Reaffirming "In god we trust," as the national motto

Woke up this morning to see that Congress, finally, is doing the big work. Are they tackling the unemployment problem with a job’s bill? No. Are they going after the banks that robbed the economy of a trillion dollars and a created a mult-trillion dollar false derivatives market. Uhhh, no. They’ve moved onto something much more important, reaffirming that’s right RE-affirming “In God we trust,” as the national motto.

According to Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), the founder of the Congressional Prayer Caucus…First, why is there even such a thing as a “prayer caucus?” So, you were sent there to collect a staggering $100k per year salary, not to solve the nation’s problems or debate legislation with facts and reason, but to create a group, inside the congress, whose sole purpose is to come together and talk to their imaginary friend. I wonder. Are Pagans invited to this prayer Caucus meeting? What about the only Muslim congressman? Is he allowed into the meetings with his prayer rug and incantations.

How about we start a motherfucking JOBS Caucus, or Infrastructure Caucus. Can’t be an atheist Caucus and there is only one in the House of Representatives, Pete Stark (D-CA)

Well, anyway, according to this guy Forbes who wants to waste money and time by talking to an imaginary friend and then waste more money and time by dragging his fellow zombie death cult with him, “As our nation faces challenging times, it is appropriate for Members of Congress and our nation—like our predecessors—to firmly declare our trust in God, believing that it will sustain us for generations to come.”

Just fuck it all. Not only are they damned-near pissing on the Constitution, which is probably more important than the motto established in 1956 as well at the same time they put “Under God” in the pledge, but it appears members of Congress have just thrown their hands up on issues facing our country and have just screamed “Jesus take the wheel!” Apparently, their imaginary friend and the zombie son are going to solve all of our problems. If faith alone will solve the problems then you don’t need to be an elected official to do it.

If you’re really concerned about the under God motto dumbfuck shit, you shouldn’t be re-elected. You can then spend more of your time talking to the wall instead of addressing real issues. I think concentrating on doing something as a ceremonial gesture that has already been done displays a problem with Republicans, they’re not problem solvers. They’ve run out of ideas for solving real problems and really, mostly, creating more problems, and when all else fails turn to the imaginary. The social issues are always a big hit with their retarded base (and that’s not a slur, their mental growth is obviously challenged in a few areas if they still believe in goblins and tooth fairies and the like.) They’re out of touch with the American electorate who could give two shits about the National motto and is more concerned about the economy and the fucking bridge they drive on everyday going to their minimum wage job falling down. Prayer won’t hold up a bridge dumbfuck, but luckily for you it will hold you up through the next election.

One Soldier's Opinion of the End of DADT

        I guess I should be proud. The military and the Army have finally decided to live up to values they preach and the freedom they defend. I’m a little proud I guess. I’m more happy for all of my brothers and sisters in arms who are LGB who can finally put their ass on the line between good and evil defending freedom as themselves. Those jingoistic words seem relative when you are considered a second-class citizen, and your partner will not receive benefits like other military spouses. I guess small steps are required to appease small minds.

        This is my promise to you, my LGB Soldiers present and future, if you are in my unit I will train you with the same vigor and provide you the same opportunities I do any other soldier. I will give you just as many opportunities to succeed or fail and base all decisions objectively, on your ability to lead troops, take care of soldiers and complete the mission. I promise you no more and no less than your straight counterparts, and really I think that’s all you wanted anyways, while being allowed...permitted...to be yourself. Most honestly, because I don’t have the time or energy to care about who the fuck you’re sleeping with at night.

        I’m sure there will be “queer-panic,” but that, in time, will resolve itself as the bigots who can’t handle living in the 21st century expose themselves to the test of relevancy and sanity only to be found lacking both. This, therefore, makes them no-value added in an organization that prides itself on its values.
The seven values, that you remember we were taught in basic training: Loyalty, Duty, RESPECT, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. These values that we, as soldiers, are supposed to live, fight and die by, values that all soldiers were forced to violate daily since the implementation of DADT.

