It seems with this corporate bailout we are heading towards a sort of national socialism. Hmm, that term sounds quite familiar. The Shock Doctrine as coined by Naomi Klein has passed all 10 steps for the institution of a Fascistic government. Congratulations, President Bush was able to do what his grandfather couldn't with a coup in 1938 with a bunch of his corporate buddies...install a fascist government in the United States.
It was brilliantly played with the Reichstag fire on 9-11-01 and the depressed economy right on its heels, there's no way people would feel comfortable enough to govern themselves. Let us give all of our rights and money to the government so they'll protect us from their friends, the assassins of Arabia and Wall Street.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
We are a nation of men not laws
Of course I use the term "men" metaphorically because I am talking about Sarah and Todd Palins' Chenian legal maneuver. Wherein they fell they are above the lawa and can usurp a subpoena because they can be judge of what is important and what isn't when it comes to the people's business. Let's reverse the tables, what holy hell would be raised if Obama or Biden ignored a government issued subpoena, because they didn't agree with the substance of the subpoena, or the politics behind it? I don't thin we would ever hear the end of it. This only goes to show that Palin/McCain=Cheney/Bush. An administration filled with people who assume themselves to be above the laws of the nation. People who look down on government and only enjoy government enough to run for political office, not follow the rules, get government earmarks, and socialize corporate losses.
Kill Switch Engaged
Some call it PTSD I call it the kill switch and once it is engaged it's hard to flip off. It's becoming more apparent as we've had two cases of "fragging" in recent months in Iraq. One such case just took the lives of two NCOs in Iraq a few days ago. VETVOICE Has the Story and comments.
Some call it PTSD I call it the kill switch and once it is engaged it's hard to flip off.
It's becoming more apparent as we've had two cases of "fragging" in recent months in Iraq. One such case just took the lives of two NCOs in Iraq a few days ago.
I don't know if you've ever been in a situation where your life is in someway in danger. Such as being held up outside the grocery store, or even in a car accident, when your heart races, and your adrenaline is pumping. Now, imagine having that feeling day in and day out for 15 months with a 12 month, or less break, then back for 15 months more. It's an act of self-preservation where everything is suspect, and capable of taking your life. Is there a bomb in that trash pile? That kid could be carrying a grenade. That rooftop looks like a good spot for a sniper. When you are transported to a world where danger lurks in every corner, trash pile, and person you have to engage your senses to the point of hypersensitivity. You have to be ready to raise your weapon and kill at a moments notice. Your kill-switch must be engaged. You can operate with this hypersensitivity and lack of sensitivity to killing for a period of time and then come back. These timelines vary depending upon the person and the amount of combat they are engaged in.
In urban warefare this timeline shrinks due to the danger that is everywhere in everything. It's a multiplied hypersesitivity or hyperalertness that grows to a point where it can't be turned off. Then there is the desensitization that develops due to having to shoot or kill on a daily basis. That is why we practice firing with our rifles so much. It's not to make you a better marksman, it's to desensitize you to pulling the trigger. How many times do you have to shoot a person before you become completely desensitized to killing anyone, at all, that poses a threat to you? Anyone, such as your squad leader, who threatens your military career by correcting your performance. What's the number 2,3, 10 times? It's different for every person.
When these two forces of hyperalertness and desensitization merge I call it the "kill-switch." You are in a state of mind where killing is the reaction to anything seen as any sort of threat to you. Where your immediate reaction to anything is to literally raise your weapon and shoot. You can engage the kill-switch for short periods of time then disengage. But there is so much power surging to the switch that if you keep it engaged for too long it will short out and the switch will be left in the permanent on position with no way of turning it off.
This accounts for the increased suicides, and homicides we are seeing in the Army. Last week a soldier shot and killed his commanding officer at Fort Hood then shot himself. This week a soldier killed his squad leader and another soldier in Iraq. Everyday soldiers are committing suicide and homicide, and sometimes in public and disturbing ways.
Keeping the killswitch engaged for 15 months at a time with 10-12 months off between, another 15 months might be the magic number we were looking for. That killswitch engaged without enough time to come back to sense of normalcy compounds the problem. You may see soldiers out in public. They may look normal. But alot of them are thinking about how they are going to position themselves so that their back isn't exposed at the restaurant. What's in the trashcan they are crossing at the mall? Swerving to avoid the empty box on the side of the highway.
