should be <i>fired for cause</i>, brought up on charges, and prosecuted for peddling a false product, and perpetrating a fraud upon the general public - both of which are federal crimes.<br /></p><p>It also goes without saying that, after five years of shilling for Trump, the right-wing pundits have been proven dead wrong. The only rational conclusion people can make is that the Hannity/Limbaugh caucus simply cannot be trusted anymore.</p><p>Of course, they don't want that. So they're trying to find any excuse for Trump, and by extension themselves, that they can find.</p><p>Rush Limbaugh was quick to attempt to blame Left-wingers. On his January 7th show, he said that the crowd "undoubtedly" included some Antifa, pro-Democrat instigators. Social media quickly joined in spread rumors that Antifa members infiltrated the crowd and caused the attack. However, many arrests have been made since, and they're pretty much all right-wingers.</p><p>When that explanation failed, they quickly pivoted, trying to say that the attack was only "a few bad apples," and that the vast majority were kind and respectful. To that, all I can say is, 'roll the footage!' Do a head-count on everyone being unruly, violent, or disrespectful, and you'll see perfectly well that it was <i>way</i> more than "a few."</p><p>In fact, the right-wing origin of this riot was put well beyond shadow of doubt when footage circulated of Alex Jones participating in the crowd itself, after spending much of his own fortune promoting the event. Naturally, he sneaked off before the Capitol was breached. He is currently being questioned by the FBI.<br /></p><p>On January 11ths edition of 'Fox & Friends,' Judge Jeanine Pirro equated the ban against Parler to <i>Kristallnacht</i>. No, <i>really</i>, she did!</p><p>On January 7th, Lou Dobbs claimed the Democrats were trying to "overthrow" Trump. No joke!</p><p>Even after Cumulus Media ordered its talk show hosts, like Mark Levin,
to knock off the "stolen election" rhetoric, they went right on ahead
anyway, most of them claiming to have not received the memo.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Mark Belling contributed to the madness the Monday after. You might think that after a weekend to reflect, Mark would see that his fiery rhetoric contributed to the boiling over of Trumpist extremism. But no. Instead, fearing to lose the job he doesn't need (because he's wealthy and of retirement age anyway) he calls the responsible crackdown on those who continually shout "fire" in a crowded theater, like himself, a form of oppression.</p><p class="MsoNormal">"Just checking over here, I want to make sure I haven't been canceled yet. Am I still on the air? Am I allowed to broadcast? I think it's beginning to dawn on people exactly what's going on. We are in the early stages in this country of total totalitarianism. And I'm not going to sugarcoat this because it's going to continue until it's stopped."</p><p class="MsoNormal">When you perpetrate a public fraud, there are laws which prosecute you. One cannot sell a fraudulent product in a grocery store, or a department store, because that will get you sued and your business shut down!</p><p class="MsoNormal">How much more important is our news media!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Now, I believe in freedom of speech. Belling should be able to go on spewing whatever bullshit he wants. BUT NOT ON A <b>NEWS </b>NETWORK!</p><p class="MsoNormal">The word "NEWS" is sacred! You tell the truth in <i>that</i> territory, or you get the fuck out!</p><p class="MsoNormal">And yes, there is room for editorializing. The Op-Ed page is as old as newspapers themselves. But not only should op-ed be clearly delineated, but those who do op-ed SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED SAY PROVEN FALSEHOODS! Because that crosses the line between opinion and fraud! If your opinion is based on the notion that (for example) gremlins are in control of the Pentagon, you should probably be held accountable if you decide to print or air that statement.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the news, one can have an alternate opinion. One<i> cannot</i> have alternate facts!</p><p class="MsoNormal">"It is breathtaking that Twitter kicked Donald Trump off," Belling said on Monday. "Because if they can kick off the President of the United States, that means they can kick off anyone. What chance has Joe Blow in Joplin, Missouri have if Donald Trump can't survive on Twitter?"</p><p class="MsoNormal">Except that Joe Blow in Joplin doesn't have 80-odd million followers, 90% of whom will believe any bullshit he makes up. <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is a question which should have been brought up back when Twitter <i>should</i> have kicked Trump off four years ago! A better question is, why the hell did Twitter allow this to go on for so long? Why did it allow Donald Trump to spew anger, hatred, racism, bigotry and even sedition for <i>four solid years</i> with zero consequences? Isn't it fair to say that Twitter gave Trump <i>way too much</i> leeway just for being the president?</p><p class="MsoNormal">Trump is guilty. The right-wing media cult leaders who made Trump in the first place are even more guilty still. If Trump is to be made a pariah, if his impeachment is to be successful to bar him from participating in the 2024 elections, then so too much Hannity, Limbaugh, Levin, OANN and Newsmax.</p><p class="MsoNormal">They are snake oil peddlers, who should be treated every bit as harshly as Kevin Trudeau, James Van Praagh, John Edward.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Let them give their bullshit opinions. That's free speech. But if such opinions depend on dissemination of <i>outright</i> bullshit, they've started to sell fake product, and have thus crossed the line.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Our laws, or at least FCC policy, should reflect that.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Eric<br /></p><p>*<br /></p>SaganJrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04186343675583144260noreply@blogger.com0