        “But Marcus, this doesn’t effect you? You’re a straight guy like us, just stay in the club.”

        Anytime any American is treated unfairly or unequally especially by a government institution, it effects all of us. It especially effects me when I am the enforcer of these unfair and archaic rules, laws and practices. You would change your mind if you would have seen the mental anguish caused in young men and women who have chosen to volunteer only to be unexpectedly caught between being themselves, living honorably, or living a life that was lie in order to serve their country. Men and woman who were unfortunately being offered the paradox of which honor do you want, the honor of openly being yourself or the honor of serving your country because we, for some odd reason, in the “home of the brave” couldn’t afford them both.


        We have a far many more domestic issues that you can help resolve that are more a threat to national security than who is sleeping with whom. You know how many soldiers I’ve seen leave the Army for homosexuality? None. You know how many good soldiers I’ve seen get kicked out because they had inherited bad lifestyle choices from their parents and society in the ways of food and exercise? Too many to even fucking count, a little fewer than 100 in 12 years in the Army.
        
        I did see one allegedly homosexual soldier get discharged but not because she was a lesbian, even though from all accounts and my own good circumstantial evidence she was and is. This soldier was kicked out because she had a mental and emotional breakdown. She broke down, I’m assuming, because she couldn’t live the lies in both worlds. How often does this happen? How can we force people to live like this? She was forced to hide who she was and could only do it for so long. But those were the rules at the time and we can only operate in the parameters set forth on us by Congress which is set by their constituents, you the American people.

        I think we Americans have finally taken a step in the right direction and have done the right thing. I know we in the Army can make it work because we can finally live by our values and apply them always and equally to all of our Soldiers.

Ayn Rand and her followers are sociopaths

It's not that there would be a shortage of people to run those corporations but there would be a shortage of people with the sociopathic mentality to run the corporation as it would be wished to be run by the stock holders and Boards of Directors.

They need amoral people who have no problem putting money and profit ahead of people. These sociopaths are few and far between. There aren't very many people willing to actually sell out their fellow man for a few more dollars, people who will take the entire burden of the actions, allowing the boards and stock holders to place distance between themselves and the actions of their corporations.

The only thing they produce is the cover for the sociopathic, authoritarian dominator plutocrats and oligarchs to continue to consolidate power and money and through money consolidate more power.

Ayn Rand’s admiration of sociopaths extends beyond the captains of industry as her infatuation with murderer William Hickman is well documented. If this is the type of person she admired, the type of person upon which she wrote “Atlas Shrugged,” then what does that say about the people worshipping at the altar of objectivism? They are no better, at least mentally and morally, than the cultists that followed Manson to the Tate home. Although they may not realize it because the authoritarian followers will not allow this information to penetrate their bubble and if it does it will be dismissed as a lie because it is something that does not confirm their world view.

Sociopaths amongst us and they call themselves dirty names...

Finishing up a book that you can get for free called “The Authoritarians” if you google it and had a few thoughts.

Fascists don't like democracy, it's mob rule after all. They don't like the mobs unless it's the mobs of dupes they have fooled to march for them, to anthropomorphize the corporation that's sucking the country dry. Corporations as people, fascists and Ted Bundy all have something in common, they're sociopaths.

So, for those of you true-believers who think the Koch Brothers, GE, Exxon, Goldman Sachs have the best intentions of the country at heart, best of luck to you as you are fed to the machine of your own making, just like the people of Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. If you think you can appease your fascist masters to give you your jobs back with tax cuts and lowering wages and working conditions collectively to those of a third world nation I have no sympathy for you. You're a fool, a dupe, a follower and a coward and in the end the lowest level of fools pay the price.

