Last year seemed to be marked by a flood of celebrities passing away early, this year seems to be marked by a flood of sexual harassment and abuse accusations. A few other important things happened too. Right now though I am specifically angry with a writer and online publication that I had always previously supported, Ben Cohen and The Daily Banter. He just posted an article calling for Senator Al Franken of Minnesota to resign in light of a second accusation that he touched a woman inappropriately. An accusation. So Franken has to go "because he is a serious liability for Democrats." Upon reading the headline, I immediately imagined the corpse of Chez Pazienza clawing out of his grave, shambling to Cohen's house, and kicking him square in the nuts.
This is part of the problem, Chez was something of the anchor of The Daily Banter who refused to submit to the politically correct flavor of the moment. His influence served as a restraining force on the other Banter members, now that he has passed away that restraint is gone. I'll throw out my entire bias list and let you decide how much it influences my thoughts here. Ben Cohen started the banter as an independent progressive news and analysis source, his own writing tends to be shorter, less insightful, and more to the point than any other writers I regularly read. As such, his opinion is not as well reasoned or supported and in calling for Senator Franken to be thrown under the bus he is just falling for the bait. If the right wing authoritarian media complex stumbles on this attack campaign and the oxygen is sucked out of it, we'll all look pretty silly for giving it any attention.
By jumping in full force like this and leaving no possibility of saving face in the light of further information, Cohen has exposed himself and the credibility of his business on a possible scandal du jour. Before the banter, before podcasts, before the progressive blogosphere congealed into a source of comfort and strength for liberals during the dark, dark days of the bush crime syndicate, there was Al Franken. His book Lies: And the lying liars who tell them was one of the first audiobooks I ever bought and it got me through many a night at my boring, repetitive job at the time. Then I got some of Franken's other books and started listening to his radio show on Air America.
The rules do not apply to republicans... at all. And for some reason, liberals want to apply them double to Democrats. An elected or even appointed Democrat has to be as pure as new fallen snow or they get the Hillary Clinton treatment. And what does Team Blue gain from constantly giving in to republican whining? Let's recall the case of Van Jones and Shirley Sherrod, two scalps claimed early on by the powerless and utterly discredited right wing at the time. The Obama administration gained absolutely nothing by throwing those two qualified officials under the bus and republicans were empowered by the administration's weakness.
Say Cohen gets his wish and Senator Franken does resign, does anyone really think that will end the "controversy"? No, "Al Franken" will be the screech of choice for any right wing authoritarian follower who is even asked about the potential "problematic" nature of claiming to be so "pro-family values" while supporting the pussy grabber in chief or the possible Senator pedophile from Alabama no matter how far Franken may go from public life. Just as Rod Blagojevich is the first and last word from republicans about Illinois and political corruption. Just as "Chicago" is synonymous with lawless immigrants and African-American violence while simultaneously a knee-jerk deflection about gun safety laws. Just as the "tax cuts will unleash growth" myth never dies, neither will any of these myths. The right wing noise machine penetrates and permeates all truth, bending it to its will. Without Senator Al Franken (who also has several female staffers swearing that he treats them will utmost respect) and other Democrats standing up to lawless authoritarianism, these women coming forward to accuse anyone of misconduct will find it "problematic" to do so in the future.
Shame on you Ben Cohen for taking this reckless stand.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Don't get it done
"My donors are basically saying 'get it done or don't ever call me again."'
It is odd to hear such a blunt statement of truth from a member of the death cult of human suffering still strangely referred to as the "conservative" Republican Party. But Representative Chris Collins of New York made it nice and obvious who his master really is. A year into selling their souls to the orange carnival barker and his entourage of Russians and Nazis, thus abrogating any claim to patriotism or protection by the Constitution, what do the billionaires have to show for it? A stolen Supreme Court seat, poo flinging monkeys running the executive departments, and a crackdown on the cheap labor supply most of them count on to fuel their profits. The attacks on healthcare, education, and overall security and well being are simply problems for us mortals. As is the utter embarrassment of having a game show host as president and white supremacy somehow considered a viable option for public support.
Tax cuts; the end all be all of our self-proclaimed masters. And if they don't get them they will let the rogue's gallery of manics, sycophants, and religious nuts they put in Congress whither away on their own merits. Which means, without a huge stream of "campaign donations" to misdirect, confuse, deflect, and simply overwhelm rational public debate; Republican members of Congress might have to answer actual questions from real journalists and constituents. Sure, there would still be the fine work they have done stifling democracy through suppressing the vote and gerrymandering their districts but without the carpet bombing of money it might be a fairer fight than these fucking cowards can handle. And the loss of all that advertising revenue for the networks might finally force the executives there to rethink their commitment to the "both sides do it" narrative that lets liars get away with it on TV constantly.