Unfortuantely, some of these soldiers may be lost to us forever, and the problem is only getting worse, not better.
UPDATE: The Army will assign an investigating officer to perform a thorough check of the situation leading up to the incident. It will probably be a few weeks before anything official is released.
CNN has the story with details and the families wait on the investigation.
Some call it PTSD I call it the kill switch and once it is engaged it's hard to flip off.
It's becoming more apparent as we've had two cases of "fragging" in recent months in Iraq. One such case just took the lives of two NCOs in Iraq a few days ago.
I don't know if you've ever been in a situation where your life is in someway in danger. Such as being held up outside the grocery store, or even in a car accident, when your heart races, and your adrenaline is pumping. Now, imagine having that feeling day in and day out for 15 months with a 12 month, or less break, then back for 15 months more. It's an act of self-preservation where everything is suspect, and capable of taking your life. Is there a bomb in that trash pile? That kid could be carrying a grenade. That rooftop looks like a good spot for a sniper. When you are transported to a world where danger lurks in every corner, trash pile, and person you have to engage your senses to the point of hypersensitivity. You have to be ready to raise your weapon and kill at a moments notice. Your kill-switch must be engaged. You can operate with this hypersensitivity and lack of sensitivity to killing for a period of time and then come back. These timelines vary depending upon the person and the amount of combat they are engaged in.
In urban warefare this timeline shrinks due to the danger that is everywhere in everything. It's a multiplied hypersesitivity or hyperalertness that grows to a point where it can't be turned off. Then there is the desensitization that develops due to having to shoot or kill on a daily basis. That is why we practice firing with our rifles so much. It's not to make you a better marksman, it's to desensitize you to pulling the trigger. How many times do you have to shoot a person before you become completely desensitized to killing anyone, at all, that poses a threat to you? Anyone, such as your squad leader, who threatens your military career by correcting your performance. What's the number 2,3, 10 times? It's different for every person.
When these two forces of hyperalertness and desensitization merge I call it the "kill-switch." You are in a state of mind where killing is the reaction to anything seen as any sort of threat to you. Where your immediate reaction to anything is to literally raise your weapon and shoot. You can engage the kill-switch for short periods of time then disengage. But there is so much power surging to the switch that if you keep it engaged for too long it will short out and the switch will be left in the permanent on position with no way of turning it off.
This accounts for the increased suicides, and homicides we are seeing in the Army. Last week a soldier shot and killed his commanding officer at Fort Hood then shot himself. This week a soldier killed his squad leader and another soldier in Iraq. Everyday soldiers are committing suicide and homicide, and sometimes in public and disturbing ways.
Keeping the killswitch engaged for 15 months at a time with 10-12 months off between, another 15 months might be the magic number we were looking for. That killswitch engaged without enough time to come back to sense of normalcy compounds the problem. You may see soldiers out in public. They may look normal. But alot of them are thinking about how they are going to position themselves so that their back isn't exposed at the restaurant. What's in the trashcan they are crossing at the mall? Swerving to avoid the empty box on the side of the highway.
Unfortuantely, some of these soldiers may be lost to us forever, and the problem is only getting worse, not better.
UPDATE: The Army will assign an investigating officer to perform a thorough check of the situation leading up to the incident. It will probably be a few weeks before anything official is released.
CNN has the story with details and the families wait on the investigation.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Weighing the choices
So this presidential election boils down to a choice between
1. Another legacy scholashipped, silver spooner, Luddite, with PTSD and an uneven temperment who spent his younger years carousing and boozing and graduated from the bottom of his class at USNA, where he was made a pilot because he wanted it, and his daddy was an Admiral. With an uneducated, unscholarly, Chrisitan Zombie Brigade, Pentecostal, who thinks we are on a Crusade in Iraq, and has no clue about world events for the past 8 years because she has been too busy being a vindictive ex-beauty queen and working on seceeding from the union.