You voted in the surrogate fools of fascism and they are bringing it in wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross. You will be left wondering where your country went and you’ll want it back and it will be too late. And it won’t be because of your inherent xenophobia or racism because your country will actually disappear as we become the United Corporatocracy of America with a ruling oligarchy. However, you will succumb to your master so long as he spouts the right language to appease you and gives you a “them” to hate and bomb. So, tell me Teabaggers, Republicans, Corporatists all followers of Randian objectivism who by any other names are fascists, are we at war with Eurasia or Eastasia?

Pat Sajak is a moron

I saw this article from Pat Sajak posted on facebook and I found it laughable. I have not been able to confirm that it was actually written by Sajak since the right-wing likes to make up fake articles from celebrities and send them around the internet in spam style. It also wouldn’t be beyond Fox News to post it without verifying that it was, in fact, written by Pat Sajak. but I’m going to take a stab at responding too it after just waking up and pre-coffee.

At a dinner party in Washington the other night, I was asked a question I’m often asked. No, not, “Can I buy a vowel?” but, rather, “Why is Hollywood so uniformly made up of liberal Democrats?” 
There are a lot of theories on the subject, and I have a few of my own. First, I would strongly argue with the premise. My industry is certainly made up predominantly of liberal Democrats, but there is a surprising number found on the other side of the political spectrum. Lots of writers, producers, directors and performers are quite conservative in their views, but you don’t hear from them as much or as noisily as you do from the left. Part of it, sadly, is the fear that they’ll suffer professionally if they’re “outed”, and a number of them have stories to tell about being confronted on the issue.

[So money is more important than the country. We get it you’re conservatives, of course it is.]

But another factor is they’re far less comfortable lecturing their fellow citizens on how to live their lives.

[We all know conservatives don’t like telling people how to live their lives. You know I’ve never been told by a conservative that I need to accept Jesus as my lord and savior or I’m going to hell. Isn’t it conservatives that want to legislate abortion out of existence so they can tell women what to do with their bodies. And it’s a favorite past time of conservatives to tell gays they’re living their lives all wrong.]

You’re much more likely to see a liberal singer interrupt his performance with a global warming diatribe than you are to see a conservative singer praising the free enterprise system between songs.

[Because over the last 4 years we have learned 1) there is no such thing as a free enterprise system which 2) allows white collar criminals to collapse the economy and get away scott-free. It’s not something that’s easy to defend in modernity without sounding like a sociopathic brainwashed Randian ideologue.]

Another fact that might surprise you is that most of Hollywood—like most of America—isn’t really all that interested in politics except near election time. 
Most of the men and women who make their living in the entertainment field are much more focused on finding jobs and reading scripts and getting awards and going to events than they are on the intricacies of American politics. If you ask them about their views, they’re likely to spout a few liberal talking points because they’ve heard them so often, and it’s the safer position to take.

[It’s a safer position to take because unlike conservative positions you don’t sound like a sociopathic, Darwinist asshole. So being polite, people will take the position of caring about the plight of the less fortunate and the working class, a liberal position, over whether or not oil corporations get to make a few billion dollars more per year in profit.]

And that point leads me to my primary theory on why one side dominates the other. Putting aside the true believers and usual suspects (you know who they are on both sides), the liberal position provides the path of least resistance, especially for high-profile members of the Hollywood community. It’s hard to describe the bubble in which these folks live, but I’ll try. 
They are financially successful in ways most people can scarcely imagine

[as a conservative I can’t believe that you are begrudging them for making money in a capitalist, “free-enterprise system.];

their whims are treated as commands; outrageous or boorish behavior is condoned

[You mean outrageous or boorish behavior like: leaving your wife on her cancer bed for your third wife you’re having an affair with, or picking up men in an airport bathroom, or paying for hookers while on the House floor, or sending sexual explicit texts to teenage boys, or ordering a same sex hooker and meth, or escaping to Venezuela to see your mistress, or having a mistress and then paying her husband hush money, or is that not boorish just par for the course for conservatives as they lecture us on how to live.];

they travel in limos and fly (often privately) between their multiple homes

[much like McCain and his seven homes, or Sarah Palin and her private jet];

they hobnob with politicians who come to them for advice and input (and money); the glamour of their business rubs off on them and gives them access and a sense of importance and wisdom

[Isn’t that the same reason you’re writing this article? Seems a bit ironic.]. 