Might. Hope is a poor substitute for actual strategy but those of us out in the hinterlands of America without any real leverage over network corporate news need something to hang onto in this crazy time. What actually compels the news executives to run the same script day in and day out, "sure the republicans are traitorous liars who are driving the entire country off the cliff but here's some Democrat somewhere who may have worn the wrong color suit so both sides are just as bad." Driftglass always says that it's an act, news shows are a play put on to distract and confuse people who have little time and energy to commit to understanding the labyrinth of American politics. Pundit A represents this tribe, pundit B represents the other, and the moderator referees their arguing and yelling. Nothing is solved, nothing advances, and no matter what the liars win. So maybe, just maybe, if the republicans can't get the giant tax giveaway through congress for doughfacedonny's tiny fingers to sign, the billionaires really will close their checkbooks.
And that would probably be the most patriotic thing they've ever done.
It is odd to hear such a blunt statement of truth from a member of the death cult of human suffering still strangely referred to as the "conservative" Republican Party. But Representative Chris Collins of New York made it nice and obvious who his master really is. A year into selling their souls to the orange carnival barker and his entourage of Russians and Nazis, thus abrogating any claim to patriotism or protection by the Constitution, what do the billionaires have to show for it? A stolen Supreme Court seat, poo flinging monkeys running the executive departments, and a crackdown on the cheap labor supply most of them count on to fuel their profits. The attacks on healthcare, education, and overall security and well being are simply problems for us mortals. As is the utter embarrassment of having a game show host as president and white supremacy somehow considered a viable option for public support.
Tax cuts; the end all be all of our self-proclaimed masters. And if they don't get them they will let the rogue's gallery of manics, sycophants, and religious nuts they put in Congress whither away on their own merits. Which means, without a huge stream of "campaign donations" to misdirect, confuse, deflect, and simply overwhelm rational public debate; Republican members of Congress might have to answer actual questions from real journalists and constituents. Sure, there would still be the fine work they have done stifling democracy through suppressing the vote and gerrymandering their districts but without the carpet bombing of money it might be a fairer fight than these fucking cowards can handle. And the loss of all that advertising revenue for the networks might finally force the executives there to rethink their commitment to the "both sides do it" narrative that lets liars get away with it on TV constantly.
Might. Hope is a poor substitute for actual strategy but those of us out in the hinterlands of America without any real leverage over network corporate news need something to hang onto in this crazy time. What actually compels the news executives to run the same script day in and day out, "sure the republicans are traitorous liars who are driving the entire country off the cliff but here's some Democrat somewhere who may have worn the wrong color suit so both sides are just as bad." Driftglass always says that it's an act, news shows are a play put on to distract and confuse people who have little time and energy to commit to understanding the labyrinth of American politics. Pundit A represents this tribe, pundit B represents the other, and the moderator referees their arguing and yelling. Nothing is solved, nothing advances, and no matter what the liars win. So maybe, just maybe, if the republicans can't get the giant tax giveaway through congress for doughfacedonny's tiny fingers to sign, the billionaires really will close their checkbooks.
And that would probably be the most patriotic thing they've ever done.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
The Return of the Clean-Up Crew
Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that Democrats won lots of seats and offices on Tuesday. I won't go so far as to claim that Democratic victories in New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, and elsewhere proves that the authoritarians do not have elections sewn up so tight with their anti-democratic restrictions and gerrymandering. Or that this means Russia has stopped monkeying with our elections. Or that republican ratfckers were unable to hack the system and rig the totals. For all we know this is part of the traitors' plan, letting the marlin run a bit before yanking it back in during the midterms. But now that the voters in those states have hired Democrats to run their governments it will be more difficult for the authoritarians to manipulate them. The coming months will be an interesting test case as to whether Democrats can actually make anything out of their wins.
Let's be honest, for the next generation at least, we will be digging out of the hole that the republicans dug and then pushed us into. The last three Democratic presidents were nothing but caretakers of tradition, attempting to hold up the banner of good government and trying to clean up the mess left behind by their republican predecessors. Jimmy Carter had to whether the storm of distrust in government left be Watergate and Nixon's crimes. Bill Clinton seemed like a new beginning as he was the first president elected after the Cold War supposedly ended, but he had to deal with the incredible abuses of power by the Reagan/Bush regime and by corporate America's smash and grab job done to the average citizen. In retrospect the Clinton administration, with its deal-making and appeasement of republican monsters and the monied elite didn't actually do that well. The go-go Nineties left out enough people that the professional ratfckers in the "conservative" movement were able get away with incredible cruelty while cheered on by the re-programmable meatbags who are just too fucking stupid to realize how much they were played for suckers. The republican party, reformed into a vicious machine loyal only to itself and the right-wing billionaires they work for, has no interest in what's best for America. They are the definition of Niebuhr's children of darkness, for they recognize no law that is not in their self-interest and the rest of us be damned.
After the lying and thievery was propelled to new heights along with the national debt during the George W. Bush years, with anyone who stood up for the constitution being attacked as disloyal traitors, you would think the next turn at bat would have found Democrats finally willing to lead with their chins and unilaterally disarm. But then Nancy Pelosi said impeachment was off the table when people mobilized enough to finally push Democrats into the majority and Democrats did nothing to counteract the brazen sedition and vandalism of the public sphere by right wing media and elected officials. Dubya left office, the only good thing he ever did, and left the country in ruins. Did republicans show any remorse for what they did? Of course not, they committed to obstructing Barack Obama's agenda at all costs. An agenda which basically consisted of cleaning up the mess their guy left and trying to help all the people who got run over by authoritarian cruelty and corporate abuse.