----OR----
2. A man who spent his life walking the color line in a still prejudiced United States. Worked his way to get a Bachelors in International Relations, and a law degree from Harvard graduating the top of his class then going to teach Constitutional Law at a fairly revered midwestern university. Then began his political career by helping people get jobs, training and get food and keep their lights on the southside of Chicago, forsaking the corporate jobs full of money that lay in wait for someone with a Harvard J.D. He then moved to the state Senate and US Senate. With his VP pick being a man who has been on the Foreign Relations committee in the US Senate, the only body that can approve treaties.
1. Another legacy scholashipped, silver spooner, Luddite, with PTSD and an uneven temperment who spent his younger years carousing and boozing and graduated from the bottom of his class at USNA, where he was made a pilot because he wanted it, and his daddy was an Admiral. With an uneducated, unscholarly, Chrisitan Zombie Brigade, Pentecostal, who thinks we are on a Crusade in Iraq, and has no clue about world events for the past 8 years because she has been too busy being a vindictive ex-beauty queen and working on seceeding from the union.
----OR----
2. A man who spent his life walking the color line in a still prejudiced United States. Worked his way to get a Bachelors in International Relations, and a law degree from Harvard graduating the top of his class then going to teach Constitutional Law at a fairly revered midwestern university. Then began his political career by helping people get jobs, training and get food and keep their lights on the southside of Chicago, forsaking the corporate jobs full of money that lay in wait for someone with a Harvard J.D. He then moved to the state Senate and US Senate. With his VP pick being a man who has been on the Foreign Relations committee in the US Senate, the only body that can approve treaties.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I'm a "phony" soldier...
...And I apparently don't know what war is like.
Thank you Megan McCain. You know your father is not the only one who's been to war and back. While your home may have turned into a warzone after he returned from the POW camp due to his PTSD and obvious mental and emotional problems from being tortured for 5 plus years.
I've got news for you there are plenty of us that know firsthand what war is like. Let me give you a little example.
You're riding around in an uparmored HMMWV with all your gear on which adds about 20 degrees to the 110 plus inside your vehicle. You're trying to look at the road ahead of you to insure that you don't run over an IED, but you cant see very well with the sweat, now at a constant downpour stinging your eyes.
You're nearly lulled to sleep by the hum of the engine when the 7 ton vehicle in front of you is suddenly lifted 15 feet off the ground and displaced 25 feet off the road by an explosion that shook your insides and left your ears ringing so you can barely hear. Knowing that it could be a complex attack, but you wouldn't be able to hear if they did shoot at you, you rush to the vehicle, but that IED contained accelerant for catching the vehicle on fire. The passenger managed to fall out of the vehicle on fire and is now dead. The smell of burning human flesh, hair, rubber, and cordite is now in the air and you have to fight back the reflex to puke. As you move toward the vehicle the flames are too intense and you are forced back and you have to hold your people back as they try to rush in to save their buddies, who, hopefully are already dead as the vehicle is completely engulfed in flames and the ammo could start cooking off at any moment. So, you have to watch and smell as 3 people burn to death and are sent to Valhalla on a pyre created by 30 dollars worth of explosives and a couple of pieces of copper wire, which defeated 500,000 dollars of technology and armor plating.
But Megan, I've-never-served-a-day-in-the-armed-forces-but-my-old-ass-Vietnam-Vet-father-did, McCain knows more about war than I. A two 15 month tour veteran of the unneccessary invasion and occupation of the sovereign nation of Iraq where we stay even when the people and government of Iraq don't want us here.
Thank you Megan McCain. You know your father is not the only one who's been to war and back. While your home may have turned into a warzone after he returned from the POW camp due to his PTSD and obvious mental and emotional problems from being tortured for 5 plus years.
I've got news for you there are plenty of us that know firsthand what war is like. Let me give you a little example.
You're riding around in an uparmored HMMWV with all your gear on which adds about 20 degrees to the 110 plus inside your vehicle. You're trying to look at the road ahead of you to insure that you don't run over an IED, but you cant see very well with the sweat, now at a constant downpour stinging your eyes.