So how should one speak from such a lofty perch? Well, many have concluded that the smartest way to handle it is to claim to be “one of the people.” So, no matter how rarified the air, liberalism is a smart career move. 
Is it hypocritical to ask people to drive electric cars while you’re flying in a Gulfstream? Or to tell them to conserve energy while the cumulative square-footage of your homes is measured in the tens of thousands of square feet? Or to ask them to pay more taxes while your high-priced accounting firms are protecting your money

[Much like the corpoations, Wall Street Execs, and tycoons that the conservatives flock to for advice. Except they don’t care about people, they are sociopaths]?

Of course it is, but hypocrisy cannot penetrate the bubble

[Oh we know it can’t Pat, you’ve just proven it in your previous paragraphs about conservatives and yourself.]. 

They care. Not like the greedy businessmen (from whom they collect their salaries and perks), but like the genuine people they really are.
However, the truth is that most celebrity political talk is just noise. It’s fodder for the entertainment shows and publications. People listen, not because they particularly care about what these folks have to say, or to get advice about how to vote or how to live, but simply because it’s a celebrity speaking

[No I don’t care what a celebrity says about politics because I’m not a Fox News watcher I base my political beliefs on rational logical facts that I believe will lead the country in a better direction. You’re on the wrong network if you care about reasoned political debate sans celebrity sensationalism. Again ironic seeing you are a celebrity.] 

Personally, I try not to mix my political side with my entertainment side

[FAIL!].

And, frankly, I would be appalled if anyone made an important political or lifestyle decision based on the advice of a TV game show host

[WIN! So this was just mental masturbation].

Maybe that’s the best news about the bubble: it not only protects us, but it protects you from us.

[Look if you’re dumb enough to believe something just because a celebrity says it you’re more than likely old or a Fox News watcher or more than likely both because one begets the other. Much the same reason they have Wilford Brimley do the diabetes commericals because old people don’t like to be challenged and like familiarity, the reason they watch Fox News.]

Labor Should Fight

It is time for the new labor movement. Young people don’t remember what it was like before Reagan started busting the unions. Maybe membership is dwindling because the new generation doesn’t understand the power and might of working class people united in ensuring that all workers are given fair compensation for their labor. A generation that grew up with Wal-Mart being the largest employer of underpaid, undercompensated workers wouldn’t understand that they have the right and ability to demand what is fair and they can bring about change through the power of collective bargaining. The young people today are just happy to get any job and are satisfied with the status quo. That was all planned by the corporatists. They shouldn’t be. They should do what our grandfathers did and not settle. If we become satisfied with earning an existence wage then we will soon become a country of forced labor like China. You see right wingers, workers get to vote with their feet. They get to walk out and they can conspire and collude to strike just as you can conspire and collude to create wars to send their children to fight, create fake markets to crash the US economy, and you collude and conspire to force them to give up their rights.

The Koch-Tea Party-front groups are now in the mix in Wisconsin, ensuring the voices of the billionaires are heard. Union reps have agreed to cut pensions and salaries but the Governor is not willing to negotiate. He wants everything and will give on nothing. This should be a total walkout across the country of all union workers. This is the continuation of a generational battle to take away the rights of workers that started with Reagan and will only end when workers are subjugated or workers fight back. IBEW, AFSCME, UAW, AFL-CIO, SEIU the whole lot should strike.