Was Tuesday the turning point? Where the people finally wake up that republicans are ruining their lives and they have to get involved, stay involved, and show up to vote each and every time? If we the people push enough Democrats into office, even if they won't fight for us, at least the bleeding could finally slow. It has to be us, the average citizens, who educate and help each other to push back. Authoritarianism and right wing extremism will never go away, even at the accelerated rate that boomer republicans are dying off, American citizens who believe in democracy and the rule of law have to show up and keep pushing it back into the shadows. If Tuesday was the turning point, I will be the first one to cheer and congratulate all of the hard-working volunteers who put in the time and effort to get republicans out of office. But what if it was just a psyche-out? If the authoritarian elite just let this one slip by so they can dash our hopes in the mid term elections with all of their voter suppression, gerrymandering, and gobs of money? Similarly, what if activists rest on their laurels and decide the average voters are stirred up enough to keep going? Or if those voters figure it's in the bag and they can stay home, "somebody else will take care of it."
Hillary Clinton's administration was supposed to be the one that finally allowed Democrats to stop being janitors and start making progress. It would have been the first time a Democratic administration succeeded another one since before the Civil War. We would finally see if all those horrible things Thomas Frank said about Democrats in Listen, Liberal were really true or if they would have the courage and confidence to tackle the big problems. The basic objective that Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. set out over seventy years ago still holds, liberalism must become and maintain itself as a "fighting faith". If we the voters show up and push Democrats to embrace that faith, find their backbones and challenge the right wing myth of submission, then it will be clean up crews no more. Eat my dust you authoritarian vandals!
Let's be honest, for the next generation at least, we will be digging out of the hole that the republicans dug and then pushed us into. The last three Democratic presidents were nothing but caretakers of tradition, attempting to hold up the banner of good government and trying to clean up the mess left behind by their republican predecessors. Jimmy Carter had to whether the storm of distrust in government left be Watergate and Nixon's crimes. Bill Clinton seemed like a new beginning as he was the first president elected after the Cold War supposedly ended, but he had to deal with the incredible abuses of power by the Reagan/Bush regime and by corporate America's smash and grab job done to the average citizen. In retrospect the Clinton administration, with its deal-making and appeasement of republican monsters and the monied elite didn't actually do that well. The go-go Nineties left out enough people that the professional ratfckers in the "conservative" movement were able get away with incredible cruelty while cheered on by the re-programmable meatbags who are just too fucking stupid to realize how much they were played for suckers. The republican party, reformed into a vicious machine loyal only to itself and the right-wing billionaires they work for, has no interest in what's best for America. They are the definition of Niebuhr's children of darkness, for they recognize no law that is not in their self-interest and the rest of us be damned.
After the lying and thievery was propelled to new heights along with the national debt during the George W. Bush years, with anyone who stood up for the constitution being attacked as disloyal traitors, you would think the next turn at bat would have found Democrats finally willing to lead with their chins and unilaterally disarm. But then Nancy Pelosi said impeachment was off the table when people mobilized enough to finally push Democrats into the majority and Democrats did nothing to counteract the brazen sedition and vandalism of the public sphere by right wing media and elected officials. Dubya left office, the only good thing he ever did, and left the country in ruins. Did republicans show any remorse for what they did? Of course not, they committed to obstructing Barack Obama's agenda at all costs. An agenda which basically consisted of cleaning up the mess their guy left and trying to help all the people who got run over by authoritarian cruelty and corporate abuse.
Was Tuesday the turning point? Where the people finally wake up that republicans are ruining their lives and they have to get involved, stay involved, and show up to vote each and every time? If we the people push enough Democrats into office, even if they won't fight for us, at least the bleeding could finally slow. It has to be us, the average citizens, who educate and help each other to push back. Authoritarianism and right wing extremism will never go away, even at the accelerated rate that boomer republicans are dying off, American citizens who believe in democracy and the rule of law have to show up and keep pushing it back into the shadows. If Tuesday was the turning point, I will be the first one to cheer and congratulate all of the hard-working volunteers who put in the time and effort to get republicans out of office. But what if it was just a psyche-out? If the authoritarian elite just let this one slip by so they can dash our hopes in the mid term elections with all of their voter suppression, gerrymandering, and gobs of money? Similarly, what if activists rest on their laurels and decide the average voters are stirred up enough to keep going? Or if those voters figure it's in the bag and they can stay home, "somebody else will take care of it."
Hillary Clinton's administration was supposed to be the one that finally allowed Democrats to stop being janitors and start making progress. It would have been the first time a Democratic administration succeeded another one since before the Civil War. We would finally see if all those horrible things Thomas Frank said about Democrats in Listen, Liberal were really true or if they would have the courage and confidence to tackle the big problems. The basic objective that Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. set out over seventy years ago still holds, liberalism must become and maintain itself as a "fighting faith". If we the voters show up and push Democrats to embrace that faith, find their backbones and challenge the right wing myth of submission, then it will be clean up crews no more. Eat my dust you authoritarian vandals!
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