You're nearly lulled to sleep by the hum of the engine when the 7 ton vehicle in front of you is suddenly lifted 15 feet off the ground and displaced 25 feet off the road by an explosion that shook your insides and left your ears ringing so you can barely hear. Knowing that it could be a complex attack, but you wouldn't be able to hear if they did shoot at you, you rush to the vehicle, but that IED contained accelerant for catching the vehicle on fire. The passenger managed to fall out of the vehicle on fire and is now dead. The smell of burning human flesh, hair, rubber, and cordite is now in the air and you have to fight back the reflex to puke. As you move toward the vehicle the flames are too intense and you are forced back and you have to hold your people back as they try to rush in to save their buddies, who, hopefully are already dead as the vehicle is completely engulfed in flames and the ammo could start cooking off at any moment. So, you have to watch and smell as 3 people burn to death and are sent to Valhalla on a pyre created by 30 dollars worth of explosives and a couple of pieces of copper wire, which defeated 500,000 dollars of technology and armor plating.
But Megan, I've-never-served-a-day-in-the-armed-forces-but-my-old-ass-Vietnam-Vet-father-did, McCain knows more about war than I. A two 15 month tour veteran of the unneccessary invasion and occupation of the sovereign nation of Iraq where we stay even when the people and government of Iraq don't want us here.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
OK another line of the day
Crowd: Yeah.
Remember that kid? That’s what this is reminding me of. "Oh, I love your dress, was that your mother’s?"
You know what I’m talking about.
What do you talk about, when you have nothing to say?!
What do you talk about when you CANNOT EXPLAIN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS OF FAILURE?!
(Standing Ovation)
What do you talk about?! What do you talk about?!
You talk about the other guy.
Crowd: Giv’em Hell, Joe!
Biden: Remember what Harry Truman used to say. The crowd would yell, "giv’em hell, Harry." And he’d say, "I’m not gonna to giv’em hell, I’m gonna tell them the truth, and they’re gonna think it’s HELL."
(Standing Ovation)
Remember that kid? That’s what this is reminding me of. "Oh, I love your dress, was that your mother’s?"
You know what I’m talking about.
What do you talk about, when you have nothing to say?!
What do you talk about when you CANNOT EXPLAIN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS OF FAILURE?!
(Standing Ovation)
What do you talk about?! What do you talk about?!
You talk about the other guy.
Crowd: Giv’em Hell, Joe!
Biden: Remember what Harry Truman used to say. The crowd would yell, "giv’em hell, Harry." And he’d say, "I’m not gonna to giv’em hell, I’m gonna tell them the truth, and they’re gonna think it’s HELL."
(Standing Ovation)
Line of the day 5SEP08
For all of the bible toting, braindead, neocon death cult, christian zombie brigade members for Palin:
“Mrs. Palin Needs to be reminded that Jesus Christ was a community organizer, and Pontius Pilate was a governor.” – published in this morning’s Washington Post
“Mrs. Palin Needs to be reminded that Jesus Christ was a community organizer, and Pontius Pilate was a governor.” – published in this morning’s Washington Post
Thursday, September 04, 2008
FactCheck.org 4SEP08
From an independent fact checking organization:
- From Joseph, I pledge allegiance to the state of Israel, Lieberman said Obama hadn't "reached across party lines" to accomplish "anything significant," though Obama has teamed with GOP Sens. Tom Coburn and Richard Lugar to pass laws enhancing government transparency and curtailing the proliferation of nuclear and conventional weapons.
- Thompson repeated misleading claims about Obama's tax program, saying it would bring "one of the largest tax increases in American history." But as increases go, Obama's package is hardly a history-maker. It would raise taxes for families with incomes above $250,000. Most people would see a cut.
- Lieberman also accused Obama of "voting to cut off funding for our American troops on the battlefield." But Obama's only vote against a war-funding bill came after Bush vetoed a version of the bill Obama had supported – and McCain urged the veto.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Truly Lame
The RNC is truly the driest, lamest crap I've seen in a long while.
"Wait, look...we've got Charlie Daniels...and some other white trash country singer...and Robert Duvall did the voiceover for some piece of shit propaganda that looks like it was put together by the kid 5th from the bottom of his class at the Goebbels Institute of Information."
"And look there's this old white guy, and another old white guy, and we brought in an old Jew too. Look we're diverse."