This is all because the collapse of the economy. You want a low down of what happened and why we can’t afford the pensions we promised to pay people. The pensions were invested in Wall Street, you know, like the plan to privatize Social Security would have done. Well, when the last bubble burst, thanks to Alan Greenspan,“The Biggest Asshole in the Universe,” as called by Matt Taibbi in “Griftopia,” this left the pensions depleted. The pensions were laden with the junk AAA-rated investments that at best were D-rated because the revolving door and deregulation left speculators and Wall Street tycoons to do whatever they wanted and get off scott-free with golden parachutes when the rigged bubble burst. This was the only outcome possible. This wasn’t an accident. This was so purposefully planned that these people should be lined up on death row for premeditated murder of the economy. So, now these pensions are coming due, the pensions people paid into over years of work. When unions negotiate they usually give up pay in order to gain benefits like pensions and healthcare. In a real free-market the pension holders would be required to pay what they owe or go to prison but in our kleptocratic oligarchy that will never happen. Wisconsin isn’t the end every state, 401k and nearly every pension program was invested in these junk securitized mortgage packages.

Because the people that owe the money have ensured that they can fix the rules by pumping billions into elections, thanks Citizens United and Supreme Court, that they will never have to pay what they owe or be held accountable. If you create a Ponzi scheme and dupe people out of thousands of dollars you’ll go to jail, but if you dupe people out of billions by creating a false economy that almost collapses an entire country then you get to go work for presidential administration or move to K Street and begin lobbying to ensure that rules are never put into place that would hold you or your future “yous” accountable for international grand larceny. So, who gets to pay for their greed? The working-class schlep who will never see a pension, lost their 401k and can’t afford to buy legislation to hold the scammers accountable.

Fascists don’t like unions because people are much easier to control individually. The autocratic personalities, like Republicans, conservatives and Tea Baggers like having one strong man in charge. The “every man for himself” mentality fits very well into their Social-Darwinist outlook. This is why they have obligatory masturbation whenever the word Ayn Rand is mention. One man’s “objectivism” is another man’s social Darwinism. Divide and conquer. Pit individual against individual and the objectivists can’t lose. That’s the Tea Party way, the conservative way, the Fascist way. Darwinism. Survival of the fittest. Doesn’t much fit their persona of good Christian American, because we all know as told to us in Matthew that Jesus asked for a co-pay before healing the lepers and welcomed the capitalists into the church.

As much as the right wing preaches about democracy, they don’t really like it. As much as they preach about being heard by their representatives they don’t really like that. Their adoration and worship of money and corporations puts their priorities on profits, prophets and corporations as holy institutions. Private industry and corporations can do everything better. CEOs are the latter-day Saints. This makes them Fascists, by definition. They would be much happier if we put the Koch Industries, Inc. in the White House and disbanded the legislature and the judiciary.

The only problem is that, as mentioned above, and as has been proven corporations are sociopaths. If you’ve watched the documentary “The Corporation” you know what I mean. If a real person, not a corporate person, did what a corporation does they would be put in a mental institution or locked away on death row as a danger to society. Operating with reckless and wanton abandon for the quality of human life with the only goal being “profit” does not leave very much respect for the working person or the human race. Doesn’t leave much room for rights.

So, who should be allowed to determine their destiny? The people themselves, en masse, as prescribed by democracy having their grievances heard? Or the unaccountable, megalomaniacal, corporations that have bought legislation to ensure subjugation? I think in a democracy the choice is clear and workers get to vote with their feet.

Fuck the Mormons, tax the churches

Tax the churches. Is there any doubt that churches are thrusting themselves into the political? A proposition that should go over well with the TeaBaggers. They don’t like lots of words, nuance or anything too complex. This would simplify the tax code a little for them. Churches should pay taxes on everything they do, like any other business. You know, like Joe the Plumber that wasn’t named Joe nor a plumber. If they don’t like it they can station themselves in a nice tax shelter in the Caribbean. Another reason the teabaggers should get on board is because they believe everyone should do their fair share and everyone should contribute equally. This should include all businesses that use the commons we all pay for to conduct their transactions. Think of how much property tax you could save if all of those churches had to pay property tax just like your business. I ask, why shouldn’t they be taxed? Out of some antiquated false and undeserved deference to a business hocking invisible wares?