They could have just played reruns of Matlock, Law and Order, and General Electric Theater on that huge screen and gotten the same effect.
"And Palin is too qualified, she lived next to Russia."
And that abstinence education seems to be working also.
"Wait, look...we've got Charlie Daniels...and some other white trash country singer...and Robert Duvall did the voiceover for some piece of shit propaganda that looks like it was put together by the kid 5th from the bottom of his class at the Goebbels Institute of Information."
"And look there's this old white guy, and another old white guy, and we brought in an old Jew too. Look we're diverse."
They could have just played reruns of Matlock, Law and Order, and General Electric Theater on that huge screen and gotten the same effect.
"And Palin is too qualified, she lived next to Russia."
And that abstinence education seems to be working also.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Why family is not off limits
Yesterday, Sen. Obama issued a message stating that family is off limits. While, I agree it should be Conservative politics seem to differ.
At the heart of the conversation is the politicians stance on Roe V. Wade, which has nothing to do with pregnancy, abortion, life, or even choice, but a person's right to privacy. Roe V. Wade was simply the machine that stated women had a right to privacy in matters concerning their own bodies and that right should not be infringed. The Chritian Taliban, which believes Roe should be overturned has been singing Palin's praises since she was announced as VP, in an almost deafening cacauphony that doesnt seem to stop because of her strong stance as being pro-life/anti-choice/anti-privacy.
Should we afford her daughter the same rights that she believes shouldn't exist. After all, she believes that everything a woman does with her body should be public business, concerning the life of the unborn...right. I guess we should look more closely into her endangering the life of her child by hopping on an airplane after he water broke. Making a layover then continuing onto Alaska. Seems a bit dangerous for the life of the child.
She doesn't believe sex education should be taught in school and this will lead to more pregnancies, so maybe it should be made very public as she sets the example on how you deal with unexpected teen pregnancies. Hopefully, she is much better example than the Spears'.
Is family off limits? Most certainly. Unless you believe those matters are best decided by the machine of state, which should have control over when you are allowed to reproduce or not reproduce.
At the heart of the conversation is the politicians stance on Roe V. Wade, which has nothing to do with pregnancy, abortion, life, or even choice, but a person's right to privacy. Roe V. Wade was simply the machine that stated women had a right to privacy in matters concerning their own bodies and that right should not be infringed. The Chritian Taliban, which believes Roe should be overturned has been singing Palin's praises since she was announced as VP, in an almost deafening cacauphony that doesnt seem to stop because of her strong stance as being pro-life/anti-choice/anti-privacy.
Should we afford her daughter the same rights that she believes shouldn't exist. After all, she believes that everything a woman does with her body should be public business, concerning the life of the unborn...right. I guess we should look more closely into her endangering the life of her child by hopping on an airplane after he water broke. Making a layover then continuing onto Alaska. Seems a bit dangerous for the life of the child.
She doesn't believe sex education should be taught in school and this will lead to more pregnancies, so maybe it should be made very public as she sets the example on how you deal with unexpected teen pregnancies. Hopefully, she is much better example than the Spears'.
Is family off limits? Most certainly. Unless you believe those matters are best decided by the machine of state, which should have control over when you are allowed to reproduce or not reproduce.
Can you say desparate?
Sara Pahlin
Desparation, hail Mary pick to energize the Christian Zombie Brigade.
Inexperienced...naive.
I mean really, we're going to put a former beauty queen and news anchor with 5 kids (and a future grandchild) as the next in line to be Commander In Chief for a 72 year old cancer survivor.
Well she's a Republican and a Christian so, why the hell not? Right. I had a neighbor that was a Republican, Chrisitian, ProLifer but I wouldnt want her to be next in line for the presidency.
Desparation, hail Mary pick to energize the Christian Zombie Brigade.
Inexperienced...naive.
I mean really, we're going to put a former beauty queen and news anchor with 5 kids (and a future grandchild) as the next in line to be Commander In Chief for a 72 year old cancer survivor.
Well she's a Republican and a Christian so, why the hell not? Right. I had a neighbor that was a Republican, Chrisitian, ProLifer but I wouldnt want her to be next in line for the presidency.
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