They should also be taxed to pay for the government that they are involved in. Part of the deal of no taxation is that they can’t be involved in politics. Recent political and court battles have shown that churches are actively and defiantly involved in influencing politics to suit their theocratic agenda. This should not be taken lightly. If churches as an organization want a say, well, they have to pay.

This has been no more apparent than in the fight in California over Proposition 8 to legalize gay marriage. This fight was completely bankrolled and organized by none other than the flying batshit crazy Mormons which are only a step removed from Scientology and Jedi as a religion. They knew what they were doing was as wrong in California as it was in Hawaii years before, which is why they tried to keep it such a secret by creating front organizations like the National Organization for Marriage. I’m sure all the evangelicals that jumped on that train would be sickened to know that it was all created and funded by that dirty, crazy Mormon money. California didn’t speak on Prop 8, the Mormon Church did. How does it feel to have your state run by whackjob loons California? Well, not the usual California ones but the nutso religious ones.

When the church was first called on providing support to the Prop 8 fight they said they spent about $2,000 of in kind support. Then that went to 190,000, turns out it was well over $22,000,000. They either have a shitty accountant or they lied. I’m going to bet the holy Mormon church lied. Do the ends justify the means so long as it’s in the name of Jesus? Isn’t lying a sin? Did Jesus tell the President of the church to lie? Did he get one of those Monopoly get out of Celestial Heaven free cards? I bet it was on a gold plate.

So, the churches that should be spending that tax exempt money to follow the teachings of Jesus to help the poor, the needy, the sick, the challenged are instead using that money to manipulate politics, to push a Christian Taliban agenda where the end result is theocracy. That is their dream result. They are no better than the Taliban. There are 6000 references in the bible to helping and giving to the poor and a couple handful of mentions of homosexuality and Christ never even mentioned it. However, Christ did have a secret visit with the Lamanites or Nephites in the US after his death in his zombie phase, so he may have mentioned it then. It may have been in those secret golden plates of Joseph Smiths. The abuse and misuse of this special tax status is all the more reason to revoke it. If you think Taliban is too harsh read the story of Bruce Barton and what the leaders of the Mormon BYU campus did to him as a suspected homosexual. There is very little separation from them, most American evangelical leaders and the Taliban. They both have the same goal, the same endgame in mind: theocratic despot utopia. The leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Bullshit has created an environment in that state that has led to a higher per capita suicide rate amongst teens than all states and some countries. The great Christian leader said it was better to be dead than be gay. Ohhhh, I love those great Christian/Mormon morals and values. That’s straight from the prophet, the man that’s on Jesus’ speed dial. Isn’t suicide an unforgivable sin as well? I guess even Jesus gets confused by all of his father’s rules too.

The Mormon church is a organization of bigotry, racism, xenophoia and prejudice. Fuck them. Let their tax exempt status fall and make them pay taxes on all of those temples, churches and magic underwear.

And for the Evangelicals that think they are off of the hook now, your voodoo is just as much bullshit and made up as the Mormon’s. Your “religion” is being used as it always has been. It’s mind control. It makes you the “us” and gives you a “them” to hate and fight against. A common enemy to unite you and cement you in your beliefs. Moors, Moslems, witches, Communists and now homosexuals.

So, if I start selling some fake invisible bullshit; create an “us” and find a “them” to hate, If I just start spouting off about how much I hate everyone with blue eyes or something like that, can I be tax-exempt as well? I think it’s worth a shot and religion seems to be a pretty good racket right now. It provides a great protective umbrella from social and personal responsibility and always has the great out that the Almighty Spaghetti monster, or whatever, will forgive you no matter what you do. You can create rules for the society and push your agenda without having to contribute anything but your dogma based on zombie worship or some sort hatred of people that are different.